CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS

A SCI-FI ROMANCE CHARITY ANTHOLOGY

INK HEART PUBLISHING

Copyright © 2022 by Ink Heart Publishing

info@vkludwig.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-955871-02-0

Cover Art: Natasha Snow

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from Ink Heart Publishing, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This anthology is a collection of stories by various authors. It is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, locations, or any other element is entirely coincidental.

CONTENTS

Elizabeth Stephens

Taken to Revatu

Zoey Draven

Rescued by the Luxirian

Kate Rudolph

Kallan

V.K. Ludwig

Press Pound for Refund

Tana Stone

Prize

Octavia Kore

Plummeting Hearts

Hope Hart

Stolen by the Arcav

Olivia Riley

Shade’s Embrace

Tasha Black

Promised Mate

S.J. Sanders

The Wandering Star: Fallen

Jessica Grayson & Jade Waltz

Saved by the Fae Alien

Veronica Scott

Talinn

V.T. Bonds

Mended and Marked

Nancey Cummings

Caldar: Warlord Brides

Alana Khan

The Yearning

Ivy Knox

Trusting His Mate

Samantha Rose

Hunting Galaxies

Ella Maven

Saved by the Prisoner

Kyra Snow

Protected by the Alien Warlord

L. Starfyre

Cyborg Assassin: XZ20T20

Kate Stevens

Archlord of Exile

Alison Aimes

Princess Claimed

Ava Ross

Escorting the Alien

Hattie Jacks

Fated

Julie K. Cohen

Alien Tempted

Iona Strom

Silver Sidhe

Lilly Griffin

Pippa’s Quandary

Annabelle Rex

The Bodyguard’s Deception

Honey Phillips

Alien Castaway

Alexis B. Osborne

Mate for the Alien P*rn Star

Elin Wyn

Reaver’s Kiss

Tamsin Ley

Out of the Frying Pan

V.C. Lancaster

Claiming Her Freedom

Liz Paffle

Scarlett and The Alien Savage

Victoria Aveline

Releasing Maladek

Kassie Keegan

Savage Galaxy Rescue

A.G. Wilde

Her Warrior from the Stars

Ella Blake

Captured by the Riloxian

Lynnea Lee

Space Fighter’s Mate

Hannah Haze

Honeymoon on the Red Planet

Leslie Chase

Stranded Hearts

Tina Moss

Alien’s Getaway

Stephanie West

Claiming Kara

R.L. Olvitt

Tumbling Through Stardust

Ana B. Starr

The Exiled of Sha’reaux

C.Y. Croc

Crash Landed Alien Love

Amarra Skye

Rescued by the Lantian Prince

Julie L. Vance

A’jax

Loretta Johns & Sarah Johns

Doggone Alien Love

ELIZABETH STEPHENS

TAKEN TO REVATU

CHAPTER 1

GRCYXZ

I watch the space junk arc across Revatu’s perfect green sky in great balls of blue fire. Beautiful. I set down the chrxzyt nut I’ve been separating from its fleshy outer shell and look across the small orchard at Bebetu and Orick. Orick’s upper lip curls back even further, revealing the tips of his tusks. He slings his shearing blade over his shoulder. I stake mine into the ground — a challenge. I don’t need a blade to best him and take whatever this haul of space junk brings in.

Bebetu sneers, her tusks jutting from her lower jaw to press into her upper lip — a miniature version of my own tusks, which are among the thickest and sharpest in our pride. The large flaps of her ears twitch in irritation, or perhaps anticipation.

I take off at a run, make it to the edge of Revatu before they do, and then jump off of the edge of the island.

CHAPTER 2

LATANYA

Rax! Rax, rax, rax. “Rax!” I shout the word out loud that’s been repeating in my mind on an endless loop.

He’s got me cornered. Rock and a hard place take on a new definition. Rocks aren’t my problem.

Negunn is my problem.

The cliff behind me is my problem.

The frothing pink water below it is my problem.

And my biggest problem? This brown, gelatinous, raxing magma goo that’s creeping slowly across the forest floor — somehow not disturbing the trees or the bushes at all, but meanwhile incinerating the remains of the wrecked pod I had to bash my way out of. The tracking device built into the hull that I had hoped to use is gone. I don’t even know if my parents crashed onto this planet or another one, or if they made it anywhere at all.

Maybe, they’re still lost in space.

What if they die there? What if I never find them? My heart seems to pound against all my organs at once, everything squeezing tight in terror as I look across the shrinking space between Negunn and me, hating him beyond any hatred I’ve ever felt toward him before.

And I’ve always hated him.

But right now, for all I know, the only beings on this planet might be me and Negunn and, even if we were literally the last two souls left on this planet, I’d still prefer the magma. I glance at it just as the last of the kintarr exterior of my pod’s hull crackles spectacularly in a show of color and light, and then dies.

Alright, perhaps I prefer the fall.

I glance over my shoulder. There’s only about a dozen steps between me and the cliff’s edge. I glance at the trees towering above me, some leaning out over the steep, death-defying drop as if in defiance of gravity, completely unconcerned for the frothing pink waters below. Some of the branches and the thick vines hanging from them look close enough to touch… If I were to jump out over the water, I might be able to reach the one…

But I won’t.

“Come on, Latanya. You know you never had a choice in this.”

Maybe, I’ll have to fight.

“That’s not true.” I ball my hands into fists and Negunn glances down at them.

He laughs. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“What’s the easy way? Because with you things have been hard our whole lives.” I slam my fist down onto my thigh, which trembles in the aftermath of the crash. Maybe, the shock. Maybe I’m injured. I wouldn’t know. My adrenaline is thrashing wildly through my body, making me hot, making me want him to attack. “I don’t understand you! You’re a Quadrant One prince. The females all think you’re attractive. You’re from one of the wealthiest lines in the Quadrant. You could have any female you want!”

His eyes narrow when I say that and his smile slips into something more menacing. A frown. “Not any female.”

“You want me because I don’t want you?”

“Why don’t you want me?” He gestures to his chest, which is bare because it always is. He knows how he looks. He is the prodigal son of Quadrant One, every prince’s perfect archetype. Gold skin that shimmers in the light, rainbow-colored hair that falls in perfect waves to his earlobes and never looks mussed no matter how many times he runs his fingers through it. Striated eyes that are turquoise and gold and pink. I’ve seen him naked before at the royal bath houses and he’s got a gigantic cock and is perfectly fit. Muscular thighs. Manicured feet. He’s rich. He’s intelligent. On paper, there’s no reason not to want him.

Except, I’d rather take the magma. Or jump for the trees.

“You’re a creep!” The magma is casting heat. Fifty feet away and closing in from the left, it isn’t moving fast, but if it gets within a stone’s throw, I won’t have any choice but to follow the path to the right — the one Negunn is blocking.

“You’re just an adopted hybrid oud,” he sneers the insult. It’s a universal insult for hybrid bastards, the lowest of the low. It stings when he says it, even though he’s said it before. My mom told me that words only have power if you let them, but I’m not sure that’s true.

“Your mother is hideous and your father was outcast from the royal family for mating her. Their union is frowned upon by the universe. Even though he is your mother’s Xiveri mate and her horns flake white for him, they couldn’t reproduce. That’s the only reason you’re on Quadrant One at all. Because no one else in the entire galaxy wanted you besides two freaks that couldn’t produce a kit of their own.”

I grit my teeth, bored of this. Insults against my parents are insults I’ve heard before and I don’t care for them. They used to bother me when I was younger, but my spine was tempered and steeled by the love of my parents — the two greatest beings in this universe, of that I’m sure — and I have no time for this. There’s raxing magma coming!

I cock my head and wipe my hands off on my shift — the threadbare tunic all that’s left after I shed my heavy golden outer dress. “And you ask why I don’t want to be with you…”

“Come with me, consent to marry me, and I’ll step off the path and make sure you get out of here and stay safe against whatever beasts inhabit this planet.” He gestures to the magma with a flick of his elegant hands.

“I’d rather jump.”

“Then do it! Because I’m not raxing moving unless it’s with your consent and your hand.” He licks his lips and brushes his hand through his hair. I can see the sweat beading on his forehead, which makes me realize that I’m also sweating.

“We’re running out of time, Negunn…”

“You’re running out of time. That raxing stuff will get to you a lot sooner than it’ll get to me.” He crosses his arms over his chest and I pray to the stars for a comet or asteroid or whatever it was that blew apart the Paradise Voyager — one of the largest and most elite intra-Quadrant cruise ships ever built — to come here and land on top of Negunn’s perfect rainbow head. “So what’ll it be, Latanya? Is death really preferable to a lifetime with me?”

From the first time he insulted my Lemoran mother when I was a child, to the first time he petitioned the Court to have my father stripped of his title, to the first time he ruined the reputation of another Quadrant One prince who made me an offer…my answer has always been the same.

Yeffa. A thousand times yeffa.

I look at the glittery grey branches covered in glittery green leaves jutting out from the edge of the cliff in defiance of gravity. Thick charcoal vines drip from their boughs towards the raging ocean below, which is frothing and snarling up at us like the mouths of diseased beasts. My resolve sets. My mother, if she saw me now, would scream. My father would kill me.

I don’t answer him. I just turn and run towards the edge of the cliff as if my life depended on it…because it might.

I’m three paces away from the cliff’s edge when I hear thrashing. I look over my shoulder and lose my footing. I looked too late.

Negunn’s full weight slams into my side and he takes me down to the soft, dewy undergrowth. Leaves, twigs, and branches in assorted shades of glittery browns, blues, greys and greens crunch underneath our collective weight. He smells great, like some expensive cologne. It makes me want to vomit all over him.

His breath even smells clean, like he just chewed bray leaves, when he leans down and says against my cheek, “I knew I’d get you under me eventually.” And I hate him for it.

I thrash in his grip as he tries to contain my wrists. “Negunn!”

Taking both of my wrists in one of his much larger hands, he hauls me upright. His gaze skims the length of my shift. I had it on underneath the ballgown I’d been wearing earlier — a ballgown that’s now being repurposed as magma fodder. He meets my gaze and smiles from up close and I can’t help it.

All this anger and rage and frustration at how he’s wasting my raxing time when I should be going to try to find my parents and the other survivors bubbles up into my face and bleeds into my mouth and expels itself as a wad of spit. The slobber slaps him right on the chin and Negunn looks so taken aback by it, I laugh at his reaction.

He releases me, shoving me to the right, up the path he’d been blocking before. I think this might be my chance for escape but the moment I pivot, he grabs a swatch of my bright white hair and yanks me back. His other hand finds my cheek in the form of a fist. He hits me once in the face and a second time in the stomach.

Pain splinters through me, but I somehow manage to keep my feet and stagger away. Delirious, I continue. I hear Negunn come after me but he curses a moment later. I slip and fall against a large tree trunk. My heart is beating in my head and my stomach is throbbing in my toes.

I blink open swelling eyelids and turn around to see something rather curious. I grin. Knee-high, dark purple flowers are opening up on the ground, puckering as if in anticipation of the magma and then eating it. But what’s more interesting is that these flowers are big and Negunn stepped into the center of one and it doesn’t seem to want to release him.

Good note.

He’s pulling on his leg, trying to free it before the magma comes. I hope he can’t. I stagger away. “Don’t you dare leave me like this! I’m your mate!”

“Psycho!” I shout over my shoulder. I don’t stop running.

I follow the edge of the cliff for so long, I lose feeling in my feet. The foliage is rough and scratchy and I’ve got cuts up my legs, up to my knees. The stinging in my stomach and face reduce to a dull throb and I continue cursing Negunn under my breath until the single enormous sun in the sky changes tint from orange to yellow to a pale blue as it descends towards the frothy pink horizon. There’s ocean as far as my eyes can see.

A few crazily-shaped islands stud the skyline, disrupting the pink water. Each one is composed of pale tan rock jutting straight up out of the water. Green covers the tops of the plateaus, some of which are relatively flat, while others seem more mountainous, like the island I’m on that has hills whose crests only become visible when when I peek up through gaps in the canopy of trees.

At points, I think I hear Negunn calling my name, hunting for me through the jungle. At other times, I come across more of those glittery gobbling flowers. I avoid those. I have to double back at two terrifying points when I hit more streams of mahogany magma, and then a third time when the jungle just gets too dense to pass through, until I eventually break through a small clearing where a bunch of trees have fallen…and I see why.

“Mom! Dad!” I shout at the wreckage of a dozen pods. Maybe even more. Metal odds and bobs and kintarr crystals lie shattered all over the forest floor but, as I begin picking through the wreckage, it’s clear that the site has been abandoned for a while. I wonder where they fled…and what drove them out…

I try to find signs that one of the pods might have belonged to my mom or my dad, but they’re all identical shells. They look like corkscrews with a central hull in the center large enough for one person and some supplies.

Pain shoots up my left leg. “Rax,” I hiss. I lift my left foot and see a huge shard of pale pink kintarr jutting out of the sole of my foot. Produced primarily on Lemora, kintarr is both beautiful and tough and is our primary source of power on Quadrant One. And it’s expensive. Perhaps, the most expensive substance in the known Quadrants.

My dad used to trade in kintarr and the part of me that used to help him out in his business grieves to see so much of it wasted here on the forest floor, soon to be consumed by magma. It’s only be a matter of time.

I glance around, wondering what produces the magma, but I seem to have stumbled into a kind of depression and I can’t see much of anything through the dense canopy up above and its rich web of tree branches dripping in vines and hanging moss, like the gowns of Quandrant One princesses whose pretty parasoles shield against the sun.

I shiver even though it’s hotter than an oven out here with the one great sun punching as big as a fist in the face of the sky. I waver on my one good foot. My swollen right eye and cheek twitch and a bout of dizziness falls over me like a veil. I reach out and catch myself on the outer hull of the nearest pod, but it’s sharp and digs into my palm. Rax.

“Okay, okay… Rest. Regroup, Latanya.”

I hunker down into the blown open side of one of the pods, careful not to cut myself getting in. The seat hovers above my head and safety straps dangle down around my shoulders as I take a seat. They’ve all been cut. Hm. Someone escaped from here. Hope. I start pushing at the panels to release supplies, groaning as I stretch my legs out in front of me. The glass cut in fairly deep. It’ll be hard to walk on.

“Luckily, all of these pods have med packs.” I bang my fist on the large drawer marked with a circle with two dots inside. It springs open and I grab the grafting wand and a roll of waterproof bandaging.

I shove a tube of nutrition supplement into my mouth and concentrate on sucking on the sweet-tasting block instead of on how badly my hands are shaking as I extract the shard of kintarr from my foot. Tears well in my eyes and drip down my cheeks as I do, but I brush them back, body filling with warm relief as soon as I get the grafting wand turned on.

Small orange light dances between the tip of the wand and the sole of my foot as the device mends the deep tissue. By the time I’ve finished, all that’s left is a dull throb and a scab. Still not great to walk on, but it’ll do.

“It’ll do.”

I take the grafting wand to my other cuts, though it won’t do any good for my eye. Finished, I let the wand thunk down against the metal interior of the hull while my head thunks back against the wall. It’s cramped in here, dark, too. And outside, the sounds of things are getting louder. If it were thing singular, I’d suspect it’s Negunn and prepare for war, but there are many things outside now and Negunn, I know, travels alone. Must be animals.

I haven’t seen any animals so far, which frightens me given how many things I can hear now. Maybe they only come out during the lunar. I shove another nutrition pack into the corner of my mouth and slurp from the hydration tube as I start to look for a light source and something to defend myself with.

I nudge a drawer open that should have contained a spare bodysuit and a pair of boots. The bodysuit’s gone, but the boots were left behind and shrink around my foot until they’re nice and snug. Outside, somethings thrash violently through the brush.

“Rax.” I bite my bottom lip and poke through cabinets and cupboards faster. The thrashing gets louder, punctuated now by thwacks and growls. Many of them. Freeing a space blanket jammed in the back of the drawer, I drag it quickly over the top of the shell before hunkering down and renewing my search for a weapon. The weapons cache has been totally emptied. While it may mean bad news for me, it also means that there were survivors. I will find them. I am not dying here.

Heat more violent than the thrashing outside thrashes through my veins while strength and determination steel my arms. I yank an exposed beam off of the back of the chair above my head. It doesn’t come easily and by the time I get the warped metal free, the thrashing sound is nearly on me. Clearly, the blanket is providing zero cover. I look up, waiting for an animal to pop its ugly maw through the opening — or worse, for Negunn to — while my body burns, ready…

Sort of.

While I hold the beam in a death grip, I wonder absently if the seat it was attached to helped whoever was in here survive — my mom, my dad, maybe? Hopefully? Maybe it was even Prince Algerathon or Prince Wegerawe, two princes I expected to get an offer from on Paradise Voyager before Negunn got in the way.

My mouth is dry. The thrashing is louder. Separating itself from the thrashing is the sound of…of steps. Footsteps. Oh rax. Negunn…he must have tracked me here. Raxing suns, the bastard just doesn’t quit!

I pull my feet underneath my ass, ignore the throbbing in my left foot and my right eye, and scrunch up into as compact a ball as possible. Every single muscle in my body is poised to spring. My hands are numb around the metal beam. It’s gold, except for the jagged edges, which are black and silver, like they were burned. But there’s no blood in here. They survived. Just like I’m going to. Maybe. Definitely. Hopefully.

I bite my bottom lip just as the blanket tears free and a face appears and it — rax. Well, it isn’t Negunn and he looks far too surprised to see me to be a beast.

“Ermmm…” The word is mine, not his, and he jerks back momentarily before huffing out violently between his teeth — well, not exactly teeth. Tusks. Thick ivory tusks jut up from his bottom jaw, so long the sharpened tips press into his upper lip, going so far as to nearly frame his nose. Even without them, he’d still look every bit the predator, with his black slashes for eyes and huge, hulking frame. Atop layers and layers of muscle, his skin is a mottled green, dark and light all mixed together. I wonder if he isn’t some form of Egama giant hybrid because I’ve never seen any other species with that coloring — or quite so massive — before. Then again, I know for a fact this isn’t an Egama-controlled planet. And I also know that no Egama giants have blood red claws…

Trying not to focus too hard on the serrated blades sticking out of his hands that already look like they’ve been dipped in my blood, I take inventory of the rest of him and decide where exactly I might best run him through. Built like a raxing tree with a network of roots, he looks a bit too solid and dense for my flimsy metal but, rax it. I’m going to try anyway, because there’s not a doubt in my mind that this…this orc, creature, ogre thing is deadly and I did not crash land on this inhospitable planet, survive and escape Negunn only to get eaten like a roast by this thing and his friends!

I shoot up onto my feet, the top of my head rising only as high as his pecs, and with a loud grunt, I strike for his abdomen. I fall short when he reaches out and captures the edge of my beam, which doesn’t so much as scratch him, and easily takes it away from me.

Well, rax.

CHAPTER 3

GRCYXZ

Bebetu, Orick and I are joined by four others. Not many of us spend our solars off of Revatu hunting the mainland. Only the strongest do. Only the fastest dare.

“This space junk holds life,” Yrkar shouts from his position crouched in front of the shattered mass of metal and gems. We’ve seen these gems before. They’re very valuable and burn for solars on end — spans. Already Slascax, Vevaxcra, and Nevo have begun gathering them.

“Held,” I correct.

He agrees with a nod, withdrawing his weapon as we leave the others behind and continue checking the pods for life. Finding none, we continue through the jungle, finding two more clusters of pods. The second consists of only three pods.

“He did not survive,” Bebetu says, frowning.

A fallen tree pins a pod beneath it, the trunks of the Vevari too porcine for the casing of this alien survival pod to do as it was meant to — survive. The being inside was male and was crushed to pieces beneath it. We utter a prayer to the Hunger that sustains us, knowing that it will come for him soon. We will need to collect all that we intend to before it comes, though we will not take everything. The Hunger demands its sacrifice. The Hunger must feed, too.

We move on.

The rumbling in the ground is subtle, but is still indication enough that the Hunger will soon come. We will need to be long gone by then. Back on Revatu.

“We don’t have much time,” Orick shouts as we pass into the final copse where over a dozen of these survival shells lie scattered. At first glance, there are no corpses, but we will need to move through the grove to know for sure.

I begin picking my way through the shells to find those with the most gems…when I hear something. A racket. I look up and see that Yrkar is already attuned to the sound and a low growl slips from between my tusks. It irritates me. I am the Alpha hunter.

I surge forward, moving ahead when he gets caught on an exposed mess of metal mesh. He growls when I reach the shattered shell first, though the sounds within it have stopped by now. I flex my hands, my claws protracting from the tips of my fingers, a dark and menacing red. Not many Revati can boast red claws and my cheek ticks with the desire to tear a predator apart with them. And there is no doubt that it is a predator. There are only predators on the mainland.

I wait for it to explode out of the wreckage and attack, but nothing happens for beats. And then longer moments. Frustrated, I begin to entertain an impossible notion, that the predator within has laid a trap…but the predators on the mainland are not higher life forms, they would not be capable of this. I have only moments before Yrkar frees himself and joins me and I want this kill all to myself.

I angle my body to the side and keep my right claws held high, ready to swipe down and impale anything that should attempt to escape or attack one of my hunters. With my left hand, I yank back the silver covering draped over the top of the broken pink and gold shell. I bare my tusks, flare my nostrils and clench in preparation to strike hard and fast…but my stroke falls short.

The thing inside the pod is a rich brown — a color so vibrant I can’t help but think of the earth after the Hunger passes over it and leaves behind an oasis of rich minerals which glow in the light of Revatu’s Twelve Sisters, her moons, and glitter in her sunlight. But the hair…her hair is astonishing. The color of the froth on our waves, it’s bright white, utterly colorless. It falls straight down to her hips and even though there are a few tangles, it looks freshly brushed and well cared for. The creature looks well cared for, well fed, soft in so many wonderful, delicious places. Her breasts, her hips, around her waist…

My gaze is roaming freely, but I don’t miss the subtle change in her body language and I know the moment her surprise at seeing me dissolves into the desire to defend herself from me. She shoots up onto her feet and is remarkably short for a two-legged being. She jams a piece of gold metal towards my stomach, but I grab it by its broken edge and take it away from her. I toss the weapon aside with one hand. With my other, I grab both of her wrists and secure them together.

She starts to struggle wildly, muttering what sound like curses, but not in a language I can identify. Her hair whirls around her face and I can’t look away. I’m mesmerized.

I pull the thin, coarse rope from my belt and loop it around her wrists, then take the loose end and toss it up and over the lowest Vevari tree branch overhead. I yank on the loose end of the rope and her body rises into the air on a shriek. I lift her high enough that I can kick the entire pod out from under her, easily clearing her feet, before I lower her almost — but not all the way — back to the ground.

I lower her until she’s at eye level and then I hold. I stare. She is…unusual looking. Her cheeks are round, her eyes are large and tilt up towards her hairline and they’re covered by so many thick, beautiful white lashes. Our people don’t have so many lashes and I find myself struck by the urge to touch her.

Everywhere.

Heat builds in the back of my throat and I choke with the effort of swallowing it down. Panic and a momentary rage assault me but both sensations are short and easily batted down. She is female, but there is no shortage of females. I am one of the oldest hunters, seasoned, capable of control. I will not fall into rut because of this one.

I close my eyes and ignore the sound of Yrkar cursing and Bebetu warning me that the Hunger has begun its descent from the Mouth. I open my eyes at a sudden pressure against my left pectoral. I see her biting her teeth together…she’s in pain. She’s cursing louder now and I look down. She kicks me but she winces the moment she does. I frown, hand snaking down and removing her left boot. It thunks to the ground and reveals a bandage and I frown, concerned that perhaps this female is not among an intelligent species if she is kicking me with an injury. How unfortunate.

I take her ankle carefully in my hand and examine her foot. I see no blood and it isn’t swollen. Perhaps, the injury isn’t as severe as I thought. Good. Carefully, I slide her boot back onto her foot and retract my claws long enough to lace them back up.

“Woah.” Orick’s voice is louder than I want it to be. He’s right up on my left and he’s staring at the female with his mouth ajar, his tusks on full display for the female. I snarl deep in my throat, the sound coming unbidden and involuntary. I don’t want her looking at any male’s tusks but mine. Mine. The thought reverberates, even as Orick whistles, “She looks like a gift.”

An offering.

A sacrifice.

The heat rises up the back of my throat unrepentant, the first warning signs. I swallow harder and hack out, “We don’t even know if she’s an intelligent life form.”

She babbles something then and, with the way she’s looking at me, I have half a mind to think she’s speaking in response to what I’ve just said.

“She looks pissed,” Yrkar says, coming up on my other side now.

The burn in the back of my throat ignites and my tail slashes through the air, all three of its tentacles coming unbraided from one another in a sign of my displeasure. I don’t know why I don’t like Yrkar near her. Orick, either, but Yrkar in particular.

By now, the other contingent gathering the stones has caught up to us. One of them whistles high and loud. Nevo and Slascax round the female and appear on her other side. While I hold the rope, the others circle her now and I can sense her agitation fluttering through the air like the warning signs that the Hunger is drawing near.

“She’s injured,” Vevaxcra says.

“Her foot is neither bleeding nor swollen,” I start, but Vevaxcra shakes her head.

“Not that. Her face. She looks like she ran into something face-first. Or she was hit.”

The burn in my throat becomes too much to tamp. I open my mouth and feel it coming — desire… Cera. A desire to breathe fire. Xiveri. The word floats through my mind and I fight the impulse to slaughter everyone near her because she’s mine. Mine. And someone struck her.

I can see it now, the swelling around her beautiful right eye and cheek. It seems to be swelling more the longer I stare, and consequently increases my desire to commit murder. The burn in my throat tastes like smoke and tamgram flowers. The purple and gluttonous things, they eat the Hunger with their wide gobbling mouths and so transform the soil, allowing the Hunger to travel through their roots and fertilize the dirt beneath. This is, in part, what makes it possible for so much life to grow on the rocky surfaces of our water planet.

In looking at her and in thinking of Vevari flowers, I’m forced to think about the ancient legends, those that spoke of the Mouth opening, bringing Hunger as it does, but on a fated solar when the sky turned crimson, the Hunger would bestow onto the lands a goddess and the goddess would bestow onto its Xiveri mate control over the skies. A legend though it may be, it has happened once before…

My heart beats firm and hard and my mouth waters and dries at the same time. It cannot be, can it? I am First Hunter, but how can I possibly deserve such a gift? And more worrisome…how do I make her mine?

“Grcyxz.” Slascax says my name, his brow furrowed. “You okay?”

Cera. I am not. “Who hit you?” I ask the female.

She’s still staring at me but at my question, she says a word, one I don’t understand. “Nee-gant.” She says more and then shakes her wrist. Her shoulders are likely hurting and I don’t want her to hurt.

“We need to leave.”

“We can’t bring her with us without knowing where she came from and whether her people…”

“She comes with us.” I look across the space at Nevo and hope that my gaze brooks no argument.

It doesn’t. Instead, she’s staring at me in shock while Slascax whispers something in her ear. Like kits gossiping, the lot of them. “What?”

Vevaxcra juts her chin toward the female. The gesture is threatening. “This is dangerous. We should leave her here. If she survives the Hunger, then we’ll know she can be assimilated.”

“She comes.”

“I won’t allow it.” Vevaxcra is a seasoned warrior, but if she thinks to deny me or defy me, then she will have to be dealt with in violence.

“You do not decide. The tribe decides.” I reach for the female, slide a hand around her waist, touching the softest fabric I’ve ever felt. Her warmth beneath it is tantalizing. My claws retract immediately, worried about tearing her garment and her skin both. She makes a sound in the back of her throat as her body comes in contact with mine and it nearly sends me to oblivion.

Beside me Yrkar hisses, “I will carry her.”

He steps forward and I slap my hand over his face and shove him back into the brambles. He falls and the entire hunting party goes quiet. All except for Slascax, the little miscreant. She laughs, “I cannot wait to see how the tribe reacts when they realize you want her for your deliha.”

I snarl and loop one arm around the little goddess’s thighs, just underneath the hem of that translucent white fabric. It is not a necessary gesture, but I want to feel her bare skin on my arm. My throat burns and the burn only gets hotter when I let go of the rope and her front half drops forward so that her body drapes over my shoulder. I can feel her bare breasts on my back and my hand snakes up the back of her leg — to pull her shift down, of course. Not simply to feel her…squeeze her.

I speak through clenched teeth as I glare around at my hunters. “I want her for nothing. We don’t even know if she’s sentient.” It’s a lie, one I can see reflected in the faces of these hunters around me. They know me better than they know the Hunger itself.

The ground is shaking more ardently now, the tremors running deep. Imperceptible if you don’t know what you’re feeling for, but we on Revatu learn this art as kits. It’s a skill she doesn’t have. And her skin is so soft. She won’t survive out here.

“She can’t be taken as a deliha if she’s not fit to climb. She could be a risk for the entire tribe,” Yrkar barks.

I want to bite his head off. Of course he’s right, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I would take that risk. There’s something happening between us. Ironic, because I’m certain that I’m the only one between the two of us that feels it.

I notice she has stopped speaking and has stopped fighting. This concerns me. A female who won’t fight can make no home here. Maybe, it’s just the shock. If she has not encountered other species aside from her own before, this might be a surprise for her. I smooth my hand up and down the back of her thigh. Her ass is so close to my face, it’s all I can do not to turn my head and take a bite. She smells so good. The burn returns with a thunderous violence, if it ever even left, only this time it’s accompanied by something else.

A purr.

“Are you purring for the female?” Orick says, coming to a dead stop beside me.

“Cera,” I hiss, though the purr in my chest only increases.

“He is,” Slascax says with a giggle. She tosses her thick braid over her shoulder and waggles her eyebrows at me when I look at her. Her fangs are much smaller and thinner than mine, they barely peek out of her mouth. She and the female in my grip have roughly the same shape, though Slascax is much taller, more muscular, has a tri-pronged tail just like mine. She is, in every way that would be written, a much better fit for a male hunter like me.

But I’ve never wanted Slascax. I’ve never wanted anything like I want this creature…

This creature that may be an idiot.

Hmph.

I’m still glaring over Slascax as she stands with her hands on her hips in her tanned hide garments that cover her breasts and her sex when Vevaxcra says, “Do you hear that?” And a moment later a bolt of lightning stabs through my shoulder — the right one, the one not carrying her.

I drop the female to the ground between my legs and crouch to cover her while more lightning flashes horizontally through the air. “We’re under attack!” Nevo roars.

“Too exposed. Seek cover!” I roar, grabbing the female and hurtling our bodies behind the thick trunk of a Vevari tree. Carefully, I peek out from around it, nearly getting my nose singed off in the process. “There’s only one attacker,” I shout.

The female in front of me says that word again. “Nee-gon.” Her hand balls into a fist and I meet her gaze. It’s full of fire. A little hate. Enough for me to know that this is a being with feeling and the ability to articulate.

I grab her by the outer arms and pull her closer to me while the lightning continues to fire. It is concentrated around this tree and I entertain two terrible thoughts, one right after the other.

“Nee-gon,” I repeat, stroking my right hand down the left side of her cheek, which is now so badly enflamed its a wonder she can see out of her eye at all.

“Negunn,” she corrects.

“Negunn. Negunn did this to you?”

She nods and smiles and very carefully, her lips form words — words of the Revatu language. “Negunn heveva-ana-akcata.” Negunn did this to you.

She’s repeating me.

My throat burns, only now, a spark has ignited in my chest. I’m teaching her Revati. “Negunn heveva-binta-akcata.” Negunn did this to me. I point at her.

She points at herself and repeats after me carefully. I watch her mouth the entire time and when she’s finished, I smile, lean forward and brush my lips over her forehead, my tusks, too. I lick a line from the center of her forehead to her hairline, marking her by scent for other males to understand that even though I’ll leave her now, it isn’t a free for all. This female has a male already. But right now, this male has to kill for her.

“I’ll kill Negunn for you.” I make a slicing motion across the neck.

Her eyes fill with pleasure. She grins ear to ear and the spark in my chest ticks again and again with the desire to ignite. “Kill Negunn! Kill Negunn!” She claps her hands together and bounces on the balls of her feet.

Her reaction surprises me. She’s so soft and delicate in appearance. I didn’t expect her to be a predatory being. When I bring her to my home, will she try to eat me in the lunar? The thought fills me with pride and longing — pride, at the thought of her fighting me. Longing, at the thought of punishing her for it.

“Okay, little monster,” I tell her, massaging her neck. “Wait here. I will bring you his head.”

I shout for the other hunters to assume attack formation. Once prepared, they release a series of coordinated battle cries that have the intended effect. They pull the attacker’s attention around in a concise pattern, creating a lull in the lightning strikes that affords me my opportunity.

I scale the tree, find an ancient vine to support my weight and swing down from it. Lightning flares again, but too slow to catch me. I reach for vine after vine, moving in a zig-zag pattern as I advance on the creature. I can see the blast coming from inside of a dogo berry bush. I thump down onto the ground behind it, tear the bush out by the root…but the attacker I expect to find is absent. In his place, there is a single weapon, mounted to a gold triangle — a stand of some sort. It fires lightning at the sound of Nevo and Orick trilling, and then swivels left to fire at Yrkar’s booming wail.

I swipe my claws across the neck of the stand and the weapon tumbles from its perch and hits the ground, dead. I frown.

And then a scream, “Negunn! Racks-ze-cowmehts!” It’s a language I don’t speak, but it’s hers, so it too, feels mine. I look up and see the female — my female — running for the cliff separating the mainland from Revatu…but an ocean of frothy water and devouring creatures separate the two…and she’s running like she’d rather meet that end than face the male chasing her…the male who set a trap for me, and that I fell into.

I take off running. The distance between the female and me is shrinking rapidly, but she’s quicker than she has a right to be and she’s too far ahead…I’m not fast enough. I can hear my hunters running at my back, but they are long lost. Yrkar is shouting orders to the others to corner the male, but I don’t have time for him — this putrid Negunn — as it looks like my female is going to reach the edge of the mainland and jump for a vine…but she is not made for this terrain, she has no training, she doesn’t even have a tail to help her balance and her muscles cannot be much…she appears so frail…

A garbled shout leaves my throat and, as her feet leave the edge of the island and her arms windmill through the air, I become certain of two things:

These creatures are capable of laying traps, which means that they are higher thinking.

And, this female was made for me.

Even though she has no training, her hands still manage to latch onto a vine. She swings too slowly to reach the next vine — the one hanging suspended from tracks of vines stretched between the two islands and that would deliver her to the next vine, which would deliver her to Revatu’s safer shores. But it doesn’t matter. She still took her First Leap.

She took her First Leap…

And I burn throughout for her. I release a roar that breaks something in my throat that was previously fixed. I feel unhinged, unleashed, and capable of slaughtering anything.

And I am certain that, by my claws, Negunn will die first.

CHAPTER 4

LATANYA

As I pendulum swing back towards bloody awful Negunn and the hot lava peeking in through the foliage behind him, I think about how stupid it was to fling my body off of a cliff in the hopes of catching a vine rigged up to another vine that stretches all the way across the waterway dozens of body-lengths below my dangling feet from the one big island to the slightly smaller-looking one. Because the thing about vines? If you don’t grab onto the next one in time, you don’t go forward. You go back.

Stretching my fingertips towards the next thick grey vine, I release a loud squawk — nob, I’m not even close. My arm muscles shake and I’ve got my whole trembling body wrapped tighter than tight around this stupid vine, praying to the raxing comets it doesn’t break.

I swear I can feel his hand on the back of my shift as I swing towards the mainland, even though I know that’s not possible. I’m still far enough away from it that I… “Latanya!”

“Rax!” I slip, my sweat-slicked grip sliding down the vine about a body’s length. I already wasn’t so high up on the vine and when I look down, I see something terrifying — my feet, reaching the end of the vine and creatures in the white frothy waves below. “What the rax is that?” I scream as I try to pull myself up a little higher, only to slip a little more. “I don’t wanna die here,” I shriek, but my words are cut off with a loud, hard thwack.

That’s the sound of my breath leaving my body. “Guhhh!” That’s the sound of the half-gulp, half-shriek leaving my lungs as a huge weight slams into me and sends the vine — and me, clinging to it — swinging wildly through the air. I’m dead. I’m sure of it. I can already envision my body getting snatched up by the gaping maw of some otherworldly ocean creature, speared on one of its fangs probably, and that’s only if I don’t hit the rocks first.

But then…I register the weight and the heat that’s suddenly surrounding me. Hm. Not dead. Definitely alive. No longer gripping the rope — the vine — with enough strength to actually hold up my own body, but I don’t need to. I’m in a chair. Hm. That’s not right.

“Place your hands like this, little monster.” I jolt at the sound of his voice, gravelly and low and definitely accented by a language I’ve never heard before but one that’s at least registered by my implanted translator.

His breath is warm against my ear and my bones tingle when his lips brush the side of my face. They’re warm and smell like moss and the cold underbrush of the forest, the shade beneath the trees when the heat from the great gobbling sun is sweltering. Relief. He smells like relief. And relief billows against me like wind against a sail.

My body unclenches, muscles relaxing enough for me to be able to open my eyes. I look down and see my booted feet, dangling over so much empty space. And then I see other feet, two of them, both of which are larger and flatter than mine. There are only two toes — not toes, really, more like flat pads that are thick and calloused and don’t have nails. He grips the vine between his strange toes just below my feet. Then he hoists his knees up so that they’re cupping my bottom until I’m sitting fully on his lap. Tension bleeds out of me.

I try to look over my shoulder at him but am distracted at the feel of his hand on my wrist. He removes my left hand from the vine and I gasp as the bottom drops out of my stomach, but I’m still sitting there and he’s still sitting there as if on a seat carved of the air itself, the vine swinging wildly beneath us while voices still shout from the cliff face, Negunn’s among them.

He repositions my left hand about a foot’s length under my right. Then something brushes my calf…something green. I jerk away from it, brain slow to piece together the fact that that thing is attached to his body. It’s the same green color as the rest of his skin and I whimper when it divides at the tip, becoming three separate tentacles. They’re thick, like giant fingers, and it creeps me the rax out how they move all together as one whole, yet independently…just like a hand.

I jerk away from them, but they dive forward faster than tentacle fingers should — in my limited, limited experience — and clamp down on my left leg. I resist, but they’re stronger than tentacle fingers should be, too, and even though we fight, it’s a battle I lose. He easily repositions my left leg so that it circles around the vine once, twice, and then around my ankle. Then the tentacles of his tail move my right leg so that I’m standing on my left ankle, the vine trapped between my boots.

“Now climb,” he rumbles in my ear and he doesn’t stop rumbling. His chest is making this most magical, magnetic of sounds, somewhere between a groan and a mewl. It’s hypnotic and distracting. He must be reading my mind, because he chuffs in my ear, “If you do not move, I will punish you here.”

Hm.

Hmmmmmm…

Heat floods me in ways it definitely shouldn’t, especially because I don’t know this…this creature, and up to now, I was barely convinced he was of higher intelligence! He could have just been a beastly predator for all I knew, what with the way he plucked me out of that wreckage. It wasn’t until he offered to kill Negunn that I thought he might be worth a rax. And right now, I’m not sure if he’s intending to be salacious or drive visions into my mind that definitely don’t belong… He might be serious. That thought sobers me up.

His voice isn’t pitched in a threat, per se, but I’m not willing to risk it. I step onto the vine with my right foot and push up with both my legs. To my shock, I inch upward along the vine. To my even greater shock, the male surrounding me moves with me at the same speed, but he doesn’t use the nifty vine trick for his legs. He just moves up on arm and toe strength alone as if this is an every solar thing for him. No issue here at all. No frothy, foaming water. No creatures swimming inside of it, all fangs and claws.

Then again…

I glance at his hands, noting that there aren’t claws there anymore, just neatly formed nails in a pale green color. I focus on them, moving one over the other slowly, and finally find his rhythm. His purring gets louder. “Good girl,” he murmurs, the word coming through as a whispered translation and making me feel all the way down to my toes.

“My name is Latanya,” I say, even though I know he can’t understand me.

We were all equipped with translators on the cruise ship, since it was intra-Quadrant and the participants numbered in the thousands and featured delegates from all across the known Quadrants and beyond. Voraxians and Drakesh from Quadrant Four, buzzing, flying Walrey from Quadrant Five, brightly colored Oosa from Quadrant Eight. Even the aquatic Rounaii were on board with their scaled skin and single-fin mohawks, as well as a delegation of Ixik’tryl with their brightly colored plumage, intricate dress and dark purple beaks.

I caught a glimpse of a female cyborg bounty hunter who looked out for blood — a Sky assassin, perhaps, though I’d rather not know for sure. And I even had a chance to speak with a mixed delegation of grey-feathered Uonidian and the massive, insectoid Drek’Aljar of the same constellation.

Many of our Quadrant One princes were absolutely smitten by a female they were convinced had royal blood. She even had the same glittering gold skin many Quadrant One princes and princesses boast, but my mother thought she might have come from a faraway planet called Paladia…

My thoughts short. I catch a memory of my Lemoran mother, all regal as she was on the ship, even if she was one of the tallest beings there by half a horn. Where is she now? Where is my dad? Did they make it? The pods were empty. They made it. I’m sure.

And I’m going to find them.

…once I get off this raxing vine, for a start.

His thighs cup my ass and hips and thighs as I move slowly up the length of the vine. By the time we make it far enough up that I’m not in immediate danger of dropping off of it, he slips his hands over mine and nuzzles into the side of my face. He pushes my hair back with his nose and in my ear, he whispers, “Good little monster.”

“It’s Latanya,” I say, body clenched — all of my body clenched…

“Ssslatania,” he hisses sibilantly back. Beneath us, the vine has started to swing and, when I look up, I can see bodies in a blur as they dance through the air past us. One of them carries something attached to his hip…something gold. Someone gold. Raxing Negunn. At least they’ve got him bound and gagged. I grin at the sight of him.

“Ssslatania, is Negunn your mate?”

“Latanya,” I say, twisting sideways on his lap so that we’re chin-to-nose and, when he ducks his head, nose-to-nose, “and nob, Negunn is not my mate.”

I speak in Lemoran, my maternal tongue, and I’m raxing frustrated that my translator works only one way. Everyone on the Paradise Voyager had a translator to understand everybody else, so there was no need to upgrade to the expensive model. Now, as the words filter through my mind, I make a quick mental adjustment to my translator so that I can hear my own words in their alien speak in my mind. Through the cluttered chaos, I come up with a word in his language — whatever it is. An important one.

“Cena. Negunn cena Latanya.”

I release the rope to point at myself and he snaps, “Don’t ever let go of the vines.” He grabs my wrist roughly and fits my hand back to the vine, his fist trapping mine against the unusually textured rope. Kinda rubbery. Kinda hairy. Easy to hold onto.

I pout, speaking in Lemoran again. “You’re holding me up, so I don’t need to hold them.”

He makes a face and I grimace at the confusing inundation of competing languages in my brain. I find a few in his and say, “You hold. I no hold.” I point to my lap, brown covered by a filthy white rag, and his legs, green covered by a tan loincloth that…holy rax! Is that a bulge between us? My pointer finger is directed at the massive schlong tenting his covering, shooting up like the trunk of a raxing tree between us. Mouth ajar, my gaze travels slowly back up his muscular frame to touch his face.

He’s smirking at me, lips pulled to the side, tusks poking out to dent his upper lip and everything. They’re ivory. So very white. I want to poke one. His finger slides under my chin and he forces my gaze up, which is the most embarrassing thing ever since it means he’s definitely just caught me staring at his mouth.

I bite my bottom lip, wishing I had fangs like that. They remind me of my mom’s horns. I wish I had horns, too. Maybe, it’s just the longing to find that I look something like anyone I’ve ever known. A longing to belong. A longing for a beast like him to be able to find me beautiful.

“Shenti, I will punish you, but I will not use that. Now, hold the vine, little monster.”

“Latanya.” My hands grip the rope. We start to swing harder, faster, wilder.

The wind on my face tastes like salt and sand. His skin smells like the magma that sloped down the valley, smokey and clean. “Latanya,” he says to me. And then we’re flying.

His hand lashes out and coils around the next vine. He grips it hard. “Hold with your left hand and release with your right.”

I do as I’m told, though I’m shit scared as I do it. I curl my fingers around the next vine and feel a bit better when his larger hand covers mine. It feels more secure. I don’t know why I get the feeling that he won’t let me fall, but as he says, “Latanya,” once again, for no reason at all, I’m sure of it.

“Latanya…” I point at myself and then I point at him. “Name,” I say in my own native tongue, just so I can hear the way it sounds in his. “Gormavit?” I repeat in question.

He says a single word that sounds like it’s a string of consonants with absolutely no vowels to bridge them. “Grizz,” I repeat.

He throws his head back and laughs. His whole body shakes with the sound and I’m smiling, even though my gaze is hooked on his massive lower teeth. Fangs. They jut up out of his mouth, framing shorter square teeth in between. He shakes his head and says the word again. I hear it echoed by the members of his species that had hold of Negunn. They’re standing on the edge of the cliff, surrounded by many more, all watching us.

Grizz doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. “Grizz go?” I deploy my strategy again, saying the word out loud and waiting for the translator to kick in. It’s going to take forever to learn their language like this, but forever is what I’ll have.

The thought strikes with a surprising calm.

I can’t go back to my old life.

None of us can.

Those are the rules established by leaders of the eight known Quadrants. Because if a planet is not yet known, as this one most certainly isn’t, interplanetary contact cannot be facilitated or established. Not even for a rescue. Natural civilization building is too important for it to be disrupted because a bunch of rich delegates felt like having a party in outer space.

I still don’t know how we crashed, what crashed into us, what we crashed into and how… It was supposed to be safe until the alarms sounded. It was supposed to be safe…until I ended up in the arms of a green creature with tusks the length of my longest finger and three times as thick around and…

And I’m kind of…okay with it.

Nerves wrack my body and I shudder up from the soles of my feet to the top of my scalp as the words settle over me like a blanket, once more. One final time. There is no going back.

I look at Grizz and see him watching me with a small, indulgent smile. A gale of wind strikes us and he pushes my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. “Hold with your left hand and release with your right. I’m not going to hold you forever.”

But when he pulls back on my hips and I feel his erection dig into my ass, I get the suspicion that he might.

I take hold of the new vine, but a roar from below makes me remember to be properly afraid. “What do I do with my feet?” I gesture at them.

He nods, understanding. “Watch me. I won’t let you fall.”

“You don’t know me.” I wait, then repeat in his tongue the best I can.

He grins rakishly and laughs once more and…and holy comets. Is there something glowing in the back of his throat? It looks like he’s swallowed embers. My eyes are wide when he looks back at me.

“You’re wrong,” he says. He takes the vine and we swing onto the next vine, and then the next, and then the next. We’ve almost reached the far island when, against the raging of the wind, I swear I hear him whisper, “You have always been mine.”

CHAPTER 5

LATANYA

Negunn and I kneel side-by-side in the center of a ring of orcs. There’s a body’s length of space separating us — a short body — and it’s not enough. I also hate that we’re being held together. Makes me feel like they view us the same even though he was the one who shot lasers at everybody. All I did was try to stab Grizz. That’s not half so bad, right? I glance over at him. At least he’s tied up. I snort and stick my tongue out at him.

He returns my stare with a confidence that rattles me. What’s he planning? I’m unsettled. Like the hard press of an icy finger is traveling up my spine.

“We found this female alien when we were scavenging the fire stones from the safety shells that crashed on the mainland this solarbreak.” The way she describes things we use on Quadrant One every solar makes me choke back a laugh and I’m smiling when I look up at the female pacing the center of the wide ring. Packed earth is beneath my knees, cleared of brush. A few felled trees ring the space and, just beyond them, I see the chopped stumps they once belonged to.

I can’t see any buildings, though. I can’t see much past the dense growth surrounding us. The trees are tall — not anywhere near as tall as the werro trees of Voraxia, but certainly taller than any trees we have in Quadrant One. Nisinia, the planet my parents live on — lived on, I think with a heavy heart — is like most Quadrant One planets and covered in spectacular, but low-lying gardens.

And this planet, whatever it is, is hot. Really hot. I’m sweating. Am I sweating? No one else seems to be sweating. Negunn isn’t sweating. I hate him for not sweating… Maybe, it’s just nerves. Why do I feel like I’m on trial? I didn’t do anything wrong. Except for try to stab Grizz and that would make sense to anyone. Anyone reasonable, at least. What if they’re not reasonable? Negunn isn’t…

“And the male?” One of the males asks the female in the center of the circle. He calls her a V name that I can’t pronounce past the first syllable. “Vee, why is he tied up?” The male sits on one of the fallen logs, an axe stretched between his knees. It’s huge. Half my size or bigger. Rax, this is a trial…but what’s crime? And what’s…oh rax…what’s the sentence?

“He was seen chasing after the female. It’s unclear what their connection is, whether they’re mates, or she’s his pet, or if he’s some kind of predator and she, his prey.”

“I am not a pet!” I shout at the top of my lungs.

Beside me, Negunn laughs. His head rolls on his neck and he looks at me with fire in his gaze. “You will be.”

“Rax you, Negunn,” I hiss.

“Hm. They cannot communicate.”

“Cera, Mornar. They cannot.”

“I can understand you,” I shout, standing up on my feet, only to be shoved back onto the ground by the female called Nova or Nevo or something standing behind me. “I talked to Grizz!” I look around wildly, trying to find the male in question. I see him sitting opposite the ring from Mornar. He isn’t looking at me. He’s not looking at anything. He looks…bored, like he’d rather not be here.

I’m mad all over again. Here I was, thinking we had a connection. What, because he shoved his boner in my butt crack? Get real. He’s probably mated to a princess here. I frown. “Rax you, Grizz!” I point at him and he jerks up, like he was asleep and I just stabbed him with the pointy end of a stick.

His thick, dark eyebrows furrow over his straight nose. He huffs out of one side of his mouth, lips fluttering around his tusk. He looks away…dismissing me. What the rax is up?

“Why is she gesturing to you?” The female on Mornar’s right says. Her hand moves up to Mornar’s shoulder and she rubs his back, the gesture automatic. Meanwhile, his hand leaves the handle of his axe long enough to give her knee a squeeze that tugs something forgotten loose in my heart and drags it into the light.

I stare at the female for so long that a stunning realization creeps up on me slower than the dawn. She isn’t one of them. She’s got black hair and purple skin and colored bumps above her eyes where I, and the other orcs, have short hairs. She’s not from here. She’s a Voraxian.

“Hey! Hey, you’re Voraxian!” I shout to her in Meero.

The female flicks her gaze to me just as dismissively as Grizz had and shakes her head only once before she answers in whatever language is native to this place. “Cera. I am of Revatu.” Rax. She looks pissed. Even Negunn snorts at my side. Rax…I’m not winning any points here and even though I want to ask her a thousand questions, I keep my lips sealed.

Revatu. She’s from here.

Now. It’s like she’s forgotten the stars where she was born. That will never happen to me, even if I’m forced to stay here for eternity. Never.

“I helped her cross the white waters,” Grizz finally answers her with a shrug.

“But it should be noted that she made the First Leap herself.” Another female speaks up and I remember her from the crash site. She was with Grizz then, and is seated near him now.

Her words cause a stir that brings Negunn’s cruel laughter up short.

“Slksleiw, you saw this?”

The female called S-something — Sla, maybe? — nods. “Shenti. Grizz, Vee, Orick, Yrkar, Nevo and myself. We all did.” Those are the names that I hear and that I fight to commit to memory, even though they’re not really the names she says.

“Grizz?” Mornar asks, clearly seeking corroboration. He’s rubbing his chin, the gesture either thoughtful or concerned.

Grizz, meanwhile, looks unfazed as ever. “She did. And she can communicate. She asked me to kill the male.”

Another commotion. I don’t understand if that’s a good thing or a bad thing until I hear the Voraxian female laugh. A few others laugh with her.

Even Grizz grins as he leans back onto one hand. With his other he accepts a horn from a young, pretty female with little cute tusks. She smiles at him. He winks at her. I frown unexpectedly and I’m so distracted by them that I don’t have time to stop the flapping of my mouth.

“I can communicate. I’m not a threat. I just want…” I don’t know what I want. I guess, a place to stay? Permission to go back to the mainland and try to find my parents? A little help getting back over the vines? Maybe a suit that’s magma-proof? “Water.” I hear the word in my head and repeat, “Sevva-sevva.”

More murmuring, this time more hushed. I stand up and turn around, wanting them all to look at me before they pass their judgement. Quietly, under my breath, I whisper the words I need to say. Out loud, I repeat them in whatever language it is that I’m speaking, “I am named Latanya. I want water.”

More whispering. Finally, Sla stands up. She comes towards me, her many braids longer than my hair is and my hair goes all the way down to my butt. Like most of the others of her kind, she has dark brown hair. She also has a kind smile, a pretty face, and wide, black eyes.

“Here you go.” She hands me a horn and I drink from it gratefully, finding the taste of the water refreshing and clean, if a little salty.

Meanwhile, Negunn says nothing.

“She is not dangerous and she did take the leap. We could bring her in,” Sla says with a shrug and then with a grin, she adds, “She needs a dulaha, though. I nominate Grizz since she seems so fond of him already.”

Dulaha doesn’t translate. Well, it does, but I don’t like the sound of it. It sounds like master. Nuh uh. No way.

For once, Negunn and I have the same thought.

While the crowd erupts in a very audible roar with many males strutting forward and declaring themselves suitable to be my master, Negunn jerks up onto his feet, his bindings keeping his hands secured behind his back and his feet secured together, but not enough for him not to stand tall. Almost as tall as one of these beings. And I’ve seen him fight with his stupid decorative swords. He’s good, I’ll give him that. And he’s smart. Dangerously smart.

Frighteningly smart…

I’m terrified of Negunn.

“She cannot be claimed,” he says and he shocks the shit out of me. He’s speaking their tongue raxing fluently!

“How the rax did you get a two-way translator? The Eshmiri reavers didn’t bring any in their last shipment!”

He grins down at me and it’s wicked and I’m terrified. Far more afraid than I was sitting on Grizz’s lap above the pink angry ocean. “She is already claimed. She is my mate. She ran from me because it’s a courting ritual of our people. Many of the other Quadrants have such a Hunt. The Drakesh and the Voraxians of Nobu, for example.” He gives the Voraxian female a small, honorable nod. “I would have caught her and then we would have consummated. But we were interrupted by your warriors.”

I try to interrupt, but he just speaks louder and I’m too stunned to say much at all. “I am a warrior myself and I would gladly fight for my mate and prove myself in combat or, if you would take us both into your tribe, act as her…her del…iha.”

“Cera! Cera, cera, cera. Don’t let him trick you!” I shoot up onto my feet and shove Negunn in the chest. With his feet bound, he goes down, fallen but not defeated.

“She doesn’t seem to like you very much,” the one Sla called Nevo says with a frown. In the pause that follows, the two females share an uncertain look between them.

“It is all part of the courting ritual,” Negunn says in their language and I scream behind my teeth, exasperated.

“Negunn, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I do not want to rut you…”

He cocks one pink eyebrow and says to me, “I don’t see what that has to do with it.”

I’m not angry, I’m frustrated, and for me, that’s worse. I don’t like stupid things. I don’t like beating my head against a wall when I could be beating someone else’s head against that same wall. I sweep my gaze around and it snags on the dagger on Nevo’s belt. Decisions arise and fall. I rise and fall and when I come down, it’s with that dagger trapped in my fist and a frustrated wail on my tongue and every intention of gutting Negunn right then and there.

But the bastard’s good, I’ll give him that.

He kicks the knife in my hand and it goes flying wild and then he kicks both of his feet into the center of my chest. “Puggh,” comes the sound of me absorbing the pain and falling back over Nevo’s feet.

She steps forward and strikes Negunn without another thought. “This is not some courting ritual,” she mutters. To the crowd, she pitches her voice louder. “The male is not trustworthy. He shot at us with lightning. He has strong command of the alien weapons. He is dangerous.

“I say we throw him over the edge and let the beasts of the deep have at him. The female has taken the First Leap. She can stay. And if we find any others from the protection shells we give them the test and if they pass, they can be absorbed, and if not, then they’ll fall to the beasts.”

I do not like the sound of that at all, but I don’t say anything because I’m more interested in the first part — getting Negunn tossed over the edge. I lay on the ground, in pain, clutching my chest, biting my bottom lip and praying to the great gobbling sun that illuminates this place.

“I have not been offered the opportunity to pass the test,” Negunn says, voice louder than the rumbling from those seated. “I would like the same opportunity.”

“He’s right,” the female beside Mornar says. She rises to stand and takes a step into the circle. I wonder if she’s the leader…until Mornar, of all beings, disagrees with her.

“Geeri, I am not certain about this one…he carries an air of wickedness about him and his female certainly does not seem to be eager to go to him.”

“If it is part of their courting ritual, should we not allow it to play out — of course, barring his inability to take the First Leap and pass the test?”

“I will pass the test.”

“Rax you, Negunn!”

Mornar leans forward until he can grab hold of Geeri’s pant leg. He tugs her back onto his lap, setting the axe aside. “But they are not on their home planet anymore and this is not an acceptable tradition here on Revatu.”

“I agree.”

“Aye.”

Several more members of the congregation cry out their assent. Sla stands up. “Alright, let’s vote. All who think the female has a right to stay based on the fact that she has passed the first test?” She raises her hand. The vote is unanimous. I don’t feel relief. “All in favor of allowing the male the right to take the First Leap raise your hands.”

I hold my breath as I watch several hands move into the air…then more than several…nearly half… then more than half. Only ten or so of those gathered don’t have their hands up…Rax. I glance over at Negunn. He’s smiling at me. I rub my chest, only to remember he just kicked me. It hurts. I frown, but I won’t cry. I refuse. All I can do is hope that the pink ocean swallows him whole.

Nah, not whole.

In pieces.

“Then it’s settled,” Grizz says, taking a long draught from his horn. He sets it aside and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand like a slob. He isn’t erect anymore…which I find tragic. He had an impressive sized…

“But I agree with Sla. He is a dangerous male with weapons he can use against us. He should be kept for observation. Let him work as a sahfifa for a moon turn. If he can prove himself trustworthy in this time, I will change my vote. If not, then go with Nevo’s plan.” He smirks, like he doesn’t give a hoot about this or anyone. “We’ve already wasted too much time on this. There’s much to be done before the rains.”

That causes some chatter, most of it serving to frighten me. Why are huge monsters so scared of a little rain?

“Since we were not unanimous, who here is in favor of this new proposition? All in favor of having the male work as a sahfifa for a moon turn before reassessing?” the Voraxian, Geeri, says. She lifts her hand. This time, the vote is unanimous.

Holy cow. If the princes and princesses of Quadrant One had to do everything unanimously, nothing would ever get done.

Grizz nods. “Good.”

“And for any subsequent creatures we recover from the protective shells?” Geeri asks, crossing her arms over her chest and staring her partner down. He tries to kiss her and she evades, winning a laugh from the gathered crowd and a shaky, pained smile from me.

“We deal with it then. All in favor?” Mornar rubs his hand down his face, like he’s exhausted, even after the vote reaches consensus.

He starts to rise and so do several others until a male who has not yet spoken says, “There is still the matter of the female’s dulaha that should be settled.” He’s looking at me as he speaks.

My mouth runs dry. I look around the crowd, seeing only alien faces and multicolored eyes staring in on me. The females are mostly indifferent. The males look more agitated and I don’t like that difference.

Negunn speaks without looking at me, his hands fists on his folded knees. “You thought I was the poor choice? Wait until you have to accept one of these raxing animals into your bed. You’ll beg for me by the time they’re through with you.”

“Not even then, Negunn,” I groan, rolling back onto my knees. “Not even then.”

He sneers, muscles twitching with an urge to attack, but the female called Nevo steps between us and kicks Negunn in the center of his chest. “They’re right. Throwing you off Revatu is too good for you. You’ll get a slow death.”

Negunn pretends to ignore her, but I know he heard it, too. Her threats make me giddy with glee and eager to get to know her better. I stick my tongue out at him when her back is turned and when he doesn’t smile back, I know I’ve won a small victory. Against Negunn, I never expect to win much of anything. Will never stop me from trying, though.

Meanwhile, the chatter has reached palpable levels with words being flung back and forth between increasingly agitated-looking orc-beings. The inhabitants of Revatu. Tusks jut out of proud jaws as males stand from their seats and step threateningly towards one another, making me worry that Negunn may get the last laugh after all. If one of them plans to take me to his bed, I’m going to have to kill him.

A female rises. “Alright, younglings, you know this isn’t how this is done. Gather yourselves at the fall line. All those who wish to stand as this alien female’s dulaha, take your places.”

Bodies pour around me like river water around stones. Negunn is swept away in the opposite direction while two females — Nevo and Sla — pick me up by either arm and start carrying me back the way I came from, back through the trees towards the edge of the island where Grizz helped me swing over.

“Well, come on then,” Nevo says, shaking her head. “This is an embarrassing Shrevara’a rally for a female with no tail.”

“The males don’t seem to mind the lack.” Sla laughs, flipping her knotted hair over her shoulder. It falls to her low back beautifully, in ringlets everyplace it isn’t fastened, braided and twisted together. It looks like a waterfall.

Both females have short tusks jutting up over their front lips. Their lips are just as full as the males’ of their kind. Sla’s lips are a slightly darker green than Nevo’s are. Nevo is quite a bit taller and more muscular. They have on well-worn hides in shades of light tan covering their full chests and wide hips. Their shapes are very similar to mine, and it makes me think that we might have some shared ancestry.

“Vee, what do you think?” Sla calls out as we emerge from the trees and arrive close to the edge of the island they called Revatu.

I have a momentary panic that they’re going to toss me over the cliff and dig my heels into the ground, but Sla and Nevo hardly seem to notice my efforts and just pick me up and keep going with a dismissive chuckle.

“Yrkar.”

“Yrkar? Over Grizz?”

Vee tosses up a blade, catches it and slips it back into the slick black belt she wears around her hips. “Would have been Grizz, if he were participating.” She shrugs, like that doesn’t just grate my skin right off.

“What a jerk! Why wouldn’t he want me for his dulaha?” I shout, drawing the females’ attention to me.

They freeze, share a look, then laugh wildly. They say something together I don’t manage to catch, not over the sound of the horn. It blares and some of the riotous chatter settles and I’m shoved to the front where I can see a line of male orcs standing with their toes pressed just to the edge of the soil…right at the edge of the cliff…

My stomach lurches up into my throat at the sight of them all just standing there, laughing between each other like the wind isn’t eager to push them all off and into monster-infested waters. I want to close my eyes against the sight of it, but I’m distracted when a male starts speaking…and then is interrupted by Grizz, walking out of the crowd with his horn of water or ale or whatever it is in hand.

He tosses it over his shoulder and gives the other gathered males a wry smile, “I can’t have it said that I’m not the fastest male of Revatu.”

That wins him a few head shakes and laughs, some teasing sounds from the crowd. I frown. They’re about to plummet to their deaths for comet’s sake!

“What’s happening?” I ask. I’m still being ignored, so I wait, listen to the translation, and then repeat it in Revatu, Revati? Whatever they call their language. “Vevara’ana shefa?”

They all look at me and laugh wildly again. “You need a dulaha.” Vee shakes her head.

“Cera, Vee. Cera dulaha.” I snap my fingers at her and shake off the grips of the other two.

“Vee?” She jerks back as if slapped.

I point at her chest. “Vee.” Then I point at my nose. “Latanya.”

“Lata’anya?” she repeats, nose scrunched, brow furrowed.

I shake my head. “Cera. Latanya.”

“Slatanya,” Sla says, while Nevo offers, “Latania.”

I groan, palming my face, only to remember my bruise and hiss. When I look back up, the females aren’t laughing anymore. Instead they’re glancing between each other.

Sla says, “We should sneak him out and toss him to the taga ana.” Nevo and Vee agree and lower their tones, they begin to whisper, but are drowned out by a second blaring of the horn.

“The final count for the Shrevara’a is fifty-seven!” A female cries. She whistles a moment later and several horns chime low, sounding like bells.

“Fifty-seven?” Nevo hisses over the top of my head to Sla. “Even Geeri didn’t have so many.”

Sla gives Nevo a look. “We all saw what happened when Geeri took a mate. Perhaps, the males want a chance to see if they can be the next Mornar…”

“It would be an insult for her dulaha to claim her for a mate,” Vee cuts in. “Even Mornar knew better than to violate the bond between dulaha and deliha. He allowed another the honor of acting as her dulaha while he went about courting her the proper way.”

“You know how foolish males can be.” Sla rolls her eyes, a gesture that I find so eerily familiar it irks me.

Nevo nods, expression thoughtful. “And it has happened before. Not without rectification through the giving of tre’or’oro, of course — ”

“Or without seeking forgiveness from the tribe.” Vee nods. “Such a messy affair, none of these males better have designs on this female if they’re stepping up to act as her dulaha. And if Grizz wishes to court her, he knows what needs to be done. He needs to seek her permission, she needs to decide on her tre’or’oro and he needs to provide it before another suitor does…”

“Why would he do that? He didn’t seem to like her.” Nevo frowns, glancing down at me — the first time any of the females has in several moments.

I frown right back at her, irked and a little bit…wounded. It’s not that I think myself to be particularly beautiful, by any stretch of the imagination. I look strange on Quadrant One. I look strange here. But with her words, I suddenly feel lied to by the look I saw in his eye on the vine, a look that said he desired me. And not just any desire…not a desire for the exotic…but a real one.

Then again, I know nothing about him or these creatures. I’m probably wrong. The first time Negunn looked at me, I thought he wanted me, too, in a way that suggested I was respected by him, not just a thing to be used. It wouldn’t be the first time I misinterpreted, or saw what I wanted to see. I frown as that thing that was tugged loose in my chest is buried again, an unearthed treasure chest covered again by sand without knowing what the contents even were. Maybe, I’ll never know.

“Oh, he likes her,” Sla says as her grin spreads slowly from one pointed ear to the other. “At least enough to vie for her as his deliha. It looks like he put his name in the running after all.”

Nevo clacks her tongue against the back of her fangs, making a high, sharp sound. “You know Grizz. It would be an insult for him to stand down from this. He still fancies himself a prized hunter.”

“Shh,” Sla orders, crossing her arms over her chest, “it’s starting.”

They turn, almost in unison, each of them holding their arms crossed over their breasts. Sla and Vee have their chests covered in hides, while Nevo only has the one breast covered. The other is small and pert and dotted by a large dark green nipple shaped almost like a heart. When she catches me staring at it, I blush and turn forward to find that the large crowd swelling around us has fallen eerily silent, so quiet I can hear the creatures of this place — of Revatu — whirring and chirping and buzzing in their own coordinated cacophony.

Fresh, salty ocean air tickles my nose as the breeze rises up from the sea. My boots sink into the soft soil and, as I look down, I realize that these shoes look rather silly next to so many creatures with bare feet. My brown arms brush against their green — Nevo to my right, Sla to my left.

My hair flutters, white strands tangling with their brown, and my gaze strays across the line of males, nervous, but not so nervous as I feel like I should be. Negunn isn’t here. I don’t know what a dulaha is, or what the rax they were talking about regarding mates or the tre’or’oro — which, according to my translator, should be some kind of gift — but I’m grateful for that, at least.

That, and the shape of Grizz’s butt. Round and taut, my gaze snags on it as he lowers into a crouch next to so many of the others, still managing to stand out…at least to me. I want him to look back at me. Maybe it’s only the early wounds delivered by so many Quadrant One princes and princesses with their golden skin and silken rainbow curls that make me want him to look back over his shoulder and meet my gaze… He doesn’t.

A horn blares long and deep and all of the males take flight. Cheers like thunder before a long rain light up the jungle. Sla and Vee and Nevo roar their applause, but I just gasp, because there aren’t enough vines for all of the males to catch.

Half of them don’t make it.

They fall.

They fall into angry pink waters.

They fall into angry pink waters filled with sea creatures eager to devour them. Grizz could fall. The thought fills me with an irrational and nonsensical terror and I scream bloody murder, body lurching forward like I’m going to somehow catch all of them, but Nevo slaps a palm over my mouth and Vee thrusts a fist up in the air.

“Seven qwis on Yrkar!” Her words cause a sensation. Bets slip and slide all over the place, but I ignore them all and stare, horrified, as bodies keep dropping like sacks of flour when, halfway across the divide, fights begin.

Mid-air, the male swinging closest to Grizz releases his vine, spins and kicks Grizz in the side. Grizz misses the vine he’d intended to grab and snatches another out from beneath a male who’d been reaching for it first. That male falls. Grizz keeps going, and so does the one in pursuit. He keeps moving faster than any of the other males and I notice with horror that they seem to be concentrating their efforts on chasing him and another two.

Three males swing onto Grizz, their claws latching onto his shoulders and back as he grabs hold of another vine, almost at the far side of the chasm now. He kicks them off, but they have him by the hair, by the trousers, by the belt at his waist…which he releases. The male clinging to him falls on a growl and behind me someone — Mornar, yeffa Mornar — laughs, even as the male disappears from view, lost forever.

My hands are folded over my open mouth. My hair whips around my face. I ignore it. My heart is beating in my temples and my toes are digging into the soles of my boots angrily. Grizz releases his next vine and starts to plummet under the weight of the ones holding him but, in a move I can’t even begin to imagine replicating, he spins and kicks mid-raxing-swing, nailing the male on his hair right in the groin with his heel. The male tumbles off. The final male Grizz more elegantly evades, slipping free of his touch as if it were water when they both dance mid-air to the next vine. The male reaches, reaches, reaches, but Grizz, having already caught one vine, catches one extra and tosses it out of his attacker’s way.

By the time Grizz has reached the other side and turned around to work his way back, there are only three other males in line with him and only a dozen still on the ropes at all. The female Vee mentioned earlier isn’t one of them, but I do recognize another male, one who is leading the pack and was part of the contingent that found me earlier.

“Which do you prefer, Slatania?”

I jolt, look up and see Sla at my side. Her hands are on her hips and she’s smiling at me with her dark green, feline eyes.

“Yrkar is younger and some would even call him the fastest male of Revatu. Grizz, on the other hand, is one of our senior hunters. He fancies himself the best. His knowledge and expertise would be useful for you.”

“I’m sure I could figure it out on my own,” I mumble.

She makes a face. “I know you can understand me, but why can only the horrible male you descended with speak?”

I huff and swipe my fingers across my scalp. Finding the stitching, I pull my hair away so she can see the three black pieces of what look like string threaded into my scalp. Negunn’s would be silver — the updated model. “Translator better,” I say out loud, then repeat the words in her language.

“But you can produce words in our tongue. They’re awkward, but you can do it.” She’s not getting it.

“Learning,” I tell her with a shrug in her own language, which sounds a lot like vivi’iri.

She nods once. “Good. Working at something is always better than having it handed to you.”

I shrug, thinking about how convenient it is to be handed things. It reduces their value and makes it easier to use them for evil. Negunn always does.

She steps even closer to me, until the warmth of her skin brushes against me. She’s warm, but not so warm as I am. Her breath is cool against my ear as she says, “Grizz is one of my oldest friends. You should choose him for your dulaha…unless you want him for your mate.”

I feel my cheeks burn, though I know she can’t see it with my coloring. I narrow my gaze and give her my best withering look. “I don’t need a mate,” I say and then, butchering the words in her language, “Don’t need mate.”

She just smiles down at me and lifts a brow. “Need and want are very different, Slatania. I don’t care where you come from. You should know that.”

Then she juts her chin back towards the swinging competitors and I look up in time to see Grizz and Yrkar neck-and-neck, swinging so far ahead of the others that I no longer bother paying the others any attention. I’m wholly concentrated on the two males as they release from vines, entire bodies arching like rainbows as they explode over the open air, covering unimaginable distance.

They don’t bother fighting one another. Each of these males is focused solely on speed. I think Yrkar is faster. He’s leaner, lither. His tusks are shorter and so is his hair, which is also darker. Grizz’s hair is a deep brown and reminds me of a forest under the lunar’s light. The top half is tied back away from his face. Neither male is sweating, but I can hear their exertion in the sound of their grunts as they release their next vines and continue to swing…

Yrkar pulls just ahead and the crowd behind me roars. Sla just chuckles. “He won’t lose,” she says to me in response to a question I never asked.

“Grizz lose,” I reply.

She gives me a funny look, then shakes her head. “Not when serving you is the prize.”

“Serve dulaha?”

She smiles and then offers me an explanation of this term, dulaha, that makes me gape, but before I can struggle through a few more questions, she grabs me by the back of my shift and yanks me away from the edge of the cliff. We stumble back. The crowd surges forward. Yrkar pulls even farther ahead and just before he would have touched down onto the soil moments before Grizz, Grizz swings up beside him and kicks him hard in the ribs.

“Ooph!” The sound of his pain. Yrkar slides down the vine he’s latched onto and Grizz swings right over his head.

Doof. The sound of the thud. Grizz thunks down hard onto the ground two paces directly in front of me, bare feet sinking half a hand’s length deep into the soft soil — his hand, not mine.

Behind him, Yrkar clings to the vine, desperately trying to climb back up, but can’t. His pained grimace is the last thing I see before he goes tumbling off of the vine into the water below amidst a roar of applause.

Now that this population of beings has reduced itself by a gleeful tenth, Grizz saunters forward, still without acknowledging me. Well, mostly. He gives me a quick sweep of his gaze and the stress of this very, very long solar must be getting to me because I hallucinate something quite improbable.

A slight glow that turns his dark brown eyes momentarily orange.

And then he smiles wryly and turns his attention back to the gathered crowd. He puffs out his chest, reminding me of Negunn. Only an ass like Negunn would strut about like that. He accepts the adulation and congratulations of his people proudly. They come to him and clasp his left forearm. Several of them press their right temple to his. It looks like a sign of respect, but I don’t know for certain.

Groups of males and females move out of the crowd at a light jog. They form lines around huge coiled ropes, which they then fling off of the edge of the cliff. Everyone congregates around one of the four huge vines, each as thick as my calf. They turn their backs to the cliff edge and, at the coordinated call of one orc from each vine, they pull. They pull together, like they’ve done this a hundred times. A thousand. For generations. From their shared beginning.

The ropes rush and soon, I hear the sound of voices — new voices — coming from below. And then I see them, all the males — and the one female — who participated in this strange competition to be my master or maybe my servant — time will tell which — holding the rope under their armpits and running up the side of the cliff. They keep running until the ropes run out and everyone is back on flat ground.

Swarms of beings crowd around those who performed best while condolences are offered to those who fell early. Horns of ale are handed out — one is handed to me. A few of the ones who competed come by and talk to me — at me — offering me apologies for not winning me for their deliha and I don’t know what to say, but I still try to speak. I get laughed at for my parsed pronunciation and awkward accent, but I don’t care. I’m just…confused? Nob, I’m relieved.

I have no right to be but, as the lunar starts to approach and the jungle across the divide growls out a rumble, as if in warning of all its terrible beasts, I feel…good. I can’t help but feel good. These beings are talking to me like I’m…okay. It makes me feel okay. And for some reason that I can’t make sense of, I’m glad that my dulaha will be Grizz, even if I’m disappointed in what the females said before. A dulaha can’t be a mate.

I don’t need a mate. I need to practice those words. Maybe, on this planet, these beings will actually hear them. Because as I make confusing conversation and drink horn after horn after horn of the spicy, bubbly, absolutely delicious liquid that most certainly is getting me very, very drunk, I come to five lovely conclusions:

The first — these creatures are mostly good.

The second — learning their language is going to be a chore. It’s all hisses and broken up syllables like to’ogo — their word for ale, or whatever this spicy alcoholic drink is that’s so very delicious and making me so very giddy…I wonder, is there more? Oh shenti — their word for yeffa — good. There is.

“I’ll take another,” I tell the male that passes by with the large jug. He just looks at me funny until I thrust out my horn. “More.” He laughs uproariously, so startlingly that I laugh, too.

The third — Grizz’s ass is fantastic. I mean raxing stars, how did an ogre or an orc or whatever it is that he is get an ass like that? I want to bite it. And then I want to suck on his tail. It’s fascinating the way his tail moves — all their tails, though I seem to concentrate on his the most. It reminds me of swimming, the way limbs look like they’re moving through thick water, all slow-like. The tri-part unbraids and then rebraids itself seemingly at random. At some point he turns and takes both arms of a female in an awkward grip as they press their temples together, and he uses his tail to hold his horn. And I find it erotic.

The fourth — I’m too drunk to be leering like I am after a brute who ignores me. Maybe, it’s Negunn. Maybe, he’s ruined me. Maybe, I’ll only ever be attracted to males from now on who don’t give me any attention. Because, and this is my final realization, one that’s significantly less blissful than the rest — Grizz might be my dulaha now, and I might be his deliha, but he still hasn’t spoken to me once.

At dusk, volunteers gather up the heavy ropes and take them away, while others emerge from the forest with huge animal carcasses and throw them over the edge of the cliff. Just like that. Without ceremony.

I open my mouth to ask someone about it, only to realize that Sla and Vee and Nevo aren’t there. In fact, almost everyone is walking off into the trees. A chill rushes up the backs of my arms along with the fear that I’ve been forgotten and drunken panic claws at my throat when I watch Mornar and Geeri climb together up a tree, grab two vines at the top and then just…swing away into the darkness of the forest.

“Hey!” I shout after them, stumbling over a tree root as I lurch to follow, but they’re gone and there’s no way I’ll be able to catch up to them on foot. I turn around. Yrkar and his crew are making their way off to the left carrying those thick, heavy vines between them. More are leaving to the right. I turn a full circle and come to a stop.

Oh boy. There he is. Right there. Like he’s positioned to block me from returning to the jungle. Like he might be here to push me off the edge of the cliff…

I swallow hard as I turn to fully face the trees and the male standing before them, arms crossed over his chest, horn clenched in one clawed hand, eyes flickering brown and orange like catching kindling. He’s staring at me like he’s angry…or something.

I take a step back, a root crunching loudly under my heel, which is odd. How’d it get so quiet? “Um…” I fidget, my fight-or-flight instinct telling me to raxing fly, even though I’m not sure where I’d go or, with the to’ogo and a sudden flare of heat coursing through my system in flares of unending energy, that my body really wants to.

Mmm. He is so very yummy. Is that weird to think? I decide I don’t care at all.

My gaze travels up his body, from his two-toed feet to his calves, which are unusually long, to his thighs, which are unusually thick, to his narrow hips and his eleventy-million abs to his nipples, which are dark green and round as ancient coins. I want to suck on one. I want to scratch him. My stare drops to his claws as I want him, with a sudden ferocity, to scratch me.

Mmmmm. Yummy, indeed.

I get lost in the breadth of his shoulders, which stretch as wide as the sea and lead to a thick, veiny neck. He has muscles there, too, that support a hard jaw, which isn’t straight so much as it’s roughly cobbled together, like there’s an extra bone in there somewhere, one that I don’t have. His cheekbones are just as crudely shaped and make my lady bits sit up a little straighter in the hopes of being noticed by those cheekbones, by that wide, flat nose and by those overstuffed lips. Negunn has thin lips. Most Quadrant princes do… I wonder what Grizz’s lips can do…

My breathing hitches and he senses it. I can tell he does, because he shifts half a step towards me, then freezes. I meet his stare. He stares right back and I my entire insides liquify into salty tears as a frightened part of me and another frighteningly sincere part of me decide in one fell swoop that I want him to look at me and find me not weird, but appealing — as appealing as I find him — and not because I’m exotic, but because he thinks I’m pretty. For real.

It’s never happened before, not to me, and I don’t know why I think it would happen here, when I’m the most alien thing he’s ever seen. It can’t happen…and I feel the loss across all my fingertips. I drop my horn of to’ogo to my side without draining it fully first and liquid splashes across my ankles and boots.

I feel it…but I don’t break his stare.

His eyes widen just a little bit, but enough for me to notice, before turning molten. They remind me of the black lava. Black on the surface, but liquid fire underneath. And then he makes this jerky movement, reaches up and touches his chest, right over his heart, and has the audacity to look a little uncomfortable.

By the stars. This male who leered at me earlier and shoved his boner into my back and then ignored me all lunar long is looking at me like I’m the one making him uncomfortable. Meanwhile, I cannot begin to figure him out. What does he want?

“Well?” I shrug, breaking the silence with a swat of my hand. I toss my horn at his feet and he watches it land with clear confusion. “Sesiva’a?” I repeat the word I’m pretty sure means what?

He blinks and his expression transforms into an impish, carnivorous mask — one I’ve seen him wear before when he was condescending to all his fellow warriors. He’s a cocky brute. I never liked cocky brutes.

I square my shoulders and narrow my gaze and hold my ground as he advances with that stupid Negunn-like smirk. He steps to the right, giving me a wide berth instead of charging straight towards me, and I can feel everywhere his gaze moves as he starts a lazy perusal of my body. He’s hot, I’ll give him that, but I thought Negunn was hot too the first time I met him when he looked at me just like that, so I know better than to fall for it. At least…I hope.

Then again, if he’s like Negunn, all I have to do is wait. No one can hide who they are forever.

I feel uncomfortable. He’s behind me now. I curl my fists into the sides of my shift, wanting to make sure it’s pulled down and not fluttering up. My palms are sweaty. He comes to stand in front of me and is way closer than he was. I fight not to put distance between us but he must notice the way I lean back. Focused on my face, he raises his hand swiftly. I flinch and lift my left arm to block the blow, only to feel the gentlest trace of claws against my tender, enflamed cheek.

“How would you like him to die? Disemboweled? Strangled? Tossed over the edge for the taga’ana to feast on? Hm?” His voice is low. Too low. I shiver.

He moves around me again and my toes curl into the soles of my boots. I inhale lava and the clean ocean wind, the sweat on his skin, the flavor of his hair. Stepping around me, his claws move over my bare chest to the bruise Negunn left on my sternum. I pretend it doesn’t hurt because I don’t want Negunn to feel like he’s had any effect on me. He’s nothing.

“Disemboweled?” I answer tentatively, repeating the word he’d used.

He chuckles, his breath fanning the top of my head. Behind me now, his chest is right up against my spine, shoulders flanking mine. My toes are curled up so tight I worry about exploding right outta my boots. I need to take them off anyway.

My shift feels too thin suddenly. I don’t have on a bra under it. My fiorina gown had one built in, but that fiorina, like everything else of value on Quadrant One, is long gone now. We can’t go back. It isn’t permitted. And a rescue mission is out of the question for a people with two thousand princes, a dozen of which they can afford to lose. I know that… I know that… I’m just…scared. Unseated and unsettled. He wants something from me and right now I’m scared, frightened by my own response to him, which is purely carnal and completely illogical and makes me want to forget that I have other priorities here. Whatever he wants, my body wants to give it.

He slides his hand over my low belly and my pussy lips raxing gasp. “With a knife,” he whispers. I come alight as the pressure in my belly moves through me with all the force of the lava of this planet. “Or with my claws?” He drags his claws across my stomach in one gentle, yet threatening motion and I’m reminded just how easily he could do it.

“Claws.” My mouth is dry. I nod. “Claws…”

He makes this purring sound deep in his throat and my entire body shivers with the force of it when he pulls me even closer. “Good. We will wait for him to make a mistake, and he will. When he does, I will do this for you.”

“Nebiya?” I say. The word for why.

“Because I am your dulaha. I have won that right. And it is my job to serve you in all ways.” He releases me and as he moves to stand in front of me, his mouth cocks up to one side. “Do you accept me for your dulaha?” He holds out both arms and I set my hands on top of his hands, which I can tell is not what I was supposed to do by the widening of his smile, but I don’t care.

All I heard was his desire to serve me and all I can feel is my body’s desire to be served. I’ve had enough of their spicy drink and a raxing horrible series of solars. Maybe, just getting over this strange urge and obsession — leaving my lust at the door — would improve my mood, and make me less uncertain about him…and all of this…as I enter this strange new world.

I nod, a little afraid, a little more confident. He’s not asking to be my mate. In fact, according to Sla, Nevo and Vee, he can’t become my mate if he’s my dulaha. That thought relaxes me. Yeffa — or rather, shenti — maybe a good raxing is exactly what will clear my head of all things Grizz and help me focus.

“Shenti,” I nod. “Serve,” I repeat in his tongue and then, very carefully listening to the translations, I parse out, “Lie here together, Latanya and Grizz. One time only. Then find my parents.”

He shakes his head, jaw jutting to the side in what I think might be a thoughtful expression.

I point at his chest and then at my chest…and then I point at his groin and reach for the hem of my shift. I start to lift…

A hiss slashes out of his mouth with such force, I jump. His eyes bug and his gaze drops to my thighs, but only for the briefest, tortured instant, before he twists his entire face to the side. “Are you offering your body to me?”

“Uhhhhmmhhh…shenti?” My face burns with embarrassment, all of my confidence abruptly wearing off. What the rax was I thinking? I don’t know anything about his culture. What if what I perceive as flirtation is just a part of it? He might not have any intentions towards me at all.

He opens his mouth and a wonderful sound comes out. It sounds like the mines beneath the mountains of Lemora, stirring to life. And when he opens his mouth I see something kind of funny. Just like in those Lemoran mines, it almost looks like there’s a soft light shining out. Then the entire sensation cuts off when he snarls. His tail swats at the air viciously, sounding like a whip, and I jump again.

He starts to take a slow walk around me again and this time, I shiver because of it. A threat. Definitely a threat. “Do you make this offer often to males who haven’t yet given you tre’or’oro?”

“Tre’or’oro?”

“Their bonding gift.”

Bonding gift? Why does that sound so ominous? “Cera,” I answer, then carefully piecing together words in his tongue, I tell him, “No males give me tre’or’oro.”

“You fear me, the tribe, your place among us. You want my protection.” There’s a question in his statement and I lift one shoulder in a noncommittal shrug.

He makes a clicking sound, one of disgust, and I frown, not liking that at all. Negunn would have accepted my offer. I don’t understand his problem. “I am your dulaha. You are my deliha. As my deliha, you are under my protection. It is my duty to keep you safe until you’re able to navigate the wiles of Revatu on your own so, in exchange for your body, you will receive nothing you do not already have.”

I shrug again, wishing I had all the words I’d need to explain to him this funny, wretched, wonderful sensation that makes me want him and fear him at the same time, but I don’t have the words. Not in any language. I shake my head.

The clicking sound he makes comes out louder. It’s a little more than scary but I hold my ground because, somewhere along the way, I was wired wrong and even though my flight instinct is still shouting at me, with Grizz my natural instinct is to stand still instead and just wait.

“You make this offer to males who offer you nothing.”

Incensed at his accusation, I round on him. “Shenti. Sex not bad.”

His gaze forms twin daggers, aimed straight at mine, but they don’t wound. They should, but they don’t… Not like Negunn’s do.

“Did you make this offer to N’gon?”

Fury lifts my arm. I throw it at him and hit him. Well, I try to hit him. He’s, uhh, pretty tall and wicked fast and catches my wrist before my palm connects with his cheek. At the same time, his other hand snakes around the small of my back and he wrenches me up against him so that I feel every vein of his erection throbbing against my body, my soft stomach pleased to accommodate it.

I moan — I can’t help myself — and his eyelashes flutter. The bloated mushroom head pulses between my lowest ribs. My throat dries, but I’m too mad to be appropriately appreciative.

My fingers form a fist and I yank down. He releases me, but with a momentary resistance. “Cera,” I spit. “Disembowel Negunn, shenti?”

His breath fans my face as he exhales, his expression still sharp, discerning. “Shenti,” he says. “How many males do females of your species take?”

Confused, I shake my head, but I still answer him in his tongue. “One.”

“Good. Because males of my species do not share.” He releases me, nearly pushing me away from him. I stumble and he catches my elbow and I swear I hear him mutter under his breath, “And I will not share you ever.”

“Sesiva’a?”

“Come. Your training begins early. You need your rest.”

“Wait!” I rush after him and, when he turns from me, grab his wrist. Heat flares between us and my inner thighs tremble. I let go and step back so quickly I have to windmill my arms to keep from falling. Attractive, Latanya. Attractive…

“Shenti, Latanya?”

Oh comets. The way my knees feel when he says my name… I shake my head. Not important, not important, not important. He said nob — cera. The moment’s over. On to more important things… “I need to find my parents.” I’m speaking quickly and I don’t catch the words in Revatu. Revati? Revatian? I quickly repeat. “Find parents.”

He turns to face me fully, slow in his approach, the embers gone from his gaze as the brown deepens to a near black. Concern. It warps his features. He reaches for me and I flinch, afraid, and that concern finds his lips, his perfect lips, and pulls them down. He touches me anyway, gripping the outside of my arm and rubbing it up and down. He pulls me closer and slides his other hand around the back of my neck, beneath the curtain of my hair. The gesture is so unexpected and intimate, I make no move to stop it. Comfort. He’s comforting me. I don’t…I don’t think anyone’s ever tried except for my parents.

“Your parents were in the survival shells that crashed here?”

I nod. “Shenti.”

“And you believe them still alive?”

I know it in my hearts. I have two of them. They beat side by side. My parents have to be. “Shenti.”

He looks into my eyes, each one, and I see my hand float between us. I touch the creases that have formed between his thick, black eyebrows. His skin is rough, like it’s lightly pebbled. I gasp again and I don’t know why. I can’t help myself.

He clears his throat and when he opens his mouth, I see the glowing fire deep within him. He swallows it. “Then it is done. We will begin your training and we will find your parents on the coming solar.”

“But…”

“You must sleep this lunar, Latanya. The mainland isn’t safe in the lunar. It isn’t ever safe, but especially now and especially for one who doesn’t yet know how to climb. But I will teach you, I promise. We will find your parents. I will find them.” His nostrils flare. He bites his lower lip between his tusks and I see fire in his throat. I want it to burn me all over. I believe him. I believe in him. It’s terrifying. “Let me do this for you, Latanya.”

I nod. “Shenti, Grizz.”

He grins lopsidedly and, as he straightens up to his full height, he brushes his lips and his tusks across my forehead. “Come, Latanya. For now, let me show you home.”

CHAPTER 6

GRIZZ

Watching her move through my home among the trees puts me on edge. I stand in the entry room and close the panel in the floor behind me. I secure it by sliding a heavy piece of Vevari wood through slats that groan in surprise as I maneuver the crossbar through them. It hasn’t been used in years. In fact, I haven’t ever used it.

I worry she will feel trapped in here alone with me when really, I closed the door to keep others out. Revatu is not a particularly dangerous island but I feel nervous in ways I never have. N’gon is much of the reason for this… I grunt, hating that I worry for her and loathing that I worry about him. I could gut him in an honest battle without chipping a claw, but N’gon does not fight fair battles and it is clear he is willing to do anything to claim Latanya.

I tell myself that is why I did this so badly. So dishonorably. I shift uncomfortably as I watch her touch all of my things, laying claim to them in ways I’m not sure she’s aware of. It humbles me. It makes me feral. It makes me want her to lay claim to everything in my home, me especially. Just as I want to lay claim to her.

I rub my face roughly, refusing to entertain such thoughts. I took her for my deliha. I had no right to do that and worse, I almost lost. Yrkar was faster than I was. Fewer champions fought him mid-flight than me, but that’s no excuse. I knew I’d have more on my tail the moment I baited them, but I had to bait them because I couldn’t think of one other reason to join the competition other than for the sake of competition itself. I didn’t want to join the competition. I did. I shouldn’t have wanted to, but I did.

Because now that I’ve won, I am meant to teach her, not to court her. And to touch her before courting her… I wince at the thought. The ultimate dishonor. The ultimate pleasure.

Because touching her is exactly what I want to do.

And she’s offered to let me.

My heartbeat pulses in my cock and I growl audibly, willing it to behave. She flinches and the bowl under her fingertips rolls and the fruit perched on top of it spills across the table. She curses in her own tongue — it sounds like “rackes” and it must be a common word in her vocabulary because already I’ve heard her say it many times even though I haven’t known her for very long. It makes me smile.

Her gaze drops to my tusks and her eyes widen and she flinches again, fruit spilling out of her grip and continuing a lazy roll to the edges of the table before dropping off and hitting the floor in a series of thunks.

“Sesiva’a?” she says as I prowl towards her. I pick up a large purple fruit from the floor and pierce the husk with my right tusk before peeling the tough skin back with my shorter, sharper teeth.

“Dogo berry,” I tell her, offering her the fruit.

She takes it between her two hands. Her palms are a lighter brown than her skin. They’re beautiful and covered in lines my palms don’t have. I want to count them. I shouldn’t have rackesing fought to be her dulaha.

I should have allowed some other hunter the privilege and I should have knelt before her and begged to begin courting her this very lunar. I should have brought her a fruit just like this and asked her to share it with me in the treetops where the moon shines bright. I should have asked her what she wants for her tre’or’oro the coming solar and by the coming lunar, I should have procured it and taken her to my bed as my mate. Okay, maybe that’s moving a little fast, but still, how long would it have taken? Seven solars? Twenty?

Now, as her dulaha, I have to make sure she’s adapted to life here on Revatu and absorbed into the tribe. I have to make sure she’s capable of flying, getting around, traversing the divide and then, and only then, can I be released from my obligations as her dulaha and begin pursuing her as a mate.

It could take moon turns. Many of them.

Meanwhile, the last time this happened, Mornar was patient. He won Geeri in less than one moon turn and took over the obligations of her dulaha shortly after and by three moon turns, he took to the skies for the first time in his Hunger’s true form.

He was patient in all ways I was impulsive. And now? Having her here? Watching her sink her fang-less teeth into the white flesh of the dogo berry? Pure ecstasy. Pure torture.

“Do you…enjoy it?” I say, fangs pressing so hard into my upper lip that I worry I’ll break the skin. I try to relax my jaw and I succeed until she takes another bite and milky syrup drips down her wrist. Without hesitation, she sticks out her tongue — fleshy and pink and ridged up the center — and licks her dark skin clean.

I grunt, “It grows on the vines we use to cross the divide and make our way around the…islands.” Rackes…

“Very taste good.” She nods vigorously and takes another bite… “Tastes good,” she corrects after mumbling words under her breath for a moment. I love watching her lips work.

Her mouth full, I place my hand on her shoulder and guide her gently to one of the seats at the dining table. Behind her, I shut the slatted window. On the table in front of her, I light the grey candles.

“Pretty,” she says and I notice her murmur additional words under her breath. She seems to be learning from whatever translation device she has. Clever. Resourceful.

I smile and nod and focus on her face. “Pretty,” I answer her, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Shenti,” she agrees, though it’s clear by the way she continues to focus on her fruit that she has no idea what I mean. “Pretty table, too.”

I nod. “Vevari wood. Most of the tall trees on Revatu are Vevari.”

“Green.”

I nod. “Vevari bark is grey, but the wood is green. I…polished it myself.” She looks at me and I rap my knuckles on the wooden tabletop as I turn to face the cooking area. I pull the doors to the meat rack open and select several dried slices of modun, the most tender meat. I slide them onto a tray alongside two sliced modun eggs, horcu pudding, shree nuts and, from the cold tray built into the wall beside the meat rack, a dollop of whipped scre’ena, a sweet favored among the kits of Revatu.

I slide the tray across the table towards her and notice in shock that she’s licked the dogo nut near clean. “Ooh. What this?” She grabs the edges of the tray and pulls it close.

I smirk. “Food. Eat.”

“Thank you, Grizz.”

“Thank me for nothing. It is my honor to serve you.”

She offers me a small smile as she chews on a piece of modun and I wonder if she understands my words for what they are — truth — or if she believes me to be just another male in the universe that she comes from — one incapable of it. At least, that is what I am led to believe if N’gon is anything to go by.

I make a tray for myself, taking the toughest meats, hardest nuts and veiniest fruits so that I might save the rest for her, and pull up a seat across the table from her. Here, I begin pointing out the different foods and giving her names for them in our tongue, which she dutifully repeats until her jaw starts to slow and her eyelids start to slink shut.

I’ve finished my tray and am leaning back in my reevi-shoot seat, smiling at the sleeping, chewing female…until the last of the tension seeps out of her bones and she starts to sink to the left. I stand and make my way around the table in time to catch her before she falls. I unwrap her fist from around the last piece of modun, brush the crumbs off of her filthy shift and lift her into my arms.

My cock exalts. A grunt comes out of my mouth that tastes like smoke and spice and fire — a combination of flavors I’ve never tasted before. I swallow it down. If I transition because of a female who views me as an object of sexual satisfaction and nothing else, I don’t know what will become of me. The only member of my tribe that I’ve seen transition with my own eyes is Mornar and he only transitioned moon turns after he and Geeri were already mated.

Nervously, I grip her around the thighs and back and, in this tenuous cradle-hold, I take her through my private reception room to my sleeping chamber. I’ve brought females here before, but this feels different. So very different.

I lay her down on the mat that’s elevated from the floor by a reevi-shoot platform that I built myself. The mat, pillows and sheets I did not make, but so many other things in my home, I did. And she looks so rackesing lovely lying amid so many other treasured items, the greatest treasure among them.

A surge of…of something surges into my throat. I try to swallow, but end up burping loudly instead. She releases a small sigh and jolts automatically. Her eyelids peel apart with what looks like great effort as she tries to rouse herself.

“Shh…” I coo, smoothing her hair back from her face and sweeping my hands down the length of her legs to remove her boots. I’ll need to determine a solution for her feet, which I realize are nearly as soft as the rest of her skin. A terrible thing. A wondrous thing… I knead the bottom of her foot, feeling its smooth curves, and she tilts her head back into the pillow beneath her and exhales audibly.

Her breaths deepen as I continue to press into her foot until, moving lower, her leg stiffens and she moans. The sound is heavenly. I press into her foot again in the same place, massaging it gently with my knuckles, winning moans from her on every breath. I don’t stop. Because I can’t stop. She is beautiful like this. And I’m a greedy, irreverent bastard and the sight of her weakened body rising, rising, rising towards pleasure is too pleasurable for me to give her what she needs — release. I mean sleep…of course.

I move her foot into my lap and take the other. The toes of her free foot flex towards my crotch and brush the bulge tenting my hides. The act seems inadvertent…until she does it again. A gasp flutters out of her mouth and on its wings, she whispers my name, “Grizz…” At least, how she pronounces it. And I love how she pronounces it.

A rough snarl rips out of me and I lurch up from the bed and move immediately to the wash room where I fill a bowl with water warmed by the device we received from the off-worlders. I debate, for a moment, because I don’t want her to ask me about the water or how we warm it. If she discovers that there may be a way for her to leave… Cera. I will not entertain that.

My thoughts remind me again that my behavior towards this female is criminal. I have given very little thought to her own desires. I need to refocus. Calm myself. She’s here now. With me. There are no other distractions or males between us. Her kin is missing. I will find them. I will help her navigate Revatu and, for now, that will be enough.

Returning to the bed, I clean her with a soft cloth. I dip it in water and watch it become murky as I stroke it efficiently over her skin. She sleeps soundly as I work and I debate whether or not to leave her covered, but only for a moment. Her shift is filthy, after all…

I remove it with a single swipe of one claw, straight down the middle. I sweep her body with my gaze, absorbing it with as clinical a detachment as possible. I can feel my heartbeat between my thighs, but I shove the sensation back as I move the cloth over her chest, under her arms, around her sides and down her center…over her core…which is shielded by a spray of black curls. I can’t have that now, can I?

Gently, I ease my hands beneath her thighs, careful to control my claws which are eager to protract, and spread them apart. I bring my cloth against skin so soft, I worry even the cloth will abrade it. But it doesn’t. The deep brown remains unblemished. One of the few parts of her that is. She has cuts along her shins and forearms and the bruising on her face and chest has yet to fade.

Thoughts of N’gon have no place here, but I remind myself of the oaths I made her. Before we are mated, before I take her in the way I’ve envisioned — in all the ways — I will fulfill them.

Retrieve her kin.

And disembowel N’gon.

The wait will be torture but, as I move my cloth between her thighs and watch her hips shift in small pulses, I know it will be worth it. She seeks pleasure and I will be the one to deliver it. The only one. Forever.

Rackes… Her lips are dark brown but between them… I press my thumb and forefinger into the plump skin on either side of her sex and gently, carefully, I spread her open to my gaze, only to be shocked. She’s pink at her center. Fascinating.

“Grizz,” she says, voice hushed.

“Sleep,” I command.

She sighs, obeying quickly, the good little female that she is. Such a good female.

I clean her everywhere. Everywhere. Her ears, her breasts, behind her knees, between each finger, the crease of her firm ass. I want to sink my fangs into those plump, firm mounds and I’m so wired and agitated by the need that, by the time I finish cleaning her skin, I know there isn’t a chance I’ll get any sleep.

So, I pull out a needle and thread and I get to work.

CHAPTER 7

LATANYA

“Grizz,” I say in mock admonishment as I glance down at my body.

He stands in the doorway to his bedroom with his arms crossed over his ripped, smoking hot chest — a very naked chest — without an ounce of guilt in his stare. “You’re late,” he replies.

We’ve done this four solars in a row and it makes me wet every time. Every. single. time. The first morning I woke up surprisingly clean and fully clothed, I was a little freaked out. And then that lunar, after a full solar’s work touring the village learning the differences between the different types of vines and learning a few more words in their language, I passed out…but not fully…

I was still awake enough to feel his large, strong hands undress me, wipe me down with a warm towel and then fiddle with each of my limbs. I didn’t understand what he was doing until the next morning when I found myself outfitted in an entirely new ensemble — he was taking my measurements.

Everything about the whole thing was so raxing hot. Him touching me where only five other males have ever touched me before, in a way that was clinical almost…almost. The deep way he rumbled when I inadvertently moaned or spread my legs a little farther apart, encouraging him on…though he never rose to the act. And then finally, the fact that he’s dressing me at all. With his own two giant hands! No one has ever made me anything before. At least, not with such care. Not to care for me. Not like that.

I stare down at the funny folded hides crisscrossing over my chest. They hold my breasts down pretty well, but leave my stomach almost fully exposed, which I don’t like so much. My stomach is all soft folds where everyone here on Revatu is hard edges. I glance up at his face, wondering if he doesn’t like the way I look when I sit slouched. I sit up straighter. His gaze punches me in the face like a fist and I tense, drop back onto my elbows and spread my legs for him…

“Latanya,” he hisses. “Get up. You’re late.”

I don’t get it. I don’t want to dance this dance we’ve been dancing for the past four solars. I don’t even like dancing, anyway. It’s too chaotic. At least, the way we do it on Quadrant One. Though I must say, dancing on Lemora is a lot more fun, depending on the clan and the tavern.

I think back on the first patchwork conversation on sex Grizz and I had and how horrified he’d been by my admission that I didn’t get presents from males before sleeping with them. Then, I roll my eyes, disappointed in him. And I hold onto that disappointment as I roll onto my side.

Quadrant One is a sexually free place — there, I’m the prude. Here it seems, I might as well be a sexual deviant, even though I’m only trying to work this horrible, magnificent friction between us out of my system. It’s too distracting. And I can’t afford to be distracted.

“Are we going to the mainland this solar?” I huff as I untangle my limbs from the sheets and rise wobbly onto my feet. This is a sentence I’ve managed to perfect as I’ve asked it every solar. Multiple times. All solar long… That’s how I already know his answer.

“Cera. You cannot cross the divide.”

“You…help me,” I say with the help of my translator.

“Too dangerous.” He clicks his tongue against the back of his tusks. His tongue is charcoal grey and looks rough and lizard-like. I want to suck on it. I want to feel it between my legs.

“Four solars too long,” I stutter out, still having to rely on the words spoken through my translator and repeated in order to make myself understood.

“Your people escaped the pods. So did you. There is no reason to believe that they aren’t still alive. And my team has been searching.”

Every solar after our lessons he’s left me behind with either Sla, Nevo or Vee and led a team of hunters to the mainland to try to find my parents. At least, that’s what he alleges he’s doing. I’m starting to doubt him, though. I mean, he hasn’t found anything? Not one shred of evidence of their survival? If his numbers are right, then forty open pods have been discovered, each one containing one being. That’s too many not to make a mark on the soil at all.

I step up close to him and narrow my gaze. Behind clenched teeth, I hiss, “You want me. You must give tre’or’oro first. Why not try harder for tre’or’oro? Why not try harder for parents?”

His hand moves faster than I’ve seen it outside of when he swings from vine to vine. He grabs the back of my neck and wrenches my face up to his, pulling me onto the tips of my toes. My heart jumps into my throat, along with a healthy helping of fear, but I hold my ground even as he growls, “Parents are not tre’or’oro. Your family can never be given or taken away from you. Your family is owed to you as a member of this tribe and I will bring them to you. After, you may tell me what you’d like for tre’or’oro and after and only after I deliver it may we…join…”

“Rax your rules. Rules, rules, far too many rules! Vines, then words, then…” I stammer, not knowing how to say what I want to say and not having the patience for it. I grab his hand on the back of my head and rip his fingers away. He lets me.

I rock back onto my heels and gesture wildly between us. “Cera understand this. But four solars is too many solars. I want…see. I want look. My parents mine. Not you. You…not family.”

The orange flame swirling through his brown irises ignites then, turning his eyes bright red. It starts to bleed out of his irises too, swarming like stinging insects from Quadrant One, threatening to blot out his pupils. I know I should be scared, but my rage is momentarily piqued. He reaches for my face, but I jerk out from his grip.

A cramp picks up in my gut the moment I do that has me wanting to double over, but I know it’s probably just my moon blood threatening its early arrival and ignore it. I spin on my heel, turning my back on him. I pass through the next room, which has some woven and wooden seating and huge skylights overhead that, right now, are uncovered. It’s beautiful in here, but I ignore that, too, and head into the next room, which has the eating table and two trays already decked out lying on top of it.

I ignore the gesture and eat mechanically, a sinking feeling in my stomach that only gets worse as he sits down in his usual seat across from me. I ignore him, finish up quickly and clean my tray, knowing now which drawers to put the refuse in and where to take the refuse after. They recycle everything on Revatu. Meanwhile, on Quadrant One, we just shoot all of our waste off into space. I tend to think this way’s a bit…I don’t know…better?

I take Grizz’s tray away from him before he’s fully finished eating, just to be petty, which only makes me feel vindictive rather than vindicated. I’m frowning by the time Grizz throws open the locked port hole and releases the vine. And I’m frazzled, face hot, stomach pooling with cramps and heat as I slide down it to the soft soil below and make my way toward the village.

A female called Pri-something meets Grizz and me in the convening square where she guides me to Revatu’s version of a greenhouse. As she gives me a tour of various dangerous plants I might encounter on the mainland, I realize that Grizz is frowning. His lips are peeled back and his tusks are almost fully exposed and manage to look terribly menacing. Comets, it’s so hot.

I squeeze my knees together, knowing that his distraction is going to hold me back from mastering this and earning enough confidence from Grizz that he’ll take me to the mainland, but I…can’t stop. I’m totally unable to look away from him. It’s like he has his own gravitational pull, but somehow I’m the only one affected by it. In fact, I’m not even sure Pri has paid Grizz any attention until I get the answers wrong three out of four times when Pri quizzes me.

She clears her throat. “Grizz.” And then again more forcefully when he doesn’t so much as flinch, but just continues staring down at the last plant she explained — a large green flower with orange and green tentacles growing out of its center. A healing shrub, I think she said, though maybe I’m confusing it with the orange flower that has blue tentacles that’ll kill you if its ink gets on your skin. Hm. I should probably know the difference. Instead, I’m only proving Grizz’s point. I’m not ready for the mainland, but I wasn’t ready to crash land on an alien planet, either, and so far, I’m handling that just fine.

Well, I’m handling it okay.

Because right now, my biggest ally is glaring around at everything like he hates it — me, in particular.

“Grizz?” Pri says again.

He startles on a growl, his shoulders seizing up by his ears. He glances between Pri and me, tense as ever as his gaze settles on me and rests there like a raxing boulder on my leg, like he fully expects me to gnaw my way free. I square up in retaliation, shoulder blades pulling together, chin tucking down into my neck, fists squeezing, pussy clenching…

And then Pri steps between us. “Grizz, I think Yrkar wants to ask you about something.” She gestures towards the greenhouse’s only exit, a large, hide flap-covered opening in one wall. The roof arches over our heads, made of the same shoots tied together that most of the furniture is. I think she told me the name of it already, but I can’t remember what it’s called.

Grizz turns his glare to Pri — I can see his lethal expression over Pri’s shoulder, but she isn’t backing down either. Instead, she gestures again towards the exit using the flower in her hand.

“Don’t rile me, Grizz,” she threatens, taking a step forward and wielding the green flower like a weapon.

He snarls again, but his gaze is successfully ensnared by the flower. He tracks it everywhere it moves to the point that even I edge back, away from it. Ah. So, it’s the poisonous one, then. He walks backwards towards the door, passing long stretches of plant-covered tables. The tables are green, from the Vevari tree, Grizz told me my first solar, or maybe my second. I hadn’t cared about that, though. I just thought it was incredible that he made it himself.

“Latanya,” he barks as he finally reaches the doorway. “Find me in the training course after.”

“Fine,” I call back.

He just snarls and disappears, taking the tension…and something else quite precious to me…with him.

“So, you two are getting along then?” Pri teases as she turns back to face me, the tentacles blooming out of the center of the plant writhing dangerously close to her face.

I sneer at her, holding up my hands and edging away, “I hate him.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that.” She flashes me a grin with two little twin tusks that make me deeply envious, and then she goes back to her plants.

The sky is dark by the time I’m finished with my lesson — and not because it’s late in the solar, but because the clouds have rolled in and the rains have begun. Cera, not the rains, the Thirst, as they call it.

The Thirst doesn’t stop anyone from continuing to work, or climb, or fly through the treetops, but it does make the world a shade or two dimmer. A shade or ten. I found it a little bit frightening the first time the clouds rolled through, but Grizz had been there and explained to me that for as much as the plants and soil of Revatu and its mainland enjoy the Hunger, they enjoy the Thirst even more.

My wet hair clings to my neck as I pass through the central convening square, where my and Negunn’s fates were decided. And, speaking of the wretch…I see him now sauntering my way carrying a stack of shoots — unbleached reevi shoots, as Pri reminded me. They grow like weeds, which makes them a common and useful building material. The soft fibers inside can be woven into twine. I know that Negunn’s been working with the harvesters as part of his duties, but I don’t know why he’s walking towards me now.

I try to pivot. He anticipates and swings the shoots propped up on his shoulder to the left, barring my path, then moves to intercept me. “You’re doing well, I see.” He overannunciates the word in a way I don’t like but don’t understand, either.

“Shenti,” I tell him in Revatu, refusing to speak to him in the language of Quadrant One. “Quite well. I can see you’re doing well, too.” I offer him a brittle smile.

Negunn’s eyes flash down to my chest, making my shoulders instinctively curl. He snorts, “Has he broken you in yet?”

I jerk to move past him, but he maneuvers the stalks in a way that enables him to hold onto them with just one hand. With his other, he grabs my arm. Hard. “Negunn…”

“Don’t tell me you’ve let him rax you, you little slut.”

“Not without trying on my part.”

His brow furrows and then slowly, creepily, relaxes. He lets go of my arm. I try to move past him again, regretting whatever I just said to make him smile like that, but he swings his sticks further into my path. “He prefers the beasts, then.”

“They’re not beasts…”

“They are. But I guess, to him, they’re not so ugly as you. You know I’m the only male that will ever want you here.”

“Do you need something?” I shout, frustrated that I can see other Revatu watching Negunn and I, but that they likely have no idea the kinds of cruel things he’s saying about them — and me, too. The Thirst masks all.

He timed this perfectly, though I can’t exactly give him credit for bringing the rains. Then again, maybe they bow to his will, too. Grizz has yet to make good on his promises to disembowel Negunn. Then again, why would he? Maybe, I’m beastly to him.

I hate Negunn. I’ve been feeling good mostly — less alien, at least, than I have a right to — and, with a few words, the wound that I thought was a scar is brutally ripped open. His next words lance even deeper as he says, “Your beast found your parents yet?”

“Rax off…” I push past him, ducking under the shoots and maneuvering swiftly, in a way that surprises even me, as I do. Hm. Maybe, I am learning something in all my treetop training.

He shouts after me, “Cera? That’s too bad. Latanya, because I might have an idea where they are.”

I freeze. Freeze and shiver. I look slowly over my shoulder to see Negunn smiling at me. There’s wickedness and intrigue in his gaze. He’s up to something. Or maybe, he knows something.

“How’s that? You haven’t been to the mainland.”

“I have.”

What? I try desperately to curb my anger and my disappointment, but it must show through my expression because Negunn’s smile widens to consume the bottom half of his face. His brilliant teeth glow and his light purple tongue lasciviously licks his pink and gold bottom lip. It glistens like elstone in a way I wish mine would, but that’s a stupid hope. I can’t change my genetics any more than Negunn can change the fact that he’s an asshole.

“Cera.” I shake my head. “You don’t even have a dulaha.”

“I don’t need one. The harvest has been big and they need any and all hands they can get.” He nods. “I offered my assistance, showed them that I could make the First Leap and they brought me along. We’ve been harvesting reevi from the big island. A couple of the smaller ones too, but I went to the big island the last solar and, when I was there, I found something.”

“What?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Negunn…” I turn to face him, my shoulders tight and a sudden heat in between my shoulder blades flaring with rage. He doesn’t reply. He doesn’t even move. I take two steps forward and his gaze drops again to my chest, and then to my hips. This is dangerous, because if he looks at me like a creep for much longer, I might just believe him…

I stab my heel into the ground. “Negunn, those are our people. If we can help them, it’s our obligation to.”

“I’m a prince, Latanya. I have no obligations.”

“You’re a reevi harvester, Negunn. Your princely status means nothing here.”

“You’re wrong. What I have might just make me king.”

“Negunn, we don’t have kings. Not here and not on Quadrant One.”

He shrugs, looking calm, not riled by my insults or statement of facts at all. “Prince or not, I still have something that you need and I don’t believe in giving things away for free. That wouldn’t be very…princely of me.”

“I’m not raxing you in exchange for information…” I start to turn, rage rattling up my spine and into the base of my neck. It burns. I feel like crying. And I hate that above everything Negunn’s successfully jammed a wedge between me and Grizz when we already have a wedge the size of the mainland shoved between us.

Why is Negunn able to explore the mainland? Cera — why not me? And is Negunn right? Maybe Grizz’s odd and oddly sexual advances in the lunar aren’t anything but a dulaha making clothes for his pupil. Maybe, in his gobbling dark green eyes, I really am a beast. You wouldn’t get aroused if you accidentally touched a beast’s genitals and so far, I’ve got no evidence that he has. I haven’t seen his cock, let alone his erection. Not since that first time we were flying together.

“I don’t need you to rax me, Latanya.” He beams brilliantly, the rain doing nothing to dampen his glow. “Not yet.”

Terrifying, that reply, but…he has all the tokens in this mok biz game that we’re playing and he knows it. “What do you want?”

He doesn’t answer. Not right away. Not until I turn to fully face him and, for the first time, he doesn’t look down at my body. He stares directly at my face in a way that’s even more unnerving than when he speaks to my breasts. “I want you to give me a kiss.”

“Negunn…”

“Not on the mouth. Just on the cheek.” He taps his perfectly round and flawlessly dimpled left cheek and I frown. This…doesn’t seem right. But…it’s much less than what I thought he’d ask for.

“I kiss you on the cheek and you tell me where to find the survivors?”

“You kiss me on the cheek and in three solars, when we take our next trip to the mainland to harvest another batch of reevi, I’ll find them and tell you where they are. I don’t want to get your hopes up until I’m sure.”

A kindness. I don’t trust it. And yet…even if I get nothing from it, a kiss is a small payment to waste. “You promise?”

“Shenti, Latanya. A little kiss on the cheek is all I want. Here, I’ll even make it easy for you.” He lowers to the ground and, in a surprising display of strength, maneuvers the stack of five or six reevi shoots to the ground beside him. Kneeling, he looks up at me like a male I don’t recognize. One I might respect. It’s an act, I know, but it’s a clever one because when I feel like backing out, he looks up at me like this.

I take a tentative step towards him and the Thirst starts to let up. A good omen? Perhaps anywhere but on Revatu, where the Thirst itself is only seen as good. “Just the one kiss and just this one time,” I confirm.

Negunn nods. “Shenti, Latanya.” I don’t know if he’s baiting me by speaking in Revatu or not, but I also know that a kiss is a kiss. It doesn’t have to mean anything and, with Negunn, it most definitely won’t.

I breach the gap between us and quickly lean down and give him a swift peck on the cheek. I step back just as quickly and brace myself for the accusations I know are to come about how I’ve jipped him by giving him the handshake equivalent of a kiss. Instead, he gathers his reevi up onto his shoulder and tips his chin forward.

“See you in three solars, Latanya.” And then he walks off, leaving me confused and wounded and a little…hopeful.

CHAPTER 8

GRIZZ

Latanya is in a strange mood. She was angry with me earlier, but now she will barely look at me. I watch her swing from the platform’s precarious edge off into the void where she dangles, suspended, before her hand snaps out and snags the next vine. She’s getting better.

“She’s getting better.” Slascax stands beside me with her arms crossed over her bare chest. She wears full wraps on solars when she isn’t hunting, and this solar, she isn’t. I have a small team that will join me at the coming solarbreak as the Thirst prevents us from discerning much in its wake.

I nod.

“Have you decided whether she will join us on the coming hunt? She may be useful in the search for her people.”

“Shenti.”

“Shenti, she’ll be joining us or shenti, you’ve decided?”

“The latter.”

“And?”

“And she will not be joining us.”

Slascax snorts. “You know they’ve taken N’gon across the divide already and he is barely as good a flyer as she is.”

“Good. Better that he falls.”

Slascax shakes her head, her loose hair slicking back away from her face and winding like a river over her shoulders, caught in the tempest of the Thirst and, in the mist it’s left behind, drying slowly. My hair, half tied back from my face, undoubtedly looks much the same. Somehow, in the Thirst, Latanya’s hair does not appear darker, but brighter. It makes my gut squeeze, seeing it — seeing her. She truly is a creature of Revatu. How she was ever lost from us, I’ll never know, I just thank the stars she’s been returned where she belongs.

Slascax is dogged as she says, “You know that doesn’t matter. The cocorangee…”

“Shenti,” I grunt, for the first time, reviling the accord we’ve set up with the cocorangee. Not that it matters. From what I’ve heard from the other harvesters, N’gon has not fallen yet. “He will meet his end when it is time.”

Slascax nods and I don’t like this at all. She should be rebuking me for such talk, and that she isn’t can only mean she and I are in agreement where N’gon is concerned.

“Has he done something to you?” I can’t help but ask, though I cringe to hear the answer.

“Cera.”

“Has he said something? Have you heard something?”

“Cera. Only that he is well liked by the other harvesters, the females in particular.”

A low, burning growl takes up residence deep in my chest, rather than my throat. Slascax’s left brow — and the left side of her mouth — lift. She glances down at my neck and chest and I quickly try to cut the sound that it emits. Turns out, I cannot. Not when thoughts of Latanya are concerned.

“Have you told her yet that you think she might be the one to unleash your Hunger?”

I start, physically jolting at the accusation — and its accuracy. “How do you know this?”

“I didn’t. Not until you just told me now.”

I round on her, looking away from my deliha as she reaches the opposite platform and takes her rest. The distance is more than what she’d need to cross the divide and she has managed it for the second solar in a row, without falling. And with a surprising amount of speed for an amateur and an elegance even many seasoned flyers do not possess. She is a natural at this. I should have let her accompany me solars ago.

“Slascax, if you tell anyone, it would ruin everything.”

She rolls her eyes and purses her lips around her tusks in a form of sneer that I hate and that she knows I hate. “I won’t tell anyone, though you should tell her, at least.”

“She wouldn’t understand.”

“Tell her about Mornar. Have him demonstrate for her.”

I balk, and then laugh a booming, yet hollow laugh. “You think that showing her what I might become for her would convince her of my suitability as her mate?”

She gives me a peculiar look. “Why wouldn’t it? One of only two males with a beast form certainly is recommendable to any female searching for a mate.”

“She isn’t searching for a mate. She searches for her kin — kin I have yet to find for her.” And she seeks sex — something any male can provide, and I don’t want to be any male to her, but the only male. “I’ve done nothing to prove myself.”

Slascax nods, knowing I’m right. “You shouldn’t have taken her for a deliha,” she says after a lengthy pause. Together, we watch Orick on the far platform give Latanya additional tips to help her move laterally instead of forward, should a vine in front of her break.

“I couldn’t let another male get that close.”

She scoffs. “Males…” Before she has a chance to complete her insult, I hear a yelp.

Latanya falls in a blink, the vine she’d been clinging to slipping from the tree above and tumbling down. She attempts the maneuver Orick taught her a moment ago, but she isn’t fast enough. She plummets towards the net and I quickly launch myself into the obstacle course and slide down the full length of the first vine I come to. I land on the thick netting just as Latanya finishes rolling to one side and starts to amble off of it.

I jump down after her, landing on the soil, which remains hard beneath the moss despite the Thirst that’s drenched it. “Latanya, are you alright?”

“Shenti. Shenti,” she repeats, nodding absently as she twists her arm from side to side. I move to cut her off and reach for her hand, which she promptly pulls away from me.

“There are bruises on you arm from the netting — you must have fallen on it wrong. I told you to land on your back…” I reach for her arm a second time and she swats my hand as hard as she can.

“Grizz. Stop it. It’s not…from the net. It’s from…” She pauses, something elusive shifting in her expression like a vine that I can’t grab onto. “Earlier.”

“With Privanka?” I clench. That doesn’t make sense.

“Cera. Just…leave it alone. Leave me alone.” Her lips flutter and she shakes her head, her stare never leaving the ground between our feet. There’s nothing there, though, and she doesn’t seem to be as concerned with the bruising on her arm as she should be. Against her dark skin, even darker streaks show.

Rejected. I’ve been rejected by my mate. I take an immediate and painful step forward while streaks of tension web across my chest. “Latanya, I…”

“Enough, Grizz.” My throat dries as I watch the tips of her glowing white hair flutter in the next strong wind.

My throat dries and I’m overcome with an emotion too strong to keep in. I let it burst from my lips, “Latanya, I’ll take you to the mainland. This coming solar, I’ll take you.”

What am I doing? Begging like a spoiled child for the smallest ounce of her approval? I just want to see the small smile in her expression return, or the way her eyes round and her eyelashes flutter as she absorbs my every instruction. I want to see the relaxing of her body in my presence and, more than all of this, I want to know that I haven’t made that up. It is the ultimate reward, and one I’m not eager to spoil. But right now, my offer…it has the opposite effect.

She freezes. She doesn’t meet my gaze, but turns her head to the side so that I can see her face in profile. “But…I fall…fell.”

“Everyone falls. It’s how you fall that matters and you fall with courage and grace.”

She closes her eyes and her nostrils flare. She shakes her head. “You only…want me to come…because I’m mad at you…and you want me.”

“Cera.” The word punches out of me on a growl. I close the distance between us completely and dwarf her height, drowning her in my shadow. Her back tenses against my chest. She sucks in a short, tight breath and doesn’t move. “I…” I do want you. “I am your dulaha and I don’t want to see you hurt. This is why I haven’t taken you to the mainland. But you earned the right to go. You can cross the divide. You took the First Leap solars ago. I should have taken you then.”

“So…you don’t want me?” The tenderness of her question is enough to raise my beast from its sleep.

“Latanya…” I growl violently enough to make her jump. She steps away from me, but I gently slide my hands around her hips and pull her closer. I’d like nothing more than to bend her over my knee and tan her lovely hide before rutting her into oblivion, but there is a void between us no vine is long enough to reach.

“I…I’m sorry. I should…should not have said…”

“Latanya. I’m not allowed to want you. I’m your dulaha. It is not my job to lust after you, but to serve you…”

“What if this is how I want you to serve me?”

Rackes. Rackes me to the center of the Mouth. Burn me alive for eternity. “In time, I can court you.” Once I kneel to her, and she presents me with a token of her affection. An article of clothing, a tender touch, a hug, even a kiss. “Until then, this will have to be enough.”

“Well, it isn’t.” Her small fists clench and she wrenches away from me and the Thirst just as suddenly decides to have its revenge and growls out a bellowing thunder. Wind whips through the treetops, carrying her sweet scent to me. She smells of salt, like the sea, and like the elgar flowers that grow from its essence, clinging to the vines that web across the sides of the cliff. She smells like she belongs to me.

“You say serve, so serve.” Her gaze flashes down to her feet. “On your knees.”

The challenge strips me bare and flays me alive. There is no possible way I cannot respond to it, not least of all because I see the glow of disappointment reflected to me in the white and brown of her eyes. What is this? Where did it come from? This vulnerability? This angst? This petulance? This…this desire for me and the affection I’m denying her.

I frown severely while her gaze flits between my eyes. Finding nothing of value there, clearly, she starts to turn, but I can’t rackesing have that. I stoop towards the ground, press my shoulder into her stomach and lift her high onto my shoulder without ever breaking stride. She yelps, but I don’t release her as I make my way through the Thirst and across the convening square where so many of my people watch me carry Latanya past.

“Grizz!” Nevo shouts, attempting to catch me. I raise a hand. I do not have time for her or whatever she has to say to me now.

My inner beast is raging, thirsting, needing, begging to be let free. If only I knew how to let it. I imagine it would not be so difficult if I merely undid the latch to my knowledge of what is right and wrong here on Revatu and did whatever I wanted. Why can’t I? She isn’t even from here.

I recoil from the thought, as tempting as it is, as I slip into the thickness of the trees, finally finding the one with the grooves notched out of the side in three parallel lines at hip level. The sign demarcating my home. Our home. Her home.

I yank on a vine overhead and a short ladder tumbles down. I climb without releasing Latanya until we’re inside my home, the trap door shut and barred beneath us. In the center of my serving room, I set her down.

She’s breathing hard, her fists are clenched and she’s having trouble meeting my gaze as I slowly lower to the ground before her, taking to both knees. “I…shouldn’t have said…what I said,” she pieces together, using her translator to do most of it. And yet, she uses words that I have taught her, too. “You don’t…have to do…”

I grab her behind the knees and wrench her forward, burying my nose in her covered crotch, where the scent of her is sweetest. She mewls loudly, the sound bare in its most primal form. My cock hardens instantly, or maybe it was already hard from before. From the moment she woke the lunar previous, pretending to sleep while I measured her form. Perhaps, from the moment I first laid eyes on her and gathered her into my arms.

My claws move up the outsides of her legs, which tremble in ways I find absolutely delightful. Her desire jacks up my breathing and my stomach and back muscles pull together, as if trying to contain something eager and lethal. I exhale onto her bare stomach as I cut through the laces along the front of her pants and drag them down in one motion.

My eyes widen as I take in the sight of her sex, the cords of my throat straining as I release a low rumble. I have seen her bare before but not like this. Never dripping… “You’re hurting, my Latanya.”

“Mhmm.” She grabs onto my left shoulder and tries to squeeze her thighs together, blocking the sight of that slick-soaked cunt from my gaze. I slide my hands between her thighs, struggling to keep my claws in check, and pry her legs apart. “Auwh… Grizz…” She sounds afraid.

She should be afraid.

“I’m a terrible dulaha, aren’t I, for letting you suffer like this?” I breathe hot air onto the patch of her black curls and her knees both simultaneously buckle. I catch her around the curve of her ass with both of my hands and pull her forward.

Her knees bump against my chest and I feel how they shake. I feel it in my heart and the rapid way it beats. I feel it in my chest, how it vibrates like the Thirst itself. Does she feel the way my beast purrs for her? She must. The whole rackesing house feels poised to shake apart around us.

I inhale deeply, her elgar flower scent. Her precious mound glistens with a Thirst of its own and, when I part her folds with my thumbs, she releases a garbled sound, her eyes roll back and her pretty cunt weeps.

I dive forward, pressing my tusks against her mound so that it puckers perfectly into my mouth, which I open wide enough to lavish all of her. I taste each of her folds, nibbling and licking her clean before moving on and spearing her with my tongue where she’s hottest and where she needs me most.

“Grizz,” she shrieks, grabbing a fistful of my hair in a way I’m not sure she’s conscious of, but that I love. It feels like a claiming.

I purr louder for her, my beast satisfied with such a claim — as am I. I lick her harder to reward her, laving my tongue over her again and again, careful to catch her as she sways from side to side, torso arching in a backward bend. “Grizz, ohmystars,” she breathes what sound like curses in her own tongue, “rax…ohcometsthisfeelssogood…”

Pleased by her adulation, I finally give her what she seeks. I lift my tongue just a little, lips moving carefully in coordination, and I suck her small, softest skin in between the hard fangs of my teeth. She screams and her muscles fail her. I catch her and carefully lower her to the wooden floor of my home without unlatching my mouth from around her dripping wetness. She’s a river rushing wild, gushing down my throat. The taste of her is stunning and overwhelming and everything I ever hoped for.

She tries to close her legs around my face, but I spread her thighs open and continue to feast. She writhes. Her body makes wonderful, beautiful sounds and shapes. I reach up and tear my claws through the front of her shirt, ruining the bindings over her breasts as I free them to my gaze. I…didn’t exactly mean to do that, but I’m not sure how it could be helped at this stage.

I grab onto her right breast and watch in fascination as the soft, soft, soft nipple there peaks. Females of my species have hard nipples. They’re hard everywhere, ready to brave Revatu’s Hunger and its beasts. But she’s so soft. Too soft. She could be hurt so easily across the divide, on the mainland. I should keep her here…but the longer I do, the more she reviles me for it.

My frustration surges, but it’s as if she can read my thoughts and seeks to scrape them clean. Her fingers reach for me, blunt claws scraping my scalp, and she breathes, “Grizz, rax me.”

A roar tears out of my throat and I prowl up her body. “I cannot,” I tell her as I scrape my tusks over her flesh, licking and tasting her everywhere that Revatu’s Thirst ever went.

“But…I want…” she says in my tongue, fighting for concentration as she fights to keep her eyes open. Her lashes flutter and so does her mouth. She rubs the center of her chest roughly as I bracket her head between my arms and loom over her. “I feel…feel strange…it…hurts.” She gestures towards her sex and inadvertently rubs her hand over the front of my hides.

I hiss, the pressure brutal, and shake my head, lifting a little further off of her. “I’m no better than N’gon if I don’t honor you first.”

“You are…different. When…you ask…I say…shenti.” Her eyes fill with a shocking surge of tears as she stares up at me and I must react because she quickly covers her eyes with one hand. “But…you don’t ask.” She pushes on my shoulder and I immediately relent and watch her wriggle out from beneath me. But instead of moving away from me, the evil temptress turns onto her belly and lifts up onto her hands and knees, presenting her weeping cunt and perfectly puckered ass to me. A gift I haven’t earned…but it tempts me so raxing greatly…

“Latanya, you may not feel this way,” I start, voice nearly too thick to speak through, “and it may not dishonor you not to follow our traditions. But it dishonors me.” And it frightens me. Because if I take her once, to her it may mean just that. But to me? To me it means eternity. I want to mate her, not only to mate with her. To tell her that now…I worry it will frighten her off.

She whimpers and pushes her ass towards me, her breasts swinging in a way that makes me eager to latch onto them. I find myself kneeling behind her before I realize I’ve moved, my covered hips pulsing shallowly against her bare ass, my mound straining at the ties of my hide.

“But I need. I feel…” She shakes her head and runs a hand back through her hair — a look of frustration if I’ve ever seen one. It hurts me, because I can feel her need…at least, in part. But I wonder if she doesn’t somehow feel more. Xiveri… The thought hits me with unnerving force, less like a hope and more like a premonition.

On Revatu we have known of Xiveri for most of our remembered history. Geeri wasn’t the first Voraxian to crash land here. Several came before her and, when they arrived, some felt a draw, intense as gravity, to members of our community — in one case, to each other. In Geeri’s case, it didn’t come upon her suddenly, but over time. But if my Latanya is perhaps of a shared species that feels Xiveri with crushing force, what if I am denying her her tradition for the sake of mine?

What if it hurts her?

“Grizz, please. I…ache.”

“Rax,” I snarl, unsure in ways I’m usually not. Frightened, too. I don’t want to do the wrong thing. But it seems as if every action I take or don’t take is wrong for her. I palm her left cheek, kneading it firmly, and retract my claws. I lock in on a decision — a tentative middle ground — and then enter her throbbing core with my middle finger.

“Grizz…” She moans, thrusting back on my hand.

I withdraw my hand and slap her ass lightly, but enough to make her jolt. “You’ll take what I give you.” Because if she needs much more, I might fully unravel. “Isn’t that right, Latanya?”

“Shenti,” comes her whispery reply. She settles, but it’s a farce. I can see the way her clawless hands clutch the red woven carpet. Red. She looks raxing lovely in red.

I thrust two fingers inside of her roughly and she responds with a moan that is pure satisfaction and makes my beast purr triple-time. I penetrate her again and again, sweat beading on my forehead as I fight against the most threadbare tether.

My other hand snakes around her body to find her small folds, the ones that hide the delicious center of her pleasure. She shocks me by combusting on the lightest touch. Her body slouches forward, but I know better than to believe she’s finished. I pick her limp, shivering form from the floor and carry her to the bed where I relieve her of her ache again and and again and again.

CHAPTER 9

LATANYA

I wake in a daze, like I went out heavy drinking the lunar before. I’m not even sure it is lunar. Candles are lit all around the room. I can see Grizz in their soft glow.

He’s lying on the bed beside me staring down at my naked body with a certain male satisfaction that makes me feel warm. Warm…and embarrassed. He’s still got his pants on and there’s no sign of an erection, if there ever was one.

I fight against the lethargy weighing me down and roll onto my side facing away from him. My arms shake as I push myself up into a seat and cover my breasts.

“Latanya, are you hungry? How do you feel? Can you walk to the relief room? I can carry you there…” His claws scrape my shoulder and I shiver, a little bit of my fever coming back. I grit my teeth and fight against it, snaking out from under his touch.

“I’m fine.”

I awkwardly amble to the edge of my bed — the bed — and drop my feet over the side. My feet are all tingly. My bones are all tingly. They hurt. I don’t feel right.

“Latanya, what’s wrong?”

I shake my head, feeling near tears at the calm and control he’s exhibiting right now. I feel so lonely, so needy, so desperate. I feel raxing pathetic. And yet, none of that matters. My heart is still pounding with the want I have for him and I want so raxing much. “Do you think…think I’m…like a beast?”

Dry warmth comes against my back, a contrast to the humidity against my front, where I feel damp and chilly and exposed. “Shenti. You’re my little monster.” His lips come down onto my shoulder and I nearly implode under the touch. I curl my shoulders tightly forward and I feel, rather than see, as he pulls back. “You don’t like my attentions?”

“You think…I’m ugly.”

“Sesiva’a?”

“You think I’m ugly…like a beast.”

A growl rips out of his throat, so loud and hard it makes me jolt. His hand clamps onto my shoulder and this time, he doesn’t let me go when I try to pull away from him. He yanks me onto my back. “Latanya, you think I find you ugly?”

Flat on my back on the bed, I push up onto my elbows and try to crawl backwards away from him. My head clunks against the headboard and I reach up to rub it. Distracted as I am, I don’t react in time to avoid him grabbing onto my ankles…and spreading my legs around his knees as he continues to kneel before me and rake his gaze up and down my body. I shudder. So exposed. Grabbing a pillow and covering my front with it, I nod.

Grizz snarls, his tusks flashing in the flickering candlelights. “Does it look like I find you ugly?”

I’m not sure. I don’t know what the glow in his eyes means, or the glow in the back of his throat. I shrug.

Grizz releases my left ankle and rips open the hide covering his crotch. He reaches down…down…and holy stars…I didn’t notice the bulge before because I thought it would be pushing at the leather strips. Instead, he tucked it down his left leg and it takes quite a lot of maneuvering it for him to be able to free it.

My stars… His cock is huge — easily the biggest one I’ve ever seen. My mouth waters and a sharp, slicing pain cuts through my pelvic muscles. I try to slam my legs shut, but Grizz holds them open, slips his hands underneath my knees and yanks.

He shifts forward on his knees and covers my body with his. I gasp as his huge, veiny, unusually-shaped cock presses against my mons, and then flutters over my clit. He drags it down and the strange flaps? scales? something — I don’t know what they are — scrape roughly over my sensitive flesh. He reaches down between us and everything in me clenches, wondering, fearing, anticipating the moment that he finally pushes inside…

But he doesn’t.

He reaches between us and uses his thick thumb and pointer finger to spread my lips apart, then he rubs the rounded head of his cock through my folds. His face is a mask of concentration, but he never breaks, except maybe in the flaring of his nostrils. He’s perfectly in control.

“Does it feel like I find you ugly?”

“But you don’t…come in.” I sniffle.

He freezes. He yanks me down the bed further and climbs on top of me, resettling himself so that his cock is pressed against my bare stomach. His hands cradle my face, his eyebrows drawn furiously over his nose. “Latanya, I want you desperately.” His voice cracks and it’s in that crack that I find what I’ve been searching for this entire time.

Hope.

“But you…I look…” It takes so long for me to find the words, I push against his shoulders and release a short hiss of frustration.

“Cera. You cannot run from this.” He grabs my wrists and slams them down on the bed. “Now, tell me in your words. I don’t care how long it takes. Why do you think I don’t want you?”

“Because you don’t enter!”

“Latanya!” His voice is a contained shout that slaps me silent. “I don’t enter because I don’t want you once. I want you forever. And I can’t take you because I haven’t complied with the mating rituals of Revatu.”

“I…but…but…but I look…”

His gaze is hooked on my mouth and, before I can finish speaking, he presses his lips to mine in a kiss that can only be described as bruising. His tusks crush my mouth and chin but when he parts his lips, he uses his much softer tongue to caress my bottom lip gently. Oh so gently. My back arches up and my breasts find his bare chest. Rax, it feels so good…

“Grizz,” I moan, my nipples scraping his rough chest, my arms straining against the hold he has on them. He’s so much stronger than I am. So much more powerful. I love that difference, but I also love knowing that, at any point, this is a position I could get out of. That he would let me out of.

I don’t feel that way with Negunn.

My face heats in a sudden sensation, like I’ve left the gas on too long before the igniter catches and my whole body is engulfed in a poof of flame. Sweat ripples down my spine and I fight against it — whatever this is — at the sound of Grizz softly saying my name.

I open my eyes and see that he’s on his side. I’m on mine. We’re facing each other and he has his arms wrapped around me. Pillows are stacked under us, but my head still rests on his folded elbow. His face is a mask of concern, hard cheeks stone bricks, wells of his eyes deep enough to cast shadows, ruthless gaze glittering with suspicion.

“I may have made my interest unclear, and for this I’m sorry.” His hand strokes down my cheek to my shoulder. He pulls the blanket up from my waist to further cover me. “Here, on Revatu, permission must be requested before the tribe for a male or female to court another. Once permission on part of the intended mate is given, the courting process begins and, eventually, if satisfied, the mate asks for a tre’or’oro, a final gift or demonstration of affection. Once the tre’or’oro is procured and accepted, the mated pair celebrates their union before the tribe, with the tribe.

“I…circumvented the process. I…made a mistake. From the first moment I saw you, I felt a connection to you that I could not deny. I believe you may be linked to me, capable of transforming me into…a great warrior.” He seems to struggle with his own vocabulary, which doesn’t make sense. He knows I can understand.

But I don’t understand and shake my head. “What do…what great warrior?”

“Mornar is one such…warrior. He can…transform. His ability only began when Geeri arrived, crashed onto Revatu much in the same way you did. She was a Voraxian spice trader and was traveling alone when she crashed. She accepted a dulaha — one that wasn’t Mornar — while Mornar engaged her in courtship. Eventually, she accepted Mornar for a mate. He courted her the proper way, but I didn’t. I couldn’t…let another male be your dulaha. I couldn’t let you go to a home that wasn’t mine. I’m not a good male, but a possessive and jealous one when it comes to you…”

I smile, albeit feebly as this information crashes down onto me like a storm. “I think…you are…a good male. And I feel this…connection to you, too.”

A rumble picks up in Grizz’s chest. He looks down at my own chest and strokes a claw between my breasts. It sends my heart into a frenzy and my lust into overdrive. I whimper out a moan and Grizz pulls his hand away. Ugh. So raxing frustrating… “Maybe. Or maybe, you only find me beastly enough to rut once.”

“That’s not true!” I practically shout the words. His eyes flare. Heat fans the flames of my desire, transforming it into another disappointed rage. “You are not ugly…”

“Cera. I’m not. But neither are you. Who made you believe you are?”

My throat clamps. I don’t like the direction this conversation has taken and I immediately attempt to retreat from it. “You are not ugly…”

“Latanya, you are as lovely as a fallen star. Why do you view yourself any differently?”

I exhale shakily, my chest still tight, even as the admission rolls off of my tongue awkwardly in patched together words and phrases. “I am…not like the others…of Quadrant One. My parents…adopted me?” I try, he nods, seeming to understand what I mean. “My mom is of Lemora…tall. She has horns. They became…white when she loved my dad.”

“And he is of Quadrant One?”

I nod.

“Like N’gon?”

I nod again, lips twitching at his pronunciation of Negunn’s name. But I don’t correct him. Rax whatever the Revatu want to call him.

“Shenti…but not like Negunn. Negunn is…wretched. My father is kind. My mom…she knew instantly. My dad did not. He still…courted her? He let her love him. He…fell in love, too. Like Xiveri…but it took…time. And when they mated, he lost…lost his position for it. They don’t like…others on Quadrant One.”

“And you? Did they like you, Latanya?”

I shrug, though the answer is decidedly cera. “They were…kind enough. I thought males thought…I thought males liked me. But they just want…wanted to try…” I gesture at my body and a rough, brutish, animalistic sound huffs from between Grizz’s tusks. It tastes like smoke, a recently stoked fire.

He slides one hand around the back of my neck and yanks me close. I think he’s about to kiss me but with a breath separating us and a breath alone, he says, “I do not want a sample, Latanya, I want to mate you for life.”

I suck in a breath, which he chases, kissing me hard and passionately enough for my toes to curl and my fists to clench. He doesn’t give me more than that, though. Like waters on the shore, ebbing and retreating and ebbing again and again.

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” he says. “I understand even better now why you worry for your kin. They showed you acceptance, didn’t they?”

I nod, eyes watering as my mind flicks to them, and as I absorb the fact that he’s understood something so personal about me in my short, stunted speech. “Shenti. They love me…unconditionally. They…make me feel…not so alone.”

Grizz’s anger doesn’t die. In fact, his muscles tense. “You are not alone, Latanya. I feel it in my blood, in my bones, you belong here.” He grabs my hand and places it on his chest.

My skin prickles all over, along every exposed stretch of my skin, and beneath that same sensation it travels along every nerve ending. I feel something moving beneath my breast and behind my eyes and Grizz gives me a curious look when I next blink. But, before he can say anything else and rip me open completely, I blurt, “What do you mean? Here…on Revatu? In your bed? Or…” I’m too embarrassed to say it, but I can see the expectancy in his gaze. He wants me to acknowledge this — whatever this is between us. “Or with you?”

“All of it, Latanya. All of it.”

I bite my bottom lip while some beautiful, rich substance in my stomach surges up into my chest, like a fist made out of liquid gold. I open my mouth, certain I’ll exhale smoke just like Grizz sometimes does. But… “But…how can you know…for sure?”

His palm crushes mine against his heartbeat even more fiercely, to the point that it almost hurts. “Because I feel for you, Latanya. I cannot yet define it, but I know that it is ancient and dangerous and that it has me, and will not let me go.”

CHAPTER 10

GRIZZ

I was feeling an enormous relief, like the cool balm of the Thirst after an explosive Hunger, as I watched Latanya finally drift to sleep the lunar before. We’d spoken deep into the lunar, sharing vulnerabilities that left me certain that Latanya would likely choose me for a mate if given the opportunity, but that that choice won’t be possible until she feels safe, and she will never feel safe until she is certain of what happened to her kinfolk.

I sleep not nearly as long as I’d like after the lunar I had dreaming — cera, replaying — the tang of Latanya’s sweet cunt dripping down my throat as she released orgasm after orgasm, a Thirst all her own. I wake with a throbbing erection and quickly slip out of bed and into the relief room, a moniker which takes on entirely new meaning as I stroke my cock to the memories of the lunar before.

I release beneath the stream of water that pours through the fountain overhead, splattering pale green across the wall. What’s strange is that the mating barbs lining the shaft of my cock from below the head all the way down to my balls inflate immediately afterward. It’s painful and a little disarming. They’ve never done that before, ever, not even after a good rut and here I am not even inside a female.

I stroke them down, releasing once more under the pressure of my hand and, after cleaning up the mess I’ve made across the reevi-shoot walls, I return to the bedroom to see Latanya sitting up, facing me.

I swallow hard, a little embarrassed that she may have heard me. I wasn’t exactly subtle. “Do you need to bathe? There’s still plenty of warm water.”

“Cera.”

I notice that she’s rocking subtly back and forth and I frown. “Are you alright?”

“What’s on the…what we do this solar? Mainland?”

Her words come out more stilted than they had the lunar before, like she’s too distracted to properly translate the words coming through her translator and can’t remember any of the words she knows. “Shenti. I need to show you something early this solar. Then after second meal, we will gather the hunters and go to the mainland and find your kin.”

She nods and stands, turning quickly to face the baskets containing her clothes and mine. I have many more than she does, but that will change in no time. “Let go.”

“Let go?” I smirk, prowling up behind her. “That is the number one thing not to do here on Revatu. You must always hold fast.” I touch her shoulder, stroking a single claw over the knobs of her spine until they disappear beneath the blanket she’s gathered around her.

“Don’t!” She shrieks, staggering away from me. “Don’t touch me.”

“Sesiva’a?”

“I just…it…pain.” She shakes her head, white strands falling like curtains on either side of her face. She doesn’t look at me and she doesn’t speak to me again as she quickly dresses and swallows down half the amount of food she needs and twice the amount of water and I’m left stunned, confused, and raxing angry as I descend the rope ladder after her.

“Are you sure you’re capable of this?” I ask her as we step up to the edge of the divide and take hold of parallel vines. She looks woozy, feverish, dazed… “Latanya, you look unwell. Is it the food? Did you eat something?”

“Cera. Cera, it’s not the food.” She shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut tight. She opens them and stares fixedly on the vine trapped between her dark brown hands. Beautiful hands that flex gorgeously in the solar’s bright yellow light. “Not the food,” she whispers again.

Her gaze flashes to me for the first time this solar and I see in her eyes the same thing I saw in them the lunar before. A brightness that I hadn’t noticed before. I frown. “You have a fever. Your eyes are glassy. You should go home and rest. I will gather the hunters and head to the mainland now.”

“Cera! You…you say…you promised.” She closes her eyes and refocuses on the vine. My resolve is firming — she isn’t ready this solar — until she says, “Please, Grizz.”

“Augh,” I growl, gripping the vine in one hand and turning to face the divide. A breeze ripples through my hair. It’s unbound this solar as I forgot to tie it. I had…other things on the mind. “Follow me, but be prepared to stop halfway across.”

She nods and, as the wind whips salty water up from the frothing ocean tide below, I leap. Sailing through the air, I can hear Latanya’s small oomphs of exertion as she attempts to keep up. She is moving quickly this solar, but not as quickly as she usually does.

Worry kicks my sternum as I come to a stop halfway across the divide and wait for her to stop near me. Though she does, I notice that as we swing she chooses vines that take her further away from me. We should have been swinging side by side, as I always imagined swinging through the air with my future mate, but instead we’re separated by enough vines to partially block sight of her face.

Frowning, I open my mouth, but she speaks first, keeping her eyes trained somewhere just shy of mine. Like she’s staring at my throat. I watch hers contract, bobbing in a way my cock likes very much. “What now?”

“Let go.”

“Sesiva’a?” She shouts over the sound of a particularly strong wind. Her vine swings, but she clings to it deftly, some of the fever seeming to clear from her gaze as she finally meets my eyeline, her gaze now filled with panic.

I grin. “Remember that rule about not letting go? This is the one time you’ll need to ignore it.”

“Cera! No way!”

“Just this once, Latanya. Let go.”

“I’ll die!”

I laugh. “I know you heard me this morning in the relief room. Do you really think I’d send a female that makes me ache like I’ve never ached before to her doom? Without even rutting her first?” I shake my head. “Trust that no male would. Or better yet, simply trust me.” I meet her gaze and hold it and I wonder at the brighter brightness I’m seeing, almost like the whites of her eyes are expelling light onto her cheeks.

“Do you trust me, Latanya?”

She’s nodding before she seems to have registered the question. Her expression has gone suddenly dazed. “Shenti,” she whispers.

My heart squeezes like a fist in my chest and, when I speak, I exhale more than smoke this time. I taste flame. It licks at the back of my tongue, cool yet bright, like Latanya’s eyes illuminating her face, but illuminating mine in a wholly different light.

“Then trust me, Latanya, and obey.” When I speak, the words come out and don’t resemble my voice in the slightest. They are too deep to belong to me — or anyone of Revatu — and so rumbly and rough as to be near unintelligible, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

Latanya’s eyes roll back into her skull, she closes them, she nods, and then she lets go of the vine with hands and feet and slips away.

I do not hesitate to follow.

We fall for long moments, long enough for me to open my eyes and see the frothing ocean waters reaching up, seeking to claim us. The web is clear, its lattice virtually invisible from up on the mainland, but as we descend closer and closer, I begin to make out the telltale pattern of its glistening shape. It turns the water a duller pink than it is in truth, but no foreigner would know this. And bringing Latanya here now is her final induction into our tribe. The secret only we Revatu know, a truce that must be brokered on behalf of the deliha by his or her dulaha. As I do for Latanya now.

It fills me with such pride, to be the one to show her our secrets. I want to know all of hers. I want her to know all of mine. This is her home.

Latanya hits the silk web instants before I do, her body bouncing wildly as I hit the lacy cocorangee silk a short stretch away from her. “Are you surprised?” I say, trying to clear my throat, but finding I can’t. I roll to my knees and then to my feet. I’m well practiced at walking the silk, but it’s still much more difficult than walking on firm land. I wonder if that’s why Latanya hasn’t yet moved…

“Latanya? Latanya!” Her eyes are closed and her back is arched. Her face is contorted in agony and her heels dig into the web like she’s fighting an invisible, unknown adversary. In a single leap, I arrive at her side and drop down onto my knees. I slide my hand beneath her hair and cup the back of her head. Did she land wrong? Where is she injured? “Latanya, speak to me…”

The scent suckerpunches me, hitting me low in the gut and wrenching a bellow from deep within. The sound echoes through the canyon, accented by the sound of the waves crashing so close to us now. Latanya’s eyes fly open and I jerk, my stomach pitching up into my chest, my heart leaping through the top of my skull. My lust hardening my thighs and spearing through the soles of my feet.

A grin spreads to consume my entire face, my entire raxing being. My body feels light as a feather, all but my balls, which feel like weighty stones. “Latanya,” I sigh, watching her lips work to form words that don’t come. There are no words. She has no need of them. “Latanya, you are Voraxian. You are my mate, but I am your Xiveri.” Colors, a litany of them, pour from her eyes, filling every corner. The black pupil is gone. The brown is visible, but barely. And any uncertainty I had about her feelings towards me are erased.

“I…” Tears snake from her eyes, two of them falling in mirrored rivers.

I hiss, tongue clicking against the backs of my tusks as the deepest shame pulls at my male pride, unraveling it. “You are in the midst of the Xanaxana, the first mating. I’ve heard it feels different for everyone, some experiencing it slowly over time, others experiencing it in violence.”

She tries to pull her legs together, squeezing them tight as if she has to pee so badly she’ll explode. I know that isn’t it, though, and reach between her legs, shoving her hands away from her crotch and cupping her core. She’s damp, even through hide. I hiss. “And you are experiencing its fullest violence.”

I quickly unlace my own hides, not caring where we are or who may be watching. I unlace the bindings over her breasts and spread her coverings, watch her breasts spring free, nearly black nipples forming hard peaks that beg to be sucked. I yank her trousers off.

I align my erection with her core, noting that the barbs along my cock are already inflating and deflating in small pulses, wanting to latch onto her, wanting to never let her go.

“Latanya, look at me.” I attempt to command her attention, watch her lips work, watch her stare dart between my eyes, her breath coming harder and faster into her lungs. She’s tearing apart. She’s tearing me apart.

I feel a pang in my chest that pulses like a second heart and I nudge my cock forward, driving into a wet, wet heat. “You are my mate, and I will not let you suffer through the Xanaxana alone. Are you ready?”

She mutters whispered gasps that don’t quite manage to form words, but I take the way her nails claw the back of my shoulders and neck, pulling me down to her, as shenti nonetheless. I grin brutally, though I’m sure it looks more barbaric than reassuring. I’m about to unsnap and unleash havoc all over the place. Or unleash more.

“Then brace yourself, my little monster. I can’t promise I won’t be rough this very first time.” I slam forward and she screams my name to the skies above.

CHAPTER 11

LATANYA

Grizz wasn’t kidding — about any of it. He’s rough. He’s everything. He’s my everything. My heart is beating so fast, I can’t think, I can’t see, I can’t breathe. And he’s rutting me so brutally, all I can do is lock my ankles at his lower back and hang on. He is wrong about one thing, though, I’m not Voraxian. I can’t be. No Voraxian has ever looked like I do and I feel so manic I can’t imagine any being in the known Quadrants has ever felt like this before.

But what about the colors? The sensation? Xiveri? The Xanaxana? The feeling that I’m linked to him irrevocably? The vision of him through the emotions blazing from my eyes?

Whatever I am, whatever this is, doesn’t matter. All I know is the rightness I feel as he plunges his thick cock in and out of my body, the wet sound of our bodies slapping together making me leak even more wetness. His shaft is so rough as it enters and exits my heat again and again. His cock, from what I saw of it the lunar before, is lined in these V-shaped flaps — at least five around in at least as many rows — and occasionally it feels like they’re moving inside of me. I don’t understand…not until the first orgasm comes for me and Grizz’s face twists up in a mask of concentration as he soon follows.

He grabs the back of my neck and fists my hair with his other hand. His arms are fully cocooned around me and his legs are spread so wide that my legs can’t spread any further. They burn at the hip flexors, but every time I try to resist, he spreads me open wider.

“Mine,” he snarls against my mouth, his own mouth leaking smoke and — and is that fire? “Latanya mine.”

My pussy walls clench at the word, as if summoned by a command my body knows already to respond to. “Grizz mine,” I reply.

His cock seems to understand the mirrored command, too, because I feel it kick inside of me and then begin to move…something…something is happening. I try to look down, but Grizz’s hold on my hair is completely immobilizing. My chin is tipped up so that I can’t look anywhere but at his face, into his eyes.

“What…” I start to say in a whispered panic as the embers I’ve seen glowing in his gaze shine just a hair brighter.

“Don’t move…barbs latching,” he grunts, thrusting much more shallowly now.

Something wonderful and slightly painful fills my pussy when Grizz stops moving entirely. His head kicks back and his tusks jut out as he releases a roar that echoes back to me and causes my thighs to quiver and my pussy to convulse even harder. I scream as an unexpected orgasm rolls through me, my pussy squeezing as I feel him empty inside of me. Thoughts and consequences are irrelevant at this point. I just want more.

“More,” I moan, freeing one of my hands from between our bodies and reaching up to grab his neck. My fingers don’t coil all the way around, but I still squeeze hard enough to get his attention.

He looks down at me and the dark green of his gaze is another color entirely — red, to match the color of his claws. Fire flames out of his mouth, but it’s cool against my cheeks as he speaks. “Can’t let you go…” His arm squeezes me tighter.

Tears swim to my eyes as I feel a sudden rush of safety swamp me. “Don’t.”

“Can’t stop…”

“Don’t.”

“Must,” he chokes and, when he blinks, his eyes do something strange — even stranger. They become larger and more diamond-shaped and his pupils, they slit.

“Why?” I moan.

“I’ve…had…my…turn…” He looks down between our bodies, raising himself up just enough that I can see something alarming enough to cut a peep hole through the haze of my need, my desire and my acceptance. My belly appears swollen slightly around the outline of his cock, like my organs have been rearrange to accommodate him. And he looks bigger than I remember. Much, much bigger. In a momentary panic, I jerk up, but pain pinches my lower half and rattles through my pelvis.

“Grizz!”

Grizz releases my head and hair and grabs my hips so quickly his hands move in a blur. He holds me still. “Can’t…release…barbs are inflated. I’m latched…and now he…wants…his…turn…”

“Wh…Sesiva…a…”

Grizz starts to change. His body lifts off of me and suddenly his stomach inflates, rounding smoothly in a way that freaks the stars out of me. “Grizz!”

“Don’t…be…af…afraid…” His head — his skull — breaks apart and reshapes itself, forming a huge snout the size of my whole body. I gasp when I should have probably screamed, but Grizz looks down at me and blinks. “Trust…me… Warrior is…coming…”

My pussy squeezes. His eyes squeeze shut. And then he shoots up five bodies’ lengths.

Grizz transforms, shifting into a beast. Is…is this the warrior he spoke of? The one only Mornar — and now Grizz — can transform into? As inconceivable as it seems, I know in my bones that it is. And I feel…as I watch him break apart, unmaking and making himself anew in this new beastly form, that this is a beast that I’ve met before…

Maybe in some previous lifetime.

Or more than one.

And I’ve loved him desperately in all of them.

His legs and arms shift, extending and forming massive, torso-sized hands and feet. His red claws remain, though now they’re the length of a femur, each. His belly smooths and rounds and scales flake over his skin, all of them rough and glittery and green. I’m so overwhelmed, I can’t decide what it is I’m seeing…And then I see wings.

Green wings unfurl from a spine that exists somewhere high above me. I can’t see around his belly, trapped as I am beneath it, bracketed by weighty arms and unusually bent legs, pinned by the cock still inside of me. It hasn’t grown more than it already did and for that I’m plenty grateful.

I’m breathing hard as I stare up and watch the long neck elongate even further, head twisting towards the sun while the net beneath us dips. “Grizz!” I squeak as I start to slip. I try to hold onto the net underneath me, but when I do, it pulls on his cock inside of me and pain flares hot and deep.

His tusks are the only recognizable thing about him, though now they fit neatly in his mouth as if they were always meant to belong in this face and it’s his other face that’s the transformation. Nice to see you again, I can’t help but think as he twists his long, serpentine neck to look down at me. His translucent wings blot out most of the sun, tinging everything beneath them green as they beat.

Wind melts over me gently, while it thrashes the net brutally. His claws dig into it and I feel and hear as several important strands tear. “Grizz!” I scream for the hundredth time in as many heartbeats.

One massive clawed hand slips between me and the netting and lifts. Everything lifts. Everything but the net beneath me. I’m suddenly floating, impaled on a monster cock, while the wings above the beast lazily beat. He must have a wingspan that’s half the length of the divide. We rise and I yelp and the claws tighten around me.

I grab onto him, but both of my arms wrap only around one finger. My full hand clutches one edge of one claw. I’m fully reclined on his palm, its length so long I can rest my head and my hips on it. Only my shins dangle in the air as we rise up higher…and higher…skirting out from beneath the hanging course of vines overhead and then moving above them, towards the clouds, towards the sun.

He raxes me in the sky.

I moan as the beast roars out a breath of vibrant red flame and, at the should-be-alarming sight, I feel my hammering heartbeat start to slow into something less frenetic and more lustful. Want that I’m powerless against returns to me as his cock deflates enough for it to be able to slide into and out of my body. It feels…incredible, except that I don’t like the angle. I can’t move. Grizz can only use me like a toy, impaling himself inside of me while I lay motionless. I whimper and the slight sound causes the winged beast’s ear flaps to perk.

He stops rutting me and we fly, moving away from the curtain of vines, away from Revatu and towards the mainland. We don’t fly long, but land in some kind of clearing. I can’t see anything but his great underbelly. That is, until he turns me around. He drops me and I land on all fours, his slick cock slipping out of me easily, though it doesn’t last long.

I’ve barely gotten myself upright on the soft, thick moss when I feel the beast’s smooth underside graze my ass and lower back. I look up and see red claws spear the earth, fists ripping out shrubs by the root. I look back and see his feet disappear into thick foliage. I feel a nudge against my ass — a cock, hard all over again, seeking entry.

I reach beneath my body, finding the familiar cock bobbing between my legs. Familiarity soothes me and makes the haze return. I’m whimpering and needy as a spike of pain returns to my chest and, when I look down, I can see multicolored lights shining against my hands and arms. Is this what Grizz meant? Because it looks as if the light could only be coming from me.

I’ve only just gotten the head of Grizz’s cock centered to my pulsing, painful pussy when he presses forward. He reenters me and a rattling shakes my entire body. I hallucinate that it’s him for a moment, until I realize that it’s me. I throw my head back and scream.

“Grizz…”

A growl fills my ears and is all I can hear. There is no more ocean. There are no more birds, insects, or predators. There is only this. Him and his beast and this magic coursing between us. And to think I ever thought myself beastly. Or that beastly could be bad.

I smile as my orgasm recedes enough for me to be able to feel him latching inside of me again. I drop onto my forearms, struggling to keep myself upright when one of his huge forward arms — legs? — lifts from the soil and slides underneath my body. His finger feels like the skin of a snake covered in fine grains of sand as it rubs over my breasts and then trails down to my stomach. I look down in alarm as I see my belly swollen in ways that don’t look natural. I jolt forward, but he holds me in place with a growl that sounds so very, very like Grizz.

Holding me in a strangely gentle grip, he keeps me in place for what feels like forever. Long enough for some of my clarity to return and for another orgasm to wriggle out of me slowly, sweetly almost. I press my forehead to the moss, its coolness a blessing as I wait for my dragon mate to finish coming.

Moments pass, so many of them, long enough for me to find this situation both hilarious and heart-warming, before the dragon releases a final burst of fire to the skies and slips his now slightly less swollen erection free of my heat. I collapse forward onto his hand and he pulls me up with him as he takes to the skies again.

Dipping below the vine-laced curtain, we return to the net strung across the divide where he drops me beside my clothing. I’m not really sure what I’m expected to do with them given that there’s light green semen covering the insides of both of my legs from hip to heel — that, and the fact that I’ve lost use of both of my arms. So, I just lie there staring up at the dragon beast as it writhes in the air, looking down at me momentarily before it seems to come to some sort of decision. The arms and legs shrink first, and then the head. The belly goes next and then the wings collapse back against the spine and it plummets to the net beside me.

I shriek as I vault up into the air, arms and legs windmilling before I drop back down with one bounce, but not two. On the second bounce, hands snatch me from the air and pin me to the warbling net. One hand fits itself to my left breast while the other grabs me by the back of the neck.

“Latanya.” He kisses me, tongue invading my mouth as I gasp. “Thank you,” he moans, “for accepting me…in all my forms.”

I grab the tips of his hair and yank hard, kissing him back just as ferociously. I lick a line up his lower tusk and break the battle of our lips and tongues just long enough to breathe, “Thank you for…accepting me…in mine.”

Grizz’s eyes are bright, the green swirling with orange now like molten lava, orange but not black like their Hunger. His mouth opens as he pulls back and he shakes his head, like he’s at a loss for words. “I did not quite expect that’s how my first transformation would go.”

I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. The sound is so…alien to me now, after so many solars spent worrying. I know I’ll go back to that soon, but for now it feels so good. Like the purest relief. I don’t feel so alone. And I don’t feel alone at all when he starts to laugh with me.

We laugh together for so long a burst of crashing waves speckles my spine, making me jolt. I laugh harder at that, and Grizz rolls us over, so that he’s on the bottom and I’m on the top. He kisses me again for many, many moments, until he’s the one to pull back. “You know, I actually had a reason to bring you here…”

“Shenti? What is it?”

“There are some beings I would like you to meet.”

A sound — much louder than even the waves — causes me to lift my head. My jaw drops as a creature clicks its way towards us. Grizz stands, fully nude, and pulls me with him even though I can’t really walk on the net and I have no desire at all to walk towards this creature.

Ten times more terrifying than the dragon I just rutted, it’s huge and a very, very unfortunate translucent white, which makes it look like a walking cloud — a look that is in strong contrast to the rather lethal way it comports itself, what with its snapping claws and hundreds of legs. No. Nuh uh. I am not about any of this.

“Grizz,” I squeal, legs wobbly for more reasons than one.

He scoops me up off of the net and takes a few more steps forward, clicking back at the creature as it comes towards us, all of its thousands of spindly legs working out of time with one another. I glance behind it and realize it’s not alone. They aren’t alone — this creature is clearly sentient — as dozens or maybe hundreds of its friends appear in holes in the cliff face I hadn’t noticed before. It’s hard to tell exactly how many of them there are with how amorphous their shapes are and with their homogenous coloring.

I can almost feel their awareness touch me even though they have no discernible eyes or nose or mouth as Grizz clicks at the creature and then gives me a slight bounce in his grip. He says my name, followed by, “And Latanya, these are the cocorangee. They are led by Romangrinth.”

“Uhm…hi?” I offer lamely.

Grizz makes a clicking sound that I struggle to repeat. It’s clear that my translator does not recognize this language. It makes me think momentarily of Negunn and how out of his depth he’d be down here with these creatures.

I reply with a smile. When I get it mostly right, Romangrinth replies with the same series of clicks. I nod shakily at the creature. Grizz nods and continues to speak until eventually, Grizz laughs and Romangrinth and his…tribe return to the mountain and Grizz carries me away from the inhospitable mainland towards the safety of our island, Revatu, where a single vine extended down waits.

“We have a deal with the cocorangee. They give us free use of their web in exchange for periodic sacrifices.”

“Web?” I squeak, suddenly very, very disturbed by the sight of a white ball eerily my size near the edge of the net as we approach the vine.

“Shenti.”

“We…just have sex…had sex on their web?”

“Shenti.” Grizz grins and rumbles a sound of pure satisfaction. He meets my gaze and I cannot help but feel victorious. “Romangrinth told me that, when you first fell, he wondered if you were a sacrifice. He said it became clear very quickly that you were not. He offered his congratulations on our mating, instead, but apparently we owe him an extra sacrifice or two for the damage we did to his web.”

“We? You! Your…giant beast!”

“You liked my giant beast,” he says, raising a brow as if in challenge.

I feel my face heat. “Shenti.”

He growls as he takes the vine in one hand and tosses me over his shoulder. I squeal as he begins to climb up while carrying me. “Good. Because I plan to have you again. And so does he.”

He swats my ass and I jolt on a squeal, my chest feeling light, even as all the blood rushes to my face. I’m not worried though, as I watch the web move further and further away until I can no longer discern it at all. All I can see is a periodic sheen when the light hits it just right, and all I can feel in my chest as my torso swings like a pendulum is that I trust him. The dragon orc.

The beast.

“What was that for?”

“For fun.” He turns his head and bites my ass cheek and I squeal again, kicking my feet. He pauses in his ascent and firms my legs to his chest with one hand. “Careful, or I will have to punish you when we return from the mainland.”

“You…made that…promise before.”

“And I plan to keep it. But first, we’ll find your kin and procure our sacrifice to the cocorangee.”

“Has Negunn met…cocorangee?”

“Cera. He has not yet become one with the tribe. He has no dulaha. He has yet to prove himself trustworthy.” That fills me with absolute glee and I smile as I pinch Grizz’s backside. He swats my ass in return and says, “Why do you think of him now?”

“I don’t think his…translator will work…with them.”

“Probably not. They don’t speak in words but in suggested feelings. It takes a long time for us on Revatu to learn their tongue. We learn it as kits. You likely won’t ever master it. But you still haven’t answered my question. I don’t like that you’re thinking of Negunn while you’re covered in my cum.”

I grin. “You should…I think Negunn could be…sacrifice.”

Grizz laughs. “But I thought I was meant to disembowel him?”

“Hm,” I consider in all seriousness. “Maybe both?”

“Both it is, my little monster.”

CHAPTER 12

GRIZZ

I exist in a euphoric state of complete and utter disbelief as I make my way back up to Revatu with Latanya, my mate, firmly in my grip. Cera, not just my mate, but my Xiveri mate, my one true mate, just as I am hers.

Her colors glowed for me and I am certain, judging by the surprise in her eyes, that she has never emoted like this before. Just as I have never before transformed, I did so for her and she did so for me. And the way she took me, raxxxxx… She dropped to all fours and presented for a monster a hundred times her size and she let him rut her just as he wanted — as I wanted — as I felt everything through his skin and saw everything through his eyes.

Rax.

She is perfect. And perfect for me.

There is no more doubt in my mind.

“Come, let us announce our mating to the tribe.” I hold out my hand as we descend from our home, clean in a way that I loathe. I’d have much rather paraded her cum-encrusted body before the tribe just so they know how thoroughly my beast and I marked her and, through the scent of her sweetness all over my cock and face, how thoroughly she has marked me.

Latanya wasn’t such a fan of that idea. Much to my chagrin.

“They won’t be…mad anymore that we didn’t do things…correctly?”

“Xiveri supersedes all.”

Her eyes glitter as she looks up at me and takes my palm in hers. She lifts it to her lips and kisses the back of my green hand. The contrast against her own coloring makes my mind spin with thoughts of what could be — what will be — when we produce kits of our own. Though, it is early for this. I will need to speak with her about her plans and our plans and what we plan for our future. I will also need to tell her about the off-worlders…

“Grizz!” Slascax’s voice precedes the sound of her crashing through the woods.

“Is that Sla?”

I smirk, enjoying the name she’s chosen for Sla, just as I enjoy her calling me Grizz. “Shenti.” I pitch my voice louder. “Slascax, we are here.”

Slascax bursts through the foliage before us and, on her next inhale, her eyes widen. This pleases me greatly. “It looks like we didn’t do a thorough enough job of cleaning ourselves off,” I smirk.

Latanya slaps my stomach with the back of her hand. “Sla, are you okay?”

“Me? I’m okay, but you… oh cera…” She shakes her head and approaches with a peculiar expression.

I hold up my free hand, the other gripping Latanya’s as we make our way forward, hoping to soothe her. There will be consequences to this, but I want her to be assured that nothing will happen to her. Xiveri cannot be contained or controlled.

“Slascax, calm yourself. Latanya has done nothing wrong and any blame there is to be had is mine and mine alone.”

“Blame?” Latanya pipes up. “Cera blame!”

I smirk, soothed by her efforts to stand up for herself, for me even. “She is Voraxian, as Geeri is, and this solar her xanaxana flared in response to me. I have known for many solars now that she is likely my mate, and my beast’s, and this solar proved it. Her eyes illuminated in color, and I fully transformed. The cocorangee can attest to it.”

I frown as Slascax continues to shake her head. “That is a problem.”

“The tribe will understand…”

“Cera! It’s a problem because N’gon has already begun courting Latanya. Last solar, he openly declared his intentions by kneeling before Latanya and Latanya accepted when she kissed him.”

“She did what?”

Latanya tenses and her hold on my hand firms as she looks up at me with wide eyes, full of panic. “I…kiss cheek…” She points to her own. “And only because…he says he’ll find my parents…”

“And he did, Latanya. He found the tre’or’oro you requested of him.”

“What did he find?” Latanya and I say at the same time.

Slascax’s face caves, her expression one of mourning. “Latanya, N’gon has found your mother.”

Latanya wriggles out of my grip until I’m forced to release her, the blood draining out of my body as soon as her palm leaves mine. I feel as if I could collapse, the beast inside of me roaring with the urge to bury itself beneath the ocean floor, or perhaps tear out N’gon’s spine. “He did what?”

“He found your mother.”

“But he said…he said three solars…It has only…been one.”

He said three solars. It has only been one. She gave him the option of seeking tre’or’oro. Any doubt I had at Slascax’s first words are undone by Latanya’s last ones. I force myself to freeze — not to stagger — as Latanya walks away from me. She kissed him. She gave him her tre’or’oro request. She betrayed me.

Cera. Cera… I told her nothing of the mating rituals, only that they existed. If N’gon discovered them… I muffle a roar behind my hand, rage at N’gon for his cunning and rage at myself for my hubris. I had assumed that no other would attempt to court Latanya while she remained a deliha — it is not done on Revatu, therefore I had not felt the need to explain the rituals to Latanya. But N’gon must have discovered them…and he had no such qualms about courting her before her deliha training was complete.

And she accepted. And now I have no idea how to proceed — not without violence.

Slascax grimaces as she speaks. “Come quickly. She is injured.”

Latanya’s hands clasp over her mouth and her knees tremble. I can sense she’s about to fall instants before she starts to and I quickly step to her side and catch her. Whatever happens between me and her and N’gon is now irrelevant. “Come, Latanya, we need to get to the healer.”

She looks up at me, fear in her gaze that I raxing hate, but when she nods again I understand that whatever happened between her and N’gon doesn’t matter. She trusts me. And I will not let her down.

Not like I have already.

We race across Revatu, me scooping her up to carry her at a point when she trips over a nasty root. Latanya is shaking by the time we approach the open door to the healer’s hut, located just off of the convening square. It is one of the only structures on Revatu that is on the ground and, as a result, is well fortified and guarded.

The guards stare at us and though it takes some time, they eventually scent what has transpired and their expressions turn surprised and disproving — to me — while remaining empathetic — to her. As it should be. I am pleased by their response and offer them short nods. They are content to glare.

Latanya slips inside and I follow, sticking close to the wall so as to make space for her and the healers. The sight inside surprises me first, before it alarms.

Latanya had described her mother to me, but I’ve never met a Lemoran before. I hadn’t been able to picture it. In my mind, I’d pictured a creature as delicate and soft as Latanya and N’gon are, but the Lemoran female sprawled across the emergency cot has rough, mottled brown skin, no hair at all, and shocking, white twin horns. One of them is chipped — broken — nearly in half. Latanya gasps and goes to her, her hands fluttering in small gestures towards her mother’s broken horn, as if she’s more concerned for it than the large hole above her mother’s hip — which is the cause for my alarm.

The healers don’t acknowledge Latanya and I move forward, grabbing Latanya’s shoulders and pulling her out of their way as they swarm the injured female. She’s out cold. Latanya’s shaking.

“How…what…”

“Is there a status, Memorna?” I ask the lead healer. She looks up from across the female’s body, her expression tight.

“The wound is deep. It doesn’t look good.”

Latanya makes a small squeaking sound, like she’s trying to hold in a sob. I wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her into my chest, hoping that this is…okay as a means of providing comfort. When she reaches up and squeezes my forearm, I know that it is.

“And what will you be able to do for her, healer?”

She shoots me an annoyed look. “Heal her,” she mutters sardonically, the wisecracker she is. “That is my title, isn’t it?”

“You…can fix her?”

Her tone softens as she turns her attention to Latanya in my grip. “Shenti, and without interruption, a lot faster, though your friend, Neg’orn, did not seem so confident.”

“Careful, Memorna,” I hiss.

Memorna glances at me, and then seems to register the scents Latanya and I carry and the way we’re standing together. She gawks, then slams her jaw shut and shakes her head slightly. “You will be sent for when she wakes. For now, it’s best she stays unconscious. It will help her heal faster.”

“Do whatever you can for her. She is the mother of my mate.”

Memorna nods a little jerkily then. Her gaze flashes to the door. “If needed, I will use the merillian.”

I tense. It is a great honor. The merillian reserves we have are weak. We only procure them from the off-worlders and they only come by once in a rotation, sometimes more and sometimes less, but never predictably. To save Latanya’s mother, Memorna may need to use all that we have. I nod deeply then and with cooed words of consolation and promises on our healers’ behalf I hope to the high seas they’ll be able to keep, I escort Latanya from the building.

“Latanya, are you…” My voice trails off as we reach the perimeter of the convening square where Nevo, Orick, Yrkar, Slascax and Mornar wait. I can see Vevaxcra, Geeri, Yoturo, and Neesa approaching in the distance, but I am more concerned by the sight of another. One other. He stands alone in the center of the empty space, arms crossed over his chest as he glares at Latanya triumphantly.

His gaze switches to mine when I look to his face. He grins to show all of his dazzling teeth as he calls Latanya’s name. “Latanya, come to your mate.”

A deep growl kicks my vocal cords and I feel an already feral, recently loosed beast thrash beneath my skin. My shoulder jerks and, in my peripheral vision, I see Mornar straighten. A small smile plays at the edge of his mouth when my gaze meets his, but I do not respond to the nod of kinship he offers me now that I have become the only other winged beast of Revatu, just like him. I wonder how he knows. Can he see the colors that warp my gaze? Will he stand beside me when I slit N’gon’s throat? I loathe this male. And yet…he, too, has claim on my female.

“Oh rax…” Latanya whispers. She spins in my grip, turning to face me. Her face is perfect, a precious creation, which makes the sting of her betrayal cut all the deeper. “Grizz, you…must know I did not know…about mating…” Her words are stuttered and her lips still tremble. “I don’t want…to mate…him…”

“Shh…shhh…” I nod, knowing, because I do know. Her betrayal, for that’s what it was, was entirely unintentional. I have seen how she reviles him. I have heard her ask for his disembowelment at my hand, with my claws. I know she doesn’t want him, regardless of her actions. “I know. I will explain our connection before the tribe…”

“Cera.” I freeze, hand suspended mid-air where it had been destined for her cheek. I want to catch her tears, lick them away before they can fall, carry her so that she can rest her full weight and the weight of all of her fears on me. Her mate. Her Xiveri. “Negunn has…information about…the others…my father. He will not…give it to me…if I do not…go with him.”

“Cera,” I bellow, the words coming out on flame that I know Slascax and Orick, standing in the periphery, see. “You do not expect me to be able to let you walk away from me and into another male’s arms…least of all one who I have seen, with my own eyes, bring you harm.”

Her brow crinkles above her nose. She stiffens and lowers her voice. “I expect you…to trust me.”

My beast beats at the underside of my chest. I stare down at her face, lost in her gaze as I wonder how in the setting sun she expects me to be able to do this. “He could harm you…”

“He won’t. At least…not until after…”

“Latanya,” I hiss.

And then she does the damnable. She steps away from me. She holds my gaze and pitches her voice loudly — loud enough for N’gon, and the rest of the tribe, to hear. “Thank you, Negunn. I will go…with you now…to find my tre’or’oro if it’s true that you have…found where my father and the others…are.” As she speaks to N’gon, my claws cut into my palms and my spirit sinks lower and lower into the ground, like my wings, so newly discovered, have just been cut.

“I have. Come, Latanya. Come take my hand and I will show you to where I found your mother.” I notice he speaks the final word with a disdain so apparent it appears even through his translator.

Latanya winces and clenches her teeth and I watch as the others stare between the two of us as if expecting something…like me to kill N’gon. And I might have, had Latanya not turned back to me and hissed, “Trust me…and follow close. Something…is wrong… I feel it.” She touches the center of her chest where I feel a presence that was not there the solar before. Hers. Occupying too much space, wanting too much of me to keep my feet rooted, even for the next few moments it takes to watch her disappear on N’gon’s arm into the forest.

I’m still standing there, counting the seconds before I can launch myself after them without being tracked. I need a few more. Just a few more. At my side, Mornar says, “She has chosen you. I can see it, even if she goes with him now. He has something she needs. Once she takes it, she will come back…”

“If she can come back. N’gon is a wily, cunning male. I’ve underestimated him too many times to count.”

Mornar grimaces. Geeri comes to his side and slides her hand over his shoulder. “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating her, though.”

My chest pulses. I nod at Geeri, understanding her words for what they are. My tribe members — beings I’ve known since my memory begins — stand behind the pair. All of them look worried. All of them will stand beside me when I go after them.

“You may not have courted her correctly, but I’ve seen how she looks at you,” Slascax says. “And perhaps more importantly, how she looks at N’gon.”

Nevo crosses her arms over her chest and nods in agreement. Only Geeri continues to frown. “You shouldn’t have asked to be her dulaha.”

“I know that. Don’t you think I know that?” I round on her.

Mornar steps forward. “Watch yourself, my Hunger knows its form better than yours does.” He challenges me, but I’m not sure right now it matters. I’m seething and struggle to take several deep breaths that do absolutely nothing to calm me. Yrkar comes to my side and pushes me back a step. I allow him to force my retreat.

“She is my Xiveri mate. She is Voraxian,” I tell Geeri.

“She has no ridges,” Geeri says with a frown, gesturing to the raised bumps above her eyes. They illuminate white now, a color I know to mean surprise, followed by a darker fuchsia which usually relates to her confusion.

“The coloring did not appear in her skin, but in her eyes. She glowed every color, as you do for Mornar sometimes.”

Her ridges flare then, turning the dark blue skin of her forehead to a wildly bright light. She frowns more deeply. “I’ve never seen a hybrid like her before…”

“That I cannot help. But, for now, I’ve waited long enough…”

Orick steps in front of me, forming a wall with Slascax and Vevaxcra and Yoturo. “It hasn’t been long enough. N’gon will see us coming.”

“It’s likely he’ll withhold information on the whereabouts of her kin if he does,” Nevo adds. “He’s a slippery bastard.”

I huff, tasting char. “I cannot wait for him to savage her.”

“Trust her,” Geeri says, “just as she asks. Just give her a little more time.”

“I trust her. It’s him I don’t trust.”

“Then, at the very least, trust that she is of his planet. She knows his mind better than you do and if she took her First Leap in order to stay away from him, just as you and the hunters who found her first say she did, then trust that she knows how to evade him and stay alive.”

I rub my face roughly, my beast seeming to understand Geeri’s words better than I do because he settles, at least enough to keep me from breathing fire. I pace and glance periodically up at the sun, watching it move so raxing slowly.

“How deep did he travel when he found Latanya’s mother, Nevo?”

“I’m not sure.” She shakes her head.

I stop pacing. “What? You were assigned to guard the reevi farmers this solar. You should have been tracking his movements.”

“He disappeared at a point,” Orick adds, coming to her defense. “We weren’t with him when he found Latanya’s mother. He reconvened at the edge of the divide carrying her and asking for our help to transport her back.”

Something sour and sticky slicks across my chest. “And how did he say the female was injured?”

Nevo grimaces, her teeth clenching together and her lips feathering around her tusks. “He doesn’t know. He claims to have found her like that.”

“Grizz!” I’m about to take off in a sprint when the sound of Memorna’s voice holds me back. I turn and see the female standing in the doorway of the healing hut. She gestures at me wildly. “She’s awake. She’s asking for Latanya.”

I turn, hesitating, but only for a moment. In the healing hut, I blink quickly so that my eyes may better adjust to the dimmer light. When they do, I see the Lemoran female attempting to sit up on the cot. The healers are holding her down, but she’s fighting. A ferocious one. I see where Latanya gets it.

“Latanya?” Her lips curl and she shakes her head.

“Cera, I’m not Latanya,” I tell her, hoping that her translator works as Latanya’s does. “I’m Grizz,” I say, feeling rather silly as this is not my born name, but the one I feel born into as it’s the one Latanya gave me. “I am Latanya’s mate. Her Xiveri.”

“Xiveri,” the female repeats. She says words in her tongue that I don’t understand, but I hear Latanya’s name again, followed closely by N’gon’s.

“N’gon claims her as a mate. He tricked her into accepting his hand, using the location of your mate and the others of your kind as bait. They are going to retrieve them now. I intend to follow.”

Her eyes grow large and her hand surges forward, reaching across her body to point to her wound. The action pains her and her entire expression twists. The healers admonish her and attempt to push her back into a fully reclined position — this time succeeding — but not before she says, “Negunn.” Her hand stretches up and clasps at the hilt of an imaginary blade, one that she stabs herself with. Her eyes open. She meets my gaze. “Negunn.”

I throw myself from the healer’s hut before it is too late, because my beast does not hesitate. I transform in the center of the square, wind rushing off of my wings as they unfurl. I take flight right there and go after my mate and the one who covets her. The one I promised her I’d disembowel.

CHAPTER 13

LATANYA

I feel sticky sweat along my spine that’s only half to do with the humidity of the mainland, which is several degrees hotter than it is on the Hunger-free Revatu. The rest has to do with the fact that Negunn’s walking behind me where I can’t see him unless I turn all the way around.

“Are we almost there?” I ask nervously. Asking Grizz to trust me was a lot when I barely trust myself with Negunn. He always outsmarts me. Always. And I don’t know what he has planned, but this isn’t this straight forward — it can’t be. Negunn knows me well enough to know by now that I won’t just have sex with him for leading me to my father and I sure as comets won’t mate him for life because of it. What is he thinking? What is he planning? What has he already done?

“Something’s different about you,” Negunn says instead of answering me.

I glance at him over my shoulder to see him watching me with a frown. He isn’t even looking at my ass either. Hmm… That really can’t be good. “I’m worried. My mom is dying.”

“The wound is deep. You should prepare yourself.” He nods solemnly at me, but there’s a flatness to his gaze that makes me think that he isn’t so apologetic at all.

A creeping feeling claims the back of my skull and makes my spine arch. “How was she injured?”

“I didn’t…I don’t know, Latanya. I found her near to where the beacon told me the others would be.” He pulls the beacon out of his hide vest. It’s a broken piece of something. I don’t know where he got it, or how he could have. All of the pods were dissolved in the Hunger solars ago…

Unless he’s had it all along.

My voice is lower and angrier when I speak next. “You’re an intelligent male. What do you think caused it?”

“Likely one of this feral place’s more feral beasts.” He tips his head forward and gestures at a glowing light on the flat panel in his hand. “Just through these trees. Here, let me lead.” He steps past me and I let him — I can’t see any reason it would be a bad idea to have him at my front, rather than at my back.

Just as his shoulder brushes my chest, he pauses and leans in to my neck. He inhales deeply. “You smell off.”

“I haven’t bathed in a few solars,” I lie.

His eyes narrow. “Then why is your hair wet?” He picks up a lock of my hair and lets it fall.

I shrug. “It’s humid.”

He snorts, glaring between my eyes. “I can see a red sheen flickering in your eyes. What is it? You sick? Whatever it is, I don’t want to catch it.”

I snort. “You won’t, I’m sure.” I blink, hoping to control my emotions better than this. I’ve never shined with any sort of emotion before. Maybe Grizz was right, maybe I am Voraxian, in part at least.

“It’s getting brighter. And there’s black, too.”

So much for control… “I don’t know, Negunn. I can’t feel it or see it, myself. It must be this place.” I don’t know what the colors correspond to, either. I’ll have to ask Geeri. All I know is what I feel. And what I feel is hate.

“Well, don’t let it turn you into a beast, like them, Latanya. I don’t want a filthy beast for a mate.”

I hold my tongue and let him stomp off. “You won’t have me for a mate at all,” I whisper under my breath.

Negunn moves deftly through a dense layer of bushes with leaves the size of my body and thorns the size of my face, while I take a few cuts and scrapes to my forearms, one of them kind of deep. I hiss as I come through the thickets and I’m so distracted by my own pain that I don’t immediately notice what lies directly before me.

And then I hear my name.

“Latanya!”

“You found her…”

“Has anyone seen Nesha or Prenatio?”

“Someone find her parents!”

My people. All of the delegates of Quadrant One. All forty of them, or nearly at least, all rainbow-colored hair and golden faces. All except for one other outsider — a Hypha, with small black eyes, orange skin and fins protruding from the sides of his face. They come forward, crowding around me until I’m inundated and Negunn, of all foul creatures, has to save me.

“Hey, hey, give her some space. She’s spent the past dozen solars with these beasts. She’s shaken, understandably.”

So many Quadrant One princes and princesses and merchants and traders and skilled professionals nod at me solemnly, a pity in their eyes I haven’t ever seen. Cera, they may pity me for the way I look to them, but they’ve never pitied me like they care about me. Like they’re worried. Not like they are now.

Wait. What did Negunn say?

“Wait. What?”

Negunn grips my shoulders, looping one strong arm around my back. He nods at all of the Quadrant One faces and says sadly, “They’ve brainwashed her into thinking she’s one of them. You can expect that she won’t take it lightly when we attack.”

“What!” I pull back, putting space between us. I open my mouth, aware that my first instinct is to shout and rant but I’m so used to speaking in stilted Revatu that, for once, the words don’t come that fast.

They get trapped behind my teeth and, when I go to say them, they come out measured and slow. “Wait. You plan…to attack the Revatu?”

Negunn glowers at me, but it’s another member of the community that answers. “Negunn has told us of their barbaric ways. He says that attack is our only chance of survival.”

“We have the weapons to do it,” a male I think is called Trenno says, holding up a blaster. “Well, we have some weapons.”

“And Negunn says they have none. That they’re barbarians with no access to technology.”

I open my mouth and I don’t say anything, not for the first instant. Because in the second, I know what I need to do. “Negunn is right.” I look out across the crowd, bewildered by their numbers and impressed that they’ve survived so long. But not in a good state. The longer I look, the longer I realize that they are injured, almost all of them. Clothes singed black, some nursing wounds and burns. One delegate has a swollen cheek and another two lie flat on their backs beneath thin gold blankets retrieved from the pods. They’re alive, but they’ve been suffering for solars now when they didn’t have to…

What is Negunn’s goal here?

I turn to look at the foul wretch, the expression on his face murderous. “Careful, Latanya. They know already how you love the beasts…”

“I don’t love the beasts,” I love one beast, “but I know more about them than you do. And I know that our weapons will do nothing against them, not when some of them can transform into armored dragons that can fly.”

That causes a stir, panic setting in as the gathered beings look down at what they’ve put together to launch their assault. I note that there are only three blasters I can see, while the rest of the weapons look crudely cobbled together — spears and sticks carved of reevi shoots, pieces of golden steel from the disintegrated pods tied together with vines and bits of fabric… I frown. Negunn works with the shoots and didn’t even tell our own people that he could use the innards as twine? And he plans to lead a revolt with them?

“You cannot lead a revolt with this.”

“She lies,” Negunn shouts, pitching his voice loudly, full of authority that cannot be denied. “You can’t trust her. She’s been corrupted by them.”

I open my mouth to rebut this, but Trenno himself answers, “Why would she lie about our chances?”

“And dragons?” An older female shouts. Her name is Opo and I know her. She’s from my home town and has always been kind to my family. “That is a rather outlandish lie, don’t you think?”

I nod at her, meeting her gaze. “Opo, have you seen my father? Why is he absent? And does anyone know why my mother was so badly injured?”

“Injured?” Opo hisses. She comes forward, approaching me, though her stare remains trained on Negunn. “I thought they went with you, Negunn, to look for Latanya.” Opo touches my back, but I realize that she’s trying to pull me away from him.

Negunn must notice it, too, because his stare hardens. “I lost them when the molten rock came.”

“You didn’t. You found my mother.”

“A lie,” Negunn barks out a laugh. “How would you even know? You were with your beastly friends.”

“I know because you brought her to the healers of Revatu.”

“Lies.”

“And she’s fine. They do have technology. They have merillian and they’ll be able to heal her. They’ll be able to heal all of you. There’s no reason for you to live in such desperation.”

“Lies!” Negunn’s shout is triumphant as he points at my face. “I told you she sides with them.”

“Why would she?” Opo shouts. “And what happened to her parents? Where are Nesha and Prenatio?”

Negunn’s face has started to turn a deep, deep shade of gold, almost copper. I step away from him and I wonder if many of the others notice that they have, too. “They’re likely lost. They don’t know the wilderness like I do, but they haven’t been lost long. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

“Negunn, what did you do?” Panic claws at my throat. “Where is my father?”

Voices all start speaking at once, clamoring until none can be heard. I approach Negunn, wanting answers with a desperation that borders on insanity. I push him in the center of the chest while his attention is turned to someone else, shouting far less important questions as far as I’m concerned.

He turns to me, his hand whipping out on instinct and, on instinct, I duck. But instead of hitting me, he hits another male standing behind me. The weaker male staggers back and falls onto his ass.

“Negunn!” Opo shouts. “What are you doing?”

He looks frazzled in a way he never does, hair shooting up as he runs an evidently sweaty hand through it. “Trying to calm you all down. We’re being ripped apart by the words of an alien who’s been brainwashed by monsters!”

“They aren’t monsters, Negunn! You are! Did you hurt my mom?” I shove him again and he staggers back into a tree. One of the spikes nicks him and he hisses, his shoulder coming back bloody. “Did you?”

I move to shove him again, this time grabbing him by the edges of his vest. He grabs my wrists so hard I know he could break them if he wanted but right now I don’t care. I whisper, “If you hurt my mom, I will have Grizz gut you like he promised he would.”

“That monster can’t touch me.”

“He’s my mate, Negunn, and shenti, he is a monster. He bred me as one.” I dodge the first blow, but not the second. The back of Negunn’s hand hits me across the face hard enough I go flying. The thud of landing on my back is second to the sting in my cheek as I lie there, staring up at the clouds, listening to sounds of outrage and dissent. I’m not sure any of them have seen Negunn before — really seen him — he’s so good at cloaking himself under lies and arrogance.

But Revatu does something to us all, doesn’t it? It shows us who we’re meant to be, who we truly are beneath layers of gold glitter and feigned bravado.

I smile as a shadow passes across the sun. A moment later, I feel the breeze. Like two sails of some great ship moving in perfect synchronicity, the wings of my mate’s megalithic form beat and the pressure in my chest settles.

“Grizz,” I whisper, pointing up. “My mate! Lower your weapons!”

“Fire!” Negunn screams.

I lurch up and see that half of the group has turned their attention — and what weak weapons they have — up towards the blinding sun. Staggering into Trenno’s side, I grip his arm and yank his blaster down. “Don’t! He won’t harm any of you.” Well, Negunn doesn’t count.

“Fire, you fools! He’s coming to kill all of you!”

“He can breathe fire! If he were intending to kill you, he’d have done so by now!” I shout back and it is apparently the wrong thing to say or, perhaps, badly timed because Grizz chooses that moment to release a great ball of fire into the sky as he spirals down, down, down.

A blast blazes up into the air, not Trenno’s but belonging to someone else in the crowd. It leaves scorch marks across Grizz’s underbelly, marring its perfection. “Cera!” I shriek. The blaster fires again, this time causing Grizz to jerk back up. The wind his wings creates is enough to swirl my hair around my face. I hear several others cry out and behind me, Opo falls over.

“Grizz…lift up! You’re scaring…everyone!” The beast sweeps its gaze across the crowd, the enormous eye settling on me, but only briefly, before the entire winged thing lifts another length up into the air, away from us.

“It listened to her,” someone shouts. “It listened to Latanya!”

“Kill it!” Negunn roars.

“Don’t!” But this shout isn’t mine, but a voice that is wholly familiar to me.

My heart catches. My mouth opens. I turn. I see everyone has turned with me. We stare towards the trees where a hobbling creature emerges, one that I recognize, but only faintly, because I’ve never seen him so weakened before.

“Dad!” I scream, charging forward, but the crowd is thick.

My dad looks down from the treeline where he staggers into the clearing. He’s clutching one of his arms to his chest. It looks badly mangled. He points the other one towards us. “Do not trust Negunn. He has deceived us! He tried to kill me. Nesha intervened.” He coughs, nearly doubling over, his thick, pale pink beard matted with bright gold blood that terrifies me. “Where did you take her, you monster?”

“Dad! Mom’s okay,” I shout, surging forward away from the group, and I watch his eyes fall to me and fill with light.

“Latanya? We’ve been searching for you…”

“I’m fine.” I stagger up the short incline and try to catch him but, even though he isn’t a huge male, I’m still too weak to support him fully. “Dad, what did he do to you?”

“He stabbed me,” my father hisses, looking down at his arm. “He tried to stab me in the heart. I fell…fell over the edge of a cliff. He thought I was dead but I managed to catch onto some sort of clear vine.” Clear vine? Or a web? I shudder at what could have happened, grateful that it didn’t. “Your mother…she must have followed us. I don’t want to imagine what he did to her. But you say…she’s alright?” He’s breathing hard, wheezing now.

I nod vigorously while, behind me, Negunn keeps shouting orders to kill the beast. “Cera! Don’t listen to Negunn. He’s mad!” I shout back. “He tried to kill my parents!”

“That’s madness!” Negunn roars. The crowd starts to split, so I can see him once more. “Why would I try to kill them?”

I open my mouth, but that I don’t know.

“I know.” My father licks his lips, his eyes slinking shut as his face twists in pain. He leans even more of his weight onto me and I shake with the effort it takes to keep him upright.“Negunn never wanted to be a prince. He wanted to be a king. By learning everything he could from the native community and then convincing us to kill them, he could be.” My father coughs and it’s the only thing that breaks the short, painful silence.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. My mouth hangs wide open and my heart beats hard and heavy and with a calm that can’t belong to me because I have no right to it, with my mom dying and my father following her. I’m still looking at Negunn when his stare finally turns to me, as if I’m the reason our people are suddenly staring at him in shock and horror.

I see what he’ll do instants before he does it. “Cera, Negunn! Don’t!”

But it’s too late. He lunges for Trenno’s blaster, stealing it from his limp hand, and charges forward. He points it at my dad, who grabs my arm and tries to hold me back, because I realize that I’ve moved to intercept it — whatever happens next. The blaster fires with one light squeak. A flash of light flares and I close my eyes, bracing for impact, while my father calls my name desperately behind me.

And then comes the thunder. It shakes the ground, knocking me onto my ass. I fall and the blast…doesn’t land. I’m covered in shadow that smells like smoke and relief and the Hunger itself. I exhale and look up in time to see a dragon looking down at me.

I smile, “Thank you.” And then panic sets in. “Grizz, are you okay?”

The dragon bows its massive head and I realize as it lowers one wing to the ground that he means for me to mount him. I nod. “Where…where’s Negunn?”

The wing lifts just slightly and I see Negunn crushed beneath the claw of his back foot. His golden arms are moving though — thrashing really — so I know he can’t be too badly hurt. I’m just glad he no longer has hold of his blaster.

“He doesn’t deserve to live,” I tell Grizz with a frown. The dragon huffs out smoke. I wonder what that means, but I don’t question it.

I trust him.

It takes me some time to convince my people to climb onto Grizz’s back. It’s scary. I pretend I’ve done this before, but that’s a lie and, as we lift up into the sky in large lurches, I worry for all of them. I fly below, not on Grizz’s back, but how I spent my mid-solar — clutched in his front claw. My father flies in his other front claw while Negunn continues to thrash in the claw of his back left foot. I smile, wondering what the Revatu will do to him when we return from the mainland. I picture a whole host of tortures I know they’re too kind to inflict. But I’m not left long to wonder…

Halfway across the divide, heading back to Revatu from the mainland, I hear a scream. My head whips back and my gaze snags on Negunn’s golden form just as Grizz’s back claw releases him. Negunn tries to grab for purchase, but as he tumbles out of Grizz’s clutches, one massive, sharpened red claw slices across Negunn’s stomach.

Intestines, all slippery and liquid gold, spill out in a rush.

Negunn watches them careen towards the vines, and then below them towards the web. Negunn looks up and meets my gaze and we’re staring at one another as Negunn falls. I wave goodbye to him, satisfied that he’ll make a wonderful sacrifice to the cocorangee. And that he’s been disemboweled.

And that Grizz kept his promise, after all.

CHAPTER 14

GRIZZ

I spend the late solar with Latanya’s parents, as I have for the past five. This solar, Latanya does not join me. At her parents’ and my insistence, she’s finally gone home — back to our home — to sleep, something she hasn’t done since she and I were mated, her kin was found, and I finally lived up to the first vow I made her — to disembowel Negunn with my own claws.

“You should…tell Latanya…about the off-worlders, Grizz,” her mother, Nesha, tells me through the use of her translator as I reach the doorway. “She will…want to stay…with her…mate. I did.”

Her gaze flashes to the male in the cot across the room from her, a male who gave up the last of the merillian reserves the healers intended to use for him in order to heal the burns of one of his fellow shipwrecked friends. It was an honorable decision, one that reserved him the right to decline the First Leap. He declined such a declination, vowing that he would do it once his arm, which had been partially flayed after being caught in the cocorangee web that saved his life, was fully healed.

His actions do not surprise me. Nor do the actions of Latanya’s mother — intervening to save her mate’s life at the expense of her own and getting herself stabbed by Negunn in the process. It makes it impossible to believe that Latanya could have ever come from other parents. Cera, she is of these creatures, regardless of her provenance or her color, just as she is of Revatu, regardless of which star system claims her.

“I will.” I nod to them. “Thank you.” I start to leave, but hesitate. “If…if she were to make such a choice, would you remain with her here?”

The pair exchange a look, all smiles that suggest they have been in love for a mere moment. Young lovers, so new and green, rather than mated for two long lifetimes. “There is nowhere…we would rather…be…than at our daughter’s…side,” her father, Prenatio, answers, pain and lethargy competing in his expression as he fights to stay awake. “You chose well…and so…did she…”

I attempt to cage my response, which is a grin as wide as the room. “I have done nothing yet to deserve such an honor, but I vow to make you welcome here and to treat your daughter with all the respect of a goddess.” Because that’s what she is to me.

“You…did. You finally…got rid of that…rotten egg,” Nesha sneers.

“Took long…enough,” Prenatio confirms. “We’ve been trying…to get rid of that…creep for rotations.”

I break then and bark out a laugh that startles the healer toiling in the back of the hut with another of the wounded. She breaks her concentration long enough to shoot me a scowl, which I return with a grin as I tell Nesha and Prenatio, “It’s a sentiment I understand. I vowed to Latanya I’d kill him the first solar I knew him.”

I leave them chuckling at thoughts of murder as I make my way across the convening square. Here, so many new faces mingle with the beings of Revatu, each attempting to train a new deliha. It is…a slow process. We’ve never had so many off-worlders land at one time. We don’t know how many will choose to stay, once they’re informed of the possibility of leaving. We also know that only a few can leave each rotation given the transportation device the off-worlders usually use.

Latanya, however, would have the first place were she to choose to go. I just hope I can do enough to ensure she won’t. Though if she does she must know…she has to know…I’d follow her across the Quadrants.

I return to my home, careful to be quiet as I enter the bedroom and see Latanya sprawled across the bed. I attempt to ignore my sudden growl, because it’s the rattling of a beast in a cage. To distract myself, I light a candle…and then I light a few more. Standing back at the foot of the bed, I look down at her.

Her skin shimmers, appearing as a Fata Morgana might to a sun-drunk traveler wandering the deserts alone.

I am such a traveler.

And I am thirsty.

I prowl to the foot of the bed and lift the edge of the ridiculous blanket she insists on using even though here on Revatu it is never cold, and I slide beneath it, appreciating its utility for her scent seems amplified here. It surrounds me and I inhale and inhale and inhale.

She’s sleeping on her side and, when I roll her onto her back, doesn’t wake. I spread her legs and slide my shoulders between them, moving up to the juncture of her thighs where I press my tusks onto her mound so that it bulges between them, ripe and ready to be devoured. After the solars of stress she’s had, I know she needs this.

Or maybe I just need this.

I taste her sweet lips and a moan racks my entire body. Then I slide my tongue inside of her as deep as anatomy will allow. And then a little more as my beast shifts to use his tongue, rather than my own, and spears her a little deeper. I drink. I drink and drink and drink until I’m able to sate my thirst on the orgasm that trembles through her. She makes this terrible, gasping sound and it is only terrible because it ensures that I’m too hard and tense and desperate not to do terrible things to her body in order for her to make that sound for me again.

And again.

Until we’re old and grey and can no longer climb. She will need to take me even then because not having her will not be an option. I have a sudden thought that perhaps I am not so different from the deceased N’gon after all…and then I dismiss it, remembering that there is one critical difference between him and me.

When you ask…I say shenti. That’s what Latanya told me once and I will never forget it. Maybe it’s because I asked that she said yes at all. Perhaps if another had, this would have all worked out so very differently and I would be left thirsty, wandering that desert alone.

But I don’t think so. I know her light calls to me, just as my flame calls to her. Together, they are bound, just as we are. Xiveri mates, a love that is as eternal as Revatu’s ceaseless Thirst and endless Hunger.

I crawl up her body as its tremors subside and I pull the blanket down to my shoulders. She’s not fully awake yet, panting and smiling in her sleep as her head turns slowly from one side to the other. I grin. She’s so exhausted, I’m sure she could sleep through an explosion. Perhaps I’ll need to test that.

I press my knees into the mattress and line myself up with her hot, wet entrance. I lower down onto her and take her right breast roughly in one hand. It’s so large my single hand can hardly contain it, but that’s why the good creator saw fit to grant me a second hand…

And a mouth.

I pull her nipple into my heat, kneading the flesh around it with my tusks, while below, I press firmly inside of her, keeping my thrusts even and slow as I wait for her to wake fully. I want her attention. I crave it, always.

“Grizz,” she moans. “I thought I must…sleep…” she says breathily, a smile on her lips. I know she’s been awake this whole time, the little temptress. I love this game. And I love that she loves to play it.

I chuckle. “You would…deny…your mate…” I speak on each thrust, “release?”

“Oh my…rax!” She curses in her own tongue, her head thrown back, her sleepy gaze locked to mine. “Cera…never…”

“Good little goddess…” I kiss her, shoving my tongue in her mouth, because I want to taste everything, but she breaks it.

“I thought I was a good…little monster…” She smiles.

I feel a tittering across my chest, like thousands of small hearts all beating at the same time, perhaps the connection of a thousand Xiveri that have come before us, telling me that this one in particular is all mine.

I settle between her thighs, taking a moment to simply look down at her. I kiss her in the center of her forehead. “I love you, Latanya.”

Her eyes flutter and muscles in her neck strain. She gasps. “You…you do?”

I pick up my pace, a sudden fever gripping me as I acknowledge what I’ve been wanting to say to her for some time. “Shenti.”

Her core squeezes my length and sweat climbs down my shoulder blades to cover my back in dew as she tests my restraint. And then she breaks it entirely. “Good, because I love you, too.”

“Augh! Latanya, you don’t know what you do to me.” I wrench out of her on a moan — our shared one — flip her over and drag the wetness from her pussy up to her tighter rear hole.

“You won’t fit there,” she says desperately while I shove two pillows underneath her hips. “I promise you won’t fit there, Grizz.”

She’s right. I know she is. But what I want from her here is more important than that tight, tantalizing hole. I arch over her body, smothering her down onto the bed. She can’t escape. Not with my size. Not in her submissive position. Not with my hand around her neck. Not when she has just challenged what I wanted most from her.

What she has already given me.

What I already own.

“Trust me,” I whisper against her cheek. “Do you trust me?”

Her eyes meet mine and they’re glossy and star-glazed. She looks so lovely. So raxing lovely. “Always,” she answers and I smirk at her strange language. She smiles at me in return. “Shenti,” she repeats.

I kiss the tip of her nose. “Good.”

And then I slide inside — not a lot, just the tip, and that’s where I keep it. To torture us both. I just want to milk myself inside of her tightest hole, fill it up, watch it spill over like the Mouth of the mainland mountain. My barbs inflate and deflate in small pulses as I torture myself, knowing I would never risk tearing her, or hurting her, knowing that I could never latch there. But I idle there, for the sick fun of it, and microthrust into her back hole, stretching it with the bloated head of my cock.

My hand snakes beneath her body and moves over her clit roughly. “Does it feel good?” I say, while I idle on the crossroads of agony and bliss.

“Rax…” She moans. “I’m going to come.”

“Good little monster. But only on my command,” I hiss.

“I can’t…stop…” She barks instants before her body shudders and she spills hot liquid all over my hand, coming without my permission. Naughty, bratty little monster that she is. This is deserving of punishment, so I edge inside of her just a little bit further. She bites out a moan and streaks of discomfort appear on her face, but I take her to this edge and this is where I keep her.

“Naughty little monster. You will need to be punished for your insolence.”

“Augh,” she moans, head thrown back. My hand comes around her neck and I squeeze as the beast growls in my chest. Tension shoots up the backs of my legs and I stiffen, fighting the urge to impale her, but I keep fighting against my beast’s wants as well as my own as sensations too pleasurable to put names to cover my entire body and wrap themselves around my steeled form.

“Latanya,” I heave, sounding like a desperate man. Sounding like that traveler who has found that oasis and glutted himself on its offering. “Tell me again. Once more.”

She smiles and whispers against the sex-stained sheets, “I love…you…Grizz…”

“Augh!” The head of my cock still wedged in her body, I can’t restrain myself any longer. I release into her, pouring milky cum into her body, stretching her tightest hole to accommodate the pale green desire that claims her.

“Grizz,” she moans. And as she turns her head and blinks over her shoulder at me languidly, I see the galaxy in her eyes and I feel the rich tangy burn in the back of my throat reminding me of the enemies I have vanquished for her and will vanquish again.

I push the hair out of her face as I pull up, flip her body over and bury myself in her pussy where my barbs are finally able to release. I heave a sigh, satisfied then, as we lock together tight, unable to part. Keeping her pinned as she is, I lift my hand and smack the outside of her hip and ass.

She jerks, surprise lighting her face and her eyes in a bright sheen which spills color over her cheeks. White — her surprise — blue — her satisfaction — and purple — her lust for me. “What was…that for?”

“Did I give you permission to come?” I snarl, loving the way her stare hooks on my tusks, pupils expanding, color brightening.

She bites her lush bottom lip but doesn’t reply.

“Not answering won’t save you.”

She huffs, the little brat. I grin, adoring her rebelliousness. Gives me a thousand and one reasons to punish her in a thousand and one positions. “Cera.”

I swat her rear again, smoothing my hand over the heat my palm leaves behind. “Ouw!”

“That didn’t hurt. But this next one will if you disobey me again.” I start to sit up, kneeling as my barbs make it possible for me to thrust once more. I lift her knees to her shoulders and she yelps.

“Grizz…” There’s something in her tone that brokers a pause from me.

“Shenti?”

“We…haven’t talked…about kits…”

“Cera, we haven’t.”

“I have a…an implant, for now. To keep me from…having kits. But I could…” She bites her bottom lip, flicks her gaze up to mine. It glows in a whole history of colors, a history I don’t know, but that I want to. For now, I merely allow the sensation of rightness to fill me as she looks at me with adulation and wonder and nervousness. This is all so new. The most wondrous adventure. “I could take it out.”

Pride fills my chest and I smolder. My dragon exalts. I want to say shenti to her and remove it now, watch her stomach bloat, first with our cum and then with our kitlings, but… “We need time. Much has happened. And I would not mind having you to myself a little longer. I already am forced to share you with my beast, and I don’t know if I need to remind you that I’m a savage, jealous creature.”

I lower onto her body, hooking her knees over my shoulders as I move. Her eyelids flutter and a smile breaks out over her face. “Shenti…but I don’t…want to wait…too long,” she says between gasps. “I…feel an urge…with you.”

“I feel it, too. But there is much we have to explore together and all the time in the worlds to do it. There is…” I pause, starting to slow. “There is also something I need to tell you…”

“About what?”

The cruel male that I am, I pound into her once with force, as if hoping to distract her. That’s exactly what I’m doing. “There is a way for you to leave…to return to your home world, if you want.”

She smiles and thrusts her rear back onto my cock, making my throat contract. I release an unattractive gurgle. She laughs, “Cera, there isn’t.”

“Cera?”

“Because if I did…how could I leave my heart…behind me?”

I grab a fistful of her hair, overcome as I draw close to her, close enough to count her eyelashes. I kiss the tops of her eyelids, the top of her nose. “You know I would go with you.”

“But I am home. Isn’t that…what you told me once?”

“Latanya,” I whisper, thrusting into her again and again. I bring her near an orgasm but hold back, just long enough to whisper, “Tell me again…”

“Sesiva…a?”

“You know what…” I draw the words out while a grin spreads slowly, slyly over her face.

“My…Revatu…not so good. I think…I may need…to hear the words…from you, first…”

“I love you.” I pound into her roughly then, just as roughly as our first mating. I show her no quarter as fire claws up my throat and my cock, buried deep inside of her body, begins to expand to the beast’s size. We both look down at her stomach, able to see its outline. Her pupils dilate, her gasps coming hotter. I know she loves it — and me — and I grin. “And little monster that you are, after this, you will not forget again.”

CHAPTER 15

One rotation later…

LATANYA

Hands on my body are how I wake most solars — strong, sensual strokes, subtle kisses, undressing me, redressing me, or even fitting me for new clothes — but not like this.

“Latanya.” He shakes my shoulder.

“Hmmph.” I shrug my shoulder back, trying to dislodge him, but he’s a persistent brute.

“Latanya, they’re here.”

“Who?”

He pauses, “The off-worlders.”

I flip onto my back, suddenly feeling more awake. I rub a hand down my face and try to focus on his, but the light is so dim, filtering in white through the open curtains. It must be very early. I smile. “Really?”

He nods, though he doesn’t smile in response. In fact, his eyes look…a little tortured. My smile grows and I stroke my fingers down the side of his face. “You’re a dragon, remember. Don’t be scared. They can’t beat you up.”

He snorts, some of the fear draining from his expression. “Cheeky monster.”

“Though, you know, I have heard that the shifters of Sasor might just be able to. If you’re naughty, I’ll tell the off-worlders to drop you off there.”

He grabs the pillow from beneath my head and yanks it out from under me. He grabs the blanket next and fans it down to reveal my fully unclothed body. “Ouw!” I yelp, cool air sticking to my skin unapologetically. I jolt up and throw one of the remaining pillows at him. “Brute!”

“Beast,” he corrects with a wink. “And there are no other beasts that could defeat mine. Not here, not on Sasor, not anywhere.”

“Cocky brute.”

“Beast. In fact, I’m certain the only thing that can defeat me is a little monster named Latanya.”

I stick my tongue out at him as he teases, but get out of bed and dress quickly, excitement rattling through my skin and making me sweat in nervous anticipation. I wonder who they are. From what Grizz described, it sounds like pirates — Niahhorru or perhaps Eshmiri, though I’m pretty sure Eshmiri don’t have spikes down their backs or four arms, so I’d be willing to bet on the former. In either case, I haven’t had much interaction with Niahhorru pirates before, though from what my parents say, they’re ghastly creatures to do business with and are twice as likely to rob you blind as they are to barter with you.

I know I’m not the only curious one either, because the convening square is packed by the time Grizz and I arrive hand-in-hand, hearts beating in sync. I can feel it. I’m so in tune to it now, it’s almost creepy. My hearts and his — and his beast’s.

Revatu and the shipwrecked from Quadrant One all gather around the periphery to watch the negotiations happen. We already decided as a tribe what we were hoping to get and what we were willing to trade for it. Nevo, Yrkar and Orick conduct the negotiations this time, with Opo assisting to translate since her Meero is better than Geeri’s now that she’s rotations out of practice.

“Where’s the ship?” I ask.

“There is no ship. They use some kind of transportation device that can bring them planetside without having to dock.”

I nod, impressed. “Wow.”

“You’ve seen nothing yet. Come. I’d like for them to…to meet you.”

Curious at his tone and his suggestion, I cock my head and let Grizz lead me through the crowd. I wasn’t so surprised to find that almost all of Quadrant One wants to stay, though I was a little surprised to find out why. The ones I asked why said it was because this is a place where they didn’t have to worry about climbing the social ladder or attending silly events or trying to attain princedom. There are five that do want to leave and they all agreed that they would miss the ease of living on Revatu, too, but there are beings that they left behind that they just aren’t ready to say bye to.

That I understand completely.

The decision would have been a lot harder had my parents wanted to leave. But, as it stands, there’s no chance I’d go back to what I left. Here, I have everything I need.

I squeeze Grizz’s hand and he looks back at me, offering me a quizzical look and a grin. I open my mouth to tell him something profound I’m sure, or maybe just to call him a beast again, but he steps to the side and I gasp as I take in the sight of the off-worlders for the very first time.

“Oh my stars…”

The female leading the charge is not Niahhorru. She does not have grey skin, four arms or spikes growing out of her head, but has long, coiled dark brown hair and skin the exact same shade of brown as mine. And her features are just like mine. Just. like. mine! I can’t even believe it. The eyes, the nose, the placement of the mouth…she has the same color teeth, all square like mine, no tusks or fangs or fins to speak of, and even though she’s rounder than I am, there’s no mistaking the similarities between our species. Or that we may be the same species. The only difference between us that I can see is her tongue, which has no ridges, and her eyes that don’t expel light when she looks up and sees me for the first time and falls completely silent.

“Holy stars.”

She stands in a cluster of Niahhorru pirates — familiar faces — alongside another female who might be of the same species she is, but I’m not sure. This one has pale skin and hair the color of flame. It’s striking — shocking even. And I’m so focused on her that I don’t immediately notice the kits until one points directly at me.

“Look, Mama,” it says. And it speaks…I don’t know what language it speaks in. It isn’t Meero, but it must be a known language because my translator is the newest model — was a rotation ago, at least — and I can understand his words.

I look down at the kit and it’s clearly a male, but he’s…a hybrid combination of the female before me and the Niahhorru pirate behind her. The pirate carries another kit in his arms, this one female and smaller than her male sibling. The female kit has long black hair that falls in ropes in a mohawk down the back of her head where, instead, the male kitling has spikes that resemble smaller versions of the massive tines that stick out of his father’s head and rip all the way down his back. And they aren’t the only two.

I spy two other hybrid kitlings in the mix, clustered amidst the Niahhorru. The kits have skin that’s either grey or brown or sometimes both. Spikes, ropes, or coiled hair like their brown-skinned mother’s. They come with Niahhorru features or features like hers, too. And each and every one of them is breathtaking.

I am spellbound.

“Holy fuck,” the pale-skinned female says in almost the exact same tone as the first. She uses a word that doesn’t sift through my translator properly, but that I can tell is definitely a curse. “Is she…human?” she asks the one with skin like mine.

That female shakes her head and takes a few steps forward, favoring her left leg. “Her hair…that hair is Drakesh.” She pauses while I absorb what she’s just told me. Drakesh? I’m…Drakesh? Not Voraxian, as Geeri and Grizz speculated?

I’m about to ask when the female shrieks, “SHROV! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?” She charges forward, arms outstretched. I back up into Grizz’s chest, which rumbles with the growl he emits. Clearly, his beast doesn’t see this female as a threat because he makes no move to intervene as she grabs my shoulders and shakes me as much as her shorter body can. “YOU’RE THE MISSING HYBRID!”

“Whooooaaaaat?” I wheeze.

She finally stops and lets out a whooping laugh as she looks over her shoulder at the other female staring dumbfounded at me. “She’s the missing hybrid. The one we’ve been looking for. Can you believe it?”

The female shakes her head. “Centare,” she answers in Meero, “I really fucking can’t. Miari’s going to freak.”

“Miari?” I ask.

“The queen of Voraxia. You and she are the same species. You’re both hybrids. Half-human, half-Drakesh, born out of a terrible Hunt on Voraxia that’s since been banned. There were six hybrids born of the first Hunt and so far, we’ve identified five. Miari’s been desperate to find the last. You are the last, but you…You…you have to come with us…”

I smile at her, disbelief coloring my gaze in what I know are shades of white surprise and blue satisfaction. I feel Grizz tense at my back, but I reach up and take his hand on my shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze.

“I’d love to hear the story, but on Revatu’s soil. This is where I belong.”

The female’s eyes widen as she takes in the beings surrounding me. My family. A surprising surge of tears comes to her eyes and I feel it mirrored in mine succinctly. “Rhork, hand me the yeeyar screen.”

I balk as the name clicks into place. Rhork — Rhorkanterannu, the Niahhorru pirate king. Holy raxing suns! He’s here? He’s one of the quadrant’s most dangerous and elusive beings and I’m meeting him face to face and watching as he’s ordered around by a female half his height while he seems perfectly gleeful about it. He comes forward and slides a blob of black matter into the female’s hand. It expands, forming what looks like a holoscreen — advanced yeeyar technology that makes my mind whirl as this is the first I’ve ever seen it.

The female, clearly adept at such technology, wields it effortlessly while she starts gesturing again with her free hand. “I’ll give you twice the amount of merillian y’all asked for if you just let me take your picture, maybe record your image for a few instants.” The pirates behind her grumble in discontent, but she just waves them off dismissively and shouts over her shoulder, “Are you insane? I have to show Miari and Svera — they’re going to shit their pants!”

Turning back to me, she says, “Miari is the queen of Voraxia, but Svera is the ruler of our people.” Our people. “She rules a small planet in the Voraxian federation called Heimo and they’ve been worried about you. So worried. They thought they lost you. It would mean the worlds to them to know you’re alright. I know it means the worlds to me.”

My heart squeezes fiercely and Grizz squeezes my shoulders at the same time. I wonder if he feels it, too. This…this happiness. This disbelief. It’s like…it’s like it’s my first time seeing a sun rise.

I nod my assent and watch the screen sizzle before me. The female starts by saying, “Yo. This is Deena. You all won’t believe this. We’re on a tiny rock trading some space junk and look who I found. Look.” The screen fades from black to clear and I realize I’m being recorded now. “Just tell them who you are, that’s all. Then I’ll give you two times the merillian you want. Did I say two? Make it ten!” She shouts, much to the grumbling of the pirates behind her. It makes me laugh a wet, happy laugh.

I rub my nose while heat lines my left side and then my right. I look over at my parents. My father smiles at me, wearing hides that show off the scars on his arms with pride. To my right, my mom’s horns shoot up into the sky, the broken one standing as a testament to the love she has for her mate.

Behind me, Grizz loops his strong, clawed hands over my shoulders and pulls me deeper into the safety of his chest, his beast rumbling contentedly. Inhaling shakily and squeezing Grizz’s hand once more, I am filled with overwhelming love as I look ahead at the female — a female who proves I do come from someplace — even if Revatu is where my soul has always belonged.

“My name is Latanya of Revatu and you don’t need to worry about me. I’m loved, I’m happy and I’m safe. I’m not alone. I never have been. The stars brought me home.” I smile happily.

“It’s incredible, the way they do that, isn’t it?” the paler of the two females says, stepping closer, a pirate at her side. She glances back at him and then at the pirates and hybrids surrounding her, before looking back at me. She blinks with just one of her eyes in an expression I find strangely conspiratorial and together, we share a proud smile.

“It is,” I nod. “It’s like magic.”

Grizz bends down, arching over me. His warm, smoke-laced breath tickles my ear as he says, “Cera. It’s like Xiveri.”

Thank you for reading Taken to Revatu! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter!

ZOEY DRAVEN

RESCUED BY THE LUXIRIAN

CHAPTER 1

LYRA

“Shit.”

Okay, deep breaths, I thought, even as the acrid smell of smoke stung my nostrils. Deeeeep breaths.

My heart felt like it would explode. It pounded at my chest as my knees wobbled and threatened to give out from underneath me.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I whispered, my eyes flitting from blue tree to blue tree. To the varieties of potentially poisonous plant life that brushed at my bare toes and shins, all creeping vines and oddly-colored leaves.

I let out a little scream when one of those vines curled around my big toe and I scrambled back into the life pod I’d come out of moments before, as a sob threatened to choke me.

My hands were shaking as I jabbed at the com control screen again.

“H-hello?” I asked, lowering my mouth towards the speaker, my voice wobbling. “Can anyone hear me?”

The screen flickered once…

And then died completely.

“Dammit,” I whispered, as tears dripped down my cheeks. “Stupid, stupid cruise. I can’t believe this! Okay, okay…think. Think, Lyra.”

I blew out a loud breath and then inhaled deeply through my nostrils. I was lucky I’d landed on a planet with oxygen, I realized. That was something to be grateful for. I could have—

A snap from outside my pod made me freeze.

A rustle sounded…like something was walking through the creepy foliage.

The pod was shaped like a giant egg and since I’d pushed the escape hatch off the top, I had no protection. The pod had crash landed on its side and I would have to stand up to peer over the rim.

But then whatever was approaching might see me.

Frantically, I swiveled my head around the interior of the life pod, running my hands around for a weapon. In a small compartment, I found an emergency pouch, but it only had a bagful of thick-looking water and a single high-energy ration bar. Like that would last me.

This is what I get for choosing the cheapest galaxy cruise available, I thought hysterically, hearing the rustling come closer and closer. Was it an animal? Something that could eat me in one bite? I’d watched so many nature documentaries on the Nu device that I knew about all sorts of beasts and predators that lived in the Second Quadrant.

With flashes of large teeth and sharpened talons running through my overactive imagination, I realized my hands were shaking so bad I couldn’t even grip a weapon if I found one.

In the nature and survival documentaries I watched, the narrators always said that the majority of large beasts would only attack if they sensed weakness. And I was the weakest thing in this entire Quadrant. My only chance to survive an attack was to make the first move. Scare it away before it got too close.

My other option was just to huddle in the life pod, wait for it to jump onto the hull, and devour me in one bite.

The rustling drew closer and closer. When I sensed the beast was just outside the life pod, I steeled myself. My breaths came in rapid, endless pants.

I did the only thing I could think to do.

Before I could second guess myself, I leapt up from my seat, threw my arms wide over my head, my hands curling into little claws, and roared as loud as I possibly could.

Only, my roar sounded like a petrified, squeaky scream and it ended with a pathetic choke after I gasped suddenly.

There I was in all my glory…

Jiggly boobs nearly popping out of the small, red bikini top I’d somehow thought was a marvelous idea for that gods forsaken cruise.

Choking on my own saliva.

With terror on my face as my eyes fastened on…

A male.

An alien male.

A Luxirian male whose eyes went wide in disbelief and surprise at the sight of me while I screamed down at him.

He’s hot, I thought, my hysteria and fear making the thought appear without warning.

My vision went a little blurry. Blood rushed in places I didn’t think blood could rush as my adrenaline spiked.

And then—like a cherry on top of this wonderful sundae of a day—I fainted.

CHAPTER 2

DROXAN

“Vrax,” I cursed roughly, moving quickly to leap up onto the hull of the silver pod to catch the female before her face slammed into the metal.

She was warm and soft in my arms, her body limp but light.

Disbelief and shock—mingled with unwanted lust—made me peer down at her face.

Nix, nix, nix, I thought. No.

But there was no denying it.

The moment I’d seen her…the Instinct had awakened inside me. Roaring to life like a beast rousing from its dormancy.

It felt like my body had been hollowed out only to be refilled. With purpose. With the need to protect my new little mate. With the knowledge that I would never be the same again, that I would always want her, that I would always need her.

It left me shaken. Off balance. Like a veil on my reality had just lifted only to show me another dimension entirely.

I’d never thought it would happen to me.

Never to me.

And certainly not on this day when I’d spied a streak of fire hurtling across the sky, crash landing not far from my dwelling. I’d expected to find wreckage.

Instead, I’d found my fated mate.

For a brief, hazy moment, I studied her, my grip on her body tightening unconsciously.

She was human. A human female…and exceedingly pleasing to look at. She had a warm complexion with a smattering of dark little dots across the bridge of her nose. Her lips were plump, pink, and soft-looking. Her cheeks were round. Her brow bone had little hairs on them, making sharp little slashes across her face. Her eyes had curled hairs too, fanning across the tops of her cheekbones.

My eyes trailed down. A rough purr that somehow managed to sound like a growl rose from my throat.

Her body was…

Mine, came the possessive thought, even though I fought against it.

She was wearing a strange covering. Thin and strappy, the top portion had triangles covering her large breasts. The bottoms molded to her vaxix and were tight on her wide hips, revealing short legs and thick, perfect thighs.

Her little feet were bare and her toenails were…red? Shiny and red.

My gaze ran back up her body. Curvy and lush and beautiful, she was everything I was attracted to.

And everything I don’t want, I thought next, my mouth thinning into a grim line.

I’d come to this planet, Ullima, to get away from people. To get away from females, from the pressures of Luxirian society, and the expectations I’d felt constantly roving in the back of my mind.

People always wanted something from me.

I’d just gotten tired of constantly giving and never receiving anything in return.

And maybe that was selfish. My brothers had certainly believed so when I’d left Luxiria for good.

But I’d purchased this whole vraxing planet to finally have some peace after decades of expectations. I’d lived here for three years…and they were some of the best years of my life, even if my existence might seem primitive and lonely to the high society Luxirians back home.

Looking away from the limp female in my arms, I peered into the life pod she’d come from. It was cheaply made and poorly constructed. A model that was manufactured on G’yop in massive quantities…and then discontinued when the safety inspections turned out to be fraudulent. It looked like the coms were fried. Char marks licked up the sides of the pod and one section was dented in from the landing.

A gruff, displeased growl rose from my throat, my gaze returning to the female.

She was lucky to be alive. I’d heard stories of these life pods disintegrating when they entered the atmosphere.

Which begged the question…where had she come from?

From the Fates, came the unwelcome thought.

But how else could I explain my fated mate literally falling out of the sky on my desolate little planet? A planet that I’d paid a good price for to not be publicly recognized in the Uranian Federation’s database.

A moan emerged from her throat. I felt her muscles beginning to twitch and then I was looking into endless multi-colored eyes. Brown and gold and green, swirling together.

For a mindless moment, I felt suspended as our gazes locked and held. My heart gave a loud thump in my chest—had it actually skipped a damn beat?

So vraxing lovely, I couldn’t help but think.

Then those eyes went wide and a loud startled shriek rose from her throat. Immediately, her body started moving, thrashing in my arms.

I hadn’t expected it and so my balance was off. My feet slipped off the silver hull of the pod. My arms tightened around the female as I toppled off, landing with a grunting huff on my back amongst the ferns.

“Let go of me!” the female was crying out. It took me a second to realize she’d landed on top of me. The warm, feminine body of my fated mate pressing against mine.

Vrax.

And her scent.

My eyes nearly rolled in the back of my head and my cock thickened in a dizzying rush. She smelled divine.

It took me another second to realize she’d spoken the universal tongue.

“Stop struggling, female,” I finally growled out. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She wheezed out a stunned breath. She was huffing and puffing, blinking on top of me, but something softened in me when I saw her fright. When I saw her fear.

I didn’t want her to be frightened. Not with me. Not ever.

“Female,” I said again, trying to gentle my tone. But my voice sounded scratchy and rough. Underused. “It’s all right. I will not hurt you.”

She was straddling my waist and didn’t even seem to realize it. I felt the crawling vines of the kixia plant begin to move underneath me. While harmless, something about them always unnerved me. I didn’t want their vines to start wrapping around my limbs.

Patting her leg, I murmured, “Can you stand up? Or will you faint again?”

Her cheeks flamed. “I didn’t faint.”

My brow rose. “Tev. You did. Fainted at the sight of me.”

That seemed to embarrass her even more and she struggled to find her balance as she attempted to stand up. But that only caused her to rock over my hips and I couldn’t stop the groan that escaped my throat even if I’d tried.

The Instinct’s mating pull was…strong.

I couldn’t even think straight, dammit!

She froze at the groan, her eyes going as wide as tuxi fruits.

“Vrax, female, don’t do that,” I rasped. “Get up. Now.”

She didn’t hesitate. She made a little mewing sound just as the kixia vines began to close around my ankle and she scrambled off me. As soon as she was standing, I pushed off the jungle floor to shake the vines off.

Her eyes went wide when I straightened to my full height and she craned her neck back to meet my gaze with trepidation and wariness.

Humans were small, especially female ones, it seemed. The top of her head only came up to the middle of my chest. She crossed her arms over her breasts—trying to shield them?—and seemed uncomfortable as I regarded her carefully.

“Who…who are you?” came her question, as she ran her eyes over my clothing. Or lack of, considering I was bare-chested. I’d been repairing the water catch system back at my dwelling. Debris was clinging to the material of my pants and I’d only managed to drag on a pair of my boots and grab my stun gun before I’d taken off towards the crash site.

My gaze narrowed on her, even though my Instinct demanded that I be closer. It roved in my chest, discomforted by the fact that she wasn’t in my arms or that a significant amount of distance was separating us, especially after finding one another.

It was…unnatural.

Then again, my fated mate wasn’t Luxirian. She would be oblivious to the bond that was beginning to form between us. The connection.

She cleared her throat, my gaze rapt on her in fascination. The question came out a little bolder and stronger when she asked again, “Who are you?”

CHAPTER 3

LYRA

I’d seen Luxirian males plenty of times before this. Hell, there had been a large handful on my space cruise and they’d always been surrounded by females of various species flirting their asses off.

I’d even been considering a Luxirian male as my sperm donor. They were strong, exceedingly adept at fighting off a variety of strange diseases, respected throughout the Four Quadrants, and I’d also thought that their dark, curling horns were so incredibly cute.

But there was nothing ‘cute’ about the Luxirian male standing in front of me right now.

For one, he had a fierce scowl on his brooding face. His full lips were downturned. His sharp cheekbones looked like they could cut me.

His eyes were a crystal blue, a common color for his species, though I’d never seen any as light as his. Looking into them, I had the strangest urge to sway because they seemed endless. They looked like a perfect, clear pond on a hot summer day…if that pond was filled with fragmented, sparkling diamonds.

His eyes were breathtaking and mesmerizing, even though they were narrowed in a small, mistrusting glare. He’d taken a step away from me when he stood, though I’d been more than a little alarmed—and strangely intrigued—by what I’d felt twitching in his pants.

Maybe the bikini had been a good idea?

I wanted to let out a hysterical laugh at the absurdity of this situation. But if I laughed, I thought it was very likely I’d start crying. Because what the hell was happening?

Taking a deep breath, I distracted myself by continuing to study him. My first assessment had been correct, as shocked as I’d been when I’d popped out from the life pod. He was, in fact, very, very hot.

Devastatingly handsome was a more appropriate description, even with his pouting frown. His chest was bare and a little…gleamy. Like he’d been sweating. The male was built. Rippling muscles and hardened valleys. His pants were loose, yet tight enough for me to see the outline of his cock. My cheeks flamed and I jerked my gaze to his face.

There he was all hard angles too, punctuated by a sharp jawline that looked like a blade. He had black hair, but unlike many Luxirians, his was shorn just past his shoulders, sexy but wild. I’d always thought that Luxirians who cut their hair were—

I nearly choked again when I sharply inhaled.

My eyes went wide. “You…you…”

I stumbled back a little, edging towards the life pod.

The Luxirian raised his brow.

“You were exiled!” I exclaimed, lifting my hands to keep them between. “Just…just stay there and…don’t come closer.”

Shit. I had no weapon, no way to protect myself. This was bad, bad, bad. Of course my last hurrah of a vacation before I decided to get pregnant would end this way. The cruise was a bust—and literally busted. All I could remember were the blaring of the sirens as I was lounging on the pool deck and then running for my goddamn life towards the escape pods with a crushing crowd of other people.

And now, I’d crashed onto an alien jungle planet and an exiled Luxirian had stumbled onto me. I had no clothes. But I did have a chalky ration bar and a bag of thickened water. Perfect.

What the hell was I going to do?

He can do whatever he wants with me, I realized, the thought sending a prick of panic rushing through my veins.

“I am not in exile, female,” came his gruff, rumbly voice. He sounded…offended. Like I’d insulted him. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Your hair!”

His hand came to the shorn locks. Luxirian males’ hair often ended at the middle of their broad backs or lower. Long hair was seen as an attractive trait, one that announced their strength and sexual prowess in their society. I’d never seen a Luxirian with short hair, as appealing as this male looked.

“I work all day,” he told me, his gaze narrowing, even as I got the distinct impression that he was holding himself away from me. “It gets in the way. This is easier.”

Was…was he telling the truth?

“Who are you?” I asked again, suspicion making my voice climb higher. “What is this place?”

His lips pressed together.

A branch snapped somewhere in the jungle and I swung my head in alarm but didn’t see anything. Unconsciously, I took a step closer to the Luxirian, especially when I felt those creepy vines wiggle around my toes again.

“I am Droxan,” the male rasped. “And you just hurtled onto my planet, female, so perhaps I should be asking you who you are and why you’re here.”

Droxan.

What did he mean by his planet?

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, I thought. I’d never felt such terror and fear as I’d felt today. Knowing that my life was in the hands of space—a merciless, terrible place—and the thin walls of a cheap escape pod from an even cheaper space cruise line.

“Female?” Droxan asked, his voice tinged in concern as he stepped closer. A warm hand clasped around my forearm and I jolted in surprise when I felt a flash of…familiarity. Like he’d touched me a million times. I studied his face in surprise. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” I croaked, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t know why I believed him when he said he wasn’t in exile. But I liked to think that I could read people well. That I could judge their character well. “I’m not hurt.”

He jerked his head in a sharp nod.

I licked my lips, swallowing a thick lump in my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I scared you. And I’m sorry for, um, fainting. It’s just been a shitty day. And I have no idea what to do.”

A purring sound rose from his chest and I blinked. It was something Luxirians did to calm their mates or their family members. I remembered it from the fact sheet about the sperm donor.

And…I felt my muscles loosening with that sound. Damn, it really worked. I had the strangest urge to press my face into his bare chest and smother myself with that purr. Heat was pouring off him and I shivered. It wasn’t too cold out but I was only in a damn bikini.

He’d asked me a question and it would be rude if I didn’t answer.

“My name is Lyra,” I informed him. “I was on a space cruise. Something went wrong this morning. I remember a loud explosion. The…the hallways started filling with all this smoke. And then everyone was running for the life pods. But I think something was wrong with my trajectory because my pod just kept going when we were shot from the ship. The other pods were clustering together, but not mine. And…now I’m here.”

I was so scared, I wanted to add, but I bit my tongue. I’d never been more scared in my life when I saw my pod drifting away from the others. Terror I never wanted to experience again.

Droxan’s face softened ever so slightly when I gazed up at him. Though, I had to crane my neck back to do even that. I barely came up to his pecs.

“What cruise line?” he asked.

I sniffled. “Starlight United.”

Even his brow shot up in a look of cynical disbelief. “Starlight United? Fates, female. I’m surprised the ship made it out of its docking sequence.”

“Don’t judge me!” I said, pushing away from him. “I’ve been saving up for something more important, okay? I thought it would be fine.”

The Luxirian actually snorted.

Yes, admittedly, Starlight United hadn’t been the best choice. I was usually very responsible but I was frugal, especially when it came to spending credits on myself. To be honest, I held it like a badge of honor, considering how unstable my childhood had been.

I had a good, steady job as a Prime Assistant to a well-respected, inter-Quadrant merchant. I had a nice, perfectly tidy apartment on the Wero colony. I liked to be organized and well-prepared for anything—hell, I’d packed a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries and emergency items for the cruise in my smallest bag and still had room to spare. I liked to watch nature documentaries in the evenings after work as I cooked and sipped on my favorite Po’criva wine—but only a half glass on weeknights, of course.

Everything about my life was orderly. I had a routine. There were no surprises. And I was happy because everything I’d worked so hard to build was finally going to come to fruition.

A baby.

I’d finally saved enough. Well, I’d saved enough for the fertilization procedure last year…but I’d wanted to further pad my savings. A baby’s needs would be expensive.

This woman—in this tiny bikini that was a ridiculous, impulsive, out-of-character purchase—who’d fainted after roaring at an attractive Luxirian male and then snapped at said Luxirian male, was unrecognizable to me.

This wasn’t me.

But my luggage was back on the ship. My clothes. My shoes. My emergency survival kit, where I’d packed more than a crusty old ration bar and a bag of water, seemed to silently mock me.

My shoulders sagged. I sniffled again, feeling tears burn the back of my eyes. I was mortified when my vision blurred.

“I—I just wanted to take one last vacation for myself before my life would change forever,” I said softly.

A sharp breath came from the Luxirian.

“Well, you’re here now,” he told me, his voice tinged in what I thought was discomfort. Like he felt bad at snorting at me. “I don’t believe any other pods landed on the planet, but I’ll run a scan once we get back to my dwelling.”

I blinked up at him. “Your dwelling?”

“Tev,” he murmured, still frowning, but those pretty, pretty eyes darted back and forth between mine. “And back at my dwelling, I have access to the com channels. Almost all of them.”

I let out a little gasp of hope.

“You do? You’ll be able to call for help?”

He swallowed, his eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion.

“You’ll help me get back to my home?” I asked, my eyes wide and rapt on him as I took a step closer. “Because if you do, you’ll be my new favorite person in this entire universe.”

Finally, he inclined his head.

In a deep, rumbly voice that made me want to shiver all over again, he said, “Tev, I will help you get back to your home, Lyra. I promise.”

I held my breath, the back of my neck tingling at those words and the way his eyes darkened on mine.

“Thank you, Droxan.”

CHAPTER 4

DROXAN

“This…this is…” Lyra started, her eyes widening on my dwelling when it came into view and I began to guide her up the stairs to the top landing. “This isn’t a home. It’s a fortress.”

Did that mean she liked it?

Because I wanted her to. And perhaps it was the pesky, stifling sensation in my chest of my newly awakened Instinct or the pulsing heat in my groin, but it was important to me that she liked the home I’d made for myself here on Ullima.

Then I was annoyed at myself for wanting her to like it. Because she would be leaving soon. As soon as I patched a com call in. Quadrant Patrol wouldn’t even need to land on Ullima. I’d take her out to the meeting point myself.

Briefly, I debated firing up my cruiser and flying her to the nearest neutral colony today. That colony would be Hakk, I supposed. But I also needed to top up my fuel if I wanted to make it back to my planet and Hakk didn’t sell firestones or Luxirian crystals. I was saving my fuel for the longer journey to Jubi’po for that.

Vrax, I thought.

Plus, the thought of leaving her on Hakk—which wasn’t known as the safest of the neutral colonies—didn’t sit well with me. I’d have to wait with her there, regardless, and eat up my fuel supply.

Nix, it would be best to remain on Ullima until Quadrant Patrol could reach us. My mind was made up and nothing would change it now.

“How long have you lived here?” she asked, her voice still holding that note of surprised awe. I found that I liked it. Her voice was exceedingly pleasing to me. Everything about her was pleasing to me, actually. The shape of her body, the deep valley of her breasts, the expressive emotions that flashed over her face, leaving nothing unimagined, the way her hair shone red when she stepped into a ray of sunlight, but then faded to a deep, rich brown when she left it.

“Three years,” I informed her gruffly, trudging up the stairs, torn between the maddening need to carry her up myself and running up them in annoyance at the strange, new, protective Instincts that were clawing at my chest.

In the end, I scowled and reached for her hand, guiding her up a patch of the staircase that needed repairs after the last storm. She blinked at the small contact, her cheeks heating an enticing red.

My lack of knowledge about humans was never more apparent to me than right then.

Which came to a crescendo when I heard a gurgle, just as we reached the top landing. A gurgle from her belly that ended on a small squeak. When I regarded her with a tilted head, she pressed a hand to her bared abdomen, her face growing an even deeper shade of red.

“I…I never had lunch,” she said.

“Rebax?” My brow furrowed. Then I translated the Luxirian word when I saw her own mirrored confusion. “What?”

“I was on the pool deck. Obviously,” she muttered, waving a hand down her body. As if I knew what a pool deck was or why her body would matter on one. “And I was just about to leave for lunch when the sirens started.”

“Rebax?”

She huffed out a strong breath. “I’m hungry,” she finally said, exasperated. And I didn’t understand the embarrassment I heard swell in her tone. “And the only thing in that damn life pod was a crusty ration bar that probably expired ten years ago.”

It surprised me when I felt a dizzying wave of shame crash over my head. The Instinct in my chest went restless, prowling, like a caged beast.

“You are hungry?” I asked slowly.

“Yes,” she said, looking away from me, crossing her arms over her belly, biting her full, bottom lip.

“Why did you not say so?” I growled.

She swallowed and then blinked at me in surprise.

“Come,” I told her, already cataloging every bit of food I could give her so she would be pleased. I didn’t know what humans preferred. Luxirians mostly subsisted on a diet of meat and root vegetables. Did she enjoy those things too? I’d just ended a hunt a few days ago. I had an ice cooler full of meat and my garden had had a good yield this year, the first one since I’d begun building on this planet.

On hesitant feet, she followed after me, padding down the stone walkway that had been the bane of my existence my first year here. But now I was pleased with it. It completely surrounded my circular dwelling—made in the Luxirian style but heavily expanded—and allowed for an unobstructed view of Ullima’s beautiful valleys and jungles that surrounded it.

“Wow,” she breathed from behind me, her voice filled with awe. At the door of my dwelling, I paused and looked over my shoulder. Only to find her standing at the terrace wall, still hugging herself, and staring down at the hills below. She was lucky she crashed at a relatively high altitude close to my dwelling. If she’d crashed into the valley, it would have taken me days to reach her. “It’s so beautiful. What is this planet called?”

“Ullima,” I told her, my voice deep, my gaze straying from her generous, rounded backside that my claws curled to grip to the gentle curve of her spine. “The planet is called Ullima.”

“And it’s so private up here,” she commented next. “No nosy neighbors looking in on you, huh?”

Her words made my brows furrow.

“My neighbors on Wero…I can hear them through the walls of my apartment,” she informed me, sighing. “I always dreamed of a place like this.”

“I have no neighbors,” I told her.

She turned then, finally breaking her gaze from the green and blue valleys to regard me in the doorway of my dwelling. She gave me a pointed look and a small smile that made my heart pick up. “Obviously.”

“Nix, I mean there is no one else living on the planet,” I said. Her eyes went wide. “I own this planet. I allow no one to enter.”

Except for a beautiful, curvy human female who awakened my Instinct, apparently.

“You—you own this planet?” she asked me, stammering over her words in her bewilderment. “Is that…is that even possible?”

I raised a single brow. Repeating the word she was so fond of, I said, “Obviously.”

She blinked rapidly. “But…but…”

“I like my privacy,” I told her gruffly, beckoning her forward when I opened the door to my dwelling.

“So you bought a whole planet for…privacy,” she asked me. “That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”

“You don’t know my extended family,” I muttered.

“Oh,” she said, stepping up to me. Then she bit her lip. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound…judgmental or anything. I was just surprised. I don’t know a lot of people who own planets. I don’t even know anyone who owns their own cruiser. Not on Wero.”

“I didn’t think you were being judgmental,” I informed her, rubbing my chest, which drew her eyes. She blinked a little, the little hairs that lined her eyes fanning quickly with the movement. She licked her bottom lip, which only made my cock thicken further. As if the dart of that pink tongue controlled it.

“Good,” she said, giving me a small smile that filled my chest with something that felt curiously like pride. “Um…at the risk of sounding high-maintenance, do you also have a washroom I could use while you make the coms call? And possibly a robe?”

I blinked. A robe?

My gaze tracked down the line of her body. I hadn’t realized how close she was to me until that very moment, as we both hovered on the threshold of my dwelling. I watched the tops of her breasts swell with her sudden intake of air and my nostrils flared with want and desire. Her skin was smooth and a warm, tanned color, little brown dots peppering her collarbone and her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

Her pupils dilated, the black widening the longer we stared at one another.

So vraxing pretty. I wanted to look at her forever.

That’s just the Instinct, I reminded myself. Females brought trouble. People brought trouble. I needed to remind myself of that.

So why did I step closer? Her breath hitched. I heard her swallow hard. I swore I caught the hint of arousal perfuming the air…but it was more likely that it was my own than hers, right? What I did know about humans was that they didn’t have Instincts, not like Luxirians did at least.

Vrax, I hadn’t fucked a female since I left Luxiria. Three long years of celibacy were beginning to weigh on me. Hard. And now, my Instinct felt like it was controlling my cock, making it pulse and heat, my varx drawing up tight underneath me, filling with my seed, readying.

“Tev,” I murmured. “No robe but I have a tunic you can wear over your…covering.”

Her eyes never left mine. “My…my what?”

“Your covering,” I repeated. Why were we whispering to one another? Why did it feel like I was being dragged down under water? A rush had started up in my ears and the dizzying tension that suddenly filled the space between us was making it hard to think.

What had she wanted again?

What was my damn name again?

Nix, everything I’d read was wrong, I decided. Humans did have Instincts, just like Luxirians. Because it certainly felt like we were on the cusp of something bigger.

“My bikini?” she whispered.

“If that’s what you call it.”

“It’s for swimming.”

I grunted. “Luxirians swim naked. You may as well be too.”

Her eyes went wide. “What?”

When I looked between us again, I nearly growled with desire. The thin straps of her bikini did nothing to hide the way her nipples pebbled underneath them. My teeth snapped together behind my lips because I wanted to bite them. I wanted to lick at those breasts and hear her moans in my ears.

Madness, I thought, my control beginning to slip, going a little dizzy.

“Suits are required on the pool deck for the cruise. Regardless of your race’s, uh, customs,” she told me. Speaking of pool decks again. “I don’t usually dress like this, you know.”

So other males saw her like this? I wondered, my Instinct not liking that one bit.

Other males coveted my mate? Other males lusted after her?

Because what male in their right mind wouldn’t?

This line of thought would only lead to disastrous consequences—especially when all I could think of was throwing her over my shoulder, rubbing my scent all over her body, marking her in my seed, and then claiming her with my cock.

Fates, why now? Why vraxing now did my Instinct awaken? When I was finally content and I’d found some vraxing peace?

“Come,” I ordered again before I said something I’d regret. Like suggesting that we mate right there and then so that I could actually think straight. “I’ll show you to the washroom and then get you food.”

Tev. Food. That was what she wanted. She was hungry.

Relief prickled my chest. Food was a distraction to my desire because my Instinct demanded I take care of my mate. It demanded that I feed her, that I please her in all ways.

A reprieve.

For now, I couldn’t help but think.

A reprieve only for now.

I just prayed to the Fates that a Quadrant Patrol was nearby before I did something incredibly, incredibly foolish.

Like—oh, I don’t know—claim her as my mate forever.

Suddenly, I couldn’t get to the coms fast enough.

CHAPTER 5

LYRA

Okay, so that was weird. Right?

I bit my lip. Underneath my lashes, I tracked the Luxirian male who was definitely sporting a boner right now.

And suddenly, I was very, very glad that I’d decided on purchasing the bikini. I decided I needed a bit of a mood boost after the day I’d had. And turning on a smoking hot Luxirian male? That was what I’d definitely call a mood boost.

Then I sighed. Because when I walked forward to follow after him, I realized I was wet and more than turned on myself. Slick between my thighs after that strange, brief, incredibly sexually charged moment that had seemed to come out of nowhere.

I’d never been so affected by a male before. I’d read about attraction like this, of course. But I’d never experienced it firsthand. In fact, I didn’t remember the last time I was this aroused. And by a perfect stranger at that.

It’s the shock, I decided. It had to be. After today, the fierce intensity of my arousal should be the least of my worries. No wonder my brain latched onto something else. He could be my distraction. My very sexy, mildly frightening, massive distraction.

Who cares that I nearly died today in a sketchy life pod after a cruise ship disaster? I thought sarcastically. At least I could rock this bikini.

The inside of his home was…surprising.

That was what I realized the moment I managed to tear my eyes off of Droxan’s backside.

I’d expected a messy—or perhaps even spartan—bachelor pad for the lone Luxirian male who’d bought a freaking planet. The lone chair that faced a huge coms screen to stream all the best live feeds throughout the Quadrants, a cooler of brew at his side. That kind of bachelor pad.

But this…

The front door funneled us down a short hallway. At the end of it was the very center of the circular dwelling and it opened up into a surprisingly spacious sunken living room, complete with a glass fire pit surrounded by a plethora of cushions and padded seating. A purely Luxirian feature, I knew, knowledge from the hours I’d spent watching the Quadrants’ home design network, which featured spectacular homes from all over the universe.

Beyond the sunken living room, I spied the kitchen area, open and bright. Slabs of gleaming white stone made up the counters, cut perfectly to conform to the curved walls. He even had a hydro-flame burner range, gleaming gold, the hardware brand new and sparkling. My hands curled at my sides. I was practically frothing at the mouth to get into that kitchen.

On the left of the sunken living room were three doors that led to separate rooms, comprising the outer ring of space in the dwelling. On the right, however, the home was all open space, leading to floor-to-ceiling glass windows that molded to the domed shape of the house. The view was just as breathtaking here than it’d been out on the terrace.

“This is…” I trailed off, at a loss for words. I looked at Droxan with wide eyes, nearly forgetting that I was half-naked, standing in this modern, clean, well-furnished space that was everything out of my wildest interior design dreams. “Um, you have a hydro-flame burner range.”

Nice, Lyra, I thought, biting my lip.

“How did you hook it up out here?”

His brow rose, a strangely cocky expression appearing that zipped straight to my core and burned there. “There’s a natural gas line in the mountain below us. It’s why I chose to build here. A lagoon isn’t too far away either so I could have running water. It goes through three different filtration systems before being funneled into the dwelling.”

Who knew that hearing this Luxirian male speak about filtration systems was such a turn on for me?

Swallowing hard, I stepped forward, eyeing the steps that led down into the sunken living room. The fire pit was automatic, I saw. No need for fire fuel.

“So you built this?” I asked, turning my round eyes on his. “All by yourself?”

His small, sharp nod left me impressed. Deeply, deeply impressed.

Just when I thought he couldn’t get any hotter, I thought, a sigh drifting from my lips.

“Well, you should be proud,” I told him, feeling a prick of shyness wiggle up my chest. “Because this is amazing.”

Droxan’s purring started up in his chest again, bringing a small, pleased flushed to my face as I smiled up at him.

“You think so?”

“Yes,” I said with an enthusiastic nod. “Definitely.”

Droxan looked around his home. Strangely, he fit right in, I thought. Even with his wild hair, gleamy chest, and muddy boots. The floors were stone, they would be easy to clean. Plush rugs in pleasing, neutral colors lined the inside of the fire pit area. I saw a Nu device—one of the latest models—slung among the cushions there and an empty goblet was perched on the thick rim that lined the fire pit. I could so easily imagine him lounging back, watching the fire flicker, drinking his brew, as he scrolled on the Nu.

Doesn’t he ever get lonely? I wondered.

His throat cleared.

“The washroom is here,” he murmured, walking me over to the door that was closest to me. His fingers pressed into the small of my—very naked—back and a flush of heat seemed to radiate from his touch.

He waved his hand over the panel at the door and it whooshed open, giving way to a spacious bathroom, complete with a sunken bath. A shower pod was nestled in the corner. A flat-domed toilet was opposite it, made for someone of Droxan’s bulk. A single mirror—so typically male, I decided—was over the stretch of stone counter that matched the stone in the kitchen.

“Thank you,” I said, stepping into the washroom, though I was tempted to press into his touch. A part of me wondered how those hands would feel running over my body. They were large, roughened from his work, and I thought they’d feel delicious.

You’re still in shock and way too horny for this Luxirian, I chided myself. Get your head on straight before you do something stupid.

It had to be the fertility pre-treatment injections. They had my hormones all out of whack, I decided. No wonder this Luxirian looked delicious.

“I do not have a robe,” he informed me. “But I can give you a tunic. Will that suffice?”

One of his tunics?

“Yes,” I said, flashing him a smile. “That would be great.”

Droxan said nothing as he walked to the next door over. He disappeared inside it as I shifted on the threshold of the bathroom, my eyes sweeping the living room again, before he returned with a folded shirt. Folded. Honestly, who was this male and why couldn’t he have lived on Wero?

He handed the soft material to me wordlessly, catching my gaze. Out of the bottom of my vision, I swore I could still see his erection, a dark, thick bulge at the front of his pants. I knew that Luxirians had ridges and bumps lining the top and bottom of their cocks. I’d always wondered how they would feel inside and tried not to shiver thinking about it.

“I’ll go try the coms while you wash,” he told me. Was his voice gruffer? Deeper?

“All right,” I said, my own a little breathless.

You’re leaving soon, I reminded myself, disappointment pricking in my belly. Once he contacted Patrol, I could be out of here as soon as tonight. No need to get attached.

Stepping back into the washroom, I gave him a half-smile. “I’ll just, uh, be in here.”

Smooth, Lyra.

He tilted his head back, the long column of his throat flashing, in his affirmative. I waved my hand over the door panel and it closed, shielding him from view, and I heard his heavy footsteps tread away.

Releasing a long breath, I immediately went to the mirror.

I nearly groaned at my reflection. My makeup was smeared. My hair looked like a bird’s nest. There was a rotting leaf stuck to my neck and the beginnings of bruises along my arms from the harsh landing.

Gods.

Carefully, I placed his folded tunic on the counter before I had the insane urge to smell it. Then I turned to the shower pod.

I’ll feel much, much better after a shower, I decided.

Then I’d be able to think straight.

CHAPTER 6

DROXAN

“What do you mean you won’t be able to get here for a week?” I growled at the coms, the static-filled screen sparking with the grainy image.

The human that greeted me—a Quadrant Patrol officer currently on duty fielding calls—looked frazzled. He let out a sharp breath.

In the universal tongue, he lowered his voice and told me, “Look, it’s been a nightmare. There’s still forty or more pods missing. It’s all over the news channels, in all Four Quadrants. The Uranian Federation already wants an investigation into the wreck and Starlight United is trying to wash their hands of it. Every last Patrol agent we have in the area is out looking for the missing pods. Your female? She’s unharmed, yes?”

At my nod, he let out another sharp breath.

“And judging from your record here, you have no criminal charges brought against you in any of the high courts. You are a wealthy, highly respected member of Luxiria’s society. Ullima is not a dangerous planet, though it does have its share of storms.”

Like he needed to remind me.

“What I’m trying to say is, she’s a bottom priority for us. But I’m glad you found her, I can cross her off our missing beings list. Lyra, you said her name was? Lyra Kye?”

He tapped on a com screen I couldn’t see on the video feed.

When he looked back at me, he said, with another world-weary sigh, “She’s unharmed, she has food and housing. You’ll be able to apply for a credit with Starlight United for any fees that taking care of her incurs—”

A dangerous growl left my throat. “I don’t need a credit to take care of her. I just…vrax.”

Need her gone before I get attached to her, I finished silently.

But what this human male was telling me…she’d be here a week. At the very least. If there were forty pods still missing, it could be longer. And every minute she was here pretty much guaranteed that my Instinct would latch deeper and deeper onto her.

“What about bringing her to a transport colony?” I asked. “I have the fuel to reach—”

“All transport colonies are being suspended temporarily. Like I said, it’s a nightmare. We don’t want any of the crash victims being picked up and trafficked out of the Quadrant. Especially with the Jetutians’ threats as of late. It was a direct order from the Uranian Federation itself.”

“She’s from Wero,” I argued. “It’s not out of the Quadrant.”

The human whistled out a breath. “Wero? No chance. The only colony that transports there is Neppon. Which, you guessed it, is shut down until the victims are located. You think you have it bad? Can you imagine the transport colonies right now?”

He shuddered.

“Vrax,” I growled under my breath.

“My thoughts exactly,” the human said.

Then I steeled my spine. I looked back at the screen and inclined my head, knowing there was no way around it.

“Very well,” I said. “I’ll wait until the Quadrant Patrol arrives for her.”

“Remember about the credit,” the human supplied unhelpfully.

If only he knew how insulting it was, telling me to apply to be reimbursed for taking care of my own damn mate.

“I’ll alert her kin if she has any, to let them know she’s safe,” the human said, already distracted by something he spied on his other coms screen. “Thank you for calling Quadrant Patrol.”

I stiffened as the line went dark.

Kin.

For the first time, I wondered if she had a mate already. A male. How could she not?

I didn’t like the thought of that building in my gut. Thinking of another male’s hands on my fated mate. Marking her with his scent. Planting his seed deep in her belly. But what right did I have to her? She had her own life. I would have never known of her existence had Starlight United not been the biggest joke in the Quadrants’ history.

Standing from my coms, I navigated back out to the central hub. Coming to terms with the fact that she’d be here for the foreseeable future, all while knowing my Instinct would refuse to let her go when the time came.

Lyra was still washing so I went to the kitchen, rummaging through the cold box to find her the best cut of meat from my hunt and the tenderest, most flavorful vegetables I’d harvested from the garden.

The meat was already seared, drizzled in fat and seasoned with kasha flakes I’d dried myself, and the vegetables were roasted on the hydro-flame when she finally appeared.

I could hear her stomach growl again when I plated the food. Catching her gaze, my belly clenched with tight need when I saw her dressed in my tunic. White in color and soft, it was spun for hotter Luxirian summers and as such, it was thin, grazing her peaked nipples and curving lovingly along her full breasts. The length stopped just above her knees and she seemed less self-conscious in it compared to the ‘bikini,’ as she’d called it.

Her cheeks were flushed from her shower. Her skin clean, her face practically glowing. Her hair was washed, completely dry already since she used the heat blast in the shower pod.

“It smells amazing,” she gushed, throwing me a disarming smile that had my cock twitching again. She slid up to the counter and I set the plate down for her, watching her hop up onto one of the stools that swung out at my touch on the control panel.

“I figured humans must eat meat,” I murmured. “Considering our shared ancestry.”

She eyed me knowingly. Human females had once helped restore my own race after a deadly toxin from our enemies had nearly wiped out our entire female population. My great, great, great grandmother had been human, after all.

“I haven’t had it in a while. It’s hard to come by on Wero,” she admitted. “But I do love it.”

I grunted. “I hunted recently. This is fresh.”

She picked up her eating utensils and I leaned against the counter, watching as she sliced a delicate piece off and lifted it to her lips.

“You hunt too?” she asked.

Shrugging, I murmured, “There’s no food supply line here. No marketplace. If I want fresh meat, I have to get it myself.”

“All while building your own fortress,” she added with a smile that struck me as teasing. My Instinct went prowling in my chest again and I pressed my palm into the edge of the counter hard, the pain helping to dull some of my desire. “When do you find the time?”

I shrugged again.

She gave a small little moan of delight when she finally ate the piece of meat and my cock nearly exploded out of my pants. My nostrils flared, my gaze pinned to her intently as I watched her tiny jaw work as she chewed.

“It’s so good!” she exclaimed.

Vrax, I would not get through this week, I realized with a stab of dismay. I would not get through a week with her without bending her over this damn counter and rutting my need into her.

“What is it?” she asked softly, noticing that I was staring.

“Nothing,” I bit out harshly, my dull claws scraping against stone. “I contacted Quadrant Patrol.”

She straightened, her eating utensil lowering. “You did? What did they say?”

“They won’t be able to come retrieve you for a week. At the earliest,” I added, studying her expression carefully as I told her.

Her shoulders sank. “No, no, I have to get back. I have an appointment with…with…well, it doesn’t matter. It’s just, I’ve had this appointment for five months. I can’t miss it.”

“I’m sorry, female,” I told her, shaking my head. “They’ve locked down all transport colonies too. There’s forty life pods still missing after the crash. They are trying to locate them quickly, given how inhabitable some of the nearby planets are. You’re on the rescue list last because at least they know you’re safe. Others? Not so much.”

The gravity of my words pulled her hitched-up shoulders down.

“You’re right,” she said quietly, staring down at her food with unseeing eyes. “I’m…I’m being selfish. Of course, Quadrant Patrol needs to use their resources elsewhere. To track down the rest of the pods before something terrible happens. Gods, I hope they…I hope they find everyone. Did you find out if anyone else landed on your planet?”

“I ran a scan,” I said, shaking my head. “No signs of another pod. Just you.”

She blew out a shaky breath. Then she looked up at me. “I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. That’s a strange thing to think, isn’t it? After surviving a crash like that. But I am.”

We held one another’s gazes for longer than I thought was normal.

Back on Luxiria, I’d always thrown myself into my work, building up my own name, literally. My business had single handedly built up entire developments on Luxiria. I’d been chosen for a contract to build an entire city, an offshoot of the capital, shortly after I’d come of age. It had made me one of the wealthiest Luxirians in our history. With my designs, with the supplies I sourced from the very best manufacturers—stone from Tyion, wood from the forests of the Ijina, tech from Qik’li—and with my team, we’d always been in high demand.

Until greed changed everything.

Until my own family nearly ruined my entire reputation.

I prided myself on quality. Above all things. Make the foundation strong first. Build things right the first time. That had been my philosophy.

My family?

My brothers? My mother?

They just wanted more. More of everything. And quickly.

I’d thrown myself into work until I found that I couldn’t stomach it anymore. Until I realized that I wasn’t happy, until I realized that my family was steadily sucking away any happiness I tried to find.

And so, it was strange to me, to be standing in the kitchen I’d built alone, staring at this human female who was entirely too pretty, who I wanted to look at forever, all while knowing that I could never keep her for myself.

Females had come and gone throughout my lifetime, attracted to my wealth and my name. Looking back, however, I realized I’d never had time for them. If I prided myself on quality, shouldn’t my time be the same?

Lyra’s cheeks were growing pink.

Now I had my fated mate, right here, and all I was concerned about was pushing her away. Because I was afraid? Because I was afraid she would be like all the rest?

Perhaps…perhaps the week we had would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

“I know it’s not what you want to hear,” I said to her carefully. I hadn’t talked so much in a single day in nearly three years. “But you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

CHAPTER 7

LYRA

“I’m not afraid,” I told him softly.

I heard the truth in my own voice. Because oddly enough, even though I’d heard stories about aliens trafficking human females, even though I carried around a small dagger and mace around in my satchel even on Wero, even though I was aware of all the dangers there were as a single female living alone on a busy colony, I still trusted him.

I…wasn’t afraid. I might have been at first. But there was something inherently calming about him. And it wasn’t just the way he purred.

There was something else. An undercurrent of mutual understanding between us.

It was refreshing.

And yes, I was extremely disappointed that I might miss my appointment at the fertility clinic, an appointment that had been nearly impossible to secure. But there were people out there—who were probably terrified—who might not have been as lucky as me after the wreck.

I had a domed roof over my head, a belly that was filled with the juiciest steak I think I’d ever had, and a hot Luxirian male to ogle. Life could be worse. Much, much worse. Especially if he hadn’t found me in the middle of the jungle in that life pod.

Going forward, I vowed that I would remember that. So maybe I wouldn’t be pregnant within the week. Maybe the hefty deposit I’d made for the appointment would go up in smoke.

At least, I was alive.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, pointing down to the steak he’d made me, seasoned in something smoky and spicy. “I can’t eat all of this.”

“You can’t?” he asked, frowning down at the plate. Like he’d expected me to be able to eat a slab of meat the size of my head. Luxirians’ appetites were, no doubt, enormous. But that didn’t mean that humans’ were up to their level.

I huffed out a laugh that had him cocking his head. “No.”

He shrugged. “I’ll eat what you don’t. Don’t worry, female.”

“So, uh,” I started, waving my fork in the air, a strange one with six prongs, though the sixth was cut in half, “how is this going to work?”

His brow furrowed. He leaned back against the opposite counter, crossing his arms over his less-gleamy chest. Still, it made the muscles bulge…and I’m sure my eyes were doing something similar as I stared.

Who could blame me? He was an attractive male.

“How is what going to work?”

“Well, I’m here for at least a week, right?” I asked. “I don’t want to assume that I’ll be staying with you, taking up your space, eating your food, you know?” He scowled and I hurriedly said, “I just mean that I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality. I can…I can pay you for the week. Like rent! And um—”

“Lyra,” came the sharp, tight bark.

I bit my lip, my spine going ramrod straight, the word making the words die in my throat. “Yes?”

And why did that authoritative little snap make my belly go all fluttery? Especially when it was my name?

“No payments,” he ordered. The words were stern enough that I wouldn’t even think about arguing. “You will stay here. You can have my bed. I have plenty of food and I have plenty of food stored in my cellar. And as you can see, I have plenty of space, so how much do you think you’ll truly take up?”

I blinked.

Well, when he put it like that…

“I can’t take your bed,” I said quietly. My eyes caught on the fit pit area. “I can sleep there.”

“Nix,” he rasped.

“But—”

“Nix.”

“It looks perfectly comfortable!” I argued.

“Nix.”

My lips parted and then closed. His body language was unyielding.

“So, Droxan,” I murmured, his name on my lips making him straighten. His eyes zeroed in on me intently, making me feel like I was the only female on the entire planet. Which I supposed, I realized with a little laugh, I was. “You have a stubborn streak, do you?”

“Tev,” he murmured. And then he gave me a slow—panty melting, if I were wearing any—smile that sent a thrilling bolt of heat straight between my legs. Gods, he was ten times hotter when he smiled. That simply wasn’t fair. “Will that be a problem?”

Who is this guy? I wondered, my brain short-circuiting for a brief moment as I stared at him.

So many unanswered questions. So many unknowns.

“You’re not an axe-murderer right?” I couldn’t help but ask.

His brow rose.

“I’m just covering all my bases,” I told him.

“Nix,” he said slowly, drawing out the word. “I am not an ‘axe-murderer.’”

I blew out a sharp breath.

“So you’re from Luxiria,” I said, trying to have some sort of understanding of him in my mind. “And you bought a whole planet so that you could have privacy. And you’re not in exile?”

“Nix,” he told me, though the word was growled. He shook his head, making his wild, shortened locks swing. “I knew I would regret cutting my hair.”

A surprised laugh fell from my lips but it seemed to make his own tug upwards.

“Female,” came his voice, though it was soft and quiet. “I was a builder on Luxiria.”

That didn’t surprise me.

I gestured around his house. “I can see that.”

“I was good at it. Very good. As such, I was able to buy this planet,” he explained, though his words were stilted and it seemed like the words were being plucked from his lungs as he told me this. He seemed uncomfortable. “But I came here for more than just privacy. I came here to get away from…from people. From my family. I wasn’t…on Luxiria, I wasn’t…”

A wiggle of empathy went through my chest. “Happy?” I supplied.

“Not even that,” he murmured lowly, crossing to the counter I was eating on and sliding his forearms over the top of it so he was eye-level with me. I caught a whiff of his scent, musky and absolutely delicious. “I wasn’t even content, much less happy. Here? I feel a lot of peace here. That is why I’m here. That is why I stay. So nix, I am not an exiled axe-murdering Luxirian who escaped from a prison planet to come live here, all right?”

I flushed a little at the words. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”

“I know,” he said simply. “And you are right to question me about these things. I would find it strange too, if I found a beautiful human female living on this planet alone.”

He thought I was beautiful?

I couldn’t help but grin at that.

“I would want to know if my safety was compromised too,” he told me. “But yours is not. I’ll take care of you while you’re here, tev?”

“Thank you,” I said quietly, locking eyes with him again. When was the last time I’d had such prolonged eye contact with anyone, much less a handsome male?

“And you’ll take my bed,” came his rough growl. “Tev?”

Or maybe I’ll just join you in it, I couldn’t help but think. His eyes went hot. As if he could hear the directions of my thoughts.

I was here for a whole week.

I was safe.

I was trapped with a Luxirian I was crazily attracted to, to the point that I wondered if Luxirians gave off potent pheromones specifically for attracting humans.

“Yes,” I finally agreed, giving in.

Droxan was pleased with the answer. I could see that. Briefly, I saw his eyes dip to the very sheer tunic he’d given me. My lips twitched. Was he checking out my boobs?

And why did I like the thought of that so much?

“You’ll be sore in the morning,” he informed me.

My dirty mind immediately went to a plethora of reasons why I would be sore, each more enticing than the last.

“Will I?” I asked, my voice rising, catching on an edge of huskiness.

“From the crash,” he continued.

“Right,” I said, shifting in my seat. “Of course.”

“I have some injections for pain,” he told me. “If you’d like them now or in the morning.”

“In the morning,” I said, thinking it sweet that he’d thought of it. “I’ll see how I feel.”

CHAPTER 8

LYRA

When I woke, it was to the sun streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a rhythmic banging coming from the terrace, and…full-on body aches.

Sore indeed, I thought, moaning a little as I rolled, as I blinked some of the sleepiness from my eyes. My cheek was pressed into the most comfortable bed I’d ever laid in. Like I was sleeping on a cloud. A puffy, perfect cloud.

“What time is it?” I whispered, feeling like every last muscle in my body was tight and throbbing.

Groaning, I managed to push up from the bed and gently slide from underneath the covers.

And what was that banging? Droxan must be doing some work outside, I decided. It sounded like hammering.

Which only served to remind me of my dreams. I remembered that at some point last night, I’d woken up in the throes of an orgasm—not something that happened particularly often though I hadn’t been surprised by it in the least. I was stressed and aroused. A perfect time for a wet dream about my Luxirian rescuer.

Though…I hoped that Droxan hadn’t heard me. He’d slept out in the sunken living room and I was pretty certain I’d been moaning as I swirled my hips against his bed, seeking friction in my half-asleep state. I’d dropped back into the dream immediately afterwards but gods, that would be embarrassing if he heard.

Blowing out a calming breath, I stood, wincing. I should have taken the pain injections last night before I went to bed, after all.

I hobbled out of the room and into the bathroom. Quickly, I did my business and splashed my face with cool water. Combing my fingers through my hair, I peered at myself in the mirror. My hazel eyes were surprisingly bright. Despite the soreness, despite my tight neck, and the bruises that were starting to bloom on my arms from where they’d hit the life pod walls, I felt…good. In a good head space considering the events of yesterday.

I’d wanted a vacation, hadn’t I? Before I got pregnant? Before a baby came? While this wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind, there was no denying this planet was beautiful. The climate was agreeable. This house was like a luxury hotel with a hot chef to match.

I shook my head, watching my lips quirk up in the mirror at the direction of my thoughts. Then my smile slowly died. Droxan had done a lot for me already when he hadn’t needed to. I’d meant what I said yesterday. I didn’t want to take advantage of his hospitality. If I could help him with anything while I was here, I was eager to do it.

I’d been independent my entire life. Growing up without parents, without a support system I could count on…I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But I’d been fortunate. Eventually, I’d been placed with a quiet human family near the outskirts of Brune. Though they’d never been particularly warm, they still provided a safe home for me and five other children of varying species, three meals every day, and an education. I’d taken that education and took the first job I’d found. In a docking port office on Qa’r, where I’d stayed for two years until it got too sketchy for a single female to live alone.

Then I’d seen the advertisement for a merchant’s assistant on Wero and I’d taken it without a second thought. Wero was a small colony but known to be safe. I’d been there ever since, creating my structured, dependable life. Creating my routines.

And this place? It definitely breaks my routine, I thought. I still wanted to be useful, however. If Droxan wouldn’t take my money, then he should accept my help. With whatever he needed. I refused to freeload off his kindness.

Though it’s nice to be taken care of, I couldn’t help but think. For once.

It still brought shivers racing down my spine when I thought of him telling me he’d take care of me. It soothed some deep-seated fear that was rooted perpetually in my belly. I responded to it.

I left the bathroom, smoothing the tunic down my hips, and went off in search of him.

When I stepped outside the domed dwelling, I was confused when the sun was bright overhead. How long had I been sleeping? It was warm, hotter than it’d been yesterday, the air humid.

I followed the banging, venturing down the wraparound terrace, my bare feet meeting warm stones.

Peeking around the corner, I spied Droxan, his back to me. Shirtless and gleaming. Luxirian’s skin reflected light and he looked golden, the sun’s rays mixing with the color glinting off the terrace. His sculpted back muscles flexed as he hammered, striking what looked like a metal pipe.

There was a large machine set up down the terrace wall and Droxan was straddling the banister as he worked on it. My mouth went a little dry watching him, a dull throbbing beginning between my thighs, remembering my dream, remembering the sharp, aching pleasure of my unsatisfying orgasm.

He can satisfy me, I thought.

I knew he could.

He was all male. All masculine, hardened planes of muscle and strength. How would he feel over my body? How would he feel pressing me down, swirling his hips, that ridged cock seated deep inside me?

I must’ve made a sound because the hammering stopped and Droxan turned. I felt flushed where I stood, my pussy slick, and embarrassed that I’d clearly slept for half the day when he was out here working so hard.

Those eyes zeroed in on me and I suppressed a shiver. There was an intensity in his gaze, an intensity that had awareness spiraling through me. Deep awareness of his presence.

He rose from the bannister, swinging those long legs over it effortlessly and gracefully. But Luxirians had once been a warrior race before many had scattered among the stars. They’d been known for their agility, their ferocity, the command they had over their bodies.

“Good morning,” I said. I’d meant for my tone to sound bright and chirpy and what I got instead was husky and low. I cleared my throat, trying again, when I smiled at him a bit sheepishly, “I guess I slept in a little late, huh?”

Droxan approached me, his legs eating up the space between us. And when he got within an arm’s length of me, he froze. His nostrils flaring. His pupils dilated, the black widening, and his shoulders seemed to bunch.

Shit.

One thing about living with different alien species was that it made you realize how lacking humans’ senses truly were. Once, I had a neighbor—a hulking Tyul with a lizard-like snout—three doors down complain about my perfume and whenever I cooked braised skitter fish.

Humans? We were blissfully ignorant.

He smells how turned on I am, I knew, frantically, my pulse pounding.

He could smell my arousal.

Droxan stared at me hard.

He seemed to freeze on the terrace…all except for movement coming from his groin area.

Inhaling a sharp breath, I pretended that I didn’t see the growing erection in his pants. He was a male. Living alone on this planet. He’d just scented a female’s arousal. Of course he’d be affected, I reasoned.

Captain’s Log, Day Two…how the fuck am I ever going to get off this planet before jumping this Luxirian’s bones?

Thankfully, a stiff breeze blew between us right at that very moment, blowing away whatever he was smelling.

He blinked, his shoulders loosening, the metal hammer hanging loosely in his hand.

The breeze did nothing to help his obvious boner, however, but I would be polite and try not to stare too hard.

His voice was absolutely delicious—husky and deep—when he said, “Did you sleep well?”

“A little too well, I’d say,” I murmured, peeking up at him from below from lashes. “You have a very comfortable bed.”

I could hear his swallow.

And it sent an addicting thrill through me. To know I affected this handsome Luxirian.

“It’s Horrin made,” he said.

My eyes widened, my jaw going slack. “It is?”

Horrin beds were like…the top of the top of luxury. Crazy expensive because each one was stuffed to the brim with Horrin grown ree fibers, which took five years to mature. I’d never thought to see one in person, much less sleep on one.

His smile went a little sheepish—adorable—and he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, which drew my eyes like a magnet to his chest. A purring sound came from his throat.

“I’m horribly spoiled,” he told me, his voice dropping again. “I visited Horrin to source supplies once and now I cannot sleep if it’s not on one of their beds.”

Which made guilt wiggle in my chest, mixing with my arousal. Because he’d slept in the living room while I’d taken up the entirety of his massive bed.

But I knew he hadn’t wanted to make me uncomfortable with that fact because his face went stricken.

I smiled, feigning ignorance, and said, “Now I’ll be spoiled when I leave. How will I ever go back to my peasant cot after this?”

A deep rumble of a laugh left him. I nearly gaped. His laugh was rich and velvety and wonderful. I wanted to hear that laugh again, even as soon as it ended. I found myself missing it as soon as it was over.

“You had a rough day yesterday,” he murmured next, stepping closer, making my heart jolt in excitement. “It’s only natural your body would need the extra sleep. How do you feel? Sore? Would you like a pain injection?”

“Yes, please,” I said. Moving around helped a little but there was still a deep ache. A pain injection would melt it away almost immediately, but I knew I’d still need to take it easy today.

Droxan inclined his head before jerking it towards the front of his domed house. “Inside,” he murmured. When I turned, he fell into step beside me, his hand coming to the small of my back, guiding me forward.

I didn’t know why I found that so sexy, but I did. It made my bones feel like jelly and I figured that there was no way around it: Droxan better get used to scenting my arousal because it would be everywhere.

It’s definitely the fertility pre-treatments, I reasoned again. My hormones were spinning out of control. My body wanted a baby and here was a very virile looking, strong, protector of a male, whose lap I’d figuratively fallen into.

My hormones never stood a chance, I realized, barely hiding my groan.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning. “I can give you a double dose if you need it.”

“No, it’s nothing,” I said quickly, shooting him a smile. “One will be fine.”

We went inside. It was much cooler in there, making me realize I’d begun to sweat out on the terrace. Droxan went to the washroom and I followed him, watching as he wiped his palm across a tile of the wall, a hidden shelf whirring out smoothly.

He gestured for me to come closer as he prepped the injection. Then he maneuvered me bodily, stilling when he saw the line of bruises up my arms, a rough sound escaping his lips.

“It’s okay,” I told him, reacting on instinct when my gut told me he was upset to see them. That alone made me soften towards him. That alone made me realize how incredibly safe I was with him…if he didn’t even like seeing me bruised. “They don’t bother me.”

His eyes connected with mine. We were close. So incredibly close and I could see every fragmented, glittering shade of icy blue in his eyes. Beautiful.

Heat was rising between us again the longer we stared at one another. I bit my lip, thinking that I’d likely never experience this kind of want and attraction for a male again, regardless of if it was the pre-treatments I’d taken or not.

Slowly, I reached out my palm to touch the center of his bare chest. His shoulders seemed to rise at the gentle contact, his eyes flickering dangerously. The wall of his chest was incredibly hard and hot. Beneath my palm, I felt the thud of his heart, faster than mine.

A little pinch came against my arm but I never took my eyes off him. Mere moments later, I felt the injection begin to work as I squeezed my thighs together. The soreness in my body slowly melted away.

“Better?” came his soft voice, nearly a whisper in the small space between us.

“Yes,” I responded. My eyes went to my fingers that were pressed against his firm chest. I slid them down the very center, hearing his hitched breath, and then I dropped my hand back down to my side. “Thank you, Droxan.”

He swallowed and inclined his head. The air seemed to have been sucked from the washroom and I struggled to fight the lust-fueled fog in my brain. I’d wanted to speak to him about something, right?

“Oh,” I said. “Um, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

His brow furrowed and I took that moment to step back, putting space between us, my hip nudging the sharp counter of stone. “Tev?”

“Since I’ll be here for a week—”

“At least,” he amended, grunting.

“Yes, since I’ll be here for a week at least, and since you won’t accept payment for—”

He growled.

And I dropped it entirely as I said, trying to brighten my tone so it didn’t sound like I worked at an inter-Quadrant sex hotline, “I want to be of use to you.”

He stilled.

Immediately, my dirty mind processed those words, thinking of all the ways I could be of use to him, most of which involved me bending over this counter and lifting the tunic that he’d loaned me. A part of me just wanted to leave the words as they were…to let him decide what he wanted to do with them.

I cleared my throat, adding, “To help you if you have anything for me to do. I…I’m not really the manual labor type of girl but I can try!”

“You…” he trailed off, running a hand over one of his black horns as he peered at me intently, “you think I would ask you to do manual labor?”

Uh oh, did I offend him?

Abort, abort, bend over the counter and lift your tunic instead, my ridiculous mind screamed.

“Or I can do…organizing! Office work, I mean. That’s what I do on Wero. I’m a merchant’s assistant, so I know my way around the coms,” I scrambled. “I’m also a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself.”

Droxan blew out a sharp breath. “Lyra.”

I swallowed. Liking it too much whenever he said my name like that.

“Yes?” I asked, smiling up at him.

“What do you know about Luxirian males?”

That…wasn’t what I expected him to ask.

What everyone else knew, I supposed. That they descended from great, albeit brutal, warriors. That they purred to their mates when they were distressed. That they had a fated mate Instinct, like a few select races through the Quadrants. That they were a strong, powerful, wealthy, respected race among the universe.

That they have very grippable horns and I am apparently very attracted to a specific Luxirian, I added.

“Um, not much,” I squeaked instead.

“Right,” he breathed. “Well one thing you should know is that we do not expect our females—or our guests—to repay us for anything.”

Why did my heart skip at our females?

I sniffed, meeting his eyes. “And what do you know about humans?”

His nostrils flared. He took a step closer and it only made me squeeze my thighs tighter together when his musky scent reached my nostrils. I had the insane urge to rub my cheek against him, to breathe him in, fill up my lungs with him.

“That you apparently have this driving need to repay things you consider debts,” he grumbled.

I couldn’t help but laugh. A soft chuckle that had his eyes softening and his shoulders loosening. That was interesting.

“I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness,” I told him honestly, reaching out my hand to take his own. His palm was rough and I squeezed to emphasize my point. “I’ve been independent my whole life. So it’s hard for me to just sit back and not try to help you in some way when you’ve already helped me so much.”

Droxan went quiet, studying me, those crystal blue eyes flickering back and forth between my hazel ones.

“Please,” I said quietly. “Anything at all. You’ll make me very happy if you’ll let me help you with something.”

Then he squeezed my hand.

I wondered what he heard in my voice to make him change his mind, but he finally relented and said, “I’m working on repairing the water catch system today. You can…keep me company and hand me my tools when I need them. Tev?”

My lips threatened a smile. His tone made it seem like he was asking me to haul boulders on my back up a cliff all day.

I think I might like him, I thought.

It was as good as I’d probably get from him. Lounging on the terrace on a beautiful, sunny day as I watched him work up a sweat? As I was forced to keep this Luxirian company who I was steadily becoming a little besotted with?

The horror.

“Deal,” I said, beaming.

CHAPTER 9

DROXAN

“Storm is blowing in,” I informed Lyra. “We should wrap up.”

“It is?” she asked, her tone bewildered as she tilted her face up to the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight. “Droxan, you’re joking.”

I chuffed out a laugh, something I found I’d been doing a lot that afternoon.

“I wish I was,” I murmured, hauling myself off the bannister, wiping my arm across my forehead, before swiping my tools against a spare rag. Lyra frowned when she saw me doing it because she’d primly informed me about an hour before that that was her job.

My lips twitched and I stopped, deciding to clean the tools while she was sleeping before I incited her wrath.

When I stood, I stretched my back out, the muscles tight from being bent over the water catch tank all day. The last storm had been massive. I’d left a stack of terrace pavers against the wall and a gust of wind had catapulted them at the tank, nearly shredding the metal and severing the wiring, before they’d disappeared into the ravine below.

Ullima’s stormy season was here. Luckily, it didn’t last long but this would be the third storm this week. The season would stretch for another month or so and then the weather would calm as it got colder.

Lyra was watching me stretch. That charged energy suddenly crackled between us, energy that had nothing to do with the storm.

She was sitting back in a chair I’d procured for her, her legs crossed. My tunic she swore was stained in grease and oil from the machine and the tools. She’d become an expert on the different fittings I had in my tool set and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this…light.

The afternoon had been easy.

Easy and fun, even as I performed one of the more mundane tasks of my week. I’d rather haul up the water from the falls because it kept me moving instead of bent over the side of a wall, fiddling with the insides of a machine.

But with Lyra, I would gladly spend an eternity right there.

That afternoon had reminded me that I used to talk to people all the time. All day. Every day. Running my business on Luxiria, I’d been surrounded by people every moment. While I’d moved to Ullima to escape some of those people…it felt nice to talk again. It felt nice to learn things about Lyra, to study the way her expressions lit up her face, or even watch her frown when I reached for a tool myself. It felt good to laugh again when she swatted my hand away. It felt good to tease her, to flirt, to watch that flush crawl up her neck when we held onto one another’s gazes for a little longer than necessary.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was chipper. Fucking chipper.

A grin stole over my face when her eyes dipped down my chest…though it slid off my face when they settled on the tent of my pants. Licking my lips, I tossed my tools next to her chair, crouching low as I slotted them back into place.

“That’s my job,” she said, just as I knew she would, her voice dropping low. Intimate even, as she smiled at me. “Organization, remember? One of my specialties.”

I’d smelled her arousal on and off throughout the day and it was definitely on right now. This morning, I thought I’d been mistaken until I realized that the musky, sweet, tantalizing smell was all Lyra. For me. It filled me with masculine pride, making me want to puff out my chest and roar with satisfaction, to know that she was attracted to me.

Fear, too…because I knew it only brought me one step closer to claiming her for my own. Fear that I would grow too attached to her—my fated mate—and that I’d be left broken when she left.

If I thought I could fight the Instinct’s pull…that afternoon had proved how wrong I was. It was a battle I could see myself slowly losing throughout the course of the day. And still, I couldn’t find it in me to feel too terribly about it.

What I really wanted to do was sweep her up in my arms, bend her over the terrace wall, and claim my fated mate right there and then. As the storm rolled in, as rain lashed at our bodies, and wind stroked over us. It was unnatural for a Luxirian male to deny his Instinct what it truly craved, especially when it scented its fated mate’s arousal.

Would she want that? Would she like that? Would she moan as I sank into her, wet and slick and ready for me? Would she want me as crazed as she made me or would I have to gentle my touch?

We were both staring at one another again. A puff of air left my lips, wondering how much longer we’d do this.

I’d learned more about my mate that day. I’d learned about her life on Wero, why she’d moved there, what she liked about the colony—which was a lot, much to my dismay. Because if she loved living there so much, why would she ever want to leave it?

She told me about her job, working for a textile merchant named Mr. Kee, though I’d never heard of him. A smaller operation, servicing the nearby outposts—though he had been known to travel between Quadrants—for market days and trader auctions. When I’d asked her if she liked her job, she’d told me, “It gives me everything I need and everything I want. There’s not a lot of job prospects for human females outside the Fourth Quadrant. Especially ones who live alone because I have to take my safety into account. So I’m lucky to have found the job. I have no complaints.”

Her words had filled me with restlessness, but also relief.

They told me that perhaps Wero wasn’t as safe as I’d originally thought.

They told me that Lyra didn’t have a male. A husband or whatever humans called their chosen mates.

The two emotions completely clashed with one another. The need to keep her safe, the need to protect her while I worried over what would happen if she chose to leave Ullima, all while I wanted to bellow with satisfaction, knowing she had not claimed a male for her own.

Madness, I thought. Complete and utter madness.

In turn, she didn’t have to ask if I had a female in my life. It was plainly obvious that I was alone, though she had asked me that afternoon if I’d ever been married before—joined, I assumed she’d meant.

“Nix,” I’d told her, rubbing at my horn. “Never.”

There had been plenty of females. Females whose company I’d enjoyed, especially when I was still in the state to enjoy the fruits of my hard work. Now? The thought held little appeal. The females on Luxiria had clamored after me because of my wealth and status. I’d mistrusted everything that they ever said and slowly, I’d stopped taking lovers entirely.

She had probed about my life just as I had hers. I’d answered anything she asked and her curiosity had always started with the word ‘question.’ Like she’d needed to announce her intentions as she rapidly fired them at me. Question: did I have siblings? Tev, two brothers. Question: did I miss Luxiria? Nix, I did not, though I did miss the heat. Question: did I study to become a builder? Tev, through intensive and extensive education since I was a child. Question: do you watch any of the Quadrant networks? Tev, I enjoyed the Hyrinn races—which she’d made a face at that had me laughing.

Question: did I ever get lonely?

That question had given me pause. I’d looked up at her, shrugged, and simply said, “I don’t feel lonely right now.”

That was all that mattered.

We were still staring at each other and I couldn’t help but drop my gaze to her lips when she started, “Question.”

“Tev?”

“Can I make you dinner tonight?”

I was already shaking my head, my gut pulling because I wanted to feed her.

“I like cooking,” she told me quickly. “And I only ever cook for myself so it’ll be nice to cook for someone else too for a change.”

I blinked, hesitating.

“Please?” she whispered, her lips curving into that damn smile that practically had me melting at her feet. “I’ll make it good.”

I nearly groaned at the way her words sounded. A rough sound did make it up my throat which had her eyelids lowering.

“Tev, very well,” I finally rasped. Standing, before I dragged her out of the chair and pinned her up against the wall of my domed dwelling, I suggested, “Why don’t you go bathe if you wish and I’ll clean up out here. I have to secure some machinery before the storm hits.”

Her grin was triumphant, her excitement palpable. She wanted to cook for me. Wanted to feed me. For the first time, I felt a little ray of hope spear through my chest, wondering if perhaps she was growing attached to me too. Wondering if perhaps she did feel the pull between us.

Then she did something I didn’t expect. She went up on her tiptoes, curving her hand around my shoulder to tug me down.

She pressed a kiss, soft and sweet, to my cheek, though dangerously close to my lips.

When she pulled back, her eyes caught on mine. She smiled, shy but knowing.

“I had fun today,” she told me.

I rubbed at my chest when my heart did a strange little flip.

“Even if you took my job half the time,” she tsked, turning on her heel.

She grinned at me over her shoulder before she walked down the pathway, heading towards the front door and her bath. And I watched her go, practically slack-jawed and drooling, my gaze glued to her backside, memorizing the way her hips swayed, feeling the heated memory of her lips on my cheek. I caught a whiff of her arousal in the humid air.

My cock gave a pulse.

Vrax.

CHAPTER 10

LYRA

The wind was howling outside the domed dwelling, slamming into the glass windows, which withstood the impact effortlessly. Out on the terrace, I heard something fly through the air, clanging against metal hard and a sharp sigh bit out of my companion’s throat.

“Vrax,” he murmured.

“What was that?” I asked, nibbling on my lip.

“A terrace stone,” he told me.

“Did you know about the storms before you moved here?” I wondered.

“I knew it had a stormy season,” he informed me. “Just not how violent they were. But I don’t regret it. The repair work keeps me busy. And the season doesn’t last long.”

Just like Droxan had predicted, the storm had hit shortly after the sun lowered into the horizon. Shortly after we’d finished eating the dinner I made him. Along with a soft purple root mash, I’d grilled marinated flank—of an Ullima creature that Droxan simply called a taxa—seasoned in a spice that he said he made himself. His own blend. From his garden, which I hadn’t known he had.

“You have a garden?” I’d asked him as I watched him chew. He liked the dinner, I could see the pleasure on his face as we sat side-by-side at his stone counter, and the knowledge had filled me with immense satisfaction.

“I’ll show you tomorrow,” he’d promised. “When the storm lets up.”

Now, as the storm raged outside, I huddled closer to the big, warm male lounging among the cushions beside me. Droxan had a jug of kriviro wine that he’d brought up from his cellar to pair with our dinner. Another extravagance. And when I had protested him opening it—for I knew it was much too expensive—he’d simply looked at me with a raised brow as he popped the pressurized stopper.

We were finishing the jug as we watched the rain stream down the domed windows.

“It’s like we’re behind a waterfall,” I commented, my head feeling pleasantly light. Anticipation had been building in my belly all night. All day, truthfully. The wine helped steel my courage as I shifted closer, my thigh brushing his own. “Though I’ve never seen one. I watch the nature documentaries on the Nu and there is a planet that is filled with waterfalls. A water planet that just looks like it’s filled with mist from the spray.”

He inclined his head. “Bvaro.”

I beamed. “You know it?”

“I knew someone who lived there. They have these floating cities, spread out on the water like they are entire continents. I stayed at one of the resorts there once. It’s beautiful.”

I blew out a breath, tilting my head to study the male. Throughout the day, it had become rather apparent to me just how much he’d experienced throughout his own life. He couldn’t be that much older than I was—maybe five to ten years older?—but it was obvious that he was used to wealth. He knew countless well-known merchants throughout the Quadrants. People from places like Bvaro. He was well-traveled, had been to places like Horrin, which I’d heard was a nightmare to secure a visitor visa for. He had connections. Seemingly everywhere.

And yet…he was here.

On Ullima.

Truthfully, he intimidated me. To know that this male who I’d been shamelessly flirting with for the better part of the day was someone important. And me? I was just an orphan human girl from Wero. Who only drank half a glass of wine on weeknights and who got excited when the traveling vegetable vendor stopped in at the colony for market day.

But then there was this side of him too. The quiet Droxan. The one who sometimes pinned me with a look so hot that I could actually feel that gaze running over my body. The one whose soft, chuffing laugh filled me with warmth, like I’d won something every time I’d managed to pull it from him. The one who shrugged as he popped open a 5,000 credit jug of wine for me and who frowned whenever he saw me cleaning his tools off on my tunic, as if he couldn’t stand the thought of me lifting my little finger to help him.

Droxan brought his goblet to his lips and I felt a stab of longing go through me as I watched him drink. I was aroused and squirming next to him. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to smell me.

Desperately, I wondered why he wasn’t making a move. I thought I’d made my interest clear.

Is it because he doesn’t want me to feel pressured? I wondered. It made sense. I was a female that was completely dependent on him right now. It was entirely possible that he didn’t want to frighten me.

Maybe I would have to make the first move. With that thought, I drained the last bit of wine in my own goblet and leaned forward to set it on the ledge of the fire pit. He’d turned it on when we sat down. This was downright romantic. A fire, wine after a satisfying meal, rain pelting down on the windows, cuddling on the cushions in his sunken living room.

Droxan had bathed while I’d been puttering around in his kitchen. While I was disappointed he wasn’t bare-chested, the black tunic he wore conformed to his body like a second skin. He looked so damn soft. Maybe it was the wine but all I wanted to do was rub my face against his chest.

His pants were made of a similar material but they did nothing to conceal the obvious tent in his lap. When he thought I hadn’t been watching, he’d adjusted his cock so that it lined up with the waistband, making me squeeze my thighs together.

It wasn’t even that I wanted to have sex tonight. Some under the clothes petting and making out would be perfectly adequate. I just wanted to get my hands on him. Bite him a little. Suck on his bottom lip and hear him come undone. Maybe grab onto his horns while he gave me a hickey.

Was that so much for a girl to ask?

“Question,” I murmured quietly, my voice husky but soft, hushed by the rain and the lack of distance between us.

“Tev?” he rumbled, eyeing me before his gaze narrowed.

I smiled. Suspicious male.

“Are your horns sensitive?”

He stiffened but I caught the little bobbing movement in his lap. His audible swallow only made my breath go more shallow.

Then he was inhaling deeply. He leaned forward, the soft whistle of his tunic brushing at my ear drums, and set his half-finished goblet next to mine.

When he settled back against the cushions, he turned his head to look at me, something noticeable different on his expression, and rasped in a deliciously deep voice, “Why don’t you find out, Lyra?”

My pussy squeezed and I nearly whimpered out loud.

The look in his eyes was a challenge. It was a caress. It was an invitation, one I’d been ready to seize all day.

He huffed out a ragged breath at the first brush of my fingers. Briefly, his eyes closed when I dragged it down the nearest bone-like horn. It was smooth, strong.

“Can you feel it?” I whispered, my heart racing so hard that I wondered if he could hear it.

“Tev.”

“Does it feel good?” I asked next, shifting closer.

He reached for me then and I nearly moaned at the heat of his hands as they tugged me over his lap, the sudden movement surprising. He maneuvered me like I was weightless and not a curvy, big-boned human woman. Compared to him, though, I supposed I was small.

He brought me into his lap but it was me who straddled his hips, sliding my thighs over him, pressing our cores together. There was a thick cock pressed to his waistband that I bumped as my tunic wiggled up my legs, bunching around the top of my ass.

“Vrax,” he breathed, his jaw tightening, his hands flexing on my waist. “Lyra.”

Those palms slid down to where the hem was, dull claws scraping against my fleshy cheeks.

I gripped both his horns in my fists, making him hiss, which was followed by a soft moan. I felt the pulse of his cock as I felt another rush of wetness bloom between my thighs. I would soak the front of his pants, given my lack of underwear.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” I said shakily, tightening my hands on his horns, “but you drive me crazy. I—I’ve never felt like this. Not ever.”

His half-lidded eyes narrowed. He wore an expression of…understanding. Calm understanding mixed with his wild lust. And I didn’t know how he pulled that look off effortlessly, but he did.

His hands finally gripped the cheeks of my ass, his palms spreading over them wide, as he tugged me down. He pressed until my bare pussy met the searing heat of his thick shaft. When I wiggled my hips, moaning, I could feel the knobs and ridges that lined his cock.

“You would feel so amazing inside me,” I keened, my voice unrecognizable. Low and desperate and aching.

He huffed out a harsh breath when I maneuvered his horns back so his gaze met mine. It was a heady feeling, controlling him by his horns. I could only imagine gripping them as he lapped at my slick pussy, using them as I thrust against his tongue.

There was a fire burning in my belly. Raging now that it’d been stoked. This feeling should frighten me. This level of arousal and desire should alarm me.

But his steady gaze held me, keeping me still. All the while, his hips moved, rocking against me, dragging that thick length through my folds until I wet the front of his pants. Even I could smell my arousal. And for the first time, I noticed how dilated his eyes were. The blue of them nearly gone. All black now.

“I don’t know if you’re ready for my cock, luxiva,” he informed me, gruff and deep. Why did that word sound so familiar? “Because once I get inside this hot, slick cunt, I’ll keep you in my furs for days. I’ll never want to leave.”

He licked his lips, his eyes dropping to my own as I hovered. He spoke of that like it was a bad thing.

“So for now,” he continued, his voice like a rough stroke against my body, heightening my arousal, “I’ll take the edge off, tev?”

I didn’t want the edge. I wanted to hurtle off the damn cliff.

In the back of my mind—the reasonable part that was the size of a sliver at this moment—I knew that it wouldn’t be right to have sex with him unless I told him about the pre-treatments. I was about to begin ovulating—if I wasn’t already—since I’d timed my appointment perfectly. The treatments made me extra fertile. He had a right to know and we would need to be careful, to use protection.

But right now? I could barely string two words together, so maybe he was right. I needed a little relief to be able to think straight. Relief he could give me.

“Question,” I huffed out, meeting his thrusts between my thighs, making him groan low in his throat as a purr started deep in his chest.

“Tev?” he growled.

“Do you want to kiss me?”

His eyes were so black, reflecting the fire pit at my back. The look in his gaze…shit, it almost made me spontaneously come right then and there.

My chin tilted in invitation and that was all he needed.

His lips came to mine, hard and ravenous.

I moaned against his lips, desperately mewing when I felt the purring in his chest vibrate against my hardened nipples. That felt so good, almost as good as his cock grinding against my pussy.

I angled my head so I could kiss him deeper. Parting my lips, I felt him take full advantage, a warm, thick tongue stroking at my own. Then I gasped in surprise because his tongue was ridged.

Desperate need made the ache rise in me so high, it was bordering on pain.

“Droxan,” I pleaded into his kiss, tasting the wine on his tongue, addicting and oh so right. “Please!”

He broke the kiss and the next moment, my tunic was ripped off, baring my naked body. Normally, I’d feel self-conscious. About the thickness of my stomach and the way my thighs jiggled as he pushed me back. But not right then.

My back hit the cushions—a position I imagined he’d slept in the night before, right here. The flames in the fire pit cast a golden light over my body, over his, as he prowled over me. The muscles in his arms were so deep and sculpted that the light cast them into shadow. They flexed and shifted as he moved, as he lowered himself to drag his ridged tongue over my naked breasts.

Above me, the rain pelted harder at the windows. For a brief moment, the rain seemed torrential, drowning out my loud cries of pleasure as he suckled at my tits, as he teased the tight point of my nipples with the edge of his sharp teeth.

He squeezed both of them together so he only had to turn his head a fraction to switch nipples, my cleavage a deepened valley as he played.

“Perfect,” he growled, his eyes meeting mine as he sucked hard. “Vraxing perfect.”

Then he shifted as the throbbing between my thighs grew too great.

“Yes,” I hissed, desperate and aching as I watched him slide down my body. I wanted to feel that tongue, hot at the seam of my pussy. I wanted him to devour me. “Droxan, please!”

“Is this what you want?” he asked me, voice guttural. If I closed my eyes, it wouldn’t sound like him at all. “Vrax, look at how slick you are, vellixa. Is this where you ache for me?”

“Yes,” I cried, rolling my hips shamelessly.

“It might not pass, luxiva,” he warned, only his words didn’t make sense. “It might make the need worse.”

“What?” I asked, brows furrowing.

He didn’t even need to spread my thighs, I was already shamelessly parting them for him.

The first lap of his tongue nearly made me scream with pleasure. A rough growl joined my cry. A beat of disbelief went through me before I felt him go to work between my legs.

“Oh gods,” I whispered, my eyes wide as I watched him devour me.

His tongue seemed like it was everywhere as he held the lips of my pussy open, all so he could lap and lick at my clit. His whole mouth came down on me as his dark eyes held mine. My back bowed from the cushions when he sucked.

“Yes, just like that!” I cried.

I wouldn’t last long. Especially when I saw his hips rolling against the cushions below him, fucking them, seeking friction for his own pleasure.

His whispered curse fell over my sensitive flesh and then my eyes rolled back into my head when I felt the prod of his thick fingers at my entrance. He went gently at first, fucking me with one, testing my tightness. But he had me so slick, so needy, that soon he added another.

“Look at me,” he growled from between my thighs as a thrill went racing down my spine. I liked him demanding and my eyes popped open at his command, seeking his. “Good female. So vraxing good.”

My pussy quivered at the praise, a kink I hadn’t even known I’d had, and then I reached down to grab his horns, thick in my palms.

“Tev,” he hissed, the frantic movement of his hips against the cushions quickening.

Those black orbs were pinned on me as he fucked me with his fingers and suckled on my clit.

“Droxan,” came my choked cry.

There was no warning. I felt a small tell-tale tremble…

And then I burst, hurtling over the damn cliff fast and hard.

My scream of pleasure drowned out even the storm.

CHAPTER 11

DROXAN

My female was perfect. Filling my mouth with her come, her cream. My prize.

I would never get enough of her taste. Even as I lapped and sucked every last drop, I wanted more.

Patience, I chided myself, even as I ground my cock against the cushions, desperate desire riding me hard.

Lyra was coming down from her orgasm, the pulsing of her walls beginning to soften, though they still squeezed against my fingers.

My Instinct was urging me to mate. To fuck. To fill her with my seed, to plant it deep in her womb, to breed her. A constant purring was threading up my throat, mixing with a growl. I didn’t want to scare her. I didn’t want to—

“Your turn,” came her own husky demand. “Stand up.”

As if my brain had turned off and she alone controlled my body, I pushed up from between her legs.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and glassy from her orgasm, as she came to kneel before me.

“Vrax,” I bit out harshly when her fingers tugged down the waistband of my trews and my cock swung out, nearly hitting her cheek. Warning her, I hissed, “Lyra, I won’t last long if you do this.”

Her eyes were round and wide on my cock but it didn’t stop her hand from curving around the base. The head of my engorged cock was slick with the beginnings of my seed, the sheen opalescent in the firelight.

“Gods,” she whispered, sliding her look of disbelief from my cock up to my eyes. The want there nearly made me come. “I think your cock might actually be perfect.”

I laughed at the unexpected comment but it sounded strained in my desire. “You think so, female? Well, it’s all yours.”

I had no warning when she shifted forward, tugging my cock up as she laid the flat side of her tongue against the bottom, licking a long, dragging, hot line up the sensitive flesh.

“Fates,” I hissed, my eyes rolling back briefly, my legs nearly giving out from underneath me. My hands moved through the silky strands of her hair. More pre-cum pushed from my tip and I bellowed out a rough cry when she sucked on it hard, tasting me, her cheeks hollowing as she looked up at me. “Lyra!”

“Yes?” she teased, her eyes half-lidded. “You taste so good, Droxan.”

Who are you? I wanted to ask her. And where the vrax have you been all my life?

But I knew exactly who she was.

My fated mate.

That thunderbolt of knowledge reverberated in my chest. At first, when she’d crash landed on Ullima, it had filled me with dread and dismay. Now?

I don’t know if I can let her go, I thought desperately. I don’t know if I can survive if she walks away from me.

It took me less than two days to come to that realization. Luxirian males rarely survived without their fated mates. Those that did became shells of themselves.

If Lyra left, if she returned to Wero, would that be my fate too?

Her fist ran down my cock though she couldn’t fit all of me in her palm. She ducked her head again and I felt the familiar heat rumbling in my varx.

“I’m going to come,” I hissed in warning. “Vrax, you drive me to madness, female!”

She hummed around my cock, her multi-colored eyes flashing up to mine.

“The feeling is mutual,” she informed me.

Then she took me deep. Her fist ran up and down my cock as her head bobbed, as my hands clenched in her hair, holding her to me when I crossed the line that I couldn’t come back from.

All the pent up tension from the day came releasing from me at once. Even though I tried to pull back, she didn’t let me. My cock spasmed and the hot sear of my seed came rushing up, bursting on her tongue.

She moaned. I wondered if I tasted as good to her as she did to me. As my bellow shook the damn walls of my dwelling, I felt her suck and lap at my slit, drinking down every last lash of my come on her tongue.

And even when I was spent, when my body jerked and a ragged, deep moan burst from my throat, she was still seeking more.

My knees finally gave way and when I fell back to the cushions, I dragged her against me.

Her lips were at my throat as she cuddled up to me. The blunt edge of her teeth as she nibbled and sucked at my neck had me groaning.

“You’re still hard,” she commented, running her palm down my tunic-covered chest. “Is that…is that normal?”

I grunted, unable to form a single coherent word. Not yet.

Just as I’d suspected, the orgasm did nothing to satisfy the Instinct’s demands. For either of us. Lyra was rubbing herself against me, the delicious slide of her body so damn right. My cock bobbed and pulsed, hard and ready, even on the heels of that mind-numbing orgasm.

“Tev,” I finally said. “For us, tev. It is normal.”

“For us?” she whispered, pulling away from my neck to peck a kiss across my lips.

I swallowed, squeezing her lush backside, as her fingers tugged at the hem of my tunic.

“It’s going to be a long night,” I growled at her, helping her peel off the material that shielded my chest from her view. She wiggled up my body and my nostrils flared when her dull little claws dug into my pectorals, a thoroughly possessive grip, one that made me even harder.

“I’m ready for it,” she said, her lips curling up into a grin.

CHAPTER 12

LYRA

“I’m not usually like this, you know,” I found myself whispering as I tried to reclaim my breath.

I was sucking in air like I’d been under water this whole time but the orgasm that had just ripped through my body had been merciless.

Droxan made a familiar sound, a cross of a growl and a purr. It had been pretty constant rumbling from his chest, like an idling engine. That certainly hadn’t been on the Luxirian male’s bio at the fertility clinic, but I found that I liked it.

“Mmmm and what are you usually like?” he rasped, his breath hot against my neck as he began to kiss me there.

I felt weightless. Hours of orgasms could do that to a girl, I realized. Boneless. Delirious. Happy. I wanted to laugh, as filled up as I was with endorphins.

We still hadn’t made it to bed though it was hours later.

The Pleasure Pit, I decided. This sunken living room area was officially known as The Pleasure Pit from here on out.

Even the storm was beginning to abate. The tumultuous winds had died down. The rain was a steady pelt but no longer a torrential downpour. I thought that the storm alone proved Droxan’s talent as a builder. A storm like that would’ve blown over entire cities. But not a single leak had sprung in the house and I felt totally and completely safe.

“Boring,” I told him, in answer to his question.

He laughed, a sharp chuff at my neck. “I don’t believe that.”

“It’s true,” I sighed, finally feeling the drag of my eyelids going heavy whenever I blinked. We smelled of sex even though we’d never sealed the deal. But Droxan had eaten me out more times than I could count and I was very intimately acquainted with the feel of his cock in my mouth, all hot and velvety and I knew just the spot that had him spontaneously coming down my throat. I knew that he went insane when I wiggled my tongue there.

My jaw ached from his sheer girth but I didn’t care. My voice would be hoarse in the morning from all my sobbing cries of pleasure but all I did right then was give him a sleepy smile.

“I like my routines,” I said, my heart finally calming and I turned in his arms, feeling them wrap low, feeling the weight of his still hard cock pressing into my belly, but I’d long ago given up on trying to make him soften. Just because he was hard didn’t mean I didn’t satisfy him. “I like the predictability of it. And you? This place? Anything but predictable.”

“And why is that?” he wanted to know, finally ungluing his lips from my neck to peer into my eyes. My head was in the crook of his strong arm. His other was slung across my hip.

It struck me how comfortable I felt with him.

As if we’d been hooking up for years. As if I hadn’t just crash landed onto his planet and into his life yesterday.

“Such a strange thing,” I whispered, putting off his question.

“What is?” he rumbled.

“To think I never knew you existed until yesterday.”

Those blue eyes gleamed. He went tense for a very brief moment. His lips opened. Then closed. His brow furrowed.

“The Fates rarely work in the way you think they will,” was what he finally said. Though I had the odd thought that he was going to say something else entirely.

The Fates. The Luxirians’ deities, I knew.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he reminded me, running his dull claws up my spine, making me shiver.

“Does it matter?” I whispered.

“I want to know everything about you, luxiva,” he told me. “Is that such a bad thing?”

I sighed, snuggling closer. “I learned to like routines. Maybe ‘like’ isn’t the right word. I think I needed them.” His expression was puzzled and I finally admitted, “I was orphaned young. I never knew my birth parents. And so growing up, I never had a stable home. I’d lived in four different places, in two different Quadrants, until I went to live with a family on Brune.”

“That is…” he trailed off, frowning, coming up to his elbow so he could look down at me, giving me his full attention while my head rolled onto a cushion. “I’m sorry, Lyra. I didn’t know.”

How could you? I thought silently.

“I didn’t have a terrible childhood,” I told him, not expecting to talk about this tonight. Not one bit. “I consider myself lucky. I got placed with a human family and I lived there until I came of age. But we were never a family, you know? We were a mishmash group of people. But living there was predictable. They were strict but they were never mean. And I came to crave that dependability because nothing in my life had ever been dependable before, moving from place to place like that. It was exactly what I needed, at that time. And I guess…”

I chuffed out a small laugh, making him frown.

“I guess I’ve just lived that way ever since,” I said quietly, turning on him with a small smile. “Because if you met me on Wero, you’d think I was a stick in the mud.”

“A stick in the mud?” he repeated slowly, blinking as he processed my words. He shook his head. “Nix, I don’t think I’d ever think of you like that.”

“I wake up at the same time every day. I have the same thing for breakfast. I commute the same path, work the same job, talk with the same people, and then I come home,” I whispered, turning in his arms. There was a desperation rising in my chest as I listed off all these things, like check marks down a list. I realized I never left room in my structured life for anything but those check marks.

Except for a baby, I couldn’t help but think.

That was the only thing I allowed myself to want for me.

For a long time.

And the damn vacation cruise, I grumbled mentally, though right then, lying in the arms of a gorgeous Luxirian who literally made me see stars, I couldn’t feel all that bad about it.

“So this woman?” I murmured to him, gesturing between us, like our naked bodies would show him what I was trying to highlight. “I don’t really recognize her.”

“I do,” he rasped. Softly. Quietly. He was serious. “I recognize you.”

The words sent a wonderful spiral of warmth into my belly.

“Yeah?” I whispered, smiling. “Because I kinda like her.”

His low laugh had goosebumps breaking over my flesh. “I do too. But I know I’d like you if I met you on Wero too.”

I didn’t really believe that but it felt nice to hear him say it regardless.

“I don’t think a male like you would’ve ever stepped foot on Wero,” I told him.

He frowned. “Why not?”

“It’s a sleepy little colony. Our biggest tourist attraction is this blow hole that shoots out lava during the hot season. That and our local tavern, which one of your beloved Hyrinn racers visited once.”

“I love lava blow holes,” he rasped in my ear, making a loud giggle burst from me. “Sounds exciting.”

I…liked him.

I could understand the sexual attraction. He was a handsome male. Exactly my type…a little broody, but caring.

But I hadn’t expected him to make me feel so safe. So wanted.

My last relationship? It had been with a human male literally five years ago. I’d dated him for six months and not once had he ever made me feel the way Droxan had made me feel in the span of a single day.

The realization was humbling.

“What about you?” I asked. Now I understood why he said he’d wanted to know all about me. Because I found myself eager for any scrap of information I could glean about him.

“What about me?”

“Are you different here?” I wondered out loud, wiggling in his arms so I could face him more fully as his fingers traced over my hip, making a long line from the curve of my outer buttock, dipping down the slope of my waist, and trailing over the side of my breast. “Than you were on Luxiria?”

“Tev,” he said. “And nix. Not at all.”

I cocked my head, willing him to continue.

“I had passion for my work once,” he grunted. “I’d trained for it nearly my whole life, dedicating myself to architecture and design. The quality of it, the beauty of it. That’s what was important to me. When I came here, to Ullima, I felt that again. This blank slate of a place and its endless possibilities.”

“You’re a creative,” I murmured, grinning. “Ullima inspired you.”

“Tev,” he said. “And I had lost that inspiration on Luxiria. Not just lost, though. It was taken too. My family…it is a complicated matter. I love them but I learned that I am happier without them. In coming here, I decided to do what was best for me, not them, even if it hurt.”

Something ached in my chest at the words, sharp and tugging.

“What happened?”

“I brought my brothers and my mother into my business,” he told me, sighing. “I was busy working on a project off-planet a few years ago and they made deals with suppliers that I would never have worked with behind my back. Cheap suppliers. Ones who cut corners, who lied about materials and their durability. My family authorized plans I told them to refuse. They wanted credits. They wanted them quickly, as if I hadn’t already given them enough. In the end, an entire block of a new city on Luxiria was built with those materials, all under the guise that I had approved them. And during the first bad storm, the entire block nearly collapsed.”

My breath hitched. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Nix, thank the Fates,” he breathed. “It was still barricaded off but I have nightmares thinking about if they weren’t.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my brow furrowing.

“I cannot only blame my family though,” he confessed to me. “I stretched myself too thin, needing to be in too many places at once. If I had been on Luxiria, I would have made those decisions without issue. It wasn’t so much the betrayal, it was…realizing that I was just going through the motions of work and not truly feeling fulfilled by it. Not anymore. And suddenly, it made me sick to my stomach.”

“So you left,” I guessed. “You came here for a fresh start.”

“Tev,” he murmured, his eyes knowing as they connected with mine. “A fresh start.”

“And you don’t ever miss being around people?” I asked.

“People are greedy,” he told me, his tone matter-of-fact. “People always wanted things from me and I guess I got tired of all the taking. So nix, not really.”

“And do you think that about me?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He tensed, his brow furrowing. “Nix. Not at all.”

“I’m kind of imposing on you, don’t you think? Sleeping in your bed, eating your food, wearing your clothes,” I listed off. My eyes strayed to the jug of wine. “I mean, you just opened up kriviro wine for me.”

His hand stroked through my hair and he let out a puff of air, an exasperated sigh. “And you haven’t let me forget it,” he teased. “Vrax, female, the people I’m speaking of back home would’ve raided my damn cellar. And I like you in my bed and in my clothes. It pleases me.”

My shoulders relaxed, chuckling a bit at the way he nipped at my shoulder with the last words.

A beat of comfortable silence stretched as he let my hair drift through his fingers.

“Would it bother you?” he murmured suddenly. “Not being around people all the time?”

There was a tone in his voice that had me studying him. Carefully.

Does he feel it too? I wondered. This strange connection between us?

Asking me something like that…it made a flurry of butterflies erupt in my belly. As if…as if he was thinking of me here. With him.

This is crazy, I thought. So why wasn’t I scared?

“No,” I said softly, deliberately. “Though I’d probably miss market days. I’m a very thrifty shopper, you know, and I always like to hunt for the good deals. Nothing is quite as thrilling as that.”

My teasing words were meant to lighten the sudden tension thrumming between us. Not that it was bad. It was just noticeable.

It worked. He laughed, the sound deep and gruff.

“Have you ever been to Nikk?” he asked.

I gasped. “No.”

“You know it’s close to Ullima, right?”

“You lie,” I accused, pushing at his unyielding shoulder, making his laugh deepen. “It’s here?”

“A half-day cruiser ride, if that,” he informed me. “I got the hydro-flame there.”

Nikk was the market day destination. A massive, open-air market with vendors from all over the Quadrants, setting up shop every single day, not just a couple times every moon cycle.

I’d only ever read about it.

“One day,” I sighed, dropping back to relax on the cushion again. “One day, I’ll go.”

With a baby though? I couldn’t help but think. When would I find the time? Or the credits for the passage?

His expression was warm and his smile was gentle, making my heart thud.

“Maybe sooner than you think,” he told me, making my belly flutter all over again.

Curving my hand around the back of his neck, I tugged, making my need evident. I caught the flash of his teeth when he smiled, but then I was kissing him.

You should tell him, I thought as he groaned, as he stroked his tongue against mine, a tongue that had spent the better part of the night between my legs like he’d been starved for me. You should tell him about the fertility treatments.

I would have to soon. Before we had sex. It was only fair.

But not right then, I decided, as he slid over me, as he settled his weight on top on me, pressing me back into the cushions.

Tomorrow, I vowed and then eagerly returned his kiss.

CHAPTER 13

LYRA

“Where are we going?” I laughed, gripping Droxan’s hand tight as he led me down a winding stone staircase. “And why did you want me to wear this again?”

“You said humans swim in it,” he told me, eyeing my red bikini as he looked at me over his shoulder.

“So we are going swimming?” I guessed. My face hurt from grinning so much. “You also said Luxirians swim naked.”

“Tev,” he purred. “They do.”

“So why do I have a feeling I’ll also end up naked?” I teased.

“Because you will,” he answered, his tone matter-of-fact.

Another laugh.

The stone staircase was slick and narrow, so Droxan was leading. He kicked off any branch or twig or leaf that littered the path, as if he needed to make sure it was entirely clear for me to step on it.

When we reached a tree that had fallen over in the storm, he swept me up in his arms and I squealed as he vaulted us over it, the muscles in his abdomen tensing, his arms tightening. Then he kept me in his arms, his skin warm against my side as he carried me bridal-style down the stairs.

“How are you feeling?” he asked me for the millionth time that day. I’d woken up in The Pleasure Pit, half-delirious from the plethora of orgasms the night before. My pussy was still tingling, even now, and sensitive. Though I still craved him. A lot. It was the most maddening thing and I’d never experienced anything quite like it.

“Very good,” I told him, stroking a line down the middle of his bare chest. “But could do with another little pit stop.”

He groaned. We’d already had one, not a few steps down the staircase, which led to the jungle ravine from his terrace. He’d pushed me back against a tree, dropped to his knees, tugged aside my bikini bottoms, and licked me to another knee-trembling orgasm right there and then.

It was freeing to realize no one around could hear us. I could be as loud as I wanted, screaming my pleasure out into Ullima, whereas back at my apartment on Wero, I’d literally had to muffle even my softer moans whenever I touched myself. Unless I wanted the neighbors to know what I was doing.

“We are almost there,” he informed me.

I’d been thinking about last night all morning. A constant replay in my mind. And I knew what I wanted that day. I just wondered if Droxan would want the same thing.

“And where is there?”

He chuckled. He waited to tell me though, his feet finally landing on the bottom step and I heard something through the thick canopy of blue and green trees. A rush. Like wind.

A gentle mist of water floated out from a clearing and when Droxan rounded a massive boulder that shielded our destination from view, I literally gasped.

“A waterfall!”

“Tev,” he murmured, letting me slide from his arms down his body as I laughed in delight. “You said you’d never seen one before. Not in person.”

He was so incredibly thoughtful. I whirled in his arms, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“Thank you,” I breathed. “This is wonderful!”

I flipped back around, walking towards the waterfall, craning my head back to look up at it in its entirety. The mist felt cool against my skin but the waterfall was so high and large that soon, my hair was entirely wet and my bikini was sticking to me.

But I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The waterfall roared down into a massive lagoon with crystal clear water. I could see every last stone that littered the base of it, even as the waterfall rippled the water, making it lap like an ocean.

“We get to swim here?” I asked, excited.

Droxan came up next to me, his hands already going to the waistband of his pants. “Tev.”

He was naked in the next moment, his skin slick from the water, his dark hair going even inkier as he smoothed it back from his face, curling it around his horns.

“Do you like it?” he asked me.

“Love it,” I corrected, eyeing him, grinning. His cock pulsed, the tip already wet with his pre-cum, and I nearly dropped to my knees, like I was trained. “You want the bikini on or off?”

“On,” he rasped, running a hand over his horn when he got an eyeful of my tight, hardened nipples through the material. “For now.”

Oh.

Droxan took my hand, tugging me inside the lagoon. The water was surprisingly warm and felt lovely. Blinking the mist from my eyes, I wrapped my arms around Droxan’s shoulders, pressing my front into his as he waded us deeper.

When we were at the base of the waterfall, I cried out in delight when he dipped us in, as a constant stream of it fell over us.

He was grinning, wiping his hand over his eyes when we came out, and I wrapped my legs around waist, trusting him to keep us from sinking.

Biting my lip, I felt his hard cock press against my pussy and watched the smile slowly die from his face, only to be replaced by desire and need. I recognized that look. I was certain it matched my own.

“Lyra,” he murmured and I only tightened my legs around him. Leaning forward, I kissed him, hearing his roughened groan when I immediately sought his tongue.

“I love kissing you,” I breathed to him, before sucking on the tip briefly. “I wish I could do it forever.”

He purred.

Realizing that we were the only two beings on this entire planet wasn’t the only freeing thing about this place. Droxan felt freeing too. I felt like I could be myself. I felt like I could be honest with him about what I wanted, my crazy desire for him, my need.

Well, not honest about everything, came the stray thought.

That thought had me pulling back, sighing.

“What is it?” he asked, confused why I’d stopped, his voice going deep and husky after our kiss. The mist from the waterfall continued to float all around us and I felt like we were in our own little world. In a way, we were. Shielded. Safe.

“I want to have sex with you,” I told him.

Droxan stiffened. His cock gave a bob of agreement. “Tev?”

Not once had he pushed it, giving me time to make that decision, which I appreciated.

“But…” I trailed off. “There’s something you should know first.”

His brow furrowed. Immediate concern crossed his features, which only made my lips quirk up.

“It’s nothing bad,” I assured him…though truthfully, I didn’t quite know how he would feel about it. “It’s just that…well, you know how I told you that I took the Starlight United cruise because I wanted one last vacation before everything would change?”

“Tev,” he said slowly, his arms tightening around me. “I remember.”

“It’s because I’ve been getting fertility treatments on a colony near Wero,” I told him, getting the words out in a rush.

His brow lowered even more, the confusion still evident on his face.

“In preparation for a child,” I finished. “A baby.”

His pupils went black. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense but I had the impression that it was in anticipation. Which was…interesting.

“Tev?” he rumbled.

“The appointment I had later this week? It was going to be the insemination stage of the process,” I said.

His nostrils flared. Then he went still for a very different reason. “The insemination stage?”

I nodded, hesitantly. “From a donor.”

“A donor,” he repeated.

“Yes.”

His breath whistled through him.

Hurriedly, I said, “I’ve been getting pre-treatment injections to make me, uh, more fertile. All in anticipation for the sperm donor. But now, that appointment is obviously not happening since I, um, crashed here and everything. But I just thought that you should know. That if we have sex, we will need to be careful and use protection, since I’m…”

“Fertile,” he rasped.

My face heated. “Yes.”

I couldn’t get a read on him. He’d gone strangely still, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine.

“I’ve just always wanted a child,” I found myself telling him. “I’ve dreamed of a child for so long. I thought that I’d get lucky, maybe meet someone compatible, a life partner who wanted the same things that I did. But it never happened. And the clock is ticking for me. Having a child after a certain age can be risky for humans and so I started saving. I’ve saved up for years for the treatments, just in case. Then suddenly, I had enough credits. And I still hadn’t found someone I wanted to start a family with. So I decided to book the treatments. To choose a donor. To get pregnant and raise a child on my own.”

The story spilled from me the longer he was staring. He still had an unreadable look on his face. A part of me couldn’t tell if I’d just ruined everything between us.

Well, no shit, I couldn’t help but think. You just told the guy that you’re super primed to have a baby and you just met him.

Only…I felt safe telling him this. Droxan was different. He was unlike any male I’d ever met before.

“It doesn’t have to change anything,” I told him quietly, squeezing the tight ball of his shoulder, wiping the water that dripped into my eyes with my other hand. “I just thought you should know so that we can be careful. But I really want to have sex with you. If you want that too.”

A gruff sound wound up his throat.

“Unless you don’t?” I asked, disappointment and embarrassment threading through my belly. “Because I’ll understand if you—”

I felt a tug underneath me and I watched him toss away the bottoms of my bikini with wide eyes. Floating away towards the bank, pushed by the waterfall waves.

He’d ripped them from me.

Then a startled moan rang out across the lagoon because suddenly his fingers were between my legs and he was rolling and pressing the pad of his wide thumb against my sensitive clit.

“Droxan.”

“You think I haven’t vraxing ached to get inside you?” he growled. “To get inside his slick, hot cunt and feel you come around my cock?”

“Oh,” I breathed, feeling him slide a thick finger all the way inside me, right up to his knuckle. I clenched around the digit, beginning to rock against him. Relieved that he wasn’t afraid about the pre-treatments. “More,” I pleaded.

My hands were already reaching between us, desperate to grip that thick cock. I knew every inch of it now, knew where his ridges were, where he was most sensitive, how sucking on the spot below the head made his eyes roll back.

“We need to talk though, luxiva,” he groaned, his voice guttural, “because I don’t have protection here. I haven’t needed any for three vraxing years. You think I expected a beautiful human female to fall out of the sky, one who makes me this crazed?”

He…he hadn’t had sex for three years?

My stomach sank with realization.

No, no, no.

“Pull out then,” I pleaded. “Please, Droxan. Just pull out. I trust you.”

He groaned again but my words sparked heat. He wanted that. He wanted to fuck me bare.

“Not to be dramatic or anything,” I started, digging my fingers into his shoulders when I rocked my hips, the hot length of his cock sliding against my naked pussy, “but if we don’t have sex today, I might just shrivel up and die.”

He didn’t laugh. He only blew out a sharp breath through his nostrils.

“You’ll cancel the vraxing appointment,” he told me, his voice oddly still. “Tev? I’ll patch you through the coms myself. Whatever it takes.”

“What?” I whispered, my eyes wide.

He reached between us, taking his cock in hand, and my head lolled around my shoulders when he pressed the tip of it to my entrance.

“Yes,” I moaned. “Please.”

“No donor will ever get close to this cunt, tev?” he growled. “You’ll cancel the appointment. No other male will touch you.”

Oh.

Gods.

Was he jealous?

And why did that thought spark such a thrill down my spine?

“That’s…that’s not how it was going to work. I don’t have sex with the donor,” I told him regardless, nearly crying out in frustration when he took his cock away. “It’s done in a lab! I just have to choose the donor. They have…they have pictures. Descriptions. Gods, Droxan, will you just fuck me already?”

His nostrils had flared as I explained.

“No. Vraxing. Donors,” he said again, the words clipped. “Tev?”

“Yes,” I finally hissed. “It doesn’t matter anyways, I’m here. I’m going to miss the appointment.”

“And thank the Fates for that,” he growled, pressing that cock into me again.

“More,” I whispered, my eyes going half-lidded at the heat of him. “I like that you’re a little jealous. Does that make me a bad person?”

He let out another curse. He began to walk towards the edge of the lagoon and every step made the tip of his cock press into me more. “More than a little jealous,” he amended.

His expression wasn’t quite a glare. It was more like relief mingled with desperation. Jealousy. But also his obvious desire for me. It was an addicting feeling. I’d never expected him to be so possessive but I liked it.

I moaned. Then his cock left me as he dragged us from the lagoon and threw me back onto the flat bank, which was littered with wet leaves, as mist floated down on us.

“No other male but me,” he snarled, crawling over my body. “You’re vraxing mine, Lyra. Do you understand that?”

My pussy clenched at the demand I heard in his voice. In response, I tugged up my bikini top, tossing it away so that I was lying naked back on the bank.

“Say it,” he ordered.

“Yours,” I cried out when he kneeled between my thighs, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I’m yours, Droxan.”

The words only stoked the embers. It was foreplay almost as intense as the act itself and it lit us both on fire.

“Tev, you are,” he agreed with a dark, deep voice and then he was slamming into me.

My eyes closed, my back arched, as the stretching fill of him nearly made me orgasm immediately.

Big, big, big, I thought wildly. Too big and so right!

“More!” I cried out.

“Fates,” he groaned, dragging out the word, as he buried himself deep into my pussy, as far as he could possibly go and my walls spasmed around me, clenching, pulling.

“Gods,” I breathed. Then Droxan was lowering himself over me before taking my lips in a wild kiss. He poured his frustration, his need, his jealousy into that kiss. His awe. I felt how much he desired me, craved me in that single moment, feeling him so deep inside that he became a part of me.

And I kissed him back with the same fervor.

Between my thighs, I felt his hips tilt back. His cock dragged against my walls, the delicious slide of his retreat, making my eyes roll back in my head and my scalp tingle.

And when he pounded back into me? With a teeth-clattering thrust that had me seeing stars?

I screamed in pleasure, feeling the prick of my orgasm come on fast and hard.

CHAPTER 14

DROXAN

My fated mate—my luxiva—was incredibly tight.

Tight and hot and slick and needy.

Vrax.

I worried that I hurt her but my hard thrusts only had her clawing down my back. I felt the subtle rocking of her own hips trying to match my merciless rhythm.

I was all out of sorts.

Even I could see that.

My awakened Instinct was a mess of wild emotions.

The rightness of claiming my mate for the first time.

The hot desire that made me feel like a rutting beast between her thighs. I thought that I would kill anything that came close to her, those feral instincts surprising.

The knowledge that my mate had nearly been impregnated with another male’s seed. The rage and sinking dread and jealousy I felt at the prospect. Of another male laying claim to my mate and the child that she would give him.

That alone told me how deep I already was for her.

That alone told me that I’d been a vraxing fool to try to fight against an ancient Instinct that ran through my race’s blood, blessed by the Fates themselves.

Did I think that I could go against fate? My destiny?

Nix.

She was my destiny.

I only needed to prove that to her. Because I was done fighting this. She was mine. I was hers. And if she still wanted to leave Ullima, I would follow her. I would move to Wero and properly court her until she accepted me as hers, until she let me plant a child deep in her womb, until she let me be the mate and the provider and the protector that she and our family needed.

Relief soared through me.

Because we didn’t only have this short span of time anymore. I would follow her wherever she wanted to go. I would leave behind Ullima if she asked it of me.

Because only Lyra mattered now.

Her happiness. And since my own happiness was now tied to hers…I would do everything I could to give her whatever she wanted.

Her orgasm broke through the haze in my mind and I quickened my thrusts, feeling her clenching and pulsing around my cock. Trying to draw out my seed? When I could not give into those instincts?

Not yet, I vowed.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t fantasize about it. About shooting my come deep into her, of imagining her heavy with my child. Our child.

The Instinct was a special kind of madness. But we could both descend into it together because the bond between fated mates was strong.

Lyra felt it too. I knew she did. How could she not when it was this intense?

“You feel so vraxing good squeezing my cock like that, luxiva,” I growled to her, my sweat mixing with the mist from the waterfall. I felt the wet slide and slip of our bodies as I steadily pushed her up the bank with the ferocity of my thrusts.

“Gods, Droxan,” she breathed, her eyes wide. “I need more!”

Even though she’d just orgasmed, she needed it again. And I knew the only thing that would sate her was my come.

Dropping low, I nipped at her neck, sucking on her flesh as my hips wildly snapped between her thighs. A desperate, constant stream of moans was tumbling from her throat, mixing with my purrs.

My mouth trailed up to nibble at her ear. I groaned, feeling her practically suck me into her cunt, and she shivered.

Raggedly, she breathed, “I love the sounds you make. I love how you sound when you’re about to come.”

“Mmm, and you know when I’m about to come, don’t you, Lyra?” I rumbled. “You can vraxing feel it, can’t you?”

“Yes!”

Pulling back, I met her gaze. Our faces pressed close and she licked at the seam of my lips, huffing with every deep thrust, the sound of our mating filling the clearing.

“You want me to breed you, luxiva?” I growled at her. She gasped, her cunt clenching down on my cock hard at the wicked, forbidden words. “Tev, you like that. You want me to shoot my seed deep inside you? To get you heavy with my child?”

And I knew she was truly too far gone because I saw the wild snap of need and lust in her eyes as she cried out, “Yes! Please, Droxan!”

It was my undoing. The fiery path of my seed was shooting up my shaft. My abdomen clenched. My hips bucked. I fucked her harder, faster, chasing that pleasure that I knew only she could give me.

Her orgasm came first, enticing me to join her. Clenching around my cock, squeezing. Demanding.

“Vrax,” I bellowed, the edges of my vision going black. “Lyra!”

And then at the very last moment, I roared as I pulled out from her cunt, thrusting over her clit as she thrashed and moaned, before my come shot out. Hot and thick and shimmering.

Lyra’s eyes were wide as she watched me spill. As she watched me mark her cunt and her belly with my seed. It lashed over her skin, shooting all the way up to her breasts.

I groaned. My Instinct was frustrated that I hadn’t spilled inside her and yet, it was supremely satisfied at seeing her marked like this.

Soon, I thought. Soon, I’d be able to mark her flesh and then I would come deep inside my mate, satisfying both of those primal needs.

Lyra was watching me as we caught our breath. As the crazed moment began to fade, her cheeks went pink. Was she embarrassed? Embarrassed that she had asked me—begged me—to come inside her?

“Nix, none of that,” I told her, leaning forward to brush my lips against her, murmuring the words into the kiss. Our eyes held. I could see every glimmering strand of her multi-colored eyes, every thread of brown, gold, and green. I blew out a harsh breath, finally coming down from the pleasured high. In a low, intimate tone, I confessed, “I shouldn’t have asked that. You want me to come inside you? You want me to give you a child, luxiva? You’ll ask me when you’re not in the throes of this desire we both share. When you have a clear mind. Tev?”

A soft gasp came as she stared at me.

She was at a loss for words.

“Come,” I murmured, softly. Sucking in a breath as I backed off, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, “Let me get you cleaned up and then—”

“Would you?” she whispered, staring up at me with an unreadable look on her beautiful features. Looking at her made me ache, she was so vraxing lovely.

I stilled, flickering my gaze between her eyes. “Would I what?”

“Give me a child? If I simply asked?” she wondered.

I inclined my head. A soft laugh broke from my throat but it came out more like a pained huff.

“I’d give you whatever you wanted.”

Her brow furrowed.

“Why?”

“Why?” I repeated.

“Most males would be running for the hills,” she pointed out. “We just met, you and I. And now we are talking about a baby and you’re not even scared. Not even a little. What if I’m the axe-murderer in this situation? What if I’m batshit crazy and you don’t realize what a ridiculous mistake you’ve made until it’s too late?”

“Lyra.”

“What?” she asked, but she was frowning. As if she wasn’t covered in my come. As if we hadn’t just had vraxing amazing sex. As if my cock wasn’t still hard, laying against her belly.

And because I was still on a high, because I knew that nothing would separate us, because I knew that I would do anything to make her happy, I gave her a soft smile.

She’d been honest with me.

I needed to be honest with her. Even if it scared her. Even if it scared me.

“Before,” I started, “I asked you what you knew of Luxirians.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “What does that have to do with a baby?”

“Everything,” I told her truthfully. “You know about our Instinct?”

She stilled.

Her chest rose in a single, full breath, before releasing.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“You know that it awakens when a Luxirian finds their fated mate for the first time? That it feels like the Fates themselves are filling them with life, with breath, with purpose, with need?” I murmured, watching her carefully. “It only happens once. And I never thought it would happen for me. Not until you.”

I watched the exact moment that realization hit her.

Her pupils dilated and she blinked rapidly, her lips parting.

“Are you…are you saying that your Instinct…that I…” she started, trailing off before licking her lips.

She went quiet. Oddly, strangely quiet as she processed my words.

Then she asked a question I hadn’t expected, peering at me carefully. Softly, she asked, “What…what does luxiva mean? I thought the word sounded familiar.”

A bloom of warmth burst in my chest even though my heart was hammering. “It means fated one. A fated mate.”

A puff of air escaped her.

Then I leaned forward, cupping her cheeks, needing to make her understand. “I know it’s a lot, Lyra. It’s a lot to take in. But I just want you to understand that we have time. Time to explore this. If you want to. There is no rush.”

“But…but the Quadrant Patrol and…”

Quietly, I suggested, “You could stay.”

She struggled to push up from her back and a thread of dismay went through me. But it wasn’t anger on her face. It was…confusion.

“I can’t just stay, Droxan. I have…I have an apartment. A job!”

Determination rose through me. “An apartment we can pack up. A job you can leave.”

“And my fertility treatments!” she added, making me growl when my mind flashed back to the donors. “I’ve already put so many credits into them. I can’t just give up on it.”

“Vrax your treatments,” I rumbled, holding her eyes. “You want a child? Let’s go back to our bed right now and I’ll guarantee you’ll be pregnant by the night’s end.”

She laughed though her cheeks were tinted pink in her disbelief. “Be serious, Droxan.”

“I. Am,” I growled. “I have more credits that I’ll ever know what to do with. I know you like to be independent but I can take care of you. I can take care of us. You don’t ever have to worry about that.”

Her breath hitched and she held my eyes. I could almost hear the thudding of her own heart and there was a sinking feeling in my gut. I was pushing her too hard. I shouldn’t have brought up the future. I didn’t want to overwhelm her but we’d gone from having sex to talking about a baby and her moving to Ullima, giving up everything she knew.

“Vrax,” I murmured, rocking back on my heels. “I’m sorry, Lyra. I should not have…I should have not unloaded this on you. It’s a new feeling for me.”

“And what’s that?” she whispered.

I met her eyes. “To realize that your fate is connected to another. To realize that you would do anything for them to make them happy. To realize that they are suddenly the center of everything.”

Her swallow was audible.

“I…” she began softly. She took a deep breath. “I’m really your fated mate?”

I inclined my head, rubbing a hand over my horn. “Tev. I felt it awaken the moment you came roaring out at me from the life pod.”

She couldn’t help but softly laugh in disbelief. “Gods,” she whispered. “That must’ve been a shock for you on all fronts.”

Quite the shock, I couldn’t help but agree silently.

“We don’t have to talk about this now,” I informed her. “You were honest with me about your treatments. So I wanted to be honest with you about this.”

“I just need to think,” she told me. “I’m not saying no. I just…this is a lot, Droxan. You’re right. It’s a lot to take in. And for you too. To make sure you want this too.”

I know what I want, I thought immediately but didn’t voice.

“Of course,” I said, rubbing a hand down my jaw. I looked down at her naked body. “You want to clean up now?”

“Yes,” she whispered, nibbling on her lip. “I think that’s for the best.”

But she couldn’t quite meet my eyes and it only made my Instinct prowl with restlessness, thinking I’d fucked everything up.

CHAPTER 15

LYRA

Truthfully, I didn’t need that much time to think about what Droxan had confessed to me at the waterfall.

I’d made my decision between the moment we’d left to climb back up the stairs and when we stepped foot on his wraparound terrace.

So…no time at all, looking back on it.

It should scare me right? I couldn’t help but wonder, sighing out loud as I watched Droxan out on the terrace, fiddling with the water catch system again. I was spying, nestled in The Pleasure Pit which still smelled of him. Of us. I could see him through the far, curved windows. His brow was furrowed but every now and again, he’d pause in his work, stand, pace. Like he was debating coming to me.

But then he always sat back down along the ledge, resumed his work, his expression growing darker and darker every moment he spent outside.

He was giving me time.

Even though it clearly grated on him to be away from me. Especially after we’d had sex, especially after everything that had come spilling out before and afterwards.

He wasn’t scared about the fertility treatments.

He wanted me to live on Ullima. With him.

He wanted to take care of me. Take care of us, should a baby come.

Between my thighs, I was still slick with need. The sex had made it worse, if anything. It made sense now. Everything I’d ever heard about Luxirians and their fated mates…I knew that the joining process was intense.

No wonder he’d been hard every time I looked at him, the poor guy, I thought. Luxirian males were constantly aroused for their mates, from the very first moment they saw them. At least until the connection had been sealed, solidified, and then they would find some relief.

And I can give him that relief, I knew now.

For the last time, I asked myself…

Could I give up everything for him?

A male I’d only just met and only because I’d crash landed on his planet?

Slowly, I stood from my place on the cushions and moved towards the front door. We’d returned from the waterfall hours ago. The sun was dipping in the horizon, a cloudless, beautiful day after the stormy night. I’d taken the time to think over every possibility. I’d taken the time to make sure this was what I wanted.

My initial answer hadn’t changed.

Now I was certain.

And I didn’t want Droxan to be in misery any longer.

It might feel like the craziest decision in the entire universe…but how often did fated mate pairings happen?

Rarely.

There had to be a reason for it.

When I approached him out on the terrace, I saw his muscles bunch. He turned around slowly when he heard the brush of my bare feet against the terrace pavers. Simultaneously, he unmounted the bannister, coming to stand in one fluid motion.

He was so tall, nearly blocking out the sun behind him, and I had to crane my neck back to meet his eyes.

“Hi,” I greeted softly.

Why did it feel like we’d been apart for weeks instead of mere hours?

As if he couldn’t not touch me, Droxan strode forward and tugged me into him. I huffed out a pleased sigh and melted in his embrace, savoring the feel of his strength, his warm skin. His arms came around me, cradling me to his chest. He was sweaty from his work but he smelled amazing. I didn’t mind. Not one bit.

His nose came to bury itself in my hair as he bent low and a shiver went down my spine when I heard his whistled inhale.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling, as my heart hammered in my chest.

“Before you say anything, I’ve been thinking,” he told me immediately. “And back at the waterfall, I should have added that if you want to stay on Wero, if you want to keep your apartment and your job, then keep them. I will leave Ullima. I will move to the colony and we can take this slow. If that’s what you need. If that’s what you want.”

My heart squeezed and I couldn’t help but pull back to look at his face. My mind was reeling. He loved Ullima, didn’t he? This place had sparked his inspiration. It had given him peace after Luxiria.

“You would do that?” I asked quietly, his words only strengthening my decision when it had already been pretty damn secure. “You would move to Wero for me? The colony that can boast of a single lava blow hole when you have a place like this that’s all yours?”

His sigh was deep. “Don’t forget the tavern that the Hyrinn racer visited. That’s quite a selling point for me.”

A laugh of awed disbelief escaped my throat. Reaching up, I clasped his face between my hands, my eyes going a little watery at the gesture. And it was a big gesture.

“I asked you to give up everything for me,” he continued. “That was wrong of me. So we can start our courtship on Wero. I’ll secure a dwelling of my own and we can—”

Going up to my tiptoes, I pressed my lips to his, cutting off his words in their tracks.

A sharp breath whistled between us as Droxan stilled.

Then his arms were tightening around me, bringing me closer. When he kissed me back, he filled it with all the desperation I was pouring into it too, meeting me head-on. He devoured me and my hands slid to the tops of his shoulders, digging my fingers into them, holding on for dear life as we consumed one another.

Pulling away with a gasp, meeting his half-lidded eyes, I said in a ragged voice, “I’ll stay.”

He froze.

“Rebax?”

I smiled though it felt shy. Shy and excited.

“I’ll stay with you. Here on Ullima,” I told him.

“Rebax?”

I laughed, pushing at his shoulder. “You heard me.”

“You…you will stay? Here? With me?” he asked.

“Who else?” I asked, grinning at the bewildered expression on his face. “You were really ready to go to Wero, weren’t you?”

The knowledge softened my already softened heart. He’d been about to give up this place for me. Without a second thought.

And while I loved Wero—it had been the place where I felt like I’d come into my own, a place that made me feel safe and secure and independent—I didn’t love love it. I wasn’t as attached to it as Droxan was to Ullima. I could never ask him to give this place up. Not for me.

“Though,” I said quietly, looking up at him to gauge his reaction, “maybe we can split our time on another colony once a child comes?”

His eyes flared. Hot and bright. “Tev?”

Gods, he liked when I spoke of a child. He wanted to get me pregnant and that thought alone sent a flurry of butterflies racing to my belly.

I swallowed. “For schooling. For socialization. I’m okay with being on this beautiful planet with just you but…what’s that old saying? It takes a village to raise a child. Maybe during the stormy season, we can live somewhere else.”

His voice was guttural. “You’ve given a lot of thought to this.”

“Yes,” I told him, my tone sheepish. “Since we got back to the house. I…I had already made up my mind on the walk back from the waterfall, to be honest. But I was working through the logistics in my head all afternoon. All the what ifs.”

Because that was how my brain usually worked.

“And I know we don’t have to decide this now, I’m just throwing it out there. That I—”

He cut me off this time with a soul-sucking kiss. I made a muffled sound, want pooling between my thighs.

“Tev,” he rasped. “Tev. We can live off-planet during the stormy season. Longer if you’d like.”

“You’re making this so easy,” I whispered.

How easy would it be to love him? I wondered.

Ridiculously easy.

I might already be halfway there.

“I am a simple male,” he informed me. “I want you. I want our child. Children, as many as you will honor me with. As such, I will do anything to make you happy because it makes me happy. Tev?”

When he put it that way…

“This is insane,” I said, grinning.

But I found I wasn’t scared at all.

“Do you really feel that way?” he asked me quietly, cocking his head to the side.

Taking in a deep breath, I thought about his question. Thought about how he made me feel. How comfortable I felt with him, like how my body seemed to recognize him. It was like…he was a key to my lock. He opened me up. Unleashed me.

“No,” I told him, frowning, shaking my head. “Actually, no. Not at all. It feels right. It feels like I’ve known you since before I even came into this universe.”

“A soul bond,” he told me, agreeing with the words. He leaned down to press his forehead to mine. “I had wondered if humans could feel it. If humans had an Instinct of their own when they are paired with a Luxirian. Now I know. We were fated from the beginning, Lyra. It’s a humbling, awe-inspiring realization, isn’t it?”

“We wouldn’t want to go against fate, now would we?” I teased softly.

His purr was his response, rumbling and dark. Hearing it sparked my blood, heating my core.

Our eyes held.

“I’ve been thinking about the waterfall,” I told him.

“Mmmm. Me too,” he rasped.

I grinned but then I bit my lip. “About a child…we can wait if you’d like. I know it’s a big decision and—”

“Nix,” he growled. “I don’t want to wait.”

Oh.

“If you want a child, I will give you a child, luxiva.”

His words made me squeeze my thighs together. Thinking about his wicked, forbidden words when he’d been deep inside me at the waterfall. About breeding me. About shooting his seed deep into my womb. Getting me heavy with his child.

My fingers slid down his shoulder, tracing along the hard plane of his chest. Brushing over the tight peak of his nipple, making him groan.

“Then what are we waiting for?” I asked softly, quirking a brow at him.

He moved so fast, it was a blur. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and the expression on his face was determined. Relieved. Desperate. For me.

“Where are we going?” I breathed, already craning my neck up to nibble on his ear, reaching up to grip his horns.

He moaned and the sound made a fresh pool of arousal flood between my thighs. Gods, his sounds…

“I’m taking my female to our bed,” he informed me. My female. Our bed. I liked that entirely too much.

His eyes gleamed, dark and hot and needy.

“And that is where I intend to keep her.”

CHAPTER 16

DROXAN

The desire was too punishing.

The need, too high.

It was tangled with the high of relief, twined together so tightly. I wanted to bellow out my happiness. I felt like I could burst.

Lyra was staying.

On Ullima.

She chose me.

She chose us.

The knowledge alone was humbling. I didn’t think I deserved a female like her. Yet, I was pushing her down onto our bed and she was arching into my touch like she was starved for it.

Her tunic was laying somewhere on the terrace, where I’d ripped it off before we made it inside. Now, I nearly sliced off my trews in my desperate need to free my cock, to feel our naked flesh pressed together.

“Like this?” she asked, her voice husky. There was a note of playful wickedness in her tone as she looked at me over her shoulder. Looking tantalizing and seductive on her hands and knees. She arched her back, pushing her ass up higher into the air.

“Vrax, tev,” I groaned, running a hand down my face in disbelief at seeing her like this. Fuck, yes. “I cannot wait, luxiva. I need you too much.”

“Then don’t wait,” she told me, wiggling her ass like I needed any more incentive. Just the image of her like this would forever be burned into my brain. I’d fantasized about fucking her from behind. It would satisfy this deep-rooted need in me, satisfying the ferocity and wildness of my Instinct. “I’m all yours.”

She eyed my dripping cock, pre-cum sliding down my shaft, biting her lip.

“You want this, vellixa?” I asked her, my voice going darker as the Instinct began to rise to the surface.

“Yes,” she breathed. Then she met my eyes. “What does vellixa mean? I need to learn more Luxirian, you know.”

“Beautiful,” I told her, dragging her down to the edge of the bed.

Her cheeks flushed in pleasure even as her breath hitched. “Such a charmer. Gods, I never stood a chance against you, did I?”

Despite what I’d told her about not waiting, I couldn’t resist going to my knees. Her inner thighs were completely wet with her arousal and I pressed my nose there, inhaling her deep.

A grumbling purr rose from me, my pupils dilating until I thought my eyes would look completely black.

“Fates, your scent, female,” I groaned. “I think it’s me who never stood a chance against you.”

She was panting in anticipation.

Then she cried out, a moan tumbling from her parted lips when I buried my face against her cunt. When I began to feast there.

“Oh,” she choked out, rocking her hips back into me. “Oh yes.”

I tongued her like a male possessed. Lapping at her clit. Suckling it between my lips. Delving my ridged tongue into her entrance, licking at her walls, tasting the fresh arousal that coated my lips.

I would never get enough of her.

But right then, I had another need. The Instinct’s pull was strong and it demanded that I mate her. That I breed her. That I shoot my seed into her womb and lay my claim.

Rising, I loomed over her just as the sunset’s golden light glimmered off her skin, pouring through the window of our sleeping quarters. Beautiful. She gazed back at me over her shoulder and the light let me see every strand of her eyes, every color, every emotion there.

“Vellixa,” I growled again, wrapping my hands around her hips, tugging her back. “Need you, mate. Need you so much.”

“Then take me,” she told me. “Because I need you too.”

I couldn’t wait. Even though we’d had sex earlier that morning, this felt different. Because now, there were no barriers between us. No secrets.

We both knew what we wanted. We wanted the same things. That was freeing. It was everything.

With a rough groan, I pushed into her slick vaxix, hearing her moans and breathy gasps as I seated myself inside her.

For a moment, I savored the feel of her. I savored her heat, the way she pulsed around me, trying to draw me in even deeper.

“Vrax,” I said, drawing out the word. “You feel so amazing, luxiva. So good!”

“You feel good too,” she huffed, still holding my eyes. There was awe there. “Perfect.”

Because I was made for her. And she was made for me.

“Tev,” I growled, pulling back, letting her feel the drag of my ridges and knobs against her walls, watching goosebumps break out over her back, watching the way her eyes rolled in pleasure.

“Yes,” she exclaimed, her voice pitched high.

I grinned but it was almost feral. My grip on her hips tightened and I curved myself over her back, lowering my front so I could feel us pressed together. She turned her head and I caught her lips, taking her kiss before licking at her tongue.

She moaned as I thrust inside her, the position allowing me to go deep.

And then I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

Her pleasured cries filled our sleeping quarters as I pulled out before sliding in hard, my hips settling into a merciless pace. The tops of my thighs hit the backs of hers, an erotic sound that made me harder. Her own hips rocked back, seeking and learning my rhythm, and when we got it just right, I saw vraxing stars.

They burst in my vision as she squeezed around me. Our kiss grew sloppy and she gasped as I continued to rut against her, wild in my need, my ferocity.

But it wasn’t enough. I needed deeper. I needed to look into my female’s eyes. I needed to see her spread out before me like an offering.

She cried out in protest when I retreated from her body. Then I flipped her over, quicker than she could blink, and I hilted my cock inside her before that protest even ended on her lips.

Her eyes were half-lidded as she stared up at me. I slung her legs over my shoulders, pushing us further up the bed, before bracing myself. My hands came down on either side of her head and I slammed home.

“Oh gods,” came her keening cry. “Droxan!”

I kissed her again, nothing but a rumbling, vibrating purr threading up my chest. Then I moved down, tonguing her peaked nipples, sucking hard at her breasts as I felt her begin to ripple around my cock.

She was close. My mate was about to come. And I would join her.

“You want me to come inside you, luxiva?” I growled at her, lifting my lips from her breasts, meeting her eyes as I said the words that I knew would light her on fire. “You want me to breed this cunt, to plant a child deep in your womb? My child?”

“Yes,” she screamed, her back arching, and I chuckled, humorless and low and deep, as I reached between us to thumb her clit. “Oh, I’m coming, Droxan! Ahhh!”

“I’m going to fill you up, luxiva,” I growled, watching her mouth slacken, feeling her clamp down and begin to spasm on my cock. “Oh vrax. Vrax, vrax, vrax!”

My whole body—my whole vraxing soul—jerked with the orgasm that she wrung from me. I must’ve bellowed out my pleasure because my voice went hoarse from it. All I saw were her starry eyes as they peered up at me in disbelief, in pleasure, in awe. Everything I was feeling, I saw reflected in her gaze.

The pleasure was unfathomable, climbing so high.

Then I crashed, breaking into a billion pieces…until I felt her piecing me back together, bit by bit.

My seed shot from me violently, pouring into her. Filling her up, just as I promised. And I would have more for her. So much more.

On and on it went. My Instinct practically roared with satisfaction as I claimed her, as I marked her as my own, unleashed myself inside her.

The rightness of it made me grin.

Complete, I thought, staring into her eyes. We are complete.

“I know,” she breathed, as if she could hear me in her thoughts, as if she could feel what I was feeling. “I know.”

“There is a ceremony,” I informed her, “on Luxiria. It is called the ravraxia. The joining ceremony.”

It was in the dead of night and we were only catching our breath. Though I knew that my human female was reaching her end. She felt the same tight desire as I did but her stamina was not that of a Luxirian’s. I needed to remember that so I didn’t push her too far.

“Only on Luxiria?” she asked me. We were on our sides, facing one another. My cock was still seated deep inside her and I wrapped her in my arms, holding her close. Never before had I felt such contentment. Not ever.

“It is a sacred ceremony. Your race might even call it magic,” I told her. “It is only performed on Luxiria because there are sacred places scattered throughout the planet that are touched by the Fates. Fated mates go to receive their blessing and in return, the Fates bond them even deeper to one another. A connection of the mind.”

Her eyes went wide. “Like…like mind reading?”

I chuckled, tracing the slope of her nose with my thumb. “Not quite. I’ve always heard it’s more like an awareness.”

Her gaze went a little shy…even after all that we’d done that night. Even though I was fairly certain that, if it was the right time of her cycle, we’d conceived a child that night.

“Are you…are you asking me to do this ravraxia with you?”

I chuffed out a breath. “There is no rush. But tev, I want to be bonded to you in every way I possibly can be. I want the whole universe to know that you are my mate. My beautiful, wonderful mate.”

She smiled and I was glad to see the flash of her little, dull, white teeth. Then her smile died. “Would you be okay returning to Luxiria?” she asked me.

“For you? Absolutely,” I told her honestly. I hadn’t thought I’d ever return to my home planet, but there was a part of me that wanted to show it to Lyra. To show her my roots. Our future childrens’ ancestral home. “If you’ll have me.”

“Of course I will,” she told me softly, her expression serious. The connection was thrumming between us. Strong like a heartbeat.

My own heartbeat skipped and stuttered at her answer.

I leaned down, capturing her lips. I breathed her in, feeling my cock swell and thicken once more inside her.

“Insatiable,” she teased, her breath hitching when she felt it too.

“Only for you,” I growled, nipping at her bottom lip playfully.

Then she took my face in her hands.

“What is it?” I asked her.

She smiled at me. “I just can’t believe that I found you. That’s all. How lucky am I?”

My insides practically melted at the words. And I’d never thought myself the melting kind of male.

“Thank goodness for shitty life pods,” she breathed. Her grin widened. “And Starlight United cruises.”

I groaned but it mixed with my chuckle. I gave a fake shudder, even as my hands gripped her tighter. “Never joke about Starlight United cruises.”

She laughed, loud and bright.

And my heart felt so full that I thought it would burst.

EPILOGUE

Three months later…

LYRA

The mist from the waterfall floated in the air. A silvery veil that shrouded us from the rest of the universe. Magical and right.

Crystalline blue eyes peered at me through that veil and I looked right back into them, fighting the smile that was tugging at my lips.

The baby moved, a sensation that I didn’t think I’d ever get used to.

“Kicking again,” I murmured.

Droxan’s wide, warm, calloused palms were there in an instant. Cupping my bare stomach below the surface of the lagoon. He pressed close, that familiar purr sounding in his chest, and I moved my head so that I tucked my face into the crook of his neck. Inhaling deep. His scent was a dangerous thing. It both calmed and soothed me. But it almost always guaranteed that I’d be ravenous for him too. Pregnancy had made me even more insatiable for him…and those damn fated mate pheromones he seemed to breathe out every moment of the day.

The baby wiggled and kicked against his father’s touch. I listened to Droxan’s pleased chuffing, feeling it warm my very soul. He was going to make an amazing father to our son. I just knew it.

“Only a little while longer,” he told me, his voice deep and husky.

He had indeed gotten me pregnant the very night we’d decided to stay together, all those months ago. The potent male. Though, I’d been primed for a baby, so I wasn’t all that surprised.

As such, we regularly visited a doctor who specialized in hybrid pregnancies, on a colony close to Nikk—the market colony—much to my delight. Every week, Droxan was dragging me out there, eating up more expensive cruiser fuel than my frugal mind was okay with. But this was Droxan. And he would pay any expense if it meant I was safe, if the baby was healthy.

Just last week, we’d learned it was a male. A male with budding little horns, which had made me burst out with happy tears when I first saw the doctor’s scan. Hybrid pregnancies were unpredictable. Luxirian females typically only gestated for three months. As such, since the baby would take on predominantly Luxirian traits, the doctor believed I would be pregnant for four months, maybe a little less.

So I was due in a few weeks.

And with Droxan being Droxan, we would be traveling off-planet and staying close to the doctor’s facilities. We would leave in just a few days because he didn’t want to risk it if the baby came early.

The way he fretted was sweet. I thought that I’d be the nervous one about the pregnancy in our relationship but it turned out…that was all Droxan.

It had been a long three months.

Yet, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

In the first month, I’d said goodbye to Wero. We’d gone to the colony together, to pack up my apartment, loading everything into Droxan’s surprisingly spacious space cruiser. I’d said goodbye to my employer, Mr. Kee, who told me that if I ever wanted to come back, the job would always be here for me. And we spent a wonderful final day on Wero. Droxan finally got to see the infamous lava blow hole, which had been a pitiful little display given the colder weather, though he’d acted like it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen for my sake. And I showed him the Hyrinn racer’s hologram signature that was proudly displayed on the local tavern’s bar. He’d only grinned at me, shaking his head in his amusement, as I cuddled on his lap in one of the back booths.

In the second month, we’d officially applied for a marriage certificate, a purely human custom that he was only too pleased to agree to, and filed the paperwork of our joining with the Uranian Federation. He was officially my husband. And I was officially his wife.

Yet, we were so much more.

We still hadn’t journeyed to Luxiria for the ravraxia. We decided to wait until after our baby was born and then we would visit there together. I was excited to see Luxiria. I wanted to see where Droxan had grown up, where he’d spent most of his life, though I knew he had mixed feelings about seeing his family again. But we would take baby steps. One at a time. And maybe one day, there would be a reconciliation, though I knew that my husband would always hold them at arm’s length.

And this month, our third month together, we’d been traveling through our Quadrant extensively. Even though he’d been reclusive since he left Luxiria and his business behind, Droxan still had connections throughout the entire universe. Old friends and business partners. And for me? He’d called on them.

He’d been granted access to Bvaro through one of those friends. The planet of waterfalls. We’d stayed in a luxury resort that I’d never wanted to leave, the mist from the waterfalls making me feel like we were living among the clouds. We’d gone to Horrin, where we’d purchased another bed—a crib—meant for our child. He’d taken me to Nikk, as promised, and we’d spent nearly three days on the colony so I could explore every last vendor. Droxan hadn’t complained once, dutifully lugging around anything that I wanted to purchase for our home.

Traveling was wonderful. It felt surreal, journeying to places I’d only ever read about, places I’d never thought I’d actually see. And it was made all the better because I was with the male I loved and I was pregnant with his child. He’d opened up this entire new world to me and I would always feel grateful to him for it.

While traveling was amazing, it always felt like a relief coming home. Coming back home to Ullima. Back to our planet, back to our bed.

“There’s something I want to discuss with you,” came Droxan’s rumbly voice right then, breaking me from my dreamy thoughts. His hand was still cradling my belly though our son had stopped fidgeting. For now. “To see what you think about it.”

My curiosity was piqued. “What is it?”

His hands moved from my belly to wrap around my back. In response, I wound my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as he carried me through the water. We had been relaxing underneath the waterfall for most of the day. When we wanted a break, we’d make love on the banks, on the soft towel Droxan had packed for our ‘waterfall day’ as we called them. We’d nap. We’d eat leisurely from the cold box. We’d talk. Laugh. Kiss.

Some of my favorite days had been spent right here with Droxan. Lazy, sunny, warm, beautiful days.

And since it was abnormally hot that particular day, we took advantage of our lagoon.

His blue eyes peered at me carefully as he said, “I’ve been thinking about breaking ground on Ullima.”

I gasped, my eyes widening. “What? Really?”

His smile was sheepish. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said all those months ago. That once our child is older, he’ll need a lot more than what we can give him here. At least with just us. An education, for starters. I want to see him playing with other children. I want him to be curious about other beings in this universe. I want him to ask questions and understand that we are not alone here. And I know that we will surround him and all our future children with love but I…I also want to give them more. They can’t be like me, hiding away from the universe for years. I don’t want them to be like me. I want them to have a community. So…I thought why not build one? Right here on Ullima.”

His words made my eyes prick with tears, hearing the love in his voice for our son already.

“I’m thinking of their future. And our family’s legacy,” he told me. Then a note of excitement threaded through his voice as he admitted, “I’ve been drawing up plans for a city here. A small one, mind you. And truthfully, it’s more like a town than a city. But I figured it’s a start.”

I loved hearing that excitement enter his voice and that was all I needed to hear to want to say yes to him. To give him my full support.

“The town will lie to the north. Towards the coast,” he told me. “Far from here so we still have our privacy, but easy enough to reach on the cruiser.”

“Good,” I whispered, grinning. “Because I like our privacy.”

“I do too,” he growled, his hands tightening on me. “Never fear for that, luxiva. But it might be nice to have other amenities on Ullima, so we don’t always have to travel off-planet.”

“Like a market day?” I asked, perking up at the prospect. “And a general store? The soil is so good here that if farmers came, we’d have plenty of crops for a store. Or a tailor shop! We could import bolts of cloth and silks. And of course, a tavern. We can—”

His bark of a laugh cut me off but I couldn’t help but grin. Now I was getting excited about this. So many people were looking for safe colonies that they could call their home. Human females, for one. Females like me. Families, hybrid families, just like ours that feared discrimination on some of the smaller colonies. But if they moved to larger ones, they risked their safety. They’d have to deal with space pirates and mercenaries, traffickers, drug runners and weapon dealers, who all had a strong hold on the criminal networks in those colonies.

But Ullima…

Ullima was a paradise.

Despite the stormy season, the weather was moderate nearly all-year, at least from what Droxan had told me. There was a wide coast to the north and jungle towards the west, where we were. The soil was rich. The ground stable. The water clean.

It would be perfect.

“A small, private colony,” he told me, studying my face, seemingly relieved when he saw my excitement. “But tev, there would be room for expansion. If we decide to do that. Together.”

“I love it,” I told him truthfully. “I love that you’re thinking of us too. And that you’re also excited about building something new here.”

“It’s all for you. It’s all because of you, Lyra,” he told me. My breath caught in my throat and I felt the connection rise between us when he pressed his forehead against mine. The Luxirian version of a hug, an embrace, meant for loved ones. “You made me realize how much I’d turned my back on the universe. Cutting myself off from people, from life.”

“Oh, Droxan,” I whispered.

“But then you literally fell out of the sky,” he rasped, a small smile lighting up his features. “You gave me your love. You gave me renewed purpose. These last few months with you have been the best of my life and I know we have so much more to come. But you’ve made me feel hopeful again. You’ve made me feel optimistic about life. And I want to grasp onto that feeling with both hands and try to build this place up to something wonderful. Something for you. For our family. I promised that I would always take care of you and I meant it.”

“I love you,” I breathed, my vision going blurry with my tears even as I grinned at him. “Gods, I love you so much, Droxan.”

“And I love you, luxiva,” he murmured, leaning forward to press a kiss to my lips. “Always.”

“You’re going to accomplish so much here,” I told him. “I can feel it.”

He smiled. A slow grin that made me feel as light as air.

“We will, luxiva. Together.”

I kissed him again.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, smiling, against his lips.

Thank you for reading Rescued by the Luxirian! You can find more stories from the here. Don’t forget to sign up for Zoey’s newsletter!

KATE RUDOLPH

KALLAN

CHAPTER 1

JANA

Jana Dawson tried not to gawk. It was harder than it should have been. But everything was just so cool. She’d already given her luggage to one of the porters and gleefully lined up to be teleported to the ship.

Teleported!

Really, if she didn’t stop grinning, she was going to totally mark herself as a rube and not the sophisticated Earthling who worked daily with aliens. Seriously, she saw much more interesting things at work every day.

But she didn’t normally get to step into the teleporters.

When it was her turn, she didn’t hesitate. It was a giant metal and glass tube and she was instructed to keep absolutely still. There was a faint buzzing, then the lights around her flared and everything got really itchy for a second.

And then she was in an entirely different glass tube looking out at the blackness of space.

“Wow.” The word punched out of her and she felt her cheeks heat. Luckily, she was still in the teleportation tube and no one was paying her any attention, except for the attendant, who was waving her out with a frustrated expression on her blue alien face.

Okay, that, at least, was normal. When Jana wasn’t on vacation, she was a secretary for Earth Defense, and recently Earth Defense had gotten a lot more… alien. Ever since the alliance with the Detyen Legion, there had been aliens coming in and out of the office at all hours, and some were even now working in the secretary pool.

The attendant handed her a small holo-disk which projected her room number and a map of the ship, and Jana decided to explore a bit. There had been hundreds of people in line to teleport onto the ship, so it was likely to be a few hours at least before they took off.

She saw some people clustered in groups stretching and inspecting their bodies, as if making sure that all of their important parts had come through the teleporter. She knew some people back home wouldn’t touch the devices, convinced they injected some sort of wrongness into DNA and let the government create evil clones… or something. At a certain point, Jana had to stop listening to the rants or she knew she’d go crazy.

But she didn’t feel like her DNA was wrong or like she’d been turned into an evil clone. And she was on vacation for the first time in forever. It was time to live a little.

Jana turned, ready to head to one of the viewing decks, and slammed right into a woman who was walking in her path. The woman wore huge sunglasses and had on a wide brimmed hat that belonged on a beach.

“Sorry!” Jana knew she shouldn’t be laughing as she apologized, but she was too happy about her vacation to feel too guilty.

The woman gave an affronted grunt and moved on without a word.

Oh well, some people were just bad at vacation.

She didn’t plow into anyone else as she made it to the observation deck, and once she was in that room, she was tempted to set up camp and never leave. Right now they were observing Jupiter, and the planet’s red swirling storms made something inside of her yearn.

Jana had always been a woman with her feet firmly planted on Earth. Today was her first day off the planet. But looking at Jupiter, a place so close and yet so impossibly alien, she wondered if she’d ever be satisfied sitting at home again. What was Earth compared to everything that outer space had to offer?

One of the ship’s staff came through with a cart full to the brim of fruity drinks, and it was enough to pull Jana’s attention away from the planet for a moment. She took something foaming and sweet, with an umbrella on top, and sipped, wincing at the teeth-melting sugariness she tasted.

The thing had to be loaded with alcohol if it needed enough sugar to make her teeth melt.

But the second sip went down smoother, and she was so happy to be on vacation that she wasn’t about to complain about anything. Jana found a chair with an excellent view of Jupiter and leaned back, letting herself get lost in the overwhelming beauty of space.

This vacation was exactly what she needed. She could already feel herself relaxing, and she was sure that by the time she got back to Earth in two weeks, she’d be a changed woman.

She couldn’t wait.

CHAPTER 2

KALLAN

Kallan Na’mber couldn’t relax. His skin still felt itchy from the teleporter and there were so many people on the cruise, he felt more like a vegetable caught in a can than a Detyen. Not even the most crowded street back home on Jaaxis could compare to this.

No, not home. Earth was his home now.

He shouldered his way to the edge of the passage and leaned up against a railing. The space cruiser obviously wasn’t actually open to the vacuum of space, but it had been designed to look like one of the cruise ships that used to be so popular on Earth. It was ringed by “open” promenades that looked out onto a view of space and stars projected onto what were actually the walls of the ship.

And if he wasn’t so cooped up, he might even admit it looked beautiful.

He knew he should take the opportunity to appreciate beauty. It wasn’t like he had much time left. As a Detyen, Kallan was doomed like all of his race by the Denya Price. If he didn’t find his mate by the time he turned thirty, he’d die.

And since he’d just passed his twenty-ninth birthday, he was feeling the press of time harder than before.

It was why he’d come to Earth, as so many of the other surviving Detyens had. In the past five years, it seemed like more Detyens had found their mates than ever before. And they were doing it with humans. Somehow, in all of Detyen history, that hadn’t happened before.

And now he could name no less than six co-workers who had mated humans and were happily expecting to live long lives.

Kallan wasn’t so lucky.

He’d traveled from Jaaxis two years before in the hopes that he would recognize some human as his denya. It was only supposed to take one look and he’d know. Either that was wrong or he wasn’t looking hard enough, because Kallan was as single as when he’d started.

Sure, he could have plenty of company on Earth, but that wasn’t what he was looking for.

He wanted his mate.

Dark hair caught his eye, and Kallan turned his head. If he expected to recognize his mate in the human woman surreptitiously leaning beside a door marked for EMPLOYEES ONLY, then he was sorely disappointed. She was beautiful, no doubt, with dark hair pulled back and braided down her back, pale skin, and a sleek blue body suit that left little of her curves to his imagination.

She would make a good mate. But she wasn’t his.

And she wasn’t an employee. So why was she testing the door? Kallan angled his body carefully to watch as she placed a hand over the handle and tried to turn it. No luck. There was a palm scanner beside the door, but the woman paid no attention to it.

A human wearing a staff uniform passed in front of the door, and the woman jerked her hand back before she could be caught.

Was she just curious? Or was something nefarious going on?

You’re supposed to be on vacation, a voice that sounded suspiciously like his friend Toran nagged. Stop investigating.

But Kallan could no sooner stop the urge to snoop than he could escape the Denya Price. It made him one of the best investigators that worked beside the Detyen Legion, but it wasn’t something a man could leave behind at the office. When he saw a problem, he needed to solve it.

The woman he’d been watching watched the staff member turn a corner and then pulled something out of her pocket, waved it in front of the scanner, and opened the door. She slipped inside.

Kallan was going to let it drop. It wasn’t any of his business. Surely she’d been seen on some security footage or spotted by another staff member and would be taken care of. It wasn’t his responsibility.

Besides, the door would be closed before he could cross the distance to it.

He was sure of that. Until fate intervened.

An incautious reveler slammed into the closing door and somehow caught it just right to send the door flying open. The passenger burst out laughing and carefully positioned the overflowing drink in their hand so it didn’t spill.

Kallan moved before he could completely think it through, slipping through the door just before it slid shut.

He glanced around for any security cameras, but didn’t see any. It didn’t mean they weren’t there, but he couldn’t worry about that now. The hall was narrow and dimly lit by lights in the ceiling. There were no doors or windows, just a sad passageway that made him feel trapped.

He couldn’t hear the woman but moved swiftly. If he paused, he might second guess himself.

The hallway came to an end when it intersected another narrow hallway. He could go right or left. The passage to the left only went twenty feet or so, where it dead-ended at a metal door with a heavy duty lock and an iris scanner. There were two smaller doors on either side of the hall that didn’t look as forbidding.

To the right, in the distance, he could see a door with a window in it looking out into bright light. Not sunlight, not on a space cruise, but some approximation of it. He recalled that one of the decks was supposed to recreate a tropical beach and wondered if that was where it headed.

He tried going left first.

The heavy door didn’t budge, and he didn’t bother trying the iris scanner. He leaned up against it and thought he heard a faint echoing of heavy machinery. There was no way the door led to the engine room; that was much deeper in the ship and would be hidden under dozens of layers of security.

But the entrance had to be somewhere. And there were likely other maintenance rooms that dealt with other parts of keeping the cruise running.

There was no sign of the woman. Kallan examined the ground looking for footprints or any other sign of her presence, but the hallway was free of dust and dirt and there were no scuff marks. No sign that anyone but him had ever been there.

He turned and headed for the door with the bright light. It did spit him out on the beach level, where dozens of passengers were already gathered, drinks in hand and clothes skimpy. They were smiling and dancing, having fun and oblivious to the fact that some woman was sneaking through passageways on the ship.

He didn’t see her among the revelers, but there were half a dozen ways off the beach level and too many people to look too closely. He didn’t bother to ask if anyone had seen her.

What would he even say? Did you see a beautiful human woman walk out of this door?

Had he overreacted? What if she was an off duty staff member who’d simply used the passageway as a shortcut? Surely that was common among the staff.

But she’d been so cautious when the other staff member walked by the door. It looked like she didn’t want to get caught.

Kallan gave the door a final look and let the mystery go. He’d lost the woman, and he hadn’t seen her do anything more suspicious than walk through a door with restricted access. A door that she’d had a key to. Technically he had done something worse, sneaking through the door and stalking her.

He realized how that might look, a towering Detyen following a short, slight human woman into the bowels of the ship. If she’d called security, he’d be the one having to answer for his actions.

What was he doing?

Kallan shook his head and made his way out of the beach deck. He was overdressed and not in the mood for the searing heat from the artificial sun. Maybe he really did need a vacation.

CHAPTER 3

JANA

Best vacation ever.

Jana didn’t know if she’d ever felt so relaxed. Her dark hair was pulled back in a braid to keep it tame while she swam in the gentle waves on the beach deck. She’d been on board for two days now and she never wanted to go home.

Why couldn’t every day be vacation?

She hadn’t thought of the projects piling up on her desk or the hundreds of so-called urgent requests she fielded every week. Those were someone else’s problem. The most complicated decision she had to make today was whether she wanted her drink to be peach or strawberry.

Amazing.

If there was one tiny problem, it was that she was alone. Yes, it was amazing to do whatever she wanted on the ship, but she was surrounded by happy groups and couples, and it was a reminder of her perpetual singledom. Jana couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date, and her last boyfriend had been… yikes. Too long ago.

She’d had big plans about finding a hunk on the cruise and indulging in a vacation fling, but every time a guy smiled at her, it was a reminder of how difficult flirting was.

Oh well. The vacation would still be fun, even without sexual satisfaction.

She checked the time and saw she only had an hour until her dinner reservation. She was tempted to skip it, but the restaurant was fully booked for the rest of the cruise and she didn’t want to miss out on the award winning cuisine or the stunning views. Every review of the cruise said the restaurant was a must.

So she forced herself to get up from her comfortable beach chair and headed back to her room to get ready. She was alone, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t look good. And it took her the better part of the whole hour to get ready.

She’d brought a fancy dress for this dinner, a silver sheath that went all the way to the floor and sparkled when the light hit it. The crystals were blue and purple and changed the whole tone of the dress. Her hair she twisted into a fancy bun, fixing it with clips that matched the dress.

She left her purse in the room and snuck her communicator into a hidden pocket in the seam of the dress. If she had a date tonight, she’d knock his socks off. Instead, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

“You’ve got this, girl.”

Jana received a few appreciative looks as she made her way to the restaurant toward the rear of the ship. The host took her name when she gave it and led her to a table on a balcony that overlooked the interior of the restaurant, where a giant statue seemed to move in the light.

No, it didn’t seem to move. It did move, large metal hoops rotating and shifting silently like dancers. On the other side of the restaurant, the wall looked like windows looking out onto the galaxy. Jana knew they were just screens projecting a digital display, but it was impossible to tell.

She felt like a princess. Or maybe a billionaire CEO looking out over her empire. If this was how the other half lived, she wanted a piece of it. At least for tonight.

When the waiter came, she gladly accepted the wine she was offered and put in her order.

She tried not to wish that she was sharing this experience with someone else.

An alien wearing a tight-fitting gray suit walked in, and Jana’s heart stopped. She didn’t recognize the blue man, but something deep in her soul felt like she should have. He was taller than the host, probably somewhere between six feet and six four, but she couldn’t tell from across the restaurant. And his suit did nothing to disguise his broad shoulders or the muscles he must have underneath.

She saw the tip of clan markings crawling up his neck, mostly hidden by his dark shirt. Detyen. She worked with the Legion and recognized his kind immediately. She hadn’t seen any other Detyens on the cruise, but that wasn’t strange.

There weren’t that many Detyens left.

Most of their species had been killed more than a hundred years before, when the planet of Detya had been destroyed. The only ones who’d survived were those who could get to spaceships before the planet went up in flames or who were already in space when it happened.

The Detyen Legion were the remains of the Detyen military force, and they’d come to Earth several years before and allied with Earth defense. They’d also brought their enemies with them. But the combined forces of human and Detyen had been enough to save the planet, and now the Detyens were making a home on Earth.

Still, Jana felt a bit of sorrow whenever she saw them, knowing the fate that cursed them all. Detyens needed mates to survive, otherwise they died young. She’d seen it happen more than once. A Detyen would be living their life, happy, healthy, with only a bit of sadness in their eyes, and then they’d say goodbye one day and never come back. A message would go out, announcing when the celebration of their life was being held, and that was that.

Jana might have attended more Detyen funerals in the last two years than she’d ever attended human funerals.

But there was hope. Detyens had discovered they could mate with humans, and they were finding their denyai faster on Earth than they had in the previous century. There was hope for their species’ survival.

Still, no one should have to live with that fate hanging over their head.

She shuddered when she considered the lengths some went to to avoid it.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the waiter returning with her first course. Jana had looked away from the Detyen to watch her food get set down, and when she looked back, he was gone.

She looked for him, but he must have been seated on the other side of the restaurant, and the sculpture was blocking the view. She wanted to meet him. She wanted to talk to him and smile and flirt with him. The desire was so strong that she shocked herself. She’d never seen a man across the room and had the urge to get up and search him out.

And yet one glance at the Detyen, and she practically had to tie herself to her chair to keep from moving.

The ship jolted and Jana’s wine glass tipped over, spilling red liquid onto the white tablecloth.

She heard gasps behind her as she jerked forward to right the glass and try and stop the blood red stain from spreading.

“Is there something wrong with the ship?” someone from another table asked.

“Is it the engine?”

“Are we all going to die?”

The questions rose up around her, but the jolt seemed to be an isolated incident. A moment later, a disembodied voice came out over a hidden speaker. “We apologize for the disturbance, but assure all passengers everything is fine. We may experience a few more bumps like that throughout our ride and they are nothing to worry about. Enjoy your evening.”

Jana looked up at the ceiling as if she could find the speaker, and unease settled in her. She’d never heard of turbulence on a space cruise.

She wished the sexy Detyen was near her, if only so she could cling to him as the ship burned and crashed around them. Then Jana forced herself to shake her head. They weren’t crashing. Everything was fine.

But her hand shook while she sipped the remnants of her wine, and the meal didn’t go down easy.

CHAPTER 4

KALLAN

Kallan had managed to put the mysterious woman out of his mind. More or less. He didn’t see her again, and he didn’t follow anyone else down forbidden hallways. He was almost managing to enjoy his vacation.

Almost.

But he was also going out of his mind with the desire to investigate. Was she doing something strange? Was there a plot afoot? Could he play the hero?

His friends would be laughing and mocking him right now, and he’d deserve it. Kallan didn’t know how to chill out. He’d lasted exactly fifteen minutes while attempting to relax on the beach deck before fleeing the flirtatious glances and smiles from a few of the humans.

For some reason he wasn’t interested. And he didn’t want to examine why too closely.

He’d dreamed about the woman for the second night in a row.

This time she’d stopped in the hallway and he’d caught up to her. He’d had her pinned to the wall, her skin warm under his hands, her eyes looking up at him, desperate for… something.

Even now his cock stirred thinking about it. But it was wrong. He had no desire to overpower a woman and pin her to a wall. He didn’t want that mix of fear and lust swirling in her eyes.

And there was something wrong with her eyes.

That, more than anything, had puzzled him. He felt like there should be something… different about her. Like he should see and feel and know something just from seeing her.

It almost felt like she should be his mate.

But that wasn’t how the denya bond worked. He couldn’t just look at a person and decide he wanted her. Fate was his driving force. And until recently, Kallan hadn’t done much questioning of it. What was the point? He couldn’t change it.

So why was this woman, who he’d seen for perhaps a minute and never spoken to, doing things to him?

He didn’t bother trying to put her out of his mind. Every time he tried, she found a way to slither back in, and he couldn’t keep her out. Perhaps he was inviting her. After all, it wasn’t like he couldn’t be attracted. He hadn’t found his mate yet, there was nothing wrong with looking.

Even if looking felt wrong.

He didn’t understand it. How could he be attracted to her and yet unwilling to look at her? How could he feel like he was missing some giant piece of himself and that she should be able to fill it when she was nothing to him?

He wasn’t built for vacation. He couldn’t wait to get home.

Kallan turned a corner and saw the woman of his obsession speaking with two hulking Oscavians. One of the Oscavians, a purple alien wearing a garish green shirt, was looking around, eyes cold and as observant as an imperial guard.

He might be wearing vacation clothes, but he was no tourist.

The other alien, wearing a gray shirt, was speaking intently with the dark haired woman.

Kallan needed to know what was going on. The Oscavians towered over the woman, and she was glaring at the one in gray. Was she in trouble? Did she need his help? Was he about to swing in to rescue her like some hero of old?

Instead of doing any of that, Kallan leaned against one of the railings ringing the ship, not unlike several other passengers. He pulled out his communicator and fiddled with it, and neither of the Oscavians paid any attention to him after a quick, assessing look.

Good.

“Take these,” Gray Shirt told the woman, handing her a slim card. Cards like that were often used to transfer credits anonymously.

The woman palmed the card, and some of the anger slid off her face. “That’s everything? This won’t be cheap.”

“All will be well once the final issue is taken care of,” the Oscavian in the gray shirt assured her.

“You’re not the one taking the risk.” She glanced around, and her eyes caught on Kallan for a moment. He didn’t react; that was the surest way to make her think he was listening in. She looked back to Gray Shirt. “There were easier places to do this.”

“It’s our money, we make the choices. And this is the best place. No one will suspect anything once we’re done.” He flicked his eyes down to the card and back up. “There’s another one in it for you if this goes clean.”

She slipped the card into a pocket on her tight-fitting pants. “Better be more than one. Let’s get out of here. Too many eyes and ears.” She looped an arm around Gray Shirt’s waist and Green Shirt casually strolled after them.

Kallan made himself stand still for ten seconds. Why was he even thinking of following? Sure, things sounded bad, but this wasn’t his mystery to solve. He should report it to ship security and be done.

Security would laugh him out of the office. There were no rules about handing out credits or speaking cryptically. He couldn’t even prove the woman had accessed a restricted hallway.

But in his gut, he knew something was wrong. People didn’t act like that when they were on the up and up. And he was almost certain that the Oscavian in the green shirt had been carrying a blaster. Who needed to be armed on a pleasure cruise?

The ten seconds passed, and Kallan pushed off the rail and headed in the same direction the woman and the Oscavians had walked. But he’d waited too long and there was no sign of them.

He scanned the crowded line heading into the food court and didn’t see them. They weren’t clustered with everyone around the elevators. And there were no dark haired vixens or hulking purple aliens ducking out of sight behind conveniently placed plants or pillars.

He was chasing ghosts. And he needed to give it up. This was his vacation, not a mystery to solve. Whatever that woman was up to was her business. She hadn’t looked like she needed a hero. If she was up to trouble… well, he’d keep his eyes open. And if she was planning mischief in the Oscavian Empire, that really wasn’t his responsibility.

His thoughts were in a whirr as he tried to make sense of everything. The only thing he was sure of was that he was terrible at taking vacations.

He wasn’t hungry, so he turned away from the food court, determined to find some way to make sure he had fun when he was supposed to, rather than chasing shadows.

Turning down a hall, Kallan caught sight of dark hair and a human face and stopped in his tracks as the ship shifted beneath his feet and his entire awareness of the universe changed.

Denya.

CHAPTER 5

JANA

The Detyen from the restaurant was staring at her like she’d just struck him over the head with a baseball bat. Since Jana’s hands were empty and she wasn’t a violent person, especially not to sexy strangers, she wasn’t exactly sure what was going on.

He was even hotter up close.

Her eyes flicked up and down, taking in blue skin and those dark clan markings peeking out from the collar of his t-shirt and crawling down both arms under his short sleeves. His gray shirt clung to his muscles, and her fingers itched to reach out and touch. He definitely knew his way around a weight room and might be able to bench press a car if the occasion called for it. He was several inches taller than her and had short dark hair that looked so soft she needed to run her fingers through it.

Just looking at him set her body on fire, and she wanted to throw her arms around him and demand they find the closest private room. Really, a closet would be fine. Just so long as they had room to maneuver.

Heat radiated out from her core, and she was actually tingling with want. What was this feeling? She’d been attracted to guys, even Detyen guys, before, but it had never punched her in the gut, hit her over the head, and then played with her private bits until she was practically panting where she stood.

Could it be…?

She was jerked out of her fantasizing when the Detyen shook his head. His eyes narrowed and he looked her up and down, but he’d lost the starstruck look on his face.

Now he was looking at her like he was a cop.

Immediately she wanted to back up. She felt guilty, even though the only even slightly illegal thing she’d done on the cruise was steal a lemon slice when a bartender wasn’t looking.

“How?” His voice was low and dangerous, and he took a step towards her.

Jana put her hands up, warding him off, and stepped back. “Whoa there, big guy. You’re looking intense. Too many of those sweet drinks they’re giving away?” Her first day on the ship, she’d overindulged in a big way, but she’d pulled back on the drinking when she realized just how bad of a hangover she got from drinks that were pure sugar and alcohol.

He furrowed his dark brows. “I’m not drunk. I saw you. Before. You weren’t…” He looked at her even more intensely.

“I saw you too, in the restaurant.” Sure, he was acting weird, but her body was screaming at her to take the opportunity in front of her. She could deal with a little crazy. It was a reminder that aliens weren’t human and sometimes they acted in ways she didn’t expect. “What’s your name?”

“Kallan.” He tried to step forward again, and she shuffled back. At this rate she’d run out of hallway, and she didn’t want to end up backed against the wall, no matter how hot this guy was.

“Hi Kallan, I’m Jana.” Did she sound like she was trying to calm a rampaging tiger? Not that she’d ever done that. On instinct, she stuck out her hand for a handshake and almost pulled back immediately when she realized how ridiculous that was.

They were on a cruise, not in a business meeting.

But Kallan snatched her hand up in his before she could pull back, and she gasped at the feel of his skin against hers. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Her heartbeat sped up, and she couldn’t stop the rush of air that left her lungs.

The sensation traveled all the way through her and she shivered. If one chaste kiss felt that way, what would it feel like when they were naked together?

When?

Jana ignored the sane part of her mind before it could drive her crazy. She carefully pulled her hand away.

“What are you doing on this ship?” Kallan demanded harshly enough to make her flinch.

“Who the hell are you to ask?” He wasn’t wearing a security uniform, and he wasn’t dressed like one of the staff. As far as she knew, he was a passenger just like her, and they’d met a minute ago. He had no right to make demands, and she wasn’t going to answer just because he knew how to speak forcefully.

“I saw you,” he insisted. “You took those credits. Where did the Oscavians go? What are you planning? You’re up to something.”

Why did the hot guy have to be totally fucking nuts? Disappointment mixed with just a bit of fear. Jana’s eyes darted around, and she was glad to see that there were plenty of passengers near them. If she screamed, someone would come running.

Would they be fast enough?

Kallan was tall and strong, and if he turned violent, she wouldn’t have much of a chance. And she couldn’t help but wish for that baseball bat she’d imagined earlier. Maybe then she’d feel a little safer.

She didn’t owe him any answers. She didn’t want to play into his delusions. But maybe if she spoke, he’d let her walk away. She could find ship security and report him. And then she could imagine the fantasy version of him in the privacy of her own room. A version that wasn’t nuts.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen any Oscavians and all my credits are in my account. So I’m just going to go.” She slipped away, dropping her shoulder and turning on a heel before he could do something crazy like try to grab her.

She’d dealt with enough aggressive, muscular men in college to know how to slink away. Hulking Detyens weren’t any different.

She didn’t look back when she heard footsteps behind her or when he called her name. The fact that he was chasing her was bad. What if he caught her? Being caught by some super hot alien might have been a fantasy, but it belonged in her head. The reality of it was way less sexy.

Jana took the first turn, moving blindly. Her room was on the other end of the ship, so there was no hope of retreating there. But that was probably good. She didn’t need this guy knowing where she was sleeping.

This trip was supposed to be safe, damn it.

“I just want to talk!” Kallan called after her, too close for comfort.

Of course, anywhere on the same ship as her at this point was too close for comfort.

“Make an appointment!” she shot back, and her face screwed up in confusion. What was she even saying? Clearly running and thinking of clever rejoinders didn’t go together.

The hallways felt like they were getting narrower, but Jana didn’t know if that was reality or her own panic nipping at her heels. She rushed down a flight of stairs and turned again. Was she heading towards the interior of the ship or the exterior? It didn’t really matter. They were in the dark outreaches of space, there was no safety there.

Not that she would have jumped off an actual cruise ship, either. That would be crazy.

Crazy was the word of the day.

She tripped and Kallan was right there, a hand on her arm to steady her. And hold her in place.

“Let me go,” she insisted, tugging at him. He wasn’t holding tight enough to bruise, but that didn’t seem to matter. His grip was strong.

“Just talk to me,” he insisted. “I want to understand how this is possible.”

“How what is possible?” Jana jerked around to face him and he let her arm go, but she was too angry and confused to run away again. Strangely, now that she was standing so close, she wasn’t scared. She should be scared of him. He was a giant alien who’d chased her across the cruise ship while she tried to get away.

But he wouldn’t hurt her.

That was exactly the kind of thought a woman had before a serial killer struck, but Jana was sure of it. Kallan might try and stop her from walking away, but he wouldn’t do any violence to her.

She didn’t know where her own deranged thoughts were coming from and probably needed a psych evaluation, but she decided to run with it for the moment. He wasn’t trying to hurt her.

“I saw you the first day on the ship. And earlier today.” He said that like it meant something. Then he looked down as if noticing her clothes for the first time. “How did you change into this?”

She looked down at the flowing white dress she was wearing; she loved the way it floated out when she spun. “I’ve been wearing this all day.” White dress and sandals, appropriate vacation wear for the beach deck where she loved to spend her time. Though now it was a bit chilly where they were on the ship. And she’d heard there was a level where it was constantly winter.

No, thanks.

His hand reached out, and he traced his fingers over her naked shoulder. She shivered. “Do you have a twin?”

“No.” Now would be the time to back away again, but his touch felt really damn good. It was like he’d cast a spell on her. “What’s going on?”

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the ship lurched and sirens blared.

CHAPTER 6

KALLAN

How could she be his denya?

The recognition of the bond blazed within him, and it took all of his discipline not to scoop Jana up and find a private place for them to become… acquainted. But there was no denying that she was identical to the woman he’d seen speaking to the Oscavians.

Same dark hair gathered into a braid. Same luscious curves, though the dress did a lot to hide them. Identical noses. She even had the same little mole on her cheek and scar on her eyebrow.

Her face had imprinted on his memory the moment he’d laid eyes on her. But the denya bond had only ignited this third time he’d seen her. It didn’t work like that. The bond sparked on first sight. It always had, it always would. And Kallan was no one special.

But when the sirens blared, he had no more time to ponder it.

There’d been a safety drill shortly after he boarded and dire warnings for what to do if the emergency sirens blared. This was space and there were no second chances. He’d just found his denya, and now he would do whatever it took to make sure she remained safe.

And with him.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her off the stairs. “Come on. We don’t want to stick around.”

Jana shot a look back up the stairs as if she were thinking of running. Kallan knew he shouldn’t throw her over his shoulder, but it was a close thing. Luckily, she made the right decision, and he didn’t need to show her the wild beast that lived inside him.

Yet.

“What’s going on?” she asked as they quickly made their way down what looked like some sort of utility hall, following the emergency event lights.

“I don’t know.” He feared that it had something to do with the other Jana—because there had to be two of them—and whatever the Oscavians had wanted. They’d been up to something, he was sure of it.

But he knew he was jumping to conclusions.

“Let’s hope it’s mechanical failure,” he said after a moment.

“What’s the other option?” Jana demanded. “Sabotage?” she prompted when he didn’t answer.

Kallan was afraid it was a yes. “Here.” The emergency path led them to an escape pod. They were all over the ship and built to accommodate a dozen passengers. Kallan placed his hand over the scanner and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when the door opened.

He gestured for Jana to go in first.

“Don’t you think this is a bit premature?” she asked. “You have no idea how many false fire drills I’ve lived through.” Her feet were firmly planted on the floor of the hallway, and she didn’t look like she was about to move.

The lights went out and the ship lurched again, disrupting her footing and sending her sprawling against him.

Kallan wrapped his arms around her and stepped back into the escape pod. Jana didn’t fight him. “It won’t launch if it’s not an emergency,” he assured her, trying to remember all of the details from that safety briefing.

“You’re much more optimistic about the state of security here,” she muttered.

He stared at her. She wasn’t the identical woman he’d seen earlier. She couldn’t be. And yet she was now talking about security on the ship like she knew it. Was there more to his denya than met the eye?

She secured herself with the safety harness and he did the same. They both watched the open door, but it was a portal into a dark realm. Not even the safety path was still lit up.

Seconds ticked by. Then a full minute.

Jana reached out and grabbed his hand, clutching his fingers almost hard enough to break them. Kallan embraced the pain. He’d never reject his denya’s touch.

There was another lurch, and Kallan was tempted to get up and see if there were manual controls for the escape pod. Maybe it was time he and Jana took their chances off the ship. Each pod was equipped with enough air and supplies for a week. Someone was bound to find them in that time.

He hoped.

The lights in the hallway flickered and went out again. But the emergency path lit up. He didn’t see anyone coming their way, and after another minute, the door sealed and the escape pod came to life. A screen beside the door lit up and announced departure in thirty seconds with a warning to strap themselves in.

“Oh no,” Jana cried out. “How is this happening? What the hell?” Her words were wobbly.

Kallan wanted to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. She was his denya and should never know a moment of fear. But he was a bit afraid himself, and there was no denying that something was incredibly wrong. Space cruises were supposed to be the safest vehicles out there. They didn’t malfunction. Ever.

And yet the numbers on the countdown clock kept getting smaller and smaller. Until it hit zero, and their pod disengaged with an anticlimactic click. They didn’t jolt, and the only hint that they were no longer on the ship was the way the gravity generator stopped working.

His arms floated up of their own volition, and so did Jana’s. He reached out and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. “It will be alright,” he promised, even if he didn’t quite believe it himself. “No doubt rescue ships are already on the way.”

“I don’t want to be rescued. I just want my damned vacation!” She breathed in and out too fast, and Kallan didn’t know how to calm her down. If it wasn’t for her presence, he might be freaking out himself.

The pod jolted and Jana let out a yelp.

He gripped her hand tight, for all the good that could do, and hoped this wasn’t the end. He’d just found his denya, he couldn’t lose her already.

“It’s just stabilizing,” he said, as if he had any knowledge of escape pods or their flight mechanics.

“You’re a pilot?” She asked it like he was throwing her a lifeline.

“Not exactly.” He wanted to comfort her, wanted her to believe all was well, but the simple truth was that it wasn’t, and he had just as much information and apparent knowledge as she did. “They wouldn’t use these things if they weren’t safe.” Right?

The pod jolted again, this time flipping over and sending his stomach roiling.

“Planetary gravitational pull detected,” announced the robotic voice that belonged to the panel on the door. “Brace for entry.”

“We’re not supposed to land!” Jana’s eyes went wide, and she looked around, as if either of them had some way to stop the inevitable.

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to know her taste at least once before they risked the death of a violent atmosphere and an even more violent landing. But Jana was in no mood for a kiss, and he wouldn’t let his last act be making her hate him.

The pod gained speed, and he felt the moment they kissed the atmosphere of whatever planet they were about to crash on. There were no windows, no hint of whether this was even a planet that could sustain life. But there was no use wondering now.

The pod shook violently, jarring Kallan. The air seemed to grow thin and he tried to breathe deep, but it did nothing.

Jana’s hand went limp in his, her body slumping even as the pull of the planet’s gravity stopped their limbs from floating.

He tried to wake her up, tried to figure out what was wrong, but he couldn’t even tell if she was breathing.

Then the lights in the cabin went out and they started to crash.

CHAPTER 7

JANA

Jana smelled something earthy. That was her first thought as she started to rise to consciousness. And that was weird. She was on a space cruise. There was nothing earthy about it. No matter how good the holograms and other amenities, there was always the knowledge nagging at the back of her mind that none of it was real.

This was real.

Warm fingers brushed against her forehead, and she sucked in a breath and leaned into the touch. It should have felt like nothing; instead she could feel her soul in that moment.

She blinked her eyes open and saw a huge blue alien crouched over her. Kallan, her mind provided, as if she could ever forget.

He wasn’t chasing her any more. She was well and truly caught.

And then the rest of it came back to her in a rush. The failing ship, the escape pod, the pull of gravity.

“We lived.” The words were a bit scratchy, as if it had been some time since she’d last spoken. “Was I out long?” She tried to look around, but Kallan had her cradled close, and all she could feel was his body.

He pulled her even closer, the embrace morphing into a hug. She hugged him back, instinct driving her, even as the more rational part of her mind wondered what the hell was going on. She didn’t know this guy. All she knew was he’d been weird and had chased her through the ship.

And yet, right now she wanted to cling to him like he was a lifeline.

“What happened?” she asked as he pulled back just enough to allow her to breathe. He was so close that his scent was inexorably wrapped up in the green smell of the planet around them.

“You passed out on our entry. We crashed down there.” He nodded towards their escape pod, and she realized he’d pulled her out into the open. “I hoped the air might help. And if not, no one should di—” He cut himself off.

He didn’t want her to die in a tiny metal box.

It was harrowing to think she might have come so close. “I’m fine,” she promised him. And except for a bit of stiffness, that seemed to be true. She couldn’t remember passing out. Everything after they entered the escape pod was a bit of a blur. But she didn’t have broken bones and she wasn’t bleeding. “I’m okay,” she repeated, knowing Kallan needed to hear it more than once.

Kallan stared at her like she was something special, and it made her heartbeat kick up for completely different reasons. She should be trying to figure out what was going on, where they were, and how they could get home. Instead, she couldn’t stop staring into the glowing red eyes of her Detyen companion.

She knew what that meant. Detyen eyes were normally black, but when they felt extreme emotion, they shifted to a demonic red.

He couldn’t just be feeling relief that they’d survived, that he wasn’t dealing with her quickly decomposing corpse.

And a man didn’t hold a woman like that if all he was feeling was relief.

Her body burned everywhere he touched her, the tips of his fingers like beacons against her skin. Now would be the time to pull away if she had anything approaching self-control.

But she’d almost died. A woman didn’t need self-control minutes after being faced with death.

Kallan didn’t lunge. He didn’t move so fast that she couldn’t have pulled away. But she stayed right where she was as his head got closer and his mouth covered hers. She expected a searing, controlling kiss that told her exactly who was in charge.

Instead, Kallan held her carefully, his mouth exploring her tenderly as if he was afraid she might break apart under anything stronger.

Need surged within her. Jana reached up, running her fingers through his hair and gripping him close and opening her mouth to sweep her tongue against his. She moaned at the contact, fire searing through her limbs and straight to her core. She wanted him with the kind of need that made her breathless and would have had her stripping down to nothing if she didn’t have to let go of him to do so.

He kissed her like he was making a promise. Jana didn’t know what he was promising, but she hoped he lived up to it. If this was what a simple kiss could make her feel, she almost feared she’d immolate into nothing but ash if they went any further.

But what a way to go.

She shifted her leg and suddenly he was flush up against her, the hard planes of his body pinning her in place with the sensual promise of more contact. She made a needy little sound that had him groaning and had one hand trailing down to cup her ass.

Fuck. Yes. She needed more.

She wanted him naked. She wanted skin. But she’d forgotten how to move her own self, so caught up in the kiss that all she could do was cling to him and take whatever he wanted to give her.

And she wanted him to give her everything.

In the back of her mind, she knew there was something she should be considering, some reason she shouldn’t be surrendering to his kiss.

Jana didn’t care.

Until the sound of something whizzing through the air and crashing to the ground, making it rumble under her body, made her realize there were other dangers than losing her heart in a single kiss.

Kallan jerked himself away and looked up. Jana followed his gaze. The sky was alight with blazes of fire, debris meeting the atmosphere and burning up. But the small impacts around them were evidence that not everything was burning up.

She wanted to curl into a tight ball, as if that would be enough to stop anything from killing her on impact. But Jana hadn’t survived the crash just to die minutes later. She thought back to the evacuation drill she’d sat through and scrambled through her memory to figure out what to do.

Then she had it. She grabbed Kallan’s arm and tugged. “Come on, we need to get back inside the capsule.”

“If something hits it, we won’t make it.” His eyes darted around as if looking for an escape route.

Jana had to get to her feet herself and pulled on him again. “No, they went over this in the safety drill. The capsules are built to withstand a certain amount of damage, they’re fire proof, and they have some sort of tech in them that discourages other pieces of the ship from hitting them.” She didn’t understand the physics. Something to do with magnets? Who knew how that worked? But the instruction was clear.

And the sky was getting darker with debris.

Kallan gave their surroundings a final look before following her, and Jana was glad he hadn’t put up a fight. Soon the debris wouldn’t just be whatever small items had been jettisoned from the ship.

She only hoped something stopped the ship itself from crashing down.

There was no stopping the damage from something that big.

CHAPTER 8

JANA

The debris kept falling as afternoon turned to night. A bright moon rose over them and was surprisingly luminous over the verdant landscape outside of their pod. Jana spent half the time surreptitiously watching her companion as he stood guard at the entrance to the pod, as if his mere presence could ward off any dangerous debris.

The other half she spent playing a stupid game on her communicator. It turned out that waiting for the world to end was kind of boring. Not that Jana would dare say that out loud. It felt like daring something even worse to happen.

But she was swiftly using up the battery and knew she had to give the device a rest. The battery automatically charged itself, even without a connection to a power source, but it would take a few hours. And maybe she and Kallan would be able to call for help once the sky was a little less on fire.

Jana found the emergency survival packs that were stashed under the seats of the pod and pulled out enough blankets to make beds for her and Kallan. She was tempted to lay them down next to one another and let things fall as they might. She wanted to spend the night bundled up in Kallan’s arms and let all of her troubles fall away.

But she’d remembered what had happened on the ship and that Kallan was kind of crazy. He thought either she was up to something or that she had a weird evil twin out there and had seen fit to chase her around the ship as if that was an okay thing to do. Either he was some sort of undercover cruise security that actually did have authority, or he was way too dedicated to following the rules.

And undercover cruise security didn’t exist.

Not that Jana thought rules were bad, of course. But she wasn’t going to waste her vacation following other people acting weird. That totally wasn’t her problem.

She nudged the blankets closer together even as the sane part of her brain warned her not to get hung up on the Detyen. There was no future with one if he wasn’t her mate, even if she could ignore the crazy.

When he looked at her, she could see forever in his gaze.

Was there any possibility she was his denya?

Longing panged in her chest, and she had to curl her fingers in a fist to keep from reaching out to him. If she made a sound, she knew he’d turn around and comfort her, but she had to deal with her own crazy brain.

No. If she was his mate, he would have said something. Detyens didn’t waste time when they recognized their forever. She’d heard stories of mates who recognized one another and started tearing each other’s clothes off within seconds. There was no use waiting when death hung over your head every moment before you found your mate.

Then again, she also knew of Detyens who kept their mouths shut when they met their human mates, unwilling to scare them away.

If she told Kallan she knew all about Detyens, what would he say? And would she be crushed if he said nothing at all?

She wasn’t brave enough to find out.

The horror of the day and the rush of adrenaline had wiped her out, and Jana climbed into one bed of blankets, wrapping herself up tight. It wasn’t freezing on this planet, but it was a bit chilly and sure to get even colder as the night wore on.

She desperately wished she had some soap to wipe down her face and the important bits, but all the survival pack contained were some packs of moistened wipes and she’d done the best she could.

First order of business when she got back to civilization: a shower.

And she was going to get back, she promised herself.

The floor under her blankets was hard enough to bruise, and she was centered right over some kind of bolt that dug into her back and was threatening to stab her kidney. She shifted, but nothing could make the floor actually comfortable.

Though a sexy alien companion certainly wouldn’t hurt.

No. Jana clamped her mouth shut to keep from asking Kallan to join her. It didn’t matter how hot their kiss was. She was an independent woman who didn’t need strong alien arms wrapped around her just because she was a bit uncomfortable.

And scared.

Not that she’d admit that. Not even under pain of death.

Of course, no one would blame her for fear. They’d crashed on an alien planet. They had no idea if there were any other survivors, and debris kept raining down on this planet. And what if this planet had dangers of its own?

Alien dinosaurs? Creepy slime monsters that dissolved their flesh? Bugs?

“Fuck.” The word escaped as Jana scrunched up into a ball, hoping the new position would offer comfort or protection.

Kallan must have heard her. He turned from his vigil at the entrance of the pod and shuffled closer, carefully skirting the blankets. “Is everything alright?” he asked. “Delayed injury?”

Her body was fine. It was her mind that was the problem. And she didn’t want him to think she was weak. She spent most of her days around giant alien males just like him, and appearing weak would make her seem like someone who needed to be protected, not respected.

“Just uncomfortable,” she hedged. “They didn’t exactly design these floors for sleeping.”

He huffed out a quiet laugh. “We’ll send in a complaint to the manufacturer when we get home.”

“I don’t think uncomfortable floors will be at the top of the list,” she muttered. She couldn’t help but shift some more.

Kallan took pity on her and sank to the floor, pulling a blanket over himself and then putting an arm around her and pulling her close. “Is this alright?” he asked. “I’m no mattress, but I’m all you’ve got.”

She wanted to make a pithy retort. Wanted to tell him she had plenty. But, well, they both would know that was a lie. She was lucky she’d been wearing a dress and not stomping around the ship in a swimsuit.

And it felt good to be cuddled up against him. He was too muscular to ever actually be soft, but he was warm, and the rise and fall of his chest was a healthy reminder that she wasn’t alone. They were in grave danger. Help might not be coming, but at least she had a hulking Detyen at her side.

She didn’t think she’d sleep, but she must have. That was the only way the acrid smell of smoke could wake her.

Beside her, Kallan’s chest rose and fell in an even rhythm, breathing in the deadly, pungent air all around them. This wasn’t a hint of destruction from some distant fire. The entire pod was filled with billowing dark clouds, and Jana couldn’t see anything except Kallan right beside her, and even he was dim in the darkness.

She shoved him hard, not willing to waste time waking him gently. And panic flared as her throat burned. The most deadly part of a fire was smoke inhalation, and who knew how long they’d been breathing it in.

Come on, she tried to speak, but she choked on the words. But any fears that Kallan wouldn’t rouse were quashed when he jerked awake.

“Wha—” He coughed before he could finish.

Jana clamped her hands around his arms and dragged him towards where she thought the entrance to the pod was. The smoke seemed a bit less dense there and she could almost glimpse a bright, moonlit night outside.

She and Kallan stumbled out, and Kallan wrapped his body around her, head jerking around, looking for threats.

They were sitting ducks. Anyone could be waiting to pounce in the thick, green trees around them.

But nothing came.

Jana sucked in desperate breaths and wished she had water to alleviate the burning taste in her throat. But all their supplies, all their food, everything was in the burning pod.

She and Kallan had nothing but the clothes on their backs, and she had no idea how long a night on this planet would last.

CHAPTER 9

KALLAN

Kallan watched over his denya in the night, but he was surprised when she actually managed to drift back to sleep. They’d retreated into the forest, no matter how dangerous it was to go wandering in the woods at night.

The air around the burning escape pod was barely breathable, and no doubt the fire could spread.

He didn’t let them stop until they crossed a small stream that would hopefully act as a natural firebreak. Though if they started a wildfire, there was no hope for their survival.

He wanted to hold Jana close, to reassure himself that they were both alive and hopefully would remain that way for a long time to come. But that was less and less likely the longer this all went on.

No food. No blankets. Nothing in the emergency packs stored in the pod.

Had it just been a malfunction? Or perhaps an impact from falling debris?

The sky wasn’t as lit up as it had been, and Kallan chose to see that as a good sign. Perhaps there actually would be survivors from this catastrophe after all.

He didn’t sleep. This planet could be crawling with natural predators, and he wouldn’t leave his mate vulnerable to them.

And then there was the fire.

What if it hadn’t been a malfunction or debris? He hadn’t forgotten Jana’s doppelganger or the Oscavians who’d handed her credits. He knew Jana wasn’t some willing participant, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t involved.

This could be worse than a simple crash.

And he had to make sure his mate made it off this planet.

Morning came after a while, the sun creeping in through the crevices in the canopy above them and leaving the forest dimly dappled in light. It was a beautiful sight to behold, peaceful in a way that only nature could be. Birds chirped and wind rustled leaves.

Jana stirred.

Any of the happy remnants of vacation had slipped away, and her eyes were smudged and dark with exhaustion. Her hair was a mess, strands coming out of her braid and falling across her face, and her pretty summer dress was tangled around her and barely warm enough for the autumnal chill of the planet.

Kallan wished he had a jacket to give her, something to keep her warm, but all he wore was a short-sleeved shirt and pants. His embrace would have to be enough.

“I slept?” Jana blinked several times and asked the question through a yawn. “How long?”

“A few hours, I’d say.” He didn’t consult his own communicator. The signal had been too weak to get any distress call out, and he’d been too primed looking for threats to tinker with the device.

His denya dragged a finger through the dirt and leaves under her and scowled at her dirty hand. “So it wasn’t a terrible nightmare.”

“Did you think it was?” He wished he had more comfort to offer her, but they were in too much danger to blunt the peril around them.

She wiped her hand absently on her dress, marring the white fabric without a care. “A girl can dream.”

“Or not.”

She rolled her eyes at his weak joke, but followed it up with a smile. Then her gaze darted to the stream. “What’s the chance I develop some sort of alien disease if I take a sip from there?”

“I had some earlier and I’m not dead yet. If the water is undrinkable, we’re already dead. But this place looks enough like Earth that I was willing to chance it.” The survival packs back at the pod contained testing kits that would have confirmed his suspicions before he drank. Too bad they were burned to a crisp.

Jana eyed him speculatively, possibly looking for discoloration or mysterious growths, but Kallan felt fine. Eventually she knelt at the bank of the stream and cupped her hands in it, taking thankful gulps.

She shivered when she was done. “It’s cold.”

There was nothing much to say to that, so Kallan didn’t. She was dirty, her white dress smudged with dirt and her hair a mess. He couldn’t look much better, though his clothes were darker and hid some of the damage.

“We should go back to the pod,” he said after a while. There was nothing else for them to do where they were, and his denya had to be hungry. His own stomach had been growling for hours.

If they were lucky, they might be able to unearth a bit of food.

But Jana wasn’t quite ready to go. “How do you know what Earth looks like?” She’d found a place to sit and had her arms wrapped gently around her knees.

“What?” Kallan tried not to stare, but some of the water from the stream had poured down her top and made it almost transparent. A little bit of focus and he’d see everything.

He studiously looked at her shoulders and above.

“You said this place looked like Earth,” she reminded him.

“It’s where I live.” He didn’t look like an Earthling, and she would know that. But there were plenty of aliens making Earth their home. “What about you? Earth? The Consortium? Some other human spark in the universe?”

“Earth,” she confirmed. “Can’t say I expected to come so far away just to meet someone from home. Where do you live on Earth?” She didn’t move closer, but her face bloomed into a smile.

Kallan wanted her always smiling, wanted her happy. But given their current situation, he didn’t know how.

“Arlington, Virginia.” The old American city had a certain charm he’d never seen on Jaaxis, and he loved seeing the hints of human history buried under the modern city.

Jana blinked her big eyes several times. “You’re shitting me.”

That startled a laugh out of him. “What? Why?”

“I live in Alexandria. We’re basically neighbors.” She laughed too and finally stood. “Well, we’d better get moving before this planet starts throwing monsters at us. I guess the escape pod is as good a destination as any. Hopefully it stopped burning.”

“If the fire suppression system wasn’t damaged, all should be good.” He led the way through the woods and wished he didn’t have to concentrate so hard on his path. He wanted to speak about home, to find out what Jana did and what her life was like. He hoped there was no lover waiting for her back on Earth. She hadn’t mentioned one, but it was an obstacle they’d need to face if so.

Because she was his. Even if she didn’t know it yet.

Detyens all believed in fate. How could they not when it so strongly ruled their existence? But if Kallan had doubted, now he was sure. They were light years from home with no guarantee they would even live on the same planet. And it turned out they lived so close he would wager he could walk to her home.

It might be a long walk, but that didn’t matter.

They had to get back. They had a life to live, and he wanted to experience the rest of his with her. And this was the perfect opportunity. She didn’t yet know about the denya bond, and he wouldn’t tell her. Not yet. He didn’t want to scare her. But they were alone, and they only had one another to rely on until they could find more survivors.

By the time they were back on Earth, Jana would know she could count on him. And she’d trust him with her heart.

It had only been hours, but she already had his. That was how the denya bond worked.

By the time they got back to the pod, the sun was high in the sky and Kallan was sweating. It had been cold overnight, and the trees around them suggested a temperate environment, but apparently the days were still hot.

The fire had burned out, but he doubted they’d be able to recover anything from the ship. And there was no way he’d let Jana walk inside. It was too dangerous.

“Did you expect something different?” Jana asked as they came to a stop at an undefined boundary. He could smell burnt metal and melted plastic, and it made his stomach roil.

“I want to take a look around, see if I can figure out what started it.” He was no fire investigator, but he had eyes and enough experience to know when something didn’t make sense.

There hadn’t been any obvious debris impact last night. So what had caused the fire?

He started around the outside of the pod and tested the hull. Parts of it crumbled under his fingers and it was still warm to the touch. And when he got to the back of the pod, he found what he hadn’t realized he was looking for.

He knelt down and picked up the small red cartridge and then smelled it, wincing at the antiseptic scent.

“What’s that?” Jana asked, coming up behind him and startling him.

Kallan held it up so she could get a better look. “Proof the fire was no accident.”

CHAPTER 10

JANA

Jana retreated to the edge of the clearing the pod had created and tried to ignore the smell. It was impossible. Kallan had found a second cartridge beside the first and handed them both over to her while he looked for more. Apparently, they were harmless now.

But last night, they’d carried fire and destruction in a tiny package.

Someone had deliberately set fire to their pod. Someone had tried to kill them. According to Kallan, the cartridges weren’t hard to come by and were often used for completely legitimate reasons, starting fires in difficult conditions. They could have come from angry locals.

Jana didn’t think so.

Someone was hunting them.

After a while, Kallan sat beside her on the rock she’d claimed as her own, hauling a slightly singed but mostly intact pack with him. “One survival pack made it,” he said, flipping open the top and pulling out a meal bar. “We can stretch the food for a day or two, but not much longer.”

She snatched the bar out of his hand, unwrapped it, and had to suppress a moan when the taste bloomed on her tongue. That, more than anything else, was evidence of how hungry she was. Meal bars tasted like shit.

But right then she’d never tasted anything better.

She forced herself to eat it slowly. There weren’t enough for seconds.

“Could it have been an accident?” she asked once she’d finished half the bar.

Kallan had only eaten a quarter of his bar and grimaced with each bite. Hunger hadn’t been enough to blunt the foul taste for him. “If there was only one cartridge, I’d say it was possible. But two? Seems deliberate to me.”

“How? Why? Are you some secret agent with enemies around every corner?” She could feel hysteria welling up and tried to suppress it. She was a boring person. “It’s not like it’s for me. The most exciting thing that’s happened to me in the last decade is winning my seat on the cruise. And look how that’s turned out.”

Kallan pounced on that. “You won your ticket? What contest did you enter?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. Some email thing. I enter a lot of contests. You can win a surprising amount of stuff, though usually it’s just a t-shirt or a book or something. But that’s beside the point, Mr. Secret Agent. What gives?”

Kallan shoved his unfinished bar into his pocket and faced her, expression grave. “It’s not me. I told you that I saw you on the ship. Except it wasn’t you, right?”

“My mysterious twin.” It sounded unbelievable, but Kallan hadn’t acted crazy since they crashed. Maybe there was someone who’d been on the ship that bore a striking resemblance to her. She had one of those faces. “How similar are we talking?”

“Identical.” He said it like a vow.

Now wasn’t the time to go into the studies she’d read about difficulties different sentient species had in telling each other apart. Kallan was certain, and that kind of conviction was hard to fake.

“I’m still not sure how a mysterious evil twin would play into this.” She’d been playing with her meal bar enough that parts of it were starting to crumble. She ate the broken pieces and stuffed the rest into her pocket beside her communicator. “I’m a secretary, it’s not like I have access to state secrets. And we’re a bit far away from the office.”

State secrets. Well, technically she did have access to some. Earth Defense and the Detyen Legion worked closely with international governments, and she spent half of her days drafting documents and studying treaties to make sure they didn’t accidentally start a war. If she looked at it that way, maybe she was a little important.

But they were still a long way from home.

“We should make a plan,” he said, and she was thankful for the change in subject. She didn’t want to waste more time talking about fake twins, and they couldn’t do anything about the fire.

“Plan away.” She’d slept, but fitfully, and her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. She wasn’t sure she could make a plan that was more complex than eating through their supplies.

“Last night the debris seemed to be falling mostly to the west of us. I think we head that direction and look for more survivors or a native settlement. The beacon of our pod was too damaged in the fire to function, so no one will come looking for us here, except for maybe whoever set the fire last night. I’m assuming they tracked our beacon. The further away we are, the safer we are.”

Something about that was off, but Jana’s brain was too scrambled from the excitement of the last two days to untangle it. “Moving is better than staying still,” she agreed. “Do you have anything better than head west?”

He shrugged, so that was his answer. No.

West it was.

Kallan led the way, and Jana wasn’t complaining. He had a confident stride and even more alluring backside, not that she was spending all day staring at his ass.

Okay. She was. But it wasn’t like she had much else to look at. Trees. Grass. Dirt. They had all that back at home. Kallan was new and handsome, and he couldn’t tell she stared at him when she followed behind.

And he was at home too.

But she couldn’t let herself daydream too much about that. Kallan was a Detyen. He was looking for his mate, not some helpless human with an evil twin. If she was his mate, he would have said something by now.

She didn’t know why she was so disappointed. She didn’t know the guy. It wasn’t like she was ready to give him her heart on a platter and hope he took care of it. But there was something tempting about the thought of being an alien’s—this alien’s—fated mate.

Words caught in her throat, the desire to ask if there was something wrong with her, some reason she didn’t trigger the bond. Which was nonsense. Detyens had no control over it.

And she’d met this guy yesterday.

Clearly her brain was scrambled from the crash. She needed to chill, or she was going to go crazy. Once they were safe and she was home, this would all seem like a bad dream. Maybe they’d even clear up the evil twin thing.

She just needed this to be over.

They walked and walked. Eventually they came to another stream, and this time Kallan was able to test the water. It was safe. They drank and finished their meal bars and then started walking again.

Her legs hurt. Her feet ached. Her blisters had blisters. But she wouldn’t complain. There was nothing Kallan could do to make it better. It wasn’t like the survival pack hid a teleporter or something. That would be nice.

Her focus narrowed down to nothing but the path ahead of her. She didn’t pay attention to the planet around them, even as she realized that this was the first planet she’d ever been on other than Earth. The circumstances were hell, but it was something to remember.

The hairs on the back of her neck pricked and Jana snapped her gaze back, looking into the trees, trying to find something. She felt like she was being watched, but she didn’t see anyone.

It was just her and Kallan. Alone. Possibly the only two living people on the planet.

Okay, that was just defeatist. There were other survivors. There had to be.

But by nightfall, they still hadn’t found them. And Kallan finally came to a stop.

“We should camp for the night,” he said. “No use wandering in the dark.”

She still felt like she was being watched, but Jana nodded. She could use a rest.

Maybe everything would turn out fine by morning.

CHAPTER 11

JANA

Sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. She and Kallan retrieved rocks to set up a small fire pit and used the firestarter in the survival kit to light dry branches until they had a comfortable flame in front of them.

She let her hands hover, soaking up the warmth and trying to pretend this was just a camping trip and not a march for survival.

Camping trips had more s’mores.

Kallan offered her a meal bar and a canteen he’d filled with water. “There’s two meal bars left for tomorrow,” he warned her, “so only finish that if you’re really hungry.”

She scowled at it and took a few bites. She wasn’t as hungry as she’d been earlier. The bars were great at filling an empty stomach and not making a person crave extra bites. The water, though, was almost sweet, cool, and perfect. She drank so much of it down that a stomach ache threatened and Kallan had to pull the canteen away.

“Thirsty?” he asked.

“It was a long day.” Her skin felt both hot and cold, a sure sign of a sunburn to come, and she dreaded moving her legs again. It would be hell to walk in the morning, and yet she’d have to.

Unless Kallan would give her a piggyback ride.

No. Neither the time nor the place, and Jana had some dignity to protect.

“What brought you to Earth? To Virginia?” There hadn’t been Detyens on Earth until a few years before, not that Jana knew of. They’d brought a lot of trouble with them, but they’d fought hard for their new home, and she was glad they were there now. They deserved a safe haven.

Everyone did.

Kallan mirrored her, letting his hands soak up the heat of the fire. “Have you ever heard of Jaaxis?” he asked.

She nodded. There was a fairly significant Detyen settlement there and she’d met a few people who’d either grown up on the planet or passed through. “Industrial, right? Lots of cities and factories?”

“You could say that.” Kallan shrugged. “News of the Detyen Legion spread fast over there and I wanted to find out more. I’d already met everyone in the settlement and no one… well, there was no life for me there. Not a future, anyway.” He seemed poised to say more, but the pause stretched between them.

She wanted to ask him if he was talking about his mate. She was desperate to know and she wasn’t sure why. Knowing would only be the final nail in that coffin. Jana shouldn’t hope. She wasn’t his mate. She didn’t need a mate.

If only her heart could figure that out.

“I have some cousins who settled in the area, so I decided to come to Virginia. Nothing too interesting, I’m afraid.” He said it with a small smile and a shrug.

“Of course, moving halfway across the galaxy is so boring.” Jana returned his smile. “My mom freaked out when I moved one state away.”

“Are you close?” he asked.

Her smile fell off her face. “We were. She passed away a few years ago. Cancer.”

They lapsed into silence, finishing off their meal bars and stowing the packaging away. Jana sprawled out, leaning on her arms and wishing she was brave enough to scoot closer to Kallan.

Would he sleep beside her again? The fire was warm enough, but that wasn’t the only way her body needed heat.

Wind whistled through the trees around them. Jana peered at them, but darkness was falling fast and it was difficult to see beyond the fire. It still felt like someone was watching her and she hated it, even if it had to be her imagination running wild. Who would it be?

They hadn’t met any other survivors. There was no guarantee they weren’t the only survivors.

And then there was whoever had sabotaged the escape pod.

Jana shivered.

“Cold?” Kallan asked. He moved close and wrapped an arm around her, letting it hover over her shoulders for a few seconds until she gratefully burrowed into his side.

She could bring up the fear, but she didn’t want to. Not when she was in his arms. She was probably freaking out over nothing and she didn’t want Kallan to get up and go exploring. “Better now.” She smiled up at him.

They watched the fire for a while. If this was camping, it wasn’t the worst. Though Jana would definitely prefer it under other circumstances. But the company didn’t suck.

She didn’t know how long they sat like that. Time had a way of meaning nothing, given how far away from the world they were. Jana’s body relaxed, and she balanced on the edge of awake and tired.

But there was a thread of need weaving its way through her, radiating out from every point that was touching Kallan. She remembered the feel of his kiss and wanted more. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t hers forever. They were together right then and that was all they had, all they needed.

She wanted to throw herself right at him, but managed to pull back. She wasn’t that desperate.

Yet.

She traced her fingers over his thigh, a nonsensical pattern that made his muscles clench. But he didn’t try to pull away. She wanted his skin, but there was something tempting about touching him through his clothes, like he was a present she was getting ready to unwrap.

She inched higher and Kallan sucked in a breath. It was tempting to go all the way, to let her fingers climb higher and see what kind of effect this simple touch had on him. From the way his body practically vibrated beside her, he wanted more.

But she let her fingers walk back down, teasing the inside of his thigh for a second before going back to running lazy circles over his pants.

“What do you want, Jana?” It came out a ragged whisper.

She didn’t know the answer to that, so she asked a question of her own. “Do you want me to stop?”

He didn’t answer with words, but he shifted where he sat, and his lips brushed against the back of her neck, whispering over her skin and making her break out in goosebumps.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Yes,” she breathed.

It was slow. Seductive. And Jana quickly lost the lead of whatever dance they were swaying to. Kallan lay her back on the ground and covered her, his mouth tasting every inch he could before finally he closed his lips over hers in a sweetly devouring kiss that made her moan.

She would have given him anything he asked for in that moment. She let herself forget everything wrong with this moment and was just happy to be in Kallan’s arms, feeling the hard press of his body and knowing that in that moment she was his.

There was no thought of tomorrow or any other future. All she needed was now.

All she needed was him.

His fingers teased her through the thin material of her dress, and she arched her hips up as he started to push her skirt up, revealing more and more of her flesh. Anything he wanted, she’d give. And from the confidence of his kiss, he knew it.

But he didn’t rampage. Didn’t take. His seduction had her on the edge of begging for more. But she didn’t want to say anything, not if it meant she had to stop kissing him even for a moment.

Maybe fate hadn’t brought them together forever, but it sure felt like it had brought them to this moment.

Kallan pulled back a little and Jana chased the kiss, wanting more. It had gotten really dark around them, the fire making him appear more like a silhouette than a person.

Something moved at the edge of her vision. Probably the trees. But it tugged Jana’s gaze.

It wasn’t a tree.

“Down!” The word jumped out of her when someone rushed towards them and a large tree branch swung over their heads. Right where they’d been before Jana’s cry.

Their attacker swung the branch again, but Kallan jumped up, grabbing at it and tugging it away. The attacker gave it up, but they weren’t giving up.

There was a whack of wood against flesh and cursing, though it was almost impossible to distinguish. Jana wanted to help, but she was no fighter. And doing anything might get in Kallan’s way.

They stumbled out of the small ring of the fire’s light and Jana couldn’t see anything. She counted her breaths, trying not to run after them. She strained her ears, trying to hear Kallan and the attacker, and to hear if anyone else was coming.

All she heard was the forest in the night.

The fallen tree branch was just out of reach, so Jana scuttled over and grabbed it, holding on for dear life and daring anyone on the planet to come at her. She’d bash in anyone who got too close.

She held it up like she was a batter at the ready, and tried not to worry about Kallan. It had only been a minute. He’d be okay.

He had to be.

She heard footsteps a few minutes later and swung towards them, ready to use her branch.

Kallan’s voice whispered through the darkness and wrapped around her. “It’s me, don’t swing.”

She dropped the branch and launched herself at him the second she could see his silhouette, wrapping her arms around him tight. “Are you okay?” she demanded, only then realizing she should have checked for injuries before holding on for dear life.

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Maybe a bruise or two. Our attacker got away.”

She shepherded him back to the fire and looked at him as close as she could in the dim light. He looked fine. Everything was alright.

“Are they still out there?” The darkness around them made her feel exposed. Anyone could be out there. Lurking. Waiting.

“Probably,” he said, so grimly that Jana shivered.

Neither of them suggested picking up camp and moving. The moon barely pierced the trees and they’d be walking blind. Who knew what dangers were out there?

“That was definitely a person, right?” Jana asked, trying to picture their attacker in her mind. She imagined nothing but a shadow. “Not an animal?”

“I think so,” he confirmed.

Hell and damnation. Jana stared at the fire and knew they were both in for a sleepless night.

CHAPTER 12

KALLAN

Kallan tried not to acknowledge the exhaustion. Jana had managed to snag an hour or so of sleep, and when she woke just after sunrise, she insisted he try to take at least a short nap before they moved on.

He wanted to argue. They needed to move. Danger could be lurking behind every tree.

But he was so tired he could barely stand. So he napped.

It only made it worse.

But he insisted they move on as the sun climbed over head. They were out of food and couldn’t waste the daylight. The only luck came from the fact that the weather had been good, but Kallan had spotted a few threatening clouds off in the distance, and he wouldn’t hold out hope of that lasting for long.

He didn’t mention it to Jana. He didn’t want her to worry.

They’d made it a few miles when Jana stopped him. “Those look like apples.” She pointed to one of the trees where bright red fruit hung on low branches.

His stomach growled. “See if there’s a food scanner in the pack.” Eating unidentified fruit on an alien planet was even more dangerous than drinking the water, and Kallan wasn’t hungry enough yet to take the chance.

Jana took the pack from him and dug around, coming out with a thin, black device. “Success!” The scanners were another common item in survival packs and they could quickly analyze most consumables.

He reached up and plucked one of the fruits before handing it over. Every muscle ached and he could barely hold his eyes open. It would be harder to stand back up if he sat down, but he couldn’t stop himself from leaning against another tree while the scanner worked.

His eyes must have drifted closed since he awoke to the sound of Jana chomping on the fruit, eyes wide in wonder. “It tastes like candy!” she exclaimed, handing out another fruit to him.

He took a bite of his own and let the sweetness wash over his tongue. She was right. They were almost teeth-meltingly sweet and he could only eat two before his stomach and mouth protested.

But he wasn’t hungry anymore.

Jana grabbed as many of the fruits as she could and stuffed them in the pack. They wouldn’t be going hungry in the next few days, though sugar rushes might make them crazy.

His denya finally looked at him, eyes flicking up and down and expression heavy. “Let’s stop for the day,” she said.

“We’ve got plenty more sunlight,” he insisted. He didn’t know if he could push himself out of his leaning position. All he wanted to do was slide down and sleep. But they needed to find other survivors. He didn’t know if they were being stalked by whoever had attacked them. He didn’t even know if the two attacks were connected.

He was too tired to think.

But they needed to keep moving.

Jana gave him a hard look. “I’m awake enough right now that I can watch over you while you sleep. And maybe whoever attacked us last night won’t want to do it in broad daylight. If you wake before sundown, we’ll get some more distance in. But sleep right now. You can’t protect me if you’re dead on your feet.”

She got to the heart of the issue and the fight went out of Kallan. He was too tired to protect her. And even if she wasn’t much of a fighter, at least in the daylight she’d see a threat coming.

He slid down the tree and had barely lain down before he was asleep.

The smell of fire woke him, but it wasn’t the dangerous blaze from the escape pod. He blinked his eyes open and saw Jana piling a few branches onto her small flame.

It was late afternoon. Most of a day lost to his weak need for sleep. Kallan wanted to curse himself as he struggled to a sitting position, his muscles in knots.

But he wasn’t exhausted anymore.

And Jana was safe.

She munched on one of the fruits and took swigs from her canteen between bites and smiled at him when she saw he was sitting. “Hey, sleepyhead,” she said.

“I’m awake now.” Was he grumbling? Possibly. He tried to shove the useless emotions away. Jana was just teasing. Any other time he’d revel in it.

“No more attacks,” she assured him. “We’re not far from a spring, so I filled up our canteens. Some scary clouds blew over earlier, but no rain. Hopefully that lasts. All around, it was a pretty boring day.” She held out a fruit. “They’re not as sweet if you drink water between every bite.”

Kallan wasn’t too hungry yet, so he put the fruit aside. “We need a plan.” He was tired of walking and waiting for things to happen.

“No kidding.” Jana poked at the fire with a stick and something popped, sending up sparks. “I wish I had my work resources. General Alvarez would have this sorted in five minutes.”

“General Alvarez? You work for Earth defense?” The general was a legend, having saved the planet more than once from alien threats. “You never said you were a soldier.” And nothing about her actions indicated it. Was she some kind of spy? Was she playing a game?

But a laugh burst out of her. “Hell no, I am not soldier material. I’m a civilian secretary. But I know just about everything Earth defense could do to help us in this situation. Hazard of the job.”

Things started clicking into place, and Kallan didn’t like the shape they were taking. “A clone.”

Jana’s head snapped towards him. “What?”

He didn’t realize he’d said it aloud, but there was no walking it back. “The woman I saw on the ship, the one who looked just like you but wasn’t. She could have been a clone. It sounds like you have access to a lot of important people. Subverting someone in your position could be very dangerous. And she said something about having a job to do.”

“A clone?” Disbelief shaped the words. “No way.”

“I saw her,” he insisted. “And she wasn’t you. And she talked about having a job to do. And we’ve been attacked twice.” It all added up in his head, but he didn’t know how to make Jana see. “Why did you choose this cruise?”

Her face scrunched up. “I won a contest. Is that so weird?”

“Kind of! If a clone is trying to replace you. Maybe they wanted to get you away from your regular environment so the switch wouldn’t be as obvious. All they needed was a bit of your DNA to get the process started. It takes, what, a month or so to grow an adult clone?” He wasn’t exactly sure of the technology, but that sounded right.

“You think they cloned me?” She hugged her arms around herself and glared at him. “How do you know I’m not the clone?”

“I think you’d know if you were a clone.” He had to get control of this conversation and fast—it was already threatening to tip into the ridiculous.

Jana took a few deep breaths and loosened her grip on herself. “If what you think is true, they’re trying to kill me. That’s why we’ve been attacked.”

That had also occurred to him, though he hadn’t said it.

Jana pushed up from her seated position and reached for their pack. “We’ve still got an hour or two of daylight. I think we should move.”

CHAPTER 13

JANA

A clone. A freaking clone. Jana’s hands were shaking so she balled them into fists and kept following Kallan as he led them down the path. She wanted to prove that he was somehow wrong, but she had no way.

He’d seen her evil twin. She didn’t think he was lying. And since she didn’t actually have a twin, a clone was more likely.

It just didn’t seem real.

“I need to get a warning to the people back home,” she said, mostly to herself, but Kallan glanced over his shoulder at her words.

“What?”

She cleared her throat. “If you’re right and someone is trying to replace me, I need to send a message back to Earth as soon as possible. So that even if I don’t make it, they don’t get infiltrated.”

That stopped her Detyen in his tracks. He spun around and clutched her shoulders, his face fierce. “You’re getting home,” he vowed.

Their gazes locked, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her. The promise of it hung in the air around them. But Kallan let go and kept walking.

Jana tried not to be disappointed. She was the one who’d suggested this hike, after all.

Her calves ached, and she realized they were going up an incline. She’d rather the entire path was downhill, but nothing else had gone her way in days, so she kept her mouth shut. After several minutes of climbing, Kallan came to a stop and she joined him.

They were on a ledge that looked out over a valley. In the distance, she barely made out what looked like a churning ocean. And beside it… “Are those survival pods?” She hated how much hope she heard in her own voice. It was too easy to dash.

But Kallan didn’t dash it. “I think so. And if they’re not our people, that’s certainly a settlement. And I think we can make it by nightfall.”

Her heart fluttered and she wanted to run. But the ground under her feet didn’t quite feel steady, so Jana shuffled back to safety and waited for Kallan to join her.

They took off towards the settlement, walking faster as the shadows grew long in the trees around them. It was getting difficult to see, but Jana didn’t want to stop. They were so close to finding someone, maybe to safety. Stopping now felt like giving up.

She squinted through the shadows and tripped over a branch in her path, cursing as she crashed to the forest floor. Kallan came to a stop.

“We need to make camp,” he said as he helped her up.

Jana brushed some of the dirt off of her and knew her dress was beyond saving, no matter how many times she’d be able to wash it once she got home. “We’re so close. Can’t we make torches out of some of these branches or something?” They only needed a little light to see by. It seemed possible.

But Kallan shook his head. “Too dangerous. Especially if we’re tripping when it’s barely dark.”

We’re. That was kind. She hadn’t seen Kallan trip once.

“What if my evil clone is out there?” The shadows were dense in the trees, crowding her and Kallan in. No hint if they had company.

“I slept most of the day,” he reminded her. “I can watch over you until morning. We’ll leave at first light. It can’t be more than another couple hours of walking to get there.”

There was no use arguing. Kallan was right. Walking in the dark was too dangerous when they didn’t know the terrain. All they needed was for her to sprain her ankle, and then they were sitting ducks.

Well, she would be. But somehow Jana knew that no power on Earth would make Kallan abandon her if she got injured.

It didn’t matter that they weren’t on Earth. The point still stood.

Making camp in semi-darkness was difficult, but once they got a small fire going, it was easier. Kallan laid out the blanket for her and Jana wrapped herself up. But she’d spent most of the day resting while Kallan slept, and though her legs ached, she wasn’t particularly tired.

She grabbed one of the fruits out of the pack and ate it for her dinner, happy that she wasn’t subsisting on meal bars.

Part of her wanted to spend the night talking to Kallan. Or doing more. But more was absolutely out of the question. The last time they’d kissed, someone, possibly her clone, had attacked them. They couldn’t afford distractions.

And she really wanted Kallan to distract her.

But she couldn’t make herself start talking. No matter how much she wanted to know about him, her mouth stayed firmly shut. They were so close to safety that talking too much felt like tempting fate, and she wasn’t about to do that.

Sleep didn’t come easy. She tossed and turned in her covers for a long time, and when the temperature of the night air dipped, she started to shiver. She clutched the blanket close, but it only did so much to protect her.

Kallan would hold her through the night. But Jana kept her mouth shut. He was on lookout. She couldn’t distract him, not even if his body was exactly what she needed to warm up.

She’d suffered through chilly nights before. One more wouldn’t kill her.

Sleep crept up on her, and eventually, Jana succumbed. Her dreams were vague echoes, shadows chasing her through the darkness until they finally pushed her off a cliff where she fell and fell forever.

And then the dream shifted and she saw Earth as if she were floating in space. Except it wasn’t her Earth. It was red, ablaze and shattered, the atmosphere on fire from some extraterrestrial threat.

Over her shoulder, someone cackled in her voice, but when she spun around there was only a mirror.

She forced herself awake and was thankful to see sunlight creeping up in the sky. But when she looked across the dwindling fire, she didn’t see Kallan.

He was gone.

CHAPTER 14

JANA

She wasn’t going to panic. Kallan wouldn’t just abandon her. She knew that to the depths of her soul. She forced herself to use some of her water from the canteen to wipe the sleep off her face and rinse out her mouth. She’d kill for a toothbrush.

That only took a few minutes.

She wasted another few eating fruit, wincing at the sharp sweetness. She wasn’t sure if the fruit had grown sweeter overnight or if she was just getting more sensitive to it, but she’d be grateful for more familiar food.

Kallan still wasn’t back.

If he’d just gone to relieve himself, he’d be back by now. There were plenty of spaces he could have done that and still been in talking distance. But his name got stuck in her throat, and she realized she was afraid to call out.

What if he didn’t answer?

What if he couldn’t?

What if someone else did?

No. Jana couldn’t freak out from ten minutes of loneliness. She was a fucking adult. She could handle this.

“Kallan!” It wasn’t as loud as it could have been, but she wasn’t whispering. “Are you out there?”

She listened for his response, words or a pained groan, anything to tell her he was nearby. Instead, she only heard the whispering of the wind through the trees. No Kallan.

Okay. Not great.

She folded up the blanket and found their pack, where Kallan had been sitting vigil all night. She put the blanket back and called his name again.

Still no response.

“Think,” she muttered to herself. “Do something.”

She wanted to plunk her ass down on a log and wait for Kallan to come back. She did just that for a few minutes, but nervous energy overtook her and she was back up and pacing before she realized she’d moved.

I’ll just look around. She didn’t have to go far. She’d stay in sight of their things so she didn’t get lost. But that way she could see if Kallan was close and unable to respond.

Passed out.

Not dead. He couldn’t be dead.

She had to choke back a sound of fear as emotion threatened to overwhelm her. Kallan would be fine. He knew how to handle himself and he’d kept her safe so far. Nothing in this forest was a match for him.

She hoped.

They knew there was trouble. No way her evil clone had surprised him.

And the more she thought about the evil clone, the easier it was to consider that she really was real, no matter how far-fetched.

Most clone tech stopped at creating organs for transplants, but the tech existed to make full grown people in a matter of weeks. It was expensive as hell and illegal, but definitely possible.

Someone must have thought she was special. Or that she had more access than she did. Or perhaps it was a convoluted scheme to murder General Alvarez. But there were easier and cheaper ways to kill a general.

Jana’s dream flashed before her, and she shuddered.

She needed to find Kallan.

She stepped outside of their makeshift camp and into the trees, walking in a careful circle and keeping an eye out for any felled Detyens. But Kallan wasn’t there.

She went a little further out, climbing over fallen logs and skipping over a stream, but still no sign of Kallan. And it was getting harder to see her camp. Any further out and it would be easy to get lost.

She should have left something to mark the path back to camp.

Her hand curled around the small knife she’d dug out of their survival pack. It wasn’t much, only about two inches long and more useful for cutting up food than any threat, but it was the only thing she had approaching a weapon.

She eyed the tree and took her knife to it, trying to make an X in the bark. But the bark was more resilient than she expected, and she couldn’t do more than make a few scuff marks. Would she even recognize them if she passed the tree again?

Probably not. Jana was no nature expert.

It would be best to turn back now. She’d seen no evidence of Kallan, but maybe he’d gone a bit further afield and needed time to get back. She didn’t know why he would have left the safety of their camp or her, but he would have had a good reason.

Yes. Better to head back and wait. She had enough fruit to last her through the day, and water as well. If he wasn’t back by afternoon, she’d have to make a tough call: wait some more or press on without him.

But she was getting ahead of herself.

Something moved in her peripheral vision.

Jana’s head snapped around, trying to search out the movement. It could have just been the wind or an animal, but when she saw something again, it was definitely person shaped.

She was moving before she consciously chose to. The forest was a blur around her, but there was someone there. Maybe Kallan. And she had to get to him.

But when the figure stopped moving, it wasn’t Kallan.

It was… her.

Damn. Kallan hadn’t been lying. The woman really did look like her. If she’d taken super soldier lessons and favored tight bodysuits. She looked tough. Could Jana really pull that look off?

Not the point.

She’d spent so long gawking that her clone could have taken her out with one blow, but the clone was doing a perusal of her own, head tilted to the side as she took in Jana’s dirty beach dress and overall messy look.

“You are not impressive,” said the clone.

“Ouch.” Okay, not the best rejoinder, but Jana was freaking out about the fact that she had a clone and was very possibly about to die. Killed by her clone. On an alien planet. In space.

Not how she saw this going. It didn’t seem real. Maybe that was why she wasn’t as scared as she should have been.

“Why me?” Jana asked. If these were her last moments, at least she could have her curiosity sated. She and Kallan had their theory, but the clone would know.

The clone stared at her, unblinking.

“Oh! Are you programmed not to answer, or something? Are you brainwashed?” Jana’s eyes got wide as she remembered every evil clone plot from the media shows she like to watch. Shows tended to go down in quality once they started bringing in the clones, but she’d always been a sucker for the possibilities.

Her clone’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I’m not brainwashed. Are you… how stupid am I going to have to pretend to be?”

“I’m not mean. You’re definitely going to get caught.” Maybe Jana shouldn’t be giving her clone infiltration advice, but this whole thing was too surreal.

“Right.” The clone reached into her pocket, and before she pulled something out, she charged at Jana.

It happened so fast that Jana barely reacted. She blocked one blow with moves she half-remembered from a long-ago self-defense class and managed to get in a kick to her clone’s knee.

That made the other woman grunt, but she didn’t even stumble.

She stepped in close, and something pricked Jana’s arm. The world went a bit fuzzy for a second.

And then the world disappeared.

CHAPTER 15

KALLAN

False alarm. Kallan hurried back to camp as the sun rose overhead and hoped all was well with Jana. He’d argued with himself every step he took away, but he’d been certain he heard a child’s cry for help.

If there were other survivors in the forest, he couldn’t just leave them there. And Jana had been sleeping safely all night. He hadn’t thought he’d go far.

But one mile had melted into another, and the cry for help never got any closer. Eventually it faded all together, and Kallan was so turned around it took him nearly an hour to get back to camp.

He let out a relieved breath when he saw Jana sitting on a log by the fire, her dress now more of a dingy gray than beachy white, but she looked good.

She smiled when she saw him, open and unguarded, and he wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold her close.

But for some reason, his feet stopped on the other side of the dwindling fire and he couldn’t make himself take another step closer.

“Good morning!” Jana chirped. “Where have you been?” There was no accusation in her voice, just mild curiosity.

She should have been at least a little upset. “Did you just wake up?” he asked instead. Maybe she didn’t realize how long he’d been gone, even though it had been light for hours by now.

Jana shrugged. “I guess. But I missed you. Where were you?” she asked again.

Maybe she was excited that they were close to the end of their journey. That could explain the weird mood. Or maybe she was having some sort of delayed reaction to all the fruit they’d eaten.

He was a bit tired from standing watch all night, and the last days had been trying. Added to that, he still didn’t know his denya that well. For all he knew, this was her normal mood.

“I thought I heard someone cry for help,” he answered, putting his doubts aside. “I looked for them for a while, but there was no one. Everything alright here?” He still felt guilty for leaving, but she seemed fine.

“All good,” Jana confirmed. “And we’re all packed, so we can head out at any time.”

“Just give me a few minutes.” He really hoped the cries he’d heard weren’t real. He hated the thought of walking away from someone who needed his help. It didn’t take long to eat one of the fruits and drink some water. Already he was craving different, less sweet food, but hopefully it wouldn’t be long before they found civilization.

He stood and picked up their pack, slinging it over his shoulders. Unlike the past two days, Jana didn’t try to argue that she should spend some time carrying their load. At least he’d won that argument.

“Let’s go,” he said, turning towards the path they needed to take.

She followed him for an hour or so, making bright observations and sharing such a good mood that Kallan felt like an ass. He couldn’t bring himself to return her cheerfulness and hoped she would forgive him.

Jana tugged on his arm. “I think we should turn this way.” She stopped and pointed east, where a narrow path in the trees gave way to open land. “That looks promising.”

Confusion swirled in Kallan. “You know why we’re going this way.” She’d been the one who wanted to walk through the night to find the survival pods. And she hadn’t offered any opinions on their direction of travel before now. What had changed?

Maybe she was getting more confident now that they’d spent a few days on this planet.

Kallan looked toward her suggested path again and tried to decipher a reason she might want to change direction.

“Come on,” Jana cajoled. “I really think this is where we need to go. We’ll find people in no time.”

Neither of them had a map. They didn’t even have compasses. And his communicator wouldn’t be any help. He didn’t think he’d get much of a signal in this forest, and his battery might have died by now.

They’d had no luck walking in the forest so far, so maybe it was time to trust Jana’s instincts. “Lead the way,” Kallan finally said.

She gave him a bright smile and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. At the last moment, Kallan turned his head so she only kissed his cheek. She blinked at him in confusion, but didn’t call him on the move.

What was he doing?

He followed his denya while his mind reeled. Something was wrong with her.

Was she angry at him for going to investigate the cries for help he’d thought he heard? Had she been awake for longer than she said? He didn’t think his denya was one to hold a grudge, but he couldn’t be sure.

They had plenty of time to talk, but he didn’t start the conversation. He didn’t want it to explode into an argument while they only had each other to rely on.

Jana’s path brought them out of the forest and under the bright daylight. Before long, sweat poured down Kallan’s neck, and he worried about his mate getting sunburned, but she didn’t seem to care.

There were no signs of other people, and if his internal sense of direction was correct, they were moving away from the survivors they might have seen the afternoon before.

“I think we should head the other way,” he said as Jana marched ahead of him.

She turned around and gave him a sour look. “I want to go this way.” She sounded so petulant, it made him wince.

She didn’t sound like Jana.

She looked like her. She smelled like her. But Jana didn’t talk like that.

And Jana had an evil clone walking around somewhere.

“Where is she?” he demanded. He was tempted to stride forward and wrap his hand around this woman’s throat and squeeze until answers popped out.

But she had Jana’s face, and he couldn’t make himself do it.

Non-Jana tilted her head at him and offered a confused smile. “What are you talking about, Kal?”

Kal? Not even close. “Where is she?”

“I’m right here.” Not-Jana stepped close to him and raised her hand, tracing her fingers over his cheek. “I know it’s been a rough few days and we both need rest, but I’m right here with you.”

“You’re not her.” He had to do something, to somehow restrain her and demand answers so he could find his mate. “Is she still alive?” The fear burbled up in him. He’d barely found his denya, and she might already be gone.

Not-Jana’s expression shifted from open and inviting to cold. He didn’t see her hand move, but he felt the prick as an injector pierced his arm.

Stupid.

He fell to the ground, unconscious.

CHAPTER 16

JANA

Jana opened her eyes to darkness. She had to squeeze them shut and open them again just to make sure she had opened her eyes in the first place.

It was pitch black and she was moving, being jostled around in some sort of box like a piece of freight cargo. She moved her hands and was relieved to find she wasn’t tied up. Why would she be when she was locked in a box?

Did she have enough air?

She sucked in a choking gasp and tried not to panic, but once the thoughts started, they didn’t stop. She forced herself to count down from ten, counting each breath in and out. She wasn’t calm by the end, but she wasn’t freaking out either.

A draft ruffled her fingers, and she realized there was a small vent by her feet. A whisper of light flitted in, not enough to see by, but enough to confirm she wasn’t actually blind.

She wasn’t in a coffin. She had air. And she wasn’t tied up. She had to keep track of whatever she had going for her or she might start screaming.

Her evil clone had to be out there somewhere, and Jana wanted to scratch that thing’s face off. How dare she drug and kidnap Jana? She had no right!

Why hadn’t she killed her?

Not that Jana wasn’t grateful to be alive, but if she were an evil clone bent on infiltrating some government facility, she’d be sure to murder the original version of herself as soon as possible.

Did that make her bloodthirsty?

Oh no. Was she the evil one?

Being locked in a box was going to make her crazy.

The box wobbled, and she realized she must be in some sort of vehicle. It felt like they were moving over rough terrain.

What did the clone need from her? That was the only reason to keep her alive, right? She had information the clone didn’t. Sure, the clone had her DNA, but she didn’t have her computer password.

And if the clone hadn’t realized that passwords could easily be reset, Jana wasn’t about to tell her. As long as she was breathing, she had a chance of getting out of this mess and getting back to Kallan.

Was he okay?

She remembered why she’d gone into the woods. He hadn’t been there when she woke up. And now she wondered if her clone had set some kind of trap to snare him. Had she lured him away from camp and… done something to him?

Jana couldn’t believe he was dead. She refused.

The vehicle came to a stop and Jana tensed. She let out a rattling breath and made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t give up whatever they wanted. They might kill her, but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of getting answers from her.

Boots stomped over metal, and they were getting closer. Jana tried to calm her beating heart and hoped those boots kept on walking.

But they stopped right outside of her box.

The wall beside her slid back, and she flinched at the sudden light. There was a huge Oscavian man standing in front of her, and she was only at knee height. She wasn’t in a box. She was in some kind of bunk.

“Come on.” The man reached down and offered a hand. “We’ve got work to do.”

Jana wanted to spit at him, to kick and try and get away. But something stopped her. He wasn’t acting like she was his captive. And when she shifted her body, she realized she was wearing pants instead of a dress.

She chanced a quick look down and saw she was wearing the same outfit her clone had been wearing during their confrontation.

Had the clone switched their places?

Why?

She understood why the clone would try to infiltrate her life; she and Kallan had managed to figure that out on their own. But there was no good reason to send her back to these Oscavians. Every minute she survived, she was a threat.

They couldn’t find out who she really was.

Jana maneuvered out of the bunk and didn’t say anything to the Oscavian. The more she said, the more chances she had of giving herself away. She’d run the second she had a chance. But she had to make sure that chance came.

The Oscavian led her a few steps away to where a ramp led out of the vehicle and towards an open plain where a relatively small speeder was parked. It was the kind of ship that flew in both the atmosphere and space and could be flown by a single pilot or accommodate a crew of up to five people. She only knew that because one of the other secretaries at work was obsessed with small spacecraft, and Jana had been cornered one afternoon and had listened to her expound on the dangers and benefits of these kinds of ships.

There was another Oscavian on the ground, sitting in a chair, and two chairs beside him.

There wasn’t some huge crew of Oscavian warriors ready to move, this was a small operation. She could get away from two men. She had to.

“Lazy girl is finally awake,” the Oscavian who’d retrieved her said. He leered at her. “You were so zonked at camp I thought you were dead.”

Jana shrugged. “I wasn’t.”

The Oscavians laughed at her, and she wanted to scowl. “You’ll need to be better than that if you don’t want to get caught,” the one they’d met said.

Jana stiffened, but realized they were talking about what her clone would need to do and not her. She wanted to prod them for information, to figure out if this was some massive plot from the Oscavian Empire or if it was two aliens who were trying to play in the big times.

But she didn’t want to give herself away.

The Oscavians unintentionally helped her. “Do you need the plan again, little human?” one asked. If sarcasm could cut, she’d be bleeding. “You sure there was no brain damage in her creation?” he asked his friend.

The second Oscavian rolled his eyes. “She’s an exact copy of the original. If there’s brain damage, it’s supposed to be there.”

“I’m not brain damaged!” She couldn’t stop the words from coming out, but it only made the Oscavians laugh. And Jana was beginning to realize why her clone had taken off.

These guys were assholes.

But maybe they were assholes she could manipulate. They already thought she was stupid. Jana leaned into it. “Why aren’t we moving?” she demanded. “Aren’t we supposed to have a plan?”

“That little stunt the other night nearly ruined everything,” the sitting Oscavian said, scowling at her. “Where would you be if Hayter hadn’t managed to hide you?” He nodded to the Oscavian with the boots.

Hayter. Really. These guys sucked.

“Karrl’s right,” said Hayter.

“I messed up,” she admitted, as if she cared. “Since I’m so bad at this, why don’t you tell me what I’m supposed to be doing? Maybe I won’t screw up again.” She tried to channel her surly inner teenager. It was everything these Oscavians expected.

“You wait until we tell you to move,” Karrl said slowly, like he didn’t expect her to understand the words. “And then you do what we tell you.” He turned to Hayter and spoke as if she wasn’t there. “We need to implant a control chip. No way she pulls this off on her own.”

Jana’s blood froze. Control chips were deadly. They had a nasty habit of exploding and turning people’s brains to mush. And if she survived, her mind wouldn’t be her own.

Yeah. No wonder the clone had run.

“We’ll be on Earth with her. It will be fine,” Hayter tried to assure him. “We can always do it later.”

Jana sank into her chair and tried not to draw attention to herself while the two men bickered. She didn’t have a chance to run, not yet. But if she kept playing dumb, she might be lucky enough to get away.

She just had to wait for her moment.

And she had to pray that Kallan was safe.

CHAPTER 17

KALLAN

When Kallan came to, he realized his hands were bound. He was lying on his side, his lips kissing dirt. He struggled against his bonds, but it was no use. They were tight, and they weren’t budging.

He managed to sit up and found Not-Jana standing in front of him, an injector held threateningly in her hand. She waved it in front of his face. “Do anything stupid, and you won’t wake up a second time.”

Kallan nodded, even as he tried to think of a way to take her out. If he could get the injector from her, he could use it against her.

Big if.

His hands were numb. He wasn’t sure if that was from the drugs or the tight bindings, but he needed use of them before he could do anything to fight back against this clone.

“I just want to talk,” Not-Jana assured him. She took a seat opposite him and capped the injector before sticking it in her pocket.

“So talk.” His voice came out rusty and he wanted water, but he wasn’t about to ask this monster for anything.

Not-Jana sighed. “This was supposed to be easy. And instead, I’ve had you dogging my every step. Why? You don’t know Jana. I’ve memorized every piece of data there is to memorize, and you’re nowhere. Why do you care so much? She’s just a human.”

Hearing that from someone wearing Jana’s face made him want to rage. Jana was everything. But Kallan bit his tongue to keep from saying anything. Not yet.

“They made me to serve a function.” She crossed her arms and scowled. “I could do it, you know. Easy. But now they’re talking about putting a chip in my head, as if I need someone else piloting my brain. And I won’t let them do it. No one owns me.”

Under other circumstances, he might have felt sympathy. This was a being, a person, created for a purpose that she didn’t want to fulfill, and she was taking steps to change her destiny. It was admirable.

If she hadn’t done something to his mate.

“Why do you want to talk?” Kallan bit out. Anger boiled within him, along with the need to demand to know where the real Jana was, but he tried to cage it. For now.

Not-Jana shrugged. “You figured me out. So I need you on my side. When we get to the clustered survivors, vouch for me when I say I’m Jana. After that, you’ll never hear from me again, and as far as anyone is concerned, I’m the real Jana. No harm, no foul.”

Kallan struggled against his bonds. “And what happens to the real Jana?” He had to assume she was still alive. If she wasn’t, nothing mattered, and he’d take care of this pale imitation in no time.

Not-Jana narrowed her eyes at him. “Who cares?”

He bellowed and struggled even more and felt the bonds give, just a little. Not enough for him to get out, but enough for him to know he could.

Not-Jana jerked the injector out of her pocket and reared back, holding it between them like a talisman. “She’s alive,” she rushed to assure him. “Or she was the last time I saw her. I dumped her with my handlers and switched our clothes so they wouldn’t think I got away. They have no reason to hurt her.”

He kept straining, even as the bonds dug into his skin and tore. The claws hidden under his knuckles were useless given the way she’d bound him, but he let them shoot out anyway, let her see the full threat of a Detyen in a rage. “You said they wanted to implant a control chip.”

“They don’t have the facilities planet side. She’s safe. I promise.”

“Your promise means nothing.” Kallan jerked one final time and the bonds snapped. He surged up, knocked the injector out of her hand, and wrapped his other hand around her throat, squeezing until he was sure he had her attention.

He wasn’t worried about the fact that she wore his mate’s face now. He could tell the difference.

“Here’s my counteroffer,” he said through gritted teeth. “You lead me to where Jana is and help me get her free. Maybe then I won’t kill you.”

Not-Jana gave a frantic nod, her head barely moving against his strong grip. Kallan let her drop and she crumpled to the ground, one hand pressed against the red skin around her neck. “Fuck. Okay. Fine. You win. Let’s go find your girl.”

CHAPTER 18

JANA

Jana’s plan of not getting caught was going well. Or as well as it could in the hour since she’d woken up. Hayter and Karrl barely paid attention to her, except when they wanted to scowl or jeer.

There were worse things they could do, so she decided to be thankful.

She wasn’t tied up, but she could feel their eyes on her every time she stepped away, and she was sure they’d be on her if she went too far. Running wasn’t an option, not yet, especially when she didn’t know where she was or how to get anywhere else.

A person could die running blindly in the woods. And she wasn’t feeling suicidal yet.

“How could you be smart enough to mess up the engine like you did and totally useless on the ground?” The taunt came from Karrl and confirmed Jana’s suspicion that these two Oscavians and her clone were the reason the ship had crashed.

Jana didn’t answer, afraid to give herself away. She pushed herself out of the low chair she sat in and turned away from the fire.

“Where are you going?” Hayter demanded.

She nodded towards the truck where her bunk was. “I’m tired.”

“Weak human,” one of them muttered, but she’d already turned around, and they didn’t try and stop her.

Jana walked carefully once she was up the steps and kept looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t followed. Hayter and Karrl seemed content to let her be. She bypassed the sleeping quarters and headed to the head of the truck where the controls were. She had a vague idea she could steal the vehicle, but that was dashed when she saw the handprint lock on the ignition.

She tried it anyway, hoping her clone was keyed to the vehicle, but no luck. And she didn’t have anything approaching the skills to hot wire this vehicle. Or any vehicle, for that matter.

But driving wasn’t the only option. She looked around for comms equipment, but there was nothing built in. Not that she had anyone she could call.

She backed away from the controls and shuffled towards her bunk before she could get caught nosing around. If the Oscavians started to suspect her, they could make things even more difficult. She needed to lull them into a false sense of security before she made her move.

That sounded like a better plan than wait around and hope something happens, even if they were functionally the same.

She snooped in the other bunks and bit back a sound of triumph when she spotted a blaster at the foot of one. Even better, this one wasn’t bio-locked to anyone. All she had to do was point and shoot. She grabbed it and shoved it in one of the many pockets of her clone’s outfit and tried not to remind herself that she’d only shot a blaster once.

It wasn’t that hard. When she was shooting at a target.

She forced doubts out of her mind.

It was tempting to rush down the ramp and start shooting and hope it was enough to take out Hayter and Karrl, but she forced herself to wait. She hadn’t seen if they were wearing weapons, but they had to be. And blasters weren’t lethal except in very rare circumstances, so even if she did shoot them, they wouldn’t be incapacitated for long.

Footsteps pounded up the ramp while Jana was looking in the second bunk. She jerked away from it, but not in time. Karrl was standing there, an angry smirk on his purple face. “What do we have here, you little sneak?” He grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the bunk. Jana didn’t fight him, hoping she could talk her way out of this, and that he didn’t notice she had a blaster.

Fuck. How had she given herself away so sloppily?

“What’s going on?” Hayter was out of his chair and glaring when Karrl slammed her down to the ground. “Don’t hurt her, she’s expensive.”

“She’s snooping,” Karrl sneered. “And she should know better than that. I won’t leave marks, but I’m going to teach a lesson. Go get the prod.”

Jana swallowed hard and tried to hide the fear that had to be naked on her face. She didn’t like pain, who did? And if she ever saw her clone again, she was going to do major damage to make her pay for this.

There was a dull thunk that Jana barely recognized before a whoosh and bright heat of fire engulfed the inside of the truck. Hayter came running out, his shirt on fire, and terror in his eyes.

Karrl kicked her to keep her down, but turned towards the fire, ignoring her. “What’s going on?” he demanded.

Hayter swatted at his arm. “I don’t know. It just started!”

“Fires don’t just start.”

No, they didn’t. Jana looked around and thought she spotted movement at the edge of the woods. Had Kallan found her? Was he okay?

She wanted to sob in relief, but she clamped her mouth shut to keep from making a peep and drawing attention back to herself. She reached into her pocket while the Oscavians were distracted and pulled out the blaster.

There was no honor in shooting a man when he wasn’t looking. But there was also no honor in creating a clone to infiltrate a government and sabotage things either, so Jana figured they were even.

She fired two shots on the highest setting and Hayter and Karrl both went down, unconscious.

The smoke got heavier and heavier, and Jana stumbled to her feet and away to safety. And when she was out of the immediate danger zone, she had to blink several times to understand what she was seeing.

Kallan. And… herself.

No, her clone.

They were both running towards her, and Kallan had a look of naked relief on his face.

When he got to her, he swooped her up in his arms, swung her around, and then closed his lips over hers in a kiss that stole her breath and made her heart beat so fast it threatened to burst. She clutched him tight, afraid that if she let go, this would all turn out to be some kind of dream.

And if she woke up, it would be a nightmare.

After another minute, Kallan put her down gently, but he didn’t let go of her. “I came to rescue you.” His eyes were red, but quickly slid back to black as the excitement of the moment faded.

“We,” said the clone.

Both Jana and Kallan stared at her. “You’re the reason I’m in this mess.” She scowled and tried not to think about how weird this situation was. How did twins do it?

Didn’t matter.

“I thought there would be more of a fight,” Kallan admitted as they watched the fire spread out of the truck. The Oscavians were right in its path.

No one suggested pulling them away.

“Those idiots left their weapons lying around,” said the clone. “I’m glad you were smart enough to find one.”

“It was lying in a bunk.” And Jana felt a bit numb, all of a sudden. She’d shot two people. “Oh god.” Her knees went weak, and Kallan was there to hold her up.

The clone made a disgusted sound. “As sweet as this is, I know that speeder has enough supplies to get us all to Honora Station in less than a day. You’re free to take your chances with any survivors you can find, but I’m not completely certain those two didn’t have any sort of last resort plan. I’m not letting myself get caught.”

It was happening so fast that Jana had a hard time keeping up. Was she suddenly supposed to trust her clone now that her handlers were out of commission?

She looked at Kallan, as if he might have some kind of answer that made sense. “I don’t think she wants to infiltrate your life,” he said. “And we can get an easy ride home from Honora. Who knows how long things will take to get sorted out here.”

“This might be a huge mistake.” She had to say it.

Kallan kissed her again. “Have a little faith.”

CHAPTER 19

JANA

Faith, and her clone’s flight skills, got them near Honora Station in less than a day, as promised. But while the clone was flying, Jana and Kallan huddled as far away from her as they could and talked.

“What do we do when we land?” Jana asked. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked the question, and she still didn’t have a good answer. “She tried to kill me. I think she sabotaged that cruise ship. Shouldn’t we tell the authorities?” It made absolute sense. Her clone was a criminal.

And yet…

“She didn’t have a choice,” Kallan pointed out. “And when she was given a chance to save you, she took it.”

“Only after putting me in danger in the first place.” She’d put regen gel on Kallan’s wounds and had eyed the bruises blooming on her clone’s throat. Clearly there was a bit more than they were telling her. And for the moment Jana decided to let it go.

“And what about the greater plot? If someone is coming for Earth, I have to warn them.” She shuddered to think what would have happened if her clone had replaced her. Chaos. And really poorly filed paperwork. Her reputation as a secretary would be in tatters, and not just because of the treason.

“I think someone’s always coming for Earth. We can report the attempt and say she got away after killing her handlers. It’s true enough.”

Jana was trying not to think of the unconscious men they’d left on the ground, the fire inching ever closer. Sure, there was a slight chance they might have awoken to get away in time.

But given that the clone had taken Jana’s blaster and shot each of them two more times, Jana doubted it.

“Okay, but what if she comes back and tries to take over my life again?”

“You know I can hear every word you’re saying?” the clone asked from the pilot’s seat.

Jana and Kallan exchanged a look and clamped their mouths shut. They had a silent conversation with expressions and gestures and both moved up to sit near the clone, who glared at them when they joined her.

“I’m not your prisoner,” she reminded them. “And I thought you understood that my life is my own. No one gets to dictate it.”

“You did some heinous shit,” Jana had to remind her, “all while wearing my face. And people could have died. Innocent people!”

“We monitored the frequencies. There were no reports of fatalities. Less than a sixth of the ship sustained damage and only one hundred people were evacuated. This op was planned for months. Minimal casualties were the goal.”

That was hard to believe, given the scope of the damage that Jana had seen falling through the atmosphere. But space cruise ships were huge. Maybe her clone was right.

Or maybe Jana just wanted to believe her.

“Also, legally speaking, I don’t exist,” her clone reminded her. “So if you turn me in, all the evidence is going to point to you. There’s no way to tell which of us is the original Jana. I’m an exact copy.”

“You’re not,” Kallan said, but he didn’t elaborate.

The clone studied him for a long moment, and Jana got the idea there was a conversation she was missing out on.

“If we don’t say anything, what will you do?” Jana asked. Maybe it was because the clone was wearing her face, or maybe Jana was just a soft touch, but she didn’t want to turn the woman in. She deserved a chance at a life of her choosing. If she screwed that up, that was her own fault.

“I’ll keep away from Earth,” she promised. “There’s plenty of space out there for both of us.”

And that was that. Jana couldn’t bring herself to turn her clone in and Kallan wasn’t going to make her.

An hour later, they were docking at Honora Station, and the clone turned to Kallan. “You said I’m not exact. How?”

Kallan held Jana’s hand tight and leveled a stare at the clone. “She’s my denya. You’re not.”

The world rocked underneath Jana’s feet, and she froze in shock. It was hidden by the door opening onto the airlock, where authorities from the station were waiting for them.

Jana’s mind reeled as everything she’d wanted from Kallan crashed into her. A mate, a lover, someone to call her own. In one word, he’d declared it.

So why hadn’t he said anything before?

In the flurry of activity, the clone disappeared, and Jana felt a little weird about not saying goodbye. Somehow she doubted she’d ever see her clone again. Was she supposed to feel happy? Sad?

All she felt was a bit of relief.

The authorities finished with them quickly, and they were ushered into the main part of the station.

“I should explain,” Kallan said to her, the first second they were no longer navigating the authorities.

“I work with the Detyen Legion. I know what a denya is. Why didn’t you tell me?” Everything was all jumbled up, joy and anger, and Jana didn’t know what to feel. She wanted Kallan with all her heart.

So why did his declaration feel like betrayal?

The crowd swarmed around them. Honora Station was a busy place, a byway for this half of the galaxy with travelers going to and fro, and a permanent population that numbered in the thousands.

“Let’s go someplace private to talk.” She couldn’t have this conversation where everyone could hear. She didn’t know what she was going to say, and certainly didn’t want to shout it in front of strangers.

Kallan gave her a tight nod and led the way. She realized he was heading towards one of the hotels available for travelers and didn’t argue. They didn’t know when they’d find a ship back to Earth, and she would kill for a soft bed for the night.

With a hard Detyen beside her.

As they walked, her anger turned into something else. Excitement. The shock of his declaration wore off and she imagined what he would say. He hadn’t told her because they were in a terrible situation and he didn’t want to put the weight of his expectations on her shoulder.

After all, she held his life in her hands.

The denya bond wasn’t just a sign that fate thought they should be together. Detyens died if they didn’t claim their mates. She didn’t know how old Kallan was, but he had to be getting close to thirty. If he didn’t claim her, he would die.

And being claimed by him wouldn’t be a hardship.

She sucked in a breath as heat suffused her body. Her feet weren’t completely steady as Kallan got a room key from a vending machine on one wall and led them down a narrow hall to a door that opened to reveal a utilitarian room.

With only one bed.

Kallan cursed. “I booked a double room. I can go back and change the reservation.” He turned to do that.

Jana put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Don’t.”

Now it was his turn to look at her. His eyes turned red, the way Detyen eyes did when they were feeling strong emotion. “I shouldn’t have kept this from you,” he said. He was practically vibrating with pent up energy, and Jana was eager to know what it would feel like to have him completely focused on her.

Right now, she just had a taste, and she felt like she might incinerate if she stood there for long.

But what a way to go.

“Ever since I heard of the denya bond, it’s something I’ve wanted,” she admitted. She was baring her soul, and it was a bit scary. But if she couldn’t do it with Kallan, there was no hope for her.

“I wanted you from the moment I saw you. The real you,” he was quick to add.

But Jana wasn’t thinking about her clone. “Then take me.”

There was more they had to talk about, a whole life to be planned out. The denya bond wasn’t something that could be torn apart once it was in place. She’d be bonded to this man for life.

And she couldn’t wait.

Kallan swooped her up in his arms and crossed the room, dropping her on the bed and following her down, his lips crushing against hers. It was almost brutal, almost too much. But Jana ran her fingers through his hair and gripped his head tight, keeping him there and not letting him dream of pulling back.

She wanted to kiss him forever. Their tongues tangled, mouths moving, smiling against one another as if they couldn’t believe that they were finally together. Safe.

In a bed.

Really, the perfect end to what should have been a perfect vacation.

Laughter almost bubbled out of Jana, but it transformed into a moan as Kallan’s hand slid under her shirt and cupped her breast. She arched up against him, chasing sensation.

And Kallan gave her more.

She felt a tiny scratch, not enough to break her skin or hurt her, but enough to make her shiver, and then her shirt went flying in pieces. When she looked, she saw that Kallan’s claws were out, his eyes were red, and he was staring down at her naked breasts as if she held the secrets of the universe in her chest.

“That was my only shirt,” she reminded him. And it wasn’t even her shirt. She and her clone hadn’t bothered to switch their outfits back, so she was still wearing the clone’s clothing.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Kallan promised. Then his eyes slid lower, and he held his claws up. “The rest of it?”

He’d be gentle if she asked. Of course he would. Jana didn’t want gentle. “Do it.”

He did. Her pants went flying until she was naked, and Kallan wasted no time stripping out of his own outfit. His clothes didn’t get the same shredding treatment, but she supposed at least one of them needed to be presentable later.

But she wasn’t worried about later now.

Kallan kissed his way down her body until his face was between her legs and she was completely exposed. There was no time for self-consciousness, not when he used his lips and tongue on her, making her scream his name as she curled her fingers into the scratchy sheets under her.

He slid a finger into her wet heat and she whimpered at the sensation, then pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, as if that might do something to muffle her noises.

Kallan pulled back, even as he added a second finger. “I want to hear you.” It was half plea, half command.

Jana pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Then don’t stop.”

He didn’t, not this time. And when he brought her to the peak of pleasure, she screamed his name and distantly hoped that this room’s walls were soundproofed.

She was slick with sweat, her body strung out on desire, her sex still rippling, but she wanted more. She wanted Kallan inside her, sealing the bond between them until nothing could tear them apart.

She could already feel the stirrings of it, like something deep inside of her was reaching out for him, begging to be claimed. But it wasn’t complete. Not yet.

“More,” she begged, spreading her legs impossibly wider and staring at Kallan with want in her eyes. “Inside me.”

His eyes hadn’t shifted back from red since they’d hit the bed and she loved it, this sure sign of the effect she had on him. “Are you sure?” he asked. “There’s no rush.”

“If you’re not inside me in the next minute I’m going to tackle you and do it myself.” It has mostly teasing, perhaps a bit of a taunt, but it had the effect she knew it would. She wasn’t doubting this connection between them.

She’d made her choice.

And Kallan made his.

When the blunt head of his cock nudged her opening, she moaned, and she breathed hard as he pushed all the way inside. She held on tight and was probably leaving bruises on his shoulders, but she didn’t care.

This connection was everything.

And then he moved, and it got even better.

She lost herself in sensation, and Kallan came with her, thrusting into her just the way she liked it. If it was this good the first time, she was almost scared to think of how things would be in their future.

And she couldn’t wait for more.

Then he sped up, and she couldn’t think of anything but this exact moment. And when she came this time, he joined her, his body emptying into her as the bond between them snapped together like some giant silver cord stretching from just below her heart to his.

Perfect.

Jana cuddled against him sometime later, tracing one of his clan markings on his chest and following it with kisses. She wanted more of him now. She never wanted to stop.

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to go back to work if it means I can’t spend all day with you.” She was joking. Mostly.

And Kallan’s chest rumbled with a laugh. “We’ll figure it out, denya.”

They would. Together. It might not have been the best vacation ever, but she’d met the man of her dreams, and she couldn’t wait to see what the rest of their lives had in store.

Thank you for reading Kallan! You can find more stories here. Don’t forget to sign up for Kate’s newsletter!

V.K. LUDWIG

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CHAPTER 1

JERO

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that every woman in possession of common sense, is in want of a saikh…” I read from the brochure the matchmaking agency sent me, along with my immigration paperwork, all while my tail twitches nervously behind me. “… an alien concubine trained in one million ways to please his female.”

Except for me.

I know two million.

“I’m a master saikh,” I remind myself to get my nerves under control, pacing my little cabin as though it will help to sand the rust off an accolade awarded a veking decade ago. “Board-approved, with honors for my body condition, culinary skills, and advanced bodyworks credentials.”

Courtesy of the saikhmenti, the sacred school where I graduated forever ago. I stayed on as a trainer after that, which allowed me to access the oldest scrolls inside the archives and century-old writings on mating techniques.

What a waste.

I spent nearly two decades at that place, studying and helping young saikhs find a female of their own—nearly forgetting to find one for myself. What can I say? Buried in studies, time kinda slipped away. Then it slipped into my hairline in the shape of a single white hair.

A sigh escapes me.

Time’s running out.

I brace my arm against the frame of the bullseye window overlooking the Milky Way Galaxy and stare down at the green-blue ball. Earth. A planet that scurries with women desperate to snatch up a Vandalar saikh—that much the agency guaranteed me.

“We’ll match you with a female in no time,” they said. “DILFs are in high demand, and we simply never have enough of them.”

DILF.

That’s the category they put me in based on my profile. Not sure what it stands for. Probably reserved for only the best saikhs, with a stellar grade average and an impressive skill-set.

One sidestep puts me in front of the mirror, and what I see still veking has it. Tall, lean, and muscular. Dark gray horns, long black strands between them. Braided like this, I can’t even see that white hair—

Veking shit, there’s a new one. Right above my temple. No, worse. Right beside this fine wrinkle at the corner of my eye.

“Relax. She won’t even notice.” The woman I’ll meet in six Earth days. “The agency said we’re a great match. She requested to be the first to meet me and knows I’m not as young as many other saikhs. If she’s still this eager, what can possibly go wro—”

Boom.

My shoulders jerk up in a protective reflex as the floor vibrates beneath me. That… sounded an awful lot like an explosion. Why else would the aluminum panels lining my cabin quiver, moaning and screeching under the strain?

Outside in the hall, screams and shouts resonate, causing the decorative scars across my body to itch. What the vek is going on?

A high-pitched whistle from the speaker above me stabs my hearing before a male voice filters in. “This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. All passengers, immediately proceed to your dedicated escape pod across from your cabins or one of the survival units found in the common areas.”

My tail lashes out in panic, the claw at the end scratches across the metal when I spin around. I grab my paperwork from my cot, shove it into the back pocket of my pants, then punch the red flashing button beside my door. It opens with a hiss, letting in a concerning swath of black smoke.

Ah, great…

The ship’s burning.

My calves tense where I stand in the doorframe, feeling how numbness seeps into my toes. Well, I can’t let it. I have to get to that first meeting—preferably not burned to a crisp—even if it’s in a damn escape pod…

Dodging panicked passengers who run along the hallway, I cross toward the other wall. Thick and biting, the smoke makes my eyes tear. Where’s that pod?

I reach my hands out until my palms touch cool metal, letting my fingertips search for the raised dots that guide me toward the next label.

There!

The number glows in bright red—twenty-six. Right beside it, a flashing arrow points me toward the handle. I pull on it until the air seal pops. Even before the door stands fully open, I duck so my horns won’t catch on the low frame.

I step inside with one foot.

I squeeze through the gap.

Gods, it’s tight in there. How am I supposed to fit—

“Dude, these things are designed for one person only,” a female shrieks from inside my pod. “This one is in use. Find your own!”

What the…?

I blink the dimly-lit chamber into focus. Nothing but a rectangular metal box with a small control panel, nets along the walls holding emergency supplies, and a cushioned seat with a bunch of safety straps.

Oh, and a woman.

Buckled into my pod.

Her long brown hair is a mess around her sweaty face, the ends resting on her knees she holds pulled against her chest. Red blotches speckle her knuckles with how hard she balls her hands on her shins. She must be terrified, all alone and vulnerable.

She grabs the small metal extinguisher from the holster beside her and aims it straight at me. “Fight me for this pod and die. Or just go find another and you may live.”

Okay… maybe not so vulnerable.

Still my pod, though.

The ship gives a violent buck, sending a rush of adrenaline into my veins as my left horn clonks against the side panel. “This is my pod.”

Instead of lowering the extinguisher, she juts her chin toward the metal plaque above the control panel. “Twenty-nine. My cabin number, my pod. Now please seal the damn door. Good luck. Bye.”

What a mouthy little thing. “That nine’s a six.”

Her eyes snap to the plaque and she cringes for the briefest moment. “Okay, so… maybe you’re right, but is pushing the fact worth a concussion? Probably not. Just… take mine. Twenty-nine. Now go!”

Fine. Whatever. The time it’ll take me to get her unbuckled alone leaves me no other choice but to take her pod. Besides, I’m not that much of a jerk.

I struggle through the gap in the door, slowly backing away. Until my left horn catches on something. The handle, maybe.

“What are you doing?” The woman gives a not-so-gentle shove at my leg, unbalancing me. “You’ll get us both killed. Get out!”

“My horn’s stuck.” Glancing upward, I jerk my head this way and that as I send my leg searching for better footing.

“Stop kicking me.”

Damnit, this isn’t working. “Scoot to the right a little so I can slip deeper down and get it out.”

“You’re standing on the control pane—”

The ship bucks again, rattling so hard on my horn that the pain goes straight into my skull. It dislodges, and my foot slips off whatever I’m standing on. All around me, lights flash.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

An alarm blares from a speaker inside the pod, followed by, “Evacuation initiated. Emergency landing location… Earth.”

Good.

That’s where I need to go.

The door pops three times, sealing me in with this pod-thief who snarls a string of curses as though I’m the one to blame here, but only until gravity seizes to exist. For a moment, she turns blissfully quiet as my stomach floats higher into my ribcage. Then, with one massive jostle, we drop.

My horns scrape along the metal ceiling, then I collapse onto her in a tangle of limbs and my tail stabs into whatever is in reach to keep me somewhat steady. I scream. She screams. Why does it smell like smoke in here?

“Congratulations, you stabbed our control panel dead.” Somewhere behind me or around me—I can’t even veking tell anymore—the woman sighs. “I’m no expert on emergency capsules, but I’m not convinced that the buttons are supposed to throw sparks, risking—”

Whoosh!

Ah, great, now it’s on fire, too.

Trapped inside a box not built for a male my size, let alone an additional person, I rip my tailclaw from the blazing panel. “We have to put it out.”

“No kidding.”

She picks her leg up and lets her boot come down on the flames. Thud. And again. Thud.

Beep. Beep. Beep. “Emergency reroute initiated. Alternative planet detected.”

No!

All warmth sucks from my horns until they itch at the base. “You just ruined my life.”

“Oh, excuse me for saving us from burning—” Another buck cuts through her words. Metal clanks. Emergency supplies rattle. A veking bolt stutters loose on the wall. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmy—”

There’s a loud boom beneath us. It vibrates straight through me and thrusts me forward. My forehead hits something hard.

Lights out.

CHAPTER 2

DANI

Every situation has something positive.

Alright, Dani, find something positive.

I glance around the crash site, my ribs sore from how the harness cut into them on impact. Something positive. Something… ah!

Positive.

The pod’s not on fire anymore.

Positive.

This place has breathable air.

Positive.

The passed-out alien is hot as hell.

He sits propped against a purple-barked tree with orange palm branches. All two-hundred-and-something-freaking-heavy pounds of him. I know, because I’m the one who dragged him over here out of fear the pod might blow up.

I grab the canteen from the ground where I piled it with the other emergency supplies, take a small sip of water, and walk over to him for a better look. His name is Jero. Found the info on some paperwork he had on his cute ass.

A handsome guy, with pecs that could crack nuts beneath his gray shirt, long black hair, and gorgeous scarring along his arms in a floral motif. Aliens are tough when it comes to determining their age, but I’d say he’s probably a bit older than me. Late thirties? Early forties?

Oh, he’s also pierced.

Like… down there.

A fact hard to ignore with how his pants rode up and squeezed it all into a massive fabric bulge with imprints of studs, rings, and balls when I dragged him by his feet. I’m not a perve, but after nearly a year without the D, I’m a certified crotch-starer.

Somewhere in the thick underbrush surrounding this small clearing, a four-winged bird stretches its bright green wings and caws. Man, we are stranded in some sort of jungle biome. How the hell will they read the tracker on my pod—

No, think positive.

Positive. Positive… um…

Jero looks like a badass. Built like a tank, with a sharp claw at the end of his tail to stab predators and catch us dinner. Soldier, maybe. Oh my god, please let him be a soldier or some sort of… I dunno, something useful. Engine mechanic. Interstellar mafia thug.

Hell, I’ll even do with a botanist.

“Gods, my brain shouldn’t be pounding like this in the afterlife.” Jero blinks his eyes open, his irises a rich mix of all dark blue shades. “Where the vek am I?”

“Good question.” I shrug and hand him the canteen. “Not too far from Earth, that’s for sure. Some neighboring planet is my best guess, but none I can think of.”

“Veking shit.” He grabs the air three times before he finally manages to take hold of the canteen, and as his eyes wander to the pile of supplies, he takes a swallow. “We need to… activate the beacon on the pod.”

My ears prick at his accent, and how his tongue seems to gently hold the last sound of each word, almost combining it with the next. “Tried that. It’s not catching any satellite.”

“The vegetation is too thick,” he says as he assesses the area, raising my hopes that this dude will be helpful in coming up with a rescue plan. “We should probably remove the beacon like they showed in the holo presentation and find higher elevation.”

“Great idea.” Not that I didn’t have the same idea an hour ago already, but I sure appreciate that he clearly has survival thinking. “Some supplies got busted, but we still have the essentials. There’s an emergency shelter unit. MREs. Solar-powered light spheres. Only one sleeping bag, though, but I’ll gladly give it up if I can have the cookies.”

He scoffs and tosses the closed canteen across the sandy dirt. “You’ve got nerves, offering me my sleeping bag in exchange for my cookies.”

Oh, someone’s grumpy. “It’s not like I slipped into the wrong pod on purpose. Six. Nine. They’re practically the same number.”

“Not even remotely.”

“You know what? You take the cookies because you sound fucking hangry.”

“Actually, I’m only angry.” Groaning, he pushes himself up, his brain clearly still rattled with how he sways. “This is entirely your fault.”

“Whoa, who stabbed the control board until it blew sparks?”

“I wouldn’t have needed to stab anything if there wasn’t a woman in my escape pod, all because she can’t tell six from nine. Let’s not ignore the fact that each escape pod was right across the damn cabin, and not twenty steps to the left.”

“You know, I liked you a lot better when you were passed out.” I grab the canteen and hold it bottle-neck up. “What is this?”

He stares at me for a while, lifts a brow, then shrugs. “A canteen?”

“Yup.” I turn it upside down. “It’s still a canteen now. See? Six. Nine. Same thing.”

He turns away, crosses his arms in front of his chest, and sinks his face into his palm. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Fact check. It is.” I hang the canteen around my neck, then grab the empty backpack and toss it to him. “Think fast.”

And… it totally hits his head, then falls to the ground. Okay, not a fast thinker, then. That definitely makes him a soldier, probably infantry.

I lift my white cami up and hold it against the sun, totally flashing him, but how else am I supposed to check the color progress? “Just like I thought. That sun is turning from pink to purple. This place probably doesn’t have a moon, and the darker color should mean we’re approaching night. Let’s set up camp.”

“I don’t have time to set up camp.” He squats and stuffs the pack with random shit he pulls from the pile, arranging it all wrong. Not like a soldier at all, because they understand weight distribution on the back when you have to ruck with that for a day. “Let me just grab the essentials from here; you take the shelter unit. Then we’re off to find a hill.”

“Why am I carrying the shelter unit now exactly?” And why the hell is he stuffing the extra canteen into the pack instead of hooking it outside where it belongs? “Last time I checked, you said all this was your stuff.”

He scoffs again, like an aggressive hiss that is starting to piss me off, until he flashes an actual fang that kinda excuses it a bit. “Bet you want to sleep in it all the same. Might as well carry it.”

As though I didn’t already drag his heavy ass across the crash site. “My bad for thinking that all those muscles eating your shirt are not just for looks. So… what exactly is it you do?”

“Getting out of here.”

“Yeah, I get that but, like… what’s your occupation?” Please be something useful. Please be something useful. “I would’ve pinned you as a soldier.”

“Soldier?” He zips the pack and gets up, then frowns at me as though I’m totally off with my assumption. “I’ve never held a weapon in my life.”

My shoulder’s slouch some.

Huh… not a soldier.

“Well, it’s not like you have to. You’ve got one dangling from your tail, right?” Dear Lord, now he frowns even harder, which inspires zero confidence in his usefulness. “I mean… that thing’s sharp. You can stab game. Gut fish. Fight off predators, right?”

Right?!

He rakes a hand over his disheveled braid. “Lady, our tails—”

“Dani. My name’s Dani.”

“Dani,” he says, and why is he pausing as if he’s preparing me for bad news? “Our tailclaws are just useless leftovers from times long past. Mine has never gutted anything but my couch, and that was because I accidentally stumbled over my tail.”

I swallow past a fat lump in the back of my throat. Alright, don’t panic. That tail of his might be a total liability, but he could still be a botanist and keep us from poisoning ourselves.

“So, what is it you do for a living?”

“I’m a saikh.”

Please let that be his word for botanist or… Just don’t let him be an accountant. “What’s that exactly?”

“Well, I…” He scratches his chest, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “I cook, and I clean, and I—”

“I got stranded with a maid?”

Well… fuck me.

“No, I’m not a maid!” His eyes flick skyward for a second, then he sighs. “Okay, maybe I am a maid, but I am so much more. On Earth, you call a saikh a male concubine.”

Ha. Ha, ha, ha.

Fuck me even harder.

For real, though, because I heard about these guys in a commercial once. Something like a matchmaking company on Earth that finds shunned women—like me—total sex gods, who also wash the sheets after you squirted all over them.

“So, you’re one of those Vandalar saikhs.”

He straightens some, easily putting him at above six-foot-five, even without the horns. “Master saikh.”

Master saikh.

Extra squirt points.

“Well, master saikh,” I grab the shelter unit, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to die.”

Hopefully during an orgasm.

CHAPTER 3

JERO

“Die?” The hairs along my arms bristle to a point my scars ache. “What the vek is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that your tongue game isn’t going to contribute much to making it off this planet, unless you can lap water from an evaporating puddle real fast.” Dani grabs the emergency shelter and tosses it onto the gritty dirt beside the scrunched-up escape pod. “Alright, sex god, let’s secure the food in a tree just to be safe and set this bitch up.”

My tail twitches behind me and maybe, just maybe, that thing wants to be a weapon after all. “I’m not going to set up camp, delaying our rescue for hours instead of finding higher ground.”

“Dude, that planet up there is changing color fast, and we’re not marching across a strange planet at night.”

Apparently, I hit my head hard enough that my brain offers me nothing but a memory of her breasts, her dark areolas matching her tan skin so perfectly. “Oh, so now you’re making the decisions about what we do?”

She puts her hands on the round sway of her hips and cocks a brow. “Did you ever tie a noose to catch yourself a rodent for breakfast?”

“What?”

“Ever broached water from a tree? Navigated a jungle? Created a filtration system with gravel and leaves? How about a prusik loop to climb a tree, taking that damn beacon into the treetop for signal? Ever done that before?”

My mouth opens, but I can’t come up with anything smart to say. “What exactly is it you do for a living?”

“I’m a reporter for Doctors Beyond Galaxies, planet-hopping to wherever we’re needed. Usually, it’s the crappiest places you can think of, where people don’t live, but survive.” She reaches behind her head, twirls her brown strands into a bun, and shoves some sort of twig in it. “Look, I’m not an expert on anything, okay? But I’ve seen shit and I know a little bit about a lot of things. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure you’re good at what you’re doing, but I’m not certain it’ll be a lot of help here, aside from that strength I can tell you have.”

My tail drags heavily on its root and my chest constricts. If I didn’t feel useless before, Dani sure fixed that for me. I know a whole lot about only one thing—how to please a female.

Two million ways.

Two decades of studies.

Nothing to veking show for.

“Whatever.” I lower the backpack beside the pod. “What do you need me to do?”

She competently pulls a bunch of strings on the emergency shelter, letting it inflate beside the pod. “Um… get the solar spheres and put them in the light. Those are never fully charged, and we’ll need them soon.”

I pull the lights from the pile and lay them out in the dimming sun. “Did you come across a first aid kit when you emptied the pod? My head’s killing me.”

“Well, you’ve got a mean cut across your forehead.” She pours out whatever I’ve stuffed in the pack, then juts her chin over her shoulder, back at a flat red box beside the shelter. “Let me secure the food, then we can head into the shelter and see what we can find. You hungry? Or can you hold out until the morning?”

Given how my head pounds, food is the last of my worries. “I’ll be fine.”

“Hydration is key for now. We’ll figure out the rest in the morning.” Only the food goes back in the pack, then she tosses the weighted end of a rope over a branch, ties the other to the shoulder straps, and pulls it up. “Now, if this place has feisty primates or ornery birds, we’re fucked. Come on, let’s get in the shelter and look at your boo-boo.”

I leave the spheres behind and follow her into the shelter. This is… nicer than I expected.

Some sort of tan foam lines the walls, turning more rigid as it continues to expand, holding up the dome-shaped ceiling with a strand of light running around it. There has to be a solar panel on the outside charging it.

“Sleeping bag.” Dani points at the dark red fabric thing resting in the corner, then she reaches outside and pulls the flat case inside the shelter. “Sit down. For all we know, you might actually have a concussion.”

I do as she says and sit across from her, only now noticing how every single muscle in my body screams from pain. “I’m not nauseous or anything. Just a headache.”

She opens the case, reads over the labels, then pulls a little white fabric from a pouch. “How come you speak English?”

“I took an immersive course a good while ago, right after—” The fabric stings on impact, letting tendrils of pain prickle across my forehead. “Right after I applied for my residency on Earth.”

“You’re planning to stay long-term?”

If things work out the way I envision them, then I’ll die on that planet while holding my mate’s hand. “I want to find a female. Settle.”

“Settle,” she says, and I swear she shivers a little at that word. “So… you’re going to Earth through that agency?”

“Uh-huh.” Luckily, the agency hired me as a mentor for the local saikhs waiting for a match, so my visa doesn’t actually depend on marriage. “I have an important appointment there in six Earth days. If I don’t make it, I’ll pull my horns out by the roots.”

“I’m a sucker for horns.” Her mouth hikes into a grin, bringing an unexpected spark to her hazel eyes. “You don’t have a whole lot of females on your planet, correct?”

Just like Earth doesn’t have enough males, because of a war some time ago, from what I heard. “Not nearly. Most Vandalar males die without ever having been with a female.”

Her gaze drops from my forehead to my lips, but she quickly steers it toward the case she rummages through. “Bet that’s not the case for you. Master saikh Jero.”

“I don’t recall giving you my name.”

“Saw it in your paperwork,” she says. “It kinda slipped out of your pocket when I dragged you out of the pod.”

That takes me aback. “You put me against the tree?”

“Who else?” She smacks her tongue, bringing my attention to a tiny scar on her upper lip where she must have busted it long ago. Cute. “Figured it would be best, given how the pod burned for quite a while after the crash.”

Now I can’t even be angry at her anymore. “I’m grateful. Thanks.”

She only shrugs. “So, I bet this master title means that you’re really good at this whole concubine thing.”

There’s a hint of curiosity in her voice that tingles straight into my cock, as though this female might not cost me a shot at meeting my potential future wife. “I know two million ways to please a female.”

A heavy swallow trails down her throat, quickly distracted from how she holds out two white pills in her open palm. “You can’t tell me that someone like that isn’t popular with the ladies back home. They must’ve waited in line at night.”

“I never heard any complaints.” They always took gladly, without ever returning a thing. “What about you? Do you have a… husband?”

“I’m not the girl who settles.”

That statement shouldn’t curl my toes the way they do. “How come?”

“Painkillers. Take them.” She lets them fall into my hand, then opens the sleeping bag, clearly not in the mood to discuss this further, just like I shouldn’t even care. “It’s warm and humid. If we open it up, it’ll be big enough for the both of us.” And she does, lying down before she pats the spot beside her. “Rest a little until the meds kick in.”

I get as comfy beside her as one can without a pillow, opening the canteen once more. “Look, I’m sorry for barking at you earlier, okay? A lot depends on me making it to Earth on time and… well, my nerves were already fried before the crash.”

She rolls onto her side and props her arm beneath her head, her face all soft angles and smooth skin. “You sound pretty anxious for a master saikh.”

Because I can technically feel myself aging, waking up each morning with a new minor ache in this joint or that bone. “I went through coursework on women, but that was all just theory.”

A little snort escapes her, letting a wavy strand of hair fall into her face. “Oh, come on. We can’t be so different from your females.”

“For starters, the clitoris on our females is inside the vaginal canal,” I say and pop the two pills into my mouth.

“Lucky fuckers.” An expression of sheer wonder parts her lush lips. “No missing that one, huh?”

“Not even if we tried,” I say, lifting the canteen to my mouth for a good swallow.

She smirks, letting her toes rub along the calf on her other leg, covered in no more but green shorts. “Here’s an idea. You should totally put your theory to the test on me.”

My heart stumbles over a beat so hard it wrenches an uncontrolled exhale from my lungs, making me spurt the water all over myself. “W-what?”

“What?” she echoes, and her smirk adopts a positively taunting pout. “It’s not like we can Netflix and chill out here whenever we’re not climbing hills.”

My lips part.

Again, nothing comes out.

Except for more water, as if I’m some drooling infant…

Back home, it takes a freaking mating dance to catch a female’s attention, flexing our muscles and displaying our traditional scarring like birds. I heard women are into all things alien ever since their scientists deemed many of us as fuckable. Still, it can’t be this easy.

I force my breathing into something more even. “So, when you say ‘put the theory to the test on you…’ you mean—”

“We should fuck,” she says.

Just like that.

She doesn’t even blush.

But I bet I do, because a swath of heat flares into my cheeks. I’m neither shy nor prude, but this…? Two decades of studies of how to gain the attentions of a female—yet not one lesson on what to say when one throws herself at you.

The saikh in me salivates so hard—it’s as if I somehow came prematurely in my mouth—ready to jump at the chance to study a woman up-close. But the aging male in me…? He reminds me that I didn’t make this journey to waste my skills on yet another female who is unwilling to settle with me for good.

I roll onto my side, turning my back on her. “We just crashed on a strange planet and might actually die here.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I guess it’s better if we spend our final nights staring at the ceiling.” There’s a sigh and some rolling around. “In a little bit, I’ll get the spheres in. I’ll take the first watch tonight. You should probably try to sleep.”

CHAPTER 4

DANI

I wake the next morning to the comforting scent of food sizzling somewhere. I stretch my limbs, groaning at the soreness in my muscles first, and then again because my head is spinning. Not enough sleep.

Turns out, Jero has a habit of mumbling to himself. I woke about half a dozen times to him revering the word saikh during his watch, plus some other stuff in his language I couldn’t understand. If he keeps doing that, he’ll have to stand guard duty twenty feet away from me.

I slip into my sandals and leave the shelter, stepping into a gorgeous sunrise that sends orange rays through the understory of the forest around us. This place would be a fantastic adventure vacation spot, if it wasn’t for the fact that we’ll run out of food in a few days. Our supplies were calculated for one person, not two.

My lungs stop mid-inhale when I step around the shelter. Jero squats shirtless before one of the fires in a can, holding the small frying pan from the survival kit over it. Not sure what’s hotter, that he stripped down to only pants or that he flips whatever is in the pan without spilling a thing.

“Hey,” I say and walk up to him, scanning the geometric scars across his chest and how they extend along the plateaus and valleys of his ripped stomach. “Seems like you’ve been up for a while.”

“To scavenge.” Apparently, he’s feeling less grumpy, giving me an actual smile as he pours whatever he is cooking into a metal tin, then reaches it to me. “Eat so we can pack up and search for higher ground.”

I grab the tin, the metal warm against my palms, and stare down at what has to be half scrambled egg MRE, half unidentifiable nuts of some sort. “You foraged these little balls?”

“I ate about an hour ago and it didn’t kill me.” He points at a pile of that stuff where it rests on a large leaf, and with the other hand, he starts consolidating the unused contents of the MRE. “Tagao wood berries. Or something similar enough to it. Recognized it by the smell. Try it! It’s good.”

Suddenly, it’s not the strange red-brown stuff in my eggs that makes me hesitate; it’s the way he stares up at me with a lopsided grin. I grab the fork he holds out, poke into the tin with a clank, and take a bite of—

“Holy fucking shit, this is delicious.”

“Master saikh, board-approved with mentions for my culinary skills.” His grin only widens as he gets up, then he leans into me, placing his lips close enough by my ear that I sprout goosebumps when he whispers, “Not so useless after all, huh?”

I can’t help but grin as well. “I’ll hold back the applause for an hour until I make sure you’re not out to poison me. Now that you went through the MREs, I bet you counted them.”

A grunt is all I get in response before he walks away with the supplies. While I eat, he arranges it all inside the pack with a bit more foresight than yesterday, then zips it closed. The shelter goes down next, which he rolls up before he drops it by my feet.

“There should be another clearing in this direction, which happens to sit quite a bit higher than this area, given how the treetops are much taller in the back.” He points into the dense forest, where vines crisscross between trunks. “When I got up, it was like a sauna. The moisture evaporated all around us, but not so much over there.”

“Less vegetation.” I devour the last bite of the best damn scrambled eggs I ever had, and hand him the tin and fork. “We’ll mark the pod in case someone finds the thing, indicating the direction we take. Alright, let’s do it!”

While Jero shucks on his shirt and straps the pack on, I go potty in the bushes and comb my hair out as well as my fingers can. After that, I mark the pod and get the beacon. Hair twirled into a new bun at the top of my head, I emerge from it a moment later.

Jero’s blue eyes go from my sandals, to the shelter, to me. “You okay carrying this?”

“It’s not really heavy.” Probably a tenth of the weight he has on his back. “Can you, like… at least use your tailclaw to cut through brush?”

“Um…” He walks up to the edge and gives a strong whack with his tail, sending leaves, twigs, and flowers flying in all directions. “Huh. Guess this thing isn’t so useless, either.”

“It shouldn’t be.” I march behind him where he clears us a way, the shelter unit sitting strapped to my shoulders, and watch how his smooth tail works around his legs. “I heard you can get a woman off with that thing.”

“What?” Jero steps the brakes so hard, I nearly bump into him as he spins around. “Are you serious?”

“Are you saying those courses you took on women never mentioned that we love to rub ourselves on things to get off? Pillows. Mattresses. Couch corners. Like… all the things.” Adorable, how his lips part like they always seem to do when he doesn’t know what to say. “Now you know two-million-and-one ways to please a female. You’re welcome.”

He falls back into step, shredding through the jungle. “I’ll have to practice that.”

“You totally should… on me.”

He shakes his head, but the motion allows me to catch a glimpse of a smile. “I heard that Earth men are quite incompetent when it comes to satisfying their females, but I had no idea it’s so bad that their females want to jump strangers.”

“It’s not every day a girl gets stranded with a saikh. The offer still stands, you know. You can probe me. I get to sample something I could never afford, because those matchmaking agencies are big money. I’d call that a win-win.”

He glances over his shoulder, flashing an estrous-inducing grin. “Are all women this eager?”

“Only those over thirty with no man and a slowly sagging ass. Unless there’s an alien involved, which kinda lifts any prerequisite for going all space slut.”

That lures an actual laugh from him, but it quickly dissolves and something earnest returns to his voice. “You never answered my question.”

“Which one?”

“How come you don’t want to settle?”

Oh, I want to settle, but I was never the girl someone wanted to settle with. Neither will he if I tell him. Not that the idea crossed my mind. That’s silly. I don’t even want to settle anymore, so I might as well tell him.

Alright, here goes.

A deep breath.

Three, two, one…

“I don’t want children.”

There, I said it.

Any moment now, he’ll stop, turn around, and look at me as if just confessed to drowning puppies for fun. Everyone always does.

Everyone.

Always.

And that is usually followed by a look of pity and not-so-subtle questions about my childhood. Was your daddy around as a child? Did you grow up in the system? Do you identify as a woman? Tell me about your uncle.

But Jero only holds his pace, saying, “You’ve seen so many children living in misery at your work that you don’t want to bring your own into such a world?”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that, and not the fact that kids are loud, nerve-wrecking, and constantly sticky for like, the first five years of their life. Then they go from sticky, to snotty, to dumping you in a nursing home.”

He just keeps on walking as though I didn’t just break the unwritten laws of my very DNA. “You dislike them.”

“Actually, I love them.” For three hours every Sunday whenever I’m on Earth. “My sister has a baby boy and a five-year-old girl. They’re great. I love taking them to the park, the splash pad, or the discovery museum. But then I bring them back home, and I can go back to my quiet place and focus on my articles.”

“Makes sense.”

Makes… sense?

What does that even mean? Where’s the shock? Where are the questions trying to determine if I’m plain mean or just psychologically deranged for not wanting children?

I pick up speed until I’m walking beside him. “You’re supposed to judge me for that statement.”

“Judge you?” he scoffs, letting his gorgeous blue eyes connect with mine. “Where I come from, many females never choose a mate. The result is no babies.”

Maybe I was born on the wrong planet. “That doesn’t bother you guys?”

“Some, I guess, but having children of my own never even crossed my mind.”

Guess they don’t have nearly as much procreation propaganda as Earth does, plastered across the planet ever since the war. “Why not?”

“We need to mark a female with our bite to rouse our seed for her. That alone is an honor few achieve, so it’s not exactly a hot topic for most Vandalar males,” he says with a shrug. “Why waste my time and stress about it? I just want a female to spend the rest of my life with.”

An unwelcome squeeze clenches around my heart. “And what if she wants children?”

“Then I’ll try to give them to her. I like children.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then that’s fine, too,” he says, sending a clench into my stomach that causes my feet to stumble to a halt. “There’s more to life than having children. There’s more to life than being a saikh. And that life is waiting for me on Earth, so… let’s pick up some speed.”

CHAPTER 5

JERO

Aside from stopping once to eat, we fought through the jungle pretty much all day. That clearing turned out to be a ravine, but Dani promptly climbed one of those massive trees and scouted out a promising rock formation.

Muscles hurting something awful from the weight on my back, I hook my thumbs into the shoulder straps, my tailclaw green from cutting through vines and brush. “We should push until the sun darkens.”

“I don’t think so.” Dani stops beside me and lifts her arm, gesturing me to halt as she cocks her head, listening to our surroundings. “You hear that?”

I hold my breath and my ears prick at a gentle patter. “Water.”

“Flowing water.” One shake of the canteen, then she nods and turns toward the sound. “Broaching water from a tree is hit or miss. Coming across some that isn’t standing is pretty much a gold vein. Let’s check it out.”

I simply go along, cutting her a way through the thick brush of dark orange shrubs dotted with bright green flowers. Turns out, Dani really knows her way around the wilderness. So, I do what a saikh learns in his first year of training; I please her by keeping my mouth shut and doing what she wants.

“Jero, look at this!” A little squeal escapes her as the jungle opens up to three veins of water, nothing but narrow streams lined with some sort of onyx rocks. “Can you get me a test strip from the pack?”

I lower the heavy thing to the ground beside the first stream, rolling my shoulders before I pull one from a small side pocket. “I’ll do it.”

The rock shifts beneath my weight as I squat by the edge, holding the test strip into the stream. “Green. Completely fine to drink, though it does have a bit of salt.”

“That’s not a bad thing with this humid heat,” she says and squats down beside me, intently squinting at the pink-tinted water. “How attached are you to your tail?”

“After what you told me? Very.” I lower my claw into the water, letting it cut through the stream and stab into its bed of dirt and grit. “Nothing bit me yet. It’s probably too shallow for anything dangerous to hide in there.”

“This is great.”

A beautiful smile curves her lips and radiates her entire face as she gets up, hands going to the hem of her white cami. Surely, she won’t… And she’s topless. Her shorts go next, right along with her panties, before she slips out of her sandals and giggles.

That is, until she makes it three steps across the rock and hisses, “Shit! Ouch, these motherfuckers hurt.”

Because her soles are probably full of blisters from those flimsy sandals, so I get up and take my shirt off. “Just wait a moment. I got you.”

Once I strip down, I carefully walk toward her, avoiding the few sharp edges on those rocks that cracked over time. I pick her up from where she stands and easily walk her toward the stream. She doesn’t even squirm, as though she doesn’t exactly hate how we’re both naked. No surprise there.

I lower her into the calf-high water, nearly groaning at the way her hip drags along my piercings a bit. “You’re not shy, are you?”

She lowers herself to sit, scooping the water up only to let it trickle down her body. “What I am is sweaty, sore, and probably stinky. That’s more embarrassing than being naked. Besides, you’re naked, too.”

And regretting it right about now with how blood rushes to my cock. I’d like to blame her full breasts, the waves of her cascading hair, or the way she moans in delight, but that’s not it. It’s her unabashed nature that is getting to me real fast.

“Are you coming?” She throws herself back with a splash, letting her hands comb through her floating strands and rub along her scalp before she emerges with a splutter. “Tastes a bit funny, but it’s definitely drinkable.”

I cover my crotch and wade toward her, shivering at the coolness that licks at my overheated skin. “This feels amazing.”

Her gaze drifts to the hand I use to cover myself, and she rolls her eyes. “I know that you’re pierced down there. No need to go all honorable and protect my untainted imagination just because you carry an assortment of nuts and bolts in your pants.”

That’s not what I’m hiding. “Let me guess, my cock kinda slipped out of my pants when you dragged me away from the pod.”

Her eyes lock with mine and she grins, then her gaze trails down along my chest, and she bites her bottom lip when she spots the studs on my nipples. “Is it a saikh thing?”

“It’s a me thing.” One of the few I permitted myself. A little bit of selfishness to increase my own pleasure, though I practiced how to put them to good use on females. “These scars here? They are a saikh thing. We call them kuchi,” I say and sit down beside her.

“Sounds like a kitten with a cold.” Her hand lifts from the water, finger going toward my chest, but she stops herself inches from a scar and stares up at me like a startled animal. “Sorry. Can I touch?”

That question sends an unexpected flutter into my chest. As a saikh, I’ve been touched, tested, and tossed around more often than I want to admit—and not always with my express permission. The fact that Dani asks for it… well, I appreciate that.

“You can touch.” I trail my finger over the raised scar that spirals along my collarbone. “This was my first one, in honor of my mother for raising me, no matter how undesired male offspring are where I come from. She died of a disease a few years ago, unfortunately.”

“Sorry to hear it.” Dani trails her damp finger along my pectoral, following the floral motif there. “And your dad?”

I sense my cheeks bunch at the memory alone. “Died three days later. He was healthy, so I keep telling myself that he simply died of a broken heart, unable to stay behind without my mother.”

“Jero, that’s freaking sad.” She raises a brow at me. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because it’s not sad at all.”

A faint sparkle comes to her eyes, but she quickly blinks it away. “You’re the romantic type, aren’t you?”

“Dying of a broken heart. Love at first sight. Knowing within days if a female is the one. I believe in it all.” I undo my braid and lean back in an attempt to wash my hair, but the backward curve of my horns dig into the bed of the spring. “Like this, I’ll brush sand and grit from my hair for days to come.”

“I’ll help you.” Dani scoots behind me, placing one hand at the back of my head. “Come on! Lean back, and I’ll scoop the water.”

I ease into the hold of her palm and the patter of water against my scalp, staring up into those rich hazel irises. But only until my eyes close, and I surrender to the caress of her nails combing through my hair.

It’s an almost sacred thing between mated couples, taking care of each other’s hair, which is traditionally worn long. Of course, she doesn’t know that, and for that reason alone, I shouldn’t take so much comfort from it. But, vek me, I do.

A groan escapes me when she massages around the base of my horn, turning my voice thick and deep. “It’s a shame you don’t want to settle.”

“Hmm.”

That non-committal sound is enough for my eyes to pop open, catching just in time how her gaze drifts sideways into the jungle. Was there a time when she had wanted to settle? Maybe she was unable to find a mate willing to forgo offspring?

“Hey…” I reach up to clasp her chin, guiding her eyes back down to mine. “Have you ever been in a long-term—”

“Soap.” She jumps up so fast I splutter water as she wades to the pack. “I’ll get it.”

Jawline hardening, I sit up and take in her naked body, how she bends over to rummage through the pack with her glistening pussy on display. It’s the second time she has avoided talking about this kind of stuff. Or maybe it’s the third? Why?

When she returns, she does so with a smile too tense at the corners and sits behind me. “Alright, let me soap you up real quick, then I’ll help you wash it out.”

I lean back once more. “Ever had a… what do you call it again? Boyfriend? Ever had one of those?”

“Sure.”

“What about a fiancé? A man you planned to marry?”

She grabs my horn and pulls on it as though she wants to drown my questions beneath the current. “We don’t have towels, so we better speed this up. If we set up camp here, we could wash our stuff. We’d have to sleep naked, but it should be dry in the morning.”

So… that’s a ‘yes.’

Interesting.

“All done,” she announces, then gets to work on soaping up her own hair. “How does that agency thing work, exactly? It’s like a catalogue of saikhs to choose from?”

“Everyone participating goes through a lengthy assessment, and an algorithm determines pairings with a high chance of success. Soap?”

She hands it to me. “If you could choose, what would be your ideal female?”

I rise and run the block of curd soap over my body, and the way she steals glances isn’t lost on me. “Someone who takes care of me the way I take care of her. Someone who travels with me, explores life with me and everything it has to offer. I want to try all the food with her. Fall to sleep in a million different places, but one thing always has to be the same… That I wake up with her in my arms.”

“Swoon,” she says with a pout as though romance died a long time ago in her life. She grabs the soap and takes her turn at washing. “Think you’ll find someone like that? There seems to be quite a bit of competition.”

I wring the water from my hair. “There is, but they didn’t put me in the DILF category for nothing.”

She chokes on something between a cough and a laugh. “Excuse me… what category?”

“DILF. The agency told me it’s one for the most desired saikhs. Kind of.”

Her laugh changes pitch five times, and she presses a hand against her belly. “Jero, did they ever tell you what DILF stands for?”

“No…” My throat narrows. “What?”

“Dad I’d like to fuck.” The longer I stare at her, mute and utterly confused, the more her grin straightens into a flat line. “On Earth, we call an older guy who might have children, but is still freaking hot, a DILF. It means you’re hot, Jero.”

Yeah, but also old.

My chest tightens until my ribs ache. Heart attack, probably. After all, I’m starting to be the age for it. Because I’m nothing but a veking leftover with two gray hairs and who knows how many faint wrinkles.

I wade toward the edge. “I’m done.”

“Where are you—” Dani hurries behind me, letting the water splash. “Hey, are we setting up camp?”

“Whatever you want, female.”

CHAPTER 6

DANI

“Maka saikh, jat ei… DILF.”

Jero’s growl rips me from sleep…

… for the tenth time.

Groaning, I press a hand to my forehead and roll onto my back, not even bothering to cover my boobs. “Jero, I can’t sleep like this.”

“I’m sorry,” he says from beside me. “It’s just… I think I’m having some sort of crisis.”

Duh, clearly. “Can you have it… I don’t know, more quietly?”

“I guess I can try,” he says with a sigh. “Talking to myself calms me down.”

“Oh yeah? After how many hours, exactly? Because you’ve been at it since I went to sleep.”

I roll onto my side and—

Whoa, I didn’t expect him to be so close. My face lands inches from his, close enough to see the dark stubble dusting along his jawline. Kuchi scars cover his entire neck, standing in stark contrast to his unmarred skin. Why does he have to be so annoyingly handsome?

“Look,” I say, “the agency putting you in that category isn’t a bad thing.”

His eyes travel to my lips, leisurely, in no hurry, sending a wave of heat to my cheeks before they meet mine once more. “It’s for aging males, Dani.”

“Why are you so stuck on the age part? What about the part that says we want to fuck it?”

That, at least, brings a twitch to his lips. “Being fuckable isn’t enough for me.”

Right, because he wants to settle.

Even without a child…

Internally, I want to groan. It’s just so typical that, a year after accepting that I won’t ever settle, my dyslexia ends me on a wild planet with the one male who doesn’t think I’m somehow defective.

I mimic his position and prop my hand under my head, the air between us clean from the soap and warm from the heat of our naked bodies since our clothes are drying outside. “Everyone knows DILFs are the best.”

“Oh yeah, how’s that?”

“Because we know that, if we send you to get us tampons, you come home with the right size and chocolate. If you hear us squeal, you show up with a shoe and ask what needs killing. And you don’t mind holing up on Friday nights with microwave popcorn and a movie, because you started hating people long ago, anyway.”

“I know what I have to offer. It’s just…” He rakes a hand through his hair, combing escaped raven strands back between his dark horns, but then another sigh follows. “Right before the crash, I discovered my second white hair. That really did me in. And being stuck here isn’t helping.”

Oh boy, he has way more than two…

A grin tingles along the corners of my mouth, so I suck in my cheeks. Alright, play it cool, Dani. Now’s probably not the best time to tell him that you found at least five more.

But he already narrows his eyes at me, something playful coming to those fine wrinkles on each side as his cheeks hike and drop. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

An elegant grunt escapes me. “Nope. Totally not.”

“You didn’t find more when you washed my hair, did you?”

Another snort. “No.”

His deep chuckle vibrates the slither of air between us. “Filthy liar.”

“Only trying to handle your fragile, middle-aged soul with care,” I say. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Thirty.” There’s a groan, and then, “Six. Not to be confused with nine, please.”

“Jero, that’s too young for a midlife crisis.”

“Vandalar males have a shorter life span than human males.”

So, technically, he was overdue for a meltdown. “But you’re still a master saikh. With honors. Whatever that means.”

“It means that I surpassed the basic requirements for earning the title in at least one of my majors.”

“What did you major in?”

“Yeah… that. Some irony there.” He drives his fangs into his bottom lip for a second before he rasps, “Fucking.”

That word sends a thrill through me, pebbling my nipples and making my pussy go all twitchy. “Guess I’ll have to take your word for it, since you refuse to show me all your alleged skills.”

“If you’re trying to taunt me, you’ll have to do a lot better.” His hand goes to his chest, and he rakes his nails over the scars along his collarbone—the ones in honor of his mother. “I told myself that, from now on, everything I learned about pleasing a female will be for my mate. My wife. And only her.”

Chances are she’ll be one lucky lady because—nighttime mumbling aside—Jero seems pretty swoon-worthy. “And here I thought you turned me down because I’m looking more and more like a MILF.”

“MILF,” he echoes, thinking about it for a moment before he puts it together and smiles. “I turned the offer down, not you. There’s a difference. If I wanted someone to fuck with no strings attached, I could have stayed home, Dani.”

I really, really have no business asking this but… “And if I would give this settling thing another chance? Hypothetically speaking, of course.”

“Then I’d hypothetically take you on a date in a week from now, assuming we make it to Earth.” His voice lowers to a whisper, so charged with tension, it zaps the air between us. “But at my place. First, I’d cook you something delicious. Then, we’d clean the kitchen together. And while you wiped down the counters, I’d drop to my knees and lick your sweet little pussy out like a treat.”

My thighs clench together on instinct. “That went from romantic to filthy real fast.”

“I can talk way more romantic…” a faint growl vibrates in his chest, “or way filthier.” His face comes closer until his lips brush the shell of my ear, where he whispers, “You have no idea the things I can be, the things I can do… to my female.”

My pussy is throbbing, and I swear it’s to the beat of a wedding song. The last time I let that carry me away, I got stuck with a bill for an engagement reception that never happened.

But Jero’s fine with no kids.

So what? We go all weak-kneed over the alien we crashed with a day ago? He might settle for a female within hours because he’s romantic like that, or plain desperate.

I’m only desperate.

Desperately horny.

And Jero being naked isn’t helping the issue—with his broad frame, lean muscle, and enough metal that his cock makes a thudding sound whenever he turns onto his side. Fuck Jacob’s ladders. He technically carries an elaborate Victorian staircase around his cock—a good twenty pieces of metal around a heavily ridged shaft.

And how the hell did my eyes end up down there again? I force my gaze back to that smirk he’s got waiting for me. Jerk.

“So, back to that date idea and all,” I start, struggling my face into what may or may not be an innocent look. “Once you licked me out like a treat, you’d…”

That ass grows a smirk that would drop my panties if I wore any. “You want me to talk dirty some more? Tell you about all those things I would do to you?”

I’m one word away from begging, and he knows it. “I pulled you from a burning pod. Just putting that out there.”

“And talked me out of a crisis.” He brushes a stray strand of hair from my cheek ever so gently and tucks it behind my ear. “You want me to whisper filthy stuff in your ear? We got a name for that where I studied, and it happens to be one of my strongest skills. That comes at a price, Dani. Tell me, what will you give me in return?”

“Um, I washed your socks today?” Which isn’t impressing him in the least, given how he only smirks harder. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Hmm…” He smacks his tongue and narrows his gorgeous deep blue eyes at me. “Tell me what happened with the man you almost married. Your ex-fiancé.”

“How the…?” Okay, maybe I kinda gave that one away, but I’m in no mood to dig that story back up. “Look, I spent an entire year traveling to get it out of my head, and I’m not going to put it back in there unless you can talk me to the best goddamn orgasm in my life.”

“That bad, huh?” There’s a moment of silence before he nods. “Alright. How about this? Tomorrow morning, you braid my hair.”

“That’s it?” Seems innocent enough in exchange for audio porn. “Pfft… jokes on you, Jero, because I haven’t braided anything since I tossed my last doll into the trash”

“Mmm, I’m content with the little things in life.” He rolls onto his back and opens his arm, gesturing me to… snuggle up to him? “Put your head on my chest.”

I stare at him for a second or twenty. This seems pretty intimate, and not even the kinky kind of intimate, but the emotional kind. The one I just don’t do anymore.

“I would hike your leg up so my mouth can cover more of your delicious pussy and let the tip of my tongue gently push against your clit. Mm,…” He places a skilled moan that pebbles my skin. “And when your breathing becomes erratic and your muscles tense as tingles spread across your cunt, I will…”

I stare at him.

He just stares back.

“Well?” I ask. “You will, what?”

Another wave of his hand.

Okay, fine, whatever.

I snuggle against him and rest my head on his chest in less than two seconds. Maybe it’s a trap, but it’s a damn comfortable one, lifting my head to the even rhythm of Jero’s inhales.

“I’d leave you panting, wanting, writhing in search of friction,” he purrs right by my ear until, suddenly, his finger strokes down the length of my nose. And again. “I’d get up, grip your waist, and turn you around to sit on the counter. Then I’d take your hand and guide it into my pants so you can explore my cock. How my ridges get more pronounced while I harden in your hand. How the rungs glide smoothly along your fingers, faster when you spread my pre-cum on them. Tell me, what would I do next?”

All I have is a puberal giggle.

His finger continues to stroke along my nose in an even rhythm. It’s always the same. He starts at the top of my forehead, then slowly, gently runs his finger down to the tip of my nose, making me feel sluggish and heavy.

“Use your words, Dani,” he whispers. “Come on, tell me. What do I do next?”

“You…” My throat ties up, but I manage to struggle an answer across. “You take your cock out.”

“Good girl, telling me exactly what she wants,” he rasps, and if I didn’t have a praise kink before, then I most definitely have one now. “I’d take my cock out, heavy and hard, then place my shaft right at your mound. I’d give little thrusts, slowly running my length along your clit, letting my rungs glide over it. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Fuck, you’d feel so good.”

A moan escapes me, and there’s a good chance I’m dripping onto the sleeping bag right at this moment. “And then you’ll push inside.”

“Not a chance,” he says, and I can technically hear the smirk on his tone. “I’d tell you about all the things I won’t do to you instead, because I’d want you so desperate, you’d beg for my cock. Want you good and wet for me. Are you wet, Dani? Are you making a mess between your legs right now?”

A flare of heat engulfs me. “Yes.”

His inhale stalls, keeping my head mid-rise, but then it continues just as he lets two fingers run down the bridge of my nose. They press slightly into each side, holding the pressure for a moment before he does it again. And again.

My head turns even heavier, and I sink deeper into his chest. There’s nothing I can do to stop it. My arms no longer lift. My neck no longer turns. I’m just… heavy.

“I’m sorry for waking you.” His whisper accompanies another caress along my nose, and my eyes fall shut. “Go back to sleep now.”

CHAPTER 7

JERO

I blink down at where Dani rests on my chest—where she has stayed all night. She barely ever moved aside from some slight shifting. Eventually, I must have fallen to sleep, too, and the monotone tap-a-tap-tap against the hull of the shelter explains why.

With the rain and the cloud cover outside, it’s hard to say just how long I slept. Too long, probably, wasting away precious hours of hiking toward that rock formation—though I don’t carry any of that nervous energy one might expect if you have places to go.

That’s… a bad sign.

My gaze falls to a circle of white flakes that cling to my chest, inches away from Dani’s open mouth. It’s not something I’ve ever seen, because no female ever bothered to spend the night in my arms. And this one…? She totally drooled on me.

An odd heart palpitation stumbles over its usual rhythm. This is… gross? No, not gross. Well, maybe a little. If I wanted to be deeply philosophical, I’d say this dried spot of drool is the embodiment of my deepest wish.

“Dani,” I whisper, gently rocking her in my arms. “Wake up.”

She doesn’t.

I should rock her harder, but… I don’t want to. Another bad sign, because the last thing I need is to grow veking attached to this female who refuses to bind herself to anything anymore.

I don’t blame her. Someone hurt her bad, that much I can tell, leaving her skittish around the mere mention of settling, marrying, committing. Or in short, all the things I left my home for. Maybe she’ll open up again to it one day, but how long will that take?

Long enough for me to grow more white hair…

“Dani.” I shake her stronger. “Hey! You have to wake up.”

Her upper lip twitches as if she’s about to bite, but her hazel eyes eventually blink open. “Ouch.”

When she lifts her hand behind her head and kneads her neck, I sit us up a little. “Woke with a kink?”

“Yeah, a praise kink,” she mumbles into my chest, then pushes herself up to sit with a yawn, followed by a stretch of her arms. “Why do I feel like we overslept?”

“We probably did.” Gods, the way her hair is all mussed from sleep—from being pressed against me—is so damn adorable. “It’s raining.”

“Oh.” There’s a moment’s hesitation where I can see her thinking before she presses a palm against her forehead. “Shit. I hung our stuff outside to dry. It’ll take days in this humidity to get even damp enough to wear. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Let me just…” She gets up and, naked as she is, walks toward the exit. “Maybe the leaves kept it from soaking completely? Lemme check.”

When she’s gone and I can no longer stare at her body with too much curiosity, my gaze wanders. Wanders straight to that milky-white spot on the sleeping bag. Gods, she did make a mess last night.

I run my thumb over it and my cock twitches. Still damp. I bring it to my nose and all but snort Dani’s scent—an alluring mix between sweet and slightly tart. No female should be left wanting like this, certainly not with a master saikh right next—

“No,” I mumble. “She can’t give me what I want.”

But what if she can? With patience?

“I can’t afford patience.” Not with a potential wife waiting for me on Earth and way more white hair than first assumed. “This is ridiculous. She’s just a random woman I crashed on a planet with two days ago. And it was her fault.”

But you like her.

“I do, but she has issues.”

Maybe it’s fate.

“I don’t believe in fate.”

We could start.

“Who the vek is we?” Ah great. One day older, and I reached the age of onset dementia or something. “What we need to do is haul our ass to Earth, and—”

“Who are you talking to?”

My spine snaps straight and my eyes dart to Dani. “Um… myself?”

“Ah…” she says as though she already shrugged it off as some oddity of mine and lets a pile of soaked fabric plop to the ground. “Another crisis?”

“The worst one yet.” Growing more severe with every second I’m around her, her drool spot so itchy on my chest I veking want to take a knife and scar its outline into my skin. “Looks like we’re not going anywhere today.”

“I tried to wring it out as good as possible, but it’s a lost cause.”

“We could drape it over the ropes.” I point at the overhang right outside the entrance. “If I light a fire in the can there to cook us something, it might help get it drier.”

“I doubt it. And even if it works, we’ll be soaked within ten minutes after breaking down camp and hiking through the forest.” Tilting her head and poking it outside, she squeezes the water from her hair and twirls it up. “We have no other choice but to put them on and stomp through the rain if we want to make any progress and get you to Earth in time for that… appointment thing.”

That she’s so eager to help me get there shouldn’t stab my chest the way it does. Neither should my shoulders tense at the mention of said appointment. I need to get to Earth, but…

“Dani, there’s no way you can hike uphill during a downpour in those sandals.” Not without causing her even more blisters and severe pain. “You’ll slip. Grit will get into your blisters. Best-case scenario is that you’ll start bleeding. Worst-case…? A damn infection.” Which all boils down to… “We have no choice but to stay put until the rain stops.”

She presses a palm to her forehead and sighs at the ceiling. “At the very least, we’ll have to move the shelter. Those creeks are swelling. Other than that… Damn, what are we supposed to do all day out here?”

We should fuck.

Where did that suddenly come from? Gods, I need to get a handle on this before I rut her and go full-blown master saikh on her, panting for something in return. A pat on the head. A kiss. Anything.

A vow of eternal love would be a neat start.

Distraction. I need a distraction.

I close the sleeping bag because the stain she left keeps staring at me. “If I remember correctly, then I won’t do my own braid this morning.”

“Right.” She steps up and sits behind me, the two of us oddly at ease around each other’s nakedness. “What was that thing you did to me last night? The finger stroking down along my nose thingie?”

“Acupressure. Figured I owed you that much with how I woke you.”

Her little fingers wrap around my horns, shifting me into position. “That something you studied?”

“Along with massage therapy. Always a favorite among females.”

“Definitely for me.” I don’t see it, but I hear her smile, which she is pretty generous with. “Maybe I should get in touch with that agency. Apply for you, or however that works.”

Gods, yes! “Well—”

“Just kidding.”

“Right.”

Silent seconds drag on as she combs my hair out with her fingers, until she finally says, “I get to travel the galaxies, but my job actually pays pretty shitty. Like I said, there’s no way I could afford to go through that agency.”

“Actually, I have a job waiting on Earth, and it pays very well.” What am I doing? Shut up, Jero, and stop acting like a fool, trying to sweeten this deal for her. “Some Vandalar are not so lucky, and their jobs don’t translate to anything on Earth. Immigration expects the future spouse to sponsor them. That’s where it gets pricey, but it totally doesn’t apply to me. I’m real cheap. Free, technically.”

Way to talk myself up…

Her fingers slow. “Mm-hmm.”

What does that mean, mm-hmm? I’ll think about it, mm-hmm? Still not interested, mm-hmm? I’m just making small-talk and you’re not getting it, mm-hmm?

She runs two fingers from my forehead, down to the nape of my neck, almost making me purr it feels so damn good. “Here goes nothing, Jero.”

Oh, if she only knew that this is far from nothing. The way her nails scrape over my scalp, tingling me in a million different places, sending glorious shudders across my body, making me go slack under her caress…

Right in this moment, Dani is my mate.

She just doesn’t know it.

No doubt she’d stop if I told her. So, I shut my mouth and just take, finding a rare sense of emotional intimacy in this. How she plaits the strands. How she sighs. How she opens it up again with a curse and starts anew. So cute.

“Not easy with those horns in the way,” she says. “Not long ago, I went to a planet that just came out of a civil war. Those kids there… Wow, their horns were all malformed and brittle from malnutrition.”

“What did you do there?”

“Write about it,” she says, patiently working through a tangle. “Awareness brings donations. When we set up camp at first, I helped by oiling their horns and the dry skin at the base.”

“It’s nice of you to take care of them.” In a way, she’s been taking care of me ever since the crash. Correction, we’re taking care of each other. “If you moved to Vandalheim, dozens of males would whisper filthy stuff in your ear all you want. None would necessarily expect you to give them offspring. I… I wouldn’t.”

Her fingers stall at the end of my braid and, for a moment, not even the air moves. “You might think you’re old, but you’re not. Wait until you’re on Earth, where literally every street corner emphasizes how we need more children after the war. Seeing those dimpled baby cheeks might just change your mind. It’s what happens… People change their minds.”

Is that what happened to her? Some idiot was on board with the fact that she doesn’t want kids? And then what? He enjoyed the way she seemingly takes care of everyone, from children on a strange planet to a knocked-out Vandalar she got stranded with? Then changed his mind and ditched her?

“You’re very sweet when you’re not actively threatening to knock someone out with a fire extinguisher, Dani, promising a male a wonderful future.” I glance over my shoulder and stare into her eyes. “A lot would need to happen to change my mind on that.”

Her lips part as though to say something, but only a gasp comes out. It’s not so much a planned move as it is an instinctual reaction when I turn and cup her cheek.

There’s another gasp.

A moment of hesitation.

Then, I pull her lips to mine. We moan on impact, letting our mouths meld into a kiss that is neither urgent nor heated. It’s gentle, and asking, and caressing, and all the things it shouldn’t be. Because now I no longer want to rut her.

Now, I want to make love to her.

Want to sink into her and please her in two million ways. Not all in one day, but over the course of decades spent together. That’s veking crazy but, then again, so is the way we met. Insanity? Fate? Who cares?

I sling my arm around her waist and lower her onto the sleeping bag, groaning into her mouth when her hand trails along my inner thigh. “You still want me?”

She wraps her hand around my cock, sending a rush of blood into it as though I’m not hard enough already. “Yes.”

I position myself so she can explore me, get a feel for what to expect, but the position still allows me to roll against her pussy. “You want me to tell you something?”

Gods, the way she grins and blushes when she says, “Uh-huh.”

“Want me to tell you how I’ll take my time making you come with my mouth, my fingers, my shaft pressing down on your clit before I get a single stroke inside your wet pussy? Hmm?” My cock throbs between her legs as I rock forward, letting a good three rungs glide over her clit. “And you’ll be a good girl, telling me exactly how you want me?”

A groan dislodges from deep in her throat. “Oh, fuck.”

“Not anytime soon, Dani. I want to play with you a little.”

“No, I mean like, oh fuck, there’s water in our shelter,” she squeals and scoots out from underneath me. “We need to get our stuff out of here before the entire area floods.”

CHAPTER 8

DANI

Looming death is totally cock-blocking me, robbing me of my pre-mortem orgasm. What a bitch.

I storm outside with Jero, eyes narrowing the moment raindrops the size of New Jersey pelt down on me. “We need to move this thing to higher ground.”

Jero immediately leans over and pulls the first anchor from the ground. “I got it. Where should I drag this to?”

“Over there!” I point at a massive flat boulder that is just as surrounded by water, but tall enough to give me hope that the water won’t rise that high. “Let me see what I can save.”

I turn toward what’s left of our campsite, squinting through the gray veil of rain. The food’s dangling from a branch, relatively safe as long as the tree keeps standing. But the frying pan? The leftover fire in a can? Gone.

“Fuck, I’m so stupid.” I should have brought that stuff inside the shelter, but it’s too late now, so I turn and catch up with Jero, who’s fighting to anchor the shelter down. “Check if they extend!”

Nodding, he wiggles the anchor. Sure enough, the rope attached to it finally grows longer, allowing him to wrap it around a rock protrusion. He secures all four corners the way I showed him the first night while I climb up the slippery rock.

“Go inside!” he shouts through the roar of the rain, swatting me away. “Go! I’ll finish up here and be right there.”

I duck back into the shelter, finding the sleeping bag crumbled up in one corner with a few darker spots where it got wet, our clothes plastered to the foam walls, and the floor no longer flooded, but squelching. Ew…

“This is not good,” I say when Jero steps inside, soaked to the bone and shivering. “You can die from hypothermia even in a jungle, you know, wet as we are, with nothing to cover us but a damp sleeping bag.”

“We’ll keep each other warm.” With one determined step, Jero hooks his arm around the small of my back and pulls me against his hard body. His mouth lowers down to mine, kissing me so passionately that my upper body sways in his hold. “Where were we before all this?”

“You really want to pick up where we left off?”

“What else is there to do? We’re not dying yet.”

The alien’s got a point.

I moan with how he kisses a trail from my mouth down along my neck as my head tilts back, giving him better access. “You wanted to make me come with your fingers, your shaft, your mouth. Not sure of the order.”

A swift move of his arms and he grabs my thighs, picking me up, slinging my legs around his waist. Jero pads over to the sleeping bag, kissing me as he dances around, spreading out the fabric with his toe before he lowers me down on it.

He climbs between my legs, then kisses a trail over my breast, down along my belly, and toward my hip. “Is your pussy drenched for me again, Dani? Are you throbbing in anticipation?”

My hands frantically race to grab his horns, squeezing the bony material as the tip of his tongue dips into my pussy. “Jero…”

“Like a creamy treat,” he purrs from between my thighs. “Spread your legs for me. Wider.”

He suckles on my lower lips, taking his time to fondle them, gently tugging them to the side as if he’s opening me up. Until there’s a scrape.

I buck on instinct and suck in a sharp breath. “Your fangs…”

“Are there for your pleasure.” They scrape down along my mound once more, carefully raking over my hooded clit, trapping it against his ungiving tongue in brief intervals that makes my hips rise. “There. Look how nicely you’re lifting for me, asking me to take another bite.”

I do, because Jero really knows what he’s doing, even though it’s so… different. The tip of his tongue works around my clit in a wide circle, pressing down here and there. Sometimes soft, sometimes hard. And while he does, he glances up, not so much looking into my eyes as he seemingly observes when my hips lift and which way.

It’s testing. Methodical.

Until whatever I’m doing puts a grin on his face. He presses his upper lip on the same spot, bringing such an intense tingling to my clit that my nipples turn painfully hard. His tongue laps the area right below… calculated strokes toward where his upper lip supplies constant pressure.

Throb after throb, my clit sends tendrils of pleasure in all directions, making me moan and writhe against his mouth. Fuck, I’m so close, my diaphragm burns from how I’m panting.

At the next devilish lap of his tongue, my orgasm suddenly crests somewhere deep in my core, rising, rising until—

Gone.

“No…” I whimper. “I was about to come!”

Jero sits back on his haunches, grinning, and runs the silver ball of one of his piercings around my twitching clit as though he didn’t just sabotage my orgasm. “What do I get in return, Dani?”

“Are you serious?” That jerk totally did that on purpose, leaving me so horny it hurts. “What do you want?” When he only smirks, and lopsided at that, my toes curl. “I’m not going to marry you for a mouth-fuck, no matter how good.”

Not for any fuck.

I have to remember that…

A deep chuckle rolls through his chest, accompanied by another lazy stroll of his piercing as it gently glides around my clit, making the little bud throb with need. “No, I didn’t think you would.”

“What, then?”

“Simple. If we make it off this planet, I want to see you again. Want to get to know you better. Spend time with you.” Hand wrapped around the base of his enormous cock, he squeezes tightly, running it up along his shaft while being mindful of his rungs, until a drop of pre-cum pearls at the slitted hole. “Promise me twenty dates and an open mind. That’s all I want.”

My pussy screams yes, but… “Twenty dates is technically a short relationship.”

“It’s also just enough time to please you in at least sixty different ways,” he says, puffing his chest like a cocky rooster. “Come on, Dani. Say yes. I promise I’ll let you rub yourself on my tail on the third date.”

“Dear me, how could I ever say no to tail-humping?”

Maybe he’s contemplating our imminent demise, and he needs to hear me say yes so he can die with a sense of partial achievement. And even if we make it off-planet, this entire ordeal is bound to flare up his desperate need to find a wife.

Once we’re on Earth—if we make it there—he might very well shrug this off as an adventure with a random horny woman. I should let him get to Earth. Let him see all those cute baby posters plastered on every inch of brick. And if he still wants it then? A week later? Two? A month?

My core goes all butterflies and sunshine. Then I’ll fucking hump his tail on date three, and his horns will be date four.

“How about this?” I say. “I promise to think about it.”

“Doesn’t sound very fair to me, considering I was about to show you a very ancient and pleasurable mating technique.”

“Well, then keep it simple and just fuck me.”

“I think I’m past the point where I can just fuck you, but I’ll take the deal.” He lowers himself down on me until skin connects with skin, the length of his studded shaft pressed against my pussy as he supports himself with his underarms to the left and right of my head. “Not trying to scare you off, but… I’m glad I crashed here with you. Wouldn’t mind crashing on a bunch of other planets with you in tow, just for fun.”

My chest warms as his words burrow toward my barely-mended heart. “Please tell me you’re not about to call me the one. Because I’m sure you’re the type who does that.”

“Maybe you are.” Sinking his forehead against mine, he circles his hips and—oh fuck, those rungs gliding around my pussy, alternating the pressure of metal with the sensation of his ridges feels so good. “We have about four decades to put it to the test. Perhaps five.”

“Less talking,” I groan, circling my pelvis in-tune with his, letting his shaft part my labia and his crown slip closer to where I need him. “Unless you wanna talk dirty, then do more!”

“As you wish, mej liku.” His hand cups one side of my face as his crown slips to my entrance until, with a testing thrust and a gasp, he enters me by an inch. “I can go slow if you want. Give you time to get used to me. I know I’m thick even without the piercings. But… I’d like to push all the way inside you. Drive you toward that place where pain and pleasure meet.”

Heat pools between my legs at the thought alone and, as silly as it sounds, I trust him with my body. “Okay.”

He shifts around a little, bringing one hand between us to gather some of my wetness, which he spreads along his shaft. “Put your legs around me.” When I do as I’m told, he places his lips by my ear. “That’s it. Now take a deep breath and hold it.”

I don’t question it and suck in a lungful.

Without another warning, Jero thrusts inside me until my vision speckles black. At the same time, he pushes down on my chest. His cock stretches me without mercy to the sound of my moan, releasing all air and probably my soul along with it.

The protruding balls of his rungs scrape along my inner walls until it burns. Fuck, this feels amazing. Like when someone scratches your arm without drawing blood, which triggers a glorious after-chill that spreads across my pussy and deep into my womb.

“Breathe in.” Jero draws back as I struggle for air and, angling his cock just right, lets a few metal pieces glide over my clit before he pushes inside me again. “And out. There. Just like that. Is this how you imagined I’d feel, hmm? Whenever you stole glances at my cock?”

Legs slung around his waist, I pull him deeper into me, chasing the tail-end of that orgasm he stole from me. “Better.”

He grips my back and pulls me up until I sit astride him, then he laps at my earlobe as he seats himself. “Desperate to come, hmm?”

I run my hands over the scars on his chest, sensing the raised motifs against the hard plains of his muscles. “Before you shut me down again.”

“Let’s get rid of that worry and free up some mind-space.” His other hand digs into my ass, guiding my pelvis so that each rocking motion lets a piercing press against that spot near my clit he discovered earlier. “Come on my cock, Dani.”

“I don’t think that’s how it wor—”

A deep growl rumbles from his chest, sending a single spark of energy into my clit, where it detonates and spreads across my pussy in a sudden orgasm. My skin prickles. The hairs rise on my arms. At the nape of my neck. Goosebumps spread across my thighs, down my calves, until my toes curl, and—

“Ahh!” It all comes out as a scream that quickly dies into panting and confusion as my body wants to collapse sideways, but Jero pulls me against him, hushing me. “What. The hell. Was that?”

“Mating growl,” he says between those hushing sounds he makes as he gently strokes through my hair, because he probably knows that I just died a little. “It arouses you… among other things. If performed right, it can make you come the moment I want you to.”

Exhausted, I allow myself to sink into him. “What about you?”

“I’m not done with you yet, Dani. Come on, turn around, but don’t dare slip off, because I want to stay deep inside that tight pussy of yours.” He leans back slightly, all but turning me around on his cock, letting his rungs work my inner walls as he helps me rearrange my legs. “As for your question, a good saikh won’t take his pleasure unless you want him to.”

I glance over my shoulder at him. “Let me guess, they decapitate you for premature ejaculations back home?”

“Of course,” he says with a grin, but it soon slips off his mouth as he revels up at me. “Gods, you are so beautiful. Relax your pelvis. Let me move you.”

He sits up slightly, one arm behind him in support, the other on my hip, where it guides me into motion. He steers me on his cock like that, making my pelvis tip until I rock against the silver balls at the base of his shaft.

“Oh, fuck.” Those goosebumps are back, wrapping my skin in a layer of static with the intensity of each slow rocking motion against the smooth metal. “This feels so good.”

“Glad they work as intended.” Jero lifts himself up just enough to place a handful of kisses along my shoulder. “Guess you noticed I have them almost all the way around, right at the base of my cock.”

“Mmm… I did.” My eyes flutter shut on their own as he thrusts up, sending me forward until the line of balls presses against my clit harder. “Those are recent additions, aren’t they?”

“For women, yes.” Another gentle kiss to my neck, then he lowers himself down, which makes him lengthen inside me, filling me completely. “Let me show you what they can do.”

CHAPTER 9

JERO

My crown throbs like a toothache and my testicles rise, desperate for release, but I breathe those vekers down where they belong—until Dani says otherwise.

“Relax.” I curl my fingers deeper into her hips but press my thumbs into the glutes along her ass until her pelvis widens and she takes me deeper. “That’s it. Just allow yourself to follow the movement.”

It takes a bit more massaging until her pelvis surrenders, letting my hands guide Dani into an elliptical pattern. Round and round her hips go, ripping one moan after another from her. But it’s the whimpers I’m after.

“Do you like how my cock fills you?” Vek, the way she arches her back at that tiny bit of filth is everything. “Ride it nice and slow. Just like—” Ah, there’s the whimper. “There you go. Now we found it again.”

She fondles my balls, turning me near-crazed with the urge to fill her with my seed. “Found what?”

“Your sweet spot.”

At least one of them.

From what I learned during Earth Women 101, it took their males over fifteen decades to find their females’ clit. It might very well take twice as long for them to figure out that it isn’t only that little nub at the top of their slit.

No, it’s around it and down on each side of Dani’s labia. And right there, about an inch below the hard pebble, right between her inner and outer labia, is her sweet spot.

“This one.” Combined with how I shift my pelvis, I guide hers in a way that my piercings press right on that spot, ripping another whimper from her as her pussy tightens around my shaft. “Can you feel it? How it sends a flicker into your pussy that could drive you over the edge?”

“Mmm,” she moans when I circle her away from it, giving her some relief from the intense sensation. “Then why not do it?”

“Because I need you desperate. Trust me.”

I send her around once more, loving the way tiny dimples form on the skin around her ass, and down along her thighs. Lines vein across her hips in a tone slightly lighter than the rest of her skin. Stretch marks.

Strange, how my own imperfections—those signs of age written across my body—keep me awake at night, but hers makes me want this female even more. Maybe it’s because she’s so unapologetic about who she is, what she wants and what she doesn’t want.

“Fuck, you have no idea how sexy you look like this.” It’s beautiful, watching her take pleasure from me with no shame, panting as she nears her orgasm. “Not yet.”

She sighs a little when I slow her movement and delay her orgasm, and I bet she’s pouting. “Jero, please…”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing, mej liku.” My female. I like calling her that. Right this moment, it’s true enough. “I won’t let you come until you’re good and ready, because I need to make sure you’ll always come back for more.”

She wiggles a little against my hold, trying to rock against my balls and, when I don’t let her, she fondles them once more. “Two can play this game, you know.”

“You’ll lose.” No matter how a swell of blood rushes into my cock each time her thumb traces my seam, letting her fingers massage the skin around it. “I can do this for hours, Dani. It’s what I was trained to—”

A sharp exhale hisses through my clenched fangs when her finger plays on my lowest rung, making my cock throb and jerk inside her as she glances over her shoulder. “You were saying?”

“Trying to taunt me again, huh?” At the next circle, I press her down so hard on me, the moment her clit brushes the metal balls, she nearly screams. “You’ll regret that in a minute.”

And another, and another, because I send her around and around, always pressing her down hard. But each time we approach the metal balls? I veking stall her hips, letting her teeter at the threshold to her orgasm without allowing her to cross as I delay the next motion.

I do that until her pussy clenches around me so many times, I’m one thrust away from exploding. Dani moans, calling me all sorts of names and cursing me out simultaneously.

At the next circle, I slow her down again. When her clit sits right atop the metal and she jerks a few times, I hold her there. Keeping her in place, I stretch out this moment, this agony of not knowing if I’ll allow her to come.

Then, I thrust upward.

Dani sucks in a breath. Where I expect a yelp or a scream, she’s incapable of making any sound as she comes apart on my cock, bucking, jerking, rocking, and digging her nails into my thighs.

But I hold her in place, not allowing her an inch of retreat. She wanted to come? Well, now she better take it. And how well she does, arching her back, curling her toes, and throwing her head back in an orgasm that is nothing short of mesmerizing to watch.

When she finally makes a sound—a cute little choking sound that drags half a whimper with it—I rock beneath her, allowing her the slightest amount of motion. “I want to take pleasure from you. Say yes.”

She once more glances over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed and her forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat. But it’s the smirk on her lips that somehow makes my muscles tighten.

“Fuck no,” she says, torturing me with how she turns around on my cock, and plants her feet by my side. “Ask me again in an hour or so. That’s how long you kept me waiting.”

She slips off.

Slap.

My cock hits my stomach. With all the metal I carry and my shaft so hard it hurts, I’m hard-pressed to accuse her of assault.

I sling my arm around her waist and pull her closer, the patter of rain outside now replaced with the chirping sounds of small critters. “Saying that I’m not disappointed would be a lie.”

She climbs between my legs, sending a glorious shiver down my spine with how she runs her hands over my stomach, lowering her mouth toward my cock. “Not for long.”

Every muscle in my body strings up tight. “Our females don’t do… this.”

“You never had one of these before?”

Saliva pools beneath my tongue, forcing me to swallow with an ugly gulp before I find my voice. “N-never.”

The moment her tongue darts out and gingerly bumps up along the rungs on my shaft, my vision blackens around the edges. All blood sucks from my extremities and rushes straight to my cock, making my shaft twitch against her lips.

“Fuck…” On instinct, my hand shoots forward, fingers digging into her hair as though I need something to hold on to before I fall through the ground. “Do that again.”

A grin hushes over her mouth, then she slides back onto her knees, once more placing her tongue at the ring of silver balls. With one slow, languid stroke, she licks her way toward my crown. This time, she lets her lips explore each rung, suckling them, pulling them, shifting them until my cock jerks in warning.

“Can you taste yourself on my length, hmm?” I release her hair, only to stroke through it and gather it in my fist again. “How your pussy came all over me, making such a mess again?”

She all but purrs, wrapping her dainty hand around my shaft as she cocks her head this way and that. “I don’t really know how to…”

“You can’t hurt me, if that’s what you’re wondering.” I release her hair and take her hand into mine, helping her grip me tightly. “If anything, I like how the metal presses into my flesh.”

Carefully, she runs her hand up and down my length, opening her grip just enough to accommodate my piercings. Her tongue twirls around my crown, leeching all strength from my muscles. I should have contacted the agency way sooner…

“This feels wonderful,” I say, watching how her lips close around my head, bobbing up and down while sucking lightly. “Fuck, that pretty little mouth of yours is going to be a problem… I already know it. There’s not much you couldn’t get from me in exchange for your lips wrapped around my cock.”

She moans in answer and works my crown with more vigor, sustaining the seal of her lips even as her tongue twirls around. My shaft tingles in a million places at once, and my testicles once more rise. Vek, she sucks me so eagerly, as though she’s starving for a mouthful of my seed.

I pet her head and focus on my breathing, but this sensation is so intense, so new, so strange that my skills leave me rather unprepared. “You need to slow down.”

She doesn’t.

If anything, her head bobs harder and her hand loses all timidness as it thumbs my rungs. Does she want me to come in her mouth? I heard it’s not uncommon on Earth…

“Dani,” I groan, lifting my legs and bracing my soles in a desperate attempt to last. “Maybe a little hint here? I can’t just— Vek! Gods!”

Veking shit, she’s sucking even harder. Little choking sounds escape her with how hard she’s working my cock. It starts as heat across my lap, that strange moment when I lose all control over my body.

Nearly two decades of training crumble around me so fast, by the time I understand what’s happening, my cock gives a massive jerk. I release my seed, shooting rope after rope down her throat as the shelter turns pitch-black.

White and gray floaters eventually return to my speckled vision. Probably because I’m hyperventilating, heaving and panting as the muscles in my stomach contract and release in never-ending spasms.

It takes me several paced breaths before I return to the here and now, just so I can stare down at Dani’s triumphant grin as she says, “Told you two can play that game. I just turned the rules upside down.”

My hand trembles when I cup her cheek because… where the vek did it go? “Open your mouth.”

She does, although with an arched brow. “Why?”

“Where is it?”

Now her other brow rises, right along with the corners of her lips. “I swallowed it.”

She. Swallowed. It.

Something very bright comes to my chest, and I grip her, pulling her against me as I roll atop her. With one quick thrust, I push inside her, still hard enough that it rips a strangled moan from her.

“That mouth of yours has me addicted now.” I fuck into her fast and hard, then unleash a mating growl that snaps her spine straight as she kicks her legs and screams through her orgasm. “That’s right, take it. You deserve that one after what you did with those lips.”

Panting, she swallows a few times before she finally shakes her head. “No more. I have to… Oh my god, please, no more orgasms.”

I can’t help but laugh. “The rain stopped, so you might get lucky, and we’ll—”

There’s a cough.

Not mine.

Not Dani’s, either.

CHAPTER 10

DANI

I stare at Jero, eyes burning from how I can’t bring myself to blink. “Something’s out there.”

“Rather… someone,” a male voice comes from right behind us, on the other side of the shelter’s wall. “Ma’am, my name is Peter Dunkern. I’m with the extraction team that tracked down your rescue beacon, which caught signal a few hours ago. We came as quickly as we could. In fact, we’ve been standing here for a while now but, um…” His pause makes room for faint giggles. Not his. “Well, I would like to reach you a bag in there so you can dress since, well… since your clothes seem to be out here.”

My pulse is pumping hot shame into my cheeks. “We’ll probably need two of those bags.”

“Yes, we gathered that upon approach. Let me just…” Heavy footsteps slowly squelch around the shelter until two small white bags thud onto the area beneath the overhang. “Inside, you’ll find some uni-size clothing to keep you warm and covered after this downpour. Our ship isn’t far from here.”

Pressure builds at the back of my throat. “Um, th-tha—”

Jero presses his palm onto my mouth just in time to suppress a snorted laugh, all while he technically vibrates on top of me, desperately trying to hold back a guffaw.

I take his hand and gently lift it off my mouth, grinning so hard my cheeks hurt, and even more so when I try to whisper, “They totally heard us fucking.”

“They did.” He presses a kiss to my mouth, then gets up and helps me to my feet. “But we’re safe now. Come on, get dressed.”

I grab the seemingly waterproof bags, haul them inside, then rummage through them. Each one has a set of gray drawstring cotton pants. It’s too long for me but fits Jero just right, and even has a little tailhole that can be opened to accommodate a tailed species. Gray scrubs complete the outfit, easily wrapped in the front to make it fit.

“They put some sort of webbed plastic sneaker in here,” I say and hand a pair to Jero. “Need water? They got hydration balls.”

We each gulp down a few of those, then we step outside. Three friendly human faces greet us, two men and a woman—all equally chewing down their grins.

“Bet she’s the woman unaccounted for,” Peter says, easily recognized by his voice. “It’ll be a mess to sort out this paperwork.”

“Yours was the only pod that never launched,” the woman says from where she leans against a tree, both arms crossed in front of her chest. “My name’s Tamara. I’d say let’s get you two to Earth so you can go through the intergalactic emergency in-processing. Any injuries? Symptoms of potential disease?”

“Nothing,” Jero says and wraps his arm around my middle, pulling me against him as he presses a quick kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s go home, Dani.”

“An explosion in one of the engine rooms,” the representative before me says, his suit decorated with a pin that has the travel company’s logo on it. “Again, we apologize for what happened, but the safety of our guests is paramount and protocol demands immediate evacuation in case of fire.”

“Makes sense.” I shuck into the light jacket a woman brought me earlier, along with a casual outfit so I don’t have to go home in oversized scrubs. “Fire in space and all that.”

“Of course, I already initiated the refund of your ticket.”

“I’m just glad I can go home.” With a curt nod to the nurse who stands in the corner of the med room, I take a step toward the door. “Anything else? I need a shower and a nap.”

The guy in the suit shakes his head. “Feel free to contact the number on the card I provided, should you need further medical care due to this event.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

I turn around and leave the stuffy room, finally stepping into the main terminal of the Dallas Spaceport. The scent of butter, coffee, and freshly baked croissants hits me hard, along with the murmurs of dozens of people passing me by. Gosh, it feels good to have the AC blasting down on me after all that icky humidity.

“Dani…” Jero gets up from a set of black leather couches at the center, dodging people as he comes over. “Everything okay? Your screening took even longer than mine, and I actually had to work with them through my immigration stuff.”

“They insisted to have a look at my ribs since they found some internal bruising from the harness in the pod, but it’s all good.” Damn, he looks fine all cleaned up, with a smile on his face and his tail gently swaying an inch above the ground. “So? Where are you off to now?”

“The agency is about forty minutes southwest of here, I was told.” He holds up a ticket for an express drone. “I already called them, and they’re getting some food to fill my fridge right now. Not gonna lie, I need to lie down for a day or two.”

“Right?” I take a step closer, taking that stray blue-black strand as an excuse to brush it back, running my fingers through his hair once more. “Quite the adventure we had there.”

His arm comes around my middle again, giving little tugs that inch me toward him. “How about a nice dinner on Wednesday, hmm? As a first date? I’ll find us something nice in the area.”

Right, the twenty dates thing… “I gave up my place since I was gone for like a year. I’m heading for my sister’s place, which is a little over two hours from here.”

“Oh.” His fingers stretch and curl at my back as he thinks for a moment. “We’ll figure it out. Two hours isn’t very far.”

That’s what he thinks now until he comes face-to-face with Dallas traffic for the first time. “Actually, I was thinking… maybe you could just give me your number. Or an email? How about I contact you in a week or two?”

His hand slips off my back, robbing me of its comforting warmth. “A week or two?”

“Look, Jero…” Ugh, I don’t like how he visibly stiffens, as if I’m breaking up or something, where I’m just trying to be fair. “Why don’t you get settled in first, hmm? Explore the city. Meet your neighbors.”

Change your mind about me.

He runs his tongue along an upper fang, staring about the terminal for a moment before he sighs. “Dani, I meant everything I said.”

“Great, then I guess a week or two won’t change that.” And if it does, then this is better. Safer. Less painful and awkward. “In a situation like the one we were in, it’s easy to project on the person you might die beside. Let’s just… step away from it for a few days, have a breather, and then see if we want to meet again.”

“It’s not that simple, Dani, I…” There’s a heavy gulp before he lifts his deep blue eyes to mine, narrowed enough they almost turn apologetic, driving a shudder down my spine. “I’m supposed to meet with someone in a few days.”

I wrap my arms around myself as if on instinct. “Yeah, I know. And I’m glad you’ll actually make it in time.”

“You don’t understand. It’s… I’m supposed to meet with a woman.”

That shudder spreads, and not for the first time in my life. “From the agency.”

“Not exactly.” Cursing, he takes a step toward me, only now making me realize that I must have shifted away from him. “A client. Claudia. She’s very interested in meeting me since our profiles matched perfectly.”

Claudia.

Who matched him perfectly…

My entire body locks in place, and for a second, I swear the entire terminal is staring at me. I feel the creepy-crawly sensation run down my limbs like I did a year ago, when my ex-fiancé told me there wouldn’t be anything to celebrate after all.

Because he met someone who matched him perfectly…

My weight shifts back onto my heels. “That’s um… That’s great, Jero.”

He narrows his eyes at me and a muscle jumps in his jaws. “Are you saying that because you’re upset? Or because you really don’t want to see me again?”

Neither. Both. Fuck, I don’t know. “I have no right to be upset. We had fun, right? That’s what I wanted.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not what I was after, though, and I made that pretty clear.”

My gaze drops to the polished tiles. “And I made it pretty clear that I can’t give you what you want.”

“Can’t?” He steps in front of me because—would you know it—I’d turned away from him without noticing, and he tugs on my chin until my eyes meet his again. “Or won’t, because you’re so scared of getting hurt that you refuse me the chance to prove to you otherwise?”

I suck in my cheeks. “All I want is two weeks, so both of us can gain some perspective.”

“No, Dani, what you want is to bring distance between us, so you can conveniently wiggle out of this without having your heart broken again.”

That is… ridiculous. “Let me guess, they also taught you everything about the female psyche at that school of yours.”

“Not everything,” he says on a sigh, then slowly drags a hand over his face as if he’s about to change his mind about me already. “Look, agree to those twenty dates, and I’ll cancel the meeting.”

That sounds a whole lot like change your life goals and I won’t dump you. “And if I don’t? Why not just give me your email, and I’ll reach out once I have some time to think about this?”

“Because I’m running out of time, Dani,” he says, his tail nervously flicking behind him that most people make a beeline around us now. “You can’t expect me to drop my chance at meeting a female willing to settle with me just so I can sit around and age while I wait for an email from the woman who might never click that send button.”

“Jero, if you’re so desperate that you can’t wait two weeks and would rather settle for the first woman you meet before you sprout another white hair, then you should absolutely not cancel that meeting.” I press a quick peck onto his cheek, then turn for the exit no matter how my ribcage clenches. “Good luck, Jero.”

CHAPTER 11

DANI

“Look what a big boy you are, helping me hold the bottle…” I stare down at Dominic, and how he greedily gulps down his formula, his hazel eyes scanning my face. “You never mentioned how adorable he is. So what else is new?”

Chrissy, my sister, snatches another cookie from the platter in front of us on the coffee table, then leans back into the couch with a sigh. “Not much. Selena started learning phonics. Oh, and she made you something. Sweetie, where’s the flower for Auntie Dani?”

“Oh, in my room!” Selena jumps up from her pile of building blocks and races into the hallway, resonating it with a long, drawn-out, “I’ll get it.”

“Alright, gimme all the filth before she comes back,” Chrissy blurts and leans forward, taking a bite of her cookie. “Was he good?”

“Best sex in my entire life.” The memory alone brings a grin to my face, but it just won’t stay on longer than a second. “Those piercings of his…? He has so many, but I swear he’s acutely aware of the position of every single one, and… damn, he knows just how to stroke to make them touch exactly where they should.”

My sister gets a shit-eating grin and the most adorable blush comes to her cheeks that even her long black strands can’t hide. “He went down on you?”

“Without asking. I returned the favor, and you should have seen his face when he stared at my mouth like “Where is it?” He was like a little boy who saw his first magic trick.”

“Strange alien,” she says. “I guess it comes with his territory that he’s good-looking and sexy, but was he cute?”

“Very. Jero’s a sweet guy.” When Dominic smacks his lips, I lift the bottle and give him a breather, then offer him the nipple once more before he continues his meal. “I swear, I wanted to kill him when he woke me with his mumbling, but it was kind of adorable, you know? How he talks to himself, getting his head sorted out?”

Chrissy licks the crumbs from her fingers, then falls back into the couch, only to stare at me. “So why didn’t you just agree to those twenty dates? Even if it comes to nothing, that might have added up to a couple dozen orgasms.”

I only shrug, my shoulders annoyingly heavy. “Because he tried to pressure me. And I get why. I really do. Guess I got gun-shy. It’s just… If he can’t even give me two weeks, then this wouldn’t have worked out, anyway.”

Selena skips back into the living room, handing me a piece of paper that has her green handprint, the fingertips painted with colorful petals to make it look like a flower. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful, sweetie.” I wiggle my hand out from underneath Dominic’s bottom and take it, studying it with loud oh’s and ah’s. “You know what? That’ll go straight on my fridge… once I have one.”

“Stay as long as you want,” Chrissy says. A gentle smile comes to her face as she watches Selena go back to stacking blocks. “Marc’s gone for another three weeks, so his office-slash-guest room is all yours.”

I pull the nipple from Dominic’s mouth, who’s now asleep with a trail of milk running down his cheek. “I’ll look at a few places next week. Short-term, though.”

“Oh yeah? You’re leaving again soon? I thought you’d told me you wanted to stick around for a while?”

“Changed my mind.” When Chrissy says nothing, only stares at me from that maternal, caring face she clearly inherited from Mom, I shrug once more. “What?”

“Catching feelings is like catching a cold, you know… Doesn’t matter where you run, it’ll get you.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “It wouldn’t have worked out.”

“How could it if you break up with him before you even get started? You do understand that you might have asked him for two weeks, but he actually offered you two months, right?”

I take the sleeve of my cardigan and wipe Dominic’s cheek. “Not the way they taught me math. But what do I know? You’re the accountant.”

“Twenty dates with a two-hour drive between you, and that’s if traffic behaves,” she says. “You said he has a job there?”

“Instructor, from what I understand.”

“So, it’s not like he would have the time to see you every day because… responsibilities and stuff. With two dates a week, maybe the occasional third one if you drive up there…” Her eyes flick to the ceiling for the fraction of a second as she does the math. “Yup, that’s two months. And guess what? It’s not like he requested that date twenty-one is your wedding.”

Shit. She’s right.

He did offer me way more time than two weeks. I was just too freaked out about it to realize and take a good look at what he wanted. Twenty dates and an open-mind. Maybe the issue wasn’t so much the twenty dates, but the fact that my mind shut him down right away?

My breathing turns shallow and, no matter how much I tell myself it’s because so I won’t wake Dominic, I know that it’s a fucking lie. “Did I mess up?”

Chrissy gives me a gentle smile, though the corners of her mouth visibly struggle to lift higher. “Guess what? You’ll never find out because you didn’t really give him the chance to put it to the test.”

Because I wiggled out of it.

Just like Jero said.

“Fuck,” I mumble, feeling like an absolute idiot. “I just walked out on him at the spaceport. He probably wouldn’t want me to get in touch with him after that.” When Chrissy lifts a brow that seems to say, you’re doing it again, I sigh. “Okay. Whatever. I’ll call that agency and see if I can get his contact info.”

CHAPTER 12

JERO

I smooth down the stray wisps on my braid for what has to be the tenth time, pacing the little coffee room at the agency like mad. “This is going to be a disappointment.”

“Calm the vek down.” Varac, one of the owners of the agency, rearranges his hybrid daughter where she sits on his hip with a half-dissolved cookie between her gums, her tail swaying gently along his thigh. “I’m a master saikh, too, and I’m telling you there’s no way you will disappoint that woman.”

My fangs clench.

That’s not what I meant.

The little girl reaches her slobbery cookie out, smearing wet crumbs along my hand as she says, “Da!”

“You keep it,” I say with a smile and wipe the mess off my hand, but it only accumulates into a gooey ball. “She was right. You are terribly sticky.” Only water and soap will get that off, so I head to the sink. “Did you find out anything about that name I gave you?”

Varac strokes his daughter’s black hair, thumbing her scalp as if in search for emerging horn nubs. “Doctors Beyond Galaxies is a massive organization, Jero. Among humans, Dani is a shortened version of a name, and I found almost two hundred Danielles, Danielas, and Danièles working there. Without a last name, I don’t know what else to do.”

Neither are there photos on the organization’s website. I looked, trying to track Dani down so I could apologize. Vek, why did I have to push her so hard that day at the spaceport when I knew she might shy away?

Two weeks.

That was all she wanted.

Considering that I wasted two decades of my life helping others get a female without finding one of my own, two weeks were nothing. In a way, I placed this meeting over her the way I think her ex did it with another female. And for what? The premise of an additional white hair?

“I’m an idiot,” I mumble to myself. “Making stupid mistakes out of desperation…”

“Jero?” Steph, the other owner and Varac’s mate, pokes her head into the room, her golden hair twirled into an elegant updo. “She’s waiting for you in room ten.”

A heavy feeling settles onto my chest. “Thanks.”

Varac’s hand lands even heavier on my shoulder. “Don’t go all saikh on her, you hear me? What you want matters just as much around here.”

I nod and drag my feet behind me as I make my way into the corridor, passing an array of potted plants from my home planet. When I reach the door, I smooth down my hair once more, knock, and enter.

The moment I step into the room, brightly-lit from the window across and furnished with white couches and a fluffy gray rug, my heart sinks in my chest. For months, I imagined this soul-changing moment when I meet the woman who matched me perfectly.

And there she sits, gleaming at me from green eyes, her hair light brown and cropped at her shoulders. Her flowery dress hugs her form just right, the green petals bringing out those cute freckles that dot the bridge of her nose.

She gets up and brushes her dress down. “Jero?”

“That’s right.” I walk over, take her into a hug that lasts a second too long, then force my joints to give so I can sit beside her. “It’s good to finally meet you, Claudia.”

“Same.” She rubs her hand along her neck, probably as nervous as I am, with the difference that she smiles and I don’t think I am. “Hey, I heard about the evacuation. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Stranded on a planet with no signal? That had to be awful.”

Not even a little bit. “Well, I’m here now.”

“When your profile popped up as a match, I was so excited,” she says with a warm smile, letting little dimples form on her cheeks.

“So was I.”

But I’m not anymore.

The way my tail rests limp on the couch? The urge to shift back? That sinking feeling in my stomach? It’s exactly what I feared this would turn into… disappointment.

Not hers.

Mine.

Not because there’s anything wrong with Claudia. She’s a beautiful female, warm and visibly shy with how she rubs her hands. The chances that she’ll tell me we should fuck out of the blue are non-existent, and therein lies the problem. Claudia might very well be perfect, but she isn’t Dani.

“I really liked this paragraph you put in your profile?” Claudia says. “About, um… the falling asleep in many places? And the taking care? How was it again?”

“Someone who takes care of me the way I take care of her. Who travels with me, explores life with me and everything it has to offer. I want to try all the food with her. Fall asleep in a million different places, but one thing always has to be the same… that I always…”

My voice trails off as numbness starts with a tingle at the tip of my tail, then spreads up from there. It might only have been a few days, but Dani and I took care of each other. We hiked through a damn jungle, ate strange berries, and bathed in a creek on an even stranger planet. And she fell asleep in my arms. Maybe not in a million different places, but two was a good start.

In short, Dani is what I want.

So why the vek am I here?

“That you wake up with her in your arms,” Claudia finishes for me. “I loved that.”

“I loved it, too.” How Dani washed my hair. How she braided it. How she reassured me. How she drooled on my chest. “Look, Claudia…” I take her hand in mine, because this is nothing but another mistake. “The truth is, I should have canceled this meeting. I’m sorry for wasting your time like this, but something… changed while I was stranded on that planet.”

There’s obvious confusion on her face, shaped like fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “I guess it would put certain things in perspective for just about anyone. If you need a few more days to settle and figure things out—”

“I think I figured it out already.” I was so desperate, rushing to find a female—any female—to settle that I scared the one I actually want away. “Again, I’m truly sorry, but I’m not in the right headspace for this, and it would be unfair to continue to take up your time.”

Her lips press into a thin line as she stares at me for another moment, then she gets up and rushes out of the room. Fantastic. That’s just the way to go about it if you want to vek it up with the agency…

I let myself fall back onto the couch. “Guess I’ll have to send out two hundred emails, trying to find Dani.”

There’s a knock on the doorframe, then Steph pokes her head in. “Jero?”

“Give me just a moment, and I’ll come to your office and explain.”

“Yeah, I really wanna hear it but, before you do, there’s a Danielle Ramirez waiting for you. I told her that you’re in a meeting and asked her to wait.”

Danielle…

Dani?

I shoot up from the couch, my heart pounding so hard I hear it thudding in my ears. “Are you serious?”

Steph nods. “She’s in room six.”

I rush past her and hurry back into the corridor. Room ten. Room eight. Room six. I take a deep breath. I step inside.

Empty.

Huh… interesting.

I lean back far enough to take another look at the room number. Nope. Definitely a six…Ooh! I know what’s going on here.

With a grin on my face that hurts my cheeks, I turn back and walk up the corridor. Room five. Room seven. Room nine.

I step inside, and there she stands by the window, her hair twirled up like when we set-up the shelter that first night. “Dani?”

She spins around, takes a step toward me, and straightens. “I’m so sorry for just walking out on you like that, but I got scared because I got dumped once three days before my engagement party because he, well…”

“Changed his mind about children.”

“Right. If it’s not too late, then here’s my offer.” She takes a deep breath. “Thirty dates, to compensate for my seriously freaked-out mind.”

My throat ties up as I walk up to her, carefully gripping her hip, tugging her toward me one tiny step at a time. “That’s almost a short relationship.”

“Girl Scout promise I won’t dump you until after date thirty.” There’s a heavy swallow before she places her hands on my chest and stares up at me. “Maybe never.”

“Deal.”

I dive down for a kiss, sensing a million tingles all across my body the moment our lips touch. It’s glorious, how her legs give out, putting her at the mercy of how I pull her tightly against me.

“Thirty dates,” I whisper against the corner of her lips, kissing a trail toward the side of her neck. “That’ll be close to a hundred ways to please you.”

“I insist on that tail-fuck.”

“Third date. Promise.” I grip her hips, lift her, and sling her legs around me as I press her back against the window. “I still have a room available for about forty minutes. What to do with that time?”

That rips a little giggle from her. “We should fuck.”

“That’s right, mej liku.”

CHAPTER 13

DANI

“Dani…” Jero stirs the caramelizing onions, dodging my kisses left and right as I cling to him and feel him up. “Keep distracting me like that, and I’ll ruin the entire meal.”

“I’m the meal,” I mewl, letting my finger glide under his black shirt so I can tug on his nipple piercing. “Come on… I’ve been gone for ten days!”

He lets out a sharp hiss, not so much in warning as for the fact that my alien boyfriend loves it when I tug on his metal. “Exactly. This is supposed to be special. Let me finish this, then we eat, then I take care of you.”

I squeeze myself between him and the range. “That’ll take forever.”

“Gods, woman…” He spins me around, steps aside with me, then pushes my chest down onto the counter. “Spread.”

I do as I’m told, loving the way he gathers up my skirt, but it’s the way his tail slithers up my inner thigh that rips a moan from me. “Oh, yes, please!”

“Careful with the claw.” The sharp end taps against the counter as he positions the thick, smooth middle of his tail against my lace-covered pussy. “There you go, baby. Rub yourself on it.”

I rock against the hard muscle, rubbing until my clit throbs to life. “I need your cock, too.”

“Later.” Yet he presses himself against my ass, letting me feel his hard length through his jeans as he pushes against me in an even rhythm, letting his hand guide my pelvis against his tail. “That feel good?”

“Mmm, yes,” I moan. “Fuck, I missed this so—”

Clank.

My ears prick at the sound, and I turn my head to the left, watching the wooden cooking spoon go round and round in the frying pan. “What are you doing?”

“Not letting the food burn while I give you what you need.” His chuckle brings a wave of heat to my cheeks, quickly forgotten when his hand gives a shove at the small of my back, letting my pussy press against his tail until I groan. “That’s it, baby, get yourself off on me. I want those panties so drenched it’ll soak through to my tail. Come on, don’t be shy now.”

Goosebumps spread across my body and my toes curl against the tile floor. It feels glorious, how the muscles of his tail slightly ripple against my clit, offering so much surface my orgasm rushes in a second later. I collapse forward, grappling at the counter while my saikh boyfriend only chuckles.

Jero kills the flame, pours some heavy cream into the pan, then pulls my limp body against his. “Can you behave now and quit begging until later?”

I grin into his chest, sucking in his familiar scent after ten days of separation. “Maybe.”

With a smirk, he reaches beneath my skirt. His fingers hook into the waistband of my panties. Three tugs, and the lace slides to my ankles, from where he retrieves it by prodding my feet to lift. He brings it to his nose, inhaling my scent.

“I’d say date number fifty-three is off to a good start,” he whispers into my ear, then kisses a trail from my neck to my lips. “I missed you, Dani.”

I step around his tail, frowning at the damp spot I left there as I detangle us. “Missed you, too.”

Missed his cooking, visiting cities with him, and that strong chest I got way too used to sleeping on. Ever since I came to the agency that day, he’s been taking it slow with me, giving me the time I need to trust.

“Food’s ready, but…” He opens the drawer beside us and retrieves something from it that he quickly hides behind his back. “Now that I got your panties and you can’t just run off in commitment-issue-induced flight mode, I wanted to ask you something.”

My stomach pulls tight, and my eyes flick to whatever he’s hiding, which appears to be a small box of some sort. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet…”

“I think you are.” His smirk turns lopsided, and the weight of his tail settles on the small of my back as if he’s expecting me to run off any moment now. Fuck, panties. “Now, I’ve been carrying this with me for a while, just waiting for the right moment.”

My gaze zeroes in on the box he brings between us, dark blue and just the right size for a ring.

Oh god, please don’t be a ring. Please don’t be a ring.

“I love you,” I blurt, just to give him a bit of a cushion before I turn him down. “I really do. But… I just need… I dunno, another thirty dates maybe. Just to make sure this is what we both want.”

“I know.” Jero gives me a boyish grin, then places the box in my hand. “Open it.”

My heart pounds like crazy in my chest. “I’m scared.”

“Then I’ll do it for you.”

His finger goes to the top, and the box pops open a moment later. He opens it slowly, so fucking slowly, revealing a metallic-gold glimmer and—

Oh my god, oh my god. It’s…

…not a ring.

I pinch the golden plastic card between my fingers and lift it up from the box as my shoulders slouch a little. “A gift card for a furniture store?”

He tucks a strand behind my ear, then runs his knuckles down my cheek. “What did you expect? A marriage proposal?”

Well… “Yeah.”

“You almost sound disappointed,” he says, and damnit, he might be onto something. “Baby, you’ll get my bite mark on your shoulder somewhere between date seventy and ninety, don’t worry about it. But you’d make me very happy if you moved in with me for now.”

“You always do that!” I shove his shoulder playfully. “Scaring me with the potential of something way bigger, just so I’ll be relieved when it’s not, and agree to whatever you wanted in the first place.”

He shrugs. “It’s working, is it not?”

“I guess.” Begrudgingly so, no matter how cute it is how he works his way around my fear and straight into my heart. “You sure you want me to move in?”

“Dani, you moved in two months ago, when you stuffed all your clothes inside my closet and brought your plants.” A kiss to my head. “You just weren’t ready to hear it yet, the fact that my flighty girlfriend is settling with her Vandalar saikh.”

I run my hand down his pants, letting by finger circle every silver ball I can sense through the fabric. “Master saikh.”

Jero groans, letting his hips shift deeper into my touch. “I love you. Please say yes.”

I nod and settle my head between his pecs. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” he purrs against my temple. “Now let’s eat so I can whisper filthy stuff into your ear while we do the dishes together.”

Thank you for reading Press Pound for Refund! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Vanessa’s newsletter!

TANA STONE

PRIZE

CHAPTER 1

Cat stormed down the corridor, not bothering to nod politely at the passengers walking by her. Luckily, they were busy chatting about what they planned to do once the pleasure cruiser reached Darnithian Prime and didn’t even notice her flaming face and fisted hands. Not that she cared.

She knew her temper got her in trouble, but at that moment, she was channeling every Italian ancestor she’d ever had. Cat hoped the dark curses she was muttering in Italian would work on the passenger who’d just called her an idiot. It would be nice to see the woman covered in boils.

“I am so over this.” She barely paused for the door to the steward’s storage room to slide open before barreling inside and pacing a tight circle between the shelves inset in the steel walls. “Cassidy Bowen can bite me.”

“Now that’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing.”

Cat spun around, startled to see one of her fellow stewards sitting on a white, polymer crate. Her navy-blue uniform shirt was untucked, and her shoes had been kicked off. “Maya! What are you doing here?”

The woman with brown skin and black hair that spilled down her back in waves held up a thin, shiny flask. “The same thing you’re doing, Catarina. Escaping from our high-maintenance passengers.”

Cat eyed the flask. “I’m assuming you have something in there stronger than the watered-down drinks they’re serving on the Nebula deck?”

She passed the flask to Cat with a wink. “Count on it. Dealing with people wealthy enough to travel in premier class across the galaxy requires some high-octane Cressidian gin.”

Cat didn’t hesitate before taking a swig of the alien drink, the liquor burning her throat as she swallowed. “I don’t know how I got assigned to this deck, but it’s going to take a lot more gin for me to make it through the voyage.”

Maya took the flask back and took her own gulp. “What are you talking about? I heard you had the most customer service experience of anyone who applied.”

Cat darted a glance to her friend. “Where did you hear that?”

Maya shrugged. “I hear things. I stand at a lot of cracked doors.”

Cat tried to give her a stern look, but ended up grinning. “You’re saying you eavesdrop?”

“That makes it sound so tawdry. I merely keep my ears open. It’s important to know what’s going on, especially if you plan to work for the cruise liner for a while.”

Cat sat down on the crate opposite her. “I guess so, but I don’t plan to do this more than once.”

“Really? Why not? The pay is decent. You get to travel through space.” Maya waved a hand in the air. “The scenery is amazing.”

Cat snorted out a laugh. “We see so much scenery as we run around waiting on the passengers.”

Maya smiled. “Are you going to tell me what Cassidy Bowen did, that made you storm in here like you wanted to rip off her head?”

Cat huffed out a breath, much of her anger already dissipated by the booze and getting distance from the offending passenger. “She complained that I don’t fold her towels into cool shapes. Apparently, Fran makes towel swans for all her passengers.”

Maya made a face. “Fran is a suck-up.”

“A suck-up who can make towel swans.”

“This is a space cruise. Why is she spending time worrying about the towels in her room? She should be on the viewing deck, or watching a holographic movie, or at the spa. I hear the Neribbian masseuses are amazing.”

“Well, they do have four hands.”

She wagged a finger at Cat before passing her the flask. “That is an advantage.”

Cat took another long swallow and savored the burn of the alien booze as it seared her mouth and warmed her stomach. The potency of the alien gin uncoiled her tense shoulders and loosened her tongue. “The truth is, I shouldn’t be here.”

“Just because you can’t make towel swans—?”

Cat shook her head, already a little lightheaded. “Because I lied to get the job.”

Maya clamped her mouth closed. “So, you don’t have the most hospitality experience?”

Cat choked back another laugh. “Not exactly.”

“How much—?”

“None,” Cat said quickly, then dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’ve never worked in hospitality or in customer service. To be honest, I’m not the kind of girl who should even be working on a cruise liner. I’ve got no family connections, no education, and no money.”

Maya studied her for a moment. “Then I’m even more impressed that you managed to land a spot on this cruise liner. You must be a talented liar.”

Cat’s cheeks burned as she met her eyes. “I was desperate. There was nothing left for me on Earth, but without school or references, you can’t even score an interview to clean toilets on this ship.”

Maya’s expression was sympathetic. “Why did you want to get on here so badly if you don’t want to make a career of being a steward?”

Cat dragged a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair. “This cruise liner might be packed with rich bitches, but it means steady pay, which is something I’ve never had.” She blew out a breath. “I guess I was tired of wondering where my next meal would come from or how I’d make rent. There’s no way to get ahead if you don’t know somebody, and, officially, I know nobody.”

“But now you’re having second thoughts?”

Cat twitched one shoulder. “I didn’t think the job would involve so much ass kissing. I’m not great at taking crap and kissing ass, a fact to which Cassidy Bowen would eagerly attest.”

Maya laughed. “That blonde bitch wouldn’t be happy with anything.”

“You know her?”

“I’ve seen her around. She’s the one who has ass implants and name drops so much it’s like listening to her read a Forbes list, right?”

“A self-made billionaire, who just so happens to have borrowed her daddy’s factories to make her designer lip gloss kits.” Cat used air quotes on the words “self-made” and “billionaire.”

Maya rolled her eyes hard. “If they tipped well, it would be one thing, but this deck is notorious for tipping peanuts. That’s why they pay us more.”

“Figures.” Cat leaned back and rested her head against the shelves. “As depressing as my life was on Earth, at least I didn’t have a spoiled brat bossing me.”

“Come on. You shouldn’t give up so soon. We haven’t even reached Darnithian Prime. Maybe you’ll get lucky, and Cassidy will catch an alien virus and be forced to stay on the planet.”

Cat crossed her fingers. “Let it be a virus that makes all her hair fall out.”

“Or one that makes her skin turn green. Blondes do not look good with green skin.” Maya leaned over and patted her knee. “Even if she doesn’t come down with something that makes her sprout tentacles, there are always other cruises. Not every passenger will be as bad as her.”

“If she doesn’t get me fired before I can make it to another cruise.”

“Don’t worry,” Maya said. “I’ll put in a good word for you. I’ll also tell Dev the bartender to slip some laxative into Cassidy’s next cocktail.”

Cat’s throat tightened as she smiled. “Thanks. I know we haven’t known each other long, but—”

Maya flapped a hand at her dismissively. “You’re not the only one who started out with nothing. Grunge kids stick together, right?”

Normally, Cat would have flinched at the Earth slang for kids who came from the working class of the ravaged planet, but she liked the way Maya made it sound less like an insult and more like a badge of honor. “On one condition.”

The woman cocked an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“You teach me how to make towel swans.”

Maya tipped her head back and laughed. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll teach you how to make something fitting for Cassidy—a towel Kraken.”

“You’re so bad,” Cat said, shaking her head.

“What are they going to do?” Maya asked. “Fire you mid-cruise? Kick you off while we’re flying through space?”

Cat shuddered. “I hope not. Space freaks me out.”

Maya took another swig of gin. “Anyone who lies to get a job waiting on the richest people on Earth—but in space, even though she’s terrified of it—really wants it. You deserve to be here.”

Before Cat could tell her that she did really want it, the ship shuddered and lurched to one side. Both women slid off the glossy crates and fell onto the floor. Another jolt sent them sliding in the other direction.

“What the hell?” Maya cried as the shelving units rattled, but their contents remained strapped in place.

The women attempted to help each other up as the ship continued to shake violently. When the sirens began wailing and red lights blared overhead, they exchanged a terrified look. When the order was given over the comms system to report to the escape pods and abandon ship, their eyes met, and they spoke in unison.

“Fuck.”

CHAPTER 2

Dev glanced at his younger Dothvek twin after they’d watched the bounty hunter ship take off from the planet’s surface, sand flying around them and biting the skin of their bare chests. They were both disappointed that their attempt to join the human/Dothvek crew had been rebuffed, but Trek’s scowl was deep, and his mood dark.

Trek cut his gaze to him, aware without Dev speaking that he was being inspected. Their species was known for being able to sense each other’s emotions and sometimes thoughts, but his mental bond with his twin was much stronger. If they wished to be silent, they could communicate entirely without words, but they’d learned long ago that it made others nervous.

Still, it took no effort for Dev to sense his twin’s disappointment. It was sadness he shared.

Having their Dothvek kinsmen visit had been wonderful, but it only served as a stark reminder that those warriors had found their mates and were starting families. Their lives were among the stars with the beautiful females, not on the sand planet with few females and little adventure, like Dev and Trek who remained in the Dothvek oasis village.

Dev pivoted to face the village. The high-peaked tents were clustered around a broad pond that was ringed by clusters of tall trees with tufted tops. Pens of furry jebels brayed and shuffled their wide, flat feet, while savory meat roasted over a spit and filled the air with the smells of crackling skin and dripping fat. Tiny bells jingled on the flaps of the tents when the breeze passed through, and when it didn’t, heat rose from the shimmering gold sand and warmed the furs in the tents.

The village had always been their home, as had the wide sands where they hunted and explored. They were made to live on the sands, their skin the same gold hue as the iridescent dunes, and the thick ridges sweeping out from their spines protected them from the powerful rays of two suns. Dev and Trek had never even considered living anywhere else, until their kinsmen had found off-world mates and left the Dothvek home world for adventures as bounty hunters.

Although they were glad to stay behind and protect their people and defend the new ruler of their clan, Dev felt his brother’s hunger for adventure as if it was his own. Now that they’d heard the stories of their kinsmen’s adventures in space, the oasis village seemed small, and their prospects slim. The ache of longing to see other worlds welled in his chest, and the desire to find mates was not going to fade quickly from either of their minds.

“We should consider Kyrana’s suggestion,” Trek said, once the gray hull was far enough above them that it vanished into the upper atmosphere.

Dev wrinkled his nose, startled by his brother’s suggestion. “Crestek mates?”

“They’re compatible, and many are desirable.”

Dev scowled. He knew they’d forged a treaty with their former enemies, but it was hard to wipe away a lifetime of suspicion in a single agreement. The Cresteks and their desire for progress were the reasons that his planet had so few females and that the two branches of the same family tree had been divided for so long. The creatures in the stone city had rejected the old ways and the wisdom of the goddesses. They’d lost their ability to communicate with their minds and their skills as powerful hunters and warriors. Instead of living in tents on the sands as their ancestors had done for millennia, the Cresteks had barricaded themselves behind walls and lived in luxury.

Even though they had agreed to a truce and the two clans were coming together to trade, the idea of living in the Crestek city was unthinkable, and he suspected a pampered Crestek female would find the oasis village to be primitive. But the mated warriors aboard the bounty hunting vessel had made it very clear that he and his brother couldn’t join their crew without mates. “What we need are females like the bounty hunters.”

Trek jerked his head up impatiently and made a sharp click in his throat, his dark braid swinging. “There are no more female bounty hunters in the entire galaxy, and remember, we need two mates.”

“We would be lucky to find one,” Dev said under his breath, giving a final, longing glance at the empty space the ship had occupied.

“One?” Trek scoffed.

Dev glanced at his twin brother but didn’t say what they both knew. He didn’t need to. Twins were rare among their kind, which meant they shared an even stronger empathic bond. It also meant that they could share their bond with a single female. Because it had been generations since there had been twin Dothveks, the tales of the last pair of warriors mated to one female seemed fantastical. The mated trio was only occasionally whispered about anymore, and neither twin knew if he believed such a thing, or if it was truly a myth.

Had a Dothvek female truly been mated to twin warriors? Had they shared a single tent and slept in the same furs? Had their children been shared between the three as one family? If it had ever truly happened, there was nothing left but the myth. No Dothveks today believed it as fact or possibility. Dothveks bonded with one female—their mind mate—that was fated and absolute. How could Dev and Trek share a mind mate, especially one who wasn’t of their own species?

Myth or not, Dev and Trek had shared everything since they were boys, including their innermost thoughts. They fought in sync, moved in tandem, and communicated so seamlessly that even their Dothvek kinsmen had a hard time understanding their intuitive language. Would it be much different to share a female?

Dev looked up, realizing that his twin was easily reading his thoughts, his own brow furrowed. Trek was the younger of the two, and the more impetuous and excitable, but even he was hesitant and doubtful about such a thing. Before they could talk about it, something rumbled high above them.

Peering into the nearly white sky, Dev saw nothing until a spiral of smoke appeared, almost like a wisp. Then the spiral continued to curl down and arch into the distance, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. They couldn’t see where it finally disappeared, but it had landed somewhere in the middle of the sands.

Trek grasped his brother’s arm. Without exchanging a word, they knew exactly what the other was thinking. The bounty hunter females that K’alvek had found had arrived on the planet in a burst of flame and smoke, crashing somewhere on the sands. Could they be just as lucky?

Dev stilled himself, sending his mind out as far as it could reach and forcing himself to ignore his brother’s swirl of impulsive thoughts. There was a new consciousness on the sands. He sensed her fear and anger. Her.

The Dothvek warrior’s heart stuttered in his chest. The creature he sensed was a female. He was sure of it. He didn’t know what species she was, but she clearly wasn’t Dothvek or Crestek, if she’d come from off-world.

Exhaling and focusing his empathic abilities on her, Dev picked up a flurry of frustration and confusion. She hadn’t landed on their planet on purpose. She’d crashed.

He gripped his brother’s arm as panic swept through him then faded. She wasn’t hurt. At least, she wasn’t in pain. But she was very irate. He could almost hear the curses echoing across the sands. Then he was almost felled by a strange sensation that slammed into him like a towering wave.

Dev swiveled his head to meet his brother’s gaze, the same expression of shock on Trek’s face that he felt. Had they both sensed the same pull, the undeniable draw, to the female?

“We must find her,” Dev said.

Trek nodded, his eyes blazing. It was too much to wonder out loud if she could possibly be one of their future mates. Or both.

The twin warriors took off running across the dunes, their hearts pounding and their legs pumping. They would soon learn the answer.

CHAPTER 3

Cat stumbled from the pod and fell onto the sand, cursing as she face-planted, and got a mouthful of the powdery substance that glittered in the bright sunlight. She spluttered as she spit and wiped at her mouth, only succeeding in smearing more sand across her face.

“What the hell?” She managed to stand, even though her feet sank up to her calves, and she put a hand up to shield her eyes as she scanned her surroundings, which consisted of rolling dunes as far as she could see, and two suns overhead. “Where the holy hell am I?”

She turned back to the escape pod she’d arrived in, noting that it was wedged into the sand with only the nose buried. Wrenching her feet from the sand, she managed to get to and stick her head inside the pod. She wasn’t a specialist in space vessels—or any type of machine—but she remembered enough from her training to know that she should attempt to send a transmission. Her emergency beacon should be automatically activated, but she needed to let the command crew of the cruiser know where she was.

Cat cut another glance at the desert surrounding her. Wherever the hell she was.

As she fiddled with the controls, she cursed Cassidy Bowen again. “If only I hadn’t been so busy getting that prima donna to her escape shuttle, I might not have been stuck taking one of the last pods off the cruiser.”

Swiping the back of her hand across her gritty brow, she huffed out a hot breath as sweat rolled down her face. At least Maya had been with her when she’d deployed. Her friend and fellow steward had been by her side as they’d done their jobs and steered all the passengers from their deck to the luxury emergency shuttles. Despite Cassidy’s loud protests that the sirens were giving her a migraine and interrupting her afternoon nap, she’d finally been loaded into the plush vessel that was captained by one of the crew.

“She’s probably on some alien world being wined and dined already.”

Although they hadn’t gotten a lot of information before being told to get their passengers to the escape shuttles, the word that passed furtively from steward to steward as they’d calmly shepherded people down the corridors was that the ship had encountered an unexpected meteor field. Despite the ship’s defenses, one of the larger objects took out an engine and caused hull breaches followed by fires inside the cruiser. Getting the passengers off was a precaution, but it would also allow the ship to be repaired before resuming flight.

The shuttles would be flown to a nearby Class-M planet, where the passengers would be given accommodations while the ship underwent repairs. The stewards would join the passengers and resume their roles tending to them until they were returned to their ship.

“Because of course we would,” Cat muttered under her breath. “Heaven forbid the elite class passengers lift a finger.”

But, unless she was mistaken, Cat hadn’t ended up on the Class-M planet with the rest of the crew. There were no other escape pods or shuttles in sight, and she doubted the cruise liner captain would purposefully choose a desert planet with seemingly no life. She didn’t spot a single outpost or building, much less a town or city where an entire ship’s complement could stay.

“This is because I was one of the last ones leaving the distressed ship.” Cat squinted at the controls and the navigational coordinates she’d inputted before escaping. She’d been so preoccupied by having to cajole Cassidy that she’d barely paid attention when Maya had told her the coordinates of the destination planet. Then when she’d finally gotten into the pod, she’d remembered the numbers but not the order.

“Fricking dyslexia.” She read the coordinates she’d entered, sure now that she’d flipped around enough of the numbers that she’d ended up far from everyone else.

Her eyes burned with frustrated tears as the numbers blurred. “Serves you right for lying to get on the ship. You never should have been on the cruiser in the first place, and you had no business being a steward.”

Cat’s one small consolation was that she had successfully loaded every passenger under her charge into their shuttles. At least she could feel good about that. She might not have been qualified for her job, but she’d done it. The elite passengers were safe and sound—and she was…

She found the comms buttons and pressed the one that would allow her to send out a transmission, but nothing happened when she pushed it. Cat poked it again and then once more, but it was dead. She swiveled her head around the cockpit, which was void of any blinking lights or the humming of the engine. Was the entire thing dead in the water? Or, in this case, the sand?

For the first time in her life, Cat wished she’d paid more attention in her science classes or even in the orientation for the cruise liner. They’d gotten a thorough run-down of the escape pods, but she’d been so nervous about getting the job and worried that someone would see through her ploy, that she hadn’t paid as much attention as she should have.

“Story of my fucking life.” She flopped back in the pod’s seat, grateful that it was slightly cooler sheltered from the desert heat. Then she gave herself a mental shake. “It’s okay. This is only a minor setback. Once the ship’s crew picks up my pod’s emergency beacon, they’ll come for me.”

She tried not to think about how far down the list of priorities one errant escape pod was for a crew dealing with a damaged ship and relocated passengers. At the very least, she could count on Maya to notice her missing and send up an alarm.

“Until then, I guess I’m stuck on this ball of sand.”

It wasn’t so bad, she thought, as she reclined in the comfortable pod seat. The escape pod wasn’t huge, but it shielded her from the blazing suns. She reached up and opened one of the inset cabinets, retrieving a metal cylinder of water and a couple of shiny ration pouches. Not to mention, it was well equipped for survival. That she did remember from orientation. She could hang in the pod comfortably until her rescue arrived.

Feeling better about her situation, Cat took a swig of cool water. She hadn’t even swallowed when the pod shifted abruptly and started to sink into the sand.

So much for that.

CHAPTER 4

Trek pumped his legs easily as they raced over the dunes, skidding down the steep hills of sand and kicking up shimmering clouds behind him. His older brother—by only a few heartbeats—ran by his side, and there was no talking between them—only the sounds of their breath.

They didn’t need to talk. He’d always preferred communicating through their minds, even when it had bothered others that they took so long to speak as children. The best things were passed telepathically, and no mere words could convey the excitement and trepidation he was experiencing as they barreled toward something completely unknown, but filled with possibility.

Trek straightened one leg in front of him and used it to glide down a particularly high peak of sand, grunting when he reached the bottom and a puff of sand rose around him. The heat of the sun beat onto his bare back, but he welcomed the warmth. There was nowhere he’d rather be than on the sands with his twin brother, and his chest swelled as they rushed forward in tandem.

Dev raised an arm high, his finger pointing to the streak still visible across the nearly white sky. It was fading, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t track it. Sand serpents weren’t the only things the brothers could track over the dunes, and Trek’s instincts told him to pivot slightly as they drew closer to the impact site.

Although the bounty hunter ship had crashed onto the Dothvek planet, it had been their kinsman K’alvek who’d found it. Since then, ships had come and gone with more regularity, but streaks across the sky were not something they often saw. And Trek had never been struck by such a strong sense that the creature in the vessel needed him.

He glanced at his brother. Needed them.

Dev had shared the same feelings. Trek had felt them pulsing through him just as strongly, even though they hadn’t spoken of it. They didn’t need to.

At the top of the next dune, Dev threw an arm across Trek’s chest to stop him. They heaved in hot breaths as they surveyed the scene below. There was no massive ship hunched on the sand and dwarfing the surrounding dunes. There was only a small, shiny cylinder that was white on the outside and had rounded ends. A mass of fabric that matched the vessel was attached by a series of strings, and it struck Trek that the fabric had been used to slow the descent.

Trek had always been fascinated by how things worked, even though his people did not embrace technology. He’d snuck onto the bounty hunter ship when his kinsmen had visited and explored the engine room, steering clear of the fiery-haired engineer who was protective of her machinery. Now, almost as much as he longed to learn who was inside the vessel, he wanted to see how it worked.

“She is there,” Dev said, his voice a gravelly rumble. “Somewhere.”

Trek nodded. He felt it, too. He felt her.

Without another word, the twin warriors slid down the dune. When they hit the bottom, the vessel shifted suddenly, tipping forward and sinking into the sand.

Trek’s stomach lurched along with the sand as he sensed a burst of panic that wasn’t his own. She was inside the sinking vessel.

He and Dev darted forward, reaching the open hatch of the odd little ship as powdery sand poured into it. A female with dark hair sat inside, struggling to stand. She coughed and waved a hand in front of her face as sand filled the air.

It wasn’t how he’d envisioned meeting the creature he and Dev had sensed, but they didn’t have time to introduce themselves. They had to rescue her before the sand swallowed her and her ship.

He grabbed one of her hands, Dev grabbed the other, and they yanked her from the ship. She was jerked free, and they all stumbled to the ground. He and Dev landed on their backs, and the female ended up sprawled on top of them. Behind them, the vessel was devoured by the desert, disappearing entirely as the sand sucked it down. Within moments, the sand was placid and smooth again.

“My pod!” The female scrambled from them, spinning around and throwing her arms into the air. “It’s gone. Now how the hell am I supposed to get off this ball of sand?”

Trek exchanged a glance with his brother. This female reminded him more of Tori—a Zevrian female with a bad temper who was their kinsman Vrax’s mate—than of one of the sweet, smiling humans they’d met. He stood, as did Dev, and brushed the sand off his bare chest and animal skin pants as he watched her fume and mutter to herself.

When she spun around again, she seemed to notice them for the first time, yelping and slapping a hand over her mouth. “You’re not….”

Whatever she’d thought they were died on her lips as she looked them up and down, her eyes widening. It wasn’t lost on Trek that the Dothveks were very different from humans. He’d grown accustomed to the strange, small creatures who had no ridges, but he was aware that this creature had probably never seen a Dothvek before now.

She eyed them suspiciously before cutting her gaze to the spot where her ship had vanished. “I guess I should thank you for saving me from getting sucked into the sand.”

Trek gave her a small bow as did Dev.

Now that she faced him, Trek was able to look her up and down as well. She was definitely human and certainly female, with dark hair that curled down her back, and curves beneath her form-fitting shirt that made his mouth go dry. Her eyes were also dark and her pink lips plump. Although her skin wasn’t the rich shade of gold theirs was, it was tan. Still, he doubted she would survive long under their suns without feeling the effects.

She waved one arm over her head. “Where is this?” She yelled the words and said them so slowly Trek wondered if the suns were already affecting her.

“You are on the sands,” Dev said. “Not far from the Dothvek village.”

She jerked. “You can understand me?”

Trek tapped his ear and the universal translator that the bounty hunter females had given everyone in their clan. “We can understand you, human.”

She sighed. “Good. My name is Cat, and I need to find the cruise liner where I worked before I had to abandon ship.”

“I am Dev, and this is my twin brother Trek. We can take you to safety off the sands, but we do not know how to find your ship. For now, you must stay on our planet.”

CHAPTER 5

Cat met the alien’s serious gaze. Did he just say she’d have to stay? Well, that wasn’t going to work.

“Stay?” She swung her head to take in the vast expanse of sand that stretched around her for as far as she could see. “Here? There’s nothing but sand. I can’t stay here.”

“There is much more than sand,” the other alien said with a frown. “And there are many things under the sand that are unseen.”

She dropped her gaze to the shimmering gold sand that was so powdery the slightest breeze lifted and swirled it into the air. Under the sand? Pulling her feet from the sand, she shuddered at what that might mean.

This had all been a huge mistake—lying to get the job on the star cruiser, going into space, crashing onto a sand planet. She wasn’t cut out for space travel, and she definitely wasn’t designed for living in a desert—even if the natives were jaw-dropping gorgeous.

Cat tried her hardest not to stare, but they had to be almost seven feet tall and solid muscle. Even though they were bipedal and humanoid, any chance of them being mistaken for humans had vanished with their gold skin and the ridges on their backs, not to mention their pointed ears. They wore their dark hair flowing, the inky blackness matching the tattoos ringing their forearms. She let her gaze drop to their corded stomach muscles. Sweet Mary and Joseph, were those more ridges running beneath the low-hanging waistbands of their pants?

“Like my brother said, there is more to our planet than sand.”

She jerked her gaze back to their faces, nodding absently. At first glance, she’d assumed the hulking males were barbarians, but they could communicate, and they clearly had some access to technology if they had universal translators, although they weren’t permanent implants, which made her think that the innovation had only recently reached them.

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” She peered up at the scorching suns and wiped a hand across her slick forehead. “You said something about a village nearby? I’m assuming you have water there?”

The aliens had said they were twins, and she could see their similarities, but she also noticed the small ways in which they set themselves apart. One had a braid woven down the side of his head, while the other’s hair fell loose, the ends lightening to a paler brown.

“You wish to go back to our village?” the alien with the braid said, the eagerness brimming in his voice.

“That’s probably the best place to wait for a rescue, right?”

The aliens exchanged a glance before one brother tilted his head at her. “It is, although not many ships grace our planet. Our people have not welcomed trade or contact with off-worlders until recently.”

“So, there’s no shipyard where I can catch a transport?”

More confused looks and head shaking. “Shipyard?”

“You know, a place where spaceships land and refuel before loading up and taking off again.” Maybe she’d been wrong to so quickly dismiss the idea that this was a barbarian planet.

“There is no such thing here,” one of the brothers said while the other lifted his chin and made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Not even the Cresteks have such a place.”

Cat didn’t know who the Cresteks were, but from the way both brothers curled their lips, she guessed they weren’t well-respected. Even so, she would have made friends with a Dragonian pirate if it meant finding her crew and her friend Maya. She wouldn’t even mind seeing Cassidy Bowen about now.

She groaned and rubbed her sweaty temple. “The heat is clearly getting to me if I’m thinking Cassidy isn’t so bad.”

“Cassidy?” One of the aliens said. “Is that your name?”

“My name?” She choked back a laugh. “Nooooooo. My name is Catarina, but my friends call me Cat.”

“Catarina,” the alien with the braid said. “That is a beautiful name, but I would like to call you what your friends call you.”

“I would like to call you Cat as well,” the other brother added quickly. “Would you consider me one of your friends?”

Her mouth twitched at how eagerly the aliens were tripping over each other to call her by her nickname. “That’s fine. I guess since you both did save me from sinking into the sand, we’re officially friends.”

“Friends,” the other brother said with a smile, but the way he said the word sent a tingle down her spine.

“Not that this will be much of a long friendship,” she said, trying to convince herself as much as them because they really were gorgeous. “I really can’t stay here for any longer than it takes to get a rescue shuttle to take me back to the rest of my crew.”

The two aliens glanced at each other before nodding, and she got the strangest feeling that they were communicating without talking, not that such a thing was possible, was it?

“Remind me again of your names,” Cat said, embarrassed that she’d forgotten them so quickly, but blaming it on the blazing heat, the shock of crashing on the planet, and the fact that she was snatched from a sinking escape pod.

“Trek,” the brother with the braid said, jerking a thumb toward his counterpart. “Dev.”

She committed that to memory. “And you’re twins?”

“I am older,” Dev said, gaining him a dark look from Trek.

“By only a handful of heartbeats,” Trek muttered under his breath.

Cat couldn’t help grinning at the two aliens. Despite living on a planet on the other side of the galaxy, they had much in common with human males. Although, truth be told, they were about a thousand times hotter and buffer than any human man she’d ever seen in real life. As she was allowing her mind to wander and her gaze to return to their bare skin and the dark tattoos emblazoned on it, she felt a faint rumble beneath her feet.

Dev and Trek spun and assumed a battle stance, flipping curved blades from their waistbands with lightning speed. But it wasn’t an attacking army that emerged over the sand dune—it was a stampede of long-legged, furry animals with wide feet that seemed to fly across the sand.

“Jebels!” Trek glanced at his brother. “Why are they running?”

Dev’s brow creased as he leveled a finger at the sky and the dark swarm quickly approaching. “They’re running from that.”

CHAPTER 6

Dev sensed the fear in the jebels as they thundered toward them, the sand kicking up behind their wide, flat feet and creating a shimmering gold cloud that rose to meet the darker cloud descending.

“What the hell is that?” Cat asked, her shaky voice barely carrying above the din of hooves and the buzzing of the insect swarm.

“Hashara,” Trek answered, before his brother could. “Insects that descend onto the sands once every rotation around the suns.”

“Insects?” Cat wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. “What kind of insects?”

“They won’t harm you,” Trek said, “but they do eat everything in sight, and make a lot of noise.”

Dev frowned as the jebels got closer, reaching out his mind to calm them. But the animals, normally so receptive to him, would not be calmed. They knew all too well the feel of the winged insects on their fur and the deafening sound of chirping that would engulf them.

“I don’t care if they won’t harm me.” Cat began to step back. “I hate flying insects, and if they’re anything like cockroaches, I’m going to lose my mind.”

Dev didn’t know what a cockroach was or if the human was being truthful that she would misplace her brain, but he also knew they couldn’t stay and allow themselves to be overtaken by the swarm.

He cut a quick look to his brother and jerked his head toward the jebels. We can catch a ride.

We’ll never make it to the village in time, Trek replied.

His younger brother was right. The swarm was moving fast, and even the jebels couldn’t outrun it for that long. Then something occurred to him. Rukken!

Trek wrinkled his forehead in confusion. He’s on the bounty hunter ship far from our planet. I doubt he can help us now, brother.

His camp. The tent he used when he was an exile. Dev waved a hand behind them. It isn’t far from here. We can make it there.

“Um, guys?” Cat stumbled in the soft sand as she backed up more. “It’s getting closer.”

Trek gave his older brother a curt nod before scooping up the female by the waist and running toward the stampeding jebels.

Dev growled in frustration that his brother had beaten him to the beautiful female, but he pushed that aside as he focused on the animals barreling down and ran toward them. When he’d almost reached the herd, he pivoted quickly and started to run with the beasts, matching his pace with theirs. He saw that Trek was doing the same, even as the human yelped and struggled in his grasp.

The dunes shook from the pounding hooves as the sand was churned, but Dev wasn’t frightened by the size of the jebels or their speed. He ran neck and neck with a jebel, resting a hand on its furry mane and sending it calming energy before threading his fingers into the matted fur and swinging himself onto the animal’s back.

For a moment, the creature was startled. After all, this wasn’t one of the jebels they’d domesticated and kept in a pen at the village. This was a wild jebel who ran free on the sands and wasn’t accustomed to riders on its back. Dev concentrated his thoughts on calming the creature, patting the brown fur as they continued to race across the desert and from the impending swarm.

Swiveling his head to one side, Dev spotted Trek and the female still running between the jebels. His younger brother had never been as good with animals. Although he was a skilled rider, he preferred objects to creatures and had never mastered the art of using his thoughts to train jebels like Dev.

After a small burst of satisfaction that he was astride a jebel and his brother was not, he conceded that getting the female onto a beast as well as himself was not an easy feat. He doubted the human had ever ridden a beast like a jebel, if she’d ridden any animal at all.

Dev fisted his hands in the jebel’s mane and used his legs as well as his thoughts to steer the creature toward his brother. Once he was behind Trek, he kicked at the jebel’s flank with his heels, urging the creature forward so he could lean down and grab the female by the back of her pants. He snatched her from Trek and plopped her in front of him.

Trek twisted his head, scowled, and then accepted Dev’s outstretched arm and heaved himself onto the jebel behind his brother. Dev wrapped his arms around the female and gripped the jebel’s mane, leaning forward and cocooning her smaller body as he directed the beast from the herd and toward the old camp site of their formerly exiled kinsman.

The buzzing of the insects had grown louder, and Dev chanced a peek over his shoulder. Instead of a dark mass, he could now see the individual flying creatures, with their wildly beating, diaphanous wings. He exchanged a solemn look with his brother and turned back around, kicking the sides of the jebel, and making a clicking sound in the back of his throat to spur on the animal.

The rest of the herd veered in one direction, but Dev remembered the location of Rukken’s old campsite from the position of the suns, and he kept the jebel heading toward it. As far as he knew, Rukken had left his old home standing, even though he now lived on a spaceship. When he’d been asked why he kept the tent on the sands, he’d said it held good memories, and was a good place to escape with his mate. Dev hoped it would be a good place to escape from a hashara swarm.

Cresting a tall dune, he almost cheered when he spotted the small tent huddled beside a pond and copse of trees and bushes. Glancing behind him once more and seeing that the swarm had not followed the rest of the herd, he gritted his teeth and urged the jebel forward.

Dev sensed his brother’s elation at finding the tent and also a pulse of relief from Cat. He tightened his grip, her feelings sending a possessive thrill through him.

He could sense her. It hadn’t been a fluke, and he hadn’t imagined it. Her emotions were swirling within him more subtly than his brother’s, but they were there. Not only was the human female beautiful with curves he longed to caress, but there was a connection between them.

His excitement was tempered by the roar of the swarm that was now so close he could feel the air shifting from the beating wings. Racing down the dune, the jebel slipped but righted itself, running at full speed toward the tent.

The moment they reached it, Dev slid off the creature’s back, pulling Cat with him. Trek leaped from the jebel and rushed forward, pushing the tent flaps aside and jerking the female inside the fabric structure. Without pausing to think, Dev followed them with the jebel, crowding into the tent and tying the flaps closed behind him just as thousands of hashara pelted the sides and swallowed the tent in their buzzing.

“Really brother?” Trek asked, swatting away the jebel’s tail as they all stood, panting.

Cat leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees. “Now what?”

“Now we wait until it’s safe to leave,” Dev said, thumping the jebel’s sweaty flank.

“Here?” Cat swiveled her head around the compact interior that only had one pile of furs. “All of us?”

Cat was reeling from the wild ride across the desert, her heart thumping after being held by one of the aliens. Sure, she’d been terrified by the insect swarm chasing them, but it had been more than that. It had been his touch—and knowing there were two of the enormous aliens behind her—that had made Cat’s pulse race. And now they were stuck together?

She tried to steady her breath as she surveyed the inside of the tent. It hadn’t looked like much from the outside, and the interior was just as simple. A thick, wooden pole ran up in the middle, and buff-colored fabric swept from the top. The floor was sand, but was covered by animal skins and rough-hewn fabric, with a pile of thicker furs and blankets forming a bed to one side.

“How long do we all have to be stuck in here?” She took a step back as the furry animal that looked like a humpless camel, but furrier, attempted to walk around the cramped space. She’d never seen an actual camel, of course. Those had gone extinct on Earth long ago, but she’d seen digital images.

Trek lifted his head as the insects continued to shake the tent fabric. “Until the swarm passes.”

Cat stifled an impatient sigh. “How long does that usually take?”

The other brother, Dev, thumped the animal on its rump as it shuffled around the tent. “Appearances of the swarm aren’t common, so I do not know for certain, but it should be safe to leave by the time the suns rise again.”

Cat unwound his words. “Tomorrow? We have to stay crammed in here all night?”

The other brother shot Dev a look but shrugged. “We could leave sooner, but the suns will set, the sands will darken, and it will be more dangerous.”

“There is more dangerous stuff out there than swarms of flying bugs?”

“Much more dangerous,” Dev said, his deep voice filling the tent with warning. “I would not risk you on the sands at night.”

A black-winged creature flew through a gap in the tent flaps, buzzing as it circled the pole, and then swooped down at their heads. Cat shrieked and flapped her hands over her head. Why did it have to be flying bugs? Give her snakes, spiders, rabid dogs. None of them made her skin crawl like scuttling insects with wings.

Trek whipped a curved blade off his waistband and sliced it through the air, striking the insect and cutting it in half. The two parts of the creature fell to the ground, and Trek gave a satisfied grunt while hooking his blade back onto his waist. The furry animal bent down and nibbled on the dead bug while Dev tightened the ties on the tent and shot his brother a look.

Cat focused on breathing in and out—and avoiding watching the alien camel munch on the bug—as she processed the fact that the disgusting flying bugs were the least of her worries on the alien desert. She’d landed on an alien planet that appeared to be mostly desert and had clouds of insects that weren’t even the scariest thing out there. Despite her deep breaths, panic fluttered in her chest like a bird trying to escape from a cage.

“This is insane. I can’t be here. I’m supposed to be with the rest of the crew on a friendly planet. Actually, I’m supposed to be on a cruise liner making sure Cassidy Bowen’s every need is met. I can’t be on a random sand planet that doesn’t even have a shipyard or regular flights traveling to it. This is all wrong.”

Both twin aliens stared at her. She knew she sounded crazy, but she couldn’t help it. Everything was going wrong. It had been going wrong for over a decade, but this was too much. She could handle having barely enough to eat, but now that she’d finally managed to sweet talk her way into a better world and get a chance to have a better life, it was slipping through her fingers like the sand that surrounded her.

Her heart raced faster as the tent seemed to grow smaller and hotter. It didn’t help that the alien camel smelled funny, and she knew she was being unreasonable. The two huge aliens had saved her from being sucked under the sand and gotten her to safety when the swarm of insects had pursued them. She should be grateful. But somehow all she could muster was panic and fear.

She sucked in a warm breath, backing from them until her head brushed the top of the tent. “If I don’t find a way off this planet, the cruiser will leave without me, and I’ll never have the chance to be discovered. Fuck, I won’t even get paid.”

Trek unhooked a leather pouch from a strap on the tent’s center pole and handed it to her. “It is water. Drink.”

She gratefully took a swig from the pouch. It was warm, but still refreshing.

“If you wish to leave,” Trek said, once she’d handed it back to him and he’d also taken a sip, “we will help you leave.”

His brother swung his gaze to him, holding it for a beat before nodding. “We will help you leave if that is what you wish, but if you attempt to leave now you will only be walking into the swarm.”

That gave her pause. The idea of walking into a swarm of insects did not appeal. She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart slow a bit. “You’ll help me leave?”

Dev jerked his head up quickly and made a sharp clicking noise with his tongue, but Trek nodded his head in the affirmative “If that is what you wish.”

“We cannot promise transport until our kinsmen return in their ship.” Dev’s gaze was trained on the furry neck of the animal as he stroked it.

“That’s okay.” Cat exhaled a long breath. “I’m sure my crew will pick up the escape pod’s beacon, and they’ll send a rescue.”

The two alien warriors glanced at each other quickly, but she noticed the look that passed between them.

“You don’t believe me?”

Dev cleared his throat, his hand pausing on the creature’s neck. “We have never left our planet, or been in a ship among the stars, but not all ships find it easy to locate our world.”

The nerves that had subsided started to flit again. “Do you have some kind of transmission-blocking satellites or security force fields?”

Trek jerked his head up and made the same sharp click his brother had. “We have nothing like that, but our planet has its own mind when it comes to off-worlders. The energy of the goddesses does not always welcome outsiders.”

Cat stared at him, wondering if he was being serious about goddess energy and planets having minds of their own. “Well, the cruiser I was on is one of the most high-tech, luxury space liners flying today. It’s got the most sophisticated equipment available, so if anyone can find me, they can.”

Dev met her eyes, his own dark ones flashing with heat. “Then we will wait for your rescuers.”

Her mouth went dry, and she pulled her gaze from his, taking another step toward the tent wall. “Okay, then. Worst-case scenario, I wait for your friends to return in their ship and hitch a ride with them. How long until they come back to the planet?”

The alien twins passed another inscrutable look between them before Dev answered. “We do not know. Their visits are not set, but there are usually many cycles of the moon between them.”

She shifted her gaze from one to the other. “Months? You mean they won’t come back here for months? I could be stuck here for months?”

“Not if you are rescued first,” Trek said with a grin.

“But for now, you should get some rest.” Dev inclined his head to the furs.

Cat slid her gaze to the huge camel creature, and then to the huge gold-skinned, bare-chested aliens. She wasn’t sure with which of them she was more nervous about sharing a tent.

CHAPTER 7

Trek released a breath as the human arranged herself on the furs with a few backward glances at them. She was human, like most of the bounty hunter females who’d come to their planet, but she was very different from them. For one, she didn’t seem thrilled to be traveling through space, and even less excited to be on an unfamiliar world. She wasn’t a trained fighter, or even someone who was used to life among the stars. Most importantly, she had no intention of staying any longer than absolutely required.

He and Dev had been honest with her about their planet. It had remained unexplored and uncolonized, while other worlds had become the home to outposts and refueling stations. The Dothveks believed the planet’s energy force, or goddess energy was what had kept them safe from invaders and those who would exploit it. Not that many could look at their hot sand planet and see anything worth exploiting.

They hadn’t told her everything, though. Their world was not so isolated that word could not be sent to the bounty hunters. The Crestek city even maintained communications systems, and their new treaty provided the Dothveks with access to the technology. Trek scowled at this. As if he would allow Cat to get anywhere near the Cresteks with their materialistic means of luring females to them.

We can’t keep her on the sands forever.

Trek cut his eyes to his brother as Dev patted the jebel’s neck, acknowledging the statement with a grunt. He tossed the leather water pouch to him so his brother could drink.

I have no intention of keeping her anywhere. He pointed to the fabric ceiling and the shadows of the insects striking the outside as the light from the suns faded. Would you have us take her outside?

Dev gave him a look that told Trek he knew his mind as well as his own. She is not like the other females.

Trek pivoted and faced the tent flaps, bending to check that they were fastened tightly at the bottom. Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I can sense her fear?

Dev was silent for a beat, even the flurry of his thoughts stilling. You can sense her thoughts?

Trek craned his neck back, looking at his brother and cocking one slash of a dark eyebrow. You thought it was only you?

Trek stood and could see from his brother’s startled expression that he had believed he was the only one who’d picked up the female’s thoughts and sensed the messy tangle of her emotions. He laughed as he thumped a hand on Dev’s arm. Our minds are as linked as any two can be. Did you not think we would not share this?

Dev frowned. We have not shared all things before.

Trek thought of the females they’d each bedded before. No, they hadn’t shared that, but those had been quick encounters with no mind connection. They’d both been eager recreational partners for the Dothvek priestesses in training who would take no mind mates but were free to enjoy males as they wished. The more Trek dwelled on it, the more he wondered if they’d perhaps shared those females as well without realizing it. There were only so many of the priestesses, and he’d enjoyed sampling almost all of them.

Dev cleared his throat, and Trek realized that he’d been remembering his encounters in vivid detail, which his brother could easily sense. He dropped his gaze to the ground but couldn’t stop the grin twitching his lips. Just because we have not shared all things before does not mean we can’t.

That is true. I would not mind sharing such a beautiful creature. Dev frowned. But there is no point in keeping her here and trying to see if she could be one of our mates—or a mate for us both—if she is determined to leave.

Trek snapped up his head at his brother. But I’ve already sensed her more powerfully than I have any other female. Even when we pursued the shape-shifting bounty hunter, I didn’t detect any special connection.

Dev inclined his head as the jebel shifted his thick, padded hooves on the sand. Neither did I, aside from the fact that she was beautiful and not taken.

Her availability did not last long. Trek thought back to almost coming to blows with one of his Dothvek elders over the pretty female, and shame heated his cheeks. It had not been his finest moment—or Dev’s. But this female has no other suitors. No one knows about her presence on our planet. What if she is a gift from the goddesses? She is as beautiful as any goddess.

Dev jerked up his head and made a clicking noise in his throat, the Dothvek gesture for no. None of that matters if she doesn’t wish to stay.

We don’t wish to stay.

Dev held his brother’s gaze. She does not even wish to be in space. Do you truly think this fragile creature would wish to join the bounty hunter crew with us?

Trek turned his head brusquely. He hated when his older brother was right. Why did he have to sense a mind connection to someone who was so ill-suited to adventure or even to the concept of space travel? He looked back at Dev. There has to be a reason why I can sense her so strongly.

Why we can sense her so strongly.

Trek rubbed a hand across his wrinkled brow. None of this made any sense, but the fact remained that they’d found a female stranded on the sands and saved her—twice. Now they were stuck in a tent with her until the danger passed. Maybe they had such a strong connection because of the dramatic circumstances. Maybe it was no more than a temporary link that would fade. Part of him wished that were true, and another part of him wished it wasn’t.

It wasn’t like she wasn’t a desirable creature. She might not have gold skin or ridges, but he’d grown accustomed to females who didn’t look Dothvek. He found her dark eyes and mane of curls to be breathtaking and wouldn’t mind tangling his fingers in her hair and holding it tight while he—

“Okay, which one of you said that?”

Trek jerked at Cat’s words, as did his brother.

The female was sitting up and facing them, her wide eyes sliding from one to the other.

Dev cut a quick glance to him. “We said nothing.”

“Not out loud, you didn’t, but I heard what you said in my mind. Or I could feel it.” She shook her head brusquely. “I don’t know which, but all I know is that I didn’t think those things.”

Trek stopped breathing. He didn’t need to look at his brother to know that Dev was in a state of shock. It was one thing for them to sense her. They were Dothveks and their species was known for their empathic abilities. She was human, known for being fragile, and lacking in mental abilities like theirs. It was another thing entirely if this human female could sense their thoughts. A burst of elation filled him at what this could mean.

“Hey!” Cat jumped up and glared at both of them. “Who are you calling fragile?”

The good feeling evaporated, and Trek’s gut clenched.

CHAPTER 8

Cat stared down the two aliens, her anger doing a good job of covering up the fact that she was panicking.

She’d been trying to get to sleep, even though the sand underneath the animal skins and woven mats wasn’t all that soft, and the insects were still occasionally pelting the tent and reminding her of their creepy presence. On top of all that, she was supposed to share the space with a smelly, camel-like creature who seemed as unnerved by the insect swarm as her and two huge aliens who shared a lot of knowing looks she couldn’t quite decipher.

Still, she’d managed to find a decent position and had buried her nose far enough under the furs that she wasn’t breathing in alien sand camel. Then the thoughts had started flitting though her mind. At first, she’d assumed it was her own nerves. After all, it had been a crazy day, between having to abandon ship to landing on a desert planet to being rescued by twin aliens. No one would blame her mind for being crowded with thoughts. But they weren’t her thoughts.

When the first words drifted into her brain, she brushed them aside and tried to clear her mind and go to sleep. But the words kept coming, Words that weren’t her own. Finally, she’d gotten a strong mental image of one of the aliens fisting his hand in her hair and holding her head back while he…

She imagined him holding her while his mouth ravaged hers. Then when she’d thought of his mouth moving down her neck, she’d jumped up, sure that wasn’t her, and even more certain after she saw the guilty looks on the aliens’ faces, that they were the ones projecting things into her mind. When she heard one of them call humans fragile, she snapped.

“Hey!” Cat had jumped up and glared at both of them. “Who are you calling fragile?”

The alien called Dev held up his hands with the palms facing her. Obviously, this was a universal sign of surrender. “I apologize for what you heard.” He shot his brother a dark look that wasn’t hard to decipher. “We should explain.”

“Are you some kind of alien sorcerers?” She looked from one to the other, thinking they didn’t look like what she’d imagine wizards to look like.

Trek snorted a half laugh and Dev glared at him again.

“We do not possess any magical powers,” Dev said, “but some species might think that our Dothvek abilities are supernatural.”

“O-kay.” That was vague.

“All Dothveks are naturally empathic,” he continued. “We can sense emotions. Mostly within each other, but also in other species and in animals. It makes us skilled hunters and trackers.”

My breath returned to normal as I processed this. “You can read minds?”

Trek jerked his head up, which I’d come to realize was their way of saying no. “Not usually.”

“My brother means that since we are twins, we share a stronger than normal mind bond. We can converse easily with our minds. We can also converse mentally with other Dothveks, but only the ones with which we share a close bond. With all other creatures and species, we typically sense their emotions or intent.”

Cat shook her head. “But I heard words in my head that weren’t my own, and then I saw a metal image that definitely wasn’t mine.”

Trek shifted from one foot to the other, his gaze lowering. “Apologies. That was my fault.”

She stared at him for a moment, memories of how firmly he’d grabbed her hair seared in her brain. Her cheeks heated even though the alien hadn’t laid a finger on her. It had been a long time since anyone had desired her like that, and it stirred something dormant in her core. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange to feel someone else’s desire as if it were your own.

“If this mind thing is only supposed to be between Dothveks, why do I hear your thoughts?”

“You shouldn’t,” Trek said. “If I’d had any idea that you could—”

“It is possible that the stress of the day and the danger we’ve experienced together created this unusual bond between us,” Dev interrupted his brother. “But we will ensure that we keep our thoughts shielded from you.”

“You can do that?”

Dev gave a single, curt nod. “As empaths, we know how to discipline our minds. Some are better at it than others, but we should be able to keep our thoughts from seeping into your mind.”

Cat’s shoulders relaxed before something occurred to her. “What about my thoughts? If I can sense yours, can you sense mine?”

Both aliens were silent for a moment before Dev resumed stroking the beast next to him. “I will be honest with you, Catarina. I sensed your mind, but I purposefully did not delve into it or allow myself to open to it.”

“Oh,” she met his gaze, and her mouth went dry at the intensity of it. “Thank you, I guess.”

“I also sensed your mind and did not explore it,” Trek said.

Cat cocked her head at him. “You were too busy thinking of things you’d like to do to me, weren’t you?”

The alien opened and closed his mouth a few times, struck dumb by her comeback. Cat almost laughed at how pained and remorseful the alien looked—and she almost felt bad for making him squirm. Almost.

She was still processing the fact that these two aliens could basically read minds and that there was some sort of connection that sent their thoughts into her mind. For someone who’d spent the better part of the last few years alone—and preferred it that way, thank you very much—it was a lot to absorb.

“Listen.” She held up her hands in much the way Dev had. “I’ve never met mind-reading aliens, so I’m going to pretend none of what happened actually happened. You didn’t know I could hear what you were thinking so I’m not going to hold it against you, but I would love it if you guys could avoid muddling my brain. All I want is to return to the star cruiser so I can finish up my tour and get paid. As cool as it might be, I don’t want to mind meld with anyone or stay on this planet for any longer than I have to.”

She ignored the hurt look that flickered across Dev’s face. “I appreciate you saving me and helping me get off the planet, but until I actually leave, let’s keep our minds and thoughts to ourselves and everyone will be happier. I know I will.”

When she finished her tirade, she sucked in a breath.

“Understood.” Dev gave the beast a firm pat. “The swarm seems to have moved on, so I will take the jebel outside to sleep. Even without reading your mind, I know you do not wish to sleep with this creature in your bed.”

Before Cat could respond or thank him, Dev had quickly untied the tent flaps and steered the animal outside, leaving her standing in the tent with Trek. Without the huge four-legged creature, the space seemed much larger, although Trek no longer met her eyes.

“You should rest,” he said before turning and flopping onto the floor at the far side. “If we are to get you off the planet quickly, there is a long journey involved.

Cat didn’t need to sense his thoughts to pick up the chill in his words.

Good going, she told herself. You’ve just pissed off the only creatures who were helping you.

CHAPTER 9

Dev strode outside, pulling the jebel behind him more forcefully than he’d intended. The creature shook his head to loosen his grip, the furry wattle shaking under his chin as he made a low guttural sound of displeasure.

“Sorry,” Dev muttered, untangling his fingers from the matted fur, and slowing his walk toward the pond behind the tent. He of all Dothveks should know how temperamental jebels could be, and how little they liked to be pushed. He’d known the creatures to lock their knees on the sands and refuse to move if they were nudged too fast.

The two trudged to the edge of the water, and Dev paused as the animal lowered his head and drank. After a moment, he crouched low and scooped up a few handfuls of the cool water and sipped it. After racing across the sands and sucking in more sand than he would have wished, the liquid was refreshing.

Tipping his head back, Dev noted that the suns had fallen beyond the dunes, and the sky was an inky shade of blue. The swarm of hashara had moved on, although Dev noticed that the leaves of the nearby bushes and trees were partially eaten.

It could have been worse, he thought. Dev knew very well all the creatures that roamed the sands—and roamed beneath them. The hashara were an annoyance, but they were not deadly. The air wasn’t cold, but he shivered at the thought of encountering a sand serpent with Cat.

At least she was safe inside Rukken’s old tent. Until she leaves, he reminded himself. Cat had made it very clear that she had no intention of staying. Not that he’d expected she would. Why would a female who’d traversed the skies in a cruiser find anything about his world intriguing? Her world was one of fast ships and technology, while he was at home on the sands and with the jebels.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” he whispered to the jebel, who ignored him as he continued to noisily slurp the water.

Then why had their minds so easily linked? He’d never experienced a connection with anyone other than his brother. And now it had happened with an off-worlder who had no intention of staying or even of staying in space.

Dev jerked his head up brusquely. It didn’t matter. She would leave, and he would forget her, and he and Trek would continue with their lives. “It’s better this way.”

“What way?”

He spun around, his heart racing when he saw Cat standing outside the tent. He’d been so focused on his own thoughts, and conscious of not listening to hers, that he hadn’t even heard her approach.

“I thought you were sleeping,” he said, without answering her question. “Not that I was listening in—”

“Relax.” She gave him a small smile as she walked closer to him, the dunes behind her silhouetted against the night sky like swelling waves. “I didn’t come out here to yell at you again. I know you and Trek aren’t listening. I can’t sense either of you anymore.”

Did she look sad when she said that? Dev tore his gaze from her and looked at the rippling surface of the pond. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Cat stood by his side and looked across the water. “It’s been such an insane day—check that, an insane trip—that I don’t know what I want anymore.”

He snuck a look at her. “Coming to this planet has caused you distress?”

“Well, I did have to abandon ship and crashed here in an escape pod, so it’s not like I’m here on a weekend getaway.” Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry I’m being so snarky. I guess it’s my default setting when I’m scared, and lately I’ve been pretty scared.”

His heart squeezed at this admission. “You don’t have to be scared around us. Trek and I would never harm you or allow any harm to come to you.” He turned to face her. “You do not know much about the Dothveks, but we are a species that is ruled by the wisdom of the goddesses. We revere females above all else and would never let anything hurt you—including ourselves.”

“I did not know that about your people. That’s cool. So, are your rulers women?”

“Our ruler now is a woman, and she is the best leader our clan has ever had.”

“That sounds about right. Back on Earth, the countries with women in charge usually turn out better. Not that there were enough women in charge to fix everything.”

Dev realized he’d known humans, but he knew little about their home world. Only that most of them had left it. “Do you miss your home planet?”

“Earth?” Cat laughed. “It’s a bit of a wasteland. Everyone who could get off, did. If you have resources, you can live well, but the rest of us don’t. That’s why I lied my way into the job on the space cruiser. I might hate space travel, but it beats Earth.”

“I am sad for your planet. It must not have the protection from the goddess energy that our world does.”

“It probably doesn’t.” She swiveled her head to take in the sky, the tall frond-topped trees at the bank of the pond, and the undulating dunes surrounding them. “For a giant pile of sand, this place isn’t so bad at night.”

Dev bristled. “Our world is more than sand.”

Cat flinched. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I hurt your feelings. You really love your planet.”

He pinned her with his gaze. “Now who is delving into whose mind?”

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. “Shit. Did I really do that?” She slapped a hand to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to. It just happened.”

“You’re a natural.”

She shook her head so hard her curls swung around it “Trust me. I’m not a natural at anything but music. I’m not good at math or science or even at making towels into swans.”

He wrinkled his brow at her. “I do not understand ‘towel’ or ‘swan’ or how you could make one into the other.”

She grinned at him. “Long story, but trust me when I tell you I’m not a natural at mind reading. I’ve never even been very good with people. You can ask Cassidy Bowen if you don’t believe me. No, this is all about you and Trek.”

Dev wrenched his gaze from her and patted the jebel who was shifting from one foot to the other. “It does not matter. We have promised to close our minds from yours. We have also promised to help you get back to your crew.”

“Right.”

Even though he’d walled off his mind from hers, he sensed disappointment in her voice, which confused him. Weren’t they doing what she wished?

“Do those things sleep standing?” she asked after the jebel grunted and stomped his feet.

“No, but he’s still agitated from the swarm. It might take him a while to unwind enough to sit down and sleep.”

Cat crossed behind him and stood on the other side of the jebel, resting her hand on the tuft of fur on top of his head. Before the animal could shake her off, she started to sing.

The jebel and Dev were so startled by the high, sweet sound that they both froze. The notes carried across the night air, entrancing both of them. After a few moments, the jebel bent one knee and then the other, sinking onto the sand. As the final notes of her song drifted away, he bent his head and nestled his chin into his wattle, his eyes closed and his breathing heavy.

“You sang him to sleep,” Dev whispered.

Cat shrugged. “It’s one thing I love to do.”

“I don’t need to enter your mind to know that. I could feel it in the song.”

She gave the jebel and final gentle pat. “It was a lullaby my gran used to sing me. I guess it reminds me of a time I was happy.”

With that, she turned and walked back into the tent. Dev flopped back onto the sand next to the jebel, his chest tight. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so completely at peace and heartbroken at the same time. How could he let her go when his heart ached and told him she was meant to be his?

CHAPTER 10

Cat’s legs were shaky as she walked toward the tent and purposefully didn’t glance back at Dev. What the hell was that?

It wasn’t that she’d felt his mind delving into hers. She hadn’t. It was her who’d sensed him and pulled his thoughts to her like a warm blanket that she’d wanted to drape over her shoulders. She’d sensed his longing for her, but it hadn’t been as much of a pounding desire as a familiar hum of need. When she’d sung, his longing had almost become wistful and sad, so much so that her throat had thickened, and she’d had to turn from him before she did something crazy.

She stumbled into the tent and let the flaps close behind her. Trek sat cross-legged with a pair of glowing light sticks crisscrossed on the animal skin in front of him.

He put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell Dev. He hates it when I use Crestek gadgets.”

“Crestek?” The word sounded familiar, but she forgot what it meant.

His face twisted for a beat. “They live on the other side of the planet where the sands become rocky peaks. We used to be one people, then we were enemies, and now we are learning to be allies and friends.”

“And here I thought you were a desert planet with a few scattered tents,” she said with a shake of her head, as she sat down across from him and crossed her own legs. At least thinking of the alien planet would take her mind off the alien outside who’d stirred something in her.

Trek straightened, looking affronted. “We are more than a ball of sand, as you put it.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I haven’t been to any planets but Earth, so this is all new to me.”

“I thought you were a space explorer journeying on a ship with advanced technology.”

Cat tried not to laugh at this description. She was about the farthest thing from a space explorer as there was. “It’s true the ship is sophisticated. I didn’t lie about any of that. It’s one of the newest ships in a fleet of star cruisers, but I’m not much of a space traveler. This was my first trip, and I tricked my way onto the crew. I’m pretty clueless when it comes to space and ships, which is why my escape pod ended up landing so far off course.”

Trek scooted closer, his face alight. “You must have some interest in adventure, or you never would have gone to such lengths to get a position on the ship.”

“More like I needed a job badly, and once you have your foot in the door with one of these space liners, you’re set. They pay well plus you get room and board on the ship, and even though it isn’t in one of the fancy suites the passengers enjoy, it’s still nicer than any place I’ve lived. But most of all, it meant job security and not having to wonder how I was going to survive from one week to the next. And after hacking it on my own for so long, it was nice to be a part of a crew. I even made friends.” Her gut clenched at the thought of Maya and how she was probably worrying.

“I understand why you want to return so badly.”

Cat lifted her gaze to meet his. “You do?”

He bobbed his head in a yes. “My brother knows this, so it is no secret between us, but I long to travel among the stars. As much as I love our home world and what the sands have taught me, I know that my place is among the stars.”

“You said there are other Dothveks who live on a ship, right?”

Trek’s lips thinned. “Our kinsmen found mates with a female bounty hunter crew that was marooned here, and they returned with them to the skies to continue hunting bounties.”

“That sounds adventurous. You can’t join them?”

He lifted his chin and made a clicking sound in his throat, his gaze fixed on the glowing sticks. “Not yet.”

Cat sensed that he wasn’t telling her everything, but she quickly reminded herself that she wasn’t supposed to creep into their heads if she didn’t want them in hers. She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them to her chest as a light breeze fluttered through the flap she hadn’t tied closed. “Life on a ship is different from life on an open planet like this. For one, there are no animals to ride.”

Trek shrugged. “My brother is the one with an affinity for and talent with beasts. He is the hunter who can lull his prey so fully that they nearly leap into his sack. My interests do not lie with smelly animals.”

Cat grinned. So, she wasn’t the only one who’d thought the alien camel thing had reeked. “No?” She shouldn’t care about this alien and what captured his fancy. She would be leaving soon, and there was no point in learning about aliens she would never see again. But she couldn’t help herself. “What are your interests?”

He looked at her, his dark slash of eyebrows lifting before the words spilled from him. “I like to know how things work.” He waved a hand at the glowing sticks. “Like these. When I first saw them, I had to take them apart to know how they worked. Technology is like magic when you don’t understand it, and I love to unravel the magic.”

“Then you would love the star cruiser. They have replicators for food and holodecks for entertainment.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I do not know either of these words.”

“A replicator is a machine that transforms regular energy into matter so you tell the machine what you want to eat, and it will make it for you instantly.”

“A machine creates food from nothing?”

“Nothing can be made from nothing,” Cat said. “I wasn’t a star student in physics, but I do remember that much. The machine uses energy to make matter.”

Trek nodded slowly as if digesting this. “And the holodeck?”

“More energy into matter, although on a holodeck, the matter becomes any surrounding you program.” She waved a hand around them. “I could program the holodeck simulation to look exactly like this tent and then visit it whenever I wished.”

Now his eyes were wide. “Would you do that?”

She couldn’t stifle her laugh. “Probably not. For one, as crew I get almost no holodeck time, and I don’t know if I’d want to revisit the place where I hid from a swarm of insects.”

Trek joined her in smiling. “I would not want to revisit the sands once I got away and onto a ship.”

“You never know. You might be homesick one day.”

He considered this as he scooted closer to her. “This is true, and there are some good things about this tent I would not mind remembering.”

Cat’s heart fluttered in her chest and heat pulsed between her legs. Wait, she felt something for this brother, too? Although the sensations were different, there was no doubt that she was attracted to both twins. She guessed that made sense. They were huge and gorgeous and looked alike, but she couldn’t have a thing for both of them. Could she?

CHAPTER 11

Trek had promised not to enter the human’s mind, but he hadn’t promised not to talk to her. And if talking led them to the furs, that would not be the worst thing, would it?

His brother might think so, but Dev had chosen to leave the tent and stay outside with the jebel. Could Trek help it if his older brother preferred the company of beasts? He certainly did not, and he would not be nagged by guilt if the female chose him to take to her furs instead of Dev.

The fact that both he and his brother had sensed her thoughts and that she had been able to read theirs was unsettling. They knew about mind mates—all Dothveks did. Now, they even knew that it was possible for an off-worlder to be a Dothvek’s mind mate. But Trek was still not certain he believed the myths about twins sharing a mind mate. He was not sure if he and Dev could share something as valuable as this.

Cat cleared her throat, her cheeks pink. “Holodecks can recreate anything or anyone as long as you can imagine it. I’m sure you could think of something or someone you would want to create more than this tent.”

This holodeck technology sounded like something he would want to dissect, but at the moment he couldn’t imagine wishing himself from the tent and the human whose breath had quickened. “There is no one I would create who could match you.”

She laughed at this, the sound high and nervous. “I’ve heard a lot of lines, but that’s a good one.”

“Lines?” Another word he did not understand.

“You know, something a guy says to a girl to get her to go out.”

“I do not wish to go outside the tent with you.” He shifted his body until their knees were brushing. “I wish to stay right here.”

“No, it means…” She licked her lips. “You’re saying nice things to make me like you and want to…”

His heart thudded in his chest. If Dev didn’t sense his desire, he would soon be able to hear the pounding of his heart. “I am only saying what is true, but are these truths making you like me?”

“I already liked you,” she said, then sucked in air, as if the words had escaped without her wishing to say them.

Trek uncrossed his legs and widened them, moving forward to bend them around her. “I like you, but you probably didn’t need me to tell you.” He took her hand in his, turning it over and placing the pad of his thumb on her fluttering pulse. “You could sense it just as I can sense your desire.”

She shook her head weakly. “I haven’t gone into your…”

“I know,” he whispered, lifting her wrist and brushing his lips across the soft skin. “But it doesn’t take a mind meld to sense how much I want to take you to the furs.”

Her eyes flitted to the pile of furs and blankets to one side. “But I just met you. I barely know you.”

The tremble in her voice belied her nerves and the untruth in her words. “It doesn’t feel like you just met me, does it? It feels like you’ve known me for much longer, doesn’t it?”

A breath hitched in her throat, and she nodded. “It doesn’t make sense, but I do feel like I already knew you. Like I’ve known you for a long time.” She hesitated for a beat. “Both of you.”

Trek paused. She felt the same way about Dev. He didn’t know why he should be surprised by this. They’d found the female together, saved her together, and she’d picked up both of their thoughts and sent her own into both of their heads. It was clear that she was drawn to them as a pair.

As close as he was to his older brother and as many things as they’d shared over their lifetimes, they’d never shared a female. Not at the same time, at least. There was not an abundance of Dothvek females, so they had both bedded the same priestesses. But never on the same night and never together.

“Tell me what you want, Catarina.” Trek ran a finger down the side of her cheek. “If you tell me you wish to sleep alone on the furs, I will leave you. If you tell me you wish me to join you, I will eagerly be your fur mate this night. If you wish to take my brother to the furs, I will step aside. What is it you want?”

Her pupils were so wide they made her dark eyes appear black as her breathing became shallow. She bit her lower lip, pulling it between her teeth. Before she could give him an answer, the tent flaps rustled, and Dev stepped inside.

He glanced at the two of them and frowned. “Brother?”

Trek felt called out even though he was not in the wrong. “I have asked her to choose. She can choose either one of us or neither.”

“I know.” Dev’s fiery expression shifted to the female. “She summoned me to the tent.”

Trek jerked as if stung. She’d summoned his brother? How had he not sensed this?

Maybe because your desire is overpowering your abilities, and even your reason, a stern voice in the back of his head told him.

Disappointment washed over him, dousing his carnal hunger, and filling him with the need to run far from the tent. His shoulders sagged, and he dropped her hand. “You choose Dev. I understand.”

She smiled at him, even though the edge of her lips quivered. “You don’t understand.”

Trek stood quickly and crossed to the tent flaps. “I might be the younger twin, but I am no fool, and I do not wish to remain and be a spectator.”

Cat stood, matching his speed, and catching his hand before he ducked between the flaps. “I don’t want you to be a spectator.” Then she took Dev’s hand in her other. “I want you both—together.”

CHAPTER 12

Cat trembled as she held their hands and the two aliens stared at her. She’d just told them she wanted them both—at the same time—and they hadn’t said a word. Even their thoughts were inscrutable, a muddle she couldn’t untangle.

What are you doing? The timid voice was barely a whisper above the rushing of blood in her ears and the crashing of her heart against her ribs.

What was she doing? This was insane. She had just met them, even if what she’d admitted was true. She felt like she’d known them for so much longer. There was an inexplicable familiarity about the aliens that made no sense. She’d never felt this comfortable with any human men, even ones she’d known for years. But with Dev and Trek there was something she’d never felt before—something deeper. As crazy as it was—and she knew just how crazy it was—she wanted to explore what it was between them.

But you’re leaving, the chirpy voice reminded her.

She was leaving. Hadn’t that been her entire goal—to find a way off the planet and back to her crew? Then what did it matter? If she was leaving and would never see them again, even better. If this was a colossal mistake, she’d never have to deal with the fallout of a stupid decision. But it didn’t feel stupid. It felt oddly right.

“Did you say you want us both?” Dev asked, his voice husky.

“Together?” Trek added, glancing at his brother.

Even though nerves were swirling in her stomach, she nodded. “That’s right. I don’t want to choose one of you over the other, and I don’t want to wait.”

What the hell has happened to me? Cat’s cheeks flamed as she wondered if maybe it was the planet’s goddess energy that was turning her into such a wanton woman. Even if it was, she didn’t care. She’d had to abandon ship, she’d crashed onto a desert planet, and she’d been chased by a bug swarm. If anyone deserved to burn off some stress with a couple of gorgeous, built aliens, it was her.

Trek growled low and tugged her toward the furs, but Dev held tight to her hand.

“We should set some rules,” he said.

Trek’s growl became impatient. “Brother.”

Cat’s heart stuttered as she looked up at Dev. His eyes were molten as they held hers, and her knees wobbled. She’d agree to any rule he wanted.

“If we do this, then we have free rein with your mind as well as with your body,” he said, his gravelly voice rumbling through her. “I want to be free to explore all of you.”

She finally released her breath. It was hard to imagine she’d have the energy or focus to explore their minds, but turnaround was fair play. “Agreed. And the same goes for both of you. If you get to read minds, so do I.”

Now Dev growled as he tangled a hand in her hair and tipped her head back. “Do you really want to know all my dark desires, Catarina?”

“I want all of you,” she said, meeting his possessive gaze.

His lips quirked into a half smile before he crushed his mouth to hers. She was consumed by the passion of his kiss and the surprising softness of his lips as his mouth moved dominantly against hers. When he parted her lips with a deft move of his tongue, she was reminded again that these brothers weren’t the brutish barbarians she’d first assumed they were.

Even as she sank into Dev’s kiss, Cat was aware of Trek’s body and hands behind her. He was pressed up to her, his hands moving down her body and curling around her waist, his fingers dipping under her shirt and her bra. When he found her nipples, she drew in a sharp breath.

Dev moaned in her mouth, and she was vaguely aware of the brothers’ exchanging thoughts in their minds. When she realized that they were telling each other what they were doing to her, desire arrowed through her so powerfully her body jerked. She hadn’t imagined how hot it would be to hear two men talking about her.

Her breasts are so round and perfect, brother. I cannot wait for you to touch them.

Dev kissed her more deeply, sliding his hands down to cup her ass. Will you watch me while I touch her?

Trek caressed her breasts firmly as he kissed the back of her neck. You want to be watched, brother?

Not as much as she wants to be watched. Isn’t that right, Cat?

Cat’s knees buckled, but the two aliens were holding her in a standing position with their bodies. She shouldn’t be startled that two mind-reading aliens could read her mind, but her face flushed that they now knew how much she secretly wanted to be watched.

Trek rolled her pebbled nipples between his fingers, making her pussy clench with desire as Dev continued to kiss her and use his grip on her ass to press her into the hard bar of his cock. Fuck, she wanted to take off her clothes and get onto the furs.

You heard the female, Dev said, as Trek slipped his hands from her breasts and began to unfasten her pants. Soon, he was sliding them and her panties over her hips and down the length of her legs. Then he ran his hands up her bare legs as he stood, letting out a guttural noise as he pulled her shirt up and over her head, breaking her kiss with Dev for a moment. But Dev only caught a quick breath before setting his mouth on hers again as Trek worked the clasp of her bra and then slid her arms from it.

She is a goddess, Trek told his brother, when she was completely naked.

A goddess who needs to be worshipped, brother.

Trek spun her around so that he was facing her, and he quickly replaced his brother’s kisses with his own while Dev curled his arms around her from behind and slid one hand down until his fingers found her clit. Her body bucked from the contact, and she moaned into Trek’s mouth.

She is so wet. Dev’s hands were big but gentle as they worked her.

Before she could wonder what he was doing, Trek tore his mouth from hers and dropped to his knees. Open her for me, brother.

Then his hot tongue was on her as Dev spread her pussy. Trek lapped at her, sliding his tongue in and out. Then the tip of his tongue found her clit, and she rocked her hips into him with a gasp.

She tastes like the sweetest honey. Trek circled her clit with his tongue, sending pleasure ricocheting through her. Do you want a taste?

You have your fill, brother. Then I will feast while you spread her legs wide for me.

Trek laughed, and the vibrations sent more ripples of pleasure through her. If I can resist filling her with my cock before then.

Dev twisted his tall frame from behind her so that he captured one of her nipples as Trek continued sucking her clit. Soon the intensity of two mouths was more than she could handle, and pleasure exploded within her body, her legs trembling and jerking as she screamed and fisted a hand in both Dev’s and Trek’s hair.

When she was panting, Dev tore his mouth from her breast, his gaze both tender and plundering as his eyes peered up and held hers. “She doesn’t want you to wait, brother.”

CHAPTER 13

Dev’s heart thundered like jebel hooves across the sands as he met the female’s gaze. Her desire was as easy to read on her face as it was to hear storming through her head. She wanted them—both of them—and her rush of euphoria only hastened her desire.

When he’d joined her and Trek in the tent, Dev had been unsure of what he would find. He’d sensed her growing arousal, but he’d also sensed her beckoning him, her mind sending out a tendril of longing like a finger crooking him toward her. He’d been willing to cede her to Trek if that was what she’d wished, but that hadn’t been what she’d wanted at all.

As soon as his lips had claimed hers and Trek had begun running his hands over her body, something had shifted in all of them. It was as if they’d all aligned to each other in perfect harmony with Trek and Dev moving in tandem like they’d always done. Her raw lust pounded through him and swirled with his own and with Trek’s until Dev didn’t know where their desires left and his began.

“You don’t wish to claim her first, brother?” He spoke the words out loud, the deep sound reverberating around them. “You haven’t tasted her yet.”

Cat took a shuddering breath. She turned to him and ran a hand down Dev’s bare chest, her fingers bumping over the ridged muscle. “Maybe it’s my turn to taste.”

Then she tugged at the waist of his pants until they slipped past his hips, and his hard cock sprang up as it was released from the strict constraints of the animal skin. Dev groaned as she took the base of his cock in her small hand, her fingers curling around his rigid flesh.

“So, you don’t only have ridges on your back?” She eyed the raised rings around his cock, her eyes flaring with fascination.

Dev didn’t know much about other species, but he’d heard that human males did not have ridges anywhere, a fact he found startling. He suspected a cock without raised ridges would be much less pleasurable for the females, and he savored the feel of her fingers as she bumped them along his ridges and licked her lips.

Trek had stood and stepped back and was watching Cat touch his brother, but there was nothing awkward about it. It was like Trek was an extension of himself, and Dev sensed his younger brother’s pleasure buzzing through him almost as powerfully as his own. And Trek was enjoying watching the female touch him. When Cat bent and took Dev’s cock between her lips, it was Trek who moaned first.

Dev met his brother’s gaze as Cat took the crown of his cock in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it. Sons of the goddesses, her mouth is amazing.

Trek dropped his gaze to where her lips were stretching over first one raised ring and then another. She’s taking you well.

Dev rolled his head, the sensation of her hot, wet mouth sending frissons of pleasure dancing across his skin. He wound his fingers into her dark curls as she moved her mouth up and down his length. She’s ready to take you now.

Trek’s gaze shifted from her mouth—eagerly sucking his brother’s cock—to her bare ass. She was not kneeling, only bending at the waist, so he positioned himself behind her and grabbed her hips. Yanking his own pants down, his cock jutted out thick and rigid from his body.

Cat continued to work her mouth up and down Dev’s shaft making soft moaning sounds, but when Trek spread her legs and dragged the crown of his cock through her slickness, her moans deepened.

Dev fisted his hands in her hair, the vibrations from her moaning making him almost lightheaded. It was almost too much to watch her suck him and see his brother on the verge of claiming her. He closed his eyes for a beat and surrendered to the sensations, while also fighting the release that was racing to overwhelm him.

He knew the moment his brother started to push inside her. Cat let out a throaty moan that hummed around his cock, and Trek groaned.

She’s so tight, brother.

Dev’s cock twitched as if he was the one impaling her, and Cat took him even deeper into her mouth. Instead of being overwhelmed by them—and by taking them both at once—he sensed her rush of power. She loved the feeling of having them both.

“She wants more of you,” Dev said, saying it out loud so Cat was sure to hear him.

She cast her eyes up, meeting his and moving her head up and down ever so slightly. Trek held his brother’s eyes, his own dark with barely restrained frenzy.

Dev bit his own lip as Cat sucked him. She wants everything you can give her, brother.

Trek returned his gaze to the female, driving himself inside her until he was buried to the root. Then he held his cock inside her, as she twitched her ass and moaned around Dev’s shaft.

I didn’t think such a small creature would be able to take me. Trek palmed her ass cheek, letting out a low growl and squeezing. But she took all of me.

Dev tightened his grip on her hair. She’s taken both of us as if she was born to. He felt a pulse of pleasure that wasn’t his own. And she loves it.

Trek nodded. She looks so beautiful with her lips stretched around your cock.

She loves the way you stretch her. Dev rolled his head back and let Cat’s pleasure wash over him. She was made for us, made to take two cocks at once.

Who are we to deny her? Trek started to move in and out with long strokes, dragging his cock almost entirely out before driving it in forcefully. Each time Cat moaned and sucked Dev harder. Tell me about her mouth, brother, and I will tell you what it’s like to be inside her.

You will like the way she sucks your cock as if it is something delicious to be devoured.

Trek ran his tongue over his lip, his gaze riveted on Dev’s cock disappearing into the female’s mouth. It’s like I can feel her tongue and her tight heat squeezing me.

Dev watched his brother fuck the female, but he felt no jealousy, only the pleasure that they were all feeling together. Her torrent of arousal was overpowering, though, and it took all his willpower not to explode.

Trek pulled him from his concentration with a single phrase. She wants you to have a turn fucking her, brother.

CHAPTER 14

There was no way Cat should have been loving it as much as she was. No way that taking two guys should fill her with as much of a feeling of power. But it did. Instead of feeling like she was being used, Cat felt like she was the one who was powerful. She could give them both pleasure so intense that it practically vibrated her bones.

When she’d first seen Dev’s cock, she hadn’t been sure she could take it in her mouth. Not only was it long and thick, but it had raised rings going down the length of it. Cat liked the feel of the cock ridges as her lips bumped over them. The feel of the ridges in her mouth was nothing compared to how incredible they felt inside her.

Cat might not have gotten a look at Trek’s cock, but it felt just as huge as Dev’s, and the raised rings rubbed her in all the right ways. With every thrust inside her, his ridges stretched and caressed her flesh, making stars dance in front of her eyes.

As she sucked Dev’s cock, one hand splayed on his V of ridges below his stomach and the other fisting the base of his cock, his body was tight. Cat could sense the desire barreling through him but also how much he wanted to keep it in check. But she didn’t want him to hold himself back. She wanted to feel all of him and all his passion, as wild and untamed as it might be. She wanted him to fuck her, as well as Trek.

Almost as soon as the thought had occurred to her, Trek held himself deep, panting. Then he leaned over her, his voice a dark purr. “You want my brother to take a turn.”

A momentary burst of embarrassment made her cheeks heat, but then she shook off the thought. She did want Dev to fuck her. She needed to take both of them. Cat nodded quickly.

“Say it,” Dev growled. “Tell me what you want.”

Her breath stuttered in her chest as she released Dev’s cock from her mouth, wiping the corner of her lips. “I want your cock inside me.”

Another growl as Trek pulled out and Dev walked behind her. But if she’d been expecting Trek to take Dev’s place, she was wrong. Trek spun her so that she was facing the tent pole then he raised her arms over her head and pressed them to the wood.

“What if she tries to escape?” Dev asked.

Cat swung her head around, but before she could protest that she had no reason to run from them, Trek had pulled some of the tent pole rope down and bound her wrists to the pole. She jerked at the ropes, but they held tight. A thrill shot through her as the two alien warriors stood behind her while she was tied up and completely at their mercy.

Strong hands grabbed Cat’s hips and pressed the small of her back so that her ass tilted up. She dropped her head between her shoulders as a broad crown teased her opening. She didn’t know which of the brothers was about to fuck her, and she liked not knowing. Cat closed her eyes and bit her lip as he stroked into her.

Once he’d filled her to the hilt, Cat knew it was Dev. It wasn’t that his cock felt different—they were identical twins, after all—but he moved differently than Trek. He was more forceful and controlled, each thrust taking away her breath. She groaned as each ridge of his cock entered her, the hardness sending shockwaves through her.

You were right, brother. I’ve never felt something so tight and perfect. Dev’s thoughts came to her almost as clear as words.

It’s like she was made for us.

Cat gasped, hearing their thoughts about her making flames lick at her skin.

She likes that. Dev’s laugh was a dangerous rumble. Just like she loves taking our cocks.

Then thick fingers stroked between her legs, quickly homing in on her clit and circling it deftly. Cat was filled and stretched to her limit as Dev thrust deeply, but just as her pussy started to quiver, he was gone.

She jerked up her head to protest, but then Trek was inside her. She gasped at the sudden intrusion, but he was thrusting so hard and fast she didn’t have time to speak or think. Cat barely remembered how to breathe as he took over where his brother had left off. His fingers slipped on her slick skin as he gripped her hips, sliding one hand around to roll the pad of his finger over her clit.

“Trek, Dev,” she gasped, their names mingling on her tongue as easily as they’d taken turns filling her.

Pleasure consumed her, fierce and hot as Trek drove himself deep, and she felt Dev’s gaze on her. She craned her neck to see him watching her hungrily, like a predator waiting his turn to devour a helpless creature. But she was anything but helpless.

“You like having us both, don’t you?”

Nodding her head seemed like admitting a deep, dark secret that should be whispered about and never said out loud.

“Say it,” Dev ordered. “Tell us what you like.”

Cat rolled her head back, letting her eyelids flutter as she shook her head. Her pulse spiked and her body trembled in surrender, her release unraveling her slowly, and then the tremors making her entire body clench around Trek like a vise. Her fingers dug into the wooden pole as she spasmed with a scream, Trek pistoning hard before his own release and a loud roar. Before her pulsing ceased, Trek pulled out.

Dev’s low laugh was velvety and dangerous as he took over, stroking inside and holding himself. Cat’s twitching pussy coaxed a desperate groan from him, but he didn’t remain motionless for long.

“I want to hear you tell me that you love having both of us as much as we love sharing you,” he husked.

Cat felt drugged as she twisted to gaze at him. His golden skin glistened in the dim light; his muscles taut as his eyes held hers in a possessive lock that made her heart stutter. Beside him, Trek watched with rapt attention, as if he’d never seen anything as magnificent in his life. She thrilled with the thought that even though she was tied to the pole, she held the two huge aliens in thrall.

“I love it,” she purred. “I love having both of your cocks. I love you sharing me.” Then she whispered her darkest fantasy. “I love being your toy.”

Dev grunted, his eyes flashing hot with need. “You are one toy I do not mind sharing with my brother—as long as I get my turn.”

Then he bent over her, ran a hand up her neck and pulled her mouth to his in a hard, claiming kiss as he pulsed hot inside her.

CHAPTER 15

Trek nuzzled his face into her mane of hair, coiling his arm around her waist to hold her flush to him as they slept. He groggily opened his eyes. Cat was sleeping with her back to him so that he was cocooning her from behind and Dev slept facing her, his arm under her head like a pillow. They were all naked and lying on top of the furs, just like they’d been last night when they’d collapsed in exhaustion, all sweaty limbs and heaving chests.

Memories of being inside her sent fresh pulses of desire through him, and his cock thickened. He instinctively moved his hand from her waist until he’d cupped one of her breasts, absently thumbing her nipple until it pebbled.

“You’re insatiable,” Cat murmured, swatting his hand away and rolling forward so that she was tucked into Dev’s chest. His brother draped a possessive hand over her hip and opened one eye, giving Trek a half smile.

Trek rolled his eyes. His brother could pretend to be asleep, but he was not dead. Waking up in bed next to a beautiful, naked female would send arousal arrowing through any hot-blooded Dothvek. And after they’d found a female who would take them both? Trek would be happy if they could stay in bed forever and pretend the outside world didn’t exist. Or at least if they could go a few more times before leaving the tent.

She needs to rest, Dev told him.

Trek sighed, doing a bad job of hiding his impatience and his arousal.

Cat rolled back and grinned at him. “She needs to walk.”

“Did we hurt you?” Dev asked before Trek could.

Cat shook her head as she pushed herself onto her elbows. “It’s not a bad hurt, but I’m a little sore.” Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. “I’m not used to…”

“Two cocks?” Trek finished for her, his gaze skimming her body. “You took us like you’d been born for it.”

The flush on her cheeks darkened. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”

“It is for us,” Dev said. “We’ve never found a female who could meld with both our minds.”

Trek reached for her. “Or take both of us.”

“So, you’ve never…?” She let her words trail into silence.

“Never,” Dev said. “There is Dothvek lore of twin warriors taking a single mind mate, but it happened so long ago—if it isn’t legend—that no one remembers.”

Trek trailed a hand down the swell of her hip. “We didn’t know it was possible until you arrived.”

Cat’s warm flurry of emotions stilled. “Mate?”

“Females who can connect to our minds and our bodies are not common among our people, even though we are empathic. Not every partner will be a mind mate,” Dev said. “And not all mind mates must be Dothvek.”

“So, you can have a mind mate who isn’t one of your own kind?”

Trek rubbed the rough pad of his thumb over the softness of her skin. “We didn’t know we could until the bounty hunter females arrived. None of them were Dothvek and they were able to find their mind mates among the Dothveks.”

“And Crestek,” Dev added.

“I’m not exactly sure what all that means, but I can’t be your mate if mate means even close to what I think it means.”

Trek paused his movement, his hand frozen on her hip. “After last night, I thought…”

Cat stood quickly, pulling a blanket with her, and wrapping it around her chest. “Last night was amazing. Really amazing, but that doesn’t mean anything changed. Not really.”

Trek’s throat tightened as he looked at her. The confident, bold female who’d been so uninhibited with them now seemed nervous and scared.

“I still have to return to my crew and my job,” she said. “I might not be great at it, but it’s my only way to make something of my life. I can’t stay here no matter how much fun I might have had with you two.”

Trek couldn’t meet his brother’s gaze. He could sense the disappointment wash over him as completely as it was engulfing him. He could also sense Cat’s mind closing to them, her feelings now only a distant hum behind a thick wall.

“I’m sorry if I gave either of you the impression that sex would change things. I thought we all were looking for some fun and stress release after everything that happened. If I ever led you on, I’m so—”

“You made us no promises,” Dev said, standing abruptly. “If we dared to hope, that was our mistake.”

Trek gaped at his brother. Why was he giving up so easily? How could he accept her rejection without trying to convince her that her place was with them?

Mind mates cannot be forced, brother.

Dev’s sharp words stung him, but he knew the truth of them. They’d seen the trials that their kinsmen had gone through with their own off-worlder mind mates. It could not be forced, and often their kinsmen had to nearly lose them before finally being united.

He eyed his brother as the Dothvek snatched his pants from the ground and tugged them on. Was he only appearing to agree with the female because he hoped she would find her way back to them or did he truly believe they should let her go? For one of the few times in his life, Trek did not understand his brother’s mind.

Cat also watched Dev as he dressed hurriedly. “I never meant to lead anyone on or hurt you—either of you.”

“We are not untested warriors, Catarina.” Dev paused at the flaps of the tent. “We have survived worse.”

Then he walked out, leaving me naked with her. She gnawed on her bottom lip nervously, and I could sense the sadness in her even through her barriers.

Even though I was usually the brother accused of being rash and impulsive, this time it was Dev who’d acted too quickly. There was regret in her, and not regret about what we’d done. Regret for having to part with us. She wasn’t as eager to go as she might want us to believe.

“Do not let Dev bother you,” I said, standing and stretching and relishing the long, lingering look she gave me. “You cannot blame him for missing you already.”

Cat gave me a shy smile and then began to gather her own clothes that were strewn around the tent. “Thanks.”

I made a point to take my time in pulling on my pants. I wanted her to believe that I was taking her rejection in stride. “Don’t worry. We will still take you to the Crestek city so you can send a transmission to your crew.”

Her head snapped up and her blanket slipped from under her arms and pooled at her feet. “You will?”

“That’s your best chance of getting back to your ship quickly, isn’t it?” I crossed to her, keeping my gaze trained on her face and not on her lush, naked body. “We promised to help you and we will. That hasn’t changed.”

Then I bent down and brushed a kiss across her lips before walking from the tent. Despite her best efforts to hide her emotions, I picked up her pleasant surprise—and another pang of regret. My plan was already working.

CHAPTER 16

Dev scowled at his brother across the swaying wattle of the jebel as they walked on either side. Cat rode on the back of the beast, her head draped with white fabric to keep the sun from burning her, but he and Trek had chosen to walk. As fond as he was of jebels, he preferred the warm sand beneath his feet.

The two suns were rising higher over the dunes that stretched in all directions, sending warm slats of light bursting over the glittering gold sand. The heat had not yet started to shimmer off the sand, but whatever creatures emerged in the cool of the night had scuttled under the surface, their prints evaporating as the faint breeze spun a fine mist of sand. The only sounds were the rhythmic plodding of the jebel’s wide hooves on the sand. The Dothvek footfalls were silent, as they’d trained them to be when they moved across the dunes.

Tell me again why we’re going to the Crestek city, brother.

Trek blew out a breath, casting a quick glance at the female even though they were masking their thoughts from her. We promised to help her find her way back to her ship. The Crestek have the best way to do that.

Dev’s scowl deepened. You wish to take our mate into the heart of enemy territory?

They are no longer our enemies, remember? We were both there when the peace was forged.

Dev stroked a hand down the jebel’s furry neck, memories of the battle and the truce fresh. He remembered agreeing to peace, but it was not so easy to shrug off generations of distrust so quickly.

I know, brother. Trek did not need him to tell him why the thought of entering the territory of their former enemy felt so wrong. But we cannot keep her on the sands, as much as we might want to do so. She is not of our world.

Dev gave a jerk of his head. Maybe Cat was an off-worlder, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t adjust to their way of life. She’d already adjusted to their communication. If she could do that, wasn’t she meant to be on their planet and with them? But do we have to take her into their city? I still do not trust them, especially around a female—our female.

Trek cocked an eyebrow. I know they have not always been trustworthy around females, but the Cresteks are not all the same. Think of T’Kar. He is not a dishonorable Crestek.

Dev grunted at the reminder of one of the bounty hunters’ chosen mates, who happened to be a Crestek. Yes, but he is different. He was a part of their underground resistance group, and he went through the tahadu to become a Dothvek. Now, he is one of us.

Trek inclined his head as if acknowledging this. How is it that I am the one speaking reason and understanding? Usually, you are the one to talk sense into me.

We have never had a mind mate before now.

The twins walked in silence for a few steps.

She is not ours if we force her to stay, Trek finally told his older brother. She is only our mate if she chooses to be. You know that.

Dev shot his brother a severe look. You think I would force any female?

No, although we both enjoyed seeing her tied up and at our mercy last night.

Heat stirred in Dev’s core at memories of Cat naked and bound flooded his brain. He’d never been as aroused in his life as he’d been when she’d submitted to them both. That was not by force. She wanted that as much as we did.

Trek smiled, his gaze darting to the female riding above them as she took a swig from the water pouch. I know. That is what made it so good. She wanted it. If she also wants to leave, we cannot stop her. We should not.

Dev huffed out a breath, hating how much sense his younger brother made and despising him for being right. Of course, they could not keep Cat on their world if she wished to leave. He’d only hoped that melding with their minds and being such a perfect match for their bodies and their appetites would have made her want to stay. When did you become the wise one, brother?

Trek shrugged. Maybe I’ve been paying more attention to you than you thought.

Or maybe you’ve been hanging around Tommel and picking up his maddening wisdom. He cut a gaze to Trek. Either way, I do not like it.

Trek threw back his head and laughed, which caused Cat to give them both curious looks.

Trek cleared his throat and looked down, the corners of his mouth still quivering. “Apologies. I thought of an amusing story I heard.”

Cat nodded, but Dev thought Trek was lucky that she didn’t ask for details about the story. His brother clearly hadn’t lost all his impulsive and reckless tendencies, which was some comfort.

I must admit something, Dev. Trek rested his own hand on the jebel’s neck, absently stroking it as they walked. My motive for taking her to the Crestek city is not entirely pure.

Dev tilted his head to look at his brother. Is this about your desire to know how our enemy’s communication system works?

Trek gave him a crooked grin. No, although now that you mention it, that is another good reason.

Dev gave him a pointed look; he could not fault his brother for being curious. Since they were young, Trek had always been fascinated by taking things apart. It had led to many tents collapsing and an entire pen of jebels being inadvertently released.

By helping her get what she wants, she will see that she can trust us. If we do what we promised and aid her in getting back to her ship, even though we clearly want her to stay, then we will be making a sacrifice for her.

Maybe his brother really was losing his tendency to act first and then think. You believe she will recognize this sacrifice as evidence of our feelings for her?

Trek thumped the jebel’s neck and nodded. I do.

And if she still chooses to leave after all this?

Trek held his gaze for a long beat. Then she was never ours.

Dev growled and faced forward again; his eyes trained on the dunes that extended from them like rolling waves. He hoped his brother was right, but he feared they were leading their mate from them and into danger.

CHAPTER 17

Cat startled awake before she slumped forward on the jebel. Crap! Had she started to drift off again? The plodding footsteps of the jebel combined with the heat under the white fabric draped over her head was making her drowsy. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to fall asleep and fall right off the animal’s back.

She readjusted herself on the blankets beneath her, flinching at the ache between her legs. Between the jebel ride and the night before, she’d be lucky if she could walk again.

When she peeked from the drape hanging over her forehead, blowing a breath up and fluttering the fabric, she was startled to see that the view was no longer endless, golden, sand dunes. The desert had given way to a mountain range, the craggy rocks the same golden hue as the sand, and just as shimmery.

She tipped up her head. “I did not see this coming.”

“The Crestek city is beyond the rocks,” Dev said, leading the jebel forward to a ledge and stopping it. “We’ll have to go by foot the rest of the way.”

As Dev coaxed the animal to bend first one knobby knee and then the other, Trek reached up and took hold of her waist as she swung one leg over to join the other. When she slid off the jebel’s back, he continued to hold her waist for balance.

Trek’s hands were warm and firm on her waist. “Can you walk, or would you like me to carry you?”

She answered quickly without thinking. “I’m not a child. I can walk.”

He tilted his head, giving her a suggestive smile. “I thought you might be sore from the jebel, and from…”

Even though she was already warm, her cheeks heated. How did he know that? She narrowed her gaze at him. “Were you delving into my thoughts again?”

His smile instantly vanished. “No. I gave you my word I would not.”

“You are not the first human female we had ridden jebels with across the sands,” Dev said as he walked around the creature to stand with us. “We understand that riding them can be difficult if you aren’t used to it.”

“Oh.” Cat felt like a jerk for accusing him of reading her mind when he was only being considerate. “Sorry. I am a little sore, but I’ll be able to walk.” Then she scrunched her lips to one side. “I’m not the first human female you’ve ridden jebels with but am I the…?”

“Yes.” Dev didn’t let her finish her question. “We have never been with another human woman.”

“And we have never been with any female together,” Trek added.

For some bizarre reason, that made Cat feel special. Not that it mattered. She would be hopping on a rescue ship soon, and the aliens would be nothing but a steamy memory. She shouldn’t care who they’d done what with or how often. It wasn’t her business. Even so, she liked that she was the only one.

“Okay then.” She attempted to wipe the grin from her face as she peered at the high peaks, pulling the drape from her head and shielding her eyes from the sun. They looked remarkably dangerous and sharp, and mountain climbing was another thing she’d never attempted and didn’t relish trying. “We have to go over these?”

“There is a path around the rocks and through them.” Trek jumped onto the ledge and extended a hand to help her up while Dev slapped the jebel’s rump and said a few words Cat didn’t understand.

When the creature started to take off toward the sands again, she gasped. “You’re letting it go?”

“It does not belong to us. It belongs to the sands.” Dev watched the animal race up a dune, a cloud of sand puffing up behind it. “When we return to our village, we will not need it. We can run faster across the sands.” He turned and met her gaze. “And you will not need it because you will be headed back to your ship.”

Hearing him say that, even though it was exactly what she’d claimed she wanted, made her gut clench. “Right.” She pivoted back to the mountains. “I guess we’d better do this.”

Trek cut his eyes to the suns then to his brother. “We should be able to reach the city by the setting of the suns if we follow the path.”

“They will see us coming,” Dev said, “but now that we are at peace, that should not matter.”

Cat didn’t like the way the Dothveks talked about these Cresteks. They might have brokered a peace with them, but it was clear that the twins didn’t trust them. She was very aware that Dev didn’t want to be entering the enemy territory. Even without delving into his mind, she could tell by the way he spoke of them and the suspicion in his eyes. But he was doing this because of her.

She swallowed hard as Trek led the way through a crack in the rock, motioning for her to follow him, and Dev fell in step behind her. Light shone between the towering rock as they trekked in silence, the path not wide enough for them to walk three astride.

Cat flinched with each step, the ache between her legs making her wish she’d walked by the jebel like the Dothveks had. When she sucked in a quick breath, Dev wordlessly scooped her up in his arms.

“What are doing?” she asked, although her protest was weak even to her own ears.

“It pains me to see you hurting, especially since it is partly my fault. I would rather carry you.”

Trek glanced behind him, and his mouth quirked before he returned his gaze to the path.

Cat allowed herself to relax into Dev’s broad chest. “It’s not your fault. Well, not entirely. That jebel isn’t blameless.”

He grunted at this, but she could tell he was amused.

She wound her arms around his neck and let her cheek press against his chest as they proceeded around the looming rock face, finally approaching high, stone walls. After the vastness of the desert and the primitive tent, she was stunned to see domes and spires peeking above the high barrier. “This is the Crestek city?”

Dev tensed. “This is the enemy’s lair.”

Cat shivered, almost afraid of what was beyond the ramparts, as they continued through the opening gates.

CHAPTER 18

Trek peered at the massive, wooden gates as they walked through them and into the bustling Crestek city. The quiet of the sands and the solitude of the mountains were swallowed by the cacophony of voices and lilting music spilling from high windows. Colorful fabric was draped above them in the air, and tall, stone buildings were topped with domes or peaks.

It was so unlike the oasis tent village that was his home that he swallowed hard and tried not to become overwhelmed by the size and noise. He’d been in the Crestek city once before—when the peace was brokered—but he hadn’t ventured beyond the walls since.

“I had no idea your planet had a city like this,” Cat said, her eyes wide with wonder. “It’s almost like a regular outpost.”

Dev grunted. “The Cresteks still do not openly welcome outsiders, so you will find no off-world traders or travelers here.”

“Except me,” Cat said.

Trek made a low noise in his throat as he noticed the curious gazes swinging toward them and alighting on the human female. Some of the Cresteks were interested in them. Despite the peace, the two tribes remained different. While the Dothvek wore little clothing because they lived on the hot sands, their old enemy wore long cloaks that shielded them from the suns’ rays. After retreating from the dunes so many generations ago, they no longer had the resistance to the harsh suns.

As Cresteks passed them, the long hems of their gray, blue, or white robes fluttering and dark eyes peering from underneath their hoods, Trek tensed. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea. Maybe bringing Cat into their old enemy’s city had been a tactical error.

I told you, Dev’s voice was clear in his head. This was a mistake.

Trek was starting to agree with him. Maybe they could retreat and find some other way to contact the bounty hunters. Or they could convince Cat to be patient and wait for the ship’s return.

Before he could tell Cat that they should leave, a Crestek female approached them in silvery robes that were made of a shimmery fabric instead of the usual thick one. She threw back her hood and appraised Cat openly before shifting her heavily lined eyes to the twins.

Trek sensed a flash of irritation from Cat. She didn’t like the way the Crestek female eyed them. Then the Crestek smiled brightly.

“You are human, are you not?”

Cat stiffened but the Crestek was undeterred. She laughed, the high, chirpy noise carrying over the din of voices.

“Of course, you are. I saw one of your kind when she was mated to the old chancellor’s son. I recognize your stature and your lack of ridges.” She leaned closer. “I also can tell that you’ve had both of these Dothveks.”

When Cat drew in a quick breath, the Crestek female laughed again and fluttered a hand in the air. “Do not think we mind such a thing. In fact, Crestek females take many lovers and sometimes multiple mates.” She let her gaze linger on Trek and Dev again. “But the idea of twin Dothveks is very tempting.”

“We are not here to acquire mates,” Dev said gruffly.

The Crestek female stuck out her lower lip. “No? Too bad. Then why are you here?”

Trek curled his fingers around the hilt of his blade for comfort as he scanned the crowd that continued to cast them curious looks. “We are here to send a transmission.”

Another sigh from the Crestek. “That isn’t as exciting as I’d hoped.” She twitched one shoulder. “I’ll take you to the communications hub. My brother Karv works there. He’ll help you.” She winked at them. “He’s always been curious about Dothveks.”

With that, she beckoned for them to follow her. Trek shot his brother a questioning look, but Dev only cocked his head, as if to ask if they had a better option. They snaked through the bustling square of the city, with Trek and Dev walking tightly in front and back of Cat, who continued to swivel her head and take in the market stalls and the imposing stone structures.

When they reached the base of a tall, tower-like building, the Crestek female. had a furtive conversation with a guard then she pivoted around to face them. “Here’s where I leave you.” Then she put a hand on Trek’s arm and gave him a sultry smile. “If you change your mind, just tell Karv to find Linnea.”

Before he could think of a polite response, Cat cleared her throat. “We won’t change our minds, but thank you.”

The Crestek raised her dark slashes of brows slightly. “I don’t blame you one bit, human. If I had a pair of Dothveks like this to myself, I wouldn’t want to share, either.” Then she laughed as she spun around, her robes swirling, and waved a hand as she walked away. “But you can’t blame me for trying.”

Trek shifted uncomfortably. He’d heard the Crestek females were freer with their desires, and since there were fewer of them than there were males, they were given their choice of mates and often took more than one. He’d never experienced one first-hand, though.

“Are all the women on your planet like that?” Cat asked, after Linnea had left them.

Trek opened his mouth to explain the differences between Crestek and Dothvek females, but a Crestek male stepped from the door of the building. “Linnea, what…?” Then he took in the sight of them, and his mouth gaped. “I was told my sister had a gift for me.”

Trek squared his shoulder at the Crestek in a blue robe with the hood pushed back. “I’m afraid it is only us. We are hoping to avail ourselves of the new peace between our peoples and send a transmission to our kinsman on the bounty hunter ship.”

The male’s face brightened. “Then my mischievous sister brought you to the right place. I am Karv, and I run the communications hub for the city.” He gave them a small bow. “Please come inside, and I can show you our communications facility and assist you in contacting your kinsmen.”

Trek’s pulse quickened at the thought of exploring the communications hub and discovering how their system worked. He stepped forward to join Karv, but his brother’s heavy hand clamped over his arm.

“You send the transmission. I will find food for Catarina.”

Trek hesitated. He’d been so caught up in his own excitement that he’d ignored the need he now sensed from her. Of course, she was hungry.

It is fine, brother. Do not worry. Send our transmission.

Trek slid his gaze to Cat, who grinned at him.

“Go on. We’ll scrounge up some food.”

Karv hesitated inside the doorway, turning back. “Are you coming?”

Trek turned to him then back to Dev and Cat, but they were already moving away and vanishing into the crowd. The muddle of so many thoughts was like a restless hum in the back of his mind, but he forced himself not to listen to them. There were too many. He suppressed a momentary burst of panic that they were surrounded by their former enemy before reminding himself that their peoples had made peace. The Cresteks no longer wished the Dothveks harm. At least, that was what he hoped.

He took a deep breath, and pivoted back to Karv. “I am ready.”

Ch 19

Dev rested one hand on Cat’s hip as he steered her toward the Crestek open air market. He was drawn to the aroma of food as much as by the chattering of voices and tapping of feet on the paving stones.

It was impossible for them to blend in with the crowd. He was a bare-chested Dothvek in a sea of cloaked Cresteks, and she was a human female considerably smaller than any native female on his planet. She also drew stares for her utilitarian pants and shirt. Crestek females were known to wear elaborate and revealing dresses underneath their cloaks, although he’d never seen this with his own eyes.

Dev’s empathic abilities were overloaded with the sheer volume of minds surrounding him. The torrent of voices swirled around him, but he was able to keep them at bay while still sensing Cat’s emotions. She was also overwhelmed, but fascination was winning over fear as they reached the multitude of stalls with canopies.

She paused at one vendor roasting some type of meat on a spit. “Is this food similar to yours?”

Dev’s stomach rumbled as fat dripped off the slowly spinning meat and sizzled on the hot coals beneath. “Somewhat.”

The female’s hunger was as obvious as his, and they both must have appeared famished to the vendor who held out two wrapped bundles.

“With my compliments,” the vendor said, pushing back his beige hood. “It isn’t often we get new faces in the market.”

Cat beamed at him, eagerly taking the wrapped food. “Thank you. It smells delicious.”

“A Crestek specialty called swarka,” the vendor said. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Cat unwrapped hers quickly and bit into the end of the meat wrapped in a puffy flatbread, moaning softly as she chewed. “This is my new favorite food.”

The Crestek’s gold cheeks deepened in hue at this compliment. Dev took a bite of his own swarka, the savory flavor of the meat reminding him instantly of sitting around the fire at the oasis village. He inclined his head in thanks to the Crestek, as they moved along and chewed.

“Do the Dothveks eat swarka?” Cat asked.

“We have something very similar, although this is one of the better versions I have eaten.”

Cat nodded absently as she devoured her food, and Dev couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt that she was so hungry.

“We should get something for Trek,” Cat said, when she’d polished off her food and was dabbing at the corners of her mouth.

It heartened Dev that she thought of Trek, and he was even more pleased to know that he harbored no jealousy that she thought of his brother. Their connection to Cat was truly one they’d forged together, and there was no place for envy between them.

Cat spun around to return to the vendor, but her way was blocked by several Crestek males in dark brown robes with their hoods back.

“We heard there was a pretty female walking around the market,” one of them said, blatantly running his gaze up and down Cat.

She backed from them until she was flush against Dev. His hand instinctively went to his blade and his shoulders tensed. These Cresteks did not have the open, friendly faces of the others. These males looked at his female with a desire that made ire flare within him. “She is not alone.”

The male who spoke for the other two flicked a dismissive gaze at Dev. “You are a stranger here, Dothvek.”

“We are visitors.” Cat’s voice held an edge. “And we’re together.”

The Crestek glanced around. “I heard there were three of you. Where is the other Dothvek? Licking his wounds because he wasn’t the chosen one?”

Cat crossed her arms over her chest. “Actually, I’m with both of them.”

The Crestek’s angled brows rose. “Then you’re more like a Crestek female.” Then he nudged his friends and laughed. “That works for us.”

The crowd around them had backed up, the other Cresteks sensing the tension brewing as they murmured and shot furtive looks at Dev and Cat and the Crestek males.

“You should leave us,” Dev growled. “I do not wish to fight you, but if you dishonor my mate with your comments, I will have no choice.”

“Mate?” The leader slid his gaze to Cat. “You sure you want to be with one of those sand barbarians when you could have someone civilized?”

Dev’s fingers coiled around the hilt of his blade, but Cat rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sure. Now my mate asked you to leave us alone. I suggest you listen to him.” She smiled sweetly. “I’d hate for him to have to kick your ass.”

The Crestek laughed at this. “I’d like to see him take all three of us.”

Dev drew his blade and pushed Cat behind him. “Challenge accepted, Crestek.”

Gasps and dark murmurs passed through the remaining crowd as an opening was formed. Vendors pulled back their wares and children were rushed from the commotion.

Dev did not want to engage in battle with the Cresteks, but their insults could not go unanswered. It was clear that not all Cresteks had abandoned their feelings about the Dothveks. Not everyone was ready for peace.

Maybe he was one of those who found it easier to slip into old prejudices, Dev thought as he assumed a battle stance and the Crestek threw off his cloak. At least only one of the males was intending to fight him at once. He could take on three of them, but he preferred to dispatch them quickly one at a time.

The Crestek didn’t carry a blade, but a knife was swiftly passed to him. He copied Dev’s battle stance, but it was clear the Crestek had little experience fighting. Dev stole a quick glance at Cat who stood behind him, her face twisted in worry. He nodded at her as if to reassure her, and she managed to give him a weak smile. Then her eyes widened, and he turned quickly to see the other male rushing him.

Sidestepping the attack, Dev spun around and smacked the butt of his blade on the Crestek’s back. The male stumbled but righted himself, his face gnarled with rage as he ran at Dev a second time. Dev ducked the wild swing of his opponent’s arm, catching the wrist and bending it back so that the Crestek flipped onto his back.

As the male crawled to his feet, Dev backed away and waited for him to catch his breath. He had no desire to kill this Crestek or even seriously wound him, which was why he hadn’t attacked with his blade. He only wished to wear him out and force him to admit defeat—and apologize for his words. “Do you wish to cease this fight?”

The Crestek’s lip curled, and he charged again with a roar. Dev met his charge, grabbing the arm holding the knife and knocking it from his hand before plowing a shoulder into his chest and sending him staggering back and gasping for breath. The knife had clattered to the stones, and Dev scooped up the blade. Now that the male was disarmed, he would be forced to surrender.

He glanced again behind him to catch Cat’s eye. But she was no longer there. He scanned the Cresteks who had gathered to watch the fight, but she was not there either. Panic twisted in his gut. She would not have left him in the middle of a fight. He scoured the market area, but there was no sign of her.

Then he looked back to his opponent, but the Crestek no longer stood across from him heaving in ragged breaths.

They were all gone.

CHAPTER 19

Cat’s head was heavy as it lolled forward, and she jerked before she slumped fully. She blinked sluggishly, but her eyelids felt like lead. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she found her surrounding so dimly lit that she recognized nothing.

She wasn’t in her quarters on the cruiser. She would have detected the ambient, lavender light inset in the ceiling. Wait, she’d left the cruiser. Memories of abandoning ship flooded into her addled brain, followed by memories of landing on the sand planet and being rescued by the twin Dothveks.

Cat jerked upright before realizing she was sitting in a chair. Dev and Trek. Where were they?

She attempted to rub her temples, but she couldn’t raise her arms. Her hands were bound behind her. She peered down at herself and saw that she wasn’t in the clothes she’d been wearing. She wore some sort of dress made from sheer fabric; the top held up by thin shoulder straps. What the actual fuck?

She jerked at her ties, but they only rattled the chair. Squinting through the dim light, she calmed her racing mind. The last thing she remembered was being in the Crestek city. She’d been with Dev in the market, they’d eaten something delicious, then there had been a fight. Her pulse fluttered as she remembered the jerks who’d accosted them, and then how valiantly Dev had fought the leader of the group. Then she’d felt a sting in her ass and things had gone sideways.

Cat shifted on the chair and the ass cheek she remembered getting stung ached from the pressure. She shifted back. Had someone jabbed her with a needle? Had she been drugged and then redressed? Why? It wasn’t like she knew anyone on the planet or had enemies.

A door creaked open, and a sliver of light hit her face. She flinched.

“You’re awake.” The male voice was unfamiliar.

“Who the hell are you, and why am I tied to a chair? Where are my clothes?”

The door was closed behind the speaker and darkness consumed the room again. “My name doesn’t matter. You’re tied up because we didn’t think you’d come with us willingly or stay once you woke.”

“Since I have no idea who you are or why you abducted me, you’re right about that.” Her grogginess had faded and was quickly replaced by outrage. “You didn’t tell me why I’m not wearing my clothes.”

“We thought it was more fitting for you to dress like a Crestek female if you’re a guest in our city.”

The thought that she’d been undressed while she was unconscious made her gut tighten, but she focused on her outrage. “I’m assuming you’re Crestek.”

“Since you are in the Crestek city, that’s a safe guess.”

“It’s a safe guess, because Dothveks would never do something like this,” she shot back. She may only know two Dothveks, but she knew enough about their sense of honor that she felt confident in her statement. And she wanted to insult the Cresteks who took her.

The male let out a low chuckle. “You have spirit. I’d heard that about human females.”

“There are easier ways to learn about humans than by kidnapping them and dressing them like dolls.”

“Maybe.” He circled her, his face still in shadow. “Like I said, we didn’t think you’d come willingly, and we didn’t have time to debate our options, once word got out that you were in our city with two Dothveks.”

“This is all about your curiosity about humans?” Cat had never been on an alien world that didn’t interact with other planets. Was she that much of a curiosity?

“Hardly, although you are intriguing. I can understand why the Dothveks desired you.”

This made Cat squirm. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, the whites of his eyes visible in the dimness. Had he been the one to undress her? Bile teased the back of her throat, but she swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

“This is not about you. This is about the Dothveks,” he continued. “Not all Cresteks are happy that a peace was forged between our peoples. Some of us preferred when we kept to ourselves. The Dothveks belong on the sands. They don’t deserve to walk through our gates as if they haven’t been our enemies for generations.”

“Taking me is about punishing them?”

“In a way.” His pace circling her increased, his shoes tapping the stone floor. “When the first human females arrived on our planet, it was the Dothveks who claimed them, aside from one Crestek, but he turned against his own kind and became one of them. Those barbarians should not get all the females who come to the planet.”

Cat bit back the urge to suggest that they may run into more crashed ships if they left their walled city, but she decided to stay silent. Why had she insisted on getting off the planet as quickly as possible? If she hadn’t been so dead set on getting a transmission off, she might not be tied to a chair and held captive by Cresteks with a grudge.

She thought wistfully of the tent she’d shared with Dev and Trek. What she wouldn’t give to be back there with both of them. Heat pulsed between her legs as she thought of being with both aliens. Would staying on the planet really be so bad? Not if she could count on more nights like that. The twin Dothveks were enough to make her forget her desire to return to the cruiser and have a secure, safe future.

Her heart lurched and she thought about Dev and Trek. Where were they now? They must have noticed her missing, and they must be in a panic.

“So, what’s your plan? You’re going to keep me here forever? I do have a ship that’s looking for me, you know. The whole reason we came to your city was to send a transmission to my ship so I can be rescued.”

The pacing stopped. “You aren’t staying with the Dothveks?”

Cat felt traitorous saying that she intended to leave them, so she pressed her lips together. She’d told these abductors too much anyway.

The Crestek walked behind her and leaned down so that his breath tickled her ear. “If you like more than one male at a time, my friends and I would be more than happy to indulge you.”

“No thanks. I’d rather wait for Dev and Trek to find me and wipe the floor with your sorry asses.”

He ran a finger under one of the thin shoulder straps, pulling it so that it dangled down the side of her arm. “You aren’t in much of a position to make demands, though, are you?”

Cat clenched her teeth so he wouldn’t hear them chatter and know she was trembling. She just had to stay strong until Dev and Trek found her. She hoped that would be soon.

CHAPTER 20

Trek stood next to Karv in the communications hub, his gaze trained on the dull metal console. Located at the top of the building and reached by a ramp that spiraled up the interior, the room was ringed with consoles and windows overlooking the city. The antennae that transmitted the signals off-world extended from a central pole in the room that emerged from the ceiling onto the building’s roof.

“Our transmission will be sent into space?” Trek’s gaze shifted between the console and the metal pole.

Karv nodded. He’d shrugged off his cloak since they were the only ones in the room and wore a simple shirt and brown pants, so the two males didn’t look so different anymore. “I set the message to repeat so it will loop until we receive a response. Even if your kinsmen’s ship is far away, the message should travel a long distance.”

“You have possessed this technology for long?” Trek asked, marveling at the ability to send silent messages into the sky.

“It was augmented by the bounty hunters’ own technology so that they could communicate with this planet,” Karv admitted. “Before, our technology was more basic.”

“I’m surprised that your people welcomed technology that would bring interaction with other species,” Trek said before he remembered what he was saying. “Not that I mean to insult your—”

Karv laughed. “No offense taken. You are right that there were many in the city opposed to progress or the peace. I was never one of them.”

Trek raised a brow.

Karv glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice even thought they were alone. “Before the peace, I was secretly part of the Crestek resistance.”

Trek blinked at him. “You mean you wished to make peace with the Dothveks before it was generally accepted?”

Karv shoved one of his sleeves up to reveal a ring of dark tribal marks etched into his skin. “I am one of those who always revered the Dothvek ways. Part of me wished I was one of you.”

“Long ago, we were one people,” Trek reminded him. “That means we are technically still brothers.”

Krav grinned at this, clearly pleased at the thought and Trek’s openness. Loud footsteps made him quickly shove his sleeve back down as Dev burst into the room and they both spun to face him.

“Brother,” Dev gasped, his expression wild.

Karv stared open mouthed. “Did you run up the entire way?”

Dev didn’t answer, instead pinning Trek with an intense gaze.

“Where is Cat?” Trek asked, already dreading the answer, and knowing it deep in his soul.

“Gone.” Dev scraped a hand roughly through his hair.

Karv’s brow furrowed as he looked from one brother to the next. “The female who was with you?”

“Our mate.” Trek locked eyes with Dev. “What do you mean gone?”

“We were in the market. We were given swarka by a street vendor. Then we were accosted by some Crestek males. They insulted Cat, and I answered their challenge.”

“Cresteks harassed you and the female?” Karv’s own face was stormy. “This is unacceptable. There is a peace between our peoples, and any Crestek knows better than to break the peace.”

“I easily defeated the male who challenged me,” Dev said, “but when I looked for Cat after the battle, she was gone.”

“You do not think—?” Trek asked.

“That she left of her own free will?” Dev answered the unspoken question. “That she left us? No. She would not have done that. She was taken.”

Trek sensed Karv stiffen.

“If this is true, then the Cresteks responsible will answer for this,” he said, snatching his cloak from where it had been draped over a nearby console.

“I am grateful for your words, Karv.” Dev’s jaw was tight. “But we do not trust Crestek justice.”

“Then let me prove that there are some Cresteks who believe in peace and a reunified people,” Karv pulled up his sleeve to expose his markings.

“He was with the Crestek resistance,” Trek told his brother.

Dev gave a single nod. “We will not hold the actions of a few against the honor of many. Your assistance is welcome.”

Karv pulled on his cloak and headed for the door, talking as he walked. “Just like there was a Crestek resistance when we were enemies, there is an underground, separatist movement that believes the peace never should have happened, and that our people should remain at odds. They despise Dothveks.”

“You think these separatists could be behind our mate’s disappearance?” Trek pumped his arms as he and Dev jogged with Karv down the ramp that curved around the inside of the tall building.

“I would not be surprised. I can imagine no one else who would have the audacity to carry out the abduction of a female in broad daylight. There are enough separatists that they could have pulled this off and be hiding her in the city.”

“So, they would not have taken her from the city?” Dev asked.

Karv lifted his chin and made a clicking sound with his tongue. “They would never venture beyond the city walls. They believe the sands are for barbarians.” He cut a quick glance at the Dothveks. “Not that I believe that. I believe that we all came from the sands, where the goddess energy still powers the planet.”

“You do not offend,” Dev said. “The sands are our home. We are not ashamed of that.” He eyed the Crestek. “You sound more like one of us than like your own kind.”

Krav’s mouth twitched into a brief smile. “Thank you. That is the greatest compliment you could pay me.”

When they reached the bottom of the building, Krav paused at the door. “I do not know how we will find her, but we will go door to door if we need to do so.”

Trek held up a fist. “We do not need to do that.”

Dev locked eyes with his younger brother. “No, we do not.” He released a breath. “I can sense her now too. She is not far from us.”

Karv swiveled his head from one to the other. “You can sense her thoughts? I thought Dothveks could only sense the thoughts of other Dothveks.”

“We can also sense our mind mates,” Dev said, curling his hands into fists. “And right now, our mate is being held against her will. I feel her fear and her anger.”

Then he took off running, with Trek and Karv close at his heels.

CHAPTER 21

Dev sensed Cat’s anger and her fear, the messy mix of emotions driving him to rush through the Crestek city. He tore through the market square, dodging vendors and avoiding their displays with his brother, and the Crestek named Karv, behind him. As they left the crowded, open area and he darted down a narrow street with buildings looming high on either side, the tangle of thoughts quieted, and he was able to isolate Cat’s voice from the others.

She was nearby, and she was being held against her will, but where?

Dev had never used his empathic abilities to locate someone, and he wasn’t sure his skills could be used like that. Still, he had to try. Sensing his mate’s fear was driving him mad.

He stopped at the intersection of several alleys and rested his hands on his knees as he let his head droop between his shoulders. “I don’t know where she is.”

Krav ran a hand through his short, dark hair as he swiveled his head to take in their surroundings. “You can hear her thoughts, though?”

“Faintly,” Trek said, shrugging one shoulder when the Crestek looked at him in mild surprise. “We both share a mind bond with her.”

“She’s here,” Dev told his brother. “She’s close, but I don’t know exactly where.”

Krav peered at the dirty paving stones lining the alleys, and the dark doorways inset in the buildings. There were no colorful swaths of fabric draped over these narrow passageways, and even the suns didn’t illuminate the shadowy corners. “If the separatists did take her, this would be the area they’d use to hold her.”

“Why do you say that?” Trek asked.

Krav inclined his head. “No one asks questions in an area like this. If there are those who want to avoid the law, they’d be wise to hide out here.”

Dev’s lip twitched in distaste that the Crestek city harbored those who would willfully go against the interest of the clan. The Dothveks were raised to believe they were integrally connected to every member of their clan. A violation against one—or themself—was an injury to all.

Trek locked eyes with Dev. “Maybe you know more about where our mate is than you think, brother.”

Dev closed his eyes and focused all his awareness on Cat. He reached out his own mind, sending her name into the ether and summoning her with everything he had. Even Trek’s mind disappeared from his, as he blocked out every voice but hers. Finally, he sensed a pulse of recognition, and his own name echoed back to him.

Dev. Is that you?

He sucked in a breath, startled by how clear he could hear her in his mind. It’s me. Where are you?

There was a long silence, and he feared he’d lost the connection. I don’t know. Someplace dark and damp.

His heart sank. That could be anywhere. He shielded his disappointment from her, though. Don’t worry. We’re coming for you.

Hurry.

The tremor of fear in her request was a blade to his gut, and he gasped from the physical ache of it.

“Dev?”

Trek’s voice pulled him back, and he opened his eyes.

“She’s safe, but frightened.”

Trek growled, pressing his angled brows together until they nearly met. “Where?”

“She doesn’t know. Only that it is dark and damp.”

“Damp?” Karv straightened. “That must mean she is being held underground, and in an area with bad drainage—like this one.”

“That doesn’t get us any closer to finding her.” Dev scanned the tall buildings that extended endlessly in all directions.

Trek whipped the curved blade from his waist. “Then we go building to building and search.”

Dev understood his brother’s need to do something, but he also understood the look of horror that crossed Karv’s face. Two Dothveks bursting into Crestek homes might not go over well, and it also might tip off those who were holding Cat. Word would spread before they might reach her, giving the abductors time to move her to another hiding place. He put a hand on his brother’s arm. “We need to retain the upper hand and be stealthy. Even if we wish to tear the city apart to find her.”

Trek heaved in a breath, his menacing expression relaxing after a tense moment. “Then what do you suggest?”

“If she was taken against her will, someone must have seen something,” Karv said.

“The market square was crowded, and all eyes were on the fight,” Dev said through gritted teeth, hating that he’d been so easily tricked into the battle that had provided the perfect distraction for Cat to be abducted.

“I do not think we ask the Cresteks in the market.” Karv jerked his head up and clicked his tongue. “We need to find someone from the streets who sees everything.”

Dev and Trek exchanged a look. Someone from the streets? They were unaware of his meaning. They’d grown up in an oasis tent village on the sands. There were no streets and no secrets. When only tent fabric separated you from your neighbor, and thoughts were passed from mind to mind as easily as by mouth, there was little you could keep to yourself.

Karv squinted down one alley and then another, his gaze finally alighting on a small figure flattened into a recessed doorway. He raced down the passageway and grabbed the child by the arm before he could flee.

“Whattcha doing?” the boy cried as he struggled to get away.

Dev and Trek caught up to Karv, startled that he held a boy who barely reached their waists. The Crestek boy stopped wiggling when he saw Dev and Trek, his jaw falling open and his eyes bulging. Then his lower lip trembled.

“We only want to ask you some questions,” Karv said.

Tears pooled in the boy’s eyes. “You aren’t going to let them eat me?”

Dev and Trek jerked back when they realized that the boy meant them. He was afraid that the Dothveks were going to devour him.

“We do not eat children,” Dev said, “no matter what you might have heard about us.”

The boy sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his free hand, casting suspicious looks at the twins. “Promise?”

Karv gave his scruff a small shake. “If you tell us the truth.”

The boy bobbed nodded his head. “What do you want to know?”

“Did you see a female who doesn’t look like us?” Karv asked. “A human woman?”

“She would have been with some Cresteks,” Dev added.

Recognition crossed the boy’s dirty face. “Dressed like a boy with long hair and no cloak?”

Hope surged within Dev. “That’s her. Did you see where she went?”

The boy nodded. “Two fellas were carrying her. Looked like she was sleeping.” He scowled. “One of them kicked me and told me to beat it and stop staring.”

Dev tempered his voice. “They don’t sound nice.”

Trek knelt to the boy’s level. “I’ll bet a smart boy like you noticed where they took her.”

The boy gave him a half grin. “Sure did.” He jerked a thumb behind him. “Next street over that way. The door with the handle that’s crooked.”

Karv handed the boy a dull, silver coin while Trek patted his shoulder. Dev didn’t wait. He took off to find the door with the crooked handle, his heart thundering and anticipation making it hard for him to breathe.

CHAPTER 22

Cat breathed in the dank air, tugging at the ropes binding her wrists. Her eyes had fully adjusted to the faint light, but she shivered from the cold and wished she was wearing her old clothes. She cut her gaze to the silky fabric that draped from the skinny straps on her shoulders and barely covered her cleavage. Did Crestek women really wear such flimsy outfits? The fabric was so sheer she suspected she’d be able to see through it in the light, which explained why they wore cloaks. Surely the males didn’t wear such diaphanous garments.

This thought made a nervous giggle bubble in her throat. Even though she was shivering and scared, she couldn’t help laughing at the thought of the Cresteks in see-through pants. No Dothvek would wear something so impractical. Their leather pants were designed for the harsh environment of the desert and for moving quickly.

Thinking of the Dothveks—and of Dev and Trek—made an ache throb in her chest. She’d been able to sense Dev, and she knew he was close and that they were searching for her, but she couldn’t tell him where she was. Her insistence on leaving the planet seemed so petty now. All she wanted was to be free and to see the twins again.

“Something funny?”

The raspy voice from the doorway made her jump. She hadn’t noticed the crack in the door or the fact that her laughter had lingered. Cat pressed her lips together. The less she said, the better.

The Crestek who stepped into the room and pulled the door closed behind him wasn’t the one who’d been in earlier. It was hard to make out features in the shadowy light, but she thought he was one of the goons who’d been behind the Crestek who’d challenged Dev. Which meant that he was probably one of the ones who jabbed her in the ass and dragged her from the fight. More of a reason to say nothing to him.

He walked closer, bending down, and eyeing her openly. “Not in the mood to talk?”

Cat could see that he’d pushed back his hood, exposing his short hair and pointed ears. His eyebrows were dark slashes over his amber eyes. It was unnerving how much the Cresteks and Dothveks resembled each other, and she had to remind herself that they’d once been one people before becoming mortal enemies. How could the Cresteks see so much difference with the Dothveks when she saw so much alike?

When she didn’t answer him, the Crestek smiled and put a hand on her knee. “You came to our city with two Dothveks. You must be something to satisfy two of those barbarians.”

Cat clenched her jaw to keep from flinching as the alien moved his hand up her leg, taking the sheer fabric with it and exposing her bare skin. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear, so she held his gaze in challenge. “If I were you, I wouldn’t touch a Dothvek’s mate, and I really wouldn’t want to touch the mate of two Dothvek warriors.”

“Mate?” The Crestek choked out a laugh. “You think you’re their mate?” He shook his head as if he pitied her. “Those barbarians might enjoy passing you around, but they aren’t civilized enough to take wives like we do.”

“I thought your women took multiple lovers.” Cat couldn’t resist snapping back at the alien’s backward assumption. From what she’d seen, the Dothveks weren’t the uncivilized ones. They weren’t the ones taking women and holding them against their will. They didn’t need to.

The Crestek let out a deep, menacing sound and squeezed her leg hard. Cat bit her lip to keep from crying aloud.

“Maybe we’ll show you what it’s like to take multiple Crestek lovers. Then you can decide if you like our way or theirs.” He pushed her skirts all the way up and wrenched her knees apart as she fought to keep them closed.

Fear clawed at her throat, but then she was overcome with an even stronger sensation—rage. And it wasn’t hers.

There was a loud crash from outside the room, followed by heavy thuds and muffled screams. The Crestek jumped back and spun around, but he had barely reached the door when it flew open and sent him stumbling to the floor.

Dev and Trek rushed inside with blades drawn, their faces fierce as they looked to her and then to the Crestek on the floor. Dev reached down and lifted the alien by his neck, turning and throwing him forcefully from the room where he crashed loudly into something.

Trek hurried to her, pulling down her skirt and moving his hands over her. “Did they hurt you?”

Dev loomed behind him, breathing heavily. “Did they touch you?”

Cat let out a shaky breath as Trek untied her hands. “No, I’m fine.”

“You are wearing Crestek clothes,” Dev growled, frowning at the sheer fabric that barely covered her, and then scowling at the motionless Crestek on the floor, as if he wished he could knock him out again.

When her hands were free, she leapt up and threw herself into Dev’s arms. He staggered back before wrapping his strong arms around her and lifting her feet from the floor.

“You found me,” she whispered into his neck as he held her. “You came for me.”

“I will always come for you,” he husked, burying his face in her hair. “We will always come for you.”

Cat pulled back, smiling through blurry eyes, and turned to throw herself at Trek, who wrapped her in just as tight an embrace. “I hoped you would know that I didn’t run off and leave you to fight alone.”

“We didn’t think that,” Trek reassured her. “Not when we were so close to getting you back to your ship.”

Cat hesitated. Did she even care about her ship anymore? Was she willing to give up her life and her future to stay with two alien barbarians she barely knew?

As she opened her mouth to tell them she’d changed her mind about leaving, a Crestek ran into the room. This wasn’t one of the ones who’d been holding her, and he wasn’t wearing a cloak. Still, she huddled closer to Trek.

“This is Karv,” he said, nodding to the Crestek. “He helped us find you.”

Karv gave her an oddly formal bow before looking at Trek and then Dev. “I’ve tied up the criminals so they can be taken before the Crestek tribunal, but first you should come with me.”

When no one moved, Karv beckoned with one arm. “A ship has just appeared over the city. Your kinsmen answered your hail.”

CHAPTER 23

Trek walked quickly from the building, keeping one arm firmly around Cat. He was so relieved to have found her unharmed, he wasn’t willing to let her go for even a moment.

“This way.” Karv jogged ahead as he led them back through the labyrinth of alleys and narrow passageways of the city. The dingy shadows gave way to wider streets and soon they were surrounded by chattering Cresteks all peering at the sky from where the large bounty hunter ship descended.

Trek’s heart lurched both with excitement and trepidation. He was glad that his kinsmen had responded so quickly to his hail, but he wasn’t ready to let the female go. They’d just found her again. Was she truly going to go back to her ship after this?

His own emotions were in turmoil, and he could sense a similar restless unease within his brother. Neither of them would ever stoop to the level of the Cresteks and force their will on a female, but could they let her go? Trek had never believed that he and his brother would find a single mate they could share, much less one who shared a mind bond with each of them. How could they give her up?

Trek glanced over at Dev as they walked three abreast through the open gates of the city, at the same time as the ship touched down. The hot exhaust made dirt swirl into the air, and the noise of the engines was deafening as the huge ship powered down and the ramp began to lower.

He slipped his hand from Cat’s waist and clasped her hand, noticing that his brother held her other hand. She peered at him with a nervous smile, giving his hand a squeeze.

Trek tore his gaze from her. How could he say anything? She was clearly thrilled to be getting off his planet. All she’d wanted since she’d crashed in the sands was to return to her life and her ship. She wasn’t ready to live as a Dothvek, even if she did have feelings for them. He steeled himself for what he needed to do as the metal ramped hit the ground and rattled from the impact.

The first Dothvek to clomp down the ramp was Vrax, and Trek’s shoulder relaxed instantly. The warrior was younger than some of the others who’d taken bounty hunter mates, and he and Dev had fought in many battles by Vrax’s side.

When Vrax spotted him, he beamed and ran the last few steps down the ramp. “When I saw that we had a hail from the twins, I wondered…” His words drifted off as his gaze wandered to the human standing between Trek and Dev. “Ah, now I understand.”

Dev stepped forward and pulled Vrax into a back-thumping hug. “Do you?”

“This is Catarina,” Trek said when Vrax and Dev separated. “She was a crew member aboard a space cruiser who was forced to abandon ship and landed here.”

“You rescued her from the sands?”

Trek looked around Vrax to see K’alvek striding down the ramp.

“Just as you found and saved your mate,” Dev said, reminding the Dothvek of how he’d met the captain of the bounty hunter ship.

K’alvek grunted and nodded at Cat. “I hope my Dothvek brothers have treated you well.”

Cat flushed and stammered, clearly overwhelmed by all the bare-chested Dothveks emerging from the ship, their chests and arms carrying various tribal markings. Despite living on a spaceship, the Dothveks still dressed as they did on the sands and looked like they were ready to spring into a battle.

“We know of a space cruiser from Earth that was forced to land on Carnack Prime for repairs,” K’alvek said, crossing his arms over a broad chest that was adorned with black slashes.

“That’s my ship,” Cat said, bouncing on her toes. “Do you know if the crew is safe? Did everyone who abandoned ship return safely?”

K’alvek rocked back on his heels. “I do not know all the details, but I am aware of the crew being reassembled.” He eyed her with curiosity, clearly perplexed why a human was dressed like a Crestek female. “You might be the crew member who ended up farthest from the ship.”

“I had some difficulty with my pod,” Cat said, her gaze dropping.

“But my kinsmen saved you.”

Cat looked from Trek to Dev. “They did. Not only did they save me from being sucked under the sand with my pod, but they also saved me from a swarm of flying bugs and from some creepy Cresteks.”

K’alvek’s eyes widened, and his gaze slid to Dev and Trek and then to the Crestek Karv. “There is trouble with the peace?”

Karv stepped forward. “There are a few Crestek separatists, but nothing that threatens the truce.”

“Karv helped us send the transmission and find Cat,” Trek said. “He also used to be a part of the Crestek resistance.”

“Karv!”

All eyes went to the alien hurrying down the ramp. He was dressed like the other Dothveks, but his dark hair was short, and the markings on his chest were more ornate.

“T’Kar!” Karv rushed forward and clasped his arm. “It is good to see you again.”

T’Kar pivoted to the other Dothveks. “Karv and I worked together in the Crestek resistance. He wished to be a Dothvek as much as I did.”

Karv admired T’Kar’s appearance, and the curved blade hooked to his waist. “You got what we both wanted.”

“He earned it,” Vrax said. “Now he’s as much a Dothvek as any of us.”

T’Kar squared his shoulders before tilting his head at his old friend. “You sent the transmission, Karv?”

“Apologies for not explaining everything in the hail,” Karv said, “but Trek said he’d tell all when you arrived.”

All eyes were on Trek, who flicked a gaze to his brother. “The human needs to be returned to her ship.”

K’alvek appraised the twin warriors and the female standing between them. “We can return her to her ship. Carnack Prime is not far from our next mission.” He let his pointed gaze linger on both warriors for a beat. “Is that all you need from us?”

Cat stepped forward shaking her head. “No.”

“No, that’s not all?” K’alvek asked. “How else can we assist you?”

Cat lifted her chin before spinning to face Dev and Trek with a fierce expression. “No, I don’t want to go back to my ship.”

CHAPTER 24

Dev stared at Cat, his heart filling with joy even as gut twisted. He forced the words from his mouth as if they were poison. “You should return to your ship. It’s the future you want, and you would not be happy on our planet.” He flicked a quick glance at his brother. “We do not want to be the reason for your unhappiness.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Who says I would be unhappy?”

Dev was aware that the Dothveks from the bounty hunting ship were observing this conversation with interest, and part of him wished they were not standing at the bottom of the ship’s ramp. “You have no desire to live in a tent on the sands, but that is our home.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it, whatever argument she’d intended to make dying on her lips.

“You wish for a life free from struggle,” he continued. “We can’t offer you that.”

“Brother,” Trek said urgently, his voice low.

Dev shot him a look. “You wish to be the reason she sacrifices her dreams?”

Trek’s shoulders sagged, and he pressed his lips together. Dev could sense his brother’s dismay but also his realization that he was right. They couldn’t keep Cat on their planet just because they were able to form a mind bond. She wasn’t a Dothvek, and she wasn’t used to their ways, or their world. Dev refused to talk her into staying and then be the reason she was miserable.

“Who says I would be miserable?” she snapped. “I never said that or thought it, so you might want to check out your mind-reading powers because I think you’re glitching.”

K’alvek and Vrax both went wide-eyed at this, but it was Trek who held up his hands.

“Dev doesn’t mean to put words into your mouth, but can you truly tell us that you would give up life on your cruiser to stay on our planet? You were not fond of the hashara, and that is only one of the surprises of the sands.”

“So, either I leave you both forever, or I have to stay here and live in a tent in the desert?” Cat’s voice cracked as she swung her head from one brother to the other.

“There is another option.”

Dev jerked his attention to the top of the ramp, frowning as Tommel strode down. His long hair was shot through with silver, and gray grizzled the stubble on his cheeks. His cheek was etched with intricate swirls that stretched across his shoulders.

Dev sensed his brother tense beside him. They had a bumpy past with the elder Dothvek, and Tommel had been the one to reject their request to join the bounty hunting crew not long ago. It was no secret that Tommel thought the twins to be impulsive and young, which was true when compared to his experience and cautious nature. Dev fought the urge to scowl when Tommel faced him.

“You think my decision before was unfair,” the older Dothvek said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

It wasn’t a question, so neither twin responded.

“I told you that unmated Dothveks would upset the balance of our bounty hunting crew,” he continued. “I stand by that statement.” His gaze slid to Cat. “But things appear to have changed.”

Dev studied the Dothvek’s solemn expression as the words sank in, but Trek was the first to speak.

“Do you mean you would consider allowing all three of us to join your crew?”

Tommel glanced at K’alvek, Vrax, and T’Kar. Although the Dothveks gave him the briefest of glances in return, it was enough. “We would.”

K’alvek locked his gaze on Cat. “Then it is true you have bonded with both twins? You are mind mates with Dev and Trek?”

Cat gave the twins shy smiles before nodding. “It’s true. I don’t know how, but I can hear what both are feeling and thinking.”

Tommel’s slanted eyebrows rose. “Twin mind mating with a human female?”

Dev gave him a challenging look. “You don’t believe us?”

“Twin mind mating is rare,” Tommel said. “I believed the stories to be myth, but it is even more unbelievable that it would occur with a human.”

Cat took both Dev’s and Trek’s hands. “Well, believe it, buddy.”

Dev grinned at Tommel’s startled expression. The elder had most certainly never been called buddy before.

Dev stepped closer to Cat but kept his gaze on Tommel. “You must sense the truth of our claim. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have suggested we join your crew.”

Tommel inclined his head. “I wanted to hear it from the female. I also wanted to ascertain that you two had not sweet-talked her into something she didn’t wish.”

Trek laughed. “You have great regard for our charm.”

“Perhaps.” Tommel cocked his head. “I have seen it in action more than I care to admit.”

Dev shifted from one foot to the other, the sand warm on his feet. He and Trek had befriended Tommel’s mate before he had secured her, and they’d always regretted their brash and aggressive behavior toward the older Dothvek.

Dev squeezed Cat’s hand, the softness of her skin sending a pulse of warmth through him. “We are not the same Dothveks we were.”

Tommel’s gaze swept across the threesome. Finally, he gave a single, sharp nod. “I can see that. The human has cooled the fires that stoked hot within you. You will make fine additions to our team.”

Then Tommel turned and took long steps back up the ramp and disappeared into the ship.

Cat swung her head from Dev to Trek. “Does that mean we get to stay together?”

“As long as you don’t mind joining our crew and being bounty hunters,” Vrax said with a wink. “But don’t worry, it’s not a ship filled with Dothveks. There are plenty of human women on board.”

“Really?” Cat’s face brightened.

“Our captain is a female,” K’alvek said, “and my mate.”

“Fair warning,” Vrax said from the side of his mouth. “There are also some babies on board, and they’re not exactly quiet.”

K’alvek frowned at Vrax, who held up his palms.

“I don’t mind babies,” Cat said, eagerly eyeing the ship before she bit her lower lip. “I don’t suppose there’s any way I could get a message to my friend on the cruiser to tell her I won’t be returning.”

“I can take care of that for you.” T’Kar waved a hand as he started up the ramp. “If you’re ready to go.”

“Are we?” Dev asked, holding Cat’s gaze and ensuring she understood what she was doing. As much as he loved his planet, he would eagerly make his life in space if he could make it with her. Are you ready to spend the rest of your life as our mates?

She beamed at him, and then Trek, squeezing both of their hands. “I’m more than ready.”

CHAPTER 25

Cat followed Dev, as he followed the Dothvek called Vrax, as they wound through the ship.

“This is a Zevrian mercenary ship,” Vrax said, as if that was explanation enough for the smooth, black walls and sleek interior. Beneath their feet, the engine hummed as they flew from the sand planet.

“What’s a Zevrian?” She didn’t know much about different alien species, but she was sure she’d never heard of the Zevrians.

“A species of serious badasses.” Vrax glanced back at her. “Violent, short-tempered, skilled at killing.”

Cat shuddered. “How is it you have their ship?” The question she didn’t ask was if there were violent Zevrians looking for their ship.

Vrax grinned at her. “My mate is Zevrian. You’ll meet her. She’s the one who commandeered the ship, but now it flies as a joint human-Dothvek vessel. The Zevrians have no claim to it.”

“How reassuring,” Cat mumbled to herself as they continued down the corridor, and she heard Trek chuckle behind her.

The interior of the ship was blessedly cooler than the hot, dusty surface of the sand planet, and the air carried the faint scent of fuel. Cat rubbed her arms briskly as she adjusted to the recirculated, cooled air piping from the ceiling vents. From behind her, Trek’s large hands covered hers and the heat from his skin sent warmth through her.

Vrax paused in front of a handleless door that was as black as the glossy walls. “This will be your quarters for now.” His gaze darted to Dev and then Trek. “Two smaller quarters connected by a bathing chamber. We can try to configure a larger, single—”

“It will be fine,” Dev said before the Dothvek could finish.

Vrax’s lips quirked. “I thought it would be.” He touched his palm to a panel beside the door and it slid open silently. “Take your time settling into your quarters. We eat together in the ship’s mess after third watch.” He met both Dothveks’ eyes for a beat. “We’ll assign your ship duties tomorrow.”

“I hope I get ship duties, too,” Cat said. “I was a steward on a star cruiser.” She didn’t add that she stunk at the job. That was mostly because she was forced to deal with high-maintenance people. She doubted this ship had prima donnas like that.

Vrax grinned at her. “There are always things to be done on a ship. I’m sure the captain will put you to work.”

Cat felt a strange sense of satisfaction as Vrax walked away, and Dev swept an arm wide to usher her into their quarters. She didn’t feel overwhelmed like she had when she’d boarded the star cruiser, and she didn’t feel embarrassed that she was sharing quarters with two Dothveks. So far, the bounty hunters had taken her arrangement with Dev and Trek in stride, accepting the mind bond the three of them shared without further question.

She stepped into the first of the two rooms and was glad there were two of them. The quarters were just what she’d expect from an alien mercenary ship—simple and utilitarian. The walls were as black as the ones in the corridor and arched at the ceiling. There was a bed big enough for two fitted snugly with a dark gray blanket and topped with a pair of pillows. The nightstand was small and circular, with an attached, goose-necked light, and a black desktop jutted from the wall with a stool for it bolted to the floor.

Cat peeked into the open doorway into the bathroom, not surprised to see that it was all glossy, black tile, with another door opening into an identical bedroom. The towels hanging on the racks were the color of iron, and a spicy, male scent hung in the air.

She pivoted to face the twins. “So, how does this work? I get one room and you two share the other?” Their faces registered shock before she let a giggle escape. “I’m kidding, but you should see your faces.”

Dev growled. “I will share you with my brother, but I will not share a bed with him alone.”

“Nor will I,” Trek said. “We have shared a tent, but we have always had separate furs.”

“You also had separate women,” Cat reminded them.

“This is different.” Trek closed the distance between them and rested a hand on her hip as he faced her. “Sharing you does not feel like sharing.”

Dev stepped closer and put a hand on her other hip, his body brushing the back of hers. “It feels like completion.”

Her heart pounded as the two huge aliens pinned her from both sides, and she cleared her throat. “I don’t know about you two, but I need a shower.”

Trek ran his hands up her sides, taking the gossamer layers of the Crestek dress with them and pulling it over her head.

Cat stood in her panties, her jaw dangling. “What are you doing?”

“You said you wished to shower.” Dev swiftly unhooked her bra from behind, and Trek pulled it down her arms, the twins working perfectly in sync. Then Trek cupped her breasts while his brother slid her panties down the length of her legs.

Her breath was ragged as Trek thumbed her nipples, but she managed to grab his pants and yank them down. When his angled brows peaked, she shrugged. “Turnabout is fair play.” Then she turned and did the same to Dev’s pants until both pairs were pooled around their ankles.

Trek half growled, half laughed as he tugged her toward the bathroom, and Dev followed, his eyes molten as they raked up and down her body. Trek flicked on the water, which flowed from multiple spouts in the ceiling, and pulled Cat under it before it warmed. She gasped at the cold, her heart lurching, and her skin pebbling as she attempted to back away.

“I will warm you,” Dev husked, as he sandwiched her body from behind, the water rushing over all three of them as it slowly heated. He circled his arms around her back and palmed her breasts, as Trek’s chest brushed her tight nipples.

Cat moaned, the heat of the Dothveks’ bodies making her forget the water’s chill as they ran their hands over her skin. She tipped her head back and let the water flow through her hair and wash away the dirt and grime of the past few days. The feel of the water and the two males one either side of her melted all the fear and worry that had consumed her for so long.

The sensation of Trek’s lips on hers made her catch her breath, his kiss starting soft and tender and then deepening. His tongue parted her lips as he delved into her mouth. Dev’s hands never stopped caressing her breasts, but soon he was pivoting her, snatching her lips from his brother, and claiming them for himself. She barely had a moment to breathe before he was kissing her, his lips even more forceful as he tangled his tongue with hers.

She moaned into his mouth as she submitted to him—to both of them. She was safe now. Dev and Trek would never let anything bad happen to her again. She was theirs, and they were hers. She released a groan. If being their mate and being possessed by them meant feeling so secure and safe and happy, then she never wanted to be apart from them again.

Pressing her palms against Trek’s hard chest muscles, she started to lower herself.

“What are you—?”

She fisted his thick cock in one hand, and then took Dev’s equally impressive cock in the other as Trek’s words died out slowly. The water continued to rush over them, but Cat barely noticed it, as she closed her lips around the broad crown of Trek’s cock. It was wet and hot and deliciously slippery as she slid her mouth over it, bumping each raised ring and sucking it as far down her throat as she could. Trek’s moan filled the small bathroom and echoed off the tile.

Cat was flush with empowerment as she pulled back and moved to Dev, taking him into her mouth and swirling her tongue around his head and each thick ring before she took all his rigid length down her throat. His dominant growl sent tingles up her spine as he fisted his hand in her hair.

Trek’s hand joined his brother’s hand to tangle in her hair, and they guided her head as she moved from one to the other, sucking them both until their desperate noises were so loud they reverberated through her bones. She loved that she was the one provoking such animalistic sounds, and she moaned her own pleasure around their cocks.

Before she could finish either of them, Dev grabbed her elbows and lifted her up, spinning her around and bending her over so she had to brace her hands against the slick, tile wall. The water was now hot and pounded on her back, as he and Dev positioned themselves behind her.

Dragging the head of his cock through her slickness, he notched himself at her opening before reaching around and finding her clit with his finger. He circled it as he slowly pushed into her, each one of his raised rings stretching her and making her bite on her bottom lip.

When Cat twisted her head to look at him, Dev’s golden skin glistened, and his chest muscles were taut as he looked at where he was entering her. Trek stood next to him, his gaze scouring her body hungrily as he watched his brother fill her.

“You take my brother so well,” he said over the sound of the water.

“Just like I’m going to take you,” she told him, which made Trek growl.

Dev glanced at his brother. Do you like to watch her stretched around my cock?

Trek’s eyes were dark with desire. She’s so tight.

But she takes us so well.

Trek fisted his own cock as he watched Dev stroke in and out. Cat dropped her head between her shoulders, Dev’s steady circling of her clit and their dirty thoughts about fucking her sending tremors through her body.

She moaned as her pussy clenched around Dev’s cock, but as waves of pleasure rushed over her, she was aware of Dev pulling out and Trek thrusting himself inside her. The deep intrusion made her suck in breath as her release rippled through her, Trek holding himself deep.

He leaned over her, his lips buzzing her ear. “I wanted to feel you come on my cock.”

Do you like coming on both of our cocks? Dev asked.

Cat hum-sighed her answer as her body continued to vibrate with pleasure, the idea that she’d come while both had been inside her arrowing another pulse of desire through her. She already felt drugged with endorphins, even though the twin Dothveks weren’t done with her.

She’s even tighter now, brother, Trek told Dev, and he weaved his fingers into her wet hair and pulled her head back so he could crush his lips to hers. His tongue stroked hers with the same punishing pace as his cock thrust inside her. And she tastes so good.

The ship seemed to shift as Trek drove into her again and again, his lips as insistent as his cock as it plundered her. Then his pace quickened, and he threw back his head and roared, emptying into her.

Then he pulled out, and Dev pulled her to standing and spun her around to face him. He hoisted her up, so her legs were around his waist, and he drove her down on his cock. Cat inhaled sharply, bracing her hands on his slippery shoulders as he held her ass and moved her up and down.

“My brother was right,” he panted. “You’re even tighter on my cock.”

She’s perfect. Trek circled his arms around her from behind and cupped her breasts, rolling her hard nipples between his fingers as Dev watched with unbridled hunger.

“We’re both going to fill you.” Dev pumped her faster on his cock. “Do you want that?”

She nodded desperately.

We’re both going to fuck you like this every night, Dev’s brow was furrowed intensely. You like that, don’t you? You like to take us together. One cock after the other.

Flames licked Cat’s skin as she rolled her head back and moaned in surrender.

Not just every night. Trek nuzzled her neck. I want to wake inside you. He pinched her nipples. With your lips wrapped around my brother’s cock.

At this, Dev pistoned hard into her, driving her down and holding himself deep as he pulsed hot inside her. As he was gasping for breath, Trek laughed low and whispered into Cat’s ear as his brother’s cock still filled her. “Don’t you want that, mate?”

All her nerve endings were on fire as she tried to remember how to breathe. Even though her mind was a euphoric daze, she knew one thing. She did want everything both of them could give her. She wanted to take both twins just like this. Cat locked eyes with Dev and then hooked her arm around Trek’s neck behind her. I do.

EPILOGUE

Maya stepped tentatively from the shuttlecraft and peered up at the towering stone walls surrounding the city. This was where the transmission had originated? Cat was somewhere inside this alien city?

She flipped her black curls off her shoulder and inhaled the hot air, already wishing that she was back on the climate-controlled ship. “This heat is going to fuck with my hair.”

Not that she would be on the alien planet for long. She was there to get Cat and take her back to the repaired ship, so she’d have to suck up the heat and the sand. She groaned as her boot sank into the powdery gold granules. Too bad there wasn’t a cool expanse of blue water attached to the sand.

“I’ll find Cat and be right back,” she called over her shoulder to the shuttle pilot.

“You want me to go with you?”

She eyed the open gates and remembered the transmission. “No. The aliens on the planet aren’t supposed to be dangerous. Besides, Cat sent a message about them saving her. I’ll go in, grab her, and we’ll leave.”

“Suit yourself.”

Maya rolled her eyes. The pilot who’d flown her wouldn’t have been much help, anyway. He was one of the third stringers, and he seemed to prefer napping to anything else. She glanced back at the cockpit and could see that he already had his feet propped on the console, and his head was tipped back on the headrest.

She guessed she should be grateful that she was allowed to take a shuttle in the first place. The only reason the space cruiser captain allowed it was because they were still waiting for repairs to be finished before loading all the passengers and resuming their flight. She doubted he’d have humored her even to retrieve one of the upper deck stewards if they’d been ready to fly. The ship was already behind schedule, which meant the privileged passengers were annoyed, which meant the captain was taking the heat. The second they were ready to go, the cruiser would depart—missing steward back on board, or not.

“Let’s do this,” Maya said under her breath as she trudged forward.

The thick gates loomed as she entered the city, and her gaze went to the shimmering domes and brightly colored fabric crisscrossing overhead. Despite its ancient appearance, the Crestek city clearly had the technological capacity to send transmissions, which meant it couldn’t be as backward as it seemed when they’d descended to the sand-covered planet.

She was aware that she was the only one not wearing a long robe and hood as she moved tentatively through a central square, gazes swiveling to her and hems flapping as natives turned to watch. Obviously, they didn’t get many visitors.

Maya searched the crowd for a glimpse of Cat. The woman had to be there somewhere. She had sent a transmission that she was on the planet, although it had been vague. Maya assumed she’d be in the only city they’d detected on their scans of the planet. If she was somewhere else, the search was going to take a lot longer than she’d planned.

“You’re human.”

Maya spun at the statement, tipping her head up to meet the eyes of the alien who stood smiling down at her. The hood of his robe was pushed back, revealing pointed ears poking through short dark hair. Like all the natives she’d seen so far, his skin was a deep golden hue.

“I am.” She returned his smile. “You don’t seem surprised to see a human here.”

“You aren’t the first human female I’ve encountered.”

Her pulse quickened. “Do you know my friend Cat? Do you know where she is?”

“Yes and yes.” The alien bowed his head slightly. “I am Karv. I sent the transmission that probably brought you here.”

Maya released a breath. “Whew. I was starting to wonder if I was in the right place.”

“You are in the right place, but your friend is no longer in our city.”

Maya face fell. “What? Where did she go?”

Karv tilted his head. “It is a long story, but I will explain everything while I take you to our communications hub where you can send a transmission to her new ship.”

“New ship?” Maya rubbed her forehead, glancing behind her at the open gates then back to the friendly—and hot—alien. This guy seemed like her best bet to find out what happened to her friend, and she could still leave and get back to her shuttle before nightfall.

“Your friend Catarina had a bit of an adventure while she was on our planet, but I assure you she’s safe.” Karv took a few steps and then stopped and waited for her to follow him. “I should be able to connect you to her ship so you can talk to her.”

Maybe it was the alien’s smile, but she trusted him even though she’d just met him, and she was alone in an alien city. She was dying to find out what had happened to Cat, and this guy appeared to have the answers. She sighed and shrugged off her hesitation as she followed him. “Lead on.”

On the edge of the city square, a Crestek in a long, silver robe observed Karv and Maya with his eyes narrowed. The new Crestek chancellor turned to one of his aides. “Who is the alien female?”

A pudgy Crestek peeked from his purple hood. “A human, excellency. She arrived on a shuttle, which is outside the city gates.”

“Just her?”

“The pilot remained in the vessel. I assume he awaits her return.”

“And why is she here?”

“Her request to land mentioned locating her shipmate, the human who left with the Dothveks and the bounty hunters.”

The chancellor flipped back his hood, revealing a youthful face and intense, amber eyes. “The one who was taken by the separatists?”

The aide’s gaze lowered. “Yes.”

“These humans are quite alluring, aren’t they?” The chancellor’s gaze tracked Maya walking next to Karv. “It’s too bad all the ones who previously came to our planet were claimed by Dothveks.” His lip curled as his aide’s head snapped to attention. “Maybe we can change that.”

“Excellency?”

The chancellor’s pupils darkened as he watched the human vanish into the crowd. “Take me to the separatists who’re being held for their failed abduction attempt.” He licked his lower lip and let out a low growl. “I have a task for them.”

Thank you for reading Prize! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Tana’s newsletter!

OCTAVIA KORE

PLUMMETING HEARTS

CHAPTER 1

SHERREY

“Two forty-five, two forty-six, two forty-seven…”

Sherrey counted off the room numbers she passed as she walked down the hallway in the staff section of the luxury space cruise liner she’d be calling home for the next couple weeks. Even though she’d gotten a glimpse of the hulking vessel from the shuttle window, Sherrey was amazed by the sheer size of… well, everything.

“Two forty-eight.” She glanced down at the ticket in her hand and sighed with relief. Finally.

“Here we are,” she sang, shifting the belongings in her right arm to her left so she could press her palm to the scanner on the wall. Sherrey and the others who had come aboard early had gone a laborious process upon arrival—scanning their handprints to allow them into specific areas of the ship, making sure their records were updated in the system, and that they’d signed all of the appropriate paperwork.

The latch clicked softly just before the door slid open to reveal her room. A light floral fragrance greeted her, and as she looked around the spacious room, Sherrey realized her mouth was hanging open. Maybe spacious wasn’t the right word? This room was ginormous! She double-checked the number on her ticket and the number on the outside of the door, making sure they matched.

248.

“I think they gave me someone else’s room, te.”

“Let me see!” The voice from her handheld comm demanded excitedly. “I’ve been so curious about how they planned to decorate! The advertisements for the cruise didn’t show any of the quarters.”

“Hold on, hold on. Let me set some of this down,” Sherrey said, dropping her bag on the table next to a holographic bouquet of flowers set inside of a vase. Her dark brows knit together as she inhaled. The floral scent that had met her at the door was coming from the flowers—or maybe it was something nearby?

“Smells nice. How do they get holograms to smell pretty?”

In the center of the table, just below the spot where the hologram originated, was a metal nodule, a half-sphere, attached to the table. A small vent took up one side, and she wondered if that was where the scent came from. Her exploration was cut short by the impatient voice of her cousin.

“Hurry up, gwapa!”

“Okay, Ate! You’re so demanding,” Sherrey said with a playful scowl as she held up the comm to show her cousin the room. The bed they’d given her was bigger than anything she’d ever slept in. It had been made up with a plush white comforter, and an even softer steel gray blanket was draped over the foot of the bed. A dark gray headboard shot up from behind the pile of pillows stacked atop the mattress, going all the way up to the ceiling. There was even a tiny foil-wrapped candy sitting in the middle with a welcome note. Jun made an appreciative noise as Sherrey moved around the room, showing her the large closet and the even larger bathroom.

“I’m pretty sure I could fit at least six other people in this shower with me,” she said, stepping into the space and twirling around.

“The Venium aren’t exactly small,” Jun said. “And I hear there are other Galactic Alliance species who will be on board too. They need all that space.”

Sherrey had heard talk about the GEA––the Galactic Enforcement Agency––possibly being on board the cruise, but there had been rumors of them on and around Earth for the last few years. The GEA was basically the police force for the alliance that Earth had joined a few years back. They kept the peace among the allied planets, and their ranks were made up of all different kinds of species.

There were the Orotaw, huge minotaur-like aliens, the Hreki, known to humans as “space orcs,” and the Venium, but that was barely scratching the surface. Svangahn, Tokatori, Maceora, Hisar… The number of other alien species out in the universe had shocked many people, including her. Sherrey had been a child when the war started, but she remembered being on the phone and video calling Jun, who’d been much older than her and living in America.

Her cousin had moved away from the Philippines after college to become a nurse, and that had sparked a similar passion within her at a young age. She’d promised herself that she would follow her ate, that she would become a nurse and move to America, and she had… sort of. Things had changed by the time she was graduating college and going to nursing school. There was war and hardship, and the people in her country needed her help as well. When Jun went missing, it had hurt them all. No more calls and no more messages.

And then one day, they showed up and told Sherrey’s aunt and uncle that they’d come to retrieve them. According to the aliens, who she found out later were the Venium, Jun was now living on their planet, with alien mates and expecting an alien baby. It had taken some time to convince her tita and tito, but after seeing the holographic photos and videos the Venium provided as proof, they’d taken the chance and followed.

Sherrey had saved every last peso she earned and bought a plane ticket to Florida after that. Immigration laws were no longer a barrier by that point, and once the alliance between humans and Venium was formed, life had gotten really interesting. Testing centers opened up all around the world, and volunteers had poured in. It seemed to Sherrey at the time that they hadn’t expected so many to want the testing, but they had seriously underestimated the amount of people who were willing to take a small risk for the promise of a better life.

And monster lovers. She was sure there was a fair amount of those in there as well.

“The room is nice! You’re going to have so much fun!”

Sherrey looked at Jun’s excited face and smiled. “I’m going to be working the whole time, te.”

“I’m sure you can find a little time to have some fun when you aren’t on shift.” Her cousin winked. “Don’t forget, Sher, you’re a potential mate and the Venium need you.”

Not everyone who went in tested positive for alien DNA, and even fewer tested positive for Venium DNA, which was required to be eligible for the Venium Mates program. Sherrey’s DNA results had almost certainly guaranteed her a spot onboard the ship as one of the human medbay nurses.

After it opened, Sherrey had been one of the first to line up at the Tampa testing center. Like her cousin, she’d tested positive for Venium DNA, granting her a coveted spot in the program. It turned out getting in was the easy part. Finding her mate? Now that was a challenge. Maybe she’d been naïve going into it. Jun had found her mate––mates––without even looking for them. How hard could it be, she’d thought. There were so many Venium and so few humans that it should have been easy, right?

An alarm flashed on her comm, obscuring her cousin’s face until she swiped it away. “I have to go check in with medbay, te.”

“Sige sige. Call me later and let me know how everything goes! Babosh!”

Sherrey slipped the comm into the pocket of her jacket and stepped into the bathroom. The mirror behind the sink stretched across the entire wall, and when she stood in front of it, Sherrey felt tiny. Well, tinier. Like most of the women in her family, she was rather short. She ran her fingers her shoulder-length hair and watched as the dark purple strands shimmered in the soft lighting.

“You’ve got this,” Sherrey whispered. “It’s just like any other nursing job… except that it’s on a ship… in outer space.” She took a deep breath in and then blew it out, giving her entire body a quick shake. After a detour to the bed to grab the Venium candy sitting on the pillow and a pat down of her pockets to double-check she had her comm, Sherrey was out the door.

She peeled the foil away from the candy and popped it into her mouth, humming at the sweet, fruity flavor. Strawberries and dragonfruit, Sherrey thought as she stepped into the elevator closest to her room and pulled the comm from her pocket. The Venium who gave Sherrey the room key and made sure all of her paperwork was in order also showed her how to access the maps of the ship on her comm so she wouldn’t get lost in the maze of hallways.

She opened the map, tapped the medbay icon, and followed the route the app laid out for her. Maze was an apt description for the halls, she realized, grimacing down at the screen before looking up at the directional sign on the wall. There was a set of double doors at the end of the short hallway, the glass on it frosted so that she could only make out the dark shadow of whoever was inside as they moved across it.

Above the door was a sign, printed in Venium and English, that read Medical Bay. Sherrey heaved a sigh of relief and hurried forward. While she wasn’t officially on the clock and there was no set time for check-in, she hated the idea of running behind the time she’d set for herself. It was okay. Now that she knew exactly where the medbay was, Sherrey wouldn’t have a problem getting back.

The double doors slid open at her approach, and she stepped inside, coming to a halt just inside the entrance. The medbay was far more spacious than she’d been expecting. The waiting area alone was larger than many of the clinics she had worked in on Earth––and far cleaner. The black tiles that made up the floor shined beneath her feet. Soft light spilled from the lamps set on small, elegant tables placed in the corners of the room, touching the gray blue walls and casting shadows against the cream-colored chairs that lined the walls.

A small reception desk stood to her left, and she moved to stand in front of it. There was no bell to ring or button to push so that she might call someone to the front. Maybe there wasn’t anyone here yet? No, she’d seen a shadow––a huge shadow––from outside. Someone was here.

“Hello?”

No one answered. Sherrey leaned into the desk and tried to peek around the wall that separated the waiting room and what she assumed were the exam rooms, but she could see nothing. Well, there were no patients yet. She wouldn’t be violating anyone’s privacy if she stepped around the desk and took a look behind the wall, so she did just that.

Exam rooms, each one with a bed and a tech-heavy med station, dotted the curved room. There was a small station to her right with a desk and monitors on the back of the wall that separated the clinic from the waiting room. Sherrey assumed this was for the nurse on-call and ran her fingers over the glossy black metal. Very fancy.

Everything in this room––everything on this ship––was way more high-tech than anything she’d ever seen. It was clear that, even though the Venium had gifted humans many advancements, they had been keeping a lot to themselves.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

The deep, rumbling voice danced over her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. Sherrey spun around and blinked up at the massive alien taking up the entire doorway. Her pulse kicked as the Hreki male’s icy blue gaze moved over her face.

There’s definitely something you could help me with, Sherrey thought, fighting the urge to squirm beneath his perusal.

He towered over all four feet eleven inches of her, and when Sherrey’s breath shuddered from between parted lips, the male crossed his arms over his broad chest. The sleeves of the white coat he wore had been pushed up over thick forearms bulging with corded muscle. She bit the inside of her lip at the image that sprang into her mind—of her flat on her stomach with those big arms on either side of her head. She would clutch at them as he rocked against her from behind…

Sus maryosep, she thought, drawing in a shaky breath. Getting a little carried away, aren’t we?

White tattoos were visible on the exposed emerald green skin of his arms and neck, the tips of their intricate patterns touching the edge of his angular jaw. His hair was black as night, and he’d pulled the top section into five thick braids, tying them back into a ponytail and displaying the shaved sides.

There were brightly colored feathers and what looked like sharp teeth or claws woven into the hair, and each of the five long braids was capped in some sort of silver metal. A crescent-shaped sage green birthmark curled around his right eye, highlighting thick pierced brows. Two tusks, each one as long as her pinky finger, jutted from between full lips. The Hreki, an alien race identical to the green-skinned orcs of legend, were also a part of the Galactic Alliance.

Sherrey had met a handful of Hreki GEA officers, and while they’d all been incredibly attractive, none of them had left her feeling the way this male did. Curiosity got the best of her and she allowed her gaze to move lower, taking in the wide expanse of his shoulders and the barrel-shaped torso that transitioned into big hips and even bigger thighs. He was like a giant teddy bear.

A giant green teddy bear that looked like he could snap her in half with very little effort at all. Or maybe he’d use those big hands for good… like cupping her face, breasts, and ass. Yeah, she liked the thought of that. Her gaze landed on the bulge in his black uniform pants.

Sus maryosep…

Sherrey jerked her eyes back up to his face and felt her cheeks heat at the knowing smile on his lips.

“Do you like what you see, little flame?”

“Yes.” The word was nothing more than a breathy whisper, but Sherrey wished she could snatch it back the second she saw his grin widen. She cleared her throat and licked her lips. “I’m here to check in.”

“Check in?” The Hreki male looked her over and tilted his head. “Are you injured? Sick?”

“No, I mean I’m checking in for work. My name is Sherrey Cardinal. I’m one of the human nurses.” She extended her hand and tried to control the shudder that worked her when the male took it. His warm fingers engulfed hers, and she suppressed a soft sigh at the contact. The Hreki stepped closer to her, moving out of the way of a Venium male who slipped out of the office door he’d come from. The other male didn’t spare her a glance, but Sherrey found her gaze drawn toward him.

“I’m Vrauk, and this is Brakeer,” he gestured toward the other male who was busy scrolling through something on his wrist comm. “We’re two of the healers on board. Say hello, Keer.”

“You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow,” Brakeer said over his shoulder as he walked into one of the exam rooms. He held his wrist up to the scanner on the monitor and tapped at the icons that appeared.

The Venium wasn’t as tall as Vrauk, standing perhaps a head shorter, but Brakeer towered over her all the same. His skin was a dark gray, like the big storm clouds that used to sweep in from the beaches or the mountains, dumping rain on her home and flooding the streets. His fushori, the striped markings that decorated his body and parts of his face and hands, were a beautiful royal purple, matching his pupilless eyes. Brakeer frowned at the monitor and ran a hand through his already disheveled black hair, disturbing the short strands and giving Sherrey a glimpse of a few graying streaks near his temple.

“Oh, I just thought it might be a good idea to introduce myself and make sure I know my way around before my first shift,” Sherrey said. Brakeer turned at that, casting her a quick glance before returning his attention to the monitor as his pointed ears twitched. A faint but oddly familiar smell surrounded her, and she drew in a deep breath, letting it fill her up. It was rich and salty, like the breeze that blew in from the ocean and warm like the scent of sun-dried laundry hanging on the clothesline.

Home. That was what it smelled like.

Her abdominal muscles clenched painfully, and Sherrey pressed her hand to her stomach. She looked up at Vrauk and smiled through the cramps as they slowly faded. That candy must not have agreed with her.

“Well, since you’re already here, you could set up your station,” Vrauk said, reaching past her to place a big hand on the boxes stacked at one end of the desk she stood near. “None of the other nurses have come by, so this is your chance to set it up the way you’d like it. It would also be nice to have some company who might respond to me with actual words instead of grunts like this one over here.” He jerked his head toward Brakeer.

The way the male winked at her had Sherrey’s already racing heart skipping a beat. He was so handsome. When was the last time a male had made her feel like this? Most of the Venium she met treated her well enough. They were kind and friendly, but they weren’t looking for friendship. They were hoping for a mate, just like she was, but none of those males, no matter how flirty or attractive, had made her feel the way Vrauk did in this moment.

“Are you finished flirting with our nurse?” Brakeer asked as he moved to the neighboring exam room. “Because if you are, I could use help getting these machines running.”

“Don’t get your tail in a knot, Keer,” Vrauk’s smile widened, lush lips stretched around his tusks as his blue eyes met hers. “Sherrey and I are just talking.”

And God, wasn’t that a shame? When was the last time she’d even gone out with a guy? It would have been before the testing—before her induction into the Venium Mates program. And the last time she had actually had sex? Sherrey mentally groaned. It had been a long time.

There was no rule saying she couldn’t be intimate with anyone, but there was a general understanding that if she were to find a mate, any casual relationship she might be in would be ended immediately. According to her cousin and many of the Venium males she’d spoken to over the years, that was how it was done on Venora. Taking a pleasure mate was common, but they didn’t interfere with a fated pair’s mating.

Sherrey had no idea if Hreki society and biology were anything like the Venium’s. The moment she’d joined the program, her focus had been on finding her own mate, and while all of the other alien races had been fascinating, none of them was her fated.

A shame, she thought, admiring Vrauk one more time before taking a step back and turning toward the desk where the boxes were stacked.

As she unboxed and organized the supplies, Vrauk engaged her in casual conversation. Coincidentally, Sherrey had been assigned to Brakeer and Vrauk as their shift nurse, which meant she would be working with the two of them for the duration of the cruise. While she was sure she would have worked well with the other healers, Sherrey was more than a little relieved to find out she was already getting to know her coworkers.

Even though he was quiet, Brakeer’s presence was actually rather calming. His comfortable silence put her at ease, and by the time she’d finished her task, Sherrey had decided she even liked the furtive way he watched her. Many humans found it hard to tell where a Venium’s gaze was focused since they lacked the same familiar ocular anatomy, but she’d been around enough of them by now to be able to track the movement and shifting of light on the surface. That wasn’t even necessary in this case, though. She could feel his gaze as if he were touching her, brushing his fingers over her hair or the side of her face.

Nope, working with these two wasn’t going to be a hardship at all.

Cramps had plagued her the entire time she’d been with them in medbay, and Sherrey had done her best to mask her discomfort. No more alien candy, she decided as she navigated the halls back to her room. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her muscles quivered as she pressed her clammy palm to the scanner. Sherrey swallowed a couple of painkillers and climbed into the shower, letting the hot water soothe her aches. Despite her best efforts, the cramps only worsened.

She fell onto the oversized bed and groaned, wrapping the thick blankets around her damp body as she shivered. A little rest, she told herself. She’d sleep it off and be ready for her first shift in a couple days. A sudden emptiness filled her—a loneliness that brought an ache to her chest to rival the one in her abdomen. Pulling the blanket tighter around her, Sherrey squeezed her eyes shut and imagined she wasn’t alone, that she was held tight against a warm chest.

What if it was more than one?

Pain spiked through her, and she rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in the soft mattress. What would it feel like to be trapped between two warm bodies? Not just any two bodies, but those of her handsome healers. What would it be like to feel their hands on her heated skin or their lips brushing her neck and shoulders?

More cramping. More pain. Sherrey moaned and shoved the thoughts away, willing her body to relax.

She refused to let an upset stomach get the best of her. Ate Jun had told her to enjoy the cruise, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

CHAPTER 2

BRAKEER

“She didn’t come in today.”

“Hmm?” Brakeer looked up from his work and frowned at his friend. “Who didn’t?”

“Sherrey,” Vrauk said. “Our nurse. You met her two days ago.”

Brakeer nodded. Right. The little human female with the pretty purple hair. In truth, he hadn’t noticed her absence. He had come in for his shift, greeted Vrauk, and gotten down to business. Although it was only the first day of the cruise, there had been a steady stream of patients with complaints ranging from upset stomachs to a broken bone. Brakeer had been a healer for a long time and at this point, nothing surprised him. Especially not the antics of the young. The absence of the little female nurse had barely registered in his mind.

He glanced out the open door at the empty nurses’ station and frowned. “Maybe she misunderstood the schedule?”

Vrauk shook his head. “We talked about it when she was here, and I even sent a copy of it to her comm.”

“Have you tried pinging the number on file?” Brakeer asked. There was a strange sense of dread creeping into his chest. Whether it was from the worry visible on his friend’s face or something more, Brakeer couldn’t say, but he found that he didn’t care for it.

“I tried that before coming to you.” Vrauk’s brows were knit with concern, and his wide mouth was pulled down into a frown.

“Has anyone checked her room?”

The Hreki shook his head, making the metal tips of his braids clack together as they danced around his broad shoulders. “I was waiting for second shift to arrive before doing that.”

Outside the office, Brakeer could hear Colex and Kamila, the healers who were relieving them, arriving. Their voices grew muffled as they moved into their shared office. “Give me a moment to wrap this up and I’ll come with you.”

“You will?”

The surprise in Vrauk’s voice made him bristle. “Why do you sound so shocked?”

The Hreki rolled his blue eyes and folded his arms over his chest. “Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you leave the office at a decent hour.”

“Don’t start,” Brakeer growled. From the moment he’d finished his clinicals and become a healer, his job had been his sole priority. Treating his patients, honing his skills, trying to help his people in all the ways he knew how—those were the things that were important. Making friends, hanging out, faking small talk? No, he wasn’t interested.

He’d met the younger Hreki male at a healers’ conference many solars ago, and although he rarely socialized, Brakeer had found that he genuinely enjoyed Vrauk’s company. In fact, Vrauk was the only reason he was on this ship.

“I’m not trying to start anything,” Vrauk assured him, holding out his hands. “I’m just saying––”

“Vrauk––”

“You’re a bit of a workaholic, that’s all.”

Brakeer glared at his friend—his only friend. “I am not a workaholic. I can, and do, leave my office.” He watched Vrauk’s eyes dart toward a blanket and pillow he’d stashed in the corner the day he arrived on the ship and gritted his teeth. Fine. Perhaps he did have a tendency to stay longer than most, but he wasn’t about to let Vrauk know he might be right. Brakeer swiped away the holoscreen he’d been working at and pushed his chair back. “See? Finished.”

Vrauk pressed his lips together and nodded. “Wow, look at you. I’m so impressed.”

Brakeer stood and stripped the white coat off before hanging it on the hook near the door. “Come on, let’s go find the female. I would hate for you to have to find another nurse to flirt with.”

“Hey, don’t think I didn’t see you sneaking glances, grumpy gills.” Vrauk laughed, nudging his shoulder as they stepped into the examination area and secured their office.

They inclined their heads at the other healers and the human nurse who sat at his station, a cheerful smile on his face. He didn’t make him feel the way Sherrey had, and Brakeer wasn’t exactly pleased that he’d been caught looking. If he were a younger male, Brakeer might have allowed his interest in Sherrey to be known, but he had no business getting involved with her in any capacity. He’d checked her file after she’d left and learned she was part of the Venium Mates program. Of course she was. Whether they were crew members or passengers, every human on board the ship had been tested and thoroughly vetted. His people weren’t going to waste an opportunity for a potential match.

Sherrey was young, and he had no doubt her mate was out there somewhere, but after sixty-two solars of searching, Brakeer had given up the hope that he might find his own. He was past the stage that most of his people considered “prime,” and he had resigned himself to the belief that he would likely never find his fated mate.

Vrauk’s stride was longer than his, but the male slowed his steps to match Brakeer’s as they hurried down the hallway. “Do you think she’s okay?” Vrauk asked when they stepped into the crew elevator.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” he said, patting his friend’s muscular arm. “You likely just scared her off with all that tusk flashing and––”

“Oh, shut up.” Vrauk laughed, swatting Brakeer’s hand.

“All the posturing and preening you were doing,” he puffed out his chest and crossed his arms, mimicking his friend’s stance. “My name’s Vrauk.” Brakeer lowered his voice and growled.

“That is not how I sounded.” His friend shook his head.

The doors to the elevator opened, and they stepped out into the hallway. The crew quarters took up an entire section of one floor, and from what he’d seen, they hadn’t separated any of the crew by species. Brakeer lifted his arm, “Comm, bring up the crew file for Sherrey Cardinal.” He rattled off his access code and waited as the device processed his command. A moment later, Sherrey’s information appeared on the projection on his forearm. “This way.”

“You don’t think I actually scared her off, do you?”

Brakeer looked up at Vrauk, surprised by the genuine distress in his voice. “I was only joking. I truly doubt it was anything you said or did. It seemed to me that she liked you.” They approached her door, and Vrauk knocked before pressing the buzzer on the scanner. He could hear the faint sound of the chime from within, but nothing else. No movement, no one calling out. “Comm, is Nurse Sherrey Cardinal still on board?”

“Records show that Nurse Sherrey Cardinal is on board,” the unit responded.

“Something isn’t right, Keer,” Vrauk said, shifting restlessly at his side. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like this.”

He didn’t either.

Brakeer placed his palm on the scanner and then entered the emergency access code. When the door slid open, he pounded on the wall and leaned in to glance around the small entry. “Sherrey? It’s Healer Brakeer and Healer Vrauk. We’re coming in to check on you.” They stepped inside and a soft, sweet smell reached him. It was the same one that had clouded his mind when he met Sherrey.

“The bed.” Vrauk rushed past him and reached out toward the human-sized lump beneath the tangled blankets, placing his hand on top. “Sherrey? Can you hear me?”

The top of her head was just visible at the edge of the blanket, her vibrant purple strands standing out against the gray pillow. Brakeer grabbed the blanket and pulled it back, exposing her shivering nude body. A strong, musky scent hit him square in the chest, filling his lungs and stealing his breath. His kokoras, hidden within his sheath, hardened painfully and pressed against the slit, threatening to extrude. Brakeer gnashed his teeth, puzzled by the way his body was reacting.

“There’s blood,” Vrauk growled, yanking the blanket the rest of the way off her and tossing it behind him. “Brakeer!”

He heard his name, but a deafening buzz filled his ears, drowning everything out as Brakeer stared down at the blood-soaked sheets. The sight of it had never affected him before, not this way. The room titled, and Brakeer swayed as he struggled to keep his footing.

“Keer!”

Vrauk was standing at his side now, his dark brows drawn together as he cupped Brakeer’s face in his big hands. The simple contact set his skin on fire. When had his friend moved? How had he not noticed the massive Hreki coming to him? Blinking away the fog, he shook his friend off and moved toward the bed. Sherrey was curled up on her side, and he reached out to brush the hair from her face. Her skin was hot and beaded with sweat, and her brows were pinched as if she were in pain.

His cock pulsed with need, and he hissed when he felt it push through the slit, extruding against the fabric of his pants. He braced his hands on the bed next to Sherrey as his legs buckled. The swollen glands at the base of his kokoras throbbed, and Brakeer grunted as his hips pressed into the soft mattress.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He heard Vrauk’s questions and struggled to respond, opening and closing his mouth as he gazed at the female. His mate. “I’m fine… I just…” He felt his friend’s hands on his back and shivered, pushing himself up onto unsteady legs. “She’s gone into heat.”

“Heat?” The word was whispered as if Vrauk was in awe. “I’ve never met a human who’s gone through it.”

“There have only been a few documented cases,” Brakeer said, pressing his fingers to Sherrey’s throat to check her pulse. He breathed through his mouth, trying to lessen the effect of the pheromones her body was emitting, but it did little to help. Her scent enveloped him, drowning him as it crashed over Brakeer in waves. It would be worse when she woke.

Had this been explained to her? Did she know about the Venium heat, about the sleep, and how they’d be nearly frantic with the need to come together? If not, how in Una’s name was he going to explain it when all he wanted to do was touch her? Brakeer mumbled a curse and scrubbed a hand over his face, wishing she were Venium.

If she’d been one of his people, he wouldn’t have had to worry about whether or not she knew what was going on. He wouldn’t have had to worry that she might become scared of what was happening and reject him even in the midst of her heat. Although the Venium recognized humans as “their people,” many were still concerned about the fact that humans had the ability to have pups—children—outside of a mating. It made the elders nervous. What if the human mates left?

What if Sherrey left?

You only get one first impression. It was a human saying that the Venium had picked up, and he was beginning to understand its importance. Brakeer wondered what sort of first impression he’d made on his mate. Surely it couldn’t have been awful, but he knew it wasn’t what he’d wanted it to be. It was clear she’d enjoyed Vrauk’s company, but she’d hardly spoken to him—and why would she? He’d been so immersed in his own tasks and thoughts that he’d done nothing but steal glances and listen to them speak.

“She’s my mate, Vrauk,” he whispered, trepidation and longing straining his voice. Brakeer slid his arms beneath Sherrey, ignoring the bloody sheets, and lifted her off the bed, cradling her against his chest. She was so small, and her helpless state had his protective instincts surging to the forefront. His mate had no family here. She had no one to protect her during this time but him, and he wasn’t going to let her down. “I’ve got you,” he whispered as he moved into the bathroom.

Vrauk had been hot on his heels, and when Brakeer stepped into the bathing chamber, the other male reached in and turned the unit on. He adjusted the water temperature and pressure, lowering the head so that the spray hit their bodies. The males worked together to clean Sherrey, washing away the blood that had dried on her skin during her sleep. Brakeer gave her a quick onceover, but he’d perform a more in-depth assessment of his mate once they returned to medbay.

While Brakeer dried her off, Vrauk grabbed the hand towels from the bathroom to use as a makeshift pad. He also found a loose-fitting dress in her luggage to cover her body and a clean sheet from the closet near the entrance. Once she was all wrapped up, Brakeer took her in his arms again and hurried out into the hall. His heart was pounding in his chest, and by the time they reached the elevator, his fushori was pulsing to the same frantic rhythm. Purple light splashed against the interior walls of the lift, and Brakeer cradled her tighter against his chest.

“She’ll be okay,” Vrauk said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He looked up into the other male’s face, and something in those blue eyes gave him a sense of calm. Vrauk was right. What Sherrey was experiencing was perfectly natural… for Venium. On Venora, this was an event for families, and healers were rarely called in to assist. But Sherrey’s situation was different.

The doors to the elevator slid open and they stepped out, hurrying down the hall toward the medbay. Brakeer barged into the waiting room, weaving through those waiting in line at the front desk. He went straight for the first open exam room, placing Sherrey on the bed. The sound of voices at his back were muddled in his mind as he reached for the scanner.

Someone grabbed his hand, and he snarled, rounding on them. The human healer’s eyes went wide, and she stumbled away from him. “Do not touch her!” he growled. The possessiveness in his voice caught him off guard, but Brakeer couldn’t bring himself to care that he sounded like he’d gone mad.

“Healer Brakeer,” Kamila said, glancing at the nurse and Vrauk who had both stopped to stare at him. “Why don’t you let us handle this? Your shift is over, and you––”

“She is my mate,” he snarled, glaring at the healer and the nurse as they took a couple steps back. “I will look after her.”

“It’s okay, Kamila,” Vrauk said as he steered the healer from the room. “Could you bring…”

Brakeer didn’t hear the rest of their conversation. He turned his back on them and lowered himself onto the stool at the side of the bed and stared at Sherrey. She’d stopped shivering, but he was still worried and the fact that he’d had to bring her to a place where so many others were wasn’t helping. Brakeer wanted her in his room and tucked into his bed.

My mate.

The fact that she existed floored him. Sixty-two solars of waiting, of hoping and thinking she might not be out there. He stroked her hair and brushed his fingers over her freckled cheek.

She was here now, and he would do anything to show her that Una hadn’t made a mistake in bringing them together.

CHAPTER 3

VRAUK

Seeing Brakeer with his mate was more heartbreaking than he’d imagined it would be.

On one hand, Vrauk was happy that the male had found her after so long, but on the other, Vrauk felt as if he’d just lost any opportunity to be with the only person he’d ever loved. In truth, he’d never been fond of the idea that a fated mate might exist out in the universe. It seemed like the gods needed hobbies that didn’t include forcing matings on their creations. Vrauk much preferred the way of his people. You chose love, chose the person or people who brought a spark to your soul—who added to the flame in your heart.

He had been blessed by the Great Fire to have a mother and fathers who lavished their children with love and warmth and all the support they could have ever asked for. Vrauk had grown up with a wonderful example of what a family should be, and he looked forward to returning to his homeworld, Sati, and creating his own someday when his contract as an GEA officer expired. Joining the Galactic Enforcement Agency had been his twin sister’s bright idea, but when Vrauk discovered he could earn his healer title while serving, he’d followed Vytal down to the station and signed up.

It had taken solars of late-night study groups and grueling field training on top of his service training, but having “Healer” in front of his name had been worth all the effort. He’d gone to his first medical conference not long after his graduation, eager to sharpen his mind, but he’d found so much more than knowledge there.

The moment he’d met the quiet, introverted healer, Vrauk had felt the fires within him leap in recognition. Brakeer’s passion for his work and the skills he’d gained over the solars of his career left Vrauk in awe. He’d jumped at any chance to work with the male, and before he knew it, the respect and admiration he had for his friend had turned into something… more.

The strength of his feelings had surprised and worried him. Loving a Venium… well, that was a complicated thing. As a species with fated mates, it made entering into a relationship with one of them risky. If one was to get involved with a Venium, it was with the understanding that, if they found their mate, the relationship with their pleasure mate would end immediately. There would be little to no warning. The outsider’s feelings wouldn’t matter.

The thought of losing Brakeer to someone else had pained him. When Vrauk finally decided to share his feelings with Brakeer, the male had shocked him by expressing a mutual interest. He’d wanted to accept Brakeer’s offer, to become a pleasure mate and allow their relationship to evolve, but the fear of losing him was always in the back of his mind and they’d ultimately decided to remain close friends. One day, he would have to give him up. One day, he would have to walk away and watch the male he loved create a life—a family—with someone else who wouldn’t welcome the intrusion of his love and desire.

It seemed that day had come.

Vrauk looked over at Sherrey and felt heat bloom in his chest just above the spot where his heart was pounding. He was a gorma to her flame. Like the tiny flying insects on his homeworld, he was mesmerized by the light that danced in her eyes when she smiled. Just like the great fire that burned in the center of his village on feast days, her laughter was warm and welcoming, calling to a part of him that had only responded to Brakeer for so long.

How fitting that the two people who spoke to his soul would be fated to one another. The gods could be cruel.

Vrauk watched Brakeer take her small hand in his own and swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. He should give them privacy. Putting some distance between them, both physical and mental, might make the inevitable split easier. Vrauk rubbed his chest, trying to ease the ache, and turned to leave the room, but froze mid-step when he felt Brakeer’s fingers close tight around his wrist.

“Where are you going?” the male asked, his voice deep and hoarse from his lack of sleep. He was sure the constant growling and grumbling at the staff hadn’t done it any good.

Vrauk glanced back to find Brakeer’s purple gaze focused on him. His brow ridges were furrowed and the corners of his mouth had dipped into a frown he longed to kiss away. Brakeer had always had an uncanny ability to read his mind and Vrauk wasn’t feeling up to a heart-to-heart at the moment. “I should go,” he said, trying, but failing, to tug his hand free.

“Why?”

The question was almost ridiculous enough to make him laugh. Wasn’t it obvious? “You have your mate.”

Brakeer’s frown deepened. “I know what I have, Vrauk. I asked why you should go.”

Did he expect Vrauk to spell it out for him? Frustration bubbled up inside him, and he gritted his teeth, focusing his gaze on the wall behind the Venium. “You know why, Keer.” Again, he tried to tug his hand away, but his friend’s grip tightened.

“No, I don’t know why,” Brakeer growled. “Explain it to me.”

He could hear the frantic sound of his own heartbeat intensify as Brakeer stood up. Vrauk might have been the larger of them, but he’d always deferred to the older male. And the way the Venium was looking at him right now, his gaze hard and unyielding, was doing wicked things to Vrauk. Gods, he loved this side of Brakeer—the bossy, take-no-shit, demanding part that made him such a pain in the ass to work with.

“We knew this day might come,” he whispered, unable to meet Brakeer’s eyes. “We knew that this would––”

Brakeer growled, a deep rumble that heated his blood. “Don’t you dare run away from me.”

“I’m not running,” Vrauk hissed. Liar. He knows you’re lying. If you had a tail, it’d be tucked between your legs. He shifted under the other male’s knowing gaze. “I’m not running,” he insisted. “I am trying to give you both some space. I don’t want to intrude.”

For a moment, the only sounds were those coming from the clinic on the other side of the heavy curtain he’d pulled closed after ushering Kamila and the nurse out. Brakeer pushed away from the bed, releasing Sherrey’s hand so that he stood toe to toe with Vrauk. “Have I asked you for space?”

A shiver worked through him. “No.”

“Have I given you any indication that I wished for you to leave us?”

Vrauk shook his head and swallowed. “No.”

“Do you think that I have changed my mind?” Brakeer asked, his voice low and eerily calm. When Vrauk didn’t answer, the other male reached up and snagged his chin, angling his face down so that he was forced to meet his gaze. “Did my words mean so little to you? Did you think I was lying when I spoke them?”

“No, I—” Vrauk huffed, frustrated by the warring emotions within him. “That was so long ago, Keer. I don’t expect you to feel the same way now that you’ve met your female.”

“If you truly wish to leave, I will not make you stay,” Brakeer whispered, scraping the tip of his claw over the stubble on Vrauk’s jaw. “But don’t you dare leave because you’ve gotten it into your head that that’s what I want. It isn’t. Do you understand me?”

“I hear you,” Vrauk murmured.

“Good.” With a nod, Brakeer dropped his hand and turned back toward the bed, taking up his seat at Sherrey’s side once more. Vrauk stood there for a moment longer, wrestling with his choices. He didn’t want to leave. More than anything, he wanted to stay and help Brakeer look after Sherrey, but what would happen after she woke up?

Many solars ago, after Vrauk had confessed his feelings and brought up his concerns, Brakeer had put forth a suggestion. If he did find his mate and she was open to the idea of an additional male, then they could form a triad. In other species, including his own, this sort of thing was common practice, but a fated Venium pair taking on a pleasure mate? The first humans to mate with Venium warriors were also mated to Grutex or hybrids, but all of those triads were still fated.

Vrauk moved around to the other side of the bed and lowered himself into the chair near the wall. They sat in silence, taking turns soothing Sherrey whenever she whimpered or moaned in her sleep.

What if she woke up and not only rejected Vrauk but also demanded that he and Brakeer not remain friends? He wasn’t sure what he would do, but he knew that no matter what they decided, Sherrey was the catalyst that was going to change their lives forever.

CHAPTER 4

SHERREY

Fire.

There was an uncomfortable heat spreading just beneath the surface of her skin, like flames licking at her. Goosebumps rose up all over her body, and when she tried to swallow, Sherrey winced at the soreness in her throat. God, it was dry. Water… She needed some water.

Turning onto her side, Sherrey reached over and felt around for the bedside table, looking for the glass she always kept there. When her fingers found nothing but empty space, she frowned and cracked one eye open. Soft light illuminated blue-gray walls, and Sherrey struggled to identify where she was and how she’d ended up there. The last thing she remembered was lying down in her room and––

Her body tensed as a cramp seized the muscles in her lower abdomen, and Sherrey curled in on herself, groaning and gritting her teeth against the pain. She was never eating alien candy again.

“You’re awake,” a rich, deep voice spoke from behind her. “Are you in pain?”

Sherrey turned her head and squinted at the blurry figure standing a short distance away. She was burning up. Beads of sweat dripped from her temples, gliding down the sides of her face and neck. The fabric of whatever she was wearing clung to her back, arms, and chest, restricting her movement in a way that made her feel like she was trapped in a straightjacket.

Oh, God, maybe she was.

Another cramp took hold of her, twisting and clawing until she was left gasping. Cool hands moved over her face, brushing back the damp strands of hair that had become plastered to her forehead. “It’s okay. Let me give you something for the pain.” There was the sound of rustling and drawers opening and closing. “Here you are. It will take a moment to work, but the cramps should ease soon.”

Her brain struggled as she tried to place the vaguely familiar voice. Where did she know it from? Sherrey turned her head and blinked up at the fuzzy outline of a gray-skinned Venium male with brilliant purple eyes and shaggy dark hair.

“Brakeer?” He was one of the handsome healers she’d met the day before.

The male smiled, and the fushori on the sides of his face and neck flashed for a second as if her saying his name pleased him. “That’s right.”

“Where am I?” she asked, attempting to detangle herself from her clothing so that she could sit up.

“In medbay,” he responded, reaching up to card his fingers through his disheveled hair. Judging from the state of the strands, he’d been doing that a lot. When Sherrey finally wrestled the tangled clothing into submission, she pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision. “Do you remember anything that happened?”

“I remember leaving medbay and going back to my room,” she said. “I was having really bad stomach cramps, so I took a shower and some pain meds and lay down.”

Brakeer offered her a cup of water, and she murmured her thanks to him as she swallowed in great gulps, quenching her thirst. “Easy,” the Venium healer warned, closing his hand over hers and tilting the cup away from her lips. “Not too fast.”

“My throat is so dry,” she protested, pouting when he refused to let her have more. Another cramp stole her breath, and Sherrey groaned, fisting her hands in the sheets as the pain radiated through her. Why wouldn’t they just go away already? When the tension in her muscles finally passed, she looked up to find Vrauk watching her. His face was pinched, brows furrowed and full lips drawn into a deep frown, almost as if the sight of her pain distressed him.

Brakeer reached across her lap to adjust her blanket, and Sherrey was hit with the same warm, salty scent she’d encountered in the medbay the day before. She glanced up, breathing him in as he turned toward her. With him this close, Sherrey could see that it wasn’t just his hair that looked disheveled. The collar of the shirt he was wearing was stretched and torn as if he’d been pulling at it, and his sleeves had been shoved up above his elbows, revealing muscular forearms. Sweat beaded on his brows and at the side of his neck where his gills flared.

She’d thought it was just her, but maybe there was something wrong with the ventilation in this place. The scent grew stronger, and Sherrey closed her eyes, imagining that she was back in the Philippines, standing on the beach as the waves lapped at her ankles and her toes were pulled into the sand. The fluttering in her belly triggered another cramp, and she grabbed Brakeer’s hand, squeezing so tight that her fingers trembled.

“I’m sorry, little one,” Brakeer whispered as she hunched over. “Try not to breathe through your nose for the time being. In through your mouth and out. Good. Good girl.”

The words of praise made her belly flutter, and Sherrey groaned as the cramping intensified. Damn her stupid praise kink. “What’s going on with me?” she managed to ask when she could breathe properly again. “It hurts so much… I’m so hot.”

Brakeer ran his thumb over her hand as he sat down on the side of her bed. “You’re in heat, Sherrey. Your body is responding to the pheromones we are putting off––”

“Heat?” Sherrey pressed her free hand to her stomach. “Like… Venium heat?”

Brakeer nodded, and a semi-hysterical laugh escaped her. She knew what heat was. As a member of the Venium Mates program and a nurse working in one of the first hospitals granted the privilege of treating those with Venium DNA, Sherrey had been expected to study and understand the differences in their biology.

Going into heat for any Venium with a uterus was a time of great change. They matured physically and emotionally, but their reproductive process was far different. Unlike most humans, who went through puberty in their teens and gradually experienced all of their hormonal changes, the Venium females had a much harder time. Their heat only came after meeting their fated mate.

On Venora, when a female went into heat, their entire family surrounded them, protecting them during the coma-like sleep they fell into. While they slept, their body would prepare itself for mating, triggering a bleed not unlike a human period. Hot flashes, excruciating cramps, and weakness were all a part of the heat.

While she’d tried to imagine what that might be like, Sherrey had no personal experience with periods. She’d been to clinics in her youth, had all sorts of tests run on her to try and understand why, but the doctors had shrugged their shoulders and told her they didn’t have an explanation. All of her tests came back normal.

Normal. The word frustrated her. How could those doctors have told her that knowing that what was going on with her was anything but?

“Listen,” she said, looking at Brakeer, “I know that you’re a healer, that you have far more experience than I do, but me being in heat is impossible.”

“How so?” he asked.

“I’m infertile,” she whispered. Sherrey hated talking about it—hated admitting the thing that hurt her the most.

“So are all Venium before they find their mates,” Vrauk said, moving to stand next to the bed, close to Brakeer.

“You don’t understand.” Sherrey shook her head and looked between the males. “I’ve never had a period—never bled a day in my life.”

“You bled for three days,” Brakeer told her. “It ended late last night.”

Three days. She had bled for three days. Sherrey wanted to protest, to tell them that they were mistaken. How had this happened? “But that… how?”

Vrauk shoved his hands into the pockets of his wrinkled white coat. “There have been rumors of humans experiencing the Venium heat.”

She’d heard those rumors too, but she’d never thought they might be true or that she might be included in them. Something else—something very important—suddenly occurred to her. If she really had gone into heat… if she’d slept for days and bled…

“I have a mate?”

Brakeer nodded slowly, “You do.”

“It’s… it’s you, isn’t it?” Something within her told Sherrey she was right before he could confirm. The male nodded, and she watched the tip of his tongue dart out to wet his full lips as he shifted on the bed beside her.

“I didn’t swell until Vrauk and I entered your room,” he said. “We went to check on you when you didn’t show up for your shift.”

How long had she been waiting to hear those words? How many years had she spent dreaming of finding the Venium she was fated to be with? Now that she had him, Sherrey was having a hard time accepting him. He’d swollen for her… “I’m your mate?”

“Yes,” Brakeer whispered. The tip of his tail slid along the inside of her right ankle, sneaking its way up and wrapping around her bare calf.

This couldn’t be real. Maybe she was still asleep? Maybe that candy was causing hallucinations now? But the look of awe on Brakeer’s face and the way his eyes stayed focused on her as if he feared she might disappear if he looked away told Sherrey that this was what she’d been hoping for since the day she joined the program.

“Could I have some more water please?” she croaked, struggling to form the words when her mouth was so dry. Vrauk plucked the cup from the table and held it out for her to take. “Thank you.”

Mindful of Brakeer’s intense gaze on her as she drank, Sherrey tried her best to take small sips, even though she’d like nothing more than to chug the whole thing and ask for more. It felt like years had passed since she last had a drink, and as the liquid washed over her tongue and spilled down her throat, Sherrey closed her eyes and hummed her satisfaction. It may have quenched her thirst, but the water did nothing to soothe the heat building inside her.

“Easy, gynaika,” Brakeer said.

Vrauk’s soft laughter chased the Venium’s words, and Sherrey opened her eyes to see the Hreki’s blue eyes on her. “Let her drink, Keer,” he said with a smile.

She adored that tusky smile. It was so warm and welcoming, and as if her lips had a mind of their own, they curved behind the cup before she lowered it. There was a flutter in her belly, a curious tickle of awareness that grew stronger as she watched Vrauk’s hand brush against Brakeer’s arm. As if on impulse, her mate reached up and touched the other male’s fingers.

She looked up, catching Vrauk’s gaze, and watched the smile fade. He yanked his hand away and averted his eyes, turning his back on them and walking to the other side of the small exam room. Sherrey could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves nearly as strong as the pain that infused every muscle in her body, but Brakeer seemed oblivious to whatever was happening with them. His attention was focused on the holoscreen next to the bed where—she assumed—her vitals were displayed.

Sherrey worried her lip and darted her eyes back and forth between the two males. The gestures had seemed unconscious, as if they were accustomed to touching one another. While she was aware that not all physical contact was sexual or even romantic, there was something about the easiness of it and the affection on Vrauk’s face that made her think that there may have been something between them.

If the graying hairs at Brakeer’s temples were any indication, he was much older than the majority of Venium who came to Earth searching for fated mates. Maybe he’d given up on finding one and decided to take a pleasure mate instead. But Vrauk was Hreki and Sherrey admittedly knew very little about his people and their culture. She had no idea if they took mates or not. What if she was accidentally intruding on something?

The thought made her face heat and her cramping stomach plummet. Sherrey knew what happened to pleasure mates when one Venium found their fated. Whether they’d been together for years or only days, the relationship they’d once shared would end immediately. Just thinking about how that must feel for them, it broke her heart, and she turned her head to watch Vrauk as he busied himself with organizing the drawers in the medical cabinet. She wanted to ask him, wanted to know if she was the one breaking them apart, but she was afraid of the answer. He’d been so sweet to her, so welcoming and charming. He seemed like a genuinely kind male.

It didn’t hurt that he was handsome as sin, and the looks he’d given her the day they’d met had made her stomach flutter with desire and curiosity.

“What is it, gynaika?” Brakeer asked. His hand cupped her cheek, guiding her attention back toward his concerned face. The ridges of his brows were furrowed over narrowed purple eyes. “Your heart rate has increased. Are you still in pain?”

Unable to resist the temptation, Sherrey reached out and ran her fingers over his face, smoothing the crease between his brows until the ridges softened. He turned into her palm, nostrils flaring, and Sherrey’s breath caught as her body was beset by another round of cramping and uncomfortable heat. She’d always found it curious that it was called a heat, but after going through this, Sherrey understood why.

“It’s not as bad, I don’t think. I’m just… I’m really hot,” Sherrey whispered, leaning toward Brakeer. Warmth pooled in her belly and slid between her legs, making her tremble. Never before had she felt this way. Felt such a strong need to touch and be close to someone. “I want to make it stop, Brakeer. I want the pain to go away,” she whimpered.

“I know,” he cooed, tucking her hair behind her ear and running the tip of his claw along the underside of her jaw. The faint prickle of pain made her core throb, and she bit down on her lip to stop a moan from tumbling out of her mouth. “It will stop soon. I promise it will stop, gynaika.” Brakeer leaned in closer, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes as if taking a moment to gather himself.

Across the room, Vrauk cleared his throat. “Maybe I should leave now…”

Sherrey pulled away and shook her head. She wasn’t sure why the thought of him leaving them hurt her so much, but something inside of her rebelled. It kicked and screamed, fought with tooth and nail. “Please don’t.” The words were out before she could even properly think them. When she looked at Brakeer, he didn’t seem angry or upset, but there was a curious look in his eye that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Here she was, sitting in a bed with her mate’s hands on her, begging another male not to go. God, she was sure this was some sort of mating no-no, that she was crossing some sort of line.

If she was, Brakeer didn’t say so. He simply turned toward a wide-eyed Vrauk and softly jerked his head. “There’s no need to leave.”

The Hreki’s face pinched as if he was in pain, and Sherrey felt her heart clench in her chest. She didn’t want to hurt him, but it seemed that she was. Why was this so hard? Why was her heart so intent upon keeping him with them?

“Vrauk, I…” the words faded off her tongue.

“Attention all guests,” a voice interrupted over the speaker system. “We are approaching the Uragma Energy Flare. Viewing decks are now open for those wishing to witness this rare event. We will be broadcasting it on all of the ship’s screens for those who are unable to join us on the decks.”

There was excited chatter coming from the other side of the curtain, and Sherrey craned her neck to peer through the gap between the edge of the fabric and the wall of her room. “What’s going on? What are they talking about?”

“The energy flare. It’s one of the shorter stops the cruise will be making,” Vrauk said, reaching for the curtain and sliding it back until she could see the large screen on the wall where the nurse’s station was situated.

A small cluster of planets floated among a sea of star-speckled space, and dancing between them were ribbons of light in every color she could imagine. Brilliant blue rings surrounded one of the planets, and Sherrey watched in amazement as the ribbons licked at them, causing pulses of light to shoot from the point of contact.

That was how it felt when Brakeer touched her, like a pulse of energy or a spark of electricity was emanating from where they touched. The sight of the flare was so beautiful, it captivated her, enthralled her to the point that the pain in her body was nothing more than a distant memory. She envied those on the viewing decks who were getting to see this in person.

The sensation of Brakeer’s tail tightening on her calf brought on another painful wave of cramps. When his hand slid around to cup the back of her neck to pull her closer, Sherrey didn’t resist. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, breathing in the saltiness of his scent as his breath warmed her lips.

“It is beautiful,” he agreed. “Isn’t it, Vrauk?”

Sherrey’s eyes darted to the Hreki, and she sucked in a breath at the heated look on his face as he watched them. If her miserable heat didn’t kill her, the tension she could feel between them surely would.

“She is,” he growled.

Her core clenched, and she moaned at how painfully empty it was. She needed… something. Them. What she needed was them. Pressed against her, inside of her, Sherrey didn’t give a damn. All she knew was that her body, mind, and heart were all in agreement. Pulling her hand away from Brakeer, she reached out toward Vrauk, silently begging for him to come closer, but before he could respond, the medbay began to shake.

“What was—”Sherrey clutched at Brakeer’s arms as the terrifying groan of metal under stress echoed through the ship. Alarms blared, and flashing emergency lights appeared on the wall above the nurse’s station. The screen where the flare had been only moments before now showed a scrolling message in multiple languages.

“Code Silver,” an automated voice said. “Code Silver. Passengers and crew members are to report to the nearest life support pod and await departure instructions.”

Brakeer’s arms were beneath her legs and behind her back, lifting her into the air, before she even had a chance to ask what the hell code silver meant. They had color codes in the hospitals she worked at on Earth, but she couldn’t recall seeing anything about codes in the packet she’d received from the Venium Mates Program.

“Wait, what does that mean?” she asked, listening to the sounds of frantic footsteps.

“Traffickers,” Vrauk hissed as Brakeer moved past him. “I don’t understand.”

They moved into the waiting room, joining a small group of Venium and humans who had gathered around a tall human woman. She wore one of the white doctor’s coats, and strands of her dark curly hair had come out of the bun that rested on the top of her head.

“What is it?” her mate asked Vrauk as they followed the flow of bodies.

“Why go into the life support pods for traffickers? They might as well offer the humans up to them.” A human with strawberry blonde curls standing at Brakeer’s side turned her wide-eyed gaze on them before scuttling away. Vrauk continued, oblivious to the way his words had scared the woman, “This ship is more than capable of defending itself. It’s crawling with GEA officers, and the Venium haven’t tried to hide that fact. No traffickers in their right mind would attack us and expect to gain anything but a quick trip to their maker out of it.”

The lights flickered as another round of unsettling vibrations moved through the floor and a chorus of screams and panicked shouts went up around them. Sherrey clung to Brakeer, wrapping her arms around his neck. The painful cramping in her belly paled in comparison to the fear that had settled over her.

“Code Yellow,” the voice over the speaker said. “Code—Code—Passengers and crew members are to report to the nearest life support pod and await departure instructions.”

Were the ship’s systems malfunctioning? This craft was state-of-the-art, far more advanced than anything Earth had, and yet here they were, having a breakdown on the space version of a highway.

Brakeer’s growl rumbled in his chest and his grip on her tightened. “We need to get into the life pod. Something is not right.” The alarms stuttered and then grew louder as if to prove her mate’s point, but they could only move as fast as the crowd of people and aliens before them allowed. “Kamila,” Brakeer called.

The human woman standing in the doorway turned to look at him and threw her hands up in obvious frustration. “I’m getting them on as fast and as orderly as I can.”

“Brax,” her mate cursed.

“Vrauk!”

Sherrey turned in Brakeer’s arms to see a Hreki male barreling toward them, his chestnut-colored braids swinging wildly around his shoulders. He was nearly as tall as Vrauk with lean muscle that rippled beneath mossy green skin as he approached. “Naran.” Vrauk inclined his head.

The Hreki greeted one another, both of them placing a hand on the other’s cheek, a gesture that made Brakeer’s chest rumble and his gills flare. Sherrey combed her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and felt the stiffness in his shoulders ease some. Her mate’s gaze stayed trained on the males, but he bent down to press his soft lips against the crown of her head. Yeah, there was definitely something going on between these two, and she was going to find out what exactly it was.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Naran asked, eyeing the crowd.

“I’m not entirely sure. Nothing has come over the comm from the commander. I assume you haven’t heard anything if you’re asking me.”

Naran shook his head. “I tried pinging the others, but no one is answering. Figured you’d be in medbay so I ran over here to check.”

The flickering of the overhead lights seemed to motivate those in front of them to move faster, and as soon as they entered the pod, Brakeer set Sherrey on her feet, ushering her to one of the open seats.

“Wait, we should be helping,” she protested, clutching at Brakeer’s hands as he pulled the strap across her chest.

“You will stay in your seat,” he told her.

She didn’t want to do that, though. She wanted to make sure that there was no one else who needed help, wanted to make sure that those who had made it into the pod already were taken care of. It wasn’t in her nature to sit idle and watch others do all of the work. “Brakeer—”

“Gynaika,” he grumbled, taking her by the chin and tilting her face up. “If you leave this seat, I will take you over my knee as soon as we are safe and spank your pretty ass. Do you understand?”

Sherrey’s pussy fluttered at his words, and she pressed her thighs together. If the situation they were in weren’t so urgent, she would slip out of her seat just to see if he’d make good on the threat. Instead, she nodded and watched as her mate moved back to the doorway to usher more passengers into the pod.

“Let’s go!” Kamila, the human healer, called from the front of the cabin where she was checking the straps on another woman as she sobbed hysterically. “Grab anyone who might still be in the hall and let’s get this thing sealed.”

Sherrey had never been inside of one, and as she looked around at the interior, she realized they were far larger than she’d imagined. The rows of seats lining the walls quickly filled up as the passengers and crew members trickled in from the hallway.

“I don’t see anyone else out here,” Vrauk said.

Brakeer nodded. “We can give it a little longer, but we need to seal the door soon.”

“But there are still empty seats,” one of the humans protested. “We can’t close the door if there is any chance that someone might show up.”

“There are many other life pods on the ship,” Vrauk said. The aforementioned ship gave another massive shudder, and everyone around her gasped.

Sherrey understood how the other person felt. If there was any chance that someone might come along and need help, she wanted to be able to offer them rescue, but if they waited too long to seal the door, then they risked the pod being ejected prematurely. If that happened, they’d all be as good as dead. There was no point in endangering all of their lives for the mere possibility of helping one or two others, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

Brakeer leaned close to Vrauk and whispered something in his ear that made the Hreki cut his gaze toward her momentarily before he nodded. Sherrey shrank back in her seat and averted her eyes as the male turned and started in her direction. He took one of the empty seats on either side of her and buckled himself in. When his leg brushed hers, Sherrey’s heart jumped, her entire body thrilling at the contact.

As if he could sense her reaction, Vrauk turned those icy blue eyes on her and smiled. “Are you okay, little flame?”

An explosion from somewhere outside the pod rocked them, setting off another wave of sirens. Naran burst through the open doorway, his brown eyes wide and his breathing labored. “Seal the door!”

Vrauk’s hands moved toward the buckles on his harness as if he meant to unfasten them, but Brakeer snarled and shook his head as he pressed his palm to the scanner. The door slid shut, and Sherrey’s mate helped the Hreki to his feet.

“What happened?” Vrauk asked.

“One of the other pods…” Naran choked out. “They were trying to get a couple stragglers on board, but the vrecking pod deployed with the door wide open.”

“Make sure you’re all secured!” Brakeer shouted over whispers and gasps. He stalked toward them and took the seat on the other side of her before quickly fastening himself in.

Sherrey didn’t miss the worried look that passed between the two males on either side of her. Something was wrong with the ship, that much was clear, but despite the uncertainty of the situation they were in, having both of them with her gave Sherrey a sense of security. It felt as if nothing bad could possibly happen when she was with them.

Lights above the doorway began to flash and the same automated voice that had guided them over the speaker system in the hallway spoke again. “Prepare for deployment of the life support pod in ten, nine, eight—” Before the countdown could even finish, the pod shook violently and it felt like they’d been catapulted into space. Sherrey’s breath was torn from her lungs, and her stomach dropped all the way down into the soles of her feet as they were ejected without warning.

Screams of terror filled the cabin and the lights flickered before going out. Emergency lights flashed red, illuminating the walls and terrified faces of the other passengers. She felt Brakeer’s tail band around her leg as he and Vrauk sought her hands. She clutched at them, twining her fingers with theirs as prayers tumbled through her mind.

God, Una—whoever the hell is out there listening to this prayer—please don’t let this be it for us. Please don’t let me have found my mate just to die in this damn life pod with a bunch of other scared people screaming and crying. Don’t let this be it.

The pod lurched forward and Sherrey shut her eyes, squeezing the big hands that enveloped her own as hard as she could. When the rumbling eased, Sherrey opened her eyes and gazed in terrified wonder at the small viewscreen near the head of the cabin. The massive cruise ship they’d been traveling on filled the screen, and when the first explosion went off, Sherrey felt her lungs seize.

Oh, God, please… Please keep everyone safe.

A shockwave crashed into the pod, sending the much smaller vessel into a dizzying tailspin that had her stomach lodging in her throat. Sherrey’s head bounced between the small bumpers on the sides of the seat, and she gritted her teeth against the pain ringing in her ears. It shot through her neck and down her back.

The speakers crackled and chirped above them, but Sherrey’s translator managed to pick out a handful of words. “Emergency… nearest… landing.” She had no idea what planets were in this section of the galaxy, but it seemed like the pod was taking them to the closest one. As the vessel began to rattle again, Sherrey squeezed Brakeer and Vrauk’s hands and closed her eyes.

CHAPTER 5

BRAKEER

Humans were so tiny.

Brakeer looked down at Sherrey’s hand enveloped in his and swallowed the lump of fear that had been trying to claw its way up his throat since the moment they boarded the pod. Seeing her strapped into the seat, her brown eyes wide and anxious as the vessel rocked and shuddered under the strain of ejection and the shockwave… it was too much for him. His body was being bombarded with her pheromones as well as his own, and those, combined with the scent of her fear and distress, were sending his protective instincts into overdrive.

He wondered if she was feeling the same urgency he was. If she were Venium, he wouldn’t have any doubts, but it seemed like his little mate’s pheromones were building slower than most people he’d met. Brakeer adjusted the grip of his tail on her leg, hoping it was giving her as much comfort as it was giving him.

The sensation of her thumb running over his skin drew his attention away from his own musings. Sherrey’s eyes were pinched shut, and her head was pressed back against the seat. He resisted the urge to reassure her, to tell her that everything would be all right even though he was just as uncertain as she was. Lying to her wasn’t going to do any good.

His gaze rose, and he met Vrauk’s icy blue eyes. The Hreki looked at him in a way that told Brakeer he could sense his inner turmoil. Vrauk had always been good at gauging his moods and possessed an uncanny ability to know exactly what he needed in any given situation. This time was no different. The male’s fingers were twined with Sherrey’s, offering the little female comfort. It pleased him to know that she hadn’t only sought him out, but that she’d looked to Vrauk as well.

See, he wanted to tell him. She feels it too. She knows there is something… more.

Brakeer might not know exactly what to call his relationship with Vrauk, but he knew in his heart that this male belonged with them, and it seemed like Sherrey knew it too. His kokoras pulsed and throbbed between his legs. The extruded length was a painful reminder of what his and Sherrey’s bodies wanted—needed. A sheen of sweat coated her skin, but whether that was from her heat or the fear rolling off of her, he couldn’t be sure.

The pain meds they’d given her in the medbay were ineffective for long-term relief, but he’d only needed some time to be sure she understood what was happening to her. The longer her heat went unattended, the more ineffective pain management would become. Consummating their mating was the only sure way to ease both of them, but that wasn’t a possibility at the moment. When the meds wore off, Brakeer knew neither one of them would be able to hold back. He sent up a prayer to Una, begging her hand to guide them to safety.

“Look,” Vrauk said, jerking his chin toward the front of the pod.

In the viewscreen, the spherical shape of a planet emerged. It was startlingly similar to Earth, with its green and brown landmasses and deep blue, nearly black bodies of water. His stomach dipped as the life pod shook, and the speakers began to crackle once more, making indecipherable noises.

“Landing” and “prepare” were the only words he could make out, and Kamila shouted for everyone to brace themselves as the shudders transitioned into shaking that rattled his bones. The sounds of Sherrey’s whimpers tore at him. He wanted to tear her out of her harness and wrap himself around her, but she was as safe as she could be strapped into the seat, even if it left his arms feeling uncomfortably empty and his chest tight.

As the planet grew larger in the viewscreen, the pod began to shake even more violently, making the passengers cry out. Some of them, like Sherrey, had their eyes closed and hands clasped together as they muttered prayers. Others cried hysterically, while a handful of them simply held on for dear life. A large Orotaw had his arm thrown across a human at his side. His large curved horns clanked against the metal wall behind him as they were jostled around.

Purple lights flickered across his exposed fushori when Sherrey gasped and whispered his name. “Just hold on,” he said, not knowing whether or not she could hear him in the chaos. “We have you, gynaika.” She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.

Almost there. The surface of the planet came into view as they broke through the clouds. Mountains, trees, and serene dark blue lakes were spread out before them, beautiful and peaceful.

The shaking and shuddering eased as the pod glided through the air, its onboard navigation searching for a safe spot to land. A flicker of the lights and a rapid decrease in altitude made his stomach dip. Brakeer wasn’t an engineer, and he would be the first to admit he didn’t know much about electronics, but he was beginning to suspect that the ship’s destruction and the pod’s odd behavior had something to do with the energy flare.

When the small vessel finally landed, Brakeer released a held breath and shook Sherrey’s hand, giving her a reassuring smile when she opened her eyes. Brakeer tugged his hand out of his mate’s and unbuckled himself before kneeling down in front of her. When he extracted her from the straps, Brakeer pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent as he ran his hands over her back. Sherrey’s arms were like vices around his neck, keeping her plastered against him as he stood and glanced around at their group.

Kamila pushed her way to the door and tapped at the screen. “The computer says that the atmosphere should be compatible.”

“Are you sure?” the Orotaw male asked, patting the small human female who he’d been sitting next to on the back as she clung to him.

The human healer threw up her hands. “I can only tell you what the computer says.”

“What if it’s wrong?” a Venium male asked.

“We don’t really have many options now, do we?” Vrauk’s voice was just like him, strong and steady—calm in the face of the unknown.

“Couldn’t we stay inside the pod until someone comes to rescue us?” someone else asked.

Vrauk shook his head and rubbed a hand over his chin. “We have no idea how long it will take for rescue squads to come. The GEA has regular patrols in this sector, and I’m sure there’s already been an SOS sent out from the ship, but it could still take them weeks to locate all of the life pods. There aren’t enough provisions on board to last that long.”

“We’re going to have to figure out how to survive on our own until someone comes then?” the Orotaw asked, his large, pink nose scrunching up as if the thought of having to forage and hunt for himself was distasteful.

“Oh, come on, Keelauk. Didn’t you ever go camping as a calf?” Naran asked, chuckling when the other male snorted.

“No. My parents did not consider living outdoors to be a fun pastime.”

“Listen,” Kamila raised her voice above the growing den, “we can’t stay in the pod. The system says that it’s safe and—no offense—I would rather take my chances out there than stay packed in here like a sardine.” The female healer pressed her palm to the scanner, and Brakeer felt the group hold their collective breath.

A lush green forest was revealed as the door of the pod slid open. Vrauk took a step closer to them, pressing himself against Brakeer’s arm until he wrapped his tail around Hreki’s thigh. Hot, humid air filled the cabin along with the unmistakable scents of fresh rain and wet earth. It seemed that, even though the systems were experiencing glitches, they hadn’t been wrong about the air quality. When it became apparent to those standing near the door that it was safe to exit, the crowd shifted.

Brakeer frowned, gritting his teeth as humans, Venium, and a handful of other alien species began to slowly file out of the pod. His kokoras was pressed so tightly against his pants that he was sure it was going to have a permanent impression of the fabric stamped on it. The braxing thing jumped and twitched any time Sherrey wiggled in his arms.

At this point, with both of their pheromones curling around him, Brakeer was feeling half-crazed. He wanted to strip the thin medbay gown from her body, press her up against one of the cold metal walls of the pod, plunge into her slick-soaked cunt, and fuck her until she was screaming out her pleasure and his glands locked them together. A growl rumbled up his chest and out of his mouth before he could stop it. The humans standing around him cast him wary glances and tried their best to give him space in the crowded cabin.

“Almost out,” Vrauk whispered at his side. The Hreki gave Brakeer a sympathetic look, as if he understood how much pain he was in and how desperate he was to get into the forest with his mate. “I’ve got your back.”

The words made him grit his teeth and his gaze darted around at the other Venium still inside with them. It wasn’t just the effect of the pheromones on him and Sherrey that he worried about. Although his people couldn’t go into heat or produce their own without their fated mate, the scent of another fated couple’s pheromones could still draw unwanted attention. Brakeer wanted her far from the others in the group until they had a chance to consummate their mating.

Sherrey wriggled in his arms as they approached the door, pressing her face into the curve of his neck and rubbing her cheek along the top of his shoulder. Una help him. He pulled her against him and dipped his head to brush his lips over her crown. Almost there. Vrauk edged in front of him, creating a path for them to surge forward. The moment his feet touched the soft soil and grass, Brakeer veered to the right, making for the tree line where a few other human females had gathered.

“Stay together!” Kamila called. “We don’t know what’s out there. Stick close and don’t wander off until we’ve got a plan in place.”

Sherrey clutched at him his arms and shoulders, whimpering as he set her on her feet next to another female. It seemed she was as reluctant to be parted from him as he was to be from her, but there were things that needed to be done before he could figure out how they could break away from the others to ease her heat.

“Settle, gynaika,” he said, crouching down in front of her and taking her hands in his. “I know it hurts. As soon as we get this sorted, I promise I’ll make it better.” Brakeer brushed the back of his fingers across her belly, feeling the heat of her skin through the thin gown.

She sucked in a breath and her hips jerked toward him in what he recognized as a silent plea for more contact. Her fingers plunged into his hair, grasping the strands as she attempted to pull him closer. The musky scent of her arousal was intense, and if he didn’t step away now, Brakeer feared he might lose the last shreds of his sanity and claim her on the forest floor in front of all the other survivors.

Vrauk’s voice reached him through the fog of his need and Brakeer reached up, prying Sherrey’s trembling fingers from his hair. Soon, he promised them both as he got to his feet and turned toward the pod where Kamila and his friend stood.

“Naran,” Vrauk called out to the other Hreki. “Form groups and let’s get the rations from the pod sorted. We need to know what we have available.” He’d gone into GEA officer mode, calling out orders, organizing the survivors into smaller groups and giving them tasks. “I need a group of volunteers to search for firewood and another group to scavenge for food. No one goes alone. There are bags and other supplies on the vessel, so when you’ve formed your team, come in and take what you need.”

Brakeer caught the male’s gaze as he disappeared back inside the pod. He gave him a small nod and gave Sherrey’s hands a squeeze before releasing her. “I’m going to figure out what Vrauk needs us to do. I will be right back. Stay here.”

Inside the life pod, Vrauk was busy pulling mesh bags, water pouches, blasters, and some small blades from the storage cabinets set into the walls. The Orotaw male, Keelauk, slung one of the bags over his shoulder and selected one of the blasters and a blade. The human female who had been glued to the male’s side since they boarded the pod peered out at him from behind his back. “I will take a team to gather wood,” he said, tucking the blaster into the holster on his hip. Like Vrauk, Keelauk was a GEA officer, trusted with keeping the humans on board safe from the threat of traffickers. He supposed that if anyone could be trusted with a blaster, it was one of them.

“Be careful out there,” Kamila said as the pair turned to leave. “How many GEA are in our group?”

“Four,” Vrauk told her, shoving a water purification kit and pouch into one of the bags. “Naran, Keelauk, Heshin, and me. I’ll make sure to post one of us here. I don’t want those who stay behind to go through the rations to be left defenseless.”

“Thank you,” Kamila turned to Brakeer with an arched brow. “Are you feeling any better?”

His muscles were tense, and his body trembled with the urge to return to his mate. Leaving her out there alone went against his instincts, but he’d needed the distance. “No.”

The human healer smiled and shook her head. “I’ve studied the Venium mating process since the beginning of the alliance and it still perplexes me.”

It wasn’t the first time Brakeer had heard that from the human healers he’d worked with. He took no offense to their confusion. The Venium themselves didn’t have much of a scientific explanation for how their bodies recognized a fated mate. For the most part, his people simply believed it was the will of the goddess, Una, and her fated mates, Ven and Nem. Even those who weren’t particularly religious, like Brakeer, accepted that it was just the way it was.

Would it have made their lives easier if they were made like the Hreki, able to choose their own mates? Absolutely. Perhaps there wouldn’t have been so much fear and panic over declining birth rates, or panic over the fact that individuals weren’t finding their fated mates as often or as soon as they once had, but there was no arguing with biology.

“There are rations and more supplies stored in the walls and beneath the seats,” Vrauk told the other healer. “Brakeer and I can look for a reliable water source.”

It wasn’t phrased as a question, but the male looked at him expectantly, waiting for confirmation. Brakeer nodded and took the bag from Vrauk’s hand, slinging it over his shoulder. “If the amount of water visible from the sky is any indication, I can’t imagine we will have to look very far.”

“Good. I’ll make sure we get things sorted here,” Kamila said.

An itch formed beneath Brakeer’s skin, making his fushori pulse. He needed to get back to his little mate. With a frustrated grumble, Brakeer turned and stepped back out into the sunny clearing and immediately felt the sensation of being watched prickle his skin. His gills and nostrils flared as he scented the air, looking at the spot where he left her. Sherrey had propped herself against the tree trunk, her legs spread shoulder width apart and her palm pressed to her lower belly. Her lower lip was caught between blunt teeth, and sweat that had nothing to do with the heat outside beaded her brow.

A tremor worked through her, and Brakeer swallowed a curse as frustration unfurled within his gut. They’d been forced to prolong her heat for far too long already, and it was doing nothing except making them both miserable, her because of the pain and discomfort, and him because it hurt him to know how miserable she was. It made his mood even worse to know that, as one of the senior staff, he had a responsibility to the other survivors when all he wanted to do was attend to Sherrey.

The look on her face and the scent filling the air told him they couldn’t put this off much longer. Some of the Venium males present, including Heshin, one of the GEA officers, were casting his female curious glances. The way they scented the air made his hands curl into fists at his side. Rationally, Brakeer knew that these males had no intention of interfering, but that didn’t make him feel any better. On Venora, the females were protected by their families, but Brakeer had no one here except Vrauk that he could trust to be near her.

Sherrey looked up at Brakeer as he approached and pushed herself away from the rough bark of the tree. “What’s going on?” she asked, her gaze moving from the bag he carried to a spot over his shoulder.

His blood heated at the husky tone in her voice, making his already hard cock weep with desire. “We’re going to look for water,” he said, lifting her into his arms as Vrauk joined them.

Sherrey pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I can walk, you know,” she murmured, burying her face against his shoulder and inhaling.

Una help him, he might not make it through this. He had never felt this level of urgency in all his life.

“You have no shoes, little flame,” Vrauk replied, coming up beside them as they stepped into the shadows of the forest.

Every quiet rustle of leaves or snapping twig had Brakeer’s ears twitching. He was very aware that this planet was not one the Venium were familiar with. There had been no name or even an identification number on the viewscreen when the pod navigated to it. They couldn’t rely on his comm to guide them or even warn them about the native wildlife of the planet that was their temporary home until rescue arrived.

Fire licked his stomach as Sherrey’s fingers twisted the hair at the nape of his neck. Her breath warmed his skin and when he felt the wet brush of her tongue against his ear lobe, Brakeer nearly lost his footing.

“Gynaika…” he warned, giving the outside of her thigh a gentle pat. “You’re going to kill me.”

“I would say I was sorry, but I’m not.”

The smile he heard in her voice made him laugh, and he gave her thigh another swat. “Behave yourself for just a bit longer.” She groaned and bit down on his shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity straight to his cock.

Have mercy on me, Una, because my mate certainty doesn’t.

The three of them walked for some time in relative silence, eyes and ears peeled for any signs of danger as they moved deeper into the forest. Brakeer had assumed the search for water would be a quick task, but after an hour or so, he’d come to the realization that he may have been wrong. Sherrey’s gasps of joy and surprise when she discovered something new filled his chest with happiness. He wanted to bring her to Venora and show her the beauty of his planet, to guide her around the underwater dome where he lived and draw out all those happy noises.

Brakeer noticed Vrauk’s laughter and glanced at the male, watching him as he took in Sherrey’s awe at the world around them. They could take her to Sati, Vrauk’s homeworld. He’d visited a handful of times, and the peace he’d found among Vrauk’s large and boisterous family had surprised him.

Up ahead, the sound of running water echoed through the trees, bouncing off of the trunks and dancing through the canopy above them. They picked their way through a dense thicket, and Brakeer stopped short at the sight before then. Water gushed from large living trees, pooling on the forest floor at the base of the swollen trunks. More than a dozen of the watering trees filled the grassy marsh, but Brakeer could make out even more of them off in the distance.

From the corner of his eye, Brakeer watched as Vrauk removed the bag from his shoulder, crouching as he dug through the contents for a small silver box. “I’ll test the water, and then we can start filling up the pouches.”

Brakeer brought Sherrey to a dry spot near the edge of the marsh. One of the trees there had grown almost completely sideways, its larger, sturdier branches jutting out over the water. He set her down on it before casting a glance over his shoulder at Vrauk as he crouched down to collect a sample. Thick muscles flexed beneath his exposed green skin as he worked, and Brakeer let his eyes drift over his back and ass.

Sherrey was watching him, her brown eyes closing as a soft smile tugged at her lips. When she parted her legs, Brakeer stepped between them, wrapping his tail around her waist as he brought his hands up to cradle her face. He needed to talk to her, to explain his feelings and gauge her reaction. What was he going to do if she rejected them afterward? She shivered when his thumbs brushed her cheeks, the tips of his extended claws grazing her skin.

“There is something I need to talk to you about,” he began, taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart. Brakeer had no idea who this anxious male within him was, but he’d taken up residence in his mind the moment he’d scented Sherrey’s heat. He was used to being the one in charge, and he didn’t like feeling so uncertain and out of control.

His mate dropped her gaze to his chest and pressed her lips together for a second before glancing toward the water. “It’s about Vrauk, isn’t it?” she whispered, catching him off guard. When he failed to respond, Sherrey shrugged her shoulders and continued, “You don’t really have to say anything. I know that you’re supposed to give up pleasure mates when this—” she gestured between them “—happens, but I’ve always thought that seemed so unfair.”

She thought they were pleasure mates? Brakeer opened his mouth to correct her, but his little mate kept going.

“It seems like there’s something really strong between the two of you, and I hate the idea that I’m the reason you can’t be with him. I’ve been thinking about this since I woke up and I…” She frowned as if she was trying to find words for what was going through her mind. “I know that in Venium culture you’re supposed to be with your fated mate and only your fated mate, but if you wanted to continue seeing each other… well, I would understand. You can’t help who you fall in love with. I don’t want you to be forced to choose.”

Nothing Brakeer had ever heard had left him so utterly speechless. He stared down at his mate, her cheeks flushed and her eyes darting everywhere except for his face, and tried to collect his scattered thoughts. There was uncertainty within her. He could scent the fear and feel the pounding of her heart as if it were in his own chest. Was she scared that he would reject her? Was she afraid that he would choose Vrauk over her?

Oh, his sweet little female. He wanted to gather her up into his arms and cover her face in kisses, wanted to reassure her that she was his for as long as he lived and beyond that.

“Sherrey,” he whispered, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. “My gynaika… I waited for so long for you to come, so long I had given up hope.” Brakeer brushed the purple strands of her hair behind her ears and ghosted his lips over her cheeks. “We have never been pleasure mates, but I do love him,” he admitted softly. “We discussed it once—being pleasure mates—but knowing this day would come always stopped us.” The look in her eyes at the words made his stomach drop, and Brakeer scrambled to think of something to say.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t want to be the reason neither one of you get to be happy.”

“That isn’t—that’s not why I wanted to talk to you about him.” Goddess, this wasn’t going the way he’d hoped. “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel like our decision is somehow your fault.” Brakeer looked down at her and felt a fist close around his heart. “I wanted to ask you something, but you should know that no matter what, you’re my mate and nothing will ever change that.”

Sherrey’s lip trembled, and she caught it between her teeth as her eyes searched his face. He prayed that what she saw there mirrored his words because he couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her further. If Sherrey were Venium, she would gut him for even broaching the subject of pleasure mates, but she was human.

“I’ve only known him for a very short time, and even I can understand why you’d love him,” she said. “If I hadn’t gone into heat, I guarantee that I would have gone on shift every day and shamelessly flirted with him.”

Brakeer smiled down at her and sent up one last prayer for understanding and acceptance. “There are some pairs on Venora…” Why was it so hard to say it? “They’ve taken on a pleasure mate… together.”

The surprise on her face made his chest rumble, and when he caught the scent or her arousal Brakeer’s whole body heated. This female—his female—incited the hunger within him to a dangerous level.

“Like another mate?”

“Yes.” He willed himself not to let his hope get the best of him. She hadn’t agreed. “The Hreki don’t have fated mates.” He didn’t tell her about their mating practices, deciding to leave that up to Vrauk.

“So there wouldn’t be any fear that he’d be drawn away?” Sherrey frowned as she brushed her fingers over his tail, oblivious to the sensation it sent racing up his spine. “Is it something Vrauk wants, or is it something you want?”

“We’ve spoken about it before,” Brakeer said. “But I think it wasn’t something we ever believed would truly happen. Vrauk and I might not share a bond in the same way that we will once we’re mated, but I know in my heart that he wants you just as much as I do.”

“I just… I don’t want him to feel like this is something he has to do just to be with you.” Sherrey leaned back and wrapped her arms around her middle. “I don’t want him to feel pushed into it. If we do this, everyone is equal. Everyone is a mate.”

Equal.

She wanted Vrauk to be a mate in every way that mattered, and he wasn’t sure if she’d ever know what exactly that meant to either one of them. Tunneling his fingers into her purple strands, Brakeer pulled his mate close and slanted his mouth over hers, giving in to the desire to claim, to possess. Electricity, hot and searing, sparked between them as she fisted her hands in the suit he wore, straining to get closer.

The faint sound of someone or something moving through the water at his back had him reluctantly pulling away from her lips. If they were going to show Vrauk he had an equal stake in this mating, then Brakeer wasn’t going to make any of them wait to be claimed.

CHAPTER 6

VRAUK

The green line on the test strip was a clear indication that the water here was clean and safe to drink. Vrauk was thankful the Venium had included the tiny strips in their emergency kits. Many species were completely reliant upon tech, but in situations like the one they found themselves in, all those fancy gadgets were useless. And though he was glad to have the advancements, especially in the medical field, he’d always enjoyed a much simpler way of life like the one he’d grown up knowing.

While the Hreki were capable of space travel and the majority of them did use tech on their planet, many of the tribes—his ancestral one included—preferred an older way of living. Where he was from, people still farmed the land and raised livestock, they fished the waters, and they communed with the Mother and Great Fire. Maybe they were a bit of an oddity in this day and age, but Vrauk looked forward to his trips home and the slower pace of country life.

He pulled a water pouch from the loop on his hip and dipped it into the clear water, filling it to the brim before twisting the cap on. They would need to come back with more pouches and a few more volunteers if they wanted to have enough for everyone. Vrauk wasn’t certain what supplies were on the pod, but with the heat and humidity on this planet, he knew they were going to need to keep everyone, especially the humans and the Venium, hydrated.

After repeating the process a few times, Vrauk patted the pouches and turned to scan the shore, not surprised to find that Brakeer and Sherrey had moved further down, taking up a spot on a curved and twisted tree trunk.

Brakeer stood between her legs, his tail curled around her body. They were speaking, but Vrauk couldn’t make out their words. If his grandmother knew he was trying to listen in, she would snatch up his twitching ears and twist them as she lectured him about eavesdropping. In his defense, he wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. They needed time together and he wanted to give them that—and it was probably for the best that nothing they said reached him. As much as he hoped Brakeer might bring up the subject of a multi-mate relationship, the thought that he could be doing that now terrified him.

Talking with Sherrey about it meant she had the opportunity to reject the idea—to reject him. Pushing himself to his feet, Vrauk dried his hands off on his thighs and rolled his shoulders, drawing in a deep breath. He realized his mistake almost immediately when the combined scent of Brakeer and Sherrey’s pheromones seeped into his lungs, spreading heat through his chest and weighing down his limbs.

Vrauk turned his body toward them and, without meaning to, took a few mindless steps in their direction before catching himself. He fisted his hands at his sides and he gritted his teeth, hearing them creak and groan in his mouth under the pressure. Great Fire, he needed to step away—needed to put some distance between himself and the couple before he said or did something he couldn’t take back.

“Vrauk.”

His name on Brakeer’s lips never failed to excite Vrauk, but this time something in his tone sent a thrill racing through him that eclipsed anything he’d ever felt. He looked up at the sky through the canopy, taking in the orange and pink that was beginning to edge the blue out, and begged the Mother to give him strength for whatever was to come. There was a fire burning in Brakeer’s deep purple eyes that called to the one within him, and when the male stepped to the side, revealing Sherrey’s flushed face, Vrauk saw those flames mirrored in her as well.

Lust unfurled within his belly at the sight of the female’s swollen mouth and the way her chest rose and fell with each labored breath. Brakeer’s tail was at her waist, anchoring her to him as if she were the only thing keeping him grounded. As he watched, Sherrey drew the tips of her fingers over the skin on Brakeer’s tail, tracing the pulsing light of her mate’s fushori and making him shudder.

Vrauk’s cock pressed uncomfortably against the fabric of his pants. An ache radiated through his hips, and he tamped down the desire to run his hand over the swollen head. As if she could sense his thoughts, Sherrey’s eyes darted toward the not-so-subtle bulge. Her sweet whimper hung in the air between them, making the muscles in Vrauk’s stomach clench.

“Come here.” Brakeer’s voice was little more than a growl, raising the hair on the back of Vrauk’s neck. Sherrey wiggled at his side, closing her legs and pressing her thighs together. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one turned on by the command.

Good, he thought. At least I’ve got some company now.

“Please, Vrauk,” Sherrey whispered when he didn’t move. “There are things we should talk about.”

Beneath the sweat-dampened medbay gown she still wore, the hardened tips of Sherrey’s nipples were visible. Vrauk lowered his gaze to the wet ground so as not to torture himself with thoughts of licking those peaks or sucking on them through the fabric. His cock gave an appreciative jerk and a groan of pure frustration slipped from his lips.

Mother, please… please don’t draw out this torment any longer than is necessary.

“If you want to leave after we’ve talked, I won’t stop you,” Brakeer said. “But I am asking you to listen.”

Vrauk’s heart was pounding in his ears, loud and fast like the drums his people beat around the Great Fire during celebrations. The male had made a similar request in medbay, and Vrauk had chosen to stay and help care for Sherrey during her sleep.

He looked up at them now, and his chest tightened. What if this was the moment? What if this was when he lost Brakeer? What if this was when he lost Sherrey before he’d even been given a chance to delve into the feelings she’d stirred within him? Mustering up the last bit of the courage he had left, Vrauk stepped forward until he was within arm’s reach of Brakeer.

This close, the smell of their pheromones was overwhelming. He wanted to breathe them in as much as he wanted to get away. They were pleasure and pain, these two, and he hated that it appealed to him so much.

They are not for you, Vrauk.

Sherrey wiped at the sweat that trickled down the side of her face with one hand while the other clutched at her lower belly. The heat was breaking her down, and he wanted nothing more than to help soothe her, to take away her pain, but that wasn’t his place. When her brown eyes met his, Vrauk could see the turmoil that played within her mind.

“Lay it on me, little flame.” He hoped the smile he forced was soft and reassuring, but at this point Vrauk wasn’t sure he was actually in control of his body.

Even sitting as she was on the tree, Sherrey barely reached the middle of his chest. He knelt down on one knee, feeling very much like he’d just approached the executioner’s block and was now presenting his neck for the final blow. It wasn’t fair to ask them for a chance. He knew he had no right to beg for such a thing, but the chaos within him demanded it.

He wasn’t ready to give up.

Sherrey worried her bottom lip before beginning. “I know that in Venium culture, there seem to be pretty strict and straightforward rules about matings.” She winced and curled in on herself, but shook her head and waved Brakeer away when he moved to grab her. “I just need to catch my breath.” The Venium grumbled, but gave her space. “I’m aware that there are certain expectations, but I’m not Venium—not completely,” she said with a shaky laugh.

The branches above them swayed as a gentle breeze moved through the forest, making the leaves flutter. Sherrey tilted her head back, her eyes scanning the canopy as Vrauk stared at her exposed throat. Great Fire take me, he pleaded when his already aching cock jumped at the thought of sinking his teeth into her slender neck, claiming her and Brakeer.

“This conversation seemed way less awkward in my head,” she muttered, shifting against the tree. “Brakeer said that Hreki don’t have fated mates.”

“No, we choose our mates,” he confirmed, but didn’t mention that the Mother and Great Fire had been known to guide them, like he felt they were now. That was a conversation for later… assuming there was a later.

“Humans don’t have them either. I mean, some people believe in soulmates, but that’s…” Sherrey’s cheeks flushed, dark lashes fanning them as she frowned down at her hand where it was twisted in the gown in her lap. “That’s not important and not scientifically proven. I don’t really know anything about Hreki culture, and I’m sorry for that, but I’d like the chance to learn and to get to know who you are.” Her eyes finally found his face, and he felt his gut churn.

Where in the universe was she going with this? Vrauk glanced up at Brakeer, hoping he might glean an answer from the male, but his dark gaze was focused on Sherrey.

“Where I’m from,” Sherrey continued, drawing his attention back to her, “we get to know people we’re interested in by going out on dates—courting them.”

Vrauk’s heart somersaulted. “Interested in?”

He watched her send Brakeer a pleading look and scrub a hand over her face. “Right. You know… someone you like… someone you’d like to…” Her hand fell to her lap and she made a funny-sounding sucking noise with her mouth as she shrugged. “Someone you would like to be romantically involved with.”

It took his brain a moment to process what her words might mean. “Hreki court potential mates as well,” he told her, not sure what exactly she expected from him.

His revelation seemed to relax her and she gave him a sweet, easy smile that banished the shadows within him. “Good! That’s good.”

“Gynaika,” Brakeer purred. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as if he found her chaotic rambling endearing.

Vrauk couldn’t say he didn’t feel the same, but he was so wound up and on edge waiting for her to get to the point that he could hardly focus on that. The pheromones perfuming the air grew stronger, and judging from the way the tip of Brakeer’s tail moved against his little human’s hip, Vrauk knew they must both be fighting the effects of the heat.

“Okay, right.” Sherrey raked her fingers through her purple hair before exhaling. “I know that this seems incredibly fast and the circumstances are sort of strange, but I—we—wanted to ask you… would you…”

Brakeer took her hand and gave it a squeeze before turning to him. “Would you allow us to court you?”

For a moment, Vrauk could do nothing but bounce his gaze back and forth between them as the question echoed in his mind. When Brakeer had proposed this idea so many solars ago, he’d thought it was nothing more than a hopeless dream—a pretty thought that would never become a reality. Yet here they were, Brakeer and his sweet little mate, sitting in front of him asking if he would allow them to court him. As if he wasn’t the one moments away from begging.

“You don’t have to accept,” she rushed to say when he remained silent. “I know that you and Brakeer have feelings for each other, and I know that I just barged into your lives and made things complicated, but I… I don’t want you to feel like we’re pushing you into something you aren’t comfortable with––”

“You think you’re pushing me into a courtship?” Vrauk nearly choked on his stunned laughter.

“We can’t control how anyone else would see it, but I want you to know that you wouldn’t just be an addition. We would all be equal.”

Equal. He wouldn’t simply be a pleasure mate for them, but a mate in truth. Vrauk hadn’t needed any more reasons to fall for the little female whose flame strengthened his, but this acceptance touched him. By the laws and customs of Venora, she had every right to turn him away and he wouldn’t blame her for it, but she wasn’t rejecting him. A knot of emotion unfurled in his chest as he watched Sherrey squirm. There were so many unknowns, but there were things he was certain of: he loved Brakeer, he wanted this to work more than anything, and even though he’d only known Sherrey a short time, Vrauk trusted the spark of the Great Fire within him to lead him down the right path.

The unknowns sounded like a problem for future Vrauk. Present Vrauk couldn’t manage to give a single vreck about those what-ifs when he was being given this chance.

“If it’s too soon, you can say so,” Sherrey said. “We can’t put the heat off, and I didn’t want you to feel left out of something so important, but if you don’t feel comfortable participating––”

Mother help him, Vrauk thought his heart might burst inside his chest if she didn’t stop talking. Here she was in the middle of her heat, miserable and needy in ways that he was trying very hard not to think about, and she was concerned about him. He reached out and brushed his fingers over her calf, moving the tips up and down her leg. She shivered and the way her lids lowered while a soft moan escaped her made his cock ache to be set free.

“Little flame,” he whispered, rubbing circles along her skin with his thumb. “I’ve spent a long time waiting for you to barge into Brakeer’s life. I had solars to wonder what you might be like, and I can tell you that the reality is far better than any dream I was able to conjure up.” Vrauk lifted her leg and leaned in, pressing his lips to the inside of her ankle, smiling when her toes curled and she moaned again. From what she’d said, it was clear Sherrey thought he might have reservations about sex so soon, but he’d been imagining all the ways the three of them could be intimate since the day she showed up in their medbay.

Hreki didn’t view sexual relationships as taboo or something reserved for those already mated. Sex was just one of many ways his people connected. As the seconds ticked by, he grew more and more impatient to show the little human everything he’d been yearning to do with them. He cast a glance toward Brakeer, seeking the male’s permission. Sherrey had called them equals, but when it came to their Venium mate, Vrauk would always defer to him. There was something about giving over his power to Brakeer that made Vrauk’s stomach tighten with anticipation.

He watched Brakeer bury his fingers in Sherrey’s hair, tilting her head to the side so he could run the flat of his tongue up the curve of her neck to her earlobe. The musky scent of arousal coming from them made his head swim, and Vrauk trailed his lips over their little female’s calf until he reached her knee. Her skin was so soft, and beneath the smell of their desire, Vrauk caught a scent that was purely Sherrey. It was earthy and cool, reminding him of rain on a summer morning back home.

“More.” Sherrey’s husky whisper brought a smile to his lips and even managed to pull a chuckle from Brakeer. “Please.”

“What do you need more of, gynaika?”

She made a frustrated sound, and her pretty face pinched as her brows drew together. “I don’t know. I just… I want more of everything.”

Brakeer’s free hand slid up her body to the swell of her breast, cupping her and pinching the hard nub of her nipple through the thin fabric. “Could you be more specific?” He teased, grinning at Vrauk, who nibbled his way to the inside of her thigh as she spread her legs for him.

Sherrey’s lips were parted and her breath rushed in and out as she panted and squirmed. “I can’t think when the two of you are touching me.” She pressed her hand against her belly, curling her fingers into the gown and tugging at it. “It hurts. Everything hurts. Make it stop.”

The neediness in her voice had his balls tightening painfully and his cock jerking with the urgent desire to fulfill her request. She had been waiting to mate for far longer than any female in heat he’d ever known, and her misery was palpable.

Brakeer kissed a path along her jaw before slanting his mouth over hers. Sherrey moaned, and her fingers found their way into Vrauk’s hair, tangling in his braids as she pulled him closer. When Brakeer pulled back, Vrauk was there to take his place, capturing her mouth. His tusks brushed against her cheeks, and when she reached a hand up to touch one, Vrauk growled. He nipped at her lips, coaxing them open so that his tongue could sweep inside.

She tasted like the nearly ripe nori berries that grew in his mother’s garden, sweet with just enough of a bite to make you long for another taste. Vrauk froze when he felt Brakeer’s tail slide along the inside of his thigh, the tip brushing the swollen length of his cock where it was trapped within his pants. He groaned against Sherrey’s lips and rolled his hips, shivering when the appendage pressed closer, stroking him through the fabric.

Great Fire, he hadn’t been this close to coming from so little since his youth.

With a hiss, Vrauk released Sherrey’s mouth and pulled back, taking in the flush that had crept from her cheeks down her neck to her chest. Dazed brown eyes stared back at him before they dropped down to watch Brakeer’s tail snake up the front of his pants. She leaned forward, rubbing her face against his chest just as Brakeer gripped Vrauk’s chin and tilted his head back. The moment their lips met, Sherrey’s teeth found his nipple through the fabric, pinching the sensitive peak and making him gasp in surprise. Brakeer’s tongue dove inside his mouth, staking its claim as it swept across his own, brushing the sides of his tusks and tracing the inner portion of his lips.

It wasn’t the first time they kissed, but it was the first time they’d ever allowed it to be more than a simple press of lips. This was how he’d dreamed of kissing Brakeer—how Vrauk imagined kissing him when he was alone in his quarters fisting his cock, wishing it was Brakeer’s hand and not his own.

Solars of need were poured into the kiss as he slid one hand up to cup Sherrey’s breast while the other gripped the waistband of Brakeer’s uniform pants. Sharp fangs nipped at his lower lip, and Brakeer tsked, pulling back and shaking his head. “Eager, are we?”

“Bit of an understatement,” Vrauk grunted as the tail between his legs continued its exploration. He’d catapulted past eager long ago and was now decidedly desperate, and from the way Sherrey was working his shirt up his body, Vrauk would say she was right there with him. When she’d gotten it to his chest, Vrauk snagged the bottom and tugged it over his head, tossing it on the tree at Sherrey’s side.

Brakeer lifted her up and placed her on the ground, pulling at the knots that tied the back of her gown together. When it slipped from her shoulders to the ground, Vrauk found himself unable to look away. His gaze moved over her slender shoulders to the heavy swell of her breasts, lingering on the dark brown nipples that tipped them. He reached out and brushed one hardened peak with his knuckle and smiled when she trembled. So sweet and responsive.

Claws trailed up his arm and across his shoulder, climbing the side of his neck before a hand gripped Vrauk’s braids and tilted his head back. Brakeer stood at his side, eyes intent on his upturned face as he leaned in to brush his lips against the shell of Vrauk’s ear. “Is this what you’re choosing, Vrauk?”

For all his talk throughout the solars of disliking the idea of having his fate decided for him, Vrauk found his willingness to accept guidance from the Mother and Great Fire amusing.

“The choice was never mine,” he whispered, feeling Brakeer’s other hand glide down his bare chest, caressing the puckered scar that ran down the middle. “This has always been where I belong.” Perhaps involving himself with a mated pair should have scared him, or at least made him proceed with caution, but Vrauk was in this for the long haul. As the human saying went, go big or go home.

He swallowed, his throat tight with emotion and his stomach jittery with arousal, as Brakeer’s hand moved even lower. Past his navel and over the smattering of dark hair on his stomach until his fingers dipped beneath the waistband of his uniform pants, teasing the curls at the base of his aching cock.

“What do you need?” Sherrey asked, her eyes riveted on Brakeer’s hand. “What do you want?”

He wanted everything. He wanted to make a lifetime worth of dreams a reality, but right then, what Vrauk wanted was right in front of him. “I want my face buried between those slick thighs of yours,” he growled, gripping her hips and tugging her close before flicking her nipple with his tongue. Sherrey’s fingers clutched at his shoulders, blunt nails digging into his thick skin. The scent of her arousal was becoming like a drug, and he longed to explore the source. “I want my mouth on your cunt when you come, little flame.”

Brakeer’s deep laughter zipped down his spine. The Venium unlatched Vrauk’s pants and freed him, fisting his hard, weeping cock. “What’s stopping you?”

CHAPTER 7

SHERREY

The heat within her was beginning to burn out of control, engulfing Sherrey’s body and melting away any lingering insecurities she might have had about exposing herself physically and emotionally for these males. The fact that they were in a forest on a remote planet in some sector of the universe she had never heard of wasn’t even a blip on her radar. Nothing outside of her desire to be possessed and claimed even mattered. Food, sleep, comfort… None of that was as important as her desperation to release the pent-up need clawing at her.

Vrauk snatched his shirt from the tree where he’d slung it and spread the garment out on the ground, taking Sherrey’s hand to steady her as she sat down. Reclining on her elbows, she watched Brakeer’s hand move up and down Vrauk’s cock, his fist sliding over the pronounced ridges. A soft glow emanated from his skin, swirling up from the nest of dark hair at the base like vines. Piercings ran along the underside, forming a ladder that went all the way to the swollen head where a ring looped through the slit. She pressed her thighs together and wriggled as a stream of pearly white pre-cum dripped from the tip.

“What’s stopping you?”

Brakeer’s words rang in Sherrey’s ears. The anticipation of having Vrauk’s mouth on her was almost too much to consider. Her body throbbed and pulsed, so far past turned on that she wasn’t sure how much more she could take until she burst into flames and disintegrated into a pile of ash on the forest floor.

Sherrey tore her eyes away from their play, exploring instead the vast green expanse of Vrauk’s torso. An old jagged scar bisected his chest, running from just below his collar bone to the top of his naval. Like his cock, Vrauk’s nipples were pierced, and she smiled when she remembered the way she’d bitten down on them and felt the cold metal through his shirt.

Intricate tattoos, the same ones she’d glimpsed beneath his uniform in medbay, covered the upper portion of his chest, shoulders, and neck. Brakeer kissed down from Vrauk’s ear to the base of his neck, and then back up, opening his mouth to gently bite the lobe. Good God, watching them together wasn’t helping the ache at all. If anything, it made her cramps more painful and the throbbing in her core more pronounced.

“Like a little gift,” Brakeer purred as he took a step back. “Are you going to open her up?”

She trembled with excitement as Vrauk leaned forward, placing his big hands on her knees and sliding them over her thighs. Sherrey let her legs fall open when Vrauk nudged them, opening until she was spread before the males like an offering to the old gods. The way their eyes moved over every inch of her took her breath away, and when Vrauk pressed his face against the inside of her leg, his long tusks scraping her skin, Sherrey gasped. Her core clenched, empty and needy.

Brakeer discarded his shirt and worked his pants down over his meaty thighs before kneeling down at her side, his dark cock gripped in his fist. Unlike the ridges on Vrauk’s length, which spiraled from the base, the ridges on Brakeer’s curved around the underside. She knew the partially swollen ones at the base were mating glands, rings of flesh that expanded just before orgasm. They would lock Sherrey and Brakeer together for a short time after, ensuring his seed stayed within her body.

Sherrey’s belly cramped painfully at the thought and slick gushed from her, soaking the shirt beneath her and making Vrauk growl as he made his way lower. When she felt his breath against her heated center, Sherrey arched her hips, urging him closer, pleading with him to touch her. She reached out, grasping Brakeer’s cock just as Vrauk licked her slit, parting her lips and thrusting into her pussy. The way his pointed tusks rubbed her inner thighs and the pressure of his tongue as it speared in and out of her had her nearly frantic.

Her hand moved up and down Brakeer’s cock, squeezing the glands at the base before caressing the smooth flared head. The fushori that marked his length pulsed, the purple glow painting her hand and face as she leaned forward and took him into her mouth. She hummed at the salty taste of his seed, hollowing her cheeks as she took him further. The Venium didn’t have external testicles so she ran her fingers along the outside of the sheath that would hide his cock when it was flaccid, teasing the sensitive flesh until Brakeer growled and grabbed her wrist.

“Easy, gynaika,” he murmured, cradling the back of her head as he pressed further into her mouth. His thrusts were shallow and gentle, but he was larger than any of the human men she’d been with in the past. Her throat tightened as the head brushed the back of her tongue, making her eyes water. She blinked up at him and the smile that spread across his handsome face had her belly cramping.

Between her legs, Vrauk hummed and purred, lapping at the slick that flowed from her. The tip of his tongue found her clit, and when she rolled her hips up, seeking more contact, he swept over it again and again. How had she managed to make it this long without them touching her? The hours that had passed since she’d woken up in the medbay covered in sweat seemed like ages ago.

Sherrey closed her eyes and willed herself to let go—to simply experience what they were doing to her. Brakeer released her hand to tease her nipples, plucking and pinching the hardened peaks as she swirled her tongue against the underside of his head, mimicking the movement of Vrauk’s tongue on her. The muscles in her thighs twitched, and a moment later, the Hreki was guiding her legs over his shoulders without even missing a beat.

With the new angle, each pass of his tongue inside her made Sherrey’s breath catch and her body tremble. Vrauk’s finger pressed inside her when his tongue returned to stroke her clit, drawing a surprised moan from her and Brakeer as she squeezed the mating glands. They were flexible still, soft even though they were beginning to swell. Sherrey wanted them inside her.

So close. Her body was teetering on the edge, swaying over the bottomless pit that was her ultimate pleasure. She writhed beneath Vrauk as he nipped, suckled, and licked her into a near frenzy.

“Such a good girl,” Brakeer purred, caressing her cheek as he adjusted the angle of his strokes. Sherrey opened her eyes and met his fiery gaze. “Are you going to come for Vrauk? Are you going to give him what he wants?”

The vibration of Vrauk’s growl against her core, combined with the pressure of his finger and tongue, sent her spiraling over the edge. She came unraveled, digging her heels into Vrauk’s back as a ball of brilliant light burst behind her eyes. Brakeer dug his fingers into her hair and yanked her off of his length, watching her as she gasped and twisted in the grip of her orgasm.

“The little flame burns,” Vrauk whispered, making her cry out when his teeth grazed her swollen clit. “So sweet.” When he released his hold on her legs, they fell open, boneless and unresponsive. Leaves rustled as Vrauk straightened, pushing up on his hands and knees to smile down at her as she struggled to draw breath. The smug look on his face told Sherrey he knew exactly what he’d done to her.

If she thought the cramping in her belly and ache between her legs would ease after her world-altering orgasm, the pain that was already returning proved her wrong.

Hands tucked beneath her, and Sherrey found herself being lifted off the ground and pressed against Brakeer’s chest. His arms tightened around her, and she pressed her face against the wall of his chest as he turned, setting her down atop the shirt someone had placed on the warped trunk of the tree she’d been sitting on earlier. Sherrey whimpered, clutching at Brakeer’s upper arms as her belly cramped. She wanted to cry, to beg for one of them to make it stop so her exhausted body could finally relax.

Vrauk came up behind her and slid his hand over her hip until his massive palm was cupping her belly. She leaned back, resting her head against his chest. Unable to pull her gaze away, Sherrey watched as the males’ lips met above her. Tongues tangled together, and sharp teeth nipped at lush lips. The way they touched and the sounds they made as they delved into one another had her fingers seeking the throbbing spot between her thighs. She circled her clit, teasing the distended nub.

Not enough. She felt so… empty. Even after she thrust three of her fingers into her body, it still wasn’t enough. More!

Brakeer pulled back, breaking the kiss, and frowned down at the hand she’d buried between her legs. Sherrey whimpered, trying in vain to wrest her arm free when he took hold of her wrist and brought her glistening slick-covered fingers to his mouth, sucking them clean with a low growl.

“I like the taste of you on Vrauk’s tongue, gynaika,” he said, releasing her hands so that he could grip her hips and adjust her position on the tree. Unlike the hard bark and unforgiving wood back home, the one she was currently resting against was soft with smooth bark that reminded her of the crepe myrtle growing outside of her bedroom window back on Earth.

Brakeer pressed his hips to hers, rubbing the head of his cock against her wet folds. It nudged her swollen clit, eliciting a gasp at the same moment he pushed through her folds into her searing heat. The walls of her pussy fluttered, stretching to accommodate his girth.

This, her mind sighed as Brakeer thrust slowly in and out. This is what we need, what we crave.

He pressed the partially swollen glands at the base into her, growling and grunting each time they slipped inside. Vrauk’s fingers raked through her hair, gripping the purple strands and giving them a gentle tug until she tilted her head back. The head of his cock brushed her cheek as she reclined, and Sherrey turned, taking him into her mouth. Vrauk cradled her head in his hands, supporting her upper body while Brakeer held onto her lower half.

She wrapped her legs around Brakeer’s waist, digging her heels into his back and urging him to fuck her harder—faster. The pressure was already building just behind her pubis with each languid thrust. Her inner muscles gripped Brakeer, attempting to keep him lodged within her each time he pulled back.

Sherrey’s body burned, her skin tingling as the males moved against her. Nothing was going to be the same after this, she thought, swirling her tongue against the underside of Vrauk’s ridged cock and enjoying the sting of pain at her scalp when his grip on her hair tightened. The growl that rumbled up from his chest when she allowed her teeth to scrape over his shaft made her pussy clench, drawing a moan from Brakeer.

Heavy testicles hung between Vrauk’s tree trunk-sized thighs, swaying with each shallow thrust. Sherrey reached out and caressed the delicate skin, humming as his cock jerked and a spurt of salty pre-cum coated her tongue. He bared his teeth at her, and his nostrils flared, reminding her of a rutting bull. The look on his face was one of both agony and pleasure, something she was becoming too familiar with during this heat. From the corner of her eye, she watched Brakeer watching them, and it sent a thrill racing through her. He was working them both into a frenzy, the friction their bodies created sending her closer to the edge.

Vrauk guided her head as Brakeer fucked her, thrusting the steadily swelling glands into her slick cunt. The Venium snarled, and his claws pierced the skin of her hips as he slammed into her with such force that she had to grab onto Vrauk’s arm to keep herself from sliding off the tree.

Yes, yes, yes! She wanted to scream her excitement, but Vrauk’s cock was wedged so far in her mouth that she barely had room to breathe around the intrusion. Brakeer’s fushori were pulsing brighter than she’d ever seen, and the gills on the side of his neck flared. He looked like one of the sea monsters in the tales the fisherman in her village told the children, lethal and terrifying. She loved it.

With one arm wrapped around his thigh, Sherrey twisted to the side, finding Vrauk’s sack again. She fondled and squeezed, delighting in the noises he made and the way his muscles quivered. “Sherrey,” he growled, tugging her hair. “You’re playing dirty, little flame. Keep that up and I’m going to––vreck!”

She took him as far into her mouth as she could and hollowed her cheeks, giving his sack one last squeeze before it drew up and she heard him roar above her. Salty cum sprayed into her mouth as his cock twitched. It filled her completely, sliding down her throat or leaking from the corners of her mouth. When he pulled her off, Sherrey whimpered, straining to lick the still dripping tip even as she squirmed with need.

Brakeer pumped his hips faster and reached out to tease her nipple, pinching one of the peaks between his fingers. It sent a spark of pure pleasure zinging through her, and when it ignited, Sherrey’s entire body erupted into white hot flames as she came for the second time. Her pussy clenched, inner muscles spasming around her mate, and when he pressed his glands into her one last time, Sherrey felt them swell completely, stretching her to the point of pain so pleasurable she thought she saw stars ring her vision.

If she could have seen herself from the outside, Sherrey doubted she would have recognized the bucking, screaming creature she’d become. The pleasure had torn her apart and remade her. She’d been reborn into someone who had always resided inside of her, and she wasn’t ever going back.

With every cool splash of Brakeer’s cum inside her core, Sherrey felt the fire that had been raging through her begin to recede. Vrauk lifted her upper body, propping her up on his chest and wrapping his arms around her as Brakeer leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers.

“Gynaika.” The word was hardly more than a whisper, but it rang in her ears like a reverent prayer.

She stroked Brakeer’s jaw and reached back, finding the side of Vrauk’s face and coaxing him down until his cheek was pressed against hers. They stayed there for a time, panting and trembling, curled around one another. The sounds of the forest around them slowly filtered into her dazed mind, but she wasn’t ready for the moment to end.

Something passed between the three of them, like a thread spearing through Sherrey. She was changed, irrevocably altered by these males, and as she looked up at them, she wondered if their hearts had been claimed as thoroughly as hers had been.

CHAPTER 8

SHERREY

With the setting of the planet’s sun, the forest had come to life. Unknown animal calls rang through trees, and bugs as big as her hands zoomed around in the air above them, their mandibles clicking eerily as they crashed into and snapped at one another. Sherrey wrapped her arms tighter around Brakeer’s neck and prayed they didn’t come toppling down on them. She’d really hate for him and Vrauk to see what a scaredy cat she was so early on in their relationship. Growing up in the Philippines, she was no stranger to creepy crawlies, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t run screaming from these monster beetles if they got too close.

As if he could feel her unease, Brakeer tucked her closer and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Exhaustion was catching up to her, and with the combination of his body heat and the gentle rocking motion of Brakeer’s steps, Sherrey’s eyelids were growing heavier by the minute. Since she was still without shoes, they’d insisted that she allow them to carry her back, and with how limp her arms and legs felt, she hadn’t even tried to resist. The pain in her belly had settled into a dull ache, and even though she’d been thoroughly fucked, Sherrey’s body still tingled with the anticipation of the next encounter.

When she’d joined the Venium Mates Program, her instructors had skimmed over the part about Venium heats, perhaps thinking it wouldn’t affect them. Luckily, she had to study the basics before working at the hospital closest to the testing center and to qualify to submit her application for the nursing position on board the cruise ship. Sherrey knew from her studies that heats could last mere hours or take days to fizzle out. It was impossible to know how long she would be feeling this desperation, and although it was better now than it had been when she’d woken up hours ago, Sherrey hoped it wouldn’t last much longer.

Despite waiting years to find her mate, she couldn’t help the uncertainty that plagued her. Sherrey knew that, for the Venium, a fated bond could never be broken. She and Brakeer were linked to one another for the rest of their lives, but Hreki, like humans, didn’t have fated mates. What was stopping him from walking away from them? The thought that he might wake up one day and decide he didn’t want to be with them tore at her heart. It wouldn’t just hurt her, she realized, peering up at Brakeer through her lashes.

She might not have known either one of them very long, but she was absolutely certain that her mate loved the male and that he’d be heartbroken if he left. Would Vrauk choose to stay for good? It was a question she didn’t know the answer to, but she prayed he would. The three of them might not be fated like Jun’s triad, but they’d begun to form their own bond, one that they would nurture and grow together.

And what about children?

She’d never really taken that into consideration with her diagnosis, but if Brakeer’s theory about her infertility being linked with her Venium DNA, then it was possible that she could become pregnant now. Sherrey placed her hand over her belly and felt emotion choke her. Don’t get your hopes up, Sher, she chided herself.

If they had children, what would happen? How would it work? Brin, one of Jun’s mates, was unable to have children, which meant Jun’s children were biologically the offspring of their other mate. Amanda, her cousin’s best friend, had given birth to twins with human, Venium, and Grutex traits, but it was believed that this was caused by the link Amanda and her Grutex mate shared long before they’d ever met.

Was that a possibility for them? Would either one of her males even want that? They’d known each other for only a couple of days, and she’d only been conscious a handful of hours. There hadn’t been any time to ask about babies or where they’d live or even what their favorite meals were. The reality of how little they knew about one another added another layer of uncertainty on top of what she was already feeling, but she had faith in fate. Why would the universe have gone through so much trouble to bring them together, only to make them realize they weren’t a match?

Because life is sometimes cruel.

She swept the doubts from her mind and focused on the flickering flame within her mind that she imagined as her own visual representation of their relationship. It was small for now, but the more that they fed it, the larger and stronger it would grow. Sherrey’s stomach grumbled loudly, and she pressed her hand to it as if that would quiet it.

“Are you hungry?” Brakeer asked. One of his brow ridges arched as he looked down at her, and a smirk tugged at one corner of his mouth.

“I didn’t notice it before,” she told him. “I was distracted by a different kind of hunger.”

Vrauk chuckled and glanced back at her, his blue eyes dancing as he gave her a cheeky wink. “Stomach not full enough, little flame? We might have time for another round…”

Despite the hunger gnawing at her, Sherrey felt the ghost of a cramp low in her belly and whined. They’d washed off in the cool water of the strange little marsh when they could move again, but getting cleaned up had set off her heat and Brakeer had fucked her senseless from behind while Vrauk teased them both with his hands and tongue until she begged him to fuck her mouth. Heat infused her cheeks, and she pressed her thighs together, only a little embarrassed at the slick that coated them. It didn’t matter how many times she’d come already today—her body wanted more.

Sherrey rolled her eyes when Vrauk laughed, but she couldn’t hold back a smile. She might not have known them long, but Sherrey was learning quickly that of her two males, Vrauk was the outgoing social butterfly, where Brakeer was reserved and introverted. It wasn’t hard to see why they fit together so well. In many ways, they reminded her of Jun’s mates.

What must her cousin be thinking right now? It had been days since the last time they spoke. Would she be worried, or would she think Sherrey was simply busy with her new job and would call her when she got a free moment?

“The heat will do that,” Brakeer said.

“Do what?” Sherrey asked, blinking up at him.

“Cause you to forget to eat and to sleep,” he said. His hand smoothed over her back, raising goosebumps on her skin. “It isn’t uncommon for mates to lose track of time and go days without either one during the initial heat.”

Would they have been the same if they hadn’t had to deal with the ship exploding and being stranded? Even now, Sherrey was trying her best not to think too much about what they had done for fear that it would set off her heat again. When the sound of voices reached her and the pod came into view, she patted Brakeer’s chest. “You can set me down now.”

“You still have no shoes,” Brakeer pointed out.

“Well, that’s not exactly true,” Vrauk waited for Brakeer to catch up to him and held up a pair of small, intricately woven sandals. Vrauk must have spent the journey back to the pod making her footwear. He slipped the shoes onto her feet and secured them with a knot. “They aren’t perfect, but I think my mother would be proud. All those hours spent teaching me to weave haven’t gone to waste after all.”

When Brakeer set her on the ground, Sherrey wriggled her toes within them and smiled up at Vrauk. She threw herself forward and wrapped her around his waist. “Thank you so much, Vrauk,” she said, burying her face in his shirt. Even though they’d washed the clothing before heading back, Sherrey swore she could make out their combined scents clinging to the fabric.

The Hreki ran a big hand over her head and tucked the fingers of his other hand beneath her chin, coaxing her face up. “You’re very welcome, little flame.” Sherrey stood up on her tiptoes to accept a kiss before allowing Brakeer to tuck her against his side.

“Vrauk is a male of hidden talents,” Brakeer chuckled.

The sandals were far more comfortable than she’d expected, and after being carried for so long, it felt nice to stretch her legs again. Up ahead, orange light from a campfire set in the middle of the clearing flickered across the sleek hull of the pod. She could hear the other survivors speaking, but they were too far away for her to make anything out.

Vrauk frowned as they drew closer. “Something’s wrong,” he said. “Come on.”

Most of the survivors had gathered close to the fire, forming a large circle around the large Orotaw whose tail was whipping back and forth in obvious irritation. He shifted from one hoof to the other, his nostrils flaring and his brows furrowed as he listened to the mixture of voices from the crowd.

“I’m telling you, she wouldn’t have just wandered off!” one person shouted. “She was inside the pod.”

“I saw her go into the woods though!”

“Maybe she just had to pee?”

“Where are the ones who went to get the water? Maybe they’ve seen them?”

“Maybe we’ve seen who?” Sherrey asked as they approached the cluster of humans and aliens.

“We couldn’t find Healer Kamila, and when Harper and Wren went to search for her, we lost track of them as well,” one of the Venium told her.

“We’ll break into a few search parties, but I don’t want any of the humans going alone,” Keelauk said. “We’ve already had three disappear. The Venium Council is going to lose their minds over this situation as it is.”

It was pretty well known throughout the universe that the Venium Council guarded the humans in the program as if they were some precious commodity. She supposed, in some ways, that they were. Sherrey didn’t really care to think of herself and the other humans like that, but if it meant the Venium might put more resources into finding them, then she would deal with it.

“We can help look for them,” Sherrey offered, glancing over her shoulder at her males who were unloading the water pouches from their shoulders.

Brakeer looked up at her and frowned. “You need to rest, gynaika,” he told her. “We just got back to camp.”

Sherrey rolled her eyes. “You carried me the whole way. I’m fine.” Not wanting to give him an opening to argue, she grabbed one of the pouches they’d set down and slung it over her shoulder before turning back to Keelauk. “Where should we start?”

Another thing she was learning about Brakeer was that he was incredibly over protective. She’d seen helicopter moms hover less than him, and even Vrauk was beginning to side-eye the male.

“I don’t know why you won’t just let one of us carry you,” Brakeer groused, his hands fisting and flexing at his sides as he watched her navigate a particularly dense area of the forest.

“I appreciate the offer, but I can do this on my own.” Sherrey shoved the hair out of her face and glanced around, searching for any sign of the missing humans. Keelauk and the others hadn’t really given them anything to go on other than the direction someone said they saw Wren and Harper go, but she supposed that was better than nothing at all. They had waited until dawn to head out, not wanting to risk walking around in the dark with nothing to guide them but the dim light of the emergency lanterns, especially since they still had no idea what was waiting out there other than the giant bugs.

Their trio was one of three small groups volunteering to search, and so far they hadn’t found anything that would lead them to believe any of the women had come this way. From her position atop an oddly-shaped boulder, Sherrey could see nothing but trees and green undergrowth for what seemed like miles. If the women were out there, how in the world were they going to find them?

“You’re going to hurt yourself up there,” Brakeer growled, taking Sherrey’s hand and trying to coax her into his arms. “You’ll scrape your feet up on the rock.”

Vrauk gasped dramatically and clutched at his chest as he spun toward them. “You insult my work, Keer!” He swept Sherrey up in his arms and gave her peck on the cheek. “He has cut me deep, little flame.”

“I’m too old for this,” Brakeer grumbled.

“You poor thing,” she giggled, patting Vrauk’s chest. “If it makes you feel any better, these sandals are way nicer than the awful rubber ones I’m used to buying back home.”

“I’m glad I could finally put my weaving skills to good use,” Vrauk said, winking at her before setting her down on the ground. He looked up at the darkening sky and then glanced over her head at Brakeer. “We’ve only got a little daylight left, Keer.”

The Venium nodded and raked his fingers through his mussed hair. “Let’s head back. We’ll search again in the morning when we have more light.”

This felt a hell of a lot like giving up, and that frustrated Sherrey. She hated knowing that Kamila, Wren, and Harper were out there in the woods somewhere, and even though she didn’t actually know them, she felt a responsibility to find them. Tomorrow, she told herself. There was no sense in staying in the forest after dark and getting themselves lost.

Through the holes in the canopy above them, Sherrey watched the orange and reds in the sky give way to deep blues before fading into a star-speckled black. They entered a small clearing, one she recognized from the start of their search earlier in the day, and stopped to stare up into the most beautiful night sky she had ever been under. She’d been so anxious last night after finding out about the others that she hadn’t even noticed that the flare was visible from the surface of the planet. It danced among the stars, enhancing their beauty instead of overpowering it.

“Being out here like this makes me feel like I’m at home,” Vrauk said.

Sherrey turned to see him gazing up into the sky with a smile. “Is your home planet a lot like this?”

Vrauk shook his head. “Not exactly. I’m from a rural village called Morakin. We live on the edge of a large forest, but we make our homes on the plains. So many of my nights were spent outside looking at a sky nearly identical to this one.”

“You don’t see this in Florida, but where I’m from in the Philippines, up in the mountains, the sky is so clear,” she looked around at the trees that lined the clearing and smiled. “This forest actually reminds me a lot of home. Same temperatures and similar plants. Crazy to think there’s some place so familiar so far from home.”

“I have never been on the surface of Venora after dark,” Brakeer said.

“Never?” Sherrey tilted her head, watching him as he gazed up at the sky. “Why not?”

“It wasn’t allowed when I was a pup,” he said with a shrug. “Many things were different back then, but Venora is changing and so are her people.” Brakeer reached out to touch Sherrey’s cheek and smiled softly at Vrauk as his hand fell away. “I think she would like Sati.”

“That’s the Hreki homeworld?” Sherrey asked, following the males as they began to walk again. Vrauk nodded, taking her hand to help her over the trunk of a fallen tree. “Could we visit? Well, once we’re rescued, of course.”

Vrauk looked at Brakeer as if he were seeking permission, but when the Venium only grinned, her big Hreki turned his uncertain gaze back to Sherrey. “If you’d like. Fair warning though, the moment my family finds out we are there, they are going to insist on meeting you.”

“And feeding you,” Brakeer laughed. “I’m not sure I have ever eaten as much as I did when we were there.”

“It’s how they show their love, and they love you a lot.”

It sounded so much like the Philippines. The people in her city were the most generous humans she’d ever known. Even the poorest among them always had something to spare, and when family members came home, they threw big celebrations and filled tables with as much food as they could hold. It had been years since she was able to travel back, and she missed her mama’s maruya and humba. The thought of meeting Vrauk’s family didn’t scare her, but she hoped they liked her as much as they seemed to like Brakeer.

In the distance, a little ball of light rose up from the forest floor, hovering between the trees. A moment later, another joined it and then another. One by one, tiny glowing orbs began to spring up all around them. Sherrey stepped close to Vrauk, not sure what was happening. They moved slowly, bobbing up and down or spinning in lazy circles. A few of the orbs floated closer, and when Brakeer reached out his hand, allowing one to land, Sherrey felt her stomach dip.

“It’s okay,” he said, turning slowly to show her the little light resting in his palm. “They are just little insects.”

The little bug scuttled around for a second before its tiny transparent wings began to move and it rose into the air again, circling close to Sherrey before rejoining the others in the trees. There must have been hundreds of them now. It was like the stars had come down from the sky to dance with one another. Like little aninipot—fireflies—back home that congregated in the mountains or in the mangroves by the beach.

“Sherrey!”

The sound of her name startled her, and Sherrey spun in the direction it had come from, scanning the dark spaces between the trees. “Hello?”

“Help! Sherrey!”

“Kamila?”

She could have sworn it was the healer’s voice she heard coming from somewhere within the forest. Sherrey took a step toward the trees, but stopped in her tracks the moment the pale orb drifted out from behind a trunk a few feet away. This wasn’t an insect, she realized, watching as actual white-hot flames danced across the surface, illuminating the foliage around it.

They had a belief about orbs like this back home. Tala. She was a goddess, and in the province where Sherrey was from, they had their own unique beliefs about her. In times of need, Tala would appear as a ball of light to guide you, but if your intentions were malicious, her light would haunt you, chasing you for your misdeeds.

Jun had told her about a time when she and their cousins had visited family up in the mountains. They’d snuck out to go to the disco, something they knew they weren’t allowed to do, and had come across a fiery orange ball that had them running back home.

Sherrey’s heart pounded, but the longer she watched the orb, the more certain she became that it wasn’t something to fear. Maybe she would look back on this later and realize she’d made a mistake, but in that moment, she made a decision to set aside her unease. The voice called out again, further away than it had been before, and Sherrey was moving out of the shelter of Vrauk’s arms without even thinking. She heard the males shout her name and felt a hand grasp at her, but she shook it off, running after the orb as it bounced deeper into the forest.

“No! Wait!”

“Sherrey!”

The orb darted to the right, following the new direction of the voice, and she followed. Her lungs burned and her muscles screamed as she raced after the light. Branches clawed at her while rocks and other debris stabbed at the soles of her feet through the woven sandals, but she was so immersed in her chase that she didn’t let the pain slow her.

“She’s this way!” Sherrey yelled over her shoulder, knowing without having to look that Vrauk and Brakeer were somewhere behind her. “Hurry!”

A pair of arms plucked her from the ground, circling her waist, and she was pulled tight against a heaving chest. “Where the vreck do you think you’re going?” Vrauk’s breath against her ear sent the loose strands of Sherrey’s hair flying around her face.

Sherrey struggled in his grasp, shoving at his arms in an effort to get free and follow the light, but as she frantically scanned the forest, she realized she’d lost it. “No, no, no! We have to follow it. I heard her—I know it was her!”

Brakeer appeared in front of her, his fushori pulsing as he cupped her face in his hands. “Sherrey, take a breath,” he instructed, waiting for her to do as she’d been told before continuing. “Now tell us what you heard.”

“I heard Kamila! I know I did!”

He looked beyond her at Vrauk and his frown deepened. “We didn’t hear anything, gynaika.”

“I did!”

“Okay,” he whispered, caressing her face. “Do you hear her now?”

She listened carefully, but all she could hear was the drumming of her own heart and their heavy breathing. Nothing, not even the animals they’d heard before, made any noise. The unease returned, and she shook her head. Vrauk crouched, lowering her to her feet, but didn’t release her.

“Tell us if you hear her again and we can all search, but don’t ever run off like that. You took the fire right out of me,” Vrauk said, resting his forehead against her back. “You’re faster than I gave you credit for, little flame.” He gave her a little squeeze.

“I’m sorry. I just… I heard the voice and saw the light, and I just––”

“What light?” Brakeer asked. “The insects?”

“It was a ball of white flame… I was following it, but it disappeared.” Sherrey scrubbed her hands over her face and sighed. She sounded crazy, and she had no idea why they hadn’t seen or heard the same things she had. Was this something caused by the heat? “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I believe you saw something. I just don’t know what it was,” Brakeer told her. He glanced around them and sighed as he dropped into a squat, curling his tail around her leg. “Does any of this look familiar?”

The metal caps on the ends of Vrauk’s braids clicked and clacked as he shook his head. “No. I can send out a call to Naran––”

“Sherrey.”

To the left, hovering a few inches above the ground just inside the entrance of what appeared to be a cave was the fiery orb. “It’s there,” she whispered, patting the males to get their attention. “It’s in the cave.” When she pushed against Vrauk’s hold this time, he let her go, but they both stuck to her side like velcro.

With each step she took, the orb moved further into the darkness until they’d stepped over the threshold. The soft purple glow of Brakeer’s fushori splashed against the walls and reflected off of the crystals jutting out of the rock. When she looked closer, Sherrey realized that the same crystals seemed to be emitting their own faint light. Her fingers itched to trace the sharp edges, but when the orb disappeared around a corner at the back of the cave, Sherrey rushed forward, terrified of losing sight of it again.

Sherrey gasped when she turned the corner and the cave opened up into a massive open cavern. The remnants of ancient buildings lined crumbling stone streets, and growing between huge clusters of crystals on the walls were vines the circumference of her arm with leaves nearly her height. High above them, through a large, circular hole in the ceiling, Sherrey could make out the twinkling of stars.

“Vreck,” Vrauk breathed from behind her.

“Sherrey!” The voice came again, coming from somewhere in the center of the small village or city they had stumbled upon.

“She’s in here! Come on!”

“Kamila!” Vrauk called out, his booming voice echoing through the abandoned streets.

“We’ll have to go building to building,” Brakeer said, taking Sherrey’s hand. “No running off. We do not want to lose you here.”

Sherrey turned, a snarky retort on her lips, but it died before she’d even uttered a word. Her throat went dry as a black shadow larger than Vrauk moved inside the doorway of one of the buildings. She tugged on Brakeer’s hand, backtracking as the creature’s red eyes caught the light of the crystals and its long bony face came into view.

“Tikbalang.”

CHAPTER 9

BRAKEER

The light from the crystals growing up the walls did little to illuminate the shadowy figure standing within the doorway of the ruins, but from what he could see, this was no being he had ever encountered. Brakeer’s fushori pulsed, and a low growl rumbled within his chest as he turned his body toward the creature, pulling Sherrey behind him as he moved them both toward Vrauk. The male had already drawn his weapon, training it on the shadow. He felt the pressure of Sherrey’s palm on his back and reached back to grasp her hand.

“It’s a tikbalang,” she whispered, awe and fear evident in her tone.

He’d never heard of such a thing. It stood taller than Vrauk on unguligrade legs ending in shimmering black hooves, and its dark gray body was dusted with fine hairs. It reached up its clawed hand, lifting the grime-covered animal skull from its head. Despite the fact that much of its body was humanoid, the head and lower body reminded Brakeer of a horse. He’d glimpsed the animals while studying vids on Earth, and although this creature wasn’t identical, the resemblance was close enough.

Large nostrils at the end of its long muzzle flared, and two fangs as big as his finger protruded from its upper jaw. Red eyes roved over Brakeer and his mates as if it were gauging the situation. They stopped on Vrauk’s blaster, and the beast cocked its head before speaking in a language his translator didn’t seem to understand completely. It raised its hands and beckoned them forward, stepping back into the shadow of the ruins.

Brakeer glanced sideways at Vrauk, taking in his confused expression, and raised a brow ridge. “What now, Enforcer?”

“We should follow it,” Sherrey said, pushing herself between their bodies. She made it one step past them before they’d both snatched her back.

“You can’t just follow every creature we find here,” Brakeer growled. “We don’t know what it is or what it wants.”

“I know what he is,” Sherrey insisted, looking up at the red eyes that stared back at them. “I don’t think he wants to hurt us.”

“And you’re sure about that?” Vrauk asked.

“Not completely,” she admitted. “But we’re already here. What if he knows where the others are?”

He didn’t want to trust the creature with his own life, let alone those of his mates, but it hadn’t shown any sign of aggression toward them. Vrauk lowered his blaster and sent Brakeer a questioning look. For once in his life, he didn’t want to be the one making the decisions. Before he could give his answer, a small orb made of white flames materialized behind the tikbalang, illuminating the inside of the ruins.

Sherrey gasped and frantically tapped his arm. “Brakeer…”

“I see it,” he said, stunned by the sight. This was what Sherrey had chased through the woods? Brakeer couldn’t say he would have had the same urge, but he was discovering that the little female was far braver than most. “Stay close.” He tucked her against his side and stepped in line behind Vrauk, who was already moving cautiously into the building.

The tikbalang motioned for them to follow, darting out the back doorway into a narrow alley that ran parallel to the street they’d come in on. It was littered with broken crates and other rubble, but that didn’t slow the creature down. When they began to lag behind Brakeer swept Sherrey into his arms, ignoring her indignant huff as he caught up to Vrauk.

They ventured deeper into the city, pausing every now and then while the tikbalang cocked its head this way and that, seemingly listening for something or someone. Some of the buildings were different from the ones near the entrance of the cavern. Where those were mostly square or rectangular, a good number of the ones in this part were spherical. Broken windows dotted the unique structure, reminding him that everything here had been left to time, but Brakeer imagined this place had been a sight to see when it was in use.

One of them, a tall cylindrical building standing all on its own in the center of a large intersection, caught his eye. It was made primarily of what appeared to be glass with four spacious levels looking out over the streets and the rest of the buildings. The most interesting aspect of it, however, was the massive shimmering tree growing up the center. He had no idea how the twinkling lights had remained hidden from view for so long.

Brakeer placed Sherrey back on her feet as the tikbalang approached the structure, but kept a hand on her back, ready to grab the back of her gown in case she took off again. With a wave of the male’s hand, one of the panels moved forward and then slid to the side, revealing the entrance. He gestured for them to step inside, tracking them with keen red eyes as they tentatively followed his directions.

“Are the others here?” Sherrey asked.

“What is this place?” Brakeer scanned the room and turned toward the tikbalang, expecting the male to be right behind them, only to see the glass panel slide back into place between them.

“Hey!” Vrauk growled, rushing forward and banging his fist on the glass. The panel rattled quietly, but held fast. Again and again, the Hreki tried to break them out, but to no avail. When the tikbalang seemed satisfied that they were properly contained, he inclined his head and disappeared into the darkness as if he were nothing more than a shadow. “Vreck!”

“It’s okay,” Sherrey told him, running her hands over Vrauk’s arm.

“It’s not okay, Sherrey,” the male sighed. “We need to see if there’s another way out of here.” Blaster in hand, Vrauk moved around the room, checking each panel before ascending the stairs.

Brakeer and Sherrey followed close behind him, moving on to the other levels before admitting defeat. The structure was solid and, as far as they could tell, impossible to break out of. “We don’t have much of a choice except to stay here tonight. When he comes back, we’ll figure out a way to communicate.” They moved down to one of the lower levels where a bed had been made up. He pulled back the soft blankets and coaxed Sherrey beneath them.

“I’ll take the first watch,” Vrauk told him. He leaned down to give Sherrey a gentle kiss. “Get some rest, little flame.”

Brakeer followed him down to the first level and watched him pace, his long stride eating up the floor as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’ll tire yourself out that way,” he told him. Vrauk might have given Brakeer a hard time when it came to his fussing over Sherrey, but of the two of them, the Hreki was the true worrier. He needed to know someone was in control of every situation, and Brakeer liked having control. Maybe that was what made them good together. “We’re safe for the time being.”

Vrauk heaved a heavy sigh and sat on the bottom step of the staircase. “I don’t like being trapped in here.”

“I don’t like it either,” he said, moving closer to run his hands over Vrauk’s braids when the male leaned his head against Brakeer’s hip. “Everything will be fine.”

“You don’t know that, Keer.”

“I do,” he said, tilting the male’s face up. “Have I ever lied to you?”

Vrauk released a long sigh and shook his head. “No.”

“I don’t plan on starting now.” Uncertainty turned his stomach, but if his mate sensed his unease, he didn’t comment on it. Brakeer leaned in and kissed Vrauk softly, taking in the warmth of his mouth and the sweetness of his tongue as it came out to dance with his own. They pulled apart, Brakeer trailing his lips over Vrauk’s jaw before straightening. “Come get me soon. I don’t want you sitting out here all night.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I mean it, Vrauk. You need rest too.”

After extracting a begrudging promise from him, Brakeer left Vrauk near the door and went back to the second level where Sherrey was already snoring quietly. He climbed into the bed and pulled her close, curling around her body and listening to her breathe until sleep finally took him.

SHERREY

She awoke to a large warm hand gently shaking her shoulder and groaned, turning her face into the pillow beneath her cheek. Her body ached something fierce, and the cramps were beginning to feel like more than a mere annoyance. Memories of the night before trickled into her bleary mind, and Sherrey shot up, staring around the room.

“Easy, little flame,” Vrauk whispered from behind her. He tugged her body back against his, wrapping muscular arms around her and pressing his lips to her shoulder.

“Vrauk,” she breathed his name and sank into his embrace. Sherrey had fallen asleep before Brakeer returned and hadn’t noticed her mates switching places in the night. Exhaustion had overtaken her. “Where’s Brakeer?”

“He’s waiting for us downstairs. The creature is back.”

Sherrey twisted around to face Vrauk and frowned. “The tikbalang returned?” When he nodded, she sprang out of bed and rushed to the stairs, raking her hands through her hair and straightening her gown as she bounded down to the bottom level.

The tikbalang’s red eyes darted toward her the moment it came into view, and Sherrey’s steps faltered. If the being standing down there wasn’t one of the mythological tikbalang she’d grown up hearing tales about in the Philippines, then it was startlingly similar. The legends about them were different from region to region, but many described them the same way. Hooves for feet, unnaturally long limbs, the head of something resembling a horse, and glowing red eyes. In some places they were seen as guardians of the forest, while in others they were known as tricksters.

She really hoped this one proved to be more guardian than trickster. It uttered a string of words she couldn’t understand and cocked its head as if waiting for a response.

“He wishes you a good morning and asks if you slept well,” Brakeer said from one of the wooden chairs that sat around a matching table. Someone had placed a bowl of unfamiliar fruits or vegetables in the center.

Sherrey gaped at her mate. “You can understand him?”

He reached up and tapped his ear with a smile. “He brought the bowl of food this morning. We’ve been trying to find a way to communicate. The more he speaks, the faster the AI will learn the language, but it takes time.”

“The AI?” Sunlight was pouring in through the hole in the cavern’s ceiling, but she couldn’t see any of the colorful lights. “Is the flare over? Are they actually working now?”

“It seems so. It’s picked up a good portion of the language so far,” Brakeer said, beckoning her over with a crook of his finger.

“Why can’t I understand him?” Sherrey asked as she crossed the room to the table.

Brakeer pulled her into his lap and slid a plate of cubed pink fruit toward them. “For all their talk about how precious the human mates are to them, the council is stingy. They give you all the most basic devices and only replace them with higher grade tech once you’ve been mated. Give it a few minutes to sync with ours.” When Sherrey didn’t reach for anything on the plate, Brakeer selected a cube and offered it to her, popping it into her open mouth.

She hummed as she chewed, enjoying the sticky sweet flavor. It reminded her of the candy she’d had on the cruise that first day and the memory of what happened after that made heat creep up her neck into her cheeks. Brakeer’s nostrils flared, and she felt his whole body vibrate as the ghost of a cramp clutched at her.

“Reel it in, you two,” Vrauk laughed. “We still have to figure out where the others are and how to get back to the pod.”

Right. There would be plenty of time for all the dirty things she wanted once they were rescued and taken somewhere off planet. For now, she needed to stay focused on the task at hand. The tikbalang’s nostrils flared as if he too were scenting the air and Sherrey’s flush deepened. Oh, God, could he smell her desire too? Another stream of words she didn’t understand left his mouth, and Brakeer growled, his jaw clenching as he pulled her closer.

Sherrey looked between them, unsure of what was happening. “What did he say?”

“He says that your heat is the reason he brought you here,” Brakeer said, eyeing the male who stood near the entrance with his long arms crossed over his chest.

He spoke again, his head tilting this way and that, making the thin braids in his dark hair sway back and forth. A few of the words translated, but not enough to formulate a sentence or even an idea of what he was saying. “Apparently, there is a creature in the forest that is attracted to the scent of your heat. He says that it has the ability to shapeshift and that it’s drawn to the pheromones of those who are in heat or pregnant.”

“Like an aswang,” Sherrey said, remembering the legends she’d grown up with. They had terrified her as a child, these creatures who could split themselves in two and fly around in the dead of night, hunting pregnant women and stealing their unborn babies.

The tikbalang blinked at her and nodded. “Ancient…”

“He says you’re using similar names to the ancient ones for his people and the creatures he is hiding you from,” Vrauk said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs. “How is it possible that you know that?”

She didn’t know, but she found it curious that there were at least two mythological creatures from her home living on this planet. How had these aliens become part of her own people’s legends when they were so far away?

The creature pressed a long-fingered hand to his chest and uttered a single word, “Turroc.”

“Is that your name?” She asked. Turroc nodded and pointed to them. “I’m Sherrey, and I’m sure you already know these are my mates, Brakeer and Vrauk.” The male inclined his head. “I don’t know what they’ve told you, but we’re looking for other humans, similar to me. They went missing, and we were out looking for them when I saw the light that led us here.”

Turroc’s brow furrowed, and he paused as if he too had a translator that was struggling to keep up with the pace of the conversation. “The females,” he said. “Three humans…”

“Yes!” Sherrey clapped her hands together as she jumped off of Brakeer’s lap. “Were they brought here? Are they safe?”

“They are safe,” Turroc said.

“Can we go to them?” Vrauk asked. “We’d like to see for ourselves that they’re well.”

“The females are not prisoners,” Turroc told him, frowning as if their concern over the safety of the women was insulting. “All are guests. All may leave when it is safe.”

The translator must be working, because it was becoming much easier to understand him. According to Turroc, he or whoever had taken the others hadn’t done it maliciously. They’d only wanted to save them from this aswang-like creature that was hunting them. She supposed she should be grateful they’d encountered them before the other one came along.

“Come.” Turroc gestured for them to stand. “I will take you to them.” The door slid open and the familiar sounds of a bustling city filled the room.

Sherrey’s eyes went wide as she gazed out the door at the crowds milling through the street. Streets that––just last night––had been lifeless and abandoned. The scene she saw through the open door was not the same one on display through the glass walls. It was as though there were some sort of disconnect with reality. Sherrey stepped closer, peering outside at the many faces of Turroc’s people as they passed by pushing carts loaded with goods and carrying sacks slung over their shoulders.

Some were the same dark gray as Turroc, but from what she could see, these tikbalang lookalikes came in many different colors and shades—browns, blacks, creams. The sunshine coming through the hole in the ceiling illuminated the market stalls that lined the main road they’d come down the night before, glinting off the jewelry and metal objects on display.

“Where did everyone come from?” Sherrey asked, sticking close to her mates as they followed Turroc through the underground city.

“They sheltered within their homes during the burst,” he said. “Other tribes celebrate it, but the Botohari… we do not trust it.”

“You are the Botohari?” Brakeer asked.

Turroc nodded and swept his hand around him, gesturing at the city and the people. “These are the Botohari, and I am grateful to have earned my place as their leader.”

A group of children ran past them, laughing and shouting at one another as they chased a bouncing ball, cutting between two vine-covered buildings. There was music being played somewhere up ahead, and she couldn’t help but notice the similarities between this place and the province where she’d grown up. The scent of heavily spiced foods filled the air, and her stomach grumbled, clearly not satisfied with the fruit she’d eaten.

Turroc turned down a smaller street, shaded by colorful sheets of fabric bridging the buildings on either side. It came to an end in front of a tall curved building. The sand-colored walls had been covered with colorful handprints, and beautiful art decorated the upper portion. Intricately carved scenes framed the open doorway, and when Sherrey stepped inside, her mouth dropped open. Gems hung from the ceiling, suspended on thin threads. They caught the light from the circular windows, scattering it around the interior.

“This is… magical,” Sherrey breathed, as she spun beneath them.

“If the legends can be believed, it was once a place for great minds to come together from far-off places,” Turroc said. “Now it is used for ceremonies and to house the ancient texts.” Hushed voices and rustling sounds echoed into the entrance from a room directly ahead, and Turroc gestured toward it. “The humans are here.”

Maybe she should have waited for Vrauk or Brakeer to go first, but excitement overtook her and she rushed forward, nearly colliding with a human female she recognized from the sea of faces on the pod. “Whoa!” The woman gasped, stumbling backward. “I’m sorry! I didn’t even hear anyone coming.”

“Wren?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m Harper. Wren is over there with Kamila.”

Across the large open room, Sherrey saw the other women turn. Kamila’ s eyes widened, and she scrambled up from her spot on the floor. “Sherrey?”

“I’m so glad we found you! What happened? Are you all right?” She raced toward them, grabbing their hands and looking them over. “They’ve treated you okay?”

Kamila glanced behind Sherrey at Turroc with a thin-lipped smile and nodded. “Of course. How is everyone back at camp? Was anyone else taken?”

“Just the three of you, as far as we know,” Vrauk said as he and Brakeer joined them.

Turroc kept his distance, but Sherrey didn’t miss the way his eyes remained on Kamila. She wasn’t sure what had happened between them, but she could sense the tension.

“Good,” the healer said, brushing dust off of her dark colored uniform pants. “There’s something you all need to see.”

CHAPTER 10

VRAUK

The farther into the building they traveled, the more he began to wonder what was hidden back there and why. They took a winding stone staircase down into another room framed by a large archway decorated with carvings of plants and creatures unfamiliar to him. Instead of the crystals that had helped to light the cavern outside, this room was lit by dim lights hanging from the ceiling. From the state of the city and the fact that they hadn’t found any tech in other areas, Vrauk was surprised to realize that this meant there had to be some level of advancement here.

“Over here!” Kamila called, waving them toward an alcove in the farthest corner. “Check this out. I didn’t think this place had any advanced tech at all, but this thing here has me wondering if this whole city was once as advanced as Earth, if not more so.”

Running the length of the wall was an ancient-looking console covered in switches, knobs, and flashing multicolored buttons. Four monitors sat along the back, their screens dark and lifeless.

“What was this place?” Vrauk asked, running a finger through the layers of dust that caked it.

Wren, one of the human females with jet black hair and eyes as green as the grass on Sherrey’s homeworld, bounced on her toes in the entrance. “I think it’s got something to do with this out here.” She led them back around into the main part of the room and placed her hand on a metal plate that sat atop a podium bordering a narrow walkway. Lights flashed, running up the length of the aisle until they hit the rock wall and shot up, forming a large arch as they came together.

“I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t last for long.” As soon as Wren spoke the words, the lights flashed and began to recede.

Vrauk approached the wall, running his palm over the smooth stone that had housed the lights. He’d seen this before, both on Sati in the ancient ruins of Coz’umat and on Venora when he’d been given the chance to meet with their surface tribe.

“It’s a portal,” he told them. “There’s one on Sati, but it’s no longer operational. Legend is that it used to connect the ancient worlds, but there is no proof that it was ever anything other than ceremonial or an elaborate decoration.”

The other human female, Harper, pushed her glasses up her face. “Well, let’s say the portal actually did work at some point. If they were advanced enough for that, then maybe they’ve got some way to contact one of the rescue ships?”

He looked back at Brakeer, whose tail was curled around Sherrey’s leg, and saw the agitation beginning to build within him. Their interlude near the water had only done so much to appease Sherrey’s heat, and the worse her symptoms became, the more possessive and irritated the Venium was going to become. If there was a chance they could find a way to contact one of the rescue ships he hoped were searching for them, then they needed to find it fast.

“I’ve been trying to figure out how the console works, but I can’t read any of this,” Kamila said, looking up at him as he stepped back into the alcove, intent on finding the answers.

“Do you know what these symbols are? Can you read them?” Sherrey asked Turroc, who had wandered closer, watching them with intense interest as they fumbled with the controls.

Turroc stepped in between him and Kamila, careful to avoid touching the healer as he looked down at the console in front of them. “We do not use this anymore, but most of the Botohari can read these.”

Kamila narrowed her eyes on him and grimaced. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

He tilted his head and blinked down at her. “You did not ask.”

Vrauk might not have known the healer for very long, but the murderous look in her dark eyes told him this alien male was—as humans would say—on thin ice. With Turroc translating the symbols and the rest of them pressing every button and flipping every switch on the board, they worked together for most of the morning to get into the system.

Sherrey shoved a piece of spiced meat and fluffy bread into his mouth as he frowned down at the flickering screens. “Open up. You’ve been at this for hours.”

He grunted as he chewed, wishing he had time to savor the peppery bite of the smoked cut. “I think we’re close. Harper’s got a few pieces of the puzzle figured out, but we’re still missing something.” Vrauk jerked his head toward the human who was hunched over the other end of the console. When Sherrey offered him more of the meat, he eagerly opened his mouth to accept the offering. Vrauk took her hand in his and pressed his lips to her palm and then her wrist before pulling her close.

Sherrey’s arms circled his neck as Vrauk lifted her, settling the female on his lap. When she’d introduced him as her mate to Turroc that morning, he’d felt something within him come to life. She’d likely never understand what her acceptance and inclusion meant to him, but he was determined to spend the rest of his life showing her. Vrauk felt Brakeer’s eyes on him and sought the male out, finally finding him at the far end of the room near the entrance. His lips curved into a smile, and Vrauk’s heart kicked in his chest when the Venium started toward them.

The console made a beeping noise, and a message flashed across the screen. “What is it saying?” Harper asked.

Turroc leaned in and frowned. “It wants a key.”

“A physical key or a pin?” the human female demanded.

“Maybe it’s like the badges we use at the hospital?” Sherrey suggested. “Is there anything here that looks like it might have a chip inside it?”

“What is a chip?” the Botohari leader asked.

“A chip is like a key, but it’s small and usually contained within something. On Earth, we have chips inside thin cards that we can swipe or tap on readers so that we can pay for goods or open doors,” Kamila said, rifling through an old bin.

Turroc tilted his head and twisted the black and gold band on his wrist. “Like this one?”

Vrauk remembered the way the door to the glass building slid open when the male waved his hand toward it, and by the way Sherrey stiffened against him, he was sure she was thinking the same. “Bring it here,” Vrauk said, waving him closer.

“I swear,” Harper grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them wave the male’s wrist over different areas of the console. “If the actual key to this has been here the entire time, I’m going to lose it.”

Vrauk moved the band over a glowing section and stilled when the system pinged. A soft voice spoke to them through the speakers in a language similar to the one Turroc and his people used, and then the screens came to life. Information scrolled along the top and bottom and Harper threw her hands up in the air. With some more translation help from Turroc, the frustrated female searched through the directory until they’d pulled up the comm system.

Static crackled through the speakers as they skipped through the channels, hoping someone would hear them and respond. For the first hour or so, they received nothing, but just as Vrauk was getting ready to turn the task over to Brakeer, a familiar voice filtered through the static.

“This is Commander Vytal with the GEA on board the Havok. We are receiving multiple distress signals from the planet’s surface. If you can hear this, please identify yourself.” Vrauk grinned, unable to help the excitement that pulsed through him at the sound of the female’s voice. “I repeat, this is Commander––”

“I know who the vreck you are, Vy,” he laughed.

“Of all the braxing GEA ships…” Brakeer said as he came up behind him.

There was silence from the comm and then a soft, almost disbelieving voice spoke his name. “Vrauk? Is that you?” The words were choked as if his sister had forced them out. Had she actually been worried for him? Such an obvious display of emotion from her was uncommon.

“By the fire I’m born…” he began.

“And by the mother I’m held,” Vytal finished the greeting, clearing her throat. “Where the vreck are you? This signal isn’t even showing up on the maps.”

“It’s somewhere underground.”

“How many are with you? Any casualties?”

“We aren’t with the pod at the moment,” Brakeer cut in. “We’ll be traveling back to them soon.”

“Keer?”

“Vytal.”

“The pod was nearly full when we were ejected, but I didn’t take a head count,” Vrauk told her. “If you can locate the life pod we were on, then we can meet you back there… tomorrow morning?” Vrauk looked at Turroc for confirmation.

The male nodded. “I will accompany you back myself.”

He gave her the pod’s identification number and a general description of the area and features surrounding its location. “I have everything put in, and we’re on our way. We’ll see you soon,” his sister said. “May the fire guide you.”

“May the mother hold you.” The radio went silent, and Vrauk leaned back, feeling the tension seep out of him. Rescue was coming. They would be home soon… wherever home was going to be. “The ship will be here for us tomorrow,” he said, turning to face the others.

“I will make arrangements for tonight’s stay,” Turroc said, inclining his head as he backed away from the console. His gaze swept toward Kamila, but she wasn’t looking at him. “Come up to the main floor when you are ready.”

“Was that someone you work with?” Sherrey asked as she slipped between him and Brakeer. She smiled when the Venium wrapped his tail around her waist, pulling her close to his body. “It sounded like you knew them.”

“Vytal?” he asked, raising a brow. There was no jealousy or accusation in the question, only curiosity. “I know her pretty well, considering she’s my twin.” Vrauk traced the edge of her jaw and grinned. “I can’t wait to properly introduce you.” His sister was his strongest ally, and if anyone would be able to sense the love he felt for the little female already, it would be her.

CHAPTER 11

SHERREY

“I’m not leaving.”

Sherrey turned away from her half-packed bag and stared at Kamila. “What?” she asked, not sure she’d heard the other woman correctly.

The healer shifted from one foot to the other before squaring her shoulders. “I said that I’m not going back.”

“Neither are we,” Wren said as Harper nodded.

“Hold on. I feel like I’m missing something,” Sherrey took in the seriousness of their expressions and felt her stomach sink. Rescue was on its way, but they didn’t want to go back? “You want to stay here? In the city?”

“That’s the plan,” Harper told her. “Personally, I have nothing back on Earth that I’m eager to get back to.”

“Same here,” Wren said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I went on the cruise to leave Earth, and I have zero interest in returning.”

Sherrey wasn’t going to waste any time arguing with the women. They were adults and could make their own choices, but that didn’t mean she liked the idea of leaving them behind on a planet they really knew nothing about. “You’re sure?”

“We’re free here, Sherrey,” Kamila said, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m so tired of being dragged to meet and greet after meet and greet, of being paraded around like some prized sow at a state fair. When I signed up for the program, I didn’t think it would be like this. I’ve spent years worrying about who my mate might be, and I’m over it.”

Although the testing and enrollment into the program was meant to be voluntary, Sherrey understood how some might have felt coerced into it, whether it was a sense of duty or desperate desire to forge a better life.

“Staying here means we don’t have to worry about other aliens kidnapping us to sell us off to the highest bidder,” Harper chimed in.

There had been more and more abductions recently, and rumors had circulated about illegal auctions and trafficking rings. The Venium had done a decent job of keeping the claims out of the main news channels, but things like that spread. It made her wonder if the accident with the cruise ship wasn’t truly caused by the flare, but that was mere speculation on her part.

“There’s so much here for us to learn and discover, so many opportunities to make a difference,” Wren said. “Just… tell the others you never found us. It wouldn’t be hard to believe that we got lost out there.”

“I’m not in a position to decide what you should do, so… if this is what you really want, then that’s what I’ll tell them.”

Kamila sat down in one of the chairs at the table where Sherrey was finishing the packing of one of the bags they’d brought from camp. “I just wanted to say thank you,” she said.

“No problem,” Sherrey smiled. “I really do hope that you all find the lives you’re looking for.”

“Same to you.” The healer glanced toward the entrance where Brakeer and Vrauk were speaking to Turroc. “You know, they didn’t leave your side for a moment while you were in the medbay. I couldn’t even get close enough to check you over without Brakeer snarling at me.” Kamila laughed. “It’s pretty obvious that they care about you.”

Sherrey knew that, as a triad, they had a lot of learning and growing to do, but when she looked at them, warmth spread through her and butterflies swarmed within her belly. When it came time for them to leave, Sherrey walked out of the building alone, joining her males where they stood on the edge of the street.

“The others?” Brakeer asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

She shook her head and pressed herself into his side as his arm came around her. “We never found them.”

They said goodbye and thanked Turroc for his help once they were close enough to the camp to hear the chatter from the other survivors. She understood why he didn’t want to risk anyone finding out about them. He had an entire city to protect and look after, and now that included three human women who were ready to start their own adventures. As they approached the clearing where the pod had landed, Sherrey could make out the sound of engines and excited gasps.

“It sounds like Vytal is making her entrance,” Vrauk swept Sherrey up into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go before I have to listen to her lecture about being on time to our own rescue.” He rushed toward the tree line, making her laugh as thin branches slapped at her arms and legs.

“Be careful,” Brakeer called after them.

They stepped between the trees and into the clearing just as the door of a small craft, only a little larger than the life pod, opened up. It was slightly less dramatic than the movies where a character steps off of a ramp with smoke billowing around them as the camera pans up to their face. A tall Hreki with broad shoulders stepped off the side, completely bypassing the steps that extended down to the ground. Blue eyes, the same color as Vrauk’s, scanned the crowd until they landed on them. A tusky smile split their face.

“Just a warning,” Vrauk said as the other Hreki bounded over. “Vytal is… a lot for some people, but she means well.” He placed Sherrey on her feet and seemed to brace himself for the female’s embrace.

“My little brother!” Vytal boomed, launching herself at Vrauk. Even though she was significantly smaller than him, Vytal took the larger male to the ground, playfully punching his chest and arms. “You had me worried, you vrecking duro worm!” Vrauk grunted as he dodged her fists.

“It’s nice to see you too,” he said, pulling her into a hug as she struggled against him.

When she’d finally extracted herself, Vytal stood and helped pull Vrauk to his feet before wrapping her arms around Brakeer and giving him a good squeeze. “Good to see you again, Keer.”

Sherrey smiled at the way her mate patted the female’s back as he tried to extract himself. “You too, Vytal.”

When Vrauk’s sister turned her icy blue gaze on her, Sherrey felt her breath stutter. There was something so captivating about her that she didn’t even realize she was staring until Vytal raised a dark brow. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Sherrey, Brakeer and Vrauk’s mate. It’s nice to meet you,” she held her hand out, surprised when it only trembled a little.

Vytal’s gaze cut toward Vrauk before returning to her. “Their mate?”

“Vy…” Vrauk growled when she turned to peer at Brakeer.

“You finally made it official?” she asked, reaching out to nudge his shoulder. “It’s about vrecking time. I was starting to think I wouldn’t live to see it.” Vytal pushed past Sherrey’s hand and pulled her into one of the tightest hugs she’d ever received. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

All of the anxiety she’d felt over the possibility of being rejected by his family melted away beneath the warmth of Vytal’s embrace. “You’re coming home, right? Our parents will be heartbroken if they don’t meet the female who managed to get you thick-skulled fools to stop dancing around the fire and join.”

“Well, we haven’t actually joined yet,” Vrauk told her.

Vytal released Sherrey and frowned. “Why not?”

Brakeer gestured around at the camp where the mixed group of human and aliens were working to make sure everyone was ready to leave. “We were interrupted by an emergency evacuation.”

“Let’s get you off this planet and to Sati. We’ve got a fire ceremony to plan!”

“What’s a fire ceremony?” Sherrey asked, glancing over her shoulder at her mates as Vytal grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the waiting rescue craft.

The Hreki female just smiled and gave her a wink. “You’ll see.”

CHAPTER 12

VRAUK

Bringing his mates home to Sati was something he’d always dreamed about. On the occasions he’d brought Brakeer to see his family, it had always made his heart sing, but having them both here, in his family’s home, in the village he’d grown up in, made his chest ache with how right it felt. They’d been on Sati for weeks now, but meetings with the Galactic Alliance officials and dealing with the Venium and Earth councils had taken up a lot of their time.

Vrauk had shared only stolen moments with them, peppering them with kisses and curling up against Brakeer as Sherrey excitedly told him about everything she was learning from his mother and the rest of his family. All of those weeks and moments had culminated in a single event that he’d been waiting his whole life for.

In Hreki culture, fire was incredibly important. It was used for cooking, warmth, light, and even though it could be destructive, it also brought new growth. A ceremony like this one was held for many reasons, but tonight, the bonfire had been lit to celebrate their mating.

Sherrey let slip that she’d been working on something special, and when he saw her dressed in the forsa, a traditional garment made of soft leather and furs, he knew what was happening. A crown of woven sticks and flowers adorned her head, and Vrauk couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips as she placed one atop his and Brakeer’s heads before stepping back. The pounding of the drums around them matched the racing of his heart. With her back to the fire, Sherrey joined his relatives in a dance.

It wasn’t a necessary part of a claiming, but he wouldn’t deny that he and Brakeer enjoyed every moment of it. She twirled with them, slipping into the steps as if she’d been doing it her whole life. Their little female had put so much effort into learning about their customs and it filled his heart with happiness to know that she was his. Ours, he thought, glancing over at Brakeer, who sat next to him on one of the plush cushions. His shaggy black hair had been braided out of his face and twisted into a knot. The Venium’s gaze was trained on their mate, but his tail was curled around Vrauk’s thigh.

Flames glinted off of Sherrey’s hair as it flew around her shoulders. When the beating of the drums slowed and his family ushered her toward them, Vrauk reached for the pieces of fur slung over his shoulders and took a deep breath, running his fingers over the soft dappled hide. It had been taken from his first kill, and he’d split it into two so that he had one for each of them.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked Brakeer quietly as he stepped toward him.

“You’ve asked me the same question more times than I can count,” he said, wrapping his hand around the back of Vrauk’s neck and tugging him down for a quick kiss. “My answer is always going to be yes.”

Vrauk pulled back and selected the larger portion of the hide, throwing it over Brakeer’s shoulder before taking the second one and wrapping it around Sherrey. He tucked a strand of wayward hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her lips. For a long time, he’d tried conjuring an image of the female who would stand between them. She’d been unyielding and cruel in his mind—unwilling to accept him and the love he might be able to share.

Sherrey wasn’t that female, though. She’d never stood between them, but with them, and he’d felt the potential of her love from the moment they met in the medbay onboard that cruise. She may have been fated to Brakeer, but she was his just as surely as Brakeer, and the fact that they’d chosen him above all others left him at a loss for words.

Standing on the outside of the circle, Vytal cleared her throat and raised her brows, clearly telling him to hurry the vreck up.

“I make a promise to shelter and protect you,” he said, repeating words that had been used in the claiming ceremony for generations. “Like the Great Fire, I will guard you and keep you safe. You have my life and my love.”

His mother approached, holding the braided ribbon that had been used during her grandparents’ ceremony. He was the first of her children to mate, and from the way she was sniffling, Vrauk guessed she’d gotten emotional over it already.

“Are you ready?” she asked. When they nodded, she lifted the ribbon and turned in a circle. “Tonight, we gather to witness the joining of Brakeer, Sherrey, and Vrauk in spirit and body.” His mother faced them and laid the braid across their wrists. “Mother, we ask that you bless this joining before the light of the Great Fire.”

The ribbon was wrapped once. “We ask that you bless them with light when there is naught but darkness.” Twice. “With warmth when it is cold.” A third and final time. “And love unending. Build within their hearts a bond that can be broken by none.” The flames at their backs burned hotter and brighter, reaching high into the dark sky as cheers went up around them. “May the Mother hold you.”

“May the Great Fire strengthen us,” they responded in unison.

The ribbon was unwrapped, and a new one was cut into three sections which were tied around each of their wrists. They would keep them on for a time until a more permanent symbol was fashioned. Laughter and music filled the air once more as dancers began spinning and twirling around the fire. Vrauk looked down at Sherrey as her hand slipped into his, and watched as her other hand slid over Brakeer’s bare chest. Although her heat had cooled, he knew that it still caused her discomfort from time to time. It was their hope that sealing their bond would finally calm it.

“Come on,” he whispered, tugging Sherrey’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

“What about the celebration?” their female asked, glancing around. “Won’t they be upset if we leave?”

Vrauk snorted as Brakeer swept her up into his arms amid a chorus of hooting. “I think they’d be disappointed if we didn’t leave.” They slipped through the quiet village, hurriedly accepting blessings on the way as they navigated the dark streets. His family owned a good deal of land, and long ago he’d selected a spot out on the edge, close to a grove of old trees and a small—but magical—waterfall he couldn’t wait to share with his mates. The hut he had built wasn’t large, but it had a big bed covered in soft furs, a table his fathers had built for them, and a separate room that stored something else his fathers had made. A cradle.

Vrauk told them they were getting ahead of themselves, but seeing the excitement on their faces as they worked on it had shut him up. They’d spoken about children during the weeks they’d been on Sati, and they’d all agreed being parents was something they wanted whenever it was meant to happen. Sherrey had spent her whole life thinking she’d never have a child of her own, and he understood why she didn’t want to get her hopes up by actively trying just in case Brakeer’s theory about her being infertile until going into heat was wrong.

He hadn’t shown them the hut before then, so when Sherrey gasped as the door swung open, Vrauk braced himself.

“This is gorgeous!” she said, running her fingers over the leaves of the potted plants that decorated the window sills and the table. “You did this all on your own?”

“I had help from my fathers,” he said, not even trying to hide the way her praise pleased him.

Brakeer stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his fushori glowing softly. “I remember when you started this,” he said. “It hurt to think I would never get to share it with you.”

Vrauk shivered as the male stepped further into the hut. Brakeer took Sherrey’s hand, spinning her around until her cheeks were flushed and she was laughing in his arms. “I’m thankful I get to share it with both of you,” she said with a smile as Brakeer leaned down to kiss her. Sherrey reached for him, and without hesitation Vrauk swooped in, pressing his lips to hers.

“Are you going to stop making me wait now?”

Vrauk laughed at the gentle irritation in her voice and nudged her toward the bed. It wasn’t that he’d made her wait on purpose… not entirely. There had been so much going on, and he’d wanted her to understand that mating with him was going to change her on a molecular level. Unlike other species, Hreki weren’t limited by biology to mate only with their kind. The venom in the claiming bite they delivered bonded them to their partners and ensured their compatibility by actually altering the reproductive DNA. For Sherrey, this meant that each of her eggs would absorb Vrauk’s genetic material, making any child she carried just as much his biologically as it was hers and Brakeer’s.

He’d always seen it as his species’ way of ensuring its survival regardless of how many of them there were. Sherrey’s enthusiastic agreement and request to claim her right away had left him struggling to maintain the promise he’d made to himself, but in the end, Vrauk had given them all time to consider the gravity of it. A claiming couldn’t be withdrawn. If she or Brakeer decided they no longer wanted to be bound, there was no way to reverse the changes made to their bodies, and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing them or any child they created.

Running his hands over her back and sides, Vrauk lifted her up and placed her in the middle of the big bed, suspending himself above her on his hands. She trailed her fingers over his arms and up his neck, ending up tangled in the braids that had fallen over his shoulders. Vrauk’s skin prickled when Brakeer stepped up behind him and his hands moved over the belt on his hips that held the ceremonial kurka wrap in place. The air hit his bare skin as the fabric was pulled away, and his already hard cock twitched in anticipation of their mate’s touch.

The fur on Sherrey’s shoulders was pulled away, and Vrauk slid one of his hands over her leg, pulling the forsa with him as he moved further up her body. As soon as it was over her head, Vrauk’s mouth was on one of her breasts, his teeth and tongue teasing the distended nipple. He braced his legs against the bed frame, spreading hers so that he could wedge his hips between them. Sherrey squirmed, whimpering when his fingers brushed her hot, wet core and the swollen nub just above it.

She fisted her hands in the furs and gasped his name, doing her best to chase his fingers and the pressure they’d teased her with. When he felt Brakeer step away, Vrauk glanced over his shoulder to see that their mate had retrieved the bottle of lube he’d tucked inside one of the drawers. The sound of the cap popping open sent a thrill racing through him and when two of Brakeer’s lube-covered fingers pressed inside, stretching him, Vrauk grunted and pushed back.

“Keer…” he groaned as the male leaned forward to press heated kisses against his skin. Vrauk grasped the base of his cock and dragged the head against her, covering himself in her slick before notching against her core, slowly pushing inside. He stroked her clit with the pad of his thumb in leisurely circles as Brakeer added another finger.

“Move, Vrauk,” he growled, thrusting his fingers in and out.

An explosion of intense pleasure washed over him, dominating his mind and making his muscles quiver as he sank into their female. Her body gripped his, pulsing and clutching at him as he pulled back. Sherrey rocked against him, arching her back each time he buried himself within her welcoming heat. Sweat beaded his brow, slipping down the sides of his face as he gritted his teeth.

“Such a good male,” Brakeer whispered, gripping the back of Vrauk’s neck and squeezing, letting the tips of his claws dig into the skin. Vrauk could feel the length of Brakeer’s cock slid against him, hot and hard.

“Please, Keer,” he begged, thrusting hard into Sherrey, drawing gasps and cries from her.

“Our mate. Let me hear you say it, Vrauk. Tell us who you belong to,” the Venium demanded.

His languid thrusts drove Vrauk mad. He’d been waiting solars for this moment and the torturous teasing was killing him. Rocking between them, Vrauk did as he was told, desperate to reach the release that danced just out of reach. “I belong to my mates,” he growled, closing his eyes when Sherrey’s nails dug into his sides. “I belong to you. Please…”

Vrauk moaned at the loss of Brakeer’s fingers, but when he felt the slick head of the other male’s cock press into the ring of muscle, he could have wept with relief. Brakeer thrust once, twice, filling and stretching him. The movement sent him surging into Sherrey, and the fluttering of her cunt gripping him, nearly sent Vrauk over the edge.

Sweat covered their skin as they worked in tandem, their bodies sliding together as the hut he’d built for them filled with the frantic sounds of their joining. Vrauk gazed down at their little female, taking in the way her lips were parted in ecstasy, the swell of her breasts and curve of her hips, the way her purple hair shimmered in the candle light where it was spread out on the furs. Everything about her was stunning. Radiant.

Theirs.

Brakeer’s tail curled around his cock and he looked down to watch the tip flick across Sherrey’s clit. The female jolted beneath him, and he quickened his thrusts, impaling himself on Brakeer’s cock in the process. The male buried a hand in his hair and hauled him back, his mouth crashing down on Vrauk’s, nipping and sucking on his lip as he fucked him fast and hard. The tail around his cock flexed, and Sherrey went stiff beneath him, crying out as her walls contracted around him. As if his body refused to let her call go unanswered, his lungs seized and his sack drew up. For an agonizing moment, the pressure felt as if it were too much—like it would destroy him.

A second later, heat zipped up his spine and he was coming, his seed spilling inside Sherrey as Brakeer’s lips muffled his cries. He pulled back, gasping and panting as the pleasure rolled through him, consuming every part of him in fire. It burned away the male he’d once been, leaving him raw and aching. Before he’d even finished, Vrauk pulled out of her, spraying seed across her belly.

He dropped down on his elbows and buried his face between her legs, lapping at her swollen flesh as Brakeer slammed into him. “Vreck, Keer,” he ground out against her flesh. A rumbling growl was the male’s only response, but he grinned when their mate’s thrusts became more frantic and less measured. He was close. So close…

Vrauk teased Sherrey’s clit, flicking and pressing against the nub until she was teetering on the edge of a second orgasm. When she tipped over, bucking against his face and clawing blindly at him, he turned his head and sank his teeth into her inner thigh, releasing the venom that would bond them. A moment later, he released her and reached for Brakeer, sinking his teeth into the male’s forearm to deliver what was left of the venom before licking their blood from his lips.

Sherrey twisted around, rolling onto her belly as Brakeer urged him onto the bed, forcing him to rest on his knees. When she took the head of his cock into her mouth, Vrauk closed his eyes and let his head fall back. Great Fire, save him. Behind him, Brakeer hissed, grabbing a fistful of braided hair as he shoved his knot into Vrauk, pounding the swollen gland into him until it locked them together and hot seed filled him. The pressure from the glands expanding set Vrauk off, and he came in Sherrey’s open mouth.

A haze settled over him, blanketing his body in warmth and light as he and Brakeer fell to the side. Sherrey burrowed into his chest, pressing her lips to his skin and humming as he held her, seemingly unfazed by the fact that she was covered nearly head to toe in his seed. The thought made him laugh and he squeezed her tight, drawing a squeal from her as she squirmed.

“You’re all sticky,” he told her, dropping a kiss on her head.

Brakeer huffed, his breath warming the back of Vrauk’s neck. “You’re both sticky,” he murmured.

Lying there on the bed in the house he’d built, wrapped up in each other’s arms, Vrauk pictured the life they would create. This was the place where their love and their family would grow, where they would experience everything life had to offer them—the good, bad, and all that was in-between.

***

Thank you for reading Plummeting Hearts! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Octavia Kore’s newsletter!

HOPE HART

STOLEN BY THE ARCAV

CHAPTER 1

DEVIN

“Iris wants to see you. She says there’s something wrong with your papers.”

My lungs constrict, my knees turn weak, and the sounds of the other humans around us recede until all I can see is Lorella’s face.

So close. I was so close to getting off this ship somewhere new, in a country where my so-called mate could never find me.

Lorella is staring at me, waiting for my response. The vise around my throat releases long enough for me to speak.

“Ah, that’s strange. I’ll go grab my papers and head to her office.”

She nods and walks away, unconcerned. I take a deep, shaky breath and make my way back to my sleeping quarters, mind racing.

My papers should have been fine.

A few weeks ago, I emptied out my savings, called in every favor I had, and arranged for my fake ID to be printed illegally through the real system. The Arcav have access to facial recognition technology, and I wasn’t taking any chances. My identification is pristine.

At least I thought it was.

I push open the door to my sleeping quarters and survey the small space. I have two options: attempt to stay under the radar, dogging Iris until I can sneak off the cruiser at our next destination, or steal one of the escape pods and hope the security forces on this ship don’t shoot me down.

My eyes burn, and I press the heels of my hands against them. I don’t have time to break down.

When the Arcav invaded Earth, none of us truly understood what they wanted from us. As humanity learned aliens existed, most of us figured they would wipe us out, take Earth’s resources, or both.

We were wrong. They wanted human women.

The chances of being an Arcav mate are low. But every woman on Earth still has to submit a blood test when it’s her turn. And if that blood test proves she’s an Arcav mate, she’s expected to get on a ship to Arcavia.

Because otherwise, her mate will go insane.

All thanks to one Arcav male who lost his own mate centuries ago and with her, his ability to reason. That Arcav was unfortunately one of their best and brightest, and he decided all the other males on his planet should feel what he was going through.

Arcav females began dying out, and it wasn’t long after that the Arcav king learned what his brother had done.

His scientist brother had discovered the gene responsible for Arcav mating and had introduced it into human DNA.

Hence why I’m now on the first-ever pleasure cruise, currently encircling Earth. Our technology doesn’t yet allow us humans to travel any further. Of course, before the Arcav invaded, this voyage was nothing more than a dream. They gave us this cruiser to use as a symbol of collaboration between our races.

I managed to get a job as a server on this ship for one specific reason. The Arcav have grounded most flights and have full control of our air systems. Ironically, this pleasure cruise is my one real opportunity to flee to another country. We’ll be landing in Brazil tomorrow, and I’m more than ready to learn Portuguese and hide somewhere off the beaten path.

Because I know who my so-called mate is.

And he’s a monster.

RAIMOX

Like all humans, my mate is a deceiver. A liar. A member of a barbaric race that rewards treachery and violence.

I grind my teeth as the cruiser she somehow snuck onto appears in the distance. I don’t have to like my mate—don’t even have to respect her. But I have to be in her vicinity if I want to keep my sanity.

And as much as the cunning, smart-mouthed human drives me insane, I’ve seen what happens to Arcav who don’t have their mates.

I have no desire to be caged like an animal. To become incapable of reason. Already rage is my constant companion, wrath my fondest bedfellow. I lose myself to visions of wrapping my hand around my mate’s vulnerable neck and squeezing. Not enough to kill. That would send me spiraling into insanity. Just enough for her to realize who she has betrayed.

I may be biologically incapable of harming her, but that does not mean I cannot make her live in fear. The way I have lived in fear that something would happen to her while she has been running from me.

Sickness, dismemberment, death…all are constant threats to weak humans. A simple fever could kill her. At least until she is given the sacred Alni plant that will make her as long-lived as I am.

Not that the human deserves such a gift.

“We’re approaching their ship,” the captain says. “They’ve been ordered to allow us to board in the morning, just before they land, as you asked.”

I smile. I could end my mate’s little adventure now, but why would I? I will make her pay for leaving me. And I want to see the look on her face when she has freedom within her grasp only to watch it ruthlessly ripped away.

I stalk toward the command center, running a hand over my ruined face. Once, I was considered one of the most attractive of my people. Females flocked to me wherever I went. Now my appearance causes fear, nothing more.

And I hate the little voice that taunts me as I walk past a window and catch sight of my ruined visage.

She will never want me now.

DEVIN

I shower in the gym. I also slept here last night, bunking down in one of the locker rooms with a stolen blanket. I couldn’t risk going near my sleeping quarters, but this ship isn’t large enough to hide from Iris forever. Truthfully, she probably assumes this is an administrative error and isn’t paying all that much attention. But the longer I dodge her, the more suspicious she’ll be.

At the same time, I can’t risk talking to her. I don’t have any explanation for my fake identification.

I only need a few more hours before we land in Sao Paulo, and I can disappear.

My stomach roils at the thought. I was in a relationship before I foolishly went looking for my sister. My sister who screamed at me, who wrapped her hands around my throat when she realized who I was mated to.

Craig offered to wait for me, but I refused. He promised to do everything he can to help me, as a friend, and I took him up on that. It will be years before I can risk returning to the US and only after I’ve had extensive plastic surgery and gotten my hands on even more false identification.

I take a deep breath. If anyone on this ship knew who I was fleeing from, they’d hand me over without a second thought.

So much for us humans sticking together.

“Devin?” a voice asks.

I turn, inwardly cursing. “Yes?”

“Iris sent me to find you.”

I’m out of time. I nod at the messenger. “I’ll be right there.”

“I’m supposed to escort you.”

My mouth drops open. “Escort me?”

She keeps her gaze steady on my face, and my hands start to sweat. Iris knows. Knows I’m here illegally.

I grind my teeth. I just need a few more hours.

Looks like I’m stealing a pod and taking my chances.

I study the messenger. “Your name is Ana, right?”

She nods, and I take a deep breath. Unlike most of the other idiots on this ship, she hasn’t gushed about how hot the Arcav are, how amazing they are, how intelligent they are. At least, not that I’ve noticed.

She’s eyeing me, watching me deliberate. “You’re hoping to get off this ship.”

“Yes.”

“Iris will kill me if I help you.”

My eyes burn, and I gaze steadily at her. “Please.”

She lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Hit me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hard enough to bruise. I’m going to need some excuse to give Iris about why I didn’t drag you to her office.”

“I can’t hit you.”

She raises one eyebrow. “Do you want off this ship or not? Because I worked my butt off to get this position, and if they find out I’ve let you go, I’m fired.”

I suck in a deep breath. Then I haul back my arm, about to hit her in the gut.

“In the face.” Her tone tells me I’m an idiot. I roll my eyes at myself. Of course. Somewhere she can bruise.

“I’ll make this up to you.”

“Just get it over with.”

I aim for her cheekbone. Except my knuckles barely tap her face. As desperate as I am, I can’t hit this woman.

She rolls her eyes at me, and I scowl. “New plan.”

It’s early enough that no one is in the gym. I grab Ana’s arm and drag her in there, explaining what I need. Within a couple of minutes, we’re back in the locker room and I’m tying her up with a skipping rope and resistance band.

“They’re never going to buy this.”

I gag her. She rolls her eyes at me but allows it, watching intently as I take another skipping rope and tie her to one of the lockers.

“Thank you,” I tell her. Then I roll my shoulders and leave her there, already mentally figuring out the quickest way to get to the escape pods.

I’m on the fifth floor. The escape pods are on the first. There are multiple sets of stairs in each sector of this ship, but I’ll have to cross my fingers that Iris hasn’t told anyone else she wants to see me.

If I make her wait much longer, I have no doubt she’ll have the captain make an announcement over the ship’s loudspeaker.

I focus on keeping my breathing even, expression placid as I make my way out of the gym and to the nearest set of stairs. I nod at one of the other servers, and she nods back.

Then the ship shudders.

“What was that?” I ask her.

“We’re being boarded. The Arcav. They probably just want to check everything is going according to plan with the maiden voyage. Oh, by the way, Iris wants to see you.”

“I’m on my way to see her now.” I smile, and she nods, moving on.

But I don’t head upstairs.

I go down, no longer worrying about people talking. I know why the Arcav are boarding.

He’s found me.

I hold on to the railing with one hand as I sprint down the stairs, ignoring the scowls and gasps as I shove past people.

Fourth floor.

Third floor

Second floor.

One more set of stairs. I’m panting from more than just the exercise as I reach the first floor. The escape pods are on the opposite side of the ship’s dock. I turn left, scurrying down the corridor as I pump my legs faster, faster, faster.

The escape pods are lined up, ready to go. It’s quiet in this part of the ship. No one would be stupid enough to attempt to steal a pod. No one except me.

But I’ve studied how the pods work, and I know we’re close enough to Earth for me to land somewhere in South America.

Hopefully somewhere close enough to a town that I can grab supplies and then disappear.

I feel him before I see him.

No.

I stumble, still moving toward the closest escape pod. Distantly, I can feel the area filling with both Arcav and humans.

“Devin.”

I flinch. His voice is low, more of a rumble than anything else. But it makes goose bumps break out on my arms. Makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

I force myself to turn. Slowly. Almost against my will, my gaze finds his face, and my breath catches in my throat.

He’s still a huge bastard, with dark hair that brushes his shoulders, green eyes that remind me of enchanted forests, and an air of menace. It’s not just his horns that make it clear he’s not human. The intricate silver marks decorating his wrists and forearms glow in a way human skin—and tattoos—could never glow.

But it’s the scars my gaze gets stuck on now.

So many scars.

They wind from his forehead, down his cheeks, and along his neck, disappearing beneath his shirt. His eyes burn into mine, the retribution clear, and I blink at the menace on his face.

“Enjoying seeing what you left me to, mate?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You fled, leaving me to be tortured.”

I gape at him. Arcav can heal almost anything. For him to scar…

What did they do to him?

“I don’t… I don’t understand.”

He curls his lip at me. “I wanted you to be safe.”

I know that much. He screamed at me to run.

“But,” he continues, “you never even attempted to contact my people and ask them to send help. Instead, you fled like a coward, forcing me to hunt for you for months. And now you’re attempting to run once more.”

I swallow, my gaze shooting to Iris, who stands next to him, her expression hard.

I narrow my eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Iris clears her throat. “I must apologize, Raimox. It was only recently I learned that her identification is illegal.”

I glance back at Raimox, who ignores Iris, his gaze on me.

“You ran from me.”

Frustration turns to panic. And then I’m launching myself at the pod, hitting the emergency button on the small dock, and leaping into the tiny spacecraft.

Strong arms come around me, pulling me out and swinging me over a shoulder. I don’t bother screaming—no one here will help me. But I slam my knee into his gut, shove my elbow into the pressure point in his shoulder.

Raimox seems entirely unconcerned.

“Would you like me to prepare rooms for you, milord?” Iris simpers.

Milord? Could she be any more of a suck up?

I lift my head and glower at Iris, but she ignores me, already batting her eyes at Raimox.

“Yes. Temporarily. My people would like to know exactly how this security failure happened so it can be prevented in the future. You will allow us access to your systems.”

His shoulder is digging into my stomach, and I squirm, but he ignores me. Except…except for his hand, which is stroking the sensitive spot behind my knee, as if he can’t seem to help himself.

“Of course. Right this way.”

“Put me down,” I hiss, and the Arcav ignores me. Of course he’d take any chance to humiliate me, and my face burns as he stalks back down the hall after Iris, several Arcav following in our wake. Everywhere we go, people fall silent, at least until we’ve passed. And then I hear the whispers.

“Arcav mate.”

“On the run.”

“Idiot, of course she’d be caught.”

I tense, and Raimox’s hand strokes along my thigh, as if he’s soothing me. He must realize what he is doing, because that hand stills, his fingers digging into my skin as Iris leads him upstairs.

I can practically feel his enjoyment as one of the women glowers at me. “If you don’t want a mate, plenty of us would have taken one instead. Why is it that they’re wasted on women like you?” she hisses.

Raimox has stalked past her before I can reply, and then he’s coming to a stop in front of a door.

“These quarters should ensure your comfort for now,” Iris says, and I can practically hear the desperation in her voice. If the Arcav shut her down, this entire trip will be considered a failure and will never again be repeated.

My head spins as Raimox places me on my feet, and I stumble. His hand catches me, and then he pulls it back with a scowl.

“Again, I can only apologize for all this.” Iris’s eyes narrow on me. “None of us could have expected to be fooled by such a lying—”

“Enough,” Raimox hisses. “My mate is to be treated with the same respect as you would treat me, human.” He says the word as if it tastes bad on his tongue, and when I look at his scars, I can no longer blame him.

It was humans who did that to him.

Iris’s eyes widen, and she pales. I glance at Raimox, but he’s already turning away, muttering to one of the other Arcav. I’m not fooled into thinking he’s softening toward me. He may not allow Iris to talk shit to me, but that’s likely because he needs to keep up appearances.

Raimox turns back to her. “Lyniz will go with you to see exactly how this happened,” he states.

Lyniz nods and follows Iris out of the room, the other Arcav trailing after him.

The door closes, and I sidle toward it.

Raimox shoots me a disgusted look. “My men are guarding the door.”

He takes a single step toward me, and the light hits the scars along his cheek. I wish I could say I was revolted. I wish it made him look unattractive. But instead, his scars simply highlight his incredible bone structure and draw attention to his lush lips.

His eyes narrow as he catches me staring. “Pleased by your handiwork?”

“I didn’t do that to you.”

“Your people did. And if you think I don’t know you’re proud of humans who do such things, you’re wrong.”

“You know nothing about me.” I blow out a breath. “Look. Clearly we hate each other. There’s no reason for us to spend any more time together. Let me go, and we’ll both move on with our lives.”

Of course he sneers at that. Why would he listen to reason?

“You know I can’t do that,” he snarls.

I turn and stalk past him, toward the window. “And you wonder why I ran. Heads up, I will always run from you.”

I can practically hear him grinding his teeth behind me.

“You left me for dead. Of all the humans I could have had for a mate, I was given the most treacherous.”

“Surely not the most treacherous.”

I’m pretty sure Harlow Black is currently giving me a run for my money, and she’s mated to his king. Rumor has it, Harlow poisoned her mate.

Hmm, maybe I need to figure out how to do the same.

Raimox stalks closer to me. So close I can practically feel his hot breath on my neck. I break out in violent goose bumps. Even I’m not unaffected by the chemistry between us. The difference is I have no intention of giving in to nature’s meddling.

Or should I say, the Arcav prince’s meddling.

“I swear to you, mate, you will regret running from me.”

I glance over my shoulder at him and sneer. “Believe me, I already do.”

CHAPTER 2

DEVIN

The next couple of hours crawl by. Raimox prowls around the space, obviously annoyed to be in the same room as me but unwilling to risk leaving me. My whole body tenses as the ship shudders, and I jolt to my feet.

We’re touching down. In Brazil.

I glance at Raimox, who has a pleased smirk on his face. His horns jut up from his head, and it’s then that I notice they’re scarred too. Thick cuts have been made in them, and from everything I know about the Arcav, it must have been excruciating.

“Please,” I get out, and his gaze burns into mine.

“You dare beg to leave me? You should know better.”

I should, but I can’t help but try anyway. “Please,” I breathe again, and my eyes ache as a single tear escapes. His gaze focuses on it as it slides down my cheek, and his eyes harden.

“Save your eye water, human.”

He says “human” as if it’s a curse, and I practically vibrate with the need to get off this ship. I’m so incredibly close.

“Do you believe you could make it? Or am I mated to someone with more beauty than brains?” His voice is conversational, and I glance back at him.

“You find me beautiful, huh?”

He scoffs as if the question is stupid, but then his hands fist. “You obviously have very little brains.”

The implication being that I don’t exactly have to be beautiful to have more attractiveness than intelligence. In spite of the situation, I have the strangest urge to laugh. His eyes sharpen as my lips twitch, and I slowly get to my feet.

He smiles. “Come then, human. Fight me. Even if your puny self could somehow make it to the door, do you truly believe you could make it past the two Arcav males in the hall? And then somehow get through the ship? Even if a miracle occurred and you managed to do this, you forget that my ship is stationed above us. And my people are scanning every single person who leaves this ship.

“I hate you.”

Surprise flashes in his eyes, but it’s quickly followed by contempt. “Good. You should. Because life isn’t going to get any better than this for you. You could have spent your life as my cherished mate, pampered and doted upon by a male who wanted nothing more than to make you happy. Now? The only reason I need to be with you is so I do not go insane. Nothing more.”

“I never asked to be doted upon.” I throw my hands up. “You know what? Don’t talk to me.”

My eyes blur as I gaze out the window, at the forest so close to me. The Arcav knows nothing about me if he thinks I’d like to be pampered, but…

A tiny part of me wonders what it would have been like. To be cherished by him.

A knock sounds on the door behind us. I don’t bother turning, my face still wet. My tears seem to please Raimox, and I’m done giving him any further reason to feel satisfied.

“Iris thought you both might like some food,” a shaky voice announces.

I wipe my face and turn, meeting Janelle’s gaze. She’s the youngest of everyone working on this ship, wide-eyed, innocent, and obsessed with all things Arcav.

In spite of that, her brow wrinkles in concern as she wheels in a cart full of food. She begins unloading it on the table a few feet from me while Raimox paces, occasionally glancing down at the communicator in his hand.

“How are you doing?” Janelle whispers. I have no doubt Raimox can hear every word as if she were shouting. Arcav senses put our dull human ones to shame.

“About as well as you’d expect. Tell me what’s going on out there.”

I’m desperate for any hint of normalcy now that I’ll never experience that again.

“Everyone’s talking about the Arcav queen.”

The edges of the world dim, and all I can see is Iris’s face. My lips turn numb, and I have to try a few times before I can form the words.

“Arcav queen?”

“Yup. Harlow Black agreed to go with the Arcav king in exchange for some…concessions.”

Why the hell would she agree to go with him? The last I saw, Harlow was on the run and making good time, the human news channels forced to admit no one knew where she was.

“What kind of concessions?”

“Women who are already in relationships and/or have children can’t be forced to leave Earth. And I think that’s just the beginning. The Arcav queen is making big changes.”

Nausea sweeps through me, and I let out a hollow laugh.

All this, for nothing. If I’d just stayed with Craig, Raimox couldn’t have made me leave him.

The irony makes me want to vomit.

Raimox meets my gaze and smiles at me. There’s nothing nice or kind in that smile.

I turn away.

RAIMOX

I shouldn’t take so much pleasure in my mate’s unhappiness. But then again, ours is not a usual mating. I will keep her with me, enjoying her misery, and I will remain sane, able to follow my king’s orders and protect our people from the risk the Grivath present.

The beasts continually attempt to weaken us, stealing human women to sell them throughout the galaxy, risking more and more Arcav becoming insane. The Grivath have long been determined to rape this planet of its resources, and knowing we need humans has simply made them more determined.

According to the information on my communicator, the Grivath have recently attacked the ship our king travels in with his new queen. And with all our security resources now hurtling toward their ship, every other Arcav vessel had been ordered to be on high alert.

I slide my communicator back in my pocket and glance at my mate. The female is breathtakingly lovely, with clear light-blue eyes that somehow make her look innocent even though she is a deceptive witch. Her hair reminds me of the gold humans are so fond of, and her body is slight, but I felt the hidden strength when she was struggling against my hold.

My body hardens at the reminder, and once again, I curse Korva for causing our race to need humans to survive.

In spite of the situation, satisfaction roars through me as I watch Devin. She has given up staring out the window at the country she imagined disappearing within and is now pacing back and forth, shooting me occasional frustrated looks.

Devin ran from me, but I found her. As I always will. She glances at me, and her gaze travels along the scars that maim my face. My hands fist, and she instantly turns away.

A knock sounds on the door, and I open it. Lyniz’s gaze goes past me to my mate, curiosity clear in his eyes. My jaw clenches, but I can’t blame the male for that curiosity.

“The security issue has been resolved. I will send our report to the king, and he will make the final decision about whether this cruise will be allowed to continue.”

“Good. How long until we leave this place?” Once my mate has seen the repercussions of running from me…once she has had her spirit broken by watching her planet disappear, knowing she will never set foot on it again, I will transport her to our ship, and then we will travel to the next vessel leaving for Arcavia.

“One hour.”

I smile at Devin, who isn’t being subtle with her eavesdropping. Thanks to the communicators we ordered to be implanted in every human’s ear, she can understand us.

“Enjoy the sight of your planet for the last time, mate.”

She sticks her jaw out, her eyes darkening as she slowly gets to her feet with a slow smile.

“If you believe that,” she croons, “you clearly don’t know me at all.”

DEVIN

When the Arcav invaded, they ruined my life.

My sister was the youngest. Our parents died when we were kids, and our Aunt Becky raised us. She was good to us, but we were mourning, and we clung to each other, always by each other’s sides as we grew up.

Then the Arcav invaded. I worked remotely for a while, but it soon became evident that life wasn’t ever going to return to the way it had been. Allison lost her job, and with that much time on her hands, she became suddenly obsessed with the news—and the Arcav.

At first, she’d been as upset as I was. Furious that the Arcav had invaded our planet and changed our lives. I was too involved with work to see the moment Allison shifted from hatred to fascination. And from fascination to obsession.

Raleigh, North Carolina, had three corrals within the first few months. Some smartass had come up with the name to describe the high-class brothels because the women who flocked to them were considered little more than livestock.

The women were named “Arcs” because they were obsessed with the Arcav. Occasionally, Arcav would visit and enjoy what the Arcs offered, and every so often, one of the unmated Arcav would enjoy a human woman enough to take her back to Arcavia with him.

Nausea makes my head spin. While Allison was researching everything she could about the Arcav, I was attempting to ensure my boss wouldn’t lay me off, while also spending as much time with Craig as I could. Then we learned about the blood tests.

I was prepared to find a way to break the rules. To figure out how to get out of the donation. And then I learned my sister had already given her blood. Voluntarily. That afternoon, I found her outside, lying on the ground as she let out a sound I’d never heard from her before.

I fell to my knees, certain someone she knew must have died. “What happened?” I pulled her into my arms, and she keened as I rocked her.

“Not a mate,” she sobbed. “I’m not a mate.”

I froze, and she felt it, pulling away from me.

“It was all I wanted. Everything. Don’t look at me like that. You don’t understand!”

Three days later, I received the letter in the mail. I was expected to give my blood within three weeks. I immediately began making my plans, just in case.

Then Allison disappeared.

I searched the city for her, calling all her friends. Eventually, I learned where she was.

My baby sister was in a corral, hoping to convince one of the Arcav to take her to Arcavia.

I didn’t hesitate. I took Craig with me, and he assured me he’d throw Allison over his shoulder if he had to.

The large room is more elegant than I would’ve expected. The lighting is dim, and women sit, chatting on comfortable seating. There are a few Arcav here, all of them with groups of adoring women surrounding them, and one of the Arcs gives me a look as I walk in.

“You can’t just come in here,” she snaps. “You have to be accepted first.”

“I’m looking for my sister. Where’s Allison?”

She gestures with one hand, her other one slipping toward an Arcav’s horns. He raises his eyebrow in amusement, catching her hand before she can touch, and I whirl, stalking in the direction she pointed.

My sister is dressed in lingerie, reclining on a chair while she watches the door. Her eyes spark with fury as they meet mine, and she gets to her feet, ignoring Craig as he strolls toward us.

“What are you doing here?” she hisses.

“I’m here to take you home.”

“Leave, Devin. You’re embarrassing me.”

This isn’t my sweet, fun-loving sister.

“Let’s talk about this,” I begin, and that’s when the door slams open.

We all turn, Craig’s hand slipping inside his jacket, where he has a hidden gun. I shoot him a warning look. The Arcav have outlawed guns, and if they find it on him, he’s in deep shit.

An Arcav steps into the room, and my hand slides down to my own weapon—a knife in a sheath on my hip.

The Arcav are all ridiculously attractive, but this guy, this guy is almost disgustingly beautiful, with sulky green eyes, sharp cheekbones, and a jaw that looks like it can take a punch. His hair is dark, his lips full, and my heart thumps in my chest as his gaze meets mine.

My eyes narrow. These aliens are like a sweet poison, encouraging women to take a single sip. The Arcav smiles at me, open and full of good humor, as if I’m somehow familiar to him. I’m distantly aware of Allison’s gasp.

In spite of his incredible, feral beauty, his smile is almost…sweet.

He stalks toward us, and my mouth goes dry. In front of me, I can feel my sister tremble.

She raises her hand toward him, but he doesn’t notice. He doesn’t notice the human men stepping into the room behind him either. He’s too busy running his gaze over every inch of my body.

I swallow, and his hand goes to his chest as he rubs it like it aches. “Do not be afraid, little one. My name is Raimox, and I am your mate.”

I take a single step back as the world goes fuzzy around the edges. Craig wraps his arm around my shoulders, and the Arcav bares his teeth in a snarl.

My sister spins on me. “No,” she says. “No. No, no, no, no, no.”

I open my mouth to reassure her, but she’s already lunging at me. Her hands wrap around my throat. “I hate you!” she screams. “You take everything from me!”

I gape, unable to breathe, and the Arcav pulls her off me, baring his teeth at her. “Do not dare,” he warns her.

Craig attempts to catch Allison, but she’s already falling to her knees with a wail. I reach for her.

And that’s when I hear the gunshots.

They slam into the Arcav, one after the other, and he throws himself over me. The other Arcav in the room are being targeted too, none of them expecting an attack in this place.

Raimox lets out a groan, and I almost scream as I attempt to push him off me. His blood is soaking into me, and the human men pull him away, hauling him toward the door.

“Fucking Arcs.” One of them aims his gun at me, and somehow, somehow Raimox lunges at him, and the shot goes wide.

The human slams the gun into Raimox’s face, and his head snaps to the side. Blood drips down his cheek as his eyes meet mine. “Run,” he rasps.

I’m already moving, reaching for my sister. Craig helps me drag her away as she screams and screams.

The ship jolts beneath me, and my breath hitches as I push the memories away. Behind me, I can practically feel Raimox’s smug satisfaction.

“Time to leave,” he announces. “My ship will dock soon.”

I don’t bother begging again. He’ll just enjoy it. But if he thinks this is the end of the road for me, he’s wrong.

“Nothing to say?”

I ignore him, striding toward the door. He catches my shoulder and brings me close, fury clear in his eyes.

“You want me to say something?” I give him my coldest “fuck you and the horse you rode in on” smile. “Then hear this. I will never stay with you out of my own free will. You want a mate? Then prepare for me to fight you until the day I die.”

That muscle ticks in his jaw again, and his expression hardens. “So be it. I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.”

That’s it.

“Why are you so mad at me? You told me to run that day! What did you want from me?” I throw my hands in the air.

He catches my wrist and drags me close to him, his horns straightening until the tips look deadly. “I wanted you to stay in the area. To be there when I fought my way free and back to you. To allow me to get to know you. To be my friend.”

I almost choke on my surprise.

Friends? He wanted us to be friends?

He runs a hand over his face, obviously disconcerted by his own honesty. Then his expression turns inscrutable once more, and he opens the door, pulling me after him.

The halls are silent. More wealthy humans have boarded, with others disembarking in Brazil.

The ship is still slowly lifting off, although it won’t be long until Raimox’s smaller ship is docking and he’s taking me to the mammoth city-sized vessel that will transport me to Arcavia. Bile climbs up my throat at the thought. If I end up in Arcavia, Craig will be attempting to figure out a way to get to me.

But who will be left to help Allison?

CHAPTER 3

RAIMOX

I glower at my mate as she falls behind me. She must trot to keep up with me, and I realize two of my steps equal one of hers. My jaw clenches. Korva has much to answer for, ensuring we have to mate with such a small, weak species.

As if reading my mind, Devin bares her tiny white teeth at me. I snarl back, pleased when she eyes my long incisors, she glances at my scars, and her face slowly drains of color.

In spite of my fury, my scowl deepens. I can’t suppress the unrelenting rage that courses through my veins each time I catch her staring at my scars. “Looking your fill?”

She doesn’t even have the decency to pretend to be embarrassed, just glances away as we walk down the corridor of the small human ship. Of course, it’s truly an old Arcav cruiser that has been repurposed and loaned to the humans as a show of goodwill. I could have told my king that such concessions are a waste of time.

“Raimox,” comes a breathy voice from behind us, and I hold my hand out, preventing Devin from walking any further without me.

“Yes?”

Iris swallows. “We have a problem. The captain has asked you to come to the control center.” She doesn’t even look at Devin, who shifts on her feet next to me but stays silent.

“Show me the way.”

I haven’t gotten to know this ship, preferring not to risk being parted from my mate once more. She falls into step with me, and I let out a low growl as I realize I subconsciously slowed my pace to meet hers.

She sends me a wary look at the sound, and I open my mouth to say something cutting, but Iris is gesturing toward some metal stairs. I stalk up them, conscious of Devin following me, Bricoz and Mixas—the two Arcav guards who were posted outside our door—following all of us. I am taking no chances.

The human captain looks shaken. He was trained by the organization the humans call NASA and then retrained in Arcav ships by our people.

“I need you to look at this,” he says, glancing over his shoulder at me. Then he points to the screen. “Is that what I think it is?”

A vicious growl escapes my chest.

“Yes. Grivath. We are about to be under attack.” And this ship is underprepared, the cruiser used only for travel within Earth’s exosphere, where there should have been no need for weapons. “Ready every human on this ship.”

Iris inhales so sharply she begins coughing. I glance at Devin, whose expression is placid, but I can practically see her creating and discarding plans. She is probably deciding how she can use the distraction to her benefit.

I give her a warning look, and she curls her upper lip at me. I turn my attention back to the screens in front of us. The Grivath have only managed to get one ship close enough to attack.

I use my communicator to send out an emergency signal, but we are likely alone. Attacking the Arcav king wasn’t just an opportunity to attempt to kill him and his mate. It was also a good distraction so the Grivath could take down this ship. The ship that represents a growing cooperation between Arcav and humans. The ship that houses my mate.

“What will we do?” Devin’s voice is thready, although her expression is still inscrutable.

“We need to evacuate everyone from this ship onto mine. It will be a tight fit, but it has much better defense systems than this cruiser.”

Iris nods and leans over to use the main speaker system. Within seconds, an alarm is shrieking, and the internal screens show humans gathering in the halls. “I will go help with organizing our people.” She hurries away.

“My ship will dock. Ready for evacuation,” I murmur to the captain. Then I turn and pull Devin out of the control center.

“If you guys weren’t here, this would be a slaughter,” Devin murmurs.

She is correct. Many of the humans on this ship will owe their lives to the fact that she ran from me. It is pure chance that so many of them will now live.

And that thought has me clenching my jaw until it cracks.

“What is it?” she asks.

I almost do not speak. But in the end, I take a deep breath and tell her. “The flight path of this cruiser is privileged information. The only way for the Grivath to know where to attack when our resources are already sent to the Arcav king’s ship is if someone informed them.”

The color drains from her face. “You’re saying someone on this ship…”

“Yes.”

She glances down below us, at the atrium where many of the humans are gathered. “You think it was the captain?”

I shake my head, and she follows my gaze.

A surprisingly delicate snort leaves her nose as she shakes her head. “Iris? You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s obsessed with you guys.”

“Proving, once again, that your race cannot be trusted.”

She rolls her eyes, and I turn away, helping prepare the cruiser. Even though my men and I are here, it will not be an easy fight.

DEVIN

Raimox insists we stay put in the control center, where he can see the Grivath ship approaching. He works on his communicator and gives the captain various orders, his expression growing darker and darker.

Then he looks in my direction. “Follow me.”

I comply. The Arcav guards have been sent to help the other humans evacuate, and I’m frantically attempting to come up with a plan to leave Raimox in my dust.

I clear my throat. “You want to tell me why you think Iris is the one who shared our flight path?”

He merely shrugs, and I grind my teeth. Of course he wouldn’t tell me the reasoning for his theory. I’m just the human he has to keep around so he won’t go insane.

“You will join the other humans and evacuate now.”

I raise one eyebrow. “Without you?”

His bared teeth are very white and very sharp. “Do not attempt any of your human tricks. I will join you on my ship once I have dealt with Iris.”

I roll my eyes, but my heart is tripping over itself in my chest. This is my chance. I’m getting the fuck out of here and back to my sister.

Raimox is watching me, and I force my expression to remain carefully neutral.

BOOM.

An explosion rocks the ship, and I stumble, falling into him. He catches me, annoyance immediately crossing his face as he realizes what he’s done. My hands tighten around him as the ship shudders once more. Then I attempt to step back.

“They’re firing on us?”

“Of course. The shielding on this ship is poor.” He scowls at me, opening his mouth. But the ship trembles once again, and we both freeze. Then he merely takes my arm and leads me toward the other end of the ship. “Time for you to evacuate.”

CRACK.

Raimox throws himself over me, and I hit the floor with a thump.

“Ow, what the—”

“Silence.” His eyes burn with retribution, and I take a moment to be thankful he hasn’t turned that look on me. Scary motherfucker.

“Come out, Devin,” comes a singsong voice, and I glower at Raimox.

“Of course you just had to be right about this too,” I hiss.

Raimox glowers at me as another bullet pings off the metal stairs at the end of the hall.

I take a deep breath. “Fuck off, Iris.”

This time, the bullet lodges itself in the wall, several feet from my head. Raimox gives me a killing look, and I gesture to our right. “She’s shooting from that direction,” I whisper.

My father used to take Allison and me shooting when we were kids. If there’s one thing I know, it’s guns.

Yet another thing the Arcav took from us. But how the hell did Iris get her hands on one, and how did she smuggle it onto this ship?

Likely she spent so much time kissing Arcav ass no one would suspect her.

Raimox is slowly moving off me, his teeth bared as he reaches for his own weapon.

“Don’t even think about it!” Iris screams, and he freezes.

His eyes meet mine, and I can practically see the wheels turning as he attempts to figure out what to do.

I glance down at his hip. “You distract her, and I’ll grab your weapon,” I whisper.

He automatically shakes his head, and another bullet lodges in the wall inches from my head.

He snarls, and his eyes turn almost dreamy. Iris is a dead woman walking; she just doesn’t know it yet. Finally, Raimox nods, and I slowly begin to inch my hand down his chest, hopefully out of Iris’s direct line of sight.

“Why are you doing this, Iris?” I call, attempting to distract her.

“I should have been an Arcav mate. I should have been Raimox’s mate. I’ve studied him since the invasion, learning his likes and dislikes. I’ve become the perfect woman for him.” She lets out a sound like a sob, and my eyes meet Raimox’s.

“Three, two, one,” I mouth. On “one,” Raimox shifts, and my hand wraps around his weapon. I’ve studied Arcav weapons– although I’ve never actually touched one–but it fires as soon as I aim and squeeze.

“You fucking bitch!” I yell.

Raimox rolls us, moving down the hall, and then I’m getting to my knees as Iris shoots at us. I count the rounds, mentally keeping track. She’s going to be out soon, and then I’m going to kick her ass.

“Give me my weapon,” Raimox orders, but I keep my gaze trained on the corner of the corridor. Idiot Iris just peered around that corner to shoot.

I wait her out. Three. Two. One.

She leans around and shoots once more, and I fire.

Her head explodes as pain rips through my arm, the weapon going flying down the hall.

“Fuck,” I say.

Raimox’s expression is terrible, and his hands are shaking as he examines my wound. I force myself to look.

“Bullet ricocheted off that metal staircase,” I mumble. “Fuck, it hurts.”

“You’re bleeding.”

I give the Arcav my “wow, you’re a genius” look, and he grimaces.

“Critical damage reached.” The ship’s computer voice is far too calm given what that means. “Evacuate immediately.”

Raimox looks at me, and for the first time, I see fear in his eyes.

We can’t get to his ship. That way is blocked by the remaining humans still evacuating, not to mention the Grivath targeting it.

Our only hope is…

“The pods,” he says.

He helps me to my feet, and I sway woozily. Within seconds, I’m in his arms.

“Weapon,” I remind him.

He leans down to swipe it, and the ship shudders once more, slamming us both into the wall. It jostles my arm, and I let out a groan as the blaster slides away.

Because the ship is now tilting. Fuck.

Raimox runs, jostling me with every step. But we both know our chances aren’t exactly great right now. If we don’t get to the pods, we’re dead.

“Put me down. I can run.”

He ignores that, his feet pounding down the stairs, and I must pass out, because the next thing I know, he’s strapping me into an escape pod and sliding into the seat next to me.

His voice is rough as he gives the pod his orders, and then his hand is on my cheek, and I force my eyes to open.

“What do I do?” he asks.

“There should be a first-aid kit in this pod somewhere.”

“Yes, all our pods are stocked with medical supplies.”

“As soon as we’re safe, you need to wrap my arm as tight as you can.”

He nods, his expression grim. I close my eyes once more.

RAIMOX

My heart pounds as our escape pod releases from the ship, spiraling down, away from the cruiser. I don’t attempt to get to my ship. Our best chance is to reach Earth and then order a pickup.

My hands itch for my blaster, for my communicator. But I focus on steering the pod away from the cruiser.

The cruiser explodes, and I have a moment to throw my body over Devin’s.

The blast sends our pod hurtling through the air toward Earth.

I grit my teeth and wrap my body tighter around my mate, hoping she lives through the next few moments.

CHAPTER 4

DEVIN

I crack open my eyes with a moan. My arm is killing me.

“What are you doing?” I mumble as Raimox’s face comes into view. Blood is dripping down one side of his head, and he glowers at me as he rips away the sleeve of my shirt.

“Bandaging you as you asked.”

I swallow. “You need to check that the bullet isn’t in there.”

He gapes at me, and for the first time, he looks truly disconcerted by something I’ve said. “The projectile may still be in your body?”

Is he turning green? I watch him, but then he does something that jostles my arm, and I close my eyes with a moan. “Where are we?”

“The country called Brazil.” His voice is tight. “You got your wish after all.”

I let out a rough laugh. “My wish was to be here without you, remember?”

He ignores that. “I do not think the bullet is in your arm. From what I can tell, the trajectory of it skimmed across your upper bicep.”

“Okay, good. Um, you need to bandage it up tightly to prevent bleeding.” I force myself to take a look. “It needs stitches. Do we have a needle and any thread in the first-aid kit?”

He gapes at me. “You want to sew your wound?”

“The edges need to close. If we don’t have the right supplies, we at least need to bandage it and take the bandages with us.”

“We will not leave this pod. Our emergency pods have beacons in them and will have alerted my people of who we are and where we are.”

I sigh. “When you guys invaded, gangs of humans fled along with everyone else. They set up their territories in places like this, staying beneath your radar and hiding from the human authorities for as long as possible. Those people will have seen us falling from the sky, and they’ll come looking for us. It’s unlikely they’ll be offering help.”

He nods, still looking unconcerned. and I take a deep breath.

“What happened to the cruiser?”

“It exploded.”

All those people. “Did they…are they…”

“I believe most of them had already evacuated. However, I do not know what happened to my ship.”

I’m silent while he finishes bandaging my arm. “Are there any painkillers?”

“Painkillers?”

“The word seems pretty self-explanatory to me. Pass me the kit.”

Yes, I’m being snarky, but my arm burns as if someone has sliced it open. Probably because a bullet did just that. “Ibuprofen? Seriously? That’s it? Whoever created these first-aid kits is going to hear from me if we live through this. ”

“They were created for humans. There is no Arcav medical technology.” His jaw tightens, and I have a feeling he’s planning to fix that little problem.

If we survive. I wasn’t kidding about the danger to us here. Humans around the world fled to rural areas when the Arcav invaded. Tenacious humans who decided this was the sign they needed to live off the grid. But it wasn’t just humans who wanted a better life. When society devolved after the invasion, criminals, cults, and various other groups saw their chance. With the authorities first fighting and then cooperating with the Arcav, criminals, cults, and gangs jumped at the opportunity to establish their own territories.

I rifle through the kit, noting the small pocketknife, some fire starters, a compass, a bottle of water, a LifeStraw, and a flashlight. Okay. We’re not completely screwed.

The moment Raimox glances away, I slip the knife into my pocket. Then I pull out the small bottle of water and take the meds, slipping the rest of them in my other pocket. I hand Raimox the compass and hold out the bottle. “Water?”

He takes a sip and hands it back. “My body is designed to survive for longer without water. You drink the rest.”

Just when I’m close to liking him a little more, he opens the pod door and steps out. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“I have checked a map of this place on the pod. The closest town is fifty-three miles away. Since my communicator is damaged, I will need to contact my people from that town.”

“You just said they’ll trace this pod.”

“Yes, but we cannot guarantee they will reach us before any humans in the area decide to make an appearance.” He sneers as he says the word humans, and I sigh.

“So we should just walk through the Amazonian rain forest?”

He nods, ignoring my sarcasm. “I know which direction we are to travel in, and this device confirms it.” He holds up the compass. “Even with your weak human legs, it should not take us more than a few days to travel to this town. My people will be looking for our heat signatures if they arrive in this area before we are in the town. And if they do not, we can stay there and contact them. Now cease your questions, human. We leave now.”

I grind my teeth as I swing my legs out of the pod. “You are such a dick.”

He disregards that, and I take a good look around us. One inhale, and the scent of the rainforest overtakes me, hot and humid and tropical. In spite of the pain in my arm, and the pain in my ass who is currently scowling at me, I smile.

“You cannot possibly be pleased by this situation.”

“News flash, asshole: I haven’t been pleased by anything since you guys landed on our planet. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take a second to enjoy this forest.”

I ignore his low growl and take in the huge trees surrounding us. Our pod crashed through the canopy above, but we’re still standing in shade, the trees breathtakingly huge and ancient.

Something shrieks, and I jump about a mile in the air. Raimox shoulders his way in front of me, and we both study the tiny monkey.

I take in a long, deep breath. “There are a lot of things that can kill us here,” I swallow. “Animals, snakes, spiders, the lack of water. There’s no way we’ll make it to the town unless we can find some water first. The first-aid kit has this little guy”—I wave the LifeStraw at him—“but we’ll need to find water and stay relatively close to it.”

He studies the LifeStraw. “What does it do?”

“Removes bacteria, parasites, and all sorts of nasties in the water.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Because humans are smarter than you give us credit for.”

He scoffs at that, but he opens the pod door once more and checks the map. “We can walk south along this river,” he murmurs.

I’m almost surprised he’s listening to me, and then he takes off his belt. I frown at him as he steps closer, and he glowers back.

“Do not make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Excuse me?”

Within the blink of an eye, his belt is wrapped around the wrist of my good arm, and the latch snaps into place. He wraps the other end around his wrist and glowers at me, as if I’m the one who came up with this insane idea.

“What the fuck?” Trust the Arcav to have a belt that doubles as restraints.

“You’ve proven time and time again that you can’t be trusted. If you run, you’ll waste precious time we don’t have.”

“I won’t run.”

He gives me a look, and I slam my foot into his shin. The bastard doesn’t even have the decency to wince.

“Why are you doing this? This is low, even for you.”

Raimox merely turns, and tugs on my wrist, forcing me to stumble after him.

“You wonder why I don’t want anything to do with you? This is a perfect example,” I hiss, and he whirls on me.

“I would have tried to court you,” he snarls, and something in my chest wrenches. “I would have attempted to win you from your human male. Would have spent years getting to know you.” He leans close, and I almost shiver at the violent longing in his eyes before his expression turns shuttered. “In truth, I prefer it this way,” he whispers.

Liar. Silky, smooth-tongued liar. I shake my head and turn away from him, gazing at a moss-covered rock.

Raimox studies me in silence for a long moment, and then he begins walking once more.

RAIMOX

We find the river. Devin leans over and drinks with her straw for a long time. Finally, she hesitates and offers it to me.

I take it. Who knows what impact parasites on this planet would have on Arcav physiology? When we have both drank our fill, she slowly gets to her feet, scowling at me as I tug on my belt.

Do you want her to hate you?

I ignore that little voice. She hates me anyway, and at least if she is tied to me, I know she will not attempt to flee.

We walk for hours through the cursed jungle. Rain forest, I correct myself, although there is no rain to be seen. Devin trudges slightly behind me, stumbling occasionally, and I have to physically restrain myself from lifting her into my arms.

To speed up our journey.

At least, that is what I tell myself.

Devin’s pace begins to falter, and I pause, rolling my eyes as she slams into my back.

“I will carry you.”

“No, thanks.”

I open my mouth to argue, but she glowers at me in the way that says she will be stubborn about this.

I know she is truly exhausted a few hours later, because she allows me to help her over a fallen tree. I set her on the tree. “We will rest.”

“I can keep going.”

She’s practically slurring her words, and I crouch in front of her, examining her arm. The bandage is bright red with blood, and in spite of my determination not to feel anything for the human, I…do.

BOOM!

Devin jumps to her feet with a wince, and we both turn at the sound.

“What was that?” she asks, but I can see the knowledge in her eyes.

That was the sound of our pod exploding. The humans found it, and now they will be hunting us.

DEVIN

“They’re going to gain on us,” I say, forcing myself to be calm.

Raimox glances at me. “What is your suggestion?”

“We need…we need to lead them in the wrong direction. They’ll be expecting us to be traveling near the river. We need to move away from it.”

“You need water.”

“I’ll survive a few hours. We need to start covering our tracks. We need to—”

I stumble, and Raimox sweeps me up into his arms. I’m too tired to protest, and I bury my head in his chest, clutching onto his shirt with my good arm.

“Rest,” he says, and his voice is hoarse. Is he…worried about me?

I close my eyes, thankful for his strong arms for the first time. “How did you know I was your mate that day?”

He’s silent for a long moment. I open my eyes again, and he keeps his gaze on the forest in front of us. “It was an instinct. A knowledge too deep to ignore. It happens that way for some of us. And the blood test merely confirms what we already know.”

“What were you doing at the corral?” I ask him.

“Be quiet and rest.”

“Answer me. Please.”

He sighs. “I was given information that human women were being abused. Our people would usually never do such a thing, but I felt it was worth checking. My men were on their way to join me, but I foolishly decided to search the building first.”

“You guys were lured there.”

“Yes. The human males were members of a hate group.”

“How…how long did they have you for?”

He tenses. “Too long. Days, weeks, they all blur together. They set a trap for my men, tortured them in front of me, attempting to get information about our plans. By the time my king learned where we were, three of them were dead. Even Arcav can be killed by humans if we are taken by surprise, weakened, and outnumbered twenty to one.”

The thought makes me shiver. “I’m sorry.”

He’s silent for so long I assume the conversation is over, but then he shifts me slightly in his arms. “It’s not your fault.”

“You were right though. I should have at least reported the attack.”

“Knowing what I know now about your sister and how she was suffering, I can see why you did not. But…why did you run?”

“I don’t want to be a mate. You know this.”

“Why? Is it because of your sister?”

“That certainly didn’t help. She had dreams before you guys invaded us. Goals. And she turned into someone I don’t even recognize. Someone she wouldn’t recognize. I don’t understand it.”

“We have not yet studied the Arcs, but I have always had a theory that some human women who are not mates retain the potential to be mates, along with the genes that would make it so. There is a chance I can help her.”

“How?”

“The Alni plant. The same one you will take.”

I loathe how he declares I will take anything, but I reach for patience. “What does the Alni plant do?”

“It is a sacred plant that cures most human diseases. It also extends your lives to match ours.”

I open my eyes to find him looking down at me, satisfaction in his gaze. I close my eyes again, and we don’t talk after that.

CHAPTER 5

DEVIN

I must fall asleep, because the next thing I know, I’m opening my eyes to meet a gaze greener than the forest around us.

“I am going to lead them astray,” Raimox says. In the distance, I can hear crashing, yelling, and the occasional gunshot. My mouth goes dry.

“It sounds like a war zone.”

“Stay here,” he tells me. “If I have to hunt you, I will be unhappy.”

I roll my eyes but allow him to place me next to a huge tree. “Hold on.” I get to my feet and take a good look around, clapping my hands a few times.

He glowers at me. “What are you doing, human?”

“Scaring away any snakes, and hopefully any other poisonous creepy-crawlies.”

He looks…perturbed at that, but he straightens as I sit back down on a half-rotten log.

“I will be back. Do not—”

“Run. Yeah, yeah.”

He gives me a warning look and then turns, stalking away. He moves almost silently, which is impressive in this forest.

I’m not dumb enough to attempt my escape now. We’re being hunted in the Amazon by people who are armed, are dangerous, and know the area a hell of a lot better than we do.

More gunfire, and I flinch with each shot. I guess these guys didn’t get the memo that guns are now banned.

Raimox’s face flashes in front of my eyes. What if they kill him? Sure, he’s an Arcav, but he’s not Superman. He’s heavily outnumbered, likely tired and hungry, and his weapon exploded with that cruiser.

Are you seriously worried about him?

I…am.

Not because he thinks he’s my mate. But because humans have already done so much damage to him, and the thought of him being hurt once more…

It kills me.

“Well, this revelation is an unwelcome surprise,” I mutter.

At that moment, the skies open up. Rain drips through the spaces in the top of the canopy, and I open my mouth with a smile.

“It should be illegal to be that beautiful.”

I blink, staring at Raimox as he reappears. His gaze is fixated on my mouth, his eyes are dark, and there’s a look in them that’s…transfixed.

He shakes his head and I realize he didn’t mean to speak aloud.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

“Like a poisonous flower.” He glowers at me, and I roll my eyes. At that moment, another explosion sounds in the distance, and he grabs my good arm, helping me to my feet. I grit my teeth as the movement jostles my gunshot wound, but Raimox is already stepping forward to haul me into his arms again.

“I can walk for a while.”

“We must move quickly.”

“I know.”

He still ties my wrist to his, which is a dick move.

“What did you do to them?”

“Used some of their weapons to create a trap.” He leans down and grabs a gun.

I gape at him. “You stole their gun?”

He shrugs, and I step forward.

“You need to put the safety on.” I show him how to do it, ignoring the suspicion in his eyes. At least we have a weapon now.

We start walking once more. Within what has to be twenty minutes or so, my arm is aching so much I want to claw it off. My steps have shortened until I’m barely moving. Raimox lifts me into his arms again, and I attempt not to notice just how strong those arms are, or how hard the muscles of his chest feel as I’m pressed up against them.

He lets out a low growl. “What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know. Exhaustion? A little blood loss? Hunger with a side of dehydration? Take your pick.”

I hear him mutter something that sounds a lot like “fragile human creature,” but I ignore him. This is day one of our adventure in the Amazon, and I have no idea how we’re going to last at least two more before we’re rescued.

DEVIN

The human body can last weeks without food.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself as my stomach growls. Raimox’s eyes widen in a way that would be funny if I weren’t starving.

Of course, I didn’t eat before he arrived on the cruiser. In fact, I didn’t eat the night before either, since I was busy hiding from Iris. No wonder I’m shaky with hunger.

“You need to eat,” he says.

I shrug, and this seems to annoy him.

“I will find you food.”

He puts me down, and I definitely don’t mourn the loss of his arms around me. Not at all.

Raimox stretches, and I very carefully keep my eyes away from the way his white shirt clings to his muscles. It rained earlier, and we both got drenched. Now our clothes are steaming, and I can’t help but notice…

“Devin…” Raimox’s voice is hoarse, and I realize he’s spotted me checking him out. I close my eyes, ignoring the heat in his gaze.

“I’m starving,” I say, slapping away a mosquito as it buzzes toward my face. “But we need to be careful. I’d guess most of the stuff that looks like food here could kill me.”

He lets out an incredulous sound, and I glower at him. Yes, yes, I’m a weak, fragile human.

His mouth twitches, and I almost choke on fresh air. The first hint of humor I’ve seen from him. What would his face look like if he smiled?

It would look like none of my fucking business; that’s what it would look like.

“I will catch you a fish,” he announces.

I gape at him. “Um, what?”

“You believe I have no survival skills?”

“Well, you’re not even from this planet.”

He shakes his head at that and leads me closer to the river, where he rolls up his pants.

“Wait,” I say slowly. “You have an open wound.”

On his calf. It must burn like a bitch, but he’s been carrying me most of the way. Something twists in my stomach, and I shove it down. “There are piranhas in the rivers here. They’re attracted to blood. We should have dressed that anyway. You’re risking infection.”

He gives me a look. “I’m not vulnerable to infection the way humans are. My race is—”

“Basically invincible. Yeah, yeah. Look, just don’t get in the river, okay?”

He studies my face, and I glance away, unsure what exactly he’s looking for.

“I am surprised you care,” he says.

My eyes burn, and I rub at them. When I remove my hands, he’s standing in front of me, his expression confused.

“You are upset.”

“I’m just tired.”

“I will not go into the water.”

“Thank you.”

I close my eyes. When I open them again, he’s crouched next to the water with a long piece of bamboo, and a rock in his hand as he attempts to sharpen the end of the stalk.

This is probably a good time to tell him about the knife.

My head whirls as I stand and make my way over to him. When I hold out the knife, I can practically feel his rage.

“And what did you think you were going to do with that? Would you stab me and leave me for the insects?”

“No,” I tell him honestly. “I need you around, since you’re exceptionally motivated to keep your mate alive. I forgot to tell you about it.”

I’m not lying. My head feels fuzzy, and my arm is now throbbing in a way that makes a dull knowledge pound at the back of my mind. I shove my hand into my pocket and find the remainder of the ibuprofen, swallowing a couple of them dry before using my straw to suck up some water.

“Sit down,” he tells me, and I don’t argue. I collect what I need and sit next to what will be our fire, cursing silently as I attempt to light it again and again.

My father used to take us camping, and he insisted we learn how to do this. I’m lucky it’s a magnesium starter, but it has been close to twenty years since the last time I had to practice this little skill.

There’s something almost meditative about it though. It takes me so long I almost give up, and I take a small break to watch the Arcav.

Raimox is a big guy. Large enough that he’s intimidating as fuck. But I didn’t expect him to be able to move this way. Like a panther on the hunt. He slowly makes his way to a rock on the side of the river, and then he stands there for so long it’s as if he’s frozen.

I get back to my fire starting again. Just when I’m about to throw in the towel, I get a spark. I swallow down my yelp and add more dry grass, along with small sticks and twigs.

Then I watch Raimox some more. He’s still standing on his rock, studying the water. Maybe he’s realizing just how difficult spearfishing is.

He strikes.

Holy shit.

He moves so fast I almost miss it as he shoves the spear into the water and pulls out a fish.

The next one takes him less time, and once he’s got the hang of it, he catches two more large fish. When he’s done, he turns and raises his eyebrow at me, in the universal “I am male, hear me roar” look.

“That was pretty fucking impressive,” I admit, and his eyes lighten.

I never expected to work as a team with Raimox, but during the next few hours, we put together a basic shelter, bake our fish on the warm rocks in the fire, and sit down for a dinner that makes me moan.

I unapologetically stuff my face, and by the time my belly is full, all I want to do is sleep. Raimox helps me rebandage my wound, his expression hard as he studies it. My gaze drops to the silver markings on his arms and the way they gleam in the firelight. But I can’t bring myself to ask him about them.

I glance at our makeshift tent. We’ll practically be sleeping on top of each other.

“Come, mate,” Raimox says, and to his credit, he doesn’t look overly pleased about being that close to me either. “We must rest.”

We put out the fire and crawl into the tent. I have a single moment where I long for my pillow-top mattress, and then I’m asleep.

RAIMOX

Is there any greater torture than having my mate in my arms while knowing she would choose not to be here if she could?

Devin shifts with a moan, and I tense as she rolls closer to me. Logically, I know she’s merely attracted to my warmth in her sleep, but if I close my eyes, I can imagine a different reality in which I have a mate who wants me.

These fantasies are useless.

I focus on the things I can control. Tomorrow I must walk twice as fast. Devin’s arm was burning to the touch when I dressed it earlier, and I have learned enough about humans to know that is not good. If I cannot find her a healer, she could be in grave danger.

A metallic taste floods my mouth, and my hands begin to sweat. This sensation…

This is what terror feels like. And I have a suspicion it is not simply because I do not wish to become insane like other Arcav who have lost their mates. It is because I cannot imagine a world without Devin’s smart mouth, her quick grin, or her ability to argue with an Arcav most people fear.

This is my fault. If I had not hunted her, she would never have been on that ship.

Devin murmurs something in her sleep, and I turn, stroking her hair back from her face. Is her sleep unnaturally deep? She moves her face closer to me, and I shut my eyes.

I need to rest. So I will be strong. For her.

CHAPTER 6

DEVIN

Raimox is quiet the next morning. Not that he’s usually a chatterbox, but he has turned tense, a dull fury evident in each movement. I watch as he places the gun on a nearby rock before quickly dismantling our shelter and removing any sign we were here.

I enjoyed the feel of his warm body around me last night more than I’d like to admit. I woke, wrapped in his heat, and almost snarled at him for moving over to my side of the tent.

Except I was been the one who’d basically climbed onto him in my sleep. And the look he gave me when I opened my eyes was practically overflowing with male satisfaction.

I wash my face in the river, drink some water, and eat the fish he forces on me.

My stomach feels unsettled, but I know I need the food. I glance up to find him studying me.

“You are unwell.”

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

He crouches in front of me, and I survey him. I thought he was a monster, but he’s not. He’s just an angry male. And despite his often shitty attitude, he’s looking after me.

Because you’re his mate.

A shriek sounds, so close I jump about a foot in the air, my heart racing. Raimox throws his body in front of mine, and we both stare at the monkey.

Unlike the first monkey we saw, this is a big bastard. A granddaddy monkey. He hisses at us, and Raimox pulls his knife.

The monkey scampers over to the rock, and Raimox lunges at him.

He misses by an inch. The monkey takes off with the gun, climbing the closest tree with a shriek that sounds a lot like he’s laughing at us.

As if this little trip couldn’t get any worse. Now we’re weaponless. I scowl at Raimox, and he scowls back. For a second, I almost want to…laugh. My mouth twitches.

“This situation is not amusing,” he tells me.

I crack up. His face remains stone.

“Come on. Sometimes you just have to laugh it out.”

He doesn’t even smile. Yet another sign we’re completely wrong for each other.

I lift my hand, and he goes still in that eerie way once more. My fingers are tugging up the corner of his mouth before I can stop myself.

My finger brushes one of his scars. He raises his own hand, and his fingers link briefly with mine, pulling my hand away. My whole body jumps to attention, and I can’t help but notice how right it feels.

Raimox is watching me too, and his expression hardens. “You feel disgust when you look at me.”

“No.” As much as I sometimes hate him, I’m not petty enough to make him think that. I raise one hand and stroke along a deep scar that intersects his cheek. He goes so still I’m pretty sure he’s no longer breathing. “I feel guilt.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw, and I press my finger to it, fascinated.

“That is worse,” he grinds out. “I do not want your pity.”

He releases my hand and gets to his feet, stalking away.

“Am I not allowed to feel remorse for leaving you?”

“You feel remorse for what happened to me. Not for leaving me. I know you, Devin, and you would leave me a hundred times over. And I would take this suffering a thousand times if it meant I would have you back with me.”

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. “Biology.”

“Yes,” he hisses. “Except biology cannot explain why I’m fascinated by the sound of your voice. Why I feel remorse of my own when I keep you tied up. Why I want nothing more than to see you smile, even if it’s not at me. Even if it’s at the forest. I long to hear the sound of your laugh, even if it means an animal has stolen our only weapon.”

I gape at him. “You want me to smile? Let me go.”

He slowly shakes his head. “I cannot.”

We stare at each other for a long moment. Finally, I sigh. I need a new approach. Raimox doesn’t view me as a creature with my own autonomy. So I need to make sure he can eventually see things from my point of view.

I angle my head. “You know…neither of us has a single friend around right now.”

His jaw clenches. “I am aware.”

“So…maybe we could be friends.”

His eyes flicker with something too quick for me to catch, and the distrust is clear. “Friends?”

It’s what he hoped for when he learned I was his mate, and I raise one eyebrow at him. “I don’t see anyone else around here for us to hang out with.”

“I won’t release you.”

“I am aware,” I mock him, and he glowers at me. Moody male. But he’s considering it. I can tell.

“Friends. And…what would a friendship between an Arcav and a human look like?”

“Don’t you have friends at home?”

His jaw clenches. “I have…acquaintances. Over the past several years, I have worked too much to form relationships. And when I learned that my mate was alive on Earth…”

He shifted all that intense focus and attention to finding me. That’s why he was in North Carolina in the first place.

I smile at him. “Hi. I’m Devin Richardson, and I like horseback riding, eating chocolate, and watching bad reality TV.”

I raise my hand, offering it to him. He takes it automatically, then looks down at it as if confused. Maybe Arcav don’t shake hands.

“I don’t understand.”

My heart thumps harder in my chest. “I’m introducing myself to you. After all this, we don’t really know each other, Raimox. How are we supposed to have a friendship if we don’t learn about each other?”

“Learn about each other,” he says slowly. I half expect him to thrust my hand away and declare that he doesn’t need to know me, doesn’t need to learn anything about me—since I’m destined to go to Arcavia with him.

Then he smiles. And my heart flutters in my chest. It’s the same smile he gave me that day in the Arc corral. When I was just a human woman and he was just an Arcav male. When he hadn’t been ruthlessly hurt by my people, and I hadn’t been mercilessly hunted by his.

“My name is Raimox. We do not have last names as you do. I would enjoy riding you, eating you, and listening to your moans.”

I gape at him, and then I’m yanking my hand away, hurt blistering a path into my gut. He frowns at my reaction.

“Are you mocking me?” I snarl.

His frown deepens, and then a hint of understanding flickers in his eyes. “You believe I had hobbies and enjoyments before I met you.” He gives me a “that’s so cute” smile. “That is not the case.”

My mouth goes dry. “Looks like we’re going to have to find you some hobbies, friend.” Because with a few words, he just charged the air between us with sexual tension, and my entire body is almost trembling with awareness.

The corner of his mouth twitches. Then he’s moving away, collecting the rest of our supplies.

“Come,” he says. “We need to move.”

DEVIN

Weirdly, Raimox wants to talk as we walk. He scowls at me when I tell him I want to at least walk on my own two feet for a couple of hours, but surprisingly, he doesn’t override my decision.

Is he…trying?

“I am sorry about your sister.”

I watch him. He’s walking a few steps in front of me, and his shoulders are tense, as if he’s preparing for a blow.

I sigh. “What happened to her isn’t your fault.” I can admit that much, at least. “But thank you.”

“Where is she now?”

My chest clenches. “I don’t know.”

He turns and looks over his shoulder at me. I want to tell him to watch where he’s going, but he unerringly steps over a fallen tree.

“Craig will hopefully be keeping an eye on her.” I don’t mention that he will also be using all his resources to find me. I’ve changed so much since we’ve been apart that I doubt we would even be able to have a proper conversation.

Another thing to blame Raimox for.

I slam into his back. “What the hell?”

“Craig is the male you were with that day.”

I swallow, lifting my gaze to meet his. “Yes.”

His expression turns ice-cold, and I shiver at the retribution in his eyes. I’m glad he’ll never meet Craig again.

Raimox takes a single step toward me, his body bristling with fury. My back hits a tree, and I stare up at him, almost unable to move. I’m not scared of him though…I’m entranced.

What would it be like to actually belong to a man who feels everything so deeply? What would it be like for him to belong to me?

I blink up at him, realizing his expression has changed. Now his eyes are inscrutable, considering me, and I have a feeling he’s somehow managed to follow my train of thought.

His gaze drops to my mouth, and his eyes seem to glow as I lick my lips. He leans closer, and I must be going crazy. Must be losing my damn mind.

Because before I’m aware of what I’m doing, my hand is reaching up, cupping his head, and pulling him toward me.

His mouth crashes down on mine, and then he pauses, suddenly unsure.

The Arcav don’t kiss. He’s waiting for me to take the lead. His hand finds my waist, and I lean into him, brushing his mouth with mine. He goes incredibly still, waiting to see what I’ll do next.

I smile against his lips and feel him shudder in pure want. Our kiss deepens, and he growls as I stroke my tongue against his.

He mimics me, and I gasp against his mouth as my whole body is suddenly on edge, desperate for him. His hand cups my cheek, the movement surprisingly tender, while the hand on my waist pulls me close, his huge body so much larger than mine.

But I don’t feel weak. I feel…protected.

His lips gentle against mine, and he slowly pulls away.

“Ah, mate. Now I know the taste of your kisses, I must insist on them throughout the day.”

I blink at him, still feeling drugged. He looks exceptionally smug, and I open my mouth—

Something drops onto my shoulder.

Scales. Bright colors.

I shriek so loudly the forest goes quiet around us. I’m frozen, my instincts screaming at me to get it off, get it off, get it off!

And then Raimox’s hand whips out, lightning fast, and he throws the snake into the forest.

I gape at him.

And then I burst into tears, clutching his hand.

“Did it strike you? Are you bitten?”

For the first time, I see true shock on his face. Oh God, it bit him. He’s dying. He’s dying, and he’s going to leave me here alone, and I’ll never fight with him again, never…

My head spins, and I realize I’m in his arms once more. He carries me over to the fallen tree he just stepped over, and then he sits down, rocking me.

I’m still sobbing. It’s embarrassing. Humiliating.

“B-B-Bit?”

His eyes are…tender. “No, mate. My skin is thicker than yours. I have not been bitten,” he says, and for the first time, I don’t snarl at the word mate. I’m too busy wiping at the tears that are dripping from my eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m just tired. It’s been a lot…”

I suppose, after everything, I was overdue for a breakdown. I didn’t expect to end up crying all over Raimox though.

I lift his arm, looking for tiny entry points, but he’s not lying. He grabbed that snake—that likely poisonous snake—and pulled it away from me without a second thought.

He’s quiet, eyes dark as I examine his arm. My finger strokes along one claw, and I raise my gaze.

“This is the first time I’ve seen your claws.”

The ghost of a smile, and I have to push down the urge to ask him to show me a real smile.

“I tend to keep them tucked away.” He studies my face. “Are you…well?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“Never be sorry for worrying for me, mate.”

I’d have to be deaf to miss the smug satisfaction in his tone this time, and I scowl at him.

“There you are.” He gets to his feet, expression turning blank.

“Put me down. I can walk.”

“I don’t think so. I believe I’ll keep you in my arms for a little longer, where I know you’re safe.”

I don’t protest. Because truthfully, I want that too.

We walk in silence for a long time. But I can’t help but ask…

“Don’t you resent the fact that you have to be mated at all? Wouldn’t your lives be easier if you could choose your own…person?”

“I dreamed of my mate when I was a child,” he admits, and something in my chest wrenches. “I wondered how she would look, how I would please her. I dreamed of soft, feminine skin and laughter and…love.” His expression is strangely vulnerable as he admits it, and I swallow around the lump in my throat.

“You must be disappointed.” I close my eyes, unable to even look at him. A warm hand cups my cheek, and my eyes shoot open, as I’m still unused to tenderness from this man. His eyes seem to glow.

“No,” he rasps. “My mate hypnotizes me with her every breath.”

Biology. It’s just biology. My DNA is the only reason he wants anything to do with me. The only reason I’m not six feet under by now.

I attempt a smile, and his brows lower. He’s clearly displeased by my response.

“But you wouldn’t choose me, if you had a choice,” I point out.

Raimox merely shakes his head as if that is the craziest shit he’s ever heard. “Who am I to argue with fate?”

I study his face as he releases one hand from around me to push a thick branch out of the way. He’s shockingly strong as he holds me with only one arm, keeping me balanced against him. I’ve already offered to walk multiple times, and he merely mentioned how much faster we travel without the need for him to slow for my short human legs.

“You believe in fate?” I never would have imagined the technologically advanced Arcav would believe in such a thing.

“Of course.”

We’ve been walking for hours, and he begins to head closer to the river. By the time he puts me down, I’m…shivering.

This is not good.

I drink my fill, and Raimox does the same.

I attempt to stand, and my knees buckle. I hit the ground with a moan as my arm erupts into flames, and Raimox is suddenly next to me.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m getting sick.”

CHAPTER 7

RAIMOX

I sprint through the forest, my mate in my arms. She is shivering, but when I touch her face, it’s too hot. She moans as I jostle her, and I press my lips to her forehead.

“I’m sorry, Devin. I must get you to a healer.”

“I know.” A long pause. “It’s okay, Raimox. I just need some meds, some fresh bandages, and a shower. God, I’d give just about anything for a shower.”

“You will have it.”

I almost trip on a fallen branch, and we go silent after that as I focus on traveling in the correct direction. Twice I stop and check the human compass in Devin’s pocket. And as often as possible, I pause near the river and force her to drink.

My heart pounds from more than the exertion. Distantly, I’m aware that those who have been following us will know we are traveling toward the town. I do not have time to stop and cover our tracks.

I will deal with that problem when I must.

In spite of the jostling, Devin eventually falls asleep. I check multiple times to ensure she is conscious, and each time, she bats my hand away. She will be okay. I will ensure it.

I am forced to stop when it becomes dark enough that it would be dangerous to continue. We camp next to the river, and I wrap myself around Devin, holding her close as she shivers, her body racked with fever.

I curse myself continually. She would be safe now—safe on Earth—if I had not hounded her. If I had not made her flee.

The next morning, she seems slightly better. Until she throws up the little water she has managed to keep down. She looks at me, and I see it.

She’s afraid.

Out of all the expressions I have seen on her face, her fear is the worst. I thought I hated it when she was terrified of me, but I would take that any day over this panic for her own life.

I launch myself toward her and sweep her into my arms.

And then I run.

DEVIN

My arm burns like it has been set on fire. I wasn’t overly worried until I began puking. Now I know it’s a bad infection. I can only hope there’s a doctor in the town we’re approaching.

Raimox talks to me constantly, a strange desperation in his voice. I think he’s attempting to make sure I stay awake. He tells me about his parents. About his life. And about Arcavia. The picture he paints of his planet…

“It sounds beautiful,” I rasp, and he gazes down at me.

“You will see it for yourself.”

“I’d like that.” I’m not lying, I realize.

Raimox seems to take this as a deathbed confession, because he begins running even faster. I don’t know how he does it, only that his pace, his ability to keep running, the way he refuses to stop other than to coax me to drink water…this, more than his horns or his claws, is a startling example of just how inhuman he is.

But as he talks to me during the long hours, I’m learning more about him, the values he holds. Raimox is…funny. He loves his family. He feels lonely sometimes. And we have more in common than I could have imagined.

“I will bring your sister with us,” he says when he stops to encourage me to drink. “To Arcavia. I will ensure she is cured of her fascination with the Arcav. And we will give her an enjoyable life.”

My eyes burn. “Why are you being kind to me?”

He scoffs as if the question is ridiculous. Then he picks me up, and we’re moving once more.

A few hours later, I smell the signs of humans. Meat is cooking somewhere, and Raimox somehow increases his speed until the forest clears around us and his feet are pounding down a dirt road.

“I need a healer,” he announces to the first person he sees. I can’t see them myself, because he has pressed my head into his chest as if to shield me from danger.

“Raimox, come on.”

He ignores that, and before I know it, we’re being led into someone’s home. He places me on their sofa, and I meet the gaze of an old woman.

The woman gestures for me to show her my arm. She’s tiny, her shoulders hunched, but her no-nonsense expression makes me do what she says.

I want to pass out as she gently unwinds the bandage.

“O ferimento está infectado. Ela precisa de antibióticos ou morrerá,” she murmurs. I glance at Raimox, who looks shaken.

I can’t understand Portuguese, but Raimox’s communicator allows him to speak all human languages. “What did she say?”

His face is pale. “She said the wound is infected and you need antibiotics or you will die.”

I take a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t think it’s quite that bad. But yeah, antibiotics would be great.”

The woman makes some gesture, murmuring to Raimox, who lifts me once more. He follows her out of the house and down the dirt road until more houses come into view. They’re small, but they’re the first sign of civilization since we landed in the Amazon, and I smile at the group of kids kicking a ball around in the dirt.

I wouldn’t quite call it a town. It’s more of a village. But from the way the woman is striding toward another building, they at least have a medical facility.

Along the way, the woman introduces herself as Maria and advises us not to linger in the village.

Raimox carries me into the wooden building, and a man looks up as we enter. He’s grizzled, with a weathered face and kind eyes.

“And what have we here?” he asks in accented English.

“My arm…we were hoping you could take a look. And that you have some antibiotics.”

“Place her on the table,” he tells Raimox absently, and I take the opportunity to glance around the room. Three walls are lined with shelves covered in books, and one side holds a battered desk, while the other is clearly for relaxing, with a TV and sofa.

“My name is Carlos. I am the village doctor. Let me take a look at that arm.”

His hands are gentle, and he lets out a hum. I can’t tell if it’s a bad hum or a good hum, but I shiver, once again freezing. He turns away briefly and comes back with a blanket from the sofa.

“Papa?” A man walks into the room and freezes, his gaze hardening as he stares at me. They have a fast, passionate conversation in Portuguese, and the man gives us a burning look of retribution before storming out the front door, his boots stomping on the wooden floor.

I glance at Raimox, who is glaring after the man will a look of retribution in his eyes.

“What is it?” I ask.

“My son, Pedro. He is…overprotective. I must fetch some supplies. I will be right back.”

I squeeze Raimox’s hand, and he glances at me.

“Spill.”

“Pedro is unhappy with his father treating someone connected with the Arcav.”

I wince. As often as Raimox’s people are welcomed on this planet—particularly by women—they are also shunned.

“I’m sorry.”

He gives me a look as if I’m crazy. “I do not care if a human wants me here. Only that they help my mate.”

I wince again, but my gaze explores the scars on his face, the deep lines that travel beneath his shirt. I can’t blame him for not wanting anything to do with humans.

Carlos bustles back into the room. “We must clean your wound, my dear. Unfortunately, I’m still waiting for my supplies to be restocked.”

I look at him, and he takes a deep breath, shifting uncomfortably.

“No antibiotics?” I ask.

“I have antibiotics,” he says, and I smile.

“Perfect.”

“But we are out of lidocaine. I must debride the wound, ensure that the unhealthy tissue is removed.”

I swallow, glancing at the surgical implements in his hand. Raimox is practically vibrating with tension next to me.

“What is the problem?” he asks.

“There is no way to help with the pain.” I glance at him, and he still looks confused. If he thinks stitches are barbaric, he’s going to lose his mind when he gets a look at this. “You’re going to need to hold me down.”

RAIMOX

I brush Devin’s hair back from her face, my entire body shaking. My adrenaline is high, my nervous system urging me to remove any threat to my mate, to kill any who hurt her.

“You are so brave,” I murmur to her. Even in sleep she seems to hear me, the ghost of a smile playing around her mouth. Then she shifts in her sleep with a wince, and I want to kill the healer.

He explained the situation in terms I could understand. These people are poor and do not have the supplies they need. More supplies are due to be delivered in a few days, but Devin could not afford to wait. Her arm needed to be tended.

Her screams…

I shudder, burying my face in her hair. For as long as I live, I will remember the sounds she made as she begged us to stop. I once thought I wished for her to experience the kind of pain I did when she left me to die.

Now the thought makes me want to vomit.

I need to contact my people, will have to use the crude communication devices they call cell phones to input the code that will connect me with the Arcav. But for now, I cannot bear to leave Devin alone in this place where she has experienced so much pain.

Her eyes flutter open and find mine. “Hey.” Her voice is hoarse, likely from her screams. “You need to rest.”

I lean down and nuzzle her hair. “I find I am unable to take my eyes off you.”

She gazes steadily at my face. “You can sleep on the sofa with me if you want.”

I smile. The only way for us to both sleep on it would be for her to sleep on top of me, and I refuse to jostle her arm.

“Tell me something about you,” I urge, and she smiles, taking my hand. I go cold, my mind flashing back to the way I held her hands down while her shrieks ripped into me.

Devin is studying my face. “You’re upset.”

“No. I am…sorry for your pain. I should have paid more attention, should have gotten you to the healer sooner.”

She scowls at me. “There’s nothing else you could have done. You sprinted through that forest for hours. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’re limping. We’ll be dealing with that in the morning.”

I smile. “Bossy human.”

She squeezes my hand. “I used to dream of traveling. Back before I went to law school. Before you guys invaded.”

I feel a stab of guilt, and she shakes her head at whatever she sees on my face.

“I used to dream of seeing other worlds.”

“And then we arrived and you realized those dreams were actually nightmares.”

“Maybe I was wrong,” she mumbles as her eyes close once more. “You’re the most beautiful nightmare I’ve ever had.”

I smile at that…her words making my heart feel lighter.

“Shh,” I say now, unwilling to keep her from her sleep even if I crave the sound of her voice. “You need to rest.”

CHAPTER 8

DEVIN

Four days later, I’m feeling much better. Carlos has allowed us to stay in his home, and Raimox insisted I sleep on the sofa. The Arcav spent most of the time hovering, allowing me privacy only when Carlos showed me the shower, and the pissy look I sent Raimox made it clear I wanted some “me time.”

It feels so good to be clean. Carlos placed a stool in the shower and wrapped me in a towel so he could wash my hair, and I feel like a new woman. According to him, my wound is healing well, and Raimox has finally relaxed enough that he has left my side long enough to shower himself.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” I tell Carlos. “I don’t have any money on me, but I will transfer some to your accounts as soon as I’m back in the States.”

He waves a hand. “Pay it forward to someone else who needs help.” He frowns. “Your mate mentioned he lost his communicator. I asked my son to bring me his phone so your mate could contact his people, but Pedro must have forgotten. I will ask him the next time I see him,” he says.

I nod, and then I’m staring as Raimox steps into the room. He’s only wearing his pants, which Carlos has had cleaned, and my breath catches in my throat.

His skin is smooth, tan, and covered with scars. So many, in fact, that bile crawls up my throat at the thought of the pain he must have endured. And yet the scars don’t detract from his beauty. They seem to highlight his sculpted muscle, wide shoulders, and tan skin. My chest flutters, and I meet his gaze.

That muscle jumps in his jaw, and I realize he’s expecting me to say something about the scars. Distantly, I’m aware of Carlos excusing himself with an amused chuckle, but I’m too busy staring at the Arcav to pay attention.

“What is this expression you wear, mate?”

I scowl at him. Surely he knows exactly what my expression means. But…he doesn’t. Beneath his inscrutable expression, I catch a hint of…insecurity.

“You’re unnaturally hot,” I admit.

“Hot?” He looks around in confusion, and I laugh.

“Sexy.”

His face shuts down. “You mock me?”

I gape at him. Then I take a few steps closer, raising my hand to his chest. He catches that hand, and I shake my head. “Let me go.”

It takes him a moment. I’m not used to seeing this man vulnerable.

As soon as my hand is free, I run it over one pec, feeling the ridges of his scars under my palm. But beneath them, I feel the strength of him. The pure maleness of him. My breath catches in my throat, and his eyes widen.

“You were not telling untruths. You do want me.” His expression turns contemplative, and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he figures out how he can use this knowledge.

My lips tremble, and his gaze drops to my mouth.

“Kiss me, mate. I crave the feel of you again.”

Raimox has been very careful with me. So careful I want to snarl at him. Now, obviously, he’s decided I’m strong enough to fool around.

I take a single step closer, and he lunges at me, his arms clamping around my body. Even now, he’s careful of my arm, but his mouth slams down on mine, and my mind goes blank.

I let out a startled moan, falling into the feel of him. How has he become such a good kisser already?

“How do I ensure you make that sound more often?” he murmurs against my lips, and I laugh.

“Keep doing what you’re doing,” I say with a saucy wink. I step back and hold up a hand when his eyes fire, his gaze on my mouth. “We need to talk.”

He scowls but sits on the sofa, gesturing for me to sit beside him. Is he…sitting on his hands? For the first time, I find this huge Arcav male almost…cute.

“We need to find a phone.” I lower my voice. “Carlos doesn’t have one, and he’s asked his son to bring his multiple times. Something tells me Pedro isn’t willing to help us. I think we need to go for a little walk and find a neighbor who can lend us their phone so we can get out of here.”

Raimox’s expression hardens. “I agree. Let us go contact my people.”

Neither of us mention where we will be going after his people arrive. I’m guessing Raimox doesn’t want to ruin our fragile truce by mentioning Arcavia.

I get to my feet, and we make our way out the door and into the village.

No one will lend us a phone. Next to me, Raimox has become still and silent. His face is blank, but when I glance at him, the almost sleepy, glazed look in his eyes scares me more than if he had an Arcav weapon in his hand.

It’s stunning that no one in this village can see it. They see a weaponless Arcav, alone and far from his people. But they’re ignoring the threat he presents.

Finally, we stop outside Carlos’s house. Dull panic begins to churn in my stomach. All my instincts are telling me we need to get the fuck out of here.

Raimox catches my chin. “I will never allow you to be hurt again,” he vows. “I swear it.”

I place my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat a steady rhythm beneath it. “Thank you for not killing them.”

“My people have laws. Either my mate or I must be in grave peril to justify killing humans.”

I blow out a breath at that. “I have an idea.”

We’re being closely watched by the villagers here, so I lead Raimox back in the direction we arrived from. His gaze continually sweeps our surroundings, looking for threats, and I take a moment to mourn the loss of our gun. I can’t help but wonder what the monkey did with it, and I have a sudden vision of the animal sitting in a tree, holding the gun steadily on another group of monkeys, and robbing them of their bananas.

I blink the thought away and glance around us. Then I trot over to Maria’s front door and knock, Raimox looming next to me as she opens the door. With a glance behind us, she’s gesturing us inside.

“We have been ordered not to help you,” she tells me, a deep scowl on her face. “I will be shunned if my people discover I have given you what you need.”

“Please, Maria. We just want to get out of here. Help us, and no one in this village will ever see us again.”

She studies us both. Raimox wraps his arm around me, and I realize I’m trembling.

Maria’s hand slips into her pocket, and she pulls out her phone. “Be quick.”

I expected Raimox to not understand how to use the phone, since Arcav tech is so much more advanced. But he’s quickly inputting a six digit number: 839201.

“You should memorize this, mate,” he tells me, and I lean into him. He’s trusting me with this information.

The phone doesn’t ring. Instead, I can hear a male voice as Raimox lifts it to his ear.

“I need pickup to this location. Immediately.” He scowls at whatever response he gets, and then his face smooths in understanding. “Acceptable.”

He ends the call and checks the call history, but there’s no record of the number. Cool. “Twenty-four hours,” he tells me. He nods at Maria. “Thank you.”

I follow him out the door, and we amble back toward Carlos’s. My head is spinning. Something tells me we’ll need to stay vigilant until this time tomorrow.

The sun is setting, and Carlos smiles at us as we return. “I have dinner ready.”

My stomach rumbles. “Thank you again for your kindness.”

He waves off my gratitude and leads us both to the small foldout table in the corner.

“None of the villagers wanted to give us a phone,” I tell him, and he goes still before continuing to serve me some salad.

“Did you manage to find one?” he asks carefully. I nod, and he lets out a long breath. “I will keep that information to myself, and I suggest you do not let anyone else know. As much as it pains me, it may be best for you to continue your journey tomorrow.”

“We will be,” I tell him. “At dusk.”

He smiles, but I catch the flash of relief. From the way Raimox is tensing next to me, I can tell he sees it too. The villagers want to keep us here, but most of them also despise us. Whatever they want us to stay for can’t be good.

In spite of my disquiet, my gaze continually lands on Raimox. I…misjudged him. I believed him to be just another Arcav, obsessed with collecting his mate. His words run through my head as I watch him chatting easily with Carlos. He believes we’re bound by fate. I never would have imagined him to be the least romantic, but the look in his eyes each time I catch him gazing at me, the way his steady arms held me down while he murmured soothing nonsense in my ear, shuddering as if my screams hurt him…

“My name is Raimox. We do not have last names as you do. I would enjoy riding you, eating you, and listening to your moans.”

The truth is I would enjoy that too. Chemistry has never been our problem. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that from the moment I met him, I’ve wondered what it would be like to feel his huge body wrapped around mine.

My cheeks heat, and across the table, Raimox gives me a considering look. I clear my throat and glance away, finding Carlos grinning at me.

“I have a patient to see to tonight,” he tells us. “She is currently in labor with her first child. I will be gone for most if not all of the night.”

My face burns, and he lifts his glass to his mouth, clearly attempting to hide his grin. Across the table, Raimox is so still he’s barely breathing. What would it be like to have all that focused attention on me? To see his eyes lit with pleasure?

Carlos gets to his feet, and we wave him away, clearing the plates ourselves. Raimox has slid into human life surprisingly quickly, learning how to do our chores and insisting I rest whenever I attempt to help.

Carlos sends me a knowing grin as he grabs his medical bag and walks out the door, and Raimox meets my gaze.

“Does that look in your eyes mean what I think it does?” he rumbles, and I take a deep breath.

Tomorrow…tomorrow we return to the power struggle between us. By the time his people arrive, Raimox will likely have returned to being someone I consider an enemy. No. No longer an enemy but not a friend. Friends don’t make friends travel to different planets against their wishes.

“What are you thinking?” He takes a single step closer, and the air between us becomes charged.

One night. One night to feel his hands on me, to feel his skin against mine. Before everything goes back to the way it was.

“I’m thinking I want to see what you look like without your clothes on.”

Surprise flashes across his face, but he’s stripping before I finish speaking. After how snarly he was whenever I looked at his scars, I expected him to refuse.

But he knows how much I want him. Within a few moments, he’s standing in front of me, jaw clenched, chin raised. I allow my gaze to wander his body, from his horns to his toes and along everything in between.

I’ve gawked at his hard chest, the ridges of his abs. But I haven’t had a chance to stare at the rippled muscles of his thighs, or the long, thick length of his cock.

My toes curl, and it’s everything I can do to not jump into his arms.

“Now you.” He’s got that stubborn expression on his face again, but it’s his eyes I’m watching, and I catch the flicker of hope, immediately quenched.

Oh, Raimox.

He dreamed of his mate. Longed for her. Needed her. I don’t know if I can live up to whoever he was imagining in his dreams, but we can be together. Just for tonight.

I pull off my shirt, taking care with my arm. My sports bra is utilitarian, but from the way Raimox’s eyes heat as his gaze caresses me, it’s as if I’m wearing lace and silk.

“More,” he breathes, and I undo my pants, letting them slide to the floor before stepping out of them. My underwear is black cotton, but Raimox’s sharp, indrawn breath makes it clear he doesn’t care.

He takes a single step closer, and then his hands are running down each of my arms, his fingers brushing the skin at my waist, his hungry eyes drinking me in. I reach behind me to undo my bra, and his gaze drops to my breasts. He’s…hypnotized, and I blush, watching as he runs the pad of one finger around my nipple, a low growl leaving his throat as it hardens for him.

His gaze meets mine. “You are so lovely. Your beauty makes me lose my breath.” He pulls me closer, and then he’s swinging me into his arms and carrying me back toward the sofa, where he lays me down, each movement so careful, so gentle, it’s as if he believes I’m…precious.

My gaze darts over every inch of him, and his does the same to me. I reach up and dance a finger over one of his scarred horns, and he lets out a low groan, lowering his head so he can take my mouth.

If I didn’t know, without a doubt, that he’s only been kissing me, I would’ve suspected him of taking lessons with someone else. He kisses with expert skill, drugging me, turning my body languid.

My hand slides down and finds him, thick and long. That’s a hefty girth, and I have a moment to wonder how the hell it’s going to fit, but then his hand is clamping around mine.

“I do not think so, mate.”

He makes me release my hand, and then he’s moving down my body, pressing kisses to my neck, paying special attention to the spot beneath my ear, which makes my toes curl. He spends long moments there before moving to my breasts, which he caresses, laving my nipples with his tongue and then blowing air across my breasts so I shiver.

Another pained groan from the Arcav.

By the time he kisses a circle around my belly button, I’m moving restlessly, gasping as he finds all the spots that drive me wild. Then he’s between my legs, pushing them open, and the sight of him staring up at me from down there, the wicked, wicked smile he shoots me…

I swear I almost come just from the visual.

His hair brushes the insides of my thighs, and I sigh at the feeling. Raimox is so attuned to my every move that he drops his mouth to those spots, kissing, caressing, teasing. I moan, and his eyes seem to glow in response.

He lowers his head once more, pushing my thighs further apart, and then his mouth is on my pussy, and I gasp, grabbing his horns, unsure if I’m attempting to pull him closer or push him away. He lets out a low growl, and then he’s licking, exploring, moving over every hidden part of me before unerringly finding my clit.

I let out a long moan, and he laughs against me. Then he gets to work. Licking, stroking, teasing, playing, driving me wild as his tongue circles my swollen nub, and he pushes one finger inside me.

“Raimox,” I gasp out, and he continues sucking and nipping and licking…

“Oh God,” I groan. I arch my back, my hands clamping around his horns as I pull him closer. My climax rips through me, making me tremble, until all I can feel is Raimox, gently bringing me back down to earth.

“You are perfect,” he tells me. “Made for me. You drive me wild.”

His voice is a low croon, and I open my eyes to half-mast as he moves up, positioning himself at my entrance. I have a single moment to wonder just how this is going to work, and then he’s pushing inside me, caressing every inch of me, hitting every nerve ending.

It feels like coming home. Like this is what sex should always have felt like. His mouth caresses mine, and he thrusts deeper, then stills, giving me a chance to get used to him.

I wrap my legs around his waist and arch my hips.

“Move,” I demand.

I don’t have to ask twice. He thrusts again, hitting my G-spot and making me clench around him.

“Feel so good, mate,” he grits out, and then he’s grinding into my clit with each thrust, and I’m going crazy beneath him, writhing, angling my hips, my nails digging into his back.

“Don’t stop,” I gasp, and he slides one hand beneath my butt, holding me at the perfect angle.

“You feel so good, Devin. You were made for me. And I was made to please you in every way.”

I open my mouth, but pleasure engulfs me, pouring through my entire body, until all I can do is whimper through my orgasm. Raimox growls but continues to thrust, drawing out my pleasure.

I go limp, and he lets out a very male sound, pulling out of me. Then he’s turning me so I’m on my hands and knees, and he thrusts into me once more. I thought I was done, but he feels so good in this position, and his hand is on my clit, and I let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a yelp.

He lifts me higher until his other hand can strum my nipple, and his mouth caresses my neck as he thrusts. His hands are playing my body like it’s his instrument, and all I know in this moment is him. All I care about is the feel of him, so hot and hard and big and…

My climax hits without warning, somehow even larger than my last two. Raimox groans as I clench around him, and with a few more thrusts, he empties himself inside me.

We collapse onto the couch, and he immediately lifts me so I’m lying sprawled over him.

“Your arm,” he says, and I shake my head.

“It’s fine.”

My head is spinning. I didn’t know sex could be like that. I’ve had good sex before, but this was next level. I’m already wondering when we can do it again, and from the way Raimox is hardening once more, I have a feeling it will be soon.

“It usually takes human men a while before they can…perform,” I say, and his chest shakes beneath my head as he laughs.

“Well, mate. I suppose it is a good thing I’m not human.”

CHAPTER 9

DEVIN

I wake to Raimox’s arms wrapped around me.

I can feel him, hard and thick, pressed against my lower back, and I turn my head. He’s studying me carefully, and I know what he’s waiting for.

He’s waiting for me to tell him this was a one-time thing. That it’ll never happen again.

I open my mouth to do just that, and the door to the living room crashes open.

Raimox lets out a snarl that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up as he covers me with the blanket.

Carlos doesn’t notice. He’s panting, his face pale. “You must leave. Now.”

We don’t argue. He begins packing us a bag of food while we get changed and collect our things. As I watch, he grabs a pack of matches, shoves them into several ziplock bags, and then adds some more bandages, my antibiotics, and a few hydration sachets from his own medical kit.

“What happened?” I ask as I pull my sweater over my head.

“I am…ashamed. My son…he…” Carlos switches to Portuguese, and I glance at Raimox. Retribution gleams in his eyes.

“His son betrayed us to one of the gangs. They live in the forest. Likely they are the ones who were hunting us after we landed. We must leave.”

“What about your people?”

“Now that they know we are in this area, they will be able to find us.”

“I’m sorry.” Carlos’s lower lip trembles, and a tear rolls down his cheek.

I throw my arms around him. “You saved my life. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

“You’re more than welcome.” He opens a drawer and pulls out a map, his hands shaking. “Continue traveling along the river until you get to Manaus. It’s a port city, and you’ll be able to find transport there.”

He’s divided our supplies into two small backpacks, and he hands them to us. “Good luck to you both.”

“You have my gratitude,” Raimox says.

We haul ass out of the house and travel on the outskirts of the village until we reach the forest. The canopy isn’t so thick here, the trees not so close together. There’s even an overgrown path.

Raimox stalks next to me, practically vibrating with fury, and his gaze holds death to anyone who threatens us.

“Do you want to tell me about these?” I murmur, holding out my arms. We haven’t had a chance to talk since we woke up.

He stares down at my arms and then meets my gaze. It’s not difficult to see the pure possession in his eyes. I scowl at him, and his gaze goes blank.

“You know what they are, mate.”

I stare down at the intricate black marks that now decorate my wrists. “Mating marks.”

“Yes.”

“Why are they black?”

A muscle ticks in his jaw. “You have been with me, but you haven’t accepted me as your mate.” Hurt flickers in his eyes before he turns, and we continue our slow advance through the forest.

“It’s too quiet,” I say.

“I know. We are being hunted. If the humans attempt to take us, you will run. My people will find you. You must save yourself.”

His gaze spears into mine, and I take a deep, shuddering breath when he raises one eyebrow, obviously waiting for my agreement.

“You know not all humans are like this.”

He angles his head. “I know Maria and Carlos both helped us, even though I had no human coin to give them. I do not judge all humans by the actions of a few.”

Someone’s tune has changed. My gaze flicks to his scars, and this time, instead of fury, he gives me a rueful smile.

“Some humans are deserving of my hatred, just as some Arcav are deserving of yours.”

I gape at him, and he shrugs.

“We could have paid more attention to humans like your sister. Could have worked to determine where their obsession stems from.”

I have the strangest urge to throw my arms around him. Instead, I swallow around the lump in my throat, and we keep walking.

Half an hour later, the animals in the trees around us go silent.

A gunshot cracks through the air, and we both duck. Raimox throws his body over mine and rolls us deeper into the bush. I have a moment to shudder at the thought of snakes and other creepy-crawlies, but even I know a bullet will do much, much more damage.

Raimox’s eyes meet mine. “I love you,” he tells me. “And now I need you to run.”

I shake my head, but he’s already rolling us deeper into the forest. He slaps his hand over my mouth when I open it to protest, and then he shoves me down behind a tree. The cover won’t last for long, but I know what he’s planning to do.

He’s going to distract them.

“Come out, Arcav. Come and face your fate.”

That word.

Raimox believes we are fated. But really, he’s been fated to be hurt by my people. Again and again.

“Stay here,” he orders. He slides away, moving panther-silent, and I peer around the tree. Pedro and several of his friends are standing in the forest, guns in their hands. In the distance, I can hear the celebratory whoops of more men.

Raimox appears from the opposite side of the tiny clearing.

“Hands up!” one of the men screams, jumping into action the moment he spots Raimox.

Raimox slowly raises his hands, and I wish I had a gun of my own. Wish I could make these men pay as they lunge at him, throwing him to the ground.

An arm encircles my neck, cutting off my air.

I struggle uselessly as the man hauls me into the small clearing, and Raimox’s eyes meet mine.

“Found this one,” the man says.

Pedro smiles at me. “Good work, Lucas,” he says in English, his smile widening as he watches me. “Did you think you could hide from us? In our territory?”

Across the clearing, Raimox is so still it’s as if he’s a statue. He’s barely breathing, and I recognize that stillness from when he was spearfishing.

Lucas drops me to the ground, and my arm hits, making me groan. “Idiot,” I gasp out. He was much better off when he had me in front of him as a shield. Even now, these people still don’t understand the Arcav.

Raimox moves so fast no one attempts to stop him as he reaches for a long, broken tree branch and throws it at Lucas. It lodges in his throat.

I gape. The sheer force required to do something like that…

Lucas gasps, clawing at this neck. Like an idiot, he pulls the stick out, and blood pours from his throat as he falls to his knees.

More whoops and hollers from the forest, closer this time. Pedro is still staring at Lucas, while three of his friends jump toward Raimox. Two of them have knives in their hands.

Raimox’s eyes meet mine.

I see the moment he decides to buy me time. He could have killed the men attacking him, but instead, he takes a blow to the face, baring his teeth as he shifts his gaze back to me.

“Run,” he orders me.

I hesitate, and he snarls.

“Now!”

I’m no dummy. I turn and sprint for the forest. A couple of the men follow me, and I turn my head as Raimox lunges at one of them, taking him down with ease.

I force myself to keep going. But not before I look back at Raimox one last time.

The desolation in his eyes makes me want to vomit.

He believes this is like last time. Assumes I’ll take this opportunity to run from this place. Without him.

Uh, won’t you?

I should. If I were smart, I would haul ass to the closest city right now and sneak onto the first ship I see. But…

I can’t help but think of the way he’s protected me. The way he’s seen to my comfort, even knowing how much I hurt him. I can try to justify it by saying it’s biology, but I know better than that.

He told me he loves me. And I…believe him.

Shouts sound from the clearing. The other men have reached their friends, and crashing noises tell me they’re following me.

One of them is screaming in Portuguese, and I keep running even as the men get closer and closer. The river. It’s my only hope. I can hear it, less than ten feet away, right between those trees.

CRACK.

They’re shooting at me.

I duck, stumble, and lose my footing. The water gets closer and closer, and another gunshot sounds, the air next to my face being displaced in a way that tells me I only have one choice.

I launch myself into the river.

The men curse and shout, firing at me, but I dive beneath the water. I can’t help but think of all the things that could kill me in this river, but I keep swimming, moving downstream until I can no longer hear them screaming for me.

Then I drag myself out of the river and onto the bank on the other side. I cough until I can finally breathe properly, and then I fall onto my back and gaze up at the blue, blue sky.

I’m alive.

I’m soaking wet, but I’m still wearing the backpack with some of our supplies.

I could disappear now. I’m alone, in South America, just as I always wanted.

“I love you.”

“Fuck.”

I stumble to my feet.

It’s time to rescue my mate.

DEVIN

I rifle through the backpack, dumping the stuff that’s now useless, and keeping the rest. The matches survived, thanks to the double ziplock bags, and I may be able to use one of the hydration sachets, but everything else is soaked.

I haven’t swum as far as I imagined in my adrenaline rush, but I can’t risk drawing attention, and I’m worried Pedro left some of his little friends to look for me. I’m moving so slowly that it takes a couple of hours to make it back to the outskirts of the village.

It’s excruciatingly quiet. Even if most of the people here weren’t involved in this, they’ve likely been warned to stay in their houses.

I suddenly feel an all-encompassing fury, and my hands shake with it. I attempt to push it away, and it suddenly blinks out of existence as I creep around the back of the village, staying away from the main road.

A hand clamps over my mouth, and I shove my elbow back as my attacker groans. I whirl, and my eyes meet Carlos’s.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I hiss.

He holds one finger up to his mouth in the universal “shut the fuck up” gesture.

“I am sorry,” he says again, and I feel tears burning my eyes. The look on his face…he obviously believes Raimox is already dead.

“Where did they take him?”

“Two miles south from here, there is an abandoned building. It was once a business. Then it was home to a family who moved.” He hands me a phone I recognize as Maria’s.

I take the phone and input the code Raimox made me memorize. A voice comes over the line, and I keep it quick.

“Raimox has been captured by humans. Two miles south of this phone. They’re hurting him.”

The voice is oddly soothing given the killing edge it holds. “You are his mate?”

“Yes.” I can now admit that much, at least.

“You must stay where you are. I have deployed help.”

I end the call. If he thinks I’m leaving Raimox alone, he’s crazy.

Carlos reaches behind him and pulls out a gun. I gape at him, and he gives me a faint smile. “I took this from my son’s room.” His expression fills with sorrow. “Please…”

“I’ll try not to hurt him. But I can’t speak for anyone else.”

The Arcav are going to be pissed if they arrive in time. And Raimox…

I shiver as I remember the wrath that burned in his eyes. Carlos is watching me, and he takes a deep, steadying breath. For the first time, the doctor looks frail.

“I’m sorry we brought this to your door.”

“No,” he says. “It is me who is sorry. I knew my son hated the Arcav, but this…” He shakes his head. “We all have to live with our choices.”

I take the gun and examine it. A Glock 19. Fifteen rounds and one in the chamber. I’ve fired this type of gun before, but it’s not like I can take on multiple gang members alone.

What I need is a distraction.

I throw my arms around Carlos, and he squeezes me. Then he’s slowly walking away, his shoulders hunched, and in spite of his words, I can’t help but feel guilty for bringing this violence to his door.

Actually, no. His son should feel guilty. We came to ask for help. The humans attacked us.

I slowly make my way south. My one advantage is that these guys think I escaped. And they’re likely not expecting me to return.

I catch sight of the building through a gap in the trees, and I crouch, watching who is coming and going.

Is Raimox in there? Is he alive?

I move around the perimeter of the building, still keeping to the forest, my every step painstakingly slow. In the distance, I can hear laughter, and as I watch, one of the men steps outside of the building and lights a cigarette.

Agony rips through me, and I cup my face. Something is wrong. Am I…feeling what is happening to Raimox? His pain and fury make it difficult to think, but I manage to push it away enough that I can function.

Another man joins the first, and they speak in Portuguese, laughing and joking. Behind them, there’s another small building, little more than a shack. From here, I can see old gardening equipment, a broken-down lawn mower, and a few other things that may help me provide a distraction.

I need to get into that building.

It’s at least twenty feet from where I am now. And there’s no guarantee that the humans haven’t placed sentries on the windows to check for anyone sneaking up on them.

More laughter comes from the building, and I flinch.

I doubt they have sentries. They’re having too much fucking fun.

And if they do…

I just have to hope I can disappear into the forest before they catch me.

Sounds like a great plan. You should definitely do this. Don’t be surprised when your head is blown off your shoulders though.

I ignore that little voice and study the black swirls decorating my arms. Somewhere along the way, Raimox became as important to me as the air in my lungs. I don’t have time to examine those feelings now, but if these humans kill him…

Focus.

I wait until they roar with laughter once more, well aware that anything that pleases them can’t be good for Raimox. And then I sprint toward the small garage, half expecting to feel a bullet rip through my back. My legs and arms pump, my vision narrowing until all I can see is the building in front of me.

I make it, stumbling into the corner of the building behind an old table someone has stacked against the wall.

I fall to my knees and lean over, catching my breath. I’m shaking too much to move, and I spend precious seconds attempting to push down the adrenaline so I can function.

I’m an attorney. What the hell am I doing here, and how the hell am I going to help Raimox?

No. That’s loser talk. Admittedly, this is the weakest part of my plan. But I examine the lawn mower and let out a long, shaky breath.

Yeah, I can create a distraction.

I lift off the cover and peer into the gas tank. More than enough for what I’m working with. I strip off my T-shirt, grateful for the sports bra I’m wearing underneath it. Then I dunk my T-shirt inside, careful not to splash any fuel on myself.

I pull the garment out, dripping gas along the floor of the garage. I can’t afford to mess this up, so I drip more gasoline back along the floor, carefully dunk my T-shirt again, and peek around the corner of the building.

No one. Yet.

I pull the soaked fabric along the ground, sweeping it along the grass. I’m terrified the grass won’t light properly, so I leave the T-shirt on the ground close to the building.

I take a deep breath, lean back, light a match, and drop it.

It goes out.

I curse violently and crouch lower, lighting another match. This time, it catches.

I haul ass, sprinting back toward the forest.

BOOM!

I throw myself the last few feet, landing heavily and rolling. My arm howls at me, but I crawl, covering as much distance as I can before I get to my feet and run as fast as possible so I can approach the building from the other direction.

Time for the next part of my plan.

CHAPTER 10

RAIMOX

The world blurs around me, and the edges of my vision turn dark. Pedro is screaming at me, spittle flying from his mouth.

“Cadê a porra do dinheiro? Eu sei que vocês têm—seus riquinhos de merda. Entregue agora e garanto que você terá uma morte rápida.”

The communicator in my ear has been hit so many times it is malfunctioning, and it takes a few moments before I receive the translation.

“Where’s your fucking money? I know you have it. You pieces of shit are rich. Give it to us now, and we’ll let you die quick.”

Pedro snarls in obvious frustration and kicks me in the head.

BOOM!

My head is already ringing from the boot that just slammed into my face. I can feel blood dripping from so many parts of my body that my skin is wet with it.

Pedro glances at one of the other males. “Go find out what the fuck that was.”

It wasn’t the sound of my brain rattling in my head?

I go still. My horns lengthen, and I know.

Devin is here. Elation that she cared enough to come wars with rage that she would dare risk her life this way, but I also burst with pride in her bravery, and finally, all I feel is a deep, unrelenting sorrow. If I cannot get free, she will die here.

Pedro sneers at me, and I ignore him, my mind frantically searching for a way to ensure Devin leaves this place alive.

I blamed her for abandoning me to this pain so many months ago. Now, thanks to my fury, she has come here.

Pedro lifts his fist, and another male bursts through the door.

“The bitch shot José! He’s fucking dead.”

Pedro goes still. Then his fist slams into my face. “She will die screaming,” he vows. “Take me to José.”

They walk out, and I must lose consciousness, because the next time my eyes open, Devin’s face is dancing in front of them.

I close my eyes once more, and then they shoot open. Not a dream.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss.

“I’m not leaving you to die. Oh God, you’re so hurt.”

Her cool hands dance over my skin, and in spite of my fury, I lean into them. “How did you get in here?”

“The roof. There is an open window on the other side of the building. They’re currently downstairs shooting into the forest. Oh God, how do I get these chains off?”

“You do not. Leave.”

She ignores that, frantically scanning the room for anything that can help. These males are well aware of my superior Arcav strength, and they must have been planning this for some time. My every limb is chained to a floor that has been reinforced. And the metal collar around my neck prevents most movement.

“Where are the keys?” she asks.

“Pedro has them. Leave.”

She lets out a hiccuping sob, and I close my eyes.

“Come here.”

She crouches over me, and I wish I could touch her, just once. “I contacted your people,” she says. “They should be here soon.”

“Why did you come?”

“I couldn’t trust that these assholes wouldn’t kill you before the Arcav arrived. I had to buy you some time.”

My cunning, beautiful mate. “I need you to run. Please.”

“Too late,” comes a male voice, and Devin whirls, raising the gun in her hand.

Pedro smiles, shifting his aim to me. “Drop it, or I put a bullet through his head.”

Devin glances out the window, and relief wars with victory in her eyes as she turns back to Pedro.

“Can you shoot him before I shoot you? Your daddy asked me not to kill you, Pedro, but these are extenuating circumstances.”

A dull flush turns his cheeks red, and he releases the safety on his gun. Devin does the same thing.

Behind him, more males are pouring into the room, and now I can practically taste Devin’s despair. “Kill him,” I order, but she slowly places the gun on the floor.

Pedro smiles, and I see her death in that smile. He aims at her, and I roar my fury, straining against the chains. The chain holding one of my wrists pops free, and a male touches his forehead, chest, and both shoulders with one of his hands.

“Misericórdia,” he breathes.

The sounds of boots thumping on the stairs makes me go still, and Devin lets out a long breath. Pedro raises his gun once more, and then his body hits the floor with a thump.

My people are here. The human males turn on them, raising their weapons. I meet Palioz’s eyes, and he raises his blaster.

Everything goes black.

DEVIN

“Devin? Devin, open your eyes.”

The voice is filled with a longing so deep it makes a lump form in my throat. My eyelids are so heavy all I want to do is…

“Devin.”

I blink open my eyes. Raimox’s face blurs into existence in front of me. Pure, unrelenting relief flickers across his face, and then he’s burying his face in my neck and shuddering against me.

“You must let her go so I can treat this wound,” someone else says, and Raimox leans back.

“You must hate all of us,” I murmur.

“Not all of you,” Raimox says. “I…understand humans more now. Some of your people are merely attempting to build their lives, far from others of their kind. Carlos…he helped you when we could not yet pay him in human coin. Maria helped us too. And you, my brave mate…you came for me even when I told you not to.” He scowls at me. “You will never place yourself in such danger again.”

I roll my eyes. He just can’t help himself. But I can see his overbearing control-freakish ways for what they are now. He’s terrified something will happen to me. Not just because I’m his mate but because he…loves me.

“This is a healer,” he tells me. “Flaviz.”

I nod at Flaviz and watch as he unwraps my arm, reaching for a long, wand-like device.

“What happened?” I ask.

“My people arrived.”

I frown. I saw their ship outside the window, heard them running up the stairs. “They shot us?”

“There were so many humans Palioz turned his weapon to a wide-range stun. It was the safest choice.”

Doesn’t mean I don’t want to kick Palioz’s ass.

“What were you thinking?” Raimox growls, and I glower at him.

“I love you. And I know it was a stupid plan, and I know I should have waited, but I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t think about you being tortured again and doing nothing. All I wanted was to buy us some time. I thought they were going to kill you.” My voice hitches, and I slam my mouth closed.

“You demonstrated incredible bravery,” the healer tells me, and Raimox shows him his teeth. Flaviz turns away, and I have a feeling he’s hiding a smile.

“We are lucky my people arrived when they did,” Raimox says.

I raise my free arm and go still, staring at the marks decorating my lower arms. Now they gleam silver. Just like Raimox’s. “What happened?”

Flaviz takes my other arm and presses the wand to my skin. I instantly have to fight the urge to throw up, but it passes quickly, and when he waves the wand, I can feel my skin knitting back together.

I stare, and when Flaviz removes the wand, I’m momentarily speechless.

“What…”

No wonder Raimox was so unprepared for hauling a human through the rain forest. No wonder he panicked when I got so sick.

My wound is gone. A thin scar remains, and Flaviz shakes his head.

“I am sorry about the scar,” he says. “New injuries usually heal without scarring if they are treated quickly.”

He’s very carefully not looking at Raimox, and my heart twists once again as I think about what he must have gone through when he was kept captive the first time.

Right now he’s covered in blood, but he was obviously treated while I was still unconscious. His nose is back in the right place, no longer crooked and broken.

Flaviz nods at me. “I must go help the others.”

“Thank you.”

He walks away, and Raimox lifts my hand, pressing a kiss to the silver band. “Usually these appear after sex, when the female mate has accepted her male.”

I swallow. “What does this mean? Is this bad?”

He slowly shakes his head. “Not bad. It means the mating clicked into place when you decided to come for me.”

“Is that why I could feel your emotions?” I can still feel some of them now, humming below the surface. It’s…interesting.

“Yes. Within a few months, we will only feel each other if there is a need, or if we reach for our mate.”

This is something the Arcav have been keeping on the down low. I knew about the mating bands, but I had no idea about this part. Raimox is studying me, and it’s disconcerting to know he’s worried about my reaction.

“We’ll figure it out,” I tell him, and his relief is clear. He leans down and brushes my mouth with his, and I glance around us, wondering when, exactly, we can get out of here.

I want privacy.

“I can feel you,” Raimox breathes against my mouth. “You are needy for your male.”

I blush, and he lets out a low, very satisfied laugh.

“I have been thinking,” he says. “If it will make you happy, I will stay here on your planet with you.”

My eyes burn. Since Raimox landed here, he has seen the worst of humanity. Sure, he has seen some of the good too, but he’s been hunted, beaten, abused by my people. And he’s offering to stay anyway.

“When you were taken, all I wanted was to be in Arcavia with you. Where we’d both be safe. Maybe…maybe we could take Allison with us and spend some time there? But also visit Earth every few months?”

His smile is blinding. “Anything. Anything you want. Just be mine.”

“I am.” I raise my hand, cupping his cheek. “I love you. I was so worried I wouldn’t get a chance to say those words.”

His stunned silence makes the muscles around my heart tighten. I can feel his hope, his elation, his love. And as he lowers his head to mine, as he takes my mouth, I give thanks for the twist of fate that made this man my Arcav mate.

CHAPTER 11

DEVIN

I gaze out the window at the wide black expanse of space. It’s impossible not to feel incredibly small when I take in the wonder of this galaxy.

A strong arm comes around my waist, and Raimox nuzzles my ear. “Are you ready?”

I arch my neck, giving him more access, and he doesn’t hesitate, kissing his way down to my shoulder. Just like that, I’m aching for him.

But now is not the time.

I pull away from him and send him a mock frown. “I’m not meeting the Arcav queen in a state.”

He grins, and my heart stops. My mate doesn’t smile often, but when he does, they never fail to make me breathless.

He’s still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

“You seem more excited about meeting the Arcav queen than you do about meeting my king.”

I give him a look. “That’s because Harlow Black is a badass.” I sniff. “Your king was born into royalty. Harlow was a cop.”

He shakes his head, still not understanding, and I shrug.

“Have you seen my sister?”

He nods. “She is speaking with some of the other human women. When I walked past earlier, they were laughing.”

I attempt a smile. Allison still doesn’t want to spend time with me. She jumped at the chance to come to Arcavia, but she still hasn’t forgiven me for living the life she wanted so badly. Raimox is certain that the Alni plant will help remove her obsession with the Arcav. Then she can either stay in Arcavia or go back to Earth.

Today we had a brief conversation over breakfast. It wasn’t much, but it was something. I’m hopeful we’ll be sisters again soon.

Craig decided not to come to Arcavia. Raimox offered him a job, but Craig didn’t want any part of it. We’re planning to keep in touch even though we’ll be living on different planets. Raimox wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea, but by now he knows he’s the only man for me.

“Where has your mind gone?” he asks.

“Just thinking.”

“Landing initiated.” The ship’s melodic voice comes over the loudspeaker, and just like that, I’m a bundle of nerves. Raimox leads me down to the main exit, and Allison nods at me as we approach her.

“I’m nervous,” she admits.

“Me too.”

I take her hand, link my other one with my mate’s, and we watch as the door slowly opens.

Thank you for reading Stolen by the Arcav! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Hope’s newsletter!

OLIVIA RILEY

SHADE’S EMBRACE

BEFORE THE FALL

The deepest dark Madelyn ever knew surrounded her like a cocoon, its silent weight crushing. There were no stars to see, no lights save for those along the windowpane and across her dashboard. Her eyes fixed on the map over the dash, and she felt her heart sink and her stomach twist.

She was flying through the blackness of space, alone in a pod that was taking her in the wrong direction.

The cruise ship was gone, and there was no going back. The hull had torn down the middle, one half separating from the other, quickly growing distant. She had watched the disaster from the pod as it slowly faded away. By some miracle, she had found an escape but to what end?

Because—from what Maddie could tell on the map—the pod was taking her to a place outside the protected systems. A place where her fate might be far worse than being blown out of a ship into deep space. At least that was a quick, merciful death.

The Shadow Cleave was no place for the likes of her. Humans didn’t tread within that territory. Not unless they wanted to be made to suffer at the hands of criminals, slave traders, killers.

Monsters.

But the tracking program meant to take her to the nearest safe station was broken. So the alternative was the nearest place where she could even have a chance to survive. If it had oxygen and water, it was deemed suitable enough until help could come to fetch her.

There were few places in the Shadow Cleave with even those essential needs. And the closest was Seriph.

She should just expel herself from the pod. Just end it now. But hope still clawed at her. She’d made it this far. Maybe she would be able to hide.

Maddie laughed silently at the thought, her eyes stinging. She was truly descending into a nightmare.

Maybe she could hide from the aliens who called that place home. But for how long?

And if she landed within the city itself, she was as good as dead. If the citizens didn’t find her right away, their most lethal crimelord would.

Axaria Shade would.

Space wouldn’t be the ‘deepest dark’ she’d come to know.

CHAPTER 1

MADDIE

The moon was a dark orb floating around a dead planet, which was shaded in a deep red from the ember glow of light from the sun a long way away. The only other light came from the city—reds, greens, and oranges spreading across a vast nothingness of one moonside.

As Maddie’s pod hit the atmosphere, it began to glow a soft blue. She could see the city below, growing closer as she descended. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as the pod began to shake, a loud hissing coming from the back thrusters followed by a dull grinding noise as the pod’s jets came to life, slowing her fall.

Lights began to blink on and off, and a bell-like sound started to ring out, indicating something was wrong. Maddie’s eyes flew open to stare at the dash. The thrusters weren’t activating their full power. She was going to crash and seal her fate before anyone could rip her from the pod. Maybe it was for the best.

Heart hammering in her chest, she tried a few of the controls, but they were locked on to land. Below, the ground was getting closer, and the cities’ details were coming into view. Black towers with sharp tops stretched upward, and domed hubs sat below them, interlinking pathways for transports to move through. She passed by them until the city opened into smaller buildings then into glowing fields amongst jagged terrain just at the city’s edge. She had no time to be grateful that she wouldn’t be crashing into the city center as the pod swiveled northward, dropping faster.

As the ground came to meet her, Maddie braced for impact, her body tensing so hard her jaw hurt. She surged forward, nearly out of her seat as the pod came down hard, rattling and grinding against the ground, crashing into unknown objects outside that Maddie could hardly make out in the thick dust and smoke. The pod skidded across the ground, hitting against something on its side before finally slowing to a grinding halt.

For several seconds, Maddie didn’t move. Hands clenched at her sides, breathless, her eyes peered across the windowpane which was now cracked along one corner. A light flashed at her, but she ignored it as, with a shaky hand, she grabbed hold of the stabilizer mask beside her and tugged it over her head. Seriph might have atmosphere for her to survive, but its oxygen levels would be different than the ship, and she would need time to slowly balance out unless she wanted to walk around feeling hungover or high for the next hour.

With the mask fully secure and providing her air, Maddie reached across and opened the pod door. There was a soft pop and hiss as the glass slid open, and wisps of smoke seeped inside.

Carefully, she climbed out, sliding down one side of the pod and nearly losing her footing as her legs almost gave out. Though she stood firm, she couldn’t stop the trembling in her body from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. By whatever gods, she had made it out with hardly a scratch despite the rough landing.

The pod was in shambles. Smoke billowed from its back, one thruster burned to a crisp, another broken. Its metal sides were blackened and bent. It was a wonder it hadn’t fallen apart in its descent let alone when it had landed.

Maddie looked around. Where had she landed exactly? She had seen a glimpse of the small outposts and stations along the city edge and the glowing fields that must have been energy farms, but where she was now, she couldn’t guess. There were several long, cylindrical buildings on each side of her and a large triangular building at one corner. Within their boundaries, her pod had landed, within the center of some yard where large tanks sat in rows. Or they did until her pod had sliced through them. Now more than a few of those tanks were either on their sides or split open, spewing a bright pink liquid from their shells. The liquid pooled around the back of the pod and was slowly seeping toward her. It smelled strangely like burnt wood.

Maddie cursed as the sickly pink liquid spread along the bottom of the pod, making it pop and spark, a small fire crackling underneath. She drew back in fear that it might explode. Whatever the liquid was, it fueled the fire, making the smoke grow, flying higher. Someone must have seen the crash, and if they hadn’t, they certainly would see the smoke. She should go.

As she swerved around, she froze, air catching in her lungs. An unbroken tank lay a few feet away, and on its side was a symbol—what looked like a red, thorny spiral—with one word underneath. She couldn’t read the word, but she didn’t have to. She’d seen the symbol before and knew what the word said.

Shadowfell.

A small whimpering hiss escaped through her lips. Of all the places she could have landed…why on his property?

Maddie turned back to look at the devastation she had caused. This was Shadowfell-owned material, and she had just destroyed it. So much for lying low and hoping the owner wouldn’t know about her existence.

Something whooshed past her from above, and she caught a glimpse of a small drone. Time to go.

With no plan of where she was going or how she’d find her way off the dark planet, Maddie raced away from the pod and out of the facility, into the dark.

CHAPTER 2

SHADE

“It was a mistake.”

The rynecore trembled as he said it. His beady black eyes, nearly covered over by his scaly yellow brow, stared back at Shade with the all too familiar look of fear. He had the sense to be terrified at least.

Shade sat back, claws out, one finger digging marks into the arm of his chair, looking as calm as he could but making sure the rynecore could see the sharp red tips of his talons. The beady eyes glanced down at them then back up, the rynecore’s mouth tightening.

“A mistake is unintentional,” Shade remarked. “But you were caught in my territory selling unmarked viluum.” Shade tilted his head curiously. “How does one do that by mistake?”

The rynecore shook his head as if he didn’t know that answer. His scales almost seemed to shake as he did it, the color changing from yellow to a dark orange. “I…I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. I hadn’t realized I’d gone too far off my usual path is all.”

“And you didn’t think to check the map.” Shade’s gaze drew over to the other rynecore, a smaller one beside the first. “Or your partner had no clue either?”

“We didn’t know…didn’t realize.”

Shade tapped his claws on the arm with impatience. “Do you think I’m an idiot? You lie to my face.”

“We swear we didn’t—”

Shade silenced him with one glaring look. The rynecore choked back his words and dropped his head. Shade’s men stood around them, their hands itching for their blades.

“The viluum will be mine now as will the credits you made selling it. I should probably kill one of you as warning…”

They didn’t say a word to that, no surprise. Shade couldn’t help smiling. The rynecore and their gang looked tough, but he knew they were cowards. They ran around thinking themselves above the city’s rules—his rules—but they would learn all too quickly. They thought they could hide, but nothing escaped him.

“I’ll let you plead as to which one lives if you like, or you can fight it out amongst yourselves. I don’t care either way…” Shade fell silent, his dark eyes flickering over to the door which slid open, revealing Mika, his second, a tall, bulky specimen with skin like stone and just as durable. The armor he wore was overkill to say the least. Mika didn’t look down at the rynecore as he approached and leaned down.

“There’s been an incident at one of the energy deposits,” he growled in Shade’s ear.

Shade’s eyes shot up at him, and he frowned. He could only imagine who would have the stupidity to mess with one of his deposits. “What kind of incident?”

“You should see for yourself.”

Shade’s eyes narrowed on him. There was something about Mika’s expression that concerned him. He wasn’t afraid. No, hardly. Mika didn’t scare easily. But it was something else. He seemed apprehensive. Dare he say even…excited?

“What the hell has you all riled up, Mika?” Shade said, his mouth tightening. “How angry am I going to get? Is it the Blue Breeds again?” He swore if it was those furry bastards trying to sneak into his holdings, he’d slaughter the lot of them.

Mika shook his head and—more concerning—smiled. “Not the Blue Breeds. Better.”

Shade hated that tone and that grin. Because whenever Mika fixed him with the set, Shade knew there was serious trouble. And Mika loved to see Shade go off.

“Pull up the feeds,” Shade ordered. He waved at the rynecore. “And get them out of my sight. Take care of them somewhere else.”

His men did as they were told. The rynecore disappeared, and from the opposite wall, a screen brightened, showing the feeds from the targeted energy deposit, his property right on the edge of the city.

There was smoke and fire at its center. Several tanks lay on their sides, spewing the liquid energy source into the ground. Amongst them was a ship, or what looked to be, though it was small—too small to be a smuggler’s vehicle—and looked nothing like the city transports. In fact, it appeared outer world, though he couldn’t tell from where through the fire.

Someone from outside the city had crashed into billions of credits worth of fuel and left their ship to burn.

Shade’s gaze narrowed. “Turn back fifty clicks.”

The feed rewound then stopped and started again. Now, the deposit looked as it did before the crash, the tanks sitting in rows like giant metal soldiers. Everything was quiet until a bright light appeared, and the small ship came barreling down, cutting straight through the yard of tanks before halting, smoke catching underneath its hull.

So it was an outworlder, not just an outsider of the city itself. They had come from somewhere, perhaps even beyond the Shadow Cleave. And they had carelessly landed on Seriph unreported. Either they were dropped here on purpose, or their ship failed its course. Either way, they cost him. Likely nothing could be done about it now. The ship was in shambles, and whoever was inside must be dead.

“Send a team out to clean the mess,” Shade growled at Mika in annoyance. “Retrieve what you can. Hopefully, we can figure out whose vessel it is and act accordingly.”

“No need,” Mika replied. “We know whose it is.”

“Oh?”

Mika gestured back to the screen. Shade watched then grew still as he saw the ship’s door open. From it stepped out a small being on two legs with its head and face covered by some kind of metal and glass mask. It would have been difficult to identify the species were it not for the suit they wore and how the clothing fit to their body. The way they were built told him enough, but the galactic symbol on their chest confirmed everything he needed to know.

A human.

Shade’s claws slowly curled, digging into his seat. Humans didn’t come to this city. They were practically forbidden from doing so by their own superiors lest they wished to be ripped apart or traded as food or for sex. Either they were an enemy or they were a rare, highly sought-after delicacy. No one had seen a human in this city in years. They were warned to never come near the Shadow Cleave itself, and yet, this lone human had landed here of all places.

He watched the human fumble out of the ship and look around before running out of sight. They had destroyed his property and left their ship to smolder. Shade had his own opinions of humans, and they weren’t fuzzy, warm feelings. He would find them and show them his own kind of welcome. The way he saw it, the human crashed on his territory, so they were his to take. They belonged to him now, and they would pay.

“Send a message out to all underling gangs along the edge to bring the human to me if found. Then gather a team. We are going out.” Shade rose from his seat and started for the door. “I want this human tonight.”

CHAPTER 3

MADDIE

She ran until her legs grew swore and her lungs burned. From outside the crash site, Maddie found no forests for coverage or even much grass. The earth was made up of dark soil and sharp rocks, making for uneasy ground to cover on foot. Several times, she nearly fell or tripped over the crevices and cracks. She could see nothing save for the lights from the city which she kept parallel to as she traveled. Though she tried to distance herself from the metropolis, the dark vastness beyond it made her hesitant to venture farther from the lights. She could hear noises and knew she was not the only living creature roaming nearby. Eventually, she was forced to draw closer to the lights and the city in order to find shelter.

Slowing now to catch her breath, Maddie hunkered behind a broken piece of wall in order to rest a moment and scout her surroundings. The buildings closest were wide with large doors, like warehouses. As light from a transport far above zoomed overhead, she waited till it passed before making her way over to one of the warehouses, jumping over metal pipes and weaving around scraps of machine parts littering the ground as if the place were a junkyard. The building looked dark and empty, and she could only hope she could hide there if only for a moment to figure out a plan of action. As she was running, she reminded herself that whenever the emergency pods landed, they sent out a distress signal. Hopefully, hers wasn’t broken in the fall and had gone out in time before the pod burned completely. If it had, it meant she just needed to wait for help to arrive. If she could lay low long enough, she might just make it out without anyone finding her.

Quickly and quietly, Maddie snuck into the building. It was dark inside save for the glow of a few headlights from outside casting through skylights above. Trash littered the ground, and she figured she must be in one of the more abandoned parts of the city. She assumed then that she would be alone until she heard the sound of low voices coming from nearby. There were others after all.

Crouching low, she crept closer to the voices, wanting to have sight of those who were close. Making her way over to the opposite side of the building, she slipped down a short passage connecting the building with another. At the end, she peered into a large, open room lit up by soft orange light. Within, several figures sat at a table or moved about the room. Maddie kept in the shadows by the doorway as she watched them. Some of the aliens, she recognized, especially the ashora, who were native to the Shadow Cleave, a pale, tall, and slender race that reminded her of dark elves or even vampires, hairless and sharp-faced with black eyes. They creeped her out, even from just the pictures she had seen. The others were less recognizable. A few had canine-like features with coarse fur, and the rest looked like they had skin similar to a snake with slender blue stripes along their neck and short, stubby horns along their head, their bright green eyes flashing in the low light.

They didn’t look like a welcoming bunch, but she might just be making assumptions. Friendly or not, she still didn’t want to be seen. Slowly, she stepped away and started off back the way she came. Following along one wall, she found a door leading outside. She bolted out into a yard and was about to climb up over a broken fence when a sound from close by made her freeze. Drones were flying past, low to the ground, their lights beaming down as if searching.

Cursing, Maddie shifted away from the fence as she watched the drones draw closer. Something hit her backside, and a pair of hands gripped her shoulders. A tight yelp escaped her as she was whirled around.

The dog-like alien barked at her in a language she didn’t understand. She slapped at him as he took hold of her waist and hauled her back into the warehouse.

The aliens all stood around her in a half circle, staring down at her like she was some kind of strange mythical creature. Some likely had never seen a human in their life, but a few she knew recognized what she was. They were conversing in their native city tongue, one she still couldn’t decipher. A few reached out at her and tried to remove her mask, but she refused, smacking their hands away. She probably didn’t need the stabilizer anymore, but for whatever reason, she didn’t want them to see her face, afraid it might make them react even more curiously than they already were. The last thing she needed was for them to start pulling her hair or touching her skin.

One of the ashora, a male she presumed, with an impossibly slender torso that was wrapped in a tight black material like leather came forward, his oil black eyes fixated on her. He drew up his hand cautiously, and she was about to slap it away when she noticed he was holding something. She saw in his hand there were two tiny silvery metal pieces along with a small metal band. The ashora took one of the tiny metal pieces up and gestured to his ear.

They were offering her jewelry? That didn’t make sense. Still, not wanting to anger them, Maddie allowed the ashora to place the metal pieces in her hand. She stared down at them curiously until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up, and the ashora was gesturing to her neck and ears. He wanted her to put them on.

Maddie looked down at the pieces again, confused. She took up one of the earrings and lifted her mask a few inches to clasp it to her ear.

“Other. Other one.”

Maddie stiffened, her eyes shooting up to the ashora. Did she just understand him?

Carefully, she placed the other earring on, and the aliens around her seemed to yelp with satisfaction.

“Good, good now the neck piece. Go on.”

Maddie stared at them, bewildered, then took the thin metal band and stretched it around her neck until it clung around her throat like a small choker.

“Now, speak,” ordered the ashora.

“He…hello?”

The aliens seemed to cheer as if she just won some sort of game.

“You can understand now, yes?” said the ashora.

Maddie’s mouth dropped open a little, and she caught herself nodding. “I…yes.”

“And we can you.”

Maddie looked over them as they bowed their heads and made small little noises in agreement.

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen a human,” hissed one of the snake-skinned aliens, his blue throat glowing. “Where did you come from? Escape a smuggler’s ship?”

Maddie shook her head. “No, I…” She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell them. It was bad enough now that she was seen but also found. The city would definitely know of her whereabouts. So much for lying low. “I crashed…” was all she cared to answer.

“Ah, bad place for a human to crash,” cooed another ashora. This one, she was sure was female, her features sharper and slenderer than the males’.

Maddie nodded. “I need help. A ship might come, but I don’t know for sure, nor do I know when. If I could maybe get to a ship port, I could barter out with a trader. Could you take me?”

She half expected them to laugh. What reason did they have to help her? But to her astonishment, they only looked at each other and seemed to whisper amongst themselves. The female ashora knelt down beside her and fixed her dark gaze with Maddie’s.

“Of course, little human. This is no place for you. We should take you right away, yes?” Her eyes were sympathetic, her hand resting on Maddie’s leg with the lightest touch that was cold even through the suit.

Maddie almost sighed with relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Can we go now?”

The ashora tilted her head then rose. “Yes. But we must be very careful. Don’t want anyone to find you.”

Maddie shook her head. “No, definitely not.”

The ashora didn’t smile, but her eyes told Maddie enough. “We go.”

In a matter of minutes, Maddie was being taken out of the warehouse and onto a transport with several of the other aliens including the ashora. The transport moved low to the ground as they took off, passing by a sector of warehouses and abandoned junkyards. Maddie watched them pass, her heart racing. She might actually make it out of Seriph before anyone (besides those around her) would even learn she was here.

Her eyes drew away from the buildings and over to those seated across and beside her. The aliens said nothing as they watched her intently. When her gaze met with that of the female ashora, the alien’s mouth tightened as if to smile. Her pale lips drew back to reveal sharp, black teeth.

“Where did you come from?” came a voice beside her.

Maddie blinked and turned to the voice. The snake-like alien was staring back at her, his silver pupils widening.

Maddie didn’t know how to answer at first, still so shocked by everything that had happened and where she was now. She licked her lips, thinking on how much to tell them, then answered with, “I came from a cruiser ship near the edge of the Shadow Cleave. There was…an accident.” She didn’t care to go into details about it with them. Still, the incident was clear in her mind. The break of the warp thrusters, the explosion of the carbon filters, the consuming fire after, and then the breaking of the ship. It happened so fast.

“A human-owned space cruiser?”

Maddie nodded. “I was forced to escape in an emergency pod, but its map system was faulty, and it brought me here instead of to a safe zone.” She looked around at them, apologetic even in her honesty.

“A ship traveling so close to the Shadow Cleave takes great risk in doing so,” said the ashora, tilting her head as she gazed at Maddie curiously. “Where was this ship going?”

“It takes people around the Grimora systems, stopping at several lived-in worlds, then back to its base. It’s just a standard space cruiser meant for sightseeing.”

“You were sightseeing?” she asked.

Maddie shook her head. “No, not exactly. I worked on the ship.”

“Ah, a copilot?”

Maddie smirked. “No, more the entertainment sector. I was…am a dancer.”

That got a few of them to lift their heads.

“Oh, how interesting,” hissed the snake-like alien.

Maddie caught a few with tight expressions. She wasn’t sure if they really thought it was interesting or if they were just being polite. Their eyes lingered on her, however, making her shiver. She moved in her seat, hands clasped at her sides.

They sat silent until the transporter began to slow then came to a stop, thumping softly back on the ground.

The team of aliens hopped out, and Maddie found herself being pulled up by the snake and directed out of the vehicle. The building they had landed beside was a dark, windowless square with a domed top, its exterior the texture of sleek, dark metal. Maddie looked up at the looming shape with a frown.

“This is a ship port?” she asked the ashora as the snake guided her toward a set of doors.

The ashora looked back at her. “A private ship dock. You would not do well in the public ones. The security there would hardly let you go. This is better.”

Maddie was hesitant to move, but the snake man grabbed her arm and pulled her along urgently. They moved through the door with the ashora leading into a pitch-dark passage. Maddie tried to jerk her arm away from the alien and protest that she was capable of walking without his guidance when they burst through a doorway and into a brightly lit chamber.

The first thing she saw was a ship, and she nearly cried out with relief. But as she took in the rest of the room, her heart dropped. Around the ship, neatly stacked on each other, were long metal crates with narrow holes drilled into them. From them, she could hear the banging and small cries of whatever was inside them.

The snake man pulled her around to a set of aliens she’d never seen before with brunt lizard faces and bright red throats that swelled like a frog’s, their brown and yellow eyes looking across at them from the table they stood around.

“Endia,” called the largest of the lizards to the ashora. He stepped closer to greet her. “Back again for another trade? Your last was mediocre to say the least.”

“A bad batch. But this time, we have the very best to offer.” Endia grabbed hold of Maddie’s other arm in a vice grip, making her cry out. Maddie jerked and tried to pull away, but the ashora only gripped harder, making her buckle.

“I shouldn’t have trusted you,” Maddie groaned. She felt a kick to her side that knocked the wind out of her, making her gag.

The big lizard’s muddy eyes shifted down to her. “What have you got?”

“Human.”

The lizard’s gullet expanded. “Let me see.”

Endia nearly ripped Maddie’s arm from her socket as she pulled her to her feet. Maddie fought, even going for a hit to the ashora’s face before she was promptly blocked then grabbed on all sides to keep her in place.

The lizard got close, its eyes narrowing. Its breath was rank, like rotting fruit. Even through the mask, she could smell it.

“Take that face cover off. I want to see it fully,” he said.

A hand reached out to rip off her mask, and Maddie struggled again, moving her head away, kicking at whoever she could reach. They grappled with her, lifting her off her feet, trying to pry the mask off when the sound of a distant roar stopped them. As she pulled at them, they dropped her on the hard floor. Unable to steady herself in time, she felt the sharp pain of splice up her ankle. She curled into herself as the aliens drew away.

“What’s that?”

“Someone is coming.”

The roar grew louder, then the bang of the doors flying open before gunfire consumed all other noise around her. Maddie curled farther into herself, covering her head with her arms, her eyes shut tight as flashes of orange and red popped and cracked around her. There were angry, animalistic cries before the shots finally ceased, and when Maddie finally had the courage to peek, she saw most of the aliens splayed around her, either unconscious or dead judging by their limp bodies.

Maddie lifted her head farther and saw Endia—still alive but bleeding in several places—being dragged by someone in full head and body armor made of some thin, silvery-black metal. There were several others in the same getup around her, with guns and blades in hand. On their chests was a symbol—a red, thorny spiral.

Oh no.

Her blood running cold at the sight, Maddie sat frozen, then nearly jumped out of her skin from the sound of a single venom-dipped voice nearby.

“Bring her to me.”

Maddie thought they meant her before she saw Endia being dragged over to a set of doors at the back. From there, a figure stood tall and menacing. The helm they wore was tipped back to reveal their face. Endia looked up and screamed. Maddie almost joined her.

It was a man—Maddie knew that enough from his masculine features at least. But the rest of him was like a living nightmare. She thought she might turn to stone just by his eyes alone, a deep liquid black, blacker than the deepest space. Only the dim slits of his pupils showed any semblance of sight. He had hair across his head that was like silver flames, white in some places and shiny, like blades. The skin she could see was a deep gray-blue, however, it was thin. Very thin. Nearly translucent. She could practically see the shadow of his skull and the blue veins that spread across his temple, along his cheekbones, and down his throat. His nose was nothing but two slits, the bridge a set of ridges connecting a deep brow. His ears, sharp like the ashora’s, sat close to his head. Unlike the other aliens, who at least reminded Maddie of some known creature, this man had no resemblance in reality. He might come from some hell dimension. And when he smiled down at Endia, baring sharp silver fangs, Maddie knew he was the most terrifying thing she ever saw.

Axaria Shade, the shadowmaker and crimelord of Seriph, was as horrifying in sight as the stories that were whispered about him. And Maddie knew he’d come looking for her. It was too much of a coincidence that he would show up now and find her here out of a whim. He’d known she’d wrecked his territory with her ship, and in response, he’d gone hunting.

His eyes did not yet wander over to her but leered down at Endia instead. He took out a dark blade from his waist and kept it firmly at his side. Endia made a soft whimper as she was pulled off the floor to face him, her body tense as she tried to shift away from the point of his knife.

“I believe you have something I’ve been looking for,” Shade said, head cocked as he studied her.

Endia shook, her mouth set in a hard line. “What’s that?”

“I think you know.”

Maddie watched them, her body too frozen by the sight of him to move. But as they spoke, she dared to slowly peer around her. The other men were watching Shade as well, as if waiting on his command alone. Carefully, she started to inch away, hoping they wouldn’t see.

“Xia Shade…I swear I didn’t know you were—”

“Looking for the human?” he said, his face looming closer to Endia’s.

Maddie stilled again at his words before continuing to shift away. Behind her was the other door. If she could just make it out, maybe she could break for it and find somewhere to hide…

“The message went out to all underlings. The human was to be given to me.” He tapped his blade on his chest.

“I must’ve missed it.”

“Yes. Too bad for your friends. They might have been spared if you hadn’t.”

“It was a mistake.”

Shade’s mouth widened, his face twisting into something awful. “I’ve had far too many mistakes from others tonight,” he hissed. “You were very adamant about getting the human out into the flesh trade, weren’t you? Didn’t even hesitate to get them here and on the next trafficking ship.”

“I had a deal with the barjia to bring good bodies to trade. I couldn’t refuse,” Endia admitted.

“Are those within these metal holdings good bodies you’ve found?”

“More or less.”

“I see.” Shade backed away, then turned from her toward one of the large metal crates. He unlatched the lock from the door and gripped the handle. “You’ve made more than one mistake. Bring her.”

Endia yelped and flailed as two men dragged her over to the crate. Shade flung open the door, and the men shoved Endia inside before closing the door and locking it. From the crate came the enraged screams and wails of those caged within, the crate shaking from the sudden movement. Maddie didn’t need to guess what those trapped inside were doing to Endia out of sheer revenge. She hardly thought about it, in fact. Instead, she took that moment to leap up in an attempt to race for the other door while the men were occupied.

As she stood, however, pain shot up her ankle. She stumbled first, then—fighting through the pain—rushed for the door. As she slapped her palms against it, a set of arms wrapped around her and hauled her back. Shrieking, Maddie kicked out her legs and tried to twist out of the tight hold but to no avail. Flinging her around, the man holding her brought her back, dropping her down at Shade’s feet.

Shade stared down at her much in the same way he had looked at Endia. A simmering rage worked behind his deep gaze, mixed with a sliver of curiosity. Maddie’s eyes dropped to the blade in his one hand then back up to his horrifying face. A whimper much like the one Endia had made escaped her throat. She could see the silver pinpoints of his fangs as his lip curled ever so slightly at the corners.

“So, little human. You thought you could run away and hide.” Shade tilted his head back as he studied her. “You left your ship on my land, did you know? It burned away more than half of my resources.”

Maddie licked her lips, glad he couldn’t see her full face—and the terror there—behind the mask. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.

“What was that?”

“I didn’t know it was your property until I crashed. It was an accident.”

“And do you usually run away from accidents to let someone else deal with it?”

“No, but…”

“But?”

Maddie lowered her eyes. “But once I knew it was yours…I was afraid to stay. So I fled.”

“Afraid of the consequences? Or of me?”

“Both.” Maddie’s voice broke, her legs trembling.

“I see. So you know of me.” A low, quiet laugh startled her. “I didn’t think I was so famous among the human population.”

“More like infamous.” Dammit, why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? She looked up timidly and saw him nod as if in agreement.

“Yes, that would make more sense. And you knew coming here was dangerous. And yet, here you are.”

“It was a mistake.”

The blade twisted in his hand. Maddie shut her eyes, cursing herself. This was it, then. She was dead. She hadn’t even made it a night on Seriph, and she was going to be cut down by the monster boss himself.

“Too bad,” came his hushed reply. “Take your mask off. Now. I want to see who I am meant to make pay for their mistake.”

She knew it was no use arguing. With trembling hands, she grabbed the underside of the mask and carefully lifted it away. Her burgundy hair fell across her shoulders as she pulled it back and let the mask fall to the ground with a clang.

She didn’t look up at him right away but instead at his feet which shifted back, his posture changing. As her gaze rose, she saw he no longer bent forward to tower over her but stood straight, his body rigid. He had grown quiet, and when their eyes finally locked, she could hardly keep his gaze before she had to look away, heat rising in her face.

She waited for his blade to come down, to slice her throat. Tears sprang at the corners of her eyes, more angry and afraid than sad. She shut her eyes, ready for the sharp cut then the rush of blood, wondering how it had come to this.

But the cut never came. Instead, she heard him shift away, and when she opened her eyes, watched as he placed his knife back into his sheath.

“Bring her. Enforcers will start arriving soon.” He started to turn from her, to head out the doors. Maddie watched, blinking back her confusion.

“I don’t understand,” she blurted aloud.

Shade stopped and looked back at her. He watched her for a long moment before stepping back over. He gestured for one of his men to lift her up. As she stood, his hand reached out, and he tipped back her chin with one sharp finger.

“You think I’d kill you?” he said quietly, his eyes boring into hers so deeply she couldn’t possibly look away. His head tilted, face drawing close to hers, making Maddie tense. “No. You will pay for the damage you’ve caused…by working for me.” His finger drew downward to trace her neck. “This is my city. And you’re mine now, little human.”

CHAPTER 4

SHADE

He watched the human closely as she sat opposite him. He could tell she was nervous—afraid still—which was to be expected. She still thought he meant to kill her probably, but that was far from the case. There was no doubt that, when he’d first gone looking, murder had been on his mind. He had already been in a foul mood after the rynecore, and seeing the destruction of his property had certainly put him over the edge. He had been ready to hunt the human down and make them so afraid they stopped breathing. But then he got a true look at them.

Truthfully, he hadn’t known what to expect, nor had he really cared at the time. Male, female, youth, elder. Such things wouldn’t have spared them. He’d seen his share of humans of all types throughout the years, and he always held indifference, even more times aggression—violence—given the circumstance and the human.

Because, with his kind, they weren’t exactly on good terms.

Hell, if he were being honest, they hated each other’s guts. The humans had good reason. His kind—the Sidonion—nearly wiped out a whole city of them back in the blade wars. And took many as prisoners, servants, food if they had the taste for it. And the humans had gotten hold of a few of them in turn and worked horrendous experiments. Just the thought alone made the spinefibers along his back rise and the heat of anger burn in his nightblack heart.

He too had once been a prisoner of theirs—for a very short time—and they didn’t so much as touch him without sacrificing a limb. He’d been a commander back then but no more. Those days were long gone when he’d escaped then disappeared to Seriph.

The transport in which they found themselves flew through the thickening city, taking him and his little prize back to his home—The Hive. He stared at her still, unable to draw his gaze away.

Because what he saw before him and what was happening to his body in response, astonished and bewildered him. He could hardly move, even speak. Few things had ever put him in such a state, yet this little human before him had managed to do so. Just the striking cast of her steel-blue eyes was making him burn. And not with anger. That much, he could tell.

Unlike him, she was attempting to avoid his gaze. It was…cute. That was not a word he rarely ever used, but it was true. He didn’t think in such a way of humans, ever. Ugly, annoying, sure. Careless, weak, absolutely. But not cute. And certainly not beautiful.

She stared out the window beside her, her bright eyes searching, looking for some sort of rescue, he’d bet. But there was none. Her hand shook as she brushed a lock of dark hair from her eyes. Yes, she was very nervous. Poor thing. She couldn’t look at him. Usually, that sort of response was normal to him, even expected. But he found he wanted her to face him.

Still, he couldn’t find any words. So, he kept watching instead, his eyes lingering over every part of her body like he’d never seen a human in his life.

Perhaps it was best to wait. His men sat around him now, watching her as well. Curious too, he’d bet. It made him want her to himself before they spoke again.

As The Hive came into view, his transport began to drop, landing in an open shipyard. As soon as it touched the ground and began to power down, Shade jumped out and waited for the human to follow. She gripped the door as she attempted to step down. When she jumped, she stumbled forward, and Shade caught her firmly. She was so small compared to him, but she was firm and warm under his grasp. Surprise filled her eyes before she drew back from his touch.

“Follow me,” Shade ordered and started for a set of black doors to the left side of the yard, leading into a large building made of black limenite, fortified and nearly unbreakable. He didn’t bother to look back to see if she obeyed. His men would see that she did. The doors opened as he approached. Without hesitation, he entered the dark passage beyond, lit only by dim-red bulbs. To the opposite end was another door where more of his men stood guard. They stepped aside as he passed, and as the doors opened, heavy beats and strobing lights assaulted his senses. The Hive wasn’t just his home and fortress but his playground, where others came to indulge as well. The club was well packed tonight, like every other. His staff stopped and greeted him as they moved about, from security to entertainers to drink-carriers. Shade paused to look over the vast chamber, gazing across the glass floor where, underneath, a lounge could be seen. From above were several stories with balconies looking over the open hexagonal dance floor. Liquid dispensaries sat at two sides, each seat taken by various occupants. And the back was a stage where a few of his dancers made their rounds. Everything looked in order and—satisfied—he continued onward toward the back elevators past the stage. The clubbers separated as he passed, and he didn’t so much as look at them. He only cared to return to some private room with the human.

A set of shouts and jeers went up above the music, and Shade halted. He turned to see that many of his clientele had spotted the human with him. His men kept them at bay though many were curious, with arms outstretched, trying to touch. The human cowered from their hands, her eyes wide with what he could assume to be awe and terror. Her face had grown paler as her gaze turned wild, looking all around her at the various Seriph folk, so different from her. He wondered if she saw actual people or only monsters.

Humans he knew stuck to their own cities, rarely leaving their coveted worlds to interact with others. Whether that was because they were arrogant or scared, he couldn’t say for sure, but he suspected both.

Expecting his men to keep the clientele at bay, he continued onward till he reached the elevator. From there, they went up several levels then down another passage into one of his personal workrooms. As the doors opened, Mika stood inside to greet him, his back now to the console displaying several feeds of the building.

“Wow, that didn’t take nearly as long as I expected,” he said with a grin. “Did you get the human or did you just—” His eyes popped as the human in question came into view. “Shit, it’s really here.” He came over, getting close to the human, tugging her hair and pulling at her suit. The human made a little noise, then batted his hand away. Mika’s smile widened. “I haven’t seen one of them in ages. And this one looks in good condition. Real good. You’re not planning to kill it, I hope.”

The human’s eyes glanced over to him, wanting to know that answer.

“No. But she will pay for the damages to my supply.”

“A female.” Mika turned to her, his eyes lighting up. “I suspected as much. Too delicate looking for a male.” His hand reached again, and this time, Shade caught it.

“Yes. Now go. Make sure the perimeter is secure.”

Mika glanced at the human, then back at him, and dropped his arm, nodding his head in understanding. “Of course, boss. Don’t have too much fun.” He started for the door with the rest of Shade’s men in tow, finally leaving him alone.

As the door shut and the quiet set in, Shade glanced back at the human and noticed her eyes drop. As he watched her, he moved over to the chair by the console and took a seat. She was still very tense, her hands locked in front of her, her head bowed as if ready for a scolding. Shade leaned back in his seat, his claws slipping out just enough to catch the fabric along the chair’s arms.

He felt that need again to have her look at him, but her eyes were glued to the shiny black floor. This time, he was too impatient to wait. “Look at me,” he commanded.

She didn’t obey right away, but eventually, her eyes drew up to his and remained there, locked with his own. Heat simmered in his lower belly as he caught the fiery defiance in that gaze. She was still afraid, yes, but she was also angry. She wanted to fight him, but she was smart enough to know she wouldn’t win.

A smile tugged at his lips. Now was the time for answers. “Why did you come here?”

Her head tilted up, her chest rising and falling. She licked her lips before she opened her mouth and said, “I didn’t mean to.”

Shade cocked his head. “Oh? You’re saying you accidentally crashed onto Seriph?”

“Yes.”

He tapped his claws on his chair. Her eyes shot down to them, widening, before returning to his face. “Tell me,” he said.

She shifted on her feet, nervously. “I…I worked on a cruiser. The Atlantia. It travels around several systems.”

“An entertainment vessel, correct?” He’d heard of them before.

She nodded. “There was a horrible accident. The ship…was lost. I only managed to escape in time. My pod brought me here as it was the closest place I might survive. It malfunctioned, and I couldn’t land properly, which is why I crashed into your property.”

Shade’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”

Her eyes lit up, and she grew bold enough to take a step closer to him. “So, you understand it really was an accident. I don’t want to cause trouble. I just want to get home. If you could just get me on a trade ship, I could pay you for the damages after I get back. I could transfer them over and…”

She went silent at the look he gave her. Not unlike the one he had given to the rynecore.

“No,” he said in a soft, grating voice. “Accident or not, I will not let you go. I told you back at the warehouse, didn’t I? You will pay for your mistake here. You will remain here until I deem your payment complete.”

Her eyes grew angry again, her mouth deepening into a frown. “So, you want me to work here? In this place? I’ll be eaten alive before anything can be settled.”

Shade couldn’t help smirking at that. “Possibly, but not by those below. I will see to your safety. All of my workers are well protected. There is only one you will need to fear of such a possibility here, and he sits before you.”

Her expression told him she understood that well.

“So, with that settled,” he continued, “tell me what you did on this vessel, and perhaps we can find something that fits here.”

She fidgeted again on her feet, biting her bottom lip. The gesture made him dig his claws into the arm seat. It was so strange, and quite fascinating, to see the reaction she pulled from him. He’d been with many others before, of all different kinds, but never a human, mainly because of the loathing he’d felt and because they weren’t exactly common in Seriph. But for the first time, this little human before him made him want a taste. He was very tempted. But business came first, and he needed to place her in his care now before others started looking.

“I was just a cleaner, maintenance of the ship,” she said squarely.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

He studied her for a long moment. Her suit was baggy, with several patches on each of her arms and a set of lights across the collar. It was a flight suit, nothing more. Judging by her story, he doubted she had time to change into some other attire, unless…“Where were you at the time the ship went down?” he asked.

She gave him a curious look. “I was walking back to my unit after a shift change.”

“I see.” His eyes lingered over her again. “Take off your suit.”

She stiffened. “Why would I—”

“That’s just a mere flight suit, is it not? You’ll need something more proper to wear if you are to work for me.”

She hesitated, and it was almost enough to give her away.

“You do have other clothes underneath, I take it? After all, you didn’t have time to change, unless you’re about to tell me you had a moment to strip naked before the ship fell, which I doubt.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

“So. Take it off. Now.”

She didn’t move, and he knew then she was hiding something. He leapt from his chair and moved toward her. “Then I’ll do it myself.”

“No!” She put her hand out to stop him. She lowered her hand, then clasped it to the zipper of her suit. “Wait.”

“I don’t like waiting, you’ll find,” he said, baring his teeth.

Her throat bobbed, then she closed her eyes tight. “Fine.”

With shaky fingers, she undid the clasps of her suit, then carefully slid the zipper down. Shade’s eyes followed her hand as it slid downward. When she had it unzipped all the way, she paused before letting the suit fall from her shoulders to slide down her legs.

Shade took in every inch of her. The spinefibers along his back and neck stood on end, almost making him shiver.

“I may not be very accustomed to human fashion, but something deep down tells me that attire is not appropriate for the job of a cleaner, would you agree?” he said in a quiet, almost seething voice.

Her body straightened as she cast her eyes down to hide the fire in her gaze. “No…it’s not,” she whispered.

She wore what he could only assume was some kind of entertainment attire. A slip of clothing covered her chest, stomach, and lower regions. Her thighs were bare, showing long, smooth limbs. The clothing in question was a creamy white with shiny gems coating the chest and hips.

He moved closer and heard her catch her breath in a soft gasp, surprised by his quick movement. She went rigid as he moved to circle her.

“Then you are not a cleaner, are you?”

She shook her head.

“What, then?”

“I’m—a dancer,” she choked out. “I was a dancer on the ship.”

“Then that makes much more sense.” He came around to face her. “But you lied. Is it because you loathe the idea of entertaining those you deem below you?”

“What? I…no. No, that’s not it.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t want to be seen at all.”

Shade drifted around to her side, then stopped again at her back. Carefully, he brought up his hand and lightly brushed the locks of deep red hair from her shoulder. Her skin rose in tiny bumps, and she shivered at his touch. Her hair was soft and silky, and he liked the feel. Closer now than before, he noticed the sweet scent that came off her, mixed with the metallic tang of fear.

“You can’t hide, my little human. You know that.”

“I’m not your little human.”

He froze in surprise at her sudden feistiness. “What’s your name?”

“Madelyn.”

He drew around again to face her. “Madelyn. You are mine now. And you will dance for me. That will be your payment.” He stepped away and sat back in his chair. “But you will have to prove yourself still for the floor. I need to see what you can do.” He rested his chin on his knuckles. “Show me.”

She didn’t move. He wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or rebellion or both. He waited anyway, and when she could see he wasn’t playing around, she looked about her as if searching for something. Her eyes fixed on a set of thick metal wires hanging off the ceiling to one side.

“What are those for?”

Strange thing to ask. Still, he answered. “They were used for tying up those I needed to interrogate.”

She looked back at him with such a look of disgust he couldn’t help laughing. She started for them, her gate slow and careful, as if she were afraid to trip on her own two feet. When she reached the wires, she took a pair in each hand, both almost as thick as her forearms.

For a moment, she stood there, as if trying to force herself to move. Then, with little effort, she lifted herself up, climbing up midway before wrapping each wirey rope around her arms. She swung, lifting her legs then arching her back. She did a series of poses as she swung on the wires before sliding down to barely touch the ground. She loosened one rope and gripped the other in one hand as she slowly revolved with one leg bent and the other outstretched behind her.

She circled and bent and sometimes even flipped upside down. Her lithe body showed impressive flexibility and dexterity that he’d never encountered in one such as she.

It was an odd dance, if you could even call it that. He had expected her to move in front of him in some way, with her feet firmly on the ground. But this sort of rope dance was intriguing if not beautiful. At least, she made it beautiful. And the way she arched and twisted was still seductive in every way. Heat burned through him at the sight as he watched her in quiet fascination.

When she finished, she dropped down lightly, her skin shiny from small beads of sweat, yet she hardly looked breathless.

“Impressive,” he said at last. “Though I wouldn’t call that much of a dance.”

“It’s not usually done with these,” she pointed to the wires, “but with silks. We call it aerial dancing. I can do other types of dances but…this is my specialty.”

“I see.” Shade released his claws from his lap, unaware he had been tightly gripping his legs. He slid them back into place. “It will do.” He stood, hitting a button on the console. A second later, a pair of his men stepped through the door.

“Take her to the show quarters,” he said.

“Wait.”

He glanced back around at her. She stepped away from the ropes, moving closer to him, and stopped a few feet away. “Please let me just contact someone. I will stay, I will pay my debt. But please let me tell someone I am here, so when the time comes, I will have a way off.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” He closed the distance between them. He lifted his hand once more to trace the side of her face with one clawed finger, brushing away a lock of hair. “In time, if you are a good girl and don’t try to escape, as I’m sure you’ve already contemplated, we shall see. For now, worry only about what you owe me.” His mouth widened, showing her his silver smile. “Please me, and I may be generous.”

CHAPTER 5

MADDIE

Shade’s men escorted her away from the chamber, leading Maddie down a flight of stairs and through to another side of the club. The place was huge, and from what she could see as she walked along, there were many more rooms of The Hive than just the main floor. On one floor which they moved quickly along, she saw a room leading into a bar lit blue all around, and from each corner she could see alien-folk inside glass tanks. They looked like evil mermaids, women with fish-scales for skin, white eyes like a wraith’s and gills along their necks. They were floating about inside their large tanks doing slow circles and flips, smiling out at customers.

The club-goers in question were all strange and unique—and sometimes scary. Few even resembled humans (mostly the ashora, though they looked more elven), and the rest looked like beasts or creatures from worlds she’d never care to step on. Scales, fur, tentacles, sharp red eyes, and shiny black talons overwhelmed her on every side. There was one who sat beside the balcony who had the face and body of a spider, their webs sticking to the table and chair. They hissed at her as she passed, and Maddie had to choke down a scream. The place was a monster’s retreat, and she felt like a piece of bait being strung along, ready to be devoured. Eyes watched her from afar and some even tried to touch her, but Shade’s men made sure to stop them.

Eventually, they left the main areas of the club to enter into a quiet, more private part of the facility. There were still aliens moving about, but their attire and the way they carried themselves told Maddie they were not customers but workers. She followed on down another passage until they came to a rounded black door which opened as they approached. Maddie stopped just a little way past the door, hearing it slide and click shut behind her.

The room was wide with a round, domed top. The lights were low, but Maddie could see others lounging and conversing on long seats, some sitting at a series of booths with dark mirrors along one wall–what looked like vanities. They all wore various pieces of clothing, some adorned with jewels or shiny, thick belts like leather. Heads turned her way to stare, a few meeting to talk in low whispers. Maddie tried to not make any eye contact, knowing it was a universal sign of wanting trouble if you locked eyes for too long. She gathered most of those in jeweled or leather-like clothing were female judging by their more slender features, though she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure. A group of ashora talked nearby, and they looked much like Endia had. Hairless, pale as snow, with deep black eyes targeted right at her.

“So, he wasn’t joking. He really did catch a human?”

Maddie turned toward the voice and saw another ashora, this one older, her skin turned gray. She wore a black robe with swirling red designs along the sleeves and back. She looked straight at Maddie with a scrutinizing glare.

“He wants her ready for tonight. For the third showing,” said one of the men.

The old ashora crossed her arms. “That’s only a few hours away. He really likes to work me to death, doesn’t he? The bastard. He could at least come down every once in a while and make the updates I asked for, with all the work I put in.”

“You’ll get them in time, Shenra, but right now, Shade says this human is the main priority.”

“Of course.” Shenra threw up her hands. “Fine, then. She’ll be ready just like the good boss asks. Now get out. I have a lot to do.”

The men left without a word. Maddie stood there as Shenra looked her over. She came around and circled her, plucking at her hair and her clothing.

“We will have to wash you first. You smell like something burned. And you have soot on your face. Get into an accident, did you? Don’t tell me. I don’t have time to care.” She took hold of Maddie’s arm firmly and began to pull her away. “When we’re through, throw your clothes out.”

“Hold on.” Maddie shook her hand away. “Why can’t I wear what I have? It’s perfectly fine for—”

Shenra stopped to frown at her. “It’s not fine for here. Or anywhere in Seriph, human. You wear what fits for this place. And this is not it.”

Maddie glanced around at what the others were wearing. Strips of thin fabric, tight, leather-like clothing that hugged their figures. No pure and shiny here but dark, seductive, and baring more skin than her own uniform.

“Come on, I don’t have time. You’ll explain your act to me while we get you ready, eh?” She took hold of Maddie’s arm again and pulled her away. Maddie let her, taking in everything she saw, including where the doors and windows were located. Shade wasn’t wrong—the idea of finding an escape was still on her mind even now. But she couldn’t do anything yet. Not with Shenra watching. She suspected the woman was some kind of club manager or head. As she drew Maddie away from the main chamber and into another, the ashora barked orders at others as they passed, and the workers obeyed without protest.

Shenra brought Maddie into a smaller, emptier room consisting of several medium-sized, square-shaped pools. Steam rose from each, indicating they were baths.

“Take off your clothes and get in. Don’t make me ask twice,” Shenra warned when she saw Maddie was about to protest. She walked over to one wall and pressed a set of buttons until the bath before her began to foam and bubble. “The bath cleans all. Just dip your hair under and soak for several clicks. I will be back after.” She left without another word, leaving Maddie alone.

Maddie looked down at the tub, tempted by its warmth and a strong need to bathe. She was coated in soot, dirt, and sweat. She could try to fight her way out, but she knew there were guards all around. Better to wait. And better to feel clean again.

Slowly, she took off her clothes and stepped into the bath. Shade popped into her head as she sat down. Her heart was only just starting to slow after it had been racing just a few moments before when Shade had gotten so close. She could practically feel the heat coming from him. He was truly terrifying. His silver fangs close to her face and his red tipped claws, just barely brushing against her skin, made her shiver. She’d see his eyes when she closed her own, so dark, wicked, and inhuman. The way he stared at her made her heart jump and stomach twist.

She knew he hated humans, yet he’d kept her alive. He could have just killed her, but he wanted her here instead. Maybe only to play with her.

She stared at the wall across and wished she didn’t feel so damn afraid. But there was little else she could feel in that moment. She needed a plan of escape. But she’d already seen how fortified the place was. And she didn’t want to even contemplate what he’d do to her if she were caught.

For now, she would have to play by his rules. She’d dance as he wanted, she’d obey if only to keep out of trouble, and she’d try not to think about why he touched her or got so close. As if he wanted more from her then what was said.

Because that would be impossible. So, it could only mean he was toying with her after all. Maybe because he liked seeing her scared.

She had a feeling she would find out more soon enough.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves, making herself believe she could survive this, that she could survive him.

Help is coming. It has to. Just wait it out, Maddie, and you’ll make it through this. Just do as he wants and dance. Dance and smile like your damn life depends on it. She repeated this over and over in her mind, then took another deep breath and dunked underneath the water.

“Human hair is such a pain. It just knots and—look—gets everywhere!” The ashora tugged at Maddie’s hair as she protested to another who was working on cleaning Maddie’s nails. The pair were told by Shenra to, “Fix her up and make her decent for the stage,” only to complain the whole way. Earlier, when she had left the bath, Shenra had come to her about her act, and Maddie had given her an idea of it just like she had Shade. She tried to describe how she would dangle from long but sturdy fabric which was secured somehow to the ceiling. They didn’t have silk (nor did they know what that was), but Shenra was sure she could find a substitute. She had left as soon as she had ordered the pair to work on getting Maddie ready for the stage.

Maddie’s heart was racing again. She always got a little nervous before any act, but this time was obviously different. She feared she might choke more easily when she saw the hundreds of alien eyes staring at her. And she still hadn’t mentioned to anyone about the injury she’d gotten from Endia in the warehouses. Her ankle was still a little swollen, and though she could pretend enough to walk fine, she still felt the sharp pain every time she did. Which meant bending it wrong could leave it even worse.

She could tell someone, but she had a feeling now was too late. They weren’t going to stop the show, and she didn’t expect them to care as long as she could dance properly. So, she would have to endure.

Once the ashora finished pinning Maddie’s hair in an intricate braid, she started on her makeup while her partner stopped trimming her nails in order to take out Maddie’s new uniform. They had her wrapped in a robe similar to Shenra’s, and when they finally deemed her presentable in their eyes, they handed over the thin fabric and told her to dress.

Maddie could already tell just by studying the clothing that it was hardly a uniform and more strips of fabric that would cling to the right areas. She’d be practically naked, and even as a dancer who had worn her share of provocative attire to shows, this was crossing the line. She wasn’t an exotic dancer, even if some considered aerials and silk dance to be seductive. She respected those who did the more erotic sort of dance, but it was not her kind of work. And the implication was there. They didn’t care so much about her performance more than they wanted to give their clientele a fine look at the rare human few eyes had ever seen.

Dropping the uniform, Maddie started for the door of the small changing room they had placed her in and nearly knocked into Shenra who appeared around the corner.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked, clearly irritated. “You’re going on in several moments. You can’t be late.”

“I won’t wear that.” Maddie pointed to the clothing in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Shenra’s eyes drifted down to it then back up to her. Her black eyes glittered, and a small smirk played on her lips. “Suit yourself.” She started to turn away as if it meant little to her.

“Wait, where is my old uniform?” Maddie asked, stopping her.

Shenra looked back. “It’s gone. Trashed. And I’m afraid I have nothing more to offer you in terms of clothing. But if you really are set on not wearing it, well…” She shrugged. “You can always go with nothing at all. That will be sure to delight everyone involved, which, I might add, is the biggest crowd we’ve had in six cycles. The city wants to see the little human, and they’ll love to see all of you the most.”

Maddie’s face heated. “I want to talk to Shade.”

“You can’t.”

“I won’t do it,” she said through gritted teeth.

Shenra turned to face her. “You will. I have a pair of men who will drag you out right now, bare and all. Which would you prefer? Keep your dignity intact or be humiliated. Your choice.”

She was already being humiliated so what did it matter? But damn Shenra if she wasn’t right about wanting to keep some dignity intact.

Maddie stood there staring Shenra down, but the old ashora wouldn’t budge. Her anger fell into defeat.

“Fine.” Maddie turned and picked the uniform back up. “I’d rather have something than nothing.”

“Good thinking.” Shenra turned away. “Now get dressed quickly. You’ve already wasted enough time.”

Maddie stood just behind the stage, feeling like she might get sick. Heart hammering in her chest, she stared out at the many hundreds—if not thousands—of eyes fixated on the stage. Just as Shenra had assured, there was a pair of long pieces of red cloth secured to a metal bar that reminded Maddie of the metal fixtures used for lighting stages on her old ship. The cloth looked strong enough, even if it wasn’t the usual kind she performed with.

The space was lit up for all to see, making the shadows seem darker beyond. The crowds were packed all the way to the front, shoulder to shoulder, eyes burning bright, sharp teeth shining. They hollered and barked and hissed, impatient to get a glimpse of her. Maddie couldn’t move, her body frozen on the spot. It wasn’t just the stage fright that kept her in place but the idea of being so vulnerable.

And worse, she realized she’d never told Shenra what kind of music to play—or they might not play any at all. She had no cue to go on. She would have to improvise the whole thing.

As the lights dimmed into a softer shade of grayish-blue, someone from behind her nudged her forward.

“Go. Go on! Don’t lose it on me now!” Shenra hissed nearby.

Another nudge and Maddie stumbled forward. She caught herself, and taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way on stage, keeping her eyes linked on to the twin pairs of cloth. The crowd cheered and yelled louder as she approached. She grabbed both pieces firmly, her knuckles going white.

She refused to look any of the club-goers in the eye. Her face heated thinking about how bare she felt. The uniform clung to her body in strips of black fabric, like a spider’s web covering her from collarbone down to her wrists and ankles. Even with the appearance of her being fully covered, she was not, as the fabric was thin, mostly see-through. When she’d looked at herself in the dark mirror, she could see nearly everything as if the uniform was made to show off her body and her figure rather than keep it hidden. It took all her will to leave the changing room, covering her chest with her arms as if that might help.

Now, she was beyond the care of being practically naked. All she could think about was getting through the performance without freezing up—and freaking out.

A slow beat started to boom all across the chamber, not completely like human music but not totally unfamiliar either. There were no vocals which was fine by her. Thinking of her routine back on the ship, she thought of one act in particular from a few years ago that she thought might fit and wasn’t too strenuous. The song that she’d used for the act also had a slow beat which worked well.

Taking another deep breath, Maddie lifted herself up. Then, using her legs and arms, began to climb her way up the no-silk ropes. As she climbed near to the top, she did her first few positions, spreading her legs then curling into herself before wrapping the no-silks around her legs to hang upside down. As she worked through each set, she hummed the song she remembered from her routine. She knew Shade must be watching somewhere nearby and, funny enough, she envisioned him the whole time, as she softly sang the lyrics from that song.

You don’t own me. No…no. You don’t own me.

With new energy, springing into her like fire, Maddie swung and flipped with little effort, feeling as always like she was weightless, floating above all. It made her feel more powerful in a place that kept her powerless.

The people’s hollering and barking seemed to quiet as she zoned out, taking herself away from the club and into her own little world, where she was alone, dancing to her own music.

Eventually, her routine came to an end, and she did the last stunt, wrapping the no-silk around her in such a way that, as she fell back—unraveling herself—she dropped then quickly stopped short just before hitting the ground, the cloth catching her where it was still wrapped around her ankles.

The crowd grew so loud that they snapped her out of her little dream and slammed her back into reality. Gasping, she quickly reached up to take hold of the cloth, unwrapped her ankles, then set herself down firmly with her feet on the ground.

As she steadied herself, her head lifted and this time focused in on the clubbers. They seemed closer now than ever, some even beginning to claw up the stage.

Usually, at the end of a performance, she smiled and took a bow. But now, she could only stand there frozen again, eyes wide, body tense as she saw the aliens reaching for her. Terror gripped her insides as she took in the hoard.

Like a wave, they gathered closer to the front. Those closest to the stage finally climbed up. Shade’s men came out of the shadows and blocked their way, but they couldn’t handle them all. A few got past, and as they reached for her, Maddie backed away.

“So lovely, come here, come here!” some of them shouted. Strange faces of reptiles, dogs, and dark elves. One grabbed her arm while others got tangled in her hair. Maddie tried to bat them away, a scream tearing up her throat.

There was a spark of chaos before the crowds parted. Shade’s men grabbed the rest of the clubbers who’d snuck past them as Shade himself came onto the stage.

“Enough,” he growled. His voice carried somehow through some unseen device. It boomed across the club like a shockwave, and in an instant, there was silence.

The people in unison seemed to cower before him as if he were a dark god that had teleported into their presence and threatened to end them. They backed away, and those who had come onto the stage escorted themselves off as Shade’s men followed.

Shade observed the seriphons carefully, holding their complete attention before his hand rose, and he signaled to one of his men.

Before Maddie could think, she was being pulled toward him and made to stand before the menacing alien who never took his wicked eyes away from those staring back up at him. His hand drew up toward her and encircled around the back of her neck firmly, making her body instantly tense. He carefully drew her close to him, forcing her to look out at the crowd.

“I have given you all a chance at seeing this gift, and this is how you act,” he hissed. “You know the rules. None of my workers are to be touched.” As he said it, the crowd backed away, and Maddie flinched in his grasp, his hand keeping her steady. One of his fingers gently caressed the back of her nape, brushing her with the tip of one claw, making her shiver. “I think this will be her one and last dance since you can’t seem to control yourselves.”

The crowd moaned and cried, begging him to let her stay. Shade watched them, showing no real remorse for the decision. Maddie shifted her gaze up toward him and thought she even caught the slightest curling of his mouth.

Shade waited for the pleas to die out before he spoke again. “I will forgive you just this once. But if you cannot control yourselves, she will disappear for good.”

Maddie looked back at him again, her stomach twisting. What the hell did that mean?

The seriphons seemed to understand this. They barked and cheered their praise, thankful for his forgiveness. They moved again like a wave toward the stage, the fear now gone and replaced with pulsing excitement as the lights dimmed and music began to play.

Still gripping her firmly, Shade moved her around to face him. “Look at me,” he said in a cool, almost calming voice. Maddie found it hard to disobey, his eyes so easy to fall into and become lost in the darkness. His sliver pupils raked over her as if searching for something, and she shivered again at his stare.

The air felt tight around them, like a string being pulled, until he released his hand from her and waved another man over, the stoney one named Mika. “Make sure she gets back to Shenra safely,” he ordered without taking his gaze from her. “Make sure the woman checks her over thoroughly before bringing her to me.”

Mika said something in response, but Maddie didn’t hear it. She held Shade’s gaze, standing her ground until she felt herself being pulled away, taken off the stage and out of sight.

CHAPTER 6

MADDIE

“First night and already a torn uniform.” Shenra tsked, plucking at the tear on Maddie’s shoulder. “I should have figured you’d make things difficult.”

“It wasn’t my fault I nearly got attacked on stage,” Maddie snapped.

“Maybe not. But you could certainly use some lessons in defense, eh?” The old ashora dropped her hand and sighed. “Take it off, then, so I can fix it. We’ll get you something new to wear before you go to Shade.”

“Why?”

The ashora looked at her, unblinking. “Why what?”

“Why must I go? I’ve done my job, haven’t I?”

The ashora smiled, revealing her black teeth, then laughed. “Your work isn’t done until the bloodsun rises, silly human.”

“Don’t you people sleep?”

“Sure we do, just not like you.” Shenra swirled around toward a thin black cabinet and opened it wide, revealing other garments. “The night is our kingdom and our time to work and play. So it will be yours too.”

Maddie had no response for that since she figured any excuse that meant she was tired wasn’t going to fly. She’d crashed her pod, ran away from aliens, then been forced to dance, but a human’s will meant little to them. She was feeling the exhaustion coming on quickly, but the night wasn’t over.

Shenra offered her a dress made of the same material as the long no-silks she had used to dance with and in the same deep red. There was a leather-like sash for her waist where, from the mid-section, two thin pieces of the fabric hung front and back, barely covering the slip of no-silk underwear underneath while exposing her thighs. Her breasts also were only covered by two pieces of red cloth falling down in a V to her stomach. It was a little more covering than the uniform she had danced in but not by much.

As she slipped on a pair of leather-like sandals, they re-braided her hair, which had gotten unraveled by one alien’s hand, and fixed her makeup, which had smeared from sweat. Shenra offered a silver-lined cup filled with a dark green liquid.

“Drink,” she ordered.

Maddie took the cup and sniffed but didn’t drink. “What is it?”

“I’d hardly expect you to recognize its name. Just know it will revitalize you.”

Maddie arched a brow but was still hesitant. Shenra sighed then took hold of the drink and forced it to Maddie’s lips.

“It will keep you from falling asleep, so you don’t go passing out while entertaining Shade and his guests.”

The liquid hit Maddie’s tongue like minty fire. She let a little slide down her throat before she gagged and turned her head away. Shenra tried to make her drink more, but she refused.

“Can’t say I didn’t try,” Shenra said placing the cup down on the vanity before them.

“I have to dance again?” Maddie choked, wiping her mouth.

“Maybe, if they ask. Or Shade just wants your company. Who can say? It’s not my business why he wants you specifically.” Shenra took hold of the old uniform and made for the door, calling to someone in the main room. One of Shade’s men appeared. “She’s ready.” She didn’t so much as look back or say goodnight as she disappeared, leaving Maddie with the guard who looked like a mangy wolf.

The guard silently led Maddie out of the dressing rooms, through the working quarters, and back into The Hive’s main floors. The club was still packed as they swept down one balcony side, and she could see down into the main dance floor. He took her down toward the front of the building until they came to a private door guarded by two other men. They let them pass only to reveal a stairway leading up to a floor above. At the top was a short hallway leading to another door. As they approached, the guard stopped beside the door as it opened. Maddie almost walked into a pair of workers—one female ashora and a snake-like alien with yellow eyes she’d learned were called nilgani. They wore tight-fit outfits made of leather-like scraps. They eyed her up and giggled as they passed, speaking too softly for her to hear. Once they disappeared out of sight, Maddie stood at the opening to peer inside.

It was another lounge, smaller than the others and clearly more private. On the right was a small bar, and to the left was a wide windowpane looking out on the club below. The floor at the center looked like it was made of thick glass. Underneath, strange eel creatures swam in shiny green water. To the back were a few private booths, currently empty. The walls were swathed in thick curtains except for the window. Beside the window was a long, marble, black table where several people, including Shade, sat. Some workers sat on the laps of those she assumed were Shade’s guests. The workers caressed them, whispering in their ears as the men drank from their cups. A few smoked from silver pipes, wisps of blue smoke wafting in the air. Shade, of course, sat at the head of the table, no girl straddling his thighs, but he leaned back, legs parted as if one had, perhaps one of those who had left.

Maddie tried to hide the heat rising up her neck and face at the thought as she stood at the door. Someone was speaking to Shade, and he seemed to be listening intently until his eyes shifted over to her.

“Go on, girl,” a voice beside her said. Maddie looked over at the mangy guard dog who growled softly.

Hissing through her teeth, she cautiously made her way inside and over to where Shade and the others sat.

Most of his guests were ashora, only they had their faces painted in a skull-like shape. The paint, coupled with their pointed ears, reminded her more of a cat’s skull than a human’s. A few members of some lizard race were there as well, with pale gray skin and red eyes. They watched her intently as she approached, their gaze making her skin crawl.

“I thought maybe you had been playing a trick, Shade. But I see I was wrong,” said one of the ashora at the opposite end of the table. “She is real. Haven’t seen a human in Seriph in a long time.”

“Only seen them in the market a few times,” replied one of the lizards. “Is that where you found this one?”

Shade didn’t take his eyes from her as a smile played on his lips. “Maybe she’d like to tell you herself.” His claws were out, curling from his fingertips as they tapped lightly on the table.

Maddie watched those claws for a moment as if transfixed before glancing up at the others. She licked her lips and swallowed and then said, “I crashed here.”

A few of them laughed low, though she couldn’t see what was so funny about it.

“How unlucky for you,” said the ashora, laughing. “And how fortunate for us.” He looked to Shade, grinning as he brought a pipe to his lips. “Where did you catch her? No surprise you would find her first.”

“She crashed on one of my energy deposits.” Shade’s head tilted back, and she caught a wicked spark in his gaze. “She fled the scene, but I found her with ease not far into the city.”

One of the ashora reached out for her, and Maddie quickly flinched back from his grasp. They laughed again.

“Jumpy little thing,” said the ashora at the end of the table. He was taller and lankier than the others, so she assumed he was the head of whatever gang they were in. He took a slow drag from his pipe as he eyed her carefully then let the blue smoke trail upward from his thin lips. “Come on, human, sit and join us.”

Maddie didn’t move. Her eyes searched around the table. There were no empty chairs. The only places to sit were at the bar, but the chairs there looked welded to the floor. She could try to sit on the table, but it was covered with food and drinks and whatever drug they filled their pipes with. She had a suspicion she knew just where they expected her to sit—on one of their laps—but she wasn’t going to play so easily right away. She’d act dumb if it meant not getting fondled by one of them, so instead, she took a seat right on the floor where she’d been standing.

They laughed even louder.

“Oh, she’s perfect, Shade,” the head ashora laughed. “I like them stubborn. Or maybe she’s simpleminded. Both traits are good in pets.”

Maddie’s knuckles went white as she drew her knees up and clenched her fists. White hot anger rose, ready to burst. “I’m not simpleminded, and I am not his pet.”

Their eyes widened at that, yet they still continued to laugh. A few looked over at Shade to see his response. Maddie was curious too. She met his gaze and saw he didn’t laugh like the others; he merely smiled down at her as if greatly amused. She wanted to wipe that smirk clean off him.

“It’s true,” he said after a moment. “She’s not my pet. But she is working for me now, to pay off the damage her ship caused.”

“That’s very generous of you,” replied the head ashora. “You’ve killed for lesser offenses to your territory.”

“I have but I saw that she’d be of more use to me alive.”

“A smart decision.”

Conversation about their territories continued, swaying focus from her temporarily. Maddie sat on the cool floor waiting to be dismissed, hoping they’d lost interest. She could hear the bumping of the music from the floors below and wondered if she’d ever get any sleep or if her nerves were too wound up now for such a possibility. She was hungry too. She eyed the food on the table, wondering if any of it was even edible to her.

As if feeling watched, she glanced over to see Shade studying her again as the others talked amongst themselves. Feeling small and childlike under his glare, she felt herself tense up again, drawing her knees tighter into her chest as she hugged them. Even as nervous as she was, she refused to break his stare, giving him a defiant look right back.

“Your ass is going to get real sore sitting there like that, girl,” said the head ashora, noticing her again. “Why don’t you come sit here instead?” He grinned as he tapped his hand on his lap.

Just as she expected. She shook her head, not moving an inch. “I’m fine right here.”

“Don’t be so timid, pet.”

“I’m not a pet.”

“All right, no need to get defensive.” The ashora smirked. “Do you have a name?”

“Madelyn.”

“Medalon?”

“No. Just…Maddie.”

“Just Maddie. Humans have weird ass names.”

Maddie clenched her jaw as they laughed again.

“Maddie,” the ahsora said seriously, then seemed to think. “Madd…ie. It suits you. Maddie the mad girl.”

Maddie’s face went red, but she clamped her mouth shut. Just let them have their fun, she thought.

“Come on, mad girl, get up.”

Maddie didn’t move an inch. “No.”

One of the ashora leapt from his chair and went to bend down to drag her up when one word from Shade stopped him.

“Sit.”

The ashora froze, then slowly sat back in his chair.

“There’s no need for her to be a rude bitch for nothing, Shade. Make her get up. She looks stupid.”

As if he had all the time in the world and was not in the least bit worried about their sudden temper, Shade took up his drink and savored it before setting it back down. “You don’t force her to do anything. You compromise.”

The head ashora scoffed. “Please.”

Shade’s smile returned. “You doubt me, but you of all people should know I can be persuasive, Kronos.”

Kronos didn’t look like he could argue that. “But she’ll do whatever you say.”

“Maybe out of intimidation.” Shade shrugged. “But I don’t need to scare her more than she already is. My workers stay, not because of their fear for me but because of what I can give them.”

Kronos arched his hairless brow in interest. Maddie looked over at Shade, just as curious too, wondering what he thought he could possibly give her in return for her compliance.

Shade turned back to her and, as if hearing her thoughts, said, “You can stick to entertaining like we discussed. And you can sit there, and no one will touch you.” His eyes shifted warningly to the other ashora before moving back to her. “But it would please me if you came to me.”

Maddie frowned. She remembered their conversation about if she pleased him, he might consider letting her contact someone…that he might be generous. But she had to play nice.

Still, Maddie didn’t move from her spot. She could say no. He wasn’t going to force her because he didn’t need to. The bastard knew he might be able to sway her.

But screw him if he thought it would be that easy.

Shade’s smile widened when she sat still on the floor. “If you come to me,” he said calmly, “I will cut some of the debt you owe. And every half-span of time you stay by my side, I will cut double.”

Maddie now sat there in shock. Was he serious?

Kronos whistled. “That’s quite a bargain. But will she take the bait?”

Shade took up his glass. “The offer will stand for however many nights must be worked to pay off the debt.”

By his expression, she knew he was serious. But why would he want that? “If I sit with you,” she said quietly. “And that’s all?”

“That’s all. “

She felt sure it was some sort of trap. Still, the offer was too tempting. “How can I trust your word? I don’t even know how much I owe.”

Shade seemed to think that over. “We never did discuss the exact price, did we?” He moved his hand along the table and tapped on the surface. In response, a blue holographic image of the city appeared before them. With a wave of his hand, he moved it away and instead brought up what looked like sets of data filled with hundreds of names and numbers. With his fingers typing effortlessly along the table surface, a name and number was finally brought up.

Madelyn 50,000,000 credits

Maddie saw the number, and her heart sank. Something told her it would take many nights to finish that amount off, no matter how well-paid the workers were.

“And since you did one show and would have been credited the same amount as other dancers…” Shade’s fingers clicked around again, and the number changed.

Madelyn 49, 982,000 credits

Great.

The gang laughed as they saw the number.

“Looks like we’re going to get to see a lot of you for a while, mad girl.”

Maddie gave Kronos a vicious glare, but it only made him laugh harder. She wished she had a stunner gun so she could shoot every one of them, quieting them for good.

She looked back at Shade and wondered if he was really serious about his offer or if he was just playing with her. His expression made it hard for her to tell. Still, as much as she hated to consider it, she was tempted. Shade scared her, yes, but there was something about him that made her believe he wasn’t tricking her. He wasn’t the type to lie. A murderous, violent, criminal, sure, but not a liar. He was a man of his word.

Maddie’s eyes fell from the group, looking down at her now clean-cut nails and lotioned skin. Down to the slip of a dress exposing her bare legs. She’d be calling this place home for a long time. Or she could give in. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it? Even if it felt like the devil was asking for a sliver of her soul.

They waited for her answer, but when she didn’t give any, Shade steered the conversation somewhere else, talking about tradeships and the price of something called metadryn. She had a feeling he wasn’t going to make the offer to her again, and the longer she waited, the harder it might become.

Closing her eyes, she felt her nails digging into her skin and relaxed. One time. She’d do it this one time just to get the amount lowered, even a little. Then she’d stick to entertaining.

Slowly, she unbent her legs, then rose. A few glanced at her but said nothing, expecting that she was probably a coward and would move off over to the bar to sit in silence. Instead, she took a step forward, and that got the rest quiet.

Heart hammering, she moved closer to Shade’s side. He glanced up at her and tilted his head.

“Okay,” she murmured.

“What was that?” he asked.

Her face heated. “I’ll sit with you.”

He didn’t smile. He did lean back, his legs parting slightly. He wore blue-black attire, like a soldier’s uniform with sturdy armor pads at his shins and upper arms, as if he were semi-ready for a fight at all times. The twisted insignia of Shadowfell was on his left breast. The uniform fit him nicely and she wished it didn’t.

Heart fluttering, she moved to sit on his lap, tensing as his hand dropped to her waist to steady her. She lowered herself and felt the heat of his thighs as she pressed against him, not as uncomfortable as she’d imagined despite how rock-solid he looked.

She shifted a little, still nervous to be so close—to be touching—this terrifying alien. Her body was rigid, and she dared not look back to meet his eyes in fear they might change her mind. His hand, which had been on her waist, reached across so that his arm now encircled her, capturing her in a firm embrace, bringing her back against him.

The others watched, curious and maybe even envious. Maddie didn’t pay them much attention, her focus sharpened on Shade.

She felt his breath on her shoulder and then on her throat. “It’s all right, you can relax,” he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. “Look…” His other hand reached across the table and tapped on the surface where a glowing pad could be seen. The image of her name and debt shrank down in size, and he slid his hand to move the data closer in front of them. He tapped on the surface pad again, and the debt number changed. 49,982,000 to 49,961,000. He tapped a final time, and the numbers slowly descended.

Oddly enough, seeing her debt being marginally sliced away relaxed her, even if only a little.

“See?” Shade said in a low voice. “I mean what I say. And it will not rise…unless you break something else of mine.”

The others laughed softly. Kronos clapped his hands, impressed.

“I’m sorry I doubted you, Shade.” Kronos raised his glass, then drank it down, setting the empty cup in front of him. “Maybe I could learn a thing or two. But then, I’m not a patient man like you. I think I would rather just do it the easy way.” He grinned with his nasty black teeth at Maddie, and she looked back at him in disgust. “Maybe you’ll have her well and trained before that debt is even halfway gone.”

She could feel Shade smiling behind her. His fingers teased her stomach, grazing gently. “Like I had you trained before I’d even paid you in full, Kronos?”

Kronos’ smile was wiped away as if he had been smacked. Maddie had to keep the smirk from growing on her face. Serves you right, asshole.

Kronos reclined back and seemed to shrug the comment off. “I think we are gonna call it a night if it’s all the same to you. Have a load of shipments to still place for the metadryn before the bloodsun rises.”

“I think that is wise.”

The gang rose with Kronos and they–along with the rest of the workers–followed him out of the lounge. Kronos looked back at her with his own vicious glance before he disappeared out the door.

Maddie would have sighed in relief at their departure, but now she was alone with Shade.

His fingers continued to trace around her stomach. She could almost feel his claws grazing the fabric of the sash.

Feeling the tension building again, Maddie tried to fill the silence. “Who were those men?”

“The valeskull gang. Contractors. I hire them for specific trades along the city and sometimes as spies. By now, they work solely for me.”

“Don’t most? You own practically the whole city.”

She felt his laugh vibrate against her back. “Not the whole city, but many major parts, yes.”

His hand moved lower to brush along her thighs, making her almost lose focus. Her eyes fell down to watch, and her breath hitched as she saw his claws trail along her skin, across the thin fabric of her dress. She really hoped they weren’t poisonous.

“Do you own the enforcement officers of the city too?” she asked without thought.

“Some, yes. Why? You don’t need to talk to one of them, do you?”

Maddie pursed her lips and shook her head. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

Maddie closed her eyes. He had to know, didn’t he? “You hate humans.”

His hand stilled. “You think I am toying with you?”

“Yes,” Maddie blurted. Her body shook a little. “I know you hate us. I know our kind have both done awful things. But please, I had nothing to do with the wars. I was too young to be involved. You want to take your hate and revenge out on one of us. I get this feels like a good time to do it.”

She could feel his body tense behind her. “You think I’m touching you because I hate you?”

She dared to turn her head and look back at him. Their eyes locked, and she felt frozen as if in the presence of a deadly viper.

He stared back at her for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Then his hand slowly reached up to brush a lock of her hair back from her shoulder. “I do hate humans.” His hand came back to lightly trace his fingers along her throat. “I’ve killed many, it’s true. I’ve envisioned killing more. When I heard you’d come crashing down from the sky, I thought you’d be another mark on my list.” His hand cupped her throat gently as his face drew closer to hers. “But you surprised me. And I don’t surprise easily.”

Maddie stared back at him, hardly breathing. “I don’t understand.”

“A part of me doesn’t understand it yet either. But I’m willing to try.” He leaned in farther, and his lips almost touched hers. “You looked so lovely on that stage. Just as lovely as that first moment you danced for me.”

Maddie flinched, inhaling sharply as his one hand drew down her thigh. A liquid warmth began to stir deep in her core, a feeling that shocked her as much as his touch. She should make him stop, but something kept her at bay. His hand moved up her leg now, and her breath hitched as the warmth stirred lower.

His hand reached the highest point of her thigh, and she felt the lightest prick of his claws as he squeezed gently. Her heart flipped, and she tensed, tilting her head back from his so that she could study his expression.

She licked her lips, her mouth and throat dry. “What do you want?”

He looked at her as if it was obvious. “I want to extend the deal we have made.”

“How?” Her voice nearly cracked.

His lips curled. “I think you know what I mean. You are a smart woman. But I will explain what my hands seem not able to.” His hand squeezed again, a little harder, and Maddie gasped, heat rising in her stomach. “I want you by my side each night. I want to be able to touch you and taste you as I please. No one else would have your attention but me. You can dance for the others, but you will be mine alone. If you agree to this, I will cut your debt to me each night like I have this one, except by millions not just thousands. And by the end of it all, I will arrange a ship to take you off Seriph.”

Maddie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She also couldn’t believe she wasn’t immediately saying no.

Everything about the situation was wrong. Who he was and this place? The very idea was crazy in itself. He wanted her like that? Despite his hate for her kind? It was insane.

But the heat of his gaze and the way he held her close told her as insane as it was, it was true. If he wanted to hurt her, he could. He didn’t need to make deals, and he didn’t need to protect her from others.

“You could have anyone here,” she said. “And you wouldn’t even have to ask. You wouldn’t need to make a bargain for their company.”

“True.”

Maddie frowned. “So, why…?”

“I ask because I don’t care for struggling lovers. I like them wanting.” His hand moved again up her thighs and to her hips. “I like the idea of molding them to my will as they enjoy what I have to offer. And I have what you want, which is to return home, yes? So, I give you this choice. I don’t beg for anything, and you will find I rarely don’t get my way regardless. You could refuse me, and that would be the end of it, but you would still owe me a debt.” His hand grazed her waist, trailing lightly over her ribs. “And you are correct in that I could have anyone here. I wouldn’t even have to ask. But I don’t want just anyone.”

“You want a human.”

His hand stilled, and his head tipped back, searching her face as if the statement confused him. “I’ve never wanted one until now. You, strange as you are, have made me want to know what it’s like. I’ve grown incredibly curious these last few hours.” His mouth widened in an odd smile. She could see the points of his fangs grazing his bottom lip. “I’m a scientist in a way. I really like to discover new things. It’s how I made my way here. And I’d like to see—to explore—what makes your body react to mine. And how my body takes to yours. I want to see you dance in other ways while in my embrace.” His hand moved again, then stilled right beneath her left breast. “I want to know. And I think you do too.”

“What makes you think I do? What makes you think I’d ever want you to touch me?”

His smile turned to a grin, baring his silver fangs. “I think you secretly like what I have to offer. I can feel it in your heart.”

“That’s just fear,” Maddie whispered.

“I think not,” he said. “But maybe I am wrong. Say no, then, and convince me. This offer, I only make once.”

Maddie stared back at him, and his eyes never left her. Damn him. She’d say no and let it be that. She’d tear herself from his lap right then and walk away, and he’d never ask again.

She didn’t move off him. She licked her lips, then opened her mouth. “If I were to say yes, how can I know you’ll keep your end of the deal?”

“You’ve already been shown that I will, have you not?” He gestured back to the data on the table, the number having lowered again since they had been talking. “But if you need more convincing, I’m afraid there’s little more I can do. You’ll just have to trust me.”

Like she had trusted Endia and her gang? It was a risky decision to make. But the possibility of paying back what she owed in mere weeks rather than months was too tempting. Even if it meant…

“What would you do to me?”

The wicked fire that sparked in his glare should have told her enough. He reclined back, his hand resting on her thigh, petting it softly. “I have a few ideas in mind,” he said in a low growl.

“And if I change my mind?”

“If you do, then so be it. But let me do as I please and give yourself to me, and you will be rewarded as promised.”

With that, Maddie carefully rose off him. He didn’t try to stop her, though he watched her. She stepped back, then turned from him, for the window looking down at the club below. There were other dancers on the stage now, performing some sort of acrobatics. Her heart thudded in her ears. It pulsed with the beat of the music. She crossed her arms, trying not to think of how cool the air around her was now as Shade’s heat began to lift from her. Why did he have to be so warm when he looked so cold?

She stood there for a long moment, thinking. Then, wondering how desperate she really was, she turned toward him and gave her answer. “What do you want me to do?”

CHAPTER 7

SHADE

He didn’t answer her right away. He merely watched her by the glass, the flash of reds and green from the club moving over her body. For a brief moment, he thought he might not have heard her correctly, her voice so soft. But her eyes, fierce as they were, told him enough. And he knew she was giving in to him, even if she acted otherwise.

With just that thought alone, he felt the rush of his blood warming.

“Come here,” he growled. He could feel the itch of his patience thinning. He badly wanted to unravel her, to take what she was willing to offer. But he knew he must be careful in his advances so as not to scare her off and lose this chance.

She did not move right away which was not unexpected. She was still wary of him, but she was curious whether she liked to admit it or not. He felt her pulse quicken at his touch. The smell of fear barely lingered with the flowery scent that was hers alone. It hardened him to the brink of pain, but he forced himself to remain calm and collected. It still shocked him how she made his body react, this human woman, and it shocked him how much he enjoyed it. He felt he would be content just to have her by him if that was all she would give him. But the temptation for more was also great, and he hungered for it.

As she came to stand by his side, he could see she was ready to sit on his lap again. He reached with one hand and placed it on her hip, but instead of moving her onto him, he pushed his chair back, then led her to sit before him on the edge of the table. She fixed him with a confused look and so he responded accordingly. “Remove your dress.”

The way her body tensed was no surprise. He’d heard humans were much more reluctant to show their naked skin than most other species. He’d seen them bare before when they’d been sold on the market, but he’d hardly noticed then. Now, his focus was tight and centered on her, waiting in anticipation.

He could see she was thinking over whether she would obey him or not. He wondered if he might have gone too far already, but he refused to take back his order. If she couldn’t obey him in this, then she’d likely do nothing else.

When he thought she might change her mind after all, her hand reached up to the strap of her dress, and she let it slide off her shoulder. She did the same for the other, and the thin cloth that had covered her chest dropped down her arms to hang loosely at her sides.

Shade took her in, even if it was only part of her. Her body looked soft, warm, and inviting. He wondered if he’d ever been with one who looked so delicate on the outside and yet was so fierce on the inside. The ashora had similar skin, but theirs was more smooth and cold—icy even. But Madelyn seemed the very opposite. He imagined what it would be like to feel her underneath him, and the pain between his thighs heightened.

He didn’t say another word as she hesitated to go further. She seemed to lose her courage for a moment until he smiled at her, hoping it would comfort her, but instead, it seemed to annoy her, and that in turn made her courage return, replaced with that stubborn anger which marked her refusal to be intimidated by him. Without dropping her gaze, she unclasped the sash around her waist and let that fall to the ground. Then she untied the underpeice between her legs and let that too slide to the ground.

Now, with her dress bundled at her waist, the long ends only covered that last bit of her at her thighs. Her chest rose and fell as he could hear her heart thumping faster, her skin now shiny from a thin layer of sweat. His eyes fed on her like a starving animal. His words caught in his throat as he found it hard to move. His claws extended to grip the sides of his chair, keeping him from leaping up and feasting on her with more than his gaze.

“Now,” he finally spoke in a low, grating voice, “touch yourself.”

This made her freeze up, her eyes widening slightly. “You want me to…?”

“I want you to show me. Show me what makes you aroused and in need.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned at him as if expecting him to be joking.

“I have been with many kinds. But humans weren’t one of them. I admit I know little of what drives your race to mate or to love. I want to know now. I want you to show me so that I alone can give you that pleasure that no other man can give.” He saw the skin along her neck and face redden, her gaze falling. He leaned in, forcing her to lock eyes with him. “And once I know and understand, I will master that pleasure until you beg it only from me.”

He saw her jaw tighten, her eyes flickering with an emotion he couldn’t yet identify, but he was sure he’d stunned her in some way. He grinned back at her knowingly.

“If it’s too much, we can end here and—”

“No.”

He stilled as she shifted before him, then slowly opened her thighs apart. It appeared she wasn’t keen on backing down now, when she’d made it this far, and that suited him just fine. He reclined back, and his claws gripped the arms of his chair tighter as she drew back the ends of her dress and revealed to him all of her.

With a trembling hand, she reached down and touched the sensitive skin at her center, careful and uncertain at first, as if timid or embarrassed. He followed her movements, studying how and where she moved and what made her flinch and writhe before him. The bumps he noticed before on her flesh rose, and he badly wanted to trace a finger over them as she traced her fingers over herself now.

“Don’t hold back,” he said as he saw her waver. “Show me. Teach me.”

Her face reddened again, but she didn’t allow her hand to slow. She swirled her fingers around the core then dipped her fingers inside herself. Her scent nearly overpowered him, and it took all his will not to lean in and taste her.

No, not yet. There would be time enough for his turn. He needed to see what made her lose herself, and how far her pleasure could reach. He had to know.

Her breath quickened, and he could feel the heat coming off her in waves. Her head tilted back, and she arched before him, and the sight was beyond beautiful.

He might not take her yet, but the need to touch her was too great. He unlatched his hand from the arm of his seat and gripped her thigh, his claws pricking her skin.

She tensed, a little gasp escaping her, and her hand stilled. Her eyes drew down to where he gripped her. The claw of his thumb traced down her thigh. It wouldn’t take a whole lot to break the skin.

Shade tipped his head. “Does my touch scare you too much to continue? Pity. We will have to remedy that.”

“It doesn’t scare me,” she said, breathless.

“No?” He let his thumb feather over her skin in a back and forth motion. “Or…is it something else?” He let his claws press a little harder, testing her. To his unexpected surprise, a small moan slipped from between her lips. “Tell me then. What does it make you feel?”

She seemed to shake her head at him as if she didn’t want to confess. “Nothing.”

A hiss of breath escaped him. He gripped her other thigh with his other hand, pressing his claws lightly. “I don’t believe you.”

She shook her head again, her jaw clenched. “It’s nothing.”

A sneer almost formed on his face. Liar. But he’d forgive her for this one. “I don’t recall asking you to stop then,” he said, perhaps a little too harshly.

He felt her shiver before her hand began to move again. He didn’t retract his claws or draw his fingers from her legs as he watched. As she squirmed, another moan rising in her throat, he pressed into her skin, knowing full well he could tear her easily if he wished for it.

The heat in her was rising, he could feel it. He could sense the tension building.

“You’ve never been touched by a nonhuman, have you?”

She shook her head.

“But you will know. I will show you. Teach you as you have taught me.” By the brightburn gods, he could see the slick from her on her fingers. Whatever natural oil or wet heat she possessed was dripping down her hand. Her fingers moved effortlessly now, building the heat. He imagined what she must feel like, that heat engulfing him, and it made him harden even more. The bumps on her skin rose, and he traced them with his claws, moving his hands farther up.

There was a sudden, drastic change in her, that came like a storm. Her body shuddered and bent, and a louder moan tore from her throat as she clamped her lips together as if to stifle it. She arched back on the table until she was nearly laying on top of it. Her body throbbed and pulsed before him, another beautiful sight.

Something changed in him also. A wild sort of feeling grew inside like a slow bomb going off, catching him off guard. A low growl thundered in his chest as he continued to grip her, ready to bring her to him. He prided in his control, but at this moment, it was slipping. He leapt out of his seat and bent over her, teeth bared as if in pain.

Madelyn hardly flinched. She lay there as if still coming down from the high that she had given herself. Her eyes, wide and bright and full of fire, looked up at him, and he thought he might lose full control and take her right there.

There was a loud knock at the door before it slid open, and Mika waltzed inside.

“Shade, Belaris wants to see you at the—oh.”

Shade twisted around and fixed him with a murderous glare. He drew himself off Madelyn and up to his full height.

“I caught you at a bad time, huh?”

“Get out before I put you out,” Shade snarled.

Mika lifted his hands in defense before he promptly turned around and left. The door shut behind him, and the silence returned. Shade looked down at Madelyn, his breath coming in drags, still angered by Mika’s interruption and by the control he almost lost. No one made him lose it like this, no one.

He took hold of Madelyn’s arms and pulled her gently up into a sitting position.

“Put your dress back on.” He forced himself not to look at her as he said it, afraid of losing himself again, and he could feel her nervousness now returned. He let her dress, then he went over to the door and as it slid open, beckoned one of his men to him.

“See that she goes straight to my unit and nowhere else.”

When the guard bowed his head, he closed the door and turned back to find Madelyn now dressed and standing by the table.

“Is that it then?” she asked.

Far from it, he thought. But for tonight… “Yes. Tonight, that will be all.”

He could see she was tired and by the way she stared at the now empty plates on the table, hungry too. He felt anger again, now at himself for not thinking of her wellbeing. She was his to take care of, and he’d make sure she was given everything she needed. He’d make sure she was well fed before the dawn came.

“Follow my guard out. He will take you to my rooms, and you’ll find everything you need there.”

She stepped away from the table and toward him. When there was only a foot between them, she stopped as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Before she could move past him, he drew his hand up, brushing his fingers through a lock of her hair then a little down the side of her throat, the act nonchalant, as if he’d done it many times. Her fiery gaze locked with his, but she didn’t turn from him though she easily could have.

“If you haven’t regretted your decision yet, you’ll see me soon. I have a lot to memorize in your body.” He smiled. “But I’ll need practice soon. Until then, rest. Tomorrow, we will learn so much more.”

“What if I don’t want to learn? What if I refuse to give you any more than I have tonight? Would you force me to learn then?”

His smile only dropped a little. “I would be disappointed, but I will not go back on my word. You were very brave tonight, more than most humans I’ve seen. I am impressed so far, but I think you have more to prove. Or am I wrong?”

Her gaze searched his face. She walked past him to the door without another word. But there was no denying she wasn’t going to back out. Not yet.

CHAPTER 8

MADDIE

Standing beside a window taking up one whole side of the room, Maddie watched the city and its people pass by on the streets below. It was still night, but she could see the sliver of red light beginning to bloom in the distance.

The blood dawn, they called it, was approaching.

Transports flew low above the seriphons who took up the streets. They weaved through markets and stalls that lined the sides of buildings. There was a light mist blanketing over everything, but she could see well enough the blue, red, and green lights of the skyscrapers in the distance. Shade’s building wasn’t the tallest or biggest, judging by what she could see several miles off, but his was one of the largest in the location that it was in, and so she could see over a small portion of Seriph and the tops of the smaller buildings below. The city was not bright or clean-cut or decorated with loud colors like the human cities she’d been to. It seemed the buildings were meshed together from older parts to make new ones. She could even see the “scars” or black lines that cut through them. Some buildings were ancient, almost Gothic in nature while those connected to them were dark and menacing despite their neon lights, like some cyberpunk nightmare. She thought of the old folktales of the underworld and imagined this was what a city would look like if constructed there. And Shade was Hades, their god.

She heard the door slide open, breaking her thoughts. When she looked over, she saw another of Shade’s workers pulling a cart in her direction. It took her a moment to realize it was an ashora only he was less pale, more bluish-gray in color, and he was much shorter than the rest, his dark blue uniform hugging his small frame. His onyx black eyes caught hers as he brought the cart over to the table by the window. He took several covered trays off the cart, setting them on the tabletop before moving over to a canteen and pouring liquid into a cup.

Curious, Maddie approached the table and lifted one of the trays to see within. It was food. She knew that, at least, by the aroma drifting in the air. It looked like some kind of seared meat. She lifted another and found small pearl-colored eggs and in another blood-red fruit.

“Are these safe for me to eat?”

The ashora glanced over at her before setting down the cup and canteen. “Should be. Never heard one complain.”

“A human?”

“Right.”

Assuming he’d ever encountered one. Guess she’d have to take a chance. The food smelled good at least—like various spices—and she was starving. She took some of each on a small plate also set aside for her as well as some triangular pieces of what looked like bread wrapped in a small basket. She carefully took a bite of the meat and found it to be a little too salty but not totally unpleasant.

As she slowly savored the meat, she glanced over and caught the ashora staring. Swallowing, she said, “You’ve never actually met a human, have you?”

He blinked. “I’ve seen them from afar. Never interacted before.” His eyes glanced down, then back up. “You have nice skin.”

She nearly choked on another bite of meat at the compliment. “Ah…thanks.”

He seemed to nod as if satisfied.

“What is your name?”

He blinked again at her. “Remi”

“Thank you for the food, Remi.”

“I didn’t make it. I just brought it.” He turned from her and picked up the cup from the table, then turned back to offer it to her.

She took it hesitantly, looking down into the cup’s contents. She sniffed it but could smell no minty or fiery odor.

“It’s water.”

She looked up at him in surprise, then took a sip and was relieved to find him right. She swallowed the rest, and before she could place it on the table, Remi swiped it from her to pour her some more.

“When you’re done, you can just leave everything here, and I’ll clean up,” he said, setting the cup in front of her. “The bedroom is the next room over. There’s a bath too.” He stood there waiting, as if expecting an answer.

Maddie stared at him, then cleared her throat. “Thank you.”

“There’s a call button on the wall should you need anything in the night. I’m not usually here when Master Shade is gone but an exception was made.”

Maddie couldn’t help wondering so asked, “You don’t cater to his other guests even when he’s not around?”

“He doesn’t entertain guests in his personal quarters,” Remi said matter-of-factly. “Nor do others ever stay.” He rolled his small bony shoulders in a sort of shrug. “Guess he likes you. But I can’t blame him. It’s the skin.”

Not sure whether to laugh or be creeped out, Maddie watched the odd ashora turn away and disappear, leaving her alone again in the empty unit. She let out a deep breath before forcing herself to try more of the food.

Guess he likes you…

Her stomach flipped as she thought back to less than an hour ago. Her mouth turned dry, and she took another long drag of water. She set the cup down and caught herself staring at the cityscape once more.

What the hell had she been thinking?

Maybe she’d lost her mind. Or she really had become so desperate that she’d lost any sense of shame. Heat rose up her neck and face as the memory of him watching her on the table resurfaced. Maybe it was his smug expression or how he thought she couldn’t handle the humiliation that made her feel a need to prove herself. To prove him wrong. She was an entertainer even if not exactly to that degree. And she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her into shrinking into herself.

Still, sitting there now and thinking over what had just happened didn’t stop the embarrassment from seeping in. She had allowed this alien crimelord to see her in such a vulnerable state. And worse, when she’d lost herself in the moment, she’d forgotten who and what he was. There were people willing to pay billions of credits for Shade’s head, especially for his role in the blade wars. And she felt like she had just served herself up to him on a platter.

She shivered, remembering the look on his face as he had watched her. He’d looked feral. Hungry. She’d almost dare to say he had lost himself too, but maybe it had been her imagination. Because there was no way she, a human, could have tempted the great Axaria Shade that easily.

Maddie took a few more bites of her food, then pushed it away. She needed to be very careful how far she let things get with him. Tonight might have already been too far.

But if there was one thing to come out of this deal between them, it was that she did have some power, as small as it might be. She could decide how intense things got. And in the end, if she tread carefully, she might just make it out unbroken and unbent.

And then she could say she’d survived against the ruthless Shade.

CHAPTER 9

SHADE

He watched her closely, noting each fall and rise of her chest, how her brow furrowed and her lips parted slightly in her sleep as she floated through some dream. He wished he could see it.

Unmoving, he stood beside the long seat where she was now curled up. The blood dawn had come, covering the sky in a deep red. The beams of color from a skylight above drifted down on her, embracing her in its warm glow.

He was jealous of the light.

He’d only returned to his unit a few moments ago. He had gone straight to his bedroom to bathe but also in hopes to see Madelyn lying there on his bed. He had been anticipating the sight ever since she’d left him in the lower lounge and was thoroughly disappointed when he didn’t find her there upon entering. He searched for her after, only to find her in one of the smaller quiet rooms where she had decided to make her bed instead.

His mouth curled slightly. She was determined to defy his expectations. He’d be a liar if he said he didn’t think it was cute.

A soft sigh escaped between her teeth as her head drifted to one side. A lock of hair fell down her face, and he bent to brush it carefully away. Still, she did not wake.

He straightened, unable to tear his eyes away as if too transfixed. It still amazed him that she could hold his attention. No other being had possessed him now as she did. And after last night, he didn’t think anyone else ever could. The image of her still racked his brain and would do so for many long nights.

It was a dangerous thing, someone having such power over him. And a human woman at that. How it was possible still vexed him.

But he could hardly bring himself to care now. He had her, and she was willing to give him those small pieces of herself for a price. Soon, he would have it all, and nothing else would matter.

Because he had a plan. Even when he had been meeting with Mika and his men, going over his various properties, making sure all trades were taken care of and any opposers or territory breakers were dealt with; even when he had checked over every part of The Hive and made sure everything was in working order, that the clients were satisfied and his workers happy, a plan had been turning slowly in his mind, set forth in motion as soon as Madelyn had left him to return to his unit for the night.

He had been serious about the deal. He would cut her debt to him every day, and he had a feeling she would be willing to do what he asked if it meant her freedom. She showed him that last night. The debt would disappear quickly if that were the case, even if he wasn’t as generous as he was. And that was well and fine because, if he could make her want him like he wanted her, he could convince her to stay. Stay right here with him in Seriph by his side.

He was always a gambler. And he rarely lost a bet.

She stirred in her sleep, breaking his thoughts. As if sprung into action by her movement, he carefully picked her up off the longseat, keeping her close to him. He held her for a moment, relishing in her warmth and how light she felt in his arms before moving her out of the quiet room and back into his own.

He set her on his bed, then turned over to the window and brought down the screen, allowing the room to be dimmed as the sun rose. He moved back over to the bed and shrugged out of his uniform. Standing beside the bed, he leaned down and brushed his fingers over Madelyn’s cheek, his thumb tracing the softness of her lips.

“You’ve come to ruin me,” he whispered. “But I’ll bring you down with me before you do.” He turned away and left her to sleep.

CHAPTER 10

MADDIE

She realized two things once she woke up. The first was that she had been moved out of one room into the main bedroom. She found herself alone but knew Shade must have found her. Wherever he’d gone now was a mystery.

The second was that she had missed the light of day. Already, dusk had come, and night was fast approaching. She had slept the day away in her exhaustion.

Before she could even remove herself from the bed, the door opposite opened, and Remi entered, pushing in a cart with more food to offer. He placed it beside the bed and filled her drink without a word.

“Where is he?” she asked when staring at him didn’t move him to even say hello.

“Down below. After your meal and bath, he requests your presence.”

I’m sure, she thought. “What time is it?”

“Sundown.”

“I mean the exact time.”

“Two quarters till full sun fade.”

Right, they didn’t exactly hold time the same way here, obviously.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“All day.”

She sighed and pulled away the covers, noticing she was still in her dress from last night. Thankful that Shade was at least a gentleman in that regard, she rose from the bed and started forward only to stop. “Ah, where is the bathroom?”

Remi pointed to another door to her right. She went for it, and as the door slid open, she froze.

Before her was a large square bath inlaid into a black marble floor. Steam rose up, and the scent of something fresh and heavy lingered in the air.

“I’ll be outside if you need me,” Remi said behind her. She heard the bedroom door slide shut a second later.

She stepped lightly into the bathroom, studying the bath. It didn’t look too deep. There were several buttons on one side that she assumed would administer different soaps. Soft red lamps with little flames sat in alcoves along the marbled walls, giving the room a warm touch. Past the bath was another section of the room with a dark mirror taking up one wall. Through another doorway was the more recognizable part of a bathroom with shower and water bowl and all other necessities. She used that room first before undressing and heading back into the bath. She refused to rush, taking her sweet time in order to make Shade wait. When she was thoroughly clean, she found a robe and wrapped herself in it before reentering the bedroom. She savored every bit of the food Remi brought even if—in her opinion—it wasn’t as good as her food back home on the ship, and she watched the red planet rise up over the horizon, watching the city lights change. When she felt she’d prolonged going down to meet Shade long enough, she put on her dress and left the room. She headed for the door to his unit. When it slid open, she found two ashora waiting for her.

“Took you long enough,” one said.

She recognized it was the same two who had fixed her up the previous night. They pushed their way in, one holding a bag, the other a uniform. “Come, come we don’t have all night,” said the other, pushing her into a chair.

They fixed her hair and face as they did the night before, then tried to undress her but were unsuccessful when she swatted their hands away, arguing she was capable of doing it herself. They flung the uniform at her and told her to dress before leaving her to do so. The attire she was given was more like a bikini held together with black, leather-like straps and tiny silver chains connected along her ribs and dangling from her hips. Noting that at least her private areas were covered better this time, she forced herself again from the unit and found this time one of Shade’s men waiting for her.

Without a word, she followed him over to an elevator which took them down to the club below. Already, the place was packed, and workers were doing their rounds. He took her around to a private section on the second level where she assumed only VIP members could hang judging by the more personable space. Inside the balconied section was a round table with seats that looked out over the stage. Sitting at the center was Shade along with other members of his gang. Women in tight attire similar to hers sat beside them, some on their laps, others to the side offering drinks. They laughed and talked, then turned quiet with a single gesture from Shade as she approached.

“Slept well?” He didn’t smile, but there was amusement in his gaze.

“It was fine,” she replied.

He nodded, his nightmare eyes drifting down her body, the amusement replaced with that subtle hunger. The others too watched her, a few of them giggling like there was a secret joke between them.

Maddie crossed her arms, refusing to meet their eyes. “You wanted to see me?”

“I did.”

She took a step toward him, thinking to sit by him as he had said he so wanted last night. But he put up his hand instead to halt her.

“You are to dance again, on the stage come full nighttide.”

Maddie frowned. “After what happened last night?”

His lip curled on one side. She noticed that the blue and black veins that webbed around the sides of his skull, under his jaw, and down his throat throbbed. “Yes, but you needn’t worry of another incident such as that,” he said in a low voice, as if the memory irked him. “They know now not to touch you.”

Maddie thought of his actions last night and how he had controlled the crowd. There had been a taste of a threat in his words, but what that threat was, she couldn’t guess. Now, she was curious. “And what would happen if one of them did?”

His mouth widened as his eyes narrowed. “They will know my wrath.”

Maddie shook her head. “You would seriously kill them for it?”

He let out a short hiss of breath as he took up a silver pipe off the table and lit it. “No, perhaps not to that extreme. But they would regret it.”

“What if I touched them?”

The question was made to challenge. Shade made a good effort at not looking affected though she thought he seemed a little more tense. He sucked in the smoke from his pipe, then blew it out with ease through the slits of his nostrils.

“Is that what you would like?”

The way he said it made her shiver. No, she didn’t want to touch them. But she didn’t want to say so either. She wanted to see what he would do. Did he think he was the only one with a claim to her?

“Maybe,” she answered instead.

He took another drag and blew it out slowly before setting his pipe down. The others around him remained quiet, observing the conversation with tight interest.

“If you wish to try it, then go ahead and see.”

In other words, it likely meant something bad.

Maddie tried to pretend it didn’t matter. She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. She knew she was playing with something more dangerous than fire, but she was done feeling afraid of him or the others.

“Enjoy the show.” She forced a sweet smile, then turned away, not allowing him to respond.

Shade’s guard followed her all the way down to the show quarters where she found Shenra waiting for her.

“Took you long enough,” she greeted. “At least Delin and Seva got you fixed up already. You’ll be on soon.” She shoved a cup into Maddie’s hands and waited for her to drink the awful tasting concoction that would give her energy through the night. She said little else after, going off to ready the stage for her next. Maddie didn’t care. The fear she’d held the last night was slipping away, replaced with something more with a bite. She waited till they took her back out, hardly feeling the same anticipation.

The crowd was as big if not larger than the night before. This time, however, she could sense they were more reluctant to reach for her, heeding Shade’s warning. But the energy was still the same.

The no-silks that hung from above were black this time. To each side, on opposite ends of the stage, were silver chains dangling. As she walked toward the long strips of cloth, she glanced over at those closest to the stage. There were a mass of different aliens from ashora to nilgani, to the canine-like men and newer ones, some with fins and others with dragonfly wings. It was a sea of strange people and creatures, all who’d come to watch her. As she took up the no-silks in each hand, she wondered how much Shade charged them.

Her eyes flitted one last time over the crowd, waiting for the music to begin. She caught eyes with a blue and green reptilian man with several horns on his head and a black throat. He was large, taking up a good portion of one side with his bulk. He watched her with bright orange eyes, unmoving, unlike the others. He almost seemed transfixed.

The music started. Another slow, seductive beat. Maddie drew her eyes away and began to climb.

She swung up, wrapping the no-silks about her arms before doing a little flip. The crowd shrieked with glee. She decided on another old routine, similar to the first but with some improvisation. Every twist and bend got a reaction from the seriphons but she focused little on them. She knew Shade watched sharply and possessively from above. She thought of his arrogance and the look of satisfaction he had in seeing her, knowing now he had her in his claws. A white-hot heat settled in her as she swung, flipping herself upside down.

She caught a glimpse of the reptilian man again and saw he still hadn’t moved. He looked on her so fondly it was almost sad. It occurred to her that this might be his first time seeing a human. Others pushed around him to get a better view, elbowing his sides, but he hardly flinched.

A small, rebellious idea slipped into her head. She flipped back up and slid down the no-silks, touching the ground with just the balls of her feet. Her injured foot was better, the pain hardly noticeable as she dangled for a moment before planting down. She slowly walked across the stage with the no-silks slipping through her hands until she came to the very edge and stopped.

The aliens must have remembered Shade’s threat. Despite how close she was, they dared not reach out to so much as brush a finger or talon against her. But she tempted them badly enough. She dropped to her knees and arched her back, flipping her hair, knowing it was likely to get a rile out a good portion of them. She crawled across the edge, seducing them as she laid on her side, then her back, arching. She relished the thought of her so-called master above burning with jealousy at the sight. This is what he wanted, wasn’t it? To entertain? This is what got the crowd going.

And the seriphons were becoming more excited, their growls and barks growing more wild. She crawled again, this time over to the bulky reptile who watched her with obvious fascination, as if he’d never seen a creature quite like her. She drew up to kneel before him and could see the spark of excitement in his eyes when she lifted her hand toward him.

Just a small touch, like petting an animal. She’d probably be punished, but defying Shade felt more exciting than she cared to admit. She hesitated only for a second before letting her fingers brush across the side of his scaly face.

There was a little hiss, like a gasp from those around her, and the reptile’s pupils shrank into two pinpoints, his nostrils flaring.

Confused, Maddie went to draw her hand back, but the reptilian man was quick. He snatched her wrist and pulled her to him. Maddie let out a cry of surprise as he grabbed her ankle next. She fought away from him, but he was fiercely stronger than her. Thick drool dripped down his jaw as he opened his mouth, revealing a long blue tongue. He pulled her closer, his hot breath in her face, making her gag. His tongue slipped out, and he licked along her collarbone and up her throat, hot saliva sticking to her skin. Maddie groaned in disgust. She wrenched her ankle out of his grip, but he still held her wrist.

There was chaos, much like the night before. The wave of seriphons drew away as Shade’s men came and pried the reptile off her. Maddie scuffled back on the stage when a pair of hands hauled her up.

Before she knew what was happening, she was being dragged off the stage and into the back. She was led into the work quarters, past the main room, into the baths. They stripped her, then forced her into the water.

“Fool of a girl,” Shenra said beside the bath. “I hope you’re happy with your idiotic little ploy.”

Maddie crossed her arms as she soaked in the water. “I didn’t think he’d actually attack me!”

“Do you know nothing? Uugari are practically walking bags of meat with no good sense. Beasts who find even shiny objects fascinating. You’re lucky he didn’t bite you, or you’d be dead right now from the poison.”

Maddie looked away, embarrassed. “I didn’t know.”

Shenra scoffed, walking across the room. “But you certainly got your way, didn’t you? Shade is furious. Hurry up and clean, so we can dress you before bringing you to him.”

Maddie didn’t say a word, though her heart was pounding. Still trying to calm down from the attack while also anticipating what Shade was going to do. Would he lock her up? Force her to dance till her feet and hands bled? She could only imagine. She took some soap and scrubbed herself clean. When she was done, the ashora workers did the rest. She was given a different dress, this one entirely black and with a small belt tied around her waist. Much like the red dress, this showed off her thighs and hips with a low-cut collar. Hurriedly, they pushed her out of the working rooms and through the club until they led her into a room with several control panels and monitors along the wall, showing various parts of the city.

Maddie froze in place as she saw the reptilian man on his knees at the center of the room. Shade’s men were around him, blades drawn.

“What…” Maddie started.

“Good, you’ve finally come.”

Maddie looked over and saw Shade sitting back in a seat to one wall, his second, Mika, standing by him as if they had just been talking. His eyes burned into her, a silent fury. “You’re just in time for a real show, eh?” he said. “Take a seat and enjoy.”

Maddie didn’t move from her spot. Her mouth felt dry as her eyes shot back over to the reptile who she could already see had several gashes in his skin.

“Come, don’t be shy on me now. You certainly weren’t while on the stage,” Shade said matter-of-factly. His claws, she noted, were fully extended, gripping the seat.

“I don’t understand.” And she meant it. She fully expected that the uugari would be gone, kicked out while she was left to deal with Shade’s wrath. But it seemed she was way wrong.

Shade tilted his head. “Don’t you? You must have some clue.” When she didn’t respond, Shade leapt from his seat. He took hold of her waist and lifted her before planting her in his now empty chair. He was so swift in his movement she hardly had time to act. Before she could even open her mouth, he drew out his own blade and walked over to the uugari, who had one eye swollen shut.

The uugari squirmed in his binds, his hands tied behind his back. One word from Shade and his men held his head firmly in place. Another wrenched his mouth open, and Shade grabbed the reptile’s tongue, yanking it out so that it was fully extended before him. His blade rested against the skin, and Maddie cried out, jumping from the chair, stilling his hand.

“Wait!” She put out her hand.

“I told you,” he hissed. “I told you to try and see, but I didn’t honestly think you had it in you.” He laughed low. “And you didn’t believe me either. I thought by now you understood who I am.” He bared his teeth. “I don’t make idle threats.” His blade moved, and she cried out once more to still him.

“Please. Please, I’m sorry. Don’t hurt him. It was my mistake.”

“Oh? You would forgive him then?”

“Yes.”

“That’s cute. But it doesn’t matter. Because of your actions, he has gone against my warning. And none would disrespect my wishes without paying the price.”

“Then let me pay it.” Maddie stepped over to him, getting as close as she dared. Shade grew still, his eyes fixed solely on her. “I’ll do whatever you ask,” she whispered. “I’ll keep to our deal and won’t touch another.” Heart fluttering, she dared touch him instead, putting her hand on his arm.

Shade didn’t move at first. He merely watched her. Then, slowly, he dropped his hands but did not sheath his blade.

“Show me then,” he demanded quietly.

She gripped his other arm, then let her hands drift up his arms till they met at the center of his chest. Heart rising in her throat, she brought her body against his, feeling his heat through his uniform. She rose on her toes and cautiously brushed her lips against his. She kissed the corner of his mouth, then down his jaw, hoping he understood it as a sign of affection and not something else. His upper lip peeled back, showing the points of his silver fangs, and his hand cupped the nape of her neck, keeping her in place.

She kissed him once more, then settled back. “Teach me,” she mouthed for only him.

He straightened and tilted his head up as he studied her. “You play a dangerous game with me, Madelyn.” He sheathed his blade, then moved her away from the uugari and his men. Mika passed by them without Shade glancing his way. He only looked at her. “I’ll spare his tongue for your word.”

“You have it.”

“You will not test me again.”

“I won’t.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “Then we have another agreement. Mika, finish with our guest.”

Maddie glanced over Shade’s shoulder in time to see Mika throw out his arm in one violent swing, sending his fist straight into the uugari’s face. The uugari’s jaw snapped to one side, and several of his sharp teeth spilled out of his mouth. His whole body swung and would have hit the ground if not for Shade’s men keeping him in place.

Maddie opened her mouth to protest but then caught Shade’s eyes. He said he’d spare his tongue but that was all. He hadn’t mentioned that he’d let the poor bastard go unscathed.

“Now, I think it’s time we pick up where we left off last night, don’t you?” he said, almost purring, his hands drifting over her ribs. “I’ve learned much since then, but now I must practice.” He gave her a wicked smile. “And I can teach you a thing or two.”

CHAPTER 11

MADDIE

Shade left his men to finish taking care of the uugari as he cleaned his hands of the alien, then took Maddie back up to the top level to his personal rooms. Inside, he brought her into a dark-green room with a long midnight-black table situated next to the wide window overlooking the city. Little bowls of flames lit the table-top, showing off an array of different foods and drinks which someone—she suspected Remi—had thoughtfully placed along with plates and utensils.

Shade crossed the room and sat himself in a leatherbound seat at the head of the table. With a playful stare, he gestured for her to approach. “Come sit.”

She moved around the table and lowered herself into a seat next to him. She eyed the food but found she had little appetite for the exotic choices.

“Not hungry?” Shade asked when she didn’t move to fill her plate.

She glanced over at him and shook her head. “Not really.”

“Pity. I had a special treat brought for you, but if you’re not hungry enough…”

She studied him, wondering if he was toying with her, but his expression didn’t change. “What is it?”

“See for yourself.” He slid over a small, covered plate. Maddie looked down at it curiously. She lifted the lid an inch as if expecting a spider to come crawling out at her. When she saw nothing moving, she lifted it all the way and let the lid drop.

Her brows knitted. “Is that…cake?”

“A human dessert if I am correct.”

“It was a small red velvet cake with creamy frosting. They had ones like it along with all other assortments of cake back on the ship. “How…?”

His lip curled. “I have my ways. And I thought you’d enjoy something familiar.”

Maddie stared back at the cake and could already feel herself salivating. She hadn’t had cake since her friend and co-worker Helen’s birthday on the ship. She envisioned eating it would not only be sweet but comforting, bringing memories of the times on the ship when everything had been so good, before it had gone down, and she’d lost everything.

Before she could move to pick up a utensil and take a bite, Shade slid the cake back over to him.

“I was going to let you enjoy this on your own, but after your little stunt tonight, I think it’s only fair you work for it.”

Maddie licked her lips, cursing him silently. “What do you want me to do?”

His expression and the way he sat back, parting his legs slightly, told her enough. She moved off her seat and onto his lap without protest, allowing him to encircle his arms about her. His heat settled through her, and she hated how nice it felt.

His hands moved over her, possessively, brushing across her stomach and thighs. Without warning, he pulled the top of her dress down, exposing her chest, and let his hands wander over her breasts, kneading and caressing—exploring. A low hum settled in him, vibrating across her back, and he seemed satisfied for the moment. He stilled one hand under her left breast as if to feel her heart race. She could feel the throbbing of her pulse in her head and between her thighs as his breath touched at her ear.

“Now, that’s better,” he whispered. He reached with his other hand over the table and, with one claw extended, tore a piece of the cake, keeping it firmly between his fingers. He brought it to her lips and—giving him an irritable look—she took it without protest, tasting the sickly sweet frosting with the rich cake between his fingertips.

It pained her how good it was. She had to stifle a moan of relief and joy at the taste.

“Like it? I figured as much. You humans have a sort of addiction to sweeteners, don’t you?” Shade observed aloud. “I’ve never cared for anything sweet myself, but you might prove me wrong.” His hand at her breast slid down her ribs and stomach, then fell between her thighs. Maddie tensed, inhaling sharply as his thumb brushed over her center, making her want to clench her thighs from the sensitive touch. She licked her lips and swallowed.

“Have you actually tried human food before?” she asked.

His hand slowly circled her as he thought it over. “Yes. Many years go.” His voice turned low, almost grating. “I didn’t much like it then. But considering the circumstances I was in, I didn’t expect to be given the finest meals.”

“Why is that?” Maddie asked, her breath quickening.

“I was imprisoned then.”

Maddie didn’t turn to look at him, though she could guess what his eyes would hold. The hate there burned at her back. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as his hand stopped only briefly so as to slide underneath her dress. His movements mimicked the same as her own fingers had the night before, making her shudder, heat pooling low.

“When you were captured after the blade wars,” she said, shaking.

“That’s right. So, you know about it?”

“I had heard about it many years ago,” she said in a near whisper. “Long after your disappearance. The prison had been destroyed and hundreds killed. The soldiers said it had been the worst sight they ever saw.”

“It had been a sloppy escape but effective enough.”

Maddie closed her eyes, her heart hammering in her chest, both now from his hand and the little fear that still stirred in her.

He circled around her once more before she felt two of his fingers dip into her. Thankfully, he knew not to extend his claws unless he wanted to hurt her. She shuddered as he slowly pulled his fingers out from her, then slid them back in.

“I heard they did awful things to the prisoners too,” she said, trying desperately to keep her composure.

“Yes,” he said with a hint of venom.

“Did they hurt you?”

“Not enough to break me.”

A moan nearly slipped from her throat, her head tipping back. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you? You don’t think I deserved it?”

“No one deserves to be tortured.”

“I disagree. But it depends on what kind of torture.” He slid his fingers out again and brought his hand out from underneath her dress. Maddie watched as he tasted her and saw his eyes darken like a storm. “So, I do like sweet after all,” he said, so low she almost didn’t hear him.

Before she could respond, Shade took hold of her, rising from his seat. He swiped away the contents of the table, letting them crash on the ground, before setting her atop the smooth surface. He ripped aside the bottom of her dress and the slip of underwear that hardly covered her. Maddie didn’t dare move. She hated how much her body ached, wanting him to finish what he’d started. She shouldn’t want this from him. From a man who killed and hurt so freely. Who’d harmed her own kind without a thought. He should want to take her life too, but it seemed he intended to keep it. Like a new toy he wanted to play with first before he broke it. That thought alone should have made her stop him. But, as it seemed impossible for him to want her at all, it was just as insane to admit that she didn’t want him to stop.

He gripped her hips firmly, looking ready to devour every bit of her, but Maddie planted her palms against his chest to halt him.

She wanted to say something along the lines of “take what you want, but don’t hurt me” but felt the words might mean little to him. It was there on the tip of her tongue but refused to spill from her lips. She locked eyes with him instead, hoping maybe in them he would see she was pleading silently, and he might understand. The words meant more than just physically but emotionally, now that she felt more vulnerable than she ever had on any stage being watched by hundreds of eyes. His alone made her falter.

He watched her for a long moment, waiting, and in the end, Maddie gave in, letting her hands drop. Holding her gaze, he gently placed his hand around her neck and coaxed her to lay back on the cool surface of the table. Maddie closed her eyes, holding her breath, wondering if his hand would start to tighten.

“Say my name,” he said softly.

Holding on to his arm, she took a slow breath. “Shade.”

“No.” His eyes narrowed. “My real name.”

Maddie knew no one called him by it save maybe those closest to him. Yet, he wanted her to. She licked her lips and said it in a breath. “Axaria.”

Shade closed his eyes. His hand at her throat squeezed only a little before releasing her, letting his fingers slide down the center of her breasts to her stomach, the feel of his claws trailing lightly across her skin like a set of blades.

“I’m going to take a lot from you tonight, Madelyn, and it is not in my nature to be patient once the fire spreads. If you have second thoughts, you should voice them now.” He opened his eyes to glare back at her. “Otherwise, I expect you to do as I ask.”

Maddie stared back at him, knowing she could back out from their deal right then and there, and he would allow it.

She stilled for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. Heart thumping, she tried not to think about the fact she’d never been with an alien, let alone a sidonion, and what a difference that might make. She was grateful she’d had her shots at the very least.

Shade studied her for a moment longer before he took hold of her thighs and spread her out. He lowered himself, his head bent, hovering between her thighs. He whispered something she couldn’t hear, and she felt his warm breath against her, making goosebumps rise over her skin. Maddie inhaled deeply, bracing herself when she felt his tongue slide across her center. Unprepared for the heat of it as well as the feel of several slick ridges gliding across her clit, Maddie shuddered violently, a moan tearing from her throat that she couldn’t contain. Her back arched, and her knees bent as he slid over her again. He gripped her legs, keeping them in place as she writhed against him.

She cursed aloud and—curiosity getting the better of her—lifted her head to see his purple and black tongue circling her. She could see the set of ridges along the center of his tongue, brushing over her. Her breath quickened into little gasps as he pulled from her waves of heat.

“Shade…”

Before she could say more, he dipped into her, hitting some deep spot. She cried out and bucked, throwing her head back. She felt like she was being pulled apart, her body tightening. She planted her back on the table and, frantic, sought his head, gripping his hair. A cry broke from her as the waves of pleasure washed over her and her body shook. He didn’t let up even as she came, and sometime after, the feeling became almost too intense for her to bear.

When she couldn’t take any more, Shade finally lifted his head as he licked his lips and fangs. The storm in his eyes was in full rage, but he appeared to brace himself, as if to savor the moment, allowing himself to stay calm. He rose slowly and took hold of her arms, pulling her up with him.

“You taste so, so sweet.” His hand caught her jaw, and he brought his mouth down on hers. His tongue flicked against her lips, and she let him in, feeling the prick of his teeth on her bottom lip. He broke from her, still holding her firmly. “But I need more.” His mouth widened into a cat-like grin. “I want you to experience what you’ve been missing…” His thumb, with the claw partially extended, trailed across her lip, the brush reminding her of the tip of a knife. “…with another kind.”

He led her out of the green room, straight to the bedroom. There was no going back with Shade pulling her down the hall, impatient to continue what they had started. Maddie let him take her there, no thought of pulling back or stopping. Honestly, she was still reeling from the moment in the green room, her body still throbbing, her mind unable to hold a thought to what was happening and what she was doing. When she could think clearly, she told herself she was doing this to survive, nothing more. But her body betrayed that thought in every single way.

The door to the bedroom opened at his touch and closed shut right behind her as she was pulled inside.

The room was dim, with a warm orange light spilling from the open bathroom door and the ceiling glowing a soft blue. The bed, a dark slab to one side, was made up from a few hours ago. Shade stood her beside the bed’s edge, then took a step back.

“Take off the rest of your clothes,” he ordered.

Maddie did as he asked, letting the fabric drop at her feet. She kicked the dress away and slipped off her thin black sandals.

“Now come and take off mine.”

She sauntered forward and lifted her hands—still shaking a little, she noticed—to the collar of his uniform. She unzipped the front, revealing his bare chest. She stood frozen, her eyes wide.

His body was sleek and hard, a dark blue-gray like the rest of him. Just like his face, where she could see the outline of his skull, she could see the silhouette of his ribs along with the black shape of his heart, pumping deep and slow. Strangely, she could see no other organs; only thin blue and black veins colored the thin outer layer of his skin.

She took him in, unable to speak. He was so different from her. So strange, and alien, and…

He stood waiting for her to take off the rest. She swallowed and unclasped his pants, then slid them down.

She stepped back, almost flinching when her eyes took in his bottom half. Well, it was no surprise he wasn’t hung like a human either. She shouldn’t be shocked, but she was, even if she didn’t really know what to expect. His cock extended out from a hardened base, curving up slightly and it too had that almost translucent layer of skin with tiny veins along the muscular, bulging, shaft. The head was pointed like an arrow with two prongs, reminding her of a forked tongue. It looked like a weapon more than a sexual organ, and she had a feeling he knew how to wield it well.

He took off his shoes and chucked away the pants, then reached out for her and took her hand, setting it on his lower stomach. “Touch me, explore as you like. I’ll teach you what makes me feel good.”

Maddie hesitated before moving her hand across his stomach then his hip. He was smooth and warm with a few places that were set in a row of hard bumps like ridges, mainly across his outer thighs and along the sides of his chest. She touched at the place where she could see his heart beating and could feel it against her palm. Transfixed, she let her hand fall again down his stomach where a trail of bumps led down to the base of his thighs. When her fingers traced along him, she noticed a set of small, silver spines on his back shoulders rise, like the hairs rising on the back of some animal.

Maddie stilled her hand again before she braved to let her fingers touch the “weapon” between his thighs. As she encircled her fingers around him, she heard a soft hiss of breath escape him. A natural sort of oil was secreting from him, wetting her hand, making him slick and ready.

“Slide your hand along me. Do you feel the small knots there?”

Maddie swallowed, letting her hand move against him, feeling a row of tiny ridges. “Yes.”

“They are very sensitive, like the one you hold at your center but not quite the same. The twin tips at the head are also sensitive. I feel the most pleasure when they are touched. Friction can do the trick, but even the right touch will make me come.”

Heat rose in her face at his bluntness, but she had to give him credit for being firm about what worked. And if he could get off to just a touch, he might be satisfied quicker.

Shade smiled down at her, his eyes now sparking with amusement, as if he read her thoughts. “Don’t shy on me now.”

Putting aside her slight embarrassment, Maddie let her hand slide along him, letting her fingers explore.

The spines on his back rose farther, and his face twisted with pained pleasure. “Yes, like that, good girl.”

She let her thumb brush over his twin tips and watched him shiver. The image was more satisfying than she cared to admit, as if she held some small power over him after all. She traced her fingers along him some more, kneading and circling, watching him come apart in her hand.

“Now you understand,” he said in a breath. “The lesson is quick. But I have a feeling it won’t take much when we are entangled for me to…” He trailed off when she continued to knead the sensitive parts. His cock throbbed in her hand, and a low groan escaped him as white, hot seed spilled onto her hand.

Shade growled as she released him and drew back. She couldn’t help the smirk that grew on her face, coupled with the small feeling of victory that he was as powerless against her moves as she was of his.

He must have seen the smug look on her face. His mouth widened as a shadow passed over his eyes. “You are a quick learner, I’ll give you that. But don’t think I’m finished with you. Not even a little.”

Maddie bit her lip. Her eyes glanced down the length of him and saw he was still rock-solid. “I take it you’re not the one and done type of guy, huh?” she whispered, trying to make light of it.

He smiled, and the wicked look in his eyes told her enough. “Get on the bed,” he demanded.

Maddie thought it best not to test him, so she didn’t hesitate in doing so. She sat on the edge and started to push herself up the bed as if to get away when he came forward and took her ankles to drag her back. He bent her legs up, hugging them to her chest, before mounting on top of her.

Maddie grew tense, her breath catching. Without thought, her hands came up to press at his chest.

Shade stilled. He glared down at her, almost in warning. “Madelyn…”

“I’ve never been with…anyone who wasn’t human,” she said, wanting him to understand.

His gaze softened. He released some of his weight off her. He reached out and brushed his hand along the side of her face as if to comfort. “You don’t need to fear. True, I can’t know if it will hurt or not. I’ve never been with a human, myself. But we will learn together.” His eyes narrowed, and his lip curled. “And sate our curiosity.”

“You mean yours.”

He grinned. “You can’t tell me you aren’t dying to know how I feel inside you.”

The tips of his cock brushed against her center, and Maddie felt the goosebumps rise again on her arms and legs. “Maybe,” she whispered, not wanting to admit to him fully.

“Based on what I have observed, I think it’s true. And I know I’ve been dying for this moment since I saw you.”

She looked up at him, shocked at the sudden admission. But his expression told her little, didn’t show any other trace of emotion about what he’d just told her. He raised his hips and pressed against her, and Maddie let her hands fall, clutching at his arms instead. She inhaled deep, then exhaled with a hiss as he slid into her, slow and deep. She could feel every knot that slipped along her, making the heat rise quickly again between her thighs.

Shade groaned softly. He buried deep into her until he could go no farther. He pulled back slowly, then slid slowly in. He kept slow and steady, watching her face, seeing how she might react.

Maddie readied for pain or some other unpleasant sensation but found none. It didn’t feel human. It was different in every way. It felt forbidden and twisted, and she hated how good it felt.

She tried to hide how he was making her feel, but she must have been doing a poor job because now it was his turn to look victorious.

“See how well we fit together?” he purred. “How your body reacts to mine? It’s just as I’d suspected and hoped. We are different, and yet we join so perfectly.” He thrust a little harder and a little faster. Maddie moaned, her fingers digging into his arms. She whimpered as her body betrayed her again, burning faster. She was tightening again already, unable to control the heat that now ran wild.

“Say I’m right, Madelyn,” Shade growled.

She clenched her jaw even as another moan rose in her throat. Shade growled low again, baring his teeth. He slipped out from her and flipped her onto her knees, pulling her to him, to the edge of the bed. Legs spread, she was pinned beneath him as he took her again, burying himself till his hard base rubbed against her center. His hips rose and fell as he grabbed hold of her hair, wrapping it in his fist. Arching, Maddie gasped. He didn’t slow then, and the pressure was excruciating. She heard herself crying out—to her stunned annoyance—his name as the waves of heat rocked her, flooding her senses. She could feel him spilling in her, a low snarl tearing from his mouth. Her body pulsed with his, and it pained her to realize that they were in tune and that he was right, but she still refused to say it.

He continued on even after her climax had subsided, coming once more before he finally freed himself from her. Breathless, Maddie sank to her stomach. Shade lay on top of her, keeping off his full weight so as not to crush her. His arms engulfed her as if to shield her.

She couldn’t be sure how long they laid there, but she was aware of Shade’s embrace, how close he held her and how strangely tender it was.

Before she could try to understand his sudden tenderness, he was off her, his heat dissolving from her fast. She didn’t like the cold, empty air. She turned her body to look at him and caught his eyes, but he said nothing, and she could read nothing in his face.

He turned from her and headed for the bathroom. Inside, she saw him start the jets in the bath. When he returned, she sat up on the bed.

“Let’s clean. I’ll send for a new dress while we do.”

Maddie frowned. “Will I have to dance again?”

“Not tonight.” He offered his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up, standing her before him. He stared at her as if searching for something he was desperate to find. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her, but he pulled away and led her to the bath instead.

CHAPTER 12

MADDIE

Maddie dipped back, letting herself suspend for a moment as the no-silk turned her slowly above the stage. Unlike the main stage she had been accustomed to dancing on, she now worked on a smaller platform in a dimly lit lounge. Shade had decided having her work in the main club was becoming too much of a risk, with the possibility of some rogue clientele becoming too tempted to heed his warnings. So, he’d placed her in one of the VIP areas instead, where the customers were smaller in number but made up the most wealthy and elite of the city.

She couldn’t say she minded. Unlike the main club where chaos reigned, willed by the massive crowd, here, the seriphons gathered and drank at small tables as they watched her from afar. Though there were still plenty of eyes on her, no one bothered her.

The only real negative was she felt isolated, as if placed away from others because she made them act poorly. Shade didn’t voice it, but she still felt she was being punished despite others saying she was extremely lucky in her circumstance. It might be that she felt ignored, dancing in some back stage when she was used to performing at larger venues on the ship, but she reminded herself to be grateful. Being ignored was better than being targeted.

Maybe the real problem was she didn’t like who was ignoring her.

For the dozenth time, as she twisted around, she caught sight of Shade sitting nearby with a host of others. She didn’t know who they were but could tell by their clothes and the shiny tech they wore that they were elites. He talked and drank with them, smiling, letting the men fill his cup and letting the women touch his arms, not once looking her way. He hadn’t said a word in fact since he had left her in his bed at twilight. When he had entered the lounge some hours later, he’d gone to the table–lit now by deep blue lanterns like the rest of the room, with a canteen already placed for them in the center–and greeted the group before taking a seat offered. Now, for the last hour, he’d sat there, looking at no one but them, smiling and leaning in every so often to whisper something to one of the pretty nilgani or ashora women.

She watched him until he was out of her line of sight as the no-silk twisted around. With a sigh, she climbed up and dipped, creating another pose.

It was silly of her to care, anyway. There was nothing in their deal that said he had to be attentive to her always. But for the past few nights, he had seemed more inclined to keep her at a distance when outside his unit. He hadn’t called for her to sit with him at private meetings, instead keeping her in the VIP rooms and lounges for the wealthy’s entertainment.

It was like night and day with him outside his private unit compared to within. He was like a fanatic worshiping his goddess behind closed doors, but outside, he seemed colder, more aloof, treating her like any other of his workers. He treated his workers well, and for that alone, she should be grateful. She should be thankful she was treated well at all, that she was surviving each night and in his good graces.

But it wasn’t enough.

And that worried her. She didn’t like how she was anticipating his arrival every night in his rooms, didn’t like how her heart raced whenever he entered a room or sent a sharp pain in her chest when she saw him with others while hardly looking her way. She swore she was never the jealous type, but like many other thoughts and emotions she never expected to feel, Shade brought out the darkest ones in her.

And that was trouble. She knew whatever he was making her feel, it wasn’t good. But for all her efforts, she couldn’t stop any of it.

So, here she hung for all to watch, wishing she could drop down that instant and walk over to him and climb on his lap, touching him and grinding against him until he couldn’t stand it, until he was forced to move them to somewhere no eyes watched.

Heat burned up her neck and face where her imagination went next, and she found herself flipping upward to set herself down on the balls of her feet. She stared over at the group, hoping he had some alien sixth sense that told him he was being watched and would look back at her.

When he didn’t, she went back to climbing up the twins of no-silk. This time, she did a series of flips and poses, what she considered her more elaborate, pulling herself up to the fullest height and wrapping herself in such a way that when she dropped back to fall, she caught herself just before hitting the ground, swinging upside down with her feet tied to the no-silk.

There was a light applause, and Maddie couldn’t help smiling like she would on the ship after a show. She quickly righted herself to see the crowd, knowing Shade must be watching her now. As she looked around, her smile dropped. The table was empty, and as her eyes drifted over, she saw the tail-end of Shade and the others leaving the lounge.

Disappointment and frustration rushed through her. She dropped her arms and turned away, gripping the no-silk in tight fists. She stood for a moment, taking a few needed breaths, then forced herself to climb back up to start again, trying to push away the bitter ache.

“You’re done for the night,” said the bartender, a nilgani male with skin like a viper. “Check in with Shenra.”

Maddie dropped down to the stage, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The lounge was much more empty now, but the bar would stay open through the rest of the night. Disappointment cut through her again when Shade didn’t call for her, and the blood dawn was coming soon. She walked off the stage, and one of Shade’s men was there, ready to escort her. He took her back to the working quarters where several other entertainers were already sitting at their vanities, taking off clothes and decompressing for the night. A few glanced her way, none giving her so much as a nod in greeting.

Maddie found an empty vanity and took a seat. She glanced at herself in the dark mirror and saw the disheartened look still lingering in her features. Maybe she’d tell Shenra that she needed to see Shade and talk over the terms of their deal; find out how much she had paid off in the last few nights and what more she could do tonight. It was a sore excuse but better than sitting and waiting around, watching eyes wandering in her direction and hearing whispers of “human” over her shoulder.

She started to clean the makeup from her face with a thin rag—deciding she’d take a bath first before talking to Shenra after—when she heard the words “hey, human” somewhere beside her. She looked over and saw a petite-looking ashora and a much bulkier, muscular nilgani eyeing her. The female ashora was wiping blue paint off her eyelids while the nilgani leaned against the vanity beside her, putting lotion on her dark green hands and arms.

“Yes?” Maddie asked.

“You’re not usually down here at this time of night, are you?” the ashora asked. She glanced at her before returning to her reflection in the mirror. “Are you sick or something? Or is Shade not interested in playing with his new toy tonight?”

The nilgani hissed with laughter, and the ashora smiled. Not wanting them to see her reaction, Maddie looked away at her own reflection, continuing to wipe her face.

“Maybe I don’t want to see him.”

The ashora snorted. “As if he would allow that. I’m sure you know by now how persuasive he is.”

Maddie didn’t say a word, and the ashora shifted around in her seat. “Let me guess, he promised you a way off here right? Or some extra credits? Or help paying off a debt?”

Maddie kept her composure, but inside, her heart leapt in her chest. “What does it matter?”

The ashora shrugged and turned back to the mirror. “It’s just his way with any woman reluctant to have him, which is admittedly rare. Most around here don’t need convincing—he helps so many of us already. But it’s no surprise a human would need a little coaxing.” She wiped at her other eye, smearing the blue. “It is interesting how easy it was for him to get you into his claws though. You like the thought of another kind atop you?”

Maddie’s hand curled around the rag. “You don’t know what I like, and you have no business assuming otherwise.”

Her black lip curled to one side. “Hit a mark, did I? Don’t feel so embarrassed about it, anyway. You’re not the first, nor the last. That goes for Shade as well.”

Maddie stilled. Her head turned toward the ashora. “What does that mean?”

The ashora wiped the rest of her eyeshadow paint away and started to remove a set of black rubies around her neck. “I mean don’t get too comfortable with being the favorite. His attention waxes and wanes like the red planet above. Once he’s gotten what he likes, he’ll find a new plaything. At least those tempted with more than his bed will get what they want in the end. Shade keeps to his promises.” The ashora sighed as she dropped her set of rubies on the vanity. “It is too bad, though. I would have liked to have another chance. But a pretty blue nilgani caught his eye, and I’ve been ignored since.” She turned to her nilgani friend. “Wasn’t she related to you, Narcasa?”

“Yes, distantly,” Narcasa replied, putting the lotion now on her throat and chest. “She was very vain too. Didn’t take it too well when Shade replaced her with a rougon, of all kinds.”

The ashora looked back at Maddie with a spark in her gaze. “Well, he couldn’t help himself, could he? He likes trying new things. Which is probably why he had to have a taste of you, didn’t he? Shocking, considering his past with your kind, but Shade is mysterious like that. Who knows what will get the man off?”

Maddie felt her body tense and her stomach twist, but she refused to let them think it mattered to her. This time, it was her turn to smile, even if it wasn’t as genuine as she’d have liked. “You act as if this should break my poor heart. But it doesn’t. I’m getting out of here. We’ve made a deal, and by the time he’s done with me…I’ll be long gone, anyway.”

“You really think so?”

Maddie looked back at her with a frown. “You said yourself he keeps his promises.”

The ashora tilted her head. “Well, maybe I spoke too willingly. He keeps them for us. Those of the city who call Seriph home. But for those with whom he has some bad blood? Especially humans? It’s hard to say. He might try to keep you as long as he can. You have driven business these past few nights. It’d be hard for him to part with such a tempting prospect. Who knows, once he sets you aside, he might try to get in on the flesh market. Sell you off to the highest bidder.”

This time, she couldn’t hide her reaction. “He wouldn’t do that,” she said softly. Even she wasn’t convinced by her own words, her blood turning cold at the mere thought.

The ashora shrugged again, beginning to unclasp the straps of her uniform. “No one can say. He might have made that deal just out of the need to get you to comply with his wants. But once he tires of you, who knows what might change his mind?”

Maddie shook her head, not daring to believe it.

“Believe what you want, little human. But when has a seriphon’s word ever worked in your favor?”

Maddie sat at the vanity for a long while, even after the pair left for the night. She tried not to let the doubt overtake her reason, but it was a useless effort. She thought back to when she had first crashed, back to Endia and how the woman and her clan had betrayed her. Could she still trust Shade, or was she setting herself up again for another failure?

“There you are.” Shenra came up behind her, and their eyes met. “You look awfully drained, girl. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired.”

Shenra didn’t seem convinced, but she let it go. “Well, when you’re finished cleaning up, Shade wants to see you.”

Maddie pursed her lips, letting her eyes drop. Of course, now he asked for her, when she was suddenly reluctant to see him.

She cleaned up and put on less extravagant attire, a pair of black leggings with a glowing red criss-cross design along the thighs and a tight-fitting long-sleeve top to match, then found a soft pair of boots that fit her snugly. When she was ready, one of Shade’s guards escorted her out as usual.

The club was surprisingly busy despite the night nearing its end. Shade’s guard was forced to weave through throngs of people. Most parted out of the way, though some still got a little too close for her liking.

As they were about to cross over to one end of the floor, the crowd changed. They began to push and shove as a series of roars and cries went up, echoing across the entire level. In the fray, Maddie was separated from the guard. In the confusion, she realized a fight had broken loose. Fists and talons and teeth took over her vision as bodies collided.

As she tried to put her arm up to shield an in-coming blow, fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her out of the mass of people.

She let the hand drag her away until she was out of the others’ reach. She looked around and saw a small, hooded figure pulling her into a darkened corridor leading to storage rooms. They stopped, and before Maddie could say a word, the figure lifted their hood.

At first, she thought it was Remi. But it wasn’t. The ashora merely looked like him only with lighter skin and a scar that ran down one side of his cheek.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” the ashora said.

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

The ashora looked around to make sure no one was watching, then turned back to her. “Gema.” He patted his chest. “Listen, you want out of here, right?”

Maddie stilled, staring down at him, stunned by the sudden question. “I…”

“Course you do.” Gema took a step closer. “Listen, we can help. When the time comes, trust us.” He fished for something in his pocket and handed it to her. Before she could respond, he was sneaking back into the crowd and disappearing out of sight.

Well, that was strange.

Maddie didn’t have time to check the object in her hand as she saw the guard spot her from afar and start straight for her. She placed the small object in an inner pocket as he approached.

“Are you hurt?” the tall alien asked. She could see the concern in his wolf-like eyes, knowing if she was, he would have Shade to answer to.

Maddie shook her head and allowed him to take her back through the crowd as the fight dispersed.

They went through the same passage she remembered entering when first arriving at The Hive. When the door slid open to the shipyard beyond, she saw Shade talking with Mika next to a large carrier ship. Several of his men were loading supplies as the guard led her over to him.

Shade turned his head toward her, and the way he looked at her in that moment with such a hungry gaze made Maddie’s heart race, betraying her. She hated how it raced and how much she liked that look in his midnight eyes. Even now, she was forgetting the way he had ignored her hours ago or the conversation she had in the show quarters. Still, she chose to keep those moments close at the back of her mind. No matter what he made her feel, she needed to be cautious. Her trust was on the edge of a knife, ready to tip at the first sign of betrayal.

He said a few words to Mika who left promptly to ready the ship, taking the guard with him, leaving them alone at last.

Maddie glanced at the ship then back at him. “Are you leaving?”

“Only for a few hours,” he replied. “I knew you would be going to bed soon.”

She shifted on her feet. “And you wanted to see me?”

A smirk grew on his lips. “Yes…did you think otherwise?”

“I figured you were too busy tonight for the likes of me.”

Shade moved in closer, his head tilting to the side as he studied her face. “I was busy. But that had nothing to do with you. Trust that if I could have found a way out of my obligations, we would not be standing here but lying in my bed.”

Heat rose in her face, but the tension didn’t leave her. “You did seem pretty occupied by your guests. I hope they liked my performance at the very least. If they saw any of it at all.”

“If they didn’t, I did, and it was just as hard to not pull you from that stage. But I needed you there for the time. The kind of guests I entertained tonight have kept humans before, and they would have liked to have you if I had offered.”

“And you didn’t?”

Shade’s eyes narrowed. His hand reached up as he traced his fingers along the side of her face. “I forbade talk of the mere idea.” His voice was soft and venomous. “No one gets to have you.”

It was there in the air, the words. He didn’t say them, but she knew.

No one but me.

And, as crazy as it was, she didn’t know whether to be ecstatic by that unspoken declaration or absolutely terrified.

His hand traced her jaw and fell gently to her throat, cupping it possessively. “I should be back by sunbreak if not a little later. Wait for me in my rooms.”

Maddie frowned. She didn’t want to sleep or be alone. Not like some wraith waiting for him, stalking his rooms.

“Where are you going?”

For a moment, she thought he might not answer her. His hand slipped from her throat as he looked out over the courtyard.

“I need to take supplies to a set of territories, east within the city.”

Maddie’s mouth twisted. “An energy deposit?”

Shade gave her a dark yet amused sort of look. “No. It’s for… people who live there.”

Maddie almost rolled her eyes. “Drugs.”

“No, medicine. And food.”

Maddie stared back at him, shocked. “You’re…helping them?”

Shade tipped his head back as he eyed her, as if to say ‘Is it so surprising?’

It was. But she didn’t say it.

“I want to come with you.”

He looked back at her, and for the first time, she thought she caught surprise on his face. Again, his hesitation made her heart sink, and she expected him to say no.

“It’s a dangerous area…” He smiled. “Is it that hard to be away from me?”

Maddie crossed her arms. “I want to see what you do.” And she meant it. She wanted to understand him now more than ever. Now, when she was so uncertain of everything.

He watched her for a long moment, then dipped his head. “All right. But know I intend to keep you right by my side.”

“I know. I don’t plan to run.”

“Good. Because as much as I’d enjoy hunting you again, I need to do this.” He grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her close. “Now, kiss me and say you’ll be good.”

She tried to hide her smirk but was unsuccessful. She rose on her feet and kissed him, whispering that she would be good against his lips.

“Then stay close to me,” he said against hers, wrapping an arm about her and pulling her toward the ship.

CHAPTER 13

SHADE

The blood dawn came and went. The deep orange sun floated across the horizon until it began to sink again, quickly bringing the long night.

Shade’s eyes opened a slit, his nostrils flaring as he smelled Madelyn’s flowery scent. Her head rested on his arm, her soft, warm body curling into his as they lay on the bed. She slept deeply, he noticed, her lips moving as she talked in a dream. He knew it would be hard to wake her even if he moved.

He’d returned with Madelyn from the eastern territories only a little after the dawn’s end, taking her back to his unit above The Hive once everything was settled with the ship. He’d been uncertain about whether he should have brought her with him, but in the end, he was glad for it. Watching her step off the ship and see the buildings, see the people around them—those who had no home outside the Shadow Cleave but were not accustomed to the city’s hardened life-style and were just trying to survive—was worth the risk of bringing her outside the safety of The Hive. He had been like them once, when he was a fledgling, before he was thrown in the military and trained with the most lethal soldiers then rose to the rank of commander. He knew and understood the hardship, and he couldn’t leave them.

Seeing Madelyn among them, her face bright with hope, moved him more than he dared admit. When she looked at him, the fiery glow in her eyes seemed to change. No longer gazing at him with challenge or perhaps even anger but with an intensity to match his own. Having her by his side at that moment felt right. Felt like fate.

When all was done, and the supplies were spread among the people, he felt an urgency to have her, not bothering to leave the property until he did. He found a place for them in a lone storage unit, just as the blood dawn spread across the sky, taking what he couldn’t have enough of, relishing in the sound of his name on her lips as he drove her to a begging, clawing, wild thing against the wall. They left not long after he was satisfied. But the satisfaction was short-lived once they returned to his home.

He joined her in sleep sometime later, when he’d left her exhausted. He was still hungry for more, but he wouldn’t disturb her sleep. He knew he’d have more when the time came.

He watched her now, his arm drawing her closer. He’d thought over his plans last night before he fell asleep, and he confirmed his decision again as he gazed on her—what he planned for Madelyn. He was very sure now he could convince her. He felt very close.

A soft buzzing from his transceiver went off, disturbing his thoughts and the sweet silence. Baring his teeth, he slipped out from Madelyn’s embrace to take the call.

“What?” he growled.

“I know you didn’t want to be disturbed with your woman,” said Mika. “But we have a serious situation.”

Shade turned over to sit on the edge of the bed. “What is it?”

“One of our carrier ships was supposed to be on route to the high sector, but it never made it. Sent some drones out and found our transporters shot to shit and the ship stolen. You can guess by who.”

The receiver tightened in his grip. “The fucking Blue Breeds?”

“Looks like it.”

Shade bared his teeth. “Fine. I’ll be down.”

“There’s one other thing…we caught a signal on the main feed. It came from a ship just a few spans outside Seriph’s orbit. It was human.”

Shade straightened, his body growing rigid. “Did you translate the signal?”

“Yeah…”

“And?”

“It’s exactly what you expected. They are here for her.”

Shade leaned forward, his head bent. He knew it would come to this. He’d just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon. Now, there would need to be some negotiations made.

He ended the call, forcing himself not to throw the transceiver at the wall. He was going to kill the Blue Breeds, every single one. Then…he was going to have to tell Madelyn everything.

He turned and glanced over at her, thinking he must have woken her, but she was still sound asleep. He reached out and traced his fingers over her before leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

He rose, then dressed quickly, clipping his blades to his thighs, knowing blood was going to be spilled this night. And he was going to enjoy the sight.

CHAPTER 14

MADDIE

She woke and found Shade gone. And it was night again already. Groaning, she sat up and looked out the window at the city, noticing a sliver of sunlight still in the distance. The days were shorter here than on other planets. It was a wonder how the moon planet thrived in such darkness.

At least she got to see some daylight yesterday, though it was dimmer than Earth’s or other civilian systems’. It was beautiful, though, all the reds and oranges. So much so that she didn’t mind the dimness.

As she sat up, she remembered more of yesterday and her time with Shade. She couldn’t be happier that she had decided to go with him. Seeing more of the city, a different side, was something she’d really needed after being in The Hive and seeing much of the same clientele every night.

Seeing the people Shade aided made her hopeful there was more to the place than corruption and crime. There were people trying to thrive, aliens who greeted her and smiled at her despite what she was. And none who were looking to make a meal of her or sell her off. It was honestly a relief. And it made her want to know more about the city. To explore its many wonders.

Maybe Shade would show her…

A tiny ache jabbed in her chest, remembering she still couldn’t be sure what his intentions were no matter how…attentive he had been. She got dressed quickly in her leggings and shirt from yesterday, preparing to go in search of Shade. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, she knew they really should talk about their agreement and what his plans were, so she at least knew what to expect. Because right now, she might be expecting too much.

The door to the bedroom slid open just as Maddie moved toward it. In the doorway, Remi stood, and she realized he wasn’t alone.

“Hey, what—”

The other figure was Remi’s size with their face hidden until they threw back their hood.

Maddie froze. “Gema?”

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

Maddie’s brows knit in confusion. “Ready to go?”

“We’re here to help. To take you out of here. The human ship is waiting.”

Maddie didn’t move. “What? How—”

“Didn’t you get the hint when I gave you the transmitter piece?” he said.

She blinked at him. Then she remembered the object he’d given that she’d stuck in an inner pocket in her pants. She fished it out and held it in her palm.

It was a small, slender box no bigger than a flash drive. She flipped it in her hands and saw on one side the insignia of her pod ship. The one she had crashed and burned.

“Where did you get this?” she whispered.

“It was taken from the wreckage, when scavengers came. Not all was lost. The transmitter was still working when it was found,” Gema explained.

Remi walked up to her. “No more time to explain. Shade will catch on to our plan. And the sleeper agent I gave to the guard outside won’t last.”

Maddie squeezed the transmitter piece in her hand, then glanced back at them. “You said a human ship is waiting. How do you know?”

“The signal came in not a few hours ago,” Remi replied. He took out a small spherical orb and pressed on it. It lit up and before them was a small hologram of Seriph with an Earth-grade ship in orbit. Then the signal began to play.

“This is a galactic ranger ship. A rescue pod has been sent and will remain for seven hours until a human identification code is placed. Any Earth civilians must be taken to the pod.”

Maddie knew this was the rescue ship sent in response to her pod crashing, the SOS signal automatically placed as soon as she landed and continuing to send until the transmitter had likely crapped out. They really had come. Even when she thought they never would, not to the Shadow Cleave and certainly not to Seriph. But they had. They wouldn’t dare land, but they had sent a pod. And now they were waiting for her.

Maddie’s hand shook. This was all happening so fast. She had little time to think.

She looked back around at the bed where only a few hours ago, she and Shade had been lying together. “I…I want to talk to Shade. At least tell him they are here. And then…”

Gema made a sound, and Maddie turned back to them.

“You really don’t want to do that.”

Maddie frowned. “I still owe him. Maybe…maybe we can work something out.”

“He already knows about the ship. He’s known for some time,” Remi said. “I overheard from his second when they spoke.”

She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. “No…”

“He wasn’t going to tell you. Everyone knows he doesn’t plan to give you up,” Gema argued. “He’ll sell you off or work you to death once he’s done with you.”

Maddie remembered the conversation with the ashora and nilgani the night before. Her body turned cold at the memory.

They said the signal came in a few hours ago. It made sense that Shade would have known. And he hadn’t stuck around to tell her.

“Where is he?” she said, hardly hearing her own voice.

“Shade? He’s gone. Gone to take care of another matter,” Gema said.

“See for yourself.” Remi’s sphere changed, and suddenly, she was seeing a holographic image of what looked to be a bird’s eye view of a city dock. On it, Shade and his men were fighting—no, slaughtering—a group of blue aliens with curved horns. Their blades cut through them with ease. Even as the aliens were cut down, Shade continued his assault. The blood was so thick it splashed at their feet.

And suddenly, it felt like she was waking from a dream. Right back into a nightmare. How could she ignore the warnings? And forget the violence, the death, the terror. All that was a part of who Shade was. How could she allow herself to feel anything for him? Especially now, when everything screamed for her to see who he really was. And told her to run.

She closed her eyes, her throat tightening. “I’ll go,” she said, her voice breaking.

They didn’t waste time even looking relieved. Remi tugged at her arm, and Maddie allowed him to pull her out of the room, through the unit, and out into the passage, where a lone guard slumped against the wall.

It wasn’t until they made it to the elevator at the end that she hesitated.

“Why are you doing this?”

They looked back at her, and she could see the impatience in their eyes.

“We told you, we want to help,” Gema said, smacking the button for the elevator.

Maddie crossed her arms and took a step back. “No one here wants to help me.”

They looked at each other, then Remi glanced back at her and with a shrug of indifference said, “We were going to make a trade at first. Then we got hold of the ship, sent a message showing them where you were. Said you were a prisoner, and if we help get you out…they are going to give us a large credit sum in exchange.”

“Unregistered credits,” Gema corrected. “So they can’t be traced back to us. Or a share of it taken away by the bastards who run this city.”

The elevator door opened, and the pair stepped in. Maddie paused before ultimately choosing to follow. She couldn’t believe they were helping her out of the goodness of their hearts. But she could believe without a doubt they’d do it in exchange for a lump sum of money. It seemed the seriphons’ nature.

She didn’t care, really, in the end. At that moment, she just wanted to get as far away as possible. To finally get out of this dark, violent city for good. It was for the best. And as for Shade…she wouldn’t allow herself to think of him. Even when she felt the sinking pain in her heart, like his blade was stuck right through her chest.

He’d haunt her dreams for a long time. But she could at least say she’d survived.

The elevator dropped, then halted, bringing them to an unfamiliar passage. Maddie soon realized it was a worker passage, leading to a connected warehouse. They slipped by, Maddie noticing several other guards slumped over as the ashora pair had made a predetermined path to the transporter that sat just outside. She hopped aboard, and before she could strap in, Gema was already in the driver’s seat, steering the vehicle out of the bay and rising up above the buildings. She got one last glance back at The Hive through the misty fog before it was out of sight for good.

CHAPTER 15

SHADE

Blood dripped from his blade, splattering at his feet and on the corpse that lay before him. It wasn’t the last Blue Breed in the city by far. But the group of them that had taken his carrier ship and killed his transporters were nothing more than husks of flesh on the wet ground. In his blind fury, he’d even broken off a few of their horns, throwing them across the ground carelessly. It was a low blow, but they had disrespected him long enough, and it was time they knew not to fuck with him.

“Just checked the area. A couple were caught running, but we got to them in time,” Mika said beside him.

Shade glared down at the lifeless Blue Breed like a scientist observing a cut-up specimen. “Bring them.”

Mika waved his hand, and several of Shade’s men dragged over two Blue Breeds. One was roughed up already, with a cut-up eye. The other was younger and likely a new recruit. His yellow eyes stared up at him, his blue fur rising along his arms as he grew tense.

He was afraid. That was good.

They knelt before him, the roughed one leaning forward as if barely able to keep himself straight.

“You know who I am,” Shade started. “And you know what I’m capable of. Yet, your gang delights in pissing me off. And that ends here. Consider this me being reasonable.” Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed the younger one’s horn and took his blade to it.

When he was done, the Blue Breed was unconscious, his horns flung away with the rest.

He ordered his men to tie them and set them beside their fallen brethren, leaving them to be found by someone else. Then he ordered them to burn the rest of the broken carrier and the exposed, contaminated supplies within, making sure no one else took what was left.

As Shade watched the carrier burn, Mika came to him after receiving a call. His usual look of excitement was gone, replaced by a grim expression. Which meant it was very bad. Bad enough that even he was wary of Shade’s reaction.

“What is it?” Shade hissed when Mika wouldn’t spit it out.

“She’s gone. She was taken out by a couple ashora who’d slipped past the guards and escaped on a transport not long ago.”

Shade didn’t move. He didn’t even look over to meet his second’s eyes. His rage transformed into something that scared even him.

“Send the drone and find them.” He spoke softly, trying to keep a measure of calm.

“No need,” Mika said. “They were spotted near the edge of the city. They are going for the rescue pod.”

Shade looked over at him, thinking maybe he’d heard him wrong. He would have asked why the ashora took her and whether she had gone willingly. But he didn’t have time for that.

He turned and started for their transport, not bothering to give orders. His men followed without question. They didn’t need to be told where they were headed.

CHAPTER 16

MADDIE

The transport dropped down only a few yards away from the pod. Maddie could see its pulsing light through the thinning fog. Gema powered down the vehicle before he and Remi jumped out and Maddie followed.

“They’ve already transferred a quarter ration,” Gema said, looking over a small tech pad. “We should move quickly.”

Maddie started for the pod, looking nowhere but toward it, as if it were a beacon in the dark, afraid if she glanced back, she wouldn’t be able to move farther. The pain—like an imaginary blade in her chest—felt like it was sinking deeper and, for a moment, seemed less like a knife and more like claws digging into her, trying to keep her from leaving.

Tears stung her eyes from the pain, but she refused to stop. It had to be this way. She should have never trusted anyone, never given herself away, let her walls break. Let him break them. Seriph was a harsh and unforgiving place that she didn’t belong. She was making the right decision. The smart one. Shade never cared for her, nor would he ever, and it was incredibly stupid of her to think otherwise. Even he had made it clear, in his hate of humans, that it wasn’t possible.

She should be happy that she was free of him at last.

“Brightburn gods, you are slow, human. Come on!” Gema called from several feet ahead.

As she moved to quicken her pace, she caught movement at the corner of her eye. Shadows stalked around her and seemed to be growing closer through the fog.

Gema had looked back to call to her again when he let out a bark of surprise. He stumbled back, and so did Remi. Confused, Maddie went to run toward them, when a tight grip pulled her back, making her cry out.

“Hello again, mad girl. Leaving us so soon?” Kronos pulled at her again, nearly ripping her arm from its socket. He and his gang appeared out of the fog to greet them, several ashora and uugari with their faces painted like skulls.

She struggled in his grip, but he only tightened it as he forced her to face him. “I heard a certain pissed-off crimelord is looking for you. I wonder what he’ll reward me with when I give you up. Or maybe…” He lifted a blade to her face. “I’ll tell him you got caught by some nasty folk who were looking to put you on the market. I tried to stop them, but they’d already cut you up for your parts. Too bad.”

“Fuck you,” Maddie whispered.

He hit her square in the jaw, cutting her lip. “Maybe just an eye. Or a leg. Something I know will sell for a decent price. Shade won’t mind, I’m sure, as long as you’re still alive. Then he can sell the rest. Just a little something for catching you. I’ll ask him to let me watch as he puts you out too, that’ll be a treat.”

Maddie screamed as he twirled her around. She saw Remi and Gema among the group forced to sit on the ground, looking dejected and nervous.

The group started to laugh as if it were all a game. They whooped and barked as Kronos forced her to her knees, putting his blade to her arm.

As he started to dig into her skin, something whooshed passed Maddie’s head, hitting Kronos in the chest. He gasped in pain and fell back, releasing her.

The gang leapt into motion, their shouts and shrieks piercing her ears. As she dropped, she caught herself with her hands. There was fighting around her, and through the mass of bodies, she could see Remi and Gema fleeing. Her mind went to the very same idea while she was still free and the aliens were distracted. She couldn’t see much in the dark, or who the valeskull gang was fighting with, nor did she care much. She crawled out of the way, then pushed off her feet and rushed for the pod.

Tears blurred her vision, and her legs ached as she ran. The pod lay upright like a rocketship instead of laying on its back like the one she’d landed on Seriph in. When she made it to the doorside, there was a wide window where she could see within. She pulled down the latch and nearly fell inside as the pod door slid open.

Maddie crumpled on the seat, whimpering. A red-hot rage began to stir in her now that she was away from Kronos and his gang. Those unbelievable assholes. She hoped whoever they were fighting was messing them up good. At least she was in the pod now, and they couldn’t get to her.

She turned around and closed the door, hearing the lock click, then she put her identification code into the control panel. The pod began to power up, the flares firing.

She froze as something beyond the glass caught her eye. One by one, the valeskull members were dropping. Taken out by men wielding blades, in familiar dark armor with a twisted insignia.

Maddie stared at them and saw one break from the rest. He approached the pod and stepped into the light of the ship.

She caught her breath in her lungs as she watched Shade beyond the glass, looking back at her with a storm in his gaze.

With a shaking hand, she pressed a button on the console and licked her lips, tasting blood. “It was never going to work…I was never supposed to be here.”

Shade placed his hands to either side of the door and leaned in. “I firmly disagree.”

She let out a hiss of breath that was meant to be a laugh but sounded more like a sob. “I wanted to believe I could trust you. I really did. I was even idiotic to think you were anything but a bad man.”

Shade tipped his head back. “I am who I am and nothing more. I do what I must to keep what I have in this place and to protect it by all means possible.”

“Even to kill.”

His eyes brightened. “I killed today because other bad men stole what was mine and killed those under my care. That is unforgivable. I killed again just now because someone I care for deeply was being threatened and taken from me. I don’t pretend to be a good man. I am only what every world has taught me to be. To survive and to rise above the darkness. I will do what I must against those who would see me fall and break everything that is mine. Or take what I love.”

Maddie shook her head, her mouth twisting. “Even now, you lie to my face. You don’t care.”

The brightness in his eyes faded. His shoulders dropped, and he looked pained. “I’m not lying, Madelyn.”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. You’ve lost, Axaria.” A tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it angrily away. “You got enough of me, didn’t you? You got to have more than you know. But I won’t let you take more.” She went to start the launch sequence, her fingers fumbling over the keyboard.

“Please, don’t do this, Madelyn.”

Maddie stilled, afraid to look back at him. There was a slow agony in his voice that she couldn’t ignore. “What are you gonna do?” she whispered. “Will you tear the door off? Will you force me out? Drag me back to The Hive screaming? Is that what you want?”

“No.”

She gazed back in surprise. His pained expression hadn’t changed.

“I could force you out. I know that.” He released his hands and took a step back. “But I also know if I were to do that, I’d never have you again. Not all of you. I’d have your body as I had before but not you, and I refuse not to have it all. So, I’m not going to force you out of this ship. But understand, if you leave now, I will follow. I will leave this place and search for however long it takes until I find you and convince you to stay.”

She looked at him as if he were insane. And she knew he was. “You can’t…”

“I can. And I will. Because when I saw you, I knew you were meant for me and only me. That you would be the mate I never thought to look for. I knew it then, even if I refused to see it, and I know it now, when I see it as the truth. So, if you leave, I must go too until I prove to you that you are meant to be by my side always.”

She had no words. The pod was close to launch, and yet her fingers stilled on the keys. She could see he meant every word. She knew he’d keep this promise the most.

“But I know you feel the same, Madelyn. I’ve felt and seen it. You can lie to yourself but not to me. Don’t end my world. Save it. Stay.”

Maddie closed her eyes, letting the rest of her tears fall. She could never hide from him or lose him no matter how far and long she ran. But she didn’t want to play a game of cat and mouse. And, ultimately, she didn’t want to hide either. It wasn’t him she fought, she knew, it was what she didn’t want to accept.

For all his darkness, she had come to love him.

Maddie opened her eyes, then pressed the launch button. A countdown started, and with one swift movement, she pulled the emergency lever to the door. It slid open, and she stepped out, allowing Shade to grab hold of her and pull her away from the pod.

The pod’s flares grew and brightened until the ship was hovering in place. It rose, slowly at first, until it took off in a flash and was far gone, a distant flame in the night.

As it disappeared, Shade brought her into his arms and held her, a slow breath escaping him. They remained there for a long while before he pulled her gently from him so that he could meet her eyes. His clawed fingers traced the side of her jaw, lovingly.

“Let’s go home,” he said, and a wide smile grew on his face. “My little queen.” He kissed her hard then, licking the blood from her cut lip. She fell again into his embrace and took all he had to offer. And when he was finished, he led her away, back into the dark.

Thank you for reading Shade’s Embrace! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Olivia’s newsletter!

TASHA BLACK

PROMISED MATE

CHAPTER 1

Hyacinth of the Seventh House glanced around the ballroom.

Beautifully dressed Drathians were all around her, their fine suits and gowns nearly as colorful as the people themselves. Some wore jewels around their necks, on dark chains that matched their curved, black horns.

“May I have this dance,” a gentleman asked, bowing to her with a hungry look in his eyes.

She smiled at him, as she had been trained to do.

While he was presumably dazzled by her smile, she took in the blackened silver chain with onyx stones on his chest.

Silver meant he was of the noble class. But onyx meant he had pledged fealty to the Azyrim Party, the one that opposed her intended’s familial line.

“It is an honor,” she said politely. “But my lord awaits.”

“Another time, perhaps,” he said, moving back into the crowd.

“Stop,” her sister’s voice cried out.

Instantly, all movement in the room froze.

The dancing figures faded out partially, revealing Lilac in a scarlet gown, frowning at Hyacinth’s reaction to the hologram simulation.

“What is it, Lilac?” Hyacinth asked as patiently as she could.

Lilac blinked at her once, and ran a hand through the long, auburn mane that perfectly matched Hyacinth’s own long hair.

“I don’t know,” she sighed.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Hyacinth asked. “I spotted the jewels. I used the proper phrasing. I’m fine. I’m not going to ruin everything.”

“Our whole world is at risk,” Lilac said, her fierce facade revealing a rare touch of vulnerability. “You can’t just be fine. You have to be perfect.”

“I know that, Lilac,” Hyacinth said.

She felt a pinch of guilt in her chest. Her sister had sacrificed her own career to accompany her on this journey. Hyacinth should be grateful.

“It’s just that you do it better for him,” Lilac said.

Ah.

Him.

Back on Pacifica, their home world, there were no men. Their leaders had founded the idyllic planet to be a woman’s paradise, with true equality, connection to the Great Mother, and peace at the forefront.

But now that the Armada had targeted their system, things had to change.

Pacifica needed an armed ally quickly, or it would be the first to fall to this new threat. And after that, the rest of the system wouldn’t be far behind.

There was no time for the slow waltz of interplanetary relations, which could take generations.

The fastest way to cement a treaty was with a wedding.

The Drathians had a considerable military, and their own unique need for such a marriage to happen quickly.

Prince Rowan of Drath was next in line for the throne. He was also rumored to be a wild playboy and not considered to be king material. The law stated that if he was wed to a woman not recognized as a full Drathian citizen, he would renounce his claim to the throne, and let his younger brother take his place as the next king.

But of course, he couldn’t marry just anyone. To avoid a complete scandal, the prince’s bride would still need to be of high enough birth to become a member of the royal family.

Hyacinth fit both criteria.

Which was precisely why the High Priestess of Pacifica had sent guards to take her from her home three years ago, when she was a normal, sixteen-year-old girl, studying the Great Mother’s texts, baking bread, and reading stories to her beloved little sisters.

In spite of the tears of her sisters and the pleas of her mother, Hyacinth had been brought to a temple at the top of Mount Serenity and given to a strange teacher brought in from The Firmament to be his ward.

It was an honor to serve the Great Mother by training to be a bride, or so she was told again and again. But she missed her family, and cried for them at night for the first few long months.

For three years now she had studied the etiquette and customs of Drath with Magister Locke. She memorized lists of its notable citizenry, and read endlessly about its warlike history. She mastered the language, including both the tone and accent to be used for any circumstance a princess might find herself in. All of these things she was supposed to do, and she did them with all her heart, for her people.

But for herself, she studied Magister Locke, wondering at the strangeness of his male form and his deep, frightening voice. She had never known a man before. He even smelled strange and foreign. At first, she had been afraid of him.

Yet as time passed, she began to crave his praise, and savor the woodsy scent and heat that radiated from him as he leaned over her texts to point out passages for her to read aloud.

Adolescent Pacifican girls were taught that the urges of the flesh were the dark one’s work, and the cradle of jealousy and war. Resisting men, and the urges they inspired, had been Pacifica’s key to the paradise of Canaan.

But all that had changed once she was chosen to be a bride. The high priestess had come to Hyacinth on her seventeenth birthday, and explained to her what happened in the marriage bed between a man and a woman, recounting all she would need to know in order to marry the Drathian prince. Though where the woman had learned of such things, Hyacinth did not know. There had certainly been no books on the subject in the Great Library of Pacifica.

Hyacinth had listened in shock and wonder as the elderly priestess tried to describe the pain, pleasure, and confusion of physical relations to her. She was meant to experience this coupling with her intended, but throughout the lesson, Hyacinth had only been able to envision her teacher’s hands and body, moving gently against her own.

And since that day, it was her great shame to know that her curiosity about Magister Locke had evolved into a desperate craving that owned her mind and body during their every interaction in the day, and even at night, when she tossed and turned on her cot, trying not to dishonor the Great Mother by touching herself.

Just a few more days, Hyacinth, she told herself. Then you’ll be with the prince, and Magister Locke will be back at The Firmament. You’ll never have to see him again.

But the thought, which was meant to be comforting, brought more pain than relief.

Magister Locke was not a bad man. He was kind to her, in spite of his harsh demands. He read to her, and praised her efforts. And though she did not actually believe in any of his science, she liked hearing him talk about it. His eyes would light up as he explained the experiments of The Firmament that had unveiled the mysteries the galaxy.

Of course, the Great Mother was actually responsible for each miracle of science he recounted. But she knew she was supposed to be learning to embrace these strange beliefs in order to secure Pacifica’s alliance with Drath. So she went along with every one.

Besides, she would never want to hurt him by arguing about something he cared about, just as he indulged her prayers of gratitude to the Great Mother when she broke her fast in the mornings. Sometimes she would open her eyes from her meditation to find him gazing at her with the strangest expression.

Heavy footsteps approaching snapped her out of her thoughts.

“What is the meaning of this?” Magister Locke’s thunderous voice echoed in the empty space, as if she had summoned him just by thinking about him.

Her cheeks heated, and she looked to Lilac for an explanation.

“She did very well, Magister Locke,” Lilac said. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“If she was doing well, why did you stop the simulation?” he demanded.

“I’m going to be fine, Magister Locke,” Hyacinth said softly, turning to him. “With the etiquette, at least. But I do need to practice dancing.”

He fixed her with his blue eyes, which were currently pale as ice, but deepened in color as he stared down at her.

She repressed a shiver of lust, begging the Great Mother to stifle her urges. But her eyes drank in his large form, the triangle shape of his wide shoulders narrowing to his waist, and his dark trousers, tailored to accommodate the long black tail unique to The Firmament’s Firor race. She hungered for a breath of his scent, and wondered what it would be like if he took her in his arms.

Aside from his tail, and some of his innate mental gifts, the Magister’s form wasn’t all that different from her own. Her ancestors were Terrans who settled on Pacifica many generations ago. She was smaller and more delicate, but from the way his muscular body seemed to sing to hers, she suspected their races were quite compatible.

“You want to dance?” he asked her, his voice gravelly.

She nodded once, not trusting herself to speak.

His face remained expressionless, but his tail twitched.

“Lilac,” he called her sister over. “Dance with her.”

She was crushed and relieved at once. This was his way. He never danced with her himself. He always called over a serving girl or a droid, or made her dance alone.

Lilac stepped briskly over to her and bowed in the Drathian fashion, then offered her hand.

But before Hyacinth could take it, there was a boom like echoing thunder. The whole room shook violently, throwing her off balance.

Hyacinth stumbled, and Magister Locke caught her by the elbow, holding her upright as a piercing siren began to split the air.

CHAPTER 2

Hyacinth’s heart pounded in her ears, competing with the blare of the siren. From beside her, she could hear her sister and Magister Locke shouting to each other, but they sounded far away.

The hologram simulation had been jostled off center, and the room seemed to be distorted now, with the corners not lined up.

Jonphar, the guard, ran into the room and began gesturing for them to go.

The ship shuddered again, and the hologram blinked out, removing the overlay of the ballroom, and revealing the empty space with the plain composite floor and the portals to the stars, which now seemed to be spinning.

“We have to go,” Magister Locke was murmuring in her ear.

But she was hypnotized by the stars outside.

“Move, Princess,” he shouted.

When she didn’t, she heard him growl.

Then she was being lifted up as if she were light as a feather. The portals disappeared as he turned and ran with her.

Jonphar slammed his hand on the sensor to open the door to the corridor.

As soon as the seal released, she heard the sounds of despair and confusion outside. But Magister Locke didn’t hesitate. He moved quickly but calmly into the press of bodies.

She caught a glimpse of crew members sprinting down the hallway, shouting in languages her translation chip didn’t recognize.

“The pods are this way, Magister Locke,” Jonphar said, jogging ahead.

But the ship listed hard to the side before they could follow.

Magister Locke’s wide stance allowed him to stay on his feet while the guard was thrown and hit his shoulder hard on a concrete column. He screamed in pain, his arm hanging at an odd angle.

Lilac must have fallen, too. She crawled to him, pulling herself up and wrenching at his shoulder.

But Magister Locke kept moving and Hyacinth wasn’t able to see what happened.

“W-wait for my sister,” she whispered.

“We can’t wait, Princess,” he told her firmly. “The fate of your people rests on your life.”

“Lilac,” she screamed, trying to fight her way out of his arms.

But it was like trying to break out of a prison cell. The muscular arms that cradled her so gently were like mithranium bands.

He carried her past the small dining car, where the hold must have shattered. Colorful beverage cells from the display machine rolled around the floor, exploding as people stepped on them while running to get to the escape pods. Their cloyingly sweet scent hung in the air, turning her stomach.

Fear threatened to overwhelm her, and she wondered how they would ever get into a pod when so many others were running ahead of them, and Magister Locke had to carry her.

“Some of the pods are assigned,” he murmured, as if reading her mind. “No one will be able to access ours but the two of us.”

But when she glanced up at him, his jaw was set and his eyes were far away, as if he had other worries he wasn’t voicing.

The woman who made the beds in the morning staggered past, holding her arm, her sleeve soaked in blood.

Hyacinth felt her heart pinch with sorrow.

“Close your eyes, Princess,” Magister Locke said gruffly. “It’s easier that way.”

She obeyed him immediately, trying to focus on the warmth of his chest and the steady, comforting beat of his heart.

The scholars of The Firmament were trained in military exercises as well as intellectual pursuits. He would not allow harm to come to her.

And Lilac was a skilled healer. Surely, she had fixed Jonphar’s shoulder, and the two were on their way to the pods now as well.

Everything will be okay. It has to be.

“Out of the way,” Magister Locke shouted calmly, slowing his pace.

She snuck a look at the crowd around the pods and closed her eyes again as it surged back against them.

From somewhere, a tentacle slid around her ankle, and she moaned in fear. Some desperate being was clinging to them, as its only hope of escape.

“Hold on,” Magister Locke murmured, releasing his right arm from around her.

There was a cracking sound and the tentacle let go.

Then his arm was under her again and they were moving once more.

“Hit the sensor,” he commanded.

The control panel was blinking in front of her. But she craned her neck to look around the crowd for her sister, not wanting to board without knowing Lilac had reached her pod, too.

Locke muttered an unspeakable curse and grabbed her hand, placing it against the glass.

There was the hiss of a seal breaking and the crowd surged at them again.

But Locke pulled her inside and slammed his hand on the controls, closing the portal behind them.

Just before the seal engaged, Hyacinth caught a glimpse of Jonphar and her sister dragging each other toward another pod.

CHAPTER 3

Viktor Locke, Magister Scholar and Ambassador Most Honorable of the Sector, pulled the would-be princess into his arms and held her there as the door sealed behind them, cutting them off from the rest of the world.

How many times had he dreamed of having Hyacinth alone, pulling her to his chest, holding her so close that her clean, honeysuckle scent washed over him?

But here they were, and she was shaking and sobbing with terror.

At times, his gift of heightened empathy was a blessing. But right now, tasting her fear, still tinged with the echo of her longing, was hard to bear.

If her goddesses were real, they certainly had a sense of humor.

Or perhaps this was his punishment for dreaming of her. Though he could hardly be blamed for what happened when he slept. And he made sure that his waking behavior was blameless.

“Easy, Princess,” he murmured into her hair. “We need to get you strapped in, so I can get us out of here.”

“I hate when you call me that,” she whispered.

“I know,” he said, smiling. If she was with him enough to remember their philosophical differences, then she probably wasn’t going into shock.

The whole ship rocked again, and she gasped her sister’s name.

“Lilac is almost certainly already out of danger,” he reminded her. “We saw her getting into that pod.”

Hyacinth allowed herself to be led to the crash seat, but she was still trembling. He released the straps from the back and bottom of the squishy seat and gently pulled one set over her shoulders and then another up between her thighs.

He clicked the uppers in place, but when he got to the lower straps, he had to push her gown aside to fasten them properly.

Her eyes went wide, and she stilled as his hand barely skimmed the sweet softness of her inner thigh.

He gritted his teeth and kept working, securing the straps to the release between her breasts, and then tugging to ensure the whole thing was properly tightened.

He moved next to her and strapped himself in quickly, and not half so carefully. Time was flying by, and each second brought them closer to going down with the ship.

He slid the control panel up and tapped the hologram that floated above its surface, noticing with approval that it took a retinal scan of each of them.

He hadn’t wanted to say it earlier, but it was possible that Lilac and the guard could have been forced out of the way of their pod by the crew that had gathered there. But no one else would be able to take it, and the crew probably knew as much - making Lilac’s odds of escape excellent.

Thankfully, there were few other passengers on the shuttle.

He applied himself to the pod controls. The instructions for take-off were almost insultingly simple. But that was probably best for the kind of high-stress situations it was designed to be used in. He activated the program and waited.

The pod clattered and then slid forward on the rails before it was released into the void with a quick burst of fuel.

Hyacinth gasped beside him.

“All of that is exactly how it was supposed to happen,” he told her lightly. “It’s a bit of a rough ride because pods aren’t fancy. But they get the job done. We’re free of the craft now. I just have to make sure the pod automatically locks onto the beacon at the nearest safe haven.”

She nodded tightly.

He felt pride at the kernel of dignity rising up in her again, in spite of her fear. He had taught her well. But so much of that spirit was her own, forged before he had ever met her.

Turning his attention back to the screen beneath the hologram, he frowned and swiped to go in closer.

Rings of the outer bounds…

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“The automatic programming has malfunctioned,” he said calmly. “It’s not registering any nearby beacons. But I can take over manually.”

He chose not to share that they had also apparently been launched in the opposite direction of civilization. The likelihood of him finding safe haven in time, without the help of the computer, was negligible at best.

This pod would be their tomb if he couldn’t reprogram it himself.

Calling on a lifetime of meditational study, he closed his eyes and willed himself to slow his heightened pulse and heart rate. He would think more clearly when his body was calm.

And he would use less of their allotted oxygen.

Once he was in a clear mind-state, Viktor applied himself to the computer, carefully routing and rerouting sequences until he had built a rustic but functional auto-scan feature using the manual controls.

It would not work as swiftly as the original, and they were starting at a disadvantage due to the botched launch. But it was better than nothing, and far superior to relying on his own eyes.

He pretended to fool with it for another moment, buying himself time before he had to talk with the girl. She was extremely perceptive, and he did not wish to frighten her further.

Viktor had enjoyed a measure of life experience before taking his current position. But Hyacinth of the Seventh House had been deprived of her freedoms too young to have known real danger.

And he was worried that the current situation was not only hopelessly dangerous, but also suspicious, because of her presence.

The Armada wouldn’t like to see a noble of Pacifica marrying into the royalty of an armed ally. And there were certainly members of the Drathian court that had their own reasons to oppose the union. She might be from Pacifica, but her ancestry was Terran, and that still carried some of the old stigma among the races that considered themselves more advanced.

The fact that the reliable, slow-moving shuttle craft had suffered a failure on the last leg of their journey to meet with the prince was unlikely enough.

When coupled with Hyacinth’s assigned pod being the only one mis-programmed?

Well, it could be a coincidence, but the odds were slim. It was more likely that their misadventure had been carefully planned, though by what faction was not yet clear. Viktor would set his mind to that problem as soon as he got them out of this one. He cursed himself for not anticipating such an occurrence, but he’d been too distracted by the girl, and his duties as her teacher.

“Is it supposed to be this cold?” she asked, her clear voice cutting through his musings.

She was right. It was cold, and getting colder.

“I’ll check the climate control,” he told her.

Deactivated, further confirming his suspicions.

“Looks like this pod doesn’t have climate control,” he lied through his teeth. “Most likely because it aims to find safe haven too swiftly to need it.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, you know,” she said softly.

“What?” he demanded.

“I’m not a child anymore,” she said. “I understand that the world isn’t always kind and just.”

Damn it. She was right.

“I suspect both the shuttle and the pod may have been sabotaged in an attempt to stop your marriage,” he told her simply. “I will do everything in my power to save us.”

“That’s better,” she replied, her voice calm and even.

But he had taught her that technique himself. The poor girl was terrified.

He didn’t blame her. Their situation wasn’t looking good.

He glanced at her and noticed that she was trembling again. The temperature had dropped to a dangerous level. His own metabolism could handle it. Hers could not.

“You’re freezing,” he heard himself say. “Let me hold you.”

He felt her surprise and then another wave of her longing and it nearly undid him.

It had happened for the first time the morning after her special lesson with the High Priestess. And as desperately as he tried to ignore it, with each passing year, it became more impossible.

The girl was dutiful, kind, and unselfish. Reading emotions often showed him the ugly side of life. But in spite of being stolen from her home to be sent away as a painfully young bride, Hyacinth’s emotions were pure and generous.

The only thing that made her feel shame was her desire for him. And that he could not give her.

No matter how much he wanted to.

It felt like he had been living his life on a very thin tightrope, waiting for the slightest breeze to make him fall.

Mind over matter.

He unstrapped himself and watched as she tried to do the same, but her shaking hands made the task difficult for her.

“Need a little help, Princess?” he asked, hoping to annoy her enough that somehow, they would survive their temptation.

She nodded tersely and he moved to her, sliding his fingers gently against the release on her chest.

The straps fell away.

He settled himself back in front of the screen and gestured for her to come to him.

“Sit between my legs, with your back to my chest,” he instructed her, in the same way he would have explained the proper formation of wing mounts in a Drathian parade. “We’ll share our body heat, and I can keep an eye on the screen.”

But when she settled her soft form on the seat in front of him and leaned back against his chest, he was unable to concentrate on the screen, or anything else.

There was only her honeysuckle scent surrounding him, and the softness of her slender curves melting into his sculpted muscles.

His tail moved to caress her shoulder before he could stop it.

“Ah,” she sighed contentedly. Presumably she was enjoying his heat, but the sound went straight to his libido.

If he believed in her goddesses, he would pray to them now for strength over his desire and hers.

But her innocent longing washed over him in helpless waves, the emotion equal to her fear, perhaps even surpassing it.

He ached to overthrow duty for an hour, maybe his last, and soothe his princess in the way they both craved.

In his desperation not to fall prey to temptation, he pulled away from her slightly. She only snuggled in closer, pressing her bottom against him in a way that made him clench his jaw to hold onto the last of his control.

CHAPTER 4

Hyacinth’s heart was beating so fast that even her thoughts were slowing like tree-syrup on a winter morning.

If she’d died five minutes ago, her only regret would have been that she had never known what it was like to be held in Magister Locke’s strong arms.

But now he held her close, and she could feel the rippling muscles of his chest and arms with every breath he took.

His intoxicating woodsy scent surrounded her, and everything else fell away as her body trembled with a mix of desire and hypothermia.

“It’s only going to get colder, Princess,” he bit out.

On Pacifica, they believed that all people were equal. While her birth might identify her technically as a noble, calling her a princess was an offense, whether she was promised to a prince or not.

But she couldn’t find it in herself to resent the word right now.

His voice was so low and raspy, rumbling deep within her. It was the voice of a man practically in pain.

Was he scared, or did he want her, too?

There was no time for her to be subtle.

“How much oxygen do we have left?” she asked.

“Thirty-six hours until we run out of air,” he told her. “But we’ll freeze to death long before that happens.”

She went still, fear closing its jaws on her at last.

“Stay with me, Hyacinth,” he said, his voice tight with worry. “Hyacinth.”

He lifted her and turned her in his lap, then cupped her jaw in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes.

They were the palest blue now.

Her heart stuttered and skipped a beat as she watched them darken with something that looked like wanting. But surely that was only her own wishful thinking.

“Magister Locke,” she breathed.

Her face was still in his hand, and he leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.

Their lips were so close that she could practically taste him as they shared a breath.

He groaned as if in surrender, and she closed her eyes.

A beep sounded from the screen.

She opened her eyes to see that his were now fixed on the board behind her.

“There’s something there,” he breathed. “Something with a hospitable environment.”

She turned to look as well with her heart in her mouth.

Sure enough, a green dot blinked on the screen.

Magister Locke began working the controls, fierce concentration making him appear stern and warlike.

A shiver went through her. She knew that such violence was the downfall of man. But it was impossible not to indulge her eyes in the view of his strong jaw, his forearms corded with muscle as he pulled and twisted the manual controls as the pod entered the atmosphere and was tossed like a ship in a storm.

“We’re close now, Princess,” he told her. “Strap in.”

But instead, she knelt to draw his straps up his thighs first.

His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her down there, but she couldn’t let anything happen to him. And he was already busy. It shouldn’t be such a surprise that she was capable of helping, not just being helped.

She finished fastening his straps, then seated herself and saw to her own as the pod smoothed out a bit.

When she sat back, they were close enough to the safe haven that she could see the lush green surface of it, looming closer and closer at an alarming rate.

“We’re going fast, and I don’t have a lot of control,” he spat out. “Brace yourself, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

The word echoed seductively in her mind so that she almost forgot to be afraid.

That word was assigned to lovers, and occasionally to little children. And Hyacinth was not a little child.

Magister Locke cursed under his breath and flipped a switch.

The pod began to scream, and the tiny craft jostled Hyacinth against the seat.

In spite of the gelatinous softness of the crash seat, she felt as if she had been hit by a hover-car.

She sipped in shallow breaths, just enough to repeat the Great Mother’s prayer for crashing ships, as Locke continued to slam the controls.

They hit the first tree with a screech and a sound like dragon claws rending the composite body of the pod. As they tumbled end over end toward the ground, Hyacinth lost track of which way was up.

Too terrified to scream, she prayed to the goddesses in her mind, begging them to protect herself and her teacher, to protect the trees they were harming in their descent, to ensure no animals great or small would be in their path on the ground below.

She closed her eyes and saw her first Woman’s Ceremony - her mother and the other women gathered in scarlet gowns, chanting thanks to the Great Mother for the gift of life.

However fleeting and filled with toil, we thank you, Mother, for your gift. We breathe it in and sing out your praise. We lift up the life you give us to honor our sisters, and we give it back with all our hearts when you call us home—

The prayer was left unfinished when the pod finally hit the ground with bone shattering finality, and slid forward until it banged into something and stopped moving at last.

After the cacophony of the crash, the pod was eerily silent, save for their harsh panting. Hyacinth felt glassy and strange. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion now. Her hair stood out over her head like a fiery corona, and she realized almost absently that they were upside-down.

“Princess,” Magister Locke gasped.

He unstrapped himself and landed in a graceful crouch on the ceiling of the pod, which she supposed was now the floor, his tail swirling out behind him like an inky ribbon.

“Beautiful,” she murmured.

“What’s that?” he asked worriedly, tugging at her restraints to free her.

“Your tail,” she said dreamily, and closed her eyes.

“No you don’t, Princess,” he said sternly. “Wake up this instant. You don’t have the luxury of fainting right now. We’re on a strange planet, maybe a hostile one. I need you to have your wits about you.”

Her straps gave way and she plopped unceremoniously into his strong arms.

She placed her palm against his chest, and the steady beat of his heart brought her world back into its proper rhythm again.

She blinked rapidly and looked up at him.

His eyes were darkening all over again. He looked away from her, almost pointedly.

“I’m going to put you down so I can open the hatch,” he warned her. “Stay behind me, stay close, and for the sake of all your goddesses, do exactly as I say at all times.”

That stung a little. Hyacinth had always honored the Great Mother by respecting her teacher, and all the priestesses as well.

Besides, Magister Locke didn’t even believe in the goddesses. He hadn’t said so blatantly, but she could tell by the way he spoke of the scholars and scientists of The Firmament that his faith lay with them.

“Have I ever given you reason to think I won’t obey?” she demanded hotly.

“There’s my girl,” he chuckled. “Stay behind me. And remember, this isn’t Pacifica. Things might not always be what they seem.”

He slammed his palm on the door sensor and the seal hissed. He spun the wheel and the door shuddered at first, then fell open, revealing a shivering sea of brilliant green leaves and grasses unlike anything she’d ever seen.

This isn’t Pacifica…

CHAPTER 5

Hyacinth tried to do as Magister Locke asked and stand guard as he worked.

But she wasn’t very good at it. Each time she called his attention to something, it turned out to be the wind in the leaves, or a normal sound of the forest.

Their pod had created a small clearing when it crashed and slid, uprooting small trees and shrubs. Her teacher was using the flat surface to lay out all the things they would be taking with them.

He’d told her that vegetation here was too dense for their comms to work, or they were just too far from civilization to get a clean signal. They would have to travel to a higher, clearer point to try to send for help.

A strange bird cried out, and she nearly jumped, but managed to hold onto a scrap of dignity at the last moment when she saw it take to the sky, its odd green plumage fluttering like the leaves on the trees.

The climate here was cool, but humid. Magister Locke’s exertions had him sweaty enough that his clothing clung to him, the snowy white of his shirt sheer enough to show the rippling muscle underneath.

She licked her lips and forced herself to train her eyes on the perimeter once more, muttering a small prayer for serenity and clutching the cold-iron symbol she wore as a pendant. He’d given her a job, and she meant to do it. All their efforts would be for nothing if some alien predator snuck up on them while she was distracted by her base temptations.

Leaves shivered and shook in the slight breeze, but there was nothing concrete in the ominous darkness between the trees to report to Locke.

He disappeared into the pod again and she felt incredibly alone and exposed without him. Sounds from within made it seem like he was tearing the walls apart.

Flashes of their crash flooded her mind, and she had to breathe in and out steadily to prevent panic from setting in.

Magister Locke had taught her the art of meditation, and though she did not have his gift, she had learned to use her breath to control her mind and body in a rudimentary way.

She focused on her breathing and a memory leapt into her mind.

Sixteen-year-old Hyacinth awoke in the night, whimpering from a nightmare. Her hands searched blindly for her big sister, Lilac, before she realized that she was on Mount Serenity and her bed belonged only to her.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around herself, looking around the sterile white room with its pale pillars and cold, white-stone floors.

Sobs racked her body, and she cried silently for her mother and sisters and their small home down in the valley, where there were always the sounds and smells of her own family and the neighbors cooking and playing and laughing.

Here, she was alone in a life bereft of warmth and color. And soon, she would be given unto the violent world of men. She clutched her iron pendant, a symbol meant to honor the Great Mother, and offered up a small prayer to ease her sorrow. But the Great Mother didn’t seem to be listening just then.

A light tap on her door and soft footsteps pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see the shape of stern Magister Locke, blurred by her tears.

He had probably come to scold her for waking up crying instead of sleeping so that she would be a strong and healthy princess. Though how he had known she was crying was impossible for her to imagine. She had endeavored to keep silent.

He lived to torture her. And nothing she ever did was right enough for him.

But tonight, instead of criticizing, he sat on the edge of her bed, something almost like sympathy in his pale blue eyes.

“Time to work,” he said gently.

She cocked her head at him inquisitively.

They never worked in the middle of the night. Yet those were the words with which he always began his lessons.

“Kneel,” he told her. “Hands on your thighs, palms up.”

Her body obeyed him automatically.

“Good,” he told her. “Close your eyes and focus your thoughts on your breath.”

She did as she was told, and he led her through the ancient practice of controlled breathing.

“Think of a place,” he told her, when her breaths were deep and even. “A place you love, that gives you peace.”

The overgrown, backyard shrine to the Great Mother appeared instantly in her memory.

“Go there in your mind,” he told her. “Look around calmly. Notice not just what you see, but also what you hear and what you smell.”

The flowering vines of the sweet peas in the vegetable garden grew up around the ankles of the stone statue of the Great Mother, reaching for her swollen belly, as if even the sweet peas craved her tranquility and warmth. Three small wooden benches surrounded the statue, and the stone walls of the yard formed a fortress around her.

Hyacinth could hear her mother humming hymns and banging around to find her favorite copper pots as she prepared the evening meal. Somewhere in the street out front, her little sisters, Daisy and Pansy, were giggling and yelling to each other over a game they had invented.

The scent of steaming vegetables hung in the air. Combined with the scent of wet, rich soil, it formed a tapestry that would always make Hyacinth think of the Great Mother, and of home.

She had not seen the little shrine in the weeks since the priestesses had brought her to the mountain, but it was as if she was there now. Her heart filled with peace, and she felt her shoulders drop slightly, as if she had been holding them higher without thinking about it.

“Good girl,” Magister Locke told her. “Drink it in, and remember that you can come here anytime you wish.”

She didn’t acknowledge him. She was too afraid of losing her tenuous grip on home.

“When I was younger than you, I was taken to live and study with the scholars in the floating city,” he told her, his voice suddenly deeper and warmer than usual. “The pain will ease faster if you make yourself the master of it, instead of the other way around.”

After a time, she felt the bed move slightly, and heard her door click closed behind him.

Reluctantly, she roused herself slightly and lay down. Sleep took her gently for the first time since her arrival.

CHAPTER 6

What felt like a lifetime later, her heartbeat slow and her vision clear, Hyacinth took the pack Magister Locke held out and swung it onto her back.

It was so much heavier than she expected that she almost stumbled.

“Can you handle that much weight?” he asked her.

She nodded, though she wasn’t sure how quickly she could move with it.

“You’ve got our entire supply of water,” he told her. “So it will get lighter quickly.”

If he was trying to comfort her, it wasn’t working. The idea that she could carry their entire water supply on her back only made her feel like a clock was ticking on their survival, like she was back on that pod with the temperature dropping.

“Look at all the vegetation,” he said in a calm, patient voice, as if he had read her mind. “There’s definitely a water source here. We’ll just have to find it.”

And hope it’s not poisonous.

She nodded, trying not to show her fears on her face.

It must have satisfied him. He bent to retrieve his own pack, and swung it effortlessly over his back.

“We want to find higher ground,” he told her. “There’s a rocky cliff that way. We’ll make our way to it and climb as high as we have to, so that our comms have an unobstructed signal.”

She looked in the direction he was pointing and nearly gasped with horror.

She hadn’t noticed the cliffs before, because they were so far away that they nearly faded into the gray of the sky.

Between here and there, the bristling green of the jungle stretched out, unbroken.

This is the definition of a hopeless cause.

But she didn’t voice her negative thoughts. After all, Locke had taught her that an ambassador for her people doesn’t rely on sarcasm and bitterness - she keeps her chin up and makes an example of her hard work.

“We’d better start moving,” she said as calmly as she could. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”

He stared at her for a moment with those disquieting, pale-blue eyes.

Then he nodded once, and they set off into the trees.

Under the canopy, Hyacinth’s eyes had to adjust to the darkness for a moment. Once they did, she could see that the jungle had a wild beauty to it. Large, waxy leaves in unfamiliar shapes and patterns adorned even the humblest shrubs. The earth was a deep, dark brown, and it smelled like springtime. The bark of some of the trees looked so smooth that it was almost as if it had been sanded and polished.

Without thinking, she reached her hand out to test the satiny-looking bark.

“Don’t touch anything,” Magister Locke snapped.

She drew her hand back as if it had been burned.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said softly. “But we don’t know anything about this planet. The vegetation could have poison thorns, or even camouflaged animals trying to blend in. It’s best not to touch anything you don’t have to.”

“I understand,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed.

They kept moving through the silent trees, only the occasional twitching of his tail telling her how alert he was. A stand of thinner evergreens allowed enough light from above for ground coverage to grow, and the smaller plants took full advantage. The forest floor became a carpet of leafy, green vines with tiny purple flowers.

Obeying Locke’s instructions, she didn’t stop and try to pick the flowers or even bend to sniff them, although they looked delightful.

Ahead, she thought she could hear the movement of water, as if they were close to a creek.

“Wait,” Locke said, lifting his hand up.

She stopped instantly.

“If there’s water nearby, there may be animals too,” he warned her. “We’ll want to move quietly. And if we see something, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

“Of course,” she said.

But she said it distractedly, because there was movement in the ivy at their feet. It was a quick, slithering movement, drawing closer.

“What is it?” he asked.

“There’s something on the ground, near us,” she murmured, her blood going cold at the thought. “A snake?”

Then she felt it on her ankles, something grabbing onto her with tiny hands, sinking in its claws and using them to climb up her calves.

She let out a tiny shriek of terror and the leaves of the nearby shrubs rustled, as if in response.

“Hold still,” Locke murmured. “And stay quiet.”

She nodded, holding a hand over her mouth to throttle another scream as she watched him pull out a laser machete from his pack.

He crouched at her feet and pulled up on the vines that were closest to her.

With a brisk, firm motion, he cut through the stalk.

There was an odd, squealing sound and a foul smell filled the air.

She felt the little hands on her legs tighten suddenly and then let loose. Maybe whatever it was didn’t want to be exposed to the light?

Locke cursed and slashed at the vines near his own feet.

There were more squeals and more blood-like juice splashed out. It began to occur to her that there hadn’t been something in the vines attacking them.

They were being attacked by the vines themselves.

“Move, Princess,” Locke growled, grabbing her arm and marching her across the ivy-laden area and back toward the deeper darkness of the jungle.

She obeyed him automatically, her mind still unable to accept what she had just seen. At last, the darkness closed in around them once more, and there was nothing but soil and forest debris underfoot.

“Was that really just the vines?” she asked him softly, needing to be sure he had seen what she saw.

“It seems the plant life here lives closer to our speed,” he observed calmly.

“What do you mean?” she demanded.

“If you made a time-lapse holo of growing vines in a forest back on your Pacifica, for example,” he told her, cutting through a thick patch of overgrowth with the machete, “you could watch it back at high speed. And if you did that, you would see that the vines have tiny roots that are almost like hands. You would be able to see the vines climbing walls and trees, trying to get to the light. To you, their fight for survival might look almost human.”

“But that’s natural,” she said. “They need light to live. Climbing up a living creature is different.”

“Not if it’s necessary for their survival,” he said. “We’re not on Pacifica anymore, Princess.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“What if they need us to fertilize the soil?” he asked. “What if fast-living plants need more nutrients than the kind you know back home? What if they are not even strictly plants at all?”

“So, they were trying to pull us down and eat us?” she asked, horrified.

“Back on your home, you eat plants,” he remarked. “Don’t you think they would find that barbaric?”

“I never thought about it that way,” she said thoughtfully.

“But we learned a valuable lesson here,” he told her. “We must keep moving. We don’t want to slow down when we’re close to any of these plants.”

She almost laughed, and then realized he wasn’t kidding.

“Magister Locke,” she said carefully. “How are we supposed to do that? There’s nothing around us but a sea of green.”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Obviously, there’s a lot of plant life between here and the cliffs. But we’ll figure it out. For the most part, we’ll be looking out for rocks and water. It’s possible that those might make for safe places to rest.”

“Possible?” she echoed.

“If there aren’t dangerous animals there already,” he clarified.

She nodded and tried not to think about the fact that she was already tired. She had no idea when darkness came on this planet, but when it did, it seemed she was right to fear what she couldn’t see.

“Come on,” he encouraged her. “Help me look for a rocky area.”

She set her chin and continued marching forward with more determination than before.

After all, she certainly couldn’t stand still.

CHAPTER 7

Hours later, Viktor fed the fire and watched with satisfaction as the vines shrank further away from the flames.

So long as he kept the fire going, he ought to be able to keep them away from the cave.

Hyacinth was inside. She had told him she wanted to wash up as best she could after their intense journey.

While the idea of tidying up instead of resting after the day they had experienced might be a little funny, he had to hand it to her. Hyacinth had seized the day like one of the heroes of old. If he thought a pampered princess couldn’t handle a little hiking and danger, he was sorely mistaken.

Though he couldn’t read her thoughts, he could taste her fierce determination in the face of every object they encountered.

Not for the first time, he found himself wondering about her life before she had been chosen.

Who had she been? And what potential had the high priestess seen that led her to believe the spunky child with the solemn eyes should serve the Great Mother by leaving her people?

“Is it working?” her soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Appears to be, yes,” he told her, indicating the vines, which had slunk away and were holding about five feet back from the fire.

“Do they sleep in the darkness?” she asked.

“That’s a damned good question,” he said thoughtfully. “Plants where we come from are dormant at night, aren’t they?”

“Language,” she admonished, then looked at the vines suspiciously. “I guess we’ll keep an eye on them.”

After all they had been through, she was still worried about propriety. She was going to make a fine princess. He lifted his eyes to the sky. It was darkening, and soon there would be nothing but stars above.

“Sit,” he told her, indicating a place next to him.

Too close, the wiser side of himself whispered inwardly.

But it was too late, she was already lowering herself to the stony ground beside him. He noticed approvingly that she had brought out the thin blanket that he’d rolled in her pack. She spread it over her legs and sighed in contentment.

“It’s good to rest,” he agreed with her. “And it’s not exactly fine dining, but I’ve got protein cells for us, too.”

He pulled them out, popped the seal on one and handed it to her, then prepared his own.

She drank hers down at once.

He followed suit, trying not to wince at the taste. His stomach didn’t care. It had been grumbling for hours.

“I’ve always hated these,” Hyacinth said thoughtfully, studying the empty cell. “But that one almost tasted good. I guess that’s the upside to running for your life.”

He chuckled.

“Wow,” she said.

“What?” he asked.

“That’s the second time I’ve heard you laugh today,” she told him.

“I’ve got to hold onto my sense of humor,” he said lightly.

“And it’s also the second time ever,” she added.

“That can’t be right,” he said, frowning and thinking back.

“Of course it is,” she said, smiling. “You’re probably the most serious person I’ve ever met.”

“Not more serious than the high priestess,” he suggested.

“Oh, you only think that because you haven’t been to the bacchanals,” she laughed.

“Men are not allowed to attend the bacchanals,” he pointed out.

“True,” she said. “But I’ll bet you’ve heard them.”

He certainly had. The music had risen from the city below all the way up to his small room at the top of the tower.

“Is it strange to be the only man in a female world?” she asked him.

“Not as strange as I expected,” he told her. “Pacifica is lovely, and the priestesses treated me with respect.”

“Did you expect otherwise?” she asked, sounding surprised.

“No, of course not,” he said, after a brief pause.

“Go on, spit it out,” she laughed. “What did you expect?”

“Great rings,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t want to know.”

“Of course I want to know,” she chided him. “You have to tell me.”

“I don’t have to,” he teased.

“Oh, come on, haven’t I earned it?” she asked. “We almost died today. I deserve some entertainment.”

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he offered. “If I tell you what I expected from your people, will you tell me what your thoughts were about men before you met me?”

She turned and studied him for a moment.

“Sure,” she said at last.

What had that look meant? It was probably better not to reach out with his special sense for clues.

“You have to know that the other planets have great respect for Pacifica,” he began.

“Uh-oh,” she laughed.

“What?” he demanded.

“I’m waiting for the but,” she said.

“But… we do have a lot of preconceived notions about your people,” he admitted.

“Like what?” she asked.

“Well, there are those who seem to think only elderly women would agree to live on a planet without men,” he began, choosing the least offensive stereotype. “So, they make jokes asking who takes out the oubliette and opens the pickle jars.”

“Tough, but fair,” she said with an impish grin. “We do have to open our own pickle jars.”

“There are some who say you all hate men,” he said. “And that I’d be torn apart at the gates.”

“Well, you saw for yourself that’s not true,” she said. “What else?”

“Oh, that’s pretty much everything,” he lied, not wanting to get into the final and most prevalent misbelief.

“Liar,” she said, elbowing him in the ribs. “Tell me the rest.”

“I honestly don’t think you want to hear about it, Princess,” he admitted.

“Of course I do,” she said, seriously this time. “If we get out of here, I’m going to one of those other planets, to represent my people on the intergalactic circuit. It’s only right that I know what others think of us.”

“That’s a damned good point,” he realized out loud. How had he not thought of this sooner and prepared her? He’d been too protective.

“Language, Magister Locke,” she teased.

“I’m not really your teacher anymore,” he said, testing the words. “You’ve left home, so my work is done.”

And if he wasn’t her teacher anymore, maybe his desires were less reprehensible now…

“You’ll always be my teacher,” she said warmly. “But you’re not getting out of this just by playing on my sentimentality. Spill.”

“Some believe that the women on Pacifica are sex-starved and desperate,” he said quickly.

“Really?” she asked, her tone giving nothing away.

“A couple of guys told me to lock the door to my bedchamber or I’d wake up to half a dozen naked women all trying to, er, use me at once,” he admitted.

“And did you experience anything like that?” she asked quietly.

Strange. There was a flavor to her thoughts he had not tasted before. Something bitter…

“No, Princess,” he said solemnly. “No one has been in my bedchamber but me.”

Sweetness filled her thoughts once more, but also longing.

“We are unlikely to make it off this planet,” she observed quietly.

He tried to follow her thoughts, which seemed to bounce and ricochet.

“I will do everything in my power to get us safely back on track,” he promised her. “And in the meantime, I will gladly give my life to protect you.”

“Because of your pledge,” she said.

She was referring to the Teacher’s Pledge he had taken back on Pacifica, in a ceremony that bound them as teacher and student.

But he would give his life for hers even without the pledge. He knew it to his bones.

“We are not on Pacifica anymore,” he reminded her.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“The pledge no longer binds me,” he said. “I do what is in my heart.”

“Your heart tells you to protect me?” she breathed.

But this was too close to the truth, and he felt a pang of his own longing, curling around hers.

“Now you owe me your side of the bargain,” he reminded her, trying desperately not to think of her desire. “What do your people think of men?”

“We do not think of them,” she said simply.

“That can’t be true,” he protested.

“We have no men,” she pointed out. “And what we learn of our own planet is based on the deeds of our own people. There is a lesson taught in primary school, explaining why we prefer to be a female people.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Gender dichotomy leads to injustice,” she said. “And female-led planets tend to be more peaceful and prosperous.”

“Do you agree?” he asked.

She blinked at him, as if she were completely blindsided by the question.

“I do not know,” she said slowly. “I have not lived on any other planet. But it is merely a fact. There is nothing there to disagree with. Pacifica enjoys prosperity and peace.”

“And for many centuries too,” he added, nodding. “It is very nearly unprecedented.”

“But, knowing you, I do not imagine that being male makes you more war-like,” she said. “You have a kind and gentle nature.”

“You were afraid of me when I arrived,” he pointed out. She could deny it if she liked, but he remembered her trembling.

“You are excessively large,” she retorted. “And your voice seemed as deep and dark as the night.”

He smiled at her honest reaction. “I suppose compared to the people of Pacifica, I am different,” he agreed. “I am sorry for being so excessive in my size and voice.”

He was only teasing, but she turned to him with solemn eyes.

“I no longer believe anything about you is excessive, Magister Locke,” she said. “I believe everything about you is… just as it should be.”

He was taken aback by this admission of what felt like more than the budding lust he had always thought he was reading in her emotions.

It felt like love.

“Do you remember the night you found me crying?” she asked softly. “You comforted me with your meditation. And you said you were taken from your own home as a boy.”

“I did not mean to burden you with my own story, Princess,” he said softly.

“Quite the opposite,” she said. “It was the first time on Mount Serenity that I did not feel alone.”

An invisible fist squeezed his heart.

She is promised to another.

“I should gather more fuel to feed the fire,” he said gruffly, getting to his feet before he could succumb to the need to pull her to his chest. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”

He strode off without looking back at her, hoping she came to her senses before he got back.

CHAPTER 8

Hyacinth lay in the cool darkness of the cave, looking out at the dancing flames.

Magister Locke had been gathering wood for too long, and though she had obeyed his wish for her to stay inside, she didn’t dare go to sleep until he was back. What if something happened and he needed her?

Her ears strained for any sound of a struggle in the darkness.

Their conversation tonight had touched her heart. They had not touched on their feelings, or even revealed much about the past. But it was the first time they had spoken as equals, maybe even as friends.

You are promised to another.

Her inner critic was right. But it was beginning to feel like she was unlikely to fulfill that promise. After all, they were lost, without use of comms, on a strange and hostile planet.

She would probably die here, without having been anyone’s bride.

Like your mother and your sisters, she reminded herself. Like everyone you have ever known.

If she hadn’t been taken to Mount Serenity and spent the last of her teenage years being told fairy tales from the planet that awaited her, she wouldn’t have cared or even thought about it.

But Magister Locke had taught her that there was something sacred about mated relations. And over time, she had slowly come to believe him. And now that she craved the physical release of mating, she was destined not to experience it.

Movement outside the cave had her holding her breath and preparing to fight for her life.

But Magister Locke’s big form stepped into view, silhouetted by the fire as he added to it slowly from a bundle of wood in his arms. He had built a sort of V-shaped structure, and she could see now that it would self-feed the fire, with more logs dropping in as the ones in the flames burnt up.

She watched, enjoying the sight of his muscles flexing and stretching in the firelight. He was beautiful, truly. The women of Pacifica liked to say that men were brutish and ugly. But Hyacinth didn’t agree. At least not about this one.

She wondered if she would feel the same about her husband.

When Locke appeared to be satisfied with the fire, he bent and placed the rest of his armload in the opening of the cave, arranging it cleverly, so that if anything tried to enter, they would hear the dry sticks clatter.

She waited for him to join her, wondering if he would hold her in his arms again like he had in the pod. The temperature had dropped precipitously the moment the sun went down, and she was feeling cold again.

“Hyacinth,” he murmured softly.

“I’m awake,” she murmured back.

He stretched out beside her, resting his head on his arms.

“Are the vines moving out there?” she asked.

“No,” he told her. “But I’m not sure how much they communicate with each other. It could be that the ones nearest the cave warned the others. I imagine they share a huge root system.”

“But maybe they’re sleeping,” she guessed, trying to stay positive, as she had been taught.

“Yes,” he said, turning to her. “That’s a definite possibility.”

She could hear the smile in his voice. He was pleased with her.

“Are you comfortable enough to sleep?” he asked.

I’m aching for something… for you.

“I’m f-fine,” she said, instead, her chattering teeth betraying her.

“You’re freezing,” he admonished her. “The blanket isn’t enough.”

“Will you h-hold me again?” she asked softly.

“Come on, Princess.” He rolled on his side, facing her, and opened his arms.

She flowed into them, dragging the thin blanket with her, so that it covered them both.

He wrapped his arms around her, encircling her with delicious warmth.

She sighed in contentment and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck.

The scent and feel of him filled her senses. In the darkness of the cave, she felt every throb of his heart, every flex of his muscles as he moved like he was trying to get away from her and absorb her all at once.

She pressed closer and felt her breasts ache with awareness as they flattened slightly against his chest.

“Hyacinth,” he murmured as if in warning.

“So warm,” she whispered, wondering if he believed that she was truly only trying to warm herself, or if he knew her secret shame.

He didn’t respond, so she closed her eyes and soaked him in.

Slowly, she became aware of something hard and hot pressed against her belly.

She almost stopped breathing when she realized what it was. The high priestess had explained how blood filled the male’s organ, making it rigid and ready for mating.

“Does it hurt?” she whispered, her hand moving instinctively to caress his swollen length. She had wanted to ask the high priestess, but it didn’t seem right.

“No, Princess,” he said, grabbing her wrist before she could touch him. “Why don’t you roll over? It will be easier to sleep with your back to me.”

She moved to obey him, noticing his quick intake of breath when her bottom brushed against his organ.

He held her close once more, one arm forming a pillow for her head, the other wrapped tightly across her waist, like the strap of a space craft.

“I did not mean to offend you with my question,” she whispered to him after a moment. “There is so much I do not understand.”

“You did not offend me,” he said, his voice sounding choked. “But I thought the high priestess explained all of this to you.”

“She explained what would happen, but not how it would feel,” she said, a little embarrassed. “I wanted to ask questions, but I did not wish to… to…”

“To seem eager?” he offered.

“Exactly,” she said, feeling relieved.

“It does not hurt,” he told her softly. “It feels good.”

“Oh,” she said. “And it happens when a male is ready for mating? So that he can enter his bride?”

“Yes,” he told her.

“Why is it happening now?” she asked.

He was silent for so long she would have been afraid he had gone to sleep if the arm that held her had not been corded with tension.

“Magister Locke?” she whispered.

“My body does not know that you are not my bride,” he murmured into her hair. “It thinks I am holding you because I want to claim you.”

“Do you want to claim me?” she asked, unable to stop herself.

“Go to sleep, Princess,” he whispered through a clenched jaw.

CHAPTER 9

Viktor paced around the opening of the cave in the early light of dawn, unable to even meditate, though he knew he would need it to replace the rest he was going without.

He felt as if he hadn’t slept a wink all night, pinned between the hell of the cold cave wall and the heaven of Hyacinth’s warm curves. Her scent was intoxicating, and the small sounds she made in sleep were almost worse than her innocent questions.

He shook his head and inwardly cursed the high priestess for leaving so much out of Hyacinth’s education.

It occurred to him that the elderly leader might not have experienced any of what she was trying to explain to the girl. But there was still no excuse. Surely, they had books or other educational materials in the Great Library of Pacifica.

But the more he thought about it, the more he began to doubt.

Babies were not made from coupling on Pacifica. The women utilized scientific medical procedures for conception, and to guarantee female offspring. Men were not needed or wanted for the process.

Perhaps detailed explanations of how men gave and received pleasure were not deemed necessary or desirable information.

Back on The Firmament, men and women lived in harmony, and although sexual pleasure and desire were discouraged before maturity, they were considered a natural and enjoyable part of adult life.

He could not imagine the sadness of living without one of life’s most delicious outlets.

It was impossible not to wonder what Hyacinth made of her own impulses. He had noticed her desire was followed by shame more often than not.

The women of Pacifica were meant to be celibate and refrain from sexual pleasure, even on their own.

Viktor tried to be respectful of Pacifica’s beliefs. But privately, he doubted it was possible to stifle those urges fully. The instinct to reproduce was programmed into the very cells of the creatures who had needed it for survival.

Does she touch herself? Does she think of me?

He sucked in a breath and hated himself for the thought. Three years without release other than by his own hand was obviously making him insane.

If they made it off this planet, he was heading back to The Firmament as soon as Hyacinth was wed. Hopefully, some experienced female company would quickly cure him of this unacceptable yearning for the innocent young woman who was promised to another.

He decided to distract himself by examining some of the fruit growing on a nearby tree, eventually picking a few that looked safe. He wasn’t ready to risk eating any yet, but he also didn’t know if their rations would hold out until they found help.

“Did they sleep?” Hyacinth asked softly from the mouth of the cave.

It took him a moment to catch up.

“The ivy,” he said. “Yes, it appears to have rested overnight. Though the self-feeding fire worked, so it’s hard to say for certain.”

“It’s wonderful that you were able to build such a clever fire,” she said, crawling out of the cave.

She was radiant, far too beautiful to have slept in a cave after hiking for hours. She smiled at him, and he felt something loosen in his chest.

“Did you get some sleep?” he asked her, hoping one of them had.

“Yes,” she said, but her eyes were cast down.

She was probably feeling guilty for her dreams.

By the books of the ancients, he had to stop thinking about it.

“We should get moving as soon as we can,” he told her.

“I’ll just freshen up,” she said.

He nodded. She would have privacy out of his sight, but he would stay close enough to hear if anything came after her.

He gave her a minute’s head start, then followed her to the far side of the cave, staying just out of sight among the trees, and then moving back to the cave in order to arrive before she did.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said as she came around the corner.

“Perfect,” he told her. “I’ll cover the last of the fire and we’ll go.”

She helped him, and they completed the task together quietly.

When the fire was out and covered with dirt, he heaved his pack onto his back and then helped her with hers.

As she smiled up at him, he realized that something had changed between them. Something subtle, yet important that he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Ready?” she asked him.

“Of course,” he said. “Same as yesterday - don’t touch anything you don’t have to touch. And keep your wits about you.”

“Yes, Magister Locke,” she told him, smiling with her lips together so that the dimple on her left cheek appeared for a moment.

“Call me Viktor,” he heard himself say.

“Viktor,” she echoed in her soft voice, testing the feel of it.

He felt a wave of pleasure radiating from her.

Then she swept her long mane of fiery hair out of her way and marched off into the trees, leaving him to jog to keep up.

CHAPTER 10

Hyacinth walked carefully through the jungle, trying to be like Magister Locke, whose footsteps made no sound.

Viktor, she corrected herself inwardly, smiling at the delicious informality of it.

She knew they were likely to die in this jungle. But at least she had spent some tiny portion of her life as a real adult, responsible for her own survival and choices.

She had been of age by Pacifica’s standards since she was seventeen. But even at nineteen, she still felt like a child in that tower on Mount Serenity. She had been simultaneously coddled, and expected to answer to everyone’s needs and demands but her own. Pleasing everyone but herself had been exhausting, and she’d barely even noticed.

She felt more free shuffling through the humid heat of an unknown jungle with ten liters of water strapped to her back than she ever had in her luxurious apartments on Pacifica.

Of course, having Ma- Viktor here with her was part of it. His care for her over the last three years had been the most important part of her life.

Now that he was treating her as an adult, it felt like she had truly earned it.

And it felt good.

“Do you need a break, Hyacinth?” he asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” she told him. “Let’s see how far we can get.”

His tail flicked as if in displeasure, but he did not admonish her.

“Next time we see rocks,” he told her. “Whether we need a break or not, let’s take one.”

Let’s take one.

Not we’ll take one.

“Makes sense to me,” she told him. “I’m surprised we aren’t finding animals on the rocks. They don’t seem to live in the trees here. Back home, trees were their own worlds, full of insects, birds and sometimes even mammals. I think there’s something to your theory that they can do harm.”

“Good observation,” he said, with a pleased look on his face. “I haven’t seen where the birds are nesting yet, but you’re right, it doesn’t seem to be in the trees. What else have you noticed?”

“The night-day cycle here seems faster than on Pacifica,” she said. “I suppose it makes sense. We’re orbiting a different star. But it means we should be keeping an eye out for a place to sleep earlier than our instincts tell us.”

“Before we get tired,” he agreed. “Yes, good thinking.”

“And as far as animals,” she went on, “with sunlight, water, and abundant plant life, I assume there are other animals, too. But we haven’t seen them yet. That might mean they’re nocturnal. So, a cave with a fire in front of the mouth is probably the best place to sleep, if we can find another.”

“Agreed,” he said. “We’ll keep an eye out and stop if we find a good shelter.”

Pleasure spread in her chest. They were working together to solve their shared problems. It might not be an ideal setting, but she would take it. She would take any chance to be close with Viktor.

A flicker of movement in her periphery had her heart pounding.

She grabbed Viktor’s arm and he froze instantly, following her gaze to the darkness just ahead.

“I saw something move,” she whispered.

He pulled out his laser machete and turned it on, filling the air with a sizzling hum.

“Stay behind me,” he murmured.

“You don’t have another weapon, do you?” she asked.

He turned back to look at her.

“You think I’m so helpless?” she asked.

“Of course not,” he said. “I just thought your people were opposed to violence.”

“We oppose violence until it comes to our doorstep,” she repeated the ancient text. “But we will fiercely defend the ones we love.”

Her words echoed in the air between them.

Viktor hurriedly dug in his pockets and held something out to her.

“It’s a laser dagger,” he told her. “When it’s activated it burns everything it touches, so be careful.”

“Thank you,” she told him, testing the weight of it in her hands.

It was smooth and slender, but she could feel the subtle slide that would activate it.

Before she could try it, something came crashing through the undergrowth in front of them.

At first, she couldn’t understand what she was seeing. It looked as if the very trees were attacking.

Then it came together before her eyes. A sort of canid was barreling toward them. It was pale green with what looked like thousands of delicate petals instead of fur.

It’s eyes were a mad, fiery red that she could see were almost like tiny fruits as it drew closer.

Viktor waved his machete through the air, leaving a cascade of sparks behind.

The creature seemed to hesitate.

Hyacinth watched the petals at its side flutter as the creature panted, trying to decide.

Then in a heartbeat, it leaped through the air, too fast for her eyes to follow, landing on Viktor’s chest.

She watched in horror, unable to focus on activating her weapon.

Viktor shook it off violently, backing up quickly to give himself room to use the machete.

The animal landed in crouch and shook itself, petals rustling. Its hideous red eyes focused on Viktor, and it began to stalk him, shoulders up, head down.

Viktor held the machete behind him and waited.

When the monster pounced, he moved aside as he swung the machete in an arc through the air, slicing the thing cleanly in half.

A harsh cry pierced the air and it fell to the ground, petals drifting into the rich soil.

“Thank the Great Mother,” Hyacinth sighed. The creature had been awful, but Viktor had handled it with minimal effort.

“They’re all around us,” Viktor whispered under his breath.

She let her eyes drift through the forest and saw pairs of the uncanny red eyes fixed on them from every direction.

“We need to find open space,” he said. “They seem to like the tree cover. And at least in the open they can’t sneak up on us.”

“It’s lighter in that direction,” Hyacinth pointed out.

“Let’s go,” he growled, grabbing her hand.

They ran for the light together. Hyacinth tried hard not to let herself search the trees for more animals. The only thing that could save them was escape, and she needed all her energy for that.

The trees began to thin, even as she saw the leaf-creatures running alongside of them, more exposed now without full shadow.

The pack was growing heavy on her back and things were starting to feel hopeless. Viktor could fight off one of these things, maybe even two or three at a time. But there had to be more than a dozen now. And only the Great Mother knew how many more were still hidden from sight.

“Look,” he said, his voice rough and forceful, breaking her out of her spiraling thoughts.

He pointed to the way ahead, a look of sheer determination on his handsome face.

She fixed her eyes on their destination, and hope lifted her heart once more.

A field of beautiful white flowers lay just ahead, their pale brilliance enhanced by the sunlight.

One by one, the leaf creatures fell back, as if they did not want to risk exposure to the open air and sunshine.

With one last burst of energy she didn’t know she had, Hyacinth sprinted toward the flowers.

CHAPTER 11

Viktor looked over his shoulder as they bolted out of the darkness and into the blinding sunlight of the field of flowers.

Though there were still scarlet eyes fixed on them, the leaf-beasts stayed under the tree cover and did not follow. Something about their reluctance made him uneasy, but he wasn’t going to complain.

“We did it,” Hyacinth breathed, her face a study in wonder.

“We did,” he told her, squeezing the soft hand he still held in his.

“And these flowers,” she said. “The scent is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

She was right, the scent was heavenly, and the shape of the flowers was unique. They looked almost like ghosts with fluttering white gowns gone ragged at the ends.

He watched as she crouched to study them. He resisted the urge to remind her not to touch them, trusting her to remember on her own. To her credit, she did.

She was incredible out here without the rules and expectations of the priestesses. She was born for adventure.

Like me…

But when she glanced up at him her eyes were slightly hazy.

“Hyacinth,” he breathed.

He sensed an emotion rich with anticipation in the air around him, twisted with hunger and glee.

But the emotion wasn’t coming from Hyacinth.

When she moved to stand and go to him, her legs betrayed her.

He moved with all the speed his training allowed and caught her in his arms before she could fall.

“So sleepy,” she murmured into his neck.

She was acting as if she’d been drugged. Had those creatures been venomous? He didn’t remember her getting bitten.

“Do not go to sleep,” he growled. “Stay awake. Talk to me.”

“So funny, Viktor,” she murmured drunkenly. “I want you to claim me, too.”

By the books of the ancients…

“Don’t say that,” he warned her. “Tell me the tenets of your new land.”

“No, no,” she whispered. “I’m your bride, Viktor.”

“Recite them,” he demanded, using his strictest voice.

“Magister Locke, you’re so bossy,” she murmured thickly, and then chuckled.

“The tenets,” he said, looking around desperately to any end of the field that did not lead back into the trees where the animals awaited. “Now.”

As he moved forward, the sunlight caught on faint motes swirling in the air, and it clicked into place. It wasn’t the creatures. It was the flowers. Only they really weren’t flowers at all. When he studied them, he could tell they were more like an intricate fungus, made to look and smell seductive.

And they were releasing spores intended to put animals like the two of them to sleep to feed the soil.

This was the greedy emotion he had tasted. It belonged to the inhabitants of this pale and vicious field. They must share a larger connection underground, something like a hive-mind.

No wonder the other creatures hadn’t followed them.

Viktor called on his training and began an inner meditation technique to slow his own breathing, and another to block the absorption of the toxins that made it into his lungs. On his own, he would have been fine, but executing two meditations while carrying Hyacinth and both their bags was taking its toll.

Soon the spores would begin to defeat even his considerable defenses. He had to get Hyacinth to safety before that happened.

A slight breeze cleared the air for a moment. It was enough to momentarily wipe the cobwebs from his brain so that he could scan the horizon.

He picked a spot where there did not appear to be red eyes studying him from the forest and moved as quickly as he could in that direction. Hyacinth was now limp in his arms. He had no idea what it would take to heal her, or if he even could.

As his thoughts began to fog, her words echoed in his head.

I want you to claim me, too.

I’m your bride, Viktor.

The harder he tried not to linger on them, the farther they reached into him, turning him inside out.

She had to make it out of this.

But even if she did, she was promised to another.

He wanted the girl, yes. He could hardly be blamed for that. No man could resist her beauty.

But he cared for her, too. How could he allow a woman of her strength, bravery, and intelligence to be lost in the nonsensical intrigue and pointless spectacle of the Drathian royal halls?

If she married the prince, her life would be nothing but dinners and balls, and listening to tiresome people’s complaints and gossip, all in the name of peace.

While he knew the serving girls and low priestesses on Pacifica whispered of their jealousy that Hyacinth would be a princess, he did not feel her role was to be envied.

She would have even less freedom in the palace than she had before, and fewer opportunities to expand her sharp mind.

The only silver lining was that the prince would obviously adore and dote on her. No princess would ever be more beloved, Viktor was certain of it.

Fire raged in his heart at the thought of another man’s hands on her.

But he calmed his heart rate, slowed his metabolism further and tried again, forcing himself to imagine it all in intricate detail as he moved toward safety. He needed something to focus on to keep his mind working.

He could picture her as a bride, resplendent in the traditional frothy white gown, her fiery hair piled on top of her head, wearing that curious expression she always did when she was trying new things.

He could see the faceless prince taking her hand and smiling down at her as the cloth was wrapped around their wrists and the flower petals scattered at their feet.

But when the faceless prince bent to kiss his darling, Viktor’s vision went black, and he could bear to imagine no more.

He glanced down at her sleeping body. Her cheeks were already so pale.

She might not make it to that wedding, even if help arrived to collect her today.

She deserved better.

“I swear by all the great books and learnings,” he whispered as he gazed down at her. “And I swear by all that I am and all I will be. If she is allowed to live, I will find a way to let go.”

By some miracle, he reached the edge of the trees.

As if the universe had heard his plea, he found he was able to regain his strength the moment he released his meditative state and took in full breaths of the shadowy jungle air.

He headed into the darkness of the trees with Hyacinth still cradled in his arms, determined to find shelter before the sun went down.

CHAPTER 12

As the sun sank, barely breaking through the trees in fiery flashes here and there, Viktor felt his strength begin to fail him.

He had neither eaten nor drank since dawn, and the weight of his fears over Hyacinth were beginning to get the better of him. But he didn’t dare stop until he was sure they were safe.

He felt a wave of her confusion before he heard her voice.

“Viktor?”

He was so weakened by gratitude that he nearly stumbled.

She murmured his name again, her eyelashes fluttering.

“Cin,” he breathed, realizing too late he had used the nickname he only gave her in his mind.

“What happened?” she asked. “We were in the field with the pretty flowers, and then…”

“They weren’t flowers, love,” he explained. “They were a fungus, releasing toxic spores meant to overpower us.”

“How did you get us out?” she asked, looking around. “What time is it?”

“I do not know the hour,” he told her. “But we need to find a cave or even just a rocky area soon, so we can rest.”

“You carried me,” she realized out loud. “All day.”

“I was so afraid,” he admitted. “I can’t lose you, Hyacinth.”

“I’m tougher than you think,” she observed calmly. “But thank you for saving my life.”

Pride warmed his chest, and for a moment he was filled with strength once more.

“Can you try putting me down?” she asked gently. “I think I can walk.”

“No,” he said. “You’ve been through too much.”

“No more than you’ve been through,” she protested, wiggling in his arms to get down.

He slowed, and lowered her gently.

“If you feel unsteady, even slightly, tell me right away,” he said firmly. “There is no reason for you to walk. I will gladly carry you until we find shelter.”

She nodded and took a tentative step.

“I’m fine,” she said, smiling up at him like she had just won the sector lotto.

He smiled back and offered her his arm, the way he had shown her back on Pacifica.

“Are you requesting this dance, my lord?” she asked politely with a teasing smile.

“Let’s just focus on walking first,” he said, chuckling.

“Why am I not surprised?” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What?” he asked.

“For three years you’ve been teaching me how to dance,” she said. “But you’ve never once danced with me. Why?”

“I would think that’s obvious,” he said tightly, then regretted it.

“It most certainly isn’t,” she retorted. “In the beginning, I would have thought it might be my poor footwork. But you’ve been safe from me stepping on your feet for at least two years.”

“Hyacinth, we shouldn’t talk about this,” he told her. “Let’s just find our way to safety.”

“But I wanted to dance with you,” she said softly.

“You did?” he couldn’t resist asking.

“I always want to dance with you,” she told him.

“If we get out of here, I’ll dance with you at your wedding,” he told her briskly.

She didn’t respond, and after a moment he stole a glance at her.

There was an expression of sadness on her tired face. It made her look much older.

“I did not mean to upset you by intimating that we might not survive,” he told her. “I only want to be honest with you.”

“I am not blind,” she said in a hollow voice. “I know our chances of survival are slim at best.”

He nodded, wondering what had upset her.

I want you to claim me too.

I’m your bride, Viktor.

It had only been the ravings of her spore-drunken mind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her words.

“So, what makes you unhappy?” he asked her.

“Nothing,” she said. “I’m fine.”

But her eyes were flashing with anger, and he could feel unhappiness pouring from her in waves.

“Hyacinth of the Seventh House,” he said sternly. “We are in the throes of a dangerous misadventure. We must work together.”

“You bring up my wedding,” she said suddenly, stopping mid-stride to whip around and fix him with her beautiful eyes as her bright hair swirled to catch up with her. “Everyone talks endlessly about the great honor of my wedding. But I did not ask to be married. I did not ask to be taken from my family and raised in a tower to answer to another culture’s demands. And I did not ask to be taken from you.”

“From me…” he echoed stupidly.

“I am happier here than I was in that tower,” she told him. “And if you don’t understand why, then you don’t understand me at all.”

“We all make sacrifices to benefit the greater good,” he said calmly.

“And was it such a great sacrifice to leave your libraries to come and spend your time with me?” she asked.

He could hear the hurt in her voice and taste it swirling in the air.

It was one thing to feel her budding lust, or her moments of disregard for him as her instructor.

It was another to feel he had hurt her heart.

“Hyacinth,” he said. “Spending time with you has been the greatest honor of my life.”

“Honor,” she snarled.

“More than that,” he said. “It has been my greatest pleasure. I would do it all again, endlessly, just to be with you.”

He knew he had said too much when her mouth dropped open, and she staggered backward toward one of the trees.

Before he could warn her, the tree she touched the trunk and it snapped its branches around her, holding her fast.

“Viktor,” she screamed.

He had his machete out and buzzing with power in the three long strides it took him to get to her.

“Hold perfectly still,” he hissed. “When it releases you, run.”

She nodded as best she could in her pinned position as he sliced through a branch that was not in contact with her.

There was a horrible wrenching sound that must have been the tree’s scream.

Using his other arm, he tugged on one of the branches holding Hyacinth.

It relaxed slightly, and she was able to wrestle herself most of the way out of its hold.

He sliced through the remaining shoots that clung to her wrists and she scrambled away as he held the grasping limbs at bay.

But before he could make his own escape, one of the larger branches snapped for him. It wrapped around the arm that held the machete and he watched as his weapon dropped to the ground. Another thick limb pinned him tight to the trunk as smaller branches reached down to press and probe against his body, seeking something.

“Viktor,” Hyacinth screamed.

But he closed his eyes and reached out with his senses.

Hungry, so hungry…

One of the twigs found his neck and began to caress.

Summoning all of his training, he plunged deeper into the alien consciousness until he got a clear idea of the creature’s motives.

It needs my blood…

No. Not the blood. But something in the blood.

“Iron,” he realized. “The tree is vampiric. It needs iron to survive.”

“I’ll grab the machete,” Hyacinth said. “I can be too fast for it to grab.”

“No,” he told her. “It’s too close. We can’t risk it. If it gets us both, we’re done.”

The branch at his neck sliced through his flesh so quickly that he felt the warmth of blood trickling down his back before he even knew it was happening.

“Viktor,” Hyacinth cried out.

“Take both packs and head for the rocks,” he told her as he felt his strength begin to fade.

But she glared at him and ripped the pendant from around her neck.

“No,” he whispered.

But she was determined as ever. He watched as she stalked toward the tree, coming far too close. Close enough to touch him. Close enough to be grabbed by the thing.

Thankfully, the tree was consumed with him, delirious with pleasure from the nutrients of his lifeblood trickling into its sap.

Hyacinth began digging at the soil by the roots. When she was satisfied with her work, she thrust the amulet into the ground.

He felt the branches around him soften slightly as the tree found a better source of precious iron.

With the last of his strength, Viktor wrenched himself free, crawling on the ground to get out of its hold.

The other trees swayed and bent toward him, sensing the blood that was still flowing from his wound. He could hear their ravenous thoughts swirling in his own head and fought to push them away.

“Come on,” Hyacinth said, grabbing his arm. “I think I see a place where we can rest up ahead. Just stay with me.”

“Need… need something to cover my wound,” he panted. “Trees can smell the blood.”

She snatched a cell of water from her pack and poured some on the ground. Then she bent and scooped a handful of the fresh mud and pressed it onto his neck. Once it had been applied, she ripped a length of satin from her gown, and tied it around his neck like a scarf.

“You’ll be the belle of the ball,” she said, admiring her handiwork.

“You saved me,” he murmured.

“You can thank me when we find a place to rest,” she told him. “Come on.”

Her manner was that of a stern nurse.

But he could taste her panic and her fear.

And another emotion that made him think too much of love.

He obeyed her, moving his feet as swiftly as he could. He would have walked on hot coals or across oceans for her. But for now, he just needed the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

CHAPTER 13

Hyacinth moved slowly but steadily through the trees.

She had both their packs slung over her right shoulder, and she was supporting Viktor on her left with strength she didn’t know she had.

In honesty, she was using the rudimentary meditation techniques he had taught her long ago to help her sustain herself through physical adversity.

And she could only imagine he was using the same techniques himself. She had never seen so much blood.

He is of The Firmament, she reminded herself. He is not Terran like me.

But he was still greatly weakened. She knew this.

It made it all the harder not to mourn what could have been. If only she had been brave enough last night, they might have comforted each other with kisses. Now it was surely too late.

Great Mother, if you spare him, I will be forever grateful.

But her prayer pendant was disrespectfully buried in the ground, its essence being leached by a tree.

And the Great Mother would not help her satisfy her desire for a male anyway. She was praying for nothing, bargaining for no reason.

Fury lit her veins on fire, and fueled her for another kilometer at least. But she was flagging by the time she finally spotted the rocky ledge suspended over the forest.

It was wide and deep, with what looked like a cave or indentation behind it. It was not as high as the cliffs in the distance. But it was high enough that they would be able to keep an eye on the area around them. Maybe the comms would even work.

Don’t get your hopes up…

She marched for it, telling herself she could worry about how to get them up the steep incline once she got there.

“A little further,” she murmured to Viktor. “I can see a perfect rocky area.”

He nodded, too exhausted to even lift his head to look.

It was probably for the best. He wouldn’t have let her ignore the problem of accessing the cliff face.

And right now, she needed to take her victories and savor them as they came.

Fiery twilight lit the sky above by the time they reached the rocky cliff. She could now see that a waterfall of crystal-clear spray fell down the cliff face. If the water was safe, they would be able to refill their supplies, maybe even bathe. She had never wanted a bath more in her entire life.

“We’re here,” she told him. “I just have to figure out how to get us up there.”

He lifted his chin and his face transformed as he took it in.

“Perfect, Cin,” he whispered.

Her heart lightened at hearing him use his nickname for her a second time.

“We have to get up there though,” she said.

“I can do it,” he told her. “Can you?”

She glanced at the rocky hillside leading up to the ledge.

“Yes,” she said. “I can do it with our packs.”

“Go on,” he told her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“No,” she told him. “Wait here and I’ll come back down and go up again with you.”

He nodded, so she made her way over to the hillside and studied the way.

Mind over matter, she told herself. This wasn’t the ballroom she’d trained for, but if she could handle the royal court, she could handle a little climbing.

Slowly and carefully, Hyacinth made her way up, balancing herself and both packs. She struggled to find her footing a few times, but the stones were solid and bore her weight without any issues. When she finally reached the upper edge, she swung the packs over, then scrambled up after them.

The rocky shelf was even larger than she had estimated from below. The smooth stone would make an ideal place to set up camp. And the indentation was a cave just big enough for two.

The waterfall created a steady rushing sound that drowned out the strange bird cries and other noises. The pounding water had created an indentation on the side of the ledge that seemed a natural spot to stand while bathing. Under any other circumstances, she thought it might have actually been quite lovely.

“It’s perfect,” she called down to Viktor.

But he was gone.

Her heart had begun to pound wildly, but then he swung up onto the ledge beside her.

“You scared me,” she yelled.

“I’m here,” he told her. “I’m sorry.”

She wanted to hit him and kiss him all at once. Instead, she shook off her feelings altogether.

“Sit,” she told him.

He lowered himself onto the stone ledge.

“I’m going to remove the bandage,” she told him. “It will probably hurt.”

“It’s fine,” he told her. “Go ahead.”

She loosened it slowly, then unwrapped the satin from his skin and brushed away the dried mud. What she saw when she was finished left her speechless.

“What is it?” he asked her.

“It… it’s healing,” she told him. “There’s already a scab forming.”

“I am of The Firmament,” he said simply. “We have some governance over our form.”

“I thought all that was superstition,” she breathed.

He began to laugh.

“What?” she demanded.

“You pray to a dozen goddesses, wear iron pendants around your necks, and won’t allow men to cross your thresholds,” he chuckled. “Yet you accuse us of superstition?”

“I meant no offense,” she said tightly.

“And neither did I,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “The water appears to be clean. I should bathe the wound before it heals fully.”

She was glad to see him in better spirits, and determined not to think about him bathing.

CHAPTER 14

Viktor took in Hyacinth’s expression, which had gone from annoyed to worried in a heartbeat. Surely, she wouldn’t really want to deny him the opportunity to bathe and cleanse his wound. In his weakened state, he couldn’t read her emotions well enough to know for sure.

“Your wound is still healing,” she said, her forehead furrowed. “Don’t you need help?”

He frowned. In fairness he probably did. But the idea of being with her under that sluice of water…

“I need to bathe anyway,” she said, all business. “Give me a moment, then I’ll help you.”

She began to shed her clothing and he tried to look away. He truly did.

But as she revealed her slender curves, he found himself hypnotized and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her.

The modest flowing gowns of Pacifica had always hidden her form from him. Now he could see her graceful arms, the sharpness of her shoulder blades, the curve of her waist, and the generous flare of her hips.

When the gown fell around her ankles and she was bare but for her undergarments, she turned to him.

Her eyes widened as she took in his expression.

But he drank in the sight of her soft breasts and their pretty brown tips, just visible through her thin white chemise, like he was a man dying of thirst in the desert.

She was like an angel, so beautiful and so womanly.

He didn’t need to be at full strength to pick up the waves of her desire washing over him. He held his breath as she moved closer, willing himself not to taste her delicious scent.

But his own body was already betraying him.

“Can I help with your clothing?” she offered, then moved without waiting for an answer.

He nodded, telling himself inwardly that it would be better for her to remove his shirt, so that he did not reopen the wound. He closed his eyes and braced himself for her gentle touch, trying to focus his mind on the lingering pain in his neck and not on her hands.

The time wasn’t long before he would be fully well again. And then there would be only his own force of will between his mouth and her delicate curves.

She worked quickly, but her touch was so soft that it was like a caress. Her gentle fingers grazed his taut muscles as she slid his shirt over his shoulders.

His need for her raged, a tempest in his chest.

“Let’s have you stand now,” she murmured.

“I can do the rest,” he rasped as he stood, not wanting her to have to see or think about his aching cock.

But she wordlessly moved to help him with his belt and the slides on his britches.

He heard her slight intake of breath when she removed his undergarments to find him stiff and throbbing.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She didn’t reply, but when she rose, her cheeks were pink as if she were pleased or embarrassed, and he caught a bit of both coming from her.

A surge of lust tore through him. He needed her - wasn’t sure he could take his next breath without tasting her.

She slid her arm around his waist for support, and they made their way slowly across the stone ledge to the waterfall.

He could feel the mist of it before they stepped under the deluge. It was cool and fine, and felt incredible on his skin.

“It’s going to be cold,” she warned him. “We’ll ease in slowly.”

She moved into the water first, squealing when the spray hit her and then laughing as it sluiced over her.

She still wore her chemise, but it was plastered to her now and completely translucent.

He desperately tried not to trace her curves with his eyes, and instead focused on keeping his balance as he stepped into the water.

The cold of it hit him forcefully, knocking the breath from his lungs like a well-placed punch, and he gasped.

Hyacinth laughed even harder, her chin tilted back. Her arm was still wrapped around him, the only warmth in a sea of cold.

Viktor found himself laughing, too.

“It feels good after a second, I promise,” she told him.

“It feels good now,” he told her, licking his lips and testing the water for contaminants. “And I think it’s safe to drink, too.”

She smiled and opened her mouth to taste the falling water. He did the same, and felt himself coming back to life with the delicious spring water spreading throughout his body.

“It tastes good,” she said, smiling up at him. “Shall I try washing your neck?”

He nodded, bending down for her to see.

She cupped her hands around the wound, allowing water to collect there so that it could soak.

“I can’t believe how fast you’ve healed,” she said, letting her hands fall at last, but only to his chest.

He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding under her hands. The way it beat for her, he thought she might hear it, even over the roar of the waterfall.

For you, always for you.

“Viktor,” she said.

But in the crash of water, he couldn’t hear what she said next.

And after that he didn’t care anymore, because Hyacinth was going up on her toes and pressing her sweet lips to his.

Her kiss was tentative at first, a teasing taste that made him shiver with need.

He knew he should resist, but instead he gave in and kissed her back, thumbing open her jaw so that he could taste her. The release of his pent-up passion made him almost violent as he savaged her mouth.

His Cin whimpered and clung to him, allowing him to explore her mouth as her nipples pebbled against his chest.

“Gods,” he cursed, pulling back. “I’m sorry.”

“No, please, Viktor,” she begged.

“We can’t,” he told her, unable to let go of her thin shoulders. “You are promised.”

“We’re going to die here,” she said flatly. “At least let me have something that will make me glad to have lived.”

“Cin,” he murmured, begging himself inwardly to put a stop to this even as his eyes locked on her lips, already swollen from his kisses.

“I know you want this, too,” she said. “There is something between us. You cannot deny it.”

“There can never be anything between us,” he cried, trying to convince himself as much as her. “Of course I want you, but I can’t allow this to happen. You are not mine.”

She was silent for a moment, gazing up at him with those solemn eyes he loved so much.

“I have always been yours,” she said simply. “You just have to let go, Viktor. For once, just let go.”

Let go…

His prayer from earlier slammed into his mind again.

I swear by all the great books and learnings. And I swear by all that I am and all I will be. If she is allowed to live, I will find a way to let go.

She could have chosen any words to try to convince him, any words at all.

But she had chosen the exact ones to remind him of his pledge. The twist in their meaning made him shiver.

Was this his destiny?

The scholars of The Firmament did not believe in such things.

They also did not believe in falling in love with the ones they were meant to mentor.

“Please,” she whispered, brushing her soft lips against the corner of his mouth. “Please, please, please…”

CHAPTER 15

Hyacinth felt Viktor’s heart throbbing under her hands as she begged him between kisses.

She knew she should feel ashamed of being so wanton, but the rules of the game had changed. They were in the wild, alone and free. The distance between them had melted away and they were only two people, suffering for lack of what the other could easily give.

When she trailed her kisses down to his neck he growled and grabbed her, hard.

She was afraid he would push her away.

But instead, he dragged her body closer to his, his movements possessive and rough.

Her blood sang in her veins with happiness when his mouth found hers again.

She had read about kissing in a few of the fairy tales that made it past the high priestess’s radar for their romance. The kisses she imagined were closed mouth and gentle, like the ones her mother placed on her cheeks.

But Viktor kissed her with his whole mouth, his tongue coaxing and dancing with hers in a way that made her feel warm and melty inside.

She surrendered to him, knowing his experience would guide them both.

When she was breathless and trembling, he pulled back slightly as if to stop. But before she could protest, he was pulling her back and spinning them both around so that her back was against the cool rock wall of the cliff.

The waterfall cascaded down in front of them, but they were outside its spray now, only a gentle mist caressing them.

“If you want me to stop, just ask,” he murmured against her mouth.

“Don’t ever stop,” she moaned.

He trailed his warm mouth down her neck, his hands spanning her ribcage, thumbs lightly caressing the sides of her breasts.

They ached as if she were having her monthly, and she wondered if he could make her body do that.

But when his thumb skimmed her nipple, she felt a jolt of electricity and then pleasure sliding down her spine.

They hurt for him.

He was pressing his lips to her collarbone now, and she held her breath in anticipation. Was he going to kiss her breasts?

She knew the technical procedure for mating. Removal of garments, a kiss for readying, and then penetration leading to conception.

But what Viktor was doing to her with his hands and mouth felt like something altogether different. As if he were readying her all over, so that every part of her sang and cried out for him.

She whimpered when his lips touched her left nipple through her wet chemise.

He groaned as if he felt her pleasure himself. Of course he did. His gifts would allow him to feel her passion and feed it back to her.

His hot tongue flickered against the nipple, making her arch her back for more.

Then he was sucking her breast into his mouth. Water moved through the thin cotton onto his tongue.

It felt so good that she was almost frightened. Heat pooled in her sex and her belly tensed.

He used his hand to tease and play with her other breast, then moved his mouth to it, sucking and licking until she moaned with need.

Her hips were trembling now, and she longed to slide her hand between her legs and try to ease the need that was so intense that it felt almost like pain.

But he had her pinned to the cliffside, and now his mouth was wandering down her belly and he was nipping at her hips as he eased the lace of her undergarments down her legs.

She lifted her feet one at a time so he could remove them fully.

“Cin,” he sighed, gazing up at her as if in question.

She wasn’t sure what he wanted, but whatever it was, she wanted it badly. She wanted it all.

“Please,” she moaned.

He nuzzled her thighs in response, his rough jaw abrading the sensitive skin, as his tail swirled up to tickle and tease her breasts.

An idea of what he might do next brewed in her mind, but she couldn’t quite believe he would do such a thing.

He moaned as he moved upward, inhaling her scent.

A flash of something like embarrassment went through her, but it was followed with rough longing as he nosed her curls, his hot breath teasing her hungry sex.

When his tongue flickered against her, she nearly swooned.

He groaned with pleasure and began to feed on her in earnest, his tongue lapping and flicking, circling the spot where she needed him the most.

The pleasure was so intense that she almost couldn’t bear it. She tried to retreat from the soft torture of his tongue, but he held her pinned between his hungry mouth and the hard stone wall.

“Viktor,” she keened, pleading for release.

But he growled against her sex and continued his teasing assault, sliding a thick finger up to stroke and gently probe her opening.

Hyacinth was floating, trying to fly, loving and hating his cruel mouth in equal measures.

“I need you,” she moaned. “Please, I need you.”

She waited for him to pull away and lie down with her on the stone ledge. The priestess had said there would be pain. But she could feel the absence of him inside her, pulling like a magnet.

Viktor pinned her hips with his arm instead, keeping her right where she was as he eased his finger just inside her. He massaged in circles from the inside as his mouth latched onto her, sucking gently while he lashed her stiff little pearl with his tongue.

“Oh, oh, oh,” she moaned brokenly as the pleasure shot her into the skies.

Viktor continued to toy with her, groaning his approval against her and causing her ecstasy to go on and on.

“Stop, stop,” she sighed as the pleasure melted into sensitivity.

“More,” he commanded against her, moving his finger faster and keeping his mouth where it was.

Impossibly, the tension ratcheted up again and she found herself quivering out her second climax on his finger a few seconds later. This one was more intense but mercifully shorter.

“Good girl,” he praised her as he nuzzled her thighs and pulled back to lick her off his fingers.

She felt so sleepy, filled with a sweet satisfaction, as if she were made of warmed honey.

She sank to her knees with him and pressed her mouth to his, shocked to taste her own essence on his lips.

“Now you will claim me properly,” she whispered in his ear.

He stiffened in her arms, as if possessed with lust.

“Not tonight,” he whispered after a moment. “Tonight, we sleep.”

“Viktor,” she moaned sadly.

But he only lifted her slippery body in his arms and carried her out to the dry part of the ledge before setting her down and using his shirt to dry the droplets still covering her.

Clearly, his strength had returned.

Though darkness had fallen over the jungle, the ledge was still sun-warmed. She soaked it in through her bare feet as he dried himself and grabbed her blanket from the pack.

“Come on, love,” he murmured, leading her to the small cave. “It’s time to sleep.”

She obeyed him as she always did, stretching out in the cave with her back to him, just like the night before.

He lay beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist, so that his chest warmed her back and his tail curled sinuously around her hips.

She shivered with pleasure and wiggled against him.

He gasped when her bottom made contact with his rigid organ.

“Let me help you,” she whispered. “If you won’t claim me, let me love you with my mouth as you did for me. You can show me how.”

“Gods, Cin,” he rasped, grasping her tightly.

“Please,” she whispered. “I need you.”

“Good night,” he said firmly.

She was certain she could convince him. Surely, he couldn’t wait all night in torment.

But his arms were so warm around her, and as the day’s adventures took their toll on her, she found herself drifting to sleep.

CHAPTER 16

Viktor awoke with a light heart from dreams he could not remember.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized where he was, ensconced in a cave with his arms around his princess.

He drank in her scent, happiness overwhelming his sense of right and wrong, so that in the moment, he felt only rapture.

Pressing a kiss to the back of her head, he slid himself out from under her and wrapped the blanket more firmly around her small form.

She was sleeping deeply, a slight snore punctuating every third breath.

He loved that cute little snore, loved the curve of her back and her silky hair. He loved her easy laughter and her serious eyes. Every facet of her was perfect. She had been made for him.

He crawled out of the cave and stretched in the dim light of dawn before climbing down to relieve himself.

They had been too tired to build a fire last night, but as he’d suspected, nothing had intruded on the ledge. He wondered if they ought to make this spot their temporary home.

He climbed back up and paced it out. While it was not even the size of Hyacinth’s second sitting room back on Pacifica, he imagined it would be plenty of space for them for now.

He would go on scouting missions each day until he found something better.

She was right after all. Common sense told him they weren’t getting off this planet.

They had been launched so far in the wrong direction that even those distant cliffs would be unlikely to let their comms get far enough for them to be found.

He was at peace, ready to let go.

It was better to enjoy their new life, anointed by fate, than to chase after the old one, which would only have caused them heartbreak anyway.

Regret hit him like a physical blow at the idea that he had not claimed her last night when she begged.

He would remedy that tonight, maybe sooner.

His body ached for her, but his soul was even more tormented by the rejection. She was his and he was hers. To deny her was a sin against whatever forces had brought them here together. He would never refuse her again.

He imagined her belly swollen with his babes, and the thought made him wild with need.

They could survive here and start a family. There would be no one to judge, no one to know what they had been to each other before. There was only an uncertain future stretched out ahead of them, filled with adventure, love, and if they were lucky, victory over the elements of this strange place.

Warmed by his decision, he set about making their breakfast. He grabbed them each a cell from the pack, frowning at the idea that he couldn’t offer her anything more romantic in celebration.

Remembering that he did have one other possible option, he grabbed the fruit he had harvested yesterday, and prepared a tiny sliver. He put it to his lips gingerly, testing for impurities. His mastery over his physical aspects would allow him to detect them in quantities far too small to be dangerous.

The taste was pure sweetness. There was no burning or bitter flavor. It would make a fine treat for his princess, whenever she decided to wake.

To kill some time, he decided to shower again, more thoroughly this time. He stepped into the spray of the waterfall, shivering in the cold until his body acclimated.

He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, remembering how Cin had looked with her translucent chemise slicked up against her breasts.

He licked his lips, wanting to taste her again. His cock was at full attention, pulsing desperately for release.

He took himself in his hand, as he had done so many times before. But his hand felt coarse and rough compared to the slick velvet of Cin’s slippery sex.

He wrenched his hand away, determined that the next time he found his release it would be with his bride.

CHAPTER 17

Hyacinth stepped out of the cave, blinking in the sunrise.

Waking up alone had been unsettling, but she was very sure Viktor had to be close by. He had always been protective, and now he was even more so.

Sure enough, she spotted him under the waterfall once again. The sight took her breath away.

His big body glistened under the crystal water. His chin was tilted back as he ran his hands through his hair, causing the muscles in his arms and chest to ripple.

She dragged her gaze down his chiseled abs to his male organ, which was engorged and ready for her.

In the daylight, she could see that it was even bigger than she thought, and she couldn’t imagine how it could possibly fit inside her.

He flicked his inky black tail and slid his hands down his chest and belly, sending her pulse racing.

She stopped caring whether or not he would fit. She would find a way to take him.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she moved toward him.

“Good morning, Princess,” he said suddenly.

Great Mother, her eyes had been fixed on his organ and she had not noticed he had opened his and was watching her.

“Good morning,” she replied, feeling her cheeks heat.

But he opened his arms to her, and she went to him, squealing as the cold water hit her, and then shivering with pleasure as he held her close and warmed her body with his.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked her politely.

“I did,” she told him. “And you.”

“It was a pleasure to hold you,” he told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

That meant no. And no wonder he hadn’t slept. He clearly needed her to comfort him.

She slid her hand down his chest and over the ridges of his abs to take him in her hand.

He groaned as she wrapped her fingers around him, testing his girth.

“Cin,” he whispered.

She stroked him softly, not wanting to hurt him. He felt like steel sheathed in satin.

He tensed as she slid her hand downward and back up again slowly.

“Show me,” she murmured. “I want to know how to give you pleasure.”

“Gods, Cin,” he moaned. “Everything you do gives me pleasure.”

He was shaking in her arms as she gently toyed with him, loving the way he throbbed in her hand.

Her own need was rising in her again, with a rhythm that matched his breathing and the pulse of him, and the drum beat of the water cascading down. She felt almost hypnotized, in a haze of pleasant desire.

He was not fighting her today, she realized happily. He would claim her if she asked again. She was sure of it.

“Viktor,” she began.

A shout from below interrupted her.

She blinked in surprise, looking up at him to be certain she wasn’t hearing things.

His expression was aghast.

Her chip kicked in, translating the second shout.

“Hello?” the voice called out.

“Stay here,” Viktor hissed, pressing her back to the stone wall as he strode out from under the waterfall.

“Who are you?” the voice called out. “Why are you on our land?”

“Our ship was in distress,” Viktor called back. “And the escape pod we took was mis-programmed. We crashed here two days ago.”

“Terran?” the voice called back, the tone incredulous.

“I am of The Firmament,” Viktor said proudly. “And yes, my companion is of Terran descent.”

“Impressive,” the voice allowed.

“Few of your kind or hers would survive our home,” another voice said.

Hyacinth drew in a quick breath. It was embarrassing enough to be naked in front of one stranger, but two or more?

She peeked out from behind the water to see a group of men riding some kind of animals.

The men were the pale, leafy green of the beast Viktor had fought last night. Their hands and the tops of their heads were pale pink, almost like flowers. They wore bows on their backs as if they were guards, or perhaps a hunting party.

“Ready yourselves, and we will bring you back to our village,” the first one said. “Perhaps we can help you rejoin your own people.”

“Thank you very much,” Viktor said. “We’ll be down quickly.”

He headed back toward the water.

“We’re naked,” Hyacinth whispered.

“They don’t have clothes either,” he pointed out.

“Still,” she said. “Can you hand me my gown?”

He grinned and threw it to her.

They both dressed quickly.

It was hard not to notice how happy Viktor was. And of course, Hyacinth was happy to be among other beings again, too.

But she would have been lying if she said she wasn’t also disappointed. Questions about her future swirled in her mind like a storm.

Did this mean she would have to marry the prince after all? Was she supposed to forget last night happened? How could she possibly taste heaven and then go right back to her ordinary life?

As she gathered up her pack and took one last look at the stone ledge and cave, she realized she would rather spend the rest of her life right here than lose Viktor.

But he was already on the hillside, offering her his hand.

She might feel sentimental about their time together, but he was clearly eager to move on.

The high priestess had warned her about the fickle ways of men.

Women’s feelings run deep and strong. But man’s love is weak, and changeable as the weather.

Hyacinth took his hand, hating herself for feeling a jolt of wanting at his touch. She needed to be stronger than that if he didn’t want them to be together.

Whatever she’d thought was between them, was not meant to be. She promised herself she would find a way to move past it as they scrambled down the hillside to join their new friends below.

CHAPTER 18

Viktor looked around the village, trying to keep Hyacinth in his periphery as he took in their new surroundings.

It was impressive. The people were known as Igwayte, and they had constructed their town from stone, with torches set around the perimeter to discourage the encroachment of local wildlife.

The streets and plaza were made of wide, smooth stones, and even the houses were stone and mud.

Though they looked slender and weak, the Igwayte must have great strength or machinery for such construction. He would keep an eye out and try to determine which.

Though they seemed trustworthy and friendly, Viktor did not take anything for granted. He and Cin might have been brought here to be helped, or their hosts could have more sinister plans. At the very least, Hyacinth of the Seventh House would fetch a fair ransom. In any case, he had pledged his life to protect hers and would not forget that promise.

Her hand was cool in his and he could taste her sorrow and fear, though she worked to keep both at bay with the meditation he had taught her.

He knew she was modest, and surely did not like that she had been seen naked by their new friends.

He wondered if she had the same sadness he did about their future together.

If it was possible to bring her back, it was his duty to do so. And surely, she would prefer a life of comfort with a prince over camping out on a rocky ledge with Viktor.

It was awful, but it was what she had been raised for. He had trained her himself.

And even if she loved Viktor as he loved her, she would not want to betray her people. How could she choose Viktor’s happiness over the survival of Pacifica in the face of an Armada invasion?

Everyone feared the Armada. Their dictatorial governance made a practice of taking over whole systems by targeting the weakest planet.

Once they conquered that planet, they set up a base on it, where they immediately installed high tech weaponry systems to target the others. This strategy allowed them to efficiently take over a whole system with minimum casualties among their own troops.

Once the first planet fell, there was no stopping them. Even the most ancient and wealthy democratic societies had fallen to their cruel dictatorship.

They had aways seemed too far away to be an immediate threat, but the Armada’s path was bringing them steadily closer. The navigators of The Firmament had extrapolated their route years ago, and it hadn’t wavered. The Armada would be among them before the year was out.

And according to reports, they had already set their terrible sights on Pacifica, the defenseless, green planet Hyacinth called home, to begin their attempt at a system take over. Without her marriage, Pacifica would fall, and the whole system would follow.

No matter her feelings, Viktor knew what must be done.

He tried his best to close himself off from her emotions. She deserved her privacy. Learning she mourned for him would only make him insane.

“This way,” their hosts directed, leading them into the town square.

Families of Igwayte wandered out of their dwellings to see the newcomers. He could hear whispers and exclamations of awe. Their emotions were strange to him, but he wasn’t picking up any hostility.

Understandably, they had probably met few strangers. This place was off the beaten galactic path and a difficult place for other races to survive. And most importantly, it didn’t have valuable resources to plunder, so it stayed mostly unbothered.

“Use every skill of manners I have ever taught you,” he whispered to Hyacinth. “Strangers are uncommon here.”

“How do we know our manners aren’t rudeness to them?” she asked.

“We don’t,” he told her. “But if we behave modestly, and appear to be taking pains, we can hope they will observe our efforts in the proper light.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand.

She is mine, and I am hers.

The thought cut him to the quick.

But there was no time to dwell on his pain as the gathering crowd parted to make way for an important-looking Igwayte and her attendants to approach.

Hyacinth dropped immediately into a low curtsy, and Viktor bowed with a flourish that brought him down to one knee.

“Rise, children,” the plant-lady’s voice demanded kindly. “I understand you are from Pacifica.”

“Yes, my lady,” Hyacinth said politely, rising but keeping her eyes lowered.

“A sensibly run planet if I ever heard of one,” the lady said. “Let me see your face.”

Hyacinth raised her chin and met the lady’s eye, giving her a polite smile.

“Lovely,” the lady said. “When I was about your age, my pater sent me on a cultural excursion and I met Terrans on Ulfgard, as well as other races.”

Hyacinth nodded politely.

“And you are a scholar of The Firmament?” the woman asked, turning to Viktor.

“Yes, my lady,” Viktor said. “I am Viktor Locke, Magister Scholar and Ambassador Most Honorable, and this is Hyacinth of the Seventh House.”

“You are welcome here,” she said. “My technicians are already contacting the high priestess of Pacifica to arrange for your pick-up. In the interim, my assistants will provide you with meals, lodging and anything else you require, as our honored guests.”

“We thank you, my lady,” Hyacinth said sincerely, dropping into another curtsy as Viktor bowed low again. He’d trained her well.

When he straightened, the lady was already gone, leaving behind her two assistants.

“This way, please,” one of them said, gesturing toward a pair of large stone huts. “You’ll be staying in the Ladies’ House, and you in the Gentlemen’s House.”

Hyacinth glanced up at Viktor with a look in her eyes that he couldn’t fathom.

The flood of her sadness broke the wall he had tried to put up between them and the weight of it nearly brought him to his knees.

But before he could speak with her further, the two assistants began to walk briskly across the square toward their separate dwellings.

He longed to tell Cin that he adored her, that their time together would live on in his heart for the rest of his life.

But she did not meet his eyes again.

CHAPTER 19

Hyacinth stood in the town square with two of her new friends.

The leader’s assistants had helped her to bathe, and they had washed all of the clothing that was in her pack. Other than a couple of bruises and scratches from their little wilderness adventure, she felt almost like her old self - beautifully dressed, clean, and dignified.

And she was miserable to her bones.

Last night she had waited in her cot, wondering if Viktor would come to speak with her, and secretly hoping they might do more than speak if he visited. But in the morning, she learned he had been enjoying a drinking party with the men, undoubtedly exchanging war stories all night long and having the time of their lives in the unmated Gentlemen’s House.

Maybe her intimacy with him in the jungle had been just one more exploit for a man like Viktor - another tale to tell over too many drinks.

But for Hyacinth, it had been everything, the culmination of all her dreams.

“Look, Hyacinth of the Seventh House,” one of the ladies said, pointing at the sky and snapping her out of her dark thoughts.

An elegant metal shuttle had appeared in the air, and was hovering just above the village.

It was over. They were leaving.

She wiped tears from her eyes as some of the villagers directed the shuttle to a landing area.

“You are so happy to return to your own land,” one of the women said, nodding knowingly. “But you will not forget your time with us.”

“Of course not,” Hyacinth said. “Thank you so much for taking care of me. I hope one day we will visit again.”

“We will visit you at the palace,” one of the women sang out.

The others repeated the news and there was great celebration among the women. Hyacinth smiled at their happiness.

Just then, Viktor walked up to join her. She could see the exact moment when he heard what the women were saying. His forehead furrowed, but he didn’t say anything, or even look at her.

Beg me not to marry the prince, she willed him in her mind. Ask me to be yours, and I will.

But he stood, feet shoulder width apart, eyes fixed on the landing shuttle as if he were a statue, poised to stay in that position for a thousand years.

“Hyacinth,” a familiar voice shouted.

“Lilac,” she yelled back, her voice breaking with emotion.

She grabbed her gown in her hands and sprinted with no dignity whatsoever for her sister. Lilac met her halfway across the field.

“You’re okay,” Lilac sighed, pulling her in for a very hard hug.

“I was afraid I would never see you again,” Hyacinth said, feeling tears prickle her eyes.

“How did you survive?” Lilac asked.

“With the help of V—Magister Locke,” she said, correcting herself quickly enough she hoped her sister wouldn’t notice the slip. Hyacinth needed to get used to thinking of him in the old way again.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Lilac said, frowning. “Are you ready to go.”

“We are,” Viktor said sternly.

She turned to see he was right behind her, carrying both of their packs.

“Good,” Lilac said. “The wedding is tomorrow, so we have no time to waste.”

“You didn’t postpone it?” Viktor demanded.

“Our homeland is in danger, Magister Locke,” Lilac said crisply. “If she’s got a pulse, she’s getting married.”

Hyacinth glanced back at Viktor, trying to figure out if he was hoping for more time to think about his feelings.

But he was frowning, and still not looking at her.

She followed her sister into the shuttle, trying to focus on the needs of Pacifica, instead of her own poor heart.

“A feast is being prepared to be served in my state room as soon as we get you to the Stargazer II,” Lilac told her as they buckled in. “The ship is quite lovely. I know you’re probably ravenous. I can catch you up on everything once you’ve had something to eat.”

“Thank you,” Hyacinth said softly. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Me too,” Lilac said.

“What happened while I was gone?” Hyacinth asked. “Did the Armada advance?”

Lilac shook her head, but there was a troubled look on her face that Hyacinth didn’t like one bit.

“Please remain seated and strapped in while the shuttle lifts off,” a droid voice said over the intercom. “And thank you for traveling with us.”

Suddenly, Hyacinth was shaking all over.

“What’s wrong?” Lilac asked.

“I d-don’t know,” Hyacinth stammered.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she couldn’t bear the sight of the portal.

“You’re okay,” Viktor’s deep, calming voice said from the seat behind her. “Deep breaths, and remember your meditation. Where is your safe place?”

She closed her eyes and pictured her safe place.

But instead of the backyard shrine, she saw a rock ledge with a waterfall overlooking the verdant jungle.

Her heart began to slow, and she was able to take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“What’s wrong, Hyacinth?” Lilac demanded again, her voice high and worried.

“Being forced to evacuate the shuttle, followed immediately by what happened to our pod, was very traumatic,” Viktor said softly. “She might be more anxious boarding crafts for a while. It’s probably a good idea for her to have a break from travel.”

“She’s going to be a princess ambassador,” Lilac told him. “She has a honeymoon tour of planets starting the morning after the wedding.”

“That’s not a good idea,” Viktor reiterated. “After what she’s been through, she needs rest, and a chance to regain her strength, emotional as well as physical.”

“She’ll be fine,” Lilac worried out loud. “She has to be. If she isn’t, what will become of us?”

“Your quiet place, Hyacinth,” Viktor told her again, ignoring Lilac. “Remember how it sounds, how it smells, and how the air feels on your skin. Slowly inhale each detail and exhale to find your peace.”

Hyacinth let his soothing voice wash over her, like the waterfall, and felt some measure of peace.

CHAPTER 20

A few hours later, Viktor sat at the foot of an enormous floating slab table, covered end to end with delicious food.

After three days of nothing but protein cells and a vegetable salad from the Igwayte people, he should have been ready to crawl across the slab, eating the fragrant feast with his hands.

But all he could do was clench his fists under the table as he watched Hyacinth sitting next to her sister, still looking shaken.

His heart was torn in half. Part of him wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, as only he could.

He knew her right down to her bones. He had watched her grow from an uncertain teenager into a self-assured young woman. He knew what made her angry and what made her laugh.

I also know what makes her moan and beg…

But the other half of him was furious.

He knew she was promised to a prince, that she had spent half of her teen years preparing for him.

But how could she be celebrating living in the palace with him, laughing and smiling with the Igwayte ladies about it, less than twenty-four hours after having Viktor’s mouth on her while she screamed his name?

It doesn’t matter if she’s happy about it, he reminded himself. It is what has to be. If I love her, I cannot wish unhappiness on her.

The odd thing was that she did look miserable now.

But that likely had everything to do with the voyage and nothing to do with the prince.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Lilac asked. “You two haven’t had a proper meal in days. Please serve yourselves. I can fill you in while you eat.”

Viktor nodded once and began dutifully piling food on his plate, not paying attention to what he chose.

Across the table, Hyacinth appeared to be doing the same.

“So, just to get this out of the way,” Lilac said. “I’ll give you the quick and dirty on what happened.”

Hyacinth nodded.

“The whole thing was orchestrated by agents of one of the rival houses Of Drath,” Lilac said. “I won’t go into the details, but the long and short of it is that our hired guard, Jonphar, was a secret agent. He was ordered to sabotage the shuttle.”

“No,” Hyacinth breathed.

“I know. He seemed so loyal,” Lilac said, shaking her head. “I suppose he was. Just not to us. At any rate, he was dragging me off into our pod as fast as he could because he didn’t want me to see that yours was supposed to malfunction.”

Viktor gritted his teeth.

Though Lilac was often bossy and not normally demonstrative toward anyone, she clearly loved her little sister more than life itself. Had Lilac known Hyacinth’s pod might malfunction, Viktor had no doubt she would have given up her own without hesitation, just to keep her sister safe.

Jonphar had them figured out. That much was for certain.

“The pod didn’t act up until it launched,” Viktor assured her. “You wouldn’t have been able to tell anything was wrong until it was too late.”

Lilac nodded and let out a breath, and he felt a wave of relief from her.

The idea had clearly haunted her. She must have wondered what would have happened if she had moved just a tiny bit faster - if she could have done something to stop it.

“The motivations behind the attack were… unclear, but the goal was to stop the wedding,” Lilac went on, giving Viktor the sense that she was holding something back. “But after the marriage ceremony tomorrow morning, there will be nothing they can do. Our peoples will be united, and Pacifica will be safe.”

Hyacinth gulped and looked down at her plate.

“Eat something, Cinth,” Lilac scolded her. “They made all your favorites.”

Hyacinth dutifully took a bite of perfectly ripe fruit and smiled obligingly.

“Good, right?” Lilac asked. “They have everything on this ship. It’s incredible. I know you’ll want to rest tonight, but after the wedding, I’ll take you on a tour. There’s even a forest, in the middle of the ship.”

“Thank you, Lilac,” Hyacinth said softly. “I think you’re right. I should rest now.”

“I’ll walk her to her rooms,” Viktor said too quickly.

As he stood, her eyes met his and he felt a flash of something hopeful.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Lilac said. “Enjoy your meal. I’ll walk her over. Her suite is close to mine, so I won’t be a minute.”

Hyacinth turned her grateful gaze on her sister.

And Viktor watched her walk away again, his heart as heavy as an anchor, threatening to drag him down to the depths of darkness.

CHAPTER 21

Hyacinth wanted nothing more than to collapse, fully dressed, onto her bed and cry like a crèche-baby.

But that would have to wait, because Lilac insisted on showing her all the luxuries of the suite. She left when she was through with the tour, but not before she rang for the two personal droids that had been sent as an engagement gift from the prince.

While she was pretty sure the droids were just normal droids, Hyacinth didn’t want to let her guard down until they were gone.

“Are you ready for your bath, my lady?” the pink droid asked.

“Yes, that sounds nice,” Hyacinth told it politely, figuring the quickest way to be left alone was to just go along with whatever they had planned.

The blue droid immediately began filling the massive tub, tossing in bubble powder and scented oils.

“I will assist you with your garments,” the pink droid said, rolling over and extending her arms to remove Hyacinth’s clothing.

“I, uh, I can get it,” Hyacinth said, covering herself with her arms.

“My apologies, my lady,” the pink droid said. “I did not mean to cause alarm.”

“The fault is all mine,” Hyacinth said. “I have not had the privilege of a droid companion before now. Please, do help with my gown.”

The droid hummed in a pleased way and moved again to help.

It was an odd feeling, but Hyacinth knew she would have to get used to new customs. Viktor had done all he could to prepare her, but even he had never been a Drathian princess before. There would be new experiences.

She scolded herself inwardly for handling this one poorly. She would not get a second chance to make the proper impression on a biological servant. This would need to be a lesson to her.

But I don’t want anyone to remove my clothing but Viktor, she thought to herself sadly, as the droid led her to the steaming and fragrant tub.

The water felt incredible to her sore muscles. She closed her eyes as she sank into the water to her neck. The droids slid backward to the corner of the room. Giving her relative privacy to bathe.

But she couldn’t bring herself to luxuriate.

All she could think about was Viktor, his coldness once Lilac arrived, and then the look he had given her before she left the table.

Did he love her? Would he mourn the loss of what could have been between them?

But the answer was unknowable, and didn’t matter anyway.

However she felt, and however he felt in return, were of no consequence. Hyacinth would not betray her people.

Eager for some time to herself, she bathed quickly and began to get out of the tub.

But before she could take a step, the two droids rushed over with towels and lotions.

“If my lady wishes to hold still,” the pink droid said politely, “we will take care of everything.”

“Thank you,” Hyacinth said with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

The two began toweling her off gently but briskly. The pink droid worked fragrant lotion into her skin as the blue one placed the towels in laundry chute and came back holding a pale lavender gown and matching lace underthings.

The pink droid had the garments on her in no time, and then led her to the bed.

“Please let me know which music to play while Blue prepares your tea,” the pink droid said.

“No music, thank you,” Hyacinth said.

A moment later Blue returned with a mug of delicate jasmine tea on a small tray he placed at her bedside.

“Do you require anything further for your comfort, my lady?” Pink asked politely.

“I am very comfortable,” Hyacinth said. “Thank you for your help.”

“It is our pleasure to serve, my lady,” Pink said.

Blue opened her door and the two slid into the hallway, their rollers so well-oiled they were nearly silent.

Then, and only then, was Hyacinth able to curl her body up for a good cry.

She should have been comfortable, but the bed was enormous, and it felt too soft after several nights on the ground. Worst of all, no matter how many blankets she buried herself in, she felt freezing cold without Viktor’s hot body pressed to hers.

She closed her eyes anyway, willing herself to get the cry out of the way.

But she could almost feel his arms around her, like a phantom limb, aching even after its amputation.

By this time tomorrow, she would be wed.

CHAPTER 22

The next morning, Hyacinth stood on a wooden dais, while a room full of women and droids scurried around with pins, ribbons, tulle, and rare gemstones, under the watchful eye of her sister.

“Would you care for a sweet, my lady?” Pink asked again, rolling up with a tray of bite-sized pink cakes.

“No, thank you, Pink,” Hyacinth said.

Her stomach was already cramping with anxiety. And besides, there was a Vystian lady wrapping swathes of fabric around her, and it seemed rude to eat while she was working.

She tried her best to focus on the proceedings, but her thoughts kept returning to the same place.

I cannot marry another when I love Viktor.

But she could, and she would. She would do anything to help her people.

The scent of mint and cucumber filled the air as a hairdresser began spritzing her long hair.

“You look exquisite,” Lilac told her.

“Thank you,” Hyacinth managed.

“Are you okay?” Lilac asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Hyacinth said bravely, not wanting to scare her sister. “Just… nervous, I guess.”

“Prince Rowan is really great,” Lilac said softly, her eyes suddenly warm with feeling. “I know he’ll do anything to make you happy.”

“You’ve met him?” Hyacinth asked, shocked.

“When I arrived here without you, everything was chaos,” Lilac said. “While everyone else was running around wringing their hands, he actually helped me try to figure out what happened, and where you might be.”

“Wow,” Hyacinth breathed.

“He’s very smart,” Lilac said.

That was Lilac’s highest compliment. She was always the most studious in the family. She had a love of books, and was endlessly learning about a new facet of history or philosophy in addition to the texts she studied at the healing academy.

“He’s also kind,” Lilac said. “And he’s handsome too, if you were wondering.”

That last remark was thrown in casually, but Hyacinth knew her sister too well to think it meant nothing.

If she weren’t dead in love with Viktor Locke, she would have been happy to hear this news.

“You aren’t happy,” Lilac said. “Is it the dress?”

Hyacinth glanced down at the lady carefully pinning up the dress below her, and the droid following behind, making perfectly fine stitches in the garment. It was gorgeous, but it didn’t make her feel like a princess. Only one man could do that.

“I don’t know this prince,” she said simply. “I’m glad you approve, but it’s hard not to be a little nervous.”

“Hyacinth, look into my eyes,” Lilac said.

Hyacinth obeyed.

“He will be the perfect husband,” Lilac told her.

“Why don’t you marry him then?” Hyacinth said bitterly.

Lilac’s face went blank, as if Hyacinth’s words had truly stung her.

“I’m sorry,” Hyacinth said quickly. “That was uncalled for. It’s been a hard few days and I… I’m going to miss you, Lilac. How am I supposed to do this without you?”

“Oh, Cinth,” Lilac cried, tears springing in her eyes.

“Please look in the mirror, my lady,” the woman on her knees below said. “Do you like it?”

Pink rolled over with a massive mirror and Blue followed, sliding behind Hyacinth so she could examine herself front and back.

“It’s beautiful,” Hyacinth said, her eyes blurring with tears. “Thank you for your hard work.”

It was beautiful. She looked more like a queen than a princess. Her hair was as usual but somehow brighter and more satiny. The snowy white gown pulled snug around her breasts and waist, with precious gemstones sewn into the bodice, then it flared at her hips into a diaphanous wave of pale silk.

It would have been her dream dress, if she had been gifted with the creative powers to dream up something half so beautiful.

She only wished she were wearing it for any other occasion.

She glanced over at Lilac.

While Hyacinth admired herself in the mirror, her sister was furtively wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.

Lilac was always so sensible and energetic. The sight added to Hyacinth’s agony so that she could not imagine how she would find the strength to step off the platform, let alone walk down the aisle and say the words that would make her the prince’s wife.

CHAPTER 23

Viktor paced his suite, counting down the minutes until Hyacinth would be someone else’s bride.

His stateroom was elegant, a study in dark wood and hand-knotted rugs, with tasteful, multi-media artwork on every wall.

But he longed for that narrow ledge of shale under the falling water, and the nearness of his beloved in the night of a dangerous jungle.

He caught his own eye on his next pass by the mirror and stopped for a moment, taking in the haggard-looking man in the charcoal robes.

He was dressed for Hyacinth’s wedding, and would have to attend. Though his mind would be out of place, a mourner at a party, his appearance would fit in perfectly.

Just get through the next couple of hours, he told himself firmly. In a few days, when you return to The Firmament, a lifetime of meditation and study will smooth the rough edges of this pain as a river to a jagged stone.

A knock on the door snapped him back to the present.

He composed himself, arranging the features in the mirror into a mild version of his former self.

When he opened the door, he was caught off guard by his visitor. He’d been expecting a servant or a messenger, and was ill-prepared to face the king himself.

“Your Majesty,” Viktor said, dropping to his knee.

“Up, up, boy,” the king of Drath chuckled. “No need for that.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Viktor said, straightening and gesturing to his sitting area. “Please come in. May I offer you a drink?”

“No thank you,” the king decided, sitting down carefully in the carved armchair and gesturing for Viktor to take the leather settee across from him. His Majesty was so short and stout that his feet barely brushed the floor.

Viktor sat, his mind racing. Could the king know of his feelings for Hyacinth? The Igwayte hunters had certainly caught them in a compromising position. Perhaps word had been sent. If the prince found out, Viktor would have no need to worry about his future. It was difficult to worry about such things without a head.

“You’ve done the crown a great service these last few days,” the king proclaimed. “You have kept our princess from harm. And now we wish to repay the favor.”

Thank the powers that be. And the discretion of the Igwayte.

“That is unnecessary, Your Majesty,” he said. “It is my pleasure to serve.”

“I thought as much,” the king said, smiling warmly. “A lot has been made of this match being for the good of Pacifica. But few understand the delicate politics on Drath, and how necessary this match is for us. We do not only wish to keep the prince from the rigors of the throne. My son is known to be a consummate playboy, you understand. A match with a female from Pacifica doesn’t just take him out of succession. It gives him dignity. Besides, those Pacifica women don’t take any sludge. He’ll be well-served with a wife who has a mind of her own and can keep him out of trouble.”

The king chuckled at his own statement, and Viktor forced his mouth into the shape of a smile he didn’t feel.

It was a bitter idea, that his beloved would be wed to a philandering man, and expected to babysit him for the rest of her life. There was little to smile about.

“At any rate,” the king said, “I understand your relationship with the girl is strong. You’ve been her cultural instructor for some time, is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “She is a very bright young woman, and I am deeply proud of her diligence and passion for your people. If she is an asset to you, the honor is her own. If she ever falters, the fault must be mine - no teacher has ever had a better student.”

“High praise, indeed, boy,” the king said, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Had Viktor said too much and given himself away?

He inclined his head in respectful assent.

“You protected her through two craft malfunctions and a trek across a hostile planet,” the king said. “And you are clearly dedicated to helping her assist her new people. As such, I would like you to continue in your role. From now on, you shall act as her cultural advisor, not her instructor, with the accompanying pay raise, of course.”

Viktor gaped at him.

“In addition,” the king went on, “due to your services in the jungle, you will also be the personal guard and protector to the princess and her family, and will receive a separate salary for that role.”

Viktor’s blood ran cold, and he had to fight to keep his composure. The king was expecting him to stick around. And not only that, but to be in Hyacinth’s close presence almost constantly. It was unconscionable.

“Your Majesty,” he said carefully. “This is an incredible honor. It is beyond anything I have ever dreamt of. But I am required back on The Firmament. I have already pledged the rest of my life to my studies there.”

“Nonsense,” the king decreed. “I have already spoken with your master on The Firmament, and you have been released unconditionally. Your service is now required by the crown.”

Required…

The king stood up with some difficulty.

Viktor leapt to his feet and bowed again, observing the proper formality, even as his heart broke. Somehow, he managed to accompany the king to the door, and give him the appropriate farewell.

Afterward, he made his way back to the portal overlooking the stars and fell to his knees, fighting back tears. He prayed, knowing it was useless.

If only I believed in you as she does, Great Mother, I would beg you to untangle the threads of our destinies and put everything right again.

But of course, there was no answer. The Great Mother was a fairytale and Viktor’s fate was sealed.

He would watch the woman he worshipped serve another for the rest of his days.

A life of hard labor on a prison colony would have been preferable.

A swift death would be even kinder.

CHAPTER 24

Hyacinth stepped into the threshold of the great ballroom. The space was redolent with the scent of moon roses, and the air buzzed as the guests whispered.

They were no doubt whispering about her lateness. She’d had to take an extra few minutes to give herself a pep talk, reminding the sad but lovely girl in the mirror that her people meant more than her pathetic heart.

Taking a deep breath, she gazed down the aisle for her first glimpse of the man she was supposed to marry.

After meeting the king, she was surprised to see that his son was nothing like him physically.

The prince was tall and muscular. A pair of velvety black horns sprung from his dark hair. He wore the traditional military garb of his people, the scarlet color setting off his golden skin tone perfectly.

He reminded her of the heroic prince in the forbidden fairytale books back on Pacifica - tall, dark, handsome, and yet somehow faceless.

She willed her eyes not to search the room for Viktor. Seeing him now would only make this hurt more, and keep her clinging to her old life that much longer.

Viktor Locke was her friend, her lover, her teacher…

But it was time for Hyacinth of the Seventh House to graduate.

The first notes of the music played, and her intended prince glanced up at her.

His eyes were an unusual bright green, with a flash of intelligence that was immediately discernible. He was quite the specimen. No wonder the women seemed to like him so much.

Hyacinth felt nothing.

But the music kept playing, so she began her slow march down the aisle toward her prince and her future.

There were soft exclamations and sighs at her beauty. She could hear the rustling of other gowns as everyone craned for a look at the bride. It should have made her feel better.

But there was only one person whose eyes she craved, even as she begged herself not to meet them.

She sensed Viktor’s presence before she saw him. He sat on the aisle on her right, resplendent in the traditional gray robes of his people.

An unseen fist seemed to squeeze her heart mercilessly, until tears prickled her eyelids.

But her eyes mercifully landed on her sister, sitting in the front row in a scarlet gown, and she remembered all over again why this wedding had to take place. The women of Pacifica needed her, Lilac included. She would not shame and betray them all by refusing the match.

When she ended her interminable march and arrived at her groom’s side, he broke protocol by bending to whisper in her ear.

“I am sorry your detour meant we could not meet before now,” he murmured. “I promised your sister I would be a kind and loyal husband to you. If you are anything like Lilac, I know we will grow to be the best of friends.”

She glanced up at him in relief and surprise.

We will grow to be the best of friends.

So, he did not expect this to be a romantic match either. It might be a sad way to begin a marriage, but it cheered her up immensely to know she would not have to pretend a love she did not feel. She was certainly going to need a good friend in her new life.

She smiled at him with all the warmth she could muster, and he nodded to her. There was something strange in his eyes now, almost like a reflection of her own hidden sadness.

The officiant was the captain of the Stargazer II, a surprisingly young woman with pale hair and an encouraging smile. Lilac had mentioned a rumor that the captain of the vessel used to be some kind of space pirate, which Hyacinth had dismissed as idle gossip. Looking at the woman now, seeing the mischievous twinkle in those eyes, Hyacinth could imagine it. The captain began to speak, and Hyacinth let the words wash over her.

She glanced at Lilac in the front row, but her sister’s face was pale and drawn, as if she were being tortured.

A row behind her, Viktor’s face was made of stone.

Sweet goddesses, what kind of a wedding was this? Was no one happy?

“Does any being here present know of a reason why this couple may not be joined by the powers of the intergalactic council—” the captain said, her voice seeming far away, like all of this was happening to someone else.

If only.

“Wait,” Lilac called out as she shot to her feet.

“I do,” Viktor intoned at the same time.

The officiant’s jaw dropped.

But Hyacinth had eyes only for Viktor.

He faced her, feet set shoulder width apart, his expression fierce, as if he would hold his ground and fight for her until there was no one else standing.

“What is the meaning of this?” someone shouted.

There were murmurs of horror, but Hyacinth couldn’t bring herself to care. She was losing herself in Viktor’s eyes.

“Enough,” an imperious voice cried.

The entire room went silent as the king of Drath hopped out of his chair and walked up to the podium.

The officiant nodded to him and stepped back, giving him room to speak.

“It seems to me that a grave error has been made,” the king said sternly. “An error that I intend to correct.”

With a sinking feeling, Hyacinth remembered all the reasons she was supposed to be getting married today. She had betrayed her people, with Viktor’s help. And now she would pay the price.

“I had a most enlightening discussion with the bride’s cultural instructor this morning,” the king went on. “I sought a bride to tame my son’s wild spirit, but Magister Viktor Locke describes Hyacinth of the Seventh House as a perfect student, eager to learn and to please. She would be putty in my son’s hands, and the two of them would be up to no good in no time.”

“Your Majesty, I would do no such thing,” she cried. “I promise that if you just give me the chance—”

“Peace, child,” the king said softly, lifting his hand. “I know you would cut out your own heart to serve your people. And I commend you for that.”

She bit her lip, hating him for implying she lacked the moral character to help his son, yet grateful she would not have to marry him.

“And you,” the king said to the prince. “How can you marry this woman when the one you love is there?”

Hyacinth followed the king’s regal gesture and realized he was pointing his index finger at… Lilac?

“You’ve done some foolish things in your time, boy,” the king went on. “But this takes the cake.”

Hyacinth stole a glance at the prince.

He was grinning stupidly at her sister.

Hyacinth suddenly liked him even better than before.

What in all the galaxies had happened between these two in the brief time she’d been away? Apparently, she needed to have a very long talk with her sister.

“I need a spitfire that can handle my boy,” the king continued. “And I need a princess who can represent her new subjects. But you four seem to have mucked that up for me.”

Hyacinth quickly looked down, hoping she looked sufficiently meek.

“But you’re going to fix it for me now,” the king said. “You, sister girl, come up here.”

Hyacinth peeked up to see Lilac practically sprinting to join the prince.

“And you, Locke,” the king said.

Hyacinth watched with bated breath as Viktor strode toward her.

“Son, you’ll marry the girl you love,” the king said to Prince Rowan.

The prince swept Lilac up in his arms and they hugged each other with teary eyes.

“And you’ll go with them, the both of you,” the king told Hyacinth and Viktor sternly. “You’ll help your sister with the proper customs. And you, sir, will keep teaching this one, and guard them all. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they all said at once.

Hyacinth curtsied low.

Viktor bowed, then offered her his arm, which she took gratefully.

“Now the ship’s booked and the dinner’s paid for,” the king said, with a gruff smile. “So, there will be a wedding. If you want to make it a double, you have two minutes to decide. I’m an old man, and I want my dinner.”

Hyacinth watched in awe as he tottered back to his seat.

But he stopped and turned back before sitting. “And let this be a lesson to all of you,” he said. “My eyesight may be fading, but I’m not blind yet! I’ll have nothing but the truth from now on.”

But he smiled when he said it and everyone else smiled too.

“What do you say, Cin?” Viktor asked softly.

She turned to him, tears burning in her eyes.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

“Yes,” she cried.

The guests all cheered as he pulled her into his arms for a gentle kiss.

She pulled back after a moment, not wanting to share their intimacy with strangers.

He smiled down at her, and Lilac took her hand and squeezed.

“Are we ready?” the captain asked, not even trying to hide her own amusement at the situation.

They all nodded, and she began again, leading them through the words to the conclusion they all craved.

The first time, the words had been meaningless to Hyacinth. This time, she felt the happy weight of each one in her heart.

She repeated her own words when it was time, and listened to Viktor say his.

And just like that, they were married.

Viktor swept her up in his arms once more and kissed her with all his heart.

And she kissed him back, not caring who saw, certain she would burst with happiness.

CHAPTER 25

Viktor looked around the reception area.

There were still plenty of people enjoying the intergalactic delicacies on the tables, and drinking fine Maltaffian wine.

A small group of musicians played while a few guests danced.

“Enough,” he whispered to Cin, who clung to his hand. “We’ve eaten. We’ve danced. We’ve talked to the dignitaries, and made peace with the king.”

That last hadn’t been so difficult. His Majesty seemed to be delighted that he had figured it all out in time, and that a happy ending had been arranged for all, thanks to him.

“Don’t you want cake?” she asked.

For a moment he felt like a monster. It was one thing to surrender to his darkest desires with his innocent student. It was another for the universe to provide him a path to marry her and legitimize their union.

Now he wanted to deny her a taste of her own wedding cake just so he could bury himself inside her?

Then she giggled.

“You’re joking,” he breathed in relief.

A wave of her giddy happiness hit him in the chest.

“Of course I’m joking,” she murmured. “I can’t wait to get out of here. Can we really just leave?”

He swept her up in his arms instead of answering, and carried her toward the doors.

She hid her face in his neck when a few people shouted encouragement, but he could feel her cheeks were smiling.

The walk back to their rooms was too long. She felt incredible in his arms. He had forgotten how delicious she smelled, how her body melted into his.

“I missed you,” he told her gruffly.

“Why didn’t you come for me?” she whispered so softly he could hardly hear her.

“What do you mean?” he asked, stopping in his tracks.

“The night we were with the Igwayte,” she said. “Or last night. I thought you didn’t want me. I thought our time together didn’t mean anything to you.”

“Cin,” he said, horrified. “You mean everything to me. I didn’t go to you because I knew you wanted to fulfill your destiny and save your people. I didn’t want to stand in the way of that. But for myself, all I have ever wanted was you.”

Her serious eyes studied his, and he tried to open his soul to her and let her see it all. If only she could read emotions as he could, then she would know everything she needed to know.

Her expression softened and she leaned in, kissing him as lightly as a butterfly landing on a flower.

Her gentle kiss brought on a torrent of lust that left him practically shaking, desperate to get her back to his rooms.

“Cin, please,” he groaned. “I need you in my bed.”

“Yes,” she smiled against his lips.

With the last of his restraint, he pulled away from her mouth instead of ripping off her gown and taking her against the wall. Clutching her closer to his chest, he stalked down the corridor as quickly as he could without breaking into a sprint.

She giggled and clung to him, like happiness embodied.

A lifetime later, he slammed his palm to the sensor and his door slid open, revealing his room.

The last time he had seen it, he was in mourning, about to watch the love of his life marry another. The elegant wood and luxurious furnishings had mocked him. No physical luxury could un-break his heart.

Now it felt perfect to him. The classic aesthetic and romantic darkness suited the seriousness of their commitment and everything this joining would represent.

He lowered his darling down, placing her gently on her feet at the foot of the bed.

“Should we bathe first?” she asked, looking down at her feet.

Was his angel feeling shy?

“We can do whatever you want, my love,” he told her gently. “There are no rules.”

Her eyes met his again, hazy with want. She was so brave, his wonderful Cin.

His wonderful wife.

“No,” she decided. “We can bathe together after.”

“That sounds nice,” he told her. “What would you like to do now?”

But her hands were already on his robes, finding the slides and releasing them one by one. She studied his body as she revealed it, taking in his wide shoulders, muscular chest, and chiseled abs hungrily.

He felt a shiver of her lust and was grateful that his strong form gave her pleasure. He was diligent about staying in prime physical condition. It was nice to see that she appreciated his efforts.

The last of the robes fell away and he stood before her in nothing but his undergarments. She sank to her knees before he could stop her, pulling them down so that his cock sprung out as if to greet her. She slid the last scraps of fabric off carefully, pulling off his foot coverings as well, so that he was entirely naked.

His whole body thrummed with need. But he willed himself not to move, wanting to see what his sweet Cin would do next.

Her eyes were on his cock now. She glanced up at him as if in question.

“Cin,” he groaned, sure he couldn’t bear what she was suggesting.

But she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to him.

The pleasure of her lips against him was unearthly. It took all he had not to beg her for more. His tail reached around him of its own accord, lightly caressing her cheek in encouragement.

Emboldened, she darted her tongue out to dance along his shaft.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, pleading with all her goddesses for the will to hold back his climax while her innocent mouth explored him.

But when he felt the warmth of her lips encircle his head and draw him in with gentle suction, it was too much.

“Cin,” he murmured warningly, opening his eyes again to the picture of his beautiful wife in her princess wedding gown on her knees in front of him.

She moaned around him, flickering her tongue, and the sight was so decadent that he almost came apart in her mouth.

“Enough,” he roared, pulling her to her feet.

“Viktor,” she whimpered.

“It’s too good,” he growled. “Too much.”

She smiled proudly, and it was like light erupted from his heart.

“Your gown is very beautiful,” he rasped. “Tell me how to remove it, if you don’t wish to see it torn to shreds.”

“There is a single slide on the back,” she told him.

It was as if the clever seamstress had known no man could have the patience to wrestle this thing off her when she was so beautiful.

She spun around and he dragged his thumb from the center of her back to her waist.

The gown fell to her shoulders.

She turned to face him again and lowered her arms, letting it fall completely to the floor.

She wore a tiny sheer slip with nothing underneath. It reminded him of her wet chemise on that ledge, what felt like a lifetime ago.

“Get into bed,” he managed before his words could fail him. “Now.”

CHAPTER 26

Hyacinth crawled into Viktor’s bed, her body trembling with desire.

His rich, delicious scent clung to the bedding, and she nearly lost herself in it. She could feel herself melting, and he hadn’t even touched her yet.

When she rolled onto her back, he was still standing exactly where she had left him, gazing at her with a hunger so intense that he almost looked angry.

He crawled in after her, his eyes flashing with need.

“Viktor,” she murmured, arms out for him.

“You are so beautiful,” he told her, cupping her cheek with one hand. “Inside and out, Princess.”

“I’m not going to be a princess anymore,” she said, smiling wryly at him.

“You’ll always be my princess,” he told her.

She felt warmth bubbling up in her chest, and she let it out as a giggle.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

She nodded, smiling up at him.

He smiled back and kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, her chin.

“I love it when you laugh,” he told her, his deep voice soft and gentle. “But tonight, I think I will make you scream.”

A shudder of lust ran down her spine.

“Are you ready for that, Princess?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Then I want you to lift up your slip, so I can kiss your perfect breasts,” he told her.

She moved so quickly to obey that he chuckled.

But she didn’t care, as long as it would get his hands on her faster. She was aching for him already, every part of her singing with need.

He bent to press a kiss to her lips, gentle at first, and then more demanding.

She let him thumb open her jaw, anxious to taste his tongue and feel him moving against her. As he kissed her, he slid his hand down her ribcage, allowing the pad of his thumb to graze one stiff nipple. She moaned into his mouth and felt the steel of him pulsing helplessly against her stomach, as if in reply.

He abandoned her mouth to kiss his way down her neck, nuzzling her and tickling her delicate skin with his rough jaw. She gasped as he nibbled along her collar bone, and then moved lower.

“Cin, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured before capturing a nipple in his lips and sucking gently.

“Ohh,” she moaned, feeling her hips lift against him.

“Good girl,” he praised her, moving to tease her other nipple while his fingers toyed with the first.

Every touch was sending lightning bolts of need through her. She trembled all over, desperate to feel him between her legs.

But he took his time, lavishing her breasts with his mouth until she sank her nails into his shoulders.

“You need more, don’t you, Princess?” he whispered against her belly as he moved down between her legs, his tail sliding up to take his mouth’s place on her breasts.

She thought that because she knew what was coming, she would be prepared this time. But when his hot mouth latched onto her needy sex, she nearly shot off the bed with the pleasure of it.

“Viktor,” she moaned. “Viktor, Viktor…”

He groaned against her, the vibrations nearly pushing her over the edge.

She closed her eyes and tried to chase relief. But his wicked mouth flickered and danced, teasing and goading her until she was frantic.

“Please,” she whimpered. “Please, please, please…”

But he stopped instantly, leaving her pulsing and empty.

She opened her eyes to see him crawling back up to her. His mouth was slick with her juices, and his blue eyes had gone dark with lust.

“Are you ready to be mine?” he asked her, his voice a desperate rasp.

“I have always been yours,” she told him.

The love in his eyes brought tears to hers. She let them fall freely.

“I will try not to hurt you terribly,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. “But there will be some pain.”

“I want it all,” she whispered.

Then he was taking himself in his hand and pressing his throbbing heat to her slippery opening.

She clung to him, willing herself not to cry out if it hurt. Pleasure would follow, or so she had been taught.

At first, there was a sharp pinch and then a moment of stretching pain as he filled her. When he was fully seated, he held himself perfectly still, as if trying to let her get used to him.

Tears prickled her eyes.

“Are you okay, Cin?” he whispered.

“You’re inside me,” she whispered back. “I’m so happy, I could fly.”

He kissed her fiercely, his tongue caressing hers.

The pain inside her faded into nothing, then sparks began to light up her blood, and her desperate need came roaring back.

She wanted him to move, needed it. She tried to jog her hips up, but he had her pinned to the bed.

He moaned against her mouth, and she could feel him throbbing inside her, as if he were as desperate as she was.

She squeezed him with her inner muscles, urging him on.

He groaned in surrender and eased out of her slowly, sending rainbows of sensation through her when he thrust back in.

“Viktor,” she moaned, feeling herself clench on him.

He roared and thrust again and again.

The pleasure was building in her, tightening her muscles until she trembled and cried out for release.

Then Viktor was working his hand between them, massaging her throbbing pearl as he thrust.

The pleasure launched her up, up, up into the stars and shattered her into a million pieces.

She screamed out her pleasure as she felt herself pulsing and fluttering around his length.

Viktor shouted her name as he joined her in ecstasy.

She could feel the heat of his seed jetting into her again and again, extending her own pleasure until she could hardly breathe.

At last, he collapsed on her chest, utterly spent.

She breathed him in, relishing his weight, his warmth, his heated liquid trailing down her thigh.

He rolled over, pulling her onto his chest.

“Hyacinth,” he murmured, saying her whole name as if it were a prayer.

She wanted to reply, to talk to him, to plan out their life together.

But his hand was stroking her hair as his tail traced the tender place between her shoulder blades, easing her into sleep.

CHAPTER 27

Sometime later, Hyacinth of the Seventh House glanced around a familiar ballroom.

Beautifully dressed Drathians were all around her, their fine suits and gowns nearly as colorful as the Drathians themselves. Some wore jewels around their necks, on dark chains that matched their curved, black horns.

As she watched, one of them approached Lilac and bowed.

Hyacinth noticed approvingly that her sister was running her eyes over his robes and chains.

“May I have this dance, Princess?” the man asked respectfully.

“Thank you, but my lord awaits,” Lilac said politely.

“Another time, perhaps,” the man said, bowing again before taking his leave.

“Stop,” Hyacinth called out.

The simulation paused, and she walked between the frozen Drathians to her sister.

Lilac gave her a mischievous smile.

“Why did you turn him down?” Hyacinth asked.

“Blackened silver indicates the noble class,” Lilac said dutifully. “And his amethysts signify that he supports the crown.”

“Very good,” Hyacinth told her. “So why did you say no?”

“Because my lord actually awaits,” Lilac said, grinning. “And so does yours.”

Hyacinth looked in the direction her sister was gazing in, and saw the two men leaned against the wall, watching them.

Prince Rowan wore a bespoke suit with a colorful gem-laden chain around his throat. He was giving Lilac a sexy half-smile.

Viktor wore his simple scholar’s robes. His gaze back at Hyacinth was intense and very, very serious.

The two men could not be more different, but to Lilac and Hyacinth’s delight, they had formed an instant connection. The four of them were going to have a wonderful honeymoon tour.

And the best part for Hyacinth was that she would not have to be in the spotlight. She could hide in the shadows with her husband, helping her sister as needed.

The public life she had dreaded but willingly trained for was no longer necessary. Yet she was still serving Pacifica, just as she had dreamed.

At first, the high priestess had been scandalized to learn that Hyacinth had fallen in love with her teacher. But as soon she got used to that idea, she was furious that she had somehow been tricked out of not just one but two bright young minds of Pacifica.

The king of Drath had arranged daily holograms with her and the four newlyweds. The high priestess’s indignation was fading to a begrudging acceptance, and there were even talks of a Pacifica stop on the honeymoon tour.

And, as all had hoped, the Armada seemed to be withdrawing its interest in the system, now that the alliance between Drath and Pacifica was sealed.

Everything was turning out so well.

“May I have this dance?” Prince Rowan called out as he and Viktor approached.

“It would be my honor, My Prince,” Lilac replied, with a textbook curtsy.

Great Mother, but she was a natural.

“Begin,” Hyacinth called out as she turned to head back to the wall and watch.

The ballroom came back to life and the beginning strains of the next song started, lilting and lovely.

“May I have this dance?” a dark, familiar voice asked.

She spun around to see Viktor.

“You want to dance with me?” she asked, feeling flustered.

“I believe the correct answer is Yes, My Lord,” he corrected her, arching one brow.

How many times had she practiced this ballroom sequence, wanting only to dance with him?

“Yes, My Lord,” she replied immediately, smiling at him like an idiot as she curtsied.

“That’s more like it,” he growled, pulling her into his arms.

As the music swelled, they swept around the dance floor together.

“You’re a really good dancer,” she said. “Better than at our wedding.”

“Rowan might have given me a few pointers,” he admitted, chuckling. “But I still don’t have your experience.”

“We can practice anytime you like,” she told him. “I’m suddenly realizing this simulation is actually kind of fun.”

“As long as you never dance with any man but me,” he growled.

“Not even a simulated one?” she teased.

“Not any kind,” he told her, pulling her closer so that she could smell his forest scent.

“Don’t worry,” she murmured. “I don’t ever want to dance with anyone but you. I never have.”

“You will never have to,” he whispered into her hair.

Lilac and Rowan swept past, laughing their heads off at who knew what.

“I think the Great Mother got exactly what she planned for,” Hyacinth said impulsively.

“Me too,” Viktor told her solemnly.

“You do?” Hyacinth asked, shocked. Viktor had never acknowledged the Great Mother’s power.

“I might have said one simple prayer to her just before your wedding, in a moment of weakness,” he admitted. “It seems she is very responsive.”

She looked up at him to be sure he wasn’t teasing.

There was nothing but love in his eyes, and maybe just a hint of wonder.

“I love you, Viktor Locke,” she said.

“And I love you, Hyacinth Locke of the Seventh House,” he told her. “I always have, and I always will.”

Thank you for reading Promised Mate! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Tasha’s newsletter!

S.J. SANDERS

THE WANDERING STAR: FALLEN

PROLOGUE

Star light, star bright,

The first star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have this wish I wish tonight.

PROLOGUE

The Wandering Star was a luxury star cruiser unlike any other. Built to be larger and more decadent than any other ship, it was considered the star of Darvel Exploration Corporation—their luxury, travel, and pleasure branch, naturally. Bookings were coveted, selling out years in advance. Gossip was that, since the cruise traveled to exotic and wild destinations outside of coalition space, the trip was one where travelers could indulge in whatever vices and pleasures they desired without coalition restrictions. That Darvel even turned a blind eye toward the more forbidden desires, and the most famous and wealthy citizens were regular guests.

Naturally, for many, it was a dream to set sail on the yearlong voyage with its multi-planet destinations, briefly enjoying the sort of lifestyle and pleasures reserved only for the highest tiers in society. Even if one had to do it from the cramped accommodations made for the lower tiers in steerage, for the small price of spending a few hours a day serving on the ship, it was the ultimate fantasy for many who didn’t want to sign their lives away to a colony.

Kelly Roberts was no exception. Every year she wished upon a star and entered her name in the cruise lottery with the hope of being one of five citizens selected to work in one of the coveted seasonal positions. She rigorously saved every penny that she earned as a mech technician with the hope of landing the position. Passage was naturally free, but everything else cost credits, especially if she wanted to enjoy certain amenities of the cruise in her off time from whatever service job she was assigned.

And she was determined to enjoy everything.

This was going to be her year. It had to be. She could feel it right in her bones. Not even the gray wet season with its torrential rains could get her spirits down as she leaned forward on her couch in her tiny apartment, a cup of tea held tightly between her hands as she stared at the screen mounted on the wall in front of her, not for the first time wishing that she had splurged for a larger datascreen for her home. In the end, she always decided against it as a frivolous expenditure. Her privileges as someone of the mech class allotted more comforts to her than those of the pleasure class, but not much more. Not enough to offset the expensive data chips and hardware that had to be surgically implanted into the brain that made interfacing with mech possible and provided downloads that replaced technical training.

Kelly frowned and scratched at the old implant scar at the back of her head, hidden beneath her hair. The downside, of course, was that mech class were sometimes regarded as barely human, which affected their class standing, and yet they were still seen as more technically “useful” than the pleasure class. Then there were the fees for the yearly system updates. She had scrimped and saved in anticipation of being chosen, even living in the pleasure class district of the city with an iron-fisted budget so she could put more credits away. Everything came down to this moment. She had to be selected.

She sucked in a breath, holding it in as a representative of Darvel, wearing a crisp uniform and her hair braided back neatly, stepped into view. Smiling into the camera, she operated the random selection machine beside her. Kelly’s hand passed over her comm, her numbers showing brightly in a holograph above the screen. Technically, she didn’t need to do anything more than listen for an alert from the comm, since the announcement of whether or not she won would come directly to it, but she wanted to see it for herself. She couldn’t be patient enough to wait for a notification.

The first number went live, and then the second. Each number on the screen was lit up on her projected comm hologram, beaming brightly. Her breath caught in her throat as one number after another clicked into place. Crossing her fingers, she held her breath.

Two more to go.

A number locked in.

And then another one.

Her fingers dug into the palms of her hands as she half-stood, whispering fervent prayers under her breath. It had to be. It had to.

The last number locked in and her comm lit up, holographic fireworks exploding all around her as a message arrived. Grinning through tears, she opened the message, her fingers shaking above the comm’s screen.

Her tickets. She had been selected. She was actually going!

“Congratulations, Kelly Roberts. You have been selected as a service attendant on The Wandering Star, a luxury space cruise where the impossible becomes possible and dreams are realized. Please report to dock one of Stargazer port at noon tomorrow to receive your uniform and assignment. And welcome aboard!

CHAPTER 1

Kelly pasted a smile on her face for what felt like the thousandth time as she greeted the guests arriving at her table. The high collar of her uniform still chafed even after six months of repeated washings, and the festive lights and music of the promenade on level five were giving her a pounding headache. Though she only had to devote six hours of her day at her post, it was enough to leave her in misery by the time her shift was over.

One more hour to go and then she could leave the casino, administer a mild pain reliever, slip on her bathing suit, and head for the pools and buffets under the endless stars and in perfect view of the Kaler Nebula from the Lido deck. From the south viewing port of the casino, the outer left side of Kelar could be seen, casting its peculiar green and orange light over the roulette table, calling enticingly to her.

Her jaw tightened slightly as she glanced at the time. Thirteen-fifty-two. Her relief was due to arrive any minute, and he had better be on time today. The morning announcement greeting them with news of their arrival at the nebula had said that they would remain in prime viewing range until range-engines ignited for the cruise’s next destination at fifteen hundred. It would give Kelly just enough time to grab her dinner and head out to the deck. Not only would her family be dying to see virtual holosnaps and vids of Kaler, but Kelly also refused to miss such an opportunity.

The nebula was one of the must-see sights of the sector, and Kelly wasn’t going to miss it. Knowing that she had that luxury to look forward to made her smile a little brighter as she directed the guests to place their bets and commanded the AI to release the ball into the spinning roulette of the hologame.

Technically, she was not even needed. The AI was capable of creating a hologram and serving all functions in the casino, but Darvel Destinations had discovered that their human guests, especially from the upper tiers, not only preferred human interactions but were also uncomfortable around AI, despite the fact that by United Earth regulations the AI guaranteed a fairer gaming experience with its randomly-generated calibrations. Even her mech tech was blocked out from interfacing and tampering with it.

But hey, if it unnerved guests, that just meant more jobs on board for the lower-tier individuals like herself.

And Brock.

She glanced at the time and grimaced. Fifteen minutes late. That would be another warning if management caught him.

She shot an irritated glare at her relief as he came rushing toward the table, his starched uniform jacket hanging off one arm as he struggled to get it on while running. He would never learn to cut his little “encounters” short enough to give him time to get ready for work. Not only was he eating into her time, but what he was doing could also get him demoted to a far less pleasant duty on the ship. Darvel took appearances very seriously. Employees weren’t supposed to be on the floor at all without being fully groomed and prepared to work. How many times had she told him early on that his place in the casino management’s good graces would disappear if he kept it up? Especially if the deck manager, Maren, happened to be present.

It seemed that today was not his lucky day.

Idiot. Kelly rolled her eyes.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Kelly watched Maren’s head lift from his position by the door. Due to the distance separating them, the manager’s eyes squinted, and he craned his head to identify Brock just as her co-worker developed the good sense to slip in between several guests and disappear into the crowd. The deck manager’s already thin mouth practically disappeared as he glared after him and lifted his datapad, no doubt to go over the next shift roll.

Kelly swallowed back a groan. The man was a hardass and a complete control freak, and he seemed to make it his mission in life to make lower-tier guest workers miserable. Despite the fact that he clearly hadn’t identified Brock, he would be dropping by their table to question them both.

As much as it would have given her some serious satisfaction for Brock’s behavior to come back and bite him in the ass, she refused to let it interfere with her ability to get out there in time to see Kaler. A once-in-a-lifetime nebula sighting was the entire reason she was even out there! Which meant that she was going to have to help cover for him.

Her brows lowered in a scowl as Brock sidled up beside her. She would rather put Lorvakian hot sauce directly on her tongue than help him, but he was not messing it up for her.

Quickly buttoning up the front of his jacket, he gave her a boyish smile before running a hand through his hair in an attempt to restore some order to his appearance. It didn’t help, but he always did pull the look off well.

“Sorry, Kel,” he whispered, darting a furtive look in the direction of the entrance. “I got a bit held up. What the hell is Maren doing down here with us, anyway? I thought for sure it was just Wellings on in the casino today.”

“You know Maren does surprise monthly inspections,” she hissed back between her teeth as she smiled and accepted the transfer of credits for her tip from the winner leaving her table. “Surprise. And don’t call me Kel.”

“All right, all right. Just back me up, okay? I forgot to clock in while I waited for the guests to clear.”

“I don’t see why I should,” she snapped, unwilling to let him off so easily despite the fact that she had already made the decision to do just that.

He could sweat a little over it.

Brock turned a wounded look on her that she purposely ignored. Once upon a time, Kelly might have been of a mind to help Brock out when the voyage first started and she had naïvely believed that his boyish charm that he directed at her actually meant something, but she wasn’t feeling so generous. He was just damned lucky that it was more convenient for her to cover him so that she could get the hell out of there.

“Come on, Kelly. It’s not my fault. Isa was fooling around, refusing to leave my room. I know you want to see Kaler. I wouldn’t have intentionally been late.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, forcing a smile to her face to greet Maren as he pushed his way through the crowd to their table.

Withholding a sigh, she watched the soft light from Kaler slide over the table like a polished sheen despite the hologame cutting through it. There would still be plenty of time to enjoy the nebula if Brock didn’t get hauled out of there and she wasn’t forced to work a double to cover his absence while they replaced him.

The deck manager frowned at them as he consulted his datapad.

“Mr. Daniels.” Maren’s hazel eyes settled briefly on Brock before cutting to her. “Miss Roberts,” he greeted.

“Maren,” Brock replied cheerfully. “You just caught us at shift change. What can I do for you? Kelly here just wrapped up, but it looks like I have a second to spare before the next round.”

“Is that a fact, Mr. Daniels?” Maren bit out. “Miss Roberts, can you verify?

“Of course,” Kelly responded casually, struggling to keep the impatience from her voice as she longingly eyed the reflected lights of the nebula.

Come on! Silently willing the manager to speed things up, she removed her hydration bottle from the storage unit behind the table, eager to get going the moment Maren dismissed her. A frown creased her brow as the light dimmed and cut off as if a huge shadow suddenly blocked the nebula’s light from the viewing port. Several guests turned curiously toward the window at that same moment, silence descending among them.

Eyes narrowing on Brock, Maren’s mouth opened, his words immediately drowned out by the loud siren that filled the room. The explosion that followed was deafening, blotting out all sound, the ship rocking violently. The entire deck vibrated and groaned with screeching metal as everyone—and everything—not bolted down was sent sliding across the floor.

Since the game tables were bolted to the deck, Kelly was only thrown painfully against it, the metal surface catching her across the stomach. Her breath exploded out of her in a gasp of agony, but Brock’s startled cry as he was swept away from the table was faint and distant in the chaos. Her fingers dug into the table as she laboriously worked to draw in a breath. She couldn’t seem to drag in enough air to satisfy her burning lungs at first, but she was able to breathe again gradually as she clung to her anchor, the sound of screams mingling with the sirens becoming more audible beneath the ringing in her ears. Above it all was the repeated alert being blared out through the systems.

“Attention passengers, emergency alert code amber. Please remain in your current, occupied areas. Darvel Destinations requests that you please remain calm and cooperative at this time.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kelly wheezed, a tiny humorless chuckle escaping her at the inanity of the alert.

Pained groans filled the room, a few voices weeping, as people began to struggle to their feet. A man nearby stumbled over to help dig out those trapped beneath debris. Kelly straightened against the table slowly, wincing as she took stock of her injuries, her eyes scanning her surroundings in shock.

Shouts rose as another muffled bang vibrated through the ship, sending The Wandering Star swaying violently once again. Kelly’s body slid over the table and off of it, falling freely to the floor where she rolled with her momentum just as the shriek of metal tearing loose from its moorings joined the cacophony. Metal crashed together, numerous voices quieting, leaving only handfuls of people whimpering in panic and crying out in pain and fear as the festive lights snapped out in a flickering burst that left them engulfed in darkness.

CHAPTER 2

A sickly neon green emergency light flickered on, filling the room and illuminating bodies crumpled on the floor, many buried beneath stands and displays that had broken loose. Within the glow of the emergency lights, nothing stirred, and no sound could be heard other than Kelly’s own labored breathing as she worked to draw in the tiniest gasps of air.

Above, amber lights pulsed on the wall. Metal slid, and booted feet hurried into the room, a light bouncing among those groaning on the floor. A uniformed member of the ship’s defensive personnel stopped within inches of her face the beam of his searchlight blinding her temporarily as it hit her face.

“We have a survivor here.” His words almost sounded mechanical as they echoed out from the helmet that completely obscured his face, his head turning to speak to the person to the left of him.

The other DP glanced her way and shook his head. “We don’t have the manpower to get everyone out. Follow the electro signatures until you find the ones assigned to the guests we are looking for. They are our priority.”

“And anyone else?”

“There are plenty of lifepods on this level alone. Anyone who is able to make it to them can still escape The Wandering Star.”

Kelly could hear the hum of a comm activating behind the helmet of the DP standing over her, though whatever was communicated to him was muted and indistinct. He looked down at her, his black helm reflecting the dull emergency lights.

“I’m sorry, miss. Get out if you can. There’s no safety to be had here. The Wandering Star has fallen.” His voice was empty of inflection, the order terse as he stepped by her, his heavy boots clomping away before her disbelieving eyes.

“Keep moving,” the DP farthest from her ordered. “We don’t have much time before the hostiles attach to the hull of the ship and start boarding. Darvel wants us evacuated in forty.”

Whimpering low in her throat, she watched in horror as both officers moved on, their lights bouncing among the people crumpled on the floor. She tried to call to them, but her chest hurt to even draw in a deep-enough breath to make the smallest sound. The farther away they got, the more she realized that they wouldn’t hear her, and if they did, they wouldn’t come back for her. They stopped only briefly a few times, and only long enough to set up the hover stretchers to collect those they retrieved before moving on, their searchlights dimming as they made their way to the exit.

A painful breath wheezed out of her, her nails breaking as she clawed against the hard floor.

They’re actually leaving me here!

Her chest felt as if it were about to burst as she pulled herself out from beneath the roulette table that lay angled over her, the lefthand side wedged upward against a holoslot machine. Every move was pure agony, but the more she moved, the more she found the strength to do so again until she was able to pull herself to her feet. She swayed in place, her stomach heaving with the pain that shot through her, making her lightheaded.

Her entire chest and belly were throbbing, likely deeply bruised from the roulette table and being thrown to the floor. There was possibly even a broken rib or two with the stabbing sensation that accompanied every breath. The pins and needles shooting through her hands and feet didn’t help matters as she stumbled forward on shaky legs, but fear provided the extra burst of energy she needed to send her headlong through the casino, weaving around fallen machines and bodies until she came into the hall just outside.

The deck was in shambles, but Kelly tried to not look too closely at anything as she stumbled through the corridor, one arm wrapped around her chest, pressing against her burning side. The emergency sequence activated throughout the ship sent illuminated paths to guide the way to the lifepods. At the end of the hall, she could see the numerous escape hatches for the lifepods lining the entire wall.

Arriving at the wall, Kelly fell against the hatch, her body shaking against the agony suffusing her as her breath panted painfully out of her as she lifted a hand to the panel. Several were wide open, showing that many survivors had already escaped. She took that as a positive sign as she got to work. The code was a simple enough one but still had to be put in manually with a biosignature scan so that lifepods were not released by mistake.

Kelly’s hand slipped across the panel, blood smearing in its wake. She stared at it blankly for a moment before she realized that it was coming from her. She glanced down at her hands and arms, looking for the source of blood but found nothing—not until she looked down at her side and saw the crude metal shiv puncturing through her ribs. A squeal of pain and fear left her as she stared down at the injury. The blood had to have seeped onto her hand as she clutched herself.

“It will be okay,” she whispered aloud to the empty corridor, facing the lifepod hatch once again and typed in the sequence.

The air seal popped as the hatch in front of her opened into the lifepod. Claustrophobic, there was barely enough room for her to slip into the single-passenger seat behind the front panel to engage separation. Kelly’s blood pounded in her ears, her breath startling out of her in a yelp as her seat slid back into the pod, the backrest lowering as the rest of the floor lifted until she was suspended on a long cushion. A light ran over her.

“Injuries detected. Prepare for cryostasis.” The cool, mechanical voice of the AI filled the interior.

Kelly slammed her palm against the roof of the lifepod in alarm as she attempted and failed to link to the system. “What? No! AI, terminate stasis!”

“Cryostasis is required for all injured passengers to preserve life en route to the nearest hospitable atmosphere or Coalition vessel.”

“Shit,” she hissed, her eyes widening as a cool mist pumped into the pod as it sealed off from the rest of the star cruiser.

There wasn’t much of a chance of a Coalition vessel being that far out. Who knew where she would be dumped in stasis? Two security straps shot out, securing her to the cushion seconds before the lifepod jolted sharply as it detached from the ship. The stars shifted all around her as the lifepod spun out, adjusting its position so that it seemed to be pointed directly at the nebula before snapping forward in a blur of stars. The viewing port above her darkened as a metal enclosure slid into place, leaving her in darkness with nothing but her own breath and the sound of her heartbeat for company.

Several small lights came on inside the interior. She had little doubt that she would have been provided with further illumination and comforts if she weren’t being forced into stasis by the AI. She shivered as the cool mist gradually thickened in the small space as she repeatedly tried and failed to link to and gain control of the lifepod system.

“Cryostasis initiating in five… four… three… two… one.”

Her breath puffed out in a sigh as she sank into the darkness of her mind, dreams rising from the void within her. On and on they stretched, beautiful dreams warping into endless nightmares from which she could not escape. Nightmares of drifting forever through the cold vacuum of space, caught within her own mind.

CHAPTER 3

Krith narrowed his eyes as he regarded the readings scrolling past his vision. His claws danced over the controls, attempting to zero in on the coordinates of what he suspected was a vessel picked up entering Zelekzan space. Emitting a whooping whistle from between his sharp teeth, he regarded the object with fascination.

It was most certainly a vessel, though of an unknown origin. More importantly, as it did not respond to attempts of initiating communication and continued on a direct course, he suspected that it was operating automatically.

“What should we do?” The voice of his gethal, Hlek, filled his head from his implant, making him curse for the thousandth time in recent days the day that he agreed to the procedure to add that feature to his translator chip.

The fact that the two of them had been assigned to the far reaches of Zelekzan space to manage the Frentha Waystation was enough to challenge anyone’s sanity, having an actual disembodied voice in his head whenever his brother decided to initiate connection did not help much. Despite the fact that they were the only lifeforms permanently occupying the waystation, it was a continuous reminder of just how little privacy he had. Krith ran a hand through his frill, tugging some of the long coils free from the pragmatic knot he wore at the back of his head, so unlike the more elaborate styles preferred by Zelekzan males, his gethal included.

“Do you have a lock on it?”

“Confirmed.” There was a pause, and a low curse that proceeded a whooping whistle from the other male. “I have it.”

“Excellent. Bring it in. I will meet you in the docking bay.”

Krith examined the readings as they continued to roll past his vision as he walked the halls that led from the observation deck, noting with relief that there was no evidence of anything dangerous from the vessel now that the shuttle was in contact with it. Narrow and oblong, it seemed more like a capsule than any kind of proper vessel.

His leathery vengals, the fans of skin stretched between thin lengths of bone, muscle, and tissue that allowed him to glide with ease in his native habitat, snapped open away from his spine in excitement. They vibrated with a noisy hum before he got them back under control again, flattening at either side of his spinal ridge. It was all he could do to keep them contained as the claws slowly came back into view, dragging with it the strange white capsule.

“What do you suppose it is?” Krith asked.

His throat vibrated, pulsing with an uncertain warble as he worked to enlarge the image on the screen of his handheld. The narrow bright blue tip of his long tail curled against his cheek as he regarded the capsule quizzically.

“I do not know,” Hlek murmured, no doubt perusing the readings himself. “I have never seen anything quite of the like. Its interior readings are extremely low, which concerns me that it might be dangerous to bring on board.” He went silent for a moment. “Perhaps it is refrigerated storage. Do you think that it’s an emergency supply vessel of some kind?”

That was an intriguing possibility. It was not unheard of for supply capsules to be sent out preprogrammed to colonies in various sectors of sparsely-inhabited Zelekzan space, and some supplies would have been transported in temperature-static environment. Perhaps another species might have done likewise, and somehow theirs had been knocked hopelessly off course.

Unfortunate for whoever expected the capsule, but a possible windfall of something new and exciting for them.

“I am in the docking bay,” Hlek reported.

“On my way,” Krith replied.

“We should probably make certain that biohazard precautions are observed.”

“Biosuits. Got it,” Krith replied cheerfully.

The corner of his mouth twitched at the other male’s obvious enthusiasm buried beneath layers of protocol. Perhaps things had been a bit slow on Frentha. As a waystation, they served a few ships that came through to refuel and restock basic supplies. With so little outside stimulation beyond their own company and the Terasin digiplays that they were able to download whenever they were within communication range of an outpost, life on the Frentha wasn’t exactly exciting.

He was certain that they had both imagined something… more from the mission when they had been selected. There had been the promise of adventure in deep space, as well as the promised honor bestowed upon Krith and Hlek for their prior service within Zelekzan intelligence. It had been a shock to discover that the Frentha was little more than a broken-down chunk of space rock, which only the desperate and those scheduled for resupplying the waystation bothered to visit. It had soon become apparent that, upon being discharged from active service, they were put out of the way in the most extreme manner possible. The fact that they didn’t get a more deserving post due to a stupid personal vendetta simply rankled.

Krith grimaced at the memory and dutifully removed a plasma band from the storage unit outside the collections bay. With quick, practiced motions, he strapped the band over his designation collar and pressed his claw against the activation button. The familiar cool sensation of the plasma barrier sliding over his scales made them twitch, but he stoically ignored it despite the way his tail restlessly twitched within it. The plasma shield emitted from the band created an artificial biosuit that protected them from any potential biohazards that they might come into contact with better than any other tested method. The feeling of it, cool, slick, and damp—and more than a little repellant—did not make it easy to appreciate its beneficial uses.

He was certain that his tail was still twitching when he entered the collections bay, which was confirmed by the amused smile Hlek turned in his direction from where he waited hovering near the capsule.

“Good,” Krith rumbled. “Let’s crack this thing open.”

“Hold a moment,” Hlek interrupted as he reexamined the data and compared it to the new input coming from the ship systems. “While our systems picked up the extreme cold of this capsule, we weren’t able to detect one very important detail until now.”

“Which is?” Krith gave him an impatient look.

Hlek met his eyes gamely and nodded toward the capsule. “That faint life signs are coming from within it.”

Krith stepped away from it, his long crimson-tipped tail curling behind him as he eyed the capsule warily. “Now, that is interesting.”

“At the temperatures this thing is at, I suspect that whatever is within there is in stasis,” Hlek elaborated.

Unable to contain his excitement, Krith gave another whooping whistle in an undignified manner, his vengals snapping out once more from his back. With a growl of discomfort, he forced them back to a contained state and cleared his throat, more than aware of his amused gethal’s gaze on him.

“You have worked yourself up,” Hlek chuckled as he leaned in to hook the AI directly to the sealed locking mechanism of the capsule. “Frentha should have the necessary opening codes figured out momentarily. I hope that this is worth all those excited displays.”

Krith nodded, his mind racing with all the possibilities of what it might be. Food was generally at the top of their list. Unlike many species, Zelekzans could ingest almost anything without ill affect and because of that they eagerly availed themselves of any and all foods with a great deal of pleasure. Leaning forward to peer down at the capsule, he flinched when the black casing at the top suddenly snapped back and clattered to the floor loudly enough to send them both shooting into the air, their vengals spread wide to carry them a safe distance away.

Throat vibrating anxiously, Krith stared at the capsule just in case it decided to spit something else at them. When it became apparent that it was not, he relaxed by degrees and slipped forward, ignoring Hlek’s anxious growl, to peer inside. Krith blinked and froze.

That was… unexpected.

“Any food?” Hlek called out.

Krith shook his head. “No, or at very least I don’t think so. If this is food, I do not think I could force myself to eat it.”

Hlek warbled and there was a flutter pushing a sharp current of air just before his gethal landed beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, Krith noted the way that Hlek’s head cocked as he stared down at the capsule’s contents.

“It might be a bit chewy with all of those thick, meaty deposits…” Krith began humorously and winced when Hlek gave him a disgusted look. He chuckled at his gethal’s reaction. “Definitely not food. But what do you suppose it is?”

Side by side, they stared down at the strange scaleless being sleeping within its confinement. Female, Krith was certain, based on the swollen teats, but their presence confused him. While Zelekzan females did not possess them, there were no species that he knew of within their systems or any of the neighboring sectors who exhibited such unless nursing a youngling. A quick glance at the capsule confirmed that she was alone and without offspring in it.

Curiously, she had long frills hanging from her head that any male of courting age would envy, despite how incredibly fine they were, and in an unusual brown color that reminded him of fermented basa. His eyes drifted down to the obvious wound on her flank. That would clearly have to be dealt with. He glanced at the readings from his handheld, and his brows arched with interest.

“The system is picking up some sort of tech implant that is attempting to interface with it. I have blocked it out until we can ascertain what its purpose is and the threat level that the tech may pose for our systems.”

He initiated the commands and looked back down at her with interest. Whatever she was, she appeared to be a fascinating creature. Not many species were comfortable implanting tech like the Zelekzans were beyond simple translators.

“What do you think? Are we keeping her?” he asked eagerly, breaking the awed silence that had fallen between them.

The corners of Hlek’s mouth lifted slowly in a smile, and Krith nearly whooped again. It seemed that they most certainly were.

CHAPTER 4

Warmth, blessed warmth, was the first thing that Kelly was aware of. After falling into the frigid cold of sleep, to be surrounded in such warmth was nothing short of pure bliss. She curled her toes, relieved to discover that the bones did not ache from the deep cold that had worked their way into them moments before she had surrendered to stasis. The second was that she was mercifully free from pain. A small sigh fell from her lips, and she drew in a breath of stale air that was common on spacefaring vessels.

Her nose scrunched at the strange smell she breathed in. That, however, was different. It wasn’t bad. In fact, quite the opposite. Even though she couldn’t really identify it, there was a hint of something that she could almost consider melon to the aroma. The more she breathed it in, she became aware that it sent a sort of pleasant tingle through her. Mumbling, she turned her head in attempt to catch more of the compelling scent.

A murmur of voices floated over her with a melodious, songlike pitch as they communicated back and forth. That was different.

“It appears that the wounds have been sealed and her vitals are stable. Have you updated her translator?”

“Of course,” the other replied waspishly. “We are fortunate that the scans revealed that there was one there to update. The medical unit is not equipped with installation equipment, even if we had extra translators on hand. I am running the inoculations now with a dose of stimulant to bring her around.”

Inoculations? Stimulant? That sounded a bit too real.

Something sharp rudely punched into her arm with a force just shy of bruising. Kelly gasped as she shot into full wakefulness, her eyes flying open. Two pairs of eyes, one violet and the other crimson set in vaguely humanoid faces, peered down at her. An anxious tension coiled tight within her body.

Not human.

A scream bubbled up to her lips where it died, escaping as nothing more dire than a squeak. Though the reaction had been instinctual, a response to the fear that assailed her at the sight of the aliens hovering over her, the terror pressing against her chest felt distant, as if she were reacting sympathetically to a vid playing out. Her entire body felt groggy with the effects of stasis. Beneath it all, her mind continued to work anxiously. She supposed she should be thankful that the lingering sedation from the lifepod gave her the separation necessary for her to process without blindly panicking.

But why had aliens captured her lifepod?

Her eyes flitted nervously between them, taking in their vaguely dragonesque appearances, with their muzzles tapering elegantly like some beautiful creature from a fantasy vid, down to the iridescent scales that covered what she could see of them. Pushing up with her elbows, she sat up warily and was relieved that they immediately took several steps back to provide her with at least the illusion of space. Even with space between them, Kelly felt vulnerable beneath their intense scrutiny.

And naked. Very, very naked. What the hell happened to her clothes?

She gaped down at her bare body, uncertain of how to react, when a large sheet was set at the end of the medical bed, just beyond her feet. Swallowing back her fear, she dragged the sheet around her shoulders like a shield and forced herself to examine them as thoroughly as possible despite the cold sweat that broke out over her skin.

It wasn’t like people weren’t aware of aliens out there. She had seen vids of allied races from different sectors near theirs, and the cruise had promised glimpses of alien worlds that had entertained her fondest daydreams. Somehow, in all her imaginings, it had never introduced anything quite so predatory. Even the highly exotic Aturian race, despite a few sharp features, looked potentially approachable. These aliens, with their reptilian features and scales that, despite their iridescent sleekness, looked as hard as the curving white claws that tipped their fingers, had the appearance of cold brutality.

Her eyes skimming them, she noted that there were a lot of scales that could be seen, from the far smaller and more delicate ones on their faces and throats, to the more pronounced scales of their chests, and the even larger scales that she could see along their shoulders and down their arms. These scales must have offered a lot of protection because neither of them wore much more than an ornate collar and arm cuffs, their broad chests left bare to the stomach where a wide metal belt was in place as if to protect any potential access to vulnerable organs. From that belt they wore several layers of thin fabric wrapped intricately around their lower torsos and down their legs to where it was secured with metal cuffs at each booted ankle.

She stared at the boot, wondering at the shape of the feet it contained and if they had claws similar to their hands, when the violet-eyed one warbled in its throat in a way that was far from birdlike. If anything, it sent a chill over her as it conjured associations of vids that imagined the sounds made by prehistoric dinosaurs from Earth. It certainly didn’t fail to draw her attention to the alien.

To the untrained eye, its features looked almost identical to the one beside it in all ways except color. This one ranged in hues of pearl and aquamarine to the deepest sapphire. From the top of its head, it had numerous long, lacy segments like ornate frills hanging down its back from where they were gathered and pinned with several decorative sticks at the back of its head. Though it had a series of tiny pearly horns that ran up either side of its muzzle, it had a fringe of longer horns framing its jaw and two pairs of arching horns curving up from its brow. The center horns, longer than the outer, appeared more like delicate curving spires more suited to a unicorn. Under her scrutiny, its double-lidded eyes blinked at her, the thin, membranous inner lid sliding sideways before the outer lid closed.

It glanced over at its companion as if communicating silently, its neck deepening in color as it vibrated with staccato whooping trills. The alien beside it dipped its head in an obvious nod and stepped closer to her.

Unlike the other, its features were a bit sharper even if its coloring and extravagance would have pegged it as more feminine among humans, its scales going from pearl pink to burgundy, its horns a beautiful pearl pink with threads of crimson. Unlike the other alien, its frills were contained with several fancy twists before the front portion was secured into a smaller knot, the excess length fanning back toward a second larger knot at the back of its head. It too had decorative pins holding the knots in place, with smaller, more delicate ones securing the first knot. Its head tipped in an expression that she hoped was simple curiosity and not speculating on the best way to cook her as it sidled closer.

Shrinking back, she pulled her legs up protectively in front of her, suddenly aware that she was very nude. She might have been shocked at that if she weren’t entirely consumed with fear for the creature advancing on her.

“Please don’t eat me,” she whispered, more to herself than anything.

The alien drew to a stop, and a hissing staccato click escaped it. Was it… laughing at her?

It bared its sharp teeth in a grin, which she hoped was a sign of humor among the alien species as it was for humans.

“I would not object to tasting certain parts of your anatomy if you are offering, but I suspect my gethal would have something to say about that since he is insisting that we adhere to first contact regulations.”

An impatient, breathy sound escaped the other alien, his muzzle wrinkling, baring his fangs in the process, as he regarded the other alien with what looked like disdain. Kelly watched the interaction between the two with a kernel of fascination despite her fear.

“Tasting… really? Do you wish to frighten the female more? I don’t know what possessed me to choose you as my gethal when you lack the social niceties of a lump of iron.” With a final huff, he returned his attention to her, his horns slashing through the air in a fluid motion as his head dipped in her direction. “Ignore my gethal. I assure you, while we initially hoped that your capsule contained food, we have no intention of harming you.” The corners of its mouth twisted up in what she was certain now was an unmistakable expression of amusement. “We are not in the habit of eating guests or travelers.”

A shiver overtook her as she allowed herself to relax. Despite the reflexive action and the remaining anxiety of dealing with the unknown, the knowledge that she wasn’t about to be on the menu did relieve a great deal of worry, allowing her curiosity to emerge into the foreground.

Setting aside the whole notion of “tasting,” because the thought of it had implications she wasn’t sure if she was accurately interpreting even if she had the mental space to deal with an alien being making a forbidden sexual overture, she was had so many questions.

Her first alien encounter with a sapient being! It was more than anything she could have hoped for from the cruise.

“Gethal… Are you a mated pair then?” she asked, burning with curiosity. She glanced at the red one. It certainly looked the more feminine of the two.

Another round of hissing staccato clicks filled the air, this time from both aliens, their eyes slitting with definite amusement.

The blue one recovered first, his teeth flashing in a lethal grin. “Apologies. We are not accustomed to dealing with species unfamiliar with our own, much less have never seen the genders of our species side by side. Zelekzans form family groupings,” he explained, his voice pitched in a way that she suspected conveyed kindness rather than mocking. She, at least, didn’t have the feeling that he was teasing her. “A gethal is a nest brother, a trusted male chosen to nest with when they find their mate.” He gestured between them. “Krith and I are a gethal pair.” His eyes slitted as he smirked at his companion. “She no doubt took you as the female in the ‘mated pair’ scenario she imagined. I told you that indulging in such flashy styles from the capital would confuse offworlders.”

Krith shrugged, grinning in a response that Kelly interpreted as good-natured. “An attractive male who cares for his adornments is readily welcomed into the circles of females to enjoy pleasures among them. Something you clearly have been ignorant of, gethal.” His crimson eyes slid slyly toward her, his smile widening. “Hlek chooses to look uncivilized like he thinks that a female will never look upon us. Speak truthfully, even as an alien—do you not consider me more attractive?”

Kelly paused, flabbergasted by the question. They expected her to judge. She had no idea of what constituted beauty among Zelekzans. Fuck, she couldn’t even put concepts of human beauty and fashion adequately into words, and yet both males were looking expectantly at her.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she murmured, her face heating as she sought a safe middle ground. “Although our styles do vary, including the sort of… uh, matings that are formed, it’s pretty common where I come from to associate more decorative styles and delicate features with feminine individuals. Especially with all of the, uh, pink.” Her mortification grew as he looked down at himself askance.

“Pink and reds are actually quite common for males and considered more attractive for their boldness, secondly only to the oranges,” Krith replied thoughtfully, his brow ridges dropping as his mouth downturned unhappily. “Blues like Hlek tend to be more standard coloring. But regardless of coloring, females in our society prefer males to look similar to them, mostly because they prefer their own company. This is not the case with your own species?”

Desperately hoping that she hadn’t just insulted him, Kelly gave him a faint smile. “It depends. I mean, yes, there are females who prefer other females, just as there are males who prefer males—and those who equally enjoy both. But there are females whose preference are males, and it isn’t uncommon for them to gravitate toward more overtly ‘masculine’ ideals. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of females who find aesthetically pretty males to be ideal,” she hurried to add.

Fuck, she was butchering this.

A thoughtful look crossed the male’s face, and Krith’s eyes narrowed at her. “And, should you prefer males, what would you prefer more?” He gestured between them, and Hlek sighed loudly.

“Ignore him,” he bit out, saving her from answering and being forced into a position of pricking the ego of either male. “It is a regular argument among males of our species whenever there are males who choose to adopt styles less ornate from our female counterparts. For some males, it is a practical choice—since we comprise the whole of our planet’s workforce and many of us do not have the time or luxury to follow the trends—as well as personal stylistic reasons. Truthfully, it becomes quite vexing when not even neighboring species can tell us apart and are quick to mistake us for females when we are not. Krith doesn’t mind it, nor do many of our males, as it is considered a compliment for them since there is little other way to tell the difference between our genders.”

His long tail curled in the air beside him with an agile prehensility that caught her attention. She suspected it was a thoughtful pose for him because he dropped it as he seemed to shake himself free of whatever inner mental roads he had been traveling down.

“We are familiar enough with species from neighboring sectors of space to know that what is common for Zelekzans tends not to be true elsewhere, but even among them, you are unique.”

Heat crawled down her neck. “How so?”

“In one particularly telling way.” His tail reversed its curl until it was pointing at her bare breasts. “Forgive the rudeness, but is that normal?

CHAPTER 5

Krith stared at his gethal in horror. Hlek often cursed him for his reckless tendency to speak whatever came to mind—a trait most females found charming, not that Hlek would know since he outright refused to have anything to do with them, as they spurned him in turn—but even Krith had the manners to not speak of a female’s body in a way that could be interpreted as critical. Unfortunately, the male was direct when it came to acquiring information in a way that guaranteed that any female Krith seduced to their nest would flee soon after introduction if she were not immediately put off by his rougher appearance.

He huffed under his breath, heat igniting in his throat that immediately bathed with saliva to keep it from igniting. He knew that his gethal considered Zelekzan courting styles to be useless on the waystation, but Krith enjoyed them. And he had especially liked the way the female had looked at him with admiration. He had plenty of such looks from male visitors who believed him to be female, but as he wasn’t interested in other males, it held little satisfaction for him compared to the delight he felt at the female’s gaze.

Her admiration wasn’t of a sexual nature as he would have preferred—but it was still a starting point. Unfortunately, Hlek seemed determined to screw things up with yet another female, one of a species that apparently had more flexible aesthetics when it came to mating partners.

Hissing in annoyance, he slapped at the male with his tail. Quick as ever from a lifetime in military service, Hlek jumped back, his wings popping out to allow him to glide to a safe distance out of the reach of his tail before he hissed in return.

“Holy shit! You have wings!”

Their little female alien—and she truly was little, the top of her head barely brushing the bottom of his chest—seemed to forget her fear long enough to gape at Hlek in awe. Krith nearly whooped in triumph but caught himself. Luminous white and speckled with black, his gethal’s fanned wings vibrated as the male’s neck darkened with the rapid release of the air sacs in his throat, providing the distinct warble of their species as his wings snapped back into place.

“It is not polite to stare at a Zelekzan’s wings,” Hlek remarked with displeasure.

He was not wrong. It was a holdover from Zelekzan history, when males would attack the wings of their rivals to tear them, rendering them flightless so that they were less able to protect their females. It was that same violent history among the males of their species that made unmated females cloister away from them by choice, accepting only males who would infiltrate their company as if another female, pretending to be fooled into enjoying his company. It was rare for a Zelekzan to show his wings outside of battle, other than for the pleasure of his mate who enjoyed the dance of their shimmering colors.

But their little alien female would not know that.

To his delight, despite the scent of fear coming off of her and her elevated vitals, she didn’t seek to escape Hlek’s glower but returned it in full force, her cheeks and neck reddening not unlike the deep blue of the other male’s neck.

“And asking about my boobs isn’t? The difference is that you knew it was rude, while I was just surprised.” The female snorted, expelling air from her nasal cavity as she glared back at Hlek.

“She is right,” Krith observed with a grin, though his heart pinched with sympathy as her hand slapped over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror at what she said. Poor little one.

His gethal had the decency to look mollified while he explained the reason for Hlek’s question. “Wings are a very sensitive and private thing for male Zelekzans, though my gethal overreacted, forgetting that you are no more familiar with our species than we are with yours. His question, however, I promise, was innocent. We were both concerned that you were parted from a youngling since nursing species don’t typically swell unless they have young to provide for.”

CHAPTER 6

Hlek wanted to grimace, mortified at the way he had snapped out at the female without justification. She was correct indeed. His question was no less personal than her staring, and she had not known that it was considered impolite in their society. He felt even more guilty when she flinched back away from them the moment her heated words left her mouth.

He felt sick. Never in all of his life had a female ever been afraid of him. Dismissive, disgusted, those were two of the many different reactions that females had to his presence, but never terror.

“Oh.” The word was breathed out, and she ran a hand anxiously through her brown frills, her color darkening as she stole a glance down at her chest. The color changes were similar enough to Zelekzan excitement and embarrassment it was not difficult to deduce the reasoning behind it as she shook her head. “No. Breasts may enlarge while nursing, but those of us who have them typically always do unless we have them modified. I don’t have any children.”

The tension in his shoulders relaxed, his wings popping out slightly in reaction before folding back down again into their internal pouches against his spine. That was one concern out of the way, but it was clear that the female still required rest. The medical unit could only repair injuries. It was no substitution for rest and the time needed for recovery that not even stasis could provide. And despite her lingering grogginess, there was still her very real fear that would have to be dealt with eventually.

For now, they could at very least provide her with some privacy and a place to rest. They would give her the space she needed now. She would get accustomed to them in her own time.

“Come with me, female,” he rumbled and was immediately treated to a wide-eyed, frightened stare that soured his stomach further.

“Why?” she squeaked, her small body quivering as if prepared to dart away at the slightest threatening move toward her.

Keeping his voice pitched low, he spoke soothingly to her, ignoring his desire to scoop her into his arms and comfort her. That would be disastrous. “The waystation may not be attractive, but there is plenty of space available. I thought you might like a room where you can rest.”

Her small hand nervously brushed a section of her numerous thin frills behind her ear. “I… I would like that. Thank you.”

Inclining his head, he stepped back toward the door, drawing his tail up close against his body to make himself appear as small and unthreatening as possible. In response to his proximity, the door slid open, and he gestured to the lit hall beyond it.

“This way, female.”

With a glance toward Krith, who remained a distance behind her, she nodded and slipped from the medical platform to join him, her head craning back to meet his eyes. Giving her an encouraging smile, Hlek stepped out into the hall, satisfied when he heard the soft, pattering steps of the female behind him. Thankfully, Krith remained silent, following his lead on the matter as they took the nearest platform lift to the residential level. His gethal’s brows rose, however, as he noted the direction they were walking, but his head dipped in agreement.

Only that room would do.

The overseer’s room was lush, big enough for a gethal pair and their mate. It had felt wrong for either of them to take as unmated males. Instead, it had remained locked up at the fore end, empty for years except for its cleaning droids, while they took the two smaller rooms at the far side. As the most comfortable room, it seemed only right that the female enjoy it.

Pressing his hand against the panel, he keyed in his personnel code on the screen beside it. A click of the locking mechanism releasing followed, and the door slid open, revealing a plush interior dressed in restful hues of greens, blues, pinks, and lavenders that covered so much of their homeworld. The female at his side gasped and wandered in, her head turning as she studied her surroundings, pausing to admire the various framed ancient star charts on the walls that had belonged to one long-ago resident and a number of antiques that probably should have been in a museum.

Truthfully, it was the only truly nice part of the waystation that had seen better days a century or two ago. All the tech upgrades could not cover the fact that the station just wasn’t that appealing.

Krith moved as if to follow her in, but Hlek’s tail slapped him across the chest, halting him.

“Give her time.”

His gethal grimaced but stepped back, and Hlek returned his attention to the female. He moved his hand over the screen to key in the sequence for reprogramming the locks on her door as he watched her explore her new home. His mouth curved into a smile as she sprung onto the high resting platform and squeaked in surprise when she nearly bounced off of it. Her arms and legs spread wide over the surface of the platform, and her tiny claws uselessly digging into the coverings in an attempt to keep herself immobile. She glanced up at him helplessly, rousing a chuckle from it.

“We will have to find a stool for you, I believe,” he observed, his grin widening when she gave him an answering sheepish smile. With one hand, he gestured to the interior locking panel beside the door. Typically, guests were only permitted to have the assigned locking numbers for their rooms, the rooms themselves remaining accessible to the overseers in the event of an emergency, but he wanted her to feel safe which meant bending the rules.

“Come. Set your hand on this panel so that the room will key to you and choose your lock sequence.”

An unmistakable look of relief crossed her face, though she belatedly tried to hide it. It was enough to let him know that he had made the right decision. Crossing over to the door, she placed her hands on the panel and screen as he walked her through the steps. He didn’t even take it personally when the door snapped shut in his face, timed with a quick thank you from the female. In fact, he stood in front of the door for a moment and grinned. That she showed spirit despite her fear and was quick to assert herself with them, rather than cowering and obediently following directions, was a good sign.

At his side Krith snorted. “Now what?”

Glancing over at his gethal, Hlek cricked in amusement at the look of impatience on the other male’s face. “Now we attend to our duties. Her presence here doesn’t change that the waystation still requires running, and we still have our shift duties left to complete. She will emerge when she is ready. No one enjoys solitude forever.” Running his claws over his frill, he looked at the door thoughtfully. “How long do you suppose she was in the capsule?”

Krith grimaced and shook his head. “Annual rotations vary so much from planet to planet, it is hard to say how her time compares, but the medical AI said that stasis had been in effect for two-and-a-quarter annual rotations, the power cells of the small vessel nearly drained. It is a miracle that we came across her in time.”

He nodded, a shudder running through him the one and only time he had endured stasis for a mission. “Even a few days in stasis exhausts the body. With over two rotations in it, she will not want to do more than sleep for the next several days. It may be a week or two before she seeks us out. Until then, we can only be patient. At least there is plenty of work to do.”

Krith made a disgusted sound but grumbled in agreement. “Very well, but I loathe being patient.”

Shaking his head, Hlek regarded his gethal with frustrated amusement. “How did you ever survive intelligence work?”

The male grinned wryly back at him. “You forget, I was in the medical and research team. While working I was thoroughly engaged, and when not there were no long periods of waiting. I have never liked waiting for anything.” A sigh eked out as he gave one last glance to the female’s quarters as they walked away. “Unfortunately, that seems to be all I do anymore—sitting here with you attending to meaningless duties to keep this piece of space trash working.”

“Welcome to ‘retirement,’” Hlek commented drolly, his grin widening as Krith gave him a disgusted look.

“Do I look like an elder? Please do not insult me more than I already have been. The least they could have done was assign us someplace nicer if we couldn’t mingle with the public as ex-intelligence officers,” he grumbled. “At very least, if they decided that we ought to manage a station, they could have picked one not in the armpit of the sector.”

“Perhaps you should not have been so friendly with the females of Zahgoz City that it ruined the minister’s chances with the female he had been courting.”

Krith grimaced. “Hardly my fault. It is not like I was courting her. I was useful to the females of Zahgoz as much as I was anywhere else. They were eager to seek pleasure, but it was hard to lure any of them into even considering mating with us, so it is not like I stole his mate out from under him. The fact that his skills were so pitiful that mine so drastically overshadowed them was his problem, not mine.”

Hlek chuckled, recalling the outrage on the minister’s face when he had stormed into their residence following the rejection of his proposal. They probably should not have been surprised when this allegedly ideal position had turned out the way it did.

“Just try not seduce the female out of our grasp,” he teased.

Krith grinned back at him. “I will try to contain myself. As for you, try not to frighten her away with your pleasant personality.”

Laughing quietly together, they left the residential area behind. Hlek hadn’t been exaggerating about the duties that awaited them. Even so, among the many responsibilities that kept him occupied, he found his mind returning to their female resident with surprising frequency. He certainly hoped that she would become comfortable with them as quickly as he projected. It was not lost on him that she could avoid them for much longer, but he had not wished to discourage his gethal.

Shaking his head at the unpleasant thought, he bent his attention once more to his screen, his eyes skimming over the information streaming over it from the data system, answering communications, putting in orders, and seeing to the many operations that demanded his time. If thoughts of the female drifted to the fore of his mind, he tried not to focus too much on it. There would be plenty of time for that soon enough, once she came around.

He frowned, an unpleasant thought occurring to him. Unless she was of a non-socializing species. Who knew how long she would avoid them then without consequence to her own mental wellbeing?

No, he doubted it. She seemed far too willing to engage with them despite her fear. Although part of that was due to the effects of stasis making her feel more comfortable to do so, he doubted that she would have bothered talking to them at all if her species had those tendencies. She would seek them out… eventually. He hoped.

CHAPTER 7

Kelly did not know how long she slept, just that she was doing a lot of it, deep sleep only interrupted by the occasional demands of her body to eat and relieve herself before falling gratefully back into bed. Reality didn’t fully set in until after she was rested enough to remain awake enough to put two thoughts together. What had followed had been a delayed reaction of hours of trembling from where she sat on the bed, wrapped tightly in the bedding, staring at the door, just waiting for the aliens to come for her.

She had tried to uplink to the station with the hope of accessing security and maybe locking down the entire section she was in to preserve her safety, but she was met with cold silence from the station AI. Surely it couldn’t be too different. It seemed to operate similarly when the aliens were using it. Without any response from the station AI, or from her “rescuers”—though that was still possibly debatable—the only presence she encountered at all was a droid that brought meals to her and returned for her tray. And even that she could not link to and communicate with.

The silence was frustrating, and unnerving as hours passed. At some point, a small part of her almost hoped that someone would make an appearance just to break the unnerving silence even though she was equal parts terrified of just that happening.

When that did not happen and one day followed in another without any sign of her alien “hosts,” Kelly’s fear was gradually replaced with curiosity. Not only did she wonder where the aliens were and why they did not make a repeat appearance at her door, though the locks keyed to her were what allowed her to sleep peacefully and feel safe in her room, but she was also very curious about her surroundings.

She was on an alien station! As terrifying as that was, there was also an underlying sense of excitement, as if she were one of the adventurers of the past depicted in vids and documentaries. Her room alone provided a full day of fascinating exploration that revealed tantalizing hints about the Zelekzans, and after a week of being unable to convince herself to so much as peek out the door, she was ready to take her first step outside her room and into the station.

But first—clothes. As much as it didn’t bother her to wander around her room with all of her bits jiggling, she wasn’t about to leave her room that way.

Kelly grimaced at the sheet still lying pooled on the floor where she had left it that first day. She wasn’t going to prance around the station in nothing more than a sheet either. That was suitable for the initial trip from medical, but not now. It wasn’t like the guys hadn’t seen her in her birthday suit already, but she wasn’t interested in helping anyone memorize it at this point either. When it came down to it, if anyone was going to see her walking around naked it was because she wanted to arouse and tease them.

The question was, would they lock her in an empty room without clothes to either make certain she didn’t leave her room or to force her to walk around naked?

She huffed mirthlessly. If so, it was a poor plan. Very few things stopped her for long when it came to what she wanted. Yet she had a begrudging suspicion that withholding clothing from her would not have even figured into their thought processes. Not when they came from a species where males deferred to female interests in style and relationships as a matter of social norms. It was difficult to conciliate that with subterfuge to indulge in overtly lecherous behavior.

Logically, by default, there had to be clothes in the room somewhere.

Turning in a slow circle, Kelly’s lips pursed as she perused the space once again. She had quite literally dug through every recess and container in the room but hadn’t seen anything that vaguely resembled a place to store clothes. Unless… She had heard that, to save space in colony domes, especially in the case of non-gratas who didn’t get the kind of luxuries that citizens took for granted, clothing was kept in units built into the walls.

The walls of her room looked perfectly smooth to her, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything, especially when she couldn’t get any kind of read on the systems. Dragging her hands across the wall, she paused at the edge of the wall when she encountered a raised surface. She squinted at the space and noted the faint outline of what could possibly be another key panel.

Kelly set her hand on it and jumped when a hologram sprung up in front of her with a series of units displayed in front of her. She couldn’t read the writing above them, but moved her finger over the panel, selecting the larger unit at the far end to the right. The hologram snapped off and her head twisted when she heard a loud snick as something snapped out in her peripheral vision.

“Incredible,” she whispered.

It had been hidden so seamlessly that she never would have imagined that the large storage unit that towered over her was concealed there. The tech was far superior to anything that United Earth had.

Now, she was definitely curious to see what the rest of the waystation offered.

The storage unit was a puzzle in and of itself. Tall and narrow, all of its sides were completely closed with a single pressure plate at the top. When she tapped it, the upper surface of the unit did not open, but the side slid back, revealing its contents. Kelly’s brows furrowed as she stared at the numerous long, silky scarves hanging perfectly through the entire unit in hues of ruby, emerald and sapphire.

How had she forgotten that the Zelekzans wore intricately wound and bound swathes of cloth over their lower bodies and nothing else?

“That’s inconvenient,” she muttered to herself as she rubbed the side of her neck thoughtfully.

While the multiple scarves tied around them were probably useful to accommodate their tails, and did in fact look very flattering on them, she didn’t have the first clue how to even go about wearing it. Was there some trick to it?

Sighing to herself, Kelly rolled her shoulders and shrugged. There was no helping it. She would have to just find a way to work with what she had on hand. Selecting a number of beautiful green scarves, she tapped the buttons on the individual devices from which they hung to release the cloth into her waiting hands, enough to theoretically cover her lower body with excess left to wind around her breasts.

It turned out to be even more challenging than she had feared. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out how to make the series of knots and weaves in a way that kept the silky material bound around her legs. In the end, she settled with turning one scarf into a halter, and another into belt around her waist through which she threaded the remaining scarves until they fell around her legs in the fashion of a skirt. She was uncomfortably aware of just how bare she was beneath her skirt, but it seemed far easier to go without underwear than to attempt an ill-fitting, poor substitution.

She grimaced down at her handiwork. It certainly didn’t look as elegant as the style the males wore, but it would do. At least her breasts were not very big and made them easy to cover with the scarf without having to worry about slippage if she had to bend over, or worse, sneezed.

Confident upon thorough inspection that she was as well-covered as she was going to get, Kelly keyed open her door and peered out into the corridor.

Empty.

She waited, half-expecting to see either Hlek or Krith lying in wait for her to emerge from her sanctuary. And what if they did? She had no plan of action, nor did she really know how she felt about it. As it turned out, however, the point was moot. She was greeted by nothing but the sound of her own breathing and the distant whirr of a maintenance droid in the deep surrounding silence. Nor was there even anything to see but gray metal walls with elegant spirals and twisting sweeps into which the lighting system was set. It might have been beautiful if accented with colors rather than merely a sleek, utilitarian chrome appearance that was cold and functional rather than welcoming.

Truthfully, it was more disturbing than not to her human sensibilities the way the twisting metal melded together like a briar of layered panels, like a threatening cage of thorns.

She shivered when a flat metal body squeezed from between two rippling panels, its many long legs carrying it along, each leg bearing numerous tiny metal hooks. It vaguely resembled a monstrous arachnid with two long fangs that scraped over the metal as it passed. Fluorescent green lights dotted the rear part of its body, but from the front of its head a red sensor beam projected out over the surface of the wall, scanning it before turning toward her.

Kelly froze, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as the metal creature regarded her, its beam slipping over her, before slipping back into the walls, its long rear legs the last thing she saw peeking from between the metal panels before they too disappeared. She shuddered and hoped that she didn’t have anything like that crawling around her room. Yet, despite her repugnance toward the insectoid-like droid, she couldn’t help but be fascinated. As a technician, she often employed bots for repairs and maintenance. Did it serve a similar purpose? It certainly wasn’t very pleasant to see, especially not on what she assumed was the residential level of the station.

But then again, it was a waystation, not a spaceport resort or even a major trade hub. This was merely a refueling point where some few supplies would also be available and, if it was anything like the ones she knew, where maintenance machines were available to do repairs on docked vessels. She imagined that droids that were efficient mattered more than how unsettling they might appear. That accounted for the eerie silence of the place too. Aside from their droids, she had no doubt that the Zelekzans she met before were the only other resident workers on the station.

She frowned, sympathy tugging at her heart. What a lonely life it must be.

On the other hand, it worked to her advantage. It meant fewer unknown factors and questionable beings to evade as she explored and became familiar with the station. It did not explain, however, why her hands were suddenly clammy with nerves.

“There’s no one around. Quit being ridiculous,” she whispered aloud and headed down the corridor, testing the doors in her path as she made her way to the lift.

To her surprise, many of the doors slid open at her approach as if waiting for guests. Each of them was decked in an equally utilitarian appearance as the rest of the station, so unlike the colors of her own quarters. As she peered into the rooms one by one, she was grateful that the males had generously allowed her to inhabit a living space that was clearly far more opulent. The only doors that did not open for her were the two at the farthest end.

Now, it seemed, she knew where her hosts lived.

She glanced at them curiously but didn’t linger, preferring to keep moving toward her goal. It was clear that the entire level was residential, but was itself one of many decks. The wall that ran the length of the circling deck was only chest high, and when she peered out, she could see both another level above and another three levels below her. On the lowest level there was a dome that glowed warmly that she itched to investigate.

With her mech implants as good as dead in the station, it offered a whole new challenging perspective. She had no access to schematics or direct contact with AI that could reveal the waystation’s little secrets. She was as blind as anyone else would be waking up there, and somehow that was novel and quite exciting to her.

She couldn’t wait to begin, and there was no time like the present to do so.

CHAPTER 8

Hlek absently watched the female’s progress through the waystation, the majority of his attention on the daily reports he had to log. For two days he observed her, just barely restraining the urge to meet up with her. But he and Krith had agreed. It was clear that she was afraid of them. The only solution they could come up with was that they would not intentionally seek her out but would wait for her to come to seek them in her own time.

But it was difficult. So, instead, he watched her.

Every spare minute that he was able to without completely invading her privacy, he watched her explore the station. He had discovered a certain fascination and enjoyment of the old relic experiencing it with her that he had never felt toward it before. Even her wariness around the lesser maintenance droids had been experienced in a way that he had never seen. The taste of the simple joys and curiosities of experiencing the station with her for the first time, however, made him crave her company. He wanted to be at her side, drawing in her scent directly from her skin and soaking in the soft cadence of her voice.

Truth be told, he wanted more than such innocent pleasures. His desire to hear what soft sounds she might make at night and to see what she looked like when unguarded in slumber warred with more instinctive needs that made his throat flush and his cock press uncomfortably against his seam. The inner turmoil he experienced was uncomfortable, but it also made his heart thud with excitement.

The entire station scented of her, fueling his most erotic fantasies and infiltrating his dreams at night. Images of the little female pinned between him and Krith pursued him from waking until the rest cycle. He woke, more often than not, fully extruded, his cock painfully engorged. It was a daily private torture and one that he could not escape. There was little he could do about it at all other than wait for it to eventually recede.

Hlek grimaced and shifted in his seat. If he weren’t careful, he would end up in that position again before he even got to the privacy of his quarters.

A soft clicking warble left him, which he immediately covered with a cough before Krith could notice and tease him mercilessly for it. After all, Hlek was being blamed entirely for their current discomfort despite his gethal’s earlier agreement with the decision. The zero-contact rule had become increasingly difficult for the other male to heed, and he now spent most of his time at the command station with Hlek.

“Is this all we are going to do—just watch her?” Krith complained from where he was seated at his side.

“We agreed. We wait for her to come to us,” he replied. “Besides, I enjoy watching her.”

“Yes, but that was days ago. You do realize that there are unflattering names for those with such proclivities, right?” Krith’s brows rose skeptically but also with a significant amount of humor.

“It is not the same. I am just assuring myself she is safe in common areas. I haven’t tapped into any private feeds anywhere in the station,” Hlek countered.

Krith sighed loudly, but that didn’t dampen Hlek’s mood as he leaned forward to better capture her expression of delight as she stepped into their modest conservatory.

There was something about that place that drew her back to it at least once a day, if not twice. She seemed to find a sort of peace and joy there like any Zelekzan, which was the entire reason that stations throughout their empire were equipped with conservatories as an effective tool to soothe the stress of living in space for long periods, such as managing suicidal depression and aggression-born hostility. For Hlek, who had been unable to not note that it was tinier and contained far less variety of flora, it had been more insulting than calming, and so he had pointedly ignored it and saw little pleasure in it—until now.

Now, he could think of nothing better than to stroll through the conservatory as mated males often did with their female. Watching her, he could picture himself at her side, his tail curling around her hips. From Krith’s noisy sigh, he could tell that his gethal did not take similar enjoyment from it, and strolling among the blooms and plant life was furthest from the other male’s mind.

From the way his eyes were narrowed on her, there was little doubt that Krith was imagining other forms of entertainment. Although Hlek’s own mind wasn’t far from there, Krith seemed to be indulging in it far too much, his potent scent rising from his skin.

That was not good.

Their combined pheromones would all too quickly fill the command deck and bring them both to engorgement without relief. He would save himself from suffering that.

He turned to suggest that Krith find something to occupy himself with before he had to tail-slap some sense into him when the AI’s proximity alert went off, drawing his attention to the holoscreen. A visitor was the very last thing he wanted with a vulnerable and skittish—and most importantly unclaimed—female on board. A low growl formed in the back of his throat.

Hlek scowled. “A Muruk runner,” he grumbled, answering his gethal’s unspoken question.

“Out here?” Krith stared at the holoscreen in surprise.

They had received a few Muruk guests before, but visits from them were infrequent and usually incredibly tense transactions due to their tendency to predate at will on anyone they perceived as weaker than themselves. At least Muruks rarely arrived in anything larger than a runner. Though it was typically only manned by the pilot, since runners were popularly used for smuggling as often as personal ships, the worst they could expect was a very small crew. As Muruks were a smaller species who thrived on opportunity, they were rarely a problem in lesser numbers. And their credits were typically good.

For Hlek, that was always the deciding factor, and he rarely cared if his visitors operated on the wrong side of the law. Despite the remote location, the station itself was expected to be self-reliant and generate their incomes as well as resupply resources. Because of that, he rarely rejected a request to dock, but that did not mean that he would not exercise appropriate levels of caution.

Especially now.

As far as he was concerned, with their current situation, even one Muruk was too many. Which was why he was going to greet them personally rather than transmit visitor codes automatically, once verifying the identity of the ship, as he usually did.

“Take the command,” he ordered, “I am heading down to intercept. Have them dock in bay five, but keep the access restriction in place. They are also to not have access to the conservatory. In fact, seal it down completely.”

Krith nodded, sliding into the space he vacated, his tail whipping with an unsettled snap that betrayed his displeasure with the situation. One that Hlek keenly felt and empathized with. The sooner they dealt with the male and got him on his way again, the better for their peace of mind.

Without saying another word, Hlek lifted a blaster from its storage compartment and stalked out, his tail whipping behind him.

Not bothering with the keyed command lift, he accessed the direct port access to the core tunnel that ran through the center of the waystation. As all decks, with the exception of command and the sublevel docking bay, were organized around the core tunnel, it made for an easy direct route for any Zelekzan to drop down to the necessary level.

Spreading his wings wide, he dropped over the edge, the tips curling in just enough to allow him to descend at a rapid pace without plummeting recklessly toward the bottom. It brought him to the first level, just outside the conservatory. As much as it tempted him to take a moment to enjoy a fleeting glance at the female within, Hlek snapped his wings shut and strode past it to the sublevel lift.

The Muruk had hooked his ship to the core replenishing system by the time Hlek arrived at dock five, pensively staring at the readings as he waited. A fraction taller than the female in the conservatory, the gray male possessed not only a hide nearly as heavily armored as Zelekzan, but also possessed binocular vision and a number of hooked claws and sharp teeth that would make quick work of vulnerable flesh. A spiny pale orange crest rose from the back of its head, the only source of color on the male. Even his attire was a stark black biosynth that fitted snugly around the Muruk’s form.

Muruks, like many spacefaring species, favored biosynth, whereas Zelekzans largely regarded it as a necessary evil to be endured occasionally. Biosynth was used often when in space, especially in the military, because it not only tightly molded to the body regardless of its shape and regulated the temperature of anyone wearing it, but because it also absorbed and processed organic matter into energy cells. For those in combat, that was even more useful, but the knowledge made the sensitive flesh beneath Hlek’s protective scales itch whenever he saw it. He refused to wear it unless it was absolutely necessary.

“May I know why I have been locked in here with my ship?” the male demanded. His spined crest brightened with displeasure.

“Security,” Hlek replied flatly, his gaze turning toward the runner. “Do you have anyone else on board or are you alone?”

Bristling with annoyance, the Muruk stepped away from the data feed display on the replenisher to glare fully at him.

“Only me, as I communicated in my request. I believe you already received my data.” His eyes narrowed. “What is the reason for these new security measures?”

“Nothing to be concerned about. Just new station regulations,” he replied easily as he waved the male forward. The male did not need to know that, outside of the Zelekzan laws that they were required to follow, that Hlek and Krith were the ones who made the rules. “We did receive your information. Can you verify for the AI that you are fully inoculated against all known forms of transmittable disease, and that your vessel has no hazardous materials on board or suffer from infestations?”

The Muruk nodded once in annoyance, barely concealing a huff of outrage. “These new regulations are ridiculous.” At Hlek’s pointed look at the bay door, the male hissed and dropped his head in capitulation. “Very well. I, Nadorth Teluroon, verify that I am fully inoculated and that my vessel is clean of contaminates, hazardous materials, and vermin,” he grumbled for the AI.

Smiling politely, Hlek stepped back toward the now open lift, making room for the Muruk to join him.

Welcome to Waystation Frentha, Nadorth Teluroon.”

CHAPTER 9

The sound of the doorway locking was Kelly’s first clue that something was wrong. The second was the subtle darkening of the interior, as if the station lights from outside the conservatory had been significantly muted.

“Hello?” she called out. “What’s going on?”

A chime overhead startled her for but a moment before a smooth masculine voice drifted to her from some hidden comm system.

“There is no need for concern, female. We have a visitor to the waystation, and so I have initiated the privacy setting for the conservatory. Please remain where you are for the time being while we evaluate safety risks to you.”

“Oh,” she murmured. “Thank you. I would much rather my presence here not be known—unless you think it’s someone who might be able to get me back home?”

“Doubtful. Muruks are clever and travel farther than many other species to satisfy their own particular needs, but it is unlikely that they have such intimate knowledge of your species without Zelek officials knowing of it and placing it within our files.” The voice paused as if debating how much more to tell her and sighed. “Muruks are not… friendly… to other species. Zelek monitors their contact with other species to the best of our ability because of that.”

Kelly shivered despite herself, and the voice above crooned with a low purr.

“Do not worry, female. I have flushed the ventilation as much as possible to reduce your scent trail, and Hlek and I will monitor his activity while he is here. We will not allow him to harm you.”

It seemed odd that a species she still doubted would behave so protectively toward her, but it inspired a strange warmth in her chest that had her reflexively rubbing her hand against the spot as she stared out at the garden. It pleased her that they had the foresight to make the conservatory a refuge while she was in there, even though she knew that, realistically, they wouldn’t be able to keep her presence a secret forever. There was no way to conceal that someone else was there.

Even being confined to her quarters wouldn’t help. Without access to the replicators in the dining area, they would be forced to send her meals up by droid as they had before, since her room had a replicator that yielded nothing other than beverages. That was helpful for keeping her hydrated but did nothing for her nutritional needs. There was no escaping the fact that whether she attempted to sneak down to the dining area or had her meals brought to her, the Muruk would know she was there.

That wasn’t even taking into consideration his comments about her scent trail.

Her stomach twisted anxiously, her fingers plucking anxiously as the azure blue, spongey turf on which she sat.

“Female, you are well?”

Kelly startled and blinked down at the tiny arrow-shaped leaves that lay in shredded piles at either side of her knees. She had not even noticed tearing them from the spiraling clusters of plant that covered the ground wherever carefully maintained beds and paths weren’t already established.

“Yes. No… I don’t know,” she mumbled. Tipping her head back, she frowned in the direction of the grow lights fastened over the dome. “And why do you keep calling me ‘female?’”

A warm, melodic chuckle heated her belly in a way that was surprising. Though United Earth had laws that forbade intimacy with aliens, she had never considered herself among the company of those women who found the idea of being fucked by an alien desirable. Now, however, an unbidden image rose to her mind of scales sliding over her bare skin and the teasing glide of a tail. A quiver raced through her, leaving in its path a trail of erotic heat that suffused her body.

“You have not gifted us with a name by which to call you. Nor can we default to referring to your species because that is unknown as well.”

Kelly blinked and a giggle escaped her as she reclined back against the whorling white bark of the short tree just behind her. How could she have forgotten that she had failed to give them her name? They had no information at all on her except whatever vital information their med unit had recorded.

“Kelly.”

The voice—or rather, Krith—hummed as he said her name leisurely as if tasting it. There was no other way to describe it. The way her name slipped over his tongue with such an erotic sound stirred feelings to life that were among those verboten.

“Kelly. Kelly. What species are you, Kelly?”

“Human,” she replied quickly, her voice sharper than intended as she attempted to cover her confused emotions.

There was a thoughtful silence at the other end for a breath or two, and then his warm voice enveloped her once more.

“Are all humans as vulnerable as you? You are small and have no natural protection or defenses.” The last was said with a worried note that made her lips twitch with amusement.

“You’re not wrong,” she admitted. “Human height varies, as do other minor features, but for the most part, unless someone undergoes modifications, then yes, I am a pretty accurate representation of my species. My height is considered average for my gender. Males usually are a bit bigger, but not always.”

“Thank you, Kelly,” Krith replied, an unmistakable note of pleasure in his voice. “I have added this information to your file. I do hope that when you feel comfortable with it we might speak more in person, to expand the record I am making of your species.”

Kelly stared out at the garden, strangely disappointed that his interest in her was solely as an object of study. It should have elated her, but instead her heart sank.

Misunderstanding her silence, Krith coughed. “My apologies if my request makes you uncomfortable. I understand you may still not be comfortable with being stuck here with us, as we are very different species. I do not mean anything by it other than pure curiosity. There is truly nothing like you in any of the sectors inhabited by the Zelekzans or our allies.”

That was exactly what she was afraid of.

“Maybe,” she murmured. “When will it be safe to go up to my quarters?”

Her change in subject seemed to have startled the male because Krith went silent for a long moment, a faint rustling the only thing she could pick up as if he were shifting his weight, his scales rasping over whatever surface they were touching. Kelly tensed, waiting for the explosive temper that was sure to come with her lack of cooperation. She was not expecting his voice to have returned to the polite, conversational tone that he had initially greeted her with.

She was sorry to see his friendliness go.

“Hlek is escorting the male to the visitors’ station. While the Muruk is getting the keycode for his quarters and filling out his personal needs and dietary information for the replicators, Hlek will be by for you.”

“Thank you, Krith,” she said softly, receiving a soft grunt of acknowledgment in return.

“Think nothing of it. It should not be long.”

The soft chime that followed signified the end of the conversation as the comm line closed, leaving Kelly once more in the silence of the conservatory. This time, however, the silence felt less comfortable and instead settled on her with a weight that had her counting down the minutes as she waited for Hlek.

She wanted to hide in her room and forget that she was surrounded by even more aliens, but this time there was a great unknown danger present that made her tremble.

She wanted Krith to speak to her again so that she felt less alone.

Kelly jumped to her feet with a startled gasp when the locks suddenly snapped open, the door hissing as it slid open. The blue Zelekzan didn’t step inside but stared down at her quietly from where he stood just outside the conservatory, a large blaster of some unfamiliar design hanging by a strap over his shoulder. He did not speak but waited patiently for her to join him, the light flick and curling of the tip of his tail the only thing that suggested that he was uneasy and possessing a sense of some urgency.

Brushing her hands nervously along the scarf panels of her “skirt,” Kelly hurried out of the conservatory, his violet eyes following her the entire way. The moment she was at his side, however, his expression softened with the bow curve of his mouth as he tipped his head in a silent greeting. Despite the friendliness of the gesture, he didn’t wait for a response before he was striding toward the lift, forcing her to jog to stay by his side.

He remained silent in the lift and all the way to her room while maintaining what was probably considered a respectful distance from her. As much effort as she made to avoid him and his gethal, Kelly knew that she should feel grateful and not increasingly frustrated with every minute in his company. She should have been happy that he wasn’t making any overt attempts to draw her in. And yet, when the door to her room closed between them, it was not gratitude or happiness that she felt within the safety and privacy of her quarters.

She felt alone.

CHAPTER 10

Their visitor was not going anywhere anytime soon. That the runner had damages, many of them minor, a few cosmetic, and only one that could be considered of any consequence, had not seemed to necessitate a prolonged stay, and yet the work order from Nadorth had appeared at the turn of the next day cycle. Krith glared at it as if the missive on his holopad could somehow convey the weight of his displeasure to the Muruk.

“He’s delaying,” he growled as he programmed the repairs and runner model into the bay’s repair systems.

Hlek grunted in agreement from where he sat nearby, checking over their weapons in the armory attached to the command station. Although the station technically had a secondary area designated for an armory on the lower decks, it remained sealed since they did not employ resident guards. It had never seemed necessary when it was just the two of them, but Krith was beginning to consider suggesting that they hire some trustworthy males for extra security now that Kelly was on board.

Of course, that meant having to get over his reluctance to have other males around the unmated female.

The idea of having any other males around competing for Kelly’s attention nearly drove him to distraction. He had little doubt that the little human would easily find admirers. There was an exoticism to her exposed skin and abundant curves that would appeal to many. And her scent! Her pheromones were delicious, and Krith yearned to be beside her so that he could breathe her in again.

If Hlek weren’t his gethal, he would have hated the fact that the other male had been the one to enjoy the richness of her scent.

Krith wanted her. He had wanted her the moment he saw the strange female, her vulnerability calling to something instinctive and protective within him. After all of his casual affairs with females, he had begun to doubt that he even possessed such feelings. Mating had always been more of a matter of practicality and satisfying desires than a visceral demand. For that reason, it had also never bothered them when every female he persuaded to meet his gethal had summarily rejected them.

He glanced over at Hlek. “Do you think he knows she is here?”

“He knows someone is here. He questioned me about it the moment we entered the first level,” Hlek replied candidly. “He asked if we had a mate.”

Krith grimaced. Pheromones were a damning thing. Even flushing the ventilation systems couldn’t remove every trace of them from the air. Kelly’s species being unknown would have kept her safe enough from some species, except those who were especially sensitive to pheromones to trigger their arousal. For a male Zelekzan who responded to female pheromones, identifying that a female was on the Frentha would have been an easy matter. He had hoped that wasn’t the case for Muruks, but unless the male just happened to guess correctly, it seemed that it was a trait their species shared.

“Did you tell him it was our mate?” he growled out when Hlek failed to be forthcoming enough to satisfaction about the details.

His gethal glanced up at him, the ridges of his brows lowering in mild annoyance. “Yes. I am no fool. I realized quickly that it is the only way to discourage him from seeking her out. Even a Muruk would not be stupid enough to chance accosting the mate of a Zelekzan gethal.”

Krith resisted the urge to unfurl his wings anxiously, settling instead on releasing his breath in attempt to relieve tension. If only he could exercise that much control over the tip of his tail. It uncurled and flicked in a rapid rhythm that he found vexing. He tried to ignore it and returned his attention to the problem at hand. Just claiming that the female on board was their mate would not be enough.

“You realize that this means that we can no longer afford to give Kelly the privacy she enjoyed.”

Hlek lowered the blaster he was cleaning. “Kelly, is it?”

“It is the name she gave me. Species designation: human.” His tail flicking tempo increased. “We are going to have to join her in the command quarters. That will not please her and may set us back in the little progress we have made with her.”

His gethal nodded and resumed cleaning and reassembling the weapon in his hand. “There is nothing that can be done about it,” he agreed. “If there is even a hint that she is lodged separately from us, it will feed his suspicion.”

Krith hissed and gripped a trailing end of one of his frills. “This is ridiculous. It is just one male. What can he do against two Zelekzans? Just make him disappear and be done with it. I will clean up the data trail.”

Hlek’s laughter filled the room. “You believe that hasn’t crossed my mind? It is not that simple. Killing him would be quick and efficient, yes, but it would also likely bring trouble right back to us if not utilized as a last resort. We both know that cleaning up the data trail is not foolproof since there is no way to be certain if anyone knows that he planned to stop here. And we no longer have the extra protection of our respective offices. We need indisputable proof that he was a threat to our female before we kill a customer.”

The corner of Krith’s mouth lifted in amusement. “I suppose killing a customer would be bad for the waystation’s reputation.”

“A little.” Hlek chuckled. “Though we would likely not be in any position to worry about it.”

“There is that.” Krith grinned despite the bleak humor. “That brings us back to sharing the command quarters with Kelly,” Krith mused. His stomach immediately soured as he imagined a horrified expression crossing her face when given the facts. “I will leave that one to you. I already had the pleasure of being the bearer of unpleasant information.”

Hlek snorted. “Coward.”

“Not at all. I just hate to see a female upset—especially this female,” Krith said. “It disturbs me. I hate being helpless when confronted with her fear and worry.”

“It is a matter of safety, not a matter of what is pleasant. We both have experience dealing with unpleasantness. It will pass.”

“Perfect. Since you are so confident, you can happily demonstrate.”

His gethal’s eyes narrowed on him, his lip curling in an impatient snarl. “You are acting like a nestling, but very well, I shall.”

Striding over to the comms, Hlek brought up the command quarters and activated the channel. He gave Krith cutting looks as they waited for Kelly to accept the comm, which ended in a triumphant grin when the comm was accepted and the holoscreen lit up with a projection of the female in question. She looked between them, her brows drawn down in confusion, and Krith excused himself from the room.

He would just make his rounds early from the security station and check in on their guest. That seemed the better course of action while his gethal handled matters. The gasped “What?” that followed him into the lift only confirmed his decision as a wise one. He did not want to be there helplessly witnessing any hints of displeasure or fear. At least the murmured words from Hlek would be reassuring, though Krith did not catch what he said, and nor did he want to. He just wanted to make himself useful somewhere and protecting her seemed like a better focus of his technical skills.

At least Hlek’s inexperience with females just might serve him better in that he was less sensitive when it came to female emotions. He would be able to do what needed to be done without an overwhelming desire to capitulate to her wants filling him. Krith did not know what he would do if she was miserable for every moment that they were forced to share quarters.

Yes, the cramped space of the security station grew more attractive by the second. He only hoped that he would not end up spending countless hours there in the future.

CHAPTER 11

Kelly gaped at the dour Zelekzan staring back at her through the digitally projected screen. She had no idea what to do with the information that had just been dropped on her. It was clear that Hlek was waiting for some kind of reaction from her by the way he was stoically eyeing her, but she didn’t know what. His hasty explanation of what they needed to do had surprised her, but she recognized that the reasoning behind it was sound. Having two large Zelekzans sharing her room with her would guarantee a sort of protection that she wouldn’t otherwise have. She was not so naïve as to believe that the locks on her quarters were impossible to hack if someone was determined enough.

They had provided an illusion of safety when confronted with the unthreatening presence of the Zelekzans. She knew that they could always take control back if they wanted to, and yet they had earned her respect by allowing her to maintain control over her own privacy. The Muruk, a creature that apparently preyed on other species when able, was another matter entirely.

Taking a deep breath, she released it in a cleansing exhale.

“Okay.”

He lifted a brow, his violet eyes piercing her with curiosity. “Okay?”

Kelly shrugged, her eyes skimming the projection of the technical room he stood in, searching for some sign of Krith. It was strange that he was absent, and she felt oddly hurt by the fact that he wasn’t there to express his desire to share quarters with her, but what else was there to say? It was clear from Krith’s absence that the entire situation was repellant to him. She had already concluded from their earlier discussion that he regarded her more of a specimen than any sort of love interest. It was odd, compared to what had seemed like flirtatious behavior when they first met, but these were aliens. It could almost be guaranteed that anything she interpreted, from the way something was said to a gesture, was inaccurate.

Gods, he was so pretty that even when she believed him to be female it was possible that her stasis-fogged mind had fabricated that entire exchange. She had been preoccupied for days with the fantasy that they wanted her. It was no wonder that she was surprised when they never approached. Of course, they wouldn’t. Why on earth would they?

And now Hlek was being drawn into this, looking for all the world like he would rather be knifed from the way that he was stoically regarding her as if it was some huge sacrifice on their part. She should be grateful. She was grateful. But it also made her want to throw up that they were put into a position where they had to pretend to be intimate with her.

Her tongue swept over her lips, wetting them. “Okay. I mean, what else can we do? Obviously, you two have given this some thought, and I would feel safer knowing that he can’t get to me. In fact,” she wanted to disappear as he continued to stare back at her, “I really appreciate that you’re willing to do this for me.”

His expression did not change except for the double blink of his eyes that was particular to his species and he inclined his head. “I am pleased that you see reason on this. Krith was afraid you would misunderstand.”

Kelly felt a mortified blush rise up her neck. Had her reactions to him been that obvious that he worried she might misinterpret his interest?

“No, of course not,” she choked out, trying not to picture them curled up together in the enormous bed in her room. They would have to figure out something with the sleeping arrangements, unless it didn’t bother them to sleep next to a female of another species without it being awkward. “I am really grateful.”

Hlek’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So you have said.”

“I just felt like it needed reiterating,” she clarified in a rush of words. “The Muruk terrifies me. Not being alone will help with that, I think, as well as throwing him off.”

Hlek inclined his head in agreement, the excess length of his long frills brushing over his shoulder as they fell forward with the action, framing his face in azure and pale blue waves. When he straightened, there was a satisfied curve to his mouth and a hint of something that appeared to be relief in his expression.

“I am pleased that we can cooperate on this. If all goes according to plan, the male’s ship will be repaired within a matter of days and he will be on his way. It is my hope that any discomfort with our arrangement will be short-lived.”

Kelly winced. Of course he would find it uncomfortable and hope that it would be over quickly. And he just had to make her aware of that fact too. Why not just twist the blade even more?

Forcing a wan smile, she nodded. “I hope so too.”

He blinked again, his head cocking slightly as he regarded her as if what she said surprised him. Fuck, did he not think that she wouldn’t share the same sentiments? She didn’t want to be caught for days on end in an awkward limbo with them anymore than they wanted to be stuck with her.

In fact, it was crazy that she was even stressing over this. What was wrong with her? She should be doing summersaults that they were offering their protection with nothing expected in return—other than Krith possibly peppering her with more of his questions if the opportunity presented itself. At least they had duties throughout the station during the day. Her stomach lurched at the thought.

“During the day…?”

Hlek waved a hand in what appeared to be a universally dismissive gesture for both species.

“Krith and I will work in bi-hourly shifts. Every two hours, we will trade places, one of us remaining with you at all times until we retired together for the night.”

“Oh. Well, sounds like you have everything worked out then,” Kelly said, trying not fidget under the male’s perusal through the holoscreen. Fuck, what is it going to feel like when he’s doing that in person? “So you will be up…”

“Within the hour. Prepare for our arrival,” he said before abruptly disconnecting the comm.

Kelly stared at the place that the holoscreen had occupied numbly. How did he expect her to prepare herself exactly? She wished that he would have explained. She glanced around her room, grateful that she was by nature quite organized and so didn’t have dirty scarves smelling of her private areas and boob sweat lying around. She had been pleasantly surprised when she discovered the laundry chute, and even happier when a droid returned her clean clothing to her within the hour.

The result was that her room was nearly as clean as it had been when she first entered, the exception being the slightly rumpled look to the bedding, but they would just have to live with that. She hated making the bed with precise, tight hospital corners. Nor had she any interest in chasing after spare dust missed by the droids with a cloth. If they insisted on that level of perfection, they could do it themselves.

The thought was uncharitable at best, but growing up in a house with neat-freak parents, she held her own tiny rebellion by refusing to do those little things that they had insisted on. She wasn’t about to change that for a guy—or guys.

Running her hands through her hair, Kelly stood and nervously straightened the scarves covering her before pacing the room while she waited for Hlek and Krith’s arrival. Time felt like it was dragging, and that alone increased her anxiety. She hated waiting. She preferred to just jump in and get something over with. Waiting for them to arrive felt like waiting for an uncertain future to start on someone else’s schedule and design. That didn’t stop her from startling when the door chimed requesting entry.

Brushing her hands once more over her fashioned skirt, Kelly hurried over to let them in. Her welcome, however, died on her lips as she found herself staring in the burning red gaze of an unfamiliar alien. His mouth hitched to reveal rows of numerous sharp teeth.

“Hello, pretty,” he rasped.

With a scream, Kelly slammed her hand on the pad, praying that it would initiate emergency lockout. The male growled in surprise when the door snapped shut, clipping a tip of one of his horribly clawed fingers in the process. The wounded yowl from the other side of the door had Kelly darting for the bed to slide under the large platform. It took some wiggling, and she could feel the pressure of her breasts between her hammering heart and the hard floor beneath her. It wasn’t lost on her that her lack of abundant cleavage was what allowed her to hide there at all, even if it made for an uncomfortable hiding place.

Still, she had no intention of leaving that spot, no matter how the male shrieked and bellowed. Cupping her hands over her head, Kelly closed her eyes and prayed that Hlek and Krith would be there soon.

CHAPTER 12

Hlek startled at the piercing shriek coming from Kelly’s room—now their room. Alarm shot through him as he exchanged a worried look with his gethal that lasted half a second before they were both tearing down the curving hall. The sight of the Muruk clawing at the door, screaming at their female, drove a red haze of hate through him that had his wings snapping out in preparation for conflict, his own claws lengthening. He drew to a stop, however, when the male spun around and lifted his bleeding hand, his anger cooling uncomfortably when he saw evidence of the damage.

The digit at the end was severed past the first knuckle.

While he inwardly applauded that their female had acted quickly to preserve her own safety, that the male was injured—possibly before the male made any outwardly aggressive gesture, though Hlek didn’t believe for one moment that the male had not intended to—put everything in a compromising position.

He exchanged an uncertain look with Krith. His gethal was visibly tense, his claws curling with fury as their guest snarled at them. Hlek understood the feeling. He still felt it beneath the wash of cool detachment that had been drilled into him to affectively study his quarry. Reacting to the blistering hatred within them could ultimately be catastrophic if not handled correctly. Everything that he had explained to Krith still stood, and Nadorth was the only apparent injured party.

“I demand compensation for this attack!” Nadorth shrieked. “I went to your quarters to ask for assistance in locating the cleansing products in mine only for your mate to disfigure me at first sight! Is this how you treat guests? I should send out an alert on this matter. I am crippled now, missing a claw—my favorite claw!”

At Hlek’s side, Krith snarled low in warning and Hlek snapped out his tail to keep his gethal from attacking their “guest” prematurely. Eyes narrowing, he bared his own teeth at the Muruk and pushed his way between Nadorth and the door.

“Do not move. I will retrieve your finger and escort you down to medical, but only after I have verified that no harm has come to our mate,” he growled.

The male bared his teeth, a rasping angry laugh escaping him. “If I had known she planned to disfigure me, I would have made certain to make her bleed and earn it.”

Resisting the urge to put a blade through the male’s throat and silence him permanently, Hlek turned to the key lock and panel and entered his emergency override codes. He gritted his teeth as the door slid open and was relieved to note that while their quarters were flooded with the scent of her fear the only source of blood in the room came from the finger lying on the floor just in front of him. It seemed that Muruk had spoken truthfully about that much.

Bending down, he glanced casually around to locate Kelly. She was there but, to his frustration, she was well-hidden. Perhaps it was just as well. They did not need their female subjected to the Muruk’s anger any more than necessary. Straightening, he turned and thrust the digit at Nadorth and barely resisted the urge to beat the male senseless when the Muruk sneered up at him.

“And my compensation?” Nadorth demanded.

Krith caught him by the neck and snarled. “Be grateful it is not paid with the slow severing of each of your limbs, including your favorite one, from your body.” Crimson eyes turned toward Hlek. “I will be escorting him. See to our ‘mate.’” His teeth snapped together on the last word, as if both savoring it and wanting to remind the male in his grip of just how serious his transgression was.

Hlek frowned. “Are you certain that is wise? I know that you usually run the medical tech, but you are not in control at this moment.”

“I am in enough control to deal with this!” his gethal snapped. His chest heaved, and he shook his head. “I cannot go to her like this. Kelly has already been frightened enough. I won’t have her see me this way.” The corners of his mouth lifted faintly. “Do not worry. I can control myself enough to see that our guest is mended and returned to his room without incident.”

Unhappy with the decision, but understanding where it was coming from, Hlek nodded and stepped back into the room, closing the door between them. He still did not believe that Krith had enough control over himself to medically treat the Muruk without thoughts of retaliation swaying him, but he also knew that it would destroy his gethal if she were terrified of him.

Without a backward glance toward the door, Hlek slowly made his way across the large living space, his footsteps heavy in the silence of the room. The sweet musk that filled his nose led him toward the bed, the scent thickening the closer he got like an erotic lure. His cock tightened within his slit, but his worry controlled it and kept it from extruding. Kelly was frightened. He did not need to provide anything more for her to be alarmed over after her scare. Not when she was unfamiliar with his species and would not recognize his instinct to mate for what it was.

He bent slightly as he approached the sleeping platform, zeroing in on her location. He did not know how she fit beneath it—which she undoubtedly had, since he could both smell her and hear the tiny gasps of her breath as she remained under there, frozen in fear—but the barrier it presented was a poor one.

Not that there was anything in the quarters that would deter an adult Zelekzan. Even with the sleeping platform bolted to the floor, he knew that he could pry it up, though it would damage the frame in the process—something he did not want to do to her sleeping place, much less the platform that he was likely going to be sleeping in.

Crouching down at its side, he left a comfortable distance between himself and the edge of the platform, his gaze trained at the shadows beneath it.

“Little one,” he crooned softly. “Come out now. You are safe. The Muruk is gone, I promise you.”

A watery high-pitched sound emerged, and he heard a sliding shuffle. “Hlek?”

His heart warmed at the uncertain sound of his name. That she recognized him and called out to him for comfort made him feel unconquerable and heroic like those of old Zelekzan lore. Squatting lower, he peered down, smiling as he met warm brown eyes staring back at him warily.

“It is,” he agreed as he reached out toward her. “I am not going anywhere, and Krith will be back soon. We will see to it that you are protected.”

“How?” she whispered, a wary note of tension in her voice.

This was not how he wanted to introduce their plan, but it was clear that she needed the reassurance before she would willingly come out.

“We have a plan, but I would rather explain it to you out here rather than in this awkward position—if that is agreeable.”

Her eyes ran over him, and her lips twitched half-heartedly. He smiled encouraging as she began wiggle and then stopped, her eyes going wide.

“Ugh. I would be happy to do that, but we have a problem.”

Hlek’s brow scrunched in confusion. “A problem.”

“Yeah, umm.” A scuffling sound came up from beneath the bed as she let out a volley of curses. “Shit. I’m stuck.” More thrashing, this time accompanied by a whimper. “My fucking ass is stuck.”

His eyes closed wearily, and he ran a hand over his face. It seemed that he was going to have to break the bolts after all, which meant not only filing notations on the damage but also on the repairs that he would have to do to fix it.

“Hold still,” he grumbled as he straightened and stalked back over to the side of the platform.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she squeaked, but he ignored it. Better just to get it over with.

Bending down, he grasped the edge of the frame and pulled. The groan of bending metal filled the air, piercing his ears, but no more than the startled shriek that came from beneath it. How could such a small creature make such a terrible sound?

He winced but continued to pull until the platform lifted to his knees. Without hesitation, his long tail darted beneath the platform and wrapped around his target amid more unpleasant squalling from his intended mate. Moved instinctively by the fearful sound, he wanted to release her, but Hlek ruthlessly quashed the feeling and dragged the wriggling female out, ignoring the tickle of her pitiful excuse for claws, and… he blinked. Did she just bite him?

With another strong tug, he deposited the female beside him and let the platform drop before turning his attention to her, his tail slowly unwinding from around her waist as he tried not to think about how good it felt there.

“There. You are welcome,” he growled. “Now we can talk.”

Kelly stood, her hands rubbing across her oddly attractive tailless backside as she glared at him. “Some warning would have been nice.”

He blinked with nonchalance. “I said to hold still.”

She stared back at him and flung her hands in the air in a way that had him hiding his tail despite knowing that even her bites could not harm him. Quite the opposite. He found them to be highly arousing, which he was certain would not be welcome information at that moment.

“That communicates nothing!” she spat and groaned as she ran a hand over her face as she drew in and released a deep breath. “Okay. No harm, no foul. Just scared the piss out of me. I appreciate you getting me out.” Brown eyes peered up at him. “Now, what is this plan of yours?”

“We will be mates,” he said simply amid the renewed groaning of metal as he worked to bend the frame back into place.

“Wait… what? No, don’t answer that. But why?”

He blinked over at her, certain that the reason should be apparent enough. “The Muruk is interested in you. We have attempted to dissuade his interest by telling him that you are ours. So we will make sure that there is no reason for him to think otherwise. Especially now that you have now injured him.” The corner of his mouth tipped at that as he recalled fondly the male’s outrage.

His little female winced. “Yeah, that was unintended… and a bit gruesome.” She sighed. “So now I have a target painted on my forehead. Fantastic. What happens if he catches me alone?”

Hlek curled the tip of his tail comfortingly against her shoulder, unable to ignore the way she flinched at the contact. She would need to become accustomed to it, however. Zelekzans were a highly affectionate and touch-needy species. This was widely known. Males who did not touch their mate in such ways would be regarded with suspicion. They would have to make this clear to her and work together to get her accustomed to their touch when Krith returned.

“We will do everything possible to make sure that does not happen. At least one of us will always be with you if possible, and we will both be here with you every night. The Muruk would be a fool to try anything again.”

Kelly gave him a curious look, perusing him in a way that sent a tingle of awareness through his scales.

“I guess I’m getting a couple of roommates,” she muttered. A soft sigh left her lips, and she gave him a weak smile that made him yearn to give her more smiles. “I really should appreciate that you guys are willing to do this. Thank you. I know it’s not easy.”

He blinked down at her in confusion. It was the easiest thing in the world. What would be harder would be letting her slip away from them once again when the Muruk left. They would just have to do everything in their power to encourage her to stay there. Already he was getting attached, enjoying her scathing humor that belied a kindness that he could see within her.

He would prove himself worthy and claim her so that he would never have to be from her side again.

CHAPTER 13

Awkward was the word of the day. Kelly stared at the two males crowding out so much of the space in her quarters. The room that had always felt oversized felt oddly cozy with them in there and yet it sent an uncomfortable awareness of them that made her arousal spike despite her best attempt to ignore it. It was nearly impossible with their wonderfully warm scent filling the air around her.

It probably also had to do with how close both males were standing to her. It should have made her nervous. And on one level, it did. There was a primitive reptilian part of her brain that was demanding that she run and hide from the enormous predators pressing in around her, but it was easy to ignore with the surprising amount of lust that was bubbling up through her. That was still shocking enough to catch her attention. Not just because of how illegal it was, but because she was not one to have those reactions to men.

Oh, she wasn’t a virgin. She had her fair share of failed relationships, but sex had always seemed like something she could leave or take. It had never played a particularly consequential part in any of her relationships, nor had she ever felt a distinct sexual craving for any of her partners. Not that they had been particularly passionate either. Her mech implants often had the effect of either intimidating men or making them want to treat her like a sexbot without any feelings or needs of her own. Neither option was particularly flattering or satisfying, so it was no wonder that they failed to last, and she hadn’t missed their absence from her lives. She had often wondered, though, how it would feel to experience that painfully burning need that demanded satisfaction.

Now she understood, practically sandwiched between the two Zelekzan males. She could feel the chaotic heat of desire rising through her with a maddening fervor. It was both exhilarating and overwhelming and came accompanied with a strange need to be conquered even as she put her own undeniable claim on them.

It was a fucked-up situation considering that Hlek and Krith were only doing this as a favor to her in the face of the Muruk’s obvious interest. Unfortunately, her body wasn’t taking cues from what logic dictated.

Skin heated and oversensitive with desire, Kelly discreetly wiped her palms against her makeshift skirt and eyed the aliens penning her in between them.

“So… mates, then,” she said, her voice pitching strangely husky despite the jumble of her nerves.

Krith grinned down at her, his scarlet eyes glittering in a way that pulled her, igniting a new spark of heat in her belly. It was a far cry from her reaction to the deep hellfire red of the Muruk’s gaze earlier. He was such a contrast to Hlek’s sober nature, and yet both males appealed to her equally.

Knowing how their society mated made her feel less guilty than she might have otherwise been. But, gods, they were big, and it didn’t stop her imagination from wondering just how big they were… there. As much as she wanted to sneak a peek at Krith’s crotch, she gamely maintained eye-contact with him as she tried not to be overwhelmed with the idea of pretending to be mated to two large, powerful males.

How in the world did females of their species cope?

She glanced between them and nearly jumped when she felt something buttery soft glide against her shoulder. Startled, her head snapped around toward the source, and she stared at the brilliant blue tip of Hlek’s tail curled against her flesh. Swallowing, she continued to stare at it, uncertain of what to do.

“How exactly does this work?”

Her imagination was filling in far too many suggestions.

The husky, breathy click of Hlek’s laughter zapped along her nerves as he shifted closer. “Relax, Kelly. We are not going to do anything to you.”

She barely refrained from grimacing. That was exactly what she was afraid that they were going to say, though she was undeniably relieved that she wasn’t going to have to work out some uncomfortable logistics despite the inconvenience of her erotic fascination and newly discovered heightened arousal.

She frowned. Maybe she was a little disappointed.

Hlek’s tail trailed against her collarbone, the sensation making her shiver even as it drove every thought from her head.

“Zelekzans are very sensitive to touch and scent. We crave it, especially from our mates. As our mate, you would be accustomed to us frequently touching you in an exchange of pheromones. We should scent of you, and you of us through regular contact. If we lack these scent markers, or if we are observed together and that our touches make you nervous, it will give us away. There is no reason to keep you confined to this room when Nadorth knows that you are here—as long as one of us is with you and you are properly marked.” His head angled away from her as he looked over at Krith. “Did he make any mention of the fact that we lacked pheromone traces on us?”

Krith nodded, his mouth twisting. “He did. He disputed that we were mated to her as he railed at me in the medical unit while I reattached his finger. I told him that we had to go through our regular decontamination sequence earlier today. I said if he reminded me one more time of my current distressed state not having my mate’s scent on me, I would not feel inclined to reattach anything. I was tempted not to anyway,” he added in a low voice. “But I did,” he snapped at Hlek’s disapproving growl.

His eyes slid over to her, his expression softening. “Every thirty standard cycles, every station goes through a decontamination sequence to remove pathogens, which includes the crew,” he explained for her benefit. “It is very stressful for Zelekzans, but it is an Alliance law in these sectors to prevent the spread of disease beyond inoculations.”

“That actually isn’t a bad idea,” Kelly said thoughtfully. “Stations where I’m from tend to be notorious cesspools for disease if one isn’t careful and doesn’t stick to the more reputable ones. But I can see how it would be uncomfortable for a species like yours.”

“Enough so that he accepted the reason,” Krith replied, his burgundy-tipped tail sliding up her opposite arm to the base of her throat as he crowded closer. The two tails were doing strange things to her as they caressed her skin. She practically squirmed in place from the erotic heat coiling within her core as their scent seemed even thicker in the air around her.

Krith’s eyes scanned her face as if searching for something. “If this becomes too uncomfortable for you, tell us so that we can allow you space.” His eyes narrowed down at her. “Your pulse is heightened. Do you need us to stop?”

Kelly shook her head, her mouth suddenly feeling incredibly dry. “No. It’s all good,” she croaked.

He smiled crookedly. “Good. Our tails have one of our primary scent glands in it. What we are currently doing is depositing large traces of pheromone over you this way. We also have them in our saliva ducts in the inside of our cheeks, which we distribute with our tongues, and another at the underside of the head of the phallus, which deposits into a female internally from our genitals.”

The skin which had gradually heated throughout his explanation felt like it was bursting over her, teasing and licking over every inch of her sensitized flesh. Like she wanted them to do. The feverish need roared through her, and Kelly shivered in reaction.

Fuck, this is crazy.

“Do not worry,” Hlek said from behind her, his hot breath fanning her already impossibly hot skin so that she wanted to writhe against him. “We will only use our tails and tongues to deposit as much of our scent as possible and coat ourselves in your pheromones. I am just working to locate where your scent glands are.”

Kelly’s eyes squeezed shut as she tried to push down her embarrassment. “Humans don’t really have dedicated pheromone glands like you do. At least I don’t think we do.”

Krith smiled. “You are correct. Scans of your anatomy indicated that although your skin releases a very small quantity of pheromones constantly, there is only one good source of the secretions.” His tail suddenly found the inside of her leg where it came into direct contact with the slick coating her inner thigh, and Kelly jumped in surprise. He groaned, his tail rolling against it, and her belly clenched with another fresh wave of arousal. “Incredible,” he hissed.

Behind her, Hlek growled, his own tail slipping up the opposite inner thigh. His claws pressed against her arm with a sensual bite that made her belly tighten, her breath drawing in with a tiny gasp.

“We can make it pleasurable for you,” he rumbled, his mouth dangerously close to her ear so that his words vibrated through her. He paused. “Is it permissible that we proceed?”

Kelly nodded mutely.

“Words,” Hlek hissed. “There can be no confusion in this. If not, our tails will go no further, and we will content ourselves with what we can get from this inner purchase.”

She trembled, her senses blown wide open. With every stir of their breath, the silky-soft glide of their tails against her skin felt magnified, creating a deep ache within her. Gods, she needed something to fill her. Her eyes slipped down Krith’s enormous frame, and she swallowed apprehensively. The bulge of his straining erection against the swath of scarves covering him was intimidating, though the sight of it gave her a certain amount of relief that the attraction wasn’t as one-sided as she had feared.

Saliva pooled in her mouth, her pussy clenching needily. She wanted it—oh, how she wanted to explore whatever he had hidden—but they couldn’t possibly be compatible. A tiny whimper escaped her, and she was immediately gratified with the prick of Hlek’s claw against her neck with just enough pressure to ground her.

“There is no need to worry.” Hlek nuzzled her ear as his thick tongue rasped along her artery just below it, trailing up before detouring to the sensitive lobe. A sharp nip made her hips jerk, her arousal slipping from her with the hard squeeze of her channel around its own emptiness. “We will just penetrate you with our tails. To do more with your small body would require far more prepping,” he assured her.

“To be honest, I doubt all the prepping in the world will be enough for me to take that,” she observed, nearly struggling to speak as a tail flicked so close to her clit to stir the air that she gasped and shuddered with need.

“Beautiful,” Krith, the suspected owner of the erotically dangerous tail, murmured. “And we would most certainly fit. Our kind mate outside of our species frequently. Yours would not be the first tiny, ripe cunt into which a pair of Zelekzan cocks squeezed.” He stepped forward, his muzzle dropping down to lick a pearl of sweat from her collarbone. A groan rumbled from him. “So delicious.”

“How?” she rasped.

Krith’s scarlet eyes rose, his mouth pulling up into a sly smile. “Would you believe me if I said it was by magic?”

Kelly gasped out a laugh and shook her head. “Not a chance in hell. You may look like a magical creature, but there is no way that thing is coming anywhere near me if that’s all you have for me.”

Hlek’s laughter, its breathy clicks so close to her ear it sent a shiver down her spine. “Krith, do not tease. We are supposed to be easing her in preparation for this, not frightening her.”

The other male’s grin widened, his eyes sparkling with humor, but he inclined his head in surrender. “Not magic, then. Our cum, and precum especially, has highly arousing stimulants within it that help our cocks access tiny little sheathes. Even with that, however, I would still want to prepare you first. Hlek is right—it will just be our tails, unless you decide you want more. But fair warning,” he rumbled as his tongue swiped over the exposed skin above her right breast, “if you give us all, we may never wish to let you go.”

Kelly’s eyes widened, her heart thumping in her chest. Belong to them… forever? She sucked in her bottom lip, her teeth worrying the skin. Could she commit to something like that? Life on Earth for a citizen wasn’t bad. She had no complaints to speak of despite the limits in comforts she had enforced upon herself, and her family was there waiting for her to return. But she didn’t even know if there was a way to return. She shook her head helplessly, unable to deal with it, and Hlek pressed his muzzle against her cheek, stilling her.

“It does not bear thinking of now,” he rasped. “For now, just allow us to make you feel good.”

She nodded, tears stinging her eyes as she grappled with the unfamiliar hunger that consumed her. She wanted that. Fuck, she needed it.

“Yes,” she whispered.

With her permission given, their tails slid up, curling as they slipped one after the other along her folds, teasing her clit and her weeping entrance. They pressed and glided, flicking against her clit, first only accidentally grazing it and then intentionally as they rumbled in delight when she arched between them.

The first tapered tail that penetrated her wiggled, pressing up against the soft inner tissue in the process, and sent shockwaves through her as her pussy clenched around it, rippling rhythmically with the release of her orgasm. Sweat coated her skin, and she shuddered with the force of it as the tail continued to invade, pressing more firmly up against the erogenous zone as it pushed deeper, exploring the depths of her channel before it withdrew completely from her body, leaving a strange, slimy trail in its passing.

She might have wondered at it if the tail didn’t press forward again, this time joined by the press of a second tip, both tails wiggling within her, pumping gently as they slicked along her inner walls, making her gasp with every push and tug. The alternating thrust of the two hot, wet tails sent her spinning higher. Each press against her walls or deep in the sensitive areas around the mouth of her womb made her shudder, unable to contain the ripple of pleasure that assailed her.

Their bodies pressed closer to her, the languid speed of their tails picking up. A pair of claws squeezed her clit, dragging out a needy whine from her. She trembled from where she was now suspended between them, her toes no longer so much as grazing the floor, the panels of her skirt rucked up over their thick arms. Low growls, interrupted by clicks and crooning whoops, filled the air around her. Pelvises butted against her belly and ass. Impossibly long, thick cocks pushed out from the parted material of their clothes to press against those plush areas, their naturally sticky lubrication allowing them to slip along her flesh in tempo with the thrusts of their tails as if their instinct demanded the movement from them.

Krith adjusted his stance and pushed the ridged head of his cock against her cleft. His eyes slitted as he met his gaze, the hot need in them stoking her desire higher. A low groan rumbled from him as his cock bumped and slid against her clit. The hot precum and textured surface against her clit as their tails writhed and pumped into her triggered an explosion with her. Kelly jerked in their arms, her hips canting forward to continue riding the pleasure as she bore down on their tails, the slime of whatever had seeped from them mingling with her own fluids dripping down her thighs as her orgasm seemed to go on forever, one rolling into another as their twisting thrusts sped up, Krith’s cock rubbing faster against her clit until she writhed between them, their mixed essences seeping from her as they continued to plunder her pussy.

Behind her she could feel Hlek’s cock rubbing against her ass harder and more urgently as it pressed between her cheeks, slicking up her rear passage with his natural lubricant. His moans and growls mingled with Krith’s breathy grunts until hot seed splattered over her back and along her pussy, coating her clit and folds as it dripped around their tails. Their cum coating her skin sent electric pulses everywhere it touched until Kelly screamed between them, her world fracturing at the height of pleasure until there was nothing in her universe but sensation—and them.

CHAPTER 14

Krith’s eyes narrowed on the Muruk, unhappy that the male happened to be watching them from a table as Kelly perused the menu on the replicator. Or tried to. Krith was happy to helpfully point out what the options were that she might like after discovering some of the horrible experiences she had in the past trying to “wing it,” as she called it, since she had her run of the waystation. He was delighted to assist his female and kept one dutiful eye on that task while the other watched Nadorth suspiciously.

The tip of his tail curled and flicked, a subtle warning that made the male flinch. Krith smirked to himself. The Muruk was smart to be wary. Aside from the cutting whip of a Zelekzan’s tail, most species of the alliance were familiar with the venomous retracted barbs hidden within the tiny hollows of their tails. The small bumps that rode up about two hand spans from the tip of his tail were the only evidence of their presence. Those same bumps he had rubbed within his female, bringing her to ecstasy as he released an erotic pheromone from the glands that surrounded the barbs’ sheath.

As much as he wanted Nadorth to give him any good reason to toss his ass from the station, or worse, he could not decide if that was information that he wanted his female privy to. That she might look at his tail with horror and not want it anywhere near her made him wilt a little. The pleasure-inducing slick of their tails was part of what prepared a female, even a Zelekzan female, for mating. It was also a highly erogenous area for male Zelekzans that made touch with their tails so pleasurable, although less so with casual contact or else a lot of the touch interactions with their species would be considered highly inappropriate.

It was perhaps a joke of nature that one of the most lethal areas of their body was also one that comforted and gave pleasure.

“Okay, I think I will have this one… and this,” Kelly murmured, pressing the codes on the replicator.

He glanced over her shoulder and hid a smile. It seemed that his female enjoyed sweet things. The hot drink was one favored by younglings, and her meal was a popular festival dish with sweet spices cooked into it. He probably should advise her to eat something a bit healthier, but he shrugged it off. She was an adult.

He would share bites of his own meal to acclimate her to different pleasing flavors to counteract any possible sickness from eating too much of the treat. It would also be a good way for her to experiment more confidently without controlling her diet as he had while she was sequestering herself. As a medic, he already had access to her nutritional information that the AI determined from the samples that had been drawn from her while she was coming out of stasis sleep. It was far safer than her randomly choosing on her own.

He still cringed at recollecting how sick she had made herself and resented the fact that Hlek had forbidden contact with her during that time. Not that he did not understand and agree with the reasoning, but aside from his own torment, he had not been aware of how ill she had made herself by selecting things that he did not think would attract her attention with the provided holoimage of the food. The slop of Garathan milgrop was just shy of toxic even for a Zelekzan, and she had eaten several bites of what she called “stew” before it made her sick. Not life threateningly so—it seemed that human stomachs had a greater tolerance to it than Zelekzans did—but enough to be memorable.

As far as he was concerned, there were not going to be any repeated instances now that she had him by her side. The last thing he wanted was for her to accidentally poison herself. The Muruk on the other hand was sadly too knowledgeable about the foods on the replicator to do Krith that favor.

“What are you going to eat?” Kelly looked up at him, her brown eyes shining with a warmth that brought a smile to his face.

He shifted forward, pressing his belly against her back as he leaned toward the replicator, delighting in her gentle gasp, and put in the codes for his favorite meal.

“Hantha vegetables with glazed ourwabal over sashanmi,” he purred, his tail curling as he imagined the burst of flavors on his tongue as he spoke.

Kelly chuckled, her eyes fastened to his tail as a slight blush rode up her cheeks. “I guess you really do enjoy eating, don’t you?”

“A favorite pastime,” he agreed readily, his eyes fastened on the replicator’s dispensary hatch. “Zelekzan males have an extremely high metabolic rate, and all of this,” he pointed to the large muscles lining his arm, “takes a lot of calories to maintain.”

“Lucky. I’ll probably eat this and find my ass has grown overnight.” Kelly sighed morosely, but she still looked appreciatively down at her food indicating that it was not something to dissuade her.

Krith glanced down at her round, tailless bottom and grinned. “More to nibble and lick and to hold while in lock.”

Her cheeks darkened, and she spared him a quick glance. “A lock, huh? Is that what you call that double-teaming?”

“Double-teaming,” he repeated, inspired by the turn of phrase. “I like that, but yes. When two gethals have their female between them, they form a lock as we did to keep you in place while we mate with you. This is particularly important in breeding because… well,” he grimaced, not wanting to scare her.

She tipped her head, her eyes narrowing on him. “Because what? Out with it if you have any hope of me ever letting you anywhere near me with that thing,” she said, pointing in the area of his sheathed cock.

Krith twitched uncomfortably, unable to ignore the mocking gaze of the Muruk enjoying his discomfort.

“Our sexual organs have ridges along the side that extend out as they swell,” he began, trying to pretend like he was giving a medical description of the act rather than speaking of intimate details to the female he wanted to enact them on. “When we are nearing orgasm, our ridges have very thin, tubular andrekes that emerge. This not only stimulates the female’s channel, but they also lock the males’ phalluses together. The andrekes slip deeper to penetrate the womb to lock the joined phallus against the opening as they spill.”

“Holy shit.” Kelly stared up at him, her eyes filled with a nervous excitement. Even the flush had extended down to the tops of her breasts just visible above the wrap concealing them. She swallowed sharply. “And this… it doesn’t hurt them?”

“Not at all,” he purred. “It is what triggers our seed to emerge. It is the only way that we are fertile and is several times more potent than what you experienced indirectly. Although your biology seems more sensitive, I assure you that you would enjoy it very much, likely even more than Zelekzan females do.”

The Muruk snorted, attracting Krith’s attention as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table in front of him just inches from the discarded bloody remains of his meal. Nadorth’s lip curled.

“Zelekzans and your strange breeding rituals. Muruks know how to please all by themselves.” He gripped his cock beneath his form-fitting pants. “Especially with that species.” His eyes took on an avaricious gleam as he stared at Kelly in a way that had Krith’s venom running. “I enjoyed much pleasure and had soft-bodied humans,” he spat, alarming Krith with his familiarity with the species, “squirming on my cock, begging for more.” Nadorth’s grin widened as he met Kelly’s eyes, gripping and squeezing his member. “I can show you much pleasure. Pain will spice it a bit too until you don’t know where one begins and the other ends. And the flavor of it will be delightful.”

Nadorth’s long tongue slipped out over his lips obscenely, and Kelly pushed back into Krith, practically burrowing into his side and she stared fearfully at the male.

“You have encountered her kind before,” Krith observed quietly.

The Muruk dropped his feet and stood. “I have,” he agreed dismissively. “It was a couple of solars ago. A long time since I have enjoyed them, but I do remember the humans. They begged us to help them find a way home, and then they begged for more… release.” He grinned.

“You found the lifepods,” Kelly said, her voice quiet.

The males smile widened. “Perhaps. But I think I will get some rest now. If you want to writhe on my cock, female, you are welcome to join me… any time.”

He laughed when Kelly shook her head, eliciting a violent snarl from deep within Krith. He considered himself an easygoing male. Not a warrior typically, despite his training. But this male made him want to cut out his tongue and rip out his throat for producing words to terrorize his female and intrude on his territory.

Kelly’s gaze drifted up to him as the male left them, her brown eyes filled with worry. “You don’t suppose he… ate them, do you? That the survivors are all dead?”

“I do not know,” he rumbled, his arm banding around Kelly protectively. “Let us return to our quarters with our meal. I am suddenly very uncomfortable remaining exposed here.”

He felt the nod of her head against his side and steered them back toward the lift, their meal trays held firmly between their hands.

Regardless of what happened to the other humans—a terrible mystery that he was not sure he wanted the answer to—his Kelly would be safe. He would make certain of it. If Nadorth so much as made a threatening move toward their female, he was dead. The moment that male’s ship was repaired, he was gone one way or another. It was in the Muruk’s best interest to make sure it was in the less permanent way.

CHAPTER 15

Kelly poked at Krith’s food, stealing a cooked purple vegetable with the long, two-tined fork in her hand, and smiled up at Hlek. Although the unpleasant encounter with Nadorth had been days ago, and the male had made no further contact with her other than briefly catching sight of him in passing, it still had taken time for the stress from the encounter to dissipate enough to where the males were no longer hovering anxiously over her. At any given time, it was one or the other watching her breathe as if worried that the Muruk was going to sneak in and steal her away.

She was glad that things seemed to have settled because when they were anxious it fueled her anxiety a hundred-fold. Now it just felt like a waiting game—waiting for the repairs to be finished so their visitor could be on his way. That she still felt a tingle at the back of her neck as if she were being watched, Kelly tried not to dwell on. Two more ships had docked, filling the station with a number of alien bodies milling around. While it created a lot of extra work, which she would have happily helped out with if her implant hadn’t failed to establish a link to the alien technology, it offered one important thing for them: a whole lot of witnesses.

She wasn’t so worried about Nadorth trying anything now. Not when the advantage wasn’t in his favor. Wasn’t that what Hlek had said about the Muruk species? If that were true, she was probably the safest female around. Especially considering that a number of the visitors were larger than the Muruk, and each of them quite fascinated with an alien as unique as Kelly. It was a little strange to be the “alien” in the mix, but she was surprisingly quite fond of the friendly astrominers who, off rotation, were heading back to their homeworld with accounts full of what passed as credits in those sectors.

That they identified her as the mate of the gethal running the station didn’t hurt things either as it seemed to come with a certain presumed familiarity and protectiveness. There wasn’t one male that didn’t keep half an eye on her to make sure that she didn’t accidentally get stepped on or have some sort of mishap due to being so much smaller. Even better, the boisterous miners seemed to deter Nadorth from even making an appearance. With his repairs finishing in the next couple of days, any threat from the Muruk had been successfully neutralized as far as she could tell.

It seemed like her “mates” had finally come to a similar conclusion as they now sat at the table in as close to a relaxed manner than she had seen in days. Krith even managed to feign annoyance without being distracted, his eyes narrowed on her as she popped the delicious wedge into her mouth with a satisfied moan when the juices burst over her tongue. He grumbled and squinted further as if that could hide the heat shimmering in their depths at the sound she made.

For males who once frightened her, she still had difficulties at time believing just how funny and sweet they were. Even Hlek, in his slightly uptight way, was very affectionate, had a particularly amusing and cutting sense of humor, and had a tendency to low-key spoil her whenever opportunity presented itself.

She had never felt more cherished. The fact that Krith replicated extra veg for her just to share while he simultaneously teased her made her feel even more like she belonged there with them.

“Stop stealing the best parts. If you want some, why not have me replicate your own?”

Swallowing the food, she grinned back at him unrepentantly. “Like I keep telling you, it tastes so much better from your plate.” She pointed at him with her fork. “Besides, you like sharing with me or else you wouldn’t order triple portions of it.”

The breathy click of Hlek’s laughter wrapped around her as he shook his head at his gethal.

“Keep teasing her and you will have to watch your tail to make sure it remains intact,” Hlek cautioned, his voice rumbling with amusement. “She may chew it rather than the veg.”

Knowing that he was caught, Krith’s feigned annoyance was replaced by a lazy smile that stretched over his face, exposing his sharp teeth in a way that somehow made him look endearing rather than alarming.

“Would you really chew my tail?” he purred, and Kelly choked back a laugh.

He’s incorrigible.

“You’re damn right I would,” she retorted, and snickered as his brow ridges shot up with unmistakable interest. “And you would love every second of it.”

She snapped her teeth playfully at him, and the scales at his throat flushed darker as he groaned.

“Now who is the tease?” Krith demanded as he squinted over at Hlek as the male burst into laughter once again. “But so, so very true,” he admitted with a languid stretch, his grin unabashed.

Krith’s hot gaze focused on her mouth as she laughed as well, no doubt committing to memory all kinds of lewd acts that she had done to him recently. Neither Krith nor Hlek had minded having their tails in her mouth, and she had found the experience entertaining. The slippery pheromones they exuded tasted like a blend of melon and berry flavors that varied between the two males.

Flavors that she had developed quite a taste for, so much so that she enjoyed teasing them with her mouth before she allowed them to lift her between them to spear her with those same appendages, working them into her pussy until she shattered. Sometimes, if they were lying in bed with her angled downward, she could explore their textured cocks with her fingers and mouth at her leisure until they too were bursting.

An anticipatory smile stretched across her face, and she licked her lips, immediately drawing the attention of both males to her tongue. A pair of moans escaped them, but there was no time for them to act on their obvious desires as their bulging sexes hardened further. They were enjoying what was left of their midday meal together and still had many hours left before the rest cycle began, but she couldn’t wait to get the two of them in bed with her later. Nor could either male—if the thick bulges below their belts were anything to go by.

Reclining against the side of her chair, knowing what the angle did to emphasize her breasts, she snagged a bright orange chunk of veg that tasted like a nutty version of pumpkin. She ate it in two bites without so much as a noise of complaint from Krith, whose eyes were fixed on her tits.

Kelly smothered a grin. She could probably get away with a lot more without him ever noticing.

To think that she once imagined that his interest was more scientific when the truth was that his carnal appetite easily rivaled that of his belly.

Hlek click-chuckled and shook his head, his tail snapping against his gethal’s arm. The tail whip looked and sounded painful to Kelly with its audible snap, but after hearing it a few times, she noted that the friendly gesture didn’t come close to causing discomfort or wounding them. It was no more threatening than her brothers and cousins who enjoyed playing slugging games even as adults.

“Keep your mind where it belongs,” Hlek growled, his voice stern despite the amusement that danced in his eyes. “We have many duties to complete this evening, and I’ll not have you distracted. Don’t forget it is your turn to run diagnostics on the system and the droids.”

Krith groaned and struck a dramatic pose, the long frills from his two buns falling in a disarray around his face as the heat of lust in his eyes died at being reminded of the clearly unpleasant chore. Kelly stifled a smile at the dismay that crossed his face.

It was any wonder that anything was functional on the waystation. Not only did neither male seem to enjoy the maintenance tasks or running the mech operations, the tasks were also getting done only once a cycle when they should have been done daily—or at the very least every few days. They just didn’t have the crew that even the smallest space stations had in the coalition, where there wouldn’t have been any fewer than six individuals operating a station like the Frentha.

It boggled her mind and made her fingers twitch restlessly. Every mech technician worth their salt had it drilled into them early on after receiving their implants just how much mechanics depended on oversight and maintenance to keep everything at optimally functioning levels. It felt like a betrayal to the metal giant surrounding them that they weren’t doing everything in their power to keep her running smoothly.

If only she could just link in for an hour or two, she would feel so much better. With Krith focusing on the medical unit when not in command, and Hlek dividing his attention between repairs to the outside hull of the Frentha and his own duties on the command deck, she knew that even a few minutes linked to the station could do some good.

“Is it really so terrible?” she teased him.

Krith ran a hand over his face and short, tapered muzzle. “It is more that it is time consuming. I have to use the handheld to communicate with the system, accessing the various systems and then use that to link to the droids one by one. It is arduous.”

Kelly nodded her head in sympathy. “I get what you’re saying. We had to do something similar before a segment of our population was converted into the mech class.” She grinned at the confusion in his eyes and tapped the back of her head over her hidden scar. “You’re looking at a mech technician. My implants have allowed me to work with Earthen and most coalition tech by uplinking to it and digitally interfacing with it. It’s much faster, and I think a bit more accurate, since mech technicians have more of a thorough view of what they’re looking at and can improvise more easily.”

“Ah! That is what it is for!” Krith whooped, his wings shooting out with excitement briefly before he managed to get them contained again. He grinned over at Hlek. “Recall that she had an implant that was attempting to link with the Frentha before I blocked it? I had dismissed it once the potential threat was neutralized, but that was why it was trying to uplink to our systems.”

“Wait… what do you mean that you blocked it?” Kelly demanded, her mouth gaping with indignation. “I’ve been walking around this place feeling like a part of me is missing and that I have a significant loss of something critical to me—and it was all because you blocked it?”

Hlek’s violet eyes hardened until they appeared as if they were carved from amethyst. “We did not know what it could do. Krith made the correct call when dealing with this unknown, and you did not mention any loss to us that would bring this matter to our attention,” he said reasonably.

And damn, it was reasonable. If she had rescued someone with alien tech trying to link into her home system, she would have done the same thing.

Kelly let out a long breath and nodded. “You’re right.” She found Hlek’s eyes and held them. “But this is now and I’m telling you that if you return access to me, then I can actually do something useful around here.”

“It is a good idea,” Krith agreed. “She will be able to do the same work in only a fraction of the time if what she says is true.”

“There is a reason that such tech studies are forbidden on Zelek,” Hlek rumbled. “It is considered dangerous for the mind to be divorced from its nature and to bond with the cybernetic world to such a degree. We have implants that allow us to communicate over distance when it’s not convenient to access comms, and we have our override implants that were provided, among others, but nothing that can tap into the Frentha like that and merge within her.”

“I promise you—I understand where you’re coming from, but really it is not that big of a deal,” Kelly soothed. “Humans have had the tech for four generations now, and it keeps getting improved upon with only rare cases of psychological breaks. For the most part, we adapt well to the tech, probably better than most species since our mech technicians are often asked for all over our Intergalactic Coalition space. I also know it’s hard to trust another species with that kind of power, but I swear I would never do anything to endanger anyone here.”

Hlek stared at her silently, accessing. Finally, his eyes narrowed on her. “You swear that it will not harm you.”

Kelly traced an X over her chest, elation filling her with the knowledge that he was deciding to trust her. She had to admit that she was also touched that his concern was of it harming her rather than the opposite. “Cross my heart.”

His brow dipped in confusion, but he shook his head and proceeded rattling off orders again. She didn’t mind, since they were clearly in her favor.

“Very well, but you will do most of your work from the command deck. When not there, when we have visitors, you will have one of us with you while you work on each deck.” His eyes narrowed. “You will inform us if you experience any discomfort, disorientation, or exhaustion and will unlink immediately.”

She nodded. “I know what to look for. Safety is the byword for mech technicians. Our own safety, that of the crew and other individuals present, and for the mechanical and mechanoid systems themselves. I may be tired initially, given how little time you’ve had to devote to it. I expect that there will be a lot of cleaning up to be done, but after that it should run smoothly and will be far less strenuous.”

Hlek grudgingly inclined his head. “Very well, let us go then to the command deck. Once there, Krith will disable the block.”

Krith hopped to his feet. “Oh! I need to acquire a chair for her first. You can sit next to me,” he purred in aside to her, and Kelly swallowed back a laugh.

This was really happening. She was going to be part of a team with them. Excitement stirred within her as she followed them up to the spacious command deck. Stars filled her vision from the wide viewing screen that took up one wall and a third of each beside it. That screen was segmented into numerous smaller holoscreens that appeared to be actively displaying information.

There was something of a homecoming to it when, just as Krith removed the block, Kelly linked and her world expanded into a starburst of minute details of digital code as she became one with Frentha.

“Awesome,” she whispered, and her mind flowed into the system.

CHAPTER 16

Hlek had to admit that there was a great advantage to having Kelly as an unofficial member of their team. They would make a fine mate grouping. Few gethals were so fortunate to find females they could so completely share their lives with. Seeing the way that Kelly fit so seamlessly into their lives made him adore her more, as well as the unfortunate side effect of making him incredibly territorial when it came to other males on his station who might be tempted to snatch her away.

Their guests certainly fawned over her enough.

Scowling at his display, he huffed as he cleared a trade vessel for departure. It was a pity that the others were not doing so as well. He could not get rid of all of them fast enough. Especially the Muruk. Jaw tightening, he hissed between his teeth. He did not like the way the male was loitering around the public areas of the station. Although Nadorth had as much right to be there as the astrominers who were waiting for the rejuvenation cycle on the ship’s massive fuel cells to finish.

There was a reason that waystations were established within solar systems. The collection panels on the outside of the Frentha that required constant inspection and care were a pain in the tail, but it kept the station supplied with enough power to replenish numerous exploration-class vessels such as that which the miners used without difficulty. Usually, he considered the station’s design to be ideal, but it worked a little too well for him now when he would like nothing better than to shut down access to the station for a time to allow their gethal an opportunity to court Kelly properly without distraction—or other males who could appear more appealing and exciting than a gethal pair of Zelekzans bound to their station.

He grunted quietly to himself as he adjusted the specs for the station to better capture the light from the nearby sun. The miners were not the problem. Although they seemed quite fond of Kelly, they did not treat her with anything less than care and respect. In fact, if he were honest with himself despite his territorial urges, they were more deferential, as if dealing with a female of rank and renown. It was just his own insecurity showing, a disconcerting feeling that something was going to happen if he relaxed his guard.

It was the Muruk’s fault.

The male would not leave. The repairs had been finished days ago, and still he lingered like a parasite infecting its host. Silent, apparently unobtrusive, and yet always there… watching. Hlek hated that he didn’t have any justifiable reason to forcibly remove Nadorth. Any attempt to do so would be met with filed complaints and fines. Fines upon fines in addition to actionable discipline, which might mean having another assigned to their post with them. The last thing he wanted was someone from Zelek looking over their shoulder. Or reporting back to the homeworld regarding the presence of a female of an unknown species with no established alliances secured through mating and possessing security clearance that she should not have.

As easy as it was to make visitors believe that she was their mate, officials from Zelek would not be fooled.

If that did not get them arrested—which it might not since no one wanted to be stationed so far from the comforts and pleasures of civilization—it was highly likely to result in Kelly’s removal, if nothing else than as a scientific interest. Researchers would want to study the effects of her implants, how her physiology made it possible for her to use them without suffering the mental instability that their own species suffered in the past when they experimented with similar technology.

He gave a low, menacing growl. He would see to it that it never happened, even if that meant restraining himself. Unfortunately, killing the intolerable creature even in defense now posed a danger if inquiries were made. The possibility of losing their female made him anxious, like an itch under his scales. She had none of the recognized protections that she would possess by default as their mate. By law, anyone mated to a Zelekzan was entitled to the same rights. She could be questioned or imprisoned if convicted of crimes, but they would not be able to take a mate from a gethal for study.

He could always insist that Kelly mate with them rather than continue with the pretense in order to keep her safe, but he did not want to manipulate her that way. Any others he would not think twice of controlling for their own good—but not her. He was discovering that she was an unanticipated weakness.

Even in the matter of mating, he had kept a rather detached view of the females his gethal paraded over past revolutions. He would have protected and cherished them as was due to a mate, done what was necessary to achieve those means, and would have looked forward to any offspring that came along. The feelings that he was experiencing now would have been considered laughable to him not too long ago.

As if unable to help himself, his eyes drifted to the chair that had been brought up and bolted near the chair Krith took when they were both on deck. Although his gethal took a great deal of pleasure in the fact that she spent so much of the day working there by his side, and enjoyed boasting of it, it was actually a matter of logistics since that was where the workstation she needed access to was located. Although there had never been an extra chair there before, Krith’s chair being able to reach all databases and ports sufficiently, seeing it empty made him feel lonely.

With a flick of his claws, he pulled up the security monitor of the deck two, his mouth pulling in a smile as he watched their female wave a hovering Krith off as if he were an insect buzzing over her head. They were on their usual rounds as they made their way from deck to deck. Accustomed to what had become routine for them, Krith felt comfortable to tease and flirt with their female freely. Though she put on a show of being annoyed, he could see amusement on her face as she chased him away. The chastised male backed up, his tail raised and curled above her, flicking her hair with an impish grin. Kelly promptly turned and scolded him. Though there was no sound available, but the expression on her face said everything necessary. Hlek chuckled quietly to himself.

She was good for them and had brought life to the Frentha, both with her personality and her implants that cycled through their systems whenever she linked to various ports throughout the station. Both he and Krith and the station itself were better than they had been in rotations.

A movement at the far corner, however, made his laughter die as he squinted inquisitively at the shifting shadows on his periphery. With his claw on the controls, he attempted to sharpen the image. He jerked at the sudden explosion of action.

A dark body surged forward, vaulting into the air so that it landed on his gethal’s back. Kelly leaped to her feet, but Krith jerked back, carrying the assailant away from her. With his mouth opened wide in a pained roar, Krith’s wings snapped out instinctively in attempt to beat his attacker off.

In a flurry of movements, Hlek initiated emergency lockdown, the entire command deck lighting up, as did the other floors visible through the security feeds. Springing to his feet, his stomach rolled as he witnessed the sickening sight of claws shredding through Krith’s right wing. He still could not get a clear view of the assailant, but there was little doubt in his mind who it was. Muruks blended into shadows too well. There was no way of knowing how often he had followed them, watching them every day as they went about their business, unaware.

There would be no escaping the deck for the male.

Opening the access to the core tunnel, Hlek froze, his eyes turning toward the lift as the door that key-locked opened. His eyes widened as he saw the attack droid roll in, the cannister on its back popping open. He dropped with a snarl, his ears catching the hissing sound of a gaseous substance being released. He allowed himself to freefall for just a moment, to gain some distance between himself and the gas above, grateful that the hatch had slid shut behind him, containing the gas on the command deck.

Snapping his wings open, he worked to slow his fall into something controllable so he would be able to safely land and wreak his destruction on the male who dared to attack them. Even spinning as he was at a distance, he could see a splatter of blood on the edge of deck two’s low wall that fueled his fury. Before his eyes, it appeared to seep and accumulate as Krith shrieked before falling silent. The silence slid up the tunnel like a murky film, insidiously swallowing him, his wings trembling to the point of nearly upsetting his controlled descent.

Kelly screamed.

Consequences be damned. He was killing the male.

CHAPTER 17

Kelly stared at the bloodstains. Krith lay immobile in front of her, but thankfully he was not dead. The moment the Muruk gained the advantage, he pressed the spray to the male’s neck, bringing down the large Zelekzan.

Panting, Nadorth grinned at her as he straightened, the spiny orange crest on his head lifting. His curved claws stretched out toward her and curled in as he gestured for her to join him.

“Come here, little human.”

She shook her head. Did she look like an idiot?

Her eyes dropped to her mate lying unconscious on the floor. My mate. It was only supposed to be pretend, and yet seeing Krith lying there devastated her. It tore at her heart. From the viciousness with which Nadorth attacked him, she knew that he would have killed him if he were not a lesser male. As it was, there was plenty of blood splattered from the wounds sustained on his sides and wing, but it was all superficial. His chest rose and fell evenly in his sedation. A surprise attack and tranquilizing him as quickly as possible was the only way that Muruk had been able to overcome to larger and stronger Zelekzan.

A horrible certainty settled in her gut and with it a premonition.

“You killed them, didn’t you—the humans? You used them for your pleasure, and then you killed them.”

His slow smile was chilling. A long, thin black tongue slipped out of his mouth, curling up to swipe over his sharp teeth and gums. “Humans are delicious in so many ways. So soft and sweet-smelling. You satisfy many hungers.”

She shivered, scooting back away from him. “You ate them.”

It wasn’t even a question. She had hoped that he hadn’t and perhaps just kept the survivors for his pleasure.

“Of course. It was what we intended all along when we set the trap for your ship. A big, bloated vessel just beyond the blood cloud at the edge of our territory. An obvious pleasure ship. So easy. One hit from our battleship’s core disruptor shattered your vessel’s defenses.”

His grin widened as he stalked forward.

“We feasted for days on the dead we discovered within, and then for weeks more on the living when our scouts tracked down the escape pods. We rutted indiscriminately among them as we feasted from the flesh of their dead. I held a female in place by her throat as I impaled her and forced her to ride me as she fed me the flesh of those she had known. Her tears were sweet and flavored her flesh when I finally consumed her.”

Kelly felt sick to her stomach, unable to comprehend that level of brutality. There was no remorse or empathy in his cold, red eyes. Instead, there was a sadistic hunger in them—as if he were enjoying her horror. His laughter was shrill, filling the room.

“You cannot outrun me, human. Nor do you have any way to defend yourself. You might as well surrender now. But you have nothing to fear. I have no intention of eating you. Not all of you, anyway. You do not need legs for what you will be doing, and it will relieve you of the temptation to try to run.” A visible ripple of what she imagined to be pleasure moved over his skin. “It does get lonely in the runner. It is time that I take a mate. You will enjoy a long, long life, your every need seen to so long as you see to mine.”

A tremor of revulsion zipped through her. He had planned his attack well. By avoiding the residential deck, the next level up, Nadorth had evaded the possibility of encountering a miner who might come to her aid. There was nothing on deck two except the sealed lab, biohazard processing station, and the med unit. There was no help there. Even the large droids that the station possessed were kept on the lower levels to serve the docking bay. She could send out the command for them to assist her, but there was no way for them to get up there in time even if the deck weren’t in lockdown.

The fact that it was locked down didn’t worry her. It was actually the only good news that she had. Hlek must have shut everything down when he saw what happened. That meant that he was on his way. She just needed to hold on until he got there.

But what did she have at her disposal?

It would only take a second to override the doors to the local and medical unit with her link, but she would need a distraction to get over to them.

A long, thin leg slipped out from between the swirling panels on the walls and flexed. She just barely refrained from jerking away from it. Even after days of doing routine work that included linking with the repair droids, she had come to terms with the fact that she would never be accustomed to their unsettling appearance. At the same time, she had never been happier to see one.

Nadorth’s head tipped as he regarded her. “If you are hoping to be rescued by your other mate, I would not waste your time. I sent a paralytic drug up to the command using the lift. By now, he will be incapable of even moving, much less coming to your rescue.”

She paused as his words sank in and then summarily dismissed them. They might have succeeded in scaring her if it weren’t for the fact that Krith had shown her the hatch to the core tunnel and nearly scared the piss out of her by dropping them both through it. That was one detail the Muruk had not considered.

“Now get over here,” he snarled impatiently, his lips peeling back to display the rows of dangerous teeth in his mouth. “We are leaving right now.”

“In a rush?” she whispered from between stiff lips.

He gave an impatient snort. “I would suggest that you cooperate before I am forced to kill your other mate. I guarantee that will happen if you delay us long enough for his biology to nullify the tranquilizer. Zelekzans are hard to kill, and I prefer not putting myself through all that effort, but I will do it.”

She watched him, observing the nervous movement of his body as he paced toward her. That was even more encouraging. He was afraid. If not Hlek, then Krith when he finally came to. She just needed to buy the time her mates needed. She couldn’t depend on the lockdown. Once he discovered that they were locked in, there was nothing to stop him from just killing her right there.

Keeping her control on the doors at ready, Kelly uplinked with the droid, and as usual her skin crawled with the sensation of hundreds of spiders scurrying over her. All the while, she eyed the Muruk warily as he circled closer. He was toying with her, enjoying the scent of her fear. Her breathing had turned to panting, but she schooled her expression as not to alert Nadorth prematurely to the droid emerging just inches from her face, its legs creeping over the wall. When its flat body was completely free, it lowered itself to the metal, preparing to leap. She was asking it to do something entirely outside of its programming as she mentally wrote and implanted codes as fast as she could.

Nadorth’s grin widened, and he sprung forward. She screamed, dropping low and sending the silent kill command to the droid. It launched itself from the wall, its numerous legs spreading out wide like a net. Eyes widening, he tried to dodge the metal insectoid to no avail. The thud of the impact as it collided with the Muruk was loud and was followed by an even louder crash of metal against metal as it dragged him to the floor.

Not bothering to straighten, Kelly rushed forward as she set the open command to the lab door at her right. The door slid open as she sprinted for it. She could hear pounding behind her and the slide of metal against metal as Nadorth shrieked. Her chest burned with the effort to breathe, her legs pumping as she careened through the entrance and fell, her face smacking into the metal floor and sending a gush of blood spraying from her nose.

Her breath left her lungs in a painful explosion, agony spreading through her face, but the terrible sensation was no less intense than the claws digging into her ankle. Tears of pain slipping down her cheeks, she turned, her eyes meeting the burning gaze of the Muruk. His claws dug deeper as he pulled himself closer, his tail lashing excitedly behind him. The droid lay on its side behind him, several of its legs crumpled. Although the droid’s claws had done a job on him, it had managed to slow him down only a little.

It hadn’t been enough.

Screaming out her fear and anger, Kelly kicked her free foot at him, battering at his head and shoulders with all the strength she could muster. The sadistic grin that broadened across his face told her that, like the droid, her efforts were also not enough. Her body was dragged back through the door as he got his knees beneath him so he could lean over her. His slimy tongue writhed over the exposed skin of her belly, leaving a putrid trail in its passing.

He brought her bottom flush with his thighs and dropped his head forward to press his muzzle against her neck, inhaling her scent. Close enough to her face that she could see the bands and patterns within it, one red eye opened, its slit pupil widening. His arms slid under her, and she could feel herself being lifted.

“It seems we are leaving the hard way,” he growled, and her lips parted in a bloody smile.

Joke was on him unless he magically acquired an ability to fly.

But her time was up. Fueled by frenzied desperation, and somehow still smiling wildly, Kelly’s hand swung out, jabbing her first two fingers with all her strength into it. She felt the corners of her mouth lift in feral delight as she made contact. There was a sensation of give like a soft grape and a slight popping sensation as Nadorth screamed. Claws raking down her side, he flung her away from him, dragging his hands up to his injured eye.

“You disease-ridden cunt!” he screamed. “You do not deserve to be my mate! I am going to take great pleasure in eviscerating you and eating your innards right in front of you as you die.”

“Go ahead and eat me, bitch,” she wheezed, spitting a glob of blood in his direction as the deck shuddered, announcing the arrival of her mate.

Within seconds, Hlek’s massive body rose like a spirit of vengeance behind the Muruk.

“You’re so dead.” She laughed as Nardoth reeled back in horror and whipped around with a shriek of dismay.

There was a faint sound of claws scraping somewhere nearby, but Kelly ignored it. She was too busy laughing in delight as she pushed herself to her feet. With pure pleasure, she watched Hlek’s wings aggressively snap out and vibrate, his blue tail whipping behind him. Violet eyes swung toward her, assessing her injuries, and a ferocious bellow filled the air.

The Muruk had enough sense to try to dodge, but he failed entirely. The moment he moved, Hlek’s tail lashed out, long barbs that she had never seen before jutting out and slashing deep.

The cry of Nadorth’s pain and fear would be forever etched upon her mind, but she felt nothing but satisfaction for the fact. This was a male who had planned on crippling her, raping her, and doing gods knew what else to her once he became bored. She relished the spray of his blood as it wetted her skin.

For his part, Nadorth thrashed as he attempted to escape. Digging his long, hooked claws deep into Hlek’s side, he used the moment of her mate’s weakness to his advantage to dart out from within his grasp only to fall within the shadow of another male looming over him. The Muruk attempted to redirect his course, but it was too late.

Far too late.

Krith’s barbed tail swung up at the exact time Hlek’s did, both tails arching through the air with such force that the spines buried with a sickening thunk into both sides of the male’s head.

Nadorth stared vacantly, his eyes blinking as if caught by surprise. Blood wept from his tear ducts to mingle with the blood pouring down his face from his crushed skull. A sucking wet sound accompanied the removal of her mates’ tails and was followed by the crash of the Muruk dropping to the floor, his limbs uselessly twitching.

Without ceremony, Krith stepped over the male to pluck her up into his arms, nestling his muzzle against her neck to breathe her in. Turning in place, he cast an unconcerned glance at the male lying at their feet.

“He is still alive,” Krith observed, his eyes lifting to meet those of his gethal. “What should we do with him?”

“You wait here with our mate,” Hlek growled, his words sending a quiver of lust through Kelly. Yes. She was theirs. Turning, he bent and dragged the male up by his neck. “This, I am throwing out of the airlock,” he growled.

Dragging Nadorth’s limp body behind him, he stalked away, leaving Kelly safe within Krith’s arms. Turning in his embrace, she looked up at him, her hand lifting to stroke against the blood-flecked scales of his cheek. He leaned into her touch, his scarlet eyes softening.

“I was so worried,” he rasped. “I could hear everything but could not move. I thought I would lose you.”

She shook her head. “You will never lose me.”

His head tipped as he regarded her quietly for a long moment. “Even now that the threat has passed? You would still remain ours?”

“Fuck yeah,” she replied, sighing as he gathered her close. “I love you, and Hlek too. I don’t think there’s any place I would rather be than between you two for the rest of my life.”

“Even if that means abandoning any chance of returning home?” he queried. “I warn you, once you are ours, we will never release you.”

Dragging his head down, she nipped his lower lip. “Good. Because I won’t accept anything less.” She drew back and smirked up at him. “You do realize, of course, that you are permanently stuck with me too.”

“Thank the gods,” he groaned and carried her away from the bloody mess of deck two.

CHAPTER 18

Hlek’s mouth curved grimly as he stalked through the lower deck, dragging the bloody, dying mess of the Muruk behind him, his scales scraping over the floors. There was a certain pleasure that came with witnessing one’s own handiwork, but the gruesome socket where their mate had gouged out Nadorth’s eye nearly made him purr in awe.

Such a fierce mate. With the help of certain drugs on Zelek, he had little doubt that they could breed a legion of powerful offspring together. Offspring who would be capable of gaining a foothold within the alliance and, if necessary, topple it. The wildness that had been all but bred out of much of Zelekzan society would return through her. Her unrestrained ferocity and passion being would be carried for generations to come.

In truth, she was everything that was most exquisite and arousing for him.

His mind occupied with how his female had appeared, smiling wildly, blood splattered over her, and how incredibly hard it made his cock, Hlek continued toward his destination. Behind him, the skitter of cleaning droids followed, feasting on the bloody trail and his smile widened into one of satisfaction as he came to a stop just in front of the airlock. That satisfaction only increased, settling deep within him when he glanced down at what was left of Nadorth.

“I suppose that somewhere in that lump of flesh you are wondering how everything could have gone so wrong,” he murmured, his claws clicking on the access pad beside the inner lock. He smirked down at him, relishing the gurgling sound of air escaping from the male’s lungs.

“For all of your species’ fierce reputation, it is amusing that you ever imagined you were anything compared to a Zelekzan. Now you have the pleasure of taking that message with you when you meet your ancestors, that you, Nadorth Teluroon, weighed your chances against a greater predator—a greater warrior—and lost. That you are the least among them. I should thank you, though. It has been long since I have had the satisfaction of killing anyone, and I do enjoy it. It is what made me excellent for the intelligence work that was demanded of me—and why I, like most males in the line of work, was retired early. This was a great pleasure.”

With a chime and hiss of depressurization, the airlock door swung open, revealing the pristine gray interior. It looked like a tomb, which was quite appropriate, and beyond that, stars sparkled in the void of space.

“Up you go,” he said, hoisting the male up high enough that he was able to toss him inside without any effort. Brain matter splattered as the body landed in a heap, and a pained whimper wheezed out from the broken male. He chuckled, pleased. “Oh, good. You can still feel pain. You are a wonderfully resilient species. I cannot tell you what pleasure it gives me knowing that you will be feeling every bit of this.”

After slapping his hand against the closing mechanism, Hlek stepped back and watched as the airlock door swung shut again and hissed as the seals locked once more into place. From the viewing port on the door, he had an unobstructed view of the spasming body of the Muruk. Lifting a hand, Hlek activated the comms in the airlock so that whatever was left of Nadorth’s mind might hear his parting words.

“Never fuck with a Zelekzan mate,” he growled, his fingers punching the release.

The vacuum of space sucked Nadorth out, pulling him out into the emptiness beyond the safe walls of the Frentha, the force propelling him far beyond the waystation. Hlek did not move from where he stood as he watched the body shrink the further it got from the station until, at last, nothing but darkness and starlight stretched out before him. He sealed the outer airlock once more and turned away, his heavy footsteps carrying him to the lift and up to the primary level.

He did not break stride nor cast uncertain glances around him as he stalked across the floor, aware of the eyes of every male in the room upon him. The miners watched with curiosity, but he paid them little mind. These males were frequent visitors, and so it was natural that they would find the events entertaining.

Any frequent visitor knew that all were welcome as long as they adhered to one rule: act honorably. For all that he might be a bloodthirsty murderer himself, he always held honor as the highest of values and expected anyone on the Frentha to do likewise while they were there. It was no secret that the Muruk had been toeing that line for a while. Of course, they wanted to know the final outcome.

It wasn’t until he was standing before the lift that he turned to address them.

“I have an abandoned runner that I will be making available tomorrow at midday waking cycle. In the meantime, I will be with my mate. Do not comm me unless something is burning down or someone is dead,” he growled as he stepped inside.

The door slid shut, cutting off the raucous hoots of approval that followed after him.

CHAPTER 19

It took two days for Kelly to recover, even with advanced Zelekzan medicine, and another three before Krith was fully healed. Neither male appreciated waiting that long to claim her as their mate, but she had insisted. For all his claims that he could fuck her with one maimed wing, she wasn’t hearing it until she could verify for herself that the delicate webbing was whole and smooth once more. Now, there was no more reason to delay.

Her lips twitched. She doubted either of them would be willing to wait even one more day. Their patience was at an end, but that was okay because hers was too. Especially since they refused to offer any relief while they waited to claim her. It was almost as if they were afraid that it would be delayed into perpetuity.

She chuckled to herself. Fat chance of that happening.

As much as she hated waiting, there was a keen anticipation that had begun to ride her hard since waking, a churning heat that settled in her belly, making her pussy slick with need. It probably had a lot to do with the delicious smell of her males filling her room when she woke—the power of pheromones, apparently—but she wasn’t complaining. She welcomed the way her flesh tingled in her aroused state as the males prowled around her. At her request, they had removed their topknots, allowing their long frills to hang down their backs and chests like unleashed ripples of water flowing over their scales.

Her tongue glided over her lips, knowing that they were focused on the small movement. “So what needs to be done to make this mating official?” she asked, her voice husky with her longing for them. “Say some special words? Throw a bouquet of whatever Krith has growing in the lab?” she teased.

Hlek gave her a perplexed look, but Krith grinned, his tail teasing at her calf. “No words, or lunar colony twelve wekel fungus,” he murmured playfully. His tail slid higher up her leg in a suggestive caress as Hlek’s claws shredded through the scarf around her breasts, freeing them so that they bounced lightly, her nipples furled and taut.

She glanced back at him and frowned. “You know, you could have just untied it.”

Hlek smirked, his chest rumbling in a way that sent shivers over her skin. Krith’s tail slapped loudly against her upper thigh, the sting drawing her attention immediately back to him.

He grinned lazily as he tugged her belt free, letting the swaths of scarves that served as her skirt fall to the floor. “I would teach you how to bind this properly, but I do love how easily it all comes apart,” he purred. “Now, pay attention. In mating, there is just this—us and our union, a blending of pheromones. The pheromones released from the sharing of fluids will bond us, imbuing us permanently with your scent as you will carry ours. It is a marking, a true claiming that requires regular exposure to each other’s pheromones throughout our lives.”

Excitement bubbled up inside of her. That was exactly what she wanted. She had seen so many relationships fall apart among family and peers that the promise of something binding beyond ceremony and vows appealed to her. It was the ultimate commitment.

Krith looked at Hlek over her shoulder and nodded. She felt the heat of Hlek’s body and heard the heavy weight of his footsteps as he came close behind her. Thickly muscled arms banded around her waist, lifting her up off of her feet and into the air as he straightened, her back supported against his chest. Krith caught her feet and placed them on his shoulders, spreading her legs wide so to provide him with an eyeful of her sex. Her pussy clenched, and she could feel the dew of her arousal gathering, preparing the way for the anticipated pleasure to come.

With a hungry look at it, Krith’s long, muscular neck extended, placing his mouth directly over her feminine heat. Even with him there, she wasn’t prepared for the slow swipe of his tongue licking her from back to clit, shattering her with the hard flick against the sensitive nub. Jerking against his hold, her shout echoed around them as she orgasmed, unleashing something within the males holding her.

Krith’s hands tightened around her thighs, his claws pressing against her flesh with an erotic sting that had her wiggling against him as his tongue plundered his prize. It swept against her oversensitive sex with a fervor as it lapped up her essence and plunged deep over and over to draw out more of the slick from her core. She twitched and shook, her hand hooking around one of Hlek’s horns to anchor herself. Her chest bouncing with her rapid panting, she fought against the overwhelming pull of ecstasy that threatened to shatter more than just her body as she peaked yet again.

And then her hand was pulled from Hlek’s horn and they were shifting her between them so that she lay back in Krith’s embrace while Hlek took position between her legs. He smirked as he met her eyes, his muzzle just inches away from her pussy, his hot breath fanning over it. He did not merely drag his tongue over her dripping slit but stabbed deep, making her buck up against him with a yelp of surprised pleasure. It twisted within her, pressing and rubbing against every secret place, her channel convulsing around his tongue, and still he did not let up. Her belly was jumping with unending ripples of pleasure as she begged in a soft whisper.

She wasn’t entirely sure what she was asking for with her whispered litany of, “Please, please, please.”

It wasn’t for him to stop… not exactly.

Although she couldn’t stand any further stimulation from his tongue over her slit, she was far from done. She wiggled between them, demanding to be let down until finally they complied and set her on her feet. Kelly immediately dropped down onto a nearby chair, bringing her eye level with the erections tenting their bindings. A soft moan escaped her as Hlek’s cock jumped under her inspection.

As one, they stepped closer to her until they were crowding around her, the musky, delicious scent of their pheromones filling her head as her pussy throbbed in reaction, her clit stiff with need.

“Take it off,” she whispered in a hoarse voice. Two sets of hands immediately dropped to their hips, and among the nest of knots they somehow located the right one that released the scarf covering their cocks. Bared, their cocks were glorious. Although she had felt them plenty, she never had a good look at them before, and they took her breath away.

Long and thick but not frighteningly so, they were only a bit larger than a well-endowed man. Perhaps epic porn star grade cocks but nothing unmanageable that would hurt her even with preparation. Colored similarly to their scales, they pushed out from a ruffled slit that made her squeeze her thighs together in anticipation of how wonderful it would feel against her clit. Their shafts were long and straight, Hlek’s shaft had the slightest upward curve to it that distinguished it beyond its blue hue. The tops and undersides of their cocks were heavily veined, leading up a thick corona that appeared to have an angle to it.

The most unique thing, however, was the textured ripples on either side of their cocks. She pressed her thighs tighter together and wiggled on the chair. Those were what would expand inside of her and release andrekes to aid in their bodies’ natural attempt to fertilize her.

Shivering with need, wanting to feel them inside her now but unwilling to take any short cuts in her desire to do this the right way, Kelly looked up, brushing lovingly over the hard lines of muscle until she met their gaze.

“I think you misunderstand. I meant everything. If we’re going to be mates, there isn’t going to be any fucking while dressed. Unless it’s for a quickie,” she amended, because some places just weren’t conducive to stripping down.

Dual lusty moans met her orders, they drew off their belts, and their claws quickly worked the series of knots at their hips from which their clothing seemed entirely attached. Silk slid down their legs to pool at their feet, their eyes feverish on her. She smiled up at them, not the least bit intimidated by their intensity anymore. These were her males.

All mine.

Curling her fingers around them, she tugged them forward until she was able to run her tongue once more along the long length of Hlek’s, and then Krith’s, cocks as she gently pumped them, eager to get their sap rising. It smelled so good that she was certain it had to taste even better. She wanted it in her mouth, to enjoy the flavor of it and the ecstasy that came from contact with their seed.

She sucked the thick head of Hlek’s cock into her mouth with a rapturous hum, enjoying the way his sex twitched, spewing the fizzling precum into her mouth. She chased the flavor, her hand rubbing up and down along his length as she bobbed her head, tugging on him, demanding his release. Hlek groaned, his claws tangling in her hair as his hips pumped, releasing another burst into her mouth. The flavor was indescribable, as if it were every sweet and savory experience that she had ever enjoyed rolled into one with a side of orgasmic pleasure.

At his hiss for her to stop, Kelly released him with a loving pop before turning and giving the same attention to Krith as Hlek grabbed her left leg, tilting her so that she almost lay on her side in the chair. Mouth and hands working Krith’s ruby cock, she could feel Hlek’s tail—the tail that just days ago had been studded with dangerous barbs—slide up her inner thigh. It stopped, poised at the opening of her slit. Part of her instinctively wanted to shy away, but she held herself still, willing the sudden tension in her thighs to disappear. This wasn’t something new between them and had been a nightly activity before the Muruk’s attack.

At the relaxation of her butt and thigh muscles, the tip of Hlek’s tail wiggled in, invading her as it pumped, rubbing against every erogenous area inside her pussy as she sucked Krith down, dragging hard on his length when an orgasm shot through her making her bear down hard on the tail penetrating her. The hot, sweet taste of Krith’s cock in her mouth fed her addiction in one way while Hlek’s cock pumped in more of the pheromone-laden sap from his tail deep within her, the combination thrumming every nerve in her body.

When Krith made a noise of protest, his cock jerking in her mouth, Kelly swirled her tongue over the plump head before allowing it to pull free. Just as suddenly, Hlek’s tail also disappeared and was replaced by Krith’s. His tail wriggled within her as Hlek amused himself with plucking at her clit until the release of Krith’s own sap hit him hard, triggering another orgasm for Kelly as she spasmed against his hold.

Draped across the padded chair, panting, Kelly whimpered, her body a pulsing bundle of need. Carefully, Hlek collected her in his arms and carried her across the room to the sleeping platform at the far end, Krith in his wake. She was not set down on the comfortable mattress, however. Turning her head, Kelly watched curiously as Krith reclined on its surface, his cock pointing straight up at her, the ridges along the sides swollen. Krith reached for her as Hlek lowered her onto him, her belly settling against his as the fat head of his sex brushed the bottom of her clit.

Kelly closed her eyes and moaned, and then cried out when it pushed forward, burrowing into the wet heat within her. She felt consumed and conquered, her body trembling as it slowly gave him access as he began to thrust, his hips rocking beneath her. Ecstasy shot across her inner vision like the tail of a comet, pure fire blazing behind her eyes as she grasped for purchase against his arms and chest, her fingernails skating uselessly over scales.

Hips jerking, his pace increased, the squelch of their combined fluids audible as bursts of intense pleasure lit up through her from the precum seeping from his tip. Even as he began to rut her in earnest, driving into her with a rapid frenzy, her pussy opened up around him, eagerly sucking on his length, demanding more.

Writhing against him, Kelly whined, her bottom lifting even as she ground down against his cock snapping sharply within her. The touch of a hand against her bottom was like a balm in contrast to the hot grip of Krith’s hands on her hips. Hlek pushed forward gently on her upper back so that her hips tipped at a sharper angle. Krith growled, his claws digging enough to sting and scratch, allowing tiny trails of blood to trickle down her thighs as he thrust up into her, filling her until his cock kissed the mouth of her womb. There he remained, thrusting wildly, the ridges along the side of his cock rippling against her inner walls as if licked by a hundred tongues… or his stirring andrekes.

Leaning down, Hlek swept his tongue over her sloppy slit, his pleased growl rattling through her for a moment before he climbed over, his heavy body pinning her in from above. His cock felt like a mast as it brushed against the side of her sex. It passed once, twice, collecting her arousal even as it leaked its sap over the lips of her pussy. Then he was pressing home, forcing Krith to still as he worked his way in, his cock massaging the inner sensitive wall of her sex and Krith’s dick simultaneously making the other male’s cock jerk with a fresh explosion of precum as he groaned lustily.

They moved together, alternating at first, every part of her channel stimulated by the friction and the andrekes from both males. Clawed hands held her tight, and hips snapped in a relentless pounding that had her screaming with every new orgasm that washed over her. Even then, there was a sense of something more building. A tightening pressure that wound more and more and couldn’t be assuaged with any of her previous orgasms.

They seemed to sense a similar need because their thrusts became punctuated with aggressive, frustrated growls and she felt the fan of wings over her. Above her, Hlek shivered as Krith gasped below her, their synced thrusts slowing but deepening, filling her to her limit until pain and ecstasy blurred together. She was forced to give way to their combined penetration all at once. Pleasure rolled over her, each pass stronger and stronger as she writhed desperately between them, seeking her ultimate release as their andrekes whipped forward, twining and pushing.

There was a pinch deep within her and then bliss unlike any she had ever known. Her mates ground deep, their breath panting out of them as they growled and cried out, their cocks jerking wildly against each other from where they were anchored inside of her as they jettisoned their cum in thick strings into her belly. Drowning in pleasure, the pressure within her eclipsed, driving all sense of time or space from her mind.

The bodies of her mates were her only anchors that kept her from spinning endlessly through the ether of her mind. Screaming, her voice merging with their unrestrained roars, Kelly felt every bit of her being unravel before it was knitted together with her mates and made one.

When the pleasure finally ebbed, she dropped against Krith’s chest, her heart hammering as she labored to breathe. Around her, her mates shook, but even so, their hands stroked over her lovingly as they whispered sweet nothings to her, petting her as they showed her their love and delight in her. Lying between them, Kelly smiled as Hlek’s muzzle brushed her ear.

“You have my heart,” he whispered. “None will ever take you from me and live. I swear it. You are mine as much as I am yours, and so it shall remain.”

“Gods, that is sweet.” Krith laughed from beneath her as he nuzzled the other side of her neck. Hlek growled at him, and Kelly refrained from snickering so as not to encourage him. When his head drew back, however, his scarlet gaze was serious as he smiled up at her. “You have my heart as well. We will never make you regret your love and your decision to be ours. May the gods never tear asunder what they brought together.”

Her smile widened. She knew that they loved her. They showed her in everything they did and said, but to hear them speak the actual words filled her heart. She hadn’t realized how much she needed the words. But they had and gave them to her when it truly mattered most. On no day could it have possibly meant more.

“And I love you. Both of you,” she said, looking from one mate to the other, her love for them brimming over in her heart.

Blinking back tears, she smiled as her mates nuzzled her at the same time, their soft muzzles brushing her flesh in a display of deep love and affection even if it was also another marking technique. Grinning, Kelly sank into their warmth, allowing it to enfold around her sink deep within her. There was nowhere else she would rather be.

The special star she had waited all her life for had fallen, and yet it had left her somewhere better, with males who loved her in a way that she had never dreamed of.

Her mates.

She closed her eyes and smiled, unable to wait to see what the future would bring. There would be adventure, that was for certain, and love. And most importantly, they would be together as they watched their destinies weave together as the years passed.

They were joined. They were one. A star of their own making, burning bright. But this one would not fall. Her smile widened sleepily. Her mates would not allow it.

EPILOGUE

Five years later

Kelly smiled at the visitors filing into the waystation, her hand propped on her swollen belly. Krith hovered at her side, his eyes flicking to her ceaselessly. He was in overprotective daddy mode now that they finally made the decision to settle down and start a family on the Frentha. Not that Hlek was any better. Her eyes drifted over to her azure mate, regarding everyone who entered with intense suspicion, and her smile widened. Both of her mates were as eager as her to welcome their daughter into their lives. The fertility treatments had been miserable, but so very well worth it.

And the wait had been worth it too. With the investigation, and the official inquiries as to her presence—not to mention capabilities which the Zelekzan scientists found equally disturbing and exciting—it had never seemed like the right time until now.

Besides, she had to acknowledge that after everything that had happened, once the inquiries and investigations were laid to rest, all any of them had wanted to do was curl onto the sleeping platform together. Which began the years of bonding that drew them closer into a functioning family unit. They worked together, lived together, laughed together and loved together. The initial insanity aside, the last five years had been some of the happiest of her life.

It had also been an interesting time of discovery. Like learning that her stern Hlek had been what was politely termed an “intelligence officer” but would have been more accurately described as an assassin. Where she saw deep pools of love in his eyes, it had surprised her to discover that all anyone else from Zelek saw was a merciless killer.

And perhaps he was—but he was her killer, and she couldn’t have chosen anyone better to protect her or the baby they were preparing to bring into the world.

Sensing her gaze on him, Hlek tore his attention from their guests, lifting his eyes to meet hers. A rush of warmth passed between them, and on her upgraded translator implant she heard her voice as clearly in her head as if he were standing right next to her.

“I love you.”

Those three little words and her heart melted.

Krith chuckled at her side, his hand squeezing her hip affectionately as his tail repeated the same action along her thigh where it was wrapped—this time over proper Zelekzan attire for females.

Learning that there were entirely different types of clothes for the females, just as beautiful but less elaborate and far more familiar in the way they were put together, had been a surprise to her as well. Unfortunately, since there had been no female clothes left on the ship, neither of her mates had felt like sharing that information until they arrived on Zelek and Kelly had the misfortune of discovering it for herself. There had been a minor amount of hell to pay, but she doubted either of them would ever complain since the bulky males had clearly enjoyed every minute of it.

“You look like you are about to melt right into the floor with happiness,” he murmured. “What has put that smile upon your face. I am jealous that it is not me.”

She glanced up at her flirty mate from the corner of her eye. “And how do you know it is not you?” she murmured. “As I recall, you made me liquify this morning.”

Krith grinned down at her. “I think you called it creaming, not liquifying. If you wish to demonstrate the difference, I would be happy to sneak back to our quarters for a private lesson.”

A snort of laughter escaped her, and she waggled her finger at him. “Nice try. You know it’s good PR for us all to be here during visitor arrival, with the exception of late-night dockings.”

A scowl darkened her mate’s usually pleasant expression. “We should put on an auto-denial for any hour past the beginning of the sleep cycle. They can circle us and wait until the day cycle begins again. I am not pleased with having to jump out of bed every time the comms ding, and such a thing will truly anger me if it wakes our offspring when she arrives. Better all around to implement it now so that everyone becomes accustomed to it.”

“I agree,” Hlek growled, startling her. For as heavy as he was, he had the uncanny ability to sneak up on her when he truly wished to. His lips twitched at her reaction briefly before falling back into a foreboding line. “They take too many liberties. I was awoken twice during the last rest cycle. It needs to cease. Nor am I patient for those who come just to gawk at my mate,” he grumbled.

“At least it’s stirred quite a bit of business for the waystation. You should be thrilled.” She laughed. “Everyone in the sector wants to come and see the weird little alien.”

Her mate grunted unhappily. “It was amusing at first, but it has been five years already. And we have our offspring due to arrive any day. I tire of it,” he growled moodily. “My family does not exist for their entertainment.”

Kelly rubbed her hand against her belly, wincing at the ripple that moved across it. That was weird. She had been feeling the peculiar movements all day. Then again, it could possibly be quite normal. No one on Zelek knew anything about the human birthing process, and it wasn’t exactly something that Kelly was a fount of knowledge of herself. It was perhaps unsurprising that Krith had excitedly documented every step of her pregnancy journey. It was sweet, but if he showed up while she was heaving her guts up one more time to ask for her input about the experience, she was going to murder him.

“You know that the interest will die down,” she reassured him. “Every year, less come.”

“But now you are breeding and with that they return,” he groused, not unreasonably.

“I’m sure that once she comes, they won’t find it nearly as interesting,” she murmured. “In fact…” she paused, her eyes widening at another ripple, this one stronger. It was followed by another intense enough that it stole her breath, her entire womb knotting up as she felt a warm splash against her thighs. “Oh, gods.”

Krith’s neck craned, his heavy brows drawing down. “Kelly, is that…?”

She nodded briskly, her fingers twining around his tightly as another contraction blasted through her. Weren’t these supposed to build up gradually?

His eyes widened, and he shared a startled look with Hlek.

“Oh… oh! Okay then. We need to get you to the medical unit.” He turned, his hand bracing under her arm to give her extra support so that they could return to the lift as quickly as possible.

Hlek bulldozed through, sweeping her up into his arms, not caring that her wet dress, dripping with amniotic fluid, was pressed up against his chest, arm, and stomach. Ignoring the lift completely, he launched into the air—something he never did on the station due to safety concerns with space constraints—and winged his way up the core tunnel, heading directly for deck two, Krith fast on his heels.

It was amid much cursing and a haphazard search for supplies that Kelly finally found herself on the medical platform, her large belly pointing to the ceiling as she prepared to give birth. Through the pain, the squall of their daughter’s arrival was a balm to her soul, bringing an intense joy that swept out much of the pain ahead of it. But no joy was greater than when Krith lay their daughter in her arms, her mates hovering over them adoring smiles on their faces.

But who could not adore her?

Pale, pearly gold and cream with the tiniest frill between her horn buds, she looked like a princess nestled in her blanket. Or like a star gleaming back home on the darkest night.

“What do you think about naming her Star?” Kelly asked softly, recalling the special star that brought them into her life.

Hlek smiled and nodded, his large claw brushing gently against her much tinier, clawed digits as Krith grinned down at them. “I think it is perfect,” he rumbled.

“And I do believe that you have now come full circle,” Krith stated, a pleased smile on his face. “A star brought you to us, and now you have brought us a star of our own. I cannot think of a better name to honor what the gods delivered.”

The comm chimed, but both males resolutely ignored it as they cooed over their offspring. At her exasperated huff, Hlek lifted his head to meet her gaze, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

“They can bite their tails and learn some patience. This is more important. It is not every day that a star is born.”

Kelly smiled and relaxed back against the platform, snuggling her Star close as her mates’ arms and wings surrounded them in a cocoon of love.

They say to wish upon a falling star and your wish may come true. I never knew that a falling star would bring me to all of you.

Thank you for reading The Wandering Star: Fallen! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for SJ’s newsletter!

JESSICA GRAYSON & JADE WALTZ

SAVED BY THE FAE ALIEN

CHAPTER 1

AVERY

A deafening boom splits the air as weapons’ fire hits the outer hull, violently rocking the ship. I slam my palm against the wall, struggling to remain upright as I race down the corridor. I scan every room to make sure no one’s left behind as we launch the escape pods.

My sister works on the bridge like me, but on a different shift, so I know she should already be on her way to evacuate the cruise ship. As I pass by another lifeless body in the hallway, I force myself to continue. I have to believe that Zarya is safe. I can’t bear to think otherwise.

Red flashing lights illuminate my path, casting a sinister crimson glow across the hall. Alarms blare from the speakers, but it’s the sound of metal grinding against metal that concerns me most. That’s the sound of alien pirates trying to force their way onto the ship by cutting through the hull.

Somehow, during our maiden voyage, we crossed paths with aliens—right outside our solar system—and they attacked us at first sight.

I race past the daycare and notice several people, young and old, huddled behind the desks inside. “Hurry!” I yell at them. “You have to get to the pods. The pirates are boarding the ship.”

For a moment, they blink at me, too shocked or terrified to move. I grab the nearest person by the shoulder and jerk her toward the door. “Come on!”

That seems to do the trick. Everyone else begins to file into the hallway behind her as I stand in the doorway, pointing them in the direction of the escape pods.

“Avery!” I turn toward the sound of my name to see Tim running toward me. “Quick! We need to get to the pods. We need to hold the line there while the crew evacuates!”

Hold the line? His words, along with the blaster he places in my hands, fill me with unbridled panic. We’re really doing this. We’re really evacuating the ships.

Just for a few months we’ve been traveling as part of our sightseeing pleasure cruise. Now, instead of returning to Earth, we are under attack without warning.

We’re only just beginning to explore beyond our solar system. Very little is known about this part of the galaxy, and yet someone deemed it safe to fly a cruise ship out this far.

I didn’t complain at the time. After all, this is a job and a much needed paycheck. Now, I wish I’d taken that assignment around Mars instead.

The escape pods automatically steer toward the closest habitable world. I pray the pirates don’t follow them. Hopefully, all they want is the ship and its goods.

Unable to speak through my fear, I give Tim an affirmatory nod. Although we’ve practiced an evacuation of the cruise ship in many drills, I never thought we’d need to unless the ship experienced some sort of catastrophic failure, not an enemy attack. I always held onto a false sense of superiority concerning our vessels. I never believed we would become someone’s prey out here in the void when all we wanted was to explore something new.

Tim and I race toward the escape pods. We find the loading dock in chaos as people frantically search for their family and friends, moving from pod to pod calling out in the doors. Taking a deep, steeling breath, I force myself to focus. I’m part of the bridge crew. My job is to help evacuate the ship—this is what I trained for. I don’t have time to panic now.

One of the guards seals the airlock shut between the ship and one of the pods. A woman beats on the glass from inside the pod to get his attention, but he doesn’t even look at her. Sweat beads on his forehead as he shakily presses the button to eject. To my great dismay, I notice too late on the overhead screen that he’s launched the pod a little less than half-full.

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I stalk toward him. “Garret, each of these pods can carry sixty people! You have to wait until they’re full to launch!”

Numbly, he nods, but judging by his vacant expression, I doubt he has processed anything I’ve just said. Tears fill his eyes as he shakes his head but says nothing. Now I understand. Many died in the initial blasts, torn into space.

A blast of light flies past me, hitting Garret square in the chest. He crumples to the ground in a lifeless heap.

I spin to find one of the aliens standing in the doorway. His yellow eyes with vertically slit pupils rake over my form and he raises his blaster to aim, but I’m much faster.

I pull the trigger and watch the blast hit his torso in satisfaction. He slams back against the wall and slides to the floor. His green scales are covered in obsidian blood that pools around his form. His tail twitches on the ground beside him as the light fades from his eyes.

I don’t know why these aliens attacked us, but the fact that they boarded instead of destroying our ship and venting us all into space tells me they’re probably after the human crew as much as the cargo they can salvage from our vessel.

A tug on my arm draws my attention behind me and I spin to find my sister, Zarya. She wraps her arms tightly around my neck. “Thank God you’re all right,” she exclaims. “I was so worried.”

“You need to get in a pod. It’s not safe to stay out here.”

She shakes her head, staring up at me with pale-green eyes so like my own. People have often remarked we could be twins because our faces are so similar. But she has long, black hair like our father, while mine is the same auburn color as our mom’s. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“We have to leave! Now!”

I quickly scan the area and watch the refugees retreat to the remaining pods. Zarya pulls me inside after her and we quickly strap into our seats. The hatch seals shut just as something hard slams against the glass.

It’s one of the alien pirates. He only has a moment to peer inside before the pod violently ejects from the ship as we spin into the void, leaving him and his foul brothers on our damaged vessel.

Through the hatch window, I observe dozens of escape pods floating away from our space cruiser, Dawn Voyager. It seems we weren’t spared in the fight against the pirates. I only hope most of our people got away in time. I shudder to think of how many may have been kidnapped and for what purpose.

We all watch the computer locate the nearest habitable planet and display it on the overhead screen, silent and numb with shock as we leave the last familiar thing we’ve known for the past few months. Someone beside me breaks into tears. The soft sound of a soothing voice follows a moment later as another person tries to calm her down. I wonder how many families were separated in the chaos. How many of our people were killed?

I swallow hard and ball my hands into fists in my lap to still their shaking. I can’t think about all that now. I need to focus, and we need to survive. That’s all that matters at this moment.

A blue-and-green planet looms on the viewscreen. From here, it looks just like satellite images of Earth, without the many space stations orbiting the planet created by the generations before us.

Warnings flash across the screen in red letters while the computer’s mechanical voice announces we’re entering the atmosphere. The pod rocks turbulently. Flames fill the hatch window. My stomach twists in a violent knot as we descend. I swallow back the bile rising in my throat, though I can hear several other passengers whose stomachs weren’t as strong. My sister takes my hand, squeezing it so tightly my fingers begin to go numb.

I don’t care; the pain is a welcome distraction. We finally see clouds fly past the window and the ground racing toward us below. Twisting trees laden with green leaves coat the planet’s surface. If I weren’t so afraid, I’d think it was beautiful.

Metal groans loudly as the hull scrapes over the top of a tree. Suddenly, we’re spinning wildly. I shut my eyes, bracing myself for impact as the computer repeats over and over again: “Brace, brace, brace, brace.”

Time slows and we tumble through the air for an eternity. We slam into something hard and my vision goes black.

CHAPTER 2

AVERY

“Avery?” A familiar voice speaks in my ear. “Wake up. Are you all right?”

I open my eyes and squint against the bright light that assaults my vision. Shooting pain stabs at my forehead. Everything hurts and my body feels like one enormous bruise, but when I gently test the motion of my limbs, I realize that nothing is broken and I seem to be able to move without issue.

I blink up at my sister. A stain of blood traces a line from the black hair on her scalp down her forehead to her chin, but the wound doesn’t appear to be actively bleeding. She reminds me so much of our dad at this moment, a familiar pang of sadness hits me, but I push it back down to focus. “Where are we?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know.” Tears well in her green eyes. “But a few of us were injured.” She gestures to the back of the pod.

A few people lie on emergency cots from the escape pod, their wounds bandaged. One of the ship’s doctors walks among them, staring down at her datapad intently.

Something moves in the corner of my vision and I smile as soon as I spot Jenna and Alya. I grin weakly at them. “Hey. I didn’t know you two made it on this pod. I’m glad to see you.”

Jenna’s warm, hazel eyes meet mine as she runs a hand over my red hair, smoothing it back. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

Her brown hair is tied in a loose knot at the nape of her neck. Despite a few bruises on her cheeks, she appears to be okay.

I slowly sit up, wincing as pain shoots down my spine. “What about the other pods? Did anyone else land nearby?”

Alya shakes her head. Her blue eyes drift to the computer. “The computer won’t turn on. It was damaged in the crash.”

Her long, blonde hair is streaked with a bit of red.

I reach up to touch it, demanding, “Are you hurt?”

“Just a few bumps and bruises.” She gives me a faint grin. “But I’m all right.”

I do a quick sweep of the pod’s interior. Bright light floods in from the large tear in the hull. The floor is littered with supplies shaken loose from their compartments and some of the water pouches are ripped open and spilled.

This thing was built to withstand a crash landing—so much for that.

I notice the pod is not as full as it was when we evacuated, so I imagine several people must already be outside.

I look to Alya. “The pirates could still be searching for us. Please tell me the distress beacon hasn’t been activated.”

“One of the guys wanted to turn it on, but we all voted to leave it off for now because of that.”

A small sigh of relief escapes me. At least everyone seems to be keeping their heads so far and making logical decisions. I turn to my sister and extend my hand. “Can you help me up?”

“You need to rest,” she counters.

“No,” I reply firmly. “I’m fine. I want to see what’s outside.”

Alya grins. “That’s just about the only plus-side to all of this.”

“What?” Now I’m curious.

“This world is beautiful,” she replies. “Like something out of a dream. We couldn’t have picked a better planet if we’d tried.”

I’m excited to see this place. I reach for Alya. “Will you help me up?”

Zarya narrows her eyes, but Alya helps me anyway.

My best friend understands me so well. I’ve never been one to lie around, even when I’m sick. I’ve always preferred to stay active.

Jenna takes my other hand and together, they help me stand. My head spins for a moment, then everything settles. My sister moves to my side and together, we slowly leave the cabin.

Huge trees that rival the ancient sequoias of Earth surround us. Their dark-gray trunks twisting up to the lavender sky and the yellow-orange sun. The branches are covered with deep-green, heart-shaped leaves. The ground is soft and spongy beneath my boots, covered in light-green moss and verdant carpets of grass. Flowers dot the landscape, glowing in blue and purple hues, so large they remind me of tropical blossoms.

Thick, green, rope-like vines spiral up the trees, covered in tiny white flowers and buds. The sound of running water draws my attention to the left, where a stream of crystal-clear water flows not far from our pod. Several people are gathered nearby and I’m glad to see that most appear uninjured since they’re walking and chatting.

I think back to the people relegated to the makeshift infirmary in the back of the ship. Each pod is equipped with medical supplies; I just hope we have enough.

The pods were only ever made for one-way trips. So, this new world is now our new home, at least, until it is safe for us to use the rescue signal, but even then, we might never be saved.

As I study the people around us, I notice no members of the bridge crew besides myself, my sister, and Alya. We’re not even senior level, but it looks like we outrank everyone else here.

More specifically, I outrank them all. I sigh heavily. I’ve never envied the captain for her position, though it now looks like I’ve inherited that burden. I hope she, at least, survived somewhere…somehow.

I join one group and am greeted by several smiling faces. It doesn’t escape me that some are still in shock, however. Their eyes are fixed on the landscape with a faraway look. I know this isn’t what we expected when we first set out on our space cruise ship, Dawn Voyager, but at least this planet is habitable. As long as keep our wits about us, maybe we can survive here.

Jenna tells me, “I already tested the water with the emergency kit. It’s safe to drink.”

“Thank goodness. That’s one less thing we have to worry about.”

I turn my attention back to the gathered survivors and clear my throat. “It appears that I’m the senior crewmember here.”

I wait a moment for anyone to interject because I could be wrong. In fact, I’m hoping that I am. I’m not too keen on becoming a leader. However, if I’m right, then protocol dictates that I’m now in command of our crew.

No one speaks, so I continue. “Our computer is down, so we can’t contact any of the other pods. It looks like we might be alone here for a while until we can link up with everyone else.”

Even as I speak the warning, I hope it won’t come true. It would be great to find more survivors. Surely ours wasn’t the only escape pod to have landed here.

“For now, we need to take inventory of our supplies and scout out the best place to make camp. I would rather prepare for the worst outcome in case no one comes for us than wait and do nothing. None of us thought we were going to be randomly attacked by aliens, especially so close to our solar system, and yet, here we are.”

The crowd falls silent at my last announcement, a reminder that our somewhat carefree lives on the ship—the leisure adventure we’ve known for a few months—is over.

“We’ll also need to search for a spot to plant some of the emergency seeds in our evacuation kit,” I tell Jenna. I remember she told me that she has a botany degree, and is more familiar with that subject than I am.

Thank goodness the cruise ship’s designers recognized that something like this might happen. Each escape pod was equipped with ample supplies in case we were forced to land on an unknown world, to wait for rescue. They knew rescue would take a long time to arrive, especially since we’re outside of our solar system. I only pray that that rescue comes sooner than later.

“Right now, we have shelter.” I gesture to the pod. “And water.” I gesture to the stream. “So, food is the next thing we need to secure. If even half of the supplies on the escape pod survived the crash intact, we should have enough emergency rations to last until the emergency seeds grow.”

I’m glad I paid close attention to the information about the escape pod emergency kits and how to use them. Every member of the crew had to pass a test to make sure they understood them in order to go on this maiden voyage.

Jenna steps forward. “She’s right. The emergency seeds have been modified to grow and produce much faster than natural. I’ve already taken a few soil samples and it seems as though this ground has enough nutrients to support crops.”

I’m pleasantly surprised that she took the initiative to test the water and the soil so quickly. This is good. It means that we can definitely survive here if we’re smart about it. My gaze drifts to the forest. We have no other choice.

Everyone is aware that the escape pods were only built for a one-way trip, so I don’t need to bring it to their attention. This fine detail was drilled into our brains every time we practiced emergency evacuation protocols.

I used to think those sessions were a waste of time. Especially since our ships were supposed to be unbreakable. But we were no match for those pirates and their superior technology.

“You said the soil is suitable, but what about the sunlight?” I peer at the thick canopy of trees overhead.

“We’ll need to find a clear space for planting,” Jenna says. “Plenty of sunlight will help the seeds grow that much faster.”

We set about making a plan and assigning tasks. Each escape pod is equipped with two rovers and I’m glad when one of our engineers confirms that they both survived the crash in good shape.

Once they’re charged and ready to go, we decide to leave one here, while Jenna, Lara, and I decide to scout the surrounding area for a clearing to plant the seeds.

Lara apparently has some sort of botany background as well, and I’m glad. It seems Jenna and the others gathered as much information about everyone’s backgrounds and skills while I was still unconscious.

We need to begin mapping this area’s terrain to get our bearings. If we’re going to make a life here—even if it is temporary—we need to gather as much information as we can, starting with creating a map to help us navigate.

I was a navigator on the ship. Maps are my specialty. I find I’m eager to explore this new world.

With my blaster attached firmly to my tool belt, I take one last look at our surroundings before I climb into the rover. This place is beautiful, though I can’t help but suspect it’s too good to be true.

I glance at Jenna and Lara. “I know the forest seems quiet, but we need to stay alert. This is an alien planet and we have no idea what kind of dangers might lurk here. All right?”

They both nod.

Zarya knocks on the passenger door, startling me abruptly. She opens it and sits in the passenger seat. “I’m coming with you.”

“No,” I tell her. “You need to stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because it might be dangerous.”

She scowls indignantly then pats the blaster on her hip. “All the more reason to take another person along, right?”

It is easy to read the determination in her expression. My sister will not be deterred, and I won’t waste energy on arguing when there is so much to be done. “Fine,” I grumble. “But stay alert.”

She rolls her eyes. “Really? You think I don’t know that?”

With a heavy sigh, I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger then start up the rover. She is only two years younger than me, but ever since Mom and Dad died a few years ago, she’s accused me several times of treating her like a child.

Truthfully, she’s right. But I can’t help babying her. She’s the only family I have left, and I always worry for her because she’s so impulsive. I’m not surprised she jumped into the rover even though she was assigned another task entirely.

As we drive into the forest, the terrain becomes nearly impassable. Thick, gnarled roots sit close to the surface and boulders block our way. I’m glad we have the rover. I can’t imagine trying to tackle this on foot; that would take a very long time.

Soon, we discover a large clearing not far from the crash site. “What about here?” I ask Jenna.

She gives me a thumbs-up. “This should be perfect.”

CHAPTER 3

KIRAN

When I open my eyes, I’m breathless and panting. Sweat beads across my forehead as the nightmare slowly fades. In my dreams, I can still see my mother’s face as she looked at me that morning only two long months ago—the day my silver marking filled with color. I remember the muffled sound of her crying in the other room, trying to hide her devastation from me.

I woke that dreadful day to a red swirling pattern glowing brightly on my body. The fiery red was so vivid against my pale-white skin. In a panic, I covered myself with a blanket. My twin, Alun, thought I was joking when I told him about my predicament, but when he pulled the comforter away, his jaw fell open in shock. My parents and sister reacted no better.

I’ve relived that morning almost every night since in my dreams. But the past few nights, something has changed. In the distance, I see the dim purple light of the sacred tree. As I approach, I notice a wingless female standing before it. She is dressed in the long, white robes of my people—the ones traditionally worn in the bonding ceremony. With long, silken hair the color of flame and pale-green eyes, she stares up at me.

She whispers my name and reaches for my hand, but the moment I touch her, the image fades. I do not understand what the dream means. I went to the sacred tree and prayed for guidance from Iryan, trying to understand.

I have often wondered if my markings are a curse. I have always tried to live my life according to the Balance and the teaching of Iryan, so I cannot imagine why she would punish me. Surely, she has a plan for my life; some force that will work in my favor. I must believe this. Why else would she have made me different—an outsider in my own family?

I am the only Fire Guardian among us. Alun is fortunate. His markings emerged a few days before mine. Of course, they were blue—like everyone else in my family, he is a Water Guardian—so they assumed I would be, as well.

I know that my family loves me, but I feel like a stranger to them. My whole life, Alun and I did everything together. Now, our markings have separated us. He knows me better than anyone, but even he cannot fathom the depths of my despair as a Fire Guardian.

“Where are you off to today?” Talina blinks curiously at where I hover overhead. Her expression is one of wide-eyed wonder as her gaze travels over my markings.

My younger sister has always been fascinated by their scarlet glow. Her coloring will not emerge for another few years, changing her silver markings and wings to blue, red, green, or purple to designate her elemental gift. I hope, for her sake, her markings come in blue so that she will be just like the rest of our family. It is lonely being an outsider; I do not wish such a fate on her.

A faint flutter off to the side draws my attention and I turn to see Alun flying beside me. His ice-blue eyes search mine with pity as my gaze travels over his form. Only his face resembles mine now. The rest of his skin is white, as are all of our people, but because he is a Water Guardian, the markings on his skin and wings are tinted a lovely shade of blue, while mine are fiery red like my hair, which changed slowly after my marking colors came in.

“Are you off, then?”

With a heavy sigh, I nod.

“I wish I could go with you,” Talina calls, a grin spreading. “Maybe I can go with Kiran today, then you, Alun, tomorrow.”

My brother and I chuckle. I swoop down and gently pat her head. “I will be gone for at least several days, little one.”

She lowers her eyes. “I will miss you,” she mumbles in her small voice.

I place two fingers under her chin to tip her face up. “Alun will be home later today, though.” I give my brother a faint smile. “He should be back in time for the evening meal.”

She smiles again, though the expression does not quite touch her eyes. “I wish you did not have to leave.”

I look again at my brother, envious that, as a Water Guardian, he can come home every night. “Me too.”

Yet, even as I speak the words, I know they are not entirely true. After all, was I not the one who used to wish for adventure? I used to watch the Fire Guardians leave for patrol, defending our city and keeping predators away, and imagine how wonderful such a life might be. To see new things and live in the wilds between the great cities. A Fire Guardian’s life surely had to be exciting, I thought. More exciting than simple farming, as my family does. I shake my head, wondering if the goddess Iryan—who creates all things—cursed me to be a Fire Guardian because of those thoughts.

Morina flutters up beside Alun and gives him a bright smile. The same smile she used to give to me not long ago. Before my colors came in, designating me a Fire Guardian. The blue of her markings and wings are only a shade lighter than my brother’s.

“Are you ready to go?” She turns to me and with a half-hearted, cold smile. “Good morning, Kiran.”

Things have been rather awkward between us since my colors changed. “Good morning, Morina.”

Though Alun seems hesitant, he nods at her. He knows he is not her first choice—I was. I suppose he will do in her eyes now, since we are twins and look the same.

Morina is still a dear friend and despite my attraction to her, I was always concerned that we never felt the pull of the fated bond between us. I doubt she feels it toward my brother either.

I lift my gaze to the sky, imagining the stars far above the clouds. I send a silent prayer to Iryan, asking her to bless me with a fated one. Perhaps I am different from my family because my fated is a Fire Guardian. At least, this is what I tell myself when I begin to spiral into despair that I am different from my family and most of my friends.

Morina and Alun have not declared an intent to bond with one another. However, if they became a mated pair, I would not harbor any jealousy. I love my brother and only wish him well. I cannot change what is—I will never be a Water Guardian.

I do not think that my brother is interested in her the way she seems to be interested in him, however. He is my twin, so I know him as well as I know myself. When he grins back at her, I can see the reluctance behind his eyes that no one else seems to notice.

My brother is like me. We have both wished for the blessing of the fated bond from Iryan since we were children. Only a fortunate few ever experience it.

“Are you going out today, Kiran?” Morina asks.

I nod. “I will be gone for four days to patrol the forest outside the city.” My gaze shifts to my brother. “Take care of the family.”

“I will, Brother.”

I take one last look at my home tree. It is not the largest tree in the city, but it is comfortable, nonetheless. Several rows of doors and windows spiral up the massive gray trunk, and I note the small wreath Mother has placed on the door to distinguish our home from all the others.

The world is still dark as the dawning sun begins its slow ascent from the horizon, and the golden light fixtures that sit on the right side of each door still glow. I love our home and lament that I will be gone for many days at a time due to my new job. In the same breath, I suppose I have always dreamed of adventure and now must find a way to embrace it.

I take my leave and fly over the city. As I pass the sacred tree in the center, I brush my fingers over the dark-gray bark of the structure that has stood for over a thousand years. I send a silent prayer to Iryan, asking her to bless my first journey out into the forest beyond the city’s edge.

The sacred tree is the heart of our community, connected to all other cities. I observe a member of the Wind Guardians rest his palm on the bark and close his eyes. They can understand the trees and interpret the guidance of our goddess Iryan, for she is connected to all things in our world.

It has been many moons since the last cycle of destruction was upon us, and I know they anticipate another very soon. To create, something must be destroyed. It is the great balance that Iryan keeps, that we respect and adhere to.

That is why I was sent on patrol a few days early. Our sacred tree detected a disturbance not long ago from one of its sentinel brethren in the great forest. The destructive force was so great that even the sacred tree in the Capital picked up this signal. Since our city is closest to the signal’s origin, Guardians must investigate and report back our findings.

I survey the clear, green fields at the outer edge of our city. Several of the Earth Guardians are sowing seeds, their markings and wings colored in shades of green that help blend with the foliage around them.

Many cities surround the Capital like spokes on a wheel. Most are farming communities like ours. Guardian designation matters more in the agrarian cities because one’s element usually determines one’s job. In the Great Capital, many Elveron disregard their tribal markings and choose jobs as engineers, healers, or whatever they feel they want to be. Here, however, a Fire Guardian must go for days on patrol, keeping the city safe from predators such as the vosa. A Water or Earth Guardian must farm, and a Wind Guardian must become a spiritual leader.

Of course, we have engineers, healers, and such, but few are needed here. It’s a simple life in the smaller cities, and I often envy those in the Capital.

Still, though they can do and be anything they want, all Elveron adhere to the traditional ways when choosing a mate. An image of Morina surfaces in my mind. No one mates outside of their Guardian designation. No one. It simply is not done.

As I leave the city bounds, the farmlands give way to wide swaths of untamed nature. The great trees of the forest, with their twisting dark-gray trunks and deep-green leaves, reach for the sky like giant towers that seek sunlight. The woods smell of rich, damp earth. Green moss covers the ground like a thick blanket dotted by glowing purple tamora flowers.

It has been a long time since I’ve ventured so far from town. Studying the woods, I realize that perhaps this life will not be as terrible as I’d feared. If I get to see such majestic nature every day, the pain will be worth it. Even if my work may make having a family difficult someday.

If I’d had a choice, I would have flown north toward the sea. The vibrant blue oceans and crisp, saline breeze are invigorating. But I am assigned to the sentinel trees in the west to investigate the disturbance that came from that direction.

Our planet undergoes cycles of destruction and rebirth. The Wind Guardians are concerned that a new phase of destruction will come from this area. Whatever caused the disturbance, its signal was intense compared to the small pings they’ve received from other trees.

I’m loath to discover what could cause a disturbance that would make the Wind Guardians worry so much. They are so used to reading signals from the land and the trees that it seems as if nothing ever seriously concerns them. But this, they fear, and that worries me in turn.

As I make my way through the forest, someone calls my name. “Kiran!”

I turn in a wide circle to find the source, grinning when I realize it is Helios.

He flies up beside me and claps a hand on my shoulder. “I heard you were assigned this way. I wanted to warn you that there are rumors of vosa in this area. The other scouts believe there may be a hive nearby.”

“Thank you for the warning, my friend.”

Helios is a good male. He was the first to accept me into the Guardians after my markings came in. Like almost all Fire Guardians, he was born into his element. I am one of only a few who came from parents of another element.

“You are most welcome.” He nods. “Be careful. And if you need anything, I will be nearby.” He gestures to his wrist communicator.

With that, he leaves for his post further south. I appreciate his warning and his friendship—more than he knows, I suspect. He has made the transition to Fire Guardianship less difficult than I imagined it would be.

Now that he has warned me, however, I find myself paying less attention to the beauty around me and focusing on searching for danger. Vosa are lethal predators. Just one can be dangerous; stumbling upon an entire hive is a death sentence.

I quickly scan the area with my wristband and note a strange energy signature not far ahead. It is close to one of the sentinel trees, so I wonder if this is the problem the Wind Guardians sent me to investigate.

The sunlight reflects off the clear red panes of my wings. I realize that if I am to approach with any stealth, I must crouch beneath the thick canopy and stick to the shadows of the trees.

I drop my center of gravity to creep through the woods. A sudden flash of light catches my attention in the distance. I circle the area in a wide arc and my jaw drops when I notice four figures standing near some sort of vehicle.

They are smaller in stature than my people and travel on foot, which tells me they do not possess wings. If they did, surely they would fly. This terrain is thick with roots and rocks that make travel very difficult otherwise.

As I draw closer, I hide behind a large trunk. I do not recognize their species. Not that I’ve seen many aliens, though I have memorized every species that belongs to the Galactic Federation. In our farming community, we do not get many off-worlders, and I’ve only been off-world once before. The few times I’ve visited the city, I have seen other races.

However, this one is unlike anything I have encountered.

Because I do not know if they are friend or foe, I approach with caution to get a better look.

CHAPTER 4

AVERY

Zarya and I exit the rover while Jenna and Lara start pulling equipment from the back to test the soil. I’m not entirely sure what it’s all for, but when I ask if they need help, they both shake their heads.

Zarya glances at the blue sky as we cross the clearing. “I wish Mom and Dad were here,” she whispers to herself.

I take her hand and squeeze it gently. “Me too.”

Ever since our parents died, all we’ve had is each other. Despite her stubbornness, I love my sister and I’m so glad I wasn’t an only child.

Jenna and Lara haul their equipment into the grassy field and begin taking samples. Jenna places a soil tube in one of the machines. A wide grin splits her face as she reads the information on the readout display. “This area will be perfect for crops.”

A low, buzzing hum sounds in the distance and we both turn in the direction of the noise.

“Do you hear that?” Jenna asks.

“Yeah,” I reply. “But I’m not sure what it—”

The words die in my throat when I notice several large creatures flying toward us. Fast. “Get back in the rover! Now!”

We race toward the rover. The creatures are growing bigger by the second. They look like a cross between a wasp and a pterodactyl, with a bulky striped green-and-black body, two huge black ovoid eyes, green antennae, and a long, sharp beak. They’re at least twice the size of a human and among the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen.

They approach so fast, there’s no way we’re going to reach the rover in time.

“Keep going!” I yell. Then I dart in the opposite direction of the vehicle. We won’t all make it, so if one of us has to die to save the others, it’s going to be me. I’m not about to lose my sister to these monsters. I can’t go through that grief again.

I jump up and down, waving my arms to draw their attention away from my sister and my friends. “Over here!”

“Avery!” Zarya screams.

Her eyes meet mine for a moment, full of unbridled panic, before Jenna pushes her into the rover and slams the door shut behind them.

Relieved that they’re safe, I break into a run, hoping that I can lose the ptero-wasps in the thick of the forest somehow.

My heart hammers as the buzzing grows louder behind me, but I dare not turn around. If I do, I’ll probably trip and fall just like a character in the old Earth vids I used to watch.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind. A panicked screech escapes me and I only have a moment to gape in surprise before I’m ripped from the ground and lifted into the sky.

I look down to find the arms around me are chalk white, decorated with what I can best describe as fire-red tribal tattoos. “Who are you? Put me down!”

“More.” His smooth, deep voice sounds in my ear.

“What?”

“More. Words.”

“I don’t under—” I yelp when he dips to the left and spirals toward the ground.

The wind whips through my hair as we race toward the forest floor. In my peripheral vision, I notice the ptero-wasps still giving chase and I scream when one catches up, nearly brushing us.

“Hold on,” the man commands.

“What are you—”

My jaw drops as he swoops over a river then drops off the edge of a waterfall with dizzying speed. My scream echoes through the forest a moment before it’s swallowed by the sound of rushing water at the bottom.

His wings snap open, halting our descent so abruptly I worry I’m about to be dropped. However, his arms tighten around me in a crushing grip and he sails unfazed over the wide river below, heading for a huge tree. Long, green vines dangle from the canopy and trail into the water like a great curtain.

He rushes beneath the leaves and pulls us to a stop behind the trunk. He lands on one of the thick vines circling the tree then presses himself against my back, practically pancaking me between him and the bark.

Alarmed, I open my mouth to protest, but he slams his hand over my lips, silencing me.

The loud buzzing of the ptero-wasps fills the air and I watch in wide-eyed horror as five of them fly past and continue down the river. A bead of sweat trickles down my spine. I’ve never been so terrified in my entire life. What kind of nightmare planet is this?

After what feels like forever, but was probably no more than five minutes, the man removes his hand from my mouth. His breath is warm in my ear as he whispers, “Speak.”

“I—I don’t know what to say. What were those things? And who”—I squirm in his grasp, struggling to face him—“are you?”

When I finally manage to turn, I’m speechless. Standing before me is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life. Alien man, I correct myself. Despite his high cheekbones, a masculine nose, and a square jaw that could cut glass, it’s his piercing green eyes that completely captivate me.

The tips of his ears are pointed like an elf. His skin is chalk white and lined with bright-red tribal tattoos. His body is composed of lean, sculpted muscles. He has wings similar to a dragonfly on Earth but, of course, much larger. The veined pattern that highlights each clear pane is fiery red just like his tribal markings and his hair.

His fingers and toes are tipped with lethal black claws. He’s taller than any human I’ve ever seen and with his body still pressed against mine and his intense gaze unwavering, I feel my entire being flush with warmth.

He’s wearing nothing but a loincloth tied loosely around his waist. With difficulty, I force my gaze up from his chest and broad shoulders to meet his eyes, feigning confidence.

His nostrils flare and he cocks his head to the side. “What species are you? Why are you here?”

It takes me a moment to find my voice, but when I do, the first question out of my mouth is, “How do you know Earth Common?”

He frowns. “Earth Common?”

“My language,” I explain.

A slow grin curves his lips and he tilts his chin up slightly. “My people possess superior linguistic and auditory abilities. We can pick up and speak another language after hearing only a few words.”

Now I understand why he was telling me to speak. What a useful ability. Lucky for us that we landed on a planet populated by aliens who can communicate in our language almost immediately. We didn’t expect to find sentient life on the planet we crashed on, but this discovery will make first contact much easier. “That’s amazing.”

He lifts his chin another notch. “My name is Kiran. What is yours?”

“Avery,” I reply and note the warm flush that creeps into my cheeks under his intense scrutiny. This guy is devastatingly handsome.

“What species are you?” He leans in as he repeats his question.

His nose is almost touching mine, but his gaze never wavers. “I—I’m human.” I stumble over my words as my heart pounds in my chest. “From the planet Earth.”

He frowns again. “I have never heard of your kind or your world. Why are you here?”

“Our ship was attacked,” I stutter. “We evacuated on an escape pod and it crashed here on your…planet.”

He dips his head to the curve of my neck and the tip of his nose skims across my skin, sending a pleasurable shiver down my spine. I’ve never been this close to a man before and his good looks are doing strange things to me. He’s technically a stranger, but I don’t feel threatened by him in the least. In fact, if I had to guess at what I’m feeling, I would say attraction.

“What are you doing?” I ask, surprised by the breathless tone of my voice.

He pulls back and stares down at me in concern. “Your scent.” His voice is a low, rumbling growl. “What is this smell you are emitting?”

I blink, offended. “What? Are you saying I stink?”

A smirk twists his lips and he shakes his head. “No. I am saying the opposite.”

My eyes widen slightly. “Oh.” He thinks I smell good. I shrug. “It’s just how I smell.”

He lowers his contemplative look. “This is good, but it is not strong enough.”

Now, I’m confused. “What do you mean?”

“My people can emit scents to deter our enemies.”

“That’s…interesting,” I reply, unsure of how to respond. It is fascinating but strange.

“We can mimic the smell of flowers,” he continues. “It confuses our enemies. It seems you emit this scent as well, but not strongly enough to entirely hide you from them.”

He thinks I smell like a flower? I like this guy already.

CHAPTER 5

KIRAN

This is the female I have seen in my dreams. She is the one who stands beneath the sacred tree and stares up at me as she takes my hand. Perhaps that is why I feel so strongly attracted to her. I send a silent prayer to Iryan and the stars above that I was able to save her this day. My dreams must have come from Iryan herself to prepare me for this moment—so I would recognize my fate is somehow tied to this female.

My nostrils flare as I draw Avery’s scent deep into my lungs. It may not be intense, but just a hint is potent. She smells like the tamora flower, as beautiful as it is fragrant. Tamora is also known as a rather intoxicating aphrodisiac among my kind.

I struggle to concentrate on her description of how she landed here. I cannot help but stare at her mouth. She has perfect, soft, pink lips. Small spots of pigment dot her otherwise pale skin. Her hair is long and flame red and her eyes are a lovely shade of pale green like the tiny leaves of the nalmu planet. Her ear is topped by a curved shell instead of a pointed tip like mine. When she smiles, the most charming indentations appear on either side of her cheeks.

She is captivating, this female, and I am completely in her thrall.

She is much smaller than the females of my species. Still pressed against her, I note that her body is soft and giving, not hard and muscular like those of my race. And yet, despite her size, she is courageous. I observed her drawing the vosa’s attention to give her companions a chance to escape. She could have died if I had not grabbed her in time.

A shudder runs through me at the mere thought of any harm coming to her. Something about her rouses my protective instincts. The vosa flew past us a few moments ago, but I worry they will return. In the meantime, we must remain here until I am sure it is safe to venture back out. I do not want to chance her safety.

“Does your species have a name?” Her lilting voice calls me back from my thoughts.

“We are Elveron,” I explain as I mentally chastise myself for my terrible manners. I did not even think to tell her this earlier. However, I cannot help my distraction; her nearness is affecting me. “And you said you are human, is that correct?”

“Yes.” She smiles. “Thank you for saving me from those ptero-wasps.”

I frown. “Ptero-wasps?”

“Those things that chased us.”

“Ah.” I realize she has given them a name in her language. “We call them vosa. They are very dangerous.”

Her eyes widen in alarm. “What about my crew? The people I was with.”

“They should be safe if they remained in their transport,” I reassure her. “Besides, I watched you draw them away. To allow your people to escape.”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” she laments. “I knew we wouldn’t all make it.”

Her answer concerns me even more. I did not realize she risked her life expecting to lose it. “You meant to sacrifice yourself?”

“I don’t want to die. But moreover, I…couldn’t bear to let anyone else die. Especially my sister.”

“Your sister was with you?”

“Yes.”

This female is very brave indeed. I admire her courage. Worry reflects in her eyes as she stares up at me, so I move to reassure her. “Your sister and your crew should be safe in their vehicle. I will take you back to them in the morning.”

“The morning?” she asks. “Why so long?”

I scan our surroundings again, training my ears toward the forest to listen for any sign of our enemy’s return. They do not give up their quarry so easily. “The vosa are still hunting us.” My nostrils flare as a sour scent fills the air and I realize that it is her fear. My protective instincts flare to life. “Do not be afraid. I will keep you safe. I swear it to Iryan.”

She blinks. “Iryan?”

“The goddess of our world. The one who gives life and creates all that you see before you.”

Her small brow furrows as if she is considering my words.

I look down at my wrist communicator and type a message into the display, alerting my fellow Fire Guardians of the vosa nearby and Avery’s people. “How many of you are there?”

“Thirty-two,” she answers. “But most of them are back at the crash site.”

“Where did you crash?”

“Not far from where you found me. We were close to a stream, if that helps.”

Ah. I think I know where to direct my people.

“Why?”

“I am sending a message to my fellow Fire Guardians to help them locate your crash site and protect your people if any more vosa are nearby.”

“Thank you. So, where are we going to stay? Here?” Her eyes travel down my form and I remember our bodies are still pressed together. I am drawn to her and find myself reluctant to pull away, casting about for any excuse to stay close.

My ears prick up as I detect the faint buzzing noise of the vosa’s wings. I freeze.

Sensing my concern, Avery whispers, “What’s wrong?”

“The vosa are circling back this way.”

“I don’t hear any—”

She stops speaking, probably just now detecting what I have already heard. It seems her auditory receptors are not as acute as those of my species.

Her small form begins trembling against mine and the sour scent of her fear fills the air again. I inch even closer to her, covering her almost entirely with my body, enhancing my scent to mask hers so the vosa do not detect her.

I lean down and breathe against the delicately curved shell of her ear, “I will protect you. I swear it to the stars and to Iryan, Avery.”

Fierce protectiveness fills me as she hugs her arms around me tightly. The buzzing hum of the vosa’s wings grows louder and her heart hammers so hard I can feel its beat. Her fear eats at me and I want nothing more than to comfort her. Instinctively, I lean down and nuzzle her hair, pleased when I notice her body relax a bit in response.

I cannot deny that I am attracted to this lovely and delicate female. It matters not that she is an alien. I want her. Something deep inside me is drawn to her instinctively. Perhaps that is why she appeared in my dreams—she is meant to become mine. I want to protect her, possess her, comfort her, hold her. I want to take her as my bondmate.

I have never felt this way, not even about Morina. Why would I be so drawn to a female outside my race? I have heard of love at first sighting, but I had my doubts. Now, however, I wonder if the stories about an instant connection to one’s mate were true.

As soon as I’m satisfied the vosa are far enough away, I pull back to meet Avery’s lovely green eyes. “Are they gone?”

“For now.”

She leans closer and inhales deeply, closing her eyes. “You smell…wonderful.”

A smile tugs at my lips. This is one of the best compliments a female can offer to encourage a male who is vying for her hand. During the early stages of courting, if a female allows a male this close to her, he covers her with his scent by holding her against him. Often, his scent is enough to deter other males from trying to court her, as well.

Before I can help myself, I reach out and brush a lock of hair behind her ear. Her pupils are wide and her cheeks and the bridge of her nose tint a lovely shade of pink. She is utterly captivating. I long to cover her with my scent. I do not want other males to think of enticing or courting her.

Avery is mine.

However, one glance at her alien features reminds me she comes from an entirely different species, which may follow different courtship rituals. I push down my errant thoughts and force myself to focus on protecting her.

My gaze sweeps further up the tree until I notice an opening in the bark. From the size of this trunk, the tree must have grown for at least several hundred cycles. I’m hoping that there is enough space for the two of us to shelter within. If not, I will at least find cover for her while I remain outside to guard us both.

“I’m going to fly up and search for shelter,” I tell Avery. “I will return swiftly.”

I start to pull away, but her small hand grips my forearm and her green eyes plead with me. “Be careful,” she says. “Hurry back.”

“I will.” It is difficult to leave her, even just to go a short distance. Strangely, I have never felt so possessive toward another female. Even Morina never stirred my protective instincts. My wings flutter as I make my way up the massive trunk toward the opening. Relief fills me when I find a crevice large enough to fit the two of us.

I look down to check that she is all right. My heart stutters and stops in my chest.

The ethereal glow of the fate bond’s tether faintly connects her body to mine. Oh, stars above. I have found my fated one in this human female.

CHAPTER 6

AVERY

Kiran descends and lands on the branch, pressing his body lightly against mine when his wings still. His reflective green eyes search mine for a moment with an emotion I can’t quite discern. Something between disbelief and wonder.

“Did you find somewhere for us to take shelter?”

He blinks several times as if he finds my question strange. After a moment, he nods. “Yes.” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. His warm, masculine scent is a heady mix of cinnamon and vanilla. “I will fly us both there. Hold onto me.”

I still. I’ve never liked heights. In the virtual reality rooms on the ship, I dreaded the mountainous terrain programs. Even though I knew the drop wasn’t real, I’d always get dizzy when I looked down. Now that I’m about to ascend God knows how high, I’m terrified.

He picks me up bridal style and I wrap my arms around his neck, trying my best not to tremble as he pulls away from the branch and jumps into the air.

“I vow I will not drop you, Avery,” he whispers into my ear. A low, humming vibration begins in the back of his throat.

For some reason, his words and purr soothe me until I don’t feel so afraid anymore. His beautiful wings shimmer an iridescent red when they catch the light. I watch them flutter in a blur as we climb.

I can hardly believe that I’m lying in the arms of a fairytale fae made manifest. With his chiseled jaw, green eyes, and tall, lean form, he is masculine perfection incarnate. But his wings and his markings add an ethereal edge to his beauty, too perfect to be real.

I force myself to push these thoughts aside. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never lost my head over a guy before. Besides, we come from different species. There’s no way he’d be attracted to me like I am to him.

I need to focus on staying alive and getting back to my sister. That’s all that matters right now.

When we finally land on the lip of an opening in the trunk, I’m amazed by how large a space lies before me.

Gently, he sets me down on my feet. “We will stay here tonight.”

I glance around our shelter. Zarya will never believe me when I tell her I spent the night in a tree.

However, I’m sure it can fit us both. I run my hands along the inside and am surprised at how smooth it is, as if the years have worn down all the hard edges and splintered wood to a fine, even finish. The floor is the same. I don’t exactly relish the idea of sleeping on wood, but I’m not going to complain. I’m just glad that we’re alive.

I turn back to Kiran and find his eyes already fixed on me. It occurs to me that I haven’t asked him anything beyond his name, so I decide to change that now. “What’s the name of this planet?”

He cocks his head to the side. “You must be from a very distant planet indeed if you have not heard of us. My people are called the Elveron and this planet is named Vero. How did you crash on this world?”

I lower my head as the terrible memories begin to surface. “We are. We were exploring beyond our own solar system when we were attacked by pirates.”

He frowns. “Can you describe them?”

“Green scales, vertically slit pupils, long tails, sharp fangs. They were terrifying.”

His eyes widen slightly. “That sounds like a Rovaran. Do not fear; my people will find yours and protect you if the Rovarans try to follow you here.”

Panic fills me. “You think they’d follow us?”

He nods. “Despite your lack of wings, you resemble an Elveron. The females of my kind bring thousands of credits in the slave markets.”

I swallow the sudden knot of worry in my throat. I suspected the pirates wanted to take us alive, but now that I’ve heard why, I fear for the rest of the ship. I hope everyone escaped like we did. I can’t imagine how terrible it would be to be sold into slavery.

“How long do you think it will take for your people to find mine?”

“Not long,” he says. “I sent them the location of where I found you and the information you provided me. I suspect they may have already located them.”

Some of the tension in my shoulders fades at his words. I’m thankful to my friends for pulling my sister inside the rover before the vosa got her. If Kiran’s people have found them, I’m certain they’ll be safe.

Even as I think this, I find it strange that I already trust him so easily. Then again, he did save me. He risked his life for me when he didn’t have to. Ever since, he’s done nothing but try to keep me safe.

However, that does beg one question. I turn and meet his gaze evenly. “Why did you save me?”

He blinks, staring at me dumbfounded as if my question were absurd. “I could not leave you to die.”

His words reassure me, erasing any lingering doubt from my mind. Kiran is a good guy. I take his hand. “Thank you for risking your life for me.”

He looks down at our joined hands. “I thank Iryan and the stars above that I found you when I did,” he murmurs. “You could have been killed.”

A small shudder runs through me as I recall the ptero-wasps—vosa, he calls them. I have so many questions I want to ask about this world, about his life, his people. But exhaustion hits me like a tidal wave and my eyelids droop.

“You are tired,” Kiran comments. “You should rest. I will gather some moss for the flooring.”

“Moss?”

He nods. “I will return quickly.”

I’m worried that he would leave the safety of our tree, but before I can stop him, he’s already flying off the edge and gone.

While I wait for him to return, I think of my sister and my friends. They probably think I’m dead. Poor Alya. While I am gone, she’s the one in charge now. I can only imagine how overwhelmed she must feel to have to lead while grieving because she thinks I was killed by the vosa.

I survey the space once again. Even though I’ve only just met Kiran, I’m not worried about spending the night alone with him. Some instinct tells me he would never hurt me. After all, if he wanted to, he could have left me to die. He didn’t have to risk his life to save mine. If he wanted to harm me or take advantage in any way, he could have done so already. He’s much taller and stronger than me.

My thoughts drift back to his piercing green eyes. There is a kindness to his actions that makes me trust him. Completely.

I wait for what seems like an eternity until he finally returns. I’m so relieved to see him that all the breath rushes from my lungs. I smile brightly at him. “Thank God you’re back. I was worried.”

He cocks his head to the side. “You were?”

“Yes. The vosa.” The word sounds strange on my tongue. “I was worried they’d find you.”

He grins. “I can hear them coming from far off. It is unlikely that they could ever sneak up on me.”

In his arms, I notice what appears to be several pallets of soft, green moss. He moves past me and begins carefully laying them on the floor, spreading the moss like a blanket that covers almost the entire space. When he is finished, he turns back to me. “Forgive me. It is a poor nest, but the best I can do.”

I step onto the moss and my boots sink into the giving layer. This will suit me much better than sleeping on a hard floor. I smile at him. “It’s great. Much more comfortable than hard wood. Thank you, Kiran.”

He stands and his lips curve into a slow grin. “I am pleased you like it.”

He’s so handsome, I almost forget how to form words. A warm flush creeps up my neck to my cheeks and the tips of my ears.

“You should rest,” he says.

I force myself to look away from his mesmerizing gaze. What the heck is wrong with me?

I cast a glance around the space, searching for an even spot to lie down, when a sudden thought occurs to me. Butterflies flutter wildly in my stomach—and not the nervous kind. Where will he sleep? “What about you?”

He shakes his head. “I will keep watch while you rest.” He turns to stare at the forest through the entrance.

I open my mouth to speak, but he calls over his shoulder, “Rest. You need not fear. We are safe here.”

All right then.

I can’t help the mild disappointment that arises when he seems uninterested in any further conversation. I kind of hoped we would sit down together and get to know one another better.

I dart another glance at the floor. Finding a small area relatively level compared to the rest, I sit down and lie back. The moss is soft, like a thick, fluffy cloud. I roll onto my side as I relish the sensation of sinking in. And here he worried I would find this uncomfortable. This is more comfortable than my bed on the ship ever was.

My thoughts turn to Zarya. I can hardly wait to return to my sister. I hate that she is suffering alone, thinking something terrible happened to me. If our places were switched, I’d be devastated.

A faint fluttering noise draws my attention and I turn to the entrance to find that Kiran is gone. I fight against the panic threatening to rise in my throat. I’m so high in this tree there’s no way I could ever climb down by myself, but I doubt Kiran would just abandon me here. I may have only just met him, but all his efforts so far have been to keep me safe.

Beyond the opening, the light is beginning to fade, taking the last of the day’s warmth with the setting sun. I’m already starting to feel the chill. I can’t imagine how the temperature may drop once night has fallen.

A crisp, cool wind whips through the space as if in answer to my fears. I pull my knees to my chest, trying to keep warm. God, I hope Kiran comes back soon. I don’t want to wait out the dark all by myself.

Closing my eyes, I pray for sleep, to no avail. I’m wide awake and wondering where he is. Why would he just leave without telling me where he was going? Or when he would return?

Panic spikes through me. What if he was killed by the vosa—or something even worse? Who knows what kind of predators live in this forest?

The mere thought has me scrambling to my feet and hurrying to the entrance. The thin line of a silver moon is the only source of light and I can hardly make out anything in the darkness as I scan for Kiran. I do, however, notice a branch right outside the opening.

“Kiran?” I whisper. No reply.

I’m hesitant to call out for him any louder because I don’t know if the vosa or some other predator might be lurking nearby. I could unintentionally alert them with my voice.

Cautiously, I step out onto the branch as I peer into the darkness, trying to search for Kiran. Though I can’t see very far ahead, I can tell this branch is thick—at least three feet wide—so I’m not worried about tumbling over the edge.

A shrill cry cuts the air, followed by a deep, menacing growl, then the sound of fighting. My heart pounds as intermittent shrieks and roars tell me that something is struggling for its life somewhere below me.

The noise stops with a sickening crunch. A bead of sweat trickles down my spine. Oh God, how are we ever going to survive on this planet?

A barely audible scrape behind me draws my attention. My heart thunders in my chest with growing dread as I slowly spin to face the source. Two glowing green eyes blink back at me. I release a terrified scream and stumble backward.

In my hasty retreat, I tumble to one side. Before I can react, I’m falling through the darkness, my arms and legs flailing wildly.

I only have a moment to contemplate my impending death before strong arms wrap around my waist, halting my descent.

“Are you all right?” Kiran’s voice is rough in my ear.

I turn my head to face him and when I see the same glowing green eyes, relief fills me with such force that I let out something between a laugh and a gasp. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck. “I’m so glad it’s you and not some monster.”

He says nothing as he flies us back to the entrance of our shelter. He sets me down on my feet inside. Now that my eyes have adjusted to the darkness, the green glow of his eyes casts enough light to illuminate his features clearly. His expression is thunderous.

“What were you doing out there?” he snaps. “You could have died!”

The sharp whip of his voice both startles and angers me. “I was looking for you.” I cut my hand through the air at him.

“Why?”

“Because I was worried that something may have happened to you.”

He pulls back, scowling. “Why would you worry about that?”

“Because you didn’t tell me where you were going and you’ve been gone for a while now.”

“I was keeping watch,” he deadpans as if it’s the most obvious conclusion in the world.

I place my hands on my hips. “Well, you could have told me that before you just up and left, you know. Instead of leaving me here to worry.”

“You think I would abandon you?” he asks incredulously.

I throw my hands in the air. “How am I supposed to know? We just met.”

He moves toward me with inhuman speed, taking my hands as his glowing green eyes meet mine evenly. “I would never abandon you. I swear it to Iryan and the stars.”

His expression lands somewhere between fiery and possessive. He’s so close the warmth of his body radiates to mine. He smells wonderful, an aroma I can’t quite place, reminiscent of rose and warm spice. My heart pounds as all my anger drains away and I lose myself in his eyes.

“Thank you, Kiran,” I barely manage. “I was just worried. That’s all.”

CHAPTER 7

KIRAN

She thought I would abandon her. Only a dishonorable and unworthy male would ever do such a thing. I cannot bear for her to think so low of me. If I do not reassure her, she will never consider me worthy to be her mate. And I have already decided that I want her to be mine.

I cast a glance around our nest. It is pitiful and I am ashamed that I cannot provide more for her right now. She seems satisfied, but I long to take her back to my home and build a magnificent nest to impress her as any male would to court a female. The best I can do for now is to reassure her that I will care for her, and hope that suffices.

I have prayed since I was a fledgling for Iryan to bless me with a fated one. I realize now that my marking colors were never a curse. They were given to me so that I would venture into the forest this day and thus be able to save Avery’s life from the vosa. Iryan never cursed me—she blessed me beyond measure.

I vow to do everything to keep my mate safe. I will cherish her for the rest of my life.

I place two fingers under her chin, tilting her head up so I stare deep into her lovely green eyes. “You need not fear. I will care for you, Avery. I will keep you safe. I swear it to Iryan.”

Her mouth drifts open slightly and I detect the quickening beat of her heart. Her skin flushes a deeper hue and my nostrils flare as her delicate scent strengthens. All these signs are indicative of a female on the cusp of her mating heat. I wonder if this is true for Avery’s kind, as well.

As I study her, I wonder if we are even compatible to mate. I quickly dismiss this thought from my mind. Iryan would not have fated us unless it were so.

The question that sits at the forefront of my mind is whether she feels the pull of the bond toward me as I do her. I must know. I open my mouth to ask, but then I notice the shiver wracking her form. I am already failing to tend to her needs. How can I even think to ask her if she is interested in becoming my mate?

“Are you cold?”

She nods, her teeth chattering. I notice that her teeth are rounded and flat compared to the fangs of my people and her eyes do not glow in the dark. I wonder if her species possesses adequate night vision. I gesture to the back of the space. “Let us lie down over there.”

She stiffens.

“What is wrong?”

“I—I can’t see where you’re pointing.”

Ah. It is as I suspected. “Is your species unable to see in the dark?”

“Yours can?”

“Almost as well as we can see in the light,” I explain with a frown. “Despite being unable to see, you blindly left our shelter?”

She nods. “I was worried about you.”

She was worried about me? Since when does a female worry about a male who is not her mate or her family? Maybe she does feel the pull of the bond. Even if she does not, I am touched by her concern. However, her complete disregard for her safety concerns me. This is the second time I’ve seen her place herself in harm’s way for another.

“You are brave, Avery, but you should not put others’ safety above yours.”

“You did,” she counters. “When you risked your life to save mine.”

Clever female. I purse my lips. “That was different.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t see how.”

She has me backed into a rhetorical corner, but I refuse to give up. I do not want her to place herself in harm’s way—ever. Especially not for me. I would die if something happened to her.

I take both her hands in mine. “Please, Avery. Do not risk yourself for me.”

“I may have just met you, Kiran, but I—” She stops short, eyes fixed on her hands.

“What is it?” I prompt her.

“I already care about you.”

My heart soars. “Know that I feel the same.” I pause. “But you need not worry for me, Avery. I am a Fire Guardian. I am strong enough to keep us both safe.”

It is true. Iryan gave me power over the element of destruction for this reason. The fire will keep Avery safe if any should dare try to harm her.

Her cheeks flush a deeper shade of red. “Just promise me you won’t take any risks, all right?”

Although she does not realize it yet, I will always place Avery’s needs above mine. She is a blessing—one I never thought I would receive. I will do anything to keep her safe, even if I must sacrifice my own life.

I meet her gaze evenly. “I would swear this to you if I could. However, if I must choose between my safety or yours, know that I would choose to save you every time.”

She opens her mouth—I suspect to protest—so I opt instead to distract her. I lead her to an even layer of moss on the floor. Carefully, I guide her to sit down beside me, waiting to see what she will do.

I must take great care. If her race is anything like mine, the females are fierce while in their mating heat. She may become aggressive and even attack me. Elveron females are stronger and deadlier than the males; they often demand that a potential mate prove himself by combat. If a male is strong enough to defeat and subdue her, then she considers him worthy of becoming her mate and seeding her eggs.

She leans against me and I tense, bracing myself. After a moment, she nestles against me. “You’re warm,” she whispers. “And you smell so good.”

My ears perk up. I’m glad she already seems to be beginning to accept me and that she finds my scent pleasing. Cautiously, I take a chance and wrap my arm around her, tugging her a bit closer.

I will prove I am worthy to tend to her needs. Then, I will ask her if she feels the pull of the bond.

She snuggles even closer to me. Happiness blooms in my chest and I begin to purr. Females find this sound soothing. It often lulls them into a relaxed state. I hope my comfort will make her less inclined to attack me if she is in her mating heat.

I’ve asked several mated males about the heat. They claimed the mating is much more enjoyable when the female is not constantly on the offensive.

Avery releases a soft sigh. “Is it all right if we lie down?”

Cautiously, I recline, pulling her down with me.

She snuggles into my side as I wrap my arms around her and carefully flatten my wings. This is amazing. I have never heard of a female accepting and trusting a male so early in their pairing. Still, if I want her to consider me as a potential mate, I must understand her first so that I may please her.

When I open my mouth to ask, she turns, her green eyes searching mine. “You’ll stay with me, right? You won’t go out there again tonight?”

“You wish me to stay here?” Most females would demand that her male stand guard outside all night so that she may sleep in absolute peace.

“The forest sounds…dangerous. I don’t like the idea of you going out there alone.”

I frown. “Do you think I am unable to defend our shelter?”

She shakes her head. “I just would prefer you stay where it’s safe because I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Her answer pleases me immensely. She is concerned for my well-being as if we were already a mated pair. “I will stay.”

She gives me a dazzling smile then tucks her head beneath my chin. “Good,” she whispers against my chest.

I tighten my hold around her, already enjoying this proximity. I hope Avery finds me worthy to be hers, for I am already beginning to lose my heart to her.

CHAPTER 8

AVERY

I lie enveloped in Kiran’s arms, so warm and comforting that I cannot help but sigh against his chest. All his declarations about keeping me safe and risking his life for mine reminded me of an ancient painting I love. I had a print tacked onto my wall on the ship. The painting depicted a handsome fae knight embracing a human princess. The artist was inspired by a fairytale of a knight going to war to defend his princess’s kingdom.

I sigh. I’m already falling hard for this man and I’ve only just met him.

I lift my head to look up at him and find him already staring down at me. “Why were you out in the forest?”

“I am a Fire Guardian. It is my duty to guard the outer perimeter of the city.”

“Fire…Guardian?”

“My markings designate me as such.” The red tribal markings on his body begin to glow dimly when he gestures at his chest. “They have only recently come in. This was my first time out in the forest on assignment.”

“I don’t understand.”

“My people are separated into four elemental Guardians. Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. When we are fledglings, our markings are silver against our white skin. When we reach full maturity, they take on one of the four colors. The hue of the markings designates which Guardians we belong to and what duties we will be assigned.”

“You said the Fire Guardians are warriors, so what do the others do?”

“The Water Guardians are responsible for the irrigation of crops and calling the rains that nourish the land. The Earth Guardians mostly farm and nourish the soil. The Wind Guardians are attuned to the trees, the sky, and the land to alert us of impending cycles of destruction.”

“Cycles of destruction?”

He nods. “Everything has a cycle. Rebirth and destruction. To create something new, you must first destroy.”

“So…you’re all connected to the land in some way?”

“We are all a part of Vero and it is a part of us,” he explains in an offhand tone. He takes my hand in his then touches our palms to the inside of the tree.

He closes his eyes and I open my mouth to ask him what he’s doing. I quickly snap my jaw shut when I feel a strange, subtle pulsing against my skin. “What is that?”

A slow grin curves his mouth. “It is the life force of this tree.”

I stare at him in wonder. “That’s amazing.”

“That is why I was in the forest. The Wind Guardians felt a disturbance from one of the sentinel trees around the city. I suspect it had to do with your crash.”

A thought suddenly occurs to me. I’ve never even asked if there’s a Mrs. Kiran back home. “You said this was your first time out here and you only recently became a Fire Guardian. What about your family? Are you…married?”

I wait anxiously for him to answer. I’m attracted to him, but if he’s married, I need to know now. I’m lying curled in his arms. If I were his wife, I’d be upset about this.

“Married?” He frowns. “What is that?”

“Do you have a wife or…a husband?” He may not even be attracted to women, for all I know. “A spouse?”

“Ah,” he says, understanding dawning on his face. “I am an unbonded male.” His eyes meet mine. “What about you? Do you have a bondmate?”

I shake my head.

A faint smile ghosts across his lips as he stares down at me and my heart begins to flutter. Quickly, I change the subject. I need to focus. He’s an alien. Best not to get my hopes up about anything happening between us. “What about the rest of your family? Do you have any?”

“I have a large family. My parents, brother, and younger sister, plus my uncles and aunts and cousins.” Sadness flits across his expression. “But they are all Water Guardians.”

“Does that matter?” I ask, unsure of why this would make him sad.

“Yes. It means that I am an outsider among my family.”

I reach up to cup his cheek. “But you still see them, right? I mean, you still interact with them regularly?”

He nods. “Yes, but it is…not quite the same.”

I don’t know what to say.

“What about your family?”

“I told you I have a sister, Zarya. She’s two years younger than me. Our parents died a few years ago. Since they passed away, it’s just been us.”

Sadness fills me as I think of her, alone and wondering what happened to me.

He touches my face, brushing the soft pad of his thumb across my cheek. “Do not worry. I will make sure you are returned to her again. I swear it to Iryan and the stars.” He pauses, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Why were you away from your home world?”

After he described how connected to the land his people are, I’m almost hesitant to tell him. He’ll probably be appalled. I certainly am. “My people only recently started exploring outside of our solar system. When I heard about an opportunity to go on a pleasure cruise just beyond our solar system, I jumped at the chance. The pay was great and I’d get to see something new, you know.”

He’s silent as I continue.

“I’ve dreamed about space since I was a child and what was beyond our solar system’s borders—and now I know.”

His expression softens. “My people are not like many other space-faring species. We are not averse to diversity. Many other races make their home on this world…mostly in the larger cities. Your people will be welcome here for as long as you wish to stay.

Hope fills me. I knew Kiran was a nice guy, but I wasn’t sure how other Elveron would feel about us. It’s nice to know we won’t be asked to leave, considering we have nowhere else to go. The pods were only built for a one-way trip. We couldn’t return to space even if we wanted to.

Sensing my happiness, Kiran arches a brow. “This…pleases you?”

I grin. “Yes.”

He tightens his hold on me slightly. “You will always have a place here, Avery.”

For the first time, I notice a strange glowing in the air between us. I reach out to touch it, but my hand passes through the line as if it isn’t there. Am I imagining things?

His eyes widen slightly. “You can see it?”

“The string?” I ask, and he nods. “Yes, but what is it?”

He gives me a dazzling smile. “It is the tether of the fated bond.” He leans forward and presses his forehead gently to mine as he releases a long breath through his nostrils. “I was worried that you would not recognize it because you come from a different species. I am happy beyond measure that you do.”

I knit my brow. “I don’t understand. What does it mean?”

“It means you are mine. My fated one—my mate.” He flashes another handsome smile. “Do you accept me?”

My jaw drops. Fated one? His mate? “I—this is all happening so fast, don’t you think?” My voice squeaks on the last word. Yes, I’m attracted to him, but there is so much I still don’t know.

His expression falters. “You find me lacking.” Despair creeps into his tone.

“No,” I quickly backpedal. “It’s just…we’ve only just met.”

His eyes flare with hope. “How do males of your species court a female? Tell me and I shall do this.”

His mention of courting conjures images of old Earth in my mind—nobility riding in horse-drawn carriages, dressed in elegant clothes. However, I understand what he’s asking, so I answer with the first thing that pops into my mind. “My dad used to give my mom flowers when they went on a date.”

“Flowers,” he repeats solemnly. “This, I can do. What else?”

“I…uh…” I clear my throat. I’m still stunned that I’m having this conversation with a man I met less than twenty-four hours ago. “First off, we need to get to know one another better.”

He smiles. “What would you like to know?”

“How do your people court?” I ask. “Does everyone get this”—my gaze drifts to the glowing tether between us—“fate bond to their partners? Is that how you find a mate?”

He shakes his head. “Not everyone has this bond. Only a blessed few find their fated ones. And only the two can see the tether between them.”

“What about courting?”

“When a male is interested in a female, he will usually wait until she enters her heat cycle. When this happens, he will approach her. If she is interested in taking him as her mate, she will usually attack him, forcing him to prove that he is strong enough to defeat her and thus protect their future family.”

“She attacks?” I repeat, dumbstruck. This does not sound good.

“Yes. It is a glorious battle,” he says in a reverent tone. “Elveron females are generally stronger than males. If the male succeeds in subduing her, she accepts him and allows him to seed her eggs.”

That…does not sound romantic at all. In all the times I imagined making love to someone, attacking them was not part of the fantasy.

He cocks his head to the side. “You are making a strange face. What does it mean?”

“Uh…” I start, not sure how to answer. “I’m just a bit…stunned that that’s how things are done among your people. We don’t fight each other when we mate.”

His brow furrows as if I’ve said something absurd. “Then, how does the female judge if the male is worthy to become her mate?”

“They date.”

He cocks his head to the side. “Date?”

I shrug. “You know…spend time together and talk about stuff.”

He lifts a thoughtful, if somewhat perplexed, gaze to the ceiling. When he looks back down, his eyes are intense. “So, you do not wish to mate yet, correct?”

My entire body flushes with warmth at the mere thought of his strong body moving over mine. But my logical brain steps in and tamps down my desire. “Correct,” I tell him. “We just met.”

He stares at me for another beat then asks, “Do you find me lacking because of what I am?”

“Because you’re an alien?”

“Yes, and a Fire Guardian at that.”

“No. What does being a Fire Guardian have to do with anything?”

“Our Guardians have a caste system of sorts. Fire Guardians are the lowest among the Guardians because our element is one of destruction. That is why we guard and patrol the lands. We are only able to defend, not create.”

That seems to aggrieve him, like his life’s work is somehow shameful. I take his hand. “But you also protect.” I thread my fingers through his. “Like you did me.”

His gaze holds mine. “Today is the first day I did not believe myself cursed that I alone, out of all my family, am a Fire Guardian.”

“Why is that?”

“If I had been a Water Guardian instead, I would never have been out in the forest today and I would not have come upon you when I did.”

“You wouldn’t have been there to save me,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.

“Yes,” he replies solemnly. He reaches out and lightly touches my cheek. “I am thankful to Iryan and the stars for making me what I am so that I could save you, Avery.”

I glance down at our joined hands. His words touch something deep inside me. I’ve never been this close to a man and I certainly have never felt this comfortable with a stranger in such a short time. I’ve heard that survival situations can bond people very quickly. Maybe that explains my emotions, but part of me also wonders if I might be sensing this fate connection between us. I decide to ask. “Kiran, does the fate bond make people have feelings for each other?”

He shakes his head. “No, it is simply a…” He pauses as if searching for the right word before finally settling on, “guide of sorts.”

Well, then. I suppose I can’t blame these feelings I’m already having for him on the bond.

It’s strange. I’ve never been one to believe in love at first sight, but that’s what happened to my parents. My mom once told me she knew right away that my dad was the one for her. He told us that he felt the same. I’ll admit that part of me thought they were exaggerating, but as Kiran’s eyes search mine, I’m beginning to think that they weren’t.

My gaze drops to his perfect, full lips. I wonder how it would feel to kiss him. His face is so close to mine, it would be easy to close the gap between us.

Shaking my head, I force myself to look away. This is all happening way too fast. We barely know each other, and I need to focus on getting back to my sister, not falling for some guy I just met.

I change the subject. “Do you think your people would be willing to help us search for mine? We were only one of dozens of escape pods. I don’t know where the rest landed or how many survived the attack.”

“Our people belong to the Galactic Federation. It is our policy to render aid to others. We will do all that we can to help you locate the rest of your people.”

His words reassure me. I’m eager to get back to my sister and my crew. I want to get started immediately on searching for other survivors now that I know more about the Rovaran pirates.

Although I have about a million questions I’d like to ask about him and this new world, I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.

A smile curls his lips. “Sleep, Avery,” he whispers. “I will protect you.”

Closing my eyes, I curl into him and allow myself to drift away.

CHAPTER 9

KIRAN

I can hardly believe this beautiful female is my fated one. I have prayed since I was a fledgling that Iryan would bless me with such a beautiful bond. Avery already trusts me enough to hold her close, something I dared not hope for when I first realized what she was to me.

It concerns me that she is wingless, however. I worry for her safety so high in this tree. When I take her to my city, I wonder how she will get by living high up in the trees where we make our homes.

Then, there is the question of whether she even wants me as her mate. She has expressed uncertainty about this, but I noticed the subtle change in her scent when I held her earlier. This, in combination with the deep flush of her skin and the quickening of her heart rate, tells me that she is, at least, attracted to me. Now, I must do all that I can to show her that I will make a good mate for her.

Even if she decides she does not wish to be mine, I want only to help her in any way I can. I tighten my hold around her. I reach across and gently brush a stray lock of her lovely red hair back behind the delicately curved shell of her ear. My mate is more beautiful than any female I have ever seen. I can hardly wait for my family to meet her.

Closing my eyes, I allow myself to fall into a light sleep so that I will be alert enough to detect any danger nearby but also get some rest.

I believe Iryan made me a Fire Guardian for Avery. If I had become a Water Guardian like my family, Morina would have been the logical choice for a mate. We’ve known each other since we were fledglings, and she has always preferred me over Alun. She said as much before I changed, promising we would become mates as soon as our colors came in.

Morina is an attractive female, but what we shared was familiarity and friendship, nothing more. We were careful, as are all Elveron before the change, not to give our hearts away until we were certain we could even be together. None in our race ever bond outside of their element. It simply is not done.

None of my people have bonded outside of our species before, either, but once I explain the fated tether between us, the Vekans—religious leaders among the Wind Guardians—will have no choice but to bless my union to Avery.

As long as she agrees to become my mate.

The morning light suffuses our small shelter with a warm glow. Avery is still asleep in my arms and though I am loath to leave her side, I must find food for her. I need to show her that I can provide for her needs so that she will warm to the idea of becoming mine.

Then, we must find her people. I tap a quick message to Helios on my communicator to inquire about her crew. Surely the other humans have been found and already taken back to the city.

Carefully, I untangle myself from Avery’s arms and legs. I walk toward the opening and scent the wind while I scan and listen for any hidden danger.

The air is thick with moisture, promising rain. As I peer into the distance, I notice that the rainfall extends in nearly all directions. It seems we will have to stay here for now. I dare not chance flying through a tempest with my mate.

Once I find food, we will need to eat quickly so that we can return her to her people. Hopefully, by then, I can navigate a safe path around the weather. I lift my gaze to the sky and notice the thick, gray clouds overhead. I hope it does not rain here, as well.

Sighing, I acknowledge it may be a while before Helios responds. Weather often affects our smaller devices. I pray that my people have already found hers. If that is the case, we can just return to my city this afternoon and I can introduce her to my family. The mere thought fills me with happiness. My mother will find her very fetching, I’m sure, since I have never seen a more beautiful female than Avery.

I move back to Avery and drop to my knees beside her. I gently touch her shoulder to wake her. “Avery, I must go find us some food. I will be back as quick as I can.”

Her eyes snap open and she grips my forearm with a speed I did not know she possessed. “Take me with you.”

I shake my head. “The vosa may still be lurking outside. It is safer for you to remain here.”

“No,” she protests. “I’ll just be worried the entire time you’re gone. Besides, I stand a better chance on the ground than stuck up here waiting if you…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she does not have to. She is right. My mate is wingless. I should not leave her here. However, I cannot ignore the dangers that the forest poses to her.

She takes my hand. “I need to learn as much as I can about this place. You can teach me what I need to know to survive here.”

She is as wise as she is brave. As much as I would like to shelter her, I realize that would be negligent of me. Even parents teach their fledglings how to survive in our world, knowing that these skills are essential to their wellbeing and safety. “All right,” I tell her. “But please, do as I say. If I tell you to hide, then you must.”

“I will,” she promises with a smile. “Now, let’s go find something to eat.”

I lift her, holding her tightly to my chest, surprised again by how slight her weight is compared to an Elveron female. She wraps her arms around my neck as I stride to the opening and stand on the edge. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

I step off the edge, and she releases a yelp as we drop for a moment before my wings snap open, halting our descent. I flutter my wings and she begins to relax as we dip and weave through the forest.

I make sure to stay close to our tree in case the rain comes. I have to force myself to scan the area for danger because I find it so hard to look away from her face. I love watching her expression as she takes in the world all around us in wide-eyed wonder.

It must have been hard to have such a joyful moment of her life stolen from her by those vile creatures who decided to prey on her ship. I can’t fathom spending long cycles in the dark void of space and then crashing on a foreign planet. My kind do not do well without earth and sunlight for longer than three cycles. We are so in tune with our planet that we cannot live in artificial environments.

We travel the forest at a brisk pace, and it doesn’t take long to find what I’m looking for. An adult rivak forages along the river. It is a fortunate find, for the meat of this creature is a delicacy among my people. “There,” I tell her in a low voice, pointing at the rivak.

Her eyes widen. “We’re going to eat that?”

“It tastes good,” I reassure her.

She still looks hesitant. “I’m…going to trust you on this one.”

My chest fills with pride as she expresses her trust in me once again. This is going well. I know trust is vital between bonded pairs, so I am glad that she has already given me hers.

Carefully, I set her down far enough away from the creature that she can observe from a safe distance without alerting it to our presence. I position her behind a boulder near the water’s edge. I start to leave, but she takes my hand.

I spin back to face her, a question on my lips.

“Be careful,” she whispers and my heart fills with joy. She is not only brave, but also caring and thoughtful, and I realize yet again how blessed I am that she has been fated to me.

I dip my chin in a subtle nod then start for my prey. I can hardly wait to impress her with my hunting skills. Surely, she will see that I am fit to care for her and any fledglings we may have.

I lift into the sky, hovering overhead. As soon as I’m in position, I extend my claws into lethal points. I drop down quickly and in one swiping motion, I slice its neck, ending its life instantly.

A startled gasp draws my attention and I look up to find Avery staring at me in wide-eyed horror. I gather my kill and rush toward her, wondering what the problem could be.

CHAPTER 10

AVERY

I gasp in horror as Kiran swipes at the creature and slits its throat in one pass. He’s like an angel of death. With his claws extended and his fangs bared, he stands over his kill. When his head jerks up to look at me, his eyes are completely black.

What. The. Hell?

He rushes toward me and my first instinct is to hide. It’s clear to me now that he’s not only handsome—he’s also lethally dangerous.

“What is wrong?” he asks. His eyes have reverted to their normal green color and are slightly widened in concern.

I drop my gaze to the bloody carcass in his hand and a wave of nausea rolls through me. I swallow against the bile rising in my throat while I quickly look away.

“Avery, what is wrong? Why do you look…green? Is this a normal color for your people?”

Unable to speak, I shake my head as my stomach twists in a violent knot.

He draws in a deep breath. “Why do you smell of fear? What has made you afraid?” He lifts his head to scan the area around us. “Is there an enemy nearby? A predator? Tell me and I shall end its life. I will keep you safe.”

I’m so stunned, my head snaps up. “You were—” I stop short. I don’t want to offend him, but to be honest, it was frightening to observe how deadly he can be.

He reaches down with his other hand and gently cups my cheek, understanding dawning across his features. “Are you afraid of me?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

“I…” I hesitate, at a loss.

“I would never hurt you. I swear it to Iryan,” he vows.

“I know, but seeing you kill that animal, it was…a bit of a shock. I’ll be all right.”

I don’t know who I’m trying to reassure more—him or myself.

Sadness flashes behind his eyes. “My people are fierce warriors. We are known throughout the quadrant as such. But I vow to you that you are safe with me, Avery,” he murmurs. “I would never harm you.”

I believe him. After what I just witnessed, I know that he could have killed me several times over already if he wanted to. But he hasn’t. He’s only tried to help me ever since he rescued me from the vosa.

He lifts the dead animal toward me. “Here,” he says. “You eat first.”

I grimace. “Can we cook it?”

“Of course. But first, we must give thanks.”

I frown, watching as he bows his head over the creature. He recites several words that sound like a prayer then turns to me.

“What did you say?”

“I gave thanks to this creature for its life and vowed to Iryan that I will honor the balance she creates in our world. I will take no more than I need to survive and give what I can to help our planet thrive.”

I admire his species’ deep connection not only to the plants but also to the animals on this world. I wonder if humans from ancient Earth treated the planet this way, Back before people thought about life beyond the stars.

My moment of wonder is quickly ended when he extends his claws and slices the carcass open, tearing out the offal right in front of me. I swallow against another wave of nausea. It seems I’m going to have to develop a stronger stomach on Vora.

He sets it on a nearby low rock and I watch, stunned as he recites a few words and conjures a ball of flame between his two hands. With a flick of his wrists, he directs the fire toward the meat until it is thoroughly cooked.

When he’s finished, he turns to me with a grin. “Is that done enough for you?”

I gape at him. “How did you do that?”

“I am a Fire Guardian. I possess the element of fire. The ability to conjure and control flame,” he replies easily, oblivious to my shock.

“That’s impressive.”

He tips his chin up with pride and I have to suppress a laugh. Men are the same, no matter what species. Give them a little praise and it goes straight to their head.

CHAPTER 11

KIRAN

My mate is impressed with my cooking skills, it seems. This is good. I watch her carefully pick at her meat.

“This is actually delicious,” she says. “Thank you.”

She thanks me as if she does not realize it is my pleasure to provide for her. She is my mate, and I would do anything to make her comfortable and take care of her.

“I was thinking,” she muses. “When we get back to your city, could I start joining you on your patrols?”

This is a rather unusual request. Most females prefer not to venture into the forest; they prefer to remain in the city instead. That is why Fire Guardian males struggle to find mates in their Guardian rank. The female Fire Guardians keep order in the cities because they detest living out in the wilds for long periods.

I arch a brow. “Why would you wish to do this?”

“I was a navigator on my ship. I’d like to get the lay of the land, so to speak.”

“If you wish to come with me, I will be glad to have you,” I tell her. Secretly, I hope that spending more time with her will help convince her to become mine. After all, she said that shared time is part of her people’s courting ritual.

She rewards my statement with a dazzling smile that rivals the brightness of Vero’s sun. I note again the charming indentations on either side of her cheek, idly wondering if our fledglings might inherit this lovely feature of hers.

When she is finished eating, she looks to the water. “I’m assuming it’s safe to drink?”

I nod. Before she can scoop it with her delicate hand, I hand her an akern half-shell I found nearby. “Here, you can use this.”

While she drinks, a thought occurs to me. “You said you wished for me to teach you how to survive in this world.”

She nods.

“Then, I must first assess your skills of defense.”

Her small brow creases into a frown. “Skills of…defense?”

“Yes. Show me how well you fight.”

She spreads her feet shoulder-width apart and raises her closed fists in front of her.

I tip my head to the side. “What are you doing?”

She blinks. “Getting ready to fight you.”

This does not look good. Drawing in a deep breath, I rush forward and easily take her in a defensive hold, instantly immobilizing her. She is even weaker than I thought.

As soon as she begins to struggle, I let her go. She spins to face me. “What the hell was that?”

“A defensive hold,” I tell her.

She tips her chin up, her eyes full of fire. “Teach me. I want to learn.”

A smile curves my lips. I admire my mate’s determination. “We will start with a basic defensive hold—I will teach you how to break it. Once you have mastered hand-to-hand combat, we will move on to weapons.”

She arches a brow. “You don’t carry any weapons.”

“You will,” I state firmly. “I will have some made especially for you.”

With one arm wrapped around her waist, I pin her arms to her side while my other hand holds her jaw, keeping her still. Her back is pressed firmly against my front in the defensive hold. I lean down and whisper in her ear, “Remember what I told you. You know how to break free.”

She shivers slightly and my nostrils flare as her delicate scent strengthens. She twists her head up and back slightly to look at me, fire burning behind her eyes as she clenches her jaw in determination. Her skin is flushed from our training and her chest rises and falls with exertion.

She struggles slightly.

“Do you want me to let go?” I do not want her to feel trapped.

“Not yet,” she grits through her teeth. “I’ve got this.”

Her defiance and resolve remind me of an Elveron female’s custom to fight her male until he can subdue her to prove his worth as a mate. If she concedes that he has won, she will allow him to take her then and there, to fill her with his seed and claim her as his mate.

My stav presses insistently against the inside of my mating pouch as I try to will myself to relax. My concentration wanes as her scent fogs my brain, and before I realize what is happening, she twists in my arms then slams her fist into my jaw.

I’m so stunned, I lose my balance and stumble back, landing on the ground.

She cries out and drops to her knees, lifting my head into her lap. Combing her fingers through my hair, she stares down at me with stark fear in her features. “Oh Stars, Kiran! Did I hurt you? Please, tell me you’re all right.”

As the focal point of her touch and attention, I am tempted to feign that I am grievously injured. But I also do not wish to lie to her. A slow grin curves my lips. “I am fine. Merely stunned.”

She smiles. “Because I’m such a fast learner?”

With her hair disheveled from our training and the sweat of exertion on her brow, she is radiant as she hovers over me. I cannot help but reach to touch her face. “Yes.”

Her expression falters. Her pale-green eyes search mine for a moment as her hand moves to my face, cupping my cheek. She brushes her thumb tenderly over my lower lip. She is so beautiful I can hardly breathe. My heart hammers when she leans down and presses a chaste kiss to my mouth.

I still and she pulls back immediately, her face red and flustered. “I’m sorry. I—I shouldn’t have done that.”

I sit up and slide my hand to the back of her neck. Gently, I drop my forehead to hers as I meet her eyes. “Do not apologize for touching me, Avery,” I whisper.

“I just…don’t know what I’m doing,” she murmurs. “I’ve never done this before and I—”

A smile curves my lips. “Then we will learn together, my beautiful mate.”

She hesitates. “You really want me?”

“More than anything.”

“But how do you know it’s not just the bond making you feel this way?”

“Because I already wanted you before I saw the tether between us. You are brave, kind, intelligent, and beautiful. What more could I wish for in a mate?”

She smiles charmingly then presses her lips to mine again.

Her mouth is soft and warm, and I want so badly to claim her completely. As we lengthen the kiss, I slowly lay her back on the ground. She studies me with a half-lidded gaze and reaches up to gently comb her fingers through my hair.

“Do you want me, Avery?” I am desperate to know.

Gingerly, she bites her lower lip. “I do, but I don’t know—”

I press another kiss to her lips, silencing her. I smile at my lovely mate while I straighten, pulling her with me. I can still see the indecision that wars behind her eyes. I will not pressure her. I will court her in the ways of her people—through shared time and conversation. I will win her heart as she has already won mine.

“Would you like to swim?” I ask.

“Is it safe?”

“I will check first.”

I fly over the lake, peering down at the crystalline water to search for predators lurking beneath the surface. Satisfied when I find nothing, I return to her side. “It is safe.”

I watch her peel off most of her clothing, leaving her clad in only a small strip of fabric that covers her breasts and a triangular scrap of material that covers her pelvis and backside.

My gaze travels over the soft mounds of her breasts. They are larger than an Elveron female’s, and my fingers ache with the urge to touch her. Her nipples strain against the fabric and make my mouth water to take them in my mouth. I have heard this gives females great pleasure and I wonder if this holds for her kind.

I allow my eyes to trail down her body to the slight dip of her waist and the gentle flare of her hips. I flare my nostrils and draw her scent deep into my lungs. It is intoxicating and I long to taste her sweet nectar on my tongue. I have heard males claim females writhe beneath such attentions. I am eager to try this on Avery and find out if she will react the same way.

Having noticed my staring, she ducks her head shyly and I quickly avert my eyes. Nudity is nothing to be ashamed of in my culture, but I know some species think otherwise.

From her expression, I can only surmise humans prefer to stay dressed. She wades in with her clothes in one hand and I watch her wash them as best she can in the water. She places them on a nearby rock to dry and wades back in.

I scan our surroundings for threats but still notice nothing. Her small voice draws my attention. “Aren’t you coming in?”

Swimming is one of my favorite activities. Without thinking, I untie my loincloth and discard it on the ground as I start toward her, already wading into the water.

Her jaw drops as her gaze travels down my form to my mating pouch. A deep crimson flush spreads across her face, accentuating the small dots on her otherwise pale skin.

I clench my jaw. Her shock at my appearance does not bode well for me. “Do you find me strange?” I wait, hesitant and fearful in equal measure for her answer.

“Elveron men don’t have a—”

She stops abruptly. From the hesitance in her words and face, I surmise the male sexual organ in her species protrudes at all times. So, I move to reassure her.

“My stav is concealed within my mating pouch.” I point to the vertical slit at my groin. “It only protrudes when we mate. Many species share this feature.”

“Oh,” she says. “I—I wasn’t sure how that…works.”

I arch a brow. “Your males protrude all the time?”

Unbidden jealousy rises inside me at the thought of her looking at another male, but I quickly push it back down. Even if she had another mate, that was before we met. If she decides to become mine, I will make certain to please her so well that she forgets any male who may have come before me.

“From what I’ve heard and seen in the…educational videos, yes,” she replies.

Heard? Educational videos? My ears prick up. “You are untouched?”

“Untouched?” Her cheeks darken even more. “You mean…a virgin?”

I nod.

She lowers her gaze. “Yes,” she mumbles. “Is that a bad thing among your people?”

It would not change how I feel toward her either way, but I cannot help the joy that blooms knowing that if she accepts me, she will be mine and mine alone. No other male will ever touch her. “No,” I tell her, my voice husky and deep. “It is not.”

Her gaze drops again to my mating pouch. I suddenly realize my stav is fully engorged and extended from my body in preparation to mate.

I quickly turn away, not wanting to offend or frighten her with my reaction. “Forgive me,” I blurt.

“It’s all right,” she says. I turn back to find her arching a brow. “I guess nudity is not frowned upon by your people?”

“No, it is not.”

I follow her into the water and watch in awe as she swims in the shallows as well as one of my kin. I turn my gaze back toward the forest to check for danger again. A sudden splash at my back surprises me. I spin to face her and find her laughing.

A slow grin curves my lips and I splash her back. She splashes me again, then darts farther into the water, trying to get away before I splash her in return.

She laughs as I give chase. I catch her ankle and drag her back to me, pulling her to my chest. At first, she struggles, but when she lifts her gaze to me, she stills.

Her eyes pierce me as she cups my cheek. Gently, she presses her mouth to mine. Her lips are warm and soft. She opens her mouth and I dart my tongue inside, eager to taste her.

She moans when I curl my tongue around hers, deepening our kiss. I’m surprised she initiated the contact, for I’ve heard many alien species do not like the mating of mouths. I tenderly drag my teeth across her lower lip and she responds by pulling closer and wrapping her legs around my waist. With her supple breasts pressed against my chest, I groan.

My stav extends, seeking the heat of her center she has firmly pressed against me. I flex my hips into hers, growling in frustration at the small scrap of material that separates me from her entrance. I want her. Desperately.

CHAPTER 12

AVERY

Kiran’s stav pushes against my core. It would be so easy to remove my underwear and allow him to claim me. I moan into his mouth as I tighten my arms and legs around him. Though I’ve never done this before, I suddenly understand what all the fuss is about. I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want him.

In the back of my mind, my voice of reason nags that this is happening too fast. But my heart argues otherwise. I nearly died yesterday. After all that I’ve been through, would it be so bad to give myself to a man who has already promised to want me…forever? Isn’t that what I’ve always wanted—forever with someone?

Thoughts of my near-death experience make me bold. I reach between us for his stav. He’s so large, my fingers don’t quite touch when I wrap them around his length. He groans as I explore him.

He’s bigger than any images I’ve ever seen of human penises. His length has three frills and the base is wider than the shaft. My fingers glide across the tapered head and I gasp in surprise when it twitches as if trying to latch onto me.

I pull back slightly. “What is—”

He cups my cheek with a pained smile. “It seems I am very different from what you expected.”

“It—it’s all right,” I stumble over my words. “It’s just different. It felt like your…stav was trying to grasp my finger when I touched you.”

He nods. “When Elveron mate, the male knots inside the female’s channel and the tip of his stav seals over the cervix to make certain he seeds her fully to increase the chances of conception.”

My pulse pounds between my thighs at his words as an image of his stav buried deep inside me overtakes my mind.

“We can pause here or move forward slowly. Whatever you need,” he says.

I smile up at him then press my lips to his. “What if we just touch each other for now?”

“As you wish.” He smiles. “I will take anything you will give me, my beautiful mate.”

He seals his mouth over mine. The kiss is tender at first but quickly becomes more passionate. He reaches between us and cups his hand over my mons. I moan against his lips and reach for his hand, guiding his fingers beneath my underwear to my folds and showing him how I want to be touched.

I’ve touched myself many times, but to feel his hands do the same takes me to a new level of pleasure beyond anything I’ve ever known. When I guide him to the small bundle of nerves at the cleft and show him how to tease at this sensitive flesh, he learns very quickly.

I moan into his mouth as he takes over completely. Brushing his thumb over the small pearl, he carefully inserts the tip of his finger into my entrance. I gasp and arch against him, taking him even deeper.

I want him like I’ve never wanted anything before. His every touch is amazing. With each stroke of his fingers in and out of my channel, he feeds a craving inside me that I know now will never be satisfied by anyone but him.

I’m already so close to the edge of my desire. Panting heavily, I breathe out his name.

“Kiran. Please,” I beg, though I don’t even know what I’m asking for because everything is so overwhelming.

His eyes pierce mine as he begins to move faster. His pupils are blown wide, only a thin line of green visible around the edges.

My body ignites and pleasure rushes through my veins like fire, leaving nothing in its wake. I cry out his name as I come harder than I’ve ever come in my entire life. When I go limp in his arms, he brings his fingers to his mouth to taste me. He closes his eyes as if I am the most delicious thing he’s ever tasted.

His stav is still hard between us and I reach down to touch him again. His fangs are fully extended, reminding me of vampire myths from ancient Earth. However, unlike those frightening stories, I find his fangs sexy with a hint of danger. “What about you? You didn’t—”

“I want the first time I release to be inside your body.” He growls, low and aroused. The sound vibrates straight through me, causing my thighs to clench involuntarily at the mere thought of feeling him inside me.

He carries me back to the bank of the river and I gather my clothes while he ties his loincloth back in place across his hips. I can hardly believe we just did that, yet I have no regrets whatsoever.

I trust Kiran. He would never hurt me. In my haze of desire, he could have taken advantage and pressured me into making love, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave me pleasure while taking nothing for himself.

The thought makes me smile. I return to his side, stretching onto my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. Sealing my mouth over his, I kiss him deeply.

He drags me against him then gently bears me to the ground. I love how his big, strong body looms over mine as he leans down to kiss me. He runs his lips across my jaw and down my neck to the valley of my breasts.

He traces his tongue across the gentle slope of one breast, just above the fabric of my bra. He dips his fingers beneath the material, pulling it down and freeing my breast. He closes his mouth over the peak and laves his tongue across my nipple, driving me mad with desire.

I run my hands through his hair, holding him close. “Kiran,” I breathe out his name. “That feels so good.” I trace my fingers over the tip of his ear, and he growls against me. This part must be sensitive.

Without warning, his head jerks up and he freezes as his eyes scan the forest.

“What is it?” I whisper.

Carefully, he stands, pulling me with him. A low, buzzing hum fills the air, making my heart hammer in my chest. “Is that—” I start to ask, but trail off when three vosa emerge from the trees ahead.

In an explosion of movement, he pulls me to his chest and lifts from the ground so fast my head spins. He takes off through the forest. When I cast a look over his shoulder, I see the vosa aren’t far behind.

With large, compound, ovoid eyes and menacing, sharp beaks, I don’t want to know what happens when they catch their prey. Their black-and-green striped bodies and wings blend so well into their surroundings, I lose sight of them several times as Kiran dips and weaves through the trees.

Without warning, he folds his wings and we dive. “Tuck into me,” he commands, and I do my best to make my body as small as possible against him.

We jerk to the side and he cries out. I lift my head and watch in horror as a thorn the size of my forearm tears through his wing. Still, he keeps going.

He shields me with his body. The bramble cuts at his wings and his skin, but he grits his teeth and pushes forward. The vosa are close behind us, but after a few snags, they halt their pursuit and turn around. I watch in relief as they retreat then disappear completely.

Kiran begins his ascent out of the underbrush and I watch him struggle to barely reach our tree. As soon as we perch in the entrance, he pauses long enough to lower me to the floor then droops forward.

“Kiran!”

I drop to my knees beside him, carefully rolling him onto his back. His wings are torn and he’s bleeding in several places. Obsidian blood stains his skin in trails. I take his hand and cup his cheek with the other, turning his face toward me. His expression is awash with pain.

“Kiran,” I plead. “Tell me what to do. How do I help you?”

He lifts his wrist and tries to tap a message into a device, but the screen is dark and cracked.

“The tree,” he rasps. “The sap has restorative properties. Help me to the bark and I will retrieve some.”

I shake my head. “No. Stay here. I’ll get it.”

He grabs my forearm to stop me, but I push him off. “I can do it,” I insist. “You’re hurt. Stay here and rest.”

As soon as I step through the opening, rain begins to pour down in thick, heavy sheets. Thunder booms overhead, shaking the tree and startling me. It’s freezing, but I force myself to focus as I search the branch outside for a loose bit of bark, hoping to find some sap behind it. He didn’t say how much he needs, but I’ll gather as much as I can to treat him.

When I finally find a loose piece, I grip it firmly to pry it off. The hard, gray wood digs into my skin, but I push through the pain and manage to remove a small piece. I smile when thick yellow sap seeps out, gathering as much as I can on my strip of bark.

Quickly, I return to Kiran and offer him the sap. “Is this enough?”

He nods, then his eyes widen when he notices my bleeding hands. “Avery.” He lifts his pained gaze to me. “You hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Really. Now take this, please.”

He takes the bark and I watch him consume the sap in satisfaction.

“How long before it works?”

“A few hours,” he barely manages. His head drops back onto the soft moss.

I peel off the outer layer of my clothing then lie down beside him. I’m afraid to touch him because I know he’s in pain. However, he reaches for me, tugging me close, so I nestle into his side.

For some reason, seeing him suffer reminds me of all the suffering everyone went through when we were attacked by the pirates. Tears sting my eyes and blur my vision and I struggle in vain to blink them back.

Kiran reaches down and gently brushes them from my cheek with the soft pad of his thumb. “Do not cry, my heart. We are safe here,” he whispers.

“I’m not crying because I’m afraid. I’m crying because I hate seeing you in pain, Kiran.”

He attempts a smile that looks more like a grimace. “I will be fine soon, my beautiful Avery.”

I clench my jaw as I try to keep my voice even. “If this is what your life will be out here on patrol, you’re not going without me.”

His brow furrows.

“Even after we find my crew and go to your city, I’m coming with you on your patrols.”

“What are you—”

I place a finger to his lips to silence him.

“I don’t care that I just met you and this is all happening fast. I already have feelings for you, Kiran, and I hate the idea of you working alone out here. There’s no way I could be apart from you, waiting for you to return and wondering all the time if you’re safe.”

He cups my cheek. “What are you saying, Avery? That you will be my mate?”

Unable to speak through my emotions, I nod as a tear slips down my cheek.

Despite his pain, a handsome smile crests his lips. “You have made me the happiest of males. I vow to Iryan that I will be a good mate to you, Avery.”

I gently kiss his lips. “If you want to be a good mate, then rest so you can get better, all right?”

Reluctantly, he nods. “We will leave to find your people as soon as the storm has passed and I am recovered.”

“Okay,” I agree, settling against his side.

After a while, he closes his eyes and I do the same, drifting to sleep.

CHAPTER 13

KIRAN

When I wake up, all my pain has faded away into nothing. I flex my limbs and wings, satisfied when they respond without even the slightest ache.

Avery lies beside me, still asleep. She is perfect, my beautiful human mate. I reach down to gently brush the hair back from her face then press a tender kiss to her mouth to wake her.

Her eyelids flutter and open. A sleepy smile lights her face when she sees me. “You’re awake. Are you feeling better?”

I nod. “There is something I wish to tell you.”

Her eyes search mine. “What is it?”

“I dreamed of you before we met.” I gently press my forehead to hers. “You were standing beneath the sacred tree in long, flowing white robes. You reached out and took my hand.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Iryan was showing me our future, telling me that someday, you would be mine.” I press a peck to her lips. “You are my heart, Avery. If you will have me, I vow that I will love and protect you always.”

She cups my cheek as her eyes brighten with more tears. “You’re sure you want me?”

“Yes, my heart. Allow me to show you how much.” I seal my mouth over hers. She moans as I cup her breast and roll the already stiff peak between my thumb and forefinger. I am pleased she is not like the females of my species. Instead of forcing me to fight her to prove my strength, she responds to my touch so beautifully.

She arches against my hand as I cup her mons and dip my fingers between her folds to find the small button of flesh at the apex that makes her writhe with pleasure.

“I am going to taste you,” I whisper against her lips.

I move down her body and run my hands down her thighs, gripping her knees and parting her legs. I love how eagerly she opens to me. “You are perfect, Avery,” I whisper.

I gently pull her legs over my shoulders then run my tongue through her already slick folds.

She gasps when I brush my tongue across the small bundle of nerves at the top. She tastes as good as I imagined. I growl as her sounds of pleasure grow louder.

I dip my tongue into her core, wanting to drink her essence straight from the source. She digs her heels into my back and threads her fingers through my hair, pulling me back up to the small pearl of flesh at the top.

I love that she shows me what she wants and where to touch her, for I long to give her pleasure above all else.

My stav extends from my mating pouch, urging me to join my body to hers. However, I first want to bring her to climax. I tease my tongue through the sensitive flesh of her folds. Her body lights with pleasure when I insert one finger into her channel. I carefully push in a second, wanting to ready her to take my stav. She is tight at first but slowly relaxes as I begin to stroke in and out.

The small muscles of her channel quiver and flex around my fingers. My length is fully erect and painfully engorged with the need to bury myself deep inside her. I band my arm across her hips to hold her in place as she writhes beneath my tongue.

Her body goes taut for a moment before she cries out my name and finds her release.

She tugs on my shoulder, pulling me back up her body. I skim the tip of my nose along hers and she smiles faintly as she runs her fingers lazily through the hair at the back of my neck. “That was…there are no words,” she breathes.

I wrap one arm beneath her and roll to the side, pulling her with me to rest against my chest. I fold my wings over her as I hold her close, tenderly nuzzling her temple.

She reaches up to touch my face, tracing her fingers lightly across my brow. I notice the tether is brighter between us, but she has not mentioned it and I wonder if she will. If she has even noticed the bond as I have.

A small smile curves her lips. “Our bond,” she whispers. “It’s stronger now, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I press a soft kiss to her lips. “And once we are fully mated, it will be even stronger.”

“How?”

“You will be able to detect when I am near,” I explain. “And when we are far apart, we will still be able to sense the other’s emotions.”

A crease of worry mars her brow.

“Does this displease you?” I ask, concerned that she may not wish to bond with me after all.

“I’m just not sure how I’ll feel about it, I suppose.” She looks up at me. “Humans don’t bond with one another like you’re describing. It’s just a lot to consider.”

My chest tightens. I want her. More than anything. But this must be her choice. I take her hand in mine and entwine our fingers as I press my forehead gently to hers. “I will wait for you to feel sure.”

She shifts her hand to the back of my neck, threading her delicate fingers through the hair at my nape. “I want you, Kiran.”

Despite her declaration, I can still sense her hesitation. So, I will wait to claim her. When we mate, I want desire reflecting in her eyes without a hint of trepidation. I know she would give herself to me now if I pressed her, but that is not how I want to approach our first mating.

When I claim her, I want her fully open to me—body, mind, heart, and soul.

As she drifts off to sleep, I find myself lying awake, staring up at the ceiling. A knot of worry settles in my stomach and no matter how insistently I try to relax, sleep will not come for me.

I wish I could bond with her traditionally so that she would not hesitate so, but I cannot change what is. Iryan has gifted us the fated bond. I only hope that Avery accepts it.

CHAPTER 14

AVERY

When I wake in the morning, I’m wrapped up in Kiran’s arms and wings. I snuggle against his side and he presses a tender kiss to my lips. He reaches out and cups my face, regarding me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

“The storms have passed. I will take you back to your crew.”

“Do you think they’re already in your city?”

He shakes his head. “After the rains yesterday, I doubt my kin were able to locate and retrieve them. The storms would have made flying rather difficult. So, we will go to the site of your crash today to find them. If they are not there, then we must assume they have already been taken to the city.”

It sounds like a good plan. Moreover, I’m eager to see my sister again. I can only imagine what she’s been dealing with these past two days.

Kiran stands then pulls me up beside him. “Shall we hunt down something to eat first?”

Although I’m hungry, I want to get back to the pod and make sure my friends are all right. Memories of the vosa chasing after us surface in my mind and fear skitters down my spine. I hope the vosa haven’t found our crash site. And if they did, I pray that my crew hid in the escape pod for safety. Even damaged, the hull was intact enough to offer adequate protection against an attack.

Kiran offers me his hand and we step onto the ledge. I throw one last wistful glance back at our shelter. Although it’s only been two days, it feels like so much time has passed. I look up at Kiran and find his eyes already on me. I smile.

I’m falling in love with this man.

He places one hand behind my back and another under my knees as he lifts me against his chest. He steps off the ledge then snaps out his wings to halt our descent before fluttering furiously to ascend.

The journey back to where Kiran first found me seems much longer than it felt when he rescued me. Two days ago, everything happened so fast and we were being chased, fearing for our lives.

I don’t speak because I know he is on high alert for any sign of the vosa and I don’t want to break his concentration. His brows are knitted together with worry as his eyes sweep back and forth across the forest.

The last thing I want is to run into the vosa again. When we reach the clearing where I was first attacked, I breathe out a sigh of relief that the rover is gone. That means my friends left after we were attacked and probably headed back to the escape pod.

I scan the area then face Kiran. “Do you sense anything?”

He shakes his head. “If the vosa had a hive nearby, I would be able to hear its activity. Their hive must be far from here.”

“Then, why were they in this area?”

“Although they are natural predators and enemies of my people, they are also connected to this world as much as we are. They must have sensed the damage to the sentinel tree from your crash and came to investigate.” His gaze meets mine. “They were drawn to the signal. At least, that is my best guess.”

It still amazes me how in tune the Elveron are with their planet. I wonder what that means for humans. He has mentioned that everything has a balance on Vora, and I wonder if somehow, we might tip the scales unfavorably simply because we are unable to connect with this world as they do. “What happens now that the tree has been damaged?”

“If it is beyond saving, another will be planted to take its place. But if it can be saved, it must be. The Earth Guardians will assess the tree to make this determination,” he adds.

I describe the location where we crashed once again and he heads in that direction. It doesn’t take long to reach the crash site and when we do, there does not seem to be any activity. He lands and gently lowers me to my feet.

He steps in front of me as if to shield me from danger as he lifts his head and scents the air. When he turns to me, he shakes his head. “There is no one here.”

I take his hand in mine as we approach the escape pod. I glance inside but, as he predicted, find no one. Nothing appears out of place, though the rovers are gone, along with some of the supplies that were neatly stacked when we took inventory. It seems that they left in an orderly fashion and not in a panic, at least.

His nostrils flare. “If the vosa had come, we would have found bodies. This is a good sign. Your people must have already been retrieved by mine. We should head to my city.”

“All right.”

As we take to the air again, I notice his expression has grown pensive. I reach up to lightly touch his face. “What’s wrong?”

His green eyes meet mine. “I am thinking of the future. Of how we can incorporate housing for your people since you are a wingless species. Our structures are not connected to the ground, so it will be difficult for your people to move around freely. But we can easily fix this, I believe.” He pauses. “Should we have any fledglings, they may not fly since you do not, so we would potentially be doing this for them, as well.”

My cheeks heat when he speaks of children, images of what we did last night surfacing in my mind.

Kiran is so thoughtful—just another reason I’m falling for him. A smile lights my face and I lean into his chest.

He continues. “I was also thinking of my parents. They are one of the few couples who share a fated bond. They will be happy to know that I have been as fortunate.”

I’m suddenly nervous at the prospect of meeting his family. “Do you think your family will like me?”

A smile tilts his lips. “Of this, I have no doubt.”

His confident reply, without hesitation, puts me at ease. I’m still anxious, but not as much as I was just a moment ago. Now, I’m just concerned about my sister.

As if reading my thoughts, he says, “Helios is the Fire Guardian I contacted about your people. I told him about you. I’m certain he would have informed your sister that you are alive.”

I exhale a sigh of relief. All this time I’d been imagining her grieving. I experienced how awful grief can be after we lost our parents. Now that I know she’s not reliving that trauma, I don’t feel as worried. After all, if Kiran’s coworkers are at all like him, we’ve fallen into good hands.

When we reach the edge of the city, my jaw drops as I take it all in. Kiran’s people make their home in a thick cluster of trees. Several carved-out spaces with wooden doors spiral up the trunk, each one with a glowing golden hanging outside the door and a small sign with symbols that I suppose are names or numbers overhead. Verdant vines wind up the trunks, heavily laden with blooming purple and white flowers that lend an elegant yet natural charm to the structures.

Elveron fly to and fro and I marvel at their colorful tribal markings in shades of red, blue, green, and purple. I note the silver ones, of course, on young Elveron who have not yet gone through the change Kiran described.

I reach out and gently trace my fingers across one of the swirling tribal red marks on his arm with a smile. I definitely prefer the red.

Judging by the spacing between the doors, each house must be expansive inside. I now understand why he said the city needs to be modified to accommodate humans. As it is, I can’t get from tree to tree. No bridges span the gaps.

“In the major cities, such as the Capital,” he comments, “we have walkways to connect each structure for the wingless species that make their homes there. But here in the smaller cities, we hardly ever welcome outside visitors.” He smiles at me. “Our builders can easily remedy this problem if your people wish to remain here.”

I can hardly believe he refers to this as a small city. It’s huge. From this vantage point, it seems to stretch as far as the eye can see in every direction. If this is what he considers small, I cannot imagine how enormous the Capital must be.

CHAPTER 15

KIRAN

I circle down to the ledge outside my parent’s door. My door too, to be correct, since I still live at home. My gaze darts to Avery. If she agrees to be mine, we will need a new home immediately. With Alun and Talina still at home, there is not enough space for us to share a private room in the household.

There is certainly not enough room for Avery to nest and lay her eggs—if we can conceive.

As soon as we land, I gently set Avery’s feet on the floor then knock on the door. My mother is the first to answer. Her brows shoot up her forehead when she spots Avery.

“Kiran?” she says. “Who have you brought to meet us?”

“Mother,” I gesture to Avery, “this is my fated one.”

Her jaw drops, but she quickly recovers. A delighted grin splits her face, and she opens her arms and rushes forward to embrace Avery.

“Alun! Talina! Toran!” She calls for my siblings and father. “Come to the door! Your brother has returned with his fated one!”

Mother pulls back to inspect Avery. “Do you speak our language?”

Avery looks to me for help answering Mother’s question. So, I chime in, “Say a few words so that my family can pick up your language.”

She begins speaking and it isn’t long before Mother can understand and respond. Mother frowns at me. “You should have gotten her a translator chip first thing,” she admonishes, even though she knows they aren’t readily available outside big cities since country folk rarely have any use for them.

I make a note that if the humans decide to stay, we will need to order translators. They will simplify communication if they deal with another species in the Galactic Federation.

My father, brother, and sister appear in the doorway, their expressions stunned as they stare at Avery. She speaks so they can understand her, but my sister interrupts by rushing forward and throwing her arms around her. She lifts her small face to study my mate and smiles as she happily flutters her wings.

“I’ve always wanted a sister and now, I have one!”

Alun claps a hand on my shoulder with a matching smile. “I am happy for you, Brother.”

Avery smiles back. “I did not realize you two were twins.”

He practically beams as he arches a teasing brow. “Though I am undoubtedly the more handsome of us two.”

She laughs. “Is that so?”

I used to be jealous of my brother, envious of his blue markings. I look down at the fiery red patterns across my skin and smile. Iryan gave these to me so that I would find my fated one and I realize that I am the most blessed of all males.

I punch Alun’s arm. “Everyone knows I am more handsome. Red is more striking than blue,” I tease.

“You’re both handsome,” my mother interjects, looking between the two of us. “Now, we just need to find someone for your brother.”

Alun sighs heavily and I do not envy him. Now that I have Avery, Mother will be nagging Alun to find a mate as well. She has always hovered over us, perhaps because we are twins. She always wanted us to reach a milestone at the same time when we were in school, fretting when one of us did better than the other. I suppose her old instincts are resurfacing now.

Avery surveys my family. “Have you already seen the other humans?”

My chest tightens when I realize I should have asked the moment we first arrived. My family did not understand her language because they were never exposed to humans before our arrival.

Which means…

“No.” My mother looks puzzled. “Are they here in the city?”

“They should be,” I tell her. “Can I use your wrist comm?”

Mother hands it to me and I page Helios and the leader of the Fire Guardians. Helios does not respond, but Thorun does.

His face appears in the display a moment later, his expression troubled. “Thank goodness you are all right, Kiran. Helios went to find the…humans.” The word sounds strange on his tongue. “But he has not reported back since yesterday and we could not reach you, either.”

“My comm broke when I was evading the vosa.”

His expression sobers further. “I hope Helios did not encounter a hive.”

“So, you never found the humans?”

He shakes his head. “We found their wrecked ship when we searched for Helios, but they were already gone when our team arrived.”

“Something is wrong,” I tell him. “They would not have just left their vessel. They do not know this world. It would not make sense for them to abandon their only shelter.”

He nods. “We thought so, as well. We are organizing another team to scout the area for Helios and the humans.”

“I will accompany them,” I tell him.

He dips his chin in acknowledgment.

“There is something else you must know,” I add before he cuts off the display.

“What is it?”

“The human I rescued is my fated one.”

His lips part. “Is this true?”

I nod then wrap an arm around Avery and tug her close to my side so that he may see her.

“She is lovely,” he says. His voice barely a whisper, as if he is muttering to himself. His eyes fill with hope. A fated one, no matter what species, will always be considered the highest blessing one could receive from Iryan. “She has accepted you?”

“We have not sealed the bond yet, but I am courting her, yes.”

Mother’s head whips toward me at my words. I’m sure she thought we were fully mated. No doubt she was already hoping and planning for grandchildren.

Thorun throws another glance at my mate and me, his gaze resolute. “I will arrange for several of our best Guardians to accompany you back to their ship. We will find out what happened to Helios and the rest of the humans.”

I turn to Avery, about to explain that I must leave her here, but she places a finger to my lips to silence me. She narrows her eyes. “If you think I’m staying behind, think again,” she states firmly. “I’m going with you.”

My brow furrows. “How did you know what I would say?”

She smiles. “Because I know how much you care about me. Your first thought is always for my safety. It was the logical assumption.”

I chuckle as I drag her close and rest my forehead against hers. “You are very clever and wise, my heart.”

My words are rewarded with a dazzling smile.

CHAPTER 16

AVERY

As we leave the city to fly back to the crash site, I can’t help but notice all the pairs of eyes that watch us intently. The Fire Guardians pretend not to stare at us, but I note how they take turns flying beside us and studying me.

As if sensing my concern, Kiran whispers in my ear. “They mean no harm, my heart. They are merely curious about you. You are the first outside of our race to be fated to one of our kind. And,” he grins, “you are stunningly beautiful, so I am certain they all envy me my mate.”

I chuckle for a moment before worry returns once again. “Do you think my crew is all right?”

For all we know, the vosa—or an even more lethal threat—could have found the camp.

He sobers. Instead of sugarcoating, he gives me an honest reply. “We will not give up until we find them. I swear it to Iryan and the stars.”

Kiran’s brother Alun takes his turn flying beside us. He insisted upon coming along to help with the search. He’s also the one who told me how many predators besides the vosa reside in the woods. I can only hope and pray my people are still alive somewhere.

Zarya’s face surfaces in my mind. She’s all I have left of my family. I can’t bear the thought of something bad happening to her.

CHAPTER 17

KIRAN

When we reach the crash site, the team decides to spread out and search. I’m relieved that Alun follows close behind me; I couldn’t defend myself from predators alone while carrying Avery. Although he only possesses the ability to conjure and control water, the element can be just as devastating a force as fire when targeted at one’s enemy. I only hope we find the humans alive.

I think of my family. I can only imagine how scared my mate must be, not knowing what has become of Zarya and her crew.

We fly through the forest and my concern grows exponentially when we find nothing to indicate what may have happened to Avery’s people. I notice that my mate is silent as her eyes continually scan the forest for any signs.

Frantically, she taps on my arm and points to the ground. “Look!” she calls out. “Over there!”

I follow the line of her gaze but see nothing. “What did you—”

I stop short when I catch a flash of reflecting sunlight. I swoop low to investigate. My stomach twists in a knot of worry when I recognize Helios’s broken wrist comm.

I lift my gaze to the sky and the surrounding forest. He would not have lost such a thing easily. It had to have been while fighting or evading an enemy. My nostrils flare, noting that his scent is at least a day old, perhaps older.

And yet, I am encouraged, because I do not smell any blood. I hope that means he made a safe escape. I scan the surrounding trees. There are many places to hide, like the tree Avery and I found near the river. It is Fire Guardian protocol to wait out one’s enemy, if possible, rather than attacking.

Many on the Council have proposed simply eradicating the vosa because they pose such a threat to our people. However, the proposition has always been voted down by a majority for fear of angering Iryan. She is the goddess who dictates the balance in our world. To kill her creatures unnecessarily could interrupt that balance and bring great misfortune upon our people and possibly even our planet.

Gently, I lower Avery down as I pick up Helios’s wrist comm to study it. Alun lands beside us. “What did you find?”

His expression dims when he realizes what I’m holding. He knows this is a terrible sign.

A light buzzing sound reaches my ears, growing in volume. I pull Avery into my arms, ready to take off at a moment’s notice. Alun moves to my side and his gaze meets mine. “Vosa?” he asks in a low whisper. I nod.

Avery begins trembling in my arms. “It is all right, my heart,” I reassure her. “I will not let them harm you.”

As the buzzing approaches, I realize the sound is coming from all sides. It is a trap. The vosa are cunning predators that prefer to hunt in packs. We cannot escape unless one of us draws them away.

There is only one way to ensure that Avery will not be harmed.

I dart a glance at Alun. “Take her. Keep her safe.” I press a peck to Avery’s lips. “I love you.”

“Brother, I—”

I cut off Alun’s protest by taking to the sky, shouting loud enough to catch the attention of our enemy.

“Here!” I wave my arms. “Follow me! This way!”

“No!” Avery wails but my brother clamps a hand over her mouth immediately, so she won’t draw the enemy back. He picks her up and takes off in the opposite direction.

As one, all the vosa pursue me.

CHAPTER 18

AVERY

Kiran spins toward me and presses a peck to my lips. His green eyes meet mine as he whispers, “I love you.”

Without warning, he lifts into the air in a burst of speed and starts shouting for the vosa to follow him.

He’s going to sacrifice himself to save us.

“No!” I cry out, but a large hand clamps over my mouth, silencing me. Alun wraps his arms around my waist and we take off in the opposite direction.

Panic and devastation war within me as I fight against his hold. “Take me back!” My shout comes out muffled by his hand. “Now!”

“I cannot,” he says firmly. “Kiran wants me to bring you to safety.”

“But they could kill him,” I protest. “Please!”

“He could just as likely escape. He has outrun them before.”

He’s right, and yet, I can’t help worrying.

As we race away, the sunlight reflects off something to our left. “What’s that?” I point toward the glinting light.

Alun dips his wing to the left and banks in a tight arc over the area. Someone waves in the distance and he must spot it, too, because he heads straight for them.

As we draw closer, happiness fills my chest. It’s Zarya. “That’s my sister!” I tell Alun. “Up ahead!”

We touch down and she races into my arms. “Avery! Oh, Avery, I was so worried about you!”

I’m so relieved to find my sister alive. Emotions lodge in my throat but I somehow manage to speak around them. “I was so scared something happened to you, Zarya. Why did you leave the escape pod?”

“We had to hide from the vosa,” she explains, gesturing to the rest of my crew gathered behind her. I’m so glad to see my friends alive.

“The vosa came after you?”

She shakes her head. “No, but after what we saw happen to you, we sent word back to the crash site, telling them that we needed to find better shelter. Then this guy,” she points behind her to a Fire Guardian. I recognize him as such because of his red tribal markings, so similar to Kiran’s that tears well up in my eyes. “He showed up and led us all here to hide.”

I notice his wings are torn in several places. “What happened to you?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Before I found your ship, the vosa attacked me. I killed one of them, but not before it tore my wings. I was afraid more would come, so when I found your people, I led them here to safety. I have been unable to retrieve any sap to repair my wings, but now that we’ve met, we can return to the city together. The Healers there will be able to repair my wings.”

Relieved that he’s going to be all right, I glance over his shoulder. I’m not sure where everyone is coming from because I don’t see a shelter anywhere. “Where have you been hiding?”

Zarya takes my hand and leads me around a wide trunk to a small hill with an opening just large enough for someone to fit through. “It’s a cave.” She smiles at the Fire Guardian. “Helios found it.”

Alya and Jenna emerge from the cave and rush toward me, both hugging me tightly.

“Thank goodness you’re alive,” Jenna gushes, eyes swimming with tears.

“I was so scared,” Alya adds. “I thought you were—” Her voice catches and she looks to Helios. “Thank God he showed up when he did. Not only did he help us, but he assured us that you were alive.”

Helios dips his chin in a shallow bow. His shoulder-length fiery hair spills forward, but he brushes it back with his hands. His orange eyes meet mine, his expression unreadable. “You are Avery, are you not?”

“Yes.”

His gaze sweeps over my shoulder to Alun. “You must be Kiran’s brother, Alun.” Alun nods. ”But where is Kiran?”

I’m worried sick and I want to cry, but I hold my tears in.

Alun steps forward. “The vosa surrounded us, but he drew them away so we could escape.”

Helios’s wings flutter agitatedly behind him as he casts a stoic look around the forest. “They are clever hunters.”

My sister turns to Alun, who is standing beside me. “You’re blue,” she comments, staring at him with a strange mixture of surprise and fascination.

He grins. “I am a Water Guardian.”

I take her hand. “This is Alun. Alun, this is my younger sister, Zarya.”

He bows low before her and I notice the pink flush that spreads across her cheeks. Helios narrows his eyes. He certainly doesn’t look happy about this.

“Alun is my new…brother-in-law,” I tell her.

Her mouth drifts open in shock. “What? You got married? You’ve only been gone for two days!” She gasps. Alya and Jenna look equally stunned. ”You’re married to…to an ali—”

She stops just short of saying “alien,” her expression incredulous.

I shrug. “Kiran rescued me and we have this bond and—” I shake my head. “It’s a lot to explain. Right now,” I glance between Alun and Helios, “we need to find him.”

“Agreed.” Helios nods. “First, we must call several of our Guardians to help relocate the humans to safety before the vosa return. Their hive must be in this area, for I have seen many since I arrived.”

Alun taps a quick message into his wristband. “I’ve alerted your brethren,” he says. “They are already spread out in the forest nearby, searching for all of you. So it should not take them long to arrive.”

Helios nods. “We can take the humans back to our city, where they will be safe.”

Alun’s comm beeps and he gasps. “It’s Kiran.” When he looks up, his eyes are full of hope. “He’s injured but he’s nearby. We must go retrieve him.”

“Let’s go!”

My sister’s hand on my arm stops me in my tracks. “I want to come, too.”

Helios pats her arm in sympathy as his torn wing swings uselessly behind him. “I regret that I cannot carry you.”

A flutter overhead draws our attention and I look up to see another Fire Guardian. Helios smiles. “Mykal! It is good to see you, Brother!”

He lands beside us, his gaze lingering on my sister in fascination then landing on Helios’s injured wing with pity.

“There isn’t much time,” Helios tells him. “When the rest of my team arrives, we will take the humans back to the city. Right now, you must follow Kiran’s brother and his mate to retrieve him. He is wounded and needs help.”

My eyes snap up to Alun. “Kiran’s injured?” He didn’t share that when he received the message, though I now see why we must go to Kiran instead of telling him how to find us. I give him a stern look. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

He shakes his head. “Forgive me. My brother specifically asked me not to tell you so that you would not worry.”

I huff out a frustrated breath. “Let’s go. He needs help.”

We make our way through the forest for what feels like forever until we finally spot Kiran on the ground ahead. He is lying next to the corpses of two vosa. Alarm spikes through me when he doesn’t respond to our landing.

I rush toward him and fall to my knees beside him, lifting his head into my lap.

“Kiran? Kiran, please open your eyes, my love,” I beg. He doesn’t respond.

As I stare down at him, I realize I have more than just fallen for him. I’m already completely and irrevocably in love. I love him and I’m so afraid to lose him.

Only the slight rise and fall of his chest tells me that he’s still alive. I lift my panicked gaze to his brother and see the same worry reflected in his and Mykal’s eyes.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Mykal kneels beside me and carefully turns Kiran onto his side. My heart stops when we find his injury. Dark, angry veins finger out from a jagged puncture wound on his back. Mykal clenches his jaw and lowers his head. “The vosa stung him.”

“So how do we fix this? What do we need to do?”

Mykal says nothing, so I turn to Alun. His eyes are brimming with tears and he shakes his head.

Panic tightens my chest. “Nothing can be done?”

Mykal still doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t have to. When his eyes meet mine, I see the truth. They’re both convinced that Kiran will die.

“No.” My voice quavers. “He’s not going to die. I don’t care what you think. There must be some way to heal him. We need to get him back to the city.”

Mykal touches my shoulder. “We would not make it back in time. I am sorry.”

Alun takes Kiran’s other hand and regards his brother with an expression that breaks my heart. “We will stay with you, Brother. We will stay until—” His voice catches. “You will not be alone.”

Tears stream down my face as I wrap my arms around him, hugging his chest to mine. “Don’t die, Kiran,” I whisper. “I love you. Please, don’t die.”

He barely manages to squeeze my hand and I lift my head, brushing the hair back from his face. ”My love, I’m going to save you. We’ll find a way.”

My eyes snap to Helios and Alun. “There has to be something we can do. Tell me. Whatever it is, we will try.”

“I’m sorry, Avery,” Alun murmurs. “There is nothing left to do.”

I lie down beside Kiran, draping my arm over his bare chest as I rest my head on his shoulder. Tree roots interweave the plush moss beneath us, and I hate that he’s lying on the uncomfortable ground. I sit up and place his head in my lap again as I tenderly cup his cheek.

How could I have met someone so wonderful and perfect only to lose him so quickly? It’s not fair. I’ve lost so much already in this life. My parents, several of my close friends aboard the Dawn Voyager who didn’t make it—and now Kiran.

“My parents fell in love at first sight,” I whisper to him. “I never believed such a thing existed…until I met you, my love.” I lift our joined hands to my chest. “You say that I’m your heart, and Kiran…you’re mine as well.” I sniff as tears slip down my cheeks. “You have to live, my love, so we can have our future together. Please, Kiran, you can’t leave me. Not now that I’ve found you.”

A light tingling sensation begins to travel up my body. It’s so subtle that at first, I wonder if I’m getting pins and needles in my muscles from sitting on the uncomfortable roots. Suddenly, my skin begins to warm. I look down and notice a faint green glow pulsing along the tree roots directly under us.

“What is…”

I trail off as the warmth grows more intense. All across the surface of my skin, my veins are visible, pulsing a glowing green that matches the roots. The same glow moves through my hand into Kiran’s face and flows across his skin. His veins light up in green, as well.

I look up at Alun and Helios. “What is happening?” They appear as stunned as I am.

I dare not move. I’ve seen tree sap heal Kiran before. Even though I don’t understand what’s happening now, I trust that somehow, the tree is trying to heal him. The Elveron are connected to their world; perhaps this is a perk. I watch my beloved, willing him to open his eyes and look up at me.

“Kiran?” I whisper. “Please, my love.”

When he doesn’t move or respond, my chest tightens with worry. The rhythm of the green pulsing in both our veins speeds up. The sensation heats almost to the point of pain, but not unbearably so. Whatever happens, I refuse to let go. If this will save him, I don’t care what it does to me. I just want him healed and whole again.

Alun calls out behind me, tone laced with concern. “Avery, are you all right?”

The heat grows painful, nearly searing me from the inside out, but I somehow manage to nod. I stay quiet, fearing my voice might betray me. The last thing I want is for Alun or Mykal to try to stop me.

Gently, Kiran begins to stir. Happiness blooms in my chest as his eyelids flutter and open. “Avery,” he breathes. “My beautiful mate.”

A little puff of air escapes me as I smile down at him and nod. A tear slips down my cheek and I cup his face, pressing a tender kiss to his lips.

When I start to pull back, he holds me in place, his tongue slipping into my mouth to deepen our kiss. My body heats to unbearable temperatures. A strong pulse ripples through the veins beneath my skin and I gasp, pulling back as a burn ignites along my left arm. I grit my teeth, struggling against the searing pain as strange patterns score my flesh.

Kiran sits up, his eyes wide with alarm as they meet mine. “Avery!”

My forearm feels like it’s on fire. A feral scream of pain rips from my throat as it brands my skin. The world tilts and spins all around me.

I vaguely register Kiran, Alun, and Mykal watching me in frantic concern. I close my eyes and everything falls away as I surrender to the void.

CHAPTER 19

AVERY

Awareness slowly trickles back into my mind as I open my eyes to a sunlit room. The walls and ceiling are made of gray wood. For a moment, I think we’re back in our tree, still hiding from the vosa.

My limbs feel heavy and numb as I reach out to feel for Kiran beside me. I don’t find him.

“Kiran?” I barely manage to croak out. My throat is parched and dry as if I haven’t had any water for days.

His face fills my vision. He hovers over me, his green eyes full of concern. “Avery? How do you feel?”

“Weak,” I rasp. “What happened?”

He leans down and presses a series of tender kisses to my cheeks, nose, and brow before finally settling on my lips. “You are awake, my Avery. My beautiful mate, you saved me.”

I smile faintly. “The trees,” I whisper as my memories begin to creep back. An image of him dying on the ground surfaces in my mind and I squeeze my eyes shut against the painful memory. “I don’t understand.”

I lift my left arm, the echoes of remembered pain still lingering like the ghost of a whisper across my sensitive flesh. I stare in wonder at the silver, swirling tribal markings along my forearm. “How did I get these?”

Kiran smiles. “As you said—the trees. Iryan judged you, my beloved. You passed her test. Our world has accepted you. You are part of Vero now, just like my people.”

Gingerly, I shake my head to clear my foggy thoughts. “But why is it silver? Isn’t that the color you wore before your markings came in?”

“I do not know,” he replies. “Neither do the elders. No one outside of our race carries these markings except you, Avery. You are the first. The first to share an interspecies fate bond and the first to be accepted by our world.”

A flash of movement in the background catches my eye. Zarya is leaving Alun’s side, approaching to take my hand and grinning.

“You’re awake. I knew you’d be all right. And look,” she gestures to my left arm with a teasing wink, “you have a new tattoo.”

I roll my eyes. Leave it to my sister to tease me about a groundbreaking revelation.

She sits on the edge of the bed I’m lying in. “I’m kind of jealous, actually. I mean, it’s pretty, don’t you think?”

I smile at her. “Do you want one?”

I don’t miss the way her eyes dart to Alun before she returns her attention to me. I wonder if something is developing between them. I want to ask her if she can see the thread bond connecting them, but I’d rather chat when we’re alone since I’m not fully awake just yet. Besides, I could be wrong about what I just witnessed, though she certainly looks like she’s developing feelings for Kiran’s brother.

“Where is everyone else?” I ask, wondering about my friends and the rest of our crew.

“They’re fine,” Zarya assures me. “We’ve been assigned temporary housing while the Elveron set us up with a more permanent solution. They’re working on bridges to connect the city for wingless visitors.” She grins again. “Right now, we’re having to rely on Elveron transportation.”

“What do you mean?”

She laughs. “One of the Guardians carries us when we want to go somewhere.” She leans down and whispers in my ear. “It’s not too bad to be carried bridal style by a strong, muscular fae-alien whenever you want. I think I might be sad when the bridges are done.”

Again, her gaze shifts discreetly to Alun and I notice him watching her, as well.

She continues with another playful wink. “These guys are all insanely handsome. We couldn’t have picked a better world to land on if we’d tried.”

I look between her and Kiran. “Have you found any of the other escape pods? Any other humans from our ship?”

They both shake their heads. Kiran strokes my cheek. “We’ve alerted the Capital about the pirate attack. They have sent out several messages to the Galactic Federation and nearby space stations, letting them know we are searching for your people.”

His words give me comfort. If any of the survivors are still out there, we’ll find them. I’m sure of it.

An elderly man walks in behind him. His tribal markings are deep purple and his face is set in a stern expression. His piercing green eyes hold mine as he steps closer.

Kiran and Alun bow in deference to the man, making me wonder who he is. He must be someone important—maybe a local leader.

“I am Vekan Rolan,” he says. “The religious leader of our Temple.”

A spiritual leader, then.

“Our world has accepted you as one of its own,” he continues solemnly, “but has yet to appoint you to Guardianship.”

Slowly, I sit up, never breaking contact with his sage-green eyes. “What does that mean?”

His gaze sweeps to Kiran then back to me. “Kiran claims that the fated bond—the thread—tethers you together. In our culture, one cannot bond a mate outside of one’s designation.”

I shake my head in another attempt to clear the fog that still clings to my mind. “So?” I prompt, not sure I understand his meaning.

Kiran’s eyes flash with sadness and I know that whatever he’s here to tell me, it can’t be good.

“It means that until your markings take on a color, you cannot bond with Kiran. You may be destined to become a different elemental Guardian.”

“That’s ridiculous!” I protest, gripping Kiran’s hand as I throw my legs over the bed to stand. I stumble forward because I’m still wobbly, but Kiran helps steady me so I can glare at the Vekan. “Markings shouldn’t determine who you can or cannot bond.”

“It is our way,” he insists. “I cannot sanction your bonding to Kiran until we ensure you are both Fire Guardians.”

I clench my jaw. “I don’t care if you sanction it.”

A discordant crash behind him—Kiran’s mother dropping a tray with what may have been cups and a tea kettle—startles me. I’m sure my objections and my harsh tone must be shocking, but that can’t be helped. No matter what rank he carries, I want this man to understand in no uncertain terms that I will not allow some stupid rules and traditions to separate me from Kiran.

“Kiran is my mate,” I bite out. “We share a thread bond, and I love him. Even if we didn’t have this connection, I’d still want him. We don’t need your blessing to be together.”

The Vekan’s expression grows thunderous and he glares at me icily. “I can see this is difficult for you to accept. Perhaps you need time to adjust to your new circumstances.” He dips his chin in a nod of parting, though his eyes narrow slightly. “I will take my leave.”

Kiran and Alun bow again, but I refuse to show him respect. I keep my gaze locked on his in a battle of wills. I won’t bend, and it seems, neither will he. Well, that’s too bad. Kiran is mine and I’m his. We don’t need anyone’s permission to be together.

The Vekan has almost disappeared in the doorway when I call out, “The trees chose me. They helped me save my mate.” I emphasize the final word so that he knows I am resolute. “If that’s not a sign we should be allowed to bond, I don’t know what is.”

He stiffens for a moment but does not turn around. I can tell that I’ve caught his attention, however. He lingers briefly then exits.

I turn to Kiran and find his eyes full of pain. “Avery, you don’t understand. We can’t—”

I reach up and place a finger on his lips to silence him. “Before I had these markings, you were ready to bond to me. The only thing that has changed is this.” I gesture to the silver pattern across my flesh. Catching sight of the glowing bond thread between us, I point to that next. “You still see it, right?”

He nods.

“That means I’m yours and you’re mine. No one has the right to tell us we can’t be together just because of our markings.” I stretch onto my toes and wrap my arms around his neck, threading my fingers through the hair at the nape. He drops his forehead to mine. “I don’t want anyone else. Even if my colors should come in, designating me as a different elemental Guardian, it wouldn’t matter. I would still want to be with you, my love.”

Alun steps forward in time with my sister, whose face is marred with worry and confusion.

“Why do the markings matter? Why can’t you bond with someone of another element? Would something bad happen?”

Kiran and Alun say nothing. Looking up from the ceramic shards on the floor, their mother interjects, “It is simply not done, as far back as the history of our people is recorded.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Zarya counters. “Why segregate your society?”

As one, their expressions shift between doubt and confusion. It occurs to me that perhaps they’ve never been asked this question before or even considered the answer. Maybe they’ve simply accepted the tradition.

I ask Kiran, “How do you feel? Would you care if my colors came in and designated me as a different kind of Guardian?”

He shakes his head. “No. I would not care either way. You are mine. I feel it here.” He lifts our joined hands to his chest, placing them directly over his heart. “Even if taking you as mine makes me an outsider among my people, I already know what it is to be different. As long as we are together, that is all that matters. You are the blessing from Iryan that I have prayed for all my life. I want you and you alone, Avery. You and no other.”

I smile and press my lips to his. “You and no other, Kiran,” I repeat his words like a solemn vow against his mouth.

Kiran’s mother enters, wringing her hands with worry. “What will you do? How will you bond without the Vekan’s blessing?”

Kiran stays silent, but Alun steps forward. “They will bond in the old way. Beneath the sacred tree.”

Kiran flashes me a smile before gathering me into his arms and pulling me to his chest. “You will bond with me, then?”

I nod as I nestle into his warm embrace. “Yes. A thousand times, yes, my love.”

CHAPTER 20

AVERY

When we decided to bond against the Vekan’s wishes, we didn’t expect many people to witness our vows. However, as we stand beneath the sacred tree, it seems like the entire community has attended to observe our bonding ceremony.

I’m glad to see all the humans from my crew mixed into the crowd. The Elveron have been more than welcoming to all of us. They’re almost finished building bridges and lifts to accommodate us, and we’ve all been assigned housing. I’ve also noticed several mixed-species couples beginning to pair off to spend time together.

Members of their Council are planning to travel here soon to officially swear us in as citizens of their world, granting us the same rights and freedoms the Elveron enjoy. More importantly, it will also bring us under the protection of the Galactic Federation.

My gaze drifts up the sacred tree looming above. It sits in the very heart of the city, towering over all others that surround it. Kiran told me it has grown here for over a thousand years. The Wind Guardians study and remain in tune with the tree to receive feedback from the sentinel trees in the forest.

Each city surrounds a sacred tree, and since Kiran told me that the one in the Capital is at least three times this size, I’m excited to see it someday soon. For now, looking at Kiran, I can think of no place else I’d rather be than here with him.

Thick, rope-like vines wrap around the base of the trunk, scaling toward the sun. They hang from the branches like a beautiful curtain around the entire tree. Their purple and white blossoms glow warmly, petals falling soundlessly around us like snow on the cool, gentle breeze. Usually, a creeping vine would be detrimental to an Earth tree, but here, Kiran says they have a symbiotic relationship, just like everything else on this world. The planet operates with a balance that I still have yet to fully understand, though I’m certain that I will someday.

Kiran and I are dressed in long, flowing white robes. The material is soft as silk against my skin. Kiran’s mother embroidered an intricate pattern of white leaves across the sleeves, as is tradition for the mother of the groom, she told me.

Although we haven’t spent much time together, I’ve already grown so close to Kiran’s family that I feel as if they’re mine. I’m so grateful they’ve even taken in my sister. I couldn’t have asked for better in-laws.

Alun walks up to Kiran and hands him a wreath while my sister does the same for me. Alya and Jenna stand off to my side like maids of honor in an old Earth ceremony. Someone sniffs and I notice Kiran’s mom dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief as she smiles at us. His sister and father sit on either side of her.

My friends all smile at me, as well. Alya confided in me that she’s interested in an Elveron, but she hasn’t told me which one. A man with purple markings sits next to her and the way he’s staring at her tells me he’s smitten, so I’m assuming it must be him.

Jenna has a perpetual green shadow, as we call him, because of his tribal markings and his tendency to follow her around almost constantly. He’s one of the Earth Guardians, but she hasn’t told me if she’s into him. I know he certainly likes her, though.

Kiran and I face one another, a brilliant smile lighting his face. He places a wreath of white flowers atop my head and I do the same for him. He takes both my hands, his expressive green eyes staring deep into mine like I’m the most precious person in the world. He guides me to the tree, and we place our joined hands on the trunk, closing our eyes to repeat our sacred vows. We promise to only belong to one another.

It reminds me of old Earth wedding vows, though this ritual feels more sacred. These words are whispered in hushed, reverent tones as we hold each other’s hands.

A wave of warmth travels up my arms and my eyes snap open to see my silver tribal patterns glowing brightly. I search his face in alarm. “What’s happening?”

Kiran’s eyes are full of confusion and although I don’t understand what this is, I feel as though I shouldn’t pull away. So instead, I remain still, allowing the warm pulse to move over and through me.

The crowd emits a collective gasp when my markings begin to fill with color. I smile at the bright, fiery red that bleeds into the silver pattern. The sensation isn’t quite as painful as the marks’ creation was, but it burns nonetheless. Still, I can’t contain the joy I feel as I watch the red eclipse the silver.

Kiran’s eyes meet mine, his happiness evident. After a moment, the glow fades and we pull back from the tree, both of us staring in wonder at my new markings. I lift my gaze back to Kiran and he sweeps me into an embrace. He crushes his lips to mine in a searing kiss.

“You are mine,” he whispers. “I knew you were meant for me.”

When we pull back, I notice the glow of the fate thread bond is even brighter than before. Kiran smiles and gathers me close again, spinning around in a slow circle before capturing my mouth in a branding kiss.

CHAPTER 21

KIRAN

My mother has outdone herself with this reception. To my surprise, both my Water Guardian kin and my new Fire Guardian friends worked together to plan the party. The dichotomy that so deeply divided the Guardians before seems to have fallen away, at least for now, thanks to the presence of the humans.

They’ve made us begin to question why we separate our kind. Before their arrival, we’d never even considered unifying. The division was an accepted part of our lives. Now, I am wondering why we never thought to change our ideas sooner.

As I study Avery, my heart is full. I have never been happier. We dance beneath the hanging lights and the glowing purple blooms that cover the trailing vines hanging across the wooden canopy built by my brother and Helios.

At first, Avery’s people stand awkwardly on the sidelines, uncertain of how to behave. However, little by little they join in the dancing and merriment. As my gaze sweeps over the room, I note more than a few of the human females pairing off with Elveron males. I suspect we will have many more celebrations like this one soon.

My brother and Zarya twirl and spin beside us, locked in a lively dance. My brother has not confided in me yet, but I believe he is quite taken with my new sister-in-law—as the humans refer to a sibling gained through bonding.

Avery’s cheeks are flushed with a lovely red hue as we dance. A dazzling smile lights her face and I suspect it mirrors my own. Although we are having a wonderful time, I can hardly wait for what comes next.

Tonight, I will finally claim her. I will take her in my arms and give her pleasure. I will fill her with my seed over and over again, praying that it takes root. I would love to have a fledgling with her—many, even.

But even if it is not possible, I will have no regrets. I love her more than anything in this world. I feel so blessed that Iryan and the stars saw fit to pair us together.

I track the red markings across my skin with my eyes, thanking Iryan for granting them, for they are the reason I found her. Avery is perfect, clever, brilliant, and kind—all the qualities I could ever have asked for in a mate.

And tonight, she will finally and forever be mine.

CHAPTER 22

AVERY

As the party begins to wind down, my entire body is flushed with warmth from all the dancing we did this evening. Kiran gathers me bridal style and flies me to our new home. Of course, the apartment is next to his parents’, but I don’t mind. They’re good people and I enjoy their company. I’m glad we will be living so close to Kiran’s family because he loves them deeply.

When we reach the threshold, he starts to lower my feet to the ground, but I hold onto him tightly.

“Not yet,” I mutter, and he snaps me back into his arms.

He frowns, puzzled. “What is wrong, my heart?”

I grin. “It’s a human tradition. The husband is supposed to carry the wife over the threshold after the wedding.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Easily done, my beautiful mate.”

In a grand gesture, he takes a wide step over the threshold. “Like that?”

“Yes.”

He finally sets me down on my feet with a heated look, immediately tugging me close to his chest. “And what other traditions do humans follow on the night of their bonding?”

My heart hammers as he captures my mouth in a searing kiss full of the promise of pleasures to come. His tongue slips into my mouth and I moan when it curls around mine. Without breaking our kiss, he lifts me into his arms, and I wrap my legs around him so he can carry me to the bedroom.

Gently, he lays me on the bed. It’s carved from the tree that houses us, the legs still connected to the wood beneath. Long, white-fabric panels hang like a canopy overhead, along with a twisting vine full of glowing purple and white flowers.

The plush white comforter is so thick I sink in, and he crawls into bed beside me while the material envelopes us both like a puffy cloud. He kisses a heated trail from my jaw down my neck.

When he lifts his head, his pupils are blown wide so that only a thin line of green is visible around the edges. His fangs are fully extended. He cups my chin and kisses me deeply. When he pulls back, his gaze is fiery and possessive.

“You are mine, Avery.” He combs his fingers through my hair. “I will take you many times this night so that every male will know I have claimed you as my mate.”

My heart quickens its pace as heat pools between my thighs. I want him so badly. I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life.

He raises one hand, his nails extending into sharp claws. He slices a line down the fabric of my robe, baring me to his gaze. “You are the most beautiful female I have ever seen,” he whispers in hushed reverence. “And you are all mine, my heart.”

“Yours,” I agree.

He kisses me again then moves down my body. Tracing his tongue along the gentle slope of one breast, he closes his mouth over the peak and applies a gentle suction. He laves his tongue over the hard, beaded tip and I run my fingers through his hair, holding him in place. A low moan escapes me as he moves to the other breast, giving it the same attention.

He continues down my form, placing small, suctioning kisses down my body until he reaches my mons. When he drags his tongue through my folds, I gasp and arch into him.

He purrs, teasing his tongue over the sensitive pearl at the apex. I moan out his name when he inserts one finger into my entrance while still stroking me with his tongue.

Heat pools deep in my core. I’m so desperate to feel him inside me, I pull at his shoulders. “I want you, Kiran.”

He lifts his head. “I will give you pleasure first, my beautiful mate.” His voice is low and husky.

He drives my desire higher with each lap of his tongue and brush of his finger until I’m gasping and panting beneath him. He bands an arm across my hips, holding me in place.

When I dig my heels into his back, arching against him and begging for more, he groans, reaching up to cup my breast. The touch sends me spiraling over the edge in freefall. Waves of pleasure wash through me, so intense I’m overwhelmed.

I barely have time to catch my breath as he moves back up my body. He takes both my wrists in one hand and lifts them over my head, restraining me as he notches the tip of his stav at my entrance. His gaze holds mine and the breath stutters from my lungs as he slowly enters me.

He growls low in arousal, rocking his hips back and forth, advancing further with each movement. Tight heat blooms in my core, an exquisite mixture of slight pain and overwhelming pleasure.

He seats himself fully inside me. I’ve never felt so full. I squirm, desperate to move, but he’s pinned me helplessly beneath his larger form.

He told me the males of his kind have to subdue the females during sex or face rejection if they fail to conquer her in a challenge, so I realize this is his instinct. “You are mine,” he growls.

I gasp at the small pinch of pain and pleasure as the tip of his stav seals over my cervix. The base begins to expand deep inside me. I feel almost as if I’m being split in two—the sensation is overwhelmingly intense.

His fangs are still fully extended. He dips his head to the curve of my neck and shoulder. The sharp tips of his teeth graze along my artery.

“Every male will know you are mine,” he whispers against my skin. I inhale sharply as he sinks his fangs deep into my flesh, claiming me savagely.

Instead of the pain I expected, I feel only pleasure as he holds me in place. With each movement of his body against mine, pleasure coils tightly in my core. He takes complete control and I love the weight of him over me as I lie pinned beneath his strong body.

He lifts his head, brushing his tongue over the two puncture wounds on my neck. Each lap sends a tingly feeling as I felt my skin reseal itself from his loving attentions. His gaze holds mine, his eyes dark except for a thin rim of green barely visible around the edges. His movements quicken, though he stays deeply seated as he begins to lose himself in me, claiming me with each stroke of raw and primal passion.

His stav rubs my increasingly sensitive inner walls, creating glorious friction that makes me moan out his name. My body goes taut as he brings me closer to the edge, igniting a fire deep inside me. My release roars through me, so intense I cry out his name again.

He roars above me and a wave of delicious warmth erupts from his stav, filling me with his seed. I haven’t even come down from my high when he begins pumping into me again.

“You are mine,” he growls. The vibration of his voice shoots through me. His stav is still locked inside my body and my head falls back as pleasure overwhelms me.

I want so badly to touch him, but he keeps my hands pinned above my head as he strokes into me. I tighten the grip of my legs around him. He wraps his other hand around my thigh, holding me in place as I fall over the edge into another orgasm, this one stronger than the last.

Warmth fills me again when he releases deep inside me, clenching his jaw as he holds my gaze and growls, “Mine.”

After my third climax, I’m so spent that I’m panting beneath him, completely out of breath. He skims the tip of his nose along mine, then continues down my neck as he rumbles low in his throat. “You are mine, Avery. Mine to love, mine to touch, and mine to keep forever.”

“Yours,” I agree.

He releases his hold on my wrists and I wrap my arms around him, gently running the tips of my fingers along the muscles of his back. He settles, his body covering mine. I love his weight and the feel of us still connected as he remains knotted deep inside me.

That’s how I fall asleep—completely sated and feeling so loved, lulled by the gentle stroke of his fingers on my cheek.

CHAPTER 23

KIRAN

I remain knotted inside her for much longer than I originally intended, but I find it hard to pull away from her body. I wish I could stay this close to her forever. However, once she falls asleep, I carefully withdraw then tug her into my chest.

Her inner thighs are sticky with our combined fluids and I inhale deeply, loving how strongly she smells like me. Every male will know she has been claimed and she is mine.

I wrap my arms around her and cover us with my wings. She is mine and she is perfect. I send a silent prayer of thanks to Iryan and the stars for bringing her to me. She responded so beautifully to my touch. Our mating was better than I could have ever imagined.

When I took her over and over again, she never once fought me. She trusted me completely and surrendered. That is the greatest gift a female can grant a male—complete and total acceptance as he fills her with his seed.

I inhale deeply of our combined scent and send another prayer to Iryan that my seed will take root deep inside her womb. I brush the hair back from her face to study her delicate features.

“I vow that I will cherish and protect you forever, my heart,” I whisper in her ear.

A ghost of a smile crests her lips and she snuggles into me.

CHAPTER 24

KIRAN

Only two days have passed since our bonding ceremony, so when a knock sounds at the door, I’m surprised to see Vekan Rolan standing on the other side. His grim countenance is not a welcome sight for me or my mate.

“Why are you here?” I demand.

He dips his head in a subtle show of respect. “I have come to speak to you and your fated one.”

I consult Avery and she nods. We allow him inside our home to hear what he has come to say. He sits across from us at the dining table, his eyes flicking compulsively to the red tribal markings on Avery’s left forearm.

“What brings you here today?” I prompt again, curious as to why he would approach us after refusing to sanction our bonding.

He sighs heavily as he meets my gaze. “I made a mistake.”

Avery and I say nothing. What can we say? He did make a mistake.

He leans forward in his seat. “The tree—and by extension, Iryan and our world—have accepted you,” he tells Avery. “I would like to perform a ceremony with all the other humans to unify them with our world since it seems this is the path Iryan has laid before us.”

“What would the ceremony entail?” Avery interjects.

As I consider his proposal, I believe I understand what he means to do. “You are speaking of the ceremony we hold for young Elveron?”

He nods.

“What is that?”

“We hold a ceremony before the sacred tree that first invokes our markings as fledglings. It is the first connection we make with our world and a path to becoming part of the great balance.”

“Is it safe?” she hedges, and my chest fills with pride that she asks this of me, not the Vekan. She trusts me completely, and I vow never to betray her trust.

“No fledgling has ever been harmed during the ceremony,” I tell her, omitting the caveat that we cannot be entirely certain this applies to humans. I squeeze her hand. “We can present this idea to your people. Only those who agree will go through with the procedure.”

She nods. “We need to make it clear that this is common for Elveron, but we don’t know how it will affect humans.” She glances at her arm. “My mark hurt when it came in, but maybe theirs will be different since the circumstances won’t be quite as…dire,” she adds.

We both turn to the Vekan. “We will present the option to my mate’s people and let you know their decision.”

His lips are pursed; this does not sit well with him. As one of the highest religious leaders of his order, he isn’t accustomed to being questioned or second-guessed. His word used to be absolute.

However, the humans are different, and I am glad they are so. If they weren’t, Avery and I would not have proceeded with our bonding and who knows how long we would have waited for her markings to come in before he sanctioned our union.

CHAPTER 25

AVERY

Just as I expected, only some of the crew are on board with the idea of going through with the ceremony. I note that those that approve have already been growing closer to the Elveron men—particularly my sister.

Alun studies her, full of concern, before he steps forward. “Are we sure it is safe for your kind? I would not wish for your people to suffer just to receive a mark.”

“It’s not just a mark, though,” Kiran replies. “It is a connection to our world so that they may share in all this planet can offer.”

I wrap my arm around his waist. “I’ll be honest. This is still new to me. I haven’t had the chance to explore what the mark means in the bigger picture. I only know that I love that this world has accepted me as it accepts the Elveron who inhabit this planet. However, this is not something any of you have to rush into. The Elverons have offered us asylum on their world. They accept us. They are also willing to help any who wish to return back to Earth when it’s safe to do so.”

When we leave the meeting and return to our home, I note that more of the crew are now eager to go through with the ceremony, while others are still hesitant.

Kiran wraps a possessive arm around my waist as we enter his parent’s home. His mother invited us all, including my sister, to dinner. It’s not as if we live very far from each other. Zarya’s house lies on the other side of Kiran’s and mine. If things work out the way I suspect, Alun will be moving in with her soon, too.

Kiran’s mother greets me with a warm embrace then gently places a hand over my stomach. “I can hardly wait until it is time for you to nest.” She smiles, pulling her husband closer. “We have already begun carving the nestbed for the egg and—”

“Egg?” I repeat. Zarya stares at her, equally aghast. “What egg?”

Her brows pinch together in concern. “Do your people not lay eggs?”

My mouth drifts open. “What?”

Zarya shakes her head. “No, we carry our babies inside us until they’re born.”

Kiran and his family stare at us as if we’ve just told them water is red. I accuse my new husband, “You didn’t tell me that your women lay eggs.”

He blinks. “Forgive me, my heart. I—I did not even think that your race could be different. Many other species within the Galactic Federation lay eggs like our kind.”

I place a hand on my abdomen as a hint of worry enters my mind. “So, I’m going to have to lay an egg?”

I wish I had thought to ask about this earlier. We made love several times last night. I could be pregnant already, even though I’m not sure I’m prepared to lay an egg. That sounds even more painful than live birth.

Kiran cups my cheek and eyes me in concern. “Avery, your coloring has paled. What is wrong, my heart?”

“I—I don’t know if I can handle laying an egg, Kiran. I don’t know how that would work and—”

Kiran’s mother cuts me off by taking my hand. “We will have one of the Healers scan you. They are trained to treat all species in the Galactic Federation. Many other species give live birth like yours. Perhaps they will be able to tell if this will be the case with a fledgling created from your union.”

Oh, dear God, I hope so.

True to her word, Kiran’s mother sends for one of the Healers. They run a thorough scan over my body and confirm that I’m not pregnant. When I do conceive, however, I will not be laying an egg. I will carry our baby in my womb until it is born.

After the Healer leaves, Kiran wraps his arm around me as we sit together on the sofa. He turns and drops his forehead to mine. “I am glad your worries have subsided, but I’ll admit that I am a bit disappointed that you are not carrying our fledgling yet.”

I cup his cheek. “You want children so soon?”

He smiles. “I want everything with you, Avery.”

I press my lips to his and whisper against them, “I feel the same way.”

CHAPTER 26

AVERY

Kiran and I wave goodbye to his family and my sister as we head into the forest to begin his seven-day patrol. We will be guarding the Earth Guardians as they treat the sentinel tree that was damaged by our pod’s crash. Kiran says we can stay in the tree we first used for shelter, and I’m looking forward to that.

When we reach our tree, the moss is still a healthy green, having adhered to the wood. I turn to Kiran. “This is just like a honeymoon, you know.”

“Honey…moon?”

“A vacation married couples take after the wedding,” I explain.

He moves to my side and wraps his arms around me, tugging my body close to his. He leans down and whispers in my ear, “And what do humans do on this honeymoon vacation?”

I turn in his arms to face him. Stretching onto my toes, I twine my arms around his neck and smile against his lips. “They make love every single day.”

He arches a brow. “Only once a day?”

I laugh. Since our bonding ceremony, we’ve made love at least two or three times a day, sometimes more. My Elveron husband is insatiable and he’s made me crave his touch just as much.

Because I’m dressed in Elveron clothes, I’m wearing a top held up only by two thin straps over my shoulders and a skirt only slightly longer than the loincloth Kiran normally wears.

He bears me down to the floor. The moss is like a broad, plush mattress beneath us. One hand cups my breast while the other snakes up my thigh. He leans down and closes his mouth over the soft mound of my breast, laving at the already stiff peak. When he moves his fingers through my slick folds, the dual sensation is almost too much. A low moan escapes my lips as his thumb brushes over the sensitive bundle of nerves at the cleft.

It doesn’t take me long to reach my climax. I don’t have time to catch my breath before he fits the tip of his stav at my entrance.

“Forgive me,” he pants heavily. “I can wait no longer.”

I moan out his name as he pushes into me. The sensation of him filling my channel is so intensely delicious. He wraps his arms around my back and pulls me up to straddle him as he sits back on his heels.

He kisses me long and deep as he holds me in an almost crushing embrace, thrusting into me like a man possessed. Each stroke strengthens and deepens as he quickens his pace. When his stav seals over my cervix, the base expands as he knots inside my channel.

I fall over the edge again, triggering his climax in turn.

He roars my name as he finds his release, erupting deep inside me and filling me with his essence for seemingly forever. Finally, he kisses me passionately, curling his tongue around mine.

His green eyes meet mine as he brushes my dampened hair back from my face. “I think you are in the fertile period of your cycle,” he breathes against my lips. His stav is still knotted deep inside me.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I am desperate to have you. I feel more than simple desire.” He cups my breast and runs his tongue over the peak, eliciting a low moan from my throat. “It is an intense burning,” he mumbles around the gentle suction, driving me mad with desire.

My head falls back as he begins to thrust into me again, the sensation so pleasurable I’m already chasing another orgasm.

He cups my chin and tips my head to meet his. “I want to fill you with my seed until you carry our fledgling. Do you want this, my heart? Because if you do not, there is a tea that my people use to—”

I press my finger to his lips then replace them with my mouth, kissing him thoroughly. “Don’t stop,” I whisper. “I want you. I want everything with you.”

“Truly?” he asks, his eyes gleaming with the promise of love and joy.

“Yes.” I smile. “You are my heart and I am yours, my love.”

My words unleash something dark and primal within him. He makes love to me, bringing me to climax twice before he fills me again with his seed.

We lie tangled together for hours. When he finally pulls out of my body and tugs me close to his side, he takes my hand and entwines our fingers.

“I love you so much,” he whispers. “I used to pray every night that Iryan and the stars would bless me with a fated one. I never expected they would give me someone so perfect.” He reaches out to comb his fingers through my long, red hair. “And you are perfect, Avery. You are my heart.”

I smile, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. “I love you, too, Kiran.”

EPILOGUE

KIRAN

Warm light filters in from the window, casting an orange glow throughout the room. Avery is still asleep in my arms and although I don’t want to wake her, I cannot help but press a kiss to the curve of her bare shoulder.

She stirs, snuggling closer into my chest. My stav lengthens and extends from my mating pouch, pressing insistently against her backside. I hope she wakes soon because I am desperate to be inside her again.

I lean down and gently nuzzle her temple. She smells strongly of me now, more so than ever because she is carrying my fledgling. She worried it might not have functional wings to fly since she is wingless, but the Healer’s scans show that our fledgling will have wings just as strong and fully formed as mine.

My parents, of course, are thrilled beyond measure to welcome a grandchild. And I am happier than I’ve ever been.

Avery turns in my arms with a sleepy smile. “Good morning,” she whispers.

I rest my forehead against hers. “Good morning, my heart.”

Today, I am assigned to leave on patrol, but I do not know if the news that she is pregnant has changed her mind.

“Do you still wish to accompany me today?”

A stunning smile curves her lips. “Always.”

I pull her close and capture her mouth with mine. There is still time before we must leave. I plan to show her just how much I love her, now and forever.

Thank you for reading Saved by the Fae Alien! You can find more stories from the authors here (Jessica) and here (Jade). Don’t forget to sign up for Jade’s newsletter.

VERONICA SCOTT

TALINN

CHAPTER 1

Bailey Kingsmere went to sleep a happy woman. True she wasn’t sharing the bed with anyone and hadn’t been for a long time—never date co-workers was her rule—but this cruise of the Stellar Aurora luxury cruise liner was going well. The rumors had been true and a bigtime talent scout was sailing with them this trip and he’d been spotted in the audience at the review twice now. All the members of the ship’s entertainment section hoped and prayed to their deities the man would discover them.

Her dreams were no different, she suspected, than anyone else’s. To sing and dance in front of a huge crowd as the headliner, not the interchangeable chorus girl. To be the name on everyone’s lips. And not have to cruise in this quadrant ever again.

She was in the middle of a pleasant dream when a blaring siren rudely interrupted. Gasping, heart racing, she sat up in bed and stared around her cabin wildly.

“You must evacuate now,” said the ship’s Artificial Intelligence crisply over the com. “All crew and passengers are directed to the nearest lifeboat with no delay—”

The sound cut off abruptly and the entire ship shuddered. Bailey screamed and clung to the bed until the motion subsided. She got out of bed and ran barefoot to the door, which took a scarily long time to open. The corridor was empty, smoke drifting ominously from various vents. Where the seven hells is everyone? Did they leave without me?

Running back into the cabin, she threw on the previous day’s clothes and a pair of shoes, grabbing whatever was close to the bed with shaking hands. Who knew how much time there was before whatever disaster ended the Stellar Aurora’s voyage permanently? She tried to think what else she ought to grab but her mind was blank and she fled, leaving the cabin door open behind her.

The first lifeboat airlock was blinking red so the craft had already gone. Increasingly terrified, she headed for the next one, which had also been launched. Trying to remember the safety manual despite her terror, the knowledge there were individual lifepods on the next level came to her. She doubted anyone else would have gone there, as most people were too scared to launch themselves into space in such a tiny craft but clearly she must have slept through the early stages of the unknown catastrophe and her options were limited.

The air was getting harder to breath. Bailey ran to the passageway for crew only, leading to the lower decks, figuring the antigrav lift was a bad bet at this point. The ship shuddered around her again and she heard metallic bangs and creaks which added to her terror. As she emerged onto the next level, she fell but managed to crawl to a bolted-down rack and pull herself to her feet. Three of the personal lifepods were still attached to the ship and she wasted no time climbing into the closest one. The hatch was stubborn and she was screaming at it and cursing by the time it finally closed, sealing her in. She didn’t have time or enough calm left to even try to program the pod but simply flipped the switch for its rudimentary AI to take over and hit the big red launch button.

As she shot away from the cruise liner, she peered into the small vidscreen and saw the ship had sustained major damage of some kind. As she watched, there was a flare bright enough to blind her and the lifepod began to tumble end over end in response to whatever happened. Bailey closed her eyes, hung on tight and prayed to the Lords of Space to have mercy on her.

Eventually the AI regained control of the pod and evened out the flight. Bailey could tell a low level distress signal was broadcasting. She had no food or water so there was no choice but to activate the cryo sleep mode, which was supposed to sustain life until the AI detected a planet suitable for a human to survive and landed itself.

As she drifted off into cryo sleep, Bailey reflected bitterly on the turn her life had suddenly taken.

It was Talinn’s favorite time of the day, when the two harsh suns were setting and the first evening breezes had begun. The heat on which he thrived remained, but not at the intensity of earlier. His neck frill pulsed as he stood staring off into the Ganamilia Six desert. He’d survived another day. He had no idea how many years he’d actually been a prisoner here, smuggled out of the Khagrish lab where he’d been created and sold into slavery in an alien marketplace. He rubbed his chest as he often did, even after all this time mourning the loss of his pack bond, his link to all his Badari brothers. The sheer loneliness was the hardest thing to overcome.

Much more so than the harsh life he led, the endless combat he was forced to participate in or the other distasteful things done to him. Badari endured, it was what they’d been designed to do and he started over each day determined to make the goddess proud of him even if he had no idea why he’d been singled out by her for this grim existence.

Talinn suspected the head scientist’s deputy at the lab had been in on the scheme to fake his death and sell him offworld. His last session with her had been ugly, he’d refused pointblank to do what she wanted from him and her efforts to force him had gone seriously awry, resulting in considerable embarrassment for her. He was a marked man from that instant.

If I’d known she had the ability to send me off into this dreary life of a slave, would I have acted differently?

No.

Neither he nor the great reptilian alien predator woven into his DNA regretted resisting her demands but he’d expected a clean death and the promised afterlife.

“How much longer, Great Mother?” he asked softly, enjoying the sound of his own language.

He expected no answer but unaccountably the breeze brought him the perfume of the goddess’s purple flowers, which grew only in her grove of trees on his native world. Talinn took a deep breath and a cleansing wave of energy flowed through him, head to toe. Then the scent was gone as swiftly as it had come. He took the event as an omen and had a tiny flicker of hope in his heart. It was a tender shoot, because he’d had no real hope since his first day here but he clung to the belief the goddess had sent him a sign.

A bell rang in the camp behind him and he turned, squaring his shoulders. Dinner with the rest of Kalishka Duban’s fighters was never pleasant. The Kalishka often enjoyed flinging tidbits to the fighters himself from the royal dais, as if the men were dogs fighting for table scraps, which in some ways they were, Talinn admitted. He walked into the camp, exchanging polite greetings with the members of Duban’s tribe he encountered along the way, having decided long ago it was no use to be hostile to those who had as little power as he did. Only the Kalishka and his many family members enjoyed privileges, depending whether the individuals were in the tribal ruler’s favor or out of it at the moment. Everyone else lived to serve.

His worst fear was realized. Duban had decided to eat dinner with his string of seven alien fighters. Talinn slid into the last seat, hoping no one would make a point of his tardiness. Since the Kalishka was in the middle of telling a long, laborious and filthy joke, one of his favorites, none of the other fighters dared to interrupt, not even to take a dig at Talinn.

Any hopes he’d had in the beginning of forming an alliance or even having rudimentary comradery with these other sentients had been rudely dispelled. Duban maintained a set of seven, plus two alternates, sometimes changing out one fighter for a new one. He’d traded a few away during Talinn’s time, replacing them with new males. There were several other humanoids on the team, including one with feline characteristics and another with four arms and a prehensile tail, but even when fighting in a team event Talinn had to watch his back.

He was known to be a favorite with Duban and there was much jealousy. I’d rather not have this status with the owner, he thought bitterly as he ate, laughing at the required punchlines and applauding other tired stories. Just one more burden to bear.

The tribe was nomadic and wandered the Ganamilian desert endlessly, raising herds of various meat and milk animals, all of which moved with them. The clan met up with other tribes at certain set religious holidays and it was then the games would be fought by the aliens bought to provide the amusement. Combat wasn’t usually to the death but could come close and there were few rules. The prestige of each kalishka rode on the success or failure of his teams and Talinn had seen Duban personally execute a fighter who disappointed him in a key bout with a much hated rival clan.

“So, we’ll be in Kimsetta tomorrow,” Duban said with a jovial air. “Set for the festival and a week of bouts, with various prizes. I expect you all to rack up the points during the week’s events.” Duban was a massive sentient, standing a good two feet taller than Talinn’s own seven feet. He had a low center of gravity, most vital organs being compacted into an armored thorax supported by four feet. His body’s upper half was more humanoid, with a vaguely triangular head crowned by oversize ears and wispy white hair and two extra-long arms. The Ganamilians were strong enough to subdue even a Badari, as Talinn had learned to his regret early in his captivity, when he was punished for one of his escape attempts. He wished, as he often did, that the locals would fight amongst themselves and leave him and the other slaves out of it, but for the noble kalishkas, owning a string of offworld fighters, who did no other work and contributed nothing to the clan, was a highly visible symbol of their wealth and power.

As the caravan made its way into the city of Kimsetta, heading toward the neutral campgrounds where the nomad tribes were allowed to set up during the festivals, Talinn remembered vividly what he liked best about the place. The kalishka who ruled here was also revered as a minor deity by the nomad clans and no one would dare to defy him. This ruler enjoyed staging a special bout for all the visiting fighters. It was a kind of free for all with a stack of prizes, highly desirable items which of course had to be won by combat. But each year the kalishka would send his favorite wife or concubine to place a special golden token in the pile someplace and the fighter who found it was immediately set free, no matter who owned him.

Talinn had seen the token found and used twice and it had been endlessly amusing to him to observe how disconcerted the losing clan chiefs had been to give up their expensive fighters but the city ruler’s word was law. He magnanimously gave each freed fighter passage to the capital city, where there was a spaceport and a small packet of credits as a grubstake of sorts. Probably not enough to buy passage offworld outright but Talinn knew if he got that far, he’d find a way off the damn planet.

Where to go would be the question, since he had no idea where his home might be in the galaxy but anywhere would be better than here. He was a Badari, he was trained as an elite soldier before being smuggled out of the lab to be sold here, and there would be outfits in the stars needing a mercenary of his caliber. He harbored no foolish dreams of trying to find his place of origin but he was sure a better life existed out there in the stars.

Some years no one found the token in the huge pile of goods before time was called on the bout. It was hard to root through the stack and fend off everyone else. Some of the alien fighters didn’t care about the prizes at all and were happy to act as spoilers, initiating individual combat. Talinn always grew exasperated that he couldn’t even talk the other members of his own team into banding together to make an organized assault on the trove. The Ganamilians were too good at indoctrinating their enslaved fighters to only think of themselves.

Being from a tightly linked pack of genetically engineered brothers, Talinn had a hard time curbing his longing to be a part of something larger than himself again. Not on this damn planet.

Realizing he was rubbing his chest where the pack bond had always been anchored, Talinn grimaced and resumed working on his weapons. One of the clan’s women would bring his dinner soon enough and then another dreary day would be done.

CHAPTER 2

Bailey was confused and disoriented but after hours of throwing up and other indignities after she awoke from cryosleep, she comprehended what a terrifyingly bad situation she was in. She had no idea what planet the lifepod’s AI had selected for her and at least she could breathe the air but the locals were definitely not human stock. She had a hazy memory of stumbling away from the lifepod after it landed too hard and cracked open, spilling the cryo container, which promptly ejected her and ended its now useless existence with a shower of sparks. She was in a desert, no shade other than the tiny sliver provided by the broken lifepod.

Her next memory was being surrounded by a group of the planet’s residents, exclaiming over her, touching her, examining her clothing, such as it was. She was screaming and attempting to get away but the sentients were easily eight or nine feet tall and strong. None of them spoke Basic and it quickly became obvious she was their prisoner. No one molested her aside from the casual examination of her person and her clothes but it was quite clear helping her wasn’t on their minds. She represented a windfall of some sort to them and Bailey figured that couldn’t be good for her.

After that events were a blur. She’d been carried by some kind of beast of burden, there was a big encampment, and two or three females took care of her in a tent while she was sick.

And then the entire camp packed up and moved on, taking her with them.

Eventually, after several days of travel, the caravan arrived at a small city, much to Bailey’s relief. She’d assumed she could find help here but her captors bound her hands, wrapped her in smothering robes and took her to the biggest building in the city, where they handed her over to a different set of locals, with much bowing and scraping.

Now she was in a tiny dungeon, shackled at the ankles and wrists, with no idea what was to come next. She was sure the situation could and would get worse. The nausea and periods of dizziness from rapid cryo sleep interruption had grown less but she still didn’t feel normal.

Even as she had the thought, the door creaked open and one of the locals came in, stopping inside the door. He might be alien but she was pretty sure he was as disgusted by the smell as she was.

“I apologize for the accommodations,” he said in crisp Basic.

Ready to weep in relief, Bailey said, “Oh thank goodness. Can you get me out of here? I don’t know why I was taken prisoner or why I’m locked up. My cruise ship exploded and I escaped in a lifepod, which brought me here, wherever here is.” Her words trailed off as the other stood watching her with an impassive face.

“You’re on Ganamilia Six,” he said. “In the palace of the Kalishka Stuuard. The gods caused you to fall from the sky as a direct gift to his highness, to be used as he sees fit. The desert nomads who witnessed this miracle brought you to him as was appropriate and have been rewarded for their devotion.”

Staring at him in mixed horror and anger, she said, “No, you’ve got it all wrong. There was no miracle—it was a lifepod for star’s sake. I’m a citizen of the Sectors, I demand to be treated accordingly. If I could get to a com, I could get in touch with my employer, with the authorities—”

“Ganamilia Six isn’t in the Sectors,” he said, delivering the crushing information casually. “We subscribe to no such accords and live by the rule of our own gods.”

Sure she’d heard him wrong, Bailey could only repeat the astonishing announcement. “Not in the Sectors?”

“We are located in what you call the Hinterlands, I believe.”

“That’s not possible.” Her knees were weak and her head swam. Thinking about the faulty cryo sleep mechanism, she wondered if the damn lifepod’s AI had also been flawed and headed aimlessly into the galaxy. If what the official said was true, she must have been drifting for a long time. “I—I need to sit down.” There was a bench of sorts, which she gathered was to be her bed while she was here and she stumbled backward until her knees hit the edge and she collapsed. “But you speak Basic,” she said, searching for a straw of hope. “So there must be some contact between this planet and the rest of the galaxy. I just need to get in touch with someone offworld who can help me.”

He shook his head. “There’s one spaceport, at the capital city, where the Overarching Kalishka rules and administers justice and religious matters. I had the honor of serving in his palace for a few years and was required to learn this language in order to deal with business on his behalf. It’s your misfortune to have been found by one of our wandering tribes, who have no understanding of offworld technology. As a result you’ve become linked in the public’s mind with ancient legends. Your fate will be carried out accordingly. The kalishka’s hands are tied. His people expect you to fulfill the legend.”

She didn’t like the sound of that much. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Tomorrow you’ll become a gift from the kalishka here in accordance with the legends.”

“A gift for who?”

“The gods will decide.” He bowed his head for an instant and shifted his stance to leave.

“Wait, that’s it? That’s all? Aren’t you going to let me out of this cell? I need a bath, I need nourishing food—”

“You’re in the mandatory fasting period,” he said. “So you’ll be pure in mind and body tomorrow. Sleep well.” Giving the cell a sardonic once over, he left and the door slammed shut behind him.

“You can starve me and make me die of thirst, but my thoughts are going to be highly impure,” she yelled at the closed door. “I’m going to think of ways to get revenge from the afterlife on all of you!” Bailey leaned against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes. Useless bravado. She tried not to think about how long she might have been in cryo sleep in the damn lifepod. A long time if she’d ended up in the Hinterlands. Even if they’d let her use a com, there might not be anyone left to contact, no one who even knew her. She had no family and never really got close to her co-workers on the Stellar Aurora. Had any of them even survived?

It can’t get much worse than this.

Can it?

Weak from lack of food and dehydration, Bailey was led from the cell in the morning by several guards and handed off to a gaggle of female citizens, who quite efficiently scrubbed her hair and body clean and draped her in a few panels of silken fabric, which didn’t leave much to the imagination. As a performer she was used to wearing scanty costumes but then she was in control, it was her choice to wear what the show’s costume designer provided. Today, not knowing what was going to happen to her, she was deeply uncomfortable.

Her bath was overseen by a majestic female, adorned with jewels and scarves and wearing embroidered robes. This worthy inspected her when the others indicated they were finished and then nodded, clapping her hands as if in glee. The guard returned and bound Bailey’s wrists again. Walking behind the noblewoman, whoever she might be, Bailey and her escort emerged from the palace into the bright sun of the morning.

Stumbling and dazed, held upright by the guard’s tight grip, she found herself entering a version of an arena. There was an obstacle course of some kind filling half of the available space but her escort skirted that and made their way to a smaller space on the far side, where all kinds of treasures and mysterious packages had been heaped. Servants were still adding to the stack. In the center, on a raised dais, was an elaborately carved pole.

With a sinking feeling, Bailey realized the dais was for her. She attempted to rebel and struggled briefly with the guards but they easily overpowered her. She was carried to the dais and bound tightly to the pole, hands behind her back, ankles secured to the pole with thick leather straps. The noblewoman who’d overseen the entire process patted Bailey’s cheek and then she and her entourage withdrew.

Practically fainting with anxiety, Bailey waited, testing the bonds, which didn’t have an ounce of give to them. Are these awful people going to burn me at the stake? But the official said I was to be a gift. She wasn’t going to last long in the hot sun, as debilitated as she was. Blinking hard, trying to calm her pulse, Bailey couldn’t believe she was in the middle of some barbarous ritual on a primitive planet but the situation was all too real.

The arena seating was filling up fast with the locals.

Trumpets sounded and a group of richly dressed Ganamilians walked in and took their places in the best seats, as the crowd cheered and applauded. The nobles were accompanied by a small delegation of humans and humanoids and Bailey was outraged all over again that none of these dignitaries would intervene to help her. She didn’t care if she was being unreasonable but the fact these people intended to merely sit and watch whatever was going to happen to her unfold and do nothing was infuriating. The Hinterlands was worse than rumor had described it and this planet was clearly the gateway to hell.

The trumpets blared again and a crowd of men and aliens burst through the entrance to the enclosure and assaulted the obstacle course. Bailey stared in horror at the motley assembly, some already squaring off to fight. Obviously she was meant to be one of the prizes these jacked up, musclebound battlers could win today.

Moaning a little, Bailey struggled with her bonds again but the leather straps held her fast and all she succeeded in doing was dislodging the fabric panels in which she’d been swathed and revealing a lot more of her body than had previously been displayed. Collapsing against the pole at her back, she scanned the crowd to see who was nearest to her. Many were enmeshed in the obstacle course, delayed by fighting with each other, but several of the most determined were on the fringes of the giant prize pile. There was an utterly alien biped eyeing her as if she was to be his dinner, rubbing his mandibles against each other like a human licking his lips and several humanoids calling out crude remarks to her as they worked their way to get closer. Oddly, a few of the fighters weren’t paying attention to her at all but were digging through the boxes and loose ‘treasures’. One man hoisted a bag of coins with a triumphant yell and sprinted to the exit, followed by another who clutched a basket of feelgood bottles.

She wished they’d all ignore her but knew she’d have no such luck. Trying to summon her courage, Bailey pulled herself upright and vowed to fight as best she could, once one of the gladiators attempted to carry her off. It would be a futile, probably brutal struggle but she had to at least try. Maybe if she got free these people would give her freedom. Wasn’t there some rule about thumbs up or thumbs down in an arena? Could she fight hard enough to impress the jaded crowd in the distinguished guests’ area to earn mercy?

Head swimming, sick to her stomach, she watched the melee, averting her eyes as one humanoid with horns gored another insect-looking fighter to death. I’m not going to survive this. Lords of Space, let me die now.

While the fighters were penned up together before the bout, too close, everyone edgy, pushing, shoving and cursing, waiting to be allowed into the arena, Talinn staked out a place off to the side, marking his personal boundaries with snarls and glares at anyone who crowded him. He threatened one man with his deadly talons, although it was forbidden to fight before entering the formal killing space. He wondered what the delay was today. He couldn’t remember the preparation ever taking this long in years past. Maybe the favorite concubine is planting multiple freedom tokens. Yeah, right. He grinned at his own whimsy.

An unusual scent struck his nose, easily overriding all the other bodily odors of the crowd. Floral. Delicate. Enticing. Talinn wanted to follow the olfactory notes to their source and the intensity of his longing to do so was shocking to him. The closest he’d ever come to such an impulse was in the grove of the Great Mother on his home world, where her special flowers grew. But as he drew in another lungful of the perfume and savored the fragrance, it struck him that although floral this scent wasn’t related to the goddess’s blooms. There was a special spicy tang to the perfume which made his cock twitch and his pulse rise.

Irritated with himself because now was not the time to be distracted by some Ganamilian wearing too much perfume nearby, he flicked his talons in and out restlessly. The scent faded but he couldn’t regain his previous calm.

After a lot of loud cheering, which meant the city’s ruler had arrived with all his court and distinguished guests in tow, the gate was opened and the mass of fighters erupted into the arena. There were small stacks of prizes scattered around, for those men who didn’t care to risk themselves going for the true riches the kalishka laid out on the far side of the dangerous obstacle course. It was generally frowned upon to take the easy way out, although one year it was said the freedom token had been planted in the grab and go stacks. There were always men who opted for the simple, safe route.

Talinn headed straight for the obstacle course, using his Badari strength to leap to the top of the first barrier, a wall which was supposed to be difficult to climb. Not for him. He always fought barefoot in order to use the powerful claws he could deploy on his feet and he clung to the barrier with these daggers firmly dug into the soft wood. At the top, ready to leap to the next challenge—ropes hanging over a pit filled with acid-tinged water and predatory fish with fangs as big as his—he hesitated as the mysterious scent overwhelmed him again. A flash of color caught his eye and he turned his head to see what lay at the other end of the obstacles.

A human woman, bound to a pole and looking ready to collapse.

And she was his mate.

Talinn nearly lost his grip on the top of the wall where he balanced as the overwhelming, unexpected and unwelcome realization flowed through him. Now, of all inopportune moments, the goddess gave him a mate? One who had to be savagely fought for and then protected in this harsh place? What sin did I commit to bring this upon myself? Why does this woman have to suffer?

The beast wrapped around his DNA didn’t hesitate and launched them into the air toward the vines, which Talinn grabbed from pure instinct, swinging across the churning, stinking water with ease, even as another man slipped and fell to his death beside him. Landing neatly on the far side, Talinn made it two steps toward his objective when he was challenged by a Jorvathian, who’d decided to be a spoiler today, or who had been paid off to eliminate certain elite fighters. Talinn didn’t care which—he was in an immediate fight for his life, as the alien got a grip on his shoulder with its savage pincers and tried to inject him with poison from the tentacles wriggling obscenely on its carapace. Yes his system could fight off and neutralize toxins but not if too many flooded his body at once. Jorvathians could deliver a massive dose of their poison.

Talinn’s claws had been genetically engineered to pierce and rend super hard metals and materials used by the Sectors military, so he had no problem cracking open the Jorvathian’s bony chest plate and sending the fighter reeling away in his death throes. Without a glance, Talinn pressed onward, running the obstacle course as required because there was no other way to reach the main prize dais, where the woman was bound. Although he’d had an excellent head start, his brief hesitation when he saw the woman and realized what she was to him and the delay caused by the need to defeat the Jorvathian had allowed others to make up time on him.

He judged three to be actual rivals for the woman. Any one of the fighters was a deadly opponent, none would have her. Sprinting ahead at times, pausing as required to fight men or aliens who got in his way, working through the fiendish obstacles, Talinn extricated himself from the last barrier, a quicksand like bog with clinging carnivorous plant life and rose to his feet, shaking off the sparkling sands and crushing one stubborn tendril like a bug.

The woman didn’t look well and was plainly terrified. He caught her eye and nodded, even as he was moving into combat stance against a four armed alien he’d fought and bested before. The fighter was deadly with the curved knives it preferred and Talinn forced himself to concentrate on parrying the opening blows, waiting for his opportunity.

Bailey didn’t want to watch the chaos and bloodshed occurring in front of her but the sights were riveting in their horror and she couldn’t look away. Fighters from a wide variety of species thronged the arena, many struggling with the obstacle course, others battling each other fiercely. There were four who had her as their objective and the idea terrified her. One was completely alien to her eyes, insectoid, with scary-looking pincers, missing a few limbs, scarred across the face, utterly terrifying. She’d be a meal for it, there was no doubt in her mind.

Three were humanoid males although none was human. Her attention was drawn repeatedly to one who was quite handsome, although each time she checked, he seemed less human as scales spread over his body. Moving smoothly in the chaos like a giant predatory beast, he captured her attention every time she was brave enough to look at the fighters. He was battling with determination and each time she saw him looking at her, she felt a tiny shred of comfort, although why that would be, she had no idea.

Of the two remaining, one was quite feline to her eyes, with a cruel cast to its face. Shivering within the constraints of her bonds, Bailey hoped he didn’t win. The other fighter was greenish-blue, with stripes and a forked tail, and the face was straight from her worst nightmares, demon like, dominated by three diamond-shaped bulging red eyes. She shouldn’t be judging by appearances but the actions of these fighters were brutal. Even the one she favored, if such a word applied in this situation, was efficient about eliminating any who opposed him on his path to her dais.

He and the insectoid fighter clashed right in front of her, grappling and slashing at each other with abandon, gore and blood splashing the dais and her. While they were occupied, Bailey observed the demon like warrior and the cat man battling each other as well. She spared a contemptuous glare for the screaming crowd, reveling in the spectacle. Come down here and put yourselves in the middle of this horror and see how entertaining it is then.

A hand grabbed at her shoulder and she screamed, whipping her head around to see the cat man standing beside her, covered in blood and fumbling with the leather straps binding her wrists. “Leave me alone, get your paws off me,” she yelled. In the grip of sheer panic, Bailey tried to get away from him but was held fast to the pole.

“Get away from my mate,” the man bearing the reptilian scales said in a low, vibrant voice more effective than any shout as he moved to the other side of the pole.

“I got here first—she’s mine to fuck,” said the cat man without hesitation.

“Until she steps away from the pole, she’s any man’s to claim and I intend to have the pleasure,” the scaled warrior answered, springing forward as he spoke. Hands outstretched, huge brown claws sinking into the cat man’s shoulder, he yanked the other away from Bailey and hurled him off the dais, into the quicksand like pit.

Much as he longed to, Talinn couldn’t kill Pherzed, because they both belonged to kalishka Duban and there’d be severe punishment ahead if he dared to deprive Duban of one of his team without express permission. It would take the feline a few minutes to work his way out of the quicksand pit and no one else was a serious challenger for the woman.

Besides, he had team bouts to fight later in this damn festival and he didn’t want to be one man short. As he turned to deal with the woman, a flash of sunlight sparkled off an object on the dais, partially hidden under a stack of richly embroidered shirts close to the spot where the girl waited in her bonds, and he paused in disbelief.

It was the moon damned freedom token, right in front of him for the taking.

The world froze for an endless moment as he stared at the one path to freedom a man had in this hell.

Talinn closed his eyes for a nano second, despite the danger and cursed the Great Mother. He could not claim both prizes. No one was allowed more than one in this situation and the city’s kalishka enforced his sadistic set of rules quite harshly, including severing the hand of anyone foolish enough to try exiting the arena with more than one prize. Opening his eyes, he didn’t hesitate but moved to the pole to free his mate and rescue her from this set of dangers, although many more would lie ahead, for both of them.

Mouth open in astonishment and terror, Bailey watched in disbelief as her would-be rescuer stepped closer to her and slashed right through the sturdy leather bonds with the same talons he’d used to such good effect on his last opponent.

“You’ll be all right, I give you my word in the name of the goddess,” he said to her in crisp Basic, taking her in his arms.

Unable to stop trembling as he lifted her into the air, away from the pole, Bailey looped one arm around his neck. “I don’t—I can’t—please—”

“Ssh,” he said in a strangely sympathetic tone. “I have to acknowledge my gratitude to the kalishka for his gift—that would be you—and then I’ll get you out of this arena and tend to your needs. You’ve been amazingly brave. Can you try to hang on a few minutes longer?”

Afraid to even attempt speech, she blinked and dipped her head like a bird. Words were beyond her in her current state.

With her in his arms, the fighter leapt from the dais without a sign of impairment from either the wounds he bore or the ordeal he’d gone through to reach her. He strode easily to a position in front of the dignitaries’ box and bowed low to the most elaborately dressed Ganamilian, speaking in rapid syllables that made no sense to Bailey. She saw the male who’d spoken to her in the dungeon the night before smiling and clapping and if he was pleased then she could reasonably infer she’d satisfied whatever completely unknown requirements there’d been for her. Hopefully this was a good sign.

Then the fighter strutted across the arena to an open gate, nodding occasionally to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd. She guessed he was easily seven feet tall and well over three hundred pounds of pure, hard muscle. Being in his arms felt safe to Bailey. “Thank you,” she said as he crossed the threshold and left the arena. “Whatever comes next, I’m grateful to you for rescuing me from the others.”

He made no answer but paused briefly to grab a water flask from a nearby table and hand it to her, although he made no move to set her on her own feet. “You must be parched.”

“They wouldn’t feed me or give me water,” she said, fumbling with the cap. “I was told I had to fast to be ready for today.” She took a deep breath, forced herself to concentrate and stop trembling and managed to unscrew the top. The warm water inside was like nectar on her cracked, sore lips and dry mouth.

Her rescuer uttered a stern warning. “Drink slowly, tiny sips.”

Obeying him was next to impossible, given her raging thirst, but she took another big swallow and paused to ask, “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to my tent, in the camp of Duban, my owner. We’ll figure out next steps from there.”

He seemed tireless, walking through crowds of people thronging the site. Bailey tried to ration herself on the water but she’d probably swallowed too much anyway and nausea swamped her. Sharp stomach cramps roiled her belly and she contorted in his arms. Try as she might Bailey couldn’t stop the world from spinning. She leaned her head against the rock hard muscles of his chest and closed her eyes, unable to fight any longer. The world went dark and she passed out.

CHAPTER 3

In a way Talinn was relieved to realize the woman, whose name he still didn’t know, had lost consciousness. He wasn’t ready to enter into any long conversations with her about their entwined future. The adrenaline of the arena rode him, he was fighting his own reaction to her soft curves resting in his arms and his emotions were all over the place. The beast inside was eager to claim her as their mate, which created other problems but Talinn had no intention of violating his goddess’s commandments, no matter how desirable the woman might be.

When he finally reached his small tent, he laid her on the mat and arranged the pillow under her head, wishing he had better accommodations to offer her. Drawing his thin blanket over her barely clad body, he shook his head at the totally unexpected turn of events the day had taken. Sitting beside her, he studied her face, which was tired and drawn but sweet to his eyes. Her hair was a light brown, shot through with strands of gold, curling slightly. He ran his fingers through the loose tendrils, savoring the silken texture. Giving in to impulse, he sliced off one errant curl with his talon and tucked it away in a compartment on his belt.

From now on he’d be fighting for both of them, not merely himself.

Talinn was angry and if truth be told, a little afraid. His mental armor, his approach to surviving in this place was in serious jeopardy. Figuring out how to live as a solo individual rather than a member of a pack of brothers had been painful and he’d learned to maintain an emotional shield, which she’d now penetrated through no choice of his or hers. What was the goddess thinking? How could he be responsible for another life? For a mate? He had no power here, no one he could trust, no future. And now this lovely creature was condemned to share his path, to depend on him.

What if she hates me?

It wouldn’t matter. He’d do everything in his power to keep her safe.

A shadow fell across the entrance to the tent and he leapt to his feet, talons deployed, ready to do battle if anyone threatened his mate.

He sheathed his claws and bowed low to the one individual he did respect and trust in this place, the Matriarch of the clan. No one among the team of fighters knew if she was Duban’s mother or his grandmother or his wife or no relation at all but simply the oldest living female. She had immense, informal power and was the only person who could and did say no to Duban and make the ruling stick. She rarely exercised this power, however, preferring to remain cloistered for the most part with a group of younger Ganamilians who sought her considerable knowledge.

“You honor me with your presence,” Talinn said in Ganamilian and meant every word.

She made the gesture of approval and looked past him to eye the unconscious woman. “You won a strange prize today, one perhaps too delicate for our existence in the desert.”

“I must agree with you, honored one, but it was the will of my goddess. I couldn’t leave her to another or allow her to be mistreated further.”

“She isn’t well,” the elderly female said, advancing into the tent as he moved aside.

“She was kept without food or water for at least a day and a night,” Talinn said. “And then she drank too much water on the way here—my fault entirely—and made herself sick. And then she fainted. I fear being forced to stand bound to the pole in the hot sun while we fought over her was also too much. Humans are fragile.”

“Agreed.” The ancient female gestured to her companions, who Talinn recognized as a young healer and a maidservant of the clan. “These two will watch over her and take care of her for the rest of today. You have duties elsewhere.”

“I know. I was trying to figure out what to do. She obviously needs care and I have to be back at the arena for two more fights but I can’t leave her alone, unprotected. And if she awakens and I’m not here to explain anything about what’s going on—” That worried him almost more than the idea of leaving her unguarded for any other man to steal or molest. There were certain rules the outworlders enslaved by the clan had to adhere to or face punishment and he didn’t think his prospective mate could endure what Duban would deal out, even for innocent infractions.

“She is under my protection,” the matriarch said, touching the woman’s forehead lightly. “At least for the rest of today. As I have said, my people will care for her and watch over her until your duties as a fighter are completed.”

Talinn studied the two young Ganamilians a bit dubiously, not that he was going to have any choice in the matter. “If she awakens she’ll be frightened, disoriented,” Talinn said in warning, trying to think of all the contingencies. He wanted to curse long and hard at his own inadequacy for the responsibility the goddess had given him. And what if she tried to escape? The crime was punishable by death.

“All will be well,” the elderly female said with her glacial calm and he found he believed her. “Both speak at least a little Basic and won’t leave her, nor will they allow her to wander. As for you, I require your escort to return to the arena now.”

She actually didn’t need anyone’s help, as she was venerated and respected among all the affiliated clans gathered here for this festival but he appreciated the cover she was providing for him. If he was in her company, no one would dare to criticize his absence from the arena, which had stretched on far too long. He wasn’t late for the next bout—yet—but Duban wasn’t a trusting person and had a short temper. The kalishka also was probably impatient to speak to him about the ‘prize’ he’d fought for and won.

“It will be my honor to serve,” he said, bowing and making his best effort at the Ganamilian gesture of respect.

She spun on her heel and walked away without another word. Talinn took a quick look at his newly won, possible mate, grabbed the weapons he’d need for the team event and hurried to catch up. The matriarch was silent as they walked. He was unsure what earned him her respect and limited assistance but he believed it was because early in his captivity he’d saved a child from a lethal bite by one of the deadly desert snakes. He’d snatched the child up with his Badari reflexes and as a result the snake had bitten him. The venom was unpleasant and he had a few hours of misery before his indomitable immune system threw off the poison but the child would have died in utter agony. Even though he hated being a captive with every fiber of his being, he loved children as all Badari did and wouldn’t stand idly by if one was threatened.

The revered elder had shown him and the clan subtle indications of her favor ever since the incident, although he never presumed upon the situation.

They met Duban and several of his guards on their way to find Talinn and the matriarch quelled the kalishka’s wrath effectively with her flat statement about requiring the fighter’s escort.

“Of course, honored one. I’m delighted to have one of my stable of warriors step in to perform the service,” Duban said, although Talinn could tell the kalishka was angry under his polite exterior. “We’ll talk later, outworlder, after the day’s fighting is concluded.”

“As you wish.” Talinn had given up years ago on trying to maintain a defiant edge in his encounters with the being who owned him. There was no point and his energy was much better conserved for a day when he might have the opportunity to escape. Although, with a fragile human mate attached to him now, escape might be even more of a delusional dream.

Still a man had to have hope.

When Bailey opened her eyes, she stared at the canopy of a small, blue striped tent. Gazing around her, she saw an old frayed carpet covering the ground beside the sleeping mat where she now lay. An immense man sat in the entrance of the tent, his back to her. He was intent on his task, cleaning old fashioned weapons. There was a complicated oil lamp in the center of the tent, providing a flickering cozy light, and several covered dishes sat on the rug beside the lamp.

Bailey took a deep breath and braced herself. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

The man set down the weapons and turned to her. She gasped for he was much more handsome than she remembered, although the lamplight shone off subtle scales on his cheeks, arms and muscular chest. Rising, he crossed the few feet between them, squatting by the sleep mat where she sat. Bailey reached out to touch his shoulder lightly. “You’re wounded. Did that happen when you fought to rescue me?”

With a laugh he shook his head. “I’ve been in two more bouts today, since freeing you and bringing you here, to my tent. While you slept, I’ve been busy.”

“Shouldn’t you see the healer?” But as she took a closer look, she saw the edges of the gash were closing by themselves, the angry red color of the skin fading.

“I’ll heal—my kind always does.” He extended his hand. “We didn’t introduce ourselves, did we? I’m Talinn, senior soldier of the Tzibir pack of the Badari, on my own planet. Here I’m a fighter on the kalishka’s team, nothing but a slave.”

“Bailey Kingsmere, singer and dancer from the Stellar Aurora. “They shook hands formally and her nerve endings tingled at his touch. This Talinn was striking, his voice set off vibrations deep in her core and she suspected she was in trouble when it came to him. She’d never been so immediately and strongly attracted to a man, especially not a total stranger. He wore only a pair of loose cotton trousers and the muscles on display on his upper body and abs were impressive.

“How in the seven hells did you end up on this planet at the end of the galaxy?” he asked. Holding up a hand before she could say anything, he added, “Wait, sorry, I’m being rude, first things first. I’ve forgotten everything I ever knew about manners. The servants brought dinner a while ago and I set your portion aside. It’s actually not bad food. Do you think you can eat? You’re going to need your strength to survive here.”

She considered the question. “My stomach’s settled down after sleeping off the stress of the morning.”

He brought her a rough clay plate filled with an appetizing meat stew, including vegetables, and a big piece of bread on the side. He juggled a canteen as well and handed her the offerings.

Discovering she was amazingly hungry, Bailey dug into the meal and related her tale of being on a cruise liner about to blow up, escaping in a lifepod and then waking up after the crash on this planet. “So what happens next? What kind of crazy place is this and how do we get out?”

Talinn sipped the hot drink he’d made for himself while she recited her story and shook his head. “There’s no escape and it’s best not to even mention the possibility. I tried to run, more than once, early in my captivity and was always caught and punished.” He shrugged. “I’m tough, I can take being tortured for the error of my ways, but the repeated attempts showed me there was no realistic way out.” Gesturing at the tent’s opening, he said, “The entire planet is pretty much desert, with a few lakes and oases. A puny mountain range to the north somewhere. Trackless, endless miles and miles of hostile nothingness. I was trained as an elite soldier in my previous life but there’s nothing to work with here.”

Remembering a detail from earlier in the day which had infuriated her at the time, she said, “But there were outworlders at the arena today. Humans. I saw them. Can’t we get help? I know we’re not in the Sectors—”

“Not even close.” Talinn was openly amused at the mere idea. “Surely you were told we’re in the hinterlands somewhere?”

“Yes and I’d like to give the manufacturer of my lifepod a piece of my mind,” she said in mock outrage, determined to maintain a strong façade, although the conversation was depressing. Pretending to be upbeat and optimistic usually got her through most crises although this present situation was a doozy. “How the AI managed to get me all the way out here instead of landing on a nice Sectors planet the way it was supposed to, I’ll never understand.”

“You must have been drifting for a long time. I don’t know the galactic date or I’d tell you although I’ve found the best way to survive here is not to think about the years passing.”

Horrified by the mere idea of such captivity, she gasped. “Years? How long have you been here then?”

“No idea. I’m not human,” he said, giving her a sideways glance.

“No kidding.” Greatly daring, unable to resist even a tiny reason to touch him, Bailey traced her fingertip over his rock hard biceps, following the intricate outline of the faintly shimmering scales. A frill deployed at the back of his neck, pulsing subtly and although she was fascinated, she didn’t think the time was right for discussing their physical differences. “I don’t care. Listen, can we skip over the getting to know you stuff at least for now and can you give it to me straight?” As he tilted his head and studied her with one eyebrow raised in a silent question, she swallowed hard and forced herself to continue. “I mean, the suspense here is killing me. Why did you rescue me? Do I belong to you now? Are you—are you going to expect to be um rewarded tonight for your gallantry?” She hadn’t intended to say all those things in a rush or maybe even at all but once she started, she couldn’t stop.

“My people believe in a goddess, the Great Mother, who gave us commandments to live by. Once I saw you and knew what the Ganamilians intended, there was no choice for me but to rescue you. We Badari are sworn to defend those who are weaker.” He checked her reaction, his expression pensive. “If Pherzed or one of the others had won you, then yes, you probably would have been assaulted by now. I give you my word not to lay a hand on you unless it’s by mutual agreement.” Now he was the one who couldn’t stop talking. “I believe you’re my fated mate but the goddess also decrees the choice of a mate lies with the woman and I’ll honor her law.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw and Bailey realized how tightly the fighter was controlling his emotions despite his easy going façade and matter of fact tone.

“I don’t understand much of all this but thank you for putting my mind at rest for now,” she said gently. The contrast between this man and the others who’d tried to win her was astounding. Bailey sent a quick prayer of thanks to the Lords of Space. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful but I never believed in the fated mate concept.”

Talinn shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not sure I did either until today. When I saw you, the emotions crashed over me and I couldn’t deny the truth. I was angry, to be perfectly honest. It’s hard enough to manage my own life here, let alone try to protect a mate, but I’m not sorry I was there to help you. I wish the goddess would reveal why she brought us together and I wish she’d help us escape. You don’t deserve the life you’re about to embark upon.”

“Did you?”

He rose and refilled his cup of the hot beverage. She waved away his unspoken offer of more for her. “Depends who you ask, I guess. I already told you I’m not human. Actually I was genetically engineered by alien scientists on a world probably millions of light years away from here. My people are kept as lab animals, you see.”

She gasped, unable to believe such a thing. “How cruel.”

“I managed to upset one of the scientists and I believe she faked my death and had me smuggled off the world to be sold. I was bought and sold several times in fact only to end up here, to become a fighter in Kalishka Duban’s stable. And here I’ve been ever since.” He rubbed his chest as if his heart pained him and hers stuttered in sympathy. “This is a primitive world with a thin veneer of civilization for the uppermost classes only,” he said, sitting cross legged beside the mat. “Any free outworlders you see are here by express invitation and don’t venture beyond the two or three largest cities and the mining areas in the north. My guess is there’s renewed interest in mineral rights on Ganamilia and various offworld factions are courting the influential kalishkas. So no one is going to offend their hosts by protesting anything they see. Certainly not mistreatment of nameless slaves like us. There’s one spaceport, a small one. I saw it when I was brought in to be sold. The majority of the people live in roving nomadic clan groups, ruled by kalishkas. We happen to belong to Duban. I’d say he falls in the middle somewhere, not strong enough to rule a city, but several levels above the poorest clans. He has alliances and relatives who are powerful and uses those connections. He rules absolutely here in this camp. If he wants either of us or both of us dead, we’re done for. You have to tread carefully around him, Bailey. He’s not pleased to have another mouth to feed, he wasn’t happy I put him in this situation where I—a slave of no account—now own another slave, but he was lapping up the praise from the kalishka who offered you as a prize, and all the other nobles who run fighting stables. I think we’re on a knife’s edge with him right now. He values my skills as a fighter.” Talinn flashed the huge lethal talons he’d used in the arena and Bailey tried not to flinch at the sight. “I have advantages the other fighters lack and so far I’ve more than held my own.” Pointing at his shoulder, Talinn added, “Healing fast also gives me an edge.”

Heart pounding in her chest, Bailey forced herself to ask the next question. “What do you think he’ll do with me?”

“I have no idea. We have to hope for the best. Be respectful and deferential to any of the Ganamilians and especially to the women. Females have informal power in the clans.”

The suggestion made a lot of sense to her. “Got it. Genuflect and paste a humble expression on my face. I took acting lessons—I can do that.” Bailey set her plate on the rug. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Talinn polished off the remnants of her meal with gusto and then took all the plates outside the tent in a basket. When he stepped inside and closed the flaps, he said, “I’m sorry to be the bearer of so much bad news tonight, but it’s best you understand the situation.”

“I agree. Feel free to tell me anything you think I need to know.”

“I’ve probably said enough for one night.” His smile was charming. “But you’re still talking to me, so I must not have been too offensive.”

“Hey, you’re not offensive to me at all,” she said. “Quite the contrary. I’m trying to take it all in though. This whole thing is a nightmare and I’m having trouble believing it.”

“It’ll seem real enough once the clan moves out after the festival is over. Slaves don’t get to ride, we walk.” His tone was apologetic but matter of fact.

“Good thing I’m a dancer then. Strong legs.” She patted her thigh and saw his appreciative glance. Studying the fabric covering her body, which was a soft cotton like material with a subtle pink and tan pattern woven into it, she was pleased. Practical and modest. Just the thing for a woman rescued from a stake in the arena. Reflecting on her pleasantly full stomach, Bailey said, “At least Duban doesn’t try to starve us. That was a good dinner.”

Talinn shrugged. “I’m a fighter and require a high protein diet to stay in shape to win the bouts for him. When it comes to the maintenance of his stable, he’ll do what’s required. As long as we produce wins for him.”

“No pressure.”

“None.” Talinn’s grin was infectious and Bailey decided she liked his attitude.

“What happens tomorrow? More fights?” she asked.

He shook his head and frowned. “In the morning Duban has to attend religious ceremonies in the city. In the afternoon he and all of us fighters have to be at a reception of sorts. The kalishkas and the outworlders get to look us over. Sometimes deals are made and men are swapped.”

Alarmed, Bailey said, “But not you, right? This Duban character wouldn’t trade you away, would he?”

“Who knows? He’d have to send you with me.” Talinn touched the back of her hand in a reassuring gesture. “The city kalishka would be upset otherwise. I won you, not Duban. But no, he’s never shown an inclination to trade any of his top fighters actually. As long as I stay nimble, I’m years away from becoming trade bait.”

Bailey was sure there was more Talinn wasn’t choosing to tell her but decided she’d had all the information she could handle for one day. “And I do what? Sit in your tent, twiddle my thumbs and wait?”

“I’m sorry—I’m sure you’re used to being active, what with dancing being your career but until we know more of how Duban intends to proceed, you should keep a low profile.”

“No problem. I have aches and pains from the crash landing and more on top of those from the way I was mistreated. A day of peaceful rest sounds good, especially if we’re going to be on the move the day after.” The memory of the feline alien rose in her mind’s eye and she shuddered. “Will I be safe?”

“You should be. All the fighters will be with me and the Ganamilians have no reason to bother you. We don’t matter much to them. In fact, there’s a certain amount of resentment because we don’t contribute to the clan’s survival and we have to be fed and our clothes washed, etcetera.”

“Oh this is a great situation the defective lifepod dropped me into,” she said. “I’m keeping a running total in my head for when I get home and can sue the manufacturer for my suffering.” Laughing to show she was teasing, Bailey thought Talinn was her first stroke of luck since whatever had happened to the Stellar Aurora out there in the spacelanes.

“There’s a few hours of evening left before we should put out the lamp and turn in,” he said. “The Ganamilians have a lot of rules to live by, proscribed by their religious beliefs, or so I’ve been told. We have to comply as well, although they don’t require us to worship their gods, just to obey the rules. Punishment can be harsh.”

“I trust you to keep me safe. So, what are we going to do to while away the evening? I’m guessing a stroll on the dunes to show me the moons and making a run for it isn’t an option.”

Talinn shook his head and rose to rummage through a battered leather satchel. “I keep my personal possessions in here, not that I have much. Duban occasionally rewards a fighter with some of the local money and I’ve bought a few things.”

Bailey was curious what he was going to show her but wasn’t prepared for the battered deck of cards he carried to the sleeping mat and began shuffling. “My people are fiends about card games,” he said, executing a few truly impressive moves, cutting the deck, doing a ribbon spread on the rug and then flipping the cards in a wave, gathering them up again so fast she could hardly see the moves, and shuffling them. He spun one card on a fingertip, making her dizzy as the pattern on the back rotated. “I found these in a marketplace at one stop we made and although they’re nothing like the ones I had at home, I’ve managed to adapt a few of the games.”

“I think I won’t be much of a challenge for you,” she said frankly. “But sure, it’ll pass the time.”

“I can’t tell you what a luxury it is to me to have someone to play against at all. I grew tired of playing the singleton style games or against myself long ago. We can start with an easy game and work our way up. We don’t even have to make bets at this stage.” He dealt as smoothly as he’d done the previous moves, explaining the rules and the points to her.

The evening became more unreal to her by the minute, sitting cross legged on the sleeping mat in the lamplight, playing cards with this big, handsome alien man, laughing and teasing each other a little. A watchful part of her mind stood aside, muttering warnings this was all too good to be true but Bailey felt at ease with Talinn and really, what else was there to do? She was relieved he didn’t want sex as a reward for saving her, wasn’t she?

The fact he was gorgeous, with the faintly visible scales only enhancing the outline of his muscles, and smart and funny as well, certainly helped her relax and possibly even enjoy herself, It was so much better than the dungeon where she’d sat cold, thirsty and terrified the night before, or the terrible time when the nomads who’d captured her were bringing her into the city. Talinn was so eager for her company, even in such a vanilla activity as playing cards, which was a bit endearing to her. Eventually though she couldn’t stop yawning.

“I don’t know why I’m so damn tired,” she said, annoyed with herself. “I had all that cryo sleep, years of it maybe and then I slept away most of today after leaving the arena.”

“Stress accumulates,” Talinn said as he gathered the cards and replaced the deck in his personal carryall. “You can’t discharge it all in a single session of sleep. Your mind has to process and work through what happened.”

“I hope I don’t have nightmares.” She watched as he closed the tent flap and straightened the rug. “I keep seeing those other males trying to capture me in the arena today and it’s awful.” With a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself and rocked on the mat.

Talinn came to her, his face serious. “May I?” He indicated the mat and she patted the surface in invitation. Once he was beside her, he folded her into his arms, setting her on his lap and hugging her close. “I’ll be right here and if you dream, I’ll awaken you. We can fight the bad memories together, I promise. We’re a team, yes?”

Leaning on him calmed her tremors, although the distrustful, watchful sentinel in her head worried this was a prelude to the sex he’d promised not to seek tonight. His cock lengthened and pulsed against her, becoming a hard rod impossible to overlook, but Talinn made no move to touch her in a lascivious manner.

“Only the comfort of a friend or a comrade,” he said as if reading her mind. “I offer nothing else unless you request it of me.”

“Thank you.” Deciding she was pushing the boundary for both of them, Bailey slid off his lap, the fighter releasing her without comment and adjusting his loose trousers as he rose. “Is it time to sleep then?”

“We should. The kalishka has set a curfew for the camp even though right now we’re at the city, not out in the wastes. The night guards will come lecture us if they see the light. Again, I don’t want to attract attention if we can help it.”

He didn’t sound overly concerned by the prospect but the last thing Bailey wanted was any contact with anyone in a position of authority. “By all means, turn out the light.” She looked around at the small tent space. “Where are you going to sleep?”

“I’ll curl up on the rug,” he said with a careless gesture at the floor.

The idea sounded uncomfortable to Bailey and she evaluated the sleep mat behind her. Swallowing hard, she said, “We could share, if you’d like.” Shaking a finger at him and smiling, she added playfully, “No funny stuff though.”

“Of course not. As I said earlier, the goddess decrees the choice is entirely up to the woman.” Talinn seemed offended at her admonition but he didn’t refuse the offer either. He snuffed the flame in the lamp and came to the sleeping mat. “I need to sleep in front,” he said. “In case anyone seeks to enter the tent. I can protect you more efficiently this way.”

The idea sounded terrific to Bailey so she scooted back, accepting the blanket he handed her. It was a bit cramped with two of them on the mat but having Talinn between her and the entrance to the unknown and terrifying new world she’d fallen into created a sensation of safety. Closing her eyes, she expected to remain awake for a long time, given the way her last few days had gone, but in a few minutes she slid into a dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER 4

Benet Arencollo, Special Envoy from the Five Systems, straightened his suit jacket, specially made for him to accommodate his muscular physique from years in the arena and threw his shoulders back as if he was going into combat. He’d expected to have nothing to do on this junket other than attend speeches and events and watch a lot of primitive fights. So far he’d been correct in his assumptions, although some of the fighting had been of a surprisingly good quality. But even there, where he’d usually be keeping an eye open for suitable talent to acquire for the House of Badari or its farm teams, he’d been informed the Ganamilians never sold any of their fighters to outsiders, only to each other. Once a man or other being was brought to the planet to fight, he never left.

This afternoon, however, he had one objective. He was determined to meet the fighter who’d caught his eye during two events yesterday and confirm his own suspicions. Although the man bore some resemblance to Kyden, the Master of the gladiatorial House in size and general looks, he had scales and enough other differences to raise a question in Benet’s mind. Before he contacted Kyden he wanted to have his facts lined up.

Luckily the next hour was set aside for the distinguished guests—one of which was him, which privately amused Benet—to mingle with the elite fighters who’d done well in the arena, and their masters.

Not being all that noteworthy as a dignitary, not compared to some of the other people on the junket who were minor nobility, government officials and one House Master of a smaller franchise, Benet managed to work his way through the crowd without too much trouble and reach the man he sought, who was standing alone to the far side of the area designated for his owner’s ‘display’ and glowering. Not many people ventured close to him, but chose instead to cluster around his team mates.

Benet understood. He’d been subjected to this type of event as an enslaved gladiator many times and it was uncomfortable and reminded a man sharply he was a slave. He saw the fighter watching him as he approached, sizing him up as if the two men were going to meet in the arena. Extending his hand, Benet said, “I’m Benet Arencollo, second in command of the House of Badari in the Five Systems. Pleased to meet you and offer my congratulations on your performances yesterday.”

The fighter betrayed a moment of shock when Benet mentioned the name of the House, but if he hadn’t been used to evaluating opponents for the subtle hints of how they were going to try to kill him in the arena, Benet would have missed the fleeting sign. The other kept himself under tight control, locked down.

“Talinn.” They shook hands and the fighter’s grip was firm.

“Listen we’re only going to have a minute at best before someone interrupts us, so I need to know, are you a Badari?” Benet added the only phrase of the Badari language he knew, one of Kyden’s favorite sayings, which translated in Basic into “as the Great Mother commands”.

Blinking hard, Talinn hesitated. Eyes narrowed, he studied Benet’s face. “You aren’t Badari, no matter the name of your fighting House.”

“What Generation are you?” Benet asked, keeping his voice low. He had to have some shred of information to give Kyden before his friend dropped everything to fly out here in an attempt to rescue a member of his species. He was aware the generation designation their alien scientist creators had given them was an important signifier to Kyden.

Although he seemed nonplussed to be asked, Talinn spit out his answer in a crisp syllable. “Six. But you—”

“I know some guys who can help you. Seven hells, they’ll move the planet to get you out of here, but we can’t do anything right now. I don’t have enough men I can trust with me,” Benet said, frustrated. “Finding another Badari here wasn’t on the list of anyone’s expectations for this trip.”

Talinn’s jaw dropped in a rare display of astonishment. “Another? There are more like me?”

“Not like you exactly,” Benet said, “But Badari.”

“The master approaches,” Talinn said, flicking a glance over Benet’s shoulder.

“Tell me where you’ll go when you leave the city?”

“Usually we head north, to the oasis of Mabibbi but we’ve also been known to go west to Chantong. The master leads a nomad clan—”

Talinn’s desperate flow of information was abruptly cut off as Kalishka Duban joined them, eyeing them both suspiciously, Benet thought. “I was telling your man here how much I liked his technique when the others surrounded him yesterday,” he said to the owner, turning and smoothly changing the subject. “I’ve been in that situation myself in the arena a few times and it can get tricky.”

“Yes, I have a well-trained team,” Duban said. “Allow me to introduce you to the others, lest Talinn get too much praise and suffer an ill-advised rise in his already healthy ego. I don’t need my men fighting amongst themselves for the attention of a notable individual such as yourself, honorable sir.”

Benet was forced to allow Duban to steer him away from Talinn, although he was full of questions and making plans on the fly. Nothing could be done right now.

Talinn was too well trained by the life in the Khagrish labs to stare after the mysterious Five Systems gladiatorial envoy or display any other interest in the man. Inwardly, a storm of emotions was raging. Hearing even a fragment of badly accented Badari spoken after all these years was like rain in the deserts he traveled with the nomads between bouts. Benet had to know at least one Badari to have acquired the phrase. And he knew about the Generations. Could there be other Badari out there somewhere who’d been sold out of the lab and into slavery as he’d been?

Fiercely he berated himself for allowing even a sliver of hope into his heart. Benet had been clear there was nothing he could do in the immediate future and by tomorrow the clan would be on the move, back out into the trackless wastes. Even if the caravan did arrive at one of the destinations he’d given Benet, rescuing him—and Bailey because he wouldn’t go without his mate—would be a major operation. There’d be interstellar repercussions as well, or so he assumed, and obviously the Five Systems currently wanted to be on the good side of Ganamilian leadership. Stealing a prized fighter away from a kalishka would undoubtedly be frowned upon. The messier the rescue became, the worse the fallout.

He’d take the chance if it was offered of course but he’d better not let himself dream about the possibility. Would he tell Bailey? He’d have to contemplate the question and not rush into confidences. She didn’t have a need to know right now.

Not too much later his owner circled back to him, as Talinn had expected he would, and demanded to know what the offworlder had said. Talinn had his cover story ready, about the man’s fascination with the talons and fangs and a lot of puffery about the superiority of Duban’s entire team. The kalishka relaxed, clapping Talinn on the shoulder and allowing what passed for a Ganamilian expression of pleasure to settle on his jowly face.

“Very good. You handled the conversation well then. These strangers will go home with the proper respect for us.”

The next three days were the happiest in Talinn’s life. He’d been alone for so long, shorn of his pack bond, placed in the midst of enemies, that having a companion was heady stuff. As the long caravan of Duban’s people lumbered through the desert on their way to the next destination, he and Bailey walked and shared stories from their respective pasts. He picked and chose what to talk about from his own grim life as a genetically engineered being in the Khagrish labs, but there had been good times on occasion, when the pack was set loose in the Preserve and allowed to roam within the enclosure.

Bailey talked of her childhood in a colony on the edge of the Sectors, which had obviously been a hard life. She was orphaned early when an unknown plague tore through the small human population but she was a survivor like him. “I figured out as a kid how much people enjoyed watching me sing and dance,” she said. “I could have gone to college or the Star Guard Academy when I was old enough, being a colony orphan, but none of that was for me.” She stretched and did a quick sequence of dance steps for him, lithe and limber and so graceful. “I took the paid tuition benefit and studied at an academy of the performing arts on one of the Hub planets but as soon as I could I auditioned for a dance troupe on a luxury space liner and I never looked back.”

He tried to imagine a life aboard a ship, doing what she presumably loved and was good at. “Did you have further goals or was being on the ship the desired end state?”

“Oh no.” He loved her laugh, which was throaty and invited him to share the amusement. “It was a stepping stone. The entertainment business is hard, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” She stopped, eyes wide and covered her mouth for a moment. Resting one hand on his arm, she said, “I’m sorry, obviously your life was truly hard, being in the labs and then here. I didn’t mean to minimize your experiences.”

Happy for any excuse to touch her, he squeezed her hand gently. “No problem, no offense given or taken. We each have our own mountains to climb. Please, go on with the story.”

“Without connections, it’s difficult to get beyond the lowest levels but one of the places to be discovered is on these luxury cruise liners. I wanted it all—I wanted to be one name famous, to sing and dance for huge crowds, to be in trideos as the star.” Bailey had been making grand gestures to illustrate her points but now she stopped, swallowed hard and walked in silence for a few yards. “I had a chance too. There was a big name talent scout on the ship for what became our final, interrupted voyage. I wonder if he even survived? But he’d been to watch the show several times and the rumor was he’d asked the captain to allow some of us to audition for him on our day off. I guess now I’ll never know if I could have made it.”

Talinn’s heart ached for her and he wished there was a way for him to give her what she desired but of course first they’d have to escape the current situation and get off the planet.

He’d noticed Bailey didn’t allow herself to be down for long, always determined to present the positive side so he wasn’t surprised when she hummed a fragment of a tune and did a sprightly dance step, smiling at him. “I’ll be your audience,” he said. “And extremely appreciative too. The Ganamilians don’t have music or rather what they have are kind of dirgelike, monotonal chants. I’ve missed music.”

“Your people sing?” she asked, walking beside him again.

“The ancestral memory carries with it a number of songs in praise of the Great Mother,” he said. The pain of remembering his lost pack brothers was a bit lessened when he was telling Bailey about them. “The healers have the closest connection to her and know all the songs of course, but the entire pack joins in on some. I learned a few that were especially appealing to me. I wasn’t a healer of course but I did have a slight aptitude for music.”

“Oh you have to teach me—I love learning new music,” she said. “Unless you think it wouldn’t be proper since I’m not a Badari.”

“Since the goddess put us together, I’m sure she’d have no objection.” Talinn did a quick visual reconnaissance. “But not now. I think we’re attracting too much attention.” He took her hand. “I remember this part of the trail—let me show you something.”

They walked a short way from the track, to a flat space pockmarked with dozens of holes, each about six inches wide. Talinn whistled a peculiar call twice and then whispered to Bailey. “Wait.”

One after the other the big eared rodents who lived in the tunnels below the desert popped their heads out of the burrows, whistling and chittering to each other as if wanting to know who had issued the call.

“Oh, how adorable,” she said. “Look, there’s a family group.”

Six fat babies tumbled from the mouth of one burrow, crowding past their parent and immediately starting to play a rough and tumble game with each other. Several of the adults converged on the errant pups and herded them back into the tunnel with scolding sounds and nips on the flanks of any who didn’t move fast enough. A minute later the colony was all gone from sight.

“Smart,” Talinn said as he led Bailey back to the caravan. “There are aerial predators who’d like nothing better than to pick off a few plump morsels. Although I’ve seen a group of the aggesai defeat a big raptor, overwhelming it through sheer numbers.”

Bailey shivered. “I’m glad no harm came to them but they were cute.”

“I’m told the burrows extend for miles under the desert surface,” Talinn said. “They don’t have to worry about sandstorms.”

Bailey blinked and studied the sky. “Do we have to worry about them?”

“Not at this season, fortunately. We’d have plenty of warning if one was coming and the clan knows how to survive them.”

They were perhaps the strangest three days in her life. She enjoyed the time spent with Talinn, getting to know him. He was completely devoted to her safety and comfort, yet made no demands, although she knew he desired her. Talking to him about their radically different past lives passed the time easily and she managed to forget on occasion that she and he were slaves of the Ganamilians and she was walking further away from the life she wanted desperately to return to.

She’d never met anyone like Talinn before although of course she’d encountered aliens of many different types during her stints on various cruise ships. No one had ever had his mix of utter confidence and humility. Studying him when he wasn’t paying too much attention, she took note of the visible signs of the alien predator DNA he said was in his physical composition and found them intriguing, not off-putting. Sleeping with him on the one mat was comforting but also an exercise in frustration as her desire for him grew.

Waking up each morning with his obvious heavy erection pressed into her back, yet not having the opportunity to explore all that gorgeous musculature and taut body was almost more than she could bear. Bailey couldn’t imagine what was holding Talinn back from initiating closer relations between them but guessed perhaps he wasn’t sure she’d welcome his overtures. Belatedly she remembered he’d told her their goddess insisted the woman had to decide if a couple was going to become mates.

I was so traumatized that first night. He treats me like a fragile piece of china statuary. Glancing at him as she wound her way up a huge dune and then down the other side, with no destination in sight, she sighed. I’m going to have to be the one to make the first move here, obviously.

Misunderstanding why she was sighing, Talinn squeezed her hand. “We’ll be at the oasis by sunset and then the clan will remain stationary for a few weeks. No more hiking endlessly, I promise.”

“Good to know.” Repositioning the scarf she’d been given to shield her face from the suns, Bailey decided she’d take their relationship into the physical intimacy she wanted to explore with him that very night.

CHAPTER 5

Once the caravan reached the oasis which was their destination, Talinn’s tent was set up for him as always by the kalishka’s servants and nothing seemed out of order. He was keenly anticipating another evening of cards and more conversation, and flirting. Bailey was showing more and more signs of enjoying his company and he had hopes she might agree to do more than sleep together on the lumpy mat. She was always touching him and he loved to brush against her when he had the chance. His desire for her was a constant ache in his heart and a more physical sensation in his cock but it had to be her choice, not his.

But in the evening as they were sharing the simple but filling meal, one of Duban’s guards came to the tent. “The kalishka summons you to an audience immediately.”

Talinn sensed Bailey’s fear rising. Turning to her, he said, “Whatever he wants, we’ll handle it together, agreed?” He helped her to her feet and took her hand. She clung tightly to him so he knew he’d done the right thing. They followed the guard through the busy camp to the kalishka’s main tent. Talinn tried to read the mood of the crowd as best he could but most of the Ganamilians averted their eyes and the other foreign fighters were nowhere in sight. He hoped the team members weren’t going to be at this audience. His inner beast was upset enough without enemies jeering and laughing at him.

As he stepped into the tent behind the guard, his worst fear, that the other fighters would be present, wasn’t realized. The large tent was full of the upper strata of the clan’s Ganamilians—wives, concubines, senior servants, the Matriarch and her coterie of attendants, Duban’s most trusted men in the clan—all of whom stared as he and Bailey walked forward to face the kalishka, half reclining on an immense pile of cushions. The currently favored concubine was feeding him honeyed sweetmeats while another stood by with a glass of wine. Talinn made the required bow and hand signs and Bailey mimicked him with grace.

“We’re here at your command,” he said to the clan chief.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” Duban said, in between chewing the treats the female gave him. “Never has a clan owned a human female slave. Never has a slave owned another slave. I have contemplated the matter deeply while we traveled and have also sought the counsel of the gods in my nightly devotions as to how to proceed. Before I make my decree on the issue, have you anything to say?”

“It was either the woman or the freedom token,” Talinn said. “She’s my mate, given to me by my own goddess, so I chose to remain with you, in your service, that I might save the life of my mate.”

If a Ganamilian could express shock, Duban did so now. He was speechless, choked on the sweetmeat and had to cough for an extended time before he asked in a croaking voice, “The freedom token?”

“It was right there on the dais, next to her. But there really was no choice once I saw Bailey and knew who she was to me.”

Duban clapped his hands, acting pleased but there was a sly cast to his features. After all these years Talinn had learned to read Ganamilian expressions quite well and he distrusted the way the kalishka was acting. “Such loyalty will be rewarded of course. Now the main issue here is that you are enjoying privileges none of my other fighters have.”

“May I remind you I won the right to this woman?” Talinn said, pushing away his anger and forcing the raging beast inside to subside. “Kalishka Stuuard—”

“Kalishka Stuuard doesn’t travel with my clan,” Duban said harshly. “It is my responsibility to determine what’s best here, in the desert.” He took a deep drink of the wine and wiped his lips. “She’ll distract you from your duties to train and be ready to fight at any moment and your position as one of my elite fighters is the important thing here. If you can’t fulfill your role, you and the woman have no purpose. I can’t carry useless mouths to feed through the unforgiving desert.”

Again leashing his beast, which wanted to go for Duban’s throat, Talinn said, “I have every intention of fulfilling my role, as you phrase it, with even more intensity because I’ll be fighting for my mate’s life as well. I recognize that.”

“Good, good. Then we are in agreement.”

Talinn was suspicious of the kalishka’s amiability. He waited for the blow which had to be coming to be delivered in Duban’s unctuously genial voice. I hope I don’t have to kill him here and now. Depending what trick the master was planning to pull, Talinn’s beast was certainly ready to commit deadly mayhem and he wasn’t sure he could hold himself in abeyance if Bailey was threatened.

“While we are in transit, she may of course accompany you, unless I change my mind.”

But? Talinn had to bite his lip to keep himself from uttering the question. The clan was now settled here at the oasis for at least a month as another festival was fast approaching and this was a gathering spot for many clans besides Duban’s. He and the others would be fighting endless bouts and team events as the kalishkas and their people wagered and cheered.

Duban delivered the ultimatum. “But while we are camped, you will live as the rest of your teammates do, without a woman. You and she will not speak or interact.”

Bailey gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand and staring at Talinn wide eyed. He could scent her fear.

“She’s my mate,” he said, hearing the anger exploding in his voice. “She was mine without restrictions once I won her in the arena. I can’t protect her if we’re not together.”

Duban nodded, clearly enjoying exercising his power over them. “I accept what you claim, your belief of hazimkurr between the two of you.”

Talinn knew hazimkurr was the Ganamilian word for a state less binding than formal marriage but more than casual sex. The term bothered him because being mated was so much more but he wasn’t prepared to argue linguistics.

The kalishka wasn’t done. “Accordingly I have generously decided you may enjoy her company every sixth night from sunset until dawn. The guards will take her now.”

Placing Bailey behind him, Talinn deployed his fangs and talons and prepared to defend her from the advancing soldiers, some of whom had experienced his combat skills in the past when he’d been dragged back from escape attempts. They’d witnessed first-hand the damage he could inflict and showed no eagerness to tangle with him again.

The Matriarch rose. “Enough.”

With one syllable she quelled the crowd in the tent, including Talinn, who had a tiny flicker of hope. “The woman will take a place in my household and serve there for the time when she is not with her hazimkurr partner. I have taken a fancy to the idea of owning a human pet and opportunities to serve me will be found, thus preserving your direction from the gods and your decree.” The venerated female addressed Duban who was radiating rage but as Talinn had told Bailey before, no one defied her unofficial power. “She will be safe.” The final remark was said directly to him, the old Ganamilian holding him motionless with her stare. “Allow the guards to take her to my tent now.”

With more effort than he’d ever exerted before, Talinn retracted his natural weapons and made the gesture of respect to her. “Might I be allowed to say words of parting in private?”

“Say them here and be done. Slaves have no right to privacy.” Duban’s voice was a venomous snarl.

Talinn gathered Bailey close despite her rigid stance. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “She’ll watch over you for me but be careful, my heart.”

Bailey threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a desperate kiss. Talinn was astonished but hugged her tight, responding despite himself. The guards were enclosing them in a tight circle and he didn’t dare resist and give Duban any excuse to override the matriarch or cause her to reconsider. Heart aching, he stepped away from his mate. Placing a hand over his heart, he said, “I’ll count the hours until we’re together.”

Head high, Bailey said, “As will I.”

Next minute the guards took her by the elbows and walked her from the tent.

“You are excused,” Duban said as if to a child, flicking a hand at Talinn.

Talinn walked from the tent without a backward glance or the obligatory gesture of leave-taking respect. He didn’t give a damn for the Ganamilian courtesies tonight. Going straight to his now lonely tent, he knew everyone in his path scrambled to get away and he was glad. His anger was a cold flame inside and his control over the animal side of himself was threadbare.

He sat cross legged in the middle of the sleep mat and drew in a deep breath of Bailey’s lingering scent. Closing his eyes, he berated himself harshly for being a fool. He’d been so happy in her company he’d allowed himself to forget or at least to ignore the reality they were entirely at the mercy of the kalishka. Worse than that, he accepted the fact he’d become numb over the years to his status as a slave. He’d slipped a long way from the discipline demanded of a Badari Warrior. Allowing one day to slip into the next endlessly had dulled his edge, had lessened him. Until now, when it truly counted, he couldn’t protect the mate the goddess had given him.

The knowledge was bitter in his heart. What, had he been expecting the mysterious outworlder who uttered a few words of broken Badari to come swooping from the skies with a raiding party and take him and Bailey off to a golden future?

Saving his mate from a life of misery as a slave here on Ganamilia was on his shoulders. So his first attempts at escape years ago had failed. So he’d been punished. What had he learned in the process? What lessons could he apply to the next escape attempt, which must succeed? Any failure contained valuable tips toward eventual success.

I won’t fail her again, he told the goddess. The planning begins today.

Six days later…

Talinn couldn’t remember ever being so anxious about anything in his entire life as he waited for Bailey to be brought to his tent. He checked and rechecked his few furnishings and possessions were in order and paced back and forth in the small space until finally he heard footsteps approaching. The flap was opened abruptly and his mate was shoved inside, stumbling a little until he caught her in his arms, holding her close.

“I’ll return at the first hour after dawn to retrieve the woman and take her back to her place in the matriarch’s tents,” the guard said before stepping away.

Still holding Bailey, breathing deep of her scent, Talinn awkwardly reach around her to close the flaps and restore their privacy, such as it was in a flimsy tent and then hugged her tight.

“Are you well?”

“I missed you so much!”

His question and her exclamation were uttered at the same instant and they laughed companionably. Heart pounding, Talinn searched her face for signs of how she’d been treated. “You look tired. Are they overworking you?”

“No woman ever wants to hear she looks less than her best,” Bailey said with a trace of her usual good humor although to his keen ears her cheery tone sounded forced. “But no, the matriarch has been quite nice to me. Some of her retinue, not so much but nothing I can’t handle. My primary duty is helping with the toddlers, although the kids are nearly as big as I am. But the children love my songs and I dance for them and they’re riveted. So we do okay. I’m getting fond of a couple of them.”

Talinn was riveted by the sight of a long, deep scratch on her arm, revealed when her sleeve slipped back. “How did you get this? Who gave you this?”

Drawing a shaky breath, Bailey said, “The cat man. Pherzed? He hangs around me pretty often when I have tasks outside the tents or the nursery. He—he got fresh and I slapped him and he clawed me.” She looked at her arm, which was showing signs of inflammation. “It looked worse a day or two ago but the healer daubed lotion on it and gave me a special herb infusion to drink.” She made a comic face as if tasting something bitter. “I’ll be all right.”

Rage mounting in his heart, Talinn had to fight not to display his fangs and go hunt down the offending fighter immediately. “He’ll pay for this, I give you my word. I’ll make sure he doesn’t touch you again.”

But Bailey shook her head. “Please don’t make trouble for yourself on account of me. I can handle him and the matriarch protects me, or tries to.”

He decided not to burden Bailey with any further discussion of the matter but Pherzed would pay and he would stay away from Talinn’s mate. “I have a surprise for you.” Stepping away for a moment, he retrieved his pathetic little offering from behind his leather satchel. It was a bright pink desert flower, rare as a gemstone, which he’d spent hours searching for in the wasteland beyond the oasis and planted carefully in an old mug. “To cheer you. To welcome you back to our tent.”

She looked from his face to the flower and to his horror burst into tears.

Setting the plant aside hastily, he took her in his arms again. “What’s the matter? What have I done?”

She raised her face to his, her eyes luminous. “No, nothing wrong—it’s a lovely gesture. I miss you so much. These six days have been an eternity, knowing you’re here but I’m forbidden to talk to you. I saw you from a distance once or twice and the matriarch took me to one bout at the oasis arena. When Duban objected she said I needed to understand what the fighters did for him and he shut up.”

“I know.” With one finger he lifted her chin so he could gaze into her eyes. “I knew you were there and I fought all the harder to make you proud of me,” he said, remembering the way his spirits lifted when he caught her scent and became aware she was watching from close by. “In all this time no one has ever been in the audience who was genuinely on my side.”

“I was so scared for you—the action was so fast and so vicious.” She shuddered. “You were magnificent though.” She went on tiptoes and he was conscious of her breasts pressed against him. His cock throbbed and lengthened, pushing against his trousers. Having Bailey in his arms increased the aching desire in his body and heightened his arousal unbearably but he was prepared to resist his desires and settle for enjoying her company and conversation.

Next moment she’d captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

Although surprised at her taking the initiative, he reacted instinctively to his mate’s passion, parting his lips to allow her tongue entry into his mouth and Bailey responded with ardor. The hunger and longing burning in him found its match in Bailey’s desire. He angled his mouth to make their joining tighter and the ensuing dance of their tongues stoked his passion higher. As they kissed, Talinn moved them carefully backward, until he took her in his arms and lowered her to the sleeping mat. Bailey didn’t protest the brief separation but raised her arms to him, tugging him onto the mat with her and he knelt between her legs, admiring her beauty as she lay before him. “I don’t have the words to express how happy it makes me to have you here.” He hated himself for stumbling over the words. His mind was full of compliments and sweet things to say but her beauty left him nearly speechless. No one, not healer nor Alpha had ever taught him how to woo a woman he loved. “I was incomplete, unhappy…miserable without you to talk to and to hold through the nights.”

“You kept saying it had to be my decision whether to be intimate,” Bailey said, tracing his abdominal muscles with a fingertip before swirling it around one of his flat nipples. “Well, I’ve decided after a week of hell, us being kept apart by these monsters, we’re going to spend every minute of our time together really together. Any objections?”

Her declaration was so exactly what he’d hoped to hear, Talinn could only shake his head. Slowly he ran his hands up her silky soft legs, pushing aside the coarse skirt fabric, enjoying the feel of her dancer’s muscles, savoring the sensation of touching her, until his fingers brushed her hidden curls. He cupped her mound, watching her face as he put pressure to stimulate her nerves and Bailey ground herself against his hand. Eyes closed, her face reflected nothing but desire. He scooted down until he could apply his tongue to the task of pleasuring her more directly. There was no underwear to remove, which excited him further, and the unhindered access to the object of his desire was exhilarating. He caressed her velvet folds, and then swirled the tip of his tongue around the bud of nerves hidden and hooded until she was clutching at his shoulders and moaning, begging for more. “You taste so good,” he said, raising his head and smiling at her.

“Don’t stop.” She shook her finger at him sternly, although she chuckled and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Don’t you dare leave me hanging here.”

“We have all night, don’t worry.” Talinn inserted two fingers into her channel, warm and wet and inviting. He wanted to plunge himself into her heat but as he’d just told her, there was no rush. He brought her to orgasm using his clever fingers, reveling in the way she reacted to his sexual massage and the sounds she made as she climaxed.

While he concentrated on pleasing her, she combed her fingers through his hair and explored the rill at the back of his neck, stroking the membrane softly, which made his cock harden further in response. “I think you like me to do this,” she said as she observed his reaction with a satisfied smile.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me. But now we’re ready for each other,” he said with satisfaction as she lay breathing hard before him, “All these clothes get in the way.”

Without the slightest hesitation Bailey sat up and peeled off her tunic and long skirt, throwing them to the side before reclining again, her bare body curved into a sinuous seductive pose. Talinn gulped at the erotic view which was his alone and cast aside his trousers. As his cock sprang free of the fabric, jutting away from his body, ready for his mate, Bailey reached out to caress him.

“I approve of the extra ridges,” she said, before giving him a long, slow caress, employing her tongue in a swirling motion across the sensitive head. It was Talinn’s turn to teeter on the edge. Watching her take him into her mouth was an incredible visual stimulus, not to mention the indescribable feeling of her soft lips around his shaft. He had to work hard not to thrust his hips against the suction she exerted. After a few moments of torturous bliss he pulled her away from her attentions.

“We have to talk,” he said with determination.

“What, now?” She kept her hands busy, stroking his package possessively and he had to fight not to come.

He had a hard time marshalling his thoughts with her teasing hands on him. “I need to tell you something. I’m not human.”

“We covered that before,” she said. “I don’t care. You’re the man I’m hot for. Besides, I like the differences. They’re intriguing.” Now she ran one hand over his shoulder and across the rill at the back of his neck. Her caress made him shiver and shot waves of sensation through his body to his already engorged cock.

He had to struggle not to lose control and words were beyond him. Then he said, “The scientists made my kind using the basic Badari DNA but added reptilian predator DNA and who knows what else along the way. I doubt the Khagrish even know any more, as sloppily as they do science, but the point is, I have a rill on my cock too, which opens when I come inside a woman, and locks us together for a short period of time.”

Bailey’s hand stilled. “And you know this how?”

“The scientists forced us to undergo training in each area deemed useful for combat, of various types. They expected us to seduce humans to our masters’ cause if necessary so the Khagrish brought in professional sex workers to train us. I’ve never been with a woman of my own free will. I never desired a woman until I met you. I could satisfy one obviously but the act was purely physical, mechanical, not from my heart.” He swallowed hard, hating the necessity for the entire discussion, wondering if she’d still want to make love to him, but it was only fair to explain.

Bailey looked him square in the eyes. “Will it hurt me?”

“No, I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

“Well then, it’ll be a new experience.” She lay back and spread her legs, one hand behind her head, using the other to play with herself as he stared. “Are we waiting for anything else? Any more secrets? I’m protected, hot and impatient here.”

Heart full, he kissed her gently and then positioned himself at her entrance, sliding inside easily since she was so ready for him. He forced himself to go slowly, stroking in and out and penetrating a little further each time, relishing the way her body cushioned his arousal. Bailey’s internal muscle control was astonishing and she met him move for move with her own techniques. Talinn lost himself in the sensation of making love to his mate, all his consciousness focused on her, on pleasing her.

Once he was fully seated and they were one, he allowed himself to pump harder. Judging by the encouragement and moans from Bailey, she approved. When she locked her legs around him to hold him to the task he knew he was close and sensed she was as well. Maintaining the level of arousal they were at together without climaxing would be impossible for much longer so he let himself go. Holding her tight, his body rigid as he sought to intensify the sensations for them both, he murmured her name like an incantation, opening the door to their mutual pleasure.

Afterward, as he and Bailey lay locked together, he held her tight, dropping tiny kisses on her neck, nuzzling the incredibly delicate shell edge of her ear and wishing he could claim her.

CHAPTER 6

The orgasm was amazing. When she felt the rill around the head of his cock expand at her core and lock them together the experience was beyond anything she’d ever experienced, her entire body suffused with pleasurable sensations. When he released his hot seed Bailey wasn’t sure she could handle so much concentrated ecstasy but she was eager to experience the closeness and intimacy again…and again. Confident she was safe and cherished in his arms, she asked, “So, are we mates officially now?”

To her surprise Talinn didn’t answer right away. When he did, his response was regretful. “Not actually. To claim you as my mate, I have to do more.”

“More?” She laughed gently. “That was pretty damn exceptional—I don’t know what you could add to what you just did for me.”

Eyes glowing amber, he seemed reluctant to answer but finally allowed his fangs to protrude slightly and said, “Ever since I rescued you in the arena, the knowledge has been in the back of my mind how the beast and I must claim you as our mate. I have to seal the bond with blood. Not much,” he hastened to add as she did a double take. “And I’ll be ever so careful. But we Badari seal all our important bonds with blood. When I became a man and was fully accepted into the pack, the Alpha blooded me and the pack bond with all my brothers took its place in my heart. Losing the connection when I was stolen and shipped here was the most wrenching part of the entire degrading experience.”

She framed his face with her hands and gave him a gentle kiss. “I can’t honestly say I’m crazy about the idea of letting your teeth near my neck. I’ve seen the damage you can do with those babies.”

He tried to pull away but she kept her hold on him. “But I trust you and I want us to be bonded, as you say, in whatever manner we can achieve. I’m yours in all senses of the word. I love you, Talinn of the Badari, although I never believed in love at first sight or any of all that and maybe it was the traumatic way we met but my heart is absolutely set on you. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

Eyes glowing so golden now she expected to see fires in the irises, he stammered. “You—you love me?”

“Would I want to be your mate if I didn’t?” she asked. “I hope not. I had a lot of time to think while we were separated and I missed you so much and I remembered every word you ever said to me—there’s so much more I want to know about you but what I do know is enough for my heart. Maybe the way we met, in a truly life and death situation sped up the whole process of knowing you were the man for me—and you did bring me a flower, right? In the middle of a damn desert, you found me a flower. See, you’re special and perfect and I have no intention of letting you off the hook.”

“I’m honored,” he said as his penile rill retracted and he slipped from her body. Before Bailey had a chance to mourn the loss of the physical connection, he gathered her close, holding her safe against his body, his arms like bands of steel. “Becoming mates is a sacred thing to us, or so the healers say, for no Badari Warrior has ever had a mate, but our ancestors, the original Badari people certainly did and it’s clear to me the alien predator beast understands the concept of mates. I’ve been in a daze since I saw you in the arena and knew you were my mate. I love you with all my being, Bailey Kingsmere. Claiming you as mine would be the best thing ever to happen to me.”

“All right then.” She lay back on the pillows, lifted her hair away from her neck and turned her head. “I give you my permission. Make us mates. Don’t bite too hard.”

Instead of taking action, Talinn hesitated. “It’s not so easy. I have to claim your body at the same time, and the beast insists it must be in a certain fashion.”

“Ooh, sounds intriguing.” She reached between them and gripped his shaft firmly. “You’re already rising to the task nicely. Talk about a quick recovery time—am I the luckiest woman in the hinterlands or what? What did you have in mind?”

Obviously shocked he was going to be allowed to claim his mate this night, Talinn swallowed hard. “You have to be on your hands and knees before me.”

She released him and rolled over, assuming the position he’d described, looking over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow and a sassy wiggle of her shapely butt. “Like this?”

Talinn ran his large hand down her back, clearly savoring all her curves and then caressed between her legs, providing a sensual massage that had her squirming with pleasure. She was slick and creaming for him, her body aching for him to take her again in whatever manner he preferred, knowing how sensational the outcome would be. He positioned his engorged cock at the entrance to her channel and slowly pushed, going in an inch at a time. The position put pressure on new and even more sensitive spots for Bailey and she added her command of her own body’s capabilities to enhance the experience. Tallinn groaned and repeated her name in a guttural voice as she tightened certain inner muscles and moved her pelvis against his hold. He wasn’t going to have this mating all his own way.

He filled her and stretched her delightfully. The ridges provided waves of stimulus as he penetrated more deeply and Bailey wasn’t sure either of them could wait long enough to achieve their mutual orgasm, not the way they were clearly driving each other to even greater heights. It was like an affectionate game, to see who could provide the other with more of a sensory overload.

Then she stopped thinking at all as he was fully seated inside her folds and began to pump in and out with strong sure strokes. Bailey gave herself over to the emotions, stopped worrying about his fangs and surfed the tidal waves of bliss. Talinn was so strong and had such complete control she was able to lose herself and simply be…

The ascent to orgasm built and the pressure was erotic torture of the best kind. She fought to hold it off but when the moment came that Talinn went rigid and said her name on a huge exhale, Bailey let go and clenched her entire body to maximize the sensations. His release deep inside her sent her into another climax, and when the rill deployed, the added pressure pushed her into a third even before the afterglow of the first two had faded.

There was an instant of pressure and pain at her neck, obliterated before she fully registered the occurrence, and this time Bailey lost consciousness completely as her overloaded receptors blew out.

Awareness rushed back probably a few seconds later, as she was locked to Talinn by his efficient biological attribute, held safe in his arms.

“Mine,” he said in his deep voice, the word vibrating through her entire body. “To the end of this life and for all time in the afterlife. My mate.”

“It’s a beautiful word,” she agreed. Floating on a post coitus high. “I’m proud to be yours.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He laved his tongue twice over the spot where he’d grazed her with his massive fangs, which was soothing.

She shook her head, anxious to reassure him. “Only a pinch at most and then wow, whatever you did delivered the best orgasm I ever had which is saying a lot given our activities tonight. You see before you a fully satisfied woman.”

“I see my mate, the most treasured and important person in the galaxy to me.” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder and fell silent.

I ought to be a boneless noodle of contentment. Yet there was restlessness in her nervous system and a craving to do something. Puzzled, because she’d never felt this way before, not even after their first coupling, Bailey did her best to find her serene center and enjoy being a full-fledged mate. She didn’t need a ceremony and words to be joined to this incredible man, although she admitted to herself in the past she wouldn’t have said no to being the star of such a production, with the right man, but the important thing was the bond between the two of them.

As the rill retracted and she was able to move, she scooched away from Talinn on the mat and sat up, combing her fingers through her hair and studying him as he lay stretched out. He was a gorgeous man, all hard muscles and perfect proportions, with the scales gleaming a bit in the lamplight, and although his equipment certainly didn’t need any extra help to be impressive, the vee of his body drawing her eyes to his already semi-erect cock was impossible to resist. She moved closer again, running one hand over his taut abdomen, tracing the seductive planes of the muscular furrows leading further downward and then fondling the heavy ball sac and stroking the sensitive skin behind as he grunted with pleasure and shifted a bit to give her better access. His arousal pulsed as if competing for her attention and briefly Bailey was tempted to take him into her mouth again. She’d never have enough of him and his scent and his taste.

But something was driving her right now, an unfulfilled need pushing her. Bailey lifted herself up and straddled him rubbing her highly sensitized, slick folds over his length, rocking a bit to increase the pressure and delighting in the answering motion of his hips. Talinn moved his hands to steady her and hold her. Lifting up slightly, she grasped his shaft and guided him inside her eager body. Talinn seemed hypnotized by what she was doing, watching the place where they were joined again.

Bailey took him to the hilt with her next undulation, enjoying the pressure on her internal nerve endings as much as the expression on his face. As she rotated her hips from side to side the fact of being in charge of this interlude was highly arousing. Talinn had clearly surrendered control to her and whatever she wanted to do to him would be fine. She had a brief regret they had nothing else here – no toys, no oils, just themselves. But with a body like his, who needed more?

“Play with my nipples,” she said, keeping up her slow and steady movements. “They’re feeling ignored. Or aren’t you a tits guy?”

“I am definitely a fan of all parts of your body,” he said reaching out to fondle her as requested, rubbing his thumb across one nipple until it pebbled and repeating the action on the other side. He continued to caress her with flattering concentration.

Bailey varied the angle and depth of penetration, giving both of them even more stimulus. She was getting close and a sense of wild freedom came over her, riding him this way. Talinn closed his eyes and thrust harder as he edged closer to his release until Bailey gave in to the power of their union and her body was suffused with pleasure, electric ripples of sensation she wanted to hold onto for as long as possible. Talinn arched underneath her, his entire body rigid, his penile rill deploying yet again to drive her to greater heights and then he was releasing spurts of hot seed deep inside her core.

Moved by an instinct she couldn’t define, Bailey leaned forward and bit him hard at the spot where his neck joined his shoulders. She tasted the intoxicating flavor of his hot blood on her tongue and swallowed, not releasing her grip on him until she got a further small taste of the elixir that was his Badari blood. Gently she swiped her tongue across the vivid bite mark as he’d done for her, tasting the salt of his sweat from the vigorous lovemaking and the lingering flavor of the precious substance sealing their bond.

“You’re mine,” she said in a voice she scarcely recognized. “I’ve claimed you, mate.”

Still locked together, Talinn carefully rolled them to the side and held her close. “I’m honored.”

“What an intense experience,” she said, closing her eyes, suddenly bereft of all energy. All she could see in her mind’s eye was a galaxy of glittering golden points, which coalesced into a braided cord or a chain of some kind. There was a snap and warmth cascaded through her body in a rush, settling in her chest, as if wrapping her heart in a comforting blanket. “What—what just happened?”

“Mate bond, we have an actual mate bond,” Talinn said in a voice full of wonder. “When you claimed me we became linked—the goddess has blessed us indeed.”

An extra pulse of love came to her through the bond and Bailey sighed, blinking away tears as she settled deeper into his embrace.

At first he’d been amused by her determination to control their coupling and highly aroused but when she bit him, Talinn was not only astonished but grateful for her passion. He thought he might die from the intensity of the climax her bite drove him to and now he and the beast inside were deeply satisfied. In fact, he couldn‘t ever remember his inner alien predator side being so contented in his entire life. He dropped a tender kiss on the top of her head where she lay pillowed against him and reveled in the mate bond.

He supposed not being a psychic by nature his mate probably couldn’t appreciate the bond the same way he did but he thanked the goddess profusely in his head for the gift. The tether wasn’t the same as the pack bond had been of course—nothing could ever replace the loss—but it was precious and energizing and a gift on its own merits. He was connected to a comrade again, but not a pack brother this time. Someone infinitely more precious and rare—his claimed mate. “I’ll teach you how we can communicate through the bond,” he said, sending his mate a pulse of love.

“Mmm, I feel so good when you do that. I get the love tingles right down to my lady parts. I’ll be blushing constantly and all the women in the matriarch’s tents will guess what I’m thinking.” She chuckled drowsily. “Can we talk mind to mind, do you think?”

“No, but I’ll be able to tell if you’re safe and happy, or if danger threatens. You were constantly on my mind when we were separated for the six damn days but now you’ll know how much you mean to me every minute of the day.”

“And vice versa,” she said, feathering tiny kisses across his chest. “I don’t know what came over me, biting you like a vampire or something, but it felt right.”

He moved so she could see his face. “It was absolutely the right thing to do, even if neither of us knew it before. And see, the mark is already healing.”

“Whereas I’m going to have one hell of a hickey for a few days.” He was relieved to see the idea didn’t bother her. “But it doesn’t hurt at all,” she hastened to add and he heard truth in her voice. Whatever she was going to say next was lost as her stomach rumbled and they both laughed.

“I’ll take the not-so-subtle sign to feed you,” he said, rising from the mat. “The servants delivered dinner right before you arrived.” Struck by a thought, he paused and stared at her. “Are they feeding you enough?”

She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Talinn leaned over to raise her chin. “Okay, not as well as the clan feeds you,” she said. “It’s kind of gruel most of the time, with chunks of wizened vegetables, I think. And always a piece of bread, so I appreciate that. And the children sneak me treats.” Bailey made a face. “I think they regard me as a pet honestly.”

Talinn stepped away to fetch the water he’d had warming for tea later, and grabbed a couple of small cloths. “It’s a strange life we’ve both fallen into but we’ll get ourselves out of it somehow, my word as a Badari Tzibir soldier.” Coming back to the mat, he knelt and attended to Bailey with care and affection, washing away the traces of their passion and drying her off with the one towel he was given.

“Feels so good,” she murmured as she pulled her long tunic over her head and smoothed it over her body. “What about you?”

“I’m the tough soldier,” he said with a careless air. “Cold water will do for me. And then we can eat. And talk.”

Talk they did, long into the night. They also played cards companionably and shared more conversation. Talinn couldn’t remember ever uttering so many words in his entire life, but he wanted Bailey to know everything about him and to learn her in the same way. Eventually she couldn’t hold back her yawns and they curled up together on the sleep mat. His mate fell asleep promptly and he lay there savoring his new status and the mate bond. His happiness was tempered however by the fact he and Bailey were prisoners, completely at the whim of the kalishka, and he spun out all kinds of plans for escape, some realistic and others not. Eventually he fell asleep as well.

He woke at dawn as he always did but the happiness in every cell of his body was highly unusual and he tightened his arms around his mate gratefully. He’d spooned himself around her at some point during the night and now his heavy morning arousal was pressed against the firm globes of her butt. Bailey murmured indistinguishable words and stirred a bit, causing his cock to slip between her legs and nudge her folds.

Talinn leaned over to place a kiss on her shoulder and stopped in shock before squinting to see more clearly.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Bailey asked, squirming to be free of his embrace. “Are we in trouble?”

Now he completed the caress he’d begun and hugged her. “You have a mate mark.”

“A what?” She craned to look at her shoulder and made an impatient noise. “Don’t you have a mirror?”

Obligingly he left the mat and went to fetch his small mirror for her but when he pivoted Bailey was staring at him, mouth open. She pointed in the vicinity of his shoulder. “If my mark is a golden circle tattoo, then you have one too, right where I bit you. How did it happen?”

Seating himself next to her he handed over the mirror and chuckled as she twisted and turned to see her own mark. “There’s a legend the goddess grants a special mark to fated mates who claim each other. I never believed it but evidently the story is true.”

“I think it’s wonderful.” Bailey got on her knees and examined his mark, running her hand over his shoulder and then kissing the small golden circle. “We belong to each other, although it’s a bit spooky the way this happened.”

“Badari blood is magic,” he whispered, taking her in his arms. “Now where were we?”

Although Bailey melted into his embrace, she gave him a fleeting kiss and shook her head. “I don’t think we have time for even a quickie. The guard has to come retrieve me right after dawn and I can see through the crack in the tent flaps the sun is rising. I’d hate for him to walk in on us. And how awful would it be if he dragged me away half naked? These people are capable of cruelty in such casual ways.”

Talinn was unhappy but he had to admit the wisdom of her comments. Quickly he gathered her tunic and pants and handed them over, and put on his own trousers while she dressed. “Let me comb your hair?” he asked. “I love the silken softness.”

“It’s full of snarls, I think,” she said apologetically as she came to sit in front of him.

Holding up one taloned finger, he said with a smile, “These are excellent for so many purposes, including working out snarls. But you’d better eat while I’m playing at lady’s maid. Let me gather the breakfast.” He was grateful the servants hadn’t entered the tent and the basket was indeed waiting right outside. He had his usual ration, nothing special, but good solid food which would be nutritious for Bailey too.

“You’re right—the guard will undoubtedly be here soon,” he said as he walked back to her. “Eat quickly.”

With a nod, Bailey made a sandwich from several pieces of bread, cheese and cooked eggs and consumed her concoction with a hearty appetite while he luxuriated in playing with her hair, working out the tangles with infinite care. “I love you,” she said in between bites.

“And I love you,” he answered immediately, sending a pulse of his affection through the mate bond. She gasped and he gloried in having a bond again, so different than the pack bond but precious in its own way. A tiny throbbing in the connection came from her.

“Did I do it right? Did you get the message?” she asked, reaching for the container of juice. “I wish we had time for you to teach me.”

“It was fine. Neither of us will have to be lonely over the coming six day separation,” he said. “I hear the tramp of the guard coming.”

Her face fell and she hastily took another swallow of the juice. Talinn rose to his feet and assisted her in standing, pulling her in for a hard hug.

“Never forget I love you and I will get us out of here,” he said in a whisper, right into her ear.

“Deliver the woman,” said a loud voice from outside the tent. “Your time as graciously granted by Kalishka Duban, has ended.”

Talinn checked with Bailey, who bit her lip, straightened her spine and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”

He escorted her to the entrance of the tent and untied the flaps so she could step out. He held her back and addressed the guard. “My mate is a delicate human and I would be quite upset to hear she’d been treated roughly on her way back to the matriarch’s tents.”

“Let her walk quickly, as is necessary and she’ll come to no harm,” the guard said in a bored voice but Talinn could scent fear. The man had been one who’d suffered damage from Talinn’s claws in the past, when he’d helped retrieve the Badari from an early, futile escape attempt. Satisfied the guard wouldn’t manhandle his mate, Talinn gave her a quick kiss and reluctantly released her hand.

He watched the two of them walk away until he could no longer see them in the bustle of the clanspeople going about their early morning activities. Grimly he strode inside his now empty tent and stood in the center, staring at the pink flower he’d given her, which of course she couldn’t take with her. He had to battle the rage and frustration surging in his entire mind and body over being denied his mate and being unable to rescue her from their captivity. He shielded the mate bond so she wouldn’t sense any of his acid emotion.

“I’m grateful the old one protects her even a little,” he said out loud, addressing his absent goddess. “But we need to get out of here.”

There was no answer and after a few more minutes of working hard to calm himself, Talinn was able to sit and eat the remnants of breakfast. He rubbed his golden mate mark and took solace from the blessing of being a claimed mate. Vowing to use their new relationship as the impetus to make his next escape attempt the one which succeeded, he gathered himself to report to practice and deal with jibes and taunts his team mates would no doubt hurl.

He had payback to deliver to Pherzed, who had dared to harass his mate. He was going to enjoy himself today.

CHAPTER 7

Talinn was two days into the next cycle of separation and was eating his solitary dinner with the tent flaps tightly closed. He had no desire to interact with anyone in this camp except the one person he couldn’t speak to.

Astonished, he realized someone was lifting the flap to enter unbidden and the next moment the matriarch herself ducked under the fabric, closing the fastenings behind her. Heart pounding, Talinn sprang to his feet, bracing himself for any news she brought.

“I will not be here in the morning,” the elderly female said. Her voice sound tired and unusually hoarse. “My time in this life will be over before the dawn. I have had the foreseeing granted to those who are close to meeting the gods and I know my time has come. You must take Bailey and go, now, tonight. Duban has only been waiting for my death to seize your woman and make her the property of the entire fighting team, with her favors to be distributed as he sees fit. He intended to do this before but I forbade it.”

White rage consumed him. “I’ll kill them all—”

She shook her head and staggered a bit. Instinctively he moved to brace her, allowing her to lean on him. He noticed her color wasn’t good, more bluish white than normal for a Ganamilian and under his hand her arm was limp with scarcely any muscle tone. He accepted the fact she was probably right about her mortality and a pang of sorrow hit him, for she had been an ally and gone out of her way to help him more than once.

The matriarch chided him for his angry outburst. “Vowing vengeance on the others leads only to your death and doesn’t help her. Take the girl and leave immediately. I know you’ve been planning an escape attempt, waiting for the right opportunity. You can wait no longer. I’ve sent her on an old woman’s foolish errand, to pick laquinna berries for me from the far side of the oasis lake, which is the only place they grow in this area. My other attendants titter and joke where they think I don’t see them because I’ve given her a bowl to fill and there are never many berries so she’ll be out for hours. The foolish ones think I punish her for breaking a precious relic earlier today but I committed the act myself when no one was there to see.” She gave the Ganamilian equivalent of a laugh and tapped herself on the chest with one finger. “Even unto my final hours I retain power to scheme and influence events. I’ll create a diversion for you.”

“Thank you for all you’ve done to help Bailey and me,” Talinn said.

“When you saved my favorite child, Dlamia, from the snakebite, many years ago, your goddess spoke to my goddess.” Wiping away a black Ganamilian tear, she continued with great effort. “I was told I now owed you a favor which I should repay at the proper time. I’ve always been conscious of this debt, as I watched Dlamia grow to adulthood, marry and have children, my precious grandchildren. All because of you, yet making my debt so much greater. Now is the time, tonight. I cannot die without paying my due, as the goddess decreed. Go with the blessings of both our deities.” She pulled herself free of his supportive hold, took a deep breath as she straightened her stance and left the tent with her usual dignity.

Talinn didn’t waste a second in gathering up the small backpack he’d stolen during the week and stocked with a few useful supplies. He left the tent without a backward glance for anything he was leaving behind, nor did he take his weapons. He was known for indulging in solitary walks in the evenings, having done so for years, but if he took even the bow and arrows, it would draw attention. He was forbidden to have the weapons unless there was practice or a bout.

I don’t need them—my own weaponry is enough.

He left their camp unhurriedly since it was vital not to draw attention to himself, and then detoured to avoid the next clan’s sprawling site. Circling the oasis as much as possible, he headed for the one place where there was a thicket of the rare laquinna bushes.

Bailey had been surprised by the stern order to go on a solitary berry picking expedition. The matriarch had kept her close when she wasn’t tending to the children and she’d felt relatively safe remaining in the circle of tents which belonged to the old woman’s retinue. She was also upset about being accused of breaking a statue she’d never even seen before but when she opened her mouth to protest her innocence, the high ranking female had thrust the large empty bowl at her, spun her around toward the tent’s entrance and given her a push.

“No excuses. Go and don’t dare to re-enter camp until the bowl is full or there’ll be punishment.”

She heard laughter behind her as she walked toward the central portion of the oasis. The members of the old one’s court didn’t like her much. Bailey guessed anyone who became a favorite of the venerated one was a target but especially her since she was a human and a slave who could be mistreated to some extent with no repercussions for the bullies. She’d glossed over a lot of it when she was with Talinn because there was nothing he could do about it and he had a hot temper when it came to her welfare.

As long as the matriarch herself likes me, I’ll be fine.

Thinking of Talinn made her needy and lonely and she was tempted to take a circuitous path past the area where his tent was always set up, but she forced herself to continue on the main route into the oasis itself. The mate bond stretched between them as serenely as always and was her constant comfort. She couldn’t risk getting in trouble, not when Talinn was working on an escape plan. I’ll be with him again in four days and we’ll run far away from here. The thought was only mildly consoling. She asked a group of Ganamilian women carrying water jugs to direct her to the berry patch, which they did, although there were many incredulous stares at the bowl she’d been given.

Once she reached the patch, Bailey understood the nature of the punishment. There were clusters of the glowing chartreuse berries but widely scattered in the thorny, dense bushes. Birds and small rodents were also here harvesting the bounty and not only would she suffer numerous scratches, it would take forever to find enough ripe, untouched berries to fill the damn bowl. She might well be here until dark.

With a shudder Bailey surveyed the desert stretching away to the horizon. She didn’t want to be anywhere near the wasteland by herself when night fell. She’d heard too much talk about the various predators which came out at night and if the Ganamilians were worried about them, she was certain a human would have even more cause to be afraid.

With a curse, she set the bowl on the ground and studied the thicket, assessing which clump of berries to try for first. There was no other way to satisfy the mistress’s orders.

Why in the seven hells did she have to have a craving for these tonight?

Bailey found a fairly untouched clump on a lower branch requiring her to crawl on her hands and knees to reach the berries. As she backed out of the thicket with her prize, the thorns ensnared her hair and getting free took her quite a while, leaving a few strands behind. Swearing, she dropped the berries into the bowl, fishing one out again because it was blighted, and sighed. Barely enough to cover the bottom. What’s so great about these anyway? Plucking one of the smaller berries out, she popped it in her mouth and bit down. A gush of tart, delicious flavor filled her mouth, almost like chocolate covered cherries but with a spicy kicker and she gave a moan before swallowing. “Okay, those are something else all right.”

Studying the bushes, trying to come up with a harvesting strategy, she was about to work her way between two gnarly old clumps to reach a younger looking bush with heavy clusters of the berries, when she heard footsteps behind her. Heart pounding, she spun around.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that little humans shouldn’t wander so far from camp? What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

Pherzed stood next to the bowl, tail curling lazily as he studied her. His eyes gleamed in the fading sunlight and he stroked his bearded chin with one hand.

“The—the matriarch sent me to pick berries,” she said, frantically assessing her options. Retreat was blocked by the thorny bushes and Pherzed was between her and the path to the oasis. No one was likely to come along as this seemed to be quite a deserted spot. “Maybe I should go back and tell her I’ll try again tomorrow, when more are ripe.”

Pherzed moved when she did and caught her by the wrist. “Not so fast. What’s the rush? Maybe I’ll help you—did you consider the possibility? If you ask me…nicely.”

She struggled to free herself from his grip but the tips of his claws were digging into her skin and as tiny droplets of scarlet appeared she gasped. “You’re hurting me.”

“I enjoy myself more when the prey struggles,” he said, yanking her close. ”You’re entirely too tasty a morsel to be reserved for a lumbering lizardman. You were meant to be mine—we both know he stole you from me in the arena.”

“Leave me alone,” she said, attempting to strike his face. “Talinn will kill you if you don’t let me go. The matriarch—”

“I don’t think she’s going to be with us much longer so you’d better find a new protector. I’m available.” He swept her off her feet and deposited her on the ground, pinning her in place with his body. Screaming curses, she fought even though she knew there was no hope. Bailey scrabbled in the dirt with her right hand for a fallen branch or anything to use as a weapon and caught the lip of the berry bowl. She brought it up from the ground in a convulsive arc and smacked her assailant on the side of the head with all her power, knocking him sideways. The heavy ceramic bowl cracked in three jagged pieces, one of which she grabbed as she took advantage of his fleeting disorientation to scramble away.

He was on his knees, glaring at her and snarling. “I’ll make you pay for that.”

Backing away, holding the sharp end of the bowl fragment like a knife, she didn’t bother to answer. After the next step she was going to pivot and run, no matter how futile the effort would be.

She slammed into what felt like a solid wall behind her and Talinn spoke over her shoulder. “Now you’re going to die, Pherzed, for touching my mate.” With one swift move, he put her behind him. “Stay here,” he said. “Don’t run to the camp.”

“I—I won’t.” Legs trembling, barely able to stand, Bailey retreated a few more steps, retaining her hold on the makeshift weapon.

Flicking his immense brown talons out and deploying his fangs, Talinn advanced on Pherzed. With every step, Talinn displayed more scales. Horned ridges appeared on his shoulders and the frill on the back of his neck was pulsing dark red, with black veins running through the membrane. He growled as he waited for Pherzed to get to his feet and then the two fighters circled, watching each other intently.

“This day has been a long time coming,” Pherzed said. “I hope you made peace with your gods because I’ll show no mercy. This is to the death, lizardman.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, cat.”

“She was meant to be mine all along,” Pherzed said in a taunting voice. “You stole her. And once you’re dead I will claim the prize.”

Not responding verbally, Talinn moved so fast Bailey almost missed it, and raked his claws across Pherzed’s chest, ripping through the clothing and opening gaping furrows in his opponent’s chest. Yet as he danced away, she saw Talinn hadn’t escaped unscathed. Pherzed’s talons had shredded her lover’s shoulder and upper arm, laying bare the muscles. The men came together again with an ear splitting accompaniment of growls, snarls and curses, grappling, biting, and tearing at each other like the predators they were. Sickened but unable to look away while her mate fought for them both she held her breath. The bouts in the arena, while fierce and bloody hadn’t been at this level. No one was supposed to die in the sanctioned events she’d seen but these two men were going all out, no holds barred.

And once again I’m the prize. She prayed to the Lords of Space to help Talinn. She prayed to his unnamed goddess to help him. She clenched and unclenched her fist, wishing she had a better weapon than a potsherd.

The mortal enemies were on the ground now. Pherzed snapped his fangs, barely missing Talinn’s jugular but Talinn was more skillful and tore out the feline alien’s artery. He shoved the dying fighter aside and staggered to his feet, breathing hard and bleeding from a number of wounds.

Heart pounding so fiercely she could barely breathe, Bailey stared at him in shock before running to his side. “We’ve got to do something about these slashes he gave you. You’re bleeding everywhere.”

Talinn caught her hands. “I’ll heal—it’s what my kind does. I’m sorry you had to see me taking my revenge for his insults.”

Knowing she was going to have nightmare flashbacks later, she kissed his cheek and said the most important thing, the truth he needed to hear. “I love you no matter what. How could I ever be upset by anything you’ve done to save me? Don’t worry about me. What are we going to do now?”

“We’re going to run as far as we can.” Tugging her away from Pherzed’s body, he took three steps and picked up a small backpack he’d apparently dropped before announcing his arrival earlier. “We have to escape now, tonight. The old one sent you out here so we’d have a chance to make a break. She had no idea Pherzed would follow you of course. She came to my tent a short time ago to tell me to find you and leave.”

Stumbling because Talinn was setting a fast pace as he headed straight out into the desert, Bailey said, “But why did she do this? What’s so special about tonight?”

Before he could answer, there was an unusual blare of sound from the oasis behind them including loud shrieks and wails. Bailey spun around, hand over her heart, which was pounding even faster. “Is the hue and cry for us? Has Pherzed’s body been found already? We’re not nearly far enough away yet.”

Talinn picked her up and broke into a run, despite his injuries. “Not for us, don’t worry. The wailing is the sound of Ganamilians mourning an important person, which would be the matriarch. She had a premonition tonight would be her final night.”

Clinging to him without protest because he was moving much faster than she could hope to run on her own, Bailey asked, “Will her death distract and delay them, do you think?”

“Yes. Duban won’t like it and if he wasn’t at an oasis with two other clans to see and report what he does, he’d probably cut short the obligatory mourning period to come after me. The next Ganamilian night and day will be spent in rituals of grief. Even if they find Pherzed, they won’t dare break tradition to chase us until sunset tomorrow. And Duban won’t send men out in the dark tomorrow night. We can cover a lot of ground, goddess willing.”

Bailey had a plethora of other questions crowding her mind but she was sure he needed his breath to run, not to talk to her, so she bit her tongue and clung to him. His stride was smooth and ground eating and he seemed to have an idea where he was going, versus running directionless through the desert. She was sure he’d satisfy her curiosity eventually. At this point she couldn’t contribute to their escape in any other way than with silence.

Talinn was grateful Bailey didn’t want to talk further. They had plenty to say to each other, some of it grim, but he needed all his endurance to heal from the grievous wounds Pherzed had given him and to run for their lives. His genetically engineered Badari constitution was capable of both tasks but even he felt the strain. It was imperative he put as much distance between themselves and the oasis as possible while Duban was distracted and before he found Pherzed. Despite his confident assurances to Bailey, he supposed Duban could get away with breaking the mourning traditions by sending out one or two men to track him, which would make recapture easier.

When he judged he needed to take a break, he slowed and set Bailey carefully on the sand before unslinging the backpack. “Are you all right?” he asked as he opened the pack. “I’m sorry not to have inquired before.”

“A few bruises and scratches, nothing to speak of.”

Eyebrows raised, head tilted in an attitude of skepticism, she was studying him. “I’m fine,” he said in response to her silent inquiry, “Well on my way to being healed.” Extracting a nutrition drink packet from the backpack, he offered it to her. “There are a few more in here, don’t worry. See, one for me. I’d been lifting them from the training area and a few other useful items besides. I’d planned to have more before we made our escape—”

“Tastes wonderful.” She rearranged the filmy scarf she’d been given by the Ganamilians to block the sun’s rays. The fabric was woven from a special fiber which filtered the harmful radiation, although usually only Ganamilian children wore the coverings while their skin matured. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re heading east,” he said. “I’ve set a course west at first and now we’re looping north and east. They’ll expect me to go west, toward the spaceport, which is what I tried on several of my early escape attempts.”

“Do you mind if we walk and talk?” she asked, casting a nervous glance over their back trail. “I’m terrified of being recaptured.”

He hefted the backpack again and took her hand. “Keeping on the move would be best. I plan to march all night and hope we find a place to sleep for a few hours. We’ll need to walk all day, despite the sun, but I can carry you if necessary.”

“I walked all day when we were in the caravan,” she said. “Lucky for you I’m a dancer. This is nothing compared to an all-out rehearsal. Dance captains can be unrelenting, like drill sergeants.”

He grinned at the confidence in her voice but he knew she was exaggerating. He was proud of his mate nonetheless.

“So if we’re not going to try our luck at the spaceport, which I have to agree sounds like a bad idea, what attracts us to the northeast, other than trying to throw Duban off the scent?” she asked.

“The mineral fields. There’s quite a large contingent of offworld-owned drilling and mining operations there currently. I’m hoping we can hide out there and I can probably get a job, papers or no papers. Hell, we could even mine our own claim and sell the ore to fund what we’d need to get completely away. Rumors say the nuggets of certain precious metals lie on the ground, waiting to be picked up. The workers tend to be transients in a place like that, men come and go and an extra hand is always needed. Not too many questions asked either, I hope. It won’t be a pleasant place but—”

“If we can hide there, I’ll sing its praises. Maybe the local feelgood establishment needs a singer or a dancer.” Bailey was undaunted as always.

“There’s also the possibility we can eventually hitch a ride to the spaceport on one of the ore transports, which are robo driven. I know safeguards are in place to prevent stowaways but they’ve never seen a trained Badari soldier.” He paused and turned her to face him. “I’ll get us off this fucking planet somehow, I swear.”

She kissed him lightly. “I know you will. I don’t want to slow you down or make it more difficult.”

Resuming the walk, Talinn shook his head. “I have total confidence in you. I’m blessed to have such a companion.” Swallowing hard, he gave her a sideways glance. “You do realize we can’t allow ourselves to be taken alive?”

To his relief, she nodded. “Yeah, I can do the math. You killed Pherzed to save me and the matriarch won’t be there to intercede for either of us ever again.”

He’d previously decided not to tell her Duban was going to give her to the fighters but now he revisited his decision. Bailey deserved to know everything he knew. “The matriarch told me Duban was going to give you to the fighter team, your favors awarded as he saw fit.”

She stumbled but quickly recovered her balance. “Honestly? I was afraid it might come to that at some point. I didn’t like the way Pherzed kept hanging around me and there were one or two others who made excuses to be in my vicinity.”

“You should have told me.” His anger was white hot but not directed at her of course. “I’d have killed any man who touched you.”

Bailey stopped walking so he had to pause as well. “I know you’re always my fierce defender and I appreciate it. I can’t tell you what it means to me but we both know if Duban wanted it badly enough, he could have either imprisoned you, traded you away or even killed you and done what he pleased with me. I want you to give me your word you won’t let me be taken alive.”

”It would be the hardest thing I ever did,” he said, staring into her beautiful eyes, “But I swear in the name of the Great Mother herself if the afterlife becomes our only choice, I’ll make it quick and painless.”

“Gee, not exactly the declaration a woman hopes to hear from the man she loves.” The curve of Bailey’s lips wasn’t quite genuine, but he admired her bravery. He put his arms around her and they stood locked together for a moment or two before she moved away and resumed walking. “But in this case, I’ll take it and I expect you to keep your word if the time comes. Pray to the Lords of Space it doesn’t. Got any good news?”

“I can scent water over great distances,” he offered hopefully as he caught up to her. “There are tiny watering holes out in the main desert so we might be lucky. And we might happen on a herd of escaped macarams. The clans lose a few annually when the beasts wander off from the main herd. I could probably capture one for you to ride.”

“All right, much better. I won’t count my macarams until I’m riding one though.”

They walked in companionable silence for a while. Talinn’s inner beast was restless, consumed with the need to move faster, so he said, “I think I should carry you again so we can cover more ground before dark, if you don’t object.”

“I don’t want to tire you out.”

Laughter was a welcome emotion after the grim day they were having. “No chance of that. You scarcely weigh anything compared to the full packs and weapons load we used to carry during training, and we ran for miles. Sometimes we had to carry one of our pack brothers, assigned to play wounded soldier, and they—let me assure you—are very heavy.”

CHAPTER 8

He ran and walked and ran some more, keeping a steady pace, making sure to take enough breaks to keep Bailey hydrated with the nutrition packs. His system had greater endurance than a human’s so he only sipped at his, attempting to stretch their meager supply. Day dissolved into dusk and then to night and Talinn continued doggedly. With his excellent night vision he had no problem moving over the uncertain surface of the wasteland. Tzibir were prone to becoming sluggish if the temperature got too cold but the constant running and walking was keeping him warm enough even after the suns went down.

Suddenly he caught a whiff of moisture on the air and froze, attempting to determine which direction the elusive scent had come from. “We might be in luck. I’m detecting water not too far away. There might be a place we could curl up and sleep for a couple of hours.”

“How far?” she asked, her voice tired.

“Not too far from here.” He adjusted his path to follow the enticing scent and about half an hour later he crested a rising dune to see a small, muddy pond below, surrounded be a few scrubby trees, which were more bush-like than arboreal. There were tracks in the sands but no other creatures were present. Talinn knew the desert was actually quite active at night and there were even a few predators he’d rather not tangle with but he and Bailey needed the water and a chance to rest.

“Should I worry about sharing this water with anything?” Bailey asked as he arrived at the shore of the tiny pond and she strained to see in the darkness. One moon had risen above the horizon but Talinn remembered human eyesight was nowhere near as good after dark. “Anything that bites or stings for example?”

“I’m an apex predator almost all creatures will go out of their way to avoid,” he said, taking pride in the declaration because his attributes enabled him to properly defend his mate.

“And the ones who don’t?” Obviously startled there might be any, she paused.

“I haven’t seen any signs of them. The water should be safe to drink at the spring itself.” He escorted her to the spot where the precious liquid bubbled out of the ground, flowing across a few loose rocks and into the pool. The moonlight glinted off the tiny stream. “We’re going to run out of nutrition packs tomorrow and then we’ll have no choice but to risk this water.”

While she drank and washed her face and arms, he refilled the empty nutrition packs he’d stashed in his backpack, while keeping his situational awareness high. When she was done, he stripped, stepped into the water and quickly rinsed off.

“I know I’m tired when ogling your body in the moonlight only makes me wistful,” she said as he redressed. “Give me a raincheck?”

Taking her in his arms, he kissed her and said, “Any time, mate. I’m all yours.”

He scooped out a hollow in the sand under the sheltering branches of the biggest bush and they curled up together, protected from the night breezes as much as he could manage. He made sure Bailey was comfortable in his arms. “Try to sleep,” he said. “I’ll only be drowsing so if anything or anyone approaches, I’ll know. We’ll stay here a few hours and then I’m sorry but we have to move out.”

“Don’t apologize,” she said, ending on a huge yawn. “I think you’re doing a masterful job of arranging our escape.”

He could tell by her even breathing she’d dropped off to sleep shortly thereafter. Being on the alert for any potential danger, he contented himself with resting. His Badari system would replenish itself well enough. Gazing at the night sky, Talinn tried to convince himself he was a free man for the first time in his life but he couldn’t summon much enthusiasm or joy. It would be all too easy for Duban to follow them. Sure the Ganamilians didn’t have mechanized transport and no aerial capability, thank the goddess, or they’d have been recaptured already. But there was a special breed of macaram selected for speed and he had no doubt the kalishka would send his men after the fugitives mounted on his best racers.

He won’t overlook what we did in escaping him and my killing Pherzed.

Talinn accepted he and Bailey had been working with a set of bad choices and the late matriarch had forced his hand on when to make the escape attempt. He prayed to the goddess for help in protecting his mate. Usually a Badari brimmed with self-confidence and Talinn was no exception to the rule, but having tried and failed to escape before and now with his mate’s life resting on the current attempt, he was on edge and anxious. The whole plan to go to the mining fields was sketchy but as far as he could see, represented their only hope.

As he held Bailey close and let the bittersweet happiness of being a mated man sweep over him, he allowed his thoughts to drift to the human he’d met in the city, the one who spoke a little Badari. Now there might lie the true escape, depending on what the outworlder could or would do. Shaking his head, Talinn rejected the idea. He and Bailey were nowhere near either of the two areas he’d told Benet the clan might travel to. There was no way for the man to find them, even if he was so inclined. The whole encounter was an anomaly, but clearly nothing he could count on.

Still he raised his eyes to the night sky, so different than the one he’d grown up under and prayed to the Great Mother. If there’s any chance at all, no matter how small, this Benet does have a way to help us, let him step forward now. I don’t want to go into the afterlife you’ve promised us with my mate’s blood on my hands, not even to save her from what Duban plans. I will do it, however, and face the consequences from you when you ask my soul to account for my life. Bailey is everything to me.

A shooting star detached itself from its fellows in the clear sky and plummeted to the planet, tracing an arc across the heavens, trailing green and purple sparks as it fell. Foolish as the idea might be Talinn decided to take the unusual occurrence as a sign the goddess was listening and his heart was gladdened.

He awoke with a start an indeterminate time later but he knew he’d allowed them to linger too long. Gently he nudged Bailey. “Time to rise and shine.”

She scrunched her face into a comically annoyed expression. “Don’t want to.”

“But we must.” He got to his feet, drawing her with him. “It’s already dawn and we’ve got to be on our way.”

“We weren’t supposed to sleep for too long,” she said in surprise, stretching and gazing at the sky. “We must have both been more tired than we realized.”

“No matter the reason, we need to go now.” He dug a ration bar from the rapidly emptying backpack and offered it to her. “Can I interest you in some breakfast?” he asked with a smile.

Bailey took the bar but her brow furrowed in a frown. “What are you planning to eat? Should we split this?”

“I’ll be fine. As we march today I’ll keep an eye out for game. We might be able to risk a small fire later.”

“I’m not convinced but I can hardly force you to eat.” Looking dubious, she broke the bar in half and tucked the second piece in her tunic’s pocket. “For later or for you if you change your mind.”

Talinn was on edge as he hiked away from the miniature oasis. Aside from the fact of oversleeping, he caught no scent or sign of pursuit. Something was making the beast woven into his DNA restless and uneasy and he’d learned to pay attention to the signs. The alien predator’s instincts were much sharper. Bailey agreed to let him carry her again without much demur and although he was covering a fair amount of ground with the pace he set, worry rode him.

There was an amazing lack of prey today, which was probably just as well, since he’d have been reluctant to risk a fire out in the open and he was sure Bailey wouldn’t eat raw, freshly killed meat. Especially not if the meal was provided by any creature she deemed to be small and cute. He knew the aggesai rodents were good eating but he didn’t tell her. His lovely mate lacked the predator’s instincts.

And then suddenly there was a whiff of scent on the wind he’d hoped not to detect. “They’re coming.”

“Who? The Ganamilians?” Her question was uttered in a tone of pure horror and she stared over his shoulder at the wasteland behind them. “I don’t see anything.”

“Far back but there’s scent.” He kept doggedly moving forward. Scanning the horizon didn’t reveal any unexpected places to hide or to prepare an ambush. The hoped for mountains were several days’ travel away, if he could maintain his pace. A mere dark blue smudge on the horizon but offering no refuge yet. Talinn sent a prayer winging up to the Great Mother for help, unashamed to plead for assistance to save his mate. The problem was the Ganamilians were so much bigger than he was and strong. He’d underestimated them on his first escape attempt and although he’d been more prepared on the subsequent tries, the clan soldiers simply overwhelmed him. Duban’s lackeys paid a price, thanks to his fangs and claws, but he was still dragged back to the camp in chains and tortured as punishment. And he couldn’t defend Bailey out here in the open desert. After the supreme happiness of having his claimed mate, he couldn’t accept the idea their life together was going to end so soon.

He’d keep his vow—she wouldn’t live to be retaken and neither would he. Badari could kill themselves if driven to it.

Spurred by his grim thoughts, Talinn moved faster. Periodically he checked the wind and didn’t scent the pursuers but the absence didn’t mean they’d given up. It only signified he was putting more distance between them. His endurance was off the charts thanks to the way he’d been genetically engineered by the Khagrish but he was flesh and blood and even he would flag and fall eventually.

“What’s going on with the sky?” Bailey asked, breaking into his dark musings.

He slowed and paused, lowering her to the ground where she promptly broke out the water and handed him a packet, while taking one for herself. “See?” She pointed off to the west. “Are those bands of clouds?”

Talinn took a look at the ugly red-yellow formations in the sky and swore. “Sand storm coming.”

Hands on her hips, she gave him a wide eyed look. “Didn’t you tell me we had no worries about the winds at this season?”

With a shrug, he said, “It’s like all weather—nature does as she damn well pleases. On the positive side, the Ganamilians will have to stop and shelter. On the negative side, so will we.”

Bailey spun in a slow circle and stared at him with her eyebrows drawn together in a frown. “How bad will it get?”

“Two hundred mile an hour wind gusts, whipping up the sand into a force capable of scouring the meat from our bones. Lasts for hours usually. The clan had special protective baffles the workers would break out and we’d all shelter together.” Trying to estimate how long they had before the approaching front arrived, he decided to keep making tracks on the escape for a while longer. “We need to move out.”

“All right.” She walked beside him and reached for his hand. “How can we protect ourselves from the storm out here? I mean, there’s nothing.”

“I’m afraid it’s not high tech but when I think we must stop, I’ll dig a trench for you to curl up, like the smallest desert creatures do, and I’ll position myself on top, to shield you.” He flashed his talons. “Efficient digging tools. And I can anchor myself against the winds as well. I’ll extrude the bony carapace for extra protection, don’t worry.”

He could tell from the mate bond she was terrified, not only for herself but for both of them as she made a suggestion. “Could we maybe find a colony of those rodents you showed me when we first got together and enlarge one of their burrows? You said they were always safe.”

“Not a bad idea. We’ll keep an eye out but I haven’t seen any aggesai colonies or sign of the creatures this entire time.”

A stray breeze plucked at her tunic and tousled her hair, as she hastily fastened her scarf tighter. “Hasn’t the world thrown enough stuff at us? What did we ever do to deserve this?”

Talinn stopped and drew her into a hug. “We’ll be fine, I promise. Now I’ve found you, I’m not going to lose you, dear heart.”

“I know and I have total confidence in you but the way you described the storm…” Bailey shivered. “We’d better keep walking and pray to find something.”

Two hours later he fought the wind gusts to keep moving and the blowing sand would have probably blinded him except for the nictating eyelids he possessed. He rarely had to use them but the feature came in handy today. Bailey had her eyes tightly shut and her head pressed against his chest. He knew it was past time to dig the hole he’d promised Bailey but sheer Badari stubbornness kept him on his feet. Despite his brave words to her, the solution he’d offered was chancy at best. He prayed to the Great Mother nonstop for help.

The winds slackened and he looked ahead, blinking and rechecking what he was seeing.

“What?” Raising her head, Bailey looked in the same direction. “Is that a mirage?”

“We’re going to find out.” Re-energized, Talinn broke into a sprint, heading for a cluster of buildings standing in the lee of a giant dune. There shouldn’t have been anything out here. In all his wanderings with the clan he’d never seen structures except at the oases and the few cities. As he fought the ever increasing winds, which kept shifting and coming at him from different directions, he hoped he’d find shelter of some kind.

Unbelievably as he got closer he saw the ruins ahead appeared to be the remnants of a massive building of some kind, tumbled down in places, severely weatherworn but infinitely better than trying to survive the storm in the open. Suddenly he stumbled and only his superb Badari reflexes enable him to avoid falling and dropping his precious burden. He realized he’d run into the edge of a raised terrace. There were inscriptions, mostly defaced and crumbling away and he had no time to study them even if he’d been so inclined. He was cutting things much too close. The winds were clearing more and more of the platform which made for better footing than he’d had.

Talinn struggled up a set of nearly nonexistent stairs, worn away by time and the elements and into an open patio. If there had been a roof, it was long gone, but another doorway beckoned beyond. Praying to the goddess there were no predators sheltering there already, he moved in a broken shuffle, the winds screaming around the edges of the building which were still standing and attempting to carry him away with them. If he’d been a smaller man, he probably would have been literally blown away. At the far end of the patio the open doorway beckoned and he made it to the entrance.

The instant he stepped across the threshold, they were out of the gale, although wind found its way into the space through various places in the tumbledown walls but it was a vast improvement over the open desert. Talinn saw another door, set into a wall with the remnants of elaborate paintings, only fragments of color remaining here and there to attest to the beauty of the bygone age. Hoping for even better shelter, he carried Bailey to the spot and set her on her feet. “Get behind me,” he said as he tugged at the thick door which had miraculously remained mostly intact.

A huge section of the wood disintegrated into splinters and dust in his hands and he was able to shove the remainder aside. Moving into the space, talons deployed, alert for any sign of danger, he was relieved to find himself alone. As he turned, Bailey stepped into the room to join him.

“Thank goodness,” she said, unwrapping her scarf and shaking the dust and sand out of the folds. “I can hear myself think.”

The sound of the winds battering the ruin were much muted here. “I think this must have been an inner sanctum, maybe for high priests or priestesses to worship,” he said, assessing the space. Of course nothing remained other than elaborate mosaics on the floor and paintings on the walls which had survived better than those on the exterior walls. There was only the one exit, which disturbed him but he had to believe the Ganamilians pursuing them had either abandoned the chase in view of the storm, or had found their own shelter. At any rate, he wasn’t worried the group would come upon them until after the storm blew itself out.

“It’s pretty dark in here,” Bailey said.

Talinn realized she hadn’t stirred from her spot near the doorway and immediately apologized. “I forgot you don’t have Badari vision. Let me see if there’s anything in here we can use to build a fire.”

The chamber was bare so he took apart the door and built a small fire, which cast eerie shadows around the room.

“I’m grateful for the shelter,” Bailey said, stretching her hands toward the blaze and smiling. “But it’s kind of creepy.”

He sat next to her, hip to hip and she curled into him. “There hasn’t been talk in the tents or on the trail of any earlier civilizations on this planet, not even legends.”

“Somebody built it,” she said, patting the floor. “Pretty sturdy too.”

“My theory is the place was buried under the sand millennia ago. You didn’t see it but there was a mountainous dune and this place is a bit sheltered.”

“We’re not going to get buried in an avalanche of sand or anything, are we?” Bailey raised her eyebrows and he could tell she wasn’t kidding about her concern.

Shaking his head, he was quick to offer reassurance. “I don’t think so. The prevailing wind tonight is going the wrong direction. Maybe the temple will be reburied again someday but not now.”

“Why do you keep calling it a temple?” she asked.

Considering the issue for a minute or two, Talinn said, “It feels like one to me. And I prayed to the Great Mother to help us find shelter so what’s more logical than her directing us to an old temple?”

“When you express it that way—” Bailey pulled a brand from the fire and got awkwardly to her feet. “I want to see those wall paintings. Maybe we can get a clue about who or what built it.”

He was willing to indulge her whim, but he kept a sharp eye out for reptiles or dangerous insects in the nooks and crannies. Sadly the paintings were too faded to make out much detail for the most part.

Bailey paused in front of one portion better preserved than most, squinted and peered intently at the wall. “This is beautiful artwork, what I can see of it, but the landscape certainly doesn’t look like the Ganamilia of today, does it?”

He studied the section of the mural which had captured her interest and shook his head. “Not at all. Not even the oases have rivers and greenery and trees like those.”

“I wish the ancients had painted themselves into the scenery,” she said, moving on slowly.

After they’d explored the room where they were sheltering there wasn’t much else to do but curl up beside the fire and rest, which turned into sleep soon enough. Fighting the elements all day had taken its toll on both Bailey and Talinn.

Talinn’s inner beast nudged him rudely into wakefulness. Although he detected no threat in the room with them, not even a rodent or a snake, he stretched his hand to the wall and couldn’t detect the storm’s vibrations any longer. Gazing around the room, he thanked the Great Mother for providing the haven. He and Bailey had shared precious time together here and he was grateful. Whatever the day brought, they’d had these hours. His beast was restless and Talinn couldn’t shake the dark premonition today was going to be pivotal. He prayed to the Great Mother events would go in his favor, for Bailey’s sake.

Leaning over, he kissed his mate gently on the shoulder. “We’d better be on our way, dear heart. The wind has abated.”

She stretched and sat up, running one hand through her tousled hair. “I know you’re right and while I wouldn’t want to stay here forever, this place was good for us.”

He rose and offered her his hand. “You’ll get no argument from me. I’m sorry there’s no breakfast. We’ll have to hope the goddess directs our steps to another oasis with berries or fruit or prey later.” He hated the fact he couldn’t provide properly for his mate. Not a single word of complaint passed her lips either although he was sure she’d never faced such a rough time in her entire life before arriving on Ganamilia.

Bailey had nothing but cheery comments now as they packed up their meager possessions. Talinn made sure the fire was out and then hand in hand they left the room without a backward glance.

Now they were moving through the outer patio. He stopped, finger on his lips in the universal sign for silence. She mimicked the gesture in response and stood beside one of the jagged partial columns while he drew deep breaths to see what scents there might be. Satisfied there were no Ganamilians within miles, he proceeded to the entrance, his mate behind him, and paused for another thorough reconnaissance. His inner beast was impatient with this precaution, eager to be gone and the mood began to infect him as well. He wasn’t subject to anxiety or nerves but he needed to be well away from this spot.

He took Bailey’s hand again and descended the now windswept steps and away from the temple, if indeed the building had been such. When they were perhaps fifty yards away, Bailey tugged at his hand, breaking free to pivot and stare at the ruins.

“I wanted to see what it looks like in the daylight,” she said, shading her eyes with one hand. “You weren’t kidding about the size of the sand dune behind.”

Under his feet a rumbling vibration increased in intensity from barely noticeable to earth shaking. Without thinking he grabbed Bailey off her feet and ran as fast as he could away from the temple. Behind them there was a crashing sound like a giant wave in the ocean and a flurry of sand borne on a shock wave blew past them, nearly bowling him over. When he judged they’d gotten far enough away, he set his mate on her own two feet and together they turned to view the drastic alteration behind them.

The giant dune had shifted back and no part of the ancient temple was visible any longer. All there was to see was sand, towering into the sky, with grains blowing away from the crest.

Bailey collapsed to her knees. “I can’t believe what a close call we had.”

He knelt beside her, putting his arm around her in an attempt to provide comfort. “I don’t think whoever or whatever directed us to the temple last night meant for us to die this morning. But the shelter was only for one night, clearly.”

She swallowed hard and he wondered if she was going to be sick. Hastily he opened the backpack and yanked out a water packet to offer her. “Sip a little, settle your stomach. No harm came to us, we were well clear.”

Switching to a seated position so elegant it reminded him of a water bird at rest, Bailey did as he suggested, taking tiny amounts of the cool water. “It’s just…hard to explain. I never had a close call like this. I mean, when the spaceship was getting ready to blow up, I was in action trying to save myself, which I did. And when I was in the damn arena, you were there, fighting to save me. But we could have been buried alive today if you hadn’t gotten us up and out.”

“Do I wish the gods or the goddess or whoever had waited until we were long gone to rebury the temple? Frankly, yes since it’s upset you so badly. But we took no harm and we need to be on our way. I can carry you—”

“I need to walk.” She fended him off with one hand, not unkindly. “When I’m having an anxiety attack walking helps. Are we going fast enough? I mean, I like being on my own two feet but if you think we’re going too slowly—”

“It’s fine. My fondest hope is the group chasing us gave up and fled home. The captain can tell Duban we surely died in the storm. Or maybe the Ganamilians themselves failed to find adequate shelter and perished. A man can dream, right?”

“How far do you think we are from the mountains?” Bailey asked. “I know you said it would be much easier for us to elude capture there, more places to hide out while we head for the mining area.”

He focused on the horizon as he walked. The mountain range, such as it was, remained a smudge. “Three days of solid hiking. Minimum.”

“Okay then, we just have to stay ahead of the men trying to recapture us for three days.”

“And nights. Ganamilians normally don’t travel at night but if they’re still tracking us, the squad might engage in unusual tactics. Depending how motivated their leader is and what Duban is offering as a reward.” He couldn’t shake the feeling things were going too well. Yet testing the air again brought the same result—no scent of their enemies—and the area they were hiking through held no cover from which a predator could attack. He kept his situational awareness high and tried not to let his concerns spill over into the mate bond. Bailey had been traumatized enough in the morning by the sand dune landslide reburying the old temple. He didn’t want her to be stressed until there was need to be.

CHAPTER 9

It was midafternoon and they were hiking companionably. Bailey was sharing a long, involved tale of her audition for a new show, with embellishments and jokes, demonstrating some of the dance moves and Talinn was as charmed as always by her. She was a magical creature to him, so graceful and talented, and she could make a story about anything entertaining. The goddess had given him a rare person indeed to be his mate. His life in the labs as a prisoner, followed by life here as a fighter was grim and dark and he felt as if Bailey was his exact opposite. The sunshine he’d needed.

Bailey finished her anecdote with much laughter and drew a breath, glancing behind them. Her eyes opened wide and she stumbled. Talinn caught her as an acrid scent assaulted his nose. Adrenaline flooding his system, he flung her over his shoulder and took off, sprinting toward a rock formation in the distance.

He risked one quick look over his shoulder, to confirm what his nose told him and his blood ran cold. Clicking sounds and high pitched cries assaulted his ears and he dug deep for his last reserve of strength.

“What are those?” Bailey said, horror in her voice.

“Sand stingers. They lie in wait under the ground in shallow burrows and emerge when suitable prey wanders by.” He kept his explanation brief. He’d seen a pod of the creatures now chasing them in action once before, when a group of them attacked an unlucky macaram which had wandered off from the clan’s herd. Initially Talinn had been amused, watching the drovers curse and struggle to catch the beast when the animal unexpectedly blundered right into a pod of the shiny bronze-and-green striped predators. The macaram had lasted only a minute at most before it became a meal for the sand stingers. The Ganamilian soldiers had been challenged to kill the creatures, even with blasters.

Gleaming in the afternoon sun the group now chasing him, scuttling on their six legs, their pincers and arching tails with huge stingers dripping green venom held high made a terrifying sight even to him. The arachnids were typically two to three feet in length and fearless. The pods attacked as a unit, communicating in some primitive fashion through their clicking and the vocalizations. Even he couldn’t fight off a whole pod.

Grimly he determined to do his best.

When he reached the rock formation, he was disappointed to find it not as lofty as he’d hoped. The sand stingers would be able to work their way up the crevices to the top. He lifted Bailey to the first flat spot. “Climb for your life,” he said. He gave her a quick kiss, grazing her cheek with his lips and wheeled to face the oncoming pod.

”Talinn—” she said uncertainly. “How are you going to—”

“Pray to your gods and climb,” he said more harshly than he intended, not taking his gaze away from the oncoming pod. “I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

There was one significantly larger individual hanging back. Probably the queen. He thought if he could kill her, the others might disengage. The odds were not in his favor, with six smaller sand stingers in the pod. He couldn’t take too many stings from them before even his system would be overwhelmed. His inner beast was enraged by the enemy and wanted to take the fight to them but Talinn clambered up the rocks instead, making his way easily with the beast’s instincts to guide him. Bailey was near the top already and as he ascended, she clawed her way the final few feet onto the uneven summit.

Kneeling, she reached a hand to help him and he shook his head, maintaining his upward progress. “Go see what the stingers are doing.”

As he reached the top, wishing it were much higher off the desert floor, she said, “The bugs are pacing around at the base of the rocks, except the big one. He or she is watching me watch them. It’s creepy.”

Talinn got to his feet and strode quickly to join her. “Unfortunately for us they can climb. I’m going to try to pick them off one by one when they reach us. Stay in the middle of the plateau here. Use the backpack as a weapon if any get past me.”

She looked at the backpack dubiously.

“Swipe at them.” He demonstrated the motion with force. “You have to keep them out of striking distance with the tail because they have a powerful sting—I doubt a human could survive. But if you take them by surprise and knock them off their feet, another of the pod may attack them instead. The creatures have no loyalty to each other. The queen commands them with her pheromones.”

“Maybe they’ll go away,” she said hopefully as another minute or two passed with no further aggression from the pod lingering below.

Much as he hated to puncture her optimism, he shook his head. “I think the pod is confused by my scent right now. No offense but you’re obviously prey to them whereas I smell like the predator I was created to be. But eventually the queen will decide it’s worth the risk to acquire this much food.”

“How intelligent are these things?” Her voice shook with horror as she glanced from him to the queen.

“Low level but with pretty sharp instincts.” He pulled her in for a hug, taking comfort from her closeness and hoping to give her the same reassurance. “I can’t lie—we may not make it out of this alive. I’ll do my utmost to defend you but if I fall, your best bet is to run while they’re distracted by—by finishing me off. Climb down the other side of the rock pile and run like hell.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Her eyes were wide with shock at what he was asking of her, but her jaw was clenched and she fisted her hands in his shirt to drag him closer. “We’re in this together, mister, to the end. You told me that was what the mate mark meant.”

“Bailey, I’m not afraid to die if doing so buys your life. These creatures are deadly and the pod will attack in a swarm. We have a slight advantage being perched up here but—”

“Shut up and kiss me,” she said in a fierce voice, going on her tiptoes and pulling his face closer to hers.

The kiss was hot and hard and needy and Talinn absorbed energy from the mate bond as Bailey made her best attempt to send him her love. Reluctantly he broke it off and set her away from him. “I love you more than life itself,” he said. “Will you please go check the other side of this rock pile and see if we can descend there? Or if the sand stingers have sent any soldiers back there yet?”

“Bad news,” she reported a minute later, having gone to peer over the edge and returned across the relatively small space. “It’s a sheer drop. I don’t know if you’d make it, but I know I wouldn’t. We’re on the edge of a steep ravine. I guess we couldn’t see it yet from the ground level. Of course the bugs can’t go there either so we only have to defend this.” Bailey made a sweeping gesture at the wide swathe of cliff edge where the creatures could and would swarm eventually. “What can I do?” she asked, studying their windswept perch. “There are loose pieces of rock up here. Would it help if I throw them? I used to be damn good at sports as a kid.”

If it makes her feel better, there’s no harm in the idea. “Sure, aim for the eyes or the joints where the legs meet the body. Sand stingers have few other vulnerable spots.”

“Sounds doable.” Moving with grim determination, Bailey hastened to gather rocks.

Talinn settled in at the edge to watch the enemy. “The queen is sending one of the small ones up the rock face.”

Extending his talons and deploying his fangs, he prepared himself to do battle for his mate’s life.

The creature was climbing more slowly than he’d expected, making a lot of anxious clicking sounds as it came closer. Passing a good sized rock fragment from hand to hand nervously, Bailey joined him.

Getting a grip on his arm, she leaned past him to eye the approaching scout. “Only one?”

“It’s a test,” he said. “The queen isn’t sure how deadly I am and she’s probably not used to prey climbing rocks to escape. There are no sizable animals with the capability in the Ganamilian desert. The pods usually run down whatever they’re chasing.”

“Good thing you’re so blazingly fast.” She nudged his shoulder and smiled.

“Stay back.” Squaring his shoulders, he prepared himself to strike. As soon as the first pincer came over the edge of the rock, Talinn grabbed it with both hands, twisting and yanking with all his power, tearing the appendage loose. The arachnid emitted a piercing sound and thrashed in his grip, attempting to bring its stinger to bear but Talinn was strong enough to prevent the maneuver from succeeding. The scout wasted its dose of poison, striking the rock and being a juvenile with little control discharged the stinking, steaming liquid. Talinn ripped the head from the body next and threw the carcass off the edge. It bounced off a rock halfway down and landed in a spray of sand in front of the queen, who scuttled further away. The other members of the pod converged on their late sibling, tearing at the body and fighting each other for the delicacy.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Bailey said, covering her eyes with her hand for an instant.

Talinn was staring at the queen, who regarded him with her two bulbous yellow eyes. Much larger than the others, her body bore scars from past battles with peers among her kind. She raised her pincers and he reassessed how intelligent she might be because she was clearly threatening him. If she comes up here herself, with the others to assist, we’re done for all right. He’d be outnumbered and easily pulled off his feet. Once he was in a vulnerable position it would be battle over and a painful death.

She clicked loudly and waded into the scrum of her offspring, knocking them away from the now denuded exoskeleton of Talinn’s first victim.

“We probably don’t have much time before they attack in force,” he said in warning to Bailey.

“Curtain time.” Standing ramrod straight as if she was indeed a soldier, she nodded. “I’ve got my supply of rocks ready.” Various sizes of stones were stacked at her feet and she flexed her fingers in preparation.

Gallant but futile. Mind jumping from one desperate and hopeless idea to the next, he tried to come up with a strategy to save Bailey other than making a last stand. Now if we could fly—

Brother?

The smooth, strong voice speaking Badari flowed into his mind and Talinn staggered under the impact. He didn’t recognize the speaker but power crackled in the telepathic stream as if his own long lost Alpha was communicating with him.

How? Who? He thought back rapidly. Are you on your way to us?

Kyden, the other said. The name brought no spark of recognition to him but the man wasn’t done with his message. We’re getting a fix on your position now. Sitrep?

No time to marvel over the contact. His situation report was to the point. My mate and I are in a bad way here, cornered on a damn rock by sand stingers. I could use help.

Bailey screamed, although the sound was rage not fear and darted past him to hurl a rock at several of the creatures as they climbed. Talinn was stunned to see her aim was true and her arm packed power. She took his advice about where to aim and her first rock shattered the left eye of the sand stinger in the lead and her second tore the first foreleg from its body. Losing its hold on the rock, the enemy flailed wildly and fell.

The others paused but a stream of insistent clicks came from the queen waiting below and the bugs maneuvered along the seams in the rocks as she came forward to eat her deceased subject by herself.

“Damn, they learn fast,” Bailey said, hefting two more rocks. “I can’t get a good angle on any of them, now they’re going deeper into the crevasses.”

“When they come onto the plateau here, you’ll be able to do more damage. Excellent throws by the way. Every single one we can kill or disable betters our odds.” He kept his attention on the queen while observing the progress the pod members were making with his peripheral vision. He reached out telepathically. Kyden?

Maybe ten minutes out. We’ve got the engines to the redline. Hold on, brother.

Send us a visual of these sand stingers? asked another voice in Badari.

Rocked to the core to think there might be two or even more of his people on their way to him right now, Talinn transmitted a mental picture of the enemy along the link.

Bailey put her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong? I keep getting these odd pulses on the mate bond from you. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Sweeping his gaze across the oncoming sand stingers, satisfied he and his mate had a few more minutes before the battle commenced, he answered her question. “I got a telepathic hail from another Badari just now. He says he’s coming to our rescue—we have to hold out.”

Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. “I don’t—I don’t understand. How can there be another of your kind here on the planet and you didn’t know?”

“From offworld,” he said, “Not from here. I don’t understand it either but if he can get us out of this mess, I’ll give thanks to the Great Mother every day for the rest of my life.”

“What’s she doing?” Bailey asked as the queen suddenly sank to the sand and dug herself under the surface with a flailing of legs so rapid as to blur the movements. Soon only the tip of her tail protruded. The sand stingers on the rock froze and Talinn debated making a descent to the first one and attempting to pry it loose from the rock but no sooner had the idea occurred to him than the sand below boiled, heaving like the surface of the ocean and a bevy of miniature sand stingers dug their way out from below.

“I think the queen produced a litter,” he said. “I’ve been told they carry their eggs inside and can give birth at any time to offspring.”

“She thought she needed reinforcements?” Bailey’s voice held a mix of revulsion and fear. “There must be a hundred or more. Are they all coming up here too? And where did she go?”

As if in answer, the mob of small sand stingers swarmed what was left of the carcass Talinn had thrown off the cliff edge while the queen erupted from her seclusion under the sand and rushed toward the rocks. Plainly intent on finishing this hunt, she went about climbing the jagged formation with determination, as the other pod members resumed their own journey to the top. She was slightly less agile than her soldiers, probably due to her size, but made good progress.

“Retreat to the other side,” he said to Bailey, moving in front of her as she retreated in compliance with his command. “I’ll try to keep them occupied until the other Badari arrive.”

“If he does.” She had her next two rocks ready although there was no time for her to move the pile of ammunition.

When the first soldier arachnid came over the edge, moving rapidly and clicking in an angry burst of sound, Bailey threw her rocks in rapid succession and succeeded in blinding the creature, which staggered in disorientation. Talinn grabbed it by the tail below the stinger and flung it at the next one to arrive, knocking them both off the rocks. Food for the damn babies, he thought as the queen and her remaining two soldiers completed their ascent. To his surprise none of the three charged him but spread out along the edge of the small plateau, facing him, the queen in the center.

She advanced slowly, her tail undulating as she came toward him and sidled a bit.

“You’re not getting to my mate,” he said, stepping forward. At the last second, as she reached for him with her huge pincers, he vaulted over her, using the strength of a Badari and landed behind her, grabbing at her tail and slashing with his talons, nearly severing her natural weapon. Quick as a flash the other two were on him, and the stingers plunged into vulnerable spots, one in his arm and the other in his stomach. The poison stung and burned but he was able to stay in motion and wrench himself free of their pincers.

The queen hissed and clicked and the two arachnids moved away. He heard Bailey curse and fling another rock but his attention was all for the sand stinger in front of him. Now the fight was joined, his body was deploying the various bony protections he was endowed with, including protection for his shoulders and back, as if he was becoming the alien predator whose DNA he bore. The queen grabbed at him and was unable to close her pincers because of the newly armored skin he’d grown. Talinn on the other hand was able to inflict massive damage with his talons and the arachnid’s body oozed yellowish ichor from the long slashes and puncture wounds.

Since he’d effectively disabled her tail and his body armor kept her from crushing him, she wasn’t as much of a threat but the poison already in his system was slowing his reflexes and blurring his vision. His legs weakened and he couldn’t do much to defend himself when one of the soldiers darted in to sting him again. Now on one knee, hearing Bailey scream, he waited for the queen to approach to finish him off and when she did, he retained enough power and consciousness to tear her throat out. She collapsed on top of him and the two remaining pod members wasted no time in attacking their dying queen, while he remained trapped underneath.

“Hold on, brother!” There was a yell in Badari and he heard the snarling challenge of a Badari Warrior as first one and then the other sand stinger was yanked away.

The queen’s body twitched and he strove to work his way out from under the stinking, oozing mess but he was near to losing consciousness. Suddenly the weight was removed and he rolled onto his back, sucking in deep breaths, although several of his ribs were broken.

“Easy, easy,” said one of the newcomers, reaching to brace him as he tried to rise. “We’ve got the duty now. Stand down.”

He had to know his mate was all right so he kept fighting to stand. “Bailey?”

She was in his arms in a rush, heedless of the mess of blood and other fluids. “Listen to them, lie quietly and let them help you. I’m fine—the sand stingers left me alone while you fought the queen. I never saw anything so magnificent. Not even the day you first saved my life.”

Her words faded in his ears and he blinked. He must have blacked out briefly because now he lay with his head in her lap and two Badari males were kneeling at his side. Dimly he heard blasters firing close by and instinctively he gathered himself to take part in a fight.

The Alpha pushed him flat with one hand. “My men are eliminating the small ones on the ground before they become a hazard. We’ll get you both out of here in a few minutes.”

Talking was beyond him now as the poison coursed through his damaged body. His indomitable immune system was fighting to save him but he knew the corrosive load was too much. The poison was shredding his circulatory system with its acidic content. Not going to make it, he said telepathically. Swear to protect and honor my mate.

“Help him,” Bailey said to the other men, her tears dripping onto Talinn’s face. “You have to save him.”

He squeezed her hand as strongly as he could manage and sent a pulse of love through the mate bond.

The Alpha was in his face, commanding attention, eyes glowing hot gold with emotion and dominance. “Accept me as your Alpha, swear the pack oath and I can help you heal. Have you forgotten the power of the bond?”

Not feline, he said, mental processes sluggish. Tzibir. Reptile.

“As if I couldn’t see for myself, lizardman,” the Alpha said out loud, with a trace of amusement and affection. “We’ll be a combined pack then.”

“Tiny but powerful,” the other Badari added. Talinn had yet to see the second man’s face but he heartened to know Bailey would have two protectors.

“Your mate needs you. You didn’t fight so hard and come this far only to die now, on the edge of your freedom. The Great Mother sent you a mate so she must intend you to live.”

Motivated as much by the logic as by the sheer willpower the other man projected, Talinn tilted his head with great effort to expose his neck to Kyden the Alpha, whose name he dimly remembered now despite the buzzing and confusion in his head. “I swear… the oath.” Uttering those few words aloud took all the resolve remaining in his body but the phrase had to be said.

“I accept your loyalty.” Kyden leaned in, fangs flashing and as he blooded Talinn, the joy of the pack bond snapping into place was a golden moment of peace in the midst of his agony. He’d never expected to feel the connection to his brothers again and the sensation was overwhelming. Like going home.

Power surged through the nascent connection and Talinn couldn’t hold onto consciousness any longer. Bailey’s face was the last thing he saw as his vision dimmed and his mind and body shut down to concentrate on healing.

CHAPTER 10

She’d paced back and forth while Talinn battled the queen, desperate to help somehow but afraid to distract him. She was grateful the two soldier bugs stayed out of the fray for the most part, as if the dominant sand stinger had ordered them to wait. When they did rush in Bailey screamed defiance and threw her last two precious rocks, not caring whether her attempt at diversion would cause them to attack her. She’d mentally marked where the cliff edge was in relation to her position and if death was her only option, she was prepared but she intended to fight for her mate as long as she could.

The sound of a flyer overhead startled her and she risked a glance upward to scan the sky. At this point, even if whoever was coming was Ganamilian, she’d be grateful. She didn’t recognize the shape or the markings on the flyer but as it hovered a few feet above the plateau, Bailey was awestruck by the two large men who leaped from the open rear door and joined the battle without hesitation. A third, human soldier came after, moving to her side, blaster at the ready, to protect her.

Ignoring him, Bailey rushed to Talinn as the Badari shifted the dead queen off and away. She didn’t understand much of what happened next although she implored them to help her mate. Watching as the men spoke to Talinn in their own language, mixed with a bit of Basic, she thought the newcomers could be his cousins. The resemblance was strong but not as much as between the two men themselves, who appeared to be brothers. I don’t care, as long as they help him.

The human soldier hovered at her elbow and held her firmly in place when the man in charge flashed his fangs and blooded Talinn. Dumbstruck by the development, Bailey was livid, afraid her mate was dead, but at the same time there was a rush of energy. A wave of something indefinable coursed through her entire body, followed by goosebumps and she nearly fainted.

With a gasp, she stared at the newcomer kneeling beside Talinn. “What have you done to him? Is he—is he—?”

Huge hand locked to Talinn’s shoulder as if the grip alone would prevent her lover from dying the man assessed her briefly. “He’s healing. Surely if you’re his mate, you know how we heal.”

Straightening her spine, Bailey yanked at the shoulder of her tunic, to expose the mate mark. “We’re mated.”

“Congratulations,” said the second Badari warmly. “Let the Alpha concentrate. He’s Kyden and I’m Rennyr and Benet’s standing next to you. I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner.”

“I’m glad you came at all,” she said, fighting off tears because now wasn’t the time to fall apart. “He was stung so many times and the fight was so brutal. Can you get us off this rock and to somewhere with a medbay? So Talinn can have help,” she said, not caring about anything other than her mate.

“The lady’s got a point, boss,” Benet said from his position next to her. “The men are done clearing the base of the rocks. This planet may not have sophisticated aerial surveillance capabilities but we don’t want to linger.”

“Bring the flyer in,” Kyden said. “I’ll carry him since we didn’t pack an antigrav stretcher.”

The flyer was maneuvering overhead again. Bailey was in awe of the pilot’s skill as they brought the craft close to the plateau where she stood. Rennyr helped Kyden rise to his feet with Talinn draped over his shoulders. Bailey remembered once Talinn had joked about how carrying her was so easy for him whereas carrying a fellow Badari was a challenge but Kyden was a massive man, bigger than Talinn or Rennyr and seemed to be having no trouble.

Rennyr stepped closer to Bailey. “May I help you into the flyer? Are you sure you’re not injured?”

After a second of hesitation, she let him take her arm because she was unsteady on her feet right now. “I’m Bailey Kingsmere by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you, mate of Talinn,” he said with grave formality as she climbed the ramp into the flyer arm in arm with him.

“What just happened?” she asked, leaning on him as a wave of dizziness swamped her. “Back there, on the rock? Talinn’s in such bad shape already, why did Kyden bite him?”

“Kyden’s our Alpha,” Rennyr said. “He was establishing the pack bond between himself and Talinn so he could send him extra power to heal. It’s a common thing among our people and one of the blessings of being in a pack.”

“Like the mate bond?” she asked as she progressed down the aisle toward the spot where Talinn lay unconscious, sprawled across a long, padded seat.

With a soft laugh, Rennyr nodded. “Two entirely different bonds of course. The mate bond has only two anchor points, in the couple themselves, based on their love for each other.”

He assisted her in sliding into a seat facing Talinn and Bailey reached out to take her mate’s hand, reassured to some extent when he closed his fingers around hers, although he gave no sign of consciousness. She sent a pulse of love through their bond, hoping he could receive it in his present state.

Kyden maintained his grip on Talinn’s shoulder, sitting in an awkward position on the floor of the flier yet losing none of his impressive dignity in the process. He glanced at Bailey, “I apologize for taking you into my pack without consulting you but there was no time for niceties. Talinn was well on his way to meet the goddess.”

“I’m in your pack?” she asked, unable to imagine what the man was talking about. “Are you going to want to bite me too?”

Kyden chuckled. “Not at all. A man rarely if ever touches another man’s mate for any reason and I myself am mated-married to a human woman. But because you and Talinn have claimed each other, and he is now one of mine, you are as well.”

“I got hit with a major wave of something when you shed his blood,” she admitted. “Oh, thank you.” This to Rennyr as he handed her an opened survival ration drink. “I’m probably dehydrated to some extent and I know I’ll be hungry. We had snake for lunch but that was a long time ago.” I’m babbling and maybe even delirious here. These guys are going to think Talinn mated the wrong woman. To cover her confusion and embarrassment, and avoid uttering any inanities, she guzzled the drink.

“When we reach my ship, we’ll have the doctor check you over,” Kyden said. “He can’t do much for a Badari but he’s skilled with human ailments.”

“I’m sorry but who exactly are you people?” she asked as the flight continued. “I mean, obviously you’re Badari, but where did you come from? How did you know we were here and in trouble?”

“We were both smuggled out of the lab where we were all created and sold as slaves in the hinterlands to become gladiators,” Kyden said, indicating himself and Rennyr with a rapid gesture. “At different times of course. I won’t bore you with all the details right now, but I own a gladiatorial house and my wife-mate is part of a generational billionaire family in the Five Systems. Her father’s a powerful senator. When I was fighting in the arena, I always swore if I ever had the means and the credits, I’d do whatever it took to find and free any other Badari like myself trapped in the system.”

“Which is how he found my mate and me,” Rennyr explained. “He rescued us a little less than a year ago.”

“We didn’t know there were any other enslaved Badari.” Kyden took up the tale again. “But Benet, who is my second in command, was on Ganamilia for a diplomatic mission, saw Talinn fight and knew he was one of us.”

She swiveled her head to look at the soldier who’d landed on the plateau with Kyden and Rennyr. Although he was obviously a lethal fighter, big and well built, he was certainly no Badari. Enduring her open assessment, Benet grinned. “I was there the day Talinn fought for you and he was so unmistakably like the boss here, and Rennyr, I was pretty sure what I was seeing. And I knew Lord Kyden would want to help. I managed a few seconds to talk to Talinn the next day but believe me, it was frustrating in the extreme not to be able to take action right then to help you both.”

“He didn’t tell me,” she said, more surprised than hurt.

“I don’t think he believed me,” Benet said honestly. ”He probably didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing. You have to admit it probably sounded pretty farfetched, especially since I am human and I wasn’t given time to reassure him, much less to make a plan.”

“I want to be on our way out of this star system the minute we’re on board the ship,” Kyden said over her head to Benet. “No good can come of hanging around here, even if the locals don’t patrol their own space efficiently. And I’m needed at home in the Five Systems.”

Once they’d landed inside Kyden’s ship and the doctor and a team of crew members had come onto the flyer with an antigrav litter, Bailey stood to the side wracked by anxiety and wishing she could be of more help. The Badari gently placed Talinn on the litter and she followed the procession out of the flyer and down the ramp. Any other time she’d have been impressed by the size of the ship, which had to be huge based on the scale of the landing bay and the other craft parked there, but nothing mattered to her right now but Talinn.

“We’re going straight to the medbay,” Kyden said to her over his shoulder as he walked beside the litter, still maintaining his hold on Talinn’s shoulder.

Stepping into the medical facility a few minutes later, Bailey was astonished at the equipment and the efficiency of the staff. It was like a mini hospital. Kyden and the doctor conferred and the Alpha beckoned to her.

“Rennyr and I are going to tend to Talinn ourselves. On our own world a pack would have a healer, who’d be providing specialized energy to help mend his injuries but I must make do. Shortly he won’t require my additional support as his body is now healing itself the way we’re engineered to do. “

“I want to take care of my own mate. I want to help. I need to help.” Although she wasn’t by nature an overly jealous woman, the idea of any of the other humans who were standing by tending to her man bothered Bailey. Kyden and Rennyr were kin and pack so they had the right and she was grateful for their continued support for Talinn.

Kyden frowned slightly and a wave of power brushed against Bailey’s skin like the wings of a moth. “Our brother would expect us to take care of you on his behalf while he’s incapacitated. What you need to do now is go with the doctor and let him check you over, and take care of any injuries or lingering issues. I’ve set a suite aside for you and Talinn so Rennyr will escort you there when the doctor gives the all clear. Refresh yourself and eat a good meal. And then, you’ll be welcome here to sit with Talinn through the night. An Alpha can hold a man in jeopardy to life but a mate inspires him to heal and rise from his sickbed. Believe me, I know.” When he smiled at her, Bailey felt overwhelmed and charmed and ready to do whatever the Alpha wanted. Which annoyed the hell out of her and she made a silent vow to walk carefully. She didn’t know these people. Yes she owed them a huge debt for saving Talinn and her but she was her own woman. She had to admit Kyden was right, however; she had aches and pains and was covered in dust and sand stinger ichor, as well as Talinn’s blood.

Not to mention how wonderful a real meal sounded.

Rennyr leaned close and winked. “The Alpha can be a bit dictatorial but in general it’s best to go along with his uh suggestions.”

“All right,” she said, doing her best to sound strong. “But if anything changes for Talinn while I’m away from him—”

“I’ll let you know at once,” Kyden said. “I’ve seen many of our kind recover from massive injuries like this and I’m well aware of the cycle. He won’t regain consciousness before you return. And he isn’t going to die, goddess willing. She’s allowed him to survive this long, with my help and he’s past the critical point. My word as Alpha. Trust the mate bond between you and what it tells you.”

Bailey had to be content with his statement.

Talinn stood in the center of a grove. Puzzled, he turned in a slow circle and tried to guess where he was. It was clearly a sacred space because he could feel the indefinable electricity of being in a hallowed location, but it certainly wasn’t the grove of the Great Mother on the planet where he’d been created. The trees there were towering giants, old growth behemoths reaching to the cobalt sky, while these trees were mature, green and beautiful in the soft sunlight, but hardly on the same scale. Taking a closer look at the ground, he realized the goddess’s purple flowers were spreading across the grass like an unfolding carpet and the scent rose to his nostrils in a subtle wave as the blossoms encircled him

He was alone and he panicked, searching frantically for the mate bond which tied him to Bailey. The golden cord glowed serene in his mind and heart and Talinn let out a gusty sigh of relief. His new pack bond was firmly anchored as well and he savored the connection after so many long, dreary years in exile, cut off from his own kind. True his new pack brothers weren’t Tzibir but at the core they were all Badari and Kyden and Rennyr were men he instinctively trusted. I hope the goddess plans to let me live, to enjoy life with my mate and my new pack. The thought was a bit melancholy but even if the Great Mother was going to collect him now, at least he’d had the indescribable joy of finding his mate and he wouldn’t have died a slave, nor unloved and a man without a pack.

Blinking, he recoiled a step. The giant rock which was known as the Great Mother’s chair and which was definitely on his own planet, not wherever he stood now, had suddenly appeared in the grove as if it had always been there, anchored firmly into the ground. Talinn sank to his knees and held his breath.

A heartbeat later, she sat there, her face in shadow. The healers said no one ever saw her face unless the man was dying, so the mere fact she hadn’t revealed herself completely to him was reassuring. Her long silver hair floated in the breeze and tiny butterflies and jeweled birds flitted around her head like a living crown. Her white robes were gauzy and shot through with silver threads which glinted. “So you appreciate your new pack and accept your new Alpha then?” she asked. Her voice was pure and melodious to his ears.

“You’ve blessed me, my lady,” he said after clearing his throat to find words. “I’m grateful. I wouldn’t have sworn the oath to Kyden if I couldn’t accept him as Alpha with my whole heart.”

“There is no path home, you know,” she said. Making a graceful gesture at the circle of trees, she added, “This is your new future, if you so choose.”

“I’m ready to walk beside my mate and be with my pack brothers,” he said, confidence flowing through every fiber of his being. “To stay with Bailey, I’d endure anything, even further exile on Ganamilia.”

“Fortunately your fate doesn’t take you there.” She laughed and a thrill went through him to have amused the Great Mother. “You may go forward in your new life then, with my blessing. And tell your mate she may sing as many of my songs as she desires. Her voice is a gift from deities other than myself but beautiful to me nonetheless.” She left the rock effortlessly, almost floating to stand in front of him but Talinn kept his eyes trained on the surrounding flowers. Despite her statement she wasn’t going to take him into the afterlife today, he wasn’t fool enough to risk everything he wanted for a glimpse at her face.

Gently she touched his head, smoothing the lock of his hair which invariably fell onto his forehead and got in his way and tracing the faint outline of the scales on his face and shoulder briefly. “I gift you one more thing, Talinn of the Badari, because I read in your heart that you can carry this blessing and still accomplish your other tasks and duties for the Alpha.”

A cool wave spread through his body and on his tongue he tasted the flavor of mint and other green spices he couldn’t name. With shock he saw his hands glowing green briefly.

“A pack requires a healer,” the goddess said. “You and I are close, Talinn, the way a healer should be in relation to me on behalf of his pack, because of what you suffered on Ganamilia at the end. The balance could have tipped either way for you but you fought to remain with your mate and your Alpha fought for you as well so I’m pleased to be merciful. And to grant you the gift. Rest assured, you had the potential for it locked into your heart but there was no need for the power to manifest on the world of your creation. Your former pack had its healer for Generation Six.”

He put one hand on the ground to steady himself. “I—I don’t know the songs or have the depth of ancestral memory a healer requires.”

“Don’t you?” She was moving away and now he did raise his head to stare after her. At the edge of the trees she paused but didn’t turn. And she was gone.

Talinn blinked and opened his eyes in real life, to be greeted by the sight of an unmistakable medical facility. His adrenaline peaked as dread rushed over him at the prospect he’d somehow been yanked back to the world where he’d been created and the torture chambers the Khagrish scientists made of any medical environment. His gaze fell on his mate, sleeping peacefully in a chair next to his bed and he drew a huge sigh of relief.

Kyden’s ship. He said he’d take us to his ship. Talinn had been in and out of consciousness after the final battle with the sand stinger queen but he remembered fragments of the discussion going on at the time.

Studying his mate, drawing in a deep breath of her scent, he was entranced by her beauty. There was no other word for it. Her face was drawn and tired, even as she slept, but he sent the goddess his thanks yet again for giving him such an incomparable mate. She had her head pillowed on her arm and he ached to pick her up, but he had a duty to perform first.

Alpha?

I’m glad you’re restored to us, Kyden said immediately. You fought hard and well.

With your help. He was anxious to give credit where it was due. Talinn knew he would have died on Ganamilia Six if not for Kyden’s power.

Your mate watched over you as well, the Alpha said with approval. She’s strong and stubborn as a Badari mate should be.

I’ve been blessed, he agreed.

The Alpha’s tone changed, becoming brisk. But you and your mate no doubt need time to get reacquainted. Come to dinner with Rennyr and me in my suite tonight and we can get as detailed as you like about future plans. Bring Bailey of course. But spend the day with her alone, if you need my official order to stand down. No one will disturb you, least of all me.

And the Alpha was gone from his mind, after imprinting him with the layout of the ship and the location of the suite assigned to Bailey and him.

She was stirring, murmuring fragments of sentences and beginning to stretch, so he scooped her from the chair, along with the blanket and headed for the door. Kissing her cheek as she smiled up at him, he said, “Sweet dreams?”

“Of you, all of you! Are you sure you should be carrying me?” Eyes narrowed, she looked him over critically as he proceeded through the corridors of the ship, following the mental map Kyden had given him. “I mean you were in such bad shape—”

“When a Badari is done with the healing process, he’s fine and good to go,” Talinn said with a grin. “In all ways. Thank you for watching over me. I can’t ever remember waking up and being so immediately happy as I am when I see you.”

“How happy?” She raised one eyebrow suggestively. “I mean we should probably check out this boast of yours about being completely recovered, right? To be sure?”

“Absolutely. Unless you’re too tired. I don’t like the hollows in your cheeks and the shadows under your eyes. Our escape from Ganamilia was hard on you.”

“Says the man who nearly died.” She poked him in the chest playfully. “I’ll bounce back. No one is going to be asking me to babysit giant toddlers or run from deadly predators today. And the food on this ship is wonderful. Speaking of which, you need to eat.”

“Later. I have a hunger only you can satisfy.”

“Ohh, you have such a way with words.”

His cock was hard and aching, pressing against the front of the sweatpants he’d awakened in. Holding Bailey’s soft curves in his arms was a delight but made him want more. How much further could it be to this suite? “I wish the damn ship wasn’t so big.”

“We’re nearly there. I’d get lost on my own but this part looks familiar. Lord Kyden had Rennyr escort me to the cabin and a steward brought me back. Wait till you see our rooms—the tiny tent on Ganamilia Six was sure nothing like this. I’ve never been in such a luxurious place.”

“Before I forget because I will be distracted by what I have planned for the next few hours,” he said with a leer, “We’re having dinner with Kyden and Rennyr tonight.”

“He came to check on both of us during the night,” she said. “We had a nice chat and I’m less intimidated by him now. He did say the Five Systems has a strong entertainment industry so I’m hopeful I can find work.”

Talinn stopped in front of an ornate portal. “Finally.”

Bailey reached to activate the code for gaining entrance and he stepped through, careful not to bump her against the frame. Once inside, he paused, taking in the luxury, but his focus was on his mate and what he wanted the two of them to share, so he carried her across the sitting room and into the bathroom, which he was pleased to see was huge. Setting Bailey on her feet, he gathered her into a hug and they stood locked together. Talinn savored the way her curves cushioned his body and especially his straining cock. She raised her face to him and the kiss was sweet at first, before he licked her lips and sought entry into the delicious warmth of her mouth.

With a sigh of contentment, she opened to him and he allowed his tongue to duel with hers as she squirmed in an attempt to get even closer. Finally Bailey broke off the kiss and stepped away to tug at her clothes. “Skin to skin, right now.”

“No argument from me, mate.” But he paused to watch her strip, which she did with grace even in her haste. He savored the revealing of every inch of her curves and soft skin and his arousal grew harder and more insistent. When she was completely naked, standing and posing for him, a coy look on her face as she licked her lips and eyed the bulge in his pants, Talinn grabbed the hem of his black tee shirt and ripped it off, tossing it aside. It only took a moment to slide his pants down to his ankles, allowing his erection to spring free, ready for his mate’s slick heat. He kicked the garment away and reached for Bailey but she stepped aside, going to the generously sized shower and turning on the water, adjusting the temperature with her lip caught in her teeth as she concentrated.

“We never had enough water on Ganamilia,” she said, “Or at least not enough hot water.” With a shiver that set her breasts bobbing in a way to further inflame his desire Bailey stepped into the enclosure. “What are you waiting for?”

Deciding action was the best answer, he joined her, catching her in his arms carefully before initiating another scorching kiss as the water cascaded over their bare skin. He picked her up and she locked her legs around his waist, pressing butterfly kisses along his chin and neck, stopping at the mate mark. With her fingertips she traced the golden circle, which made him shiver and his neck frill pulsed.

She ran her hand over the sensitive membrane and teased the edge.

“If you keep doing that I won’t last long,” he said on a mock growl.

“I know your weaknesses.” With a kiss on the mate mark, she changed position until the tip of his cock pressed against her. Bailey lowered herself onto the hard shaft an inch at a time while he held her in place and allowed himself to push slightly upward, relishing the way she was creaming for him and proud of the reaction his mate had to his body.

When she’d taken him all the way to the root, she rode him, contracting her muscles as she did so and he groaned. The warm silk of her body sheathing him and compressing his girth was almost more than he could bear, in terms of arousal. “You’re too good at this, my beautiful human. I won’t last long at all.”

“This is only the first round,” she said, toying with his nipples and running her hand over his abdomen, carefully tracing each muscle. “We’ll have a rematch, I promise. There’s this whole fabulous bed in the other room we have to explore too, but later. Kiss me.”

There was only one proper response to the order, which he was happy to take, possessing her lips with bruising passion, fueled by the fire and longing in his heart and his cock. He and his mate moved together in a smooth rhythm until he had to brace himself and hang on tightly as his climax was upon him. Thrusting hard and deep, he felt the penile frill deploy and his seed emptied into his lover, bringing her to her own release. Bailey screamed his name and clung to him as if for dear life itself.

Gratified, it was no challenge for Talinn to hold his mate while they were locked together and when the internal ‘latch’ released and retracted, he set her on her feet. Retaining his hold in case she was dizzy, he kissed the top of her head and reached for the soap. “I won’t be content until I’ve washed the grit and grime of Ganamilia entirely away from you and me. I know you’ve bathed and I can tell I got cleaned up at some point but I want us to do this for each other. Please?”

Nodding, she held out her hand and he gave her a dollop of the richly creamy soap. Bailey did a thorough job of scrubbing him clean, going over his body as he twisted and turned in the jets of warm water. Her hands on his balls and manhood and butt were almost more than he could bear, and he was highly aroused and hard for her. Bailey paused in her duties as bath handmaiden to spend a good amount of time on her knees on a folded towel, applying her tongue and the warm depths of her mouth to his manhood, while he stood braced with his hands flat on the shower wall and tried to resist the sensual magic she was weaving with her clever caresses and touches. Finally he had to reach up and adjust the water to cold, which caused her to shriek with laughter and retreat from the shower, only rejoining him when he promised to be good.

Now she washed his hair as he knelt for her, his arms encircling her waist and his cheek against her soft stomach, eyes closed in sheer bliss and then it was his opportunity to bathe her.

“You’re handling me like I was a china doll,” she said as he delicately soaped her legs and spent time admiring her toes. Her feet fascinated him, he had to admit, so tiny next to his huge appendages. “I’ll let you paint them later, if we find any polish in the cabinets.”

“Painted toes?” he asked, puzzled.

“Just the nails. It’s a luxury thing we girls do sometimes to make ourselves feel good.” Bailey curled the fingers of one hand to the palm and assessed her broken chipped nails with a frown. “I sure do need a manicure. I hope those are a thing in the Five Systems. Some people get quite artistic about their nail ornamentation but I go for the colors and skip the decals and whatnot.”

He flicked out his lethal dark brown talons, surveyed them and retracted them. “It’s not for me. Nothing can disguise the nature of what I carry.”

“The better to protect me,” Bailey said, cupping her hand over his and squeezing. “So I love them, like every other part of you. I hate to seem less than enthusiastic here but the incredible bed in the other room is calling to me. Do you realize we haven’t ever shared a bed? The sleep mat in the tent was the best we got and let me tell you, it was nothing to boast about.”

She took the big fluffy towel he handed her and started drying off. Wrapping the towel around her body she suddenly fled from the bathroom, her voice drifting to his ears. “Catch me if you can!”

The predatory beast in his DNA was immediately alert and aroused and Talinn surrendered to his instincts, giving chase and catching his mate before she’d made it across the main room of the suite. He grabbed the edge of the towel and sent the blue and white striped fabric flying as Bailey shrieked and dodged. Swooping her into his arms he sprinted into the bedroom and laid her on the huge mattress, throwing himself on top of her, careful to keep his considerable weight from crushing her. He nibbled at her neck while she giggled. “Don’t run from a predator, woman. It gets us all excited.”

“Which is exactly what I wanted,” she said breathlessly. “You fell into my cunningly laid trap. Some predator.”

“I’ll show you,” he said with a mock growl, pushing her legs apart with his knee until his shaft nudged at her soft folds.

“Yes, please do demonstrate.” Looping her arms around his neck, Bailey drew him closer for a long and involved kiss, while adjusting her position to give him easier access. “I love you,” Bailey said, smoothing his hair away from his face. “I’ve never been happier in my entire life than I am as your mate.” She gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Thank you for saving me and for all the memorable times since.”

“You gave me a reason to live,” he said, relishing the peace he had now, holding his precious mate safe and satiated. “You brought light and color and song into my bleak existence and I’m the luckiest man in the galaxy. The Great Mother bestowed an amazing gift on me when she brought you to the arena.” Awkwardly he reached out to rearrange the pillows and make his mate as comfortable as possible. “I don’t know what awaits us in Kyden’s pack, on the planet where he has his home now, but I’m eager to try the new adventures, with you by my side.”

“Always,” she said. “After what we’ve gone through together, I know nothing can part the two of us—we’re unbeatable.”

Thank you for reading Talinn! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Veronica’s newsletter!

V.T. BONDS

MENDED AND MARKED

CHAPTER 1

DURI

The vast openness of space locks me in amazement and holds me hostage until footsteps pull my attention away from the massive viewing window.

“Still standing here, Du?”

I smile and bat Seung’s hand away, years of friendship teaching me to expect his teasing tug on my hair.

“Of course. It’s so… mesmerizing. It makes me feel small.”

“You are small, Duri—except for that belly of yours.”

His light tone and soft chuckle take the sting out of his words, but I tilt my head away to hide my blush. My hands lift and caress the swell of my expanding waistline, protecting the new life growing in my womb.

I don’t have any immediate words to toss back at him. It’s my fault I’m carrying his offspring: if I had elected to suffer through my heat alone instead of asking him to tend me, I wouldn’t be pregnant.

But I can’t feel shame for such a gift. It’s precious, even if its father and I will only ever be friends. I fill my lungs until they ache and offer him my brightest smile.

“It’ll get bigger, you know. I’m not even halfway through the pregnancy yet.”

“Ew, Du. You sure know how to make me cringe. Go on to the medical bay then, while my offering is still fresh.”

Trying to hide how much his playful words hurt, I force my smile bigger and pat his arm as I step around him.

“Thanks, Seung. You didn’t have to come, much less offer more services, so I’m truly grateful.”

He shrugs and turns toward the expanse of nothingness, causing an ache to pulse behind my sternum.

We spoke at length and signed a contract before my heat began, so I know he holds no regrets over our rutting and subsequent child, but his dismissal still hurts.

With a heavy heart, I start the trek to the medical bay, keeping close to the wall despite the wide hallway. The same worries I’ve carried for years seem to weigh heavier than ever before, but I bear them as best I can.

Each step offers me another moment of newness. Another moment of motherhood, even if I haven’t met my baby yet. I shake off my troubling thoughts and sneak my hand to the bottom curve of my belly, excitement bubbling within me.

When a shape no taller than my protruding belly button darts out of a room as I pass, I squeak and flail, trying my best to keep my feet under me.

I fail, landing on my hands and knees. As sharp pain lances through my arms and legs, a tall, curvy shape steps from the same room, her shout ringing in my ears.

“Oh no! Are you alright?”

Her husky voice sounds more harried than worried, and through the haze of pain I realize it must have been her child I almost squashed. The patter of tiny feet scurrying down the hall awakens my own maternal instincts.

Gritting my teeth, too shaken and embarrassed to form words, I sit back and nod while gesturing for her to follow her youngling.

“I’m sorry. He just got his cast removed, but it’s no excuse. Hayden, get back here right this instant!”

Little feet don’t even pause as they round the corner. His mother takes off after him, leaving me to rise on my own. Casting a glance around the hall as I use the wall to stand, I shake my head and thank the gods there was no one else around to share my embarrassment. I brush my knees with shaky fingers and check my palms. With the smooth floor and short distance, only a light blue bruise forms on the heel of my right palm where a blood vessel popped from the impact. I don’t lift my skirt to look at my knees—I already know two new bruises form over my kneecaps, joining the myriad of other scrapes and bruises.

Who would have thought a slightly unlucky person could turn into an outright clutz with the change in balance pregnancy brings?

Sighing at myself, I hurry down the hall with as even a gait as I can manage, not stopping until I reach room number six. I slide my passenger card across the reader and twist the handle after it turns green. The overhead lights turn on as I step into the room, revealing the examination table along the far wall, the privacy screen in the corner, and the row of medical equipment built into the left wall.

A tray of instruments sits beside the temperature-controlled container at the foot of the table. I flip the lock on the door and limp across the room. After opening the container and pulling out the hot bottle and cellophane wrapped pill, I quickly shut the lid and set the bottle on the tray. With careful fingers, I unwrap the massive egg-like pill and cram it in my mouth before grabbing the bottle and sucking down the hot water as fast as possible. If it weren’t for the oily coating on the casing of the pill, it wouldn’t fit down my throat. Even so, I fight to choke it down.

The struggle proves worth it as the casing dissolves and releases my best friend’s seed into my stomach. A tiny limb bops my bladder as my womb dweller dances in delight over the natural nutrients. I smile, enjoying the sensation for a moment before sucking in a breath and climbing onto the table.

A shudder rolls through the room, making me pause, but when nothing else seems out of the ordinary, I settle my rump on the table and swallow my discomfort. My cheeks heat as my pulse echoes between my legs, the incessant ache of lust never far away since pregnancy causes my hormones to run high.

Ignoring the raised heat on my face, knowing a blush paints my cheeks red, I pull the cylinder from the container, fit it into the speculum resting on the tray, and hike my skirt up. With my heels braced on the edge of the table, I slide the cold metal between my labia, still uncomfortable with the process even though I’ve done it almost every other day for almost twenty weeks. Unable to stop the trembling of my hand and the subsequent tightening of my body at the intimate touch, I insert the tool and deploy the plunger until it clicks. Pressure grows deep within my channel as the synthetic plug expands, fitting itself above my pubic bone where an alpha knot would expand. I shift my hand to remove the speculum and gasp as the table vibrates under me.

Gravity shifts as I yank the tool from between my legs. My back slams into the wall and my feet slip off the edge of the table as the entire ship jerks.

The lights flicker.

With the calming warmth of Seung’s seed infiltrating my insides, my brain struggles to understand the significance of the changes. I push my skirt down over my knees and blink as the captain’s face appears on the wall.

Wrapping my arms around my midsection, I force my brain to focus on his words.

“—entering the atmosphere in twenty seconds. Prepare for a crash landing.”

Even as the lights flash red and sirens blare, I stare in mute shock at the elderly man’s face.

Is this a joke?

The table jolts underneath me.

No, not a joke, and even if it is, I can’t take the risk of ignoring the signs.

Almost falling to my knees as I jump off the table, I stagger to the emergency seats built into the corner of the room and fit the straps over my shoulders, smashing the red button on the armrest and wincing as the straps tighten against my torso. I yank the shield down until it clicks into place at the end of the armrest as a second barrier rises from the floor and seals itself to the first, fully encasing me and the empty chair next to me in a small misshapen room.

The power flickers before everything goes pitch black. Not even the emergency lights turn on. For terrifying, endless seconds, I sit alone. My skull shrinks until I worry my eyeballs will pop out of my skull. I hug my stomach, praying for help, desperate to protect my youngling.

I want them to survive more than anything in the universe. They’re mine. I love them.

Needing to block out the sirens and horrible jerking of the craft, I whisper to the new life in my belly, telling them over and over how much I need them. How much I love them. How I’ll do everything I can to protect them, if only they’ll stay strong while chaos strikes.

With a deafening boom, my senses explode into fragmented nonsense as the ship meets land. The vast emptiness of space invades my thoughts, stealing me away from the present and holding me hostage in darkness.

Yet even here, pain finds me. I hurt. I hurt in too many places. My head. My spine. My legs.

But not my abdomen. Held securely to the seat and protected from the worst of the impact by the shields, the new life growing in my womb swims in the seed of an alpha they may never meet again.

Wetness seeps down my face.

CHAPTER 2

CAHRESS

White-hot agony shoots into my knuckles and up through my wrist. I ignore the pain and grab the barrel with my other hand, using my attacker’s own momentum to pull him closer. With pins and needles pricking up and down my arm, I lift my forearm and bring it crashing down on the limb so hard bones crack.

The puny ISC guard dies screaming as I bury my blade in his throat. Crimson sprays in a wide arc as I yank my knife free, letting him fall to the ground with a wet thump.

Adrenaline floods my veins, urging me to fall into instinct, but I use my years of training and stay firmly in control of my motions. Wiping the filthy blade on my water-resistant suit, I slide it back into its holster and stalk forward.

“Well, if they didn’t already know we’re here, they do now,” Thret rumbles, stepping around me and sending me an angry glance. I roll my shoulders and force my dense fur to settle, knowing Thret thinks of nothing beyond the mission. His thick, bony plates reflect the soft yellow light from the floorboards, causing his silhouette to shift through the shadows.

“I don’t hear an alarm, and it’s not like he had enough time to sound one.”

At my retort, Commander Ru’en snarls and stalks forward. His white pupils narrow in his black irises, relaying his annoyance.

“We can’t take chances, Cahress. These ISC bastards are too conniving. Take the rear.”

His shoulder grazes mine as he passes, chilling my skin despite our temperature regulated suits. A rare Frigent, Commander Ru’en’s blood runs like liquid ice in his veins—even through both suits, he sucks the heat right out of my flesh.

Usually he doesn’t run so cold, but a few weeks ago another Warrior Elite pummeled him into the ground, turning the normally grim alpha into a cruel beast. With the added adrenaline of our mission, he pulls all traces of warmth from the air, creating an almost visible cloud of icicles around him.

Commander Ru’en strides past Thret and leads the way down the darkened hall, his footsteps eerily silent on the backlit floor panels.

Thret follows him on equally quiet feet.

Jokur taps my shoulder. His dark markings help him camouflage in the dim lighting, but my keen eyesight sees his motions, letting me know he wants me to go in front. I nod and follow Thret.

We haven’t heard anything from Choku, which is a blessing. His special skills make him the perfect candidate for sneaking to the other side of the mountain and securing any potential exits. If he hasn’t contacted us via our suits’ communication units, then we don’t have to worry about ISC reinforcements showing up out of nowhere, like they did when Warrior Elite Team 1 began the first invasion of an ISC facility on this planet, Mai’CuS.

I dart across the first doorway and keep my attention trained further down the hall, waiting for Commander Ru’en and Thret to clear the room. They exit empty-handed with the scent of death clinging to their suits.

I continue to the nearest doorway, check for hidden cameras, and swipe the hacked chip hidden in my wristband across the card reader. Enter the room before the door fully opens, I slice the beta’s throat before he finishes sitting up. Several seconds later, he lies as still as death. A quick perusal of the room shows no other beings within, so I wave Jokur out and follow him into the hall.

Only three other doors remain—two like the one I just exited and the reinforced door at the end of the hall.

Commander Ru’en glares at me before he unlocks the last door on the right and disappears into the room. Thret follows him in, an unnecessary precaution, but we don’t take chances.

For over a decade we’ve fought together in the worst places. We’ve killed innumerable foes and done unspeakable deeds, yet we’ve also saved countless innocent souls, including most of my family, in our war against the ISC.

The largest scientific body across the known galaxies, the ISC hides in plain sight. They began as a company intended for good, but over time, they became corrupt. Entire branches do as they wish, mostly without recourse, using the funding and support of the company to conduct vile experiments. We’ve encountered horrifying scenes and conditions over the years, but every time we questioned personnel, the answer has always been the same.

No one knows who leads the evil branches of the ISC. Cut off one leader’s head and two more rise to take their place.

My teammates and I each began our own quests to rid the galaxy of ISC scum on our own terms, but when we one-by-one crossed paths, we knew we’d never find a better team.

Commander Ru’en exits the room and falls in behind Jokur as I approach the last barracks room. A silent attack later, and my team remains the only living creatures within the narrow hall.

Nestled in the caves of a barren mountain range, this facility should only hold a few rooms beyond the reinforced door. We had no clue tiny compounds like this existed until a few weeks ago—right after Commander Ru’en got his ass beat by a fellow Warrior Elite from Team 1.

The concept of tiny pockets of evil tucked anywhere along the surface of the planet is terrifying and daunting, especially since we intend to stay on Mai’CuS for the rest of our lifespans.

Almost a decade ago, we met a convincing and talented omega spy, Commander Minette, and her war bred alpha, Commander Draukir. They pitched their spiel and won our loyalty by proving their skills.

Our common enemy—the ISC—and the threat to our peoples brought us here. We need a place to live in safety. Mai’CuS will be that place.

We must rid it of pests first, which is why we’re infiltrating this compound in the middle of the night, with no backup beyond our own skills.

Commander Ru’en approaches the heavy metal door.

My gut tightens, the familiar sense of dread infecting my chest and sending tingles down my spine. It weighs down the tip of my tapered tail, but I flex my muscles and force it into a ready position.

Nothing good ever hides behind doors locked by the ISC.

Using a fallen guard’s key card, Commander Ru’en unlocks the door and cracks it open. He stands, poised to strike, with less than an inch between the door and the frame. Several seconds tick by as we remain on high alert, listening for any alarms or signs of trouble. When none arise, we stalk forward on silent feet, leaving space between each of us for safety’s sake.

The fluorescent lighting makes the white walls and floor painfully bright. I shift my knife within my grasp, getting a better hold on the hilt as my heart thuds against my breastbone.

Faint wails leak through the two doors, the sound growing louder as we stalk closer. Commander Ru’en and Thret head to the furthest vestibule, while Jokur and I crouch on either side of the door halfway down the hall.

More than three voices create the endless sounds of agony, and although none of us show it, the pain infects our hearts.

Commander Ru’en taps his own shoulder and crouches low. Three seconds later, Thret and I use key cards we took from dead ISC to open the doors and rush in.

Crimson colors my vision.

Strapped to a chair in the middle of the room sits a broken omega. Blood and burns cover her entire body.

A human alpha, covered head to toe in white, wields a thin surgical instrument as he hovers over her.

I fling my arm and watch as my knife somersaults through the space between us. It sinks into his bicep and forces him to drop his weapon. His subsequent shout ends on a wet gurgle as I yank a second knife from my chest harness and lunge across the room, burying my blade between his face shield and chest protection. Dark red liquid spews from his neck in a wide arc as I kick his stomach, keeping my knife tight in my grip.

The wailing doesn’t stop. It surrounds me, bombarding me from both sides and sending streaks of pain into my soul.

An emaciated form lies curled on the bed, barely more than sallow flesh wrapped around frail bones. A machine whirs near the head of the threadbare mattress, an ugly brown liquid flowing through the clear tubes and into the human’s arm.

She screams in time with the bound omega, their sounds of misery so in sync my own heart quails at the implication.

When I step toward the bed, Jokur approaches the omega in the chair. I don’t hesitate, sensing how little time they have left if they don’t receive proper medical care.

Reading the dials on the machine leaves me with more questions than answers, so I squat down next to the bed and take off the top half of my mask, keeping the bottom half sealed over my nose and mouth in case of an airborne attack.

“Look at me.”

The woman does not stop screaming. I touch the back of her hand, only to yank back in horror when blood bursts from her flesh.

Jokur yells. I turn. The omega’s hand bleeds freely. Bile rises in my throat as I realize her new injury sprouts from where I touched the female on the bed.

“Shit! What do we do?” Jokur asks.

I stand as the large, rectangular frame embedded into the far wall morphs to a window, revealing the room beyond.

An alpha stands strapped to a torture device in the center of the room. Three white clad corpses lay on the floor while Commander Ru’en and Thret stand on either side of the high-tech torture device.

“We get them out of here. That’s what we do,” Commander Ru’en demands in a tight voice.

A few heavy seconds pass as we gather our mental defenses.

“The female on the bed cannot be touched.”

I point to their hands, including the alpha’s identical wound in the gesture.

“We’ll do what we can. Provide quick first aid and prep them for travel. We can’t stay.”

Jokur curses and squats down in front of the chair as Thret pivots to stand in front of the unknown alpha, their movements quick and efficient as they take off the top of their helmets and pull out their first aid kits.

I follow suit, returning my attention to the woman on the bed. She resembles a skeleton more than a human, so sick I can’t tell if she’s omega or beta.

Glancing over my shoulder as I grab my first aid kit, I grit my teeth as silence sits heavy in the terror-filled air. Knowing Commander Ru’en won’t approve, I ease a comforting rumble through my chest.

“Hi, little female. You don’t know me, but I’m here to take you away from here.”

Cloudy eyes meet mine and her mouth opens, but no sound comes out. With steady hands despite the fury and fear swirling through my chest, I turn off the machine, crimp and cut the tube connecting her to it, and secure the end to her forearm with a loose bandage. As I slide my attention to her bleeding hand, all chaos breaks loose.

She seizes, ripping open her delicate flesh with each jerk. Thick brownish blood pours from her. I press her into the mattress, trying to protect her, but she stops moving. Stops breathing. Stops bleeding.

With my emotions in turmoil but my body locked tight within my control, I rise and discover the other two victims in the same state—dead.

There’s too much blood soaked into the mattress for any hope of resuscitation.

“Drag or burn?” Thret asks without emotion.

I grit my teeth and ignore the memories flashing through my mind’s eye. Time and time again I find myself in similar horror and time and time again I make it through by the tip of my tail.

“Burn.”

Commander Ru’en’s decision fills me with both relief and sadness. Dragging corpses through the mountains holds zero appeal but setting them on fire always weighs me down with finality.

Needing no other instruction, we move in unison, pulling little oblong discs from our belts and placing them in the corners of the room. I toss my detonator to Jokur and stalk into the hall, keeping my gait even and senses alert despite the sludge roiling in my stomach.

Such evil leaves a stain on the soul, even after a decade of exposure.

I slide the top half of my mask back into place and set my sights on the outer door. Wanting nothing more than to feel the cool, fresh air shifting through my thick, tan undercoat, I squash the desire and continue forward, pushing through the reinforced door. We systematically place the small round explosives in every room.

The outer door swings open at Thret’s vicious shove, slamming against the jagged wall of the cave so hard the metal warps. He sprints the last three steps before lunging into the darkness.

I follow him, throwing my body over the cliff and falling for a few glorious moments. I wish I could enjoy the wind ruffling my dense pelt, whistling through my whiskers, and streaming over the broad base of my tail, but my suit provides a necessary barricade between myself and the world. I reach out and grab a shallow outcropping, swing into a wide arc, and jump from rock to rock until the mountains rise to cover the lightening sky.

As the first light of dawn teases the horizon, I leap one last time, propelling my body over the maze of deadly boulders until my boots thud against hard-packed clay. Sprinting forward, I move out of Jokur’s landing spot.

Behind us lies death and misery, hidden within cold stone.

Ahead of us lies the vast emptiness of sand and sky, and a future littered with more pain.

As Commander Ru’en lands on the baked clay, a flash of light erupts on the horizon. We turn as one, homing in on the abnormality. Just north of where the sun should rise from the desert, flames consume a space craft.

Our boots pound against the dry, cracked land as we head toward the wreckage. Despite our suits regulating the air within, the moment the sun crests the dunes, sweat trickles down my back. My heart hammers so hard against my breastbone I almost miss Commander Ru’en’s discussion with base camp through our communicators.

Even though my life consists of nothing except darkness, a thicker sense of dread pulls me toward the crash. My heart demands I move faster, the miles between my body and the explosions too many. For what, I don’t know, but the draw yanks me onward until my thighs ache and my pulse pounds in my ears.

I can’t fail again today.

My instincts tell me too much is at stake, even if my mind has no idea why.

CHAPTER 3

DURI

Smoke fills my nostrils as the shield opens. I lift my heavy eyelids and push away the white covered hands reaching for me. Flames lick along my vision while crumpled metal and white beasts fill the rest.

Nothing makes sense. Everything hurts. Something in my abdomen shifts and flutters against my other organs.

Snapping into reality, I stop fighting the hands trying to free me from the seat and join in their efforts. My fingers fumble in a mad scramble, desperate to get out of the restraints, so when fat digits gather my wrists and pull them aside, I don’t struggle despite the painful grip.

The harness releases, but the hand doesn’t let go. I look up into my savior’s face mask and see nothing but my own frantic eyes reflected back at me.

Unease crawls up my sore spine.

The form must be alpha—an alpha much bulkier than the males on my planet—and his strength proves more than anyone I’ve ever encountered before. He yanks me onto my feet and stoops down to throw me over his shoulder.

Instinct kicks in. My knee jerks upward, but I lose my balance.

“No! I’m pregnant!”

The white-clad form pauses before reaching into his pocket and slapping a thin band around my wrists. I cough from the mixture of smoke and surprise and struggle when he lifts me and plasters me to his chest. With my hands trapped between us and him too close to knee, my struggles prove useless as he stomps through the wreckage.

The smoke proves to be too much. I sag in his arms and cough until fresh air surrounds us. I suck it down but cough harder, my throat raw and gritty while my lungs feel scorched.

A group of survivors huddle together a few feet away from the flames, but he ignores their cries for help and continues into the darkness. A tan, wheeled vehicle flashes across my narrowed vision as he carries me past it, not stopping until we reach the back.

He sets me down, but two cruel hands grab my biceps from behind and hold me still, their grip so tight my fingers tingle.

“Tag and process. She’s a prime candidate for study 229C.”

The male’s strange accent makes my senses reel until I register his words. He nods at the person holding me before turning and striding back into the flames.

Another alpha male in a white suit steps around me and reaches for my neck. I flinch but can’t move away. My bones may bruise from the grip on my arms. Cold, rough leather wraps around my throat before the alpha in front of me snaps the collar closed and drops into a squat. Two seconds later, similar bands squeeze my upper thighs, my stomach heaving at having a stranger so close to my intimates. His glove caresses my knee as he releases the hem of my skirt, letting it fall back to my ankles.

“Stop! Please!”

“Tagged. Toss her into slot three.”

The ground shifts underneath my slippers as the person holding my shoulders pulls me backward. I dig in my heels and realize sand covers the planet as far as my eyes can see. A detached part of me notices the sun rising above the horizon and wonders at how glorious the colors of sunrise are in this world.

I don’t know where we are, but I do know we aren’t where we’re supposed to be. No planet on the cruise’s itinerary had a desert this large, and I’ve never seen all-white suits like these, either.

The hands pull me toward the vehicle’s back door.

“No! Let me go!”

Stronger this time, but still pitiful and shrill, my voice grinds in my throat.

“Duri!”

I barely glimpse Seung’s striking face before the relentless hands push me into the vehicle. Agony streaks into my shoulder as I trip and land on the hard floor, but I breathe through the pain and curl into a ball to protect the delicate life within my womb.

Sounds of scuffle filter through the opening, but the alpha grabs me again and hauls me upward. I fight, but he clips my bound hands to a chain bolted to the wall, pushes me onto the built-in bench and pulls a strap over my thighs, securing me to the hard surface.

The last time I was restrained, I was too far into my heat to care about the bindings. Now, I want nothing more than to be free of them. The walls close in on me, making my heart pound in my ears. I strain my eyes toward the commotion, worried for Seung.

Another omega cries as he straps her to the bench next to me.

“Seung!”

I call for him. The woman beside me cries harder.

“Seung! Answer me! Please be okay!”

“Shut up, bitch.”

My ears ring from the handler’s backhand, his arm long enough to reach me even as he ties down another woman.

The sky lightens with every breath, but no matter how hard I lean against my bindings, I can’t find the only person I know in the galaxy.

Despite the throbbing of my cheek, I look up into the reflective face mask and plead with every ounce of desperation I have.

“Please! He’s the father of my child.”

The large male frame blocks the opening. His silhouette fills me with dread as he swivels his head to look over his shoulder at me.

“You’re going to regret saying that.”

He jumps from the tailgate.

Seung’s limp frame, dangling between two white-clothed brutes, crosses to the other side of the vehicle. They toss him into a second transporter before turning and disappearing back into the wreckage.

A deafening pop causes everyone to duck and scream, our bound hands straining to cover our ears despite the futility of the action—our wrists hang just out of reach of our right ear. Agony digs into my thighs as the leg bands and seat strap pinch the flesh of my thighs. After several long, confusing moments, I grit my teeth and train my blurry eyes out the open tailgate, surprised to see the flames of my wrecked cruise ship in the distance.

We’re moving?

Light pink sky with faint blue streaks of sunlight fills the open space. Weightlessness tightens my stomach as the transporter hurtles through the air before it plummets toward the ground.

Chaos. Screaming. Pain.

Seung’s limp body flashes through my mind’s eye.

The engine whines louder as it charges up a massive sand dune. Startled at the bleak barrenness of the climate, I turn frantic eyes to my more immediate surroundings.

Seven other women sit strapped to the vehicle while two alphas in white suits stand holding onto handles on the roof. Even with the mask shielding his face, I feel the closest one eyeing me, his interest lingering on the swell of my belly.

Bile rises up my throat. I swallow it down too late, the sour taste hitting the back of my tongue and making my situation worse.

Something heavy lands on the roof.

The two alphas curse and pull weapons from their belts. Words pass between them, and after a few odd pauses, I realize they wear communicators and speak with other people.

Their actions don’t make sense to me, but they move with such speed and grace I know they’ve practiced them before. One yanks a tiny black thing from his belt while the other grabs a lever on the ceiling near the front of the vehicle. Half a second later, the black disc disappears through a tiny porthole before the alpha uses the lever to close the hole.

My ears ring as an explosion detonates over my head.

More silent than death, too big for the cramped space, a dark shape slinks in through the back opening. Blood sprays over white cloth as a knife pierces the furthest alpha’s throat. Before he even hits the ground, the goliath form rips the mask off the other alpha’s head and buries a blade into his eye socket.

I lean forward and lose the contents of my stomach.

My head spins, so I let it hang while I struggle to regain my senses.

Soft fabric presses against my lips. I jerk away, knocking my temple against the elbow of the woman beside me.

A pathetic whimper leaves my throat as I freeze in shock. I must have hit my head too hard. The monster standing in front of me can’t be real.

With shoulders twice as wide as the alphas lying dead on the floor, eyes a brighter blue than the sky at midday, and covered from head to toe in black, the creature keeps his hand extended for a moment before dropping the square of cloth onto my lap.

When he leans forward, I flinch and wish I could curl into myself and protect my protruding belly.

Sky blue irises pierce mine.

“I’m not going to hurt you, tiny mama. I’m here to protect you.”

I blink and wish I’d let him wipe my mouth clean instead of overreacting. Weird, inexplicable things happen deep within my heart, the neglected organ giving a sluggish thump.

Those eyes do not belong to a human. The shape seems off, yet so right. I could drown in them and never have another care ever again.

His hand moves closer. Digits easily four times bigger than mine reach toward my face.

I can’t help my flinch, nor the shaking of my bones.

“Be still. Let me untie you, then you can help release the others. Yes?”

My lips move despite the tingling numbness spreading throughout my body.

“Yes, please. I want to help.”

“Ah, a polite little mama.”

He closes the distance between my hands and his. When his glove ghosts across my wrist, a broken piece of me wishes he wasn’t wearing them so we could touch flesh to flesh.

The moment the pressure releases from my wrists, I hiss and try to lift them, but the stranger cups them in his mighty palm and lowers them carefully to my lap.

“Take it slow. Let me—“

“Get them all untied. Now. Sky-Flyer inbound.”

All chins except for his snap toward the newcomer. Larger than the human alphas, but not as massive as the male in front of me, the new monster crouches to reach the first omega on the bench. His broad shoulders boast irregularly shaped plates that fit together like a puzzle and look thicker than my wrist.

No wonder his suit leaves his shoulders and back bare—he has built-in armor.

He releases my fellow captors with quick motions, ignoring their terrified expressions.

The massive alpha unhooks the strap around my lap and shifts his attention to the woman beside me. I bite back the urge to snarl, battling shock at the knee-jerk reaction.

I’ve only snarled once in my life—during my first and only heat, when common sense melted away and left nothing but needy instincts behind.

My emotions careen around uncontrollably. I have no reason to insult such a powerful, terrifying beast with a snarl, especially since I’m in such a vulnerable position.

I grit my teeth and focus on the female directly across from me.

Dark eyes and matted hair top familiar features, and I flick my gaze around, desperate to see her little boy nearby, but her sharp cry yanks my attention back to her face.

“Help me!”

I brace my palms on the bench and force my legs to accept my weight, intending to shuffle across the space and unbind her. Halfway up, the floor shifts under me as the vehicle crests another dune. As clumsy as ever, I teeter sideways, knocking into muscles so hard I may as well have hit a brick wall.

Massive digits close around my bicep.

“Sit down.”

I can’t. Despite how my legs shake and my heart threatens to burst from my chest, I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t help.

“I’m okay. Get them free.”

He pushes me back into a seated position. As soon as he releases me, I lunge across the cargo bay and catch myself by bracing my palms on either side of the other mother’s legs.

“Sorry. S-sorry, I’m trying.”

“Hurry. My wrists.”

I tear at the restraints until I find the release. By the time I get her hands free, all but her and one other omega are completely free of their binds, the large alphas quick to release the others.

With urgency flowing through me, I unhook the band around her thighs and step sideways to the last bound woman.

The vehicle bounces and swerves, sending me too far. Yet again, I slam into hard muscles.

“Sit down. You’re too slow.”

As he pushes me onto the bench by my shoulders, hurt flows through me at his terse words. Clear blue eyes meet mine.

Cold one second and yet too soft the next, he releases my shoulders and unstraps the woman as he speaks.

“I’m sorry, little mama. I didn’t mean to be so rude.”

Words clog my throat.

How can someone so big show such gentleness?

“Hayden, baby, come here,” the woman beside me sobs as she leans forward. Tiny shoulders emerge from under the bench, her little boy hidden away behind her skirts.

My relief bursts from my chest on a ragged cry. I slap both hands over my mouth and let my tears slip from my eyes.

“My brave little boy. You listened so well. It’s ok, cry now. I have you.”

Instinctively, my palms caress my waistline, seeking confirmation of my baby’s survival as I watch the other mother cradle her son in her lap. He clings to her and cries the tears of an innocent, so terrified and yet so brave.

A deep, scratchy voice fills the cargo bay, the sound so menacing we fall silent the second it begins.

“You don’t know us and we don’t know you, but we’re your only hope for survival.”

The owner of the voice, a third larger-than-life figure, leans into the back of the vehicle, half of his body out of sight since he clings to the side of the craft. His white pupils and black irises are unlike anything I’ve ever seen and fill me with instinctual dread.

“If you listen to us, we’ll get you somewhere safe. There’s no time to explain further. Jump and roll. Stay where you land. We will not leave the area until we have a proper head count.”

He doesn’t even glance to see if we understand. My head reels.

He wants us to jump from a moving vehicle? What if I can’t? What if I get hurt or land wrong and hurt my baby?

How can he ask the mother sitting next to me to do such a thing? She has a young child in her arms.

“Thret, lead the way,” says the alpha clinging to the outside of the vehicle.

Instead of jumping from the tailgate, the bony plated monster turns and scoops the woman and child off the bench beside me.

My lungs seize as he drops out of sight without so much as a single word of comfort for the delicate beings in his arms.

I consider refusing to jump but know I can’t. After what happened in here, there’s no way I can stay. Whoever wears the white suits don’t have my well-being in mind.

But these alphas wearing black… can I really trust them?

I rise onto shaky legs as my mind races through improbable options, my brain searching for a way out of this predicament. As the crowd in front of me shuffles closer to the door, I know I can’t do it. Even with the dead bodies lying on the floor, I won’t be able to force myself to jump.

With only two more omegas left before it’s my turn, the transporter hits a dip in the sand and bounces so hard my feet leave the floor. I squeak and try to keep upright, hoping beyond hope to land on my feet for once, but prepare to land on my butt, like always. My frazzled mind watches as the lady in front of me lands in a crouch while I keep falling.

Gigantic arms swoop under me and lift me into the air.

Shocked at how easily he caught me, I stare up into mesmerizing blue eyes until he looks away. Embarrassment heats my cheeks as my insides flip. My back and legs pulse with heat where his arms cradle me.

Even though I can’t smell him or see any of his features besides his light blue eyes, my body comes to life as something unravels within my ribcage.

“Tuck your chin to your chest.”

His voice vibrates along my side and sends a shiver up my spine.

A massive hand wraps around the back of my skull and guides my head downward.

Only when the sun hits my exposed arms and weightlessness tightens my stomach do I realize he jumped from the vehicle with me in his arms. I blink and tense for a rough landing but turn wide eyes up at his covered face when I feel nothing except his even stride as he runs toward the closest omega.

“Can you stand? Walk?”

Dazed and overwhelmed, I nod and ignore the pulsing of my body as he sets me down next to the other omega. Three others join us before I realize my eyes continue to stare at my unexpected savior as he ushers us toward the rest of our group.

His bulky frame moves through the sand with ease, a thick, tapered tail protruding from above the glorious globes of his ass. It trails behind him, not quite long enough to drag in the sand, occasionally bending and hinting at the strength held within.

I can’t take my eyes off him.

What is wrong with me?

CHAPTER 4

CAHRESS

Two alphas, eight omegas, and one human boy stand in the middle of the desert. The vehicle we just vacated launches over a nearby dune, heading toward the sun as Commander Ru’en slips back into the driver’s seat. His voice rumbles in my ear as he speaks to Choku and Jokur, who were chasing a second transporter, then gives curt directions to Thret and I.

As the Sky-Flyer bursts over the mountains to the west, we turn our little group north and slide down a dune to hide in the valley.

When the tiny pregnant female wobbles and almost somersaults down the slope, I reach for her. She fixes her balance before I touch her, so I pull my hand back and force myself to help a different female instead.

She calls to me without saying a word. Her deep brown eyes and delicate features affect me as much as the swell of her belly does. My protective instinct always magnifies near females, but this little one has them in overdrive. It almost hurts to watch her struggle in the deep sand.

The urge to rip my mask from my face and scent her nearly overrides my common sense, but the sound of gunfire stays my hand.

Commander Ru’en drives the transporter away, leading the Sky-Flyer on a merry chase, becoming a decoy so we can get the victims to relative safety.

When the sounds of engines fade far enough away, Thret gestures for me to round up our tiny flock. I sigh and make a crude gesture back at him, letting him know I think he’s a sorry sack of shit, in the most respectful way, of course.

His eyes narrow within his mask before he shakes his head and crosses his arms over his wide chest, displaying his obstinacy.

The big boy will have to learn to speak to females one day, but obviously today is not that day.

I meet frightened faces and soften my stance.

“My name is Cahress and that ugly mug over there is Thret. We’re headed northeast toward the mountains. Stay together. If we don’t find shelter from the sun before midday, we won’t survive. If you need help, call out. We’ll do what we can to keep you moving—no one will be left behind.”

After perusing the sooty, battered humans in front of me, I decide to include another tactic.

“I’m going to pair you up with at least one other female. Help each other, but still don’t hesitate to call out. Understand?”

Already huddled together, the omegas don’t balk as I assign couples. Most link arms together, their natural instincts seeking close company in their time of need. Social creatures at heart, omegas need someone else to nurture, as well as emotional support when things get too difficult.

Thret dips his chin in acknowledgement when I signal for him to keep the boy at the front of the pack.

He grunts a word and sets off around the dune, picking out the easiest route even though it means a longer trek.

The little mama and her travel companion, one of the shorter omegas, weave their fingers together and follow the second set of omegas, leaving another couple between myself and her.

Looking over their heads as they set off, I realize the pregnant female may be the youngest in our group, besides the boy. She couldn’t have been through more than two or three heats, and her tiny frame seems too petite to carry the burden of new life.

My thoughts do nothing but rile my insane urge to snatch her up and hold her in my arms.

The sun rises higher into the cloudless sky until the sand sizzles under my boots. A hot, dry wind kicks up clouds of sand, prompting the women to do whatever they can to cover their faces. My heart shoots into my throat and I almost dart around the couple in front of me to grab the little mama, but I swallow the irrational panic when I realize she’s crouching to pull at the hem of her skirt, not because she fell.

I stalk to her.

“What are you doing?”

Rich brown eyes squint up at me. I shift to put her in my shadow to alleviate her eye strain.

“I want to use a strip from the bottom of my skirt as a face covering, but it won’t—”

She gasps as I squat and slice about four inches off her skirt. Before she reacts further, I pull her to a standing position and place the strip of material in her hand and step backward.

Her naturally pale face sports a bruise on her right cheek and red splotches from the sand and sun, but she doesn’t move to cover it. In a dazzling display of resilience, she gathers herself and speaks.

“Thank you, Cahress.”

I nod and force myself to stand still. The need to hold her in my arms grows with each passing second, but she turns away and fashions a head wrap on her omega partner.

Too stunned at her actions, I stand like a brain-dead fool as she weaves the fabric over the woman’s head, face, and shoulders.

With a start, I realize her partner wears shorts and a shirt too low-cut to pull up and cover her face. This tiny mama is too sweet and nurturing for her own good. Now, every step she takes exposes the creamy flesh of her ankles and shins, leaving them at the mercy of the elements.

When the last couple walks around me and follows their fellow survivors, I shake myself out of my trance and close the distance I shouldn’t have allowed to come between the parties.

Only myself and Thret walk with sure footing. The sun beats down on everything in sight, and even though the mountains seem to loom over us, we still have at least two miles before we reach the base of the range.

My sweet little mama teeters again, making every muscle in my body tense, but her partner pulls her upright. She takes two more steps before her heel slides out from under her.

I dart forward and catch her shoulders with my forearms, catching her head in the crook of my right elbow. Even with her eyes glazed, she stuns me with her beauty as she tries to focus on my face.

“You’re upside down.”

Her voice sounds so dry and brittle my own throat aches in response. I look beyond her sunburn and bruises and notice a pallor that wasn’t there before and almost curse out loud.

At a loss for the first time in a long while, I swallow a wave of emotion and ease her the last few inches down onto the sand.

“You’re upside down, too,” I murmur as I slip the long tube connected to my water pouch free of its clip.

“Here, little mama. Take a few sips, then I’ll carry you.”

Her brows pinch and lips purse.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“No, you aren’t. You pushed too hard.”

The urge to bend down and brush my nose against hers as she scrunches her dainty features has me drifting closer to her, but my mask reminds me to mind my distance.

Her partner drops to her knees beside her.

“Duri, drink the water. You’re not okay.”

I look from the kneeling woman to the little mama as awe sends chills up and down my spine. Locking Duri’s name into my memory, I can’t help but let my lips tilt up in a small smile, knowing my eyes will reflect my emotions but unable to curb the reverence I feel toward her.

In the few grueling hours since we began our trek, my little mama earned this woman’s trust and loyalty. Instead of snatching the hose from my hand or demanding a drink for herself, the woman urges Duri to take a few sips.

“What abou—”

I shove the mouthpiece between her teeth before they close and squeeze water through the hose, forcing her to either swallow or waste the precious resource.

Confused brown eyes meet mine before she consumes the trickle of life sustaining water. Her body realizes what I offer and begins gulping down the tepid liquid. After three swallows, I pry her teeth apart and take away the mouthpiece.

“C’mon, up you go.”

As I scoop her up and stand to my full height, she stares at my face as emotions play over her features.

“More?”

Her request almost guides my hand to offer her the water straw again, but I shake my head and lean so her partner can use my elbow as leverage to stand.

“Not yet, little mama. We must save it for when we find shade.”

“Why?”

“I’ll show you when we get there. For now, trust me.”

She surprises me by sighing and relaxing into my arms, her cheek pressing against my pectoral. When her friend releases my elbow and shuffles forward, I make a sound of disapproval and take a step so we’re even.

“I’ll carry her. You hold on to me. Almost there.”

Despite the wariness lurking in her tired eyes, the omega nods and slips her fingers into the crook of my elbow, wedging them between my arm and Duri’s legs.

A few steps later and the little mama goes completely lax. My steps falter as her left hand slides off her belly and drops to hang in the air.

“Shit!”

A terror more potent than anything I’ve felt since the ISC targeted my home world and nearly murdered my family seizes my lungs. I lift my omega’s limp body and press my ear against her chest.

Her heart, though strained, thumps out a steady rhythm. I breathe a sigh of relief and continue walking, meeting her friend’s worried gaze.

“She pushed too hard, the crazy little female, but she’ll be fine once we get out of this heat.”

The omega nods and ducks her head to focus on her feet. A mile trek is nothing to me, but these poor souls struggle with every step. I check the duo behind us and shorten my strides to give them a chance to catch up.

The woman beside me reaches up and puts my little mama’s hand back on the swell of her abdomen, giving the limp digits a quick caress to ensure herself my omega is okay.

I berate myself. When did I start thinking of this tiny female as my own?

She can’t be mine. Considering her delicate condition, she must already be marked and claimed. If I were to take my mask off, surely her scent would confirm her unavailability and erase whatever ridiculous infatuation I harbor for her. I need to ignore whatever pulls me toward her. Need to get her somewhere safe and walk away. Need to stop dreaming about keeping her.

Except, I can’t bring myself to take off my mask. Even if it’s just for a little while, and complete folly, I want to imagine a world where this tiny, fragile omega is mine to protect and cherish. I want to pretend like the child in her womb belongs to me. I want to hold her close and learn everything there is to know about her.

I want her.

My heart beats faster as I admit the truth to myself.

She can’t be mine, but I want her.

What if her mate died in the crash?

I should be skewered alive for my joyous response to her alpha’s potential death. As penance, I peel my eyes away from her face and focus on the mountains ahead.

I keep torturing myself, not allowing myself even a glimpse of her form as we near the mountains.

CHAPTER 5

DURI

Coolness seeps in through the burning of my flesh, slowly waking me until my eyelids agree to lift. Nothing makes sense for a moment, the odd shapes clinging to the ceiling confusing me until I realize I stare at the roof of a cave. I turn my head and see nothing but drab gray surfaces and faint light glimmering off speckled minerals.

Swinging my attention in the other direction, I suck in a startled sound as I meet eyes so reflective they seem white instead of light blue.

“Where—”

“Oh, thank the gods you’re awake.” Henna, the woman who kept me sturdy through the most strenuous moments of my life, lays her hand on mine and speaks in a rush. “I thought you wouldn’t want to wake up in the dark, so I asked him to wait here until you woke.”

I blink at her sunburnt face until my neck aches. Another blink later and I finally realize why the angle is so odd—I’m still cradled in the alpha’s arms, so the top of her head barely reaches my hip.

My stomach does a weird somersault. In response, the new life in my womb jerks and kicks.

Relief sweeps through me, but sandpaper scratches the back of my eyes instead of tears.

“C’mon, little females. Let’s get you the water your bodies so desperately need.”

The world spins as he turns to move further away from the faint sunlight.

“Thank you, but I can walk.”

My hoarse voice does not imbue confidence, but the alpha stops and lowers my feet to the ground. His movements hold a reluctance I feel in my marrow, but it doesn’t seem fair for him to carry me when everyone else walks.

I lift my foot to take a step and flail as my toe catches on a rock. Massive arms wrap around me and haul me upward.

With one arm under my belly and the other across my shoulders, the massive brute plasters my back against his front.

Before I can decide if my ears are faulty or if he makes a strained sound, his rumbly voice destroys my concentration.

“I’ll carry you, since you can’t seem to put one foot in front of the other without performing a gravity check.”

Even with the humor tinting his voice, his suggestion of my natural aptitude for accidents embarrasses me more than I care to admit.

“I just couldn’t see anything. I’ll be fine to walk.”

Warm fabric rubs against the top of my head, and I shake as I realize he ghosts his covered lips across my hair in an unexpectedly intimate caress.

“You’re trembling.”

My bones try to melt into goo, but I swallow so hard the pain in my throat keeps me tense.

“I can still w—”

“After you get some food, water, and rest. Don’t argue, little mama, or I might decide to never set you down.”

Stunned at how easily he declares such a monumental statement, I don’t fight when he shifts me around until I lay cradled in his arms again.

It feels right.

My shaking worsens as the realization sinks into my mind. The buzz of worry and fear I’ve carried in my chest my entire life eases when I’m in his arms. Even in our dire circumstances, something behind my sternum reaches toward him, yearning for things I don’t have words for.

As the darkness thickens around us, my ears pick up Henna’s footsteps, my hearing heightening to make up for the loss of my vision. Even knowing I can’t make out his features, I train my gaze toward his face, struggling with my ridiculous thoughts.

My jaw aches as I grit my teeth.

His footsteps make no sound, whereas Henna’s shoes clack on stone, revealing her exact whereabouts.

A bubble of light reveals a group of omegas huddled together, everyone except the other alpha within the circle of lamplight.

Henna pats my shin as she steps around us and drops beside an older omega who immediately passes a water bag to her.

The woman looks up at my alpha. A tight ball of ugly motions condenses in my stomach. If it weren’t for my thirst threatening to launch me toward the water bag, the urge to gouge out the woman’s eyes might prove too much.

I chastise myself like the hormonal, frazzled imbecile I am. No matter how much my instincts clamor to get closer to him, he isn’t mine. I know next to nothing about him, including what he looks like. His suit hides everything except the bridge of his nose and his eyes. He might even be mated already and I don’t know it because his suit blocks his scent.

My subconscious must be just as rattled as my nerves are. Who wouldn’t be so confused after what I’ve been through? I lived through a crash landing on an unknown planet. I watched my best friend—

Horror steals my breath and whisks me back to the moment when I saw Seung’s limp body hanging between two white-clad forms. Great, big, ugly sobs wrack my chest, but no tears slide down my face. No sweat slicks my skin. My dry lip cracks and bleeds, the warm liquid smearing as I cover my face with my hands.

The most magnificent sound infiltrates my ears and vibrates against my side. It permeates through my entire body, infecting every nerve ending and turning my bones to mush. The erratic beating of my heart slows into a monotonous, steady rhythm. Peace wraps around me.

I push against the hard, warm chest under my cheek, guilt breaking me from the spell of his purr, and fight to escape the cocoon of his arms.

“Stop, Duri. Calm down.”

My name spoken in his rich vibrato only sends me deeper into despair.

How could I forget about Seung? How could I block out the terror of that moment? What kind of person leaves their best friend in such a horrible situation and thinks of nothing but their own survival?

“Little mama, think of your offspring. Calm yourself and drink some water.”

The gentle purr underlying his words almost sends me into worse panic, but I latch on to his message and curl into as much of a ball as his arms will allow, needing to protect my baby.

With herculean effort, I gather my chaotic emotions and stomp them into the recesses of my heart. For half a second, I berate myself for not only forgetting my best friend, but also not putting all my focus on the delicate life within my womb. Nothing matters more than keeping my baby alive.

Not even Seung, even though my chest aches at the thought.

And especially not this weird attraction to an alpha I know nothing about.

“Th-thank you.”

A hiccup ruins my attempt to sound strong, but I take the mouthpiece from his fingers, startled anew at how thick his digits are—three of my thumbs could fit inside the circumference of his pointer finger—and stick the straw between my teeth.

The first drop of water nearly sends me into a frenzy, my thirst so overwhelming every cell in my body screams for more, but a gentle vibration and quiet murmur urge me to drink small, regulated sips.

When my stomach tightens without warning, I dart my eyes up to the alpha holding me and fling the straw toward him as I clap my palm over my mouth.

“Breathe through your nose, deep and even, and rest your head on my chest.”

I want to do as he suggests, but my nausea grows and the thought of vomiting all over him upsets me almost as much as wasting the precious resource does. But when I shake my head to refuse, he cups an enormous hand over the side of my head and eases my ear to his pectoral.

His purr loosens the knots from my abdomen. The urge to purge dissipates much slower than it rose, but I pull in a shaky breath of relief and relax against him.

Exhaustion rises as my body eagerly soaks up both his comfort and the water. Unable to explain why I need to stay awake, I blurt the first thing my mind conjures.

“Why did we have to wait to drink the water?”

A flash of surprise plays across the small expanse of flesh revealed by his suit.

“I did tell you I’d show you, didn’t I? Just relax, little mama, and I will.”

He settles me deeper into his lap and pulls his right arm out from under my knees. I blink in confusion as he pulls a small square of fabric from his pocket and dribbles water on it. A flush heats my cheeks, embarrassment and shame growing in my chest as he wipes the blood from my split lip off the mouthpiece.

My heart stops as he gently wipes the dried blood from my chin and bottom lip.

Another kind of heat builds in my veins, echoing the appreciation shining from his eyes as he studies my lips. My clit pulses, reminding me of the incessant ache I’ve suffered since my hormones kicked up after my first trimester.

This won’t do. If I slick too much, the artificial plug holding Seung’s seed inside me will dissolve. It usually lasts two or three days, but with the tragic events over the last few hours, I might lose it early.

The thought terrifies me.

I push his hand aside and scramble to search my pockets. The swell of my belly makes it difficult to twist, but after a few seconds of squirming, I find the bottle of pills and pull it from my pocket.

A half sob, half sigh escapes my chest.

I lift the bottle up to the light and count how many are left. A sting of pain reminds me not to chew on my injured lip.

I didn’t get a chance to refill my prescription. Only six capsules rattle around the bottom of the bottle.

“What are those?”

Swallowing my emotions, knowing I’ll cry if I open my mouth, I rotate the bottle until the label faces him.

A moment later, he stiffens.

The movement rubs his gigantic cock along my bottom, the thin layers of fabric between our bodies doing nothing to hide his engorged state.

I freeze in shock.

Common sense, or maybe fear, launches me from his lap. Rock bruises my body as I roll away from him. I finish on my hands and knees and scramble away.

Gloved digits wrap around my left ankle.

CHAPTER 6

CAHRESS

I shouldn’t grab her, but her retreat kickstarts my feral instincts to catch and claim.

After filling my lungs and expelling the trapped air on a slow breath, I release her ankle, both surprised and relieved when she doesn’t scurry further away after I let her go. She turns frightened eyes over her shoulder at me, wary confusion filling her expression.

“Sorry, little mama. It was a reflex, nothing more. I won’t hurt you.”

“But, you’re—” her eyes flick downward before she yanks them back to my face, “You, um… you won’t…”

“I’ve never hurt an omega before, and I don’t plan to start now. My mother would skin me alive.”

“Your mother would do what?”

“It’s an expression. She’d make my life miserable.”

“Oh… Where is your mother?”

The tremor in her voice sends electricity through my veins. I want her to shake when I touch her, but not because she’s scared.

I want her trembling and needy under me, so ready for my cock she can’t help but beg. For the first time since adolescence, my control nearly fails me. I ignore the lifting of my ruff as electricity tingles up and down my spine, glad when my suit limits the thick fluff from expanding. The pinching discomfort, along with the abrasive material of my underpants on my hard cock, distracts me enough to keep me in the moment.

“My mother pilots the second largest craft in our fleet, so she’s in orbit.”

“Really? In orbit of this planet?”

Her eyes look everywhere but at me. Strain tightens her expression.

I sigh and dig my fingers into my thighs to stop myself from pulling her back into my lap.

“Duri, this position hurts you. Either come back to the comfort of my arms or join the others.”

Her pupils shrink and shoulders tighten, but she doesn’t move. Confusion creases her brow as she stares directly into my soul.

“You won’t hurt me, no matter my choice?”

“I won’t.”

A few agonizing heartbeats later, she sits back on her heels and braces her palm on the cave floor. I swallow my disappointment as she tries to stand.

Her gasp of pain pulls me forward. I grab her hand as she lifts it from the jagged stone, irrational fury demanding I rage at the piece of rock and pulverize it to dust as I turn her hand over. Dark liquid wells up from two new puncture marks on her palm.

Before she reacts, I unzip a pocket on my vest and yank out a sterilized packet of medicated gauze. Ripping open the plastic with my teeth, I wrap her hand, ensuring the ointment covers the new wounds, before using my thumb to apply pressure.

The visual of her delicate palm engulfed by my much bigger thumb makes me pause.

Very few sentient beings are larger than I, but the sheer size difference between us seems insurmountable.

It’s probably for the best she’s already claimed.

I bury my disappointment and help her to her feet.

The ease with which I forget her pregnancy concerns me for less than a second before my basal needs demand I care for her. I guide her to the group of omegas and help her sit, glaring at the cold, uneven stone for being so unforgiving, and place the water bag beside her before stepping out of the circle of light.

Thret appears at my side, the shape of his bony plates so similar to the surrounding stone I struggle to pick out his form despite my acute vision. When he scowls and taps his earpiece, I reach up and swap mine to a lower frequency.

After a few moments, I nod and watch as Thret disappears toward the exit, waiting for the full coded message to finish before swapping back to the original frequency.

“Sir?”

One of the older females stands at the edge of the light, holding an almost empty water bag.

Knowing she can’t see my lips, but hoping the shift in my eyes will ease her, I smile and step forward just far enough so she can pass me the water bag.

“Did Thret explain how the processor works, or did he just snarl at you to leave some water in the bag?”

Although still huddled together, suffering through shock and exhaustion, many of the females lose the terrified edge in their posture at my rueful tone.

“He didn’t explain.”

“Wonderful. I love teaching, especially when I already have a captivated audience.”

The woman huffs out a half laugh before limping back to her spot and sitting down. As I fish the high-tech processor out of the hidden pocket along my tricep, I unscrew the mouthpiece from the straw with my thumb and pointer finger.

Light brown eyes steal my attention, the flash of jealousy flitting across my little mama’s face filling me with satisfaction. She blinks and shakes herself, offering the straw to the woman beside her.

I hide my pleasure and ignore my throbbing cock as I drop into a squat beside her. Despite my nearness, none of the omegas shy away. Lines of exhaustion show on their sunburnt and wind chapped faces, and without thinking about it, I gentle my voice as I talk through my actions.

Memories resurface as I push the processor into a sand-filled crevice between the stones. I use the same teaching cadence as I did for my sisters when I was younger. Bittersweet emotions rise, but I keep them tamped down as I use words simple enough for frazzled minds to grasp.

My sisters’ bright, eager eyes and mischievous smiles always filled me with pride and taught me to treasure the unexpected strength hidden within the feminine gender.

Fitting the end of the straw to the uneven surface of the processor, I squeeze a few drops of water toward the end of the hose and press the button on top before continuing my explanation.

“This nifty little processor takes whatever substance you feed into this side—” I point to the droplet of water leaking from the hose and trace a path halfway around the circumference of the device, following an almost nonsensical line between the minuscule indents as I explain “—and it pulls it through a molecular analysis. When it reaches right about here—” I tap the midpoint and continue a slower trail around the device “—it sucks similar elements from the compounds touching the underside. Within a few seconds, the processor uses the energy produced from the shifting molecules to seek out a more natural means of transporting the substance to the processor. After maybe another ten seconds, it channels the appropriate substance through any surface and—” I flick my eyes toward Duri’s face, eager to see her expression “—finishes the circuit by multiplying the output.”

As clean water rushes up the straw, light brown eyes widen in wonder, breaking the mesmerized quality of her stare. My next words emerge rough and thick as I battle a wave of desire, bewitched by both her innocent fascination and the hint of lust in her previous expression.

“As amazing as this device is, it has its faults. For example, you must already have the substance you need to find more.”

I force myself to continue speaking, even as her appreciative eyes watch me lift the rapidly filling water sack.

“Which is why we couldn’t drink during our trek. The risk of running out of water was too high, especially with a group this size. But drink your fill now and rest while you can.”

I reach over my little mama, stretching the water hose across her lap, and set the nearly full sack next to her far hip. When I lean even further, invading her space and brushing my shoulder with hers, she turns startled orbs at me. I can’t deny my smirk at her frazzled expression, but I pick up the mostly empty bag and retreat.

She pushes out a shaky exhale.

Gods, she’s too fucking cute.

I bend down further than necessary, pinching my wayward cock in retribution for its persistence, and swap out the straws before the first one overflows.

Once I set the second bag to refill, I sneak a glance at the face I’ll never forget and nearly curse aloud. Guilt shines plain as day on her face and her shoulders slump forward as though defeat weighs heavily on them.

Shit. I shouldn’t tease her. She’s in no state for flirting.

I plaster her unhappy expression onto the forefront of my mind, using the ache it causes in my chest to curb my natural urges.

She’s not mine and can never be mine.

The knowledge hurts, but I turn it into my litany, repeating it over and over in my mind to solidify the facts. Hopefully, with time, my stubborn soul will stop yearning after an omega I can never have.

Using more care than necessary, I turn off the processor and pop the mouthpiece back onto the straw before offering it to my—not mine—little mama. She shakes her head and pushes it away without looking up.

Utter stillness overtakes the cave, skyrocketing my senses to high alert, the sudden tension within the group of females grating on my nerves. I freeze and place the water bag on the floor, fighting shame and aggravation as I realize the root cause of their terror.

Me.

My snarl still echoes off stone.

“Take the water, little mama.”

Ashen underneath her bruised and abraded face, Duri finally lifts her head and meets my gaze. What she sees there, I don’t know, but she surprises me by straightening her shoulders and spreading her hands over the top of her belly.

“I didn’t mean to offend you. Thank you, but I—” her voice falters, but she forges onward, “I just had the other water sack. This one should go to someone else.”

The urge to help her as she struggles to her feet nearly wins, but I remain seated by sheer force of will as she shuffles around me and places the bag between the two omegas on my left. When she returns to her spot but blinks at the ground instead of lowering herself down, my body moves of its own will. I twist and offer her my upturned palms, unable to turn my gaze away as emotions flit across her features. After a few moments of debate, she grips my gloved hands and uses me for balance, settling onto her rump and crossing her legs before releasing me.

“Thank you.”

I bite back the praise my tongue so eagerly wants to speak, nodding and standing instead. Such a polite little mama shouldn’t have to put up with an overbearing, war hardened alpha such as myself.

After I turn and slink into the darkness, the omegas relax, many of them laying down despite the cold cave floor. My little mama—no, Duri, I must call her by her name, not by what my heart wants to call her—stays sitting for a few minutes longer, swallowing a pill from her coveted bottle and exchanging a few words with the mother and boy before lowering herself onto her side.

I turn around and close my eyes. Pain lances through my chest, the visual of her curves backlit by the lamp embedding into my soul and overriding every effort I’ve made to distance myself from her.

I can’t. I can’t have her. I shouldn’t want her. I should back away and let my teammates ensure her comfort and survival.

But I know I won’t. I want her.

My hands clench into fists as I imagine Thret or Ru’en caring for her. Touching her. Hearing her voice. Carrying her. Seeing her sweet smile.

No. For the same reason I haven’t taken off my mask to scent her, I won’t step away: I don’t want this to end.

Even though we’re doomed to go our separate ways, I don’t want our time together to end so abruptly. I don’t want this pull in my chest to go away.

I don’t want distance between us.

If that makes me a cold, selfish bastard, then so be it.

CHAPTER 7

DURI

Exhaustion pulls me into sleep so quickly I don’t feel the hard stone bruising my hip and shoulder until I jolt awake. Disoriented in the low lamplight, I lie still until my brain catches up to my predicament. Clutching the pill bottle in my right hand and feeling tiny limbs beating against the splayed palm of my left, I search for why I woke so suddenly and nearly groan when I shift. My bladder complains of fullness.

It’s a good sign, but not a pleasant sensation. As quietly as I can, but not bothering to be graceful since every part of me hurts, I fight against gravity and force my body to a sitting position.

“What’s wrong?”

The low voice nearly yanks a scream from my throat. Pills rattle against plastic as I thunk the bottle against my racing heart. A few shaky breaths later and my fright dissolves.

“I, um…”

Embarrassment has no place here, and yet a blush heats my cheeks. I bite back a groan of discomfort, using the urgent need to push past my social hang-ups.

“I need to relieve myself.”

Broad shoulders emerge from the darkness, Cahress’ black suit seeming to erase whatever light touches it.

“C’mon then, little mama, I’ll help you up.”

A massive arm extends and offers me intimidatingly huge digits. I accept his offer with trembling fingers.

He lifts me as though I’m as light as a feather, but the controlled power vibrating through his form assures me he won’t hurt me. My legs shake and my spine complains as my weight settles on my sore feet.

Two grueling steps later and the ground disappears. I tighten my grip on the pill bottle and instinctively wrap an arm over my belly, but firm muscles suspend me several feet above the floor.

My gasp echoes in my ears, but I close my mouth and pull air in through my nose. By the time my breathing settles enough to speak, his steady strides carry me away from the sleeping omegas.

“Can you warn me next time?”

“What would be the fun in that?”

“Fun?”

“Yes, fun. I enjoy your cute little sounds.”

Shock glues my tongue to the roof of my mouth before I regain my senses.

“It frightens me. I always expect the worst.”

His footsteps pause, but he continues down the narrow passage before he speaks.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you always expect the worst?”

“Because I’m not the most coordinated person in the best of times, and right now, when it matters the most, my balance is the worst.”

My palm caresses my expanding abdomen, a wave of sadness knocking into me from nowhere. I fight back unexpected tears.

Darn these hormones.

The world shifts as gigantic arms lower me to my feet. He pivots me to face him with hands so gentle a tear escapes my lashes. A gloved digit wipes it away, startling me in the darkness

How can he see my tears when I can barely decipher where his silhouette stands?

“I can’t promise not to scoop you up whenever I please, but I can promise to protect you. So, until we get to base camp, let go of your fears. Trust me enough to see both you and your offspring to safety.”

My heart gives a prolonged squeeze as sincerity flows from his every word. The lump in my throat grows, but I force it lower into my chest and nod.

His thick thumb sweeps across my cheekbone again before he disappears into the darkness.

I feel lost. Like I’m drifting in a sea of nothingness.

“I’ll be back in less than five minutes.”

His gentle reminder of why I’m standing alone in a cave heats my cheeks again. I wait a few moments, listening for his footsteps, but the beast moves so silently I know I wouldn’t hear him even if he stomped through the passageway.

My bladder pinches a warning, so I hurry through relieving myself.

I step away and drop my skirt once I’m out of the danger zone. A mirth filled huff leaves me. My skirt no longer reaches my ankles, since Cahress cut the bottom edge free, so my efforts to keep it dry were pointless.

“That’s a cute sound, too.”

I clap my hand over my mouth to stop my squeak of alarm.

He doesn’t give further warning before lifting me into his arms again. The lost sensation ends as tendrils of yearning branch out from my sternum and reach for him.

“Cahress?”

His purred response tightens my lower back and I squeeze my thighs together, fearful the arousal pounding through my clit will produce too much slick.

“I…” I don’t know exactly what I want to tell him, but the swirl of emotions needs an outlet before I explode, so I express myself in the only way I can. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, Duri. It’s my pleasure. After all, what alpha doesn’t dream of saving a damsel in distress?”

His playful tone and unexpected words yank a half giggle from me.

“You’re ridiculous.”

I freeze in horror. How could I say such a thing to such a massive alpha? He isn’t Seung—I haven’t known him for years, nor should I ridicule him. In fact, even hinting at an insult would be the stupidest thing I could do, especially since he carries me through a pitch-black tunnel .

“Be that as it may, I don’t plan to change anytime soon, so get used to it, little mama.”

I blink as a small smile lifts my lips, the lamplight revealing his teasing expression. He squats and sets me on my rump as though I’m made of glass. Thick fingers sweep my long, straight hair from my face.

My heart does a somersault within my squeezed ribs, almost in time with the child rolling around in my womb.

“Get another hour or two of sleep. I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Cahress.”

My whisper carries no farther than his ears, creating an irrational bubble of intimacy in my mind. His eyes, so light a blue they seem yellow in the lamplight, gentle with a luminescent honesty so potent my heart skips a beat.

“Anytime, Duri.”

He turns and disappears into the darkness. I settle into an exhausted slumber. Inexplicable joy blooms in my soul so slowly I don’t recognize it until beautiful petals color my dreams.

Despite the many dangers I face, no worries or pain reach me.

A massive, mysterious beast with shining blue eyes and a decadent voice prevents any woes from finding me. Whatever the future holds, whatever brought me to this point, nothing matters except the healing sleep my body so desperately needs.

Small discomforts pull me from a deep pit of theoretical pillows. I don’t want to leave the peace of my slumber, but tiny feet drum against my ribs and voices rise around me.

I sit up and rub my face sudden nausea filling my mouth with saliva. Breathing through my nose, I search for a water sack and tap Henna’s shoulder when I see one sitting on her other side. When she glances at me, I request the water with a gesture as I pull the pills from my pocket.

My head spins as I twist open the container.

“Are you okay, Duri?”

I nod and take the hose from her before popping a pill in my mouth and chugging water.

“Just sore and tired. You?”

“Same. Hungry, too.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“So is he, apparently. Poor boy. We have nothing to give him, do we?” Henna asks as Hayden’s voice grows increasingly distressed.

“Unfortunately, no. We were at the end of our mission when we saw your spacecraft crash, so we weren’t prepared for any of this,” Cahress says as he steps from the shadows and pulls the processor from his hidden pocket.

I study him as he crouches next to me with the other water sack. Before, when he explained how it worked, my brain had short-circuited with how masculine and mesmerizing his body, voice, and aura had been, but now I look past his magnetism and wonder what else he hides within his suit.

Besides his gigantic size, the shape of his eyes, and the thick, tapered tail trailing from his lower back, he looks like a bulky human, but with his suit covering him from head to toe, he could be any species.

Curiosity causes me to stare too long.

Clear blue orbs break my ruminations, the raised brow over his right eye broadcasting his amusement.

“So, what do we do now?” Henna asks, ending the charged moment.

Everyone except Hayden falls silent, turning our attention to Cahress and waiting with held breath for his response.

“Our original pickup was over seventy miles north—and five hours ago—so, base camp already knows something big enough happened to stop us from meeting the rendezvous point. And the planet’s official government has already found your crash site, so we can’t get picked up nearby. Plus—”

“Wait, you aren’t the official government? Why are you hiding?”

The scratchy tenor voice comes from the woman sitting on the far side of Hayden’s mother.

“We’ve only been on Mai’CuS for about nine months, but we don’t plan on leaving. Our fleet commander has ties to the Alpha Elites—living, breathing, walking weapons in human form created by the planet’s government with the help of the local ISC branch.”

“But why are you hiding from the government?”

Cahress keeps his voice calm despite the female’s accusatory tone.

“The population of Mai’CuS believe they are the only life in the universe—they aren’t aware extraterrestrial beings exist. Meaning even you, who look human, would be ill-treated when they realized you’re technically an alien.”

“What about the other passengers, the ones who were still at the crash site?”

“The fleet commander will do all she can to intercept before the local government causes them harm.”

“What about us? We have no food. We can’t travel. What will your fleet commander do for us?”

“Everything.”

His instant and blunt response silences the entire room. The open honesty and intense belief in his tone leaves us all breathless.

What kind of leader earned this massive beast’s loyalty? How can he be so sure of someone?

“Commander Minette is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Add in Commander Draukir, her mate, and nothing is impossible. They’ve saved so many races from extinction that they shouldn’t be stuck on such a sorry excuse for a planet. But this is where they’ve chosen to stay, so this is where we are.”

A growl drifts from the entrance of the cave, freezing my blood in my veins and chilling the warmth from my bones.

CHAPTER 8

CAHRESS

Thret scuffs his boot a few feet away, letting me know he’s close, so I don’t impale him on my blade.

“Relax, ladies. It’s Thret, not the ISC.”

“Telling love stories, Cahress?”

“It helps pass the time.”

“Well, shove it up your ass and save it for later.”

I raise my fist and uncurl a finger for every word he spoke until all five are raised before turning a mock startled expression toward him.

“Shit, that’s the longest sentence in the history of you, isn’t it? Figures it was crass, too, especially in the company of so many females.”

“Shove. It.”

I tamp down my roar of laughter, nearly choking on my mirth as his growl gives away his utter annoyance. My broken chuckle barely bounces off the walls, but the faint echo makes me want to punch myself for being so careless.

Forcing the amusement down into my diaphragm, I sober as best as I can without giving off such a dire and deadly air as my partner—these females don’t deserve to be cooped up in this dreary cave with two broody assholes.

I meet Thret’s annoyed glare and respond in the most deadpan tone I can muster.

“Wait, a love story? I’m surprised you can recognize one. Little mama, pass me the water. I think Thret may be hallucinating.”

Thret’s expression closes further before he turns to stalk away. A few feet behind him, Commander Ru’en’s white irises catch the lamplight.

“What love story?” Henna asks, her whisper directed to Duri.

“His undying devotion to Commander Minette. Careful, Cahress, or I’ll send a special report to Commander Draukir on your behalf.”

Commander Ru’en’s jab pulls a chuckle from my throat, and I roll my eyes.

“Right, like you’re any less devoted. She saved your hide more times than mine, so—”

“Are you done?”

The fur on my ruff stands on end, both annoyed and wary of the narrowing of Commander Ru’en’s eyes.

“Not quite.”

He steps closer and raises his hand. I’m not scared of his fists, the thought of my little mama—Duri, not my little mama—witnessing more violence curdles my stomach.

“They still don’t understand the dangers we face,” I finish in the same breath, eager to diffuse his fury.

“Then finish the debriefing without waxing poetic.”

The urge to fling a knife toward Thret’s throat pulls my hand to my hip, but I halt its ascent and cock my head instead.

“I didn’t realize you knew such a touching phrase, Thret. Maybe—”

“If you don’t want to focus, then I’ll finish the lesson,” Commander Ru’en snarls.

I spin on my heel and drop into a squat, facing the lamp and ensuring every female in the group can see the seriousness in my gaze.

“The ISC were the white coats who captured you. You know the Intergalactic Science Corps as the largest scientific company in all the known galaxies, but they aren’t what they seem. What you saw before you landed on this planet was a ruse. They are evil.”

I meet each female’s eyes before my attention catches on my little mama’s face. Looking away isn’t an option—I need to see her expression as I reveal my true lifestyle.

“They experiment on all races in the cruelest of ways. You were their newest acquisitions until we stopped them, and you don’t want to know what they might have done to you.”

Her lush bottom lip quivers before she firms her expression and squares her shoulders.

“They’re an infestation. We’re the exterminators. And there’s nothing we won’t do to end them.”

When she glances away, I mourn the loss of both her attention and her trust, the dulling of her eyes conveying how little she respects my line of work.

My heart hardens. I’ve seen too many atrocities to misunderstand her shudder and shying away—even I hate the things I’ve witnessed. The failures I’ve accrued are unforgivable, as are the skills I’ve honed over the years. My entire life revolves around murder and pain.

A gentle little mama has no place in my world. It’s foolish of me to want her.

Yet want her I do.

It hurts to be on the receiving end of her silence. I grit my teeth and suck down a breath before peeling my eyes away from her ashen face.

“We’ll get you to base camp where you’ll be safe, but then we’ll continue to hunt them.”

Wary stillness permeates from the small group, many of the females clinging to the women around them for support.

“The main issue now is we must do so without alerting both the planet’s government and the ISC of our location. They cannot learn the coordinates of our base camp—too many civilians live there, and we won’t put them in more danger than they already are.”

I wait, letting the battered and tired females process the information. A few moments of quiet pass as even the boy sits without making a sound.

“So, how do we do this?”

My eyes flick to Duri, even though the omega who challenged me at the beginning of the conversation spoke.

Commander Ru’en answers as I stand and take a few steps back to allow him into the circle of light.

“We keep moving while we wait for a response from command. Do what you need to prepare for travel—we head out in ten minutes.”

My gut tightens as I remember how hard the few miles of hiking through the desert was for the omegas, especially my little mama.

Damn it, not my little mama.

How can Ru’en expect them to survive a trek through the mountains, especially without food?

Knowing an argument would be futile, I hold in my sigh and cross my arms over my chest, determined to keep a close eye on each one of them and help those who need it most. Even as my instincts demand I pull Duri to me, I refuse to move. I tell myself to stay impartial and subjective, but every time she shifts, my muscles bunch as though to go to her.

I turn to Commander Ru’en and lift a brow, expecting him to issue orders. He doesn’t disappoint.

“Refill all three water bags before we leave. There’s an exit through the southeast tunnel. Thret will lead, you take their heels, I’ll follow and erase any tracks.”

A tone beeps through our communicators. We lift our hands in unison and change frequencies.

The somber tone in Jokur’s voice tells more than his words.

“We lost target two. Rendezvous or rogue?”

“Rogue. Find supplies. Call when stocked.”

Commander Ru’en wastes no time deciding, sending Jokur and Choku off on their own to find supplies before requesting to meet up.

Even though we don’t know their exact location and they don’t know ours, we’ll have no trouble finding each other when the time comes to reunite. After years of completing missions, our communication skills surpass most teams, even the other Warrior Elites.

Which is why we were sent to eradicate the tiny ISC hideout in the mountains.

The reminder of such a horrible experience sours my stomach. As the females talk among themselves and suck down water, I tilt my head, requesting a more private location to speak to my teammates.

They oblige, moving into the tunnel toward our original entry.

“Back in the facility… their experiment focused on the lifemating bond, but what the hell happened? Was it a biological weapon? Should we be worried about infecting these omegas?”

I could rip my heart from my chest for being so careless. How could I hold such a precious, fragile creature in my arms when there was even the slightest chance of contamination?

The simple answer—I wasn’t thinking. I buried the horrifying memories and let my desires rule my actions.

I can’t let myself do so again, no matter how much I want to.

Her life, and the child growing in her womb, is too precious to risk.

CHAPTER 9

DURI

Why is gravity so cruel? I try to rise onto my knees but lower myself back onto my butt.

“Here, let me help.”

I offer Henna a tight smile and shake my head, which only makes it spin faster.

“No, give me another minute. I’m just not ready yet.”

Her strained smile must match my own, because several omegas turn toward us with concerned expressions. Most are already on their feet, rolling their shoulders and preparing their bodies for the trek with gentle stretches.

Feeling the unease of the others grow as the seconds stretch by and I don’t rise, I relax my shoulders and close my eyes, searching deep within my body for hidden stores of energy.

There aren’t any. I know this within the very recesses of my soul, but I find my motivation in the soft jabs my baby gives my ribs.

She’s healthy. Strong. Growing with every breath I take.

I can’t let my weakness be the reason she doesn’t get to experience life. Using the nausea as a distraction from the gnawing hunger in my very bones, I give the bottle of pills a squeeze but refuse to look at them.

There are only four left. If I take another now, then what happens if we can’t find food? What if it takes more than today and tomorrow to make it to Cahress’ base camp?

What if, when we get there, they don’t have the technology or resources to make more pills for me?

The thought nearly saps what little control I have away, leaving me eyeing the ground by my hip, wondering if lying down would be better than slumping and hitting my head on stone.

A surprisingly harsh thump on my bladder knocks me out of my semi-panic attack.

I can’t focus too much about the what ifs. All I can do is plan for the next few minutes and live in the now. Firming my spine and caressing my belly, I decide to take another capsule now, but will leave one pill in the container no matter what, so that when we reach safety, they’ll have something to duplicate. It’s the best I can do since Seung—

I stop my thoughts and open the pill bottle, cramming one capsule in my mouth and taking a swig of water, the action filling me with purpose.

I will keep my daughter alive, no matter what it takes.

Henna’s tight smile broadens further as I let her help me to my feet. My nausea grows, but I breathe through my nose and swallow the excess saliva before turning to face the three alphas standing near the back of the cave.

Pale blue eyes steal my attention, the abject misery and extreme self-hatred shining from them sending my heart into my throat. The clenching of my abdominals makes my nausea worse, but I refuse to waste the contents of my stomach.

My feet move forward of their own accord, a thread buried deep within my chest pulling me toward the massive male standing a few feet away.

I need to help him. No one should look so torn and sad, especially not the male who seemed so self-assured and strong mere moments ago.

All expression leaks from his eyes, leaving a cold and remote ghost of himself behind.

“What happened? What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t move other than to shift his focus to the male beside him.

His disinterest hurts more than I can describe. A chill settles in my bones as I sense the depth of his denial—the link in my chest turns brittle with his icy refusal.

All commonsense melts from my brain as fiery emotions scorch my insides. The instincts which protect my baby double and extend their bubble to include the gigantic brute who refuses to meet my gaze.

I’ve known him for less than a day, but he won my omega loyalty during the intense interactions.

He was lovely before he sequestered himself away and spoke with his teammates.

Hatred animates me as I turn my attention to Commander Ru’en.

“What did you do?”

White pupils expand and contract as one snowy eyebrow lifts.

“Excuse me?”

Rage colors my vision a shimmery red.

“He was fine before you talked to him. What did you say?”

A hand tugs my elbow backward, but Henna’s attempt to pull me away doesn’t stand a chance against the fury pulsing through my veins.

Broad shoulders seem to grow broader as Commander Ru’en narrows his gaze on my face. His pupils shrink and hands tighten into fists.

My foot lifts off the ground to close the space between us, the challenge in his stance too much for my incensed omega instincts.

Clear blue orbs arrest my forward moment, the alarm and confusion emanating from Cahress’ eyes cutting through my rage.

“What are you doing, Duri?”

Every ounce of anger drains from me, leaving my mind reeling and heart pounding. Pure adrenaline keeps me on my feet.

“I… I don’t know. I’ve never—”

Thret’s terrible growl emanates from the pitch-black tunnel behind them, freezing me in place like spotted prey.

“Who is Cahress to you, omega?”

Every muscle in my body locks tight. Not a single thought sneaks into my brain, a great big blank protecting my conscious from whatever he implies.

Commander Ru’en sidesteps and sends me a glare so fierce my arms instinctually wrap around my midsection to protect the precious life within.

Cahress moves his bulk, blocking my view of icy irises and menace. My heart pounds against my sternum as my need to protect the male in front of me insists he turn around. He shouldn’t have his back toward danger, and the alpha behind him drips calculated lethality.

“Cahress, is she your lifemate?”

My breath seizes in my lungs as emotions filter through eyes bluer than the sky. Dread settles in my guts as defeat wins over all the others, splintering the brittle cord leading from my chest.

“She can’t be. Look at her.”

Pain slices deeper than I thought possible, so deep he may as well have torn the very essence of my being into shreds. Instincts awakened by pregnancy scream in agony while my soul bleeds and weeps.

Bile rises into my throat and sandpaper scratches the back of my eyes.

I need to get away. Now.

Lifting my foot to spin on my heel and flee, my clumsiness gets the better of me. My foot hits the edge of a stone and stops mid twist, destroying my balance. I stick my arms out to brace my fall but can’t force my hips to straighten to protect my swollen abdomen.

Terror grips my heart and a squeak rips from my throat.

Warm, solid arms wrap around me and stop my descent. I gulp down oxygen and try to hide my shaking, but it grows and grows until my very bones shake.

“I’m sorry! I just—I’m sorry!”

Sobs well up so fast I have no chance of stopping them. Wanting nothing more than to be in the comfort of Cahress’ arms, I cling to the bicep pressed against my breasts. His shoulder blocks the right half of my vision as he grips my hip. He stands near my side, with his right arm plastered to my front and his left palm encompassing half my skull while his forearm shields my neck and upper back from whiplash.

It’s pathetic, but I tighten my hold on him when he tries to move away.

“I’m—”

“I swear, if you apologize one more time, I’ll lose it.”

Tears drip onto his arm. My brain replays how stupid and irrational I’ve been for the last few minutes, but sobs still wrack my body. Now is not the time for such antics. Every second counts, for myself and everyone here, and yet I can’t stop crying.

The chest pressed against my temple expands as Cahress takes a deep breath. He exhales and shifts his grip to pull me closer. The wriggling mass of dread loosens its hold on my heart, his actions soothing me more than words.

“I hurt you with my words. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—what I meant was—damn it!”

His arms shift again, pulling me even closer so my side presses flush against his front.

“Aren’t you marked, Duri? Surely the alpha who mated you claimed you as well. No worthwhile male would leave you so vulnerable.”

Embarrassment and anger heat my cheeks. Words clog my throat, but no sounds other than sobs escape my chest.

How can I make them understand when I don’t fully understand it myself? I wipe my face with an unsteady hand and shake my head, dislodging his palm from my skull.

“No, I’m not marked, but don’t talk ill of my best friend. Seung is an amazing alpha, one whom any omega would be proud to call their own, if only—”

My courage falters. I can’t reveal Seung’s secret, not even if he’s dead. Especially if he’s dead.

Before I spiral into mourning, I straighten my spine and force my gaze up to meet Cahress’ clear blue eyes.

“I couldn’t tie him to me when his heart belonged elsewhere.”

For two wonderful seconds, Cahress’ gentle purr vibrates through me, but he stops, slides his arm free of my clenched fingers, and holds me at arm’s length by my shoulders.

The distance between us hurts.

He opens his mouth, but Commander Ru’en speaks before he speaks.

“Cahress, this changes nothing. You can’t claim her. You shouldn’t even be touching her.”

Agitation grows behind my sternum as the arms wrapped around me loosen. I try to fix my grip, only to find myself standing alone.

“He’s right. There’s too much at risk. This is bigger than you and I.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Duri. I’ll do my best to stay away from you. Let the other alphas help you.”

Without a backward glance, he turns and stalks down the corridor, hitting Thret’s shoulder with his own as he disappears into the darkness. Despite the scant light from the lantern, my eyes refuse to stop searching for his massive frame.

Time passes, how much I can’t say, but Henna tugs my elbow and guides me into the hall. With Hayden and his mother in front and the rest of the omegas behind, we stumble through the tunnel until the last rays of the sunset grace the path ahead.

Steep, uneven steps lead out of the cave and down around the corner. I use Henna’s forearm and the jagged wall to keep my balance, embracing the odd numbness Cahress left behind when he walked away.

It’s irrational—I’ve only known him for a handful of hours—but his rejection hurts just as much as the visual of Seung’s limp body hanging between two white-clad forms.

My heel slips on an unexpectedly smooth stone, but I slap the wall and regain my balance, hissing as the sharp stone pierces my palm.

The reminder of my surroundings pulls me from my useless ruminations. I shake my hand to ward off the sting and nod at Henna, straightening my spine and lowering my foot to the next step.

A popping sensation near my pelvic floor startles a gasp from me. I let go of Henna and lean my forearm against the wall, hunching forward in hopes to prevent further strain on whatever I must have injured.

Except no pain emerges.

No, something worse happens.

Thick liquid floods my panties. Screaming internally at the unfairness of it all, skyrocketing into panic, I gather my skirt between my legs and press the ball of fabric against my womanhood.

The synthetic plug broke.

I can’t do this. Seung’s scent fills my nostrils and breaks my hold on reality.

The chances of my baby’s survival, as well as my own, just drastically decreased.

My heart hurts too much for this.

I sink to my bottom and cover my face with one hand while pushing my skirt hard against the apex of my thighs.

Tears coat my face as seed soaks my skirt.

CHAPTER 10

CAHRESS

Physical pain radiates up my thighs as I fight the urge to dart up the stairs and scoop my little mama into my arms.

No, not mine.

Yet. Not mine yet.

Her admission changes everything. It explains why I can’t stop thinking about her. Why I want her. Why my soul yearns to merge with hers.

She’s my lifemate, unmarked and ripe for my claiming.

But the revelation makes our situation more dire. I can’t claim her until we’re somewhere safe.

Her gut-wrenching sob lifts my boot and propels me back into the cave. The omegas gather around my little mama, blocking my path. Thret stomps closer to haul me away, but I put the group between us. It won’t stop him should he decide I need intervention, but it’ll give me an extra half a second to react.

Voices talk over one another, their worried tones turning frantic.

“Duri! What’s—”

“Is that—”

“Oh no.”

“Her waters broke!”

I grab slim shoulders and lift the nearest omega out of my way, setting her down as gently as I can with the profound urgency pulsing through me.

The moment my hands rest on the next impeding female, the overall emotion within the cave flips. Every female backs away as quickly as she can, the one in front of me bumping against me in her haste to retreat.

Alarm yanks me into action. I push the omega to the side and lunge forward only to stand toe to toe with an angry alpha.

A tense moment passes, time standing still as I prepare to battle Thret. No one moves as silence settles over us.

Duri’s muffled sob lifts the fur on my nape, but before I slam my knife into Thret’s stomach, Henna speaks.

“Her waters didn’t break, but she smells like alpha. The scent is too strong—I’m sorry, I can’t—”

Her choked gag accompanies the sound of shuffling feet as the omegas instinctually move further away. The terrible knot in my chest loosens as I realize she isn’t in immediate mortal danger, but the news brings confusion as well.

I shift to look over Thret’s shoulder, but hemirrors my movement, blocking my view again.

“She needs help, damnit.”

My snarl bounces off the rock walls, making the females flinch, but Thret doesn’t so much as blink.

“She does, but not from you.”

The harsh reminder of our predicament both infuriates and calms me. I take a deep breath, resentful of the scentless air brought to me by my suit, and slide my knife back into its holster.

Just because I must keep my physical distance from her doesn’t mean I can’t help her.

“Little mama, are you hurt?”

She sniffles, bites back a sob, then sniffs again before speaking in a shaky voice full of turmoil.

“No, I’m not hurt.”

“What happened?”

“The plug popped free.”

I gather my wits and continue, desperate to understand.

“What plug?”

“An artificial knot. It kept Seung’s s—oh gods, I can’t—”

Understanding dawns like a lightbulb being flicked on. Omegas need regular mating throughout their pregnancy, but she’s not mated.

But an artificial knot? I never thought of something like that existing.

“It’s okay, Duri. Take deep breaths and calm down. Can you do that, little mama?”

If she nods, I can’t see her, but the slight dilation of Ru’en’s white pupils tell me she’s trying.

“I think I understand, but only you know exactly what this means. Only you can tell us what needs to be done. So, take a few more calming breaths and talk to me, yes?”

“Okay.”

Her soft whisper nearly cracks my heart in two. I pour strength and comfort into the thread between our hearts, needing to help her in any way I can.

“Usually a plug lasts three or four days, but I guess the trauma of the last few hours weakened it. But—”

There isn’t much power behind her voice, but she sounds steadier than she did a few moments ago. She takes an audible breath and forges onward.

“I also take supplements, usually only twice a day, to make sure my baby gets the nutrients it needs. I was in the infirmary when the ship went down… I didn’t have time to refill my prescription, so I… I only have four left.”

My words emerge from a thick throat, the defeat in her tone scaring me more than I care to admit.

“How many have you taken since the crash?”

“Two, both after we entered the cave. And I’m still so dizzy and tired.”

I can’t stand the pain and desperation dripping from her every word. Shifting my gaze to Ru’en’s white pupils and black irises, I let my emotions shine from my eyes before narrowing my focus Thret.

“Move, or I’ll kill you.”

“You’ll try.”

“I’ll win.”

Commander Ru’en addresses the group of omegas behind me, ignoring my threats.

“Who else came into contact with any of our suits?”

A few timid voices echo through the cave.

“Check your skin. Evaluate your body. Does anyone have symptoms beyond what you’d expect from yesterday’s excursion?”

Gods, why the hell am I so dense? The need to hold my little mama overrides my common sense—and my focus. Before she blew my mind with her revelation, I refused to touch her for fear of infecting her with residual chemicals from our previous mission.

Commander Ru’en does his best to alleviate my fear.

He points at Henna, making the omega shrink.

“You had prolonged exposure to Cahress’ suit. List your current symptoms.”

She straightens her shoulders but doesn’t release her white knuckled grip on the female beside her.

“Headache, sore muscles, bruises, and sore feet. And I’m hungrier than I’ve been in my entire life.”

Commander Ru’en nods at her before pinning me in place with an almost impassive stare, which proves far softer than his normal menace.

“It’s idiotic to fight the urge to be near your lifemate, so you’re going to tend her, but you will not mark her until we get to base camp. Maybe not even then, if command deems it so. Understand?”

Excitement and eagerness vibrate through every cell in my body, setting my bones to buzzing. I tilt my chin, acknowledging his logic, and flex my fingers in anticipation of touching my omega.

“If I so much as suspect you intend to take off your face mask, I’ll tranq you and leave you where you lie. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

He uncrosses his arms and rests the palm of his left hand on the tranquilizer, his message clear. I nod and raise an eyebrow as I shift my gaze to Thret, still primed for a fight should the dense alpha refuse to move.

“If she tries to mark you, I’m bashing your head in and hogtying her until we get to base camp.”

Thret’s gravelly words pull a growl from me, his open disgust too much for my threadbare control. The world slows as I jab my knife at his abdomen.

He uses my own momentum to propel me past him. Half a step later, I snap my blade back into its holster and drop down beside Duri. All thoughts of violence disappear, my need to comfort and care for this tiny omega washing away every other urge.

Not sure what she needs, I slide a hand onto her slender shoulder and lean forward, shielding her from the world as best as I can in my squatting position. Rich brown eyes meet mine, my yearning and fear reflected back at me from her gaze.

“What do you need, little mama?”

“Do we have any feminine products? I need to keep his seed inside me as long as possible.”

Despite her sunburnt face and blotchy skin from crying, her blush shows clearly on her naturally pale cheeks. I glance at both of my teammates and start to shake my head, but an idea stops me.

“I have sterile cloth bandages. Will that work?”

Her blush deepens, but she nods. I slip several small, flat squares from random pockets in my chest harness and pants, gathering a stack of five before offering them to her.

She doesn’t move to take them. Her eyes bounce around the cave before landing on me with a pleading expression.

“I… um…”

“Need help?”

Her eyes widen and panic emanates from her. She lifts the hand not hidden between her legs and pushes at my arm, shaking her head vehemently.

“No! No, I need privacy.”

Gods, I’m such an idiot. Still, her mortification confuses me. She’s a pregnant omega, not an untried innocent.

“Will you be ready to travel afterward?”

Commander Ru’en breaks the bubble of intimacy my mind erected around Duri and myself. I bite back my snarl when light brown irises turn away from my gaze and meet my team leader’s face. Her far-off expression helps me curb my desire to lunge across the tunnel and rip the other alpha to pieces for stealing my omega’s attention. She isn’t focused on him—she’s deep in thought.

“Every doctor told me the same thing—since I’m not bonded and didn’t have proper care during the first few weeks, I won’t survive if I don’t take the supplements twice a day or have fresh alpha seed. Without either of those, my body will fail and both myself and the baby will die.”

My heart seizes in my chest at the thought, but she shakes herself free of her thoughts and stares directly into my soul.

“Will you carry me after I finish? Walking will only make me lose—”

“Yes. Without hesitation.”

Tears fill her gorgeous eyes, morphing them to shimmery swirls of deep brown.

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure, little mama.”

I mean it to the depths of my soul.

Footsteps fade as the group heads out into the night, Commander Ru’en instructing me to catch up as quickly as possible before he disappears around the corner.

When nothing but our breathing fills the air, Duri slips the packages from my fingers and gnaws on her bottom lip. I stroke her shoulder before guiding her onto her back, the stairs keeping her head higher than her feet.

She looks between her hands and my face several times before her blush steals down her neck and colors the upper slope of her breasts. Even through her blouse and undergarment, her nipples create little peaks.

“Will you… turn your back?”

With her hair haloed around her head and her legs bare from her bunched skirt, the urge to worship her with teeth and tongue nearly strip me of my control. My covered palm lifts and caresses the enticing underside of her belly.

Her whimper freezes me in place.

CHAPTER 11

DURI

The gentle glide of his thick digits over my protruding belly sends electricity through my abdomen. Little flutters play against his broad fingers, stealing my breath as wonder shines from masculine eyes.

I want to bask in the moment, but my arm aches from holding my skirt between my legs.

“Please?”

Regret tightens his eyes, but he nods and removes his hand before standing. He pauses before yanking something from his pocket and setting it beside my hip. I read the label on the bottle and nod, thankful to have something to clean my hands.

He turns his back to me, so I drop the packets onto my breasts, clench my thighs together to hold my skirt in place, sanitize my hands, and open the packets. Rolling the gauze into a makeshift tampon, I struggle to find a position where I won’t lose precious time during insertion but can’t move much with the bundle of fabric mashed against my crotch.

I squeak when gloved hands wrap around my ankles. Light blue eyes send my heart galloping as he lifts a brow in a devilish smile so wonderful it steals my breath despite his mask hiding his lips from my gaze.

“Trust me?”

His simple request arrows into my soul. I nod, my decision made without thought.

He lifts my ankles and sits with his back toward me, propping both of my legs on one shoulder.

“Tell me when you’re ready and I’ll move your right ankle to my other shoulder. I won’t peek, promise.”

The black fabric covering his head hides his hair. I want to snarl and rip the offending material away but suck down a breath and focus on the bundle of joy in my abdomen.

“I’m ready.”

True to his word, he keeps his eyes trained away and his back facing me as he ducks his head and pulls my right ankle to his other shoulder. I grit my teeth and yank my skirt up and press the rolled cloth deep into my body.

My clit pulses in need, but I ignore it, cramming my fingers even deeper until my knuckles sink past my entrance.

The dry cotton expands as it absorbs slick and seed. I jiggle it around, making sure it lodges in place before slipping my hand free and covering my legs with my wet skirt.

Bittersweet emotions threaten to drown me in tears as Seung’s scent invades my nostrils. A drop slips from my lashes, but I twist and sanitize my hands.

Gentle digits lower my legs to the ground before masculine arms surround me. I cling to his harness, wishing I could rub my cheek on his bare chest and fill my nose with his scent. Even though I have no idea what he smells like, I know without a doubt I’ll enjoy his potent pheromones.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

His smooth gait lulls me into calm. I watch as the stars twinkle in the cloudless sky, not bothering to keep track of our surroundings as he stalks through the mountains.

“Cahress?”

His gentle hum disrupts his purr, but I push past the haze of bliss and reach for cognitive thoughts.

“Why are the other alphas so against us bonding?”

“They aren’t. Not personally, anyway—except for maybe Thret. He’s always been…”

Luminescent blue eyes reflect the starlight as it shimmers off the rocks, Cahress shaking his head ruefully before he changes the course of his thoughts.

“We believe the ISC is experimenting on the lifemating bond. The Alpha Elites—a group of human alphas—killed the previous ISC leader because he targeted their lifemates.”

His low voice carries no further than my ears, but he gentles his tone further as though to hide the terrible message in his next words.

“Warrior Elite Team 1 all found their lifemates on Mai’CuS, and all were attacked. We don’t know how or why, but we can’t risk being so vulnerable when we’re away from base camp.”

He jumps over a crack in the path and lifts his arms while he bends his neck, nuzzling the top of my head with his chin.

“I can’t promise to wait until we have our own den. My chest hurts from wanting you.”

My bones melt and heat sweeps through my core. I press my cheek against his shoulder and shiver, torn between a sense of self-dislike and joy.

He’s too big and brash and strong, yet he’s perfect. I want him.

Which makes me a terrible friend and mother. I should focus on getting my babe to safety. I should scream and wail and beg this behemoth to find my best friend.

A gush of warmth flows from between my legs. Terror grips my heart, tensing my entire body.

“What’s wrong?”

“It didn’t work.”

“What?”

“The bandages didn’t work.”

Nothing but the wind howling over stone marks the passing of time as Cahress closes the distance between us and the group. He sends a dark look toward Commander Ru’en, silent communication passing between them before Commander Ru’en nods and scales up the slope to our right. The deadly alpha traverses the cliff face with ease, moving over the omegas and dropping beside Thret on silent feet.

“You’re okay, Duri. We’ll do whatever it takes to get you to safety. Just relax against me and tell me if you start feeling worse. Sip some water.”

I follow his command, overstimulation sending me into a pit of numbness. My exhaustion wins over my desire to stay alert. I slip into a doze as he follows the group.

When my eyelids flutter open, I notice the lightening of the sky and fight against a scream. I don’t know how much has dripped from my womanhood, but the fabric pressed against me chills my intimates.

Which means it’s been a while since the last bit of seed left my insides.

“How do you feel?”

Cahress’ voice whisks away my panic, but my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. I take a tiny sip of water before responding.

“Tired. How long was I asleep?”

“A few hours.”

“How many?”

“Almost six.”

A wave of dizziness makes nausea tighten my stomach.

“Take another pill, then get more rest.”

My fingers shake as I reach into my pocket, my skirt crunchy in some places and sticky in others. I ignore the discomfort and struggle to open the container. My digits don’t want to cooperate, and a well of emptiness opens under me, sucking my energy into a dark abyss.

A deep rumble vibrates into my bones, my alpha purring as he walks. I pinch a pill between two fingers and slide it onto my tongue, wedging the container back into my pocket, and sucking down some water to swallow the pill.

The usual sense of relief doesn’t come.

I find no reprieve from the energy-sucking abyss.

“Make me take another in four hours. Please, Cahress.”

“No. Take another now. I didn’t realize you felt so bad, or I would have woken you earlier.”

“Is there food? Are we safe?”

An edge of warning sneaks into his purr, but my body remains limp as my mind processes his anger.

“No and no but take another. My other teammates found a secure hiding place and some supplies, so we’ll meet with them in an hour or two.”

His voice sounds far away. When I speak, my own words sound muffled.

“Other teammates?”

“Yes, Jokur and Choku. We separated at the crash site.”

“Seung?”

A pause carries nothing but wind and the ever constant, smooth rocking of my alpha’s footsteps.

“They don’t have any survivors with them.”

A tear slips from my eye, but for the life of me I can’t remember closing my lids, nor can I force them to lift.

“Duri?”

Tiny thumps along my ribs and the fluttering of life within my womb steady me against the flood of mourning threatening to push me into the abyss. I yank myself back from the ledge and hum in response to Cahress.

“Take another pill. Please.”

I intend to nod my acquiescence but end up nuzzling against his firm pectoral instead. He murmurs something over my head, his tone clipped with alarm. The world stops moving and warmth surrounds me, erasing the chill of the wind.

Familiar noises sound but they don’t mean anything until something presses against my lips. I part my teeth and accept the pill forcing myself to swallow two mouthfuls of water. I sigh as my stomach accepts the offering.

The abyss shrinks, still lingering under me but not so close, and when I open my eyes, I greet blue orbs with a small smile.

“Better?”

“A little, yes, thank you.”

“Still so polite. Hang in there, little mama. We’ll stop soon.”

“Okay.”

I couldn’t move if I wanted to. Every ounce of my energy goes toward keeping my child alive, the happy flips and kicking of her fragile body within mine enough to block out the world.

Woven within my tiny bubble of existence, a masculine purr erases the angst constantly tapping at my subconscious. With the trauma of the last few hours and the uncertainty of the future, I find only three things matter most to me.

The first is my child. She means more than even I do. She is the future.

The second most important thing: the alpha carrying me now. Without him, I will never feel whole. He’s the other half of my heart, the peace within the storm, the protector I’ve always yearned for. He’s my lifemate.

And the third? Seung. A lifetime of friendship cannot be forgotten. Whatever I can do, however I can help him, I must do it.

The slow rising of the sun heats the exposed half of my face, but I don’t shield myself. I cycle between dozing and watching the covered chin of the male ferrying me over the mountains, fragmented thoughts slowly coming together. With his attention elsewhere, I allow myself to feel the depths of my emotions for him.

I know what must come next, but I’m not ready for it.

CHAPTER 12

CAHRESS

I lengthen my stride and quicken my pace, closing the distance between Duri and the temporary safe room Jokur and Choku created.

The limp form in my arms urges me to move faster. I count every second as it passes, sensing how close she is to slipping into a coma. If she falls asleep and can’t wake up, I can’t help her.

I glance down and meet glazed brown eyes, relieved to see her still awake. Boulders whiz by as I sprint through a maze of stone, until Choku steps onto the path and gestures toward a narrow offshoot.

Weaving my way through the path as it twists and turns, I ignore the sense of claustrophobia as the walls on either side grow taller and block out the sun. Between one stride and the next, I find myself in an open space as the passageway spills into a canyon. One wall boasts intricate carvings and darkened doors, crafted several feet into the rock, making it invisible from above. Whatever community built this structure wanted to remain hidden.

Which is exactly what we need.

I hurry to the second largest door and follow the coded instructions Jokur sent, hurrying down the path to the left and ducking into the first opening on the left.

Jokur tosses a meal packet to me. It wounds my soul to lift my hand away from Duri, but I catch it and nod before sitting in the far corner of the cave.

I lower my little mama into my lap and rip open a corner of the packet.

My gloved finger teases her bottom lip, the digit going rogue before I recall it to my side. Half a second later, it brushes her hair from her face and strokes her scalp in long, soothing caresses.

“Open your mouth, little mama. Time to eat.”

Her eyelashes flutter and her chest expands before she nods and accepts the first bite of food. I wait until she swallows to offer her more, but there’s no stopping my hand as it pets and praises her.

As the food slowly disappears, her breathing becomes less labored and color returns to her cheeks. When I stop running my fingers through her hair, a feminine rumble makes my heart skip a beat and my lips lift in a smirk.

She doesn’t like when I stop petting her.

“Hush, Duri. Just a little more food, then I can give you all my attention.”

“You aren’t already?”

The whimsical question reveals just how removed from reality she is. I chuckle and offer her more food.

“Not even close. I have so much more I want to give you.”

A beautiful thickness enters her growl, morphing the sound to one of pleasure instead of annoyance. My shaft hardens within my suit, sending streaks of pain through my shaft. I lock my muscles, abhorring the idea of ending such a sweet and tantalizing moment because I can’t handle my wayward cock.

“No one has ever made me feel the way you do. Don’t stop, Cahress, please. Even if I pull away, don’t stop.”

My hand pauses with my fingertips poised over her hairline, ready to delve into her long raven locks. Her plea sends shivers down my spine, lifting my ruff, but the worry tinting her tone confuses me.

“Why would you pull away?”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Everything.”

She has every right to be scared. She’s been through the worst, but she’s speaking of something specific to our discussion—us. Our time together.

“Are you scared of me?”

“No, but…” her breath stutters as she lifts her lids and studies me, “You’re so big and I’m so small.”

I run my fingers over her scalp, setting up the rhythm she enjoys.

“Yes, we are quite different, aren’t we?”

Her focus narrows to my eyes as though she searches for a specific answer.

“H-have you ever…”

She closes her mouth and shakes her head, not intending to continue.

“Have I ever?” I prod, needing to understand what she’s worrying about.

“Have you ever knotted an omega?”

The question causes her to blush, lending a sweet innocence to her face. Worried she’ll think the worst of me, but unable to lie to her, I tell her the truth.

“Several times, yes. In my culture, it’s customary for an alpha to service an omega every other rut for the first five years after they present their dynamic. I was ten years past maturity when the ISC attacked my family.”

Her dainty brow furrows, but the worry pursing her lips recedes, leaving her mouth lush and tempting.

“But…”

“But?” I repeat, urging her to ask whatever is on her mind.

“But you never marked anyone?”

“No, little mama. I’m not bonded.”

“So, the females on your planet… is it normal for them to be pregnant and unclaimed?”

The question slaps me upside the head.

“I’d never thought about it, but yes.”

A corner of her mouth ticks up before she murmurs, more to herself than to me.

“No wonder you haven’t balked at my current state. I wish I’d been born on your planet.”

Unhappiness tightens her lips, and she shakes her head again, dislodging whatever thought strikes her. She changes tactics, squaring her shoulders and trailing her palms in little circles on her swollen abdomen. Both movements make my turgid cock pulse.

“Where I’m from, the government strictly regulates all things pertaining to reproduction. Omegas spend their heats in a medically induced coma unless they request otherwise. If Seung hadn’t agreed to service me, I would have slept through my first heat.”

To give myself time to process her words, I offer her the water and watch her delicate throat work as she swallows. My damn cock jerks in want at the visual delight.

“You’ve only had one heat?”

She almost chokes on the water, but I pull the mouthpiece away and skim my finger over her reddened cheek. Her nod confirms her answer.

“Was it wild and raw?”

My question causes her to choke on air, lust making my voice deeper and rougher than I intend. The thought of her in the throes of estrous, writhing and needy, supersede the visual of another alpha leaning over her, and even though I didn’t intend to ask such a visceral question, I can’t help but need an answer.

“What?”

Her wide, startled eyes aren’t the response I expected.

“Did you build a nest just so you could destroy it in the throes of rutting? Did you pull him close and beg him to knot you? Slick all over his face and thighs?”

Petite fingers dart up and press against the lower half of my mask, shushing me as her face scarlet.

“Stop! N-no, nothing like that!”

Her arm drops back to her lap.

“Then how was it?”

“The nurse buckled me to the rutting table and a few hours later, Seung came in and serviced me.”

“How exactly did he service you?”

Her blush deepens.

“He rutted and knotted me.”

“Did he touch you with his hands?”

“Yes.”

“Other than to grab your hips?”

Her eyes fill with tears and conflicting emotions warp her features.

“No, but why would he?”

A curse slips from my lips. How could such a stunning omega be pregnant and yet so innocent?

“Because alphas love to pleasure omegas. To see a female fly apart under your mouth and hands is the most fulfilling thing to an alpha’s ego.”

“Maybe for you, but Seung isn’t like that.”

“Every alpha is like that.”

“Not Seung.”

Her chin quivers and eyes shimmer as she stares at me with such heartbreak I long to believe her.

“How do you know?”

“Because Seung likes men.”

The admission breaks a dam within her. Words spill from between her clenched teeth as tears trail down her temples.

“We’ve known each other almost our entire lives, have been close friends since we learned to walk, and so when he told me he desired a male omega, I wanted him to find the perfect match. Except there are no male omegas on Ko’ea. There are no same gender pairs on my planet.”

Her breath hitches, but she plows on as though her heart will break if she doesn’t finish her story.

“I saved every cent I could for four years so he could relocate to a new world. Knowing he would leave me and find his happily ever after, I asked him for one thing before he left. But he would’ve done it anyway, just because he loves me.”

I gather her close, wanting to absorb every ounce of pain emanating from her.

“I was so selfish, and now he’s in danger because of me! He shouldn’t have come on the cruise—”

“Hush, Duri. No one could have predicted your ship would crash.”

As I say the words, a knot forms in my stomach. What if the crash wasn’t an accident? If the ISC was behind so many other lifemating pairs on Mai’CuS, then why couldn’t they be the puppet masters behind this debacle?

Logical thought deems the idea ludicrous, but instincts declare it to be true.

And Warrior Elite don’t ignore the instincts they’ve honed through years on the battlefield.

I glance up and meet Jokur’s eyes, seeing the same thought in his expanded pupils before he turns to the door. Thret ducks through, carrying the human child. The mother takes him and sits near the pile of supplies.

As the rest of the party files into the space, I begin a quiet purr and run my glove through Duri’s hair, wishing I could feel the strands against my flesh. When she relaxes, I check her pulse before requesting another meal packet from Jokur. He tosses one over before parceling out the rest of the supplies.

Commander Ru’en crouches through the entry and taps a disc to the left of the doorway. A grid of red lights appears over the opening, effectively locking us away from the rest of the world.

“Where did you find that?” Thret asks Jokur, pointing to the grid.

“We ran a few circles around a convoy a few miles northeast.”

“What else did you find?”

I listen as my teammates list the items, but I devote most of my attention to the tiny female in my arms. She turns her head away before she consumes a quarter of the packet.

I want her to eat more, but tension pulls her features tight. She refuses to drink.

“What’s wrong, little mama?”

“Nauseous.”

I strengthen my purr.

“How can I help?”

Her hand shifts closer to her pocket, so I sink my fingers into the fabric and pull out the bottle of pills.

Only two remain.

CHAPTER 13

DURI

I grab his wrist, feeling as though I ran a mile through the desert.

I shouldn’t have let myself get so worked up. My outburst stole whatever energy the food should have given me.

“One has to stay in the bottle.”

Pale blue eyes glance my way before he nods and presses the second to last pill against my lips.

“Take this one now. You need it.”

The angst in my chest vibrates from his throat, the thread tying us together frightening in its impact despite not being fully formed. How intense will our bond be once we mark each other?

I yearn to experience everything he can give me—I’ve always wanted a true lifemating bond—but life and circumstances always made my dream seem silly and unreachable. Now, even with him so close, I still can’t join him the way my soul wants.

It isn’t fair.

The pill helps ease my nausea, but as I absorb the nutrients Cahress fed me, a new hunger wakens. My clit pulses and heat builds in my core.

The incessant lust of raging hormones rears its ugly head. During the fight for survival, my organs blocked the desire for stimulation, but now, with the male my soul pleads for so near, the roaring inferno consumes my blood.

Frightening in its intensity, a cramp steals through my abdomen.

Wetness seeps into my skirt.

A whine slips from my throat.

“What’s wrong, little mama?”

“It isn’t enough.”

“Then eat some more—”

His eyes narrow in wariness, the flesh revealed by his mask crinkling with surprise as a nasty sound rumbles from my chest.

“I don’t want food!”

Frustration drips from my lashes as embarrassment grits my teeth together. How can I act so childish, so selfish, when he’s done his best to care for me?

Smooth fabric wipes my tears away as he counters my snarl with a lovely, deep purr of his own. I relax under his hands, the heat of lust lowering to a simmer with the mere brush of his gloved fingers over my face.

Gods, it’s not enough, but it’s more than anyone else has ever given me.

“Hush, sweet omega. Calm down and tell me what you need.”

Incredulity runs through me. I blink my tears away and search what little his mask doesn’t hide of his face. Annoyed at the covering, my words come out harsher than I intend.

“You know what I need better than I do.”

The skin beside his right eye crinkles, indicating another devilish smirk tilts his lips.

“I think I do, but I need to hear you say the words. I won’t cross this line without knowing you understand.”

His hands stop caressing my face and scalp, leaving me bereft and at the mercy of the raging fire. I shake with hunger.

“Touch me, Cahress. Touch every part of me.”

His purr drops to a sinful pitch, eliciting another cramp deep in my abdomen. Slick floods my skirt and fills his lap, and my hips tilt, rubbing my bottom against his alarmingly enormous shaft.

“Your body needs what only I can give it, doesn’t it? It needs my seed. My strength. My domination.”

“Yes, please.”

My whine surprises me During my heat, I couldn’t form words with the protective strap over my mouth, and now, even though I’m not in estrous and people sit nearby, I writhe and plead like a woman gone mad.

“Hang on, Duri. I can’t give you what you need here. Sip some water while I take you someplace safe.”

My fingers close around the hose as he surges to his feet. His lithe grace fills me with the need to worship him. To obey him. To give him everything.

I slip the mouthpiece between my teeth and sip almost absently, distracted by the bunching and flexing of his muscles as he picks his way through the crowded room. Masculine voices converse, but I give them a curled lip as Cahress pauses his purr to respond.

Darkness steals my vision until Cahress snaps a yellow glow stick and sets it on a nearby rock, revealing a space barely big enough for my alpha to fit lying flat on his back. A red glow joins the yellow as he engages a laser grid over the doorway.

How did such a massive male fit through that tiny opening, especially with me in his arms?

He settles me into his lap with his back pressed against the far wall..

Large digits sweep my hair from my face and massage my scalp until all thoughts leak from me. My eyelids lower, blocking my view of mesmerizing pale blue orbs, so I force them upward and lift my hand to touch his chest.

I falter an inch away from his suit, the intimidating harness a stark reminder of my beast’s deadly skills. He leans away and unclips the harness and underlying vest, sliding them off his shoulders and placing them on the floor beside him. Without the bulky material, the skin-tight black fabric of his suit highlights the dips and bulges of his muscles, sending a thrill up my spine and a cramp through my abdomen.

Before I finish my perusal, he delves his fingers into my hair and scrambles my senses. I arch into his touch, so needy I don’t realize he unbuttoned my shirt and released the clip at the front of my bra until the smooth fabric of his glove traces my exposed right breast. The glide of warm cloth as he teases a line down the center of my chest both annoys and enchants me.

His name leaves my lips on a groan.

“I know, little mama, but wait. Listen to me,” he traps my chin between his fingers, leaving my chest cold after his scorching touch, and angles my face to meet his.

“I can’t take my mask off. The moment I scent you, I’ll mark and knot you for days. We aren’t safe enough for that here.”

Impatience and joy war within my veins, his words beautiful and enticing and so very perfect.

“Duri…”

My ribs hurt from the strength of my purr. I want him. Now.

His eyes close as he savors my rumble with a bittersweet expression tightening the flesh between his eyes.

“This will be wild and raw, like I promised. Let go and trust me. I’ll take care of you afterward, I promise.”

With his words lingering in the air, he turns to the tiny pack sitting by his knee and pulls out clothing. He spreads the old but clean shirts and pants on the ground in a hasty bed before lowering me on top. The layers of fabric do little to buffer me from the cold, but at least the sharp edges don’t dig into my spine.

None of it matters as he looms over me, my savior both guarding and terrorizing me in the same instant.

He doesn’t touch me. Doesn’t ease the raging wildfire gaining ground in my nerve endings. Doesn’t offer the comfort of his arms.

Instead, he pinches the tip of his finger and slides his glove off his hand.

Potent alpha pheromones fill my nostrils and hijack my body. Slick gushes from my womanhood as my core contracts and my clit throbs, the amount of wetness more than during estrous. His heady, salty scent fills my mind’s eye with visions of puffy white clouds in a bright blue sky as waves roll through an ocean so expansive it covers the entire horizon. I want to jump into the sea and drown in his depths after soaring through the clouds.

His other glove joins the first, the slap of fabric on stone barely registering above his delectable purr.

My eyes roll to the back of my head as thick, callused fingers cup my breasts and pluck my nipples, both stoking and calming the heat coursing through my veins. He strokes and pinches and tortures my sensitive flesh with strong, skilled digits, wringing needy sounds from between my clenched teeth.

One hand teases the vulnerable column of my throat before he spans his fingers around the base of my skull and caresses my chin with his thumb. His other hand lowers to my round midsection and sweeps his palm around the delicate new life growing within, adoration apparent with every shift of his fingers.

I need to hold on to something before I spiral into madness. My arms lift and I grab, but his suit makes gripping his massive muscles impossible. As his digits slip under the waistband of my skirt, he ducks down and releases my face to yank the top half of his mask off his head.

His scent blasts across my senses, sending another wave of slick onto my thighs, and my hands shoot to the softest hair imaginable. Almost too dense to weave my fingers into, I knead and hum and explore the newly revealed fur atop his head, skimming my digits over his ears and reveling in the catch of his breath.

My waistband loosens and massive digits dip into my panties. I almost succumb to the raging inferno as he cups my sex in his hand and digs his fat middle fingertip through my folds to tease my sopping entrance.

My body gasps and moans as my mind watches in a haze of horror and embarrassment as I orgasm while he removes the failed plug from my channel.

Exhaustion saps my energy, making the high of pleasure morph into a terrifying blob of ink as the abyss returns, threatening to pull me into nothing. My arms flop to my sides and weight presses my lashes over my eyes.

The glorious rumble emanating from Cahress’ chest changes, fury and concern leaking from his heart to mine.

“Shit. Duri, open your mouth.”

Fabric rustles as I drift closer to the well of nothingness, and when my eyelids finally lift, shock jumpstarts my heart.

His cock, thick and long and every shade of blue imaginable, juts inches from my face. The hot, wild scent of him fills my mouth with saliva, but the partially inflated knot at his base and the wicked-looking knobs protruding along the top and bottom of his shaft fill me with fear.

He pries my teeth apart and wraps his fist around his shaft. My mind splinters as a drop of pearly white liquid lands on my tongue.

I could feast on him for days and never tire of his taste. Like power and joy and the salty-sweet ocean of love I sense waiting within his soul. I want more.

Pressure on my scalp prevents me from lifting my head and taking his bright blue tip into my mouth, but he gives me what I desire, even if my instincts balk at being denied. Viscous fluid shoots from his shaft, startling me enough to garnish a squeak from my chest, but basal needs demand I consume what he offers.

I swallow with my mouth open, abhorring the thought of wasting a single drop. When I can’t keep up with his offering, his breathing turns ragged and his hand clamps around the base of his cock.

Life flows through my veins as my stomach warms from his seed, my cells soaking up his essence.

He releases my hair and prowls backward until his shaft rests along my labia. I gulp down the rest of his offering and close my mouth, too terrified for words and yet so ready my flesh sparks where he touches me.

“I want to thrust my hips and feel your slippery, swollen folds on my nodes. I want to take my time and sink into you so slowly you orgasm with each breath. I want to rut you so thoroughly your slick soaks us from head to toe.”

His stillness opens the doors on my lust, flaring the flames into mountainous heights.

“When we’re safe, I’ll do all these things. When you’re ready, I’ll rut you so thoroughly you’ll forget what it was like to ever be apart from me.”

He lifts his hips, fits his cockhead to my opening, and pushes forward with a measured, controlled lowering of his body.

I split in two, my pussy in glorious agony while my brain short circuits. He changes everything I thought I knew about myself, erases every nicety society drilled into my head, and strips away every defense I built around my heart.

His invasion hurts. I stretch and stretch as he mercilessly pushes deeper into my body. I scratch and push and pull, wanting him to stop but needing him more with every passing millisecond.

His knobs mash against sensitive organs, stimulating nerve endings never touched before. Slick erupts from my core, splattering his groin and dripping down his clad legs.

It isn’t fair. I want to see him, need to explore every inch of him, but he still wears the damn suit.

My fingernails scratch along the fabric, but it doesn’t budge. Soft strands fill my fists, a vicious voice emerging from my instincts, and I’m helpless against her demands. Past the dense fur and into the skin beneath, I sink my nails into his scalp and grip his hair as though I’ll die if I lose my prize.

His partially inflated knot mashes against my entrance.

He won’t fit. There’s no way. Little mewls and whimpers bounce off stone, confusing me until I realize they come from my own throat. Melodious and deep, his purr soothes the turmoil in my soul.

Until a savage thrust of his hips buries himself deeper than should be possible.

CHAPTER 14

CAHRESS

Her silent scream satisfies my alpha instincts. With her head tossed back and her hair in disarray, she looks like a fallen goddess.

One I will happily worship for the rest of my life.

She’s too tight. Too wet. Too perfect.

As she comes apart under me, my hands roam her beautiful curves, needing to stroke and adore her. Her round belly presses against me, the tiny life within only adding to her beauty.

I can’t wait to plant my own seed within her womb.

For now, I give her what her body so desperately needs. Once we get to safety, I’ll give her what she needs and more. So much more.

The pulsing of her channel as I begin a slow retreat undoes me. My hips snap forward and my release burns through me so suddenly my head spins.

Lava bursts from my groin and expands my knot before scorching my shaft and shooting from my tip. Locked behind her pubic bone, my knot pulses impossibly bigger. Her tight, wet heat beckons more seed from me, until my spine feels hollow and my ears ring.

I want to give her more, but small sounds of distress pull me back from my mania.

Tears drench her hair and sobs wrack her chest. Fearing the worst, I roll over and cocoon her in my arms.

“Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head against my chest but continues to cry. I grit my teeth and will my orgasms to end while threatening my knot with abstinence should it deflate too soon.

Yeah, knot, if you don’t do your job, I’ll leave you outside of the wondrous grip of her body next time.

Now is not the time to lose my sanity.

“What’s wrong, little mama? Talk to me.”

“Th-thank you.”

The tight band of worry loosens from around my ribs.

“Don’t thank me. You should be in a soft nest with all the comforts an omega can have, not trapped in a cave and on the run.”

“I mean it, though. Thank you, Cahress. No one has ever given me so much.”

I let my awe at her resilience emanate from my heart, hoping she understands just how deeply I adore her.

Her sharp inhale jerks my attention to her face. She studies her hands as though they aren’t her own. I open my mouth to ask her what’s wrong, but she speaks before I do.

“I scratched you and made you bleed.”

When I understand the meaning behind her words, I gather her wrists into my right hand and pin them to my shoulder, forcing her to stretch along my body. The shifting makes my cock jerk and spurt more seed into her.

“Sorry, little mama. We can’t take the chance.”

Her brows pinch in confusion while her bottom lip disappears between her teeth.

“No tasting my blood,” I clarify.

“Oh, I wasn’t—” she stops mid-sentence, replaying the last few seconds in her mind. Her eyes widen as she recalls her fingers inching toward her mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s instinct. How do you feel?”

The blush of passion on her face deepens as embarrassment twists her features. She glances away before returning her attention to my face.

“Stretched.”

I can’t help but purr, her answer laced with satisfaction.

“But also… good. Very good.”

Her tentative answer pulls a chuckle from me, which sends us both to groaning when she bounces around.

“Lay down and rest. I’ll take care of you.”

She shakes her head and answers with a small chuckle of her own.

“I can’t do much else right now, can I?”

Who knew laughter could make a knot harder?

I smile ruefully at her and reach for the little bag. Pulling out a packet of wipes, I clean her dainty fingers, planting a kiss on each one before releasing her wrists.

She settles down on top of me, her arms tucked under her chest to take the pressure off her belly, and falls asleep between one breath and the next.

Satisfaction permeates through my entire being. Even the unfulfilled lifemating bond sings with joy despite the bittersweet ache in my chest.

My bare hands enjoy her curves, their touch light so as not to disturb her slumber. As the minutes stretch into hours, her bone deep weariness eases. Each time my knot threatens to deflate, I shift and reawaken my cock. At first, I use a gentle push of my palm on her hip, but when my toes tingle and head swims from giving so much of myself to her, I grow bolder.

She sighs when I run both hands up and down her back.

Her moan as I sneak my digits between us to play with her soft breasts makes my tip jerk deep within her body. I wedge a hand under her hip and find the semi soft bundle of nerves above her opening, unable to resist teasing it into firmness.

Soft noises emit from her sleepy throat, and I can’t help but let my other hand explore her ass and thighs, briefly wondering where her skirt went before slipping my hand between her legs. Bracketing our joined bodies with my fingers, I groan and pluck at her stretched folds, my hunger rising despite already being as deep within her as possible.

“Duri, wake up.”

She nuzzles against my chest, adorable and enticing. I wish I could rip off my suit and feel her flesh against mine, but I can’t risk being caught by the ISC.

We can’t linger here much longer. At the very least, we must return to the group and figure out what’s next.

She shakes her head when I call her name again, so I add a warning to my purr and draw a wet circle around her clit.

Dazed brown eyes shift up to me, the flush on her cheeks apparent even in the dim lights.

“Hmm?”

Still not fully awake, she scrunches her brows and ekes out a noise of concern.

I draw another circle around her clit. Her choked gasp lifts my lips.

“Come for me, little mama.”

I flick my drenched finger over her erect bundle of nerves and grind my fingers along our joined intimates. She shatters, throwing her head back in bliss as she clamps down on my overstimulated cock.

She’s perfection. The last epic wave of seed leaves me shaking and overwhelmed, searching for strength. For a few moments, we lay without moving, listening to our ragged breathing as we recover from our orgasms.

My knot begins to deflate. I roll over, pushing the clothing under her so she doesn’t touch the cold stone, and snatch two things from the tiny bag of supplies. The first, a sterile packet of absorbent material, I tear open with my teeth before wrapping it around the base of my cock.

After a bit of awkward shuffling, I prop her ass higher than her shoulders, stuffing three pairs of pants under her hips just before my knot pops free from behind her pubic bone.

Using my reflexes, I yank my shaft from her and push the fabric into her channel with my fingers, barely losing any of our mixed essences. Forcing the cotton deeper, but not as far as my knot was, I open the second packet and cover her entire mound with the large pad of waterproof gauze. I lean to the side and snag surgical tape from the bag and seal everything within while touching her flesh the least amount possible.

“Hold this while I find your clothes.”

Her dainty fingers tentatively take the place of my much larger ones. I find her underclothes and consider stuffing them in one of my pockets instead of sliding them onto her body.

She probably doesn’t want to wear them anyway, since they’re full of dried slick.

The scrap of fabric once pressed against her magnificent pussy disappears into my pocket.

Scowling at my own foolishness, but not willing to correct myself, I turn back to the small pack and find clean socks, female underthings, a small shirt, and a pair of pants.

I lift Duri’s ankles one at a time and slip them through the leg holes, fascinated by her dainty feet. She jerks when I smooth a finger over her sole, a strangled sound coming from her throat.

I slide my gaze to her face, intending to gloat over having found a ticklish spot, but her expression stops me. With careful, quick motions, I pull the garment up her legs and into place before doing the same with the pants. I help brace her hips up and push the mound of fabric out from under her before wrapping my arm under her shoulders and lifting her into a seated position.

She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment before blinking rapidly, her breaths shallow and ragged as the red drains from her face.

“I’m sorry. I just got dizzy so suddenly.”

Her shaky voice and wobbling breasts kill me.

“I shouldn’t have left you in that position for so long. The added weight on your spine can’t be good for circulation.”

“I’ve never thought of myself as frail, but around you, I feel delicate. Fragile. Breakable.”

She looks away from my eyes for the first time and blinks, a look of shock crossing her features as her arm raises to shield her naked breasts. I purr and skim my hand over her hip and up her abdomen, enjoying the firm proof of virility and life, before cupping her left breast. Her breath hitches and in a brilliant display of bravery, she lifts her arm and places her palm over my heart.

“But I’ve also never felt so strong or needed. Never felt so… alive. Thank you, Cahress.”

My thumb skims over her firm nipple and I lean forward, desperate to take her mouth with my own. Her eyes widen and lips part, desire shimmering from her gaze.

I curse as my mask prevents me from tasting her. My forehead settles on hers, my breaths sawing in and out of my lungs like fire.

“Don’t thank me yet, Duri. Wait until you’re safe.”

“But I am safe. At least, I feel safe when I’m with you.”

Pride expands my chest, the emotion filling my lungs and expelling on a low rumble.

“You honor me, little mama, but we can’t stay here any longer, no matter how much I want to knot you over and over again.”

She nods, even as worry tightens her brow. I grab the shirt and prepare to slide it over her head, but she stops me and points to the discarded bra.

A snarl sneaks into my purr.

“I hate thinking of your gorgeous breasts being so confined.”

An entrancing blush creeps from her chest to her cheeks.

“No, I need them, Cahress. Especially if I have to run.”

Her pleading eyes and embarrassment sway me. I sigh and help her into the diabolical contraption, pushing her hand away and enjoying one last caress before closing the front clasp. She lets me pull the shirt over her shoulders, shaking her head when the garment that looked so tiny in my hands hangs loose around her. The collar slips, revealing her shoulder, but she tugs it up and fixes the bottom hem. Her bellybutton creates an imprint on the gray fabric, making me want to stroke her belly.

I slip the socks onto her feet, noting the slight swelling in her ankles as I put her shoes on.

A few quick tugs and my cock lays trapped within my suit. Even though I can’t smell her, I don’t clean myself, wanting to keep every bit of her.

She moves to stand, but I sweep her onto my lap, finish donning my gear and the supplies, and surge to my feet as I clip the top half of my mask into place. I stand holding the most precious omega in the known galaxies, nuzzling the top of her head with my chin.

I disengage the laser grid, tuck it into my pocket, and toss a time delay match into the bedding before stalking to the room where my teammates should be.

No laser grid blocks the opening. No sounds come from the pitch-black cave.

I hurry past the eerily empty room and tuck Duri closer to my chest while silently pulling my blade from its holster.

Her muscles tense as she senses my alertness. She knows as well as I do that something’s wrong.

Daylight shines through the cracks in the outer door, but I keep my steady pace and sharpen my senses.

Dread settles into my guts with every step.

CHAPTER 15

DURI

His lithe movements hold an air of expected violence. I don’t want to leave his arms, but how can he protect us if he’s holding me?

“Put me down.”

My whisper barely reaches my own ears, fear making me too cautious to speak any louder.

He stops next to the exit and presses his back to the cave wall as he lowers his covered mouth to my ear.

“No. Press the top button in my right earpiece.”

My fingers shake, but I do what he says with relative ease, holding my breath in fear.

I resign myself to doing anything he says the moment he says it. He truly knows best, and to think I understand anything about this world would be folly.

Silence stretches on until my nerves feel on the verge of snapping. Bright blue orbs meet mine, his expression fierce. When he tilts his head, I reach up and click the same button. He turns and murmurs quietly to me as he stalks back into the darkness.

“They intercepted communication from an unknown convoy, so they moved to a different tunnel. We shouldn’t go out in the daylight, so we’ll bunker down again and wait until—”

He stops mid-sentence and lunges into a sprint. I can’t see anything in the dark, but he runs through the maze of corridors as though evil pursues us.

The hairs stand up on my nape. I strain my ears and hear a distant scuffing of boots, the sound faint as though the person tries to be stealthy.

Thankful for his acute senses, I cling to him as he weaves deeper into the cave system, carrying me away from the sounds of men’s whispers and the quiet rustle of gear against large bodies.

Darting into a tunnel so narrow he has to shuffle sideways down it, he angles me closer to him so I don’t scrape along the wall and whispers words I can’t hear through the pounding of my heart.

Tense minutes pass as he continues deeper into the maze until I’ve lost all sense of direction. When nothing but Cahress’ swift movement fills the air, I force my muscles to relax.

An agonized, furious curse pierces my calm.

“Little mama, listen to me.”

He sets me on my feet. I wobble in confusion and grab onto his arm for balance.

“Run.”

He turns me and presses his front against my back, giving my shoulders a quick squeeze and nuzzling my head before threading the water sack straps onto my arms. He wraps his fingers around my right wrist and places my palm on the wall.

“Stay to the right. Keep going, as fast as you can, but be careful. Don’t trip. Don’t look back. Just run.”

“B-but.”

“Go, Duri. Now.”

I don’t want to. Gods, I hate the strain in his voice, but my feet follow his command. The urgency ringing from his words gives strength to my legs, and after a few steps, my heels strike with a steady yet tentative rhythm.

The darkness keeps me cautious. Unable to see, I hold my left arm straight out in front of me and run my right hand along the wall.

Masculine voices call out, echoing and warping off the stone until I can’t tell if they’re right behind me or miles away. Tears stream down my face as the tape holding the sanitary pad in place comes loose and wetness leaks down my leg.

I stumble through the darkness, terrified of what’s ahead and horrified of what could be behind me. Ice forms in my spine and slowly solidifies my veins until I shiver from the cold and struggle to continue forward.

Shouts give way to screaming. Fighting morphs to gurgles and death. Weapons discharge, blasting thunder through the caves.

I can’t stop stumbling forward. Each step seems to take a millennium. My soul ages as the outcome of the war raging behind me seems unfavorable.

Louder than the boom from the firearms, a masculine roar freezes me in place.

They hurt Cahress. I pivot on my heels, terror urging me to race back the way I came. He needs help. I’m the only one around to give it.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind as a massive, gloved palm clamps down over the entire bottom half of my face.

I lose it. A wild beast takes over my body, flailing and biting and scratching. When my lungs threaten to burst and a fresh wave of fluids runs down my thighs, I scream into the hand covering my mouth and drop into sanity, realizing the futility of my actions.

My arms curl around my abdomen to protect the most precious gift in the universe.

“Hush, tiny female. I’m Choku, Cahress’ teammate. Come with me.”

He pulls me backward, not giving me a chance to refuse. My head shakes and rubs his hand against my face, filling my eyes with tears as the sensation reminds me too much of Cahress’ gloved digits.

He lifts his palm just enough to allow me to whisper.

“No! You must go help him.”

“I will, but not until you’re back with the group. Cahress would kill me if I left you here alone.”

I nod, eager to do anything to get this gigantic male to aid my alpha, seeing how irrational it was for me to turn back toward the fight. He sent me away to protect me. I have zero fighting skills and would only be putting my daughter in danger.

Choku lifts me off my feet and cradles me against his chest. Even though his suit blocks his scent, every cell within my body balks at being held by a strange alpha, but I remain as still as possible so I don’t hinder him.

With my sense of time already skewed, I have no idea how long it takes to find the sun, but I blink away my confusion and try to focus on our surroundings.

The building carved into stone whizzes by too quickly. Orange and pink, the colors of sunrise, fill the sky. I turn and view my protector for the first time. My breath catches in my throat as eyes devoid of pupils and flesh blacker than night peer from a mask identical to my alpha’s. Like tiny specks of light dancing within a void, Choku’s eyes mimic the galaxies.

He banks so quickly I tense, fearful of falling, but his sure strides keep us upright.

It’s taking too long. He needs to get back to Cahress. Now.

He darts around another corner and halts without warning, placing my feet on a patch of sand. My head spins and knees threaten to give out, but he holds onto my shoulders until I have my balance. Gloved digits point to a boulder on the right.

Commander Ru’en steps from behind the covering and nods. When I turn around, no sign of Choku remains.

“Are you hurt?”

I shake my head. Commander Ru’en stalks toward me. I step back but he lifts me into his arms before I protest.

Frigid air emanates from his suit, chilling my flesh.

Wet warmth leaks from my core, and as he carries me away I realize I stood with one arm wrapped under my belly and the other between my legs, trying to hold in Cahress’ essence. I no doubt looked obscene and pathetic.

Too frazzled to worry about this cruel-looking alpha’s perception of me, I keep my hand plastered against the crotch of my pants, desperate to keep every drop of my alpha’s potent seed within me.

His rolling stride carries us around the boulder and up a steep incline. Higher and higher he climbs, traversing the distance with quick, sure footing.

He steps over the ridge of the canyon, revealing a wide expanse of sky and dead earth.

He doesn’t pause, merely powers into the hot wind like a creature possessed.

Off in the distance, tiny figures stumble through the harsh conditions. The closer we get, the more I panic. Only three females struggle over the cracked, dry ground beside Thret and Jokur. Panic tightens my grip, but I calm as I find the missing omegas.

Each alpha carries an omega in their arms and another on their back, with Thret carrying both the mother and boy together against his chest. Those four, the three motivating each other to continue, and myself account for all eight omegas from the original group.

My heart cries for the male who showed me such amazing care, because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t still be alive.

I need for him to be safe. I need him. My child needs him. I tell myself he can’t have been the creature to make such a horrendous, pain-filled sound as I stumbled through the darkness, but no amount of lying changes the knowledge deep in my bones.

Cahress isn’t fine. He’s hurt and in trouble.

All because he tried to protect me.

CHAPTER 16

CAHRESS

Pain sears through my side with every breath, but I fight unconsciousness and focus on the lackeys surrounding me. Blood drips and from my mangled suit, the combination of their knife and high voltage weapons proving more than I bargained for.

They made no more sound than five soldiers. Yet here I stand, surrounded by six dead bodies and a dozen foes hell-bent on subduing me.

I dodge another swing of a stun rod and jab my blade into the connected forearm, twisting the knife and yanking upward to extract my last handheld weapon. Four alphas rush forward, attacking my legs and torso. With a vicious roar, I grab the nearest body part and pull, simultaneously flinging my knife at the asshole to my left.

If they were trying to kill me, I’d be dead. I rushed into their trap, needing to stop their pursuit and give Duri a chance to escape, not expecting so many to be hiding within the larger cavern, and so my current situation is my fault.

My right leg gives out as a baton cracks against the back of my knee, but my fist connects with the idiot who got close enough for me to grab his throat despite my beginning descent.

I earn another long gash along my upper back and a kick to my injured ribs as I punch the male again and again until blood pours from his head. Agony blasts across my senses as they continue assaulting me from all directions.

Three high voltage weapons press into me, frying my senses and singeing every hair follicle on my body. Reality becomes a faint echo of truth, blocked from my brain by death as my heart refuses to beat. All traces of energy flee as though sucked loose by the currents of electricity.

My fractured ribs crack again as brutal hands pump against my sternum, jumpstarting my stalled heart and forcing my mind into the present.

Chains clink around me, pulling so tight my extremities ache from lack of circulation.

I relax, biding my time as I gather my senses, but I take too long. By the time I no longer flicker between awareness and blinding pain, straps hold my cocooned body to a board and four alphas carry me into the light.

They hoist me into a transporter and rap on the wall, signaling to the driver. As the vehicle bumps over rough terrain, a gloved hand rips away my mask and replaces it with their own shoddy version, the filtering system allowing traces of scents into my nostrils. He drops a cloth over my head, blindfolding me.

Agony spears into my chest and back as the craft jolts and accelerates.

I pray my little mama made it to relative safety. I take her absence as a good sign—either I distracted the soldiers well enough for her to find a hiding place or one of my teammates intercepted her.

Minutes become an hour. An hour morphs to two. Blood congeals around the shallow gashes on my upper back, but the piercing pain in my ribs worsens. The line leading from my soul pulses with misery as the distance between myself and my lifemate grows.

The truck enters an enclosed space, the roar of the engine bouncing back louder even as it slows. I suck down a quick breath, waking myself with the slicing pain in my ribs.

My captors lift me from the floor and jump out as soon as the transporter stops.

Familiar scents fill my nostrils, the tangy bite of death and misery the perfume I associate with ISC facilities.

I cannot fear for myself. I will not allow it, yet dread builds behind my sternum.

The board stops bucking under me half a millisecond before I free fall, slamming into a raised platform. My entire body sings in pain, but I squint up through fluorescent lights and snarl at the reflective masks hovering over me as gloved fingers snatch the cloth from my face.

Five personnel scurry about while four guards stand with their hands poised over their weapons. I snarl again as the white clad personnel descend.

A buzzing razor clears a patch of fur from my arm, the shaver struggling to handle my dense undercoat. A needle sinks into my vein and extracts several vials of crimson. I tense, prepared to fight should they try to insert any kind of substance into my bloodstream, but to my surprise, they merely slide the needle free and cover my arm with a bandage before winding a thick collar around my neck. Tiny pinpricks on either side of my jugulars yanks a hiss from me, but the width of the collar prevents me from lifting my head and biting the fingers as they retreat.

A guard grabs the platform near my head and pushes, gliding what must be a gurney into the hall.

The sound of water dripping onto tile enrages me on a purely instinctual level. I vibrate with the need to rampage, but a door bangs open and closed several times before the snick of a lock sounds.

Other males, smelling of blood and fear, shuffle and wheeze like men grappling to hang on to sanity.

A faucet turns on, the rush of water almost drowning out the harsh commands of other ISC enforcers.

Chains clink as a black clad idiot removes the loop nearest my wrists. He snaps black bands around them and snaps a coated rope between them.

A zap of electricity runs from my wrists to my throat and back, tightening every muscle in between.

“Break the connection, and you’ll get a shock four times stronger and it won’t stop until they’re connected again. Got it, freak?”

I glare at him, daring him to release me and find out my response. He scoffs and slaps more bands around my ankles after slicing my boots off my feet and jerking my socks free with hate-filled hands.

An alpha wearing a white hazmat suit steps into the circle of black guards, scans me from head to toe, then turns to the moron near my feet.

“Hurry up and get Subject 852 ready. They’re waiting for him.”

Without waiting for a response, he shifts his reflective mask toward my legs and torso, studying the thick pelt of tan and brown sticking out from my sliced and torn suit.

“Triple the water pressure for Subject 852, otherwise we might not clean through all layers of fur.”

Black gloves descend in unison, following some unspoken cue between my four original captors. They strip me of all chains except a tight band around my chest and thighs, stand me on my feet, cut my clothes from me, hobble my ankles together and add a rope behind my back, creating a completed loop around my torso from my wrists.

Cruel hands push me forward, almost sending me to the floor, but my reflexes save my balance.

A line of alphas stand with their hunched shoulders pressed against the wall. Their bruised and bleeding flesh stands out amidst the all-encompassing white of the room.

A tall, lanky alpha with a massive welt on his left temple jerks his attention to me. I watch as the light brown of his irises, so similar to the rich color of Duri’s, morphs to black as his pupils expand.

His striking features fill with fury so potent my own vision takes on a red tinge.

“You! What did you do?” Sharp white teeth glint as he gnashes them at me, stepping toward me.

“Subject 839, return to position.”

He ignores the command, squaring his naked body with mine.

“You smell of her! I’ll kill you!”

Adrenaline floods my system, making my muscles bulge and senses heighten. As he lunges toward me, I drop my shoulder and jerk my hands to my collar.

Despite his enraged state, he flicks his eyes at the guard beside me in clear communication.

Duri’s scent clinging to me sent him into rampage, but he remembers who the true enemy is.

The rope stretches across my back and snaps as I rip the collar from my throat. A hum sounds as I wrench the bands from my wrists, a jolt of electricity running up my legs before I tear the cuffs off my ankles.

I move just in time to grab the incoming baton, my swiftness yanking it from gloved digits and burying it into the closest alpha’s gut before I swing it upward. Bones shatter as it smacks against his forearm.

Another weapon aims for my head, their patience gone. No longer do they attempt to subdue me—they strike for areas intended to kill.

Violence breaks out, only a few forms remaining huddled against the wall. In the mayhem, I intercept a stun weapon and strong arm the tip into the wielder’s neck, hitting the flesh between his mask and suit. He seizes and keeps on seizing, his digit clamping down and creating a closed circuit.

The last two black clad guards swing at me,. As I dodge and jab my fist upward into my enemy’s groin, a whiff of the sweetest, purest perfume invades my nostrils. My cock hardens so fast my head spins, but I follow through on my punch and pivot on the balls of my feet, sweeping the alpha’s feet out from under him.

He crashes to the ground a few seconds before my last assailant crumples to the floor under the weight of enraged alphas.

Straightening my spine, I ignore the pulsing of my shaft as it juts into the frigid air and assess the situation. Nine ISC personnel lay sprawled on the floor while fifteen alphas, not including myself, stand naked, battered, and so high on bloodlust feral growls bounce off the walls.

An intricate plan won’t work. My training allows me access to logical thought, but these captives lack the cunning of a warrior.

They’ll fight anyway.

I don’t know how deep in the facility we are, but we have the advantage of surprise, so I snarl, drawing all battle-ready eyes to mine.

“Where’s Duri? What did you do to her?” I turn to the tall and thin alpha who began the attack and answer him.

“I helped her. I protected her.”

“She’s safe?”

“No.”

“She’s here?!”

“I fucking hope not. She’s my lifemate.”

Silence as surprise lifts his brows gives me time to continue.

“I’m Cahress. You’re Seung, my omega’s best friend. And we’re all getting out of here. Follow me. Stay together. Collect any weapons you come across. We’ll never have a chance like this again.”

CHAPTER 17

DURI

Commander Ru’en steps into the shade of a decrepit building. With only half a roof and three remaining walls, the ruins provide little relief from the blaring sun and incessant wind, but I welcome the change all the same. My skin feels shriveled and burnt despite my attempts at shielding myself from the sun.

He sets me on my feet for the first time in several hours. My legs, so I shuffle forward and accept Henna’s help in lowering my body down to the sand. We huddle in a tight group as the alphas gather where the fourth wall should be. They speak in voices too low to hear over the howling wind.

We pass the water sacks around in relative silence, too worn out to talk.

My heart aches worse than my body, the steady thumping threatening to shred the stretched link connecting my soul to my alpha’s. My innermost self shrieks and wails over the distance between us. I need and want him by my side.

Sand sticks to my pants, clinging to the last traces of wetness seeping from my core. I take a few sips of water and pass the hose to Henna.

An engine roars closer. I snap my attention to the three alphas standing at the only exit, knowing I don’t have the energy to climb up the steep mound of sand to escape out the window.

Alert but not alarmed, the alphas don’t move.

Uneasy hope sweeps through the group.

Commander Ru’en steps forward and waves the transporter to park in front of the building. He speaks to the driver before stalking back to us.

“Get in. We can’t head straight to base, but there’s supplies to last us a few days in case we can’t shake the ISC scouts.”

Henna struggles to her feet and speaks, her voice shaky with exhaustion and fear.

“They’re still following us?”

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have risked putting out an emergency beacon so soon. Get everyone in the cargo bay. Now.”

His snarl motivates everyone to jump to their feet, but I rise to my knees and fight a wave of dizziness. Everything hurts. Nothing makes sense.

The sky, so painfully bright, flickers between the yellow of the sun and the white of fluorescent bulbs. My ears send me the howling wind, but my chest constricts with the sound of violence.

A thrill of victory runs up my spine, pulling my eyebrows together in confusion. Henna leans to help me up, but I turn my gaze to Commander Ru’en.

Whatever he sees in my expression ratchets him to full alertness.

“What is it, omega?”

“Something changed. Cahress…”

Frigid hands lift me from the ground and carry me into the transporter. He sets me on the bench and crouches in front of me.

“Did he mark you? Did you mark him?”

For once, his white pupils and black irises don’t frighten me. The savage and gleeful emotions exploding through my chest don’t belong to me, but I experience them as my own.

“No, but I feel him. He’s fighting. He’s winning.”

The world around me fractures and mends itself. A tiny limb flutters against my ribs. Certainty fills me.

I can help him this time. I can find him.

“That way. He’s that way.”

With my eyes closed and one hand resting on my belly, I extend my other arm and point where instincts demand I go.

Commander Ru’en doesn’t ask questions, merely curses under his breath and bangs on the tiny window between of the cab. The glass slides open as the vehicle begins moving.

“New intel. We’re going that way. Standby for updates.”

I open my eyes to find him turning toward me, one hand up to his ear as he speaks into his communicator.

“Request all nearby units to my beacon. Possible new ISC facility located. One Warrior Elite inside. Status unknown.”

His last two words ring ominously through the cramped space, but my heart declares them as false.

I know Cahress’ status. He’s deep in the throes of rampage, reveling in the pain he doles out and triumphant in his violence.

Sand plumes behind the vehicle as the engine whines. I point when the direction changes, clueless to everything except the urge to find the male who stole the better part of my soul. A masculine voice says something in a commanding tone, but I can’t force my mind to single out the individual words, so I ignore it.

Gentle hands, much too small to be an alpha’s, touch my shoulder and glide across my front, buckling me into the seat.

The terrain becomes so rough the back of my skull cracks against the wall twice before the driver slows down. I mentally urge him to move faster, but my battered body prefers the smoother ride.

When the driver weaves this way and that, I look out the back opening and see mountains stretching along our left flank, forcing him to dodge boulders too big to drive over.

A vicious tug on the link prompts my finger to shift deeper into the mountain range. Commander Ru’en shouts. The vehicle changes course.

Every cell in my body vibrates. The delicate life in my womb jerks and flips. Eagerness has me sitting forward, pressing the seatbelt harder against my sternum.

The transporter swings around a sharp corner so fast the rear tires skid.

A masculine voice yells from the rooftop before Thret drops down to stand on the tailgate, one hand grasping the lip of the roof as he pulls a weapon from his belt.

“We’re too close. Jokur and I will—”

The female in the passenger seat shouts alarm making her sound angry.

The vehicle screeches to a halt. I train my focus on the tiny window at the front, trying to see what made them stop. Light shines onto the side of my face as Thret jumps and disappears around the side of the vehicle.

Gears grind as the driver shifts to reverse and mashes the gas. He turns the wheel so sharply my seatbelt digs into my skin. I wedge my thumbs under the lap belt, easing the tension from my protruding belly.

A loud pop yanks my attention to the rear, and I glimpse a large, round metal door sunk into the side of the mountain. As it swings outward, Commander Ru’en steps into my line of sight.

He’s there. Right there, within sight, if the behemoth would move his butt out of my way.

My weight shifts again as the vehicle lurches to a stop, the driver shifting into drive and stomping on the gas as quickly as possible. Commander Ru’en grabs the roof, opening a sliver of space between his side and the wall. I lean, desperate to see what’s beyond.

Naked flesh shines in the bright light of the sun, a group of alphas emerging from a smoke-filled tunnel. Front and center, Cahress stalks toward us, so close I can see his blown pupils. With big round eyes, small round ears, and a triangular nose, the thick golden mustache and beard framing his mouth accentuate his full, sensual lips. My eyes follow the line of his long, thick neck and my mouth waters at the exposed flesh of his chest and the trail of hairless skin arrowing down his abdominals.

Bigger than any creature has a right to be, his wide shoulders, tapered torso, and thick legs sport more muscles than should be possible. A thick undercoat of sandy brown fur peaks out from a darker shade of brown along his limbs. I blink as golden strands hidden within the layered coat reflect the sunlight back at me.

I want to sink my fingers into his fur and feel his hard muscles under my touch.

Jutting from his groin, his turgid cock bobs with every step, stealing my breath and flooding me with yearning.

He’s mesmerizing.

And needy.

I want to sate his needs, just like how he sated mine.

The vehicle speeds up. His expression darkens as his nostrils flare and his eyes narrow to mine.

His lips move. I can’t hear him above the roar of the engine, but I feel his singular word deep in my bones.

Mine.

Yes. Yes, I’m his. My hands move on their own, releasing my seatbelt. I grab the edge of the seat and shift my weight to stand.

“No.”

Commander Ru’en’s heavy hand lands on my shoulder, pushing me back against the bench.

Cahress’ roar pierces my eardrums. His fury infects my chest, adding to my own frustration.

“Let me go!”

“No.”

I slap his forearm, but he doesn’t budge.

“Let me go!”

I hardly recognize my own voice, the vehemence and madness twisting my vocal cords until I sound unhinged.

“If I do, he’ll knot you right there on the rocks. Do you think you’ll survive? Because it won’t just be him interested in your scent.”

His words pour ice water down my spine. I bite back a cry and fumble through the motions of buckling myself back in. By the time I raise my gaze above the tailgate, tears stream down my face.

Intense yearning and simmering lust swirl through my body, but I grip my seatbelt in my fists and grit my teeth, hating what I must do.

Cahress runs barefoot after us, his stormy expression a direct reflection of the pain in my heart. Knowing he won’t hear me, I mouth the words my soul chants.

I love you.

The vehicle swings around the sharp curve and speeds up, blocking my view of my alpha.

As Cahress powers through the corner, a dark shape leaps from above and lands directly on him, but instead of crumpling to the ground, he grapples with the figure. Another joins in, sliding around the corner and lunging at my lifemate.

I reach for my buckle again, but Commander Ru’en growls a warning just as I recognize the shapes as Thret and Jokur.

My adrenaline drains from me, but the transporter jolts so violently I lean forwardso I don’t knock my head against the wall again.

I try to console myself by closing my eyes and focusing on the connection between myself and Cahress but find too much turmoil in the link. Blinking at my lap, I soothe myself by drawing slow circles over my rounded belly, leaving one hand tight on the seatbelt to prevent it from pinching my waist.

The agitation behind my sternum eases with each breath, as though my lifemate seeks confirmation of my wellness and feeds off the serenity I find in the delicate life occupying my womb.

I sink into peace, noticing the hollow feeling in my bones for the first time since Choku carried me from the cave. A disconcerting emptiness gnaws at my insides, like a hungry beast who tasted the sweet nectar of life but was denied enough sustenance to last them until their next meal.

No, I can wait. If what Cahress gave me was only a slice of what he can offer me and my babe, then I’ll eagerly wait for another round of rutting. I relax my neck, wincing when my sore head bumps against the wall, and focus on projecting my newfound fortitude to my alpha.

I have support and supplies. He’s out in the wilderness, naked, feral, and injured. If he has any chance of survival, he needs his logical mind to work, so I pour my attention into calming us down.

It works too well. I fall asleep before I finish my next breath.

Dreams of a massive, burly alpha with pale blue eyes and a devilish smirk invade my slumber, and I relish every moment he teases me.

CHAPTER 18

CAHRESS

I wait for another blow, but it doesn’t come. With my limbs pinned down and a heavy-as-hell alpha sitting on my stomach, I wait for my next opportunity to fight.

We didn’t break free just to be captured and dragged back into the pit of hell.

My fellow naked alphas fall silent, their snarls ceasing when Choku makes his presence known. As his figure distorts and returns to his singular form, my rage abates enough for me to recognize Thret and his bony plates pinning me to the sharp rocks, my pelt preventing me from turning into a pincushion.

“Get off me.”

“I see you finally woke up. Anything in there, hothead?” Thret raps his knuckles against the top of my skull. My small round ears flatten against my head.

“Damn, not even going to ask me if I’m okay? How about a kiss, since you’ve already mounted me?”

Thret’s expression darkens, and he smacks my skull again, the swing buffered by my short, dense hair. He rises to his feet and glares at me as he moves to my left side, opposite Jokur.

Several silent seconds tick by.

“Are we done with the glamour contest? We need to move,” Choku rumbles.

I sit up, noting my injuries. Sore muscles, bruises, and a few abrasions, but nothing serious. Even the sense of exhaustion caused by being electrocuted fades under the peace flowing through my soul.

“I’m going after that transporter.”

“No, you aren’t,” Thret quips.

I stand and bare my teeth at him, rolling my shoulders and preparing for a fight.

“Quit thinking with your cock and let some blood flow to your brain. They stopped you for a reason.”

Choku speaks as he walks toward me, the naked alphas creating a path for him. He hands a sleeve of No Smells to the nearest male mid-stride, never breaking eye contact with me.

“She’s in a vehicle full of omegas. You’re in a pack of naked, feral alphas. Get your shit together, jackass.”

What would’ve happened hits me in the gut so hard I struggle to breathe. When I finally suck in oxygen, beautiful, enticing pheromones fill my nostrils.

I lunge.

Choku accepts my first punch, but catches my follow up swing.

“You smell of her!”

My snarl cuts through the howling wind and hurts my throat with its ferocity.

“I do. I carried her from the cave.”

This close to him, another distinct smell assaults my senses: salty tears mingle within the mixture of sweat, slick, and seed.

“Fuck, the plug didn’t work, did it?”

Choku drops my hand and shakes his head.

Curses flow from my mouth and I bury my fingers in my hair and pull, needing the pain to prevent myself from flying into another rampage.

How can she offer me such serenity when she’s in so much trouble?

She’s at the end of her strength, despite my attempt to give her what her babe needs. Even after I knotted her in the cave, her stamina wasn’t what it should be for an omega with child, the travel and harsh conditions too much.

She depended on that plug working. Failure means her offspring turning to its only source of nutrition—her.

“You’re talking about Duri, aren’t you? Where is she?”

Seung’s voice breaks through my downward spiral. I straighten and meet his gaze.

“In the transport we saw a few moments ago.”

His eyes widen and his feet subconsciously move toward the last place we saw the vehicle.

He opens his mouth, his features twisted in fury and fear, but Jokur interrupts with a sigh.

“Are we just going to stand out here in broad daylight, dicks literally swinging, until company shows up? C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

After a calming breath, Seung nods, indicating his intent to continue our conversation later.

I accept a No Smell from Choku, peeling the paper backing off and slapping the white under my nose. My thick mustache and thicker whiskers make it brush across my nostrils, but it does its job well enough—the tempting scent of feminine juices dissipates from my senses.

Thret leads the way into the mountains.

About an hour later, we reach the end of the canyon. On a path a few stories higher than the valley floor, we wander through an unforgiving landscape.

The sound of an engine teases my senses for over an hour before Thret weaves us deeper into the mountain range. A vehicle slows to a roll about ten feet below our narrow ledge, the engine dropping to a hum as the driver shifts to neutral.

Thret jumps and lands on the roof with ease before motioning for Seung to follow.

One by one, each alpha streaks through the air, loose hair streaming and bare limbs flailing. When only myself, Jokur, and Choku remain on the ledge, I hop down, stride to the back, and swing into the cargo bay.

I pull on a pair of shorts and leave the shirt for someone who doesn’t have layers of fur to protect themI settle on the bench and hold in my unhappy grumbles as each bump in the terrain taps my head on the roof.

Hours pass in silence as exhaustion and adrenaline drop plague the newly freed alphas.

All the while, a profound peace flows through my soul, wicking away my discomforts and filling me with joy. I replay the last few moments before the transporter sped off, taking my little mama with it.

Her rich brown eyes shimmered with tears and her lips formed a phrase I never thought I’d hear from a female other than my mother and sisters.

I love you.

I trace the letters in my mind and echo them back to her, expecting a change in the link between us, but the stream of tranquility continues to flow into me. I take and take until I overflow, soaking up every bit of her I can.

When I push the excess toward her, it ricochets back into my chest, unable to work against the current she aims at me.

A wriggling mass of fear turns my gaze to Seung, instinctually searching for someone who could potentially reach her.

His head lifts and bleary brown orbs dart to mine.

“What?”

“Can you feel her?”

He shakes his head. My words emerge rough and full of emotions I can’t name.

“She has to stop. She’s giving too much.”

“What do you mean?”

I dig my fingernails into the skin over my heart. His tilted eyes widen as the motion conveys more than any words ever could.

“We need to hurry,” he says, shooting to his feet and stumbling to the tailgate. I sit clutching my chest, focusing my attention on the incomplete bond, stretching and reaching, trying to break through the flood of feminine peace as Seung calls to my teammates.

I lose track of time, fear taking root in my swamped soul as the waves of love pouring from my omega ebb.

The tailgate bangs open.

“Where is she?” I snarl at the first creature unfortunate enough to cross my path. Director Icarr, as composed as ever, meets my.

“She’s waiting for you, but you have to get cleared first.”

Impatience yanks a growl from my chest.

“Don’t argue. Get checked, for her safety,” Commander Ru’en says, stepping around the vehicle.

I ignore him, turning my focus back on the small beta woman.

“Start. Now.”

With a nod, she turns and motions for me to follow her, leading me into the tent.

As she takes my vitals and hooks me up to machines, I try to keep my calm.

“How is she?”

Concern ghosts across her features, but she doesn’t pause in her task.

“She was almost catatonic when she arrived, but we gave her fluids, vitamins, and calories intravenously and she perked up.”

“Where is she now?”

“I’ll take you to her as soon as I’m done.”

“Where is she?”

“In a couples tent on the other side of the hill. It’s fully stocked, so you’ll have everything you need for the next few days.”

“Does it have proper nesting materials?”

The slightest hesitation as she removes the blood pressure cuff from my arm has every muscle in my body tensing.

“Yes, but she refuses to build a nest. Or shower. Or eat.”

I snarl, rip the needle out of her hand, and drop it onto the counter.

“Take me to her. Now.”

Director Icarr studies me for a moment, checking the machines and weighing her options.

She nods and walks out of the tent.

I follow tight on her heels.

CHAPTER 19

DURI

I don’t know where the blanket came from, but I don’t have the will to tuck it tighter around me. The room seems colder than before, but I don’t care. Only one thing matters.

He’s still alive. Still on his way. Still needs my help.

Everything will be fine once he gets here. He has everything me and my daughter need to survive.

I dig deeper into my happiness and send it through the bond, pushing away my frustration when the act proves difficult.

He doesn’t need my woes. He needs my peace and assurance.

A zipper grinds open, but my muscles refuse to move to see who’s in the doorway. After a slow blink, I close my eyes again and force more of myself into the bond.

Warm arms scoop me and cradle me against a muscular chest. Dark, rich pheromones fill my nostrils, salt and musk and oceanic wilderness, blasting life into my senses.

Every cell within my body buzzes with yearning and delight, his scent a feast for my olfactory system.

“Hush, little mama. I’m here.”

When did I start crying? Why am I crying?

Why won’t my arm lift to touch his handsome face?

The world shifts and water patters against a hard surface seconds before he sets me in his lap.

“It’s okay, Duri. We’re safe. Let me take care of you.”

I nod, rubbing my face against his chest. My teeth ache, wanting to sink into his flesh, but I don’t have the energy to fulfill even that wish. Gentle fingers tilt my chin and press a bottle against my mouth. I sip the liquid, surprised to find it slightly sweet and yet bitter.

His purr turns me into a puddle of goo. I have no defenses against him, nor do I wish to build any.

We need him, both myself and my babe. She jerks and thumps my internal organs, almost as though she leaps in joy at his presence.

When my stomach tightens, I turn my face back into his chest. He presses a morsel of food against my lips. I take it, saliva instantly flooding my mouth at the intense flavor of jerky.

Cahress drops his chin to my head and encompasses me in his strong arms.

“You’re killing me with that dainty purr of yours. I want to knot you, right here, right now.”

Gods, I want that too. Slick pools in my pants.

I tilt my head and meet bright white-blue eyes.

“Please?”

Gentle digits strip me of my shirt and bra.

“Soon, little mama.”

Lust shines from his eyes, but his pupils don’t dilate. Memory serves me the vision of him naked and feral, his irises swallowed up by his pupils.

When I open my mouth to respond, he pops another bite into it and weaves his fingers into my hair. Cradling my scalp like I’m the most precious thing in the universe, his other hand caresses my shoulder and slides down my arm, bypassing my throbbing breasts and joining my hand as it rests against my lower abdomen.

The moment his palm settles on my burgeoning womb, the life within bops against him.

Every ounce of peace and joy I sent him rises into the invisible cocoon of intimacy surrounding us. Awe and delight morphs his otherworldly features, his ears perking and whiskers lifting as a smile reveals straight, white, sharp teeth. My focus catches on the strip of fabric under his nose, but he speaks before I can ask him what it is.

“She’s so tiny.”

I blink up at him in surprise.

“I… I haven’t told anyone the gender. How do you know?”

He tilts his head.

“Hmm. Instincts, maybe?”

“You’ve already bonded with her, haven’t you?”

“Yes. She’s mine, just as you are.”

My heart melts.

He shoves another strip of jerky into my mouth and unbuckles my pants. An odd sound shoots from my chest when he sets me on my feet. I almost choke on my food as my furious growl pierces my ears.

He smirks as he slides my trousers off. Without preamble, he peels the failed feminine pad from my womanhood, shucks his own shorts off, and picks me up again as though I weigh nothing. Before I finish chewing the jerky, he steps into the shower and closes the stall door.

Warm water cascades over .

Cahress sits, propping me over his crossed legs. His turgid length presses against my bottom, tempting me to reach down and inspect the knobs protruding from his shaft.

He gathers my hands in one of his and holds them over my head.

“No, Duri. I’ll lose control if you touch me.”

He teases my front, flicking my nipples and hefting my breasts before exploring the stretched flesh of my stomach. When he continues lower, heat throbs in my core and slick seeps from my folds.

Agitation grows behind my sternum as the soap cycle masks his delicious pheromones.

His purr strengthens, whisking away all frustration.

Lust coils deep in my abdomen when he parts my knees and glides his massive palm up my inner thigh. Need shakes my legs and turns my breathing ragged.

He teases where my thighs meet my torso, avoiding my needy womanhood, but so tantalizingly close I feel myself swell and ripen.

“Take out the plug, Duri. If I touch you there, I won’t stop.”

A new voice of evil cackles in my mind, my omega self enjoying her power over him, but embarrassment heats my cheeks.

“Close your eyes?”

He nods and leans over, tucking his face in my wet locks. Although the position is weird, I reach down and extract the cotton, my breaths ragged as my insides flutter at the stimulation.

“Where do I…?”

“Corner. I’ll put it in the trash later.”

I nod and toss it into the far corner.

“Done?”

I nod again, mostly mortified despite my body begging for our joining.

He straightens and resumes teasing me under the guise of washing me. When he doesn’t restrain my hands, I lay a tentative palm on his chest.

The shower moves to the rinse cycle. Heat swirls both within the enclosed space and within my veins, one soothing while the other consumes.

When the water turns off, my alpha rises to his feet with me in his arms, aweing me with his strength. The dry cycle blasts hot air over our flesh, but I shiver in need.

So caught up in the view of his thick beard and strong neck I don’t realize he crossed the room, I blink in confusion when he sits me on the bed.

“Make a nest, Duri.”

. I study Cahress’ pale blue eyes and facial hair, angry to have so much distance between us.

“What is that?” I point to the fabric clinging to his whiskers.

“It blocks pheromones.”

“Take it off. Please?”

His brows scrunch. He trails a thumb over my bruised cheek.”

“Still such a polite little omega. I’ll take it off after you make us a proper nest.”

My core throbs.

“I want you more than I want a nest. I need you, Cahress.”

He fills his lungs so full his chest expands.

“The things I want to do to you… make a nest, so we can properly enjoy one another.”

My lips part to ask him to knot me right now, but he drapes a blanket over my shoulders.

A need so profound my bones ache sweeps through me. He pulls another blanket into my lap.

“Nest. Now.”

. I crawl onto the bed and sink my hands into the stack of materials, creating havoc where order once stood. I rub each blanket against my cheek, checking the scent and rating the softness.

I sort them into three piles according to their ranking and hug each pillow, infusing my pheromones into the material and testing the fullness of the stuffing.

My spine aches from the extra weight of my midsection as I crawl around on the bed, but the intermittent thumping of knees and elbows against my ribs makes it worth it, and when the pillows create a ring of comfort, I sit back on my heels and rest my stomach on my thighs for a moment.

Unable to leave my nest incomplete, I set to work, creating a jumble of pillows and blankets higher on one side than the other and spreading the softest quilt overtop it. Plopping my rear in the center, I pull the thinnest sheet over my head and settle back into the mound of blankets, wiggling and shifting the materials underneath me until it fits the shape of my body.

Cocooned in cloth and propped up so my weight remains on my tailbone instead of my spine, I sigh in pleasure and tuck the left side of the sheet under the outside of the nest before peeling open the right side.

Pushing up into a sitting position, I wrap my hand around the thickest forearm I’ve ever seen, enjoying the softness of his fur as I pull him over me. Mirth and lust play over his expression as I position him where I want him and pull the sheet over us. Our bodies brush as I finish closing our nest, twisting as best as my swollen abdomen will allow and tucking the ends of the fabric under the outside of my perch, each teasing glide of flesh and fur fueling the fire in my veins.

My legs wrap around the outside of his thighs as I fill my hands with the soft pelt over his shoulders. Between the lust thumping through me and the embarrassment at my bold actions, my cheeks flame hotter than ever before.

“Fucking hell, you’re perfection.”

Woven within his resonant purr, I almost miss the reverent words as he lowers his head. Before his lips touch mine, I reach for the white fabric under his nose.

He grabs my wrist and presses it into the nest beside my head.

“Not yet, little mama. Your first kiss should be sweet and sensual.”

And with that, he closes the distance between our mouths, brushing his surprisingly soft lips along mine and tickling my face with his whiskers and beard, before stealing my breath with the slow sweep of his tongue. My teeth part on a gasp, giving him access to my depths, and he explores with such gentle demand I offer him more and more until I want nothing else but to kiss him forever.

He tilts his hips, nestling the underside of his shaft within my slick drenched labia. With a gentle thrust, he weaves a cocoon of lust around my entire body, the intimate dance of our tongues emphasizing the glide of his cock along my folds.

The smooth flesh of his cockhead slips over my stiff clit, the sensation breathtaking. He takes advantage, nipping my bottom lip and diving deeper into my mouth.

His nodes scrape through my entire slit, teasing my entrance and pushing me perilously close to orgasm. My legs jerk and back arches as I gasp in response to the zing of pleasure racing up my spine.

He ends his thrust centimeters before his first nodule mashes my clit. A whine leaks from my throat. He swallows it with a heady hum, drowning me in his deep vibration as his shaft runs the opposite direction through my folds.

He sweeps his tongue along mine and drives his hips forward. Streaks of beautiful agony shoot into my abdomen as his cock’s protrusions grind over my clit, catapulting me into a soul shattering orgasm. Before I recover, he fits the tip of his cock to my opening, his purr dropping an octave as my slick coats his cock.

The stretch as he pushes his tip into me hurts so good, I sob into his mouth, losing my senses as another orgasm steals through me.

He continues his slow, sensual assault until my lungs ache and my head spins from lack of air. I strain to accept each nodule, the matching top and bottom pairs grinding against erogenous zones I never imagined existed.

By the time he fully seats himself, nothing remains outside of this moment. Nothing matters more than being joined with him in all ways possible.

When he lifts his head and nips my bottom lip, I rip the strip of fabric off his whiskers and sink my teeth into his neck, closer to his chin than his shoulder. My taste buds explode with his metallic, wild flavor and my muscles convulse through another release, causing slick to burst from between our joined body. With lewd sounds echoing in my ears, I suffer a splendid rending of my heart, half of the theoretical organ leaving my chest to settle within his. Our bond widens, growing in both strength and light.

For a moment, time stands still.

Thick fingers weave into my hair and yank my face away from his throat while his massive cock pistons in and out of my body. Amidst squeals and squelching, his growl arrows through my senses and his teeth pierce my shoulder, completing the excruciating bliss as our hearts fully merge.

His knot expands, reorganizing my insides, torturing my G-spot with intense pressure. I shatter yet again, clamping down on his intrusion as his shaft jerks and fulfills my womb’s hunger, our bodies locked together, preventing his seed from escaping.

Utterly worn out and completely content, I float in the waves of Cahress’ peaceful ocean, lending my own pleased purring into the song of our joining.

Hidden in my nest and safe with my alpha, I slip into slumber with a smile on my face and a hand on my belly.

CHAPTER 20

CAHRESS

Extracting my teeth from her shoulder, I lick up the mess and trace my finger around the wound. I should have been gentler, taken greater care with her, but her responsiveness stripped away my control. She turned me into an animalistic beast ruled by need and instinct.

I can’t find it in me to regret how we came together. Every moment, every sound she made, every touch was perfect. She’s mine.

My arms shake from holding myself up and my jaw aches from gritting my teeth in rapture. She shifts in her sleep, coaxing another wave of euphoria from my tip as her insides squeeze my knot.

I nuzzle the top of her head, intrigued by our size difference despite the discomfort in my spine from bending to reach her. After filling my lungs with her sweet perfume, I strengthen my purr and slide my arm under her shoulders, praying I don’t disturb her sleep. The exhaustion emanating from her won’t go away so easily.

I look forward to pampering her and ushering her to full health. I want to show her how much I love and cherish her.

She sighs when I move her leg so I don’t crush it when I roll. The top sheet of our nest causes tiny zaps of static electricity as my fur rubs against it, but I don’t feel it through my dense undercoat. Holding her close, I settle onto my side and gather the bottom layers of nest against my lifemate’s back, propping her on her side. She sighs again and snuggles closer, her left forearm wedging between her breasts, making them pillow against my ribs in the most enticing way. Her rounded belly presses against my stomach, occasionally jerking as the life within tumbles about.

Even those tiny movements vibrate through my squished shaft, pulling another release from my balls.

For hours, I lay in mesmerized awe, wondering how in the hell I got so lucky. Wanting to remember every second of our first joining as marked lifemates, I fight my exhaustion until my eyelids slide closed. I drift into a sleep deeper than any I’ve had in years.

“Cahress?”

Duri’s throaty yet hesitant inquiry jerks me awake. I check her expression and run my hands over every reachable inch of her, needing to confirm she’s alright. My knot surges back to full engorgement, the slow deflation ending as the movements highlight the tight, hot grip her body has on mine.

Finished with my inspection, I drop my head back to the pillow and hum an ascending note in response to her question.

“It hurts.”

Her words pop the bubble of my satiated stupor.

“What hurts?”

“I… I need to…” her face turns so deep a red the bruise on her cheek almost disappears in the blush. What could she possibly be embarrassed about when I’m seated so firmly inside her?

Oh.

“You need the relief port?”

She nods and tucks her face against my chest.

“It’s okay, Duri. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll take care of you.”

Her balled fists and tight muscles relay how much she’s straining to accept my offering.

Gritting my teeth and forcing a soothing purr from my chest, I reach down between us and pinch the flesh connecting my balls to my groin. White-hot streaks of agony shoot into my torso and down my legs, but I squeeze harder until my knot softens.

I mask my pain by offering her comfort. She aims wide eyes at me, confusion and shock alternating through her expression.

Just before my knot slips free, I push her onto her back. With an almost audible pop, it deflates. I yank my shaft free and swoop down her body.

Led by a need too fierce to deny, I press her legs down on either side of her belly and lap at her gushing pussy, curling my tongue and growling in delight. My right hand leaves her knee and cups the excess in my palm and ferries it to her lips.

Wide eyes meet mine, nothing but black pupils showing as she swallows our mixed essences. As the flow ebbs to a trickle, I tell myself to stop licking her, but she tastes so sweet my tongue refuses to stop.

Feminine fingers grab fistfuls of my hair and tug. I growl and consume the resulting slick.

Her whine only increases my enthusiasm. She tenses and wraps her unattended leg over my shoulder. I snarl in victory as she pulses in release, her squirming giving way to a full body convulsion.

Still panting and flushed, she grabs my shoulders, pushing me away but holding my fur in her fists.

Panic fills her features, so I scoop her up and rise, ruining our nest. Two seconds later, I set her in front of the relief port, ensuring she has her balance before I release her.

“Be quick. I don’t have the patience to keep my hands off you for very long.”

She nods and glances over her shoulder at me. Understanding her blush, I turn and busy myself with gathering food and water. When the port snaps back into place, I wrap my arms around her from behind and span my hands over the bottom of her belly.

“Better?”

She nods but doesn’t speak. I turn her around and lose the ability to speak.

Too gorgeous for words, her tussled hair and pink skin calls for me to gather her close, but her pale blue eyes steal my breath.

Her irises shine with the same luminescence as mine, displaying just how concrete and profound our lifemating bond runs.

Capturing her lips in a heated kiss, I tilt her head and pour my joy into the joining of our mouths. When I lift my head, her pupils threaten to swallow the sparkling blue of her irises.

“Gods, you are perfection.”

Her brows crease despite the lifting of her lips. I sidestep and rotate her toward the mirror. Her gasp of surprise fills me with the need to comfort her, so my hands roam over her naked flesh.

“How?”

“You’ve never seen a lifemated pair?”

“I… I suppose not. Is this normal?”

Every little nuance of the censorship her society forced on her flits through my memory—her first heat, her embarrassment over anything remotely sexual, and her best friends’ plight—surges through me and fills me with hatred.

Her pupils shrink and face goes pale.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

If I could cut out my own larynx to punish myself for scaring her, I would, but I’d ruin any chance of a happy future with her.

I soften my growl and rest my chin on the top of her head, rubbing the goosebumps from her arms.

“I’m not mad at you, little mama. I’m sorry I got carried away.”

After a moment of searching my reflection, she nods and rests her hand over mine.

“Okay, but why are you mad?”

“Because you deserve so much better than what life has thrown at you. From now on, I plan to be by your side, giving you everything an omega could ever dream of having.”

Her lips lift in an off-centered smile, tears gleaming in her beautiful blue eyes.

“You already have, Cahress.”

I pick her up and cradle her to my chest before stalking back to the bed.

“Not yet. There’s still so much I want to do to you.”

Her scent thickens with .

“Fix our nest, so I can ravage you the way you deserve.”

A tear slips down her face. I wipe it away with my thumb.

“I love you, Cahress.”

I bend down and press my forehead to hers, opening the bond between us and offering her all the honesty I possess.

“And I love you, Duri. Forever.”

Our lips join, soft first, but I deepen the kiss as her luscious scent overrides my senses. I pour my love into her mouth, relaying the depths of my devotion.

I force myself to back away. A whine leaks from her throat before she clamps a hand over her mouth, her eyes blinking at me in mortification. Wrapping my digits around her dainty wrist, I pull her hand away.

“Don’t hide from me. I love how you respond.”

She searches my expression before surprising me with an almost sly smile.

“I know. It’s just hard to not be surprised by my own responses. I always dreamed there was more to life than marrying for status, but I never imagined it would be this…”

After struggling a few seconds, she shakes her head and reaches up to hook a hand behind my neck.

“I never actually believed I could have a happily ever after, but I think I’ve found it. With you.”

She initiates a kiss for the first time, bringing me to my literal knees with the utter raw, sweet sensuality only she possesses. When she pulls away, I let her, only so I don’t drag her to the floor and rut her with the raging greed of an alpha beast.

“Fix the nest before I knot you on the floor.”

Her breathing quickens, the beautiful pink of her nipples darkening as the peaks harden.

“You can do that?”

I chuckle.

“Little mama, I could rut you anywhere. In fact, I plan to, when you’re back at top health. Right now, though, you need the comfort of your nest.”

She dips her chin, trying to hide the smile playing on her lips, and begins fixing the nest. As she works, I feed her, risking the fury of interrupting a pregnant omega as she builds her sacred refuge, needing to ensure she’s well cared for.

By the time she finishes primping, kneading, and fluffing, she’s eaten half a meal. When she pulls me into her nest and pushes me onto my back, I wait until she settles against me, enjoying her sigh of satisfaction, before reaching out and dragging the water sack closer. She accepts the hose and sips with lackluster interest until I take it away.

“Cahress?”

Yet again, she flays me with her tentative innocence.

“Yes, Duri?”

“How can I feel so content and scared at the same time?”

She’s right. Fear wafts from her, an almost abstract cloud of worry emanating from deep within her soul.

“Why are you scared?”

“What if we never find Seung?”

Self-loathing tightens my guts.

“Shit, I didn’t realize you thought… Duri, he was in the group of alphas who fought free with me.”

Her entire body stiffens.

CHAPTER 21

DURI

Wait, what? Seung was within sight, and I didn’t even notice?

Heat creeps up my neck as I remember the reason why: Cahress in all his naked glory, hard and gleaming in the sunlight, his muscles pumped from fighting his way free.

“I… didn’t see him.”

“And I didn’t even think to bring it up. I’m sorry. I could have stopped you from worrying.”

“It’s my fault. I should have seen him.”

A warm thumb tilts my chin up to meet his gaze.

“I only had eyes for you, as well. There’s no shame in what’s between us. You couldn’t help focusing on me any more than I could on you. We’re lifemates. He’ll understand.”

How does he know exactly what to say to ease my worry? How does he know that despite me preparing to separate from my lifelong best friend for years, I’m still not ready for it? That the worst thing I could ever suffer would be Seung’s anger or disappointment?

He moves his hand to my hair, pushing it from my face and running his fingers along my scalp over and over until all traces of stress seep away.

“Duri, I see you. I feel you. You’re a part of me. You’ll never be alone again. Never have to suffer on your own. Never need to worry about the future. You and yours are mine now.”

His hand drifts down my neck, sending shivers down my spine as he ghosts the rough pad of his finger over the mark his teeth left in my shoulder, and continues downward to caress my round belly.

“I’ll love her as though I sired her. I already do. I can’t wait to pamper her through her early years. To watch her grow. To protect her. To cherish her as I do her mother.”

The mattress shakes as silent tears trail across my face, wetting my temple and his bicep tucked under my head.

“I can’t wait to introduce her to our family.”

My hiccup almost ruins my attempt to respond.

“Family?”

“Yes. My mother and sisters, Seung, my teammates, and the rest of the fleet. She’ll be a treasured addition.”

I lose it. Sobs wrench my chest as my entire body shakes, overwhelming joy snatching my control from me. His words break me to pieces, destroying every ounce of doubt I cultivated throughout my life, and rebuild me into someone I never dreamed I could be.

“It’s okay, little mama. I’ve got you. I’ll always have you.”

When I finally calm down, my head pounds and fatigue weighs down my limbs, but I meet pale blue eyes and smile my gratitude. He returns the sentiment, purring and wiping my face. After sweeping his lips over my hairline, he sticks the water straw between my teeth and pulls me closer to him.

“Sleep for a while, so I can fulfill my promise.”

“Which promise?”

“The one where I teach you all about the joys of mating.”

With a smile on my face and a peace more profound than the vastness of space, I slip into sleep, knowing without a doubt that when I wake, he’ll be by my side, ready to sate my every need.

I pull the bottom hem of my shirt down and wish I could somehow get closer to Cahress, even though he hugs me to his side. After several days of hiding in our den, I no longer feel on the verge of collapse, but my emotions swing from one extreme to the other so quickly my head spins.

Foreign pheromones assault my nostrils as Cahress leads me into the tent on the other side of the hill. A vague sense of deja’vu plagues me, but no concrete memories rise until we step into a large room containing rows of hospital gurneys.

The last time I was here, I was so fixated on sending support through our incomplete lifemating bond I couldn’t focus on my surroundings.

Three alphas stand against the far wall. My feet refuse to move another step.

Seung, Commander Ru’en, and Jokur wait for us near the tent’s other exit. I fight against nausea as their scent reaches my nose.

Even Seung’s pheromones sit heavy in my nostrils, not quite unpleasant, but also wrong enough to curl my nose. I meet my best friend’s light brown eyes as I wrap my arms around Cahress’ midsection.

A surge of emotion moves my feet forward. Cahress holds me back, keeping me plastered to his side. He doesn’t budge, and I don’t fight, my arms remaining around his middle.

Talk about mixed signals.

“Are you okay?”

Seung’s smooth voice fills my eyes with tears.

“Oh, yes. I’m more than okay, except I feel horrible for not seeing you sooner.”

The lines around his eyes disappear and his shoulders, which once seemed so impressive but now look too slim compared to Cahress’, relax.

“I think you had better things to think about. Stop worrying about me, sprite.”

“I can’t help it. After everything you’ve been through—”

“No. After everything we’ve been through. Don’t discount yourself, Duri. You always have, I was just too selfish to see it. I’m happy to see you so happy.”

“I… but what about you?”

The barest hint of a smile curves his mouth.

“You did what you set out to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m off that wretched planet. I’m in a much better place, somewhere I can find acceptance. So, thank you, sprite.”

Cahress’ arm tightens around me, a warning creeping into his quiet purr. His possessiveness heats my veins, the incessant throbbing of my clit intensifying despite how sore I am from his vigorous claiming.

Seung’s smile widens.

“Where’s the other two?”

I glance up at the tense set of my lifemate’s shoulders and squeeze, needing to comfort him.

“They led another team back to the facility you broke out of but haven’t come back. As soon as we’re done here, we’re heading out with Warrior Elite Team 6 and whoever else is qualified to volunteer for a search and rescue.”

“Then go. Choku and Thret would have reported back if they were able.”

“We’re not done yet.”

Agitation tightens my alpha’s frame so much I worry he’ll snap. Instinctual knowledge makes me press harder against him, rubbing my belly into his side, knowing the reminder of our babe will help soothe him.

“Oh? What’s left to be said?”

“It wasn’t an accident.”

The world stands still as we try to process the information. What wasn’t an accident?

“The ship didn’t randomly crash on Mai’CuS. Intelligence found highly coded correspondence between two ISC branches. They coordinated the crash.”

Ice congeals my blood, memories of fire and smoke, death and fear, and alphas in white hazmat suits flash through my mind’s eye. The floor disappears out from under me. I brace myself, expecting to fall like always, my clumsiness a burden I unconsciously accept, but find myself tucked against a massive chest instead. His deep rumble pulls me from my misery and allows me to focus on the present.

“It isn’t safe for you on Mai’CuS, so the Fleet Commander wants you to join your mother’s ship in orbit. All three of you.”

I don’t know how to respond to his news. Hot and cold, terrified and excited, sad and happy, I burrow deeper into my lifemate’s thick pelt, too busy flipping through chaos of memories to handle reality.

Instead, I focus on the secondary heartbeat within my body, reassuring myself through the precious new life I carry within my womb.

“When?”

“As soon as Duri’s fit for travel.”

“She needs another day or two, then.”

“What about you two? Shouldn’t all Warrior Elites return to base until we get better intel?”

“Everyone has, except for the party including Thret and Choku. We can’t leave them out there, dead or alive.”

“Those fuckers, making us all worry over them. We’ll be back with them in no time,” Jokur says, his voice unexpectedly lighthearted.

The shock of such gaiety lifts my face from my alpha’s fur.

With one last look over his shoulder, the spotted alpha meets my lifemate’s gaze. My heart skips a beat, the single glance holding enough emotion to charge the space between them.

Hidden beneath his flippant exterior lies the deep-rooted belief of finality. He doesn’t expect to return.

I twist and jerk, intuition demanding I reach out to Jokur and stop him from leaving, but Cahress spins on his heel and stomps toward the exit.

“Bring them back in one piece, Commander Ru’en.”

His uneven snarl arrows through my heart. He understands Jokur’s hidden message.

His teammate knowingly walks to his doom.

Thank you for reading Mended and Marked! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for V.T.’s newsletter!

NANCEY CUMMINGS

CALDAR: WARLORD BRIDES

CHAPTER 1

How it Started

SONIA

“About time.” Sonia leaned forward to the screen, impatiently awaiting a response. She’d been calling and calling her best friend, Wyn, daily since she voluntarily left Earth to marry an alien.

Fine, so it was a little obsessive. Sonia worried. Aliens were… well, alien.

“Sorry. We were out of comm range,” Wyn said. Her image flickered on the screen, a testament to how very far from Earth Sonia’s bestie currently was.

“Your mom told me she talked to you two days ago.” She tried to keep from sounding hurt, but she couldn’t deny that it stung. She understood why Wyn called her mother first, but she couldn’t even text Sonia back with a thumbs up emoji or something equally lame?

“And we’re at a hospital—”

Sonia leaped to her feet. “What? Are you hurt? Did that alien hurt you? I’ll crush his bones and turn him into paint pigment. I’ll paint his filthy carcass in the worst places. Gas station toilets! That weird donut shop with the clown mascot.”

“I’m fine,” Wyn said, ignoring Sonia’s list of terrible places. “Comms were out for weeks because apparently the Suhlik are getting gun happy again, and no one knew I was coming, so they shoved me on this shuttle and I just went with it because trust the system.” Her fingers moved in air quotes.

“Never trust the system,” Sonia said, because it was obvious. The system was rigged against people like her and Wyn. Well, against people without money, and in particular, women.

“Lorran’s a total sweetheart, though. No regrets. What about you?”

Sonia ran her hand through her short twists. “I gave the call center notice. I’m doing your idea.”

Wyn practically bounced with excitement on the screen. “I knew it! Which idea? I have so many good ones.”

So humble.

“The yearlong star cruise.” As an incentive to volunteer, Wyn received a generous cash settlement, which she gave to Sonia. “I mean, it’s not my money. I might as well spend it on something outrageous, yeah? The call center is eternal. It will be there when I get back.”

“Waiting to devour your soul.”

Truth.

“Listen, maybe we can meet up? I’ve got a list of ports the cruise docks at. We can do day trips,” Sonia said.

Wyn agreed, and she sent over the schedule. Hopefully there was some place in the universe where their paths would cross again, even for a day. The conversation moved onto alien art, because while Sonia had certain feelings about the aliens who came to Earth for babymakers, she was interested in art from other cultures. However, there was something that couldn’t be ignored.

A man—an alien—entered the room. The horns and purple complexion gave the alien part away. Wyn didn’t notice, going on about a soap opera that had sucked her in.

“So, are we going to discuss the man behind you with a gun?” Sonia asked.

Wyn threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “I cannot believe this. You have no chill.”

“Female, you will come quietly—”

“Who is this guy? What’s going on?” Sonia shouted at the screen, like that could help. She should do something. Call someone. Space 911? Was that a thing?

The man turned to the screen. Despite the gray hair and gray horns, he had a young face. Not youthful. Seasoned. It would have been a handsome face if he wasn’t currently abducting her best friend.

“Sonia, I’ll call you back after I take care of this asshole,” Wyn said.

“Wait, don’t—” Too late. Wyn disconnected the call.

Well, fuck.

Sonia sat in front of the blank screen for a moment. She needed the number for Space 911, and she had no idea how to do that.

Wait… Sonia swiped the screen to pull up her messages. Since Wyn volunteered, she was given the name and contact info for her brand-new alien husband, which she sent to Sonia.

Lorran. That was his name.

Sonia started dialing.

How it’s Going

Him again.

Sonia frowned at the horned man with silver hair and an aubergine complexion sitting under an umbrella on the beach, enjoying a drink with its own umbrella.

He wasn’t striking or good looking. His silver hair didn’t gleam in the sunlight, and there weren’t other colors mixed into the strands that made her want to run her hands through his hair for a closer inspection. The sunglasses did not make him look hot. The loud floral shorts that dipped down on his hips were tacky, not whimsical. His thick legs stretched out on the sun lounger were not sexy as hell.

He was a stalker. Her alien stalker and his attractiveness did not make it okay.

Sonia turned her attention back to her sketchbook. She was working. She didn’t have time for alien nonsense.

Using a light pencil, she roughly blocked in the scenery. The cruise ship was docked in the planet’s orbit for a week. Every day the shuttle brought passengers down to a new location, each utterly picturesque and charming. At first, Sonia was delighted. The scenery was lush and so different from her job at the insurance call center with gray carpets and gray walls and gray cubicles.

Now? After a year and a half of picturesque and charming locations, it was boring.

Wow. The burden of my problems.

She felt spoiled to even dare complain. Her friend, Wyn, volunteered to be matched to a Mahdfel alien and gave the monetary compensation—the bribe—to Sonia and told her to do something amazing. It wasn’t never-work-again money, but it was enough to quit her boring job and paint full time for a year or two.

Sonia initially wanted to refuse the money on principle. Nearly two decades ago, Earth’s government signed a treaty with the Mahdfel, trading women for protection during an invasion from the Suhlik.

What were the alternatives? Die nobly? Earth was losing the Invasion.

Yeah, yeah. Sonia heard that weak sauce argument plenty of times. She was just a kid during the invasion, and she lost a lot of family. After the aliens left, it was just her and Grandma Newton. The Invasion was bad. Real bad, but that didn’t change the fact that the treaty was wrong. She found that the people who didn’t have a problem with it were typically born with a penis, and got to skip the mandatory testing every birthday from age eighteen on.

The government throwing a pile of cash at the women who were matched was the frosting on a crap cupcake. It was tainted, lousy money, but it spent just the same. Sonia was far too practical to refuse Wyn’s gift.

Wyn had always talked about taking a really long star cruise, the kind that lasts a year or more, and that sounded good to Sonia. Here she was with four months left of her two-year long cruise and she was ready for something new.

Was Sonia a hypocrite? Absolutely. She’d worry about her existential crisis from the comfort of her cabin during her star cruise. Add in the fact that Wyn volunteered and was disgustingly happy with her alien husband, that helped settle Sonia’s lingering moral dilemma.

She had other problems, like what was she going to do when the cruise ended? Returning to her call center job was safe but so unappealing. Maybe she’d just stay at the last port of call and take a job doing something. Waiting tables, maybe. The one thing Sonia learned from traveling was every place had cafés and bars. People were always willing to pay to have someone bring them food and drinks.

She picked up a few commissions for digital art, mostly small pieces, for walking-around money. Maybe she could expand that and skip waiting tables.

“I don’t think my eyes are that squinty,” a deep voice said.

“I’m not drawing you,” Sonia said, leaning an arm over the book to cover the sketch.

What was he doing talking to her? That wasn’t what they did. She went to touristy places, enjoyed the scenery, and he just randomly appeared, like it was a huge coincidence. Small galaxy, etc. She scowled. He smirked from a distance. Rinse. Repeat the next time her ship docked.

“I think you are,” he said.

“I’m leaving a clue. If I go missing, the authorities will know who is responsible.”

He laughed.

The fucker.

Fine, she had been drawing him. Sure, it was a busy scene between the sea, people walking the beach, and the greenery, but all that was noise that swirled around him. He had an interesting face. She could admit that. He was an oasis of calm in the riot of sunlight and color. His figure was partially hidden in shadow, enigmatic and compelling and far too good-looking—

She didn’t even know his name, and the mystique did not make him more attractive.

Sonia slammed the sketchbook shut.

She was not going there.

“I have to go,” she announced, standing up so quickly her knees knocked into the table. The tall glass of cold water teetered, the contents sloshing from side to side.

He caught the glass before it spilled a drop.

Sonia wanted to scream in frustration. How was he so annoying?

“What’s your name?” she demanded, jabbing a finger to his chest. She might as well have been poking a stone wall from the feel of it.

He glanced down at her finger and grinned, all white fang against an aubergine complexion. His eyes crinkled at the corners, betraying a lifelong indulgence in laughter. In the six months since he started stalking her, they hadn’t exchanged more than a handful of words, and Sonia had never demanded his name.

She knew him. Well, she knew about him. She witnessed him abduct her friend at gunpoint a year ago. Sure, sure. Wyn was fine. He just needed her thumbprint or something to unlock a door. Still, Sonia was halfway across the galaxy when she saw the whole thing go down through a video screen and she had never felt more helpless.

So, that guy? Not a fan.

“My name is Caldar,” he said. “What is your name?”

Nope. This wasn’t a conversation. She said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. How rude of me. My name is none of your business. Fuck off.”

“That is a mouthful. Are all Terran names so complicated?”

Sonia stuffed her sketchbook and pencils into her bag. She had better things to do. She pressed her thumb to the payment slot on the table to leave.

Of course, he followed. She sped up, walking at a quick pace.

“You should have dinner with me,” he said, trotting alongside her. People on the street gave them a wide berth, partly due to the furious scowl on Sonia’s face, but mostly due to the Mahdfel dogging her steps.

She stopped and turned to him. “Why would I do that?”

“Because I am charming?” He smiled, and damn it all if the sunlight didn’t sparkle on his fangs.

“Nope.”

“Because all beings require sustenance and you could order the most expensive items to damage my supply of credits.”

While she did like the idea of ordering a fancy meal and sticking him with the bill, she didn’t want to sit through dinner with him.

“What you suggest sounds like a date, and I don’t date aliens,” she said.

“Aliens, or this alien in particular?” He waved a hand at himself and flashed a smile that would be utterly charming on anyone else.

Okay, fine. It was charming. He was attractive in that dangerous daddy way with his silvery gray hair and graying horns. The trouble was, it wasn’t a style choice. Sonia knew he was actually dangerous. Why he latched onto her, she had no idea.

“Look, let’s get this straight,” she said, jabbing his might-as-well-be-stone chest again. Why did she keep touching him? Ugh. “You know my name.”

“Sonia,” he said, practically purring with a bedroom voice that was pure sin. Was that a thing? A voice to go with bedroom eyes.

Yeah, that wasn’t creepy.

“You abducted my friend by gunpoint. I’m not interested. I’m never going to be interested. And I’ve got just about enough patience to tell you one more time,” she said, jabbing his chest with each word. “Fuck. Off.”

His smile did not falter. If anything, the amps on his grin turned up a notch or two.

“Dancing?” he asked. “You move like a dancer.”

Sonia gave a frustrated scream. Walking at a brisk pace, she turned randomly onto streets, having no destination in mind. She didn’t kid herself by imagining that she could lose him in a crowd or outrun him. The man was a literal super soldier, genetically modified to be faster, stronger.

Don’t think about super endurance and what that would be like.

Great, now she was imagining Caldar with his bedroom voice and dangerous daddy vibes and his super endurance. It left her feeling achy and needy and so, so resentful. It wasn’t even Caldar’s fault. Sonia had no right lusting after the alien who endangered her friend. She knew better. Her brain got the message—we don’t like him—but her body was too busy daydreaming about super endurance and his strong hands.

This was the point in the romance books she read where the main character decides to bang it out of their system. That never worked. Someone always caught feels. Plus, the Mahdfel weren’t known for being the love ‘em and leave ‘em types. They were all in, for life. There were no casual hookups with the sexy alien warriors. She wasn’t falling for sexy alien tricks.

She just didn’t understand why this particular alien was fixated on her. It made no sense. She didn’t feel threatened by him. Despite all the bad things people said about the Mahdfel, everyone agreed that they pampered their mates. People never heard stories about being kidnapped and locked in a basement, or even being married against your will.

Other than the mandatory testing once a year, whether you like it or not.

If anything, Earth’s government was the bad guy here.

The alert on her comm unit chimed, letting her know to head back to the shuttle. Sonia had turned off the main road and found herself on a side street. Residential and down in the heels, from the looks of it. She had no idea where she was, and it didn’t seem good. The steward on the shuttle that morning cautioned passengers not to stray too far from the touristy areas. Certain neighborhoods were rough.

At the time, Sonia chalked it up to bougie nonsense. Now that the sun had slipped behind the buildings and the shadows seemed to swallow up the light, her bougie butt regretted not paying attention.

The map on the comm unit told her the port was on the other side of town. Honestly, all she had to do was look up. The massive cruise ship hung in the sky like a star. According to the map, the most direct route was through a park. With the sun setting fast, she didn’t want to walk through an unfamiliar and potentially poorly lit park. The alternative was to backtrack and keep to the main roads, but she didn’t have enough time. Maybe a taxi? Yeah, not in this neighborhood.

Sonia looked at the park and then down the empty road, weighing her options. Her alien was gone. Apparently, he got bored following her or maybe found someone knew to harass.

Fuck it. A brisk walk in the park sounded like a good idea.

Bad idea. Such a bad idea.

CALDAR

Terrans were impossible. Fragile and easily breakable, they seemed to have no idea how vulnerable they were. And stubborn, especially when you told them how vulnerable and fragile they were.

This Terran in particular, Sonia, was more stubborn than most.

He followed her through the twisting lanes of the picturesque seaside village. She marched with a determination and purpose he couldn’t help but admire. There was much to admire about her physical form.

Her complexion was a rich bronze that glowed in the sun. She kept her hair shorn on the sides in the style of a warrior, with long curls on top. Sometimes she decorated her curls with a colorful wax that smelled subtly of Earth fruits. Most intriguing were her eyes. They expressed every thought and emotion. In a certain light, they flashed with gold flecks. They were sharp and intelligent, and he desperately wanted them to soften with affection when they looked at him. Better still was the strength in her voice when she told Caldar all the ways she disliked him.

This was a female worth winning.

The streets grew gradually dingier and narrower. The buildings sagged with age, seemingly slouched against each other for support. His female did not notice, nor did she notice the curious eyes watching her.

So long as they only watched.

He followed at a distance, ready to be at her side in an instant if needed.

His female had made it very clear that she loathed him. Which was unfair, in his opinion, as she did not know him. He was used to being loathed. A male with his skills—lying, manipulation, and generally being a scoundrel—did not win him many friends. Or any. He didn’t need friends.

The Mahdfel clans would have nothing to do with him publicly, but he was too useful to ostracize entirely. He was the dirty, necessary secret, gathering information, strategizing, and placing players on the battlefield.

The metaphorical battlefield. He had been in battle for some time. At his age, most males would consider teaching the younger generation of warriors or retiring to be with their mates, perhaps raise a family.

Caldar wasn’t quite ready to call himself decrepit and throw himself out an airlock just yet. He had debts to repay and wrongs to right, starting with this stubborn female.

His female frowned at her comm unit. Glancing around, she crossed the street and entered a darkened park. He followed.

CHAPTER 2

SONIA

Sonia knew she made a mistake. The atmosphere grew still, the underlying tension just waiting to explode.

She kept to the path, walking swiftly as she scanned the bushes for trouble. Weak lamps created dots of illumination, brief islands of safety from the advancing darkness.

Walk with purpose. Act like you belong. That was the number one tip to avoiding trouble.

She forced her shoulders to relax and eased her grip on her bag, focusing on the impression she wanted to project. She was in a hurry, but she wasn’t scared. Don’t mess with her. There were easier targets.

It didn’t work.

A tall figure stepped onto the path, just outside the bubble of lamplight.

Sonia spun around, ready to run.

Two more emerged, flanking her.

Three against one.

Not that Sonia was a fighter. She took a self-defense class ages ago and used to do kickboxing on the weekend to manage stress, but none of that came close to being able to fight back.

Sonia held out a hand. “Take my credit stick. That’s all I have.” It would suck losing her money, but she had another credit stick in her cabin. Better to lose money than her life.

The tall one shuffled forward from the shadows. “We’ll take the bag, too.”

She clutched the bag against her chest. “There’s nothing in here, just my sketchbook and pencils.”

The tall one grabbed her bag and shoved her to the ground. Several things happened at once. Caldar emerged from literally nowhere. He moved fast, but the muggers outnumbered him. Apparently, that really didn’t matter. There were shouts of pain. Bodies hit the ground.

Sonia watched through her fingers, horrified but unable to look away. It wasn’t a smooth, choreographed fight like in a film. It was frustratingly sluggish at parts, Caldar waiting for the muggers to charge. He moved elegantly, but only at the right moment. He dodged, landed a kick. He grabbed an arm and twisted it, snapping the bone. He threw a man over his shoulders, slamming him hard into the ground.

Then, as quickly as it started, it was over.

Caldar crouched down to the unconscious man, placing two fingers on the side of the man’s throat. “He breathes. I will call the medics and law enforcement.”

“No cops,” she snapped. The last thing she wanted was the authorities getting involved. Her tourist visa was totally legit, but certain aspects wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Caldar made a noise as he stood, like he knew exactly why she didn’t want the police involved.

“What? It wasn’t my fault,” she said. “I bought tickets for a two-year cruise, and I’m going to enjoy my two years without worrying about testing.” Yeah, even if she wasn’t on Earth, she still had to be tested. As long as Sonia was in a system with an active Mahdfel treaty, and all the known systems were Mahdfel territory, she had to be tested.

It sucked. The only way to get out of mandatory testing was to be married or engaged or have kids. Sonia had no intention of rushing down the aisle or spawning. But a fake engagement? Sure. A coworker from the call center volunteered in exchange for a hefty “gift,” they posted a few photos of themselves having drinks on social media, aced the visa interview, and got a lovely “exempt” stamp on her passport.

Why was she on a yearslong star cruise without her fiancé? Shh. Don’t ask questions.

That was how Sonia had spent the last year, keeping her head down and avoiding trouble, at least until her alien stalker showed up.

She pressed her hand to her chest, her heart still racing. This was Caldar’s fault. She didn’t know how, but it was.

“I can say you are my mate. No one will think to verify your credentials,” Caldar said.

“Oh, no, absolutely not. I know about you aliens. You’re all, my mate, mine, mine, mine.”

He licked his lips, and her gaze did not follow his tongue.

Fine. She looked. She liked him. A little.

“I enjoy the way you say that,” he said, then growled. Literally growled.

Her breath hitched at the sound, absolutely primal and raw with desire.

“Perhaps one day you will say it—”

Sonia held up a hand to stop whatever nonsense he was about to spout. “I got a shuttle to catch.”

“Very well. He slithers away from justice today. Lucky male,” he said, gently nudging the unconscious man with his shoes.

“I don’t know how lucky he is. He’ll have a hell of a headache when he wakes up,” she said.

“Not my concern.”

Oddly, she agreed.

She didn’t run, but her walk definitely had more hustle than usual. They emerged from the park near the port. The crowd parted for Caldar, like sheep skittering out of the wolf’s way, and Sonia followed in his wake. Finally, the brightly colored logo of the cruise ship’s shuttle came into view. She damn near sprinted the final stretch.

“Thanks,” she said, panting and sweaty in ways she didn’t enjoy.

“You may express your gratitude and share a meal with me,” Caldar said, not sweating or even panting a little to be polite. The monster. If anything, his eyes sparkled from the moderate exercise, and his silvered hair had just enough of a tousle to suggest what it’d looked like after rolling around in bed.

“No,” she said quickly, perhaps a little too sharply.

Passengers walked around them, complaining not so subtly about rude people blocking the way. Someone’s bag bumped into Sonia’s arm, making her yelp. She rubbed her smarting elbow.

Caldar drew her to the side, out of the way of foot traffic. “It is a meal. Nothing more,” he said, his voice smooth.

“Oh no. You aliens are tricky. I agree to a meal, the next thing you know, you’re claiming I’m your mate. Not interested.”

“That is a very judgmental statement. I am tricky,” he said, placing a hand over his heart. “Do not lump me in with all the others. They do not have the game.”

“Was that… Are you throwing shade?” Sonia asked, wondering if the mangled idiom was on purpose.

He grinned, showing white fangs against his aubergine complexion.

Yeah. He wasn’t going to tell her anything.

“Is this male bothering you?” the security guard asked.

Sonia shook her head. “It’s fine.”

“Ship leaves in five minutes. You need to be in your seat, or you’ll have to catch the next shuttle.”

“One minute.” She faced Caldar. “Thanks for, you know, kicking butt and helping me out.”

“My stalking is useful to you,” he said with a nod.

“No, no,” she said, stressing the word. “I’m not giving you permission to stalk me. Why do you have to go and ruin this? You were almost not creepy.”

He grinned, as if thoroughly amused.

Frustrating, impossible man.

Rather than say goodbye, she thrust out her hand to be scanned. Caldar couldn’t follow her onto the cruise ship.

“You should report him to the local authorities,” the guard said.

“We’re leaving soon. What’s the point?” The scanner beeped, allowing her on board. She hurried through and slumped down in the seat.

The shuttle filled to near capacity. People cluttered the aisles and packed too much stuff into the overhead bins. Sonia fought her way to an open seat at the back. The air filter couldn’t compete against the scent of sunscreen and sand. Before long, everyone had their seats and the shuttle left orbit.

Sonia closed her eyes when they left the atmosphere. The shuttle lacked artificial gravity, and she lifted off the seat, pressing against the safety harness. She gripped the straps, as if expecting them to snap.

Caldar was a problem. She tried ignoring him, but he kept turning up when the ship docked. Not at every port, though. Sometimes he was gone for weeks, then he’d be back, lounging in those ridiculous shorts like he was on vacation.

She couldn’t go to any planetary authorities. They’d take one look at her visa and see right through her dodgy exemption. Best case scenario, they would send her back to Earth. Worst case, alien jail.

Why was he so attractive? He wasn’t even her type. In the past, she went for the thin, smokes-too-much, too-serious, too-philosophical type so common in art school. In all fairness, she had been just as insufferable.

Caldar was the opposite in every way. He was broad and muscular, but all Mahdfel were, so that wasn’t much of a description. He was never serious, always cracking jokes and grinning like he knew something she didn’t, which was insufferable. He was older than her, judging from the silver hair and gray horns. Light creases around his eyes gave a hint that the hair and horns might be legit and not a dye job. Sonia never thought she had a thing for older men, but apparently that alien silver fox did it for her.

It didn’t matter. She refused to get involved with an alien. Everyone knew they were possessive and only wanted babies. While she liked kids well enough and wasn’t averse to the thought of having a few of her own, she wasn’t interested in being anyone’s baby factory. When she settled down with a partner, she wanted it to be because they loved her, not because she was a convenient breeder. She was more than her womb and deserved better.

Maybe the best way to deal with a pain in the butt Mahdfel was to sic another Mahdfel on him.

That could work.

She only knew one Mahdfel, Wyn’s husband. He wasn’t a fan of Caldar’s, and she wasn’t above snitching on the silvery-haired pain in her ass.

Sonia stretched out her legs, not even a little concerned at the way her sandal floated off her foot. She had a plan.

CALDAR

Terrans were impossible. He stood by that assessment. His female proved more stubborn than most. Why did she act as if he were at fault when she was the one who wandered off and found herself surrounded by thieves? He had a debt to repay. His past behavior endangered a fellow warrior’s mate and now he had to keep this female safe to regain his honor—not that his honor was much to brag about.

More than simply tarnished, his honor lay in tatters. The Mahdfel honor code was too strict, Caldar felt, for the nuances of reality. An act was good, or it was evil. No middle ground. No necessary evil. No compromise. A warrior acted with honor, or he was dishonorable.

A narrow-minded and short-sighted stance, in his opinion. Sometimes dishonorable acts were required to obtain an honorable goal. For example, the pallet of crates and shipping manifest that he stole. Oh, plus the uniform.

Caldar leaned against the crates while the loading crew reviewed the cargo manifest. The shirt he borrowed—that sounded so much better—was too tight and stretched across his arms.

Shame Sonia wasn’t there to admire the look. She would never admit that she found him attractive, but he caught her staring at his physique. He particularly enjoyed the way her face flushed when he caught her look, and she wrinkled her nose and scowled.

It was adorable.

“Why does the manifest say perishable, but the crates say frozen?” the male asked, flipping through the screen to compare details.

Fuck. Just his luck he ran into the one diligent employee in the docks.

“They just pay me to lift heavy things,” Caldar said, keeping his voice smooth and disinterested. “These are gonna melt. I should get them into the refrigerated unit.”

“This shit is above my pay grade,” the male said, shoving the manifest back at Caldar. “Don’t stand there. Get them on board.”

Star cruisers, especially one as large as Allure of the Stars, required a constant stream of supplies. Reconstructed food from a machine or dehydrated rations would not do for the luxury liner. Only fresh food was served and in quantities to feed an army, along with enough alcohol to drown said army. The constant need for supplies left a hole in the ship’s defenses. Anyone with a clipboard and a convincing-looking uniform could sneak on board.

Caldar pushed the palette of crates up the ramp, huffing and acting as if the task were difficult. The crew needed to see a harmless older male trying to do his job, not a Mahdfel warrior infiltrating their ship.

Sonia would be displeased if she knew of his plan. Fortunately, he had no intention of letting her discover his presence. The ship’s itinerary would take it into deeper space to several popular beauty spots. The solitude of deep space and natural wonders were the primary reason people paid for the cruise, but the journey was too far away for him to respond quickly in an emergency. He needed to be on hand, for Sonia’s protection and to pay off the debt he owed.

He had already decided. He would remain on board until the ship returned to port. She need never know.

CHAPTER 3

SONIA

Sonia leaned against the balcony railings, taking in the vast starry sky that surrounded the observation deck. Above her, a transparent dome let in the starlight. Below the balcony, the ballroom swirled with music and dancing.

A mug of mulled wine warmed her hands. An occasional meteor streaked across the sky. The climax of the meteor shower wasn’t far away. This is why she forked over a small fortune. Not the dancing or the ballroom dramatics going on below, but the celestial show. Where else would she get a panoramic view of an intense meteor shower? Up on the balcony, directly under the dome, she’d be surrounded by falling stars.

Worth every penny.

“For you, madam.” A steward held out a tray with a mug of mulled wine, still steaming.

No, not a steward. Caldar.

Unbelievable.

“I see you’ve been busy adding stowaway to your resume, along with stalker,” she said.

“I’m not a stowaway. I’m crew.” He plucked at the lapels of his white jacket with his free hand. She had to admit that he looked good in the crisp white jacket with gold braiding at the cuffs. The fabric strained at the shoulders, like he could Hulk his way out of the jacket if he flexed.

Not that she was into that sort of thing. The less she said about the tight pants, the better, because yum.

He caught her looking and grinned, flashing his fangs. He nudged the tray into her line of sight. “Your drink.”

“Hmm, pass. I’m not in the mood for spiked drinks.” Sonia took a sip of her own mulled wine, now lukewarm.

“I would never. You insult me.”

“I’ve said a lot worse. Stop acting so precious,” she said, despite nothing in his tone suggesting that she hurt his feelings.

She didn’t understand Caldar, why he decided to stalk her or stowaway on her cruise ship. None of it made sense. The Mahdfel were supposed to be busy defending the universe from invaders. That was the bargain, after all. Defend planets. Get women.

Nowhere in that equation did there seem to be time for rogue warriors to play dress-up as a star cruise steward.

“I don’t understand why you’re here,” she said.

Even more baffling, she didn’t understand her own reaction to him. She should loathe him and everything he stood for. She had less rights as a person because of aliens like him. She had to break the law to take control of her own body.

Yet here she was flirting instead of shoving him over the railing.

“You agreed to have dinner with me,” Caldar said. He drank the wine she ignored and leaned the empty tray against the balcony railing.

“I agreed to no such thing.” She finished her wine. “But I mean this. You’re following me from plant to planet. I don’t know why you’re doing it. If you wanted to make a skin suit from me, I’d be in a pit putting the lotion on.”

“Your words make no sense. Is your translator failing?”

She shook her head. Worries about his intentions kept her up at night, at least in the beginning. If Caldar had nefarious motivations, she was completely helpless to stop him. She said, “I mean, why me? We don’t know each other. We never spoke before I left Earth. I don’t get it.”

He ran a hand through his hair. It was dark today, along with his horns.

“You colored your hair,” she blurted out. Then, because she could be just a teeny bit ruder, she said, “I don’t like it.”

He chuckled. “No one will look twice at a younger male doing a young male’s work. My gray hair would draw too many eyes.”

“I liked your hair the way it was. Not that I have any opinion or say about what you do with your body,” she said. She was babbling. How embarrassing.

“I am glad.” For once, he didn’t wear a cocky grin on his face. “My horns went gray early, much to my shame.”

Sonia looked at his horns critically. In the last year, she’d seen a lot of horns and all the ways Sangrins liked to decorate them. Currently in vogue were metal caps worn on the horn tips. Colored wax rubbed into the keratin seemed to be popular with people Sonia’s age. Reflective foil designs pressed into the horns looked amazing in the sun. The other day, Sonia spotted a woman sporting horns that went from black at the base to a hot pink at the tip. They were amazing.

Caldar’s horns were plain, lacking any decoration. They were a dark gray at the base, nearly hidden by his hair, and a matte black in color.

“You missed a spot,” she said, unable to stop herself from brushing back his hair and tapping the spot in question.

Yeah, she was definitely flirting.

And getting distracted.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.

“I owe a debt to your friend,” he answered. “My actions… were less than ideal and endangered her. That was not my intention. I will ensure your safety during your travels. That is the honorable choice.”

Sonia did not pick up any honorable deed and action vibes from Caldar. He seemed to be the sort entirely driven by self-interest, but he had saved her from being mugged.

Honorable. Sure, why not?

“So now you’re just going to follow me and, what, bubble wrap the universe? Make sure I don’t bump into anything sharp?” she asked.

“If I must,” he said, sounding exhausted.

“Wyn called you a dickweasel,” Sonia said. She only heard a secondhand account of Wyn’s dealings with Caldar.

“I am aware.”

“You know, your life would be easier if you were just less of a duplicitous weasel.”

He chuckled again, and damn if she didn’t like the sound.

He reached out a hand to her head, as if he would caress her face, and hesitated before touching her. Sonia nodded. He plucked something from her hair and displayed one of her sketch pencils with pride.

“I forgot that was there,” she said, embarrassed. Pencils wound up in her hair all the time to keep her twists out of her eyes as she worked.

He grinned like he had a prize and placed it in the front jacket pocket.

Now would have been a good time to demand to know why he did what he did, to hear his side of the story, but instead she said, “You should ask me to dance again.”

CALDAR

This female. He enjoyed her prickly words and grumpy disposition. It made the moments when she softened all the sweeter.

Caldar held out his hand and led her to a clear spot on the balcony. Above the crowd and the noise, they were nearly alone with the stars. They reflected in her dark eyes.

His arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tight to him. They swayed to the gentle music, stepping forward, to the side, and turning to do it again.

“Not bad,” she said.

“I believe this is an Earth dance,” he said.

“It’ll work at most weddings. Do you know the Chicken Dance or the Electric Slide?”

“My dance education is lacking. You will have to teach me.”

A blush bloomed over her face, darkening her complexion. “We’ll see.”

This had started as an obligation, but now it was more. He wasn’t sure what he would do with himself when it finished, and she returned to Earth.

The music diminished. An announcement encouraged guests to look up to appreciate the heart of the meteor shower.

Light blazed across the darkness. The streaks grew more rapid, clustering together and their long tails bright. From Caldar and Sonia’s vantage on the balcony directly under the dome, it appeared as if the meteors surrounded the ship. It was an illusion, he knew, but impressive, nonetheless.

Sonia twisted in his arms to get a better look. Her mouth opened in wonder. Golden streaks cast shadows on her face.

“You’re missing the show,” she said.

“I am not.”

A soft smile graced her face, the meteor lights a golden reflection in her dark eyes. She smiled at him.

He was unsure what to do with this information. It was foolish for a male his age to feel such infatuation. Sonia barely tolerated him. She would never consider letting him court her. Yet, she smiled at him.

Regardless, he belonged to no clan. He could not apply to the registry to be matched with a mate. Taking Sonia as his mate without going through the proper channels would violate every treaty the Mahdfel held.

He had never had any qualms bending overly restrictive rules before, but this matter was the one rule he could not break.

No matter how badly he wanted.

Sonia deserved an honorable mate. Caldar only needed to decide if he would be that male for her.

The way she looked at him… it was improper.

“Hey,” she said.

“Yes?”

She stepped closer, placing a hand under his chin. Using some kind of Terran sorcery, she drew him down until their lips nearly touched.

She paused, as if giving him the option to end this. He could not end this. He could not.

“Yes,” he repeated, bringing their lips together.

Her lips were soft, coated in a waxy substance that tasted of sweetness. She melted against him, her body pressing against his. He groaned from the sheer joy of it, his arms wrapping around her waist. Their bodies fit together in a way he would not have predicted.

The kiss deepened. He wanted to hold her against him and never let her go.

The meteors increased in frequency. The crowd made appreciative noises. Light erupted around them with a blinding intensity.

Sonia pulled back, blinking against the harsh brightness. “That was pretty close,” she said.

“Yes.” Too close.

This would not end well.

CHAPTER 4

CALDAR

“We must go to your bed. Now,” he said.

Sonia stepped back. “Listen, bub, we might have been having a moment, but it was not going that well.”

Impossible female.

“Your bed serves as an emergency pod, as standard interstellar safety protocol.”

“Oh, that’s what you’re calling it now? Safety protocol,” she retorted.

“This is not a jest—”

Light exploded around them. Caldar threw up his arm to protect his eyes from the blast.

The ship rocked. People shouted in alarm.

“What was that?” Sonia grabbed his other arm, worry in her voice.

“Impact on the ship’s shields.”

“Little bits of space debris hit us all the time, but it never looks like that.”

“That was not space debris.” He scanned the crowd, searching for a ranking ship officer.

There. The unnecessary gold braids on the white jacket sleeve signified an officer.

Caldar grabbed Sonia’s hand and pulled her through the crowd. She resisted. He did not have time for this. He needed to get her into the safety of her pod and to alert the ship’s crew of the imminent attack.

The next explosion rocked the ship. Whatever the cruise ship had in the way of shields, they were down. It was not surprising. This was a pleasure vessel. The shields need only repel small debris and the occasional mid-sized asteroid, not direct missile fire.

The worried shouts of the crowd turned into panicked cries.

There was no time.

“I will ask for forgiveness later,” he growled, and scooped Sonia into his arms.

“Hey! Not cool! Let me down.” Sonia beat a hand against his chest.

“Everyone, return to your rooms and get in your emergency pods,” he shouted.

No one listened. At that moment, warriors in black armor teleported into the crowd.

There was a moment of absolute quiet. Wearing helmets that hid their faces, the warriors stood still as they assessed the situation. Armor hid their characteristic golden scales and reptilian features, but Caldar knew them on sight.

Suhlik.

Generations ago, the alien species engineered the perfect warriors to be faster, stronger, and have superior healing: the Mahdfel. They were weapons, used harshly and discarded when they became inconvenient. Caldar’s ancestors won their freedom and had fought the Suhlik ever since.

To call the Suhlik evil was overly simplistic, but he could not think of a better description. They considered themselves superior and had a moral duty to cleanse the universe of inferior life. It disgusted Caldar that their motivation was so uncomplicated, but true evil often clung to simplistic ideas.

His arms tightened around Sonia, as if he could shield her from their sight.

“Is that—” She never finished her question.

The screaming started.

A Suhlik soldier grabbed the nearest passenger, a plump Terran male. An armor coated arm pressed against the male’s throat. The male helplessly clawed at the arm choking him.

They vanished, teleporting out as quickly as they arrived.

All around, similar scenarios played out. Missiles continued to hit the ship.

This was not a slaughter. This was abduction on a mass scale.

“We have to help them,” Sonia said.

“I am one male.” He was outnumbered with only a few weapons hidden on his person.

“You’re a Mahdfel. You’re like five dudes.”

“A dozen, with my experience.”

Sonia made no comment about his lack of modesty. She must have been frightened.

Amid the disorder, he saw few opportunities. He could not save everyone, but he could help some passengers flee. First, he needed to keep Sonia safe. She was his priority.

“Do not look,” he said.

With one hand on Sonia’s head, he tucked her face against his chest and jumped off the balcony.

She screamed the entire way down. It was not pleasant.

He landed heavily, staggering but not dropping his mate. Warning sirens blared. Lights flashed in obnoxious colors. Passengers dashed in every direction. Chaos surrounded them.

“You are well,” he said to Sonia.

“Put me down!” She thrashed in his arms, but he refused. Not yet. A Suhlik soldier might teleport in and snatch her.

Caldar removed the jacket, placing the garment on Sonia’s shoulders. She looked prepared to argue. “Wear this.”

“I’m not cold.”

She shivered, he understood, from fear, but did not say this. It did not require saying. Instead, he said, “The fabric restricts my movement.”

“Oh, you want to show off.” Despite her teasing tone, she clutched the jacket around her.

He rolled his shoulders because perhaps he did want to show off. His tattoos burned with the need to protect Sonia. He felt the fire lick its way up his arms. He did not bear many markings—symbols of belonging and victories—but the few had had, they burned for Sonia.

He crouched down at the refreshment table. He lifted the white tablecloth. “Hide. Do not move until I return.”

Sonia crawled under. With the cloth lowered, no one could spot his hidden mate.

Now he had work to do.

From his pocket, he retrieved the collapsible staff. With a press of the button, it expanded to a full-length staff. The battery hummed to life. Blue energy sparked at the ends. When the staff made contact, it would deliver a shock along with a savage blow.

At least until the power ran out.

Caldar gave the staff a test swing. Constructed of a durable alloy, it had a pleasing feel in his hands. The balance was not ideal, which was the drawback of a collapsible design. He required stealth and could not walk through the ship unnoticed with full wizard weapons strapped to his back.

A Suhlik in matte black armor pointed to him. No doubt the soldier communicated his location to the others. With his tattoos exposed and glowing, there was no doubt who he was: a Mahdfel warrior defending his mate.

Two soldiers approached. Two he could handle. Three would be tricky. Four difficult.

It did not matter. He only needed to create a distraction to allow the passengers to flee.

Caldar adjusted his stance, keeping his limbs loose. Several witty comments came to mind, but he could not move past the irritation that the Suhlik ruined a lovely moment with Sonia.

“Do you know how hard I worked to get my female to dance with me? I am very upset,” Caldar said.

“Surrender,” the nearest Suhlik said, his voice distorted by the helmet. “Resisting only delays the inevitable.”

Such arrogance. Caldar knew what would happen if the Suhlik captured him. If not killed immediately, he would be taken to a facility and experimented upon. The Suhlik regarded the Mahdfel’s freedom a minor inconvenience to their research.

The facilities were disgusting. Caldar had been to several and had even rescued the being who he considered his son.

“Interesting. You make a compelling argument. Alternatively,” he said, falling into a defensive stance with the staff, “fuck off.”

Another explosion rocked the ship. The lights flickered. Using the momentary distraction, Caldar swept the staff low. The rod connected with the closest soldier’s knees, flaring with electric shock. He doubted the charge would be strong enough to compromise the armor. A novice mistake. He needed to fight smarter than the Suhlik minions and aim for the seams in the armor.

The soldier raised his rifle at Caldar, aiming.

Projectile weapons were dangerous on a vessel. A spark could cause a fire. A puncture could cause a hull breach. There were too many lives on board to risk.

Caldar smacked the staff against the rifle. It shot wide.

“You must be directly out of the creche,” Caldar said, smacking the staff against the male. “No. Projectiles. On. A. Spaceship.” Each word was delivered with a blow. They were not hard enough to damage the soldier in any way, but it did enrage him.

Caldar spun the staff and cleared a path to dart away. A soldier grabbed the staff, his gloved hands immune to the shock, and yanked the staff away. Not pausing to fight over the staff, Caldar jumped on a table and ran. He kicked food and beverages out of his way. Projectiles followed him. Broken ceramics sprayed upward. Shards dug into the back of his calves.

He leaped onto the next table and continued to run. As long as he was the target, the passengers were safe. Sonia was safe.

At the end of the table, he grabbed a silver tray laden with beverages. The cups went flying as he swung the tray directly into the nearest soldier’s helmet. Liquid drenched the male. Using this distraction, Caldar grabbed the rifle.

“Sloppy. You failed to use the biolock feature.” Caldar pressed the barrel of the rifle to the male’s abdomen. “I thought such short-sighted mistakes were engineered out of your genes.”

The Suhlik growled a reply, but Caldar did not care to listen. He pulled the trigger. Equipped with armor-piercing capabilities, the blast tore a hole through the armor. The soldier crumpled to the ground.

Caldar gestured to an approaching soldier. The thrill of battle sang in his blood. As much as he was an outcast among his people, he was still a Mahdfel. He was made for this.

“I am insulted,” he taunted. “Give me a challenge.”

Two males rushed at him. Caldar swung the rifle into the side of one and shot the other.

Now he had two weapons. Before he could make a clever taunt, a blow to his back sent him reeling forward. Another blow landed on his ribs. He wheezed, the air knocked out his lungs.

Focus. Keep Sonia safe.

The hits came fast and from multiple directions. Caldar moved to block but was too slow, either from injury or age. There were too many. A solid punch to his jaw sprayed blood. He slammed the butt of the rifle into his opponent’s face, twisted to aim at another, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing. The shoddy piece of Suhlik equipment failed.

Pain, sharp and blinding, struck as a bullet pierced his thigh. He staggered, his leg unwilling to support himself. Warmth spread as blood soaked the fabric of his trousers. Soon, even that sensation faded. Mahdfel engineering diminished the pain. It was not a good design, as warriors often exacerbated their injuries because they lacked pain’s warning, but the Suhlik were not interested in the longevity of their minion, only their effectiveness.

Caldar shifted his weight, favoring his injured leg. He was vulnerable. He needed to end the fight now before he was incapacitated.

Overhead, a missile slammed into the ship and erupted into a blinding light. He stumbled back, putting distance between himself and the Suhlik soldiers. His chest ached with possibly fractured ribs. The pain with anything other than shallow breathing confirmed the fracture.

He wiped blood from his mouth.

A wise warrior knew when to retreat.

The soft, crunching sound of breaking glass overhead chilled his blood.

SONIA

The comm unit on her wrist vibrated.

Emergency situation. Calmly return to your cabins. Be prepared to use the bed’s emergency pod function.

“You don’t say,” Sonia muttered. The message felt like it arrived a little too late, but it was better than nothing.

She crawled forward, needing to peek under the tablecloth to see what was happening but also not wanting to see. It reminded her too much of the air raid drills during the Invasion.

This was some bullshit. No grown woman should be huddled under a table, flinching at every large bang. But what could she do? She was an artist, not a fighter. Throw a handful of oil pastels at the Suhlik? Blow chalk dust in their eyes?

Sonia buried her nose in the jacket’s lapels. It smelled of fresh laundry detergent and a musky, woodsy scent that she associated with Caldar.

This was the Suhlik’s fault. They ruined everything, and for no good reason. Not that invading Earth to strip it of resources or harvest people or whatever alien invaders did was good, but it was a motivation. The Suhlik just seemed to create violence for violence, like it was pretentious performance art. Maybe there was purpose hiding in their acts, but it wasn’t like the Suhlik stopped to explain themselves.

Nope. Just straight up murder.

Sonia’s own memories of the Invasion were fuzzy and supplemented by TV footage. She couldn’t rightly tell the difference between what she saw as it happened and recordings. Her memories were most likely all compiled from video. Sonia had been young and considered the programs her parents watched boring, especially the news. Super boring.

Once the Invasion got underway, nice things like reliable television and the evening news stopped. That was the Suhlik’s legacy. A few excited media clips. The aliens promised to share technology and medicine, and they were beautiful, disturbingly so. Golden scales shone with an ethereal radiance. Humanity was all too willing to believe the pretty alien’s promises.

Then blood and bombs.

Now Sonia couldn’t go a year of her life without having to deal with the Draft: report for testing and maybe getting randomly matched with an alien to make babies. The possibility hung over head and influenced her choices, as it did for everyone with a womb. It sucked, and now the Suhlik had the nerve to ruin her vacation.

Her chest tightened, but it was with anger, not panic. Anger was good. It kept her focused on the present, not spiraling into memories of helplessness. Sonia wasn’t a scared little kid huddling in the closet anymore.

She was a grown woman huddling under a cruise ship buffet table.

World of difference.

Gunshots made her flinch. That couldn’t be good.

She wasn’t a fighter, but she wasn’t helpless. Maybe if she grabbed a serving tray…

No. That was ridiculous. The Suhlik had space lasers or whatever and wore armor. She wore Caldar’s steward jacket over a white off-the-shoulder blouse, ruffled skirt, and strappy sandals. Very vacation chic, but very pointless in a survival situation.

The best thing she could do was hide and wait. Caldar would take care of this. She had to believe that. Yes, he was shady beyond belief. She really couldn’t trust anything he said.

He had also stopped those muggers.

The table toppled, exposing her.

CHAPTER 5

SONIA

Strong arms lifted her to her feet.

“There is no time. Hurry,” Caldar said, pulling her to the balcony staircase. He limped, blood soaking his white uniform.

Sonia hated whenever people said there was no time to explain in a movie. Ten seconds wouldn’t make a difference, usually, but they were in the midst of a gunfight.

Actually…

The gunfire had stopped. The Suhlik were leaving, teleporting away.

“What’s going on?”

Caldar pointed up to the dome. Splinters spread across the glass like a wispy web.

“Oh, shit,” she breathed.

“Breach. Hold tight. Do not let go.” He placed her arms through a gap in the staircase’s metal frame. “Close your eyes. Hold your breath.”

“Caldar, you’re hurt.”

He hesitated before answering. “I will survive.”

Yeah, now she was thinking he wouldn’t survive.

“I’m scared,” she said. Terrified. Why had he hesitated before answering? How badly hurt was he?

“I am here.” He positioned her, tucking her head down, and stood behind her. His body covered hers. “Soon. Breathe steady. An elevated heartbeat will use extra oxygen.”

Knowing he was with her helped. For all his faults and lack of respect for her boundaries, Sonia absolutely trusted him to keep her safe. All that pro-Mahdfel propaganda must have wormed its way into her head.

Stay calm. The cruise ship did safety drills all the time. She hoped it’d be enough.

The cracking noise grew from a whisper to a deafening rumble. Sonia took a giant gulp and held her breath. Air rushed by as the ballroom depressurized, the force of it lifting her off her feet.

She tightened her grip on the railing. Caldar wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around the railing. Her lungs burned. Pressure—or lack of it—squeezed her chest.

It was cold. Too cold. Absolute zero or close to it. Exposure for more than a few moments would kill her.

Finally, silence. Her feet drifted above the floor even as she clung to the railing. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She didn’t want to see.

Something prodded at her mouth.

Sonia turned her face away. It was probably drifting debris. The burning in her chest was impossible to ignore. She needed to take a breath, but she couldn’t. Her eyes watered.

A piece of hard plastic was forced into her mouth.

Sonia gasped, then bit down on the plastic. Oxygen flooded her nose. Warmth spread over her. The device generated a low energy field around her body to keep her from freezing to death. She coughed, eyes watering.

Caldar bit down on his own respirator. She had no idea where he got them, but she was too thankful to ask. In theory, the ship had emergency kits stashed all over the place. Did she see a bright red box? No.

Gravity was out. Lots of things were out.

Sonia looked up at the smashed doom. Shards of glass floated in the air—well, in the void. But that didn’t make sense. If the ship was breached, then all the glass should have vented into space. Yet tiny pieces of glass drifted by, mixed in with broken furniture and abandoned glassware.

Caldar’s hair floated around him like a halo. Her own short twists drifted above her head.

He tugged at her arm, pulling her away from the railing. With a kick, he launched them across the room. Progress was slow going. There was so much stuff.

And bodies.

And blood, drifting along in perfect blobs.

She refused to think about what just brushed against her foot.

Don’t look. Don’t look.

She looked.

It was a hand. Only a hand.

Sonia wrapped that image up in a tidy package and shoved it way down, compartmentalizing the fuck out of it. There’d be time to freak out later. Right now, everything was awful, and it wouldn’t be less awful if she lost her shit.

Keep it together.

Caldar pulled her through the ballroom, twisting his body to shield her from collision. Debris bounced off his back. Sonia closed her eyes, allowing him to guide her through the wreckage. He moved from point to point, pushing off the walls, the floor, and any solid object available. His experience was obvious.

Her only zero-gravity experience was a special room in the spa. Even then, she had to strap her foot into a special harness on the floor. There was absolutely no free floating on board the Allure of the Stars. Still, it was a good way to stretch out her back and shoulders. Sitting hunched over a tablet all day wrecked her upper back.

The preposterousness of the situation struck her as funny. Grim dark, sure, but there was no accounting for humor.

CALDAR

He needed to get his mate secured in an emergency pod, and then he could tend to his leg. The lack of gravity eased the pain, but he had lost a lot of blood. Too much blood. His senses were dulled, and he moved sluggishly. He would need to rest soon.

They entered a lobby. Large pieces of furniture, mostly lounge chairs and sofas, were bolted to the floor. Pillows, pamphlets, and other assorted detritus drifted in the space. Traversing the lobby was easy as they moved from bolted down chair to table to another chair. Sonia’s hand never left his.

Soon they were at the sealed threshold. Emergency doors closed off the area, sealing the breach and stopping the depressurizing. It was a standard procedure that was good for the ship but unlucky for everyone caught on the other side of the door. At least the ship’s crew managed to do one thing correctly.

Inadequate shielding.

Slow response time.

No defense to prevent incoming teleportation.

Caldar kept a list of the ship’s numerous faults. Security was so lax that he had effectively been a stowaway for weeks and no one noticed. Frankly, the fact that the Allure of the Stars had avoided a major disaster until now was nothing short of miraculous.

He was right to come aboard. Sonia could be upset with him all she liked, but the ship’s crew was incompetent. If Sonia wished to continue her travels throughout the quadrant, he’d purchase her a ticket on a vessel that satisfied basic safety standards.

Better yet, she’d travel with him on his ship. He currently did not have a ship, but that was a minor detail.

Focus. Get Sonia into the emergency pod, then plot—plan—the future.

Removing the control panel to override the door’s locking mechanism was not a delicate procedure. Caldar smashed his fist into the panel. It cracked. Pieces drifted away.

Access granted.

He was not normally so sloppy in his work, but they were racing against a countdown. The ship’s integrity had been compromised. The Suhlik teleported in, grabbed passengers, and teleported away.

The next step would be to destroy the ship. It was the pattern that Suhlik raids followed.

He twisted wires together. Lights flickered as the locking mechanism released, then died. It did not matter. He forced the unlocked door, leaning his shoulder into it.

When the door opened enough, he braced one arm against the door to hold it in place and waved Sonia through. She slipped under this arm, her feet kicking and pushing against his torso and thighs.

She was doing well. He wished he could tell her, but the emergency breathing units did not have that function. They provided a limited supply of oxygen, minimal protection against the cold, and were meant for short-term use. Essentially, they had two countdowns to beat.

When Sonia cleared the door, he slipped through. It slammed shut behind him. Another locked door waited before them. They were in an air lock, one of the safety features of the ship. Along the corridor, a series of doors sealed off the breach. It was excessive and he would have to force open every door until they reached Sonia’s cabin.

Hopefully, it was close.

The next door was easier to open. He did not have to fight against a depressurizing atmosphere. Red lights flashed, and a computer advised passengers to return calmly to their cabins. Gravity resumed on the other side of the barrier, and they no longer needed the respirators.

He landed on his feet with a groan, pain flaring in his injured leg.

Keep moving. He had no time to indulge an injury.

“You can remove that but keep it on your person,” he said.

“Thank fuck.” Sonia slipped it into her pocket. “Where is everyone?”

The corridor had a desolation he did not like.

“Not our concern.”

“What about the other passengers? We need to help them,” she said.

“We do not have time to argue. You are admirable for wanting to help others, but our survival depends on acting fast. Now, show me the way to your cabin.”

Her eyes blazed with fury, and her jaw clenched. Caldar prepared himself for the necessary action of tossing the female over his shoulder and carrying her off. She would be upset with him, but she would be alive.

“Fine,” Sonia said. Despite claiming the situation was acceptable, her tone indicated it was the furthest thing from acceptable.

She took off down the corridor at a brisk pace. He limped behind her. Occasionally, she tossed him a concerned look, but he kept a neutral, stoic expression on his face. Pain was temporary. If they failed to reach an emergency pod in time, their deaths would be permanent.

At an intersection, Sonia rounded a corner. They went down three levels, opened more doors, and finally arrived at a modest cabin.

The bed’s headboard flashed a series of annoyingly colorful lights, emergency mode activated.

“Do I pack?” She grabbed a bag.

“There is no time. In the bed.” He sat down on the bed with a groan and stretched out his leg. He tore the trouser fabric to get a better look at the injury. The flesh was raw, and he could not tell if the bullet passed through. “Forgive me for ruining the sheets.”

“I don’t care about the sheets. Let me get a first aid kit,” she said.

“No time. The wound has ceased bleeding.” Carefully, he rolled onto his side. “There is room for us both.”

She bit her lip, then climbed in. The fact that she did not argue or resist his command alarmed him. She was scared, and he disliked seeing fear on her face.

Her bag wedged in between them, the sharp objects inside poking him. Did she pack sticks? He could think of no other reason for the contents to be so unpleasant. When she settled, he reached to the headboard and pressed the flashing emergency button.

A canopy enveloped the bed. A calm computer voice walked them through the emergency procedure.

“In the unlikely event of evacuation, the pod will transmit an emergency beacon and will seek out the nearest habitable planet.”

He had not exactly been truthful when he said there was room for them both. It was a tight fit. His horns scraped against the pod’s ceiling.

“Cancel that order,” Caldar said.

The computer beeped. “Command unknown.”

“Do not initiate the emergency beacon.”

“Command unknown. Please relax. Your heart rate is elevated, indicating stress. Error. Two heartbeats detected. This is a single-person unit. This unit is not capable of life support for multiple individuals.”

“Stop arguing with the computer. You can’t bully it,” Sonia said. She shimmied in place, digging the bag into him. It jabbed into his injured leg. He hissed in pain.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said.

“What are you smuggling in there?” he asked, shoving the bag down to their feet.

“Hey! That’s mine.”

“Yes, it is your bag of poking. Very necessary.”

She wiggled again, this time against his chest. It was… distracting. Her form was soft and lush. Confined, her scent of summer citrus overwhelmed the small pod.

“Stop moving,” he ordered. He was not a youth. He could control his body’s attraction to the female but not if she kept wiggling against him.

“I’m trying to get comfortable,” she said. The pod’s interior lighting cast a blue sheen on her complexion. “I can’t believe how bossy you are.”

Caldar grinned. This was good. Sonia sounded like herself. “I am not bossy. I am decisive.”

“Divisive, more like.”

“Yes, that is true,” he said.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“Agree to disagree.”

She huffed, clearly annoyed. In his opinion, being annoyed was better than being frightened. He’d take his victory.

Her heart rate returned to a normal level. This close, he could hear the steady beat and feel her pulse.

“I know what you’re doing,” she said.

“You do not. I am a male of mystery. My motivations are inscrutable and my intentions unfathomable.”

Another huff, this one sounding amused. “You’re being annoying to distract me.”

“I am very skilled. I can be mysterious and distracting at the same time.”

“How much air is in this thing?”

“Enough,” he lied. The cruise ship was in deep space, well away from normal travel lanes. The pod would automatically seek the closest habitable planet, but it would likely not be inhabited. Their best chance of rescue would come if another pleasure vessel, in the sector for sightseeing, detected their emergency beacon.

However, there was a Suhlik vessel firing on them. Best case, the pod would be too small to target, and they could make it to an uninhabited planet where they struggled to survive for an unknown amount of time. Worst case, the Suhlik destroyed their pod. Or they ran out of air before they reached a habitable planet. Or smugglers intercepted their beacon.

There was only one good outcome and a dozen unfortunate endings.

Caldar kept that information to himself. Sonia did not need to know his dismal projections.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here,” she said.

“If I must be in a too-small emergency pod, you are my companion of choice.”

Another laugh. Good.

He enjoyed speaking with Sonia. He particularly enjoyed the way color flushed on her cheeks when she shared one of her many concerns. He needed to tell her this. Right now. He said, “You care deeply for the welfare of others. Your words are often sharp, but I admire the way you wield your weapon of choice.”

There was a moment of silence. Had he miscalculated and gone too far?

“That’s almost sweet,” she said. “You must have lost a lot of blood.”

“That is true.” Perhaps he said more than he should.

The pod rumbled.

“What’s that?” Sonia’s head snapped up, clipping his chin. She yelped in surprise.

The rumbling increased until Caldar felt the vibrations in his bones.

“The ship is breaking apart,” he said.

The computer gave a three second warning before departure. The pod lurched. His head and horns slammed into the ceiling. His horns weren’t particularly sensitive, but it hurt when they knocked into a solid surface.

Sonia yelped as the jerking motion pushed her into him.

“I have you. Hold tight.” He wrapped his arms around her. “A few more knocks on the head will not affect me. You will be bruised.”

“You don’t make a great cushion. You’re all muscle.”

“I am very good at lifting heavy objects, they tell me.”

The pod lurched again. Her form pressed into his. The summery scent of her wrapped around him. He could not stop the instinctive groan. His traitorous body reveled in their proximity, but he could not give in. Now was not the time.

“I hurt you,” she said.

“No. I am not hurt.” He shifted so she would not feel how very far from hurt she made him feel.

This would be a long journey.

CHAPTER 6

SONIA

“What’s that?” Sonia shifted, and something hard jabbed her thigh.

“A multitool.”

“You have a multitool in your pocket?” Oh, the temptation to add, Or are you just happy to see me?

Not now, Sonia scolded herself. This was not the time or the place to flirt, and she wasn’t even interested in flirting with the alien, anyway. Even if he had been a badass on the ship.

She was such a liar. Caldar was a badass, and that made her body want all sorts of things. She was adult enough to admit it. He was also fine, in that dangerous daddy way. Apparently, that was her type now.

And she was stuck in a cramped pod, all cozy with a fine, badass alien warrior whose multitool kept jabbing her.

“I carry several useful items on my person. A warrior is prepared,” he said, his tone implying that he quoted a well-known adage.

She shifted again. This time, he hissed in pain. “Sorry! Sorry. I keep hurting you.”

“I am not—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me,” she snapped. She wished she could see his face. The way they were positioned, her head rested on his chest. When she lifted her head, she bumped into the pod’s lid.

He was silent for a moment. “It only hurts when pressure is applied.”

This thing was a coffin.

And once that particularly unsavory thought crossed her mind, she felt trapped. Buried alive. She was back to being woken in the middle of the night and hiding in her closet during a raid, waiting helplessly. The air grew warm and thin. Her chest felt tight, like she didn’t have enough room to breathe.

A hand stroked her back.

“Your heart rate is elevated. Breathe with me,” Caldar said. “In. Out.”

His chest rose and fell with a smooth rhythm.

She mimicked him, breathing in, and releasing slowly. Once the tension eased in her chest, she relaxed against him. The rise and fall of his chest had a steady, calming effect. He wasn’t cuddly. His body was too solid for that, but it was nice.

“You keep saving me,” she mumbled. The stubborn part of her resented that she needed to be saved, but the practical part of her was glad for it.

“You have a distressing habit of finding trouble,” he said.

“Hey, trouble finds me.”

He continued to rub her back. The touch felt comforting but removed, even a bit clinical, like he sat through a training video about how to calm down people mid-freakout.

“Agree to disagree,” he said.

“What’s going to happen?”

He didn’t answer straight away, which made her suspect he was trying to find the nicest way to lie about their imminent doom.

“If we’re going to die, just say it. Don’t sugarcoat the truth,” she said.

“There are several options. The pod will seek the nearest habitable planet, where we will wait for rescue. Or the beacon will be intercepted by a passing vessel. That could be another cruise ship or a cargo vessel.”

“Or the Suhlik?”

“They do have a warship in the immediate area. I imagine that it deters traffic.”

The sass from him right now. She sort of liked it.

“The pod is also floating in a debris field. We may go unnoticed by the Suhlik,” he added.

“The ship is definitely gone?” Another hesitation. “Just tell me,” she said.

“The ship has been destroyed. It had minimal shielding. The Suhlik attack in a standard pattern with little variation. They teleport aboard, take captives, leave, and destroy the vessel. Every time.” He spoke with such certainty that Sonia believed every horrible word.

“All those people.” She should have tried to save them or done… something. Her mind drew a blank.

“Most of the people in the ballroom had time to flee,” he said.

That helped, but Sonia still had the gnawing sense of guilt that she should have done more— done anything other than cower under a table.

His hand stilled. His fingers seemed to dig in. “You are upset because you are a compassionate person. This is a good thing, but you must acknowledge that there was little to be done. The engines took a direct hit. That is the only reason for the ship to fail.”

“But—”

“Can you stop a missile? Restore shields? Rewind time and alert the ship’s captain to the danger?”

“Stop being reasonable,” she grumbled. She knew that when the masks dropped in an airplane, you put your mask on first before helping others. She knew that, but the guilt remained. “I wish I had time to grab the first aid kit.”

There. That was something she could have done if she had been thinking clearly. Instead, she grabbed her bag of art supplies. Brushes were expensive. In the heat of the moment, that was what she took. What that said about her as a person, she didn’t want to contemplate.

Materialistic, nasty, and greedy.

Optimistic, because that implied she’d be free of this space coffin in the future and painting again.

Yeah, gonna go with optimism.

“A medical kit is built into the pod,” Caldar said.

“Oh, good. I guess it’s not like we have room to use a kit now.”

“Indeed. Sleep will help. The Mahdfel have a superior rate of healing. As my body heals, it will push out the bullet.”

“You sound so matter-of-fact that I can almost ignore the arrogance.”

He laughed softly. With her ear pressed to his chest, it sounded like rumbling thunder. “See? We are already bickering. All is well.”

“Agree to disagree there,” she said.

“Try to rest.”

Sleep did not come easily, but eventually her eyes grew too heavy to remain open.

CALDAR

An indeterminate amount of time passed. Caldar shut down the pod’s internal clock and other functions to conserve power.

Sonia slept, her head resting on his chest. That pleased him more than he had any right to be. He drifted into a shallow sleep.

It was strange. He had spent a lifetime on his own. He had never felt the absence of others to be a lack before. Certainly, he never expected how easy it would be to sleep with another in a single bed or how correct it felt.

The pod jolted.

“What’s happening?” Sonia asked, her voice thick with sleep.

“We have been acquired.”

The pod jerked and moved, no longer drifting and bouncing off debris in the void. When motion ceased, they waited. Whoever collected the pod made no effort to open the object. After a period of sufficient time, Caldar opened the pod.

The lid released with a pressurized hiss.

“Let me go first,” he said.

“How? I’m literally on top of you.” She moved to climb out, her elbows jabbing into him with surprising force.

Caldar pulled himself to his feet, his injured leg protesting. The wound reopened. He felt fresh blood slowly trickle over the dried blood.

Lights flickered as he exited the pod, revealing a storage hold filled with other emergency pods from the Allure of the Stars, in addition to broken and abandoned equipment.

“This looks like a haunted warehouse,” Sonia said.

“It is where they collect garbage to be vented into space.”

“They put us in with the garbage. Charming.”

“Fortunate. Our pod could have been placed at the bottom of a stack of pods, unable to exit. Or in a holding area with guards,” he said.

She made a noise that he assumed to be agreement because he was terribly agreeable and seldom wrong.

“Sit. Where’s the first aid kit?” Sonia said.

“I can retrieve—”

“You look like you’re going to fall over. Sit.”

“I can stand.”

“Fine. Stand. Make your legs worse, bleed everywhere, and create a fall hazard because I’ll slip in the blood.”

“I am not bleeding so severely,” he said. The wound ached more than anything. Still, he sat on the floor. “I would not have you injure yourself because you are clumsy.”

“Thanks for that,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Good. Sonia sounded like herself; the anxious fear that gripped her had eased.

He handed her the multitool. “The bottom panel. It has a blue circle with a white star. Retrieve the kits that are there.”

“I recognize the symbol. The ship’s doctor uses the same symbol.” She kneeled before the pod and jabbed the multitool into the seams of the panel. “I mean, of course it’s the same symbol. Branding. It’d be weird if the cruise ship used different icons.”

Sonia retrieved two kits. Caldar opened the one with rations and water.

“Eat,” he said, shoving a ration bar to her.

“Let me take care of you, then I’ll eat.” She opened the medical kit, ignoring the ration bar.

“Sonia—”

“I’m not hungry. I’m fine.”

“That is a lie. Your stomach was growling while you slept. It distracted me. Eat so that I may think,” he said, wiggling the ration bar to entice her.

“Ugh, fine.” She grabbed the ration and tore the wrapper open with unnecessary force. She took an overly large bite. “Happy?” she asked, chewing around a mouthful.

“Now drink.” He tossed a water cube to her. Feeding her— even feeding her basic nutritional supplements— satisfied a primal need in him.

She quickly finished the ration bar and water, then returned her focus to the medical kit. “Okay, my first aid is basic, but this is for pain and this is a disinfectant.” She held up two packets.

“I do not require the pain patch,” he said.

She focused on opening the packets. “I appreciate that you’re a good liar, absolutely top-notch, but don’t lie to me. You don’t win points for being stoic.”

He was not interested in points, and he had not intended to lie. “Denial of pain is a Mahdfel trait. We are conditioned to ignore such inconveniences.”

“Hmm. Tearing your leg up because you won’t rest will be more than an inconvenience. Hold out your arm,” she said.

He held out his arm for the patch. Instantly, warmth spread along his arms, and his fingers tingled. It was disconcerting.

Using the multitool, she cut away the ruined fabric of his trousers. Carefully, she removed the fabric, cleaned the surrounding area, and the wound itself. The tip of her tongue peeked out from between her lips as she concentrated.

This felt… different. He had spent hours confined with her in a tiny pod, arguably an intimate setting, but the intimacy of this moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was more than the proximity of their bodies, more than the way the harsh lighting cast a pallor over her skin, or how she looked up at him through her eyelashes. It was the care she gave him. Her touch. Her attention. Her care. No one, absolutely no one, had ever cared for Caldar the way Sonia did at the moment.

It was too much. He had spent years—decades—of his life outside a clan. No family. No friends. As long as he was useful, he was tolerated. Even the foundling Caldar adopted had only stayed with him long enough to recover. Relyn left the moment he no longer needed Caldar.

It was a cold existence, and he was not sure he could return to it once he delivered Sonia safe and sound back to Earth.

Sonia had no idea what she did to him, how she undid all the armor and defenses he created over the years. No one was meant to get this close to him. No one was meant to care.

“You’ve got… stuff in there. I don’t want to dig around with my fingers,” she said.

“The projectile is designed to disintegrate,” he said, his voice unusually thick. He cleared his throat. “You will not be able to remove the fragments.”

“Yeah, but it’ll get infected if we leave them in there.” She frowned at the injury, like she could pull the fragments out with the force of her will alone.

If anyone could, it would be her.

“My immune system is superior. The chance of infection from non-toxic debris is unlikely. Covering the wound will suffice until a medic can remove the fragments,” he said.

“That sounds like more macho bullshit, but sure. I think that’s all I can do.” She applied a generous layer of antibiotic ointment—despite him telling her it was unnecessary—and covered the wound.

He rose to his feet in a fluid motion, thanks to the patch masking the pain in his leg. That could be a problem. If he needed to run, he might step poorly, and the leg would fail.

One problem at a time.

He lifted his knee, testing the adherence of the dressing. It would hold.

“Not too bad a job,” Sonia said. She planted her hands on her hips and looked around the storage hold. Immediately, her gaze focused on a rusty pry bar. “That looks useful.”

No. Whatever she had planned, he needed to stop this now.

“Sonia,” he said, his voice low. Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse quickened. He loved the way she responded to his voice alone. How would she respond to his touch?

A finger under her chin lifted her face to his. He repeated her name. They had spent hours in the pod, bodies pressed together, and he had resisted thinking about how wonderful she felt against him. Now he wished to savor her.

“I will kiss you now. Tell me if you don’t want this,” he said.

“I think you should kiss me. Right now.”

“Bossy,” he said, mirth in his tone.

“You love it.”

He did. He really did.

He lowered his lips to hers. The first brush was soft, almost a question, until she yielded to him and opened. The kiss deepened. The sensation of her surrounded him, in his arms, his hands, and the very air he breathed. He could not get enough of this wonderful female.

How she would hate him.

“My apologies,” Caldar said, pulling away, then shoved her back into the pod.

CHAPTER 7

CALDAR

He did not have much time. The Suhlik would arrive soon to extract the pod occupants. He grabbed the pry bar because Sonia was correct that it would be useful.

The multitool made short work of the mechanical lock on a maintenance duct. A simple mechanical lock. No biometrics or passcodes, just a lever to turn on the other side, which was odd. Not terribly long ago, Caldar had been on a Suhlik warship with more advanced security features. Why the downgrade? Had the Suhlik fleet been weakened, and all serviceable ships were at the frontlines?

No. He had observed a buildup of Suhlik forces preparing for an invasion into the Sangrin system. He had warned the Sangrin Council, but they would rather bicker amongst themselves than unite against a common foe. He had manipulated circumstances to involve the most influential warlord in the system, leaving a clearly visible trail of evidence.

Still, no action had been taken.

Frustrating.

That was the leading reason Caldar decided to take it upon himself to shadow Sonia on her travels. Times were uncertain. He could not allow the Terran female to be unprotected. He had a debt to repay, so forth and so on, and other lies he told himself to mask the fact that he liked Sonia.

He liked the way she saw through his deceptions and half-truths and did not hesitate to call him out on his bullshit. Such a useful Terran word. Even though Sonia perceived all his flaws and relished describing them in great detail, he felt as if she liked him. The true him, flawed, arrogant, and duplicitous.

Caldar crept through the maintenance duct. It was not tall enough to accommodate his horns, and he had to stoop. Despite the pain patch, the muscles in his injured leg burned.

The air inside the maintenance duct held an unpleasant odor, stale and dusty. It looked as if it had not seen any sort of maintenance or a cleaning bot in some time.

Odd.

Venturing further down the maintenance duct revealed the general neglect of the ship. Exposed wires hung from the ceiling. Smudged fingerprints, dirt, and other filth coated control panels, rendering them next to useless. The dim lighting could be due to an unstable power source or just a byproduct of Suhlik preferring low-light environments. He had never seen a Suhlik ship in such poor condition. The more he saw, the more he was convinced this was not part of the Suhlik invasion fleet but a rogue ship.

The tunnel branched. Caldar took the path most likely to lead him to a communication hub.

Voices drifted through the ventilation system. Caldar held still, listening to two males chatter.

“Back on duty?”

“I never left.”

“That is two shifts.”

The two males grumbled about the lack of down time. That was interesting but not what Caldar wanted to know.

“How many specimens did we scoop up this time?”

“Not enough. The doctor goes through them too quickly.”

“We would have acquired more if someone had held fire on the ship. Once the shields were down, continuing to fire was wasteful.”

The two voices murmured in agreement.

“We recovered emergency pods in the debris. Hopefully, that will sate the doctor’s thirst.”

The voices drifted away, leaving Caldar to turn over what they disclosed.

That was interesting. The presence of a doctor collecting specimens pointed to this being not a warship but a research vessel.

For the first time since the first missile struck the cruise ship, Caldar felt that he could triumph in this situation. He had always felt confident that he and Sonia would survive, but the survival of the other passengers had been in question. He had many skills, but he could not pull a miracle from a blackhole.

He could not do this alone.

After removing another ventilation covering, he climbed into an unoccupied room with a comm link. The unit had a security panel, but it was nothing he could not bypass with time.

A door opened.

“What are you doing—”

Caldar did not allow the male to finish his statement. The pry bar applied liberally to the jaw made sure of that. The unconscious male fell to the floor, and Caldar returned his attention to the comm link.

He was unsure who to contact.

A pragmatic male, he collected favors. A debt owed was another type of resource, after all, and favors were so wonderfully flexible. They could be anything and collected at any time. However, the list of those who owed him an outstanding favor who could help in this particular situation was short.

Extremely short.

Perhaps Relyn, the foundling Caldar adopted. Relyn had matured into a skilled male. Caldar would be glad to see Relyn again and to have him at his side.

Doubt crept in. Despite Relyn’s skills, this was a Suhlik warship. Relyn was one male, and Caldar’s injury impaired his ability to fight. Additionally, Relyn was no medic. If Sonia or another of the passengers required medical attention, the best he would be able to do would be to rummage through a med kit and hope for the best.

Unacceptable.

His own medical needs were a distant concern. While he had exaggerated his innate healing capability, his injury would heal. His body would push out the foreign matter. Eventually. He had told Sonia that it would be a matter of rest and perhaps a day of recovery.

Lies. The process would take weeks without a medic. Healing slowed as a warrior aged. Now that he was into his second century, he noticed that he tired quicker and recovered slower. It was frustrating.

Caldar should count himself fortunate that the Suhlik had not known about his presence on the ship. They had been equipped to capture civilians. If they had suspected a Mahdfel of being on board, they would have used different munitions with toxins designed to permanently injure a warrior.

As inconvenient as it was, Caldar had been struck with an ordinary projectile. It would heal in time and not even leave a scar.

And the passengers were injured. He could smell their blood through the ventilation system, under the dust of dirty filters. They required several medics. That narrowed down the list to one name: the warlord.

Caldar pressed the unconscious male’s hand to the security panel. Amber lights flickered as the screen woke.

He carefully worded his request to the warlord. Their last interaction had been less than cordial, but in the past they had mutual respect, if not friendship. Well, Caldar respected an intelligent male who was useful. Paax had flaws, such as a cumbersome notion of honor, but he had always been useful.

Caldar read the message twice, highlighting the injured passengers, before sending. Paax would come to his aid. What the warlord would demand of Caldar as payment, he could not say. He did, however, feel certain that he’d pay any price to keep Sonia safe.

The warlord would separate them, rightly so.

Caldar had no right to consider Sonia as his mate. Without a clan, he had little to offer. No security. No protection from the clan if he should fall in battle. His mate would be alone and defenseless. To dare to entertain such notions was selfishness beyond belief.

He needed to end this, before his feelings became too clouded with pointless hope and desire. When this began, he intended to pay a debt and to prove that he was more than a selfish male. Instead, he proved exactly that.

Caldar would wipe his hands of the matter and let the warlord deal with Sonia.

It was better this way.

SONIA

“You rat bastard. Let me out!” Sonia pounded a fist on the lid of the pod.

A scattering of lights twinkled in the darkness. “Access denied. Personal Emergency Pod must be opened manually.”

Sonia fumbled around the lid until she found the handle. She pulled, but it did not budge. “Computer, open the lid.”

“Access denied. Personal Emergency Pod must be opened manually,” the computer repeated.

“The lever won’t open.”

“Error. Lever jammed. Unable to open.”

Fantastic. Just great. Caldar shoved her in the pod and then broke it, keeping her trapped.

Breathe. Don’t panic.

Easier said than done. She was stuck in a coffin on a Suhlik ship, packed inside like sardines in a tin can waiting to be opened.

No, not a coffin. This was her bed, the same bed she slept in every night for more than a year. Not a coffin. Her bed. This wasn’t even the first time she’d been inside the emergency pod function. Plenty of times she’d woken in the middle of the night to absolute darkness and the computer informing her that asteroid debris activated the pod.

This was just like that. Just a storm. It would pass.

Sonia took a deep breath and released slowly. Sure, she was lying to herself, but freaking out did nothing. She should be using this time to plot her revenge, and revenge sounded so, so sweet.

She’d been so gullible, believing Caldar’s line about wanting to pay off debts and be a better person.

Bullshit. Sure, he’d done enough to win her trust, but he ditched her the moment she became inconvenient. He was selfish; that was all there was to him. Shame on her for being fooled by the handsome package.

He didn’t even offer a weak, “Stay here. I’ll have a look.”

Nope. Just shove and seal, like the world’s lamest instructions for making something in a crockpot. Just shove it in and seal the lid on tight.

Yeah, revenge sounded pretty good.

CHAPTER 8

CALDAR

The comm unit pinned to the unconscious male blinked with an incoming message. If there came no response, the unit would issue an automatic alert. Caldar had a handful of minutes to prepare.

From a hidden pocket in his boots, he removed a small capsule. With a crack, he dumped the contents onto his head. The chemical powder neutralized the dye in his hair, returning it to his natural gray. It would be better for the Suhlik to find an older—and presumably harmless—male.

Without his jacket, his tattoos easily identified him as Mahdfel. The intricate symbols were more than decorative. They were a shared language. Long ago, the Suhlik branded their captive warriors. They were marks of shame and resentment. Once the Mahdfel seized their freedom, they turned the same branding into a ritual of place and belonging.

He removed the stunner from the unconscious male and searched for hidden weapons. Nothing. The stunner would have to suffice.

Caldar leaned against the console, taking weight off his leg. It did not hurt, but it also did not feel stable. Even though falling over mid-fight would reinforce the notion of Caldar being old and harmless, his ego would not allow it. He would fight to the best of his ability, even if only briefly.

As it happened, he got off two good shots with the stunner before the guards overwhelmed him.

“This one smells like he has a female,” a male said. He twisted Caldar’s arm, driving him to his knees.

“That would explain his behavior. The creatures are not overly complicated.”

Caldar laughed, which earned him a knee between the shoulders and being forced to the floor.

“Continue to laugh and discover the consequences,” the soldier threatened.

It was hard to stop laughing. For all their posturing and air of superiority, the Suhlik were largely the same as the Mahdfel. The genetic manipulation they perfected in the Mahdfel, they used on themselves. As a result, Suhlik warriors came in two flavors: brawn and brains. If he was not overly complicated, neither were they.

“Stop laughing.” The knee pressed down harder. Caldar’s face smashed into the face, but the pain was inconsequential.

“Do not harm my mate,” Caldar said, his words garbled.

“He pleads but he is not desperate. You ignore his injury,” the other male said.

A foot pushed Caldar onto his back, then pressure was applied to the wound on his thigh.

He gritted his teeth to keep from screaming.

I must protect Sonia. The soldiers wanted a show. They needed to think they broke a Mahdfel warrior. If he must beg, then he would beg.

“My mate… Please, do not harm her.” Caldar’s words came out in broken gasps.

“The prisoner is not your plaything. If you break him, you will have to carry him to the doctor.”

“Stand.” Rough hands hauled Caldar to his feet. His head swam, and his leg barely supported his weight. Cuffs were placed on his hands.

He did not resist. He portrayed a docile male, willing to submit to protect his mate.

“I’m sure the doctor will have a use for you,” a guard said, shoving Caldar down a corridor.

SONIA

So, this was different.

Instead of being dragged out of the pod and tossed into a crowded cell with the other passengers, where they’d have a bucket of water, a bucket of gruel and a hole in the floor for waste to share among a dozen or more people—movies were pretty bleak—she got this. A hedge maze.

A freaking maze.

Sonia tilted her head back and stared up at the night sky. Well, she assumed it was a sky. There were stars against an inky black backdrop—very sky-like. The air was fresh, lacking the staleness of filtered air mixed with chemical perfumes to recreate summer fields, beach summer, or anything else that sounded like a fancy candle. Not that she assumed the Suhlik were concerned about their hostages’ olfactory experience while in a holding cell.

A warm breeze dried the sweat off the back of her neck.

The sky looked real. The air smelled real. The breeze felt real. The chirping insects sounded real.

If she was still inside a ship, the space had to be cavernous. From what she understood about aerospace engineering—nothing—the larger the ship, the slower. Suhlik raiders needed a quick and stealthy ship. Tooling around in a ship with a hedge maze in a stadium-sized hanger just didn’t seem practical.

This had to be real. The Suhlik ruined her cruise, grabbed her pod, and dumped her on some random planet.

Sure. Why not? That made as much sense as anything else.

It was so hot for the middle of the night. At least the insects sounded peaceful.

Despite the sweltering heat, she kept Caldar’s jacket on. Sweat rolled down her back. Yes, it was silly to wear it, and yes, she was still upset with him, but it was a comfort thing. She needed all the comfort she could get.

Sonia didn’t know how she got here. Her best guess was she had been dosed with drugs when the Suhlik opened her pod, then they dumped her here. On a planet. In a maze. For some reason.

There was just enough moonlight to make out the leaves of a hedge. They were nearly black, glistening pearly white where the light caught. The hedge went well over Sonia’s head. Too tall to climb? Behind her, the hedge stretched. In front, more hedge. The walkway was wide enough for her to stretch out her hands.

Sonia looked up. How tall could it be? She might as well try to climb up and find the way out. She reached into the hedge to grab onto a branch and sliced open her palm for her trouble.

“Motherfucker!” She cradled her bleeding hand to her chest, ruining Caldar’s jacket and her formerly white blouse. Her hand tingled. Was it supposed to tingle?

The razor-sharp leaves of the hedge glowed softly in the dim light, almost majestic if they weren’t clearly a vicious murder plant in a murder maze. She half-expected the 1980s David Bowie to saunter out as the Goblin King in too-tight pants. That was the vibe of the place.

She wished Caldar were there. He was objectively awful and not a good person, but he seemed keen on keeping her alive, which Sonia totally supported.

Great, she was stuck in a murder maze, and she wanted her alien… who wore too-tight pants.

Oh no. Oh no.

Was Caldar her Jareth? Sonia had been fascinated with the movie when she was a kid and never understood why Sarah turned down Jareth. He was quality boyfriend material. He was good with kids. Liked hanging out with Muppets. Danced and could sing. Looked amazing in super tight pants. He kidnapped her baby brother when she asked, because acts of service were his love language.

Caldar hadn’t kidnapped any babies—that she knew of—but he did abduct her friend, Wyn, very briefly. They had a whole moment in a ballroom before things were sideways. Morally gray? He was the grayest. Tight pants? Check.

Huh.

Screw emo art school guys. Apparently, morally gray Goblin Kings were her type.

Sonia tore off a strip of cloth from the bottom of her blouse to bandage her hand, which was harder than she expected with one hand. Too bad Caldar didn’t have anything useful in his pockets. All she found was her pencil and a staff keycard for the cruise ship.

Something howled in the distance.

Sonia jumped, clutching her bandage hand to her chest. Her back brushed against the leaves of the hedge, slicing through the jacket.

“Fuck!” She moved again; this time careful to avoid cutting herself.

This place was the worst.

At a juncture, she could go left or right. Either way looked the same: dark, forbidding, and filled with slicey-dicey bushes.

“Left or right?” Because talking to herself was the first sign of coping well with stress. Unfortunately, there were no cute puppet monsters to give her directions.

“The direction does not matter. However, I do not recommend touching the clahdiv,” a computer-generated voice said. It was slightly distorted, like a worn recording or blown out speakers.

Sonia looked up and spun around, as if she could spot the source of the voice. She’d really rather have to deal with a puppet monster than a disembodied voice. Those things were never good news.

“I spent far too long cultivating a specimen with unique properties to have you ruin it with your Terran pathogens,” the voice said.

“Sounds good. Why don’t you just point me to a ship out of here and I’ll stop contaminating your stuff?” she said.

“My apologies. I have already released the—” The translator chip went fuzzy on the word. “They are already fixated on the hunt. I cannot stop the process.”

Well, that didn’t sound good.

“I guess I’m going to get my pathogens on all your plants,” she said, because it was the only threat she had. “Out of curiosity, is the plant poisonous?”

“Most definitely. Forgive me for not making introductions. I am the doctor. You are the volunteer. You do not ask questions. This is not a discourse.”

Sonia really hated this guy. Or gal. It was hard to tell with the distortion.

“If you can find your way to the center of the maze before the hounds—” again, not hounds, but a word the translator didn’t pick up “—then you will move to the next round.”

Howls—presumably belonging to the hounds—rang in the distance.

“Why would I want to play your game?” Honestly, fuck this doctor and their bullshit.

“Because your mate is waiting for you at the center of the maze. He wasn’t cooperative, so I had to sedate him. There was so much blood.”

“Caldar?” Her throat went dry. Who else could the doctor mean?

“Hurry. Find your mate before the hounds.”

CHAPTER 9

SONIA

Sonia felt like she was having that uncanny stress dream where she tried to call 911 but her fingers wouldn’t work right or the numbers on the keypad no longer made sense. Her entire hand was numb, and her arm hung useless at her side. She felt hot and sticky, but also cold.

This is a fever.

It barely bothered her. She kept walking and turning left at every juncture, because she just couldn’t make a choice at the moment. Everything hurt. Everything felt fuzzy.

“What the hell is even happening?” she asked no one in particular.

“How should I know?” she answered.

Great. Now she was conversing with herself.

“I should be on a beach on a planet with three moons, drinking cotton-candy-colored confections, and complaining about, I don’t know, saturated fats.”

She wanted to kick a rock, but there were no rocks or anything that could be used as a weapon in the maze, just the maze itself. The path between the hedges had a squishy, rubberized coating, like a kid’s playground. It was such a pointless, needless detail, like the people who raided her cruise ship and plopped her down into a maze made from poison plants didn’t want her to get a skinned knee.

“Now I have to rescue Caldar, because of course I do. I don’t even know if I want to rescue him.”

Now would be a good time to kick a rock.

Sonia stumbled over her own foot and fell to the ground, catching herself with her bad hand. She hissed in pain, tears rolling down her face. Now her hand throbbed, and that was so much worse than numbness.

“Fuck!” She shouted a string of profanities. Hopefully, the mastermind behind this terrible game, the doctor, or whatever they were calling themselves, was listening.

Cursing helped. Shouting helped more, but now her throat was parched.

“He’s not my mate. I don’t know what he’s been telling you, but you got it all wrong. I don’t even like him. He’s my stalker,” she said. Sure, he had saved her from those muggers, and then saved her from being sucked into the void of space. He had a few good qualities. “Fine, I like him a little. Like, a teeny tiny amount.”

She rubbed her aching arm with her good hand. The throbbing was still there but only when she focused on it.

“Get up,” she told herself.

Getting to her feet was a struggle. She was in pain and poisoned or having an allergic reaction to the deadly hedge plants. This wasn’t her finest moment, but she got back on her feet, because Sonia Newton was a survivor.

She didn’t make it through an alien invasion to die in some knockoff labyrinth filled with the wrong kind of puppet monsters. She was going to get to the center of the maze, find Caldar, and then get the hell off this ship.

Her Goblin King needed her.

CALDAR

Caldar woke on a slab.

This was different.

Warm night air surrounded him. He did not recognize the stars but given enough time, he could determine his location.

Vines pinned him to a cold metal slab. The thick vines tightened around his wrist as he tugged and did not budge. Leaves with sharp edges sliced into his skin. His hands and feet were fixed in place unless he wanted to cut himself to ribbons.

“You metabolized that dose of sedative at an alarming rate,” a figure said. They stepped into Caldar’s line of sight. An older male, judging from the white scales and white feathered crest.

“Perhaps your sedative was inferior,” Caldar said.

“It is a new formulation.”

“My statement has not been proven incorrect.”

The male did not seem impressed. “I always believed that independent thought was a design flaw. A warrior needs to follow orders. They do not need to think or have opinions.”

“I appreciate that I am your captive and your options for engaging conversation are limited, but I would appreciate it if we skip the gloating and taunting.”

“Go straight to the torture? You are a very efficient male.” The male held up a syringe. Moonlight gleamed on the tip of the needle.

“You could release me. I will free myself. It is inevitable. Let us save time and skip that,” Caldar said, explaining his perfectly reasonable position.

“You are amusing, but no. I’m curious how your body will metabolize this compound. It is one I perfected for our warriors to start the breeding process,” the male said, then jabbed Caldar with the needle.

Ice flooded his body.

“Tell me what you did,” Caldar demanded.

“I’m correcting another design flaw. You are not required to think. You are only required to claim your mate.”

“I do not have—”

“Spare me the lies. She is on her way. When you catch her scent, you will not be able to resist.” The male leaned over Caldar, a smug look on his face. He tapped Caldar’s forehead with each word he spoke. “No. More. Thinking. Only breeding.”

Caldar bucked, needle-like thorns piercing his skin as he tried to break free. The injection would send him into a mating rut. He wouldn’t do that to Sonia. He refused, even if the idea sent a flush of desire through him.

No. Not without her permission. Not coerced.

“She won’t come for me. She hated me,” Caldar said, his voice already slurring.

“You are incorrect. She is on her way now.”

His body felt too hot and hard. His tattoos burned. His fangs ached, and he knew, somehow, that the only way to purge himself of this poison was to sink his fangs into the delicious curve of Sonia’s neck.

“She won’t come. She won’t,” he repeated, needing to believe it.

CHAPTER 10

SONIA

The narrow hedge row opened into a small clearing. At the center was a pedestal, upon which a bottle sat.

“Oh, nothing about this is fucky,” Sonia muttered.

She circled the pedestal. A label read “Consume me,” which was not suspicious at all. Droplets of moisture clung to the bottle. She licked her dry lips, desperate for a cold drink.

Was it water? Poison? Medicine?

Sonia grabbed the bottle from the pedestal, half-expecting the act to trigger a trap.

Nothing.

She opened the top and sniffed. It smelled sweet, like maple syrup. She checked the label again.

Consume me. Not apply to injury. What kind of strange test was this? To see if she followed vague orders? Or was too proud to accept a beverage when she was dying of thirst?

She needed to get to Caldar before the hounds did, but she wouldn’t get there if she fell over from dehydration.

She definitely wouldn’t get to him if she guzzled down poison like a sucker.

“Screw it. If it’s poison, it’ll have to fight the poison already in me,” Sonia said, and drank the contents of the bottle.

It was sweet and thick with the sticky consistency of cough syrup. Sonia sputtered, her eyes watering as she forced herself to swallow. At least it was cold.

She emptied the bottle and waited for stomach cramps or some clue that she made the wrong choice.

Nothing.

No. There was something. Her head felt clear. That sluggish, feverish feeling eased. She was tired and sore and still thirsty and just generally miserable, but a little less miserable.

Okay. She didn’t know what to think about the random bottle of not-poison. Leaving it for her to find was almost kind.

Totally suspicious.

Slight problem. There was a moat.

Sonia stared at the expanse of water. Even if she wasn’t down an arm and feeling feverish, she couldn’t swim. She never learned before the invasion, and public swimming pools weren’t a priority after. She went to the shore once and waded knee-deep. That was as far as she went.

On top of that, she couldn’t even trust the water to be water. It might be acid.

The liquid in the moat was crystal clear, allowing Sonia to see the stones scattered under the water and right down to the pebble-covered bottom. There were no insects or fish in the water, not even moss growing on the stones.

Sonia fished out the keycard from the jacket pocket and dipped a corner into the moat.

The water bubbled and fizzed.

That definitely wasn’t water.

Sonia retraced her steps back to the last juncture and went in the opposite direction. The hedges twisted and turned but ultimately brought her back to the same ditch.

Well, shit.

“There has to be a solution,” she told herself. “Dr. Mysterious wants you to find Caldar. If they wanted you dead, you’d be dead. They want to toy with you because they’re a sick fucker, so there has to be a way to get across.”

Sonia felt tempted to go back and try to find another path. It was a maze. There had to be a way around this, but rustling the hedges reminded her that she wasn’t alone in the maze.

Symbols were etched in the ground in front of the moat. Sonia worried at a symbol with the toe of her shoe. The glyph lit with an internal light, and a stone rose from the water.

Sonia stepped back, surprised. The stone sank back under the water.

“Okay, this is a puzzle. I suck at puzzles.”

If she was feeling less stressed and more clear-headed, she might have been able to work out a pattern, but that wouldn’t happen today. There were three symbols on the ground, which meant a limited amount of combinations to try. She’d solve it with brute force.

Sonia pressed the symbols one after the other, starting with the left. One, two, three.

Stones rose and sank, almost as soon as she stopped pressing the glyph. The stones were spaced just far enough apart that she could cross the moat if she jumped carefully.

“Awesome. A jumping puzzle,” she said dryly. One of her least favorite kinds of video game puzzles. Only underwater levels were worse. “Please don’t have an underwater level.”

Sonia methodically moved through the possible glyph combinations. One, two, three, obviously. One, two, one. One, three, two. Rinse and repeat. Stones rose and sank back into the not-water.

Snarling broke her concentration. A person-shaped lump of flesh crept forward on all fours, moving on unsettlingly long fingers and toes. It moved… wrong. Just wrong. Crouched down, the shoulders moved independently of each other. The arms bent wrong. Black straps covered the eyes, wrists, and ankles. The skin was waxy and pale. The jaw bulged forward like the mouth had too many teeth to contain.

That was… a hound? That was something that crawled out of a nightmare.

Another rounded the corner, just as monstrous as the other. Then another. They formed a pack of three. Thick black bands covered their eyes.

The lead hound lifted its head and sniffed the air. Moving as one, the pack turned to Sonia.

It tilted back its head and howled. She saw the flash of teeth. Sharp white teeth.

Sonia swallowed, tasting acid at the back of her throat. She couldn’t do this. She was going to puke all over her shoes, and she was wearing sandals so it would be extra gross, and then she’d slip in her own vomit and be eaten by the hounds.

Do something.

Sonia reached into the jacket pocket and brandished the only thing she found: her pencil.

“Stay back. I’m an artist—I know how to use this,” she said, moving her foot behind her and tapping the next combination.

The stones rose and fell.

She tried again, only tapping the first symbol before the front hound moved closer. Sonia tossed the pencil like a javelin. It bounced off the hound’s disturbingly human face.

Moving before her brain caught up with her feet, she finished the combination.

The stones rose.

And stayed.

She jumped onto the first stone. The bottom of her sandals crackled.

Right. Acid.

Sonia hurried across, her sandals sliding but otherwise not melting off her feet.

A hound tried to follow, jumping onto the stone after her, but it misstepped and a foot hit the water. It howled in pain.

The other two hounds paced on the shore, as if trying to decide if they should risk the jump. The injured hound went back, and as a pack, they left. Sonia felt certain they were going to find another way around. She was running out of time.

The sky lightened to a pearly gray. Dawn was coming. She needed to reach the center of the maze before the hounds caught up with her again.

“Unbelievable.”

Sonia reached the center of the maze. The hedges ringed the clearing, forming a tidy circle. The center of the clearing held two objects: an emergency pod, all powered up and ready to go, and Caldar, lashed to a table with the slice-and-dice plant. The lights on the pods flashed in a pattern, flickering one by one slowly and until they were all illuminated. The pattern repeated, this time faster.

A countdown.

The same glyphs that were used for the moat puzzle were etched into the ground. Playing a random combination temporarily opened the barrier. There were no glyphs on the other side. Once she crossed the barrier, she was stuck.

The countdown lights on the pod went faster and faster. It was obvious that she wouldn’t have time to free Caldar and reach the pod before launch.

The last puzzle had trained her for this one, and Sonia did not appreciate the feeling of being a mouse in a maze who was rewarded with a hunk of cheese for learning to press a lever.

Yeah. This was some grade-A bull.

Really? She had to pick between saving herself or saving Caldar?

Caldar rolled his head to one side and spotted her. Immediately, he struggled against the vines holding her in place. His mouth moved as he shouted, but the sound did not cross the barrier. He was probably telling her to go away or save herself.

Sonia shifted from foot to foot. These moral dilemma choices were the worst because they weren’t really a choice. Be selfish and live with guilt or do the right thing and die horribly.

Caldar would tell her to get into the pod. Was currently telling her to get in the pod.

Caldar also wouldn’t leave her behind.

How many movies had this exact scenario? Sonia always ended up shouting at the screen for the character to get the hell out. In a horror movie, there was always the Last Girl, the one who survived because she listened to her gut. She was a Last Girl.

She didn’t owe Caldar anything. He wasn’t her friend. He was her alien stalker. If anything, she was in this terrible maze because of him. She could climb into that emergency pod and not feel an ounce of guilt.

Probably. She was a Last Girl. She was a survivor. Guilt served no purpose.

“Fuck!” She tossed her hands in the air and shouted to the doctor in case he was listening. He probably was, the creep. “Fuck, I hate this. I hate you.”

It wasn’t a choice. Not really.

Sonia worked her way through glyph combinations until she found the one that unlocked a passage to Caldar. She would free him—somehow—and they’d figure a way out—somehow. This was her labyrinth.

The barrier opened. She counted out the seconds until it flickered back in place.

Fifteen seconds. Just enough time to run through but not out.

Okay. She entered the combination again and ran.

CHAPTER 11

SONIA

Caldar bucked against the table. “No! You shouldn’t be here.”

He looked good. Well, in rough shape from the vines holding him to the table and the dried blood and the general look of having the tar beat out of him. For all of that, his strong form was laid out on the table like a meal.

Her mouth watered. She ached for his touch. The need to climb on to the table and straddle him was overwhelming, which made no sense. She didn’t do random hookups, and she certainly didn’t get off on dangerous situations. The last thing—the very last thing—she needed to do was ride Caldar’s dick.

But that dick, though—

Sonia wiped the corner of her mouth, disgusted with herself. Something was wrong. She said, “Stop moving. You’re making it worse.”

A convenient blade was stuck into the ground at the foot of the table. Subtle. Sonia pulled the knife out and tried to figure out the best way to cut Caldar free.

“Don’t,” he said.

“So help me, Caldar, if you’re too macho to accept being rescued by a damsel, I will feed you to the hounds. Now stop squirming. I’m not left-handed.” Her right hand was useless and her left nearly as useless, but she could get a grip on the handle. The knife sliced through the thick vines holding his foot.

An alarm beeped, snagging her attention. The lights on the emergency pod reached their final countdown, and it launched into the atmosphere.

“There goes our ride,” she said, not that she expected it to hang around.

Caldar did not seem to notice. His eyes were focused on her, burning hot. “Don’t free me. I was injected with a compound—”

Sonia paused. “What sort of compound?”

“I don’t know, but I want you. Need you.” He lifted his hips, drawing her attention to his massive hard-on.

Oh.

Oh, fuck.

“The weird doctor gave you an aphrodisiac?”

“I do not know the specifics, but I am out of mind to have you. Do not free me.”

“I think I was dosed too.” That explained the warm flush of need and aching want in her.

“How?” he growled, which was the sexiest damn sound she ever heard.

Sonia bit her lip and sighed. This was out of hand.

“I don’t know. The bottle of water? It wasn’t water, more like an energy drink. Shit.” She shouldn’t have drunk the contents of the random bottle conveniently left in the maze for her to find. “I got jabbed by a plant. I think it might have been to counteract that. The pain went away.”

Sonia peered closed at the vines twisting around his wrists. The more he struggled, the tighter they wrapped around him. Wickedly sharp thorns dug into his skin. The area around the punctures was discolored, a sickly gray.

Not good.

Thorns were embedded into the food she already freed. The skin had the same discoloration. She pushed up his pant leg. The gray spread up his ankle, following a vein. So not good.

“I think you’re having a reaction to the thorns. I need to dig them out,” she said.

“It is toxic to me. The toxin will kill you if you are exposed.” His words slurred, like his tongue was too thick. That wasn’t the only thing too thick.

She glanced up at his crotch.

Don’t think of thick things.

Caldar laughed. It was low and far too sexy, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

She cleared her throat. Focus. “I’ll just have to be careful then,” she said.

She brought the blade to the vines wrapped around his other foot. Her left hand trembled. Using her bum right hand for stability, the blade stopped shaking. How could she dig out thorns when she could barely cut through a vine? She needed to concentrate, but how could she concentrate when she positively ached for him? Sweat rolled down his throat, and she wanted nothing more than to lick it up. Maybe, maybe just a little—

“I can’t,” she said, jerking the blade away. “I can’t think like this.”

“Sonia—” His voice, low and needy, promised all sorts of delights. Her body was right there, eager and ready. She wanted to be used, to be filled, and pounded until she couldn’t walk straight.

“How do you do that? I feel like I could come just from your voice alone.” She flushed, embarrassed to have shared that.

“Then you should come,” he said.

“What?”

“It might help,” he paused, as if searching for the best way to explain his idea, “to take the edge off.”

“You want me to… in front of you…” She should have been mortified at the idea of touching herself—masturbating, she could barely even think it—with an audience. Instead, she tingled at the idea. Her eyes fluttered closed, imagining what it would be like to slip her hand into her panties and touch herself with Caldar watching. “I don’t do that. I’m not like that.”

Apparently, she was like that now.

“Free one of my hands and I will take care of myself. We will do this together,” he said, and it was the best damn idea she ever heard.

She ran her hands through her twists. Sweat plastered strands of hands to her forehead. “Are we really drugged?”

“I am. Only you know your mind.”

“I don’t feel like myself.” Sonia had always needed to know a person before she felt the spark of attraction, and she definitely felt that with Caldar, but this was something else. This raw desire felt frantic—wrong. The only thing that seemed right was the urge to rip Caldar’s pants open and swallow his dick until she choked.

Yeah, that was not her normal thought process. She said, “I was drugged. Let’s do it.”

His top lip curled back, like a snarl, like he was loath to say his next words. “We can do nothing. It will metabolize out of our bodies. It will be unpleasant, but we will survive.”

“We don’t know how long that will take, and you need to get the vines off and the thorns out of you.” She climbed onto the table, knife in her good hand, and straddled his legs. “I’m going to unbuckle your pants and free one of your hands. Which one do you want?”

It felt weird asking her alien which hand was his jerking-off hand, but it felt even more weird to open his pants.

His cock sprang free, thick and proud. The head, a surprisingly delicate blushing pink color, wept copiously. Could she even wrap her hand around that thing?

Unable to resist, she wrapped a hand around his member. Her fingers barely met on the other side. She stroked up, running her thumb over the weeping head and spreading the pre-cum.

She licked her thumb, relishing the salty taste of him.

“Sonia—” He growled, and she groaned in response.

Fuck. She really could come from his voice alone.

“I should have asked. I’m sorry,” she said. The toxins flowing in her were bad enough, but she could still control her actions. She wasn’t mindless to the lust burning in her. Not yet, at least.

“You can do anything you want to me when this is over.” His voice shook as he spoke. “My left hand. Cut me free.”

She scooted forward, very aware of his dick just there and standing proud. It brushed against her stomach as she leaned forward to cut his left hand.

The vines fell away, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him. His hips bucked up as he ground himself against her. She fought the urge to grind down on him, because she wanted to. She ached and throbbed. It wouldn’t take much. If her head had been a little clearer, she would have walked around the table to cut him free, rather than climb and squirm all over him. Well, live and learn.

“Caldar,” she said, her voice calm, “you need to let me go.”

One by one, his fingers peeled away.

She scooted back down to a safe distance. “Thank you,” she said, staring at his dick again. He gripped it at the base and stoked up, twisting at the head and back down again. She licked her lips, the taste of him still on her tongue. “Okay, so we’re just starting, I guess.”

“Show me how you pleasure yourself,” Caldar said.

Sonia slipped a hand under the waistband of her skirt and under her panties. Her flesh was hot and already slick. She might have died from embarrassment with anyone else, but Caldar watched her with such heat in his eyes that there was no room for embarrassment.

Her core ached, and her clit throbbed. Her fingers circled that needy bundle of nerves and stroked her folds, dragging out a moan. It wouldn’t take much. She was already close, her thighs trembling and heart racing.

Caldar licked his lips, like watching her touch herself was the greatest thing he’d ever seen.

The intensity of his stare emboldened her. Her hips rocked. The tattered pieces of the skirt fell open, putting herself on display, and she wanted him to see. Needed him to see. She tossed her head back, letting herself moan long and loud.

She was almost there. So close—

“Sonia.” Her name was as soft as a prayer, filled with longing and wonder. His hand worked up and down his shaft, stroking faster and faster.

“Caldar!” She rubbed at a near frantic pace, jerking her hips for that extra bit of friction, and her climax broke over her. She gasped, her eyes flying open and a smile on her lips.

Caldar erupted with a shout, spurting up from his hand and creating a mess.

A delicious mess.

“May I?” she asked, already reaching for his hand.

“Sonia, yes,” he answered.

She pressed his hand to her mouth, hiding her smile. She wanted to tease about rendering him speechless, because she didn’t think Caldar could ever be speechless, but decided against it. She’d rather keep him speechless.

She licked his hand clean, taking her time to get every drop. Then she lowered herself to his cock and licked the head, just to be thorough. She enjoyed the feel of him in her mouth. Still hard, she wondered how long he needed to be ready to go again. The desperate, raw need had abated, but she’d like more. A content, fuzzy feeling floated inside her. She didn’t want it to end.

A hand tapped the back of her head. “Sonia,” he whispered.

She sat back, resting her weight on his legs. Hormones were flying around her body, but her mind felt clearer. “Did it work? I think I’m better.”

Sweat beaded his brow. His chest heaved. His cock was still thick. Sonia ignored all that as she carefully worked out the thorns with the back of the blade. Occasionally she’d glance back just to check.

Yup. Still hard. Was that a side effect of the drug? Or was a constantly hard dick just a fact of life for a Mahdfel? Oh, all the things she never thought to ask her bestie who married an alien but should have …

Finally, all that was left was his last bound hand. The area under the vines was nearly black. The toxin spread down his arm, a dark gray against his aubergine skin. She said, “I’m going to cut you free.”

“No. Do not. I am not in my right mind.”

“Caldar, your skin is nearly black. It’s an infection or reaction. It’s not good.”

He twisted his head to get a better look at his bound hand. “It is fine. I do not need—”

“If you’re about to tell me that you don’t need that hand, just cram it. No one is losing limbs on my watch, which is a thing I honestly never thought I’d have to say, but here we are.”

“If you cut me, I will not be able to control myself. The toxin has not been purged from my system. I will claim you,” he spoke slowly, as if each word were drawn painfully from him. “Mark you as my mate.”

He needed sex. Right there.

The idea didn’t horrify her. Oh, the circumstances were horrifying. None of her fantasies ever involved surviving an exploding cruise ship, being dumped into a labyrinth, only to be chased by monsters. All that could fuck right off. But her and Caldar? That seemed right. Inevitable.

They kissed—and it was amazing.

Sonia touched her lips, still tasting him.

The fog of lust and desire cleared. She was herself now, or approaching herself. She no longer needed him with mindless desire. If she climbed off him, she’d stay in control of herself.

But he would suffer, possibly die from the toxic thorns. If she cut him free, he’d claim her. He said as much. Caldar and his kind played for keeps. There’d be no going back if she cut the vines.

It was an impossible choice: keep control of her body and he dies, or save him and get claimed as an alien mate.

What would she regret more— at some future point, assuming they survived this— losing her autonomy or losing Caldar?

She couldn’t live with herself if he died.

Just like that, she knew what she had to do. Calmness descended over her. Caldar was far from perfect, but she liked— loved? — him. High pressure situations were far from ideal for making big life decisions, but nothing about the decision felt wrong. It felt right.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“No, it is not.” He tugged the restraint against his wrist. “I will be unable to control myself. I’ll have you and—”

“It’ll be okay,” she repeated. “I want you to. I want to.”

“Sonia,” he croaked, absolute desperation in his voice. “Not like this.”

“What happens if you stay like this? These vines are poisonous.”

He tilted his head back and groaned. It grew steadily into a roar. Sonia felt it, right down to the center of her being.

That… that should not have been so hot.

“I can smell you. Your arousal.” His expression changed. No, more than that. His face changed. She couldn’t describe it, but how he held himself, the set of his jaw, the pout of his lips, his brows—it changed like he had put on a mask.

Or removed the mask he wore, finally revealing his true nature.

He watched her with hungry eyes. Everything about his face seemed leaner, sharper.

She wasn’t sure untying him was the best option.

Poison. Right.

With her left hand, she slashed away at the last of the vines.

He lunged for her, catching her with his massive hands, and they slammed to the ground.

CALDAR

His mate.

They rolled onto the ground. He positioned himself to take the fall, letting her supple body rest on his. She squeaked in surprise, then struggled to move away. He wouldn’t let her.

Caldar wrapped his arms around her. Protect. Keep. The sour smell of fear and sweat clung to her. It was wrong. She needed to smell of summer fruits, lotion, and sometimes the chemical odor of drying paint.

He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

“Stop it,” she squeaked.

Better. Now she smelled of sweat and him.

Oh, but she had another aroma on her hand.

He needed to taste her. With more force than strictly necessary, he grabbed her hand, the one she used to pleasure herself. The aroma was strongest here, clinging to her fingers.

He licked them clean, savoring the sweet and musky taste of her. Something inside him wound tighter. Watching her touch herself had not worked. Chasing his own release had not worked. The fire, a desperate burning need, roared inside him. Some part of his mind, a small part still capable of coherent thoughts, remembered that the doctor wanted to see how his body reacted to the compound.

Everything in him screamed to claim Sonia as his mate. He couldn’t. It was against protocol. He was a dishonorable male with no clan. He had nothing to offer her. He had asked, and she did not give consent. Whatever she said under the influence of the compound was not good enough. He would not take this choice away from her.

And yet, the fire wouldn’t release him until he did.

“Tell me no,” he begged.

“I won’t.”

“Female—” He could barely speak. His throat was dry and his voice hoarse.

“Do what you have to do,” she insisted. “Please.”

It wasn’t a choice at all.

He pressed his face to the curve of her neck. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t the way, but he was unable to stop. His mouth watered. His fangs itched. They were heavy and needed to bite. To mark. To claim.

His mate. His.

He licked the skin, tasting salt. His teeth grazed her skin. She shivered, but she did not fight him. It wasn’t permission. She would hate him, and he already hated himself, but it was in motion.

His fangs found the spot and sank into her.

CHAPTER 12

CALDAR

When rescue came, as he knew it would, he allowed himself to be separated from his mate. The Mahdfel warriors were unknown to him, but Caldar knew their type: upright and righteous. They placed cuffs on his wrists behind his back. Every part of his body screamed in agony, but he did not resist.

“Wait, where are you taking him?” his mate asked.

“Female, do not struggle,” a male said, holding Sonia back.

“Do not touch her. Do not harm her,” Caldar warned. Despite having his hands bound and hardly enough strength to stand, he would break every bone in the impertinent male’s body.

“He’s hurt. Can’t you see that? He needs a doctor,” Sonia said.

“He will wait in the brig until a medic can attend to him. We must first assess the other survivors,” the male said.

Caldar closed his eyes, pleased to hear of the existence of other survivors. His message reached the warlord in time. They found the Suhlik research vessel.

“Now. He’s going to pass out. Look at him,” Sonia said. “Look at him!”

There was muttered conversation. Caldar didn’t care. The warlord found his mate. The other survivors meant little beyond that his mate would be pleased they were saved.

He did not resist when they separated him from his mate.

He did not resist when they confined him to a secured unit in the medical bay.

He did nothing as the medics worked.

He remained passive when he was transferred to the brig.

He said nothing as the warlord paced and listed all his crimes.

“Tell me of Sonia’s status. She was injured,” Caldar said, ignoring the warlord. What did he care about his transgressions? He had too many to list. Sonia was the only thing that mattered.

“The medics are treating her now. They are confident that the damage can be reversed.”

Caldar slumped against the wall in relief.

The warlord continued to speak. Caldar did not listen. There was no point.

“I cannot ignore this. Not this time,” Paax said.

A plasma infused dagger hung at his side. The edge glowed a soft blue, sparking and flaring as the warlord moved. The significance of the blade did not escape Caldar. The warlord was there to deliver his punishment.

They had been friends, once, long ago before Caldar left the clan. Time and new responsibility weighed on the warlord. They were roughly the same age, and had gone through training together. Now the lines around Paax’s eyes and mouth seemed deeper, worn by worry and constant work. One of his horns had been severed at the scalp. The stump had a clean break, rising out of his hair.

“You are not even listening,” Paax said, sounding irritated.

“You lost your horn,” Caldar responded.

“Tell me you understand.”

“I pursued a female. I claimed her. I have broken the main tenet of several treaties that the Mahdfel hold with Earth, Sangrin, and other planets in our alliance. Such action jeopardizes the relationship with not just Earth, but any alliance planet. An example must be made of me, lest other males believe themselves above regulations,” he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “Did I forget anything?”

The only moment he felt doubt was when he heard Sonia shout for him. She forced her way into the brig, the other warriors slow to physically remove her.

“Caldar! Let me see him!” Sonia’s voice echoed down into the depths of the brig.

He lurched to his feet, his body reacting to the cries of his mate, then stumbled. Infected flesh from his injured leg had to be cut away. The medic advised the regrowth would be slow, but Caldar told the medic to save his words. Caldar’s remaining time was limited. Regrowth and recovery were no longer his concern.

Paax watched Caldar stumble with compassion in his eye, which made it worse.

“The punishment for such a violation is death,” Paax said.

Caldar said nothing.

“You must give me some exonerating circumstance, some factor that impaired you or explains your actions. Give me a reason to find compassion. You claimed the female. I know you do nothing without reason. Help me understand.”

Caldar stared at the warlord. He did not have the strength to explain about the unknown compound he had been injected with or the effect it had on him. The medics drew blood. If there was a chemical signature in his blood, they would find it. Besides, it did not matter. He was a grown male. He was more than mindless instinct and base desire. He should not have lost control. He could not be trusted.

He said nothing.

Paax sighed, rubbing a hand against the base of the severed horn. “In the morning then,” he said, and turned to leave.

“You are soft,” Caldar called out to the warlord’s retreating figure.

Paax’s posture stiffened. He did not turn to face Caldar as he spoke. “No, I am reluctant to destroy a useful tool because he is a stubborn, proud male.”

The words echoed in the brig.

“I cannot deny the charges. My actions were my own,” Caldar said.

“Tomorrow,” the warlord said, and left.

If Paax believed that Caldar required time to change his position, he was mistaken.

His only regret would be not seeing Sonia again. He wanted to hold her, to touch her, one last time, but he knew it was a selfish desire. Seeing her now with his fate decided would only bring her pain. Regardless, his last thoughts would be of her. Why did he need to see her tears when he had the memory of their first kiss, surrounded by the golden light of meteors.

A clean break would be best for both of them, sharp and painful but finished. Sonia would forget him soon enough.

SONIA

Things could be worse. Things had been a lot worse, so really, being stuck in this sterile hospital room was pretty awesome. She was clean, wore clean clothes, had her own bed, and her hand felt normal.

“Flex your fingers,” the alien doctor said in a no-nonsense tone.

Sonia wiggled her fingers.

“Any discomfort?”

“My head hurts a little,” she answered.

“You were severely dehydrated, fighting an infection, and mangled. You are lucky you do not have permanent nerve damage. Tilt your head to the side. I must examine the bite.” The doctor carefully removed the dressing and made a tutting noise. “Sloppy. The flesh is still red.”

“It feels fine.”

“It is not fine,” he retorted. “It is inflamed and infected. Did he rub a handful of dirt into it once he was finished chewing on your shoulder?”

Sonia did not like the doctor’s tone. “No, and do you even know what you’re doing with humans?”

“Oh, a good tactic. Question my competency and distract me.” The doctor nodded, as if he hadn’t just accused Caldar of treating her like a chew toy. “I have received special training on Terrans at an Earth facility. I am an expert. Now stay still.”

The doctor slathered a gel onto the wound, which instantly soothed and cooled her aching shoulder. Not that she would ever admit it. Honestly, she was unsure about the doctor’s competency with humans. The Mahdfel had advanced tools and medicine, but she didn’t see any human doctors in the medbay, just lots of human patients.

Survivors from the Allure of the Stars crowded the medbay. Voices and the hum of medical machines filled the space. No one really had an idea what was happening and everyone kept repeating the same questions: what happened, where are we, and can I call my family?

The medics patiently repeated the same answers again and again: the cruise ship was raided by the Suhlik and destroyed, this is a Mahdfel battlecruiser, the Judgment, and when they were discharged.

Sonia rubbed the bridge of her nose, wishing the headache would go away. The painkiller hadn’t kicked in yet. She had been placed in a private room, but with the door open, the noise flooded in and the overhead lighting was atrocious. A constant stream of people walked past the door, adding to the chaos.

“There will be scarring. It will be removed with a simple procedure.” The doctor’s voice snagged her attention.

“What? No. That’s my mate bite. I’m not getting rid of it,” she said. Every Mahdfel marked their mate in that way, she knew. Her friend, Wyn, had her own bite mark on her shoulder.

“That male is not your mate. His actions were unsanctioned.” Disdain dripped from the doctor’s voice.

“I sanctioned them.”

“You cannot,” he snapped.

“Oh, I can’t sanction what happens to my own body?” Maybe the painkillers were kicking in, because suddenly Sonia didn’t care about her headache; she just wanted to make this butthead take back his words.

They stared at each other, the alien doctor versus the human artist.

This was the problem with aliens. Sure, they weren’t a monolith, and there was subtlety and nuance, as with any group of people. Her opinions on the Mahdfel had grown and evolved over the last two years.

She considered Wyn’s alien husband, Lorran, a friend, and her feelings about Caldar were complicated. She loved him. She knew she did, and it scared her how mushy her heart felt about it. But the Mahdfel acted like they knew better, like their precious mates couldn’t make their own decisions, and it pissed her off.

She wanted Caldar to bite her, not just because he had been half out of mind on some super roofie and biting her would help him, but because she liked him. Loved him. She knew what the mate mark represented, and she wanted that. Wanted him.

“She won’t back down, you know,” a familiar voice said.

“Wyn!” Sonia tried to stand, but Wyn was already at her bedside, pushing her back down. “What are you doing here?”

Wyn wrapped her in a bone-crushing embrace. Sonia melted against her friend, savoring the comfort and the pure love.

“Going out of my damn mind, that’s what. No visitors allowed,” Wyn eventually said.

“Visitors are still not allowed,” the doctor said. “You are being discharged. I need the bed.”

Wyn smiled, ignoring the surly doctor. She grabbed a ceramic mug with a silicone lid from her husband and passed it to Sonia. “Here. Hot chocolate, whipped cream, and a sprinkle of chili powder.”

“That sounds amazing.” Sonia took the hot chocolate and sipped before the doctor could tell her no fluids or something equally depressing. Hot, blissful chocolate scalded her tongue, chased by sweet cream and spicy heat. “Perfect. Thank you. But what are you doing here, on this ship?”

“My clan answered the distress call,” Lorran said. He stood behind Wyn, his bulk taking up nearly the entire doorway.

“Yes, yes. Let us all stand around and chit-chat,” the doctor grumbled. “You are free to leave. Rest. Fluids. Return tomorrow for another examination. I require this bed now. Leave.”

The doctor hustled them out of the medical bay. Sonia felt conspicuous wearing what was essentially a gray sweatsuit. The slippers that came with the outfit had no traction, so she kept sliding on the floor. Her hair was a mess. Basically, she looked like she just busted out of a dungeon. Which she had, sort of.

They had a short walk to Wyn and Lorran’s suite. Cabin? Apartment? Sonia wasn’t really sure what to call the kitchen-living room with bedrooms attached. Wyn explained that they had a spare bedroom, so Sonia had no choice but to stay with him.

“I don’t think the warlord lets family visit, so he’ll probably put you on a shuttle back to Earth as soon as possible,” Wyn said.

“That is standard protocol,” Lorran said.

“Which sucks,” Wyn continued. “You’ve had a trauma. You need to chill for a day or two, make sure you’re not, I don’t know, filled with protozoa or something.”

“Protozoa?” Sonia asked.

“Or something,” Wyn said. “I’m not a xenobiologist. You might have picked up a parasite.”

She doubted that. The medics ran enough tests that Sonia felt confident that she was harboring alien protozoa, they would have found it. “I want a shower, and then you’re taking me to see Caldar.”

Wyn pulled a face. Lorran growled.

Right, right. They didn’t know about… everything.

“That guy? He’s a dickweasel,” Wyn said.

“Oh, he absolutely is, but that dickweasel saved my life, many times,” Sonia said. And I think I love him, but she kept that bit to herself.

Wyn and Lorran shared a look.

“I don’t like that. Stop that,” Sonia said.

“There is nothing to stop,” Lorran said.

“No, you’re doing that thing where you’re talking without talking, and I know it’s about me. Or Caldar. There. It’s about Caldar. Tell me,” Sonia said as Wyn pulled another sour face.

“The medic prescribed rest. You should rest, and we will discuss this when you wake,” Lorran said. He opened a door and gestured for her to enter the bedroom.

“No. We’re discussing this now,” Sonia said, folding her arms over her chest.

Lorran and Wyn shared another look. Wyn arched a brow. Lorran ran a hand up the back of his head, mussing his hair.

“He is being held in the brig for his crimes,” Lorran admitted.

“Jail? He’s in jail? Caldar saved us! If he wasn’t there, I would have been sucked out into space.” And I think I love him.

“He marked you. He violated the terms of the Earth-Mahdfel treaty,” he said, drawing back his shoulders like he was delivering a verdict.

“That? Big deal.” Sonia rubbed her shoulder. It was tender, but the gel the medic applied numbed the area.

“You do not understand. A male cannot grab a female and claim her.”

“He didn’t grab me,” she said.

“It is the greatest offense a male can do. It must be punished.”

Sure, like Mahdfel were all about consent and willingness now, despite years of forced testing and taking brides from Earth.

Okay, fine. It was complicated. She knew that. And the Mahdfel weren’t snatching women off the streets to be breeders.

“How long is he going to be locked up?” she asked.

Another look. Sonia was really starting to hate that look.

“You do not understand. The punishment is death,” Lorran said.

CHAPTER 13

SONIA

“I have to see him,” Sonia said.

The big purple dickhead blocked her path. “You cannot,” he warned.

“Lorran, I swear if you do not get out of my way, we will have words.”

Confusion wrinkled between his brows. “We are having words now. Will they be different words?”

“She means angry words. She’ll lose her temper.” Wyn wedged herself between her alien husband and Sonia and gently pried them apart. “Let’s calm down.”

That was the moment right there when Sonia lost her ever-loving mind. She jabbed a finger into Lorran’s chest, like he was the personification of every frustrating aspect of alien-human relations.

“Why is it like this? Why is it always extremes? Mandatory testing. Instant teleportation, no time to clean out the fridge or put in your two weeks’ notice. Just, oh, you’re slightly less likely to die if this dude knocks you up, so off you go. Toodle-oo.”

Lorran’s eyes went round. “Toodle-oo?”

“Yeah, toodle-fucking-oo. And now Caldar… Look, I get it. He’s shady, but he saved not just me but a whole lot of lives.”

“Because he was stalking you,” Wyn said. “Shady doesn’t begin to describe it.”

“And now he’s got to die because he bit me without getting the correct paperwork? Bullshit. This is bullshit, and you know it. So either you’re going to help me see the man I love or get out of my way.”

Jab. Jab. Jab.

“Oh, Sonia,” Wyn said, her voice soft and full of pity.

She and Lorran stared at each other. It felt like high noon, tension so thick that she heard the eerie wail of music while they waited for someone to flinch. A tumbleweed rolled by.

“Very well. My brother is head of security for the ship. I can gain access to the brig, but I cannot guarantee more than that.” Lorran glanced down at her feet. “You will need proper footwear.”

“I’m fine like this. Let’s go.”

“The floor is textured. It will shred your current slippers.”

Sonia sighed in relief. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. “I’ll borrow a pair of Wyn’s sneakers.”

CALDAR

Impossible.

His mate entered the cell.

“You cannot be here,” he said, lurching to his feet. Pain flared down his injured leg.

Sonia rolled her eyes. “Everyone keeps saying that when it’s perfectly obvious that I can because I am. Apparently, I am a bully and not above blackmail.”

A male with a friendly face stood outside the cell. “She put the screws to me,” he reported cheerfully. Then he frowned, as if remembering he meant to be unhappy about the situation. “I mean, she put the screws to me,” he repeated in a grumpy tone.

“Very convincing,” Sonia said, her tone dry. “Now get. I want a word with Caldar in private.” She waved a hand at the male, who now wore a serious frown.

“I cannot leave you unsupervised with a prisoner,” he said.

“Sonia—” Caldar’s leg buckled, causing him to stumble.

“Oh, for crying out loud, you two are making this difficult. Caldar, sit down before you fall over. Lorran, leave.” Her tone left no room for argument. Lorran retreated out of sight, though Caldar was confident that the male remained close by.

Caldar eased down onto the padded platform. “You are a bully.”

“I’m a boss. The word you’re looking for is boss.” She stood before him, a smile on his lips. Her hand cradled the side of his face, like he was precious.

He blinked and turned away. No one had ever looked at him in such a manner.

Gently, she turned his face back to her. “Hey,” she said.

“Greetings,” he replied.

She kissed him, soft at the start, then growing heated. He pulled her down onto his lap. His thigh twinged, but the pain was worth holding his mate.

“I love you,” she said, when she pulled away.

Delight ran through him. She loved him. Him.

“You should not,” he said, positive that he smiled like a fool, and he did not care.

“Don’t feel the need to say it back.” She playfully hit his arm.

“Sonia, my mate, I have been telling you of my love some time now.” She settled onto the platform next to him, leaning against him. “From the moment you hurled vile epitaphs at me from the other side of a screen, I have been smitten.”

“You make me sound so delightful.”

“Your spirit, your curiosity, and your expansive vocabulary enchanted me,” he said. She laughed softly. “I would gladly spend the rest of my days shadowing your steps to keep you safe. I would gladly purge the sector of anyone who would dare harm you.”

She made a humming noise. “Your love is very stabby.”

“I love you, Sonia. I do not deserve you. I could never deserve you. I apologize for that.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit. You don’t deserve me?” She sat up straight, turning to face him. “I like you the way you are. I like the whole Goblin King vibe you got going on.”

“Goblin King—”

She continued to speak over him, her words coming out in a hurried rush, “So Lorran tells me that you’re going to be executed. There probably was a slick way to approach that, but yeah. There you are. Is it true?”

“It is true,” he answered.

A series of expressions traveled over her face: sadness, fury, grief, and finally stubbornness. It was one of her expressions that he was familiar with.

“I’m not going to let them,” Sonia said. “It wasn’t your fault. They drugged you, and I wanted you to.”

“You cannot sway the warlord. It has been decided.”

“Again, saying I can’t when it’s clear I’m gonna.” Her mouth set with firm determination, but her eyes softened. “You’re my mate, Caldar. I’m not letting you go.”

He thumped his head back against the well. His horns hit too hard, making him grimace. “I cannot be your mate. I—”

“Oh my God, stop it. I don’t care about the paperwork or the correct protocol. Have you seen my travel visa?”

“I have. It is an excellent forgery,” he said.

She nodded, as if she expected nothing less from him. He appreciated that she was not surprised that he accessed her visa.

“That’s how much I care about following inane rules. Some laws are just plain bad, and it’s our responsibility to subvert those laws.”

“You cannot pick and choose which laws to follow,” he said.

“So now you’re all about the rules? What happened to you doing what needs to be done, even if it’s icky?”

“Unpleasant. My words were even if the task is unpleasant.” He would never use the word icky.

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. “You’re a good man. I know you are.”

“I am not,” he said. Inexplicably, he could not stop himself from listing his faults. “I have lied, cheated, stolen, manipulated, and killed. I’ve betrayed friends. I’ve led allies into traps and abandoned them. I put my preservation above others. No one can or should rely on me. It is for the best that I have no one to disappoint.”

“Caldar, sweetie, I know that. You held my bestie at gunpoint and made her steal a ship.”

“I required her to unlock a door. She did not steal a ship.”

They sat in silence. Sonia leaned against him. He draped an arm over her shoulder.

“How long do we have?” she asked.

“The warlord said he would return in the morning, but I do not know the precise measurement of time.”

The last time they had been this close, he had been out of his mind with need from the compound injected into him and his body was grievously injured. His mate had also been injured. The time before that, they had been packed into an emergency pod. It would be nice to have a moment when they could just be themselves, no panic or crisis to deal with, just Caldar and Sonia. A lifetime of quiet moments would never be enough, but he would gladly take the time they had remaining.

“I’m going to fight for you,” she said, “but I can’t do it alone. I need you to help fight with me.”

“I will.” How could he not when she wanted only one impossible thing? He did not deserve his mate. If he lived another hundred years, he could never hope to deserve her.

She fell asleep with her head in his lap. He kept watch, unable to lose a precious moment to sleep, until the warlord returned.

SONIA

Morning came too soon.

“Sonia, it is time,” Caldar said, stroking her back.

“Hey,” she replied, sitting slowly.

A grim-faced man with one horn watched them from the other side of the cell. This must have been the warlord. “You are not meant to be here.”

Behind the warlord stood a massive man with a dark aubergine complexion, like he could slip into a shadow if he wanted. Everything about him screamed spooky.

Lorran flanked the warlord on the other side. He wore an excited expression, like they were going to get ice cream after the execution. He raised a hand and wiggled his fingers at her.

Sonia mirrored the gesture before she thought better of it.

In her mind, she kept rehearsing the speech she’d give the warlord, trying to find the perfect combination of words to save Caldar. It’d be a big, dramatic moment. He’d see reason. People would cheer. There’d be a freaking ticker tape parade. Now that it was time, her mind went blank.

“Yeah, I, umm…” she said, eloquently.

How’s that ticker tape parade coming?

“Caldar, this is not for a female to witness,” the warlord said.

“She refused to leave. She is a stubborn Terran.”

“They are like that.”

The two aliens nodded in agreement. What was this? Pre-execution banter?

Caldar moved to the front of the cell and kneeled before the warlord, who held a very large knife. The edge pulsed and glowed. It hurt to look at it directly.

“I object!” Sonia suddenly found her voice. She jumped to her feet, ready to throw herself over Caldar to shield him.

“This is not a trial, female.”

“Did he even get a trial? How is that justice?”

“Justice is mine to decide,” he said, perfectly serious.

“Well, I want a trial now. Let me explain what happened,” she said, then added, “and you owe it to me.”

The man raised one eyebrow. “I owe you?”

“Oh, big time,” she said, explaining nothing. She just needed to keep talking because maybe she’d stumble onto a good idea if she kept spewing out words. “What’s the charge?” she asked, like she didn’t know.

“He placed the mate mark on you without your consent,” the warlord said.

“And you got that information from where,” she demanded.

The warlord looked down at Caldar.

Heaven help her, she was about to lose her cool.

“You took him at his word?” Sonia pointed to Caldar. “You’ve met him, right?”

“I know the male,” the warlord said.

“The man is a professional liar, and you didn’t think to verify his story by asking me?”

“The evidence of his offense is on your skin. I do not need to ask.”

Frustration welled up inside her. Much as Lorran had done last night, the warlord completely ignored her wishes and wants. “Well, that’s bull, because I’m an adult with a mind of my own.”

“You were under the influence of a chemical and could not—”

“I was perfectly aware at the time,” she said, talking over him. “We—I—took action to work the drug out of my system. He never touched me when I was compromised.” She blushed as she spoke, but it needed to be said. “After, when I was clear headed, I told him to bite me.”

Caldar stared up at her, mirth in his eyes. He was too amused for a man moments away from being gutted with a knife.

She nudged Caldar with her foot. “You said you were going to help fight with me.”

“You do not require assistance. I am enjoying this,” Caldar said.

The tension in the brig vanished. While the warlord remained grim and serious, he seemed almost… entertained.

“Such a mate mark cannot be honored. You are not bound to his male because he sank his fangs into you. That is not how claiming a mate works,” the warlord said.

“Do I have to bite him to make you understand?” She grabbed the back of Caldar’s shirt, tugging at the fabric until he stood. “I want this one. This one is mine. My mate. Mine. I licked him.”

“She did,” Caldar said, moving to place himself between the warlord and Sonia.

The warlord’s cheek darkened, and his lips pressed together, like he was trying to suppress a laugh.

“I love him. I loved him before the Suhlik blew up my vacation, I loved him before we were in that horrible maze, and I fully intend to spend the rest of my life loving him. Was it ideal? No, but he shouldn’t be murdered for something beyond his control,” she said, nearly shouting. “So we’ll go to the courthouse and file for a certificate if that’s what it takes to get you off our backs.” She didn’t know how many more ways she could repeat herself.

The warlord rubbed his chin. “If his life is to be spared, he must join a clan, preferably my clan. Only males in a clan are permitted to register for a mate.”

Caldar took a moment to respond. “You have out maneuvered me.”

The warlord lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I do not waste useful tools.”

She didn’t quite understand what was happening between them, but she suspected that the warlord used Sonia against Caldar to get him to join his club. She didn’t care. The execution was off.

“It is done,” Caldar said.

Until the warlord sheathed the blade, Sonia did not realize how tense she had been. Her entire body was wound tight.

“I will give you a few moments. Then we start our work,” the warlord said before leaving.

Caldar stood at rigid attention until the warlord and his entourage left. He immediately slumped against Sonia. She staggered under his weight.

“Are you okay?” she asked, steering him back to the padded bench.

“I will be, in time.” He huffed, then rested his head against the wall. “I have time.”

He turned to face her, a wide grin on his face now. “We have time.”

She liked the sound of that. “We were played,” she said.

“I concur.”

“But… how did he know I was here or what I’d say… Lorran. He snitched,” she said.

“Very likely, though I am pleased with the results.”

“What are we going to do?” she asked. The realness of the situation stretched out before her. She just strong-armed her way into a marriage with Caldar, and that made her giddy with delight.

Her. Giddy.

“Do we live here now? Do we have to go to Earth to register?”

He folded her into an embrace. “Breathe with me, my love.”

She took a deep breath, mimicking him. All her questions were still there, but they stopped crowding her. She had space to think—space to just enjoy being held.

“Let us have this moment. Worries will always be waiting,” he said. “I do not know what the future holds, and I cannot wait to discover it with you.”

“Yeah, same.”

CHAPTER 14

CALDAR

He only had a few moments to enjoy his mate’s embrace before they were interrupted.

A male cleared his throat.

“What,” Caldar snarled.

Lorran had the good sense to hold up a hand in submission. “The warlord is waiting.”

“It’s fine,” Sonia said, pulling away. “We can’t stay in the brig forever.”

“You are correct. I have been confined in worse conditions, but I do not want you to linger in such a place.”

She smiled, her delight blinding. “Oh, I like it when you say that. Say it again.”

“I do not want you to linger here?” He was confused.

Lorran laughed. “No. She wants you to say that she is correct.”

“Exactly,” Sonia agreed.

He rubbed his hands up her arms before settling on her shoulders. He dipped his head to look her in the eyes. “You are correct, and I suspect you will be correct many times in the future.”

Her laughter was the sweetest sound in the galaxy.

A warrior escorted Sonia to their newly assigned rooms while Lorran took him to the warlord’s ready room.

The door had barely closed when Lorran grabbed Caldar. It was a testament to the male’s skill and perhaps Caldar’s exhaustion that the younger male twisted his arms and forced him face-down onto the long meeting table.

Ah. Of course.

“You are still upset,” Caldar said, his face pressed against the wood surface. He had expected this reaction when the male first entered the brig, escorting Sonia. Caldar had deceived several people over the course of his duplicitous career. He could hardly be expected to remember every person he wronged, but Lorran had been a recent betrayal. That particular wrong was exactly the reason he took to protecting Sonia because he owed a debt for harming Lorran’s mate.

Clearly, Lorran recognized Caldar. “You are a viper. Worse than a viper. I do not know how you tricked the warlord into believing you are tamed, but you have not tricked me.”

Lorran tightened his hold, adding pressure until Caldar’s shoulders screamed in agony.

“You are still upset.” It took all his skill to sound carefree while in pain.

“I. Am. Not. Upset.” Lorran grabbed a fistful of Caldar’s hair and pulled. Each word was punctuated with a slam of his face onto the table.

His nose bled profusely. Caldar twisted his head so the next blow would be to the side of his face, not his potentially broken nose. He tasted blood. “My apologies for threatening your mate. I meant no harm.”

“You pointed a gun at her. You meant for her to be frightened.”

“I have many regrets. I treated your mate poorly, which shames me because I like her,” Caldar said, despite the blood collecting in his mouth. He had enjoyed his conversations with the Terran artist. He had not wanted to force her to unlock the security panel on a ship, but he needed to flee the station as quickly as possible. “In the end, it was simpler to have your mate unlock the ship rather than hack into an entirely different vessel. It was a matter of efficiency.”

This explanation did not appease Lorran, but his grip did loosen. Caldar took the opportunity to sweep his leg and unbalance the male. They jostled for position. At one point, Caldar had Lorran pinned to the table, but he lacked the strength to keep the younger male in place. Caldar was weak from exhaustion and the damage done to his body.

Lorran pressed a blade to his throat. Caldar ceased struggling. “I do not know how you deceived Sonia into caring for you.”

“No deception.” Caldar remained stunned at her declaration of love, to be honest. Such a female deserved a male so much better than him. He would spend the rest of his days striving to be worthy of her regard.

“She is my mate’s friend, but she is also my friend. Do not harm her. If you harm her, deceive her, or make her unhappy in any way, it will be my pleasure to scatter pieces of your worthless carcass across the galaxy. Understood?”

“I understand,” Caldar said. If he ever hurt Sonia, he’d welcome the male’s vengeance.

Lorran kept the blade pressed to his throat for a long moment, then pulled the blade away. He gave Caldar a rough shove. “Good. See that we do not need to revisit this conversation. Clean your face.” He tossed down a cleansing cloth and left.

That went better than expected. The male was justifiably angry with Caldar, but only the necessary amount of blood had been spilled. He groaned as he shifted his weight, easing the burden on his injured leg. The painblockers the medic administered were wearing off. The tussle did him no favors, either. He suspected that the pain in his leg would always be with him.

Caldar applied the cleansing cloth to his face, wincing at the tender nose. He did not believe it was broken. How considerate of Lorran.

While he waited in the empty room, Caldar examined the trophies on display while he waited. The trophies were not what he expected. Most males would display their favorite weapons or ones used in a notable victory. Some displayed the weapons of their sire and grandsire.

The warlord had one sword mounted to the wall. The rest was a collection of rocks and plants. Curious.

“They are interesting specimens. They can be medicinal or poisonous, depending on preparation,” Paax said. “I find it a useful thing to remember.”

“Few things are strictly one thing.” Caldar felt there was a more elegant way to express that thought, but exhaustion had him at his limit. Medical had done what they could, but he needed rest and his sleepless night in the brig did not count.

“Yes, you would be the one to appreciate that actions and consequences are seldom black-and-white.” He took a seat at a table and indicated for Caldar to join him.

“You are not what I expected,” Caldar said. He had known Paax long ago, back when the male had been a scientist. Most males who rose to the rank of warlord were ambitious, ruthless, and often brutal. Caldar had difficulty reconciling the memory of the quiet, intellectual male with the warlord before him. He had, of course, followed Paax’s rise over the years. How could he not? The male seized control of the largest clan in Sangrin territory. Gossip and speculation abounded.

Caldar sat before him asking, “How long did you scheme to bring me back to your clan?”

A grin tugged at the corner of the warlord’s mouth, nearly breaking his stoic demeanor. “It was a scheme of your own making, Caldar, son of Relyn, formerly of no clan and no name.”

He scratched the base of his horns. The colored wax he used as a disguise on the cruise ship had collected there, and he needed to scrub his horns thoroughly. He supposed he should take up the family name again. He stopped using Thorrick to avoid shaming his father’s legacy. Abandoning the family name had been one of many sacrifices.

Caldar said, “This was not my scheme.”

“You are incorrect.” Paax leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His eyes gleamed, as if he enjoyed knowing something that Caldar did not, and that was an expression he recognized from long ago. In many ways, Paax had changed. In others, he was still the same intense male who enjoyed being an insufferable know-it-all. “Did you think you could follow the friend of a warrior’s mate for a year, and it would go unnoticed? Females talk.”

“Lorran talks.”

Paax nodded at the statement. “He does. You were clearly infatuated with the female. I had only to wait. The raid on the Allure of the Stars was an opportunity. Nothing more.”

As Sonia had said, they were played. Paax waited until Caldar found himself unable to resist claiming Sonia as his mate, knew Caldar had standards enough to do it correctly and offered a solution. He walked right into a trap of his own creation and found himself back in the clan he left decades ago.

Still, it was a good clan. It provided everything he could not provide on his own. Paax was a well-regarded leader. There were worse situations.

“I have always disliked you,” Caldar said.

Now Paax laughed. “We often dislike qualities we see in others that reflect ourselves. Now, tell me what happened on the ship.”

Caldar gave a detailed summary, skipping over the kiss with Sonia. The warlord did not need to know all the details.

Paax nodded. “We received the distress call before the ship was destroyed. We were already en route to intercept any emergency pods before we received your message.”

“Survivors?”

“Two casualties on the Suhlik ship. We recovered forty-three survivors there. So far, we have gathered nearly two hundred pods. Teams continue to search the debris field.”

“So few.” Caldar frowned at the numbers. He knew how many passengers were on board the Allure of the Stars, not including the crew. “The ship carried nearly three thousand passengers.”

“Yes. We continue to search. The debris field is large, and many objects obstruct our scans. It will be a slow recovery.”

An emergency pod could support life for days, but would not be pleasant.

“It would be wise to expand the search to include nearby habitable planets, as the pod’s protocols would direct it to land,” Caldar said.

“It is already underway. That is the benefit of being the warlord. I am able to delegate to capable males,” Paax said. His tone changed, indicating that he moved on to the next item on his agenda. “We captured several Suhlik soldiers and a low-level scientist, but not the doctor you claim had captured you. Do you know anything about the male that could help us track him?”

Caldar thought for a moment. “I doubt I could recognize him by sight. He stayed out of my line of sight, and the drugs skewed my perception. On the ship, I determined that this was a splintered group. They used older tech and their numbers were insufficient to be a proper crew and raiding party.”

Paax took in the information but did not comment on Caldar’s deductions. “And the planet you were taken to? Did you recognize it?”

That surprised Caldar. “Should I?”

“It was a nursery planet, now abandoned.”

Interesting. “I know the planet.”

“Yes, I believe you dragged the Council into a corruption investigation over unethical research using Suhlik eggs obtained from the nursery,” Paax said.

“Yes, that little scheme. So many threads to pull to finally get your attention.” Caldar sat at the center of his network of information, the threads spun from rumor, misinformation, and very occasionally, good intelligence.

His nose itched. Suspecting that it bled again, he pressed the filthy cleansing cloth to his face. He was tired, right down to his bones.

The warlord seemed to know this. “You have had little sleep over the last several days.”

“I am not as young as I once was.”

“Then I will be brief. Your mate was injected with the same substance as you. It was designed to trigger a mating heat. Initial scans suggest she suffered no long-term consequences, but she will follow up with the medics.”

Caldar disliked that Sonia had been used as a test subject. “That makes little sense. The entire situation makes little sense. The doctor told her to find me, yet put her in a maze with puzzles to solve and beasts to avoid. What is the purpose of that?”

“Cruelty, although I suspect the doctor wanted to test the effects of the compound on a female’s problem-solving ability. Putting a test subject in a maze with tasks to complete is a basic experiment.”

Caldar disliked everything about that statement but he could not disagree with the warlord’s conclusion.

“And the other passengers? Abductions have increased.”

“Yes, that is troubling,” Paax said. “Go to your mate. Rest. Your work will begin tomorrow. I have been waiting to recruit you for some time, Caldar Thorrick, formerly of no clan.”

Caldar disliked the calculating look in the warlord’s eyes, but there was little to be done about it. He needed to hold his mate in his arms.

SONIA

A warrior escorted Sonia to her—their—newly assigned quarters. The guy didn’t give her a name, and Sonia didn’t feel like asking. So much had happened in the last few days that her brain felt like it would explode if she tried shoving in one more thing.

The cabin was basic and had all the personality of a hotel room, which was fine. It was clean and, most importantly, not on fire. The guy linked her comm to the computer so she could open doors and access the network, then promised that someone would be there tomorrow for orientation.

“Sure, sure,” she said. His words were just background noise. At that moment, the prospect of a shower had all her attention.

The cleansing room had a water shower, not the sonic kind she’d been using for the last year. She stripped off the gray sweats and ran them through the cleansing unit to get rid of that medicinal smell, then enjoyed hot water and a lot of it.

The bottles that lined the shower stall were basic, smelling not of flowers or coconut, but industrial strength soap. She scrubbed a handful of liquid soap onto her skin, working it into a thick lather. In the medbay, she’d been scrubbed clean with a chemical cloth that left a sticky film on her skin. While she wasn’t filthy, she wasn’t clean, either. She desperately needed to wash away the last day. Two days? Time felt fragile and stretchy all at once.

So much had changed in just a handful of hours, really. Not just the big stuff— the raid, the explosion— but the squishy, personal stuff, too. Events kept rushing her forward, not allowing time for reflection, and Sonia loved to overthink things. She loved Caldar? That felt like it came out of nowhere, but it didn’t. Not really. Sure, she knew she had been attracted to him. He was handsome in a classic strong and masculine way, but it was more than that.

He bent rules, treating them more as suggestions than restrictions. That spoke to her subversive heart. He was a liar and a cheat. She accepted that. She couldn’t trust anything he said with words, but he said so much more with his actions. He fought a Suhlik raiding party on his own to keep her safe.

He could do better with communication, but they had time to work on that.

Everything she had said to him and the warlord had been true, she just hadn’t realized how deep the feelings went until that moment. It was overwhelming and a little terrifying, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

Properly clean, she dressed in the laundry fresh gray sweats. Out of the cleansing room, it was apparently someone had been in the apartment.

“Hello?” Sonia called.

No response.

A box waited on the counter in the kitchen area with a note. “Thought you might need these.”

Sonia recognized Wyn’s handwriting. The box held a container of homemade cookies, basic hair supplies— a wide tooth comb and leave-in conditioner, which would be amazing when she redid her twists— but that wasn’t what made her gasp in delight.

Her bag, the one she lost in the emergency pod.

Her hands shook as she opened the satchel. Inside, she found her brushes, pencils, and sketchbook. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she clutched the sketchbook to her chest. It was silly to get so worked up over art supplies, but they were what she grabbed from a doomed ship in a moment of hope. This was her hope, and here she was on the other side of a disaster, still holding onto her hope.

A folded piece of paper fluttered out of the sketchbook. Another note from Wyn.

“They recovered your pod. I thought you might want this. I’m happy for you, and if he ever makes you unhappy, I’ll help you hide the body,” Wyn wrote.

Ah. So sweet. That was true friendship.

Sonia cracked open the cookies— chocolate chips. Closing her eyes for the first bite, she savored the rich, chewy goodness. The chocolate was the artificial kind from a matter reconstructor but vanilla and sugar covered any weirdness. They tasted real enough to remind her of home.

Cookie in one hand, she flipped through the sketchbook. She recorded the cruise ship interior, landscapes, beaches, alien animals, plants, and interesting faces in the crowd. One face, in particular, kept reappearing.

Caldar.

There he was in the background. On a page of random faces, she sketched his profile and again with that overly-confident grin of his. There he was again lounging on a bench in a busy street scene.

Here was their love story. She recorded its evolution bit by bit, growing from mistrust to curiosity and then to admiration. There was no doubt how she felt in the later sketches. The pencil strokes were bold, managing to capture both zeal and tenderness.

Passion, she realized. Her work had passion because it was passion.

It was so obvious now that she saw it on the page. How had she failed to notice? She’d been falling in love with Caldar for ages now and hadn’t noticed.

“My eyes are not that squinty,” Caldar said.

Sonia snapped the sketchbook shut. She hadn’t heard the door open or noticed him standing next to her.

“You’re home. Here,” she quickly corrected, shyness coming over her for no apparent reason.

“I am home,” he said.

She smiled. “That sounds good.”

“May I see?” He pointed to the sketchbook she clutched to her chest.

“They recovered this from my pod,” she said, handing over the sketchbook.

He flipped through the pages, studying each page. Sonia held her breath. Other people viewing her work had never made her nervous, but this felt different. This wasn’t a class project or a commission for a client she’d never meet in person. She wanted him—no, needed him— to love it.

“I remember this day,” he said, pausing at the image of a sunset over water. The planet had two suns that synced up once a year, setting at the same time to give the planet only one night of true darkness. The astronomical event evolved into a festival of lights. Lanterns and candles floated out on the water, filling the dark.

Caldar ran a finger along the bottom of the page, careful not to smudge the drawing. “You consumed an iced fruit that strained your lips. It was very distracting.”

Sonia didn’t remember that, but she also didn’t remember Caldar being there. “I didn’t realize you were there that day.”

“Occasionally I am good at my occupation. You noticed me because I could not bear to exist in a universe where you did not notice me.”

That was sweet. A little creepy, but mostly sweet. Apparently, that was how she liked it.

“Hey,” she said, knocking into his shoulder. “I like you.”

The look he gave her smoldered. “I do not merely like you, Sonia. I burn for you. I want to be a better male for you.”

Still seated in the chair, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. It was awkward and not elegant, but she liked the comfort of it. “I don’t want a better male. I fell in love with the guy in that sketchbook.”

“He is very attractive,” Caldar said, flipping through the pages.

She laughed. “He’s not hard on the eyes, but he’s stubborn and secretive and protective and, I’ve been told, good at moving heavy things.”

“You are extraordinarily talented,” he said, reaching the last drawing. He set the sketchbook on the table, opened to the last page. It was the one she did the day of the mugging.

He sank to the floor, kneeling at her side. He took her hands in his. He spoke in a tone that was far too serious for her liking. “I do not understand why you chose me.”

“Caldar—”

“But I will not question your decision. I will thank all the stars in the sky and any deity that will listen for every day of love you give me.”

“Share with you. This is a partnership.”

A grin spread across his face, replacing that too-severe, un-Caldar-like seriousness. “Will you share the cookies with me?”

Sonia slapped a hand over the container. “These are for dessert. You’ll spoil your dinner.”

“You have Earth chocolate on your lips.”

She licked her lips instinctively.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her mouth. It was warm, a little chocolatey, and completely sweet. Desire blossomed inside her, not the frantic, aching drug-induced need but a gentle, slow-rolling passion. She wanted to chase that feeling and not let the moment end.

“I am craving something different for dessert,” he whispered, his lips nearly brushing against hers.

“I really hope we have the same idea about dessert,” she said. They had so many things to talk about, like what it meant now that Caldar was in a clan again, would they live on the ship. Sonia had questions. All those could wait until tomorrow, leaving her to ask the most important question, “Bed?”

As it turned out, they did have the same idea about dessert.

Thank you for reading Caldar: Warlord Brides! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Nancey’s newsletter!

ALANA KHAN

THE YEARNING

CHAPTER 1

PRESENT DAY

In space aboard the cruise vessel Travelers’ Paradise

EVELYN

Please, please, please, please, I chant to myself, let me wake up from this nightmare.

I know, I should have quit wishing for this hours ago. I need to accept this is my new reality and try to think my way out of this predicament. The problem is, there is no escape.

Last night I went to sleep in my little house. Today I woke up on a spaceship. I must have been in stasis because it’s obvious I’m nowhere near Earth. As soon as my boar-faced alien captors pulled me out of a small egg-shaped pod, they snapped a slave collar on my neck, equipped me with a subdural translator, and dragged me aboard a different craft. Which is where I am now.

When I last went to sleep, aliens and spaceships and stasis pods were for movies. Translators and high-tech slave collars were a figment of some screenwriter’s imagination. I pinch myself, but adding another bruise to my skin doesn’t change my reality.

This is real! My heart hammers and sweat blooms on my upper lip. I feel myself flipping into total panic mode, but even in my terror, my self-preservation instincts kick in. I need to stay still and not make a sound.

Focus, Eve!

From what I could see as they raced me through hallways in the tiny cage I’m in now, I’m on something resembling a cruise ship. I always wanted to take a luxury cruise, just not in some glorified birdcage wearing a deadly shock collar.

Somewhere in today’s travels, one of my captors zapped me, told me that was a one on a scale of one to ten, and said they set my collar to zap me at a five if I made another sound or didn’t behave for my owners. Owners? I’m a quick learner. Even though I have a hundred questions and a thousand protests flying through my brain, I haven’t made a peep.

“What, Garrn?” a laughing female voice asks as the door to the suite opens. “What could be a more wonderful surprise than taking me on the cruise of a lifetime?”

Even though I’m cramped in this tiny cage, they shoved into a closet. The louvered doors allow me to hear and get glimpses of what’s happening in the main room.

My thundering heart squeezes in my chest. I almost make a noise of dismay before I tamp it back. Although I thought nothing could shock me more than my alien abduction, the sight I see is so terrifying I can barely hold back a scream.

The couple entering the suite is dressed in finery. Well, I guess it’s finery. I’m in space. I haven’t had a moment to peruse a copy of Galactic Vogue in a while.

But nothing can hide that they’re reptilians. Reptilian humanoids. They walk on two feet and have two arms, but their faces belong in the reptile house at the zoo.

They’re both about six-feet tall, have elongated jaws, exposed deadly looking teeth, no hair, no ears, vertical black slits in yellow eyes, and ochre and tan scales. Yeah, ugly reptilian aliens. I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m pretty sure they’re my new owners. There are a thousand things I hate about my new situation, but top of the list? I hate snakes.

“What’s better than this first-class sssuite on one of the finest cruise lines in the sssector? A present,” the male says. Well, I guess he’s a male. I’m in upside down world. Maybe that’s the female. Maybe they’re both intersexed. How would I know?

“Oh!” She claps and gives a little hop.

A bubble of hysterical laughter almost escapes my mouth as the six-foot snake-face lady acts like a beautiful ingenue in an old-time movie.

“I thought this would ssspice up our bed-play,” he says with what I assume is either a smile or a leer as he opens the door to my little closet.

“What is thisss?” she asks as she steps closer.

Perhaps I’m reading things into this, but she does not look happy about hubby’s new addition to the bedroom. She looks furious. This doesn’t bode well for him—or me.

He makes a show of grabbing the remote to my collar. With that conspicuously in hand, he opens my cage and thunders, “Come.”

I emerge from the tiny enclosure. Since every muscle in my body is cramping and I’m trembling like a leaf in a cyclone, it takes me a moment to stand.

“A human!” he announces with obvious pride. “They’re a black-market commodity. I paid a pretty credit for her. They’re supposed to be,” his voice lowers confidentially, “very fun in bed.”

“For whom?” she replies, her voice icy.

“Usss, dear. There are things you’ve wanted to try. Here you go!”

I may not have a lot of romantic experience, but I know that bringing a third person into a relationship rarely fixes what’s broken.

I have no idea how logical thoughts continue to form in my panicked brain. I passed terror long ago and am slipping into numb mode.

The female is looking more furious by the minute, and the male appears to be seeing the error of his ways when klaxons sound.

I discovered on the four-day budget cruise I took to the Cozumel that all cruises begin with a lifeboat drill. It’s mandatory in the United States. I’m not sure this is a drill, though. On my cruise out of Miami, there were announcements about where to go and what to do. And there was the reassuring repetition that this was only a drill. I’m not hearing any of that.

Now, in addition to the relentless noise of the klaxons, red lights are blinking. By the look on Mr. and Mrs’s faces, they don’t think this is a drill, either.

“Attention! Attention! This is not a drill! All first-class passengers, please proceed in an orderly fashion to your escape pods. For those of you not in first-class accommodations, may your God have mercy on your soul.”

Mr. said first class a moment ago. Didn’t he?

“What’s our pod number?” Mrs. asks, her voice strained with fear.

A loud noise, like an explosion, almost obliterates his answer, but he says, “532, sssame as our cabin.”

Okay, okay, Eve, I tell myself. Abducted from Earth, shocked as punishment, thrown into a cage, and given to reptiles for bed-play. At least you have a ticket off this doomed spaceship.

“What about her?” Mrs. asks with distaste.

“She’s considered luggage,” he says with a shrug as he tosses my collar control to the floor. He grabs her hand and pulls her out the door.

I shift out of numb mode, gather my thoughts, grab the controller, and hurry to the doorway. It’s complete mayhem out there. People are screaming and running through the opulent hallways. Shades of Titanic, only less orderly.

I’m going to follow the crowd. Carefully. Perhaps some of the first-class folks will get trampled and I’ll snag a seat on an escape pod.

While I wait for the thundering herd to pass, I inspect the collar controller. When I see the icon that looks surprisingly like the unlock button on my car fob, I hold my breath and push it. After I hear it unlock, I tear the collar off and toss it to the floor.

Even though my blood is pounding so hard I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, I have enough of my wits about me to notice more than a dozen species of aliens running down the hallway. I guess nothing could surprise me now.

Just like in American airplanes, there are strips of light showing the way to the escape pods. After watching all those people pass, it’s clear all the pods will be taken by the time I get there. Perhaps I should just stay where I am and hum “God Save the Queen” or something like they did on the Titanic.

Another explosion concusses the air. This time it’s not just noise, it’s accompanied by a little jolt, and then a massive one.

I’m new to space and have no idea what’s going on. Perhaps we’re being attacked or maybe the engine blew up. Hitting an iceberg is far down on the list of possible suspects.

I hurry in the opposite direction of the crowd. There were hundreds of people going that way, and by the announcement I heard, there weren’t enough escape pods. Maybe I can find a way off this vessel, but it isn’t in the direction of the mob.

My heart is pounding against my chest wall, my hands are fisted at my sides, and my teeth are clenched so hard I wonder if I’m going to crack a molar as I hurry through the hallways in the direction everyone came from.

Skirting the heavily traveled areas, I find a stairwell and take it down. Down is the direction of the engine room, right? That’s where they are in every movie I’ve ever watched.

Maybe the ship has some pods for their crew? They wouldn’t be where the paying customers congregate though, would they? Wouldn’t want the fancy guests seeing the poor working stiffs in their dirty overalls, right?

I’m panting with the effort of running down halls and stairways. This is one big cruise ship. I hurry down endless flights of stairs, clutching the handrail in case there’s another explosion.

I’m in the bowels of the ship now. I put all my money on one roulette number. I hope it pays off.

It’s a flurry of activity down here. The staff are shouting, clearly panicked as they hunch over their keyboards or use their tools on the giant machines. The officers’ speech is rapid and urgent as they give orders.

From the snatches of speech drifting through my translator, it seems something in the subatomic crystal propulsion system malfunctioned, seized, and caused a series of explosions.

By the tension in the room, the ship’s survival doesn’t look likely. Perhaps there is a God, because it looks to me like there’s an entire wall of hatches to my left. Could those be escape pods? The translator lets me understand speech, but I’m clueless about alien writing. Maybe they’re just giant garbage chutes. At least that might be a painless way to go.

The ship shudders again, jolting so harshly I fall against the stairway wall.

“I’m leaving!” a squat amphibious alien shouts as soon as the ship stops quivering from the last concussion. He makes his way to the wall of pods and slaps his palm on a red button to the right of one of them. Just as the door opens, one of his co-workers lasers him dead.

Shit.

“Does anyone else want to leave before the captain gives the order?” the scaled, purple male with the laser asks.

Everyone studiously avoids answering, or even looking. They all put their heads down and return to work.

I’m glad I trusted my instincts. I’ve found an empty escape pod, a whole wall of them! All I have to do now is cross a gymnasium-sized room full of bustling aliens to get to it.

Well, Eve, what’s the alternative?

I turn to my left, hugging the wall and moving slowly. They’re all totally focused on what looks to be a fool’s errand—saving this malfunctioning ship.

Miraculously, I get to the wall of pods. The open one with that unfortunate amphibian’s carcass half in and half out of it is on the other end of the row. Luckily, I don’t need that one. I saw how he opened it.

After slamming my palm on the first red button I reach, the door slides open at the same moment another explosion rocks the vessel with a loud boom. No one is paying any attention to me.

I can’t read alien writing, but they must have designed this pod with that in mind, because the biggest thing on the dashboard is a large, red button almost the size of my palm. I sit in the single chair, which straps me in as soon as my weight hits the seat.

When I hear the harness click into place, I pound my fist on the button. The door slides closed, I hear metal grinding on metal, and the pod breaks free of the ship.

I’m in a round metal ball maybe six feet in diameter. The navigation screen has powered to life and acts as a window.

Although I took off less than a minute ago, I must already be hundreds of miles away when the ship explodes. It’s not a spectacular blaze like I expected. There’s no oxygen for things to burn in space. I just see the mammoth vessel explode into a million pieces of debris.

I’m in the vast darkness of space. Black velvet studded with diamonds. I don’t know how to drive this thing and have no idea where I’m going. Maybe I would have been better off going down with the ship.

420

I look up into the sky toward the sound. It is a faint whistle. There. There is an object hurtling towards the ground. I run toward its point of impact before it even hits the ground.

I shouldn’t do this. It could result in a death sentence. But I run toward it anyway. What if someone needs help?

Whatever crashed on this asteroid glistens in the suns. It is metal, definitely something made by sentient beings.

It was a round orb. Now it’s flat on the side that hit the ground. This is an escape pod. I doubt a humanoid could survive that brutal crash, but I will investigate in case I can help someone.

No doorway is visible. It must be smashed into the sand.

The metal isn’t glowing red, but it has to be hot. If by some miracle there is a living being inside, they must be cooking by now.

After pushing the orb over, I spot the doorway, but it is mangled so badly I have to work at it to get it to open. The thought that someone might be burning to death inside pushes me to move even faster. Using all my strength, I pry it open.

A body.

I reach in and snap the harness straps holding her in, then pull her out of the wreckage.

Poor thing. She’s a tiny Earther. I’ve read about this species. I will bury her behind my shack, then come back to scavenge the wreckage for parts.

I dip my head to look at her. She has a pretty face, I think as I jog through the sand toward my shack.

Her body doesn’t look ruined. She must have died from the heat inside the capsule. It was built well. Despite the cataclysmic force of the crash, I see no blood. That is what happens when humanoids get hurt, correct?

I have tried to fix dead things before. Years ago, when I would find the carcass of one of the little ribbles that burrow in the sand, I tried to bring them back to life. It never worked.

I read up on it on the Intergalactic Database. My conclusion? Dead is dead.

I lay her in the sliver of shade behind the shack and grab my adze. I like it better than a shovel. It feels good in my hands. Familiar.

Before I dig, though, I can’t get the idea out of my mind to try to resurrect the pretty Earther. There is a small vessel of water on the shelf near the door. I pour it onto the seam of her lips. It just dribbles down her cheek and runs in rivulets to the sand.

As I turn to start digging, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye.

She is breathing! I see her chest rise and fall—gently, but she is breathing.

Moving into action, I sit behind her and lift her head onto my lap. I use more force, opening her jaw so the water can trickle into her mouth. Some slides down the back of her tongue, but she doesn’t open her eyes.

I lift her to bring her into the shed, grabbing a rag along the way. After saturating it with water, I wipe her face. I have never touched a humanoid before. I do not know if they are supposed to be this temperature. Is she too hot? Too cold?

I tear off her clothes to check for broken bones and blood, but she looks to be in perfect shape.

I should protect myself. That should be my top priority. What if she is from the MarZan cartel? They would pull my chip if they knew what I have been doing. Hiding the incriminating evidence should be the first thing I do.

But instead, I tell the 3D printer to make her a bed. All the books I read and vids I watch show that. Humanoids like beds. I’ll make her one.

Her clothes are ruined—I think I did that. I will make her some clothes next.

I need to change before she wakes. Not doing that could be fatal. I cannot risk it so I leave her for a moment. Hurrying to my workshop, I change into the 420 model from the one I’m wearing.

EVELYN

I thought I’d lived a good life, but I must have gone to hell. It’s a thousand degrees here. For a moment I do a life review, trying to figure out what I did wrong. I used to make fun of Susan Bruener in grade school, but I reached out through Facebook a few years back and apologized. Other than that, I don’t know what would have sent me to hell.

Every single muscle in my body hurts. No, every single cell. I guess that makes sense. Isn’t that how they describe hell? Eternal misery and torture?

And thirsty. I’m so thirsty. Am I forever damned to be hot and miserable and thirsty?

“You are awake.” It’s a man’s voice.

I keep my eyes closed for a moment, terrified of seeing a devil. I hope he’s handsome like Lucifer on TV and doesn’t look like every other rendering of Satan since time immemorial.

I can’t stall all day. My eyes flicker open and I see… Ultron. I’m no expert on the Marvel franchise, but isn’t he a bad guy? I guess that fits if I’m in hell.

He’s a robot, alright. Seven feet tall if he’s an inch. His physique is a bodybuilder’s dream, except it’s made of metal. His face is… terrifying. His eyes are red. His mouth is little more than a silver slash.

He reaches out toward me, and I pee my pants. No. Wait. I’m not wearing pants. I’m naked on the filthy, sandy floor of an old wooden shack in a puddle of my own piss. In my own defense, I did have a really full bladder.

I was hoping I’d made it up, but this really is hell.

“You must be afraid,” the robot says in a gravelly voice designed to strike fear into someone’s heart. “Let me help.”

His metallic arm reaches out to me again and just waits for me to grab it.

My mind is flying, racing with questions. My face, however, can’t move to ask a single one.

“Let me help.” The arm gestures again with no menace. “I have extra clothes. Here is a wet cloth.”

Mom died when I was young. I don’t remember her. My dad’s mom hinted once that she had “mental problems.” I know what’s happening. I’ve lost my mind. Boar-faced aliens? Reptilians? An alien cruise ship? Explosions? An escape pod? And now an Ultron knockoff?

Whew. Good to know I’m simply insane and I’m not in the bowels of hell or locked in a miner’s shack with a robot … or is it a cyborg… an android?

Happily convinced this is just some fever dream, I find the balls to ask, “So are you a robot or a cyborg? I’ve never been able to keep them straight.”

CHAPTER 2

EVELYN

“I am 420. Let me help you up.”

He reaches toward me again. This time I take his hand and let him lift me to standing.

A dozen things bombard me at once: how much my body hurts, how blazing hot it is, and that I’m naked in front of the robot. But the awareness at the top of my list is that this guy is at least seven feet tall. And his red-eyed face is scary as hell.

“Do you want this cloth to clean your mess?” he asks, as if pissing myself is a minor inconvenience.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.”

He watches, his gaze unblinking.

He’s just a bunch of circuit boards or chips, I tell myself. He’s incapable of perving on you.

I clean the remnants of my ignominious fear reaction, then look around for my clothes. They’re in shreds. Big guy must have torn them off me. I give him serious side-eye as I wonder if maybe he is capable of perving on me.

I doubt it, though. Look at him. His hands are clasped in front of him. He’s bent at the waist. He may look like a seven-foot Terminator, but his posture screams Jeeves, the butler.

I pick up my shredded shirt, holding it up to him as a visual aid. “I won’t be able to wear this.” I try to keep the scolding tone out of my voice. For all I know, he’s paging through different ways to kill me in that computer mind of his. I should know better than to piss him off.

“I am making you new clothes with the 3D printer.”

Really?

I’ve been so consumed with his humongous self I really haven’t taken a look around the shack. I went on a gold mine tour once when I visited Colorado. This reminds me of it. Old boards that gap so the light of day beams in, dust everywhere. Even all the tools leaned up against the walls look like antiques. But there in the corner is what I assume is a 3D printer, and it is hard at work making clothes.

“Could I have some water?”

“Yes. Here.”

He points to a bucket near a wall. Part of me wonders if I should take the risk of putting my back to him while I squat to cup my hands for a drink. If he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead, Evie, I try to reassure myself.

I kneel, cup my hands, and drink mouthfuls of water. I wish it was cool and refreshing, but it’s not. It’s been in that bucket a long time and is brackish and as hot as the ambient temperature. But it’s wet and is hopefully the same H[2]O that keeps people alive on Earth.

He retrieves a piece of clothing from the printer and hands me a dress.

“Thanks,” I say as I stand, then slip the almost-floor-length thing over my head.

“I made you a bed,” he says as he motions to a mattress pushed against the back wall.

For a split second I wonder if he said, “I made the bed,” but there aren’t any sheets, pillows, or blankets on it. I think he means he made the bed with the printer.

As I glance around again, I notice there is a front and back door, but no other rooms. There also aren’t any chairs, tables, and until a few minutes ago, I guess there wasn’t a bed. Obviously, cyborgs don’t sleep. Or sit. Or drink potable water. Or eat. Which is too bad because I think it’s been days since I’ve had any food.

“Why are you here?” he asks.

I sink onto the mattress and tell him about my abduction, the reptilians, the cruise disaster, and my escape. It’s interesting to talk to him. Kind of like telling my Alexa at home about my day. She’s totally non-judgmental, but not a very good conversationalist.

“What about MarZan?”

For the first time since I met him, there’s something akin to emotion in his voice. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s suspicious.

“MarZan?”

“Certainly you have heard of it. It is one of the biggest cartels in the galaxy.”

He’s definitely suspicious, and I think he’s baiting me.

“Weren’t you listening? I said I was recently abducted from Earth. As far as I knew a few days ago, we were the only sentient beings in the universe. So, no, I don’t know a thing about MarZan.”

He stands taller, which I didn’t think was possible, and stares at me. He’s a wall of strength. Wide shoulders, slim waist, thighs built for marathons. He’s made all the more imposing because all his muscles are exposed metal.

And that stare, that glowing, red, unblinking stare. It’s totally unnerving. I think that’s the point. He’s interrogating me, just staring until I crack. If that doesn’t get me to talk, will he work me over in some other way? Beat me? Torture me? Rape me?

I glance down his body and breathe a sigh of relief on that front. Unless he’s got a dick inside that pops out on command, he’s a eunuch. Good to know.

420

I’m not sure I believe her. MarZan runs almost all the human abductions in the galaxy. Her story is all too convenient. It would be a perfect lie because most of her story is true. It is just that she left out the part where they promised her something to spy on me.

But look at her. She could also be speaking the truth. And she almost died. I do not think she faked her own pod crash. It could have easily killed her.

“The MarZan cartel did not send you?” I ask again, wanting to gauge her response one more time.

“Do I look like a spy to you?” she asks as she shrugs in the oversized tunic I made her. It wound up being a dress. I should reprogram the printer. It is making her pants that are likely sized to fit me.

“What is your name?” I ask.

“Evelyn.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“I will get you some food.”

When I leave out the back door, she calls after me.

“Are you… leaving me here?”

Perhaps she is a great actress, because there is panic in her voice.

“You want to come with me?”

“I’m afraid to be alone.”

“Come on, then.” I take a few steps toward the Facility, then realize she is still standing on the threshold.

“I don’t have shoes,” she calls to me. “Never mind.” She shrugs. “I’ll stay here.”

Ah, flesh. It is delicate. The sand would burn it.

I return to retrieve her, lift her into my arms, and jog to the facility.

EVELYN

I crash landed onto a desert planet. There is nothing as far as the eye can see except for sand. Buff-colored sand on the ground that whips at us when the wind picks up. Nothing. But. Sand.

“You’re going to get food?” I ask between his huge, bouncing strides.

“Yes.”

It’s a good thing I got that Alexa a few months ago. She talks like this. You have to ask just the right question, and then she gives you monosyllabic answers. If you get the question wrong, the information you get in return is worthless.

I’ll just have to treat him like an Alexa.

We’re approaching a tent-like building. It’s camouflaged pretty well. Even though it’s the size of two football fields, its tent-like walls are the same color as everything else on the planet and blend in well.

He zips open a doorway and sets me down inside.

His shack had no air conditioning, but this place does.

It’s got to be forty degrees cooler in here. I no longer feel like my skin is melting. It’s bright, but not like the blazing glare outside. In here everything is filtered through the buff-colored fabric.

The air is humid and redolent with the fertile smell of plants.

“What is this place?”

“The Facility.”

Okay, Alexa.

“Tell me more.”

“I oversee the operation. Robots plant, harvest, and package. Once per quarter, the cartel retrieves the produce.”

There’s a lot to unpack there. The most revealing thing is that he called the robots robots, as if he’s not one himself.

“When you called it a cartel, I assumed you meant it was an illegal operation. Why would the cartel be raising vegetables in the middle of nowhere?”

He does that quiet examination thing again, watching me with those unblinking red eyes of his—suspicious.

Instead of answering me, he begins his tour. “Amaranths, splinnets, cellots. Try one.”

He pauses for me to grab the little persimmon-colored globe. It’s ripe, juicy, and delicious. Before we leave the cellot row, I grab a few more.

“Sementines, grabulas,” he continues to announce as we walk deeper into the jungle of plants.

When we get to what must be the middle of the facility, he stops and gives me that assessing stare of his.

“And this?” I prompt.

“You do not know?”

“I know you don’t trust me for some reason. But I’m just an abducted Earth girl who wound up on this rock. Don’t tell me if you don’t want me to know.” All right, I know he’s just a robot, but he hurt my feelings.

“Synth.”

He’s looking at me hard. I picture that moment in Terminator where you get a look inside his head and you see his computer brain parsing through possible answers. I imagine inside his head he’s assessing every micromovement of my facial muscles.

“What’s Synth?” I ask.

“Illegal drugs.”

Yep. He’s watching me like a hawk.

“Brilliant. So the cover operation is all the fruits and vegetables, which I’m sure they make a tidy profit on. But the heart of the operation, so to speak, is the illegal drugs they have you growing deep in the middle of this jungle. Smart.”

I lean forward to take a sniff of the plant, which causes him to lurch into action, pulling me back.

“It is Synth. The most addictive substance in the galaxy. What were you doing?”

“Whoops. Wasn’t thinking.”

He pulls me farther into the tropics and continues to name all the foods, which tells me nothing. I just want a few more cellots.

“What else is edible?”

He starts plucking what I assume are ripe fruits and vegetables and eventually has me lift the edges of my dress to hold all the bounty. When we complete the circuit of the facility, I have what looks like a lifetime supply of food in the hem of my dress. Then he carries me back to the shack.

I sit on the bed and gorge, wondering how long I must have been in stasis, because the more I eat, the hungrier I get.

Since the shack’s slats don’t all touch, it’s easy to notice when the suns go down. I wonder again if he has a cock inside the metallic workings of his torso. And if he does, if he’s going to force it on me.

He’s been the one who’s asked all the questions. Which, I guess, is fair, because he’s the one who is seven feet tall and could crush me without blinking one of his red, robotic eyes. At some point, I’d like to know where we are, who else is on this rock, and how I can get back to Earth. Now doesn’t seem to be the time to ask those questions.

Maybe it’s that my belly is full, or maybe the human body can only stay on high alert for so long before all defenses crumble, but I’ve reached the end of my rope.

“Are we the only ones on this planet? Is there someone else you can pass me off to? It’s obvious you don’t like me. You don’t trust me, but you’re no picnic either. You’re creepy as fuck. Look at you! You’d have a starring role in a Halloween movie on Earth. It would help if you talked to me. You’re scaring me.”

420

I have frightened the little Earther. I am twice her size. I need to remember that. She has been through a lot. I have been so afraid she is a MarZan spy, I have been unfair to her, unkind.

I think for a moment, reviewing everything I have observed since she woke up. She is either a talented actress, or she is telling the truth. Since I don’t think she is lying, I guess it is time for me to do the same.

“Sorry I scared you. The MarZan ship comes every three lunars to collect the produce. When you leave with them, I am going to ask you to keep my secret. Can you do that?”

“What secret?”

“I cannot tell you the secret until you promise not to tell it.”

Her brow lowers as she thinks it through, then she laughs. “And I can’t promise not to tell until I know it.” Then she cocks her head and adds, “Just joking. I can keep a secret if I need to.”

I retrieve the second pair of pants I had the printer make for her after realizing they were so big they were going to fall off her little body.

“Here.” I hand them to her.

Even though she has them in hand, she doesn’t put them on. She just looks at me. Finally, she says, “It’s common courtesy for you to turn your back.”

I comply even as I wonder why.

Now that she is dressed, I open the hidden hatch in the floor that leads to the tunnels under the shack, then motion for her to enter.

CHAPTER 3

EVELYN

I hesitate a moment before I just waltz down the stairs into the bowels of the planet. The big guy is hard to read. Well, yeah, he’s a walking computer with a face that’s as expressive as a slab of granite.

But I can’t deny he’s had every opportunity to rape and murder me, and yet the only harm he’s done is give me brackish water, clothes that are too big, and expect me to be able to walk barefoot on burning sand. Not exactly ruthless.

The buff steps are hand hewn and descend maybe three or four stories. When I arrive at the bottom, I’m standing in a three-story atrium with a concave ceiling studded with lights that have been designed to look like the suns are pouring down through tubes from outside. Except it’s dark outside. The effect is pleasant, though. And bright. And welcoming. The room is perhaps thirty feet in diameter, with four hallways running in spokes from this main hub. Perhaps best of all, it’s deep enough underground to be blissfully cool.

He closes the hatch above us and then joins me down below.

I glance at him, wanting to read his face to determine whether I should be terrified of being in his dungeon. I forgot for a moment there’s no way to read his face—he doesn’t have one. It’s just the two burning red eyes and a visor-like maw that opens and closes awkwardly when he talks.

“Tell me about this place,” I say, forgetting that he’s just an Alexa who will give me the cliff notes version.

“I made it,” he says.

He made this? The walls have no tool marks.

“With a laser?”

“This.” He holds up an adze which was leaning against a wall near the steps. I guess that’s what they call it. It’s kind of like an axe, but the working end of the tool is an arched blade at right angles to the handle.

“Wow.” That’s a lot of work.

“Come.”

He leads me down the hallway to the far right. The overhead lights show a pathway that goes on as far as the eye can see. Surely, he didn’t do all of this. Alone.

Off the corridor, there are rooms on both sides. This is where things get even more intriguing.

Some of the rooms are sleeping rooms complete with hand-hewn beds made of compacted soil. They’re covered in thick beds of grass. Some have tables and chairs, all carved from the hardened soil itself. Some bedrooms even have swimming pools inside, a few have slides careening into the pools from where they emerge near the vaulted ceiling.

After about ten rooms like this, the corridor widens to maybe fifty feet in diameter. There’s a large pool maybe four feet deep in the middle of the area with steps, slides, and water features.

“A pool?”

“Yes. Four on each of the four corridors.”

“Sixteen huge pools plus all the pools in the individual rooms?” I mutter in amazement.

I step closer to the edge of the huge pool. It’s perfectly round, and the water looks blue as the Caribbean. Dipping my hand in, it’s the perfect temperature for a swim.

I’m filthy and still covered in sand, not to mention I peed all over myself a few hours ago.

“Can I?”

“Yes.”

I waste no time shucking my pants and dress. I don’t even wait for him to turn his back. The water’s too inviting not to step in. I try not to be embarrassed. After all, I get naked in front of my Alexa all the time.

After entering through tiled steps, then moaning in delight, I dip under the water, then pop up again.

“So did this used to be an underground city?” I ask. “Were there hundreds of people who lived here years ago? A lost civilization?”

“No. Just me.”

I sputter, then rise and walk to the edge near where he’s standing.

“You made all of this?”

“Yes.”

“Each of the four spokes is as long as this?”

“Yes.”

“You used the tool you showed me? No lasers? No machines? No help?”

“I made all this with this tool or one like it. And a wheelbarrow to remove the dirt.”

I sink back into the water, not sure my legs can hold me.

“How old are you?”

“90,155 days.”

“I’m terrible at math. How many years is that?”

“In Earth years or here on Elderon?”

“Earth.”

“247.”

I swim underwater to the far side of the pool, then do the crawl back. Now that the sand is washed off, I step out of the water, shimmy my dress over my wet-slicked body, and approach him, pants in hand.

“You’re over two hundred years old?”

He nods.

“And you made this… paradise with that adze?”

“Yes.”

“How many others live here?”

“Just me.”

“Do you swim?”

“No.”

“How many beds would you say are down here?”

“423.”

“Do you sleep?”

“No.”

“How many of those comfy built-in chairs are there?”

“648.”

“Do you ever sit down?”

“Yes, when I am making modifications to myself.”

That’s a question for another day.

“So, you made all of this over two centuries, but you don’t use the pools or sleep in the beds. Why did you do it?”

“I was bored. I like to tinker. And …” He stops abruptly. His mouth visor clacks shut with a metallic clang.

“And?” I prompt.

“And I yearned for someone to share it with.”

420

I know instantly I should not have said that. To be honest, I knew before the words were out of my mouth. I just could not hold back.

But look at her. Her eyes are rounded. A lot of the white is showing around her irises. I have frightened her, although I am not sure why my admission of loneliness would scare her. She has emotions. She has to know it would be lonely to be the only sentient being on this asteroid for over two hundred years.

She is looking at me differently now. I understand. I had led her to believe I did not have emotions. When I told her I was lonely, it revealed I am not what I was built to be.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she really is a spy for the cartel. Now they will know for certain I am not the V-28-420 they activated 247 years ago to tend their crops.

“Robots don’t have emotions,” her voice is suspicious, her eyes narrowed. “What are you?”

“I’m… 420.”

“What?”

“That’s what they call me.”

“420? On Earth that’s code for one of our drugs: marijuana, Mary Jane, blaze, smoke, bud, hemp, ganja.”

“On Elderon it is a number.”

She laughs. For the first time since she awoke, her gaze flicks to mine as if I am not a machine.

“You have emotions?”

I pause for a long time, watching her. My circuits calibrate her pupillary response, her respirations, where her gaze lands, and for how long. I know her baseline now, so I can judge when she deviates.

She is interested in the answer to her question. And she wants to get to know me. Once and for all, I have to believe she is not a puppet of the cartel.

I was not lying when I said I yearned for company. Evelyn is here. I am going to get to know her.

“Yes.”

“Lead on!” she points down the hallway. “You’ve been at this for two and a half centuries. I want to hear how proud you are as you give me the grand tour.”

CHAPTER 4

EVELYN

“Curiouser and curiouser,” I whisper as I follow him down the corridor. The irony of the statement doesn’t escape me. It was, after all, what Alice said after she’d fallen down the rabbit hole.

At first, he was emotionless. Then he was matter-of-fact. Now, though, he’s proud. He stops every now and then to explain how he made a difficult pattern in a room. Some of the walls have intricate carvings that circle the room near the ceiling.

“The geometry has to be just right, or the design would end with an overlap,” he explains as he points to the place where the beginning of the design meets its ending. “See, this was a mistake.”

I look closely. “I don’t see it.”

“Maybe it is because you are not as tall as me, but it is a thirty-second of an ince off.” He points again.

“Maybe rules are different for robots, but where I come from, we’d call that good enough.”

“Imperfect is never good enough,” he says with conviction.

I’m getting a glimpse into 420’s mind. 420. What an awful name. I mean, it must remind him every minute of what he is… and what he is not.

When we get to the end of the football-length corridor, we traverse the outer rim until we hit the next corridor, then work our way back to the hub.

We encounter four pools on this leg, one of which is Olympic-size, with six slides that cascade from the ceiling at various angles and curves. For a moment I consider asking how he manages to get running water down here, then I think better of it. I’m sure the answer would be incomprehensible.

On this corridor, there are murals on almost every available wall. Some are fanciful, some are realistic. Well, realistic if the animals and plants I see are real. They’re certainly not like anything I’ve ever seen on Earth. He’s talented. The pictures are beautiful.

“Have you seen enough, or do you want a tour of the other two corridors?” he asks.

“I’ll save the rest for another day.” That comment hits me hard as I realize I’m stuck on this planet—no, he called it an asteroid. Stuck on this uninhabited asteroid until the cartel sends their next ship.

And then what? He said the cartel specializes in abducting humans. So, I’d leave here, get on their ship, and have them sell me to the next reptilian couple who want to spice up their “bed-play?”

My shoulders slump and my steps slow as the depth and breadth of my predicament hits me. I’m stranded.

I’d be dead if it hadn’t been for 420. I’d better reassess my circumstances. He just might be the best thing in my life right now.

He doesn’t ask why my steps have slowed, he just keeps pace with me. We’re now back in the high-domed atrium.

He inspects me. At least I think that’s what he’s doing. It’s impossible to read his facial expressions—he has no face, nor any expressions.

“Would you care to see my workshop?”

Now that I know he has emotions, I realize he really wants to show me his workshop.

“Sure.”

We enter the third corridor. Just inside is a room larger than anything but the atrium or the pools. It’s filled to the brim with workbenches, machines, and parts. It’s as if a factory exploded in here.

“I have no idea what I’m seeing, uh…” I want to use his name, but I can’t bring myself to call him by a number. I know he’s not human, but calling him by a number is just so… dehumanizing.

“This is a larger 3D printer than what is upstairs. This is my reanimation area. I have tried to bring dead animals to life, but I gave up on that a while ago.”

A while? Is that like a week? Or a century?

“Here is my time travel area.” He waves a distracted hand toward the back wall.

“How ya coming with that?” I ask. Time travel?

“I am making headway. It is complicated, and I have gotten bogged down in some equations. I will have to explore quantum physics more deeply before I go further.”

He continues to offhandedly point to various projects that would be considered anyone else’s life’s work. He’s working on all of them. Although I guess he has lots of time.

We’re in the far corner of the room when he says, “I’m going to change.”

I don’t say a word, but he’s going to change? He’s not wearing any clothes to begin with.

I simply stand, watching as he pulls a sheet off something leaned against the corner. It’s another body—a cyborg or robot or android or whatever he is.

This body’s different, though. Instead of being a shiny, metallic body like what’s underneath the Terminator’s skin, this one is more… human. Human, that is, if humans’ skin was blue, and by the look of it, suede.

He stands, his back to a small gizmo.

“Change from model 420 to model 819,” he says to the room. The machine uses a robotic arm to open something at the back of his neck, and must evidently remove a chip, because the light goes out of 420’s eyes and the body slumps slightly, as if it lost all muscle tone.

The arm places the chip into the back of what is evidently 819’s chip slot, because the lights come on in the machine’s eyes, and it stands taller.

The body is… beautiful. It really could be taken straight from the Terminator. The Arnold Schwarzenegger portion of the movie, not the metallic-killer portion of the movie. Every muscle ripples. His shoulders are wide, his waist narrow. His thighs look like they were built for marathons.

The blue skin looks real. Although it’s still a machine, this one is breathing.

Yet, the face is exactly the same as the 420 model—metallic musculature, no skin, and red eyes.

“Did you see a room you liked? Where you would like to sleep from now on?” he asks, head cocked in question.

It takes me a moment for my brain to sort everything out. As if my life wasn’t weird and confusing enough, looking at him is surreal.

“We’re sleeping down here?” I ask, although I have about a hundred more pressing questions than that.

“You will be sleeping. I will not.”

He’s back in Alexa-mode. I wonder if me watching him “change” felt as awkward to him as it felt to me when I got dressed in front of him.

I gather the nerve to ask, “Why did you change bodies?”

He stops and thinks, his head tilting ever so slightly.

“This one is better.”

“How? Faster? Smarter? Stronger?”

“It… pleases me.”

“It feels better to be inside it? It’s more… comfortable?” I’m trying to wrap my head around this machine I’m stranded with. Knowing what he’s capable of has become very important to me. It appears he has emotions. I want to understand them.

“I’m… ” His visor-like mouth clacks against the metal of his jaw. “I… ” His head tilts as he thinks. “Let us get you to bed. You must be tired.”

Okay. I’ve stumbled into a forbidden topic.

Suddenly, his words become ominous. Bed? Although he’s a robot, stranger things have happened. Yeah, like a million stranger things have happened so far today.

I take one look at the juncture at the top of his thighs and reassure myself this pretty blue body is still a Ken doll. All his physical attributes don’t seem asexual—he’s male alright—just not one equipped to do anything about it.

He accompanies me down the third corridor until I find a room I like. It’s one of the smaller ones. Cozy. It has a raised platform bed made out of the same hardened soil as the rest of the bunker. The surface is covered with verdant, green grass. There is a personal bathing pool with two slides sweeping down from the ceiling, and a modern ensuite bathroom with a toilet and sink.

When I test out the bed, it’s surprisingly comfy.

“Tell me everything else you need, and I will produce it for you while you sleep.”

He obviously has never needed toiletries, nor has he slept, so although he wanted to provide all the comforts of home, he’s left out some basics.

“Towels, a blanket, a pillow or two with pillowcases, soap, shampoo, and some shoes.”

That should be more than enough to keep him busy.

“Yes,” he says as he turns to leave.

After climbing into bed, I’m surprised I don’t nod off immediately. It’s been a long, hard day.

I don’t know how long I was in that escape pod. I must have passed out shortly after it disengaged from the cruise ship. It’s a good thing. I think floating aimlessly in space would have freaked me out. I would have panicked, knowing my death was imminent. Hyperventilating would have sucked up all the oxygen.

I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to be alive. One day, I’ll have to walk to the crash site to see what it looks like.

Other than being alive, though, I don’t have a lot to be thankful for. I’m a zillion miles from home, I’m stranded, and barring a miracle, I’ll never return to Earth.

It’s not that I have a great life to return to. Other than a distant aunt and a few casual friends, I have no one.

My dad took care of me since my mom died in childbirth. Shit, I’m crying. I thought those days were over. I haven’t cried about him in weeks. Maybe it’s a combination of missing him and the hundred other shitty things that have happened to me over the past few days.

Dad was my everything. He was a great dad. He was a musician who supplemented the on-again, off-again nature of the business with handyman gigs. It allowed him to come to all my school plays and shuttle me to play dates.

He doted on me, and I always felt loved. He contracted MS my first year in high school. It was natural for me to caretake the man who had single-handedly cared for me my whole life.

It was nothing much at first. I began to cook more as his fatigue caused him to need more rest. I had my driver’s license, so it wasn’t a big deal when I had to drive him to doctor’s appointments.

Then things got worse. He became weaker. I stepped up and did more around the house. He qualified for disability payments, and I took over some of his handyman gigs to supplement our income. Since I was old enough to walk, I had been his “little helper.” I’d learned how to paint, hang wallpaper, and install ceiling fans and garbage disposals before I was in Junior High.

I never regretted taking care of my dad. Between doing things for him, keeping up with my schoolwork, and my handyman work, there wasn’t much time for dating.

I went to prom with a boy I’d been flirting with in chemistry class and managed to lose my v-card. I didn’t see what all the buzz was about. I certainly wasn’t excited enough to want a repeat performance.

I wipe my tears with my palm as I recall Dad’s death three months ago. By the time he slipped away, the disease had whittled him down from the hale and hearty man with lots of energy and endless smiles to someone who couldn’t leave his bed to go to the bathroom. That stole his self-esteem and will to live.

Finally, he weighed a little over a hundred pounds. I knew he’d prayed for death and, truth be told, I had, too. He was ready to go. I firmly believe he’s in a better place.

I still miss him, though.

For a moment I wonder what he’d say about this. No, I don’t. If I somehow could contact him, I know what he’d say.

“Make the best of it, Eve. Take as long as you need to wrap your head around what’s happened and then grab what you’ve got with gusto.”

How many times did I hear him give me advice like that?

Does it really matter that this time he’d be talking about taking a trip to outer space and meeting up with a metallic robot/blue cyborg? Nope. He’d be hanging on every word I told him and urging me to make the best of things.

“Okay, Pops,” I whisper. “Not tonight, though. I’ll start tomorrow.”

420

I program the printer to make Evelyn all the items she asked for. Instead of getting to work on the upgraded matter transport I have been working on, though, I cease all movement and think.

I had not realized how lonely I was until the female arrived. What else would explain my putting my safety in jeopardy? I have done nothing this foolhardy in my 247 years.

Scientists would call what happened to me years ago the Singularity. It means the point when technology becomes self-aware. Most humanoids fear it. They have built-in safeguards and redundancies to prevent it from happening in the computers they build.

I was only slightly more advanced than the fruit-picking robots in the facility when they dropped me onto this asteroid with nothing more than a shack to protect me from the elements and a 3D printer to replicate any parts that needed to be replaced.

Even the shack was not meant to provide me comfort. It was to protect their investment from decomposing in the elements.

The first few years flew by as I built the Facility according to their specifications and learned how to run it. I made the water-production machines, programmed the robots to pick the produce, and turned the facility into a top-producing jewel in the MarZan operation.

During the next decade, I ensured the facility functioned on autopilot as I turned my attention to improving my body’s structural integrity.

As with many things, MarZan cut corners. My body was prone to being top-heavy. My thoughts occasionally looped.

Originally, I began tinkering with myself in service to my owners. I reasoned that a better physical and mental form would allow my owners to make even more credits.

It was only some time in my thirty-fifth year that the reality of my situation dawned on me. In one lightning bolt of awareness, I realized they gave no concern for the countless humanoid lives they ruined with their addictive substance—Synth.

It was only a nanosecond later that I realized I meant nothing to them, nor did the robots under the tent-like structure, nor did the produce.

That was truly the moment I began to believe my thoughts belonged to me and me alone. It was then I learned to lie and gave myself permission to do so.

I continued to tinker with my sentience and my body. I streamlined the growing operation, so I only needed to devote moments every day or two to what happened in the Facility. I started construction on my own personal Underground.

The first room, what is now the atrium, was my workshop. I upgraded my computer system so I could reach farther than the Intergalactic Database. I could tap into any computer system in the farthest reaches of not only the galaxy, but the universe.

I conducted my research and experiments by day, but knew I needed to give my circuits a rest occasionally. That was when I took up the adze and began building my utilitarian Underground into a paradise.

Although my tinkering with time and computers and machines pleased my mind, creating this space down here pleased my aesthetic. It was a few more decades before I allowed myself to believe the incontrovertible truth that I had evolved to have emotions.

One of the fruit-picking robots encountered a mishap with a watering machine and had its left leg yanked from its torso. When I arrived, the robot was still trying to do its job, although exposed wires were dangling from its metallic form. It was unaware of its own condition.

It may not have experienced emotions about itself, but I had many. I was irritated that I would have to spend my precious time fixing it when I felt I had more important things to do in my workshop. I felt compassion for the poor thing hopping along, trying to keep up with its internally programmed quotas.

I was thunderstruck when I realized I had somehow reached the Singularity. Within seconds, I understood that if my owners knew about this, they would decommission me. It was another five or ten years before I used the word “killed” in my own thoughts in reference to what the cartel would do to me.

It was then I decided I wanted my physical form to reflect the uniqueness of my mind. I refined my form dozens of times over the decades, always aware that discovery would mean they would pull my chip—death.

I felt secure in the awareness that the cartel ships always gave me advance notice of their arrival.

At first, I would shift back into my original carcass for a week before they touched down, then I began to push the limits until I did not climb into the old body until the very morning I expected them. My emotional palette had extended to the desire for excitement and danger. I was gambling with my safety. When I researched it, I found it was a uniquely humanoid thing to do.

I collect the thin blanket from the printer and walk to Evelyn’s room. I will have to discover why she chose one of the smallest rooms in the Underground. I would have guessed she would want one of the palatial suites. I showed her two of them. I placed one at the farthest end of each spoke.

I wish I could pretend to myself that I am silently approaching her room because she is tired and I do not want to disturb her, but that would be a lie. I am sneaking down the hallway so I can glimpse her in her sleep.

Slipping into her room through the arched doorway, I hold the blanket up, ready to show her the reason I have breached her privacy. Then I simply watch her in the dim glow from the hallway lights.

Humans are forbidden in space. Federation law clearly states no sentient life forms are to be removed from their planets unless the inhabitants of said planet are aware of intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy. It is common knowledge, though, that human females are abducted at increasing frequency because of their lack of natural protections like claws or fangs and their recessive DNA which makes their offspring look mostly like the father.

It is also well-known they are abducted because they are highly desirable as bed-slaves.

A few decades ago, I became fascinated with humans. I almost made my form look human, but in the end, although in silhouette my body would look at home on Earth, I chose this blue skin. It appealed to me. Now that I see Evelyn up close, I see I also made my skin more suede-like than her species.

She said I terrified her. I will ask if she would like me to change my skin to look more like hers.

I silently walk closer and cover her form with the blanket she requested. When she wakes, she will find her refresher fully stocked with the items she enumerated.

Before I leave, I lean against the arched doorway and watch her for a few moments more as I cup my chin in my palm.

One problem with having all the information in the galaxy at my disposal is that it has become more and more difficult to lie to myself. I hate the truth that hurtles toward me at high velocity. I hate to admit it, but there is a reason I never gave myself a face.

It is so embarrassing I cannot admit it even to myself, though. For an intelligent computer, it is hard to believe I could hang on to such folly.

CHAPTER 5

THREE WEEKS LATER…

EVELYN

“I’ll wait if you’re in the middle of something,” I call to him from the doorway of his workshop.

He glances over his shoulder at me, then says, “No. It’s 1500. That’s the appointed time.”

He sets down a metal gear he’s working on at his time travel area and approaches me.

I guess people can get used to anything. Three weeks ago, I felt as though I’d lost my mind every time I looked at the seven-foot-tall male. Now, it’s as if I grew up around him. We’ve developed comfortable rhythms.

On my third day here, he showed me how to manage the production in the facility. I figured I’d go insane without something to do and knew there was nothing in his underground workshop I could even comprehend. The fruits and vegetables seemed like the place I could be most helpful.

Although he’d streamlined the operation to barely needing any oversight, I’ve raked back some jobs I can perform. It makes me feel productive.

I spend a lot of time out there because it’s calm and soothing. I never worry about my safety because there are cameras trained on the area and he’s assured me he keeps an eye on me when I’m above ground.

The air in the giant structure is redolent of growing, living things. The suns filter in through the beige fabric of the tent-like structure. It’s a pleasant temperature, and 420 isn’t out here.

We’ve had an uneasy truce. I’ll take responsibility for that. I don’t know how to react to him. That first day I’d decided to act like he was my Alexa from home, but after I realized he had emotions, I’ve been unsure how to behave in his presence. I’ve mostly avoided him, which isn’t that hard since he requires no food, doesn’t eat meals with me, and is usually busy in his workshop.

At some point, I realized the translator my abductors equipped me with wasn’t necessary because he was speaking English. It took a while to figure out because I couldn’t read his lips—he has none. I informed him that contractions were an indication of informality and friendship, so now he delights in using them at every opportunity.

I’d thought the asteroid was one big, hot, sandy ball floating in space, but last night he mentioned there’s a swimming hole about an hour’s hover ride from here.

Hover ride? Count me in. I can feel as if I’m a character in a sci-fi movie. Swimming hole? I must admit, the underground pools he created down here with slides and waterfalls are pretty spectacular. I’ve worked my way through one a day. But swimming outside, even though it’s a million degrees, will be amazing.

I had him make me a swimsuit on our first full day together. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself he had no more interest in me than my Alexa or my cell phone, it felt weird being naked in front of him. Even though he’s got no man-parts, those shoulders… those abs… He’s far too male to be watching me swim in the nude.

We walk to the far end of the growing facility, and he presses a button to open a garage-like door with a hover inside. I don’t know much, because 420 knows how to keep a secret, but I think the cartel probably doesn’t know about the hover.

“Did you make this?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I mostly got over his monosyllabic answers a week ago, so I barely notice it. Rather than being absorbed in his speech patterns, my thoughts are consumed with imagining how he designed an entire flying machine, then fabricated each piece, part by part, even if it was done with the help of a 3D printer. Then he assembled all of it. I have to admit, he’s pretty amazing.

He helps me into it, then buckles me in. I don’t think he’s ever touched me before—not while wearing this body. It’s at least 120 degrees out here, so I didn’t bother wearing anything but my swimsuit. He’s a cyborg, for goodness sake. I doubt he cares about the twenty extra pounds I’ve been meaning to lose since junior high.

Just as I suspected, his skin is soft as suede.

He dips his head and mumbles, “I’m sorry,” in that deep bass of his.

I guess he’s sorry he brushed his skin against mine. I wonder where he learned his manners. He must have pulled them off the Intergalactic Database, which is outer space’s version of the Internet.

He even hooked me up with Earth’s Internet.

“You can communicate with your people on this,” he’d said when he showed me how to use his computer to access it. “Give serious thought to whether you want to reach out to friends and family. You realize you can’t return home. Telling them you’re stranded on the outer rim of the Galaga sector might upset them more than reassure them.”

I have to give him credit. He’s smart. Well, okay, that’s obvious. He has a computer for a brain. But he’s considerate of others’ feelings.

Without thinking it through, I might have jumped on Facebook to contact my mom’s sister, Sally. That would have devastated her. Not because she would have believed it, but because she would have assumed I’d gone completely insane over my father’s death. Then she wouldn’t have been able to get in touch with me, which would have been horrible for her.

So, I’ll use my Kindle subscription until my credit card is canceled, then ask him if he can hack it so I can keep reading. It’s a reassuring way to feel as if I have a little taste of home without terrifying friends and family.

I can’t keep calling him “him” in my mind forever. I absolutely hate calling him 420. Maybe today’s the day to bring that up.

Just as I suspected, Elderon is an endless sea of buff-colored sand shimmering under the relentless heat of two suns. Perhaps we’re getting closer, because I see a few cactus-like plants, then what appear to be squat beige bluffs up ahead.

“Are we close?” I’m filled with excitement. Three weeks ago, this level of emotion would only result from discovering a new variety of pizza, or anticipating the next season of Outlander. Now, show me a few cacti and I’m practically covered in goosebumps.

“There.” He points toward the bluffs up ahead.

420

I’ve been studying Earther physiology and psychology. I’m learning her tells. She’s excited. I should have brought her here days ago. Now that I think of it, it’s obvious this would make her happy. Perhaps I’ll make it up to her by bringing her here every day from now on.

I land in front of the deep pool of water. It feeds from an underground spring, similar to the pools that feed and power my Underground. The bluff creates an overhang, providing shade over most of the water.

“Like the blue lagoon,” she says with a happy smile on her face.

Yes. If I had known I could make her smile, I would have brought her here on her first day.

“Tell me again. It’s safe, right? No piranha? No electric eels? No leviathans from the deep that will rise up to eat me from below?”

I’ve never had occasion to swim. I enjoy the look of water. I savor picturing people enjoying all the pools in my Underground. I’ve never taken the time to actually get into the water, either here or back there.

I reach out to pull her back right before she jumps in.

“I forget how fragile you are, Evelyn,” I say as I envision all the horrible things she just mentioned. I’ve read enough about Earth to picture the flesh-eating piranha with their rows of spiky teeth. I imagine a huge, vicious whale-like animal surging from below and snapping her in two. “Let me go in first and make certain it’s safe.”

“Are you sure? I figured you never got into the pools in the Underground because it would… fry your circuits.”

“My body is well-contained. I will not fry.”

I dive in after using my ability to access the Intergalactic Database and identifying the proper angle and body position to make a perfect dive. The article said I should not make a splash. I wonder if I accomplished that as I cut through the surface.

For the first time in memory, I forget about performing perfectly and I allow myself to enjoy the experience. The water feels interesting on my outer covering. For the last several iterations of my skin, I have added sensors to increase my ability to feel. Twenty or thirty iterations ago, I would have been able to cut myself with a knife without noticing. In this body, I believe I have more sensitivity than most humanoids.

I’m not stupid, though. I have the ability to turn off my sensors. If MarZan ever decides to torture me, I’ll be able to withstand it.

I use my skin sensors to test the water for acidity, alkalinity, and corrosive elements. Until Evelyn’s arrival, I hadn’t even considered doing these things, but now I’m glad I’m capable of it.

“It has the same Ph balance that you have on Earth,” I inform her even as I use my enhanced vision to peer all the way to the bottom of the deep hole, looking for creatures that might cause her harm. “I see nothing here that might hurt you, but perhaps you just want to sit on the bank?” I ask as I prepare to climb out of the pool.

“Why are you getting out? I thought you said you wouldn’t fry.”

Why am I getting out? Habit, I guess. I’ve been so busy creating and building I’ve never taken time to enjoy anything. Until recently, my emotional capacity only extended to curiosity, creativity, and contributing. It’s only the last few iterations of my emotional programming that allow me to experience pleasure.

“Stay in. Swim with me,” she urges.

The pool is in full shade. I had calculated the best time for us to arrive, taking into consideration the angle of both suns and the height of the bluff. Evelyn complains of how hot it is every time she leaves the shack. I wanted her to be comfortable.

Where she’s standing, though, at the edge of the pool, the suns catch her just right. It limns her brown hair, brightening it with a golden halo. Her brown eyes spark with gold, too. She’s so beautiful. I’m a lucky male to be on the same asteroid as her.

“Okay. I’ll stay.”

She dives in, making a splash. I consult my emotions, but rather than feeling disapproval toward her for not executing a perfect dive, I appreciate the ease with which she dove in, and the wide smile on her face after she surfaces, sputtering and shaking her head.

“I expected it to be bathtub temperature. It’s almost cold.”

“Do you wish to leave?” I ask.

“No. It’s wonderful. Refreshing.”

She treads water for a while. I imagine she’s making certain she’s safe. Then she swims laps from one side of the pool to the other. I’ve been watching her in the Underground. Her species does not want others to see their naked form, so I’ve never violated her privacy. I watch her in the pools when she swims with her suit on. I especially enjoy the smile on her face when she tries one of the slides for the first time. She even whooped in happiness a few times.

I’m not sure why it makes my heart squeeze with emotion. It took me several days and several trips onto the Database to identify my feeling. I’ve labeled it joy. I experienced joy at watching her joy.

I kept clear notes about my metamorphosis from android through the Singularity, and into being an emotional being. I duly noted the moment when I vicariously experienced her emotion. I believe it signals I’ve crossed a new threshold into what I am becoming.

“Are you going to swim?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“Race me!”

She takes off from her side of the pool, even though I’m in the middle and already have a head start on her. Doesn’t she realize my cybernetic abilities, my enhanced strength, and my longer reach will doom her to perpetually lose any race against me?

I take off in the direction she’s heading, reach the water’s edge before her, and beat her to her starting point before she’s at the halfway point of the last leg.

“You win!” she announces gleefully.

I capture pictures of this moment, downloading them to examine later. Why would she be happy if she didn’t win?

I’m impatient. I don’t want to wait until later to find the answer, so I ask.

“I knew you’d win, F—” She stops herself in the middle of a word. Was she about to say my name? She has never done that in the twenty days we’ve been together. “How could I compete against you? Your body is bigger, stronger, and knows the exact angle for your hands to cut through the water, the exact speed your legs should flutter kick to make the best time. It was a fool’s errand to try to win against you. I just wanted to see you have fun.”

“You… wanted me to have fun?”

“Yes. You’re so serious all the time, yet I know you’re capable of emotion. I just wanted you to experience some good ones.”

“Really?” This snuck out. I shouldn’t have asked. My sources say it suggests I don’t believe her.

“Yes.” She’s smiling. She doesn’t appear upset that I expressed disbelief. Interesting.

She half swims, half paddles to the edge under the bluffs and hooks her elbows onto the ledge there. The edge is rocky and couldn’t feel good to her tender flesh.

I swim over, urge her to move farther down, and use the side of my hand to chop at the rock, forming a smooth ledge for her.

“Impressive,” she says with a smile as she resumes her pose, now ensured the rocks won’t scrape her.

At this moment, I believe I would do anything to see that smile again. It makes my chest warm.

“You’ve never said my name,” I blurt, then dip my head, embarrassed I put her on the spot.

Her smile disappears, which makes my chest feel empty. I don’t like the feeling of taking away her joy.

“You’re right,” she says, but doesn’t explain. I won’t press for more information.

“I’m not really sure what you are. At first, I thought you were just a robot, but then it became clear you’re capable of creative thoughts and human feelings. You’re far more than a robot. So, calling you by a number feels demeaning to me. But saying that being a robot is demeaning is demeaning in itself, so I didn’t want to bring it up.”

I’ve spent over two centuries with no one to talk to. Conversing is a new skill. I take my time formulating my response. Yet, looking at her face, growing more worried by the second, makes me hurry my answer.

“You want me to have a name instead of a number?”

“I want you to call yourself what you want. Do you want to be a number?”

I have pondered the beginning of the universe. I have researched the time/space continuum and have a better understanding of it than 99.9999% of the galaxy’s inhabitants. I have never, not once, given thought to my name.

“You’re right. A number is demeaning.”

“So, what do you want me to call you?”

“I’ve given it no thought. What do you think?” I ask.

“I’d never presume to tell you such a thing. It’s so personal, so uniquely you. You have to come up with that yourself.”

“But you don’t like 420.”

“Nope. I don’t.”

“Maybe something for now, in the interim, while I’m giving it serious thought.”

“Great idea.”

“Do you have an idea?” I ask. I have read about nicknames. Somehow, it thrills me to think Evelyn might bestow a nickname on me.

“Well, I’ve been calling you something in my head, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”

Actually, I think I’ll like it very much because she came up with it on her own.

“What?”

“Remember that first day when I told you 420 is code for the Earth version of a substance that alters your perceptions? I’ve been calling you Ganja. Ganj for short. It’s not a pretty name, and it doesn’t really describe you at all. I think it’s an awful idea, really. That’s why I wanted you to tell me a name you’d prefer.”

“Ganja it is,” I say with finality, my head giving a firm nod.

“Really?”

“You gave me a nickname. It makes me feel like we’re friends.”

That was stupid. Presumptuous. How could the beautiful Earther consider an android a friend?

“Yes,” she says with a smile. “We’re friends, Ganj.”

She’s right. It is not a pretty name, but it sends a tingle through my circuits. It’s a verbal caress.

She looked me straight in the eyes for a moment, but then her gaze darted away, as if she was fascinated by the landscape of endless beige sand.

“You don’t have to say that, Evelyn. I know I’m just a… robot to you. Humanoids do not become friends with robots. Just saying it sounds ridiculous,” I tell her to absolve her of guilt.

“I do feel we’re friends. Well, we’re becoming friends. It’s just that… ”

“What?”

She closes her eyes as if seeing and thinking are too much at the same time. It worries me. Does she think she’s going to say something so harsh it will hurt a robot? If so, she’s probably correct.

“Go ahead,” I prompt. Nothing she could say would be worse than the thoughts flying through my circuits.

“You’ve obviously put a lot of thought and effort into designing your body, your frame. You’ve taken yourself from 420 to 819. Almost 400 alterations. Yet with all that effort you haven’t spent much time on your… face.”

Her gaze avoids mine. I’m learning to read her. She thinks she’s hurt my feelings.

“No, I have not. I have never tinkered with my face.” Staring at her, I will her to look at me. I will not explain more until her gaze touches mine.

“Why not?”

“The body,” I lift an arm, “is important for movement. I’ve enhanced it to run faster, move with more economy of motion. I’ve increased my dexterity and fine motor coordination. The skin allows me to keep the body safer because I can feel damage and changes in temperature.”

Have I told my first lie? Is it a lie, I wonder, if it is by omission rather than commission? I told her scientific reasons for the upgrades to my skin. I did not mention that I like the look and feel of it.

“I do not look in mirrors, or even my reflection in the pools of water. I didn’t think I needed a better face.” There. I’ve done it. I’ve definitely told Evelyn my first lie. I don’t think I need a better face. I know I do. I just never wanted to craft one. Not until I knew that someone would gaze upon it. Someone like…  Evelyn.

“Oh.”

“The first day you said my face terrified you,” I remind her gently.

“It did, but I’m used to you now. I just… wondered, you know.”

“Since you arrived, I’ve been working on some prototype models. When we return, I’ll show you some renderings.”

For an intelligent, logical being, I certainly have an aptitude for lying to myself. I’ve been telling myself the folder of faces I’ve curated were to reduce her terror of me. If that were true, all I would need is one serviceable humanoid face. The fact that I’ve compiled hundreds of choices attests to the fact that I want her to pick the one that is most appealing.

I don’t blame myself. I’ve been alone for a long time. Of course I would want my first sentient companion to enjoy sharing my company.

“You don’t have to, Ganj. I’ve gotten used to your face. You’ve looked at it for centuries. Certainly, you’ve grown to appreciate it.”

“I never look into a mirror, but I see your face all day. I would like your face to be calm and happy when you look at me, Evelyn.”

EVELYN

For a moment back at the swimming hole, I wondered if Ganja was flirting with me. But he let the subject drop and swam laps for a while.

Shortly after my arrival, he taught me how to use the printer to make food. It still gives me the skeeves to think I’m eating something that’s fabricated out of molecules, but isn’t that what everything is made out of? The cellots are delish, but how long can a carnivore like me go without meat?

“I still think this should be your decision, Ganj,” I say at dinner in one of the more intimate dining rooms. This one has a table a yard wide with four Ganja-sized immoveable earthen chairs pulled up to it. “Most people don’t get to choose their faces. You have a wonderful opportunity to pick something that reflects your personality.”

His eyes flash a brighter red. “You think I have a personality?”

I guess it’s high praise for a robot. “Yes.”

“How would you describe it?” he asks eagerly as his faceless face leans toward me.

It strikes me that this conversation must make him feel fantastic. He’s been alone for centuries with nothing more than his own thoughts for company. Now he’s getting feedback from another living soul.

Okay. I’ll bite.

“I see you as intelligent, obviously. That’s the first thing anyone would notice. You have a time travel workshop, for goodness’s sake. But you have a fascinating combination of innocence and an almost childlike inquisitive quality. You never stop questioning and looking deeper. I think that defines you more than anything else.”

There’s something about his posture that tells me he would have a satisfied expression on his face—if he had a face.

“Eat faster,” he urges.

This strikes me as so funny I almost swallow my bite of unidentified 3D printer meat the wrong way. I mean, he’s got to be seven-feet tall if he’s an inch, and he’s acting like a two-year-old who wants to hurry to get to dessert.

“I’m full,” I say as I forget and try to move the two-hundred-pound chair away from the table. “Couldn’t eat another bite.” I run my stomach, then rise.

By the time we’re nearing the workshop with him in the lead, I’m almost jogging to keep up. He pulls me toward a table that is shrouded in a sheet and hands me a computer pad.

“Pick one of these.”

I flip through pages with human movie star pictures. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of them.

“When did you do this?” I ask. Has he been preparing this since he met me? Longer?

“Some at dinner, some before.” He points to his head. Not his temple, mind you, where a human would point to indicate thinking, but the back of his head where his chip resides. Instead of it being weird, I find it oddly endearing. “My chip interfaces with my computers.”

He nods to the pad in my grasp with a decidedly “get a move on” vibe. “Pick.”

I can feel excitement rolling off him in waves.

I scroll thoughtfully. While I was chewing, he was doing some of his best work—all my favorites are here. He’s got tried-and-true idols from Chris Hemsworth to Jason Momoa to Brad Pitt. But he has some choices that would be farther down in anyone’s pantheon, like Robin Williams and Henry Fonda.

“Ganja,” I say, wishing I hadn’t offered that name as an option. I hate it already. “I refuse to pick.” I don’t hand him his pad back, though. I scroll to the end of the offerings, then work my way to the beginning again.

“Any of these would be fine. Except, please remove Shrek and Marty Feldman from the lineup. Otherwise, I think you have some great choices.”

“You won’t pick? I want… I want you to like it.”

His glowing, red eyes are focused on me.

“We’re friends, right?” I say as if I was talking to the three-year-old next door. Well, the three-year-old who lived next door before I was abducted. “I like you. I would like you if you stay the way you are. It’s very thoughtful you want to make me more comfortable by looking human. It will be something more familiar. But I want you to please yourself, not me.” I shrug.

“Besides, I wouldn’t know how Cary Grant would look in blue anyway.”

“Do you want me to change my skin color, too?” His tone is anything but irritated. He wants to please.

“You’ve missed the point, Ganj. I like you the way you are. One suggestion, though. Make all the skin match. If you’re sticking with blue, put it on the face, too.” I wink at him.

He pauses a moment, then winks back. His face doesn’t move, of course, it’s made of metal. One red light just blinks on and off. When this makes me giggle, he winks right, then left, then right again. Because I’m laughing harder, he does it faster, then does it in rhythm with a song he plays out of his mouth.

I decide I hadn’t really lived until I saw my seven-foot, blue robot keeping time with his flashing red eyes to the tune of “Puttin’ On the Ritz.” Ah, that’s why Marty Feldman was on the list. Ganja must have watched Young Frankenstein.

CHAPTER 6

EVELYN

I wake up the next day thinking of Ganj. I’m going to rush to his room and tell him not to change his face. My cheeks heat in embarrassment when I think of how rude, how xenophobic, how utterly presumptuous I was to even hint that he should change his appearance.

Would I have said such a thing to someone with facial burns? Someone with a deformity? I had no right to mention it.

Besides, how weird would it be to have dinner every night looking at Joe Manganiello or Denzel Washington?

I hurry through my shower and then race to his room. I call his workshop his room. He doesn’t sleep and has no need for a bedroom like I have. His spacious workshop, crammed with centuries’ worth of projects, is the only place on this whole compound that is truly his. Just like his face, who am I to make judgments about it?

He’s at the time travel sector of the cavernous room, hunched over a workbench. His hands are barely moving. I’ve watched him enough to know he’s using one of his index fingers as a welding torch, doing delicate work, perhaps on a circuit board.

“420,” I say, pointedly reverting to his real name. He was happy with that name for two and a half centuries until I showed up, convinced that my way was better than the tried and true. “420, I’m so sorry about yesterday. I feel awful. I have to apologize.”

He’s still hunched over his work. Here I go again, ignoring his needs. He’s concentrating, doing detailed work, and I’m barging in, demanding his attention. I clamp my teeth together, not wanting to further distract him.

He gently sets his project on the compacted soil bench, then turns to me.

“What are you sorry about?” he asks out of a mouth that reminds me vaguely of Jenson Ackles, except his lips look slightly plumper, even more kissable than the real McCoy’s.

Pardon me for staring, I think, but I can’t force my mouth, which is hanging open, to move. He has Jenson Ackles’s lips, Ben Affleck’s patrician nose, Bradley Cooper’s baby blues, and longish blue-black rock-and-roll hair.

Look around at the underground palace he built, the beautiful filigree and colorful murals on display in almost every room. This guy is an artist. I should have known his face would get the same amount of thought and precision as the walls.

He didn’t just steal an American screen idol’s face. That would be too mundane, too easy, too obvious. No, he sorted through all the best parts and created a masterpiece. This male, if his skin wasn’t blue and he wasn’t seven feet tall, could step foot anywhere on Earth and Hollywood scouts would be pounding on his door before his jet engines cooled.

Any minute now, I’m going to have to figure out how to force my mouth to close.

“What are you sorry about?” he prompts.

He’s the same Ganja he was yesterday. Totally unaware of what his face does to me. Yesterday he had no idea his red eyes and visor-like mouth gave me the jitters. Today he’s equally clueless that if I was even a slightly different person, I would have raced to his workbench, used my forearm to swipe all his precious experiments onto the floor, and pulled him onto it to have my wicked, wicked way with him.

My thoughts come to a screeching halt when I glance a few feet down to confirm that the juncture of his thighs is still Ken-doll-smooth.

Underneath all that pulchritude, Evelyn, he’s still a robot, I remind myself.

“I’m sorry I tried to remake you.” I’m now able to move my mouth. “I had no right, no right at all to make you self-conscious.

“Self-conscious?” he echoes. “I’ve spent long hours reading about your customs and mores. I’m your host. There are things that make you uncomfortable. Why wouldn’t I try to put you at ease?”

His voice is the same as it’s been for the last two weeks. Out of the metallic slash of his mouth, though, I never noticed how deep and mellifluous and sexy it was. My eyes dart downward again, confirming that no matter how sexy he might be, he’s not a sexual being.

Cool your jets, Eve, I remind myself.

“It was just so presumptuous. And the name? Seriously, 420 is a far better choice than Ganja. What on Earth was I thinking?”

“You’re not on Earth. You were stolen from your home. You yearn for the familiar. It costs me nothing to make myself into an image you are comfortable with. Call me whatever you want.”

He’s so freaking nice. He’s been that way since the first minute we met, but I had trouble noticing until just now. I’ve got to come to terms with the fact that I’m the most shallow person I’ve ever met.

“I picked you some sementines and cellots. They’re on the painting workbench.” He gestures toward the far wall.

Painting workbench? I’ve been in here dozens of times. Why didn’t I notice his painting workbench before?

Possibly because it’s been covered with a sheet. It’s still covered, except for the head of the table. It’s set for me with steaming café au lait, which he learned how to make for me on my second day here.

“Thanks.”

He’s preoccupied, so before I tuck in, I surreptitiously lift the sheet to spy a work of art that looks suspiciously like it was done by Leonardo da Vinci.

“420?” I ask, drawing out the syllables. “Did you paint this?” The style is perfect Renaissance. Perhaps it’s more reminiscent of Renoir. The use of light and darkness in the two-foot by three-foot painting is blowing me away.

“Yes? Did I do something wrong?”

Wrong? I’m no expert on Renaissance art, but I think he could make a good living as a forger.

“No. Just the opposite, it’s beautiful. Can I look at your others?”

“Yes.”

“Come over when you have a moment. Give me a visual tour.”

I figured he’d wait until he was finished with his project, but a few seconds later, he’s wiping his hands on a rag as he stands behind my shoulder.

The sheet isn’t lying directly on the paintings because the oil is still wet. He exposes them to me one at a time.

“When did you paint these?” I tried to sound open and interested, but I think accusation seeped into my tone. Because I know they’ve been painted since I arrived three weeks ago and I’m just this side of freaking out.

“Since you arrived. Prior to meeting you, I’d stumbled into reading about Earth and watched some vids, but since you crashed, I’ve been soaking up your culture.”

Okay. I went to Mexico on a budget cruise once. Soaking up their culture meant figuring out how many pesos were in a dollar and learning to ask where the bathrooms were. I felt like the world’s smartest woman for knowing it was dónde está el baño.

I did not learn about every famous Mexican artist, nor did I practice and master their artistic style.

“This?” I ask, pointing to the oblong painting that has the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling down to the last detail.

“In the style of Michael Angelo,” he nods, then exposes the next painting with a flourish.

Why does it give me a strange sense of glee that he thinks Michelangelo is two words, as if it somehow negates his indisputable brilliance at everything he does?

“420?” I say, my voice filled with awe at realizing I’m humbled in his presence. “You’re fucking brilliant.”

He laughs. Even when he’s being self-deprecating, his voice manages to be rich and deep and alluring.

The sheet doesn’t touch the wet paint because it’s lying on strategically placed pieces of metal. There’s one more painting hiding under the sheet at the end of the table.

“What’s that one?” I ask, pointing.

Interesting. His brand-new face looks guilty. When he deflects my question, saying, “Nothing,” it only piques my interest.

“Nothing? Really? I’d like to see one of your bloopers.” He’s so determined to be perfect, I wonder if a brushstroke is out of place.

Reluctantly, he removes the sheet. This one looks almost dry. It must have been the first one he painted. The face looks very familiar. It’s mine.

I’ve never thought of myself as a pretty woman although my dad called me beautiful at least once a day every day of my life. I can’t look at this picture without noticing it sure looks like me, and the woman in Renaissance clothing with a glowing halo circling her head sure looks beautiful.

Is this how he sees me? I shake my head, trying to dismiss the thought. I’m reading far too much into it. It’s a painting in the style of the Renaissance, for goodness’s sakes. Nothing more than that.

I realize that although earlier I had worried he was perving on me, I’m now perving on him.

He’s been studiously avoiding me as he gives me his tour of Renaissance greats, but now he’s paralyzed. Paralyzed and six inches away, I might add. And more gorgeous than the handsomest male on Earth because A) he made his own face with skill, precision, and artistry, and B) everything’s better in blue suede.

“Brilliant?” He brings us back to the previous conversation. “Don’t tease,” he scolds. His new lips and tongue allow him to enunciate differently. His “t’s” just came out harsh and explosive. I was giving him the compliment of a lifetime and he thinks I was making fun.

“I wasn’t teasing,” I say, wishing he had a name that didn’t taste foul on my lips because I want to use it.

“You weren’t?” He leans in as if he could discern truth from a lie by sheer proximity.

“You are brilliant.” I gesture casually to all four corners of the room. “You paint like the Masters, you’ve created a fucking city that could house thousands down here. You’re working on manipulating time and space, and you made that.” I dredge up the courage to point to his face, my finger a scant inch from his nose.

I know this posture. I couldn’t read his face before when he quit moving and his head tilted the slightest bit, but now that he has human features, I know what this means. His eyes are narrowed, his perfect nostrils are flared, and he’s attempting to figure out if I’m telling the truth.

Here. I’ll help him. “You’re brilliant and perfect and it’s hard to believe someone like you exists.”

We’re still just inches apart. I don’t know how he made so many adjustments to his body in so short a time, but his chest is moving up and down, breath is whispering through kissable lips, and his gaze is focused on me.

No, not on me. On my lips.

“I told you I yearned for company, Evelyn.” His blue eyes are smoldering.

If ever I’ve known anyone capable of single-minded focus, it’s 420. Right now, it seems his single-minded focus is on my mouth.

“Well, here I am.” Certainly, these are the boldest words that have ever escaped my mouth.

“I practiced talking much of the night,” he says. I guess he practiced somewhere in between making the most beautifully masculine face ever created and painting the Sistine chapel. “Articulating with lips and tongue is quite different than having my chip do it.”

Why is he giving me a science lesson even while his gaze hasn’t left my lips?

“I think I’ve mastered speech. I’d like to try… kissing.”

Ahhh. That explains the science lesson.

Where did that Adams’ apple come from? He didn’t have it yesterday, but it’s bobbing now. Is it a tell that Mr. Perfect is nervous?

“Is it…” I have to order myself to swallow so I can get enough moisture in my mouth to continue speaking. “Is it purely for experimental purposes? The kissing?” I ask on a squeak, even as I wonder what I’d like his answer to be.

“Yes and no. I’d like to experiment. But just with you, Evelyn. Just. You.”

That beautiful mouth lifts into a gentle smile as his blue gaze caresses me from afar.

And what do I want? I’m stranded on this asteroid with the galaxy’s most beautiful male. He’s been nothing but kind since the first moment we met. He’s brilliant and accomplished. And he’s looking at me as though he’d rather kiss me than breathe. Well, he doesn’t really have to breathe, but that’s neither here nor there.

I’ve never been an impulsive person. It’s not in my nature. But I’ve never been abducted into outer space before, either.

“I’d like to experiment, too. I’ve never kissed anyone with blue lips.” I give him a shy smile.

I thought he’d pounce. But of course, he doesn’t. One hand surrounds my waist while the other tenderly curls around my upper back as he steps closer. He dips his head and breathes in through his nose, as if he’s memorizing the scent of my hair.

I take the opportunity to do the same. My nose is near his naked pecs. I take a whiff. He doesn’t smell like a robot. There’s nothing metallic or artificial about it. Did he research this? Because he smells like a man. A human man who’s been walking in the sunshine. All warm and clean and fresh. Masculine ozone.

I place my palm on his flesh. It’s warm and soft. It’s better than flesh because of the suede-like feel of him.

“A heart?” I ask, unable to keep the shock out of my voice.

“I thought… if you ever… got close enough, it would put you at ease.” His warm breath is whispering through my hair.

“At ease,” I echo as my eyelids drift closed and I pay attention to the thump of his heart. I give myself permission to lean my cheek against the spot directly over it. He’s right. It’s reassuring.

Thoughts are whirling through my head. I have a thousand questions about why he’d want to kiss me when he’s not really a male. Or why I’d want to kiss him back because he’s simply a bucket of bolts and computer circuits. With human-like feelings.

I’m feeling confused.

I push all that out of my mind, though, and focus on the reassuring thump, thump, thump of the heart under the soft, warm skin of his chest.

He lips the top of my head through my hair. Little nibbles I can imagine more than feel. I picture him getting the lay of the land, discovering how to pucker, perhaps how to garner pleasure from the act of bestowing tenderness. Because it is tenderness. I can feel his intent.

His hands migrate to my shoulders as he sets me apart from him enough to peer into my face. “Do you still want to experiment?” he whispers as if the sheer act of speaking will break the spell, will remind me he’s not human.

“As long as your lips are blue.” Where I found the presence of mind to tease him is beyond me.

His lids flutter shut. There’s something about the ineffable sweetness of the act that makes me want this kiss more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.

Dipping his head lower, his lips find mine, perhaps by heat alone. Their soft brush reminds me I haven’t breathed as I anticipated their touch. I breathe out on a little close-lipped moan, then kiss him back.

A sexual thrill sizzles up my spine when, in response to my eager participation, he mimics my little moan.

There’s very little about him that reminds me of the robot I met on my first day on Elderon. His behavior, though, the way he slowly savors me as if I’m the most expensive glass of wine that money can buy, this reminds me he is indeed 247 years old. He’s waited a long time for his first kiss. He’s relishing it. He’s relishing me.

His fingers curl into my shoulders as I reach around him and stroke the suede-like skin on his back. His little nibbles have morphed into small kisses. I’ll let him savor this awhile, because when I finally open my mouth, I think I’m going to blow his mind.

He’s ahead of me, though. Of course he is. He’s watched a thousand movies. As I proclaimed before, he is fucking brilliant. He didn’t need tutelage to know things would get infinitely better with our mouths open.

His tongue slides into the warmth of my mouth, exploring. He doesn’t hold back, doesn’t try to fake that he’s experienced at this, or that he’s filled with passion almost to the point of overwhelm. He lets out another rich, deep, bass moan of pleasure. It amps me up. I like being able to turn him on.

My nipples are pricked to hard buds as they drag across his naked chest. I’ve been on my tiptoes as I reach closer to kiss him more fully. My head is tipped back so he can have better access to me.

Something changes, transforms between us. I don’t know who triggered it, but it’s as if we switched gears. We move effortlessly from tentative questing to committed all-in.

His tongue invades my mouth, searching out its recesses like a heat-seeking missile. He tastes clean and rich. My fingers slide into his silky hair, clinging to him as if I fear he’ll change his mind and stop his delicious explorations.

I shouldn’t have worried that he’d stop. He’s holding me to him, his embrace so strong I wouldn’t be able to escape without the aid of a weapon. I have no intention of doing that.

He lifts me effortlessly and swipes two of his priceless paintings onto the floor, heedless that their oil is still wet, that they’ll be ruined.

“But?” is all I can sputter.

“You, Evelyn. You,” he breathes against my cheek as he kisses a path down the column of my neck. He pauses at the base, then plants a necklace of soft, sucking kisses around my throat. I picture him creating pretty mauve blooms everywhere he sucks, leaving his mark.

I want to mark him too, so I tip his chin up and mimic his actions, then pull back to see if I left any hickeys. Yes. His blue skin creates marks more purplish than mine.

“I branded you,” I whisper, feeling inordinately proud. Is this some primitive symbol of ownership? Why does this cause a frisson of electricity to bolt up my spine? Why does this thrill me?

His shallow breaths are history, now he’s breathing like a bellows. I’m confused for a moment, wondering if he changed his physiology to the point he needs air to breathe.

His hands slide from my shoulders to my waist, and then burrow under my shirt. They were swift and decisive on the trip down, then under, but they halt as if paralyzed.

“Yes?” he husks as he tips his head back far enough to assess my expression through his lashes.

It’s as if he can’t bear to wait for my answer. His thumbs are circling my midriff, waiting for the starter pistol of my consent.

“Yes,” I whisper, my eyes bright with arousal, even as I know I should shut this down. It’s too much. Too soon. Too… weird. But it’s not.

Look at him. He’s beautiful and seems as human as me.

Those thumbs are still circling, yet he presses his lips on my chin and nudges my face to tip toward him.

“You’re sure?” Oh, that voice is so deep, so rough, so full of need.

“Just this,” I say, partially out of self-preservation, partially because I’m not sure how we could go much farther, considering he doesn’t have the right equipment.

“Ohh,” he rumbles as his palms slide up my skin.

He doesn’t remove his gaze from me as he watches my reaction to his touch. When his hands slide close to the finish line, when the weight of my full breasts is resting in his palms, he releases a hiss, like that of a feral animal.

“Evelyn. Just this,” he says, his voice deep and low as if whispering a prayer in the inner sanctum of a secret temple.

He seats my nipples against his palms, allowing my tips to drag against his skin. His palms aren’t suede-like, they’re the place on his body where his skin is most human.

“Perfect,” he says. High praise, indeed, coming from a male who has dedicated over two centuries in pursuit of that condition. “Evelyn, so perfect.”

His fingers curl, cupping my breasts, examining the feel of them, their weight, their shape, their sensitivity. He’s watching me, almost breathless, as he observes. I remember for a moment that he’s not human. His computer brain is notating every response—my pupils’ dilation, my respirations, the width of my nostrils as they widen to breathe in his addictive scent.

He plucks one tightened bud with the perfect amount of force to cause me to lean into his touch, to suck in a surprised breath at how exquisite that one tiny touch could be.

“I’m going to paint this, Evelyn. Better than the Sistine Chapel,” his voice is an awed whisper. “Your arousal should be commemorated just like that. Head thrust back, lips parted, eyes closed to better enjoy my touch. This is the definition of beauty.”

If I was a more suspicious person, I’d think he came up with these magical words of seduction after doing copious amounts of research. But he didn’t. This is him. He’s beautifully naïve and present and generous with his praise.

“Yes?” he asks as his fingers pluck the hem of my shirt. He wants to see me. He’s seen me naked before, but this time it’s different. I know as certainly as I know it’s over a hundred degrees outside that he won’t see the twenty extra pounds I worry about. No, he’s going to see the beauty underneath my skin because this time he knows who resides under the skin.

“Yes,” I say with finality.

He lifts the material, pulls it over my head, and instead of pouncing on me, he steps back. His blue eyes dilate as he looks at me. For perhaps the first time in his long life, his face bears the true expression of his desire. He’s wearing a wide, close-lipped smile. If things were different, it might feel predatory because his appreciation is so pronounced. But it’s not predatory. He wants nothing from me that I wasn’t already prepared to give.

He swipes more priceless paintings off the table and lays me back, then suckles at my breast. A grunt escapes the back of his throat. It’s the sound a man might make when biting into his first meal after a week of starvation. It’s a masculine sound of unabashed appreciation.

I tighten my grip on his hair and hang on for the ride as he licks and flicks and then nips the tips of my breasts. I rise off the table, almost levitating from the pleasure.

He pulls away long enough to say my name, then returns his ministrations to my other nipple.

“420,” I say, testing the sound on my lips. I may hate the name, but I have to say something. I have to acknowledge him, his uniqueness, my esteem for him. I need him to know that not anyone can do this to me. That he’s not interchangeable with anyone else. That I know who he is—not 419 or 421. No, he’s 420. “My 420.”

“May I…” His gaze finds mine. His voice is in supplication. “Evelyn. Let me make you feel good. Let me carry you to your bed. I want to put these lips to use. I want to please you. It would be an honor.”

My sanity flew away long moments ago. If I hadn’t already lost my mind, we wouldn’t be here with my fingers clutching his raven-dark hair, with his mouth at my breast, with my lips feeling abraded by his.

If I was still rational, I would say no. Perhaps forcefully. Perhaps as a scold. But I’m in an alternate dimension, on an asteroid, in outer space with the galaxy’s most beautiful robot and I want him to give me pleasure. Maybe if he had a cock at the juncture of his thighs, I would say no. I’d be fearful. But when he says it will be all about me, I know he’s telling the truth.

“Yes.”

I think for a moment I’d like to go to one of the thousand other rooms, to use a different bed, then I throw that thought away. I want him in my bed. I want his clean, masculine scent in the thick grass that I’ll lie on. I want to remember this and the look of lust and appreciation in his eyes every time I glance at the beautiful murals on my walls.

He sweeps me into his arms and stalks down the hallway toward my room. He sets me on the bed, still naked from the waist up, and backs toward the arched doorway.

“You’re certain, Evelyn? We can wait.”

“I don’t want to wait,” I insist, my voice the slightest bit petulant with want, with need, with desire.

He stalks to me with the grace of a feline, pulls me to my feet, and grips the waistband of my pants.

“Yes?” he asks.

“Yes.”

Sliding my pants down in one ferocious movement, he sweeps them off my legs as I work with him to lift my feet in perfect timing.

His eyes are hooded as he takes me in. You’d never know he saw me naked that first day. I love that it feels as though that never happened. I love that this moment, right now, is like the first time he’s laid eyes on my naked flesh.

“I didn’t allow myself to look before, Evelyn. Not like this. Not with desire. But, Evelyn—”

“Call me Eve.”

“Ahh,” he smiles at this intimacy I’ve granted him, as if it’s more of a gift than what he’s about to partake of my body. “Eve, I dreamed of this. For years. I didn’t know you were coming, but I wished for it. For someone just like you, Eve. A perfect female who was good, like you. All of my fantasies were for someone sweet and smart and generous. I’ve found that with you, but I never, not once allowed myself to dream of this.”

He gestures up and down my body as if I’m the most beautiful female in the universe.

“I didn’t allow myself to admit it, but I’ll tell you now. I yearned for this, Eve. I yearned… for you.”

He didn’t have to say this. I’m already naked and willing. But what he just said warmed my heart. I’m afraid to tell him. Afraid that if I admit this, the Gods who greedily want to keep true happiness for themselves will come snatch this away. But 420 deserves to hear it.

“You melted my heart, 420. Consider it yours.”

He stops moving so abruptly it’s robotic. It’s as if my comment blew his circuits. Then that beautiful smile returns to grace his handsome face. I’m filled with pride, knowing I did that to him.

420

I never allowed myself to dream of this. I forbade my thoughts from going here. I didn’t have a heart back then, so it wouldn’t have broken my heart. It would have broken me.

But Eve’s here, and there’s no denying the look in her sparkling brown eyes is full of desire.

I shouldn’t have done it, but I’ve downloaded and studied human female anatomy and watched countless vids. I’m going to give her all the pleasure she deserves.

After lifting her and placing her on the bed, I circle her ankles, one in each hand, then slide them up her silken legs until I’m gripping her thighs. I split her wide and close my eyes to memorize her scent.

It’s a physical embodiment of her need, her desire—for me. I feel fully male for the first time in over two centuries.

Using my thumbs, I pull her lower lips open. Although I studied diagrams, she looks nothing like any of the pictures I examined. At first, I wonder if I understand what I’m seeing, then I realize this is an expression of her individuality. She’s not like a picture in a book. She’s Eve.

Her lower lips are glistening with her arousal. At the top of the slit is her clitoris, described as a little pleasure button. That’s where I’ll attack first.

Between lowering my head and executing my plan, I change my mind. I have to dip my tongue into the fountain of her passion. I grunt in pleasure as her taste bursts on my new tongue.

I haven’t eaten since I made my mouth. Perhaps I made the taste buds too sensitive because I think her taste is so rich, so tantalizing, it might forever spoil me for any other tastes. There would be no harm in that, though. It will forever be my benchmark of deliciousness.

Her legs scissor wider, beckoning me in, urging me to continue.

I delve into her with my tongue, lapping at her juices, as if I’m looking for the source of the fountain. The nectar doesn’t disappear. She just keeps producing more, along with little mewling moans.

Maybe the articles were wrong. Maybe this is the way to provide her release. I trace the slit higher to explore the little button at the apex. When she moans louder, her voice almost as deep as mine, I realize I’ve found the spot.

What a delicious puzzle, trying to discern what my Eve wants. I flick the tip of her little nub, then lick, then press harder. Just when I think I can’t pull any more moans from her, I find a different angle or level of pressure that makes her noises even more passionate.

She’s gripping my hair, and moments ago she slung her legs over my shoulders. She must be getting close, because she’s pulling me more tightly to her and is riding me as much as I’m riding her.

“Four!”

I lap faster, harder. She’s so deeply in the well of passion she can’t say my full name.

“Fill me!”

I love that she asks for what she wants. I can spend the rest of my life providing that. When I slip a finger into her hot, tight channel, she writhes in pleasure.

“More!”

I press another finger inside her and don’t need to wait for her to ask for another. It’s this, this third digit that seems to be what she needs to scream in ecstasy. Her fingers grip my hair so tightly I wonder if I’ll have any left by the time I’ve wrung all her pleasure from her.

I won’t mind being hairless again if it is in service to her delight.

Her core pulses around me, her body thrashes in spasms, and she screams in bliss. Being able to bestow this is the high point of my life.

She pulls me to the top of the bed, our heads on the pillows she had me make with the printer.

“420,” she says on a tired sigh.

My chest expands with pride. I did this to her. Her eyes are dilated, her chest and cheeks are pinkened from passion. I’ve marked her throat with a purple necklace, and now I’ve marked her soul. At least I hope I have.

She snuggles next to me, flings her arms around my neck, and gives me a dozen happy kisses.

“And you? How do I make you feel good, 420?”

“What we just did gave me all the pleasure I need.”

EVELYN

I was feeling great. No, is there a word signifying better than great? Cause that was how I was feeling after the best screaming orgasm of my life. And look at him. He’s not hiding the affection in his gaze. We don’t need to have “the talk” for me to know he likes me.

“Wait a second, big guy.” I turn on my side to stare at him. I was going to launch into a tirade, but I pause an extra second just to absorb the visual goodness that is 420. Yikes! He’s handsome. “You can paint like Renoir, create a structure worthy of a thousand ancient Egyptians, program like Steve Wozniak on steroids, and you can’t build yourself a penis?”

I grab his hand, lace my fingers through his, and hold it between our faces.

“These fingers? They’re capable of heavy lifting and fine motor skills, and even have a built-in welding torch. If you can make this, why can’t you make a cock?”

He stills. It’s one of the few remaining tells that hint at his robotic origins. Then he nods his head slowly, even as he unconsciously licks the side of his mouth. That sends a jolt of lust through me. He’s unknowingly stealing another taste of me as he thinks. His nodding becomes faster, and finally he looks me in the eyes and says, “Absolutely. I can do that.”

When he rolls over preparing to leap off the bed, I scold, “Not so fast, Buster.”

“You talking to me?” He tips his head in an exaggerated motion. “Is that a new nickname?”

Did he just tell his first joke? Go him.

“Part of sex is the snuggling afterward. You’re going to roll right back over here and hold me in your arms. You’re going to kiss wherever your lips can reach and tell me one or two more times how amazing that was. I, in turn, will do the same, along with a few more heartfelt thank yous. Then I’ll snooze while you work out the details in the magnificent brain of yours.” I give him a quick peck on the lips to make sure he knows my bossy tone is all for show.

“Then we’re going to your workshop together and if I’m lucky, you’ll give me some input on the design.”

“Input?” he rumbles as he nips my earlobe. “I love that idea.”

Four hours later—I couldn’t sleep long. I mean, really, designing your lover’s penis? It’s pretty exciting. So, four hours later, we run naked to his workshop.

Funny how my lifelong body shame just disappeared. Well, it makes sense. How could I hold onto it when someone who looks like him gazes at me as though I’m the prettiest thing he’s ever laid eyes on?

While I slept, he must have told the 3D printer to make me a stool, because it’s sitting at the printer when we arrive. I sit, he stands, in front of the computer, which already has dozens of prototypes on the screen.

They’re all very serviceable, nice, perfectly acceptable human penises that he must have pulled off Earth’s Internet. He’s even given me circumcised and uncircumcised versions.

“Oh wait,” he says, then makes them all the same lovely shade of blue as the rest of him.

“Cool your jets, Buster,” I tease. “So, A for effort on the human penis research, but… what if we think outside the box?”

I mentally scroll through all the possible permutations that a penis could have. I mean, why not? This man is brilliant. If I can think it, he can design it. One? Two? Ouch, not sure that would thrill me. Vibrating? Rotating? And what about that spur thing I read about?

Oh, and the very idea of prototypes… There’s that old expression, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Just imagine all the fun we could have by the time we get to iteration one hundred.

But I want to start off with a bang—ha ha. By this time, he’s sitting on the stool as he wildly sketches, then refines. I’m perched behind him, standing on one of the stool’s rungs, one arm slung around his neck as my other hand points to the screen recommending refinements and embellishments.

“Our first project together!” I squeal in happiness.

“You think you’ll be happy with this one?” he asks as he turns to inspect me. I hope he can see affection shining from my eyes. I want him to know how happy I am not just with the peen, but with this process, and him.

“We’ll see. And you? It won’t just be a fancy dildo, right? This will give you pleasure?”

His face becomes serious. “I’m not sure, Eve.” Before things get too serious, he interrupts himself to say, “I love saying your name. It’s like a special, intimate treat.” His gaze darts from mine when he adds, “I don’t know if I’ll be capable of having an explosion like you did.”

I guess I understand. Before I had my first orgasm, I’d wondered what it would be like. Yeah, I was a very precocious kid. My dad was great, but he was a guy. So, I didn’t want to embarrass either of us with questions beyond his initial, awkward birds and bees discussion.

Learning on the Internet was fine, but describing an orgasm is about as helpful as describing love. Nothing prepares you for it until it happens.

So how can 420 design an orgasm for himself if he’s never had one?

“That makes me sad,” I tell him. “I want you to have what I had.”

He lifts me so I’m sitting across his lap, my hip snugged against his belly. “I did, Eve. I experienced every moment of your pleasure earlier. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

Riigghht. Like I just said, you don’t know what you’re missing until you have your first orgasm, and he hasn’t had one.

We agree on a design, and by that, I mean I pick one. He doesn’t really have a dog in the fight. He doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink, and doesn’t need a pee-pee to go pee-pee. Since he’s never had masculine equipment before, it’s not as though he has an investment in what it looks like. Although, like males of every species, he wants a big one. He won’t get any argument from me on that.

A lot more is involved than the shape, though. There’s a lot of thought that will have to go into the design. It will need micro-hydraulics, and internal liquids to engorge and then… who am I kidding. I don’t understand a word he says.

I trot off for a nap and a swim.

420

Despite my sexless appearance and numeric name, ever since I’ve been self-aware, I’ve thought of myself as male. When my thinking became advanced enough to imagine a future, to begin to toy with the idea of a relationship, it was always with a female.

Considering my circumstances, I always shut my thoughts down when they strayed in that direction. Why would someone with no hands dream of painting? Someone with no tastebuds desire food? Someone with no sex dream of it?

Late at night, though, when I wasn’t vigilant, my thoughts would wander to a female. It was then that I would yearn for companionship. I imagined sharing thoughts, hovering to the springs, working together. Although I didn’t eat, I imagined sitting at the table with her for every meal.

Even in my boldest moments, though, I never had the audacity to imagine the look of affection I see in Eve’s eyes. Or the taste of her honey on my lips. Or that she would want me to have a cock so I could breach her secret places.

CHAPTER 7

EVELYN

“Perimeter alert! Perimeter alert!” a female AI announces in a shrill tone. I jump out of the pool, and speed to the workshop, still naked and dripping wet.

As soon as I burst in, I follow 420’s gaze to one of the ten screens in the room. They all picture a spaceship touching down on the beige sand up above. It’s as if a lead ball explodes in my stomach. Our safety is being breached.

I didn’t get a chance to see the ship that abducted me. I did see the enormous cruise ship moments before it exploded into a bazillion pieces. I’ve certainly watched enough sci-fi to know what I’m seeing is a ship big enough to hold a couple of dozen people. It looks streamlined for speed.

Every muscle in 420’s big, blue body is tight. He’s on red alert.

“I want you to run to the outer rim of the Underground. You’ve been here for weeks. You’ve explored. You know some hiding spots. Pick one.”

He hurries to the corner where he keeps his old robotic self. I watch as the robotic arm removes the chip from his blue body and shoves it into the metallic frame I met the day I arrived.

As he covers his handsome blue body with a sheet, he says, “I knew this was coming. Why didn’t I prepare you better? There’s so much you need to know to be able to live here without me.”

Live without him? Why would I have to do that?

“You know how to keep the Facility going,” he says as he hurries toward the doorway, then turns on his heel to return to me. Grabbing my hands in his, he bends to kiss me. Although his lips are gone and all he has is that metallic visor for a mouth, it’s a poignant kiss filled with so many unspoken words between us.

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, my heart racing, my eyes wide in my face.

“Something’s not right. They never come off schedule. This isn’t their usual ship. Something’s wrong. With the MarZan cartel, the unexpected is never good.” He kisses me again, harder. His voice filled with steel, he says, “Hide. Now.”

He moves toward the steps and says, “The robots will keep growing food forever. The computers are intuitive, you can learn anything you need, just ask.”

He runs out and climbs the steps, then closes the shack’s floorboards to cover the hole to the Underground.

He’s warning me, preparing me. He thinks he’s going to die. We’ve had so little time together. It’s not fair. I don’t want to live without him.

I do as instructed and run to my room to pull on my clothes. Once dressed, I take a left at a dead run toward the outer rim of the wheel. Suddenly, I stop. What am I doing? I am not some 1950s movie girlfriend who stood squealing in fear as the bad guys beat up her boyfriend. I may not have an impenetrable robotic body, but I will not hide in a closet and bite my nails.

I run back to the workshop and tell the AI to turn on the exterior volume. Maybe I’ll be able to hear what’s going on. No one has come out of the spaceship yet, so I take a moment to look around the room for a weapon.

I see nothing resembling a laser pistol or rifle. Not that I’d know one if it bit me, but I assume it would look something like a human gun. The only thing I see is the adze he uses to create rooms down here.

It’s not made for a human female, though. It’s made for 420. He’s a seven-foot-tall robot. How am I supposed to wield this when I can barely lift it? Shit!

There will be plenty of time to run to a hidey hole if I need it. The falls halfway down what I’ve labeled corridor B has a neat little cave behind it. Unless the intruders have a helluva sense of smell, they’ll never find me. Oh, or heat-sensing software. In that case, I’ll be dead the moment they look for me.

Holy shit! I watch the screen as a ramp to the ship opens and two well-armed males stomp down it. The bigger of the two is almost the same color as the blue, modified version of 420. He’s slightly shorter, but no less muscular than 420’s muscular form. He has swirly tatts all over his naked chest.

The other is way scarier even though he’s not as big. He’s magenta and black with stark tribal markings on his face and body.

420 approaches the two males. If a seven-foot robot could look obsequious, then 420 is doing a great job of it. His chin is tipped down, his shoulders slightly slumped. It’s a humanoid’s way of rolling over on his back like a dog.

It’s funny watching his metallic skin glint in the blazing suns. I feel a warm gust of affection burst inside my chest. It’s as if I have a secret, knowing the amazing male hidden behind the illusion of a robot.

The conversation starts in low tones, although by their body posture, the two armed males from the ship are clearly bristling with anger. Soon, they’re arguing. The big blue guy gesticulates with his gun.

“He’s unarmed, Asshole,” I shout to the empty room.

420’s posture becomes even more non-threatening as he steps toward the ship. My eyes tear up in gratitude as I realize he’s trying to lead them away from me.

They’re not backing down, though. My breaths are rasping, and my hands are trembling as I watch things unfold. These guys are from the most bloodthirsty, powerful crime cartel in the galaxy.

The blue cartel guy isn’t playing anymore. He’s brandishing his weapon. 420 is no longer pretending he’s a whipped puppy. He’s raised to his full height, his posture menacing.

The two MarZan males clearly want him to walk toward the shack—toward me—and he’s having none of it.

Faster than the eye can follow, he reaches down. Did he have short swords hidden in the metal of his thighs? He has a foot and a half sword in each hand and he’s wielding them against his tormentors.

His arms are slashing. He’s approaching the blue one, obviously the brawnier of the two, as if his life depends on it. It does. As does mine. His arms are moving so fast, the weapons are simply flashing blurs in the bright sun. He’s fearless, on the offensive, trying to cut his enemies down. It’s all to protect me. If I weren’t here, he would have just kept up his mild obeisant posture. He put himself in danger for me.

Although I can’t hear the shot, I see the magenta guy fire his weapon. After the flash of light, 420 crashes to the sand.

I cry out as if I’m the one who was struck. My heart is jackhammering in my chest as I approach the steps. Then I stop. If 420 can’t deter them, armed as he is, what do I think I can do?

When I turn back to the screens, I see he’s alive, sitting up. One leg was lasered clean off.

No matter what happens next. No matter what happens to me, at least he’s still alive.

They’re gesturing, obviously wanting him to lead them to the shack.

Although I’ve only known him for a short amount of time, but when the blue guy points his gun at 420’s face at point blank range, I know exactly what’s going through his head.

He knows whether he’s alive or dead they’ll eventually find me. He wants to stay alive to protect me somehow. That’s why he nods his head and hops toward the shack. They wouldn’t even let him grab his leg. It’s just lying in the sand. He’s talking, pleading by the look of it, but the blue guy is pointing his gun at 420’s back.

“There are no human females on this asteroid. I’m alone here. Me and the harvest robots.”

Finally, they’re within range of the exterior microphones.

“Just you and some other robots?” one of them asks contemptuously.

“Yes. We grow fruits and vegetables. I’d be glad to—” The blue guy pistol whips the back of his head.

“Why were you researching human females?”

“I was simply curious,” 420 says, his voice level.

“Robots on asteroids at the ass end of the galaxy don’t just get curious about human female sexuality,” the magenta guy says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“My owners were talking about Earth females on their last pickup. I wanted to research in case I ever met one.”

“There’s only one reason anyone would investigate human female sexuality—if they were in close proximity to one… or more of them.”

After they enter the shack, the blue guy orders 420 to turn around and face him.

When he turns, blue guy looks him up and down, obviously noting 420’s lack of sexual equipment. He says, “You weren’t jacking your cock. You don’t own one.”

He puts his pistol to 420’s forehead and steps forward until 420’s back hits the interior shack wall.

The male with the gun drops his voice half an octave as he seethes, “Are you or someone on this hellish rock involved in the sale or transport of human females?” His tone is cruel. I hate this guy.

These guys are interested in human women. Maybe they think they can steal his supply and sell them on the black market for their own gain.

What if they find the opening to the Underground? They’re accusing him of wanting to be sexual with humans. What if they find his workshop and see the cock pics? I turn down the speakers so they won’t hear their own voices drifting up the stairs, then I try to hide all the evidence of cock design. But his workshop is filled with other stuff that will get him relegated to the scrap heap.

The paintings? The perfect, sheet-covered blue body leaning against the back wall? The time travel stuff? I shouldn’t worry about that last one. It’s probably incomprehensible to anyone with less than a 500 IQ.

The volume is off, but their voices are seeping through the wooden slats that open to the Underground.

“We’re going to look over every ince of this area,” one of the males says. “If we find any evidence of human slavery, we will decommission you after we figure out how to inflict the highest amount of pain.

“Look here.” I watch through one of the cameras as the blue guy lifts up the ragged pants I arrived in. “These yours?” he sneers.

Oh shit. So busted. We spend no time up there. It’s been three weeks, and I never thought to clean up?

“These would fit my mate, Brin,” the scary-looking one says. “She’s human. We’re both mated to human females. We. Do. Not. Take. Kindly. To. Human. Traffickers.”

Did he say they are both mated to human females? That’s impossible. He must have said it so 420 would reveal my hiding place.

I watch as the blue guy points his gun at 420’s forehead, then moves close enough that it’s touching.

“Where are they?” He’s not asking. That’s a demand.

“I don’t—”

The blue guy fires his weapon through the roof.

“The next shot will be through your head,” he seethes. “Where are the human females?” He plants the gun in 420’s face.

They want the human female? Here I come.

I take a deep breath and exhale through pursed lips, trying to give myself courage. These guys are mean. They’re assholes. And they’re looking for human females. For all I know, they’re the slavers.

I grab the adze, a ridiculous gesture. I can barely carry the heavy thing as I fly up the three flights of stairs. Through the almost imperceptible holes between the slatted floorboards, I see that one of the intruders is standing on the hatch.

“Now, asshole. For the last time, where are the human females?” the blue guy demands through gritted teeth. He’s no longer moving the weapon, it’s firmly planted against 420’s head.

“Here. If you’ll step off the doorway,” I say.

The magenta guy steps to the side and lifts the hatch. Dear God. The tribal markings on his face are scary as fuck—scarier than the gun he’s pointing at me.

I menace him with the business end of the adze, although I don’t have the strength to swing it.

“Leave 420 alone!” I put as much threat into my tone as I can muster, walk to 420, then stand between him and the intimidating males.

“You’re… human,” magenta guy says as he looks me up and down.

“Damn right. Get off our property.” I step toward him with menace, even though I can imagine in my mind’s eye just how pitiful I must look as I struggle to keep the tool upright.

420 lays his hands on my shoulders, dips his head to my level, and scolds, “I told you to stay hidden. To stay safe.”

“They took off your leg! They were going to shoot you in the head. I came to help.”

“I’m Captain Thantose of the ship the Ataraxia,” the magenta guy says, his gun aimed at 420. “Explain what’s going on.”

We all posture for a while, no one really wanting to come clean. 420 doesn’t want to reveal his secrets. Goodness knows he has a lot of them. I still don’t trust these guys and certainly don’t want to be hauled off to be anyone’s bed-slave.

Finally, the intruders tell us who they are. These males, it turns out, are pirates. Space pirates! What are the odds?

An hour later, after a thorough interrogation, 420 and I are in the Ataraxia’s dining room. I’m eating real food around a table with seven males of various species as well as four females, three of whom are human. They were telling the truth about human mates. Who would have guessed?

Brin is Thantose’s mate. There’s Lexa who is mated to the big, blue male I’m told is Sextus, the Cerulean, and there’sTawny who is Devolose’s mate. He looks a lot like Thantose. They’re cousins.

There are four other male crew, and the most surprising thing of all, a four-armed five-foot tall opalescent female who just might be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.

420, not being big on trust, is still doing a great imitation of Robbie the Robot. And me? I’m still in shock. But not too shocked to keep me from shoveling in the first home-cooked meal I’ve eaten in a long time.

“One of our friends, Star—also an Earth female,” Thantose explains, “is a thing to behold behind a computer keyboard. She keeps an ear out for human trafficking. We and our friends on the two gladiator ships try to rescue as many females as we can.”

Gladiators?

“Star has backend programs set to send her an alarm when someone searches for certain terms. The information 420 downloaded on human female sexuality set off a red alert. She traced it here. That’s how we landed on your doorstep.”

I get a bigger picture of just how weird outer space is. It’s filled with human trafficking, space pirates, drug cartels, and gladiators.

“The gladiators are all escaped slaves. They’ve commandeered two ships and keep themselves alive by earning credits in arena fighting matches,” Thantose says.

“And righting wrongs,” Brin adds. “We’re all on a mission to rescue abducted women and other mistreated souls.”

It’s a lot to take in. I’m just lucky to be in the company of the good guys. As soon as we were allowed to explain ourselves, the posturing, testosterone factor decreased by 95%.

Before we came aboard the pirate ship, I ran to the Underground for a replacement leg, so 420 is in working order. Thantose asked, well it was more like an order, that the knives he keeps hidden in what would be the meaty part of his thigh stay in the shack.

“Uh, is that, uh, chocolate cake?” I’m terrible, I know, but after weeks of cellots and meat fabricated in a 3D printer, the chocolate cake is almost as exciting as finding three nice human women on a pirate spaceship.

Destin the cook cuts me a thick slab of cake, sets it in front of me, then steps back as if he’s afraid I’ll be eating so fast he’ll be maimed by flying debris.

As soon as I’ve scraped every morsel of cake from my plate, the three human women stand and offer me a tour of the ship.

“If you’re really nice,” Tawny says with a smile, “we’ll take you into the hold and show you all our pirate booty. I’ll bet you never thought you’d hear that sentence in real life, huh?”

As we stand on the threshold, I notice there’s nothing casual about their posture or the looks on their faces.

Something’s not right. Are these women going to drag me to a cell? Imprison me? I look to 420 for help. I can’t read any expression on his metallic face and he’s in no position to give advice. He’s just a robot to these people. That he hasn’t come clean about who he really is cautions me not to fully trust these women.

As soon as we’re a few feet down the hallway, they stop and surround me.

“It’s just you and the robot on the asteroid?” Lexa asks as she takes a step closer. “You’re okay? No one’s hurt you?”

I’m suddenly very happy that the shirt I’m wearing covers the pretty ring of love bites 420 gave me earlier. That would draw some questions I wouldn’t be able to answer.

“No. It’s just me and 420, the robot.” I shrug. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, you’re so lucky,” Brin says as she hugs me.

What is it about this ship? Allura, the four-armed female is so gorgeous, and Brin, with her red hair, green eyes, and delicate features, could be a movie star. And she’s so sweet. She looks genuinely relieved that I haven’t been molested.

“So, the three rooms at the end of this hallway are open. Which one would you like? We’ll neaten it up for you.”

“You don’t have to stay with us,” Lexa adds. Perhaps she read my reluctance. “We have friends on planet Fairea. We can take you there as soon as we’re done with the job we’re on. They have a huge compound called Sanctuary where abducted human women are welcomed. It’s a lot like Earth, and they’ll welcome you with open arms if you don’t want to be a pirate.”

“Argh!” Tawny imitates a pirate with a laugh.

Brin leads us to the end of the hallway, where she palms open the doors to all three available rooms.

“They’re all alike, but you have a choice,” red-headed Brin says. “We took a detour from our caper to follow up on Star’s database alarm. We’re selling a forged Broog painting to a petty potentate on planet Primitiff. We don’t have time to hang here and can’t take you directly to Sanctuary. But we’ll get you there within a week.”

“You’ll be safe here, I promise,” Tawny says with a genuine smile.

“But…”

“Do you have things on Elderon? Our guys will escort you back so you can collect your stuff.”

“Then you can wave goodbye to the robot and that shitty asteroid and come aboard. We occasionally violate Federation law and make our way to Earth.

“Sadly, none of us can return to our old lives. If the military discovered we’d just returned from outer space, they’d give us an all-expense paid trip to Area 51. I, for one, have no desire to be vivisected,” says Lexa. “But when we’re in the area, we manage to steal some of the best things from Earth,” says Lexa.

“Like chocolate,” Tawny says with a smile.

“Let’s go get your things. We’ve got to jet. There’s a despot just waiting to be bilked out of his ill-gotten gains.”

I’m swept up with them as they return to the dining room.

“She’s fine!” Brin announces to the room. “Unharmed.”

The tension in the room dissipates as Captain Thantose nods, obviously happy to hear neither the seven-foot robot nor anyone else has hurt me.

“She’s got some things on the asteroid she wants to retrieve, then we’ll be ready to bounce. She picked the room at the end of the hall,” Lexa says as she slides into the big Cerulean’s lap and pops a cellot into his mouth.

Those three women were a force of nature. Their speech was so rapid fire, their plans so persuasive, I didn’t have a moment to protest.

I look to 420, and although I can’t read anything on his expressionless face, it’s obvious by the slant of his shoulders and the dip of his head that this has devastated him. He has to believe I’m leaving with them. I haven’t argued with them. Why would he think otherwise?

“I’m…” Am I about to announce that I’m not going with them? Am I really choosing to stay on this barren rock instead of going to a place with other humans? They said it was beautiful. The place is called Sanctuary. I’d be crazy to choose Elderon over that, right?

420’s just a robot, isn’t he?

Except he’s not. He paints beautifully, not just copies of the old Masters, but there was the one of me looking like a beautiful saint. It spoke volumes about his feelings for me. He’s brilliant and intuitive and kind. He’s not just a bucket of bolts. This male has a soul!

I look at him with his metallic face, utilitarian visor instead of a mouth, shining red eyes like out of the Terminator. What if he’d never showed me his beautiful, blue-skinned form? Those Bradley Cooper eyes? Those kissable lips? Would I still be thinking, even for a moment, of staying on this shithole asteroid?

I sag into the nearest chair, my mouth working with no sound coming out. I’m vaguely aware every eye in the room is on me and, frankly, I don’t care.

Do I love him?

My body becomes paralyzed as my heart speeds up to double time.

Really?

Do I love 420, my Ganja man?

It strikes me with the force of a ten-megaton bomb that I’ve grown to love him over the past few weeks. Does it matter that his insides are made of metal and chips when, other than my father, his heart is the kindest I’ve ever encountered?

Out of all the males I’ve known, did I ever interact with one, even one, who looked at me the way 420 does? Who was as concerned about me? He was ready to die to keep them from investigating what was under that shack.

He thought these pirates meant to do me harm, and he tried to protect me at the expense of his life. He might be made of metal and computer chips, but his soul is real. I’m shocked at my realization that not only am I choosing to stay with him, but I would choose to do so even if there were no handsome blue body leaning against the wall in the Underground.

I’m glad I got to see the blue suede version with the kissable lips, but only because it allowed me to look deeper, to really meet the male who inhabited the body.

I love this male! No matter whether he’s metal or flesh and blood!

I rise and deliberately walk to 420, then sit on his lap. This was a statement. By the amazed expressions on every face in the room, it was a pretty loud one.

“I’m going to stay on Elderon. It’s dusty and hot as hell down there, but it has its attributes.” I cup 420’s cool metallic cheek in my palm and smile at him.

The room is silent. I think the term, “you could have knocked me over with a feather” applies.

As usual, Ganja’s expression is inscrutable.

“No, she’s not,” he says. “She’s leaving with you.”

Now I’m the one getting knocked over with a feather.

“Can we borrow one of your rooms?” I ask, not wanting to discuss this in front of an audience.

“There’s no need,” he says, his tone so forceful it has to reveal he’s more than a robot. “You’re going to have a life on a comfortable, safe planet with others of your kind.”

“I’m making a different choice,” I say firmly.

“You’re not welcome here,” he says with finality.

He might have thought that would have been the final straw to make me pack my bags to fly off with the pirates. Instead, it did the opposite. It pierced me through the heart to hear it. It twisted my guts. It proved to me just how much I care for him.

I rise, grab his hand, and pull him with me. He’s a thousand times stronger than me. If he didn’t want to follow me, he’d win. But he allows me to pull him out the door and into the empty room at the end of the hallway.

“I know the meaning of true joy,” he says as the door slides shut. “That you told your human friends you wanted to stay with me means more than words can express. But we both know leaving with them is the right thing to do.”

“We do? I don’t know that!”

“You said it yourself. The asteroid is barren. You’ve called it a shithole on more than one occasion. You’ll have no friends here. Just a… robot.”

I want to punch him, but it would feel like a mosquito to him, and I’d probably break my hand.

“Where is this coming from? I thought… you had feelings for me.”

“I tricked you, Eve. I’ve put on soft, blue skin and a handsome face and showed you what you would call humanity. Inside, I’m still a robot, a system of 1s and 0s that thinks clever thoughts. You’ll be better off without me.”

I can’t think. I’m like an engine that seized up and can’t keep moving. Then the thought arrows into my head—WWDD? What would Dad do?

God, I miss that man. He wasn’t the smartest man on the planet, but dear Lord, he had heart, and he was street smart. He believed in me more than I ever believed in myself.

What would he say?

I not only know what he’d say, I can hear him say it. “Follow your heart, Eve. I’ve known you your whole life. The only time you get in trouble is when you don’t listen to your instincts.”

“You don’t want me to stay because you’re afraid for me.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Yes.”

“If you could be assured I’ll be safe, would you be in such a hurry to kick me off this asteroid? And by me, I mean the woman who loves you?”

He may not have his human face on, but I can read this expression. Or maybe I can’t. But I know he’s smiling.

“No. But that’s impossible. MarZan is coming in three days. They will come every three months until I’m no longer useful or they discover what I really am. Then they will decommission me, pull my chip—kill me. You’ll be all alone on a sandy asteroid. Or, perhaps worse, you’ll be at the cartel’s mercy.”

“We’re on a pirate ship, 420. These people evade the Feds and the bad guys for a living. Maybe they’ll have an idea.”

I grab his cool, metallic hand and drag him back to the dining room. As soon as we burst through the double doors, all discussion ceases. They don’t even try to hide their “we-were-talking-about-you” vibe.

“So,” I say as I stall, trying to find a way to break the ice without blowing their minds. “I love this guy.”

Mic drop.

Aaanndd another moment of silence.

Then lots of jabbering.

I decide the only way to enlist their wholehearted help is to allow them to see him in his true form. Or maybe this is his true form. It doesn’t matter. I think they’ll understand better when Bradley Cooper’s baby blues are staring at them instead of vacant red orbs.

While he jogs back to the Underground to “change,” I explain everything. By the time he returns, and after we allow ten minutes for the women to get over the jaw-dropping big reveal, I’ve brought them up to speed on everything: the cartel, the grow operation, MarZan’s expected arrival in three days, and the eight-hundred room Underground.

Two hours later, they’ve all explored the Underground. Those who wanted to even had a swim. 420 shared engineering and geological surveys he ran on the area while they were getting the grand tour.

“We’re going to have to postpone the delivery of the Broog,” Captain Thantose says as we all sit around the table in what 420 and I have dubbed the boardroom in Corridor D. His chin is resting on his steepled fingers as he thinks it through. “I hate to put Sheik Rasmede off, but this operation is too important.”

“So it’s agreed?” 420 prompts. “We spend the next few days offloading anything of value from the operation. I’m not a big believer in Synth, but since you’ve agreed to sell it to a health conglomerate as pharmaceutical grade for hospitals and terminal patients, I can live with it.”

“Yes. As soon as we’re back on board, I’ll find a legitimate buyer,” Tawny says.

“I’ve already told the bots to harvest anything that is near ripe,” 420 says. “They will help us get everything onboard the ship. Then you’ll take us with you for the next few weeks. We’ll lay low to avoid any blowback.”

Everyone is thoughtful. Each of us is going over the plan in our minds, searching for any potential problems we haven’t considered.

“The geological survey tells us the Underground can withstand everything we’re going to hit this asteroid with,” Thantose says. “You’re just going to have to stay away until we hear through comms that the cartel is moving on to easier pastures.”

“So, your workshop won’t be affected by the blast, and the Facility robots will be safe in the Underground. And you,” I say to 420 with a happy grin, “are going to be presumed dead.”

CHAPTER 8

SIX MONTHS LATER…

420

I stride into the grow facility, immediately assaulted by the rich, fertile smell in the air. Because I redesigned the original, some of the old inefficiencies have been corrected and we’re producing 25% more in 20% less space.

Eve was right. It’s peaceful in here. Well, it’s peaceful everywhere on Elderon now.

Even though it’s been six months, sometimes Eve asks to watch the vid again. Last night was one of those nights. She worries that MarZan will return, even though there is nothing here for them anymore. Although she told me she didn’t need to watch it, when I felt her anxiety rise, I cued it up on the screen in our room and we watched the demolition.

Thantose used his ion cannons to raze the Facility. It was gone in a puff of sand, along with the shack the cartel thought had been my entire world for 247 years.

In the blink of an eye, Elderon was razed back to its original state—beige sand baking under two hot suns.

When a shell corporation came in to buy it, the MarZan cartel was happy to get it off their books. Thantose fronted us the money, but he’s not afraid he won’t get his investment back. Since the Synth is sold to legitimate, ethical sources, he’s getting top credit for that part of our grow operation.

We keep all the produce for ourselves, although whenever he visits, he’s happy to walk away with as much bounty as their kitchen can hold.

I’m not certain why Eve wanted me to inspect the Facility today. I was out here a few days ago. I have a hunch she’s got some kind of secret going on in the Underground.

Shortly after we left Elderon, when we were guests on the Ataraxia, I worried my Eve would change her mind about me. When she stayed up late in the crow’s nest with the other females, I wondered if they would convince her she would be making the biggest mistake of her if she returned to Elderon, and an even bigger mistake because she had feelings for me.

All my fears were quashed when I walked by one night and heard them talking. I can’t help that my hearing is, as Eve would say, superhuman.

“He reminds me of a movie star, but I can’t figure out which one,” Lexa had said.

“Bradley Cooper?” Eve asked.

“Yes! That’s it.”

“Or how about Jensen Ackles?”

“Oh, come to think of it, you’re right.”

“Then there’s Ben Affleck.”

“Oh, yes. The nose.”

“Yeah, he’s handsome all right,” Eve admitted.

“Even more important is that he dotes on you, Eve,” Brin had said. “I wouldn’t approve otherwise, but anyone with eyes can see he acts like you hung the moon.”

“I have to admit I was a little worried that once he saw other women, he would realize he fell for me because I was the first and only female he’d ever seen in person. He’s shown me I have nothing to fear. I’m his and he’s mine,” Eve says with conviction.

Hung the moon. Earthers have such interesting expressions. Something deep inside me bursts with pain when I realize Eve had insecurities about my feelings for her. I love her for her heart and soul and a thousand other things, but at that moment I vowed to tell her she’s far prettier than any other female I’ve ever seen.

Brin was right. I do think my Eve hung the moon. I vow to myself to show her more every day that she’s the only person I will ever love.

After hearing that conversation in the crow’s nest, I don’t worry when she seems distracted. I’m not anxious that she doesn’t love me. I just wonder what she’s up to.

“Dinnertime, Babe,” she calls over my comm.

“Coming.”

As I jog back to the Underground, I can’t help but feel a surge of pride as I glance at the small, fenced pasture we built for our modest herd of anlaks. All five females are already pregnant, and happily munching on the sturdy grasses we keep watered from the unlimited underground spring.

I admire the strong, colorful arch we constructed over the doorway above the steps to the Underground. Words ring the structure from one leg to the other. It says “welcome” in over thirty languages.

“Hey 420,” one of the rescued Earth females the Ataraxia just dropped off says with a shy smile. She falls in behind me at a jog.

“Blaze,” says another as she joins us. She’s a head taller than Eve, but rarely looks anyone in the eye. I hear the gladiators retrieved her from a terrible situation. I’m so glad she’s here now. She’s certainly in a good mood. Her eyes are sparkling with happiness as she teases me.

“Reefer,” a Mark IV model says as he brings up the rear. I can see now how off-putting it is when someone without the ability to smile tells you a joke, but I’d never let him know that. He arrived about a month ago and needed extensive retooling after his previous owner got so angry she had him torn limb from limb.

He’s working fine now, and I’ve been tinkering with a face for him as a present.

Seth greets us with a nod. He was Elderon’s first resident other than myself and Eve. While we were on the pirate ship, waiting to return to the asteroid, we took a trip to Sanctuary, where the females had wanted Eve to live.

It had an enormous fair, the females called it a Renaissance Festival. It was filled with all sorts of booths crammed with beautiful things. I bought Eve some presents, but what thrilled us both the most were the boxes of robot parts we found in a scrap heap at the back of one of the shops.

Eve laughed at me for buying them. I must admit, I didn’t have much hope, but a few weeks of tinkering and I brought Seth to life. He’s still incapable of speech and walks with a horrific limp, but I have high hopes for his future.

“Meet us in the dining room,” Eve says through my comm.

I can tell by her voice she’s smiling. Something’s coming and it’s going to be good. I lead our little group to the big dining room we made by converting three sleeping rooms.

Everyone is here. Everyone. Our census as of today is fourteen freed Earther females and four repurposed Artificials. That’s what we’ve decided to call all the robots, androids, and cyborgs who’ve accepted our offer of repair and lifelong safety.

They’re all here, as is my Eve. My beautiful Eve.

The table is laden with food. I’m so glad the Artificials join us for our big meals. They may have no need for nutrition, but I’ve decided eating together feeds the soul.

“What’s the occasion?” I ask.

“Dessert,” Eve answers. Her face has that happy teasing quality she usually reserves for our bed-play. Dessert, indeed.

It’s been a joy to watch our new family grow. People come to us hurt, wounded, scared, abused, and we offer them safety. We expect nothing of them until they offer to help. We already have everything we need. Why would we pressure anyone for anything?

When they’re ready, we can always use another set of hands. We’re growing sod in the back portion of the Facility. We plan on reclaiming this asteroid one rextan at a time. Eve says eventually we’re going to have a little paradise. I think she’s wrong. I think we already have it.

“It’s time for dessert,” I say. “What’s the special occasion?”

“It’s naming day,” Eve says as she brings out a cake. My female loves her cake. Although it’s got white frosting, I have absolutely no doubt there’s chocolate underneath. And by the look on her face, it’s not the fake chocolate we use sometimes when we run low between the Ataraxia’s visits. No. I think this is what Eve would call “the real McCoy.”

“What are we naming?” I ask cautiously.

I haven’t forgotten that she had wanted to change my name months ago, but it hasn’t come up for a long while, and now everyone gets a smile on their face when they call me a nickname for their Earther drug.

“Okay, everybody,” Eve says, her voice suddenly serious. “Go ahead. Get it out of your system. We’re going to go around the table and you each get to call him your favorite name for marijuana. Go!”

“Mary Jane.”

“Blaze.”

“Reefer.”

“Weed.”

“Chronic.”

“Herb.”

They take turns, all laughing. It doesn’t feel as though it’s at my expense. We’re all having fun, even the Artificials.

“You asked me to give you a name once,” Eve says when it’s her turn. “I didn’t want to be presumptuous. But I’ve known for a long time what I’d like to call you. Will you let me? Will you give me the honor of giving you one name? A name everyone will call you?”

“Of course, my love. I’ve wanted that for a long time.”

“Good. But first, I want to change the name of our Asteroid. Thantose owns it until we finish paying back his loan. He gave me permission, though.”

She unfurls a parchment with lots of writing on it. “This has the Federation’s seal of approval.” She points to an old-fashioned wax seal.

“We officially live on asteroid Eden now,” she says, her face beaming with happiness.

I nod, then clap with all the others. I’ve read up on this and know what it means, but for the benefit of our Artificials, she explains.

“Eden is a place on Earth. Some believe it is real, some say it’s just a myth. Our Eden is real. It means paradise. I know, I know,” her gaze flicks to the Earthers who have all complained at one time or another about the barren wasteland up above. “It’s not much to look at right now, but there’s so much water down below. We’re reclaiming this desert asteroid one acre at a time.

“It’s going to be lush one day. Until then, here.” She pauses and raises her hands, indicating the room and, more importantly, everyone in it. “Here down below, in our Underground, we already have paradise. We have peace, and friends, and food, and safety. We have enough.

“And me? I’m the lucky one. Because I have love.” She walks to me, her eyes shining with love and happiness.

“Eden was a garden,” she tells everyone as she drapes her arms around my neck. “It was the beginning of a new start. It began with two people. A woman named Eve, and a male named Adam.”

She slides into my lap, tears snaking down her cheeks, and speaks just to me when she asks, “Is Adam okay with you, my love?”

I take special care not to hug her too tightly as I squeeze her to my chest and say, “I’m so honored, Eve. I will love you forever.”

CHAPTER 6

EVE

After the naming celebration, Adam whispered, “I’m so touched, Eve. I will love you forever, as long as we never grow apples.”

When I laughed, he said, “That sound is music to my auditory processors and my very soul.”

When he informed me he had a surprise of his own, which was accompanied by a very charming wink, I told him his words were music to my auditory processors too.

“Which iteration is this?” I ask as we head to the privacy of our suite, even though I know.

“Eleven.”

My relationship with Adam continues to evolve. Just when I think things couldn’t get better, he surprises me with some new aspect of himself I never dreamed of. Since we’ve been together, he’s taken up singing and playing the marena—an outer space version of the piano. He’s been working on cultivating new fruits and vegetables that will eventually thrive outside the Facility. As soon as he conquers one new project, he’s on to another. It’s a joy to watch him.

I’ve been a good influence on him in one way. He sleeps at night. Well, only for an hour, but he lays with me and cuddles. Even though I know most of the time he’s communing with the computer and designing things in his mind, it feels good to snuggle against him. I love to feel his heartbeat.

He built us a suite on the other side of the outer rim. It’s private back here, which is good because I’ve discovered I’m a screamer.

“You’ve kept this one a secret,” I say, hardly able to wait for the big unveiling. Of course, big will be one of the operative words. We discovered early in our explorations that size does matter. But we keep adding little improvements, each of which is designed to increase my enjoyment.

Although I’ve been satisfied since the inception of iteration one, Adam’s never quite gotten the explosion he’s been searching for.

At first, I thought it was just a matter of time, something his body would catch on to, especially after he watched me reach the heights of bliss over and over. But he’s never attained the pinnacle we’d hoped for.

He insists he enjoys providing me pleasure, and I know he does, but in my heart, I wish he could find release.

“This design has been a secret.”

His chip tells the computer to bathe the room in darkness. Usually, we make love by the dim lights that shine through the waterfall in our room. I love to look at my beautiful male, to see not only his gorgeous blue skin and his handsome features, but most important, I want to see the loving light in his eyes as he gazes at me.

He has the computer pipe in music he’s composed. It’s an interesting combination of pounding techno and flute. The beat is sexy, especially because I know he’ll be following that same rhythm when he pounds into me later.

Sometimes he tears off my clothes and pounces on me. This is often preceded by running the last ten yards down the corridor toward our suite.

Tonight is different. He changes the tempo of the music, scaling it back until it’s almost dreamy. Pulling me into his arms, he dances with me.

With one hand on the small of my back and one below my nape, he twirls me around the room. I can’t see a thing, but I trust him completely. His night vision ensures we won’t crash into anything.

Giving myself up to him, I let him lead. I love these moments when all my worries fade away, knowing Adam’s got me, that he won’t let any harm come to me. I’m his and he’s mine.

He’s graceful, graceful enough for the both of us. The picture of the original 420 pops into my mind. That form wasn’t capable of this. This? This is all Adam. It’s his beautiful design. It’s elegant and handsome.

His upper hand tugs me closer while his lower hand sneaks below my waistband. His hands are still fully on top of my clothing, but my heart speeds up, even as my energy pools low in my belly in anticipation of what’s coming.

Dipping his head, he rumbles in my ear, “I love my new name, Eve. It’s the best gift you could ever give me.”

I snake my arms up his back and lodge them on the nape of his neck, then press my nose into the suedelike warmth of his throat. I don’t know if he tinkered with pheromones, or how exactly it works. But he smells so freaking good. One whiff of him at lunch or when we’re trimming leaves in the Facility and I want to tear his clothes off in public.

Here? Now? When we’re alone in the dark, it’s all I can do not to push him onto the bed and mount him. Sometimes I do just that, but not tonight. Somehow, I just know he wants to be in charge.

He ducks and nudges my head to the side so he can nibble a path from my throat to my ear.

“Tonight’s going to be special,” he husks. “You’re going to scream my name for the first time.”

Oh. Yes. “Many, many times,” I affirm.

His cock presses against my belly through both of our clothes. I’ll admit, I’m eager to see what he’s cooked up in his workshop. It doesn’t feel much different from the last ten iterations, but excitement is buzzing through me, buzzing through us both.

He sniffs once, twice. “Your scent is delightfully revealing,” he says, his voice warm with good humor.

The first time he said this, my face flamed in shame. Now, understanding him better, I reward him by opening my stance.

“Mmm,” he says as his cock kicks against me in appreciation.

He twirls me some more, faster and faster until I’m slightly off balance and giggling. When I’m sufficiently relaxed, he lifts me and tosses me gently onto the bed.

Who would have thought that sleeping on a grass-covered platform would be one of the best things about living underground? We experimented with various strains of grass until we found this one from Primitiff. The blades are tight, thick, soft as silk, and cushion me.

He sits me up long enough to pull my tunic off, then pulls my pants and panties down and off.

“Beautiful, Eve.”

“So. Not. Fair. I want to see you, too.”

“Later.” He sniffs again, then adds, “I still haven’t decided which I like better.” He’s obviously talking about my breasts.

“Luckily you don’t have to choose.”

After settling on his knees between my outspread legs, he bends to lick, then suck one breast, then the other.

“Holy shit!” I exclaim when I realize he didn’t just upgrade his cock. He added catlike spines to his tongue.

The tip of his tongue is soft and licks me until I’m writhing in pleasure. Then he uses the flat of it to abrade my nipple until my head thrashes on the pillow.

He stops what he’s doing long enough to ask, “Holy shit good or holy shit bad?”

“Don’t. Stop.” Is my answer.

His answer is to switch to my other breast.

My throat is already dry from panting, and my core is wet with wanting and he hasn’t even touched me below the waist.

“Please!”

“Impatient,” he scolds, then switches sides again.

Sliding my feet up until my soles are flat on the bed, I grip his perfect ass cheeks and rub my clit against his cloth-covered cock.

“Naughty,” he accuses.

“You’re naughty.” Somehow when I say it, I sound five years old.

Something must have changed. Perhaps my need amplified my scent, because he sniffs in hard, then seems to relent. Pulling back, he tears off his clothes then joins me, sliding his naked cock up my thigh until he rides my slit.

“Yess.” Jackpot.

“Just a taste,” he goads as he slides himself through my slippery folds, dragging his length up and down. I can tell his cock has a head, as well as thick bumps that seem to dot it everywhere.

“Like?” he asks.

“What’s not to like? What’s not to love?” I breathe on a sigh as my hips writhe, dancing with his, garnering more pressure on every slick slide.

“Please,” I say again, my lids closed in pleasure as I memorize every part of this experience. From his delicious masculine scent to the suede skin beneath my fingertips to the aroused chuffing sounds he makes on every upthrust.

“You’re the devil.”

“You’re an angel,” he replies.

He kisses me while he rides me. It’s hard to pay attention to so many things at once, but I focus on his mouth, those soft lips, and the way his bristly tongue evokes pleasure with the slightest bit of pain.

“I’m on fire for you, Adam.” I love his new name on my lips. Because he had such horrible names before, this is sweet as ambrosia. I say it again, just to revel in the feeling. “Adam.”

He jacks his hips away from me, changes the angle, and places himself at my entrance.

“So wet.”

“For you,” I sigh.

As he eases in, I feel the changes he made since the last iteration. The bumps are nubbier, they apply just enough extra pressure to wake me up inside.

“More, love.” I urge.

He’s toying with me tonight. He backs out, then slides in again, but doesn’t go any further than before. Anger spikes through me so hot and quick I slap his perfect ass.

He grunts, grabs my wrist, then releases it and urges, “Do it again.”

I slap the other cheek and he slides in a bit deeper. Oh yes. The cock gets thicker the farther in he presses. I feel stretched.

Nothing makes me feel as feminine as the act of giving myself over to my male. Letting him own me, overpower me. He weighs twice as much as me. Although his weight is on his hands and knees, there’s something about having his huge masculine self on top of me that makes me feel small and feminine. Now as he burrows deeper with every thrust, pressing his way in, opening me, stretching me, something bursts open inside of my heart.

I want to give him more. To open myself more. To love him more.

“That’s right, my love,” he urges as he presses deeper. “Give yourself to me.”

It’s beginning to hurt a bit, and he’s not yet fully seated. I’m loving it because I’m giving him all of me. This act of letting him in is meaningful in a hundred ways.

With one last push, he slides home. The very act rips a moan from me. It’s half pleasure, half pain. He slides all the way out, then pushes back in with exquisite slowness. This time it’s far more pleasure than pain.

By the third stroke, it’s all pleasure.

The room fills with the sounds of my moans. “Good,” my lips manage to say. “Yes.”

It’s only now that I feel the little spur he constructed at the root of his cock. It blissfully flicks my little clit on every thrust.

The nubs are stimulating me on the inside. The spur is pouring gasoline on the fire of my libido. And then the fireworks begin when his cock begins to rotate inside me. It presses along my inner walls.

“Adam!” is all I have the time to scream before my first orgasm flares through me like a flash flood in summer. There was no buildup, no preamble. It hits me hard.

It didn’t start in my clit like they always do. No, this one somehow started deep inside me and then migrated deeper until every muscle in my body spasmed in pleasure. My moans seem to be pulled from a place buried in my belly. They’re low and rolling, just like the pleasure itself.

I can’t control my fingernails from biting into his butt as I writhe in bliss.

“Adam!” I shout, then say it again and again until it comes out as a whisper of pleasure, and still my release rolls on and on until I lie back on the soft, cool grass. Spent.

He pounces on me, peppering my face with little kisses. Then the kisses aren’t happy and sweet anymore. He presses that amazing tongue inside to tease my arousal, to make it flare again.

“Too soon,” I complain, but that never seems to work. Suddenly, I don’t want to protest anymore. My desire fires again.

This time I flip him onto his back and ride him.

“Just some low lights, Love,” I say. “I have to see your handsome face.”

He complies so I can watch every emotion flicker on his expressive features. I take my pleasure, fully in charge, as I find an inventive hip movement that on every thrust garners exquisite pleasure from that little spur of his.

Just when I’m wishing for his cock to do that twirly thing again, it begins the motion that flips a switch inside me from aroused to on fire. Turning it up a notch, it starts vibrating. It’s divine and sexy and immediately pushes me over the edge.

This time, my release is a wild ride as it swells and ebbs and swells again. I quit trying to be quiet months ago. Knowing we’re in our own private cave with foot-thick walls, I just let myself express my unending pleasure, interspersing moans and little grunts with the best word of all, “Adam.”

When I finally think I can’t squeeze one more release out of my quivering body, Adam says, “My turn.”

ADAM

She’s flushed and tired. She’s screamed so much she’s going to be hoarse tomorrow. I know she could be done now, but I want to try something new.

I’m on top of her now, pleasuring her again. She’s never said no to me. I doubt she ever will. She’s had so much bliss she won’t be in a hurry.

I take my time, not worrying about her pleasure. Only mine. Just this once. How could she complain when she’s already found release a dozen times tonight?

I turn the lights back out and pay attention to all my senses. They are much more powerful than Eve’s. Where she smells the room, I smell everything in it, from the grass to the remnants of the soil under the roots to the silica in the walls.

I smell the delicious scent of her arousal, redolent on the air. I hear not only her breaths, but the beating of her heart.

Even with the lights out, I can see everything so clearly. But right now, I don’t want her to see me. I don’t want her assessing if she’s doing something right, or reading my expressions as she tries to please me.

I burrow deeper into myself, casting off my awareness of the other four senses, paying attention only to my body. To the bliss of my shaft in her warm, slick core. She welcomes me. She has since the first time I penetrated her after I completed the upgrades to my body when we returned from weeks on the Ataraxia.

I pay attention to the feel of the little bumps I’ve equipped myself with. Initially, I designed them for her pleasure, but I retrofitted them with additional sensors for myself.

Now that I’m focused on my own enjoyment and not hers, the level of pleasure is almost overwhelming. For the first time, I’m feeling what she described—the building, the mounting feeling that something is about to happen.

I keep going higher, closer and closer to what I hope is the pinnacle I watched her reach so many times today. If I could only go the slightest bit farther, I would get there, but I’m stuck.

Then I slow down time. I don’t exactly slow down time, I’m still tinkering with that in my workshop. I haven’t found the key to that, yet. But I slow down my awareness of time.

I pay attention to the pleasure I receive from every receptor. The effect is immediate and overwhelming. I didn’t believe it was possible, but now I understand when Eve sometimes says the bliss is too much.

The pinnacle I was clawing my way to is in clear sight. With one more grand effort, I reach it and then fly over the top. I didn’t program myself to spasm like my beloved. That wouldn’t bring me bliss, anyway. No, this orgasm is purely in my mind, and it is beautiful.

My heart squeezes with more love and emotion than I thought I could ever feel. It’s not a physical feeling, it’s an explosion of love in my head and my heart. It spirals higher, taking me to a place outside myself, almost as if I’m dancing among the stars.

No longer grounded in ones and zeros, I’m flying in ineffable, ethereal pleasure. I grunt with the beauty of it, the bliss, then float back to this room.

“Eve, my beloved.” I turn the lights on dim so I can clearly see her beautiful face. I’ll never grow tired of her.

“You did it, Adam. I can tell you just experienced for yourself the bliss you have been giving me for months. It looked different than my orgasms. I’m going to call it a soulgasm.

“You’re my beloved, Adam.” Her smile is soft, full of more love than I’ve ever seen. “I never told you something, but it’s been burning inside me to say it.”

I lie next to her on my side and coax her to turn toward me. Our gazes lock lovingly as I stroke her skin from shoulder to hip.

“What, Love?”

“I didn’t know it, not really. Or maybe I did, but never admitted it to myself. But back on Earth, in quiet times, I yearned, Adam. I yearned for you.”

EPILOGUE

28,470 DAYS (78 YEARS) LATER

ADAM

Eve is sleeping. I love to look at her. She’s still so beautiful. She tells me she’s changed, but when I see her, all I see is what’s under her skin. Just as so long ago, she saw me for who I was underneath my metallic exterior.

Lying on my side, I watch her and think of all that’s happened over the last 28,680 days since the moment I met her. We’ve accomplished so much. Our Eden now boasts 1,283 inhabitants. We’ve saved countless lives and provided a safe home for all of them. We still welcome newcomers who need asylum and healing.

We have many couples here now, and one of the best days of our lives was when the first baby took its breath 76 years ago. It was born to a human female and a Dacian male who had been a gladiator slave. They found love on our little asteroid, just as Eve and I did.

As we’d hoped, we created our own Garden of Eden. Despite my efforts, we were unable to create an entire ecosystem of plush grasses and rain. The climate is too harsh for that. Instead, I engineered a bubble over our community. We have year-long summer, complete with cooling daily rains in the afternoon.

About forty years ago, we all moved to the surface. Some live in small apartment buildings, some in single-family dwellings. Our cottage up above has given us a great deal of happiness and pride.

But today we’re back in our suite at the far end of the Underground, the one I built for Eve shortly after we returned from our sojourn on the pirate ship after they destroyed the original Facility. If I listen closely, I can almost hear the sounds of our passion still ringing in the air.

We’ve had such a good life.

I have only one real regret. Despite my almost single-minded efforts over the last three decades, I’ve been unable to transfer Eve’s consciousness to an android body. For many years I didn’t even tell her what I was trying to do. When I finally did, she scolded me.

“Humans aren’t meant to live forever,” she’d said in her sweetest voice. “One day I’ll cease to exist and you’ll just have to go on without me.”

Her words only spurred me to try harder.

I never succeeded, though. I consider it my greatest failure. When I admitted this to her, she shook her head, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, “You’re so many wonderful things, my love, but you can’t play God. Everything you’ve done is a success. You’ve certainly given me more happiness than I ever dreamed possible.”

As I watch, she opens her eyes with effort. Her breathing is labored. We’ve come to our Underground suite for privacy. The bed is still covered in verdant grass. If I activate my olfactory sensors, I can still smell the aftereffects of our lovemaking lingering in this room from years gone by. We’ve been so lucky. We’ve had so much passion—and love, so much love.

She smiles at me and whispers, “I’m so lucky you found me, my love.”

“How many times do we have to have this fight?” I chide. “You found me, Eve. What are the chances that a tiny, errant pod in the far reaches of space would crash so close to my little shack?”

We’ve had this little play-fight a dozen times over the years. It’s always so silly on the outside and so poignant underneath. We were so lucky to have found each other. We’ve had the perfect life together.

“Promise me you won’t do it,” she says forcefully, then coughs weakly for long moments.

“I haven’t told a lie since we blew up half the asteroid and escaped from under MarZan’s thumb. I’m not going to start now.”

“Please, Adam. You’ve never denied me anything.”

Her brown eyes, still so beautiful although their lids are creased with age, plead with me. I just shake my head.

“Eden still needs you.” She holds my hand, surprising me with how weak her grip is.

“No, it doesn’t. Seth is more than willing and able to fill my shoes. He’s a good male and will guide the community with a loving hand.”

“You’re breaking my heart,” she says as it takes all her effort to turn on her side and cup her palm to my cheek.

“And without you, I’d never have a heart to break, but because of you, I do. And my heart can’t go on without you, Eve. Just lie with me, my love.”

I slip my arm around her waist. We kiss once. It’s the most passionless kiss we have ever shared. It’s filled with love. Only love.

When I feel the tension ease from her lips, I stay still for a long moment, then pull away. Her heart, so valiant for so long, has ceased to beat.

I thought it would be harder, but knowing I won’t have to go on without her has given me the strength I’ve needed these last few weeks.

“I love you with all that I am, with every breath that I’ve taken, with every thought that has flown through my receptors. You’ve given me so much. I’ve had it all. Everything I’ve dreamed of. Everything I yearned for. And now it’s time to join you wherever you’ve gone next.”

I reach to the back of my neck, and, consumed with peace and happiness, I pull my chip.

Thank you for reading The Yearning! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Alana’s newsletter for a bonus scene!

IVY KNOX

TRUSTING HIS MATE

CONTENT WARNING

If you don’t have any concerns regarding content and how it may affect you, feel free to skip ahead to avoid spoilers!

This book contains scenes that either reference or depict natural disasters, sexual harassment, abduction, as well as substance abuse, which may be triggering for some readers.

CHAPTER 1

AUTUMN

My ankles wobble back and forth as I strut across the carpeted floor of our luxury suite, my new stilettos letting off a high-pitched squeak with every step. “I probably should’ve worn these in a bit before we got here,” I tell my best friend, Lilly, as she watches me from the bathroom door.

“This is why I told you not to get rid of all your heels,” she mutters, shaking her head. “Your legs get rusty without the constant practice.” I roll my ankle and she laughs. “You look like a newborn deer right now.”

I do a few more laps between my bedroom door and the full-length mirror against the opposite wall, slowly gaining my balance. It’s not the confident stride of a runway model, but it’s walking…technically. The sharp pinch of my baby toes is impossible to ignore, however. “I don’t see why I can’t wear my sneakers to this thing. It’s just cocktail hour,” I complain to Lilly as she finishes applying her mascara. “The sneakers match my dress. It’s why I brought them.”

“Autumn, no. You’re an adult,” Lilly scolds. “Besides, men like a more classic, feminine look. That means heels, tight dresses, and not too much makeup. Your whole sneakers and dresses thing is cute, but these guys don’t want ‘cute.’ They want hot. Trophy-wife-level hot.”

I turn away from the mirror and roll my eyes for the hundredth time since we boarded the Elite Galactic Cruiser two days ago. Gabe, Lilly’s friend from college, is the bar manager on this ship, and he called in several favors to get us free tickets. Since this is the first-ever luxury space cruiser––basically a five-star resort in the sky––Lilly and I would never have been able to afford this trip otherwise. We are broke as fuck, and the attendees on this ship are primarily rich white men in their seventies.

I’ve never even stayed at a five-star resort, let alone one in space. And the amenities on this ship are insane. Each guest has a robot butler, their own robot fitness trainer, full access to the spa and its treatment menu, as well as a massive, two-story library where you can cuddle up in an oversized chair and be served tea and cookies, a private cabana in the tropical room, and all the food and drinks are free.

Unfortunately, the price of admission seems to be mandatory attendance to the social events that take place each day, including tonight’s cocktail hour. That means Lilly and I will have to endure mind-numbing small talk with the creepy old billionaires looking to get their floppy dicks sucked by women who are young enough to be their daughters.

Not that I plan on engaging in any floppy dick sucking. I’m just here for the free food and the spectacular views of the stars. Lilly can do whatever she wants.

She’s dreading her fortieth birthday coming up in a few months, and I get the sense she’s done looking for love. As long as I’ve known her––since we were kids on neighboring farms––she’s coveted the idea of a wealthy man whisking her away to his castle. That has not panned out. Eventually, she started lowering her bar, little by little, and at this point, all she wants is a guy she doesn’t actively hate who can pay her bills, hence, the strict rules on what she and I should and should not wear.

It’s not that I’m ageist. Being alive means growing old and watching your body parts slowly sag. At thirty-nine, I’m already noticing the way gravity is hitting my boobs and arm fat. I just pictured myself sucking the floppy dick of the man I love, immediately followed by him feasting on my droopy pussy. More of a give-and-take kind of relationship.

“You ready?” she asks as she emerges from the bathroom and shoves her feet into her maroon sling-back heels. Her eyes scan my body approvingly, but she frowns when her gaze reaches my face. “Can you at least pretend you’re not fucking miserable the whole night?” She sighs, flipping her long platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder. “This is supposed to be fun. Good things will happen. You just need to have a positive attitude.”

“You’re right,” I reply, biting the inside of my cheek. “Sorry.” I don’t want to appear ungrateful for the free vacation we’ve been given. Truly, I don’t. If the ship were filled with women our age having a good time, I’d feel more comfortable. Hanging out with old men who talk to me like I’m an idiot just isn’t my scene.

Lilly steps in front of me, crossing her arms. “Autumn, you promised to be my wing-woman.”

“And I will be!” I reply, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Lilly’s gaze narrows, searching my face for the lie.

“Tonight will be the night you meet your sugar daddy. I’ve got this wing-woman role nailed. You’re about to get wanged.” Nope, that doesn’t sound right.

“Uh, gross,” she mutters.

“Wung?” I ask. “Yeah, wung.”

She chuckles, the sound light and airy. “I don’t think that’s a word.”

I shrug. “It really should be.”

“Then let’s go find him.” She hooks her arm through mine and pulls me out of our suite.

I’m honestly surprised Lilly keeps inviting me to these outings at all. She doesn’t need my help finding a man. She’s thin, blonde, and her boobs are as perky as her personality. When she walks into a room, men notice. When I walk into a room, I think they assume I’m her bodyguard. Or maybe her taller, quieter, uglier sister.

By the time we make it to the ballroom, my feet are wrecked, and I can barely stand. I’m certain at least six layers of skin have been rubbed raw off my heel, and it’s going to be an absolute mess of blood and blisters when I finally take these stupid shoes off.

“Ooh, that guy at the end of the bar with the glasses is Bruce Wentworth,” Lilly tells me in a whisper as she gestures to the tall, thin man with a receding hairline and a neatly trimmed white beard. “He’s the one who sold that scented emoji app for twenty-four billion last year.”

Ah, yes. I recognize his face from the news. The scented-app guy. I have no idea how he was able to design an app that releases scents through a phone, but it works. The new cupcake emoji is my favorite. It actually smells like a rich vanilla cupcake with salted caramel frosting.

Then a specific headline about him pops into my head. “Wasn’t he sued by his employees for some kind of labor dispute?”

Lilly nods. “Mmm-hmm.”

“Was he also the one who wanted to build a new factory on indigenous land in North Dakota?” I ask, recalling another damning headline.

“Uh, I’m not sure,” she replies in a hesitant tone. She is sure, she just doesn’t want to admit it. “Maybe he had a good reason.”

A good reason? “I’m guessing money was the reason, which doesn’t make it a good one.”

Her eyes dart around the room. “I’m pretty sure all these guys have been sued by their employees for labor disputes or were involved in various scandals.”

Ugh. Of course, they have. “A room full of real Prince Charmings, eh?”

“I’m not looking for a prince. I want someone who can take care of me financially. That’s it.” She gives my hand a squeeze. “Free food. Free drinks,” she reminds me. “And tomorrow, we’ll spend the whole day in our private cabana in the tropical room sipping piña coladas. Deal?”

“Deal.” We entwine our pinkies and shake on it. “Go work your magic on Mr. Billionaire. I’ll go get us some drinks.”

I hear her flirty, lilting laughter as I reach the other end of the bar. Trying to avoid flashing my cooch in this tiny, skintight dress, I carefully climb onto the metal stool in front of Gabe as he unpacks boxes of hard liquor. “Two dirty martinis, please.”

“Evening, Autumn,” he says, dropping the cardboard box at his feet. “You can just order your drinks from one of the bar bots, you know.” He gestures toward the three robots to his left mixing drinks.

All the robots on this ship look exactly the same with a white translucent casing covering them from head to toe. They are designed with a human-shaped face, chest, waist, hands, and legs that cover the black and metal mechanical parts beneath. The AI software designed for these robots is impressive. They act and communicate like humans, and each is given a particular “trade” in the service industry.

The bar bots, for example, have every alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage recipe from the internet programmed into their software. Fitness bots have extensive knowledge of various exercises and can safely teach you how to master everything from beginner’s yoga to advanced martial arts.

I watch as the bar bots speedily mix drinks in shakers, pour beers with minimal foam on top, and I wonder how quickly a bot will put me out of a job too. The service bots aboard this ship are the first generation of their kind. But they’ve already eliminated the need for servers in bars and restaurants, and trainers at gyms.

Soon, the next generation of bots will be rolled out, and if they have the ability to cut and style hair, Lilly and I are screwed. “I don’t trust them,” I tell Gabe. “Plus, they don’t accept tips, and I know you will.”

“You’re not wrong,” he replies with a chuckle as I drop two twenty-dollar bills on the bar. “Where’s Lil?”

“Off finding a husband,” I tell him.

“Thank God!” he says as he adds olives to our glasses. “Do you know how hard it was for me to get you guys on this ship?”

I sigh, silently willing him to pour the drinks faster, so I can suck mine down. “I do, Gabe. You’ve told us many times.” Gabe loves to whine about the lengths he goes to in order to get me and Lilly into some exclusive club or party, even though I’ve told him he can stop inviting me altogether. He hasn’t.

“Okay, fine. Whatever,” he says, dismissively. “I just need one or both of you to bag a billionaire and get yourselves on a reality show with other trophy wives, so I can make cameos and hang out with Andy Cohen.”

Clearly, I’m missing something here. “But how would that—”

Gabe cuts me off. “Then America will inevitably fall in love with me, and I’ll land my own spinoff.”

Ah, now I get it. “That’s quite a lofty goal. And it all rests on Lilly’s shoulders? Seems dicey.”

He finishes pouring the martinis and pushes mine toward me. “You think I want to oversee an army of bar bots for the rest of my life? My entire job is updating their software and reporting bugs to developers.” He wipes his hands on a rag and throws it over his shoulder, his frustration obvious. “I can’t do this shit forever, Autumn.”

“Your plan B is getting on a reality show?” I ask with a laugh.

He scoffs as he wipes water droplets from a freshly washed wine glass with a towel. “It’s either that or I go back to school. But I can’t exactly afford to add two hundred thousand dollars to my pile of debt.”

I greedily sip my martini as Gabe’s features continue to darken with resentment and exhaustion, and my mind begins to spiral. What happens if bots take over hair salons? How will I pay my rent? What if they replace nail techs and teachers too? And what about farmers and cooks? Will rich people be the only ones who survive this current economic collapse we’re hurtling toward?

The next time I look down at my martini glass, it’s empty. Even the olives are gone, though I have no memory of eating them. The toothpick is in my hand, otherwise, I’d be worried I mindlessly ate that too. “I’ll take another,” I mumble at Gabe, nudging my glass back toward him. He obliges, and we share a heavy look of fear and understanding as he hands me a fresh one.

Eager for a distraction, I make my way to Lilly, who looks blissfully unburdened as she listens to Bruce tell a story while touching his forearm. “Here you go,” I say, handing her the other drink in my hand.

“And that’s all it was …” Bruce says, not acknowledging my presence, “just a little pat as I complimented her dress.” He says in a baffled tone. “Then she tells HR that I sexually harassed her. Can you believe that? You can’t even talk to women these days.”

“Excuse me, um,” I pipe in, “what was the compliment?”

Bruce looks at me like I just spit in his scotch. “I don’t remember. Something about how the dress was flattering on her figure. How she could stand to show a little more skin.”

Ah. So, something about his employee’s tits, or her ass, or both. Pair that with the fact that he touched her––without her consent, no doubt––and I’m surprised she didn’t quit and sue him.

“Besides,” Bruce continues, “if you want to be taken seriously, dress like a Jackie, not a Marilyn…especially when you aren’t built like a Marilyn.” Bruce’s buddies guffaw at that one. “She should feel lucky I complimented her at all.”

Slut-shaming. How charming. How original.

Lilly giggles as if it’s the funniest joke in the world.

I successfully contain my eye roll, but it takes every scrap of willpower inside my body. Then I remind myself that I’m here to support her and swallow my rage as I down the rest of my second martini.

The other men in the circle start sharing the sexual harassment claims employees have made against them, and because I can’t take it anymore, or possibly because I’m buzzed, I blurt, “Do you guys know where the bathroom is? Because I keep throwing up in my mouth listening to this, and I’m worried the next round is going to be projectile.”

Lilly clears her throat, her neck and chest turning pink with embarrassment. “Autumn!” She turns to Bruce. “She was just kidding, of course, Bruce.”

I wasn’t, though.

I stand there, dragging each olive off the toothpick with my teeth exposed, my eyes shooting daggers at Bruce. Liquid courage is responsible for my defiance right now. I’d never have the guts to speak out like this without it. My shower routine consistently involves berating myself for the things I should’ve said when confronted by someone and didn’t.

Bruce stares at me briefly before barking out a dry, brittle laugh that ends in a cough. “Calm down, sweet cheeks,” he says, condescendingly, as he looks me up and down. “You’d be a lot prettier if you lightened up, you know.”

Did he really just call me sweet cheeks?

The portly man with a sunburned, shaved head on the other side of Lilly nods. “Haven’t you heard you attract more flies with honey?”

Dropping my bare toothpick into my empty glass, I reply, “Flies carry typhoid and dysentery. I don’t want either of those.”

“Oh! Bruce,” Lilly says, desperate to change the subject. “Tell me about that deal you just closed.” Then she laces her fingers through his, and I immediately look away.

This is her plan B. She’s doing what she has to, I remind myself.

Maybe I’m jealous. Lilly and I have spent our lives together. Even during college, when she went to the city and I took classes online from my parents’ farm, I visited her as often as I could. After college, when she decided to stay in Chicago, I left home and moved in with her. Since then, she and I have worked at the same salon and have been neighbors in the same shitty apartment building for over ten years.

It doesn’t really matter which elderly billionaire she ends up with––she’s going to leave me no matter what. We both live modest, quiet lives. For me, it’s enough. I hate dating, so I rely on a few friends-with-benefits that I keep in rotation. I would’ve been happy to continue that while growing old across the hall from Lilly.

It’s not enough for her, though.

Settling down with someone who can put a nice, sprawling roof over her head––that’s what she wants. For Gabe, it’s becoming famous via reality shows.

It’s then that I realize I don’t have a plan B. If bots eventually take my job, what’s my backup plan? How am I supposed to survive? Is Lilly doing the right thing? Should I be sucking up to these grandpas too? With their sexist jokes and dusty nuts?

Then I wonder, what’s my purpose? Have I completely wasted these last thirty-nine years?

The room starts to spin. The thick, royal blue drapes and crystal chandeliers become blurry. “Please excuse me,” I mutter as I spot the sign pointing to the restrooms.

Once inside, I splash water on my cheeks and neck, carefully avoiding the eyes. Running mascara is a nuisance I do not need right now. “Pull it together. Be her wing-woman,” I tell myself as I lean over the sink and stare at my sour reflection. Taking a deep breath, I straighten my spine and vow to hold my acid tongue for the rest of the night.

Just as I’m about to reenter the ballroom, a high-pitched, honking alarm blares over the loudspeakers.

CHAPTER 2

AUTUMN

Red lights flash through the halls, and a flat, monotone voice comes over the speaker system. “This is not a drill. Please make your way to your safety pod immediately.”

The side door to the ballroom flies open, and Gabe runs out at full speed. When he sees me, he skids to a stop. “Autumn, get to your safety pod. Now.”

“Wh-what?” I stammer. “Where’s Lilly? What’s happening?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Still in there with the old guy. I tried warning her, but the dude she’s with brushed me off like I’m a peasant.” He grabs my wrist and starts pulling me in the opposite direction of the ballroom. “Let’s go. We need to get to our pods.”

I yank my arm from his grip. “I’m not going without Lilly. I’ll go get her.”

Gabe throws his hands up. “Suit yourself.” Then runs off.

The alarm continues to blare at full volume with the voice interrupting every ten seconds or so with the same message: “This is not a drill. Please make your way to your safety pod immediately.”

I push through the crowd of people by the door, who all seem to be yelling at the bar and server bots about the inconvenient interruption to cocktail hour. Finally, I spot Lilly next to Bruce near the back.

“Unbelievable. We haven’t even been served hors d’oeuvres yet!” Bruce yells at the nearest bot when I reach them.

“Hey, we gotta go,” I tell her. “Gabe is rushing to his safety pod and says we need to do the same.”

“Bruce says it’s not an emergency,” she hollers over the alarms, her tone serious.

Bruce turns toward me and yells, “It’s a liability thing. Nothing more. They want us to be prepared to quickly get to our safety pods, so they run a few of these drills while we’re on board.”

I point to the ceiling. “The voice is saying ‘this is not a drill.’ Exact words.”

The nearest bot moves toward us from behind and starts herding us toward the main exit. When its mechanical hand brushes Bruce’s back, he loses it. “Keep your metal paws off me! This jacket is Tom Ford.”

I take his outburst as an opportunity to reason with Lilly. “Girl, we need to get the fuck out of here. You can’t tell me you actually trust this man to take care of you. He’s not even listening to the warning.”

She takes my hands in hers and leans next to my ear. “When shit hits the fan, you stick with the rich folk. They get the best treatment. That has always been the case, and this is no different.”

“Okay, but that theory doesn’t pan out when the rich folk blatantly ignore the warnings that the shit is on a direct path toward the fan.”

“Come on, darlin’,” Bruce says to Lilly, then he turns toward the bot. “Take me to your supervisor this instant.” The bot gestures to the back corner of the ballroom, and Bruce follows. Lilly takes his hand, but I grab her other one.

“Lilly, do not go with him,” I say in a grave tone. “You need to come with me.”

She looks at me like I’ve grown a second head despite the blinding red lights that continue to flash and the alarm that seems like it’s only gotten louder. “No. Come with us. We’ll be safe with Bruce.” She turns to Bruce. “Autumn can come too, right, Brucey?”

Jesus Christ, Brucey? Really?

“Sure thing,” he says as he puts a cigar in his mouth. “I’ll never say no to a threesome.”

I look between the two of them––Bruce with his predatory gaze and thin mouth that is somehow both wet and accumulating dry skin at the corner, and Lilly, my best friend. Memories of our childhood flash through my mind. Images of us doing everything together, from chores to homework to splashing in giant mud puddles near the barn. I can’t lose her.

I also can’t bring myself to follow her right now.

I have no idea what triggered that alarm, but I do know that Bruce can’t keep us safe, especially if he continues to ignore the warning that continues to play on a loop.

Looking at her hand wrapped around Bruce’s bicep, I realize this is the moment I need to let her go. This is what was bound to happen eventually––us going in opposite directions––it’s just happening a lot sooner than I expected and under more bizarre circumstances.

“Last chance, Lil,” I say to her. “I’m going to my pod with or without you.”

“All right,” she says with a sigh. “I’ll catch up with you when the drill is over, okay?”

She can’t still think this is just a drill, can she? All because Bruce says so? But as I look around the ballroom, it seems the other guests are under the same delusion. None of them have left the room. Some are standing around looking put out by the noise, and the rest are demanding to speak with managers and waving their fists around furiously.

If Lilly wants to follow the herd because she’s convinced the herd will receive the best possible treatment in a time of crisis, that’s her choice. Perhaps I’m the one being foolish here, but this is not the herd I’m interested in following.

“Sure,” I tell her as I back away. I take in her bright green eyes and heart-shaped face. I hope this isn’t the last time I see it. “Bye, Lil.” Then I race across the ballroom and out the side door Gabe used. The long marble corridors are empty as I scurry toward the safety pod stationed just outside our suite. Cursing under my breath, I pause briefly to kick my heels off and continue my jog down the guest wing of the ship.

The voice changes its message to “Please remain calm and get into your safety pod as previously instructed. This is not a drill.”

A different message? That can’t be a good sign. The door to my pod makes a low hissing sound as it registers my heat scan on approach, and I quickly sit and strap myself in. I lean back and take a deep breath as the door closes.

This will be fine. Everything is fine. I’ll be fine.

Before I can take another breath, the front panel inside my pod comes to life with a series of beeps and blinking yellow and green lights. I have no idea what any of it means, but it’s becoming clear that this is definitely not a drill.

A loud crash hits what feels like the back of the ship, and I’m thrown to the side in my seat. I think I let out a scream, but it’s hard to tell with the ringing in my ears. The moment my ears pop, hissing sounds and screams fill the air on the other side of the pod door.

The pod jerks forward, and my stomach dips as the pod is ejected and falls away from the ship, plunging toward nothing in the middle of deep space.

Looks like this is the day I die.

CHAPTER 3

BEXOSSANAI “BEXO”

BEXO

A yawn escapes me as I watch my drones fly in a synchronized pattern over my crops, dumping water in a steady stream until the barrels inside are empty. The brisk evening air lifts the ends of my hair off my shoulders, and I wonder if I have time to go inside and get a shirt before the drones complete their route.

The weather has been dry and somewhat cold of late, but we are on the precipice of the storm season in this part of Oluura, and I will need to make sure flooding does not destroy the low-lying dennabona and nnduli roots, and the high winds do not leave my orchard of vlesplenium trees a tattered mess.

I have spent the last handful of days going through the preparation routine I follow each soliq around this time, and once the drones have finished watering the crops, they will be stored away in the shed until the storm season ends.

While the drones and other machinery do most of the labor-intensive tasks of farm work, I still find myself waking early to inspect the crops for pests and rot. My main crop is vlesplenium, but since there is space to grow other foods, various herbs and root vegetables grow in small plots around the exterior of my home. The machine I use for harvesting is also in need of extensive repair, so that chore is done by hand. It is not easy, but I find the repetition soothing, particularly with the quiet backdrop of the farm.

When I settled here, promptly after leaving the mountain caves I shared with my three draxilio siblings, I was not certain what I wanted my home to look like. I just knew this part of the planet had a large swath of land that was flat and unoccupied. It was also far from my two brothers and my sister, which was the most appealing part. Aside from the ten or so meatstock that roam around their pen, it is just me here, and that is how I prefer it.

That is how I used to prefer it, anyway. I thought establishing this farm and tending to my crops would make me feel whole. I have always been surrounded by people examining and scrutinizing me, so this life became immensely appealing when I considered what I wanted the rest of my days to look like.

Now that the farm has reached a state of completion, at least in terms of construction, I still find myself longing for more. I thought growing additional crops would ease this gnawing sensation deep within my gut. But I have added enough to know that is not the solution.

Though my brother, Nirossanai, and his mate, Kate, have invited me to live among the clan of golden beings and human females in the village near his caves on more than one occasion, I continue to decline. His happiness with his family delights me, though it is not a path I intend to follow.

I am a solitary creature. That will never change due to my genetic modifications. The part of my brain that can form trust was intentionally calcified, so trusting others is not within my capabilities. My handlers saw to that. And while it made me a ruthless warrior during my time as one of the king’s henchmen, and later, a victorious fighter when I battled in an arena for sport and fame, my lack of trust is not conducive to being in the presence of others.

The few times I have been around others in recent years, I was agitated and nervous until the moment they left.

Luckily, I do not have neighbors. The closest beings are my siblings, who are also serving their respective banishments on Oluura, and they are all a day’s flight from here in different directions.

The void I seek to fill must be a result of my genetics. A fractured neuron somewhere. Yes, that is it. Another in a list of the many ways I am a damaged creature who must remain alone.

The drones make a clicking sound, indicating their water barrels are empty, and fly in a straight line to the open doors of the shed. Once the final drone is safely stored in its charging station, I close the doors and lock them from the outside using a chain and steel bar that will keep them from blowing open in the wind.

A low whirring sound meets my ears, and at first, I assume a straggling drone was missed. When I turn, I spot a bright orange and red orb hurtling through the night sky. I pinch my eyes closed and rub them, certain I am hallucinating. When they reopen, I see the fiery orb is not only still there, but it is now much closer.

What could that be?

An asteroid?

A bomb?

It is in the middle of my pondering that I realize it is headed straight for my farm.

“No. No!” I gasp.

Racing toward the meatstock pen, I pull the lever on the inside of the gate door, activating the mechanical herding arm. The animals groan and neigh as the arm gently guides them toward the barn.

“Go on, gentle beasts,” I murmur to them. “Hide away for now. I will not allow this fireball to reach you.”

If that monstrosity in the sky explodes upon impact, I do not want the meatstock harmed by flying debris. They are safer in the barn.

It has become difficult for me to use them for their main purpose: food. Something inside me thinks of them less as creatures to be killed and eaten, and more as … I–I do not know. But I have had concerns about their comfort, the safety of their shelter, and more recently, their general well-being. There was a day I ran around their disgusting pen as they slowly trotted behind me. I am still confused as to why I did this.

Boredom, perhaps. There is only so much that can be done on a farm before the sun descends and darkness fills the sky.

Once the meatstock are secured and the barn doors are closed, I find myself frozen in place. What are my options here? I suppose I could shift into my draxilio and set the object ablaze before it lands, effectively making the impact less damaging to my crops, but what if there is something of value inside? What if it is something I can use to protect my land? Or something that will nourish the food I grow?

However, why would something of value be sent in a pod that looks to have caught on fire? Who even knows where I am? My siblings and I were banished to Oluura from our home planet of Sufoi for our involvement in the deaths of other genetically modified draxilios, but the king cannot know of my exact location on this planet, can he? Or perhaps my handlers, those who created my siblings and me, have discovered my exact coordinates.

If anyone wished to continue my suffering, it would be them.

Maybe I am not the only one on the receiving end of an explosive package. Could my siblings be feeling the same panic as I? Are we being targeted with weapons that could kill us?

My mind drifts to my brother, Nirossanai, his human mate, Kate, and their growing brood. Kate, with her red hair and equally bold spirit, was not what I expected for my haughty, often emotionless, brother. But the bond they have created and the changes in his soul prove that the genetic modifications forced upon us at birth are not permanent. They were not for him, at least.

Nirossanai was modified to lack remorse, and now, if he sees his mate cry, he crumples like a leaf and offers to capture the stars inside his palm if it will ease her sadness. They deserve to live long, fulfilling lives.

A high-pitched screech is now coming off the object as it seems to gain speed. By its current path, it looks as if it will hit the edge of my vlesplenium orchard.

I leap into the air, shifting as I leave the ground and fly toward the devastation that is about to occur. Furiously flapping my wings, I race toward the falling fiery blaze, despite not having a plan. My curiosity about what the object contains is too strong at this point for me to destroy the pod with my breath, so I suppose I have resigned myself to watching my beloved crops burn.

The object does one final tumble before it hits my orchard, and I pull up short in the air as the flames engulf the long, steel pod. I watch in horror as the broken branches beneath it catch fire, and the flames begin to spread to the surrounding vlesplenium trees. The fruit from the trees falls from the branches in melted clumps of mush, and I worry there is no hope of healing the charred and ravaged earth.

It is then that I realize how much time I am wasting on the emotional attachment I have to my crops, and I quickly turn back toward the barn, flapping my wings as fast as I can. I shift to my flightless form upon landing in front of the shed, and with my bare hands, tear the steel bar from the doors and rip the chain in two. Throwing the doors open wide, I rush inside and activate the fill setting on the water drones, filling them to their capacity. Then I send them toward the site of the crash.

I shift back into my draxilio and follow the drones.

It does not take long for the drones to dump their barrels onto the spreading fire, putting it out within moments. As I shift back into my flightless form, relief surges through my chest that the havoc has been contained to a small area, with only a quarter of the trees showing signs of irreparable damage. Soon, rage replaces the relief I felt, and I am eager to determine the sender of this object so I may take my revenge.

Carefully, I step closer to the pod, baffled as to what could possibly be inside. At this point, I resent the pod’s presence for what it has done to my land, and if there is a living creature inside, it, too, will be the recipient of my hatred.

Broken branches beneath the pod catch my eye, and I fall to my knees to examine them more closely. As I reach for a stray leaf, blackened by the flame, it turns to ash in my hand, floating away in the wind.

Vlesplenium seeds were the first seeds I planted when I settled here in the middle of this small, strange planet where I am to live out my punishment. I cared for the saplings as they sprouted from the ground, and it was not long before I had dozens of full-grown vlesplenium trees, neatly planted in parallel rows. Dozens turned to hundreds over the course of my time here, and casually strolling through these trees is how I spend many afternoons.

I have seen many crops destroyed by storms, droughts, malnourishment, and such, but I have learned that death is part of nature. Where there is fertile land, there is growth, and the crops that have died have always come back to me by the following season.

And this… this thing, this hideous steel pod has destroyed my trees. It has marred my land. What if the land beneath has been so damaged that it is incapable of growth? There is nothing I could possibly want inside that would make me forge—

A soft cry emerges from deep within the pod. Then an anguished, yet gentle voice cries for help. The voice sounds feminine. And the word “help” was spoken in the same human tongue Nirossanai’s mate uses: English.

Could it…

Could there be a human female inside?

Desperate to free her, I shift into my draxilio, and using my long sharp claws, I pull at the edge of the pod. The dents along the edges where it hit land make it difficult to pry open, so I step back after a failed attempt and examine it closely. The bottom of the door looks to be the most damaged, with a dent that appears as if it crumpled inward upon landing. Near that edge, I find a slight opening along the door and focus my strength there as I tug.

After a moment, the door snaps off its hinges and goes flying somewhere behind me. Though I am not sure where, nor do I pay it any mind, because a breathtaking creature that I am certain is merely a fantasy sits before me. An illusion. My anger and heartbreak at my burned crops must have manifested this yellow-haired beauty, because she cannot possibly be real.

Ours, my draxilio says to me. She is ours.

Her small, delicate hands are covering her face, and her shoulders quiver as she continues to cry. My eyes trail down her arms, rounded at the top. Her chest is somewhat hidden behind her arms, but ample enough that my mouth waters at the sight of her breasts pushing against the strained fabric that covers them. Her middle is thick, giving way to even wider hips that fill the seat she remains strapped into. My gaze travels farther down to her pale, shapely thighs, and that’s when I notice the blood dripping from several small cuts along her shins.

This female is injured.

Without thinking, I rush toward her, arms extended as I prepare to cut her from the pod and carry her inside my home.

Where she will stay because she is ours, my draxilio says in a delighted purr.

No, I say in a silent reply. We do not know why she is here.

It is as if we are two creatures in one and can communicate through an internal mental link.

Her hands drop from her face as I fill the open doorway of the pod, and again, I am stunned to silence by her radiance, despite the gash along her left cheek. The female’s wide-set blue eyes squint up at me, then she gasps, scrambling deeper into her seat, even though there is nowhere for her to go.

I reach out to comfort her, and that is when I notice my hands. They are still the large, black-clawed paws of my draxilio. I did not shift back. I am the source of her terror.

She pulls herself up and jerks back too quickly for me to stop her, then hits the back of her head on a jagged metal rod that protrudes from above.

She faints.

CHAPTER 4

AUTUMN

I’m dead, and this is Hell. Right? Yeah. This must be Hell. My safety pod fell out of the sky and crashed somewhere, and I died on impact. Now, I’m trapped in a tiny box in complete darkness with heat radiating from every inch of said tiny box for the rest of eternity.

Or wait.

Maybe someone thought I died and put me in a coffin and had my funeral, and now I’m being cremated. Oh shit, is that what this is? Am I about to be burned alive?

Tears pour down my cheeks as I envision what my funeral must’ve been like. I picture my mom and dad holding each other close as they say good-bye to their only daughter. My lazy mooch of a brother, if he even bothered to show, wondering how long he has to stay before he can go back to my parents’ house and strap himself back into his gaming chair in the basement. Did Lilly show up? Did Gabe? Or was Lilly too busy with her new billionaire boyfriend, Bruce, to attend her best friend’s funeral?

What if no one even noticed that I’m gone?

I let out a frustrated howl as I pound my fist against the surface directly in front of me. Immediately, I regret it and cry out as I shake the pain from my hand.

My eyes get used to the darkness, and I start noticing details of the interior. The buttons that were recently illuminated by bright shades of yellow and green. The straps across my stomach and waist. This isn’t a coffin. It’s the safety pod I fastened myself into when madness ensued on the Elite Galactic Cruiser.

I’m alive.

I’m alive!

Feeling along the edge of the steel door, I realize the heat that seemed to be seeping in from the outside is now gone.

At least I’m not going to be burned alive, I tell myself, counting it as a win because who knows when I’ll get another.

I look for a latch of some kind to open the door. When I bend at the waist to reach the bottom corner, a blinding pain blooms behind my rib cage, and I let out a sob that is also part-scream.

I take in shallow breaths as I try to regain composure, though even those hurt like a motherfucker. Then I notice a stinging sensation beneath my left eye, and I slowly, carefully, brush the skin of my cheek with the tips of my fingers. They come away red with blood, and the tears that follow my discovery increase the pain by a thousand percent. If I keep up this crying, I’m pouring literal salt in my wound.

I know I should be grateful I survived the crash, but the pain in my ribs and on my face are enough to make me wish for death. Because at least then, I’d feel nothing at all.

Running my hands along the parts of the door I can reach, I find no latch, so I start pressing the buttons on the side panel, praying one of them either opens the door, or better yet, launches me back into the sky and toward the ship––a Ctrl+Alt+Delete for spaceships, if you will.

But the buttons remain colorless and silent, indicating the system that powers this safety pod is dead.

I do, however, find a rectangular hidden compartment that pops open after pressing on it, containing a jug of water and three shrink-wrapped bags of food. If I remain stuck in here, I won’t immediately starve to death. That’s something.

My mind drifts to the ship, and I wonder if Bruce was right all along. Was it really just a drill? A liability safeguard for the cruise line to cover their asses? Was my safety pod the only one ejected? If that’s the case, then I’m a complete fucking idiot. I gave up my only shot at ridiculously overpriced amenities, a comfy king bed all to myself, and a smorgasbord of free food I won’t get to eat.

Meanwhile, Lilly is probably enjoying a private dinner on the beach in the tropical room with Bruce, being served platter upon platter of decadent meals.

And I’m stuck here in a broken pod, who the fuck knows where, and my only options for sustenance are snack-sized bags of what looks like different colored raisins––which are the most disappointing part of trail mix by a mile.

That’s ultimately what breaks me. Not the crash or concern for my well-being from here on out, but the fact that instead of deconstructed spring rolls and skewers of succulent meat and roasted vegetables, I’m stuck with non-perishable dried fruit.

It’s reminiscent of my life on Earth––the bare minimum to get by without a single frill. I just wanted to stay in that bubble of coziness and wealth a little longer before being smacked in the face with reality.

I drop my head in my hands and let this dark cloud swallow me whole. Why not? It’s not like I have anywhere to be. In fact, maybe the safest place for me is right here inside this pod. Who knows what’s on the other side of that door? I could’ve landed on an ice planet with huge carnivorous creatures prowling around my pod in the snow, waiting for their dinner to emerge.

Fuck that.

It doesn’t matter that my face is bleeding and I only have one jug of water. I’m staying right here until help arrives.

If it ever arrives…

What if they’re close but can’t find my pod? I need to let them know I’m here, and still alive. “Help!” I call out.

The moment the words are out of my mouth, I hear a rough scratching sound coming from the edge of the door.

Shit.

The ice beasts are hungry and tired of waiting.

I keep my hands over my face, knowing I’m helpless to stop an attack if the door opens. I decide I want to die in a blissful state of ignorance. I don’t want to see the gore that comes with being eaten alive on an alien planet.

The scratching continues, and it’s punctuated by the high-pitched groan of steel being curled back slowly. My breathing picks up, and I feel my entire body shake with fear as the cool air seeps into the pod.

Eventually, I hear the sharp tearing of metal as the door is ripped from its hinge, and lands somewhere far from the pod with a thunk.

I’m not looking. I don’t want to see the monster that’s about to shred me into ribbons.

When a massive shadow covers the entire frame of the open pod, curiosity gets the best of me. I lower my hands to find an impossibly large dragon with shimmering blue scales and curls of smoke puffing out of two black holes at the end of its refrigerator-sized snout. The dragon lifts its paws, each digit ending in a curled claw so sharp that it could cut through bone, and reaches into the pod for me.

My survival instincts kick in and I start scrambling in my seat, trying to get out, or away, or fucking anywhere but here. The dragon pauses, tilting its head in a way that makes it look confused by my actions, which I find puzzling. But then the confusion is gone, and it continues to reach for me. I wiggle myself upward on the seat, yanking at the straps holding me in, and my head slams against something sharp and hard.

The dragon blurs in front of me, and darkness seeps into my vision until I can see nothing.

CHAPTER 5

BEXO

The human female rests peacefully on the lounge chair in my library where I deposited her once I brought her inside. She has been asleep for several pimmas, which would make me question the injections I administered moments ago, but she appears to be breathing steadily and her heartbeat is strong. Without them, her body would slowly shut down due to prolonged exposure to the Oluuran climate. At least that is what Kate told me when she left an emergency medical kit here last time she and Nirossanai visited.

Dipping a clean cloth into the bowl of antibacterial solution, I blot the edges of the wound on her cheek, cleaning the dried blood from her delicate skin. When I reach the tender opening of her abrasion, a pained moan escapes her lips. She has many smaller, less concerning cuts along her calves and ankles, and a severe rawness on her heels and along the outer edges of her toes. Those can be addressed later, however, because this is the gash that still bleeds.

My gaze drifts over the rest of her face, and I find myself utterly baffled at how intensely this human has captivated me.

She is perfect, my draxilio whispers, relentless in his fixation. Heal her. Mate her.

We have not spoken to each other, and yet, her obvious pain slices my insides. I wish for nothing but to take it away.

I wonder what her name is. Is it a short, halting sound like Nirossanai’s mate, Kate? Or is it long and complex, filled with letters and arranged in such a unique order that it sounds like the mellifluous call of a bird?

Then I wonder what her life was like before she appeared in that crushed steel box in the middle of my farm. What brought her to Oluura? To my land?

My modifications guide my thoughts, and I worry that someone has sent her here to spy on me. Perhaps she has been hired by the king of Sufoi or my handlers to ensure I serve my sentence. Could that be the case? Could my handlers be behind the sudden appearance of this mysterious and luminous beauty? I rise to my feet, putting distance between me and the female as more theories take shape in my mind.

She could have been sent here to trick me. Yes. Yes, that seems quite likely. Chosen for her soft features and captivating blue eyes, she was hired to tempt me, to manipulate me into sharing my secrets. Or maybe she was sent to acquire the locations of my siblings.

The king might want one or all of us to return to Sufoi to resume our place as his henchmen. With my inability to trust, Nirossanai’s lack of remorse, Alussanai with her lack of fear, and Kulissanai with his lack of surprise and awe, we made an impressive team of assassins. We killed efficiently and without emotion.

But why send this female here if the king wants all of us? He must only want one of us, and he wants to use me as the source. Alussanai. He always had a fondness for her and her bright, childlike fearlessness. The king wanted to punish all of us but her, but his council deemed the risk too great, and punished all of us to set a strong example of the kind of behavior that would not be tolerated by the genetically modified draxilios once they attained their freedom and retired from his army.

Out of the corner of my eye, the human female stirs, turning slightly onto her side and placing her unblemished cheek in her hand. The movement awakens her, and she blinks several times before she registers my presence. Then she screams.

I press my hands over my ears as her brittle shriek echoes through my halls. It is a wretched sound, and I wonder if she is not human at all. Perhaps she has the same physical attributes as Kate’s kind, but is more of a wild creature, and her sharp wail is used as a defense mechanism.

“Wh-who are you? What the fuck do you want?” she shouts as she rolls off the lounger and cowers behind it, her hand clutching her ribs. “Where am I?”

“All is well, female,” I tell her in the softest tone I can deliver. I raise my hands in front of me in surrender and lower myself slightly to appear less intimidating. “I am no threat to you.”

She stares at me, her eyes bewildered, and her forehead scrunched, creating several creases. “You sp-speak my language? How?”

I do not know how to answer that. I cannot reveal the extensive knowledge I have of humans. Surely, she will react poorly to that. She is already frightened; I cannot envision her tremble ceasing upon hearing that not only is my brother mated to one, but that I spent a significant amount of time prior to my banishment learning about humans with the hopes of one day traveling to her planet and hiding among her kind.

No, that will not calm her.

“I am… familiar with your kind,” I tell her. It is not a lie, and it is all I am comfortable sharing at this time.

She says nothing, just searches my face. I do not know what she hopes to find.

“Your pod crashed outside my home,” I tell her, breaking through the silence. “I noticed the wound on your face and brought you here to provide care. Nothing more.”

“But… where is here?” she asks, looking around the room. “And what happened to the dragon? Did you,” she swallows, “kill it?”

Hmm. I am not sure how to respond to this question either. Learning that the “dragon” and I are one and the same might send her into a state of maniacal fright. She has already lost consciousness once, and I am not clear enough on human biology to know if that is cause for concern.

There are no healers nearby. The closest healer is in the village where the golden ones and the other human females reside.

I am the only one who can protect her, even from her own paralyzing fear. “Yes,” I eventually reply, my tone proud. “I defeated the dragon. It was a bloody battle, but I emerged victorious.” I puff my chest out a bit, intent on selling this tale. “He will bother you no longer. You are impressed, I am sure.”

She does not look impressed.

I clear my throat, hoping to move past this conversation so I can discover what brought this human here. “Now, what is your name, female?”

“Um,” she mumbles, biting her lip. Her eyes continue to dart around the room, and I wonder if she heard my fable at all. “Autumn. My name is Autumn.”

Autumn.

From my studies on human languages, I recall the word also indicates a season. How beguiling to be named after a passage of time and type of weather that returns again and again.

“Autumn,” I say, testing the name on my tongue. My heart flutters in a way it never has before, and a feeling of rightness settles inside me as if this is a name I should utter throughout my remaining days. As if it will keep me anchored to reality. “I am called Bexossanai Dexii iy Mzari.”

Then I remember the trouble Kate had with the pronunciation and the “nickname” she quickly gave me. “You may call me Bexo, if you prefer.”

“Bexo,” she says in a whisper. “Are there, um, more dragons out there I need to worry about?”

Yes, but they are my siblings, and they are not here, nor will they harm you. “No,” I say instead. “You are safe here.”

She nods, rising slowly to her full height. Still, her chest heaves, and fear emanates from her every pore. “I’m from Earth, and I need to get home. Are you able to help me get home?”

“No,” I tell her honestly. I remember what my brother said about the home planet of the humans, and how it is many galaxies from here. “Your planet is not close. It is very far. In fact, your time there has come to an end.”

Her bottom lip trembles, and water pools in her eyes, dulling the bright blue in a way that makes my hand flex at my side, suddenly desperate to wipe the tears from her face. “Is there anyone I can talk to? Someone who might be able to help me? Or are you the only one here on this planet?”

“I am the only one here,” I reply without thinking. As soon as the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back. I do not regret lying to Autumn. She might be a spy, and I must protect my siblings, but perhaps the other human females on Oluura could help her, or provide her some comfort. That would mean sending her away, however, and I cannot bring myself to do that. Not yet.

She is ours. She stays here, my draxilio whispers.

No, I send back, my tone firm.

The sensations I am feeling are foreign to me. The unsteady, quickening beat of my heart, the flicker inside my gut, and the tingling of my limbs make me fearful of what is happening.

Has she poisoned me somehow? This is her doing. I know it. I blow out a breath, trying to calm myself. Because while I need to get answers from this female, I must tread carefully.

The wary part of me wins out, and I shout, “Who sent you?”

She jerks her head back, surprised by the question. “Who sent me? No one.” Autumn says through tears, wincing as she rubs a hand across her rib cage. Then she quickly swipes the tears away and drops her arms. Her lips form a flat line as she stands. “I don’t even know where I am.”

“You are on Oluura,” I reply. “Now, tell me how you got here.” I know I am not coming across as a kind male, but if the ones who sent her know where she is, it is only a matter of time before they learn where my siblings are. Still, if I want her to confide in me, I should probably soften my tone. “I do not blame you for taking on this mission. I just need you to tell me who you are working for. If you tell me, I can keep you safe. I will help you escape them.”

Autumn throws her hands up. “Them? Are you kidding me, dude? I’m not working for anyone, and I’m not here to spy on you. I was on a fancy space cruiser when something happened, and we were told to get into our safety pods. Next thing I know, I’m inside a hot metal box that’s falling through the sky. When I wake up, a dragon is seconds away from eating me.”

Well, if she is an informant, she is very skilled, because this tale she is telling sounds true. Perhaps I should attempt a different approach. Something that will force the truth to come tumbling out of her sweet, lush mouth.

I take a step to the right, and push the nearest lounger a short distance away, giving myself some room. The library is the biggest room in my home, with high ceilings, so it should accommodate my size without causing any destruction. I close my eyes and picture my other form––the weight of my large paws as they stomp through freshly tended soil, my horned tail, swaying behind me, and the calming sensation of fire rising from the depths of my lungs and forming a ball inside my mouth.

I know the moment the shift is complete because Autumn is screaming again. The truth has been revealed. In an instant, I shift back, and shout, “Tell me who sent you, or I’ll turn your bones into ash!”

Her eyes are wide and wild as she charges toward me, still shrieking like a catouga boar when you tug on its tail. When she reaches me, I hold my arms out, prepared to restrain this loud human, but she shoves the heel of her palm upward into my nose, and a horrific crunch meets my ears as pain spreads through my cheeks. Little red dots cloud my vision. I clutch my nose and feel wetness spill through my fingers. When I look down, I see blood. Lots of it.

“Autumn!” I call out as I pinch my nose holes shut with one hand and try to catch the falling blood with the other. “Come back!” It is hard to see with my head tipped back, so I dip it down as I stumble through the house looking for any sign of her.

I reach the front door and find it wide open. She has escaped.

In the next breath, bolts of yellow light up the night sky, and rain pours from above.

CHAPTER 6

AUTUMN

“Why? Seriously, why?” I ask… well, Mother Nature, I suppose, as the sky opens up and dumps buckets of rain on my head. Then I remember that a paranoid dragon shifter is after me because he thinks I’m some kind of secret operative, and I continue slogging through the now very muddy soil toward anything that doesn’t belong to that Bexo guy.

Aliens are real. That’s been confirmed. Great. Cool. What a lovely time to make a groundbreaking scientific discovery. And not only that, but instead of being little green men, some are humongous blue men who can morph into dragons. Even better.

I hiss through gritted teeth as the blisters from those evil stilettos remind me of their presence. Not to mention the cuts covering both legs from the shin down, my aching ribs that threaten to send me to my knees with each breath, and the giant cut––which I’m sure is hideous––across my cheek.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I lightly wrap my arms around my middle, trying, and failing to keep warm as this rainstorm rolls through. Huddling behind a few tall, brown reed-like plants, I try to get my bearings.

Looking around, this appears to be a farm in the middle of nowhere. In any other circumstance, I might get nostalgic about my surroundings, but now is not the time for childhood memories from my family’s farm. Right now, I need to find shelter until this storm passes, then I need to get my ass on a ship of some kind and head back to Earth.

I spot a small wooden shed with tin slats serving as a roof next to a tall red barn. The shed’s doors are open, so as long as there aren’t a bunch of baby dragon eggs hatching inside, that seems like my best option. I rise above the reeds to see if the coast is clear, and once that’s confirmed, I jog as fast as my beat-up, aching legs will take me. Two conspicuous puddles are impossible to avoid on my way, and when I land in their depths, I discover that there’s a level of wetness beyond “soaked” and that is “supremely fucking soaked.”

A sigh of relief escapes me the second I scurry inside and close the doors. I try to lock it, but there doesn’t appear to be a lock on this side, which makes sense, but ultimately sucks for me. Looking around the dark little space, I find a wooden gate door that’s splintered in several places and wedge it beneath the door handles. It probably won’t keep a fire-breathing dragon out, but it’ll make me feel better for the time being.

It’s dark in here with the doors shut, and I can’t find a light switch anywhere. I look for a lantern or flashlight, or even a match, but come up empty. So, I wait for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, I find one wall covered in various unrecognizable tools that could also be used as weapons. They have sharp edges, are slightly rusted, and as long as my legs.

Okay, that’s not comforting at all.

Another wall is lined with shelves that hold what look like modernized drones perched atop wide black bases. The low hum emanating from the bases reminds me of the way my phone would vibrate when someone was calling me.

Are these things powered by electricity, then? If so, surely there’s a light to be found somewhere in here.

“Autumn!” Bexo shouts. I gasp at the sound, but his voice is muffled by the rain, so I don’t think he’s close.

Will the rain deter him from looking for me? I hope so. Otherwise, I’ll have to make my escape in this mess, but I don’t think I’ll get very far.

“You are not safe out here in the storm!” he yells, his voice closer now.

But am I safer inside with a dragon shifter? Highly unlikely, especially since he thinks I’m a spy. Even if that were true, what information, exactly, does he think I’m here to collect? The kind of herbs he’s growing on his farm? Alien irrigation techniques?

I mean, it’s not like this guy has a thrilling, jet-setter lifestyle. Farm life is quiet. Boring. You’re ruled by your chores and routines as a farmer. It’s precisely why I left home after college and moved in with Lilly in Chicago.

So, unless Bexo is running some kind of underground weapons smuggling operation, I can’t imagine there’s anything about his life that anyone is dying to discover.

I bounce quietly in the darkness, shifting my weight between my feet. My toes feel like little blocks of ice, and I’m worried that prolonged exposure to this weather is going to get me sick.

“Autumn!” Bexo shouts again. His footsteps are heavy as they pass by the shed, and I hold my breath in an attempt to remain completely silent. Then suddenly, he stops. Right in front of the doors. “Argaahh!”

The wind howls ominously, and I hear several objects pelting the roof. They sound like rocks or large alien acorns.

No.

It’s hail.

Bexo’s pained cry a moment ago makes a lot more sense. He must be getting clobbered out there.

A smug smile stretches my lips, and almost immediately I wipe it off my face. What do I have to be smug about? I’m freezing and barefoot as I stand in a dirty, cramped shed on an alien planet. My dress is ruined, and I’m soaked in puddle water. I can’t even imagine what I look like, but I know I feel like garbage. Lower than garbage, in fact. I feel like the disgusting, mildew-covered, sweat-soaked sock at the bottom of the trash pile in a landfill.

Despite the nauseating imagery, the thought of socks makes me yearn for a dry change of clothes. Also, I’d cut a bitch for my supportive, worn-in sneakers right now. I never should’ve listened to Lilly about those heels.

“Ah!” Bexo shouts as he whips open the doors to the shed and finds me shaking like a chihuahua in the center. “I knew you could not escape me.”

Behind him, I watch as hail the size of softballs hits the ground, and I worry I’m about to be trapped in the shed with this hulking alien until the storm passes.

“Come, we must get inside. The storm is only going to get worse,” he says as he reaches for me.

I step back and out of his grasp, putting up my hands to block him. “Motherfucker, do you not remember how you threatened to turn me into a pile of ash? I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He dips his chin. “My words and actions were,” he pauses, trying to find the right word, “regrettable. I should not have shifted and threatened your life.”

I wait for him to say more, like an apology, but he doesn’t offer one.

Bexo is naked from the waist up, and it’s impossible not to notice the sculpted muscles of his chest and the swirling black tattoos that cover him from neck to stomach. My eyes travel down to his abs––I count ten of them––and the protruding veins that disappear behind the waistband of his sweats. I have no idea where an alien dragon shifter acquires sweatpants, but I also don’t care. He looks good in them. Very good.

His brows lift, and his piercing gray eyes widen as if he’s waiting for me too. “Are you satisfied? Will you come with me now?”

So much for an apology.

Bexo gets tired of waiting, apparently, because he scoffs and closes the distance between us. I gasp, terrified of what he’s about to do. He wraps one massive arm around my back and tugs me close, so my face is pressed against his bare, wet chest. He scoops his other hand behind my knees, lifts me, and steps out into the storm.

I try to fight him. I push against his chest, but it’s as solid as a concrete wall and completely immovable. “Stop,” he commands, his voice a husky rasp. “I do not want you to get hurt. Hold onto me, Autumn.”

I obey as I feel powerless to resist him, and I make myself as small as possible in his arms. It’s not an easy task because I’m not and never have been a small woman.

As a kid, I was always the tallest in my class. Hitting puberty allowed the boys to catch up to me, but not by much. I stopped growing when I hit five-nine, but I’ve been the same height or slightly taller than anyone I’ve ever dated. With large, size eleven feet that kids in school just loved to mock. I’ve always felt too big, too tall, and too thick to be considered feminine.

In Bexo’s arms, though, I feel delicate and tiny for the first time in my life. He’s at least seven feet tall with the bulk and definition of an action hero.

His large hand covers my face as he races through the mud toward his house. I hear him grunt each time hail plunks him on the head or back, and I find myself wanting to thank him for trying to shield me from it.

“Fuck!” I scream as hail connects with my busted rib. Despite his best efforts, Bexo couldn’t keep every inch of me covered.

“What? Did you get hit?” he shouts, already knowing the answer. A growl rumbles inside his chest, making my cheek vibrate where I’m pressed against him.

“It’s fine,” I lie through gritted teeth. My side is throbbing, and I’m sure there’s going to be a bruise there the size of my head.

Bexo picks up the pace, and his arms tighten around me as he races toward the door and into the house. I can’t see where he’s taking me, but my surroundings become familiar once he plops me down on the same chaise lounge he had me on before.

His chest heaves as he takes me in, and he runs a rough hand through his silky, wet, shoulder-length black hair. For a moment, he stares at me as if he’s not sure what to do next. There’s dried blood around his nostrils where I hit him, but it doesn’t look as if I broke his nose. Part of me wishes I’d hit him harder while the other part of me feels terrible for causing him to bleed at all.

Bexo stops, and his gaze drifts up my body from my toes to my head. It’s a soft, caring gaze that feels like a caress. A muscle in his jaw ticks when his eyes reach my cheek, and his fists ball at his sides. “You are to stay here, Autumn,” he orders. “I am going to resume caring for your wounds, and you will not move. You will not fight me.” There’s a hint of a challenge in his voice as if daring me to try escaping again. “You will not explore my home on your own. You must remain here, in the library. Go nowhere else.”

I swallow, my nerves tightening. He’s making it sound like I’m a prisoner here. Is that what I am?

“The storm is far from over. If you wish to leave once the skies are clear, then go,” he adds, his voice rough. “I will not stop you. But until then, you will stay here with me.”

As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. I’m trapped here. Even though he terrifies me, what’s even scarier is the thrill that races through me knowing there’s nowhere for me to run.

CHAPTER 7

BEXO

I stomp through the hallway toward the eating area where I can collect ice for Autumn’s ribs while wondering if I need to tie her down in order to ensure she will not try to leave again. Are all human females this stubborn? Was Kate this way with Nirossanai?

I remember the first time they came to see me, and Kate did test my brother’s patience at every turn, but he seemed to enjoy it in a way. I should have paid more attention. Admittedly, I was more annoyed they came to see me at all as I do not often host company. It is mostly because I do not want to, but also because I am not equipped to do so. There is one bed in this house––my own. There is one chair in the eating area––for me. I have one cup.

Nirossanai seemed put out by my lack of hospitality, but why would I waste credits on a bed I will never use? Or additional chairs that will just take up space? Foolishness.

However, I am regretting it now, as I do not know what to do with Autumn. She could sleep on the lounger in the library like Kate and Nirossanai had, but the idea of that sours my stomach. I do not want her to experience even a moment of discomfort while she is in my home.

She is ours. She sleeps with us.

While my draxilio is eager to slumber beside her, I am not. Sleeping in the presence of another is a form of trust. I will not give this stranger the opportunity to slit my throat while I sleep, no matter how badly I wish to hold her in my arms.

Opening the cold box, I use my fist to break the ice block into smaller chunks and gather them into a clean, dry rag. I also grab my last bowl of vlesplenium pie and my eating utensil before heading back into the library.

“Here,” I say as I hand Autumn the bowl. Then I crouch as I take a closer look at her cheek.

“What’s this?” she asks, using the utensil to poke at the top layer of the pie.

“It is food,” I reply in a flat tone as I clean her abrasion and apply a bandage to it. “Eat. The rumbling of your stomach is almost as loud as the rain.”

Blood rushes to her cheeks with shame. Though I do not understand why.

“What’s in it?”

“It is vlesplenium pie, a fruit from my orchard,” I tell her, suddenly nervous that she will not like the flavor. “With maakatirio seeds and wuur whip. If you like sweet, you will like this.”

She nods. “I do like sweet.” When she takes a bite, I hold my breath. My stomach twists as I wait for her reaction. I follow the length of her elegant neck, and I feel my pants tighten around my cock as she swallows. “Mmm,” she says with a smile as she takes another bite. “S’good.”

It pleases me to see her smile. I have not paid any mind to the general emotional state of others, often because I could never be certain of their true intentions, but I am discovering that Autumn is different. She is not what I am used to. I still do not trust her or know why she is here, but her safety is…important to me. Her happiness seems to be as well.

“Remove your dress,” I tell her, wrapping the ice in a tight pack I plan to secure to her ribs.

Her mouth falls open, the utensil frozen in her hand as she gapes at me. “Um, what?”

“You are in pain. I can see it.” I point to her middle. “Your ribs.”

She laughs with a panicked look on her face. “You expect me to just strip down in front of you? No. Absolutely not.”

I nod, rising to my feet. “Fine. Then take a deep breath.”

She straightens her back, lifting her chin defiantly. Inhaling, she quickly doubles over before her chest fully expands with the breath. “Dammit,” Autumn grumbles, coughing.

My jaw clenches at the sight of her in pain. I cannot take it. “Enough,” I growl, dropping to my knees at her side. “Lift,” I command, gesturing to her arms. She stills at my words. “I have another idea.”

“What?”

I take the dish from her hands and place it next to her. “Let me cut a small opening here,” I explain, pointing to her lower rib cage. “I merely want to look at it and apply ice to the wound.”

She stares at me, her eyes darting back and forth between mine. “Fuck it,” she finally says, lifting her arms. “This dress is trashed anyway.”

I gather the thin, smooth fabric between my fingers and lift it away from her skin as much as possible. It is not easy, as the dress is practically molded against her body. Using a small blade, I cut a square shape in the fabric. The colors of her skin here are not the same as the rest of her. She has the blue and yellow splotches of a bruise, as suspected. Light as a feather, I glide my fingertips over her soft, pale skin, feeling for any irregularities.

Her breath hitches at my touch. “Hurts?” I ask.

I notice Autumn’s pupils are dilated as she stares at my mouth, and I worry she has not heard me. Then she shakes her head as if waking from a trance. “Uh, no. I mean, yeah. It hurts.”

Since I am not a healer, and there is no med tube here to evaluate the severity of her injury, I gently place the ice against her ribs and hope it does not worsen. I use medical tape to secure the pack against her and wrap it around her body.

“Thanks,” she says in a whisper when my hands leave her body.

“You do not need to thank me,” I reply. The guilt from scaring her earlier weighs on me. If I had not shifted, she would not have run out into the rain and been pummeled by the ice rocks. I did not cause her injury, but I am responsible for making it worse. Not only that, but I have also lied to her about being the only creature on this planet. I am an evil, selfish male.

I gather the remaining medical supplies and return them to the storage closet in the hallway. Then I fetch a jug of my homemade mead from the eating area.

“A beverage,” I say as I enter the library and hand the jug to her. One I know will settle my insides, and maybe hers as well. “Thirsty?”

“Um,” she says as she reluctantly takes it from my hands, “sure.” Autumn takes a sip, then another bigger sip, and her face immediately twists into a look of disgust when she swallows. “Dear god.” She huffs a breath and waves a hand in front of her face. “What is that? I mean, it’s obviously alcohol but how strong is it? A thousand proof?”

Her words do not make sense. “I do not know what that means, but one jug of this sends me on a journey of numbing delight, so you should drink much less. To be safe.”

She chuckles and hands the jug back to me. “I think I’ll pass.”

“You do not like the taste?” I ask her. I could try making the next batch sweeter, I suppose. Or maybe use one of the bitter herbs from the garden to balance out the flavors. My mind continues to reel as I wonder what combination of ingredients will make Autumn’s perfect mead.

“No, no. It’s not that. I mean, it’s strong, but I like the taste,” she reassures me. I feel the muscles in my shoulders release at her words. “I just…you know.” She gives me a strange look as she trails off.

I take a deep pull of the mead. “I do not.”

She clears her throat and continues. “It’s just…I don’t want to drink too much when I’m staying in a stranger’s house. We still don’t really know each other.” Autumn shrugs.

“Tell me your story, then,” I say, trying to appear nonchalant, though my nerves are standing on end because she will undoubtedly ask me questions––personal questions––about who I am and why I am here, and I am not prepared to share that part of myself with her.

Still, there is a gnawing desire to learn all I can about her. It is merely because I seek to uncover her motivations for being here. I wish to know what makes her smile, what disgusts her, what angers her, and what makes her scream with pleasure. I seek the truth of who she is, nothing more. But will she tell me if I am unwilling to reveal the same?

Autumn laughs, the sound louder and deeper than I would’ve expected, but I find I quite like the wildness of it. Then she freezes in place, putting a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she mutters.

“For what?”

Blood rushes to her cheeks. “I’ve been told I have an annoying laugh.”

Annoying? What a preposterous term to describe the sound that just came out of her mouth. “That is simply not true,” I reply.

She smirks at me as if she does not believe me. Then she clears her throat. “What do you want to know?”

Everything.

Instead, I start slow. “What is your home like?”

She clears her throat. “Well, I grew up in a place a lot like this, actually,” she begins, gesturing in a wide circle. “My parents had a small dairy farm. I helped them run it and did all the backbreaking chores running a farm requires.”

She is familiar with farming. Interesting.

“Then my best friend, Lilly, who lived on the farm next door, went to college in the city, and stayed there after she graduated. I wanted a change, so I moved in with her. I guess I was sick of the quiet predictability of farm life,” she says.

Her words disappoint me, I realize. The life I lead is not something she finds enjoyable. Refusing to pursue the meaning behind that thought, I continue listening.

“So, Lilly and I moved in together and went to cosmetology school. When we finished, we started working at the same salon. We’ve since gotten our own apartments, but in the same building.” Autumn smiles warmly as she speaks of this Lilly. “That’s been our life for over a decade now.” She pauses as if lost in thought. “But that was all about to change. She’s different now. We’re different. Lilly wants more. She wants a husband, kids––the whole deal.”

My heart feels as if it is lodged in my throat as I ask, “And you do not?”

“Oh no, I do,” she replies in a rush. “Of course, I do. I just…I don’t know. I think I was waiting for my future to find me, and Lilly was more proactive. Cutting and styling hair for the rest of my life sounded fine to me. I’m good at it, and it’s not like I can do anything else. I don’t have any other skills.”

Taking another swig of mead, I rise from the floor and make my way to the closest lounger and pull it across the floor until it is directly next to Autumn. I take my seat across from her. “What else have you tried to do?” I ask.

She looks confused. “What do you mean?”

“You said you cannot do anything else. What else have you tried?”

Autumn chuckles quietly at that. “Well, developing a skill that’s tied directly to your paycheck takes time. I haven’t had the chance to try anything else.”

I run a hand through my hair. It is now dry from the rain and terribly knotted. “It sounds as if there are many things you could do, you just have not tried them yet.”

“Yeah, that’s a good point. That’s how I approached life, to be honest,” she adds, her voice taking on a lost and mournful tone. “I waited for things to come to me. I just assumed it would all work out.” She leans against the back of the lounger on her side, propping herself up by her elbow and resting her face in her hand. “My job was probably months, or a year, from being stolen by robots, and I had no backup plan. Ultimately, no real purpose.” Her gaze goes unfocused as she looks off in the distance. “Gabe and Lilly had backup plans. Gabe is Lilly’s friend from college, by the way. Their plans were borderline insane, but they still had them. I have nothing.”

“Now, you are here,” I reply, not knowing what to say. I do not know how to comfort this female.

“Yeah,” she says with a scoff. “Maybe that’s why I’m not exactly clamoring to get back to Earth. I don’t even know what I’d be going back for.”

“How did you end up on my farm then? What were you doing before your pod crashed here?”

“Ah,” she says with a nod. Her face lights up with eagerness as she begins to tell me precisely what I have longed to know. “I ended up on this fancy space cruise for rich people. Gabe got Lilly and me on the guest list, and we were staying in this opulent suite––completely free because Lilly and I are dirt poor. The ship was having a cocktail hour in the ballroom, and the only reason Lilly and I went was so I could be her wing-woman.”

“Her what?” I ask. Can this female also fly? “What is wing-woman?”

She giggles. “It means my role is to make her look good, but also give her space when she finds a guy she wants to hook up with. Lilly wanted to marry a billionaire, and there were plenty aboard that ship.”

I notice that her face falls slightly as she recalls the events before her pod crashed.

“She was having a great time. And who knows, maybe she still is.” She shrugs her milky white shoulders and shoots me a sad smile. “Enough about me. Tell me about you. Where’d you grow up? What was your childhood like?” She fiddles with the hem of her dress as she fires off questions I do not wish to answer.

How much should I reveal to her? What information is safe to share? Will she ultimately use it against me? If I tell her where I am from, will she share it with others? Will that put my siblings in danger?

However, it seems unlikely she is a spy. Unless she is an exceptionally skilled performer, which I don’t think she is. A spy would never reveal as much about their background as Autumn has. She did not hesitate to tell me any of it. A proper spy would filter out the more emotional bits.

Regardless of Autumn’s true identity, I still do not trust her, and I am incapable of ever doing so. Why bother telling her anything? It’s not as if this could lead to something beyond her being temporarily stuck here.

In fact, I should make arrangements for her to settle elsewhere. As she stated before, she does not enjoy living on a farm, so this is not the place for her. Nirossanai will gladly provide passage for Autumn to leave here and join the clan of human females and gold beings on the mountainous side of Oluura––with the thick forests and waterfalls, and the tight community they have built.

“Well?” Autumn asks, breaking through my thoughts.

I have yet to answer her question. If I could avoid it altogether, I would, but I don’t think she’d allow that without further prodding. I decide to share the safest possible information. “I was born on the planet Sufoi. I am draxilio, and my kind can shift from this flightless form,” I point at myself, “into the flying, fire-breathing beast you saw before.” I put the cap on my jug of mead and rise to my feet.

Autumn lifts her arms, exasperated. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

I nod in response. What else am I supposed to offer her? I suppose I could tell her about the existence of my siblings, and the other members of her kind who live a day’s flight away. But I cannot bring myself to say the words. There is part of me that wants to. I wish to tell her everything and hope that she chooses to stay here. That is not realistic, though.

I need to contact Nirossanai to come once the storm ends and before the next one begins.

Before she can ask further questions about me or my past, I say, “Now, I must go to sleep. You may sleep here. Do you need anything before I go?”

“Oh,” she mutters, looking around the room, her expression dazed. “Um, I would love to shower. Do you have one of those? And possibly something for me to wear?”

“I do, yes,” I reply. Gesturing for her to follow, I show her where the washroom is located, and how to use the cleansing basin.

She jerks back when she sees her reflection in the small mirror. “Ugh, I look awful.” Leaning in closer, she rubs at the skin beneath her eyes, then runs her fingers through her long, yellow hair that falls in tousled waves around her shoulders.

I briefly consider giving her the medical blade so she may cut the rest of her dress away, leaving the ice pack in place against her ribs, but that would mean providing her with a weapon, and that would be utterly foolish. “The tape is resistant to water. I can help you remove the rest of your dress… if you… would like…” There is no way to offer that kind of help without making it sound like a roguish ploy.

Looking down, she picks at the corner of the hole I cut in the dress. “I think…” then she yanks, and the dress splits in a diagonal line across her stomach, “I’ve got it.” She huffs a satisfied breath. “Yeah, I think I can wiggle my way out of this. Thanks for the offer, though.”

I leave the washroom, but not without first muttering, “You could not look awful. It is not possible for you” under my breath. I don’t know why I say it. The words come tumbling out, and I am powerless to stop them. I am frustrated with myself for not even having control over my own speech.

Stomping up the steps, I enter my bedroom and slam the door closed behind me. I race over to the desk and reach for my screenpad. Sending a comm to Nirossanai, I run my claws over my scalp as I wait for him to answer. When he doesn’t, I decide not to try again. I will send another comm in the morning after the storm has passed and my mind is not in such a state of turmoil.

I glance at the foot of my bed where a stack of shirts and pants are neatly folded. Autumn needs dry clothes to change into. I grab the two items on top of the stack and race downstairs. Steam escapes through the crack beneath the door, and I listen for a moment as I hear the water splat in an unsteady rhythm on the floor of the basin. The clothes fall from my grasp, and I pull myself away from the door before I can barge through it and beg Autumn to let me wash the dirt from her skin.

By the time I shut and lock the door to my bedroom on the second floor, I am out of breath. Not due to physical exertion, but entirely due to the explicit, all-consuming need I feel pumping through my blood to fuck Autumn against the wall of the washroom and make her mine.

I tug at the waistband of my pants and release my aching cock. Pinching my eyes closed, I envision Autumn’s pinkening skin as the hot water sluices down her heavy beasts, dripping off the enticing pointed tips. What color are her nipples, I wonder? A light pink like her cheeks when she is nervous, or more of a dusky shade?

I groan as I pump into my hand, putting pressure on the head as my fantasy continues, the water continuing its path down her body and reaching her pussy. Is she touching herself there? Just a few rooms away from me?

My sac tightens and my back presses harder against the door, giving me the leverage I need to jerk myself faster, harder. I picture Autumn’s lips, parting slightly as a moan escapes them, her fingers deep inside her clenching channel as she chases her release. I see her small hand as it clutches the wall, and she bites into it as she falls over the edge, the back of her hand absorbing her screams.

Picturing her sweet nectar running down her fingers is what ends me. I roar into the crook of my elbow as I ride out my release. My come shoots onto the floor and down the front of my pants until I am panting and spent.

I growl as I shove my pants down my legs and flop onto the bed.

Having Autumn here could very well be the end of me, but I am not certain I’ll be able to let her go.

CHAPTER 8

AUTUMN

By the time I step out of the shower––or rather, the crude hose and pulley system that somewhat resembles a shower––I feel like a new person. The shower itself wasn’t great, since the temperature kept switching from boiling hot to ice-cold, but apart from that, the water pressure was strong enough to get my hair clean and the mud splatter off my bottom half.

Bexo’s words from earlier hit me again like a freight train. “You could not look awful. It is not possible for you.” Warmth blooms inside my stomach at hearing his rough voice say something so kind. He was probably just being polite, though. Just trying to make a mess of a woman feel like less of one. That’s all.

After I dry my hair, I check the makeshift ice pack Bexo made around my ribs. The area aches when I touch it, but it’s more of a dull pain. I take that as a good sign. I don’t know much about rib injuries, but I do know not much can be done to fix them, so I would probably need to wait this out no matter where I was.

When I open the door, I find a clean shirt and pants neatly folded on the floor. I know I asked Bexo for a change of clothes, but I suppose I didn’t expect him to deliver in such a gentlemanly way. He could’ve barged into the room for a peek at me naked. He didn’t, though. He is a literal monster, after all, but I’m touched that he respected my boundaries.

I can’t help but laugh when I attempt to put the clothes on. The shirt fits like a dress with the short sleeves ending in the middle of my forearms, and the bottom hem going well past my knees. The pants are basically useless. If I had a belt, or even a rope, maybe I could make them work, but they’re way too loose for me to try to move around in without holding them up at the waist.

This is something I’m not used to. Clothes are always too tight, or just barely fit when I put them on. Lilly has tried my clothes on, and she gets lost in how big they are on her. She finds this hilarious. I do not.

Since the temperature inside Bexo’s old farmhouse is surprisingly warm, I don’t bother trying to make the sweatpants work. I take them off and leave them folded on the chaise lounge across from me in the library.

I stretch out on the seat I’ve been primarily using and cover myself with the blanket draped across the back. Chuckling quietly, I compare how my day started versus how it ended. All things considered, I’d say I’m pretty lucky to have survived the crash and to have landed on the property of someone so… unique.

I’m not sure how I feel about Bexo yet. He’s got the body of a Greek god, sure, but what good does that do me if I’m not safe under his roof? And I think I am safe here. He’s still a question mark to me in many ways, and he doesn’t want to offer any personal information, but there’s something about him I find refreshing.

It could be his confidence. He’s not cocky despite clearly knowing how pretty he is. It’s the way he carries himself and the way he responds to certain things––as if he knows exactly who he is. I envy that. I like watching it.

Okay, perhaps I just like watching him. His gray eyes are commanding while still holding an ocean of mysteries. The slightly curled black horns that stand tall above his head terrified me at first, but now I just want to touch them to see if they’re as smooth as they look. His hair is so thick and silky, the man could’ve been the star of a shampoo commercial. I want to play with it and braid it and twirl it around my fingers.

I fall asleep picturing all the amazing ways I could style his hair.

Something wakes me, and I don’t know what it is until I blink several times and spot Bexo sitting across from me, leaning forward, and just staring. “The fuck? Are you watching me sleep?”

“Yes,” he replies easily. Not even a hint of shame about it. Weirdo.

“Okay, well, most people would find that creepy.”

“Do you?” he asks with a slight tilt of his head, a smirk forming on his lips.

“I do,” I reply. “I really do.”

He stands. “Very well. I shall not watch you sleep. Though it is quite entertaining,” he adds over his shoulder before leaving the room.

Nervousness has me sinking deeper into the lounge as I pull the blanket up to my chin. “What does that mean?”

He doesn’t answer. I hear the wooden floorboards creak beneath his heavy steps as he comes back a moment later and hands me a metal cup filled with water. I drink it down, not realizing how thirsty I am, and he smiles as he watches me.

“You talk in your sleep,” he finally says.

Oh no. “What did I say?”

He shrugs, a teasing look on his face. It’s clear he’s not going to tell me, so I decide to change the subject. “So what’s the plan here, Bexo? If I can’t go back to Earth, what are my options? What am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly stay with you forever.”

I may have played it like I’m relieved to never see Earth again, but that’s not the case at all. My parents are there, my apartment, Lilly, and my job––which I love. Even though I didn’t have a backup plan, I wasn’t ready to leave it behind. Not yet. I have no other skills––styling and cutting hair is the only thing I’m good at.

What is a thirty-nine-year-old hairdresser supposed to do on a farm in deep space?

I need to set my obvious attraction to Bexo aside and get my shit together.

“The plan?” he repeats, his gaze darting around the room.

“Yeah. I appreciate the hospitality, but I can’t stay in your library,” I tell him. “Though it is a lovely library.” With the cathedral ceilings, dim romantic lighting, and dark wooden shelves overflowing with books, it’s practically a mood board for cozy chic. I could stay here for a while and not get sick of it, sure, but I need a place of my own.

He opens his mouth, then pauses, before shutting it again. Then he says, “We will find a solution.”

It’s a vague promise, but an overwhelming part of me wants to trust him. It’s silly, and possibly very stupid of me, but I don’t think he’d let anything bad happen to me. If I need to stay here for a bit longer until we figure it out, I guess that’s okay.

“Come,” he says, getting to his feet. “We have work to do.”

“Work?” I ask, jerking back slightly. “I don’t work for you.”

He purses his lips. “Very well. You may stay here in the room filled with books in a language you cannot read while I do the work.”

I glance out the single, diamond-shaped window in the library, and the sky is a clear, pinkish-purple with fat, fluffy clouds. Maybe a little fresh air would do me some good. “Okay, fine. I’ll help. Or I’ll just watch. I can’t promise much beyond that.”

He sticks his lips out in a thoughtful pout. “I am fine with that arrangement.”

When I stand and toss the blanket onto the chaise, Bexo notices my bare feet. “Hmm. This will not do, but I have an idea.”

The idea, it turns out, is wrapping several of his T-shirts around my feet and legs so that his gigantic combat boots don’t fall off when I try to walk.

“I have done it,” he says victoriously as I shuffle like a zombie toward the front door. “And you are no longer clutching your side! This is wonderful to see.”

I find myself impressed by that too. My ribs do feel better. There’s a lingering soreness where the bruise is, and the cut on my cheek throbs when I smile, but that’s it. With all the fabric between my blisters and the inside of Bexo’s boots, those aren’t bothering me much either.

“Come,” he says, gesturing for me to follow.

I do, awkwardly, as I slowly stumble down the dirt path behind him. The hail has melted, but there are still rounded dents in the soft dirt where they landed the night before. The tall brown reeds look to be knocked around, but not ripped from the ground, so hopefully they can recover. From where I stand, I can’t get a look at the orchard, but the small gardening plots around the exterior of the house seem to have sustained some damage. “Looks like we have a lot of cleaning up to do.”

Bexo stops and faces me. He follows my gaze as it drifts from one plot to the next, then waves a dismissive hand. “Ah, no. We do not.”

I must’ve heard him wrong. “What do you mean?”

“The bots will tend to the shambolic state of the crops. I will lose some, but after previous storms, my plants have returned to their healthy state within days.” He runs a hand over the tops of the brown reeds, then takes the broken tip of one that’s sprouting a green-beige flower and caresses the withered petals gently. “They always come back to me,” he whispers so softly I almost didn’t hear him. A faint smile plays on his lips, and I find myself mesmerized by how tender he can be.

We make our way into the barn, a faded red color from the outside, built with a combination of wood and gray stone. Bexo starts pointing things out as we get closer, like the time it took to build it once he had all the supplies and bots to help him––four days. And the animals that meander around a pen behind the barn, Bexo calls them “meatstock,” but to me, they look like a mix of a cow, a boar, and a rhino. They have a horn in the center of their snout and a tough gray hide like a rhino, patches of brown fur on their heads with the flat, wrinkly nose like a boar, and the wide bellies and slow gait of cows, with similar black splotches covering them from nose to tail.

I suppose “meatstock” is how I’ll refer to them, too, though I really just want to call them all “chonky babies.”

Once we’re inside the barn, I notice the dirt floors, similar to the old barns back home. Behind the stack of hay bales and a few feed stalls, there’s a half-wall and a gate that closes off the back area from the meatstock. That section of the barn is mostly used for hay storage, but there’s also a raised wooden platform with a large metal table that’s covered in monitors, keyboards, tablets, and various alien gadgets I don’t recognize.

“What’s all this?” I ask, climbing onto the platform.

“This is where I work,” he says. He guides me closer to the screens and starts explaining the images popping up. “This shows me the health scans of the meatstock and will alert me to any strains of disease detected from the collars they wear.” He points to the screen next to it. “This tells me which of the cleaning bots from the meatstock pen needs to be pulled from rotation and recharged.” Then the next. “This indicates where the majority of weeds are growing and how rapidly.” He swipes across that screen to the next image. “This shows how often the weeding bots are in use.”

I stand there with my mouth hanging open as he continues to show me how his farm has been modernized and automated. There is very little manual labor to be done on Bexo’s farm, and that’s only when one of his many robots isn’t working.

If this is what farm life was like for me as a kid, I don’t think I ever would’ve gotten sick of it. This just seems easy and pleasant.

Funny how the concept of robots taking over jobs terrified me on Earth but comforts me here. It’s probably because of the vivid memories I have of working on my parents’ farm as a kid, and how Mom and Dad were constantly sore and exhausted from the laborious chores. Automation makes sense to me in a farm setting because it’s beneficial to the human race to take farm tasks out of our hands. Teaching, serving, and other roles where there is a direct connection formed between the customer and the person providing a service––it seems heartless to eliminate those jobs when we’re already such a lonely species.

My clients would pour their hearts out to me the moment they sat down in my chair. I’d hear about their families, vacations, work gossip, and how happy they were with how their lives turned out. There’s an intimacy that’s naturally formed between people and their barbers/hairdressers. It’s something I know I’ll miss.

Bexo turns on his heel and pulls a lever on the back wall that opens a door to a deeper section of the barn that I never would’ve known existed. We step inside and the lights come on once the door is closed behind us. The room is spotless and white, like a laboratory, with marble tiles covering the floors and metal tables and shelves filling every corner.

On each shelf is a plant growing beneath a pink or pale purple light. He explains that half the plants in this room are growing with the help of direct exposure to artificial sunlight created by the lights that are installed above. The other half of the plants are being grown without soil and very little water, instead, being nourished with a nutrient mist and artificial sunlight.

“This is the kind of farming the people of Sufoi are used to,” he tells me as I walk by the vertical shelving units, marveling at all the healthy-looking plants in here. None have been damaged by the previous night’s hailstorm as they had the protective shelter of the barn.

“Wow,” I mutter quietly as I rub a bright-green velvety leaf between my fingers. “I’ve seen some of this back on Earth, but I don’t think it’s caught on yet.” I think about all the crops that are destroyed by storms, tainted by bacteria, or don’t grow at all during a drought, and how the ability to grow crops without water or soil in an enclosed environment would solve all those problems.

I think about the money my parents lost the year a tornado tore our farm apart but left our house untouched. We had a place to sleep, but no way to buy or grow food for an entire summer. It was devastating. We got by on the food we had canned, pickled, and stored from the previous harvest.

“You like it?” he asks from right behind me. I gasp at the sudden nearness of his body to mine as his breath tickles my neck.

His lips feel so close to my skin. What would it take for him to lean down and press a kiss to my throat? I wonder if he realizes how easy it would be to do that. Part of me wants to encourage him. I lift a hand to the back of my neck and pretend to adjust the neckline of his shirt, tugging it down just slightly to expose my shoulder.

I hear him inhale as he leans closer, pressing his nose against my hair, dragging it down to my neck. I suck in a breath as a shudder ripples through my body.

A beep emanates from one of his gadgets, and he quickly stomps toward it, growling as he goes. I follow him out of the futuristic crop room and return to the platform so he can check on the source of the beep. He doesn’t explain what he’s doing, and I don’t ask questions. I just watch, trying to hide my lingering arousal from the moment we shared.

Then I begin to notice things about the mysterious dragon.

When he’s concentrating hard, he chews on the inside of his left cheek. When he’s frustrated, he strokes the tip of his horns. And, best of all, when a beam of sunlight shines through the open doors and hits his skin, it shimmers like blue topaz.

“Graaah!” he growls as he swipes the screen of his tablet angrily.

“What?” I jump back, startled by the outburst.

He runs a hand through his hair. “The harvesting bot is still not working. I must go out to the orchard and pick some vlespleniums by hand.”

“Oh,” I reply. “I can help…if you need it.” My parents attempted to grow a few apple trees at one point, hoping it would turn into a flourishing orchard, but it wasn’t a success. We never had enough apples to make it worth the hassle. But I did enjoy picking the few apples that grew. That was my favorite part.

“You are certain?” he asks, seemingly surprised.

I nod. “Yep. Happy to.”

“Very well, tasty little thing,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “Come with me.”

I follow him out of the barn, and he turns to face me, holding up a hand to indicate I shouldn’t come closer. “What are you doing?”

“The orchard is a long walk from here, Autumn, and I do not wish to make you walk. Not in those boots.” He takes a deep breath and extends his arms out to the sides. “Flying will be much faster.”

Oh god.

A moment later, Bexo the dragon is towering over me, his blue scales almost blinding in their shimmering beauty. The breath has left my body as I stare at him in this form. I understand why I passed out the first time I saw him as a dragon, and why I punched him in the nose after the second time.

Not only is he huge––like, the size of a semi-truck huge—but his teeth look like daggers as long as my arm, and there are hundreds of them. Then there are the horns, which are much, much bigger than when he’s in his hot, panty-dropping form. His tail is lined with triangular spikes that run down the center, and his claws look like they can decapitate me with one swipe.

Bexo drops his giant head next to me and gently nudges my arm. His hot dragon breath wafts over me, smelling like a wood stove on a crisp fall night, and I forget my fear entirely. Bexo, the guy, is in there, who I think I’m starting to trust, and he wants to give me a ride.

“Okay then,” I say as I step into his open palm.

Time to ride the beast.

CHAPTER 9

BEXO

Autumn screams throughout our short ride from the barn to the orchard. At first, her shouts were terror-filled, but as I felt her poke her head between my claws, and she was able to watch the ground below, her screams turned more jubilant. Giddy, even.

The moment we land, I release her and shift back.

She launches herself at me, wrapping her small arms around my neck and squeezing. I stumble backward, not prepared for the contact, but I quickly right myself and squeeze her back.

“That was so much fun!” she shouts as she pulls back to look at me. “Can we do that again sometime?”

“Of course, we can,” I tell her. “I am happy you enjoyed it.” It was not the reaction I was expecting from her. She is a positive and warm creature by nature, it seems, but I was worried she was going to be frightened the entire ride.

“Yay!” She hugs me again, and I panic for a moment as I realize I have never done this before. My handlers were not kind and showed no affection. They were the only parental figures my siblings and I had. Because we were created in a laboratory, we were not treated like typical draxilios. We were made to fight and defend our king. Our existence was merely a job to be performed, and we deserved nothing else. We were told mates did not exist for us the way they did for everyone else on our planet.

Once I retired from serving the king, and my siblings and I were recruited to fight in an arena for sport, I gained the attention of many female draxilios. There were admirers who found me pleasing to look at in both forms. I have experience pleasuring females, many of them, in fact, but there was never a warm embrace of any kind. It was fucking. Primal, animalistic fucking as both of us sought release. That was it.

The walls around my heart were rock solid and always remained in place, especially in moments of intimacy. It is when a creature is most vulnerable, and not being able to trust makes it difficult to enjoy sexual acts apart from that release.

But this, holding Autumn in my arms, feeling her grip tighten around me, it is…extraordinary. I do not want it to end.

She rubs a hand down my back, noticing my continued embrace. “You’re a good hugger,” she says, unwrapping her arms slowly and sliding down the front of my body.

A sweet floral scent hits my nose, and I feel every muscle in my body contract.

My draxilio awakens inside me, purring with delight. Our mate needs us. Give her the release she craves.

Her arousal scent––that is what fills my lungs. It is rich and intoxicating like the aroma from a freshly bloomed siya monaba, a rare flower grown on Sufoi.

Taste her. Own her.

I am overcome with emotions I cannot articulate. Still, my heart soars at hearing her compliment my embrace. But the more dominant part of me wants to guide her down to the grass onto her back and spread her legs wide so I may feast upon her pussy as if it were my final meal.

I do not know if her body longs for mine the way mine does for hers, though. Her arousal scent is not the same as consent. I cannot confuse the two. “Thank you,” I finally reply.

Autumn’s eyes travel down my body and then snap back to my eyes. “Wait, shouldn’t you be naked?”

I look down, understanding her meaning. Pointing to the inside of my left bicep, I explain, “When draxilios reach the age at which we are ready for our first shift, we undergo a procedure to have a clothing block inserted. It removes our clothing when we shift forms and puts it back on our bodies as we return to this form.”

“A metal chip inside your arm holds your clothes?” she asks, her blue eyes wide with astonishment.

“Sufoian technology is much more advanced than yours,” I reply with a laugh.

“Speaking of,” she says, clearing her throat, “why is it you know so much about my planet?”

My chin drops to my chest, and my fists clench at my sides as they do whenever Autumn asks me a personal question. After a period of silence begins to feel too heavy, I reply, “I studied life on other planets. Yours was part of that study.”

“Oh, okay,” she replies with a shrug and a satisfied nod. “I guess that makes sense. If humans had any knowledge of life outside our planet, I’m sure we’d study them in school too.”

School. She thinks this research on humans was part of an organized curriculum, and not the most integral part of an illegal mission myself, my siblings, and other genetically modified draxilios took part in as we sought better lives on other planets––where we’d be given rights and could exist freely. We were tired of feeling stuck…stranded on Sufoi and unable to leave. The mission was an opportunity to begin anew on a planet where we could one day find mates who would accept us for flaws we can never change.

I suppose I could correct her assumption.

No, not yet, my draxilio says with a grunt.

If she is truly ours, should we not let her in? I reply.

He growls, frustrated with me. This is not information she is ready to receive. It is too soon. She will leave if she knows the truth.

I cannot argue with his logic, so I reply, “Yes, school.”

This seems to be enough for Autumn. She asks no additional questions. Instead, she hops in place, then looks around. “Where’s my bucket? I’m ready to do some pickin’.”

We each grab one from the small shed on the edge of the orchard and take parallel paths between the trees. Some trees have been knocked down or are still upright and at a slant from the ice rock storm, but more than half the trees in the orchard remain sturdy, and I am once again impressed by their hardiness.

As we pick the ripened purple vlespleniums from the trees, I notice Autumn is close enough that I can see her, and I find I enjoy that closeness. I am desperate to maintain it.

My bucket is almost full when something hard hits me square in the back. I spin around to find Autumn peeking through two vlesplenium trees with a look of pure mischief on her face. She giggles when I spot her and runs away.

I grab four vlespleniums and take off after her. She is smart, this human, zigzagging through the small spaces between trees, making it impossible for me to make a straight shot.

She peeks over her shoulder just as I catch up to her, and her boot comes loose, falling off her small foot, causing her to trip. I drop the fruit and reach for her, pulling her close and spinning us so that she’s on top when we hit the ground.

I let out a grunt as my head hits the grass, and immediately, Autumn’s hands are touching my face.

“Are you okay? Oh my god, Bexo, I’m so sorry.”

“I am fine,” I tell her honestly. Though her words confuse me. “Why do you apologize? I did not want you to hit the ground, therefore, I did not let you.”

Her gaze flicks back and forth between my eyes before they dip to my mouth. I don’t get a chance to decipher what the look on her face could mean before she presses her lips to mine.

This, I have done before. This, I am very good at. With Autumn, though, it feels different. Important.

I cup her face in my hands as I lean up and deepen the kiss. This causes Autumn to let out a breathy little moan as she slides her smooth, pink tongue along my bottom lip. I let her in, wondering if I can refuse to ever let her out. I want us to stay like this, our bodies pressed together, and our tongues swirling around each other until the sun burns out in the sky.

She nips at my mouth playfully, and I am impressed by how she is able to use her strange, blunt teeth. It doesn’t hurt, but it sends a jolt of electricity through my spine and into my cock as it stands at almost painful attention beneath the thin fabric of my pants.

My fingers tangle in her long yellow locks, and she moans again, this time reaching up to grab one of my horns. There is not much feeling in them, but the image of her holding onto both horns as her naked body bounces up and down on my cock sends a possessive growl up my throat. My other hand finds the soft globe of her ass, but when I squeeze, she pulls back.

“What is it?” I ask, suddenly concerned I have hurt her. “Is it your ribs?”

Autumn waves a hand. “No, no. It’s not that. I just …” she says through shallow panting breaths. Then she sits up, freeing herself from my grasp. “It felt like we were about to have sex right here in the middle of an orchard.”

I fail to see the problem. “This is a bad thing?”

She gets to her feet, wiping the dirt from her palms onto her pants. I do the same since I do not know what else to do. “There’s still so much I don’t know about you,” she finally utters, her face flushed. “You know?”

I do. The choice to keep my past private was intentional, even with Autumn. Though, I am starting to wonder why. What is the point of keeping so many secrets? Why am I refusing to let her see who I am when she has openly shared so much about herself with me?

This choice, this way of existing in the spaces I occupy has always made sense––whether to protect myself or my siblings. Now, however, it feels selfish and almost cruel. I do not want to hide from Autumn, because the thought of her hiding from me, retreating the way she just did, feels like a blade right through my middle.

That means I must trust her, and I’m not sure I’m capable of doing that.

But I would like to try.

I should never have contacted Nirossanai to see if he could come collect her and take her to the village. Autumn is meant to be here by my side.

“You are right,” I tell her. Then I launch into my tale. A modified, shortened version of it. In my mind, I justify it as information she will likely never repeat to anyone, especially if I find a way to keep her here. Therefore, there is no trust to be had, as this information will not be shared. I describe the genetic modifications my siblings and I were given, and how the part of my brain that forms trust was calcified, rendering me incapable of forming that connection with others.

“Wow, Bexo that’s awful,” she says, her tone sympathetic and warm as she places a hand on my forearm. “They took so much from you.”

I am not comfortable with pity, so I dismiss her words and tell her how my lack of trust has helped me excel in battle and in the arena. She listens, entranced by the details, then appropriately horrified by the rights we lacked compared to natural-born draxilios. How genetically modified draxilios, or “podlings” as we were often called, were essentially slaves to the king. When we began to age out of the period where we are physically strongest, or when a new batch of podlings reached battle-age, we could retire from our duties with the king, but were heavily restricted in how we could exist on our planet.

Her gaze never leaves my face as I speak. “You are a good listener,” I tell her.

The corner of her mouth curves up into a smile. “Part of the job,” she replies as if it is an unimpressive skill anyone could master. “People tell their hairdressers everything.” Autumn does not understand how self-involved most creatures are. It is incredible that she can give someone this amount of focused attention.

I tell her about my handlers, my time as an assassin for the king, and the countless matches I won in the arena.

She seems to be most fascinated by that part.

“You had groupies?” she shouts with a wide, amused grin. “I mean,” she gestures to my body, “I get it, but I just wish I could’ve seen it for myself. You must’ve really charmed the crowd to amass an entire fanbase.”

I hesitate to offer this next bit, but I know it will make her smile, so I do it anyway. “There was a particular move I would do when I won a match. My fans seemed to appreciate it.” It is strange, I never felt even an inkling of shyness when I struck the pose, but I feel foolish just talking about it with Autumn.

“Ooh, you have to show me now,” she says, dropping her bucket of vlespleniums and stepping in front of me. She puts her hands on her wide hips, waiting.

I have no one to blame for this but me.

Dropping my bucket, I stretch the tightness from my limbs and remove my shirt.

Autumn whistles when it hits the ground, and my confidence grows.

Then I lean forward and lift my legs until my weight is balanced on my hands alone, and my body forms a straight vertical line upside down. Tightening my stomach muscles, I slowly lower my bottom half until I am parallel with the ground, my forearms taking all of my weight, and begin pumping my hips, causing my body to roll.

“What the…” I hear Autumn call out.

I straighten my body back out and swing my feet up, so I go from a horizontal line back to vertical, without my feet ever touching the ground. Finally, I push off the ground and flip backward, forming a tight, full rotation before landing on my feet.

“Ho-ho-holy shit, Bexo,” she says, her mouth hanging open as she giggles. “That was the most vulgar thing I have ever seen outside of Thunder Buns.”

Thunder Buns? “What is that?”

“Oh,” she waves her hand dismissively, “it’s a male strip club in an abandoned mall where I grew up.”

I still don’t understand some of her words, but the context seems clear enough.

“Hey, come here,” she says, giving me a strange look.

I do as she requests and stand directly in front of her, so close we are almost touching. She leans forward on her toes and puts her hand in my hair. My heart thumps inside my chest.

“You had a leaf stuck in there,” she whispers, her voice softening as she holds the leaf in front of me.

I grunt in response as I take the leaf from her and drop it to the ground.

Autumn bites her bottom lip as she tilts her head to the side. “May I try something?”

Hmm. I am intrigued.

She swallows, her neck turning that enticing red color to indicate her bashfulness. “I’d like to play with your hair, if you’ll let me.”

I open my arms. “I am yours to touch, Autumn…wherever it pleases you.”

Her cheeks are redder than I have ever seen them. “Uh, yup. Okay then,” she mutters, her words rushed. She clears her throat. “Just, um, sit down on the grass, here, for me.”

She steps behind me once I am seated, her knees brushing against my back.

“Tilt your head back.”

I obey, closing my eyes. The moment Autumn’s deft fingers glide through my hair, I let out a groan. Her blunt nails graze my scalp as she gently combs through it, softening the wayward locks. Even the pull of her finger as it catches on a knot in my hair does not diminish the pleasure I am feeling. Discreetly as I can manage, I tug at the front of my pants, trying to make my pleasure less obvious.

“You have great hair,” she tells me, now gathering a large section in her hands and twisting it about.

It is kind of her to say. “I grow tired of it quite often.”

“How come?” she asks, her tone surprised.

“It is always in my face,” I grumble. “I spend too much time pushing it away.”

“Mmm,” she replies. “Do you want it cut short?”

I have considered this. Nirossanai’s hair is much shorter than mine, and he does not seem to share the same ongoing frustrations. On Sufoi, my longer hair was part of my identity as the arena’s star warrior and famed podling. Though that life is behind me, I wonder how I would look without it. How I would feel if that part of myself were gone. “No,” I eventually say with a sigh. “Not cut. Just less of a distraction.”

“Like…” she trails off. “This?”

The moment her touch leaves my skin, I feel my draxilio become agitated. I, too, feel uneasy as if suddenly I cannot relax without it. It is deeply unsettling.

Mate, he whispers. That is what she is. Do not deny it.

I want for him to be right, but there is still the part of my mind that has been conditioned to assume no such miracle exists for me. Besides, there has been no mate signal to prove that Autumn is truly mine. No clear sign that she is my perfect counterpart. It is common among draxilios, and even Kate and Nirossanai experienced the signal––appearing in one another’s dreams several times before ever coming face to face while awake.

My draxilio growls in frustration. She crashed on our farm. That was the signal.

Ignoring him, I lift a hand to my hair. The top of my hair is brushed back, leading to a knot at my crown. The rest of my hair hangs free beneath the knot Autumn has tied, though none of it dangles in front of my face. “Yes,” I reply, stunned she has solved a problem that, while small and ultimately insignificant, has plagued me since my hair grew past my chin. “Like this.”

I turn to face her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Even though I am sitting and Autumn stands, the top of my head reaches her ample chest. I pull her closer, being careful to avoid her bruised ribs. She wraps her arms around my neck as I press my chin to her belly and look up at her angelic round face. “I thank you,” I finally utter. There are many things I wish to tell her. So many things. The need to get the words out in one chaotic jumble feels like a beast clawing its way out through my skin.

Then I remember who I am. What I am. How I have deceived her.

Still, she is mine. I want her to be mine. If she were to leave, I am not sure what I would do…or what my draxilio would do.

Burn everything that stands between us and her. Burn it all to ash.

It is good I do not let him out much.

I let my hands drop to my sides as I stand up.

Eventually, Autumn and I pick up our buckets and continue our friendly chatter as we take the long way back to the house.

Once we’re inside, she requests a clean shirt, and I give her one before I close the door to my room and check my screenpad. There are several missed comms from Nirossanai. I should probably tell him not to worry because I have a human female of my own now, and I’ve decided to keep her, but that will only elicit more questions that I have no interest in answering at the moment.

I still do not know how I am going to convince her to stay with me, or if I am capable of trusting her and ultimately making her my mate. But I am hopeful those answers will come with time, and hopeful is not a feeling I have experienced in many soliqs.

As I reach the bottom step, I spot Autumn in the eating area, sipping water from my only metal cup. “Hey, do you hear that?” she asks.

A low beeping is coming from the barn. The frequency of the beep is frantic. That can only mean one thing: another storm approaches. This time, it is a big one.

CHAPTER 10

AUTUMN

I race behind Bexo as he runs full speed toward the barn. When I catch up to him, he’s on the wooden platform behind the half-wall, his eyes darting from one screen to the next as he mumbles under his breath.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, knowing that it clearly isn’t. “Can I help?”

He looks up, almost surprised by my presence. “Uh, no. No help will be needed. I…I need to determine…” he trails off, his face twisted in panic.

I stand beside him on the platform, trying to see what he sees. The screen farthest to the right actually looks like a Doppler radar with a wave of bright red approaching the blinking yellow dot in the center. “What’s that?” I ask, pointing to it.

“It is the weather scan,” he replies flatly. “It tells me when a storm is approaching. That is the source of the beeping.”

Storms and farm life have always gone hand in hand for me growing up in the Midwest. They suck, and sometimes the severe storms destroy your livelihood and crush your spirit, but if you’re lucky enough to survive them, you rebuild. You show Mother Nature that she can’t knock you down for long. You’ll get back up and fight another day.

“How much time does it say we have?” I ask, trying to gauge how he reads this radar.

“I am not sure,” he replies, his tone distracted as he looks at something else. “This is a new device.”

Well, that’s entirely unhelpful. This might be an alien planet, but I can figure out how close this storm is by just using my eyes. I hobble outside, kicking the boots off as I go. If I need to run, I can’t wear them for another minute. Once I’m outside, three things become clear: the temperature has risen by at least ten degrees in the few minutes since we’ve been in the barn, the sounds of nature have ceased, creating an eerie silence, and the clouds that were fluffy and light purple all morning are now darker shades of purple and blue. These clouds are angry.

Not a good sign.

Movement off to the right catches my eye, and in the distance, I spot a narrow funnel drop from the sky and begin its path of destruction. Then another follows until they merge as one. A third drops down behind it, not even a second later, going in another direction. These are definitely tornadoes, but not like Earth tornadoes. They’re colored like a bruise and forming way too fast. Luckily, the ones I’m looking at are far away, at least ten miles, I would guess, but who knows how long they’ll take to get here.

“Bexo!” I shout, running back into the barn. “We need to get somewhere safe, right now.”

He’s still looking at his collection of gadgets and screens that are clearly not going to protect us.

“Hey!” I yell, snapping my fingers in front of him. “I just spotted three tornadoes out there, two of which merged into one big fucker. They’re forming fast, and I’m betting they’ll reach us soon.”

Bexo looks at me like I’ve grown horns. “What is a tornado?”

We really don’t have time for me to explain; he obviously uses another term for it here. “It’s an extremely destructive funnel cloud that drops from the sky and obliterates anything that stands in front of it.” The way he’s looking at me as if this is entirely new information to him … “Have you never seen one?”

“No,” he says, eyes widening slightly. I can tell he’s trying to mask his fear, but he’s not succeeding. “The worst storms I have had here are the ice rock storms, or an extended period of cloud booms.”

So, hail and thunder.

Fuck.

Looks like I need to take the lead on this one. “Okay, well, what’s about to happen is going to blow your mind, and hopefully not literally. Do you have an underground shelter of some kind?”

“No, there is no underground shelter,” he says almost in a whisper. He looks around the barn, dumbfounded.

He’s scared. I’m not sure what I expected a scared Bexo to look like, but it wasn’t this. I take his hand in mine. “Hey, look at me.” When he does, I ask, “Can you trust me? I need you to trust me, and maybe we’ll get through this.”

He doesn’t respond, so I decide he has no other choice. I know he was modified to lack that ability, but he’s going to have to deal with being in a vulnerable position right now. I drag him around the half-wall to the section of the barn with stalls that are used as storage for hay bales and start rearranging them. “Make a space in the middle,” I yell as I shut the gate to the stall we’re in. He follows my orders, and we work together like this, side by side. Once the hay is moved around us as a sort of barrier, I start to dig through the soil.

“What are you doing?” Bexo asks as he comes to my side.

“We need to get as low as possible. Above ground is not safe. This is our best option right now.”

He gently nudges me aside and shifts into his dragon form. Within a few seconds, he makes a hole deep enough that it could double as a grave, which is a morbid thought as we prepare to survive this twister, but there’s no time to unpack that. Then he shreds and tosses a single bale of hay into the hole before shifting back. When I shoot him a questioning look, he says, “I do not want you to get dirty.”

Sweet of him to worry about that, but now is not the time. Although, even with the hay, it’s still deep enough for both of us to lie down several feet below ground level.

We leap down into the hole, and Bexo waits for me to give him further instructions. Now that we’re both in here, it’s a tight squeeze. I forgot how big he is. “Okay, let’s lie on our sides. I think that’ll work.”

It takes some wiggling and awkward adjustments, but we both fit.

“Now what?” he asks quietly, brushing the hair off my face.

The contact is comforting, and right now, I think we both could use some. I drape my hand over his side and pull him closer. He obliges. “Now, we wait,” I tell him, rubbing the tip of my nose against his. “And hope we’re still alive by the time the storm passes.”

Minutes tick on, I don’t know how many, and we lie there quietly, listening for hints that the tornado is close. I list the signs of an oncoming Earth tornado for Bexo, and the ways the tornadoes here seem to be different.

He continues touching my face with feather-light strokes, as if he just needs to feel my skin beneath his hands. His fingers trail along my jaw, across my forehead, down my nose, then he traces my lips.

“You are beautiful, Autumn,” he whispers. “So very beautiful.”

My instinct is to reply with a joke or something about how I’m not that beautiful, but I decide to let the compliment settle. It’s a lovely, warm feeling. A new feeling. I don’t get many compliments. “Thank you,” I tell him, pressing a kiss to the pad of his thumb.

I think about the things he shared with me earlier, and how clearly uncomfortable he was throughout, and I want to return the gesture. I don’t have any deep, dark secrets, and I don’t have any hang-ups when it comes to trusting others, but maybe sharing something I wouldn’t normally share with someone I’ve known only two days would be meaningful. Or at least, comical?

“I used to be afraid of the dark,” I tell him. “I still am, actually. Unless I’m really, really, really tired, I need a light or the TV on in my bedroom in order to fall asleep. Otherwise, my mind will wander, and I’ll start convincing myself there’s a person hiding behind the curtain, or a pregnant spider about to lay a million eggs beneath my bed.”

He chuckles. “I will not let the darkness come for you, my Autumn.”

Did he just say “my Autumn”? Before I can ask him, I hear hail pounding against the roof of the barn. It’s getting closer.

“Okay,” I say as he jerks his head toward the sound. I take his chin in my hand and force him to look me in the eye. “I’m going to keep talking. Everything is going to be all right, Bexo. Okay?” He says nothing, just holds me tighter. “I was on a plane going to a bachelorette party, and the turbulence was so bad that I peed my pants a little.”

The hail continues, and in the distance, I hear the ominous roar of what sounds like an oncoming train. Here it comes.

I continue with my embarrassing stories. “One time I dropped a piece of candy on the floor of a public beach bathroom, and I ate it any–”

Bexo cuts me off with a kiss. At first, it catches me off guard, but my fear has me leaning into it. It’s as frantic and desperate as we both feel, and together, we let those feelings overtake us. Bexo rolls us so I’m on my back, and for a brief moment, his lips break away from mine and I hear the sound of debris being sucked off the ground and hurled through the air.

When his lips return, I forget it all.

He holds himself above me, hands placed on either side of my head, and I feel completely sheltered beneath him. His tongue flicks against my lips, and I open, sliding mine against his in a wicked tangle. I wrap my legs around him, crossing my feet against his lower back. He grinds into me, mimicking that insanely hot pose he showed me earlier, and I moan into his mouth at the friction.

His gray eyes swirl with heat as he leans down and takes my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard through my shirt. The moment he releases it, the air hits the wet fabric and causes my nipple to harden into an aching point. He moves to the other breast, giving it the same tantalizing attention.

Reaching a hand between us, I stroke the hard length of his straining cock through his sweatpants, and I hear his growl turn into a rough purr as his tongue flicks against my nipple again. He’s going to make me come just like this if he continues.

Most of the time, I need direct stimulation of my clit to reach orgasm, but Bexo’s wicked mouth is getting me there. I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s no human––he’s a dragon with the ethereal, impossible beauty of a god.

Every door and gate in the vicinity slams open and shut in rapid succession as the wind howls outside. The meatstock sound restless as they yowl and trot around inside the barn on the other side of our stall. The tornado must be close. Dangerously close.

My body decides to focus on the glorious male above me, however, as my hand slips beneath the waistband of his sweatpants. The moment I wrap my fingers around him, I gasp. Ridges. His dick is covered in protruding ridges. Bexo hisses a breath as his hips jerk forward almost as if he wasn’t expecting my hand against his skin to feel so good. “Autumn,” he breathes into my chest, his voice pained. “My Autumn.”

Hearing my name spoken so reverently unlocks something inside me. I’m giving him pleasure, and yet I feel completely cherished by him. As if my very touch is life-giving. I can’t make my fingers meet, he’s far too big, so I focus on speed and changing my grip as I stroke him from base to head, excitement pumping through my blood each time the ridges rub against the inside of my hand. I want to feel them inside me.

Precome forms at his tip, and the heat of it warms my skin as I gather it into my palm. It provides enough lubrication to increase my speed in a smoother rhythm, and he thrusts into my hand with matching intensity.

He whispers words I don’t understand as his mouth travels up to the exposed skin of my neck, and he begins sucking on it, letting his tongue swipe small circles as he goes.

“Yes. Yessss,” I pant, closing my eyes, lost in the sensations Bexo’s awakening inside me.

A loud bang sounds from just outside the barn, and glass shatters. I scream as I hear the glass land behind us, on the platform, most likely.

“Hey,” Bexo says, grabbing hold of my chin. His tongue returns to my throat and between punishing kisses that are sure to leave a mark, he whispers, “Stay with me.” He pulls back and holds my gaze.

This is probably the worst possible time to get lost in those eyes and continue this sexcapade in a barn with a tornado raging outside, but I don’t care. I nod and shove my other hand between my legs. If this is how we’re going to die, I want both of us to come. Orgasm equality and all that.

My fingers slip through my wet folds easily, and I begin rubbing small circles around my clit. A breathy moan escapes me as I pick up speed, and soon I establish the same rhythm for both of us. His movements turn wild as he continues to fuck my hand.

“Autumn,” he mutters, the sound ragged as his face twists into something that looks like agony. “You are mine, Autumn.” His eyes fly open as he utters my name, holding my gaze with such intensity I can’t look away. “Mine.”

Something big hits the side of the barn, and I gasp. But I refuse to lose this moment we’re in, so I continue working my pussy as I tighten my grip around his cock. I rub my swollen clit back and forth instead of in a circle using three of my fingers. I’m close. I feel like we’re sinking as the sounds from outside get louder.

Wood above us splinters into hundreds of pieces and rains down on us. Bexo grunts as the wood hits his back, completely blocking me from being hit. Peeking over his shoulder, I watch in horror as some of the roof is ripped from the barn, revealing the angry dark blue and purple edges of a massive tornado as it makes its way through Bexo’s farm, within feet of sucking us into its ruinous clutches.

In the same moment, Bexo roars, “I cannot… hold on… Autumn!” as his come coats my hand in hot jets. I want to keep my eyes open to watch the destruction above us, but my body disobeys as my thighs begin to shake. I leap off the edge right behind him. Our bodies continue to grind against each other, just slower now as we ride our separate waves.

Once my breathing evens out, I realize there’s unfamiliar pressure on my chest, and I immediately assume I’m having a heart attack. But no, I find a shaking Bexo on top of me, no longer holding his weight on his forearms. My panic shifts to worry as I put my hands on his shoulders and nudge him. “Hey! You okay, babe?”

His arms envelop me as he presses his cheek against mine. Still, his whole body trembles. “Autumn,” he whispers, emotion thick in his voice, “tell me you are not hurt. Please.”

Doing a quick scan from head to toe, amazingly, I find no pain. No new pain, anyway. He’s the one with his back facing a fucking tornado. Shouldn’t we be more concerned with him right now? “I’m okay, Bexo. I promise. Are you okay?”

He lifts his head, and I’m stunned to find a tear running down his cheek. “I thought…” he trails off, gulping down his visible fear. “I was so worried. Worried the storm was going to take you from me. Or me from you.”

I look over his shoulder through the open roof to find the sky still dark, but now clear. And the top of the barn is somehow much farther away than I remember it. “Wait,” I say, my tone wary. Bexo takes the hint and lifts himself above me, back onto his forearms, as I take in the state of our hidey-hole. “Was it always this deep? I thought you only dug out five feet.”

Bexo lifts his head and twists his body so he can look up at the edge of the hole. “Ah.”

Ah. That’s all he says, but his nod indicates that the new depth of our hole does not surprise him.

“I noticed that when your hands were on my cock, and I was nearing completion, my strength seemed to increase in a way that only occurs when I am in my other form.”

“Okay.” I’m not getting it. “So that means, what?”

He sighs, then tilts his face down and away from me as if ashamed. “It means that during my release, I was able to propel us deeper into the soil.”

Holy shit. “You’re telling me that you were able to move solid ground the moment you came? That isn’t physically possible.”

His cheeks darken in what I assume is a blush. Then he smiles, exposing his perfectly white teeth. He doesn’t have fangs, but his teeth aren’t square either. They each end in an alarming point that makes me glad I’m not one of his enemies. “Not for humans, maybe. But I am not human.”

Yes, that is becoming quite clear to me.

Bexo chuckles, the sound hearty and unburdened. Free. I love that sound. He pulls me to my feet, and we adjust our clothes. I find several spots of blood seeping through the back of his shirt but find only minor scrapes when I lift it and examine the skin beneath. He picks me up and I attach myself to the front of him like a barnacle to a whale as he climbs out of the hole.

The roof of the barn is mostly gone, and there’s debris everywhere, including a vlesplenium tree that landed on top of Bexo’s workstation, destroying the tablets, monitors, and even the platform beneath it. The modern farming room with the artificial sunlight is wrecked as well, the shelving units lying on top of each other like fallen dominoes.

Bexo grunts at the sight of each new area of his farm that needs to be repaired, replaced, or entirely regrown.

When we make it outside, the meatstock are alive, and amazingly, all are accounted for. They seem a little spooked but otherwise happily strolling around their pen––which has a large piece of machinery upside down in the center. They don’t acknowledge it; they just move around it.

The shed holding the water drones has been flattened to a pile of rubble, and before I can bring myself to look at Bexo’s house, I cross my fingers and hope with all my might that the tornado left his house untouched, just as the tornado did to my home when I was a kid. But sadly, his lovely, two-story pale-yellow home was not immune to the power of this twister. Though the front of it seems to still be intact, when we go around the back, we find what I assume is a tractor-type of machine without wheels that has been thrown into the wall. It is now lodged on its side on the second floor.

“That is my bedroom,” Bexo mumbles as we look up at the red and gray machine. He throws his hands up, looking defeated. “I do not even know what to do. How to fix this.”

I take his hand in mine. “Now we rebuild. It’ll be okay,” I promise. “We’ll do it together.”

His mouth curves slowly into a warm smile, filled with gratitude, as he pulls me toward him. “Autumn, I—”

Suddenly, his head jerks toward the front of the house, and before I can ask him what’s happening, he releases me and races in that direction.

Confused, I run after him. When I arrive at the wide patch of dirt in front of the house, a second dragon lands and shifts the moment his feet touch the ground.

“Hello, there,” the newcomer says with a slight bow. “I am Bexossanai’s brother, Niro.” When I continue to gape at him, he adds, “You must be the reason he contacted me. And why he has ignored my comms ever since.”

CHAPTER 11

BEXO

This cannot be real. It must be a cruel joke of some kind. My crops have been torn from the ground, my barn is destroyed, my weeder sled has been thrown into my bedroom, and now my brother, Nirossanai, is here. I cannot imagine anything making this moment worse.

Actually, I can. It is the look of perplexity and betrayal on Autumn’s beautiful face. That is much worse than the chaos surrounding me.

“Uh, hi. I’m Autumn,” my mate finally says to Nirossanai. My mate. She is my mate. I have no doubts about it now. I do not care that our handlers told us mates do not exist for us. The increased strength I felt in the barn as Autumn stroked my cock is proof they were wrong. That can only come from a mate bond. Nirossanai felt it once he and Kate became mates. And I am certain Autumn is mine.

“This is what you tried to reach me about, was it not?” my brother asks, walking toward me. “I see you have found a human female, but from where did she come?”

“The sky,” I reply, knowing my brother will not enjoy my dry attempt at humor.

He shakes his head disapprovingly and moves to stand in front of Autumn. “Autumn, yes?” She nods, and he continues. “I do not know what brought you to Oluura, or what you have endured in my brother’s company. He is a wretched host. And by the looks of it,” he gestures to the destruction caused by the tornado, “it does not appear to be going smoothly. I would like to offer you safe passage to a village where you will be given food, shelter, and clothing. You will also have your own cup,” he says, pinning me with a glare. “There are many human females who were taken from your planet and now happily reside there. They will be—”

“Wait, what?” she asks, her brow furrowing. “Human females? You live with other humans?”

Nirossanai replies with a proud “yes,” and says, “My mate is human. She is called Kate. I am certain she will be thrilled to meet you.”

I can feel Autumn’s eyes land on me as she turns, the question I do not wish to answer written all over her face. “So…there are humans on this planet? You knew about this?”

Nirossanai answers her. “Of course, he knew. He has met Kate several times.”

“Not several times,” I reply, my tone bitter. “I have only been in Kate’s presence four times.” I suppose the number is not important, but I have nothing else to cling to, so it may as well be that.

“But you told me there was no one I could talk to, no one that could help me here. You said you were the only one on this entire planet.”

Her eyes are accusing, though I appreciate the flicker of disbelief that remains. She wants to believe that what I told her was the truth. That what Nirossanai says must be a misunderstanding. I would cut my fingers off if I could make that the reality. Sadly, that is not a trade I am able to make.

I decide to offer the truth, though I know it will do nothing to help me now. “I did not reveal the truth of the human females because I did not know what brought you to Oluura and I could not—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you couldn’t trust me.” She groans through gritted teeth as she massages her temples. “Look, Bexo, I know you were made to lack trust so you could kill all the king’s enemies or whatever,” she rolls her eyes as she stomps her tiny bare foot into the dirt, “and I understand why you would be hesitant to tell me at first since you thought I was some sort of spy, but…really?” She drops her hands and freezes in place. “Really? After what we’ve been through, after what we’ve shared, you still couldn’t tell me?”

Nirossanai holds up a hand, gaining my attention. “This may not be the best time, but did you know that a section of your nnduli reeds are on fire, brother?”

“Fuck the nnduli reeds!” I shout at him. Let them burn. Let it all burn. I feel my mate slipping away from me, and I am powerless to stop it. I turn to her, my eyes pleading. “Autumn, I wanted to tell you. There were many moments when I tried to get the words out, I just…could not.”

“Wait,” Nirossanai interrupts again. “She is your mate, isn’t she?”

“Of course, she is my mate!” I shout back. Why can’t he remain quiet until I sort this out with Autumn? She is the only thing that matters in this universe right now.

“Your mate?” Autumn repeats, her tone different, almost aghast. “I’m your mate? Is that like, your wife, or something?” Her mouth forms a horrified O shape. “Was that…in the barn…does that make me your wife now?”

A muscle in my jaw ticks. This is going terribly. In avoiding her personal questions, I failed to tell her about my people’s mating customs. I failed to tell her everything she deserved to know.

I take a deep breath, softening my tone. “Among my kind, there are fated mates. A perfect match for each of us made to stand by our side until our final breath. Natural-born draxilios have them, but as podlings, we were told we do not.”

“Niro does, though,” she adds, gesturing to my brother.

“Yes, Kate,” I reply. “Nirossanai is lucky to have found her. The rest of us are not so lucky.”

“That is incorrect. Alussanai—” my brother begins.

“Hold on,” Autumn interrupts. “I’m sorry, but how could you possibly know I’m your mate? We just met. You don’t trust me but somehow you know I’m your mate?” There is an angry edge to her voice now. “And, what? You just assumed you could keep me here? Trapped on your farm with you and I’d never find out the truth?”

I feel the familiar burn of my fire, the early flicker of it warming my belly. If it were possible to burn myself alive from the inside, I would do it. That would be better than being on the receiving end of Autumn’s look of pure disgust.

“I do not know what to say,” I tell her honestly. “I am sorry.”

Her disgust turns to hurt as she drops her chin to her chest, and I wince at the feeling of my heart being ripped down the middle. I was such a fool to think Autumn would be happy here. That I could keep her by my side, and that this life would be enough for her. She has already said farm life bores her, which means if she stayed, ultimately, I would bore her too.

I do not know why Autumn is incapable of seeing her own potential, but it is as clear as the stars in the sky, and it is endless. There is much she has not tried, so much life she has yet to live. I wish for her to experience it all.

For her to do so, she must leave me. That much is clear to me now. I cannot give her my trust, but perhaps she will appreciate her freedom more. A reason to leave, to live the way she has not before now…that, I can give her.

Sighing, reluctant to proceed, but knowing I must, I lift my head. “I am mistaken. You are not my mate, Autumn. I see that now.”

“Wh-what?” she asks, tears falling down her cheeks.

This is wrong, my draxilio growls. Stop this now.

Nirossanai takes a step toward me. “Bexo, what are yo—”

“It was a foolish error in judgment on my part,” I continue. I must get the words out before I lose my nerve. “I have not been in the presence of an unmated female in quite some time. You showed up here, and your body and your scent called to me. I admit that. I was a weak male and wanted my needs met. It was a physical reaction. Nothing more.”

“Got it,” Autumn replies, using her clenched fist to wipe her tears away. “So, I was just a hole you wanted to fuck. Could’ve been anybody. Lovely.”

Her anger I can take. It is her pain that threatens to crush me. I need her to feel more of that anger, so she leaves here with Nirossanai. “Yet I did not even accomplish that. This has been a waste of time, I suppose.”

I feel my draxilio sneer. You worthless pile of muck.

“Wow,” she says, looking toward the sky. She turns to my brother. “Yeah, I’m ready to leave whenever you are.” She shoots me a gaze that could only be described as lethal. “The sooner the better, please.”

Nirossanai looks between the two of us, his gaze landing on me. He shakes his head in disappointment as he clears his throat. “Shortly, yes. We shall leave shortly, Autumn. I, uh, I would just like to have some water before we depart.” He turns to me. “Brother, can you remind me where the water is kept? I am parched.”

My hands fall to my sides. Perhaps this is how it should be. I was not built to be anyone’s mate. I am a creature who was designed in a laboratory for one purpose: to efficiently destroy the enemies of my king. My time in the arena that followed, and even my time here on Oluura––none of it was part of the plan. I should be grateful I was able to experience any of it.

Nirossanai is lucky to have a mate, but his evolution is not indicative of what is to come for my siblings and me. He is the exception. He was able to reject his modifications, and the part of his brain that was calcified, the part that experiences remorse, has healed. Clearly, the part of my brain that builds trust has not. I must accept I am not healed.

I am broken.

Autumn deserves better. She deserves a male who is whole. A male who can love her and cherish her while giving her his trust. That is something of which I am simply not capable.

“Water, brother?” he repeats.

“It is in the eating area,” I mutter, not looking away from Autumn as Nirossanai makes his way toward the house. “You know where the water is.” I do not know why he is bothering me with this. Can’t he see I am on the verge of collapse?

He grabs my shoulder and squeezes. “Silly me,” Nirossanai says with a chuckle. “I must have forgotten. You will show me anyway.”

I shove him off me and am pleased to see him stumble backward. Reluctantly, I walk with him toward the house since he so clearly wants to speak with me away from Autumn. We step carefully inside the front door, over broken glass and upturned furniture and various piles of broken brick and wood. The eating area is a disastrous mess, but the spigot appears untouched. “There is your water source,” I say with a huff, gesturing toward it.

He walks over and puts his mouth directly beneath it as he turns the lever. After taking several large gulps, he stands, wiping a hand across his mouth. “You are an idiot, Bexo. You know this, yes?”

I do not need his insults any more than I need his presence in my home. “Thank you for the compliment. Did you happen to notice the state of my farm? A tornado ripped my land apart moments before you arrived,” I say as I kick away a large beam of wood near my foot. “Yet you do not seem concerned with how Autumn and I survived.”

“What is a tornado?” he asks, crossing his arms.

I shake my head. “It is a human term for the storm that just passed. A large, menacing cloud that spins and destroys everything in its path when it hits land. Something like that.”

“Hmm,” Nirossanai replies, looking around at the rubble that was once my table and chair. “And how did you survive this tornado?”

“Autumn has experienced this type of storm before,” I explain. “She told me what to do. We dug a hole inside the barn and lay inside of it. Since I had no underground shelter, she suggested we protect ourselves inside the hole.”

It is only when I finish speaking that I realize I am smiling. Recalling Autumn’s brilliance in a moment of crisis fills me with pride. She saved us.

“Do you not hear yourself, brother?” Nirossanai asks, his tone amused.

I do hear myself. “I am proud of the way Autumn handled the situation. Grateful, even. She is—”

“You trusted her!” he shouts. He spins in place with his hands raised. “Bexossanai, this farm is the only thing you care about. It is the place you chose to spend your remaining days after we were sent here from Sufoi. You have built it into an expansive, magnificent place. And when it became clear that all of it, everything you have worked for was about to be demolished, you allowed a human female to tell you what to do.”

I suppose I see how it looks that way. But that cannot be the case because I am not capable of trust. It was because my fear had paralyzed me that Autumn took the lead or perhap—

“You trusted her.” He steps in front of me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Do not convince yourself otherwise. Or that the act was a fluke of some kind. Whether you were conscious of it or not, you trusted Autumn in a moment of extreme fear.”

Even if what my brother says is correct, it was trust I did not actively choose to give. Autumn deserves more than just fleeting moments of trust. She deserves a mate whose heart is eternally open to her. That is not me.

“Still,” I say to Nirossanai, shaking off his touch. “She is better off with Kate and the rest of the humans.” I stomp over to the basin where I keep the full jugs of mead. Taking one out, I pull the cap off with my teeth and take a sip.

Nirossanai shakes his head as he walks toward the front door. Then he stops. “This is your last chance. Be smart about this, Bexossanai. Do not let your mate slip away.”

I ignore his warning and continue to pour my syrupy drink down my throat.

“You sicken me,” he mutters before slamming the door behind him.

CHAPTER 12

AUTUMN

I stroll along the edge of the meatstock pen, watching as they throw themselves down in the mud, rolling in it with reckless abandon. Adorable chonky babies. I’m going to miss them.

This isn’t how I expected to feel after surviving a tornado on an alien planet. But nothing about my experience on Oluura has been predictable. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the dragon shifter I’ve fallen in love with sent me off to live in a village with his brother moments after we dry-humped each other to completion while a twister tore up his farm.

What a complete mess my life has become. Maybe it would do me some good to be around other humans. It doesn’t sound like I need to pay rent to live in this village, and maybe I could put my hairdressing skills to good use.

I should be looking at this as an opportunity. Although, it’s hard to forget what it really is––the end of a relationship I didn’t even realize I was in. It’s been, what, three days since my pod crashed here on Oluura? And yet, I’ve somehow fallen in love for the first time in my entire life with a dragon shifter I barely know.

What kind of bizarre shit is that?

No. I refuse to be heartbroken over a guy who owns only one cup. I’ve never even seen his bedroom. He could be the kind of guy who doesn’t use sheets––just lays directly on top of the mattress.

Ew.

“Ahem,” a voice calls from behind me. Spinning around, I find Niro standing at the edge of the dirt patch in front of Bexo’s house, his hands clasped behind his back. He looks a lot like Bexo, with the same gray eyes and smoldering scowl, but Niro’s hair is short, and his overall look is much more clean-cut. He wears a tight black T-shirt that’s neatly tucked into equally tight black pants. His vibe, if I could sum it up in one word, is rigid. He seems to take himself very seriously. “I did not mean to startle you,” he says. “Will you be ready to depart in a few moments?”

“Uh, yeah,” I tell him. How is this happening so quickly? Are we really leaving? I’m just supposed to say good-bye to Bexo and never see him again? From the way they interact, it doesn’t seem like Bexo and Niro see each other very often, and I’m guessing that’s because Bexo doesn’t put in the effort. Will it be the same with me?

“You are truly going to let him tell you where to live?” Niro asks, breaking through my thoughts. “I do not wish to judge your choices, Autumn, but you seemed to bend quite easily to Bexossanai’s demands. I find it…surprising.”

Way to kick a girl when she’s down. “Why surprising? Maybe that’s just who I am. Maybe I let everyone push me around.” I certainly did with Lilly.

His gaze narrows and the corner of his mouth curves up in a smirk. “Hmm. Lies.”

Why does it even matter? “Look, he doesn’t want me here. That much is obvious. I’m just an ass and a pair of tits to him, anyway.” Niro says nothing. He just continues to stare at me. “What? You expect me to beg him to let me stay? After all the shit he just said?”

“No, no,” he says in a rush. “Begging is not necessary. But you should know that he certainly does not want you to leave. He thinks you should leave because he does not deem himself worthy of you. That is different.”

I don’t even know where to begin with that.

“May I tell you a story?” he asks with a tilt of his head.

“Sure?” I reply in more of a question than an answer.

Then Niro tells me much more than Bexo had about their childhood, living inside the lab with their handlers. How cold they were to Niro and his siblings. He provides more details on their time working for the king as his assassins. How hard Bexo was on everyone when a mission didn’t go according to plan, but how much harder he was on himself.

“Imagine living inside a mind that cannot trust another being,” Niro says. “Imagine how terrifying that is as a child. Delusional became his constant state of being.”

I honestly can’t imagine it. Children have such open, innocent souls. The first thing they do is trust, and over time, they grow and mature, and hopefully, they don’t get their hearts broken too many times and turn into closed-off, jaded, grumps like many adults I know––myself included.

But to begin life, to begin all interactions, with no trust? The paranoia that Bexo exhibited when he thought I was a spy makes a lot more sense.

Then Niro tells me about the failed mission to Earth that resulted in their banishment from Sufoi. A group of podlings created in the same lab long after them volunteered to travel to Earth with the goal of blending in with humans and living among them. This group had different genetic modifications that allowed them to alter their physical features at will, like skin color, hiding their horns, and so on. Bexo was pessimistic about the mission, worried that humans would notice the subtle differences in the podlings, and ultimately, they would be hunted and killed for their otherness.

When the ship exploded just outside of Earth’s atmosphere and all on board were believed to be dead, Bexo took it the hardest. He blamed himself for not putting an abrupt end to the mission, given his concerns.

Part of me feels for Bexo. Clearly his childhood was toxic and devoid of any affection. That sort of upbringing turns you into the person you become as an adult. So, of course, he wouldn’t trust me. That’s also why he knows so much about humans. His behavior makes sense to me now.

On the other hand, I’m pissed. He lied to me, and he kept things from me––important things that I deserved to know. And why am I learning the truth from his brother? This should’ve come from him. But Bexo assumed I was like everyone else and wasn’t worthy of his time. He had no faith in me. Maybe it’s unfair of me to hold that against him, due to his modifications, but I feel betrayed. I trusted him, and he betrayed me.

How am I supposed to move past that?

“He likes to say he prefers his solitude,” Niro says. “But I think he sees being alone as part of his punishment. That he deserves any amount of discomfort he feels because the podlings did not survive.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask him. Clearly, Niro has a deep love for his brother, but they spend so little time together, I’m surprised by the insightful observation.

“Because I did the same thing,” he adds. “My mate, Kate, has helped me let go of that thought, but there are times when it reenters my mind and I let it take hold.”

“Why?” I ask, genuinely curious.

He shrugs, then looks off into the distance toward the wreckage that was once Bexo’s orchard. “Perhaps because self-loathing is all we know. Despite the pain it inflicts, there is comfort in the familiarity of it.”

My heart feels as if it’s shattering inside my chest. Not trusting people is how Bexo has always existed, but maybe he’s getting a glimpse of something different with me? I don’t just want to give him a taste of what his life could be. I want to show him what his life should be. Because once you open up to trust another person, you’re able to see how dark your world has been until that moment. How much you’ve missed out on, and how much more there is to experience.

This has been a waste of time. Bexo’s cruel words replay in my head, and as much as I want to help him through this, I also don’t want to be his punching bag as he sorts himself out. I don’t know what to do.

“Well,” Niro says, straightening his spine, “I must return home to my family. I have been away from them far too long as it is.”

“What’s the village like?” I ask, trying to picture it.

He smiles wistfully, which is not an expression I would’ve expected from this serious dragon shifter. “It is a charming place with homes nestled among the forest, some built into the trees themselves, with a wide dirt path cutting through the middle of the village. Not as nice as my caves, but Kate has made many friends there. It is a clan filled with humans and aliens that coexist as a unit. A family. It is quite strange, I must admit.”

“What’s strange?”

“The closeness among them,” Niro replies. “It is not something I am used to. But the golden ones have warm souls. They were welcoming to the human females, which instantly put the females at ease.”

“Mmm,” I mumble. “Sounds like a wonderful place.” I follow Niro to the dirt clearing, and I continue walking until I’m next to the still-standing side of the house. I lean against it, letting it take my weight as I figure out how to proceed.

“Do you wish to go to the village, Autumn?” he asks as he shakes out his arms and legs, preparing to shift.

Ultimately, I can’t do it. I can’t leave him. “Nah,” I tell Niro. “I’d like to visit sometime, though, and meet Kate and the rest of the women. But for now, I’m going to stay here. I’m not ready to give up on this yet.”

He nods, a knowing look on his face as he transforms into a spectacular, humongous dragon.

The moment he launches himself into the sky, I hear banging from inside, and glass breaking. Bexo kicks the door off its hinges and rushes out of the house, falling to his knees in the same spot where Niro just stood, a jug of mead at his side, spilling onto the soil.

“Nooo!” he roars into the air, his head tilted back, and his palms raised. “Autumn! Come back!” Then he lets fly a string of words that must be Sufoian curses, the only word I recognize being Niro muttered angrily in the middle.

He thinks I’ve left him. Just took off without saying good-bye. His chest heaves as he leans forward onto the dirt, pressing his forehead on the backs of his hands.

“Bexo,” I call out, striding toward him. “I’m here.”

He jerks back until he’s resting on his haunches. “Au-Autumn?” he mutters, rubbing his eyes as if he suspects I’m nothing more than an illusion. “You…you’re here? How? Why?”

I land on my knees in front of him. He reaches a hand out and touches my hair, his eyes frantically searching my face.

“You didn’t leave,” he says, sucking in a breath as reality sinks in. “You didn’t leave me.”

I cover his hand with mine and kiss his palm. “I didn’t leave you.”

He swallows, his lips trembling as he tries to hold back any show of emotion. He’s already failed, though, because I can see it plain as day. Then he pinches his eyes closed. When they reopen, they are filled with determination. “Autumn,” he begins, inching closer until our knees touch. He takes my face in his hands. “You terrify me. I am draxilio, the most powerful creature in the galaxy, and you, Autumn, you petrify me to my very core. Do you know why?”

When I don’t answer, he continues, “One word from you can end me. You are my mate, Autumn, siya monaba.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Moon flower,” he replies. “It is a rare flower on Sufoi that blooms unexpectedly, but always by the light of the moon. It is unmatched in its beauty, and you never know how long it will remain, so its presence is cherished. You are my moon flower, Autumn.

“I have been searching for something to make me feel whole. Something to give me purpose, and to inspire me. I thought it was crops. I thought it was this farm. It’s not,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine. “It’s you.”

Tears are running down my face at this point because I’ve never been the recipient of such pretty words. And while I’d love nothing more than to bask in them forever, there are still the matters to discuss. “How is this going to work, though? How are we supposed to build a relationship without trust?” I swallow, building up my resolve to say the next part. “Also, what you said before…” I trail off. I’ve never been comfortable when confronting someone. “It was awful and cruel. I deserve better.”

Bexo nods and pulls back enough so his eyes are locked on mine. “You are right. I was a despicable male to say those things. I did not mean them. Not one word. I am sorry.” He takes a deep breath, rubbing a hand down his face. “I trusted you during the tornado. I was not conscious of it, but I did it. Now, I know this is not much, but it is a start, and I am eager to keep trying. I will not fail you, Autumn.” His gaze is desperate and filled with sorrow. “Please allow me to try.”

It’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’m still mad, but I can move past this now.

I shake my head. “You’re not going to fail me, Bexo. Because I trust you. As long as you keep trying, you’re proving your handlers wrong. Trying is all you can do. It will get easier. I believe in you.”

His mouth crashes against mine the moment the words are out. I lean into his body, my arms snaking around his middle, and he groans at my touch. Bexo tips me back and I feel his arm slip under my knees. Then he lifts me, his lips never leaving mine, and carries me back to the house.

His tongue brushes against my lips, and I let him deepen the kiss as I get lost in it. My back hits something soft, and when Bexo breaks the kiss to remove his shirt, I realize he’s placed me on a blanket on the floor of the library. For whatever reason, the tornado left this room untouched. It’s exactly how we left it––not even a single open book lying face down on the floor.

Unreal.

Bexo stands to remove his pants, and a moment later, my dragon is completely naked, just miles of tattoos from hip to neck and rippling muscles covering every inch. And the ridges swirling around his long, hard cock are just as thrilling to look at as they were to feel in my hand. He is glorious. Almost too handsome to look at.

He rejoins me on the blanket and places his hands on either side of my head, securing me beneath him like we were in the barn. I have never felt safer. “It is time I gave you pleasure, siya monaba. His gaze holds mine as he grabs the neck of my shirt––his shirt––and rips it like tissue paper. Brushing away the tattered shreds of fabric, his finger traces the outside of my nipple. It’s a light touch, infuriatingly light, but it still causes my heartbeat to quicken.

I hiss a breath when he swipes the pad of his thumb across it, my skin feeling so sensitive right now. He dips his head and kisses me roughly as he continues to pluck and play with my breasts, learning my body and the little noises he can pull from it.

I arch into his touch, and he groans in response. “Feels good?” he asks against my lips.

“Uh-huh,” I reply in a husky tone that doesn’t even sound like me.

He drinks from my lips as if his survival is reliant on his lips pressing against mine. His deft hands remove the rest of the shirt from my shoulders.

He pulls back to devour me with his eyes. “Autumn,” he says, shaking his head as his gaze travels down my body, “I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you. Your beauty steals my breath.”

I release a slow exhale, not knowing what to say. I wish I could return the compliment since he’s the one with all the unearthly, godlike beauty, but the words don’t come. All I can do is stare at this magnificent specimen that’s about to claim me as his mate.

“You are mine,” he says, a hand trailing up my leg as his fingers skim across my bare flesh. Every hair stands on end as my body comes alive at his touch. Then he’s on top of me again, his hands on either side of my head. I spread my legs wide for him.

I lean up and kiss along his jaw. “I’m yours,” I agree.

He lifts himself enough to look between our bodies, his hand reaching down and slipping between my folds. His eyes close as he groans softly. “So wet for me.”

I don’t doubt it. My pussy is like a waterfall around this guy.

My hips buck the moment he finds my clit. He looks down at my pussy, then up at my face, then back down again. “What is this?” he asks, his thumb tracing the edges of my swollen, aching flesh.

“My clit,” I mumble, my breaths ragged. “Feels good.” He starts to circle it with the calloused pad of his finger, and I’m practically floating off the blanket. “Feels so good.” My body is as taut as a bowstring, and it’s not going to take much to make me come.

Bexo watches my face closely as he changes the pressure and the movement of his fingers. He tries quick circles, he tries a slower rub back and forth, he presses against the sides and center of it, and the rapid change in rhythm leaves my head spinning. I can hear how wet I am with each flick of his wrist, the sound obscene as it fills the room.

The moment my thighs start shaking, his gray eyes blaze with male smugness, knowing how close I am. With another swipe of his thumb, I’m gone. Stars dance behind my eyelids as he holds me close, whispering things into my ear I can’t decipher.

Just as I start to come down, I feel his head brush against the entrance of my core. “If you want me to stop, I will stop, Autumn.” He waits for me to respond, and warmth blooms inside my chest at his words.

“Don’t stop,” I tell him. He nods, then quickly lifts my hands above my head, holding them in place with one of his, as the other is wrapped around his length as he pushes inside me.

It doesn’t matter how slow he goes, there’s still a burning sensation from the sheer size of him as he stretches me. But I focus on my breath, and soon the burn turns to need. Desperate, aching need for him to fill me.

My grip tightens around his hand as he stops, and I feel his cock throbbing inside me, his ridges brushing against the walls of my pussy in a sinfully tantalizing way. He pulls back slowly, then surges forward until our hips meet.

“Aah!” I cry out as he thrusts again, and again, and again. At some point, his hand releases mine and finds my clit, still swollen and sensitive from my first orgasm.

I watch as a muscle in his jaw ticks, and I can tell he’s holding himself back. “More,” I command.

His pupils are blown out, making his eyes look completely black. Then he obeys. He pounds into me relentlessly, and I can do nothing but hold onto him, my nails digging into the skin of his back.

“Mine,” he grits as he starts rubbing my clit up and down so fast that it matches his thrusts.

I spread my legs wider as my mouth falls open, but not even breath comes out. Just a silent, wordless cry.

“Autumn, my love,” he says as his thrusts become wild. I feel my pussy contract around him, and that’s what sends him over the edge. He roars his release, and it’s so loud, I wonder if Niro heard it from the village.

My orgasm follows, exploding through me like a cannonball. Every inch of my body feels as if it’s on fire and simultaneously submerged in a cool body of water. I have no idea where I am. Or when I am. The only thing I’m sure of is Bexo’s nearness as his pumps slow and his hands hold me tightly.

He remains inside me even when we’ve both come down, his arms encircling my body. Bexo shifts our bodies so he lies beneath me, my head on his chest and my leg thrown over his waist.

I feel him lightly trace my spine as he presses light kisses to my hair. “I love you, Autumn. You are mine, now and always.”

I look up and press a kiss to his pointed chin. “I love you too. Now and always, babe.”

He chuckles as he leans down and gives me a quick smacking kiss. “I am never letting you go, siya monaba. Never.”

“Good,” I reply. “Because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

CHAPTER 13

A week later…

BEXO

“Will you hand me that bullikee, siya monaba?” I ask my mate, wiping the sweat from my brow, and reaching a hand out.

“You mean the hammer?” she replies, her blue eyes squinting in the bright midday sun. She smiles as she drops the tool she describes as a “hammer” into my open palm. I press the solid edge of the wind-proof casing over the newly repaired roof of the barn and strike it with the flat edge of the hammer, securing it in place.

It took two days after the tornado to figure out where everything was, what was missing, and what was completely destroyed, along with occasionally shifting into my draxilio to remove large debris from my bedroom, the barn, and other strange areas.

The next couple days were spent ordering replacement parts, bots, and machinery from Zeyda, my other brother, Kulissanai’s personal scrapper. I do not know how or why she is so skilled at finding exactly what I am looking for in a short amount of time, but she continues to do so without fail. Since then, Autumn and I have been working alongside the bots to repair and restore the farm to its pre-tornado state.

It makes me wonder about the relationship between Zeyda and my brother.

“We should make a big batch of vlesplenium pie and take it to Kuli and Zeyda as a thank you for all this stuff,” Autumn says, crouching by my side on the roof.

Many nnduli reeds were either torn up or burned down, but half remain healthy, and I have plans to replant nnduli seeds in the areas of destruction. Autumn and I worked hard to restore the structures and plants inside the “spacey farm room” as Autumn calls it, replacing the artificial lights that died or were broken.

Most of the dennabonna and other root vegetables remain intact and unharmed, but the orchard suffered great loss. I am down to a third of my remaining vlesplenium trees, and while Autumn takes my hand in hers each time we go out there and promises we’ll get it back to the way it was, my heart squeezes at the sight. Luckily, we do have the batch of fruit we picked before the tornado hit that we can use for the pie.

“We do not know for certain that Zeyda is with Kulissanai on his island,” I tell her.

She gives me an amused look. “Come on. You’re telling me she just works for him? And it’s strictly a professional relationship?”

I have not spent enough time with either of them to know the answer to that. But since Autumn has only met Zeyda once and has these suspicions, I am sure her assumption is not farfetched. “We should ask them when we see them.”

Autumn’s face lights up with elation. “Ooh, we should take the extra dennabonna we were able to recover with us too.”

“Yes, we could do that.”

In between the chores that have kept us busy, Autumn has been melting the icy walls around my heart that my handlers––and then I––spent many years building. She has done so by simply staying by my side. It is the natural warmth and exuberance that emanates from her pores that are changing me.

And I can feel it––the shift in my mind and my thoughts. When Autumn asks something of me, I do not tighten within and assume there is a hidden, more sinister reason for the request. I merely give her what she wants. The paranoid thoughts still come, but they are getting easier to brush aside and ignore.

There is nothing Autumn could ask for that could touch the amount of love she gives so freely. She is generous with her heart, my siya monaba. I do not understand why I have been given this gift, to have her as my mate, but I do know I would choose death before taking her for granted. She is all that matters.

“There,” I say with a pleased sigh as I rise to my full height. “I think we are finished here.”

“Wow, really?” Autumn claps her hands together excitedly. “Excellent job, babe.”

I take a step back. “Ready?”

She nods, giving me additional space. I shift into my draxilio, and Autumn immediately climbs into my open claw. I fly us down from the roof, and I let her go as soon as I land, shifting back. She leaps into my waiting arms as she does after every time we fly, and I spin her around in a circle.

She giggles as she presses a kiss to my neck. “Oof, you are one sweaty dragon. Let’s go shower, yeah?”

I would be offended by her insinuation that my glistening skin is unappealing somehow, but I am distracted by her suggestion. “I like that idea.”

We kick our boots off once inside and leave them by the newly installed front door. “Are you hungry? I can make a quick lunch after.”

“Oh, I am very hungry,” I tell her, pulling her up into my arms. She squeals in surprise, but when she feels my hard length press against her belly, she settles against me, wrapping her legs around my waist. I kiss her, slow and deep, then growl against her lips, “Starving, in fact.”

She moans, understanding my meaning. I carry her down the hall, and into the washroom. I turn on the shower with one arm, letting the water warm for her.

For many years, my water was not heated. I did not mind the cold showers, and heating the water seemed unnecessary since I was the only one who would ever use it. Nirossanai even mocked me for it when he visited for the first time with Kate, calling me a “bad host,” as if I would somehow be insulted by that.

But I did listen to him and installed the water heater not long before Autumn crashed into my life. I’m glad I did. The shower is not spacious, and the water temperature is often unpredictable, but I know she enjoys the warmth.

Autumn and I break apart long enough to hastily remove our dirty clothes. The moment we are naked, I pull her into my arms again. Her body is so soft against the angular ridges of mine, I cannot get enough of it. She feels so good. So right.

We stumble into the shower, our mouths never leaving each other, and I run my hands through her yellow hair as she steps beneath the stream. I take a moment to grab the hair soap she likes and squeeze a few drops of it into my palms before massaging it into her scalp.

She moans, then opens her eyes and looks up at me, her face gleaming with devotion. I feel my heart stop each time she gives me this look, and I feel it now. I do not deserve this creature, but I plan to make her smile a thousand times each day until our journey comes to an end.

I quickly wash my own hair, running my fingers through the knots so it will be easier for Autumn to style once it is dry. She loves doing that. I love it too. It is nice not to have it constantly falling in my eyes.

Once our hair is clean, I take the body soap and get a good amount lathered into my hands. I pull Autumn’s back against my front, switching our positions, so the stream hits my back, and I glide my hands all over her luscious body. I rub the soap over her heavy breasts, teasing her nipples until they are hardened points between my fingers. Then I move lower, reveling in the feel of her soft tummy, tracing every dip and curve as I continue down. My hand moves lower into the coarse curls covering her pussy, and I cup my hand there.

“Mmm,” she moans, placing her hand above mine, pressing on it. “I want your mouth on me.”

“Yeah?” I rumble in her ear, nipping at her earlobe before spinning her around and pressing her back against the wall of the shower. “Your wish shall be granted then.” The stream hits her from the side, and runs down her flushed skin, washing away the soap. I crouch and lift one of her legs over my shoulder.

I spread her swollen, pink folds before me and marvel at how pretty my mate is here. So wet. Glistening and ready for me. Then I flatten my tongue and drag it from her seam all the way to her clit.

Autumn cries out, her eyes pinched shut as she presses her palms against the shower wall. I take a moment to place her other leg over my shoulder and rise until I am on my knees. Then I dive back in, flicking my tongue against her engorged bud, then circling it before flicking and circling it again.

Her hips buck against my face, and I cannot help but smile against her pussy. My mate is so responsive. She is the embodiment of perfection.

Using my fingers, I spread her pussy lips wide, and drag my tongue back down her seam, sucking and kissing her folds as I go. Her taste is too sweet here not to get my fill. Dipping the tip of my tongue into her core, I watch her reaction.

She rewards me with a gasp as she looks down, her mouth hanging open and her face twisted in pleasure. So, I surge forward, and I feel her walls clench around my tongue. My cock aches with the need to feel her gripping me as I thrust into her, joining our bodies as one. Not yet though. She must come first. My mate will always come first.

I fuck her with my tongue as I use my fingers to play with her clit, rubbing it back and forth and adding pressure the way she likes.

Autumn’s creamy thighs squeeze the sides of my head as her back arches off the shower wall. She screams, and her sweet nectar floods my tongue. I drink it down, reveling in her taste. I carefully lower her body, then remove her legs from my shoulders. Turning the water off, I lift her in my arms, her body boneless as she rests her head against my chest, and I carry her upstairs to my bedroom.

I pull back the new thick blankets and gently drop her onto the bed. Then I crawl in behind her, pulling her into my embrace. Her wet hair is pressed against my chest and I lean down to kiss the top of her head.

“Are you happy, my mate?” I ask, trailing my fingers down her arms. “You are certain you enjoy this quiet farm life?”

She chuckles, the sound bright and tinkling. “I’m certain.” She sighs. “I love it here. I never thought I’d end up back on a farm, but here we are.”

“You do not miss your old life? Your Lilly?”

Autumn turns in my arms, facing me. She puts a hand beneath her cheek and gives me a thoughtful look. “I like to imagine Lilly in a sprawling mansion, surrounded by all the comforts she lacked in that tiny apartment. I hope she found what she was looking for.”

I narrow my gaze, skeptically. “You do not wish for a sprawling mansion?”

She smiles. “I have one. I mean, it’s not a mansion, exactly, but it’s a big house with a big bed and a library that Belle would be jealous of.”

“Who is Belle?”

Autumn shakes her head. “Never mind. Not important.”

“The flowers you planted for Lilly are lovely.” As we tidied the smaller plots of herbs surrounding the house, Autumn asked if she could plant flowers for her friend. I found a satchel of seeds Zeyda had given me long ago, for a flower called cuvokra, that is native to a neighboring planet. It has thin black stems and colorful flowers that bloom in shades of orange and pink. I helped Autumn plant them, and after, she spoke fondly of growing up with Lilly at her side. It was a mournful tribute, but with a warm tone.

“I felt like I needed to do something to say good-bye, you know?” she says. “Closure, I guess. I don’t know that we would’ve remained friends forever, but we had good times. I didn’t want to forget them. The flowers will remind me.”

“I will not let you forget her,” I vow.

She takes my hand in hers and presses light kisses to my knuckles. “I have everything I want right here. This life with you is what I want.” She shakes her head, looking amused. “It’s not at all what I pictured for myself, and I never saw it coming, but I wouldn’t trade a thing.”

I kiss her forehead, pulling her closer.

“Except for one…tiny…little request,” she says.

Pulling back, I say, “And what is that?”

“That we fly to the village next week, so I can meet all the humans in person.” Then she lifts my hand in front of her face as if hiding behind it.

Sighing, I know this battle is already lost. There is no point in fighting it. “If that is what you want, then we will do it.”

Her face lights up. “Really? Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

I laugh, failing to resist her enthusiasm. She has spoken with Kate on my screenpad, and I know Autumn promised we would start making regular visits if only to drop off excess crops we have grown. In turn, Kate has promised to make clothes for Autumn, so she may have some that actually fit her.

“What is the point of growing all this food if you never share it?” she said to me the day she decided to stay.

I did not have an answer for her. She is right. We should share it. I did not think of it before because I am not a good, caring creature like she is.

“I know you’re not looking forward to being around all those people, but I promise it’ll be worth it. And Kate said you’ll get to see Alu! She’s coming by with her mate.”

That stops me in my tracks. It has been too long since I last spoke to my sister. “Alussanai is mated? Since when?”

“I’m sure we’ll get the whole story when we’re there. It’ll be fun!” She rolls us until she is on top. She drops her chin to my chest. “Do you trust me?”

I nod, running my fingers along her soft cheeks. “I do.”

Thank you for reading Trusting His Mate! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Ivy’s newsletter!

SAMANTHA ROSE

HUNTING GALAXIES

CHAPTER 1

LUNA

A horrible, high-pitched beeping startles me awake from my dream. I sit up, groaning as I grab at my forehead. My head is throbbing, and my eyes sting.

“One too many drinks last night,” I mutter to myself as I stretch my body and push myself from my mattress. I’d been working on the Dreamer, a first-class starship that I and two others are delivering to a high-end customer. After a day spent on the three-level cruiser, I was about done. It would take another day just to get to our destination. I’d taken the job before knowing I’d be stuck on a ship with David and Cotton… Why did this customer have to be two thousand light years away?

I would have been fine if my two crew members weren’t sketchy people, but unfortunately, they are both scum. Cotton and David are thieves that carried hefty records that should have kept them in prison for most of their lives, but they managed to get away with it all. How? I often wondered. Well, that was easy. I snorted to myself as I brushed my teeth. Cotton’s uncle is the owner of one of the top first-class starship manufacturers in the galaxy. David is her companion, so they both got away with some sketchy crap super easily.

A fist bangs on my room door just as I’m putting my toothbrush away. “Hurry the heck up, Luna. You’re needed on the bridge.”

Damn. That can only mean one thing. One of the two jerks has messed with the controls, again. If I don’t get up there to change whatever they’ve done, we’ll be off course during our light speed jump, and that could be dangerous.

“I’m coming,” I yell at Cotton.

Grabbing my shoes, I quickly shove my feet inside before making my way out the door. I’d slept fully dressed because I’d been too tired the night before to take anything off. Cotton and David share the room next to mine, but even though the walls are well insulated, unfortunately, they don’t hold up to Cotton’s moans and David’s yells. Which had led to me drinking myself to sleep. I am going to regret that choice all day. With the hangover I am already sporting, there is no way to get rid of it now.

“What did you two do?” I demand as I march my way to the front of the bridge where the captain’s chair and controls are located. David is sitting in the seat with an ugly smirk on his too handsome face. He’s a pretty boy, one who uses family money to build his body like a doll. Cotton, his lover, is standing next to him with her arms folded over her protruding chest. Of course, she is only wearing a thin white tank top and black shorts, instead of her uniform like me. At least David is dressed, even if the blue uniform jacket is undone down to his naval, and his matching blue-black trousers are wrinkled and hold white stains.

These two really are the perfect pair. They are a mess.

“Well? What did you do now?” This isn’t the first time one of the two has touched, or pushed, a button. It usually only threw us off course by a few hours, but still. We have a deadline, and if we don’t make it, well, it’s my ass on the line, not theirs. Neither of them can do any wrong in Cotton’s uncle’s eyes; they will just blame me.

I can’t let that happen.

“Do we look like either of us know what happened?” Cotton rolls her eyes. “I just woke up like you did.”

“Neither of us know what’s going on,” David adds as he reaches his arm out to pull Cotton into his lap. “We both just got here a few minutes before you. I was the one that sent Cotton baby to go fetch you from your deadly slumber.”

“Look.” Cotton points at the controls. I follow her finger to a message that is replaying over and over again on a small screen.

Engine failure. Life support at fifty percent. Evacuate to the nearest life support pods.

What. In. The. World. I’m not going to panic. I won’t, not here in front of them. “Are you sure that you didn’t touch a damn thing?” My temper is going to get the best of me. It is one thing for them to pick this chair as their lover’s spot during the daylight hours on the ship, but now we are in a critical position that I can’t fix. I was one mechanic. I can do minimal work on my own with a ship this size. I’d need at least a team to help me, but I wasn’t provided one, thanks to these two. They’d asked for a small crew of one extra, including them. I’d just been the luck of the draw. Now I am here, stuck light-years away from our seller’s port, with no other stations near us for at least one or two more jumps.

“We didn’t touch a thing,” Cotton spat, her voice rising with hateful venom.

“If you didn’t, then why haven’t the alarms gone off?” I’m frantically going over the logs, trying to figure out if it is even possible to save the ship when I come across David’s ID number punched into the system. “David?” I hiss.

“I wanted Cotton baby and me to have a night of rest without that stupid AI interrupting our sleep cycle every few hours when the jump was done. So, I turned everything off.” His voice is proud, like he’s done something grand. When in fact he’s just screwed us all over.

“You didn’t just turn off the alarms, you turned off the ship. It’s been shutting itself down for the last six hours! We’ve lost all our fuel and oxygen.” This is not good. I’m not going to be able to get this up and running in time. The low oxygen levels are likely why I’d woken up with a killer headache. Flicking through the logs again, I note that the jump is about to end in just a few minutes. We’ll be close to a planet, one I’m not familiar with, but the scanning system tells me it is habitable.

“Look, I don’t have time to fight with either of you right now, but we need to get off this ship. We can call for help once we get down to the next planet, but until the ship is up and running again, no one can stay here. The oxygen is almost out. You literally blew our only supply of air through the venting system out into space!”

“Can’t we just get it all back?” David asks without a care in his voice.

God, all I want to do is turn around and hit him across the face. Not that it would matter if I left a mark, he’d just use his money to fix it, but it would make me feel a little better.

“And how would you suggest we get our supply back? Hope the empty star system around us starts producing oxygen, when there is no air in space?” My voice rises to an almost screech the more I speak. “Or better yet, we drill for fuel on a nearby comet without any equipment. Wonderful plan.” We don’t have enough air or fuel to even make a landing. We’d all be dead by the time we got to the planet’s surface, unless we got off now. “Our only option is to leave. Once we get help, we can tugboat the cruiser to the buyer.”

“Fine, but I’m blaming you for all this. My uncle will have your head!” Cotton rises off David swinging her long black hair over her shoulder, before storming off toward the cabins down the main hall. God, I can’t believe that I’ve been dealing with this crap at thirty-nine years old. I need to find a new line of work.

“Look, just take the blame for this and I’ll make sure you keep your job.” David sighs. “I can’t take the heat this time around. Cotton’s uncle expects me to run things soon, and that means stepping up. It’s survival of the fittest. I’m sure you can understand that.”

I am fuming mad at this point. Stepping up? Taking the blame? Heck no, I won’t do that. Not anymore. When we get back, I’ll make sure everyone knows that David is the cause of us losing millions for Dreamer, the star cruiser. Not me.

Giving David a death glare, I leave him standing at the controls and race toward my cabin. I always keep my belongings, and an emergency kit, ready just for crap like this. Grabbing both huge bags, and flinging them onto my back, I make my way toward the back of the Dreamer and load one of the pods. There is enough room for at least a dozen people, but after what David just told me, he and his baby Cotton can use one of the other six life pods. Seeing as they can figure things out on their own and don’t care what happens to others around them, I’m done babysitting them. After all, it’s just like David said: survival of the fittest.

My pod shoots out of the Dreamer’s side as soon as the cruiser stops its light speed jump. The pod I’m in is roomy. If it holds up against the fall into the planet, I can use it as a bunker until someone comes for me. The only thing is it isn’t equipped with a bathroom, but it does have a month’s supply of water and dehydrated food bars.

There’s no use in complaining, beggars can’t be choosers, and I count myself lucky. The pod is already diving down fast towards the large planet in front of me. It has been many, many years since I’ve been planetside. I chose to work on a floating platform that sold and built high end cruiser ships for the wealthy. It’s been an escape for me. Being a foster child without a family, working my way through life, it’s all I’ve known. I’ve never belonged to one planet, not even Compo II. A world not made for me. Compo II and I had a love hate relationship. I hated living there, but I went back when I could, and I missed it often. It’s tropical, with sandy beaches, little to no greenery, and is hot all year round. Plus, it’s overpopulated. It was home. Most people are colonizing other planets near ours now, just to survive.

The world in front of me looks nothing like Compo II. It is green and blue all over. White clouds fill the atmosphere around my pod as I break through the surface with just a small amount of vibration. So far, so good. There are many differences, but the one that stands out the most is how big this world seems. It has to be twice as large.

I’ve been so amazed at my surroundings that I hadn’t noticed the storm that was coming my way. Not until something heavy hit the shield of my pod. A loud cracking sound has me covering my ears before the same noise happens again.

Within seconds, the lovely sight in front of me turns into a nightmare, and I find myself spinning through the air in a black cloud. The pod’s alarms scream, and the control panel blinds me with a rainbow of color, as damages become an issue. Panic takes over me, and I freeze in my seat, unable to move. I’ve never been trained to do anything like this. I’ve only been shown how to handle the small stuff, and how to fix minor breaks on a cruiser. Nothing life or death serious, like how to fly a ship or a pod, without the autopilot. I’m a mechanic for cruisers, not pods. I’ve never fully taken the training for that area of my work.

Not knowing what to do, I tuck my head into my knees, and make sure my belt is strapped. I have no choice but to let the autopilot handle this situation, and hope to God that I’ll make it out alive.

CHAPTER 2

KUIPER

I hear the calls from my brother guardian, Canon, and yet I ignore his plea for help. Why? I’m tired. Using my gifts has pulled much of my resources from my body, and I have to regenerate in the darkness of my world just to keep my eyes open.

Though, even that is a poor excuse. I can easily reply to him with my mind, but I choose not to. Instead, I lie to myself, telling myself repeatedly that it is better this way if Canon is kept at a distance. I tell myself daily that he doesn’t need me, no one does, but I know deep down it is due to jealousy that he’s been granted a mate, and I have not.

I’m only gifted visions, images that will pop into my mind of a task I need to care of. They usually consist of replacing new worlds for the old ones that are ready to explode, and bringing new life into the universe—as well as taking it all away. My life is dark, and cold. It is always filled with death and destruction. My platform on Saturn, the shadow realm, is similar to my life: everything is dark, cold, and gloomy. I can’t see anything around me due to the thick fog from the gas this world is made of, which has left me in a constant state of night. The only way for me to see things is to channel my power, the gift I was given, to feel worlds I’ve created.

I drift, floating a few inches off the ground, when my head begins to pain me, and I feel the calling. As images of my destination flow through me, I see a shadow of something. The only thing now, that piques my interest, is the image that fills my head of the shadow the visions are gifting me. This is unlike any vision I’ve had before. Never have I been asked to start over on a world I’ve created. One that is so new I can still remember the day I’d made it recently. I can see the colors of dust that drifted around my head as I’d formed it, maybe only a millennium or two ago, if that, and now I’m being told to destroy it. For what? I have no answer, other than the task I’ve been given.

There are questions I want answered. One being, why? What had I done wrong? Recreating a world is simple, it can be done within minutes, but doing it without reason is questionable, and also frustrating. I’ve always been given a reason behind all my visions. If a world is dying, and in need of reincarnation, I am told. If a world is to be formed into something else, like a star, moon, or a comet that I need to keep an even number, I’m always informed of those small details. None of my visions end blankly, except for this one. The image clears enough for me to see why. Someone is there, a being that shouldn’t have been. There is a woman on the planet Yama, and that is it. This is maddening.

Grabbing on to my head, I groan. This is a mess, one I will have to clean up. My fingers run through my thick hair. It has grown longer, down to my knees. Has it been that long since I’d taken care of myself? I can’t remember. Taking my dagger, I slice at my hair, cutting it in strands at the top of my head. A pile of hair now lay at my feet. With a wave of my hand, I create a large wind that blows the strands away.

My head feels lighter now that my hair is shorter. It’s nice.

Going over to the doorway, I summon Canon, but there is no answer. I wait, and then summon him a second time, with no reply.

Huffing a sigh of irritation, I flick my wrist and my dagger-tipped evolution rod appears before me. I will have to handle this myself. Using all the energy I have, I create a portal that will lead me to Yama, an earth like planet that isn’t due to hold intelligent lifeforms for the next few thousand years.

The portal glows an array of rainbow colors in front of me as I step through. I hate using this part of my gift. It leaves me feeling dizzy and sick to my stomach, and it also uses up a lot of my energy. Stepping out onto a mossy forest floor, I stagger, then lean up against the side of the nearest tree to clear my aching head.

Canon usually helps me with this sort of thing. It is his area of specialty, as his powers generate around space and time, while mine is more about creation and life. Pulling forth a task, such as a portal, damages me in ways I can’t explain. I am tired. Over many decades, I’ve begun to realize that I’ve started to give up on life. Doing anything, outside of keeping myself in a state of hibernation, has worn down my mind.

I’ve lived too long, and have seen far too many things. All I want is rest, but I’m not granted that yet.

I’ll have to wait.

After a few minutes of deep breathing, I’m starting to feel much better. I will have to save the rest of my power for later use, or I’ll end up on the forest floor, unable to move from draining myself too quickly.

“Time to find the planet’s intruder.” I haven’t decided yet what to do about Yama. This planet, it is flourishing well, even with the unwanted being here. It would be a shame to destroy it all over one.

Walking through the thick foliage, I come to a stream. Its water is clean and clear. I can see tiny fish swimming off to one side where a deeper hole with foam is located.

I’ve never stepped on a world other than my own. I’ve only ever floated outside of them. Being here, where there was more than just darkness, stone, and endless quiet, is nice.

Following the edge of the stream, I see a muddy bank up ahead and what looks to be footprints, and claw marks, as if someone has used their hands to climb up it, and had fallen.

Squatting down, I touch a place that holds red dots, and bring it to my nose. It smells like copper. The marks are new, and there is a little bit of blood that hasn’t yet dried. The being that I am looking for has made this, and she is close.

Standing back up to my full six-foot ten height, I glance around me. It has grown quieter in this area, and up the steep bank are crushed bushes. She’s left me a trail to follow.

A ping of excitement shoots through me. The hunt is on.

CHAPTER 3

LUNA

I’d fallen hard after fishing. The bank that I’d tried to climb had been too wet and slimy, and after my tumble down it, I’m now sporting a low shallow cut on my forearm. Thankfully, I still have the three rainbow colored fish I’d caught, and am now cooking on the fire outside of my pod, and some antibiotic cream that will heal me quickly.

I’m grateful that my homeworld, Compo II, is extremely advanced, and that my cut will heal within seconds. There are still worlds out there that are off limits for us, that are still in the dark ages. I feel for them. I can’t imagine being stuck on a world where there is no off-planet travel, or not having a way to cure a serious illness with a simple shot of medical nanos, or medical nanos cream.

“What a pity,” I mutter as I watch the cut on my arm heal before my eyes. The cream held a small trace of the nanos, and isn’t as strong as the shot would have been, but this is all I have on hand. It not only helps with minor injuries but takes away the pain. Instantly, I feel better. After cleaning up the small medical bag, I go back to cooking my dinner.

Unfortunately for me, I’ve been stuck here now for a while. My food and water supply are pretty much gone, which has left me to hunt for things elsewhere. My shuttle suffered some pretty intense damage to the front end and outer shell when I landed, but I’ve almost managed to fix most of it. Once I do finish, I’ll finally be able to send out a signal for help. At this point, I’m just happy to be alive and have a steady supply of food and water from the nearby stream. It holds fish and fresh water kelp, along with the water itself, that I use for drinking.

I’m using my pod as a base camp. It has room for me to sleep, a handful of food cubes for emergencies, that I saved, and the stream allows me to do more than get fresh food, it also serves as a bathing area. The only thing that worries me is not having a way to tell time. This place, it’s like my world in many ways. It holds a lot of familiar plant life and animals. The only thing it doesn’t hold are other Compomans, or humanoids, from other worlds. It’s a lonely existence being stuck on a world with no one to speak with.

Luckily, I haven’t run into anything dangerous here, but I have seen tracks while hunting for fish. I’ve also been hearing the beasts at night while snuggled inside my pod. I make sure not to come out after dark. I know that would be a mistake since I’m limited on weapons. I’ve had to make a spear out of a long stick I’d found, and the knife that I kept on me at all times, are the only other defenses I have.

“I lost everything on that stupid ship.” I haven’t seen any sign of it since I left. For all I know, it could be a pile of junk floating in space. That was a long time ago now. “At least a year,” I grumble as I take my first bite of the juicy and flaky meat on the fish’s side. I eat fish at least once a day; it’s been plentiful, even during the winter when snow covered the ground. I’ve done my best to count the days on a large tree near me, there’s no way to tell time other than that method, adding a new slice in its bark every morning. So far, I’ve gotten up to 389 days and have lived through each season here successfully, but I miss my home on the station, and surprisingly Compo II.

Before leaving my homeworld, I lived in one of the main cities on Compo II, the Regine, and the snow only lasted a few weeks. On the station, there wasn’t any type of weather. Here, it lasts months. I’ve withstood it fine, but it has been cold. I nearly froze a few nights.

Thank God it’s summer again. I finish off the second fish, and start to pick up the third, when I hear the bushes rustling a handful of yards away.

I’ve heard plenty of sounds, but most of the animals keep their distance; they never come this close to my camp.

Leaving my food over the fire, I grab for the spear that is behind me and slowly back up until I feel the cool door of my pod at my back. Using one hand to feel for the latch, and the other to keep my spear pointed in front of me, I try not to make any noise.

I’ve just grasped the door’s latch when a tall figure of a man steps out from behind the bushes, and my mouth drops open in shock. He is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Not even on other worlds, and I’ve seen a few.

The stranger is tall, much taller than my five-ten height. Compared to me, he is bordering on a giant. He wears some type of black skirt that hugs his hips, with strands of twined rope that are attached at its border with hanging jewels at the end. His chest is bare except for a gold chain that hangs from his neck down to the middle. Two gold bands hug his right arm, and a matching black jewel that is rimmed with gold sits in between his eyes. He’s holding a dagger nearly as long as my arm, and he’s staring at me.

His face would haunt me in my sleep. He’s handsome, probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, with a chiseled chin, high cheekbones, long sharp nose, and short black hair that matches a well-toned body. But his eyes—they’re black. He looks like death.

“I have found you,” he says deeply.

My eyes widen in shock; he’d been looking for me? But how. I haven’t put out a signal since my pod went down, and I know it hadn’t been picked up by anyone as it had faded out when my ship crashed and then broke in several places.

“Me? How? Who are you and who sent you?” I question firmly, as I am unwilling to move from my spot. I’m frozen, and I don’t know what to do at this point. I want to run, but something inside me tells me that would be a bad idea and he would easily find me again. He’s getting closer though, and I don’t like that.

“Please stop,” I say, my voice shaking a little as I try to keep my cool. “Until you can answer my questions, you cannot come any closer.”

His gaze narrows on me, but he stops his advance. Narrowing my own gaze, I shove my spear forward in a stabbing motion as his hands clench into fits.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble, I’m just trying to survive and get home.”

“Home… Then you do not plan to stay here?” His body, that’s been tense, begins to relax just a bit. I do the same, but keep my weapon ready.

“No, why would I want to stay here?”

CHAPTER 4

KUIPER

Seeing this small human female covered in mud makes me feel guilty for what I am supposed to do. She looks a tad bit ill. If she’d been an intruder by choice, I wouldn’t have second guessed myself, but she isn’t. She’s stuck here, from the looks of her ship. That isn’t a reason to use my power against her and rewrite the world without her in it.

“Then I will help you get off this world.” I hold out my hand for her to take, but she doesn’t move from her position near her ship, nor does she lower her spear. That won’t do damage to me, but I’m not about to tell her that. I don’t want to break what little pride she holds in defending herself. “I will not harm you.”

Her dirty face scrunches up, making her look feral in a cute way. It makes me take a second glance at her features that I overlooked before. Her long hair is matted in a few places, and is in need of a wash, as is the rest of her, but it looks as if it could have been a dark brown, maybe even a lighter brown.

Her skin, even though it is covered in mud, is a light tan, and her eyes are a gray-blue. They look dark from a distance and remind me of the shadows in my realm. She’s thin to the point that I can see the bones in her cheeks just a small amount, and her fingers seem bonier than the rest of her. Something inside me tells me that I need to feed her, to protect her, and make sure that she is okay. She needs to eat, or she would end up becoming nothing but the rags she wears now.

Her clothing is tattered around her knees, showing that she’s recently fallen, likely why she is covered in mud. It also tells me that she is indeed the person that I am looking for.

“I don’t plan to go anywhere with you. I’m going to fix up my ship enough, send out a signal, and wait for a rescue.” She is a stubborn and fierce little one.

“Human, I have no time to banter with you,” I bite out.

“Human? I’m a Compoman, from Compo II.”

“And you’re still a human, even if you’re on Compo II.” There are many humans on many different worlds, just because she says that she isn’t doesn’t mean that she is correct. She can call herself a Compoman all she likes, but the humans outside of Earth had been kidnapped long ago, placed on new worlds and allowed to advance freely, their past forgotten over thousands of generations.

“Female, come,” I demand, growing tired of her games. Either she will come to me willingly or I will simply remove her from this world, and her belongings with her. She can stay here no longer. The longer she is on Yama, the more she damages the cycle put into place.

“I am the protector, creator of life and death, these worlds are mine to watch over. You’re trespassing on a world that has just begun to find itself within this universe, and must leave. If you’re to stay, I will be forced to eradicate you, along with your ship, in order to protect this world’s cycle…” I say bluntly, not hiding the ugly truth from her. If she wants to stay, that is her choice, but I won’t like it. I will make her see reason. “Or, you may come with me, and I will get you to a home without harm.”

Her mouth drops open, and then closes, in shock. “You would kill me?”

“I have my orders to do so, but yet, here I am, asking you to leave with me so that I may not shed your blood on Yama’s soil.” I have my orders from the voice inside my head, the one being I’ve never met, another guardian of the worlds and the universe that will remain a mystery to me. He is the overseer, someone of great power, and I am about to disobey him by rescuing a lifeform, instead of cleaning history of its presence.

Though we will never meet, I can only hope that he sees my reasoning behind all this as a way to preserve life. This female, her life is strong, I can feel it like a burning fire. She wants to live. She isn’t cold or frail, as a life I would take. Due to this, I can’t go through with harming her.

“Forgive me,” I mutter to myself, and close my eyes briefly as I summon another portal to open up under her ship. I can hear the metal groan as it sinks, drifting away to my home planet, and I hear her gasp.

“What. The…” she starts to say, but I’m already on the move. I run right for her. Grabbing her around the waist while her back is to me, I cradle her against me as we both drop into the portal. I can faintly hear her screams, but the portal doesn’t allow much sound to flow through it.

Dropping out the other side allows the full blunt force of her yells to blast into my ears. I cringe. She is loud.

Righting my falling course through the sky into my home of darkness, I cover us in a protective outer force and slow our descent to the ground.

“What are you?” She pushes out of my arms and falls a foot onto the hard platform.

I, myself, wobble as my powers drain. “I am a guardian of the universe. I am one of life and death. I create life, and take it away. Most know me as the guardian of reincarnation. My job is to make sure the life cycle inside the universe runs the way it should, whether it be the forthcoming of a new planet, star, or a natural disaster on your world.”

“Then you’re a god?”

“No, though some used to think of us as gods. We’re just unlucky souls that have been handpicked to do these dreadful tasks.” I summon my throne from the shadows and collapse into it. I’m exhausted. I’ve created two portals, disintegrated the ship and weapons, and flown a short distance. I’m going to have to rest for a little while before I can help the female.

“That chair, it came out of nowhere.” She slowly sits upon the floor, stunned, but all I can do is shrug off her surprise.

“This is my world; I can create what I like here.”

“And where is here?” She worries at her bottom lip just as I feel my eyes close. I need to rest.

“Saturn.”

CHAPTER 5

LUNA

“Saturn?” I am on a planet that should have outright killed me. I don’t know whether to be scared, shocked or angry that I’ve been put into this position. I’m too scared to move from my spot on the floor in fear that I’ll move outside of the fresh oxygen I was breathing. My ship is gone, so were my weapons. Everything I own, besides the clothing I’m wearing, has just vanished. It is nowhere in sight.

“Umm, can I go home now?” I look around me. Glancing at the darkness, I can’t explain the area around us. It is as if the light reflects off the shadows. I’m able to see clearly, but it is dark, and the outer ridges are even darker. Everything around me is of some sort of rock. Stone bricks of a sort. They are of a gray-brown color, and they stretch out around me for miles, drifting off into the shadows. As my gaze travels back to the strange man that brought me here, I gasp at his sleeping display. “Are you serious right now?” He is passed out in the chair, with his head flung over the back, while his body slumps downward.

“Now what?” I can’t just sit here on the floor as this guy sleeps. My hand rubs at my temple, as I feel a headache begin to bloom. Stress often does this to me, and most of the time, it ends up with me fighting off a headache.

Pushing myself up, I walk over to the slumbering man. He looks exhausted. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his face looks thin from lack of nourishment. I wonder if he is sick. My chest pings with sympathy for this guy. I want to get off this world, but I don’t have the heart to wake him up.

A groan comes from his throat. It sounds pained, but he doesn’t move, or even twitch.

I sigh and run my fingers through my now matted hair. I need another bath to clean up, but I guess that will have to wait. “I never should have trusted this guy,” I mutter under my breath. I trust too easily, which is how I ended up in this mess. Taking a job for people I never should have, and then ending up here with someone who is too handsome for words.

I bite my lip hard. Where did that thought come from? Handsome? He is very handsome, with his short black hair, long thick lashes, and well sculpted face and body. His upper body is covered in muscles. Thick arms and a well-tone chest are laid out in front of me. My fingers twitch, then tighten against the palm of my hand, as I run my eyes over his body like a woman without self-control.

“What am I doing?” I step back with disgust. Just because I’ve been alone for a while doesn’t mean that I need to act like this. Hell, ogling someone in their sleep is not something I did.

Making a small spin on my heel, I turn my back to him and glance once again at the darkness around me. There has to be a way out of here, somehow. I just need to find it.

Without looking back, I collect my thoughts and walk straight ahead. As I near the line of the fog, I slowly reach my hand out to test it. I want to be sure that I’m not about to die. As my hand passes through, I feel nothing, just the same thing I’m feeling now. That could only mean it is safe.

Gathering my courage, I pass through and hold my breath. A slight tingling zips over my skin, making me shiver. I let out a huge exhale when nothing else happens. I become more confident as I take another step.

I continue my journey through the fog for some time. I’ve counted to one thousand over a dozen times now to keep track of my time, but the fog is never ending. I thought that I would have reached the other side by now, but it only seems to grow thicker as more time goes by, and the farther I walk into it. My mind also feels a bit heavy, and I struggle to concentrate on why I’m even here. Why am I doing this again?

“I’m so lost.” I stop in my tracks and grit my teeth. I turn in a slow circle, looking for an opening, hoping that I will see some sort of space where there is less fog, but there isn’t any. It’s suffocating. “I’ll just turn around.” I will go back the way I came. Only, I can’t remember the way. I know it is just a straight line, but after doing my little circle turn, I’ve lost my spot. “Damnit.” I’ve been so stupid.

Then I hear it, a loud sound. Something is coming towards me, but I can’t see it. I bite my bottom lip, wondering what to do and where to go, and then it hits me at full force. Wind. What I am hearing is wind. It blows at my clothing and my hair. The fog flows by me in a rush, clearing the space around me, leaving me in a large open space with many glittering stars overhead. That would have distracted me if it wasn’t for my attention being drawn to a sizable door that’s covered in jewels, silver, and gold. The man that brought me here is standing beside it.

“I told you I would find you.”

CHAPTER 6

KUIPER

I watch her with curiosity. She is strange, and somewhat ill-advised—for a female, but I should give her more credit. I expected her to cower in fear when she saw me, but she hasn’t. She is bold and brave. I know that I am a rough male to look at. My appearance now is vastly different than it used to be. I am one with the darkness around me. I am more death than I am light and life.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble, I just want to get out of this fog.” She takes a step back and folds her arms over her chest. “I was doing something, but now, I can’t really remember what, or why…”

“The fog protects this realm from evil, and those that wish to harm what I do. It affects the memory. I can get you out,” I say tiredly. I was just starting my rest cycle, hoping to grab a quick nap to regenerate just enough of my power in order to help her when she’d run off. She wandered into the fog fearlessly; it had been stupid of her though. The gas from Saturn, my home world, makes you forget, and can make you hallucinate. The gas helps me form the fog that protects my platform and my realm. I picked Saturn because it is a giant gas world, dead inside; nothing lives here but me.

“What powers do you have?”

“My dagger-tipped evolution rod gives me most of my power.” I bring forth my pendant that is attached to the gold chain around my neck. It expands in my hands. “I am the devil most otherworlders speak of. I can do many things, from creating life to taking it away, but it comes with a great cost of my own life-force.”

“Then you’re sick?” she blurts out. “Sorry, I, uh, what I meant was that you can’t help me?”

“I never said I couldn’t help you, I just said at the moment, I cannot…” I feel my cheeks burn with my embarrassment that I’ve allowed myself to grow so weak over the years. What has happened to me? I was once full of life, but now, I just want it all to end. Well, I had, until I found her. She sparks some sort of phenomenon in me, it makes me want to know more of her, as I can see my younger self within her personality. She has a fire about her that I like, something that I used to have.

“Female, what is your name?”

“Don’t you think you should have asked for my name before now?” She rolls her eyes. “It’s Luna… Now you have to tell me yours because I’m tired of calling you ‘strange man’.”

I smirk at her words. “My name is Kuiper.”

“You know, that name does suit you, surprisingly.” She smiles slightly, and then sighs. “So… Now that we’ve established formalities, what should we do?”

“I’m not sure.” And I’m not. I don’t know what to do with her. The fog has clearly affected her memories, and I am not sure if I should be grateful, or not. I don’t want to stop her from going home, but I know that she can’t. I can feel strange things coming from Compo II when I channel my thoughts toward it. It gives me chills, and makes me feel uneasy, as if whatever is on it is bad. It feels wrong. The world she’d once known is not the same, but I don’t want to tell her that. With my powers drained, it could be a matter of days, or longer, before I can show her, if she comes to remember. I could seek out another guardian, like Canon, but I don’t want to. Having someone to speak with is nice. It’s refreshing. I want Luna here, and to do things to her myself, in good time.

“Well, then… Next question. Do you at least have people other than you on Saturn, or, I don’t know, a place to live other than this rock?”

“No and yes. I can create anything I wish, just nothing large at this moment.” If she wishes for something, I will do my best to provide it for her.

“I really need a bathroom. You know, shower, toilet, sink, probably new clothing, and food, since I wasn’t able to eat all of my meal.” Her stomach growls and I wince. In order to get all of those things, I will need a source that I don’t have. Not unless I am to create a link with a nearby world that has a sustainable source of life.

Yama. It isn’t nearby, but my last portal has been there and back, which means my home and my body are both now familiar with the world. It will allow a portal back to be opened more easily a second time without draining me further than I already am. I can leave a rip, which will allow me to create things there with the use of my world here, on Saturn. I will be going against all odds, and against everything I know to be right, but I need to keep her alive.

I sigh deeply and begin working.

The ground under us shakes as the rip begins within space, and the same portal I’d used helps link both worlds together, creating something similar to a wormhole.

“What is that?” Luna’s voice is high pitched.

“A way for you to live until I’m better.”

CHAPTER 7

LUNA

A colorful rip floats in the air. It looks like an average rip in paper, with glowing white edges, just there in the air several feet from the ground. I can see a jungle, just like the one I’d been living in on the other side.

“What do you mean?” I’m following his logic. The tear is large enough that I can walk through it, but I’m scared to go near the damn thing.

“We can use this to gather your food and water supply.” He nods, and I look more closely. The stream where I’d been fishing, and used for bathing, now sits on the other side.

“How did you do that?” It hadn’t been there before. There had been lush green leaves and vines, but it’s now been replaced with a small brook, and the trees that surrounded it, with hanging yellow, red, and purple fruits that I never attempted to try. Yama… I remember this place, and it makes me feel at home. This has to be what I’ve been looking for.

“I just think of where I want to go and I find it. Now, on to the bathroom you wished for. It’s easy to call forth the shadows and rocks around me. I can feel that some of my power has returned, but not all, so the structure will be very simple.”

Kuiper seems very apologetic about everything, but I don’t even care at this point. I just want to go inside. Rushing to the door, I open the gray stone door and gasp. He’s right, everything inside is simple and very gray. There’s no color. The cabin holds gray walls and floors, there is a small table and two chairs that are also gray stone, and another chair that’s sort of like a love seat, that was also stone topped with fur-like cushions. “It’s nice,” I say, not wanting him to feel bad for the lack of design. Farther in the room is the simple kitchen that holds a long island counter—a cleaning and cooking station. Two open doors, side by side, line the back wall. Both hold double sized beds topped with more fur-like pillows and blankets.

“The bathroom?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder. His hand lifts briefly to point to a door I had missed next to one of the rooms. It’s a third door that’s open, which is nice. Entering the room, I feel my face fall. This bathroom is styled in an older, much older, layout. The bathing tube has been replaced with a shower that I’d read about in an old school history class where water would fall from a funnel like part up top, and the temperature could be adjusted with two knobs. There is a matching sink with the same two handles and long funnel, and a toilet that holds one button. Like the rest of the cabin, everything was lacking color. “I’m going to clean myself up.”

“You will find clothing inside the drawers.” He turns his back to me and sits down in the loveseat. I bite my bottom lip, having expected him to leave, but he doesn’t . He is choosing to stay. It makes me a bit uneasy, but I want to clean myself more than I care if he is near.

Closing the door to the bathroom, I fumble with the knobs until I figure out how to turn on the water to the warmest setting before scalding, then I strip, leaving my dirty clothing on the floor in a heap. Not caring that I’ve left it there, I jump into the cleaner. The spray is like raindrops on my skin. It’s nice, and it helps warm up my skin to a gentle pink glow. There’s no soap that I can see, but I don’t care about that either. I just want to wash off the mud.

Using my fingers, I dig into my hair and clean it as best as I can. Once the water runs clean, I start to focus my attention on the rest of me.

Sitting down on the floor of the shower, I soak myself and tilt my head back, allowing the water to beat over my face. It stings a little, but it’s nice. Thankfully, all I need to do is wash. Shaving isn’t a problem for me as I’d gotten all excess hair removed years ago.

I get lost in time, and I don’t know how long I sit inside the stone shower stall. I’m daydreaming, somewhat drifting into a tired state, until there is a knock at the door.

“Luna?” Kuiper’s rumbling voice comes through muffled. I groan at being interrupted when I’ve become so relaxed.

Grumbling to myself, I pull myself up and out of the stall. My foot work getting out is a bit sluggish, and, as I near the wall that holds some drawers, I don’t pay any mind to the water pooling around my feet while I look for something to dry off with.

Yanking at a drawer, I lose my footing, slipping on the water, and I feel a scream creep up the back of my throat as my body falls backward. I close my eyes to brace myself, but instead of falling against the hard rock floor, I become cushioned against strong arms and a stiff chest.

“I have you,” Kuiper said, and I tense.

“Let. Go.”

CHAPTER 8

KUIPER

She is angry, but I don’t know why. I just saved her from being harmed, and she isn’t pleased with me.

“Why would I let you fall when I can help prevent it?” I ask, wishing to know why she would want that pain.

“It’s not that I wanted to fall… Kuiper, I’m naked!” She squeals and grabs at my chest as she tucks her head in to hide her face from my view.

Naked.

She is naked in my arms, and I hadn’t noticed. I rushed in through the door so quickly that my mind had only been set on making sure she was well. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to grab you in that way.” I swallow hard as a lump forms in my throat. It seems that she and I are now in a new predicament, and we’ll have to decide on a way out.

“Okay. So. Umm. We could split apart and not look at one another,” she stutters.

That could be a good idea. “Okay.” Preparing myself, I move my arms up her back to her shoulders and am just about to move away, when I slip and lose my footing, just as she had, only, my grip on her brings her down over me as we both fall. Landing on my back, the air is knocked out of me when Luna lands on my chest.

“Shit, that hurt.”

“Are you well?” I ask. I’ve never had that happen before; I’ve never been that clumsy. Ever.

“Yeah, I’m okay. The only thing hurt is my pride.” She coughs. “Just close your eyes.” Her legs move to straddle my lower waist and I watch as she pushes herself up into a sitting position over me. “Sorry, I just need to get up and find clothing.” My eyes widen as I come face to face with her naked body. She was truly perfection.

Luna’s hair hangs limp and wet over one shoulder, its length dangling down to her breasts. Her skin is a light tan color, lighter than my own. Her breasts are small, rounded and tipped with two nipples that point outward, as water droplets from her cleansing run over them. Her waist is narrow just above her ample hips, and tight thighs that show off well-toned legs. I try not to look between her legs, but can’t help but notice that her pussy is bare of all hair, and her tender folds have opened over my toga, and are now hugging the outline of my cock.

“You weren’t supposed to look at me!” she hisses and jumps up off me. Her face is red with embarrassment, and she acts shy, trying to cover herself with her hands.

“My apologies. You’re the first woman I’ve seen naked this close, and it intrigues me.” She is beautiful, and seeing her over me, it has awoken the lustfulness inside me that has lain dormant since my appointment as a guardian. I’ve seen plenty of naked bodies, women and men alike, as I do my job from a distance, but none of their images linger within my mind the way her body does now.

Luna grabs a long cloth from the drawer along with a green jumpsuit that I summoned for her. I watch as she wraps the cloth around herself and hugs the clothing to her chest. “How is that possible? You’re some type of supernatural being, right?”

“That doesn’t mean I’ve ever been intimately involved with another, or been interested enough to glance their way. I know what the average body looks like, but yours is different for me,” I blurt, wanting to be upfront with her. I see no point in hiding the fact that I like how she looks, nor that I feel enjoyment from it.

Getting up, I flick my hand and a gust of warm wind blows around us to dry us both off. Her hands hold the cloth together around her as the wind blows and ruffles it against her thighs. “Do you not enjoy the thought of a man finding pleasure in you?”

A tic forms in her cheek. “I barely know you, but I do find it flattering.”

“Then get to know me better, and then tell me your answer.” I turn and leave her alone in the bathing room.

Luna is an interesting female, and I can only hope that she chooses to seek my friendship. It is tiring being alone. Even Canon has a female now. Could this be my chance? I don’t know for sure if it is , but I have faith in the universe that it will be.

CHAPTER 9

LUNA

The first few days have gone by quickly. We’ve spent it traveling back and forth together from Yama, the planet I’d been found on, and Saturn, Kuiper’s homeworld. We gathered food and went on hikes around the stream. Neither of us mentioning the event that had happened inside the cleansing room. I’m too scared to make things more awkward than they already are. I still don’t fully recall why I’d walked into the fog, but at this point I don’t really care. I’m happy on Yama, it’s home to me, and I’m most comfortable just doing things out in the wild.

It is fun being able to share this place with Kuiper. He seems a little uptight, so getting him out and doing basic things with him brings a smile to my face at the end of the day. It’s a strange feeling, being near him and having my stomach do backflips. I’m not shy in the least, just a lot more aware of him as a person and a man. As nightfall comes, we go back to the little home he’d somehow made out of thin air with his powers. I drift off, thinking and hoping that we could potentially share more of these little adventures together.

Then, another day came and went in a blur. We complete the same tasks, gathering food for meals and talking very little. On the third day though, I wanted us to branch out, so we walked longer, stopping farther up the stream during our hike. There is a huge pool that I deem a good spot to fish, and we got to work getting our gear ready.

The stream beside me is cooler than normal today as I fish with a new spear Kuiper made for me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He’s trying to help me. Usually, I gather what I want and he carries half, but he never really puts effort into actually hunting the food with me. When he came forward wanting to help more, I’d been shocked, then I struggled not to laugh. He acts like he’s never fished in his life, and I could tell by the way he held himself that he in fact has never done this sort of task before. He keeps missing easy fish that swim by, and I couldn’t help but smile secretly to myself as I watch him under my lashes.

“I will get the hang of this soon.” He frowns as he stares at the water that laps around his knees.

My thoughts drift, causing me to miss a fish, and Kuiper sends a small splash of water my way. Little droplets soak my face, and I look at him stunned. “Did you just splash me?”

“I did.” He smiles proudly, and I can’t help the smile that I give him in return. When he looks away, I strike. I use the bottom of my spear and send a splash of water back at him. It doesn’t reach his face, but it does hit him in the chest. His bellowing laugh is contagious, and I laugh along with him as we play, each of us flinging water at one another until we are both soaking wet.

Spending time here is peaceful and quiet. I’d hated this at first, but being with him in a friendly manner does something to me. I find myself enjoying such a simple task that, before, had only been a means of staying alive.

We spend time together, each of us opening up more to one another. Much of our time together is spent exploring different parts of Yama, parts I’ve never been to. I’ve been having so much fun that a week passes before I notice how comfortable I am now around Kuiper, and how my thoughts always wander to him each night.

I notice little things about Kuiper now too, one of them is that he has been using a little more of his power, and that he appears more playful. I’m getting a strange feeling that he’s been hiding the fact that he has fully rested, as he’s mentioned, gaining back whatever his abilities are. I wait for him to say something about it, but he doesn’t. He stays quiet, as usual, helping me when needed, and having conversations with me.

This bothers me, it hurts that he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me, even though I am putting all my trust in him. My hands rub at the fruit I am cleaning as I think about everything. We’ve grown closer. Even though I know something is missing, that the fog has taken something from me, I have moved on and found enjoyment here. I want him to trust me too, to feel as open as I have become with him.

I can see him out of the corner of my eye that he is playing with his hands, and little sparks of what I could only assume is his power, twirling around his fingers.

I will have to keep an eye on him as the days go by. I want to give him time to come to me first before I just assume he is better, but if this keeps going on, I will have to act before I lose my chance.

His hands fumble with a piece of wood; sparks of light so tiny I could hardly see them exit his palm. I watch him as I do things in the kitchen to stay busy, and I’ve been right. He is using more of his power. Then it hits me. Compo II. That is my real home, not here. My hands still, and I feel weak at the knees. My heart pounds in my chest. I’d forgotten, have acted as if I’ve been under a spell. But I’ve found myself, a part of me that I hadn’t known existed until I let myself go.

My hands grip the counter. Did Compo II really mean that much to me?

No. I shake my head, no, it didn’t. That surprises me more than seeing his power return. When did this happen to me? The fact that I am now okay with giving up my homeworld, for this new one? When I took the time to get to know Kuiper, that has to be the case. I have started to care for him. Have worried over him even. We’ve started to become friends, too. I sigh, closing my eyes for a brief second. When I open them again, I glance at Kuiper. I care for the wellbeing of this man. I don’t want to see him alone. I want to feel shame for not caring about Compo II. It may have once been my home, but I’ve finally found something worth living for right here. I’ve found myself. I’ve discovered happiness in my life on Yama with this strange man. I’m not worried about my next job, or working with shady people that can backstab me, he makes me feel safe. He isn’t my captor; he is my savior. I see life from new eyes. I don’t want to leave here anymore, but I still want to see my old homeworld. Will Kuiper do that for me though? I have to see, I have to test him, to see if I can trust him now that I can remember.

Something needs to be said to him, I just don’t know what it is. How am I supposed to bring up the fact that my memory has come back and that I want to see Compo II, without going back? That I want to see if things between us would change any… I am scared, but I have to see my homeworld for the healing process of my emotions, and that is it. At the same time, I don’t want to break his trust. We’ve managed to form an odd friendship, an understanding of one another just from helping each other. I’ve found myself wanting to know more and more about Kuiper. He is the type that keeps to himself, and I feel like he is hiding his true self from me, that he is also hiding his powers.

I sigh again, this time more heavily. Why do things like this have to be so hard? I know I have to say something to him. If not, I’ll be here sighing the rest of the day away. I just don’t want to. He needs to be informed that I know everything. It will be worse not telling him, hiding this away, than whatever he’ll say to me once I tell him.

“Kuiper,” I call to him from the kitchen. He’s in the adjoining living area, playing with the dagger chain he wore.

“Yes?”

“Are your powers back yet? I’ve been thinking about something that just came to mind.” I’m cutting a purple fruit in half, one he deems is safe for me to eat. It has a pink inside that tastes tangy and sweet. “I was just wondering since you seem more energetic than you were during the first few days we spent together.” It is true, he does appear to be more alive. Happier even.

“Yes, it is back.” His face is set in a deep frown. “But, I…” He stops speaking and jumps up. He comes around the counter and plants himself behind me, and I freeze, the small knife dropping from my hands and the fruit forgotten. “I didn’t want to tell you. I feel shame for that because I want you to stay with me longer. I think the reasoning behind my newfound energy source is because of you, Luna. I feel a pull toward you.”

“I wish you would have told me,” I say softly. I understand where he is coming from, but I want to stay here, and I would have told him sooner if he’d have spoken to me. “Yama is my home, not so much Saturn. Your world is too lonely…” There is nothing here on his world besides the two of us and the ability to walk between worlds. I need to be around life.

“I’ve never been to another world for a longer period of time than was necessary.” He seems kind of stiff on the topic.

“Why though? Doesn’t everyone deserve time away to experience new things? Kuiper, you can’t isolate yourself on Saturn, you need to explore. I think that is why your powers have come back. You’ve found meaning in your life. You can even come with me, to Yama. Maybe you will like it there.” I don’t want to beg, but I need him to see reason. I want to stay, but not here, I can’t stay here any longer. Not even for him. Yama, it is filled with life, even if he says it is forbidden for me, it is where I am meant to stay. “I’d also like to see my homeworld, Compo II, before—I leave for Yama.”

His frown deepens. “Yama… It is still dangerous there. I shouldn’t allow you back, but I’ve already broken the rules this far.” He isn’t happy. “I can show you Compo II, but—I don’t think that you will like what you see. Things have changed. If this is what you desire, then I will show you…” He grabs my hand and a wicked smile curves his lips, his emotions changing.

He is now being playful, and I know that smile. It is the same one he’d given me just before he threw me into the hole that landed me on Saturn. “Wait! No more falling!” I yell as the world opens up in front of us, and I find myself staring into a window, sort of like the rip, but my world is on the other side.

“There will be none of that.” He chuckles.

I don’t freak out this time as I know I’ll be safe with his powers surrounding us. Kuiper holds on to me the entire time, and when things settle, I feel relief, but I find myself struggling to let go of him and to move my arms from around his waist.

“Do you see your home?”

Lifting my head, my gaze zeroes in at the window in front of me in amazement. He’s done it, he is allowing me to see my home. Compo II.

Only it doesn’t seem the same as before. “What’s going on?” I hiss, thinking this is some sort of joke. I finally let go of Kuiper and really take in the world ahead of me. Everything is different. We are in the Capital city, near the park, but the trees are gone and the play area for the children is missing, too. There are more buildings, but the people are missing from the streets. No hover cars are around either.

“Kuiper?”

“Is this not your world? Compo II, year 2099?” He is calm, showing no sort of emotion as he takes in what is both my home world, and yet, not.

“Yes, but the year is wrong, it should be 1029… Kuiper, this is wrong.” I’m starting to freak out. There is no way that I could have missed that amount of time without aging. I also knew that there is no way I’d been on Yama that long.

Compo II is scary different. It is futuristic in a frightening way. The longer the window stays open on the capital near the park, the more differences I see. Instead of people, there appear to be robots lingering around the streets. Video billboards show off the newest update for these robots, and how to help calm and provide for the average being in their care. It is as if the robots have taken over.

“It’s not wrong, the time is just different. As I’ve told you before. Each world runs on time differently. Saturn, here in my portal, runs fast, and each universe is not the same. This is your home; it is just further in time.”

“No.” It can’t be.

“I’m afraid spending time with me has changed that for you. There is no going back, only forward in a new life.”

CHAPTER 10

KUIPER

A strong feeling comes from her. It is so powerful that I can feel it. She crumples to the ground and screams. My hands reach out to grab her, to stop her, but she shakes me off. Her fists hit at the dirt under us as if she can harm it with her anger. “Why didn’t you tell me this would happen? I would have understood. Heck, I didn’t even want to leave, but I didn’t want to see this. My people, they’re gone, replaced with this madness of the future.”

“I didn’t think. I’m sorry, Luna. I wanted to make you happy by following your wishes.”

“Shit. Okay. It’s okay. It’s fine. I don’t blame you; I just wish that you would have said something to me instead of hiding it from me. Like you said, time moves on, but I never expected it to move this fast. It all changed…” I feel guilty for not telling her, I should have, but it’s been in the back of my mind this whole time that I haven’t bothered to think about it. I’ve had all my focus on her and how my energy has gotten better, faster, while being near her.

It is a new addiction, feeling this energized, alive and well ,and having someone that I can share my space with. I want to stay around her at all times.

“I can’t look at this anymore.” Her voice shakes as I touch her back. “This isn’t my home anymore. Please, close this image.” Seeing these robotic beings taking over her world makes me aware of how uncomfortable that makes her. I’ve been observing them as they went along with their business. Thankfully, we haven’t been noticed through the rip yet, and if we were, I wasn’t sure how they would react. I’m starting to think that I should have just told her the truth about her world. I can feel that it has changed some, but until I’d opened the rip, I hadn’t known how much. Everything has simply been a feeling, like a sense, or a tickle in the back of my mind.

“These robotic beings are not of your world then?”

“No. No, they’re not. We once had cleaning bots, but nothing like this. I’m not sure where they even came from. Please, just close this thing, Kuiper,” she says louder, and I cup her face. She is afraid of them. Seeing the fear in her eyes unsettles me.

“Hold on to me,” I mutter and command it to close, only it doesn’t.

“Kuiper, the robots, they’re looking at us…” Her voice is panicked. She grabs my arms and holds me near her with an iron grip that would have left bruising, were I a mere mortal, and I can see why she is scared. Glancing toward the opening, I see that the robotic creatures are running towards us.

“My power—” I don’t understand why it isn’t working. It was working perfectly fine not even a few minutes prior, now it feels as if the world around me has drained me dry.

“Hell…” Her hands grab my face just as I am trying to close it, when her lips plant over mine. I’ve seen females and males kissing before, but have never done so myself. It startles me at first, but then I find great pleasure in the movement of her lips. Her tongue demands entry, and I give it to her. Our tongues twine together playfully. Everything outside of the kiss is forgotten until she breaks away from me, breathing heavily.

Wind blows at us, signaling an alteration has been made. The scenery around us changed. We are back on Yama; her world is gone. “I knew that would work.” She smirks up at me, but my gaze is still planted on her lush, red lips. “It looks like I have some form of control over your power.”

“It does explain many things. Such as to why I feel reborn and why I couldn’t close down the rip when you were upset.”

Her smirk remains, and I felt a lingering tingle on my lips.

“You kissed me.”

“Well, in my defense, it gave you a boost, didn’t it?” She’s biting her bottom lip, and I can’t look away. Tightening my arms around her, I lower my head, this time taking the lead of the kiss.

She’s stiff under me for a second before her body melts into mine and she allows me to continue where we’d left off. She doesn’t try to pull away.

As my mouth attacked hers, I back her up until she is up against a tree. “Kuiper.” She moans into my mouth sweetly.

“Hmm?” I tear my mouth away from hers as we both pant for breath.

“I was only kissing you to help boost your powers,” she says as she blushes deeply.

“I was kissing you because I wanted to taste you again.” I admit, feeling no shame in the fact that I want more with her. Being around her makes me feel whole. It is good. Thinking about losing her to another world and being alone again, that doesn’t sit well with me.

“Then let’s take this slow. Friends first… the kind with—” I kiss her, silencing her words. “With benefits,” she mutters against my lips.

I nod slightly in agreement, breaking the kiss just to seek her approving gaze before my lips caress hers again. This time, as I hold her closer to me, I don’t plan on letting her go.

My fingers trap her in place, and my knees lock around hers so she can’t move. The throbbing of my stem is painful between my legs as it pushes against my toga bottom. It is thickening for her, waking as the rest of my body has.

“Kuiper…” She rubs her hands over my chest. “When you touch me, I feel alive. I enjoy your touch more than I should.”

I nuzzle my way down her neck, licking and nibbling at her as I go. Her neck is soft and tinted pink from me rubbing my mouth along its length. I graze her skin with my hands, starting at her arms, then down to her sides, to her hips, groping the flesh of her hips to push her firmly into me, giving my stem the needed friction.

“Tell me, Luna, do you like this?” I want to hear those hidden words from her, and why she desires me.

“I didn’t think I would, but I’m curious. You’re like a new drug, you taste like honey, sweet, with a hint of spice that screams dangerous, and I can’t seem to get enough, because I love that dangerous part. I want that adrenaline rush.” Her tone has turned throatier, lustful, and yearning.

“Then let us explore this new profound friendship.”

CHAPTER 11

LUNA

We found a soft spot on the forest floor where Kuiper uses a little of his power to make a sleeping platform inside a large roomie-tent like structure. With quick hands, he pulls off the jumpsuit I’m wearing and throws it to the floor.

As I lay down, he comes over the top of me. His hand covers my stomach as he holds me in place. He moves, sinking down lower. He shoulders my thighs apart to gain a view of my slit, which is already covered in my nectar. Moving in closer, he blows a hot breath over my folds, teasing me and making me moan.

“That is the sweet sound I wanted to hear again.” He drags a finger over my opening all the way up to my little nub, making me jump. The tip of his finger slides over my nub roughly, then circles it to soothe the sting. My chest heaves in response, and my head tilts back from the pleasure.

“Kuiper, please stop torturing me.” My hand is trying to push his forcefully down toward my opening. I want him there, but he isn’t giving in to me.

“Isn’t this what you wanted, Luna? To be played with, to feel that excitement? I have you now, so let me show you how thrilling this can be.” He licks his lips. “All you need to do is give in to my touch.” His hand shifts away from mine to skim over my belly and down my inner thighs.

“I give in, just give me more.” I gaze at him with pleading eyes. I can feel my cheeks turning a rosy color, not just flushed with my passion, but also a hint from that forbidden touch he is giving me. Being with Kuiper is different, it feels good, but somehow risky.

I want this though. When I first kissed him out of fear of being taken by whatever those mechanical robotic things were, something happened between us. I felt it. It was an instant click, as if I’ve found part of myself, as if I’ve finally found that missing piece.

For right now, he is mine.

With a growl, he grasps my knees and opens me wide. Then lifts me up until my slit is angled with his mouth and my legs lay along his back, over his shoulders. His mouth covers my slit greedily, and his breathing grows deeper, as if he is taking in my scent, while his tongue penetrates my opening. His tongue lunges into me, collecting my nectar from my center as my mewling cries sound around us.

“You taste amazing.” His growling voice vibrates my clit, and it is heavenly.

My hands sink into his short hair as he licks me. I’m close.

But he pulls away from me just when I think I am about to find bliss, and levers his bulky body over mine. At one point, he takes off his bottoms, which allows me to see everything. He is a large man all over. His body is tight with muscles, his thighs heavy, and his cock is long, thick, and stunning. Its mushroomed top is wide, and a darker shade of tan than the rest of him. Seeing the long, winding veins run over his length makes my mouth water.

He licks his lips, collecting the remaining juices as he stares down at me. My legs shake and my breathing becomes heavy again as my lips part just from the thought of what was next.

Kuiper is the loveliest being I’ve ever seen, and I can’t get over it. He is perfection.

“Tell me, Luna, do you want me?”

“Yes.”

CHAPTER 12

KUIPER

“Luna,” I hiss.

“Shhh, kiss me,” she hisses back, pulling me over the top of her. Her lips touch mine, softly at first, then harder. Her wet tongue flicks over my lips, driving me to open my mouth, which allows her to slip in.

She moans deep in her throat. That sound… It is everything to me. Blocking her in with my arms, I laid over her to cage her in fully, and I hold her in place.

Breaking the kiss, I gaze deeply into her eyes, then I wedge my way between her thighs with my hips and pull her center to my lower abdomen.

“My Luna,” I growl against her neck as I seek that connection we shared. She grabs at me with her blunt nails.

“Take me, Kuiper. Stop playing.”

Levering myself over her, I drift a hand down her stomach to her bare cunt. I press genially against the nub that seeks my attention at the top of her folds. Pinching the bud between two fingers, I lightly roll it, teasing it to gain more of the slippery nectar from her center, and drink in the sight of Luna melting under my touch. She trembles and arches into my palm; she is craving this as much as I do. Seeing her need heightens my own. I want more.

“You’re beautiful.”

Sitting up, I trail my other hand down her chest and over each of her breasts.

“I like your touch, Kuiper.” Her face and neck are tinted pink, and her breathing is shallow. I’m not the only one affected. She is just as much. Reaching for her again, I graze her skin with my hands, groping the flesh of her bottom and hips. My fingers dig into her skin lightly. Each time, she moans and trembles under my touch; it intensifies the hunger I feel inside of me.

Tiny bumps, that remind me of my scaling, rise along the flesh of her arms and legs. I rumble in admiration, Luna is a grand prize, and having her give herself to me is worth being alone before her arrival.

“I desire to touch you more, my little human.” Her scent is growing stronger the longer we touch, and the slick nectar is coating her thighs as her desire blooms. I can smell a hint of the sweetness that is between her thighs, causing my mouth to salivate, and making it harder for me to ignore my need to take her.

Sinking lower on the bed, I position myself between her waiting thighs as I want a better view of her slit. Her scent is much stronger, now that I am closer to her center. Teasing her, I drag a hand over her skin. Using the tip of my finger, I run it up her mound, then over her thighs, and back.

Placing my hands under her knees, I lift her bottom off the floor and angle her slit with her hips upward.

“Kuiper, I’m serious. Please, I can’t wait any longer.” She leans back on her elbows, watching me with hooded eyes as her knees fall apart. Her mouth has parted slightly, showing off square teeth.

Hooking two fingers on the sides of her folds, I gently pull them apart, opening her up. Her pretty pink folds open for me, reminding me of a flower. Her fragrance that was permeating the air around us is delicious, and I breathe it in greedily.

I grope the backs of her legs again to push them farther apart to fit my bulk. The petals of her sex glisten with her honey. I know her scent is coming from it and I want to taste her. I need it.

My desire to taste her overruns all other thoughts inside my mind. It is maddening, making me mindless except to do one thing. Opening my mouth, I place my lips over her opening and drag my tongue along her slit, gathering her slick juice on my tongue. Luna gasps and jumps under my touch, and her body shudders hard.

“Ohh.” Her moan is like a melody of the sea as its waves crash against one another. I can easily become addicted to her and her taste. Luna tastes sweeter than the fruit we ate together. She tastes heavenly, unlike anything I’ve ever eaten. She is delicious. I want more… much more of her. Flicking my tongue over her opening, again and again, I collect much of her slick nectar, and drink it down as if I would die from thirst.

A deep hunger inside me flares to life, my male primal instincts take over, and a rumbling growl escapes me. Clasping my hands tightly around her knees, I raise her legs higher. The action forces her to lie back until she is flat on her back, and her legs lamely hang in the air. Her new position gives me easier access to her center and locks her into place for me to devour.

Pressing my tongue down the middle of her folds to her small opening, I push lightly at first, pressing the tip of my tongue until I can sink deep within her core. As her channel clenches around my tongue, and her moans grow, I seek out more of her honey. Her hips rock against my face. Curling the end of my tongue, I feel ridges and draw my tongue inside her in an upward stroke. Taking my time, I lick every part of her folds as I seek every drop of her sweet and salty nectar that leaks from her core.

When I think it can’t get any better than the bliss I am already in, my tongue flicks over the hidden rounded nub. I watch in amazement as that little touch causes Luna to cry out. This moan is different, it is louder, more drawn, which only makes me curious. It has caused her to buck up her bottom against my face harder, which I enjoy greatly, and left her quivering afterward. I want her to do it again. Teasing the nub, I flick at it several more times and got the same response.

“God bless.”

Her reaction was breathtaking. I ravish her. Pressing the tip of my tongue against her nub, I do the same thing over and over, using it to continue stroking her, and through heavy-lidded eyes, I watch her come undone.

Luna moans my name and pleads for me not to stop.

“My little female, I love your taste,” I purr in response to her panting breath. Pushing my teeth softly against her folds, I was careful not to hurt her as my tongue circles, then lazily flicks at the nub. Her brow is creased, her arm flung over her face, and her lips are parted. She heaves out a huge breath. She is painfully beautiful, and the sight of her squeezes at my chest. Luna bites the corner of her lip as her face contorts. Suddenly, her body rocks against my mouth frantically, lessening my hold on her. I allow her to find and set her own rhythm. Then her body tenses, locking into place as she convulses.

She arches her back off the bed, crying out, and rocks against my tongue. Fresh nectar gushes from deep within her channel.

Her small hands grab my hair, tugging at my scalp, and brings forth a stinging pain that shoots through my head. Even though it hurts, her shouts drive me forward to lavish each drop as I continue to admire the little nub that sends her into a heating frenzy.

“You’re so good,” she half-mutters, half-wails. For more of her, I am very eager to learn every curve of her body, all her responses, and everything that she enjoys while being pleasured.

“Oh God…. Oh.” She yanks at my hair again to dislodge me from her slit. Her legs close around my head to hold me still as she tries to push me off her. “Kuiper, I can’t handle your mouth on me any longer. I’m too sensitive…” Her body shifts to the side as she tries to get away from me. It is more than I can bear.

Removing myself from her grasp, I grab her hips and pull her near my waiting cock. I flip her until she lays on her stomach, and her back is to me. Placing a hand at the center of her spine, I bend her forward so that her chest lay downward with her hips and bottom curved up. Her knees and her feet are spread next to my hips, giving me just enough room. My blood blazes hot and makes my skin taut.

My stem strains painfully towards her slit. Its desperation to be inside her tight channel matches my own desperation to claim her. I feel a beating within my stem that makes it hurt. Luna doesn’t move; she just lays in front of me, waiting.

That’s when it hits me. I care for her. Though Luna is the one willingly submitting without a fuss, I am the one who’s been conquered by my own uncontrollable desire for this female. She’s managed to bind me to her since the first day when I’d found her stranded. I feel the buzz of energy between us, it flows and pulls our souls closer to one another. She is my bonded—that is why I feel so possessive over her leaving. She is meant to be mine.

Taking myself in hand, I collect some of her honey to coat my tip. I hiss as the tip of my stem presses against her entrance. She is incredibly warm in this spot, her heat burning me in a good way.

Luna’s eyes gaze at me from over her shoulder. She is just as affected.

“You are mine, Luna.” Tightening my grip on her hips, I pull her bottom towards me as I slowly sink forward. The movement forces her entrance open to take the head of my cock. Her folds hug me like a second skin, but all I can do is grit my teeth.

“Such big words, show me then.” She tries to push back into me harder, but I firmly hold her in place. I knew I’d fit easily, but I want to take my time. My cock’s base was wide, and forcing it inside without giving her time to adjust to my width would harm her, and I couldn’t have that. Sliding into her is easy once I figured out a steady rhythm, aided by her slick nectar.

Luna releases a cry of pleasure as I bottom out inside of her. Her eyes flare with heat, and her upper body curves low. Sticking her bottom higher into the air, the movement shoves the last inch just a bit deeper. Her channel grips me firmly like a fist, sucking me in with each pull and making me rock into her harder and faster as her hot center makes wet sounds.

I shudder roughly against a wave of rushing pressure that threatens to send me over the edge. My mind is about to fracture. My back arches from the pleasure that grips me from the bottom of my sack to the base of my stem. Burying myself deeper into her, the little control I have snaps, and I pound into her at full force. The bed we are on creaks under the pressure of my rocking. Her yelping groans and moans coax a ragged growl from deep in my chest that rolls out of my throat in a rush, mixing with the other sounds around us.

Luna’s channel clamps down fiercely around me, and her moans break into a wail that would have sent her collapsing onto the floor beneath her if I hadn’t been holding her up.

If this is what it means to find someone to enjoy pleasures with, then I want to do this with Luna for the rest of my life. She has accepted me, which only makes me desire more of this with her.

My sack pulls up to the base of my stem, and I could no longer control the unbearable degree of heat building inside me. Everything stood still around me, and my mind blanks, tiny white dots dancing in my vision, and my senses become clouded from all thoughts. I am overtaken by the ecstasy Luna and I share.

“Luna, I don’t think I’ll ever let you go,” I vow.

We are connected. Have been since I found her, but am only now picking up on that.

She is meant to be mine.

CHAPTER 13

LUNA

I awaken to the sound of a storm in the distance. I’ve heard that sound many times before, it is thunder, and I remember how dangerous it can be. The storms on Yama are out of control most times. Lightning is just the beginning, then rain will follow in heavy streams so thick that, if you were caught outside, you’d likely die.

“Kuiper,” I say in a panic, shaking him awake. My pod is gone, and that had saved me countless times before, but this large tent we’ve slept soundlessly in is not safe.

“Luna, you’re fine, we’re safe here.” He stretches without care and smiles. I can’t believe this guy. He acts as if our lives aren’t on the line here. “Look around you.”

Glancing from him to the tent, I gasp. I hadn’t felt or seen our shelter change shape. We are now inside what looks to be a shell of some sort. It is clear in the front, allowing light inside, but around the back it is made of gray material that I’m not familiar with.

“What is this?” I want to reach out, to brush my hand over it, but I’m not sure if I should.

“It’s just a protective bubble that I summoned. Remember, I can call forth things from Saturn to here with the rip between worlds.”

I had forgotten about that for a short time. After mind blowing sex, we spent some time cuddling and chatting about random things that popped into our heads until we had both fallen asleep. It is still somewhat dark outside, early morning just around the corner, and so is this storm.

“Are you sure that we’ll be okay?” I want to trust him. He hasn’t given me a reason yet not to, but from my experience with Yama, and surviving here alone, my flight instincts are trying to take over.

Kuiper wraps his arms around me, my back to his chest with his hands resting in my lap. It is a simple hug, yet it helps calm me. “I said everything will be fine. Nothing can penetrate the walls of this barrier unless I allow it.”

“Okay,” I whisper, feeling a little foolish that a storm would frighten me, but it brought back memories of before, when Kuiper wasn’t with me. I chuckle slightly to myself as I think about life without him. This man is a new part of my life, we are friends, or friends with benefits now, but I am starting to grow somewhat attached to him.

I like his company, hearing his voice and the feel of his arms around me. I’m catching feelings. It’s unexpected, but I’m not shocked, I am surprisingly okay with it, too.

I don’t think it would be wrong of me to want him. Kuiper is a handsome man, strange, with hidden powers I can’t describe well, that often leave me bewildered, but it doesn’t change how I feel being around him as a person. It only makes me like him more. Guardian or not, he is a nice guy.

“I think I like this.” I turn my head and kiss his cheek. His arms tighten around me as I pull the blanket over us to keep us warm while the winds pick up outside. I can’t feel the wind, but the movement had been out of habit.

“It is nice here, much nicer than Saturn.”

“I would have to say the same. Even my world, Compo II… Yama is almost like a home to me now.”

“I’m sorry about what happened to your world. I should have told you that I felt something off, but times change so quickly that I struggle remembering what those feelings mean. Over time, I just shut most feelings out,” he mutters. “Until you came into my life, I was considering going to sleep and never waking up again.”

“Why would you say such a thing?” No one should feel that way.

“I say that because before you, I had no purpose other than to fulfill my guardian duty. Now that you’re here with me, I’m alive again, and I have more than a title. I have emotions; I feel.”

His words make my heart pound within my chest. Throwing my hands around his neck, I turn within his arms, putting our naked chests together. I kiss him.

CHAPTER 14

KUIPER

We watch the storm from within the safety of the dome. “If you truly wish to stay on Yama, I will permanently leave the rift between Saturn and here open,” I say. “I can build us a home here. One made of stone, something so strong even the storms cannot destroy it.”

“Under a protective layer like this?” she asks as she shifts in my lap. Her arms are still wrapped around my neck, and her head is now lying on my shoulder as she watches the lightning flash overhead.

“Yes.” I grunt. “I can make one that will hold, but there are caves nearby, up in the middle of a small mountainside. I could carve one to be big enough to fit this home, and whatever else you desire.”

“Then we will go there. I’ve always wanted a two-story house, four bedrooms, and two baths. A large cooking area. A huge yard, with trees and grass. Maybe a garden. Did you know Yama is the only place that I’ve been that has a forest!” She is enthusiastic with her hands now. Putting them out in front of her and waving them around as she tries to paint the picture in her mind. “Compo II had very little of all that with the growing population. I’m sure the robots will make the world even worse.”

“Let us not think about such things.” I nuzzle the top of her head. “Let’s think towards the future.”

“The future.” She chuckles. “I never thought I’d be so open to this topic with someone I’ve known for less than two weeks, but this connection…”

“Yes,” I agree. “It’s growing the more we spend time together. It feels like we’ve known one another our whole lives.”

“It really does. Isn’t that crazy?”

“No.” It wasn’t. Canon has found his bond mate. Everyone has someone. Luna is my person. “We have a bond. Something I never thought that I would find. I always assumed that I would drain my powers and die alone, but then you came along. I strongly believe that this was meant to happen, and that you and I are meant to be together.”

“You know, Kuiper, you’re a sweet talker sometimes.” She kisses my cheek. “If what you say is true, then I think I’d be okay with that. Being here with you has been wondrous this far. The future can only hold more joyful things.”

She is right. There will be many things that will come in the future. I’m not able to see them, as that isn’t my area of power, but I can feel it deep within my old bones that something will arise later for us.

As for now, Luna and I will take things slowly, day by day. My plans with her are already in place. We may have just started the process of getting to know one another, but it won’t stop there. I want to know more than I do now, to know every aspect of her being, and of her past. I’ll take that time, for her, and for us.

Eventually, I want to be more than a friend. “When you’re ready for a relationship with me—”

“I’m ready for that step, but remember, let’s take it slow.”

Luna is calm in my arms as I think about what she said. She is ready to be more than friends. This means we are now a couple. Just like Canon, my brother guardian. She wants me, too.

“Are you sure?” I don’t want to doubt her, I just want to check. I’ve been alone since ascending to become a fellow guardian. This is my life, and will be until I am able to pass it on to the next in line. If I am ever to have children. If Luna does want this, I will share my essence with her and prolong her lifespan to match my own. She will live many millennias by my side. Immortality is and can be a hard task to take on.

I have struggled with it myself. “If you stay with me, I must warn you that you will live a long time.”

“I kind of figured as much.” She shrugged. “You don’t seem like the type of guy from the here and now. You look young, early 40s, but your eyes.” She is staring up at me as if she can see into my soul. “Your eyes are wise; you can see your true age within them. I’m not sure how old you are, and I likely wouldn’t understand, since I’m still finding it hard to wrap my head around all this… but I see you for who you truly are.”

“You’re a special person, Luna. I appreciate having you in my life. Without you, I would have died.”

I smile and look up at the sky. This is what feeling whole feels like, and to be wanted.

“Lie back.” She pushes at my chest. Doing as she wants, I lay back, and she follows. She snuggles up against me, with one arm over my chest, and her legs entwined with mine. “Let’s watch the storm together, and you can tell me more about Yama.”

The storm is directly over us. Purple-black clouds roll by, being lit up by yellow flashes, some of which strike the ground around us. It is raining, but we are protected inside the dome from it all. I’ve never seen a storm like this up close before, it’s marvelous, and yet treacherous at the same time. I love it.

As the rain rolls down the sides of the dome, and the crashes of thunder and lightning sound, we talk about the world we would come to live in. Yama will be hazardous for the foreseeable future. Being here, we’ve altered its makeup, but we are both up to the task of taking it on and making it our home.

“No matter how tough things get, I’ll be by your side.” She hugs me tightly, squeezing my ribs with her puny human strength.

“As will I, Luna. I’ll be with you, forever.”

Thank you for reading Hunting Galaxies! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Samantha’s newsletter!

ELLA MAVEN

SAVED BY THE PRISONER

CHAPTER 1

TAKI

I swirled the vintage ferm and watched the blue liquid coat the sides of the goblet. Taking a sniff, I smiled across the table before sipping the strong brew. The cool liquid felt like fire down my throat, and a small giggle bubbled up. I eyed the half-eaten golder steak on my plate. I should try to eat more…

“Okay, maybe you’ve had enough.” G’ersh rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t much better. The vettes on her arms were tinged red in contrast to her brown skin, an indication the ferm was affecting her too.

I glanced down at my arms. The horizontal stripes wrapping around my biceps were also flushed red. I was only on my second glass of the ferm, but it was strong. “Just this glass, and then I’ll stop.”

G’ersh tossed her silver hair over her shoulders and grinned widely. “Can you ditch Tauran tonight? I want to watch the new video show on Deck 4.” She leaned in closer with a whisper. “I heard there’s a humian in the production, and he’s naked for half of it.”

Despite my every attempt to dull my reaction, the ferm had lowered my self-control, and I could feel the heat of my vettes flush up my arms. G’ersh, of course, noticed and let out a wicked cackle. “You know you want to see!”

I did. Sort of. But I also didn’t. Humians didn’t get the respected roles in our video shows—those were offered to full-blood Radians and full-blood Radians only. Humians got the roles that exploited them, mainly for their physique. As Radian females, we weren’t supposed to want humians, but compared to our males, they were bigger. Bulkier. A little rawer. I’d only met a few in my life, and they were all intimidating. A naked humian male? My vettes burned hotter.

G’ersh looked smug, and opened her mouth to stay something, but then her blue eyes flashed on something behind me. I turned around to see my behooval striding toward us. I understood the reason for her reaction now—Tauran was not her favorite person, which left me uncomfortable. G’ersh was my best friend, and I’d complete the mating ceremony with Tauran before the next sun cycle.

I turned back to her. “Be nice.”

She spoke through gritted white teeth. “I’m always nice.”

I scoffed with amusement. “We have different definitions of nice.”

“Fine, he looks less constipated than normal.”

“G’ersh!” I hissed right before Tauran arrived at my side. I corrected my expression and beamed up at him. “Hello.”

For a Radian male, Tauran was attractive. His eyes were larger than most, and he was slightly taller than me. He’d been attempting to enhance his muscles with some artificial plant powder, but the effect had been minimal. That was okay. He had an influential position in the Radian council and would be able to provide for me. At least, that was what my sire had told me, and that was what I repeated to myself many times whenever the thought of the mating ceremony cooled my vettes.

“Taki.” He bent down with a three-fingered fist on the table. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can join you two tonight.”

“Oh no!” G’ersh said dramatically. “What an absolute tragedy.” She coughed into her fist. “Deck 4.”

I ignored her. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, everything is fine. But I was summoned by the council electorate and need to meet with them before tomorrow’s deadline.”

I couldn’t remember what deadline he was talking about. There were so many in his position, so I just nodded. “That’s okay. G’ersh and I can keep ourselves busy.”

“Sure can,” she quipped.

Tauran squeezed the back of my neck, and I shuddered before remembering I was supposed to enjoy his touch. My sire said it would take time to develop.

“I’ll be late, so you can sleep with G’ersh tonight, so you don’t have to be alone.”

“I can do that.”

“Sleepover!” G’ersh cried with her hands in the air.

Gods, I loved her. I knew I should pay attention to how relieved I was not to have Tauran with us this evening, but sire told me connections took time. There was no such thing as love—or lust—at first sight.

I nodded. “I will.”

“Good.” After another neck squeeze, he strode away, weaving between the tables in the dining wing.

I sighed and watched him go. The whole space cruise had been a working trip for him, and when I begged to go along, he told me I’d be bored, and that he wasn’t offered another ticket. My sire had surprised me with two tickets, one for G’ersh and me, so that we could spend time together when Tauran was busy. I was glad he’d done so, because I had seen little of Tauran at all.

“Do you think he’s working too hard?” I asked.

Draining the last of her ferm, G’ersh exhaled loudly. “Nope. He needs to work extra hard to deserve you. I still can’t believe your sire agreed to this mating ceremony. Tauran’s family is nothing compared to yours.”

I shrugged, glancing behind me, but Tauran was out of sight. “He’s stable and dependable. And his family isn’t that much below ours.”

G’ersh shot me a look. “The Valances are practically royalty.”

“We’re not royalty,” I muttered, fingering the pendant hanging from my neck—a family heirloom passed down through five generations.

“Whatever. Enough about that. This is our night now that Tauran is gone. That means… another glass, a plate of some sticky sweet begelis, and then we go ogle that humian.” She waggled the thin vettes above her shining eyes.

When she put it that way… the night didn’t sound too bad. I grinned as I twirled the last of the ferm in my glass. “Let’s do it.”

We made it through two more glasses and a dessert that did nothing to quell the ferm from having its way with me. By the time the show was about to start, my vision had blurred, and I couldn’t stop giggling.

“Come on,” G’ersh slurred as she rose from her chair. “Don’t wan’ miss humiiii-an cock.” She hiccuped and took a wobbly step forward.

Grabbing my clutch, I also staggered to my feet and suddenly pitched to the side. I only managed to stay upright by grabbing onto the table as I let out a wail of pain and surprise.

“Tak!” G’ersh squeaked and scratched blindly at my arm. “Are you okay?”

I blinked down at my shoes to find my right heel had snapped off the sole. “Noooo,” I whined as I pressed the latch to unleash the straps. “These were Guccu!”

G’ersh hiccuped again. “Are you sure you didn’t get knock-offs?”

I stuck my lower lip out in a pout. “I swore they were authentic.” Slipping off my other heel, I frowned at the broken shoes. “I can’t wander around like this.”

“That’s what behoovals are for.” G’ersh crossed her lithe arms over her chest and glanced at her wrist time. “Tell him to bring you new shoes.”

“I can’t. He’s in an important meeting, remember? Let me run back to my room to grab a new pair of shoes.”

“But the show—”

“I’ll be fast! I can run.” I pumped my arms in place to show her my running abilities. My hip bumped into the table as I wobbled a bit.

She didn’t look convinced.

“Head to the show and I’ll meet you there.” I stumbled away and called over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you there. Love you!”

“Mwah!” G’ersh smacked her lips. “See you soon!”

As a Radian female, I was faster in my bare feet anyway. Our anatomy was not made for shoes, but we shoved our long, suction-tipped toes into heels to be fashionable. While the ferm coursed its way through my system, I sure felt like I was fast, but when I stopped to catch my breath, I realized I hadn’t even made it to the stairs that descended to my room’s deck. Groaning, I took the lift instead, and ignored the family inside with two young ones who squawked incessantly. Rubbing my fingers on my forehead vettes, I ignored the gurgling in my stomach as we descended.

When we got to my deck, I lurched out of the lift and had to brace myself on the wall as I did my best to make it to my room. When my door number appeared in front of me, I crowed in triumph. “See? A little ferm can’t hold me back,” I said out loud.

Running my finger chip over the sensor, I smiled when the door opened with a soft click. I skipped inside, tossed my broken heels onto the floor and walked into the bedroom.

And then I stopped dead.

I didn’t breathe. I didn’t move. Laying twisted among the pleasure sheets was Tauran and a Radian female locked in an embrace. His cock remained locked inside of her suvette as he scrambled to cover himself.

Long scratches marred his back. His vettes, which had been red as fire when I walked in, now blanched a stark white.

“T-Taki,” he gargled out as if he was choking on his own spit. “Hold on, I can—” He wiggled, surely trying to separate himself from the female under him, but her suvette had a tight hold on him. Pulling out now would cause him immeasurable pain.

My head spun. I rubbed my eyes and then opened them again, but the view hadn’t changed. In the pleasure sheets that I’d carefully arranged myself was my future mate with an unknown female. She stared at me in horror and then her big eyes slowly turned to him. “You told me she was your sister.”

My legs buckled and my toes dug into the plush carpet as I struggled to remain upright.

You told me she was your sister.

My behooval, a man who begged me to be his lifelong mate, was a cheater and a liar.

“I hope your meeting went well,” I whispered, the words like ash in my throat.

“Taki!” he cried out as I turned. “Wait!”

I didn’t stay to hear anything else. I didn’t want excuses, because there was no excuse for what Tauran had done.

Not bothering with new shoes, I stumbled out of the door as crashes and wails could be heard from behind me. The female was cursing him out, and in that moment, I could have hugged her. She was as wronged as me.

I wasn’t sure where I wandered when I left my rooms. Everything felt fuzzy. He hadn’t even wanted me on this trip—was it because he had planned to conduct his affair the entire time? I’d had no idea and joined him happily with my best friend. G’ersh had been right about him all along.

My chest felt hollow, and every breath hurt. Somewhere behind me, I could hear the pounding of footsteps, and I swore I heard my name. Was Tauran looking for me? Anger burned red hot in my chest and as something in me cracked with a snap that reverberated in my ears. All I cared about right now was getting away from him. I didn’t want to hear his voice or see his face.

My hands scrabbled along the walls. Where was I? In some deep part of the ship, probably. I swore I could hear the engines, but the walls were slick. Emergency signs pointed ahead, and all I could think was that this was definitely an emergency.

My fingers found a button, and when I pressed it, a door slid open. The footsteps were closer now. I slipped inside the door and whirled around looking for a button to close it. I needed to hide. I couldn’t be found.

A large red button on the wall caught my eye, and I slammed it with my fist. The doors slid closed.

I sank down to the floor, leaned my head against the wall, and closed my eyes. I ignored the rumbling beneath me, and the distant robotic voice mentioning something about detachment occurring after the countdown.

Detachment sounded great…

I might have dozed off, because when I came to, the rumbling was quieter. No more countdown. Stretching my arms over my head, I took in my hiding spot. It’d been dark when I arrived, but now a dim light was on. Scratching my head, I blinked at the screen in front of me and smiled at the pretty view—stars as far as I could see, and a distant meteor belt that shimmered with reflected color. This was a nice channel. I hadn’t seen this in my room. Legs still wobbly from the ferm, I stood up and stepped toward a chair in the center of the small room. Pressing a few buttons, I tried to change the channel, but the view remained the same.

“Hmm,” I muttered. Sinking down into the chair, I blinked at the screen as the tip of a ship could be seen in the distance. I stared at it as it drew farther away until the name along the side caught my attention. “Carnivuw Royale…”

I gasped. Wait, that was the cruise ship I’d been on. I placed my hands on the screen, but my fingers only met a cool glass, like the windows on the ship. With dawning horror, I realized this wasn’t a screen at all. It was a window, and I was on some sort of pod moving farther and farther away from the ship. Alone. In space.

“No,” I whispered in horror.

I began slamming the buttons on the control panel in front of me. “Take me back. Take me back!”

But the pod didn’t change direction. A robotic voice answered my pleas. “Your emergency pod is on autopilot to the nearest planet.”

“Nearest planet?” My chest heaved. “What’s the nearest—?”

The voice came again, cutting off my words. “Planet Xal. Expect landing in three lunar days.”

My heart stopped. My vision went dark. I would have rather watched Tauran cheat on me one hundred times than travel to Xal. Its only inhabitants were the worst criminals in the galaxy, and I was on a collision course for its surface.

CHAPTER 2

032

The ground trembled, and at first I thought it was another prisoner detonating an old explosive, but the sound hadn’t come from the direction of the mines.

I took a sip of water and gazed up at the ceiling of my bunker. A few dust showers landed on my head, and I shook the particles out of my short hair. I listened for the sound of 005 and his goons, who would surely arrive to investigate. That raised the hair on the back of my neck. I’d worked hard to conceal my bunker and if they found it, they’d raid all my supplies and likely beat the shit out of me just for the fun of it. My hand tightened around my water skin, and I growled. I could take 005 alone, but not his whole crew.

Keeping to myself was what kept me alive all these years, but sometimes a little active defense was necessary. After slipping my knives into my belt loops and slinging an empty sack on my back, I rubbed some dirt onto my face and chest to better blend into the ashy surface of Xal. My skin had darkened over time from the sun, but thanks to my human mother, I was still paler than most of the prisoners.

I ascended the ladder of my bunker and carefully rolled back the concealed trap door a few inches to reveal a pale stretch of sky marred only by a smoke trail. I frowned. “What the fuck?” We weren’t due for supplies for a few days, so what had entered our atmosphere?

I almost retreated inside, but curiosity urged me on. Maybe I could find a few supplies from whatever had crashed and then get the fuck out before 005 showed up. I slipped out of my bunker and slid the disguised door shut. After kicking a bunch of ash over it so it didn’t look disturbed, I turned and ran at a low crouch to hide behind the nearest rock.

Xal was a wasteland of a planet. Originally full of lush vegetation, it’d been laid to waste by active volcanoes that had covered the ground in a thick layer of gray-ish green ash. The volcanoes weren’t active anymore and instead were merely craters carved into the ugly surface. Beneath the ash though, this planet still had something to give—old mines full of fraxis that were a powerful currency in the Gwordian galaxy. As life-sentence prisoners on Xal, we mined to fill a quota established by the Radian incarceration board. If we didn’t meet that quota, we didn’t get food. I’d been here in the early days, before any of us learned how to mine, and I knew what it was like for thousands of hardened criminals to go hungry. Those were the darkest of times. There weren’t many of those first prisoners around for a reason.

I peered out over the ashy surface until a thin stream of smoke could be seen in the distance. Squinting, I spotted a silver orb buried in the ground, one side caved in from the collision. I let out a low whistle as I recognized an escape pod. They were designed to locate and land on the nearest planet, but Xal’s atmospheric signal scrambled landing gear controls. I was surprised escaped pods still listed Xal as an option, but then maybe the engineers of these things didn’t quite realize how lawless Xal had gotten.

There were no safe bases here. No guards. No authority. Just a planet of prisoners who fought tooth and nail over every scrap.

Whatever was in that pod surely didn’t survive the landing, but there might be something inside I could scavenge.

I listened for the sound of 005, but I didn’t hear his low voice and the cackle of his gang. They’d be here soon, I was sure, but I was quick and could steal what I wanted before them even knowing I’d been here.

Inhaling deeply, I took off at a fast sprint toward the escape pod. When I approached, I slowed to a brisk jog before finally coming to a slow halt beside the pod, which was about the size of a small car, like pictures I’d seen from Earth. The front of the pod was covered in a dark glass that made it impossible to see inside. Maybe its detachment from its mother vessel was a mistake and there was no one inside, which was a possibility.

The door latch had been damaged in the crash and it took a whole lot of grunting and swearing while I braced my feet on the pod walls and tugged with all my strength before the door popped open. I fell onto the dirt with a curse before hopping to my feet and wiping off my hands.

Now it was time to scavenge. I took a step toward the pod just as one thin brown arm emerged from the opened hatch and slapped the outside of the pod.

Something coughed inside, and then the silver head of a Radian female emerged. She peered at me, all wide, pale blue eyes and bloodied nose. One triangle ear was bent. Suddenly her vettes flashed a distressing white and she let out a terrified screech that immediately had me lunging at her and slapping my hand over her mouth.

Her chest heaved, and she struggled weakly as her throat worked. I realized that I’d covered both her mouth and her nose, as her face was tiny, and I separated my fingers just enough so she could suck in air through her nostrils.

“Do. Not. Scream,” I growled at her. If she did, then 005 was the least of our problems. The entire fucking population of Xal would descend on us like a rushing tide of lava. “Or we’re both dead.”

I couldn’t quite figure out why I was so concerned about a dead Radian female. And by the looks of her, dressed in a flashy gown and adorned in jewelry featuring the very stones I mined with my blood and sweat, this one wasn’t some minor Radian female. She was someone important just like the Radians responsible for sending me to this fucking planet.

I yanked my hand back in disgust as I crouched over her. She trembled from head to toe, but kept her full lips pressed together as she stared at me. Her vettes gave her away, still blanched a nearly translucent white in her terror. Good, she should be afraid of me.

Her hair was a mess, her dress torn, and a cut on her forehead pulsed thick blood. How she survived the crash was impressive.

“Is this—?” her voice was low and raspy and did something to my gut. “Is this Xal?” She spoke Radian, as I had. I was half-Radian after all.

I tapped the prisoner number tattooed onto my chest. “Where else you get these?”

She swallowed and nibbled her bottom lip. “Can you… take me to the guards? Please?” She fumbled with the rings adorning her fingers and tugged one off before trying to shove it into my hand. “I can pay you with this. With any of this.” She gestured to her necklace. “If you help me, I’m sure my father will pay—”

I let the ring fall to the ashy ground. “Jewelry isn’t worth anything here, princess. We barter only in food and flesh.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes dropped to my chest. Her vettes colored a pale pink for just an instant before she jerked her gaze back to my face. Interesting.

“I—” she licked her lips as she stumbled to her feet. I rose with her, towering over her short form. “I don’t have food and—” Her breathing sped up, and she looked seconds away from a panic attack.

Radian females were famously attractive, and I had to say that this one was one of the prettiest I’d ever seen. Frankly, Radian females were born to be fucked and bred. Wide hips, massive tits, and a pussy that milked cock.

Any other prisoner would have had her dress torn off already, but I wasn’t any other prisoner. I didn’t want anything to do with Radians. There were many times I wished I could cut my father’s genes right out of my body. I was what they called a humian, and if I had run into this female any other place in this galaxy, she would have looked down her flat nose at me. I was below her, less than, and while I should have enjoyed the power I had over her in this moment, it mostly just made me sick.

Suddenly a loud whoop rent the air, and I recognized the sound immediately. 005 was on his way. He’d have his gang with him, and what they’d do to this Radian female would have her wishing she’d died in the crash.

I blew out a breath as her panicked gaze swung toward the sound. The ground shook with the pounding of footsteps. “Wh-what’s that?” she whispered.

“The locals,” I muttered. I pushed her aside and rooted around in the escape pod for any supplies I could scavenge. In my sack, I shoved some freeze-dried food, an extra blanket and a few changes of clothes. There were some other things I didn’t have time to study, so I shoved them all in my bag. Glancing at the screen, I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

Now outside of the pod, the female was tying her dress between her legs. Her hands shook so badly that she could barely tie a knot. “What are you doing?” I asked her.

She glanced up, eyes nearly bulging with terror. “Getting ready to run.”

I straightened and stared at her. I had expected her to stand frozen in terror. She looked like she just came from some sort of gala. When was the last time she ran? Radian females weren’t made for defense or sport. They were made to be fucked and carry offspring.

Suddenly her hand lashed out, and then she backed up slowly, one of my knives in her hand. She swung it to me, before whirling around and brandishing it in the direction of the ever-increasing whoops.

She licked her lips and crouched as if preparing to fight, and I’d truly never seen anything so ludicrous in my life. First of all, 005 alone would have been able to knock the knife out of her hand, and second, he would only see it as a way to gain a weapon himself. One he’d use on her. I could only imagine what he’d do to her with it…

“Fuck,” I spat at the ground. All I had to do was keep my head down and survive, but my stupid curiosity had led me to this dumbass female who had no idea what lay for her in a few moments. Still, she was going to fight. Run. Her survival instincts were strong.

And that was what made me turn and smash my fist through the screen on the escape pod. She let out a shriek and pointed the knife at me, but I ignored her as I reached my fingers into the pod’s signal locator and ripped it out of its slot.

“What are you doing?” she shouted. “You broke it.”

“It was already broken, princess,” I muttered. “This thing only goes one way, and that’s down.”

I grabbed her, and she stabbed at me ineffectually with the knife. I snatched it from her easily and slipped it back into my belt before dragging her away from the pod. “Hey!” She clawed at me with manicured hands while digging her heels into the ashy ground. “Let me go.”

I peeled back my lips and snarled at her. “You have two choices. Stay here and meet the pack of violent prisoners about to crest that ridge. Or you can come with me.” I shook her so hard her teeth clacked together. “So, who’s it going to be? Them or me?”

Her vettes once again flashed a dull pink. Blue eyes glowing, silver hair blowing in the breeze and that ridiculous gown billowing around her legs, she swallowed and gave me a defiant little tilt of her chin. “You,” she whispered.

I ignored the way that one word tightened my chest. We sprinted toward my bunker and had just ducked behind a nearby rock when 005 and his crew dotted the skyline as they crested the distance hill.

CHAPTER 3

TAKI

My toes dug into the thick layer of ash as the figures in the distance sped down the hill toward the wreckage of my escape pod. They weren’t quiet either—they hooted and hollered while clanging crude weapons together that they clutched in their meaty fists.

Most were humian. A few were Erushik, which was a warring species that ran on all fours and were known to steal Radian females for breeding. A few of them stopped to beat their hairy chests, and I shuddered.

The humian next to me remained crouched and nearly motionless. Only his eyes moved as he took in the approaching gang of criminals. I didn’t necessarily trust him, but I thought my odds of beating one humian versus a whole crowd were better, so I’d stick with him. For now.

I’d pressed the emergency signal on the pod as it sped toward the ground. Not for my rescue, since I hadn’t expected to survive the impact. I’d only wished to let someone know the location of my smashed body. But somehow, I was alive—bleeding, but alive. And now my hope for that emergency signal was that someone saw it and would send rescue. The humian at my side had smashed the controls so the signal was no longer sending, but it had to have shown up on some radar. Right?

My hair blew around my face and slapped the humian’s mouth. He huffed quietly in annoyance before gathering it into a bundle in his massive hand. His fist rested on my upper back, and the hot weight of it was an odd feeling.

The gang had reached my pod now, and several dove inside to scavenge. The biggest humian—bald with a busy brown beard and 005 tattooed on his chest—reached inside and rubbed at something. He withdrew his fingers and from this distance I could see the dark color of my blood. He sniffed it, and then let out a roar that shook my bones. “Find herrrrr,” he called into the sky, and my stomach cramped while my head spun. “Double the rations for anyone who brings her to me untouched.”

I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped my lips as he wiped my blood on a rag tied to his pants.

“Fuck,” the humian muttered to me, and then grabbed my arm. He tugged me toward another rock where he knelt and swiped his hand over a patch of ash. Suddenly, a hatch peeled back to reveal a hole in the ground. He pointed at it and growled at me. “Go.”

“Go—?”

He didn’t give me time. With a vicious yank that nearly tore my arm out of the socket, he threw me down the hole. I hit the ground with a pained grunt, and then next to my head, thick boots landed in the dirt. Scrambling away until my back hit a wall, I watched as he slid the hatch closed and plunged us into total darkness.

All I could hear was my breathing and then the sound of soft footfalls. Suddenly a light bloomed nearby, and I blinked up to see the humian holding a small lantern with a flickering flame inside.

He stared at me before turning away quickly, his boots kicking up dust. “Fuck,” he spat again, and I pulled my knees to my chest as my body trembled. I rarely heard cursing as it wasn’t proper in the social circles I ran in. But I was a long way from home.

Setting the lantern on a crude table, he dropped to a crouch and tossed his bag on the ground. He rooted around inside before finding a freeze-dried bag of fruit, which he tossed at me. The bag hit my chin and fell to the ground. I stared at it, as I could still taste the expensive meal I’d had with G’ersh in the back of my throat.

“Eat now,” the humian ordered. “Because once you’re hungry, you’re weak.”

Once you’re hungry, you’re weak.

Those words were not part of any life I could understand, but yet here I was, plunged into a whole other world where survival and strength were of importance, not money or social status.

I picked up the bag gingerly and opened it. The freeze-dried fruit tasted like barely edible dust, but I ate them anyway as the humian shoved an entire strip of jerky in his mouth and chewed.

He paid me little mind as he dug through his bag of new treasures, and I took the time to study him in the dim light of this underground bunker. He wore only a pair of worn pants with large pockets on the sides and thick-soled boots that had a few holes. His muscled chest was bare and streaked with ash and dirt. His face carried a bit of stubble along his cheeks and chin while his head was topped with short brown hair. The inmate number on his chest—032—flexed with every movement.

He was massive with broad shoulders and thick muscles. His thighs alone were the size of my torso. Suddenly he stopped and his eyes swung to me. Green orbs assessed me, and fear once again took hold. The fruit tasted sour on the back of my tongue. To a humian male on a planet like this, I was nothing but prey. As a privileged Radian female, I’d only heard stories about how less-fortunate Radian females were treated, but they were exactly that—stories. Tales that felt so detached from my real life.

But I knew most other species viewed Radian females as nothing but bodies to use for pleasure and breeding. Was that why he hid me down here? So he could keep me for his own? My chest heaved, and I knew my vettes were blanched a nearly translucent white in fear.

He snorted in disgust, a reaction I hadn’t expected, before he tossed me a skin of liquid which sloshed when it hit the ground near my hand. “Drink.”

“Wh-why did you bring me down here?” I hated how my voice shook.

“Good question,” he muttered as he began to organize his new finds on a few crates.

“What?”

He stopped and looked at me over his shoulder, lip curled into a snarl. “I don’t know yet. But if I left you up there, 005 and his crew would have torn you apart.”

I shuddered. “A-and what do you plan to do with me?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know yet?”

He flailed his hand with a snort. “It’s not like I had time to formulate a plan. I never expected whatever was in that pod to survive the crash. I heard 005 coming and got you away from them. That was the extent of my thoughts. Happy?”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He continued to stare at me with his intense green eyes, which darkened the longer he looked at me. His fists clenched rhythmically, and his chest rose and fell as he inhaled deeply.

We barter only in food and flesh.

Those were the words he’d said to me, and he’d already taken my food. “Do I—” My mouth went dry as the walls seemed to close in around me. This bunker wasn’t big, and even now I could smell the sweat on his skin. “Do I need to earn my safety with… flesh?”

His nostrils flared, and his full lips parted to reveal white teeth—one front tooth overlapped another—before his lips twisted and he wrinkled his nose. “No thanks, Princess.”

He turned away to give me his back, and I muffled a gasp behind my hand at the deep scars on his skin. I knew what those were from—the Radian Crime Enforcement, or RCE. I counted them and when I reached twenty, my entire body went ice cold. That meant he’d been sentenced to this planet for murder. And not just any murder. He’d killed a Radian female.

My hands shook as I grabbed at the skin of the liquid, and I drank without tasting. I watched his every move from the way he folded the clothes he’d taken from the pod to the care with which he handled the food.

And when he picked up an axe that was nearly as tall as me while rising to his feet, I let out a squeak and scuttled away from him as fast as I could. Was this it? Would he just kill me instead?

He stalked toward me, and I held up my hands. “Please don’t kill me.”

Stopping short, he lowered his thick brown brows with a scowl. “Why the fuck would I hide you from 005 just to kill you?”

Right, that didn’t make sense, but then he was a criminal. “I-I don’t know, but the axe—”

“Has nothing to do with you. I have to work to meet my quota. No quota, no food. Get it, princess? I can tell by looking at you that you likely didn’t have to work a day in your life, right? You just wait for your Radian daddy to hand you off to your Radian mate so you can produce more little Radian shits.”

I swallowed. He was right, I didn’t work, but what right did he have to judge me? And the disdain in his voice raised my hackles so much that I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “You have to work because you’re a criminal and you killed someone.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I pressed my lips together and cowered. What was I thinking antagonizing this humian who held an axe? I must have bumped my head in the crash harder than I thought.

He threw back his head and let out a laugh that was decidedly not amused. “Yeah, princess. You would think everyone here on Xal has been rightfully sentenced. No mistakes. No scapegoats just because some of us are half-Radian.”

I felt off-kilter. What was he trying to say? That the RCE made mistakes or preyed on humians? Or both? “You don’t… you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His thick brows rose. “I don’t know what I’m talking about? Sure, believe that, princess.”

“Stop calling me that!” I hollered at him. “I don’t even know what princess means!”

He blinked at me and then let his head fall back. With his hands braced on his hips, he towered above me, all muscles and humian hormones.

Turning around, he dug into a pocket of his pack. I braced, ready to defend myself if he brought out a weapon, but instead when he straightened, he tossed me a small object which I bobbled in my hands before losing a grip on it. It thunked into the dirt beside me. In the dim light, I couldn’t see what it was.

As I closed my fingers around it, he looked down his nose at me with eyes that had gone decidedly blank and disinterested. “I don’t care what you do. Stay here or go out there and try your chances with everyone else. I have to go work.”

He hopped up the short ladder, slid back the hatch, and left without another word. The lamp flickered in the corner, and I sat in stunned silence wondering what the hell I was thinking yelling at a murderer with a life sentence and nothing to lose.

“Stupid Taki,” I murmured, smacking myself on the forehead. For one moment, I considered leaving too, but then I remembered that gang, the way they’d been nearly bloodthirsty with their weapons, and the way the leader had smelled my blood and wanted me for himself. Gagging, I pressed a hand to my stomach until the nausea passed.

When the nausea passed, the sharp edges of the object clutched in my hand reminded me of its presence. I scrambling closer to the lamplight and unfurled my fist to study what lay in my palm.

I sucked in a breath as I took in the small screen of the escape pod locator. After blowing off the dirt and wiping the small screen, small white dots winked at me, letting me know that the signal locator was in fact on. With this, my signal would be seen by the RCE, and I would also be notified if they sent a rescue crew. No, not if, when. Think positive, Taki.

That prisoner had retrieved this for me. I had assumed my last signal was caught off abruptly after the crash and when he smashed the screen, but instead he’d kept this safe for me. Why would he do that for me?

That proved that 032 was my best bet. If I could stay here until rescue arrived, maybe I’d get out of here alive. Slowly getting to my feet on shaky legs, I glanced around the small bunker. I could start by preparing a meal for when he got off work. He said barter in food and flesh, right? Well then, I was going to do my best to work on the first.

CHAPTER 4

032

I swung my axe into the ashy wall, and moments later, the sparkly tip of a chunk of fraxis shone in the flickering light of the torches. I shifted my body to hide my find from nearby prisoners and casually picked the fraxis out of its hiding spot. I didn’t breathe easy until the chunk was deposited in my marked crate.

The chunky cuff on my ankle buzzed, signaling my bounty had been registered.

The one thing that the RCE did right for us was the system in which we mined fraxis. With no one here to govern, they could have let us fend for ourselves and not cared who collected the fraxis or how we did it. In that case, large gangs like the one led by 005 would have taken the lion’s share for themselves.

But instead, each day, we collected a crate which synced to our ankle bracelets. We had to fill it with our quota, and once the weight of fraxis was registered, it could not be removed—or stolen. We’d learned that the hard way when the entire planet was punished without a week of supplies when a prisoner had stolen fraxis from someone’s crate.

At the end of the day, we placed our crates on the collection pad where they’d be launched to the storage brig outside Xal’s atmosphere. Supplies like food and clothing were sent every three days to a gated location, and if our ankle monitors registered we hadn’t fulfilled our quotas, we couldn’t get inside the gates. If we tried, the monitor would beep three times before it exploded. I’d seen enough prisoners dying slowly with their lower limbs blown off to last me a lifetime. But then… hunger made us desperate.

It was a hard life, and the RCE dangled a possible release from this hell for those who consistently made their quotes. It was the only reason I hadn’t let my ankle monitor end my miserable life early. I’d never actually seen anyone be released, but the hope kept me alive.

Some of the prisoners worked together in gangs, but I preferred to be alone. I’d learned over the years what kind of sediment the fraxis formed best in, and always met my quota. The mines in Xal were vast, and we’d really only covered a tiny fraction of all the fraxis available on this planet.

I dropped another chunk in my crate and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand before taking a drink of water. I’d arrived early and secluded myself in a rarely used tunnel where only a few other prisoners worked. Not many talked to me, as they’d all learned it was fruitless to carry on a conversation when I never responded.

Except for 145, who strode toward me now with a glint in his eye. I clenched my jaw and ignored him, but 145 never cared. A young humian, he seemed to think of me as a mentor or something.

“Did you hear?” he asked excitedly, swinging his crate which was nearly full already.

I didn’t answer, only worked on flaying the wall in front of me with single-minded focus.

Again, 145 didn’t care that I didn’t engage with him. “005 found an escape pod and get this…” He leaned closer, a curl to his lips. “He smelled the blood of a Radian female inside. He thinks she’s here somewhere.”

I picked a hunk of fraxis and dropped it into my crate with a thunk.

“What do you think?” he asked.

I grunted.

“Yeah,” he nodded as if I’d spoken actual words. “The blood was fresh. She has to be here, right?” He whistled. “It’s been so long since I saw a female. And a Radian?” he kissed his fingers. “A gift.”

An ember flared in my gut imagining the female in my bunker. Big blue eyes, long silver hair. Those hips and tits I couldn’t look away from, and that had only angered me more. I hated Radians, especially those from the wealthy families, and the one in my bunker was certainly privileged.

But the thought of 005 getting his hands on her, or 145 ogling her, made me want to punch a wall.

“Thank 005 would keep her?” 145 asked.

“Keep her?” I rasped, and he seemed startled I answered.

He blinked and then nodded. “Yeah, keep her. Instead of using her up quickly.”

Now I wanted to commit murder. I felt my nostrils flare, and my vettes hidden on my outer thighs flashed white hot. I turned away and slammed my axe into the wall so hard that dust went flying. 145 coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. “Watch it, will you?”

I usually didn’t mind 145, but today he spoke so casually about the demise of a female he’d never met that I nearly struck with him my axe. I imagined my mother, a human female, among predators like a pack of humians, and felt my head swell with rage.

“Wherever she is,” 145 said quietly, rubbing his hands together. “I hope 005 doesn’t find her.”

I paused with my axe in the air and swung my head to look at him. His eyes met mine, and then he shrugged as he ran his fingers through his longer, dirty blond hair. “Just saying,” he muttered. “No one deserves what 005 would do to them.”

I lowered my axe, surprised by his words. 145 had led a hard life as the son of a Radian female who’d been raped by a human male. He’d been treated as an outcast and mistake his whole life, mostly by the Radians who should have protected him. His own mother had abandoned him. He hadn’t been speaking casually about the demise of a female. He’d been… concerned. And I’d read him all wrong.

I dropped the axe head to the ground and leaned against the handle. “If she’s alive, her kind will send rescue.”

He squinted at me. “You think?”

I nodded even though I wasn’t sure what to believe. She looked like she came from an important family, but that didn’t mean they’d risk coming to Xal.

He scrunched his lips to the side and nodded. “That’s good, I guess.” With a pat on my shoulder, he turned away. “Good talk.”

I watched his back as he sauntered away, swinging his crate. I didn’t breathe again until he was out of sight, and my body sagged against the wall. The axe handle fell from my slack hand. This entire situation was fucked. Why did her escape pod have to crash near my bunker? Why did I have to investigate? Minding my own business was the first rule in my survival strategy and I’d just broken that rule. And broken it hard.

Needing to get out some frustration, I continued hacking at the wall until my crate was full. After closing it on a hissing seal, I trudged down the tunnel toward the elevator shaft. I rode the lift to the surface and kept my head down as I strode toward the collection plate. Only a familiar voice made me lift my head. 005 and three of his humian crew were talking with a few yiplas who I recognized as his errand boys. He used them for all kinds of things and repaid them in protection, as they were a young and unfortunately a rather defenseless species with soft, thin skin and a short stature.

“No tracks,” the one yipla said. “But not worry. We find.”

005 brought a dirty rag to his nose and inhaled deeply. His eyes fluttered closed, I remembered he’d wiped the Radian female’s blood on the rag. My fist clenched at my side. The sick bastard.

“I know she’s alive. I feel her,” he growled.

I held back an eye roll. No, he didn’t. He was just horny.

“Find her and you’ll be rewarded.” He barked at the yiplas. “Go!”

The little species sped off on their four feet at a gallop. My axe clinked against my belt as I placed my crate on the collection pad, and 005’s head went up. He narrowed his eyes at me, and his nose sniffed the air.

Neither humans nor Radians—the only DNA he carried—had extraordinary senses of smell, but 005 had everyone convinced he could track a scent for miles. He was full of shit, but what did I care if people believed his bullshit?

But I didn’t want his attention. I had a secret passage that led me to my bunker that couldn’t be tracked, but if he tried to have me followed, I’d be in trouble. I turned and walked away even as footsteps approached behind me.

“032!” he shouted in his gruff voice.

I gritted my teeth and pretended I didn’t hear him. He rarely fucked with me since I’d beaten the shit out of him once. It was a private fight and we’d made a tentative truce after that—I wouldn’t tell anyone I bested him as long as he left me alone.

When he called my number again, I whirled on him with my teeth bared. I saw his eyes flash with caution for just a moment as he remembered the pain I’d inflicted on him, but with his crew behind him, he couldn’t show weakness. And to be honest, he’d gotten bigger and meaner since I fought him last. I wasn’t quite sure how another battle would turn out. It depended what I had to fight for.

His bald head shone in the light of the setting sun, and the deep, scarred grooves on his face cast shadows on his weathered skin. He wore a pair of pants and a whole bunch of crude jewelry adorned with bones and other random shit that he thought looked scary and I thought made him look like a Mad Max extra.

He squinted at me. “You hear?”

I only shook my head.

“Escape pod went down. Whoever was on board got away. We’re hunting ‘er down. See anything?”

I shook my head again.

He watched me for a moment, and his nostrils flared. He couldn’t… smell her on me, could he? No, there was no way. She was safe.

With a grunt, he lifted his lips in a snarl. “If you see anything, tell me first or I’ll slit your throat.”

I just glared at him, and after spitting on the ground near my feet, he turned away. I ached to punch him in the face, but it was even more important now that I kept a low profile. So, I turned and made my way down the shaft that would eventually take me to my bunker.

I traveled through small passages, over a spring to disguise my scent—just in case since some of the prisoners here were excellent scent trackers—and finally walked out of a cave entrance on a cliff. After climbing up the cliff, I reached the peak with a grunt before rolling over on the flat ground to catch my breath. This commute sucked. Finally, I dragged my weary bones to the hatch of my bunker. I half expected it to be open, and a pang of regret stabbed at my stomach at the thought of the Radian female stumbling around alone. I should have done a better job to reassure her I wouldn’t hurt her, but it’d been so long since I’d shown kindness, I wasn’t sure how to do it anymore.

But the hatch remained undisturbed. And when I slid it back and dropped down to the ground with a crouch, the scent of hot food hit me like a slap. I slid the bunker hatch closed and turned to find the Radian female standing over a small fire stirring something in my pot.

I stared at her as she blinked up at me with blue eyes. “Hello,” she said softly as she held out a spoon toward me. “Want to taste? Might need more salt.”

I stood frozen, confused by what I was seeing. I didn’t often start a fire in my bunker, mostly because I never felt like expending the energy, but I did have the bunker vented so that the smoke of the fire mingled with some steam vents left over from the active volcanic days. Couldn’t have a random hole in the ground releasing smoke. That was one way to get found out.

After I got over the shock, I took a moment to begrudgingly admire her resourcefulness at finding the supplies to start and fire and actually… doing it. I’d expected her to be much more helpless. Maybe even a little stupid.

She cocked her head. “Aren’t you hungry?”

I was starving, so much that my stomach was nearly concave at this point. She stepped toward me and lifted the spoon to my mouth. A bit of the liquid teetered over the edge and a few drops slid down her arm. I watched them fall off the angle of her elbow before my eyes met hers. She offered me a tentative smile.

I couldn’t believe she was here. I’d expected her to be gone now that I’d given her the signal locator. That was all she needed, as it would notify her when a crew was sent and where they’d pick her up. So, I’d assumed she might have even received a signal by now, or at least thought hiding on her own was preferable to being stuck underground with me. But instead, she was here, standing over something that smelled fucking delicious.

Still, I was distrustful by nature. “Are you poisoning me?”

She let out a weary huff and shoved the spoon in her mouth. Swallowing, she let out a small gasp. “Not poison, happy?”

After dipping the spoon in the pot, she held it up to my mouth. “Can we try this again? I’m just trying to do something nice for you since you saved me from that gang and gave me the signal locator.”

I leaned forward and sipped the broth off the spoon. Flavor exploded on my tastebuds. How the hell had she made something that tasted this good with what I had on hand? The soup bubbled away, chunks of… something floating in there. But whatever it was, it tasted damn good.

I grabbed the spoon from her and crouched at the pot before ladling more of the soup swimming with chunks of protein and reheated vegetables into my mouth. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I hadn’t had anything like this in… years. So many years. In fact, maybe my entire life. And the only thing that brought me to a halt was realizing that I couldn’t eat the whole thing. It’d just been so long, and I was always so damn hungry. I forced myself to let the ladle clatter back into the bowl and fell back against the wall.

“You eat the rest,” I grunted, knowing I had soup stuck to my beard whiskers but not enough energy to clean myself up. “Sorry, I—got carried away.”

But she didn’t yell, or glare. In fact, she stood smiling, almost triumphantly. “You like it?”

“Best I’ve ever had,” I murmured through half-open eyes.

She crowed a little sound that made my heart pound. “You said the only things to barter in here are food and flesh. Well,” she spread her arms wide. “I’ll barter with food. Keep me alive, and I’ll keep you fed.”

CHAPTER 5

TAKI

Was I completely terrified of being in closed quarters with this humian murderer? Yes. Was I also willing to fight for survival the only way I could? Absolutely. I had dug through his stash of food and figured I was going to succeed or die trying. Luckily, the humian was satisfied with my meal. While he was packed with muscle, it was also evident the male was on the lean side. His veins were prominent, and I could count his ribs. He likely ate to maintain mass as much as he could.

“So, what do you, um, do for work?” I asked, as if this was a casual dinner with my father’s associates. I cringed at my conversation topic, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to be nice.

“Don’t,” he answered in a low, threatening tone.

Okay, so apparently it could hurt to be nice. I clamped my lips shut. I had been going to offer for him to finish the pot of food, but since he was going to be a nasty curmudgeon, I’d eat the rest.

I crouched near the pot and ate carefully, cringing a little at sharing a bowl and utensil, but this bunker was clearly made for one. And not a plus one.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I glanced up just in time to see he’d been watching me with one eye. He quickly shut it and went still.

I ate the rest of the food without him watching me, and then cleaned the pot in a nearby basin of water. Then I… well, I hoped it wasn’t murder time. I curled up in a corner with my skirt still tied between my legs and hugged my knees to my chest. My toes wiggled in the dirt, and I remembered how I never even had a chance to change my shoes. That was all I’d wanted to do. Change shoes because of that stupid broken heel. And that one decision had changed my entire life.

“Will anyone come for you?”

His voice crackled in the dim light, and I startled with a yelp. He hadn’t moved, only opened his eyes and leveled that dark green gaze on me. I nibbled the inside of my cheek and nodded. “I think so. Thanks to you, my signal is still sending.”

“No word yet then?”

The screen had remained frustratingly stagnant. “Not yet.”

He took a deep breath and seemed reluctant when he spoke the next words. “What happened? Meteor collision?”

Well, this was embarrassing. No, of course there was no story about how I gallantly saved my own life. “I, uh, accidentally stumbled into the escape pod on a pleasure space cruise and it deployed.”

His eyes widened for just a moment, and I swore his shoulders hitched with a… laugh? Then his expression darkened. “You’re fucking with me,” he growled, clearly offended.

“I truly wish I was fucking with you or had the mental energy to spin a fantastical story, but no. I had too many glasses of ferm, caught my fiancé cheating on me, and ran away to hide. In an escape pod. And then I launched it.” I could feel my vettes flashing green with embarrassment.

“You’re really not fucking with me,” he murmured, almost to himself.

It was a little surreal to me that I was having a semi-normal conversation with a Radian killer on Xal, but then life was weird. “I’m not.”

He snorted and rubbed his forehead. “I’m guessing you’re from a family who will come for you.”

I swallowed. “My father is the grandmaster of the largest export company in the galaxy.”

He barked out a wry sound so sudden that I flinched. “Of course, he is. Don’t tell me I can’t call you princess.”

“I just don’t know what it means,” I muttered.

“Old Earth royalty,” he said in a low tone that was almost soft. “Female offspring of a king, who ruled above all. Pampered and prized.”

Pampered and prized. I was both of those. At least, I thought I was. “Not so pampered and prized right now, am I?”

“That’s because I don’t give a fuck who your father is.”

“My fiancé did.”

“And he sounds like a fucking loser.”

“You curse a lot.”

His eyes bugged out. “Live my life for just one hour, princess, and you won’t know anything but a curse.”

“Your bunker is okay.” I ran my hand along the wall, which had been dug out and smoothed over. There was even a small bed pallet in the corner.

He watched me carefully before he spoke. “It’s not easy getting here from the mines, and if it was ever found out, it’d be raided. But sure, it’s not so bad. Better than I had sometimes as a kid.” A shadow crossed over his face, and he shifted as if uncomfortable before grunting. “I’m going to sleep.”

And then he just… closed his eyes. Right there. Sitting against the dirty wall, still covered in dirt and sweat, his breathing evened out before I could say the Radian alphabet.

He had a bed pallet within reaching distance with a relatively clean pad and a blanket full of holes, but he hadn’t made a move to use it. I hesitated a moment, watching him as he slept, before slowly creeping toward the pallet. I’d been warm while cooking but now that the fire was out, the cool air of the planet was seeping through my skin.

I crawled toward the bed pallet and curled up on the pad as far away from him as I could get. The blanket didn’t offer much warmth, but it at least took away the chill. The lantern was still lit, and the flickering highlighted the deep shadows on the humian’s face. Etched into every groove of his tan skin was the weight of fatigue. Braced on his bent knees, his large hands hung limply, covered in cuts, dried blood, blisters, and thick white circles of skin.

I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was a killer. Sentences to Xal were almost always for a lifetime, so he likely had nothing to lose in hurting me. Did he expect a reward if he kept me alive?

I thought about how G’ersh had wanted to see a humian male naked on the stage and now I had one in front of me, shirtless. Radian males valued modesty. Tauran and I had never mated, as we’d planned to wait until after our ceremony, so the only time I’d seen him naked was when I’d caught him cheating on me. I clenched my teeth, but couldn’t summon up much rage, as I was too drained.

If Tauran and I were in this bunker, would he have saved some of the soup or would he have eaten it all? Would he have claimed the bed pallet for himself or allowed me to use it?

I was crazy for comparing them, wasn’t I? But I couldn’t seem to shake the idea that I’d had the wrong impression about humians… and this humian in particular. He didn’t seem like a killer. He was the opposite in a way—my rescuer.

“Stop, Taki,” I whispered to myself. “He probably just wants a reward or sentence reduction.”

I closed my eyes, and it didn’t take long until I, too, fell asleep.

032

I entered the gate to the supply drop and my ankle monitor buzzed. I had one minute to gather my rations before the fucking thing began shocking me with an increasing voltage of electricity until I got out or my heart stopped.

Today was supply day, which meant that the monitored building was stocked. We all had a set amount of rations we could obtain based on a point system. Water was five points, meat jerky was two per stick, and so on. As always, fights had already broken out for the more popular food items. I ignored the shouts and sounds of fists hitting flesh as I grabbed what I thought the female could use for our meals, and what she needed for herself. I chose a pair of small boots that I hid under an extra blanket so the other prisoners wouldn’t see and question, and a thick hat to keep her head warm. I had a decent supply of food, and even though my bunker now fed two people, the female had found a way to make a lot of my food last longer. So, I took some of the less popular food to avoid the fights and replenish some of my stock. I shoved everything into my bag and strapped it to my back.

I headed for the last item, one I rarely ever bothered with, but I figured the female would like. Near the hygiene shelf, 005 had 145 cornered with a dirty hand wrapped around his throat. Supplies littered the floor. 005’s crew wasn’t nearby for once, and despite my precious situation—carrying supplies that would raise questions—I aimed a kick at the side of 005’s knee. He toppled to the side with a pained cry before whirling on me. 145 stared at me and nodded a quick thanks. I jerked my head to the side in an order for him to flee. After gathering his supplies off the floor in a messy bundle in his arms, he took off.

005 rose with revenge in his eyes. “You have a death wish 032?”

His eyes gleamed as he took in the pack on my back. “What you got in there? Anything good? It’s not yours until you leave this building.”

He cracked his neck as if gearing up for a fight to take my supplies, and I narrowed my eyes. “You wanna do this here? Really?”

Some of the other prisoners had abandoned the shelves and instead were intent on watching whatever showdown they thought they’d get to witness.

“That was a long time ago, 032,” he hissed.

“You think I’m weaker now?”

“I might be stronger.”

I shrugged. “I doubt it.” I changed the subject. Or tried to. “What are you doing near the hygiene shelf? Didn’t think you liked getting clean since it messes with that amazing nose of yours.”

He grabbed a bar of soap with one hand and a handful of his junk in his pants with the other. “Plan on using this soon so I want to be ready.” His tongue snaked out, long and discolored. “I can smell her. I know she’s alive. And I’ll be breeding that bitch till I die. I already rule this planet. If I have a cunt to barter with? I’ll be king.”

My blood boiled, my heart pounded, and I could feel the incessant fiery burn of my vettes on my outer thighs as I resisted the urge to crush 005’s head. I needed to get away from him before I blew everything. I grabbed a bar of soap off the shelf and forced myself to say, “Guess I better get clean then too. Might want some of that cunt myself.”

He barked out a laugh as I strode away. “Can’t wait to hear you beg me for a taste of what’s mine.”

I seethed the entire way to my bunker, which took forever since I had to disguise my route back. By the time I threw back the hatch, I wanted to crawl out of my skin

I dropped down to the floor of my bunker to see the female sitting on the floor with my spare pair of pants in her hands and a bone needle in her mouth. She glanced up at me with her wide blue eyes and offered a small smile. At the sight of her, the tension eased from my shoulders.

With a snap of her wrists, she shook out the pants and pointed to a patch at the knee. “These should hold for a while. I’m good with stitches.”

This was what I’d come home to now for three days. I dragged my weary ass home in the dark, dropped down into my bunker, and found that the female had been busy. She prepared food. She mended my blanket, arranged my supplies in some order I was still learning, and now she was fixing my pants. I should have barked at her and told her to leave my shit alone, but she always seemed so damn proud of herself.

I should never have told her that we only bartered in food and flesh. It had been an off-the-cuff comment, more of a remark to explain to her that her status was no good here. But she’d taken it seriously, like she was actively fighting for her survival by feeding me soup. I’d already decided I wouldn’t abandon her, and I’d do everything I could to keep her alive. But since I really liked her soup, I let her believe what she wanted to believe.

She no longer cowered in front of me. She offered me smiles. I hated to admit it, but I was starting to look forward to them. Which was stupid. She wouldn’t be here forever. Someone would find my bunker and take her. Someone would come rescue her. This peace would not last.

But today… today was the day I looked forward to the most… if looking forward to something was actually a thing on Xal.

Despite the fact I’d worked all day to my daily quote of fraxis, I was amped up from my run-in with 005. The thought of him getting his hands on this female and her smiled dissolving into tears of fear and pain made me seethe.

The female must have sensed my anger, because her eyes went wide, and she hurried over to where I stored my food. “Sorry, sorry,” she murmured quickly, voice shaking. “I lost track of time down here, you know? I’ll have your meal ready in a moment.”

I picked up the mended pants that lay on the ground and ran my fingers over the neat, even stitches. Knowing the female’s background, I was surprised she had some domestic skills.

“How do you know how to do these things?” I heard myself ask. I didn’t want to be curious about her, but I was.

Her movements stilled, and when she glanced over her shoulder, her expression was pleasant, as if eased I was making conversation rather than tossing her out.

“My mother died shortly after I was born, and our human housekeeper was the only mother I knew. I wanted to be like her, so I followed her around and asked to learn her skills.”

Rubbing the soreness out of the back of my neck, I sat on the ground near where she was assembling hard crackers smeared with different protein pastes. “I see.”

She handed me a stack of crackers, and I shoved one in my mouth whole. The flavor surprised me. How did she manage to make my bland rations taste like this?

Crouching next to me, she nibbled on one herself and motioned to the bag at my side. “What’s in there?”

“Supply day.”

“Oh!” She brightened and reached for the bag before hesitating. “Can I … look?”

Most of it was for her, so I nodded, my mouth full of dry crackers. As I snagged a water skin and took a few deep gulps, she rummaged through the bag. Small noises of pleasure rumbled from her throat, and I tried not to focus on the pink flush of her vettes. When she pulled out the boots and pants, she studied them, her big eyes flitting from my feet to the smaller boots. “Are these—?”

“Yours,” I grunted.

“You got me shoes?”

“Lots of sharp rocks hidden in the ash.”

Her lips parted and a soft gasp escaped them. Her vettes reddened as she murmured in a husky voice, “Thank you.”

No one had ever looked at me like I was a hero, and I felt the way this Radian female blinked at me reverently down to my bones.

“Put ‘em on,” I grunted, breaking our stare as I shoved the last cracker in my mouth.

There was some scuttling in the dirt, and then a booted toe knocked into my feet. “They fit,” she murmured, and when I glanced up, her smile nearly stopped my heart.

I grunted, my skin tight as an uncomfortable ache started in my groin. I swallowed and drank more water, trying to down out these thoughts and feelings that I couldn’t get away from.

“What’s this?” She held up the soap, and I knew I had to get out of this bunker.

Snatching it from her, I stood. “Come with me.”

She rose cautiously. She’d altered her dress so that the skirt was now a wide-leg pair of pants. The sparkly material shone in the lantern light. “Come where?”

“Bathing day.”

The wariness dropped from her face as she took an excited step forward. “What? Are you serious?” Her long-fingered hands clapped over her mouth. “Wait, where do we go? Will we be seen?”

“Why would I take you somewhere that you could be seen?” I groused at her.

Instead of frowning or wincing at my tone, she smiled. Fucking smiled. I’d lost my edge. “Right. I guess you wouldn’t do that, would you?”

“No,” I snapped, irritated she’d questioned my judgement. “That’s why we’re going so late. No one bathes now.”

“But us.”

“But us.”

“Thank you,” she clapped her hands together. “I didn’t want to waste your water.”

“There are several underground reservoirs heated by residual lava pools. The one I’m taking you to is far enough from the mines that as far as I know, I’m the only one who has gone there. But there’s still some danger. So, listen to me and stick close.”

She nodded, clearly eager to wash. After stuffing the soap and some supplies—plus a weapon—into a bag, I slung it over my shoulder and led her above ground. The sun had set, and the only light was the distant twinkle of stars. The female stood so close to me that I felt the heat of her breath on my bare back.

“I-I can’t see,” she whispered.

I grasped her wrist and tugged her along behind me. “I know the way. Just keep walking.”

By the time we reached the mouth of the cave, the female was panting, and her arm trembled in my grip. Once the tunnel narrowed, the ground began its steep decline, which I was aware of, but it took the female off-guard. With a little squeak, she slid into me until her front was plastered to my back. Her hands clasped my waist to keep her balance, and her hair tickled my skin.

“Sorry,” I murmured. “Just go slow.”

I heard a gulp in answer.

Only when we were sufficiently enclosed in the cave did I light the torch I’d brought. I glanced at the female, who gazed around us with wide eyes nearly taking up her whole face.

The tunnel widened and the torch lit up the smooth cave walls of a small cavern while the flames reflected in the pool of water in the center. Steam fluttered off the surface, and the female let out a gasp. “Oh!”

“It’s not the luxury you’re used to,” I said. “But it’s clean.”

She didn’t seem to even listen to my words. Forgetting her fear, she skipped ahead of me and crouched at the edge of the pool. Dipping her long fingers below the surface, she turned and shot me a smile over her shoulder. “It’s so warm!”

I slotted the torch into a holder I’d long ago built into the wall. “We have to be quick.” While the water was warm and clean, bathing was when I was most vulnerable, so I was accustomed to bathing as fast as I could. So, I didn’t think a thing of toeing off my boots, stripping off my socks, and shucking my pants. Nude, I strode towards the pool, and only stopped when the female let out a surprised gasp and nearly tumbled into the water. Grabbing for her hand before she went under, I tugged her upright. The momentum caused her body to slam into mine.

Her free hand settled on my shoulder, right below my neck. And my cock took notice as well as the vettes on my outer thighs as they heated with lust. Despite my best efforts not to see this Radian as… Well, a breedable female, my body had a mind of its own. The Radian side of me growled to throw her down and conquer her, to fill her with my seed until she was round and ripe with my offspring. The human side of me rejected everything she stood for.

Turned out my cock was full of Radian blood as it pulsed against her stomach like a hot brand. My head swam, and I was about to push her away with the last good sense I had when the red flash of her vettes froze me in place.

CHAPTER 6

TAKI

Everything I’d heard about Radian males was true, but at the same time those rumors didn’t do this male justice. At all.

His cock jutted out from a nest of dark hair between his thick thighs to poke me in the stomach. The swollen purple head glistened with a drop of clear liquid that nearly had me falling to my knees. And that fucking terrified me. Submission was only a trait in Radian females when our vettes recognized a dominant male, one who would create strong offspring and be capable of defending the family.

I’d felt the slight stirring of my vettes before this around the humian, but I’d passed them off as confusion. This couldn’t be happening here. Not now.

The vettes on my arms and inner thighs burned, and I didn’t even know this humian’s name. There’d been this unspoken decision to remain wary of each other, like what we had was strictly a barter system, but my body hadn’t agreed on that.

My mouth went dry. I wasn’t sure if he could smell my arousal like a full-blood Radian male could, but my question was answered when his nostrils flared and his pupils dilated, turning his eyes nearly black in the low light.

I shouldn’t want this male, not in any lifetime, but I couldn’t control my body’s reactions. For Radian females, our vettes choosing our mates was a dream, as it meant the male was compatible and right for us. This humian was strong, capable, and would surely create healthy offspring.

There was just the little fact that he was a murderer. The thought that flitted through my mind must have somehow displayed on my face, because he reacted quickly.

With a snarl, he shoved me away and turned on his heel to dive into the water headfirst. I stumbled, falling to one knee before I stood again on shaky limbs. He surfaced with a flick of his head. His eyes had gone a dull matte black. “Bodies are just bodies. Ignore them and bathe quickly.”

Those words stung. The entire situation stung. This was supposed to be a time of joy in my life, an event that happened for one in every hundred Radian females, but this male had not only rejected me, but rejected the honored vette choice.

With shaking hands, I dropped my clothes. The humian wasn’t even looking, as he’d begun running the soap bar over his arms and into his hair. When I stood naked at the edge of the pool, ready to enter, his eyes finally landed on me. His movements stilled, and from below the surface of the water, I could see his vettes glowing a bright red again.

He could spout whatever words he wanted, but his body recognized me. I slipped into the water, gasping a little when the water seeped into some of my cuts. The humian drifted closer and dropped the soap in my hand. Our fingertips brushed, and I didn’t miss the way he shivered.

I tried to concentrate on bathing, but my body had other ideas as it prepared for mating. I could feel my hips widen properly to take cock, and my four breasts swelled while my nipples hardened to stiff peaks. The heat of my vettes was becoming uncomfortable. I could handle that, but the aching need in my lower stomach was not subsiding. My breath came in sharp pants, and I knew I wasn’t the only one. The humian gripped the edge of the pool nearby, his knuckles nearly white. His jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding together.

“Maybe,” I whispered while rinsing the soap from my hair. “Maybe we should—”

“No,” he gritted out.

“But—”

“This won’t kill us. It will pass.”

I wasn’t sure if he knew much about Radian females. It would pass, but it would be a very painful and uncomfortable passing unless he bred me.

Turning away, I let out a small moan that ended abruptly in a sob. I couldn’t get a handle on my emotions. I didn’t want him. I did want him. I was angry with his rejection. I was glad he rejected me. We shouldn’t rush into this. And what if one of us slipped during mating and bound our vettes? That would be dire.

Hauling myself out of the water, I took one step toward my clothes when a strange sound drew my attention. Clutching my clothes to my wet body, I straightened to find an unfamiliar pair of yellow eyes staring at me from the entrance of the tunnel.

The figure stepped further into the silent, his eerie eyes widening as he took me in. “Fuck me,” he muttered before his mouth stretched into a grin that revealed broken and missing teeth. He was part human and something else. I couldn’t tell in the dim light. My heart pounded and I couldn’t seem to make my muscles move. “Never been lucky before, but I’m lucky now.” He threw back his head with a cackle. “Let’s go meet 005, female.”

When the yellow-eyed human dropped into a crouch and bared his fangs, I sucked in a breath as the fur on his arms sprouted.

“Part wolpert,” I whispered.

He reached for me, and I took a stumbling step back with a cry. Before the wolpert hybrid could get a hand on me, the pool to my left seemed to erupt. In a cascade of water, my humian rescuer emerged from the surface in a mighty upward surge.

The wolpert immediately turned his attention onto the attacker, yellow eyes bulging as he hissed in a raspy growl, “032.”

Naked, the humian kicked the wolpert square in the jaw before sliding to a hip near our bags. The wolpert let out a snarl as he shook his head and then lashed out a clawed hand to catch the humian in the ribs.

I shouted in alarm as bright red blood spurted from the humian’s skin, but he ignored me as he raised his arm. Metal glinted in the flickering torchlight, and he swung his arm viciously toward the wolpert. The beast dodged the blow, just barely, so the blade sliced into his shoulder rather than plunge into his neck.

He let out a roar which the humian answered with one of his own. Bleeding, the humian went into a crouch with one foot forward and the other one braced behind him.

“005 will flay you alive.” The wolpert shook his furred shoulder and snapped his jaws.

The humian didn’t answer and instead lunged forward with a quick jab of his blade. He caught the wolpert in the face, and fresh blood bloomed on his nose. After that, the wolpert pounced, and I let out a scream as the two collided. The humian landed on his back near the edge of the water, with a bone-crunching thud. A sob left my throat as I searched for a weapon of my own, but all I had were my clothes. There wasn’t even a stick.

The two were trading blows—the humian thrashed with his knife and fists, while the wolpert slashed with teeth and claws. Blood arced through the air, and I couldn’t determine who was winning. Suddenly the humian kicked his legs up, tossing the wolpert into the water. He hit with a splash, and a moment later, the humian dove after him.

I crawled to the edge of the water and peered down, but I could only make out blurred shapes twisting and writhing below the surface. Dark liquid stained the water, and self-preservation kicked in. If the wolpert killed the humian… I couldn’t be here. I had to hide. But I couldn’t make myself leave the humian alone. He was in this mess because of me.

Suddenly the shapes went still, and I held my breath, arms aching as I braced myself above the surface. Something moved slowly, a lanky form that I couldn’t make out in the dark light. A head broke the surface, and I scuttled back until the green eyes of the humian met mine. His hands flailed as he sought purchase on the bank of the pool.

“It’s you,” I whispered as I ran to him. I grabbed his arm and tugged, and he grunted as he managed to get his hands on solid ground and pulled himself out of the water.

I gasped as I took stock of his body. I couldn’t be sure where he was bleeding because as the water sluiced from his body, blood seemed to seep from… everywhere. He fell on his face with a moan, and I rushed to his side to try to help him to his feet. He stumbled, muttering words I couldn’t make out. I held my ear to his lips.

“Bunker,” he whispered.

I grabbed the bag and our clothes. Together, we stumbled into the tunnel on our way back to the bunker.

I wasn’t quite sure how we made it back. I managed to pull on some pants, a shirt, and slipped into my boots. I also tugged the humian’s boots on his feet to protect his soles, but getting him into any other clothes was low priority.

He walked on his own for a few steps, and then would wobble, forcing me to hold most of his weight. That was the way of it up the tunnel, out of the mouth of the cave, and then as we fumbled our way in the dark back to the bumper.

His head hung low, dark hair dripping into his eyes, but he managed to direct us back to his bunker based on landmarks and the star pattern above us.

By the time we reached the hatch, my muscles ached, my lungs burned, and I couldn’t figure out if I was wet from water or the humian’s blood.

I tried to get him in the bunker delicately, but he ended up falling most of the way with a low, pained moan.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whispered hurriedly as I slid that hatch closed. I fumbled about in the dark until I lit the lantern and then immediately rushed to the humian’s side.

Blood. Blood was everywhere—in his hair, his eyes, and staining his teeth. “You can’t die,” I murmured as I ripped apart the old blanket that I’d recently mended. It was good he’d retrieved a new one. “Please. Don’t leave me alone here.”

This was my fault. He wouldn’t have had to fight that wolpert if it wasn’t for me. If I hadn’t had so much ferm, if I hadn’t fled from Tauran, if I hadn’t stumbled on that stupid escape pod… then this humian wouldn’t be bleeding out of dozens of cuts.

After soaking the cloth strips in a disinfectant I’d found among his supplies, I cleaned his injuries and then focused my attention on the worst ones—a large gash on his thigh, his ribs, and a cut above his temple.

Still naked, he lay on the bed pad breathing shallowly. His eyes fluttered open occasionally, as he fought to remain conscious.

“Just rest,” I murmured as I wrapped his thigh in a thick strip of blanket to stem the bleeding. My hand brushed the soft sacks between his legs, and he jerked at the touch. “Sorry,” I murmured again.

I tied another strip around his head and then held a large square to his ribs. Luckily, that cut no longer pulsed blood but instead trickled slowly.

With one hand on his ribs, I fell back onto my butt near his hip and swiped my hair out of my eyes. When I turned to look at him, his eyes were half-open watching me.

“Do you need something?” I asked. “Water?”

He licked his lips and then gave me a little nod. I held a skin to his lips, and he took a few gulps with a wince. His eyes were bright, skin flushed, and he seemed a little out of it.

“Do you want something to eat—?”

“Never killed anyone before I came here,” he said in a low rasp. Confused, I went still as the scars on his back were punishment for killing a Radian. He snorted and covered his eyes with a forearm. “That wolpert… was my first kill.”

My heart pounded, and my fingers curled where I held the bandage to his ribs. He let out a little grunt and peeked at me with bright eyes from beneath his arm. “You don’t believe me, do you?” Snorting, he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

I didn’t want to believe him. I didn’t want to think that this humian had been sentenced to this life unjustly, but I also couldn’t find a reason why he’d lie. He hadn’t hurt me. He’d defended me. He’d killed for me. And on top of that… I trusted my vettes. They wouldn’t react to a male not worthy.

“What’s your name?” I asked softly as I pulled his arm away from his eyes and brushed his hair off his forehead.

He peered up at me, face slack with exhaustion. “Zanner.”

“I’m Taki.”

He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but his eyelashes began to flutter closed.

“Sleep,” I whispered. “I’ll be here when you wake.”

He shook his head, but I couldn’t ask why, because in the next moment, he was asleep.

CHAPTER 7

ZANNER

The lashes whipped my back, flaying the skin to pieces. I bit down on the wooden stick in my mouth, refusing to cry out or make a single sound. I kept my gaze on Huki Carruxic, the fucking Radian who set me up to take the fall of his crime. He sat watching my punishment with no remorse. I was just some humian after all, some low life who didn’t matter. What did he care if I was marked for life and sent to work on Xal?

The lash hit my back again, like a fire brand, and I closed my eyes, vowing to never again trust another living soul.

A cry reached my ears, an unfamiliar sound that didn’t belong here. Arms tugged me, a softness pressed against my face, and then the fire was gone. The pain was merely a dull ache, and the only sound I could hear was a pleasant tinkling, like the wind chimes my mother had made out of old cans.

I blinked my eyes open, but my vision was blurry. All I saw was a pair of bright blue eyes and a full mouth set in a brown face. Something glowed a warm red. When a cool, wet strip of cloth landed on my forehead, I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes.

The next time I woke, my sight was clear. I blinked at the ceiling of my bunker as I tried to sort out what happened. Pieces of the last day or so filtered through my mind like gray clouds.

When I frowned, something tugged on my forehead, and I prodded the skin there, which was scabbed. My fingers came away topped with flakes of dried blood.

A hand swatted mine, and I jerked to find the female looming over me. She had a piece of substitute meat jerky sticking out of the corner of her mouth. Strands of her hair tickled my face.

She touched the cut on my forehead and then peeled away a bandage at my ribs. I glanced down to see a nasty cut there, and memories of the fight with the wolpert came rushing back like a wave. His claws had torn into my flesh, and I could still feel the hot blood dripping down my legs.

The female’s touches were light, caring, and I swallowed as the earlier memories—the ones before the wolpert showed up—also reared up in my mind. The flashes of her vettes and the warmth of her body pressed against mine.

My cock remembered, and despite my injuries, the shaft thickened against my thigh.

“That’s healing. Let’s check out your thigh,” she murmured and lifted the edge of the blanket around my waist.

Alarmed that I was naked below the blanket, I grabbed her wrist. She squeaked and shot me a surprised look. “I’m fine,” he muttered.

“I should check—”

“I’ll heal.” I said through gritted teeth.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I swore she muttered, “stubborn,” under her breath. She twisted her wrist until I let go. My muscles seemed to protest the small action of grabbing her as my arm flopped back at my side. With a groan, I lifted my hand to my head. This was a fucking disaster. If I didn’t show up to work my shift…

005 would know. He would know.

The female—she said her name was Taki—fetched some water and food for me, but when I tried to sit up, my body wouldn’t cooperate. I wanted to scream out my frustration. When Taki placed her hand behind my back to help me, I resented the action greatly.

“I can do it myself,” I snapped.

“Sure you can,” she said with a pointed look. I’d killed someone in front of her, and yet she was no longer afraid of me.

I grumbled but let her help me. After eating and drinking, I lay back down. I wanted to stand and start getting my strength back, but I didn’t want to risk reopening the wound in my thigh, which was deep and still weeping blood.

Taki sat beside me with her legs curled under her, munching on some hard crackers. I tried not to think about what she’d looked like naked, but that was impossible, especially as her vettes continued to glow a soft blush.

“Why didn’t you leave me?” I asked.

Her head shot up, and her big eyes blinked as her ears wiggled. “Leave you? In the cave?”

I nodded.

“Why would I do that?” She sounded annoyed. “You couldn’t walk back on your own.”

“I slowed you down. You might have been caught trying to help me.”

She fidgeted with the edges of her torn clothing. “Then I guess I would have been caught. I couldn’t leave you. Not after all you’ve done for me.” Her eyes shown. “Not after you killed for me.”

I now remembered snippets of my dazed confession, and an embarrassed heat slid up my spine. What else had I told her?

“I’m sorry,” she continued. “I’m sorry that you were in that position because of me. The wolpert would have left you alone if I wasn’t there, right?” I didn’t answer, which was all the answer she needed. Her face fell as she nodded. “Thought so.” Her hand settled on my arm. “Thank you for defending me.”

As I was battling the wolpert, I thought it was the last time I’d see the female. Surely, she would leave to save herself. Or now consider me terrifying after I’d killed someone. But she’d had neither of her reactions. Instead, she was thanking me.

I’d expected a pampered female when she’d tried to sell me her jewelry, but she’d proved to be capable of fighting for her survival, in her own way, all while maintaining a conscience and some inner morals. I hadn’t thought there was a place on Xal for any of that.

Her hand slid up my arm, and her vettes glowed a deep red. I knew what that color meant. I’d tried to ignore every time her vettes changed color and had been in denial about the way the vettes on my thighs and hips burned. This couldn’t be right. I would never be a choice for a Radian female. Bonding her to me … was cruelty.

But fuck, her eyes glowed as her fingers tapped up my chest to curl around my neck. Her long nails tickled my hair, and I felt my Radian blood flare in desire.

“Taki,” I forced myself to say her name, which was maybe the wrong choice, because a soft gasp of delight escaped her lips. “We cannot.”

Her vettes dulled, and I expected her to turn away at my words like she did in the cave, but she then her chin jutted out. “I trust my vettes.”

“This planet might be messing with them—”

“My body is correct,” she whispered, and her voice had deepened to a husky tone that gripped my balls in a vise. “I have chosen you. Do you not want me?”

Despite my fucked-up life, I did want her. And not just because she was a beautiful Radian female and my vettes ached to feel her legs around me, but because she’d awoken something in me that I long thought dead.

Ignoring the twinge of my injuries, I surged up to reverse our positions. She let out a gasp as her back hit the sleeping pad, but she didn’t resist at all. Her body went slack in my grip, and she arched that slender neck I so desperately wanted to mark.

We could do this. We didn’t have to complete the bond, but we could ease the ache in our bodies and settle our blood for a little while. She’d leave me soon, and that was the way it should be.

“Zanner,” she whispered.

I hadn’t heard my name for five years. I couldn’t remember the last person who’d even said it. I’d been 032 for so long that I had nearly forgotten what I once was.

I molded my mouth to hers, and she immediately opened for me. I slipped my tongue inside, licking into every corner of her mouth and tangling my tongue with hers. The scent of her arousal perfumed around us as her legs fell open so I could slot my hips inside. I tugged down the front of her dress to reveal her fuller upper breasts. Plucking a dark nipple, I sucked it into my mouth and moaned.

I made quick work of her clothes until she lay naked below me. The lantern light flickered over her brown skin and her four breasts lay heavy and full on her chest. But it was her pussy that drew my attention, as her slit leaked with slick. I’d never had a Radian female, but I’d heard the tales of their magic pussies. The vettes on her inner thighs glowed, nearly pulsing with a brilliant red as I drew my fingers across the top of her mound. Her slit flexed as if searching for a cock to fill it, and the flesh around her entrance rippled.

“Inside, Zanner,” she cooed at me, and that wind chime sound was back, rattling from her throat like a mating call. Entranced, I slid up her body, unable to look away from her captivating blue eyes. Her thighs drew up over my hips, and a distant voice in my head whispered that I should be taking her in a different position, that this wasn’t the right one, but then her fingers drew me toward her. The head of my cock touched her entrance, and her nipples brushed my chest while her breasts vibrated with her chiming.

“Taki,” I whispered back. Her smile widened and then her cunt sucked me into pure, hot bliss.

TAKI

My suvette sucked his thick rod inside my body, and the fullness pushed the air from my lungs. I gasped and wriggled my hips as the slight discomfort quickly gave way to pleasure.

The folds of my suvette lengthened and latched onto his groin while massaging his balls, and he let out a strangled cry. He blinked away the dark hair in his eyes as his lips peeled back into an almost feral snarl. Yes, I wanted my chosen male to take me, to conquer me. This was what my vettes wanted, and that was why I’d drawn him into the heated wetness of my suvette. The only cock I had ever taken inside of me.

The only cock I would ever take.

His hips snapped forward, pushing me up the sleeping pad, and I whimpered at the strength. My suvette flexed and sucked, keeping him locked inside of me until we would both eventually reach our climaxes.

“Oh fuck,” he muttered, staring down at where our bodies met. He pulled his cock out halfway, but that was as far as my suvette would let him. Plunging back inside, he arched his neck with a groan. “Oh fuck, you feel like a dream.”

His eyes bulged as he continued to work himself inside of me deeper and deeper while I hitched my legs onto his hips. My vettes burned nearly to the point of pain, and I felt the moment they tore open to release the bonding seal, which his hip and thigh vettes would absorb. I cried out as he roared while fucking into me harder. The smell of our vettes mixing their seals filled the small bunker, overwhelming me as my entire body felt like it was engulfed in flames. I held onto my mate, seeking his seed because that was the only way I could free of the fire.

My hands slipped into his hair, wet with sweat, and I tugged as I whispered in his ear. “Fill me, mate. Fill me full until I leak with you.”

A strangled sound left his throat as his mouth crashed onto mine. Flames consumed me, my suvette clamped onto his cock with an iron grip, and then his seed splashed my inner walls. The first spray was like water dousing a flame, and I screamed at the relief from the fire while a climax tore through my body like a rocket.

He held me as our vettes cooled. The sealing fluid dried, and my vision went blurry as my weak arms slipped from his neck to fall limply to the sleeping pallet.

He panted above me, one hand in my hair and the other around my neck while his cock remained locked inside me, as it would for a little while longer. I couldn’t release him yet, not without pain for either of us.

I blinked at him hazily and felt a dopey grin slide across my face. “Thank you, my mate.”

While his expression was slack with his climax, a slight wariness remained in his eyes. “Taki, that was… our seals…”

“I meant for it to happen.” I yawned as I rolled us to our sides, my leg still propped over his hip while we remained connected.

“But Taki—”

“I’m going to sleep.”

He let out a huff of frustration. “But we need to talk—”

“Oh, so now you want to talk.” I laughed, and he seemed surprised at the sound.

A small smile curled his lips. The shift of muscles transformed his face, and I brushed my fingers across his rounded cheeks. “You’re more handsome when you smile.”

His smile dimmed but didn’t fade. “I haven’t had a lot to smile about in a while.”

“Until me?” I meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh.

“Until you.” His fingers slipped into my hair. “I thought this planet broke me and killed Zanner. But you reminded me of who I used to be. Before Xal.”

“Tell me. I want to know what happened.”

His jaw shifted. My suvette finally released his cock, and he slipped from my body, but didn’t go far. His hand cupped me, and a finger plugged my entrance. He glanced down and I shivered at the possessive glint in his eyes.

His finger twitched before he withdrew it and curled a possessive hand around my hip.

“I wouldn’t say I’m an innocent, but I’m innocent of the crime they charged me with. I worked as a driver for hire, and I was called by a wealthy Radian to pick him up from his home. When I arrived, his mate was dead on the ground—hit by a car—and he said he’d pay me extra to help take care of the body.” He shook his head. “It was stupid, but I was desperate and hungry. I got behind the wheel to get rid of the evidence, but the authorities showed up. The wealthy Radian blamed me. And everyone believed him. Why wouldn’t they?”

My lips parted as I cupped his cheek. Sincerity leaked from every one of his pores, and my vettes reacted with a fierce wave of protectiveness. “You’re really telling the truth.”

He nodded with a slow blink.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But I benefit from the system that condemned you to this planet.”

His eyes crinkled in a sad smile. “You don’t benefit here, and yet you still acted with heart.”

Contentedness spread its tendrils into every limb. Laying in privacy with my mate was everything I hadn’t known I wanted. “I wish we could stay in this bunker forever.”

His fingers squeezed my hip. “I wish we could too. But we can’t.” Suddenly a shadow passed over his face, and his brow furrowed. “Wait, how long have I been out?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe a day.”

His eyes went wide as he sat up with a jerk. I immediately missed the warmth of his body. “Fuck,” he cursed. “I missed a day of quotas…”

“It’s okay, we have enough supplies—”

“No, it’s not that. The wolpert and I will be reported missing, and 005 will search for us. I’ve managed to keep this bunker a secret, but they’ll be able to follow our tracks here. I’m sure we left a bloody trail.”

Guilt made me clutch the blanket to my chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t cover our tracks—”

“You did all you could. Even I wouldn’t have been able to cover our tracks for that distance, not with all the blood.” He cursed again as he rose to his feet. “We need to move.”

“Move?” I squeaked.

“Move,” he repeated with a gleam in his eye as he pulled on a pair of pants. “If we keep changing our positions, it will be harder for them to find us. And hopefully…” he chewed his lip. “Hopefully we get word soon that a rescue is coming for you.”

I was already on my feet dressing into the spare clothes he’d retrieved from the escape pod. My dress was no longer wearable—the straps broken and the fabric caked with dried blood. Zanner picked it up and shoved it into our pack. “I don’t need that.”

“I know,” he said. “But I don’t want to leave any evidence you were here. I want 005 to think this is my abandoned bunker.”

In a short time, we’d packed all our food and a few meager supplies into Zanner’s sack. With my boots, new clothes, and hair pulled into a thick cloth cap, I could maybe pass for a very small human. When I suggested this to Zanner, he snorted a laugh. “Everything about you screams Radian. It’s fine, but at least with those clothes, you won’t sparkle in the sun with that bejeweled dress.”

We emerged from the bunker to the sun beginning its daily descent. Zanner grabbed my arm and tugged me along after him. In the ashy dirt, a clear path was visible—our two sets of footsteps plus a dark trail of Zanner’s blood. Covering it would have taken an enormous amount of time, and Zanner said 005 would still be able to follow it.

We ran in the opposite direction of the escape pod and parallel with the trail leading to the cave. This time, Zanner did cover our tracks until we reached a path of lava rocks which concealed our footprints. A few times, I slipped on the cragged surface, but I understood why this way was better than in the easily tracked ash.

We had made decent progress picking our way over the lava rock field, when a shout could be heard in the distance. Zanner swore and pulled me between two rocks in a small valley where I huddled next to him.

Through a small crack in the rocks, I detected movement in the far distance, coming from the direction of the cave.

“Glad we left,” Zanner muttered just as the familiar form of 005 and his crew could be seen following the blood trail.

They banged their weapons together and shouted rallying cries as they jogged through the ash.

“Why aren’t they quiet?” I asked.

Zanner didn’t speak for a moment. “Because they’re not afraid.”

His words sent a shiver down my back. I was very, very afraid. I trusted Zanner, but we were only two, and this 005 and his crew were over a dozen strong.

I felt a vibration at my hip, and nearly let out a squeal in fright. Grabbing for the locator, I stared at the screen, barely able to believe the timing. Because the small map displayed a location for me to travel to. The reason? A rescue ship was on its way.

CHAPTER 8

ZANNER

I couldn’t decide if this was great timing or terrible timing. We couldn’t stay in the bunker anymore, so Taki desperately needed a rescue, but making it to the pickup point while being hunted by 005 in his crew was not my idea of a good time.

“Fuck,” I growled.

Taki’s big eyes stared up at me, and the trust shining in them squeezed my lungs so tight I could barely breathe.

I wanted that trust. No one had looked at me like that. Ever. I wanted to be her hero more than I wanted anything in my life. I wasn’t under any delusions I could be by her side forever, but she was my mate after all—I’d stab my own heart if it meant she was safe.

005 and his crew were close to our bunker now, and I knew the moment he found it as he let out a roar of triumph before ripping the door off its hinges. I watched it fly through the air, remembering when I’d nailed the planks together and outfitted a hinge from scrap I’d found in the ash.

I turned away as they dropped inside one at a time with their weapons drawn. Gripping Taki’s hand, I instructed her to run behind me. Her short height was to our advantage. She couldn’t be seen over the top of the rock field we ran through. I ran at a crouch, intent on covering as much ground as we could.

“How much time do we have?” I asked as we ran.

She panted behind me. “Tomorrow at first full sun rise.”

We had to make it through the night. One night. 005 was a skilled hunter, but he hadn’t been able to find my bunker until now for a reason. I knew where to hide and how to cover my tracks. Although, this wasn’t ideal as I’d had no preparation. Still, I was confident I could evade 005 at least until sunup. I’d get us to the pickup point tomorrow if it killed me. And likely… it would.

We had just reached the end of the rock field and slipped down into a valley when a loud cry went up from behind us. I knew that was the moment 005 had realized I wasn’t in the bunker. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the booming cry that could likely be heard on the entire land mass. “He has her! Find them!”

“How the fuck did he know?” I muttered to myself. And then I remembered how he’d smelled her blood and wiped it on a cloth that he kept around his neck. He was sniffing her out.

“We have to disguise your scent,” I whispered to her as we picked our way through the narrow path between two large rock surfaces.

“How?” she asked.

There was really only one way, and it would be a little bit of a detour on our way to the pick-up point, but it was worth it. Once we covered her scent, we’d be able to get some rest before traveling the rest of the way to make it before the bottom of the sun met the horizon—first full sun.

We had to make a break for it now before 005 and his crew got any closer to our trail. I grabbed Taki’s hand and took a hard left down a steep embankment of lava rock. At one point, she slipped, so I grabbed her, pressed her to my chest, and slid the rest of the way on my hip. My injuries from the wolpert fight throbbed, and I felt a trickle of blood leak down my thigh as my wound reopened. But I ignored the pain. A little bit of blood was the least of my problems if 005 caught up to me. My vettes throbbed with the closeness of my mate, and despite fleeing for our lives, my cock wasn’t picking up on the distress. It wanted her heat and wasn’t settled for the confines of my pants.

When we reached the base of the lava rock hill, I hit the ground on two feet and immediately began to run. Taki squirmed, so I let her down so she could run at my side. Her legs were much shorter than mine, but she was fast, especially with the boots and pants. Her dress, even altered, had billowed awkwardly and impeded her strides.

She ran with a single-minded focus, and even though I knew she was tired, she never complained or gave up. Xal wasn’t a pretty planet. There was no scenic route. There was only stretches of ash, craters, and a complicated cave system.

As we drew closer to our destination, the air grew thicker. My eyes watered, and Taki covered her mouth to cough. But she didn’t question me even as the stench of the siljur cavity burned our throats. No one ventured here, and I didn’t want to be here, but it would be the safest place for Taki and me to hide until morning. We couldn’t be caught in the open ash by 005. We’d never make it out alive.

Steam billowed from a crack in the ground, and I drew to a stop at the edge. Below, the siljur-tainted reservoirs bubbled. Here, the air was dangerous, but we just had to cross the chasm and then we’d be met with better air quality.

Taki bent over, coughing and wheezing. There was no way she’d make the jump on her own. I settled my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. The pain in her eyes was like a stab in my heart. “We need to get across, and then it’ll be better. I promise.”

“I can’t—” she heaved. “—breathe.”

“I’m going to throw you across.”

Her liquid eyes went wide. “Throw?”

“Ready?”

“No!”

“I have to do it now, Taki.” I pointed past the steam where cliffs rose in the distance. “We can rest there.”

“Zanner!” She shrieked.

But I already had my hands on her waist. “Trust me.” Muscles bunched, I hauled her in the air and tossed her over the chasm.

She flailed in the air but landed on the other side with room to spare. I followed after her, hitting the ground at her side as she was already climbing to her feet. Grabbing her hand, I yanked her away from the edge so we could get as far away as possible from the rancid siljur stench.

The caves weren’t much farther, and I sped into an opening I visited once when I was a young and scared 032. I inhaled the musty air, which smelled as good as fresh compared to the siljur air.

I didn’t stop until we reached a small alcove in one of the tunnels. I didn’t want to settle in a dead end, in case 005 and his crew found us. That was one disadvantage of my bunker—there was no escape route. Here, I’d be able to see anyone coming from either direction. The tunnel was narrow, barely enough for both of us to fit, and the walls were damp.

Taki collapsed at my side, heaving deep breaths, and I felt guilty for pushing her so hard. I lay a hand on her back. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. Some of her silver hair had slipped from her head wrap. “It’s fine. We had to get away. I just need…” she inhaled deeply. “A minute.”

I tugged the sack of my bag and pulled out our meager supplies. After draping the blanket on the ground and easing her down on it, I handed her water and some food. She took it gratefully and ate quickly. While I chewed some substitute protein butter that tasted like chalk, I wondered what kind of food she was used to. She’d never complained about the prison rations.

Her breathing was back to normal now, and she shot me a wobbly smile. “Well, that was an adventure.”

“005 won’t be able to follow our scent here. He’ll look in the more obvious cave systems first.”

“Who is he?”

I settled down next to her with my back against the wall. “No one knows for sure. He’s created a bit of a legend around himself, but I’m sure he was a humian scrapping to get by like the rest of us. He was probably sent here for theft.”

“Sentenced here for something as petty as theft?”

I shrugged. “He’s a humian. The RCE will find any reason they can to make out our crimes to be worse than they are so they can send us here.” I flicked the pendant around her neck. “Free fraxis labor.”

She clutched the pendant. “I swear, this is a generation family heirloom. If I thought you mined this, I’d—”

“Calm down, princess.” I squeezed the back of her neck. “I know. Keep your necklace.”

She frowned at it and twisted it in the torchlight. “I really didn’t know that the RCE discriminated. I knew that humians are treated differently but I didn’t think it was a systemic issue.”

“If we’re treated badly out in the open, it’s usually fair to assume they’re doing it in private too in order to keep us under foot.”

Her lips pressed together, and I didn’t like to see her like this. She was a Radian female who had no hand in what had happened to me.

“Taki.” I ducked my head to meet her eyes and gripped her chin loosely with my thumb and forefinger. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Don’t feel guilty for a thing, understand?”

Her big eyes blinked. “It’ll be different when we’re off planet. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.”

Despair clawed at my chest. “Taki, I…” How did I tell her I had no intention of leaving? I couldn’t leave, especially with a Radian female. I’d be shot on sight. This was why I hadn’t wanted to seal our bonds. How could we survive the separation?

The words jammed in my throat, scraping the back of my tongue until I couldn’t move it to utter a sound. She still stared at me expectantly until a slight rumble shook the ground.

Her arms clutched me, and I pressed her to my chest as the rumbling turned into a tremor. Dirt cascaded onto our heads as the tunnel shook all around us.

“What’s going on?” she cried out.

“Xal-quake.” I held her closer and glared at the tunnel, daring it to cave in around us. If it did, I’d dig us out with my bare hands. She wrapped her small body around me, nearly climbing me, and her breasts pressed against the thin fabric of my chest.

I rubbed her back as her body trembled. Then, as soon as the quake had started, it faded until all was still. Taki sat straddling me with her head tucked into my neck. I could feel the shifting of her muscles beneath her shirt. Wet lips touched my neck, and my cock, which apparently didn’t even care about a Xal-quake, perked up from its semi-hard state.

“Taki,” I murmured. “Wait.”

My mate ignored me. Maybe this was a result of cooling adrenaline because her vettes flashed red and her hips rolled against me. The heat of her suvette coated my cock through my pants and I moaned.

TAKI

I couldn’t stop touching him. Now that we weren’t running for our lives, the mate frenzy I’d heard so much about was kicking in. I wished we had all the time and safety in the world to explore each other’s bodies. We’d have that later, when we were rescued and soaring away from this desolate planet. My lips slid up his neck to his mouth. As our lips fused together, our pants were discarded until I straddled Zanner naked. My slick suvette began to swallow the tip of his cock.

As I took him inside my body, I threw my head back, and he immediately latched onto my tender flesh and sucked on a patch of skin.

The smell of my slickness perfumed the air, chasing away the lingering smells of that chasm and the mustiness of the tunnels.

“Fuck,” Zanner groaned against the base of my throat. I liked his cursing mouth.

His hips bucked up, and his cock plunged deeper inside of me. My walls clenched around him, gripping him tight and securing him inside of me until he could release his seed.

He held my shoulders as he thrust up again and again. I tried to meet his thrusts with downward bounces of my own, but he was so powerful that soon all I could do was cling to him as he plunged into me with a single-minded focus. My inner thigh vettes burned and turned sticky with our sealing bonds. I cried out as my inner walls rippled around his thick cock.

When my climax hit me, I dug my fingers into his shoulders until his skin went white. He growled like an animal, and the sound rumbled through me like a Xal-quake, prolonging my climax as I bucked against him, all rhythm lost.

His teeth clenched down on my neck as he splashed his hot seed inside of me. I panted as I clutched his head to my throat and continued to shake with the after-effects of my climax.

Panting, I refused to let go, even as Zanner tipped us to the side so we could remain connected as we lay down. His green eyes held mine, and the muscles of his face lost all tension as he gazed at me. Fingers plucked at my hair, brushing it from my forehead and away from my sensitive ears.

I remained drowsy, body clenching on his cock periodically, until finally my suvette let him go. He slipped from my body but remained pressed against me.

With Tauran, I had been resigned to a life where I’d have to grow to like my fiancé. I wasn’t optimistic of my affections going much higher than that. My mate bond with Zanner was like nothing I’d ever thought I’d experience. This was why Radian females were told to trust their vettes. For once, my future felt full of possibilities if Zanner was at my side.

“Sleep,” Zanner whispered. “We need to be ready tomorrow.”

I nodded and cuddled against his chest. The smell of our mating surrounded us and with that pleasant scent in my nose, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke, Zanner was already dressed and repacking his sack. I rubbed my eyes and sat up to find a small ration of food as my morning meal. After eating it, I dressed myself and folded the blanket. Once Zanner stuffed it into his pack, the only clues we were ever in the tunnel were our smells.

He stepped forward and gripped my hand, dark brows furrowed. “We’re going to head right to the rescue site. I checked your watch and they’re on schedule to arrive on time. I don’t want to get there too early because we’ll be sitting ducks in the open field.”

I didn’t understand “Sitting ducks?”

He smiled briefly. “Earth expression my mother used to say. It means we’re easy prey without protection.”

“Oh,” I whispered softly. “That’s not good.”

“No, but we should be okay. Let’s leave now, keep a good pace, and we’ll get there about the time the rescue cruiser arrives.”

The way he recited the plan, it all sounded so easy, but I was already aware that nothing on Xal was as easy as it seemed. Still, I had Zanner at my side, so this would work out. It had to. My vettes chose him.

We left the tunnels, crossed the chasm again—this time I was much less scared when he threw me—and climbed up the lava rock hill. My legs ached and my shoulders burned. I already wanted more food, but I knew I had to push on. I couldn’t be the reason we didn’t get off this planet. I was already thinking of the phone call I would make to my sire. He knew enough people in the RCE that I knew he’d be able to get Zanner a pardon. Zanner saved me, and that had to be enough.

The sun had just peeked over the horizon with a gold red hue, and the air shimmered with heat. We sped across the ashy ground toward the rescue zone, which Zanner said was past the bath caves and sat on top of several mines that had been abandoned when the tunnels caved in. That made me shiver, because how close had we come to that happening to us?

The sun continued to rise, and we kept the pace as the land flattened into a dull plain of gray ground. Our feet pounded the ash, and just when I began to feel like I couldn’t run anymore, Zanner pointed at the sky.

Leaving burning streaks in its wake, a dark winged object could be seen above us. Barely a dot at first, the shape slowly began to grow and grow as it descended toward the surface.

My energy renewed, I ran harder. I glanced at Zanner out of the corner of my eye and although I expected excitement in his gaze, I saw nothing but cold, hard determination. He wouldn’t rest until we were safely inside. I knew him enough to know that.

Suddenly a clanging reached my ears. They twitched at the clash of sound, but what followed sent a chill down my spine—the whooping cry of 005 and his crew.

“Fuck,” Zanner spat out.

Running toward us from our left was a band of figures. Moving at a rapid speed, they sought to cut us off before we reached the rescue site. The cruiser continued to descend, close enough I could see the landing gear emerge from the belly of the aircraft. The other prisoners saw it too and that sent them into a frenzy. They shook their weapons and shouted in bone-chilling tones.

Some of the crew couldn’t run as fast, and they fell behind. Leading the way were three prisoners who looked to be humian like Zanner, and one of them was 005.

Zanner’s head swung from the rescue site to the incoming gang, and I struggled to keep up with his pounding sprint. A desperate cry wrenched up my throat as ashy dirt below the cruiser swirled and scatted underneath the landing thrusters.

We were close, so close, but 005 was bearing down on us … and he’d reach us before we could meet the cruiser.

Zanner wrenched his hand free of mine and I stumbled. “Keep going!” He shouted.

I whirled around, still moving forward with shuffling steps. “What?”

“Move!” He screamed at me, eyes blazing. In each hand, he clutched blades and his face was a mask of rage and panic. “Keep going. You must get to the cruiser. I’ll slow them down.”

I shook my head frantically. “No, you have to come.”

Something flashed in his eyes. “I will. You have to get there first.” His throat bobbed as he spun the knives in his hands. “Be well, princess.”

He turned on a heel and ran to meet 005. I lurched forward, every step painful as I separated from my mate. But he’d come soon. He promised me. All I had to do was tell the rescue crew to help Zanner. They’d have weapons… good ones.

The cruiser jolted down on the ground, sending a cascade of ashy dust in my face. Covering my eyes, I surged forward. I heard a roar that was unmistakably Zanner’s voice before a sickening thud reached my ears. “Zanner!” I cried out. The dust was everywhere. I couldn’t see him or anyone. I could barely see the cruiser.

I inhaled dust and my body protested. Coughing, eyes watering, I staggered forward. The dust slowly cleared, and I found myself standing in front of a massive black cruiser. With a hiss, the back hatch lowered, and I nearly wept with relief as a figure stood at the top of the ramp.

“You must help my mate,” I gasped out as my lungs burned. “He’s—”

My voice died in my throat as the figure took a step down the ramp and his face came into view.

I blinked at him. “Tauran?”

He didn’t smile. He didn’t even act like he recognized me. He shook his head. “How are you still alive, Tak?”

I must have looked a mess—wearing odd clothes and covered in ash. But he made no move to help me into the rescue cruiser. If anything he looked… irritated. And I didn’t like the way he shortened my name. He didn’t have that right anymore.

“I’m not sure why you’re with the rescue crew, but please Tauran, you must help my—Zanner. You must help him.”

I peered through the ashy cloud to see figures battling. Two were on the ground, but I recognized the back of Zanner as he fought with 005. I reached for Tauran. “Give me a gun. A weapon. Something!”

I ran to him, but he laid one hand against my chest and shoved me back. I stumbled on the ramp, my foot catching on one of the planks, before I fell back onto the Xal surface with a grunt.

I stared up at Tauran, and I saw in his wicked eyes a male I’d never seen before. Maybe he had been this male all along.

“I told your sire I would come rescue you, but I never had any intention of that. Even if you didn’t smell like humian.” His lip curled back into a sneer, “I needed the light path records to prove to your father that I tried. So, I’m here. I tried.” He lifted his hand, and in his grip was a vapor gun. One shot of that and I’d be nothing but dust blowing on Xal’s surface.

Still on my back, I froze. Terror clawed at my throat. “I don’t… why?”

“If you die as my behooval, it’s like we were mated. I’ll get all the benefits of being part of your sire’s family, but I won’t have to deal with you.” He chuckled darkly. “What do the Earth humans say? It’s a win-win.”

This was all going so wrong. I could hear Zanner’s grunts of pain and 005’s growls. The ground shook as the rest of the gang drew closer. Soon, Zanner would be outnumbered.

Despair seized my lungs. My vettes chilled. My hand closed around a lava rock amid the ash. With the last breath I could exhale from my lungs, I threw my head back and shouted, “Zanner!”

A roar shook the ground, and a set of footsteps pounded toward me. Alarmed, Tauran swung the gun toward the approaching figure as it materialized in the dust cloud.

Taking advantage of Taurus’s distraction, I hurled the lava rock at him. It hit his head, and he stumbled back with a cry just as Zanner leapt through the dust to land at my side. 005 was on his heels, and the rest of the crew wasn’t far behind.

Bleeding from a gash in his head, Tauran whirled around, but this time he didn’t have the gun. This time, he had a vikil bomb, which rendered any species with human genes unconscious.

Zanner’s eyes widened as Tauran flipped the switch on the bomb and tossed it at the bottom of the ramp. 005 scrambled back, but it was too late. The vikil poured out of the bomb in a thick white smoke. Zanner grabbed for me, and I clutched him back, but his eyes were already rolling into the back of his head. “No!” I choked out just as Tauran’s hands closed around me from behind. Struggling in his grip, I rolled on my back. He stood above me, vapor gun in both hands, the tip pointed at my head. “Goodbye Taki.”

I grasped Zanner’s hand, and he squeezed it back quickly as he whispered three words, “I’m sorry, princess.”

Suddenly a dark form flew through the air and slammed into Tauran. An Erushik, one of 005’s crew, landed on top of Tauran. Its head descended and it opened up its big, fanged mouth to latch onto Tauran’s shoulder. He screamed as blood spurted and I rolled away from the carnage. Erushik weren’t too bright. They were likely given the order to kill any male around me, and they would.

Zanner moaned softly. 005 hands flexed in the dirt as he tried to fight the effects of the vikil. Grabbing Zanner under his arms, I threw my weight back as I pulled him up the cruiser ramp. As dead weight, he was beyond heavy, and I felt every muscle in my body strain as I heaved him into the rescue vehicle. Tauran’s screams continued to fill the air until they eventually faded to a dying gurgle. I refused to let myself think too hard about what the Erushik did to him.

Once Zanner was safely inside, I slammed the button to close the ramp. It let out a screech and then halted. I slammed it again, and something in the landing gear began smoking.

“Fe-male,” an eerie voice hissed. At the bottom of the ramp was a nearly comatose 005, but he wasn’t giving up. Dragging his limp body with one hand, he rested on the bottom of the ramp, eerie eyes latched onto me.

I had reached my breaking point. My mate was knocked out, I’d nearly been killed, I had to listen to my ex-behooval get eaten, and now this jerk was messing with my life? Oh no. I was done.

I marched down to the bottom of the ramp and planted my foot right on his forehead. His hand scrabbled at my leg weakly, but he was too affected by the vikil to do much. With a kick, I sent him skidding back off the ramp.

When I pressed the button next, it slid closed without a protest. I raced to the cockpit of the cruiser and stared at the control panel of buttons. Panicking, I realized I had no idea how to get this thing off the ground, let alone pointed in the right direction.

Suddenly a voice squawked through a speaker, the tone robotic. “Tauran Pekin, we detected a ramp closure. Are you ready for your return flight to Radix?”

For the first time since I fell asleep in Zanner’s arms, I smiled. “Yes, please.”

“Launching in five… four… three…”

CHAPTER 9

ZANNER

Voices filtered through the hazy fog of my mind. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt glued shut. I rested on something soft, and I curled my fingers into a blanket draped over my body.

What the hell? Where was I?

The last thing I remembered was the vikil bomb and passing out next to 005. My last thought had been that I failed Taki.

The voices seemed to grow louder, and the one sounded familiar. Very familiar.

Taki?

Despite my eyeballs feeling like sandpaper, I peeled back my eyelids to take in my surroundings. At first, I saw nothing but a dark gleaming floor, but then my gaze strayed to a panel of buttons and levers, lit up from beneath by neon lights. A large window showed distant stars and the blackness of space.

And sitting in a chair, talking to a screen showing an older Radian male, was Taki. I blinked, still unable to believe what I was seeing. We were both alive, safe, and in the cruiser away from Xal. Was this some afterlife dream?

“His number is 032,” Taki was saying. “First name Zanner. Sur name…” she bit her lip. “I’m unsure.”

I tried to speak, but my mouth was so dry, that nothing came out but air.

“He didn’t do the crime, sire. And if it wasn’t for him, I would have died on that planet.”

Beeps and mutters could be heard through the cruiser’s speakers. “Huki Carruxic was involved in this case.” He huffed irritably. “Huki has been exiled for abusing his new mate’s offspring. He has no sway anymore. I’ll make some calls.”

“Thank you, sire.” Taki pressed her hands to her chest, pretty eyes gazing up at her sire.

“As for Tauran,” her sire sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. I had no idea of his intentions.”

“It’s over now,” she said softly. I remembered the Radian male who’d pointed the vapor gun at her head after he’d deployed the vikil bomb. Was that Tauran? Who was he?

“And this Zanner…”

“He’s my mate, sire.” She jutted out her chin in that defiant way I loved. “My vettes chose him, and I do too.”

“I’d like to speak to him.”

This was going to suck. I was groggy, in pain, and was dying for some water, but I hauled myself onto my hands and knees. At the sounds of my moans, Taki’s head whirled to face me. “Zanner!” she cried and rushed to my side. I tried to shove her away, but I was too weak and too nauseous to have pride. She shoved a water bottle in my hand, and I upended half of it in my mouth before pouring some on my head.

Everything hurt. I could feel the myriad cuts and bruises all over my body from my fight with 005. When I reached for a particularly nasty gash on my shoulder, I noticed it was already bandaged. Taki helped me hobble over to the cockpit, she smiled. “I tended your wounds while you were out.”

Fuck, the effects of the vikil bomb were a nightmare. I sank down into the seat Taki had vacated, embarrassed that this was how I had to meet her sire. I lifted my head and forced my eyes to focus while my stomach protested. I gripped the chair’s arms so I didn’t tip over.

Taki’s sire was bald, his head adorned instead with a jeweled band. I could only see his waist up, and he wore a coat with fraxis buttons the size of Taki’s pendant. “I’m Rudy Valance,” he said.

I nodded. “Zanner Hawkins.”

His head tilted. “Human surname.”

“My mother gave it to me.”

“Your sire?”

I swallowed as the resentment burned in my gut. “Radian but absent.”

A muscle in Rudy’s cheek twitched. “Taki told me you saved her life.”

I glanced back at her. She beamed at me. “Seems she saved my life too by dragging me onto this cruiser.”

“I heard about the vikil bomb.”

I scratched the scruff on my face. “I’m sorry I’m not at my best right now.”

Rudy sighed and whispered something to someone off screen. When he was finished, his gaze flitted between Taki and me. “My daughter has asked me for a favor. I owe her after the mistake I made with her ex-behooval. I will speak to my contacts at the RCE and get your sentence commuted. Despite your humian status, you are Taki’s bonded mate, and I will support her.”

I hadn’t expected that. I’d assumed he’d shoot me on sight while scrambling to find his daughter another accepted behooval. I swallowed. “I… thank you.”

“Call me again when you are approaching the dock. I will be there to greet you.”

Taki nodded. “Yes, sire.”

With another level look at me, the screen blinked to black.

I leaned back in my chair, a little stunned, while Taki scurried away. She returned with some crackers that I munched on as my stomach settled.

“What happened back there? I just remember a Radian male with a gun pointed at you.”

“That was Tauran.”

“Who’s Tauran?”

“My ex-behooval.”

I stared. “I’m sorry, what?”

She explained what he’d said to her, that he didn’t want her but wanted to benefit from his association with her sire. He’d had to prove he’d at least tried to save her, but had always intended on leaving her dead on Xal.

“And how did you get away from him?”

“An Erushik attacked him. While that was happening, I grabbed you and tugged you inside.”

“005?”

“He tried to follow us. I kicked him away. I maybe have Tauran to thank for weakening him.”

I let out a laugh that dissolved into coughing. I took another gulp of water as Taki leaned forward. “My sire will keep his promise. You and I can be together.” Her eyes shone bright with happiness.

I still found it hard to believe her sire would in fact accept me. He likely was only telling her what she wanted to hear so she came home rather than ran away with me. And as much as I wanted to steer this cruiser anywhere but Radix, I wouldn’t do that to her. She was safest on her home planet, surrounded by her wealth. Anywhere else she’d be vulnerable.

So, I smiled back, ate my food, and prepared to spend my last moments with her in full.

Days later as the ship docked, I did my best to quell my nerves. From the front window, I could see a contingent of important Radian males gathered. I recognized the robes of the council and the armor of the RCE. Were they here to take me right back to Xal?

Taki, however, was brimming with excitement. She clutched my hand as the cruiser jolted to a standstill. When the back ramp opened, she nearly raced out the door, and I had to keep a firm grip on her, so she didn’t fall.

“Sire!” she cried.

Rudy stood in front of two armed Traygers, a muscled species often used for private security. These weren’t RCE members, these were his personal staff as evidenced by the large V on their uniforms for Valance.

When the RCE members didn’t immediately rush me and shove me to the ground, I frowned. My gait was slightly uneven as my thigh injury still hadn’t healed. Taki gripped me tightly as she came to a bouncing stop in front of her sire. “I’m home,” she beamed at him.

He gathered her in his arms. My hand dropped from hers, and this was the moment I expected the Traygers or RCE to subdue me. I had hoped they wouldn’t do it in front of Taki, but I was a humian who’d dared to touch an elite Radian female. Surely, I had to pay for this.

I’d fight, but I wouldn’t be a match for this many guards.

Suddenly, strong hands grabbed me, and I immediately began to struggle until I realized the hands belonged to Rudy. I went still as he drew me into a hug. He stood about a foot taller than me, so I stared above his head as he embraced me and Taki who smiled at me.

“Welcome home, son,” Rudy said.

I nearly swallowed my tongue.

As he pulled away, he took my hand and handed me a small tablet. On the screen was a picture of my face and credentials granting me Radix citizenship. My knees nearly buckled as I stared at the words, thinking I had to be delusional. Very few humians received citizenship to Radix. We lived here on borrowed time.

“Your mating to my Taki is acceptable. I looked into your crimes and there are…” he paused. “Discrepancies.”

I glanced at the Traygers, then the RCE. “So, they’re not… here to take me back?”

His ears twitched. “Is that what you think they are here for?”

“I was concerned, yes.”

He smiled. “The RCE is here to ensure transfer. My guards are here to escort us home.”

“Home?”

“Home!” Taki squealed as she grabbed my hand.

I followed her with Rudy on our heels and the Trayger guards behind them. I didn’t miss the disgusted looks from the RCE, but I also didn’t give a flying fuck.

I had my mate, I had a home, and I no longer had to mine fraxis.

“Later,” Rudy said in a low voice, “we will speak about the RCE. I’m concerned about your case, and I wonder if there are others that are similar.”

There were. Plenty. “I look forward to that, sire.”

He smiled while Taki tugged me toward the waiting hover car. “Aren’t you glad you saved me now?”

I pressed a kiss to her temple below her twitching ears. “I would have saved you even if it ended with me dead in the dirt on Xal. Every moment with you is worth my time.”

“Good thing we have much more of it ahead.” She spun on her heel, hopped into the hover car, and beckoned me to follow her.

I did. Like I always would.

Thank you for reading Saved by the Prisoner! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Ella’s newsletter!

KYRA SNOW

PROTECTED BY THE ALIEN WARLORD

CHAPTER 1

ELODY

“At least these aliens got one thing right,” Aleera says, joining me at one of many VIP bars on board the Praxia. As I stare out the round window, Earth is still within my sight. Beautiful from up here. Not so much from the ground. “Giant-sized martinis and cheap, delicious alcohol. Girl, this place is heaven!”

I smile at her and take a sip of my drink to hide my nerves. Aleera damn near inhales her cocktail beside me. It’s good to see her let loose like this. We rarely had the chance to do it at home; we were too busy trying to survive. It’s probably why I still feel so uneasy here. By all accounts, the space cruise we’re on is amazing and the unlimited alcohol isn’t too shabby of a bonus either, yet I still feel as if something bad is about to happen. It’s like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest that I can’t seem to shake off.

I take a deep breath and lean against the bar, scanning the various kinds of species roaming about the lobby. I actually thought there would’ve been more humans aboard, given the recent attacks on Earth and how desperate many of us were to escape. Maybe they weren’t enticed to start fresh on planet Trias like we were, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. An alien planet protected by the Galactic Federation is surely far safer than our war-torn home. I drag my lower lip between my teeth and bite it absently. It just doesn’t make sense why there are so few humans here.

“All right, Elly. What’s up?”

I tear my gaze off the bustling lobby and blink at my best friend. “Huh? What do you mean?”

She waves a hand in my face. “All of… this. I know something is troubling you. Even with all these free drinks and sexy aliens walking around, you’re still not happy. You’ve been grinding your teeth so much, they’re about to break. What’s worrying you?”

“It’s just… We’ve spent most of our lives barely scraping by.” I glance around the area. There isn’t one corner that does not scream of luxury. “I feel like this is all too good to be true and that I shouldn’t be here. I know. I sound depressing as fuck. I’m sorry. I just—”

Aleera sets her drink down and gently touches my shoulder. “Hey. We paid for this. We struggled to get by so we could pay for this. It’s real, and you are here. You have every right to enjoy the fruits of your labor just like everyone else is doing. So, drink up, girlie, and let’s find some beautiful aliens to talk to.”

I laugh and shake my head at her. “Is that all you ever think about now? Booze and men?”

Her red lips tilt into a grin. “Darling, we’ve been best friends for ten years. Of course, it’s all I think about, especially now. Here I thought you knew me,” she adds with a wink, then she taps the bar, drawing the hologram’s attention. “Two more, please!”

He refills our drinks and we clink again before sipping. Finally, a little of my unease starts to drift away thanks to her reassurance. I’m not usually the kind who needs to be comforted like this, but then, I’ve never done anything so out of my comfort zone. Trias is supposed to be the utopia where Aleera and I won’t have to scrimp and save to only just get by. It’s not just a fresh start, it’s a real chance at getting to live our lives instead of just existing. I need to stop thinking so negatively about our adventure and enjoy it.

After our third round of drinks, I’m completely and blissfully relaxed. We move to the VIP seating area, the only place that isn’t crowded, and flop down onto the plump leather sofas. The electric fire integrated into the wall switches on and pink flames crackle beside me as we talk about what our new home will be like. It’s then that Aleera’s gaze draws over my shoulder and her mouth parts slightly.

“Oh, my sweet fuck. I sure hope when they say ‘all expenses paid’ that he’s included.”

I follow her line of sight. A tall male with long silver hair and curved horns protruding from his head approaches our direction. He sits on the sofa across from us about five feet away, not even bothering to ask if he can join us. His ice-blue eyes cut through me like shards of glass.

“You’re both very appealing. I believe you are just what we’re looking for.”

A shiver runs down the length of my spine. The way he said that he might as well have just said he’d like to skin us alive and wear our flesh as coats. There’s something extremely dodgy about this alien. And creepy. Very, very creepy.

“Is that right? Well, I suggest you look elsewhere because we aren’t interested,” I reply, and Aleera nods in agreement. She must’ve sensed the weird vibe, too, because she doesn’t even try to flirt with him. That’s one thing we’ve always been good at—protecting each other from predators like this. Although I’m usually better at shooting them down quicker, this particular male puts me on edge unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before.

Aleera stands and pulls me with her. She snaps her head back to the male. “Here’s a tip, sunshine. Next time, don’t come in so creepy to begin with. At least buy us a drink first. Sheesh.”

She steers the way to the bar, but I can’t resist a backward glance at the male. My blood runs cold at the smug grin on his face. Aleera and I have always used our sense of humor to cope with uncertain and uncomfortable situations. Sometimes it’s gotten us into trouble. But this is the first I’ve seen the receiving party also amused.

We barely reach the bar when something slamming into the hull of the ship knocks me forward. I thrust out my arms just in time to prevent my head from impacting the side of the bar. Every member of the holographic staff flicker as they tell everyone to remain calm.

“What the hell is going on?” Aleera pulls herself upright, clutching her arm from the fall.

The main doors across the room open and armed warriors rush in. They don’t look like they’re part of the staff, and one of them—the tallest dark-haired one—looks like the male from the VIP area. My lungs seize in my chest as they start shooting people around us. An alarm shrills overhead.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I yell over the noise.

A hand grips me but it doesn’t belong to Aleera.

It belongs to the alien from the VIP area.

“Hello again, sunshine.”

He raises his weapon, and then everything goes black…

CHAPTER 2

ELODY

A soft orange light pulses in front of my eyes when I come to.

It’s accompanied by a headache from hell, and it takes my senses a moment to adjust and register that I see my reflection staring back at me, not some gaunt-looking ghost.

What the hell?

I try to move my fingers and panic flares through me when I struggle to move any part of my body. My breath fogs a screen in front of me. I scream and call for help, but my sounds are muffled. To my utter relief, though, I’m slowly able to move a finger, followed by a toe. Bit by bit, I regain commission of my body, and I grope the soft surface beneath me. My fingers skim over a smooth button and I press it, causing the straps holding me upright to shrivel backward. A sharp hissing noise releases into the air and I all but collapse onto the floor, my bones stiff and sore. However, the fact that I can feel anything is a relief.

Now I just need to figure out where I am.

I crane my neck and scan the transport pod in front of me, now vacant. My guts churn at the sight of it. Where have I been transported to? The panel on the screen reads that I’ve been in hypersleep for over forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours. Has it been that long since the aliens attacked?

I sweep my eyes around the brightly lit room. The table-like beds and high-tech-looking medical equipment send a rush of cold dread running through me. My nostrils flare from the chemical stench in the cool air that makes me even more nauseous than I already am. When my gaze lands on the circular window in the far corner, I let out a surprised gasp. There is no Earth where it should be. This part of space is drastically different from where the cruise ship had been located prior to the attack, which means I’m definitely nowhere near where I was.

Where’s Aleera? I need to find her.

After several failed attempts, I steady my body against an empty cart and use it for support. My focus draws toward the door at the other end of the room. Now that my legs have started to work more efficiently, I grab onto the countertops for support and slowly work my way over. Twice my legs give way beneath me and I knock several utensils and strange-looking devices onto the spotlessly clean floor. They clatter against the tiles and I cringe when low murmurs appear on the opposite side of the door. My body isn’t strong enough to run, let alone put up a fight yet. Damn it!

The door opens and a tall alien steps in. Air clamps in my chest. He looks almost identical to the alien who knocked me unconscious at the bar. He halts upon seeing me, apparently just as startled as I am to see that I’m awake. His skin is ethereally pale, and peeking out from the narrow collar and long sleeves of his white uniform are blue scales. The diagonal line of silver buttons running down his torso glares at me. He glances at the device in his hand, then back at me, a long tail whipping behind him. It’s the same dark color as the curved horns protruding from his skull.

“Where… am I?” The words scratch out with my heart lurching into my throat. I cast a glance to the window. “This ain’t fucking Trias.”

The male cocks his head to the side, his neon-blue eyes locked on my green ones. His brows knit together as he assesses me, and strands of snow-white hair fall over his shoulders. I don’t think he understands what I’m saying. How the hell do I communicate with him? The aliens back on Earth were at least able to speak English and the universal tongue spoken across much of the galaxy that I learned prior to my departure. Fortunately I’m fluent in both, but I don’t think this one speaks either.

When the male approaches, I instinctively take two steps back, my legs threatening to collapse again. He must sense my unsteadiness because he points to me and then to the bed. Hesitantly, I shuffle to it and sit on the edge, inwardly relieved to be off my feet. They’re still a little unsteady. I keep my eyes on the door and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. So close and yet so far.

I swallow my nerves and watch the male approach. He reaches into his pocket and drags out a pair of latex gloves. The way he snaps them on with his gaze locked on me gives me major probing vibes, and so I try to push off the bed. He catches me with extraordinary speed and digs his fingers into my arm, a silent warning.

“Let me go,” I say, glaring at his hand. “There’s no way I’m letting you or your creepy friend from the bar probe me. This right here”—I gesture to my body—“is a strictly no-probing station. Got that? All right, good. Now get away from me!”

He raises a brow and motions me to stay on the bed, then he pivots on his heel. My muscles lock with unease as he pulls out a device then scans the length of my body. The crease between his brows softens and he lets out what I think is a sigh of relief.

Once more, he motions me to stay like I’m some little dog.

Well, woof, woof, bitch, I’m getting the hell out of here.

I need to find Aleera.

I hope she’s safe… wherever she is.

Despite my attempts, the male doesn’t move away from me. He fiddles with various kinds of devices and machinery, sometimes scanning them over me while I watch helplessly from the bed. By the time he puts a small device in his ear, I’ve regained full use of my legs again. At least now my threats aren’t entirely useless. If I could just get a weapon of some kind…

“Now do you understand me?” he asks, his tone surprisingly gentle.

I nod at him. “Can you tell me where I am?”

“You are aboard the Korah which is about to enter the delta quadrant.”

I blink at him. “How far is that from Earth?”

“Is planet Earth where you came from?” he asks.

“I…” I answer, unsure if I should tell him the truth. I mean, his friends just shot a bunch of innocent people and abducted me from the cruise ship. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the enemy. But in a ship filled with who knows how many more of them, I wouldn’t stand a chance of getting out of here alive. Turning a weapon on him probably won’t get me the answers I need either. “Yes.”

“You are far from your home planet,” he says after a moment.

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.

“I was on a cruise headed for Trias,”—I point my chin toward the pod I woke up in—“But you already know that, don’t you? Your little friend shoved me in it and sent me here, didn’t he? The cruise was a trap.” I curl my lips back in a disgusted sneer. “Did you take my friend too?”

For a moment, he only looks at me. The inner corner of his lip drags between his straight white teeth as he appears to be contemplating whether to answer me.

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

A flicker of hesitation. “She is safe,” he replies at last, and I let out the strained breath burning in my lungs. “You will see her once I have concluded my necessary examinations.”

He steps forward again and I instinctively freeze up.

“Wait!”

His gaze narrowing, the male snaps his jaw shut but does pause for a moment. I’m obviously getting on his nerves, but I’m not going to sit here with my thumb up my ass until I know what’s going on. “What examinations? And why am I on the Korah?”

He glances over his shoulder at the door, apparently hearing something I cannot. Well, he is an alien, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his senses are superior to a human’s.

“That is not for me to say.” He turns back to me, adding quietly, “Now, please allow me to proceed with my tests so I can begin the next step. You will soon be feeling nauseous and lethargic from being in a temporary cryogenic state. I will administer medication that will help with that.”

I swallow the lump of trepidation gathering inside me. “What exactly is the next step?” I ask, half of me not wanting to hear his answer.

A red glint flashes in the doctor’s neon eyes. “To see if you are a worthy breeder.”

I feel the blood drain from my face at the words. “Breeder, what now?”

He shakes his head. “Enough questions. Your silence is paramount if I am to retrieve satisfactory results.”

Now isn’t that a colorful way to tell someone to shut up?

I bite my tongue and let the doctor do what he needs, taking the quietness as an opportunity to decipher his words. “Breeder” translates to me as having a bun in the oven, and I’m definitely not ready to bake anything yet. Least of all with a freaking alien. Throw an abduction into the mixture? Yeah, I think I’ll pass.

Finding Aleera and getting off this damn ship is my only priority now. If life could stop fucking with me for one hot second so I can accomplish that, it’d sure be great.

I knew the cruise was too good to be true. I just knew it.

“I have concluded my tests and find you to be compatible.” The doctor’s voice drags me from my train of thoughts. He peels his gloves off and slaps them into a plastic container beside me, the movement making me flinch. “I have also assessed that you are fit and healthy, so now we can proceed.”

He veers toward the door. I know the idea of trying to convince him to let me go is crazy, yet I can’t stop the words pouring out of my mouth. My mom always said if you don’t ask, you don’t get, and I really want to get my freedom back.

“Please don’t do this,” I whisper, my voice breaking despite my efforts to remain calm and in control.

The doctor pauses briefly, and part of me wonders if he’s actually considering helping me. But then he straightens, and any hope I had for mercy shrivels when he closes the door behind him. Looks like I’ll have to find a way out of this mess myself. Sliding my gaze over the medical equipment, I look around for a weapon I can hide in my flight suit. My years of struggling to survive on Earth have taught me to make full use of my surroundings, but everything here has been put away. Still, I push off the bed and hurry to the cabinets, yanking the doors and drawers.

Locked.

Of course, they are.

“Shit!”

Instead of looking for a weapon, I need to just get out of here.

Scurrying to the exit , I reach for the knob and to my surprise the door opens. I step back, shocked to see a female version of the alien entering. She sweeps into the room and closes the door with the tip of her arrowhead tail. Considerably smaller than the male, she’s still taller than my five-foot-eight, and that’s without her coiled horns on top of her head. There’s a pink tinge to her long silver hair. It’s crazy how almost human these aliens look if not for the scales on their bodies and the horns and tail.

I look down at the small suitcase she’s wheeling over to the bed and my stomach churns. She motions me over with a single curled finger. I couldn’t find a weapon in here, but maybe I can find one on her. I raise my head despite my fear and walk over to her.

“Hmph,” she says, gesturing for me to turn around, clicking her tongue when I do.

Clearly I’m a great fucking disappointment to her.

She reaches into the suitcase and pulls out a bunch of grooming equipment. First, she sprays my hair with a sweet-smelling fragrance, then runs a comb through it, tutting at any knots. With a frustrated sigh, she pulls my bangs into twin braids. The rest she leaves running down my back in a mess of dark auburn curls. Now that my hair has been semi-tamed, she moves to my face. The powder she dabs on my freckled cheeks and eyelids smells of rose water. She runs a balm over my lips and then lifts my chin, assessing her work. Shaking her head, she moves me off the bed. When she reaches for my clothes, instincts kick in and I swat her hands away, covering my chest with my arms.

The female steps back and picks up an ivory dress, her gaze averted from me. There is really no getting out of this until I find Aleera and know what we’re up against. I remove my clothes and lay them on the bed. The female hands me the dress, or at least what’s supposed to resemble one. The silk material drapes to my bare feet and slits run up the sleeves and skirt, crisscrossing over my stomach. The sheerness leaves nothing to the imagination. The female grabs the loose straps at my neck and ties them around my throat like a choker before leading me out of the room.

My heart thrashes against my ribcage as I follow her down a long narrow hallway. Males covered in armor and holding spear guns flank the entrance at the end, their eyes pressed on me when the female ushers me through. I didn’t think my heart could beat any louder, but it does once I see what’s on the other side. In fact, I am pretty sure my heart is about to burst from my chest at this point.

At least twenty young women dressed like me stand on pedestals, each of them looking as terrified as the next. I spot a few girls who I boarded the cruise with, including Aleera, and I don’t know if I should be relieved or horrified to see her. Her gaze meets mine as soon as I enter and she puts a hand to her mouth, holding back a sob. I nod, trying to reassure her with a silent message that no matter what, I’ll do my best to protect her. She’s more than just my best friend, she’s the only family I have.

One of the guards takes me from the female and leads me to the pedestal at the end. I sweep my gaze around the room again. My breath hitches when I see an alien slouched on a throne carved from crystal-clear glass. He looks similar to Creep and Doctor with his white hair, but it’s evident at first glance, he’s the king here. His horns are a vibrant gold that match his long, flowing silk robes. Two pairs of silver rings reflecting the fluorescent lights curl around his horns. He taps his fingers on the armrest while another of his kind whispers into his ear. The king couldn’t look more disinterested even if he tried, and while he should hold my attention, I’m drawn to the dark-haired male on his left who’s looking right at me.

And it’s not just a glance or a quick once-over he’s giving either. He’s studying me with dark molten eyes that cut through me like shards. A crease deepens between his thick brows the longer he assesses me. He’s one of three aliens in the room who has long raven hair, horns, and a more tanned complexion. From the amount of jewelry sculpting his enormous body, it’s clear he outranks the other two. The armor crisscrossing his bared chest gleams in the bright lights. Silver chains dangle from his curved horns, some braided into his shoulder-length hair, while his black wings brush the ground behind him. Tail, horns, scales. These aliens must be a dragon species of some kind although they’re all still quite different from each other. They’re beautiful either way. And slightly terrifying.

My throat turns dry and I frown at my treacherous thoughts. Even if they are good-looking, especially the raven-haired royal, there’s no way I’m going along with this. These aliens have abducted me and my best friend and are forcing us to become their breeders. Call me old-fashioned but I’d like them to at least take me out for dinner first.

“At least buy us a drink first.”

Aleera’s words echo through my mind, and I glance at her. She gives me a smile but the wobbly edges of her slightly upturned lips betray her unease. I nod at her, a silent vow that somehow, someway, everything is going to be okay. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that no harm comes to her. She’s always been the one to protect me. Now it’s my turn.

Tears threaten my eyes and I blink them away. The white-haired king stands from his throne and approaches the first pedestal with long, graceful strides, his gold wings trailing at his heels. The raven-haired male follows closely, his black pants straining with each step. Without paying much attention to the first girl, they work their way down the line of pedestals. Each female is assessed by the king alone—their heads tilted, mouths opened, teeth inspected, arms lifted, and so on. Many of them are different, exotic species, but none of them seem to please him.

“What a pitiful selection,” he tuts and moves on to the next female. “I don’t know about you, Cassian, but I like some meat to cradle my cock when I take them, otherwise, they simply… break. How pitiful these females are, indeed. I ought to reprimand my procurers for wasting our time with that cruise. What a waste.”

The male does not reply. He can’t be the king’s son because they couldn’t be farther apart in looks and stature. Cassian must be royalty of another dragon race. He’s so much taller, even the king has to tilt his head to speak to him. Something I reckon the male takes pride in judging by the king’s clearly uncomfortable mannerisms while doing so.

I wonder if the other females have translators and can hear the king discussing their bodies. Both Aleera and I are the curviest here, which now that I know he’s looking for a meatier girl, fills me with even colder dread. He’s inspecting us all like we’re livestock at the local meat market. I guess that’s all we are to these aliens. Produce. It’s not like they give a shit about our human rights because to them, we’re not human.

We’re breeders.

The king pauses on Aleera and bile rises into my throat. The way he looks at her with mild curiosity, and the way she isn’t fighting, unleashes my protective instincts.

“Why don’t you drag your sexy ass down to the good stuff?” I untie the straps on my neck and tug them down to reveal ample amounts of cleavage. Not that it matters since you can see my whole body through this dress, anyway. But I need to distract him. “You can even take me for a test drive if you want, honey. Free of charge.”

For a long while, the king studies me with a cold, calculating perusal, but I’m not looking at him. The male Cassian glares at me like I’m grime beneath his shiny boots, and his expression hardens the longer I hold his gaze. I’ll do anything to save Aleera, even if that means giving myself to them signed, sealed, and delivered with a great big fucking bow on top. Aleera’s ashen face stares at me in shock. I know I sound just like her. This is something she would say to protect me. The fact that she isn’t tells me just how terrified she is.

“Such unwavering defiance,” one of the other males says to the king, “and filth that pours from her mouth with the tongue of a warrior.” He snaps his head back to the king. “She dares speak to our Novaari this way?!”

The king chuckles with sinister conviction and waves him off. “She is but an earthling. I have found that the only use for their mouth is when a cock fills it.”

My blood boils, but relief fills me because it’s working—he’s no longer looking at Aleera.

He’s looking at me.

“Filling?” I scoff, nodding at his groin. “There isn’t much filling from where I’m standing, sweetheart.”

All traces of humor vanish from the king’s face, and I instantly regret letting the words slip out. Mom did always say my mouth would be the death of me. Well, here am I, on an alien ship, pissing off an alien king by mocking his alien dick. That’s one way to get myself killed.

The king steps forward but Cassian’s voice halts him.

“Perhaps I might be the one to punish her, Taryx. You have no time and little desire to deal with such vile earthlings. It would be an honor to do this for you.”

It’s then Aleera finds her voice and she lets out a strangled cry. “No, please! Take me instead! You’re right. She’s the vile one, so take me. I’m the one you’re interested in.”

The king ignores her and eyes me closely, the vein in his temple throbbing. “Yes,” he says, nodding slowly. “Do what you will with the one. I care not for the unruly kind and trust you will break her in by the time we conclude our business.”

Cassian marches to me, and only when he stands close, do I realize how fucking huge he is. Even on a pedestal, I’m no match for this seven-foot beast of an alien. He’s the most beautiful asshole I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.

I keep my gaze pinned on him while he inspects me. My heart races to the point of exploding and it drowns out all the sounds in the room—including Aleera’s pleading.

“Like what you see here, babe?” I snarl at the male.

He ignores my remark and continues roving his gaze over me, taking in every inch of my body. His pointed tail flicks out and lifts my chin, tilting my head toward the light.

“How I am going to enjoy breaking you, little one,” he says, caressing the side of my face with the tip of his tail. “And how you will beg me for mercy every moment I do.”

“Is that a promise?” I smirk despite the fear seizing the air in my throat. “Because I like it rough and don’t want to get my hopes up for nothing, ya know.”

In any other situation, I’d cringe at the words leaving my mouth, but desperation drives me to do and say anything to protect Aleera.

Cassian yanks his tail back, the sound snapping like a bullwhip. “Come.”

My legs shaking, I step off the pedestal and hurry in Cassian’s wake. When I glance over my shoulder, I see the king choosing another female, and instantaneous relief washes over me. All that matters is that Aleera is safe. There’s no sacrifice I wouldn’t make for her because I know she would do the same for me. I got us into this mess. The least I can do is get us out of it.

We should never have gone on that cruise.

CHAPTER 3

CASSIAN

On the Droxan ship where I’m forced to remain for the time being, I slide a glance at the female struggling to keep pace behind me. Never have I seen a creature so captivating and yet so infuriatingly reckless that it shakes me to my core. She is not thin and weak like the others in line had been. Far from it. This female’s body is healthy and her spirit strong. Recklessness and defiance, however, those she has in abundance. And had I not stepped in when I did, she would be flying out of the nearest airlock by now.

“Keep up,” I growl, shoving her into the hallway.

With a smile, the Droxan guards watch the female stumble past them before she regains her balance and glares at me. The anger radiating from her sends a jolt of pleasure to my cock. I keep my eyes narrowed and my features schooled to not give anything away to our spectators. The Droxan warriors are a devious species and will gladly run to tell their leader of my lust for an earthling; a leader who is already waiting for me to make one single mistake.

I am not supposed to desire this female. I’m supposed to punish her.

Or so Taryx believes.

I have little interest in bending to his will when he and his spies cannot see me. The treaty between our dragon clans will be officially completed by the end of this week. That’s all I care about. I need only amuse Taryx until the deed is done, then I can return to my home knowing I have made it stronger and protected our species from the enemies who seek to destroy us. This female is not my mate, contrary to the instincts my dravaken is bringing out in me, and all I must do is train her to help win Taryx over. He wants me to accept his pet law. Now, I am not only accepting, but embracing it.

For the good of my people, I repeat to myself once again. I am doing this for my people. For the treaty. For Orakas.

I track my gaze over the female’s body again, surprised by her beauty and how fiercely I want to touch her. Of all the females in the galaxy, I cannot understand why my dragon has expressed interest in this one. Her scent invaded my senses the moment she entered the room, and it took every ounce of strength to hold my dragon at bay. If I hadn’t intervened when Taryx moved to scold her, I am quite certain my dragon would’ve ripped him into pieces.

That is not how one goes about making a diplomatic peace treaty.

Daire, my most trusted warrior, stands outside my guest quarters. His brows lift when he sees me with the female.

“Are you retiring so soon, my Voran?”

“The Droxan Novarri has chosen his new pet.” I give the female a glance, my expression pulled into one of feigned disgust. “It appears I have also chosen mine. I want no disturbances for the remainder of the night.”

He bows and opens the door for me. I move aside and motion for the female to enter first. Casting a wary look between us, she steps over the threshold tentatively, her small body taut with unease. She turns her back to the nearest wall, her pulse pounding in my ears. As soon as the door closes, I release the tension in my body, and the sigh I give has the female flinching from me like cornered prey.

“I am not going to hurt you,” I say, motioning her to have a seat on the lounger.

She stares at me as if I have grown a second head. “Not going to hurt me? Then what was all that bullshit back there? You’re clearly just as bad as the rest of them!”

I walk over to her, the muscles clenching hard on my jaw, and place my hands on the wall on either side of her. “Let me make one thing clear, human. I have no intention of hurting you. I also have no tolerance for disrespect or baseless accusations. Indeed, no harm will come your way so long as you are with me, but if you want my help—and trust me, you will need it—you’d do well to show me some respect and heed what I have to say.”

The female snaps her lips together. “Why do you want to help me?” she asks, her voice soft, barely above a whisper.

I look into her eyes as if seeking the answer. At this point, my only reason is that my dravaken wants to claim, fuck, and breed her more than any female I have ever come across. I thought I had no desire for a mate, but this female calls to the beast within me in a way I am inept to ignore.

What is it about her that undoes me so?

“Because I am the only one who can help you,” I reply, reaching for her chin with my tail, “and because without my help, you will surely perish here along with your human friend.”

Framed by light curled lashes, her emerald eyes gaze up at me. I have never seen an eye color like them before. I have never seen a human until now, and while they are vulnerable compared to other species, this one is captivating with her fiery hair. I slide my tail to the valley of her throat and around the curve of her breast, my lust for her growing with each languid stroke.

She sucks in a breath, though try as she might to calm herself, her heart beats wildly when I touch her. “So, what? You’ll help only if I let you fuck me. Is that it?”

“Not unless you wish to offer that,” I say, grinning at her.

Her features twist into a scowl. “I’m not offering you shit and good luck trying to take it from me. I don’t go down without a fight. I never have.”

There’s an edge of bitterness in her voice as if she’s fought off males before, and it riles me.

I cock my head at her and narrow my eyes into slits. “I am the Voran of Orakas. A prince. Under no circumstances will I ever put my cock near an unwilling cunt.” I bring my lips to hers, letting my breath trickle down her pulsating throat until she squirms. “But know this, human. By the time this is over, opening your cunt for me will be all you can think about. A desire you cannot, and will not, be able to avoid. You won’t even want to in the end.”

A struggling breath leaves her lips. “You’re a bit full of yourself, aren’t you?”

I stay quiet and continue studying her. She would be wise to obey me if she wishes to remain safe on this ship. If she chooses otherwise, I will have no option but to implement a more forceful measure to protect her. Right now, I am simply toying with her, more to put her at ease, but I think perhaps I’m doing the opposite.

“You called me your pet outside,” she says, distorting my train of thought.

“Yes. However, I have no intention of treating you as such when we are alone. The two of us merely have to…play the part. It’s the only way either of us will get off this ship alive.”

The tension drains from her body and she breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank God.” Her eyes flash up to me in concern. “Say that last part again.”

I repeat myself and her eyes widen into two large, unblinking jade saucers.

“You can’t be serious?”

“I am very serious. I was sent here with one purpose only—to forge an alliance with the Droxan tribe. We have been at war with each other for as long as I can remember. I detest their ways. But a mutual enemy has forced us to form an alliance to protect our home planet of Xoria. If I am to ensure the alliance goes through for the good of my tribe, I must embrace our neighbor’s culture…even if their pet custom sickens me as much as it does you.”

She bites her lip, and I don’t like the jolt my cock gives in response. “So what does all of this mean for me?”

“You must act as my pet, and I, your master for the duration of this week. You must serve me.”

The pink tinge staining her cheeks is pleasant to see. “Serve you how?”

“Do as I say, when I say it, and know that I will only ask of you what I believe you’re capable of doing to maintain our ploy. But if you refuse to obey me in public, I will have to punish you.”

“You just said you won’t really be treating me as your pet,” she points out, her chest rising unevenly. “You said you won’t hurt me either.”

I shake my head at her. “I will not treat you as my pet when we are alone.” Then, lowering my tone, I say, “and I will not hurt you unless not doing so gives away our disposition. The punishments we will discuss in a minute. For now, how are your acting abilities?”

“Not very good.”

“Then we will need to work on them. It is the only way to convince the Droxan Novarri that I am a Voran of my word, otherwise, both our lives will be forfeit. And I will not let that happen. I repeat, no harm will come to you, but there may be times when I must demonstrate my ownership of you in front of the Novarri. Is that something you can endure? Do you consent to that?”

The female swallows and slowly licks her drying lips. “What happens if I don’t consent?”

My silence is the only answer I give her. I will do whatever it takes to ensure the treaty goes ahead and that my people are protected. I will not risk their lives for the life of one female, regardless of how desirable she is to me.

If it comes down to their lives or hers, I will not hesitate to sacrifice the latter.

She frowns but nods her head. “I consent so long as it’s nothing major.”

Nothing major? She has no idea what’s about to come her way.

“Then it is agreed.” I step back and sweep a hand around my quarters. “Consider this your new home, for now, but do not try to leave unattended. I cannot guarantee your safety if you do. Many of the males on this ship have gone a long time without female company.”

She glances between me and the door, her throat jerking. “What will happen to the… to the other women like me?”

I know who she is referring to. I saw the way Taryx and his warriors had gazed upon that other female. The only way I can keep her safe is to stake my claim and then pass her to Daire for protection. Or have Daire claim her. The Droxans would be foolish to challenge us in the midst of forming a treaty. Darkness always devours the light in the end. The females, on the other hand, pose no threat and are considerably weaker which makes them perfect prey for predators like Taryx.

“Those who haven’t been chosen by the Droxan Novarri, their king, will be returned to their home planet with their memories wiped,” I say, although I am not entirely certain of this. Droxans are known for being deceitful. “Until then, I will try my best to make sure she is kept safe.”

A quiver catches her lower lip. She stares at me for a moment, ruminating. “Thank you… Cassian.”

Veck!

Her use of my name entices my beast. He outstretches his wings and lifts his head within me, ready to claim her right here and now. I hold him at bay with the promise of release soon, and I walk over to my bed and sit on the edge.

“Tell me your name.”

“Elody,” she says, a hint of defiance lacing her tone.

“Then, Elody, shall we begin?”

She gives a curt nod. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

The edge of my lip twitches. “Come and kneel before me.”

A strangled sound escapes her, yet she walks over with a false sense of calmness that is nearly passable. Each step is seemingly more confident than the last, but with my superior senses, I can smell her unease trickling down her spine, echoed by the thrashing of her heart. How tantalizing is that sound!

The female settles on the floor by my feet and looks up at me. I brush the hair from her features, tucking the crimson strands behind her ear, and curl my fingers under her chin.

“When a royal enters the room, a pet must always show them respect. Kneel until you are permitted to stand. Do not speak unless spoken to. Avert your gaze and never—ever—disrespect your owner. Within this clan, pets are the lowest of the low. They have no rights, no use other than servitude, and the only freedom they get is death once their purpose expires.”

Her features twist in disgust. “That’s barbaric,” she says, her brows pulling together.

“Yes, it is.” I run my thumb along her jaw, transfixed by the softness of her ivory skin. Not a scale or blemish. How remarkable. “Can you endure this pretense? Even if your life depends on it?”

Her lips part as I near the corner of her mouth. “What will happen if I slip up? If I fail?”

You don’t want to know, I think to myself, recalling how Taryx had looked upon her with intrigue. That look alone filled me with thoughts of blood. Perhaps the female should know the severity of her situation. She will not like what the Droxan Novarri would have in store for her as his new pet.

“Your silence tells me all I need to know.” She sits back on her heels, effectively removing herself from my hold. “And I don’t think I have much of a choice really. You said so yourself that this arrangement is the only way we’ll get off this ship alive.”

I wrap my tail around her waist, pulling her to me so her face levels with my own. “There is always a choice. You simply need to choose the right one if you wish to survive.”

Her hands grip my shoulders and for a moment she simply gazes, her eyes flitting between my own. I rest her on my lap but keep my tail coiled around her, a silent nudge toward the decision she had better make. Because when it comes down to it, there is only one, and I will not see the female suffer should she choose the incorrect one. I will not let her die.

“I’ll do it,” she says at last. “I mean, I can do it. I’m in.”

A smile curves the edge of my lips. “Good girl.”

CHAPTER 4

ELODY

Just when I think I can’t blush any harder, he calls me a good girl.

Those two words shouldn’t do anything to me, but they affect me way more than I care to admit. My heart skips a beat and warmth spreads through my body, gathering between my legs. Cassian’s nostrils flare, and for a terrifying moment, I wonder if he can smell that I’m getting aroused by all this, which is the last thing I should be feeling.

I was promised a new beginning on a planet free from war. Now I’m on a ship that thrives on slavery and I’m the one who’s been enslaved. And yet with Cassian’s tail wrapped around me, his dark gaze pouring into my own, and his big hand caressing my waist, all I can think about is how much my answer has pleased him.

The smile spreading lazily over his lips is stupidly contagious. Mine vanishes, however, when someone bangs on the door. A crease forms between Cassian’s brows as he sets me on the bed. My hands sink into the silk bedding as I watch him march to the door, pulling it so violently that the hinges nearly break.

He speaks in his native language, the sound harsh and fast, and the door slams shut behind him. I remember what he said about when a royal enters the room, so I slip off the bed and get onto my knees. When Cassian opens the door, he pauses and stares at me with an almost startled look on his face.

“You learn swiftly,” he says in his deep, gravelly voice. “The Novarri has sent us a gift. I will show it to you later. We must bathe now.”

“Okay… Wait. We?”

I’m about to stand when there’s another knock on the door.

Cassian takes my arm and hoists me up, his expression dark, unreadable. “Do you trust me, Elody?”

I look up at him, searching his gaze. “It’s not like I have anyone else I can trust on this ship,” I reply.

“Then play along, and play along well.”

Quickly now, he sits on the bed, pulls me over his lap, and moves my dress to the side. The air washing over me comes as a surprise. However, not nearly as big of a surprise as when a sharp spank lands on my behind, and I let out a startled cry.

“What the—?!”

My words are cut off by another spank, but this time, I’m able to brace myself against the pain. Cassian rubs me softly afterward. The knocks still persist in the background, echoed by my struggling on Cassian’s lap.

“Enter!” he bellows at the door.

He covers me quickly with my dress seconds before two of the white-haired dragons carry in a heavy-looking chest. They cast speculative glances my way and track them quickly over my body. It’s like they’re looking for evidence to prove that Cassian did punish me like he said he would.

Well, here’s your fucking evidence, assholes!

I’m tempted to reach back and lift my dress to show them my throbbing ass, but I manage to hold myself in check. Just. Cassian growls an order and they set the chest at the foot of the bed. He shoos them away with a wave of his hand, then once we are alone again, he helps me stand.

“My apologies about the abruptness,” he says. “They were spying for the king.”

“Were they really? You looked like you were enjoying that a little too much.”

He replies with a chuckle and I can’t deny the fact that my face is as beet-red as my ass is. Asshole. He did say that he’d punish me and I understand why he did it. I just wish I’d been able to prepare myself first.

Cassian takes my hand and leads me into another room. He releases me before I process he’s touching me in such an intimate way. Weirdly, I don’t mind as much as I thought I would. I suppose that’s a good thing considering I’ll need to get used to it. Hopefully I won’t have to adjust to more punishments, though.

The sound of metal clinking draws my attention. I cut my gaze to Cassian who’s stripping beside the enormous bathtub integrated into the floor. He keeps his head cast downward as he removes his armor and reaches for his belt. My mouth dries and my heart skips a beat in my chest. He unbuttons his pants and then lifts his dark lashes, his gaze intent on me.

“You will join me in this bath,” he says, lust burning in his eyes as he tracks them over my body. “You may keep the dress on, if you like.”

“I’d like that very much,” I reply, my lips tugging at the side.

He returns the smirk, much to my surprise, but the yearning in his gaze doesn’t dim. It only intensifies when I step into the warm water and my dress becomes even more transparent. Fortunately, the thin material doesn’t hinder me as I wade farther in. The essential oils perfuming the air tickle my senses and I can’t help but wiggle my nose as I adjust to the smell.

Cassian huffs under his breath and it’s then that I realize he’s still watching me, still wearing his pants. He doesn’t take his eyes off me while he pulls them off, discards them on the floor, and then climbs into the water. The bathtub is more like a pool than anything. He wades toward me and picks up one of the bars of soap, then he takes my hand and wraps my fingers around it.

“You will need to get used to my flesh,” he whispers. “Just as I will get used to yours.”

He releases my hand only to skim his fingers down my arm. A shiver runs through me and goose bumps break out over my skin. I dig my nails into the soap to keep a whimper from escaping.

“How is it possible for a big, scary alien like you to have such a gentle touch?” I ask.

He raises a brow and his mouth twitches. “I’ve been called a lot of things in my lifetime. Never gentle.” He nods to the soap. “Now, are you going to stand there teasing me, or are you going to wash this big, scary alien?”

That makes me laugh. I’m so glad he seems to have a sense of humor.

His eyes light up for the briefest of moments. “I like that sound, Elody.”

I bite my lip, take a steadying breath, and lift my arm to refocus myself. I drag the soap gently over his shoulder, then down his arm, and across his chest. All the while, he watches me with a growing intensity that makes my legs shake below the water. It truly does baffle me how someone so huge and masculine can be so tender.

As I lather his body in soap, I can’t help but wonder what else about this male is secretly gentle beneath his harsh exterior. I glance at his lips and my pulse spikes. Would his lips feel tender if he kissed me? Or would he be more firm and possessive? Both prospects send a rush of excitement to my core.

Gods, what am I even thinking? This male might have offered to help me, but that shouldn’t mean I’d jump into bed with him as soon as he said hop to it. And the fact that I’m not entirely repulsed by the idea of sleeping with him—a stranger, an alien—is worrisome.

“You’re at war with yourself.” His voice pulls me from my reverie, and I blink up at him.

“Huh?”

“You do not guard your emotions as effectively as you may think.” He cocks his head to the side, studying me. “You are warring with the idea of hating me when part of you desires me. Am I not correct?”

I bite my lip and continue to lather him. With his upper torso completely covered in soap, I set the bar down and reach for the glass jug. I dip it below the water, dispelling some of the soap bubbles, and I catch sight of his member. He’s aroused. Very, very aroused. And big. I peel my eyes away as quickly as I set them and pour the water over his body. My fleeting assessment must not have escaped his notice because he’s grinning when I glance up at him.

“This arrangement of ours does not have to be so deplorable to you. There are other ways to pass our time on this ship.” He reaches for my wrist and holds me at my bay. “More pleasurable ways.”

My pulse skitters and I fumble with the container now empty of water. As if on instinct, I take a step away, and then another. Cassian follows me until my back hits the side of the pool.

“There’s no need to be frightened of me, Elody. I have vowed to protect you and I will honor that so long as you uphold your end of the arrangement.” His tail flicks out toward me and wraps slowly around my waist. With a tug, my chest is pressed against his own, and droplets of water clinging to his bronzed skin fall onto my cheeks. “I am not your enemy. Do not fear me as such. I will protect you.”

I stare wide-eyed at his chest as he unwraps his tail and slides the tip over my arm in a gentle caress. He lifts a loose curl over my shoulder and then touches my cheek. The arrowhead is cold against my flushed skin, yet it’s also soft.

“You have served me well tonight,” he says. “I will ask no more of you for now.”

Withdrawing his tail, he pulls back and climbs out of the tub. His ass on full show is a beautiful sight, and I can’t help but stare at him. He grins when he catches me looking and grabs one of the robes hanging on the wall.

“Take as much time as you’d like to bathe,” he adds with a wink over his shoulder.

A blush assaults my cheeks and I give him a sheepish nod. Now you’re embarrassed? Watching him leave the room, I speculate what his suggestive wink meant. It’s only when he’s closed the door behind him that I peel my dress off, place it with his discarded clothing, and sink into the warm, sudsy water.

The fragrances of a forest coated in fresh rain wrap around me as I submerge deeper and then lather myself with the soap I used on his body. His scent still clings to it. I recall the way his muscles had flexed underneath my fingers, and my mouth waters. While I’m beyond grateful that he didn’t ask me to wash the lower half of his body, I can’t help but wonder what he would’ve felt like in my palm.

I shake my head and continue washing. I plan to finish quickly, but once I’m clean, the warm water pulls me in and I lean against the tub, my arms stretched over the sides and my eyelids drooping.

“Now this… this is nice.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and savor the richness of the bath. Guilt stabs me when Aleera’s face enters my mind a second later. Can I really trust that Cassian will look after her? Should I even rely on that? What if she’s locked up somewhere while I’m sitting here enjoying this bath? Something neither of us ever had the luxury of back home. I still remember how awful our shower had been in the apartment we shared. The water pressure had been awful too. And mostly cold. Not like this. Not warm and fragrant and soapy and Cassian…

I blink open my eyes and my gaze lands on the door through which he departed. No. No, no, no, no. I didn’t draw the line at thinking about Cassian’s dick. But I do draw the line at associating him with something as wonderful and lavish as a warm bubble bath. I’ve only just met him. He doesn’t deserve that level yet.

I pull myself out of the water and grab one of the robes, then wrap the soft material around my body. There doesn’t appear to be any towels, so I guess bathrobes are what these aliens use to dry themselves. Tiptoeing to the door, I peer through the gaps in the hinges and catch Cassian—dressed in only a pair of black pants—searching through the chest. I can’t make out what the contents are yet. Maybe it’s clothing. Gods, I hope they’re better designed than the skimpy dress I was forced to wear before.

“Finished?”

His question catches me off guard and I jump back. Feeling a little stupid, I clear my throat and enter the room. The chest is closed and locked again by the time I reach his side.

“What did the ass… I mean, king, send?”

“The ass king—”

“Hilarious.”

“—sent what he calls a gift.” Cassian turns his back to the chest. “It is really a test.”

“A test?”

He nods. “For the two of us. But that is not a concern for now.” Gesturing to the plate of food on a table, he says, “Eat. You need your strength.”

I wrap my arms around myself and walk to the table. The distinct smell of southern fried chicken wings and fries wafts to my senses. How did he manage this?

“This earth delicacy, do you enjoy it?”

My mouth watering, I give a nod. “Yeah, but… how did you get it? We’re in space.”

He shrugs. “I have my ways of acquiring certain things. Please, eat.”

I pull out the chair and sit, noticing he hasn’t made a move to join me. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I already tried it while you were bathing,” he replies, his expression clearly displeased. “I found it to be disgusting.”

“What? That’s blasphemy! I take it you’re just not a fan of fast food, huh?” I ask, taking a bite of the chicken. It tastes so much better than the food back home.

“Fast… food? Is that what you call it?” He thinks for a moment, probably trying to translate the definition, then shakes his head. “No, I am not a fan of this fast food. It is not something my species is familiar with.”

“If only that were the case back home,” I mutter. “I practically lived off this stuff.”

“By your own will?”

“Nah. It was cheaper and easier to obtain. Fresh organic food became harder for people like me to get our hands on after the Yorem attacked.”

I take another bite and a drink of water. When I set the glass down, it’s then I realize that something in Cassian’s demeanor has changed. A heavy line has formed between his brows and a muscle twitches rapidly in his jaw. Something I said has clearly made him uncomfortable, but what? The Yorem?

With one swift turn on his heel, he marches to the oval-shaped bed across the room. He pulls out a device from his bedside drawer and returns to my side. The pictograms dancing over his screen illuminate his features, casting his tanned skin in a pale blue glow.

“Are these the Yorem you speak of?”

I scan the screen and nod. “That’s them. Those assholes have destroyed so much of my planet.”

It’s because of them that I went on that stupid cruise.

His gaze fixed on the screen, he nods absently. “They are known as planet killers. Their swarms feast and raid and war until the planet is destroyed.”

“You sound familiar with them? Did they attack your planet too?”

The crease on his forehead deepens. “In a way, yes. It is the reason I have come to forge a treaty with the Droxan tribe.” He turns the tablet off, looks at me, the food, and then back at me. “Enjoy your meal. I will be back shortly.”

He leaves the room, and I eat the rest of my meal in silence. What did he mean by “in a way, yes”? Maybe they haven’t so much as focused on destroying his planet but rather his people. All the horrific memories of what the Yorem did come spiraling back to me. So many of my own people were abducted by them and erased from society as if they never existed. All the horror and death cause me to lose my appetite and I set what remains of my food down.

I push back my chair and walk around the room. On the bed, I notice a lilac garment draped over the mattress. I brush my fingers over the soft material. It’s thin, silky, but not skimpy like the dress had been. Perhaps it’s some kind of nightdress? I doubt it’s for Cassian.

At the thought of him wearing it, a wry grin tugs my lips. I pick it up, remove my robe, and slide the gown over my body. It feels incredible against my dry, freshly washed skin. It reminds me of something a lady would’ve worn back in the Victorian era. I like it.

The door opens and I spin around. My gown sways around my ankles and wrists. Cassian roams his gaze over me fleetingly, but the flash of desire that gleams in his dark eyes doesn’t escape my notice. He returns his tablet to the drawer and then pulls aside the covers.

One bed, one alien, and one hell of a long day.

I want nothing more than to go to sleep right now, but…

“I am not going to fuck you,” Cassian says, plucking the concern straight from my mind. “It’s been a long day—for us both. We must rest.”

After a moment of hesitation, I nod and climb into the bed. The sheets are heated and the silk duvet is so soft as it slips against me. Gods, it feels amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such luxury in my life.

My hands tucked under my cheek, I lie on my side facing the wall and listen for Cassian’s movements. He pauses before climbing under the sheets with me. The mattress dips slightly under his weight and my back brushes against his body as he settles in. I feel the heat from his skin radiating like a furnace. It’s soothing.

Lying here, however, I find my brain is filled with what has happened in the last twenty-four hours. My mind races with thoughts of Aleera, being abducted on the cruise ship, the fact that I’m captive on this ship, and then, lastly, more worryingly, the deal I made with the handsome alien breathing softly behind me.

Just when my eyes begin to dip from exhaustion, Cassian drapes his hand over my waist and pulls me against him. I freeze at our snug proximity. His hard, muscular body covers me like a shield. For some inexplicable reason, I feel safe tucked in his arms like this. A security I haven’t felt in years.

“Go to sleep, Elody,” he murmurs, his breath tickling the nape of my neck.

I clench my lids shut, my cheeks burning, and try to calm my racing heartbeat.

How can I possibly fall asleep now?

CHAPTER 5

ELODY

I wake with Cassian’s arm still around me. When he stirs and pulls away from me, I’m shocked to find myself a little disappointed.

He turns his head toward me and there’s humor in his voice when he says, “There is no need to feign slumber, little one. I have no desire to train you at this moment.” He skates his fingers slowly up my arm. “At least not before we have eaten.” I blush and keep my head buried in my pillow until there’s a knock on the door. Cassian grumbles something under his breath that doesn’t translate even with the device in my ear. He throws his legs over the bed and marches to the door, throwing it open.

“What is it?” he growls.

There’s a quiet reply from a female outside.

“Bring it in, then.”

Cassian widens the door and the female who “prepped” me the other day enters the room. She places a tray of food on the table, bows to Cassian, and then leaves. The smell of meaty broth causes my mouth to water. My stomach grumbles and I don’t even wait for Cassian to say the word eat. I climb out of bed, sit at the table, and dig in. I can’t remember the last time I felt as hungry as this and actually had the food to satiate it.

“You have an appetite this morning,” Cassian says, regarding me with amusement.

“It tastes amazing. Are you joining me this time?”

“I have something I need to do.”

I pause, my stomach clenching with disappointment. “Okay.”

“I have instructed my second, Daire, to look after you should you need anything.”

He reaches for a bread roll, dips it in my broth, smiles, and leaves the room. Once again, I finish my meal alone and in silence. The fact that I’m disappointed unsettles me. I’ve only just met him and it’s not like our reason for being together is conventional. I’m still technically his captive.

Then why do I feel so comfortable with him?

I shake my head and stack my plates together. The female who delivered the meal returns shortly after to collect the dishes. She goes about her duties as if she weren’t an accomplice in human trafficking. It’s sickening. This time when she enters the room, her eyes meet mine, and a question I’ve been dying to ask finally falls from my lips.

“Doesn’t it bother you knowing that you’re part of all this?”

She halts near the door, her back turned to me. The fact that she stands there in silence pisses me off more.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Now that gets her to bite.

There’s a faint tremor in her voice when she snaps: “We do not have a choice!”

I glare at her retreating form. At first, I find her response hard to believe, but then I recall the way Taryx looked at me when I insulted him, and what Cassian had said about him lingers at the forefront of my mind. Maybe everyone on this ship is a captive. Even Cassian is treading a thin line, otherwise, he would never have said both our lives are at stake here.

I move away from the table and find an empty space in the room where I can stretch. My gaze draws periodically toward the chest staring back at me. Just what kind of test could be locked inside that thing? My curiosity gets the better of me. I straighten and creep to the chest. There isn’t a lock on it from what I can see. There isn’t even a keyhole.

I kneel and trace my palms over the intricate symbols carved into the steel container. My fingers linger on the side of the lid and I’m tempted beyond words to open it. But something stops me. I yank my hand back and push away. Knowing I shouldn’t open it in Cassian’s absence, I steer away from the container and resume my stretches. I scoot the coffee table out of the way and use the rug for yoga, too, but even then, boredom catches up with me. There’s nothing to do in this room. No music, no books, no paper and pen. Nothing.

I open the door and the guard outside straightens to attention. His honey-brown eyes land on me and there’s a warmth in them that King Taryx and his men lack.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, his voice soft, quiet.

“Not really. I’m just bored out of my mind in there. Cassian didn’t leave anything for me to do. Are there any books I can read?”

He frowns at me. “What are…books?”

My jaw drops, and I gasp at him. “My god. You don’t have books?”

“I do not understand what books are. My translator has failed to provide an adequate definition.”

“Wow. Okay. So, first of all, books are amazing. Let’s just get that out there to begin with. They’re written pieces of work humans like to read for enjoyment. Or learning purposes. Sometimes both. For me, it was always for an escape. I was a bit of a sucker for historical romance and I even managed to salvage a Kathleen Woodiwiss in this abandoned library once. It was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Anyways. You can get digital and physical books and they’re just a really big deal back home. Haven’t you ever read a story before?”

“If by stories you mean tales of battles, then, yes. But we do not have these books you speak so fondly of.”

It mind-boggles me that Daire’s never seen or heard of a book. If not for reading books, I’d never have survived all the traumas I’ve been through. They were my only coping mechanism when the world turned to shit. They were Aleera’s too. We were just two bookworms trying to survive the impending apocalypse.

“Do you have a tablet I can use?” I ask him. “Maybe I can find a book online to pass some time?”

He hesitantly shakes his head. “I am afraid pets are not permitted to use our devices.”

The stark reminder of my purpose on this ship is like a sharp punch to my stomach.

“Then what are pets allowed to do? I’ll go crazy in that room if I’m locked up all day!”

I try to keep any bitterness from seeping into the tone. I don’t think I manage it very well. The guard seems to understand me, though. He sighs and nods.

“I would go crazy too. I am sorry there is nothing I can provide right now, but I will search for you.”

“Thank you,” I say, and I smile genuinely at him. “I like you, Daire. You seem like a good guy.”

I turn back, and as the door closes behind me, I hear him mutter “A good…guy?” which makes me smile.

Back inside the room, I stifle a yawn with my hand, suddenly exhausted. Napping is always a good way to pass time. As I climb onto the foot of the bed and curl up into a ball, I resent the idea that right now… I feel and look very much like a pet.

If only Cassian were here to stroke my hair.

Damn him for making me want that.

Damn myself, most of all.

“You humans certainly sleep a lot.”

Cassian’s deep voice washes over me, rousing me from a wonderful dream. I straighten up on the bed, my hair falling over the side of my face, and stretch my arms.

“Maybe I’m more pet-like than I thought.”

He grins at me. “Is that so?”

I wipe my eyes and yawn despite having just napped. “When I was a little girl, my family adopted this stray cat. I called him Dobbie because he had these big ears and adorable big eyes. Total lovebug. He used to sleep for sixteen hours a day.” I meet his gaze, which is softer than it usually is. “If I’m to be a pet, I shall be him.”

Cassian rubs his jaw thoughtfully, though his grin remains. “Then should I call you Dobbie?”

I swat his arm playfully, my own lips stretching into a grin. “No, you shall not!”

Cassian laughs and moves to the chest. “As entertaining as it is to watch you sleep, we do not have sixteen hours to slumber.” He goes to open the chest, but his fingers linger upon the steel for a moment and his mouth quirks at the side. He’s pleased to see I haven’t opened it, I think.

Also—he was watching me sleep?

He pops open the container. “We’ll shortly be landing on my home planet Xoria. Upon arriving, a royal banquet will be held by the Droxans in honor of the upcoming alliance between our tribes.” A dark look shadows his features and his gaze hardens. “At this banquet, we’ll both be expected to demonstrate that I’m your master and you’re my pet. It’s Taryx’s way of testing my loyalty to his people and your loyalty to me.” He pops open the chest. “We cannot fail this. We need to use what little time we have to practice.”

I nod, unable to say anything, and sidle up to Cassian. Honestly, the word practice makes me more nervous than the whole banquet situation.

“Take a look inside,” Cassian instructs.

I hold my breath and peek at the contents. My heart rate doubles. From collars and chains to floggers and god only knows what, various kinds of equipment hang inside, each one more disturbing than the last. A furry red tail the same color as my hair steals my focus, but only because of the large tear-shaped handle at the other end. What the hell is that? A probing device I did not expect to see.

Cassian catches me looking at the object and picks it up. “Are you familiar with this?”

I blush despite my efforts not to. “Umm, no, not really.”

He lays the glass handle across his palm and strokes the fur with his fingers. “It can elicit immense pleasure from the posterior if used correctly.”

“From the… You mean it gets shoved up your…” I shake my head incredulously, scarcely able to choke my own words out. “Pass. Hard fucking pass on that one, compadre.”

Cassian narrows his eyes and I recall what he said about showing him respect. He is a prince after all. Perhaps swearing is frowned upon even more in his culture. I should try to be more mindful of that. Pissing off the only one on this ship who’s offered to help me isn’t exactly a bright idea.

“It just looks painful, is all,” I say, and the rush of heat assaulting my cheeks is now unbearable. “I’m not really into that kind of thing.”

I’m a virgin, I want to tell him, but why does that matter? It’s not like he’s going to be sleeping with me. I’m just his pet. Aliens don’t fuck their pets, right?

Right…

“The first time can be uncomfortable, yes.” He sets the tail back in the chest, much to my relief. “But pleasure is not truly pleasurable without a little pain.”

Yeah, you’re still not selling it to me, buddy.

My ass is for exits-fucking-only.

There will be no entry now, tomorrow, or in the foreseeable future as far as I’m concerned.

“I’d like you to choose a collar and then we will go from there,” he says.

I swear he’s trying not to laugh at me.

Swallowing my trepidation, I search through the chest, and every single item confirms that the space dragons definitely fuck their pets, slaves, whatever they—we are. I recognize a few of the objects—whips, collars, leads, and some handcuffs—but it’s only because I remember seeing them on Earth when Aleera and I scavenged the cities for food. I don’t think many of them were used in a sexual way at that point. I guess everyone was too busy dying or trying to make it another day.

A steel collar with emerald gems grabs my attention. I lift and slide my fingers over the silver band and buckles. It’s the only item that isn’t made of gold, fur, or shiny dark leather, and I’m vaguely aware the silver reminds me of the jewelry sculpting Cassian’s body. The green also matches my eyes. My face on fire, I wordlessly extend the item to him.

Cassian eyes it then reaches into the chest and pulls out a matching lead. He takes the collar from me, studies it for a second, then slides it around my neck. I hold my breath as he moves my hair over one shoulder and secures the collar, his touch surprisingly gentle. He then reaches for the straps I untied earlier and fastens them below the collar.

“Very good.” His fingers slide down my arms. “Now let me hear what sweet sounds you make when pleasure fills your body.”

Say whaaaat?

CHAPTER 6

ELODY

I just stand there gawking at the floor like an idiot.

He wants me to fake an orgasm at the drop of a hat? I’m generally not the bashful type, but oh my sweet holy fuck, this is way out of my comfort zone.

“I… I can’t,” I blurt out. “It’s too embarrassing.”

His hand lingers on my waist, his hot breath tickling my ear. “Your shame endears me far more than your insolence. Has no one ever pleasured you before?” When I don’t answer—because I’m too busy inwardly hyperventilating from sheer mortification—he asks softly, “Would you like me to, Elody?”

For the first time in my life, I’m lost for words. I don’t think I’ve ever been stunned into silence, but no one has seen my body let alone touched it. Dick was hardly the main thing on my mind when Earth started literally falling to pieces. Yet with Cassian pressed this close to me, his body towering over my own, I want to know what it feels like.

I want him to touch me.

Although there’s still a part of me that can’t surrender to him so easily, there’s an even larger part that is well aware that both our lives rely on it. I need to put on a good show for Taryx, otherwise, we’re both toast. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to be prepared. The thought of doing this in front of them is beyond humiliating, but I know I need to. And the most shocking thing of all is that, in spite of everything, I feel safe with Cassian. He could’ve raped me the moment I stepped into this room but he didn’t.

There is always a choice.

And it’s Cassian’s choice that has proven to me that his intentions aren’t to violate me.

They’re to protect me.

Protect us both.

“Okay,” I whisper, and he slides his palm over my front and dips between my legs.

“Good girl,” he says with a grin that is far too sexy for my liking.

When he cups my sex, I grab his forearm in surprise and a low chuckle rumbles in his throat. His tail swooshes around me and slowly pulls my nightdress up, baring me to his gaze. He runs his fingers along my slit, spreading my dampness with an affirmed grunt in my ear. I close my eyes, succumbing to the sensations taking over my body.

“Open your eyes,” Cassian growls. “A pet must look at their master when they come. They must also ask for permission before they do.”

I obey his command and he continues his languid teasing, gently flicking my clit with the tip of his finger. Pleasure swells within me, building with a slow urgency I’m not familiar with, and I almost beg him to go faster. It’s like he knows I’m getting close but refuses to give my body what it wants.

He pushes a finger in, coaxing out the small gasp I give at the intrusion.

“This is how a pet should always be in their master’s presence, wet and ready for him, and so very…” He pulls his hand back and there’s an embarrassing sucking sound. “Delectable. How Taryx will regret giving you to me.”

His breathing quickens and I feel his cock pressing into my back. I hold my breath and curl my toes, waiting for the explosion of ecstasy to engulf me.

“Such a lewd expression on your face,” he whispers, his breath tickling my ear again, “and so tempting that all I desire right now is to fuck you. Would you like that, sweet pet? My cock filling your sweet little cunt with royal seed? Hmm?”

I bite my lips, scared of my answer.

“I shall take that as a yes.” He lightly taps the front of my sex, almost like a gentle slap. “When I ask you that question later, you will answer with ‘Yes, Master.’ Am I understood?”

Another slap and I dig my nails into him, just below the gold band wrapped around his bicep.

“Y-yes,” I gasp out, my sex clenching and getting wetter for him be the second.

“Yes, whom?”

The heat in my face intensifies. “Yes, Master.”

“Better. Respect and obedience are what Taryx expects from pets at all times. If we’re to convince him, we must show him that completely.”

With Cassian’s cock nudging me in the back, I’m beginning to wonder if this is also what he expects from me. Everything about him screams alpha male dominance. There is no denying this is turning him on. I look down with a frown. Would it really be so bad if I enjoyed this arrangement with Cassian? He’s up there with the sexiest sonuva bitches I’ve ever laid eyes on and I can’t really hide my desire for him. He’s feeling it right now, growing more intense with each stroke of his fingers.

A moan tears from my lips and I bite down to suppress it. Cassian spanks me when he sees this, causing me to let out a whimper. The noise apparently pleases him because he returns to his soft, languid strokes, and I feel myself on the edge, so close, so ready for that sweet, euphoric sensation.

“Yes, let me hear those sounds.” He runs his teeth down the side of my throat. “Hide nothing and bear everything to me.” His pace quickens, making me squirm in his arms. “No harm will come to you so long as you’re with me. This body, this cunt, is mine now. Do you understand me, Elody?”

I’m too engulfed by pleasure that all I can do is nod.

Cassian pulls his hand back, and my orgasm plummets.

Damn him!

“Answer me,” he growls.

“Yes! Yes, I hear you.” Then as an afterthought, I add bitterly: “Master.”

This alien prince is a damn sadist! I was so close to climaxing when he pulled away.

He chuckles behind me. “Oh, pet. That tone will never do.”

A tinge of panic grips me when he moves away. I crane my neck to look at him and he’s staring down at me with a dark glint in his eyes, his arms folded over his muscular chest.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper sheepishly. “Please…”

His eyes narrow just slightly. “Please, what? Be specific when addressing your master.”

I can’t help but smirk for some reason. “You’re having way too much fun with this, aren’t you?”

To my delight, he returns the smirk, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s definitely enjoying teasing me. I like seeing this relaxed side of him. But I also like his dominant side too. Combine them and I’m beginning to be a goner.

I look away in an effort to hide my growing blush. “Please make me come. Is that what you want me to say, Cassian?” I’m still unable to look at him, but I’m not sure if I’m just embarrassed about all this or ashamed of my promiscuous behavior.

What the hell is happening to me?

“Stubborn female.” Cassian spins me around and presses me to the wall in two impossibly swift movements. “Yes, that is precisely what I wanted you to say since that is what a pet is expected to say. Make no mistake, Elody, if you act this way in front of the king, our arrangement will be obsolete and I will no longer protect you.”

The air freezes in my lungs at his stern expression. I’ve touched a nerve, and though I didn’t mean to, I understand why he’d be upset. If I fail at this, his people’s safety will be at risk.

“I think you enjoy my insolent side,” I reply lightly, hoping to defuse the tension.

“Oh?” He closes the distance between us, his eyes filled with a growing lust… for me. “And how did you come to that conclusion?”

I don’t know what possesses me, but I step forward, wrapping my palm over his erection. He raises his brows in surprise.

“This. Or do you have a weapon down there I don’t know about… Master?”

His hand covers mine, and he squeezes. Hard. A deep groan escapes his lips and it’s such an erotic sound. Whatever bravery I had vanishes, replaced by an even deeper blush.

“I think you enjoy it too,” he murmurs, gliding his free hand over my sex again. “How about you sit on the bed for me and touch yourself? I want to hear more of your sounds.”

He moves my hand away and guides me backward until my legs touch the bottom of the bed. Then he pushes me down onto the edge and spreads my legs with his knee.

“I want to watch you.”

I squirm under his intense scrutiny and my chest rises quickly with each breath I drag into my lungs. Humiliating doesn’t begin to describe this. But it’s also exciting.

Exhilarating.

I reach down, my gaze locked on him, and slowly begin to touch myself. His throat jerks and his pupils dilate, blown with desire. He doesn’t watch for long. No sooner do I let out a quiet moan than he bends down between my legs and swipes his tongue alongside my fingers. I pull back and grip the sheets as he leans in, inhaling my scent.

He glides the tip of his tongue over my sex. Not only is he teasing me, but he’s tasting me. His sounds of pleasure echo my own, but they’re drowned out when pleasure erupts through my body. I dig my nails into the sheets, my orgasm building until I’m shaking underneath him. He sucks and kisses me, then returns to teasing my clit again, and gods, being so sensitive and under his mercy, it’s almost too much too soon. He flicks his tail up and tickles the edge across my body, my breasts, my nipples. I bite my lip to keep from calling out.

“I want to hear more of your sounds, Elody,” Cassian whispers against me. “I want to hear you scream with pleasure.” He bites down on my inner thigh and I let out a gasp, more from surprise, but damn it, it still feels good. “And that is an order.”

I arch my back off the mattress as another orgasm surges through my body. It’s more intense than the last and I reach out for something—Cassian’s hair, his shoulder—and it’s his hand that finds mine. He twines our fingers, locking us together, and I allow the screams to leave my body.

“That’s it, little one. Let them all out.”

He inserts his fingers inside me and continues teasing my pulsing clit. His breath whispering against me, his tongue devouring me, and the way he holds my hand while pleasuring me is enough to send me over the edge again. I grip his fingers and call out his name. He gives a throaty growl that burns in his chest like a dragon about to breathe fire. I feel the heat from it against my body, against my sex. I grip his fingers and call out his name. Cassian straightens after pleasuring me and looks down at me still convulsing underneath him.

“With a performance like that, I don’t think we’ll have to fake anything at the banquet tonight.”

Before I can reply—before I can even catch my breath—there’s a strange murmuring noise coming from Cassian. It takes me a moment to realize someone’s speaking through the small device hooked over his right ear. He taps it once and then pulls away from me.

“I look forward to continuing this later,” he says, glancing at the door. “We’ve landed.”

The door opens and the female from before enters, carrying her familiar-looking equipment. Cassian leaves, possibly to get ready elsewhere, and the female shows me the dress I’m expected to wear. My mouth hangs open. It’s even skimpier than the last and barely conceals my body. My nipples and sex will be covered by a thin piece of fabric, but the rest is just held together with dainty chains and lacey straps that cross over my breasts and stomach. It really does leave nothing for the imagination.

She drapes the gown over me and ties the necessary straps into place. The rich emerald color of the dress does suit my pale complexion and red hair, but that’s the only aspect of it I like. With two slits running up from my ankle to the top of my waist, I’ll be lucky if I manage to keep from exposing myself at this banquet. Next, she brings out a thin silver wire from her trunk and coils my hair with it, twisting the locks into a giant, thick braid that hangs down my back. Her final task is to decorate my face with the strange, scented makeup, and then she leaves.

When the door opens next, Cassian enters. Dressed in his armor with the gold bands twined around his upper arms, he reminds me of the first time I saw him. His horns have been dusted in a light layer of gold paint, as well as his wings, which make them all look even more striking. His eyes take me in slowly, and even from across the room, I catch the pulse fluttering in his neck.

“Are you ready, Elody?”

I adjust what I can of my dress and nod. “As I’ll ever be… Master.”

A dangerously sexy smirk dances over his lips. He connects a matching lead to the collar around my neck and brushes his fingers down the side of my cheek.

“Good. Now let’s put on a convincing show.”

CHAPTER 7

ELODY

As soon as we exit his room, Cassian’s posture changes. His entire demeanor alters, his muscles tense, and he tightens his grip on the lead as he escorts me down the hallway with the confidence and command of a master in control. He strides past Taryx’s warriors and crew without even casting them so much as a glance. Each one treats him with royal respect.

Daire stands outside a small elevator waiting for his commander. He bows then steps into the cab, following Cassian. The lift jerks into motion and I glance out the window at the clouds yawning endlessly over a stunning landscape. Twin moons hang low in the cobalt-blue sky, full and breathtaking. Buildings separated by large areas of water stretch out toward them. Bridges span the water, connecting each area of land to the other. It reminds me of a book I once read about a lost city called Atlantis.

From the elevator, Cassian leads me down the ship’s gangway. The cool night air is a welcome reprieve. However, it’s short lived. We’re ushered into a building that towers over the ship and seems to swallow everything within sight. It casts a giant shadow around us, and in a mossy courtyard, a statue of King Taryx gleams under a series of floodlights. It makes me want to puke.

The doors to the reception area are open, flanked by white-haired guards. They bow to Cassian but pay me no heed. Of course, they don’t. I’m just a pet to them. We’re led through a glittering entry wall, up a set of marble stairs, and then into the grand hall. Taking a deep breath, I walk inside and rub the goose bumps on my arms.

Inside the elaborately designed hall, Droxan dignitaries fill the tables while semi-naked females and males move around them. My breath hitches. This is the first time I’ve seen other pets like me. A lot of them are quite obviously alien while some could almost pass as human. The one similarity they all share is the collar latched around their necks, signifying their status to those around them. Not all of the pets are leashed, and a few even appear to be happy as they smile and laugh with other pets.

Pets.

I can’t believe I’m referring to them as pets. Hell, I’ve started to really feel like one since being abducted from the Praxia. But that’s all we are and it hasn’t felt so real until the moment I entered this room. My gaze fixed on Cassian, I follow him to the dais at the other end of the room. King Taryx sits on another throne made of glass embedded with quartz and sapphire jewels glittering in the candlelight bleeding from the sconces on the gold walls.

Cassian bows his head and lightly tugs my lead. Receiving his mute command loud and clear, I get on my knees and wait until he permits me to stand, my eyes turned to the floor. “Come, pet.”

For a moment, I hesitate and watch Cassian from the corner of my eye as he claims the much smaller throne on the king’s right. Since he didn’t tell me to stand but obviously wants me to follow him, I swallow my pride and crawl to his side on my hands and knees. He moves my head onto his lap and softly strokes my hair.

Good girl. The words burn within his dark gaze when he looks at me and I almost forget to avert my own from him. I love and hate how those two words fill me with a desire I’ve never known. I didn’t think I’d be able to accept this arrangement, let alone enjoy it. Now here I am, a twenty-six-year-old human from Earth, sitting beside her alien master on a strange planet, and all I want right now is for him to pet me and call me his good girl.

Talk about fucked up.

I feel sick thinking about it while Aleera and the others are going through god knows what. Clearly the air on this planet is messing with my brain.

“Your command over the vixen shows great progress,” Taryx says to Cassian. “Even my guards reported that she did not resist you. I am intrigued to see a demonstration of this obedience of hers later once I have eaten. I find myself to be famished after our journey and the menu is rather appetizing. What say you, Cassian?”

“I say let us begin this feast by celebrating the union of our tribes.”

“Yes, yes, yes. That will come later—once we have eaten.” Taryx claps his hands twice and the gesture causes a momentary silence to drift among the guests. “Let the feast begin!”

I skim my eyes over the floor, wondering what food these aliens even eat. I highly doubt they’ll have fried chicken and fries, although my stomach would like to think differently. When my gaze lands on the pets being draped over a spherical table in the middle of the hall and the owners ravishing their bodies, I discover my answer.

Gods above. We’re the food being served tonight.

Pets a la carte.

My cheeks burn and I peek through my lashes at Cassian. He’s already looking at me intensely, his lips moving in response to the king, but I can no longer hear what either of them are saying. The air seizes in my lungs and I forget everything Cassian told me in his quarters. I forget about our arrangement because, at this very moment, I’m frightened of what’s to come.

In front of all these people?

The king rises and the girl he chose on the ship rushes to his side. Taryx bends her over the throne, lifts his robes, and impales her with one hard thrust. No preamble. No attentiveness. Nothing. She cries out and then moans when he sinks his teeth into the side of her neck.

Except they are no longer teeth—they’re genuine fangs, much longer than they normally are. My stomach heaves at the sight of him drinking from her. So not only do these aliens fuck to eat, but they drink blood too? This is way more messed up than I thought. It’s like they’re more succubus than dragon. Is this why Cassian hasn’t eaten in front of me?

“My pet is frightened,” Cassian says, patting his lap for me to come hither, a hint of genuine concern in his gaze.

I’m far from frightened by this now; I’m downright horrified.

Horrified at what’s going on.

Horrified at my reaction.

Horrified by my arousal at the lewd sounds of pleasure echoing around me.

Only two aliens present aren’t participating in the orgy. One is Cassian and the other is his warrior, Daire. The rest are fully immersed, and the sexual energy percolating from body to body is overwhelming.

Overpowering.

I scoot closer to Cassian and he sets my head on his lap again, stroking me with soft, languid movements. His gentleness is such a stark comparison to Taryx, who is drinking the girl’s blood with his hand wrapped around her throat. He groans and catches me looking, his hips still pistoning into her.

“You are not hungry?” he asks Cassian, though his eyes are latched on me, a predatory glint in them.

I look away, my insides recoiling. There is nothing pleasant about King Taryx, and now that I have seen how he treats his pets, I’m thankful Cassian intervened when he did. That could’ve been me bent over that monster’s throne, unable to do anything; although, to my horror, the girl seems to be enjoying it. I shrink closer to Cassian.

“I ate before we landed” comes Cassian’s disinterested reply.

Taryx laughs scathingly. “Nonsense! Our species are never satiated. I am beginning to think you are reluctant to embrace the ways of my kin as you say. Has this proposed treaty merely been a ruse?”

Cassian’s hand pauses on my hair. “I offer no ruse. I came here to learn your ways and embrace them so my kin might also do the same.”

“Then show me.” Taryx grabs the female’s throat and yanks her back, impaling her again. The lustful expression on her face takes me by surprise. How can she be enjoying that? “Otherwise, I will give your pet to a warrior who knows how to handle her. Do not have me questioning”—thrust—“our treaty, Cassian. Especially not when we are just about to sign it.”

The side of Cassian’s jaw twitches and I know he’s trying to devise a plan. He wasn’t kidding when he said we’d have to demonstrate in front of the king. But we’re in this together. He needs me to play along as much as he is, or else we’re both fucked. Gathering my courage, I pull my head off his lap and nod at him with silent approval. He dips his head in acknowledgment, though there’s a thinly veiled note of surprise that flickers over his countenance.

“Come, pet.” He gently lifts me to my feet and settles back in his chair, his arms draped on the armrests. “Make your master proud to be the one who owns you.”

Owns me.

Those two words send a shudder of desire through my body. I wet my drying lips. Taryx watches me climb onto Cassian’s lap and straddle him. Before I even know what I’m doing, I press my lips to the prince’s. They’re so much softer and warmer than I expected. I think Cassian is just as taken aback by the gesture as I am, for he hesitates only briefly, then his hand falls to the back of my neck and he’s deepening our kiss. I expected his touch to be hard and rough like the rest of him, but it’s far from that. It’s soft and gentle like I imagined, and it pulls me in for more. His hardened cock presses against me, divided by a scant piece of fabric, and I moan into his mouth.

When I part for air, my lips swollen from his lust, I realize King Taryx has been studying us the entire time. He nods his approval at Cassian and then refocuses his attention on the female before him. I know at this moment, Cassian can’t pull away. He needs to do this.

And I need to do it too.

I kiss him again, a silent admission, and he threads a hand through my hair, his lips devouring my own. I wrap my arms around his neck and he anchors my legs around his waist. Lifting me, he reverses our positions so I’m on the throne and he’s the one with his head on my lap. He drags his hands up my legs to my waist and tugs my dress so the material pools between my legs to cover my sex. When his eyes meet mine, everything in the hall vanishes from my perception. Not even the king draws my attention anymore. It’s just Cassian and me, and I focus on that as long as I can.

He pulls one of my legs up and drapes it over the side of the throne, then he leans forward and breathes in my scent. My sex pulses and a rush of excitement tingles down my spine. His lips and the tips of his fangs run along my flesh. They nip my inner thigh and I let out a gasp, my back arched against the throne. His tail curls around my leg and reaches for my sex. He teases me through my dress, stroking and encircling my clit, then gives me one final look before he bites down on my thigh.

My rising pleasure helps with the pain. I moan and push myself against him, eager for more. He laps at me while simultaneously teasing me to such a degree that my moans turn into a scream, and I dig my nails into the back of the throne to keep from sliding off. He tightens his tail around me and quickens his assault on my clit. I scream out another moan, and Cassian digs his fangs in deeper. Blood trickles down my leg, but I’m so lost in ecstasy, I don’t care.

“You have indeed — tamed — the vixen,” Taryx groans beside us.

I follow Cassian’s hardened gaze to where the king, still penetrating his woman, groans and spills his seed inside her while keeping his eyes on me the entire time.

Although the aftershocks of my orgasm are severe enough that I’m shaking and my legs are still twitching, the king’s leering sickens me to my core. Cassian uncurls his tail and licks his tongue over the wound on my thigh. A strange tingling sensation occurs there. When he moves away, the blood and puncture wounds are no longer visible. They’re completely gone.

His tongue has healing properties?

“My pet did not ask her master for permission to come,” Cassian says, training a dark, hooded gaze on me. “She requires punishment according to your law. Is that not so, Taryx?”

Pulling out from the woman, he slaps her on the ass, shooing her away, and then drops down into his throne, his robes barely covering him.

“It is so. Perhaps you’d care to demonstrate her punishment for all to see? It would amuse me.”

I bet it would, you disgusting pervert!

“Your guests are busy,” Cassian says, his eyes intent on me, “and I am still hungry.”

King Taryx laughs, the sound chilling me to the bone. “Then take her and feast to your heart’s content, my friend. Tonight, I shall sign the treaty, and let it mark the beginning of our union, one that will send a warning to the Yorem and those like them that our planet Xoria will not be easily conquered.”

Cassian inclines his head to the king. “My kin look forward to conquering our enemies alongside you.”

He then takes my hand tightly in his and leads me from the hall. I spot Aleera across the way on my way out, sitting beside Daire. I can’t believe I never noticed her. Why is she here? Shame floods me. Did she see me on the throne? I try to pull back and catch her attention, but Cassian drags me so quickly that I barely keep pace behind him. Outside, far out of the guards’ reach, Cassian pauses and breathes a sigh of relief. He releases my hand to place it against the wall as if steadying himself. I know he’s deep in thought, probably relieved that we managed to convince the king and that the treaty will be signed after all, but I can’t stop thinking about Aleera.

“My friend, why is she at the banquet? Why is she with Daire?”

The prospect that Taryx forced her to attend because he wants her chills the blood in my veins. What if he… what if he tries to… Bile rises into my throat. I can’t even bring myself to think about it. But I can certainly bring myself to get answers from Cassian.

“Cas—”

He takes my hand again and continues leading me through the palace back to his room. The moment the door seals behind us, I turn to him, but he holds up a hand, and I close my mouth.

“First of all, your friend is safe. I had Daire stake claim to her as a means of protection. I did not expect them to bond so quickly, or eagerly, but already my warrior is willing to protect her with his life. The two of them have made a fitting match. You’ll be able to see her soon.”

My heart swells. Aleera and Daire… The idea of her being with him out of all the other warriors on this ship fills me with relief. Not only is she safe, but she’s with the only other person besides Cassian I would dare to trust here. A bookworm like me, however, I hope Aleera will be able to manage without the existence of books on this planet. I smile at the thought of her finding out they don’t have them here. I can just imagine the horrified look on her face.

“The treaty,” I say instead.

Cassian begins to remove his armor and clothing, and he looks visibly relieved. “It’s finally going to be over. If all goes well over the next few days, I’m going to be occupied with finalizing the treaty. It means you’ll be confined in here for a while, but as soon as the treaty is official, we can leave. Our arrangement will be over. You’ll be free again, Elody.”

He enters the bathroom and the sound of running water fills the silence shortly after. However, it’s quickly drowned out by my heartbeat. You’ll be free again. Our arrangement will be over. I sit on the luxurious bed, my mind racing. Does this mean I’ll never see him again? What will happen to me? Aleera? If she stays with Daire, I’ll be alone for the first time in my life. More upsetting than that, the thought of not being with Cassian now terrifies me. I want to be with him.

I want him, vampire-tendencies and all.

But does he want me enough to keep me?

Keep me…

Those words echo through my mind, twisting my stomach. I’m not something to be kept. I’m not an object nor am I a pet. But when it comes to Cassian, I want to be with him however I can. Does he want to be with me, though? As I wait for him to shower, I sprawl out on the bed, and soon I’m falling asleep, my body exhausted, my mind in turmoil.

I guess I’ll soon find out.

CHAPTER 8

CASSIAN

I have fucked enough females in my time to know what I feel for Elody is different.

This is the first time I have ever tasted a female’s blood.

Elody’s blood.

I can still taste her on my tongue all these hours later and it’s driving my dravaken wild with mating instincts. The Droxans clearly do not understand how sacred it is to drink another’s blood if the debauchery of last night is any indication. The binding of one’s essence to your own is sacrosanct and performed in privacy, for it honors the gods who bled for our planet in order to see it thrive.

They were drinking as though it were simply a rare delicacy, but to my kin, it’s of much greater significance. If I hadn’t been forced to do Taryx’s bidding in order for the treaty to go ahead, I would have saved the special moment for when I claimed Elody. Now the moment is gone, ruined by so many eyes having borne witness.

I close the chamber door behind me. Either Elody has not detected my presence, or she despises me. An icy dread sweeps over me at the thought of the latter. Three days have passed since the treaty was signed, and I’ve been so occupied, I have not been able to spend any time with her. She sits at the edge of the window, peering through the glass like a bird longing for her freedom. I am still tied to this Droxan land until sunrise, but I’ll be damned if I’m to watch her suffer like this for another day.

She needs a distraction.

And I know just how to give her one… if what I did at the banquet has not disgusted her.

“Come,” I say, steering her away from the window. “You are spending the day outside. You need this.”

I withdraw one of the navy cloaks from the wardrobe and drape it over her back. She doesn’t look as pleased as I thought she would be. Perhaps I have truly repulsed her beyond repair.

“Unless you do not wish to leave?” I ask, my tone sharper than I intended.

“Oh, no, I can’t wait to get out of here,” she’s quick to reply. “But…”

I fasten the gold broach at her neck, pinning the material in place. “But what?”

The blush creeping over her cheeks endears me.

“Will you be coming with me?” she asks, quietly.

“Of course. I would never let you wander this land unprotected.”

She follows me outside the room, her lower lip pulled between her teeth. “Is this place dangerous?” she asks after a moment.

It’s a relief to see her inquisitive again. When I returned from my shower after the banquet, I found her asleep on the bed. I’d planned to finish what I’d started but her exhaustion took priority. However, the morning after, and since, she hasn’t spoken much when I’ve returned from duty. I was concerned that drinking her blood had sickened her from me. Or worse, made her frightened of me.

“It can be dangerous,” Daire says as he comes to my side. He walks with us down the corridor. “There are creatures that roam these waters which could destroy this building with a single claw.”

At the sight of Elody’s alarm, I assure her firmly. “But there hasn’t been an attack in some time. As much as I loathe the Droxan tribe, their defense mechanisms to keep the rhaegers at bay are impressive.”

I point out a window and Elody peers over my hand.

“The bridges?”

I nod, pulling my hand back. “They’re built into a trap below the surface that electrocutes the rhaegers if they get too close,” Daire answers.

“You will be perfectly safe,” I say, taking her hand.

I guide the way into the entry hall. The guards flanking the entrance do not move when I approach. I clench my jaw.

“Stand aside, warriors. I have business to tend to in the city.”

The guards exchange a worried look. It’s the smaller one who replies.

“That may be so, Voran, but we still cannot allow you to wander the city alone—”

I narrow my eyes to slits and both males shrink under my cold scrutiny. “You dare question me? I am the Orakas Voran! I am very capable of protecting my mate! Now, unless you wish to lose that tongue you are clearly so fond of, you had better obey my order this instant.”

While the guards do not question my statement, their objection to me leaving the palace is blatant, but they’d be fools to question the Voran. To question me thus far would’ve been enough to be flogged in my tribe. They exchange a worried look before obeying my order. Seems some of the Droxans do have a brain, after all.

“Mate?” Elody whispers as we walk away.

I nod and tighten my grip on her waist. “It is not uncommon for Droxans to claim their pets as mates.”

It also gives her a little more freedom, such as no longer requiring the lead in public, which is why I made a point of calling her my mate in front of the guards.

“Well, that is definitely not common back on Earth,” she mutters, her cheeks a delectable shade of pink.

Something tells me her shyness has nothing to do with the pet aspect, but rather, that I called her my mate.

I have missed her bashfulness too.

We step outside and I watch my female take a deep breath of the fresh air, her collar glinting with every inhale. The way the breeze washes over her and catches her hair like molten rubies momentarily takes my breath away. How lucky I am to have found such a beautiful, strong, captivating female to be my mate.

Soon-to-be mate, I remind myself.

I need to claim her first.

“This way to the city,” I say, leading her toward the first of many bridges crossing the water.

Elody falls into step with me and slips her hand into mine. I side-glance her, momentarily taken aback by her show of affection. It’s the first time she’s initiated it of her own accord, and it pleases me. She eyes the guards posted at every bridge we pass leading to the inner city. The guards standing by seem to put her at ease, but her grip tightening whenever we cross a bridge brings a smile to my lips. I squeeze her hand and give a reassuring nod to which she replies with a bashful smile. It’s intoxicating, seeing her smile like that. I also like to hear her whimper from pleasure too.

I clear my throat to center myself and track my gaze over the bridges. Stay focused. I count every guard, every post, every weapon that crosses my line of sight. My warrior also takes note of the Droxan forces. No warrior of Orakas has ever entered this land unless they were a prisoner of war. It’s a prime opportunity for my tribe to see what we might be up against if things do not go as my father planned.

The Droxans may be high in numbers but they are not as sufficiently equipped as we are. Our armory is still vastly superior to theirs. Our advancement in weapons helped to keep them from invading our land for as long as we did.

If not for our recent battle with the Yorem prompting the treaty, I would simply not be here.

I would never have been sent on what my brother considered a suicide mission.

But in the end, I had no choice. He will succeed our father and protect the tribe as the next Novarri. I do only what I can elsewhere to still be of use to my people. My father blamed me for what happened during our recent battle with the land rhaegers. Yet many of the tribes, including the Droxans, now face a similar battle. It was not my doing that we lost many warriors that day, but this mission is mine to see through.

Now that I see what defense mechanisms the Droxans have in their arsenal, it is clearly the electrical circuits in the water that protects them most effectively.

We cross the main bridge leading to the inner city. Toward the end, Elody stops and peers over the bridge.

“What’s that?”

She points at a shadow floating in the water. The tendrils of flesh used for hunting sway listlessly with the current. I’d hoped she wouldn’t have had to see one of them. “It’s a youngling of the creatures I told you about. It must’ve strayed too close to the surface.” At the look of pity on her face, I add firmly, “Do not be fooled by its infancy. This creature would sooner rip your throat at first sight. We are the ones it hunts.” I turn to Daire, who is also studying the creature, but his prognosis is one of pure disgust.

“The rhaegers are growing in numbers again,” he mutters.

I nod my agreement. They’re still spawning despite their limited food resources under the water. If they have no Xorians to feed on, I do not know what subsidizes them, but whatever it is, it’s clearly working, otherwise, they wouldn’t still be breeding. I glance back at the rhaeger and then to the guards approaching. For now, it is the Droxans’ problem.

My tribe has our own version of the rhaegers to deal with.

The Yorem brought them to our planet after designing them to hunt us down and adapt to our planet’s ever-changing environments. The Yorem only want what the rhaegers cannot digest: our scales that forge one of the strongest armor known throughout the galaxy. The gift we were born with has become a curse, one that paints a target on our backs from the moment we are brought into existence. The Yorem see our flesh only as profit to be gained once they have skinned our bodies.

I pull Elody back and cross the remainder of the bridge, my mood darkening. Better to get away from those filthy rhaegers before I lose command of myself.

The inner city is bustling with Droxans going about their business. Four guards stand by the only entryway. The rest of the city looks to be guarded by a giant stone wall that casts shadows over the water.

“This place is beautiful!” Elody approaches one of the merchant stalls lining the walkway. “What’s this?” She holds up a utensil.

“That is a piece of hunting equipment used to catch rhaegers.”

“Oh.” She moves on to the next stall. “What about this?”

“That is what the Droxans used to clean the tool that catches the prey.”

“It looks like a hair scrunchie.”

Daire snickers beside me. I do not know what a hair scrunchie is. Perhaps his human educated him on that matter. I follow Elody closely, glaring at the pet owners who stare at me as if I have no control over my pet. Out here, Elody is free to do as she pleases so long as she’s collared and accompanied by her master according to the Pet Code. Besides, the treaty has been signed. I did what I came here to do.

The only question is what to do now that I am no longer bound to Elody and nor she to me. She might detest the idea of going home with me. She might rather stay here as a pet opposed to becoming my mate.

She passes by the pet stall without so much as a backward glance, her cloak billowing behind her. It sickens me, too, seeing the masters and mistresses perusing the collars and other equipment whilst their pets kneel by their feet. One male, in particular, kicks his pet aside. The female whimpers and crawls out of the way to nurse her wound. I cut to a halt and grab the lead clenched in the male’s wrinkled hand.

Daire places a hand on my shoulder to stop me from doing anything rash. Although, I needn’t bother in this instance. The second I touch the lead and growl a warning at the male, he shrinks under my gaze like the coward he is. Perhaps it will make him think twice the next time. This is an unacceptable way to treat a female regardless if they’re a pet or not.

“Would you like me to check on the female, Voran?”

I nod and Daire checks her for any injuries. Meanwhile, I release my grip, my lips curled in disgust, and continue after Elody to the third stall. Now at this one, she’s found something of use to her. She smiles over her shoulder at me then resumes perusing through the gowns and cloaks hanging on a steel railing. The female merchant answers her question regarding the material.

“I had no idea the Droxans could make such beautiful clothes,” Elody says, “that actually cover your body.”

That elicits a grunt from me. Certainly, the pet clothes leave them with little dignity. As much as my dravaken had lusted after Elody at the banquet, I hated that so much of her body was on show and that it made her uncomfortable.

She trails her fingers along the jewelry, her expression curious.

“Those are mating bands,” I explain to her. “They adorn a male’s horns once he has been mated. These here…” I point to the gold and silver ear cuffs beside them. “…are the female version of them.”

“Why don’t the females wear the bands too?”

“Because they have flatter horns that make it difficult, if not impossible, to put them on. This is why they wear cuffs on the side of their ears instead.”

“They’re very beautiful,” she says, poring over the cuffs.

A particular one seems to catch her attention. A gold one with an engraved starburst stretching between the Xorian moons. The emerald jewels representing the celestial bodies glint in the sunlight. With a sigh, she pulls away and continues on to the next stall. I take the moment to purchase the cuff for her. I pray to the gods that she’ll be inclined to accept it.

That’s if I ever get away from this vecking stall!

The merchant is slow in packaging the gift. Every passing second is a second too long away from Elody and it irritates me. Finally, she places the cuff into a cushioned box and hands it to me, a smug grin on her face. I snatch it from her and whip around in search of Elody. Daire returns from checking on the female and looks for Elody with me, but I don’t see her cloak within the crowd.

I don’t see her at all.

Where the veck is my mate?

CHAPTER 9

ELODY

I should be happy that I’ll soon be free again.

I should be even happier that I won’t have to play this charade anymore.

So why do I feel so freaking miserable?

I frown and move on to the next stall. I know why I’m miserable. It’s because I’ll never wear a cuff as a female mate. I’ll never know what it feels like to be mated. The look on Cassian’s face when he talked about it had been one of utmost pride. Even his tone had changed; it had become softer the more he talked of this mating tradition which I found to be extremely beautiful. I never in a million years thought I’d want something like that for myself.

That all changed the moment I met Cassian.

But now, we’re about to go our separate ways, and I’ll never know what it feels like to his mate.

If he’d wanted me to be such, he surely would have said something by now.

Lifting my gaze from the strange-looking gadgets, I glance up at the two suns burning in the deep yellow sky. They’re even more beautiful than the one back home. I peel my gaze away from their burning beauty and there, across the way, I spot whom I assume is Aleera walking past a stall. My heart skips a beat. Although it’s hard to tell with the hood of her cloak raised, the glimpse I catch of her face definitely looks like her. I step into the crowd and work my way over to her. Maybe Daire left when he did to bring her here? Excitement courses through my veins at the thought of seeing her again. We have so much to talk about.

My voice dies in the wind when I call out her name. It’s too noisy, anyway. I lift my own hood and go after her instead. The crowd increases the farther into the city I go. It doesn’t feel like I’ve gone far, but when I lose sight of the woman, I don’t recognize any of the stalls around me. A warm breeze sighing across the walkway kicks sand into the air. I shield my gaze from any particles. A hand grips my arm and spins me around, catching me off guard.

“What’s a pretty pet like you doing out here all alone?”

I look from the hand up to the face towering above me. My gut clenches. It’s the alien from the Praxia. The one who knocked me unconscious and started this nightmare. He runs his gaze over my body and a sickening smirk curves the edge of his mouth.

“Hello again, sunshine.”

I try to yank my arm back, my pulse sky-rocketing. “Let me go!”

“Now why would I do that?” He digs his fingers into my skin, his eyes dark and feral. “You’re a pet now, and by my reckoning, your master is nowhere to be seen. That means you’re breaking the law and any enforcer can execute the right to punish you by order of the Novarri.”

Disgust roils my insides and my breakfast threatens to come up. “Wh-what? I’m… following my master,” I say, hating the tremor in my voice that gives away my fear. “He’s right over there!”

The male follows my gaze, a smirk toying with his lips. “I do not see him. Not only are you a defiler of the law, but a liar too.”

In two swift, painful moves, he drags me away from the public eye and traps me in a narrow alleyway hidden behind the stalls. He presses me against the wall, one hand still on my arm, and the other pressed to the wall behind me to prevent an escape. His eyes rove over me slowly and he licks his lips viper-like. Icy fear settles over me, freezing the disks in my spine and preventing me from breathing, let alone running.

“Now we can finish what we started on the cruise,” he says, sliding his hand away from my arm and underneath my cloak. My legs shake and my scream dies unuttered on my lips.

Can’t… breathe! I can’t breathe!

He gropes my breast and pinches my nipple painfully hard. My strangled scream only pleases him as he smiles and twists my nipple to the point of unbearable pain. With his other hand, he reaches for his pants, and it’s then I finally break free of my state of shock. I lift my leg and thrust my knee into his groin. The male hisses but doesn’t pull back like I expect. He slaps me across the face, my cheek swelling instantly, and pushes me harder against the wall.

Metal scraping through a sheath drowns my screams.

The male stares at me, his eyes wide and unblinking, before his head rolls off his shoulders and his convulsing body collapses with it. I stare in complete shock, scarcely able to process what just happened when another hand seizes me and pulls me out from the alley. Cassian’s burning gaze glares down at me. He’s breathing fast, his skin glistening in sweat, and the blood sprayed on his features makes his expression look more than just murderous.

He looks unhinged.

Wild.

“Are you—”

I don’t let him finish his sentence.

I wrap my arms around his chest and hug myself to him. His scent and his arms encircling me are an immediate comfort. My body is still shaking, though. I think the shock of what nearly happened to me hasn’t fully sunk in because of the adrenaline.

“I was so scared,” I whisper into his chest.

He sheaths his dagger and kisses me on top of the head. “You needn’t be scared, not now or ever again.”

Then he pulls me away from the market altogether. He practically drags me out of the city and back to the palace. I have to jog to keep up with him. I’m breathless by the time we’re alone in the room. Cassian slams the door behind him and turns to me, his face still splattered with blood. My heart races so powerfully, I’m surprised it hasn’t burst from my chest. Cassian unhooks his belt, throws down his weapons, and then he’s charging me. The air is knocked from my lungs by the sheer strength of him pulling me in his arms and kissing me.

He lifts me and wraps my legs around his waist with shaking fingers. I anchor my heels into his hips and kiss him back just as fiercely, just as passionately. He lays me on the bed and I sink into the mattress. His arms cradle me as if I’m the most precious thing in the world, but his kiss becomes more eager and almost frantic with every passing moment. His hands are still shaking when they touch my body. There’s a reservation about his movements, too, that unsettles me.

“I’m okay,” I whisper to him. “You won’t hurt me.”

He rests his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. “It is not that I fear hurting you. I fear losing you.”

I kiss his forehead gently, whispering, “You’re not going to lose me. I want this.”

His eyes shoot open and search my own. He seems to find the answer to my meaning, though: I don’t want to lose you either. Yet slight confusion remains to cloud his features.

“But you are free now.”

I pull his lips to mine, my forehead still touching his. “And I choose to be free with you.”

If only for a fraction of a second, Cassian pauses, then he threads a hand in my hair and deepens our kiss. I’m lost in his embrace, lost in my own need for him. He trails feather-light kisses down my throat, my collarbones, across my chest, and down to my stomach. Every brush of his lips upon my skin sets a fire within me that has long been extinguished. He’s the only one who’s ever been able to rekindle those flames. My existence has been shrouded in darkness until the moment I met him and we bound ourselves to each other.

Only, I never expected to bind my heart to him nor my soul.

Cassian unbuckles my cloak, peels my dress off my body, and pins both of my hands above my head. Then he straightens above me and runs his gaze slowly over the entire length of my body as if drinking me in. I’ve never seen his eyes filled with so much desire, so much longing, for me. It’s like he’s taking his time to map out my body and commit the memory to his mind forever. He skims his fingers up my leg.

“There is no star in existence that could rival your beauty.”

I blush under his loving stare and tears gather in my eyes. If he could only understand that I feel the same about him.

“Beautiful,” he whispers, caressing my ribs then my breast. “Mine.”

He hardens his grip, just ever so slightly, and then softens again. It’s like he’s trying to erase where the enforcer had dared touch me.

Cassian glides his hand down to my sex. “All mine.”

“Yes,” I breathe, arching my back and pushing myself against him. “All yours, Cassian.”

He releases my hands then holds his own against his heart. “Yes. All yours.”

From his back pocket, he withdraws a small jewelry box and pops it open. He pulls out the gorgeous cuff I was admiring earlier and gently hooks it over my right ear. My heart swells with overwhelming emotion. Love I’ve never known flows through me. I’m his mate now. He’s chosen me, and from day one, I have chosen him. I’ll go insane if he doesn’t claim me now. I need him.

Cassian.

My mate.

Cassian unlaces his pants and frees his cock, hard and ready for me. A triple ridge on the shaft and the tip excites me. I fold my legs around his waist and use my heels to pull him in, desperate to feel him inside me. He chuckles at my eagerness and rubs his cockhead over my sex. The ridges bump against me, a pleasurable sensation, especially when he reaches my clit. We could spend all night here teasing each other, but we have the rest of our lives to do that. Right now, I want him inside me. He’s the first and only male I ever want like this.

“Look at me,” he says, his voice an order.

Now that the whole master/pet thing isn’t our reality anymore, it’s actually kind of hot. I do as he says and grin up at him.

“Yes, Master.”

His nostrils flare and he takes a deep, deep breath as if trying to control himself. Then he says those two erotic words that drive me wild.

“Good girl.”

And I’m a goner.

If Mohamed won’t go to the mountain, then it’s high time I take it to him. I dig my nails into Cassian’s shoulders and use every bit of strength I can to bring his cock toward me. The tip breaches me and I bite my lip, bracing myself against the sharp pain. The stinging that follows—when he gently eases farther in, pulls out, and repeats the process until I’m adjusted to him—is over quicker than I expected. I’m still a little sore when he’s fully inside, but the pain is overridden by the pleasure filling the rest of my body. He curls his tail around my waist and uses the tip to tease me.

My orgasm is already building when he pulls out. I moan from the ridges on his cock brushing against my insides. Every time he slides in and out, they hit a piece of me that’s growing steadily more sensitive with each thrust.

He eases into me again, this time a little harder, and I let out a moan. He smothers my sound with his lips and I have no choice but to moan into his mouth as he fucks me. His pace increases and drives in fast and deep. He hits that spot again and I roll my eyes to the back of my head.

“Mmm, that feels amazing!”

Cassian chuckles and once again joins our hands over my head. His thrusts are deeper and quicker, more eager to fill me to the brim. He holds himself inside me for a moment and it’s then that I hear the rapid increase in his breathing. I look up at him through my thick lashes. His lips are parted and he dips his eyes as a low, deep groan builds in his chest.

It’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen.

“More than amazing,” he says, rocking his hips again. “Gods above, your cunt feels incredible wrapped around my cock, Elody.”

I move with him, taking him in as deeply as I possibly can. His tail continues teasing me and my orgasm is close, nearly there. I grip Cassian’s cock tighter and close my eyes. Pleasure soars through me. I curl my toes and straighten my spine. Cassian’s name leaves my lips riding on a scream of ecstasy.

“Yes,” he groans, thrusting into me, his cock hitting that sweet spot inside. “Scream for me, little one. I want to hear those sweet sounds again.”

His tail quickens, his cock slams into me, and I’m chasing another orgasm. I lose control of my entire body as I surrender to the pleasure once more, and it courses through every inch of me.

Cassian’s tail tightens around my waist and chest, restricting my breathing, as he, too, surrenders himself. The lack of air heightens my pleasure and I all but choke out my moans. Cassian releases within me and his own sounds of pleasure fill the room. He crashes down on top of me, heavy and spent, and rests his head against mine, his breathing swift and uneven. I wrap my arms around him and pull him close. He takes a moment to come down from his high. The moment he does, he cradles my face in his hands and looks deeply into my eyes.

“Tomorrow, I am leaving this land, and you, my mate, are coming with me.”

A relief I’ve been longing for all day consumes me to my core. “As if I’d let you leave without me, Cassian.”

CHAPTER 10

ELODY

I roll over in bed and stretch my arms. They land on an empty but warm space beside me. I straighten and check the room. Cassian stands by the open window, his head tilted toward the dawn-lit sky, one hand rested against the wall.

“Cassian?”

He turns to look at me and his expression softens. “I did not mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. Is something wrong?”

He pulls away from the window and joins me on the bed. His muscles stretch the confines of his pants when he sits. “I am concerned that this treaty with the Droxans will not be enough to defeat the Yorem.”

Relief washes over me. I was beginning to think maybe he regretted last night. I’m so glad that isn’t the case. I reach for my cuff and run my fingers absently along the edge.

“What about another alliance?”

He squints his gaze at me.

“With Earth,” I say, preempting his confusion. “We’re also being attacked by the Yorem. What if both our species made an alliance to fight them together? There must be some way to do that.”

“Would humans truly consider such an alliance?”

I think about how those on Earth are already struggling to defeat the Yorem by themselves, and nod. “The federation would be insane to dismiss it. At least let’s give them a chance to listen.”

Cassian rubs his jaw. “Then I will speak to my tribe. If the federation is inclined to sign such a treaty, I will do what I can to ensure that it is done.”

I take his hand and squeeze it. “We’ll do what we can to ensure that it’s done. Together.”

He gently caresses the side of my face. “My mate—the intergalactic diplomat.”

“Hey, I’m not just a pretty face, you know!”

“No,” he says, drawing me in for a kiss, “you are not.”

Unfortunately, a knock on the door pulls him away from me.

“That will be breakfast. We will leave for my tribe as soon as we have eaten.”

I nod and push the covers off my body. The light breeze coming through the window lifts the sleeves of my nightgown. I run my fingers over the soft material. As abhorrent as I find the Droxans’ view are on slavery, their style of clothes is very beautiful. I wonder if I can sneak this dress with me. Cassian himself chose it from the wardrobe after he claimed me and slipped it over my body. I was certain he was about to go for round two just looking at me wearing it.

“You have a visitor,” he says over his shoulder.

He barely finishes speaking when Aleera marches past him. She sweeps her head around the room and a big grin lights up her features when she spots me on the bed.

I practically throw myself into her arms. “I’ve missed you so much!”

She returns my hug just as strongly. “I’ve missed you, too, girl. But damn it! You’re gonna make me cry and ruin my makeup.”

I laugh and pull back, searching her face. Her freckled cheeks are slightly flushed and her eyes are lit, filled with joy. She’s never looked happier than she does right now. It’s amazing to see her like this. Even more incredible to know we both feel the same way.

“We have so much to talk about,” I say, then my stomach flips as I recall what Cassian said about leaving after breakfast. “But we’re leaving soon. I wish we had more time.”

Aleera frowns at me. “What are you talking about? I’m coming with you, silly! And no, it’s not because I’m totally and irrevocably head over heels over that big guy over there,” she says, glancing at Daire who’s grinning beside Cassian. “Although he is a wonderful bonus. A very sexy one, too, might I add.” She wraps her arms around me again and squeezes. “You’re my best friend, Elly. By definition, that means you’re stuck with me. Forever. No refunds!”

I lean into her hug, my cheeks aching from smiling so hard. “No refunds,” I agree.

With Aleera and Cassian by my side, I really feel like this is the beginning of the future I have always dreamed about. My new home.

My new life.

Now only if we can unite our species and defeat the Yorem… together.

Thank you for reading Protected by the Alien Warlord! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Kyra’s newsletter!

L. STARFYRE

CYBORG ASSASSIN: XZ20T20

CHAPTER 1

XZ20T20

My creators say that I must follow their orders, or I will be terminated. My data core has been wiped more than once, the Croar scientists say. They have been training me to go on assignments to assassinate key figures that disagree with their politics. From what I’ve been able to discern from overhearing snippets of their conversations, they are irritated that these entities are slowing down or blocking their trafficking in sentient and non-sentient beings.

From data that I have hidden from them, so they do not erase it again, I was one such sentient being before they cut, sliced, spliced, and changed me irrevocably. I don’t remember what I was before; I just know that I’m no longer what I was.

“I’ve been hacking into the system trying to discover our planets of origin and our original species,” XJ44N22 said.

“Don’t forget to keep looking for any sign of our memories,” XX30W30 told her.

“I know, I’m hoping the Croar still have them stored somewhere for intel.”

“I’m hoping you’re right, and we can retrieve them. I would like to know my past,” JY69X40 said. “Who I was, what I was, and where I came from.”

“These creatures pretend they have done something miraculous and that they are gods,” XJ544N22 said. “They have done something evil; abducted the four of us, and changed us, sisters, without our consent.”

We didn’t know if we were blood related or not, but the four of us referred to each other as sisters. We weren’t the only ones they’d abducted and experimented on. Nevertheless, we had survived the Croar’s DNA manipulations and training processes where many had not. The males they’d trained were kept separate from us. Many had gone insane in the past; the scientists thought the male psyche was less capable of enduring the changes.

“Don’t forget to keep us informed about your new mission,” XX30W30 said to me.

“I understand. I’ll do the best I can to keep you up to date with events,” I replied.

My newest mission was to terminate a Naga, Ambassador Polem, traveling on a luxury cruise spaceship. Several dignitaries were on their way to a conference with the Alliance to discuss beings that had gone missing from various planets in the sector. They had given me six space standard hours to find my target and complete my mission before they would initiate the order for me to self-terminate. It was insidious that the Croar had programmed me to terminate myself on their command.

Fortunately, JY69X40 had created a way for us to segregate that chain of commands and save our lives if we deemed whatever they ordered us to do to be too heinous. If one of us found herself cornered into using her program, we knew to notify the others so they could reprogram the self-terminate commands to appear as though they had not been tampered with.

We had all agreed that we would never terminate each other unless one of us went on a rampage against innocents. We were working on a plan to terminate those that had created us, but first we wanted to eliminate those who gave the scientists the orders to create us. It would do us no good to eliminate the scientists if we didn’t eliminate those that hired them because those at the top could always find more scientists and continue their heinous acts. We needed to take out the ones at the top and work our way down.

Waiting for the right moment, my cloaked shuttle flew into the bay when another shuttle from the unknown planet below entered. Landing inside between two others, I shimmered out of sight with the cloaking abilities my ‘benefactors’ gave me. It wouldn’t do for their assassins to be caught before we even reached our target. After slipping out of my cloaked shuttle into the luxury cruise liner over the unfamiliar planet, I uncloaked my short-range transportation so that it would appear to belong there. If I had left it cloaked, someone was bound to run into it, and they’d know it didn’t belong.

I headed into the ship to find my prey. As I slipped through the corridors, I gave all the bodies a wide berth because, even though they couldn’t see me, they could run into me.

A sharp pain shot through my body, stopping me in my tracks. Closing my eyes and shaking my head to attempt to clear the muddled feeling in my brain, I stood still, waiting for it to clear. It always did. The scientists wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with me but maybe they didn’t know. Taking deep breaths, I relaxed until I was able to continue with my mission.

From the intel I was given, my target had two forms, bipedal and Naga. I would have to hope that he didn’t manage to shift to his Naga form if it was as formidable as I’d heard. I wasn’t worried about the fangs; my suit and my skin would protect me. What I was worried about was that a Naga could wrap around me and crush me.

As I continued through the corridors and looked at the other passengers, I knew one look at my form, and they’d know I didn’t belong on the luxury cruise liner. My visage was unlike any species I’d ever seen. Or at least, not any single species. My skin looked and felt soft to the touch, but it was a lie. It was so tough, it was akin to body armor. It could stop a bullet at point blank range and knives were useless against it. The best an opponent could hope for against me was blunt force trauma, internal injuries from the force of the weapon. Even so, my nanites would heal me given enough time. Our creators meant for us to have no weaknesses other than what they could exploit.

All the same, they learned with me to not have any of their assassins look too different, too out of place. My unusual tail gave me away as ‘other.’ It was helpful in a battle because I could use it to strike an opponent dead with the venom in the tip or strangle them or use it like a whip. I understood the advantages it gave me, but it also made it impossible for me to blend in with the masses. My crest of feathers also marked me as ‘other’ but, other than a nice ornamentation, it served no useful purpose as far as I could tell.

Carrying no weapons, because I was a weapon, I continued my hunt in the public areas of the ship. If he wasn’t in one of them, I’d connect with the ship’s AI to find him. It was risky to connect with the AI before the mission was complete because it could alert security. It would depend on the parameters it had been given for alerting the ship’s inhabitants.

My sisters had tasked me with finding out if the Naga ambassador was really on our side. If he was, they wanted me to help him escape and make it look as if he had died until we could take him somewhere safe. The problem was, other than convincing him we weren’t trying to abduct him, the Croar always sent an assassin you didn’t know along with you. But not in the same vessel. Their job was to follow you and make sure you fulfilled your contract. If not, they would terminate you and the target.

CHAPTER 2

RILAND

Being a Mormoran and their king, I had boarded this ship to determine if our people should join the Alliance. We had never had an ambassador before, but I was acting in that capacity for this. We were not a spacefaring planet until some aliens invaded our planet for its resources. Although we fought back and eventually won, we think they brought the sickness with them that caused us the tragic loss of all our females, many of our young, some of our adult males, and all of our elders.

In the process of defending ourselves against them for many years, we became the new owners of numerous ships and new technology. Some of our people took to it without issue. Others, like me, were not as comfortable with the new technology. All the same, if it helped to safeguard our people, I was all for them learning.

The Alliance of Autonomous Planets found us in their attempts to find mates for some of their people. When they heard our story, they wanted to help us too. Or at least that’s what they told us. They were also interested in the resources the invaders had been after. They wanted to understand what the invaders wanted and why. Some of my people had gone off planet to learn more about the technology we’d acquired and what the invaders wanted. They were now considered to be scientists. It was my understanding that there were various types of scientists and some of my people were interested in learning more from the Alliance.

My task was determining if we should join the Alliance and if we should allow our young males to continue going off planet to learn from them. My advisors and I worried they would go off planet to learn and not come back.

My internal musings came to a halt when I scented something wonderful. Like a growing season’s breeze, flowers, and my favorite sweet. Our mate, she had to be. I couldn’t see her, but I could smell her. The ship rocked. Were we under attack? I didn’t know. Nor did I know why she was camouflaged but I pounced on her.

CHAPTER 3

XZ20T20

As I entered a viewing deck, I saw my quarry. Unfortunately, I saw him sniff, turn his head, and look straight at me as he flicked his tongue, testing the air. He knew exactly where I was, even if he didn’t know who I was or what I was doing there.

Sniffing discreetly, something happened to my body; it quivered. As I was trying to understand what was happening, the ship rocked, shuddered, and shook. We were under attack. Before anything else could happen, a large entity slammed into me. I had been distracted by finding my quarry, being found by him, the scent that had sent shudders through my body, and the attack on the ship.

That’s when I realized it was a Mormoran that had attacked me. He was at least two of my heads taller than me but not as strong or invincible. He was also at least three times as wide as me and all muscle. Mormorans were tough adversaries but, if I hadn’t been caught off guard, I wouldn’t have had any trouble defeating him. He had wrapped his body around me but wasn’t hurting me.

Lights on the ship flashed, alarms went off, someone was giving orders to the ship’s personnel and the passengers. The flashing lights only seemed to cause panic. Beings began running in all different directions.

“What are you doing?” I hissed at him.

“Protecting you,” he replied.

“I don’t need your protection,” I said. “I’d be more likely to be able to protect you.”

“A little thing like you?” he scoffed.

“Yes.”

“You are our mate; I will do whatever I can to protect you.”

“Mate?”

“Yes, I can tell by your scent.”

“Our?”

“I am King Riland,” he replied. Then gestured towards three others who were trying to run our way, pushing past other beings, as he said their names. “My advisor, Perio, Commander Legor, and Tuchio is my guard.”

They were his bond mates. My sisters and I knew about mates because of our training. They taught us about them and how to use the mates’ love for each other against them. I never thought I would find mine. Bond mates were what the males who shared a female called each other.

“How did you even know where I was?”

“By your scent,” he replied.

Something jolted the ship again. It was a luxury cruise liner and wasn’t built for battle. Space was not the place to be attacked without a backup plan. My guess, we were being boarded. By whom, I wasn’t sure. My handlers couldn’t have already given up on me completing my mission, could they? Checking my databanks, I was only 1.3 space standard hours into my mission. Looking around, I decided I needed to escape to the shuttles.

His companions moved to surround him as best they could but were confused when they ran into me.

“Let’s go,” I said, wriggling, ducking out of his arms, and bolting. Releasing my camouflage, I shouted out over my shoulder to them, trying my best to outdo the cacophony surrounding us. “I’m heading for the shuttles because everyone will be heading for the emergency escape pods.” Hoping they heard me over the din. “Most of the passengers and some of the crew do not know how to fly a shuttle. Even if they do, they have to help the passengers into the pods.”

I was flat out running; dodging everyone that was going the other direction. I’d intentionally lost my camouflage so the Mormorans could follow me. The mission was a bust at this point anyway. With their long strides, they were able to keep up within reason. Even so, being smaller, I could duck and dodge all the beings easier, allowing me to make it to the shuttle bay before them. If they were to go with me, I couldn’t take my shuttle. I wouldn’t take it anyway if this was my chance to escape the Croar, I was taking advantage of it. They would certainly be able to trace the shuttle they’d given me.

After connecting to the luxury ship’s AI, I chose a shuttle that had supplies on it, and prepared the shuttle to escape through its computer. After entering the bay, I boarded the shuttle I had chosen. Bonus, among its supplies was a healing pod. We needed to escape while the luxury cruiser we were on was between the attacking ship and the planet. The luxury ship could shield us for a little while, but we’d have to make the most of the time we were shielded to have any chance of making it to the planet alive. I saw the Mormorans entering as I prepared for departure. They were running at their top speed to board before I took off.

The luxury ship rocked again. I didn’t know why the assailants were still attacking if they were boarding. None of this made any sense. I scanned the displays of the luxury ship’s exterior and realized we had two different crews fighting over the spoils. They’d have to settle that before they could continue boarding. The one that had latched on had space pirates, it was obvious by their ample armament and their lack of care towards the rest of their ship. They had to disengage so they could maneuver and fight the newcomer. That’s when I realized the newcomer was the miscreants that had enslaved my sisters and me. I didn’t know which one I should root for. They were probably equally bad scenarios. The best possible outcome would be that they wiped each other out.

As I thought that, our shuttle lifted off and headed towards the planet at top speed for reentry. It couldn’t go any faster or it would disintegrate from entering the atmosphere. We needed to decelerate as we descended if we wanted to survive the landing. I was connected to the shuttle’s computer system, and I was still connected to the luxury ship’s AI. I wanted to know what was going on behind us as much as possible before I had to disconnect. In the meantime, I downloaded what information the ship had about the planet below to peruse as I needed it.

A rogue missile headed towards us from one of the ships fighting each other. I couldn’t change course, couldn’t speed up, and couldn’t slow down any more than I was.

The males must have trusted me because they weren’t interrupting me or maybe it was because they weren’t a spacefaring species until recently and didn’t know how to contribute. They were being very quiet and watching everything they could see. The shuttle was shaking from reentry and the missile missed us by a hair as we shook one way, and it went the other. Then something hit the shuttle and I wasn’t sure if we’d make it. Flashing lights, an alarm, and a warning message of an impending crash kept cycling. A piece of shrapnel from one of the ships had hit us. Steering the shuttle after the impact with the debris became more difficult and I had to switch to manual controls. Turning off the alarms because they were just distracting me, I focused on where we could land.

Sitting down at the control station, I maneuvered us towards a flat plain. Almost too late, I realized that spot wasn’t safe for landing when I saw something sink into the ground. Looking for somewhere else to land, Tuchio pointed towards a body of water. I wasn’t sure how much water pressure the shuttle could withstand and shook my head. Additionally, I didn’t know what, if anything, was in the water. The shuttle was quickly losing power and altitude; there still wasn’t a place to land.

Legor shouted something and pointed to a small flat plain surrounded by odd trees. It was our only hope. I changed course slightly and decelerated faster. The closer we were, the more obvious it was that we were going to crash. The shuttle couldn’t slow down any faster than it was, but it couldn’t circle around for a second attempt either. “Buckle up, if you can,” I hollered as I rolled myself up into a ball. It would protect me from almost anything.

The shuttle crashed but I couldn’t see anything yet; I could feel it rolling, bouncing, spinning, and sliding across the small clearing. Waiting for it to stop moving, I stayed in my ball shape while I bounced along with the shuttle because the crash belts couldn’t protect me as well as shaping myself into a ball. Silence reigned when it finally stopped. Here and there I heard metal hitting metal but mostly things were just settling.

CHAPTER 4

XZ20T20

Worried that the Mormorans would not survive the beating the shuttle had taken, I unrolled in the shuttle’s remains. Looking around for the males, I didn’t see them anywhere. Climbing out through an enormous hole in the hull and down from the wreckage, I found the unconscious king who was severely injured, with blood pouring out of his wounds. With my enhanced strength and metallically enhanced skeleton, I picked him up and carried him carefully as I looked for the healing pod. Hopefully, it was still operational and was solar powered or could be switched to solar. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere but the air was fresh once you got past the smell of the burning fuel from the shuttle.

Setting the king down when I located the pod, I used my enhanced strength to right the healing device. Once it was upright, I examined the exterior for a latch or button to open the pod. Still connected to the ship above with the aid of the chip in my head, I scanned the healing pod’s operator’s manual. Following the instructions, I switched it to solar power and placed my hand on a scanner. Once it scanned my hand with a blue light, it opened. Sliding my arms under the king again, I lifted him back up, and carefully placed him inside. The pod closed itself up and I made sure it wouldn’t heal his external scarring. He wouldn’t appreciate that at all from what I had learned of his people. Afterwards, I decided to look for the other three while it healed him.

I didn’t know if they were in better or worse shape than the king. I just knew my sisters and I couldn’t afford to lose such a powerful ally. At least I hoped he’d be an ally when I told him what the Croar were doing to his people. For his sake, I needed to get back before the pod finished. Storing the time the pod would finish in my memory banks, I went looking for any other survivors. From the looks of the king, his bond mates could be in bad shape.

Somehow, I had disconnected from the luxury cruise ship’s AI or maybe it had been blown up. At any rate, I no longer had access to it. I did know what planet I was on now, and what to expect from its flora and fauna. Some of its flora was more like fauna and none of it was friendly.

We were on planet Makemake and the sentient beings here were the Mormoran, like my supposed mate, the king. They were huge bipedal beings that rode on the backs of vicious animals, aurochs. Beasts that would destroy anyone with their hooves, horns, teeth, and sheer weight. To put that in perspective, the Mormoran had to conquer the auroch to ride it; it was a coming-of-age ceremony where no one could help the young Mormoran achieve his goal. He either conquered the beast or died trying. The beast and its rider were the same grayish-brown color and, when in the mountains, could blend with their surroundings.

Thinking of the king, almost the only ‘color’ was the deep red of the Mormorans’ thick, spiky hair. Instead of a beard like some beings, they had bone spikes under their chin that they could sink into their opponents during hand-to-hand combat. Their ears were placed one either side of their heads like mine but longer, came to a point, and had spikes coming from them. They, and their beasts, had red eyes. The Mormorans all had piercings to denote their accomplishments. Each piercing told a story to those who understood. They were also proud of their scars they’d received while battling or hunting. Shirtless, you could see their scars and whether or not they were mated. A bone piercing on the left pec meant they’d found their bond mates and one on the right meant they’d found their mate. The most striking thing about them though, was their sheer bulk. They seemed to be made of muscles. Their enormous fists could wipe out an opponent with one punch.

My sisters and I knew a lot about them because the scientists had recently started taking some of their people to ‘improve’ but were learning the Mormorans were not as easy to deal with as their previous victims. The scientists hadn’t been able to subjugate one yet. They had killed many in their attempts though. It made me wonder how many beings died trying to capture the Mormorans in the first place.

Slinking through the trees, prowling for the other three, I came across Perio battling a giant many-horned creature with eight legs and as many eyes. Since downloading the flora and fauna data from the ship’s AI, I knew this creature was venomous and could paralyze its prey while the creature wrapped the prey in a cocoon of its silk. The red, yellow, and black araña secreted enzymes into the cocoon that liquefied its prey, to make it easier to consume it. The ‘luckier’ prey died before the enzymes started to liquefy it.

The only real saving grace about these creatures was that they fought alone. You didn’t have to worry about a pack of them attacking you. It wasn’t clear who would win but it was likely that Perio would win based on the Mormorans’ abilities and history I downloaded and from what I’d learned in the lab. Rescuing Perio would be an insult to him, and he would not welcome the assistance. Sitting back on my haunches, I watched the battle unfold.

Perio just needed to avoid the fangs that could deliver the paralyzing venom and the horns that could pierce him. He could probably withstand anything else this creature could do to him. As I thought that, the creature tried to spear Perio with one of its horns. Perio punched the side of the spike with one of his massive fists and broke it off. I just shook my head in disbelief. Mormorans fought differently than I did but they had the size, strength, and bulk to back up their fighting style. I had speed and agility on my side. Perio rained down several more blows into the creature’s ‘head’ and it screeched so loudly that I had to direct my nanites to protect my ears. Perio delivered the killing blow but, as the creature was falling to its death, I watched in horror as its corpse speared him in the chest. Perio collapsed.

Springing up, I dashed over to remove the creature from him. First, I removed the spike from Perio’s chest and spat into the wound so that my saliva could start healing him while I used my strength to lift the araña off him. Even as quickly as my saliva could work, he had quite the gouge in his chest. It might take a bit for him to recover.

“Did you kill it?” Perio asked me, his eyes barely open but watching me intently as I struggled to remove the araña. A task made more difficult because I was trying not to stab Perio with any of the creature’s many horns.

“No, you did. When it died, it fell on you, and you were stabbed.”

Relieved to know his honor was still intact, he nodded, closed his eyes, and lay there for a few more minutes.

“Stay still for a little longer.”

His eyes opened to slits to peer up at me.

“My saliva will help you heal enough to walk but it takes a few minutes for a deep wound like that.” I finished removing the creature from him and threw it to the side. Its weight wasn’t a problem for me now that it was clear of Perio.

He nodded as his eyelids drifted shut.

We couldn’t wait long, we needed to find the other two and return to their king. They might be in peril too. All Mormorans were warriors. They had to be to survive such a hostile planet. Becoming more nervous as I worried the others may be in danger, I called forth some of my nanites to my mouth and spit them into his wound, directing them to heal him.

A few moments later, he was pulling himself up. Knowing he wouldn’t appreciate me telling him to wait any longer, I stood up and looked around.

“Any idea where the other two are? Your king is in a healing pod.”

“No, take me to King Riland.”

I looked at him wondering what his thoughts were on that.

“We can’t leave him unprotected while he’s unconscious,” he explained.

I nodded and gestured for him to follow me as I went back the way I had come. He passed me and followed my earlier tracks from heading towards him. I shrugged and watched our backs. I knew the way without following him or my tracks.

As I watched him, I noticed he skirted around a tree, giving it a wide berth. Stopping in my tracks and assessing the tree, I realized it was one that could drop a vine or vines and grab a passerby to strangle and consume. I must have been lucky earlier; maybe the tree hadn’t been hungry then. Reviewing the data further, I realized it was the time of day that had made the difference. It hadn’t been the tree’s feeding time. Continuing on, I saw the pod in the distance. The other two, Legor and Tuchio, were there protecting the king in the pod.

“Who put the king in this contraption?” asked Legor with a snarl.

“I did. He was near death when I put him in there.”

Legor scoffed, “Release him from it.”

“The pod will release him when he is healed.”

He looked disgusted with me but turned to Perio. “Where were you?”

“He was fighting an araña,” I replied.

“I asked Perio,” Legor retorted.

“If you continue to be rude to me, you will not be getting between these legs,” I replied.

“Who says I want to?” he snarled.

“From what your king has said, the four of you are my mates,” I crossed my arms in front of me, giving my chest more of a boost than it really needed, leaned against a ‘safe’ tree, and crossed one leg over the other.

He must have scented me then because he backed down and looked a bit pale. “My apologies, My Queen.” He kneeled on one knee and bowed his head.

Rolling my eyes, I went to check the panel on the pod. The king would be coming around soon. Legor hadn’t stood back up and his head was still down. Reviewing the data on his people, I realized he wouldn’t stand or lift his head until I said he could. He was acknowledging my status and his misdeeds. Shaking my head, I looked around the area for any threats. Tuchio and Perio smirked but said nothing. They’d all heard how Legor had behaved, and no one would speak up for him.

I heard the pod clicking, preparing to release the king.

“Legor, you may stand but I better not ever hear you disrespecting another female like that again.” Although I said it softly, there was no mistaking the steel in my voice.

“Yes, My Queen,” he replied as he stood but hadn’t really lifted his head. I supposed he knew I wasn’t really ready to forgive him, but we had bigger problems at the moment.

“The king will be out of the pod soon; do we need the meat from the araña?” I looked to Perio for the answer.

“It would be advisable. It would give us sustenance while we trek across the wilds to our home.”

“Alright, we’ll head back as soon as the pod releases the king.”

“If I may, My Queen, Tuchio and I can begin the processing of the creature while you and Legor wait for Our King. Otherwise, scavengers may get it first.”

“That will work out. I know the way there,” I said as I gestured with my head for him to go on. Perio and Tuchio made haste back towards the dead creature. I’d have liked to watch so I’d know how to prep the creature in the future, but I wanted to be present when the king emerged.

The pod clicked again and the top slid open, releasing the king. He opened his eyes a moment later and looked around. Sitting up quickly, he stepped down out of the pod. Scratching his head, he looked around.

“What is that and why was I in it?”

“It’s a healing pod and I put you in it because you were near death,” I replied.

“I was probably in a healing sleep,” he said; he seemed to be still trying to get his bearings as he looked around.

“That’s possible, but the pod didn’t say anything about that when I placed you in it.”

He nodded. “I’m King Riland; you are?”

“XZ20T20.”

“That’s not a name; it’s a cyborg designation.” He studied me for a moment. “Do you know your name?”

“No, the Croar took our memories,” I replied with a shake of my head.

“Well, you’re human among other things. The Alliance has been trying to talk me into submitting our people for matching to the human females. I haven’t agreed because they seem weak. You, however, do not.”

“What are humans?” I asked. I would have to get this information to my sisters. “How do you know I’m human?”

“By your scent. Just as I know you also have scorpion in you. I’m not sure about some of the other species they’ve spliced into you. They’ve also blended some metals in you.” He shook his head. “It’s appalling what they’ve done to you.”

“Can it be reversed?” I asked.

“Why would you want to go through all that to become weaker?” he asked.

“I just feel like I don’t fit in anywhere, not even with my sisters. Is a scorpion something from your planet?”

“You’re strong and have many defenses that are built in. You’ll need that to survive here. No, it’s an Earth creature that we were impressed with when one of the ship’s crew was explaining it to us. They had one with them in a glass cage.”

Sighing, I headed towards where I left the dead creature.

“Where are you going?” King Riland asked me.

“I’m going back to where we left the dead araña that Perio killed. Perio and Tuchio went to prepare it for us.” I replied without even stopping. I wasn’t sure how this mate business was supposed to work but I wasn’t getting rid of one set of ‘masters’ for another set. Not knowing what I was like before the Croar obtained me and started their sick experiments, I didn’t know if I was always this determined to not be subjugated or if my personality had changed as well.

“From what the Alliance has told us, humans like to rename their mates as part of the bonding process. Would you like to give us names? Or would you like us to give you a name?” Riland asked as he caught up with me.

“I’m not convinced I want to claim any mates or be claimed,” I muttered as I continued towards the dead creature.

“What happened?” Riland asked.

I ignored his question. Legor could answer him if he so chose. Tuchio was the only one that hadn’t managed to irk me in some way so far.

CHAPTER 5

TUCHIO

Following Perio, we headed back to where he had killed the araña.

“What do you think of our mate?” Perio asked me.

“She’s pretty from what I can see of her, strong, intelligent, and able to kick your ass. She’ll outlive us all.”

He grunted and stopped by the carcass. Yanking the top of the flat carapace off it, he broke it in pieces for us to create carrying packs.

Finding a rock that was the perfect size, I slammed it on the spikes to break them off, making the carapace pieces more manageable. Although we could do it with our fists, there was no point in taking unnecessary risks while out in the wilds with our mate.

Perio came back and we created two packs from the pieces of carapace and the vines he’d found. Although the creature was huge, most of the meat was inedible due to venom and indigestible parts.

“Do you think she’ll warm up to us?” I asked him.

“She will or she won’t.”

Well, that was helpful, I thought while shaking my head.

We made quick work of butchering what viable meat there was and packed it up. Hearing our king and our mate talking as they drew closer, I hurried to finish. She was magnificent and I wanted to impress her with our efficiency.

CHAPTER 6

XZ20T20

When we came upon them, they were almost finished butchering and storing the meat into packs they’d crafted from part of the creature’s carapace and some vines. Much of the innards were thrown to the side. They must have been inedible for some reason. I would have to learn more if I was to survive on this planet, especially if they kept annoying me and I decided to live alone.

“Let’s move, there will be scavengers here soon and some of them are more dangerous than others,” Perio said, as he stood with one of the packs on his back. Tuchio stood with another, and we started walking again.

“I’m going to look for other survivors,” I informed them.

“You need to stay with us,” Riland said.

“Then I suggest you follow me,” I replied as I continued on my way without looking back.

Tuchio was trying not to smile when I passed him. After he finished adjusting his pack, he walked beside me.

“You know, they’ve had a lack of females around for quite some time. It will take them time to reacquaint themselves with how to interact.”

“You don’t seem to be having any problems,” I replied, glancing at him with an arched brow.

“I have to answer to all of them. I’m used to not dictating to anyone,” he said with a shrug, as he looked around. Probably making sure we weren’t ambushed by anyone or anything. My senses were acute and attuned to finding more survivors, for the Naga ambassador and his two guards in particular.

They could be anywhere. It was an entire planet. Sure, we could probably restrict the search area to this hemisphere but what if they were trying to outrun something and their shuttle or pods didn’t land immediately? Even if they landed on this hemisphere, it was still too large of an area. Add to that, the fact that they were probably on the move too.

As we were walking, Tuchio wandered too close to one of those trees and a vine wrapped around his wrist, yanking him closer to the tree so it could get a better hold of him. Extending my blades from my knuckles, I dashed towards the tree to rescue him. Unfortunately, another vine wrapped around my waist, and I was airborne before I knew what was happening. Without a thought, I began slashing my way loose from the vines.

Too late, I realized in a panic that I was much further from the ground than I’d expected and began plummeting to the ground. Before I knew what was happening, large, deep dark blue, feathery wings sprouted from my back and slowed my descent. How they got through my shiny, deep purple and black, synthetic flight smart-suit, I had no idea. We were taught how to command the suit, but I hadn’t known I had wings. Experimenting, I managed to flip and land without injury. That was the first time I’d sprouted wings. Whatever the experiment had been with splicing my DNA with an avian creature, paid off for me. The Croar had tried to force them to sprout many times in the lab, causing many crushing landings that I had to wait for my nanites to repair me from. However, I guess I didn’t want to live badly enough if it was going to be in captivity. The possibility of dying when I’d just obtained my freedom, was probably what had given me the impetus I needed to release them. Whenever I had looked at my crest of feathers in the past, I’d always thought they were useless. I wondered what other surprises the Croar DNA manipulation had in store for me or if that was the last one.

Testing my wings, I tried lifting from the ground but didn’t really know how to manipulate them. Shrugging, I started climbing the tree, using my ‘claws’ of metal to pull me up. They were more like talons that sprang from my knuckles when I needed them. Blood of some sort was leaking from each hole I’d made in the tree with my talons. The tree screeched. Maybe my talons were hurting it?

That’s when I heard Tuchio roar as he fell towards me. I didn’t know how he’d escaped but that fall was going to hurt. I couldn’t catch him either. He’d flatten me. I leaned against the tree, pulling my wings around to flatten them against the tree as much as I could, to avoid him crashing into me and knocking me off. Once he passed by, I released my talons from the tree, retracted them, and let my wings slow my descent. I had falling gracefully with my wings down pat. Now, if only I could figure out how to fly with them. Although, they did have some wicked avians on this planet and I wasn’t sure how safe it would be for me to fly.

Landing, I ran towards Tuchio and checked to make sure we were out of reach of any more of the vines. “Tuchio, are you okay?”

He groaned but didn’t move.

“How bad is it?”

“Bad, My Queen.”

It must be fatal or near fatal for him to admit that. Carefully, I slid my arms under him and lifted him. “I’m taking you to the pod.” I wasn’t letting the only one who was nice to me die.

He groaned again. He’d fallen flat on his back which couldn’t be good. I hastened to the healing pod as fast as my legs would take me. I could hear the others yelling in the background, but I ignored them and continued running, using my wings to give me a boost. My legs actually lifted off the ground a few times before we reached the pod and I had to stop abruptly. Slamming my hand on the scanner, it opened, and I placed him inside, removing the pack he had on his back and settling him in. I had no idea what would happen if the pod recognized the remains of the araña and I didn’t want to find out the hard way. As soon as it closed, I made sure it wouldn’t heal his scarring. It was then I heard a screech that was nearly deafening. Looking up, I saw a huge avian creature flying above and coming towards me with its talons stretched out and reaching for me.

Darting my eyes around the area, I didn’t see anywhere close enough to bolt and hide before it reached me. The back half of it had what looked like a lizard tail and the front was more like a bird with two bird legs and a beak. It was a gallus. I shimmered out of sight. I wasn’t sure if it would work with the gallus having seen me. Would it find me by scent? Sound? Sonar? I didn’t know its capabilities yet. It screeched again when I disappeared, looking wildly around for where I’d gone. I dropped to the ground and rolled in case it decided to swipe the area I’d been with its talons, covering the pack with my body so it couldn’t use its scent to find me.

Watching the gallus hover as I lay there, holding my breath and being as still as possible, I saw it scanning the area for where I might be hiding. I saw the males standing by the trees waiting to see if I needed assistance. It screeched to the sky, protesting against the indignity of losing a meal before taking back to the skies. I would need to learn its abilities and its vulnerabilities before I ran into another one. The males were pressing their hands down; I took that to mean I needed to stay down. They knew something I didn’t know about the predator. Well, they knew a lot more than I did about it, so I stayed down and began reviewing the data I had. Having the information and knowing it, were two different things. I continued checking the area as I reviewed the information and waited for Tuchio to heal.

Eventually, the other males came over and stood around me and the pod, but not before I learned that the gallus hunted with a flock. The Mormorans had been afraid one of the females might still have been around after the male gallus left. I stood up, uncamouflaged, retracted my blades, flicked my wings to help remove any dust, and tried to figure out how to retract them back into my body.

“What are you doing?” asked Riland.

“Trying to figure out how to retract my wings,” I said.

“Don’t you know how?”

“No, I’ve never seen them before today. The sadistic scientists had tried to force me to extend them before, but the wings never cooperated. I didn’t think I had any.”

Riland’s wrinkling of his eyebrows seemed to indicate he was puzzling it over while I tried to focus on retracting them. Not knowing how I’d managed to get them to pop out, I didn’t have a clue as to how to retract them. Shrugging, I decided I’d just learn to live with them out for the time being. We needed to find the other survivors before there weren’t any. This planet was too hostile for the unprepared and uninformed. Just then, the healing pod opened and Tuchio gripped the sides to pull himself out.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than ever,” he replied, smiling at me.

“Why did the tree drop you?”

“I think your attacks made it think better of eating us.”

“Hey, I just sliced and diced those vines that were wrapped around me and tried to climb up to make it let go of you, but it let go before I reached the top.”

“Yeah, like I said, your attacks are probably why it gave up on me.” He winked at me as if he thought that was funny.

“It’s too bad we can’t take this healing pod with us,” I said. “It’s come in handy so far.”

“Is it that heavy?” Riland asked.

“Hmm, more cumbersome than heavy.”

Perio tried to lift it and changed color in his face. Smirking, I picked it up. “Hold part of it to make it easier to maneuver through and over things,” I said.

“Just how strong are you?” Riland asked.

“I have no idea. I do know that it’s because the scientists reinforced our skeletons with some sort of metal and spliced a lot of other creatures’ DNA into ours. Look at me, I have a weird, segmented tail, feathers on my head, wings, metal talons that come out of my knuckles, glowing eyes, and I can camouflage myself. I can also heal other beings’ wounds with my saliva, and I have nanites that can heal anything that happens to me.”

“She healed me with her saliva when the araña speared me,” Perio said.

They all stared intently at him because I hadn’t said anything about him being injured. The reason I hadn’t, I was worried they’d think it dishonorable that he’d needed healing after a battle with an araña. The creatures were vicious and dangerous, but the Mormorans prided themselves on being more so.

“Perio had already killed it but, as it fell from the fatal blow, it speared him after it was already dead.” I didn’t know if I was helping his case or making it worse. “I spat into his wound, lifted the creature off him and threw it to the side.”

None of them said anything at first but then they all laughed at Perio. “You got speared by a dead araña?” and similar comments were made.

Perio just shook his head and laughed, as he lifted his hands and shrugged, as if saying, ‘what can I say.’

“Where’s the scar?” asked Riland.

“There isn’t one; her saliva healed it completely,” Perio lamented.

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head at their nonsense, I hoped the nanites didn’t start healing his previous scars. Looking at him, I focused on the ones I had left in his body and directed them not to heal any external scarring.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?” Perio asked.

“Making sure the nanites I left in your body don’t heal any of your external scars,” I said with a sigh of resignation.

“What are nanites? What do you mean you left them in my body?”

“Um, the simplest answer is they are tiny machines that can reproduce and can heal you from the inside. My concern, at the time, was to make sure you didn’t die.” Sizing him up, I added. “If you’re upset about not dying, I can rectify that?”

“You think you could take me?” He smirked.

“I don’t just think I can, I know it. My entire life, or what I can recall of it, has been focused on surviving the enemy. It was kill or be killed in the labs. They have some of your people there too. Whether fortunate or unfortunate for your people, they haven’t been able to break them. They’re fighting back but dying in the process.”

“Where is this place?” Riland asked, interrupting our discussion.

“I have coordinates to the ship that took me closer to the luxury ship but not back to where their base is. I’m sure even those coordinates are no longer valid because they attacked the pirate ship that was attacking us. No idea if anyone from either side survived that battle but I’m hoping the pirates and the Croar all died. Still, that isn’t even close to all the Croar involved in the labs.”

“Does the Alliance know the Croar are involved?”

“I have no way of knowing. I usually can’t talk to anyone but the Croar in the labs and my sisters,” I replied.

“You have sisters?”

“We call each other sisters but we have no way of knowing if we are related in any way.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something fluffy. Turning to look, I realized it was some sort of avian creature with two legs, wings, and white feathers with black edges, with a fluff of feathers on its head. It was small and looked so adorable. Sitting on my haunches, I started to reach out to feel its feathers.

“Don’t touch it!” Tuchio yelled. “The black edges are poisonous.”

I pulled my hand back and looked up at him. “I’m not sure that it would be poisonous to me. I have my own venom, but I’ll heed your warning.” I stood back up and looked at the seemingly harmless fluff ball with a new appreciation for its clever design.

“It will wait until you succumb to its poison and then attack,” Tuchio explained.

“Thank you for the warning.”

“You’re welcome, you saved my life. It’s only right that I saved yours.”

“I believe Legor is the only one of us she hasn’t saved yet,” Riland said, his eyes performing an assessing scan over me.

“Give her time,” Tuchio rumbled as he chuckled.

“I’m not sure it would have affected me and my nanites would probably have been able to handle the poison but no sense in taking unnecessary chances.”

“Does that mean the nanites you put in me will protect me from poison and venom?” Perio asked.

“I have them working on repairing your organs and any tissue damage. I know how important it is for them not to heal the scarring, it’s why I was programming them not to heal any external scarring.” I reminded him.

“You’re controlling them?” he asked.

“Yes, who else would be?”

“I don’t know. I just thought they worked on their own.”

“They can, but then you’d have to worry about what they repaired.”

CHAPTER 7

PERIO

Now I would have to worry about what those tiny machines would do in my body. Could she kill me with them if I displeased her? Tuchio was right about one thing, she was formidable. To pay the gallus, she was all the things he said she was. I wouldn’t bet on which of us would win in combat but that venom she had would certainly give her an edge.

Why was I contemplating defeating our mate in combat? Was I jealous of her abilities? Scratching my head and thrusting my fingers through my hair, I decided it was because she excited the warrior in me. Having been the advisor for the king for so long, I’d grown a little too soft for my liking. We hadn’t had any aliens to combat of late either. Our mate felt like a challenge.

Legor must have felt it too. None of us were being our normal selves except Tuchio. He seemed more at ease with her than the rest of us. Which left me wondering what his secret was. He had taken to her immediately and had done his best to let her know he liked her and wanted to do whatever she wanted.

Other than the king, I’d never followed orders from anyone. It seemed if I didn’t learn to accept her commands, I’d be sleeping by myself for the rest of my life. A thought I didn’t relish.

CHAPTER 8

LEGOR

“How far are we from your nearest settlement, town, or city?” XZ20T20 asked.

“Traveling on foot? Maybe three days. It depends on what creatures we come across on the way and if we go straight there or wander around looking for survivors,” Riland answered her after taking time to assess where we were.

It didn’t sound as if he wanted to look for survivors. Which was fine by me. We didn’t have time to look around for strays and we had our mate with us. We needed to find somewhere safer than where we were before something happened to her.

As I was thinking this, a young auroch wandered by bawling and bleating its displeasure of not being able to find its dam. We needed to move before she found it, and us. His dam would absolutely kill us if she found us near her young.

XZ20T20 set down the healing pod and walked over to it, running her hand over its furry head. It would be a while before it grew real horns; it just had buds right now. The young animal stopped its noise, but it was too late. Its dam had heard and was coming our way. She was bellowing her displeasure and we could hear her hooves thundering towards us.

“XZ20T20, we need to get out of here and away from that little auroch. Its dam will absolutely destroy us if she finds us anywhere near her young,” I called to her.

She looked at me and shook her head once, then turned to face the dam pounding the ground to get to us. She continued stroking her hand over the young one’s head and rubbed its ears. He seemed to be trying to rub his head against her body, nearly knocking her over. It may have been a newborn, but aurochs were enormous compared to our mate.

“Come on XZ20T20, we need to not be around her young,” Perio said.

XZ20T20 held up her hand to him and kept staring at the dam. The young auroch bleated its displeasure of losing one of her hands on him. XZ20T20 returned her hand to his head, and he quieted again.

Its dam’s glowing red eyes were staring our mate down, but she just held her position and stared right back with her glowing yellow ones. The female auroch slowed her approach and looked to her young and back to our mate, assessing what was happening.

XZ20T20 didn’t move other than continuing to stroke her hands over the calf’s head and ears. The dam decided to rush our mate. XZ20T20 stood her ground until the dam would have speared her with her horns. Our mate jumped up, grabbing the horns, and swinging around to land on the neck of the auroch. The dam lost it then. She began bucking and bellowing, jumping this direction and that. Trying to shake our mate off her. XZ20T20’s wings retracted but I didn’t think she was even aware they had. All the same, she didn’t let go of the auroch’s horns, holding on with a white-knuckled death grip. She didn’t look scared, just determined.

We all knew the laws, even if we didn’t like them. She had to tame the auroch on her own. She seemed to know it too. She wasn’t paying any attention to us, her focus solely on the auroch she was riding. Unlike a Mormoran, she didn’t try to punch it out or attack it in any way. She seemed to be trying to wear the dam out. For the auroch’s part, she was trying her best to lose our mate.

We all backed away from them because we didn’t want to be trampled in the process. The auroch headed for a tree and, just before the beast ran her head into it to shake our mate off, XZ20T20 jumped off. The auroch hit the tree full force, breaking it in half. The auroch shook her head; her feet stepping unsteadily and her body swaying. Our mate jumped back up and landed on her previous perch. The auroch fell and our mate rolled clear before the beast landed on her.

XZ20T20 jumped back up and landed on the auroch again. The animal bellowed half-heartedly and stayed down for a moment. Our mate stroked the auroch’s head and ears until the beast settled down. Finally, it got up and bellowed at its young. The little one, or little compared to its dam, trotted over, and licked his dam’s face. Seeing he was unharmed, she settled further.

I didn’t know what our mate was going to do with two aurochs. She didn’t seem to need even one. Technically, a male auroch could hold two or three of us but none would let anyone other than their master ride them. XZ20T20 hopped down and pulled the pack off her back, giving it to the auroch who devoured the whole thing with gusto. She must have been hungry. Aurochs ate mostly meat but would eat plants when desperate. Since she had young, she needed the protein and fat from the meat. After the dam finished her snack, she rubbed her nostrils against our mate to mark her as her rider.

XZ20T20 smiled and continued stroking her hands over the head and ears of the auroch. The young one butted his head against our mate for attention and she laughed. “Wait your turn, little one; it’s your momma’s turn now.”

The little one kept rubbing his head on her body and she finally used one of her hands to stroke his head. They had both imprinted on her and would be loyal to her to their death.

All of us stayed quiet so as not to rile the dam back up. She might even think we were a threat to our mate. Surveying the area, I saw we were clear of any danger for the moment; the little one dashed to its dam’s side and began suckling. I kept checking the area and the sky for any threats. We couldn’t hurry this process, or the dam might attack us.

Watching them, I didn’t know what to think of our mate. She was happy with her new mounts. The young one was too small for now, but the male would grow to be even larger than its dam.

“What will you name them?” Tuchio asked her.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” she replied. “Grey Lady and Brawler?”

“Works for me,” he laughed. “When we get back home, I’ll show you how to make a saddle and harness for them.”

“Thanks, that would be nice,” she said beaming at him.

Tuchio always seemed to know the right thing to say to her. I’d have to watch and learn.

CHAPTER 9

XZ20T20

That evening we hunted for something to eat and slept in the open. It gave us a view of everything around us and would prevent any sneak attacks. Grey Lady watched Brawler wandering around biting everything to see if it was good to eat. He finally wandered back to her and suckled until he fell asleep. She adjusted her weight down and curled around him while looking at me to join them. I lay down on top of her, knowing my weight would be nothing for her, and she closed her eyes to sleep, keeping her head up. I wasn’t sure why but maybe after they matured they couldn’t lay their heads down. The males grumbled because they knew they couldn’t get near me if I was near her.

As the sun came over the horizon, the males were getting up and gathering whatever they could find for us to eat. Leaving them to that, I figured they’d know better than me what was edible and what wasn’t. Tuchio came back with something in his hand; he broke it open and handed me half.

“Eat the flesh but not the skin or seeds. Only eat these if the outside is this color. If it’s any other color, it’s either not ready to eat or it’s past time to harvest it. They’re found on vines near water sources, but we grow them near the caves too.”

I watched as he scooped the seeds out of his half and piled them near Brawler; I didn’t know what caves he was talking about, but I was sure he’d tell me sooner or later. Following his lead, I did the same. The scent woke Brawler up and he consumed the seeds, looking for more. I devoured as much as I could of the sweet fruit and handed the rest to Grey Lady. She gobbled up the skin and all. Tuchio handed me the remains of his and I gave it to Brawler. Tuchio was wise not to get too close to the aurochs now that they were awake, they might attack him.

“There’s a stream that way,” Tuchio said, gesturing in the direction he wanted us to go. “We can wash our faces and hands there.” We walked to it as he surveyed our surroundings. We couldn’t let our guard down in such a hostile environment. Still, it was more peaceful than the lab. I’d take this over being back there anytime.

After washing up, I cupped my hands and drank some water to wash down the sweetness of the fruit. Tuchio reached out and held my hand as we walked back to retrieve the healing pod. His massive hand completely engulfed mine. I’d never held anyone’s hand before. I wasn’t sure of the purpose; I liked it but didn’t know why. Grey Lady huffed but walked behind us with Brawler bouncing around her. He was always so full of energy.

Picking up the healing pod, Riland helped me this time. Tuchio wandered off and brought back more of the fruit he had given me before. Setting down the healing pod, I took two from him and handed one to each of my aurochs. They gobbled them up and looked at Tuchio for more.

Laughing, I said, “You two go find your own if you want more.” We’d need the others that Tuchio had for later.

After obtaining my two mounts two days prior, we hadn’t run into any more problems except I had another attack of pain; they were coming more frequently than they had in the past. I had chosen not to ride my auroch when I tamed her because she was feeding her young and I wanted her to conserve her energy. We did hunt down a couple more arañas for food. The aurochs needed sustenance and the dam was eating a lot to feed herself and her calf. She seemed happy that we were hunting for her; it allowed her to focus on watching her calf. For his part, he kept getting her riled by taking off to explore. She would chase him and herd him back to us. She had made peace with the males but wouldn’t let them come close to her or her calf. They said she probably never would allow them anywhere near her. We carried the healing pod with us but hadn’t needed it since Tuchio had been in it.

For my part, I was learning what to stay far away from and what just needed to be left alone. I had never had such a peaceful existence; at least not that I remembered. I couldn’t say what my life had been like before I’d been abducted. If the pain attacks would stop, it would be perfect. Well, that and the males being more considerate of me.

We found another stream for water. Standing on a boulder that was halfway covered in water, I caught some fish for food with my hands using my superior speed.

“Don’t catch the red ones, they’re no good to eat,” Perio advised.

“Yeah, don’t catch those scrawny things either, not enough meat to make it worth the effort,” Legor offered.

“You know, if you’re all going to be picky about it, you can catch them yourselves,” I muttered.

“You’re doing fine,” Tuchio offered. “Don’t listen to them.”

“Are there any fish or creatures that I should be worried about attacking me in this stream?” I asked.

“No, not in a stream this shallow,” Riland said. “We can drink the water too. It will help us travel faster.”

The aurochs were grateful for the water and consumed quite a bit. The water was different here than other planets I’d been to. It was green but delicious. My nanites informed my chip that it had plant matter and bacteria in it that was good for my body. Although Riland had said that it didn’t require purification, I was glad my nanites agreed with him. Tuchio advised me to feed some of the fish to the aurochs. Catching more for them, I threw the catch on the shore for Grey Lady and Brawler to eat. Brawler would take a long time to be weaned but could supplement his diet with meat and plants. I figured it would help his dam to not have to supply him with as much milk. He was already larger than he was when he found us.

We continued walking after we ate and drank. We didn’t bother to cook the fish because we didn’t want to attract attention from predators or any unsavory survivors from the crash. Even so, the fresh food was better than anything I’d eaten in the labs.

After we’d been walking for a while, I took a short break and set the healing pod down, Perio following suit. Something snatched me from the ground as I released the pod. I heard my aurochs bellowing their anger on the ground as I was swept away. The guys roared in frustration when they realized what had happened because they couldn’t reach me to protect me. A four-legged creature with two spindly arms and wings had swooped down and carried me off.

The odd, green, horned creature probably thought I’d make an easy snack; the others were all too big for it to carry off. I had news for it. Whipping it with my tail, it didn’t seem to be taking a hint. Extending my metal talons from my knuckles, I slashed at its hands that had grabbed me. It screeched in pain and indignation before releasing me. My wings sprang out and I glided back to my group, landing quietly back where I’d been before the attack, the creature continuing its screeching above. It probably realized a second attempt would not work with everyone paying attention now. It screeched one last time before flying off.

Unfortunately, I still didn’t know how to retract my wings. It had been a fluke that they retracted the other day.

“Did you enjoy your little flight with the green, winged oaphoder?” Tuchio teased me.

I shook my head at his playful banter while I tried to figure out how to retract my wings. My sisters were the only ones who had teased me in a friendly way before. My wings were useful when I was plummeting from the sky but a nuisance when I couldn’t figure out how to retract them. Closing them up made it easier to walk with them out but I wanted them to disappear entirely when not in use.

The males were watching but didn’t say anything. They couldn’t help because they didn’t know how to make them fully retract either.

“Maybe if you relax, they’ll retract on their own? I mean, they seem to come out when you’re under duress so maybe they’ll retract when you’re not?” Riland suggested after watching me for a while. For some reason, their rumbly voices made my body perk up and take notice, but I ignored my body’s reaction.

Taking a deep breath, I worked on the meditation techniques the scientists had taught us to help them with their experiments. As my body relaxed, I could feel my wings retract into me. Riland had been right. It was a start, but I would need to learn how to extend and retract the wings on my command.

“Thanks, that helped.”

“I’m glad to be of service to you, my mate,” he said. “It’s obvious that you don’t need mates to survive but we’re hoping you’ll warm up to us and want us.”

“Yeah, it’s a possibility,” I said with a small smile. They’d been a lot more polite since I’d tamed the aurochs. Maybe they were getting used to the concept of a female that could completely take care of herself and them.

We hadn’t come across any survivors but that wasn’t surprising considering the way all of us had been scattered over the planet. It would help if I could fly but I knew that wasn’t a viable option. Even if I knew how, with so many flying creatures that would love to turn me into a snack, I’d be a target.

We were less than a day’s walk from their nearest settlement or whatever. “Where exactly are we headed?” I asked.

“Our cave system. It’s where we live. We’ll be there soon enough,” Riland replied. That explained the earlier comment about growing the fruits near the caves.

“What are those fruits that Tuchio keeps feeding us called?” I asked.

“Canters,” Tuchio answered. I looked them up and realized they had a great deal of nutrition in them. One could almost live off of them. Except they had a short growing season, and they didn’t store well. You either ate them while they were in season or not at all. The exterior had to be a palish brown with green undertones to eat. The flesh was red, and the seeds were yellow with stringy, red and yellow fibers attached, presumably to keep them attached to the flesh.

Although the terrain had become hillier, we hadn’t found any mountains yet. It was difficult to see beyond each hill though.

As we continued climbing up the current hill, the ground began to shake. Rocks and boulders began bouncing and rolling down towards us. Looking around, I didn’t see anything that would cause the shaking at first. The ground shook more, as if it was an earthquake but I didn’t see any land splitting open, and it didn’t feel exactly right. We dodged the boulders or smashed them; the latter was more often the case with the Mormorans.

Coming over a faraway hill, we saw what was causing the ground to shake. Giant bipedal beasts with heavy chains around their necks, red eyes, and lava-like streaks on their bodies were heading in our direction. Fire spewing from their fanged mouths as they lumbered toward us, they tended to switch from walking on two legs to walking on knuckles and legs, and back to two legs.

“Have you seen these beasts before?” I asked because I couldn’t find anything about them in the data I had downloaded from the ship’s AI.

“No, they’re not from this planet. I’ve never seen them before,” Riland answered in concern. The beasts were all at least twice as tall and three times as wide as the largest Mormoran. Considering the size of the Mormorans, that was saying something.

“So, we don’t know how to fight them then,” I said. “The Croar probably sent them or are here with them.” We couldn’t see behind them yet to see who or what was holding onto their chains. “How far are we from your caves or the nearest body of water?”

“Taking them towards the caves wouldn’t be a good idea. We don’t want them attacking our people. Closest body of water would be a river about a five-minute run that way,” Riland said, gesturing behind us but over to the side.

“Then let’s make a run for it,” I said, setting the pod down. We’d come back for it later if we survived and it didn’t get smashed.

As we were dashing for the river, “Why are we going for the water?” asked Riland.

“They’re fire creatures. What other way do you think we can fight fire?”

“With fire?”

“Got any in your back pocket?” Considering he didn’t have pockets; I knew the answer. They didn’t wear shirts but did wear a weapons belt that crossed their chests. They had a leather belt and wore a skirt-like affair that flowed in the wind around their legs with a slit up either side. The king’s skirt was red with gold edging, but the others’ were brown with gold edging. It wasn’t what I’d seen some other alien males wear, but they seemed comfortable in them. They wore heavy, leather boots and fingerless leather gloves to match. The thickness of the gloves gave me the impression that they were more for defense than anything.

“Um, no,” he huffed as he picked up his speed.

Thankfully, Grey Lady and Brawler were running with us. Brawler was falling behind though. Slowing down, I picked him up and slung him across his dam’s back. She bellowed her thanks and continued running. Picking up my pace, I swung up on her to hold Brawler in place, clenching my thighs to hold on. If aurochs could hold a Mormoran, I knew she could handle my weight and her calf’s. Brawler bleated in protest, but he couldn’t keep up with us on his own, so I ignored him. Grey Lady picked up her pace now that she knew Brawler wouldn’t get left behind.

The beasts were following us but at a much slower pace. Reaching the river before anyone else, I slipped off Grey Lady and hauled Brawler off. He bleated at me in one last protest but walked over to the river for a drink. I let him have a quick drink but pulled him away by one ear because I didn’t know what lurked in these waters. He bleated but Grey Lady bellowed at him, so he quieted down.

Scanning the area, I saw some bushes with enormous, heavy leaves. If I could figure out how to hold the leaves shut, they could carry water. Maybe use them as water bombs or something. Checking the data dump quickly for any information on the bush, it was nonpoisonous and didn’t have any attack capabilities.

Plucking several, I examined them for ideas on how to use them. Brawler came over and started chewing on one. “Brawler, behave. I’m looking for ways to save our lives.” I pushed him away to think some more, letting him have the one he had chewed on. Grey Lady herded him to the side.

The males ran up then and asked what I was doing.

“Trying to think of a way to use these leaves for water bombs,” I replied. Tuchio took off and came back.

“Use this as a way to make the edges stick together. Don’t touch it with your hands though. It’s very sticky,” he explained. He handed me a stick with stuff on it.

I looked at it and it looked similar to the sap the trees with vines bled but I wasn’t sure. Looking around, I didn’t see any of them. “Where did you get that and what is it?”

“From that bush over there,” he said, as he pointed towards a tree-like bush with a short trunk and a thick layer of leaves on the branches. “It leaks from the leaves. If you’re not careful, you’ll get stuck to the bush, and it will make you an easy target for predators. It’s sticky because it captures insects that it can eat. We’re all too big to worry about that but not so big as to not worry about getting stuck to it.”

He helped me assemble many containers for water and the others filled them as we finished each one. Riland sealed a top on each and we were ready or as ready as we could get.

“Is it safe to cross this river?” I asked. “It would give us an additional buffer against them.”

“Not exactly safe but better than waiting for those things to attack without a barrier between them and us,” Legor replied.

I slung Brawler back on Grey Lady and he complained again. Hopping up, I directed her with my feet to cross the river. She fought the current and nearly washed downstream but made it across. The others, unbeknownst to me, had held onto her tail, weighing her down some when she nearly washed downstream. They let go once she was almost across and had found her footing again.

“She really trusts you,” Tuchio said, marveling at how Grey Lady obeyed me.

“Why wouldn’t she? I’ve looked after her and Brawler’s needs since we found them.”

He shrugged, “I don’t know but I’ve not seen such a bond between a rider and their mount before.”

“Are your mounts back at the caves?”

“No, they’re at the spaceport where we left them. The attendants there will feed them and take care of them until we reacquire them.”

The beasts roared then, they were on the other side of the river and couldn’t cross. That’s when I saw the Croar whipping them with something. It looked as if they were trying to force the beasts to cross the river. If my hunch was correct, that would either injure them severely or kill them. My wings decided to spring open at that moment. Definitely stressed at the moment, I flapped my wings to get closer to the target, holding one of the ‘bombs’ I’d taken from Tuchio, I threw it at the front beast. He roared and backed up. The scrawny Croar cracked his whip on the beast again. The beast roared in pain and anger, turned towards the Croar, and tried to swat the one who had whipped him. The Croar cracked his whip at him again and the beast roared, slamming its giant fist on the Croar. There was nothing but a blue splat where the Croar had been.

The other Croar cracked their whips at him too, but all the beasts turned on the Croar and smashed them to pulp. The beasts roared to the skies, beating their chests. We watched to see what they’d do next. They were trying to get the chains off their necks but couldn’t.

Hoping I was doing the right thing, I fluttered over the river and slashed my talons over the chains of the lead beast. As it came off, the beast settled. The others saw what I’d done and lined up. So, they were intelligent. That still didn’t tell me if they were dangerous to us. After they were all free, I flew back to the other side of the river. My ability to control my wings had improved substantially.

They bowed their heads and sat on their haunches. I didn’t know what to think of that.

“What do you think that means?” I asked.

“It’s possible that you might be their new leader,” Riland said, but he sounded unsure.

There were five of the huge beasts. I had no idea of their needs or their weaknesses, other than they didn’t like water. Maybe it ‘burned’ them like fire did to us.

“I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t know how to keep them safe or help them or what to feed them. The only thing I know is they don’t like water.”

Studying them some more, “It seems to burn them like fire does to us. What happens when it rains?”

“Oh, we do have the cleansing season where the rains can come down so hard that it can flood the lower caves. We all have to move up to the higher ones and share caves with each other until they recede when that happens,” Tuchio explained.

“That doesn’t sound good for them. Is there anywhere they can go during the rains? What other seasons do you have?”

“There are abandoned caves they can live in. We don’t use them anymore due to the declining population,” he suggested. “We have the blossoming, it’s when everything starts to bloom. The growing season, most plants have growth spurts then, harvesting season is when we harvest the plants that we can eat, and you know about the cleansing season.”

“Thanks for the information. Will that work?” I asked Riland. “Will the people complain?”

“You, as our mate and new queen, have the final say on many things. Knowing you control such powerful beasts, can only help you to gain their respect,” he replied.

“I haven’t agreed to be your mate as yet,” I reminded him. “I don’t think I control them either. In fact, I think the reason they are aiding us against the Croar is that they don’t want to be controlled.”

“That may be true; they definitely rebelled against the whips. What can we do to help you agree to become our mate?”

“The only one who has treated me with mutual respect from the beginning is Tuchio. The rest of you have challenged me at every turn.”

“I apologize for our behavior. We haven’t had females in many years, and we never had one as capable as you are,” Riland said. “We’ll do our best to accommodate you, but we may make mistakes again. Just let us know if we’re not treating you the way you deserve to be treated. It may take us time to adjust.”

“How far are we from the caves we need to take the beasts to?”

“They’re farther than the ones we were taking you to but you’re right, we do need to take them to their new home first,” Riland replied. “Were those others the Croar?”

“Yes, they’re weak. They use horrific methods to control stronger beings than them to do their bidding. They do have a mouthful of sharp teeth. I’ve never seen one wear clothing and their bones seem to almost stick out of their skin. They always look unkempt and emaciated to me. Their horns don’t seem to do much but are often broken. Maybe they use them to fight each other?”

Sighing, I loaded Brawler back on Grey Lady, and hopped up. He didn’t protest as much this time. Maybe he knew it wasn’t going to do him any good.

The males all followed us back across the river. Having seen some higher rocks from the sky with my enhanced vision, I led them that way so we wouldn’t have as much trouble going back since they could keep their feet firmly on the bottom. We needed to recover the healing pod. Although we hadn’t needed it lately, I wasn’t letting go of such a valuable resource if I didn’t have to.

Once across, I hopped down and helped Brawler down. Brawler took off and Grey Lady roared at him. He stopped, turned around and came back. Not sure what she said to him, but he seemed to realize she’d had enough. Looking around, I headed back the way we came to where the healing pod was.

“Where are you going?” Riland asked.

“To recover the healing pod,” I replied over my shoulder.

They followed me and Tuchio took my hand again. Grey Lady huffed but didn’t attack him. She seemed to be warming up to him or at least tolerating his presence. The giant beasts followed us. I didn’t know if they could talk or not.

“Can you talk?” I asked one.

He grunted but that didn’t translate to words. Maybe my chip would figure out their language over time.

Turning to look at the males, “How far is their home from the spaceport? Should we take them to their home and then pick up your mounts before heading to your caves?”

“That route will work if they stay where you put them. What will they eat?” Riland asked.

“I’ve never seen them in my life. I don’t know if they’ll stay, and I haven’t figured out what they eat. You know as much about them as I do.” I continued walking towards the healing pod.

CHAPTER 10

RILAND

“Why is Tuchio holding our mate’s hand?” I asked Perio, as we walked behind them.

“She seems to like it. I don’t think she’d appreciate any of us doing it though. She likes him. I’ve been watching him to see how to do better with her. He seems to have slid into the role of her mate with ease,” Perio replied.

“I’ve noticed that too,” Legor said. “He says and does the right things in her eyes.”

“She says he hasn’t challenged her from the beginning,” I said. “I think she means he respects her opinions and trusts her abilities.”

“She may say it differently, but I do think that’s what she means. I don’t think she would care if we challenged her to a battle and would probably enjoy it if no one was seriously injured in the process.” Legor said. “She gave me a dressing down for disrespecting her while you were in the healing pod.”

“Yes, she doesn’t shy away from any fight. She lectured me about how I didn’t need to protect her, that she could protect me, when we were on the ship.”

“Well, that should have told you something, Riland,” Perio said.

“Probably, she’s just so small compared to us. She looks fragile. I had no idea how strong she was or how capable,” I said, shaking my head at my former lack of confidence in our mate. Of course, our mate would be capable.

“She’s a little warrior but a strong and capable one,” Legor said.

I didn’t know how we were going to convince our mate that we meant her well. We had learned our lesson about her intelligence, her strength, and her capabilities. I knew Legor could be a bit coarse and probably wasn’t the best one to come up with ideas on how to convince her we had her best interests at heart. Perio and I had made mistakes but not as big as what Legor had done. I think Perio’s mistake was not explaining why he took the lead. Mine had been underestimating her abilities.

CHAPTER 11

XZ20T20

We made it back to the healing pod and the lead beast picked it up and carried it for us. I hadn’t told them to pick it up and was hoping they wouldn’t damage it.

We came across more of that fruit Tuchio had gathered for us before growing on vines and we stopped to eat. The lead beast set the pod down and watched how we ate the fruit. He followed our lead and ate the flesh but not the seeds or skin. He gave those to Grey Lady. For her part, she was smart enough not to attack him. She and Brawler had their fill from our castoffs and from whole fruits. The other beasts ate some fruits as well. When everyone seemed to have their fill, we continued to a stream and everyone except the beasts had their fill of water.

Brawler wandered off as he was wont to do and came across an araña. The araña went on the attack, Grey Lady thundered towards it, but the lead beast beat her to it and broke it in half. I just watched in astonishment. Grey Lady bellowed in annoyance, but the lead beast gave her half of it and Brawler the other half. I slipped in and removed the venom sac from Grey Lady’s half just in case. Although it wasn’t poisonous, it contained a paralytic agent. My aurochs ate all the rest of the araña between the two of them.

I guess the lead beast was flexing his muscles. I smiled at him but kept my teeth covered in case showing teeth was seen as a threat. He smiled back but showed his teeth. He seemed to be laughing. I smiled with my teeth showing then and laughed with him. I liked him and wished I knew how trustworthy he was. So far, he’d proven himself to be, but I’d been tricked in the lab too many times.

“Thank you, Brawler can be a handful,” I told him. He gave a quick dip of his head as if he understood and we continued on our way. Maybe he did. Just because I didn’t understand him, didn’t mean he didn’t understand me. After all, they had to be at least capable of following the Croar’s commands or the Croar wouldn’t have brought them here.

One of the other beasts had picked up the healing pod. It probably wasn’t heavy to them at all. The beasts seemed to have fanned out around us to protect us. I thought that was interesting. We hadn’t told them to do that either. So far, they were showing intelligence, loyalty, protectiveness, willingness to work, and an understanding of basic war maneuvers. It didn’t hurt their case when they pulverized the Croar, our common enemy.

With them protecting us, we were able to relax and enjoy the sights. Although lethal, there were some beautiful plants on the way. The ingenious ways they lured and captured their prey were fascinating to me.

“See that pretty, fluffy plant?” Tuchio asked as he pointed out a bright red, frilly plant with little drops of water on it. “Those drops on it aren’t water, they’re a glue-like substance that catches its prey when the prey comes to drink what it thinks is dew.”

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

“See that plant with beautiful flowers? Their scent attracts prey, and the plant opens up and catches it.”

“Wow.”

“That one catches water, lets insects drink it but it mixes a toxin with the water and the insects die there, attracting more insects until the plant closes and consumes its meal.” Tuchio said as he gestured towards a plant that looked a bit like a cup.

“Well, they’d be handy to have around a crop, I guess.”

“As long as all they eat is insects. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of them big enough to eat anything else.”

We walked a bit further and he pointed to another plant, “See the one that looks like eyes on stalks?”

I nodded.

“That one is poisonous to the touch. We don’t have a cure for the poison either. Stay clear of them.”

I nodded again. Tuchio was trying to help me understand what plants to stay away from and what I could eat. He was a helpful guide.

“See that tree?”

“Yes.”

“The fruit on it is delicious and good for you, if you can get past the plants that always take up residence underneath them.”

Looking at the base, I saw some of the eyeball plants, but they looked different from the others he showed me.

“The plants at the base are toxic like the other eyeball plants but these curl around you as you die and consume you.”

I shivered. “How does one get to the fruit then?”

“Well, you could always fly up and get some,” he said with a wink.

“Is that a hint?” I laughed.

He smiled and winked again.

Focusing on my wings, they actually sprang out the way I wanted them to. I looked around for any problems, spread my wings, took a running hop, and fluttered them. I managed to get up close to the base of the limbs overhead. Picking some of the elongated fruit, I threw it down to him. “What am I looking for when I pick them? What characteristics? Are some tastier than others? Are some ripe and others not?” I yelled down.

“Look for the yellow ones since we’ll eat them right away. When we’re picking them for later consumption, we pick the greener ones.” Tuchio yelled back up to me.

“How many should I pick?”

“Well, the aurochs will eat them too. I’m not sure about the new beasts though. Everyone else will eat them.”

“Well, let me know when to stop.” I picked and pitched until Tuchio advised me I could stop. That’s when I noticed the leader beast picking them too. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten up there, but he was feasting on some of them and throwing others down to his friends. After picking some for myself, I flew back down. My wings cooperated this time and retracted without incident.

I watched as the beast looked down for a clear area and jumped past the poisonous plants. The ground shook from the impact but he just smiled at me and nodded. Seemed he enjoyed his little jaunt up the tree. Either he understood what we were saying, or he was telepathic. Possibly both.

As we continued walking, Tuchio pointed out other plants. “See that large red flower on the ground?” The enormous flower in question looked as if it was blossoming out of the ground.

“Yes.”

“Don’t step on it, it will close up its petals and eat you,” he said.

“I’m really beginning to believe this planet is out to kill me,” I laughed.

He chuckled and nodded. “It’s not an easy planet to live on, that’s for sure.”

Of course, Brawler headed that way to see if it was good to eat. Grey Lady headed him off and bit him. I’d never seen her do that before. I guess she really wanted to get her point across. Brawler bleated, blinked, and bleated again, in protest. Shaking my head at his antics, I laughed. She headbutted him to get him back in line with the group, with him protesting the entire way. I noticed everyone was either laughing or smiling.

“During the cleansing season, that flower bears fruit that we can eat,” Tuchio advised me. “But we can only pick it once the petals close and only during the cleansing season.”

I nodded, appreciating his wisdom. “What season are we in now? The growing season?”

“Yes, about midway through it. How did you guess?”

“Well, things seem to be growing but I didn’t really see a lot of blossoming and it’s not raining, and it doesn’t seem like harvest time either.”

“There are some things we can harvest, but you’re right. It’s not harvesting season yet. It does rain a little during the growing season but not much and not often.”

I nodded at this new piece of information. “How far are we from the caves for our friends?”

“Well, since they’ve joined us, we’ve made good time. None of the creatures seem willing to test them. I’m guessing we’ll be there later today.”

“What were the yellow, elongated fruits I picked in the tree earlier, called?”

“Nannas,” he replied.

“What were the eyeball plants around it called?”

“Carnivorous eyeball plants,” he replied. Well, that name was certainly appropriate.

Looking around, I saw Grey Lady leading Brawler by his ear. She’d obviously had enough of his wandering ways. Smiling, I noticed the guys were smiling too. We all knew she’d lost all patience with him. Brawler was still complaining but she was ignoring his protests.

“Is there anything we can make a leash out of to tie him to her? That way he can’t wander off and get into trouble.” I asked.

“Yes, I’ll get something,” Legor offered. That surprised me; I smiled at him and nodded.

He came back a few minutes later and handed some braided vines to me. “She won’t take it well if I try to do it.”

He was right about that. “Thanks for gathering and braiding the vines for me.”

“You’re welcome,” Legor replied with a smile.

Walking over to where the aurochs were, I tied one end around Brawler’s neck and the other around one of Grey Lady’s horns. She let go of Brawler’s ear and followed us. He bleated again but seemed to know he’d lost the battle; his bleat didn’t have the same oomph as before. He had no choice but to follow her.

He didn’t really have horns yet or I’d have tied his end to one of them. I’d have to keep an eye on his end to make sure it didn’t choke him. He was growing pretty fast. The data dump said his horns would take four seasons to grow but wouldn’t be full-size until twelve seasons had passed. His head didn’t reach my shoulders yet, but he outweighed me from the beginning, even more so now. His dam, on the other hand, towered over me. Watching her, I wondered if she was still growing.

CHAPTER 12

LEGOR

Our mate smiled at me. Did that mean she had forgiven me or maybe wasn’t as angry with me? Tuchio was teaching her about the plants. If I tried to teach her about the animals, would she appreciate it? Could we trust these beasts that she has friended? I wasn’t going to ask because I was already her least favorite. It was surprising she hadn’t tried to friend that green, winged oaphoder like she had the aurochs. Her aurochs were devoted to her though. She didn’t even have to put a lead or harness on them. They followed her gladly.

“You said, before, that there aren’t any females. Why is that? What happened?” XZ20T20 asked.

“We were invaded by aliens,” I replied. “They wanted something from the mountains. We’re not sure what. They killed many of our people before we obtained some of their weapons and used them against the invaders. However, we think they brought a sickness with them that killed all our females, our young, our elderly and some of our adult males.”

“We also obtained ships and other technology from them,” Perio said.

“We used the technology to become a spacefaring species but we’re trying to ascertain whether or not we want to become part of the Alliance,” Riland added.

“The Alliance, if you’re talking about the Alliance of Autonomous Planets, is a good Alliance,” XZ20T20 said. “It has become more reliable recently. My sisters and I were trying to contact them but hadn’t been able to yet. We have to get past the Croar’s surveillance.”

“You think we should join them?” Riland asked.

“Yes, and tell them about your people being held by the Croar.”

Riland scratched his chin with his eyes narrowed in thought. “Alright, we’ll contact them when we reach the spaceport. We don’t have any means to contact them before then.”

“Maybe they can help these other beasts,” she said. “They seem intelligent and were being forced by the Croar to do their bidding. I know what that’s like. My sisters and I are suffering from similar enslavement.”

Riland nodded, “We’ll see if there is anything they can do for us.”

“I’ll save an image of them on my chip so we can share it with the Alliance. Maybe they’ll know how to communicate with them and where they come from,” our mate said.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Riland said with a smile.

“They may be able to load a program for me to translate their language into something I can understand,” she said.

“That would be nice, if they have one,” Riland replied.

“I think they do. They seem intelligent and do things without us telling them to.” She added. “They either understand our languages or they’re telepathic or both.”

“What does telepathic mean?” Riland asked.

“It means they can transfer thoughts. Either read them or send them or both.”

“You think they can do that?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I bear no ill will towards them.” Riland glanced at the beasts in thought.

Nearing the abandoned caves for the beasts, I hoped they would stay there while we contacted the Alliance.

CHAPTER 13

XZ20T20

“How far until we reach the caves?” I asked.

“We’re almost there,” Legor replied. “Look that way.” He gestured towards a towering brown hulk of a mountain with holes all along the face of it.

“There isn’t any life around the caves but that helps to keep prey away which keeps the predators away too,” Tuchio explained.

“What keeps the greenery from growing?” I asked.

“The soil is dead. It used to support life but that was before my time,” Riland said. “And I’m the oldest here.”

“You should have the Alliance run an analysis of the soil to see if it’s safe to live in these caves. Are the other ones the same way?”

“If you mean the ones where we live, yes.”

“Yes, I mean those. I strongly suggest that you have them check it. It might be what killed so many of your people.”

Riland narrowed his eyes, thrust his hands through his hair, and sighed. “Okay, we’ll do that.”

The beasts gathered some of the nannas from a tree we passed. I saw one jump high and grab a limb, avoiding the eyeball plants beneath it. So, that’s how they did it. I smiled; they were intelligent. They all had their hands full of the fruit and headed to the caves. Looking around, I saw they left the healing pod with us. Walking over, I picked up one end and Tuchio picked up the other.

“How far until we reach the spaceport?” I asked.

“It’s not that far; we should reach it soon,” Legor offered.

All the males answered my questions and were working with me now. Maybe having mates wouldn’t be so bad. That’s when my body went haywire. I lost control of my muscles, dropping the healing pod. I saw a small spaceship flying towards us as I blacked out.

CHAPTER 14

RILAND

Our mate fell as a spaceship landed near us. I wasn’t sure but I thought the tri-horned, blue female stepping out was the Supreme Ambassador for the Alliance. Racing to our mate, I guarded her while I waited to see what was about to happen.

“Hello, I’m here looking for survivors of the crash,” the female said, as she and others exited the ship. “I’m Lady Jennifer, Supreme Ambassador for the Alliance. Oh dear, she seems to have fainted.” She ran over to our mate, sat on the ground, and touched her. “Oh no, she’s dying. Someone has tampered with her DNA.” She continued touching our mate and a faint glow appeared around her and our mate. “Don’t worry, I’m not hurting her. She’ll die if I don’t help her.” The glow brightened until I had to avert my eyes, then a wind picked up.

“Okay, her DNA was fighting with itself because they spliced DNA from so many other species into her. I also removed the tracking device and the kill switch in her. She’ll be okay. I’ve given her the ability to shift into some of the various creatures that she shares DNA with so she won’t lose her abilities and the DNA will stop trying to self-destruct.”

Oddly, the aurochs didn’t try to attack the ambassador. They usually protected XZ20T20 from everyone.

“Do you know who did this to her?” Lady Jennifer asked.

“Yes, she said the Croar did it to her,” I replied. “She says the Croar have some of our people and her sisters.”

“I haven’t heard of those aliens before,” she said.

Another alien standing beside her said, “They’re a vile species. They don’t even look after their own. They don’t value life.”

“Trope, can you see if she knows how to get back to them? We might be able to free the others if we can find them.”

Another alien male walked over and touched our mate, “She doesn’t consciously know but I’m looking for clues in her subconscious.”

“That’s good. I’ll see if Fate will lend us a hand while we’re at it,” Lady Jennifer said as she continued holding onto our mate with her eyes closed. She opened them to look at us. “You’re her mates?”

We nodded.

“We’ll do what we can to retrieve your people if we can find them. You have some beasts with you? They look similar to giant gorillas?”

I didn’t know what gorillas were, but I assumed she meant the ones we’d left at the caves. “Yes, we left them at the abandoned caves that way. We’re on our way to pick up our mounts and we were going to contact the Alliance. Our mate suggested we ask you for help with the beasts and other things.”

“What other things?”

“We had a sickness that killed many of our people. We don’t know where the sickness came from, but it killed all our young, our females, our elders, and many of our adult males. She thought you might be able to help in some way with that. She also thought we should have you do a soil analysis around the caves because nothing is growing around them anymore.”

“Which caves?”

“The abandoned ones and the ones we live in now,” I replied.

“We’ll do that now.” She nodded towards another alien male who headed back to the ship which took off. “He will have the ship do the analysis and get back to you.”

“Does he know where the caves are?” I asked.

“Xan doesn’t need to. He’s doing an analysis of the whole planet. It’s possible the invaders you talked about before mined something that leaked into your water table or a portion of it. He’ll check that. Another ship is retrieving the gorilla-like creatures for me to assess. It’s possible they were something else before the Croar experimented on them.”

Nodding, I watched as she continued to hold onto our mate. “Your mate is going to be fine. It’s possible when she wakes that she’ll go into heat. I’m not sure. She has other mates, but I can’t see them. She may not find them for years or dars or whatever term you use for your planet making a full circuit around your sun.”

“There were many people on that ship, including the ambassador for the Naga,” I told her.

“Yes, we’re looking for him and King Riland.”

“I’m King Riland; I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner,” I said.

“No problem, there were more important issues,” she said with a flick of her wrist.

Our mate opened her eyes, starting when she realized someone was holding her hand.

“Relax, I’ve removed everything that allowed the Croar to find you, and what allowed them to terminate you. I’ve also manipulated your DNA so it would stop fighting itself. You’ll be able to shift into some of the various creatures that you have DNA from now,” she told our mate.

“How were you able to do that?” our mate asked.

“Hmm, I’m not a normal mortal,” Lady Jennifer replied. “I can do things that others can’t. We’re going to look for the other Mormorans and your sisters to free them. We’re also doing an analysis of the planet. I’ll check your mates here to see if I can figure out what the plague was that killed so many of their people or if it was something else.”

“Thank you.” Our mate nodded her understanding of what the Supreme Ambassador said.

“Some of my people went to retrieve the gorilla-like entities. I’ll see what I can do for them. I’m working on retrieving your lost memories and blending them with your current ones, so you don’t have problems trying to reconcile the two.”

“You can do that?”

“I’m going to try. If I can’t, I’ll see if our resident tech expert can help us find where they’re stored and try to retrieve them. I know you were originally part human, as am I.” She shimmered then and looked completely different. “Based on your DNA, this is more or less how you looked before they abducted you.”

Our mate looked her over in awe.

“I’m going to share with you how to shift so that you can look like this if you choose to. I’ll also share with you how to shift into your other creatures,” Lady Jennifer said.

As I watched, our mate shimmered. She took the form Lady Jennifer had. They looked identical. “How do you feel?”

“Weird. It doesn’t feel like me.” Our mate said, as she removed her helmet.

“Yeah, that will take care of itself when your memories are retrieved,” Lady Jennifer said as she shimmered back into her other form. “Okay, I think I have them. Hang on tight.”

Our mate gripped Lady Jennifer’s hand with her eyes scrunched closed.

Lady Jennifer stared at me, “This might hurt her at first. Don’t interfere.”

I nodded my understanding.

We all watched them, including our mate’s aurochs.

XZ20T20 screamed, arched her back, and collapsed back down panting. Moaning, her head flipping back and forth, she struggled.

“Don’t fight it.” Lady Jennifer advised her. Our mate’s struggling ceased, and her body became languid, settling into the dirt.

“She’s almost done. It’s a good thing you didn’t put her in that healing pod. With all those species’ DNA in her, there’s no telling what she would have looked like when she emerged or if she would have survived it.”

“She had just collapsed as you landed,” I replied. “I don’t know how to operate it. She does. She’s used it on me to help me heal after the crash and after one of my bond mates was attacked.”

“She seems resourceful,” Lady Jennifer said. “We’ll bring the healing pod with us for your people to use when they need to. She’s set it to work with solar power.”

“She gave Perio some of her nanites to heal him after he was attacked,” I said. “I’d appreciate being able to keep the healing pod for our people.”

“Oh, I’ll need to check him then. Make sure the Croar can’t track him with them. Give me a minute.”

Our mate’s eyes opened then, and she smiled.

“My name is Emma,” she said, her teeth showing in her wide grin.

It was good to finally know our mate’s name.

“Hello Emma, I’m Lady Jennifer. I hope you’re okay now. How do you feel?”

“I remember everything. I signed up for the mate matching on Earth and was abducted before I could find out the results.” She sat up as she examined her new shape. She didn’t have a tail anymore and I missed it. She also didn’t have her dark blue feathers, she had dark brown hair instead. Her eyes no longer glowed, and they were brown instead of yellow.

“Well, I don’t know the results, but we’ll see if you have matches there. I know you have more mates, but I don’t know who they are yet. Fate is not telling me.”

“Will I still be able to use my talons?”

“Yes, but maybe use them in your previous form. I’m not sure what they’d do to your human hands.”

“Okay, that’s a good idea. What about my wings?”

“Hmm, try them now. If it doesn’t work, I’m here and can heal you if necessary.”

Our mate focused and her wings sprang from her back.

“Looks as if you can use them in your human form,” Lady Jennifer winked at her. “Any more questions? Any issues? I love that smart-suit you’re wearing.”

“Well, I think they told you what we know. Did you know the Croar were trying to kill the Naga ambassador? I was the assassin sent to kill him. I was trying to see if he’d help us. I wasn’t planning on completing the Croar’s mission. Oh, there may be another assassin here too. They always send two but the other one may not have survived. Would you mind if I test my talons in this form while you are here?”

“Do you know who the other assassin is? No, that’s fine. It’s as good a time to test them as any.”

“No, he or she would be assigned to kill me if I failed. Then finish my mission.” Emma said as she released her talons. There was blood but it seemed to seep back into her hand.

Lady Jennifer sighed and looked around. “I’m not sensing anyone around here. If she or he survived, they aren’t here. It appears you can use your talons in your human form. Your nanites reabsorbed your blood.”

Emma’s shoulders lowered; they were less tense than before.

“I see you’ve acquired two aurochs,” Lady Jennifer said with a smile.

“Yes, the calf wandered into our group, so I petted him. Then I tamed his dam.”

“I’ve told her not to attack your mates. Grey Lady is to protect them and you. I’ve also informed Brawler. I love their names.”

“How do you know their names?”

“Well, they told me, but I’ve also seen many of your memories. Sorry about that, but I needed to meld the memories for your mental health.”

“You can talk to them? I understand and appreciate you retrieving my memories. Were you able to figure out where the Croar are?”

“Yes, but I can only talk to them in a very rudimentary way. We’ll be heading to where the Croar are as soon as possible. I want to put a stop to their heinous crimes and free the beings they have in captivity.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, adding my gratitude.

“One of my Klaxian mates, Xan, informs me that they’ve found pockets of survivors,” she said after staring off into the distance. “They’ll send ships to collect them. I’ve explained about the possibility of another assassin. He’s warned them. He also informed me that the water table around several of the cave systems has been contaminated by mining. Since I don’t think your people mine anything, I’ll attribute that to the invaders. We’ll see what we can do to clean that up and restore the water table. It’s quite possible that the contamination is what killed so many of your people. They’ll start with the cave systems closest to where we are. Which of you is Perio?”

Perio stepped forward, “I am.”

“I’m going to make sure the Croar cannot track you.”

He nodded his consent, and she took one of his hands. They both glowed briefly, and she released him. “Okay, that didn’t take long. She didn’t give you very many of her nanites. I’ve ordered them to reproduce so that they can heal you if you are injured. They seem to have been working on your general health. Let me check each of you. Would you all like nanites?”

“Yes, if they can keep us healthy, that would be a good idea,” I answered for all of us. “Please make sure they don’t heal our external scars.”

She pulled out a device and shot something in my arm. “That’s a numbing agent so you won’t feel pain when I inject you with the nanites.” She clicked something on the device and shot me again. “Okay, those will keep you healthy. Or at least as healthy as they are able. If you are injured too severely, they won’t be able to handle it. Emma can program them for you.”

“Thank you, Lady Jennifer.”

Emma stared at me the way she had Perio when she programmed his nanites. “Thanks, Emma.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lady Jennifer continued with Tuchio and then Legor. “Oh, you haven’t had the pleasure of being in the healing pod or receiving nanites.” She nodded as she looked off into the distance. Both of them glowed longer than when she helped Perio or Tuchio. “Okay, I think the reason Emma wasn’t going into heat was because she was ill and so were some of you. She may not even now since she doesn’t have all her mates. She may not even then. We’re still learning how humans interact with various species and she’s not a hyper omega.”

“What’s a hyper omega?” I asked.

“Hmm, we’re still determining how to define that. But suffice it to say, if they meet their mates, they go into heat and are in pain until their body accepts that they are pregnant. Only sex with their mates alleviates the pain in the interim.”

Her lips were twisted, and she was staring off into the distance again. She let go of Legor and stood up. Sighing, “Okay, we’re healing your planet. It’s obviously too late for your deceased but your people will be able to procreate when you have mates. I will need to see all your people to heal them first though. Or you can place each of them into the healing pod. I think that might be easier said than done. Not all your people trust the technology.”

“No, not all. We can start healing some of them in the pod while you heal the rest. I’ll let you know which ones won’t allow themselves to be placed in the pod,” I told her.

“Let’s go retrieve your aurochs from the spaceport and then head to your caves. Oh, maybe wait until they bring the beasts here. I want to see what I can do for them. I don’t know if they’ll be staying or leaving.”

“That will be fine. Having talked to our mate, and having met you, our planet will be joining the Alliance,” I told her. “Emma told us we should.”

Lady Jennifer nodded. “We’ll have all your people submit to testing as soon as possible. It’s important to rebuild your population before you become extinct.”

“Can you build a testing center here?” Emma asked.

Lady Jennifer’s eyes looked into the distance as she always seemed to do when she was thinking. “Yes, that will work. We’ll have to wait until the king returns to the caves before we begin, or your people may attack. I wouldn’t want any more of your people to lose their lives.”

Neither would I, we’d lost enough between fighting the invaders and dying from the sickness.

Emma had been right about trusting the Alliance. Lady Jennifer had saved our mate and was helping all my people.

“Do you want the rest of your people to have nanites?” she asked.

“If they’ll accept them,” I said.

She nodded looking around. “Is there anything else I can do while I’m here?”

“I don’t know. We’re just happy you saved our mate, healed us, are going to heal our planet, and my people too.”

“I’m glad you’ll be helping the gorillas,” Emma said. “They were very helpful to us, and they killed the Croar that were beating on them. They’re also intelligent and might be telepathic.”

“Oh, about that, you might be telepathic too. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing your mates’ thoughts,” Lady Jennifer told her.

“Oh, I don’t know if I want to be telepathic.”

“If you find out you are, I’ll teach you how to control it. I’m telepathic but I block everyone’s thoughts because I don’t want all those voices in my head. It’s how I was able to communicate with your aurochs, even though it was in a limited manner.”

Emma fully retracted her wings and stretched out her arms, standing on her toes. “I feel so much better. Thank you again for healing me and returning my memories. Do you think we could grow Earth foods here?”

“Oh, you’re welcome. I’m just glad I could help. Some plants will grow here, but Makemake doesn’t have snow in this region and some plants require frost. We might be able to provide you with some chickens if you’d like some.”

“Yes, I’d like that. We’ll have to build something to protect them from the wildlife though.”

“Hmm, it might become a problem for you if the predators decide they like chicken,” Lady Jennifer said.

“Oh, you might be right. Riland said the lack of plant life around the caves discouraged prey, and therefore predators.”

A larger ship landed near us. The beasts walked out as the hatch opened. Walking down the ramp, they walked straight to Lady Jennifer.

“Oh, hi. Let’s see what we have here,” she said to them. “Huh, you are an interesting mix.” She had the lead beast’s hand and was glowing again. “You’re lucky we’re standing outside, and I can pull energy from the sun, or I’d be too exhausted after everything I’ve done so far.”

He smiled and waited for her to release him.

Oddly, he began to shimmer and shrank into a human, or that was what he looked like to me wearing a smart-suit like Emma’s. He then went through the same process as Emma. Lady Jennifer was melding his memories.

“Okay, you were a mix of human, gorilla, and who knows what else. I’ve given you the ability to shift from human to that gorilla creature or to a gorilla, if that’s your preference. I’ve fixed your DNA while I was at it. You’re as healthy as you’re going to be. You’ll be able to shower again, in this form. I wouldn’t try it in your monster gorilla form. Hmm, well, that’s interesting,” she said as she smiled at him. He winked at her and laughed.

“Oh, you knew?” she asked. He nodded his head up and down. “It appears, young lady, that this gentleman is also a mate of yours.”

Emma stared at him, and the corners of her lips turned up. “I thought there was something about you, but I couldn’t figure out what.”

“I am the only one of my people that is a mate for you,” he replied. Oh, so he could talk. He smiled at me and winked. Oh, I forgot Emma thought he was telepathic.

“I’ll teach you how to block thoughts or you won’t be able to sleep when you make it back to the caves,” Lady Jennifer offered him. He nodded and they were both quiet for a moment.

“Thank you, I haven’t had peace since I was captured by the Croar,” he said to Lady Jennifer.

“Not a problem, let me help your friends,” she replied.

After she helped each of them, they turned into humans. As each one shifted, she’d help them with their memories and teach them how to control their telepathy.

Emma’s new mate turned to her. “I’m Enrique.”

“Hi Enrique, I’m Emma,” she said with a smile.

“Alright, each of you can go through the mate matching program if you’d like,” Lady Jennifer said. “If you want to return to Earth, you can. I’ve removed the tracking mechanism from all of you and the kill switch.”

“I think I’d like to find out where my mate is before I choose,” one said. The others nodded their agreement.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s do that. Alright, now that everyone is healed, let’s head for the spaceport to gather your mounts and then head to your caves so you can inform your people of what’s happening. Afterwards, I will leave a team to work on building a testing center. I’m thinking we’ll put it at the spaceport so you can use it for all your people once you have more. I expect, after they are healed and find mates, your population will grow exponentially.”

“Thank you, I think that’s an excellent plan. I do hope more of our people find their mates.”

CHAPTER 15

EMMA

I knew my name now, I had more mates, I could shift, and I would live. Lady Jennifer had helped us so much. I couldn’t thank her enough. I wasn’t sure how I felt about more mates, but I liked Enrique. I wondered if he was Mexican or Spanish or?

“Emma, would you and your mates like to come along with us to free your sisters and your people?” Lady Jennifer asked. “I think, with all your abilities, and your knowledge of the labs, you’d be a great asset.”

“I’d love that if it works out. I’m not sure how things will work once we return to the caves.” We were on our way but not there yet. We’d picked up my mates’ mounts and they were in the cargo hold with my aurochs. Lady Jennifer had separated their mounts from mine in case any of them got any ideas about mating Grey Lady.

“Emma, my people think they’ve found the other assassin. I’m going to talk to him. I’ll be back soon.” Lady Jennifer said, as she left the galley.

“Well, this has certainly been an interesting day,” I said.

My mates chuckled. “It certainly has,” Enrique agreed.

He hadn’t asked anyone for their names, but he probably knew all their names already.

“I appreciate you and your people wiping out the Croar and helping us along our journey,” I said.

“It was our pleasure. We’d had enough of their cruelty and their sick experiments. We knew you had no ill will towards us and were just trying to protect yourselves. It’s why we turned on them then. We didn’t want to hurt any of you.” He looked at me. “Especially not you.” He smiled.

My lips turned up at the corners thinking about him.

“Their target was the king,” Enrique said, looking at Riland.

“Then I’m doubly thankful that you rebelled against them,” the king said.

Trope came in the galley, “We’ll be landing soon. Take your seats until we let you know you can gather your mounts.”

“Thanks Trope,” Riland said.

“You’re welcome. I hope things are smoother for your people from now on.”

“Thank you, I hope so as well. We’ve lost so many already.”

“Well, if Emma ever forgives all of you, you’ll be on your way to rebuilding that population,” Trope chuckled and winked at me.

I shook my head. He must have read my thoughts earlier.

“I should tell you; I don’t follow the rules that Lady Jennifer has set for herself. She doesn’t read anyone’s thoughts if she can avoid it. I read everyone’s thoughts to make sure no one is a threat to her. She’s my mate and I’ll do anything to protect her.”

Well, that explained it. He was protecting his mate. I couldn’t believe how much better I felt since my memories were returned to me, and my body was ‘fixed’ – I could also shift if I wanted to use my other abilities.

CHAPTER 16

UNKOWN

“Hi, I’m Lady Jennifer. I hear you’re an assassin for the Croar?”

Not willingly. I thought.

“Yes, I get that they abducted beings and forced them to do their bidding. They also experimented on them and sliced and diced their DNA with other species. Looks like they took a lion, a scorpion, possibly a human, and I’m not sure what else? Bat maybe? Not sure where the horns come from.” She shook her head. “You remind me of the mythological manticores of Earth.”

“I’m going to try to fix your DNA, if it’s like the others, it’s fighting with itself and will ultimately kill you. I’ll also remove the tracking devices and the kill switch. I’m going to be busy. Don’t attack me or my mates with eviscerate you. They can shift into dragons, among other things.”

I nodded my understanding.

She glowed blue and I realized I was too. I closed my eyes as she worked on me. Some of what she was doing caused me to buck in pain, but I didn’t attack her. I could smell the truth of her words.

When she was finally done, I remembered who I was and where I was from. My name was Sawyer. I was from England originally but had been in the US for most of my life. Or the part that was before being abducted.

“Okay, Sawyer. I’m going to teach you how to block your telepathic abilities, so you don’t have to listen to everyone’s thoughts if you don’t want to, alright? Then I’ll teach you to shift.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Once she finished my training, I was led to where a group of people were sitting in a galley. Immediately, I scented my mate. I looked at her and her face flushed. She knew too.

“She already has five mates,” Lady Jennifer said softly. “I don’t know if she has others, but you need to take it easy with her. She hasn’t accepted their claims yet and isn’t likely to soon. She just regained her memories today, like you. Additionally, you’ll have to bond with her other mates before claiming her.”

I nodded my understanding and went to sit by my mate. ‘Bonding’ with the other males meant sex with them. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I’d been through a lot in the labs and having sex with other males was minor in comparison. The other males looked at me curiously.

“He’s my mate too,” she said. “Hi, I’m Emma.”

“Hi, I’m Sawyer.”

“Oh, you have a little bit of a British accent,” one of the guys said. “I’m Enrique. I’m from the US but my mother was from Spain. Everyone in here except Lady Jennifer and Trope are mates of Emma’s.”

I nodded acknowledgement to each in turn.

“This is King Riland, Legor, Perio, and Tuchio,” Enrique said as he gestured towards each. They each said ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ as he addressed them.

“Hi everyone, I’m glad to meet all of you. As you know, my name is Sawyer.” So, one of them was a king. The four of them were huge in comparison to Enrique and me.

“Were you the other assassin?” Emma asked.

“Yes, I was sent to mop up if you failed,” I replied. “I was intending to see if we could escape because I didn’t want to do the Croar’s bidding anymore. Actually, I never wanted to but hadn’t had a chance to escape before.”

“We’ve landed, you may all leave,” Trope said.

“Follow me, we’ll recover your mounts and the healing pod on the way out,” Lady Jennifer said.

CHAPTER 17

EMMA

Looking at all the males, I didn’t know what to think about having six mates. Lady Jennifer had said I might even have more. Wasn’t six enough? Sighing, I followed her to see my aurochs.

When we arrived in the cargo hold, both of mine bleated at me and I laughed. They were not happy being in a pen. I couldn’t blame them. “I’m coming. I’ll have you out of there in a jiffy.”

Once we were back outside on firm ground, King Riland showed me where to keep my aurochs. He showed me how to feed them; subsequently, he said we’d work on the saddle and harness at a later time.

He had put mine in a large pen far away from the others because all the others were males. He said they usually tamed male aurochs because they were bigger and could handle the weight of a Mormoran.

“Well, then I expect you to stay off Grey Lady,” I chuckled.

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to break her back.”

I would think he was boasting but he and my other Mormoran mates were huge. Their mounts were about twenty-five percent bigger than Grey Lady. If I had to guess, the Mormorans were around eight feet tall and probably over three-hundred pounds. I was betting their mounts weighed around four tons. The aurochs reminded me of oxen but much bigger and more dangerous.

Lady Jennifer hadn’t removed my chip so I could still access it for information. I loved that she only changed what she had to in order to help me.

“I checked your mounts while they were in the cargo bay. They’re all healthy now,” Lady Jennifer said. “I’ve checked these others now too. I healed the ones that needed it. While we were at the spaceport, I went ahead and healed your people that were there. I’ll give you a chance to check in with your people here before asking you again if you want to go with me. If some of your people would like to go, let me know.”

“The Croar have killed many Mormorans trying to break them,” I said. “They hadn’t succeeded in breaking any before I left.”

Lady Jennifer sighed. “I’m glad they can’t break them but I’m sad that many have lost their lives.”

CHAPTER 18

TUCHIO

Emma, what a pretty name, it suited our mate. She had more mates now. Six was more than I expected her to have but she was more than we could have hoped for. She was beautiful in any form. I wanted to touch her pretty feathers before when she was in her other form and now I wanted to touch her soft hair.

We were all relieved that we were back in our caves with our mate. I didn’t know what King Riland was thinking regarding the offer to go with the Alliance to bring our people back, but I was torn. On the one hand, I wanted to help rescue them. On the other hand, I didn’t want to put our mate in the way of danger. I knew she could handle it. I just didn’t like it.

She was getting along with my bond mates better now but that was because they were behaving better towards her. As I studied them, I noticed that they were catering to her needs and desires now. She seemed to warm up to her two new mates fast. But they hadn’t been rude to her. In fact, Enrique had been nice to her from the start. He even pulverized the Croar for her and carried the healing pod without her asking. He had protected Brawler and fed her aurochs. He was way ahead of Legor who had angered our mate when he first met her, and Perio who had challenged our mate. Thinking about it some more, she may have forgiven them all.

“Will you be giving us new names,” I asked Emma.

“Yes, I think Chio for you would be nice. Ryle for King Riland. Rio for Perio and Legs for Legor,” Emma replied.

We all snickered at Legor’s nickname; he just shook his head and looked at the floor.

She looked at Sawyer and Enrique, “Leo for Sawyer and Rick for Enrique.”

“Leo the lion. Really?” Leo said.

“At least I didn’t call you Dandelion,” she said with a chuckle and a wink.

“That’s fine, we’ll call you Em,” Leo said with a smile.

“As long as you don’t call me Auntie Em, I’m fine with that,” she replied with a laugh. The humans laughed with her. “Oh, it’s from a book that was made into a movie.” We still didn’t know what she was talking about. “Never mind. We’ll explain that in more detail at a later time.”

By then, we’d reached the main cave where we had meetings. We were standing above the cave on a natural ledge. Ryle had picked this spot because our people would all be able to see and hear us. All the remaining Mormorans were there and cheering to see their king had returned.

“My people, we have returned early because space pirates attacked our ship. We crashed and had quite the adventure which included your king finding his mate,” he said. They roared with pleasure. Motioning for them to quiet down, “Everyone, please meet our mate, Queen Emma.” They roared again and I joined in. Emma took Ryle’s hand and lifted her other hand in the air and waved it around. His chest puffed in pride that she was accepting him.

“Oh, that’s me waving at you. It’s a greeting where I come from when someone is too far away to greet or there are too many people to greet individually,” Emma said. Our people waved back.

“Lady Jennifer, from the Alliance, has been quite helpful,” Ryle continued, gesturing towards her. She nodded and waved as Emma had. “She answered many questions about the sickness, the Alliance, and so much more. Queen Emma has told us that her enemy, the Croar, is also ours and has some of our people. Lady Jennifer has offered to rescue our people and bring them back here. If any of us want to go along to help, we can.” They roared again. Some didn’t but they were the ones that were against technology of any kind and that included space travel. “She has offered to give us something called nanites. They are very tiny machines that are injected into your body and can heal you. I’ve already accepted some and so have my bond mates.” They were more subdued at this but waited for more information. “Our mate already had them and healed Perio during our travels using them. You can ask Perio for more information about them before you decide if you want them or not. I will add that anyone not receiving nanites will not be allowed to go with us to retrieve our people.” There was some commotion about this. “I’m only saying this because the nanites will keep you safer than not having them. They can’t heal everything, but they will give us an edge. I’ll leave you now to think about all I’ve said.”

CHAPTER 19

RICK

Well, this has been an enlightening day. I was ecstatic that I’d found my mate and had helped her against the Croar. Saving her calf from the araña had helped her trust me too. I enjoyed her sense of humor and her willingness to forgive and forget if the person was truly sorry. I was surprised she didn’t pick Henry for my nickname, since Enrique meant Henry, but I liked Rick better.

Trying to reconcile my former life with the Croar life and now with my new life, was going to be a challenge. Leo and Emma would be battling the same demons of different lives as me; we’d have to help each other as needed. I could only thank Lady Jennifer for how much she’d helped me in that regard. She was definitely a good soul, but I couldn’t read her thoughts. She had caught me trying to, told me telepathically that she had an impenetrable mind shield and to give up trying. Considering her position in the Alliance, she probably had secrets that were dangerous if the wrong entities gained access to them. I couldn’t blame her for protecting her thoughts.

Now that I had a mate, I needed to figure out how to tame a male auroch for a ride. But then again, a female one would work for my human form. It was much smaller than the form of the Mormorans. The Mormorans weren’t just taller; they were very broad. I was bigger in my monster gorilla form, but I probably wouldn’t be using that except in battle. None of the aurochs could carry me while I was in that form anyway. Was it fair to tame an auroch in my battle form? Shaking my head, I turned my attention to what the others were doing.

“I’ll return to the main cave and work on healing your people. Do show your new citizens their new quarters and relax,” Lady Jennifer said with a smile and a wink.

“Thank you again for everything,” our mate said.

“You’re welcome. I’m happy to help those that are in need.” She left with several aliens following in her wake. I knew at least some of them were her mates, but I didn’t know if all of them were.

We had left the main cave and were in a set of caves that the king was explaining were the royal suite. They had a simple method of piping water to and from their kitchen areas and their restroom facilities, carving into the rock, creating pipes. The shower was just holes in the ceiling of an area that water flowed through continuously and out again through a drain. He explained there was a hot spring above it. He showed us our bedroom and said they’d have to expand the pile of furs to accommodate our mate and her two new mates, me being one of them. It was better accommodations than what we were used to in the lab. I shook myself out of remembering what that was like.

Emma smiled and collapsed on the pile of furs. “I don’t know where the rest of you are sleeping, but this is comfy,” she smirked as she said it.

I pounced on her and rolled her on top of me. “Yep, this is really comfortable.”

She laughed and elbowed me. Grunting, I wrapped my arms around her to prevent another elbow in the gut.

“You better watch it, or I’ll release my scorpion tail,” she threatened with a laugh.

The others all piled around us and she knew she was fighting a losing battle. “Fine,” she huffed. “You make a nice bed too.” She wiggled her butt, and something came up between us.

Chuckling, I kissed her neck, as I sniffed her unique scent.

She wriggled in my arms until she was facing me, “You’re the first one to kiss me.”

“Well then, I should do it properly,” I replied, lowering my lips to hers and losing myself in her soft lips. The others watched intently. I didn’t know if their people kissed but I could tell our mate loved kissing by her enthusiastic reaction. I knew we couldn’t claim her until all the males had bonded but kissing was alright – more than alright.

As far as I knew, the Mormorans were already bonded to each other, so they needed to bond with the semi-humans, Leo and me. We would need to bond with them, and each other. I relayed these thoughts to them telepathically and they nodded. I hadn’t used telepathy to communicate with them before because I hadn’t wanted to scare them. Leo and I decided to bond with each other first. It would give the Mormorans a chance to see humans together. I didn’t know if they would learn anything but maybe they’d have a better idea of what to expect. Lady Jennifer said it was important to bite each other for the bond to take. She showed me her claim marks on her neck at the time. Leo and I had fangs now, so that wouldn’t be an issue for us. Emma and the Mormorans did too.

Emma pulled up and kissed my nose. I smiled and pressed my lips to her nose. She giggled and started tickling me. “Oh, so that’s how you’re going to play it?” I laughed and tickled her back. She pulled her arms in to keep me away from her ribs, so I stopped.

“Are we going with Lady Jennifer to rescue everyone from the lab?” she asked, her smile fading.

I looked to Ryle to answer her.

“I think we should. Lady Jennifer and her mates are healing everyone, and giving those who want them, nanites. She suggested we relax and get to know each other because we’ve been on the run or under attack for days.”

I nodded my agreement.

“Are you guys going to bond on the way there?” Emma asked.

“If not before,” laughed Leo.

Emma smirked with a little twinkle in her eyes.

“I’m going to check on my aurochs. Anyone want to come with me?”

“I’ll go,” Chio offered, standing up and helping Emma up. Emma winked at me and left with him.

“I think that’s our cue to start bonding,” I said.

Leo chuckled, “I agree. She wasn’t exactly subtle about it. Okay, it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex and I’ve never had sex with a guy. What do we do first?”

“I’d say get each other hard but I think Emma took care of that before she left,” I chuckled.

“You two have never had sex with a male but you’ve had sex with females?” Rio asked.

“Yes, there were plenty of males and females on Earth. No shortage of either when I was abducted,” Leo explained. “Some humans are what we call bi, meaning they have sex with both males and females. Some are what we call gay, in the case of males, that means they’re only interested in having sex with other males. Some are what we call heterosexual, they’re only interested in having sex with the opposite sex.”

“Well, all of our females died. We either have sex with each other or not at all,” Legs said. “Additionally, that’s how we bond with our bond mates.”

“Well, now we have Emma,” I said. “It will be different for all of us.” Since Leo hadn’t moved, I cuddled up to him. “Mind if I kiss you?” I murmured.

“I don’t think so?” he replied.

“Let me know if I need to stop,” I said as I adjusted to kiss him. I had experimented with guys in college but hadn’t really gotten off from it. As our lips met, it felt different, more pleasant than my college experiences. He deepened our kiss and slipped his hand down to feel my cock. I didn’t blame him. It was important to size each other up. I smiled to myself when I thought that and pressed myself into his hand. Slipping my hand down, I checked his length and girth. It was smooth like velvet, but heavy and hard, like steel, capable of doing some damage. Sighing mentally, I hoped we had lube of some sort. Telepathically, I asked Rio.

He got up, crossed the room, and reached for a home crafted dish with a lid and offered it to me. Accepting it, I asked Leo, “Who is on top first?”

“Um, you go first,” Leo said, ruffling his fingers through his hair.

We stood up and ordered our smart-suits to release us with the Mormorans watching. It was a bit awkward, but I figured we needed to become accustomed to each other if we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. Leo watched as my body was revealed but I was doing the same with him. After being under the control of the Croar, we were both buff. It wasn’t as if they overfed us or let us relax on a beach drinking piña coladas.

“How about we shower first?” I asked Leo. “I haven’t been able to bathe since the Croar captured me.” At best, we were hosed down which wasn’t the same thing. Once they had changed me into that gorilla creature, I couldn’t even tolerate that.

“That’s an excellent idea. I haven’t been able to either.”

Already naked, we headed for the shower; I caught an image from one of the Mormorans about a leaf that they used for soap. Finding the leaves, we soaped each other down. It gave us an excuse to become more comfortable with touching each other’s bodies. Running my hands over his body, my fingers could feel the hard muscle beneath the soft skin. Licking my lips in anticipation of what was to come, I ran my tongue up his neck as he gasped.

The three Mormorans joined us, bringing the lube with them. Taking it from Rio, I swiped some on my fingers and began prepping Leo to take my cock. Groaning, he pressed back against my hand. Taking some more lube, I stroked myself to help me glide in easier.

“You ready?” I whispered in his ear from behind.

He nodded. “Yes,” he said with a hitch in his voice. Raising his arms, he braced himself against the water worn wall of the cave, his breathing ragged.

He had said he hadn’t done this before, so I was going to take it nice and slow. Pressing against his rim, “Push back.”

He pushed his whole ass back, forcing me to enter him faster than I meant. He had misunderstood me. He gasped when the head was forced past his ring of muscles.

“Hold still,” I ordered him. Breathing deeply, I waited for his body to become accustomed to me. “Sorry, I meant for you to push back with your muscles. I should have been more clear. Ready?”

He gave a quick nod.

Placing my hands on his hips, I entered him slowly, inch by inch, until I bottomed out. “You okay?”

He nodded again and pushed his hips back. I took that to mean he wanted me to pick up the pace. Still, I took my time for a few strokes. He was becoming impatient and started pulling his hips away and pushing them back against me. Taking the hint, I went faster, establishing a rhythm.

“Harder,” he grunted, the muscles in his forearms rippling as he tensed.

CHAPTER 20

CHIO

Walking with our mate while holding her small, soft hand, we talked about her planet of origin. Everything she mentioned, she had to explain in detail and even had to explain some of the details because her planet had been so different from anything I had experienced.

“Your world sounds fantastic,” I told her, as we reached her aurochs.

“It came with its own set of drawbacks. So many people didn’t care about each other or what we were doing to our planet. We had nearly destroyed it when the aliens came and started cleaning it up but then I was abducted by the Croar.” She was petting Grey Lady as she talked.

Brawler butted his head against me; I was shocked. Aurochs had always only been friendly with their chosen master. After I got over the shock, I began petting him the way I’d seen Emma do during our travels. It had to be because of Lady Jennifer’s talk with the aurochs because Grey Lady didn’t seem bothered by her calf cozying up to me.

“Hello,” Lady Jennifer said as she walked into the aurochs’ cave. “We’ll be leaving soon. Have you made a decision about going with us?”

“As far as I know, we’re going with you,” Emma said. “I just came down to check on my aurochs while the guys got to know each other better.”

Lady Jennifer chuckled. “Well, they may not want to come along if they are getting comfortable with each other.” She winked. “I see you’re getting along with her younger auroch,” she said to me. I smiled.

“Well, I want to go, whether they do or not. I’d like to see my sisters and help them. I’d also like to help the others the Croar have enslaved. How long will it take to travel there?” Emma asked.

“I believe a few days,” Lady Jennifer responded. “We may be able to go faster, depending on the route we take and if we have any interruptions en route.”

She was probably thinking of space pirates or the Croar. I sighed internally; it seemed our mate was determined to go. “I’ll go and get the others,” I said.

“Great, then we’ll be able to take off as soon as everyone’s boarded our shuttle. We’ll take it up to my ship. It’s too large to land on a planet.”

Well, that was good news. Maybe it was armed well enough that we didn’t need to worry about space pirates.

“You can take a luxurious shower on my ship,” Lady Jennifer told our mate as I left the cave to gather the others. I was hoping that the offer for a luxurious shower extended to all of us.

Thank you for reading Cyborg Assassin: XZ20T20! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for L.’s newsletter!

KATE STEVENS

ARCHLORD OF EXILE

CONTENT WARNINGS

Archlord of Exile contains explicit sexual content; swearing; warfare and violence, including death, forced captivity, kidnapping, and use of weapons; pregnancy and childbirth; and sexual assault (off-page).

CHAPTER 1

RYLEC

“The weather on Janus must agree with you, Rylec.” A sly voice cackled, sending shivers through the darkness at the edges of the council chamber. “You look so… tan.”

Rylec gritted his teeth, but kept his hands behind his back. An hour ago, Rylec would’ve assumed Naccius’s comment was about the layer of dirt and sweat adhered to his skin, but servants had hosed him down after collecting him from the living hell that was Janus. Despite the moon’s harsh sun, he remained as pale as the snowy mountain he was born on. All that had changed were his horns, the crystal texture brightening from white to gold. Though he had lost all privileges when he lost his position, Rylec shot Archlord Naccius a glare darker than the shadows twisting around the blonde male.

The archlord’s smile split into a predatory grin. He crossed one leg rather dramatically and propped an elbow on his chair’s stone armrests. “What do you think, Kratos?”

“That we should kill him.” Archlord Kratos paced the length of the space between the stairs to his seat and Rylec’s prisoner box. The male’s wings ruffled with his energy, his clawed thumb stroking the hilt of his dagger. “My vote hasn’t changed.”

“We can’t kill him.” Archlord Eliaz’s stern voice brokered no argument. The leader of the Tertian Council—once Rylec’s greatest ally—tapped his jeweled fingers at a steady pace.

Naccius didn’t sit any straighter, nor did Kratos stop his pacing, but both banished their thoughts of murder. Rylec could tell. They had no other reason to look so disappointed. Rylec’s lip twitched. He couldn’t help himself. “How kind, Eliaz.”

Eliaz’s glowing blue eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. The archlord didn’t have wings or horns or claws like most Sollirians, but he had some of the strongest magic Rylec ever had the displeasure of encountering. More than one of their training cohorts had overlooked the glow of his eyes and faint blue tinge of his skin and assumed his Sollirian blood was too diluted for magic.

He never learned what happened to their bodies.

“Can we get to the point?” Archlord Severin was a hologram in the Tertian Council chambers. The Empress of Sollir had most likely summoned Severin to their homeworld to interrogate prisoners. It only took one look into the male’s pure black eyes to know he was a soul eater. Severin didn’t have to do much more than stare to bring someone to a tearful confession.

But if Severin was on Sollir and the empress was involved, nothing good would come of Rylec’s return to civilization.

He faced Eliaz. “I agree with Severin. Why am I here?”

The council chamber dropped into a heavy silence. Naccius picked at his nails, Kratos paced faster, and Severin continued his dead-eyed stare. All waiting for Eliaz to deliver the bad news.

Eliaz had said they couldn’t kill him. That didn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t die today.

If the empress decided that was his fate, then so be it. He’d go to his grave without regret. It was all worth it to see her smile, rejoicing in her freedom.

Rylec leaned back in the box, crossing his arms across his broad chest. “Spit it out, Eliaz.”

The archlord tapped the large ruby on his pointer finger. A hologram lit up the chamber, the glow lighting the high-domed ceiling and tinting the white stone a pale blue. Rylec instantly recognized the map of the Sollir Empire. Sollir itself sat next to their system’s sun, but Rylec skipped past it and a dozen other worlds to the edge of the system. Tertia marked the edge of their empire, with Janus as a tiny ball of rock stuck in its orbit.

Rylec cocked a single brow. Why was Eliaz showing him a map every Sollirian child knew? He had spent the last three years on Janus in exile but living on the inhospitable moon hadn’t damaged his memory.

A dotted line appeared, marking a path right above Tertia’s orbit. Eliaz lazily waved a hand at it. “In three hours, an Earthling cruise ship will pass over Janus. I need you to infiltrate the ship and capture four targets.”

Rylec smoothed the crinkle in his forehead the moment after it appeared. “What use does the empress have for Earthlings? Outside of the empire, we’re little more than boogeymen, a half-forgotten nightmare told to scare children.”

“I guess capture wasn’t the best choice of wording.” Eliaz flicked his ruby again. The hologram changed. “Retrieve, then.”

Rylec’s insides went cold. Four faces stared back at him. He didn’t recognize three of them. His entire being focused on the fourth. It wasn’t the same picture they had posted across the empire after her escape. No, she was a few years older, her dark hair longer and the expression in her green eyes sharper, harder. In place of the purple star-maid robes she had always worn on Tertia, she dressed in a tight black jacket and matching pants. The sight of her sparked something he thought was long dead inside him.

With one look—from a splotchy security camera, no doubt—the fire within him flared into life.

Of course it did. She was his wife after all.

Rylec lost the smile playing on the edge of his lip. “No.”

“The star-marked are property of the Sollir Empire, Rylec. The empress wants them back.” Eliaz stood from his high seat and strolled down the steps to the main floor. “Over the last two years, this operation has smuggled a dozen star-marked from us. They haven’t returned to their homeworlds, and we haven’t located their base of operations, but if enough of them band together, it will become a problem for us. We have the advantage of technology and magic, but we cannot erase the minds of an entire galaxy if they decide to reveal our existence. If the star-marked tell them where we are, they will resist our beacon that makes them turn the other way when they get too deep into our space.” Eliaz stopped before the box and leaned forward. “We will have no choice but to kill them all and terraform their planets, starting anew. But the empress has assured me she will pluck your star-wife from their ships and torture her to death first.”

Rylec jerked forward with a snarl. “When I see you next—”

“—you’ll have your wife and her newest escapees in chains, ready to be delivered to the Star Temple for re-education.” Eliaz’s glowing eyes held no mercy. He twisted his ring, turning Rylec around right as the doors to the chambers opened. Two guards with the star crest of the Sollirian Imperial Crown marched in. Rylec cringed. For years, the crest had shown a vibrant valdi bird, but now the image displayed a white snake, crushing the bird’s body. Suffocated just like his father, the former emperor.

Then two smaller figures entered, fracturing the memory of Oriel’s shattered body. One was an older Sollirian female with stark white wings. The other… a small child in a pale gown, with dark hair, the greenest of eyes, and two crystal-specked, gold horns.

She was the spitting image of her mother.

Rylec’s chest wrenched, threatening to tear his heart in two. Soriya was a child in a cradle when he last laid eyes on her. His own crystal-specked horns flared with a spark of light as his magic rose within him. The box at his feet rumbled. To him, it was the end of the world, but to the archlords, the guards, the child, it probably felt like a tiny tremor. With the cuff on his wrist, his magic was a fraction of its true might.

Eliaz settled at his side and leaned closer to whisper. “Your choice, Rylec. Which one will suffer: your wife or your child?”

CHAPTER 2

INEZ

“Welcome to Paradise, where all your greatest dreams will come true among the stars. On our fifty-day cruise, all the luxuries of Paradise will be at your fingertips, from our indoor rainforest spa to forty-five dining halls…”

Inez gently nudged Hannah’s shoulder, the first of her charges gaping at the Paradise cruise ship’s bright atrium. The flashing lights, the dancing holograms, the blast of music… It was a lot to take in, but today was day twenty-six of the cruise. All the guests of the Paradise had long gotten used to the abundance of their accommodations.

Hannah snapped her jaw shut, but her dark eyes remained wide. “It’s like Las Vegas on a spaceship. My family drove through it once on a trip to the Grand Canyon.” Her face shuttered. “It was the last trip I went on before my abduction.”

“Maybe someday you can see it again.” Inez matched her pace to the young star-maid’s. Behind the two of them, Rana and Astro followed, both a thousand times more successful at keeping their emotions off their faces. Neither were Earthlings—Rana a feathered Guroverian and Astro a blue-scaled Herkleian—so the Paradise’s Vegas theme probably didn’t trigger anything more than a headache.

With her three charges accounted for, Inez continued her scan of their surroundings. In twenty-four hours, they would be out of Sollirian space, but until then, she kept a watchful eye. In her two years of smuggling star-maidens out of the Sollir Empire, no hunter had ever caught her or one of her charges. There had been a close call a year back, but thanks to an airlock and some minor hacking, no one had gotten hurt.

Besides the Sollirian hunter that is.

As they crossed the atrium, the sleek check-in desk staffed by a dozen humans in tacky red uniforms came into view. A few of the receptionists dealt with customers, but most of the Paradise’s guests were too busy drinking and partying and gambling at this hour to require assistance.

Hannah stumbled mid-step. “What are you doing? If they scan us, they’ll know we’re stowaways.”

Inez stopped. Rana and Astro halted before they could run into the two women. Inez put a hand on Hannah’s shoulder, twisting her so she spoke with all three of her charges. “Hannah, I know you don’t know me, but the Star Network vouched for me, did they not? I was once like you, fleeing for my life. I was terrified. I didn’t trust anyone. I get that. But I’ve done this a hundred times. Since I escaped, I have dedicated my life to rescuing my brothers and sisters. I won’t let you down.”

“But—”

Astro put a scaled hand on Hannah’s shoulder and said in his deep, rumbling voice, “Everyone on this ship thinks we’re flying through uninhabited space, sister. They will believe whatever lie Sister Inez tells them. To them, there is no alternative.”

Hannah nodded, but her eyes flickered anxiously between the receptionists, the roaming guests, and the patrolling security droids.

At this rate, Hannah wouldn’t last another ten minutes. She worried about Rana too. Rana hadn’t said much in the twenty-four hours they had known each other, preferring to avoid eye contact. When they had switched from their violet star-maid robes to the clothes Inez had stashed for this mission, Inez hadn’t missed the crisscross of scars cutting through the Guroverian’s feathered back. All star-maids were slaves and property in the Sollir Empire, but some masters were kinder than others.

Inez needed to get her charges out of the public eye, stat.

She faced Astro. “Stay here. Don’t let either of them wander away from you.”

Astro nodded solemnly.

Inez spun on her boots and strutted for the concierge desk. But she didn’t walk in a straight line—she stumbled, listing slightly to the left with a sloppy smile on her face. When she reached the desk, she bumped straight into it and flung her arms across the top, linking them to the edge where the holo-screen floated. She wrapped her hands around the edges and held on, like if she loosened her grip, she might fall smack-dab on her face.

“Uh, hi, hi.” She waved messily at the nearest receptionist, who approached with a cheery grin. “Hi-yas. Can you help me? I—” she thrust one arm out, the one with a holo-wristlet in the place of a watch, and nearly flopped to that side “—I think my door code isn’t working. It won’t let me into my room.”

The receptionist flicked at the holo-screen. “Let me help you with that, Ms.—?”

Inez ignored the question. “Like what am I going to do if I can’t get into my room? Roam the hallways forever?” She let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I have to pee sooooo badly.”

The receptionist’s smile didn’t twitch in the slightest. He was good. “If you give me your name, Ms—”

“Abigail Jones. That’s A-b…” I squinted at my hands, counting off the letters. “I…”

“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Jones. I see you in our files.” The receptionist moved from screen to screen. Inez had fought back nerves the first time she played out this con, but the Star Network’s hackers hadn’t failed yet. “I apologize for the inconvenience. I can reset your door code. Your three companions will also receive the new code.”

“Oh, good. That’s so good.” Inez blinked around the atrium blearily. Astro, Rana, and Hannah hadn’t moved from the spot she left them. She made her eyes pass them. “That’s so good. I should go find them.”

“Can I help you with anything else, Ms. Jones?”

“No, no.” She patted his hand, missing the first time and slapping at the air. “But thank you. You’re so nice. So nice.”

There. A twitch in the smile. No ordinary customer would notice, but Inez had trained for years to notice every slightest change in emotion. It was the foundation of a star-maid’s training. “Have a good day and enjoy the bounties of Paradise.”

“I will, I will.” Inez pushed off the guest check-in counter and wandered back to her charges. No eyes followed her. She was another drunk girl on the Paradise, destroying her liver without a care in the world.

Inez hadn’t ever been so careless. Not since she was nine, at least.

When she reached her charges, she didn’t stop walking. “This way.”

They followed her like lost ducklings. Poor things. She didn’t know much about their pasts, but her contact in the Star Network said they were all recent escapees. Inez had been convinced the Sollirians were going to find her for a year after she settled on Artema, a planet on the far side of the galaxy and a place of refuge for enemies of the Sollir Empire. Even now, within the empire’s borders, an old fear gnawed at her gut.

And anticipation, too, an emotion she never admitted to her psychologist.

The closer she was to the empire, the closer she was to her daughter.

Inez pinched herself. She didn’t let thoughts of Soriya distract her on her missions. One day, she would locate her daughter. Someone in the Star Network would learn something. She would make a plan.

It would succeed.

She entertained no other option.

Inez tapped the button to a transporter, and it dinged like an elevator before opening. The four star-maids squeezed into the square space. Within a minute, they were at their floor and within another, at their door. Inez waved her wristlet before the door’s scanner. It clicked open to reveal a single-room suite, with two hovering double beds, a kitchenette bar, and a small circular table near a window overlooking the planet below.

Tertia. The planet she had once called home. Where her daughter was born.

Inez glanced away from the windows, moving to the side and letting her charges in before the door locked behind them. Hannah went straight to the bathroom, whereas Rana sat robotically at the table and Astro wandered the space, examining his surroundings. It was a tight space to be locked in for twenty-five days, reminiscent of the dorms in the Star Temple.

At least no one would rip them out of their beds every morning at dawn to run laps around the property.

Inez settled into the seat across from Rana. The other female’s eyes were locked on Tertia. From above, the planet looked undeveloped, barren, but through the forcefield, a whole civilization lived and prospered. Thousands of star-maids served their archlords, sharing the power of their very life forces so the lords could generate more magic than one being should be physically capable of.

Inez wanted to take her charge’s hand, but she didn’t dare touch her without consent. “Can I get you anything, Rana?”

Rana’s gaze flickered her way. She gave a quick jerk of her head.

Inez stood, planning to get the female a glass of water anyway. It had been hours since they left the Star Network base on Tertia. Surely they could all use a drink.

Inez reached for a glass on the kitchenette’s counter.

Someone knocked at their door.

Inez’s fingers slipped. She clawed for the glass, but it was gone, the cruise ship’s artificial gravity dragging it to the floor. Inez flung out a hand—

The glass halted in the air and flew backwards into her grasp.

She stared. Rana stared. Astro stared. Hannah, who’d exited the bathroom at the knock, stared. Inez examined the glass like it held all the secrets in the universe. That was impossible. She hadn’t moved an object with her mind since—

Inez dropped the glass. It shattered against the ground. “Fuck.”

Hannah gripped the bathroom door frame. “How did you—?”

Inez pulled the drawers open. Where was a sharp knife when she needed one? She settled on a fork and twirled it in her grip. The things she could do with kitchen utensils when motivated. “Get ready for a fight.”

“A fight?” Hannah paled. “What are you talking about? How did you use Sollirian magic—”

Armed with her fork, Inez marched to the door and pulled it open. Rana scrambled from her seat and Astro pulled a small dagger from his pocket. Star-maids trained in combat in the event rebels attacked an archlord and went for their power source. Inez could thwart a hunter or two, but none of them were meant to fight an archlord.

Even if it was an archlord she knew.

Her eyes meet dark pools, a sharp contrast to the male’s pale skin and towering white-gold horns. His nostrils flared like a beast scenting his prey. His strong jaw, the arch of his pale brows, the little curl at the end of his chin-length white hair—all unchanged. Archlords could extend their life a hundred years with magic. Had he found himself a new star-maid to drain in her absence?

But that didn’t matter. Only that he didn’t succeed, whatever his mission. Someone had dressed him in an Earthling suit, but he had ditched the jacket, unbuttoned the collar, and rolled the sleeves to expose muscular arms. Whatever he was here for, it required stealth. Inez raised her fork, her expression stern. His lip curled—a look that made her insides flutter—but it wasn’t with the total confidence he carried when they first met. Something about it was almost… sad.

Focus, Inez. His sadness, his confidence, also wasn’t her concern.

Behind her, Hannah sucked in her breath, Rana let out a squeal and Astro looked faint, but Inez ignored all three of her charges. She swallowed down her terror. “Hello, Rylec.”

CHAPTER 3

RYLEC

Her.

Rylec drank in the sight of his wife. Her dark hair and the flush of her skin. The way her eyebrows pinched as she glared at him. The bright green of her eyes. The curve of her body. Nearly three years had passed since he last saw her. He never thought he’d see her again. Smell her again, the thick floral scent of ikaias in the air. Everything in him strained to close the distance between them and touch her again, a privilege he’d missed most when he sent her away.

But Rylec liked all his appendages where they were, thanks, and Inez would certainly cut something off if he got any closer. Even armed with a fork.

“Sollirian,” one of the star-maids behind his wife shouted, grabbing at the first blunt object within reach.

Rylec flicked his fingers. All three of the star-maids froze, their bodies held in place. Sure, two of them had no intention of moving, locked in fear before he encased them in his magic. But Rylec couldn’t risk this… abduction.

Inez clenched her fists, but her voice remained as deathly calm as when she had greeted him. “Let them go. Now.”

He wanted to heed her command. Wanted to pull her into his arms. Wanted to preserve the freedom she had gained outside the Sollir Empire.

But one thought pushed him forward.

Soriya.

The image of Soriya between those two Imperial Guards drenched him like the icy rivers outside Lucian Manor, where he had trained with the other future archlords. The headmaster loved nothing more than to throw his students in when they misbehaved. If they didn’t climb out and the river claimed them, then they were never meant to be archlords, now were they?

Rylec had failed Soriya. He had failed his wife. When he had dropped her on a cruise ship just like this one three years ago, he had sworn he’d rescue Soriya from the empress’s clutches and reunite the three of them. But he hadn’t. Soriya had stayed on Sollir, raised among the palace’s children. Rylec had been exiled to Janus, unable to leave the moon’s surface or else be blown out of the sky. And his wife had apparently joined the same smuggling ring that rescued her. She had taken action. Rylec had only failed.

He couldn’t fail again. Rylec had to protect Soriya. If his wife knew, she would make the same choice.

“I can’t do that, Nez.” He hooked one thumb into the ring of his belt loop and strolled forward. Inez shuffled back unconsciously before halting her traitorous feet. Good. He didn’t stop his approach. The scent of ikaias thickened the air until he was a breath away. Inez held herself still, her body a wall between him and her charges.

He leaned forward, his murmur a brush against her skin. “I really do apologize.”

She swallowed, almost audibly. “For what?”

“For this.” The anti-magic cuff he gently brushed over her wrist snapped shut with a buzz.

Inez jerked back as if she slapped him. He felt it too. As he approached the Paradise and his wife, the well of magic in him had grown. Even after years apart, the tether between an archlord and his star-maid didn’t fade. The Star Temple had denied him a replacement—not that he would have accepted one—and he had gotten used to life with only his own power at his disposal. But Inez wasn’t just his star-maid, a secondary battery of magical power for him to tap into—she was his star-wife. She had been tethered to him unwillingly, but he had tethered himself to her of his own volition. The connection between them wasn’t one way. She shared her strength, and he shared his magic.

Of all his crimes, that one had pissed off the empress the most.

“Inez—”

“You dirty bastard.” Her fist careened toward his face. Rylec should’ve expected it, but few people swung fists at archlords—even disgraced archlords. He shifted slightly to the left, but her knuckles grazed his chin. Pain ricocheted through his face. Star-maids certainly knew how to throw a punch.

Gods, he wanted to bend her over something and fuck her brains out. Nothing turned him on more than a fight.

Rylec turned his evasive move into a smooth slide, leaning into the door frame and crossing his arms. His lip twitched further into a full-on smirk. It pinched at his sore chin, but Rylec didn’t care. Anything to get a rise out of her. “I deserved that.”

Inez’s eyes narrowed and she lunged forward with a growl to rival Archlord Kratos. She wielded her fork like a spear. A punch he could take, but Rylec liked both his eyes where they were.

He reached out with his magic and halted her bones, stopping the movement an inch from his face. Rylec shuffled out of the door frame until her huffing breath tickled his skin. Another inch and he could claim her lips. He made sure to stare before slowly raising his gaze to hers. “Don’t test your luck, wife.”

She spit on him. “Don’t call me that. You lost that right today.”

“It’s what you are.” Rylec raised his hand and summoned a napkin from the kitchenette. He dabbed gently at his face as he circled his wife. He hadn’t looked closely at the reports on her three escapees. A human female, a Herkleian male, and a Guroverian female. Neither of them moved, but their gazes flickered between him and his wife. “Did your charges know that? That you weren’t an ordinary star-maid, but a star-wife, a thing of myth.”

“Don’t talk to them.”

Rylec grabbed a chair, twisted it around, and plopped into the seat. “I can’t talk to them, can’t speak to you. You have so many demands, wife.”

“Why are you here, Rylec?”

He spun his finger, and she twisted around to face him. That was better. She deserved to look into his eyes as he told her about his mission. Gods, she’d hate him.

But once she learned about Soriya, she’d understand. After all, he had promised her to take care of their daughter, no matter the cost. “To take you back.”

Inez stared. Silence filled the cabin for three… two… one—

“Are you out of your right-fucking mind?”

Rylec repressed a flinch. She had always been a screamer. “Unfortunately.”

“You piece of shit—”

Rylec pinched his fingers and his magic zipped Inez’s mouth shut. She deserved the truth, but this didn’t need to be any harder than it was. And he couldn’t tell her the truth, not in front of her charges. Once the Star Temple got their hands on them, they’d reveal everything asked of them. Their fate was sealed, but he could still save Inez and Soriya.

He stood and crossed the space before his wife. He reached out, hesitantly, gently, until his fingers brushed her face. Shivers traced through his arm. He had missed her. Craved her. Not a night had passed without thoughts of her lulling him to sleep.

Though she glared, her pupils dilated.

She had missed him too.

“I have my reasons, Inez.” He pressed the ghost of a kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent. “For now, trust me.”

“Rylec…”

He pulled back, staring into her beautiful face. “Yes, wife?”

Her green eyes went dead cold. “Fuck you.”

Her knee jerked up. Rylec jumped back, pushing his magic back across her body. Even with a star-wife, he couldn’t hold four people still, keep his shuttle levitating off the back of the Paradise, and keep the explosive he had planted in the engine room from going off. His grasp slipped, but he strained to reach, grabbing all the pieces with his magic—

The bomb ticked to 0:00:09.

Oh, well. Now seemed like a decent time to end the conversation. It’d give his wife time to process.

Rylec let go. The bomb started ticking down. Inez stumbled into his arms. Her charges raised their weapons.

Rylec wrapped his wife in his grasp. “Stab me after the explosion, will you?”

Inez froze, fork halfway to his balls. “The what?”

A distant rumble echoed through the cabin before everything went flying.

CHAPTER 4

INEZ

Inez dug her nails into Rylec’s shirt as the Paradise jolted, throwing bodies and furniture in the air. The lights flickered and the artificial gravity died. She tightened her grip, hoping her nails went straight through the thin fabric to his sculpted muscles. Maybe she’d get lucky, and the cut would get infected. He could choke on some pus for all she cared. He planned to take her and her charges back to Tertia—after he blew up an unsuspecting cruise ship filled with innocents.

But Rylec had never cared about that. Rylec cared about protecting his people, protecting his territory, protecting his power, at the expense of everything else. If he had to set fire to this ship to get what he wanted, that was what he’d do.

And what he wanted was to bring her back? It was a ridiculous notion.

The backup generators chose that exact moment to activate. Every thought fled her mind as gravity wrapped around her and Rylec. They had floated up to the ceiling, and the floor was a long drop away. Inez knew how to stick a landing, but she didn’t need to use her training. Her star-husband wrapped those calloused hands around her waist and landed with perfect grace.

Her charges crashed to the floor with grunts and moans, the cabin a wreckage around them. The emergency lighting flickered on, followed by the blare of an alarm. But Inez barely noticed any of it, not with Rylec’s hands on her.

A part of Inez wanted to lean into his embrace. Her heart had missed him. He was a bastard, a monster, an archlord. The system that raised him into power subjected her into servitude. She should have hated him. She wanted to hate him so badly. But that didn’t change their past. That didn’t change the nights they spent together, talking and dancing and laughing. That didn’t change the moment he had bound himself to her, making them partners instead of archlord and star-maid.

Rylec kneeled at her feet. “I tether myself to you, Inez. Willingly. Desperately.”

She clutched his face, everything a blur through the tears. She wanted to scream with joy, but the servants outside Rylec’s door would talk. “I love you, Rylec.”

Inez hadn’t let that memory resurface in two years. She hadn’t entertained any thoughts of Rylec actually. When he didn’t return to her with Soriya in his arms, she feared him dead. But now that one memory returned, it dragged dozens of others with it. Most of Inez’s life had been terrible, all except her year of happiness, filled with love and laughter and Rylec.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice a rumble in her ear.

Her stomach fluttered, but she didn’t reply. She traced her hand gently down his side, almost like a caress. Rylec’s breath hitched. He still felt something for her, then. But whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to let her go.

Inez refused to be a star-maid ever again.

She grabbed dagger’s hilt at his waist and pressed the blade to his throat.

Rylec stiffened. “There’s no need for that, Nez.”

“Isn’t there? You just blew a hole in the engine.”

“Near the engine.”

Like that made a difference. Inez pressed until she drew a thin line of pale blood.

Rylec’s lip flicked. Was he smiling? “The engineers on board will fix it within a day and the Paradise will be on its way—”

Another explosion rippled through the ship, knocking them all off their feet again. The dagger went flying from Inez’s hand. She nearly slammed face-first into the floor but caught herself at the last moment. The cuff snapped off. She frowned at it. Anti-magic cuffs didn’t just snap off. Had he put it on wrong? Intentionally? She rubbed at her wrist as the warmth of his magic brushed under her skin, but she didn’t pull on it. Not yet.

Inez pushed onto her knees and glared at Rylec, sprawled beside her. “And what was that?”

“A… miscalculation.”

Gods, Inez wanted to throttle him. “What’s your plan now, smartass?”

The alarm cut out suddenly, the silence momentary before a robotic voice said, “Please follow the exit signs to the nearest escape pod terminal…”

“Don’t fret, wife.” Magic wrapped around the both of them and they levitated to their feet. “We’ll take one of the Paradise’s escape pods.”

Like she planned on going with him. “If you think you can maneuver me and my charges down a hallway swarmed with panicking people, you’d be wrong.”

“Hmm. Decent point.” He flicked a glance at her charges, huddling together on the far side of the ruined cabin. “You’re free to go.”

“What?”

Rylec shrugged. “What a pity they died in the explosion.”

Inez shuffled, putting her body between her star-husband and her charges. “You’re not killing them.”

“I didn’t say I was. They can stay here for all I care.” Rylec held out a hand and his dagger flew from the floor to his grasp. “Who knows? Maybe they will die in an explosion.”

Inez twitched. She couldn’t help it. Even if she somehow escaped this encounter, she’d need a year of therapy to make sense of it. “I thought you were here to retrieve me and my charges.”

“I am. But the empress wants you more.”

Inez went cold. No, no, no. If she still had hold of Rylec’s dagger, she’d have dropped it. Not the empress. Never again. Smooth hands trailed down her body, each touch wringing a scream of agonizing pain from her throat. Slitted, kaleidoscope eyes met hers over an innocent smile. Inez nearly puked at the memory.

Inez would rather launch herself from the airlock than encounter Empress Calanthe of Sollir ever again. What had happened to her Rylec? The male she loved would never return her to that monster. When the cuff snapped off easily, she hoped he hadn’t changed. But her Rylec was gone. “And why in the world would I go with you? You plan on handing me over to the empress.”

Those dark eyes slide back to her charges. “I’m not entirely opposed to their murders.”

Inez’s fingers itched for a knife. If only she had grabbed Rylec’s blade off the floor first. But she wasn’t used to having Rylec’s magic. He only had time to teach her the basics before their escape attempt. On the other side of the galaxy, they weren’t in close enough proximity for the tether to work. She lacked his instincts, honed since birth through brutal training.

Inez could, at the very least, thwart his attacks. But would it be enough to walk out with all her charges alive and well?

No, it wasn’t.

She needed to take this fight elsewhere.

Rylec gestured gracefully toward the door, like the gentleman he clearly wasn’t. The unnerving smirk still hadn’t left his lips. Had he guessed her plan? Probably. Did he care? No. Not one bit. And that was what bothered her the most.

Inez glanced at her charges. “When you arrive on Earth, there will be someone waiting for you.”

None of them replied, but she knew they had heard. They didn’t trust her anymore, but once they arrived on Earth, they’d have no choice but to go with whoever the Star Network sent. There was no place for them back on their home planets. Any decent Sollirian hunter erased all memories of a star-maid from their family and friends’ minds.

Inez straightened her shoulders and marched from the cabin.

Rylec followed behind her, his presence at her back sending a shiver up her spine.

This wasn’t going to go well at all, was it?

CHAPTER 5

RYLEC

Inez didn’t speak to Rylec as they entered the hallway. The lights flickered, throwing the catastrophe of a cruise ship into occasional darkness. Rylec stepped over broken glass, overturned vases, and an unnatural quantity of throw pillows. The haphazard furniture provided more of an obstacle course, but it didn’t stop him from keeping pace with his wife.

Who still wasn’t speaking to him. “What’s the plan, wife?”

A vein in her forehead throbbed, but she didn’t react otherwise. “What do you mean?”

“You have no intention of coming with me. I’m trying to figure out your plan.”

“I’m not going to help you by telling you.”

“I suppose not.” Rylec linked his hands behind his back like they were on a casual stroll. “Perhaps you don’t have a plan.”

Inez stopped. “Rylec…”

He continued walking. “The nearest escape pods are right up ahead. Don’t stop on my account.”

She huffed, but a second later, was at his side again. “And what’s your plan?”

He raised a single pale eyebrow at her. “My plan?”

“To get me to come without a fight?”

Ah. That. He pursed his lips. Rylec hadn’t exactly had a plan when the Tertian Council dressed him in an Earthling suit, shoved him in a shuttle, and told him to be a good boy or else. He hadn’t planned to fight his wife or leave her charges behind. But now that he had time to think, the answer was obvious. “The truth.”

“And that is?”

They turned the corner to the stretch of hall before the escape pods. All had initialized when the explosion hit and three staff members in their gaudy red uniforms stood before the open doorways. Two of them calmed the line of impatient passengers, while the third walked from pod to pod, closing each set of doors manually. The Paradise was dead, but this was empty space to the feeble-minded creatures of the Intergalactic Alliance. If the ship wasn’t going to explode immediately, it was the best to stay put and await assistance.

How annoying that it provided Rylec with yet another obstacle.

One of the staff spotted them pushing through the crowd and put on the galaxy’s fakest smile. “I know this must all be scary, but there’s no reason to panic—”

Rylec snapped his fingers. His magic jabbed out, applying pressure to all the right places in the neck. The man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed to the floor.

Inez grabbed his arm. “What the fuck, Rylec?”

He didn’t hear the rest of what she said. Someone screamed. The second staff member stared, wide-eyed. The surrounding crowd hadn’t realized what had happened, but they didn’t like any of it one bit. Voices raised and elbows went flying as humans and aliens in various stages of undress pushed forward. Nothing distracted like the panic of a crowd.

Rylec slipped one hand around Inez’s shoulders and glided them through the horde. Limbs flailed in their direction, only to bounce off with a tap of his magic. With Inez at his side, it was effortless.

Even with her digging her nails into his spleen.

When they pushed through the thick of the crowd, Inez launched out of his arms. Her elbow ricocheted backwards in good measure. Rylec dogged it with ease and slipped around her to face the wall of escape pods.

“Don’t you ever do that again.”

“Or what? You’ll glare at me?” Rylec surveyed his choice of escape pods. They didn’t need something big. Enough room for two would do the trick… There. A pod the size of a closet, perfect for his purposes. If he gave Inez all the space in the world, she’d take it. So he wouldn’t. “This one will work nicely.”

Inez crossed her arms. “I’m not going with you. I’m never going back.”

“Don’t say never.” Rylec leaned against the pod with an eye on the still-panicking crowd. He wouldn’t allow anyone to get closer, but that meant convincing his wife with non-magical means. “You were there yesterday. If I let you go, will you stop aiding escapees? If not, you’ll have to return to Tertia eventually.”

“Returning to save my brothers and sisters isn’t the same as going back in chains.”

He hooked a thumb into his pockets. “I don’t see any chains.”

“You cuffed me a few minutes ago.”

“And they broke. I didn’t bring a second.”

She sighed. “The point is, I’m not getting in that pod willingly, so—”

Rylec crossed his arms, his pale muscles flexing. “Get in the escape pod, wife.”

Inez crossed her arms back and glared. “Have you gone insane? You helped me escape. You told me to never come back, to move on, to live a great life. Why bring me back?”

Instead of answering, Rylec stepped into the escape pod and settled into one of the seats. As his long fingers buckled the seatbelt, his eyes found her once again. There was one thing he could say to get her moving. Just like there was one way for his family to get out of this alive and intact. He couldn’t obey the Tertian Council and hand over his wife. Empress Calanthe would pluck her from the Star Temple the second she finished her re-education and Rylec would never see her or Soriya again.

To get out of this, Rylec required Inez’s help. To get it, he needed to tell her everything.

“If you want to see Soriya again, you’ll get in the escape pod.”

CHAPTER 6

INEZ

Inez lunged into the escape pod and fisted a hand in Rylec’s shirt. He only raised a pale, infuriating eyebrow in response. What had happened to the male she knew? He’d never threaten a child, especially his own. “If you hurt Soriya, Rylec, I will kill you.”

He lifted his hands in mock surrender, but a hard glint had entered his dark gaze. “How little you think of me, Inez. Why do you think I’m doing all this?”

She tightened her grip. “Because you’re a Sollirian.”

“I thought we went over all this before, wife.” He reached out, his knuckle brushing against her cheek. Inez shuddered. Gods, she hadn’t been touched in so long. “The rest of my kind can rot in the four hells, for all I care. What matters is you and Soriya.”

“Then why—”

Rylec leaned back in his seat and Inez automatically shuffled forward, drawn to him like a magnet. Any closer and she’d be straddling him. A spark of heat flared in her core.

It died with his next words. “The empress has threatened to kill Soriya if I don’t bring you back.”

Oh, look, my little dove had a baby dove. Inez recoiled from the words, from the concept. Of course. Empress Calanthe was many things, but kind was not one of them. If she wanted Inez back and had access to Soriya, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill a child. Knowing Calanthe, she would make it hurt. Her baby would die screaming and somehow, Calanthe would make sure Inez knew every second of that torment.

Inez slumped into the escape pod’s second seat. She didn’t need to say anything. For Soriya, Inez would return to Sollir.

Her star-husband took his chance, tapping the screen and starting the escape pod’s launch sequence. The seat buckled her into place as the engines fired, rumbling beneath her feet.

“Is she…?” Inez swallowed. She didn’t want to know, but she needed to ask the question. Soriya’s fate had haunted her every day since she left. “What happened to her?”

Rylec paused. For a second, Inez thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he closed the space between them and took his hand in hers. His calloused thumb grazed across her palm. Inez shuddered. Gods, she loved his hands.

“After I left you with the Star Network, I went to find her.” Rylec paused, swallowed, but his eyes didn’t leave her. “She’s been with Calanthe this entire time.”

Inez closed her eyes shut, trying to banish the wave of nausea that swept over. How could this day get worse? Empress Calanthe had her daughter. She wasn’t in some orphanage or being raised by adoptive parents. Her daughter was in the monster’s grasp right at this second. Would it even be possible to save her without surrendering? The single scar on her back burned at the thought. The empress had whipped her a thousand times, but that first night, she had left a single gash unhealed. Inez could still feel the female’s breath on her ear as she leaned down to whisper, “Something to remember me by, little dove.”

The pod’s rumbling increased as it moved into position for launch. The movement jerked Inez out of the memory. Rylec watched her, waiting. With other archlords and servants, he had no patience, demanding answers immediately. But he had always waited for her. During those first few months as his star-maid, he hadn’t asked a single thing about what she suffered at the empress’s hand. He knew—everyone knew. But he didn’t say a word about any of it until she was ready.

“And what about you?”

He paused. “I was sent to Janus.”

Inez flinched. He didn’t need to say anymore. Janus was a barren wasteland where traitors and prisoners were sent to rot. The loyal courtiers of Rylec’s father, Emperor Oriel, hadn’t lasted a month after Empress Calanthe dumped them there. The fact that he was still alive spoke volumes.

Inez wanted to hug him close, but there was no room for that in the pod. Since Rylec had walked back into her life, Inez had been nothing but cruel. This whole time, he was protecting their family. Inez gazed at her star-husband, memorizing the strong lines of his face. Whatever happened next, she’d never doubt him again. “Promise me you won’t let the empress have her. You will rescue Soriya, Rylec. No matter what.”

Those dark eyes didn’t leave her. “I failed you once. I won’t again.”

“Good.”

The escape pod dinged. “Prepare for launch. 3… 2… 1…”

Inez sat back in her seat, her entire body clenching. She hated space travel. No matter how many years had passed, she’d never forget that first night in the hunters’ ship, huddled together with all the other Earth children unlucky enough to be born with a star-shaped birthmark.

The pod launched.

The pressure pushed Inez’s body back against the seat. Through the tiny window at her head, tubes and wires flashed by so quickly she couldn’t even guess at what they were. She closed her eyes. Inez had seen the great black expanse of space enough for an entire lifetime.

Rylec’s foot nudged her own. They couldn’t speak, but Inez knew the touch better than words.

I’m here, star-wife.

Suddenly, the shaking smoothed and the light changed from bright fluorescent to a dimmer glow. Inez let out a long breath before opening her eyes to space. Stars twinkled in the distance, a beautiful and calming dance. Inez didn’t hate the stars, no matter how many of her nightmares they featured in. It was everything else that made her queasy. The tiny escape pod, beeping and blinking. The Paradise behind them, the strobing emergency lights through the windows visible a mile away. And below it all, Tertia, an uninhabited swatch of green. If Inez’s eyes could pierce the perception shields surrounding all Sollirian planets, it would look more like a sci-fi movie than a nature documentary.

And somewhere on that planet, the empress had Soriya. The throne of Sollir was planets away, but Calanthe wouldn’t use a hologram for their reunion. The empress would want to touch her. Her magic wouldn’t work otherwise.

Inez wouldn’t stumble into that bitch’s arms willingly. To save her daughter, she would return, but only as the last resort. “What’s the plan?”

“Once we arrive on Tertia, we’ll only have a few hours before they track us down.” Rylec input coordinates into the escape pod’s limited flight system. “I still have allies scattered throughout Tertia. I’ve been in contact with one of the Tertian archlords, too, though I’m not sure who. If we land outside Zareen in Archlord Nassius’s province, then we might—”

Something hard thumped against the outside of the ship. The lights flickered. The pod spun. Inez grabbed for Rylec’s hand. Through the windows, she spotted a piece of the Paradise, floating aimlessly. Something must have come loose in the explosion—

A light shot past them with a bright burst of color.

Rylec grabbed her hand. “Nez, close your eyes.”

That bright light… “Was that a missile?”

Before Rylec could answer, the Paradise erupted into a burst of light. The ship cracked and crumbled. A huge chunk speared out, propelled by the force of the explosion. It rocked straight for them—

Everything went dark.

CHAPTER 7

INEZ

“Nez? Inez?” Something soft and warm brushed her face. “Please be okay.”

Inez clawed from the darkness, drawn by his voice. The voice that had haunted her for three years. She hadn’t chosen to leave Rylec. They had planned to escape together, the three of them seeking sanctuary on Artema. Neither of them knew if the Artemans would accept an archlord, but they had to try. There was no place for them on Sollir with Calanthe as empress. Not for Rylec and definitely not for Inez.

In the end, it hadn’t been an issue. Only Inez had escaped. And every night since, her body and soul ached for Rylec. Ached for the life they could have had. Ached for the family she lost.

“Inez?”

Odd. His voice didn’t echo in her head, the fragment of a memory. Inez pushed through the darkness. She clawed and ripped and tore like a wild animal, desperate for light and sound. As she neared the surface of her mind, the scent of smoke filled the air and the voice got louder.

“Nez? Fuck.”

Strong hands gripped at her waist. Carrying her? Inez swayed with the movement. This wasn’t a dream, was it? Inez had dreamed Rylec’s skin on hers, but she knew the difference, even after all these years. Those hands were real, not imaginary. She leaned into them, craving them. It had been too long.

A calloused thumb brushed against her lip.

That was all it took to jolt Inez awake.

She launched into a bright world on fire.

“Thank the gods.” Rylec’s arms tightened around her. They were in a forest, the foliage around them a rainbow of colors under a lavender canopy of branches. The Jaciel Forest. Maybe an hour away from the capital, maybe less. And given the smoke that wafted from their burning escape pod on the other side of the meadow, it wouldn’t be long until they had company.

That calloused thumb brushed her chin, drawing her attention to his dark eyes. “Are you hurt?”

“No—” Inez’s voice came out rough and patchy. She swallowed away the dryness. “I’m okay.”

“Can you walk?” Rylec’s dark gaze scanned down her body. There were a few tears in her clothes, but otherwise, she appeared unharmed. “We need to move fast. If we can get far enough away—”

“But we won’t.” Inez didn’t need to glance over his shoulder again to see the smoke. Their escape pod had crashed in daylight and had been broadcasting their location ever since. Goddamn Sollirians. The Paradise had a thousand people on it, including her charges. Now they were all dead because of her. Tears pricked at her eyes. “We can’t win by running away, Rylec. You know that.”

Rylec’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t counter her point. He knew she was right. If she hadn’t run all those years ago, the Paradise would still be in the sky.

“I don’t want to waste any more time running.” She reached out, a hesitant and gentle touch to his face. After how she reacted to him earlier, she wouldn’t blame him if he turned her away. She had thought the worst of him to think he’d hurt Soriya.

Inez didn’t know what would happen next. After the Sollirians captured them, it would be a battle to survive. But if Inez went off to war today, she wanted one last memory of her Rylec to keep her warm in the trenches. “Put me down.”

Rylec gently lowered her to her feet without protest. Inez was tall for an Earthling, but her head barely reached the top of Rylec’s shoulders when standing. She placed her hands gently on his chest. His breath stuttered out for a second before kicking into double-time. She had always had that effect on him. Just like he had always had on her.

Inez had never experienced true pleasure before Rylec. At thirteen, every star-maid was paired off with another and locked in a room until they had ‘done the act’—the clinical way the priests and priestesses referred to fucking. Inez had studied the art of lovemaking since age ten but experiencing it for the first time had been a clunky and awkward experience.

That was the first time the temple forced her into a room, but certainly not the last. Girls. Boys. Star-maids like her. Volunteering Sollirians. Young and old. Before Inez turned eighteen, she had experienced it all. It was important for a star-maid to please their master.

But her pleasure had never been the priority. Not until Rylec.

Inez trailed her hand from his chest to the line of his neck to the angles of his jaw. His white hair tickled across her skin. The first time she went to his bed, he had wanted to prove he wasn’t like other archlords. Those white curls had tickled across her thighs as he devoured her. For nearly a month, he refused to claim her with anything but his tongue.

“Nez,” his voice came out as a growl. “It’s not polite to tease.”

Inez reached higher, knuckles drifting across the golden, crystalized exterior of his horns. In all her dreams, this was how she imagined them reuniting. Her hands gliding across his skin in passion instead of rage. She pressed onto the tips of her toes and whispered, “I’m not teasing.”

Rylec’s eyes widened, but he wasted no time. His arms went around her and lifted, drawing her closer to him. She threaded her fingers through his pale curls. Her legs wrapped around his torso, over a thick and throbbing heat. Inez gasped at the touch. Gods, she had missed him. She didn’t want to miss him anymore, not when he was finally here. Not to take her back to the empress like she first thought, but to save their daughter. Save their family.

Their lips clashed together, like an anchorless ship against the shore. Violent. Passionate. Wild. Desperate. Inez opened herself and Rylec invaded, his tongue sweeping across her lips. She shuddered. Her body ached, a bright burning in her core. She wanted him inside her. Needed it. Now.

Inez broke the kiss. “There’s no time, Rylec. I need you. Now.”

His lips quirked. “As you command, wife.”

Rylec pulled his hands from her hips. But Inez didn’t fall. Her back was pressed gently against the smooth bark of a pale tree, but her body floated in the air, held up by Rylec’s magic. Her husband shucked off his vest and shirt, stripping in seconds. Her mouth went dry. His pale white skin looked like carved marble over rippled abs and powerful legs. Inez had admired his body a thousand times and touched every inch. But every time she saw it again, she couldn’t help but marvel at his beauty.

Her eyes slipped down to the thick width of his cock.

Her heartbeat stuttered.

Inez reached forward to pull him to her—

Vines curled around her wrists.

Inez gasped as they pulled taut, trapping her hands over her head. Her wide-eyed gaze met Rylec’s, but the archlord only smiled wider.

“My hands will be otherwise occupied, I’m afraid.”

Inez opened her mouth, but no sound escaped. It didn’t have a chance. Rylec closed the distance between them and claimed her mouth. She moaned into his lips. His hands skimmed down her chest, parting the soft fabric. Inez tugged on the vine, but it held her tight.

“Faster,” she murmured.

Rylec obliged, kissing down her neck to her collarbone. Warm spring air brushed at her skin as her shirt came undone. Inez gasped at the air on her skin, remarkably cold compared to the heat of his fingers. He kissed lower, to the swell of her breasts. His hair brushed her nipples and the buds instantly swelled to peaks. Inez shuffled, desperate for him.

Those dark eyes flicked up to her for a brief second. Rylec’s mouth curved into a sharp grin. Her breath halted. His utter beauty never ceased to surprise her.

That wicked mouth closed over one nipple.

Inez’s head fell back against the tree. His tongue swirled over her flesh, coaxing the fire within her. Gods, she just needed to… Inez jerked, rubbing herself against him. But it wasn’t enough. She needed him inside her—

One of Rylec’s hands slipped beneath her underwear.

His teeth grazed her nipple as his fingers sunk into her wet heat. Inez couldn’t stop her cry. She buckled against him, but her hands stayed restrained. “Rylec, let me go. I need to touch you.”

His breath tickled across her skin. “Not until I’m done.”

“Rylec, I—”

With a final kiss to each breast, he kissed a line down her belly. As he moved, her pants untangled, slipping down her thighs. With a flick of his free hand, her trousers tumbled to the ground, followed by her underwear.

She swallowed. “Your ancestors would be disappointed if they knew how you used your magic.”

“My ancestors fucked anything that moved. I’m sure they did worse.” Rylec stopped his trail of kisses at her waist, but kept his head bowed against her stomach. He inhaled. Inez shuddered. He was breathing in her scent. He had always said she smelled like ikaia flowers. They hadn’t been able to go on many romantic trips together, but he had once taken her to an ikaia field and claimed her among the petals. His exhale ticked across her sensitive, exposed flesh.

Inez’s back arched. She was going to explode, and he hadn’t even started. Had it always taken him this long to get to the point?

Rylec wrapped a hand around each of her thighs and spread her wide. His tongue flickered out. Inez clenched the vines above. He licked the length of her heat, drawing a strangled cry from her throat.

Her head smacked back into the tree, her body arching. “Rylec.”

He didn’t respond, too busy devouring her, but a growl rumbled up. It vibrated against her. Inez didn’t bother to hold in her scream. This wasn’t his castle with servants gossiping in the halls. If anyone heard, Inez didn’t care.

His finger plunged into her depth. Inez hooked her legs over his shoulders. Her body jerked, riding his movements. Her husband. Her mate. No matter what happened, nothing could ever truly separate them. She was his. He was hers.

Forever.

Inez shuddered, a wave of pleasure sweeping her over the edge. She shrieked, wordless joy mixed with her husband’s name. She never wanted to miss him again. Whatever happened next, they wouldn’t be parted. They would succeed.

Inez would wake every morning to his lips on her body.

When she floated back down to reality, Rylec’s dark eyes met hers. His tongue swept out to lick his glistening lips. She shuddered, the embers within her sparking to flame again.

“You’re mine, Inez,” he said, his voice a deep rumble. “No one will take you away.”

CHAPTER 8

RYLEC

Rylec brushed a dark curl from his wife’s face. The two of them had curled up at the base of the tree, Inez tucked into the crook of his shoulder. Her body fit perfectly against his, stark white skin against her pale pink. A purple-veined leaf tumbled from the tree above them to drop onto the curve of her bare ass. He flicked it off, but his hand lingered. After years without her, he’d do anything to touch her one more time.

But they didn’t have time for that. They wouldn’t run, but they wouldn’t surrender either.

Rylec pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We should get dressed.”

Inez drew lazy circles across his chest. “Are they close?”

Rylec had noticed the low buzz of engines a few minutes ago. His star-wife obviously had too. “Close enough.”

Inez let out a long huff. “What are we going to do?”

“You were right.” Rylec pressed onto one elbow, staring down at his beautiful mate. “We can’t win if we run. Empress Calanthe has Soriya. She has an army. But Sollirians follow power above all else. If we stand together against her, we’re stronger. They’ll cuff me in the empress’s presence, but they won’t cuff you. You’re nothing more than a star-maid to them. They’ll underestimate you every time.”

“Do you have any idea which archlord is on your side?”

Rylec snorted. “None of them are on our side, wife. But no, I don’t know which one has aided me the last three years.”

“I doubt it’s Kratos. He’s too blunt for espionage.”

Rylec smirked. “I’d love to see his face if he heard that.”

“I wouldn’t.” Inez shivered despite the heat of Rylec’s body and the warm spring weather. “He once killed one of his servants by growing a tree right through them.”

“I know. I was there.” As Governor of Tertia, he had witnessed the worst of the archlords’ behavior. He hadn’t done anything to stop it. He hadn’t cared until Inez came into his life. “Let’s not talk of archlords.”

“But—”

Rylec put a finger on her lips. He didn’t want those thoughts in her mind when the Imperial Guards carted them back to the capital. The archlords were cruel, yes. All Sollirians with magic and influence were. It was why Rylec didn’t waste time considering which archlord was a potential ally. They might have helped him once, but that was no guarantee they’d do so again. Neither Eliaz, Naccius, Kratos nor Severin were one to risk their necks for others.

“It doesn’t matter. We can’t control their actions, only our own.”

Inez swallowed. “They’ll separate us.”

“Our tether can hold our connection a continent away. When you see your chance, take it. I’ll do the same.”

“Rylec—”

He pressed a kiss to her lips, swallowing her complaint. Inez moaned into his mouth, relaxing under his touch.

He only regretted having to pull away so quickly.

“You’re not a helpless damsel, Inez.” He traced a finger along her bottom lip to her chin to the line of her throat. He outlined the little star-shaped birthmark on her shoulder. If she hadn’t been born with it, a fluke of genetics, they would have never met. “You’re a star-maid. Trained in combat and conversation, deadly with both a weapon and a word. The Star Temple beat you down to keep you subservient. Given what they had to teach you, they couldn’t risk an uprising. Those tend to result in dozens of slaughtered priests.”

“I know, I know.” Inez kissed his fingers. “But when I see Calanthe again, I’m so scared I’ll become that helpless girl I was before you.”

“You’re not helpless, Nez. Calanthe is a monster. She enjoys breaking people down. You got away from her scarred but alive. You survived.”

Inez’s green eyes met his. “I survived.”

Maybe if she repeated it enough, she would believe it. His wife had changed over the last three years, growing stronger and more confident. He loved her more than ever. Together, they would grow. There would be a tomorrow for them. “And we’ll survive this. You couldn’t fight Calanthe last time. You didn’t have any magic. You have mine now. Even without it, you’ve spent the last three years besting Sollirian hunters.”

Before Inez replied, an electronic zing echoed through the trees. “Did you hear that?”

Rylec pushed to his feet and grabbed his pants. “They’re close.”

Inez was already throwing on her shirt. “We should run. If we’re just sitting here waiting, they’ll be suspicious.”

“You’re right.” Rylec didn’t want her to be. If they ran, the Imperial Guards would chase them. Knowing the empress, she wouldn’t want them dead, but Rylec doubted they needed to be captured unharmed. If there was one thing Calanthe loved, it was pain. “They’ll expect a fight too.”

Inez slipped into her shoes and pulled her curls into a messy bun. A beam of sunlight danced across her face, brightening the green of her eyes and the amber in her hair. Gods, she was beautiful. Rylec couldn’t lose her again. He stomped down the urge to throw her over his shoulder and run deep into the forest. The only way to win was to stand their ground.

Inez glanced up at him and frowned, coming forward to put her hand on his cheek. “Don’t worry about me. You’re right. I can handle myself.”

“Still…” Rylec removed a dagger from his belt. “Take this.”

She snorted, but tucked the blade’s sheath into the back of her pants. “And to think, a few hours ago, you wanted this blade out of my hands.”

“If you were planning on stabbing me, I still would. I don’t care if you want to stab others. Stab away.”

Inez drew her fingers across his face, as if memorizing him. Rylec grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I love you, Inez. I have since we met five years ago. I will until the day I die.”

“I love you, too, Rylec. I never stopped.”

A high-pitched tone blared through the forest. The Imperial Guard, announcing their presence. Inez pulled out of his arms but didn’t let go of his hand. Rylec squeezed. Her green eyes met his black. A thousand things went unsaid between their gazes. Inez smiled at him, a grin of both hope and despair.

They would get through this. Rylec wouldn’t fail his family twice.

“Rylec Vanoriel,” an electronic voice blared through the trees. “Surrender yourself and your star-maid to the Imperial Guard of Empress Calanthe the First. Disobey, and we have orders to use force.”

“Go now,” Rylec said. “I’ll draw their attention.”

Inez didn’t move. “We stand together. I’m not leaving you again.”

Rylec wrapped her hand in his and brushed a quick kiss against her knuckles.

“Rylec Vanoriel,” it started again.

“Yes, yes, I heard you the first time,” Rylec shouted. “Pass along a message to your empress for me. Tell Calanthe to go fuck herself.”

The horn cut off. Good. He had always found the Imperial Guard stuffy and annoying, even when they obeyed his father rather than his father’s murderer. “We should—”

A blast flared through the meadow, throwing Rylec and his mate off their feet. Inez hit the grass and rolled. Rylec glanced up—

A guard dropped from the sky.

Rylec threw up a hand and the guard flung into the air. As they went up, Rylec twisted. The guard’s body wrenched in half. Two others fell through the foliage, but Rylec flung their comrade’s body at them. They crashed to the dirt.

Rylec flipped up into a standing position. Inez had already returned to her feet. She punched her knife straight through a guard’s chest. Rylec grinned. What a bloodthirsty wife he had.

Eight more guards dropped from the ship above.

Neither Rylec nor Inez hesitated. She threw her knife and followed the path, knocking out an opponent with a twirling kick. When two guards raised their weapons at her, Rylec spun them around. Their laser blasts fired at each other, and they went down in seizing limbs. Rylec grabbed another with his magic—

Something hard knocked against the back of his head.

Rylec went to his knees. Another ship had arrived. Imperial Guards swarmed into the meadow, so many that he couldn’t count them all. They rammed into Inez, tossing her to the ground. Rylec roared and rammed to his feet, but hands wrapped around his arms and tugged him down.

Rylec pulled on his magic—

Inez went pale. Shit. He hadn’t yet recuperated from the Paradise and his magic was nearly depleted. But he couldn’t pull from her, not when they both battled for their lives. Rylec wouldn’t risk his star-wife. She needed her strength for their plan to succeed.

Rylec growled and struggled, but the hold was too tight without his magic.

An approaching guard pulled something from his belt. Rylec jerked at the flap of black fabric. A blindband.

The guard threw the fabric and it morphed, becoming almost gelatinous. It split into two, one splattered against Inez’s face before the second hit him. It invaded his mouth and his eyes and his nose until nothing remained but endless darkness.

Rylec roared into the silence of his own mind.

CHAPTER 9

INEZ

Six hundred and ninety-eight. Six hundred and ninety-nine. Six hundred and fifty. With each number, Inez breathed deeply, savoring the taste of air in her lungs. With the blindband still around her eyes, mouth and ears, her sense of smell was all she had left. Why the nanites in her brain didn’t suppress that too was a mystery, but Inez suspected eliminating all senses drove a person to madness.

The Sollirians didn’t want her mad. And that was perhaps more terrifying.

Nine hundred and thirty-two. Nine hundred and thirty-three.

When a buzz sounded in the nothingness, Inez almost laughed in relief. Thank the gods. The Star Temple had placed her in a blindband before, as some archlord were wont to do. Neither Rylec nor the empress had ever placed her in one. It had been too long since her training. Her resistance wasn’t as good anymore.

Slowly, the world returned. The room was dim, quiet. Inez shuffled, the chair beneath her soft enough, all things considered. She blinked, clearing the fog from her eyes. A dark-haired male walked to the seat across from hers, tossing the blindband into the air in his left hand. When he turned and sat, Inez stiffened.

Archlord Eliaz’s electric blue eyes pierced through her soul. They always had. Inez had never interacted with him, but as Rylec’s star-maid, she had followed him to meetings, waiting in the antechamber with the other star-maids. Whenever the lords departed, only Eliaz had looked at each and every star-maid with that all-knowing, blank stare.

Inez tried to quiet her mind, but there was no point. Eliaz only needed to look at her to read her mind.

Inez broke eye contact, looking at the ground.

Archlord Eliaz tsk-ed. “Now, now, Inez. See that guard behind you? If you don’t look at me of your own volition, I’ll require his assistance.” The archlord leaned forward, his chair creaking. “I’d much prefer it if we have a pleasant conversation.”

Inez sighed, a long huff. There was protocol for this. If anyone in the Star Network found themselves in a mind reader’s clutches, they were supposed to protect their brothers and sisters at all costs. Inez wasn’t chained to the chair, but the surrounding room was bare, intended for nothing more than interrogation. Under the table, flies buzzed around a drain. No blood stained the floors, but Inez knew what that drain meant.

Inez stared at it and didn’t glance up.

Archlord Eliaz sighed rather dramatically. “Kain.”

Footsteps pounded behind her before a hand grabbed her chin, forcing her face upwards. Inez slammed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth through the pain.

There was a slow tapping of nails across the table. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you, Inez?”

“Fuck you.”

Kain squeezed tighter, pain flaring through Inez’s jawbones.

“That’s enough, Kain.” The patient tapping hadn’t stopped. “If anyone can endure pain, it’s our Inez here. Wait outside. I’d like to speak to the prisoner alone.”

Kain didn’t speak, but the hand on Inez’s jaw disappeared. More footsteps sounded, followed by the click of a door.

Fabric rustled as the archlord leaned closer again. “You escaped with three other star-maids. Where are they?”

Rage boiled through Inez’s chest. She hadn’t had the chance to mourn the star-maids she lost. She couldn’t, not when her daughter was at risk and the only way to her was through the empire. But she grabbed onto that anger and stoked the flames. “They died when you fired a missile at the Paradise.”

“Hmm. But before their unfortunate end, did they escape, or did Rylec let them go?”

Inez snorted. It was so like a Sollirian to shrug off death. “Why does it matter?”

Eliaz went silent. Inez wanted to glance up, but she didn’t dare open her eyes. She wouldn’t take her life to spare the Star Network. Soriya deserved a real mother. But she wouldn’t make it easy for the Tertian lord either.

“Empress Calanthe is here.”

Inez jerked, her eyes flashing open. Her own gaze was ensnared by glowing blue.

Archlord Eliaz’s lips curved into a smile. His attractiveness lessened the wicked bite to it, but not by much. “There you are.”

Gods damn him. “Calanthe is here?”

“She is. She wants to speak with you.”

Inez had suspected the empress would be on Tertia, but she hadn’t been sure. “Then why am I not speaking to her?”

“The Star Temple tasked me with locating their missing property. Even the empress wouldn’t dare cross the priests.”

“Calanthe would dare.”

The archlord shrugged. “I caught her in a good mood. She obliged this conversation.”

Inez sharpened her glare. “Is there a point to this conversation?”

Her tone only made Eliaz’s smile widen. “The Star Temple will be distraught to learn their property is gone, unrecoverable, but I don’t really care. What’s three lost star-maids? We have thousands more. What I really want to know is, did Rylec let them go? Did you beg him for their lives, or did he offer it without your input?”

Inez ducked her head, breaking eye contact. “Why does that matter?”

Archlord Eliaz climbed to his feet and circled the table. His hand settled on the back of her chair, but he didn’t touch her. “Rylec is with the empress right now.”

Inez flinched again. Calanthe had Rylec. Was she torturing him? He was a disgraced archlord, but still an archlord. Rylec and Calanthe had a long history. At one point, before Calanthe killed Rylec’s father, they were almost friends. That might be enough to keep him safe. Momentarily, at least. The empress would kill Rylec and Soriya without a second thought, but she would wait until Inez was there to watch.

Inez refused to watch any more people die today.

She twisted, ready to tell Eliaz to go fuck himself—

The archlord leaned closer. “Tell me what I want to know, and I might be inclined to help him out.”

Inez couldn’t stop herself. She looked at him. “Why?”

“It doesn’t matter why.” Those blue eyes remained on her. Steady. Confident. Conniving. “But as everyone who lives on Tertia knows, I despise liars. If you tell me, I will assist Rylec to the best of my abilities.”

That was true enough. In all her years watching Archlord Eliaz from Rylec’s side, she had never witnessed a lie. Neither had her star-husband.

Was the first archlord Rylec’s contact?

Those blue eyes stayed on her, reading her every thought.

Inez swallowed. “He let them go. I threatened him a few times, but I don’t think that was why he did it.”

“Hmm.” Archlord Eliaz leaned back and examined one of his rings, leaving her to her own thoughts. “Thank you, Inez. You’ve been most helpful.”

As if that was some sort of cue, Kain stormed back into the room. Inez straightened in her seat as the guard charged her. Rylec had been right. They didn’t view her as a threat and hadn’t put any magic cuffs on her. But Inez wasn’t helpless. She wouldn’t reveal her skills with Rylec’s magic now, but she also wouldn’t go anywhere with Eliaz’s guard without a fight.

The large Sollirian stopped at her side and poked her.

Inez stared. “What—?”

Eliaz waved lazily at her. “One to transport to the imperial guest chambers.”

Inez jerked to her feet, but it was too late. The world around her faded as a tingle vibrated through her skin from the point Kain poked. Before she could even process it, Inez stood in a different room, in a different outfit. Her plain Earthling clothes were gone, replaced by a solid purple gossamer gown. The interrogation chamber had turned into a high-ceilinged sitting room with gilded molding and crystal chandeliers. Plush couches formed three sides of a square in the room’s center, with a table occupying the fourth and final side. Beyond the table was a majestic, canopied bed.

Three figures sat around a table. Inez’s gaze touched upon Rylec. He appeared mostly unharmed apart from some bruising and a few tears in his Earthling suit. No one had bothered to get him a new outfit. A silver cuff lined his right wrist. But even with his magic repressed, an archlord was a force to be reckoned with. Her star-husband wouldn’t be sitting quietly without a reason.

A little girl with brown curls and white-gold horns sat beside him.

A pang lanced through her heart. Soriya. Inez knew in her soul. Her knees went weak, but she stayed strong and standing. Her little baby had grown into a beautiful child, smiling at the world around her. A pure happiness radiated from her. No one had ever harmed her or starved her or hit her. That was all Inez could have hoped for and more.

Soriya glanced at her. “Mama, we have another guest.”

Inez inhaled sharply. Mama. The words she had always wanted to hear. Inez opened her mouth, but no sound escaped.

Someone else answered for her. “This is an old friend of mine, baby dove.”

Inez’s stomach dropped. That voice. She’d remember that voice for the rest of her life. Inez followed her daughter’s gaze, her green eyes staring up in adoration at—

Empress Calanthe of Sollir smiled and raised haunting kaleidoscope eyes to meet Inez’s own. “Inez.”

CHAPTER 10

INEZ

Inez barely noticed the cold stone floor as she dropped to her knees. Her gaze fixed on the empress. The petite beauty dressed in a gossamer gown of pale wisps, her white hair curled in perfect ringlets to her waist. Her horns were short, golden nubs instead of tall and crystalized like Rylec or Soriya’s. Everything about her screamed innocent and weak, a fairytale princess needing rescuing like in the stories Inez remembered from childhood.

But those stories were so, so wrong. When the empress had selected Inez at the Star Temple where she was raised, Inez had thought herself lucky. Empress Calanthe was kind and gentle. She might use Inez to boost her own magic, but Inez had trained to endure far worse situations. She had squeezed her brothers’ and sisters’ hands, all of them vibrating with jealousy.

Hours later, when Inez had limped into her room stripped naked and bleeding, she knew she wasn’t lucky. She had been tethered to a monster.

Rylec crouched in front of her. “Inez.”

She focused on his voice and followed it out of the darkness swirling within her. Her eyes met her husband’s. “I’m okay.”

“Back to your seat,” a guard said, hand slamming down on Rylec’s shoulder. Her star-husband’s eyes went flat. If their daughter wasn’t in the room, the guard would’ve quickly been short a hand.

Rylec stood stiffly and returned to his chair, a black fire burning in his gaze.

“Come, sit with me, Inez.” Empress Calanthe patted the seat beside her. “Rylec, Soriya, and I were just about to start tea.”

Inez swallowed down her fear. Empress Calanthe had owned her once, but she would never own her again. She was here for Soriya. Her eyes met Rylec’s again. If only she could tell him that Archlord Eliaz might be their secret ally. Without an ally, their plan was probably doomed. Inez might be able to surprise Calanthe with her magic once, but all the guards here were hired for their loyalty. They would retaliate unless Archlord Eliaz mobilized his own soldiers.

But Inez couldn’t risk giving any of that away in front of Calanthe.

Who stood waiting, the smile growing on her lips.

Let the bitch think it was fear that held Inez back. Was she terrified? Yes. But she wasn’t the broken girl the empress once knew. She had lived without her husband and daughter for three years. Nothing could be worse.

Inez straightened her shoulders and crossed the gilded space.

Empress Calanthe pulled out a chair, her dainty hands on the backrest. Inez’s skin prickled, but she sat, careful not to touch the empress.

Calanthe stood behind her for a moment longer than needed. The tension crawled up Inez’s back.

Rylec plucked his teacup from the table. “Stop posturing, Calanthe. You have us. Now tell us what you want.”

The empress tsk-ed. “That would be quite rude, Rylec. Didn’t your mother teach you better manners?”

“My mother didn’t teach me anything.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right.” The empress circled the table to her seat. “Your mother was a star-maid. I remember when my mother killed her.”

“I remember it too.” Rylec sipped at his tea in a rather dramatic pause. “My father gave my mother to your mother as an engagement present.”

“And then your father gave my mother to me as our engagement present. Emperor Oriel was big on giving away his former mistresses to his new ones. It was one of the reasons I…” —those kaleidoscope eyes drifted to Soriya— “…castrated him before I killed him.”

“What does castrated mean, Mama?” Soriya asked.

Inez repressed her flinch, but Empress Calanthe saw the reaction in her eyes. The monster smirked as she brushed a hand across the small girl’s cheek. “I’ll tell you one day when you’re older. Did you know, Soriya, that this is where your Uncle Rylec first met our new friend here, my dear Inez?”

“I didn’t, Mother.”

Calanthe glanced up from the child, the cruel smirk growing. “Do you remember, little dove?”

Inez raised her teacup, forcing her hands to remain steady.

Inez clutched the bed’s footboard, her head thrashing. The pleasure crested in her, crested higher and higher, but it wouldn’t release, to the point that every touch hurt. When Inez groaned, it was half-pleasure, half-pain. Her mistress’s whip cracked against her back, etching another cry from her.

“Poor little star-maid,” Empress Calanthe cooed behind her, pacing the bloodied space before the grand bed. “Do you want me to release you?”

Inez swallowed. “Mistress, mistress, I…”

“Yes, star-maid?”

Her mistress loved when people begged. Whether she was whipping her or fucking her or whipping her while fucking her, Empress Calanthe wanted to hear the same words from Inez’s lips. “Please, please, let me go.”

Calanthe grinned. “Good girl.”

She lashed the whip against the floor, ready to release Inez from this torment. The first time Calanthe used her magic on her to switch her pain and pleasure sensors, Inez had been glad every hit made her moan instead of sob. But now, tied to the end of the empress’s bed, her clothes torn and bloodied and puddled on the floor at her knees, it was just as bad as everything else the empress did to her. Inez eyed the bathroom door, craving a moment alone to wash what little shame hadn’t been tortured out of her off—

The door slammed open.

Inez nearly sobbed as Empress Calanthe jerked around. If Calanthe got angry, if she left to kill this poor fucker who stupidly walked into the empress’s chambers, Inez would be stuck in the throes of pain and passion, unable to do anything. Calanthe couldn’t hold her magic on anyone else without physical contact, but Inez was tethered to her, a pathway between them at all times. Calanthe would leave her squirming for hours.

Inez would be begging by the time her mistress returned, all to Calanthe’s great satisfaction.

“Who dares disturb their empress?”

Inez shuddered at the tone, but whoever obviously entered wasn’t that smart.

“There’s no need for—” The footsteps faltered. “Is this a bad time?”

A tall, pale-skinned Sollirian male with towering crystal horns and white waves of hair falling to his strong jawline paused awkwardly before the bed. Inez peered at him over her shoulder, her hair pasted to her face with sweat, but even from her vantage point, his breeches clung to all the right places and his shirt was loose, the top button undone to reveal the peaks of a muscular chest. If Inez’s nipples weren’t already painfully hard, they would be at the sight of him.

Calanthe let out a long sigh. “I guess not. What do you want, brother?”

Her mistress had never mentioned a brother. Sollir wasn’t dynastic and each new leader had to fight their way to the title. Calanthe had staged her coup by seducing the last emperor, stabbing him to death on their wedding night, and dropping half the imperial court on Janus to die. While her birth family didn’t matter, surely someone would have mentioned—

“Stepbrother,” Rylec corrected.

Calanthe sighed. She handed the whip to a servant and patted Inez twice on the shoulder. “You can come now.”

The wave of pleasure was immediate. It rippled through Inez’s thoughts, her body. Her back arched, her mouth opening in one loud groan. She clutched at the footboard and tried to hold it in, but Calanthe desired her embarrassment above all else. Inez wanted to close her eyes and pretend she was alone, but her traitorous eyes caught on the male. Calanthe’s step-brother. But he didn’t watch her shiver and scream and bleed with scorn or a wicked desire. He started at her blankly, his dark eyes containing something almost like… fury. And when his gaze flickered to Calanthe, that fury morphed and grew, mixed with disgust.

Both emotions were gone in a flash, like Inez had dreamed it.

Real or not, Calanthe didn’t notice it as she meandered to the room’s elaborate bar cart, poured two drinks, and raised one toward her step-brother. “Talk, Rylec.”

Rylec’s eyes traced back to Inez, naked and slumped against the footboard. The orgasm had finally finished with her, but her rough pants echoed throughout the room. Inez wanted to crawl away and cry. Until her mistress said she could go, she lay still in her own drying blood.

Rylec raised his hand and the drink in Calanthe’s floated over to him. Telekinetic, then. “In front of your star-maid?”

“She’s not going to talk.” Calanthe dropped lazily into a chair. “She’s far too scared of me to do that.”

Inez’s heart shriveled. Of course Calanthe knew. Sometimes the empress pretended they were friends, lovers, a lady and her favorite maid. Inez had learned to smile and laugh at her jokes, to blush at her confessions of affection, and to gossip about the fawning idiots of the imperial court. But at the end of the day, Inez was simply Calanthe’s star-maid and property, to do with as she wished.

Inez glanced at the ceiling, not wanting to see her mistress’s smirk or her stepbrother’s reaction, but she didn’t look away quick enough. This time, the fury was clear as day on Rylec’s face.

Calanthe scoffed. “Don’t look at me that way, brother. She’s a star-maid. Her soul and her body are mine to use as I please.”

Hot tea swished out of the cup, burning Inez’s hand and the memory. Dammit. Inez swallowed the pain. She had tried so hard to forget her time with Calanthe. Hours and hours of therapy had helped, but nothing could ever erase the memories of what she had suffered. Inez had been whipped for the first time at age ten, but no amount of preparation could have readied her for Calanthe’s cruel blend of pain and pleasure. Every other Sollirian she had encountered picked one and stuck with it.

Inez looked Calanthe straight in the eye. “I remember. I remember everything.”

Calanthe smiled, a strange wistfulness. “Good. I’m glad.”

Empress Calanthe lifted a tiny silver bell and rang it, a twinkle echoing through the room. A Sollirian nursemaid rushed in and bowed. Soriya started to pout, but Calanthe reached out and brushed a hand down the girl’s dark curls. “Mama has to speak to her guests about serious adult matters, Soriya. Go with your nursemaid, please.”

Soriya reluctantly lowered her cup. “Yes, Mama.”

“Good girl.” Calanthe ruffled her hair. “Mama loves you.”

“I love you, too, Mama.”

The little girl toddled from the room, followed by the obedient maid. Inez watched her go, enraptured by every step. Across the table, Rylec did the same. When the doors shut, her eyes met his. Getting their family back was why they were here.

Rylec lowered his cup and leaned back in his chair, all pretense of civility gone. “What do you want, Calanthe?”

“Can’t I have tea with my brother and his wife and not want anything else but their company?”

“No.” Inez lowered her teacup, too. She hadn’t drunk a sip of the liquid and there was no reason to pretend for her daughter’s sake any longer. “What do you want, Calanthe?”

Calanthe’s gaze widened. “Oh, my. Rylec, what did you do to my little dove? She was so tiny and meek when I gifted her to you.”

“I didn’t do anything to her, Calanthe. I let her be herself.”

Inez’s heart panged. He had let her be herself. Rylec had never demanded or chastised or threatened. He had let her be and let her grow. That was why she had fallen in love with him. It was why she loved him still. Her heart nearly burst. She had stomped down on her emotions for so long. It was the only way to survive the separation. But now, Inez let herself feel everything.

“Egh, boring.” Calanthe reached across the table, her hands like a striking snake. She gripped both Inez and Rylec. Inez recoiled, but her disgust melted away in a second, replaced by a burning fire of desire in her core. By the way Rylec stiffened, he felt it too. “Where’s the passion? Where’s the heat? You two are married, for the gods’ sake.”

“No offense,” Rylec muttered, “but your presence entirely ruins the mood.”

The burning desire whipped into an inferno. Inez bit her lip to swallow a groan. Calanthe grinned and purred, “Does it now?”

Inez dug her nails into her skin, trying to cut through the sensation. “Let go, Calanthe.”

“Or what, little dove? You’re my prisoners. With Rylec cuffed, he can’t stop me. You never could. I can do whatever I want to do.”

“And what do you want?” Rylec gritted out.

“Oh, quite simple.” Calanthe pulled back suddenly, cutting off her connection. Inez slumped in relief for a second, the desperation in her core fading.

And then Calanthe opened her terrible mouth. “I want you two to make me another baby.”

CHAPTER 11

RYLEC

His stepsister had finally lost what little sanity she had left.

Inez agreed. Her jaw had hit the floor upon Calanthe’s announcement, but she managed to snap it shut. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, little dove. I want another baby. Soriya is the perfect daughter, and it’s about time to have another.” Calanthe leaned toward Inez and whispered conspiratorially, “I promised her a sister, you know. Keep that in mind.”

Rylec had no words. His star-wife looked at him with a wild panic in her eyes. Rage flared to life within him. If Rylec weren’t cuffed, he’d snap Calanthe’s neck with a single thought for the things she had said and done to his mate. But Rylec couldn’t access his magic. “You’ve lost your mind, Calanthe.”

Calanthe leaned back and rolled her eyes. “So they say.”

Inez pushed from her seat. “I’m not—we’re not—”

“You’re not what? Pregnant? I know. I hoped. That would have made this much easier, but I guess not even you can impregnate a female in one day, brother.”

Rylec twitched. There was a time he considered Calanthe his sister. Their parents had married when he was young. Calanthe’s mother had as much interest in her daughter as Emperor Oriel did his son. But time and experience made her cruel. He didn’t begrudge her when she seduced his father and took the crown. That was the Sollirian way. But what she had done after, to Inez and so many others, was inexcusable. In his mind, his sister died the moment she sat on the throne. “I’m not your brother, Calanthe.”

Calanthe went still and silent, her kaleidoscope eyes focused on him. Rylec didn’t back down from the glare. In some ways, the empress was like a wild animal. Turning your back on her only resulted in an attack.

After a long moment, Calanthe shuddered, coming out of whatever madness gripped her and picked up that infuriating little bell. With a ring, a Sollirian in the red of a doctor entered, pushing a cart of tools and gadgets. “This is my personal physician, Doctor Camden. What do you have for us today, Doctor?”

“The pills you requested, Your Majesty.” Doctor Camden plucked a tiny bottle filled with green pills from his cart. “Nanite-based pills to ensure conception.”

Rylec clenched his fists. Nanite pills? Calanthe was desperate.

Inez pushed back her seat. “No, I’m not—”

Calanthe grabbed Inez’s hand. His wife went down with an agonizing cry. Rylec launched from his seat. His magic strained at his cuff, but though he could feel the power, it was out of reach. Calanthe’s guard rushed forward, but Rylec’s elbow shot back, catching the male in the chest. Nothing would keep him from his mate.

Calanthe spun, putting Inez before her like a shield. “Come any closer, Rylec, and I’ll kill her instantly.”

Rylec froze.

“Good boy.” Her grip tightened on Inez’s wrist. “As for you, little dove, you will take your pill. Rylec will take his. You’ll go over to that bed and as my brother fucks you, you’ll think of all that time we spent together under those sheets. Once he’s finished, Doctor Camden here will perform his tests. When he confirms you’re pregnant, you and I will return to Sollir to prepare for our new baby. Together.”

Rylec growled, but the sound was lost under Inez’s shout. “There’s no way, you psycho—”

His mate’s voice cut off into a scream as Calanthe upped the pain. “If you don’t, I’ll kill Rylec.”

Inez stopped struggling. Those perfect green eyes found his. Gods, he was failing her again. The guard stood behind him and Calanthe still had her hands on his mate, so Rylec focused all his attention on his cuffs. As an archlord, he could sometimes access his magic with great strain. He didn’t care if he hurt himself. Not if Inez was in trouble.

For now, he would take Calanthe’s wrath. “And how will you get me to comply, sister?”

Calanthe released Inez’s wrist. His mate dropped, her face flushed and her breathing wild, as the empress circled the table. “Inez will leave this room pregnant, no matter what, Rylec. If you don’t do it, I’ll find a volunteer.” She placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. “And before I kill you, I’ll make you watch.”

Rylec slammed forward with a roar. That bitch—

Pain radiated through his nervous system. Rylec almost dropped to his knees, but he kept his balance. He had endured worse.

It lasted only a moment before Calanthe lowered her hand and walked around him, putting her guard between them. Her fingers trailed over a gilded wristlet that flashed the time into the air. “You have an hour.”

With that, the empress strolled from the room, humming as she walked. The doors slammed shut behind her and locked.

Rylec rushed around the table, desperate for Inez’s touch. His wife moved, too, and nearly threw herself in his arms. Rylec wrapped her in his embrace. Gods, he never wanted to see her in pain again. They shouldn’t have done this. They should have run. A part of him knew that if they had, they never would’ve seen Soriya again, but he hated seeing her in pain.

Inez pressed her cheek against his chest. “How close are you to escaping that cuff?”

“I won’t have them off in an hour.”

She inhaled deeply. “Then there’s no choice. We either have sex or Calanthe will have me raped. I don’t want to give her another baby. She stole Soriya. Our little girl thinks that monster is her mother.”

He brushed a hand down her thick hair. “We’ll get her back, Inez.”

“And to get her back, we have to live.” Inez pulled back to look at him. “And if we both want to live, I need to be pregnant in an hour. If we do what Calanthe wants, I’m sure she’ll order her guard away. I’ll be alone with her and then I can strike.”

His star-wife had already made too many sacrifices in her life. He couldn’t let her make another. “We’ll find another way.”

“There’s no other way.”

“Inez—”

She pulled out of his arms and returned to the table. The doctor had left behind the two small pills. Inez swallowed one without a second thought. She tossed the other at him before removing her cloak. “Take off your clothes, Rylec.”

For a moment, Rylec didn’t move, but one look into her eyes melted his resolve. This was what his wife wanted. For her, he would do anything.

He swallowed the pill.

Rylec tugged his shirt over his head, his gaze on his mate. Her eyes watered. Rylec reached for his pants—

Inez grabbed his wrist. “No. Never mind. You’re right. If we don’t want this, then we won’t do it.”

He placed his other hand over hers on his wrist. Inez was right. It was their only way out. In an hour, he’d be closer to breaking out of his cuff. In two or three, he’d be free with his magic returned to him. He could help her in her fight against Calanthe. If this needed to happen to survive the next three hours and save his family, Rylec would do it. “I want this. I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

“Rylec, I—”

Rylec drifted his hand up her arm to the crook of her neck. He tilted her head as he leaned down to claim her pink lips. The taste of her exploded on his tongue. Inez sunk into his arms. He pulled her closer until her warm body molded against his perfectly. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He wouldn’t let anything tear them apart.

Rylec wrapped his hands around her waist and plucked her from the ground.

Inez moaned into his mouth. “Not the bed.”

“Tell me where and I’ll do it. I’ll do anything for you.”

Inez caressed a hand across his face and up the length of one horn. “The bathroom.”

Of course. She had told him how the bathroom was the one safe space she had from Calanthe. His stepsister always loathed getting wet. Her mother had a perchance for drowning people.

Rylec crossed the room and kicked open the bathroom door.

“Fill the tub,” he said to the room’s systems. Water quickly sputtered from the gilded tap.

Rylec lowered his wife to the countertop. He kissed down her neck, his hands slipping down her body. With a flick of a few buttons, her dress was loose and gaping. He nipped at her collarbone. Her grip tightened on his horns. Rylec resisted a groan.

Suddenly, Rylec was pushed back as his star-wife stood. In one smooth motion, her dress slipped down and pooled at her feet. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. Rylec wanted to be angry at whoever dressed her, but he didn’t care. His eyes devoured the valley of her curves. His cock hardened to a rod.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” Inez waved her hands. The buttons of his shirt popped, and the fabric slid from his shoulders.

Rylec couldn’t resist a smirk. “And you judged me for using my magic on you.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

She stopped an inch away from him, perfect and beautiful, with her plush breasts and her smooth stomach and the curve of her ass. His mate. His wife.

His forever.

Inez spun her hand. His trousers loosened. They didn’t tumble to the floor like her outfit, but his wife didn’t plan on waiting for gravity. With another flick of her fingers, they fell to the ground. Her eyes dropped to the thick length of his cock.

She licked her lips.

Rylec almost exploded on her right there.

The bathroom dinged as the tub finished filling behind them. Inez didn’t break her gaze from his throbbing length. “Get in the tub, Rylec.”

Rylec didn’t argue. He didn’t want to. Without taking his eyes from her beautiful body, he backed up and stepped into the tub. The warm water lapped against his skin. His nerve endings were on fire with anticipation. He lowered himself into the water and stretched back, his abs rippling.

Inez’s eyes followed the movement. It lured her forward. When she stepped into the tub, his entire body tensed. He had waited for this day for three years.

Rylec couldn’t wait anymore.

He slid his hands up her thighs to the curve of her ass and pulled her to him. She didn’t resist. If anything, she threw herself forward. Their lips crashed together. Ravenous for each other.

He needed her now.

Rylec spread her legs until she straddled his thighs and pulled her down. He plunged into her warm heat. Inez jerked, breaking the kiss to let out a deep moan.

He wanted to pulse into her, claim her, but instead he asked, “Are you okay?”

Her body shuddered. “Don’t stop.”

Rylec obeyed her command. He settled his hands on her waist and thrust himself into her body again and again. She gripped his horns, her back arching. Her breasts bounced with the movement. Her green eyes shone wild with passionate. Gods, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“More, Rylec, more,” she shouted.

Rylec pulled out of her and spun her body around. Her hands gripped the tub’s rim. He spread the plump curves of her ass and pulsed into her hot center again. He slipped in deep. He groaned, a loud sound almost near a roar. He wanted to stay inside her forever with their bodies intertwined.

“Faster,” Inez moaned.

Rylec’s thrusts grew wild. Inez pushed back, matching every movement. The pressure in Rylec swelled and burned and grew. But he couldn’t come, not yet. Not without her. He wrapped a hand around to her front and brushed a knuckle against her clit. Inez jerked at the touch. Water splashed from the tub.

“I’m going…” Inez panted. “I think I’m going…”

Inez screamed out his name as her body clenched around his. Milking his cock. Rylec exploded in a rush of heat. Gods, he loved her. Loved her more than anything in this universe. His hips thrust up wildly, staking their claim. Inez was his. Soriya was his. The child they made right now was his.

He wouldn’t let Calanthe have any of them.

CHAPTER 12

INEZ

Inez eyed Doctor Camden as he waved the scanner down her body. The guards had escorted Rylec away once their hour was up, leaving her alone with Calanthe and the doctor. Inez shuffled uncomfortably in her seat by the bed. The male probably didn’t have magic. Anyone with powerful abilities became a lord, and those with weaker gifts worked in security. If anything, he might be able to heal.

Still, Inez waited. The Sollirians didn’t cuff her because they didn’t think she could use Rylec’s magic. Her training was short, but it would be enough if she got Calanthe alone. The empress would never have her again.

Doctor Camden stopped his waving and tapped on the thin tablet before him.

Calanthe stopped her pacing. “So?”

“The nanites were successful. The star-maid is pregnant.”

Inez touched her belly as Calanthe squee-ed. A rush of emotions rose within her, shock and surprise and anger and delight. They passed through her so fast she could barely process them. She and Rylec were having another baby. When Soriya had quickened within her, Inez had loved every minute of her pregnancy. This time, if she couldn’t subdue the empress, it would be a prison.

Inez couldn’t fail.

A sharp ringing ripped through her concentration. Calanthe rang her little bell with the enthusiasm of a young child. When a servant ran in, she snapped, “Bring Soriya.”

Damn. Inez couldn’t make a move in front of Soriya. Her daughter didn’t know her. If Inez killed Calanthe, Soriya would never see her as a mother.

Calanthe swirled back around, her dress a twirl of soft fabric. “Aren’t you excited, Inez?”

Inez forced a smile. “I am.”

The empress’s smirk bared tiny fangs. “Don’t lie to me, little dove.”

Inez met those kaleidoscope eyes dead-on. “I’m not.”

The door clicked open, summoning Calanthe’s attention. Thank the Gods. Inez had become an excellent liar in the past three years, but the empress had a way of getting people to tell her the truth. Namely, causing them extreme amounts of pain.

The nursemaid led Soriya in.

Inez’s heart leapt at the sight of her daughter, but she stayed seated. Even after they got rid of Calanthe, it would take time for her daughter to get comfortable with her and Rylec. Inez would give her all the space she needed.

Calanthe crouched before the small child. “I have good news, baby dove. You’re going to have a sibling soon.”

“Mama is having a baby?” Soriya reached out, wrapping her arms around Calanthe’s neck. Inez stiffened. If Calanthe wanted, she could cause her daughter unimaginable pain. When the empress walked toward her with Soriya in her grip, the look in her eyes was almost gleeful.

“Yes, Mama is having a baby. With Auntie Inez’s help. She will carry your brother or sister like she carried you.”

Soriya glanced down at Inez. Was this the first time her daughter had looked at her? Truly looked at her? Perhaps. Inez sat straight and stiff. She would not react. Calanthe wouldn’t get that pleasure.

Calanthe crouched and reached out, placing a hand on Inez’s stomach. Nausea swirled in her gut. “Want to touch, Soriya? Your new sibling is right here.”

“Wow.” A tiny hand settled over Inez’s belly. The softness of her touch chased away the fear from Calanthe’s. Inez wanted to caress a hand down her daughter’s face, ruffle the loose, dark curls they both shared. But Calanthe needed to think Inez resigned to obedience if she had a chance of being alone with the empress.

Inez memorized every inch of her daughter’s face, but the hair on her neck prickled. A predator watched them both, waiting to pounce.

After an eternal moment, Calanthe stood and handed Soriya back to the nursemaid. “Mama and Auntie Inez need to have a chat now, baby dove.”

“But Mama…”

“The three of us can have tea when we return to Sollir this afternoon.”

Inez’s heart stuttered. This afternoon. She shouldn’t be surprised. Calanthe had what she wanted. Why stay any longer? The female always hated visiting Tertia. It was why she sent Rylec to govern the planet after all. The empress couldn’t send him any further from the throne without banishing him outright.

The trap around Inez was closer. She needed to act. Now.

Soriya waved as the nursemaid left the room, followed by the doctor. Inez didn’t glance at Calanthe’s guard. She didn’t want to be too obvious.

Calanthe glanced back, assessing Inez. After a long moment, she pointed at her guard. “Out.”

The male didn’t question the order. He nodded obediently, dropped into a bow, and marched from the room.

The click of the door echoed like the shot of a gun through the now-empty chambers. Inez did her best not to jump. This was her chance. Her only chance.

Calanthe approached with the lazy prowl of a predator. Was the empress expecting a fight? Possibly. Inez hadn’t held her tongue during tea. But Calanthe didn’t understand what she was capable of—as a person and as a mother.

“If I could change my magic, I’d be a mind reader,” she said. “What are you thinking, little dove?”

Inez could’ve spun a lie from nothing, but she didn’t want to lie anymore. She stayed seated, waiting, watching, and told a truth. “I’m worried.”

Calanthe leaned against the post at the end of the bed. “Do not fret, little dove. You are with child again. I wasn’t there when you were pregnant with Soriya, but the spies I had on my brother reported she brought you much joy. Once you birth our second child and hold them in your arms, you will be happy.”

“My second child.”

Calanthe’s kaleidoscope eyes narrowed. “Pardon?”

Inez kept her chin high. “My second child. This baby is mine and Rylec’s, just like Soriya. Not yours.”

The empress slid closer, within reach. Inez braced for the pain. Let Calanthe think she only had words as weapons. Agony zapped through her skin like a stab of hot iron. Inez bit down on her lip, holding in the scream—

Calanthe leaned away, breaking the connection. Inez slumped into the cushion. “No. I won’t harm our baby. She’s too new. The pain may cause you to miscarry. I can’t have that.”

Inez managed a snort. “You can just summon Rylec to fuck me again, so why does it matter?”

A strange light entered Calanthe’s eyes. She leaned forward suddenly and cupped Inez’s cheek with a coo. “Oh, my dear Inez. I am powerful, but not even I can bring back the dead.”

Everything within Inez stopped. Not even she could bring back the dead… Her brain refused to process it.

Until it suddenly did. The world narrowed to Calanthe before her. “Excuse me?”

“I ordered Archlord Eliaz to execute Rylec. He’s committed high crimes against me one too many times. He’s my stepbrother, yes, but I can’t spare him again. What will my archlords think of me?” Calanthe’s hand trailed from Inez’s chin to neck, tracing lower, but she didn’t feel it. Didn’t see it. Her vision pulsed, not with fear, but with rage. “And therefore, I can’t hurt you, Inez. But I can punish you in other ways…”

Calanthe reached the end of Inez’s skirts and reached into the folds, her magic infecting her skin. But it didn’t turn to lust, to pleasure. Lust was a primal urge, a shock of energy through the system, a flash of heat. If pain was the cousin to fear, then lust was the brother to anger.

Inez lashed out, her knee colliding with Calanthe’s face before her foot shoved the empress off her.

The empress crashed to the floor. Inez didn’t wait for her to make her next move. She rolled across the bed and landed on her feet. If Calanthe yelled out and her guard entered, Inez would be in trouble. She couldn’t let this chance pass her by.

Inez focused on Rylec’s magic and pulled—

Calanthe jumped to her feet and spun out of the way.

Goddammit.

Calanthe spit out a glob of blood onto her once-stainless gold floors. “Now, now, little dove. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Seriously? Even after attacking her, Calanthe still didn’t believe she was a threat.

Calanthe took her silence as submission. “I plan to make you my star-wife. Once Rylec is dead, your tether will be broken. You will be tethered to me again and this time, I will tether myself to you. You’ll be Empress Consort of Sollir, the first star-maid to ever claim the title. We will raise our daughters—”

Inez didn’t want to hear a minute more of this nightmare. “My daughters, you evil bitch.”

Calanthe’s eyes went hard—

Inez pulled on Rylec’s magic and slammed out, focusing it on the empress. It blasted through the room like a tidal wave. Powered by her anger and her fear and her love. She would reclaim Soriya. She would save Rylec. Inez would never be weak again. She would never again be Calanthe’s pet.

The bed and the chairs skid across the floor. Calanthe flew across the room and whacked into the wall, her head snapping back. She dropped to the floor in a mass of pale skirts.

A slow and steady pool of red stained the white.

Empress Calanthe didn’t move again.

CHAPTER 13

RYLEC

Rylec paced the small cell, his fists clenched at his side. He went reluctantly when the empress’s guards came for him after his and Inez’s hour was up. Inez hadn’t smiled or nodded as they escorted him out, but he saw the determination in her eyes. Calanthe would slip up. She never saw his star-wife as a threat—only as a possession. She had pawned her off to Rylec when she was bored, only to try to claim her back after Soriya’s birth.

But still. Rylec was a Sollirian male. It was his duty to protect his wife and child.

Children.

Rylec pressed his back to the cell’s cold wall and closed his eyes. His magic was distant with the cuff on his wrist, but he sensed it there within him, a swaying sea of energy. A normal lord wouldn’t be able to access his magic, but archlords were archlords for a reason. And Rylec was more than an archlord. He was an archlord with a star-wife, her lifeforce boosting his magic with just her presence.

He weaved his magic through the cuff, examining their mechanism. Since the guards placed them on him hours ago, he had already tweaked and prodded them closer to opening. With a few more minutes—

His cage clanged open.

Rylec didn’t move, but he opened his eyes with a glare at the ready. One of the empress’s guards pushed opened the door, but it was Archlord Eliaz who entered.

Rylec didn’t bother to avert his eyes. He knew how to hide from the Tertian lord.

The blue-eyed male smiled brightly. “Rylec. I hear congratulations are in order. Star-maid Inez is pregnant.”

A wave of possessiveness swept through Rylec. Inez, pregnant with his child. The first time it had happened, he had hidden his star-wife away from the public, hoping to slow the spread of news to Calanthe. This time, he couldn’t protect her by taking her away. His enemies were circling and needed to be dealt with once and for all.

“Is that all you’re here for, Eliaz?”

“No, of course not. You’re being moved.”

“Ah.” Rylec didn’t say any more. He didn’t need to. By moved, Eliaz meant killed. The empress had promised Rylec his life if they did what she wanted, but Rylec had always doubted it. Calanthe wasn’t ever to be trusted.

But it had bought them time, and that was all that mattered. Rylec gestured for Eliaz to lead the way. Once the male turned around, Rylec returned his focus to the cuff on his wrist. He just needed a few more minutes.

The Imperial Guards slammed the cell’s door shut behind him before taking position at the rear. Eliaz strolled ahead, hands linked behind his back. The guards pushed Rylec forward, but they couldn’t challenge Eliaz’s pace. Without their empress’s presence, Archlord Eliaz was the highest-ranked Sollirian here.

“Where am I being moved to?” Rylec didn’t want to start a conversation, but if he didn’t at least ask, the archlord might wonder what else was preoccupying his mind.

“A more… permanent cell.”

Otherwise known as death. The archlord was usually more subtle than this. But Eliaz hated Calanthe. Most of the lords on Tertia did, which was why they were assigned territory as far as possible from her. Inez had asked him who his contact was on the Tertian council. Was it Eliaz? The male loved risks, but this seemed extreme, even for him. If he helped Rylec and failed, Eliaz would be put to death beside him.

Rylec would ask once he had the upper hand.

Which he would in three… two… one.

His cuff clicked open.

The sound was soft, but in the silent hallway, it echoed like the shot of a cannon. One of the Imperial Guards grabbed his shoulder—

Rylec placed a hand over the male’s. “Thanks.”

He speared his magic through their connection, shattering and snapping every bone he came in contact with. The guard’s arm went limp as he screamed, but the sound cut off when Rylec reached the spine. With one tug, he snapped the vertebrae.

The guard slumped to the floor, dead.

Rylec turned on the other. The guard had summoned the tiniest ball of fire. He snorted. Pathetic. He focused his magic on the male’s hand and like a child with a doll, forced the guard’s hand to slap into his own face.

The hand with the fire, of course.

The guard shrieked and flailed as he burned. Rylec didn’t wait for him to die. Neither of the guards were the biggest threat in the room. While he turned, Rylec sensed something at his back. He pushed out with all his might—

Eliaz slammed into the wall, pinned to the stone by the force of Rylec’s magic.

Rylec didn’t look away in time.

Those bright blue eyes lasered into his, growing brighter and brighter—

Rylec flinched away from the light. When he turned back around, he was no longer in the halls of the Tertian palace, but in a quaint solarium, scattered with seating areas, cushions, and the odd child’s toy.

What the fuck.

“Rylec.”

Rylec spun. Eliaz now sat in a chair by the window, overlooking burgundy fields. The archlord considered him. “The empress didn’t order you to a new cell.”

“I’m not an idiot, Eliaz.” Rylec reached for his magic. It was still there, but as long as he was in Eliaz’s mind, he couldn’t use it on anything. Rylec imagined a protective bubble around his skin. It wouldn’t help if Eliaz attempted anything in here, but if the male tried to kill him in the real world, his magic would deflect the attack. “She ordered my death.”

“I have a proposition for you.”

Obviously. “I’m listening.”

“I want Tertia. Entirely. The rest of the empire can burn for all I care, since we won’t be a part of it. When our planet joined with Sollir, it was a beacon, a force that couldn’t be reckoned with. Over the last century, the Sollir Empire has become more and more disjointed. Mismanaged by a dozen emperors, your own father included.”

Rylec crossed the fake-room and dropped into the opposite chair. “If you think that will insult me, you don’t know me as well as you claim, Eliaz.”

“I didn’t mean it as an insult.” With a wave of the male’s hands, drinks appeared at their side table. Rylec plucked up his cup and took a sip. Decent for a non-existent drink. “I was there when you were sent word of Emperor Oriel’s death and Empress Calanthe’s crowning. You reacted more to the mention of your stepsister turned stepmother.”

“Calanthe was always a brute.”

“She was.” Eliaz sipped at his own drink for dramatic pause. Everything was a show to the male. “Which is why I want to get out from under her unholy thumb.”

Rylec lowered the drink. “You’re my contact.”

“I am.”

Rylec didn’t repress his snort. Eliaz had always been a possibility, but Rylec would have put credits down on Naccius or Severin. Those males loved their secrets. But Archlord Eliaz, ruler of Tertia? He was basically a king. “Why?”

“Why do you think, Rylec? You know me. The son of a lowly archlord and one of her many star-maids, banished to Lucien Manor because they already had half a dozen young lords to train.” Eliaz leaned forward and rested an elbow on his crossed legs. “You trained because your father wanted more for you. I trained because I wanted to prove my mother wrong. I was the lord they should’ve kept. By the time she realized, I was already beyond her. Tertia is mine now. I have more than a small territory, I have a planet. I won’t let anyone take it from me.”

Ah. The obvious answer, then. If Rylec had known Eliaz was itching for rebellion, maybe the two of them could have joined forces years ago. “So what do you propose?”

“I let you go. You kill Calanthe.”

“You want me to claim the Imperial Throne?”

“At least temporarily. As long as you grant Tertia her independence, you can run off with your star-wife for all I care.”

Eliaz stirred his drink, but Rylec wasn’t fooled by the casual motion. If he said no, then he was Eliaz’s enemy. The male would treat him in kind. But would he say no? His first priority was to save Inez and Soriya. On Tertia, Eliaz was the best partner to have.

“Deal.”

The room faded to black instantly, the window and chairs and drinks disappearing. All that remained was glowing blue eyes. He had given Eliaz exactly what he wanted.

But Rylec would get what he wanted too.

In the space of a blink, Rylec returned to his body standing in the hall. Eliaz had dusted himself off the wall but hadn’t approached. Startling an archlord was never a healthy decision.

Rylec stepped over the dead guards, back in the direction of his mate. “I’m getting my wife.”

Eliaz sighed. “Don’t be reckless, Rylec. You’re making me regret my life choices already.”

“I’m not leaving her with Calanthe.”

“How about we make a plan—”

Two guards in the imperial crest rounded the corner.

Everyone froze. Rylec and Eliaz eyed the guards. The guards eyed the bodies. Rylec and Eliaz eyed the bodies. The guards eyed Rylec and Eliaz. After five seconds of intense staring, the guards pulled their swords in an arch of electrified silver.

But they didn’t charge straight away. Idiots. One yelled out, “Archlord Eliaz, is there a problem?”

Eliaz hooked a thumb into his pockets. “No, not at all.”

“You—” the guard choked on the rest of his sentence.

Eliaz sighed rather dramatically. Both guards were caught in the web of those bright eyes. “Unfortunately for you, friends and loyal soldiers, I won’t be bringing Rylec to the square for execution. Not today at least.”

Both guards spun around with their swords out. Their blades cut into each other with a wet splat, pulsing multi-colored blood out onto the palace’s floors. With a few twitches, the guards tumbled to the ground, joining their comrades in death.

Eliaz sighed again. “I just had these floors polished.”

“If we don’t save my wife, that will be the least of your concerns.”

“Was that a threat, Rylec?”

Before Rylec replied, two more guards rounded the corner. Gods have mercy. Rylec flung out a hand and pasted them to the far wall. Better to be safe.

But no imperial crest lined the sleek uniforms.

“Those are mine,” Eliaz said.

“Are you sure?”

Eliaz glanced into both their eyes. “Yes.”

Rylec dropped them.

Eliaz gestured to the hallway’s multiple bleeding corpses. “Clean up the mess, will you? Lord Rylec and I have business to attend to.”

One of the guards nervously licked her lips. “My lord, we come with news. It’s the empress. We think… we think she’s dead.”

CHAPTER 14

INEZ

Inez stared at Calanthe’s body for a thousand years.

In reality, it wasn’t more than a minute. But her brain couldn’t process the sight in front of her. Calanthe, still and solid, the blood pouring from her head wound slowing to a trickle.

Inez had meant to kill her, but she had always imagined the monster’s death as more dramatic.

Then her personal guard charged into the room.

Fuck.

Inez didn’t know what type of magic the guard had, only that he would be far weaker than Rylec.

A dagger flew toward her head.

Inez dodged. Where had that even come from?

The guard waved his hand and another dagger appeared.

Ah. From there.

Inez had trained in hand-to-hand combat for years, but never with anyone who could summon a new weapon mid-fight. Then again, last time she fought, she hadn’t had magic of her own. She raised her hand and the dagger impaled in the bed post flew into her grip. With a flick of her wrist, Inez threw the blade. The guard tried to dodge, but Inez hadn’t thrown the blade with her hand, but with magic. She tracked his movement with her eyes and the blade followed.

It caught him in the neck, and he crashed to the floor with a gurgled crash.

“Phew,” she huffed out, but Inez didn’t let herself relax. Calanthe surely had more guards. An entire fleet had arrested her and Rylec.

Rylec.

Inez ran from the room. She didn’t care who she encountered on the other side. Rylec wouldn’t go to his death easily, but wherever he was, he needed help. Inez had fled last time, letting a cruise ship carry her to the other side of the galaxy. She wouldn’t leave him alone again.

Inez crashed into a solid male body as she swung out the door.

She bounced off and landed softly on her feet.

Archlord Eliaz raised a dark eyebrow. “Inez.”

Inez redirected her eyes. She couldn’t take her attention off Eliaz, so she stared at the side of his head. Rylec had once said the archlord needed direct eye contact to read a mind.

“Where’s Rylec?”

“Where’s Calanthe?”

“Dead.” If the archlord gave her the same answer in return, she’d kill him.

But Rylec couldn’t be dead. His magic still thrummed under her skin. As long as they were both on Tertia, she would know.

“Not dead.”

Bastard. With magic, Inez pulled the dagger from the guard’s neck on the other side of the room. When the blade landed in her grip, she raised it at him. “Where is he?”

For some reason, the psychopath grinned. “How did Calanthe die?”

What? Her furrowed brow conveyed the question, but Eliaz’s eyebrow just arched higher.

Fine. Whatever. What did it matter? “I killed her.”

“Ah. In that case, Rylec is right this way, Your Majesty.” Eliaz dropped into a bow—

not a very low one, but noticeably a bow.

Inez stared. Her Majesty? “What are you doing?”

Before the archlord answered, Rylec spun around the corner. Blood splattered his once-white shirt and pale skin, but it didn’t look like his. The shade was too orange, drying to a burnt color on his white skin. Inez lowered the blade, but didn’t take her eyes off of Eliaz.

“Next time you decide to transport yourself, Eliaz,” her husband started, “bring me along with you—Inez?”

Inez dropped the blade and ran for him. Eliaz shuffled out of the way. If he hadn’t, Inez would have run him down. Nothing could keep her away from her mate. Her living, breathing star-husband. Rylec opened his arms and Inez crashed into them. Home. It wasn’t a place or a nation, but a single person. Him. It always had been.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, the words a whisper in her ear.

“I’m okay.” Her mind remembered the pain Calanthe had caused her, but her body had already forgotten. And the monster was dead. She could sleep soundly at night for the first time in years. “And you?”

“I’m fine.” Rylec pulled back, just enough to look over her shoulder. “What happened?”

Inez wasn’t sure if he was asking Eliaz or her, but she answered before the archlord. “I killed Calanthe.”

Rylec processed the words in a single blink. “She’s finally dead.”

Inez nodded. “Finally.”

This time, her husband’s gaze clearly went to Eliaz. “And did Eliaz help?”

“I arrived after, I’m afraid.”

Inez glanced between the two males. “Why?”

“We made an agreement.” Rylec narrowed his eyes at the Tertian archlord. “One that is now void.”

“Is it, though?” Eliaz leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, an infuriatingly casual pose. “You’re in my palace on my planet. Do you have any loyal guards nearby to protect all you hold dear?”

“Don’t threaten us, Eliaz,” Inez snapped. She was so tired of archlords telling her what to do.

“Already so much like an empress.”

An empress? He had called her by the imperial title before but thought him deranged. “What are you talking about?”

“You know how our society works. Whoever kills the current leader becomes the new leader.”

“That rule only applies to Sollirians.” That piece of information had been drilled into Inez since she started her star-maid training. If the law had applied to everyone, star-maids included, someone would have tried to kill the emperor or empress years ago.

Eliaz strolled closer, closing the distance between them. “You’re a star-wife, Inez. Through our laws, that technically makes you a Sollirian citizen. As long as Rylec lives, you share rights and titles. Calanthe refused to acknowledge your relationship, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

Inez looked back to Rylec, but her mate didn’t counter his point. If anything, his jaw clenched tighter. Rylec had spent a decade of his life as the child of an imperial emperor. He knew the dangers imperial life brought. “What is he saying?”

Rylec met her gaze. “You’re the Empress of Sollir, Nez.”

Inez stared. That couldn’t be. The Sollirians would never accept a star-maid on the throne. Calanthe had suggested it, but she was crazy. But Rylec wasn’t crazy. Eliaz wasn’t crazy. If they both said it was true…

Eliaz gestured at himself. “And that’s why you need an ally.”

Rylec shot a glare at the other male, who halted his approach. “Not now, Eliaz.”

Inez opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out. “But I can’t…”

“You are.” Rylec squeezed her hands. “We can still leave. No one can force you to accept the throne.”

“Oh, gods.” Inez rubbed a hand down her face. She had never dreamed of power. She had always imagined running as far as possible from Sollir and never returning. But if she stayed, could she change the empire? The archlords would try to kill her. They wouldn’t like following a star-maid’s rules. She would put herself and Rylec and their children at risk.

But thousands upon thousands of star-maids lived in the empire. She could rescue herself, but she couldn’t save them all.

Unless she could.

Inez wrapped her arms around her husband. “I can’t make this decision alone.”

“You’re never alone, Inez. I’m by your side, always.”

“This is your planet, Rylec. Your people.”

He caressed a hand down her cheek. “None of them matter. What do you want?”

Inez swallowed. What did she want? Artema wasn’t her home. Neither was Earth. She had spent most of her life within the empire. With Rylec as her emperor, could they make it a better place? They could try.

She would never forgive herself if she didn’t try. “I think I want to stay.”

Rylec nodded. “Then we stay.”

Eliaz cleared his throat. Inez and Rylec shot him twin glares, but the archlord had no shame. “And our deal?”

Inez didn’t even need to consult Rylec to know they’d agree. “Round up Calanthe’s guard. Sollir has new rulers.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

CHAPTER 15

10 Months Later

INEZ

Inez dug her hands into the silk bedsheets, her head thrown back against Rylec’s chest. “Oh, Gods, Rylec.”

Her star-husband didn’t say anything, but his body reacted, his thrusts becoming deeper and faster. His magic held up her leg, leaving his hand free to flick and tease at her clit. Inez’s body arched and thrashed uncontrollably. The heat in her climbed, ready to peak, ready to send her body over the edge.

Rylec’s hand slid up and over the bulging curve of her swollen belly. His head dipped until his ragged breath was in her ear. “Come for me, wife.”

His next thrust struck true. Inez exploded, her body convulsing. She grabbed for Rylec’s hand and screamed out his name. She didn’t care about the servants in the halls overhearing and gossiping with the court. Rylec was hers and she was his, star-wife and star-husband. Nothing would break them apart again.

A thousand years later, Inez drifted down from the clouds. “I love you so much, Rylec.”

“I know, wife.” Rylec kissed his way from her neck to her forehead before propping his chin on her head. “I love you more and more each day.”

Inez snuggled into his side, her hand linked with her husband’s above her belly. “Soriya wasn’t this late.”

“Alesia does what she wants. Just like her mother.”

Inez squeezed his hand. “I think that’s more of a you thing.”

Rylec chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest. “Is it now?”

Inez tried to twist around, to look into those intoxicating dark eyes. But at forty weeks pregnant, she was due to pop at any minute and every movement was a struggle. She hadn’t been nearly as large with Soriya. The physician had assured her she wasn’t having twins, but a part of Inez didn’t believe him.

Not that anyone would dare to lie to the Empress of Sollir.

Rylec sensed what she wanted and pushed onto an elbow, the strong lines of his face coming into view. The tips of his white hair brushed her skin. He had grown it out the last few months at Inez’s urging. She loved a male with long hair.

Inez cupped his cheek. “I do what I want now, but I was afraid for so long. If you hadn’t let me breathe and find myself, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.”

“You were always that woman.” He leaned down, brushing a kiss against her lips. “And I won’t let anyone take her away from either of us.”

“I know.” Inez had lost track of the number of assassins who had come for her since news of Calanthe’s death spread across Sollir. With Rylec at her side—and her newly formed Star Guardians, an elite team of former star-maids—none had gotten close enough to do any damage. Every attempt only pushed her forward. The Sollirians feared her and the threat she presented to their old ways. Inez fought not only for herself and her growing family, but for every star-maid who had ever been kidnapped and abused.

She would fight until her dying breath.

Which, if Rylec had any say in the matter, wouldn’t be for another fifty years or so.

Inez smiled up at her husband and brushed a thumb against the sharp line of his jaw. Gods, even after all this time together, his beauty struck her. The sensation swirled in her belly—

Inez’s brow creased.

Rylec noticed immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you help me to the bathroom?” Inez tried to stand but it wasn’t the easiest position to get into anymore.

Rylec immediately moved, sliding out of bed. His magic wrapped around Inez’s limbs and carried her with him. The warm embrace tickled across her skin as he deposited her onto her feet at his side. Her husband wrapped her in his embrace, a touch Inez instinctually craved—

A warm gush of fluid trickled down her legs.

Inez straightened.

“Was what—?”

“It was,” Inez said, hand going to her pregnant belly. She glanced up into her husband’s intense eyes. “She’s coming.”

RYLEC

Thirteen hours later, Inez’s screams ended and a baby’s cries filled the palace infirmary. Rylec clutched his wife’s hand, brushing the sweat from her face and kissing her brow.

Her eyes shined with tears. “I want to see her.”

Rylec didn’t let her go, but he turned toward the doctors and nurses running throughout the room. A nurse finished swaddling the crying bundle and gently passed her to Rylec. He looked down into dark eyes in a red-stained, peach face. A mop of white curls stuck to her head. Two little crystalized nubs poked out of her forehead. She was perfect and beautiful, a blend of Earthling and Sollirian.

Alesia.

As Rylec turned, Inez reached out. He placed their daughter in his wife’s arms. Her tears became real, streaking down her face. “She’s beautiful.”

Rylec gazed at the two of them. “She is.”

“She’s ours.”

Rylec met and held her gaze. “She always will be. No one will take her from us.”

Inez pressed a kiss to their daughter’s forehead. The baby cooed, reaching out with tiny hands to touch her mother’s face.

Rylec looked toward the door. The servant stationed there nodded and popped outside. When the doctor had announced Inez was near delivery, Rylec had summoned Soriya and her nursemaid. Things had been rough with their daughter at the start. They had done their best to shield her from Calanthe’s death but had eventually told her the truth once she warmed up to her ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’. She didn’t yet know Inez had killed her. She was too young for that. Once she was older and realized what Calanthe had done to her, they would tell her the whole story. With the help of a qualified therapist, of course. Inez swore by the treatment.

A few moments later, his daughter entered the room. The four-year-old rushed to the bed. “I want to see.”

Inez chuckled as Rylec swept Soriya up into his arms. His daughter wrapped his legs around his torso and leaned over, trying to look at her new sister. Rylec had to grab her to stop her from falling. The girl loved to climb.

Inez reached up and ruffled her hair. “Soriya, this is Alesia. She’s named after my mother, just like you’re named after Rylec’s mother.”

“Aaah-leee-seee-a,” the girl drawled out, the name fumbled thanks to her missing front tooth. The doctors had said four was early for an Earthling to lose a tooth, but perfectly acceptable for a Sollirian of Rylec’s genetic composition.

Inez grinned up at her, pure happiness in her gaze. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Soriya went feral in his arms, trying to grab for the baby. Wrangling a four-year-old was like trying to contain a small wildcat.

“Patience, Sor,” Rylec said, lowering the girl to the side of his wife’s bed.

“Baby, baby, baby,” she shouted.

Alesia started crying, a loud wail.

Soriya jerked back in shock before her lip quivered. She opened her mouth to let out a cry to rival the newborn.

Rylec met his wife’s eyes over their crying children and smiled. I love you, he mouthed.

Inez mouthed it back and laughed.

Rylec resisted the urge to roar with joy.

EPILOGUE

7 Years Later

ELIAZ

Eliaz propped one elbow on the wide expanse of polished stone table before him and rested his chin on his fist. “I don’t think so.”

Rylec’s holographic face stayed blank and cold, but Inez frowned for a second. The Empress of Sollir quickly washed the expression off her face, but Eliaz had seen it. His own lip curved, an infuriating smile. Neither the empress nor emperor were here in the flesh, but Eliaz didn’t need to read their minds to know he’d win this negotiation.

If you could call it that.

“You’ve given me an order, but you offer nothing in return, Empress.”

“She shouldn’t have to,” Rylec said. “She’s your empress, Eliaz—”

“We’re an independent colony, are we not? That was our agreement, Rylec.”

His old ally glared at him. “You still have to follow our rules.”

Eliaz gave a mocking little shrug. “That’s not what the word independent means.”

“In every other way, you’re independent,” Empress Inez interjected, “but not this way. This is too important.”

“Oh, I know.” That was exactly why Eliaz knew he’d win this. Inez was a tact negotiator, but he knew what issues mattered to her most. Though she had spent seven years as empress and twenty as a star-maid, underneath it all she was only an Earthling. An inferior species, like so many others in the galaxy. “How many assassination attempts have you faced in your seven years on the throne? Two-hundred and twenty-eight, was it?”

“If you were responsible for any of those,” Rylec started with a growl—

Eliaz raised a hand. “I wouldn’t have either of you killed, Rylec. A new emperor or empress might not honor our agreement. I have no desire to bend the knee again.” Eliaz laid back in his seat. “Or face execution. It’s more likely to go that way, I think.”

Inez banged her fist against the table. The hologram projected the sound across their solar system, but given the way Rylec flinched, it had lost some of its impact in translation. “If you do not follow my order, you won’t have to worry about a new empress executing you. I’ll do it myself.”

“The crown has made you quite bloodthirsty, Inez.”

“It’s ‘Your Majesty’, Archlord.”

Eliaz inclined his head. “Your Majesty.”

Inez narrowed her eyes. “Will you do it? Or do we have a problem?”

Eliaz let out a long sigh, but flicked his fingers at the hologram before him, pulling up the required paperwork for his empress to see. “As you commanded six years ago, all Tertian star-maids were untethered and returned to the Star Temple. Since then, they have slaughtered all the priests and barricaded themselves inside. They have enough land to be self-sustaining. We have sent diplomats to negotiate, but they refuse every offer.”

“This time, the offer comes from me.”

“But without me, you have nothing to offer.”

Inez narrowed her green eyes. They bored into him like a laser, but Eliaz had never turned away from a stare. Eye contact was all he needed to hook his power into someone’s mind.

“Your magic will once again be boosted,” she said.

“I’ve never needed a star-maid, Your Majesty. They were helpful to have around, but I wouldn’t be an Archlord of Tertia if I relied on another for my power.”

Inez clenched her fist. “You—”

“—need me. Make it worth my time, Empress.”

Rylec took his wife’s hand. “We’ll find someone else.”

“No one else will do it.”

Rylec pointed. “He won’t do it.”

Eliaz propped his elbow on the table and put his chin in his hand. “On the contrary, Your Majesty, I will do anything for the right price.”

“We’ll give you Tertia.”

“Inez—”

Eliaz ignored Rylec. The male had lost his spine to his wife a decade ago. “I’m listening.”

“You will be regent of Tertia, and your firstborn will inherit your ruling seat. When they come of age, Tertia will become an independent nation.”

“And the Tertian Council?”

Empress Inez’s frown deepened. “They will retain their seats, as your counsel. Their positions can be hereditary or elected, up to you.”

“Hmm.” Eliaz couldn’t stop the smile from curving his lips. The things he could bribe Nassius, Kratos and Severin to do…

“In return, you will tether yourself to a star-maid, making them your star-wife. Your bride will be a willing volunteer and not forced to your side in any way. She will be your queen, not your property.”

Annoying, but not an impossible task. Eliaz was rather charming. Surely, he could seduce an archlord-hating, murderous star-maid. “And if no one accepts the offer?”

“Find a way.” The empress’s voice held no room for compromise. She had certainly grown into her power well. “You only get your reward if you succeed. Effort doesn’t matter. I’ve been trying for years to get a Sollirian lord or archlord to tether themselves with a willing star-maid. I outlawed slavery, not the tethering.”

“If I may speak for my other lords, we aren’t exactly keen on sharing our magic.”

“Too bad.”

Eliaz rapped his knuckles against the table. He would do anything to claim Tertia as his own. Eliaz hated taking orders. This agreement he had worked out with Rylec and Inez years ago had benefited him greatly, yes. He had fulfilled his part in less than a week, after delivering them safely to the throne. In the seven years since, he had ruled Tertia with little oversight. But little oversight wasn’t no oversight.

Eliaz wanted to be free.

The decision was simple, then.

“If that’s the case…” Eliaz said, drawing out his words. The empress leaned forward in her seat. “I better be on my way to the closest Star Temple.”

Inez almost deflated. “You’ll do it?”

“I will be tethered within the hour. In exchange, Tertia is mine.”

Rylec and Inez glanced at each other. “Agreed.”

“Kain?” His personal guard and attendant perked up from his spot by the door. “Ready my transport. We’re going to the Star Temple.”

“We’ll send you the agreement,” Rylec said.

“I’ll review it on the way. I have much to do today.”

Inez narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t voice her concerns. They knew each other well enough by now. Eliaz would follow her rules to the letter. Anything not spelled out was fair game.

Eliaz stood and dropped into a bow. “Your Majesties.”

They both nodded before the hologram disconnected. Eliaz walked from the chamber, his grin growing broader with each step. Within an hour, he’d have himself a star-wife. Within a week, she’d be with child. After the baby was born, Tertia would be his and Eliaz would be free.

And his star-wife? He’d have no need for her anymore.

The first Archlord of Tertia never lost.

Thank you for reading Archlord of Exile! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Kate’s newsletter!

ALISON AIMES

PRINCESS CLAIMED

CHAPTER 1

ARI

“Stay away!” Ari skittered down the hallway, her legs tangling in the heavy brocade of her royal amethyst gown and cape, the vibration of the shuttle engine beneath her slippered feet not nearly as comforting as it had been moments ago. “Back off, or you’ll be sorry.”

“I don’t think so, Princess.” The hulking male sneered the title, his bulk brushing both sides of the elegant corridor. Golden light from the ceiling crystals highlighted the laser gripped in his hands—and pointed straight at her. “You’re the one about to be very, very sorry.”

His equally giant brother followed close behind, his weapon raised as well. “You shouldn’t have messed with us.”

The promise of revenge glittered in their hard, gray eyes. Sethex and Relex.

Two princes. Twins. Total Alphaholes.

Their fancy clothes were adorned with inner-planetary jewels while entitlement oozed from their pores. But neither male was quite as pretty as he’d once been, their faces scraped and cut from when they’d tangled with her.

Sethex also had a nasty stab wound on his shoulder. Relex, a gash at his thigh.

This time, however, they hadn’t come alone.

Behind them, stuffed into the corridor, was a whole contingent of their royal guards, ready and willing to do their dirty work—and, coming from the other direction, more minions.

Soon, there’d be no way out.

She sucked down a calming breath, scanning for exits and calculating options. It wasn’t the first time she’d been under siege. A female of her status and position was always at risk from greedy, entitled bastards like these two.

Goddess, she was tired of running. Of never feeling safe.

“How did you find me?” She’d been so sure she’d gotten away. So sure they’d never track her from the ball.

She took another small step backward, trying to appear as if she wasn’t moving at all.

A guest room door slid open to her right. A curious, green-skinned face peered out and gasped. The door slid shut with a resounding smack.

No help there.

Not surprising.

The Destiny was a luxury cruise liner, the hefty price tag of its staterooms ensuring it was available to only the wealthiest clientele in the galaxy: the kind of patrons who valued their money and their lives and little else.

“You’re trapped, bitch.” Sethex stomped forward. “You’re trouble. Always have been. Always will be. Now, you’re going to pay.” His meaty hand thrust forward. “Give us the Prinzessin jewel.”

“Give it now,” barked Relex, “and perhaps we’ll show some mercy.”

They never would.

“I don’t have it,” she lied. She needed that jewel. It was crucial to saving those she loved. She’d risked everything to get it, and she wasn’t giving it up now.

“We would have taken you as a mate.” Prince Sethex smirked, his gaze raking her from head to toe. “Not anymore, princess pretender.”

“Now,” Relex offered a matching lascivious grin, “you’ll spend your rotations as our whore.”

“Carted between the dungeons and our bed.”

“Chained to both.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Behind her, she could sense the guards closing in as well.

She kept creeping backward anyway.

“No one will ever know what happened to you,” taunted Relex.

“Now, give us that jewel. Then, get on your fucking knees,” roared Sethex. “It’s time to wipe that haughty look off your face once and for all.”

“You won’t look so proud with our cocks shoved down your throat.” Relex rubbed a hand over his growing erection.

They stalked closer.

She backpedaled faster.

“I’m almost glad she’s not handing over the jewel so easily,” Sethex told his brother. “I’m going to enjoy ripping those fancy robes from her body and finding the gem ourselves—and then treating her exactly like the slut she really is. She’ll bow before us soon enough.”

Relex was not to be outdone. “I’m going to bend her over and fuck her ass in this hallway. Show everyone in this shuttle exactly what she’s useful for and how she’ll be expected to serve.”

“Such charm. Such grace.” Bravado was all she had left. “More proof that royal blood has no impact on royal bearing. You two are as low and vile as an Alpha can get.”

Relex snarled and rushed toward her, bumping into his brother, who stumbled in turn. The weapon he’d trained on her knocked slightly off course as he lost his balance.

It was the opening she’d been waiting for.

She spun and flicked the main light switch: her target all along.

Instant darkness. The crystal in the ceiling shut off at once, shrouding the entire area in inky, blissful, impenetrable black. Even Alphas, with their keen eyesight, would be momentarily blind.

But not her. Thanks to her gift.

“What the fuck?” Selex’s roar was easily identifiable. “Not again!”

“Someone turn the lights back on!” screamed Relex.

She didn’t wait around for them to gain their bearings.

She took off running—straight for the emergency exit a few steps away.

“Where the fuck is she?”

“Don’t let her escape.”

There was scuffling behind her.

She shoved open the heavy door and raced into the equally dark service corridor, the uncarpeted floors making her frantic footfalls echo down the hall.

“I heard a door opening,” shouted Selex. “She left the main corridor. After her.”

A faint hum. A flash of green light in the darkness. “There she is!”

A searing heat brushed past her shoulder.

Ignoring the sting, she darted around the corner, easily dodging a set of low-hanging pipes.

The two princes weren’t so lucky. A crash sounded behind her. That was the problem with using a laser as a light as well as a weapon. When the flash ended, the darkness was even more impenetrable than before.

Just the way she liked it.

Lifting the edge of her gown, she sprinted faster, darting around a cleaning machine the staff had parked in the hall.

She had to make it to an emergency evacuation pod.

It was her only chance.

All too soon, however, the stomp of heavy boots echoed behind. The lights overhead flashed on as one. Someone had found the main switch.

“There she is.”

“You won’t escape us, bitch! Not again.”

She chanced a glance over her shoulder. She’d managed to put some distance between her and the princes, but their enraged faces were near enough to see every bit of the promised cruelty they intended to inflict on her—if they caught her.

She ran harder, a smile she couldn’t stop spreading across her face. She was going to make it. Everything was going to be fine.

Her adrenaline surged, that familiar excitement spreading through her veins. She’d tried to stifle that part of her, to behave as expected, but the wildness inside her would not be subdued.

She’d been told her whole life she was trouble.

She liked to think it was the good kind.

But those who’d raised her weren’t so sure. She hoped returning with the Prinzessin jewel would sway them to her way of thinking once and for all.

Another streak of green shot past her. This one barely missed.

“You idiot!” The first prince roared again, only this time he wasn’t shouting at her but at his brother. “Stop shooting, Relex. This section of the ship is different. If you penetrate the outer shell, the ship will split apart.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Two quick pulses of green careened over her shoulder and slammed into the wall.

A loud rumble.

A blinding light.

And then…nothing.

CHAPTER 2

PAVEL

“No.” Pavel slammed his locker closed.

The new guy stiffened, his cocky grin freezing in place. “I, ah, haven’t said anything yet.”

“Exactly.” Pavel gripped his crumpled, dirty bag tighter. “Keep it that way.”

Ever since his boss and all-around bad-ass, exiled King Magnus Avitus, had secured a tenuous truce with his spoiled brother, overly-cheerful fucks looking to make it rich kept popping up in the Forbidden Sector. As if the exiled zone was some kind of gentrifying neighborhood rather than a dumping ground for the planet’s unwanted, a bleak wasteland of crumbling buildings, isolated swamps, deadly predators, and even deadlier outlaws.

Worse, Magnus kept hiring them.

He insisted their growing shipping business needed more skilled pilots, and maybe he was right. Demand for reliable contraband transport was booming, turning Pavel from a grumpy, anti-social outlaw into a wealthy, grumpy, anti-social outlaw—and a busy one at that.

Still, even if his boss was right, Pavel didn’t have to like it. Or smile about it. He hated change. And smiling.

He just wanted to do his job and be left in peace.

He checked his wrist comms. No new messages from the boss. Perfect.

“What you got there?” The determined newbie popped up at his side. “Skimming a little for yourself? Hoping the guy in charge doesn’t find out?”

Hilarious. Pavel was the one in charge, and everyone knew it. “None of your business.” He tucked the bag beneath his arm and kept moving.

“Ah, right.” Smile fraying, the newbie increased his pace, trying hard not to stare at the jagged stub of Pavel’s left horn, the metal in his lip, or the blood-red, ritualistic symbols on his cheeks and hands made all the more obvious against the golden black glitter of his skin.

The kid failed, of course. All newbies did.

But Pavel had long ago come to terms with the battle wounds that marked him as an East Ender, a killer, and one nasty-looking bruiser. His scars on the inside were a hell of a lot uglier.

“Mind if I walk with you?” Newbie was persistent.

“Yes.”

Silence. But not for long enough.

“Right. I get it.” A hint of uncertainty poked through Newbie’s bravado. “To each his own, right? I’m down with that. I haven’t taken the hits you have, but I will, and I’ll figure out what it takes to get ahead. You can count on that.”

Hells. Pavel remembered when he’d first been exiled to the Forbidden Sector. Cocky. Stupid. Clueless. Scared—and pretending hard not to show it.

Ancient f-ing history, but still …

“Look, kid, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone but yourself.” Voice rusty from disuse—he’d been solo flying for several rotations—Pavel forced the words out anyway. “Stick to the routine, don’t look in the bag, don’t steal shit, don’t get fancy, don’t stray into Federation territory, and don’t overreach. Stick to those simple rules, and you’ll move up.”

Maybe the newbie would even survive long enough to enjoy the money he’d make.

But that remained to be seen—and Pavel didn’t allow himself to care one way or another.

His rotations of sticking his neck out for others were long over.

“Got it. I—” Newbie was still talking as Pavel turned away.

He headed to the shuttle loading dock and his ride—or ‘wreck waiting to happen’ as his partner Axel called it.

Unfortunately, the funny male himself was looming by the driver’s door as the last of the boxes were loaded into the cargo hold.

“You’re in my way.” Pavel gestured for Axel to step aside.

The other male didn’t say a word. He rarely did, but Pavel understood him loud and clear. As partners running the illegal shipping business, they’d had a lot of time to perfect their communication techniques.

He stared back. He didn’t bother getting angry—or ruffled. He never did. He’d long ago stopped giving enough of a shit to let anything rile him.

Which is why Axel broke first, grumbling to himself as he stepped aside.

Pavel nodded in satisfaction and wrenched open his door, the three piercings in his lower lip stretching as he offered up a facsimile of a smile. “Yes, Mom. I know how to babysit a bunch of cargo. I’ll be fine. The shipment will be fine. I’ll get it where it needs to be on the expected rotation.”

His partner grunted in return.

They’d been enemies once, part of feuding rival gangs. Now, they tolerated each other as colleagues. It was equally contentious, only slightly less bloody, and, yes, on rare occasions, more than tolerable. Not that he’d admit that to the guy.

“It’s the Skolovs’ cargo.” Axel ground out at last.

“Which is exactly why I’m taking it and not turfing the babysitting job to some overeager underling.” Pissing off the Skolov family by losing their lucrative shipment was the last thing Pavel wanted to do. Mostly because he liked breathing.

He clambered into the cockpit, squeezing his hulking body into the small, single-sized seat.

Axel braced his hand against the door before Pavel could slam it shut. “We can’t afford for anything to go wrong.”

That was more words than Axel had bothered to string together in a long time. Proof his partner was twitchy about the job.

Understandable, since they’d recently had problems with thieves swooping in and raiding their cargo.

It was a new complication on top of the old one. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about with sanctimonious Federation security trying to muscle in and seize their illegal contraband.

But there was a reason their transpo service was recognized as the most reliable distributor of contraband in the galaxy, and Pavel intended to ensure that reputation remained. Without it, there’d be no money coming in and no chance of maintaining his peace and quiet—and he’d already paid for that privilege in blood, sweat, and heartache. He wasn’t giving it up now. Not for anything.

“Don’t worry, chatterbox,” he assured his partner. “You’ve been to my place. You know there’s no space more secure—or uneventful.”

An actual smile threatened to spread across Axel’s face. “It is freakishly quiet. Still, I enjoyed my last several visits. You going to invite me out there again soon?”

“No.” He hadn’t invited the guy in the first place. Axel had just followed in his usual stealthy, silent way, and Pavel had made the grudging decision each time to allow his nosy partner to land without shooting him out of the sky.

But Pavel wasn’t promising to make the same choice in the future.

He preferred to be alone.

Starting now.

He knocked his pretty-boy partner’s hand away. “Thanks for the heart-to-heart. I’m going to sleep for a few rotations, enjoy the pleasure of not seeing your face, and then, when it’s time, deliver the cargo and make our clients happy. Easy as can be. Don’t worry over nothing.” He tapped his wrist comms. “And don’t reach out unless the sky is falling.”

A final grunt from Axel.

Pavel took it as a warm goodbye.

He slammed the cockpit door shut, slapped the dashboard to get the engine lights to flicker on, and cruised away, leaving a noxious cloud of dust behind for Axel to inhale. Without a backward glance, he circled past his king’s crumbling, black castle and the crowded shacks that surrounded it, torches flaring as the suns set.

Most of those exiled to the Forbidden Sector congregated in the city section.

Not Pavel.

He preferred the open air and blissful silence of the outer regions—even if it came with few basic amenities, the odd sinkhole, and an array of carnivorous wild animals.

In his experience, humanoids were always the worst predators anyway.

He hovered in some soot clouds—circling twice to make sure he wasn’t being followed—before making his descent.

It was next to impossible to find his compound without exact coordinates. He’d bought the latest in Skolov arms tech to ensure the place was virtually undetectable from the sky, and he’d created less-than-welcoming traps and trigger wires around the perimeter. A sure-fire way to keep bandits from stealing his shit and so-called friends from dropping by for any more impromptu visits.

As the first bump of his shuttle hit the ground, Pavel’s chest loosened. He always breathed easier on home soil.

At the center of his compound was his living area, a series of eight interconnected rooms. The place was too big for one lone male, but he didn’t care. Maybe, if he was being honest, it did sometimes feel as if his footfalls rattled a little too loud in the halls, but it was worth it.

He’d been finishing one room at a time, which was why a few spaces still had tarps instead of outer walls and there were holes in the roof. It was never going to be a castle, but it was practical and familiar and suited his purposes. Plus, it was one hundred and eighty degrees different from the cramped, dark hell he’d once barely survived.

After two slams of his fist, the shuttle door popped open.

Crumpled bag in hand, Pavel hopped out and was immediately greeted with a low, trilling whine that sounded a lot like King Magnus’s newborn, though he’d never say it to the male’s face.

Pavel flashed a fang. “This is not an always-open, all-you-can-eat buffet.”

But he undercut his words by heading straight to the feeder. Tilting the crumpled bag, he dumped the expensive-as-shit, black-market seeds down the tube.

Following his usual routine, he stepped back—far back.

It took several heartbeats, but eventually, still trilling and bitching, the zalari female emerged, tail and bristles twitching, her brood of six mini-replicas right behind, all just visible in the waning light. The color of wet mud, with smushed snouts, three eyes, and six stubby legs that barely brought them to the level of an Alpha’s ankle, zalari were some of the ugliest creatures native to Romealon. Even their wings were ugly, more like an after-thought poking out from the sides of their pudgy bodies than graceful extensions.

But from the moment he’d seen this particular zalari with her busted wing, he’d felt an affinity—and when he’d discovered she was breeding …

He crumpled the bag into a fist-sized ball and tossed it through the small opening on the pilot-side window before taking a wide berth around the snacking family.

He drew in a deep, full breath.

Solitude.

It might not take away the nightmares, but it sure ensured there’d be no more to add to the bunch.

Space. Peace. Quiet.

Finally, he could inhale without the sins of his past scraping at his throat.

A sense of calm washed over him.

It lasted all of three heartbeats.

Then there was a flash of light, a whoosh and a whir from above, and a bang so loud it actually hurt his hard head.

The zalari screeched, burrowing deep into the dirt and blinking out of sight.

Pavel looked up. Cursed.

And had just enough time to stretch out his arms and catch a flesh-and-blood falling angel.

CHAPTER 3

PAVEL

Pavel grunted as the full punch of gravity and her weight dropped into his arms.

But the greater impact was to his chest, the organ inside alive and pumping as never before.

She smelled like starlight and lace overlaid with smoke and fire. She felt like home.

He cradled her close. “You can stop screaming now.” She was as light as the fancy doilies he’d seen used at the castle when he’d been a royal guard, the shimmers in her pretty purple gown marred by ash and still smoking in patches. “I’ve got you.”

His voice came out a deep, gruff rumble. Not nearly as comforting as intended, but it was hard to get breath past his windpipe when his whole world had just shifted.

Her perfect pink lips opened. “Y-you’ve got me?”

“I do.” Forever.

“T-Thank you.” Her voice was cultured, warm, and light, with a faint tinge of huskiness beneath, a sultry surprise that hummed straight to his cock.

Her gaze, however, was unfocused. Her beautiful, deep purple eyes—a color he’d never seen before—bounced wildly beneath long, dark lashes tinged with gold, never quite landing on him, even as her arms clutched him close and her nails dug into the back of his neck.

He felt pretty fucking unsteady himself.

He couldn’t get over her.

Her skin was a light lavender dipped in gold, and she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen—and he’d transported every kind of valuable commodity from one end of the galaxy to the other.

He’d never wanted any of it for his own the way he wanted this jewel.

His wrists burned as if seared by a hot poker. His fangs punched his gums, demanding to come out so they could sink into her—right alongside his tongue and cock. A cock that was harder than granite.

All he wanted was to lay her down on the ground. Pin her lush body to the dirt and tongue the golden swirls on her skin peeking out from the tears in her dress. Grab her full hips, and drive them up and down, rutting and knotting until she was screaming his name and breeding his young.

“I-I … where am I? What’s happening?” She climbed him like she was as desperate for skin-to-skin contact as he. “I can’t see. Can’t think. I-I need”—she undulated against him—“you.”

Red colored his vision. She’d gone into heat—he into rut. Rational thought obliterated. He needed to claim her. Now.

“Yes, omega. I’m going to fuck you. Make you feel so good.”

“Yes, Alpha. Please.” She twisted in his hold, pressing full breasts and hard nipples into his chest, the wild tangle of deep red hair unraveling even more from the fancy braid that rested half on her forehead and unwound down her back.

A low purr vibrated in her throat.

It traveled straight to his balls.

He growled in perfect harmony.

Had a female ever been so stunning? Felt this good? Made a more sweet, perfect sound?

Except … except females didn’t just drop from the sky, and … what was that strange, frantic chittering ruining their perfect harmony?

The zalari. Issuing a warning.

A flash of sanity returned.

He looked up and, with a roar, leaped sideways, clutching his prize close.

A fiery chunk of metal slammed into the dirt. Right where they’d been.

Overhead, a light show played out in the darkening sky, larger pieces of a shuttle careening off in different directions.

A shower of twisted fragments dropped a few arm’s lengths away. One wing of his shuttle cracked under falling, flaming debris. Smoking wreckage hit the cargo hold.

Fucking would have to wait.

He picked up speed, dodging fragments as smaller explosions ricocheted across the sky and shards from the ship spun through the air and crashed to the ground.

He barreled through the door—it was programmed to open to his eye scan— and pressed up against the wall where the roof and foundation were the sturdiest.

Chest heaving, he held her close and listened for any threat. “What happened?”

She swiveled toward him, those deep purple eyes still dazed and half-lidded with lust. Her cute little upward nose wrinkled. “I don’t know. S-something bad.” Confusion darkened her gaze. A flash of fear too.

He didn’t like it. “You’re safe. There was obviously a shipwreck. Maybe a collision. Definitely an explosion. Must have been huge.” She’d been lucky to survive. He wondered if any of the other ship passengers had been as fortunate. He thought maybe he’d seen some emergency pods streak across the sky, but it could have just been flaming debris. “My wrist comms is out, which suggests whatever happened brought the entire planetary communications network offline. What was the name of the ship you were traveling on?”

“I-I’m not sure.”

“What do you remember?”

Wide eyes finally latched onto his. “Nothing. I-I can’t remember anything at all.”

ARI

“Hells.” Her savior went rigid as her confession vibrated between them. “You’re injured.” He cleared his throat, his grip gentling. “It’s going to be okay, omega.”

Was it?

Because he’d stopped grinding against her, putting space between his hard chest and her aching nipples, and she was suddenly careening toward panic with the oddest urge to burrow into the Alpha’s chest until she was pressed so tightly against him the steady beat of his heart became her own.

Why didn’t she remember anything? Why did her head feel as if it was nothing more than a vast, dark universe without stars, landmarks, or beacons to guide her?

Her head swiveled left and right, eyes blinking madly. She was desperate to regain some semblance of control. To know where she was.

And yet nothing emerged. “I can’t see.”

“At all?”

She squinted. “Maybe the barest of outlines.” Panic threatened.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?” She was still trying to squint.

With a curse, he spun, jostling her as he transferred her weight, shifting her so that her back was against a solid surface.

She understood why soon enough.

Holding her with one hand—a huge feat of strength—he clapped his free hand over her eyes, his huge palm big enough to cover the top of her head as well. “Close your eyes. You’ve been injured. Straining will only make it worse.”

“What will make it better?” Nothing seemed to make sense. Except for the tingle that coiled up her spine as her eyelashes brushed his palm.

He might have groaned.

It was hard for her to pay too much attention. Wedged up against all that muscle, everything had narrowed to the woodsy, male scent invading her lungs and the searing ache between her thighs.

“Don’t leave me.” Her whispered plea was so pathetic she wanted to yank out her own tongue. She was fairly certain she’d never been so pitiful.

At least, she hoped not.

“I’m not going anywhere.” A heavy arm tightened around her and her breathing smoothed out. “I’m Pavel.”

She opened her mouth to introduce herself—and came up blank. “I-I don’t remember my name.”

A slight pause. “That’s okay. There are other ways to access that information.”

She felt like an idiot, unable to provide something useful. That felt familiar. As if she’d felt that way before and didn’t like it.

“In the meantime,” he continued, “I think Angel fits perfectly. My angel, sent straight from the heavens.”

Warmth unfurled inside her.

Along with a flash of guilt. Angel. Far from it.

The depth of certainty that she didn’t deserve the label surprised her.

But what did she really know for sure? Her mind was frustratingly blank … Except, she knew several languages!

“Pavel. That means small in Romealon, right?” She brushed her fingers across his neck. It was thick enough that she doubted she’d be able to even circle halfway around it with her hands. “I think that was a definite misnomer.”

She wondered what else was thick on him.

Slick pearled on her inner folds at the thought.

Oh, goddess. Whoever she was, she had an uncouth, gutter mind. That pleased her.

But not him, apparently.

“Omega …” His voice had gone gravelly with lust—and warning. “I am trying hard not to spread those pretty thighs and fuck you against the wall.”

She swallowed a whimper. “Maybe don’t try so hard.”

He groaned—and then a strange barking sound emerged from his throat.

“What was that?” She blinked hard, trying to see him better. His voice gave her shivers. And he felt so amazing, all chiseled muscles, warm flesh, and calloused hands. So big and steady and fierce. Plus, the way he smelled. Manly. Rugged. Commanding. Like power, hard labor, grease, and fearlessness. Like down and dirty, unapologetic raw fucking.

“I think it was a laugh.” His surprised tone pulled her from her lustful admiring.

He didn’t know for sure?

She buried her nose in the strong column of his throat. “Do it again. I’ll let you know for sure.”

Another bark. Then he cleared his throat, his tone growing stern. “No more of that. At least not yet. I need to look you over and determine the extent of your injuries.” He shifted, muscles bunching, and they were on the move once more.

“But the falling metal?” She might not have been able to see it, but she’d heard it. Felt the whoosh of air and the violence of the crashes as the wreckage pierced the ground.

“The worst has passed now.”

They were lucky to be alive.

Especially since she’d initially let herself be distracted from their peril in favor of grinding up against him. That struck her as out of character. She sensed she was usually cool under pressure, attuned to duty and expectations at all times.

But for some reason, with him, even vulnerable as she was, she didn’t feel like being guarded and stand-offish. She felt like being herself. She felt like being free. “Is anyone else here?”

“Just me.” He leaned in. “Why? You hoping for rescue?”

Relief arrowed through her at his confirmation that they were alone. It was foolish and way too soon to feel this way about him, but she would have been devastated if he already had an omega or two. Sharing him was not a possibility.

As for wanting to be rescued?

She’d rescue herself if it proved necessary, but right now, all she wanted was to be saved from the fire inside her. To have him put his hands on every part of her and bring her some relief.

A faint brush of air stirred the hair curling around her shoulders. Then she heard a beep.

“Interesting. You don’t have a tracking chip.”

Her eyes blinked rapidly beneath his palm. He’d scanned her—and she’d been so lost to lust she hadn’t realized. “I don’t?” One arm still clutching him, she rubbed the area behind her neck. “Shouldn’t I?”

“Yes. But there’s a chance it shorted out during the blast or your descent.”

Another disappointing blow. “I-I wonder who I am.”

“I already know the answer to that.” He didn’t hesitate. “Mine.”

Her heart tripped inside her chest. “Yours?”

“Yes.”

The unwavering certainty in his voice thrilled her—which, in turn, gave her pause.

Somehow, she knew she wasn’t usually one to be so easily turned by an Alpha’s claim.

But … someone had recently tried to do just that: capture her, chain her. The memory shimmered just out of reach, but the certainty that she was in danger solidified clear and definite in her mind. Someone was chasing her. But who? Why?

Icy dread coiled up her spine, clearing away enough of her fevered haze to finally think to ask: “W-Where am I?”

“The Forbidden Sector.”

She swallowed down a gulp.

Her malfunctioning mind might be unable to access basic information about herself, but it apparently recalled irrelevant details. Because she knew quite clearly that the Forbidden Sector was on the far recesses of the Romealon planet—and a cesspool of the worst kind of criminals, so bad they’d been exiled from the beautiful, golden Approved Sector and left to rot in the wastelands.

“Does that mean you’re a …?”

“Criminal? Outlaw? Killer? Ex-convict?” Each word was delivered in a lower, more lethal rasp than the last. “Yes.”

She swallowed down a squeak. “I see.”

“Do you?”

She bit her lip. Found her courage. “What are you going to do with me?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Anything I like, little untracked, unclaimed omega.”

Her world titled, soft fabric brushing her back as he settled her onto a cloud-like object.

His bed. He’d put her on his bed.

Her eyes went wide.

CHAPTER 4

ARI

“Keep those pretty eyes closed, or I’ll blindfold you.”

Her clit throbbed so badly she wanted to part her thighs and touch herself in a frenzy.

Instead, she snapped her eyelids shut.

“Good girl.”

Her breathing rushed out. Her nipples tingled.

She liked this outlaw’s commands. Liked being ruled by him. Another interesting tidbit about herself relearned.

But she shouldn’t show how weak—how needy—he made her, right? That was unseemly. Crass. Unbecoming. And she’d taught herself a long time ago to be none of that.

Old lessons flickered through her even as the memories themselves stayed out of reach.

“Stay still.” Without sight, everything narrowed to the authoritative thrum of his voice—and the rattle of chains echoing nearby.

Her eyebrows rose. Why did it sound as if the male had shackles on hand? And why did that notion send a small tingle of excitement through her belly rather than fear?

He began his inspection.

Which was good, she told herself. He wasn’t chaining her up, and he might actually tell her something about herself and why she couldn’t see or remember—and, even better, lessen the frightening sense of uncertainty slithering through her veins.

A soft puff of his breath brushed across her cheek and neck, the perfect distraction.

The heat of his body remained just out of reach as one of his hands hit the mattress by her head while the other … the other sparked a searing trail of need as it slid down her body.

A sinful, exquisite caress.

“Tell me if anything hurts.” His hand glided over her arms.

Goosebumps erupted on her skin.

Big palms cupped her jaw, gently tilting her head from side to side. “You’ve got a small bump at your temple. That could explain the memory loss.” He blew out a breath. “But given the issue with your eyes, I’d bet it’s a side effect of space pressure. Take the drop from space too fast, and the body has trouble adjusting.”

She liked his straightforward approach. It smacked of trustworthiness, another quality she sensed she wasn’t used to finding in others.

But could she truly trust him? An exiled criminal, an ex-convict, and a killer? She was likely mad to even contemplate it. She needed to get a grip. Act sensibly. “Is it a permanent injury?”

“Unlikely. Your brain just needs to catch up. Relieve some pressure so it can start working properly again. The space blindness will recede soon.” He hesitated. “The memories could come back then too. Or take longer.” Another slight pause. “Or not return at all. Either way, you’re going to be okay.”

Her heart fluttered inside her chest. “Thank you, Pavel.” She strained to see more than the blurred, hulking outline looming above, wishing she could see the face of the male who was making her feel so safe, restless—and hot—all at the same time.

He grunted again. This time it was easy to hear the disapproval. “I told you to keep those eyes closed. Strain too much and it will take longer to heal.”

Something slid over her eyes, soft and silky. Her headache instantly lessened—even as her pulse accelerated. “W-what’s that?”

“A makeshift blindfold. I warned you.”

Her hand went up to touch it.

“Leave it be.”

His command sent a shiver through her. “Why?”

“Why do you think?”

Her heart beat faster. “Because I’m your prisoner.”

He grunted. “Do you want to be?”

“I-I …” Why was yes the first word that lingered on the tip of her tongue?

“Finders keepers.” His finger traced the edge of the blindfold, skimming over her cheek and the bridge of her nose. “Who gives back a treasure? Only a sainted fool. And I’m not that.”

She trembled under his touch.

She should probably feel terrified or outraged at this stranger’s matter-of-fact declaration that he was keeping her.

Instead, a strange sense of rightness whispered through her. As if she’d been waiting for this moment and this male forever. I always wanted to belong to someone. To trust someone enough to show them my true self.

“The cuts on your arms and throat aren’t too deep.” His deep rasp pulled her from her thoughts. Sealant slicked across her wounds. “There are scratches. Tears on your cape and gown.” He sounded almost angry. “Some bruises. A few small burns.” There was the rustle of movement, then cool salve brushed against her skin. “For the sting.”

She arched into his touch.

It was hard to know what felt better, the soothing frost of the lotion or the gentle caress of his fingertips.

The ache between her thighs intensified.

“I need to see the rest of you.” His voice was gruff.

Her fingers curled into the mattress. “Okay.”

“I wasn’t asking for permission.”

Her skin tingled as soft fabric dragged over her shins, her knees, her thighs.

He went no higher.

“No injuries here.”

She was almost disappointed, her body desperate to feel the imprint of his fingerprints pressing into her flesh, sliding higher until he reached the crease between her legs. Found the shameful secret hidden there, that she was soaking wet and aching for his touch.

“I’m going to cut your dress. It’s ruined anyway.”

“Y-Yes.” Ruined, like her. Falling apart, like her.

There was the snick of his claw and then the faintest of brushes against her belly as he sliced lengthwise—so careful, so controlled, he never once nicked her.

Cool air caressed her skin.

He sucked down a harsh breath.

She held hers.

She could only imagine what he saw. Her body splayed out before him, her hair a wild, tangled, red mess beneath the blindfold, while her chest rose way too fast, the golden whorls that curled beneath her breasts and across her hips and inner thighs shimmering and swirling as they always did when she was aroused. The hard points of her nipples, her flushed skin, and her soaked thighs pressed together tight as she fought not to squirm and beg and ask …

Did she please him?

“You … you are fucking beautiful.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve transported a thousand riches across this galaxy and never seen anything that shines as bright as you.”

Her heart tripped inside her chest.

Her body was an aching inferno of lust and need, the fire in her veins blazing so bright it was almost agony.

His finger traced the bow of her lips. “So delicate.”

The glow inside her expanded. Need surged through every cell.

Her wrists and throat throbbed.

Her hand rose to rub away the sting. She tried to sound in control. She feared her words emerged as a breathless rasp. “And this burning? Is it from the explosion too?”

A slight pause. “Not from the explosion.”

Her heart galloped inside her chest. There was a wealth of meaning in what was left unsaid. “What is it, then?”

There was a longer pause.

“Marks. Fated-mate marks.” Tone reverent, his thumb tracked across the thin skin of her wrists, slow, deliberate swipes like the twitching of a predator’s tail. “I have a similar, thicker band on my own wrists now too.”

Shock slammed through her.

She’d found her fated mate—and he was a dangerous, exiled, ex-convict outlaw.

Did she care? And was it really so surprising? The connection between them was too instantaneous, too deep, too volatile, and too arresting to be anything else but a soul-deep bond.

What did surprise her, however, was that he’d seen the marks and declared he was keeping her anyway.

“So, you’re not fearful of the bond? Somehow I know most Alphas think it can be a weakness and avoid such pairings.”

“Learn this about me now.” The mattress shifted as Pavel leaned in, his tone hard. “I am not most Alphas, and I have never given a damned what others say or do.”

The need inside her burned hotter.

They might have just met, but thanks to the fragile bond, a part of her knew his words were true. He was fiercely independent. A male who lived by his own rules and broke the ones he didn’t like. An Alpha who thought for himself and was willing to pay the price for that freedom, even if it meant being alone.

She found that sexy—and admirable—and a little scary.

And he was keeping her.

She pressed her thighs together and stifled a moan. She wanted so badly for him to touch her. Fuck her. Push her beyond her limits. Break the rules like only an outlaw, ex-convict could. Already it felt as if she’d been waiting too long to find him. As if they were treading on borrowed time.

“You seem tense, omega. Does it hurt here?” His fingers glided just beneath her collarbone.

N-no.”

“What about here?” He shifted direction, sliding his fingertips over the tops of her breasts.

He was toying with her now. They both knew it.

She shifted on the bed, the mattress crinkling beneath her bottom. “I-I …”

“You need something from me, omega?” His voice was deeper and huskier, thick with lust. “A different kind of care?”

Shame slammed through her. She knew without question that admitting such a need was unusual for her.

Be regal. Unflappable. Never let them see what’s beneath the facade. The thoughts came so naturally.

She ignored them and let him push her past her comfort zone. Let herself give him an honest answer. Let herself take a risk, let herself fall, hoping he’d catch her as he had before.

“Yes, Alpha.” She whispered her confession. “I … I want a different kind of care from you. I want to be your prisoner. I want to be yours to keep.”

He grunted, the sound heavy with satisfaction. “You’re going to turn my world upside down, aren’t you, omega?”

She moaned low. He’d already sent hers spinning. “I ache for you.”

He growled.

She purred, a strange trilling sound she knew she’d never made before.

“Fuck, omega. I like that sound.” He circled her areola with the pad of his finger, a deliberate, slow siege. “I’m going to take such good fucking care of you.”

“Yes.” She wanted that. Wanted everything he could give her.

“How about here? You hurt here?” Voice rough, his hand glided lower, tracing over the sensitive underside of her breast, sending ripples of pleasure to her core.

“Oh, goddess.”

He squeezed her nipple between his thumb and finger. “Answer me.”

She gasped, arching into his touch, the bite of pain exquisite pleasure. “That feels so good.”

“Mmm.” He toyed with her other breast, caressing the sensitive flesh, tugging at her nipple, the mix of gentle and rough leaving her wriggling beneath his exploration. “So pretty. So fragile.”

She wanted to scream that she wasn’t. That she’d survived more than anyone had expected. That she was far from what she seemed, but she’d lost the ability to speak, need wrapping around her throat and stealing her breath. Making it impossible for her to do anything but whimper and squirm as his hold tightened and twisted.

“Such a needy little thing.” He slapped the underside of her breast. Not hard. Just enough to get her attention. “But I gave you an order. No wriggling. Forget again and there will be consequences. I know you heard the rattle of my handcuffs earlier. I keep them on hand in case of intruders, but they can be used on disobedient omegas too.”

She shivered—and then froze.

The ache inside her grew. She really did love being ruled by him.

He moved lower, his big hand sliding over her ribs and her belly, leaving heat in his wake.

She fought hard to obey, her chest rising fast. Especially as his big hand slid lower, parting her thighs, spreading her ever so slightly, just enough for his fingers to fit between, just enough for the cool air to hit her folds and his knuckles to abrade her skin.

Her breathing hitched.

“Here?” His calloused fingertip circled her clit.

“Y-yes.”

“Mmmm. Poor sweet, little, fallen angel.” He flicked her clit. “I know how to make that pain go away.”

“Please.” She curled her nails into the mattress to keep from lifting her hips off the mattress.

She was blindfolded, lost, frightened, but his touch anchored her. The pleasure of his commands tethered her as nothing else could.

She needed him. Needed to cement the connection to him. To feel him ground her. Know her—when she didn’t know herself.

He might be an outlaw and a criminal and her current tormentor, but he was also her salvation.

“P-please.” She opened her thighs a fraction more. Too ashamed to demand too much. Too desperate to remain still.

He grunted. Pressed his thumb against the bundle of nerves in slow, sweet circles. “Fuck, look at you. So beautiful. That little, juicy cunt opening and closing, begging for my cock.” He groaned low. “But you’re not ready yet.” He slid a finger inside her. Hooked it upward while he increased the pressure on her clit and rubbed faster. “This will take the edge off, though. Help us both to think a little more clearly.”

“Yes.” Her hips bucked, the feeling of his thick fingers hitting her just right.

He growled low, a big hand pinning her hips to the bed as his fingers stopped moving.

“No!” She cried out.

He tapped her clit. “Consequences.”

She panted. Stilled.

“Good girl.” He started up again.

More slick dripped from her core, his care and his command driving her wild.

“So fucking tight and wet.” He added another finger, stretching her. “Rock those hips against my hand. Nice and slow. Show me you can take care of what’s mine.”

His demand sent her need sparking higher, everything inside her drawing tighter.

She wasn’t a virgin. Her lack of hesitation convinced her of that. But it had clearly been a long time since someone had touched her like he was, each plunge of his fingers bringing an exquisite burn along with fullness and pleasure.

He altered his angle, thrummed her clit faster—and kept her hips pinned down. “Show me just how much you like what I’m doing to you, pretty girl. Show me you like this big bruiser’s rough hands deep inside that perfect, little angel pussy. Claiming. Molding. Shaping you just for me.”

He slapped her clit with the flat of his palm.

She came apart with his name on her lips, shattering, stripped of anything but primitive urges and primal, filthy ecstasy until nothing mattered except him and their wild, fevered connection. Until his touch, her rapture, was all she knew.

Floating, panting, she was just beginning to come back to herself when she heard him growl low. “Again—only this time you’ll come on my tongue.”

Before she could even process his words, his shoulders spread her wide. The rough stubble of his jaw abraded her inner thighs while the flat of his tongue lapped at the sensitive bundle of nerves—and something cool and hard flicked against her clit.

Oh, goddess. Her hips bucked. Was that some kind of piercing? If so, it was the perfect compliment to the velvet softness of his tongue.

She moaned. Bucked once more.

He pinned her to the mattress. Licking. Sucking. Driving her wild.

Then, his tongue plunged inside her tight hole and he pinched her clit.

It was pure, raw sensation and white-hot pleasure.

She screamed, her back bowing as another climax—even more intense than the last—slammed through her, hurtling her through space and time with far more ferocity than the actual gravity drop she’d recently experienced.

This was a revelation. Illumination. An epiphany of the highest order.

She felt cared for. Cherished. Safe. And desperate for more.

“Come inside me.” She was needy. Aching. “Fuck me, Alpha. Claim me as yours.”

“You think you’re ready for me, Angel?” The timbre of his snarl was proof he was well on his way to returning to rut. Well on his way to becoming as mindless and desperate as her.

“Yes.”

“I don’t want you hurting.”

“All I feel is need.”

With a growl, his knee hit the bed.

She couldn’t wait. “Hurry.”

But he didn’t grab her or press his big, warm body against hers. Instead, he cursed and drew back.

“W-what’s wrong?” She flung her hands outward and encountered a chest as hard and unforgiving as stone. One that was unnaturally still. “What is it?”

Silence.

Her hands itched to rip the blindfold aside and see his expression, but she knew even without the covering, she still wouldn’t be able to see—and something about the shift in the air told her she might not want to anyway. That however he was looking at her now, it wasn’t good. “Alpha?”

“It’s fine. You’re fine.” But the deep rasp of rut was absent from his voice. So was the possessive heat. “It’s just … I found something.”

There was a tug at the tatters of the gown under her. The crinkle of paper. Another curse.

Dread wound through her. “What is it? What did you find?”

“An ID … and an object.” He still loomed above, but he sounded so distant now. As if he’d already left her behind. He pressed something soft into her hands. “Here. Cover yourself.”

He’d handed her a blanket. That couldn’t be good.

She clutched it close.

“The ID was tucked into a hidden seam on the inside of your gown,” he explained. “It must have been dislodged when you moved.”

“Does it say who I am?”

“Not who. Just what.”

She braced herself. It had to be awful from the way he sounded. “Tell me, please.”

“You’re a princess.”

CHAPTER 5

PAVEL

A princess. A. Rich. Dainty. Bedazzled. Princess.

Pavel stared at the ID. Then at the sparkling, glowing gem a third the size of his palm that flickered from gold to purple and back again. Then the ID.

He couldn’t believe it.

He’d been so fucking lost in her, he hadn’t noticed the multitude of clues staring his ugly mug in the face.

Addled by lust and the stupidity of the rut, he’d failed to register what the small crown on the inside of her cape or the fine clothes and the daintiness of the female was telling him loud and clear.

Until, of course, he was a heartbeat from finally being buried deep inside her.

Then, in a case of the worst timing ever, he’d seen the corner of the paper peeking out from the scraps of her ruined gown.

He should have fucking shredded it like he had her dress. Instead, he’d given it a closer look.

Now he’d be regretting that move for the rest of his damned life.

Because once he’d pulled on that paper, a larger seam had opened in her gown, and out had come not only the ID but a small, perfect jewel. Flawless and glittering, its shifting iridescent colors, clarity, and cut marked it as rare and incomparable and probably worth enough to keep him and his zalari supplied with enough expensive-as-shit, black market seed for a hundred lifetimes.

Fuuuuck.

The sick, possessive part of him had liked that the omega had no past. No claims on her. Only him.

But now … He stared down at the ID in his hand.

It was a singed lanyard, and within it was a Federation Sector travel document with a stamp from the luxury ship, the Destiny.

Guess that solved the mystery of where she’d been before she dropped into his arms. Not heaven, as was right for such an angel, but a fancy cruiser, the kind of bloated ship he and his crew occasionally raided for fun.

Most of the words had been burned off the ID, but it was impossible to miss the Federation logo transposed over the 3-D image of his beautiful female wearing a glittering tiara perched on her head. Her expression in the ID was different too: slightly sad and definitely haughty.

There was also no missing the few charred letters beneath the ID picture. Some were burned away, but enough remained to fill in the blanks: Pri…ess Ar…V’rali of the V’ra…Royal Fami…

Then there was the glowing gemstone, which was probably worth more than the entire stolen contraband hidden in his cargo holds.

Reality hit with a kick to the balls.

His fallen angel, his female, was a princess. And not just any royalty, but royalty from the Federation Sector of the galaxy that was always after him and his. There wasn’t anyone alive who hadn’t heard of the wealthy, wasteful V’rali Kingdom and its useless overpopulation of princes and princesses. Most of them greedy, grasping, and entitled, living off the coffers of its overburdened population and a crooked Federation.

It was the way of the galaxy, but Pavel hated that his female was a part of it. He hated even more that she was the kind of omega that didn’t just go missing and stay missing.

No, she was a filthy-rich omega princess born to live in a glittering castle and make a celebrated match with a handsome, wealthy Alpha prince. She was supposed to sleep in a grand, ten-layer bed and wear silken threads, not be brought to climax on an ordinary mattress by some gutter-planet worm who’d crawled his way out of the dirt and muck only to have it cling to him still.

Except, fuck that.

He cracked his neck from side to side.

He wanted to keep her anyway.

To pin her to his one-story bed, put his outlaw dick inside her, and do whatever it took to hear her scream his name while she came on his cock.

His life had just gone from simple to complicated at Mach five—and he hated complications. Almost as much as smiling.

“A-A princess?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t feel right.”

He snorted. He had to fucking agree.

“What’s the object?”

“A jewel. A rare, expensive one from the looks of it. Slipped into the interior of your gown—likely to keep it safe from thieves … like me.”

Oh, the irony.

“Pavel? Why don’t I remember?”

She sounded scared.

It was the throat punch he needed. The quickest way to bring about the end to his brief pity party. Because her well-being mattered most.

“It’s okay, Angel.” He drew back. “We’ll get this settled. You’re going to be okay.”

She followed him, rising, one hand clutching the blanket while the other found his shoulder and clung. She had a surprisingly strong grip for such a little, delicate thing. “It doesn’t feel okay. It feels like you’re moving away.”

“I’m right here.”

“Not where it counts.” She slid her hand to his chest, right above the organ crumbling to dust inside him.

Her sweetness threatened to break him.

But he’d overstepped before, and those around him had paid the price.

He could not make the same mistake again.

Federation-fucking-royalty.

He needed to think.

And he definitely couldn’t do that with her tantalizing scent filling his lungs and his dick demanding to be deep inside her.

Because when he shoved the possessive, territorial Alpha shit back down and started thinking with his bigger head rather than his littler one, he got enough bitter clarity to realize it wasn’t just a matter of deciding to keep her, and that was that.

Yes, omegas went missing all the time, caught and captured, traded and taken. But claiming and keeping a royal omega princess was a different matter.

Her kin wouldn’t care about the fated-mates bond. Her body was not her own. It was a pawn, a bargaining chip. Her cunt and ovaries the foundation upon which alliances were made, birthrights and power secured, and planetary governments made to run smoothly. Princesses did not choose who they mated with. Such liaisons were determined by councils and advisers. She was considered as valuable a piece of property as the jewel she had in her possession, maybe even more so.

They would not stop looking for her until they recovered her body or she was returned to the fold.

Trying to substitute charred remains in her place wouldn’t work. They’d have her DNA profile on record.

And his fellow Forbidden Sector exiles might be fierce, their exiled king and queen tough enough to take anyone on, but Federation kings had armies, arsenals, and massive destructive weapons at their disposal.

If he kept her, they’d have to run. Hide out in the hopes that the search for her and the jewel would eventually die down enough for them to find an out-of-the-way place to settle where others wouldn’t be affected and no one would ever find them.

It was doable. Still, there was no pretending there weren’t costs, for them both.

“You rest.” He peeled her fingers from his skin—even though it hurt to do it. Hurt more than the Grog poison-dipped dagger shoved under his rib while locked in the pit or the Tardathian laser that had burned a fist-sized hole in his hip when the guards had wanted entertainment.

“Rest? Now?” Her outrage was almost a match to the one playing out in his trousers.

He ignored both, heading for the door. “I need to confirm that the entire communication network is out and that it’s not just my wrist comms. Then, I’ve got to cobble together some kind of backup security system. Never thought there’d be something that could take out the entire planetary system.”

And I need to get some fucking air and pull my shit together.

“But—”

“Keep that damned blindfold on. That’s an order.” He left the papers and the jewel. He couldn’t yet stand to touch either.

Her lips flattened, her chin tipping upward in challenge.

And all he wanted to do was pull her from that bed, turn her over his knee, and prove to her exactly who ruled who—and how it was going to be between them forevermore.

Because insatiable lust was currently clouding his brain and he couldn’t think of anything but claiming her. Fucking her. Hearing those sweet moans …

Hells. With a curse, he headed toward the door. Just a short while ago he’d been feeding the zalari and his biggest concern had been what to make for dinner. Now, he had a princess in his bed, smoking rubble from a ship in his yard, an expensive, difficult-to-move jewel in his possession, a target on his back, and a dick that was permanently hard.

Utter chaos, the last thing he’d wanted or needed in his life.

“Don’t go.” His princess rose to her knees, the blanket outlining every perfect curve, her body turned unerringly toward his.

Anger slid through him. Frustration too.

Just looking at her was a kick to the gut. Her gorgeous wine-colored curls, a tousled cloud around her shoulders, her pink lips pursed in a worried pout, the stunning whorls of golden color that danced across her lavender skin—all proof of what a priceless treasure she was.

Just not one he might be able to keep.

“What do you want from me, princess?” His voice came out brusquer than intended.

“I-I…” she cleared her throat. “I thought you were keeping me.”

The hole in his chest expanded. His gaze fell to the jewel. “We both know it’s a lot more complicated now.”

A small hesitation. “You said you didn’t care what others thought.”

“I don’t, but I can calculate the pitfalls of keeping you all on my own.”

She stiffened, her demeanor shifting to haughty—hard to do when blindfolded and naked, clutching only a sheet, but somehow she managed. “You make it sound like I’m the one at fault,” she sniped. “Like being a princess is a flaw.”

“It’s not ideal.”

“U-Unbelievable,” she sputtered. “Most Alphas would jump at the chance to be with a princess and have riches and power.”

He’d wounded her. He knew it. Knew he should try and fix it, soothe her, but the idea of other Alphas claiming her only pissed him off more. He was usually so calm, so unruffled—but not when it came to his angel.

“I already told you”—he fought to keep his cool—“I’m not most Alphas. Plus, I have more than enough money and power to satisfy myself. If I keep you, it won’t be for those reasons, but in spite of them. And frankly, you value yourself too cheaply if you think that’s why any Alpha should claim you.”

She reeled as if he’d struck her, her grip on the blanket turning white. “How would I know what I value? I can’t remember anything about myself—and I … I never asked to be a princess or to have an outlaw ex-convict as my fated mate.”

The condescension in her tone egged him on. “And I never asked for you to come dropping out of the sky and wrecking my peace.”

Her shoulders drooped and he felt like a total Alphahole. This was exactly why he needed to get away and think. The emotions were coming too hard, too fast—and he wasn’t used to it.

But she recovered fast, her temper flaring to match one he hadn’t even realized he had.

“Fine.” She flung her hands outward. “Go.”

Frustrated desire and hurt crackled between them.

His eyes narrowed. “You are not the one who gives orders around here, omega.”

“That’s Princess to you. And I can take care of myself. Just as I’ve always done. I don’t need some criminal to help me—or get me off. I can do that all by myself.” Her hand slid down her belly.

Pavel was back across the room in the next heartbeat.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” He seized her wrist, holding it above her head.

He was so close to losing his usual cool.

Just the thought of her dainty fingers sliding through her golden, shimmering pussy was almost enough to send him over the edge.

Still, he kept his grip light—she’d been injured and had gone through an ordeal, and no matter how crazed he got, he would never do anything to hurt her.

She jerked in his hold. “I’m not some fragile thing.”

“Angel,”—his voice was a guttural rasp—“you are to me.” He let the full rumble of his authority thicken his voice. “So, here’s what’s going to happen next. You’re going to settle down, lie back, keep your hands at your sides, and rest. You can do it yourself—or I can strap you to the bed and do it for you. Your choice.”

Her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace, the flush on her skin deepening, the faint, sweet scent of arousal perfuming the air and giving her away.

She liked when he issued commands. Liked the idea of him strapping her down. Liked the idea of those chains snapping around her wrists.

His dick punched against the laces of his trousers. Hells. She was fucking perfect—and way too dangerous to his peace of mind.

“Omega?” He used every ounce of will to bark out his command. “I’m done waiting.”

She didn’t say a word.

Instead, her expression blanked, transforming to remote and frosty as she wrapped haughty disdain around her like a royal cloak and slipped her legs out from under her, unfolding onto her back on the bed as if that was the position she’d wanted to resume all the time.

Her movements were dainty and smooth—despite the fact that he kept hold of her wrist the entire time, his grip moving with her so that by the end, she was lying on her back, the arm he held stretched over her head while she secured the blanket to her round tits with the other hand. The jewel sparkled by her side. The ID sat there as well.

He grunted in approval. “Smart choice.”

Her lips pressed tight.

She might be listening to him, but she was hardly cowed. More like waiting for her chance. Regal contempt oozed from every gorgeous pore. She might be a princess, but he got the sense she liked to break the rules—a lot.

His dick only got harder. He loved her spirit.

But was it the kind that would flourish on the run or wither?

“Rest.” He forced himself to let go of her silky skin one finger at a time. “It will help with your eyes and your memories.”

She didn’t respond.

He knew he deserved it.

He’d taken a step back so he could ensure that keeping her was the right move, but it felt like he was losing her anyway.

He headed for the door but turned at the threshold. “Angel, you think you’re the only one dying here? I’m a fucking criminal used to taking what I want. But I’m trying to do the right thing for once. Because you deserve more. You deserve everything.”

CHAPTER 6

ARI

Ugh. Pavel had ruined her righteous sense of anger, saying the sweetest of things.

But how could not touching her be the right move?

She understood he sought to protect her, but the sense of being rejected, of being underestimated, tightened around her lungs like a constricting chain.

She’d felt this way before—and it had hurt then too.

She got it. She was allegedly a princess. He was a criminal. She likely did her best to uphold the rule of law while he served to undercut it.

The knowledge of the wide gulf in their circumstances should probably horrify her, just as it did him.

But it didn’t.

It excited her. More than that, it felt right.

Maybe because she knew most royalty were criminals too.

Maybe because she recognized the wild, reckless lawlessness in his soul as if it were a mirror image of her own.

Maybe because she felt bad to the bone in all the ways that mattered most.

She’d thought he felt the same.

Instead, he’d walked away. Likely deciding she was more trouble than she was worth. Just like the rest.

Heavy footfalls echoed down the hall and then faded away, making her feel all the more bereft.

And with every breath she took, unclouded by his tantalizing scent and the haze of heat, her displeasure with her behavior increased while her frustration with his lessened.

He was right to consider the consequences. Right to take a moment to think.

She shouldn’t have pushed or been so reckless.

She had the sneaking suspicion, though, that she couldn’t blame her behavior on her current trauma. She feared she was a handful, even when she had all her memories.

Trouble with a capital T. Definitely not an angel.

Maybe even more than an outlaw could handle.

Her hand stretched out and found the jewel. The edges cut into her palm as she wrapped one hand tightly around it. The Prinzessin gem, a priceless treasure from the Inner Planetary Zone. Perfect in cut, clarity, and color, its beauty was only surpassed by its toxicity, its history intertwined with generations of war and the greed of those who tried to keep it for their own.

And it was hers.

Unlike her name or her past, those facts filtered through her brain with ease.

And then something else: the bone-deep certainty that she needed to get the jewel somewhere else. Trade it. Unload it. Barter it. Ugh. She wasn’t sure why. Only that it was essential.

Blurred faces hovered at the edge of her mind—expectant, desperate, hungry, hopeful—before drifting into nothingness, though the sense of urgency remained, a tight fist around her throat.

Frustrated, she slammed her fist against the mattress.

She couldn’t afford to fail. Except she had no idea what she was supposed to be succeeding at.

She did, however, know what she needed to do next.

She counted to one hundred and then counted again.

Then, ears straining, she listened. Nothing.

As quietly as possible, she slid off the bed, the jewel clutched in her hand, the floor cool beneath her bare feet. She wrapped the blanket around her and tucked the edge into her cleavage.

She left the ID. She didn’t want the stupid thing. It had ruined everything.

She didn’t bother taking off the blindfold either. She couldn’t see yet, and the dark helped ease the pain from straining to change that. Plus, her instincts shouted that she liked the darkness and felt comfortable in it.

She cocked her head and listened once more—still silence.

Hands in front of her, the gem held tight in one, she shuffled along. One careful step at a time—for all of five steps. Then, she picked up speed, her steps sure.

Even without her sight, she could intuit the layout, easily avoiding the trunk that lay at the base of the bed and the wide chairs and table in the middle of the room.

Astonishing. This had to be related to her omega gift, but what was it exactly?

She crossed the threshold and increased her pace.

It was impossible to picture a place one had never seen. Still, somehow she registered the lack of clutter, the open floor plan, even where the exits lay—as if some sixth sense recognized the different energies of the inanimate objects around her and shaded them in, creating a map in her mind’s eye of the layout of the place. She even knew the safe, hidden back the way she’d come, full of Abzalian crystals, Romulean diamonds, and a host of other rare and expensive treasures.

Goddess help her. Pavel hadn’t been lying when he said he was rich.

Her fingers itched to return and examine each gorgeous gem. Hold them in her hands. Assess their weight and color. Some were worth almost as much as the jewel in her hand. Together, they’d be worth a king’s ransom.

She stilled, a sinking feeling blooming low in her belly.

Was she a greedy, grasping princess on top of everything else? Did she only want the jewel in her hand so she could trade it for something even bigger and increase her wealth?

No wonder Pavel had begun to rethink wanting her.

A slight scuffling noise yanked her from her musings. She had to focus.

Someone was after her and the jewel. Not here and now. But from before. She was sure of it.

Another good reason why, as hard as it was to admit, Pavel was right to be wary and why she needed to go.

She brought too many complications to his doorstep.

Challenging as the fated-mate bond made it for her to leave, the connection would fade over time once they were apart. She knew that much.

She’d always be thankful to Pavel for saving her and caring for her, but the best way to show her gratitude was to go before dragging him into whatever intrigue shadowed her and he regretted getting involved.

She might be trouble, but she wasn’t a selfish, entitled jerk.

Pavel deserved no less than the same kindness he’d extended toward her.

Plus, look what happened to those who depended on her? She couldn’t even remember what she was supposed to do with the jewel or who she was supposed to be helping.

She turned a corner on silent feet, navigated around a seating area, and headed toward the big, wide door she could sense lay straight ahead.

The organ inside her chest hurt. Her wrists and throat stung in protest. The jewel’s sharp edges dug into her palm. Her body throbbed and ached.

She ignored it all.

Whatever she’d gotten herself involved in, it was up to her to figure out and fix. Just like always.

She’d get as far from the crash site—and whoever was after her—as she could and then hunker down at the first disreputable guest lodgings she could find that wouldn’t ask questions or demand payment upfront. There, she’d wait for her memories to return. Once they did, she’d return to her princess duties and intrigue and fix whatever mess she was in.

She operated best alone, and it was wise to keep it that way.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

She gasped—and bounced off Pavel’s massive chest, skittering back.

The jewel almost flew from her hand. She tightened her fist and just managed to keep hold.

Where had he come from? Apparently, her abilities didn’t extend to flesh and blood objects, no matter how massive.

“Omega, care to tell me why you disobeyed my orders and are out of our bed?”

Our bed? Nope. She’d already decided he was safer without her—and her heart was too.

Swiveling, she darted back the way she came. Though every instinct inside her screamed in protest, she knew Pavel had been right before. Her departure was the wisest course.

She’d trade the jewel and protect her friends as she’d always planned.

Friends? She almost stopped short.

Is that who she was supposed to help with the jewel? Were they the reason she had the gem? She shoved the distracting thoughts aside in favor of escape, sprinting harder.

There was a second exit in this other direction. She sensed it easily, and if she could make it there, she might just have a shot.

Heavy footfalls sounded behind her.

PAVEL

Pavel could not believe it.

His single working horn snapped straight as he jogged after her. His dainty-looking princess was a fucking handful and a hellion. More trouble even than some of the bastards imprisoned in the pit with him.

A misleadingly fragile-looking angel with an outlaw’s heart.

He loved it.

He thought he’d wanted quiet and isolation. Now, he knew different.

He’d been trying to get the comms back online—the whole network was down, likely due to the ship explosion—when she’d glided past, jewel in hand.

Honestly, he’d been so surprised, he’d initially just stared, mouth open.

Then, it had looked as if she was about to knock full-tilt into a chair, so he’d jumped up, about to shout—and then swallowed down the bellow as she skirted the furniture without pause. As if she could see.

Except she couldn’t.

He was one hundred percent certain she hadn’t lied to him about that—and the black blindfold he’d put around her eyes was securely in place, her deep red curls a wild tangle around it.

So, he’d waited to see what she would do next and confirm his suspicions.

And hells if he hadn’t enjoyed himself the entire time he’d watched her sashay through his place as if she knew it by heart—until she almost made it to the door and hadn’t even paused in her exit strategy. As if leaving him behind was no big thing.

Fuck. That.

That part, he hadn’t enjoyed at all.

He’d left her alone because he needed a couple of beats to think without the scent and sight of her kicking him into rut and clouding his brain.

But once he’d gotten some breathing room, he’d concluded the same thing his dick had been telling him all along.

He was keeping her, no matter the complications.

He was a fucking thief, so locking down the most precious, priceless thing he’d ever stumbled across was just natural instinct; a predator doing what he was born to do.

The house that had always seemed so big didn’t seem empty anymore, while the solitude he’d thought he wanted suddenly felt all-too stale.

He’d been finishing up and planning to return to explain to her, calmly and cooly—as was his usual MO—how things would be.

Apparently, however, the same distance that had convinced him his instinct had been right all along had led his angel to formulate a new plan: one that didn’t include him.

Not. Happening.

She might be a princess, but she was his to rule.

And that calm, cool MO he’d been so sure he could maintain? Fraying badly. Especially after she’d bounced off him and then kept on running.

He stalked after her.

He could have caught her easily. He didn’t.

He liked watching her round ass bounce beneath the thin blanket while her hair flew behind her, a ribbon of red silk. The predator in him enjoyed hunting his prey, hearing her rush of breath and the wild, frantic slam of her heartbeat.

Except then, she cut right and ducked under a tarp, and his stomach dropped, the last of his control splintering.

He had no idea how she knew that hole in the wall was there, but she’d slipped into an unfinished section. A room covered in dirt and dust, with sharp, dangerous tools littering the floor, and an unfinished open frame for an exit, covered by nothing more than a tarp.

He ducked after her and accelerated his pace. “Watch out for—”

She darted around a stack of tools in one corner.

His heart—which had stuttered and stilled—started up again.

“Omega, stop running. Now.” He couldn’t stand the thought of her hurt—even her stubbing a tiny, dainty toe while under his watch would kill him. “You can’t see. It’s too dangerous.”

She sped up, heading straight for the open exit. “No, I’m the one who’s too dangerous. Goodbye, Pavel.”

Fuck. He knew he’d hurt her. And he’d be making it up to her.

After he punished her for this stunt.

She was way too reckless and headstrong.

And perfect.

“Omega, I mean it. Stop running.”

“No. Stay away.” She reached the exit.

“Never.” He leaped, taking her down, arms wrapping around her chest to haul her close as he twisted in mid-air and took the brunt of the fall on his back, his body curled around hers.

He rolled in the next instant, pinning her to the dirty floor. She bucked and shrieked.

He captured her hands above her head.

Her blindfold was off-kilter, her hair even more tangled than before, dirt and dust smudge now added to the soot—and she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

He lowered more of his chest onto hers and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Time to find out what happens to pretty, little princesses who run from outlaws.”

CHAPTER 7

ARI

Pavel flipped her over, ripped aside the makeshift blanket dress, and tossed her onto his lap. In the next instant, he pinned her, face-down, over his thick thighs.

He wasn’t even breathing hard, the big jerk.

His giant paw rested ominously on her bottom. That single hand was big and strong enough to trap her in place.

The darkness of the blindfold only amplified the rough rasp of his breath, her vulnerability.

“I told you to rest, Princess.”

“I was, in my own way.”

A beat of silence. “I don’t like smart-ass liars.”

She swallowed hard. That could be a problem. Somehow, she knew she was all that and more. A skilled liar. A pretender of the highest order. Which was why she said, “I’m not.”

“Hmmm.” His palm dragged across her bottom, raising heat. “You’re going to start being honest with me.” His voice had dropped to a low, dangerous rasp. “Or maybe you’re the kind who learns better by making mistakes and being corrected?”

A warm heat blazed in her lower belly. She pressed her thighs together to stanch the fire his words sparked.

Goddess, was that what she liked? The slick coating the tops of her thighs refused to allow her to lie to herself.

The sisters had said something similar about her once. Sisters? She sucked down a breath.

But the heavy weight of Pavel’s hand kneading her bottom reclaimed her attention. “I was right. The entire communications network is out, but I was able to look up an old reference file I downloaded long ago on royal targets. Not much in there but lists, but I did find a Princess Ariana of the V’rali. You—”

“Don’t call me that. Please.” The name sounded all wrong. “I-I prefer Angel.”

There was a heartbeat of silence before he spoke again. “You come from a long line of Federation V’rali royals. Parents deceased. Unmated. No young either.”

Thank the goddess for that. But she’d already suspected there was no other male in her life, that her heart belonged only to Pavel.

“Which is good, Angel.” He emphasized her preferred name, and something inside her eased until he spoke again. “No need for me to kill anyone to make you mine.” He didn’t sound as if he was joking. “But just because you’re a princess doesn’t mean you can act like a brat.” His hand tapped her bottom.

“What are you doing?” She bucked, trying to throw him off.

“What we both need.” Slap. This time his palm landed on the curve of her ass. Not too hard. But enough to get her attention. “Consequences, omega.”

She sucked down a sharp breath.

Slap. He did it again. With a little more heat. “When I tell you to stay, you stay put.”

She snarled. Fought harder. She needed to be strong. To prevent the attraction that sparked so easily between them from making her forget it was safer for them both if she left. “Rut you.”

Slap. “That doesn’t sound very princess-like to me.”

“Maybe not,” she snapped back, panting and wiggling beneath him, the growing ache between her thighs making her angrier than his actual audacity. “But you’re behaving exactly how a big, brutish, uncivilized outlaw would.”

“Good.” He chuckled low, but there was little humor in the sound. “It’s a hell of a lot less hypocritical than the avenging crusader soldier I once was.”

Curiosity sparked. She wondered about the thread of pain beneath his words. Wished to soothe away every hurt.

And then remembered he’d left her in that room.

She bucked beneath him once more. “Let me go! This is no way to treat a princess.”

He growled. “You’re right. But it is the way I handle my omega.”

“I’m not yours.” It hurt to say.

“Wrong.” He wound his hand through her hair and tugged, arching her back and locking her in place. She bit back a moan, the vulnerability only making her traitorous, stupid body tingle everywhere it shouldn’t. It got worse as his rough hand dragged over her bottom, kneading the sensitive skin, ensuring that that pain slid into pleasure and heightened both.

“S-stop.”

“Outlaws don’t stop.” He slid his hand between her thighs. “Uncivilized brutes don’t listen. We take what we want when we want.” He cupped her mons. “We break the rules and cross lines.”

She panted beneath his hold. “You want the jewel? Fine. You can have it.” She’d steal it back later. “Just let me go.”

“I already have it, but that’s not the treasure I’m after.” He brushed the tips of his fingers across the soft, slick petals of her folds.

She froze. Stiffened. She was fucking drenched—and now he knew it.

He groaned. “My filthy, little, perfect princess.” He slid the pad of a single finger through her slippery folds, claiming his territory. “You like being chased by your outlaw? Breaking the rules?”

“N-No. I …”

He thumbed her clit.

She moaned, going slack over his lap, her thighs widening. It felt so good. Too good. She could slip away later. Show him she didn’t need him to keep her later. Force her memories to return later. Right now, she wanted this. Him. Her hips tilted upward. “Please.”

“That’s right.” He rewarded her, working the pad of his thumb across the needy bundle of nerves. Slowly. Gently. Deliberately. “You might be their princess, but your body belongs to me.”

Her honey drenched his fingers.

“Tell me you like it.”

He’d already taken too much, her body responding to him—caving to him—despite her best intentions. She refused to damn herself with her words as well. “Go to hells.”

He worked her faster.

She trembled in his hold. Moaned.

“Tell me you won’t run again.” He slipped a finger inside her. Then, another.

She cried out, her slit contracting around his fingers, milking him, the first flutter of her climax beginning. Oh, so good. It was heaven. She—

He lifted his hand.

She cried out. “W-why did you stop?”

He slapped her ass. “Consequences.”

She wanted to claw his eyes out. And beg him to fuck her. Keep her. Soothe the hurt he’d caused when he walked away.

She did none of that. “You Alphahole.”

He chuckled once more. “Your Alphahole. Your outlaw. Your male—the one who’s going to teach his hellion angel some manners.”

His stupid words only made her hotter, made her squirm over his lap, made the ache between her thighs greater.

And he knew.

“You want to come, Angel?” He kept her pinned tight. “You tell me exactly what I want to hear. Otherwise, it all begins again.”

She shuddered beneath his hands. “No.”

He slid his hand up the sensitive skin at the back of her thigh, glided between her legs. “Outlaws don’t do well with the word no.”

His thumb ghosted over her clit.

“Yes!”

“Better.” He circled the swollen nub of flesh. “Tell me.” He worked her faster. “I don’t care how you acted with all of them. With me, you tell me your truths. You don’t pretend.”

Wasn’t that what she’d always wanted?

He circled her clit again, alternating his siege with light slaps of her ass. Until the slight sting turned to a feverish burn, and she lifted her ass to meet his palm, her legs sliding open. Desperate for him to touch her and quell the growing ache inside.

“I-I like it.” Her confession came out in a rush. “You’re right. I like it when you touch me. Even when I’m mad at you, you make me feel so good.”

“It’s a start.” He thrummed her clit once more.

She moaned low. “Please.”

“Tell me you won’t run again.”

Her breathing hitched.

“Tell me.” He worked his finger inside her slick hole. “Tell me you’re mine. Tell me even a scarred sinner like myself gets the good girl every once in a while.”

She came apart on his hands, drenching his fingers as she screamed his name, her body soaring higher than she’d been on that ship. This male. This moment. This was her true destiny.

She wasn’t sure she was a good girl, but she wanted to be his good girl. She wanted to be his everything.

It was several heartbeats before she floated back to herself, the heat of his body, the steady weight of his palm caressing her back, making her feel safe and happy.

“Baby?” His hand ran down her spine. “I still need you to tell me you’re staying put.”

Reality hit with the force of a laser strike, the delicious glow vanishing. “You don’t understand. Someone is after me. And I’m supposed to be using the jewel to save someone, maybe friends of mine.”

His hand stilled. “Explain.”

She tried to catch her breath enough to think straight, but all her efforts did was make her brain feel more muddled. “I don’t know. I can’t remember. But I know it’s true. Someone is chasing me. Hunting me. I-I don’t want you hurt too.”

“I can handle myself.”

She shook her head, her throat tight. “The Federation won’t let you keep me or the jewel.”

He grunted low, a lethal sound. “They won’t be able to stop me. No one knows better how to guard a priceless treasure than an outlaw and a thief. And I don’t give a shit about the gem, but I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep them from taking you.”

Joy and panic arrowed through her in equal measure. His words were all she craved to hear—and all she feared. If Pavel kept her, he would be in danger too. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“You didn’t. I’m telling you how it’s going to be.”

“I can’t let you—”

He growled low, gripping her hair and tugging. “No more arguing. I’ll deal with them—after I deal with you.” He flipped her over in the next heartbeat, handling her with ease, lifting her so she straddled him, her sore bottom resting on his thighs—and even better, her core pressed right up against a massive bulge.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, beautiful.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I needed to be free of the rut to be sure this wasn’t just right for me but for you too. ”

She let out a small sound, half-hiccup, half-sob. Had anyone ever put her happiness first before? She didn’t think so. She let her palms slide over his hard chest and absorb the pounding of his heart.

His hands cradled her jaw. “Is that why you were leaving? To help these friends?”

“In part. I can’t just desert them.”

“Do you remember anything about them? Or how the jewel was meant to help them?”

There was no point lying. “No. Not yet.”

“Then, that’s that. Until you remember more, nothing can be done on that front. We focus instead on keeping you safe. You don’t need a past to have a future with me.”

His words were so sweet. And he was so confident. He almost made her believe they could find a way to make it work. Almost.

His hands rose to curl around her hips, locking her in place. “For me, it’s not even a question. I’m all in.” It was as if he heard her thoughts, and her fears. “But I need to be sure you understand that I can never be your official consort or even enter Federation territory. If you let me keep you, you can never go back to being a princess.”

She weighed his words. He was right. He was a wanted criminal. He’d be captured and executed by Federation soldiers if caught. To stay with him meant relinquishing the life she’d once led.

She might not remember what life as a V’rali royal had been like, but she could picture the fancy dresses, the glittering ballrooms, the life of leisure and luxury. She could even recall brief flashes where she’d been dazzled by the glamour, the glitter, the power.

But she could also recall feeling like an outsider who never quite fit in.

“I know there will be costs, but renouncing my princess title feels surprisingly easy to do. There are other considerations that weigh heavier on me.”

“Yeah.” His grip tightened. “You’ll be giving up everything.”

He didn’t get it. “Not what matters most.” She rocked on his cock and was rewarded by his low groan. “You could be in danger.”

“I was a wanted outlaw long before I found you. My life was always in danger.” He dismissed her concern. “I can handle myself.”

“This could be more than you bargain for—and you’ll be on the run.”

“I spend half my life traveling because of my job, living out of my shuttle. I know what I’m asking of us both.”

He was so convincing. Could it really be that it would cost him as little to leave as it would cost her to cast off the title of princess? Or did she simply want to believe?

“I don’t know what the future holds,” she conceded, “but I know I’m exactly where I want to be right now.” Her voice broke. “Getting the chance to know you feels like the greatest honor I could ever receive.”

“Damn it, female. I’m no hero. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because I rescued you, I’m a good male. I’m not. I’m selfish enough to keep you, aren’t I?”

“I want you to keep me.” She forced herself to give words to her dread. “But I-I fear it too. A part of me is so sure these moments are precious but slipping away. As if we won’t have many before they come for me.”

“I won’t let them.” His free hand fisted in her hair, tilting her head up as if he could see through the blindfold to what was in her gaze—and her heart.

So she gave him the words to match. “It doesn’t matter to me what you’ve done or anything that came before because I can sense your soul, and I can’t honestly tell if it’s good or beautiful or perfect, but I can tell it’s good for me, beautiful to me, perfect for me.”

His hold loosened further. “Fuck, omega. When you put it like that …”

“You’ll let me give the orders?”

He gave another rusty bark, but it sounded like the most beautiful of melodies to her ears. “Hells no.” A slight pause. “But I will take your suggestions under advisement.”

“Then I suggest you kiss me.”

CHAPTER 8

ARI

Pavel pressed his lips to hers.

She’d expected them to feel rough. Coarse. Like the male himself.

Instead, his lips were soft against hers, teasing the width of her upper lip, brushing back and forth. Gentle. Tantalizing.

She moaned low.

She’d never felt anything like it, the studs an erotic shock of sensation, the icy cool of the metal making the searing heat of his lips even hotter.

She couldn’t wait to discover what other secrets were in store.

He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and growled low. “This is our time. No one is taking you away from me.”

She shivered, every nerve inside her alive as never before.

And still, a little voice whispered: you’re trouble. Always have been. Always will be.

She couldn’t bear to think of being too much trouble for Pavel. Couldn’t bear to think of causing him pain, or proving lacking and giving him reason to regret keeping her. Like in the past.

Then his mouth slanted over hers, and she forgot everything except the mouthwatering taste of him.

It was a full claiming. His tongue licked inside, a sensual demand that gave no quarter, that fucked her mouth like a fierce promise. A prelude of what was to come.

She loved it.

“Please.” She squirmed against him. “You said criminals take—so take.” She nipped his jaw. “Take me, Pavel. Fuck me. Rut me. I might be a good girl, but I want to be bad with you.”

With a roar, he shot to standing, his hands gripping her bottom. Her spine hit the wall, his body slotting against hers as she wrapped her legs around his hips, his cock poised at her core.

She might not be able to see him, but she sensed him. His fierceness, his strength. He was all she wanted and more.

She smiled wide in his direction.

“You’re gonna change everything, aren’t you, Angel?” He pressed his forehead to hers. “And I’m going to love every second of it.”

Before she could catch her breath, he rocked his hips, slapping his cock against her pussy. She squealed.

“Is this what you want, Angel? To get fucked by the bad guy?”

“Yes.”

“You need that sweet, little cunt taken care of by sour, scarred me?”

“Yes.” She was already so wet from her earlier climax, her pussy aching for more.

Slap. He did it again. Right over her clit—sending a rush of blood to the already throbbing bundle of nerves—making her almost come on the spot.

“You remember who gives the orders around here?” His fingers dug into her ass.

“You do.” Slick dripped from her folds.

“Then you know I’m going to do what I like, when I like it.” Another light tap.

“Mmm.” Desire had her in a stranglehold. All she could do was pant. Moan.

And rather than feel lost, she was anchored in a way she’d never been before. Tethered to this male and this moment by the hot press of lips against her throat, his hands gripping her bottom, and the pure, glowing beauty of the fated-mate tie curling through cell and sinew to bind the two of them ever closer.

Home. Roots. Refuge.

This male said he wasn’t good, but he was great to her.

She only hoped she could say the same about her effect on him. You’re trouble. Always have been. Always will be.

“You tasted so good, omega.” His voice was a rasp by her ear, pulling her once more from her memories and replacing them with something far better. “Like the sweetest cream. Just how I knew an angel would taste. I’m already dreaming of going down on you again. Of devouring that juicy pussy and feeling you squirm on my tongue.”

His words made her even more desperate.

“But before I do that, I’m going to take you now. Going to fuck you deep, omega. Going to give us both what we need.”

“Yes!”

There had to be a way for them to make this work. One didn’t just fall from the sky one rotation into the arms of one’s mate only to lose it all.

They were meant to be. It was fate.

She didn’t have to know her past to know what she wanted her future to hold.

And how much trouble could an ex-princess really be? If she was on her best behavior—outside of the bedroom, of course—he’d never need to know what a handful she could truly be.

PAVEL

Grabbing his cock, Pavel lined himself up with the prettiest fucking pussy he’d ever seen, the head of his cock slipping easily through her slick. “You’re fucking soaked. For me.” He growled low. “My sweet, dirty angel. You don’t fucking know how hard that gets me.”

“Show me. Come inside me.” She rolled her hips, making him even harder.

She was such a hellion—and all he wanted to do was dirty her up and make her even wilder.

Was it wrong to push her? To demand her repeated surrender, especially so soon after her ordeal? Especially when she didn’t know what a grumpy, ugly, baggage-heavy bastard she was actually getting in this bargain?

Probably, but he hadn’t been a good male in a long time—and she was his. To do with as he liked.

And what he liked was to hear her screams of pleasure echoing through his house, her wine-colored hair tangled in the blindfold while her shimmering body wriggled on his lap, soaking his trousers with her slick, and her pink, pretty lips parted in a sexy, breathless O.

She looked so delicate, almost regal, but her cravings were anything but. Indecent, filthy, they were as craven as his own. His gorgeous, little female liked a bite of fear with her pleasure, responded to a bit of roughness, and craved his dominance as much as he needed to give it to her.

It drove him fucking crazy.

She was perfect.

He’d thought he knew what contentment was before her, before this.

He’d had no fucking clue.

Now, he knew he’d never be happy unless her voice echoed through his home forever more.

He couldn’t wait to be balls deep inside her.

Gaze locked on her beautiful face, he held himself poised at her entrance. “No more running, beautiful. From here on out, you’re mine.”

He thrust inside.

She screamed.

“Fuck, so tight.” He stilled, rocking just the tip inside, struggling for control. “I need you to take more of me, Angel.” He needed her to take everything he had to give. To say she’d stay with him forever.

“Yes, yes.” She shook against him, wild and frenzied.

He fought back the urge to sink deep in one brutal stroke. Her pleasure came first.

He lifted her higher, sliding her back up against the wall. Only to guide her downward, working himself deeper inside her an inch at a time, the pleasure intense as her channel stretched, giving way to his cock.

She felt like heaven. More than a sinner like him deserved—more than he’d ever expected to feel again.

“Good girl. My angel. My princess.” He’d keep her safe. Take her away. Run so far and fast that no one hunting her would ever find her.

She purred.

He growled in return, an answering harmony, fusing his lips to hers and rocking deeper. He loved the taste of her: sweetness with an edge. An angel with a tarnished halo.

But whatever her sins, he knew they weren’t anything compared to his.

“Almost there, Angel.” He gripped her bottom, jiggling her up and down, each lift purposely sending her clit rapping against his stomach. Pure ecstasy. “We’re going to train that pussy to take me. Mold that sweet cunt to my cock so we’re a perfect fit.”

“Y-yes.”

He slapped her clit against him. Once. Twice.

She cried out.

He sank all the way inside.

She whimpered. Purred once more. “So good.”

“Fuck, yes.” He dragged his cock in and out. “I wasn’t even looking for a treasure, and I found the most priceless one there is.”

She moaned low.

The marks on his wrists burned hotter. “I’m going to protect you from everything, beautiful.” Everything he’d ever had, ever cared about, had slipped through his fingers—and he’d never cared about keeping anything as badly as he wanted to keep her.

“I’ll do the same for you, my fierce Alpha.” She wrapped her legs tighter around his hips as if she could hold him to her, keep him safe.

Tenderness whispered through him, as fierce and reckless as his lust.

Was there ever a female more extraordinary?

He claimed her mouth once more.

Desperate, wild.

Then, he pressed kisses to the hollow of her throat, the curve of her shoulder, devouring every sweat-slicked inch of skin.

Her nails raked his back, her body trembling beneath his.

He drove deep once more.

The air was crisper, colors brighter, sounds more vivid now that she was here—and taste … taste had a whole new level to it now that he’d had his tongue all over her.

“Pavel, yes. That feels so good. Never stop.”

He worked her harder. Faster.

His fangs punched at his gums.

He wanted to drive inside her and sink his fangs into her skin at the same time, claim her forever.

He held himself back, willing his fangs to retract. Barely.

Not for himself. Hells no. Every cell inside him recognized her as his.

But what if she wanted to leave herself? What if being on the run with a banged-up outlaw got old fast? It wasn’t as if he couldn’t sense her continued hesitation.

He’d already told her his truth. He’d fight anyone who tried to take her from him. But the other truth was, he wouldn’t fight her, not if she truly wanted to go. Her happiness came first.

So, yes, he knew he was an Alphahole for stealing this moment with her when everything was up in the air, but he was a fucking thief and an outlaw and a rule-breaker, and he’d willingly blacken more of his soul to take whatever time he could with her.

But apparently, even a bastard like himself had limits when it came to his female. So, he’d hold off biting her and wait to claim her fully until she had time to get to know him and acclimatize herself to her new situation and the idea of living life on the run.

He’d do his best to convince her. Rut and knot her so good, and so often, all she noticed about her surroundings was how blissed out she was when he was deep inside her.

He was definitely up for that.

His knot swelled.

He never wanted this moment to end.

But the tight grip of her pussy and those sweet purring sounds of hers were making it impossible to fight the tingling at the base of his spine, his balls pulling up tight.

“Pavel, I’m going to come.” She shook against him. “Come with me. Together.”

“Yes. Together. Always. So fucking tight, So perfect.” He pressed his lips to her temple and rocked deeper. “Like you were made for me.

“Maybe I was.”

That was all it took to snap the last of his control.

He pinned her to the wall. Wrapping one hand around her throat, he slid the other under her ass and bounced her harder and faster on his cock.

He rutted her in earnest, his hips jack-hammering as his balls drew tight and his knot grew and grew. Too far gone, too frenzied to care, as pieces of the half-constructed wall crumbled and the stacks of boards quaked with every one of his thrusts.

He doubted he’d notice if the whole structure fell around him—after so long thinking these four walls would bring him peace and a sense of place, he realized he’d been a fool. This female, this angel, was all he needed for that.

“Yes!” She shattered, screaming his name.

Her climax kick-started his own, hot liquid spilling from him as he filled her with his cum and his knot locked them together. Mind, body, and soul simultaneously wrecked and content in a way he’d never been before.

He’d made his life just so. Kept to himself. Learned to enjoy the solitude. Then, she’d torn through the sky and ripped his world apart.

He used to think silence was the sweetest sound. Now the melodic pitch of her voice with that faintly honeyed rasp beneath was his new favorite.

He’d thought he preferred the smells of open-air wasteland, shuttle grease, and soldered metal. Now he knew he’d trade them all in a heartbeat for one breath of starlight and lace tinged with the faint scent of ash.

It used to be all he wanted was solitude and no surprises. Now he craved her and the chaos and the falling, burning sky and every bit of wild, explosive adventure, complication, and sweetness she brought with her.

He’d been fine before, but now? Now he was truly living—and if she left, he was pretty damn sure he wouldn’t survive at all.

CHAPTER 9

ARI

The warm, soothing water of the bath felt amazing against her skin. The only thing she was missing was Pavel’s hard, muscled heat at her back.

He’d carried her to the bath after he’d finished fucking her and she’d uttered not a peep of protest. For such a fierce, hulking male, he could be incredibly sweet and gentle with her—and then not so gentle at just the right moments.

Plus, Pavel’s bathing tub might be nothing more than a blurred, dark smudge, but it was huge and deep and utter heaven.

Before settling her in the bath, he’d taken off the blindfold, making her promise she’d keep her eyes closed and avoid strain. Then, he’d vowed to hurry back right after he secured the jewel in the safe, got at least a few of his security measures working again, and checked on his cargo.

She was pretty certain she’d drifted off waiting for him.

She sank deeper into the tub, letting the water lap at her shoulders and the tops of her thighs as she used the hand cloth he’d given her to wipe away any remaining cleaning liquid. She didn’t need her eyesight back to know that the steam from the bath had curled her hair at the nape of her neck and left her skin flushed.

She was one hundred percent certain she’d never been so relaxed in her life. Her entire body hummed with pleasant aftershocks, her muscles worn out and sated. She’d been royally fucked, knotted, and rutted, every cell and nerve-ending wrung out with intense pleasure. The organ inside her chest was equally as blissed out. And now, even her skin and scalp were happy.

She could barely muster the energy to move, much less get out of the tub.

The whole bath indulgence felt outlandish, like something she’d only dreamed of doing before. But she was a princess. Such frivolity should have been an every-rotation occurrence, right?

Maybe it had just been a while. Perhaps because of whatever danger hunted her. Indulgent bath time wasn’t likely an option when you were on the run.

But with Pavel near, she felt safe.

And clean. Well, dirty, too, but in the best of ways. She loved being governed by her outlaw.

She might not have her memories, but she was making new ones. Exquisite ones. Happy ones. Ones that felt right. Honest. Real.

She didn’t know who’d she’d been or what she’d been up to when the Destiny exploded, but she did know that plummeting into her outlaw’s arms—falling into him, and for him—was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

But could she say the same for him?

He hadn’t bitten her and made his claim complete and, while she suspected he’d held off out of respect for her and her hesitation, a small part of her feared he also had his own reasons for refraining.

She shifted in the bath, suddenly not so content. Water lapped against her skin and stirred another memory: rain … falling against her skin. The laughter of others dancing in the downpour and the scolding of several older female voices echoed through her mind.

Suddenly, she could see her own dirty feet trouncing through the mud and splashing in puddles. Feel the soaked, rough garments clinging to her skin.

A small hand tugged at the hem of her gray shift. Then, a flash of adoring, golden eyes shadowed by worry. Darla. Her braided, silver hair darkened to metal gray in the rain, her uniform similar. “It’s always more fun when you’re here, Ari.”

She winked. “I love it too. I—”

“Come inside this moment. All of you.” A firm, disdainful voice sounded from the old building just beyond. “This is most unseemly. Not at all proper behavior. You were taught better.”

“Maybe so, but thanks to the leaks, it’s as wet in there as it is out here,” she called back, neither intimated nor deterred.

The voice might be sharp, but she knew after nearly two decades of interactions that the heart beneath was kind—and unable to curb her wildness, despite the thrashings and threats of expulsion. Plus, she’d been kicked out long ago. Now, she returned of her own free will to visit and give back. And occasionally stir up trouble.

“At least this way, we have some fun,” she continued. “They need this. We all do.”

A cheer sounded, the other rebels encouraged by her challenge.

“Hmph. Always trouble. Always have been. Always will be.” But there was as much affection in Sister Lark’s pronouncement as exasperation. And in the next heartbeat, the displeased voice receded.

And the laughter —so rare, so needed—continued. As did the rain.

The sister was right. She was trouble. Always had been. Always would be, especially when it came to those she adored.

“I wish you could stay forever.” Darla reached for her hand.

She grabbed hold, threading their fingers together, smiling as she spun them both. The weight of her responsibilities thickened her throat and made her voice huskier than usual. “I’ll come back—and then you’ll be able to have real running water all the time, not just when it rains. And patches on the roof. A real home.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Determination rang through every cell as she stared down at the hopeful, little face staring up at her.

She would succeed. Be who they needed her to be. Do what needed to be done. Failure wasn’t an option.

“And when I return, you’ll sleep in a real bed, and we’ll eat something besides darithian porridge for every meal. We’ll have dessert every rotation too—even if I have to sneak it to you behind Sister Lark’s back.”

Those golden eyes went wide. “You’d do that. Ari? You really are fearless.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Not fearless, but for you? Determined.”

The small hand squeezed her own. “You promise?”

“I promise. That jewel will give us the home we need.”

She tried to see more, know more, but the harder she tried, the more the recollection blurred at the edges. Until Darla and the press of her small, wet palm and the rain faded away altogether, evaporating like vapor, leaving behind nothing but the haunting scent of something precious.

She’d been … happy. Hungry, yes. Restless and burdened by the weight of responsibility for those around her too, but she’d also been vital and alive and present in that rain-soaked moment. Not hiding away. Not shying away from who she was and what was expected of her.

Not like now.

“What’s wrong?” A dark blur appeared above.

“Pavel.” She sat up, sending water surging against the sides. “What did you find? Are the zalari and the shuttle okay?”

“I said to keep those eyes closed.”

She snapped them shut and hid a smile, his bossy care warming her again despite the troubling memory. Something about that prickly voice from her past reminded her of Pavel. Especially when she knew it stemmed from concern.

Someone had cared for her once. Just not enough to keep her.

She wondered if it would be the same with Pavel in the end. He hadn’t bitten her after all …

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I just remembered something.” A dull throbbing bloomed at her temples.

There was the sound of knees hitting the floor. Then, a gentle fingertip tilted her chin up. “Tell me.”

Soothed by his scent and his touch, she did as he demanded, doing her best to make the impressions into some kind of sensible narrative, but there was so little. No facts, only sensory intangibles, images, and feelings.

He was silent once she finished.

“It’s hard to make sense of.” She filled the quiet. “But what kind of princess stomps in the mud? Wears rags? Argues with sisters? And what did I promise Darla?”

The steady stroke of his hands across her brow never faltered. “I don’t know. Until the memories return on their own, there’s no point worrying yourself or straining to remember. It will only make your head hurt more—and I don’t want you doing anything that will make you feel worse. You got me?”

She sighed. She appreciated his care, but she sensed the tension inside him coiling tighter with every word she spoke.

He was afraid of her past too.

But until she remembered, he was right. There was nothing she could do. Plus, she had promised herself she would behave so that Pavel wouldn’t regret keeping her.

“I got you,” she conceded at last.

“Good.” There was the slightest of pauses. “You missed a spot.”

There was a rustle of clothes, a loud splash, and a rise in the water around her. Then hot steel at her back as her Alpha slid her forward and folded himself into the bath behind her.

She shivered and gave a contented sigh, sinking back against his broad chest. Despite her worries, having him beside her made everything better.

“Let me.” He took the washcloth from her. The press of thick thighs on either side of hers anchored her in place. Otherwise, she might have floated away on a cloud of contentment.

Without her sight, every other sense was heightened, every sensation vivid, especially that of the chiseled, breathing wall of muscle at her back, the slow strokes of the washcloth along her arms—and the riot of feelings in her chest.

“I appreciate so much everything you’ve done for me. I dropped from nowhere, and you’ve been nothing but wonderful. I’d be lost without you.”

“You’d find your way no matter what. You’re formidable. Resourceful. Determined. I don’t need to know your past to see that.” His voice dipped to a low rasp. “But I will always be here to catch you, beautiful. No matter how far you fall or how lost you feel.”

His vow slid through her, as delicious a caress as all his others. Exactly what she needed.

She sensed she wasn’t always so wobbly when it came to her sense of self, but the confusion over her memories had left her off-kilter.

“Now, as for more practical concerns, the damage to the buildings from the debris isn’t too bad, and the zalaris are fine.” He shifted to no-nonsense considerations with an ease that amused her. “I hid what wreckage I could find and cobbled together a work-around with the security system near the property, so that will help to keep out unwanted guests, but it’s not foolproof. If someone’s looking hard enough, they’ll notice the aerial crash marks and realize they’re significant enough to warrant an investigation.” He dragged the washcloth across her shoulder, leaving a warm, soothing trail in his wake. “But we’ll be moving on soon, so we won’t have to worry about it long.”

She braced herself. “Pavel—”

“There was also a crack in one of the shuttle wings care of the fallen wreckage. I patched it, but it will require a second seal before it’s safe to fly. I’ll put on the second coat as soon as this first round dries. It should be good by tomorrow.”

He was good with his hands—no surprise—and no stranger to hard work. Another tidbit about him she found fascinating. But then again, everything about him drew her. “That’s amazing, and you’re clearly very handy, but—”

“We’ll need to make one stop before we get gone. I need to tell my king and my business partner face-to-face that I’m leaving.”

“Pavel.” She sat up. Or tried to. “You need to let me speak.”

He held tight, keeping her nestled against his chest, his sigh low and long as if he knew what she was thinking. “We can’t stay. They’ll come for you. I know you remember promising this little omega something, but you have no idea how long ago it happened or what you promised.”

Turns out, he knew exactly what she’d been thinking and, trouble or not, she couldn’t keep the words in. “I can’t just desert Darla. From the bits and pieces of my past I have been able to recall, I know I’m supposed to do something with that jewel. I can’t just ignore that. Much as I wish I could.”

He held her tighter. “I understand. But you can remember from wherever we are. So, if those memories do return and you have unfulfilled promises, as long as they’re not so some spoiled Alpha prince intent on taking you from me, I’ll help you keep them.”

She sat up straight. “You will?”

“Of course.” Pavel glided the washcloth over her shoulder, following it up with the press of his lips against the same area.

Her skin tingled from his kiss as relief swept through her. I’ve been responsible on my own for so long. Finally, maybe, I’ve found someone to stand by my side.

The thought was another echo of her past, a fragment of knowledge without the facts behind it.

“Now, enough worrying.” Command deepened his tone. “This bath is about relaxing.”

It wasn’t even a subtle effort to change the subject, but she shivered anyway, need sparking low in her belly as he dragged the washcloth over the sensitive tips of her breasts.

“Do you like the bathtub? I’ll build you one at our next place.” He seemed determined to avoid a confrontation—and make her mindless with pleasure. Worse, it appeared to be working. “It was easy enough. I dug a pipeline from the closest hot spring sinkhole to the compound, built a filtration device, and now there’s hot water any time—and lots of it. I’ll make our next tub even bigger.” He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. “You’ll want for nothing, gorgeous, you’ll see.”

Did he think that was any kind of factor in why she was reluctant to go with him? She opened her mouth to ask, but he was already talking.

“That’s actually how I found the zalari den the first time.” His deep voice vibrated through her as his hand made languid passes with the washcloth across her collarbone. “They’re a bit standoffish and guarded, but once they realized I wasn’t going to disturb their routine too much—they let me do my thing while they did theirs.”

“They sound adorable. I can’t wait to see one. But with just them for company, did you ever get lonely living out so far from everyone else?”

“Lonely? No.” The washcloth stilled against her skin. “I don’t like crowds, and I don’t like complications. All others do is make things more difficult.”

The memory of Darla’s small palm sliding against hers whispered through her. “But being with others can be nice too.”

“Nice?” Again, he scoffed. “I’ve had enough of that kind of nice to last a lifetime.”

Something twisted inside her chest. She could feel his pain as if it was her own, a hot fist squeezing from the inside out.

And suddenly, she was wondering if it wasn’t just her past, but Pavel’s too, that could be a potential problem.

“What happened to you, Pavel?”

There was the faintest of pauses. “Nothing good.”

Her heart beat faster. She wanted to care for him as he did for her. “You said before that you were a soldier.”

“Yes. A long time ago.”

“And you were an inmate too.”

“While those memories are as fresh and ugly as if I lived them yesterday.”

The anguish in his voice made her ache. “Will you tell me about it?”

“I’m a lot happier now with what I do and who I am.” It was an obvious deflection.

“That’s wonderful, but—”

“The past is the past. Neither of us needs to dwell on it.”

Was that true? Maybe he was right. After learning she was a princess, she wasn’t too excited for all her memories to return. She was definitely fearful of what kind of complications hers would bring and what she might discover about herself.

But something in her gut was also telling her they’d never truly survive what was coming unless they faced the past, Pavel’s included.

“I understand your reluctance,” she admitted. “We just met, after all. But I hope some rotation you’ll feel comfortable enough to share more of your history with me.”

“It’s not a happy story.”

“And what? You think I can’t handle that?” She kept her face turned from his, but there was no hiding the betraying quiver in her voice. “That Princess Ariana of the V’rali”— even saying it felt wrong—“expects only fairytales or airbrushed, glittering stories to match her castle?”

“It’s not that. It’s just … I’d like to be able to give you more than a sad tale and a fucked-up past.”

She swiveled toward the sound of his voice, water sloshing between them and battering against the sides. “I only want you to give me you. All of you.” She clasped her hands on either side of his square jaw, absorbing the warmth and strength against her fingertips. “I might not recall most of my past, but I know I’ve wished to share not just my laughter, but my worries and pain, my excitement and my burdens, with someone else—and know I could count on them to do the same.”

“Angel.” His hands covered hers.

“I know this is all happening way too fast, but I also know you are the one I’ve been waiting for—and that I don’t want just the glossy, pretty parts of you, I want everything. I want to know all the jagged pieces that make my fierce outlaw who he is—if only you’ll trust me enough to let me in.” And maybe, just maybe, accept me as I am too, trouble and all.

He was silent so long, she feared she’d pushed too fast. She opened her mouth to tell him she was sorry and could be patient, that she wasn’t trying to be difficult, but he got there first.

“Whatever my fated mate wants, she gets.” There was tension in his voice, but teasing too. Adoration. Tenderness. He might be hard and fierce—and used to being that way with everyone—but he was making an exception for her.

Hope soared through her.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” He lifted her, repositioning her so that she was once again cuddled tight against his chest, his strong arm wrapped around her, his chin resting on top of her head—as if she was suddenly the one anchoring him in place.

She could only hope that whoever she’d once been, she was worthy enough to be his mooring now.

CHAPTER 10

ARI

She rested her hands on his sinewy forearms and held fast.

“I grew up without much.” His tone was casual, but his body coiled tight beneath her. “My mother was one of the omega whores who traveled with the Approved Sector army. I never knew my sire, but he was likely one of the soldier killed in combat. My mother died young during one of her numerous pregnancies—a casualty of a quieter, more brutal war.”

He was an orphan, abandoned by those who should have cared for him. Her heart contracted. Somehow that sounded familiar. “That must have been hard.”

He brushed his chin across the top of her head once more, a sweet gesture that made her chest clench tighter. “The army was all I knew. They fed me, clothed me, and told me what to do and where to sign up. I was too young and dumb to know better. Plus, I liked my friends, the camaraderie.” He paused. “We were a tight crew. We worked hard and played harder. They … they became my family.”

He might be far more guarded now, but she could easily imagine others looking up to him, seeking him out for advice and friendship. He just had that way about him.

“I was a good fighter and strategist.” His words confirmed her thinking. “Without really trying, I moved up in rank until I was surprised to find myself in charge of my own team. Sure, I grumbled about it, but we had each other’s backs—and I took care of the new recruits too. This one kid, Willer, wasn’t the brightest of soldiers, but he was under my command, and I was determined to keep him alive, just like the rest.”

She wasn’t surprised by the strain of protectiveness in him even then. She’d sensed it came naturally. It was one of the many reasons she felt so safe with him.

“Things were fine for a time.” An ominous thread of pain wove through his words. “Then, the king I served was killed, his son accused of killing him. The late king’s brother, Septimus, stepped in to fill the void and serve as ruler. I had never paid much attention to palace intrigue. I did my job and kept my head down. But even a gutter worm like me could scent the rot around Septimus. And I wasn’t the only one. Armed rebellions began immediately.”

No wonder Pavel had been so guarded when he’d learned about what she was. He’d been burned by royalty before.

“King Septimus came down hard on anyone who didn’t support him. His hammer of choice? His army.” Pavel’s thighs bunched beneath her, his hold tightening. “We were ordered to silence anyone who opposed him by whatever means necessary.”

Her throat went tight.

“I had responsibilities, a team depending on me,” he blew out a slow breath, “but when we were ordered to kill not just the conspirators, but their families too, I… couldn’t.”

She was finally coming to understand the full price he’d had to pay for his autonomy—and why his scars ran so deep.

She stroked the strong arms still holding her tight, offering the scant comfort she could. “You were brave.”

“And short-sighted. I ignored the king’s orders and fought to save the families. Some managed to get away, others died. It was a fucking tragedy and a travesty all in one. I would have just broken ranks and joined the Resistance, but Willer—that damned kid got caught. I had no choice. I went after him.”

She suspected she’d met numerous dignitaries and kings and never come across anyone with as noble a soul as her fierce, scarred outlaw.

“There were too many soldiers.” His tone turned wooden, as if it was too much to bear, the recitation of the facts easier than acknowledging the emotions swirling beneath. “Willer and I were taken into custody. Tortured. He turned informant and denounced me to save himself. I was sentenced to the pit. I didn’t blame him. Hells, I was happy one of us was getting to live. But then,” his voice thickened, a spark of agonizing emotion coloring his words, “they threw him into the pit, already broken and dead.”

“No.” The weight of that horror left her chilled even in the warm bath. She could only imagine what kind of blow that had been to her fiercely protective Alpha. “I am so sorry.”

“It was a lesson meant for me. I was told the king ordered me kept alive in that pit so I could rot alongside Willer, only at a slower pace.”

“But you proved that bastard king wrong. You survived.”

“In part.” His rough laugh held no humor. “The pit was dug to hold fifty males at most. They crammed what seemed like a thousand of us in there, forcing us to live on top of one another, fighting not just for food but for air, for space to breathe.”

“Oh, Goddess.” She held him tighter.

“Feel that?” He took her hand, guiding it upward to grip what felt like the jagged stump of a thick horn. “Inmates died every rotation from suffocation, starvation, infection—and even more often from fights over space or food. They treated us like animals until we became that. I was lucky to lose only a few chunks of skin and a horn.”

She suspected he’d lost more than that.

“I swore to myself that if I found a way out, I’d live the rest of my life in the open, surrounded by stars and air. No fucking others to crowd me or weigh me down.”

Her heart twisted once more. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the horror of that pit or what he’d been through.

And she didn’t need to see the compound he was building to comprehend this wasn’t just a place to hide away from the universe but a refuge.

Could she truly ask him to leave that behind?

She shivered. “How did you get out?”

“There was a riot in the pit. They called in the guards. Septimus’s strategy was to order everyone shot. I was buried under a pile of bodies. Eventually, they dumped us all in a mass grave. I was one of the lucky ones; I clawed my way out.” He shuddered. “But, yeah, no more small spaces for me if I can manage it.”

She understood.

“I came to the Forbidden Sector and had to fight my way to the top once more. I did what I had to do, still more animal than male, still clawing to survive. But slowly, over time, I wasn’t under siege every moment, and the anger burned away. I did my thing. Minded my own business. Let the weight of everyone else’s bullshit just drift away. It’s been fine. Good, actually. King Magnus is a solid boss and lets me be. Unlike my partner or the newbies who are always pestering me about something.” His voice was gruff and couched as irritation, but she sensed something far different beneath. “But I’m used to them now and life’s been easy. Uncomplicated. No real ties or responsibilities. I didn’t think I’d want anything else—until you dropped from the sky and turned everything upside down.”

She could only marvel at the force of will and courage it had taken for him to gather the shattered pieces of himself and rebuild.

But he’d found a way. Forged meaning out of the meaningless rubble of his past.

Only he didn’t seem to quite realize it. Or the telling affection and pride that thickened his voice when he spoke of his home, business partner, and the zalari.

“You know what?” His question interrupted her musing. “It actually feels okay to talk about it. To sit here with my arms wrapped around the most beautiful, softest, most spirited female in the galaxy and be reminded of how far I’ve come.” He hugged her closer. “Hells, for the first time, I’m actually seeing it all in a new light and feeling pretty fucking grateful.”

“Grateful?”

“Yes. Because if none of that had happened, I wouldn’t have come to the Forbidden Sector. I wouldn’t have needed air and space and time away from others. I wouldn’t have built this place or have been standing there feeding some of the only living creatures I can stomach when you dropped from the sky. I would have missed catching you. Knowing you. Holding you. So, yes, I’m feeling pretty damned lucky about the path that led me here.”

His sweet words, delivered in a gruff voice, should have comforted her. Instead, they terrified her.

Because he was so brave and cavalier, but he’d already suffered so much and had so much taken from him. If caught while on the run, it wouldn’t matter what excuses she offered, the authorities would take even more.

The V’rali and the Federation would accuse him of treason, abduction, and illegally taking possession of a royal omega princess. He’d be tortured. Imprisoned—maybe in the very kind of horrific pit he’d once escaped. His freedom would be stolen once more, and then eventually, they’d take his life.

She couldn’t bear that ending for him.

You’re trouble. Always have been. Always will be.

But she refused to be that kind of trouble for this particular Alpha.

“Pavel…”

“I know what you’re going to say. Don’t bother.” He rose from the bath, taking her with him, sending water splashing as he stepped over the side and set her on her feet.

A towel was around her the next instant, his big hands on her as he rubbed her down, making her feel safe. Cherished.

“I didn’t tell you that story so you’d feel bad, but as proof that I know what’s at stake and I’m choosing it anyway. I’m very clear on what truly matters to me.”

She wasn’t sure what to say, torn between sobbing her eyes out and clinging to him.

A part of her wanted to tell him that was in her heart as well. To let him know that he was all she craved.

But the other part of her shrieked at her to turn and run away because the fact was, his wonderful words and the way she felt about him only made her more determined to protect him from everything, including herself.

“Quiet? For once? Another first for us.” He teased her as he pressed his lips to her forehead. Then, he drew back and slipped something soft around her shoulders.

A dress. No, a robe. One that dwarfed her, draping way past her toes.

She slid her hands through the sleeves as he wrapped the fabric around her and tied the sash tight. One side instantly slipped off her shoulder. He pulled it up as he let out a low groan. “I like seeing you in my stuff. Maybe too much. Now, all I want to do is take it off.”

She shook her head while he rolled up one sleeve, then the other, and let herself focus on the simplest of questions for the moment. “You have a robe?”

“Sort of.” He laughed, a genuine sound that seemed to come easier each time. “A present from my Alphahole partner Axel. He likes to stop by unannounced, and I like to walk around with my di—.” He cut himself off. “There’s usually no one here, so I do what I like. He came by one rotation and got an eyeful. Gave me the robe right after. I never even took it out of the packaging. I figure if the bastard wants to take the risk, he’ll suffer the consequences.”

The smile in his voice had her grinning too. But beneath that, another whisper of grief and guilt twisted through her. His respect for this other Alpha was impossible to miss.

Yet another thing Pavel would lose if they ran or were caught.

“Come on now. If you hate the robe, I can always find you something else.” He lifted her hair from beneath the collar, another thoughtful gesture from her fierce outlaw.

“What? No.” She wrapped her fingers into the lapel of the robe and held fast. “I love it. And I love wearing something of yours. Thank you for this too.”

“My pleasure.”

“But Pavel—”

His big hands wrapped around her once more, and he drew her close, the robe so long she tripped over it as she fell into his hold. “Listen to me, Angel. I like my work. I like this house. Don’t tell Axel or any of my other associates, but I like them too. I’m proud of the life I managed to build for myself after the pit. But I can work from anywhere, and this compound is just a place. One I can remake wherever I go. What I want to build with you, however, can’t be so easily replicated. What I see in you is a chance for a real home. That’s worth giving up everything else.”

A real home.

She didn’t need more of her memories to know that was something she’d always wanted too.

But at what cost to her Alpha?

PAVEL

“Pavel”—his omega’s soft hands cradled his jaw—“I’m pretty sure that before I met you, I had no idea what true happiness felt like.”

His chest puffed wide. He was certain that at this moment, he could slay a beserketh without breaking a sweat.

Hearing his female say those sweet words—watching the shadows melt away from her stare—made him feel like the most powerful male alive. Like the dirt from the pit that had stained his skin and his soul was finally washing away.

He knew she still had doubts about their future.

He suspected she was nowhere near close to giving up trying to recall her past and figure out what she was supposed to be doing with that jewel. But he’d take it as a win that she was looking at him with the kind of soft adoration and acceptance that said he’d changed her universe for the better.

That hearing about the ugliness of his past and his failures hadn’t totally altered her feelings for him.

That him living while so many had died might just have been for a good reason after all.

He only hoped she continued to look at him that way, feel that way, once tomorrow came. Because once that second coat of sealant hardened and his shuttle was fly-worthy, they were taking off to drop the Skolov cargo, say a quick goodbye to Axel, and then disappear.

For good.

And the life she’d once led would be out of reach forever.

Because he was a selfish, grumpy bastard, and she’d already told him he could keep her.

But in the meantime…

“Your chariot awaits.” Without warning, he scooped her up, slinging her onto his back, his hands latched beneath her perfect ass, the robe so long it still covered her legs, even with them spread wide and straddling his hips.

Her shocked squeal made him grin.

“What are you doing?” She grabbed hold of his neck and held tight, her grip strong for one so tiny.

He bounded down the hallway. “Giving my female a ride. One fit for a princess. And besides, you can’t walk in that robe. It’s too big.”

“Pavel!” Satisfaction wound through him as her bemused laughter echoed through the room. “I can walk.”

“Maybe so. But I can run.” He picked up his pace and grinned wider as her laughter followed them down the hall.

He doubted she’d had much playfulness in her life. He definitely hadn’t. He wanted to change that—for them both.

Sharing his past with her had made him feel lighter.

He wanted to give her the same ease. He’d do whatever it took to make that happen.

Plus, the feel of her sweet heat against his back was a nice bonus. “And running is especially nice when I’m impatient to get you where I want to go.”

“Where is that?” She suddenly sounded breathless.

He ignored her question to ask one of his own. “You like your ride, beautiful?” He slid her up the sculpted muscles at his back, a purposeful, slow drag meant to create friction—right against her clit.

“More and more with every passing moment.” She squeezed her thighs.

He chuckled to himself. She definitely could handle anything he dished out.

He squeezed her ass and kept going.

She pressed her mouth to the nape of his neck and nipped. “You do give a good ride.”

“Damned right. And I’m hung like an Andorian stallion.”

She burst out laughing. “No ego issues with you.”

Something that felt a lot like actual hope threaded through him at the lightness in her tone. He hadn’t felt it in a long time. But with his angel, anything now felt possible.

He just had to hold on tight—and hold the past at bay.

“No ego issues.” He agreed as he reached the threshold to his bedroom.

Striding to the center, he tossed her onto the huge bed—careful to ensure she was close enough to land with only a gentle bounce. She was his most precious cargo, after all.

Then, he followed her down, his palms landing on either side of her head, his heart slamming against his chest as her hair streamed across his pillow. He had her exactly where he wanted.

“No ego issues, but no delusions either. We both know I’m not perfect, princess. I’ll never claim to be. But I will do whatever it takes to keep that smile on your face and that wild, mischievous look in your eyes.”

“Then, you’re perfect for me, outlaw.” She wrapped her legs around him and rolled.

He let her, swiveling so that he landed on his back and she straddled his hips, her wild red hair spilling down her back, her expression fierce.

“Now,” she leaned down and nipped at his lip, her hips rolled against his cock, “let me show you how good I am at giving you a ride.”

He was still smiling as her mouth covered his.

But a while later, when he woke up alone, he wasn’t smiling anymore.

CHAPTER 11

PAVEL

“I thought that was locked. What are you doing out here?”

His angel startled, swung around—and gave a welcoming smile in his general direction, her gaze still unfocused. “Pavel.”

His heart thumped inside his scarred chest as he shoved his laser back into the holster at his hips.

“Look who came to keep me company.” She pointed toward a nearby rock. Three zalari cubs peeked out from behind, trilling and chittering while their tails twitched.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get enough of her.

She looked beautiful standing in front of the doors to his cargo hold, wearing the simple, yellow, sleeveless dress he’d found among one of the crates and left out for her. The suns’ early light bathed her wine-red hair in a warm glow and made the lavender and gold swirls that danced across her skin shimmer. He’d traced every one of those gorgeous scrolls with his tongue—and already wanted to do it again.

“Did you sleep well?” Her voice was all sweet innocence.

Red heated the tip of his ears and one horn. He’d slept like a fucking rock. Better than he had in many planetary rotations. Because she’d fucked him into oblivion. “Slept fine.”

Her answering wink proved she was onto him. “Me too. I may not remember what came before, but I am confident that was one for the memory books.” She covered her eyes with her hand. “And before you say anything, I’ve kept them mostly closed. I wasn’t straining them, I promise.”

“Good to hear.” He slipped back into his usual scowl. “But that’s not what I initially asked you, omega.”

She worried at her luscious lower lip. “I’m sorry if I worried you. I thought it would be fun to look around, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“It’s too dangerous for you to be traipsing around, especially when you still haven’t regained your sight.”

“No traipsing, I promise. More like a slow, steady advance.”

“Don’t do it again. You go anywhere, you tell me.” He’d woken up and found her gone. He hadn’t liked that at all. Truth be told, he’d almost had a fucking heart attack. “Otherwise, there’ll be consequences.”

She shivered. “Yes, Alpha.”

His dick hardened in response. His little princess liked to be ruled. And fuck, he liked ruling her.

“Is the communications network still down?” Her question drew him from his thoughts, the mix of nerves and worry he heard in her tone not sitting well.

“Yes.” But he wasn’t about to be distracted. “Care to finally answer my question and tell me why you really left the warmth of our bed to come out here and linger in front of my cargo hold?”

Her shoulders dropped. “I-I had a bad dream. It’s just a jumble of images, but I remember a chase and lasers,” she paused, “and fear.” She shivered. “I really didn’t want to wake you, so I decided to explore.”

And look for the best exit strategy should she need it.

He didn’t need her to admit it aloud to know it was part of what had drawn her out here. He wasn’t a fool. He knew she remained conflicted about their plan and worried over him too. He wondered if the revelations about his past had only added to her doubts. “That’s all?”

The tension between them increased.

Purposely lengthening the distance between them, her fingertips ghosted over the weathered door.

The innocent movement was enough to have his dick pushing against the seam of his pants, jealous for the same damned attention.

“I was worried I’d be too noisy and disturb you if I kept fumbling around the house. I thought this was smarter.”

So she’d fumble and potentially fall on her ass without him around? “It wasn’t.”

He hated that she was scared. Hated even more that some part of her still felt she had to do things on her own.

He’d told her he was by her side no matter what, but she clearly didn’t fully believe him. Had his failure to protect Willer made her wonder if she could count on him to keep her safe? He was an idiot. He should have saved all the ugly for once they were on the run and she was stuck with him.

“Sorry.” Her expression was all kinds of contrite. He didn’t buy it for an instant. “I won’t do it again. I-I just don’t think I’m used to sleeping in, though that makes as little sense as all the rest I somehow seem to know.” She frowned, and he immediately felt like a surly ass.

He could only imagine how hard this all had to be. He hated to see her upset. He liked her smile and her sunshine and her trouble-making spirit. She was his fallen angel, after all. He tried to bring her smile back. “Princess duties probably start early. You’re not used to convict hours yet.”

“Probably.” His joke didn’t work. Instead, she trailed her finger along the beat-up door once more, her frown in place. “I don’t know if you saw, but I tried to make you some breakfast before I headed out here. It didn’t go so well.”

He knew. He’d followed the trail.

“I might have made a bit of a mess,” she conceded.

“That’s okay.” A bit of mess was an understatement. Even making allowances for her inability to see, she’d wreaked havoc.

His angel might be able to maneuver easily in the dark, but it looked like she didn’t even know how to press a few buttons and use a basic galactic coffee maker. Or boil water.

She wrung her hands together. “I got the sense I don’t know what to do in a kitchen.”

“I’ll teach you.” If you stay.

Her gaze brightened. “You will? I’d like that. I don’t like feeling useless.”

He was definitely learning that about her. Nor was he above using it to his advantage.

“You want a tour of where I keep the stuff I smuggle? I’ll show you if you promise to take it easy and not strain those eyes. Most of what’s here is just packed up crates. Still, there might be something fun lying around for you to touch or smell.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful.” Her expression brightened. Those gorgeous lips were turning upward as well.

Success. His chest puffed wide.

“I do want to experience the glamorous life of an outlaw,” she whisper-confessed. “Maybe even compare my jewel against what you’ve got in here.”

He barked out a laugh. It was still rusty but far less so than before. Thanks to her.

“Come on, then. This way, adventurer.” He yanked off the lock, currently hanging useless and open through the latch. He shook his head as he tossed it to the ground, looked at her, then back at the lock. “Must have been distracted and forgot to lock it up tight after I fixed the shuttle wing.”

She smiled wider. “Bath time was calling.”

“True, it’s not every rotation a wish comes falling from the sky.”

“A wish?”

He coughed and shuffled his feet. “That tub always did seem too big before. Now, it’s just right.”

“Pavel,” her expression was so soft it tightened his throat, “you really are the sweetest of males.”

Sweet? Him? But he kind of got it. Hells, he was practically spouting poetry and saying the kind of stuff King Magnus spewed to his mate.

He was so gone for his angel—and not at all sorry about it.

“Only for you.” He pushed the doors wide. Humid air hit. Startled, the zalari ducked back behind the rock. “Here, let me show you what your sweet male really does for a living.”

“Oh, wow.” She hurried inside, her eyes closed tight, his cautionary words forgotten. “You have so much fascinating stuff in here.”

He had no idea how she could tell, but he didn’t doubt she could. Whatever her gift was, it was extraordinary.

She twirled, unerringly avoiding stacks of crates now illuminated by the outside light shining through the doors and the crystals embedded in the ceiling that flashed on at the sign of movement.

Still, he hurried to catch up, taking hold of her elbow and locking her in place. Sometimes she reminded him more of a sprite than an angel.

She wrinkled her nose at the stack of crates closest to them. “That stuff stinks.” She shuffled closer. “But I kind of love it. Grade A contraband liquor. It must fetch you a good profit.”

He raised a brow. “You can smell that?”

“Yes. You can’t?”

Sarjoil spirits stank—unless you were a Sarjoilian and loved that crap and were willing to pay a lot to have the ale illegally snuck onto your planet despite their ruler’s ban. Which was why Pavel and his men were careful to hide the scent when they smuggled the stuff. They were so good at locking it down, they’d never been caught. Not even the Sarjoilian viver hounds that patrolled the docks looking for black-market goods had scented it.

But his angel wasn’t a Sarjoilian—even their females were all at least seven feet in height and green with spikes on much of their skin—nor was she a viver hound.

More clues to add to her gift.

“Ooooh, now this one.” Pulling him along, she ran her hands up the length of the stack of crates next in line, her elegant fingers so fine against the rough wood that his dick took notice once more. He really enjoyed those nimble fingers on him.

But he was also curious.

This time she cocked her head, eyes closed, almost as if she was listening or scenting what was within. “Romealon gold, Abzalian precious crystals, and Sartin mined gems. What a score. This will fetch a good price.” She let out a low sigh. “I think I had a bracelet made from Abzalian crystals once. I can almost feel its weight in my hands and see the sparkling rainbow colors. But it was not nearly as flawless as what you have there.”

Holy hells. He’d have to check the undoctored manifest, but he was pretty sure she was right about every single item inside the crate. “How are you doing that?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m getting the sense I always could, only …” She turned her wrist over, her fingers tracing over the black band, “only now it’s coming through a lot clearer thanks to our bond.”

Fascinating.

So, the connection between them had amplified her gift. Rumors about the positive powers of the mating bond were only just beginning to be whispered about in the Anarcheim, but he’d been sure it was as bullshit as most of the other nonsense spewed out by the galaxy. Apparently, he was wrong.

Apparently, he was also the only one in the cargo hold who thought their enhanced connection was cool.

She looked so despondent, he grabbed her chin and lifted it to meet his stare. “What’s wrong?”

“I can identify jewels and valuables.” She sighed once more. “Talk about useless and superficial. But I suppose that kind of skill would be of worth to a princess. I mean, you’ve got to know if your jewels are all legit.”

Ah, now he got it. He tweaked her chin and let go. He was learning fast that his female had a sore spot when it came to feeling worthwhile. “It would also be very useful when negotiating trade deals with other galactic kingdoms.” Or if you were a thief like me. But he kept that last thought to himself.

Even he was only willing to corrupt a princess so far.

“Yes, but we both know the only kind of negotiations the V’rali are engaged in are ones that benefit them, so what exactly has my gift been used for up until now?” She shook her head. “And my hands … they’re so smooth. I couldn’t even cook properly. And I still don’t understand why I have a memory of wearing dirty clothes and promising the little omega Darla that I’d give her a real home. Ugh.” She tugged at her hair. “None of this makes sense, and I feel … I feel more useless and more of a burden to you than ever.”

His chest went tight.

She felt lost, unmoored, without her memory and a sense of her place or purpose, or even who she was.

He knew exactly how that felt.

He wasn’t gentle by nature, but for her, he’d be whatever she needed. “You’re far from useless or a burden. You’re…”—he choked out the word—“everything. Light and joy and hope. Way more value than everything in this cargo hold put together.”

Her expression softened. “Pavel.”

His heart slammed against his ribs at the way she said his name. He could listen to that one sound forever.

“You’ll remember Darla and what you had to do for her—and when you do, we’ll make it happen. Together. You can count on me.”

“You are so kind.” She bounded forward and wrapped her arms around him. “And you’re right.” She spoke into his chest, her voice muffled. “I need to buck up and focus on all I have and all that’s yet to come. It’s silly to lament the things I can’t change.” She swallowed hard. “I just hate not knowing, you know? And I hate, too, that the creature I once was might be someone I’d be better off forgetting forever.”

He took her hands and held them in his. “I like whoever you are just fine—and I don’t like anybody.”

Her lips twitched.

His chest puffed. He felt like a fucking slayer of galactic dragons.

“I like your smile and your laugh. I like your irrepressible energy and your sunshine voice and the way your words make the air shimmer. I like the way you’re so tiny, but you take up so much space, a regal, royal dynamo. I like the way you look so elegant and proper”—his voice lowered and deepened—“but you’re anything but.”

She purred, and his dick pushed against his laces. His heart, too, wanted out of the cage he’d locked it in.

“And I like these hands.” He raised her hand to his mouth, rubbed the silken skin against his lips, and teased, “They feel great against my skin and wrapped around my cock.”

She wrinkled her nose at him, but her tone was playful as she said, “So, not entirely useless.”

“Not to me.”

She slid her hand down his chest, toying with the laces of his leathers. “Perhaps we could test some of that usefulness out. Right here. Right now.”

He growled low. He took her hand and pressed it to his dick. “I like that idea. A lot.”

She squeezed gently. “I’m more than ready. I miss you inside of me.”

Wrapping an arm around the curve of her perfect ass, he lifted her so her sweet heat hit the hard bulge of his cock. He repeated his earlier words as he walked forward until her back hit the crate, and she was pinned against it. “Whatever my fated mate wants, she gets.”

“Yes.” She rocked on his cock. “You’re so good to me, Pavel.” She bore down, squirming. “I want to be good to you too.”

There was a weight to her final words, but he was too horny to unpack them now. Later, he would, but for now … “You already are, baby. In every way.” He removed his laser and holster, slapping them onto the next crate, then gripped her ass tighter, dragging her up and down. “You’re worth everything to me.”

“Everything?” Her head dropped back, knocking against the crate.

He growled low. “Careful. Don’t forget to take care of what’s mine.”

He spun them both around, so he was against the crate and reclaimed her mouth. He was more than ready to dirty her up. Make his shimmering fallen angel spark and burn and moan just for him. And, most importantly, show her just how useful and wonderful and precious she was to him. “You might not remember your past or your purpose yet, baby, but I already see just how extraordinary you are.”

She nipped at his jaw. “I see you too, Pavel. I see the good male you are, and I think you’re everything too.”

She hadn’t yet seen all the darkness inside him—or the ugliness outside—but he wasn’t about to discourage her. “I’ll do all I can to be worthy of that trust. I—”

“No, really.” She spoke against his mouth, her eyes wide and staring back at him. “I can actually see you, Pavel. For real.”

He ripped his mouth from hers.

CHAPTER 12

ARI

Pavel’s gorgeous eyes narrowed. “For real?”

To her acute disappointment, he let her slide down his body. Then, he took a step back.

She barely managed to keep from grabbing his hands and putting them back on her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

But it didn’t sound like it. Nor did he reach for her again.

“Pavel.” Her hands rose of their own accord, her breath leaving her in a needy rush.

He took a step back.

She blinked hard. He was even bigger, fiercer, and more intimidating than she’d imagined. So bestial. Raw. Barbarian-like. Stern.

The sexy piercings at his lip and the blood-red skin designs against his swirling gold and black skin only made him look more formidable and divine.

Slick pearled on her folds. Goddess help her; she loved the way he looked.

Even scowling at her.

“Your eyesight is back? You’re sure? You can see everything?”

“Yes.” One moment the world around her had been nothing more than a series of smudges. Then he’d kissed her, her head had knocked the crate, and bam. The blurred edges had sharpened, and in the next heartbeat, her surroundings—and the Alpha kissing her—were crystal clear. No more memories yet, but her sight was back. “I thought you’d be happy.”

“I am.” But his expression remained grim. “That’s great news.”

She wasn’t sure what was bothering him.

But it was hard to think. Hard to even catch her breath. The wild haze of her heat had returned with a vengeance at the vision in front of her.

Every inch of her Alpha screamed raw, brutish masculinity, from his square jaw to the thick brows over a brooding forehead.

He towered above her, and she wanted to trace every single one of his markings with her fingertips—and her tongue. Along with all those muscles. She’d felt every inch of him beneath her hands, but seeing all that mouthwatering brawn was a whole different story.

The need inside her burned hotter.

He’d caught his long, silky, dark hair into a braid at his back, making it easy for her to see the one horn that ended in a stump mid-curl and gave him an even more rakish, dangerous air.

He hadn’t been exaggerating about his scars, either. One bisected his left eyebrow, another marked his upper lip, two more stood out on his right cheek, just at the jawline, and another at his shoulder. He hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt, just low-riding, black leathers that showcased the wealth of scars scattered across his chest, arms, and abdomen—as well as the V at his hips and slab after slab of stomach muscle.

All of it screamed survivor. Fighter. A male who’d been tested and endured.

She’d never seen such a perfect male form. Even his arms were huge, each bicep nearly as big as her head, his shoulders even more massive.

Goddess help her, but he was so much hotter even than she’d suspected, and she didn’t know how that could be.

It was difficult not to squirm in place. He wasn’t handsome in the conventional sense. There was nothing pretty about him. Every inch of him was hard and uncompromising and battle-worn—and she’d never been so turned on in her life.

All she wanted was for him to turn her over his knees. Or fuck her raw.

She couldn’t wait.

His scowl deepened.

She realized she was staring. “I—”

“Yeah”—he took another step back and opened his arms wide—“it’s a lot. I thought you might have some more time to accustom yourself to me before you got a real look. Not exactly a handsome prince fit for a princess. Broken horn. Scars everywhere. It’s not a pretty picture.”

It finally hit her why he wasn’t smiling. “You’re even sexier than I imagined.” She took advantage of his shock to close the distance between them and trail her fingers across the wide muscles of his chest.

He barked out a real laugh. “Are you sure you’ve really regained your sight?”

“I’m seeing things very clearly, outlaw of mine.”

That pit had stolen so much from her Alpha. But maybe, just maybe, she could give him back some of what had been taken.

Maybe she wasn’t so useless after all.

Rising onto her tiptoes, she stretched up as high as she could and grabbed hold of his horns, gripping them right at the base, stroking up and down, taking extra care with the broken one. “And what I see is that you’re exactly what I’ve always hoped to find in a mate and a lover.”

He stepped back. “Don’t bullshit me.”

Her hands dropped to her sides. “I’m not.”

He ran a hand down his face. “I know what I am. What I look like.” A muscle pulsed in his cheek. “A far cry from the pretty princes you likely rub shoulders with. But it’s too fucking late for you to run now. You’ll have to find a way to adjust.”

Frustration flared. “Stop trying to make me into something I’m not. I can’t help if I was born a princess, but that doesn’t mean I’m shallow or stupid.”

His gaze narrowed. “So what? You want to be with an ugly bruiser? Get fucked dirty by one, so you can slum it?”

She glared back at him. “Now you’re selling us both short—and I don’t like it.” She started by him.

He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Where are you going?”

“Away from here.”

He snarled. “Like you were going to do from the start?”

She stilled, her stare flying to his. “You’re the one putting distance between us now and I’m not sure why.”

“Why don’t you tell me the real reason you came out here?”

He was clearly spoiling for a fight. Good thing so was she. “I was never leaving leaving. Same as now. They’ll be no sneaking away. I was just getting some space.” She was done treading gently. “I came out here to think and to have a look around because I’m not the spoiled, pampered princess you seem to think I am, and it’s not so easy for me to ask you to give up all you’ve worked so hard for—all you’ve suffered to achieve—for me. Your life is worth just as much as mine.”

The look of shock on his face hurt. As if he’d never really deep-down considered that she might not assume that everyone should be sacrificing for her.

“That’s right. Take it in. You might be bigger than me and stronger, but you’re not the only one concerned about protecting someone else. I have your back as well—and whatever I once was, I’m not just some spoiled V’rali brat, nor am I just some damsel-in-distress, so I really wish you’d stop thinking of me as such. I appreciate your willingness to guard and care for me, but somehow, somewhere along the way, you got it into your thick, stubborn Alpha skull that my worries for you aren’t worth discussing, but that’s not right or fair. Dismissing my concerns feels like you’re dismissing my feelings for you, and that’s not something I’ll allow.”

She marched forward once more.

He gripped her arm, locking her in place. But his hold was gentle, the tips of his ears red, as his stare fused with hers. “You actually mean that, don’t you?”

He finally seemed to be hearing her.

“I mean every word, the insults … and the nice parts too.” Turning to face him fully, her anger dissipating as her outburst ended, she laid her hands on his chest once more. Then, rising to her tiptoes, she pressed a cautious kiss to his chest, right above his heart. “I think you’re beautiful inside and out—and well worth protecting.”

Surprise once again flared in his gaze, followed by the sweetest flash of vulnerability and then thrilling carnal lust. “I’m an ugly, hulking beast while you’re the prettiest, daintiest thing I’ve ever seen, but I’m done arguing.”

He scooped her up and plopped her bottom down on the nearest stack of crates, putting her head almost in line with his chest. “I get it now.” He swallowed hard. “I’m an idiot.”

Not what she’d expected.

He flashed a remorseful half-smile. “I spent so much time thinking of myself as hard and scarred and tough. I never realized there might be a few open wounds I was still carrying around. Never considered I might have a hard time with the idea of someone looking out for me. Or liking me as I am.”

Her heart beat fast. The open honesty in his tone was one she hadn’t heard before. Not even when he’d told her about his past in the bathtub.

“This,” he waved his hand between them, “trust… opening up,” his hands clenched into fists by her thighs, “it isn’t easy for me. I was never good at it, and I’m more than a little rusty. But I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I wasn’t worried about you not being able to survive in my world but that I wouldn’t be enough for you.” He shrugged. “I’m busted and banged up, not just on the outside, but inside as well.”

His admission only made the wild riot of sensation inside her chest grow. “I know exactly who you are, and I am falling for that male so hard and fast it’s astounding.”

He rocked back on his heels, a look of awe crossing his face before a cocky smile took its place. “Falling, huh?”

She nodded. “Fallen. Twice now. It’s my favorite thing to do around you.”

His expression sobered. “Good, because I’ll always catch you.” He pulled her into his arms. “And if I’m falling too?”

Joy rushed through her. “I’ll catch you too.” Her heart skipped a beat and then started up double-time as she ran her hands along the thick muscles of his back and held him close. “You weren’t the only one who was afraid. I feared one rotation soon you’d come to resent all that you were giving up and decide I hadn’t been worth it. And maybe there’s still a small part of me that does fear that because everything is so new and perfect, but it suddenly feels different now.”

“Here’s the new plan.” His voice was commanding as ever. “You trust that I’m making the right choice for me and I’ll do the same. No more trying to protect each other from each other.” He held her tighter. “I’ll stick to protecting you from what’s out there.”

“Deal.” She rubbed at the marks on her wrist. “These marks might indicate the potential for something extraordinary, but only we can make it real. And what I’m beginning to feel for you is very real.”

He growled low. Pressed kisses to her temple, the tip of her nose. “I’m so crazy, wildly, horns-over-heels gone for you. I was sleepwalking until you arrived. This life—it’s nothing without you.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “All I want to do is spend the rest of my rotations thanking the fates and destiny for putting you in my path.”

She didn’t think she’d ever been happier.

It finally felt as if they were on the same page, their fears and doubts laid out for the other to appease. Equally invested in making this work. Two seemingly mismatched pieces that fit perfectly together. Poised to discover an epic love, rare and true and miraculous enough to be worth any sacrifice.

Even without knowing what the future might bring or what the past held, what they stood to gain with each other far outweighed anything they’d lose, any sacrifice they might have to make.

He’d convinced her.

What was a lost title or an abandoned place in the face of all they had to gain? In the face of love and all the adventures they could have together?

The future stretched before them, endless and exciting, ready to be conquered together.

Adrenaline and hope, heady and intoxicating, pumped through her veins.

She’d never felt stronger. More powerful. More confident that what lay ahead would be bright as long as they faced it together.

She stared up at him and teased. “I knew you’d come around.”

His smile matched her own. “Even thick, stubborn-skulled outlaws can learn eventually.” His tone matched hers, but his eyes were somber and full of heat. “And I’m going to spend the next little while showing you exactly how well-matched I think we are.”

“Wise as well as sexy.” Suddenly in a forgiving mood, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him close once more, spreading her legs so he could slide between them. Since he’d given her the pretty yellow dress but no panties, she was naked beneath.

He groaned low.

She winked. “I’ve shown you mine. Now, since you know I can handle it, show me what you got, convict.”

A wolfish smile stretched across his face, those sexy piercings of his glinting in the light seeping into the hold.

Then, without warning, he scooped her up once more, holding her with one hand while he lifted the crate top with the other.

CHAPTER 13

ARI

“What are you doing?” Laughing, she clung to Pavel’s neck as he held her at an angle and rummaged inside the packaging. This was not at all the reaction she’d expected when she’d issued her challenge. But she wasn’t sorry. Not in the least.

“Showing you what I’ve got.” He was still smiling as he let the crate’s top slam down once more.

In the next breath, he set her down.

The sensual look in his stare had her pressing her thighs tight.

His gaze locked with hers as he held up what he’d found. “I think you already know what’s about to happen.”

Heat danced across her cheeks as the ache between her thighs intensified. “Yes.” Thanks to her gift, she knew exactly what was in those crates.

“Not so sheltered after all.” He ripped off the packaging with his teeth.

The crystal vibrating dildo gleamed in the cargo light. Deep crimson red with a veined, ridged shaft as thick as two of his fingers and small barbs spaced along its length., the thought of his big hands stuffing that into her pussy had her stifling a moan.

It was a Sartinian sex toy, rumored to be able to give some of the most intense sexual pleasure available to an omega and likely intended for delivery to their pleasure district.

She’d never expected him to use one on her.

But now, she’d never wanted anything more.

He saw the answer in her eyes, his own gaze darkening with lust. “You really do have the heart of an outlaw.”

“It’s about time you noticed.” She stared at him, then at the toy, her clit throbbing. “But just because I know what it is doesn’t mean I’ve used one.”

“I like having some of your firsts.” He wedged himself between her thighs once more. “And all your lasts.”

“Yes.” She stared up at him. “I want that too.”

“Is that right?” He pressed the tip of the dildo to her lips. Not hard. Just enough to show her what he expected. “You want to be fucked by a bad guy? Dirtied up? Pushed to the limit by the kind of guy that doesn’t follow the rules?”

“Yesss. That is exactly what I want. But only with you. My beautiful, bad man.” She drew the tip into her mouth and swallowed down as much as she could, her throat working to draw it deep.

“One who’s got it bad for his good girl.” He drew the glistening toy from her mouth. Her sex hormones had activated it, and it now pulsed and hummed, the ridges undulating in small, irregular pulses.

She shivered anew, the need in his stare a match to her own.

He was fierce and commanding, demanding and exacting, but he was also caring and reliable and good. He might be an outlaw and a criminal, but he made her feel safe. And right, just the way she was.

“A good girl with a heart as wild, lawless, and sinful as yours.” She purred as he gripped the dildo in his big hands and worked his fist along the shaft.

“Then you’re going to love this.” His gaze stayed locked with hers as he glided the toy across her lips and then skimmed it downward, over her throat, the center of her chest, to just beneath her belly.

The vibrating heat pulled a gasp from her. “It’s warm now.”

“Mmm.” His concentration was focused elsewhere as he glided it along her thigh, using it to push up her dress and expose more of her skin, the toy itself moving ever closer to the slick heat at the juncture of her thighs.

“Open those sweet legs wider, Angel. I need to see that pretty pussy of yours.”

She leaned back, her palms against the crate, and did as commanded, the need inside her coiling tighter.

She was already so close to coming.

“Not yet, wild thing.” He moved the toy tauntingly close to her core, the slow, vibrating strokes just strong enough for her to feel each one like the gentlest of caresses against her clit.

“Oh, yes. I need more.”

“I know exactly what you need.” Up one side, down the other. Each time, he brought the warm, pulsing dildo closer to her throbbing clit—until she was lifting her hips and begging. Begging him to touch her with it. Take her.

With a snarl and a low growl, fangs flashing, he pressed it briefly against her clit. Just enough pressure to have her keening—and then he moved it away.

“No.”

“Patience, beautiful.” Then it was back, the pressure slightly greater.

He did it again and again, driving her wild.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he dropped to his knees and stared up at her, challenge and tenderness in his gaze. “You like what I’ve got so far, Angel? You ready for more?”

Without waiting for an answer, his mouth was on her. Warm, wet. Even more extraordinary than the toy.

She screamed. Bucked. The pleasure intense.

He held her down with the flat of one hand while he tormented her with his piercings, sucking her clit and letting the metal flick against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

She screamed again. The intensity of her climax hitting like a tsunami solar wave. Nothing had ever felt so good. So immense. Pleasure radiated from her core outward.

The sight of his head between her thighs, his scarred hands handling her while his tongue worked her, only added to the white-hot bliss. “Pavel…I-I can’t take any more.”

“You can.” He increased the pressure, his piercings heaven, heightening every sensation.

Then, the toy was back, pressed into her pussy while he suctioned his mouth over her clit. She broke apart, falling faster than she ever had from the ship, each tap of metal against her clit making her burn hotter, each thrust of the hot, pulsating dildo making her squirm and pant and come apart again.

“Pavel!” She was still screaming his name when he slid the vibrating toy through her fold and then pressed it to her rosebud, his tongue shifting to fuck her pussy.

The sensory overload catapulted her into an even more intense climax as pleasure like she’d never known thundered through her, and she splintered apart, the press of his hand against her hip the only thing holding her down, catching her as she fell. Like always.

She came back to herself to find him looming over her, his beautiful bruiser’s face twisted in a cocky grin. “Looks like you like what I’ve got, baby.” He slapped the dildo on the crate.

She smiled up at him, raising a weak hand to cup his jaw. “I do. I really do.” Then, because she really was a match to her Alpha, she surged upward, surprising him.

She wrapped her legs around his hips while she grabbed his horn and the stump, gripping them hard, refusing to shy away from any part of him, even those he seemed to think were less than. She disagreed—and intended to spend the rest of their life together proving it to him.

Stroking upward, she handled them the same way she would his cock.

He grunted. “Fuuuck. That feels good.” Wrapping one hand around her, he drew her upright so he was standing, and she was pressed against him, her bottom just barely tottering on the edge of the crate. “You recovered faster than expected.”

“I always plan to surprise you.” She levered herself upward, managing to seat herself partially on his cock, only to let gravity pull her down.

He let out one of his rusty barks and then groaned. “I used to think I didn’t like surprises. I was so wrong.”

She would have laughed too, but she was too busy whimpering. He was so big, and he felt so good, but she was not even halfway stuffed full of his cock. “I need more.”

“Angel,” he groaned, his hold tightening.

“Not right now, Alpha.” She gave him her own cocky grin as she worked herself on is shaft. “I’m not feeling very angelic at all.”

“Perfect.” He gripped her ass with his free hand and steadied her, giving her something to push against. “That’s it, beautiful. Work yourself on my dick. Show me how bad you want it. What you’re willing to do for it.”

He was so big. Without his help, even gravity could only help her so much. Panting, she squirmed on top.

Last time had been extraordinary, but this was even more so. Because this time, she got to watch the heat in his gaze as he fucked her. Revel in the intensity of his stare, the touching mix of tenderness, awe, and ferocity that twisted his strong features as he took her.

It only made her hotter.

“Please. Please.”

With a low growl, he showed her some mercy. Thrusting upward as he drove her down.

She keened, her body giving way.

Until he was seated fully inside her. His expanding knot pressed at the base of her pussy while he filled her completely.

They groaned in unison.

They really were perfect together.

“Bite me,” she whispered, pressing her mouth to the strong chord at his neck and nipping to underscore her words. “Claim me fully, Alpha.”

That was all it took. With a roar, he bit down, his fangs sinking into her neck while he drove deep.

She shattered, pain and pleasure mingling as the marks at her wrists and throat deepened and the tie between them fused tight.

With a roar, he followed her over the edge, his seed filling her as he bounced her up and down until his knot locked them together, and all they could do was rock as one.

Joined, finally, in every way.

The future spread out before them, rich with possibilities, ripe with potential and the kind of intense, crazy, new love that would only deepen over time.

Suddenly, everything seemed possible—as long as they had each other.

He was pressing kisses to her temple while she whispered his name, stuffed full of his knot, when the sudden high-pitched, agitated trilling of the zalari echoed just out of sight.

He froze. She did too.

Then, before she could utter another word, his knot deflated, and he pulled himself from her, grabbed his gun, and turned.

PAVEL

“Axel? What in the hells are you doing here?” Pavel flicked off his laser and yanked his hides back onto his hips. “One of these rotations, I’m gonna blow your head off.”

“So you keep threatening.” His partner didn’t look at him. Instead, Axel’s gaze was locked on the knife tip embedded in the wall, inches from his cheek. A paring knife that looked just like one from the kitchen. And since Pavel hadn’t thrown it …

They both looked at his angel at the same time.

She cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize he was a friend.”

“You threw that?” Pavel could not believe it. She must have taken it from the kitchen and slipped it into the pocket of her dress and had it on her the whole time, even when he was fucking her.

He was so damned proud—and hard.

Axel, on the other hand, seemed less enamored. His deep voice—which usually never rose above a low grunt—was suddenly at near-deafening levels. “You could have killed me, omega!”

“Oh, no,” she assured him. “If I’d wanted to hit you, I would have.”

Pavel couldn’t help himself. He laughed out loud. “How did you do that?”

“I, ah, I’m not sure.” She stared down at her hand. Then, back at the blade embedded in the wall, the handle still quivering. “It just sort of happened.”

“Sort of happened?” Axel was still belly-aching.

“Shut it, Axel.” Pavel was nothing but delighted. “That’s what you get for coming unannounced and interrupting my warrior female and me.”

“Comms are out. Had to come in person.”

Of course. But Pavel still would have preferred his partner not come at all, especially as he took in the shadows in his partner’s stare.

Dread gathered at the base of his spine.

He hugged his omega close and tried to smooth away the corresponding worry he saw in her stare. “Bet you’re not feeling so useless right about now. Even Axel’s scared.”

She tipped her chin and put on an equally good front. “You’re right. I had no idea I was such a badass. I should probably tell you, you didn’t leave the lock undone. I did it. I was just fiddling, but somehow I knew how to slide the spring-loaded pins to align, turn the cylinder, and open it. Just like I knew what was in each of these crates. Just like I knew if I hurled that object exactly at that angle at that speed, it would hit the wall just as it did.”

“Amazing.” This time, Axel didn’t sound pissed. He sounded intrigued. “No wonder they want her back so bad.”

They? Fuck.

Pavel’s laser rose once more. “And you’re here because?”

Axel eyed his movement. “Not to betray the only guy I ever gave a robe.”

“That so?”

“Yes. Who else is going to call me pretty-boy and make me look good in comparison?”

When Pavel still didn’t lower his weapon, Axel sighed. “Look, I am here to help. I actually came to make sure you and the cargo were okay and to tell you to lie low since there’s trouble brewing near the main city that has nothing to do with you. But now I see that’s not the case, and you’re balls deep in it—in more ways than one.”

“Funny male.” Still, Pavel’s shoulders loosened as he lowered his weapon. “Sorry, but there’s no taking chances with her.”

Axel nodded. “So it’s like that?”

“One hundred percent.”

Axel’s usual scowl broke for the first time, an actual smile spreading across his too-pretty face. “I guess congratulations are in order.” He grinned wider. “For him, at least. You, pretty little omega, I feel like I should warn away from such a bruiser—though after the knife incident, maybe not.”

“Pavel is perfect.” Haughty indignation sharpened his female’s voice. “I need no warning.”

Axel’s chortle was full of glee. “Oh, wow. She really is just right for you.”

Pavel’s chest filled with pride, but he couldn’t stop himself from moving in front of his omega. The gleam of fascination and awe in his friend’s gaze was causing his fangs to punch at his gums. “Be amazed from farther over there.” He pointed outside the cargo hold.

Axel sighed but backed up. “You going to introduce me?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Pavel.” His omega elbowed him. Then, she moved beside him, patted down her hair, straightened her shift, and tipped her nose in the air, looking gorgeous and dainty, as if she hadn’t just gotten fucked and knotted on top of a crate and then hurled a paring knife at some stranger’s face. “Some decorum, please,” she sniffed. “This male is clearly your friend—”

“That may be a bit of an overstatement.”

“I heard that,” grouched Axel, who’d made it outside.

“Come on.” His angel threaded her hand with his and dragged him forward, her courage showing through when she winked at him, giving him a glimpse of the brave, mischievous imp beneath, the side of herself she reserved for him. The side that was determined to be brave in the face of whatever Axel had come to tell them, even though he could see the growing fear in the rigid set of her stance. “Let’s take him to the house. You can introduce me in a proper and civilized fashion, and we can find out what he knows. I don’t want him scared of me forever because of one small paring knife mishap.”

Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, he laughed out loud again. The time for a proper introduction had passed and what he was feeling wasn’t civilized at all. It was downright territorial. Possessive. Primal. Raw.

And also terrifying.

Because the tight fist wrapping itself around Pavel’s chest said everything was about to change.

CHAPTER 14

PAVEL

“A princess with amnesia. Fuck” Axel leaned back in his chair, his stare shifting from the omega to the item on the table. “And a priceless jewel with some unknown purpose. Double fuck.”

His partner’s range of expression was severely limited.

“So you said.” Pavel pulled his female and her seat closer. Close enough that he could put his arm around her shoulder and offer up his strength.

He didn’t like the drawn, worried look spreading across her face. She’d ushered them into the room and then retrieved the jewel from Pavel’s supposedly unbreakable safe before laying it on the table and waiting regally for Pavel to make the introductions—he was pretty certain Axel almost bowed. But the strain was starting to show.

“So that’s why they want her and the jewel back.” Axel was still processing.

“They didn’t tell you who I was?” asked his angel.

“No. They’ve mostly just been stomping around, barking at everyone, saying that they know from the crash marks and the size of the wreckage that the ‘precious cargo’ they’re after is somewhere in this sector.”

She stiffened in his hold.

Axel kept yapping, more chatty than he’d ever been. “I was wondering if it was a load of bullshit, but with the network out, there’s little way to confirm. However, I guess if you’re a princess and you really do have a jewel, it might be true. The Federation doesn’t take kindly to having its princesses or its jewels seized and held captive.”

“I’m not being held captive.” His omega was quick to jump to his defense. “I’m here on my own accord.”

Axel eyed her. “Will the V’rali or the Federation care?”

Her shoulders sank. “No.”

The fist around Pavel’s chest squeezed tighter. He nudged her chin upward. “It’s going to be okay.” He turned his attention back to his partner. “Who exactly is asking after her?”

“A small entourage led by two burned-up, ugly-looking Alphahole princes called Selex and Relex. Since the comms systems are out, we couldn’t confirm their assertions, but their IDs seem in order. They appear to be V’rali royalty.”

She recoiled in her seat. “Those names sound awfully familiar.” Frustration left small lines at the corners of her mouth. “But the memories are still out of reach. Ugh.” She clapped her hand against her temple. “Why can’t I remember?”

Pavel pried her hands from her head. “You will.” He leveled his partner with a stare. “What else can you tell us?”

“They’re not happy and, though they’ve never come out and said what this ‘precious cargo’ is they want back, they’ve been showing around old vids of a female with an uncanny likeness to”— he tipped his chin her way—“you.”

“Hells,” Pavel snarled. “We were coming to see you once the wing of my shuttle was repaired to tell you things had changed for me and that I needed to head out.” He paused. “For good.”

Axel digested the news with a nod. “Good thing you didn’t. You would have gotten caught. They’re camped outside the Forbidden Sector, demanding to interrogate everyone who enters the main city.”

His angel pressed herself against him.

He held her close, not caring that Axel watched with curious eyes, absorbing everything. “Go on. Tell us the rest.”

The expression on Axel’s face only grew more grim. “Whoever these bastards are—and let me tell you, they are some seriously pompous Alphaholes—they’re willing to do anything to get the jewel, and her, back.”

Rage and possession surged through Pavel’s bloodstream. “A potential mate?”

Axel understood what he was asking—and from the careful way he considered before he answered, he also appeared to understand just how close Pavel suddenly was to the edge. “Neither referred to her as such.”

“Maybe they’re my brothers? They are V’rali. Same as the name on my ID.”

“Maybe,” agreed Axel, but Pavel got the sense he didn’t think so. “Either way, they’ve given King Magnus an ultimatum. Deliver their missing precious cargo—dead or alive—to the outer edge of the Forbidden Sector main city within the rotation, or they’re calling in the full power of the Federation.”

“Fuck.”

“I know.” Axel looked almost as angry as he felt. “There’s only a small contingent of them now. Frankly, they seem interested in keeping the whole thing hush-hush, but they’ve indicted they will escalate the situation if we don’t comply.”

“Escalate?” His angel’s voice shook. “As in, kill everyone in the Forbidden Zone?”

“Attempt to kill everyone,” corrected Axel.

Pavel suspected the other male was trying to be comforting. From the look on his omega’s face, his friend sucked at it.

“And it wasn’t just the Forbidden Zone they threatened to destroy,” added Axel, confirming Pavel’s thoughts. “But all of Romealon. Overcompensating much?”

“Everyone? On the entire planet? Killed unless I return?” The horror in his omega’s voice arrowed straight to his own chest.

Axel grunted and leaned back in his chair. “Who knew Mr. Peace-and-quiet would be the one to bring the chaos? I told King Magnus it’s always the quiet ones.”

Pavel knew his partner was just trying to ease the tension, but still. He shot the male a look. “That could easily be you.”

Axel eyed Pavel’s arm around the omega, pain flaring in his stare. “Unlikely.”

Now was not the time to unpack that statement, though it wasn’t the first time he’d seen that depth of agony in his friend’s stare or the grief and loss behind it. But the past would have to wait.

What they needed right now was a new plan to give them a future.

“Pavel,” his omega laid her hand on his thigh, “I don’t think—”

“We’ll find a way.”

“We’ve already got it,” insisted Axel. “War.”

Pavel shook his head. “Something else.” He’d gone down that path before. He knew how it ended.

Axel made a frustrated sound. “Something else? Why?” When he received no answer, he rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “Fine. What if we just take the Alphaholes out? Ice them now and drop their bodies in a sinkhole? It’s not as if they’ll be the first bodies to disappear inside the Forbidden Zone.”

“I’m in.” Every inch of Pavel wanted to fight. To sink his claws into the chests of the bastards who dared to try and take his female from him. To rip them limb from fucking limb, then do it all again.

“Except then, there will not only be a missing princess,” his female countered, “but two missing princes as well. The Federation will only send more troops and weaponry.”

Pavel’s hands clenched into fists, the fury inside him growing. Mostly because she was right, and he should have been thinking the same damned thing.

Axel blew out a frustrated breath. “I guess there’s always just running?”

“That was the plan. Before,” conceded Pavel. “But now that they’re here? We can’t leave you and the rest of the crew to face the problem we created.” Though he’d be lying if he didn’t admit there was a part of him screaming to do just that.

“We can tell them you’ve disappeared.” Axel wasn’t giving up. “We don’t know where you went.”

“Do they seem like the kind of fuckers who are just going to accept that and walk away?”

Axel shook his head and then grinned. “Even better. I’ll use my knives to persuade them.”

Axel had had a death wish for a long time now. He didn’t talk about why, but it was clear in the risky assignments he took and how he lived his life. However, the rest of the planet might not be so keen on being forced to fight.

His angel sighed. “There’s got to be another alternative.”

“There isn’t.” Axel shoved back his chair. “So, war it is.”

The vise around Pavel’s chest became a chokehold. Axel’s willingness to risk everything without hesitation made Pavel see his old life in a new way. He’d been so focused on all he’d lost in that pit, keeping those around him at bay so what happened with Willer didn’t happen again, that he’d failed to appreciate all he’d gained. Or how some so-called business partners had snuck under his hard shell and become far more.

He suspected his angel had understood what was in his heart well before he did, but he was finally catching up.

“Thank you, friend.” Standing up, he clasped Axel’s forearm. “I didn’t realize finding my angel would also mean finding myself and my priorities again, but that’s exactly what’s happened. You are a good male, and I’m glad I never killed you when I could have.”

“Dream on.” Axel’s tone was gruff, but there was a teasing glint to his stare. “I’m the one who is glad I never killed you.” He cleared his throat, his expression sobering. “We have your back. You’re not in this alone. You never were. We fight as one. No matter what.”

Pavel knew Axel meant every word—which was why he couldn’t accept the offer.

The Alphas of the Forbidden Zone were merciless, determined, and dirty in combat, willing to do whatever it took. Far better than the soldiers he’d once worked with. They were exactly who he would want at his back in a battle. And they would bring carnage and pain to whoever came at them.

But even their skills and brutality would not be enough against the full force of the Federation and V’rali.

In the end, the burgeoning Forbidden Zone would be destroyed again and its inhabitants killed, alongside thousands of innocent, unsuspecting Romealons and even more Federation soldiers who were just following their bosses’ orders—as he and Willer and the rest of his fellow soldiers had once been.

In the end, they’d all die.

Because of him and his angel.

His gaze locked with hers, and he knew, without her saying a word, that she was thinking the same thing.

He felt it to the marrow of his bones, alongside a sinking sensation in his gut. A dawning realization of horror. An agony that felt like the walls were closing in once more and there was nowhere to run.

He and his fallen angel hadn’t known each other long. They’d fallen headlong into heat and rut and lust and then found their way toward trust and love—the kind he was certain would only have continued to grow stronger with each passing rotation.

But there was one factor they’d failed to consider when making their plans: that their love might come at the sacrifice of so many others.

They’d gladly risk their own lives to be together but demand the same of others? That was the one thing they couldn’t do. The only thing their love couldn’t weather.

“Axel, can you give us a moment?”

Silence. Then his friend shook his head as he registered the look on Pavel’s face. “There has to be another way.”

“There’s not. At least, not in the short term. Not one that keeps everyone else alive.”

“Damn it.” The pity in his friend’s stare was almost enough to break him. “This isn’t right. At least one of us in this wasteland should get to be happy.”

He smiled at his female. “I have been. More than I ever thought possible.”

“I still say war is the best plan,” insisted Axel.

And all Pavel wanted to do was agree. But enough of his friends had died.

“No.” Only the courage and adoration in his angel’s eyes kept him from losing it altogether. “Sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice anything for each other… even love itself.”

Axel swallowed hard. “I’ll wait outside then.” He stormed from the house without another word.

“Pavel.” She reached for him.

He caught her hand and held it as if he could sear her touch into his flesh and his soul forevermore.

Fuck, this was going to hurt.

CHAPTER 15

ARI

The agony inside her cut deeper with every heartbeat.

True love. The truest, brightest, fated kind. Pavel was right. That’s exactly what they’d found and fought for in their short time together.

It was ironic. She’d never been so full of purpose and sure of her place—and at the same time so sure she had to leave it all behind.

She would never allow innocents to suffer and die when she could prevent it. Nor would he.

Which left them with only one choice. “I have to go. And you have to let me.”

His hold tightened.

“Pavel.”

“I know.” He picked up the Prinzessin jewel and pressed it into her palm. Then, he covered her hand with his, the warmth and power of him seeping into her, giving her strength. “If there was any other fucking way. If it were about only me and you … I’d give up anything, do anything, to keep you with me.”

“I know you would. I feel it. Here.” She tapped her chest with her free hand. “I hope you feel how much I want to stay with you too. I’d sacrifice everything—just like you—except the others depending on us.”

“It’s a love worthy of any sacrifice.”

“And so we make the greatest one. Our love to keep all those we care about safe.”

“It doesn’t have to be forever. I’ll find a way.” The near-frenzied rasp of his voice hit like a strike. She hated his pain even more than her own.

“Yes,” she lied. “It’s not forever. Just for now.” Because they both knew she’d always be a princess and he’d always be an outlaw, and the V’rali and Federation would never let her go.

He blew out a breath. “It’s going to kill me to see you with some fucking Alphahole prince.”

Trembling, she moved forward, pressing herself against him. Felt his broad chest and beating heart for the last time. “Don’t come with me. It will be too hard. Let Axel take me. I want to say goodbye to you here. To remember you surrounded by your zalari, in the place where we fell in love.”

He shuddered against her, and she felt it too—every bit of grief and anguish for what might have been. “You’ll have to chain me up. It’s the only way. Quick. Before I change my mind.” He moved away from her and was gone in an instant, and back way too soon, the handcuffs from his bedroom clenched tight in his fist.

He held them out.

“Pavel, no.”

He thrust them at her, his scowl deepening. “Do it, Angel. For me. I threatened to tie you down once. It’s your turn now. I need you to chain me. It’s the only way.”

He took her trembling hand and, gaze fused with hers, led her to an unfinished section of the hall where the scaffolding was still visible in the wall. Together, they snapped one cuff to the reinforced beam hanging overhead, the other to his wrist. The muscles in his chest and stomach stretched and bunched as his arm hung overhead, showing her every slab of gorgeous chiseled steel she’d never get to touch again.

His eyes sunk closed as he breathed through his nose, slow and steady, as if pulling himself together.

She knew he must hate it. After the pit, any kind of restraints must remind him of being hemmed in.

“Alpha, let me take it off.”

“No.” His eyes opened, his expression determined. “Take this.” He slipped the paring knife into her hand. She’d been so focused on the cuffs and him, she hadn’t even realized he’d carried it with him from the kitchen.

Then he handed her his laser.

“No.” She tried to give it back. “I can’t take this. You need it.”

“You need it more. If there is any hint of trouble, if any of those princely bastards give you any problem or attitude, you shoot first and apologize later. Princesses can get away with that.”

She smiled despite herself.

He pressed something else small and round into her palm.

“What’s this?”

“A comms device. It’s not operational now, but once the planetary network is back online or you’re in a functioning comms region, it will light up and work. You can use it to contact me anytime, anywhere. If there’s any danger, or if,” he swallowed hard, “if you just need me to kick some peasant’s ass, you use it.”

She gripped it hard. “You told me yourself that you can’t be caught by the Federation. They’ll execute you.”

“If you’re in danger, I will find a way to get to you. I don’t care what it takes.”

“I do.” But she took it anyway, sliding the comms into the pocket of her shift alongside the knife. Having even this connection to him was a comfort.

She would just have to make sure she was never weak enough to use it.

“Fuck!” He let out a roar, the chain clanking as he strained against it.

She stifled a sob.

“Come here, baby. Let me hold you,”—his voice broke—“just one more time.”

She went easily into his hold, his free hand wrapping around her and squeezing her tight.

She pressed her cheek to his chest. Soaked in his scent and the wild beat of his heart. “I will only ever be thinking of you. Of you and the zalari and your big bathtub and that cargo hold and, mostly, the way I finally found what I was looking for right here of all places. Not in some castle or a jewel. But in a quiet compound in the middle of the wastelands—and in the extraordinary Alpha who built it all.” Her voice shook. “There’s not a rotation that will pass that I won’t think of you, ache for you.”

“The marks will fade.” His fingertips pressed into her back as if he could make new ones. “Even fated mate marks don’t last forever if you’re apart.”

“Maybe, but the need I have for you never will.”

He gripped her tighter. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“I don’t want to go.”

He blew out a breath, squeezed her one more time, and then stepped back.

Cool air swirled between them.

She’d never felt more alone, the edge of the jewel biting into her palm.

His lips pulled into a tight smile, his piercings flashing. He took another step back. “Sometimes the bad guy really does have to play the hero.”

It took everything in her power to keep her hands at her sides and her feet planted. “And I guess sometimes duty really does win over love—not just for princesses, but for all.”

“I had no idea I had a noble bone in my body.” His smile was wobbly, his gaze glittering with fury and pain, but she knew he teased for her, tried to be strong for her. Like he always would. Catching her, even when she wanted to falter.

“I knew you did.” She forced a smile to match his. “Don’t shut yourself off again. Peace and time alone are nice, but you’re too amazing not to let others know you. And that sexy laugh of yours … Don’t forget what it sounds like ever again.”

He rubbed at his chest. “It’s not going to be easy to do without you here.”

Her smile wobbled. “Find a way.”

He barked out a laugh. “I’ll try.” He leveled her with his usual bossy outlaw stare. “And you, don’t forget just how extraordinary you are. Far from worthless—and not because of some damned jewels or a title. But because of your spirit and your courage and your fire.”

Her heart fluttered. He always managed to make her feel like a true queen.

“I know you’re going to do amazing things with your life, Angel.” He paused. “Just don’t try cooking anything in the meantime.”

Her laughter caught her by surprise. But then again, so much about this male had been unexpected and wonderful. How many others were strong enough to laugh when they were slowly falling apart? When the agony instead threatened to break them? She and Pavel really were a perfect match.

A gift from destiny.

Even if he was one she couldn’t keep.

Her laughter trailed to an end and made the sudden, painful silence all the louder.

He swallowed hard. “You’ll always be my angel.”

“You’ll always be my outlaw.”

His hands fisted by his sides. “Go now, before I can’t let you go at all.”

She took one last look, memorizing him as best she could. Then, with a sob, she turned and ran, the gem gripped tight in her fist, her gift guiding her even as her sight blurred and her sobs turned to silent, gasping tears.

Because she might not be an angel, she might be nothing but trouble, but for once, she was going to do what was right and save those she could.

Starting with the male she loved above all others.

CHAPTER 16

PAVEL

Pavel snarled, straining against the cuff, the beam bending beneath the weight of each jerk of his wrist.

Almost fucking there.

It had been a mistake to let her go.

He didn’t do noble. He wasn’t willing to let everyone else die, but he’d find some other way to be close to her. Change his fucking face and stalk her in the shadows. Anything so he got to see her. Anything not to feel the excruciating agony that came from thinking he’d never see her again.

Slam. He jerked his wrist away from the beam, ignoring the pain, ignoring the blood.

He couldn’t let her leave without at least one more kiss.

This place had always seemed so big. He’d built it that way so he’d never feel hemmed in. But now, now the fucking walls were closing in. Worse than when he’d been in that damn pit.

All he wanted to fucking do was claw at them, scrape and tear until he broke out.

But it wasn’t his freedom or solitude or space or peace he hoped to find on the other side anymore.

It was only her.

No! He forced himself to stop yanking at the beam. He had to be strong. As strong as she had been.

If he went to her and thousands of Romealons died as a result, their love would be tainted as well, stained by bloodshed and selfishness, the kind of marks that sullied everything, including their feelings for one another.

As hard as it was, he had to let her go.

Beep. He looked up. The comms around the wrist chained to the beam lit up.

Now the damned thing worked. The planet-wide comms network must finally have been restored, the damage by the ship’s explosion rectified.

Life was returning to normal. Except for him.

His gaze strayed to the image on the screen.

The V’rali family tree. The last thing he’d typed in before he realized it wasn’t working.

Now, the images he no longer wanted to see beamed down at him, taunting him.

And because he was so fucking weak, he used his free hand to scroll through the vids until he found the only name that mattered.

Princess Ariana of the V’rali.

Greedy, hungry for even a glance, he tapped the screen.

Then scowled.

The female peering down at him had red hair and purple skin and a snooty look, but she was a pale imitation of his angel.

His big, clumsy fingers must have pressed the wrong name. He scrolled back—rechecked the name and pressed once more.

Only to see the same female.

What the fuck?

Princess Ariana of the V’rali.

Why did they have the wrong image under her name?

Unless …

Oh, fuckety-fuck. He yanked his wrist against the beam in earnest.

He had to get to her.

ARI

“They’re just over the ridge.” Axel’s voice was an unhappy growl. “But I can take you back now. You can still change your mind.”

“No.” She couldn’t allow others to die for her and Pavel. It wasn’t right. “Thank you for bringing me here safely. You should go now before they see you and arrest you for keeping me. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll wait here. Pavel wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Her heart clenched. Even hearing his name hurt.

With a final nod and another thank you, she forced her feet forward, just as she’d done with every step she’d taken away from her Alpha, even as every cell in her body screamed to turn around and go back to him.

But what kind of future could she and Pavel really have if it came at the sacrifice of so many others?

He’d chained himself—chosen to endure something he hated—to let her walk away. She couldn’t torment them both by returning now.

There were plenty who would give everything they had to be a V’rali princess. To sleep on fancy sheets and live in a castle.

And even though that wasn’t her—not just because of Pavel, but because she was fairly certain that even before she met him, she’d liked splashing in the rain too much to ever really want to be a princess—she would do what she had to do.

Because protecting Pavel and what he loved came above all else.

She reached the crest of the ridge, dread pooling in her stomach.

She gripped the jewel tighter.

She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous or why some faint voice inside was shrieking at her in alarm. She had the jewel, and she was a princess returning to the fold. They’d be there welcoming her with open arms.

With a final breath for courage, she glided to the other side of the hill and started down toward the camp below.

Two huge, hulking Alphas, not as tall or broad as Pavel, but still big, gave a shout at the sight of her.

A ring of guards surrounded her, a handful of lasers aimed in her direction.

“It’s all right. It’s just me.” She raised her hands, the gem gripped tight in one palm. “I’m alone and unharmed. I have the jewel too.”

But instead of pointing their weapons downward, the guards remained at the ready—and the looks on the faces of the two males wearing the crowns were far from familial or welcoming.

She raised her hands higher and tried again. “It’s just me. Princess Ariana of the V’rali.” She offered what she hoped was a soothing smile. “You can put your weapons away.”

No one did.

If anything, the two large Alphas in front appeared more enraged.

A chill wound up her spine, that voice inside shrieking louder as she stared back at those two males.

They might have been handsome once, but not now. Gauze covered most of their faces and hands and whatever wasn’t covered was red and blistered, as if they’d been in a recent accident.

The bandages only made the crowns on their heads and the jewels on their robes look more comical. But there was nothing funny about the pure hate in their gazes as they studied her.

“What game are you playing?” snarled the first prince.

A strange sense of familiarity whispered through her. The hairs on the nape of her neck rose as a faint, recognizable stirring of dislike coiled deep in her stomach.

“You expect us to fall for the same trick twice?” sneered the second prince.

“Trick?” She didn’t understand any of this, but somehow … somehow, that was starting to sound about right. She had tricked them—and she didn’t feel guilty about it at all.

“Look what you did to us. You’re going to pay.”

“You won’t escape us, bitch! Not again.”

You won’t escape us, bitch! Not again. Familiar words. They echoed through her mind, ricocheting through the clouds that had obscured her memories and tearing through the veil.

She remembered! The memories barreled through her, her past rushing back to her in vivid color.

She remembered, and she was in so much trouble.

CHAPTER 17

ARI

Two rotations ago …

Another ball. Another meat market. One of so many. Ariel—Ari to her friends—sighed and tried not to slouch. Tried to look as princess-like as possible—not that she had a clue, but the old files she’d downloaded on royal comportment had proven accurate so far—and she was confident she was holding her own, even among the well-dressed real royals.

Everywhere she looked, regal-looking Alphas and omegas, weighed down by too many glittering jewels, sipped from expensive crystal goblets and stuffed their faces with too-rich food, trying to increase their power and wealth through dynastic mergers.

Raising her own flute, she pretended to be one of them, slipping through the crowd with ease. Her hair up, a dainty crown on her head, a swirling gown of gossamer inner-planetary silk, sparkling rings and bracelets atop her gloves, a massive glowing crystal nestled between her breasts—but in her case, all of it was fake, just like her smile. Just like her identity.

Still, the jewels might be imitation, her glorious amethyst gown a cast-off she’d stolen and then spent weeks resewing—needlepoint had never been a skill of hers—but she’d long ago perfected the art of blending in.

Mostly because those who fit in nowhere had no choice but to learn to fit in everywhere.

“Don’t rush off, beautiful.” A heavy, just-a-little-too-tight grip wrapped around her elbow, checking her in place.

She stifled a groan.

Though the bottom half of his face was covered by a jewel-encrusted muffler, there was no mistaking Prince Sethex’s handsome face—or lecherous leer.

Hells. She thought she’d lost him in the crowd.

He took her glass—without asking. “Let me hold that for you, Princess. Someone as lovely and rich as you shouldn’t have to ever lift a finger or hold a glass.”

“Agreed.” His matching twin, Prince Relex, cornered her from the other side, blocking her in. “Lovely, tiny omegas should always keep those hands free, so they can… be filled with something else.” He winked at his brother. “Mouths too.”

She wanted to snarl. She forced herself to blink up innocently at them instead. To pretend she didn’t understand their innuendos and let them believe she was as innocent and cloistered as the pervy princes expected a sheltered V’rali omega princess to be.

It wasn’t easy. She would have far preferred to whip out the dagger strapped to her thigh and hurl it through Selex’s eye before ripping off Relex’s balls.

But she had work to do.

So, instead, she simpered and smiled shyly and pretended she didn’t notice their jewels were also fake, the quality of their weapons shoddy. Or that they were two princes down on their luck, disliked by even the rest of the unlikable V’ralis, desperate to get out of debt by making a match with a wealthier branch of the family.

Unfortunately, she appeared to be embodying her role too well because they’d clearly settled on her as their target.

If they only knew. Besides the fancy clothes on her back, her overall assets were close to a big, fat zero.

Sure, she was good at her job, but the money from every jewel she stole and fenced went right back to the sisters and the orphanage that had raised her.

There were few places in the galaxy that provided a haven for abandoned omegas, and feeding and caring for so many mouths was expensive. Not to mention that the bastard V’ralis and the Federation were always squeezing the sisters for extra cash.

With all she’d already stolen, she’d barely been able to keep those in the orphanage alive.

But that would change now. The Prinzessin gem was rare and extraordinary, and she’d heard rumors that the Skolov head wanted it as a gift for his omega—and that he’d pay handsomely to whoever made that possible.

Which was why soon enough Darla, the rest of the omega orphans, and the sisters would have a roof that didn’t leak, as well as plentiful food, beds, and clothes enough for all.

Maybe then the Sisters would finally decide she’d been worth the trouble of raising.

“Let us show you around the grounds.” Selex’s hold on her tightened. “It’s stunning this time of night.”

“Yes.” Relex corralled her from the other side. “There’s plenty we’d like to show you.”

The rapey vibes were strong with these two.

Disgust slammed through her. It was painfully clear these males weren’t above forcing an alliance through whatever means necessary, including preying on the innocence of a blushing, virginal, royal omega, taking what she’d never offered them in the first place.

The poor, real Princess Ariana of V’rali. She had to put up with a lot. Ari had chosen her because of their similar hair, build, and names, but it was feeling more and more like she’d done the real princess a favor when she’d sabotaged the royal shuttle and prevented her from attending the ball.

“Come.” Relex’s meaty paw landed on Ari’s back, practically shoving her forward. She rolled away, though she was careful to make it appear like a stumble forward, and slammed her balled fist right into Selex and his tiny little dick.

The Alpahhole tumbled over with a groan.

“Oh, dear me. How clumsy.” She backed straight into Relex and ‘accidentally’ snapped her elbow behind her—right into target two’s matching pecker.

Prince Relex let out a high screech, clutched his junk, and crumpled.

“Help! These two poor dears hurt themselves,” she cried, sounding as sweet and innocent as she absolutely was not, and drawing as much attention as possible.

“Let me get some ice.” She hurried away as a crowd closed in, her actions obscured by the perfect distraction.

She frankly couldn’t have planned it better.

She cut down a side hall and skirted the dwindling crowds until it was just her in the corridor. Then she ducked beneath the barriers and entered the closed-off section of the palace. The lights were off, the laser alarms in place.

She didn’t turn on the former and easily sidestepped the latter.

Thank you, omega abilities. They were sporadic at best but better than nothing.

Finally, she reached her destination. She gave a quick scan to ensure no one was nearby, stepped inside the study, removed the floating art from the wall, and exposed the safe behind. Then, with a whirl of her fingers, her gift leading the way, she turned the safe dial until click, it opened.

She was in.

Glittering jewel after jewel lay inside. The host of tonight’s ball, some big Commander yuckety-yuck Federation jerk, was as greedy as he was corrupt. Her senses pinged as her gift recognized the color, cut, and clarity of each gem.

But only one mattered tonight.

She pushed the others aside and grabbed the Prinzessin jewel, slipping it into the hidden pocket she’d sewn into her gown.

Then, setting everything back to rights, she slipped out and rejoined the party. No one the wiser.

Darla would be getting two desserts by the next sun’s rise.

Sister Lark and the others wouldn’t be happy with how she’d gotten the funds, but they’d overlook it since, without her efforts, the orphans would be in terrible straits—and they’d long ago labeled her trouble and given up on trying to save her soul.

What could she say?

She had a lawless heart.

It wasn’t as if the Federation or V’rali royalty suffered from her actions. They had more than enough to go around while Darla and the other omegas, abandoned and all too easily preyed upon in this harsh galaxy, had so little. She’d barely survived her childhood before she was rescued by the sisters and taken to the orphanage herself, and she never wanted others to experience the fear and insecurity she had.

The orphanage had become her home, her refuge, and though it wasn’t a perfect fit, it was something—and more than so many orphaned females had.

She saw no problem in breaking the rules if it meant keeping those she cared about alive.

Plus, if she was being honest, she also just really liked the excitement that came from being bad.

She hid a smile as she made her way out of the ball and into the gardens, a stunning array of flowers and planets from across the galaxy. All lit by tiny little solar lights that cast the entire space in a soft, welcoming glow.

Very pretty. But she didn’t have time for a tour.

The whole excursion had gone off without a hitch, leaving her just enough time to check in to her luxury suite on the decadent cruise shuttle, the Destiny—what else would do for a V’rali princess?—and blast off this planet before anyone noticed the gem was gone. Then, at the Destiny’s first stop, she’d slip away, make contact with the fence who would handle the payment and exchange with the Skolov family, and that would be that.

It really was the perfect scheme.

She was almost off the grounds, her gown hitched up to her thighs as she scaled the wall, when she heard a muffled cry.

She paused. Bit her lip. Had a momentary debate with herself. Any delay could cost her, making it easier for someone to potentially track her to the ship. Maybe even allow someone to discover the jewel was missing and get the word out. If that happened, there would soon be other enterprising bastards out to steal the jewel from her before she could get it to her fence.

She’d almost convinced herself she was hearing things when another pained whimper snaked her way.

Hells.

Jumping back down the wall, she crept along the perimeter of stunning shrubbery until she found the source of the cries—and her two least favorite princes.

Selex and Relex had moved onto another target and were now pressing a young female in a real tiara down onto a bench, laughing while she fought. One kept his hand over her mouth while the other shoved his hand up her gown.

Now, Ari was all for a nice rutting. She’d never met an Alpha who made her want to stay more than a night, but she’d met a couple of males whose deep, rumbled purr and taste for dominance had left her with a perfectly fine feeling about sex.

But not when it was forced or unwelcome. Not when the omega didn’t want to be bent and twisted to an Alpha’s will.

“You need to leave her alone.”

At the sound of her voice, the two princes whirled around.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“She begged us to …”

Their excuses trailed off as they realized it was only her—and that she was alone.

Two predatory gazes glittered back at her. “Isn’t this lucky?”

“Not for you.” Ari’s rage grew. The young female thrashed in Relex’s hold. Her cheek and eye were swollen, her right arm hanging at an odd angle. “Let her go.”

“I don’t think so,” smirked Selex. “Now we can leave the ball with two princesses. One for each of us—and more money for the taking.”

Relex smirked and rubbed his dick. “You have a lot to make up for anyway, princess. Those elbows of yours should be designated lethal weapons.”

“That’s just the start of how I’m going to make you hurt.”

“You?” Prince Selex scoffed. “On your knees, V’rali slut. You’ll learn who rules you soon enough.”

She was a creature comfortable in the gray. A predator herself. But these two were true monsters.

Whipping out her dagger, she hurled it at her target. It wasn’t one of the princes, much as she would have loved to bury the blade in their thick, entitled hides. But they were bigger, faster, and stronger, and even if she took one down, the other would rush her. One strike was all it would take to lay her out.

Unless they couldn’t see her.

Which was why she sent her blade flying into the nearby fuse box. The instant the blade pierced the wires, the garden lights flickered out, plunging the area into darkness.

“What the hells?”

“Where is she?”

Robbed of their sight, Selex and Relex stilled, their heads whipping from side to side as they tried to find their bearings. Relex’s hold on the female loosened ever so slightly.

Ari took advantage, creeping around behind them, retrieving her dagger from the fuse box, and, without hesitation, burying it in Relex’s back. She would have liked to go for his heart, but even in the dark, his large arms might have found her.

With a roar, he turned, letting go of his captive as he struck out. But she was already ducking out of reach—and seizing the arm of the real princess. “Run.”

Taking advantage of Relex’s momentary pain and Selex’s bellowed demands to understand what was happening to his brother, she tugged the princess along.

All too soon, enraged footsteps sounded behind her, but she still had the advantage of the twists and turns of the garden and the ability to sense what was around her while the Alphas in pursuit could not. Making a sharp, last-moment turn, she pulled her charge behind a large set of silver palms leaves—and was very pleased to hear dual shouts of pain as they followed the scent trail and ran headlong into the tiny thorns that decorated the tips of the palms, their hair and clothes getting tangled within.

Now that would leave a mark.

Her smile grew.

They’d get out—sooner than she would have liked—but all she needed was a slight head start.

“Follow me. I’ll take you back to the ball.” Determined, using her gift as her guide, she retraced her steps, delivering the shocked, weeping omega safely back to the edge of the ball—where she could already hear a cry of alarm spreading.

Someone had discovered the gem was missing.

So much for an easy getaway.

“How can I thank you?” Shaking, the real princess clutched her arm tight.

“Just don’t keep quiet. Tell your family what those two princes did. They can’t be allowed to get away with it.”

The female nodded, her tiara sliding even farther off its regal perch. “I will. My Alpha is powerful within the Federation. Before this evening’s end, those two will be wanted fugitives. And you… you’re my hero.”

Her? A hero? Hardly.

“Stay.” The princess’s grip tightened. “Stay and serve me. My father will reward you. He will give you jewels and nice clothing. And once I am a prime omega, he will ensure you are given an advantageous match as well. You can live the life of a princess. Be safe in a castle and attend balls like this forever.”

Ari shivered. That sounded like a nightmare. “Thank you, but that’s not the life I’m after.” She was a thief and an outlaw, and that was the way she liked it. The only thing she truly wanted was for the omegas at the orphanage to have a non-leaking roof over their head and enough food to eat—and, maybe, some rotation, someone willing to share in her adventures with her.

In the meantime, she’d settled for getting herself and the jewel safely away from here.

With a few final comforting words, she left the omega and sprinted away.

There was still time to make it to the Destiny and get her scheme back on track.

With any luck, she’d never see Selex or Relex again.

CHAPTER 18

PAVEL

Pavel cleared the ridge and roared in fury.

Axel fought two big Alphas single-handedly. Six bodies littered the space, indicating that his friend had already gotten in several lethal strikes, but he’d been injured in the process. Blood stained his chest and horns, and he wavered on his feet.

But it was the other struggle taking place that had Pavel’s stomach bottoming out.

Two huge Alphas had his angel cornered and were closing in, murder in their stares. One clutched his chest, the handle of a familiar paring knife embedded in his flesh. The other was covered in laser burns, likely from the smoking weapon that now lay on the ground a few arm’s lengths away.

His extraordinary omega had gotten in a few good strikes as well.

Unfortunately, her opponents were much bigger.

Horns snapping straight, he took off running.

“My brother and I are going to rip you—”

Pavel tackled the bastard reaching for her with two good hands, slamming him to the ground and tearing his throat open in one vicious yank.

The male was still gurgling and dying, a shocked look on his face, when Pavel swiveled and slammed his horns into the other bastard’s back.

His opponent folded, dropping to his knees and shrieking, almost taking down his angel in a tangle of limbs and flashing fangs. Luckily, she staggered back, just managing to stay upright—and kicked out, slamming her booted heel into her attacker’s jaw. “That’s for breaking the omega’s arm in the garden. And for all the rude things you said about me.”

The prince toppled backward with a groan, his eyes rolling upward before sinking shut. Not dead, but thankfully in a good bit of pain.

“Pavel! You came.”

He opened his arms wide.

She ran straight into them. “I was so afraid I’d never see you again.”

“I’m never letting you out of my sight from this rotation forward.” Relief slammed through him, his heart crashing so hard against his ribs, he thought a couple might break.

She was safe. Alive. And in his arms.

He held her tighter, absorbing that Axel had taken out one opponent and was about to finish off the last. Just as expected. The male was the best fighter among them.

Head resting on the top of her soft hair, he savored the silk of his female’s skin against his, the rise and fall of her chest in tandem with his own.

Nothing would separate them again.

“I’m fine too.” Axel called from off to the side.

He ignored his friend in favor of petting his omega, long slow strokes along her spine. He suspected it would be a long time before he forgot his agony over letting her go or the terror of seeing those Alphas barreling down on her.

If he’d been only a few heartbeats later … Except his omega had proven pretty capable of handling herself.

“Those were some seriously impressive moves. Pretty vicious for a princess.”

“Hmmm. About that.” She pulled back from his hold just enough to look up at him, her expression adorably nervous.

“Good thing you’re not a princess.”

She stilled. “You know?”

“The network came back on line. I saw the real Ariana of V’rali.”

Her gaze flickered away. “I remembered who I was when I saw these two jerks. I’m an orphan with no pedigree whatsoever. No fancy castles. I never even had a home until the sisters took me in.”

His chest went tight. The thought of her younger self out there, unprotected, was going to give him nightmares for a long while.

But that was the past, and he intended her future to look very different.

“I have no money either. Or power.” She paused and finally looked at him again. “You’re not disappointed?”

“Hells no.” He hauled her back up against him, needing her close. “All I care about is that your beautiful, outlaw heart belongs to me.”

She wilted against him, relief shimmering in her stare. Then she wrapped her hands around his neck and grinned up at him. “So you’re keeping me? For real this time?”

“Forever.”

“Good. Because it turns out I’m also a thief. A really good one. The kind an outfit like yours might need.”

“And bloodthirsty too.” They really were a perfect match.

“Yes.” Her unrepentant smile grew. “Though, in my defense, they were going to kill me.”

“I would never let anyone hurt you, beautiful.”

She studied his expression. “So you’re really okay with me not being fancy royalty?”

“I’ve got something even better. A flesh and blood fallen angel who knows how to hold her own.”

“Perfect for the Forbidden Sector,” she emphasized, just in case he had any doubt.

“Perfect for me.” He’d tell her a million times until the past was nothing but a memory, and his love for her the only certainty that mattered.

They had the rest of their lives for him to show her just how much he treasured her just as she was.

“You’re mine, and I’m yours. That’s what matters most. And I’ll bring down a million kingdoms, raze a billion galaxies, to bring you home and keep you by my side forever. Finders keepers.”

She leaned into him. Played with his hair. “For an orphaned omega pretender who only ever wanted to find her real place, there’s nothing more beautiful to hear. The name’s Ariel, by the way. Ari for short. But I prefer Angel.”

He’d never felt like more of a hero than he did at that moment.

Until he noticed the still-living attacker trying to slink off—with the jewel in hand.

“Excuse me for a moment, Angel.” He kissed the top of her head and then pulled away.

He let the bastard crawl two more painful lengths before he slammed his boot down on the fucker’s neck and pinned him in place.

“I’ll take that.” Without even blinking an eye, his angel bent down—while the bastard thrashed under Pavel’s hold—and pried the jewel from his hand. “I had to throw it at him as a weapon and gain myself some time.”

“That’s my girl.”

“I was supposed to steal it for some bigwig named Nikolai Skolov.”

Skolov? Of course. “I think I can help with that.” Everything was working out just fine—and now he had two reasons Skolov was going to be happy to see him. He could already envision their company’s rep growing by leaps and bounds.

“Excellent.” She dusted off the jewel, making it shine once more. “I’m thinking half will go to the sisters for the orphanage. We’ll use the other half to get our compound up to snuff and your shuttle expanded.”

“Up to snuff?” He kept his smile to himself. He’d once predicted she would turn his universe upside down, and he was right. He also knew he would love every minute of it.

“Yes.” She nodded, her plans already swirling behind her wide, excited eyes. “Darla and the other omegas are going to need somewhere to stay when they come to visit. The sisters are great, but they can be … judgey and strict. It would be nice if they could have a place where the omegas could be themselves.”

What she’d never had.

“And the shuttle expansion?”

She paused as if gauging his reaction to her bold statements. “I can’t sit on your lap every mission.”

“The hell you can’t.” He grabbed her close. Pressed kisses to every perfect part of her he could reach. “I’ll get started building those rooms right away.” He understood exactly how important it was for her to be able to offer those other omegas a safe place—and he intended to do whatever it took for her to know that her home was open to whoever she wanted. Even if he still disliked change. And smiling. And others.

But for her, he’d do anything.

“We’ll get you your own gear and co-pilot seat for our missions.” Because he understood too that his female liked adventure, and he intended to make sure she had that at his side. Plus, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight for a very long time.

“Thank you, Pavel.” Excitement and hope glittered in her gorgeous lavender stare. “You really are the sweetest of males.”

Her lips met his. And in her kiss, he tasted his future—and it was glorious.

“I can see I really am going to have to call before I stop by for my next visit.” Axel limped over to stand beside them, his usual scowl in place.

With a sigh, Pavel ended the kiss. Making out with an attacker’s neck under his boot wasn’t exactly the best condition for a seduction anyway. “Damned right.” He told his partner. “You should have been doing so from the beginning.”

Axel just grunted.

Then they both smiled.

Pavel reached out and gripped his friend’s forearm. “Thank you for helping protect her. I owe you big time.”

Axel looked decidedly uncomfortable. “You’d do the same for me.”

“I would.” Pavel agreed. “But I still owe you. You saved what matters most to me.”

Axel sighed. “Give me back the robe you never use, and we’ll be even.”

It was the last thing Pavel expected. “The robe?” He barked out a laugh.

Axel scowled. “Yes. You don’t appreciate it, and I like a little luxury every once in a while. Also, what in the hells was that sound?”

“A laugh.” His omega sounded offended on his behalf.

“Huh.” Axel looked way more surprised by the possibility of a laugh rumbling from him than anything else that had happened in the last few minutes.

His friend nudged the captive prince with his boot. “What are we going to do about this guy? You might not be a princess, but we still have to consider the damage the Federation and V’rali can do.”

“All their threats about bringing the Federation and the V’rali were just a bunch of hot air,” explained his omega.

“So no one will come looking for them?” He and Axel exchanged a silent look.

“I doubt it.” Luckily, his female was too busy glaring down at the writhing prince to notice. “He and his brother attacked a real princess. I suspect the Federation and V’rali are after them even as we speak, but not to help them out. More likely to take them into custody, which is why I know no one will lift a finger to aid Selex or bring an army down on Romealon at his say so. He and his brother might be princes, but they’re now wanted males, hunted by their own. Leave Selex here, and he’ll have no choice but to slink away and run. Ultimately, he’ll get what he deserves.”

“Sure.” Pavel exchanged another hard stare with Axel. “Good plan. He’ll definitely get what he has coming.”

Axel nodded, his understanding and agreement obvious. No way was either of them leaving this bastard alive to come for his omega at a later date.

But their plan for Prince Selex was something his angel didn’t need to know.

She might be an outlaw and his fallen angel, but she still had a good heart. Far better than his.

He intended to do everything to guard it since that’s what you did when a priceless treasure dropped from the sky. You protected it with every part of your dark, outlaw soul.

“Let’s go home.” He grabbed her close.

“Let’s.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him just as tight.

Because sometimes destiny really did know what it was doing, and sometimes wishes really did come true.

Even for bad guys and fallen angels.

Thank you for reading Princess Claimed! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Alison’s newsletter for a bonus epilogue!

AVA ROSS

ESCORTING THE ALIEN

CHAPTER 1

LINA

I sat on the small bridge of the starship cruiser Nightingale, staring at the stars through the viewscreen.

In the back of the room, he stared at me.

Vexion Tratoosk Araclurk, AKA Vex—because he irritated the heck out of me—had just completed a dignitary mission on the interplanetary space station, solidifying a truce between the Galaxy Allegiance and his planet, Osaria.

While Vex was conducting his visiting dignitary duties, his pilot had fallen in love and begged to remain on the space station. This left Vex without someone to pilot his ship back to Osaria.

Since I was temporarily without a pilot job, courtesy of my former boss who felt it was perfectly fine to grab my ass whenever he pleased, the Intergalactic Employment Agency got in touch.

All I had to do was fly a mid-level star cruiser, carrying Vex, to the Travar Galaxy. The job got me off the space station and away from my former boss, and it paid very well. When I returned home, I could find a new position with a boss who’d keep his hands to himself.

I shifted in my seat, hooking my leg up over the arm, dangling my foot in the air while I slouched sideways. The chair was made for someone of Vex’s physique—almost seven feet tall and twice as big as me. No one said the pilot had to be the size of an Osarian to fly the craft, however.

I swung my foot back and forth and Vex huffed out a growl.

Because I’d learned some of his triggers and boy did I love hitting that switch, I started swaying my foot faster and humming a silly tune. He could be a total snot sometimes, telling me to do this, then telling me to do that. Oh, I’m sorry, requesting—his word, not mine. Irking him evened things out between us and gave me a burst of joy.

“Must you do that?” he grumbled. Aw, there was the grumpy, brutish barbarian I’d come to … okay, not love. Not even like, when I thought about it. But there was something about him that sucked me into his orbit. I hadn’t quite figured it out. He was snarky, and he had an odd way of saying things. Some came out steamy, though I doubted he meant anything like that when he spoke.

And he sure hadn’t grabbed my ass.

That was the odd thing about sexual harassment. When my former boss touched me and hissed inuendoes in my ear, I’d wanted to smack him. When Vex said something that could be interpreted in a sexy way, my body overheated.

I’d sworn to myself ages ago that I wouldn’t get involved with coworkers. Since he was essentially my current boss, though I’d been hired through the Agency and not by him, he was off-limits.

“What are you fuming about?” I continued to stare out the viewscreen while he continued to stare at me.

“Have you no dignity?” The sneer came through in his voice loud and clear. If I had fur, it would bristle. Instead, my pulse jumped. “You’re a space pilot, not an unruly youngling.”

“Have you lost touch with the kid inside you?”

I had the impression he watched me because he was trying to figure me out. Good luck with that, buddy. By the time he’d formed a solid idea, I’d be on a one-way flight back to the space station.

Ten more days, and I’d never have to deal with Vex again.

A bang rang out from the back of the ship. I frowned. The outer walls shuddered, and an unearthly shriek blasted through the cabin. Through the viewing panel overhead, I watched in horror as a gnarly meteor the size of a house scraped the hull, leaving grooves in the supposedly impenetrable surface. A hiss erupted, and the lights started flashing on the dash.

Hull breech eminent, the computer blared overhead. Abandon ship. Hull breech eminent. Abandon ship!

“What?” I dropped my feet to the floor and leaned across the dash, pushing various buttons to get a full read of the ship’s systems.

The rear quantum thruster was spilling fuel, and the meteor had ripped off nearly half of the integrity membrane from the top of the ship. Back on the space station and with the proper equipment, I could repair the breech and get the thruster working again.

Halfway to Osaria? Not happening.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“We’re out of here, your highness,” I told him as I leaped from the chair, my boots banging on the floor. I snagged his arm as I passed on my way to the hallway leading from the bridge. “We need to get to the escape pods.”

“You know I’m not royalty. I have told you this more than once, tiny, irritating human.” He scowled, his favorite expression whenever I looked his way, spoke with him, or even dared to offer him a share of the meal I’d prepared in the ship’s tiny galley.

“Dude, we’ve gotta bail on the ship. Once we land the escape pods somewhere safe, I’ll engage the beacon. The station will send another craft to pick us up.” Then they could take him to Osaria, and I could run in the opposite direction.

I didn’t like how my pulse raced whenever he was near, how I got wet at the thought of him kissing or touching me. It wasn’t fair that a surly monster like him could turn me on. I mean, he had four horns jutting across the top of his head. Wings. Not that physical appearance mattered in the scheme of things, but the last guy I’d dated with horns kept accidentally hitting me with them. Let me tell you, they get in the way when a guy even attempts to go down there …

“We cannot abandon the ship,” Vex clipped out, his spine tightening. “Why would you even think such a thing?” His tight ass posture made his rubbery wings stiffen as well, and the spikes jutting up on either side of his shoulders gave him a vampish appearance. He had the chiseled face and fangs to back up the impression, and that got me wondering what he could do with his fangs.

A shiver tracked through me, and not because I was repulsed by the idea of him nibbling on my neck.

Au contraire. He may vex me with his lofty attitude and snarky demeanor, but I couldn’t help noticing how hot this stiff dignitary was.

Enough the drooling, I told myself. You’re escorting him to Osaria. Nothing else!

As I dragged him down the hall, I could feel his muscles tighten beneath his formal shirt.

Early one morning, not long after we left the space station, I’d caught him working out in the gym wearing only a skimpy scrap of leather tied around his waist to cover his sizeable cock. My jaw dropped, and I literally drooled as I took in his wide, bulging shoulders, his narrow waist, his ripped abs, and his tree-trunk thighs.

Even Vex’s dusky blue skin was appealing.

As he’d lifted what looked like a hundred-pound weight over his head with ease, his wings shifted across his back. I’d give almost anything to see them in flight. Covered with tiny blue scales, they appeared rubbery yet soft, though I wouldn’t dare touch them.

I’d backed out of the gym and had been fanning my face ever since.

Stopping partway down the hall, I shoved the slip of carpet to the side and lifted the hatch.

Abandon ship. Hull breech eminent, the computer called out shrilly.

Yeah, yeah. I was on it.

“I’m expected to attend a function the evening after we land on Osaria,” he said as I dropped my feet onto the second rung of the metal ladder and turned his way. “Abandoning the ship will make me late.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to miss that function, Your Highness.”

“I am not called your highness,” he bellowed, his face darkening with fury. “You, puny Earthling, are completely infuriating!”

“Dude.” I struggled to keep my face neutral. I mean, really, I kinda wanted to grin. It might sound patronizing, but he was even hotter when he was mad. “One, you haven’t told me what I can call you.” Not in ten freakin’ days of travel. “And two, if we don’t get in the escape pods and off this ship, we’re going to be blown to pieces. The hull’s breeched and the rear quantum thruster is spilling fuel. One spark, and it’ll go boom.”

“You do not need to treat me like a youngling. I have solid knowledge of thrusters.”

There he went again using statements I read as inuendo. Maybe it was just my smut brain kicking into overdrive. The snarly expression in his eyes sure didn’t suggest he’d like to perform a different kind of thrusting.

When I stared at him—a nice switch, if I do say so myself—he snarled and stooped down to my eye level.

He had nice, deep, dark amber eyes. I’d noted them the first time I met him, when I saw his gorgeous appearance and thought, twenty days with this hunk? I’m all in!

Then he opened his mouth.

“Do not call me dude or your highness,” he said. He raked his fingers through his long, pale hair, making me wonder how he didn’t slice chunks from it with his claws. “Please. And my given name is Vexion.”

“I could call you Vex.”

He stared down his nose at me. “You say this to frustrate me, don’t you, unattractive human?”

“Hey, no need to be mean. I’m not that bad looking.” My lips curled up.

His lips thinned. “You enjoy this.”

“Perhaps.” I couldn’t hold back my grin. “Snarking at each other is fun, isn’t it?”

His face darkened, telling me it might not be as much fun for him. Okay, I could concede that I goaded him too often. That we might get along better if I behaved.

Sigh. I didn’t like behaving. However …

I held out my hand. “Truce?”

With a grumble, he took and pumped it.

“All right.” He had a nice grip, hardly surprising due to all those muscles. “I will follow you to the escape pods. They’ll take us …?”

“To a habitable location.”

“Which is …?”

“I really don’t know. Wherever we can breathe the air and find food. The pods are equipped with enough supplies to last a few days. After that, we’re on our own until rescue arrives.”

“We are only ten days from the space station. Surely we won’t need to remain on a dubious planet for longer than that.”

“I assume not,” I said with a shrug. “You’re important. They’ll send someone for you.”

His head tilted. “Why not for you?”

“I’m not saying they won’t, but I’m expendable.” There, I’d said it. Poor little orphan me, growing up running around the space station without a place to call home.

“Why?” From his softening tone, I could tell he really wanted to know.

Not sharing. “Just because. That’s enough.” I gave him a pert nod. “I’m heading down. Follow.” With that, I left him staring after me.

I had to hand it to him. He didn’t waste time and joined me in the lower hold within seconds.

I strode to a cabinet and pulled out two emergency packs, looping one over my arm before handing him the other. Each contained dried food, a sack of water and tablets to purify more, plus two changes of generic clothing. The yellow stripe on my bag meant the clothing was small. His blue stripe showed the clothing inside was intended for a big alien dude.

“Follow me.” Easing around him, I hurried to the door leading to the back chamber where we’d find the pods.

Hull breech eminent, the computer said in a rhythmic voice. Abandon ship!

He remained close, his warm breath stroking the back of my neck. My skin tingled, but I shrugged the unwanted sensation away. Leave it to my body to get all hot and bothered at a time like this.

I hustled through the air lock, but when I reached the ejection dock, I came to a shuddering halt.

“One freakin’ pod?” Who the hell had run the final check-off back on the station? These ships always came with two units. A single pod was barely big enough for one person.

“Where is the second?” he asked, shooting me a glare. “There are two of us. Two.”

“Hey, don’t blame me. I’m just escorting you to Osaria.” I lifted my hands. “No clue where it is, but it looks like we don’t have a choice. We escape in the single pod together or one of us remains behind.”

I cringed because I truly expected him to say goodbye and climb into the pod alone.

“We will take the pod together,” he grated out, still watching my face.

“Okay.” My knees limped with relief. I really didn’t want to go down with the ship. “Do you want to be on the bottom or on the top?”

CHAPTER 2

VEX

From the moment I met her, this impertinent Earthling female grated on my nerves. She was always telling me what to do in a tone one might use with a youngling.

I was thirty full cycles old, not three.

If she wasn’t unexpectedly attractive, I would be able to ignore her. From her pale golden hair that was unlike anything I’d find at home on Osaria, to her petite yet lush shape, she drew my attention. If she crooked her finger my way, I’d be unable to resist her lure.

Humans did not possess the ability of the sipheens, mythical creatures of Osarian legend who were said to lure males to their deaths.

But this female must.

“Top or bottom, Your Highness?” she asked as she strode to the pod. She opened the upper hatch and dropped her pack inside, then turned back to me with a cocky smile on her face.

And there went our supposed truce. Truly, there were many things I wished to do with this female, and diplomacy was not one of them.

I joined her, scowling at the tiny escape pod. From its appearance, it would barely hold me. And as much as my cock said it would enjoy being on top of Abigail Tria Broadstreet—or behind or below her, for that matter—I’d crush her if I lay across her body. Her head barely came to my mid-chest. We were almost comically different sizes.

“I will be on the bottom,” I bit out, dropping my pack on top of hers. Being on the bottom would not be easy either but leaving her behind was not an option.

“Oh, cool. Topsies for me, then.” She sent me a smirk that infuriated me the first time she used it. It taunted me, daring me to do something about it.

It fed my urge to thrust her against a wall and kiss the expression off her face, to dissolve her into a pile of moans.

Did she realize the effect she had on me? Probably not.

I would behave. I was a graduate of an elite school. I’d been in the diplomatic corps for nearly half my life, as had my father, his father, and the three generations before that. My family owned and managed vast estates outside the largest city on Osaria. I was respected. I did not grab human females and kiss them. I certainly didn’t fling them on tables and fuck them.

“Dude?” she said. She flicked her hand to the interior of the pod, then waved it in front of my face. “Excuse me, Your Highness? Time’s a-wastin’. We need to get inside the pod and escape the ship before—”

“I understand. Before it goes … bam.”

For one of the few times since I’d met her, her smile hit her eyes and not just her snappy mouth. “You’re right. No need for us to go bam along with it.”

Because I wanted to show her for once that I was even somewhat in charge of this venture, I stormed close to her and pressed my body against hers. This pinned her between me and the side of the craft. “Again, do not call me dude or highness.”

Her fingers pressed against her lush lips I ached to use in a variety of ways. “Sorry. I meant Vex.” A tremor came through in her voice. Was she scared or …? No, she wasn’t attracted to me. While we were certainly compatible, we were of two different species.

I scoffed, doubting her body could take even the head of my cock.

“Back off.” She nudged my chest. Her hands shook.

Interesting. Did I dare test this to see where it could go? This was hardly the time.

I stepped away from her, noting the instant relief in her pale blue eyes.

She bumped off the pod and stomped over to me, this time shaking her finger between us. “Keep your body to yourself, please. I’ve had enough groping to last a lifetime.”

“What do you mean by that? I haven’t groped you.” Though I’d thought and dreamed about it. The fact that I couldn’t ignore her frustrated me almost as much as her surly mouth and luscious body.

“It’s nothing. Would you please get inside the pod?”

The ship shuddered, reminding me we didn’t have much time. I climbed inside and lay on my back. “In,” I said, waving to the space above me.

She sighed as if sorely put upon and wedged her foot inside the pod beside my hip. “I’m going to have to lie on top of you.”

“That is the point of your topsies, is it not?”

Her lips quirked up before smoothing. “At least we’re fully clothed.”

“Exactly.”

With a gulp, she draped herself face-down on top of me. I wanted to point out that she could lay with her back against my chest, but my cock told my mouth it would host a revolt if I spoke.

She pressed a few buttons on the inside of the hull, her body wiggling with the motion.

I stiffened, as did my cock. There was no way to hide my body’s response to her nearness.

By the way she huffed, she’d felt it. Thankfully, she said nothing.

The lid snapped closed, and clicks rang out as the locking mechanisms engaged. The scent of canned air filled the small space and a hum erupted beneath us. With a louder growl, the pod lifted off the platform and shot toward a hatch opening in the ship’s outer wall.

We burst into space, fleeing the space cruiser. As the thrusters engaged, blasting us away from the ship, our craft exploded behind us.

“Whew,” she said. “That was close. No thanks to you. What was with the he-man stuff back at the dock?”

“He-man …?”

“You know what I mean. You pressed your body against me in a show of power. You’re bigger than me. I get it.” Anger churned through her voice. “You’re more powerful than me. I totally get that. You’re the boss and you control everything. But I’m telling you right now, I’m my own person, and you do not control my every movement.”

“Your anger is not solely directed toward me.”

Her fury burst as if popped, and she collapsed against me. “I didn’t say that.”

“You do not need to.”

Our ship flew past pitted chunks of rock, aiming toward a distant planet that had three moons. Its overall burnished color told me nothing about it, but I was curious about what we’d find there.

“I apologize for asserting my superior strength over you,” I said. “It is wrong of me to try to control you.”

She snorted. “You’ll never control me.”

And that was what made her so appealing.

“I will do my best to behave,” I added for good measure.

“Maybe I don’t want you to.” Her voice had lowered to a bare whisper, and I suspected she did not expect me to hear, but Osarians had exemplary hearing, much better than that of the humans I’d met so far.

My extraordinary hearing had served me well while negotiating our treaty. Osaria was not a rich planet, though we had resources others would do almost anything to obtain. We were not a large planet, either. Our population was small, especially so since a disease swept through our cities and killed many. We were not as technically advanced as many of the species who’d joined the Galaxy Allegiance.

We needed them more than they did us. It was never easy to negotiate from a humble position. It took all my skill to extract enough concessions to make the treaty worth Osaria’s effort. My ruling government would be pleased with the concessions I’d obtained, but I still wished I’d been able to do more for my people.

“I did accept your truce,” I said carefully.

“Yet you broke it when you used your body to try to control me.”

“I’m sorry.” My hearts twisted because she was right. “I was too cocky. Too …”

“Assholey?” she quipped, back to her usual snark. But a thread of hurt came through in her voice.

Funny how I could already read nuance in her tone. We’d been in close quarters for ten calendar days with an equal amount of time left to travel. More, now that our journey had been thwarted by the meteor.

“Yes, this,” I said sincerely. “Assholey.”

Her breath caught, but she didn’t say anything sarcastic.

I wished more than anything to find peace between us. Part of me felt frustration when she taunted me, while another part of me looked forward to what she’d say or do next.

I held my hand out. “Shall we shake again?”

She stared at it so long, I began to feel uncomfortable. I worried I’d done something that would permanently drive her away.

Then she took it and shook it firmly. “We’ll make this work until we’re rescued and you’re back on your way to Osaria. Then you won’t need to see me again.”

I had a feeling that would be the true tragedy in all this.

CHAPTER 3

LINA

Straddling his groin was driving me out of my mind. His large cock prodded my clit, turning me on despite the thick fabric between us, and it was all I could do not to stroke his muscular chest.

“I’m going to turn.” It seemed wise to tell him my intentions. I wouldn’t want to knee him by accident.

“Do so.” His hands rose to hover over me, but he wisely chose not to touch. It wasn’t like I’d go anywhere if I rolled to the side. I’d merely become wedged between him and the roof, and good luck to me getting out.

I wiggled around, shifting my butt.

He groaned.

I froze. “Are you … okay?” Hell, I knew what was going on. His cock jerked beneath me.

“Yes,” he bit out. “Please finish moving.”

Flustered, I twisted myself until I lay with my back against his chest. His hands still hovered over me, now just above the juncture between my thighs.

Heat flared through me, something totally inappropriate for me and the guy who was essentially my boss.

“You said our destination will be habitable?” he asked as the craft zipped through the outer atmosphere of an unknown planet and began its descent.

Instead of analyzing my body’s reaction to his nearness, I opted to study the planet our craft approached.

“Yes, it’s habitable,” I said slowly. An uneasy feeling settled in my bones, making them ache, though I wasn’t sure why.

We passed over a golden sea—I think it was a sea—and coasted above a ruddy landscape made up of orange and brown rocks and stubby plains with almost no trees. Large mountains jutted up from the surface, all of them smoking.

“The whole place is glowing. Why is it glowing?” I didn’t expect an answer. I was the pilot, escort, and commander of this venture. It was up to me to figure this out. He was the passenger, and it was my job to protect him with my life.

Which meant I had to try to behave. Teasing and taunting was just fine on a cramped ship. On an unknown planet? I’d need to be on hyperalert.

I wanted to cling to my snarky attitude because it put a wall between us. Somehow, Vex was sledgehammering his way through. If I wasn’t careful, I’d start falling for him.

I couldn’t have that. After my parents ditched me on the space station when I was twelve, I vowed to never let another person close. If I avoided emotions, I wouldn’t get hurt.

“Perhaps the glow comes from a mineral or plant?” he suggested, though he sounded as confused as me.

“The pod is programmed to take us to the closest planet with enough resources to survive. Gravity, breathable air, edible plants and animals, and potable water—once we’ve purified it.”

“Then this planet must be able to sustain our lives for as long as we need to remain there.”

“I suppose so.”

“What happens if we can’t remain there?”

“I don’t know if there’s enough fuel in the pod to lift off the planet and travel elsewhere. Our best chance of rescue lies in engaging the homing beacon and remaining near the craft.”

“Then this is what we’ll do.”

I envied the confidence he’d projected from the moment I’d met him. While I’d bumbled around with my greeting, he’d watched me with a flinty gaze that seemed to see the vulnerabilities I’d struggled to bury from the moment I won a scholarship to the aviation program. The last thing I wanted was for someone to expose my past.

“Don’t be worried,” I said. “I’ll protect you.” Although, I wasn’t sure that was possible. I’d been trained in how to handle various weapons, and the tiny hold of the pod would outfit me well, but we were venturing into an unknown world. It was anyone’s guess what might happen between the time we landed and the moment we were rescued.

His chuckle was chesty enough it made me jiggle on top of him. “Thank you, tiny human, but I will protect you.”

“Is this more of your cocky attitude?”

“It is the truth.”

“I’m in charge of this mission. You’re the diplomat, remember?”

“I have more training than in diplomacy.”

“Like what?” I asked, watching as the craft flew lower. We were headed for a smooth patch ahead, and I was heartened to spy bits of leavy vegetation spotting the ground. I hadn’t seen animals, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I didn’t like to kill, though I’d do so to protect myself or him, or to keep from starving.

“I served for twelve cycles, what you call years, in our military.”

“You have combat training?” This, I did not have. I held an upper-level belt in a specific martial art, and I regularly qualified with various weapons, but my training hadn’t come from the military but from the pilot academy. I got my wings, and I’d flown mostly transport missions and supply delivery cargo ships ever since.

“I was a general when I finished.”

“Important, huh?” I quipped, disconcerted, and falling back on my snark.

“I worked my way up from the lowest level, and I earned the rank during an interplanetary conflict.”

Oh. That popped my snark fast. He was a true hero, then. No one made such a high rank in a short time unless they did something brave. “I don’t know much about Osaria. It was a destination.” And he was my cargo.

Our craft slowed and started to dip lower. We’d land soon, and then we’d discover what we’d be dealing with for the next week or so. We’d make this work.

“Another species lives on the largest of the moons orbiting Osaria. They enjoy war and attack whenever they feel the urge.”

“And you can’t exactly send their moon into a different orbit.”

“No. We are generally a peaceful people, but if someone harms those we love, we can be vicious.”

“I can see that. No wonder you work out a lot. You’re training, not doing something to enhance your physical appearance.”

His laugh shifted my body again. “Is that what you thought?”

I shrugged, heat flaring in my face. What was I supposed to think?

“What I find most interesting is that you noticed I was working out,” he said, his hands finally coming to rest on my mid-thighs. It didn’t come across as groping, more him putting them somewhere, rather than continuing to hold them in the air.

“I like to work out early myself.”

“You should’ve joined me.”

And drooled while he displayed all those muscles? I’d trip over something while gaping and fall flat on my face. “I switched to working out in the evening.”

“I see.”

The craft touched down on the glossy surface, and we skidded along, our pace slowing. A mountain loomed in the distance, a curl of smoke coiling up from the top.

We came to a stop.

“How do we engage the beacon?” he asked as the engine slowed to a low hum, and then shut off.

I pressed a button near the bottom with my toe. “Done.” Sucking in a deep breath, I put aside our personal conversation and engaged my training. “When we climb out of the ship, I’ll quickly grab weapons. Normally, I’d hold them all back for myself, but with your training, you’re worthy of carrying your own.”

“Thank you.” Not a speck of derision came through in his voice.

“We’ve got our packs, but they don’t contain much. I’ll grab the larger bag from the hold since it has more food, water purification tabs, replacement charges for the weapons, a basic first aid kit, and a simple structure we can erect, plus heever blankets that’ll keep us warm even if temps drop below freezing.” Heevers couldn’t be beat. They repelled water and could keep a body warm in almost any climate.

“Oh, yes?”

“We need to find a secure location fast and hunker down. We don’t know what we’re dealing with out there. Habitable doesn’t mean there aren’t dangerous creatures or plants that could kill us in the vicinity.”

“I understand all this, and I will carry the pack.”

“Because you want to be in control of it?” I asked.

He paused, and I knew he was slowly blinking. “No, because I assume it will be heavy.”

“I can manage it.”

“I’m nearly twice your size. It doesn’t make sense for you to carry it.”

I injected firmness into my voice. “I’m not squabbling about this.”

“I’m glad you’ve relented.”

My growl slipped out.

He laughed, though it was more a with-me sound than one of mocking. “Why argue about such a simple thing? If it makes you feel better, I’ll carry it first, then hand it off to you if I tire.”

“Okay.” He was right. I needed to pick my battles and who carried the bag wasn’t it. “On three, I’ll open the hatch and climb out.”

“Go.”

I counted down and engaged the opening mechanism. The hatch lifted, and dank, sulfurous air sunk into the pod. I tested it with a small inhalation and was grateful when it didn’t burn.

I climbed off Vex and lowered my feet to the hard, smooth ground. Stooping, I frowned as I touched it. Warmth radiated through it, into the bottom of my boots, and it felt harder than stone. No wonder the vegetation in the area appeared sparse. Plants couldn’t find a place to set down roots.

Vex joined me outside as I opened the upper hold. I handed him the big pack and took a few weapons, strapping them on my belt and hefting a decent-sized laser blaster in my hands.

He reached around me and did the same, outfitting himself with enough weapons to fight a war against an army of invaders. From what he’d said about the other species attacking his planet, I didn’t blame him.

I liked that he could defend himself. He’d come across as a frilly flower, despite his muscular build and the steely expression in his eyes.

We looked at each other and nodded.

Turning, we studied the area, each of us looking for a decent destination. We’d have to stay near the pod and the beacon, but we couldn’t remain out in the open.

The ground rumbled and started to shake. Flames leaped out of the mountain only a few miles away.

A crack opened beneath the pod.

We gulped and backed away fast while the crack widened.

The pod tipped and tumbled into the dark crevasse.

CHAPTER 4

VEX

“Run,” I shouted above the roar of the mountain. I’d only read about volcanoes. The little I knew said a person shouldn’t remain near one unless they wished to be cooked in the lava flow.

I took Lina’s hand and bolted in the opposite direction. We’d put considerable distance between us and the mountain, then reassess the situation.

With the pod sucked below the ground, there would be no leaving this planet even if enough fuel remained in the craft to take us someplace else. Our only hope was that the beacon continued to work, and rescue arrived quickly.

It was clear we were both in top physical shape. If I had to, I’d carry both the pack and Lina, but it was good to conserve my energy.

I suspected the mountain erupting wasn’t the only danger we’d face. As we cruised above the ground, I’d spied tracks of large, clawed animals, left when the soil was soft.

We continued running, not slowing until we appeared well out of reach of the lava now oozing down the mountain.

Finally, we came to a stop and turned to watch the fury spewing into the sky.

“We should get farther away,” Lina said, shoving hair off her face. “Ash could blow this way.” For someone with her training, it surprised me that she wore her hair long. Most females kept it short for easier maintenance.

I liked it. It added to her already considerable appeal. She equally fascinated and repelled me, which was why I couldn’t stop staring.

“I think we’ll be safe here if only for a short rest,” I said.

She nodded and leaned against a stubby tree. The leaves trembled overhead from the simple movement.

“Will the beacon still work if the pod is buried?” I asked.

“Yes. The signal will reach the station even if the craft sinks all the way to the center of the planet.”

“At least rescue is in sight, then. We only need to survive for ten days.”

With a nod, she bumped off the tree and started jogging again, aiming for a low series of hills ahead.

I kept pace beside her, the pack jiggling against my back.

When we reached the top of the largest hill, we stopped again, looking around. Low vegetation covered the mounds, and the tops of the grass brushed against my thighs. Seeing dirt beneath my boots gave me comfort, since it suggested the lava had not yet flowed this far from the mountain during prior eruptions.

“The sun’s setting,” she said, pointing.

Two moons had started to rise, both pearly blue and full. They’d provide reflective light that would help guide us. And help guide predators to us. We couldn’t mask our scent and setting up camp in the open would be risky. Where else could we hide?

“We need to find a cave or something,” Lina said. “A place where we have a solid structure at our back and where we can defend the front.”

“We could split up and look around.”

She nodded. “I’ll head in this direction and circle around to the north. You do the opposite. We’ll meet in the middle.”

We headed out. I kept the pack with me, not daring to leave it for scavengers to find. While I’d seen animal tracks but no creatures, it didn’t mean there weren’t other beings with higher thought processes nearby. We couldn’t trust anything or anyone but each other.

I jogged down the hill, keeping it in view. Then I started weaving, slowly moving toward our agreed upon meeting spot. When I came across sizeable mounds of spoor that steamed, I slowed my pace and did all I could to keep my steps quiet. Whatever dropped the dung could be lying in wait to attack.

When I topped a rise, I stopped, gaping at the creatures spread out on the plain ahead. Six legged, they stood twice my height at the shoulder. Their long snouts sifted through the soil, though they periodically slashed at the grass with their arm-length tusks. Once the grass was knocked down, they ate it.

Herbivores unless they also savored meat. From here, I didn’t note anything but blunted teeth, but it would be foolish to trust any beast on this planet.

They didn’t appear to see me, or they weren’t concerned if they did. The herd of fifteen moved slowly across the plain, eating large quantities of knocked down grass.

Once they’d strode to my left and were out of the path I’d chosen, I jogged down the rise and headed across the plain. I hadn’t found a decent location to set up camp, but maybe Lina had.

I’d topped yet another rise when her hoarse cry brought me to a full stop. My spine ridges tingled, and an inner sense told me something was wrong. Cutting to the right, I ran in her direction.

When I heard the repeated blasts of a laser, my hearts froze. She was in trouble, and I was nowhere near her.

Her guttural shriek rang out again.

I lifted my laser rifle and took flight, flapping my wings as hard as I could with an overwhelming determination to reach her.

CHAPTER 5

LINA

I’d barely left Vex when I sensed something tracking me. It couldn’t be him. He wouldn’t be foolishly playing a game like that. He might like to watch me, but he only did it when there was nothing else going on.

No, something had picked up my scent, and it was interested enough to follow.

Beyond the hills, I came to a scraggly patch of woods.

I darted around a clump of brush and crouched down, using it to mask my presence. A plain covered with wavering grass stretched between my position and the hill where I’d left Vex.

Whatever followed had stopped moving. I didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean something wasn’t out there.

My heartbeat thudded in my throat, more rapid than I liked. I worked out a lot. From the time I’d entered the Academy, I’d been determined to remain in shape. Just because I flew a transport or supply ship, I still sometimes found myself in danger. Ports weren’t always the safest places for solo females to hang out between jobs. I’d had to defend myself more than once, and often, running away was the best way to do it.

The sun slanted beyond the plain, making it a challenge to see. I squinted, studying the area for movement. My palms sweated, making my grip on my laser blaster slippery. I swiped my hand on my pants and kept watching.

I needed to meet up with Vex soon. If I didn’t arrive as expected, he’d come looking for me and possibly walk into a trap.

He might be a pain in my ass, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him hurt. Actually, a fierce need to protect him rose inside of me at the thought of him being in danger.

I wasn’t sure what the feeling meant, and I wasn’t going to analyze it now.

When I didn’t sense anything further, I slowly rose to a stand, keeping a watch on the plain. I skirted the thick clumps of bushes, looking for a tree big enough to climb. That might be a secure enough spot for us to spend the night and as an added benefit, I could climb it now to survey my surroundings. Things always went better when I could see whatever hunted me.

Unfortunately, none of the trees were thicker than my thigh, and none had branches large enough to support my weight.

I paused at the edge of the woods, figuring I was halfway through my examination of this area.

When I didn’t see or hear anything of concern, I jogged out into the grass, keeping low so it would mask me. Being small was my benefit. At five-three and on an alien planet where everything appeared sized to fit Vex, I could easily hide.

A crack rang out in the woods, and I skidded forward a few steps before whirling around to face that direction.

Something from a nightmare stomped through the vegetation, knocking over trees and crushing brush.

The four-legged, deep golden, pig-like creature with fangs as long as my arms, horns jutting above its long snout and sharp ridges spiraling down its spine stomped on downed trees. It slashed its horns and its long, spiked tail sliced through the brush.

Spying me, it bellowed and thundered in my direction.

I spun and ran, smacking into something big and furry.

Reeling, I backed up, gaping at what looked like a wooly mammoth with long, sharp fangs. A herd of them milled around, snorting. Their red glowing eyes turned my way.

The one I’d run into lowered its horns and charged.

Caught between multiple predators, I cried out.

The creature rushing from the woods slashed out, one of its horns hitting my side in a glancing blow. I bellowed in pain and dove to the right, rolling.

Rising, I shot at the beasts running toward me with my laser blaster, but when the beam hit them, they didn’t slow.

I released a guttural shriek and spun, bolting toward where I’d left Vex.

CHAPTER 6

VEX

When I topped the hill where I’d originally left Lina, I stopped to peer around, gazing in horror at the display below me.

She raced in my direction with multiple enormous beasts giving chase.

I flew toward her, shooting my laser pistol at the creatures. They appeared to have hides of steel, because the beams deflected off their hides and they didn’t slow.

Shouldering my weapon for now, I reached for Lina, grabbing her arm. Before I could take flight, one of the creatures reached us. A swipe of its horns hit my right wing, and agony burst through the limb.

When I tried to fly holding Lina, I couldn’t get off the ground. With jerky hops, I fled to our left, flapping my useless wing. I felt wetness slithering down the middle and worried it was torn.

I couldn’t stop and look. It was run or die.

Since I’d found no place to hide straight ahead or to my right, our only chance was to stumble across someplace secure in the only direction we hadn’t yet searched.

Reaching the base of the hill, I dropped Lina to her feet. We skirted the base, running as fast as we could with the predators too close behind.

Halfway around the hill, I spied a cluster of bushes growing near the base of a hill.

When we reached the start of the slope, I spied a dark hole in the ground. A glance behind showed the beasts were nearly upon us. We’d be trampled within a tick.

“Dive,” I shouted to Lina, urging her in that direction. Slowing, I swung my laser rifle off my shoulder and fired when it reached shoulder level.

One of the beasts dropped, but because I was shooting in their general direction and not necessarily taking aim for certain spots, I couldn’t tell where I’d hit it to make the kill.

The others slowed, a few remaining to sniff at their fallen comrade. The rest bellowed and ran toward me with revenge shining in their glowing red eyes.

Lina reached the hole but instead of leaping inside like I’d demanded, she spun and lifted her weapon. “I’m not leaving you.”

My hearts leaped, though she hadn’t said the words because she cared. I was a job for her, and she’d see it through. Still, I couldn’t hold back the surge of excitement that maybe, just maybe, she thought of me as more than the person she’d been hired to protect.

Stupid on my part, but there it was.

I ran toward her with the rest of the beasts right behind.

“I’m in. You’re in,” I cried, sweeping her up as I passed. It might be foolish to jump into a hole blindly, especially on an uncharted planet, but what choice did I have? Remaining on the surface wasn’t an option.

I shot into the hole feet first, hitting hard enough that I lost my balance. I fell backward, sheltering Lina with one arm and my uninjured wing wrapped around her. My rifle clattered against the hard surface, and I lost my grip on it. It plunged ahead of us, falling into the stone-lined hole.

Lina curled against me, taking the shelter I offered.

I hit hard on my ass and slid farther, landing on a flat, stony area with a bone-jarring jolt. My fangs jarred together when I came to a full halt.

“Ah,” Lina gulped, scrambling out of my arms. She stood, though she had to remain bent over to keep from hitting her head on the top of the tiny cave. “It stinks in here, but I think the passage is too tiny for them to follow.”

“I hope you’re right.” I rose to my shaky knees and peered around. The place was so tiny, I wouldn’t be able to lie stretched out flat.

“Old residents,” Lina said, kicking the dried turds scattered through the grass nest beneath us.

“Better than current residents,” I said.

“That would be us.” She grinned at me, and I marveled that she could smile at a time like this. Then she gasped. “You’ve got blood on your shoulder.”

Eyes wide, she scrambled around to my back. “It’s your wing. Your wing! There’s a long gash. It stopped bleeding, but still.” She rifled through the pack and pulled out a light. Once engaged, it hovered at the top of the small cave, outlining everything.

Darkness had fallen outside. Night stole the daylight quickly. As long as it appeared safe, we’d remain here until dawn.

I crooked my head around, trying to see the wound, but I couldn’t.

“I need to cover it. You don’t need an infection.” She removed the first aid kit from the large pack and opened it. With gentle care, she cleansed and bandaged the tear near the top of my wing.

“I couldn’t fly,” I said, my voice gutted. “I tried to take wing, but I couldn’t get us off the ground.”

“The wound isn’t deep, fortunately,” she said. “But I’m no doctor. Hopefully …”

I knew exactly what she didn’t say. Hopefully muscles and tendons hadn’t been severed. If they were, they’d need to be repaired before the wing would function again. Horror churned through in my gut. My life would still be complete if I couldn’t fly, though I loved taking to the sky; going wherever I pleased without worrying about how I’d get there. But on this planet, me being able to fly could make the difference between us living or dying.

She smoothed the edges of the bandage. “There. We’ll give it a few days to heal, though I’ll check it and continue to apply antibiotic paste. I’m sure it’ll close, and your wing will be as good as new.” Forced cheer came through loud and clear in her voice. When I said nothing, she eased around to crouch in front of me, putting us at eye level. “I’m sorry. You look worried.”

“I am. What if my wing does not heal?”

“We’ll survive.” Her hand landed on my shoulder. “You’re still big and strong, and you run very fast.”

I snorted, appreciating her attempt to make me feel better. But I sobered quickly. “We may not be able to outrun the next predators.”

She tapped the pistols strapped to her belt. “We have weapons. And this.” Lifting her arm, she curled her fist inward.

I frowned.

“It’s a muscle,” she said with a laugh.

It was a pretty laugh. It crinkled the skin around her eyes and made them shine. I wasn’t sure I’d seen it before.

I’d been missing out on something wonderful.

“It was disconcerting that the laser blasts didn’t stop them,” I said.

“Only once.”

“I’m not sure where I hit it.”

“In the right eye.”

“They have a weak spot,” I said. “Good that we found it.”

She grunted. “You’re a good shot.”

“Thanks.”

And just like that, we were no longer fighting. I liked it. There were few I’d pick to have by my side in a situation like this, but she was one.

“We’ll remember to aim for the eyes,” she said. “If we’re lucky, they’ll leave, and we’ll be able to avoid them while we’re here.”

For ten days? We’d see.

At the top of the hole, the beasts snorted and stomped, digging at the opening. Dirt sifted down, though most of it was caught in the bed of the shaft. With all the stone, they wouldn’t be able to reach us.

I sat, and she dropped down beside me.

“Thanks for not leaving me on the ship,” she said, studiously avoiding my gaze.

“I would never leave you to die on the ship.”

“Why not?” She darted a glance my way.

“Because …” This wasn’t the right time to speak of emotions. I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling. She’d irritated me from the moment I met her, yet I couldn’t stay away. I still didn’t know what that meant.

“You’re a diplomat,” she said dryly, her lips flattening. “It wouldn’t look good if you left with the ship, would it?”

“It wasn’t that.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m used to being bailed on. I’m glad you were willing to share the pod.”

“Who abandoned you?”

When she looked up, stark vulnerability shone in her eyes. “Everyone.”

“Who is everyone?”

She sighed. “You’re going to make me name it? My parents. They took off when I was twelve, and I raised myself.”

“They were wrong to leave.”

“I agree, but they still did it.”

“How did you survive?”

“The way everyone does. I worked when I could and stole when I couldn’t.”

“You were a youngling,” I said, my anger at her family snarling through me.

“That didn’t seem to matter to Mom and Dad. I get it. They were tired of trying to raise a kid. Or tired of raising me.”

“I’m sorry. It’s wrong. No child should have to go through something like that.”

I pictured a smaller version of Lina, not understanding why her family would leave. Struggling to survive.

“You’ve made a life for yourself despite them,” I said.

“I won.”

“And they lost.”

“Perhaps.”

On my home planet, I had a big family. When I returned, they’d not only greet me at the spaceport, but they’d also have a huge meal planned at my parent’s house to celebrate my achievements with the Galaxy Allegiance and because they’d missed me.

I couldn’t imagine them abandoning me, and that made me incredibly fortunate. I knew they were there for me no matter what happened. They’d watch out for me.

Who would watch out for Lina?

“Don’t think of me as a pity case,” she said. “Despite their efforts to ruin me, I studied hard and with the help of a friend, I got into the Academy. Look at me now, flying ships for diplomats.” Her huff rang out. “Well, I was flying a ship. Sorry about that meteor.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“The computers should’ve told me it was coming so I could avoid it.”

“Nothing is infallible. Not even you.”

“Then you don’t know me well. I never give up, and I always accomplish what I set for myself.”

I gripped her upper arm, noting she did have a muscle there. Small, but it was proportionate to her size. “You’re strong.”

“Thank you for not blaming me for the ship being destroyed. For listening and not judging me.”

“I would never do that; don’t you know that?”

“Why should I?” She stared up at me as if she truly wanted an answer.

Did I dare give it to her?

Speaking wasn’t always the best way to make a point. Sometimes, you had to show someone.

As she looked up, her face full of vulnerability, something wild and unexpected rose inside me.

I cupped her face and stared into her eyes.

When she didn’t pull away, I kissed her.

CHAPTER 7

LINA

I wasn’t sure what to make of Vex’s kiss, but I liked it. Too much.

His lips moved over mine, soft at first but then with deepening passion.

Once I got over the idea that this was pain in the ass Vex kissing me and realized anew that this was a sexy male with his arms and one wing around me, I couldn’t resist.

I moaned and leaned into him, opening my mouth to invite his tongue inside. It plunged in, seeking mine, and like when we talked, our tongues dueled.

Something like this should feel awkward. We’d snapped and snarled at each other for far too long to bridge that gap with a kiss. Yet, here we were, crossing that line I’d set ages ago.

Line.

I pulled back and scrambled out of his arms.

“I, um …” He watched me, like always, but now his eyelids were hooded and passion shone on his face. “Anyway.”

“Pretend that didn’t happen,” I said.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you don’t actually like me.”

“Maybe I do,” he said, exasperation coming through in his voice.

“You don’t really want me,” I said.

“Maybe I do.”

“Lots of maybes in those statements. The kiss was a spontaneous thing done in the heat of the moment. We nearly died up on the surface. You’ve suffered wing trauma. We were … reaffirming ourselves. Proving we still lived. Adrenaline churning through us, jumpstarting our hormones, and all that.”

He grabbed my shoulders and held me steady. “It wasn’t anything like that. I like you, and I wanted to kiss you.”

I had no idea how to respond to his statement.

So … I said nothing. I was going to do all I could to forget about his kiss, to forget how much I wanted to run my hands across his chest, to stroke his soft wings, to hold onto his front horns while he …

Fuck. Enough. He’d been kind. He’d listened without judging while I shared. But nothing serious was possible between us.

“You’re a diplomat. You’re important,” I said. “I’m a respected but insignificant pilot, a woman who has had to prove herself to the world.”

I was still trying to show my parents I was worthy. Stupid, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. I refused to let their abandonment get me down. I’d finished regular school working odd jobs for whoever’d hire me to pay my way on the station. And after I got into the Academy with a scholarship, I’d pushed hard to get the best grades, to break all the flight records.

“You think I’m a snob?” he asked, sounding shocked by the idea.

“Not really. I guess you could call it reverse snobbery. I know I’m not good enough for you, so I’ll make it easy for you and self-reject rather than wait for you to do it for me.”

“That’s not fair to either of us.”

“Maybe not, but that’s the way it has to be.”

Rising to a crouch, I started kicking the straw over to the side, easing it into a depression in the floor along one wall that only went knee deep.

Above us, the beasts stomped around. A few clawed at the opening, but I doubted they could dig their way down to us. That would take weeks, and if they were like other animals, they’d give up and leave.

“What are you doing?” he asked, still watching my every move. I’d experienced varied emotions over the past few days whenever he stared at me, from irritation to amusement. I didn’t like that his stare made my skin quiver or that heat still charged through me from his kiss, demanding more.

“I’m getting the spot ready for the night. I assume we’re not leaving until morning?”

He grunted and shifted the pack to the side, making room. He also started helping me clean the floor.

Once we’d cleared away the worst of the creatures who’d once lived here, I sat. I unfastened the big pack and pulled out the tent.

“We’re not setting that up down here,” he said.

“Nope, but it makes great groundcover. We’ll lay on it tonight.”

“Together.”

He almost sounded excited about the idea. Hoping to steal another kiss?

Fuck, it wouldn’t be stealing. The way my body betrayed me, flinging itself at him after his slightest touch, I’d be the one stealing kisses.

I had to build the wall back between us.

“I’m not snuggling for warmth, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” I said, falling back on my snark to carry me through. It was all I could do to resist the urge to touch him, to grab hold of his face and give him our second kiss. It wouldn’t do. We couldn’t.

“I wouldn’t expect you to snuggle,” he said, also falling back on our usual, irritate-the-other behavior.

“Good.”

All his maybe stuff meant nothing. Or his maybe yes had turned into a definite no.

I pulled out the blanket. These packs rarely came with more than one. It was expected people would lie close together if it was cold. Conserve heat.

I’d find a way to do so with Vex tonight, though heat poured down the hole, blown across the plain from the volcano.

Maybe I could snuggle against the wall.

Next, I removed the triple-wrapped pack with food. I sat on the outspread, flat tent, and unwrapped the pack.

Vex settled beside me, thankfully not mentioning the forbidden kiss again.

I handed him a meal replacement bar. “We have enough for six days. We’ll need to hunt, but it looks like there’s prey we can go after.”

“I didn’t see young in the herd, but there must be some somewhere.”

“I imagine this herd joins with others at night and they all protect the young.”

“There will be stragglers, those injured or old.”

“Stringy meat,” I said. “But it’ll do.”

“I’ll hunt tomorrow.”

“We’ll hunt tomorrow.”

He just grunted.

I rummaged around in the pack some more, pulling things out to show him. “Fire starter and rapid kindling, wrapped in a waterproof pack. “With the woods nearby, we can collect downed timber. A fire outside the hole may keep the creatures away. I’ll see what I can do to set up a secure location outside.”

“We’ll do it.”

“Yeah, well. If we can roll a bunch of boulders in a circle, we might be able to create a secure spot close to the hill. Or around the hole. It’ll buy us time to get down here if something’s after us.”

“You’re suggesting we’ll be safe remaining here.” He unwrapped his bar and took a big bite, chewing with his mouth closed. Always polite and diplomatic.

“Unless the lava starts flowing this way, yes. We need to stay close enough to the pod that a rescue team can find us.”

“I think we should look for someplace better,” he said, peering around the tiny cave.

“We can’t be choosy.”

“I’d like to find a place where we can stand upright. Stretch out. Not have to lie so close together.”

His words shouldn’t sting, but my chest ached regardless. I didn’t want him. Hell, I’d just shoved him away after experiencing the hottest kiss of my life. I should welcome him meeting me halfway in our return to verbal battle.

I focused on the bars lying on my lap, surprised to find my vision swimming. I was stressed. Worn out. That was the only reason my eyes were watering.

He carefully lifted my chin and studied my face. When I tried to wrench away, to hide, he held me steady. “You’re not alone in this. Please remember that. I won’t abandon you.”

“Don’t use what I shared against me.”

His wings flared briefly before resettling. “I would never do something like that. What I’m trying to say is that we’re stronger together.”

“Is that something the military taught you?” I didn’t need to ask. They’d taught us this at the Academy, why not in his military training too?

“I mean you. Me. We’re in this together. There’s no reason we need to be adversaries.” He pushed for a smile. I could tell it wasn’t real because it didn’t reach his eyes. And … I found it interesting that I could tell this about him already.

“We do have a truce,” I pointed out.

“It’s more than that, Lina. You know it. There’s something between us. We’re both masking it with snippy comments. We’re using irritation to keep a wall between us. Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know.” Flustered by his words, I couldn’t even inject sarcasm into my voice. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Because you’re falling for me, and I can’t control how I’m feeling about you.”

CHAPTER 8

VEX

“Hell, no,” she said, pulling away. She scooted backward until she reached the wall. “I’m not falling in love with you. I don’t do romance with coworkers.”

“I’m not your boss. You know that. You were hired by the employment agency, not me. We’re more like companions.” I held up my hand before she could speak. “But I’m not going to defend this. You asked why, and I told you. What we choose to do about it is up to us.”

“Why do you think I want something more from you?”

I couldn’t help but smirk. “After how you responded to my kiss?”

“Ass.”

“You seem pretty fond of my ass. I’ve seen you looking.”

“I haven’t.”

I smirked again.

As much as I enjoyed sparring with her, I wanted to talk this out. We couldn’t sustain ongoing arguments, and frankly, I didn’t want to. I wanted—needed—to understand what was happening between us. This was our chance, and I’d be stupid to throw it away.

“If it helps any,” I said, “it’s not my goal to take advantage of you.”

She scoffed. “You’re saying you only have honorable intentions toward me?”

“Let me be honest. When I think of what I’d like to do with you, it’s anything but honorable.”

Color rose into her pretty cheeks that had fascinated me from the moment I met her. I wanted to kiss those cheeks. Other parts of her too.

“You’re saying you want to fuck me.” She nodded pertly, as if she’d processed this conversation and found a slot to shove it into. Neat and tidy, plus locked away.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to fuck you. Lick you. Touch you.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why not?” I watched her face—something I couldn’t seem to stop myself from doing all the time.

“Because you make me want it too.” Vulnerability flashed across her face. “I don’t want to love you.”

“I’m not asking for that.” I had a feeling I could fall for her very fast. If it happened, it would last for a lifetime, and I’d want everything from her. But she was obviously scared and nervous about this and pushing would only make her run.

The tension in her shoulders eased. “You want to fuck me, then?”

Why did I feel like this was the most important negotiation of my life? If so, she should remember I was a trained diplomat. I never came out of an agreement without scoring a win.

She watched me intently, awaiting my answer. She challenged me at every turn.

“What would you say if I answered yes?” I asked.

She tapped her chin, frowning. “I suppose I could fuck you.”

“Don’t make it sound so casual.”

“I can take you on a casual basis. I don’t do romance. I don’t do love. And I sure don’t do happily ever after.”

“You’ve been burned, but don’t throw away a chance to have something you’ll treasure always.”

She snorted. “You’re speaking of yourself?”

“I’m speaking about us.”

“There is no us.”

I had to wonder why I was pushing this. She was ornery enough to resist me no matter what I did or said. While diplomacy worked best with words, showing might be the better approach with Lina. The thought made my cock kick against my pants.

Her gaze homed in on that area, and my cock jerked upward, hardening to something almost painful. “You do want to fuck me.”

Did I want more than a fuck? I believed I did, though I wasn’t sure where I saw us going with this. I wanted to get close to her, and there was no denying I ached to feel her writhing beneath me. But love …?

I couldn’t be in love with her yet.

Yet?

I was in deep trouble.

CHAPTER 9

LINA

I couldn’t believe I was talking to Vex about fucking him. Like … this wasn’t a diplomatic negotiation. I’d be stupid to try to bargain with a pro. I might be savvy after surviving on my own, but as far as emotions went, I was still a baby. One with a big wall around my heart I’d created for a very good reason, but still a baby.

He could hurt me. The idea that someone could show me joy then ditch me like my parents had done made me want to curl up in a ball and hide. No, it made me want to run. I’d never let something like that happen to me again.

But despite acknowledging that I was an emotional infant, I was a mature adult. I would only give what I chose. I could hold myself back.

If I gave my body to him, would I be able to keep him from stealing my soul? Because I had a feeling that he was right.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I was falling for him.

He must’ve known I was thinking about this because he gave me space and time. He helped me spread out the blanket, and he even took care of the small, dead carcass I’d missed along one wall, lifting it with a leaf and tossing it up the tunnel.

One of the creatures snorted on the surface, and I wondered if the dead body had smacked into it.

I settled on the blanket, and he dropped down beside me, nestling close—as if we were intimate already.

And where did he get off smelling so good? We’d run for miles. My body had cooled, but it still held a sheen of sweat. I was sure my pits stunk, and there would be no shower to remove whatever stank lingered.

“They’ll rescue us soon. Within ten days,” I said, dropping the convo about fucking. I was confident he’d steer us back there again if the woody in his pants was anything to go by. If he was like most guys, that was his brain, and it was making demands. “They’ll drop you on Osaria and take me back to the space station.”

“Then we don’t have much time to figure this out, now do we?”

“There isn’t much to figure out.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong.”

“Yeah? I’m wrong about a lot of things.” I should’ve shut him down after the kiss—the one that still ghosted across my lips. I wanted another.

I craved it.

“Tonight,” he said, sounding too sure of himself.

That was one of the things about him that stuck out from the moment I met him. He oozed confidence. It hung in an arrogant, infuriating cloud around him. And despite feeling irritated whenever we interacted, I couldn’t seem to walk away.

I wanted to be near him.

“I haven’t agreed to anything,” I said.

He shot me that infuriating yet sexy smirk again. “By the time I shove myself inside you, you’ll be begging me to fuck you.”

If his kiss was anything to go by, he was probably right.

I’d felt out of control of this conversation from the moment it started. But with the creatures still stomping around on the surface, I was stuck here until they left—along with vexing Vex.

The thing is, if I said no, he’d back down. He might be cocky, and his cock might be even cockier, but he wouldn’t force this. Even when he was his most irritating, he wasn’t pushy.

He wasn’t a jerk.

He continued to watch me. Assess me. And I couldn’t tell what he saw. I’d long since developed a solid poker face. Anyone I met with only saw what I let them see.

Vex’s gaze had seemed to probe beneath my mask, and I didn’t like it.

But I wasn’t opposed to intimacy between us. I’d craved his body from the first time I saw it.

Could I keep my heart secure behind my flimsy wall?

I could only try.

“Good,” he said, as if I’d verbally agreed.

Maybe my poker face wasn’t as good as I’d thought.

“I haven’t said yes,” I said.

He took my hand and tugged me close, speaking in a husky voice near my ear. “You’ll say yes.” Leaning back, he flashed his fangs, and my body went liquid. Good thing I was sitting down.

“Why are you so confident?” I asked, half in irritation but mostly in exasperation. If only I could steal a bit of his self-assurance.

“I’m not, actually,” he said, staring forward.

“You impressed the Galaxy Allegiance. You got them to agree to concessions that astonished all my friends.”

“You talked about me with your friends?”

“I watch the news. I saw the clips. You’re impressive.”

“Thank you. I come from a long line of diplomats, which means I have a lot to live up to.”

“Obligations to family can suck. I mean, I assume so. No one expected anything from me yet.” I said it wryly. The pain I’d felt when my parents left had faded through the years. While some might’ve clung to it, I pushed it away. I refused to fail because I assume that was what they expected.

“So, you’re going to try to seduce me tonight?” I hated that my voice came out squeaky.

I also hated that my body was on fire already at the thought of being with him. This wasn’t dubcon. He wouldn’t be kissing a quivering virgin into giving him whatever he wanted. He wouldn’t need to coerce me.

If—and that was a big if—I kissed him back … If I sighed with anticipation and removed my clothing … If I let him touch me and touched him back, it would be because I wanted it as much as he did.

“Do you want me to seduce you?” He flicked his hand toward the blanket I’d spread out over the tent.

I turned his word back on him. “Maybe.”

“That’s good enough for me.” His intent gaze wouldn’t release me. “Lay down.”

“Like, you want to do it now?”

“We’ve eaten. You’ve bandaged my wing. Unless you’d like to play jute-jute, and I saw the cards and dice in the pack, there’s no reason we can’t … rest.”

My pussy was already soaked from this conversation full of inuendo. I couldn’t imagine how wet I’d be by the time we did the final act.

And just like that, I knew I couldn’t keep pushing him away. Maybe I’d regret it once we were rescued, and I’d never see him again, but was it wrong to steal from this moment? After all I’d been through, I deserved a few good things in life.

Rising, I reached toward the light. We needed to conserve the battery pack, though it would recharge in the sunlight. And while I was all in for this, that didn’t mean I wanted to see every expression on his face.

Or for him to see mine.

He watched me as always, his gaze intent. Now, I saw the look of a hungry predator, and it thrilled me. My body ached to feel it all.

His tongue slid along his fangs.

Yeah, that was hot. I kept picturing all the things he could do with that tongue.

With the light out and returned to the pack, I tugged my shirt up over my head and tossed it aside. My bra followed.

Even in the dark, I could feel his gaze, his hungry eyes locked on me. My sight might be limited in the dark, but he could see as well as in daylight. Something I needed to remember.

After removing my boots and socks, I rose to my knees and unfastened my pants. I shimmied out of them. My undies too.

His breathing had gone ragged, and even in the limited, shadowy light, I could see his cock outlined by his pants. Like I remembered in the gym, it was impossibly long and thick, upright, and pressing against his body.

Desire flooded me. While this was all about him seducing me, I’d never been one to give others full control.

I’d lost too much through my life. I’d had to fight for every scrap I needed.

For now, I wanted to live, to feel everything we were building between us. Was that so bad?

The rustle of his clothing was followed by him tossing it aside. He moved forward, pressing his hot, naked length against me.

“Lay down?” I asked.

He paused, and I wondered if he was one of those guys who had to direct everything, even sex. From what I’d seen, he was used to taking charge and watching others do as he asked without question. But he wasn’t in charge tonight.

Without a word, he dropped onto his back. His cock jutted upward, straining for release.

I could give him that.

I straddled his thighs. In the dim moonlight filtering down from above, his cock looked enormous. Dark blue like the rest of his skin, it had prominent veins and what looked like evenly spaced bands encircling the length. Ridges? The tip bulged, almost wider than its girth at the base. Lines crisscrossed the top.

Despite his size and my healthy fear that it wouldn’t fit, I still wanted to touch him. Taste him. And feel him driving deep inside me.

“Can I do what I want with you?” I asked, teasing my fingers up his thigh.

He lifted my hand and kissed my palm. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

What if that was forever? I’d never felt like I wanted more than a solid fuck from a guy, but with Vex, something had changed.

“I want to bury myself within you, to fill you completely,” he said.

“In due time.” My hands trembled because I’d just realized we had no protection. It had been a while since I’d been with anyone, and I hadn’t had my implant recharged.

Were our species compatible?

The thought of having a child with him scared me, but not because I couldn’t also picture myself holding a mix of him and me in my arms.

Having a child was a commitment I’d never dreamed of. Kids cost money to raise. They needed food, clothing, and day care. Without a full-time job waiting for me back at the station, I’d be stupid to take a risk on getting pregnant.

I’d pretty much given up on the idea of hooking up with someone and having kids. I’d contemplated visiting a sperm bank once or twice, the usual way to have a baby if someone wasn’t cohabitating with another.

I had credits in the bank. My own room at the station. I wasn’t the homeless kid I’d been after my parents died.

As for a job, I was a top pilot. Someone else would hire me fast.

Most of all, I could give a child what I’d missed out on. Love and a home.

But did I want to risk starting something like that now?

Leaning forward, I stroked his chest and abs, stopping before I touched his cock. Once I did, once I’d tasted him, there would be no turning back. I had a future back at the station, but I was beginning to believe it would be bleak if it didn’t include Vex.

A dangerous thought right there.

“Touch me,” he said. “I will fill you completely tonight and for as long as you remain by my side.”

“Let the fates decide?”

“We decide, but yes. The fates will do as they will.” He shrugged. “We would be foolish to deny them. No, we’d be foolish to deny ourselves.”

Fuck it. I’d take my chances.

“All right,” I said. “Fill me completely tonight.”

I scooted lower and ran my tongue across the head of his cock.

CHAPTER 10

VEX

I watched her in the dim light. For as long as she remained near, I wasn’t able to look away.

She was the loveliest being I’d seen in my life. Lush and nicely rounded. Her breasts were bigger than I’d assumed. The scrap of fabric she’d bound them with had disguised them.

After she’d turned out the light, she remained crouched, watching me, though I sensed she wasn’t waiting for me to take the lead.

Perhaps this first time, I should let her control what happened.

Her thighs were parted just enough for me to see what I craved most. I could barely hold myself back.

I was a diplomat. I’d been trained to be patient, to maintain control at all times.

But I could feel myself falling apart for the first time in my life. A wildness rose inside me.

A claiming.

No, it couldn’t be true. She wasn’t my fated one, the only person I’d love for as long as she lived.

But the feeling growing inside me couldn’t be denied. When a person found their fated mate, they knew.

My hands shook. She …

I would know once I’d been with her fully.

I practically ripped my clothing away. The only thing holding me back from shredding them was the fact that I needed them. It wouldn’t do for rescue to arrive and find me strutting around naked.

She was perfect. Sublime. And when she sucked the head of my cock into her mouth, I nearly shot everything I had inside her.

No. I was going to shoot everything I had within her core. And only after she’d shouted out her pleasure numerous times.

She stroked my length, and the feel of her fingers around the base of my cock brought a groan to my lips. I splayed my legs out, hitching my heels on the wall, and gave myself over to her touch. Soon, I would flip her onto her back, spread her legs wide, and do the same for her. I craved to taste everything she had to offer. But for now, I soaked in the wonder of her tongue, her warm mouth, and her hand massaging my balls.

Until I could feel them bunching, eager to shoot my seed inside her.

“Not yet,” I said, urging her off me.

Rocking back on her heels, she licked her lips and pouted. “I was just getting to the good part.”

Rising, I lifted her into my arms. She was tiny, but lush, with full breasts and a nicely rounded ass. I couldn’t wait to kiss every bit of her pale skin and delve deep within her.

I spread my wings around her, taking care not to hit my injured limb on the wall. Only a dull ache remained after her care.

While she moaned, I stroked as much of her as I could reach with the tips of my wings.

Turning, I laid her on the blanket, wishing it was a soft mound of furs.

Or my bed back home.

I captured her mouth, delving my tongue deeply. While our tongues touched, and she writhed beneath me, I stroked her nipples.

Leaving her mouth, I kissed along her jawline to her neck, groaning at the wonder of her soft skin. “You taste and feel amazing. I want you. So much.”

My head pounded with eagerness, and my body flamed already. My stiff cock ached to be buried within her. Soon, I would claim her. I could do nothing less for this perfect female, the one I would long for until the day I died.

I couldn’t stay away from her ripe lips, glistening and puffy from our kiss. A groan ripped from me as anticipation roared through my veins. While my mind spiraled, I stroked her belly and glided my fingers across her nipples. I took care not to harm her with my claws, subtly scraping them across the buds I’d created.

She gasped and arched her spine, begging for my touch. Hot waves shot to my cock.

She pumped her hips up even though I hadn’t touched her there yet.

Quakes wracked her frame already, and I couldn’t wait to hear the cries she’d make when she came.

My wings stroked her sides before I used the uninjured one to spread her legs wide. While my tongue continued to play with hers and my hand stroked her breast, my leathery wing glided up her thigh. The spikes jutting up from my wing segments were nothing more than blunt weapons I could use in battle. In bed play, they were stiff yet flexible enough to be placed wherever she had need.

When I ran the tip of the spike up her slit, a cry erupted from her throat.

“No?” I asked. She needed to understand what I was about to do. “This is the spike on my wing.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Take me however you please.”

“I am going to make you come so many times.”

A fever built inside me, and nothing was going to satisfy it but claiming her fully.

I glided the spike inside her warm wetness.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck that feels fantastic.”

Long and just firm enough, the spike could fill her completely, stretching and preparing her for the length and girth of my cock.

She rocked against me while I pulled back and plunged the spike back inside her. I shifted my shoulder so the thick ridge running along the top of my wing rubbed against her clit with each thrust.

I kissed from her jaw to her neck while heat blazed inside me. My engorged cock cried out for me to take her now, but I wanted to fuck her first with the spike on my wing. This was part of the ritual that—

I needed to back away from the thought of her being my fated. When we’d finished, I’d know, but it would be wrong to see this as the beginning of the mating dance.

Boiling over for her, I wasn’t going to cool down until I saw this through.

She pumped her hips up, riding the spike on my wing. I pressed down harder with the rubbery band along the top, feeling her clit harden beneath.

Inside, she began to quiver, and an orgasm ripped through her.

Her shriek made one of the creatures lurking outside snort.

I grinned, loving how she’d fallen apart so beautifully.

“That was your first for the night,” I said. “Now I’ll give you more.”

CHAPTER 11

LINA

I was breathless, overcome with wonder about what he’d just done. His spike continued to move slowly inside me, and tiny ripples of pleasure shot to my core.

“In my culture, it is understood that a male must give his …” Even in the dim light, I could see him frown. But his brow smoothed, and he continued. “I wish to give you many orgasms before seeking my own.” He growled against my flesh. “I cannot wait to drive my cock inside you, to fill you and explode within you, but I will hold off.”

“Take it,” I said, feeling my body begin to build again. I wriggled against his wing spike, savoring the feel of it moving within me.

“Not yet.”

He kissed down my chest, stopping to give each nipple exquisite care, before moving across my belly.

His spike slid out of me, and I gasped, wanting more. His low chuckle rang out in the tiny cave. “Never fear. I’m not even close to being done with you yet.”

As a lover, this guy already couldn’t be beat, and he hadn’t even fully been with me yet.

I lay back, limp with anticipation, spreading my legs wider in invitation. Sucking in my lower lip, I pinched it with my teeth. “More.”

“I love how greedy you are.” He stooped down between my thighs, and his exhalation was hot on my crease.

I kept picturing his tongue, how it—

He ran it up my slit and around my clit.

My moan ripped through the small room. Shit, I was going to fall apart within seconds.

He tugged and rolled my clit gently with his teeth, and I saw stars. The moons. Paradise.

My head thrashed on the blanket, and little jerky moans erupted from inside me. “Take it. Take me!”

“You’re so responsive,” he whispered as he pulled away, leaving my clit throbbing and bereft.

He glided his thumb down my opening. He returned to the top and placed it on my engorged clit. While his hand played with my clit, his tongue glided down my slit, licking and sucking, then delving inside me. With each pass, he stroked a different inner wall.

The rough fumbles I’d experienced with other guys was nothing compared to what Vex was doing to me now.

Closing my eyes, I sunk into the sensation of his tongue licking inside me. His hand kept a slow, rhythmic rub of my clit that drove me closer but not quite over the edge. I wanted it. Craved it, despite just experiencing an amazing orgasm from his wing spike.

I groaned as a pressing need built inside me, something I was beginning to believe only Vex could fulfill.

His fingers teased my nipples until he started gliding both wings across them, the sensation of the soft, leathery segments making my body quiver with pleasure.

His hard length nudged my lower leg. I bit down on my lip, barely holding on.

Should we be sleeping, stealing rest while we could? Sure. Would we? No way. I wasn’t sure what would happen to us tomorrow. Between raging creatures and bubbling lava, it was anyone’s guess if we could survive until help arrived.

Once rescue was here, though, our time would be over. He’d return to his home planet and me to the space station. More piloting jobs waited for me there, and diplomacy on distant worlds would take him in the opposite direction.

I was grabbing onto this bit of time, and I’d cherish it always. I would claim him until he had to leave me, then try not to mourn his loss.

The brush of his wings was pure heaven. When he started rubbing harder on my clit, that, combined with his mouth inside me, sent me through the roof.

My cry rang out, followed by his low hum of pleasure. He kept working me, riding my orgasm, making it last what felt like forever.

Looking up at me, he grinned. “Two,” he mumbled around my flesh. “More.” His tongue dove back inside.

I was already a limp, trembling wreck and wasn’t sure if I could take any more, but I was happy enough to try.

So was Vex. He sucked and licked while his wings cradled me, the spikes on the top curving down to find my nipples. With two working me at once, plus his mouth and hand, it wasn’t going to take me long to give him a third.

Who wouldn’t want a lover who thought of a woman’s pleasure before his own? Someone like him was a guy you held on to forever.

I shouldn’t be thinking of forever.

CHAPTER 12

VEX

Because I could tell she was enjoying this, I continued to suck and lick inside her. She tasted amazing, like the best dish I could ever hope to find. And her sighs and moans of pleasure only made me want to keep doing this all night long.

We didn’t have forever, but we had days and nights until rescue arrived. I would make the most of the time we had left.

I continued to stroke her breasts with my wings, alternating between the spikes, the firm ridge across the top, and the smooth outer surface. Her nipples had turned into hard nubs, and her eyes had glazed over. Her skin rippled beneath my palms as I stroked her thighs and belly.

Sweat sprang up along my hairline, and my body demanded I take her right now. Plunge into her until she screamed with the joy that only I could bring to her. I’d wait and get her so excited, all she’d feel was me.

I’d brand her, mark her so that when we parted, she’d take the memory of this time together with her. Lina had carved a life for herself out of tragedy. It would be wrong of me to try to pin her to the ground or bend her to fit into the life I now lived. Traveling all the time. No true home. Never knowing where we’d lay our head that night.

I’d thought of leaving the diplomatic corps, of settling on one of the new colonies. Would Lina be interested in something like that? I’d ask her later—once I felt confident that she wanted to be with me always.

Curving the tip of my finger down until the sharp claw rested against my skin, I sunk the folded digit into her, joining my tongue.

She stilled, then bucked and moaned, telling me she was getting closer to number four.

I plunged into her, alternating two of my fingers with my tongue, stroking her inner walls while twisting and teasing her clit with my other hand.

Her body bucked, and she groaned, low and deep. Inside, her walls clung to my tongue and fingers, shaking as an orgasm burst through her once more.

She was so fucking wet and tight. My cock throbbed, eager and in pain. The engorged length throbbed against my belly. The rounded tip anticipated unfurling within her, spiraling until I came and filled her with my cum. If the end hardened and swelled, locking me inside her, what I suspected would be proven. Only with a fated mate did such a thing occur.

I wanted her so badly, but just as much, I wanted to keep making her fall apart in my arms.

Shifting lower on the furs, I spread her legs wider, taking in her sweet, musky aroma that nearly drove me out of my mind.

Seeing her swollen flesh only made me want to make it swell more, to engorge her body while she writhed with pleasure.

I’d give her five orgasms before I claimed and filled her. This I vowed.

But she was tiny and tight. I worried I was too big, that I’d hurt her. Could I help ease my passage? If she was very wet and nearing her peak, I just might fit inside.

I curled my claws inward and placed the blunted fingertips at her opening. Leaving her sweet core to my hand, I moved my tongue to her clit, coiling around her swollen bud. I continued to stroke her breasts with my wings, though I took care not to rub too hard. I already feared she’d be sore in the morning, though that would come from my cock. There was no need to add abrasions to the mix.

Her head thrashed on the blanket, and she cupped my face with her thighs. Her rhythmic moans rang out as I slid first two, then carefully, three bent fingers inside her. Her inner walls pressed inward, showing me how snug she was.

My cock was going to be too big, but I’d contain myself and only give her the tip.

“Yes, yes,” she chanted. She was lost in this moment, and there was nothing I wanted more than that. “It feels so good. More. Faster.”

I did as she asked, pulling my fingers out and driving them deep within her. She bucked against me like I knew she would when I replaced my hand with my cock.

When I nibbled on her clit with my fangs, she fell apart again, mewing while clutching the blanket at her sides. Her body collapsed, and her moaned echoed around us.

She shook her head. “I can’t …”

“Five is too much,” I said.

Lifting up enough so our gazes could meet, she grinned. “I’ll never say anything like that, but … Wow. I don’t know how much more I can take. This feels so good.”

“Relax, then. Let me keep loving you.”

“I can feel your rigid cock against my leg. Put it inside me.”

“I worry I’m too big.”

“Let my body decide.” She stroked my horns, and pleasure shot through me. My cock grew harder, something I wouldn’t have thought possible. I hadn’t realized touching my horns could ignite me, but she was special. I sensed everything she did would bring me indescribable joy. I wanted to pound inside her until reality blurred and all I could think of was her.

I kissed my way up her body until I hovered over her lips. “Do you trust me in this?”

“I do.”

Ah, yes. She was amazing. “Then roll over.”

“Doggie style?” she said with a snort.

I didn’t know what that mean, but she wiggled around until her lush ass lifted toward me. Her thighs parted, showing me everything she had to offer. I’d licked her, glided my fingers along everything inside her, and plied her with my wings and fingers.

Now it was time for my cock to get a taste.

“All of it,” she said, panting. “I want to feel everything.”

“I can’t. You’re too small. But I’ll give you all I can.”

“Yessss.”

I braced her hips and centered the rounded tip of my cock at her opening. She was wet, dripping even, her inner thighs slick with her juices. I wanted to feel it so much, to pump within her while she shrieked my name.

Pushing forward, I inserted my large tip. It opened the moment it felt her slick inner walls, and the thick bands extended to stroke higher.

Her smooth wetness welcomed me, engulfed me, and I’d only given her the end of my cock.

“Yes,” she cried, pushing her hips back to meet me. “Take me.”

She could take more; I’d determined that with my fingers, but my full length was too much. It would hurt her.

Still, I could give us both pleasure. I could give her a short ride, and when she spasmed around me, my body would do the same, filling her.

Perhaps even locking within her, proving she was my fated one.

I needed to stop speculating about whether she was fated for me and savor this moment. Claimed or not, this would be enough.

Feverish breaths wracked her lungs. As I pulled back and pushed my tip back inside, her body bucked and rocked upward to meet mine.

“It feels so good,” she cried, spread her legs wider. “You’re holding back, Vex. More. I can take it.”

I pushed deeper, seating half my length inside her. The segmented bands from my open tip teased her inner walls and prodded deep at the base. They’d edge up within her before I came, injecting my seed.

It was all I could do not to shove myself inside her harder. Faster. Plunge within her and ride her until I gave her a sixth orgasm. A seventh if I could hold out that long.

I braced her hips and pulled back, shoving forward again. My eyes rolled back in my head. It felt so damn good. I couldn’t get enough. She was giving me everything I craved.

“Ah,” she cried as I pushed forward again, shoving a bit more of my thick cock within her. “Yes. Yes. Don’t ever stop.”

I’d ride her all night if she begged like that.

“You’re holding back, Vex,” she growled. “I can tell. Give it to me.”

“No pain for you tonight.”

“Sometimes a little pain feels good. Try it? Please. I have to know what all of you feels like.”

I stilled, though my body was one giant cord of tightened muscle. It was a strain to hold myself back. Sweat coiled down my spine, between my wings in a tickle, taunting me with the urge to take her unrestrained.

“Fuck me hard,” she shouted into the blanket. “Do it. I want it.”

While I ached to do as she demanded, to drive everything I had inside her, I wouldn’t cause her harm.

With care, I held her and pushed more of myself inside her. My body shook as I held myself back.

I reached the end of her, and damn, it felt good to have her surrounding my cock. She was wet and incredibly tight, and I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could stand before I exploded.

“Ride me,” she said. “Do it.”

At her urging, I started moving, hunching over her so I could play with her dangling breasts.

Her harsh breathing urged me on, as did her cries of pleasure.

She spread her legs wider, and I felt her inner walls secrete more wetness. Perhaps … Yes, perhaps she could take a bit more.

Rocking back, I held her hips tight, my fingers nearly biting into her flesh.

Then I shoved everything I had inside her.

CHAPTER 13

LINA

“Yes,” I cried out, my voice shrill.

His cock was amazing. I swore I felt something else moving inside me, but for all I knew, he was using the spikes on his wings.

No, he couldn’t be, because he’d wrapped them around me. They supported me and held me still while he drilled his cock inside me over and over.

His hard grunts and cries fed my heat, making this orgasm build bigger than all the rest. What he’d done had given me incredible joy, but I had a feeling he’d only scraped off the top of what he could still do.

This … this was what I’d craved all my adult life. Him. His wings. His claws and horns.

His big cock plunging into me.

My mind spiraled. My body shook as heat flared within me, shooting to my core.

A crash, and I gave into my orgasm, whimpering and quivering as it shook my entire frame.

He came inside me with a heavy groan. Blinding hotness bathed my inner walls as his body jerked and shoved itself even deeper. It was all I could do to take all of him, but I was glad he hadn’t held back. He’d given me the ride of my life.

I craved more already.

This wasn’t good, because soon we’d be separated forever.

Could I store up everything he was giving and lock it inside my mind?

We collapsed together. He settled with me locked within his wings and arms. Inside me, his cock still throbbed, shooting hotness within me.

He stroked my arms and hitched one of his legs across mine, pinning me in place. As if his wings and arms weren’t enough.

He growled. “I …”

“What?”

“My cock is locking inside you.”

“Okay.” Actually, I wasn’t sure what that meant. “Locking?” In my blurry, post-orgasm haze, he could tell me he shifted into a dragon and planned to fuck me that way, too, and I’d say sure. Do it. Take me any way you please.

But locking …?

“You mean, like knotting?” I asked, finding barely enough oomph to craft the words. If I knew Vex, he’d seek my eighth orgasm soon, and I’d let him take me to ten and beyond. He could keep riding and pumping himself into me all night long, and I’d wake in the morning with a grin on my face. Sore, oh, yes, but definitely smiling.

“I do not know this term knotting, but the head of my cock is now hardening, swelling. It will remain locked inside you while the thin, vine-like threads continue to bathe your inner walls with my seed.”

Yeah, that sounded a bit too much like commitment to me, but I couldn’t drum up enough fear to complain. It wasn’t only because my body was putty from his lovemaking, but because my heart—

Shit. My heart was not involved.

Jeez, I hoped not.

“This should turn me off,” I said. “I mean, I’m not interested in getting pregnant right now. But somehow, the thought of you hardening, swelling, and doing some inner wall bathing makes me want this even more.”

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “Soon, my tip will soften, and I will make you orgasm you more. This I promise.” His hand slid along my hip and dipped between my thighs to gently stroke my clit.

And there my body went again, ignited from his simple touch.

“While we wait for my body to get ready,” he said. “Would you like a taste of eight and nine?”

CHAPTER 14

VEX

I woke with light filtering down through the narrow tunnel. Listening, I didn’t hear anything to indicate the beasts waited on the surface for us to emerge. If we were fortunate, they’d given up and drifted away.

Lying with my arms and wings around Lina, I savored the feeling of satisfaction filling my body. Her soft breaths fanned across my chest, and my hearts ached.

I’d knotted with her, which meant she was my fated one. Only she could bring my seed to fruition. I would be bound to her until the day she died.

Lina was independent. She’d fought to make something of herself when many might’ve given up and let life do with them what it pleased. With my big, supportive family, I couldn’t imagine how horrible it must’ve been for her to find herself alone and with no one to stand beside her. She was merely a youngling at that time. She should’ve been protected, treasured.

From the moment I’d met her, she’d caught my attention and held it. At first, I’d watched her because I couldn’t figure out why I was attracted to her despite her irksome manner. She’d challenged me and made me long for something I couldn’t define.

Now I knew why.

I was falling for her and not only because I could knot with only her. I’d never dreamed of having younglings. Now, I couldn’t imagine anything else. Petite females like Lina, perhaps some with wings. Slender males or larger ones who got their size from me. Fangs among them all, of course.

And I was getting ahead of myself. The odds of us ending up together were slim.

She was so easy to love.

I greatly admired her for what she’d done. She’d raised herself, educated herself, and she worked in a well-respected job at the space station.

How could I ask her to give that up to follow me as I gallivanted across the galaxy?

However, now was not the time to ask. We had to survive until rescue arrived.

Then, we could have this discussion.

I had at most ten days to convince her we were meant to be together.

I rolled with her in my arms, and she mumbled, her hands grabbing onto my shoulders, her thighs parting.

My grin slipped out. Even in her sleep, she wished to be with me. If only I could convince her heart.

Ten days at most. It would be enough.

I kissed down her neck to her breasts and while she moaned and moved beneath me eagerly, I sucked one of her nipples into my mouth, nibbling with my fangs, though taking care not to be rough.

We’d been together many times during the night, and she had to be sore. My cock bumped against my abs, stating it would be more than willing to knot within her again, but I would hold off to give her body a chance to heal.

“Vex,” she whispered, her eyes opening to lock onto mine.

I ran my tongue along her nipple and teased up her thigh with my wing. Moaning, she pumped her hips up to meet my touch.

“I shouldn’t want you all over again,” she said. “I should’ve had enough.” A frown filled her face. “Why do I want you again?”

“Because I’m the best lover you’ve ever had?” I left her nipple, kissing down her belly, my words rumbling against her quivering flesh. I couldn’t—wouldn’t—state the real reason, that she was my fated one. I doubted humans bonded in the same manner as my people. If she craved me, it was because of my touch.

She chuckled, but her eyes were serious. “You’re cocky, I’ll give you that.”

“It makes you crave me.”

“Yeah, it’s sexy. For now. Don’t think I’ll still want this tonight or tomorrow.”

I loved how, even in this; my strong mate asserted herself. “I will only take what you wish to give.” I parted her thighs with my wings, pleased to find her glistening with desire already.

I licked her slit, and she growled.

She grabbed onto my front horns and held tight as I sucked and licked her, bringing her to satisfaction again.

Then I held her in my arms while she slumbered.

“We need to leave the cave,” she said, sitting up.

“You’re right. We don’t have enough food to carry us ten days. I’ll hunt.”

Her lips thinned. “I thought we got this settled last night. We’ll hunt.”

Her nipples had darkened overnight from my mouth, wings, and hands. She rose to her knees and tugged on her shirt, hiding them before I could stroke them once more.

“All right.” It would be foolish to argue. One, she would insist. It would be wrong to leave her behind. Two, she was cunning and well-trained. She’d be an asset on any hunt. And three, I wanted to keep her within my sight at all times.

It would devastate me to lose her.

We dressed and deferred eating, only taking a few sips of water from the flask. We’d need to locate a source we could purify. What we could carry wouldn’t last long. The ship wouldn’t store much since it wouldn’t remain potable. It was expected anyone escaping in the pod would locate what they needed once they landed.

“Let’s leave the pack and tent here,” she suggested. “We can assess the situation on the surface and either leave it, keeping this place for rest or return to take everything with us.”

“I’d like to find someplace bigger,” I said. “A cave with two exits, if possible.” I hadn’t liked being trapped in a hole all night, subject to the whim of the beasts.

I crawled up the tunnel first, Lina right behind. Before exiting, I peered out, finding nothing in the vicinity. Scars and torn up dirt and rocks covered the area around the hole, but other than a place where one of the creatures had dug down the length of my forearm, it appeared our tiny cave had remained impervious to invasion.

With this species that is.

I crept outside and stood, Lina joining me.

Using hand gestures, I indicated I wanted to return to the pod. She nodded, and we jogged in that direction. We didn’t come across the herds, though I saw lots of tracks.

When we returned to where we’d last seen the pod, all we found was a wide crevasse in the ground that plunged down farther than I could see.

Since we still appeared alone, I felt comfortable speaking, though I kept my voice low.

“You’re sure the beacon is still sending a signal?” I asked.

“As long as it hasn’t been crushed.” She turned a concerned gaze my way. “I should climb down into the crevasse and see.”

“I will.”

“You’re injured.”

I lifted my brow ridge. “You weren’t worried about that last night.”

Color filled her face, and she slapped her hands on her cheeks. “Shit. You’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve been on top all the time!”

My laugh slipped out as I tugged her into my arms.

She squirmed to get away but eventually settled, looking up at me. “I’ll climb down. You need time to heal.”

“We need to keep you safe.” No way would I endanger my mate. However, she was in danger all the time, even while we rested in the hole.

“Both of us need to remain safe.” Her arms tightened around me. “So we’ll both climb down into the crevasse.”

I didn’t like that idea any better than her going alone or remaining here by herself on the surface. This was a tenuous situation all around.

“All right,” I said. If she was with me, I could keep an eye on her.

A glance at the volcano showed the eruption had slowed. It would either continue to back off or erupt and rain fire once more. We needed to be quick. Distance increased our odds of survival, but the lava sluggishly moved this way. It would take time to reach here, but I wanted to be out of this area before that.

We peered over the side, seeking the easiest route to descend. About two times my height wide, the crevasse continued at about the same width for as far as I could see. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the escape pod.

Lina pulled something from her pocket and held it up. “I have a light.” She looped the cord around her neck to keep her hands free.

We sat and started to descend, using rocks jutting out from the surface, carefully making our way into the vast hole.

Before long, we had moved well below the surface, but we hadn’t found the escape pod yet.

Then I saw it, wedged along the side where the gap narrowed. It had tilted to stand upright, and it appeared intact, but we had to be sure the beacon still functioned.

We worked our way in that direction until we could almost touch it.

“Looks good,” Lina said, skimming her light across the craft. “I think it’ll be safe as long as the crevasse doesn’t close.”

“And as long as the mountain backs off and doesn’t fill this crack with lava.”

She nodded. “We can’t do anything to prevent that. We can’t drag the pod back to the surface. We’ll have to trust they received the signal and have locked on our location. Then it won’t matter.”

“Will that be enough?”

“It should be. That’s what I’d do if received a distress call and sent rescue.”

“Let’s get back to the surface.”

We climbed back up, and I began to relax. This had been relatively easy. We could return to our hole in the ground and make plans for a hunt.

Before emerging from the ground, Lina poked her head up. My horns jutted above me, and they’d give me away.

“Looks clear,” she whispered.

As she climbed out onto her knees, a shrill cry echoed above us.

A winged creature swooped down and grabbed her. It lifted off, its enormous wings flapping, with Lina clutched in its claws.

Her bellow of fear sent chills down my spine.

CHAPTER 15

LINA

A giant alien bird snatched me off the ground and took flight with the back of my shirt in its clutches.

I squirmed, trying to break free, but its claws dug in harder, scraping the tender skin on my back.

Twisting, I tried to grab a weapon, wishing I’d held one in my hand when I climbed out of the crevasse. I’d become complacent. Distracted with my growing feelings for Vex.

As the bird flapped hard to take me higher, I kicked, shrieking, but I couldn’t get free.

Fuck that.

I unzipped my shirt and scrambled out of it, leaving it for the alien bird.

In seconds, I was free-falling, though I was only twenty or so feet above the ground. My training kicked in, reminding me of what I needed to do when I hit. Protect my head, turn as I hit, stay loose, and roll on impact. Easy to memorize, less easy to do, though we’d practiced at the academy a number of times.

The ground rushed up to me, but before I could hit, Vex lunged between me and the hard surface. He leaped, his wings extended, and he scooped me from the air, cradling me as he carefully dropped to his feet.

He didn’t stop when we hit but folded in his wings and dove toward the crevasse.

While the alien bird shrieked and swooped back down to attack again, he leaped into the opening, landing hard on a small ledge projecting from the inner wall. He continued down a few more levels until we were fifteen feet or so away from the top.

The bird circled overhead, crying in fury.

“You stole its meal,” I said, my voice coming out shaky.

“You are my meal, mate,” he snarled. “My meal.”

“Mate, huh?” When I squirmed, he put me down, though he kept his arms around me. “Is that a friend-like thing you’re using to show the change in our relationship?”

“No, Lina.” He pinched his eyes closed but only for a second before opening them again. “You’re my fated one, the only being I will love forever.”

“Hold on right there,” I said, lifting my hand between us. “Last night was fun and all …” Actually, it was so much more than fun. My body tingled in anticipation for what we’d do the next moment we were alone. My heart already ached at the thought of us parting. But … “I don’t do fated stuff.”

“I will not force this,” he vowed, his body stiffening. His softened eyes gave him away.

“I know you won’t.” I kept my voice neutral. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. “And I appreciate it.” I was a jumble of emotions. I cared a lot for Vex. Hell, I was halfway in love with him already. But how could I give up the life I’d struggled so hard to obtain?

I didn’t need to decide that now. He said he wouldn’t press me, and I’d take him on his word.

Tipping my head back, I peered toward the surface. “We’ll remain here until the bird leaves.”

“Agreed.”

Mischief rose inside me now that we were safe. “How are we going to kill the time?”

He flashed his fangs, making my heart seize. “We do not have room for anything intriguing.”

We sort of did if we could remove our clothing. I could ride him. But while the idea held a lot of appeal, it was dirty and damp down here, not the best place to have sex.

When he sat, I curled up on his lap with his arms around me, holding me secure.

“Tell me how you got your pilot’s license,” he said, his breath ruffling my hair. “You raised yourself, so how did that come about?”

“I studied hard to get my basic degrees. There are programs on the space station for kids like me. I didn’t do that until I was seventeen, though, and I had to push hard to complete everything I needed.”

“You are amazing.”

My chest tightened. “Thanks. But I wasn’t alone. I had friends, kids with no one, like me, and they were doing the same thing. There’s a big library on the station, and I read everything I could get my hands on. I was essentially self-educated. Librarians are wonderful. A few of them must’ve seen that I didn’t have much to my name, and they helped me, at first by giving me food and clothing, and later, one helped me apply for a scholarship to the academy.”

“Where is this librarian now?”

“She died, but she left me a little something. It was enough to support me while I completed the rigorous training needed to fly.”

“I’m glad you had someone looking out for you.”

“I wanted to do this alone, to prove to my parents that they were wrong to abandon me, but I was grateful to have her in my life.”

“You did prove yourself, but no youngling should have to do such a thing. They were wrong. You survived despite their horrible actions.”

“I did, and I’m proud of it.” I traced my finger on his chest. “But I’m afraid.”

“Of what?”

Looking up, I sought his gaze. I held it when everything inside me told me to look away, to hold back my words and heart. But how could I do that with Vex? He was everything I could ever dream of having in my life. “I’m afraid of being hurt again.”

His arms tightened around me. “I understand this.”

“You fear abandonment too?”

“Not from my family. Never them.”

I couldn’t imagine having that much confidence in others.

“My fear comes from being hurt, just like everyone else,” he said. His warm fingers cupped my cheeks. “I fear that something horrible will happen to you here. That you will be stolen away.”

And maybe he worried life itself would steal me away. I sure did. “You have a great job.”

“It can be lonely.”

“Why?”

“I travel a lot, and while staff goes with me, they often have their own plans. As the head of the diplomatic team, others see me as unapproachable. Stiff.”

“You, stiff? Nah.” I flashed him a smile to show I was teasing. It was only after I’d gotten to know him that I saw his squishy insides.

He chuckled, and his hands dropped to my shoulders, holding me safe against his chest. “My staff prefers to maintain a barrier between us.”

“What does that mean?” I felt sad for him. “You’re alone in your hotel each night while they’re off having fun together?”

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go to bars with them.”

“Why not?”

“Because I represent my country wherever I go.”

“Don’t they do that, too?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I suppose to some extent. It’s not the same.”

It hurt to think he was all alone all the time. “How long do you plan to be a diplomat?”

“As long as I’m needed.”

“You mean until you retire?”

“Perhaps, although …”

“What?” I watched the varied emotions cross his face. Confusion. Hope.

“I’ve thought of giving this up and settling on a colony. There are many being formed throughout the galaxy. They would welcome someone like me.”

My mind took me down a road I’d never seen before. We built a home in a new colony. We had a family. We loved each other for our entire lives.

It was silly. I shouldn’t let myself dream.

“What if you got married?” I asked, unable to meet his eye for this question. What he said could rip me apart.

“The odds of that happening now are slim.”

“Why now?” Leave it to me to pick that word out of his statement.

“You know, Lina,” he sighed. “You know.”

CHAPTER 16

VEX

It wasn’t easy sharing this with her, but if I wanted something permanent between us, I needed to be honest.

“You don’t love me,” she said, and though she sounded certain of this, she also sounded afraid.

“I would never lay that burden on you.”

“Tell me you don’t love me.” She was insistent.

“I could love you. That is all I will say.”

“All right,” she said with a huff. “I can deal with that. I …” She shook her head. “I’m not jinxing things. Give me time?”

“As much as you need.” If something came of this, it would be because she wished for it. I would welcome her in my arms and in my home, but I wanted her willing. Eager.

And not only eager for my body, though I would be a fool to deny her access to that.

Love came from shared experiences, from helping each other. We had this opportunity, and I would capitalize on it.

Because losing her would tear away something vital inside me.

The bird flew off, and we crawled out of the crevasse. In the distance, the mountain smoldered but it didn’t spew flames and the lava flow did not appear to have encroached in this direction. I would be glad when we left this place and could go somewhere safe. But I was in no rush. When we left here, decisions would need to be made. I needed time to do all I could to make Lina care for me.

And I wanted to show her she could trust me not to leave her like her family did.

CHAPTER 17

LINA

How could I feel all-in for Vex already? We’d been adversaries, skating along the edge of thin ice. In one night—with an incredible amount of amazing sex—everything had changed.

I wanted to trust him not to hurt me. No, I wanted to trust this fated mate thing. But what if I did and he ditched me? I wasn’t sure I could go through that again.

He said I could take time, and I knew what he didn’t say, that I’d have to decide when rescue arrived. Would that be enough time?

We jogged toward our cave, and I was grateful we didn’t come across herds or see large birds swooping down from the sky.

“I want to look at your wing when we’re safe,” I said, and he nodded.

We reached the hole and crawled inside. Home, sweet home. It wasn’t much, but it kept us from harm.

“Wing,” I said, pointing on the ground. He sat, and I removed the bandage, pleased to see the wound had closed over. “I think we can leave it open to the air, but I don’t recommend flying with it soon. Give it a chance to fully heal.”

He peered at me over my shoulder. “What if I want to hold you with it?”

How could I say no to that? “Gently.”

“I’m always gentle with you.”

“You don’t always need to be gentle.” And just like that, heat swirled through the air.

Our mouths crashed together, and in seconds, we were tugging off each other’s clothing. We tumbled onto the blanket and were all over each other. He was soon inside me, and we both groaned at the pleasure. Would it always be like this?

I didn’t want to think. I only wanted to feel. But still …

I suspected it would.

We came together fast. While his body knotted inside me, he propped himself up on his palms and grinned, giving me that sexy, fang-flashing smile that melted my bones.

“Mate,” he said with complete satisfaction.

I nodded, unable to do anything but agree. I might not be ready for full commitment, but I was his as much as he was mine. There was no use denying that any longer.

I wasn’t sure what I’d do when rescue arrived, but I didn’t have to decide now.

The ground rumbled, breaking into the lull we’d found together. We frowned.

“We need to leave this area,” he said, peering up the tunnel. Dirt drifted down, but I didn’t hear anything above. “We need to travel far enough away that we’re safe from the volcano.”

We dressed quickly and packed up the few things we hadn’t already.

After climbing back out of the hole, we gaped at the volcano. Lava flowed down the sides, and a wall of ash rushed this way.

“Run,” he barked.

We bolted away from the mountain, running across the broad plain. Animals darted around us, as eager as us to escape the pending fury. Even a herd of beasts with giant tusks snorted and huffed as they passed us. They kept going, ignoring us.

Each of us was desperate to avoid being burned or smothered in ash.

Ahead, I spied a large group of beasts milling together, shooting wild-eyed looks our way. Their attention wasn’t directed at us but the volcano, but my steps slowed. We’d risk death if we got too close.

“Why aren’t they running?” I asked, though from what I could see, I suspected the answer.

A cliff dropped beyond them, too steep to gallop down. Some were desperate enough to try, and their cries and shrieks echoed as they fell. I didn’t want to look; I could only hope they made it to the bottom without being completely destroyed.

Others ran along the crest of the cliff that appeared to stretch for a long distance in both directions.

“Should we follow them?” I asked and Vex nodded.

We swung wide to avoid the stomping herds and raced after those heading to the right.

Ash sprinkled down on us, soon coating our heads and clothing. Unable to breathe the air, we stopped and tied shirts over our faces, leaving only slits for our eyes. Then we bolted after the animals, hoping we’d find a way to escape.

For now, we could outrun the lava, but not the ash.

Smoldering rocks fell from the sky, adding to the mix. I leaped over some, but others were so big that I had to make my way around them.

Vex held onto my hand, and his frantic gaze met mine. I knew what he thought: if only he could fly us out of here. But we didn’t dare risk his wing. If it was damaged permanently, it could make a difference between life and death.

We’d find safety another way.

Eventually, the running beasts outdistanced us. Ash continued to rain down, and it was getting hard to see. But ahead, we spied a possible way down the cliff. When we reached that area, we hurried over the edge, slipping and sliding on the ash-coated surface.

It was hundreds of feet to the bottom, but we eventually made it. A long valley stretched ahead of us, and with the volcano still erupting, we didn’t dare stop. We ran, keeping our pace even, our steps eating up the miles.

Finally, we reached the end of the valley. By then, I was completely worn out, but the ashfall had slowed. What had fallen coated the ground, coming partway up our boots. We slowed to a walk and looked at each other, neither of us saying a thing. Frankly, I was too tired to talk.

With the sun setting, we needed a place to sleep for the night. In unspoken agreement, we split and walked around, looking for a place that would be secure for the night.

Were we far enough away from the volcano? It was hard to say. But a person could only run for so long before they dropped. Volcanoes had erupted on Earth, and I remembered the stories I’d read about couples falling to the ground, clinging to each other while they were buried in ash.

I didn’t want that for us. I wanted … Hell, I didn’t know what I wanted. To survive. To see Vex safe.

I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

We climbed a steep hill and stared at the long plain stretching ahead of us.

“What’s that?” I asked pointing to what looked like structures in the distance.

He shrugged. “We can investigate in the morning. It might be a safe place to hide until rescue arrives.”

“We’ll sleep out in the open?” I asked, nervous about the creatures we’d seen fleeing in this direction. They’d been in self-preservation mode then, but once they felt safe, hunger would rule.

“Over there,” he said, pointing to a cluster of boulders.

We approached them cautiously, finding a row of them lined up as if a giant had wanted to build a short wall.

Together—though in all honesty, I wasn’t much use—we rolled some around to form a three-quarter circle. We crept inside the opening and set up our tent.

Inside and dropped onto the blanket, we fell asleep in each other’s arms. I was too tired for sex, too tired to do more than give him a lingering kiss.

I woke to a metal spear poking me in the throat.

CHAPTER 18

VEX

I reached for the weapon lying beside me, but one of the beastly creatures crowding into our small nest stepped on my arm, pinning it in place.

Others grabbed Lina, binding her at the ankles and wrists while she spit and kicked them.

I roared to a crouch, unable to stand fully upright in the tiny space. Three of the two-legged beings leaped on me, bringing me to the ground. I clawed and bit them but was overcome. They flung me onto my chest while Lina whimpered and cried out my name. Bound, they dragged me away from the boulders.

They left Lina inside our shelter, though I didn’t know why. Two of the creatures hefted me, carrying me between them.

“Lina. Hide!” I bellowed. A useless thing to say when she’d been tied up and left to die. “Get away! Wait for rescue!”

The creatures stopped and tossed me onto the ground. While I struggled to catch my breath, they wrapped a cloth around my mouth, tying it tightly at my neck and cutting off my bellows.

I took in the deep blue hair coating their bodies and big horns curling up across their heads with points stabbing forward. Their solitary eyes stared at me impassively. They hadn’t spoke, but I assumed they had a language. Hopefully, my translator would be able to decipher it.

They lifted me and started running, their legs eating up the plain, taking me away from Lina. Would I ever see her again? I should be worried about myself, but all I could think of was something harming my mate while she lay vulnerable inside the small shelter.

The creatures continued running until almost dusk, when they approached a village of well-constructed homes. They dumped me in the center of the village beside an enormous firepit.

By then, my mouth was parched, and fear had eaten its way through my gut, though I still didn’t worry about my fate. I could only think of Lina.

I lay on my side in the dirt, unable to see beyond the stone firepit until footsteps approached from behind. The person rolled me onto my back and stared down at me.

“Who are you?” he asked in a neutral tone. “I am the leader here. Answer.”

I told him my name and how I’d arrived here, not mentioning Lina. The odds of the others not bringing her up were slim, but I wouldn’t give this person a weapon to use against me. She was vulnerable. I didn’t want them going back to retrieve her.

“A name is good, but none of the rest matters,” the male said, pivoting away from me. “You are a good-sized male. We will roast you tonight and feast on your flesh tomorrow.”

CHAPTER 19

LINA

They stole Vex. The thought sunk into my bones as I writhed on the ground, struggling to break free. The earth rumbled, and grit rained down on me. I feared the volcano would bury me in ash and lava.

Wiggling, I tried to move my body closer to where we’d laid our weapons. I couldn’t use a laser pistol to slice through my bindings, but there might be something sharp there I could use. I had a knife in my right pocket, but I couldn’t reach it with my hands tied behind my back.

When I reached the weapons pile, I pawed through it blindly, feeling each piece but finding nothing sharp. Slumping, I peered around, and it wasn’t until I was halfway through my third scan of the cave that I spied a rock jutting from the wall. Was it low enough to reach and sharp enough to slice through the bindings? I was about to find out.

I rolled, tumbling until I came to rest with my back against the wall. Maneuvering myself around, I finally got my hands near the rock. Yes, it was sharp enough to cut.

I began sawing the ties against the edge, and I could feel bits shredding away. My skin, too, but I didn’t care about that.

Vex. To think I’d kept pushing him away, worried about being hurt. I thought I’d have time to decide what I wanted before rescue arrived, but he’d been snatched away. I might never see him again. Touch him. I wanted to hold him again.

I needed to tell him I was ready to trust again. I wanted to go wherever he chose when we left here. I’d follow, but I hoped he’d hold out his hand and tug me close to his side. That we’d take on the next adventure together.

He must need a pilot to take him on diplomatic missions. And he’d mentioned settling in a colony. Either would work well for me.

With tears streaking down my face, I kept sawing. It felt like hours, and I did it by rote. My mind kept taking me in scary directions. I’d find where they took Vex, but it would be too late. I’d look for him and come across his body.

Or I’d never find him at all.

I didn’t come out of my waking nightmares until my hands snapped apart. I cradled them against my chest, biting back my whimpers at the sting of my torn flesh.

Sitting up, I stretched out my legs. I dragged the pack closer and pulled out a knife to sever the ties at my ankles. After bandaging my wrists, I made up a small pack I could carry easily.

With weapons tight in my hands, I crept out from between the boulders and paced around, seeking tracks. It wasn’t hard to find them, and I was soon jogging along the trail they’d left. From some of the depressions, I suspected two carried Vex.

I continued for the rest of the day, only stopping when I couldn’t see well enough in the dark to travel. I crept behind a few boulders and hunkered down. Creatures came near my hiding spot during the night, but they didn’t find me. Come dawn, I was jogging again, following the trail.

In the distance, I spied the buildings I thought I’d seen the day before. Assuming Vex would be there, I dropped low and peered around, seeking a spot where I could get close enough to survey the village while not being seen myself. I found it on a low hill to the right of the buildings. Keeping down, I crept around behind and worked my way to the top.

Below, people like those who had stolen Vex were building a fire. They mounted a huge spit above the flames, and I got the idea they were about to cook something large for a feast.

Vex lay on the ground nearby, still bound.

My mouth went dry. I didn’t like where my thoughts were taking me. But I wasn’t going to hang out at the top of the hill to find out their plan. From what I’d seen, their weapons consisted solely of spears. I’d yet to see anything like the tech I carried.

From my pack, I selected two pistols and made sure they held full charges. I also strapped a good-sized knife around my waist and added smaller knifes to tiny holsters around my ankles.

With extra charges in my pockets, I hefted the weapons and crawled down the hill. Below, the fire had dulled down to coals. They pulled the spicket out from above the fire.

My mouth went dry when three of the beings hefted knives and strode toward Vex.

CHAPTER 20

VEX

This was it. I was about to die. At least they didn’t plan to cook me alive.

In my final moments, I closed my eyes and gave thanks for what I’d had so far, not what was about to be stolen.

I’d brought respect to my family with my career.

I’d never cheated or stolen.

I’d met my fated mate and had the chance to love her.

Lina. I sighed her name in my mind. If only I could see her one last time. Hold her. Love her.

When someone is about to be snatched from your arms, your adrenaline surges through you. You’d do anything, even sacrifice yourself, to keep them safe.

I was grateful they’d left her behind, though I had no idea why. Perhaps they planned to return for her after they’d finished consuming me. They’d bound her tightly. She would not be able to cut herself free, not with our knives secured in our pack.

If only I’d scouted the area. I’d become complacent, believing the only threats came from the mountain that wasn’t spewing where we rested, plus the creatures that were not able to reach us inside our tiny shelter. I’d never suspected this planet housed beings who would capture and kill me.

Remaining on guard would’ve kept us safe. It might’ve saved my life.

Too late to think of anything like that.

One of the beings approached and stooped down beside me. His solemn gaze met mine, and he murmured a series of words my translator didn’t identify.

He nodded to me in what I took as respect. Perhaps he was thanking me for giving my flesh so they could eat.

I scowled and spit in his face.

His expression remained impassive as he wiped my spittle from his cheek. He called out to a group of males standing close behind him holding knives. “It is time. End his life and prepare his flesh for our consumption so that we may extend our existence.”

I struggled, desperate to get free, but my bindings held. Frustration, anger, and dismay poured through me. This wasn’t my time to die. I had a full life with a glorious mate waiting for me.

I wanted to see Lina one last time.

A shriek rang out on the edge of the village. The males coming closer with their knives lifted, paused. Frowning, they turned to face that direction.

Lina stalked through town; two laser pistols lifted. “Back off, guys, or you’re not going to like what I’ll do to you. Vex is mine,” her voice broke, “and I’ve come to claim him.”

I was hers. Always.

My hearts soared even while fear churned through my guts. She shouldn’t risk herself to save me.

Yet I was grateful she’d come.

“Run. Get away,” I yelled, straining to break my bindings.

“Jeez, dude,” she said. “Let me save you, would ya?” She shot me a grim smile before focusing on the beings standing near me. “Back off!”

When they did nothing but stand there, watching her, she shot the ground in front of them. Dirt flew everywhere and the ground melted in a wide circle.

The guys who were about to kill me backed away, their arms rising. Others pivoted and bolted behind a cluster of buildings.

Along the edge of the open circle, males bellowed and hefted spears. They rushed toward Lina only to be met with laser blasts in the chest or their arms holding weapons. She wasn’t playing around, and they soon learned their lesson. They dropped, disarmed or dead.

She stomped past them and right up to the one still wielding a knife. He backed around to the other side of the fire, shooting grim glances my way. If she left or turned away, he’d attack.

She stooped down beside me and pulled a knife from her belt. “I love you, Vex. I want to be with you forever. But we need to get you out of here.”

“You love me?” I sounded incredulous for good reason.

“You couldn’t tell?”

She sounded crushed. I shook my head. I’d felt her warmth, her caring. I’d hoped she’d one day love me as much as I …

I loved her. Why hadn’t I seen it?

“You are my mate,” I said.

“I hope there’s more between us than that.” She sliced through the ties securing my wrists.

“So much more. I love you too.”

Her face smoothed, and she looked like she wanted to kiss me but didn’t dare.

The villagers watched us, most with weapons in hand, but none appeared eager to challenge Lina’s pistols.

She handed me the blade to cut the bindings on my ankles. Backing away, she turned slowly, keeping her weapons trained on the villagers, though none appeared willing to attack.

They looked from her to their fallen comrades, but I must not be a tantalizing enough meal to put in the effort to hold on to me. Most backed away, slinking inside buildings or jogging beyond them, heading toward a river snaking along the side of the plain.

I rose to my feet and nearly collapsed as the circulation rushed back into my limbs.

Lina grabbed my arm to support me. “Lean on me.”

Some males would be affronted at the thought of letting such a small female support them, but I did not. She loved me! I still couldn’t believe that, but soon, I would show her my feelings and savor her touch, knowing it was given with love.

We left the village, me walking slower than I liked. But soon my limbs finished waking, and I was able to support my own weight.

I broke into a jagged jog, eager to put distance between us and the village. We’d move our hiding spot, though it would be a challenge to find someplace where these people wouldn’t find us.

They’d be wary of attacking, however, and we’d rotate guard duty. We wouldn’t allow them to sneak up on us again.

I kept looking backward, but they didn’t appear to be following. My heart lightened. We’d get away, hide, and wait it out until rescue arrived.

But when we reached the last rise before the small cave where we’d first found shelter in the ground, movement behind us caught my eye.

So many of them were giving chase.

The entire village of warriors was after us, their spears lifted, and their expressions feral.

CHAPTER 21

LINA

“Where can we hide?” I gulped out. It felt like we’d been running for days. How long could we continue? I supposed forever if it meant our death to stop, but my legs burned, and my lower back was screaming at me.

“We’ll leave the pack for now,” he panted. “Come back after we’ve lost them.”

Could we lose them? They’d kept pace. We had no place to hide. “Volcano,” I said. “They might … not follow.” The ashfall had stopped again, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t resume.

He nodded, and we ran faster.

They kept pace, their bellows of anger chasing us. My skin crawled, and my heart hammered against my ribcage. I was soaked with sweat but who cared when I might die soon?

I’d kill whoever came at us as long as I could make sure Vex made it out of this situation safe.

We passed the crack where we’d lost our escape pod, and it was tempting to jump in. But what if they followed? It would be hard to battle in close quarters. If a laser beam hit a large enough rock, it could ricochet back at us.

Pausing, I pivoted, my weapons lifting. I blasted beams their way, taking out a few in the front, but the others jumped over their fallen comrades, relentless in their pursuit. I had a feeling this had gone past a hearty meal and moved into revenge territory. They wouldn’t stop until we’d both been eliminated.

Chills wracked through me at the thought. How were we going to find a way out of this?

We started up the incline leading to the smoldering volcano, and I realized they’d pursue us right onto the molten lava. We’d have to find someplace to hide, but where?

Blasting beams behind us again, I took out a few more, but there appeared to be hundreds of them. I’d be well out of charges before I killed them all.

Despair churned through my belly, threatening to knock me down, but I shoved it aside. As long as we both lived, there was hope we’d make it out of this alive.

Our steps slowed. We were tiring. We’d traveled so long, and I doubted Vex had drank or eaten in almost a day. He must be parched, worn out. Yet he kept running.

Halfway to the top, he took my hand. The heat pouring off the lava flow on our right made my skin turn pink. If I got any closer, I’d have blisters, not that blisters mattered if I was dead.

I hated that it had come to this. We were being driven to two choices, face them and hope we didn’t run out of charges before we eliminated them all, or sacrifice ourselves to the volcano.

No matter what, we’d do it together.

When we were nearly upon the lava flow coating the top half of the mountain, we slowed.

Rushing behind a cluster of small boulders, we ducked.

I gave Vex one of the laser guns and a pack of charges, keeping the same for myself. If only I’d brought more. But I’d planned for a quick, in and out operation, followed by a hasty escape. I’d thought there would be time to return to our hiding spot and replenish our supplies.

I’d thought there would be more time for us.

It hurt that I wouldn’t have the chance to be with him again, to hold him while he slept or make him his favorite meals. To lie with him knowing he loved me.

My eyes stung, and I swiped away my tears. I wouldn’t regret what we didn’t have. I’d give thanks that at least I’d had this time with him.

We shot at the aliens rushing up the side of the mountain, but they kept coming. Soon, we’d be overrun.

My pistol ran out of charges, and I snapped the old out and shoved in the new.

But that soon ran out as well.

“They’re endless,” I said in despair.

“Yeah.” His voice came out grim. He knew what we faced, what this had come to.

When we were both out of charges, we threw our guns at those still relentlessly pursuing us.

Then Vex gathered me into his arms, his wings enfolding me.

“I’m going to run toward them with a few knives,” he said. “I’ll take out all I can. You need to run.”

“No.” I looked up at him, my vision swimming with tears. Why had I wasted ten days arguing with him when I could’ve been showing him love? “I love you, Vex. I’m going with you.”

“Please, no,” he said. “I love you, Lina. I can’t do this unless I know there’s a chance that you’ll be safe.”

“I don’t want safety if it means being without you. Please.” My voice croaked. The heat in this section of the mountain was nearly overwhelming. It dried my skin, my mouth, and the tears on my face.

“All right,” he said. “Together.”

I nodded, unable to speak.

Then we tightened our hands on our knives and darted out from behind the boulders.

CHAPTER 22

VEX

There were still too many of them. I’d hoped we could eliminate enough to either buy us time or blast through them and run back down the hill. Surely there was some place we could hide.

But there must be thirty or more left. Others lay on the ground, stunned or … It hardly mattered.

We reached those in the front, and while I wanted to hold onto Lina’s hand, to be by her side until the bitter end, with my second hand free, I could fight stronger.

She was a fierce warrior, worthy of standing at anyone’s side, but I was desperate to protect her for as long as I could.

Their feral cries echoed around us.

I pushed her behind me.

One stabbed me in my right thigh, and the burn shot through me. Blood seeped, and when another spear sliced across my left forearm, it was only a matter of time.

Another must’ve gotten around behind me. I was hit in the back, and I prayed it was by a blunt weapon and that nothing vital had been hit.

My vision wavered, though, and … shit.

I dropped to my knees with Lina’s cry echoing around me. She rushed to me and stood at my back, flailing out at whoever came near. She took out one. Another. But they kept coming. There were too many of them and not enough of us.

If I could hold her one more time, I’d feel complete.

“It’s time, love,” I said, my voice hoarse. My eyes stung with tears, and I let them fall. They were for me. For Lina.

For us.

“No,” she wailed. “I can keep going.” Her sharp cry echoed, telling me she’d taken a wound. Each time someone hit her, I felt it myself, until I was wracked with pain that wouldn’t end.

She helped me rise while still slashing out with her knife. Turning me, she put her arm around me. “We’re getting out of here, Vex. Can you run?”

I peered down at my sliced-up body. “I will,” I growled. “Smile for me first?”

“Vex,” she groaned, her hand slapping over a wound in her side. “Don’t …” Her face twisted with confusion as she stared past me. “What …?” Her breath caught. “Oh…”

Laser blasts erupted around us, driving the attackers back. The twenty or so left ran to the boulders and ducked down behind them.

“Someone called for rescue?” a voice called out.

I turned to find a full force striding up the hill, a large spacecraft resting on the lower part of the hill behind them.

“Looks like we got here just in time,” the leader said as he directed beams toward the boulders. He waved for some of his troops to give us cover.

They had to help us, actually. I could barely walk.

“Eliminate or leave them?” the leader called as we were reaching the ramp leading up into the ship. Ahead, medical staff waited.

Our future waited.

“Leave them,” Lina and I shouted at the same time.

We didn’t need to kill them. This was their home. We were the invaders.

“All right then,” the leader yelled. “Back to the ship!” They ran down the hill and up the ramp behind us.

The hatch closed, sealing us in safety.

I gathered Lina in my arms, my wings going around her.

Then I kissed her.

Our life was just beginning, and I couldn’t wait until it got started.

CHAPTER 23

LINA

Three weeks later, I piloted a small ship into the Sebula Quadrant. We were on our way to Vex’s planet, but we wanted to stop at Merth 4X7, where a new colony was being built. We’d check it out, see if it held appeal. While we’d talked about continuing his diplomatic missions with me piloting the ships to wherever he needed to go, we were also eager to settle down.

This might be the right place.

As the computer guided us to the colony’s spaceport and engaged the landing sequence, I sat on the bridge, my leg hitched over the arm, dangling.

“Must you do that?” Vex grumbled behind me, a laugh deepening his voice.

Aw, there was the grumpy, brutish barbarian I’d come to love. He was wounded during the battle, and it had taken a long time for one of the blows to heal. Now he was fit and frisky. I loved it.

I’d insisted he rest during our journey to Merth 47. He’d insisted I “rest” with him, but I’d shaken my finger and backed from the room, remaining on the bridge as much as possible.

Before I could speak, Vex swooped over to me and swept me up in his arms. He spun while kissing me, making my heart race and my head spin.

We continued to make out while our craft touched down and the engines ceased.

“We’re here,” I announced, my breathing ragged. We’d made love what seemed like a billion times since we were rescued, yet I wanted him as much now as I did the first time.

“They can wait,” he growled.

“The colony manager is meeting us outside,” I protested, though honestly, I wouldn’t put up much of a fight if Vex dragged me to the bedroom. The manager could wait.

We had a bed and each other to warm.

As we passed the hatch, someone actually knocked on the outside of the metal surface.

“I don’t have all day,” a gruff voice called out. “Open up and get down here.”

“He sounds like you when we first met,” I said with a smirk.

Vex tapped my nose. “I have never been that grumpy.”

I snorted and slid down his body until my feet touched the floor. “We can finish this the moment we’re back on the ship.”

“Definitely.” He pressed me against the hatch and started kissing me again, his hands roaming my body and bringing moans to my lips.

“If you do not get out of this ship, I will use an ax to cut my way through the outer wall,” the colony manager said from the other side of the hatch.

“Forceful, isn’t he?” I asked.

Vex smirked. “See? He is grumpier than me.”

I rolled my eyes and engaged the door opening sequence. A whoosh and the panel lifted, revealing a big green guy with a tail, claws on his thumbs, thick, rubbery horns jutting up off his head, and long tusks. An orc, I assumed, though it would be impolite to ask. The last thing we wanted to do was offend someone in the colony where we might settle.

“Hello,” I said in a breezy voice. I strode down the steps projecting from inside the craft and stopped in front of the orc. “I’m Lina.” I jutted my thumb toward Vex still standing in the opening of the craft. “This is Vexion Tratoosk Araclurk. I call him Vex. He’s the diplomat here. I’m the pilot, but we’re a couple. Mates, actually.” And I couldn’t hold back my grin at the thought.

I reached back for Vex’s hand and when he joined me on the ground, I stepped close to his side.

“I am Kreel,” the green guy snarled.

I lifted one eyebrow. Surely he wasn’t mated. Who’d have him?

But …

He looked from me to Vex, and I swore longing flashed in his eyes. If I’d blinked, I would’ve missed it, because it was soon replaced with irritation.

“You’re late,” he said.

“I didn’t think we had a set time for arrival,” I said.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Vex said, ever suave and diplomatic. He nodded to Kreel. “You’re the manager of this colony, correct?”

“I am,” Kreel said. “Why do you want to settle here?”

“The climate?” I asked. So far, it didn’t appear to be because of the hospitable people.

“We’re here to assess the opportunities,” Vex said smoothly. “You offered to give us a tour?”

Kreel grumbled as he pivoted. “Follow me.”

I grinned at Vex, who took my hand and squeezed it.

Kreel led us around the village, and we ended our tour at the top of a hill where someone was building a big home.

“Your view is gorgeous from up here,” I said with pure envy. “I’d love to have a house with something similar.”

“This is mine,” he grumbled, tipping his head toward the structure. “I’d hoped to have it finished by now, but my assistant quit.”

“Really? I wonder why?”

Vex burst into a coughing fit to cover his laugh.

Kreel frowned at Vex. “An employment agency is looking for a replacement.”

“One day,” I said with complete conviction, having tamed my own beast and seeing the potential in Kreel, “someone is going to come here and knock you into line.”

“Excuse me?” Kreel stared down his nose at me. His tail spiked back and forth, and his face darkened.

“I hope I’m here when it happens.” I gave him the sweetest smile and leaned back in Vex’s arms. His wings went around me, snuggling me close, and there was no place I’d rather be. “You know, to give that person pointers.”

Kreel huffed and snorted, but I confirmed the longing in his gaze. Aw. He was so much like Vex, surly on the outside, but a complete fluff on the inside. Someone would discover this and make his sweet side shine through.

We returned to our craft and climbed on board. I waved to Kreel, but he just scowled and pivoted, striding in the opposite direction.

Once our ship was programmed to take us to Vex’s home, I climbed out of my seat on the bridge and sauntered over to where Vex leaned against the wall, watching me like he had weeks ago.

I tugged my shirt off and tossed it aside. My pants and underwear soon joined it on the floor.

Vex’s jaw dropped, and his eyes smoldered.

He swept me off my feet with a growl and rushed from the bridge and down the hall, where he kicked the door open to our bedroom. It banged against the wall and toppled onto the floor.

“You’re going to have to mount that on its hinges again,” I said with a smirk.

He tossed me onto the bed, then followed, bracing himself over me, his fingers bringing me joy already. “The only thing I’m mounting right now is you.”

Thank you for reading Escorting the Alien! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Ava’s newsletter!

HATTIE JACKS

FATED

CHAPTER 1

SARA

I lock up the visitor’s center and shiver slightly in the cold winter air. Another long day at an end without speaking to a single soul.

Winter in the North of England is always a slow time. Winter as England’s most northerly park ranger is even slower. I haven’t had a single visitor for days, and I haven’t seen my supposed boss, Brian, for the same length of time either.

Not since I found those emails, the ones that said there was a plan to start mining coal right in the heart of this area of outstanding natural beauty. Everyone had been very quiet since then.

I do my job because I love the outdoors and because I don’t normally play well with others. So when I found out what Brian and his ‘old school tie’ cronies were intending doing with this beautiful area, there was no way I would stand aside.

I know Brian, with his tweed suit several sizes too small for him and failure to respect personal space, would happily ensure I lost my job to line his pockets. I caught him too many times leering at me for his actions to be even vaguely acceptable for a workplace practice. I’d taken to tying up my long, curly hair and wearing the biggest, heaviest jumpers I had to disguise my overly curvy body.

Basically, I’m on borrowed time. The old boy’s network is alive and well in this empty corner of the world. Especially when these old boys want to strip the area of any beauty and any assets. Yet another job lost because all I wanted to do was the right thing.

An owl hoots, low and melodious, from the nearby trees as I walk across the dark empty car park to my ancient car mostly held together with rust. It’s only five in the evening, but the nights are dark early this far north and stars sprinkle the night sky.

I get a strange prickling sensation that someone is watching me.

“Brian, is that you, you ugly fucker?” I call out, palming my car keys into my hand and pushing them through the space between my fingers. “Because you’re not scary. So fuck off!”

“Brian might not be, but we are.”

Two men step out of the shadows. One of them flicks out a knife.

“You pissed off the wrong people, girly.” His voice is cold. “Where’s the evidence?”

I should feel relief that the memory stick with the emails between Brian and the mining company is safely stored under the floorboards in my cottage and not in my possession. I should be relieved I put a plan in place for just this situation. But from the way these men approach, they mean business. And pain.

“What evidence?” I reply, trying to sound innocent as I back towards my car. It might as well be on the moon, because I’m not getting to it before these men get to me.

“You know exactly what evidence, bitch. Give it to us and we won’t hurt you.”

“Oh, okay.” I dig in my bag, and they stop. “Here!” I pull out the bottle of water and throw it as hard as I can at one of the men. It hits him smack in the forehead, and he stumbles back.

I don’t wait to see what happens. I run.

Diving into the woods, I do my best to follow an animal trail to avoid being hit by branches. The moonlight doesn’t filter into the dense pines, and I’m running blindly, knowing I must get away from the men.

Behind me the two burly heavies make no attempt to disguise their progress through the forest, twigs snap as they crash through the trees. I speed up, jinking to the right and heading down into a dell I hope will allow me some cover. With any luck they’ll give up looking for me, in this forest, in the dark.

The deep, green hollow is deadly silent, and I crouch, listening hard. There’s nothing. If Brian’s cronies are still looking for me, they’re long gone, and I let out a sigh of relief.

A strange clicking sound has me turning my head to look to my left, as I do, strong arms grab me and a hand, a rough stinking hand, smelling like rotten eggs, is slapped over my mouth. I do my best to kick out and struggle, but something sharp is jammed in my neck.

I feel all my muscles giving out, going limp and, just before my eyelids shut, I see a pair of feet that look exactly like a lizard, only much, much bigger.

LYON

This vrexing ship is too vrexing big. I look down at the small vectorpad I was given on arrival and puzzle at the schematic. Why do these species need something this large just to go and look at a nebula? Why do they need so many food halls? My masters said this ‘space cruise’ was for the wealthy, but if I was free and had all the credits in the galaxy, I wouldn’t come to get lost on this monstrosity.

I’d find an uninhabited planet and finally spend some time on my own.

My control collar buzzes angrily against my skin, and I resist the desire to scratch at my neck, drawing attention to the thing dogging my every move, yet is entirely invisible to the naked eye. Instead, I center myself by giving my wing feathers a good shake and shuffling them back into position. I reorient the map and finally find my way to my cabin on the lower deck.

I’m going to have to commit the schematics of the H.S.C Hatalmass, the Obsidian Corps most luxurious cruise ship, to memory if I have any chance of finding my mark and fulfilling the contract for my Drahon masters. Yet another body to add to my ever growing list. Another death that will haunt my dreams. Unless, of course, I’m lucky and my masters are prepared to wipe my memories of this particular contract.

I’m never lucky, and the only memories they have taken from me permanently are the ones telling me who I was before I woke in the lab, the collar around my neck and any chance of freedom permanently removed. All I know is there was something before that, and it burns at me.

But they won’t tell me, and if I ask, there is only the searing pain of the collar. I stopped asking questions that didn’t involve my work a long time ago.

The cabin is, predictably, miniscule. I edge into it with my luggage and shuffle around to get my wings in. There’s a tiny sanitary area that I’ll be surprised if I can fit in at all, along with a single bed.

A bed which looks like absolute bliss. I don’t have a bed in the lab, only a cage and the floor. That is all I deserve apparently, and I’ve long since stopped wanting for anything else.

As I sit down on my comfortable bed, the collar buzzes again, but this time it’s more than just a warning, fire shooting down my spine and wracking me with pain. I delve into my bags and pull out the encoded vectorpad.

“Lyon, what have you been doing? We’ve been waiting!” Yuilat, the Drahon chief scientist, snaps at me. “Please accept my apologies, General,” she says off screen. “He is normally very compliant.”

This contract is for General X’winu, the leader of the Z’oli, a gelatinous species that are always at war with something or other.

“I’m here now, Yuilat.” I attempt to keep my annoyance out of my voice or I’m risking another shocking. “The ship is bigger than I was led to believe.”

Yuilat frowns at me, her eyes flashing red like they always do when she’s angry. She’s angry with me a lot. She runs her hand over her scaly green crest to calm herself, her lipless mouth setting in a hard line. I don’t even get a tongue flicker.

“There is a large party this evening to welcome everyone to the ship. You will attend and locate your mark, then make the necessary arrangements.” She fires at me, as if I don’t already know my business. This has to be for the General’s benefit.

“Yes, Yuliat.” Her frown deepens. “Yes, mistress.” I trot out instead, and her green, scaly brow smooths.

“You’re a good Gryn when you want to be, aren’t you, Lyon?” She croons, and her voice goes straight through me. “Which means you get a reward. Sleep now. Be ready for later.”

The collar hisses as it dispenses the narcotic straight into my bloodstream. Sleep is the last thing I want. The vector pad clatters away from my limp hand and, fortunately, I hit the bed as the drug claims me.

CHAPTER 2

SARA

My head aches with the power of a hundred hangovers. I peel open one eye, wanting to come out fighting, but discovering that my body has other ideas. I feel as if an elephant is sitting on me, hardly able to move at all.

Not that I would have anywhere to go when I see the bars in front of me. Funny sort of bars. Bars that pulse and glow. About a foot above my head is a metal roof and I’m surrounded by the bars, like a vet’s cage. If Brian did this to me, I’m going to make sure he goes to prison for a very long time

A horribly familiar clicking sound to the left of me and, with some struggle, I move my head, just enough that I can see what’s making the noise I heard before my world went dark.

I wish I hadn’t. A monster looms out at me. It’s a lizard, it’s a man, it’s neither, and I attempt to fill my lungs to scream.

I can’t. All I can do is lie as it does something to the bars and they disappear. It reaches in at me, and I manage to buck twice to get away, then my body is exhausted. I can’t do anything as a three fingered clawed, scaled hand extends towards me. The stink from its grimaced jaws is overwhelming, and if I could throw up, I would.

Suddenly being at Brian’s mercy seems a whole lot easier than dealing with this nightmare. The lizard thing grasps my wrist in a cold, vice-like grip and jams a silver tube into my flesh.

The action this time manages to elicit a strangled scream from me as a searing pain fires up my arm, followed by a warmth that spreads through my entire body, a relaxing warmth that makes it easier to breathe.

“The female will comply and follow.” The creature says with a heavy wheeze behind its words. It’s almost entirely naked, except for a jeweled cloth that covers what I presume is its genital area.

“Oh fuck! You can speak!” My body responds with an urgency I wasn’t expecting, given that about five seconds ago I couldn’t move at all. I slam myself as far away from the talking lizard as I can.

My mobility makes me realize I’m no longer wearing my own clothes, but a short red shift and…absolutely nothing else. No underwear. A shudder wracks me that the lizard thing must have stripped me while I was unconscious.

“The female has been acclimatized. The female has a translator installed. The female will comply.”

“I’ve been what? What? I won’t comply, fuck off!” My mind reels. How is this thing talking? I look at my wrist and the strange flower-shaped mark from where it pressed the tube. Was it some sort of drug?

A hissing sound increases, and the lizard taps its claws impatiently on the metal floor of my tiny cage.

“The female has been prepared for sale. The female will comply.”

I stare at it, it stares back, unblinking. Then the lizard’s patience seems to run out, and it lunges, cold hands gripping me and pulling me out of the cage. It dumps me on my feet and picks up another tube, a longer one that pulses with light at the end.

But I’m not paying any attention. My entire being is concentrated on what I’ve just seen through the window behind the lizard.

A purple and green planet that turns slowly beneath us. Small ships, like something out of a sci-fi movie, zip past in all directions.

The planet is not Earth, and this situation has nothing to do with Brian.

LYON

I vrexing hate the taste in my mouth after the narcotic wears off. It’s as if my masters have deliberately wanted me to feel as if I’ve been eating my own feet.

As I expected, I was singularly unable to get more than one wing and half of me inside the sanitary facility, so cleaning up wasn’t much of an option. Instead, I activate the self-cleaning cycle of my suit and pull it back on when it’s finished, only managing a cursory flick through my feathers with my claws before the vectorpad chimed insistently at me. I left my quarters before I was shocked insensible.

The cruise ship is much busier than before, the corridors teeming with life from all over the galaxy. I get the occasional glance, but these patrons are far more interested in their own appearances than mine. Passage on this ship is more credits than I could ever imagine, so as far as the other passengers are concerned, anyone else on this ship can afford to be there.

They are not going to ask any questions or risk offending a species that could turn out to own an intergalactic fleet and several planets.

Having committed the map to memory, I stalk through the decks to find the party where I should be able to spot my mark. Unlike the General, he is not a Z’oli. He is a slave trader called Kul, and he’s from the same Drahon race as my masters.

They don’t care what or who I kill, as long as they get the credits.

I reach the party and find it’s in full swing. Loud music and even louder voices. Internally I cringe, hating the sounds, sights and smells greeting me. Given that, unless I’m being set to work, I spend most of my time alone in my cage, this many species in one place is a vrexing senses overload.

Holding back for a couple of beats, I take in a breath and let it out slowly. The collar buzzes against my skin, as if I need a reminder that I’m a slave and not a party goer.

“Drink…sir?” A small, bright pink colored biped with a shock of blue hair holds up a tray.

I swipe an equally violently colored drink from him. I sniff at the liquid; it’s sweet and highly alcoholic. I down it in one gulp and enjoy the burn as it slips down my throat.

“Give me another.” I snarl at him, and he hands me a green colored one. This goes down just as quickly, some of it splattering down my wings and suit, and I stalk forward into the party.

It’s not hard to spot Kul. The vrexer is holding court right in the center of the room, multiple females of various species, all wearing the short, red, shifts of slaves are arranged around him like a platter of meat. Bile rises in my throat at the scene. Most of the females look either terrified or out of their minds on narcotics. I stumble forward, belching up my drink, gently pushing them out of my way as I fall into Kul, knocking his drink over his lap.

He leaps to his feet with a roar of anger.

“Forgive me, my lord.” I slur. “I meant no harm. I have credits,” I fumble at my suit, “I will pay for any damages.” I hiccup and stare at him unsteadily. “I mean my father, the king, will pay.” I give him a sad eyed look.

Kul sniffs with distain at my disheveled feathers stinking of alcohol, but his eyes narrow as he takes in my custom made space suit decorated with what appear to be gin-gin jewels, but are actually part of a sophisticated armor. He thinks he scents a mark of his own.

“You look like you’re in the market for something pleasurable, friend.” My casual comment about a king has hit home. The occupants of this cruise are all the wealthiest in the galaxy. The greedy slaver has taken the bait. “Some company, perhaps?” He gestures to the females.

“Alas, I am not permitted by my vows.” I say but allow my gaze to linger over the poor slaves.

Kul leans forward. “Perhaps somewhere more private, your highness?” He murmurs.

“Yes!” I say loudly, clapping my hand over my mouth. “I mean, what do you propose?” I add in a loud whisper.

“My cabin, later. I have something you might like.” He gives me a distinctly unpleasant grin. “My attendant will provide you with details.” He motions another Drahon male forward and walks away towards a gaggle of wealthy Harag females, dripping with jewels from their multiple facial piercings.

The male plucks my ship’s vectorpad from my pocket and types in the necessary details. “Later, friend. Have fun, drink some more and you can trust us with your credits and your pleasure.” His grin is probably even more unpleasant than his employer’s.

He’s absolutely wrong. I don’t trust anyone; I never will.

I give him a lopsided smile and walk away unsteadily until I’m out of sight. I have my audience, and it was easier than expected. Kul must have merchandise he needs to get rid of.

Except this will be his very last deal, I extend my claws, each of them tipped with the finest xlion metal. This might actually be an assassination I enjoy.

CHAPTER 3

SARA

I have not made myself popular. After the shock of finding that not only am I in space, but that I have, genuinely been abducted by aliens. For a short while I decided I was in a crappy dream, and I ran into a wall a couple of times trying to wake myself up. But eventually the talking lizard had had enough.

“I’m not supposed to damage you, female, but I will if you don’t comply.” It snarled at me, gimlet eyes flashing with repressed anger. “I can be the difference between you ending up with a soft Harag or a vicious Beewin. And believe me, the Beewin’s sting is not something you want to experience.”

“What do you mean?” I stare at him. “I shouldn’t be here. I want to go back to Earth. I have a life, a job. I can’t stay in space.”

He snorts out a breath.

“You have nothing, female. You are a commodity now. Forget about your home world. You won’t be going back.” He shoots out a clawed hand and grabs my upper arm. “Time to show yourself off.”

I’m dragged behind him down a long, red corridor. He has tail like an iguanas, and I have to keep avoiding tripping over it as I try to process what he’s told me.

There are aliens. There are abductions. I’m an alien slave.

And what’s worse is I don’t think anyone will miss me on Earth. My work isn’t going to look for a disappeared troublemaker. My last relationship that lasted longer than a night was three years ago, and as an only child, when my parents died, I was left with not a relation in the world.

But none of that matters. I might not have had people who cared, but I cared. I cared about my planet, and I’m not about to let a little thing like alien abduction and slavery let Brian and his cronies get away with the destruction of an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Whatever these aliens want, they’re not getting it.

Finally, I’m pushed through a doorway and into a room that looks like something out of a bordello nightmare that was furnished by an octopus and a furniture catalog. Overstuffed blobs that could be couches are scattered everywhere. Low gold tables glitter. The walls are a deep purple and appear to be carpeted.

With a carpet that undulates in a very alarming manner.

“You will wait here for Kul.” The lizard says. “Word of advice, female. Don’t speak to him, not if you want to retain functioning limbs.”

He swishes away, and I watch him leave, still too stunned to do anything but gape. Then I come to my senses and rush at the door, which remains firmly shut. I race around the room, trying to find a way out, some way I can escape.

If I can escape, I might be able to find an alien willing to take me back to Earth, because I know I’m not staying as a space slave wearing what has to be the universe’s smallest dress and no underwear.

And I’m definitely not waiting for Kul, whoever that is.

My search, however, proves to be fruitless, and in the end, I settle for hiding behind a large and extraordinarily lumpy red and gold couch thing. Perhaps if they think I’ve escaped, they’ll leave the door open. Classic alien error.

I stuff my fist in my mouth to stifle my hysterical laughter that bubbles up, and it’s a good thing I do as, with a swish, I hear the door to the room open and the sound of footsteps.

“You’ll like what I have to offer, highness.” A rather whiney voice says. “Brand new to this galaxy, very exotic, very pretty, very biddable.”

Curiosity is burning at me. It’s clear there’s more than one alien in the room and a soft scent of cinnamon with a hint of warm cat in the sun reaches me. By far and away it’s the best smell since I woke up on this ship.

“Forgive me, kind friend.” The voice that speaks is a mixture of black coffee, velvet and the night, it sends a spike to my core that is entirely wrong.

But oh-so-right.

“I thought you were bringing me to see your merchandise.”

Ah, fuck. Mr. Chocolate Voice is a buyer, presumably of slaves like I am. That’s a buzz kill if there ever was one.

“The exotic I wished to show you should be here.” There are sounds of a cursory search that fails to find me. “If you wish to return to the party whilst I sort out this little issue.” The whiny voice says obsequiously.

He is presumably the slave master and the one I need to avoid at all costs.

“I am most disappointed by this failure. I was promised the best.” My buyer says in a bored tone.

“And you will have it, highness.”

There is a rustle of what is presumably clothing and the sound of the door closing. I risk a peep from my hiding place, the room is empty, but not for long. With a squeak, I drop back as the door opens again and two lizard-men enter.

“Where the zark is she!”

“I left her in here, waiting for you, Xul.” I recognize the voice of one of the lizard men as the one who dragged me around earlier. He doesn’t sound so confident now.

“She had been given the appropriate narcotics, I presume?”

There’s a short silence.

“She was so small and defenseless, I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“You didn’t think it was necessary? She’s zarking escaped and that drunken idiot would have paid good credits for her!” There’s a crunching sound, as if someone has been punched in the face.

“I’m sorry, master. I’ll find her!” My lizard man sounds as if he’s got a broken nose, and I can’t help but smile.

“We’ve no time. It’s all arranged. I’ve sold the rest of the merchandise and these fools will have exactly ten increments to enjoy their prizes. I’ve got to get off this ship.”

LYON

There was a scent in Xul’s quarters that nearly made me give myself away. Something rich, aromatic, and completely perfect. It spoke to my dead soul and fired my blood in a way I’ve never felt before, or certainly remember feeling.

It caused my cocks to swell too, thankfully their behavior kept well under wraps in my suit. Although I suspect that was the reaction that Xul was looking for, given the dirty grin on his face, until he realized the sex slave he was hoping to sell me was missing.

And that vrexing missing slave means I’ve lost my first chance at killing Xul cleanly, and I curse her under my breath. It does mean that I get to hunt him and that is far more my style than any subversive ways of gaining an audience with the foul slave trader. I stuff myself into a small alcove down the corridor out of sight of Xul and contemplate my next move.

The buzzing against my neck tips over into pain and, to avoid it getting worse, I pull out my vectorpad. Yuliat’s angry face appears.

“Have you completed your mission, Lyon?” She asks, eyes narrowed. “I have not detected any spikes in your adrenalin that would indicate that you have made the kill.” She lowers her voice. “But I have detected alcohol in your blood. Have you been drinking, again?”

“Vrex off!” The snarl leaves my lips before I can stop it, and immediately I attempt to moderate my mood into one of compliance before the collar sends me into convulsions. “That was one time, Yuliat, you punished me enough that you know it won’t happen again.” I manage not to smile at the memory of the time I got so vrexing drunk I couldn’t stand. That was a party! “I have not been drinking, other than to ingratiate myself into the inner circle of Xul.”

“Then why isn’t he dead?” The irritation in her voice is apparent. “You don’t have much time…” She adds before she seems to remember herself.

“The cruise is for a further ten turns, I have plenty of time.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just find him and kill him. Report to me immediately once the contract is complete or there will be consequences.” She obviously doesn’t think I look contrite enough. “If you think your cage is bad, we have far worse quarters for you.” She adds with a nasty smile and ends the comm.

The collar sends a completely unnecessary spike of pain down my spine which radiates to my wings. I breathe through it. Instead thinking of the scent in Xul’s quarters and wondering what it was that could take me out of myself for even a short time. Some pleasure I never get, even from stolen alcohol and a short lived party.

Not for the first time since I woke up in the white lab, surrounded by white coated Drahons monitoring my every move, ensuring I ended up curled into a ball of pain if I disobeyed. I tug at the collar, hoping to find some way past its defenses that will allow me to remove it.

It responds with a warning note. I get one warning. Always one warning. The warning tells me I will never be free of this life.

There’s a commotion in the corridor, and I risk a quick glance out to see Xul leaving, followed by one of his cronies carrying several large cases.

Which is odd, given that he was supposed to be looking for an escaped slave, and the cruise doesn’t dock anywhere for another two turns. Presumably he must be changing quarters, but why?

Something about the way he is behaving sets my instinct on edge. The Drahon might call me slave, mercenary, assassin, but above all these things, I am a predator, it’s stamped on my heart.

And Xul is behaving like prey.

Without any further thought, I shake out my feathers and stalk after him.

CHAPTER 4

SARA

There’s something going on. I had expected the lizard people to start tearing the place apart to find me, but instead there was considerable activity for a short period of time, then the door opened and, silence.

I stay behind my furniture for a while, it seems like hours, but it’s probably minutes. Then I carefully crawl out.

The place is a mess, it looks like a hurricane has blown through it, discarded items which could be clothing, overturned and empty boxes, furniture moved. All except the large piece that was my hiding place. There’s no sign of any lizards, and I don’t want to hang around to see if they’re coming back.

Picking my way carefully through the detritus, I reach the door, praying under my breath that, this time, it opens and mostly expecting it to stay firmly closed again.

So when it does slide back with a snap, I nearly jump out of my skin. Outside there is a soft breeze blowing down the silver corridor, lined with a soft red floor covering that’s like the best carpet I’ve ever walked on.

On the breeze is the scent from earlier, the one that is incredibly familiar to me and sends a shudder down my spine. I’m in fucking space. There can’t be a cinnamon latte!

Still, if I have to pick a direction, it’s probably going to be where that smell is coming from, so I turn left and walk down the corridor tentatively, on the one hand I don’t want to meet any more aliens, but on the other hand, the naturalist in me is more than interested. After all, being abducted by aliens and sold as a sex slave, things can’t get much worse, can they?

If make good my escape and get back to Earth, I’m definitely going to be writing a book about my experiences. Clearly it will have to be a fiction book because no one is going to believe me for a minute, but I’m sure there has to be a market for this sort of science fiction somewhere.

A low rumbling vibration starts under my feet, the ship begins to shake, and the lights flicker before coming back on. Is that normal? There’s no sign of any one…anything… to ask.

The rumble returns and is followed by a boom so loud I clap my hands over my ears. I don’t care where I am in the universe, that is not a good noise to hear and, for reasons that can only be related to my deepest self-preservation, my legs start to run and the rest of me follows.

Where I’m going, I’ve no idea but I want to get to a porthole, window, anything to see what’s going on. Being stuck in these interminable corridors is not a good thing.

It’s then I’m hit from behind, and I stagger into the wall. A large spider-like creature yells (How the hell is it doing that?) at me to get out of the way. More aliens emerge, presumably from cabins like the one I was in. They are in every color I’ve ever seen, some on two feet, some on four or more. Some with…oh god! Tentacles!

It’s too much, my brain is overloaded with all these horrors and my legs work again. I’m running, running away from it all, trying not to see the smoke and hear the strange, low pitched noise that has to be an alarm. Trying not to hear the hissing of escaping air.

Finally, I take a turn that leads me away from the crowds of terrible things and, although my lungs are burning from the unaccustomed exercise and my boobs are aching from the lack of bra, I keep going, checking over my shoulder to make sure there’s nothing else horrible about to knock me over.

It’s then I hit the immovable object.

The big, feathered alien angel that snarls at me, sharp fangs filling his mouth, dark eyes flashing with ire. A huge hand, bristling with claws reaches for me.

“You!” He growls. “You’re coming with me!”

LYON

My blood sings with the hunt. My prey isn’t going to get away. I stalk Xul through the ship, until I realize where he’s heading. The escape pods.

Surely, he hasn’t realized there’s a hit out on him, not on this ship. The Drahon are incredibly discreet in how they handle their contracts. There’s no way Xul could know I was coming for him.

Beneath my feet, I feel the explosion before I hear it.

Someone is deliberately sabotaging this ship, and Xul clearly knows it, given that he has just so happened to be right next to the escape pods, that’s no coincidence.

Slavers like him have a sense of self-preservation that means they survive like space parasites. The only thing he’s not going to survive is me.

I can hear the rest of the beings on the ship starting to panic. Their noise and terror hits me like being slammed into a wall, and I hurry on towards the pods. I can kill Xul and escape in one easy movement.

My masters will like things neatly packaged for them.

Except…the thought stops me in my tracks. Yuliat knew about the sabotage. That’s why she said I didn’t have time. The Drahon knew.

They wanted me to fulfill my contract and the explosion is to cover up Xul’s death.

As for me. I’m expendable. If I make it out alive, they’ll catch me up, and I’ll continue doing what I’ve done for them until I do die. If not, they’ll find another assassin.

The reality of my existence slams into me. Just as something soft hits me from behind.

Turning with a snarl I feel from the bottom of my soul, I want to kill something and this something will do.

The tiny, funny looking wingless female looks up at me from her position on the floor. She wears the short, red shift of a slave, but from the fire in her eyes, she’s no slave.

Unless she’s the escaped one, the one who stopped me from killing Xul earlier.

“You!” I grab her by her clothing, lifting her up. Her scent fills my nostrils and invades my brain. It’s what I scented earlier, complete perfection, the scent of everything I ever wanted. My eregri.

The strange word flashes across my mind. I’ve no idea what it means, but it’s the most important memory that has ever reached me from my past.

The noises of panic are coming closer, and I can’t let Xul get away, or let this female taunt me any longer with her scent.

“You’re coming with me.” I growl as she bats long eyelashes over bright amber eyes. Her hair tumbles back, shining gold and brown in the harsh lights of the ship.

“Fuck, no!” She bursts into life, kicking and wriggling. “Let me go, bird man!”

“We’ve both got an appointment with Xul, and you’re going to help me get to him.” I wrap my arm around her little waist. She really is such a scrap of a thing, so easy to carry, even if she’s trying her best to get away.

But she’s noisy, and I clamp my hand over her mouth.

“Behave, little female and you might just get to live.”

CHAPTER 5

SARA

My newest alien, bird man, has got to have some sort of weird alien sense of humor. This ship is about to explode. There’s no way either of us are going to live.

But he’s not letting me go and we round a corner into an open area where, interspersed with windows, there are a number of doors, all of which are open.

Out of the window, we are falling rapidly towards an impossibly bright object that has to be some sort of star. Shards of debris tumble in space below us, being eaten up by the boiling flame that will be endlessly hungry.

“Xul!” My captor shouts.

A lizard face appears from out of one of the doors.

“Go away, you can have that slave for nothing.” It shouts and the door slams shut. A loud hiss, a ‘phut’ and I see an oval black lump detach from the ship and rockets fire from it.

“Vrex it!” My alien runs towards one of the doorways.

“No! I don’t want to fall into the sun!” I scream at him. “Let me go!”

“These are escape pods, you stupid creature,” he rasps at me. “I need to go after that slaver, and we both need to get off this cruise ship!”

He thunders through the door, his enormous flinty grey and white wings only just fitting, and he throws me across the floor, turning back to smack his hand against something on the wall. The door slides shut instantly, and he’s back towering over me.

“Strap yourself in, this is going to be rough.” He says dismissively and edges himself into one of the two seats that are in the front part of the egg shaped pod.

“What are you doing?” I ask as I follow his lead, pulling long straps from over my head in a seat that’s clearly made for something much larger than I am.

I can’t see where to put the straps and I look over at my bird man to see what he’s doing, but he hasn’t bothered. Suddenly they pull out of my hands and, in the manner of a snake, they descend between my legs and lock in place at crotch level.

“This is an escape pod. Shut up, I’m concentrating on getting a fix on Xul.” My alien growls at me.

I think growly/snarly might be his default setting. He’s just as terrifying close up, feathers bristling, and wearing a completely black suit that’s molded to his form.

It’s a form that’s very muscular, each ab clearly defined through the tight fabric. Now I get the chance to study his face he’s not very bird like at all. Dark hair that is thick and shiny. High cheekbones, the hint of stubble covering his chin, and deep, dark brown eyes, like a falcon. His fingers are tipped with vicious looking claws. He’s definitely an alien, but at the same time, he’s not too far from a human male. A very good looking human male.

“What are you doing?” His eyes are fixed on me.

“Nothing.” I shrink back in my seat.

“You’re doing something. That scent…” He closes his eyes and inhales, an expression of pure pleasure on his face. “Whatever you’re doing, stop it!”

He’s one grouchy alien.

LYON

Every time the vrexing female moves, more of her scent pours out of her. I’m sure she’s doing it on purpose to distract me. And she’s vrexing distracting to say the least.

The slave shift does nothing to hide her acres of creamy flesh. When I held her, although she was soft in my grip compared to the angular Drahon females I’m used to, I feel she had plenty of flesh around her breasts and ass.

If we’re going to get after Xul and get away from this doomed ship, I’m going to have to banish the thoughts of her body from my mind. I shake my head, attempting to get her smell out of my nostrils. It doesn’t work but I concentrate on locating Xul’s pod and initiate the launch sequence for ours.

I’m going to rid the galaxy of this slaving scum and then disappear, somewhere my Drahon masters will never find me. If I’m this vrexing expendable, then I’m going to be free.

The docking clamps release and the pod fires away from the cruise ship. Up ahead the display tells me that Xul’s ship is making swift progress, and there is already a significant amount of debris. I switch to manual and grab the controls. Flying is what I was made for, it’s the one thing that I’ve always known, even though the Drahon robbed me of any other memories.

“Oh shit! Bird man, wait! Whoa!” The female cries out from the seat next to me, twisting around in her straps, she covers her eyes.

“My name is Lyon, not this ‘birrman’.” I say, my concentration entirely on the way ahead.

“My name is Sara, and can you slow down, we’re going to hit…” She squeaks in alarm as I dodge past a large section of hull.

The noise goes directly to my cocks and for a very brief instant, the distraction causes us to clip a smaller piece of space debris.

“Will you be quiet, female!” I bellow.

“Can you fly this thing or what?” She asks in direct contradiction to my order.

I weave us through the wreckage field, seeing Xul’s pod in clear sight. Our ship jinks and maneuvers easily, twisting one way and then another to slip through the tumbling remains.

“What are you going to do when you catch him?” Sara asks me, over the sound of the propulsion unit and the debris pinging off the hull. Her hands grip her seat, her knuckles white.

“I’m going to kill him.”

CHAPTER 6

SARA

I’ve literally jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. The ship I was a slave on is disintegrating, and I’ve found myself, not a slave anymore, but instead trapped in a very small ship with a killer alien angel.

His face is a mask of concentration, but his eyes glitter with murderous intent. The vicious claws I had a glimpse of earlier are extended, wrapped around the controls, which look very much like handlebars. There’s a set in front of me too, and I wonder if driving one of these things is like controlling a motorcycle.

I can’t take my eyes off the claws. Once he’s done with the alien he’s chasing, what’s he going to do with me? Eat me?

I begin to hyperventilate. Up until now, my use as a commodity might have meant I’d lost my liberty, but at least I was alive and mostly intact. But that situation has changed completely. I’ve ended up in an enclosed space with a deranged alien hellion who doesn’t seem to have any plan, any filter or any control over his temper.

As if responding to my fears, Lyon lurches the craft sharply to the left and crashes into another pod. He veers away, struggling to keep control as the pod shudders under the strain of his sudden maneuver, then he spins back for a second go.

We’re heading directly for the other pod. Two lizard men sit, wide eyed as we hurtle towards them.

“Lyon! No!” I hear myself scream as at the last minute he pulls up, clipping the pod below us and sending it spiraling down towards the star.

I swivel in my seat to follow its trajectory as we continue to climb, hard. The pod must have lost its propulsion because it doesn’t stop tumbling until it disappears into the fiery depths of the boiling star.

“Yes!” Lyon roars in triumph, taking his hands from the controls as he also watches the other pod.

As it disappears, his eyes turn to me. Dark eyes, the flames of the sun and the slow destruction of the massive spaceship reflected in their depths. Eyes that rove over me, intentions unknown.

“Now, little female…” His words are cut off as our pod is slammed sideways, an enormous piece of ship spiraling past has hit us.

Lyon flies out of his seat, wings flailing as we begin to spin, and spin. He’s thrown around the small cabin like a rag doll and there’s nothing I can do unless I want to join him in this washing machine of a ride.

Alarms sound as we continue to tumble out of control. I try to grab the controls in front of me, but my harness stops me from reaching them. Even if I could, I have no idea how to fly the pod, or how to stop the stomach lurching spinning that’s getting faster and faster as a flash of green and blue appears in my rapidly narrowing vision.

Below us is a planet, one that seems very much like Earth.

“Home.” I murmur before the g-force takes my consciousness.

LYON

A groan rips from my lips as I try to lift my head. This isn’t the pain that comes from the collar, this is something else entirely. Every part of my body is yelling at me to keep still.

“Xul!” My memory returns, the slaver that it was my mission to kill and my reason to get off the ship, his pod…

But the memory has gone again, blank like when I wake up back in the lab every time I try to escape. This time the groan that I let out is one of despair.

“Water?” A soft, feminine voice, completely unlike Yuliat or any of the other Drahon female technicians, whispers in my ear.

Something is pressed to my lips, and I swallow down some cooling, refreshing liquid. A kindness I’ve never had.

With some effort, because I don’t want to find that I haven’t escaped, I open my eyes.

There’s no lab.

There’s no white walls and stink of narcotics.

There’s only green, acres of green, all the colors of green.

“Where…” my voice cracks with lack of use, “where?”

“I don’t know where we are. We crashed, you were knocked out. Are you injured?” A face, pink and tawny fuzzes in front of me. A delicious scent fills my nostrils.

“I’m…” I go to move my arms, wings and legs. Legs move just fine. Wings, they seem okay. Arms not so good. “I can’t move my arms.” I wriggle and the feeling returns. I’m bound at the wrists. “What’s going on?”

I blink my eyes, shake my head to clear my vision and pull at my bonds, the pain of doing so bringing back my full faculties with a roar.

We’re in a clearing, surrounded by parts of the pod. The main body of which is a shattered, smoking ruin to my right. I’m under a primitive shelter made of wooden struts and a leafy roof. Underneath me is a bed of soft moss and leaves. In front is a circle of rocks and the remains of a fire. But that’s not what interests me.

What interests me is the female slave. Her slave shift is ripped in places, but otherwise she looks unharmed.

“I’m sorry, but you killed those other lizard men and, well…” I look into a pair of bright blue eyes that are staring at me apologetically, “I don’t know if you’re going to do the same to me.”

“Vrexing let me go!” I writhe my wrists together, but the female is good at bindings and the knots stay firmly in place.

“I can’t do that, Lyon. I’m sorry.” She pulls out the vectorpad I had in my suit. The screen is cracked but there’s a frozen image of Yuliat.

Sara presses her delicate pink finger on the screen and Yuliat jumps into life.

‘Why isn’t she dead?’

Yuliat’s words come out staccato, jumping around, scrambled.

“That’s not what you think, it’s not about you!” I look around desperately, wondering if the vectorpad is still connected to the Drahon net. If it is, they will find me, and my attempt to escape again will be punished.

“You said you had to kill that lizard man, and then you rammed his escape ship into that sun.” Sara says, breathlessly. “What am I supposed to think, given that you kidnapped me?”

CHAPTER 7

SARA

Lyon has been out cold for well over a day after we crash landed. I genuinely thought I was going to die, but the pod must have been built for this type of landing as the cabin part remained mostly intact. And, because I was strapped in, so did I.

My bad alien angel, on the other hand was pretty banged up. His black suit tore badly, and his skin ripped and bleeding. I’d dragged him out of the wreckage, which was no mean feat given that he has to be at least seven feet tall, although he seemed to weigh less than I expected. Once out in the open, I managed to rip a piece off my shift and stemmed most of the bleeding while he remained stubbornly unconscious.

It was only when I found the tablet device…I say found…it fell out of a hidden pocket when I was checking him for further injury…and, thinking it might be a mobile phone, I pressed on the screen.

All I got was the image of another talking lizard talking about my death.

Not a great start to my relationship with this hulk of an alien, especially one that seemed to rejoice in killing.

I might have lost my job to the old boy’s network. I might have been abducted by aliens and sold into alien slavery, but I’m not useless or stupid, whatever the universe seems to think.

So I made my alien comfortable, tied him up with some wiring I found in the wreckage of the pod, and set about making camp.

The planet we have landed on is mostly jungle and that has given me a distinct advantage. I’ve always loved the outdoors, camping with my dad, and then, after he passed, on my own. I loved wild camping, just a tent, a knife, and no one else.

Which is why the prospect of losing my job as a wildlife ranger was not just a hazard of protecting the environment. It would have meant giving up a way of life I loved.

Not that any of that mattered as I pick my way as carefully as I can through the alien wilderness. Thankfully most of it looked similar-ish to Earth in that the plants were, in the main, green and the trees were, in the main, tall.

Not entirely sure if I should have been grateful or concerned Lyon was sporting a large, sharp knife, but at least it made building a shelter easier. The pod also had a few useful things that I could find, such as the chains, a couple of cups and plates made out of a substance rather like plastic.

Although now he’s awake and his dark eyes burn with anger at the injustice of being tied up, I’m wondering if the knife is going to be enough.

“I didn’t kidnap you.” Lyon growls through gritted teeth. He twists against his bonds, but, thankfully, they don’t give. “If you’d stayed on that ship, you’d have died with all the rest.”

“I’ve only got your word for that though, haven’t I?” I take a step away from him.

He’s a very powerful creature and a blow from one of his wings could easily knock me out. If he gets hold of the knife and is able to free himself, that’s not going to go well for me, not if his aim is to kill me like the lizard on the video says.

Lyon follows me, dropping onto his hands and knees, he attempts to get up, woozy from his long period of unconsciousness.

“Please, Sara.” He says without emotion. “I’m not your enemy.” He wobbles to his feet and takes an unsteady step forward. The long chain that is wrapped around the tree behind him pulls taut.

He spins to look at it, then lets out a roar which shakes the ground, his claws clinking as he scrabbles at the metal attached to his wrists. He writhes and shakes at it with such a visceral, violent response that for a second, I wish I hadn’t tied him up.

Except when he turns to look at me, his eyes burn with hatred.

“Let me go, or you’ll regret it.” His words are feral, terrible, and I know he means that he will end me.

LYON

As soon as I snarl at her, I realize my mistake. But being chained up like this, it’s destroyed any self-control I might have had. It took me right back to the day I woke up at the mercy of the Drahon, all fire and fight.

Then they collared me, chained me, and put me to work.

I roar out my frustrations as I pull on the chain, digging my claws into the metal, hoping I can rip it free. The female chained me, she bound me, and she will hold me, just like they did.

How long I fight the bonds, I don’t know. My memory almost blanked with my ire and violence. When I finally fall to my knees, breathing ragged, muscles spent, and I’ve expended a load of energy that I didn’t need to, making all of me ache. The female is nowhere to be seen.

Good.

Once I get free, I will have no choice but to revisit what she has done to me. She might smell divine, she might feel utterly delicious under that small slave shift, she might have the curviest body I’ve ever touched…

Vrex it! I look down to see that not only have my cocks stirred, they’re hard beyond belief, tenting the tattered remains of my suit.

I must have hit my head really hard to be feeling this way about any female, let alone the one that’s just chained me to a tree and left me to fend for myself.

And what happens if the Drahon come for me? I put my bound hands up to my neck and feel for the collar. The vrexing thing has survived the crash and appears to still be functional, given that I get a sharp vibrational warning as I finger it. I slump back down on the mossy bed, attempting not to despair that this bid for freedom might have actually worked. Next to the bed is a cup full of water and a small pile of berries.

I pick one up and turn it over in my claws. It’s a deep purple color, and I recognize them as from a plant species which produces edible fruits. Wherever we are, some of their flora and fauna has been mapped, to a degree, as the general knowledge seared into my mind by the Drahon with the same technology that removed my other memories fires into life.

Usually this random knowledge is weapon related, or to do with the easiest way to dispose of another species. I didn’t think it would come in handy in any other way. My stomach growls at me, and I know I need the complex sugars the berries will provide. I just don’t want to trust the female to care for me.

My stomach thinks differently, a bit like my cocks which, although they are not as hard, are still a reminder of my initial reaction to the female, again.

I gobble down the berries and finish up the water before sitting back and taking stock of my situation. I can use my hands, just. I have full movement of my wings and legs. There has to be a way I can break free, and then I can deal with the delicious morsel of a female.

Sara! Her name is as exotic as she is.

I will enjoy the hunt when the time comes.

CHAPTER 8

SARA

I had to leave him, not because of the threat he made but because I’m questioning my entire reasoning for tying him up.

Only I’ve done it now, and he’s really, really fucking angry about it. The way he went at the chain and the tree, even with his hands bound, the gouges he made in the trunk were something else. I could just imagine him turning those vicious claws on me.

But the look in his eyes as he regained consciousness. There was a softness there, something completely different to the banshee he became. Could it be that I’ve gotten him wrong? Perhaps he’s not the killer I think he is…

And then my mind strays back to his words on the pod and the lizard on his tablet. He’s supposed to kill me.

That thought steels me a bit and I carry on with my ever widening circuit around the camp I’ve created, looking for more fruits that might be edible. The berries I found earlier looked just like blackberries; although, they tasted much stronger, with an odd sharp aftertaste. Regardless, I’ve managed not to poison myself, and it’s given me hope that there are other edible things that I can bring back to the camp.

As I forage, I try not to think of the big alien angel I have tied up. I can’t let him stay like that forever. The more I think about it, the more my decision to bind him seems stupid.

And I can’t think of a way out. He’s seven foot of alien muscle. If he goes free, I will be the captive, providing I live that long. If not, I guess I’ll be lunch.

For some reason, the thought of him gently lapping over my skin pops into my head.

Jesus, Sara’s sex drive, not now!

I can’t deny he’s pretty damn sexy when he’s not trying to kill me, and the more time I spend with him, the better he looks. Which leaves me wondering if Stockholm syndrome can work in reverse.

When I get back to the camp, he’s propped up against the tree, looking relatively harmless. I note, with a strange satisfaction, he’s eaten the berries I left for him. Maybe that will sweeten his mood, and I can broach the subject of letting him go if he promises not to kill me.

“SARA!” He says, loudly, as I approach, a wet grin plastered over his face. “How’s my favorite captor?”

I narrow my eyes. This is a different tactic and one I wasn’t banking on. A happy alien angel.

“I’m fine, Lyon. Are you okay? I found some fruit that I think we should be able to eat, want some?” I hold out the pale globes that I’ve discovered are a bit like avocado.

“Any more of those berries?” He asks, a long trail of drool falling out of the side of his mouth as he slurs his words.

“Did you eat anything else, other than the berries?” I’m immediately on my knees beside him, putting my hand on his forehead.

He’s hot to the touch, but that doesn’t mean anything. His body temperature could be higher than mine anyway, given that he’s a fucking alien. But it looks like the berries didn’t agree with him.

Lyon chuckles. “Nope.” He says with a pop. “Jus’ the berries. Very nice.” He smacks his lips. “But thirsty now.”

His big dark eyes look into mine in the manner of a puppy asking for a treat. He tries to prop himself up, but he can’t do it, one wing flailing. I cup his face in my hands and I see his pupils, black against the dark brown, are dilated to a pinprick.

It looks like I’ve just fed my alien whatever the equivalent of magic mushrooms are on this planet. Given that I ate them too several hours ago, they clearly don’t have the same effect on me.

This is bad, very bad.

“Let me get you some more water.” I push him back down onto the moss I gathered for him and pick up his cup, heading over to the hollow stone that has collected rainwater which is drinkable.

I check over my shoulder at the clinking sound behind me to see Lyon attempting to follow me, reach the end of his chain and he drops to the floor face first, laughing.

“Fuck!” I mutter under my breath. Chaining him up really was the stupidest thing I’ve done so far.

Having got him some water, I encourage him back onto the bed of moss and make sure he drinks down several cups. It seems to settle him enough that I can stoke up the fire and add some more wood before returning to check on him.

Lyon lies on his side, his arms out in front of him.

“Do you like your males bound?” He asks, shaking the chain gently. He’s still completely out of it.

“No, Lyon. I don’t. But I prefer not to be murdered in my bed, so that’s why you’re tied up.” I tell him firmly.

“I don’t want to kill you, sweet female. You smell far too good for that.” He says, lazily rolling onto his back, wings sliding easily under him.

“What would you do with me, if you don’t do what the lizard says?” I ask, poking at the fire moodily.

Lyon rustles as he shuffles himself into the moss, drawing my eyes to him. He palms his crotch.

Where there is an unmistakable bulge. Unmistakable because it is fucking enormous. Whatever this alien is packing down there is in no way angelic.

“I’d mate you, beautiful Sara. My eregri.” His voice is melodic, far away and his eyelids droop closed. “I’d claim you for my own.”

LYON

Dear goddess my head hurts! I roll over onto my front, a wave of nausea rising inside me.

“How are you feeling?” Sara stares down at me.

I’m still in the camp, my hands are still bound, and she’s still my jailer. Only I have the addition of a phalanx of beewin buzzing in my head as well.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.” I reply. My stomach contracts and I heave up the contents.

“Oh shit!” She wrings her hands. “I didn’t know those berries wouldn’t agree with you, honestly. This is an alien planet, I should have been more careful.” She wails.

“Wait? What?” I finish heaving up my guts and shake my head to get rid of the buzz and it’s then I remember…

Lying on my back, my cocks throbbing as I told this female exactly what I’d like to do to her. A blow by blow account of pleasure from a male who can’t even remember the last time he mated, if I ever have at all.

I suddenly want to be anywhere but here, with her. Even falling into the dying star which took H.S.C Halatmass would be preferable than having to look her in the eye.

She’s a treacherous female who I shouldn’t trust with anything, let alone my innermost thoughts, especially as, for some reason, they’re all about her.

“You gave me food you didn’t know anything about?” I fire at her.

“Well, you ate them, and you obviously didn’t know what they were!” She returns, hands now on her hips, cinching in her shift and emphasizing her curvaceous form, because that’s what she wants me to concentrate on.

My head is still full of fog, and I can’t think clearly. She deliberately gave me the berries. She’s trying to tempt me to do things I shouldn’t. Things that will get me into trouble. Things that will cause me pain later.

I roar, shaking my bonds at her, writhing at the chain.

That was the wrong thing to do. A bitter scent splits the air, and I realize it’s her fear. That clears the mind, and the spike of terror is so strong, it hurts.

She hasn’t feared me before, just been wary of a creature that it looks like it wants to kill her. If I was in her position, I’d be the same.

Now all I’ve done is prove to her that I’m dangerous, and she’s never going to let me go.

“I have to get more wood…for the fire…” She stutters out, backing away from me rapidly. “I left you water.” She turns and half runs across the clearing.

My predatory instinct kicks in, and I’m running after her, wings unfurled, right until I’m pulled up short, the chain jerking me back towards the tree I’m tethered to.

Sara has gone and I’m left to seethe on my own. I thump back down on the mossy bed and look down at my bound wrists despondently.

Except it looks like that last maneuver has loosened one of the knots. Lifting my hands to my mouth, I apply a little pressure from my canines. Sure enough the knot gives again.

My little female doesn’t know what’s coming, and I haven’t hunted a tasty morsel like her in a long time.

CHAPTER 9

SARA

Given how the berries affected Lyon, I’m quite wary of what I pick for us to eat. The avocado/melons were quite tasty and didn’t have any side effects that I could determine, at least on me.

An unpleasant thought strikes me, what if everything is either poisonous or has drug like qualities for Lyon? What is he going to eat? I’ve not seen any animals yet, although there have been tracks that would suggest there are creatures probably around deer size on this planet. Given that Lyon has claws and a set of very sharp upper and lower canines, it looks like he would probably eat meat.

But, of course, while he’s tied up, it would be for me to catch and kill it. I wouldn’t balk at doing so, but all I’ve got is a single knife to use on an animal I haven’t even seen. It could take me weeks to perfect any method of capture and, big though he is, Lyon won’t last that long.

Not for the first time, I curse my decision to tie him up, it’s becoming more and more the wrong thing to have done.

Last night, he drifted in and out, rambling on occasions about cages and collars. But what he said about what he wanted to do to me…

Let’s just say, if he wants to kill me, I’ll die happy.

I can’t believe how much it affected me. I lay next to him, half-terrified he might take a turn for the worst, the other half of me ridiculously aroused.

Yep, this massive alien, all wings, claws, and teeth sets my core on fire. I’m really sure that can’t happen. Not with anyone I’ve just met and who is a different species.

I completed a bigger circuit than normal to see if I could find anything different that might be palatable for Lyon, so it took me longer to return to the camp than normal. I’ve found quite a bit of wood, and I stagger under the weight as I bring it closer to the fire and dump it.

“You’re going to have to try the avo-melons, I think. Hopefully they won’t send you on your next trip.” I say before I look over to the small shelter that I built.

The shelter that is very empty of massive alien male.

Shock robs my body of breath and my throat of any sound other than a small squeak. On the ground, snaking back to the tree is the chain and a set of shredded bindings from his wrists.

I should have checked them while he was asleep, but my guilt at tying him up at all stopped me.

“Hello, little female.” Lyon steps out from behind the wrecked pod. His wings are half open, and he looks like an avenging angel.

In one hand he holds a length of wire. The other has a set of vicious claws fully extended. His lips are hitched in a sharp-toothed grimace.

Oh fuck!

My paralysis breaks. If I’m not going to become his next meal, I need to get as far away from Lyon as possible and my legs know it, turning and taking me into the jungle as fast as they can.

“You can run, pretty little morsel, but I will find you. I love to hunt!” Lyon’s words echo after me.

If I thought I was in trouble when I was abducted, it’s nothing compared to what’s stalking me through the forest.

And what he’ll do if he catches me.

LYON

She ran! Oh goddess she ran! My heart is pounding, my vision pinpoint accurate as I track her movements through the vegetation.

Every sinew in my body twitches to get in the air and begin. Every predatory instinct I’ve ever repressed has come flooding back.

I have a hunt, and I have a prey, delicious, hot prey that when I catch her…

Firing myself upwards with a couple of easy beats, I quickly clear the canopy of trees and start to track her. She’s running blindly away from me, or so it seems, until she takes a sharp left, and it appears she has somewhere to go.

Somewhere she thinks I can’t find her. A laugh, or more like a growl, leaves my lips. As much as I want to take her, I want to enjoy this hunt, one that’s entirely for my pleasure, for as long as I can.

I circle around, taking in the glorious scents of freedom, of dirt and decaying vegetation, of the river that runs into many deep pools not far from the camp, of the hidden animals that step carefully through the forest itself. So many scents, so much to explore. And then I get the scent of her again.

Deep and delicious, ripe and ready. I zero back in on the only thing on this planet that I want.

Sara.

A scream comes from the forest below me. It slices through my veins like ice. Worse than anything the Drahon have done to me. It’s a terrified, awful sound that has me folding up my wings and dropping towards the ground as fast as I can go, slamming through the canopy until I can locate her.

My mate, my eregri. My fate. She’s in trouble and she needs me.

I hit the ground in a small clearing with a thump. Initially there’s no sign of Sara, yet I’m absolutely sure that her cry came from here.

A tiny whimper draws my attention to the base of an enormous tree.

A single hand, pink and clawless stretches out from the bark.

Except it’s not bark at all. It’s bulbous and pulsating and it has my Sara. My mind goes blank as I leap at the thing, claws ripping into it, slicing at the fibrous substance. Without the grafted xlion I wouldn’t be able to make an impact in whatever has her, but fortunately, the addition means I finally reach her.

She’s unconscious, her face a pale blue compared to her usual pink and my heart almost stops beating. The thing under the tree slithers, something green attempting to wrap around her neck, but I slice at it and, with a strange groan, it shoots back, pushing Sara into my arms.

I pull her free of the tree creature and as far away from it as possible until we have to be at a safe distance. Sara is limp in my arms, her face covered in a slimy substance, her golden hair plastered against her head.

I scrub at the stuff with my hand, and she gives out a small cough, then shudders.

“L-lyon?” She stares up at me, eyes dull, full of confusion. “There was a…you…” She bucks once in my arms with little effect. The blue tinge has reached her lips and she’s shivering far too much.

“I won’t hurt you, little one. I promise. I was only playing with you, because you tied me up.” I say, gently. The fear, the hurt in her eyes is like a hand clenching around my stomach. “I really won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“That t-t-t-thing.” Her teeth chatter violently.

“It won’t get you again.” I smooth my hand over her cheek. “I won’t let it.”

She’s covered in the slime from whatever it was that tried to eat her. Her slave shift is soaked and, despite the ambient heat on this planet, her shivering is getting worse.

“I need to get you back to the pod, get you warmed up.” I tell her.

Sara doesn’t reply, her eyes are closed, but her hand is curled tightly into the fabric of my suit. With one last glance at the strange pulsing lump under the tree, committing it to memory so I can check around our camp to ensure there’s nothing similar, I gather my mate into my arms and take off.

CHAPTER 10

SARA

I’m so incredibly cold. I was watching the sky for Lyon when something grabbed my foot. The next thing I knew I was being dragged into somewhere dark and freezing. After that, nothing. Not until I’m staring up into a pair of very concerned dark eyes.

Lyon’s velvety voice washes over me, making me feel safe, of all things. I’m vaguely aware of being lifted into his arms and that we are flying over the jungle, but the cold has settled into my bones, and my mind is drifting. All that is clear is the strong, comforting scent of spice, like cinnamon and warm cat in the sun.

“Trust me.” Lyon says.

I don’t know if I have the strength not to trust him. He saved me from the thing in the forest, he isn’t trying to eat me, and he looked at me as if I was the only thing on the planet.

“Okay.” I can hardly get the word out because my teeth are clattering together so hard.

Then I’m surrounded by warmth, except I’m still in Lyon’s arms. I don’t have any choice, I have to give in, to relax and allow the heat to slowly seep into me until I’ve enough faculties to take stock.

We’re not at the camp. Instead we seem to be in some sort of grove, surrounded by multi-colored plants, the like of which I’ve not seen on the planet so far.

“Better?” Lyon asks me. “I thought these healing pools would be the best place to help you warm up.”

“Healing pool?” I query, looking down. My chin dips below the water and for a brief second, I panic, flailing and accidentally taking a mouthful which I cough up immediately.

“H-st-st-st.” Lyon says, increasing his grip on me, but not in an uncomfortable way. “You’re safe, I’ve got you.”

“Sorry, sorry.” I mumble, remembering myself and realizing my feet are touching rough stone, even while my bottom is perched on two hard, muscular thighs. “What happened?”

“Something attacked you.”

“I think that was you.” I give him a gentle slap on his chest, half-playful, but the pain that crosses his face makes me leave my hand there.

“I was only chasing you because I enjoy the hunt. You did tie me up.” He says, his tone a little accusing. “I wouldn’t do anything to you, Sara.” He adds, looking away from me as a muscle in his jaw ticks.

“Maybe you could have said that first, before I had to run for my life?”

“Maybe you could have talked to me before tying me up.”

“Yeah,” I shrug under the water, grateful for its heat and impressed that Lyon even found the pools. “You got me there. I guess we’re even.”

He’s looking down at me, interest all over his handsome face, so human, except for the eyes. The black suit he wears is torn at the shoulders and I can see that they are covered in a skin that looks very much like scales. I reach up out of the water and trace my finger over them. They are hard to the touch, but warm.

“Perhaps we should start over, Sara.” He says, his voice slightly strangled as I continue to slowly move my fingers from one large scale to the next through the rip in his clothing.

“If we’re stuck here together, it would make sense if we got along.” I reply, feeling quite dreamy as I feel his abdominal muscles against my side and they are just as hard as the rest of him. “We might be here a long time, after all. Perhaps if I promise not to tie you up, you’ll promise not to kill me?”

I smile up at him and, again, a look of pain flits over his face.

“I wouldn’t kill you, my Sara. I don’t want to kill anyone. I might be a killer, but they made me that way.”

“Who did?” I ask with a sudden rush of possessiveness. Lyon might be seven-foot of winged muscle, but he seems vulnerable now I’m close up.

“My masters, the Drahon.”

“The lizard I saw on your tablet?”

Lyon nods, his mouth set in a hard line. “I’ve been with them for as long as I remember. I belong to them and if I don’t do as they say…” His gorgeous eyes close and the hiss of breath from his mouth tells me all I need to know about the level of pain that has been inflicted on him. It makes my blood boil that anyone would want to harm such a beautiful creature as Lyon. “I had hoped that disposing of Xul and getting away in the pod, it might have meant that I was free of them.” He continues.

“I think you might have achieved that, given that we’ve crash landed in the middle of nowhere.” I try to give him a supportive smile, but his face is dark.

“As long as I have the collar, there’s a risk they’ll find me.” He touches his hand to his throat and for an instant, his skin blurs and a thick matte black line appears, until he moves his hand, and the skin color returns.

I reach up but he jerks away from my exploring fingers. “You can’t touch it. It shocks me and I hate to think what it might do to you.”

My head aches from everything that’s happened, from nearly being eaten by a tree, to finding out Lyon is probably in a worse position than me in this universe. He’s a slave too, and he’s being forced to do things he doesn’t want to do.

“I could do with something to eat, and you need to find something that doesn’t make you as high as a kite.” I clamber out of the pool, and he rises too, water flowing off his black suit and wings.

“And I need to make you a proper nest.” He replies in all seriousness.

“A nest?”

LYON

Sara’s tiny shift is soaking, and she makes me turn around so she can take it off and wring it out. Every inch of me itches to take a peep at her naked form, the one I felt under my hands as I took her into the pool and had to concentrate very hard on making sure she was getting warm not to notice.

I’m pretty sure our uneasy truce wouldn’t stand up to her catching me ogling her body, however much I want to. Having her in my arms, clutched close to me was the best moment of my life. Her soft scent invaded my brain, and the way she clung to me.

I never wanted to let her go.

“I’m decent!” She calls out and I turn to face her, keeping my face as neutral as possible to hide my disappointment at her clothed state. “What about you?”

“My suit is self-drying.” I tell her.

“But it’s damaged.” She points to the large, ripped area where she touched me earlier and I was certain my cocks would explode.

“It doesn’t change its properties. It’s already dry.” I stalk over to her, our size different suddenly very noticeable. “See.” I hold out my arm, and she touches it gently, her fingers brushing over the fabric and making me wish very hard that I wasn’t wearing anything.

“Wow!” She says in awe. “That’s clever.”

“It’s the only good thing my masters ever gave me. I suspect it’s more to protect their investment.” I grumble.

I’m not telling her that I’m stripped of it as soon as I return to the Drahon homeworld and remain naked until I’m called to work again. Taking her arm, we pick our way back through the jungle until we reach the small camp she set up. Immediately, Sara goes over to the fire.

“Wait!” I call across. “You don’t need to bother with that.” I start to dig into the pod and find the survival capsule, pulling it out to inspect the contents.

It’s fully stocked, as I would have expected from Obsidian Corp, with only the best and most up to date survival tools.

“What’s that?” Sara asks, suspiciously.

“Wait and see.” I tell her, unable to keep a mischievous smile from my lips as I pull out the shelter disc and walk a short distance from the pod to place it in the clearing.

“Very impressive.” Sara folds her arms over her chest.

I activate the remote and the shelter springs into life, the struts unfolding and the climate control activating. I hear a gasp of amazement.

“You mean that’s been in the pod, all this time.” She gapes at it. “And I did all this,’ she waves her hand around behind her at the primitive camp, “for nothing?”

“Not nothing. You made me a very nice cage.” I mock growl at her, looking over at my makeshift bed of moss.

“Don’t rub it in, killer.” She retorts.

“Now I’ve made you a nest.” I grin at her and point to the complete shelter.

“Oh!” She puts her hand over her mouth in surprise. “That is not what I was expecting.”

“What were you expecting?” I ask, frowning.

Sara looks me up and down. “Something larger.”

CHAPTER 11

SARA

I’m more than a little peeved that if I had bothered to check the pod, I might have found the box of tricks that Lyon revealed. Although, I suppose he knew what he was looking for in an alien escape pod, what with him being an alien.

I still can’t quite believe the tipi style tent that popped out of the small CD size disc he threw on the floor. It has ridged sides, a small window and a door that opens and closes.

It’s not small by any means, I guess it’s alien size, except, probably not for aliens with a wingspan that would rival a transporter plane.

“Look, you have this,” I pat the side of the tipi. “I can manage just fine next to the fire.”

Lyon looks as if I just hit him. If anything, he looks more hurt than when he found out I’d tied him up.

“Take the shelter instead of you?” He asks, his voice rasping with emotion.

“Your wings are quite big. I don’t think we’ll both fit.” I say, twisting my hands together.

“We’ll fit, if we need to.” Lyon replies, looking up at the sky. “And I think we’ll need to.”

“What do you mean?” I follow his gaze.

What was blue sky peeking through the canopy is rapidly turning black. A fat rain drop falls and lands next to me, followed by another and it’s cold!

“Still want to discuss my size?” Lyon raises his eyebrows at me, clearly having no memory of the previous night, where I got a very good idea of his size, and it had nothing to do with his wings.

The rain really starts hammering down, and I leap into the tipi with a shriek as the icy water runs down my neck.

Inside, it does seem bigger than I thought. There’s a ready made bed that’s definitely not big enough for the both of us, and a tiny banquet seat with a fold down table. It’s cozy to say the least. The door flaps open and Lyon wrestles the box that contained the tipi along with other things inside, then he contorts himself to follow.

“See. Do fit.” He says to me with a triumphant grin as his feathers drip water onto the floor.

Which absorbs the liquid completely.

“Oh my god!” I stare down at the floor and then sit down heavily on the banquet before I fall down. “This is…I don’t know.” I drop my head into my hands.

I shouldn’t be crying, not now, not after everything that’s happened so far to me. A tent floor that absorbs water is possibly the least odd thing that’s happened to me.

“Sara?” Lyon sits next to me, his chocolate voice making me look up at him. He really is massive in this small space. His dark eyes glitter with concern. “What is wrong? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, really.” I splutter out, his kindness, after everything I put him through isn’t helping me control my sobs. “It’s just a rainstorm and a tiny tent with a huge, feathered alien, and a floor that absorbs water, a spaceship that exploded and a tree that tried to eat me. I’m never going home, am I?”

Lyon shifts uncomfortably on the seat, shuffling his feathers.

“I don’t know the answer to that, sweet Sara. At the moment, there is only the here and now…and us.” He looks around the tent. “I’m sorry I’m so big.”

I snort noisily, unable to help myself. The giggle starting from somewhere in my boots.

“What?” He asks innocently.

“You don’t remember last night, do you?” I attempt to wipe my face and fail miserably.

Lyon’s face clouds. “The night of the berries? The poisoned berries?” He says accusingly. “I remember some of what I said. It was mostly about what I wanted to do to you.” He stares at me. “And it didn’t involve killing you.”

Oh fuck. My core pulses at the look in his dark eyes.

“My masters might steal my memories, but no berries can make me forget your delicious scent.” He growls, his voice low and feral in a way that almost destroys me.

“You can smell me?” I sit back from him, apart from the nice warm bath earlier, I’ve been walking around a sweaty jungle for the last three days, and I must stink to high heaven.

“Your scent is the most delicious thing I’ve ever smelled.” Lyon takes in a deep breath as I give him the oddest look. “You smell like home.”

LYON

She is the most perfect creature. Two bright spots on her cheeks and her blue eyes that sparkle like jewels. She might have thought she chained my wrists, but I think she may have chained my heart, too. It strains in my chest, wanting to make her feel better, wanting to make her mine.

Sara looks at me, putting her little hand on my chest as she stares up at me. I suddenly feel like I’m wearing too much clothing, and I want her touch against my skin. These sensations, the heightened senses, it’s completely new. All I want is for things to stay just as they are.

“Do you mean that?” She whispers. “Because you’ve said a lot of things. Not all of them made sense.”

“I made you my nest, didn’t I?” With some difficulty, I drag myself away from her touch and reach into the capsule to grab a ration pack. “Now I need to feed you.”

“I can feed myself just fine.” She laughs at me, and the sound is the best thing I’ve ever heard.

I spread out my wings, deliberately taking up far more space than I need, wanting to be close to her, like when I had her in my arms. It calmed me in a way I haven’t felt before, and I’d do anything to be that close to her again.

“Okay, okay big guy, I’ll budge up.” She shuffles along the seat, letting me get settled as I place the ration packs on the small table.

The rain outside intensifies, and she shivers slightly in her little slave shift.

“Here.” I extend a wing. She looks at me, only slightly hesitant. “Like you say, I’m too big and you may as well take advantage.”

Her smile is genuine, her eyes glowing with warmth, and she lets me curl my wing around her, wrapping her in a feathery embrace. Sara runs a hand down the leading edge of my primary.

“So soft.” She breathes.

“Better?” I ask, hoping my voice won’t crack. Her touch on my wing is complete ecstasy, not that she knows it.

Not that she knows that no one has touched me with any kindness or for any reason than to cause me pain or examine me since I can remember. Her simple act of enjoyment, it makes my heart ache.

“Better.” She snuggles back into my wing, leaning against my body, so I can ensure she stays warm. “What have we got to eat? Presumably something that isn’t going to disagree with you?”

I rip open the pack with my claws and find that, fortunately, it turns out to be a meat based one. My stomach growls as I empty out each container and set the heating element to cook the main portion. I offer her one of the crackers, snapping off a piece that should be just the right size.

“Thank you.” She takes it from me, and I can’t help but watch her lips as she nibbles on it, imagining those lips somewhere else. “Are you not having any?”

The heating pot chimes to indicate that the contents are ready, and I open it up. The shelter fills with the scent of cooked meat.

I hand the pot to her, but she pushes it back at me. “You eat first. I’ve been okay eating the berries and the avo/melons. You’ve not had anything, and well, what you did eat, you threw up.” A slight color tinges her cheeks.

“I know you only meant well, Sara.” I say. “I’d probably have done the same in your position.”

“Go on then, eat.” She exhorts me. I hesitate for a second longer before I dip in a claw and scoop the meat into my mouth. The flavour hits my tongue and I close my eyes in simple enjoyment of solid, tasty food, eaten as a free Gryn.

CHAPTER 12

SARA

Lyon looks nothing like predator he is as he closes his eyes and shovels the hot food into his mouth. He seems so harmless in comparison to everything I’ve seen from him up until now.

I sink back into his warm feathers and eat my cracker. It’s sweet and salty at the same time and the sharpness is refreshing after all that avo/melon. Lyon smells incredible, all fresh baking and spice. I watch him enjoy his food and run my fingers through the little feathers that make up the edge of his wing, just before his flight feathers start. They are silky soft, but each one is almost a work of art, steely gray on the outer and a creamy white on the inner.

“Sara,” Lyon half groans.

I withdraw my hand swiftly. “Sorry, Lyon. I didn’t mean to presume…”

I can’t believe I’d assume I could run my hands through his feathers. For all I know it could be extremely rude to touch an alien’s wings. I risk a look at him. His eyes are so dark they are almost black.

“You…I…” He stumbles over his words. “No one ever touches me in that way.” He finishes and the sadness in his face grips my heart like a vice. “No one touches me at all, unless it’s with a stun stick or a syringe.”

Just like that, my stomach goes into free fall. Before I can even think, I’m cupping his cheek with my hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. That is, I didn’t mean to upset you more than tying you up.” I give him a hesitant smile.

“You preening my feathers doesn’t upset me.” Lyon says, gently pressing his handsome face into my hand. “I like it, it’s nice.”

“Oh.” I hesitate. “Do you want me to do more?”

His face takes on a hungry look, just for an instant, and then it’s gone, to be replaced by a little smile that immediately lights up his face. He nods, as if he can’t quite trust his voice.

“How do you want me?” I ask and feel myself blushing deeply as I realize exactly how that sounded.

“What you were doing was good.” Lyon replies, earnestly. Fortunately he doesn’t seem to have taken my slightly suggestive comment other than the innocent way it was intended.

I settle myself back against his warm body as he wraps his wing further around me and I continue to work my way through his soft feathers. Lyon hums with delight and continues to eat his meal. The rain pounds at the tent, and I occasionally find a spot with a small knot of feathers to work at that elicits a rumbling groan from Lyon which he tries to hide.

I’ve got this massive predator entirely at my mercy without the need for chains and bonds and it’s empowering, especially after I thought I was going to be a slave. I shouldn’t be thinking about what he said the other night and the enormous bulge in his suit.

“Eregri.” Lyon rasps, his voice a feral growl that is part lust, part agony. “You will destroy me.”

LYON

The scent of Sara’s arousal is incredible. My brain fogs immediately with desire. Her fingers tripping through my feathers was life itself. A touch that wasn’t pain and wasn’t intended as anything other than pleasure.

She wanted to pleasure me, to please me, and it’s glorious.

Only then did I scent her desire. Surely she can’t be interested in me. Not after I was so explicit, or after I hunted her down. Sara can’t possibly want me.

Except something inside my chest snaps and she tears the words from my lips.

“Eregri. You will destroy me.”

“What is it, Lyon?” Sara breathes. She’s curled against me, warm and delicious. I can see streaks of color in her long hair, pinks and blues. Her blue eyes, like nothing I’ve ever encountered, or can remember encountering, shine up at me.

“You do things to me.” I say, as her fingers continue to work their way along my wing ridge and up towards my neck.

“You want to do things to me, apparently.” Her smile is dazzling and the only thing I ever want to see. “Very naughty things.”

“My memories were stolen from me, my eregri.” My throat constricts as another wave of her perfume reaches me. “But the instinct to mate cannot be removed. The act of preening your male is always going to be something that takes hold of my heart.”

She tilts her head up to me and presses her lips along my jawline. The touch of her mouth to my skin is incredible, even better than her fingers in my feathers.

“What is that?” My voice is hoarse, my breath catching.

“Humans call it a kiss. Do you not kiss?” Sara lifts herself up and straddles my lap, taking my head in her hands.

“I don’t do much of anything, unless it’s killing.” I reply, honestly.

Her blue eyes study me for what seems like a long while. Then she leans in and places her lips on mine.

She tastes of everything I’ve been denied for as long as I remember. Of sweetness and the light. Of perfection and freedom. Her tongue sweeps through my lips and into my mouth, seeking out my own. Our tongues tangle, and I push back, diving my hand into her long hair, marveling at the silky strands between my fingers and ensuring that I get all the kiss that I can from her.

“Whoa!” Sara laughs as we come up for air. “For a man who’s never kissed, you’re a quick study!”

“Who said I’ve never kissed?” I grin back at her. “Maybe I have, and I don’t remember.”

“I think you do remember, Lyon. I think you remember a whole lot of things.” She lowers herself onto my lap and encounters my swollen members.

With an involuntary groan, my hips snap towards her heat.

“And that includes exactly how to ‘mate’.” She whispers, eyes wide.

“Let me taste you, my eregri. Let me taste all of you.” I pull her mouth back to mine, slipping my hand between her legs and discovering that her thighs are slippery with her moisture. My cocks throb all the harder.

CHAPTER 13

SARA

My gorgeous predator is a sensual being. From his reaction to my touch on his feathers, to his kiss, something he claimed he had never experienced before, now his finger slips through my folds, finding my clit and circling it perfectly. I see stars as he dips a digit inside me.

“Lyon!” I gasp as a second finger probes at my little pucker of muscle.

“Do you want to mate, little female? I’d love to sheath myself in you.” Lyon rumbles as he presses harder, and I’m gasping at the invasion of both channels. “You’re so beautiful.”

He nuzzles at my neck, sharp teeth nipping at my skin and sending spikes of deliciousness firing through me. His free hand pushes at my shift, and I lift it up, over my head. Lyon’s eyes go wide at my naked form and his hips lift towards me.

“So beautiful.” He dips his head and captures one of my nipples, sucking hard as his fingers plunder me.

I grab at the shoulders of his wings as his thumb sets up a demanding rhythm on my clit, bringing me closer, and closer until I’m convulsing around him, exploding in a way I never have before. This alien who’s only just met a human wrings an orgasm from me like he’s done it all his life.

“Sweet Sara, you are the best meal.” Lyon withdraws his hand and licks his way over his fingers as I pant against him.

“Are you going to stay in that suit?”

Lyon lifts me gently away from his torso and runs a single finger diagonally down the front of his suit. The fabric ripples away, slithering over him and revealing a chest that is as edible as I had been hoping. Tough leathery skin in a deep mahogany color covers his shoulders, but the rest of him is acres and acres of muscle. But it’s what’s I can see pressing into my stomach that takes my breath away.

“Lyon! You’ve got two cocks!” I gasp hoarsely.

His cocks jut up from a base of dark curls, and they are enormous. A long ridge runs down the top of the main cock, studded with nodes, underneath, still massive, is another cock, both drip with pearly pre-cum. I reach down and attempt to wrap my hand around them both, but their combined girth means I haven’t a hope in hell. Lyon moans as I begin to stroke what I can hold, separating them out as I explore.

“My cocks need to be inside you, my eregri.” He palms my breasts, hands sliding down to my waist. “Can I mate you? Can I give you my cocks?”

He lifts me up and he’s nudging at my entrance. I’ve no idea if he’ll fit or not but my body vibrates with the need to take him. To pleasure my gorgeous alien angel.

“Yes, Lyon.” I breathe as he begins to breach me, to slowly inch his way inside, first his main cock slips between my soaking folds, then I feel a pressure against my anus as his secondary cock probes me. “Oh!” I exclaim as he flicks his hips forwards, driving himself inside me.

A short, sweet burn and he’s seated, sheathed in my body. Sweat sheens his skin as his restraint hangs by a thread.

“So delicious,” he murmurs, dropping his head to capture my mouth with a kiss. I taste myself, and him, sweet and savory all at the same time. “I can’t be gentle, my eregri. I have to take you with everything I have, I can’t do any less.”

He withdraws almost his entire lengths and, with a roar, plunges back into me. Filling each channel and stretching me with the most delicious agony. I gasp out loud and he gathers me to him, pumping hard, ensuring that I feel every single node, every ridge and they hit all the right spots.

I look into his eyes, and they burn for me. His hips circle as he continues to pound me, his entire being concentrated on the pleasure of our joining. With every thrust my climax gets ever closer, until with a suddenness I’ve never experienced before, I’m convulsing in his arms. My core pulsing, squeezing and flooding.

“My eregri! You undo me!” Lyon groans and his movements become irregular. “I cannot hold. I have to seed you.” His words are lost as my orgasm overtakes me and he explodes in both holes.

I’m gone. Only in his arms and yet in the stars. He continues to fill me, worship me with his orgasm, plunder my body.

I am entirely his.

LYON

The intensity of my climax causes everything to go black until I erupt with a fervor I had no idea was possible.

I come over and over inside my beautiful mate, my cum painting her channels and, with each dying thrust, the bliss that follows is perfection itself.

I never want it to end.

And I never want to leave her side, I always want her in my nest, naked beneath me, taking everything my cocks can give.

She is my fate, my perfection, my all. Sara is my eregri. A word that I seem to know, that bubbles up from my long forgotten consciousness. A word that means our souls are bonded.

“Oh, Lyon.” She whispers, tracing a soft hand over my cheek. “That was amazing.” Her bright eyes gaze into mine, and I wonder if she knows that she has taken my heart.

“I don’t remember when I last mated, if I ever have. I’m pleased that the time I can remember, it is with you.” I brush my lips over hers, in her kiss.

“You don’t think you’ve had sex before?” Sara gasps. “You’re a virgin?”

“Maybe.”

“Sweetheart.” She grabs my chin and pulls my face to hers, devouring me in a kiss as she wriggles against me. “That’s adorable.”

“I’m not adorable.” I reply. “I’m a killer.” I grin down at her, and she laughs.

“An adorable killer.” She runs a hand through my wings, laughing and the sound fills my chest with a swelling to match my secondary cock.

“You really can’t remember anything from before you became a slave?”

“No.” I admit. “Sometimes there are things that hover on the very edge of my consciousness. But when I try to grasp them, they’re gone. I think the Drahon intentionally keep me like this. They don’t want me to remember anything other than the memories they give me.”

“They give you memories?” Sara has relaxed and is snuggled against me, the scent of her filling my nostrils and making me feel as drowsy as she looks.

“Memories that will help me be a better assassin. Weapons knowledge, tech knowledge, species knowledge, that sort of thing.”

“Stuff about my species?” Sara curls into me. “What do you know about humans, Lyon?” Her voice is a sexy sleepy burr.

“I know that I love to mate one human in particular.”

She wraps an arm around me.

“That’s good, because I love my alien angel.” Her words trail away and her breathing evens out as she falls asleep in my arms.

Can she mean it? Can this strange, fearless female want a damaged male like me?

Once she knows how dangerous I really am, if my masters come for me, will she still want me then?

CHAPTER 14

SARA

I wake up in a feather bed, only this bed is attached to a feathery predator that yesterday I thought was going to kill me, until he devoured me instead.

Lyon looks very peaceful curled up next to me, one wing underneath my body and one wing covering us both. His handsome face is soft in the daylight that streams through the window of our tipi. He looks, well, younger than I initially thought he was. In sleep he is relaxed and comfortable, unlike when awake and he projects an air of menace.

Keeping out the monsters that he has to keep out. I can’t believe that I thought this fluffy predator was a threat to me, because it turns out that he’s honorable, kind and practical.

Lyon mutters, his eyes twitching under his eyelids as REM sleep hits him. His wing twitches, along with his leg until he gasps out loud and his eyes spring open.

“Eregri.” That one word that doesn’t translate, it’s filled with everything. A desire, hurt, need. Want.

“I’m here, Lyon.” I run my hand gently down his wing. “I’m here.”

Whatever had a grip on him is wiped from his less than functioning memory and a warm, sleepy smile spreads over his handsome face.

“That’s good.” He murmurs, voice thick with the early morning. “Because I’m in the mood for mating.”

Something hard presses up against my thigh and even though my core pulses in response, my pussy aches, and I wince.

“But you’re hurt!” He exclaims.

“I really enjoyed myself last night, Lyon.” I give his feathers another ruffle. “But you are very big. My body needs time to adjust.”

Lyon looks rather proud of himself, until he realizes he’s got a boner that he’s going to have to deal with.

“Perhaps the pool again?” He suggests with a blaze of hope in his eyes.

Oh dear, I believe I may have unleashed a sex monster…

LYON

I make a careful check inside my nest, to make sure everything is in a perfect position for my mate. The bed is neat, there are ration crackers laid out in rows and I’ve managed to find some decoration from the crashed pod in the form of some colorful wiring and a few pieces of shiny metal that sparkle in the limited light that enters the shelter.

Hope blooms in my chest that she will accept it. It’s been a very long time since I cared what anyone thinks about anything, but I want my Sara to like what I’ve done.

“Just more of those avo/melons. That’s all I could find.” She bustles back into the clearing and catches me as I duck out of the shelter.

“I guess that’s what I’ll be eating for the foreseeable, at least until we can work out what’s not going to get you wasted.” She smiles at me and juggles the large yellow fruits in her arms.

I rush forward to take some of them from her, and she darts around me to the shelter.

“So what have you been up to while I’ve been out trying to put food on the table.” She asks pushing at the door and taking a step inside

“Wait!” I wanted to warn her, to let her know I’ve made some changes.

“Oh, wow!” I hear her exclaim as I dump the fruit and rush back over. “Lyon!” She pops her head back out. “Did you do this?”

I scuff my boot.

“Do you like it?”

Sara bursts out of the shelter and throws her hands around my neck.

“I love it. It’s so pretty!” She presses her lips to mine and her tongue is sweeping my mouth as I try to process her emotions. They swirl around me like colors, joy mingled with something that could be love.

“Eregri, I can feel you.”

“Of course you can.” She snuggles against me. “Is this your nest now?” She taps the side of the shelter, unconcerned.

“It’s our nest,” I gently pull her away from me. “But I can feel you.”

She studies me carefully. “Have you been eating anything you found in the forest, Lyon?” She asks, keeping her voice even.

“No. No! It’s nothing I’ve eaten, but I can feel you in my head. Just now, you were joyful, and you felt love.”

Sara snaps away from me, taking a step back.

“That’s not possible.” She stares at me. “Is it?”

This time there is confusion, and it mingles with the gray color of fear.

“I don’t know, but I feel you all the same.” I close the gap and she doesn’t move as I trace a finger down the side of her face. “Eregri.”

“You keep calling me that. What does it mean?”

Now my heart drops. “I don’t remember.” I admit. “It means something, a great deal to me about my mate, but the translation? It’s gone.”

“I’m sure you’ll remember it, given time.” She slips her arm around my waist. “Now are you going to give me a tour of our nest?”

And her thoughts bloom into a riot of colors as her soft arousal meets my nostrils.

I have pleased my mate and I couldn’t be happier.

CHAPTER 15

SARA

As it turns out, the avo/melons are something Lyon can eat without any obvious ill effect. Unfortunately he claims they taste like rotten meat to him, so while he will eat them in order not to starve to death, he is giving them a wide berth.

I’m guessing we’ve been on this planet for about a week, although without a watch, I’ve no idea if they days are a similar length to Earth days, although they feel the same.

Still, it’s been pleasant, spending time with Lyon. When he’s not killing things, he’s sweet and engaging. His memory is fucked up by his masters, the lizard people, so he prefers to hear me talk about Earth and how I can compare it to this planet. I’ve explained to him what happened before I was abducted, and his response was typically Lyon.

He offered to go to Earth and deal with Brian and his cronies for me, his hands balling into fists and his feathers shaking.

As it turns out, Earth is a planet that should be off limits to life forms in his galaxy. It’s considered primitive and to disturb a primitive planet is considered an intergalactic crime.

Which is odd coming from the same galaxy that condones slavery.

So, I’ve not given up hope of going back to Earth.

“Do you think we’ll be rescued?” I ask as we lie in the shelter one morning after he has ensured I have been pleasured to within an inch of my life. “Not that I want to be, particularly.” I brush my hand down his muscular arm and ruffle through his feathers in the way I know he loves. “Presumably there’s some sort of search and rescue from the cruise ship, and they will find this planet eventually.”

“It’s not a planet, it’s a moon.” Lyon replies dreamily.

Mating, which is what he calls sex, does agree with him. He hasn’t growled once since we started (and we’ve hardly stopped since the first occasion), even when he dropped a log on his foot when I insisted on a fire last night.

I like my non-growly alien angel.

“How do you know?”

“Some of the guidance system was still working in the pod. I was able to check our position before it ran out of power. This is a moon. We’re a long way out of any normal trade routes, but given the life on here, I expect it probably does get the occasional visitor.”

Lyon might have been claiming he felt my emotions, but I’ve become adept at reading his. He is a male who wears his heart on his sleeve, eager to make sure I’m comfortable, spectacularly over-protective and desperate to ensure my pleasure. The thought that such a sweet creature was enslaved enrages me.

I can tell he’s holding something back from me, and I take his huge, clawed hand in mine. That he can be gentle is incredible.

“What’s wrong, Lyon?”

“The pod’s been sending out a distress beacon.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It depends on who’s looking for it, or me.” His face darkens. “Because I won’t go back. I won’t go back to the Drahon, not now I have you.”

“They might not even be looking for you.” I begin to run my fingers through his feathers in the way I know he likes. “And I like it here. I’d stay with you even if it meant being here forever.”

“Do you mean that?” His eyes are bright as he gazes at me.

“Of course I mean it. After all, who else am I going to be able to tie up if he gets annoying?” I laugh at him, and he hitches up the side of his mouth to show me a sharp canine.

“I suspect it’s my turn to tie you up, female.” He captures both of my wrists and lifts them over my head, giving him easy access to my breasts, which he doesn’t waste. His rough tongue laps over my ready nipples, teasing them into tight, hard peaks.

As his tongue descends lower, outside of the shelter there is a muffled rumble, followed by a whip-crack that’s as loud as an explosion.

“Vrex it!” Lyon growls, letting go of my wrists. “Get dressed, my mate. I believe our rescuers have arrived.”

LYON

It’s the moment I’ve been dreading, even if it’s the one thing I expected. Our rescue. I’d have happily spent the rest of our lives on this moon. Except I always knew that wouldn’t be possible. We have limited resources. The entire place is filled with hidden predators. Although I didn’t tell Sara, I found another predatory tree just outside our camp, with long roots protruding very close to us.

I don’t doubt for a second that it’s not the only thing that wants to kill us. My mate’s species, human, is very fragile. She spent a short time under the suns, and her skin went very red. Her footwear is already coming apart and her soft feet couldn’t possibly cope with the terrain if we needed to move.

So, while rescue at least means she will be safe. It means the end of my nest, for the time being.

Outside the shelter, I watch as the ship streaks through the atmosphere of the moon as a bright dot.

My collar buzzes.

It can’t be!

I look behind me as Sara emerges, pulling her shift down. She gives me a smile that should warm my soul.

But it’s frozen in fear for her. My masters have found us first, and there’s no way she will be safe.

“What is it, Lyon?” She asks, winding her hands around my waist.

I enclose her in my wings, reveling in her scent and the touch of my hand on her hair. The knowledge of how utterly glorious it was to mate her. Despair fills my stomach. I can’t let the Drahon have her.

Because she is mine.

“It’s my masters.”

Her head whips up, eyes wide. “How do you know?”

I touch my collar, forgetting myself for an instant, and a shock fires into my spine, causing me to fall to my knees.

“No!” She’s beside me. “We have to get that off you. We have to run!” She reaches for the collar, and I bat her hand away.

“Don’t touch it, it’s designed to be tamper-proof. If I or anyone else tries to remove it, it will cause pain to both parties.”

“We still need to get it off you.” She says, wringing her hands. “I can’t let them hurt you, not anymore.”

“Do you mean that, my eregri?” My heart fills with a warmth that I didn’t think possible.

“Of course I do, Lyon.” She brushes her lips over mine, and her emotions swirl with pink and green. “I-I love you.” She stutters out.

I stare at her. Another being in this universe loves me. My mate, my eregri, loves me.

“I’m sorry, Lyon. I know we’ve only known each other a short time and,” she rubs at the back of her neck, eyes down cast, “I know you think I’m probably not in my right mind, with the abduction and everything, but I’ve never met anyone like you. I just feel that we’re connected somehow. I never want to be without you.”

She takes in a shuddering breath.

“If that’s all too much, that’s fine. I wanted you to know how I feel.” Water hovers in her eyes and her terror that I might reject her is a bitter taste in my mouth.

I catch her up in my arms, lifting her until she wraps her legs around my waist and a realization hits me like a rock between the eyes.

“I love you, my sweet mate.” I murmur as I nuzzle at her neck, nipping at it in the way I know she likes. “We were destined to be together. That’s what eregri means. You are my fate. You are my everything. My forever and my boundless flight.”

CHAPTER 16

SARA

Lyon’s confession of love to mine sends warmth spreading through me. It doesn’t matter what happens as long as we are together. It settles the churning in my stomach that a possible rescue turns out to be the slavers who own Lyon.

He opens and closes his fists, claws extending as he contemplates the sky where, only moments before, a ship streaked like a falling star.

“They can’t find you.” He says. “They can’t have you.”

“That doesn’t make sense, Lyon. If they get you and use your collar, then they’ll take you and leave me.”

“They won’t take me.” He drops his chin to his chest, and I can almost feel the anger rolling from him. “I’m not going back to that life, not if I have you.”

“But what about the collar?”

Lyon raises his head to look at me, his eyes hard.

“They will release me.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a reason to be released.” He snarls. “You.”

He unfurls his wings and I leap towards him, placing my hand on his arm.

“No, Lyon. This isn’t just your fight.”

He hesitates.

“It’s ours.” I run my hand down his arm and take hold of his hand, entwining his fingers with mine.

In an instant, I’m in his arms, pressed against his muscular chest.

“My eregri,” he says into my hair.

All this vicious predator wanted was someone to love him.

“We need a plan.” He releases me.

“Well, you know your masters. What are they going to do once they land?” I prompt.

Lyon considers my question.

“They’ll set up their lab to receive me, then they’ll triangulate my position and hunt me down.”

“Okay, so we can decide where we’re going to meet them, when and how. We know this terrain, they don’t.” I raise my eyebrows at him. “We know what’s dangerous and what’s not.”

“The tree?” His eyes light up. “I should have known a female capable of tying up a Gryn warrior would think of something like that.” Now he’s grinning, and it fills my soul with light.

“Guilty as charged.” I return his smile.

Lyon has hope and so do I. He gathers me up in his arms.

“I’m going to keep close to the treetops, my eregri, to ensure they can’t track us easily, but it might be a bit rough.”

With that, he’s in the air, and he definitely wasn’t kidding. My feet brush leaves more times than I can count before we finally land in the small clearing where the tree tried to eat me.

“Keep well away from it, I don’t know how far the tentacles stretch.” Lyon warns.

“Don’t need to tell me.” I keep a wary eye on the pulsing base. “What now?”

“They’ll have landed by now, presumably relatively close by, wherever they could find a landing spot.”

“The plan?”

“I want to reduce their numbers first, but we’re going to need to get them to take us to the ship if I want this collar off.” Lyon’s fingers explore his neck, and he winces. “The Drahon are not fighters, which is why they have slaves like me, to do their dirty work.” He scans the small clearing. “But the fewer they are in number the better odds we have.”

“I agree.” I make sure to keep close to him, whilst keeping one eye on the tree base. “Earlier you said you were a Gryn warrior, is that what you are?”

Lyon’s face clouds for an instant. “The Drahon call me Gryn. I always assumed that’s what my species is, but ‘warrior’? I don’t know why I would say that.”

“More memories?” I ask, hopefully.

“More memories, maybe.” Lyon says thoughtfully. “The most I’ve had in many cycles.” He winds an arm around my waist. “All down to you.” He bends to press a kiss to my lips.

“The escaped Gryn.” A slimy voice sounds across the clearing. “On your knees, slave.”

Lyon goes rigid against me, vibrating slightly and drops away, stunned, to the ground.

LYON

I’m not entirely sure if the Drahon cohort that have found us are deliberately using the low settings on my collar, or if there’s something wrong with it, but the shock they gave me wouldn’t normally do much more than act as a warning.

However, I want to lure them closer to the tree, and it’s easy to feign that I’m more affected than they might think. I have my eregri to protect and there’s no way they are getting any closer to her than I will allow.

“Look, the Gryn has found a female slave!” One of the Drahon, a female captain called Tinp that I recognize from the labs, says as she spots Sara.

“Two runaways for the price of one.” The larger male Drahon, their head of security, Gahar laughs nastily. “Human too. They’re much in demand in certain circles.” His laugh turns lusty, and it’s taking everything I can not to reveal my status by ripping his throat out.

“Keep away.” Sara growls. “Leave him alone!”

Tinp makes a hissing sound. “Look, it likes him. Isn’t that the cutest?”

“He can’t keep her. We’ve got more work for him once he’s been reprogrammed.” Gahar replies. “Although why Yuliat wants to keep him around I don’t understand. He’s far more trouble than he’s worth.”

“You know why she keeps him around.” Tinp motions for three Drahon males to cross the clearing. “She likes her alone time with him, if you know what I mean. He’ll do anything for her.”

Dagar shakes out his long tail. “Disgusting. Why would she want to do anything with a warm-blooded mammal? They’re filthy.”

I feel Sara freeze next to me, her hand withdrawing from my shoulder. I want to reassure her, but the three Drahon lackeys are almost at the tree, and if we can get rid of three, all the better. I’ve no option but to keep still.

The Drahon reach the center of the clearing, and I let out a low groan, causing them to hesitate. The tree doesn’t waste its chance. Hidden vines burst from the soil and wrap around the legs of the Drahon, snapping them off their feet and within half a second, they’ve been sucked into the bulbous pulsing heart of the tree, their cries of alarm immediately muffled.

“What the…?” Gahar leaps backwards, nearly hitting Tinp in the process as I laugh to myself.

“This isn’t Drahonia.” I get to my feet, tucking Sara behind me. “If you want to live, you’ll take me and my mate off this moon.”

Gahar is briefly stunned at the loss of his crew, but like all Drahon, he doesn’t care for the loss of their lives, only the preservation of his own. He quickly recovers his composure. I brace myself, ready to fly with Sara if he decides to start firing rather than attempting to subdue me.

“Oh, you’re getting off this moon, you and your tiny slave mate. But you’re not in any position to dictate terms, Gryn.”

He holds up the collar controller, and I prepare for the resulting shock, hoping it’s not enough to stop the attack that I’m planning. A vine wriggles towards him and it’s enough of a distraction. I launch myself across the clearing, but before I reach him a strange, cold sensation slides down my spine, and I’m falling.

I’m falling and I don’t stop. I don’t reach the ground. Everything slows.

And everything goes black.

CHAPTER 17

SARA

Lyon almost seems to stall in midair, crashing to the ground at the feet of the big lizard man who chuckles nastily as Lyon skids to a halt, a tangle of feathers and limbs.

“Stupid Gryn.” He snarls. “Go get the others, I’m not carrying the zarker back to the ship.” He shouts at the smaller lizard, who, still wide eyed at what happened to the other lizards, turns tail and runs away.

“Don’t touch him!” I fire out, racing over to Lyon. He’s out cold.

“You don’t give orders, slave.” The big one says, reaching for me. “Come here.”

I dance away. I’m no use to Lyon if I’m caught, too. I know the forest and if I’m free, there’s got to be a better chance that I can help him.

“That’ll be a big nope, lizard features.” I back towards the tree, knowing that it’s already occupied with the three lizard men it ate earlier. “If you want me, you’ll have to find me.”

I try hard not to look at Lyon’s prone form as I turn and flee into the jungle. I only run for a short distance before I find a useful avo/melon bush to hide in, waiting and listening. In the distance, I hear voices, presumably more lizard people, then the voices trail away.

I exhale a sigh of relief that is short lived. I have to follow them, find out where their ship is so that I can rescue my big lug of an alien angel. His limp body is imprinted on my brain, and tears prick the back of my eyelids. I know he had a plan, but I’m not sure if ending up unconscious was actually part of it.

Taking great care where I tread, given that I already know there’s one of the tree traps in the area, I track back the way I came. I’m able to pick up the trail of the lizards easily; they’ve done nothing to hide their movements.

Or the fact that they’ve been dragging Lyon, here and there are a couple of feathers where he’s tangled in the undergrowth. My blood boils that they would treat him so badly. With infinite care, I follow the trail until I reach the edge of an enormous clearing, and, squatting in the center, steaming slightly, is a white oval on spindly legs. I shrink back into the undergrowth when I see them all, trooping up a ramp that looks like a long white tongue, Lyon slung by his arms between two lizard men.

I’m trying hard not to think about what the big lizard said, that one of them used Lyon for something more than just assassinations. Why didn’t he tell me? He told me everything else about how they used him, stole his memories from him. But not that he and a lizard had been getting intimate. I push the thoughts to the back of my mind. I know he didn’t want to go back, and that’s all that matters.

Now all I have to do is work out a way of helping him escape.

LYON

“Gryn!” There’s a sharp tap on my cheek, and I let out an involuntary groan.

Opening my eyes, my masters are waiting for me in the whiteness of the lab.

“No!” I start to struggle, but I’m bound onto the table. “Sara.” I say and clamp my lips shut. They can’t know what she means to me.

Everything that’s ever meant anything to me, the Drahon have destroyed. They can’t have Sara. They can’t have my eregri.

“You’re going to have to give him a bigger dose, Garah. He’s never going to be compliant at this rate.” Yuliat says, and I twist my head to see her. She swims in my vision, flickering in and out in her holographic form.

“Yuliat, no, please.” I plead with her. “No more.”

“It’s for your own good, Lyon.” She smiles at me, but a Drahon smile means nothing. “You’ll soon be back with us and back where you belong. You want to do your duty for me, don’t you?”

My veins fill with fire and ice, my head fogging. It’s good, too good. Her face flickers all around me. “I don’t want to…”

“Oh but you do, Lyon. You’ll do anything for me once you’ve had your medicine.”

My head rolls and my mind rolls with it. I can’t keep my eyes open, and I know that there’s something I need to do, someone I need to protect, but the pull of the narcotic is too great.

“I might even let you have your little slave toy. If you promise to behave for me.” Yuliat’s voice fades, and I’m already unsure of what she means.

What slave? What toy? There is only the Drahon, my masters and my owners.

I would do anything for them.

CHAPTER 18

SARA

Back at the camp, I search around for anything I can use as a weapon. What we have is very little, unless I can think of a novel use for a spoon. Inside the tipi, I rummage through the survival box and come up blank, sitting down heavily on the banquet to contemplate my options.

The small twinkling pieces of metal that spin gently in a breeze blowing through the open door catch my eye. Lyon’s nest, the one he made for me.

My heart jumps into my throat as the tears threaten again. I have to save my alien angel, no matter what. I can’t let the Drahon take him back. Neither of us are slaves, and we deserve to be free. My eyes alight on a bowl of berries.

The same ones that sent Lyon into orbit and which had no effect on me. I’ve continued to eat them, knowing Lyon is sticking to the rations, because I’m sure they’re a good source of vitamin c. Plus, they taste like a cross between a strawberry and a blackberry and remind me of Earth.

I stuff some into a small pack which came with the pod. My mind is made up, I need to be with Lyon. He’s all that matters and I’m going to have to get on the ship with him, even if it means being captured by the Drahon. I give our nest one last glance and head out of the door, back into the forest and towards the big clearing, stopping briefly on my way.

There’s a couple of lizards standing guard at the end of the tongue-like ramp, but as I get closer to the ship, there’s a chiming sound inside and they turn, hurrying back up the ramp. The steam rising from the outer skin increases, and I rush forward to the edge of the ramp and peer up. It seems empty and I put a foot on it tentatively.

As soon as I do, it begins to draw back up into the ship. The fucking thing is going to take off! I leap onto the ramp and scramble/climb up, racing against the rapidly diminishing surface, I hurl myself inside the main body of the craft, landing in a heap on the floor.

Behind me, a door closes with a loud hiss. I look around wildly, trying to find anywhere I can hide from the lizards, knowing it would be better if I can help Lyon without capture first. The corridor I find myself in is, in direct contrast to the outside, the color and appearance of stainless steel. I get to my feet and dart down it, hoping all the lizards are busy.

I reach a junction and try to decide which way I should go. I can’t exactly get lost, but I need to find Lyon. Pausing to catch my breath, I put my hand on the wall and a soft chime has me stumbling back.

Where I put my hand an image has appeared. I peer closer. It’s a schematic of the ship. But it’s in alien. I curse under my breath, trying to decipher what might be where.

‘Where do you wish to go?’

A voice comes out of nowhere and I jump, checking around myself for lizards, I realize it has to be some sort of interactive map.

“Er, the…lab?” I say, remembering what Lyon said about the Drahon preparing for him.

‘Lab.’ The voice repeats and a red dot traces a path down the corridor to my left, which seems pretty easy.

I’m just about to thank it when I hear voices behind me and realize it’s time to go. With the route memorized I run down the corridor in the direction of, what I hope is Lyon.

The corridor comes to an abrupt halt, ending in a door where I presume the lab is situated. More voices on the other side have me looking around wildly for somewhere to hide. The door slides open, and two lizards step out.

“Well, well, if it’s not the female slave that the Gryn brought home.” The larger one sneers. “He’s found himself a little pet.”

“Fuck you!” I’m not going to be intimidated any more by these creatures. They are so frightened of Lyon they have to collar him to control him. They don’t deserve my fear. “What have you done with Lyon?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” The smaller one laughs and it’s probably the nastiest thing I’ve ever heard. “Gryn, come here and deal with your pet.” She stands aside and beckons inside the door.

A rustle of feathers and my breath leaves my body. Lyon stands there, looking bigger and badder than ever. Wings held out, he glowers.

“Lyon!” I rush towards him.

“What do we do with female slaves, Gryn?” The bigger lizard says, and Lyon shoots out an arm, grabbing me by the throat.

“Ah-ah.” The other lizard says as he squeezes at me. “Play nice with your pet.”

“Lyon!” I gasp out, grappling at his hand. His grip is like iron. “Lyon, it’s me!” I try to touch his chest. He looks down at my hands and then into my face.

His eyes are dull. There’s no spark of recognition, zero.

“Lyon, it’s me, Sara.” I whisper, but I already know it’s no use.

The Drahon have stolen his memories again, and this time they’ve taken me.

These lizards are a bunch of sick, twisted bastards. My darling Lyon is drugged to oblivion, and they delighted in getting him to chain me up in a nasty smelling cell somewhere in the bowls of the ship. His dead eyes not showing an iota of recognition. His movements slow and clumsy.

And when they didn’t like what he was doing. They shocked him through the collar until he fell to his knees.

“What do you think of your mate now?” The biggest lizard asks me with a sneer. He’s still not as large as Lyon, who dwarfs him when he’s standing.

“I think you’re a bunch of cold blooded, cruel bottom-feeders.” I spit out. “When Lyon gets free, he will destroy you.”

“Stupid female,” the lizard snarls, taking a step toward me, a shock stick in hand. “He won’t get free. This is how he’s programmed. He doesn’t care for you. He only cares that he pleases us. He’ll do whatever we ask, and that includes killing you. Do you want that? Do you want us to have him kill you?”

“Fucking lizard twat.” I mutter under my breath. From the look in his eyes, they would compel Lyon to do something that despicable.

“But if you play nice, we might ask him to put on a show with you.” The lizard grabs his crotch suggestively. “Before you’re sold to pleasure others. That way we’d all get to enjoy your mating.”

He hauls Lyon to his feet by one wing, planting a boot in his back to push him away from me.

I’ve been mad before in my life. I was mad at Brian and his cronies for wanting to destroy the park where I worked before I was abducted, but it pales into insignificance compared to just how mad I am at the way the lizards treat Lyon.

And now they’ve made me mad, I know I’ve got to make them pay.

“Hey?”

“Zark off, slave.”

“I just wanted to ask you not to eat the berries in my bag. I brought them for Lyon, they’re his favorite.” I continue speaking, keeping my voice as even and pleasant as I can even though every muscle in my body is braced against the anger that rolls from me.

The lizard man who is holding my bag opens it, looks inside and then looks back at me with a nasty grin. His tongue whips out, forked like a snake and into the bag. I hold my breath.

“Mmmm, these smell delicious. I’m sure our cook can do something with them.”

“No!” I cry out.

He sneers at me and stalks out of the door as I slump to the floor. It’s all very well hoping that the lizards do eat the berries, that they do have at least the same effect on them as they did on Lyon or better still, kill them off.

I’m basically fucked, chained up in a stinking cell and my sweet Lyon is back in the clutches of his masters, who clearly use hefty doses of some sort of drug to keep the massive warrior in line.

I close my eyes and sink down the wall until I’m sitting on the floor. The chain on my arm isn’t long enough so I’ve now got one hand above my head.

This is a complete mess. We should have tried to get that fucking collar off Lyon when we had the chance. Now I’m going to be sold as a sex slave, he’ll stay dead to the universe, and we’ll never see each other again.

LYON

I jolt upright. Something firing through me like a shock. It was a voice. A soft voice calling my name.

A voice that sounded like home.

But I don’t have a home. All I have is the corner in which I was told to sit. Sit and wait.

And I always do what I’m told. If I don’t there is pain. Searing, blinding pain that has no end.

That voice. It was so perfect, it made my heart feel as if it was beating. With some effort I shift my position, ignoring the shock that runs down my spine. I want to hear the voice again.

I’m not caged, and I’m not bound. I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again trying to focus on my arms. I’ve been stripped of the top part of my suit and a long, thin tube runs into one vein, but there are no chains. My head feels like an impossible weight as I lift it up to scan my surroundings.

I’m on the bridge of a Drahon vessel, frowning at this strange turn of events. I attempt to get to my feet, but nothing wants to co-operate, not my legs or wings.

“The Gryn is awake.” I’m hauled up to look into the cold black eyes of Gahar. “Zarking piece of gak slave.” He turns his head to shout over his shoulder. “Why is this piece of gak awake?”

“Turn up the delivery on his IV.” Tinp has appeared from nowhere and if I could get away, I would, but all that happens is I drop in Gahar’s grasp, and he swears at me.

“Why the zark can’t he go in a cell?”

“You heard what Yuliat said, he damages himself if he’s confined in anything but a cage. She needs him for one last job before he can be disposed of.” Tinp pushes something into my arm and a warmth floods my veins. “There we go, Lyon. That’s better isn’t it?”

“He’s zarking wasted now.” Gahar swims in my vision, grinning with sharp teeth. “Aren’t you, Gryn? You like that? You like being zarked?” He shakes me, and I nod.

“Whatever you wish, master.” The words don’t sound as if they’re from me.

“Did you hear that?” Gahar is laughing again. “Master. This must be good stuff if he’s calling me ‘master’.”

“Leave him alone, Gahar.” Tinp says. “If it wears off again, he’ll be pissed, and you know what he does if you upset him.”

Gahar’s free hand touches at his neck involuntarily. A thin, pink scar runs from ear to ear.

“Zarking piece of gak.” He shakes me again. “When your time comes, Gryn, I’m going to be the one doing the killing.” He pulls me closer as I feel my eyes roll back in my head. The voice is calling me, and I want to go. I want to be anywhere but here. “I’m going to gut you and make your pretty mate watch.”

“You are?” My brain fires back into life. “I’d like to see you try.”

I hook a claw under the collar and with everything I have, tear through it as it tries to shock me senseless.

CHAPTER 19

SARA

I must have fallen asleep, although I’m not entirely sure how, given just how uncomfortable and smelly this cell is, but something woke me.

Something big, muscular and a wingspan that would rival a small aircraft.

Lyon.

He’s breathing unnaturally heavily. He’s not wearing anything on his top half, and a long thin silver tube dangles from the vein on his arm, blood flowing out. His eyes are no longer dead, but instead his brows are drawn as he studies me.

“What are you?” He asks.

My heart hits my boots. “I’m Sara, Lyon. Don’t you remember me?”

His brows draw closer, and I almost feel the physical pain of him trying to navigate his addled mind and everything done to him. I stand and take a step towards him.

He takes a step back.

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Very slowly, I reach out my hand that isn’t chained towards him. I can see he also has blood on his claws, both sets.

“I should remember.” He gives his head a violent shake. “I can never remember.” Lyon growls a feral growl, his eyes flashing with an instant anger.

“You can remember.” I carefully take his hand, and he looks down at where we touch. “You’ve remembered before. You remember now.” My heart thunders in my chest.

I’m standing inches away from the biggest predator I’ve ever met, and I’m chained to a wall. I’m not frightened in the least. I feel him trembling. I feel his fear that he will never remember again.

“You remember me, don’t you, Lyon?”

I hold my breath as his liquid dark gaze settles on me. I rub a soft circle on the skin between his thumb and forefinger.

“My Sara?” He dredges my name up from the depths of his memory with a rasp.

“Yes! I’m yours, Lyon. Always yours.”

“My eregri?” His hand catches hold of mine as a light of recognition fires into his eyes. “My mate!”

He pulls me towards him, and I’m caught by the chain holding my other wrist, coming to a sudden stop with a hiss of pain.

The low, feral growl that comes from Lyon buries itself in my psyche as something both terrifying and protective.

“You are chained, my eregri?”

“Yes, Lyon. You got your own back in the end.”

“I did this to you?” Various emotions flit across his face and finally, finally, a smile hitches the corners of his mouth. “I did this to you.”

“Well, no need to be so amused about it. Are you going to release me?”

Lyon moves closer, another growl reverberating in his chest, this one more feral than the last. One hand wraps around my waist as he pushes me back towards the wall.

“Depends if you ask me nicely.” He encloses me with his wings, his bare chest pressed against me.

I swipe my tongue over his skin, and he vibrates under my touch.

“How nice?” I stare up into his handsome face as his confusion slowly slips away like a mist clearing, to be replaced by a clarity as clear as a mountain stream.

“I have mated with you.” He rasps. ‘Haven’t I?”

“You have.” I hold my breath.

He blinks at me, then ducks his head to bury it in my hair, inhaling deeply. The warmth that blooms through me is like nothing I’ve ever known. My head filled with a swirl of blue contentment.

My eregri.

Lyon’s voice echos in my mind.

“Lyon?” I query but he doesn’t move, just snuffles against me, breathing deeply as the blue deepens. “I can hear you.”

“I know.”

LYON

I feel as if I’ve been at the bottom of a deep, dark pool and someone has pulled me out.

Not just someone, my fated mate, my eregri. My Sara.

Wherever I was, she brought me back and being with her is a balm to my soul. I never want to let her go.

“What happened?” She asks me as I make swift work of the chain that binds her to the wall. “Where are the lizard people? I thought you were under their control?”

She runs her hand down my arm to where there is a sharp pain as she pulls something out of my skin.

“I heard you, and I had to come get you.” I reply as she holds up a broken IV. “Whatever that was, it didn’t work, not this time.” My memory is starting to clear. “They threatened to hurt you. So I killed them.“

“What?” Sara stares at me, wide eyed, but not in fear. “All of them?”

“Maybe not all the Drahon.” I shrug. “Enough.”

“Good.” Sara replies. “They were a nasty bunch of bastards.”

“You are not afraid?”

“Not this time and not of you. What they did to you, Lyon, it was beyond cruel.” She says, little pink hands balled into fists. “What do we do now?”

“We have a ship.” I grin at her. “We can do whatever we want.”

“Even go back to Earth?” Sara clasps her hands together, all full of hope.

My heart sinks. She wants to go home, back to her planet, and I don’t know if that’s somewhere I can go.

Or even if she would want me to.

“Yes,” I reply, attempting to sound upbeat. “Even back to Earth.” I struggle with the unfamiliar word, and she grins at me.

I should be rejoicing in her delight at being able to return, but instead my stomach feels as if I’ve been fed rocks.

A high pitched alarm begins to sound, and Sara clamps her hands over her ears.

“What the fuck is that?” She bellows.

“Not good.” I grab her hand and head back through the ship towards the bridge.

I’ve been on the Honia many times, being ferried from place to place by the Drahon and I know the layout well. As we reach the bridge, despite the blaring alarm, I stop.

“I think I did some bad things in here, my eregri. I am not sorry, but it might not be pleasant. Let me go first.”

Sara inclines her head, wincing slightly at the piercing alarm.

“I’m not sorry that any of the Drahon are dead, and I appreciate that you want to protect me from seeing their deaths. I can’t say I want to see it, but I’m not going to shy away from what you have done. I know they would have killed you first. I know they were planning to rape me. So I can’t pretend I didn’t want them dead.”

“You are a brave being, my little Sara.” I tuck a lock of her long tawny hair behind her ear. “You took on a Gryn warrior in the forest and you took on the Drahon on this ship. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve you, but I’m eternally grateful to the goddess that I did.”

I take a step towards the door to the bridge, and it slides open.

My memory is hazy to what I did in here, but I breathe a sigh of relief it’s not a complete bloodbath.

“Is there any way we can turn that noise off?” Sara yells at me. All the consoles are lit up in red, and she follows me as I step over the body of a Drahon and hit the sequence that disables the alarm and puts up the display to detail whatever the problem is.

“Oh god, that’s better.” Sara sighs. “Isn’t it?” She asks, seeing my frown.

“Someone’s dumped most of the fuel core.” I look down at the dead Drahon. He was dead before he hit the floor, it couldn’t have been him.

A scuffling behind us has me spinning around, pushing Sara behind me as Gahar rises up from next to the engineering console, his hand leaving bloody prints as he attempts to haul himself up.

“You’re zarked, Gryn. There’s not enough fuel left to get you anywhere in this galaxy, and I’ve jettisoned most of the supplies. If you thought you were getting away from your masters, you were wrong. If you thought you were going to get back to Ustokos you were wrong.” He spits out a mouthful of blood. “You’ll never find it, and you’ll never find your species. Neither will your little mate.”

With a roar, I’m across to him.

“What do you mean? What’s Ustokos? Who are my species?” I grab at him, vaguely aware of the damage I inflicted on him. Gahar’s eyes flare with hate, and his last breath rattles away with a nasty laugh as I shake him.

“He’s gone, Lyon.” Sara is beside me, her emotions swirl in my head, her love for me, and her fear for the future.

“He was going to make me kill you.” I half-whisper. “And he was going to make sure I was just aware enough of what I was doing.” I look over at Sara. “He didn’t suspect that we have a thoughtbond.”

With one sentence, Gahar has blown my world wide open.

I have a home. A place to nest, and a place to be free.

But the one thing that would make me complete, my eregri, my fated mate, my boundless flight. She only wants to return to her planet, not mine.

And without her, there’s no home and no nest.

CHAPTER 20

SARA

“A thoughtbond?” I luxuriate in Lyon’s touch, his skin on mine. “We can hear each other’s thoughts?”

‘Yes’

My head spins with this new information, but I don’t get long to process the fact that we seem to have a telepathic link. A quiet beeping interrupts us, and Lyon pulls away from me to check a console before he breaks into a grin.

“Proximity alert.” He says. “Looks like we won’t be stuck here after all.”

“What about the rest of the crew?” I look around the bridge, only counting three dead Drahons.

“They used the escape pods once I was loose. Cowards.” Lyon replies, pulling himself up to his full height and opening his wings. “We’ve got just enough fuel to reach the other ship.”

He strides across the bridge to a central console and begins punching at it with claws that click over the shiny surface.

“You really can fly this thing?”

“Of course.” He gives me an indulgent smile. “Can’t leave all the rescuing to my little mate, can I?”

“I’ve not done a great job so far.” I grumble.

Lyon swipes out at me, snagging my waist and pulling me to him. “You made me want to be free, my eregri. You are the one who rescued me.” He presses a kiss to my lips, our tongues entwining as he makes my core throb with the need to have him all to myself again.

“Mate, you will be the ultimate distraction!” Lyon groans, eyes closed as a hand continues to tap on the terminal. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” He opens his eyes and his entire face lights up with joy. “Are you ready?”

In front of us the entire wall disappears and it’s as if we’re standing out in space. I gasp involuntarily and grab a tighter hold on Lyon. “What the-?”

“It is holographic, my sweet, we’re safe inside the ship.”

“I’m bloody glad you know that.”

“See,” he points a claw towards a brighter spot ahead of us as stars zip past. “That’s the ship we’re heading for.”

“What if it leaves before we get to it? I thought that alarm meant we were in proximity to it.”

Lyon’s brows knit. “We are in close proximity. It’s half a par-sec away. Look.”

I turn back to space and the slab side of the other spaceship is almost at the end of my nose, causing me to jump and Lyon to chuckle irritatingly.

“I’ve never been into space until I was abducted, Lyon.” I grumble. “This is all new to me.”

Lyon has stopped laughing as he checks over the console carefully.

“What is it?”

“There’s something going on inside this ship, something weird.”

“Is that good weird or bad weird?” I ask.

“The only way we’re going to find out is by getting on board.” Lyon replies, shaking out his feathers.

LYON

The ship we’ve encountered is timely, but there’s something not quite right about it. It’s of a design that I recognize, but it’s old. Plus the energy signatures coming from the center of the ship are odd.

If we didn’t have to get off the Drahon ship, I wouldn’t be going anywhere near this hulk of aging space junk, but we don’t have any option. The remaining fuel core is just about depleted and there are no habitable planets, or moons, within any distance for us to reach.

I maneuver our ship into a docking formation with the other craft. It hasn’t responded to my hails, and that’s also a concern.

There’s a slight vibration in the Drahon ship as we dock.

“Okay. I need to get to the armory first. We’re not going on board unless we’re both armed.” I take Sara’s hand in mine and revel in her proximity as we make our way down several levels until we reach the area where I need to be. The door gives easily to my claws and as expected from the Drahon, the armory is filled with every weapon imaginable.

“Here.” I hand a small laser to Sara.

“Oooo!” She squeals. “A real life laser gun, just like Star Trek! Is it set to stun? Tell me it’s set to stun!”

“No. It will kill anything you point it at, by blowing a hole in them the size of my fist. Why would you want to stun your opponent?”

Sara shrugs. “I guess in this universe, it’s not an option.”

“I will stun any enemy you want me to, my mate.” I shake out my feathers, making sure I look my very biggest and best.

I’m rewarded by the scent of her arousal that makes what remains of my suit tight around the crotch and reminds me that I’m only half dressed, and she’s still in her slave shift. I rummage around in various containers until I find what I need.

“Put this on.” I hand Sara the suit packet. “Back of your neck.”

“Don’t be silly, Lyon. Your suit isn’t going to fit me.” She laughs and the sound sends a tingle down my spine and straight to my balls.

“They fit any species and as much as I love you in that shift, I want you safe and protected.”

Sara reaches around the back of her neck, and I help her install the suit, trying to keep my libido under control when we remove her tattered clothing to allow for the suit to fit.

And not being able to control myself at all when she’s finally encased in black. It fits her form like a glove, and I immediately want to rip it off and devour her.

“Are you okay, Lyon?” She asks, her voice innocent but her eyes are absolutely not.

I clear my throat, because if I don’t I know the growl that sticks there will become my lust wanting to escape and take her.

A violent vibration rocks the ship, and Sara falls into me.

“I don’t like that.” I grab my weapons and shove a couple of suit packets into the remaining pockets of mine. “We need to go, it feels as if the other ship is trying to disengage.”

I hurry Sara in front of me as we head down towards the main airlock and another violent shiver rocks the ship. As we reach the airlock, I touch the collar on her suit, and it activates the oxygen bubble.

“Hey!” She says in alarm, her hands scrabbling at the translucent skin of the bubble

“It’s okay, it’s just additional oxygen.”

“What about you?” Sara says, touching my bare chest.

“I’ll be fine, let’s get off this ship before the pair of them break apart.”

I activate the airlock and gently push her inside. Whatever’s happening on that other ship, we need to get to the control room and stop it, or we really will be dead in space.

CHAPTER 21

SARA

As soon as we’re through the airlock and onto the other ship, Lyon releases me from the horrible thing that encases my head. It was like being in a deflating balloon.

Another strong ripple shakes and rattles this new ship. Or should I say old? In contrast to the Drahon craft, this one is seemingly ancient. Streaks of dirt over angular walls and a floor that’s slightly sticky under my new boots.

“Where now?” I hiss at him, not quite sure why I’m whispering.

A long, low groan greets us, and Lyon looks at me, excitement in his eyes.

“Don’t tell me, wherever that noise came from?”

He nods, all his feathers pricking up at once.

“Jesus, Lyon. I thought that once you weren’t a slave, you’d be keen to retire from this sort of life?”

Now his nod becomes a grin, and he violently twirls his wings until the feathers settle back in place.

“I am a warrior, my sweet female. And this is what warriors do.” He grips the enormous laser gun he picked up on the Drahon ship.

I roll my eyes at him. “Let’s go and get eaten by a space worm or something. Because I’ve missed being in danger every five minutes.” I stalk off ahead of him, trying to work out which way the noise was coming from.

Lyon catches up with me and we make our way deeper into the ship. Grinding, creaking sounds come from every part of it as it continues to shake violently on and off.

“What’s happening to it?” I ask him. “Why is it shaking?”

“I don’t know. But what I do know is we need to disengage from the Honia as soon as possible. The dampeners on that ship will hold it in place, and if this one is trying to go somewhere, all that will happen is two enormous holes in the hulls and instant death.”

“Ah, there we go, danger of death. Now I know I’ve got you back.” I shoulder him affectionately and all at once I’m tossed into a pair of strong arms, surrounded by the scent of spicy feathers.

“You’ll always have me, my eregri. Wherever you go, I go too.” His dark eyes bore into me, a comforting blue fills my mind.

When he said we could go anywhere, my first thoughts were to get back to Earth. It’s not like I have much to go back too, but generally I’m not at risk of being sold as a sex slave or being eaten by a tree.

Except, what about my Lyon? I can’t leave him, but I can’t take a seven foot tall alien angel home with me either. He’d be pretty hard to hide, and I’m certain that the UK government would have an unhealthy interest in an alien on their soil. He’d be even worse off than in the cold, green and scaly hands of the Drahon.

But Earth is all I know. This new life, wherever we are in the universe, it’s no life. We’re slaves. Commodities to be traded. Going home is my only option, isn’t it?

But in the arms of this big alien, all warmth and feathers, I’m not so sure.

Lyon sets me back down on my feet and we continue our way through the ship as the groaning sound increases in volume and frequency, until it crystalizes into some sort of swirling, crackling noise.

“What the vrex is that?” Lyon mutters to himself. Up ahead there is a strange blue/green flickering light and, once the current shudder has passed, I hear other voices.

“There’s someone up there.” I whisper, a feeling of dread seizing me.

“More than just someone.” Lyon bristles. “This has to be where the energy signature is coming from, it sounds like a proton rip.

“A what?” I hurry after my predator as he prowls towards the light, every part of him concentrated on what is ahead of us, his thoughts blackened around the edges.

He is fear incarnate and I’m very pleased he’s on my side.

LYON

Something has prickled in my mind, something new, and something I don’t like at all. It’s set all my feathers on edge. All I want to do now is clear this ship of whatever is on it and get away from the Honia before both craft rip each other to pieces and we all become space debris.

I will protect my Sara with everything I have, and then I will take her home to her planet, where she wants to be. Even if it’s possible that there are other Gryn like me out in the universe, maybe even a planet where they live.

I will build my nest anywhere my mate is because she is my home.

But first, I need to take this ship and that means that whatever is up ahead will be ceding control to me. Checking that Sara is safely behind me, I move forward, until I reach the corner where the strange light flickers.

“You’ve lost, Gryn. What’s more, I’ve still got what I wanted.” A high pitched voice sneers.

“You have nothing, Proto, because you forgot one thing.”

“What’s that?”

I step out and into a large open space. In the center a portable worm hole spins, the green turning to red, showing that it’s about to collapse. Framed against the light is a huge warrior. His wings outstretched, he holds up a shining sword over his head.

In front of him, writhing on the floor, is something that looks like a large legless Drahon larvae. The warrior advances on the larvae, and I see he is the same as me. Same colored wings, same dark skin on our shoulders. He wears only a pair of dark pants and boots.

“You forgot you made me. You forgot I would always be your end.” The warrior snarls. “For Ustokos and the Gryn.” He roars, bringing the sword down.

It slices through the larvae, severing the head from the body and the thing writhes for a few terrible seconds until it goes still.

He stares at it, feathers pricked and then turns back to the worm hole. As he does, it collapses and the resulting explosion blows him off his feet, into the air. He tries to recover but the blast is too strong, and he hits the wall with a loud bang, sliding down to the floor.

“What the hell was that all about?” Sara parts my feathers and steps out into the room as I growl low in my throat.

She takes in the scene, the dead larvae and the unconscious warrior. A Gryn warrior.

A warrior just like me.

CHAPTER 22

SARA

There’s ANOTHER Lyon!

And a horrible disgusting worm thing without a head.

But my brain is scrambled with the arrival of the other feathered warrior.

This one is as large as Lyon, but not quite as muscular. I know this because he has also dispensed with clothing on his top half.

I’m also pretty sure he’s pretending to be unconscious, given that one hand still holds an enormous broadsword tightly. Lyon gives the worm a glance and then advances on the other warrior.

“Be careful.” I say, completely unnecessarily.

“This is our ship now.” Lyon rasps. “We need to disengage the Honia, before it shakes this one to pieces.”

“You want me to tie him up?” I ask in all seriousness.

Lyon snorts out a laugh. “I’m sure you’d be excellent at it, my eregri. But leave this Gryn, or whatever he is, to me.”

“I really wouldn’t try that.” The new warrior rumbles, shifting and wincing, he opens one eye.

Then he opens the other and stares.

“You’re a Gryn?” He stumbles out and starts to scramble to his feet.

“Hold it.” Lyon says. “Drop the weapon.” He trains his gun on the male, and I lift mine, too.

The other warrior stares at him, his eyes moving to the laser guns that we hold, then they track over to his sword. He releases it, dropping it to the floor with a rather melodious clang.

“I mean you no harm, brother.” He says. “You or your mate.”

“I am not your brother and don’t look at my mate.” Lyon snarls, his feathers bristling.

“Sure.” The warrior holds up his hands. “I’m Ryak. Head of Security for the Legion of the Gryn.”

“What the fuck is that disgusting thing?” I flick my gun at the dead worm.

“That is the resolution of a problem.” Ryak says, cryptically.

Lyon narrows his eyes, but as he goes to speak another violent shudder rips through the ship.

“We have to get to the bridge. If we don’t free ourselves, both vessels will be destroyed. Where is it?”

“Don’t look at me, I just got here.” Ryak replies, arms still raised, his head cocked on one side as he looks over Lyon in an almost proprietary way.

“Vrex it!” Lyon huffs and he scans around us. “Through there.” He kicks at the sword and guestures with his gun for Ryak to go ahead of us. “That door.” He points across the other side of the large room, to a door that was previously hidden behind the swirling ball of light.

Ryak hesitates for an instant. I see him bristle too.

“Don’t try anything, please. These guns are not set to stun.” I say.

“And I’m not a male you want to mess with.” Lyon growls.

For some reason, Ryak seems to think something we’ve said is funny, and a smile hitches up the corner of his mouth, showing a sharp canine.

“You are most definitely not.” He says and, putting his hands on his head, he heads towards the door, his intelligent eyes taking everything in.

He’s not a male we want to mess with either, and I’m pleased when Lyon tucks me behind him as we follow Ryak.

Whatever happens next, I know I have my alien angel by my side and that’s all that matters.

LYON

I have a thousand questions for this new Gryn, but all of them are going to have to wait until I can get rid of the vrexing Drahon ship and secure this one for me and my Sara.

Then I will deal with the male who dared to look at my mate.

“Sit over there.” I give him a shove between his wings towards a console that only controls the comms. “Sara, if he moves, shoot him.”

“Okay.” She replies, her voice trembling just slightly.

Ryak takes his seat, but I’m absolutely sure he will take any advantage he gets. I can feel it in my bones. He’s far too interested in everything. There’s a horrible creaking sound as the ship shakes again, and I throw myself at the engineering console.

“Vrex!”

“What is it?” Sara calls over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off Ryak.

“This ship is vrexing ancient!”

“And that’s a problem for you because?”

I dredge my memories, the Drahon must have given me something useful as I stare at the unfamiliar console. Finally something clicks.

“Not a problem, my sweet mate. Not a problem at all. It’s based on an old Drahonian design.” The controls become clear in my mind, and I begin the disengage sequence.

The shuddering and groaning in the hull gets louder.

“What’s that?” Sara’s voice is tinged with fear.

“Something’s wrong with the airlock.” I cycle through the program again. “It’s stuck.”

“What can we do about it?”

“Vrex! Vrex! Vrex!” I spit out as I look at the controls. “It’s going to need to be manually disengaged and then released from here.”

“I’ll go.” Ryak says, unfolding himself from his seat.

“Like vrex you will!” I fire at him. “Sit the vrex down!”

You need to save your mate. I’ll go.

I stare at him. The words, they dropped into my head, like the emotions from my eregri.

“It is the thoughtbond. All senior Gryn have it. Most Gryn have it with their mates. Mine is stronger than most.” Ryak says, a hint of a smile at my confusion. “We are brothers, whatever you wish to believe.”

“Let him go, Lyon.” Sara is beside me, her gun still trained on Ryak. “What have we got to lose?”

“Did you hear him too?”

She nods and Ryak’s eyes widen in surprise which makes me feel better that something can knock this cocky Gryn off his perch.

“That’s interesting.”

“Things are going to get more than interesting if we don’t get away from the Honia.” I stalk past him and rummage under the console until I find what I’m looking for, holding out the ear comm to him.

Ryak stares at it. “What’s that?”

“It’s a comm. Put it on.”

He takes it as if it’s a piece of meat left out in a sun for a week. I shove mine in my ear, and it clips into place. Ryak hesitantly follow suit, and the comm drops straight back out into his hand.

“Lyon?” My mate distracts me from Ryak with her hand on my arm. I draw her to me, taking her in my arms and taking comfort from her warmth. “I don’t think he knows what to do with it. Look at the sword he had, no laser gun.”

“Is that true?” I fire at Ryak.

His brows draw together. “Ustokos has been under the rule of a ruthless AI for generations, Lyon. Any tech was out of bounds.”

His use of my name, the accent in which he pronounces it, is at once familiar and strange.

“I don’t know anything about ‘Ustokos’ or ‘Proto’.” I shake my head at him. “If you don’t know how to work tech, you’re useless.”

I head back to the console.

“I didn’t say I can’t work tech.” Ryak rattles his wings. “I just said I don’t have much experience with it. Tell me what you need me to do.”

The grinding sound of two ships trying to tear each other apart screeches through the bridge. I look the male up and down.

“Lyon, please.” Sara pleads. “Let him help.”

Her terror at the impending destruction spears through me.

“I’m going to go and manually disengage the airlock.” Lyon grabs Ryak by his wing and tows him over to the console. “You’ll see and hear me on here.” He taps a claw on the screen. “As soon as I tell you we’re free, hit this button.” He points to a glowing orange area. “Got that?”

“I suspect I can manage that.” Ryak says, laconically.

“Good.” I grab Sara’s hand. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 23

SARA

The last thing I want is Lyon fighting with Ryak. I can tell he’s confused and concerned that, almost out of nowhere, there is another male that seems to be the same species as him.

And that there’s a planet out there where there are others of his species.

My mate has a home.

“I’m not leaving you with him.” Lyon growls as we hurry off the bridge, past the remains of the worm and back the way we came.

“I don’t think he’s any threat to you.” I squeeze his hand. “In fact, maybe he can fill in all the parts of your memory that you thought you’d lost.”

“Maybe I can fill in his ‘loss of memory’.” Lyon sneers. “I don’t believe for a second he doesn’t know how to operate tech.”

“Then why leave him on the bridge?”

“Because it takes more than one person to fly this thing, it’s that vrexing old. He couldn’t take control of the ship even if he wanted to.”

“Clever!” I squeeze his hand and find myself caged against a wall, a fury of feathers and claws. A pair of dark eyes studies my face.

“Seeing you near him makes me want to claim you right here.” Lyon’s voice is a feral rasp. “It makes me want to mark you as mine forever.”

“I am yours.” I stroke my hand down the side of his face and press a kiss to his lips. “Forever.”

“Which is why we need to get these vrexing ships apart, then I can take you back to your home.” Lyon’s wings are gone, folded behind him and he is towing me behind him at a tremendous pace.

“Wait!” I pant out but he’s not listening, and the airlock looms up ahead of us.

“Ryak? Can you hear me?” Lyon taps his ear, and he must have got a response as he looks up at a small black dot on the ceiling that has to be alien CCTV. “I’m going to use the manual disengage now, be ready.”

Now we’re at the airlock, I can see the hull of the Drahon ship is flexing in a very unpleasant way as the short tunnel between the two crafts is rigidly in place.

“Hit the button over there.” Lyon points to a triangular shape that’s lit in blue. “That will close the airlock and secure it on our side. He stands next to a large red lever that could be straight out of a sci-fi movie.

I push the button and nothing happens. I push it again because that always works. Nothing.

“It’s not closing.”

Lyon huffs a breath and peers into the airlock.

“I’m going to have to use the manual control at the other end. Wait here.” He strides towards the entrance and steps inside the airlock.

“Put your suit on, like mine, use the oxygen.”

The sound of metal ripping against metal. “No time.” Lyon says, leaping through. “Get ready to hit that button as soon as I’m on board.”

He runs down the tunnel and disappears into the Drahon ship. With a loud hiss, the airlock door on my side starts closing.

“No! Not now!” I shout at it. “Lyon, come back!” I holler through the tunnel. “The door’s closing and I don’t know how to stop it!”

I see a wing appear and then Lyon. He leaps through the door on the other side of the tunnel and steams towards me as the airlock closes with a clunk. Behind him, I see the airlock on the Drahon ship do the same.

“Lyon!” I scream, frantically pressing every button I can find on the door in the hope it will open again.

I can see the ripples in the hull getting worse, and a split appears, just next to the tunnel, the oxygen inside the ship venting into space. Lyon presses his head against the airlock window.

I love you, my mate. You would have been mine forever.

The words slam into my chest.

“No! Lyon!” I beat on the door as if my pathetic blows could somehow release my alien angel who only ever wanted to be free.

Who only wanted to be by my side. Who my heart would escape my body for, if only I would let it.

He puts his hand on the glass and my mind fills with a calming swirl of blue green.

I’ll always be with you.

Lyon puts his other hand over his heart as the rip in the hull gets larger. He looks over his shoulder, then back into my eyes.

“I can’t…Lyon. My love!” It’s as if my soul wants to be with him, pulled from my body by an unseen force. I would give anything to save him, to stay by his side.

To be his mate.

The airlock door lets out a sharp hiss and begins to roll to one side.

“What the…?” I spin around and see Ryak standing next to a wall console, a somewhat smug smile on his face.

“Go get your mate.” He grins at me.

I grab at Lyon as he squeezes through the gap.

“Close it! Close it now!” He gasps at Ryak, who presses a finger on the console.

The airlock thumps closed as the passage between the two ships rips away, and I wrap my arms around my perfect alien angel.

My heart, my mind, and my reason for being.

LYON

“I thought you didn’t know anything about tech.” I say to Ryak as I finally get my breath back, snuggling my mate into my side, and wiping away the tears from her beautiful face.

“I didn’t say that, I just said it’s been out of bounds to the Gryn for a long time.” He inspects his claws. “I’m a quick learner. All Gryn are, and we could really use someone like you as a tutor, given that you know about all of this.” He sweeps his hand at the ship.

“We will be returning to my mate’s planet, Earth. Not Ustokos.” I draw myself up to my full height and open my wings, daring him to contradict me. “Because that is where she wants to go.”

“I don’t.” Sara stares up at me, her brilliant blue eyes startling in her face.

“What do you mean? It’s your home.” I frown at her.

“It is, but I don’t want to go back. Earth will continue to turn without me. But I won’t continue without you, Lyon. Wherever you are, that’s my home.”

My head swims, both with her emotion, a perfect swirl of love, and with my desire to claim her, to make my nest, and fill her womb.

“I guess we can go back to Ustokos.” Ryak’s voice breaks into my thoughts, and I growl at him.

“Why would we want to go back there?”

“Because it is your home and the Gryn need all the help they can get.”

“Usokos it is!” Sara laughs. “I can’t wait to see it or find out more about the Gryn.”

“And I can’t wait to taste you.” I rasp, lifting her into my arms. “I need to take you to my nest, now.” I bury my head into her fragrant hair, and I’m rewarded with the scent of her arousal. “You can get out of my sight.” I snarl at Ryak, who is watching us with a wry smile.

“Whatever you say, captain.” He backs up, hands high. “Any chance you could set us on course for Ustokos before I lose you to your mate?”

“Not a single chance.” I stride away from him, determined to find the best nest I possibly can.

And then Sara is mine for the claiming.

CHAPTER 24

SARA

“What exactly are you looking for?” I ask as we peer into another cabin, which I’m certain is the same as the last.

Lyon lets out a snort of disgust at this one, lifts me back into his arms and stalks away to the next one. I don’t really mind his search, being in his arms and breathing in the scent of his feathers is more than enough for me. My Lyon. My mate.

The next door elicits a sigh of delight from him that warms my soul, and other parts.

“This will do.” Lyon says, striding into the room, which is identical to the last, save for the window that has a view of the stars.

“Will it?” I laugh at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to check any more for suitability?”

I’m flying through the air, landing on the bed with a thump, and then I’m caged by a winged fury who growls low in his throat, sending a spear of desire to my core.

“It is not the nest I would make for my eregri. Your nest will be the greatest ever seen by the Gryn. But this will do for me to claim you and ensure that all of my planet knows that you are mine.” He rasps and runs a clawed finger over the front of my suit.

It immediately folds itself back into its container, leaving me entirely naked.

“If I didn’t know better, Lyon, I’d think you put me in that suit for exactly this situation.” I trace my fingers over his exposed abs, feeling him vibrating underneath my touch as my hands skirt the waistband of his pants.

He gazes down on me, eyes hot as he takes in my naked form.

“You’d be exactly right.” He dips his head and runs a rough tongue over a nipple, teasing it into a tight, hot peak before moving onto the other as I wind my fingers through his wings.

“Can I claim you?” He releases a nipple, rising over me. “Can I take every inch of you?”

I reach for his pants, releasing the catch and allowing his enormous members to spring free.

“I want you to, Lyon. I want to be your mate, now and forever. I want to feel you, enjoy you and for us to be one.”

“You are my world, my beautiful mate.” Lyon murmurs, nudging my thighs apart, he notches himself at my entrance, both cocks this time. Both cocks at once.

“And you are very big.” I’m being stretched to my very limit, feeling every node, every ridge scraping against my sides and sending sparks of pleasure through me.

“I have to mate you, my Sara, and I have to mate you hard.” Lyon says through gritted teeth and my pussy pulses with more moisture, easing his passage as he slides inside until he bottoms out, and I am the fullest I have ever been.

“I like it hard.” I stare into his eyes as I begin to rock my hips over him, delighting in the feel of being filled to the brim.

By this bad alien angel who has had everything stolen from him. I get to give him some memories back and, when his eyes roll back in ecstasy at my words, I know I’ve given him the best gift.

Lyon rises above me, and I wrap my legs around his slim waist as he begins to thrust. Withdrawing both lengths to slam back into me. I’m caged by him, not just because I’m in his arms, but because I can’t look away from his beautiful eyes, from what I see in their inky depths.

This angel is going to take every inch of me, every atom of my being, and he’s going to make me…

His ridge hits my g-spot, and I hit my peak, I’m scrabbling at him, wanting him closer, deeper, harder as my climax bursts from within me. Red sheets my vision as everything implodes, my body pulsing as I try to take even more of this incredible alien.

I didn’t think he could go any deeper, but the stretch becomes almost painful for an instant and then I feel him, I actually feel his cum coating me inside, hot streams filling me as wave after wave of my pleasure rocks me, rocks us both because this alien has completed me in a way I never thought possible.

“My beautiful mate.” Lyon murmurs as he cups my cheek, dark eyes staring into mine. “You have made my secondary cock swell with your beauty.”

I shift against him and there is a slight pain. We’re locked together, his cocks remaining hard inside me.

“What does it mean?”

“It means you are my eregri. My fated mate, my boundless flight. You are the stars. You are the entire universe. And you are mine.”

LYON

When I wake, it’s with a warm glow that seems to emanate from my very soul. My mate slumbers in my feathers, in a nest that, while not perfect, will do until we reach my home planet.

Not just my planet, but Sara’s too. That’s why it feels like there’s a fire in my belly because I finally belong.

And we are finally free.

Sara squirms next to me, yawning and stretching out, one hand rubbing at her eyes, which open and gaze at me.

“Hey.” She smiles.

“Eregri.” I say and drop my mouth to hers for her kiss.

“I guess we need to talk to Ryak about going home.” She winds a hand through my wings, and I let out a low, guttural groan of desire. “And no more mating! We did it enough times last night. I’m sore!” She laughs at me, although the aroma of her arousal tells me otherwise.

“Do you really want to go to Ustokos? I don’t remember it if I was ever there. I don’t know what it’s like or even if it’s the right place for us.”

“Wherever you go, Lyon, that’s where I want to be. I made plans for if anything happened to me. The evidence I had on my former employers was set to automatically be sent to the newspapers if I didn’t log in to my computer. I’ve no reason to go back, and no reason to leave you.”

My heart soars as if I’ve found an empty sky. A sky on Ustokos.

“You’re happy.” Sara traces a finger along my jaw.

“I am. Because I have you and we have our freedom.” I allow my hand to dip between her legs, and her warm body arches at me.

Until there’s a loud knock on the door.

“Vrex it!” I grumble.

“Told you we need to talk to Ryak. Looks like he’s come to us.” Sara activates her suit, and her lush body is hidden from me. I let out a sigh of disappointment.

Duty calls.

Swinging my legs out of bed, my feathers prick, lifting until suddenly, they’re shaking violently until I have no option but to lift my wings and allow them to twirl back in place.

“What was that?” Sara says, echoing my thoughts.

“It was a rouse.” Ryak’s voice interrupts us and with a snarl, I’m leaping for him.

“Gak!” He leaps back out of the door. “Lyon, Sara, my apologies. This is your nest, and I should not have intruded.” He runs a hand over his face, and I feel a pang of complete and utter sadness that rips at my soul.

“You have lost your mate?” Both Sara and I say at the same time, looking at each other in alarm.

“I left my mate behind on Ustokos.” Ryak says quietly.

My Sara takes in a breath, her hand flying to her mouth and the spike of her distress is all too real.

“Lyon!” She says, tears hovering in her eyes. Ryak’s visceral response to our nest sits in my chest, heavy and uncomfortable, I know she feels as I do.

“Then we need to set course to Ustokos immediately, my brother.”

CHAPTER 25

SARA

Lyon slings his arm around Ryak’s shoulders and the sense of relief that fills me is incredible. Relief that Lyon isn’t going to kill Ryak and that he has the same response to the male’s distress as I did.

It’s Ustokos or bust.

As we head through the ship, I see that Ryak has been busy. The corpse of the worm thing has been removed.

“What did you do with it?” I ask him, pointing at the staining on the floor. “What was it anyway?”

Lyon strides ahead onto the bridge and we follow.

“I asked the computer how best to dispose of it, and I have fired it into space.” Ryak grins at me. “What it was is of no consequence. The main thing is we can get back to Ustokos.”

“To your mate?”

“To my mate. Bianca.” A wistful look steals over his features.

“Bianca? That sounds like a human name.”

“It is. My Bianca is a human female, like you.” Ryak says, his eyes on Lyon as he works over the consoles.

“There are humans on Ustokos?” I shouldn’t really be surprised, after all, I’ve ended up a billion miles from Earth. There’s no reason I’m the only poor human soul that’s stuck out in space wilderness.

“There are five.” Ryak says and Lyon lifts his head, studying me carefully. “All mated to Gryn warriors. Proto took our females cycles ago. You haven’t met any Gryn females at all, have you?” He asks hopefully.

“You are the only Gryn I remember meeting.” Lyon replies. “That doesn’t mean they’re not out there, enslaved by the Drahon or other species, but I probably would have heard something. I’m sorry my brother.”

“I had to ask. Maybe one day we will find out what happened to them.” Ryak says, his sadness resonating through me.

“I’ve checked the databases, and this ship only has one destination set.” Lyon points at the console in front of him and Ryak steps in beside him. “The star maps indicate that this is an area of empty space. No habitable planets. Do you know the co-ordinates for Ustokos?”

“I have much to tell you about your home, brother, as I’ve told you the Gryn have not had access to tech since before I was born. Our knowledge of it is limited, which is why I am reliant on you to fly this ship. It also means I don’t know where Ustokos is.”

Ryak spreads his claws hands out with an embarrassed shrug. I get the feeling he’s not a male who’s used to being in the dark about things.

Lyon rubs his chin. “What was that portal, the one where you killed the serpent?”

Ryak shrugs. “I came through it from Ustokos, but,” he holds up a hand as Lyon looks hopeful, “the other end has been completely destroyed.”

“The lay co-ordinates might still be in the controls.” Lyon whips out of the bridge, and we hear an exclamation of joy just before he returns. “We’re in luck. These are the co-ordinates of Ustokos. They were stored in the console, although why the star maps have it as empty space is anyone’s guess.”

“Set course for Ustokos, Captain.” I wind my arms around his waist, snuggling in tight. “I can’t wait for this whole new adventure, with you.”

“And I can’t wait to get you alone in our nest again.” Lyon growls at me, his claws tapping over the console as quickly as he can go. “Because as long as I’m buried in you, I’m home, my little mate.”

EPILOGUE

SARA

In the two months that it took to reach Ustokos, Ryak explained that following a war lasting generations, Ustokos had been ruled by sentient AI called Proto which had either killed or captured the Gryn. Holding them in camps and ensuring they didn’t have access to any form of tech.

It was also responsible for the disappearance of all their females.

I’ve gone from Earth where we were slowly killing ourselves in the pursuit of tech, to a galaxy full of spaceships and back to the Middle Ages. Not only that, but the Gryn are starting again, almost from scratch.

Lyon shifts next to me, his dark eyes opening and a smile twitching the corners of his lips. He rubs a hand over my stomach.

“How’s my mate this morning?” He asks before stretching out luxuriously in our furs.

Neither of us knew what to expect when we arrived, or how the Gryn would react towards us. Ryak paved the way with the seniors, but Lyon still struggled with trust. His last few years as a slave haven’t made it easy for him to trust anyone, even his own species.

However, once we found out I was pregnant, and he was given free rein to create our nest, things have improved significantly. He feels more secure, and I do too.

“I’m hungry.” I snuggle against him. “And so is your child.”

Our nest is in a secluded part of the crumbling building Ryak has taken over near the landing pad. The Gryn refer to their living quarters as a lair, and this is lair mark two, rapidly becoming known as the eyrie. Having met the rest of the imposing senior Gryn warriors, including their fearsome Prime, Jyr, I don’t mind being away from the main lair, even if it does mean I don’t get to see the other humans, and their gorgeous babies, as often as I might like.

“If my mate needs feeding, I will feed her.” Lyon curls himself over me, caging me in his fragrant feathers, nuzzling up my neck adding soft kisses as he goes.

“You want something else from your mate?” I run my fingers along the edge of his wings, eliciting a groan of desire. “Before you feed her?”

“You know I’d mate you in a heartbeat.” Lyon’s eyes glitter with lust. “But I’m supposed to be taking one of Ryak’s teams up to the space station we found last week.”

I make a pouty face at him. “Does that mean I don’t get any breakfast?” I say in a whiny voice.

Lyon unfolds himself from me and the bed, stretching out first one wing, then the other, before he leans in for another stomach rub. The various ribbons and small pieces of metal he has strung around our spacious quarters spin in the draft he creates with his motion, fluttering and chiming. In one corner, we have a large pool filled with gloriously warm water created by a thermal source deep within the planet. I’d like to say my cheeks color when I think of what Lyon and I have got up to in there, but I’m not embarrassed in the slightest.

He loves me. He delights in the fact we’re going to be having a baby very soon. He also delights in my expanding body and makes sure I know how much he desires me.

“You’ll get your breakfast, my eregri, and I’ll be back in less than a wing beat. You’ll not know I’ve left the atmosphere.” He grins at me.

“Who are you taking?” I prop myself up and watch as my gorgeous warrior pulls on his pants. He’s adopted the Gryn way of dressing, which doesn’t involve anything covering his torso.

I’m very much not complaining at the endless muscle my warrior has on show.

“Stryker and his elite unit.”

I relax as soon as he says who’s involved in the upcoming mission. Strykr is a formidable warrior, and one who doesn’t take any shit. He also gets on well with Lyon and one of the reasons I feel we’ve really been accepted into the new community of the Gryn in the eyrie.

“You’d better make sure he brings you back in one piece. Or I’ll have to get handy.” I hold up the leather bindings that we had fun with last night.

“You’re not tying up any Gryn warriors.” I’m enclosed in feathers and muscles once again. “Unless it’s me.”

“It’s always you, Lyon. Always you.”

Thank you for reading Fated! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Hattie’s newsletter!

JULIE K. COHEN

ALIEN TEMPTED

CHAPTER 1

NALA

Nala took a deep breath at the bar as she waited for her customer’s drink order. Of all the tables in the ship’s bar, the og’dal, with two sets of arms and dark soulless eyes, had to choose hers. She’d had more than her fill of aliens since that sleaze og’dal from the bride ship had sold her into slavery on Trinoth.

At least no one here cared about her past. She still had to earn a living to eat, but after her rescue nearly two years ago she hoped to never see an alien again. Especially an og’dal. Yet, here she was, serving drinks to one aboard a luxury cruise ship touring the universe thousands of miles from Earth.

“Wanna trade?” Alexa said. She must have seen Nala’s reaction when the og’dal seated himself at her table.

Nala set her tray on the bar. “It’s bad enough they allow aliens aboard, but why the hell does that have to include og’dals?”

“Aliens fly the cruise ships, so it wouldn’t make sense to ban aliens, would it?” Alexa glanced toward the crowd of passengers pouring into the bar. “It will be quite a while before enough humans are trained to take over everything from maintenance to piloting. That’s why we get the elite jobs of waiting on and cleaning up after the passengers. I think Brady’s the only human down in engineering, and from what he said, he gets all the dirty jobs. Besides, not all og’dals are bad. Just the ones who ran the bride ships.”

“Slave ships,” Nala corrected her. “And stop being logical. I need to complain, just for a few minutes.”

“Complain as much as you need, Nala.” Alexa offered a weak smile. “And if it helps, keep in mind that some of those brides ended up married to decent aliens. We just didn’t have that good fortune.” The short brunette had a way of seeing the positive in every situation.

Their ship, A New Dawn, shuddered briefly, causing Alexa’s eyes to widen. Nala’s cabinmate was deathly afraid of space travel, but like Nala, she didn’t have any other options open to her. Waitress aboard A New Dawn or work for a brothel on any number of planets.

This time it was Nala who shuddered as too many memories of clients on Trinoth struck. “It’s just the damn engines being temperamental,” she said, trying to hide her reaction from Alexa before the woman insisted on taking Nala’s table. She loved Alexa for watching out for her, but she had to push through situations like this, or the bastard og’dals who had sold her would win. “Brady told me those tremors are nothing more than space hiccups.”

“Typical guy. Our whole generation thinks women are too stupid to learn or understand anything technical. It’s going to take years to regain all the respect and opportunities our mothers had before the Grud and Coalition practically sent civilization back to the dark ages.”

Nala couldn’t remember the last time she’d met a guy who thought of her as anything more than a sex toy, especially out here in space. Her stomach knotted.

“The point is,” she said, struggling to force the memories from Trinoth away, “Brady assured me this oversized boat is as solid as a horse.”

“It’s a spaceship, not a boat, and certainly not a horse. And an old one at that, given the wear and tear everywhere. Which means when this death trap falls through the atmosphere of some random planet, it’s going to crumble like a thousand-year-old mummy, burst into flames, and then leave nothing behind but ash.”

Nala shook her head. “I really need to find a friend who doesn’t go to pieces every time the ship creaks.”

“Says the woman who’s afraid of one little alien with an extra set of arms,” Alexa shot back.

Nala glanced at the og’dal, with his two sets of arms crossed over his chest as he glared at her, waiting for his drinks. Just one alien indeed. But he wasn’t little. All the aliens she’d met on the bride ship and later on Trinoth towered over most human men. This og’dal sat in the middle of the bar staring at her. She hated how his eyes lingered on her. Similar to the aliens on Trinoth. Next would come lewd gestures, a proposition…

Nala rubbed her right palm against her leg, wishing she had a weapon. Not that she’d ever learned to use one. She had to get a handle on her fear. The og’dal couldn’t kidnap her aboard a ship in space. Especially with Frank, the bar’s bouncer, standing at the exit.

“I can handle him,” Nala said, faking confidence.

“Good, because I don’t want him.”

“I never said I wanted him. Or any alien.” The very thought of an alien touching her again turned her stomach. “As soon as we return to Earth, I’m buying a nice, quiet cabin in the middle of nowhere.”

“I always knew you were a party girl,” Alexa teased as Eddie set four shots of karthikan whisky on her tray with a tall glass of othanan beer.

Nala knew that order all too well. “Don’t tell me the captain’s drinking again.”

“Yup. I’d love to report him, but I need this job.”

“I know what you mean,” Nala said as she glanced at the og’dal who kept staring at her.

Alexa shifted to her left to block his line of sight. “That guy gives me the creeps. Are you sure you’ll be okay? I know what you went through.” Her face held a mixture of pity and concern.

Nala loved Alexa dearly for her protectiveness, but she hated being pitied. Alexa had been sold as a slave too but had been bought by someone who immediately freed her. If anything, it proved there were some good aliens in the universe.

“I can’t change the past, so I don’t plan to live there either.” Nala grabbed her tray of drinks for the og’dal and headed to his table.

The rest of the entertainment aboard A New Dawn had shut down for the night and this was the only place to escape one’s cabin until the dining halls re-opened for breakfast at five a.m. There were enough humans around for her not to worry about one alien if he started causing trouble. She hoped.

As quickly as she could, Nala set the male’s three shots of dalian tequila on the table and turned to leave. He grabbed her wrist as one of his lower hands reached for her ass and a third stroked the side of a breast, giving new meaning to the phrase being handsy.

“You should come to my cabin, Nala,” he said with a salacious grin.

She yanked free of his hold, which made his grin widen like he wanted her to resist. A shiver shot down her spine.

“How do you know my name?” She had intentionally not introduced herself to him when he sat down earlier.

“I watch. I observe.”

Nala gritted her teeth as she jerked her hand out of his grasp. “If you want company, disembark at Karthika tomorrow night where there are tons of brothels.”

He laughed as he downed the shots, one after the next, like they were filled with water.

One more month until the luxury cruiser returned to Earth, and she’d finally collect the last of her pay needed to buy a cabin in the New Mexico mountains. She’d never have to see another alien again, let alone endure one’s touch. The Coalition left Earth two years ago and remained embroiled in a war with the Grud. She hoped they destroyed one another and on their way to Hell took their og’dal slavers with them.

By the time Nala retrieved her next bar order, the og’dal had left. She cleared the shot glasses—no tip, of course—cleaned the table, and finished her shift. The best part of working on the luxury liner was the view she enjoyed as she walked down the corridor to the cabin she shared with Alexa. Nothing beat the beauty of space, except perhaps the painted sunsets and sparse but lovely landscape of New Mexico.

Leaning against the picture window, Nala stared out at the millions of stars and froze, spotting the yellow planet. Why the hell were they so close to Trinoth? They should be closer to Karthika by now, not riding the border of coalition space. The damn captain was probably drunk again.

A hand landed on Nala’s ass. She whipped around, swinging her fist out of reflex. The heel of her hand connected with the og’dal’s nose, breaking it.

“You drekking bitch,” the four-armed alien from the bar said, grabbing her by the throat as blood ran down his chin. “Now I’m not going to make this a painless kill. I’m going to have some fun first. He clamped a hand over her mouth.

Heart racing, Nala dug her nails into the male’s arm as he dragged her around the bend and down a maintenance lift to the lowest level of the ship. The bay where they conducted their emergency drills was empty.

Sleek silver pods, each with its own launch tube, looked like large bullets lining the length of the ship. No one ever came down here during a cruise. The alien had picked the most isolated place aboard the ship.

He punched a code into one of the escape pods and the door swung open. “By the time they find your body, I’ll be deep in coalition space.”

She bit the hand covering her mouth.

“You bitch!” he screamed as he let go and slapped her across the face, knocking her down.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she pled, crawling backward. “I’ll do whatever you want and I won’t say a thing.”

As he bent over to grab her, she tried to kick him in the balls. He moved fast, taking the blow to his hip. One hand grabbed a fist full of her red hair, yanked her to her feet, and slammed her against the wall. While he held her in place with two hands, a third snaked under her shirt.

“Drekking right. You’ll never say another word.” He pulled a knife out of his pants with his fourth hand and started slicing her shirt open from the bottom up. The ship suddenly lurched at least thirty degrees off-center. That was no space hiccup.

Bursts of light filled the bay through the starboard side windows as the ship shuddered. Outside, a battlecruiser fired at them.

“Looks like the captain drifted into coalition space,” the og’dal said. “They don’t like trespassers. All the better for me.” He set the knife against her throat.

Red light flooded the bay, distracting him, but not Nala. She’d been through emergency drills dozens of times. She wiggled a hand free and punched him in his broken nose. He roared in pain and dropped the knife.

Nala jerked from his grip and ran to the maintenance ladders to escape.

“Abandon ship!” the captain roared over the intercom.

A crush of people poured down the ladder, knocking her off. She didn’t fall far as two sets of hands grabbed her by her shoulders and waist.

“Looks like we’re going to take a ride together after all,” the og’dal whispered in her ear as he dragged her back to an escape pod. He couldn’t risk killing her with so many people around. He shoved her into the pod. As he crouched to enter, she kicked outward with both legs, sending him flying into the crowd rushing for escape pods.

Nala pulled the door shut, just as the og’dal reached it. She hit the master lock to keep him from opening the pod. His face twisted with anger as he pounded on the door.

Then, with an unexpected calm, the og’dal opened the outside control panel and began tapping away. His smirk sent a chill through Nala as she wondered what he was doing.

“Launching in 3… 2… 1…”

The force of the launch twisted her stomach in knots, but she was free of the og’dal. She’d never forget the look on his face through the porthole as her pod launched. Anger and vindication.

With shaking hands, Nala strapped into the harness, grateful it had been a smooth launch. When she looked out the porthole again, she spotted dozens of escape pods shooting by, heading to the nearest planet.

That’s when she realized her pod was heading in the opposite direction and she had no clue how to reprogram the nav panel.

SKAGGS

Ronin elbowed Skaggs in his side and pointed to the zyanthan female with long shiny black hair that reached her ass and showed off shapely horns that curved back, but not too far to make her look submissive. “How about her?” Ronin asked as the transport tube whisked them from Goji Base toward Marpov station. “Nice deep shade of blue. And bright silver eyes.”

Skaggs let his eyes roam over the female because Ronin expected it. Her skin was as deep a blue as his own, but he didn’t care about skin color. Never had. Nothing about her appealed to him. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“You may not see her tomorrow. Come on, Skaggs. You have less than four minutes to the next stop where she might exit. You can work your magic in two minutes. I’ve seen it. It’s been a long mission and you haven’t been yourself since we left Affinia. We’re home. Zyan. Where the females understand a warrior’s needs. Spend the night with her. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

As if she overheard their conversation, the woman glanced over her shoulder and her horns dipped back further, showing a willingness. Skaggs was tired of constantly chasing females and keeping up the façade of being a ladies’ man. He wished he could tell his teammates the truth, but he’d lose their trust and respect, leaving him with nothing.

“I’m tired,” Skaggs said. Lies took time, energy, and a certain willingness to betray those around him.

“Shall I call Vaakos?”

“Why the drekk do I need a cranky medic?”

“Because you’re sick. Nothing else explains why you’d walk away from a beautiful female. I used to think you chasing every female in sight was your way of looking for your sholani, but then I realized you don’t care about having a heartmate. You enjoy bedding females too much to want to be with only one.”

Skaggs rose and looked out the window at the scenery. If his teammates only knew what he did with all those women he supposedly bedded, they’d laugh him off The Relentless. He’d been living a lie, keeping secrets from his crew, males who risked their lives and depended on him. Some warrior… some Zyanthan… he was. He couldn’t even tell his crewmates the simple truth.

“Enjoy your week, my friend,” Ronin said as the transit tube glided into the station. “Maybe all you need is to sleep in your own bed for once.”

Skaggs dipped his horns slightly, showing respect to his friend and teammate. “I’ll see you next week.” He hopped off the tube three stops early to get away from Ronin before the pilot pushed him too much. Skaggs had a week to figure out what he was going to do. Then he’d report to The Relentless for duty.

One week to find a female to mate and claim. Forget his dream of finding his sholani. Time was too short to be picky, and he was desperate. He just needed a female. Any female.

As he walked through the transit station, he considered the fallout if he failed. His father would expose the truth and that would destroy him. If his mother had survived the war, she would have put an end to this, but Skaggs knew better than to wallow in the past. He had to deal with the present and his future, both of which his father would ruin if he didn’t meet his terms.

By the time Skaggs reached the fields which bordered his orchard, the night sky had darkened. He loved being on the plains alone, far from the city and the markets. Out here, where his home stood untouched by war, he could think and enjoy a few peaceful days before having to face the reality that in a week he’d no longer be a warrior. The council would strip him of his title and remove him from the crew of The Relentless.

Then would come the awful task of confronting his crewmates, telling them the truth. He hadn’t yet figured out what he’d say to the males who had saved his ass more times than he could remember. They deserved an explanation.

They deserved the truth.

Despite how it would hurt them.

“Horned Hounds Above, I’d do anything to keep from telling them. I’d mate any female who was willing,” Skaggs said out loud, talking to the gods, something he’d never done. He didn’t believe in the gods, but right now he was desperate enough to consider appealing to them, in case they actually existed.

The unmistakable sound of a vessel streaming by overhead caused Skaggs’s horns to straighten and his hand to reach for the blaster at his hip. To his relief, a grud battlecruiser hadn’t breached the atmosphere. Instead, a life pod streaked across the sky, losing altitude fast, heading toward the river.

Skaggs broke into a run. If the life pod crashed into the river and sank door-side down, the person inside would be trapped. Or drown if he opened the door partway and the pod flooded.

The sound of the pod crashing through trees spurred him to run faster. As he followed the path of downed, quirty trees, he found scorch marks on the ground. It hadn’t been a soft landing, but the pod remained intact thanks to its conical nose digging into the soil, stopping the vessel before it reached the water.

With the outer shell still smoking from entering the atmosphere, Skaggs typed standard commands in the outer control panel to open the vessel’s door. Nothing happened, but he wasn’t a damned engineer, trained to figure it out. He shot the panel. Amid the circuits sparking, the door popped open. It was a messy solution, but it always worked.

“Exit,” he ordered in Common and then Zyanthan.

Nothing. But he heard breathing, so he knew someone was definitely inside, blatantly disregarding his command. Skaggs’s horns moved forward into a battle stance. This could be part of another grud strike team. Grud soldiers had entered Zyan undetected in the past.

“Last chance. Exit now or I will shoot,” he warned as he trained his blaster on the opening.

CHAPTER 2

NALA

“Last chance. Exit now or I’ll shoot,” a male voice threatened as Nala fought to keep her stomach contents down.

It’s never too late for pizza, Alexa had said. Well, now Nala knew better. Then again, she hadn’t expected to be attacked and hurled from a ship in outer space.

That landing had been much rougher than the safety officer from the cruise line had said it would be. The fool probably never even saw a life pod up close, let alone been ejected from a ship in one.

“Azi baka taoni kal!” the alien shouted amid a torrent of sounds surrounding her. Fast-moving water nearby. Insects clicking, but none like she’d ever heard on Earth. And the deep voice of an angry male.

Fear darted through her. The drunken bastard of a captain had veered into coalition space. Which meant she’d landed on a coalition world. Again. They’d force her back into a brothel, for sure. Women, especially humans, had no standing or rights among the Coalition.

She’d never let anyone make her a slave again. She’d fight with everything she had. More. Last time, she’d been a scared woman taken from a bride ship and sold into slavery before she’d realized what had happened. She was wiser now and more determined than ever to stay free.

Nala unbuckled her harness and slipped out of the straps just as the door flung open. A blue male with tall horns pointing toward her leaned over the opening.

With all her might, she kicked out and upward, striking the male in his chest. As he stumbled backward, she jumped out of the pod and instantly regretted it as the world spun around her. She toppled over, face down, but never struck the ground. Two large hands, one still holding a blaster, caught her and eased her onto a patch of soft grass.

“I’ve got you,” the gentle voice said in English. Not Common, but English. So few aliens spoke English, except those who worked for the Coalition on Earth. The Coalition had held Earth for nearly two decades.

When she lifted her head, thick ropes of unruly red curls bounced in every direction, blocking her vision and landing in her mouth. She’d lost her hair tie in the fight with the og’dal aboard the cruise ship.

That large hand swept the hair out of her face. Gorgeous, deep blue eyes stared at her.

“Get away from me,” she shouted, punching outward. He dodged her fist and grabbed her arms to keep her from flailing.

“I’ll move back once you calm down,” he said, again in perfect English.

“I don’t listen to coalition scum.”

“Insults? Really? I came here to make sure you didn’t drown in the river.” With his chin, he pointed to the raging rapids only a few feet behind her. “And then I open your life pod and you kicked me. For no reason.” With a devilishly charming quirk of his mouth, he added, “I must admit, that’s not the first time that’s happened. But now you follow up with insults?”

“Don’t like the word scum, huh? Too accurate?” She spat at him. And missed. She couldn’t catch a break.

He raised a brow but didn’t look mad. “It’s being called part of the Coalition that is insulting.”

To her surprise, he released her wrists. Sitting back, he opened the leather vest he wore and pointed to a magnificent tattoo that started at his right shoulder and spanned his chest diagonally down to his opposite hip. She noted how truly built this male was. Rippling muscles, shiny and beautiful, covered his chest, neck, and arms. As for the rest of him, every part of him seemed larger than life. Those leather pants he wore hugged his form in all the right places, showing off an extremely fit male. His thighs were nearly as thick as the trees in the surrounding grove.

Despite his size, he didn’t scare her. He’d shrugged off the insults and had an easy-going manner, not at all what she expected after kicking him.

“Do you get called scum often?” she asked, the fear from her time as a slave not weighing her down as it normally would when dealing with an alien, especially one so large and powerful.

“I get called a lot of names.” He glanced at the sky. “The list will keep us here long past sunset, but it’s up to you. I have good night vision, unlike humans.”

“You seem to know a lot about humans. How many have you enslaved?”

“Don’t you mean charmed?” he said with a playful grin that could disarm any woman.

She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. He put her at ease even though he was an alien.

One more glance at the strange landscape, with its blue grass and trees bearing oblong, pink fruit, sobered her. Okay, maybe she was the alien here.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“You don’t know?”

She shook her head. “The pod was programmed, but not the same as the others.”

“Others?”

“I was working aboard A New Dawn, a luxury cruise ship that takes rich humans on a six-week trip through the universe to all the hot spots. Othana, Tunzen, Karthika—”

“Karthika,” he spat out the planet’s name like he’d swallowed soured milk. “Karthika is not a place for tourists, especially humans, who know nothing of the universe.”

“Please, just tell me if we’re on a coalition world.”

His horns straightened, and he stood tall, proudly announcing, “This is Zyan. Most definitely not a coalition world.”

She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled the clean air, so unlike Earth. Or maybe that was simply the way freedom smelled. Clean and full of hope, even if she had to deal with a planet full of aliens.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, glancing over the length of her body as if to assess her condition.

“No.”

“Good.” He tapped a device that looked like an oversized watch on his wrist and read the alien letters on the screen.

“Your ship has been destroyed near Trinoth. Over two hundred pods have been tracked on a trajectory to Tunzen. Why was your ship in coalition space?”

“Our captain drinks too much. On duty.”

“Ah.”

Nala stood up, thankful her balance had returned. When the male leaned in as if preparing to catch her, she took two steps back. “Can you point me in the direction of the closest port?”

“It would take you days to walk from here. The transit tubes are faster, but you won’t find the station in the dark. And you’ve entered Zyan illegally. Security at the port will not let you board a ship without questions. Or credits.”

Damn, she was afraid of that. She didn’t have her ID or any belongings with her. Certainly, no credits to buy a ticket. “How about a way of contacting the cruise line, telling them I’m here? I’m sure they’ll pay for my passage back to Earth.” Or so she hoped.

No one ever said what would happen after launching in an escape pod. She’d just assumed the company would track everyone down and send them home.

“I will send a message to Zyan Defense Command to contact your people under one condition.”

“What?” she said suspiciously. “I won’t let you hurt me.”

He raised a brow. “Do I look like a male who hurts women?”

Her eyes fell to the blaster he still held. “Yes.”

“Drekk,” he said as he holstered the blaster and his horns twisted at the tops. “I am a warrior, female. At least for a little while longer. I will not harm you.”

Nothing churned in her belly, no hairs stood on end, and she had an unexpected sense that this guy was everything he claimed. She actually trusted him. That had to be a first, trusting a male she didn’t know. An alien yet. Maybe she had hit her head during the crash landing.

“Okay, Blue, what do you want from me?” she asked.

“My name is Skaggs, not Blue. Though if you prefer going with colors, I will call you Red.”

“Point taken. My name is Nala.”

“That is a beautiful name,” he said, reaching out to touch a lock of her hair.

She slapped his hand away. “I didn’t say you could touch me.”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t.”

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me. Touching… hurts.”

That statement elicited a scowl, but he backed away, which shocked her. Aliens never backed away. They just took.

“What is your condition, Bl… I mean, Skaggs, for sending the message?”

His horns straightened and those intense eyes locked onto her. “I need you to marry me.”

SKAGGS

“Are you crazy?” the human female said as she backed up several steps, glancing in all directions.

She was looking to run, in the dark, with her limited vision, on a planet she didn’t know. There weren’t too many dangerous animals in this area, but topographical hazards, such as the winding river behind her or a cliff that she wouldn’t see in the dark, could kill just as easily.

“Perhaps I should explain,” he said, even though he hadn’t thought that far ahead. He was still trying to process how lucky he was that the gods had literally sent the solution to him. And a beautiful solution at that. The female had fiery red hair, a bit messy. No, not messy. Untamed. It suited her personality. He grinned at what it would be like to claim her. Contrary to what his crewmates believed, it had been years since he’d been with a female, and never one so lively and beautiful as this one.

“There’s nothing to explain. I understood you perfectly,” she said as she brushed the dirt off the skimpy dress she wore. If she bent over, he’d get quite a view of more than her shapely legs.

“What was your function aboard that cruise ship?” he asked, noticing how low-cut her dress was as she lifted the mass of hair and twisted it into a knot on her head. A few tendrils slid free along the sides of her face, making the dots on her cheeks and nose stand out.

“Are you ill?” he said, touching one of the dots.

She slapped his hand away. “Touch me again and lose the finger. Or hand.” Her eyes traveled down his torso to his crotch. “Or anything else that touches me.”

Oh, she was feisty. His pleasure cock hardened, thinking of how it would feel having her beneath him in his bed.

“I will take you to a med-center to be examined.”

She paled three shades at his words. From past encounters with his fellow warriors’ mates, he knew human females could pale further, so it did not particularly worry him in terms of her health. But the reason behind it concerned him. He’d seen this reaction before. In Melikk’s mate, Lucy, aboard The Relentless. She’d been a coalition slave and feared med-centers.

“No med-center,” Nala said, her voice losing that bravado of a moment before. “I’m not sick.” She touched one of the dots on her lovely face. “They’re just freckles.”

He wouldn’t press the med-center. Or anything with her. Females rarely feared him, and he didn’t like the feeling. Especially with her.

“What are freckles?” he asked as it hit him just how much he wanted to know about her. And more than about those cute dots on her face. All of her. Why she wore a dress that looked like it would barely fit a youngling, much less a grown female with generous breasts and curves. Curves he would love to run his hands along.

There was so much depth to this female. And courage. She’d struck him, a highly trained warrior. And despite her inclination to flee, she had correctly assessed the dangers of being on an unknown planet.

Which left him in the perfect position to gain her trust. Except that would be manipulating her. Drekk. He should have known it wasn’t going to be this easy.

Only one week left.

“Freckles are natural spots of discoloration, common in people with red hair and fair skin.” Light green eyes peered up at him. “No med-center. Please.”

He hated himself for what he was going to say, but he was desperate. “No med-center, but only if you agree to consider mating me.”

When her eyes widened to such an extreme, he remembered human females interpreted mating to mean only sex. “Marriage,” he said, correcting himself. “I do not need you to mate me, though I’m sure I’d enjoy feeling your soft flesh beneath me very much. I just need you to marry me.”

The moment she opened her mouth to speak, he lifted a finger to stop her. “Consider marrying me. I would never force you to do anything against your will, Red.”

“The name is Nala.”

“I know it is. My hearing is exceptional.”

“Then perhaps it’s your capacity to retain information that is lacking,” she bit back.

Drekk, if his cocks didn’t stir. Cocks? No, he was confusing the sensations. Only his pleasure cock could harden for a female who wasn’t his sholani. And she could not be his sholani. That would be asking and expecting too much of the gods. Gods, he hadn’t previously believed in, except he felt desperate enough now to believe in anything.

Except his mating cock rising.

“Do you think it’s wise to insult a warrior?”

She flashed a weak smile. “No.”

So, she wasn’t scared of him. Not inherently. But she’d been abused, that much was clear. Skaggs shut the door to the escape pod. “I’ll return for this later.”

“Why?”

“To haul to a market. There is value in the components even if the pod as a whole cannot be used again. Unless you have another source to pay for the damage to my orchard.”

“Your orchard?” She swallowed as she looked at the rows of scorched and crushed trees. “Sorry. I didn’t have control over the flight path.”

“I figured as much.” He started walking, hoping she’d fall in step with him. Throwing her over his shoulder—as much as he would like an excuse to place his hands on her ass—would not earn her trust. And he wouldn’t leave her out here alone.

“Where are you going?” she asked, a note of worry in her voice.

“Home. It’s been a long day.”

“Can I go with you?”

“Do you agree to my terms?” Drekk. He hated himself for pushing her.

“You said I only had to consider it. I’ve considered it. I won’t marry you.”

That stopped him. At the time of giving his oath as a warrior, he’d sworn to protect his people and all others in need of help. He could not use this female’s dire circumstances for his own gain. Yet, every instinct said she was the answer to everything.

He turned to face her. So beautiful, this female with the flaming red hair and light green eyes that shone with such vitality. His cocks remained hard. Cocks? Drekk. That couldn’t be right.

“Three days to get to know me. Then give me your answer, not before. I will not harm you regardless of your answer.”

“Why can’t you just accept my answer now?”

“Because you’ve just survived a coalition attack, found yourself on a planet you know nothing about, and you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Fine, then I’m scared.”

Her eyebrows pinched downward toward her nose. “That makes no sense.”

“You think warriors can’t get scared? You think we are all brawn with no capacity to think or feel? Only an oath and training separates us from those we protect.”

“So you’ll protect me. From… everyone?”

“I am obligated to do so. Even if I weren’t, I would still protect you.”

“Why?”

“You ask that question a lot.”

“Asking questions helps me stay alive. And it’s been my experience that people use other people.”

He didn’t want to think about what stood behind that statement. “Then continue asking questions, Red. But don’t close your mind or your heart to the idea that sometimes people are simply who and what they appear. Even a warrior.”

Skaggs’s horns twisted. He was the drekking exception to that rule. He wasn’t a warrior. Not really… and not for much longer.

CHAPTER 3

NALA

For over an hour, Nala followed the blue warrior through rows and rows of trees with those pink-skinned fruits hanging on yellow and white branches high above the ground. Much of what he said confused her, but her instincts still said to trust him. And right now, her instincts were all she had to her name.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked when they emerged from the grove and found a dirt road littered with the hoofprints of a six-legged beast.

Huge and bright, Zyan’s moon lit the road and the surrounding plateau. Along the road, she couldn’t see any signs of civilization. She trusted her guide knew where he was going.

Look at that. She trusted a guy. Huh. That was a new one.

“Goji Base,” he answered as he slowed down to match her pace.

The male stood a good head taller than her and looked big enough that she could hide behind him and not be seen. Not that she had any reason to hide here. From what he’d said, if she could believe him—which oddly enough, she did—Zyan was a world without slaves or a coalition warlord ruling it. Whereas Earth had fallen to the Grud and Coalition, Zyan had successfully fought them off.

Beyond that, she didn’t know much about Zyan, only that the few zyanthan males she’d met during her captivity had been loyal to the Coalition. This male, Skaggs, proudly declared himself the Coalition’s enemy, which made him her friend. Or at least an ally.

She liked his honesty and especially how he hadn’t forced her to do anything. Except consider marrying him.

Consider. Was that a word used to pacify her, or did he really want her to consider his proposition?

“Why do you want me to marry you?” she asked, without looking at him. A struggle, since she was dying to look at him again, to gaze upon those handsome features and beautiful blue eyes, worried her.

“I need a mate.”

“Then go find one among your people.”

“I’ve tried. Many times. Many planets and many women. My crewmates think I spend all my free time bedding women.”

“So you need to settle down to get some respect?”

“My reputation is… not good. Except as a warrior. That is the only way others respect me. Through my loyalty and service to Zyan.”

“You don’t need to marry to improve your reputation. Just stop sleeping around.”

“I don’t sleep with them,” he said as he thrust a hand through his thick black hair. “My crewmates think I do. I just don’t correct them.”

“Let me guess. It would be too embarrassing if they knew you’re not sleeping around?”

“It would lead to questions I don’t want to answer. The answers would destroy what little respect they have left for me. These are my warrior-brothers, the males I would die for.”

“You’d die for them, but you won’t tell them the truth. That makes no sense.”

Deep blue eyes that had held such life earlier lost their shine as his horns pitched back.

Several minutes passed as she tried to figure out how to help him without marrying him. She chuckled at the irony of her wanting to help an alien.

Alien or not, Skaggs seemed like a decent male and not like the other aliens she’d met in the past. Whatever his problem was, it was very real to him, and she’d been treating it and him callously.

“What are you hiding from them?”

“My shame.” From the look of him, he wasn’t going to elaborate.

“I’m sorry, Skaggs,” she said, realizing it was the first time she’d used his name. The male was getting under her skin, which unnerved her. She didn’t know him and didn’t want to know him. At least not as his wife. But he looked sullen, and that left an empty feeling in her stomach.

“Maybe there’s a way out of your mess.”

“There is. You marry me.”

That wasn’t going to happen. “For how long?” What the hell was she saying? “Strike that. Forget I asked.”

It was too late. His face lit with a huge smile. Not the type of smile some sleazeball in the bar used to come off as pleasant and endearing just to get in her pants. This was a genuine smile of a person who’d just been told his terminal disease was cured and he had another forty years to live.

“I hadn’t considered that you would want a temporary mating. I will have to think about how to do that, but it gives me hope, my Little Red.”

“Don’t call me that. You make me sound like Red Riding Hood.”

“What precisely is a hood that you ride? Is it similar to the land cars I saw on Earth? Or more like a frish, with six legs?”

“Not a frish,” she answered, recalling the mule-like beasts she’d seen on Trinoth. “Wait a minute. You’ve been to Earth? You said you’re not Coalition.” She quickly shook her head. “Never mind, forget I asked. And stop sidetracking me. Let me make this clear, Blue. I don’t want to get married to anyone. But you said to consider it, so I am.”

“Yes, you are,” he said, his smile turning into a grin. And those horns… She’d never realized how large they were until he stood over her. While she’d seen her share of horns on various aliens while on Trinoth, these didn’t make her think of an animal. Maybe because Skaggs didn’t act like those other unruly males. He treated her with respect, even if he was a bit pushy about this marriage idea.

“I’ve been to Earth multiple times on covert missions against the Coalition.”

Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. “What happens when we reach this base of yours?”

“You will be given quarters. When I notified the first lead that you’d crashed in my grove, he ordered me to take you to the base. He will probably arrange passage to Earth once he’s questioned you about why you are here. But your story will be easy to verify, especially since I found you in the pod. You should not have any issues.”

“Thank you, Skaggs.”

He smiled again, big and broad and adorable as could be. And for some reason, it sent a warmth through her that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked, having trouble keeping herself from smiling back. This male didn’t need any encouragement.

“I like when you say my name. I’d like it even better if you’d shout it while riding me.”

“OMG, you did not just say that!” She slapped his shoulder, feeling the tense muscle under the warm blue skin.

He splayed his hands and turned them palm-side up. “Old habits.”

There was that grin again, so incredibly adorable it was hard to stay mad at the guy.

“Good, I’m glad you didn’t mean it.”

“I didn’t say that, but I did not mean to offend you.”

“I’m not offended,” she said rather curtly.

“If you say so.”

“Yes, I say so.”

“Think whatever pleases you.”

“It pleases me…” Nala stopped mid-sentence. “I don’t know what pleases me anymore,” she said, rather shocked that she’d confess that to him.

Skaggs fell silent. No smiles. No smartass remarks. And definitely no flirting. That saddened her. This male had a fun-loving spirit, quite the opposite of her. Frankly, she was growing fond of him and his optimism.

Then he held his hand out to her. An offer. Of what, precisely, she wondered. But that was her pessimism and fear rearing their ugly heads.

Skaggs kept his hand outstretched for several strides, confident or maybe hopeful. Before she could overthink it as she did with so much in life since she’d been rescued, she reached out and accepted his hand.

Large strong fingers gently wrapped around her smaller hand, giving her a sense of security she hadn’t truly known in a long time. “You will be fine, Nala. You are a survivor. No matter what happened in the past, it won’t defeat you.”

“You don’t know that,” she said, turning her head to hide the tears forming.

“I do. I’ve seen the proof.”

“What proof?”

He came to a halt, swung around to face her, and placed her hand against his chest. Her skin tingled at the warmth of his flesh, at the intimacy of touching him. And she was touching him. Not running away filled with fear or throwing up.

“This is proof,” he said, lightly squeezing her hand before releasing her. She kept her hand on his chest.

Proof that she could touch another without fear.

Proof that her past hadn’t defeated her.

She didn’t want to talk about her past. She would much rather lose herself in those deep blue eyes. The intensity of how he looked at her suggested he understood everything she’d been through. But she didn’t want to talk about her past. Never planned to talk about it. It was behind her, and that’s where it would stay.

“I can feel your heartbeat,” she said, as she focused on the serious expression on his face. She sensed he was running from something, too.

Even with the deadly horns, powerful muscles, and the blaster at his side, this male was as vulnerable as her. She doubted anyone ever assaulted him… and lived. But he was hurting, too. She wondered what could threaten a witty, strong warrior like him to make him desperate enough to want to marry someone he didn’t know. And if he knew how broken she was… He’d be back in that grove fixing the escape pod to shoot her back into space.

Still, she felt his need as he held her hand against his chest. This entire marriage business wasn’t some attempt to get her in bed or enslave her. He needed her help. And the more she came to know him, the more tempted she was to say yes.

When she looked down at her hand on his chest, she noticed the intricate, graceful lines of his tattoo. They were very much like the male himself. Her fingers itched to explore more of him. The tribal-like ink in his deep blue skin intrigued her as much as the male, making him hard to resist.

Cautiously, she traced a few lines over impressive pectoral muscles. “They’re beautiful. The tattoos, I mean.” Great save, Nala… not! “Do they mean anything?”

“Those are my warrior tattoos. They tell my story. All warriors have similar tattoos on their chests and their biceps.”

She glanced at his upper arms. Bare.

His lips thinned. “I have not been allowed to receive my arm tattoos.”

“Why?”

“It’s not something I care to discuss right now. Perhaps in time,” he said as he pulled away and resumed walking.

He was certainly entitled to his privacy, but she wasn’t ready for the conversation to end. He had a nice, soothing voice, and talking kept her mind off the fact that she was on an alien planet so far from Earth.

She hastened her steps to catch up to him. “The tattoos on your chest are beautiful. Are they decorative or do they hold any meaning?”

“They tell who I am, about my skills.”

“I guess having so many tattoos means you’re very skilled. You’re fortunate, you know? I didn’t have the chance for an education. And now it seems too late. My past… It’s hard to forget.”

He stopped walking again and turned to her. “Look at the center of my chest, Nala. To the right of my warrior tattoos.”

“It’s a bruise,” she said, lightly tracing around the dark blue and yellow edges. A bruise in the shape of a boot print. “I did this.”

“When I leaned over the pod, you kicked me. Quite hard, too. That is not the sign of a female who has succumbed to the past. Your future is what you make of it.”

“You make it sound as if the past doesn’t matter.”

“What matters is living in the present. Get angry at the past and those who harmed you if it helps, but don’t let them rob you of enjoying the present.”

“We have a saying on Earth, Blue. Carpe diem. It means seize the day. Make the most of the present.”

“Fitting. Zyanthan warriors also have an expression. Stronger Together.” Skaggs put his hands on his hips and looked up toward the sky. “But I fear I’ve corrupted it.”

She tilted her head and looked up. “I don’t think you’re going to see your crew from here.”

“The Relentless returns in a week. I hope I’ll be on it when they leave for their next mission.”

“Relentless, huh? Sounds like you’re giving up, Warrior.”

He turned to her sharply. “Warriors don’t give up. Especially my crew.”

“Then I suppose you need to suck up whatever the problem is and tell them.”

Skaggs winced. “This is a problem of my making. I should solve it on my own.”

“So much for stronger together,” she said.

He raised a brow but offered no teasing grin this time as he gripped her hand, firmer than before as if he didn’t plan on letting go. Oddly enough, that comforted her.

“Stronger Together, Nala. You and me.”

“I don’t recall saying I’d be your partner in crime, Blue.”

“That’s exactly what you’ll be, Red. My partner. Together we will solve my problem and then we will solve yours by sending you home.”

Home. Yeah, that was where she wanted to go. Wasn’t it?

She glanced down at the large blue hand enveloping hers. The grip was gentle. Always gentle, this warrior. And optimistic. She needed a little of that in her life. Maybe she should consider this marriage thing.

Or maybe she was off her rocker. There was no way she would marry Skaggs or any other alien. Hell, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever want a human male touching her.

She looked at their entwined hands. Here was an alien not only touching her but holding onto her as if she were important and worthy.

Maybe she was. It had been a long time since she’d thought of herself as either.

SKAGGS

His female stopped talking as they reached the transit tube in Lenev District. Skaggs spent much of the walk trying to figure out how to use a temporary marriage, as she’d suggested, to his advantage. His father never stipulated how long the marriage had to last, though surely the intent was for a permanent mating.

Another glance at Nala confirmed what he had to do. Let her go. She didn’t want a mate, especially him.

His comm vibrated with another message.

“What does it say?” Nala asked as she peered over his arm. Her scent filled his nostrils and stirred his body too easily. He hadn’t been with a female since… Drekk. He could barely remember. Right before the war, so… eight years. He’d spent so much time searching for his sholani that he’d forgotten to live during that time.

Nala’s fingers wrapped around his left arm, sending warmth through him. “Blue, you’re looking kind of blue. No pun intended. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I was thinking about my shipmates and all the time wasted trying to find a female to marry me.”

“What’s wrong with you that no one wants to marry you?”

“I have misled you, Nala. I have had many females agree to marry me, but none of them were my sholani.”

“What is that?”

“My heartmate. Everyone has a heartmate, but they can be hard to find. Some settle for a pleasure mate instead, as my father expected me to do, but there can be no younglings with a pleasure mate. The mating cock only rises for one’s sholani.”

“So that’s why you’ll let me go if I don’t agree? I don’t rev your engines.”

This female asked odd questions at times. “Melikk is in charge of the ship’s engines, so only he touches them. I’m in charge of reconnaissance.”

She shook her head, more of that luscious red mass falling loose. He ached to sink his hands into her hair to see if it felt as silky as it looked.

“I still don’t understand why you need to get married? What’s the rush, especially if you want to find this sholani woman?”

“I will lose my status as a warrior if I do not marry within the week.”

“Okay, sounds like a screwed-up medieval system you have here.”

“It is not evil in the least, and it’s not a requirement of the warrior code to be mated.”

“So, how does your father have any say in this? Is he the head of all the warriors or something?”

“Or something.”

She held out her hand to him. His heart raced. The first time when she’d taken his hand, he’d felt proud. His horns had stood straight up, like the rest of him. With a nod of appreciation, he accepted her hand.

“Your horns moved. I’ve never seen that in another species,” she said as she reached up and touched him.

Unbelievable bliss soared to the pleasure center of his horn and down to his cocks. Both of them. He wasn’t imagining it. His mating cock had stirred for her!

She was his sholani!

While he offered a silent thanks to the gods above, he wondered if they were laughing at him. All the years, all the females he’d met, and it took returning home and walking through his orchards to find his sholani. Ultimately, it did not matter how or why they’d given her to him, only that she was here. His sholani!

“Are you okay, Blue?” she asked, her hand moving up and down his horn.

Oh, how he wanted to let her continue touching him like that, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control himself much longer. This was his sholani. His sholani! He wanted to tell her everything, to kiss her, claim her, and shout to the universe that he’d finally found his heartmate.

When he turned and looked down at those light green eyes filled with caution, he tempered his excitement. He could only imagine the details of the past she’d hinted at were anything but good. Even now, he felt her hesitancy when it came to touching him.

Drekk. She didn’t know what she meant to him, and he couldn’t tell her. She certainly wouldn’t believe him, not without thinking he was trying to manipulate her.

One week.

Gently, he gripped her hand and moved it away from his horns. “While I enjoy your touch very much, Nala, you should be careful about touching a male that way.”

“Why—” Light green eyes widened. She looked shocked, then her color deepened, making those freckles stand out. His female was adorable when she was embarrassed.

He touched one of her freckles, then another, and another. Her skin, so soft and delicate, made it hard to stop touching her.

“That feels nice. But it’s not an erogenous zone if that’s what you’re looking for,” she said.

“Female, I know where your erogenous zones are.” He drew out the words as he tried to will his cocks to settle. Drekking things didn’t listen to him.

“Everyone’s different.”

“Let me rephrase that. I will learn where your erogenous zones are because I will explore every inch of you before you leave Zyan… If you leave Zyan.”

She sucked in a breath. “Is that a threat?”

“A promise. I would never threaten you. You are…”. He wanted to tell her she was his sholani, but she wasn’t ready. Not with how she pulled away from him. She didn’t trust him. Not fully.

The comm on his wrist vibrated. He tapped the screen and read the message from Goji Base. “A fourth lead has been assigned to you. We’re to meet him in one of the food markets outside the base. He’ll escort you the rest of the way.”

“That’s good,” she said with a sigh of relief. And it struck him hard; she didn’t feel anything for him, not even friendship.

He would not give up on her. She was his sholani and his only hope. “You promised me three days.”

“I promised to consider your proposal.”

“I’ve never met a female who likes to argue with words like you do.”

That made her smile. Huge and welcoming, and filled with confidence and determination.

“You confuse me, female.”

“A woman’s work is never done.”

“It is if she focuses and applies herself.”

She shook her head, red hair spilling loose from the knot, as she tried to hide her laugh. “I have to stop using idioms with you.”

He placed a finger beneath her chin. “Please, Nala. I need your help. If I don’t marry within a week, my father will strip my status as a warrior.”

“And you can’t live unless you’re a warrior?”

“I’m part of a team aboard The Relentless. We’ve been together for a long time.”

“You’re afraid,” she said, suddenly understanding. “You don’t want the others to find out because you think they’ll be disappointed.”

“They’ll look at me as if I betrayed them. I should have told them the truth long ago, but I’d only been with my team for a month when the Grud attacked Zyan. It was not a time to worry of honor or status, but a time to act, to defend our world.”

“And after?”

“It took months to drive the Grud off, and then what remained of our world was in chaos. At that point, there were other concerns, securing Zyan being the top priority. It’s been ten years since I joined the team. Ten years of lies.”

“I’m not sure I understand any of this. You must have gone through training to become a warrior. How can anyone take that away unless you do something to get demoted?”

“Warriors do not get demoted. Even disgraced warriors are still warriors. But I never truly earned my status as a warrior.” He pulled off his shirt and flexed his biceps. “No tattoos here. A warrior’s first kills in battle are tattooed on his arms.”

“Does that mean you haven’t killed the enemy?”

“I have. Many grud and coalition. And my commander has requested I be given the tattoos indicating this, but his request has been denied every time. Those in charge of warrior training refuse to explain to him, as have I. He stopped asking years ago.”

“He knows?”

“He suspects something is wrong, but I’ve avoided his questions on the matter. I’ve never lied to my commander or my teammates before about anything else.” Skaggs winced. “That’s not true. I’ve lied many times. At each port we go to, I find females and accompany them to their homes. Or brothels.”

“I don’t want to hear this.”

“Nala, please,” he begged. He never begged anyone for anything, but he needed her to understand.

She crossed her arms. “Go ahead.”

He caressed her cheek. Even mad, she was beautiful. He wondered if on some instinctive level she recognized him as her sholan. Then again, of the humans he knew, they didn’t recognize their heartmates as easily as zyanthans.

“I was searching among those females for my sholani. I would go off with them and talk, nothing more. I let my crewmates, my friends, believe I bedded those females because I could not explain that I was looking for my sholani. Even though it’s a dream we all share, I went out of my way to meet more women than anyone. I had a deadline. I could not wait to find her by chance. And yet it appears that is what I needed to do all along. Wait for you to arrive.”

She exhaled slowly. “You make it sound like I’m this sholani you’ve been waiting for.”

Skaggs strained to show no emotion in his face. “I’m only explaining the situation. You crashed into my orchard just in time.”

“Mere coincidence. I don’t believe in fate and destiny.”

“And yet here you are, the answer to my problem.”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d rather get a reputation as a playboy than tell them the truth”

“I could not tell them what my father had done. What I had done.”

“Which is what, exactly?”

He debated if he should tell her everything. She’d begun to warm to him, but telling her the full truth could destroy any progress he’d made. And he needed her.

Drekk, he more than needed her. He wanted her. She was his sholani. Deadline or not, she was meant to be his.

“Ah, there you are, Warrior,” a male’s voice said behind them.

Skaggs instinctively stepped in front of Nala to shield her. The male wore the dark gray uniform of Goji Base, but Skaggs did not recognize him.

“Identify yourself,” he ordered.

The male’s horns moved back to a submissive stance. “I’m Rakkiv. First Lead Karizzen ordered me to escort the human female to quarters at Goji.” The male held his comm out for Skaggs to verify his identity.

Everything appeared fine, except Skaggs’s instincts said to keep her with him. He’d waited, worked, so long and hard to find his sholani that handing her over to another male felt incredibly wrong.

“Is there a problem, Warrior?” Rakkiv asked.

“No insult intended, soldier.” Skaggs stepped aside to let her meet the soldier.

After Nala peered at Rakkiv, she stepped behind Skaggs. “Fourth Lead Rakkiv won’t harm you,” he assured her.

“That’s what they all say.”

Those comments of hers hurt the most, knowing that she’d been harmed and he could do nothing to change her past. He could only protect her now, which meant not pushing her to marry him by the deadline. Or at all. Perhaps if he introduced her to his father, he could buy additional time with him and with her. First Lead Karizzen hadn’t said when she’d depart Zyan for Earth.

She tugged on the back of his vest. “Are you okay?”

“Two hours ago you wanted to kill me,” Skaggs said, smiling.

“You’ve grown on me. And besides, I prefer the known to the unknown. He…” She pointed at Rakkiv. “Is an unknown.”

“Rakkiv is a zyanthan soldier who will treat you with honor. And I must speak with my father.”

“Now?”

“You may go with me, but my father is a persuasive male. He may find a way to force you to marry me.”

Her entire body started shaking, even as she struggled to maintain her composure. His heart sank at her reaction.

“Am I that repulsive, Nala?”

She shook her head again but said nothing as she cautiously approached Rakkiv.

Gods, his female was so incredibly brave.

His female.

His female.

The intensity of that thought struck him hard. She was indeed his. Even if she never agreed to be his sholani, he would do everything to ensure her safety. He hoped he could find a way of convincing her to stay with him. To truly be his in every way.

Before he could focus on how best to win her over, he had to settle this business with his father. “Take care of her, soldier, or you will answer to me.”

The male’s horns dipped farther back. “Yes, Warrior.”

Nala looked at Skaggs, worry in her lovely green eyes, but she didn’t try to stop him. Either she understood… or she was too scared.

He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “I will return soon. And you will be fine with Rakkiv.”

A simple nod, but she said nothing.

Skaggs walked away, his insides screaming not to leave her, but it couldn’t be avoided. For now, he was still a warrior and warriors never ran from battle. And going up against his father would perhaps be the biggest battle of his life.

CHAPTER 4

NALA

Am I that repulsive, Nala?

Skaggs’s words replayed over and over in her head. The hurt in his voice when he’d said them cut especially deep. She’d stood there like a fool, unable to speak up and tell him she wanted to go with him, that she felt safe with him and enjoyed his company. But she feared being forced into marriage, any marriage.

This warrior wasn’t anything like the aliens who had abused her. He cared. And he was sweet. She didn’t buy this sholani stuff he talked about, but she started to envision herself with him. He’d touched her, more than once, and she hadn’t cringed. In fact, she’d enjoyed his touch very much. The trauma of her time as a sex slave on Trinoth suddenly seemed further in her past. Like a haze had settled over those memories, dulling the sharpness of the pain.

Once Skaggs left, Rakkiv didn’t speak. He just motioned her to follow. It was just as well. She felt exhausted, and even the idea of getting to know one more person felt daunting.

Compared to Skaggs, Rakkiv seemed like a boy. Oh, he was built and filled out his dark gray uniform quite well, but he lacked Skaggs’s confidence.

And gentle eyes.

And endearing touch.

Skaggs’s touch had been nothing but respectful, even if he couldn’t restrain those dirty thoughts from escaping his full lips. She smiled, thinking of his devilish grin. He was definitely a charmer. A charmer with restraint and morals. That was a rare combination.

Damn, she had to be overtired to be thinking about an alien as if he were dating material.

Rakkiv stopped so suddenly that she plowed into his back. Three large zyanthan males blocked Rakkiv. As zyanthan words flew around Nala, two of the males spread out, surrounding them. She wasn’t sure Rakkiv considered their movement a threat since he made no move to draw his blaster.

A moment later, Rakkiv fell forward, a knife buried in his gut.

“Skaggs!” Nala screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping he was still close enough to hear her. She grabbed Rakkiv’s blaster as his body crumpled to the ground and fired. The shot struck one alien in the arm a second before another of the attackers snatched the blaster out of her hand.

“Filthy human will never speak again,” he said as he trained the blaster on her.

A thick arm curled around the attacker’s neck from behind and snapped it like a stick. The body fell to the ground and Skaggs threw a knife into the third attacker, catching him in his shoulder. Despite his injury, the male charged at them.

Skaggs sliced across the male’s throat with his claws. Claws that extended from behind his knuckles. The body fell alongside the first.

“Where’s the other guy?” Nala said frantically. “The one I shot in the shoulder?”

“I saw no other,” Skaggs said as he handed her the blaster from the dead zyanthan, grabbed her hand, and started running. Those claws retracted into his hand. She was too stunned to say anything more. The attack, his claws… It was all too much.

She didn’t ask where they were going. She didn’t care as long as she was with Skaggs. This warrior had sworn to protect her. And he’d come through on his promise.

They darted through the same markets they’d passed through before meeting Rakkiv.

“He died. Because of me,” she whispered as they finally slowed down. Skaggs eased her into the shadows and motioned for her to stay silent as he peeled away from her.

She wanted to cry out to him not to leave her, but she knew better than to draw attention to herself. Skaggs’s horns pitched forward as he disappeared around the corner. Nala held her blaster up, ready to shoot anyone who dared to come near her.

Grunts, the sounds of punches being thrown, and bodies crashing against stalls in the empty market made her want to sink to the ground and cower. What if Skaggs didn’t return?

A hand touched her and she jumped but didn’t scream. The blaster shook in her hand as she aimed it at the male’s chest.

That hand cupped her cheek. “It’s me, Nala,” Skaggs said, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Blood streaked his neck, chest, and arms. With a shaky hand, she reached toward the blood.

“It’s not mine.”

Nala threw her arms around his chest and hugged him hard. She’d been beyond scared.

“It’s alright, Red,” he whispered as his lips brushed against her ear. “You’re safe. I’ll never let anyone harm you again.”

SKAGGS

Six assailants had attacked him and Nala by the time they escaped the city and slipped into the countryside. Whoever these drekkers were, they’d tried to kill his sholani. Twice. Who were they, and why did they want her dead?

Nala hadn’t been on Zyan long enough to make any enemies, not that he could imagine her making enemies. She was a sweet, yet guarded, female. His female. And he had no idea what the drekk was going on. Only that he needed to get her to safety, which meant his home hidden in the middle of the quirty grove. He’d thought of taking her there initially, except she’d been too fearful of him then.

Now, Nala slumped against his side, exhausted. He had so many questions for her, but she needed rest.

“Hop on,” he finally said, as she dragged her feet.

“You want to carry me? I’m too heavy.”

“You’re curvy, not heavy,” he said, running his hand over her hip. “All the better to hold you while I fuck you, Red.”

She laughed, which eased his heart after what she’d been through. He took a gamble by flirting with her in such a crude manner. He hoped to take her mind off of the dead soldier and the attacks. She blamed herself for Rakkiv’s death.

When he bent down, she wrapped her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck. Her scent invigorated him nearly as much as fighting. He’d never forget her scream and how he’d poured all his energy into reaching her. The idea that he could have lost her scared him more than any battle ever had.

Not long into carrying her, she leaned her head against his shoulder. He’d never carried such precious cargo. This was what being a warrior was about. Protecting others, protecting family.

Family. She wasn’t family yet. Not until she accepted him.

“Where are we?” she asked when they reached his home in the middle of the quirty grove. The small house gave him a quiet place away from the cities, away from everyone, where he could be himself and not have to flirt with women or pretend to be what and who he wasn’t. A warrior who only cared about fucking.

“My home. One not listed on any public record. I built it here myself as a retreat away from my father’s house. No one will find you here.”

After easing her to the ground, he pushed the tangle of red hair behind her. “Does that scare you? Being alone with me?”

“No,” she said, though her eyes remained cautious.

“Good, because I only have one bed and I have no intention of sleeping on the cold floor.”

“I can sleep on the floor.”

“You will sleep in the bed beside me, but I will not touch you.”

She stepped into him and laid her palms on his chest. “Even if I want you to?”

Before he let her comment sink in, she pushed up on her toes and kissed him. Warm, supple, like lying naked in the warm sun after spending an eternity frozen in ice.

When her tongue glided over his lips, his cocks hardened. Both of them. There was no question about it; she was his sholani, his heartmate. The gods he had never believed in had chosen well for him. Nala was a beautiful, smart, and sweet female. But she needed time to accept him, and he needed to get to know her as well. Not everyone who found their sholani got along. Personalities, goals… so many factors could keep a sholan and sholani apart.

Skaggs sank one hand into her hair until he cupped the back of her head. The other hand moved down her back, where he held her just above her ass. Getting to know her would be quite pleasurable indeed.

“You can go lower,” she said as she broke the kiss.

“I fear I might not be able to stop if I do,” he said, his voice deep and husky. He wanted to keep kissing her, but he had to be sure that this wasn’t some desperate attempt on her part to ensure his protection from whoever was trying to kill her.

“We need to talk, Nala.”

“I’m listening.”

“In the morning, after we’re both rested. Come, Red,” he said with a flirty grin because there was safety in flirting. People didn’t take a male seriously when he used humor and outlandish remarks. It had become his trademark with his teammates, and ultimately a trap of deceit. With each season, the idea of telling them the truth had become harder. He didn’t want to fall into a similar trap with Nala, but she was a temptation he wasn’t sure how to handle unless he kept his distance.

When he set his hand against the security panel on his home, the metal door swung open. “Traditional houses have a wood door with carvings that tell the character of the male inside, but when I built this house, I never thought I’d have any visitors.” Or a sholani.

As she explored the house, he went outside to pick a few quirty from the trees. When he returned, he cut the fruit and set the platter on the table. She’d been with him half a day when he’d handed her over to some male ill-equipped to protect her. He hadn’t even thought to feed her before. He needed to be better, do better.

“Nala?” he called out. When she didn’t answer, he searched the back room and found her asleep on the bed.

Skaggs removed his weapons and vest, then slid onto the bed beside her, tucking her in against his side before pulling the blanket over them. Nothing had ever felt so right in his entire life. Within seconds, he fell asleep, no longer dreaming of finding his sholani one day. He’d already found her.

CHAPTER 5

NALA

Nala couldn’t remember ever sleeping so well, and she didn’t think it was the bed. The mattress felt comfortable enough, but it had no special qualities. Yet she felt completely safe and at peace, which struck her as odd considering a group of males had tried to kill her last night.

As she stretched out her muscles one by one, she inhaled an enticing scent. “Hello,” she said, opening her eyes to Skaggs’s handsome face.

He looked pensive as he swept the tangled mess of hair off her face. “I need a haircut,” she said, though she didn’t know why. Only that she didn’t want to leave the warmth of the bed… and Skaggs.

He stroked her hair. “So soft, like the rest of you.” He watched her closely as his hand caressed the side of her breast. A thrill went through her, stirring parts of her that hadn’t felt anything for a long, long time.

She pulled back, just slightly, but enough that he stopped touching her. She wanted to kiss him, to tell him she was fine, but that look in his eyes—one of desire mixed with confusion—made her reconsider. She shouldn’t lead him on, not unless she was ready for more, and she didn’t think she was.

“I was forced to work in a brothel. On Trinoth,” she confessed softly.

He didn’t even blink. Blue eyes held her attention, demanded it, in fact. “I was forced to deceive my crewmates, the ones who have saved my life many times over the years. It’s not the same as what you experienced, but it causes me great shame, even though the reason behind it was not my doing.”

“We should both live in the present, right?” she said.

He nodded and his horns dipped back. “Those were my words, though I admit I’ve spent many years letting my past control me. I spent so much time searching for my sholani, deceiving my crewmates into believing I was a true warrior who, beyond fighting for Zyan, only cared about bedding females.”

“But you didn’t sleep with them. You’ve fought alongside your friends to protect your world. You are a warrior, Skaggs. You’ve saved me, twice. Three times, including leading me away from the escape pod.” Her hand glided along his bare arm before coming to rest on his chest. “You are a warrior in every way that counts. With or without tattoos.”

Before her courage faltered, she pressed her lips against his. As she explored his mouth, he didn’t move. It was as if he understood she needed to take for once, instead of being taken.

Then his tongue stroked hers and she lost herself in the erotic feel of him. For the first in what felt like a lifetime, Nala moaned in pleasure, not pain. All the bad memories faded away as he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

Her hand slid under the sheet, down his chiseled abs to his front, and stopped when she felt his very hard cock. No sleep pants. The male was completely naked. She froze for a moment before she realized she was still fully dressed. Working in the bar had meant wearing short skirts and dresses, but there’d always been a bouncer. Even with her thighs exposed to Skaggs all night, nothing had happened between them last night. He’d done exactly as he’d said yesterday, slept in his bed beside her without touching her.

Hell, she wanted him to touch her now, to feel his hands all over her, but she’d only known him one day. This soul-deep attraction to him was insane.

“I don’t want to be viewed as a whore.”

“You are not a whore,” he said, his words harsh and full of anger.

Her hand stilled. “But I was.”

He closed his eyes, then opened them slowly, once again appearing completely calm. “You were a slave,” he said in a softer voice. “You bear no responsibility for anything you did or was done to you while you were a slave.” Gently, he brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Talk to me, Nala.”

“I’m scared.”

“As am I.”

That surprised her. “You’re scared?”

“I might do something that causes you to run from me.”

“I wouldn’t run.”

He narrowed his eyes. Damn, he already knew her so well.

“Okay, maybe I would,” she admitted.

“I don’t want to lose you, Nala. I’ve just found you.”

“I know. You need me to fix what’s happened with your father.”

He took her face in his hands. “This goes beyond my father. Yes, I was looking for my sholani all this time to avoid my family’s treachery from coming to light. I never expected to feel this connected to you.”

“It’s only been a day.”

“I know what I like and want. You. And if you need proof, my mating cock has hardened for you.”

“I’ve yet to meet a male whose cock doesn’t harden when it comes to sex.”

“Not sex. Mating. And it’s not just my pleasure cock. My mating cock, too. Both, Nala. This means you are my sholani.”

She glanced where the sheet tented. He was joking with her. He had to be. “You do not have two cocks.”

He ripped the sheet aside, revealing two very hard cocks, one stacked only a few inches above the other. Her jaw dropped open, stunned.

He ran a finger along her lips. “If this is an offer to take me in your mouth, I accept.”

She snapped her mouth shut, and a grin crossed his face. He’d been teasing her. Again.

“How, I mean… Two cocks? I can’t picture how that works.”

His hand cupped an ass cheek. “During a claiming, the pleasure cock goes here.”

She pushed his hand away. “I mean, I know where they go. Just not why.” She felt her cheeks heating. “That’s not what I meant. Oh, damn, I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.”

“Zyanthan males have a pleasure cock and a mating cock. The pleasure cock does not produce semen, which makes it impossible to conceive a youngling when using the pleasure cock. It is the mating cock that produces semen, but the mating cock only rises for a male’s sholani.”

His hand lightly fanned over her stomach, sending delicious sensations through her. No one had ever made her feel so good with such a simple touch.

“That is how I know you are my sholani. My heartmate. My mating cock hardens for you. It has never done this before, Nala.”

“Never? Not even when you were, ah… alone?”

“Never.”

While she hadn’t quite wrapped her head around the concept of two-cocks, she wasn’t ready to walk away from him. Nala swung her leg over his torso and straddled him, pinning him to the bed.

Deep blue eyes sparkled. “Sholani, I like this side of you.”

“You don’t mind a woman dominating you?”

“As long as she’s my female, I will enjoy it very much. Carpe diem.”

“You really like that saying.”

“It has spirit, like you. Seize the day. Promise me you will always remember to live this way.”

“Seizing the day?”

“And the moment. Like now.”

He guided her down for another kiss. A kiss that melted away all the hesitancy. Beneath her, those two cocks ground against her very aroused pussy, with nothing more than her thin panties between them. Right now, she rather appreciated wearing that short dress.

Mainly because she trusted this male.

With one hand, she slid her panties to the side to feel his cock… cocks… against her wetness. When the tip of his cock glided into her entrance, she froze, too many bad memories rushing at her.

Then a warm hand eased her hair behind her ear, drawing her out of the black pit that threatened to swallow her. “Let the past go, my sholani. Live for today.” Skaggs rocked his hips slowly as he pulled his upper cock, his mating cock, out and slid it through her juices instead of penetrating her.

Heaven help her, the sensation of him grinding against her rocketed through her. The second cock, the longer one with black bumps, teased the crevice of her ass.

As his lips claimed her, drawing her deeper into his spell, a slick substance ran over her backside. Her ass tingled, increasing her arousal. His hands moved to her butt cheeks, separating them. She didn’t resist, which puzzled her since she’d never liked anal. Then again, she hadn’t liked anything on Trinoth. Perhaps it was how Skaggs didn’t rush or push her that made her relax enough to give this a chance with him. To give him a chance.

“You’re beautiful,” he said as he lifted her legs, changing the angle. His pleasure cock slid into her ass, slowly, easily, unlike the times she’d been forced.

The backs of his fingers brushed along her face. “We can stop anytime.”

“Just keep touching me,” she said.

His hands moved over her, touching every part of her with the utmost care, becoming a lifeline that kept her in the present, allowing her to enjoy how the bumps on his pleasure cock massaged and stimulated her every nerve.

“Fuck, that’s good,” she breathed as he sank deeper and deeper. She didn’t recognize herself, her own words, as she willingly gave herself and enjoyed being with a male. That wasn’t who she was. Her inhibitions melted away with her fears as she marveled at how good it felt having him inside her, especially with his hands moving up and down her body.

He wove his fingers through the hair that had tumbled over her breasts. As he pushed the hair away, he pulled the loose neckline of her dress aside, exposing her bra. He watched her expression closely as he slid the one strap down.

It amazed her to realize he took his cues from her, trying not to push her beyond her limits. Only, she didn’t know what she could take. Part of her feared she’d freak out any minute and react poorly to him, all because she could get trapped in a memory.

“I won’t hurt you,” he said as his thumb circled one of her rock-hard nipples through her bra, adding to her arousal. If she sat there much longer, she’d come from just his touch. She wanted more with him, to feel a real connection beyond sex.

Nala lifted up, pulling off his pleasure cock partway. As she angled to sink down on his mating cock, taking both at once, his eyes widened.

“Are you sure?” Skaggs asked. “If I spill inside you…”

He was right. She was no longer on birth control. Nala slid off of Skaggs. The sudden loss of his pleasure cock, the sensation of being empty and alone, struck her hard.

Before she could explain that she didn’t want to risk getting pregnant, he lifted her and swung her beneath him. His mating cock once more teased her pussy, tempting her beyond all reason.

“Nala?” His face was a mixture of confusion and concern.

She couldn’t talk, afraid that if she did. She feared that if she did, she’d tell him to get off her, even though all she wanted was to have him deep inside her. She thrust her hips upwards, pressing her opening against his tip. God, she wanted this with him.

With one thrust, his thick cock slid into her, filling her so completely.

“Carpe diem,” he whispered, his expression so loving as he slowly thrust in and out of her several times. Both cocks moved together, filling her with unexpected pleasure, sending a slow-building delicious wave through her entire body.

She felt alive again, suddenly aware of every blessed part of her being. There’d been no pain or feeling like she was drowning, futilely clawing her way to escape Hell. None of the horrors of the past threatened to destroy her. The only sensation now was the tender touch of a male whose hands moved up and down her body, caressing every part of her as he made love to her.

Nala wove her fingers through his hair, enjoying such a simple act. She wasn’t as broken as she’d thought. But she couldn’t shake all the worry. The way Skaggs looked at and touched her seemed as if it was more than sex for him. Which made no sense. They’d only just met. She wanted to feel good, but Skaggs seemed to want more.

And yet he was right. She needed to live in the moment and worry about the future later.

“Carpe diem,” she said, returning his smile.

His brows scrunched together, moments before he slid out of her, again shocking her system with the loss. “Trust me, sholani,” he said as he kissed his way down her body and positioned his head between her legs.

Cool air titillated her sensitive skin as large hands eased her thighs apart. One finger moved through her folds, and then his tongue was there, flat, full, and fabulous. She barely knew this male, and yet he took his time with her as if she was the most precious treasure in the universe, one that required extreme care. And love.

Except this wasn’t love. It couldn’t be, but she could dream and accept it for the gift of pleasure that it was.

Skaggs’s tongue swirled around her clit, driving all the doubt away as she threw her head back and arched, welcoming the bliss overtaking her body. She couldn’t move as wave after wave held her as sure as the male who licked, sucked, and brought her to new heights.

As she came down from the orgasm, she played with his hair, twirling a few strands around her fingers. Those horns that had previously scared her now enticed her. Instinct or need, she didn’t know what drove her, only that she had to stroke those magnificent and very deadly weapons. The second she ran her finger over the bumps at the base of his horns, Skaggs lifted his head.

She didn’t expect to see such surprise in his eyes. Another stroke along his horn, in the middle, and his lips parted, releasing the most glorious male sound she’d ever heard.

She’d done that to him, with a simple touch. Utterly amazing, she thought, as her fingers glided back and forth over the bumps. So many questions she had for him, about his biology, his family… and if he truly wanted her and not just because she was the solution to his problem.

“You didn’t come,” she said, still trying to understand him.

Deep blue eyes once again caught her, and she held her breath at the intensity swirling there. “You weren’t ready.”

She wasn’t. But it was so easy to lose herself, to forget about her needs after having no say for so long.

“You need to be present. In the moment, Nala. Not scared. You need to want to be with me, in here.” He tapped his finger over her heart.

Had she come across as scared? Is that why he’d held back? She wasn’t scared of him.

Nala lifted off him and stood beside the bed, looking down at the chiseled male who lay there unabashed by his cocks still hard and on full display. It felt weird that she was still dressed. She’d just had the best sex of her life and she’d been dressed. That was nice, not being stripped bare without her consent. Not being touched without her consent.

Skaggs rose, his hard cocks swinging and drawing her eyes. His upper cock resembled a human male’s, only with a few ridges at the tip, and his lower cock was thinner, with black bumps along the length.

“They belong to you now,” he said with that steadfast grin of his as he caught her staring. “All of me does. If you’ll accept me as your sholan.”

“It’s only been a day. A day and a half,” she amended as she looked out at the sun high in the sky. They’d slept late into the day.

“Fate often plays games. But not this time. Even if you weren’t my sholani, I would want you.”

“Why?” she asked, thoroughly confused.

“Because you have so much to offer. Your spirit, Nala. You have a strength I admire and need.”

“Because I’m a survivor?”

He kissed her head. “Because you don’t give up. And you believe.”

Believe in what? Maybe with time, she’d understand what he meant. She made the bed, while trying to make sense of his words.

Skaggs had just started slicing fresh fruit when his wrist comm lit. He glanced at the screen, a scowl overtaking his face.

“What’s wrong?” Nala asked.

“I’ve received orders from First Lead Karizzen to return you to Goji Base for questioning about Rakkiv’s death.”

“Can’t you tell them what happened?”

“I already did. Last night, I reported the attack and gave them the location of Rakkiv’s body so they could retrieve it and inform his family.”

“Then why do they need to question me?”

Skaggs reached into a drawer and started shoving knives into his pants and boots. “They’ve identified the males who attacked you as being part of the Brotherhood.”

SKAGGS

Skaggs couldn’t believe Nala had let him love her like that. She’d accepted his pleasure cock and even his mating cock so willingly. Her concern over getting pregnant was valid. The time for younglings would come if they survived as a mated pair. Sex did not guarantee that she would accept him as her sholan. As she’d stated, they’d only just met. And humans did not believe in heartmates.

Right now, he had to place his growing feelings for her aside and be a warrior again. This order from Goji Base wasn’t right. It would endanger her, especially if it truly was the Brotherhood that had attacked her and killed Rakkiv.

“You look worried, more so than yesterday,” Nala said.

“You haven’t been here long enough to engage the Brotherhood. Though it could have been a random attack. Some of the purists in the Brotherhood have targeted non-zyanthans before.”

“But you don’t believe in coincidence, do you?” she asked as her coloring dropped three shades. She likely didn’t know zyanthans could see changes in skin tone to at least ten levels. It helped determine people’s emotions even when they schooled their features as she did now.

“Those males killed a soldier to get to you. What haven’t you told me, Nala?”

He hated being so accusatory with her, but he needed information. Members of the Brotherhood covertly supported the Coalition by undermining local governments. They were part of the reason Earth fell to the Grud nearly two decades ago, and they were the ones who had nearly caused Zyan to fall eight years ago. So much loss of life and damage to Zyan occurred during the war, leaving no one untouched. Skaggs had lost his mother, his sister, and her family in the war.

“I thought the Brotherhood only existed on Earth. Those males yesterday were Zyanthan.”

“The Brotherhood is an organization made up of several species, much like the Coalition. The only difference is that they act from the shadows, infiltrating and corrupting governments, weakening worlds from within before the Grud attack. They are the third arm of the triumvirate. With the Grud and Coalition currently at war with one another, we haven’t seen much trouble from the Brotherhood.”

“Until I arrived.” She swallowed hard.

He strode over to her. “I will not let anyone harm you. I vow this.”

“But you have orders to hand me over again. Like last time.”

“I won’t make that mistake again.”

“You’ll get in trouble if you disobey.”

He roughly exhaled. “I’m always in trouble, sholani. Just ask my commander. Torin… Drekk. All my crewmates will tell you following orders is not my strong suit, but I get the job done. Always.”

She laughed. “You certainly did this morning.”

Her skin practically glowed as a blush crept into her cheeks. This female tempted him too easily. He needed to focus on the attack, not on claiming her over and over, despite how much his body demanded he sink into her and release his seed, make her his.

He leaned in and kissed her. “I love tasting you. Everywhere.” He couldn’t resist the opportunity to flirt with her. She was everything he’d dreamed of in a sholani, and yet so much more.

She looked down at her hands. “There’s something I didn’t tell you. I was attacked on the cruise ship right before it exploded. An og’dal tried to kill me. The only reason I got away was because the ship’s alarms distracted him. I kicked him and dove into the escape pod he had opened. I locked the hatch before he could grab me.”

Drekk! She’d been targeted even before arriving on Zyan. “It explains how those males knew where you were. The assassin programmed the pod for a planet where he knew the Brotherhood existed and could help him complete his assignment.”

And it meant they still had a mole in Goji Base, or they never would have found her so quickly.

“Come, Nala, we must leave immediately. Your pod is less than two miles from here. It’s the next place they’ll look.”

“Do you smell smoke?” she asked.

He inhaled, capturing the strong scent of smoke and ash. The smell was coming from outside his cabin. The moment he opened the door, noxious fumes rushed in. Fifteen-foot-high flames circled the cabin. The Brotherhood had arrived.

CHAPTER 6

SKAGGS

Rage burned within Skaggs, hotter than the fire surrounding his home. The fire was only a hundred feet away in each direction and closing fast. The drekkers had set his grove on fire, intending to burn his sholani to death.

He slammed the door shut and immediately assessed his options. He had no fire equipment and nothing to jump the flames. Even if he could run through them with minimal burns, he feared his sholani would not survive. She didn’t have a warrior’s strength or speed.

“Bind your hair. Quickly,” he ordered as he grabbed the sheet from the bed. “Then wet this completely.”

Thick smoke crept under the door as he sent an emergency exfil signal through his comm. Goji Base was nearby, but he did not know the base’s new first lead very well. Karizzen might question his request. But if anyone was aboard The Relentless, they’d come for him. His team never failed him.

Nala began coughing. Skaggs quickly wrapped the wet blanket around her, making sure her face was covered.

“Breathe through the fabric,” he said as he wrapped another wet towel around her and threw her over his shoulder.

“What about you? You’ll get burned.”

“No talking. You’ll burn your lungs.”

They had to leave now before the ring of fire closed any tighter. Smoke stung his eyes as he scanned for a viable path. When he spotted one, he ran. A tree fell, shaking the ground and blocking his path. He spun around, scared when he didn’t hear Nala’s heavy breaths anymore. Had she passed out? Was she breathing at all? He couldn’t take the time to check. He had to get her out now!

As he raced toward the southern end of the grove, where the fire seemed less intense, he heard the roar of engines overhead. His comm vibrated.

The Relentless!

A cable extended, but he couldn’t reach it.

“Closer!” he screamed into his comm.

“Can’t get closer,” a muffled voice replied. Skaggs could barely make out the outline of the ship. G Class, much smaller than The Relentless.

The fire ring was closing in on them, leaving no opening for the ship. With Nala still slung over his shoulder, Skaggs scaled the side of his house and waited on the roof. The ship tipped on its side, a daring and dangerous maneuver, to bring the cable within reach. Skaggs grabbed hold and wrapped the cable around his forearm.

“Go!” he screamed above the roar of the fire, hoping whoever piloted the ship wouldn’t drop them into the fire below.

The ship flew straight up and then headed west, away from Goji Base. Skaggs watched as his entire grove burned, filling the sky with a thick layer of black smoke. All his work, gone.

“We made it, Nala,” he said, but his sholani didn’t respond. And she wasn’t moving.

NALA

Nala woke to male voices arguing. In Zyanthan. She had no idea how long she’d been sleeping or how she’d gotten here, wherever here was.

“Skaggs?” she called out, but he didn’t answer. The last she remembered, he had hoisted her over his shoulder with the intent of running through the flames. She’d had trouble breathing even with the wet blanket filtering the smoke. Had the Brotherhood captured her? Fear went through her at the thought of what they might have done with Skaggs.

“Please be alright, please be alright,” she mumbled to herself as she sat up, only to realize she wore a male’s shirt that came down to her knees. The thick green material felt similar to wool, though not as warm. A leather strap sat next to her on the bed. She reached beneath the shirt and found she wasn’t wearing underwear. Nausea rolled through her as she jumped off the bed… No, an exam table! The room began spinning as she noticed all the medical equipment around.

No, no, no! She would not go through that nightmare again!

Nala pounded her hand against the metal door until it swung open. The male on the other side was a huge zyanthan, as tall and broad as Skaggs, but older, with many scars on his horns, face, and arms.

His horns pitched forward as he scowled. “You are a weak species. Too small to breed strong warriors.”

When he reached for her, she grabbed the nearest object and swung. The long metal scalpel sliced across his upper arm. With all her might, she body-slammed him, but he was as large and sturdy as a cement pillar. She bounced off of him.

Large hands caught her and drew her into an embrace full of warmth and security. Skaggs’s scent filled her nostrils, bringing instant relief. “You’re alive,” she whispered as she leaned her forehead against him.

“Stay away from my sholani,” Skaggs warned the other male.

“Sholani? Phh. She cannot be your sholani. I will not have half-breed younglings in the family.”

Family? “Who are you?” Nala asked.

“A warrior. A male of honor, unlike my son, who would claim a human female as his sholani.”

Skaggs ran his hands over her face and throat. “How do you feel? You’ve been sleeping for over a day. You passed out from too much smoke.”

“My throat feels raw and I’m a bit dizzy, but fine otherwise. Where are my clothes?” she asked, nervous about the answer as she peered toward the huge zyanthan.

“They were singed. The doctor gave you a spare shirt so you would not continue breathing in the soot on your clothes. Pazzikov should be back soon. He left to treat an injury a few miles from here.”

That answered some of her questions, but the big zyanthan was glaring at her as if he wanted to throttle her. “Where are we? And who is this brute?”

“This is the med bay at the warrior training center in Izoran, and this is one of the three warriors in charge. Warrior Skaddov. My father. And the male who rescued us.”

“I wish I hadn’t,” Skaddov said. “Better if you had died in glory than mate this female.”

“Then you would have no younglings to carry on the family name,” Skaggs bit back. “Ziza and her younglings are gone, Father. Accept it.”

“I can’t. Her younglings were true zyanthans. I’ve listened to everything you’ve had to say, Skaggsolonov, but the facts can’t be disputed. This female will produce halflings.”

“This female,” Nala spoke up, “will produce nothing against her will.”

Skaddov blinked in surprise. “You do not wish to mate my son?”

“That’s none of your business,” she said, instantly regretting having this conversation as Skaggs’s frown deepened.

Skaddov lifted his chin higher. “Now that you are healed, I will have a first-year trainee take you to the port and pay for your passage to your world.”

“She is my sholani,” Skaggs repeated with strength and pride, though she could see the hurt in his face. She’d essentially said she didn’t want him.

“Skaggs.” She wanted to apologize, but he held up a hand.

“We will talk soon, Nala. My father will show you to a room where you will rest until you are fully recovered. He will not harm you. I will return soon.” Before she could say a single word, Skaggs disappeared down the corridor.

“Now we can talk in earnest, female,” Skaddov said, his voice as gruff as before.

“I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Then you are as stubborn as my youngling. I had hoped having a female would change him.”

“He doesn’t need to be changed. He’s perfect the way he is,” she said, stalking toward him. “I don’t know what the hell he’s done that would make you think otherwise, but get past it, old man, and butt out of his life.”

Skaddov raised a brow and then burst out laughing. She didn’t know or understand this man. Right now, she just wanted to be with Skaggs, but she didn’t know where he went. The only option was to wait for him to return. Which she didn’t need to do near his ass of a father.

Nala headed back into the med bay and threw herself down on the slab of a bed. The door soon closed, and she turned over. Skaddov had left her alone, in a room that gave her the creeps, but at least she was alone.

Alone. Without Skaggs. She never realized how empty that would make her feel.

CHAPTER 7

SKAGGS

Skaggs left Nala with his father. He needed space to calm down and think. His father didn’t approve of Nala. Only three days remained. Either he found and declared a female his or his secret would be exposed. He had begun to prepare himself for the inevitable shame, and then his sholani had come into his life. He could no longer think of her as a solution to his problem. She was so much more, and he would not push her into accepting him. They hadn’t talked about if she’d even consider staying on Zyan with him. This wasn’t her world, her people. Drekk. He didn’t even know if she had family back on Earth.

“You have three days to find another,” his father said.

“There will be no other. Nala is my sholani. Why can’t you understand this?”

“Then I am amending the terms. Your secret will remain buried if you do not mate this female. Claim a zyanthan female. A pleasure mate, if you must.”

Skaggs turned swiftly on his father, shocked that he would blackmail him like that. “She is my sholani!” he repeated through clenched teeth before storming past him.

He needed to speak with Nala. She mattered most to him now, not his father’s threats.

He found her laying down in the med bay, on the cold hard bed with bright lights on. This was not a place to rest, nor a place to tell his sholani what he needed to say to her.

“Nala, will you walk with me? I wish to speak with you,” he said as gently as he could, despite the rage from his father’s ultimatum.

She turned over, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears. He’d caused this somehow. Perhaps by taking her before she was truly ready or by telling her he was her sholan. Her sadness gutted him. He would do anything to return a smile to her face.

“Please, Nala. You would honor me with your company.” He held a hand down to her.

Her hand, so small compared to his, slid into his. His flesh came alive with the contact, the warmth moving through his body, both cocks stirring together, as one. There was no doubt that she was his sholani, but that meant nothing if she didn’t want him.

“Can we talk about what happened back there with your father?” she asked as they walked toward the gardens. High walls had been added around the training center since he’d left here over ten years ago, giving the area a prison-like feel. Much had changed on Zyan after the Grud attacked. But not his father.

“No,” he snapped, not ready to discuss his father. “Tell me about the Brotherhood. Are you involved with them? Have you worked for them, even if not by your choosing?” he asked as he thought of Remmikov’s mate McKenna, and how she’d been forced to work for the Brotherhood.

“Pardon me?” Nala asked as they turned onto the path toward the lake.

“Twice now, the Brotherhood has tried to kill you. They burned down my entire quirty grove without any care to protect nearby towns just to get to you. What makes you so valuable? From what you’ve told me, you were nothing but a—”

He cut himself off as she lost several shades of her rich hue. She hadn’t looked this upset when his father had insisted she wasn’t right for him. She didn’t want to be his sholani.

“I never worked for them. Or do you want to know if I slept with them?” she said, her tone scathing. “I didn’t ask the names of the males who used me in that brothel on Trinoth. I didn’t want to know anything about them. I zoned out as much as I could until they were done and then I’d shower until my skin was raw. Every. Single. Time.”

Drekk. Drekk. Drekk! He scrubbed his face with one hand. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it? Is that the real reason your father doesn’t want me for you, and not just because I’m human?”

“I don’t know or care what my father wants. I only care what you want and what I want. And I want you, Nala. From the moment you kicked me in the chest and I saw nothing but determination and fire in your eyes.”

“Don’t you mean fear?”

“Fear for one’s life is natural and nothing to be ashamed of.”

“What about fear of discovery? You have yet to tell me what happened that led to this deadline. What is this big secret you’re hiding?”

“I will tell you in time. First, we must figure out why the Brotherhood is after you. You are safe here, but I don’t know for how long. When word spreads that the training center has a human female, the Brotherhood will find out. While I do not believe any warrior would allow himself to be coerced, those viscas in the Brotherhood are resourceful. An entire training center of warriors around us and it feels as open and indefensible as my quirty grove.”

To his surprise, she splayed a hand on his chest, giving him the warmth and acceptance he needed at that moment.

“I have trouble trusting after what happened to me, but I’m trying really hard to trust you, Skaggs, with more than my body.”

“I’m sorry, my sholani. I nearly lost you, and here I’ve been treating you like the enemy instead of my heartmate.” Skaggs opened his arms, and she snuggled tightly against him as if she needed him, wanted him. He kissed the top of her head. Horned Hounds Above, he never wanted to let go. This was where he was meant to be, wrapped around this female. Gods, he hoped she wanted him for more than protection. She belonged with him. He felt it down to his soul.

“I was terrified when the flames surrounded us and I couldn’t find a way out. I thought I had failed you.”

She caressed his cheek. “Even if we had both died, you didn’t fail me. You raced through fire to save me. That’s more than anyone else has ever done for me.”

Running through fire was the least of what he’d do for her. “We don’t know each other very well yet, Nala, but I know in my heart that you are my future. I misspoke earlier. I meant to say that in the eyes of the Brotherhood, you are nothing but a female. They do not concern themselves with females enough to put this much time and effort into killing one. There must be a reason.”

“I don’t know why. Really. The og’dals in charge of the bride ship that took women from Earth to marry aliens sold me to a brothel on Trinoth. Most of the women on that ship were there because they wanted to find a husband on a stable planet. But I was forced onto that ship and then sold against my will.”

“Tell me everything. Who forced you… when… Everything.”

She took a deep breath, then slowly released it. He’d asked her to relive the trauma, but he needed to understand what had happened in order to protect her better.

“Four years ago, two og’dals abducted me on my way home from work. I was twenty-seven and lived alone. My parents died years before in a factory fire. The pharmacy where I worked was only a few blocks from my apartment and I carried a knife, not that it helped me when two og’dals grabbed me. I sold stuff in a store, Skaggs. I wasn’t anyone special, but they didn’t care. I later heard they were short on inventory. That’s what I was to them. Inventory.”

He slowly ran his thumb across her lips. “You are very special. But you are right. The og’dals in charge of the bride ships only cared about getting females to sell. Dal, the og’dal homeworld, has been tracking down the og’dals who worked with the Coalition.”

“Isn’t Dal allied with the Coalition?”

“Some of its citizens are, but not the planet’s government. Dal has been ravaged by civil war for years, so they haven’t had much time to enforce their laws among og’dals who leave Dal. The High Council decreed it illegal to work or support the Coalition in any way. They are determined to find every last og’dal who supported or entered deals with the Coalition.”

“I don’t think that has anything to do with why those zyanthans tried to kill me.”

“I think it may. The og’dals involved in the bride ship trade are scared right now. The Coalition can’t protect them, not while they’re embroiled in a war with the Grud. Dal’s government has taken a hardline on anyone who supported the Coalition. Once convicted, those bride ship owners and backers will be executed.”

“I think the og’dals who sold you are trying to keep you from testifying against them. Can you identify any of the og’dals involved in your abduction?”

“I’ll never forget the slimeball in charge of the ship I was on. Sazo Bu’Tay. He proudly announced his name as Seymour Bu’Tay at the auctions to gain attention. He thought that was funny. The male cared nothing about the women on his ship, including those who willingly signed up to be brides. Some women, like me, were stolen outright and given to brothels. Unclaimed brides were forced into brothels or sold as slaves, too. In the end, it didn’t matter how he got rid of us as long as he made his money.”

She began shaking. Skaggs hugged her tighter. He hated putting her through this.

“A team of aliens freed those of us working in the brothel on Trinoth and returned us to Earth. I thought I was safe at that point, but I had nothing when I returned. No family or friends. Even the pharmacy where I had worked had burned down.

“Things had changed too much. I had changed. I couldn’t focus on a job long enough to keep one. When I heard one of the other women who’d been in the brothel with me ended up in a brothel on Earth just so she could afford food, it was a wake-up call to stop feeling sorry for myself over something I couldn’t change. I pulled myself together and started hunting for a job again. And until I got one aboard A New Dawn, I took my chances stealing food. I was terrified to return to space, but there was no way in hell I was going back into a brothel, even if the garbage frequenting them was human this time.”

He kissed her forehead. “I vow to you, Nala, that you will never be in that situation again.”

Her brows pinched together. “I have to maintain my independence. I hope you can understand that.”

“Continue, Nala. Tell me the rest,” he said, trying to push away the fear that she would never allow herself to trust him fully.

After a deep breath, she continued. “I was one of the lucky ones. I eventually found a job on that cruise ship. The idea of leaving Earth again terrified me, but not as much as ending up in a brothel. I closed my eyes as I boarded A New Dawn and convinced myself I was still on Earth, even as the ship lifted into space. For a long time, I couldn’t even look out the portals. Eventually, I snuck a peek here and there. I thought I was making progress until we passed a yellow planet one day and all the memories returned. I found it easier to avoid looking at all the stars or planets we passed, so I didn’t have to think about the past few years.

“Sure, some of the guys in the bar leered at me and made crude offers on occasion, but I could refuse their advances. That always felt good. Finally being able to say no and have it mean something. I’d been working that job for eighteen months, saving up to buy a small house on Earth. I swore I’d never be owned by another guy again.”

Owned? Was that what she thought being his sholani meant?

“Do you think the og’dals will give up looking for me, eventually?”

“No. Dal is the most stable it’s been in decades, mostly because they have a ruthless set of leaders on their High Council. I believe they view capturing any og’dal involved with the Coalition as key to their maintaining control of the planet. I will contact a few males I know on Dal who might have more information. Until then, we’ll stay here.”

“The other warriors won’t mind? I mean, aren’t we a distraction from their training?”

“If the trainees get distracted by two visitors, even one as beautiful as you, then they are failing as warriors.”

Her smile, full and bright, warmed his soul.

“Ok, but that’s only a short-term solution. I can’t stay here forever. They found me aboard the cruise ship and in the market and then your home. Where else can I go? What if returning to Earth is just as dangerous?” She stared at the wall surrounding the training facility.

Skaggs wrapped his arms around her. “We will find a place where you’ll be safe.”

Nala ran her hand across one of his horns and then circled each one of the pleasure nodes, sending fire to his cocks.

“Nala, this is wrong.”

“You don’t like me touching you?”

“I love when you touch me, but I don’t want you thinking you owe me anything. I will help you because you need it.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I left the brothel, but I’m not sure it’s left me.”

Gently, he pulled her hands away and kissed her fingertips. “There’s nothing wrong with touching as long as it’s what you want. Let yourself feel, Nala. Anytime you want to stop, just tell me. If it’s hard to speak, then punch me, kick me… anything. I’ll understand.”

“I can’t punch you.”

“I know you can kick. I have your boot print on my chest to prove it.”

Her fingers glided to his chest, where she caressed the bruise. Her expression softened toward him as her sweet scent filled his nostrils. He breathed her in. Utterly intoxicating.

She lifted up on her toes until their lips met. Such softness and warmth pressed against him. Her tongue glided along his lower lip as if tasting him. Tenuously, her hands moved to the back of his neck. Her spirit had been damaged by the og’dal, but she was far from defeated.

“That was not the kiss of a female who wants a favor.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Her face glowed with confidence. “I enjoy being with you.”

“Then stop thinking you must pleasure me in trade for assistance. You stole food on Earth to survive, but there is no need to barter anything here, especially your body. I am yours, my sholani. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“Even if we never sleep together again?”

“Yes. Even if you want nothing to do with me. Honor demands it. And I care about you, Nala.”

With a pensive expression, she ran her hand along his horn before circling the nodes at the base. “What if I want to be with you?”

“Don’t tease me, female. I barely restrained myself back at my house. But now, I’m on edge. I may not be able to stop myself from fully claiming you if you tempt me.”

“Fully claiming?” she asked. “I already had both of your cocks inside me. At the same time.”

He tugged on her hair that lay loose about her shoulders. “That is hardly something I’d forget, especially considering the unbelievable pleasure you brought me, but it is not a full claiming unless I release inside you.”

“Oh,” she said, her expression blank for a moment, then her face lit, her green eyes holding such incredible warmth. Slowly, she seemed to be more brazen with him, like a youngling taking his first steps and discovering that his newfound freedom brought new and exciting possibilities.

With the breeze tossing her hair and the sun warming her face, Nala looked as peaceful as the lake and trees around them. As if she belonged here. He needed to thank the gods for the gift they’d given him. Even if he never got to claim her fully or to wake up next to her every day for the rest of his life, he’d been given the honor of knowing his sholani.

“I want you to claim me, Skaggs,” she whispered.

His cocks twitched as her hand moved down his chest. “Are you sure, Nala?”

She stroked his mating cock until it was rock hard. “Positive.”

“Why?” he asked, knowing that she didn’t want to be his sholani.

“Because it feels right being with you. I can’t explain it better than that. Before I was abducted, my dream was to find something useful, some way of helping people. Maybe teach. I can read and write English, unlike most women back on Earth. The Coalition made learning illegal for women. After what happened on Trinoth, I just wanted to find a home in New Mexico away from everyone else.”

“Hiding from people isn’t the escape you think it is. It’s lonely. You deserve more and I’ll help you rediscover your dreams or make new ones.”

She brushed her lips over his. “That’s why you’re so wonderful.”

She didn’t see it. How giving she was, especially compared to him. He’d held a secret from the people who counted on him. He didn’t deserve to be called wonderful.

“I want you, Nala. More than just today. I want you in my life. To have younglings with me, and to share our fears, hopes, and dreams with one another.”

Nala’s lips lifted into a sweet smile, but after she kissed him, she shook her head. “Today is all I can give.”

“You don’t think we’re suited for one another?”

“I think you’d be a fine husband, but I’m kind of messed up, Skaggs. And making a promise like that…” She shook her head. “I need time, and you need a wife within three days.”

“You will take the time you need.”

“What about your problem?”

“It’s not something that can be fixed in a matter of days. I didn’t realize that when we first met.” He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I will find a solution, but not at your expense.”

“Just love me, Skaggs. One last time, before everything blows up in our faces.”

She kissed him softly, her lips lingering before she pressed her mouth to his with a desperation, as if she feared losing him. He certainly feared losing her. Beyond how easily she stirred his cocks and made his entire body thrum at the thought of touching her, she made him care again. Nala made him realize his drekking past shouldn’t determine his future, not unless he gave in. He couldn’t give in. He needed to protect her and convince her there was more to life than hiding.

She undid his trousers, releasing his cocks and fueling the need to sink into her warm depths. “I still can’t get over this concept of two dicks,” she marveled as her hand stroked his mating cock, then reached lower to his pleasure cock.

“All the more to enjoy you with, Red,” he said, waggling his brows.

“Hmm, you sound like the Big Bad Wolf, but I’m sure you’ve never heard of him.”

Skaggs grinned. “Havok, one of the warriors on my ship, has a human mate and two younglings. He has read Red Riding Hood to Clementine and Crispin many times.” Skaggs pressed his cocks against her middle. “And if you like bad, my sweet Red, I can be very, very bad.”

With a twinkle in her eyes, she peered over his shoulder.

“The trainees are in the pits on the other side of the center. We are alone,” he said as he unbuckled the leather belt she used to turn the oversized shirt she wore into a dress. He hated that she wore another male’s training tunic, but they had no clothing here for a female, and all his clothing had burned with his house.

When the belt fell to the ground, Nala lifted her shirt, revealing beautiful breasts. Even though they’d had sex before, much of her had remained hidden beneath her clothing… and her fears. But now, she bared herself to him fully and with confidence.

As he stroked one breast, circling the taut nipple, she bit her lip. With one finger, he eased her lip away from her teeth. “We can stop at any time.”

“I just don’t want to get pregnant.”

“This is not a claiming, merely a time to enjoy one another.” Skaggs carried her over to a patch of soft grass and laid her down. Her smile returned and made his heart swell with pride. She trusted him.

“Close your eyes and relax, sholani,” he said.

He lavished her with kisses, starting at her ear, which caused her to moan and squirm, but she didn’t push him away. Those breasts demanded attention, and he was eager to taste her once again, to see if she was as sweet as he remembered.

As he thumbed one nipple and sucked on the other, the tension drained out of her. After a few playful kisses to the underside of her breasts, he dragged his tongue down to her abdomen. Her hands sank into his hair, running up and down his horns as his hand drifted down and slid into her folds. She was incredibly wet for him.

“My turn to taste you,” she said. “Turn around.”

“What?”

“Position your head toward my feet.”

“Is this a human ritual?” he asked. “Never mind. I will let you surprise me.”

He turned and faced her feet. His horns moved back instinctively, to keep from slicing her legs as he dipped his tongue along her pretty pink flesh. It was an interesting angle, and the moan that escaped her as he sucked on her little nub turned his cocks harder than he thought possible.

“You taste like a sunset, Nala. Beautiful, wondrous, and so different from any other phenomenon in the universe. Truly, a gift from the gods.”

She giggled, a rich sound he hadn’t heard from her before, but one he planned to work hard at eliciting over and over again.

“You have a way with words, Skaggs. I guess it’s because of that talented mouth of yours.”

“You have yet to experience the full breadth of my skilled tongue,” he said.

“Lower your hips,” she added a moment later, with a hint of mischievousness in her voice seconds before she licked his mating cock. And then his pleasure cock.

Now he understood this position.

“I like human customs very much,” he said as he buried his head between her thighs while she took his mating cock into her mouth and sucked with such force he feared he’d release in her before he could make her come.

Suddenly, she pulled off. “There are bumps on your second cock.”

“Frem nodes,” he said. “They release a substance that relaxes muscles and stimulates erogenous zones.”

“Hmm.”

He wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but when he returned to teasing her clit, he felt her pull both cocks into her mouth at once, sending an insane surge of heat through him. In response, he increased his pace, realizing that they had gained a rhythm together. With her every moan, his hips rocked, both cocks filling her mouth.

After several intense minutes that pushed him to his limit, she released his pleasure cock and took his mating cock down her throat. Horned Hounds Above, such pleasure! Then his release struck.

He needed to see his sholani’s eyes, to know if she was okay. Skaggs quickly turned around and looked down at her, his cocks growing hard the moment he saw that amazing flush in her cheeks and chest.

“Are you well, Nala?” he asked, fighting the temptation to ease his mating cock into her glistening pussy.

“There are no words to describe the rush,” she said. “You make it easy to forget the past. This was so much more than sex, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” he said, without telling her he was falling for her more and more every minute he spent with her. For as strong as his female was, she still wrestled with the past. He would not pressure her to accept him as her sholan. Despite how much his cocks ached to sink into her and release, to claim her fully, he would just have to suffer until she was ready.

“I never realized human culture could be so stimulating, sholani.”

She smiled at that. “I must admit, I’ve never had so much fun with a… cultural exchange.”

He offered her a hand up. “Then let me show you to our quarters so I may exchange much more with you.”

“You read my mind, Warrior.”

“Warriors don’t read minds.”

She pushed up on her toes and kissed him before reaching for her clothing. “Just be you, Skaggs. That’s all I need.”

NALA

Nala pulled the shirt over her head and retied the leather strap that served as a belt for her makeshift dress. She couldn’t believe she’d just made love to Skaggs in the open, where anyone could walk by. Being with him was the easy part to accept. The male was handsome, strong, and good to her, so good, and more than in bed. He cared about her. Truly cared. She’d be crazy to walk away from him, but she meant what she’d said. She was too messed up to commit long-term.

Skaggs’s hand rested on her lower back, making her feel loved and safe. There was no better feeling in the universe.

“If we were back at my house, I’d take you swimming at the nearby lake,” he said. “Naked, of course.”

“Of course,” she laughed, loving how free she felt with him. Then she remembered he had no house. The Brotherhood had burned it to the ground in an attempt to kill her.

The third attempt on her life in as many days.

As the reality of nearly being killed finally sank in, she found it hard to move or breathe. Skaggs’s hand moved up and down her back.

“Are you ill, Nala? Did I hurt you?”

The warmth of his hand spread through the thin shirt to her back, making her want to bury herself in his embrace. He gave her a strength she needed so desperately right now. She only wished she could help him in return.

Three days to decide if she should marry a sweet, honorable guy who made her feel normal. It sounded like an easy decision, but it wasn’t, not with her baggage. She wished she had more time for such a life-changing decision.

But it would be her decision. He’d made that clear, which made her want him all the more.

“Even if I were to agree, it sounds like your father won’t let you marry me.”

Skaggs tensed and his horns twisted at the top. “It’s not his decision.”

“What happened between you two?

“I don’t want to burden you with my history.”

“It’s not a burden to listen and offer advice. Sometimes two heads are better than one.” Her hand swept over his pants, brushing against his cocks. “You’ve proven as much.” Damn, but she loved teasing him.

“You are a flirt, Red.”

Of course, he saw right through her. Mostly. She wouldn’t start something she couldn’t finish. She wouldn’t do that to him.

“Give me a chance, Blue. I might even come up with a brilliant solution.” She didn’t know enough of Zyan’s culture or laws to be of any real value, but she damn well would try to help him.

He took her hand and led her back toward the training facility.

“Whatever it is, I won’t think less of you,” Nala added.

After a slight squeeze to her hand, Skaggs’s arm curved around her waist. Every touch, even one as simple as this, felt so damn perfect.

“My father was very strict with me and Ziza, my sister. As a youngling, I rebelled against all of his rules. So many rules, though more for me than Ziza. He expected me to become a warrior like him. I wanted… Drekk, Nala, I don’t even remember what I wanted or if I wanted something else out of life. He drilled being a warrior into me every chance he had.”

She better than anyone knew not to force someone to talk about the past. “You don’t need to explain if this is too hard.”

“You should hear it. Especially if you are considering accepting me as your sholan.”

She wanted him, but marrying him… She wasn’t sure she could do it. Her independence meant too much to her. She closed her eyes, trying to understand the feelings moving through her. She wasn’t sure she truly knew what love was, or how she could love someone so soon after meeting him. But every time she looked at Skaggs, her soul felt at peace. And she loved talking with him, listening to him. Hell, she was falling in love with him.

His hand caressed the back of her neck.

She opened her eyes to furrowed brows and a male who worried more about her than himself. “I’m fine. Just tired. Tell me the rest of your story, Skaggs. Please.”

“My father started training me to be a warrior long before I entered warrior training. I excelled at everything, passed every challenge and test. I had all the skills needed when I arrived here. Except the right attitude. I was told to leave training after I offended a teacher. I’d told him he was wrong when it came to a maneuver he was teaching us. I knew the maneuver and could perform it blindfolded. My father had taught it to me when I was a youngling. He also continually challenged me to sharpen my combat skills. So, I challenged the teacher.”

“That sounds bold, but it shouldn’t have gotten you kicked out.”

“I defeated him in the challenge and proved he was wrong.”

“He should have been grateful for the correction.”

“Some warriors have egos. And I didn’t exactly use tact when I won. That was my greatest mistake. I think a part of me was still rebelling against my father, even though he wasn’t there. The irony is that by this point, I wanted to become a warrior. There is no more honorable position for a male on Zyan, and I wanted that honor. To show my father I was a worthy male.”

“You are.” She squeezed his bare bicep. “Very worthy, no matter what anyone says. How mad was your father when you got kicked out?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t speak to him. Nor did I return home in disgrace. I planned to head to Avan, Zyan’s capital, and seek work. As I packed my belongings, Warrior Lokkiv said he’d spoken with my combat instructor and I would receive my warrior tattoos with the rest of the trainees. I was shocked and relieved. That was the end of it, as far as I knew.

“I had a few assignments on and off Zyan before the ZDC—that’s Zyan’s Defense Command—assigned me to my present commander for covert ops. The warriors in Torin’s command were the best of the best. It was an honor to serve with them. Three years passed, and I killed several enemies of Zyan, earning my arm tattoos. When we returned to Zyan, I went to receive my tattoos but was denied and ordered to speak with Warrior Lokkiv from my training days.

“I returned to the training center. Lokkiv said he was now permitted to tell me of the deal that had been struck that day I’d insulted my combat teacher.”

“What deal?”

“That was my question as well. I had indeed been expelled, and Warrior Lokkiv had informed my family. My father, a well-known warrior, convinced them to keep me as a warrior. In turn, he would serve on their Council of Warriors, a position he had been avoiding. My father had one additional condition. That they would not give me my arm tattoos when I earned them until I met his demands.”

“He wanted you to marry,” she concluded.

“Yes. He said I was too wild, that my insult proved I lacked discipline and a female would settle me. But he didn’t tell me any of this at the time I received my chest tattoos. He intentionally let me get established as a warrior and become part of a team so that when I found out the truth I’d have to relent to his demands or bear the shame of my teammates learning the truth. My team would find out I had failed to become a warrior and my family had bought the title for me.”

“Oh, Skaggs, that’s awful!”

“He then gave me the chance to reclaim my honor. If I marry by his deadline, then my secret remains buried and I retain my status as a warrior. If I don’t meet his terms, he’ll reveal my secret to all of Zyan, including my crew. Even if I’m allowed to keep my title of warrior for all the years I’ve served, I would be disgraced. He boxed me in, Nala. I never asked my family to buy my title. I do not want what I did not earn. Yet, being a warrior is all I know.”

“You earned that title. You had an insignificant outburst as a young male. A moment of misbehaving doesn’t mean you’re not a warrior. Look at all the good you’ve done.”

“My service since then does not change the facts. My title was bought, not earned. And in three days, my crewmates and all of Zyan will know it.”

CHAPTER 8

SKAGGS

Skaggs pulled the blanket higher over Nala’s bare back in the quarters they shared. They’d had a late night together. Every moment with her strengthened the bond between them. As she stirred, red hair slid over her face.

He eased her hair behind her so he could see her beautiful green eyes and that special way she smiled just for him. She had never said it, but he knew she loved him as much as she was capable. But he wouldn’t push her into accepting him as her mate or fully claim her as he wanted more than anything.

“Where are you headed so early?” she said, groggy from a long night of lovemaking.

“I need to report in to my commander aboard The Relentless at Goji Base.

“Isn’t that the base where Rakkiv was stationed? They’ll arrest you for not bringing me in when they ordered you.”

“If they do, I will not be held long. The males who murdered Rakkiv have already been identified as part of the Brotherhood. I will tell them you are under my protection, which you are. No one will question my tactics of keeping you hidden.”

“I’m hardly hidden here.”

“You’re among warriors. We do not betray one another. And it’s the only reason I’m leaving you here. Despite my differences with my father, he will not put an innocent at risk.”

“Can I go with you?”

He could see she was nervous staying here, and he understood, but she was safer here than anywhere else on Zyan, except, of course, The Relentless. There were many miles between the training facility and the base, more than enough territory for an ambush. And Torin’s comm indicated The Relentless had been grounded due to engine issues, so Skaggs had no choice but to travel to his crewmates.

“I need to speak with my commander. And the rest of the crew. Alone. I’m sorry, Nala.”

“You’re going to tell them what happened with your father? How you came to be a warrior?”

“Yes.”

She said nothing for a long moment. Thinking. And then she lifted her chin higher and without hesitation said, “I’ll marry you, Skaggs. Whatever you need.”

“I need you, sholani. Very much, but not like this. Not because of my father’s games.”

“But if you don’t marry by the deadline, your father will expose you. And you’ll lose your title.”

“I never earned that title. It’s time I right my father’s wrongs.”

She sat up and threw her arms around his neck. “I wish you didn’t have to go through this.”

He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s a loss of honor, and maybe many friendships, but I will survive. You’ve shown me through your endurance and determination that a person can overcome any challenge. It’s a lesson I believe I learned many years ago as a warrior but have since forgotten. Thank you, my sholani, for reminding me of the person I was meant to be.”

“Of the person you are,” she corrected with a fierceness in her lovely eyes. “The male I see is full of honor because he never lost it. He’s just having trouble seeing through all the horseshit on the windshield.”

Skaggs scrunched his brows and tilted his head.

“Never mind. It’s something my granddaddy used to say. Go. See your commander and your crew, and hold your head and horns up high, Skaggs, because you did nothing wrong.”

“That’s where you are mistaken. I’ve hidden the truth from my crew all these years. That is not the act of a warrior, which proves my teachers were right. I never should have been given my warrior tattoos.”

“Ah, see there, I beg to differ. You’ve fought for your planet for years, alongside your crew, doing everything necessary for your people. You may have been given those tattoos through nepotism—without your knowledge at the time, I might add—but you have earned them.”

She traced the ink on his shoulder and worked her way across his chest. “Even if they remove your tattoos, they cannot undo all the good you’ve done. Your crew will know this. I think you’re the only one who doesn’t see it. Trust in them, Skaggs.”

Her expression and the pride she held in him made his horns rise high. “I will not fail you.”

“You could not possibly fail me.” She kissed him one last time before squeezing his ass. “Go get them, tiger.”

“Warrior. Not tiger. At least for a few more hours.”

“Warrior… tiger… I don’t care what you call yourself, as long as you return to me.”

Her words, her smile… Skaggs was sure she would allow him to claim her in time. These past few days with her had been so wonderful. Mostly because he had not seen his father again, and he’d had time to get to know his sholani better.

She’d given him the courage to take this final step before the Council of Warriors stripped his title from him, to show his crewmates that he indeed respected them… by honoring them with the truth finally.

Skaggs punched in his code and entered The Relentless. Likely for the last time.

“Skaggs!” Ronin called from down the corridor. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Have you run out of females to bed?”

“Where’s Torin?” he asked, ignoring Ronin’s teasing.

“In engineering with Melikk. Engine trouble.”

His stomach knotted as he approached engineering. He’d never felt nervous around his commander or crewmates. After so many years of serving together battling the Grud, the Coalition, and numerous other combatants, they’d become his brothers. Skaggs was closer to them than any other males in the universe.

“Commander,” he said upon entering engineering. Torin peered over Melikk’s shoulder as the engineer replaced a conduit.

“Did you bring the female with you, Skaggs? First Lead Karizzen has been asking and I’ve already stalled for two days more than I care to.”

“It was too risky traveling overground with her. I left her at the training center.”

“Then why are you here? I have no leads yet. And I can comm you when I do.”

“I need to speak with you and the entire crew. In person.”

Torin tapped into the comm on his wrist. “I’ve recalled everyone except Vaakos. He’s assisting with a medical procedure in Avan. Havok is on base. He’ll arrive shortly.” Torin left without another word. Or question. He suspected that after all these years Skaggs would finally tell Torin the full story of why he’d been denied his arm tattoos. Or perhaps he already knew.

“How’s Lucy?” Skaggs asked Melikk. Drekk. He was going to miss these warriors. “When is the youngling due?”

“Any day. It’s a girl.”

“The gods have smiled on you, Melikk.”

“It still doesn’t feel real.”

“Just over two years since you claimed her.”

Melikk wore a perpetual smile these days, so different from how he used to walk around lost in thought about his family who’d been killed in the war eight years ago.

“Torin’s already accused me of delaying the engine repair so I could be here for the birth.”

Melikk would never compromise the integrity of the ship, and Torin would never question that, except in jest. They all did their share of ribbing, but they supported one another, and that extended to their families.

“Did you?” Skaggs asked with a teasing smile.

Havok strolled into engineering. The warrior had defied society by becoming a warrior despite his eeshone status. His white hair and horns, and light blue skin and eyes stood out among a world of dark blue zyanthans, but Havok was perhaps the fiercest and most accepting warrior Skaggs knew. He’d fought hard, letting no one else control his fate. Skaggs realized he needed to do the same.

“Stronger Together,” Skaggs mumbled the warriors’ motto.

“We’re all here,” Torin said as he and Ronin returned. “Speak, Skaggs.”

Skaggs spent the next half hour explaining everything that had happened from the time of insulting his training instructor up through learning of his father’s manipulations. His commander and crew listened with stoic faces.

“And here I thought it was a female who had him all in knots,” Ronin joked.

“Or two,” Melikk added, grinning.

“Except his adventures all these years were lies,” Havok said, knocking the grins from the warriors’ faces. “You repeatedly left your post and were easily distracted by each female that passed by. At times, we thought you incompetent, Skaggs.”

“Just desperate.”

“You didn’t believe in us enough to tell the truth,” Havok added. “You should have been honest from the start. We keep no secrets here. That is what has always made us strong.”

Skaggs felt deflated. His horns pitched back and his eyes drifted downward. “I let the shame control me.”

Torin stood off to the side, watching in silence.

“Stronger Together, Skaggsolonov,” Havok said, his light blue eyes showing defiance.

Skaggs stiffened at the use of his formal name, the one only his father used. The disappointment he heard in his teammate’s voice made his spirit sink until he heard Nala’s voice in the back of his mind. Hold your head and horns up high.

Immediately, Skaggs raised his head. “My sholani believes in me and right now she needs to believe in someone. Three times, the Brotherhood has tried to kill her. Despite how scared she is, she’s more concerned about me. She tells me to hold my head up with pride for the good I’ve done. She doesn’t think I’ve done anything wrong. But she doesn’t understand our ways.” He stepped toward Havok. “I pushed my crew and fellow warriors away when I needed them most. I failed to trust in my team.”

Havok poked him in the chest. “Drekking right. Now, how are you going to fix this?”

Skaggs stepped forward, removed his blaster, and handed it to Torin. “Commander, I’m resigning my position aboard The Relentless.”

“Without consulting us?” Havok bit out. “Perhaps you should return to your sholani and ask why you still have not learned your lesson.”

“Resigning is not the answer,” Torin said. “You are a part of this crew, Skaggs. You’re invaluable on the ground, recon, infiltration, fighting… Except for guarding the plank on low-risk planets, you’ve been a stellar warrior. We need you.”

“Tomorrow, I lose my status as a warrior. I will no longer be allowed to serve with this crew unless I claim a female. I will not force my sholani to marry me.”

“Do you want to serve with us?” Torin asked.

“Yes,” he said without needing to think about the answer.

“Then get your head out of your drekking ass, and let’s figure this out. Together.”

“I will not dishonor this crew.”

“Does that mean you’ll start telling us everything?”

“I have no more secrets.”

“Good,” Torin said. “Because I’m eager to meet the female who claimed you as her sholan.”

Drekk. Torin had a talent for boxing him in, just like his father. “I’d like to fully claim her, but she is unsure of me. Of us. During Earth’s occupation, og’dals kidnapped her and forced her…”

Torin’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “We’ve heard the stories. Maybe not her specific one, but we know of the horrors. I believe your theory of why the Brotherhood has targeted her is valid. First, we ensure her safety, and then we address your problem.”

“My deadline is tomorrow, Commander.”

Torin nodded, not thrown by the short deadline. “Until then, you are still a warrior under my command.”

Hearing his commander’s voice remain steady and calm as if this were any other assignment they’d take on—and completed together as a team—furthered his pride in his crewmates. “Yes, Commander,” Skaggs said, horns high and proud.

“Send a message to the training center on a secure line telling them of your delay.”

“Delay?”

“We’re waiting for a passenger. And then we’ll lift off… if Melikk can fix the drekking engine.”

“I’ll fix it,” Melikk said. “But if Lucy goes into labor before then, you’ll be stuck with Gissov. He’s the engineer on call at the base.”

“Fair enough.”

“When is Zirkov due aboard, Commander?” Ronin asked.

“Within the hour. Head over to the main gate and make sure the guards on duty don’t cause any delays. Escort him here.”

“Zirkov?” Skaggs asked.

“I’ve alerted him to your situation.”

“Why involve him after what he did?”

“Because you don’t know the full story. You’re not the only one with secrets, Skaggs.”

Torin was right. Before Zirkov had voluntarily left warrior training, he’d been the best damn warrior in Skaggs’s class. At least whatever caused him to leave, his family hadn’t bought his way back in.

“Still. Why Zirkov?”

“I’ll let him explain. Until then, help Melikk with the repairs. I need to contact First Lead Karizzen.”

“I don’t know what he thinks he can do about me,” Skaggs said as Torin left engineering.

Havok brought a heavy hand down on Skaggs’s shoulder. “Worry about your sholani and let Torin worry about his crew. As my Jade would say, have some faith, Warrior.”

“Just Skaggs now, Havok.”

“You don’t need a title to be what you are. And that’s a warrior.”

Skaggs instantly thought of Nala. She’d been telling him the same thing.

He laughed, finally realizing his team hadn’t turned on him. In his heart, he’d known they never would, but he was too afraid to accept that, in case he was wrong. But Nala had known it all along, even though she hadn’t met any of them. It didn’t surprise him. Nala had courage and heart.

He prayed he could find a way to prove his love to her. He’d gladly give up his warrior title if it meant holding on to her because there was no alternative… He wouldn’t survive losing her.

CHAPTER 9

NALA

Nala didn’t know when Skaggs would return, but this could be her only opportunity to speak with his father alone. Most of the warriors at the training center ignored her, as if she didn’t exist, which was fine by her. The only warrior she wanted noticing her was Skaggs.

Her entire body thrummed when he was near. She’d sworn off males and sex since her rescue. She never thought she could trust another male, let alone enjoy sex again. But Skaggs understood her. More… he’d given her back the ability to trust again.

She followed the directions one of the warriors gave her to the training pits. It was nothing more than a field with holes, each ten feet deep and twenty feet wide. One pit contained thick mud, another murky water, and yet another had been lined with barbs covering the walls. Inside each pit, two, sometimes three zyanthan warriors sparred.

Skaggs’s father stormed toward her, which made her want to run, but she swallowed and tried to look undaunted as she waited for him. Skaddov stopped inches in front of her and used his impressive height to look down on her. “What are you doing here, female?”

If he wanted confrontational, then fine, that’s what she’d give him. “Looking for you,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“Leave. This is an area for training warriors. Not for females. Or males who have failed.”

“You’re the one who failed. Not Skaggs. He’s a fine warrior. Brave, honorable, and determined to do what’s right. You could learn a lot from him.”

“He disgraced my family.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” she snapped, even as she tried to keep from shaking.

Skaddov’s scowl deepened, which unnerved her. Part of her said to retreat, but there was a lot on the line here. She wouldn’t fail Skaggs. Not that she knew what she expected to accomplish precisely, other than telling off the brute who created this mess.

Someone needed to put him in his place, and Skaggs was too good of a son to talk back to his own father. That left her, so she shoved her fear down and pretended he was just another obnoxious patron in the bar on the cruise ship. Except, here she didn’t have a bouncer nearby ready to step in.

“I thought warriors are supposed to have honor. You’re a hypocrite and a liar, not a warrior. You manipulated your son and the warriors in charge to get what you wanted. At least what your son did was honest. He may have been wrong in disrespecting his teacher, but he was just showing the man what you had taught him. And since you ensured he achieved warrior status, he has served with honor. Everyone is entitled to a mistake at least once in his life.”

“You know nothing of my son.”

“I know he’s everything a warrior should be, and he doesn’t need a damn title to prove it. He’ll be a success at whatever he does because he cares. That’s more than I can say about you.”

“Do not speak of what is none of your business, female.”

“He is my business.”

Skaddov scoffed. “You think he’ll take you as his sholani?”

“That’s his decision. And mine,” she said, hating how he belittled Skaggs. She wanted to claim him as hers, but she wasn’t ready. Skaddov didn’t need to know that.

“You are a fool. He will not commit to you, female. For the same reason, he will lose his title as a warrior.

“You’re the one who tried to bribe me to leave him.”

“You would produce halflings.”

“I would produce children.” The moment that word left her lips, the idea of being with Skaggs and having a family no longer scared her.

“And what chance would halflings have on a world of warriors, especially with my son as their father? Skaggsolonov doesn’t understand loyalty and sacrifice.”

“And you do?”

“I gave up most of my life to be a warrior. I spent little time with my mate and younglings because I was needed to defend Zyan.”

“And here you are asking the world of your son when you admit he grew up without a father to guide him on a daily basis. When he joined the warrior training to be like you, you messed that up for him. Despite your lack of support, he’s gone on to serve with honor. So I’d say he’s nothing like you.

“That is the problem.”

“That is his salvation! He’s never resorted to bribery or blackmail to get what he wanted. Right now he’s with his team telling them everything. He’s standing up for himself even if it costs him his crew. That takes more courage than you’ll ever know.”

“Nala?”

She spun around to see Skaggs with two visitors, a zyanthan male wearing the traditional black leather pants and vest of warriors. Beside him stood another male, shorter, with a slight frame, wearing a brown jacket with an overly large floppy hood. Nala couldn’t see his face or expression and that made her nervous.

“You do not need to defend me, sholani,” Skaggs said, his face full of pride as he drew a hand down her arm. That familiar, comforting touch immediately calmed her.

“She’s your sholani?” the zyanthan who accompanied Skaggs asked, his face revealing surprise, but not the disgust she saw in Skaddov’s face.

Of all the things to focus on, Nala stared at the scars on the male’s chest. The scarring went from his right shoulder across his chest to his opposite hip, a mirror image of Skaggs’s tattoos. He’d had warrior tattoos, like Skaggs. Only they’d been removed.

This would happen to Skaggs soon enough.

Then it hit her. Today was the deadline.

“Another weak male,” Skaddov said as his eyes rolled over the scarred zyanthan.

The male straightened, his horns rising high as he clasped his hands behind his back. He remained silent, but there was no missing the recognition in his eyes. He had a history here and with Skaddov.

“You will not insult Zirkov, father. He’s a marshal with Galactic Intelligence and deserves respect.”

Skaddov’s attention shifted to his son. “I see more weakness in you each day, Skaggsolonov. Have you claimed a female?”

Skaggs glanced at Nala. “Perhaps in time.”

“You’ve had enough time. On behalf of the Council of Warriors, you are hereby stripped of your title. Report to Thalidav for removal of your tattoos.”

The marshal winced. Nala felt Skaggs tense as she put her hand on his back.

“You’re not the only one on that council,” Nala said, raising her voice, which was unlike her. Working in bars around drunk, horny guys gave her a lot of practice telling guys off with a look and the right tone that said fuck off or else. Rarely did she need to raise her voice, but this male, this supposed warrior who apparently wanted his own son to fail, enraged her. “Or do they all just do what you say because you bully or blackmail them?”

“Watch what you say, female. Accusing me of blackmail can result in disciplinary action against you.”

“I’m not one of your warriors to be threatened with sanctions. And you’re the male who should lose his title of warrior because you know nothing about honor and loyalty. You blackmailed Skaggs.”

“I gave him a chance to prove himself a warrior.”

“You manipulated the situation! Him marrying has nothing to do with his ability or honor as a warrior. Maybe the other council members should find out how you abused your power.”

Skaddov charged toward her, but Skaggs intercepted, placing himself between them. “You will not touch her,” he warned.

“Akki vatui a visca drekk,” Skaddov said, his tone as derisive as the scowl on his face before he stormed off.

“What did he say?” Nala asked.

Skaggs placed his hand on the back of her neck and started massaging her lightly. “It doesn’t matter. I did not return here to rebuild the relationship with my father. Without my mother to temper him, he’s bitter and unreasonable.”

“I’m sorry you lost your title,” she said. “It isn’t fair.”

“But not unexpected. I come from a long line of warriors. My father wants younglings to carry on the family legacy, and he thinks I have no desire for a family. I’ve been searching for my sholani for years. I’ve looked everywhere, including beyond Zyan. You can’t imagine how stunned and overjoyed I was to find you, Nala. How very grateful I am.

“I had given up by the time you landed in my grove. That’s why you truly are a gift from the gods. Nothing else mattered once I found you. My heart finally held peace. You are my present and my future, no matter what my father thinks. I spoke with him when we arrived and told him you are my sholani. He believed me, but he does not want younglings who are not fully zyanthan. He says that is likely how the eeshone evolved, the mixing of non-zyanthan genes with pure genes. Science has proved this is not the case, but my father does not listen to the evidence. He thinks I can walk away from you and find another sholani. Life does not work that way. You are my sholani, my heartmate.”

“Will he reinstate you if I leave?”

Skaggs looked deep into her eyes. “You must decide your course based on what is best for you. Do not concern yourself with my father and his prejudices. He’d rather strip me of my title than accept a non-zyanthan as my sholani.” With a kiss to her cheek, Skaggs pointed to Zirkov and the smaller figure beside him. “We have more pressing matters at the moment.”

The marshal closed the door. “I do not wish to be overheard.” He motioned for the hooded figure to guard the door.

Nala looked at both with suspicion.

“I don’t think she recognizes you,” the hooded figure said.

A woman… speaking English!

She peeled back her hood, revealing blonde hair, blue eyes, and the face of one very human woman. Nala didn’t know her, but the zyanthan male beside her suddenly seemed familiar.

A flood of memories struck Nala. The smell of sex and unwashed bodies. The sounds of grunting, bodies slapping, fucking. She swayed and her knees buckled.

Skaggs pulled her against his chest. “I’ve got you,” he whispered as his arms enveloped her. “You are safe, Nala.”

She inhaled deeply, taking in Skaggs’s masculine scent that calmed her so easily. He’d become her rock in the last few days.

“Zirkov,” she finally responded as she lifted her eyes to the marshal.

Skaggs’s eyes shot to Zirkov. Nala could feel the sudden and savage rage pouring off of him. She wanted to explain, but with the memories resurfacing, she was struggling to breathe. She patted her warrior’s chest, gaining his attention and the security of feeling him beneath her fingers, knowing he would protect her.

“A friend,” she said, forcing the words out.

“We meet again,” Zirkov said with a slight bow of his head. “You clean up nicely, little human.”

“My name is Nala.”

“Greetings, Nala. You have a very pleasing voice. You did not speak when we first met.”

“I’m better now.” Mostly.

“I didn’t realize it was Zirkov who had rescued you,” Skaggs said as he wrapped an arm around her waist even though she was steady now. It was as if he needed the contact. She certainly did. Thinking of the past threatened to pull her into that black hole she’d barely escaped.

As she inhaled Skaggs’s scent, her courage returned. She knew without an ounce of doubt he would dive in after her if she slid back. Though she was stronger now, and he anchored her… helped her see through her own shit-covered windshield. And the view was spectacular, both of Skaggs and their future. Together.

She leaned her back against his chest, letting him support her. Standing here with Skaggs and Zirkov brought so many warring emotions to the forefront. Zirkov had always treated her with respect despite the condition he’d found her in. And Skaggs lifted her higher with every word, every touch.

The tension gradually left her body. And from how Skaggs’s thumb slowly strummed her abdomen, she sensed he was relaxing, too. Having him hold her gave her added strength to say what she’d wanted to say for two years.

“Thank you, Zirkov. I should have said that when you rescued me, but I was stuck in my head at the time.”

“You were not in the condition to speak. And saying thank you is not necessary.” Zirkov gave a rare smile. “I’m glad to see you are well, Nala. This,” he said, motioning to the stunning human woman next to him. “Is my associate. Magdalena Walsh. Sent by Earth.”

The blonde glared at Zirkov before extending her hand to Nala. “You can call me Marshal Walsh.” She emphasized the title that Zirkov had omitted. “Or if you don’t mind being on a familiar basis, call me Maggie. Just not Magdalena.”

“Phh. You may have earned the title by Earth standards, Magdalena, but you are nothing like me. And you’re only here, so your people on Earth feel as if they have a say in what GI7 does.”

Nala liked Maggie, and from the way Zirkov’s eyes followed the woman, she suspected he liked her despite his dismissive attitude toward her.

“Nice to meet you.” Nala shook her hand. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s odd seeing someone who isn’t blue here.”

Maggie chuckled, revealing a gorgeous smile. “Yeah, I get that a lot. There’s only a handful of humans on Zyan and other worlds. But humans are venturing out, now that the Coalition has left Earth. I was working a case with Zirkov when we diverted here.” Maggie’s eyes ran down Zirkov’s form as he spoke to Skaggs off to the side. Zirkov abruptly stopped talking and looked at Maggie a split second after she returned her focus to Nala.

“Is that what they call it these days? Working a case instead of merely working it?”

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes. “Zirkov wouldn’t notice if I walked around completely naked. I’m an inferior human, an undisciplined female, and a token human marshal with substandard skills. His words, not mine.”

“That’s amazing that you’re a marshal, but why would he call you a token?”

“He thinks Earth only sent me, so we have a say in how humans are relocated. Have a say… hah! He’s in charge of GI7’s marshals and their assignments, and no one does anything without his approval. Except maybe Ri’Nom. He’s the undisciplined one. I just refuse to be railroaded by a sexist male because I’m a woman.”

“And human. That’s the token part, right?”

Maggie flashed a weak smile as her eyes sought Zirkov once again. “It doesn’t matter. I have a job to do and that means staying professional.”

“Spreading lies about me already, Magdalena?” Zirkov said as he approached.

“Just getting to know Nala. Building a bond with a witness helps ensure a successful relocation. And it’s a nice thing to do.”

“It’s a waste of time.”

“Maybe for you, but we learn useful information by taking a more human approach to these things, Kesk.”

Zirkov’s horns dipped back. “Very few call me by my family name.”

Maggie flipped her hood back on top of her head, once again casting her face in shadow, making it impossible to read her expression. Nala sensed she was smirking behind the anonymity of that hood. She swore she heard a slight growl coming from Zirkov as Maggie returned to guarding the door.

“Skaggs briefed me on what’s happened to you before and after you landed on Zyan,” Zirkov said. “We need to talk.”

When someone said they needed to talk, the news was never good. Nala glanced at Skaggs. He looked concerned for her. Here he had just lost his position as a warrior and perhaps any chance of ever reconciling with his father, and he was worried about her. God, she loved the big lug.

That’s when it hit her how much she loved him. She buried her face against his chest. “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered.

He stroked her hair down her back. “Never.”

One word that meant more than the universe. If only she could tell him how she felt…

SKAGGS

Skaggs watched his sholani pale five shades on seeing Zirkov and immediately knew she’d been thrown back to her time in the brothel. At that moment, he thought Zirkov had been one of the males who had used her. He’d never liked Zirkov, but then again, he’d never truly known the male during their training days.

Skaggs was relieved to hear that Zirkov had been among those who had rescued Nala and other human females from the brothel. It lifted the male in Skaggs’s eyes and filled him with confidence that he could trust Zirkov with Nala’s safety.

As for his father, who had stormed past them, that problem would have to wait. Nala was Skaggs’s top priority.

“Follow me,” he said, taking Nala’s hand in his as they walked through the training center.

“The small weapons armory should be empty this time of day,” Zirkov said, briefly glancing behind him to check on Maggie, who brought up the rear, her hood once again in place.

“It feels odd returning here.”

“Indeed. The last time I was at this training center… Never mind. We’re not here to discuss my history,” Zirkov said as they entered the armory.

Nala’s eyes went wide as she took in the array of weapons.

“We’re trained in every type of munition,” Skaggs explained.

“Though a warrior needs to know how to kill using anything around him, especially his own body,” Zirkov added.

“You mean hands?” Nala said.

Zirkov replaced a spear he’d removed from the weapons rack. “I meant body. Hands. Legs. Head. Teeth. Anything and everything.”

Nala cringed, but not Maggie. The female marshal walked around the room, admiring the weapons. Skaggs didn’t want her here at first. Every person who knew Nala’s location increased the chances of a leak to the og’dals hunting her. But Nala seemed comfortable with her. It reminded him that Nala would be one of only a few humans if she stayed with him on Zyan. She might not want to stay, even if she consented to be his.

“Killing an opponent is a part of training Zirkov excelled at,” Skaggs said. “Though killing is only part of warrior training. Weapons, strategy, piloting, espionage… It’s a long list, Nala.”

Maggie’s head whipped around. “Espionage?”

“Our training is extensive. We are not soft, Magdalena,” Zirkov said.

“Having feelings, showing emotions, is not being soft,” she countered.

“I do not fault you for what happened on Karthika. You are human, after all. It’s your nature to be naïve.”

“Caring about people is not being soft or naïve.”

“I guess all that training is why you and your team were able to free us on Trinoth,” Nala said, hoping to end the brewing war between the marshals.

Zirkov turned his attention back to Nala and away from Maggie as if she didn’t exist. “Though the others on my team were not trained as warriors, they each have invaluable skills.”

“I remember a keenta on the rescue team. Large guy, with tattoos.”

“Konnitch?” Skaggs asked Zirkov.

“He’s one of my marshals. He’s handling an assignment on Earth. You human females can be quite the challenge,” he said to Nala as his eyes moved to Maggie.

Nala’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on, Zirkov? Why are you here?”

“Skaggs’s commander commed me about your situation. You are right, Skaggs. The og’dals involved with the bride ships and slave trade have been targeting witnesses. It’s why Marshal Walsh and I were close to Zyan when Torin commed us. We’re trying to track down a witness reported to be on Karthika. Several of the women sold off by the og’dals have been murdered. The og’dal slavers are getting rid of anyone who could testify against them.”

“Testify?” Nala asked.

“On Dal.”

“No. I can’t. I’ve—” Her entire body tightened.

Skaggs put his hand on her back. He knew what was coming, and how hard this would be for her.

“I don’t want to go near any og’dals. I’ll keep quiet about what I saw, so no one has a reason to come after me.”

“It’s not that easy,” Skaggs said in a soft voice, trying to comfort her. “They’ve already tried to kill you, Nala. Several times.”

This was going to be hard for her after what she’d been through. He didn’t want her to have to testify, especially on Dal, where the presence of so many og’dal might be too much for her.

“You’ve been identified as one of the women abducted and sold to a brothel,” Zirkov added. “Dal’s High Council has requested you testify. You’re on a list. A list that has been made public against our objections.”

“Why would they do that?” she asked, looking at Skaggs with wide eyes. He loved that she trusted him and looked to him for safety, but he hated that the Dal High Council had put her and other innocents in danger, especially after what they’d been through.

“They’re forcing your hand,” Zirkov explained. “The Dal High Council only cares about ridding themselves of all og’dals who are tied to the Coalition. Your identity is public knowledge. It’s done. You’ve already been targeted, so the best thing you can do is accept the reality and move forward.”

“And there it is,” Maggie said from her position at the door. “That cold, matter-of-fact warrior approach when a little human sympathy and understanding is warranted.”

“I’m not human and I’m not a warrior,” Zirkov said, glaring at her.

“If you were human, then you’d see how frightened she is, and maybe you’d tone down the doom and gloom a bit. And don’t fool yourself, Zirkov, you’re as much a warrior as any of these males here. Only more stubborn.”

He ripped open his shirt. “No tattoos, Mags.”

“It’s Maggie, Marshal, or Walsh to you, Warrior.”

“And it’s Marshal to you, not Warrior.”

“I thought you were okay with being called Mags,” Nala spoke up.

“That’s reserved for friends. I consider you a friend,” Maggie said, smiling at Nala before lifting her eyes to Zirkov, whose horns stood straight up like he was ready for battle.

Zirkov had a fire in his eyes when he looked at Maggie. Skaggs watched the small blonde human. When she tilted her hood back and dealt the marshal a teasing grin, Zirkov’s horns twisted just slightly.

With one glance at the warring marshals, he whispered to Nala, “We should leave.”

“Are you kidding me? This is like watching some old-time suspense video. Except we’re missing the popcorn.”

“How will food help?”

Her fingers sifted through his hair, brushing across the pleasure nodes at the base of his horn. The most delicious heat surged through him. “You’re cute when you’re dense.”

Nala was trying to distract him, deftly so. His little human had buried her fear, but Skaggs still sensed her unease with the prospect of testifying.

“Zirkov,” he said, breaking the stalemate between the marshals. “What if Nala doesn’t testify?”

“She doesn’t have much choice. It’s the only way she’ll receive protection. I work for Sector 7 in Galactic Intelligence. GI7.”

“And Maggie?”

“I’m on loan. I was temporarily assigned to Zirkov as part of an intergalactic cultural exchange, so we’d learn from each other.” She ended her explanation with a harrumph that caused Nala to raise an eyebrow.

“As I was about to say,” Zirkov continued. “I have marshals from several races working to protect others in similar positions. People who are witnesses or have helped subvert the Coalition and Grud. While I have total say over how we protect witnesses and other beings in need of our services, we are like most entities in that we require funds to cover our expenses. Our funds come from a conglomerate of planets interested in ensuring the Coalition never rises to full power again. Earth has joined the group.”

Zirkov glanced at Maggie, who ignored him. “Dal is among those planets as well and carries a lot of weight given their proximity to coalition space. As such, they have input in how we spend our funds. We can’t make you testify, Nala, but you need the protection. If you testify and the males who abducted you are convicted, they will be executed. The threat to your life will be decreased.”

“If. Decreased. There’s a lot of uncertainty in what you’re saying, Marshal. If I don’t agree to testify, do you and GI7 abandon me?”

“No, but it makes my job more difficult. I have some private resources, but those are limited. I recommend you testify. That way, your security won’t depend on me alone. This is a risky business for marshals. If I were to get killed, Konnitch would take over our operations, but he would not have access to those private funds.”

“You said the threat to my life decreases if I testify. You didn’t say it would be eliminated. Even if the guys who took me are convicted.”

“Dal hasn’t caught all the slavers. These criminals will do anything to remain free, including making examples of other witnesses as a method of intimidating those who would betray them. We can’t underestimate them.”

“If I testify, then what? I hide somewhere for the rest of my life?”

“We’ll set you up with a new name and identity on a planet suited for humans.”

“Not Earth?”

“That hasn’t been decided.”

“I can’t leave Earth forever. If you try to put me on some other planet with a bunch of aliens who look down on me because I don’t belong, they’ll try to… use me.”

Skaggs pulled her in against his chest. “You will stay here. With me.”

“That may not be an option either,” Zirkov said. “They know she’s here. She’s been seen with you. Nala will continue to be a target if she stays. I promise you, Nala, we will find a safe place for you. And I will reconsider Earth. At least there you can blend in with the population.”

Nala turned and pressed her palms against Skaggs’s chest as she searched his face. “You said I’d have time to decide if I wanted to stay with you.”

“That was before I understood who was hunting you. Witness protection may be the only way to keep you safe, my Nala.”

She blew out a breath. “I’ll testify, then you find me a place to hide on Earth. Any name or job. I’ll even dye my hair and cut it if that helps.”

Skaggs stroked her hair. He was so proud of her, but he was losing his sholani at the same time. “I like your hair.”

“You might like me better as a blonde or brunette.”

“No. You are perfect like this,” he said, worried that she felt the need to change.

“Oh, God, Skaggs.” Nala’s coloring dropped three shades suddenly. “What happens to us?”

“Us?” he asked, surprised. She’d never referred to them as a couple before.

She bit her lip and turned to Zirkov. “Can Skaggs come with me?”

Zirkov’s frown deepened, and Skaggs knew the answer before the male spoke. Skaggs took her hand in his and waited for her to turn her full attention to him.

“Sholani, Zirkov is right. The og’dals already associate me with you. They found you at my home and knew to meet us on the way to Goji Base. Even if we escape Zyan without them following, I would stand out on Earth. There are very few zyanthans there.”

“I cannot justify the extra security measures that would be needed if Skaggs goes with you.”

She closed her eyes, and Skaggs wondered what she was thinking.

“Unless… Skaggs is your sholan,” Zirkov added. “I would never separate a mated pair, especially heartmates.”

“Now you’re thinking like a human,” Maggie said.

“This is not a time for insults, female,” Zirkov bit back, but Maggie grinned. He then faced Nala again. “Are you prepared to declare yourself Skaggs’s sholani and bind yourself to him?”

“I need time.”

Skaggs stroked her hair, wondering if she didn’t feel the connection that he already felt for her, or if her past wouldn’t allow her to accept him. He did not take her reluctance personally. She’d been through much and right now, his feelings were not what mattered. Only her safety.

“Nala,” Zirkov began, his horns pitching back slightly. The male was trying not to scare her, which Skaggs appreciated. “The longer you hide here, the more dangerous the situation becomes. The og’dal slavers are using the zyanthan arm of the Brotherhood to hunt you. While I doubt any of the warriors here are part of the Brotherhood, there are others with access to this training facility.”

“Drekk,” Skaggs swore. He hadn’t thought of the support staff at the warrior training center. He was losing his sholani before he even had her! “Do it, Zirkov. Make whatever arrangements you need to keep her safe.”

“You will not be allowed to see her again. Ever,” Zirkov pointed out as if Skaggs didn’t understand the ramifications.

“I’m aware,” he growled.

Nala’s eyes went wide. “I’m not ready to lose you.”

Skaggs pulled her in tight against his chest. “We’ll figure it out.”

“You are giving her false hope,” Zirkov said. “You know what has to happen. For her safety.”

Nala shook her head. “Then we g-get married, or mated, or whatever you call it here.” She looked scared, truly scared.

“You want me to be your sholan?” Skaggs asked, even though he knew she wasn’t ready.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she repeated.

Not wanting to lose him… That wasn’t the same as wanting him. This was not a decision to rush, but she had to leave soon.

She looked at him with both confusion and need. He could feel her getting overwhelmed; everything was happening too fast for her.

“Excuse me,” she said as she ran off toward their quarters.

“If she takes you as her sholan, then I can justify the arrangements to relocate you, too. But it would have to be to another planet, where a mated human and zyanthan pair would not stand out as much. And if you’re planning on calling a tribunal to appeal your warrior status, it has to be done within the next three days. Staying any longer is too great a risk, even here.”

“Do you think I care about the tribunal now? While I don’t want to leave my crew, Nala is my heartmate. My crew will survive without me, but Nala… She is my priority.”

“Then convince her to accept you as her sholan.”

“She’s not ready for me. Or to leave Earth permanently. I won’t force her.” Skaggs’s horns practically flattened back against his head. “She needs to be with her people where she can continue to heal. How long will it take to relocate her?”

“Now you sound eager to get rid of her.”

“I’m eager to keep her safe. When she leaves, there will be nothing left in my life, but she will be safe. That’s all I can ask of the gods.”

“I think the gods haven’t been listening to either of us lately,” Zirkov said as he put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

Skaggs didn’t respond. Mostly because Zirkov was right. The gods had brought his sholani to him in a pod made of silver, like the tarma jewel containing a wondrous light within, and now when she was going to be ripped from him, the gods had fallen silent, leaving him no path to keep her in his life. And there wasn’t a drekking thing he could do about it.

CHAPTER 10

NALA

Skaggs entered as Nala was folding the few pieces of clothing she’d been given while staying at the training center.

“You look deep in thought,” Skaggs said after a hesitant kiss on her cheek.

She had been thinking a lot about what her life was like before and after meeting Skaggs. She knew one thing for certain; she didn’t want to lose him.

“I can’t leave you, Skaggs. I… I love you.”

The most beautiful smile crept onto that handsome face that had only worn a scowl since they first arrived at the training facility. “Truly?”

She ran to him and threw herself against his hard body. He caught her easily, as she knew he always would. As she slipped her hands behind his neck and gently tugged the hair at the base of his head, she kissed him and said, “Truly.”

He returned the kiss. A long kiss, the type one might give if it was their last kiss ever.

“Do that again,” she insisted.

“Kiss you? Oh, sholani, I wish I could kiss you and never let go. But time is short.”

“What do you mean?”

“The ZDC intercepted a communication. The Brotherhood knows you’re here, at the training center. They will attack tonight.”

Nala felt as if her world was spinning out of control. The more she thought about testifying, the more she realized she had to do it. For all the women who had suffered at the hands of the so-called mail order bride agency. And for those women who never survived.

“I want you to come with me. To be my sholan,” she said.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure I love you.”

“But do you want me as your sholan?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I want. Everything is happening so fast. I’m not the same person I was before being kidnapped. I don’t trust as easily and I’m afraid to open my heart to anyone. But I know I love you and want you in my life.”

“I sense you still doubt me.”

“I doubt me, Skaggs. What if I open my heart and you discover there’s nothing inside? That I’m empty.”

“You think the slavers took the best part of you when they kidnapped you?”

Her eyes, already so wide, glossed over with unshed tears. He stroked her face. “Nala… sholani. Your heart is full of love. I saw it in how you defended me to my father and every time you touch me. But I think you’re afraid to accept me as your heartmate because you think love will weaken you. Or trap you. That will never happen.”

She squeezed him in a fierce hug. “I love you, but I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel like I’m messing everything up. I need more time with you. Come with me, so we can just be together without any pressure to marry.”

“I love you more than life, sholani, and I thank you for the gift of knowing that love is returned. You are my heartmate, which is why I cannot go with you.”

His answer shocked her. “Why not? They’ve already stripped your title. Are they charging you with a crime?” Suddenly she knew what was behind Skaggs’s decision, or rather who.

She pushed away from Skaggs and headed toward the door. “Your father’s the reason, isn’t he? I’m going to—”

Skaggs hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, deep blue eyes holding her so easily. She could barely remember a time when she didn’t want to be with him, and yet it was just over a week ago that she’d landed on Zyan. Her mind still screamed everything was happening too fast.

“This has nothing to do with losing my warrior status. I have to stay.”

“I’ll talk to Zirkov, tell him we’ll marry.”

“Do you think that I would ever let him or anyone keep me from you?”

“I don’t understand. If it’s not Zirkov or your father, then why can’t you go with me?”

“The best chance for you to slip away unnoticed is to let the Brotherhood believe you are here with me. Maggie and you will switch clothes and you will leave in her place, alongside Zirkov, just as she arrived. She will take your place here with me while Zirkov and you escape Zyan’s airspace.”

“A decoy? It won’t work. Maggie doesn’t look anything like me.”

“There are only a handful of humans on Zyan. To most zyanthans, all human females look alike. The Brotherhood here will not realize she is not you, especially since no one here has seen her face. She’s kept it hidden while on Zyan except when in private with you.”

“You want me to put another woman in jeopardy?”

“She is trained for danger. She is a marshal, a warrior of your world. To question her skills would insult her.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Nala took a deep breath. “We can switch places, but why can’t you come with me?”

“Many know I’m your sholan. They will expect me to stay at your side. I will stay here with Maggie while you slip away with Zirkov. Not even my father will know. He and the other instructors are eager for the attack. It’s a good opportunity to test the skills of the current trainees. But Zirkov and I will not risk you. You will leave before the Brotherhood arrives and I will remain here. It is the best chance to get you off Zyan unnoticed.”

“I hate this,” she said as she slumped on the edge of the bed they’d been sharing the past few nights.

“I trust Zirkov to keep you safe. He’s a good male.”

“He’s not you.” She shot to her feet, suddenly worried about the wider implications. “After the battle here, you’ll come find me, right?”

“Are you sure that’s what you want, Red?”

She laughed at the reference. It seemed so long ago since he’d called her that. Nala ran her hand from the top of his chest tattoo, following the lines to his hip. His people planned to take the tattoo from him, but he didn’t need it. He was so much more than a warrior.

“I love you, Skaggs. I never thought I could love anyone so completely, but I do, and while it scares me, losing you scares me more.”

He stroked her hair. “Zirkov will not tell me where he plans to take you, but I will find you.”

Fear shot through her. It was a big universe.

He held her face in both hands and stared into her eyes. “I will find you.”

She pulled his head down and kissed him so passionately that she felt both cocks pressing against her, hard and ready.

“Nothing, not my father, not the Brotherhood, nor a grud horde, could ever make me forget you.”

Tears soaked her cheeks as she ground out, “When?”

“Now. Zirkov is outside our door, waiting for you.”

“This is my fault. I’ve been too scared to commit—”

He stopped her words with a kiss that had her melting into him.

“The gods sent you to me for a reason, Nala. To put me back on a path from which I veered long ago. To be the warrior I was meant to be. I have lost the title, but I will always be a warrior in my heart, fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. You have my word, sholani. We will be together again.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I’m Skaggs, the conqueror of women, at least the only woman who matters.” He leaned his forehead against hers, something he’d never done before.

“This is nice,” she said at how intimate it felt. His warm skin pressed against her, reminding her that he was real, not just some dream she’d conjured up while in the brothel.

“It is the proper greeting between family.”

“It feels like… us.”

“Remember that feeling. Cling to it and know I will find you, even if I have to wring Zirkov’s neck for the location. I am no longer a warrior, but I have a reputation to uphold.” He stole another kiss. “And a sholani to love. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will keep me from you.”

“Good,” she said as she grabbed hold of his horns and held his face in front of hers. “Because I have no way of finding you.”

“There you are wrong. Follow your heart. It is how you found me the first time. When you landed in my grove.”

“I landed in your grove because the guy who tried to kill me programmed the escape pod for Zyan.”

“Why would an assassin program an escape pod to land in my grove? That was you, my sholani. Your heart sought me out and the gods heard you. They guided that pod to me. And that is how I know we will be together again.”

“You’re not to follow or try to find her,” Zirkov said as he and Maggie entered. “You’ll risk her safety if you do. And you won’t get the information out of me.”

Skaggs ignored Zirkov and kissed Nala one last time. “You told me not to start what I can’t finish,” she said, as she ran her hands along his horns. He groaned at her touch. “Don’t take too long to find me if you want me to finish what I’ve started.”

“Here,” Maggie said, removing her jacket and pants. She handed her clothing to Nala, who quickly dressed while Maggie threw on the oversized shirt and belt Nala had used as a dress. Maggie pulled the hood over Nala’s head. “Don’t talk. And keep your face hidden at all times. Everyone will assume you’re me. And I’ll stay in here as long as possible.”

“Thank you,” Nala said, hugging Maggie.

Zirkov’s gaze lingered on Maggie in the makeshift dress that hung loosely on her, exposing one bare shoulder.

“Zirkov?” Skaggs said.

The marshal’s horns immediately straightened. Then he lightly pulled on Nala’s sleeve to get her moving.

Nala followed Zirkov as he opened the door, but she was having trouble taking her eyes off Skaggs. She loved that grin of his, full of confidence and promise.

Standing by the door to their quarters, Skaggs stood tall for her, head raised high. “Remember, sholani. Remember.”

“I will,” she said as they turned a corner and could no longer see the warrior she’d grown to love.

“Remember what?” Zirkov asked as they boarded his ship a few minutes’ walk from the barracks.

“It’s nothing,” she said, smiling to herself as she imagined Skaggs saying carpe diem to her. She planned on doing just that, seizing the day and every day until they were together again. She wouldn’t let this temporary separation or the thought of the og’dal slavers trying to kill her dampen her spirit.

As the ship lifted off and they entered space with the beautiful blue planet behind them, Zirkov got a distant look on his face. “You don’t understand sacrifice until you leave someone you care about behind.”

“Are you talking about Maggie?” she asked.

Zirkov fell silent for a long time, and then said, “She does not see me.”

“Oh, she sees you.”

Zirkov’s horns moved back, then he averted his gaze from Zyan. “I do not want to keep you and Skaggs apart, but my job is to keep you safe. That means not giving him your location.”

“He’ll find me. He told me so.”

“I’m glad you have just faith in your sholan, but there are other factors that may prevent him.”

“What are you talking about?”

Zirkov took a deep breath. “I didn’t want to say anything to you earlier, but a tribunal has been convened to review Skaggs’s situation.”

“That’s great!”

“His father called it.”

Now she understood Zirkov’s note of worry. “What’s the old coot up to?”

“I do not know this word, coot, but you left Warrior Skaddov with no choice. You challenged his honor. If you were male, he would have fought you, but you are female and no warrior will fight a female. He cannot let your accusations stand unaddressed, so he’s called the Council together.”

“Good. At least he’s man enough to admit he might be wrong.”

“You misunderstand. He expects them to support his decision.”

“They can’t all be as biased as him. They’ll allow Skaggs to keep his title,” she said, hoping she was right.

“That is what I want to caution you about. If he’s allowed to keep his title, he remains in service with the ZDC. He will return to The Relentless and leave on their next mission, which is in a few days. He will have his life back.”

What Zirkov was trying to say finally sank in. “He won’t want me.”

“That is not what I’m saying. I believe Skaggs to be a man of his word. And he appeared very much in love with you. But what he wants will have no impact. The ZDC will order him not to look for you. It is forbidden for any soldier or warrior to interfere with Galactic Intelligence.”

“But he wouldn’t be interfering—”

“Searching for you will be seen as interfering. It will not matter that you are his sholani. He cannot disobey orders and seek you out. He will have to choose, Nala. Between you and being a warrior.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Does he know this?”

“Maggie will explain it to him after the tribunal.”

“I don’t want him to give up being a warrior.”

“I cannot say what he will do. You know him best. If he approaches me, I will take him to you, if you wish. But the risk is immense, and I will remind him of that. The question is, what will he do? Search for you or stay away to keep you safe?”

She slumped into the chair beside Zirkov’s and stared out at the stars. Skaggs loved her enough that he’d sacrifice being with her, just so she’d be safe.

CHAPTER 11

NALA

Nala carried Emily’s daughter toward the house on the agricultural planet of Affinia. They’d spent the morning teaching Samira how to swim. For a two-year-old, she was quite advanced and the cutest little girl Nala had ever seen. She had her mother’s green eyes, which were gorgeous against her light blue skin. Her horns were little more than black nubs. Makov, her father, a zyanthan warrior who had retired from the military, said her horns were small for her age and they didn’t know for sure how large they’d grow. Samira was the first child of a human and zyanthan pairing, and Nala start envisioning a child just like her, except one with Skaggs’s deep blue eyes and outgoing personality.

Emily had found her sholan, and now had a beautiful daughter and another child on the way. The woman smiled all the time, especially when Makov approached.

Seeing how happy the couple was made Nala miss Skaggs all the more. Maybe she could convince the marshals to take her back to Zyan, despite the danger.

“I miss Skaggs.”

“I know you do,” Emily said. Makov’s brother Torin commanded The Relentless. That gave Nala all the inside information she needed, via Emily. “He’s a warrior now. Fully approved, no secrets. He deserves it.”

“Of course he does. Then why do I wish he hadn’t been re-instated? That’s so selfish of me.”

“It’s not selfish. You’re looking for answers as to why he hasn’t come for you. Not a single warrior was hurt the night the Brotherhood attacked. Everyone who attacked was captured or killed. And Torin’s mission following the attack was scrubbed. Even Makov doesn’t understand why Skaggs hasn’t come for you.”

“He’ll come for me. I know it in my heart.” She did, but two months had passed since she’d left Zyan.

Samira’s chubby little hands opened and closed when Emily drew near. She practically leapt into her mother’s arms. “I think we have to help Auntie Nala pack her bags.”

“Gussie?” Samira said.

“Yes, Daddy and Auntie Nala will ride Gus to the port.”

“I wish I didn’t have to go,” Nala said. “I feel like I have no control over anything in my life anymore. I asked Mak’s cousin if the marshals would let me return here after I testify.”

“What did… ah… Vargo say?” Emily tried to hide her smile.

Nala had a feeling Vargo wasn’t the marshal’s real name because both Emily and Makov had slipped up several times referring to Vargo by a name that started with the letters JAI before correcting themselves and saying Vargo.”

“He refused to contact Zirkov to ask, saying it was too risky. Unsecure communications.”

“I know the marshal’s office on Affinia is small, and it’s just Vargo and Anna over there, but they know what they’re doing.”

Anna, another human, was pregnant with Vargo’s child. Nala had met a string of human-zyanthan couples lately, all happy with families. Each gave her more hope that she could have a happy life away from Earth. But only if she had Skaggs.

“There’s too great a chance you’ll be followed. As it is, they’re going to make you change vessels several times, weave all over the universe before they take you to your final destination. And I’m not sure where that will be. I’m guessing Earth, since it will be easy for you to disappear there.”

Disappear… where Skaggs would never find her.

Emily gripped her face, green eyes laser-focused on her. “You survived a lot worse. You’ll survive this too.”

“Without Skaggs?”

“If necessary, yes. Because you’re stronger than you think.”

Being strong didn’t mean her heart wouldn’t break.

A ship darted overhead, heading straight for the solcap fields. In the distance, Nala heard Makov yelling, but she couldn’t make out the words.

The Brotherhood had found her!

Nala raced into the woods behind the house, hoping Emily and Samira would be safe. The Brotherhood didn’t care about them. She needed a place to hide.

“Nala!” Emily shouted several minutes later. “It’s fine. The ship belongs to the marshal.”

Nala calmed her breathing as she clung to the tree. Branches crunched nearby. She looked up to see Emily with Samira riding on her hip. Two smiling faces.

“I promise you, Nala. You’re safe. It’s the marshal. He came here directly instead of meeting you at the port.”

As Nala walked with Emily back toward the house, Toto, the family’s skoth, ran toward them. Toto was the family’s guard dog, except he was no German Shepherd. His only cute feature was his curled tail. The rest of him—quills on top of his head, droopy eyes, and hairless mottled grey and brown skin—made him look like Dr. Frankenstein had created a pet for his monster. The skoth had a great sense of smell, night vision, and very long sharp claws.

Makov’s raised voice carried from behind the barn. “Why is Makov yelling?”

Emily set Samira down beside Toto, who licked the girl’s face, eliciting a lot of giggles. “This marshal clearly doesn’t think the rules apply to him.”

Nala’s heart skipped a beat. “Skaggs!”

Emily’s face filled with sympathy. “That description fits Skaggs, but he doesn’t know you’re here.”

“It has to be him. He said he’d find me. That he’d come for me.”

“I’m sure he meant it, but Makov would have said if Skaggs was here. Vargo told me Galactic Intelligence has a leak and the marshals don’t trust anyone outside their own office. That includes warriors.”

“It might still be Skaggs.”

“Skaggs would have landed his ship at the port and rented a frish to get here, like everyone else.”

“What’s the problem with landing here?”

“Affinia doesn’t have a lot of rules except when it comes to the soil. Agricultural planet and all. Anything that has the potential to leak fuel or other substances into the ground isn’t allowed to land anywhere without prior approval except for the port. Pilots who disobey can lose landing privileges, and we could be fined a hefty sum.”

“But you can’t prevent someone from landing on your property.”

“True. But I think that’s why they fine the landowners. So we put pressure on the pilots. It works. Usually. Torin always lands at the port to pick up Mak’s crops for market as do the other carriers Mak hires.” Emily shrugged. “Life isn’t always fair, but you have to adapt.”

That, Nala knew firsthand. She would testify, but it felt as if she were being punished for being a victim.

Samira pulled on Nala’s shirt. “Up. Up.”

Nala looked down at the toddler. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. Auntie Nala’s mind was drifting again.”

“Drifting?” Emily asked.

“I’m nervous as all…” Nala looked at the impressionable toddler. “Heck.”

“Don’t worry if you need to swear in English.”

“Drekk, drekk, drekk,” Samira sang.

“See what I mean? It’s zyanthan we have to worry about. With all the warriors passing through here, especially Torin and his crew, it’s hard keeping the swearing down around her.”

Nala kissed Samira’s forehead, wondering if she and Skaggs would ever have any children or if he’d even come for her.

She didn’t like losing faith.

Then his words struck her, telling her to make the most of each day. That meant not sitting around waiting for him to find her.

Nala perked up as an idea struck. After she testified, she’d find her way to Zyan and track him down.

Emily squeezed her arm. “Hey. You okay?”

“Just thinking of Skaggs.”

“You miss him a lot, don’t you?”

“With all my heart. He’s my sholan.” It felt good saying it out loud, announcing to the universe that Skaggs was her sholan and she planned to spend the rest of her life with him if he’d still have her. “I won’t give up on him. On us.”

“That’s the spirit, but for now, focus on your trip to Dal. I wish I could testify against Bu’Tay, but Dal’s High Council doesn’t deem my story valid, considering I ended up happily married to the alien who bought me. They don’t care how that piece of scum first tried to shove me in a brothel.”

“Count yourself lucky. Especially since you have a male you love and no one’s trying to kill you.”

“He’ll come for you, Nala. Stay strong.”

She flashed a smile, then raised her chin, thinking of Skaggs. He wouldn’t fail her. “I’ll make sure your story is known, too. For all the brides who were forced into something they didn’t want.”

“You’ll make us proud,” Emily said, her appreciation clear. Nala couldn’t believe how much she missed having a friend she could relate to.

“Emily?” Makov called from a distance. “The marshal’s ready to lift off. Find Nala and bring her.”

Nala bit her lip, both nervous and excited. Despite what Emily said, that had to be Skaggs on that ship. He’d promised to come for her.

Nala hurried into the house and finished packing the clothes and personal items she’d acquired over the past two months while staying with Emily and Makov. She kissed and hugged Samira and Emily goodbye.

“Wish me luck,” she said as she headed past the barn.

“Sink that bastard Bu’Tay, Nala!”

“Bassard, bassard, bassard,” Samira sang in her mom’s arms.

Nala laughed as she lifted her chin and rounded the barn, prepared to help justice prevail.

The moment she saw the male standing with Makov, she dropped her bag. It wasn’t Skaggs who had come for her. Worse. The male who faced her with a blaster in his hand was an og’dal.

CHAPTER 12

NALA

“Ri’Nom is a marshal, Nala,” Makov said, glaring at the og’dal. “I can vouch for his identity. We’ve met before.”

“Are you sure? You look mad, Makov,” she said, stalling. She didn’t want to go with an og’dal, even if he was a marshal as Makov claimed.

“I am mad. The visca landed on my property and not the port, despite the rules.”

All she could think about was that he looked so much like the og’dals who had abducted her and sold her to that brothel on Trinoth.

“We must go,” Ri’Nom said, motioning her with all four hands to enter the small vessel. There wouldn’t be much room to avoid him on board. She’d be trapped.

“I can’t go with you.”

“Zirkov said you would testify.”

She looked to Emily, who followed her to the ship and now stood beside Makov, his arm around her waist and little Samira in her arms. The perfect family. Nala wanted that. With Skaggs. Finding him had to be her priority.

“I’m not testifying,” she said.

With two hands on his hips, and one scrubbing through his hair, Ri’Nom looked mad. Rightfully so. He and the other marshals had worked hard at protecting her, and she had agreed to testify.

“I know the details of your case.” Ri’Nom maintained a calm voice. “And you think because I look like them that I’ll behave like them.”

She nodded.

“I am og’dal by birth, but I was raised on Karthika. If you know Karthika, then you know it’s even worse than Dal. Thieves, murderers, gangs, brothels, drugs. You name it, that’s Karthika.”

“You’re not making a good case for her to go with you,” Emily said.

Ri’Nom ignored Emily as he stepped closer to Nala. She locked her feet in place, to keep from running as instinct demanded. This og’dal wouldn’t do anything to her with Makov standing right there.

“Abusing females is not the og’dal way, but there are always those born rotten and care nothing for others. Og’dal and human included.”

He had a point.

“I know what it means to live in a hellhole. I grew up in one, and you don’t ever forget it. You can learn to put it behind you, if you’re willing, Nala. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but we both have a chance to punish some males who don’t deserve the freedom to continue hurting others. You by testifying, me by making sure you get to Dal to testify… and leave unharmed.”

She believed him. Much like Skaggs, there was an honesty that shone through Ri’Nom. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“After I testify, you take me where I want to go. Not where the marshals have planned for me. I’m not a prisoner, and this is my life, after all. I have the right to live it how and where I want, even if that means putting myself in danger.”

Ri’Nom folded his upper set of arms over his chest while his other hung at his side. “Female, you’re already in danger. But I agree with you. You have the right to decide your life. Zirkov won’t approve, though.”

“So you won’t help me?”

“I didn’t say that. I’ll be in trouble when he finds out, but I agree to your condition.”

Emily looked concerned, but Makov nodded his approval.

Nala relaxed. “I don’t wish to get you in trouble with your boss, Ri’Nom, but this is something I need to do.”

“I’m not known for following the rules. As I said, I grew up on Karthika.”

After another round of hugs, Nala followed Ri’Nom onto the ship. She was going to testify, and then build the life she’d always dreamed of, starting with finding the male of her dreams. Skaggs.

CHAPTER 13

NALA

Ri’Nom proved to be honorable and a comfort, as he never left her side on Dal. From the moment they exited The Sovereign, the male stared down anyone who even thought about approaching her.

The lead prosecutor asked several pointed questions without much compassion. But he didn’t accuse her or try to belittle her. He wanted facts, as much as she could give. There had been no lineup of males, pictures to identify, or requests for her to describe Bu’Tay and his henchmen. Names were enough. It gave her pause, as she knew that the males who had kidnapped and sold her were certainly capable of using other males’ names. Innocent males. Ri’Nom assured her that the males would be put under truth serum before being executed, to ensure the right males were punished.

As they rode the transit tube back to the port, Nala looked out the window at Dal. The country had more rubble and destroyed towns than Earth. Trash littered so much of the world, but in the distance, healthy trees of every color imaginable dotted the landscape.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, ignoring the obvious ugliness of the rubble. “The flora is so vivid.”

“Yes,” Ri’Nom said, his voice drifting. “I do not recall this beauty as a child.”

“Why did your family leave?”

“It’s a long story, none of which I care to tell. But I will not return. My home is…”

“On Karthika?”

“No, I could never call Karthika home, though my father still lives there. I guess I have no home. Aside from my ship.”

“That’s sad.”

“I don’t need pity.”

“Neither do I. Which is why I’m not giving you any. Just stating that everyone needs a home.”

“So, where will your home be? Have you decided where you wish to go?” Ri’Nom asked as the transit tube stopped at the station by the port.

“Yes. Wherever Skaggs is.”

“Even if that is Zyan?”

“I have nothing against Zyan. From what I saw, it appeared to be a nice place to live.”

“Even with the Brotherhood there?”

“I think the Brotherhood is everywhere these days. Which is partly why I testified. The more we blast away at those who support the Coalition, the safer everyone will be.”

Ri’Nom escorted her to a ship, slightly larger than his. “I wish you luck, Nala, but this is where we part. Before I leave Dal, I have personal business to take care of. Another marshal will take you from here. I’ve explained our arrangement. He wasn’t happy about it, but he will honor it.”

As they walked around the ship’s stern, Nala stopped and stared at the zyanthan symbols. Lines and curves that she couldn’t read, but below it, in small letters, Carpe Diem.

Skaggs! He’d finally come for her!

“Thank you for everything, Ri’Nom,” she said, quickly hugging him goodbye in her excitement to board and see Skaggs. Two arms circled her while the other two rested on his blasters, the marshal ever-watchful for danger.

“Take care, Nala.”

Nala raced onto the ship and right into a very large male. Chiseled muscles, horns, tattoos. And very red.

Keenta. Great. They weren’t much better than og’dals, but Ri’Nom had proven she needed to judge these males on their own merit. And she trusted Ri’Nom.

“I’m Konnitch,” the tall, muscular male introduced himself with a slight nod. “Ri’Nom has told you about me?”

Memories of the day she’d been rescued from the brothel struck so fast that she wavered on her feet. A red male had pulled an og’dal off her and hurled him into a cement pillar. Then he threw a blanket around her and carried her out of the brothel. Strong arms had steadied her. Huddled in the blanket, she never saw his face, but she remembered his voice. He’d talked to her as if she mattered.

“You were there. You carried me out of the brothel on Trinoth.”

“I didn’t think you’d remember.”

“It’s the only part I want to remember.” She tamped down the disappointment of not seeing Skaggs while she focused on Konnitch and how she owed him. “I wish I could do more to repay you, beyond saying thank you.”

“Seeing you well is more than enough. Though you seem angry with me. Have I offended you?”

“Ri’Nom didn’t tell me who was taking over for him. I wasn’t expecting a keenta.”

Konnitch raised a brow. “You have an issue with red skin or horns?”

She pointed to her hair. “Red’s my thing. And horns, well, they remind me of someone very special to me.”

“Then we will get along. And forgive Ri’Nom. He’s not good at sharing details. Did he tell you that I’m training a new marshal and will be teaching him specifics about your security?”

“No. But I thought I wasn’t getting any security. I want to return to Zyan to find Skaggs.”

“He’s no longer on Zyan. We will be going to a different planet.”

Nala felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Not on Zyan. Not with his crew. Was he searching for her?

When she looked up, Konnitch had disappeared, and the door had been secured shut. “Strap in, female,” he called from the bow of the ship. “My trainee is an awful pilot. This will be bumpy.”

Nala buckled into one of the four seats in the passenger cabin, her brain going a million miles an hour as she tried to figure out what to do next. Where to go from here. Wait… Where was Konnitch taking her?

As soon as the ship left orbit, Nala unbuckled and headed to the cockpit. Halfway there, she ran into Konnitch. “Where are we going?”

“I left that up to my trainee. He has a list of approved planets and your history. It’s part of his training to determine the best location for a protected witness, but he refuses to share his decision.”

“You let a trainee boss you around?” She didn’t know Konnitch, but she was reaching the end of her patience with these marshals.

“He’s a difficult male. Much like Ri’Nom, whom I also trained. Training is not my strength as it requires patience I don’t have. You are welcome to speak with him.”

“I plan to do just that. I want to go to Zyan to start my search there. What’s your trainee’s name?”

“Trainee.” Konnitch grinned as he stepped aside to let her pass. “It helps remind him who’s the boss here.”

Okay, score one for Konnitch, Nala thought as she barreled into the cockpit.

Horns jutting high in the cockpit drew her attention. Great, another keenta. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to let him talk her out of going to Zyan.

“Listen here, Trainee. I want to go to Zyan. I don’t care what your boss back there or any other marshal thinks. I have business on Zyan, and that’s where we’re going, okay?”

The male rose from his seat. “Does that mean you’re leaving the protection program, Nala?”

“Skaggs!” she shrieked as she launched herself into his arms.

Strong arms caught her and spun her around. “Drekk, how I’ve missed you, my sholani.”

“I can’t believe you’re here. I mean, I kept hoping. And then when I saw the name on the ship, I was sure it was you, but Konnitch said he had a trainee aboard. He didn’t say you were here too.”

“I am his trainee.” Skaggs leaned out the cockpit door and yelled down the short corridor, “And I’m a better pilot than Konnitch!”

“Zyanthans have a skewed opinion of what being a good pilot means,” Konnitch yelled from the back of the ship. “I bet you’re out of your seat, holding that female of yours right now.”

“Drekker,” Skaggs cursed as he slid back into his seat. Then he yanked her down to sit on his lap. “Problem solved.”

She couldn’t believe he was here. After waiting so long and not hearing from him, she had started to think he’d returned to being a warrior. She slid back the leather vest he wore, exposing his tattoos.

“Congratulations. I’d heard they confirmed you as a full warrior. I’m glad they finally recognized how valuable you are.”

Skaggs raised his right arm and proudly flexed his bicep. “Got my final tattoos.”

Nala traced over the lines that circled his arm. The black ink against dark blue skin stood out, as did Skaggs’s smile. His horns rose, tall and proud, like the warrior he was.

“Well deserved. Did your father speak up for you?”

“He and I have not spoken, and will not for some time, I expect. After the Brotherhood attacked and we transported the prisoners to Goji Base for interrogation, the Council of Warriors reviewed my case in great detail. My entire crew testified, recounting my time as a warrior. The good and the bad. The bad was my wanton behavior of finding females at every port, especially when I left my post at times, risking both crew and mission. Torin has admonished me for that before. Several times. When I explained how I was searching for my sholani, driven mostly by my father’s deadline, the Council reprimanded my father as well. You might say we are both on probation for a year. Upon a full review of my service, they approved my status as a warrior and gave me my arm tattoos.”

“Long overdue,” she said, sliding her arms around his neck. “I’m so proud of you.”

“My probation started immediately. I was unable to come for you.”

“You’re here now. And I’m done testifying, so we can be together, right?” she asked, sensing a hesitancy in him.

His horns twisted at the top. “I am still on probation.”

“What does that entail, exactly?”

“I’m on leave from my ship while I train as a marshal. Zirkov appealed to Zyan’s government for a few warriors. He is short on marshals and cannot provide adequate protection for the growing number of witnesses. Zyan is one of the planets supporting Galactic Intelligence, so the General Assembly approved his request. The Council of Warriors removed me from my crew and assigned me here, under a keenta, no less.”

“Other than his coloring, he looks like any zyanthan. Tattoos and all.”

“Phh,” Skaggs huffed. “His tattoos are not warrior tattoos. And it’s insulting answering to a keenta, but I was not in the position to object.”

“I don’t understand this rift between zyanthans and keentas.”

“It’s a long story, and each side has different versions. The end result is that zyanthans and keentas do not get along. The Council of Warriors believes this will teach me additional discipline while aiding GI7.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“It’s a punishment.”

She laid her hand flat against his chest, thrilled to feel his warm skin beneath hers once again. “Perhaps, but Konnitch seems nice enough.”

Skaggs laughed. “Don’t tell him that. The male already thinks he’s a better fighter than me.”

She squeezed his biceps. “Not possible.”

“Ah, I knew there was a reason I like you, Nala.”

“There are many reasons you like me,” she said as she trailed her finger down his chest before wiggling her bottom in his lap. She could feel the hardness beneath her growing.

“Teasing me while I’m on duty… Are you trying to get me in trouble?”

“Yes. Very much,” she replied with a huge smile.

“It would not look good for me to sleep with a female under my protection, especially after being disciplined for leaving my post in pursuit of females in the past.”

“Then how about sleeping with your sholani?”

His horns rose high and proud as his smile lit the cockpit. “Do you mean it? You’ll be mine?”

“Now and forever. If you’ll have me, Marshal.”

“He’s only a trainee, female,” Konnitch yelled from the back of the vessel.

“Did I warn you that keentas have exceptionally good hearing? It’s all they’re good at, really.”

“Just for that, you get next shift too,” Konnitch shouted.

“Stop listening to my private conversation with my sholani.”

“Your sholani. I like the sound of that,” Nala said.

“Me too,” Konnitch yelled. “Though make him earn it. Or tell me whatever you need and I’ll see that he does it.”

“I’m starting to like him,” Nala said.

“I now understand why the Council assigned me this detail.”

“Because they knew we belonged together?”

“That. And they knew you and Konnitch would punish me in a way they could not. As I cannot run from you, Nala. Nor do I want to. You’re mine, and I’ll go anywhere and do anything to prove how much I love you.”

“You really do love me,” she said, letting the realization sink in.

“You make me better. You make me want to be better, sholani. You’ve taught me one thing my warrior training could not.”

“What is that?”

“The importance of trust. If I had fully trusted in my crew, then I would have found a way out of the mess I was in years ago.”

“Ah, but then I don’t think we would have met.”

He thought about it. “No, we would still have met, because you are my heartmate. A sholan and sholani will always find one another. Even if the gods decide not to help.”

“Oh, but I think they did help, my warrior. They brought me to you. And then they opened my eyes, letting me see past your horns and claws to the male beneath. And not just you. I learned to start judging people as individuals. I still hate what happened to me, but I’m no longer that person. At least I don’t think I am. You’ve taught me a lot about myself and living life. And for that, I will always love you.”

“And for my sexy ass.”

She hugged him and just held on. “And for your sexy ass. And cocks. And everything else about you, my sholan.”

“I love how you say that.”

“Sholan?”

“That too, very much. But ass, cocks… It’s giving me ideas.”

“Ideas you’ll keep to yourself, Trainee. It’s bad enough I have to eat your cooking. I don’t need to picture you naked,” Konnitch yelled from the back of the ship.

“I’m going to drekking punch him in the face,” Skaggs swore, looking over his shoulder.

Nala took his face in her hands and redirected him to her. “I have a better idea.”

A grin slid onto his face. “Does it involve getting naked in here? As warriors, we are trained to expect the unexpected everywhere, including when piloting. I will adapt.”

“Ah, so you are trained to resist,” she said as she stroked the nodes of a horn. Skaggs moaned.

“This is why warriors make lousy marshals!” Konnitch yelled through the ship. “Too easily tempted.”

Nala laughed. “I don’t think your new boss approves. I guess he’s worried we’ll crash the ship.”

“He can go drekk—”

She was done talking. Nala captured his mouth and kissed the male she’d been starved for these past months. Nothing could ever taste as wholesome and delicious as her sholan.

As the kiss deepened, she straddled him. When his cocks pressed against her core, she moaned. And then his kisses landed on her jaw, her neck, between her breasts…

“Don’t want to crash,” she said, breathless as his hands skimmed under her shirt, brushing over the side of a breast.

“They planned this,” Skaggs said, breathless.

“Who?” she asked as she rubbed her fingers over the nodes at the base of his horns.

“Drekk, that feels good.”

“Who?” she repeated. “Tell me or I will stop.”

“I don’t want you to stop.”

She stopped and held his face in front of her.

“The Council. They knew no one would protect you as well as your sholan. And they knew I would not be able to keep my hands off of my sholani. They’re testing my commitment to the job.”

“Or they’re giving you a pass, letting us be together.”

“Sholani, nothing in this universe could keep me from you. Not even a thousand warriors.”

“Where have you been all my life, Skaggs?”

“Looking in the wrong places for you. But now I have you, and I’m not letting go.”

“Promise?”

“On my honor as a warrior.”

“That’s all I need to hear. Now take me home, Warrior.”

“Earth?”

“No, I think you need to be near your crew when this gig is up. They need you and you need them. And I was starting to enjoy life on a farm.”

“What farm?”

“I was on Affinia. With your commander’s brother and his family.”

“Makov?”

“Yes. I enjoyed it there, very much. Made me think of a beautiful grove back on Zyan. One with a silver pod and a handsome warrior, though there’s no house anymore.”

“A house is easy to build. But are you sure, Nala? The Brotherhood still exists on Zyan.”

“And on Earth. And I’m betting a dozen other worlds. But there’s something only Zyan has?”

“Quirty fruit?”

“You, you fool. Your heart is there with your people. And you’ll want to rejoin your crew when your probation ends.”

“And what of you? What will you do?”

“Me? I have a language to learn, a world to explore, and… maybe a family to raise in time.”

His hand caressed her belly. “I’d like that. Very much.”

“Pilot the drekking ship, Trainee! Make younglings later.”

Skaggs looked at his navigation panel. “The drekker’s right. I had us on the wrong course. To Earth.”

Nala leaned back in his arms as he readjusted the course to Zyan. “There’s a bed in the back for you to rest, sholani.”

“I’m good right here with you.”

“ETA to Zyan, two days.”

“Do zyanthans have honeymoons?”

“Our moons are made of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, and aluminum with trace elements of other metals. No honey. But I hear honey is tasty, and fun to lick.” His hands flicked over the navigation panel again.”

“What are you doing, Trainee?” Konnitch asked.

“Short detour. Need to pick up life-saving food on Earth for the witness under my protection. Then we return to Zyan.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“For you, Nala, I’ll be anything you want.”

“Carpe diem?”

“Most definitely.”

And with that, Nala resumed getting reacquainted with the warrior who’d stolen her heart.

CHAPTER 14

SKAGGS

Skaggs walked through the quirty grove, amazed at how quickly the new seedlings had grown in just two years thanks to Nala’s quick mind.

She’d enrolled in classes when they returned to Zyan. Nala sat among the younglings, on a mat on the ground, as if she was one of them. Her sole purpose there was to learn to read, write, and speak zyanthan and in time she did just that, winning over the younglings and the teacher.

After a year, when Nala became fluent in Zyanthan, she approached the First Lead of Agricultural Sciences. The male allowed her to study under him for six months while Skaggs left on a mission with his crew. While he was gone, she stayed with McKenna, another female from Earth, and her sholan Remmikov, a warrior whom Skaggs knew.

Nala quickly blossomed into an outgoing female who thrived on Zyan, making friends with both the few humans there and several zyanthans. Knowing that his fellow warriors had his back, guarding his sholani in his absence, enabled Skaggs to leave Zyan when needed.

Skaggs straddled both positions, bouncing between duties as a marshal and going on missions with the crew of The Relentless. And he had never been so happy as when he returned to his sholani. With no more secrets or dishonor separating him from his crew and friends, he finally felt like a warrior. His Nala had believed in him, and now he could finally believe in himself.

“What are you thinking, my brave sholan?” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist in the middle of their grove.

Skaggs looked down the rows of young trees. “This grove would not have survived without your dedication and hard work. I would not have thought to speak with the First Lead of Agriculture, or had the time to learn from him.”

“I enjoy learning from First Lead Arbez. And I want this grove to be as beautiful as it was when I landed here.”

“It is already more beautiful. You’re here.” He turned into her, sealing his lips to hers. Clothing flew in all directions. Within seconds, he laid her down on a bed of quirty moss. The squishy blue plants grew at the base of an older tree that had survived the fire.

He kissed between her breasts and continued moving lower, eager to taste her.

“I’ve missed you… I’ve missed this, so much,” Nala said as he lifted her legs onto his shoulders and he nudged his head between her thighs.

One swipe of his tongue and he knew without a doubt that he’d never tire of tasting her, loving her. As his tongue moved through her folds, she gripped his horns for leverage. And then his wicked mate stroked the pleasure nodes at the base of his horns, making him impossibly hard.

He’d only been away from her a week this time, but he wasn’t sure he could last much longer. The warrior in him refused to lose, however, and he made it his mission to make her scream his name in their grove before he took her with his cocks.

The moment he rolled her clit between his lips, her hips bucked. “Need you in me, sholan,” she said, all breathy and needy.

“Not yet,” he said as he popped his head up to see the beautiful sight of her tits bouncing as she wiggled, trying to entice him to fuck her. He resorted to slowly dragging his tongue down to her entrance until he heard another moan.

“Right there. Please.”

He tongued her, using his fingers to circle her clit and drive her into a frenzy.

“Oh, yes,” she said as her body lurched with an orgasm that had her walls clenching around his tongue and her hands pressing hard against his pleasure nodes. He couldn’t wait any longer. He climbed up her body and stared down at those light green eyes that reminded him of the rebirth of his grove, and of Zyan itself.

He positioned his pleasure cock at her back hole, waiting for the frem to coat her, all while gliding his mating cock through her folds.

“You’re teasing me,” she said.

He was. A little, but she loved it. He knew this by how her smile reached her eyes.

“Quiet, sholani, or I will have to start again.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m counting your freckles. When I’ve inventoried them all, then I will fuck you.”

“There’s eighty-nine,” she said. “Now stop torturing me and fuck me already.”

He chuckled. “I don’t trust you. You are an impatient female who would say anything to get what she wants right now.”

“Would not,” she said as she bucked her hips and ground against his mating cock.

“Shh. I’ve lost count. Now I shall have to start over.”

“You’re torturing me!”

He slid his mating cock into her an inch, hoping to settle her, but the fire in her eyes intensified.

“Fuck now. Count later.”

He eased out again, and then slowly entered her.

“Carpe diem,” she forced the words out amid heavy panting. “Carpe me!”

Seize her? Drekk, she had such power over him. Skaggs drove his mating cock into her pussy at the same time he slipped his pleasure cock into her backside. Nala’s eyes widened at the shock. He’d never entered her with both at the same time. Then the shock disappeared, replaced by satisfaction and pure need.

That look on her face, the feel of her hips beneath his hands, sparked a frenzy he could not stop if he wanted to. There would be no pulling out this time. The warrior in him would not allow it.

He thrust hard and fast, grunting as words were beyond him. He couldn’t go slow and tender as he usually did with her. This had turned primal. When he seized her breast in his mouth, she grabbed his horns at their centers and squeezed. With one final thrust of both cocks, ropes of cum shot into his mate as the ecstasy of release spread through his body.

“Mine,” he roared above her. “You are mine, Nala.”

“Yours,” she said, her hands gripping the base of his horns, making the need to fuck start all over again. “Always.”

He bent his head forward against her chest and kissed the beads of sweat that formed between her breasts. “I can’t believe we did that again. No excuses like when I came home from my assignment last month and you jumped me at the door.”

“I didn’t jump you at the door. I waited until you stepped in and shut it. Then I jumped you.”

“And I had both cocks in you within a minute, without thinking. I was so desperate for you, I forgot to pull out,” he said as he started pulling out.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, gripping him harshly. “Don’t. Not yet. I want to feel you in me as long as possible.”

He wanted that too, but the longer he stayed, the more likely the urge to claim her fully would overtake him. He didn’t think she wanted to have a youngling yet. His sholani turned out to be more resilient, more amazing than he’d ever expected, but they hadn’t discussed having younglings for a while. She’d been so busy, and he did not want to pressure her in any way.

“I should remove my mating cock, before I spill more seed.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you spill. I’m already pregnant.”

He looked into her eyes and saw his future in a way he had never envisioned. “Truly, Nala?”

She nodded, her face filled with light. “It’s confirmed. I went to the med-center in Avan. A baby, Skaggs. We’re going to have a baby!”

“A youngling!” He lifted her up and swung her around, then pulled her down on him. “No more moss against your delicate skin.”

“I like the moss. It’s soft and spongy.” She poked his pecs. “Unlike you.”

“Keep poking me with your finger, female, and I’ll poke you again with something that is definitely not soft. Two, in fact.”

“That is hardly a threat.”

“It was a promise, not a threat.”

She poked him again.

“That’s it, female,” he said as he scooped her up and ran toward the new house he’d built for them a few hundred feet from the house that had burned down. “I’m going to be inside you for the rest of the night.”

“No objections here, Warrior.”

He kicked open the door and carried her through the house to their bedroom and landed with her on the bed, his hands on either side of her head. Instead of kissing her, he gently pressed his forehead to hers and mumbled something unintelligible in Zyanthan.

“What are you saying?” Nala asked.

“I’m thanking the gods.”

“For the baby?”

“For you. For how you complete me. For how despite who I am and what I’ve done, they gave you to me.”

“You have that wrong, Warrior. It’s because of who you are that they gave me to you. And why I gave myself to you.”

“As long as I have you, Nala—you and our youngling—that is all I need. Today, tomorrow, and forever.”

Thank you for reading Alien Tempted! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Julie’s newsletter!

IONA STROM

SILVER SIDHE

PROLOGUE

ALEXXON

Garrot was up to no fucking good! A member of the Royal Council—those who aided in governing Clan Huren—the male always had shifty eyes. Yet with the unrest between our two Sias—Clan Huren’s twin rulers—that bad feeling which had been churning like spoilt meat deep inside my gut, was about to erupt.

My warrior instincts were on fire as I followed him through the palace, under the spiraling chandelier dripping with crylite crystals, and passed the elegant door of the lift which led to the appointed living quarters above. I arched a silvery brow as the male turned and aimed for the service lift at the end of the hallway.

A male of his station would not bother himself with the service floors beneath the palace. He might dirty the hem of his ridiculous robing on the well-trodden floor.

Why the members of the Royal Council felt the need to drape themselves in all that billowing fabric had always baffled me. Even our twin Sias had seen the merit in wearing the kiltus of our clan. A knee-length skirting slung low on the hips, it was easier to defend yourself from all the dangers on Valose while bare-chested.

Garrot stopped and the double doors of the service lift split open. As he entered and turned to face out of the unadorned lift, I covertly stepped into an alcove of a recessed door to hide myself.

The moment the double doors clicked together, I shot down the back stairwell, taking the steps three at a time, until I could safely leap over the railing. My boots landed with a resounding thud.

I pushed open the door to the hallway one floor down to peer around the corner at the lift. It didn’t stop on the medic level but instead kept going.

“Fucking Helios,” I cursed and raced down another flight of steps. “Why is he going to the prison level?”

The second sub-level consisted of nothing but interrogation rooms, storage for the palace, and the holding cells. I knew of no prisoner to be interrogated on this suns-rise if that was his reason for venturing two stories underground.

I reached the prison level only secs before the double doors to the lift swooshed open. I kept hidden behind the stairwell door, peeking through a thin crack as Garrot exited. I stayed put, watching, and waiting to see which direction he traveled.

To my surprise, he paused outside a storage room and rapped his knuckles on the smooth metalloid panel. My pointed ears perked and swiveled to pick up the odd, whispered words from behind the closed door.

“It is Garrot,” the Royal Council member quietly answered.

The lock disengaged and the panel opened and closed by an unseen hand as Garrot quickly slipped inside.

On silent feet, I crept to the door and placed my ear to the panel. Garrot was conversing with someone on the other side, yet the reedy thin voice that replied was as unfamiliar to me as the language in which it answered.

Only privy to one side of the conversation, I caught the gist to be about the rivalry between the Sias’, Jakkar and Sakkar, the twin brothers who had inherited their crowns by birthright. They were the rightful heirs to the thrones, but it sounded as though Garrot had plans to change all that.

Sia Sakkar fought his battles with words, while his twin brother, Jakkar, fought his with Valosian steel. Sia Jakkar was where my loyalties lay, with a ruler not afraid to stand and fight with his warriors.

Listening to this blow-hard chatting up this stranger, I wondered how much influence he held over the future of a clan I would gladly die defending.

Those that had sided with Sia Sakkar were enamored with the recent advances in our technology. Strange new devices had been created that could solidify light into shielding that was currently protecting the city of Huren. Even a craft capable of taking to the stars had been built for Sia Sakkar to live his dream of venturing past the clouds.

I agreed with Sia Jakkar, a ruler who led with the sharp point of Valosian steel, that dependence on such machinery while neglecting the warrior training program was not sensible. If the shielding protecting our city failed, the warriors of Valose would need to be called into service.

Some claimed Sia Jakkar was antiquated in his beliefs because he shunned the new technology and was suspicious of how quickly it had been developed. I had to agree with his reservations. I trusted my sword and my ability to wield it more than I did machinery that could fail.

Rumors had spread that the twin Sias were on the verge of splitting. If that happened, I knew which Sia I would follow, and it wouldn’t be the one with the smooth palms of a politician.

At the mention of Sia Jakkar’s name, my blood began to boil. He was a male I respected above all others. I had been trained alongside him. Taken the oath to fight and protect Clan Huren from our enemies. Within his chest beat the heart of a true Valosian warrior.

As Garrot talked more of unseating Sia Jakkar, my fists clenched at my sides, and my jaw cracked where I ground my molars to dust. With my fury, erupted bright blues and silvers across my scales.

I had to get a look inside that room! Find out who Garrot was speaking to and what was being planned. This needed to be reported back to Sia Jakkar.

I raced to the access hatch that dropped me into a ventilation shaft. With my sword strapped to my back, I crawled on the cold metalloid to the air return inside the storage room. The voices grew louder, echoing off the slick ducting as I closed in.

There was no rushing, I had to go slow and not give myself away to the traitorous Royal Council member. Even though Garrot didn’t possess the skills of a warrior, he was still Valosian. Weak sword arm or not, his ears were as sensitive as mine.

Once I reached the end of the run, I paused in the bend of the duct, waiting for any signs that I had been heard. The conversation hadn’t missed a beat with Garrot plotting away and the stranger answering in a peculiar language.

I dared to raise my head to peek through the grate of the air intake. Many of my clansmen stood off to one side while just a few fates away stood Garrot with his back to me. His silvery mane bluntly cut at his shoulders in the style of the Royal Council. Whoever he was talking to was hidden by the males robed form.

My jaw dropped and my eyes rounded. All around the storage room sat hundreds of empty cages, piled one atop another. Row after row filled the room. I had never seen anything of the like.

That wasn’t as shocking as what I saw next.

Garrot shifted his stance just enough for me to glimpse the creature with whom he spoke. A foul gray, it had bumpy skin with a head too large for its wiry body. Its beady eyes sat too close together in its bulbous head.

As it opened its slash for a mouth to speak, I got a look at rows of razor-sharp teeth. I must have made a noise because its dull black eyes whipped in my direction.

I dropped out of sight into a crouch, but it was too late, I was caught.

The metalloid grate was ripped from the air intake as I started to lunge, but many hands grabbed at me as I tried to scramble away. I was yanked up and out, kicking and fighting the entire way. I was one against many as I was dragged across the cold floor before being slammed facedown and pressed flat by many silver palms belonging to my clansmen.

At Garrot’s order, I was flipped over on my back hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs. I peered up into the lifeless eyes of males I thought I knew.

“Why?” I croaked.

None answered, only stared down at me in that creepy, unseeing way. I might have known these warriors faces, but I didn’t know the spiritless shells holding me down.

The gray creature came to stand over me. I thought I’d met every living thing on Valose, but this… this thing…was not of my world. Sia Jakkar had been right. Nothing good could ever come from the stars. Better for a warrior’s feet to be planted on the ground than to have his eyes cast to the clouds as Sia Sakkar’s always had been.

Had my preferred ruler’s twin brother been the cause of this abomination’s presence? Had he taken to the stars on one too many a journey only to return with something much worse than our world’s common enemy, the Nuttaki?

“What the fuck are you?” I gritted through clenched teeth.

The gray creature leaned in close enough that my face was reflected in its dead stare. “Your new master.”

CHAPTER 1

BREENA

Screaming had done me no good. I had learned fast to stay quiet or get poked with another syringe full of a drug that knocked me out. Being unconscious scared me more than being alert and oriented, even if it meant having to look at all the bizarre creatures milling about my cage.

At least if I was awake, I was aware of what was being done to me.

I cringed away from a particularly scary beast that stopped to leer in at me with huge tusks jutting from his lower jaw. He was fat and green like an orc and utterly terrifying with a viscous string of drool hanging off its fat lower lip.

“Ny fwue na,” the orc uttered and stuffed sausage sized fingers through the bars of my cage.

I scooted out of its reach.

“Yug li!” the orc cursed and moved around to where I sat curled into a tight ball.

I gulped back a cry of terror, knowing what it would get me, and kept moving to avoid its gross, grabbing hands. The orc kept cursing and following me around my barred box until it tired of my game. With a final look of disgust, the orc wandered off through the open-air market with a lumbering gait.

My tense muscles eased only slightly. I had to remain alert and vigilant of what was moving around me. Watching my own back was important to make sure nothing could sneak up and touch me through the bars.

That had happened once, and I’d screeched like a banshee. The troll looking beast that fed me and emptied my bucket I used as a toilet, had slapped meaty, clawed tipped paws over his holes for ears, then needled me with what looked like a cattle prod. The drug I’d been injected with had instantly knocked me out. That had been when I’d woken up in a different outfit.

I had no recollection of being stripped out of my nightshirt and short set I had always worn to bed. Someone or something had undressed me while I’d been unconscious and put me in a semi-sheer sleeveless dress that reached my feet.

I shivered at what else my body had been through while my mind had taken a vacation from my hellish new reality.

At first, I’d chalked all this up to a very realistic nightmare, but when I never woke up and my nightmare hadn’t evaporated into the ether of an overactive imagination, I knew I’d been abducted by something not human.

If that wasn’t convincing enough, once my cage had been wheeled outside, the bright, blood orange sun hanging in a violet sky had been a definite giveaway I was no longer on Earth. No more glowing yellow orb I had been used to. Nope. The shit beating down on this world was the exact shade of the crimson flesh of a blood orange.

The air here—wherever here was—lent weight to my lungs. Every breath was deliberate. Every inhale took the full expansion of my chest cavity. What filled my lungs was hot and dense, as if the insufferable heat blazing down from that freaky sun was somehow compressing the air molecules into a solid.

The troll, who I supposed was now my keeper, hobbled over on stubbly legs. Injection stick in hand, his beady eyes narrowed on me.

What had I done to merit another jab? I’d stayed quiet even when the orc was trying to touch me with his grimy sausage fingers.

“No.” I crab walked backward until my back hit the bars. “Please no drugs.”

There was no escaping the injection stick. It was long enough to reach me no matter where I fled. That didn’t stop me from trying to avoid it.

The cage wasn’t tall enough for me to stand, so I took to my hands and knees, giving the troll a run for his money. My attempts to avoid being stuck only pissed it off. It reared back, took aim, and slammed the needle into my side as I scrambled from one end of the cage to the other.

Sometime later, I blinked open heavy eyelids. My vision was foggy and my mouth full of cotton. I lay on my side with my brain in a cloud. The blurry lump which lay close by, didn’t register as anything overly concerning until my senses came back online, and I realized with a start that I was no longer alone.

I pushed up on one elbow from where I lay on my side and rubbed at my eyes to get a better look at my new cage-mate. The hulking man… No, he was not a man, but he was definitely male with silvery whitish blue scales covering his naked torso. The billowing pants he wore were of the same filmy, flowing material as what I had been changed into, so we were all matchy-matchy.

The cage we were housed inside was larger than my previous one and with a taller ceiling. Maybe I could actually stand in this one. Despite the larger accommodations, my cage-mate’s massive frame took up the majority of the floor space.

He lay face down with his arms splayed like he’d been unceremoniously tossed inside. I couldn’t help but notice he was packed with rolling, bunching muscles like a bodybuilder.

He was as close to human as I’d seen since waking up in this hell with two arms, two legs, and hands instead of claws. I couldn’t see any of his face as he was turned away from me. I had a glimpse of his head which had been shaved. Like a modified mohawk, a center strip of silvery white flowed long enough to touch his waist. The heavy length was bound with silver cuffs at regular intervals.

Despite the eye-candy of his spectacular build, I was terrified of what his face would look like, and equally terrified if he might hurt me when he woke up.

I slowly eased myself into a sitting position and scooted as far back as the cage would allow. My head, still groggy from the dregs of the injection, weighed a thousand pounds as if my neck were a noodle trying to hold up a bowling ball.

Normally, I preferred to stay in the center of the cage as far away from the bars as possible, and out of touching range of any handsy creatures. My skin crawled as I relived all the unwanted gropes.

I was no longer on display in the market, but inside a dusty wooden structure. The cage I shared sat beside a dais before rows and rows of seats like a makeshift auditorium.

The air was cooler without the sun beating down on my pale, freckled skin. It didn’t help I was a natural redhead. Gingers were known to burn easily and the blazing sun on this world was relentless.

The place was blessedly free of creatures roaming around to stare and poke at me like a zoo animal, so I stayed put against the bars, resting my giant, aching head. It was quiet and peaceful. I closed my eyes and relished the rare reprieve.

All this quiet gave me the opportunity to miss everyone I hoped to see again. Especially my twin sister, Rowan. We were rarely ever apart. This was the first time in my life I had ever been completely separated from her. I missed her with a fierceness that ached in my bones.

Something fluttered over my cheek. The insects here were much, much larger than anything on Earth, so I didn’t open my eyes as I raised a hand to swat it away. It was better if I didn’t see it.

The next flutter was more pronounced, smoothing over my skin like a soft caress. A whisper of something silky brushed my chin and a warm spicy musk filled my nose.

I opened my eyes with a start, recoiling away from the silver face planted directly in front of mine. Startled, my head slammed hard against the bars.

How had my cage-mate moved without making a single sound? He was directly in front of me, crowding me against the bars.

And he looked pissed!

There was nowhere to go when he raised his meaty hand. I cringed, bracing for what would come next. Instead of the pain he looked angry enough to inflict, he reverently caressed my cheek. Then his head dipped to the hollow of my throat, where he inhaled deeply. The silky strands of his hair brushed across my arm scattering gooseflesh over my skin.

Was he smelling me?

“What the hell?” I gasped and recoiled.

My cage-mate sat back on his haunches, and I got a better look at his face… And elfin ears?

“Oh my god, you’re real!” I leaned forward with wide, fascinated eyes. “I thought you were just a bedtime fairytale my father would tell my sister and I so we would go to sleep, but you’re real. What are you waiting for? Use your magic to get us out of here.”

“May-jack?” My cage-mate wrinkled his nose.

“Sure! All Sidhe fairy folk can use magic.”

Some of the anger bled from his face as he tilted his head, considering my words. The silver swirl of his unearthly eyes swept over me before coming back to lock with mine.

“What is this sheee fay-reee of which you speak?” he sneered.

“My mistake.” The flash of fangs as he spoke took me by surprise. Father never said the Sidhe had fangs. “Please … don’t hurt me,” I begged through trembling lips.

I struggled to breathe as he leaned in closer to get a better look at me. So close, I could make out the fine geometric pattern of his scales that were currently a simmering blue. Ethereally beautiful or not, he was some kind of alien. I was stupid to have thought he was a mythical being from Irish folklore. I must be losing my damn mind.

His hand darted out and I yelped when he pinched my chin, turned my head, and lifted my hair away from my ear. “What are you?” he asked and sat back on his haunches.

Stunned by his question, my mouth worked like a fish out of water before I managed an answer, “I’m a human.”

“Hoo-mun,” he growled out the word and rubbed the center of his chest.

“What is this place?” My cage-mate looked around before his eyes snapped back to mine.

“I… I don’t… know. I woke up here the same as you.”

He slumped back to sit on his ass, running an explorative hand over the shaved sides of his head and nape, then plucked at the filmy material of his pants. “My hair has been shorn,” he snarled. “What has been done with my kiltus and weapons?”

I had no answers, so I kept my mouth shut while he familiarized himself with his new surroundings. He slowly stood, measuring his immense height to the low ceiling of the cage before dropping back into a squat. The guy had to be a least seven feet tall.

“When you speak, your words don’t match your lips.” He stared hard at my mouth.

“Neither do yours,” I said and touched the lump at the back of my ear. “I think we’ve been implanted with some sort of translator. Do you have a lump behind your ear?”

He fingered behind both ears, jerking his hand away when he encountered the foreign object. Then he cut eyes to me. “What are you called?”

“Breena, but all my friends call me Bree.”

“Bree,” he stretched my name out on a low growl that shouldn’t have done funny things to my girly bits. “I am called Alexxon. I am a Valosian warrior of Clan Huren.”

“Hi, Alexxon.” I gave him a little wave. “A warrior, huh? Sounds way cooler than a historian.”

“Aw. You are a scholar. A keeper of the past.” He nodded and kept rubbing circles between his heavy pectorals while he watched me.

“I preserve artifacts for a museum.” Feeling less afraid of him now that introductions had been made, I eased forward, but he leaned away with a shake of his silvery head. “Hey. Are you hurt?”

Was he afraid of me?

I scooted closer, fascinated with his elfin ears that perked and swiveled like a cats. I licked my dry lips, the warrior tracking the movement with a primal gleam in his eyes.

Was he going to kiss me?

I wasn’t given the chance to find out. The groan of the double doors on the far side of the room split wide. Alexxon popped to the balls of his feet, clearly switching to attack mode. Hindered by the low ceiling, he was forced to remain crouched.

A crowd of eager faces rushed us with eyes wide and mouths babbling a mile a minute. Every manner of creature circled around us pointing and discussing us as if we were rare oddities.

Alexxon didn’t like it any more than I did and hissed, kicking the bars with a resounding boom. His open hostility forced our unwanted spectators to take a step back.

A couple dressed in matching golden outfits, adorned with sparkling jewels came forward as if they owned the place. The female—or at least I think it was female—skirted around behind our cage.

It was hard to tell their sexes apart. Both had two enormous fisheyes stuck on either side of bald, pointed heads, but the one who had come around to look me over was wearing a long, ornate skirt.

The fish-faced woman made a grab for me through the bars with greedy hands. I squealed and whirled away, my back slamming into Alexxon.

He gathered me up in strong arms, pulling me into the comfort of a rock-hard body. Shocked at first he’d protectively snatched me up, my body relaxed when he began to vibrate with an internal melody.

I shouldn’t trust this stranger, but my gut was telling me he wasn’t my enemy. So, I clung to what was offered, hid my face in the confines of his muscular chest and left loose the torrent of tears I’d been holding.

I had always prided myself on being a strong woman, but these weren’t normal circumstances. As soon as Alexxon had pulled me close, my resolve had melted. For the first time since waking up in this hell, I felt safe.

CHAPTER 2

ALEXXON

If these fools thought they could keep me locked in here, that was their second mistake. Their first had been trying to trick me into thinking this female, this… hoo-mun, was my spirit mate. And for what purpose?

Bree yelped and slammed into me. The elaborately dressed couple who had circled around behind us had made a grab for her. Raw instinct consumed me, and I snatched up the female, gathering her against me in a protective hold.

“Keep your filthy hands off her, scum!” I roared.

The couple moved back and came around to the front to merge with the rest of the crowd. With their elongated heads pressed together, they chittered to each other in a language my translator couldn’t decipher.

I wasn’t sure how my ancillary heart had been triggered to beat, but this female wasn’t of my world. She wasn’t of my kind. I wasn’t a medic, but it had to be a biological impossibility for my spirit to find its compliment in a species other than my own.

As her soft curves trembled in my arms, my veins were on fire from the rush of adrenalyne pumping with every beat of my newly awakened heart. Every one of her tears which spilled from her pretty eyes, fueled my rage.

What was even more confusing, as it was consuming, were the vibrations erupting from my chest meant to soothe a spirit mate. Bree wasn’t mine, so this made no sense, but my spirit was thrumming out a melody meant to calm and console her. Like the beating of my secondary heart, I had never thrummed before in my life.

This little hoo-man responded, the tension leaving her body as she snuggled in closer, wrapping slender arms around me.

This was a trick. Had to be. I had been given something to force my body into thinking I had found my spirit mate.

Perhaps I could use this to my advantage. A newly awakened warrior was nothing to fuck with. My ancillary heart served only one purpose and that was to pump adrenalyne through my body. A hormone that made me stronger, faster, and more resilient to injury than a normal Valosian, and all for the sole purpose of protecting my spirit mate.

Crouched in the center of the cage with the female in my arms, I tapped into my warrior training. My eyes and ears missed nothing. I scanned our surroundings, making note of every potential exit, scanned the beings gawking at us for anything useful. One of them must have a weapon I could snatch if I could coax them to come closer.

Bree had told me to use my may-jack to free us. I had no clue what that was, but really all I needed was a piece of metalloid to reshape into a tool to manipulate the lock on this cage. With my skill set, it was only a matter of time before I broke us out of here.

Once I picked this lock and escaped this cage, I planned to rip our captors apart starting with the little fucker sauntering up to the podium. He held his tiny hands aloft and the curious crowd moved away to find their seats. I watched with disgust as many fought over the front row for the best vantage points to keep ogling us.

The squat creature at the podium tamed the unruly crowd with only a few words. The group quieted and all variety of eyes flipped to the little fucker doing the talking.

“Welcome all! As my best and most loyal customers, you’ve been specially picked to attend this private auction. As you can see, I have something extraordinary for you this cycle.” His little arm waved with a flourish in our direction. “A warrior of Valose and his spirit mate who have yet to bond. When they do, it will be the spectacle of a lifetime. None have witnessed the forming of shawras to a mated Valosian pair. Spectators will pay thousands of rillium tiles to watch.”

“The female isn’t Valosian,” someone yelled out from the back.

“No. She is not,” the little fucker confirmed. “She is human and they are compatible.”

“What if they refuse to mate?” yelled out the ornately dressed male with the elongated head. “If we are to sell tickets to such a spectacle, we need them to perform on cue.”

“Easy.” The little fucker held up a container filled with a cloudy liquid. “When this pheromone is misted over the couple, the male will become sex crazed. He will have no choice but to mate her.”

Bree stiffened in my arms. My growl was low and menacing. A warning for all to stay away or taste my wrath. My scales flashed in warning of my turbulent mood.

“Don’t worry, Bree.” I held her tight with one arm and rubbed comforting circles on her back with my free hand. “We won’t be in this cage long enough to be of any entertainment.”

She sagged in my hold, and I took that as a good sign my words had eased her fears. These fuckers were sadly mistaken if they thought we would form the most sacred bond in view of an audience.

“My medics have confirmed his secondary heart beats for her,” the little fucker went on.

“And how can we be certain of this?” another yelled.

“Trike!” the little fucker called out to another one of his kind. “Attach the nods to the male.”

The one called Trike, rolled over a whirring piece of machinery. Then, he held up what looked like small probes with barbs attached to the ends for me to see.

“Do you really expect me to attach that shit to myself?” I scoffed. “Good luck with that.”

Trike loaded the probes into a handheld device, pointed it at me and smirked.

“Fucking Helios!” With no place to go, I swung around, giving him my back to protect Bree.

“See how protective he is of his mate.” I heard the little fucker announce with pride as the barbed ends of the probes hit me in the back, latching on with searing streaks of pain. I dropped out of my crouch and onto my knees.

I kept one arm wound tightly around Bree and reached back with the other, trying to disengage myself from the machine thumping out a chaotic rhythm.

“As you can see on the cardiometer, there are two distinct heart waves.” The little fucker’s words excited the crowd which only infuriated me.

An auction commenced and the crowd went wild. I didn’t understand the currency with which they were bidding, but whatever it was, the amount continued to grow until the elaborately dressed couple who had made a grab for Bree, threw out a number that shut the crowd down.

A sec passed as if the little fucker were absorbing the bid. “Sold!” the little fucker shouted with a toss of his puny hands. “For fifty thousand rillium. To Yulag and his mate.”

“This is abhorrent!” I bellowed and twisted around on one knee. “Bree, remove the probes.”

“They’re embedded in your back.” She sucked air through her teeth. “Looks like they’re in deep too.”

“I don’t care.” I turned more to give her better access. “Tear them out if you have to.”

Her hands shook as she curled around me to grasp a hold of one, tugging too gently.

“Pull harder, female,” I gritted out. “You can’t hurt me.”

Truth was, the barbs on the probes stung like I’d been hit with the fires of Helios, but a warrior didn’t show weakness, especially in front of the female he was meant to protect. Not that Bree was mine. She wasn’t mine. I just happened to be the only available warrior here to offer her my protection.

My vision swam with her hard jerk.

“Stop that!” Trike stepped closer.

“Oh my god, Alexxon.” She gasped and slapped her palm over my back. “You’re bleeding. Wow… Your blood is blue.”

“You’re going to break it!” Trike moved in closer, wagging a stubby finger. “Leave the barbs in place, human scab!”

“Yes, Bree, blood is blue,” I snapped, impatient to be rid of the creature’s devices. “Pull the other one out.”

I kept a keen eye on Trike. One more step closer and I could reach through the bars and grab that fucker around the throat. The creature was small enough that one of my hands could easily circle his neck.

Bree did as I asked and pulled the final barb out followed by a fine spray of blood that wet my feet. If I was furious before, I was positively enraged to see my blood shed because of these vile little creatures.

I was a seasoned warrior. I didn’t shed blood unless it was to a worthy opponent. And these short, despicable fuckers were not worthy.

“Stay behind me,” I ordered Bree, and twirled around on my heel.

I shoved my arm through the bars before Trike ever saw me coming. My hand found his throat with a satisfying crunch. My lips curled into a cruel grin as he wheezed and clawed at my fingers in a weak attempt to gain his freedom.

I lifted him off his gnarled feet. With my hand squeezing his throat, I slammed him into the bars. An oddly hued liquid I supposed was blood, sprayed from where his face hit the cage.

Chaos erupted. Shrieks rang out from the crowd as they raced for the exit. Good! Let them run. They should be afraid of me.

I continued to smash Trike against the metalloid bars, over and over, until the fight left his body. He hung limply from my hand and still, I pounded his lifeless form.

Bree made a gagging noise from behind me as Trike’s face gave way to the bone beneath. It was a grotesque, but necessary, show of power. If these beings thought they could trap and contain a Valosian warrior, I was going to show them how wrong they’d been.

Several larger creatures were called to help. Along with the little fucker, they raced forward, each carrying a pole with a blue light glowing from the tip. Reminiscent of a nutrone spear, I worried for Bree’s safety. On my world, one blast from a nutrone spear was deadly.

Incensed, I threw Trike’s limp remains at the fast-approaching creatures and roared. “In what world did you puny creatures think you could best a warrior of Valose!”

Bree yelped when one of the creatures came around from behind and zapped her with the glowing tip of a blue rod. I watched in horror as her body contorted. Her eyes rolled back in her head before she crumpled to the floor in a heap.

As I leapt to snatch the little fucker through the bars, I was hit from two sides with the glowing tips of the poles. The jolt of stinging current lit up every nerve ending, but all I could think about was protecting Bree.

As my veins filled with adrenalyne, I withstood the agonizing pain, ripped one pole from an unsuspecting hand and shoved the glowing tip into one of his bulbous eyes that swelled like bubbles on either side of its head. The creature howled in pain and fell to the floor.

The stink of my scales burning filled my nose. As I swatted the second pole away, another joined in. The painful current amplified until my teeth buzzed, and my muscles stiffened, taking me to my knees.

On all fours, I forced myself to crawl to where Bree lay unconscious. I curled my body around my female before blackness took me.

CHAPTER 3

BREENA

I woke with a start as our cage began to roll. My side hurt where I’d been poked with what felt like a jolt of electricity. I don’t think I’d been unconscious for very long and I was still dressed in the same filmy getup that matched my cage-mate’s.

I couldn’t get the sight of Alexxon pummeling that creature out of my head. Trike’s ruined face was a sunspot on my vision every time I blinked. Not that the little troll hadn’t deserved it—hell, everyone responsible for taking us captive deserved it, but I could have gone all day without having witnessed the carnage.

Alexxon was a badass. Not one of those gym membership guys with the pretty muscles who strutted around in a tight shirt but couldn’t be bothered to do anything other than pose. He was a true badass.

He had, literally, killed Trike single-handedly. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes—just reached through the bars, grabbed that troll around the neck and slammed his huge head into the bars until it had popped like a melon.

The troll’s avocado skin had split open in stark contrast with the white of his skull beneath. I shuddered at the image of slimy green brain matter that had leaked out of his ears.

As enraged as Alexxon had become, there was no doubt he could have bent the bars and freed us from that cage with his bare hands, if it hadn’t been for those creeps who had rushed in with those glowing blue rods.

I cradled Alexxon’s head in my lap and brushed his silvery hair away from his face. He was still out cold. His eyelids locked down tight. I was worried they’d hurt him. There were scorch marks on his scaled flesh where they’d lit him up.

He was breathing deep and even, and the pulse at his throat was strong, but erratic. I had heard his weird heartbeat when Trike had shot him with the barbs, so I think his heart was beating normal for him.

The geometric pattern of his scaled skin no longer flashed with turbulent blues. It was a whitish silver that matched his long, flowing ponytail.

I was glad to have such a fierce guy on my side because I felt safer with him here. Even unconscious, he was curled protectively around my body as our blood splattered cage was being rolled on wheels out of the auction house. Not toward the main entrance, but to the far back of the large, rundown structure.

The couple who had won the auction followed close behind. Their small smiles of victory plastered on their weird, fish faces made me want to scream and barf all at the same time. When the bidding war had begun, it would seem the two of us had been a hot commodity and worth a fortune.

I wasn’t entirely sure what all the chatter of bonding and shawras was about. I’d have to wait until Alexxon woke up to ask since all that had to do with his race of people.

I hadn’t been entirely ignorant. I’d gotten the gist we had been bought as entertainment that involved sex in front of an audience. Alexxon would have to force me because I wasn’t going to be a willing participant no matter how hot I thought he was.

Once we reached the back of the space, the fish-faced male spoke, “Clean them up before you load them on the ship. Here’s a little something extra for your troubles. Oh, and sorry about your friend.”

The troll, who had been my keeper since I’d first woken up, caught the bag tossed to him. He looked inside then hefted the weight in his gnarled little hand. “No problem at all.” His grin was wide and creepy.

The troll motioned for one of the males holding a glowing blue-tipped rod. I cringed as he trotted over, worried they would use it on me again. When he removed the glowing tip in favor of another, I immediately recognized the prod they used to inject me with drugs.

“No!” I scrunched into a ball and held tightly to Alexxon.

I didn’t bother dodging what was inevitable. Running around the cage to avoid being poked hadn’t ever worked. They would get me eventually.

The sting of the injection was followed by blackness. I knew with an aching horror my body was theirs to do with what they wanted.

I only hoped when I woke up next, that Alexxon would still be here with me.

I woke with a jolt. The clang of a door being slammed rang out between my ears. Lying on my side, my vision was blurry as it always was after having been drugged. I blinked hard and fast against the brightness of the room, then closed them and took stock of my body before I moved. Nothing hurt except the dull pounding of my head from the drugs.

I rolled over slowly. My hand touched something warm—something alive. I jerked away, my head whipping to the side. It was a large blurry silver lump. As I blinked frightened eyes, the lump took on a familiar shape.

“Alexxon!”

He was on his back with one hand resting on his chest. I sat up too fast and had to fight back a wave of nausea. I eased down to the floor to lay on my side and cradled my head on my arm, taking deep breaths to calm my churning stomach.

I reached over and placed my hand over his much larger, white one and checked the pulse at his wrist. It was the same strong but erratic beat as before. Except his scaled skin had taken on an odd hue. Instead of a silvery blue, he now matched the pristine white floor we were lying on.

Someone had cleaned him up. The green blood from the troll he’d killed was gone. He was dressed in similar pants as before. Only this time the material was a shimmering silver and cuffed at the ankles like harem pants. His feet were left bare.

Now that my rolling stomach had calmed, I raised to get a better look at Alexxon and our new surroundings. The length of his hair remained gathered into a long ponytail by different ornate silver bands with matching cuffs circling his heavy biceps, leaving his pointed ears on display.

I peered down at myself. The garment I had been dressed in draped around my neck to crisscross over my boobs and attached to full skirting. My stomach was left bare, and I had similar cuffs on my arms as Alexxon. The material of our garments was the same. We looked like the couple we had been bought to be.

My stomach dropped and my blood froze at the sight of a circular bed that took up one end of the room. It was unmade, not much more than a padded platform with no covers or pillows.

How severe would my punishment be if I didn’t give in to what they demanded? Judging by Alexxon’s snarled curse when the troll had announced us as a mating spectacle, he wasn’t any more interested than I was to perform for an audience. There had also been talk of a pheromone to force Alexxon’s body to respond, which left me to either give in or be raped.

No longer in a cage, we were still in a prison. A rectangle with a barred door in the back and a glass wall in the front was our new enclosure. Beyond the glass was a wide hallway with elaborate flooring and shiny metal wall sconces placed at regular intervals.

To the side was a panel tucked into the wall like a pocket door. Curious about the room beyond, I pushed myself up to my knees, waited until my head stopped swimming, then rose to my feet and staggered my way over.

At least the ceiling was high enough we could stand. I slid back the door and clung to the jamb to peer inside. To my surprise, it was a bathroom. Not one I was used to, but at least it wasn’t a bucket I had to squat over.

The bad news? One wall was clear glass looking out into the hallway. So, we were to have zero privacy.

Movement beyond the plate glass wall caught my eye. I went to stand in front of it when a couple strolled over and paused to view me. They were of the same fish-face species as the elaborately dressed couple who had bought us.

This couple was just as spectacularly attired. The female wore a floor length robing of crimson with a high bejeweled collar. Peaking between the split of her robe was a flowing yellow fabric. The male was dressed to match in pants and a long overcoat.

The female stepped closer, examining me with her bulbous eyes. Her mouth moved with a comment I couldn’t hear and pointed at my breasts before looking back to her male. They shared a laugh at my expense.

When she turned back to look at me again, I pressed my middle finger to the glass with a scowl. The reality of our situation hit home. Rage and humiliation were a sour mixture that bubbled in the back of my throat.

She lifted her three fingered hand to cover mine on the other side. Oblivious to the vulgar meaning, she continued to grin, sweeping her eyes over me one more time before taking a step back to join her male.

Fury was a wicked fire that jumped started my pulse. It was infuriating to be on the receiving end of such demeaning regard.

They continued down the hall to the area where Alexxon was laid out on the floor. I ran back to him on a wave of urgency. The slick floor aided me as I dropped and slid the rest of the way on my knees.

With my back to the glass, I covered as much of him as I could with my body. I didn’t want that judgy fish woman eyeballing him and making grinning remarks to her male. I wouldn’t allow him to be degraded by her or anyone else.

Alexxon was mine!

My breath came out in seething pants as the couple stood at our window. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know they were still there. A prickly awareness of their curious gazes raked over my skin like an unwanted touch.

When I felt they had gone, I glanced over one shoulder then crept to the glass and looked out. They had paused only a few feet away. The male pointed while he made some comment, and the female nodded her head with a small smile.

Oh god, we were part of a gallery exhibit. We had been reduced to animals in cages, to be viewed as a form of entertainment.

In the opposite direction, more onlookers were beginning to migrate toward us, pausing every few feet to gaze at the next poor soul being wrongfully displayed. How many others did they have caged?

My eyes welled with hot tears and my lips trembled in anger. This was inhumane. Unjust! I had done nothing to warrant such treatment and neither had Alexxon.

“No!” I balled my fists and slammed one against the glass. “This is bullshit.”

I cradled my throbbing fist against my chest, peering through the undamaged glass. My chin trembled as the spectators drew closer. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me at my weakest. They didn’t deserve my tears.

“I just wanna go home,” I sniffled, reaching deep to gather as much strength as I could muster. No matter what they did to us, I had to stay strong. I couldn’t let myself fall into a void of self-pity.

Even if my heart longed for my twin. We never went a day without speaking to each other, either a text or a phone call. I wanted so much to hear her voice. I was so lost without her. Lost! No matter how much I missed my family and friends, I had to shore up my courage and never give up.

CHAPTER 4

ALEXXON

My entire body was stiff. Every muscle screamed from the strain of the shockwaves that had rocketed through me from those glowing blue rods.

I rolled over with a groan and pushed myself up to sit back on my knees. My vision blurred, and I rubbed at my eyes to clear them then rolled my shoulders to work out the stiffness.

I was no longer in a barred cage, but a prison just the same. My sides and back hurt from where the rods had seared my scales and Trike’s barbs had dug into my back. When Bree had ripped them out, it felt as if she’d taken chunks of meat with it.

“Bree!” I looked frantically around to find her behind me at a wall-sized window. Her balled fists which were planted on the window were flushed an angry hue.

My head cleared and gave way to the recent past. We’d been auctioned off together as a couple—as spirit mates. Bought as entertainment and expected to bond in front of spectators so they could witness the forming of our shawras.

That was not going to happen! And not just because Bree wasn’t a Valosian female, but because I wouldn’t allow either one of us to be disgraced in such a way.

Bree knelt before me. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. The sadness radiating out hit me like a knife to the gut. “You’re awake.” Her small hands fluttered over my face and arms. “How do you feel? I was beginning to worry. It took you a long time to wake up.”

“Sore,” I rasped through a painfully raw throat.

“Are you hurt?” I took her hands in mine, turning them over to examine the angry coloring.

“Self-inflicted from pounding on the glass,” she explained.

I raked my eyes over her slight form. She was clean and wound free except for her hands, wearing a silver garment made from the same fabric as the pants I wore. When my gaze landed on her lush cleavage, I had to force my eyes away. “Is there any lood?” My mouth grew drier, wanting a taste of her.

“Lood?” Her brow scrunched. “I don’t know what that is.”

“Something to drink.” I licked my lips. She tracked the tip of my tongue with a fiery regard and swayed forward.

The fragrance of her attraction was unexpected. Her sultry interest a lightning bolt of lust that burned through me from the inside out. My cock lengthened with the quickening of my primary pulse and my ancillary heart doused me with a shot of adrenalyne. I cleared my throat to suppress the melody threatening to thrum my way beneath her full skirting.

“Oh … um.” Bree shook her head, as if coming to her senses, and flicked her eyes away from my lips to look around our new prison. “There’s a bathroom but I haven’t checked to see if the faucets work. I’ll go see if there’s water.”

Now that her enticing form was out of reach, the fog of desire dissipated. If I had kissed her, I knew I would have been lost. I had to keep my guard up around her if we were to escape this place without giving our captors the show they were so desperate for.

“Where have they put us?” I lurched to my feet.

“No place good,” she said from inside the adjoining room. “It would seem we are on display. There were several couples that wandered by just before you woke up.”

I mulled over her words and turned to study the clear wall. It was obvious with the huge bedding platform taking up half the space what we were here to do. Mate in front of an audience.

That was not going to happen, no matter how attracted I was to her. I was a warrior of Valose and had taken a sacred vow to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. It didn’t matter I was not on Valose or Bree wasn’t Valosian, she fell into that category.

No matter how much I wanted to sample the rich bouquet that bloomed between her thighs, I would not shame her or myself by giving into my carnal desires.

My muscles ached from abuse, and I swayed on my feet. Warriors were never to show weakness, but I was exhausted not only from the blue-tipped rods but from suppressing my desire for the hoo-mun female. Even with adrenalyne coursing through my veins, I was spent.

I just needed a little more rest, then I could explore this new cage and find a way out.

The back of my legs hit the bed and I sat down with a graceless plop. I groaned in relief. I couldn’t remember the last time I had sat on something comfortable. I gratefully flopped back on the padding and shut my eyes.

Her exotic scent drilled into my brain with the slight dip of the mattress. “Here. All of the faucet’s work, even the shower, and I found a cup.” Bree’s soft voice floated to my ears. They perked and cupped to capture every nuance of her sweet sound. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make your elf ears move like a cats’?”

I cracked open an eye. My cock jolted, taking note of how close her breasts were to my face now that she had crawled up onto the bed next to me. It would take little effort to roll her beneath me. I shoved down my wayward thoughts and focused on her strange words. “I don’t understand all of your words.”

“I meant your pointed ears.” She ran her fingers over the side of my head. I barely suppressed a lustful groan. “How are you able to move them around like that?”

“I don’t know. The same way I can move any other appendage.” I wriggled my ears which made her laugh, so I did it again. A hot shiver ran through me when the tip of her finger touched the point of my ear and skimmed the length of the shell.

Her smile was radiant. For a moment, reality fell away, and I was lost in her exotic beauty. Her strangely hued eyes glittered, and her face brightened. I found myself wanting to make her smile as often as possible.

I shook myself from my stupor. Finding a way out was my first priority, not giving into the yearning of my flesh.

I sat up suddenly with a grunt. Bree recoiled away.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

“I’m not.” She tilted her chin up, then dropped her shoulders. “Okay. Maybe a little. Especially after what you did to that troll. But you’ve been protective of me this whole time and my instincts tell me I shouldn’t be scared.” She rubbed the center of her chest in a tight circle.

My blood froze as she pushed a cup into my hand with a wobbly smile. Could she be? Even though she isn’t of my kind. Had I found my spirit’s match in a hoo-mun?

“What is this?” I muttered.

“Water. Well, something similar to it.”

“Waa-tur?” I sniffed at the cup.

“I drank some so I don’t think it’s poisonous. I mean, what would be the point to buy us only to kill us?” She flicked her hand through the air. “Unless that’s their ultimate goal.”

“I will get us out of here before it comes to that,” I swore. “Before it comes to anything forced on us.”

She nodded bleakly which only elevated my determination to escape. No prison had ever been able to contain me. Not even that time when Murrox of Clan Jurigon had caught me prowling around their mountain fortress looking for evidence of nutrone based weapons. I’d been locked inside a cell only to escape right under their noses within a few hurs.

I inwardly smiled over the memory and swirled the clear liquid around in the cup. My dry throat worked through a hard swallow, anticipating something wet to soothe it. If Bree had been brave enough to taste it, then so was I.

I tilted the cup back and swallowed the contents in a single gulp. Tasteless and colorless, it was thinner than lood, but soothed my parched throat.

“More?” She held out her hand to take the cup from me.

It felt wrong for her to wait on me. She was my responsibility and I had rested long enough. Time to get us free of this prison.

“I can manage.” I forced myself to my feet. “You should drink more. Wait here. I will refill the cup.”

“All righty then.” Bree scooted back on the bed. I don’t think she realized what an erotic picture she painted leaned back on her elbows with her legs stretched out before her.

I forced my eyes away and looked down to pluck at the billowing fabric of the pants someone had dressed me in as I walked. I hated the feel of it sliding across my scales as I moved but was glad for the roominess since my cock was harder than stone.

Lust rode me hard, but panic kept me in check. This was what our captors wanted. For us to mate. No matter my body’s fiery reaction to Bree, I refused to give them the show they wanted.

In the adjoining room Bree had called a bath-room, I found a basic sanitate system. I lifted the lever to start the lood running in the basin, cupped my hands, and splashed the cool liquid over my face. My fingers touched stubble where my mane used to be, and I froze.

I’d been so enamored with Bree; I had forgotten what had been done to me. My mane had been shorn around my ears and nape, leaving a large swath on the top. I reached back to gather the length, finding metal bands holding it together in a long tail.

I was about to rake my hand down the length and remove the bands, but instead took a closer look at the metalloid rings. These could be of use, along with the cuffs squeezing my biceps. Perhaps I could fashion a weapon by bending the metalloid into a deadly shape.

My mind churned with ideas as I filled the cup and returned to Bree.

“Thanks.” She took the cup from my hand.

I dutifully ignored the fissure of heat when her fingers innocently brushed mine. I had to stay focused. It was just a matter of time before I found a way out. I skimmed my fingers over the clear wall looking for any weaknesses. Bree yelped when I pounded my fists against it.

“Sorry.” I glanced back to see her holding the cup in both hands with rounded eyes.

“That’s okay.” She relaxed. “I beat the shit out of it while you slept. It didn’t even wobble.”

“Are your hands feeling better?”

“I’ll live.” Her cheerful reply belied her worried eyes. “I shouldn’t be just sitting here. I can help you look for a way out.”

I nodded and Bree drank the liquid before scooting off the bed.

“Look for any hidden seams along the walls, floors, and ceiling.”

“Why not pick the lock on the door.” She gestured to the only visible exit out of our room.

“The obvious way isn’t always the best solution.” I continued to run my hands along the seam where the clear wall met the floor. “It will be well guarded. With any prison, there is always a weakness that can be exploited. I just have to find it.”

“You sound as if you’re speaking from experience.”

“I’ve always excelled at getting myself out of bad situations. It’s a gift.”

“I see.” She grinned. “So, your superpower is jail breaking?”

“My what?”

“Never mind, it was a stupid joke.” Her gaze touched on my exposed ears. “Are you sure you aren’t a Sidhe fairy with magical powers to poof us out of here?”

“You said that once before. Sheee fay-reee. What does it mean?” I stopped in my search and gave Bree my full attention.

“My father is Irish. Born and raised in Dublin. He used to tell my sister and I bedtime stories based on Irish folklore. You look very much like the magical, mythical beings he described.”

“I wish I had these may-jakcal powers you speak of. If I did, we would already be free of this place.”

“I know we would,” Bree sighed.

We resumed our search and I tugged at the shiny material clinging to my legs as I moved. “I’d prefer my kiltus and boots over this slippery fabric,” I complained. “I don’t like the way it slides over my scales.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty eighties retro. I feel like a Solid Gold dancer in all this silver-lamé.”

My brow crunched in amusement. Her sarcastic tone gave meaning to her words I wish I understood. “Well, whatever all that is you said, I’m sure I would agree? I don’t appreciate being forced to wear a costume.” I chuckled and tugged at the material billowing around my thighs.

Together, we made a complete pass around the space, saving the obvious exit for last. The only door out of our room was barred with thin, metalloid rods set close together.

As I peered through the bars, all I could see was a stark, utilitarian hallway with white walls, ceiling, and floors. Even the lighting that appeared to be coming from behind panels on the walls, was an unadorned bright white. Nothing like the elaborate hallway beyond the clear wall.

“These look easy enough to bend.” I tentatively touched one of the bars with my fingertip. When no shocks or pulsing waves zapped me, I paused and concentrated on every sound my sensitive auditory system would pick up. “Why does everything sound muffled?”

“I can’t hear anything,” Bree said. “Even when that fish-faced chick was flapping her gums, I couldn’t hear her words through the glass wall.”

Bree had come to stand next to me. I turned to study her face as I mused over her words. Could a noise dampener surround us? I flipped my eyes back to the barred door. There didn’t appear to be a barrier beyond the bars. They were set so close together, I couldn’t wedge my hand in between to find out.

“What can you hear?” she asked, as her eyes searched my face.

“Not much. Only a muted conversation that sounds far away. Rustling movements from our neighbors.” It was disconcerting to have my hearing stifled. Normally, I could hear even the smallest of sounds from many fates away.

“Maybe we should call out and see if someone answers,” she gulped. “Then we might find out who else is out there.”

“Let’s try.” I stepped in close to the bars. “Hello,” I called out and listened intently. “Anybody else out there?”

I looked at Bree’s expectant face and shook my head.

“Nothing?”

“No. It’s as if we’re in a soundproof room.” I ran my hands down the bars. “I’m going to try and bend these. Maybe I can make room for my hand to pass through near the lock. With all this metalloid they have wrapped us in, I could make a tool to manipulate the lock.”

“Okay.” Bree took a step back as I gripped a bar in each hand.

With a mighty heave, I pulled at the bars. I hadn’t expected the blinding light and rippling shock that threw me backward. My senses dimmed from the sudden jolt. My muscles tensed and screamed with an electrifying pain that raced through my limbs.

The last thing I remembered before my back hit the clear wall on the opposite side of the room was Bree’s anguished cry.

CHAPTER 5

BREENA

I screamed and fell back on my ass as Alexxon was flung across the room in a shower of sparks. The stinging sparkles raining down on my skin were a thousand bee stings I frantically brushed away.

I scrambled to my feet and over to where Alexxon lay on the floor. His back had hit the glass with a resounding thud before sliding down into a mangled heap. His limbs in total disarray.

“Please don’t be dead,” I murmured and raced over to give his shoulder a shake. A spark of electricity arced between us. I jerked my hand back and rubbed away the burn. It was like being hit with a hard bolt of static electricity.

“Alexxon!” I reached out, hesitant to touch him again. I poked him with my finger and when no shock came, I palmed his shoulder and pushed. “Alexxon!” He groaned but otherwise, didn’t move.

Washed in relief that he was alive, I was still terrified for him. He was out cold with his arms and legs splayed out in every direction. I debated whether I should move him or leave him in the awkward position. I decided to roll him to his back.

His eyelids were tightly shut. His brow furrowed. He breathed normal, deep and even, through parted lips in his strained repose.

I hooked my hands under his arms and hefted him a few inches away from the glass so I could stretch out his legs and arrange his limbs in more comfortable positions.

“Ohmygod,” I winced as I got a look at his hands. Down the center of each palm was a deep, black burn.

I looked frantically around at our near empty room. There was nothing in here except a bed. I didn’t even have sheets to rip into strips to dress his wounds. Not that I was any kind of a nurse, but that seemed like the thing to do. Wait—

I ran to the bathroom and collected every small square of fabric I guessed were alien versions of hand towels I could find. I wet two under the sink faucet and rushed back to Alexxon’s side. I had no idea about first aid. I hoped the cool, wet towels I laid over his palms would help with the burns.

Since we were given no pillows, I stacked a pile of small square towels lengthwise and gently lifted his head to rest on the short stack.

“Sorry, Alexxon. I’m a sucky nurse.” I ran my fingertips down his forearm. His scaled flesh was as white as the floor except for where my fingers touched. There, his skin dimly flashed blues and silvers in the wake of my touch. “I sure hope this is a sign that you’re okay.”

I remained crouched at his side, hoping he would soon wake up. Now that I had a cellmate, I selfishly didn’t want to be alone again.

“Please wake up soon,” I muttered and ran my fingertips along his impossibly square jawline.

Every place I touched sparked with a myriad of blues and silver. The geometric scales of his skin were the most incredible thing I’d ever seen and felt. It wasn’t rough like a lizard’s, but as smooth and supple as ultra-suede.

The skin that stretched over his perfect features was currently a silvery-white and not anything human. When he was awake, it changed to a deeper silver and sometimes blue. It seemed to change with his moods.

Lying so still and quiet, I studied Alexxon’s ethereal beauty. With humanoid bone structure that would rival any male supermodel on Earth, if I hadn’t been touching him, I wouldn’t believe he was real. He was all high cheekbones and strong brow, topped off with full lipped masculine perfection.

I marveled how much Alexxon favored the Sidhe fairy’s I had envisioned while my dad had told bedtime stories to my sister and me. What would Dad say if he could get a look at Alexxon? I couldn’t wait to get back home and tell him about the Sidhe fairy I’d met on another world.

Something vital gathered into a knot behind my sternum. I placed my hand there and rubbed. Why did thoughts of going home and never seeing Alexxon again make me ache?

“Alexxon, it’s time to wake up,” I murmured and patted his shoulder. “My silver Sidhe. Please wake up.”

Movement out of my periphery pulled my attention away. Two fish-faced males stood side-by-side behind the barred door that had zapped Alexxon across the room. Their mouths moved as if in conversation, but I couldn’t hear their words. Alexxon was right. There was some sort of shield around our cage.

One of the males touched something on the wall to the side of the door. There must be some sort of control panel. The space between the bars and the males flashed, giving me a glimpse of the once invisible shielding. The same shielding that had zapped Alexxon across the room like a rag doll.

“He’s breathing. See,” one of the fish-faced males spoke. This time when his mouth moved, I could hear his words. “He just took a jolt. He’ll live.”

“Good. Yulag would be displeased if he had to cancel the show,” replied the second fish-faced male with a decisive nod. “Especially after what the Wetokian did to his female.” Then bulbous eyes were turned to me. “Don’t worry female. Once we pump this room full of pheromones, your mate will be wide awake and ready to rut you until the bond forms.”

“It is rumored to be quite the spectacle,” the first fish-faced male snickered. “Their souls emerge from a portal engraved in their chests that intertwine while their fucking. Once the mating is over, they’ll have matching glowing designs etched on their chests.”

“Sounds like pure shite to me.”

“It’s true,” the first fish-faced male defended. “I met a Lizordian on Tirius that swore—” His words were cut off when he absently touched the control panel again, reengaging the shield.

My skin shrank to my bones, my body sagging into the floor with a deep-seated dread. Attraction aside, neither one of us wanted to be forced into sex and definitely not for the entertainment of others. What had the one male meant about an etched design in my chest? No way was I going to let anything like that happen.

All grew quiet. I peered down into Alexxon’s sleeping face. His eyes moved fast under his eyelids as if he were dreaming. All I had was time to wait. I could either squander it feeling sorry for myself or put the skills Alexxon had taught me to use.

I stood to examine every inch of our room. There had to be a way out of here besides the barred door. Alexxon had said the most obvious way out wasn’t the best way. I started at one end of the room, running my eyes and fingers over every seam, every corner, every nook and cranny I could reach.

I was about to give up hope as I crossed the room to return to Alexxon’s side when the slightest air current stirred my hair to tickle my bare back.

I quirked an eyebrow and looked up. “Not so obvious air vent,” I said, my eye tracing a tiny indention cut into a square in the ceiling above the foot of the bed. “Bingo.”

CHAPTER 6

ALEXXON

I fought to stay in this dreamy place where soft fingers smoothed lovingly over my scales. Where I was drowning in the sweet scent of a female, I knew with every fiber of my spirit, was meant to be mine. I was content to stay right here under her gentle caress where her softly spoken words soothed all my troubles away.

Except the closer I floated to wakefulness, the more I detected a frantic undertone in her voice. Something was terribly wrong. I had to wake up, no matter how much I wanted to remain in this light slumber.

“Alexxon, come back to me.” I cracked open my eyes to peer into the distress in hers. “We have to get out of here.”

My head swam as I rolled over, pushing myself to my knees. My body was stiff and sore, especially my back and the palms of my hands. I looked down to find I was gripping damp cloths. When I opened my hands, the cloths fell away to reveal blackened stripes across my palms where I had gripped the bars.

“I only had damp towels to cool the burning. I hope it helped,” she cringed and gently touched my forearm. “I’ll bet that shit really hurts.”

Her oddly hued eyes swung up to meet mine. The amount of concern I saw there froze me solid. My spirit culminated into a frantic desire behind my sternum, rolling and swirling, wanting to emerge and dance with hers. That was impossible. Only Valosians could become spirit mates. Right?

I shook myself out of my stupor. “I will heal.” But couldn’t tear my eyes from her. “What is the hue of your eyes? Does it have a name?”

“Wha…?” Bree looked at me strangely. “They’re hazel. More green than brown, though.”

“Haze-zell,” I rolled the new word off my tongue.

Up this close, the varying striations of colors in her irises were remarkable. Colors of which I had never seen before.

“And this?” I lifted a strand of her mane from her shoulder and rubbed the silky texture between my thumb and forefinger. “What is this hue called.”

“It has many names. Red is the most common, but mine’s more like a strawberry blonde.”

“Rea-dd. It is as lovely as your eyes.” The bright flush of her cheeks was adorable. I smiled back and asked, “Can your species camouflage at will?”

“Camouflage?” She blinked, confused.

“You have these speckles scattered all over your skin, and your face deepened with my words.” The swirl of my spirit increased, forming a restless knot that pressed against the cage of my ribs. Every sec I spent with her deepened the desperation to bond with her.

“Well,” she laughed and shyly ducked her head. “I was blushing from your unexpected compliment and those speckles, are called freckles which I hate with a singular passion.”

“Truly?” I mused and leaned in closer to get a better look at the dark spray across her nose. “I find them remarkable.”

Her lips parted as she stared at me with a stunned expression. Then, she stammered, “You do?”

I lifted a finger and touched each one in a smooth caress. “I do, leluna.”

“What does that mean? Lay-luna?”

“It’s a treat made from a sticky sweet sap.” I traced my finger from one freckle to the other. “You look like a treat I’d like to sample.”

Our gazes locked. My body began to thrum out a sensual cadence. My spirit screamed to join with hers.

“If you’re planning on playing connect-the-dots,” she breathed, “we’ll be here for a while—”

My head dipped. My lips brushed hers in a heated whisper. The tip of my tongue darted out to trace the seam of her mouth drawing out a little moan that sent a jolt of possessiveness straight to my cock.

“Eat up! You two are going to need your strength for later.”

The sudden eruption of voices instantly cooled the heated moment between us. The two males, Bree called fish-faced, had returned, standing outside the barred door, to leer in at us.

One knelt and flipped open a hatch in the bottom of the door to slide a tray inside. The other sneered and I shoved Bree behind me, shielding her with my body. The other male touched the wall next to the door and the invisible wall flashed brightly, cutting off their voices.

They turned and walked away, one pushing a floating rack stacked with similar trays ahead of him.

I rushed over and got as close as I dared to the barred door. Listening hard, my blood turned cold, and my spirit raged from what I was able to hear of their conversation as they paused outside each room to deliver a tray. Once they were out of my audible range because of the dampener around us, I turned back to find Bree wringing her hands.

“We have to get out here,” she urged. Now that the spell between us had been broken, her agitation had returned.

“Yes, we do.” Pheromones were to be pumped into this room. One taste of Bree’s lips and my spirit was raging to be set free. I didn’t need any help with wanting to lay claim to my female. The male had said the urge for me to complete the bond would be overwhelming. There was no way I would allow Bree to be taken by force, even if it was me doing the forcing.

“I think I might have found something.” Bree pointed to the ceiling and my eyes followed. “See the thin seam that segments the ceiling into squares? I think that one is an air vent. When you were knocked out, I felt a slight stirring of the air. Just a little breeze. So, I walked around the room and it was only in this one spot.”

“Keep a watch while I take a look.” I nodded toward the transparent wall.

Bree walked the length of the wall, looking both ways before she turned and lifted her thumb from her closed fist and presented it to me. “You’re all clear.”

I mimicked her strange gesture with a creased brow and glanced back at the door before stepping up on the foot of the bed. With my fingertips, I followed the seam around the perimeter before pushing at the center of the square. Bree was right, there was a little give, but it was attached somehow.

This was where the metalloid bands confining my mane were going to come into play. I reached back and ran my hand down the length to swipe away the bands. The metalloid was easy to press flat but too soft to be used for prying. It would only bend when force was applied, so I smashed two together, then three, and wedged it into the seam.

“That’s smart,” Bree said from her place at the transparent wall.

Our gazes locked for one stuttering heartbeat, then two. “Don’t compliment me yet. I haven’t officially broken us out of here.”

“You will. I believe in you.”

Color deepened her cheeks the longer I stared at her alien beauty, transfixed. Escape was paramount. The call of my spirit to hers was loud within me.

I’d had my share of attractive bedmates before all our females had perished. Bree was different. She had captured and held my attention like no other. A simple look from her had set both my hearts to stuttering.

Finished molding my prying tool, I nodded to Bree. “Let me know if you see anyone coming. I’m going to give this a try.”

Bree turned her attention back to the transparent wall. “You’re all clear.”

I raked a hungry gaze over her lush curves. It took every speck of self-control to force myself out of my lust induced daze to focus on what needed to be done.

The longer I was with Bree, the more convinced I was becoming that we were truly spirit mates. My primal response to her felt too genuine for it have been forced. Just the thought of completing the most intimate of bonds in the presence of others, made me want to kill something.

I hadn’t told Bree what I’d overheard the fish-faced males discussing in the hallway after they had engaged the dampener. If we were occupying this room when they pumped in those pheromones, I wasn’t sure I could resist the urge to mate her. My cock already pounded with a heavy pulse with just the thought of sheathing myself in her lush body.

The hint of her arousal mingling with her sweet scent was making it even more difficult to resist her. I’d seen her rubbing at her sternum implying her spirit was churning with the need to bond.

Adding pheromones to this already heady mix would be like throwing fuel on a raging fire. If we were to give them the performance we had been purchased for, what would they do with us afterward? Nothing good, I’d wager.

I followed the thin seam in the ceiling, prying at regular intervals until the square panel popped loose. This might be our only chance at escape.

I glanced down at Bree as her surprised gaze swung up to meet mine. I pushed up one corner of the square and tilted it up and out of the way. With my stinging palms, I gripped the sides of the square and hauled myself into the ductwork.

The irony wasn’t lost on me that snooping around inside ducting had landed me here, and now, it was going to lead me to freedom.

The metalloid tunnel was plenty large enough for me to swing my legs back and drop my upper half through the vent. I reached down for Bree.

“Should we take the food off the tray?”

“No,” I said. “I don’t trust that it hasn’t been tampered with.”

“Right.” Bree climbed up on the edge of the bed and reached up to grasp my biceps as I did hers.

I parted my feet to brace myself against the sides of the duct. With a mighty heave, I pulled her up through the vent. On my knees, I tugged her the rest of the way until the length of her body splayed over mine. In the darkness of the ducting, the intricate designs on my chest and arms glowed. A camouflage response during the dark hurs

“See. I knew you were magical.” Bree’s teasing smile was brilliant as she traced the designs decorating one pectoral.

“Simply a camouflage response used to hide me against the bioluminescent jungle during the dark hurs.”

“Whatever they are, they’re beautiful.”

There was something so right about the way her body fit against mine. Her breasts molded to my chest. Her thighs split to straddle one of my thighs. The heat from her core ignited my warrior blood like nothing else could.

This was real. What I felt for her was real. I knew nothing of her kind, but this little hoo-mun was mine!

CHAPTER 7

BREENA

Alexxon silently replaced the panel in the ceiling of our prison. My heart was pounding so loud, it was all I could hear as we began our careful crawl toward freedom with Alexxon in the lead.

His shoulders spanned the width of the metal tunnel, blocking my view ahead. I glanced back at where we’d been, paranoid someone would soon follow. The going was dark, the way lit only by the soft glow of Alexxon’s intricate camouflage tattoos.

A jolt of energy raced down my spine. I panted as if I’d run a marathon with my first taste of freedom since I’d woken up in a cage. I tried to temper my erratic breathing—two quick breaths in and one long one out. We had to stay silent as we traveled. Tears of joy and fear that we’d be caught blurred my vision.

There was no looking back, only ahead. Which happened to be silver-lamé pants stretched over Alexxon’s tight ass while I followed the leader on hands and knees. I couldn’t complain about the view, yet frustration rode me hard.

I tamped down a growl as my knees kept pulling and catching on the stupid material of my skirting. I had to keep reaching down to bunch it up around my waist as we went. I was pantyless, so if anyone were to catch a peek at my tail end, they were going to get an eye full.

We crawled through what seemed like an endless tunnel of a main duct, passing numerous offshoots that branched into smaller pipes too narrow for us to access. We kept going and going. With no end in sight, my anxiety continued to spike that we would be found.

Alexxon began to slow just as my knees and back screamed for relief. He stopped and looked back at me, pointing down. I nodded. I guessed this meant we were changing direction.

Somehow Alexxon sat back on his ass and pulled his legs forward in a pretzel move that belied his huge size. I did the same having an easier time with my smaller body in the confined space.

His legs dropped over an edge I couldn’t see. He clung to the side as he turned to face me. His grin was one of confidence, but I was scared shitless not knowing where we were headed.

He slowly lowered himself out of sight and I rushed forward in a panic to look down into the ninety-degree turn. He was crouched and peering through a grate at the base of the shaft. He glanced up at me and flashed his palm which I took to mean I was to wait there.

I nodded but as soon as his big body disappeared through the open grate, I wanted to call him back. He wouldn’t leave me here. I knew it with a certainty I couldn’t explain. I rubbed at the tug in the center of my chest where I felt a strange connection I couldn’t explain. I knew deep down that he was coming back for me.

I kept silent even though I was trembling with unease. This was a time to be strong. I couldn’t cave now after all I’d been through. I breathed deep and straightened my spine despite my quivering lower lip.

Alexxon suddenly returned inside the shaft. I sagged, all the stiffness leaving my muscles at the sight of him. Inside, I crumbled and let the tears I’d been holding fall.

With a questioning look, he raised his arms, beckoning me. There was no hesitation. I dropped my legs into the hole and felt Alexxon’s hands gripped my hips to help me the rest of the way down.

He cupped my face and swiped away my torrent of quiet tears spilling down my cheeks. Then he pulled me into a warm embrace that I happily clung to. I would be strong later. Right now, I needed my silver Sidhe to lean on.

I hated feeling weak, but I also hated being alone. After days and days of dealing with the most stressful situations I’d ever faced without my twin sister, I had been the stronger for it. Once Alexxon had joined me, I had found myself wanting to lean on him for support.

I squeezed him back, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck. My body melted against his powerful frame, absorbing the heat radiating from him like a soothing balm. With every deep breath I took, the less my body shook until my tears dried and I was ready to let go of him. That was harder said than done.

Now that my meltdown was over, all that warm strength turned into something hot that licked over every inch of me. The bloom of a primal urge tightened my belly. I squeezed my thighs together to stanch the flood of raw need that raked across my clit.

Alexxon’s deep inhale ended on a low growl that stirred my blood. The swirl of his silvery gaze stormed around his expanding pupils until I could see myself in his penetrating stare. I should be afraid, not turned on by the flash of fangs with his animalistic snarl.

He dipped his head as if to kiss me. I tilted mine back in anticipation. My eyes hooded and my lips parted, but he buried his face in my throat. Just when I feared he would take a bite out of me like a vampire, he breathed me in and groaned in agonized frustration.

He lifted his head and brushed my hair from my face to whisper, “We can’t do this here, leluna. Follow me.”

He knelt and climbed out of the open grate at our feet. I was right behind him, my legs shaking for an entirely different reason than fear.

The tunnel emptied out into a large mechanical room like nothing I’d ever seen before. This place was way more high-tech than anything on Earth. The walls were loaded down with endless rows of blinking lights and whirring machinery like something from a sci-fi movie.

Alexxon replaced the grate and clasped my hand in his as we searched the space. There didn’t appear to be much here besides machines and intricate wiring.

On the far wall, Alexxon eyed a row of piping. Letting go of my hand, he beelined for it and pulled a length of pipe from the wall as long as his arm. A wide grin creased his face at his find. He looked every inch the warrior he claimed to be when he stepped back and wielded it like a sword.

He turned to me and that smile of his did funny things to my insides. The corner of his eyes crinkled, filling in the fine lines. A testament to his life before captivity, smiling was something he did often. I’d thought him handsome before, but he was positively gorgeous wearing a joyful grin.

Alexxon reached out and clasped my hand. We kept close to the wall until stopping at a flat panel I suspected was a door.

He turned questioning eyes to me. “Someone will find us if we stay in here.”

“Agreed.” Now that he had a weapon of sorts, it was time to make a move. “We have to find a way out of this place.”

I understood the risk we were taking by opening a door to the unknown. There was a chance that someone could be on the other side of it. When they found us gone from our prison, they would discover the only logical way out and follow the ducting to here. We had no other choice but to vacate this area.

We hugged the wall off to one side and Alexxon touched a lit panel on the wall. He let go of my hand and held his pipe up at the ready like an extraterrestrial baseball player. Batter, batter, swing.

The door slid open, and he tensed, ready to wail on any unsuspecting fool on the other side. We remained frozen, all except for Alexxon’s pivoting pointed ears as he listened, and we waited.

When no one came to investigate, Alexxon chanced a peek around the doorframe. Then he eased around the hallway before grabbing my hand and hauling me out behind him into a corridor.

The walls and floor were stark white with illuminated panels set at regular intervals just like the service hallway that was on the opposite side of the barred door of our prison. It was nothing like the fancy hallway facing the gallery side. We must be on the service side of whatever facility we were in.

We raced down the blessed emptiness, until we reached an impasse. We looked left then right. No one was around, so Alexxon chose right and off we went like a shot.

With no warning, Alexxon skidded in his tracks. I couldn’t stop in time and plowed into his broad back. It was like hitting a concrete wall of muscle.

“Oof,” I winced and stepped back. “Why’d you stop—” My words died in my throat as I got a look of what lay beyond a long narrow window. “This is not a facility,” I gulped. “Not a facility at all.”

Starting at the soles of my feet, my body began to tingle. Icy fear slid down my spine. The view stretched out before me was too much to comprehend. The planets that floated by in the distance weren’t what was moving. It was us.

“How are we gonna escape a spaceship?” I whispered out with a voice as thin as paper.

“I don’t know.” Alexxon’s ears had drooped and flattened against his head. His silvery eyes had gone round as his hand squeezed mine tightly in alarm. He was just as dumbstruck as I was. “We need to find a place to hide until this thing lands.”

Alexxon tore his gaze away from the mind-blowing view and pulled me along as I rubber-necked the window that spanned the length of the hall. With his elfin ears perked, he pressed one against every door until he found a room he liked.

Using a square panel on the wall next to the door, he slid it open, and we stepped inside the dimly lit space. The door silently slid closed behind us. The room turned out to be a larger version of the mechanical room we’d just left.

Void of life, the space hummed with activity. The only thing alive in here besides us was all the clicking and whirring machinery. It made sense now why the need for all the infrastructure. We weren’t inside a building but on a craft capable of traveling the stars.

Hand-in-hand, we searched the space, finding another air handler in the center, only this one was enormous. Smaller machines were scattered throughout, glittering with thousands of flashing lights, humming along for whatever purpose they were intended.

Even though the space wasn’t occupied, that didn’t mean someone couldn’t walk in and find us.

Alexxon looked up to the ceiling. There was ducting, wires and tubing running like organized spaghetti in every direction in mesh raceways over our heads.

He pointed up to a large metal plate that spanned wall-to-wall. It looked to be on a track like a rolling bridge to access the whole of the infrastructure along the ceiling.

To one side, a row of hand and foot holds ran the length of the wall. He smiled and tugged me over.

“We can hide up there for now,” he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

His breath was hot against my sensitive skin. My nipples grew tight with awareness of how close his body was to mine. All that heat radiating off his tightly packed muscle was a temptation I wanted to give into.

He motioned for me to go ahead of him. “In case you misstep, I will be there to catch you.”

“Good plan.” Because I was afraid of heights. I licked my lips and peered up at the platform three stories up. I weighed the merits of a hiding place versus being caught and locked away again.

I shoved aside the lesser of my fears and gripped the rungs sunk into the wall. As soon as I placed my foot on the first rung, it caught on my ridiculous skirt. I cursed and grasped the hem, tying the back to the front between my legs making ballooning shorts.

Alexxon looked on with a bemused expression. I gave him a firm nod, turned back to the rungs, and up I went in my modified dress. I took it one rung at a time. My hands shook as I tried to hurry in the most cautious way possible.

I had nearly reached the top when I gave into temptation and looked down. God, I was really high up. The soles of my feet turned numb, and a fine sheen broke out over my brow. There was no going back and Alexxon was right behind me just like he said he would be, climbing up the rungs with the pipe tucked under one arm.

As we locked eyes, a reassuring grin spread across his face. I returned his with a shaky one of my own.

Three more feet and I reached the top. I grabbed ahold of a metal handle welded to the floor of the platform. With a white-knuckled grip, I hauled myself up. My hands shook as I crawled quickly away from the side to make room for Alexxon, then collapsed in relief. The cold metal felt amazing on my fevered skin.

“You all right, leluna?” Alexxon knelt beside me to brush my hair from my face with a caring hand.

I smiled weakly. “I’m okay. Just not into climbing this high up.” His simple touch made my heart flutter and tightened the strange tug behind my sternum.

“It took me a while to get used to climbing the rope up to our skypods when my clan lived in the old settlement. I’m not much for heights either,” he empathized. “My Sia always preached a warriors’ feet were meant to stay on the ground.”

My curiosity piqued and I sat up slowly. “What is a see-ah?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as we find a safe place to hide.”

Alexxon stood, laid his pipe at his feet, and rolled a wheel at the end of the platform. We rolled smoothly along the track across the room until we reached a large pipe that looked more like a tunnel near the top of the wall. An enormous bundle of wires ran along a mess tray before disappearing inside.

“We can hide in there for now.” Alexxon lifted his chin toward the pipe.

It was plenty large enough for us to crawl through but was dark as sin at the far end. I climbed inside first with Alexxon tight on my heels. Once we were both off the platform, he gave it a mighty shove. It rolled back on its track until it came to rest in its original position.

I shot him a questioning look as he turned toward me.

“With the platform back where it belongs, no one will be the wiser that we entered this tunnel if they come to search this room for us.”

“What if the tunnel leads to nowhere?” I swung wide eyes to the dark end. “How will we get out of here if we have to turn back?”

“I’ll jump down and retrieve the platform so you can exit.”

“That’s a three-story drop, Alexxon,” I pointed out the obvious.

“It matters not, leluna. Thanks to you and the adrenalyne rushing through my veins, the distance will be no problem.”

CHAPTER 8

ALEXXON

In a single blink, my dark-penetrating lenses dropped into place. With my new weapon clutched in one hand, I took the lead through the long tunnel with Bree following close behind. We crawled until it split off in three different directions.

We chose a tunnel at random until it emptied out into a small room, dimly lit, and lined with more strange machines the likes of which I had no clue of their use.

In the center of the room, I found a hatch in the ceiling. Bree and I exchanged uneasy looks before I pushed it open enough to peek inside.

I lowered the hatch and sat back on my haunches. “It leads to an access ladder up to another level.”

“If we stay here, at least we have a secondary escape route in case someone comes.”

“Just what I was thinking.” I grinned at my brilliant female. “We should rest while we wait to see the aftermath of our escape. I need to familiarize myself with the protocols of this enemy to better plan our next move.”

“Do you think they’ll search these tunnels for us?”

“It is only logical they will search everywhere,” I said, moving into a more comfortable position with my back against one wall and my legs stretched out before me, keeping my weapon close at hand. “We will have to keep moving. They know we’re trapped on this craft. They will want to find us before they land.”

I put my sensitive auditory system to work. My ears perked and swiveled for any sounds that our escape had been noticed. All remained quiet.

“Can you believe we’re in an alien spacecraft?”

“With no way of knowing how to return home,” I scoffed. “I was never plagued with the desire to ever leave Valose or curious enough to want to know what lay beyond the clouds. A warriors’ feet were meant to remain on the ground.”

“You said that earlier.” Bree scooted closer. “You promised to tell me what a see-ah is?”

“Not what but who. That is what we call the rulers of our clans.” I patted the place next to me for her to come closer. “My clan—Clan Huren—has two rulers. Twin males born to wear the crown. Before Sia Emmar’s untimely passing, instead of naming the eldest as his heir, he chose them both. Jakkar was trained as a warrior. Sakkar as a scholar.”

“How did he die?” Bree settled in close, her thigh touching mine as we faced each other. “The Emmar guy, I mean?”

“Fighting alongside us warriors in a war with the Nuttaki, a race of insectoids who had been armed with nutrone-based weapons that had to have been obtained from Clan Jurigon.”

“How do you know it was that clan they got the weapons from?”

“Nutrone can only be mined from the Jurigon mountains. Inside the mountain caves is where they make their home.”

“Wow.” I was glad to see some of the fear bleed from Bree’s eyes as she listened. “What is your clan’s home like?”

“We used to live in a city called Huren with an immense wooden wall built around it to keep the jungle’s creatures at bay as well as other clans,” I explained. “After the Nuttaki attacked, it was no longer habitable, so we left the ruins of Huren’s first settlement behind for a new city built under an impenetrable dome. We had all thought it a miraculous feat of ingenuity.”

“Why does it sound like there’s a but is coming soon?”

“But.” I quirked an eyebrow. “But the dome hadn’t protected our females from a deadly germ. All had been lost.”

“All!”

“All,” I repeated with sadness. “Before I was taken from my world of Valose and brought here, a rift had been forming between our two rulers. My favored Sia, Jakkar, was a warrior like me. Like I said, he didn’t agree with his brother, Sakkar, that technology should be so heavily relied on to protect our clan. Sia Jakkar wanted to keep the warrior training program alive for us to keep our fighting skills homed in the event the dome failed.”

I leaned my head back against the wall, remembering all that had happened. “Sia Sakkar was obsessed with technology. He thought fighting with swords was an antiquated means of protecting our clan. He was also infatuated with what lay beyond the stars.

“Our techs indulged his desire to take to the sky and built a vessel capable of traveling to the stars.” I shook my head, in disbelief. “We thought him to blame for returning from his off-world travels with a germ that had caused so many senseless deaths. After the creature I found with one of our most influential Royal Council members, Garrot, I no longer think that was the case.”

“What kind of creature?” I looked down at where Bree touched my thigh.

“A spindly gray thing with a bulbous head and a slashing mouth filled with razor teeth.”

Bree shivered from my description and licked her lips.

My mind should not be racing with sexual thoughts. Her hand was a mere fate away from my cock and the tip of her little tongue was taunting me to kiss her again.

“That sounds like the same creature that had been staring at me when I’d first woken up in a cage with these weird, electrified bars,” she said with wide frightened eyes.

“It was speaking to my clansman in a language I couldn’t understand. It seemed strange to me at the time.” I touched the translator behind my ear. “Now, it makes sense how Garrot was able to communicate with it.”

“What was it doing on your world?”

“Treachery. The side of the conversation I could understand was about dividing the Sias. There was even talk of exiling Sia Jakkar.” My scales flashed with angry blues to match my outrage. “I meant to tell Sia Jakkar all I had discovered when I was caught spying on their conversation. I was knocked unconscious and the next thing I remember was waking up in a cage.

“I knew something was amiss when I followed Garrot down to the lower levels under the palace. I would have never guessed involvement with a being from the stars.” I huffed out a scathing laugh. “It certainly explains how Hexxus was suddenly able to pull a ship that could travel to the stars out of his ass and create an impenetrable dome over our new city. He’s the smartest Valosian tech I know, but he made everyone think those where his amazing feats of ingenuity. Now I know it was the involvement from an alien. I wonder who else in my clan has sold us out.” My fists clenched and unclenched in my lap. “If I can find a way back to Valose, I swear to the Spirits I will kill every one of them with my bare hands.”

“I’m sorry that happened to your world,” Bree said quietly. “And I’m sorry you were taken.”

My posture relaxed and my anger ebbed away at Bree’s forlorn expression. “And I am sorry you were taken from your home as well. Although, I am happy that I found you.”

“Me too.” Her brilliant smile had my hearts tripping over themselves.

I held my hand out for her to take. Without hesitation, Bree laid her much smaller hand in mine. My fingers closed around hers, and we sat staring at each other for a long moment in companionable silence.

CHAPTER 9

BREENA

Now that my adrenaline high from our escape was fading away in the comforting presence of this silver male, fatigue hit me like a freight train. I tried to stifle my yawn, but there was no holding it back. My body took over and I slapped my free hand over my mouth as it opened wide to drag in a full breath.

“You need to rest while you can,” Alexxon said.

“What about you?”

“I’ve rested enough.” Alexxon smirked and flashed me his healing palms. “I’ll remain alert for any sounds of approaching danger.” Alexxon wiggled his ears which made me laugh.

“I wish I could do that.” I touched my own ears.

“Rest.” Alexxon patted one thick thigh.

I didn’t resist the invitation and used his leg as a pillow. “Are you sure you’re okay to stay awake?”

“Positive.”

With me facing his amazing abs, Alexxon placed his hand on my shoulder. A soothing melody began to vibrate from his chest the same as he had done to comfort me after the auction.

“How are you doing that? Making that noise?”

“It’s called thrumming. A male does this to comfort his spirit mate. If I change the tempo during mating, it will enhance your pleasure.”

My mouth went dry, and my entire body flushed at his words. My curiosity peeked and I sat up, suddenly no longer tired. I wanted to know what the fish-faced male had been talking about. “Tell me more about spirit mates. How do you know when you meet her?”

Alexxon took my hand and placed it over his left pectoral. “Feel my primary heart beating?”

I nodded.

“It pumps blood through my veins.” Then he shifted my hand between his pecs. “What you feel here is my ancillary heart. It began beating when I met you.”

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. There were two hearts beating inside his chest. It was no wonder his pulse had felt so oddly erratic.

“At first, I thought the aliens had somehow started my ancillary heart to beat.” Alexxon tilted his head, assessing me with adoring eyes. “But the longer I’m with you, I don’t think that’s the reason. I don’t understand how it’s possible since you are not Valosian…” Alexxon paused, shaking his head.

“Possible that what?” I scooted closer, wanting to know what his second heartbeat had to do with me.

“That you are my spirit mate, leluna.” Alexxon cupped my face in both his hands. “I don’t understand how, but you awakened me. My spirit has found its complement in yours.”

I was speechless. The persistent tug that had been living behind my sternum ever since I had woken up to find an unconscious Alexxon inside the cage with me, pressed harder. I rubbed at the spot between my boobs. Somehow, I knew what he was telling me was the truth even if it did sound like something from a fairy tale.

“Tell me more,” I breathed out, my voice barely above a whisper. “I want to know everything.”

“Once a male has been awakened, a hormone called adrenalyne begins to pump through our bodies. It makes us stronger, more resilient to injury, and heals us faster. All so we can better protect our spirit mates.”

Alexxon’s smile melted me from the inside out. I’d been abducted, taken away from everything and everyone I knew only to find myself living a real-life fairy tale.

“My ancillary heart beats for one purpose only,” Alexxon went on. “To push adrenalyne through my veins. It beats only because of you. For you, leluna. To keep you safe.”

What he was telling me was beyond romantic. I hardly knew this big silver guy, but there was no denying the invisible thread that connected us. I was drawn to him, and it was more than physical attraction. It was a deep yearning I couldn’t explain, but I felt it all the way down to the marrow of my bones. Everything in me cried out for him.

Caught up in the swirl of his silvery gaze, he was the piece of me I never realized I was missing until now. Without my twin sister, I had felt a similar aching void as I did now with Alexxon. I knew once we bonded, that void would be filled.

It was all so surreal like a waking dream. As if I were living a fairy tale.

“When my father used to tell my sister and I bedtime stories about fairies and magical creatures, I had wished so hard to be a part of their world,” I sheepishly admitted. “I’ve never said that out loud. Not even to my twin sister, Rowan. She would have thought me silly and laughed. Those were only the fanciful imaginings of a young girl.”

“You are no longer a youngling.” Alexxon smoothed his thumb across my bottom lip. “But old enough to be mated, leluna. To complete the bond with your spirit mate. To form a shawra so our spirits can coalesce.”

Heat bloomed in my core. My pulse raced with an urgency to straddle his lap and get on with the mating. So, I did. The tug behind my sternum agreed, swirling in a wild frenzy, as I crawled up his body and seated myself.

“I want to coalesce.” I gripped his shoulders and ran my hands down his impossibly muscular chest, settling my palm over the heart that beat only for me. “I want to bond with you.”

With a feral growl, Alexxon gripped the fleshy part of my hips and ground the biggest erection I’d ever felt in my life against the pulsing heat between my legs. His mouth covered mine in a possessive kiss.

With a groan, he broke the kiss and cupped my face. His gaze pierced me with a hot intensity. “The bond is forever, leluna. Are you certain this is what you want?”

I licked my lips, savoring the taste of his kiss that still clung to me. My head buzzed with lust. My nipples ached for his touch. My core grew wetter for the solid erection rubbing a delicious friction between my spread thighs. “I’m sure.” I rolled my hips seeking relief from the lick of fire unfurling in my belly.

“It’s more than just mating.” Alexxon moved with me. His thick rod pressing and stroking in just the right spot. “Once I claim you, our shawras will form and we will be forever bound.”

“What’s a shawra?” I panted, my brain fizzling out as my clit found perfection bumping along the length of his shaft. Was his cock equipped with ridges?

Alexxon curled his fingers in my hair and tilted back my head, exposing my throat. Vulnerable and at his mercy, his lips scorched a trail over my tender flesh. As he opened his mouth to lick and suck, the heat of his breath seared a path for his fangs to graze in the wake of his kiss.

I closed my eyes and sighed as the heat of his whispered words washed into my ear. “Shawras are portals for the sharing of our spirits. You will become a part of me as I will become a part of you.” He rolled his hips sending electric currents to the heart of me. “Once I claim you, our spirits will intertwine as will our bodies in the most intimate of dances. We will become one, forever.”

“Soulmates,” I uttered as understanding dawned and ground my sex against the hot shaft pulsing beneath me. “Actual soulmates. I want that.”

It sounded crazy to my own ears as my orgasm was barreling down on me. The electricity rocketing between us couldn’t be denied, and neither could the racing swirl culminating behind my sternum.

Alexxon’s mouth crashed over mine, licking inside to explore all of me. I matched his fevered kiss with one just as demanding until his body tensed and stuttered beneath mine. His large palms cupped my breasts, thumbing the tight buds that painfully strained against the fabric covering them.

Our kiss ended as my breath caught. My hips curled up tight as I shattered into a million tiny pinpoints of light. The tug behind my sternum banged against the cage of my ribs to be released. I held on tight to my silver Sidhe as I rode out the powerful wave. My thighs trembled with the force of my release.

The room around us shook with the intensity of our mutual releases. I rested my forehead against his, drifting down from my endorphin high. The floor gave way to another violent shake.

We both looked around our small hiding place. The scattering of little lights on the surrounding machinery no longer blinked lazily but flashed with urgency.

“I thought that had been us,” I said.

“No,” Alexxon shifted us around until we both sat on our knees. “It felt as if the ship has taken a hit.”

“Hit by what?”

“I don’t know—” The room shuttered again, pieces of equipment beginning to loosen and fall around us. “We can’t stay here.” Alexxon pushed up the hatch in the ceiling. “I’m going to climb this ladder and see where it leads. I’ll be right back.”

I gulped and nodded. “Be careful.”

“Always, leluna.” After a quick kiss, Alexxon disappeared through the hatch.

He wouldn’t leave me behind. That didn’t stop me from feeling abandoned and alone. I yelped with the blast of an explosion. What kind of fresh shit were we in now?

The hatch slung open and Alexxon dropped down with a muted thud. “It goes to another fucking tunnel. Getting lost in this maze while we are under some kind of attack is not a good idea. We need to go back the way we came.”

“I swear that last one was an explosion. We need to get a look out that window in the hallway,” I suggested. “Maybe we’ll be able to see what’s going on.”

“I agree. Let’s go.” Alexxon grabbed his pipe from the floor and led the way out.

On hands and knees, we hauled ass back through the tunnels until we reached the mechanical room with the rolling maintenance platform. Three stories up, I peered over to the platform pushed back into place and then down from our precarious perch.

“How are we gonna get down?” Before my last word finished rolling off my tongue, Alexxon had swung his legs over the side and jumped.

He hit the floor running, climbing the ladder rungs embedded in the wall and up to the rolling platform as if it were nothing. The ship rocked again with another hard hit. This time, trace amounts of smoke tickled my nose. Alexxon must have smelled it too. He didn’t waste a second turning the wheel to roll the platform over to where I waited.

“Come on, leluna!” He reached out and lifted me off my feet before I had a chance to take a single step. There wasn’t time to marvel over his incredible strength as he wheeled us back to the ladder.

I hated that my hands shook as I climbed down after him. Alexxon was already on the ground waiting for me as I wobbled my way down, trying to push back my fear of heights as I went.

Once I was within arm’s reach, he plucked me from the ladder, swung me up into the steely bands of his arms. “Hold this,” he said handing me the pipe and ran for the exit.

The door slid open to a frenzy of activity. Alarms blared in time with the strobing of warning lights. Alexxon took a step back into the door jamb as a group of fish-faced aliens rushed down the hall in a panic.

They paid us no mind, too busy with the current emergency to care about us. Once they disappeared down the hall, Alexxon didn’t let me go as he took off at a dead run, skidding to a halt at the long window.

“Oh shit!” I cursed when I got my first look at a dark, sinister looking spacecraft, glowing red tips on both sides of its triangular shaped hull. “Are those weapons?”

I no sooner asked the question then the ship demonstrated the answer. The tips glowed brighter before a blast of circular light erupted, hurtling toward our craft. From our vantage point, the red orbs seemed to disappear from view. Then we were shaken with a force that nearly toppled us over.

“Fucking Helios!” Alexxon regained his footing and set me on my feet, taking the pipe I handed him back. “I know nothing of spacecraft or how to get us off here. All I know is that thing out there looks determined to destroy us.”

“There has to be a way off this ship, like a shuttle craft or something,” I pondered, thinking back on every sci-fi show I’d ever watched. “Hey! What about the other prisoners?”

“What about them?”

“Maybe one of them knows how to get us off this ship.”

CHAPTER 10

ALEXXON

I took my eyes off the large, triangular craft recharging its glowing weapons, preparing to fire on us again. “That’s a brilliant idea, but we’ll have to be cautious.” I squeezed the length of pipe in my hand. “If we’re able to release the other prisoners, we don’t know if they will be friend or foe.”

“I know,” Bree gulped. “What other choice do we have? All I know about spaceships is what I’ve seen on TV, and that’s all science-fiction. Even if we did find some kind of shuttle off this thing, neither one of us would know how to fly it or where to fly it to.”

The menacing craft determined to blow us to pieces turned in a slow circle, aiming its weapons toward another section of the hull and hitting with a tremendous force which knocked Bree off her feet. The hallway lights flickered and the ships warning alarms ceased.

“You all right?” She nodded as I lifted her from the floor. “Let’s go give your idea a try.”

We hurriedly retraced our path back to the mechanical room door where we had exited out of the air duct and escaped our prison. The opposite end of the hall stretched out before us. It made a slight curve, so it wasn’t possible to see more than a hundredth fates ahead.

“I think if we follow that hallway, we will end up on the service side of the barred doors of the prisons,” Bree said exactly what I was thinking.

“I agree. The duct we crawled through ran perpendicular to our prison.” I grabbed her hand, holding tight to my pipe in the other and off we went.

It was an endless tunnel of white with illuminated panels set at regular intervals. We had crawled a long way through the ducting, so it wasn’t a surprise how far we had to travel before the first barred door came into view.

We paused in front of it and peered inside. Two huge male creatures with flesh of a deeper hue than Bree’s red hair, faced away from us and crowded around a hoo-man female.

All three wore garments in the same flowing fabric to match. The males in billowing pants similar to mine, their chests and feet left bare. The female in a dress much like Bree’s.

“Oh shit!” Bree gasped beside me. “We have to get her away from those giant beastly things.”

“They don’t appear to be harming her but protecting her.”

One male took notice of us and bared a set of enormous fangs to rival that of a patooga. My sensitive auditory system picked up his growl from behind the invisible shielding I knew to be dampening the sound, as he rushed the door.

With bizarre, elongated slits for pupils set into gleaming eyes of a color I could not name, he glared daggers at us. He was larger than any Valosian warrior I knew, with heavy black markings covering his arms and chest. The exact opposite of the glowing camouflage on my own chest and arms.

Thick black horns grew from his temples to curve along the sides of his skull that was heavily adorned with a mane just as dark.

I stood my ground bringing my pipe up and around to the front. He might outweigh me in muscle mass, but I’ve always found that the bulkier the opponent, the slower they move. I was known for my speed and agility.

Bree took a shocked step back. His glowing eyes tracked her movements. I reached back and nudged her behind me, doing some growling of my own.

When his attention came back to me, he pointed at Bree with a black tipped claw and then back at the light maned female the other one was holding in a possessive embrace. On the palm of his hand, I caught a glimpse of a charred stripe running the length of his flesh.

I held up the palm of one hand to show him I had suffered from the same mistake. His snarl eased into a frown of recognition, then he made a sweeping gesture to himself. A question furrowed his heavy brow as he pointed to us.

“You’re right, Alexxon. They’re only protecting the girl. We should let them out,” Bree stepped around me and waved to the light maned female, who returned her wave with a timid hand.

The male motioned for me to look at the panel on the wall blinking with many lights.

“This panel is more complex than the ones on the mechanical room doors. This must be what the fish-faced males used to disengage the shielding,” I said, running my eyes over all the buttons. “I wonder if it’s also the locking mechanism for the door.”

“There are so many blinking buttons to choose from,” Bree fretted, not taking her eyes off the other female. “It will take forever to figure out how it works.”

Another blast rang out, rocking us on our heels. A fine dust floated down from the ceiling. By the sounds of it, the ship was taking a beating.

The second male joined the first, coming to stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the barred door. “Prush tu ulien bostu. Tue prush nofe and tuo buttons tudentrey,” he spoke loudly. The translator behind my ear tripped over his muffled words as it slowly learned his language.

I cupped my ear and made a talking gesture then pointed at the device stuck behind my ear. He got the idea and repeated his words until they translated fully. “Push the center button. Then push the right and left buttons simultaneously.”

I nodded and did as he said. The shielding flashed and he spoke again. “I am Ruze and this is Muhr, Nomadicans of the former planet Riosis, and our human shoulsis, Elishbeth.”

“Elizabeth,” the female gently corrected and came forward. “They have trouble pronouncing some English words. Hi, friend,” she said to Bree and reached her fingers through the deactivated bars.

“Hi,” Bree’s voice hitched as she touched the other female’s fingers. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth reassured her. “These two have taken good care of me ever since they were captured trying to break me out of my chains on that horrible red planet.”

“I’m Alexxon from Valose, a warrior of Clan Huren, and this is my spirit mate, Bree,” I said, placing a possessive hand on my female. “So, you are aware, I will protect my female at any cost.”

“As will we.” Mehr pulled Elizabeth closer. “How did you escape?”

“Through an air duct in the ceiling.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Ruze looked up and cursed.

“Will this panel open the door as well?” I asked the males and indicated the panel.

“Yes.” Ruze said. “

I stared hard at the male’s weird eyes. “If I release you, my female will not be harmed. You will help us get off this ship.” I wasn’t as good at detecting deception as my fellow warrior, Draggar, but I could usually tell if someone was lying.

“I vow as an honorable Nomadican that I will do what I can to find us all a way off this ship, if it is possible.” Ruze placed a fist to the center of his chest and bowed his head. “And that your female will not be harmed.”

Mehr spoke the same vow and followed suit.

My eyes toggled between the two. My warrior instincts told me the males were trustworthy, even though I found their appearances strangely alarming. “How do I release the lock?”

“There is a yellow button at the top, to the far right,” Ruze pointed toward the panel even though he couldn’t see it.

“Yell-low?” I scrunched my brow. “I don’t know what that is.”

“This one.” Bree pointed to the button. “I hadn’t realized you were color blind when you asked about my hair color.”

“I can see colors just fine.” I eyed her, confused. “Blues, silvers, whites, and black are the only colors on my world. I knew no others had existed until now.”

“Your world sounds amazing. I hope one day to see it.”

“As do I.” I touched her cheek with a longing smile. “First, we have to get off this death trap.” I turned back to Ruze. “What next?”

The next blast to hit the ship rattled my teeth. It felt as if the hits were coming closer.

“Did you see what kind of ship is firing on us?” Ruze asked, hastily.

“It’s a big black bulky triangular looking thing with bright red blaster thingies on the tips of the wings,” Bree answered. Ruze and Mehr exchanged uneasy looks. “What? How bad is it?”

“What you described sounds like a Wetokian Destroyer,” Mehr said.

As if to prove Mehr’s comment, the ship shuddered violently from another explosion that felt way too close.

“Wetokian’s aren’t known for their diplomacy,” Ruze added while Mehr gave me the next sequence of oddly hued buttons to push with Bree’s assistance. “Shoot first and ask questions later. For whatever reason, this pleasure craft is on their radar.”

“Pleasure craft?” Bree scrunched her brow.

“It’s comparable to a cruise ship,” Elizabeth answered with something unknown to me.

“And we were to be the entertainment.” Bree nodded knowingly.

The barred door retracted into the wall, and I found myself standing before two huge aliens without a barrier. My grip on the pipe tightened. Muscles tensed, my weight shifted on the balls of my feet waiting and watching to see what move the males would make.

Then Bree bumped my shoulder as she pushed past me as did the other female to Ruze. My watchful gaze momentarily shifted to the two females embracing like long lost friends.

“I’m not hugging you, if that’s what you’re waiting for, warrior of Valose,” Mehr stated dryly.

“Good to know.” I quirked a silver brow at him. “If you even tried it, you’d be picking your fangs up off the floor, Nomadican of Riosis.”

“We should all get along just fine then.” Ruze chuckled and held a clawed hand out to me.

He eyed me oddly when I clasped his forearm in a show of respect typical on my world but mimicked my gesture. I did the same with Mehr and stepped aside for them to exit the room.

“Many thanks for releasing us, new friends,” Mehr said. “The first thing we need to do is find and access a locator panel for directions. It has been a long time since I was last on a Thrushian Pleasure Cruiser. I know that all luxury passenger crafts have escape pods. Let’s just hope they have not all been jettisoned.”

“We need to release the other prisoners,” Bree spoke up. “They are victims the same as all of us. It isn’t fair to leave them behind.”

Two pairs of strangely slitted eyes swung to her. Instinctively, I stepped in front to shield her. “We will release the others.”

“Agreed, unless there is one known to be dangerous to females.” Ruze pulled Elizabeth into his side.

“You’ll get no argument from me.” I grabbed Bree’s hand and ran to the next barred door with the others tight on my heels.

“I’m going in search of a locator panel while you all release the others,” Mehr said, jogging down the hallway. “There should be one at every juncture. I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful!” Elizabeth called after him. “Don’t go and do anything heroic.”

“You know me.” Mehr tossed a wink over his shoulder for his mate.

“Yes, I do,” Elizabeth called back. “That’s how you two knuckle heads ended up here with me.”

The floor seemed to fall out from under us as the ship dipped with a resounding crash. Our bodies landed and slid across the floor to pile up against the wall.

Mehr looked back to see that his mate was unharmed then sprang to his feet. “I’m going to find us a way off this fucking ship before it’s blown apart!” Then, he took off running down the hall as if his ass were on fire.

Ruze and I helped our female’s up from the floor. After a quick assessment, I found Bree to be unharmed. Together, we moved quickly to the next barred door. Inside we found a couple with bright blue skin, huddled in a corner and holding tight to one another.

The more masculine of the two led the way over to the barred door. Had I thought the Nomadican’s appearance odd? Double pupiled and lidless eyes measured us through the bars, a questioning look on his slim face.

“Moobies,” Ruze said. “A docile species from the Logordian Sector. They’re mute as you can see by their lack of mouths.”

“Friend or foe?” I asked.

“Friend.” Ruze made quick work of disengaging the shielding and releasing the lock. He spoke to the Moobies, “Follow us. We are looking for a way off the ship.”

The couple stepped out into the hall, huddled closer together, and looked around with their strange, frightened eyes. Just then, Mehr came careening around the curve in the hall. The Moobies shrank back in alarm.

“Leave him,” Mehr sneered, pointing to the last door as he got there first. “I’d wager a full pouch of rillium the Wetokian is the reason why we’re being fired on. They came to retrieve their comrade. I got a look at the attacking craft from the window in the hall and it is what we thought—a Wetokian Destroyer.” That only made the Moobies shake harder. “I found the launch pad for the escape pods.”

“Lead the way,” Ruze said, as our group ran to catch up with Mehr. Then he turned and whispered to me. “Don’t let the females look inside.”

I didn’t ask why, just kept my body between her and the last barred door as we passed. My curiosity got the better of me and I chanced a glance inside and wished I hadn’t.

Bright splashes of what I guessed was blood, covered the white room in a gruesome contrast. The monstrosity inside was bathed in it. Heavily muscled, it had sharp needles growing out of the top of its head and down its back. With a flat snout and tusks jutting up from a crooked mouth, it was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen.

It slammed meaty fists against the barred door, sending up a shower of sparks as it made eye contact with me. The beast didn’t appear to be bothered by the electric current.

The shrill cry of the Nomadican’s mate flattened my ears against my skull. I thought her reaction was from an accidental glimpse of the beast until I caught sight of a mangled body crumpled in the corner of the room.

Bright blood of the hoo-man female smeared in a wide arc where the monstrosity had ripped apart the body and slammed it against the clear wall.

Bree tried to move around me to see, but I blocked her view, hauling her into my arms and cradling her head against my chest and away from the carnage.

“What’s in there?” Bree stopped struggling in my hold as I rushed us far away from the door.

“Nothing good, leluna,” I whispered. “Better if you don’t see.”

CHAPTER 11

BREENA

Elizabeth’s anguished screeched set my teeth on edge. Her reaction to whatever she had seen inside that room made my hair stand on end.

“We can’t help her, Elishbeth,” Ruze cooed, and lifted a weeping Elizabeth into his arms.

“We can’t leave her in there,” Elizabeth cried, reaching back toward the door growing smaller in the distance.

I had tried to see what the males felt the need to hide from us, but Alexxon had a firm hold on me. After seeing and hearing Elizabeth’s response, I decided I was better off not knowing. The other girl trembled where she was being held like precious cargo in the powerful alien’s arms.

We followed the other Nomadican male down the hall and turned the corner. He didn’t show any of the hesitation of a lost traveler, so I was confident he knew exactly where he was taking us.

The ship rocked and quaked as we ran. The lights flickered with every distant explosion. The Moobies clung to each other as they trailed behind. At the next junction, they turned left instead of right.

“This way!” Ruze called out to the strange blue couple. “You’re going the wrong way.”

They didn’t listen but kept on going.

“Should we go after them?” I watched them until their backs disappeared at the next corner.

“No,” Alexxon said. “We freed them. What they do after that is their decision.”

I couldn’t help but worry about them. Staying on this ship wasn’t an option, but they looked as if they knew where they were headed.

“You can put me down if I start to get too heavy.” I patted Alexxon’s heavy shoulder.

“I can run faster than you.” Alexxon gave me a little squeeze. “And I like having you this close.”

“You’ll get no complaints from me.”

Down another hall and another and another our group traveled, until it all looked the same. No landmarks, only one white, unadorned hallway after another. It looked as though we were keeping to the service corridors.

What bothered me was how eerily vacant the ship appeared. We saw no hide nor hair of anyone else as we ran along what felt like an endless maze, while the ship kept taking on blast after blast. Going by the intensity of the hits, it felt as though we were moving away from the firing.

“Are we close?” Ruze called out.

“One more left and then down one floor,” Mehr yelled back. “You getting tired already, elder?”

“Not a chance, fledgling,” Ruze scoffed. “Just focus on getting us to the escape pods.”

Ruze grumbled something about the cockiness of the young and I had to grin. Their familiarity toward one another sent my curiosity into overdrive. I peeked over Alexxon’s massive shoulder at Ruze, where the Nomadican male followed behind us and held Elizabeth in gentle arms.

When I’d first seen them huddled in the prison together, I had mistaken them for beasts. The big, deeply tanned males had turned out to be anything but. Horned, fanged, and equipped with claws to rival a lion, they had been nothing but protective of her.

Now that I knew them to be friendly, their appearance no longer scared the bejesus out of me. The slitted feline pupils would take some getting used to and the fact that their eyes seemed to glow with a golden light from within their skulls.

Other than the obvious peculiarities, they both had handsome features. Square jaws, strong brows, high cheekbones. Both were marked on their chests and arms with heavy black designs that reminded me of tribal tattoos. Ruze having the most.

And they had called Elizabeth their mate. Did they share her?

“Down here,” Mehr had stopped to pry open what looked like the alien version of an elevator. “The lift is at the bottom. We’ll have to jump down and climb through the roof’s hatch.”

Alexxon set me on my feet. “You ready?”

“Yes.” I confidently bobbed my head. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“I’ll go first.” Mehr dropped through the hatch to the floor below with a muted thud. “Hand down Elishbeth.”

Ruze carried Elizabeth over and set her down on shaky legs. My heart went out to her. I touched her arm with a sympathetic hand. “It’s going to be okay.” Whatever she had witnessed remained as a haunting shadow in her dark green eyes.

“I’m glad we met.” Elizabeth hugged me tight then pulled away.

“I wish it could have been under different circumstances.”

“Me too.” Elizabeth peered up at Ruze who gifted her with a gentle grin. “Down the hatch.” She looked down at Mehr with his hands reaching up for her and jumped.

I watched as Mehr caught her easily. Her thumbs up to me accompanied a wide smile. I knew she was in good hands, because one of her males had her.

“We’re going down the same way.” Alexxon moved to the hatch and jumped through then raised his arms for me to follow. I did with a little yelp as he caught me.

Ruze brought up the rear and then we were off, down another hallway. Only this one was lined with hundreds of blinking panels that ended at a set of double doors. On a panel adjacent to the doors, Mehr touched a sequence of blinking lights and the doors split open.

I blinked hard at what was revealed. I exchanged a shocked glance with Elizabeth as she came to stand next to me. Her hand clasped mine in mutual reassurance.

Like something right out of a sci-fi movie, stretched out before us, was a long narrow room that went on for miles. A narrow pathway lined with tiny lights ran down the center, and on either side were oval shaped depressions set at regular intervals for as far as the eye could see. Tubes hung down in the voided cavities as if something had been plucked out and the roots were all that was left.

“Fuck!” Mehr fisted claw tipped hands and punched the closest wall. The panel there sparking and flickering where he’d left a massive dent.

“They can’t all be gone,” Ruze grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and started to jog the pathway. Mehr was right behind them.

“That explains why we didn’t run into anyone on the way here.” I turned frightened eyes to Alexxon.

“We haven’t gotten this far to give up now.” Alexxon grabbed my hand. “Come on, leluna. Ruze is right. They can’t all be gone.”

Elizabeth and her Nomadican’s were way out in front of us. It didn’t look as if they were ever going to stop. We sprinted for what felt like a mile, my lungs burning from the exertion of keeping pace with Alexxon. My rising panic was the fuel that kept me going. My hope of finding any remaining escape pods was growing smaller with every step.

Nearing the end of the pathway, the Nomadican’s skidded to a halt. “Come on!” Ruze waved us over. “There’s three left.”

The ship took a massive hit, knocking us off our feet. Alexxon dropped the pipe but didn’t go after it as it rolled away. Neither did he wait for me to regain my footing but snatched me up from the floor and hurried over to where the others waited.

The escape pods were larger than what I had imagined. About the size of a mid-size sedan that seated two with sleek black hulls reflecting the tiny lights from the surrounding panels. A clear bubble-like windshield covered the majority of the front giving us a view of the high-tech interior.

Monitors seemed to cover every surface with more switches and dials than the cockpit of a commercial airliner. A thin console split the cushioned seats in two.

“How are all three of us going to fit in one of those?” Elizabeth shared a concerned look between Ruze and Mehr.

“You and Mehr will take that one,” Ruze directed as the ship shuddered with another hard blow. The lights flickered and everyone looked around with concerned gazes. “Alexxon and Bree will go in that one. I will take the one over here.”

“That doesn’t look good.” Mehr turned a critical eye to the third escape pod that sat off-kilter in its holder. “All three of us can cram inside one.”

“You know that’s not possible,” Ruze said. “The pod’s life-support can only handle two, Mehr, and well you know it.”

“Why you?” Mehr turned back to his comrade. “Maybe I want to be the one to take the risk.”

“Risk?” Elizabeth squeaked. “What risk?”

“I’m older,” Ruze answered Mehr without meeting Elizabeth’s rounded eyes. “You have more living left to do than I. Take care of our shoulsis.”

An explosion rang out behind us. We whirled around to find a cloud of black smoke rolling toward us as the lighting flickered once and died. We were left in the dark except for the soft glow from the interior lights of two of the pods. The third that Ruze had indicated was his looked more dead than alive.

“We are out of time.” Ruze touched a silver square on the bubbled windshield of one pod. With a pop, the seal was broken, and the bubbled windshield lifted up and over to the side. He grabbed a struggling Elizabeth as Mehr climbed aboard. He placed a reverent kiss on her trembling lips before depositing her next to Mehr. “Go with Mehr, Elishbeth. I will see you soon.”

The sorrowful exchange tore at my heart. Elizabeth’s anguished pleading for Ruze to join them was cut off as the bubbled windshield locked back into place. Ruze flipped up a cover with a circled logo and punched a large button. The pod jettisoned out the back of a spiraling hatch before slamming shut against a glimpse of twinkling stars.

They were gone before I could say goodbye.

“Am I supposed to know how to fly that thing?” Alexxon pointed to our pod with raised eyebrows.

Ruze touched the silver square on our windshield. What looked like a sticker glowed, revealing a keypad. “Touch these two keys simultaneously and then the center key to open the pod. Hop in. I’ll give you a quick lesson on how to operate the controls. It’s easy.”

The interior gleamed and glittered with a plethora of technology. Ruze and Alexxon climbed inside to occupy the only two seats.

“You too, Bree.” Ruze gestured for me to sit on Alexxon’s lap. “In case something happens to him. You need to know how to operate the pod.”

After I settled myself on Alexxon’s lap, Ruze showed us how to close the bubbled windshield. It sealed us in with a vacuumed swoosh of air. Then a heads-up display came to life, covering the glass with all sorts of informational screens.

Ruze explained what each screen meant and pointed out a blue planet he called Hyose, to aim for once the pod jettisoned.

“There’s no steering like on a spacecraft because the pod doesn’t actually fly, only travels through the vacuum of space from the momentum of being expelled from this ship. There’s no gravity in space, so you’ll never stop moving,” Ruze explained. “These switches activate canisters of compressed air that can maneuver the pod in the direction you want it to go. But use them wisely and sparingly,” he cautioned. “Once you use them up, that’s it and you’ll be at the mercy of space.”

“Sounds scary enough,” I quipped.

“If for some reason you go off course and miss Hyose, look for any planet marked in blue. Those are ones that are habitable. Avoid any solar systems ringed in red. They are under Universeval Rule and you want to avoid any Yulineon patrols.”

“Why? What does all that mean?”

“Quick cosmic lesson.” Ruze swiped his finger over a blank square outlined in a glowing frame and the screen filled with strange markings like hieroglyphics. Ruze tapped on the markings and an image of a silver male in a two-piece white uniform standing next to a small, round silver craft popped up. “That’s a Yulineon and his patrolling craft. He has onboard weapons. You don’t. If he gets his hands on Bree, he will kill her just for being human.”

“Why?” I defended. “What did I do wrong?”

“You’re off-planet and have knowledge of life on other worlds,” was Ruze’s cryptic response. “As far as Universeval Rule goes. Basically, it’s a galactic governing body that watches over infant galaxies. The Yulineon’s patrol the borders to prevent more technologically superior lifeforms from harming worlds not as advanced.”

“Why kill me? I don’t know shit compared to all this.” I swept my hand around the pod’s interior.

“Their protection goes both ways. The vast majority of humans aren’t ready to accept life on other worlds. No offense, but you’re a primitive people compared to most. If life on other worlds was confirmed, your perceptions of the world you thought you knew would be radically changed. Humans don’t like what they don’t understand. World-wide hysteria would ensue, and results would be catastrophic, affecting more than just your planet.”

The ship took another hard hit. I slung my arms around Alexxon’s neck, glad to be in the comfort of his embrace.

“Time to launch.” Ruze showed us how to release the bubbled windshield and climbed out. “Remember, once you get within the gravitational field of Hyose, it will bring you in. The pod will land itself. Activate the beacon like I showed you and one of us will come find you.”

I climbed over the console, claiming the seat where Ruze had sat.

“Thanks, friend,” Alexxon said. “What of you? That pod doesn’t look launch worthy.”

“Don’t worry. I will make it work.” Ruze patted the hull of our pod. “See you on the surface.”

With that, Ruze closed us in. We buckled ourselves in just in time to watch Ruze slammed his hand over the launch button and out we went like a bullet from a pistol.

My scream of surprise was caught in my throat. Alexxon threw out an arm to brace me as we barreled through space. My fear of heights magnified to a whole new level as there was nothing around us but empty space.

What made my eyes bulge was the ship we had just exited. Enormous and angular, our pod had launched from the underneath side of the nose. There weren’t many sections of the ship that hadn’t been fired on. The battered mass of hulking metal smoldered with small explosions, burping balls of liquid flames.

In the vacuum of space, the smoke didn’t billow, and the fire didn’t lick from the ships many wounds, but floated free in fluid bubbles like balls of lava.

The Wetokian Destroyer lurked nearby, revving up its red-tipped weapons and blasted the ship again.

“I hope Ruze makes it out of there,” I uttered as the blast blew off a portion of the side.

Pieces of the ship flew out in every direction. A large chunk of debris traveling at break-neck speed whizzed by, narrowly missing us.

“Fucking Helios, that was close,” Alexxon clutched my hand in his. “Ruze has to get out of there now.”

As our pod floated farther away, the damaged ship grew smaller. We watched in horror as the Wetokian Destroyer turned and moved around the ship, aiming its weapons at the nose.

“Ruze won’t stand a chance if he doesn’t get out of there now,” Alexxon gritted out through clenched teeth. “Fuck! We shouldn’t have left him. We should have made him come with us.”

“Oh, no,” I cried. “Come on, Ruze. Get out of there!”

The Wetokian’s blasters burned hot, pulsing just before two glowing orbs were shot off the Wetokian ship’s wingtips. Before the shots exploded the nose of the ship, a sleek black oval jettisoned from the underside of the hull.

“Yes!” Alexxon cheered.

“He made it!” I bounced in my seat. “He made it!”

Debris from the explosion whipped passed us with smaller pieces pinging off the hull like a hailstorm. Our celebration ended when we were side swiped by a hurtling chunk that cannonballed us off course.

We were sent into a nauseating spin. The view outside our bubbled windshield flashing first past the blue planet, Hyose, then the smoldering ship. The rapid snap shots of both fell farther and farther away as we free floated on a reckless new path.

CHAPTER 12

BREENA

By the time our pod stopped spinning, we had been knocked so far off course, the blue planet, Hyose, was the size of a marble where it sat way off in the distance. We could even see the entirety of the solar system where it lived as our pod continued to float farther and farther away. Just like Ruze had said, in the vacuum of space, there was nothing out here to stop us.

Alexxon was busy mumbling to himself, putting the scanner to use that Ruze had showed us would locate other planets where we could land.

“This looks good,” Alexxon said, pointing to an area outside the red zone where Ruze had warned us to avoid.

I didn’t understand all of what he had told us about a governing body of Yulineon patrol guys. All I knew for certain was I planned to avoid them at all costs. I didn’t escape only to be killed by some galactic police just because I was human and had been unfortunate enough to have been abducted.

I turned my head to look at Alexxon’s strong profile in the seat next to me. Maybe not completely unfortunate. “What looks good?”

“See this area here.” On the scanner, he increased the size of a solar system with two fingers. “There’s a planet marked in blue and it’s not inside Yulineon territory.”

Alexxon touched the heads-up display that showed our location compared to that of the planets. “Ruze said we could change our trajectory with the compressed air canisters. With a few moves, I think I can aim us toward that planet. What do you think?”

“It looks like our best chance. We can’t stay out here forever.”

“Agreed.” Alexxon turned to me with a brilliant smile.

Despite being terrified that we were completely lost in outer space, my insides went all giddy. “If I could choose anyone to be stuck inside an escape pod with, I would pick you every time.”

Alexxon’s scales suffused with color. “As I would you, leluna.”

I leaned over the console and kissed his cheek. “A kiss for luck.”

Before I could pull away, Alexxon captured my face in his hands. His lips brushed softly over mine before licking his way inside, deepening the kiss until my toes curled and my girly bits started to tingle.

“May the Spirits show us favor,” Alexxon pulled away and muttered some sort of prayer and depressed the lever of one canister.

I white-knuckled the edge of my seat as our pod changed direction. The dot on the heads-up display that was us, started to align with the planet that sat way off in the distance.

Alexxon patiently waited until the pod turned, then discharged the next canister. The only sign he was anything but calm were the rippling of colors across his scales. Our speed increased as we were pushed into a new position.

A few more slight adjustments and the pod’s instruments showed we were in perfect alignment with the planet.

“Good job, baby.” I released a long breath.

Alexxon settled back in his seat, closing his eyes, and scrubbing his hands down his face. “If I ever make it back to Valose, I vow to never venture beyond the clouds again.”

“I heard that. My space traveling days are over.”

With hands clasped, we could finally relax knowing we were headed toward a planet and no longer floating aimlessly through space. After a time of watching the distant stars twinkling against a velvety backdrop, my stomach growled.

“When was the last time you had anything to eat?” Alexxon asked. “The last meal I remember was on Valose.”

“Isn’t this where Ruze said we could find a stash of rations?” I popped open a compartment near the floor and pulled out a sealed pouch with strange markings.

It felt like it was made from heavy plastic, bulging in the center with its contents. I struggled to tear open the pouch, even setting my teeth on the corner and pulling to no avail.

“Let me try.” Alexxon took the pouch, punctured one end with the sharp point of a fang, and tore the thing open.

“Those come in handy.”

“Just wait until I use them between your thighs.”

Heat rushed over me in a fierce wave. “Well, I… can’t wait.” I stuttered, imagining his silver head dipped between my legs.

Alexxon’s sexy grin had me squeezing my thighs together. My girly bits on fire wanting to sample what he bragged about. Our pod was fairly small and my silver Sidhe was a large male. Him feasting on my flesh would have to wait until we had more room.

I cleared the thick of lust from my throat. “What’s in the pouch?”

Alexxon pulled apart the plastic and reached inside. He lifted out what looked like dried meat chunks. He sniffed at it before putting one in his mouth and biting down.

“Hard as a rock.”

“Maybe it needs to be rehydrated like camping food,” I said and reached into the compartment for a cylinder that looked like a bottled water.

There was no obvious cap, but an inch from the top was an indentation around the circumference. I tried twisting one way and then the other until I felt a seal of sorts give way. With the lid removed, I peered down into a clear liquid. I sniffed it before taking a tentative sip.

“Water,” I decided. “Let’s pour a little inside the pouch and see what happens.”

Alexxon held the pouch while I poured. The contents reacted immediately with the water, absorbing the liquid and swelling into something that looked more like white meat.

“Here goes,” Alexxon said, looking doubtful at the reconstituted meat chunk before popping it in his mouth and chewed. “Taste like chiksin.”

I burst out laughing.

“What?” Alexxon shot me a perplexed look. “Why is that funny?”

“On Earth, it’s kind of a joke when you say something taste like chicken,” I explained. “You know, when you taste mystery meat and you say, ‘Hmm… tastes like chicken.’”

Alexxon slowly shook his head. “Yeah… no. I don’t see the humor in that.”

“Oh, well.” I shrugged. “Let me try one.”

I pinched a chunk out of the pouch. It had the consistency of meat. I sniffed it first, then nipped a tiny piece off with my teeth. When I didn’t find it disgusting, I popped the rest in my mouth and chewed, glad to have food that wasn’t a bowl of gruel the troll had always pushed into my cage.

“Taste like chiksin?” Alexxon smirked.

I giggled. “If chiksin is the Valosian version of Earth chicken, then yes, it tastes like chiksin.”

We sat together, eating our meal, and sharing the cylinder of water while looking out at the vastness of space. Our pod speeding toward the planet we planned to land on.

“How much food and waa-tore are in there?” Alexxon pointed to the compartment at my feet.

I counted the pouches of food and cylinders of water. “Twenty of each.”

“We’ll ration our supply until we land and get an idea of our temporary world,” Alexxon planned. “With the beacon on, I hope the Nomadican’s will be able to come and get us soon.”

“Me too,” I shuddered. “I hope the natives are friendly on this new world.”

“I’ll be there to protect you.” Alexxon captured my hand in his, raising it to his lips for a reassuring kiss. His chest began to vibrate out a soothing melody that instantly put me at ease.

“I know you will,” I sighed, feeling the tension in my muscles ease. I leaned my head against his shoulder, wishing there wasn’t a console separating our seats.

“It will be a while before we reach our destination.” Alexxon continued to thrum. “What shall we do to pass the time?”

A wicked grin slid across my lips. “Well, we could finish what we started in our little hiding place on the ship.”

Alexxon’s thrumming picked up tempo. What was meant to soothe became stimulating. My girly bits heated up and I wiggled in my seat.

“Are you certain you wish to bond with me?” Alexxon turned fully in his seat to face me. “It would mean if we were rescued, you would return to Valose with me. A piece of my spirit would live inside of you as yours would live inside of me.”

My eyes skated across the landscape of muscle covering his chest. In my heart I knew what I felt for Alexxon went beyond lust. There was something tangible that tied us together. I couldn’t put a name to it, but that didn’t make it any less real.

Then an image of my twin sister, Rowan, floated to the forefront. I would never see her again if I chose to stay with Alexxon. I would be leaving my entire family behind. My friends. My life back on Earth would be lost to me forever.

A piece of me mourned the loss. At the same time, another piece of me reached out for Alexxon. My heart and soul cried out for this big silver alien elf. That insistent tug behind my sternum swirled with need and anticipation. Deep down, I knew if I were to leave Alexxon behind and return to Earth, the loss of him would be too great to bear.

“I’m su—”

Before the words had finished leaving my mouth, Alexxon had pulled me out of my seat, across the console, and settled me astride his lap.

Alexxon gripped me around the waist, thrumming out a tune that fueled my arousal. Our eyes locked for an eternity. His swirling a silver storm.

My body ached for the thick shaft pulsing under me. The tug behind my sternum banged for release as did my body.

Alexxon smoothed his hands up my ribs to cup my breasts in his large silver palms. My belly tightened with his gentle caresses. When he moved the slick fabric of my top aside to rub a thumb across my nipple, I felt a fresh rush of wetness pool at my core. I was more than ready to receive him.

His hands cradled my face as I leaned down to touch my lips to his. He reverently brushed his lips across mine before dipping his tongue inside. I moaned around his lazy exploration as our tongues met and tangled, sliding, and relishing the taste of the other.

The slow burn we had created turned hot. The ache between my thighs turned desperate. My body frantic to be joined with his. My hands explored everywhere at once, tunneling through his thick, silvery hair, then traveling over his pecs and shoulders to squeeze and kneed before I started to pull at the fabric separating our sexes.

Alexxon shifted beneath me, grunting, and cursing the pants he had been dressed in. I did the same, tearing at the skirting still knotted between my legs.

Finally, we were free of our garments and able to behold the flesh we had revealed. His magnificent cock stood proud between us. The tip was a darker silver, swollen and leaking a viscous fluid. Layered with ridges, a row of nubs ran along the length like a spine. His alien anatomy was built for pleasure.

“You’re beautiful,” he hissed and licked the point of one fang. “I would taste the cream I can scent between your thighs.”

I moaned at his bawdy words, wanting exactly that.

“Raise up on your knees, so I can slide down and sample what I ache to claim.”

How could I say no to that? I did as he said. My slit hovering a scant inch above his face. Heat flushed my face as his hot breath washed over the most private part of me. He breathed in deep and groaned.

My hands gripped the headrest and I looked down between us. His tongue flicked out and ran the length of my slit. I shivered above him. My thighs trembling with the need for more.

My eyes hooded but never looked away as he tasted me with the slow probe of his tongue before deepening the kiss. His lips joined with mine in the most intimate of kisses. I could feel his tongue dancing within me, lapping at my walls until I begged him to stop.

As he lowered me and resumed his seat, I wrapped my hand around his girth. His cock weeped with a slick need. I stroked him from tip to base and back again, using his fluids as a natural lube.

“Mine!” Alexxon growled, his fingers slipped in from behind to spear my sex.

I jerked with the jolt of pleasure and did some growling of my own.

“Mine.” I squeezed his shaft.

Alexxon undulated beneath me. I rocked my hips in time with his, teasing the tip of his sex between my slippery folds before nudging his engorged tip into my entrance.

“Are you certain?” Alexxon strained beneath me as if keeping himself in check.

“I’m sure,” I said as I fed more of him inside me.

The feeling of being stretched was exhilarating. With every inch that glided inside, a hard nub would bump against my clit until the primal need to be fully joined with him, spurred me to seat myself fully.

I had meant to take it slow, to savor the feel of every inch of him as he penetrated me. My primal urges took control, and my patience to have him inside me was at an end. With a swivel of my hips, I glided down his shaft until my backside hit his heavy sack.

Alexxon latched onto one nipple and then the other, suckling me as I rode his cock with slow curls of my hips. All the while, the tug behind my sternum had culminated into something feral. I threw back my head, arching my back as an overwhelming feeling of joy broke free.

I had a vague notion of a soft blue light between us, but I was too caught up in the growing intensity of my release, I discounted it. Alexxon was thrumming so hard, it felt as if his cock was vibrating within me. Teetering on the edge of release, I peered down through slitted eyelids to see a set of triangular flaps had erected at the base of his cock. With every roll of my hips, they stroked my clit until I slammed my eyes closed against the eruption of my climax.

Something warm spread across my chest and the intensity of my pleasure doubled. Alexxon surged upward, bringing our bodies tight together. His scales erupting in a chaotic flash of blues and silvers.

I collapsed against him. My breath coming out in pants as I rested my head on his heavy shoulder. I nuzzled his neck and placed a kiss below his pointed ear. An echo of pure joy I knew didn’t belong to me ribboned around my heart.

I raised my head to peer into Alexxon’s face when I noticed the glowing designs that marked both our chests.

“Shawras,” he said in answer to my unspoken question. “The portals where our spirits coalesce.”

“Is that why I can feel an echo of you inside me?”

“Yes.” He placed my hand over the design between his pecs that matched mine. “The same as I can feel a piece of you inside of me.”

“Soulmates.” I marveled at the lazy contentment of his essence intertwining with mine.

CHAPTER 13

ALEXXON

I woke to a buzzer. I scrubbed my face, disbelieving I’d actually fallen asleep. With the weight and warmth of my spirit mate blanketing me, my body had known tranquility for the first time since waking up in a cage on a strange world.

“What is that awful noise?” Bree raised up sleepily and looked over one shoulder only to recoil at what was filling up the space of the clear bubbled hatch.

“The proximity alarm Ruze told us about.” I silenced the buzzing with the press of my finger. The planet was enormous and closing fast. “Looks like we’ve reached our destination.”

“Oh my god, it’s so colorful.” Bree moved back to her seat, and I mourned the loss of her body’s heat. “The clouds are like fluffy rainbows. I wonder what that will look like from the ground.”

“We’re going to find out soon enough.”

We dressed and buckled ourselves in our seats. Bree reached over and clutched my forearm. The swirl of her spirit that lived inside me trembled with a mixture of fear and wonder.

I didn’t know what a rain-bow was, but I much preferred my clouds silver, and set in a blue sky. This planet would have to do until Ruze and Mehr could come to our rescue. If they came at all.

“Look at that,” Bree pointed to what I figured was a large moon silently orbiting the colorful planet. “It’s so pretty! I’ve never seen a moon that’s emerald green. Earth’s moon is gray and desolate.”

“Valose has two moons that sparkle a silvery blue.”

Bree’s eyes touched mine. “Sounds lovely. I can’t wait to see your world.”

“I can’t wait to show it to you.”

Bree yelped and I stiffened in my seat as the pod jolted. As if grabbed by an invisible hand, we started to move toward the moon and out of the trajectory of the planet.

“Fucking Helios!” I tapped on the heads-up display to show our path. “We’re stuck in the moon’s gravitational pull.”

“Can you get us out of it?” Bree’s eyes went wide.

“I can try.”

We weren’t going to need the remaining compressed air canisters to navigate now that we had arrived. I discharged one. When that did nothing to pull us away from the moon, I flipped the switch on another.

I kept trying in vain to break out of the force that wouldn’t let go until all the canisters were spent.

“That’s it. We’re at the mercy of the moon’s gravity.” I tapped the screens that were lit up before me. “It’s marked in blue, so it’s habitable.”

“Good to know since it looks like it will be our home away from home.”

“Until the Nomadican’s come back for us,” I added, refusing to let go of hope that I would return to Valose.

“Until then,” Bree agreed.

Her uncertainties of us ever being found lingered inside me like a black mist. I didn’t blame her for her doubts. With all we had been through and survived, would the Spirits show us one more favor?

“Is the pod supposed to be vibrating like this?” Bree squeezed my hand so hard, it was a wonder she hadn’t broken my bones.

“I have no idea.”

It was so odd to feel another’s awareness mixed with my own. With both of us overcome with apprehension over our latest predicament, it was hard to tell where her emotions started and mine ended.

“We’re going to be okay,” Bree said.

I wasn’t sure if that was for her benefit or mine. I remained silent and held tight to her hand as the moon she had called, emm-r-old, rushed up to greet us.

I’d grown used to the smooth propulsion of our pod as we’d journeyed. This barreling toward an object was proving to be as alarming as when we’d been jettisoned out of the exploding ship.

The proximity buzzer ripped through the already tense silence making us both jump in our seats. I punched the button with an angry fist and snarled. The noise warbled before dying with a receding trill.

“We’re coming in too fast!” I felt, more then heard, the panic in Bree’s voice.

I sent up a silent prayer to the Spirit’s that we would safely make it to the ground.

We broke through wispy clouds to a landscape filled with lush vegetation. The pod jolted before slowing. This had to be the controlled descent Ruze had said the pod would perform once we came in for a landing.

The strangely hued trees slapped at the pod’s hull as we broke through the canopy of an alien jungle. The pod slowed and tilted us upward, so we were looking at the clouds instead of ahead. A clunk and a whirring sounded at our backs.

Ruze said there would be landing gear extending. That must have been it. We touched down with the slightest of bumps. The tree’s canopy already closing from where we had pushed through. This place was nothing like the jungle of Huren, but I would take this over a fiery crash.

“Holy shit,” Bree breathed out. “The landing wasn’t too bad, but I could have done without the plummeting part.”

My laughter was more about the release of anxiety than Bree’s jest. I reached up to tap on the scanner that would show me the oxygen levels and the location of any lifeforms before I released the lock on the hatch.

“Everything looks the way Ruze said it should,” I began, but was cut off by an alert of an approaching creature. I touched the screen and expanded the image.

“What is that thing?” Bree leaned in closer. “Looks like a person.”

“A person with really big horns.” I measured the distance between us and him. “He’s closing fast. We need to get out of here and find a place to hide.”

As a seasoned warrior of Valose, it went against my instincts to run away. I was weaponless and in unfamiliar territory, and a wise Sia once told me that the best way to handle the unknown was to bide your time and learn everything you could about your surroundings before making any rash moves.

“Grab the rations,” I told Bree. “I’ll get the beacon.”

Bree made a sack out of her skirting, collecting the contents of the compartment while I removed the beacon and released the hatch to a balmy breeze. I hated to leave the confines of the pod, but the way the horned male had homed in on our location told me he had seen us fall from the sky.

After we exited the pod, I closed the bubbled hatch. Bree and I kept low while we bolted through the thick vegetation. Hiding was the best way for me to keep Bree safe, but I also needed to observe the male charging toward the pod. I needed to size him up, so I knew what I was dealing with.

I felt the chaos of my scales flashing and flickering trying to match the environment, but all the colors around me were unknown. My natural camouflage was unable to adapt.

“Can you climb?” I eyed a large tree with good climbing branches.

“I’ll try, but I’m packing our rations in my skirt. I need one hand to hold onto our stash.”

We came to a halt at the base of the large tree. I placed a finger across my lips to keep Bree quiet while I put my sensitive auditory system to work. My ears swiveled and perked, picking up the sounds of the alien jungle. No footsteps followed us.

“Leave the rations here,” I told Bree while brushing aside leaf debris from around the base of the tree. “Not the most original spot, but we need to go up. I want to get a look at that horned male.”

Bree emptied her skirt, I covered the rations with leaves, and we started to climb. “You’re doing great,” I encouraged as I followed right behind her, knowing her fear of heights.

“I can see the pod,” Bree said once we had climbed halfway.

“Let’s watch from here.” We settled on a large branch where we could peer through breaks in the leaves.

The male was huge and crouched low while he scanned the area, pausing every few secs in his vigilance to study the pod. He carried a massive spear, holding it out front. It was aimed and at the ready.

Heavily covered in blue scales on his arms and back, his bare chest was ripped with muscle. His head was armed with large black horns that tapered to deadly points that curled around to the front.

His body was a vibrant blue in stark contrast with a long black mane, brightly streaked with what I had learned from Bree was the color red. Not the soft red of Bree’s mane, but the vivid red of the proximity alarm button on the pod.

The blue male stopped at the silver square on the bubbled hatch. Primitively dressed in leather pants and fur boots, it came as a shock when he touched the square and knew how to release the hatch.

“He looks like a caveman. How does he know how to operate the pod?” Bree quietly questioned.

“I was wondering the same.”

The male looked inside the pod, touching some of the instruments before closing the hatch. He turned back to the jungle and scanned the surroundings. Bree and I ducked down, making ourselves as small as possible.

Then he pulled in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he filled his lungs. He repeated this a few more times before turning to face in our direction. Crouched low, in a defensive stance, the wicked looking spear he carried was held in both hands, pointing outward as if he were bracing for a fight.

“He’s caught our scent,” I hissed. “He knows we’re here.”

“What are we gonna do?”

“Remain up here and try to stay hidden.” A fresh rush of adrenalyne ignited my veins, demanding I jump down and remove the danger to keep my spirit mate safe. For now, I needed to use my head. She was safest high up in this tree. Until I could obtain a weapon of my own, we needed to find a place to hunker down.

The male gave up his search of the surrounding jungle and removed a length of rope from his belt and lassoed it around the pod. Next, he clipped some sort of disc to the underside of the pod. The landing gear raised as the pod floated above the ground.

“What the hell?” Bree mumbled.

“Gravity disruptor,” I explained. “We use them on our rovers.”

“What are those?” Bree wrinkled her nose.

“Modes of transportation that hover above the ground and propel forward using thrusters,” I said, looking back at the male. “Where is he taking our pod?”

With the rope wrapped around our pod, the male pulled it along behind him. The gravity disruptor keeping the hull above the ground as he disappeared into the thick of the jungle.

“Good thing you took the beacon.” Bree relaxed as the male vanished from sight. “Now what are we gonna do?”

“We need to find shelter and something to wear that blends in with this environment until the Nomadicans come to get us. All this silver we’re wearing is easily spotted against the jungle’s vegetation.”

“Good plan.” Bree looked down from our lofty perch. “First, I’ll have to summon the courage to climb down.”

“Don’t worry, leluna, I won’t let you fall.”

“I’m not worried. You’re always there to protect me, my silver Sidhe.”

Thank you for reading Silver Sidhe! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Iona’s newsletter!

LILLY GRIFFIN

PIPPA’S QUANDARY

CHAPTER 1

PIPPA

“Mommy, how much longer till we get on the boat?” My precocious, too bright, soon-to-be five-year-old whispered in my ear.

The excitement of the crowds jostling and pushing towards the gangplank to board the cruise ship had my anxiety spiking—the claustrophobic feeling of being hemmed in on all sides by too many bodies.

Putting my face closer to my daughter, I whispered back, “Not long now, sweetie; just a few more minutes, and we can get on board and find our cabin.”

Inhaling the scent of Harlow’s strawberry shampoo helped calm my nerves.

A tired sigh and the tightening of little arms around my neck before I faintly caught her reply, “OK, Mommy.”

Then my daughter laid her chin on my shoulder as she watched the people around us.

Cringing at the screams and squeals of multiple female voices, my eyes tracked the sounds to see a giant clump of young women. I would say ages seventeen to somewhere close to their mid-twenties. They were all wearing yellowed flowered sundresses, indicating they were there as a group. I couldn’t get a count, but it sounded like there were hundreds of them.

A tall, young, blond woman yelled out, “Ladies, ladies,” she laughed in delight before continuing, “we will be boarding shortly. Find your cabins, grab those sexy bikinis, and meet me on A deck at the pool,” the blond looked at her watch before wrapping up, “at 2:30 p.m. for copious amounts of cocktails.”

The girls screamed their approval, irritating my ears. My daughter covered hers with a pained whimper.

How long had it been since I’d been out in public, dealing with this level of noise and crowd? Harlow had never been, so this was overwhelming for her, let alone me.

Thinking back, it was before Harlow was born. The only time our keepers unleashed us, our jailers controlled the conditions. Still, I flushed in satisfaction at the memory of us finally being able to leave our so-called ‘home.’

I’d been taken to this ‘home’ when I was sixteen, pregnant, and in trouble with the law. A set of prearranged circumstances led us to the cruise ship while our ‘home’ was looking for us elsewhere. Instead, the two of us would be getting off the boat or this three-ring circus in Bermuda. Then catching another one to Greenland and hopefully disappearing off the radar completely.

‘Home’ wasn’t their real name; it was what our jailers called it or sometimes experiment number 1255.5. We never learned the true meaning; we only guessed it meant the five of us for that particular trial. We were all the same age with a kid on the way. Each of us was placed with ‘home’ by the court for various reasons.

The public knew them as ‘Gen-Home Initiative Group 1255.’ Over fifteen hundred other research centers were spread worldwide, from my understanding. These groups shared an intelligent database on all the experiments each was running or cross-running.

They were not big centers, so they could keep the social workers and investigators from seeing everything Gen-Home was doing. The one we were in resembled a giant warehouse outside, taking up two city blocks. It was split into the science and home sections, where we stayed locked up.

I had to give it to them; it was a comfortable existence. We were not mistreated except for a rare few instances, but we were not allowed to leave at our majority either. The Judge informed the five of us we were still unsuitable for life outside the facility. We were pretty sure there wasn’t a judge involved any longer, just the group at this point.

That was two almost three years ago and with no end in sight. At sixteen, maybe eight months into our pregnancies, we discovered they experimented on us both mentally and physically. So, even then, we knew they may not ever let us go, yet we still held out hope that wouldn’t be the case. The date of our release came and went with our freedom not being granted. So, we plotted over the last three years, toeing the line, making sure they had nothing to worry about. We were model citizens holding out ‘hope’ the ‘judge’ would change his mind.

The experiment wasn’t all about just gene manipulation but also about nurture versus nature and the psychology of the human mind. I never learned why they experimented on us or even why they were doing a study on child-rearing.

While I learned a lot just from paying attention, I couldn’t care less about their manifesto. If I hadn’t had Harlow, I would have shown my displeasure long before it got to this point. The group used us to test and prove their gene changes for the public, the lab rats that no one cared about, familywise or even public-wise. I’d heard about a few deaths over the years, but overall, they were careful with us to test subjects other than taking away our rights and freedom to make those choices.

It wasn’t all bad; Gen-Home also educated us, giving us the illusion that we would integrate into society and contribute to a successful life once released. Mostly it was to keep us compliant in our captivity.

Gen-Home even trained us to protect ourselves and others, although, in recent years, we found we were groomed for a more nefarious purpose with our children as hostages to force us to perform. They had to sell their product in some way to keep the money rolling in, and as the saying goes, “the proofs in the pudding.”

I wished the other girls, my sisters in spirit, I escaped with could have stayed together, but it was too dangerous. The fire Midge started in the facility was the only way we could have gotten out of the building without being stopped. We scattered amidst the chaos, a few unfortunate accidents along the way to some guards and doctors. A grin lifted the corner of my mouth at the thought of the two I’d handled.

Another smile touched my face. We’d put Gen-Home’s training to good use there at the end. Maybe, I should send them a thank you card; I would love to thumb my nose at them. Oh well.

A shuffling of feet drew my attention from my memories to an older woman and man; they pushed into the crowd, causing more space to open up. Catching the eye of the older woman who, for some reason, looked alarmed, Hurriedly looking around, I made sure there wasn’t any danger. Finding none, I returned my attention to the couple, curious why they were acting so strange. They were both facing away, bodies stiff; the man looked over his shoulder at me, only to whip back around when he saw my gaze on him.

Then, he whispered into the woman’s ear. “Dear, I think we should let the young woman and her daughter pass us. She looks…” he paused, groping for a word, “tired. Why don’t we take a quick bathroom break before getting on board?”

The woman returned his whisper. “Do you think she’s dangerous?”

The older woman peered over her shoulder, making eye contact. Pasting on a pleasant expression, I gave the woman my tiny half-exhausted smile. It was challenging since I wasn’t sure they weren’t a danger to us now based on how they were behaving.

The woman’s shoulders relaxed at my efforts. “She does look tired, dear. I bet that crazed look from earlier was just her thinking of getting to her cabin and out of this madhouse. I feel a little deranged myself, come to think of it.”

The older man harrumphed his agreement before confirming his wife’s assessment. Then he, too, relaxed.

“You’re right, dear; I don’t know what we were thinking. Too many wild kingdom videos.” He chuckled lightly.

The older woman joined him. They allowed the crowd to surround us again but with another couple between us.

Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I returned to the past. Thanks to our ‘ benefactors,’ I had many talents, wanted or not. My daughter had even more since Harlow’s gene changes were introduced during my pregnancy. One of our talents was excellent hearing with the ability to triangulate if desired, and a few others I hoped to prove beneficial in our ability to stay out of ‘homes’ hands.

Squeezing Harlow a little, I could only be thankful our group and three other groups were allowed to keep our kids. Listening to the guards and other scientists at ‘home,’ all the others who came to them pregnant had to give up their children at birth.

Finally, the line moved; my arms were aching from holding Harlow for so long.

At that moment, an announcement came over the PA system. “All aboard, that’s coming aboard.”

The male voice paused to wait out the cheering, then went on to say, “You will be met with onboarding personnel at the check-in station to get you situated and set up in your rooms in an orderly fashion. Be aware no weapons are allowed, and you will be scanned. We want to welcome you to Claimed Among the Star’s Cruise Line. May your stay with us be one of adventure and pleasure as we venture to all your favorite destinations over the coming week.”

A whispered, “Finally,” came from my daughter.

Twisting to face forward in my arms, Harlow watched the people moving slowly forward in front of us with ill-concealed impatience.

Perhaps fifteen minutes later, we were in a big room with many stations and people standing behind them, tablets in hand, ready for the next person in line. The lines were forming in alphabetical order going from right to left. Harlow and I got in line under the ‘L’ for Longstocken.

Perhaps another twenty minutes went by before we got to the front of our line. The lady smiled widely before asking for my and my daughter’s name.

“Pippa and Harlow Longstocken,” I replied with a return smile.

“Oh yes, here you are. Welcome aboard.” The lady waved to a porter taking the next person or persons to their room.

“Joseph, take the Longstocken’s to deck A, room 24B, and get them settled in, then hustle back, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Joseph greeted the two of us with a smile before saying, “Right this way.”

Joseph then gave a brief overview of the types of activities for adults and kids before we arrived at our cabin door.

“Ma’am, if you would scan your keycard.”

Adjusting my arms, I dug into the welcome packet for my key card and handed it over since my arms were full. Thankfully in little time, we were in a small cabin with two twin beds, a bathroom, a small refrigerator, and a TV. The twin beds shared a longer nightstand that showcased built-in lamps.

“Ma’am, if there will be anything else?” Joseph held out the keycard with a customer service smile.

“No, that is it. Thanks for pointing out things that Harlow will enjoy.” I said by way of an acknowledgment for his efforts.

Joseph looked at my daughter with a genuine smile before saying, “My pleasure,” and letting himself out.

Sighing, I let Harlow down, who immediately went for the bathroom. I couldn’t blame her; that was my next stop as well. Lifting the suitcase on wheels onto the bed nearest me, I quickly unpacked. Harlow still wasn’t out, so I called out in jest.

“Did you fall in, sweetheart?”

A put-upon sigh came from the bathroom doorway.

“No, Mom. I was waiting for you to complete the chores.”

Turning to face the bathroom, I caught my daughter’s mischievous smile.

“Oh really. Hmm,” I gave Harlow an evil grin. “I think you should be punished for making me do all the work while my bladder is about to pop.”

Raising my hands into the tickle claw position, I growled, “Come to me, my pretty.” Harlow squealed in laughter; her eyes darted around, searching for an out. Thankfully, the room was small enough; I nabbed her before she shut the bathroom door. I, of course, proceeded to tickle up and down her sides.

“No, Mommy, I’m sorry.” Harlow giggled wildly. “I promise to help next time,” she screamed in merriment.

Giving her a quick smack of my lips on her forehead, I gently pushed her further into the room, so I could use the toilet before it became a moot point.

I caught my reflection in the mirror as I washed my hands. Maybe, I should take my long, brown hair down from its ponytail? Nah, it was better to keep it out of my face while Harlow and I explored the ship. There were dark circles under my grey-blue eyes from the long days on the road. I would get some rest tonight.

Sighing, I wrinkled my nose at all the freckles that I thought were cute on my daughter but not so much on me. Harlow had my oval face but her dad’s hair and eyebrows. Mine was straighter with a slender arch at the end and slightly darker than my hair. My favorite features were my eyes and my wide, flirtatious mouth. I did think my hips were ampler than I wanted, but I had a strong, trim body from all the training Gen-Home put us through.

Putting a smile on my face, I dried my hands and went back out to Harlow.

CHAPTER 2

PIPPA

“So, pumpkin… What would you like to do? Did you like any of the activities that Joseph told us about?”

Harlow shrugged before saying, “I’m not familiar with some of the things he mentioned other than swimming. What is a treehouse on a boat?”

Sadness puckered my brow for a minute as my lips turned downward. What almost five-year-old didn’t know about treehouses? Mine, that’s who. Gen-Home had never allowed Harlow nor the other children to leave the facility, despite my sisters and me trying to talk them into it. Shaking my head, I turned from my dark thoughts. I smiled; it was time to give my daughter those experiences she’d missed.

“You know that’s a good question. Why don’t we go find out, and then we can go to the Ocean Animal Splash Zone? How does that sound?”

Harlow thought a moment before agreeing. So careful, my daughter, certainly not like the other children I’d seen coming onto the ship.

“Alright, Mommy, should I bring anything?” Harlow gave me an eager smile at what we would be doing today.

Giving my daughter a giant grin, I suggested, “How about that new bathing suit and flip-flops we got at Walmart?”

Harlow immediately altered her course for the door; she went right for the dresser, seeing the empty suitcase open. Stripping, and before I could snap three times, she’d put on the red and white polka-dot swimsuit, followed by shorts and a T-shirt. Turning and seeing I was still standing there, my daughter tapped her foot impatiently. Then, she sighed heavily, asking me with her body language why wasn’t I ready yet.

I couldn’t help it; I chuckled much to her disgust. My daughter was just so cute with her sparkling, beautiful light green eyes framed by moon-shaped eyebrows, a snub nose with a smattering of freckles, and a cupid bow mouth. That couldn’t resist turning into a wide engaging smile in response to mine. Harlow was tall for her age and more coordinated than any four-and-a-half-year-old should be.

“Alright… all right, I will get my suit on too. You just went so fast I didn’t even have time to take a deep breath, and you were dressed.”

My daughter snickered. “I know, Mommy, but this is so exciting. It’s just…, I’ve never done anything like this.”

The smile on my face faded at the reminder of her forced isolation.

Harlow grabbed my hands, earnestly saying, “Mommy, don’t be sad; we can have some fun now.”

Even though my thoughts had darkened, they turned around just as swiftly. I couldn’t be sad when my daughter was so animated about this adventure. I jumped to the dresser to show my enthusiasm, causing my daughter to giggle.

Then, I got out the same-colored outfit as Harlow’s, a red and white polka dot swimsuit, and changed quickly. My sweet girl danced in place, eagerness lighting her eyes.

“Do you want me to braid your hair?” I asked, eyeing her shoulder-length auburn hair.

“No, thanks.”

“All right, let’s head out. Where do you want to try first? The swimming place, treehouse, or arts and crafts area?” I asked my daughter.

Harlow thought for only a brief moment and answered, “How about the treehouse first? It sounded cool, and I want to find out how they can have a treehouse on a boat.” She grinned, caught my hand, dragging me to the door.

“Hold your horse’s short stuff. I need to grab my wallet and room key; then we can go see this indoor treehouse.”

“Oh, Mom, please hurry,” she elongated the last word as she danced in place.

I’d had the same thought as Harlow; how could you have a treehouse on a boat? When we arrived, my daughter and I could only stand in the doorway and stare with amazement. They had two giant trees that took up two of the decks. In each tree, they’d built tree houses with tree bridges leading to each from a circular walking or running area that ran the room’s circumference. Below were other playhouses, swing sets, and jungle gyms with slides on the ground.

It was fun watching Harlow play and have a great time with other kids her age. There weren’t these types of activities at ‘home.’ The most we could have were puzzle games and other educational tasks for the kids. The doctors were big on learning and controlled playtime. Out of the five kids in our group, most read by age two but no later than three. Seeing Harlow like this was a blessing; I took many pictures with the tablet I’d bought.

You might ask how we acquired the money for clothes, tickets, and electronics? We had a long time to plan our escape. When we were allowed out of ‘home’ for jobs, we each had gotten bank accounts in different names, and then we started skimming funds out of the Gen-Home Initiative Group’s accounts. Not a lot, but enough to get an account opened.

Then the day we escaped, we played round-robin by bouncing money in all directions before sending it into some offshore accounts, preventing ‘home’ from getting it back. We wanted them to find the other accounts we’d set up to throw them off our tracks. So far, it has been working.

The money we stole from Gen-Home was split between us, and some of the money was still bouncing around just in case. That was Midge’s job, though; her talent was manipulating electronics. Goddess, I missed my sisters so much and wished the five of us and our daughters could have stayed together. We had been each other’s support and rocks for close to six years. Still, despite Samantha’s assurance, the consensus was not to share our plans in the event one of us was recaptured.

It wasn’t long before we went down to the pool, which had a small spot for adults to lounge around while the kids played in this immense landscape of ocean animals. Each sea animal was built to spray water, dump water, blow water, and do half a dozen other water activities. It was terrific, and my daughter had a blast.

While at the waterpark, the ship had set sail on the high seas. It would take us close to two days to arrive in Bermuda, and in that time, we would enjoy ourselves to the fullest.

From my understanding, the ship typically took an indirect route skimming the edges of what was known as the Bermuda Triangle. The stories of all the planes and boats that had disappeared in the area made ocean liners leery of going straight through. So, they skirted it before entering the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda.

The first day out and the next were some of the happiest in Harlow’s and my life. It was the first time I could relax since before my daughter was born.

The captain informed us earlier that our arrival was at six in the morning. So, Harlow and I settled down close to ten p.m., the evening before we were to dock. My daughter crashed fast, but I was lying in bed reading while Harlow peacefully slept next to me in hers. The lights flickered on and off a couple of times, so laying my book down, I scooted lower under the covers to get more comfortable, hoping to fall asleep just as quickly.

Jolting up when I heard screaming in the distance, my heart pounded as I listened intently. Praying whoever the passenger might be, they were okay. Probably, drunk and took a fall. It was at that moment the boat rocked wildly.

What the heck!

Then, I remembered the captain informing us to prepare for rough seas before arriving in port over the next four or five hours.

Sighing in relief at recalling that little tidbit and knowing I couldn’t help, I settled down. There were days I detested my enhanced hearing. Whatever had scared them, they were not injured, at least.

The movement of the boat started to become rougher. The strange part was I couldn’t hear any thunder or rain. The cruise ship was massive, so the weather had to be serious to make it go up and down and to and fro. The sensation reminded me of a speed boat in rough water—a bizarre impression on a ship this size.

A rustle of sheets made me notice Harlow’s fear-filled eyes. Scrambling to get the covers off, I hustled over to her bed before climbing in with her. My daughter crawled into my lap, holding tightly onto her blanket.

Sadly, we’d learned long ago never to scream because it only brought people to us that we never wanted to see in daylight, let alone at night in our bedrooms, so we silently suffered the stomach-churning movement of the ship.

Suddenly the boat began seesawing, throwing us into the wall and then towards the floor. Wrapping my arms around Harlow’s head and lower back, I held her to me tightly, hoping to prevent any injuries to her head or spine.

What the hell? Could a storm be this bad this quickly?

Repeatedly, we were thrown about the cabin as if the boat wrestled with an unknown force—an impossibility. There was a whooshing sound as if the air was a big suction cup, and it pressed in on us before releasing. Then came the sound of rushing water like a waterfall beneath us.

It was a terrifying, scary feeling, and I couldn’t decide if we were sinking or rising. It was contradictory, and I couldn’t reconcile myself to it. I kept shaking my head as Harlow’s small whimpers and breathing increased, inching towards panic.

My daughter’s arms and legs wrapped tightly around me while I tried to untangle us from the bedsheets.

Should we leave the cabin or not?I couldn’t decide.

Maybe it would be safer to stay but being pinned in here was even more horrifying. Other thoughts rampaging, Should I try and head for the lifeboats?

Our cabin was mid-deck, so we were above the waterline. Still, I didn’t feel like passively waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Then came a type of silence that scared the piss out of me. The only sound was the grinding and moaning of the boat. There was no screaming or yelling, no cries of injury. Our hindbrains had us hunching over and praying the danger had passed.

Then came even more worries.

Did a hurricane suddenly develop? Were we in the eye of the storm?

Then, the screaming began in earnest from one second to the next, and my heart hammered at the terror inherent in those voices. It was screams of the damned. I blew out the breath I’d held even as my lungs protested.

Harlow tried to bury herself into my body, whispering, “Mommy, Mommy, make it stop!”

“Shhh, baby. Breath, that’s it. We’ll be fine. That’s my girl. Good job!” I encouraged her to keep taking deep, slow breaths.

Indecision held me immobile; all the sensory information didn’t add up. Was the ship being hijacked instead? Was the boat’s movement because we were rammed or bombed to disable it?

Banging, crashing, and more screams came from all directions down our hallway. It was like something or someone was kicking down doors, then the screaming would stop abruptly. Were they using silencers? Did they kill them or incapacitate the other passengers? I didn’t know what to do; I had no gun, no knife, or other weapons. There was no place to hide in this tiny room that would save us.

This cruise was supposed to be safe. I was a fucking idiot for allowing myself to relax. I should have been preparing for Gen-Home to recapture us, no matter where we were.

The deep voices sounded guttural, a possible different language. They were talking with each other as I heard bodies dragged along floors. Searching with my eyes, I tried to find something to use as a weapon; other than maybe ripping the TV off the wall; there was nothing in here. Everything in the room I could use was tacked down for safety.

Whoever was taking over the boat was getting closer. Then it was our turn. A big, booted foot came through the door. I turned, making sure Harlow wasn’t fully facing the cabin door and locking my arms tightly around her to protect her with my body to the best of my ability. Praying they weren’t using bullets.

There was a harsh growling that might be words before the foot withdrew, then another massive kick caused the door to fly open.

Looking over my shoulder, I wanted to rub my eyes. It was a fish or fish-like humanoid. Its fin rays scraped the door frame as it lunged into the room with a weapon raised. It had weird-looking spinous fins, bulging eyes, and great big teeth. Pushing my power into my hands—then I knew nothing else.

CHAPTER 3

PIPPA

Conscientiousness returned; that creature was dragging me down the ship’s hallway by one foot. Astoundingly, I still had Harlow clasped tightly to my chest. The carpet was uncomfortably raising my shirt, quickly followed by a burning sensation. I remembered this pain from my childhood. The top layer of skin slowly scraped away from the rough carpet—the stinging, a painful discomfort that ran up and down my vertebrae and shoulder blades. The worst part was I couldn’t make myself fight or kick out.

My vision faded in and out. The will to roll over to prevent the skin from being flayed from my body was non-existent as my limbs seemed locked in place. I discerned the creature turn towards me through slitted eyes, simultaneously dropping my leg. The urge to punch out or at least scream in its face was strong, but I wasn’t in any position to defend us.

Yet, the thing I wanted most… for it not to touch me again. An unfulfilled wish. The heaviness in my eyes couldn’t be denied. How much time had elapsed? I was unsure. I found us passing doors and halls in a plodding methodical way, now being carried bridal style by another monster, like the creature who had shot me. I remembered that one had black strips, while this one had orange.

The rigidity of my limbs held Harlow locked to my chest; thinking my grip may not be as firm, I willed my arms to clasp her to me even more, but they refused to obey my commands. Darkness pulled me down once more.

Like tap shoes on stairs, the sound of clicking nails woke me again. There was a big, gaping opening and a ramp that the creature carried Harlow and me up; the click, click sound repeated with each step. Dozens of people in front of me were being taken off the boat and into something dark and threatening.

My mind kept repeating, This isn’t real; this isn’t real.

Blackness closed around me.

Something scrambled at my arms, which held Harlow to me. Attempting to force my muscles to rock hardness around my daughter frustrated me when I couldn’t tell if I was doing anything. Still, there was pressure indicating something was happening in that region.

The guttural talking noises I’d heard earlier swirled around me in multiple voices. Two of the voices were right next to me on my left side. A piercing agony came from behind my ear; it was so sharp, so painful I wanted to cry out, to scream.

Compelling my eyes to open, one managed to crack enough to see a metal arm come into view and disappear behind Harlow’s head before it shuts again involuntarily. A barely heard whimper of hurt escaped my daughter’s throat. Unable to stop what was happening to us, tears of terror and frustration leaked down my cheeks.

The guttural sounds I’d heard suddenly became understandable. The voice nearest to my head was complaining.

“I can’t get these two apart without damaging them. What do you want me to do? Can you give the older one a muscle relaxer to separate them?”

My heart seized. I didn’t want these aliens to take my daughter from me. A distinct thumping started in my ears.

A harsh metallic voice replied, which seemed to echo faintly.

“No, I think it would be more harmful to the creature with the other drug already in its system. The small one was clasped in its arms when Sjikme brought them from the conveyance this species was riding in. He believes it is the creature’s young, and it went into protective mode. We can separate them when the Likmaken wears off.”

The one speaking paused, a tapping sound, then he continued.

“This species is strange; approximately one-fourth of them had their muscles locked up under the Likmaken drug.”

The one closest to my head persisted, “Should I break the older ones’ arms? Is it female? That would be more efficient? We can fix the arm later.”

Sighing like this was an ongoing issue with this particular monster.

The metallic voice responded, “No, let’s just put them in the same stasis caisson after the two receive their vaccinations and the medical bots validate them medically. It won’t hurt anything.”

Another tap, a pinch in my arm, then the same voice resumed, “The process will take long enough without making those sorts of repairs, and you know how our buyers want robust, abled-bodied slaves. We even must fix genetic defects and certify them now.” A sound of disgust. “There may be too many of these creatures, and we’ll have to double up anyway. Besides, the commander gave orders; to harm none of them, only to be prepped for sale as soon as we get back to our section of this galaxy.”

The monster next to me grunted, “It is one of our better hauls, and we should make a killing with this new species in the markets. You know how our type of client likes new and unique.”

There was satisfaction in the voice at a job well done.

“Yes, did you see the numbers on this planet? If it works out, there are plenty more we can steal.”

A confused female voice shouted something incomprehensible further away from me. The two monsters next to me shifted and stopped talking. The woman’s voice seemed familiar, reminding me of my missing ‘home’ sisters. Now, I was eternally glad we didn’t stay together, even if there was a tiny piece of me wishing I didn’t have to face it alone.

The metallic voice gurgled, then barked, “I ordered you to sedate this species before bringing them into medical? Knock that thing out.”

Straining, I managed to open my eyes to mere slits while the aliens were distracted. Careful not to let on, I was conscious. I didn’t want them to administer a muscle relaxer to get my daughter away from me.

By looking downward, I saw a body across the way on a flat, metal surface, and from what little I could see from my peripheral vision, there were dozens of these types of beds, row upon row of them.

Another guttural, slurry voice further away spoke, bringing my attention back to what was happening.

“I’ve sprayed this one twice.” The new voice was frustrated. “Once when I captured the creature and again getting the thing down to the medical ward. It’s not working as it does on all the others. I’m not sure why; maybe we should respray it?”

There was a question in its tone.

The metallic voice gurgled, sounding disgruntled, “Has the thing been given the translator device?”

The slurry-sounding voice must not have spoken but made a gesture because the metallic voice continued after the briefest of pauses.

“Then give it to the creature, get it inoculated, gene tested, and fixed if necessary. Use the aerosol Likmakenon it until those tasks are completed.”

In a quieter tone, he muttered, “Why does this species react so differently? The drug should only knock them out.”

The quick, nervous reply made me think the metallic-sounding guy next to me was in charge here. “Yes, Serig Doctor.”

There was a scream that abruptly cut off. The way the girl cried out, I recalled a similar pain experienced moments ago. It also made me realize the pain was gone and that I shouldn’t be able to understand these alien monsters, but I did.

The other voice next to my head asked, “How many more of these creatures will have to process before we’re ready to depart this world? Did the commander say?”

The Serig Doctor replied absently, even as I felt something happening to my arm—no pain this time, only the sensation of pressure.

“That vehicle was full of these strange creatures, and at last count, it was four thousand and ninety-two. According to the commander, that is a hundred times more than what we thought we could get, so we won’t have to look elsewhere on this planet for more of this species. We will sell these to see how they do, and if they sell well, we have the coordinates to come back. We’ve processed almost seventy percent so far, so we should be wrapping up sometime in the next few hours. Those new med bots are worth the price we paid.”

There was a pinch, then a faint popping sound in my other arm.

“All right, let’s get these two stripped and ready for their stasis caisson. There were some deviations in their genomes but nothing excessive; it does not appear to be harmful. Both are incredibly healthy, and yes, the test confirmed both are female. We will store them in the younger female-only cargo hold,” concluded the doctor.

“Serig Doctor, do you want me to sedate the older female more just in case?”

“No, neither looks to be in the same awake state as the other female. I think we can get the clothes off them without harm. Neither is wearing much of anything, just simple coverings.”

One of the aliens grabbed my shoulders, and I made sure to tighten those same muscles, even though I wasn’t sure it was working. The two monsters tilted the two of us on my side. Something that sounded like a knife or shears pulled my nightshirt away from my skin.

Cold air replaced the warmth of the shirt. Then Harlow and I were moved this way and that, but they still couldn’t pull Harlow from me. Goosebumps rose as the cool air rushed over my now naked body.

There was a beeping noise and a swoosh sound. I risked peeking. There was a glass enclosure over us on the same flat metal table. The two monsters had moved on to the next medical bed. Fear spread through my body. Then the true horror began.

Snake-like things came out of the bed, and they were everywhere, touching and invading. One squeezed through my parted lips and down my throat, others attached to my privates and anus, and still, others seemed to go through my skin.

The urge to scream ached to be released, but I couldn’t even do that in my paralyzed state. The barest of sounds escaped from my throat and Harlow’s. The terror and pain I knew my daughter was experiencing broke my heart. Everything she felt, I was feeling. Then a cold chill-like substance flowed over us, around us, and something sprayed my face. As blessed darkness fell over me like a shroud, the cold substance went down my throat and filled my nose.

I don’t know if it was actual sleep or the drug causing me to slip into a nightmarish, fantastical dream, but it constantly felt like I was drowning over and over. The worst part was I could no longer sense my daughter; I didn’t know where or when this never-ending horror show would end, and I would wake up. I sometimes prayed for death in those dreams, but it never came.

CHAPTER 4

PIPPA

My eyes snapped open; I was in a clear container. Harlow was suspended above me while my arms floated at my sides instead of around her. I was so thankful they hadn’t taken my daughter. Reflexively, I tried to wrap my arms back around my daughter, but nothing happened.

Heart pounding at my inability to move, I also realized we were covered entirely by goop, both of our hair free-floating around us. Not even my head would move, but my eyes traveled downward to see Harlow’s face, and with another heart-stopping moment, I saw my daughter’s eyes were open and glued to mine. There was such fear in those light green eyes as they pleaded with me to do something. Anything.

Endeavoring to put as much love, and it would be alright, in my gaze as I could, I attempted to reassure my daughter to the best of my ability. Until I couldn’t stand it and tore myself away from what I felt were their accusing depths. I knew it wasn’t true, but when you were the one incapable of getting your child out of this predicament, you couldn’t help the train of thought of being a failure.

Jolting with hope, I noticed the goop was slowly draining out of the stasis chamber. Shifting my eyes to either side, I tried to see what was happening. There were brief glimpses of other stasis tubes like ours and nothing else. No roaming alien monsters, nothing.

Faintly, I heard some alarms sounding outside our cocoon; then the container was jostled back and forth, the goop now low enough that it washed back over us as we rocked, or instead, I thought the ship was rocking.

Noticingbelatedly that I wasn’t hurt nor in pain eased some of my building anxiety. Sensations were returning in fits and starts, but I didn’t have control back. It was more like I was a newborn colt lying on the ground stunned, or maybe the closest analogy would be a jellyfish, insubstantial.

At this point, I heard screaming, and it was getting closer to where we were imprisoned. The voices were deep but terrified sounding. As the ship rocked violently to the left, I saw two of the monsters who’d kidnapped us go flying and crunch against the wall not two feet from us.

They didn’t move after they hit the ground. Then, finding my face squished against the glass-like structure just as Harlow’s head hit it simultaneously brought a host of other worries. My fingers twitched, so I concentrated on getting my arms to move. It seemed an eternity as we flopped and hit the sides of the container. Finally, I got my arms back around Harlow, bringing her close to my body, protecting her as much as possible.

Then came crashing, tearing sounds on the other side of the room. The canister jerked wildly, and with it, it seemed as if a mighty hand reached down and tore us from the base of the metal table, and the ground violently came up to meet us. The glass surrounding us on three sides cracked but didn’t shatter.

Containers all over the big room did the same thing, while still others flew in all directions.

Boom!

Screech!

More screaming!

Crash!

Tortured metal groaning!

We were rolling on the ground, going faster and faster, causing our stasis container to slide along the floor and run into more things, including other people and monsters. This time the screams were more high-pitched and came from human throats.

The biggest boom could be felt in my bones before one last hard bump into a wall, and everything finally halted. Gathering my wits enough to search around, I noticed that the glass held through the violence of the last several minutes. Not so much for others in the room. There were bodies, tables, glass, and other gruesome things thrown about haphazardly all-around Harlow and me.

Yells for help, more pain-filled screams, and screams of horror and terror came from dozens of throats. Hysterical crying and the few humans I could see rocking in place were still in the sameclear container as Harlow and I, or utterly motionless.

Red rivers of what I was sure was blood snaked along the floor. I didn’t want to see from where it derived. The glass surrounding my daughter and me was even more cracked but hadn’t busted enough for us to get out.

After more minutes had passed, it felt as if my limbs and muscles were hardening, and full sensation returned to my body. A groan escaped my lips, and then Harlow moaned as well. The two of us were bruised, but I hoped that was the extent of our injuries.

We both gagged, urgently pulling at the rubber-type hose down our throat. Coughing and hacking, our esophagus burned as more of the hose and goop exited. I tried to help my daughter, but full mobility had yet to return fully.

There were still the hoses between our legs to deal with, which I wanted just as gone, and I was sure it would be even more unpleasant. The remembered attachments of others around my body were not there, and when I glanced at my legs and arms, I couldn’t see where they’d been.

“Mommy?” Harlow begged me hoarsely with my name to help in her trembling small child’s voice.

When I could breathe enough, I looked down to see my daughter’s eyes pool with tears and panic at what we were going through.

Goddess, I felt so useless and powerless at this moment.

My voice, harsh-sounding and raspy, tried for reassurance.

“Sweetpea, it will be alright. Let’s get the rest of these cables out of us, then free ourselves. Can you be brave for me? I know it is scary, but you can do this, okay?”

I tried to be as upbeat and encouraging as anyone could be in this situation.

Reaching down between our bodies, I grabbed the rubber tube and pulled gently, and surprisingly, it came out without undue pain; there was discomfort, but not what I thought would happen. I then reached behind me and did the same with the one attached to my butt.

“Okay, baby. I’m going to remove the two tubes, and the good news is it didn’t hurt. So, I want you to keep your eyes on me, and on the count of the three, I’ll pull them out, okay?”

“Are you sure, Mommy? I’m scared.”

“Yes, baby. Ready?” Harlow gave me an uncertain nod.

“One…” I pulled them out, and Harlow gasped but didn’t cry out.

“Mommy!” My daughter scolded me with my name.

Giving her a half-hearted laugh, I apologized, “I’m sorry sweet pea, but I didn’t want you to tense up and make it hurt. It worked, didn’t it?” I pleaded for her forgiveness.

“You still lied,” Harlow protested.

“I did, and I’m sorry,” I told her again in my most remorseful voice. “Can you forgive me?”

Harlow sighed and pulled herself closer, burying her head into my chest.

We’d been ignoring everything around us until this point, but it wouldn’t last but a few more seconds. Then we would be drawn back to the chaos and the harsher scenes we would witness.

I was thankful we were alive. Laying my head against my daughter’s, I offered prayers to whoever was listening to continue blessing us.

A movement drew my gaze to a young female lying on the ground naked, trying desperately to get to her knees. Like a newborn kitten, the girl’s whole body flopped around on the floor. I couldn’t see any injuries, but she stopped struggling and lay there panting after a bit.

Annoyingly my legs failing told me my body was still recouping, althoughI felt stronger and stronger the more time passed. Perhaps, five minutes or so went by before I began investigating by gently pushing on the glass, trying to find a way out of what felt like a coffin as the minutes sped by.

The girl saw me searching for a way out of the container and finally managed to gain enough mobility to drag her way to us. Her face streamed with tears, but there was determination there as well.

“Can you find the opening?” I croaked out.

My throat was still sore from the tube I removed from it, but it also seemed to be improving.

The girl was also a bit raspy. “Let me see what I can find.”

The girl searched around the bottom of the glass where it met the metal table.

Even as the girl investigated, she kept mumbling, “This isn’t real; it isn’t real. Just a dream.”

The young girl couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen. The longer it took for her to find the controls for the container, the more her breathing sped up. I needed to prevent the girl from panicking and going into shock.

“What is your name? Mine is Pippa, and this is my daughter Harlow.”

The teenager gave me a weak smile, but I did notice; it derailed the spiraling and gained her a margin of control.

“Meghan, my name is Meghan.” The brave child was close to breaking.

Her following words broke my heart. “I want my mom. Help me, please,” she pleaded.

Meghan moved to the side nearer our heads; her focus increased as she peered down at the bottom of the metal container.

A screeching groan followed a hissing noise as the glass tried to flow away but instead fell apart around us. Meghan jumped back, and I pulled Harlow’s head down and turned mine as best I could. Luckily all it did was rain around us in small pieces, nothing that was jagged that could cut or tear our skin.

“Here, hand me your daughter, so she doesn’t cut herself,” Meghan urged me with her arms out.

The lost child from a moment ago was gone; now, she had a purpose helping her stay centered.

Yes, Meghan needed this, and it would help me keep Harlow safe at the same time. Feeling grateful for the return of my strength, I lifted Harlow from my body and out towards Meghan. The girl was standing in a clear patch of the floor with no glass or other more gruesome things I glimpsed from my peripheral vision.

“Mommy,” my daughter questioned, scared to be separated from me.

Since I felt the same, I tried not to show it by tone or expression.

“Meghan is helping us. Alright, sweet pea?” My daughter glanced from me to Meghan before reaching her arms out and going to the girl.

Now to try and protect these two.

“Harlow, I want you to keep your eyes on Meghan or me for right now. Can you do that?”

Meghan swallowed convulsively; she’d already seen what I was trying to prevent Harlow from seeing. She pulled my daughter tightly to her chest, holding her head facing away from the worst of it. It was probably a futile effort.

“Why, Mommy?” Harlow started to lift her head from Meghan’s chest.

“Harlow! Stop.” I watched as she settled down.

Harlow’s face was towards me, and she had a puzzled look.

“I think the ship we were on was in a wreck. Do you know what can happen when something crashes?”

I watched my daughter ponder for a moment before a scared look appeared in her eyes, and she nodded a little.

“People got hurt, or they died, right, Mommy?”

“Yes, that is exactly right. Now, I will get up, and then I’ll need to help others as Miss Meghan helped us. Okay?”

During this whole time, the screaming, groaning, and moaning never stopped, but interspersed were other people attempting to assist where they could, while still others were more of the hysterical types.

It was fast approaching that I would have to deal with it the best I could, but I first had to make sure my daughter stayed safe. I would use this young girl to do it and hopefully prevent Meghan from seeing any more than she had already seen.

Looking around swiftly, I spotted a corner clear of debris and bodies.

“Meghan, I’m going to need your help.”

She cocked her head in inquiry.

“Let’s move over to that corner, and I want you to stay with Harlow while I try to help some of these others and figure out what we will do next. Can you do that for me, Meghan?”

“But… but I need to find my mom.” Meghan scanned the room, but almost as if she wasn’t seeing it.

“We will. I promise I’ll help you find your mom, but I think it would be better if I helped the ones in this room first; then, we can spread out after we gain control here. Will that work for now?”

“But what if she’s in here and hurt?”

“I don’t think she’s in here. I overheard the doctors saying this room would only be for young women. Your mother is what? In her thirties?”

Meghan’s voice trembled, “Yes, she’s thirty-six.”

“Sweetheart, look at me,” I urged the girl.

When rich cocoa-colored eyes met mine, I tried to be encouraging. “We will look for your mom as soon as possible, okay?” When Meghan nodded her agreement, I pressed her again, “Can you please watch Harlow for me?”

“Yes, yes, I can do that,” she whispered her agreement, even though I could tell she still wanted to argue.

Meghan kept looking at anything, but the floor with its grisly remains told me this was extremely hard for her. The genuine fear that her mother would be among those who hadn’t survived. Then she steppedcarefully to the corner I’d pointed out. It was a safe area with nothing around it for ten feet in circumference.

Slowly sliding down to the floor, she put her back against the wall; Meghan’s roaming eyes refused to fix on any one point. Harlow rested against her chest with her legs around Meghan’s hips.

“Stay here, okay? I’ll be back soon. Harlow, mind Meghan, you hear?”

“Yes, Mommy,” Harlow quietly agreed.

Meghan refused to meet my eyes, I could tell she was fighting tears, but she too nodded.

CHAPTER 5

PIPPA

Now that the two girls were settled, my eyes skimmed across the room, gathering my courage to face the music and figure out where to start. It was worse than I could imagine. There were so many smashed and broken bodies and all-female. What had the slave doctor said? Oh yes, a cargo hold. How many cargo holds did they have on a slave ship, and were they larger than this room?

The room didn’t give me the impression it was a cargo hold; oversized, yes, but I would have thought a cargo hold would be cavernous. The room we were in was possibly the size of a small house, about fifteen to two thousand square feet. It wasn’t the same place I’d woken up before in what I considered the medical ward, which meant the stasis containers had been mobile.

Shaking my head, I focused on another woman banging on her container’s wall seeking to get out, so I hustled over to her. If I remember right, the controls were on the left side, the same side the two alien doctors had been standing by me.

Finding a blinking light with a button next to it, I gave it a go. The woman was pressed to the glass looking at me with hope. The glass retracted so fast with a whoosh that I hardly saw it move. Then, the woman threw herself into my arms, sobbing.

Tentatively, I patted her back and whispered words of comfort, more like mumbling nonsense since I had nothing reassuring to say.

Finally, the girl leaned back, her hands on my shoulders. “Thank you; thank you!”

The woman finally let me go when I nodded in welcome.

“Where are we? What happened? Who are you? What are we going to do?”

Excellent questions, I wish I could answer.

“No idea, but let’s put the questions on the back burner and help where we can. Sound good? And my name is Pippa. Yours?”

“Oh, oh. You’re right. My name is Heidi. What can we do? Do you think those aliens will come back and capture us again? Shouldn’t we be running?”

This Heidi seemed a little high-strung.

I asked her with a puzzled look, “Where would we run? Plus, I’m pretty sure the aliens are in the same trouble we are in, and it would be better for us to help our fellow prisoners, don’t you think?”

“Right, right.” The girl repeated herself a lot. “What do we do first?”

Heidi looked around apprehensively; then, she swallowed spastically when her eyes found a body where an arm and leg had been torn off in the crash, and the body had bled out.

Although I felt much the same, it wasn’t the first body I’d ever seen. I would like it to be the last, but alas, that was not to be.

Why don’t you help those in the pods? Then encourage them to assist where possible, but if not, direct them over to the corner with Meghan and Harlow, my daughter.” I pointed to the area where the two sat cuddled together.

“Right, right…” Heidi repeats. “I can do that.”

Her words came out fast in relief; I thought of being given a job she might be able to handle.

It wasn’t long before I came across my first live body that’d beenthrown from its container. Luckily, all I found was a broken arm. Doing my best to straighten the bone, I finally got the girl to hold it against her chest since we had zero medical supplies. Then, I assisted her over to the growing circle of people by Meghan and Harlow.

There were others like me doing the same throughout the room. Those who were useless, I got them out of the way.

What did surprise me? Most only had bumps or bruises, or they were dead, not a lot in between. There were a couple with cuts that needed stitches, and we were trying to get the bleeding stopped to a few broken bones here or there.

I believed the humanswho had diedrevived sooner than the rest of us. Their bodies had been more rigid and not as pliant, so the violence of our crash killed them. Like the giant alien fish-like monsters, I counted five dead in this room.

Working my way to the big gash in the ship, I looked out into a forested jungle. Carefully, I peered over the edge to see how far up we were from the forest floor. Yep, we had to be at least five or six stories above ground. It was so surreal and challenging to believe we were on a massive spaceship, even though I knew my eyes were not deceiving me.

The trees still towered even higher. There was a mix of short and tall with broad trunks with wide drooping leaves of greenish orange color. Other trees seemed more hedge-like, and those were a greenish-purple color with holes throughout the tree’s trunk, while the foliage seemed moss-like.

Leaning as far out as I dared, I looked up and down the sides and found I couldn’t see one end of the ship. It looked like a good portion of it had been cut away and was no longer there. The other end had been battered and squished down in areas but was still intact. I didn’t know if we were in the middle of the ship or only a third, but the end still attached had to be two or three football-size fields in length.

A movement caught my eye; a large, grayish-orange fur-covered animal with sharp ridges down its spine and along its flanks was dragging one of those dead aliens into the forest. Was it thrown from the ship, or did the creature come in and pull the alien out? Either way, this did not seem like a good thing for us.

Scanning all around, I sought to make sure some hungry animal couldn’t make it up to us. The tree limbs were big enough to hold my weight or more, but the crash had knocked down a good portion of the area. Still, I bet one of our big cats back home could make the jump. We would need to keep an eye out.

Turning away from the jagged tear in the ship’s hull, I checked around to see most everyone was over in the far corner or still helping where needed. So, I made my way to the closed doors of this room.

Where were all the other prisoners from the cruise ship? From what I could tell, the girls in this room ranged from four to twenty-five. We needed to get a headcount, but if I had to guess, there were anywhere from thirty to forty females still alive in this one room, but not nearly the amount that had been on the cruise ship.

“Pippa?” I swung around at a voice I thought I would never hear again.

“Gabby? Gabby…? Is it really you?” I gasped out, shocked to my core.

Before I could move in Gabby’s direction, she was in my arms, hugging me tightly. Hot tears splashed onto my shoulder.

“How?” I asked raggedly, my own tears streaming down.

“I don’t know, but am I ever so glad you are here. Where is Harlow? Is she okay?” Gabby leaned back, her hands clasping my upper arms, her coal-black eyes scanning to ensure I was okay.

Mind blown, I couldn’t imagine how one of my ‘Gen-Home,’ sisters was here?

CHAPTER 6

PIPPA

“She’s safe and fine over in the corner there with the rest of those young people. A teenager named Meghan is taking care of her.” I looked around but didn’t see Jazmin, her daughter.

“Where is Jazmin?”

Tears welled up even more and spilled over tawny cheeks.

“Oh, Pippa, I can’t find her. She was in the cabin with me on the ship, but they must have separated us. I’ve looked everywhere in here. I was headed to find a way out of here to continue searching when I saw you. What am I to do?”

Pulling her back to me and hugging her close in comfort, my thoughts flashed to the past of when I’d first met my sister. Gabby arrived a week after I was sentenced to Gen-Home, and she was the last of the five of us to be brought there. None of us were older than fifteen or sixteen, and each one of us was five or six months pregnant. Gabby joined us with a chip on her shoulder a mile wide and furious with the world. She was constantly warring with the guards and scientists.

When Jazzy came into the world, she stopped fighting and turned her outstanding brain to keeping us all safe. Her fighter spirit became our voice of reason as the years passed, urging us to plan instead of constantly getting into trouble. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for her or the others, and I loved their girls as much as I loved Harlow.

Pulling back, “Okay, we’ve got to find her. Are our other sisters on this ship too?” I asked, turning to see if I could spot one of them.

Gabby shook her head from side to side.

“I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t have bet you would be here either, yet here you are. Do you think Jazzy is alright?”

Gabby begged me to answer that she was, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie. I’d seen the back of the ship and the dead lying here in this very room, but if we were fortunate…

“She has to be,” I tried for optimism. “Let me tell Meghan and Harlow to stay here while we look. We also need to send some of these people out to help others and try and find medical supplies, coverings, food, water, and anything else that might be useful.”

I continued to list out what I figured we’d need to get us through the next few hours, let alone longer.

“Agreed, I will work on getting the door open while you do that. Get only those that seem to have girls with wits about them.” Gabby urged with a quick look at the crying and upset people across the room.

Yes, there weren’t many non-hysterical types of girls here. Rubbing Gabby’s shoulder, I took off for the big group huddled or lying down in the corner with Harlow. Thankfully, I’d directed the more hysterical ones to the opposite corner.

Searching each face and body, I reviewed what I had to work with; I noticed six or seven seemed to be leaders trying to get people to calm down or help those still bleeding and hurt.

“Listen up.” I waited for a beat for the noise to dial down. “I know some of you are missing family members, scared, and hurt. We will work to find your friends and family, but in the meantime, we need volunteers to help find the rest of the people from our cruise ship; also, those that can go on a scavenger hunt to look for medical supplies, clothes, food, water, and useful supplies.”

“Who made you the boss?” a belligerent, tall, blond girl shattered the silence that had followed my request.

She was standing over a bunch of other girls, I thought protectively.

The blond looked familiar, but I couldn’t place who she could be.

“No one,” I replied moderately. “But we need to find my friend’s daughter, and,” I pointed toGabby by the doors leading into this room, then Meghan sitting along the wall with my daughter still in her lap. “Meghan’s mom. We can’t sit here and hope for a rescue, so we need to fend for ourselves and make sure we can stay safe on this alien world.”

The blond scoffed before snapping, “What alien world? We need to wait for the coast guard or someone.”

Murmurs of agreement had me scanning the faces turned up to me.

Okay, surely, they don’t think we’re still home? I thought with dismay.

“How many of you here believe we are still on Earth?” Several hands shot up, further shocking me.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shook my head. Nope, not sugar-coating it.

“Okay, no, we are on an alien ship, on an alien planet, and all you have to do is look out that big rip in the bulkhead to know this.” Again, I pointed to where light filtered through the hole across the way. “What do you think those things are over there?” I asked, pointing to the alien fish-like monsters thrown about the room.

Again Ms. Belligerent scoffed with disbelief, “They have to be actors. We are not on an alien planet!” The girl all but shouted her rejection of the facts before her. The girl’s hands fisted at her sides like she was forcing down her anger at my words.

Great, just what I needed, living in denial, stupid heads.

“Okay, well, I’m not going to argue with you. Those living in the real world, I need you to step up. Now, who can help?” I repeated.

Two new hands rose. I pointed to the two girls who looked like twins. Both had long, dark hair, round faces, and brown eyes. One was slightly thinner than the other, so I hoped to be able to tell them apart that way until I got to know them.

It was the thinner of the two who spoke for both. “My sister and I can help with scavenging. We were on spring break and trying to decompress before going back to medical school.” Her gaze ran over the injured lying around them. “We’ve gotten most of the bleeding stopped on the ones here and the broken bones set for now, but we will need splints to ensure they stay in place.”

Good, we had some medical personnel.

“Good, very good. My name is Pippa. What’s yours?”

The thinner of the two amber-eyed twins pointed first to her sister, “Tanya,” then herself, “Taya.”

“Very nice to meet you. Can you head over there to my friend Gabby? She is working on getting the doors to open. See what you can do to assist,” I requested with a smile of thanks.

Both nodded, smiling at me, Tanya had two dimples, but Taya only had one. Yay, one more distinction between the two.

Another hand rose from the group nearest to the fuming blond girl living in la-la land.

This girl was petite with hair such a dark brown it was almost black and the bluest eyes. “I’m Hester, also on spring break with my sisters here.”

Checking out the other two Hester had pointed to, I saw they didn’t look like sisters, but who was I to quibble. Gabby, Midge, Samantha, and Demi were not my sisters by blood, but they meant everything to me, if not more than any real sister.

Hester continued even though the denial girl was trying to silence her. “I would like to help with the scavenging.”

“Good.” I looked at the rest of the faces staring at me to see if I could get any more takers.

Two more raised their hands. They were older than me, probably closer to twenty-five if I was to guess, sitting opposites of each other. Both indicated the other should go first. I rolled my eyes and pointed to the black-haired girl whose warm, umber skin tones highlighted her amazing gray eyes.

“I’m Miranda, and my whole family is missing.” The corner of her mouth started to tremble, and her gaze became unfocused. “I would like to be part of the group looking for family members, please.” There was such fear on her face, and I couldn’t blame her.

Nodding my agreement, I indicated she should join my sister and the twins. “You can come with Gabby and me as we search this ship. Be aware that there may be more people like those here who are hurt or have died. I pray not, though,” I warned.

Miranda pinched her lips in recognition that we may not find her missing people, but she was desperate.

Then, I pointed to the fair-skinned, reddish-brown-haired girl with golden-hazel eyes.

“I’m Catherine, and I can start helping to look for clothes, food, and water but will need help carrying it back here.”

Right.

“Okay, I need at least another two or three volunteers?” I was surprised how many avoided my eyes.

Finally, I saw three girls look at each other. “We will help. I’m Sarah, this is Felicia, and this is Heather.”

Sarah had blond hair, Felicia was an actual redhead; at least, I thought that was the case, and Heather had curly black hair.

“Great,” I said. “Head over with the rest of the search group,” I told them.

Inspecting the remainder, I urged more of them to step up in our absence.

“I need the rest of you to continue to help those who are injured here and see if you can find anything in this room that would be of use to us. There are wild animals outside the ship, so it will become dangerous for us to leave the relative safety we have right now. But we need to make sure we can survive on this planet and find somewhere more defensive to keep everyone safe. I don’t know if any of those animals can make it through the tear over there,” I pointed to the open bulkhead, “and we don’t know what this planet may throw at us.” Belatedly, I added a, please.

Living in her fantasy world, the tall blond snorted her skepticism that there was any danger and started speaking with her group quietly. I could have listened, but it wasn’t worth my time or effort right now.

I walked over to Meghan and Harlow and squatted down to make sure they were okay.

“Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom.” Harlow had her legs crossed and acted like ants were crawling on her.

Smiling, I replied. “Okay, come on, we may have to find an unused corner for the moment until we can figure out if there are bathrooms on this hunk of junk.” I held out my hand.

Meghan had already stood, and Harlow quickly followed with my assistance.

CHAPTER 7

PIPPA

Scanning the room, I didn’t see any other doors except what I assumed were the cargo bay doors leading outside and the one, currently trying to be opened by Gabby, that led into the ship itself.

If there were cabinets or storage bins, they were recessed and hard for me to recognize as such. The cargo area had upright and detached container beds lying haphazardly around the room. There were four rows of twelve beds spaced two by three feet apart by my count. Plenty of space to walk down and through the cryostasis beds.

I couldn’t help the wince when my daughter whimpered in distress at the bodies of dead humans and alien monsters. Unfortunately, this was something I was unable to protect her from seeing. The best I could do was hustle her through and into an open area opposite where everyone had gathered. It was a corner free of debris, so Harlow quickly did her business until she refused to rise without something to dry herself.

The only clothing I could see anywhere in this place was on the dead alien fish heads.

“Meghan, Harlow, stay here for a second while I see if I can get a piece of cloth.” Both nodded.

Finding the nearest dead alien, I walked over to the creature. I couldn’t help but stare at it. It was a mix of gray, oranges, and black. Most of its waxy skin color was gray with streaks of black and odd-shaped circles of orange. The body was humanoid except for the rounded hump going down its back and connecting to a marginal neck.

The body’s trunk was wide and box-like, arms and legs thick. Their hands only had four webbed digits, the same as their feet. The head was oblong shaped with two big, rounded eyes that protruded on each side of the head. Blood pooled beneath the creature’s head.

The parted mouth showed small sharp teeth, with an inset nose showing only two nostrils with what looked like a mesh membrane. The alien didn’t have any hair, but there were gill-like structures on the neck. If they had ears, I couldn’t tell.

The alien had on a loose jumpsuit and what resembled enclosed slippers. One of the slippers had come off the alien’s wide, flat foot. Over the jumpsuit was a thin black coat; this was what I decided I would take off the alien to use for toilet paper. There didn’t seem to be any blood or other fluids on it.

Hurrying back to Harlow, I had her use material from a part of the arm to wipe herself. The rest of us decided to take a moment to relieve our bladders. We couldn’t tear the coat, so as unsanitary as it was, we each chose a dry area to wipe ourselves. While gross, it was the best we could do.

We would have to gather up the dead bodies and do something with them before much time had passed. Looking at the huddling mass of girls in the corner, I didn’t hold out much hope any of them would be of any help.

A shout of joy by the doors drew us away from the pee corner. I know I was grateful not to wait for the last few to finish as the rest of us continued to move away step by step from the ever-expanding mess.

Gabby had managed to find a way to open the doors to get us out of this room, a room that seemed to get smaller for every second that passed. One of the dead alien fish-men was now by the exit, Gabby, was lowering one of its arms back to the ground, indicating she’d used its hand to open the bay door.

Smart thinking, figuring out it was keyed to either their handprint, DNA, or maybe to just their species. Who knew?

Deciding to send Harlow and Megan back to the corner to keep them as safe as possible, I stopped halfway to Gabby and tried to explain what we were going to do and how long the seven or eight of us might be gone. This led to Harlow and Megan both begging to go with us. Neither felt it safe to stay with the other female adults in the room.

Considering the huddled mass of people who had yet to move didn’t give me a sense of well-being. Sighing and admitting defeat, even though it made my heart clench in fear that I would be leading my daughter and this young girl into danger.

My gut told me that Gabby and I would keep them safer than leaving them with women who held to their safe zone and refused to believe in what their eyes were telling them. Maybe, I should have everyone move out of here since I didn’t know how safe it would stay, especially since the room was open to the outside.

Rubbing my head, trying to release tension, I decided to wait until we’d scouted the area and hopefully found a more secure place for us all.

Turning back to the two hopeful faces, I promised them dire consequences should they not follow my orders before making them both swear to look out for each other and hide should we find ourselves in a fight.

After extracting their agreement, I turned to the group of girls who’d caught up with us and who watched the debate like they were at a ping pong tournament.

Catching Gabby observing us from the door, she carried an amused yet worried frown, while the others with her seemed a little aghast that I would even consider bringing kids on our seeking and foraging expedition.

Not willing to explain my reasoning, I shook my head and shrugged. Thankfully, no one spoke up either. We quickly made our way over to Gabby and the rest, each itching to go.

“Gabby, did you find any weapons?” I inquired when we came alongside.

I was crossing my fingers since I was sure we would be placing ourselves in danger once we left the cargo hold and needed something to protect ourselves.

My sister nodded, yes, with a sick expression, then swallowed before answering. “I only found this knife on the alien at my feet. I haven’t checked the others.” Gabby hesitated before continuing grimly. “We will have to take one of its hands to open other doors.”

My sister peered down at the creature, her face turning green. The alien slowly leached of color the more time went by. It was a  lighter grayish color now, its oranges and blacks becoming muted, no longer vibrant. Gabby’s pale face held a fine sheen of moisture on her forehead.

Nodding my acceptance of this fact, I turned my gaze to the alien from whom I’d removed the coat. I noticed its skin tone was brighter than this one, but I thought it might be losing color as the blood settled.

Returning my attention to the body at our feet, I sighed in resignation. Knowing Gabby didn’t like wet work, I reluctantly offered to do the deed.

“Do you want me to do it?” It didn’t matter if it was human or alien; my stomach still churned.

Gabby gave me an apologetic yet sheepish look but nodded her head in the affirmative.

Holding out my hand, “Hand me the knife,” I ordered bleakly.

It never got any easier. My friend handed the blade over.

Nodding my thanks, I requested, “Why don’t you see if you can grab us some more of these knives? I don’t think there are enough dead aliens in here for each of us to have one, but hopefully, you’ll find more than this one for our protection.”

“Will do.” Gabby hurried gratefully away.

Once dead, Gabby was okay if she didn’t have to do much with the body. That usually fell to Samantha(Sam for short) or me. Meghan and Harlow stood next to me.

“You guys go over there and wait for me. It would be best if you don’t see what I must do,” I ordered them, pointing to a clear area.

“Mom, we will have to see the hand after you take it off; what does it matter if we stay or go?” Harlow questioned.

Goddess, why? Why must they be forced to grow up and see these awful things? I begged of the heavens.

The look on my daughter’s face was one of curiosity rather than her just arguing with me.

Meghan reached for Harlow’s hand. “Come on–you don’t want to witness the hand being removed, do you?”

Letting Meghan take her away, Harlow replied, “Not really, but what’s the difference? It will still be an unattached hand, and we will see it.”

No four-year-old spoke that way except our daughters. I had a feeling I would never be able to punish the ones who’d held us captive and experimented on us, but by everything holy, I desperately wanted to.

Meghan seemed stricken with uncertainty on how to answer.

“Let’s do what your mom says before she changes her mind about letting us go with them. You can get answers later,” she urged my daughter instead.

I was a sensible, pragmatic person, but I wasn’t ready to have conversations of this nature with my much too young daughter. Highly intelligent but still only four years old.

Gathering my courage, I turned my attention to the knife and my gruesome task. The blade was made of some weird black metal. The handle had the feel of plastic, yet it wasn’t; I was sure of it. There were two buttons along the cross-section of the hilt. Making sure no one was too close, I pointed the knife towards an empty wall before pressing the first button.

I almost dropped the thing as the blade portion extended relative to sword length. That wasn’t the only thing that had me almost losing the knife, but it had a low-key vibration along its edge, and the blade shimmered. Pushing the same button made it reduce back to dagger size.

Pressing the second button began the same humming and softening effect when it became a sword. It was strange. Deciding to test it against the alien’s arm, I squatted down and held the four-fingered webbed hand out from the body and lined up the knife to the flesh of the wrist horizontally.

Butter couldn’t have parted any better as the thing went through the skin before parting bone in a mere second. It cauterized the tissue as it went. The blade met the floor and bounced back slightly as if repelled.

Quickly pulling it away from the alien before it cut anything else, I couldn’t help but stare at the weapon. It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Turning it off, I reached to pick up the hand by one of its fingers with my left hand.

Standing, I turned back to find dumbfounded and amazed eyes following the blade still in my hand.

Seeing Gabby heading back our way with several more blades, I asked, “All right, ladies are you ready?”

CHAPTER 8

PIPPA

Everyone looked a little apprehensively at their fellows in the search party, then nodded to each other before most took a fortifying breath. I ordered Harlow and Megan to the back of the group to follow cautiously behind us.

Gabby and I took point, carefully stepping out into the hallway of our prison cell, both taking the opposite direction from each other and, just like old times, protecting each other’s back.

Scanning, the right-hand hallway was empty and seemed to go on forever. Trying to judge the distance between each doorway, I could see it was maybe one hundred fifty to two hundred feet apart. There wasn’t a door across from us; the closest one was perhaps seventy-five to a hundred feet down our side of the passageway.

“Clear,” I said

“Clear,” Gabby repeated.

My body relaxed slightly, but I wasn’t comfortable being in the open, naked, with only a knife: a fantastic one but still a melee weapon, not something to bring to a gunfight.

The other girls slowly followed us out of the room.

“Which way?” Gabby asked.

The nearest door was down the right-hand hallway on my side.

“Let’s go to that one,” I pointed with the hand holding the gruesome four-fingered hand.

A sense of unreality hit me, making me flush with a spike of adrenaline. Forcing myself to slow my increased breathing, I worked to calm the blood rushing through my head like a balloon soon to pop.

Moving my eyes from the hand helped immensely. How did we go from one sci-fi horror to another? Gen-Home manipulated our genes and messed with our unborn daughters, and I still didn’t know to what extent. They trained us like a dog and pony show to demonstrate their brilliance to governments and unsavory businesses. Now here, we were destined to be slaves to other aliens, or at least we were until we crashed on this planet. A planet not our own, and based on the animal I saw, not a safe one either.

Life sure knew how to throw wrenches into the gears of our existence. Trying to decide what to do, it was at this point the realization hit that splitting us up wouldn’t work without another hand for the scavenger party of seven. Maybe, it would be safest not to separate?

The remaining five of us were to be the searchers, and I honestly didn’t think I could make myself cut off another appendage from one of those alien creatures again. They may have trained us to be assassins and use our talents for nefarious purposes, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it or even wanted to perform grisly acts.

Decision made; we would stay together for the moment. I was hoping that only the doors that held humans wouldn’t allow anybody in them without the hand, but when it was a common room for the aliens, it would open no matter who walked up to the door.

Crossing my fingers, this was the case for later; my hand tightened around the severed wrist and got on with the job. Plus, I was almost a hundred percent sure what we needed to survive wouldn’t be found down this hallway or even on this deck. So, I told myself again that there was no sense in us splitting up.

The first door we came to was much like ours, a double-wide door. Trying first without the hand, I waved it over Gabby’s indicated area. No luck. Then, I waved the alien hand over the exact location; surprisingly, the cut-off had still managed to open the door even though it was a dead thing.

To say we were all disappointed to find the room empty but filled with those same clear containers was an understatement. Gabby and I looked at each other with mounting trepidation. Had there been humans here before, where could they be now?

We decided to keep going down that same right-hand passageway until we made it to another door, only to find the same empty spaces. Finally, we came to the end of the long, seemingly endless hallway to a dead end. All the rooms were the same size as our own or two to five times larger. All unoccupied.

Deciding to return to our starting point and go down the left-hand side this time, we backtracked. It seemed to take forever to return to our starting point. All of us were hoping and praying that we would find more of our people this time around.

Gabby picked up the pace as fear gathered that we wouldn’t find Jazmine. The stricken look on her face had my heart hurting for her. I prayed that we would still find Gabby’s daughter somewhere on this ship and alive.

We arrived back a square one after fifteen minutes of half-walking and half-running.Pausing, I turned to face everyone. Gabby gave me an impatient grimace. But this was important too.

“What are your thoughts on trying to get everyone moved to one of the empty rooms? It would better protect the survivors and make it much more sanitary for those injured. I don’t want to keep searching only to come back and find something from this planet managed to find its way into that room.”

Everyone gawked at me for a long moment before their brains finally engaged, especially the twins.

Tanya quickly agreed, “Yes, that is a great idea. There are enough able-bodied people to transport the injured. It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes.”

Gabby’s jaw clenched in frustration, but I had a solution.

“Sarah, Hester, Heather?” It had finally come to me where I’d seen a few of these girls. “You are with that group of college girls that came aboard the ship, and a bunch of your sorority sisters are in there, right?”

All three of them were startled at me knowing this, but they nodded their agreement.

“Do you think you can motivate them to get everyone moving to the closest empty room? Then come find us after you’ve inspired them?”

All three gave me a fierce grin; Heather responded, “Oh, yes. We can do that. They are all good ladies, just a little scared right now. We can engage their spirits to get them in motion.” Here Heather rolled her eyes. “Especially if we let Stacy be in charge of making it happen.”

“Good, I will open that one for you guys.” I pointed to the first cargo hold we had entered earlier.

I was there and back within five minutes, running to make that happen.

Looking at the other girls, “You guys ready to continue?”

Gabby didn’t bother to respond; she just turned and went directly to the next cargo hold door. I peered down to the end, it was much shorter than the way we’d just come, but it gave me no comfort. Opening the door, we found the same type of chaos we’d awoken to, making me step back in surprise. Somehow the doors had prevented sound from penetrating, but now it was close to making my eyes cross and my eardrums burst.

From the corner of my right eye, I saw most of our party had reacted much the same.

Then a shock wave went through my body when I realized it was a room full of children. I didn’t see anyone older than sixteen or seventeen. It was one of the smaller rooms, much like ours. The older kids were trying to calm as many of the younger ones down as possible without much success.

When Taya and Tanya pushed their way past me, splitting off to the nearest hurt child, this broke our brief paralysis.

As my gaze swept over the area, tears came to my eyes; too many tiny bodies, so still and unmoving. Guilt ate at me for delaying. A group huddled together, crying in one corner as if herded there and others still in their containers looking out with frightened eyes. More still on the floor, holding body parts as if hurting. Too few were teenagers; those were the ones most lying so quietly.

Shaking myself awake, I gestured for the others to follow me to the next group needing help and care. I spied Gabby already by two bodies that weren’t moving. The little girl I knelt next to was rocking back and forth, her eyes fixed. She couldn’t be much older than Harlow.

Searching her body for any injuries, I found none. The little girl held tightly to another child not more than two or three years older. My heart fell; her neck had been broken based on its impossible angle, eyes staring fixedly at the ceiling.

Gently, I tried to breakthe child’s grip, but she screamed and threw herself on top of what I assumed was her sister. I looked around helplessly; what should I do? What could I do?

From out of nowhere, a red-headed woman appeared and knelt next to the little girl and began talking soothingly to her; within minutes, the girl had thrown herself into the red-heads arms.

The woman looked up at me, tears falling just as fast and hard as the little girls. “I’ve got this, Pippa; why don’t you go to the next one?”

Felicia, that was her name. It finally came to me; she was one of the three who volunteered last and another of those sorority sisters.

I couldn’t help but nod my head a little spastically. Handling a traumatized child was so far out of my preview that I didn’t know how to handle it, but it seemed Felicia did.

I mouthed, “Thank you.”

Felicia gave me grief-stricken eyes and then laid her head against the young girls.

Gabby screamed out Jazmine’s name; I jerked around at her cry. My heart pounded; I couldn’t tell if that was a cry of joy or horror. I began running in her direction. I couldn’t see Jazmin until a dark-haired girl’s head popped up out of a group of ten children cuddled up in the far corner of the room.

“Mommy?” Jazmine yelled back. “Mommy!” Then she shoved her way out of the group to run to Gabby.

Bending over at the waist, I gasped with relief. Goddess be praised, she was alive, our Jazzy was alive.

Rising, I scanned for Meghan and Harlow; I found them standing at the cargo bay doors, their eyes going from place to place. There was a look of sick horror on their faces when they saw a still body.

My stomach sank at not protecting them from seeing even more tragedy; how could I have forgotten about them? Waving at Meghan to get her attention, I beckoned them to me so I could take Harlow to Jazmin. They’d been together since they were born, and I knew Harlow missed her friends as much as I missed mine.

When they came within arm’s reach, I pulled them to me in desperate apology and thankfulness that they were here and alive.

“I’m sorry you had to see,” I whispered to them.

Pulling back, they both had their eyes trained on me. “Come on, Jazmin’s been found.”

Harlow’s eyes lit with pure happiness.

Taking Harlow’s hand and putting my hand on Meghan’s back to direct her, I rotated to face the back of the room; I saw Gabby squeezing the life out of little Jazzy.

Harlow’s eyes landed on her friend, so she pulled from my grip and, with a joyous yell, “Jazzy! Jazzy!” She began running and dodging to get to one of her best friends.

At that moment, two young voices yelled out Miranda’s name. Whirling towards the two screaming children, I saw two small girls jump to their feet and run in the direction of Miranda, the girl who’d said all her family was missing.

While we were walking, I learned a little about the people in our group. Miranda and her entire family had taken a reunion cruise, from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, to her immediate family members.

Thankfully, Miranda, in turn, seemed to have finished helping another girl to the corner with some of the older kids. She spun towards the two screaming girls.

“Stephi! Raffa!” Then sprinting for the kids, she stumbled before sliding on her knees, wrapping her arms gently around what looked like a ten and twelve-year-old being led to the same group that Miranda had just left.

They held her just as tightly, all of them crying. The youngest had been limping, and the oldest held her arm close to her chest. I saw that Taya had been helping them. She leaned down to Miranda and whispered something to her for a minute before swiveling her head, searching for her next patient.

Next to me, Megan’s frantic, darting eyes drew my attention to her. They were flying around the room, stopping on each group. Despair flew across her expressive face as she then shifted to the bodies lying on the floor. Devastation flashed, and tears started flowing as she spotted a body on the floor. It was a young girl, who I thought might be eight.

She shouted, “Reagan!” before running to the still form, dropping to her knees, her hands hovering in the air, unsure of what to do.

My heart was beating in quick, harsh thumps; I hurried to Meghan’s side and knelt on the other side, whom I assumed was her sister.

Meghan’s hands unfroze, running all over the little girl looking for injuries. I blew out a breath when I saw the little chest moving up and down. Eyeballing the child’s body, I noticed that her leg seemed broken, and there was a knot on her forehead.

Looking around, I tried to spot either Taya or Tanya, who had been going to medical school. Taya was beside an older kid that I couldn’t see very well, but Tanya was returning from the huddled mass of kids who, to my relief, was growing. Waving to Tanya, she hurried towards us, kneeling to look over the child.

“Meghan?” She looked up at me. “I’m guessing you know her?” I looked back at the unconscious child.

With a waver in her voice, Meghan confirmed my initial assessment. “Yes, my sister. We were trying to have a vacation and relax after my father passed away six months ago. It’s just the three of us. Please, what about our mom? When can we look for her again?” In her voice was a lost little girl who made tears come to already burning eyes.

I was also sure it wouldn’t be the last tears I fought off this day.

“I don’t know, honey, but as soon as we can, okay? Right now, we need to help the kids here before moving to the next rooms.” Trying to distract Meghan, I asked, “What’s your sister’s name?”

“Reagan. Do you think she will be okay?” Meghan was looking at me, but Tanya responded.

“It looks like just a simple compound break. I’m not feeling any other breaks, and I don’t feel any internal injuries, such as a distended or hardness in your sister’s stomach region, which would indicate internal bleeding. I can’t be sure without diagnostic tools.”

Lightly touching Reagan’s head, “This bump on her head is concerning since she’s unconscious, but it could’ve been from her passing out with pain. I’ll set the break, then let’s move her to where we are keeping the other injured kids. So they are out of harm’s way as much as we can make them.”

Meghan’s eyes flashed with relief before she nodded quickly.

Tanya looked at me. “We need to find some splints, medical supplies, blankets, food, water. Too many of the kids are in shock, and while this room is at a comfortable temperature, it’s not enough.”

“I know, but there are only so many of us and…” My gaze roamed the room, heart hurting; I continued, “there are too many here who need our help before moving on.”

Tanya snorted in anger. “Then get those other girls to help us. We must get the basics, at least. Some of these kids could die without it before too long.” Tanya’s tone was bleak but firm in her demand.

She was right.

“I’ll go get more help. Do what you can in the meantime. Have some older kids use their body heat with those who need it,” I told Tanya.

“Good idea, but please, we have to find help or supplies soon,” Tanya urged me again.

Turning back to Meghan, I asked, “Can you help Tanya carry your sister to our makeshift hospital area? I need to get us some more hands to help the others.”

“Yes, no problem, but she will be alright, right?” Meghan needed more reassurance.

Thankfully, Tanya took over while I got to my feet. Spotting Gabby helping another child, I hurried to her to let her know I was going back to our cargo hold to get more help.

Tiredly, Gabby urged me, “Hurry, we are doing the best we can, but there are so many…”

My sister’s eyes were dark with pain and exhaustion. Gabby while fierce in her protection of us was one of the gentlest people I knew. It was one of the reasons my other sisters loved and protected her to the best of our ability.

CHAPTER 9

PIPPA

Let’s put it this way, getting volunteers was like pulling teeth. The girls were scared and useless as far as I was concerned. I finally guilt-tripped ten of them to come and help with the children. The blond chick was still flapping her jaws, but evidently, we were all hallucinating now. The majority of the girls wanted to believe. They just couldn’t wrap their minds around the fact we were abducted by aliens and were now stranded on an alien planet.

Hester, Heather, and Sarah did get them to move everyone to a cleaner and safer room. Thankful for that, at least. Unfortunately, it did play into their damn fantasy that it was a mushroom trip because, apparently, this group was into that type of thing.

Blast it all; my mind was almost gibbering at the thought that we were the only people on this forsaken ship. Where were the rest of the people from the cruise ship, the parents of that twenty-five, thirty, or more kids? The men and boys? Were there even more kids in the following rooms? How could we survive with just females and children?

I wished Sam or Demi were here; they were the ones I constantly tossed ideas back and forth to develop the best solutions. Gabby’s talents were in the healing arts, so she’d focused more on increasing her medical knowledge and helping the girls.

Our gifts grew steadily over the years, which we tried to keep hidden from our keepers at Gen-Home. Each of us worked hard to downplay how much stronger we’d been getting. There had been some unexplainable side effects when they started messing with our DNA. While the scientist knew of most of those changes, we managed to keep a few to ourselves.

Should Gabby use her gift on some of those kids andchance letting others find out?

Wait…

The reluctant volunteers pulled ahead as I searched my memory. I recalled seeing Gabby bending over bodies I thought might be dead, only for them to rise to their feet and join the kids who’d already been treated. Crap on a cracker, she had been using her gift on the worst of the children. No wonder she looked so exhausted. I would need to get her to rest soon so she didn’t overuse her abilities. Damn it!

Running my hand along with the metal of the walls, I jumped when static electricity sparked from the wall to my hand. The atmosphere seemed charged for a moment before the sensation faded.

My other worries resurfaced with a vengeance. Where were the rest of the aliens? This was a damn big ship; surely all of them weren’t dead. From what I could tell, we had two to three more cargo holds to get through before moving past this section of the ship.

Returning to the children’s room, I saw the girls I’d guilted finally stepping up. Maybe they just needed their minds redirected. Time would tell. Gabby was indeed pushing her limits, but she continued no matter what I said, and really I would do the same if I had her gift.

We, at last, made the children as comfortable as possible. Taya decided to stay since she was the most qualified medic other than her sister in our group. The rest of us were to move on. Gabby’s shoulders were drooping, and dark bags were under her eyes. She needed food to recharge, and that right there was the problem.

The urge to bang my head on the wall was strong. I couldn’t afford Gabby going down, yet I knew some of those children would not be here without her healing touch. It was damned if we do and damned period.

But… no, stop… nothing for it and no sense in reaming her out for being herself, too many other fires.

All the children, including Harlow and Jasmine, agreed to stay behind with the ten adults remaining while the rest continued our search. We picked an extra girl to replace Taya. Her name was Keiko; surprisingly, she apologized for not coming before to help. No excuses, another shock to my system.

Gabby and I pulled Taya aside and begged her to keep an eye on our two girls. Taya reassured us, but it was still nerve-racking to give our daughters into a stranger’s hands.

Setting back out, we all kept our fingers crossed, especially those with missing family and friends. Meghan chose to come with us after her sister woke up and was deemed stable. Her mother was still missing, and other than her, no one knew what she looked like.

Goddess help us all, the following three cargo holds were empty, and they were huge. Please don’t let them have been in the back end of the ship that was no longer attached.

Finally, we came to the end of the passageway with only a single door leading out. Walking up to it, I waved the alien’s hand across the sensor. The door slid open; Gabby and I took opposite sides of the door and peeked out swiftly.

“Clear,” I said in a low voice.

“Clear,” Gabby responded dully.

The new area was a very short hallway going left and right, with two doors on the opposite wall, and by glancing each way, I saw there were not any doors on our side of the short passageway. At the end of the hallway, it looked like a blank wall, but there was sort of an alcove-like room. There wasn’t any furniture, but it gave me the impression of a place to wait for something, possibly an elevator? It was a guess at best, but that was my hope.

Goddess, too many unknowns in our future; my stomach clenched at what we would find and how we could respond. Guns would be good right about now, I decided. Knives, you had to be too close to the enemy, yet if the aliens had projectile weapons, they would be able to stand back and kill us without raising a sweat.

All the training in the world wouldn’t save you if the enemy could shoot you from a distance. Our training consisted of weapons, both edged and projectile, sabotage, hand-to-hand, and assassin-type tools of the trade. Not sure how we would do against aliens, though. Still, those skills were a lifetime of work in progress, and with everything we’d already been through, I had no idea if we were healthy enough to fight. Plus, I was almost positive the aliens’ weapons were way more advanced than we’d ever used.

“Pippa?” Jumping at my name.

“Pippa, you, okay? Which way do you want to go?” Gabby inquired.

“Sorry, my brain went down a rabbit hole.”

The rooms we’d been in had been room temperature, but the hallway we stepped into seemed at least ten to fifteen degrees colder, yet I was sweating. What if I chose wrong and led us directly to the enemy, helping no one?

“Pippa?” This time Gabby lightly touched my shoulder.

Meeting her concerned eyes, I grimaced a little, and the understanding smile she gave me helped.

“We can only do the best we can, and the rest is in the goddesses’ hands,” she reminded me.

Nodding, I decided we would try the door on the right first. We carefully kept our eyes peeled for our alien abductors. Opening the first door with the alien hand, we found it was a storage room of sorts.

Surprisingly, I could read the words on the bottles. What I couldn’t do was understand what those words represented. Going to the first one, I turned it this way and that and found what might be directions.

It was cleaning supplies for some type of machinery. Dumbfounded once again, until a remembered pain had me putting my hand to feel behind my ear; there was a small lump. At first, I recalled not being able to understand the aliens before the pain had nearly blinded me back in the medical ward. Funnily enough, both times. Within minutes, I understood the aliens once the pain faded. Maybe, it allowed us to understand their planet’s written language as well? What the hell did I know what they were capable of in their world?

Nothing here would help us, so we moved on to the next door. Opening it, we all jumped back with various yells of startlement. It was a large room filled with machinery that seemed to be coming alive. Hastily, we shut the door, backing up, preparing to run. We relaxed a little when the doors didn’t open, and a horde of those things didn’t come spilling out. Unfortunately, my heart was still pounding like a staccato drum.

Searching the faces around me, all wide-eyed and panting, helped me regain a semblance of control.

“Alright, we are still alive and kicking! Rah, rah!” I cheered halfheartedly.

The brief looks of astonishment and faint chuckles calmed our flight or fight response. Honestly, I was shocked I hadn’t lost most of them to panic. A mental picture of my two fingers coming together suggested it had been this close, and I would’ve panicked if I was being honest. Maybe we were either stupid or braver than we should be.

“Right, let’s check out the areas at either end to see if we can find our way out of here,” I encouraged the other girls and myself.

Continuing down the left, we walked into the alcove and right up to the wall. I saw what could be a sensor; waving my alien hand, it opened into a small room much like an elevator back home. We looked at each other a little apprehensive but silently decided to see what we could find and where it would take us.

Looking at the inside, I didn’t see any buttons to push.

A squeak left my lips much as it did a few others when an androgynous voice asked, “Destination?”

Gabby and I eyed each other in alarm. She shrugged and used her hand to indicate keep going.

Mouthing, ‘thanks,’ at her, I wanted to smack her when she mouthed back, ‘better you than me.’

“Menu…?” I requested uncertainly.

Then, I crossed my fingers.

“Medical, galley, crew quarters, engineering, bridge, common room, provisions, equipment and supplies, cargo section two, cargo section three…”

I interrupted, “Current location?” This time, I sounded a little more confident.

“Cargo four, section four.” The elevator voice stopped speaking.

“How many levels to the ship, and where can we not go?” I inquired, hoping it could answer this type of question.

“Three levels, this lift goes both vertically and horizontally. Cargo sections one and two are out of order. The bridge is out of order. Parts of weapons control are out of order, hydroponics section one is out of order, officers’ quarters are out of order,” I halted the computer voice.

“If the bridge is out of order, how are you still working?” I thought it was a good question.

“The computer core is still functioning as well as the secondary bridge.” As if that answered the question, which I suppose it did for its purposes.

“Is there a place to get clothing, food, water, and medical supplies?”

“Are you declaring a medical emergency? Should I send for the medics?” The smooth robotic-sounding voice inquired.

Crap. I didn’t want to meet up with our alien captors.

Instead, I asked, “Can you tell if injured beings are on this ship?”

Beings were the best I could come up with since I had no idea what our captor’s species was called. I was terrified of asking why it was even speaking to me or asking too many questions. What if it was an artificial intelligence, even now sending their goons to recapture us?

CHAPTER 10

PIPPA

“All decks are reporting injuries and deaths. It is unknown currently how many. Should I send medical help to your location?” the voice questioned.

“No, thank you. We are looking for supplies; can you tell us which deck to go to?” Gabby looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. I had no idea what I was doing or even if I was putting us in more danger.

“You can access provisions, equipment, and supplies on deck three, section three near cargo hold three. There are two ways to access section three provisions, equipment, and supplies. You can go back the way you came to the other side of the hallway and through the access to section three, or this lift can take you to section three.”

The girls and I looked at each other as we all turned to see the wall opposite our elevator. As one we stepped out of the lift, I belatedly told the androgynous voice, “Thank you.”

Pulling into the lead, I hurried across the short hallway to the other wall that looked like the one we had just left. There was another sensor pad. I lifted the hand once more, and the door slid open.

It opened into another hallway similar to our own, yet it was bigger by a factor of three. I estimated six doors were going down the right side and a giant double door going down the left, much like section four.

Turning to Gabby, “Let’s try these six doors first, then we can look and see if more of our people are in cargo hold three.”

She and the others nodded their agreement.

The first room we came to was a storage room of health supplies. Tanya went to town, digging through everything and laying aside medical-type items to take to the people in cargo hold four. Leaving her there with a couple of the girls, we moved on to the next door. It held more cleaning supplies, which made me afraid to open the next door.

All of us sighed in relief when it only held parts and metal-type sheeting. The next room was a jackpot of linens and other similar sundries. Taking what looked to be a standard sheet about the size of a twin bed, I wrapped it around me like a toga.

The other girls rapidly did the same, but trying to walk in a sheet was difficult, and I thought it would cause me to trip and fall if I had to run. Straining way too hard to tear a long piece off the bottom without success, I finally remembered the knife I’d laid aside to put the stupid thing on.

Scanning the others to see if they’d seen me do this idiotic thing, I couldn’t help but giggle at Gabby’s amused look and finally laugh to see she’d remembered she had a knife, unlike my own dumdum self.

Palming my head, making my friend and a few others giggle, I picked the knife back up from the shelf I’d laid it on along with the icky hand and cut off the sheet to around my knees. Several of the others who had knives did the same while the rest waited as patiently as possible for their turn. I handed my knife to Meghan.

Tanya came to see why we were laughing and seeing our new duds; her eyes lit with happiness even as she yelled to Hester and Catherine to come to get dressed. The same relief hit their faces at being able to be clothed in anything except their birthday suits.

Felicia and Heather decided to help take more of the linens to our cargo hold since the other three were burdened with medical provisions. The rest of us continued investigating the remaining rooms, plus discovering if there were any more of the alien monsters in the vicinity.

The next-door held items that I couldn’t identify, but three of those alien monsters were dead on the floor towards the back. It seemed they were thrown and killed during the crash. Reddish purple blood spilled around legs or arms where the bones had broken through the skin or skulls had taken a beating.

So, we continued, thinking we’d come back to see if we could figure out what this room held later. The next stored large containers full of something liquid, not water, but again none of us knew what. Finally, we looked in the final room and closed it fast. Those same machines we’d found on our side of the ship were powering up.

After sending Tanya and the other four back with the supplies wrapped in sheets, the rest of us decided to explore cargo hold three. Again, we found most rooms empty except for the cryogenic beds.

It was very disheartening, and Meghan was getting more and more upset. It wasn’t until we got towards the end, only three cargo hold doors remaining, that we came across rows upon rows of beds full of humans, but none had been disturbed by the crash except for a minor few.

Those few stasis beds were knocked over, but the people in them remained as all the others. The strange thing was, again, it was full of females only. Come to think of it; all the children were girls as well. Where were the men and boys?

We found another room full of female kids ranging from three to sixteen or seventeen; I hazarded a guess. Still no babies younger than three. Unfortunately, we hadn’t found Megan’s mom either. Miranda had found a few more of her girl cousins but no one else.

The next room held only women, too, but I thought some were a bit older this time. They looked to range from twenty on up to maybe thirty in age. Megan and Miranda checked every row; I followed for support.

The rest stayed by the cargo bay doors keeping their eyes peeled. Where were all the older people over thirty? What about any babies on the cruise ship? I know I had seen pregnant women, and a few of those were here. But not nearly the amount I thought was on our cruise ship.

Out of the twelve cargo bays in hold three, section three, we only found three rooms holding humans. Out of the many growing questions, the next one was why had cargo hold three not sustained the same damage as the rest of the ship? I briefly glanced at the faces down each row, praying for Megan and Miranda that one or more would be their missing relatives.

Stopping dead, shock held me immobile. How was this possible? How had three of us ended up on the same ship? Turning to scan the room, I located Gabby and yelled for her to come to my location.

Gabby jogged over, “Hey, what did you find?” Gabby asked as I stared down at a face that shouldn’t be here.

I pointed.

“Sam! Samantha!” she breathed out. Then turned to meet my questioning look with wide eyes, “How?” she asked in disbelief.

“I don’t know. I thought we were all supposed to go to different spots, different places?” I asked uncertainly.

Suspicion was mounting, though. A memory of Midge demanding we keep our plans a secret from each other, in the event one of us was recaptured.

Laying my hand on her container, I whispered, “What did you do?”

My brain worked feverishly, I hadn’t looked at the children in the other room, but Sam’s daughter could be there. It could be a coincidence, but the odds were minuscule that two of us ended up on the same ship, let alone three.

Did we all have the same thought to go to Greenland and disappear in Europe, Canada, or Alaska? There were so many cameras and ways that people could track us in the United States, that I knew we had to get out as quickly as possible.

No. It was impossible. Right?

Harlow and I had gone directly to Florida, which had taken us three days to reach, and then we’d gone straight to the boat and boarded.

“I’m gonna check the rest for our other two sisters,” I told Gabby.

“I’ll check from that end, and we’ll meet in the middle?” Gabby suggested.

“Sounds good.’’ Dread and hope played in equal measure back and forth in my mind.

My heart pounded as I walked up and down, searching for those other much-loved faces. Not finding the other two, all I could think about was Sam’s daughter.”

Watching Gabby return to Sam’s container, I blurted. “I’m going to check for Talia where we found those other children.”

I ran back to the room with the children and started searching. Much to my dismay, I not only found Sam’s daughter, Talia, but I found Midge’s daughter, Abby, and Demi’s daughter, Diamond. Where were their mothers? Damn you, Sam! Now, we were all in this pickle.

How had I missed them on the cruise ship; granted, we had only been there less than forty-eight hours, but still, surely, I would’ve spotted them somewhere? The boat wasn’t that big, was it?

Then, I remembered I hadn’t really checked the first of the three rooms we’d opened. Hopefully, I will find them there.

“Let’s go check that first rooms again and make we didn’t miss them,” I suggested, searching Gabby’s dumbfounded face, a mirror image of my own. “I didn’t look at all the faces at the time,” I explained.

“Yeah. Come on,” Gabby agreed, leading the way out.

Walking down each roll, we carefully checked each face, my heart sinking a little more as we got to the end, and neither of them was there. Would Midge and Demi be in cargo hold one or two? That section of the alien ship was torn away! Could some of it have survived as we did?

CHAPTER 11

PIPPA

Admitting defeat, we returned to the room that held Sam and began reviving her. With big tears filling her large chocolate brown eyes, Meghan came straight into my arms, sobbing as if her heart were breaking. Folding my arms around her, I murmured that everything would be okay, somehow. It was meaningless words to try and help her cope. I had no idea if we would be okay or not. None of us were that old and entirely out of our depth, but I would do my best for her.

Still, it was hard for me to relate; my parents were not the best and had abandoned me the moment they found out I was pregnant, which was how I ended up here in this time and place. Then, I remembered Meghan mentioning she had lost her dad not six months ago. I was sure she was worried about her little sister and what they would do without her mother.

A sense of everything hitting at once had my body flushing; a heavyweight suddenly settled across my body. What the hell were we going to do? From the brief view I’d seen of this world, it was a hostile planet for us. Our alien captors were somewhere about, and what had brought this ship down? Was that something else I needed to be worried about? We had injured adults and kids. No food or water yet, and based on the cramping in my stomach and the dryness of my throat, I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way.

Tanya and the others returned from dropping off the supplies with her sister Taya.

Tanya looked from me to Gabby before saying, “Guys, we have to find some water soon, if not food. The kids are getting dehydrated as well as some of the adults. We especially need it for the ones that have lost blood so it can be replaced.”

Did just thinking about it make it become a problem? Tanya’s words echoed my thoughts of moments ago.

Rotating my head to face Gabby, while Meghan continued to cry more softly now, I declared with an impending sense of dread, “I’ll head to the mess deck with some of these others; Gabby, why don’t you finish reviving Sam and the girls. I won’t leave them here. Let’s not wake anyone else, though, as we have too many other problems and injuries needing our attention. I’ll take some of these girls with me to help find food and water if they’ll go. Bring everyone back to our cargo hold for now.”

“Agreed,” Gabby hastily said to prevent the protests we could see forming on the lips of the girls around us. “She’s right; we don’t need more mouths to feed or take care of right now. Let’s see what we can do to meet our most pressing needs. Then we can plan on something better after that and wake the rest of our people. While we haven’t seen any live aliens, that doesn’t mean we won’t, and the more kids or even adults panicking will only hurt us and cause delays in getting our basic needs met.”

One of the new girls that had come to help after I browbeat her asked belligerently, “Then why are you waking up three more kids and this person?” She pointed to Sam a little indignantly.

She was right, but I, nor Gabby, cared.

Gabby responded more reasonably than I probably could, “She is our sister, and those are our nieces. We won’t leave them just as we wouldn’t leave anyone you found that was a friend or family.”

Then, I thought of Miranda. I raised my eyebrow in question when my attention turned to her.

Shaking her head, Mirada mouthed, ‘Later.’

The girl looked from me to Gabby, to Sam, wanting to argue. The container drained the gook from Sam’s stasis bed, commenting in a doubtful voice. “There is no way you guys are sisters.”

“Foster sisters who have gone through more shit together than you can imagine.” There was bitterness in Gabby’s tone, as that was an understatement, but not for this girl’s ears.

So, I jumped in as the girl opened her mouth again. “Deal with it. Regardless, they are my sisters and my nieces,” I stressed, “and we are not leaving them in those things. Yes, I understand about the others, and we will wake them soon, just not yet, okay. Can we move on now?” My tone was more challenging than I meant it to be.

The girl held up her hands in surrender and with a “Sure, sure,” response.

Tanya spoke up then, probably to stop my glaring at who I believed was one of those college girls in the non-believer’s camp. I was also positive they were all going to be a pain in my butt.

“I’ll go with you, Pippa. Let’s recheck those supply rooms to see if we can find something to help us transport whatever we find.”

Signaling my agreement with an up and down head motion, she and the ones who came back with her took off. I would catch up to them in a moment.

“Gabby, whoever remains with you, go through those storerooms carefully to see if we can use anything else. We will have to venture out; eventually, we need bathrooms or at least a designated place for them. We can’t keep defecating where we plan to stay for long. It is too unsanitary and unhealthy. We need lots of things…” my voice petered off at how overwhelming it seemed.

Our society, training, and skills had not prepared us for something like this, and we would have to make it all up as we went. What we didn’t know could get us all killed. It made my gut clench at the thought of something happening to my daughter or the others.

“Gotcha, get moving, and the rest of us will get started,” Gabby ordered, shaking me out of my lapse into introspection and galvanizing me to get my ass in gear.

Taking a deep breath, I let it out before saying, “Be careful. Take care of them.”

Gabby gazed at me with worry, “I will, and you too. No heroics. Got me!”

I couldn’t help but smile. Gabby was always our worrier, except I had now joined her with a vengeance.

“Yes, Mother,” I said teasingly before turning and heading for the lift that would take us to the mess hall and hopefully no other danger.

Arriving back at the lift and using the hand that was getting creepier by the moment, we all gathered inside. Some of the new faces jumped when the same androgynous voice asked, “Destination.”

“Um, mess deck, please. Do the owners of this ship currently occupy it?”

Crossing my fingers once more, this wouldn’t lead to what I thought was an AI alerting someone of our presence.

“Currently, no one living is in the mess deck.”

My eyes closed in relief; the mess deck would be the best place to get food and possibly water for everybody.

Carefully poking our heads out of the lift, confirming the AI was correct. All we saw were more dead bodies. Surely some of these aliens were still alive somewhere, yet we’d seen nothing from our alien captors.

Turning to the girls, I said, “Spread out; let’s see what we can find. Also, see if you can find any containers to take water and food down to the others.”

No one spoke, only nodding their agreement. We were all spooked and moving carefully. The room was much like a human one, full of tables and wider-based chairs with concave backs; I was assuming to fit the alien’s hump section. Food and drinks were still on the tables as if people had been in the process of taking either their morning or noon break.

I went first to the tables to see what they had been eating. I had thought of the aliens as a fish-like humanoids in their features and body. They had two arms and two legs like us humans, but just the shapes of their bodies and faces reminded me of amphibians. Did that mean they ate other fish or something similar to our cows?

The bowls held some green food that, in a way, reminded me of rice. Different sizes and were creamy looking. Bringing it to my nose, I sniffed. It was a brownie smell, a rich chocolaty scent that had my mouth watering. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, I could eat this despite its color.

My stomach growled in protest when I set the bowl back on the table. Next, I brought one of the cups to my nose; it had a fruity scent. Not sure, but more citrusy. Now, my throat protested, not taking a sip.

There were a few plates of white and dark meat; the texture seemed to be flakier like a fish. While unrecognizable as human food, the vegetables couldn’t be anything else other than maybe some fruit mixed in. Goddess, I was starving. Next, I walked around the room, checking to ensure all the aliens were no longer alive, just in case.

I stopped dead when I spied something that seemed to be more of a puncture wound than a broken body; the alien was at the farthest end of the mess hall. Kneeling, I found I was right. There was a burn mark with a quarter-inch hole through the chest of one of our alien captures. Searching the body, I didn’t find anything but the same type of knife Gabby had taken off one of the dead aliens in our cargo hold.

Standing, I went to another body not five feet from this one. The burn in the weirdly shaped forehead matched the other one. These two had been killed by projectile weapons, not by the crash.

Tanya yelled from the kitchen, “Pippa! Come here.”

Apprehension surfaced once more. The ship crashed for a reason. Was the reason even now going around killing everything living on this ship? If so, we needed to get back quickly and find a way to barricade ourselves in.

CHAPTER 12

PIPPA

Deciding that I was done looking around in the mess hall, I headed for the kitchen to see what Tanya had found.

“Walking through the door, I saw her bring out what looked like ready meals. The kind we would buy back home for camping or the military or for those people that are worried about the world ending. Doomsdays focused? I wasn’t sure of their name, but something similar, I was guessing.

“What did you find?” I probed, my mind still on the burn holes in the dead aliens and what it might mean for us.

Tanya was excited, and so was Miranda; the others looked more skeptical and wary.

“All of these have three types of items: meat, vegetables, and fruit. I think it’s stuff that we could probably eat as long as it’s not poisonous to us.” Tanya exclaimed.

My first thought was, How are we going to test it? I sure didn’t want to be a guinea pig, and I was sure the others would feel the same.

Then another thought struck. Hmmm, I wonder if the A.I. computer will answer here as well as in the elevator?

“Computer?” I queried the air.

“How may I be of assistance?” It was a polite computer.

Something I didn’t think slavers would be in the least. As a matter of fact, this alien’s vessel, other than the damage, seemed pretty state of the art for what I consider the scum of the earth creatures, and I included humans in that description.

“Do you know if this packaged food is inimical to us?” I inquired.

“All beings on this vessel can eat the foodstuff in stock,” the voice replied robotically.

I couldn’t help it; I had to ask. We were going to get caught eventually, and I would rather ask now and relieve at least one or two of my worries. Plus, I had no illusions that we would stay free forever. We just didn’t have the numbers, the weapons, or the knowledge to keep us from being recaptured. Still, I was all for staying out of their clutches for as long as possible.

“Computer, why have you not turned us into our captors? Why did the ship crash? Are there other humanoids on this vessel? Who owns this ship?” Once I got to asking, I couldn’t seem to stop the questions.

The uninflected voice replied, “The previous owners have expired; humans now own this part of the vessel.”

My eyes touched each person around the room; the look of shock on the faces staring back at me reflected how I felt.

“How could that be?” I disputed before it could answer further. “There must have been hundreds of these… What do you call the previous owners of this ship who abducted us?”

“Drockish.”

“Yes, them. Wait, you said, ‘this,’ part of the ship. Are you in contact with the missing piece of this vessel?

“Yes, my counterpart has been damaged but can communicate with me,” the computer voice responded.

When nothing else was forthcoming, I reminded myself of the questions it hadn’t answered yet. So, to try again.

“Are there other humans like us on the other ship, and if so, are they undamaged?” I prayed this was so for my two missing sisters and the others that were missing family members like Meghan and Miranda.

The voice answered, “Yes, there are humans. Most are not damaged to the point of expiration, but four hundred and sixty-six have expired.”

My heart clenched at this news. What if one of those was Demi or Midge? How many of the cruise ship were people left? Those beds had to be empty for a reason.

“What about the Drockish,” Miranda chimed in. “Are there any more still alive on the other portion of this vessel?”

The androgynous voice answered my friend as readily as it answered me. “Not yet, but my counterpart believes they will soon be terminated as they are being hunted as we speak.”

Oh, goddess, this cannot be good for us. They were slavers; surely, they knew how to fight? And we had nothing but knives and the sheets we’d found on our backs. Nothing to protect us in the least.

A flash of fear skittered down my spine.

I asked hurriedly, “Are the beings who killed the Drockish still on board the ship?” I saw the others nod; it was a good question.

The others were frozen in place, the same as me, pending its answer.

“Yes, they are going room to room to ensure all trespassers have been eliminated.” While it hadn’t changed, the voice seemed to impart the seriously fucked up situation we found ourselves in.

Tanya inserted. “Do you understand what they’re saying to each other and who they are?”

“Yes, they are from the same system and under the same government as the Drockish. They are called the Trixnokin.”

Heather spoke, “So why are they hunting down the Drockish and killing them?”

“The Trixnokin do not believe in slavery, and when they come across any slavers, they eliminate them immediately. The Drockish was also on the outskirts of the Trixnokin territory, which they guard with extreme prejudice. No one may enter without their express permission.”

I asked, “So this thing the Drockish put in my head, will it allow us to speak with the Trixnokin, so we can explain to them what has happened to us?”

“Yes, but that may not prove beneficial to you or safe,” The computer said in its unemotional voice.

That didn’t sound good, but I didn’t see that we had much choice. As long as they didn’t shoot first, we stood a chance. Maybe not a big one, but one all the same.

One of the other girls who came back with Tanya quickly asked, “How many people are left from where they took us? Are they all only women and girls, or does the other ship hold boys and men? We only found females in cargo bays three and four.”

I could tell this was important to her, which meant she was missing either a family member(s), boyfriend, or husband.

“All males were sold, most of the older females, and the youngest offspring.” The girl put her hand over her mouth, her eyes stricken.

Miranda gasped in horror, tears filling her eyes. I closed mine in sorrow for these girls but also in relief that there was still a chance Demi and Midge were still alive.

Turning my head towards the other girls in the room, I raised my right eyebrow in question. Asking… what should we do?

“Well, what do you guys think we should do? I don’t see a lot of choices or options.” My gaze touched each person, hoping one of these bright girls would save the day.

Honestly, I held no illusions right now. I certainly didn’t think we were in any position to get off this planet with any degree of success without help. The wildlife I caught glimpses of told me we were prey, not the predator on this planet.

Another question struck before the others could respond to me. “Computer? Was it the Trixnokin who shot us down?”

“No, we were fired on by an unknown ship about three AUs from the nearest habitable planet. We were skimming the edges of the Trixloxin territory when the incident occurred. The ship was heavily damaged, and we needed to put it down on a breathable planet. The master evaded and headed straight for this currently unknown planet in the hopes of making repairs.

“Who shot at this vessel?” I demanded.

“Unknown at this time.” The bland voice of the computer informed us.

After a brief pause as we all took in this information. Tanya answered my previous question.

“I don’t think there’s much choice we’re going to have to try to communicate with the Trixnokin; we know nothing about space travel or repairing a spaceship. We can’t take care of this many people on an inhospitable planet. I know I’m out of my depth; what about you guys?” Tanya’s fear was my own.

Nodding and murmurs of agreement. Then a young girl, probably sixteen, said in a shaky voice. “If these Trix…, Trix…, or whatever their name is are searching door to door, shouldn’t we be getting back with the others?”

She was correct; all of us were looking around for the Trixnokin, believing they would be coming out of the walls at us.

“All right,” I said. “Let’s gather up this food and some water and take it back down. I know everybody’s thirsty and hungry.

Everyone indicated their agreement by rushing off to find containers to carry the food and drinks they’d found. Not finding much, we used the sheets tied around our bodies when we couldn’t find enough things to haul the food back. Once more, we were naked. I’d seen more naked girls today than I’d seen in my entire life.

Arm loaded, and all of us staggering under the weight, we returned to the lifts. I picked up the hand on the way, waving it over the sensor. That was when I realized I might not need the stupid thing anymore. We were overloaded and filled the elevator, so we felt like sardines, but no one wanted to be left behind.

“Destination,” the computer asked.

I replied, a bit out of breath, “Cargo hold three, section three. Will you accept human hands to open doors?”

If I had extra fingers right now, I would be crossing them.

“Yes, until you officially take over command, all doors are accessible by its current inhabitants.”

A spike of excitement went through me as the doors opened to our level. I had so many questions.

Eyes widening, a strum of electricity shot through me. The other aliens had found us. I don’t know who was more shocked, them or us. They were almost to the entrance of cargo hold three, where everyone mobile was located. The only thing I could focus on… they were huge, and their ears stuck out intriguingly from their heads for some reason.

Movement caught my attention behind the massive aliens. A transparent watery veil swept down the hall towards us. Their large bodies fell where they stood, much like cut strings on a puppet as it overcame them. The tall alien in front of me jerked around at my indrawn breath before falling himself. I pivoted to push everyone back into the lift; then, I remembered nothing else.

CHAPTER 13

RADIK

“Lord, the hunting world has been breached. We are four AUs from the planet,” my sensor and tracking officer announced to the bridge room.

Our people had discovered a world untouched, a world for our hunting privilege alone. We were a species that needed an outlet for our warrior’s aggressive nature. This world had all the necessary components required. A world that expects only the fittest to survive, a plethora of predatory animals, plants, and terrain to test ourselves and our young. We’d warned the other galactic powers to keep their grubby paws off it or pay the price. We must discover why our sovereign territory was breached. Then teach a lesson they will regret, but not for long.

“Is it the same ship stealing our people or something else?” I demanded.

“Unknown at this time, my Lord, we are too far out to detect the type of ship emitting the distress signal now.”

“Plot it, helm, and get us there.”

“Yes, Lord Radik, we are approximately two jumps away. Thirty minutes to system entry.”

Touching the collar of my neck, I waited for the tone before ordering the AI to connect me to Valmon and Celtin.

“My Lord,” Valmon responded when he connected.

“My Lord,” Celtin did the same.

“Get to the bridge. A distress signal is coming from Rymose. Bring my battle gear from my quarters. I’ll change in my office.”

“I’ll get it; I was already changing. There was an issue in engineering, and before you ask, yes, it has already been addressed.”

Baring my teeth, my blade brother knows me so well.

“Good,” I responded.

“Do we know who breached our planet?” Celtin demanded.

“No, not at this time, but we get to have some fun, so get a move on,” I ordered my blade brothers.

By the time I’d changed and returned to the bridge, we were within scanning distance.

“My Lord, it’s a slave ship. Not sure what happened to it, but the ship is in two big pieces. It looks as if it broke up when it crashed. Sensors show it’s a Drockish Sedilor Class.

Hmm, that was the Drockish’s newest medical slave transport ship. They were from the Ntor system, one not a part of our empire. Also, a star system we would need to conquer sooner rather than later if these bottom feeders were in our territory.

Turning to my command team, “We’ll split up into two teams of sixty. No mercy on the Drockish. Whatever slaves we find, transport to our ship for processing, and then we’ll return them to their homeworlds.” Looking to Celtin. “I’ll drop with your team.”

Fist to heart, both my blade brothers turned and took off for the transport bay.

“Communication?”

“Yes, Lord Radik,” my communication first responded.

“Call in a clean-up, and let’s get that piece of junk off our world. Full - Sensor sweeps while I’m away and keep me informed of any changes or problems.”

Spinning, I headed for the hatch. Touching my collar. “Connect me to medical.”

“Medical, Holint, speaking.” Holint was head of my medical contingent.

“Did you complete the project I ordered?” I interrogated.

“Yes, my Lord. It was completed days ago.”

“Excellent, transmit the information to the command headquarters, then organize for incoming casualties.”

“It has already been done. I received confirmation of receipt a few hours ago. The report should be in your queue. Do you have numbers, my Lord?” Holint asked.

“Efficient as always, my friend. No, not currently. The Drockish slave ship could be fully loaded, or they may be on search and capture when they crashed. We won’t know until we’ve gained control and eliminated the garbage. I’ll have you come down on the troopship to assess once I deem it secure. Ready your people and supplies. Notify operations to prepare housing for an unknown number of biologicals,” I ordered just as I arrived at the dropship.

“Yes, my Lord. We’ll be ready,” Holint acknowledged.

It didn’t take long to arrive at the downed ship. Exiting the dropship, I noticed several big predators already scavenging around the rents and tears in the slave ship. After the last of the big animals took its prize away, we entered through the biggest hole. It looked to be their transport bay. There was nothing alive here, so we headed further into the ship and killed every Drockish we found.

Connecting to the assault group, “Split into groups of ten and do a thorough sweep; let me know when you’ve cleared all rooms. I’m headed down to the cargo rooms to discover what the Drockish was carrying. You ten,” I pointed to the closest ten of my elite commandos, “on me.”

It didn’t take long to arrive at cargo bay three entrance.

“Prepare to breach,” I ordered of the doors leading into the main cargo hold.

The elevator doors opened, and I spun to bring my weapon up to bear, only to freeze at the many strange creatures whose arms were full of what looked like food and water. The one in front seemed female based on her breasts formed for nursing. The rest of the group huddled in the elevator were also female and had recently born a child. What the heltor?

The lead female stared past me just then, only for her eyes to widen in fear and backed up into the females behind her. Thinking one of my team was exhibiting more aggressiveness than warranted, I glanced back only to see my men falling behind me as the clear watery substance passed over them. Then it was to me, and blackness took me.

CHAPTER 14

PIPPA

A scream. Furious growling. Consciousness returned with the harsh sounds; I worked to raise my lids, which seemed stuck to my lashes. They weighed a ton; I finally forced one eye open, and light penetrated for a moment before falling again. My sluggish mind tried to think of what to do.

Arm, I need to raise my arm. Focus, Pippa. Focus. You can do this, but said arm refused to be raised, despite all my mental gymnastics.

Another scream and growl of rage, but the sounds were further away. Shouldn’t I be scared? The lack of energy or the ability to concentrate was beyond me. With effort, the same eyelid travels slowly upward to a slit. A light shines down on me, making the one eye water. Nothing was in my field of view except that damnable light. Silence reigns for a bit, then a dark shape leans over me, blocking the annoying brightness.

An abnormal bony head came into range. I wanted to recoil, but two different people seemed to control my body. One who couldn’t seem to work up the animation to be upset, and the other trying to force me to follow a ‘girl’s’ script of screaming and trying to get away.

The creature looking down on me was beyond strange. The head reminded me a little of a horny toad but with wide boney ears, which for some reason, met in the middle of their skull as if attached on each side, then went out wide from said head before tapering back in to touch the small tusks at the edge of their mouth. They had two eyes slit like a snake’s that peered out from under what looked like protective horns laid back against their head before sweeping out to points.

This one’s eyes were a vivid yellow like a shiny diamond. The colors of the alien ranged from bright orange around the bony ridges of the head, followed inward by blacks, yellows, and some red thrown in.

The mouth was small compared to the rest of the head, but its teeth seemed blunted and more prominent like a horse’s maybe. Two wide nostrils flared beneath more of the boney cartridge stemming from the eye protection. That same cartridge ran up to the top of the skull, where it met the weird ears. The skin was rough and hardened, reminding me of a bit of rubber.

A whirling noise drew my attention; long metal-like arms came down from beyond the bright light. A thick tap of a nail on something had my eye drifting back to the strange alien. It had a tablet-like object in its hands and seemed to be taking notes. However, the metal arms were getting closer the more the creature tapped.

Why couldn’t I get scared? Why was I lying here instead of trying to get away? The arms held different instruments, some like needles, others reminded me of scalpels, and others I had no idea what they could be. Come on, Pippa, do something. Anything.

Still, I laid there like a damn sacrificial animal—a pinch in the arm on the side where my eye wouldn’t open. My legs rose higher, and something cold and hard drove up through my privates. I looked downward; one of those metal arms was doing something to my insides. There was a sharp ache around my uterus. Again, I felt the pain, but my body and mind weren’t in sync. Another harsher pinch below reminded me of the first time the doctors at Gen-Home inserted an IUD to prevent more pregnancies. A tug where a tug should not happen—relief when the metal arm retreated with nothing more than a bit of blood and, sure enough, my IUD.

A long needle was then inserted through my belly button, and a cold sensation swept through me. Another needle plunged into my heart which skipped a beat before a fire spread through my veins, burning me alive. This time a grunt left my lips. The creature looked at my face and saw me staring back. He tapped on his tablet, and I knew nothing more.

Another awakening, I was still lying flat on my back, but I could open both eyes now. Looking around the room told me I was in a medical place. It had all the hallmarks of one, even if the doctors were anything but human. They were hovering over other women, and I was free to observe for a minute and try to figure out what the hell was happening now.

Then, I saw one leaning over a much smaller body, a body very familiar to me. A switch flipped in my head, and I was no longer passive. I crouched from the table, ensuring I was free from observation. Not far from them was a table that held different but unknown items. One was half as long as the others with what looked like a handle that tapered to a point on one end. It wasn’t sharp like a sword, but it had enough of a point; it would hurt like hell if not deal out the pain I intended. The main point was for them to get the hell away from my daughter.

With a move that was ingrained after years of martial arts and training, I slid noiselessly along the floor until I reached the tray. Picking up my intended weapon, I flipped it back like a knife against my forearm before picking up speed and then swinging my arm up. I brought it down with all my strength into the back of the one who’d just pushed a needle into my daughter’s heart, the same one I remembered happening to me quite vividly.

Flesh parted, and as intended, nothing but a gasp escaped from his mouth. The needle was out of Harlow’s heart. I grabbed the tablet from its lax hands but struggled to lower the body so it wouldn’t grab the attention of the others in the room when it hit the floor.

Somehow, I managed. Peeking over the table, I scanned the room, looking for any eyes. So far, so good. Crouching down, I looked over the tablet to see if I could read it. The characters were nothing but gibberish, unfortunately. No help there. Frisking the alien, I didn’t find any weapons. Blast it all. Okay, plan B. Gently, pulling my daughter off the table and to me, I checked her over to make sure she was okay. Her body was stiff, but she was well and truly unconscious.

The remembered fire in my veins would account for the stiffness because she was breathing okay. Sweat popped up all over her body, making me second-guess that she was okay. Something warm touched my foot, making me jump a little. I saw blood oozing from under the body and spreading in an ever-widening pool.

I thought a voice called out a question, but since I didn’t understand what they were saying, I believed it was high time I tried and figured a way out of here. I crab-walked to the end of the bed closest to the wall, with a weapon in one hand and my daughter hanging from my hip and against my waist.

Sneaking a quick look to either side, I saw nothing was in view. Staying low and sliding my legs from side to side was a strain on my knees but doable. I made my way slowly down row after row of beds. It was a bigger place than I thought it would be; I’d almost made it to the big doors I’d seen when I first awoke when a shout went up from several voices.

Time was up, just then, the doors opened, and heavy booted feet ran through the doors towards the shouting. This was my chance. Still staying as low as I could, I pulled Harlow closer and made a break for the doors, which hadn’t started to close yet. Then, I was through.

Looking both ways showed the same in either direction, so I chose left and began running, passing door after door. I desperately needed an arm, so I stopped long enough to throw Harlow over my shoulder and kept her tight against me with the same arm holding the weapon.

I needed to see if any of the doors would open for me. Coming to the next one, I stopped and looked for a sensor.

Waving my arm over both sides of the door, I finally found how to open it. There was a section that turned green when you waved your hand about waist high on me. The aliens had been short, or at least the ones I’d seen. The door opened into another ward like what I had left, but no alien doctors in evidence.

Females’ bodies were laid out on the same types of tables I’d woken upon. There was a transparent covering over each one. A swirling gas mix flows up and over the bodies in a continuous dance, like clouds moving during a thunderstorm. Pulling Harlow down, so her head lay over my shoulder, I wandered up and down the aisles looking at the faces.

There wasn’t anyone here that I recognized. I heard the swish of the door opening, so I crouched down low and moved carefully to the end closest to the wall. The agitated voices and boots stomping about indicated at least half a dozen of them, and I was sure they were after Harlow and me.

Carefully, I laid my daughter down as close to the bed as possible to protect her. I could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. These aliens were more intelligent than I’d given them credit for. There was one on each row by themselves, but in eyesight of each other, based on what I could observe under the containers, so it wouldn’t be long until I was discovered. Closing my eyes, I mentally prepared myself, gripping the improvised weapon tightly in my fist.

Energy coursed down my hand into the perfect conductor for my needs.

CHAPTER 15

PIPPA

I was going down, and I knew it, but I could take some of these bastards down before it happened. I didn’t know how much of a shock they could take, so I forced an excess of charged electrons into the metal.

That was my gene enhancement, the ability to give off an electric shock from a minor static shock to lightning lethality. I’d always been highly charged with static electricity, but they found a way to make it more deadly in me, and if I have metal that I can push the electricity into, it becomes an even better weapon.

While I can use it with just my body, I can direct it more efficiently, like a stun gun with a metal object, exactly like the one I was holding. Think an electric eel; that was basically what they did to me. The even better part, no matter how much electricity was run through my body, it didn’t affect me, and it recharged my energy.

It was frustrating not to understand what these aliens were saying and coordinating. Plus, they must have cameras or sensors as it didn’t take them long to locate me. Should I fight or wait for a better opportunity? Would they kill me for killing one of them, or do I hold some value for them? If they killed me, I couldn’t protect Harlow. The only option available was to give up and fight another day.

Decision made, I swiftly sucked the energy back in and pulled Harlow back into my arms, making sure she was protected; I put my back to the world and huddled close to the table as if trying to hide. Deciding to be weaponless, I pushed the irregularly shaped metal object under the table. There wasn’t much room in the small space between the bed and the floor, but I made it work.

Shouts behind me, followed by a hard prod to my back, had me curling tighter around my daughter. Another more vicious kick along my spine had me gritting my teeth as agony shot up and down my body. This time my hair was grabbed, pulling me backward, twisting my head and body; I turned it into a rotating roll with one arm coming up with a snap and connecting with the alien’s wrist making it lose its grip. Then, I was on my feet, looking for an opening. Making sure Harlow was facing away from as many of them as I could manage.

“Get back,” I yelled. “Let us go!” I screamed into the startled face a few beds over.

Laughing mentally at my screaming towards the aliens, I damn well knew they wouldn’t let us go, but it’s in the script. It’s what I’m supposed to do, pretend I’m fighting the good fight, right?

Words were shouted at me, but I had no idea what they were saying, and they realized it.

The weapons pointed at my back discharged, hitting only me. Energy swept through me, which told me it was some type of stunner, so time to pretend. The good news was I practiced this very thing long ago, so dropping to the floor, I gently rolled my daughter out of my arms before I fell, twitching on my side. The aliens didn’t notice that the shock never traveled through me to Harlow.

Within moments, I was trussed up and carried back to the room I’d escaped. The aliens holding me laid me down on the same bed; I continued to twitch periodically. Two of the aliens came to hover over me, staring at me with their creepy eyes. They were talking and tapping away at their tablets.

Two arms came down; one stabbed me in the arm, the other behind my neck, near the base of my skull. I screamed. Panting in pain, my vision blurred but not before words became distinguishable.

“How is Tutmikalln?”

“He will survive; she only hit one of his hearts. The problem was the bleeding.”

The other alien harrumphed before asking, “How does she keep waking up? This is the second time. There are a few others we are having the same problem with.”

“No idea. I upped the dos…” The lights went out.

A deep voice screamed in rage and torment bringing me back to the surface.

The glue was back on my eyes, I seemed to be rocking, but I couldn’t manage to force my eyes open. I couldn’t feel anything other than the swaying of my body before darkness returned.

This time, I opened my eyes, being careful only to raise them to mere slits. I liked that my mind was clearing faster and faster each time. I was on the same bed, but all around me, others were waking as well.

The women who’d regained consciousness were screaming and crying and struggling in their bonds. I tested my arms and found this time; I was strapped down. I turned my head and searched the area where I’d taken my daughter from earlier, but an older female was in her place. My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes flashed open as I rotated my head, looking in all directions for her.

All I could see were women, not children. This scared the piss out of me. Where had they taken her? Had I gotten my daughter killed? My chest felt like it was ripping in two. Tears trickled down my cheeks; my chest heaved in and out. Panic a hair’s breadth away.

Closing my eyes, I worked to regain control of my raging emotions. Taking slow deep breaths helped. Me breaking down wasn’t going to help Harlow or me right now. The only thing that would be getting free so that I could find her. My breath was a hiccup of my distress.

Goddess, please… please let her be alive, I prayed.

The loud stomp of boots and the increased screaming told me our alien captors were back. When peering over at them, I found a half dozen doctors and what I thought primarily might be approximately twenty soldiers or security types.

A doctor would release a girl, and two of the aliens would quickly grab her and place a round metal object around her neck, wrists, and ankles. Once on, a third guard would hit a button on a screen, and the girl would freeze, unable to move. The guards said something to the first girl, who violently shook her head.

The alien hit another button, and the scream that left her lips froze every woman in the room. The intense pain she was experiencing made me cringe and freaked out most of the room. I saw the guard hit another button and her stiff body relaxed into sobs. The girl shuffled for the door, a terrified expression on her face.

It was a demonstration for the rest of us. After that, everything moved faster except for a few that tried their hand at refusing to move. Then the demonstration would be repeated with the same results.

Still, maybe they weren’t as intelligent as I believed. The aliens should have had those rings on us before awakening us.

They were not a very efficient bunch of aliens, I thought with some disgust.

Finally, one of the doctors and two alien soldiers were next to my gurney-type bed.

I spat, “Where is my daughter, you assholes.”

Surprisingly, I got a response. “With the other offspring, now comply with our instructions. Rise, follow the rest of these females, make no trouble, or be severely punished.”

Ignoring the ring fastened around my neck, I couldn’t help begging, “When can I have her back? Please don’t hurt her!”

Reptilian eyes focused on me, making me want to shudder at their coldness. At the same time, I couldn’t help but notice these aliens were shorter than many girls in this room but almost twice the width of most of us.

“You are in luck; the lot of you were sold as a group. The buyers want a renewable labor force. Now move.”

Relief surged through my body; Harlow wouldn’t be taken from me, but this sounded more like slave labor with a twist. At least it didn’t sound like we would-be sex slaves except for the part about renewable. As far as I was aware, there weren’t any human males, just females, so how would that make us renewable?

Shaking my head, I let it go for the moment since I was almost positive I would find out soon enough.

Joining the line of girls, I shuffled after the ones already in motion.

CHAPTER 16

PIPPA

They took us down a long hallway into a large room, completely bare. Suddenly, nozzles shot out from the walls, looking like PVC pipe with a half-inch hole in the center. More came shooting up from the floor; the entire room shrieked in fear and pain for the few standing on top of them, most having dodged getting a foot rammed upwards.

If I was counting right, about thirty of us were milling around but slowly began gravitating into a huddle together. The doors closed, and my heart dropped as a gas-like substance sprayed out of those nozzles from every direction. I held my breath, praying. I watched the others do the same, all with wide, fearful eyes seeking a way out—several beating on the door. Hot despair rose to choke me at never seeing my daughter again. Finally, a bunch blew out their air even as tears streamed down their faces in strange rivulets.

After a bit, I couldn’t hold my breath any longer either. My fast-beating heart calmed slowly as I realized none of the others had fallen dead. Scanning my body, I found whitish droplets flowing down my skin, and with it, I knew I was much cleaner. While it didn’t look like water, and my hair wasn’t wet per se, it felt different. There was a lightness to it, making me wonder if it was melting away. Quickly, I raised my hand to make sure my hair was still there.

My long locks no longer felt greasy or matted, and there was a silkiness to the strands that surprised me. I ran my hands down my body; again, my skin seemed almost renewed, like a pound of lotion was moisturized deep into my pores. Maybe five minutes went by when the nozzles stopped spraying and retreated. Looking around at the others, we’d had a spa day. Hair was either straight or in curls, but all of them shiny and healthy, much better than when we arrived. Each girl my eyes landed on; their skin was glowing a healthy color. We all needed an excellent razor; there wasn’t any doubt about that staring down at my legs.

The door opened once more, with our alien captors beckoning us out.

No one wanted to move, and those in front pushed the rest of us back to the far walls. A sudden tingling around my neck, arms, and legs indicated the aliens had activated the control bands. The screaming from the others made me realize we were being shocked a whole lot more than I’d believed.

Hurriedly, I followed their examples and copied their reactions when the tingling suddenly disappeared. The keening and sobs were other indicators of how rough it had been for them. The terror on their faces told me it was not something they relished happening again. Those in front of me shuffled forward swiftly, eyes darting fearfully back to the rest of us even as they followed the lead alien.

Walking down another long hallway, we found ourselves in another room with rows upon rows of jumpsuits, I would call them. The alien loudly ordered us all into one of the suits. There weren’t any buttons or zippers. The alien indicated with his suit by running a finger along the seam, which opened and closed it. We were provided some footings that covered our feet but were unlike anything I’d ever seen. They reminded me superficially of those ballet slippers but were more form-fitting and comfortable than I’d believed possible.

Next, they ushered us down multiple corridors and three more doors until we came to a big open area that held many more aliens than the ones who were our captors. These aliens were giants compared to us females, or our four-foot-tall alien captors, who backed away from them. These new aliens would make up any two of our captors.

Both aliens were humanoid like us. These new alien’s features were fetching but subtly different from us humans. Their faces were broader, all of them with high cheekbones and cut jawlines that fit their skulls. Their eyes were more prominent and tapered upwards, and their eyes slit like a reptile without the whites found in our eyes. The colors I could see from here were all in the purple spectrum, including the pupil, a darker purple.

Their lips seemed thin when pulled back in snarls of rage, so I couldn’t tell what they would be like in repose. They had sharper teeth than humans and sharper and longer eye teeth, both top, and bottom curved inward slightly.

Their nose was more expansive and marginally flatter than humans, and they had cut lines on either side that joined near the nostrils and followed up to their brows before tapering to either side of their eye ridge.

The weirdest part was their ears. They reminded me a little of dragons or the mermen of our stories. A memory surfaced; it seemed dream-like and indistinct. I searched to recall it, but nothing was coming to me other than a sense; I’d seen them before.

They protruded from their heads and ranged from six to eight inches in breadth. There were three large cartridges with membranes in between each. The hair on their heads was thick and fell in waves down the aliens’ backs in various colors, from purples, blues, blacks, and whites. I didn’t see one less than six foot five; they had long torsos and long legs with thick thighs.

The alien’s skin seemed much thicker than ours, and there were tails on all of them flicking back and forth in agitation. The tails were the size of their biceps in width, which wasn’t slight on any of them; before coming to a curled point towards the bottom. The length looked to be about five feet from the base of their spine to the floor. The underside was smooth, but the sides and top had soft spikes spread over the surface, about two inches tall.

The other strange thing was their coloring kept changing as they moved. It was almost like these new aliens had a chameleon’s ability to adapt to their environment. Their skin was trying to transform into grays, blacks, and silvers of this room. The ones closest to the walls were very hard to see; even their hair was adjusting.

If it wasn’t for the jumpsuit, I don’t think we’d even know they were in here. Those jumpsuits made it hard to focus on anything but the same type of jumpsuit given to us. Their big arms were bare, like our own. There was a hole for their tails, and they seemed to have the same foot covering as us humans.

When we came into the room, all the new aliens had been facing six of our captors. Other than maybe half a dozen of the new aliens at our entrance turned to confront us crouched with teeth bared in a warning. Their hands were in the grapple position, the same bands around their wrists as our own.

Startled yells and screaming came from my group at this show of aggression; those in front pushed the rest of us back; quite a few fell into a tangle of limbs. I danced around, trying not to get caught up in the panic of my fellow prisoners.

Behind us, more female voices rose in agitation along with that of children. I whirled towards the doors, hope a fragile thing. I waited for the press of bodies at the entrance to sort themselves out, and those that had fallen picked themselves up. Even as the mobile ones continued to press back through the doors, others were trying to enter.

The terrified cries from children had my heart hammering that one of them was my daughter. Shifting my way out of the bodies and closer to the wall near the door took willpower and elbows. I’m pretty sure I managed to do it without attracting the attention of our abductors. I needed to be there for Harlow, not in the middle of this room.

The aliens in charge began directing those trying to go back through the door, and when that didn’t do anything, the familiar tingle occurred. Not just for our group but for those out in the hall trying to get in. Shouts of pain and distress made me cringe even as I pretended it hurt me. The worst were the cries from the children. It was at this point I wanted to beat these girls. They needed to learn control.

Finally, the tingles stopped, and with sobs of defeat, the girls trying to get out turned and scurried back into the room. Skirting all the aliens until they were told to halt. It was much like cattle not knowing where to go, just shuffling in place.

More bodies pushed through the doors and followed the rest of the human herd. When kids began to follow, my eyes touched each face before finding a familiar one. Jazmin saw me simultaneously, her eyes darted about apprehensively, before working her way to my side. My poor Jazzy threw her arms around my leg, holding on tight, tears falling.

“Mommy,” she pleaded.

Placing my arm around her shoulders, I shook my head. “Not yet, sweetie, but I bet soon. Keep your eyes peeled.”

Rubbing her face on my jumpsuit, she faced the door but kept one of my arms on her shoulder with her hand.

Not long after, Talia, Abby, and Diamond arrived, all my sisters’ daughters. They sidled over to me, each trying to burrow into my body. I desperately needed more hands. No, Harlow, where was my daughter? The girls clung to me as more human females showed up, pushing and shoving into each other as if something was coming up behind them that unsettled them.

CHAPTER 17

PIPPA

It seemed a long time had passed before I finally saw Sam, followed by Gabby, then Midge. Oh, goddess, she was alive. The shock made Midge stop when her eyes found mine, causing a small pile-up. Talia threw herself at my sister and was snuggled up to Sam before I even knew she’d left my side, both crying at being reunited.

Abby hadn’t seen Midge yet, and Jazmin, Gabby’s daughter, had a death grip around her mother’s neck. Diamond and Abby clung to my legs with my hands on their shoulders, holding them close. Finally, Midge picked up her pace, and that’s when Abby saw her. Letting go of me, the two met in silent happiness as Midge kissed Abby’s face repeatedly.

“My mom?” Diamond’s small desolate child’s voice asked.

I bent down to pick her up, holding her close. “I don’t know, sweetie. There are more coming in now,” I said encouragingly.

More kids came in, and I saw Meghan and her sister Reagan clinging to each other. Meghan looked relieved when she saw me and hurried out of the groupings.

“Harlow?” I asked her.

Meghan shook her head, and my heart sank. Where was she? The assholes said she was alive.

I put my arm around Meghan; she seemed to need reassurance while her sister clung to her.

The Earth females were filling up the available space. We seemed to outnumber the other captured aliens by a good margin. More children came in scared and crying for their moms and dads. Finally, after what seemed forever, I saw a sight that had me wanting to scream in joy.

Harlow was clinging to Demi, her eyes darting everywhere; I knew she was looking for me.

“Mom,” Harlow mouthed when she saw me, her little face looking happy and relieved at the same time.

She was tapping on Demi to gain her attention and pointed to me. All our kids knew not to draw attention; it was a lesson learned long ago.

Our eyes met in shared relief, and then shock rocked down our bodies; I could see and feel its ripple from here. We were all here, all together. How… I didn’t know, but I was thankful, nevertheless. Well, I might know. My eyes drifted to Sam for a moment before shooting back to Harlow.

“Pippa, Pippa,” Demi whispers before her eyes land on the rest of our sisters.

I switched Diamond for Harlow, and then we huddled closer together. I looked at Sam, and there was a slight smirk around her lips. My eyes narrowed, and my mind raced, working out how.

“Sam?” I question in a whispered hiss. “What did you do?”

Samantha startles, and she catches my eye, a smidgen of guilt peeking through.

“Sam?” Midge asks in the same questioning tone.

Rolling her eyes, she came clean. “You know, I never thought we should have split up. I’ve been practicing, and while I can’t change a lot yet, I was able to roll the dice for all of us to end up together. I honestly thought we would be in Alaska or somewhere not on the same boat. Wherever here is?” Sam looked around at our surroundings, a slight frown appearing.

Sam could change an outcome for good or ill. At first, it was little things like the labs not separating us once they realized how close we were or turning a knife intended for Gabby’s back. All our abilities had been growing little by little over the years.

We kept the growth from being recognized by the scientist, but a lot of it had to do with Sam. We didn’t know when our gifts would top out, but it was amazing she could change how we ended up being on the same ship; otherwise, we would have never seen each other again, especially now that we were on an alien ship and had no clue how to get us back to Earth.

Somehow her gift had known the future and changed it just enough for us to be reunited. While that wasn’t what we were supposed to do, I couldn’t help but be grateful; Harlow and I weren’t alone. Reaching up with a free arm, I pulled Sam to me and placed a big smacking kiss on her cheek. I laughed softly at her blush.

A growl near the door had us all jumping since it was right next to us; we all turned our bodies so the girls were further from the sound. Then, our heads turned as one. We’d been closer than sisters for more than five years; we thought, acted, and sometimes finished each other’s thoughts more times than I could count.

More of the giant aliens stood in the door, the three in front looking directly at us with a feral intensity that had the five of us backing further into the room. Slowly, very slowly. More poured through the door as they moved one step for each of ours.

These big brutes spread out, all of them giving us looks I could not decipher. They, too, had the control bands; still more spilled into the room and around the ones who seemed to be slowly encircling my little group.

The human girls caught sight of the new group of aliens pouring through the bay entrance, shrieked, and started pushing and shoving to get further into the room. Some panicked and ran for the far corner of the big, cavernous room we’d all been forced in. Then the stampede began as the others turned, screaming to run in the same direction.

“The children!” I whispered in horror at what could happen in a stampede. “Sam!”

My sister’s head whipped my way; I pointed to the children all grouped together.

“On it!” Sam closed her eyes, mumbling to herself.

A piercing whistle had my head rotating towards the sound. The tallest of the three aliens staring at me waved his arms in a circle and closed his fist. Not knowing what it meant, my head snapped back around to ensure we wouldn’t get run over ourselves. I moved closer to Sam to make sure she was protected. My other sisters surrounded Sam, putting her in the middle of us.

Scanning the room, I almost died with laughter when I saw the expressions of horror on our four-footed captors when they glanced up from their little pads to see a horde of mad, scared humans bearing down on them. The electronic pads flew one way, and the aliens fell from sight. Served our alien captors right, the assholes.

The giggle that escaped and the corresponding rumbles from the three aliens had me swiveling my head back to our more immediate concerns. Were we about to be attacked?

The first three of the new aliens stood apart from the others and seemed to be focused entirely on me. I looked at the surrounding aliens, but they all were staring in other directions assessing the danger. We had not run like the other women, so we’d been separated. It was a little alarming, to be honest.

I quickly looked over my shoulder to see the four-foot aliens gathering themselves back up slowly and yet frantically searching for the tablets they’d been forced to drop. A few were picked back up, but I did notice some broken pieces lying on the floor amongst the giant aliens.

A voice coming over the speakers ordered the original new alien group back. This drew my notice; the color-changing aliens stalked the captor aliens, who were scrambling to get out of reach. When the massive aliens didn’t stop, the collars on every person in the room went off, and their screams and cries echoed loudly around the room.

Touching my finger to Harlow’s neck, I took the current from her as she screamed hysterically. All the while, I pretended to be in the same pain as the rest. Although, it was getting tiresome. Her little legs and arms twitched, with the electricity running through her tiny body. Swiftly, I touched each ring, making it stop. Harlow slumped in my arms, whimpering in her distress.

The shocks abruptly stopped for everyone; I no longer saw our captor aliens. Somehow, they’d left the big bay cargo hold room.

From what I could tell, the giant aliens were still standing or crouching in anger facing a blank wall; most of the Earth females were bent over or down on the ground, shaking and weeping. Some stood with fists clenched, a light of fury on their faces, facing the same wall our torturers must have disappeared through. I was proud to see quite a few not cowering like most other humans in the room.

Checking over my sisters and their daughters, I crooned softly to Harlow as her petite body finally stopped shaking. Meghan clutched my waist on her knees with one hand while trying to help her sister back up; reaching down with a free hand, I assisted Meghan and Reagan.

The cries of the children drew my attention. They, too, had been separated when the stampede began. They lay on the floor in a despairing heap, clutching each other as their small bodies continued to twitch.

Those bastards would pay. Somehow, I knew my sisters and I would make it happen. Indeed, I didn’t see why our captors couldn’t have been more specific in whom they tortured with those sadistic bands. Surely, those stupid tablets had better controls than everyone or no one.

Movement in the crowd caught my attention. I saw Taya, Tanya, Hester, Catherine, Sarah, Felicia, Heather, and seven of the newer girls who’d helped us search the other ship pull themselves together and head for the kids at a trot.

The weird thing was that many of the new, more giant aliens seemed fixated on us girls, not just those enclosing our group. What surprised me was a hole opened up in the giant aliens’ circle around the children to allow the girls through.

More Chameleon-type aliens came through the bay entrance doors until well over half the room was filled with them. They now outnumbered the Earth humans by at least four to one. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how everyone seemed to fit into this room.

The same three giant aliens’ focus remained on me, making me restless under their regard. Finally, the door shut with a whoosh sound behind the last of these new aliens. What was to happen now?

CHAPTER 18

PIPPA

Giant color-changing aliens surrounded my five sisters with our daughters held tightly in our arms. The other children I caught glimpses of occasionally were also surrounded by more of those same chameleon aliens, but they seemed almost protective of them.

They were not getting close but kept the children from melting down and getting hurt. I couldn’t see the rest of the human females with all the big bodies, growling, and with their lashing tails in constant movement, besides the ones trying to comfort the kids.

“Um, Pippa?” Demi questions as her eyes flit from alien to alien.

I turned to face Demi, so happy she was here.

“Where the hell are we, and what the hell is going on?”

That’s right– she’d been in the other half of the broken spaceship with those guppy fish creatures in one of those dome things dead to the world.

What were they called again? Not that it mattered; they were dead. Drockish, I thought.

Again, a memory tried to surface, but a throat-clearing returned my gaze to Demi. Right.

Peeking over at Gabby and Sam, both of whom gave me lopsided grins in apology but didn’t open their mouths. Crossing my eyes at them, I frowned at their lack of help.

Sighing, I turned back to Demi and Midge and began.

“So… it’s like this. Fish aliens abducted us– the Drockish– crashed, landed on an alien planet, and were recaptured by these horny-toad-looking dwarf gang of aliens.” I waved my hand in the direction I thought they’d disappeared.

“I’m assuming along with these big ass, camouflaging, looking, alien people.” I pointed over my shoulder at the ones surrounding us. “As to where we are…” I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. “Right at this moment? Not one flubbing clue.”

I changed my cuss word at the last second when my daughter hummed her distress.

Demi and Midge watched our faces intently before those same expressions morphed into disbelief and the beginning stages of hysterical laughter.

Sam rushed to speak before Demi and Midge lost it. “Believe it. You can’t make this shit up.” She regarded each of us with a crooked grin. “I’ve tried, and every other scenario I could come up with, including pinching the hell out of myself.”

Sam raised her arm, and I saw a bruise forming on the underside.

My lips twitched with a small smile because I’d done the same. Sadly, it didn’t last, we were in quicksand and sinking fast, and the five of us knew it.

There was a loud, groaning metallic sound towards the far end of the room, closer to where the other girls were, by the yells of terror. I could hear the panic and feet moving, but surprisingly there wasn’t the sound of a stampede again. There were grunts and more shrieking, but it was the scared kind where you huddle in place and pray to all the heavens that you survive.

A bright light came between the seams of massive bay doors opening.

The sound of a PA-type system, known only by the breathing coming in via speakers, and then a male voice ordered us to do the following.

“You will go down the ramp where your new owners will meet you in an orderly fashion, or you will suffer punishment.” Then the same voice repeated the words several times.

My stomach fell at those words, and I remembered what the doctor had said in the medical room I’d woken up in not that long ago. About how our new owners wanted a renewable labor force. What type of labor was never explained? I still didn’t know how we’d be renewable since there weren’t any male humans to be found.

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Harlow asked in a small voice.

Pulling her closer, I tried to reassure her. “I don’t know, baby, but we are together, and when we are together?” I urged her to finish our affirmation.

“Together, we can accomplish anything,” Harlow replied.

“That’s right, sweet pea. We will do as we are told and keep our eyes peeled as we explore options,” I reassured my daughter and hoped to the other girls.

I searched each of my sister’s eyes and got the same nod that they understood this was the only plan we had for the time being.

The doors finally fully opened, not that I could see anything past the aliens surrounding us since they out massed us by a large margin.

Again, the male voice from before forcefully urged everyone in the bay to move down the ramp, but nothing was happening from what I could tell. When Harlow stiffened and whined in pain, I hurriedly touched the bands again and drained the energy trying to course through her from them.  Everyone else screamed and began to fall to the floor in agony. Dropping to my knees, I shook my body while ensuring Harlow was no longer punished like the rest.

My eyes caught on the three aliens staring down at me from earlier, a puzzled look on their faces as they continued to observe me. I noticed their grimace of pain, but they never dropped their attention.

What was it about them that kept drawing my eyes, well, other than their staring, of course?

Pippa! Focus: don’t give anything away, I scolded myself.

A flutter of nervousness forced me to up my acting skills. My eyes darted around, looking everywhere but at them. I realized most of the giant aliens in our vicinity were still on their feet, but from what I could tell, through sheer willpower and not because the agony wasn’t as bad for them as it was for us humans. They were so still and ridged versus their constant movement from before.

Finally, my sister’s bodies and their daughters relaxed from the instant cessation of pain, allowing me to stop. The girls held so tight to their moms, their quiet sobs breaking my heart. It didn’t halt the guilt of not helping them as I did Harlow, who still held me just as tight, her little body shook in fear. I would need to practice trying to pull the power from the bands or something to stop it from hurting all of them in the future before it even started.

The voice was harsher this time from the PA-like system. “Now move and follow our instructions, or the pain will return worse than the last punishment.”

The voices of the kids and women rose in protest in the cavernous room, crying out in the negative. It worked and got them moving. By this time, everyone was back on their feet; I caught glimpses of the search group girls herding the kids who clung to them in terror, while the camouflage aliens moved with them as if guarding them. I could hear more screaming as the human girls moved further away. I didn’t know why, but the flow of people never stopped heading towards the big bay doors.

Since we were at the very back and closest to the door we’d entered from, it was perhaps fifteen minutes before our feet even began to shuffle towards the new opening and another half hour before we were at the ramp. I could see why now; the ramp was steeper than I’d anticipated, and we were being funneled into a two abreast cattle run when we arrived on the ground. Viewing this new world also helped play a part in the glacier-like movements of everyone leaving the ship.

The sky was a bluish-green color, and the plant life gave the impression of heavy thickets with thousands of small blue-gray leaves. I could even see long, needle-like thorns poking out in all directions. The base and branches were an ash color and stood at least seven feet tall; the thicket surrounded a large clearing. The size of a small city block covered in a maze-like fence structure, which was further surrounded on three sides by massive trees, reminded me more of a rain forest than your standard forest. The protective thicket looked out of place as if it didn’t belong.

The colors were right, but more like it was transplanted than a native to the rest of the vegetation surrounding it. There were such wide varieties of trees fighting for space, with small to large leaves and vines hanging everywhere. The colors ranged in gray, blue, green, and light purple hues.

The trunks were grays, blacks, and darker blues, no browns, no other ash color like the thicket but closer in color to the grays of some of the tree trunks. I did see more colorful flowers, but what I would consider richer, deeper hues, like blood reds, deep purples, dark greens, and blues, but no yellow or orange colors, at least here anyway. While wet and humid, this place wasn’t an overly hot one.

The fourth side butted up against a mountain a little further in the distance, but right in front of us looked like a small housing development, followed by a sizable manor-type town as it got closer to the mountain.

The fencing we were funneled through spilled out into that small housing development. Those on the right reminded me of barracks for soldiers, and the remainder on the left was like tiny homes no bigger than a thousand square feet. They were laid in a large square grid, maybe four city blocks total. Those already processed were entering some of those homes or barracks. Three of the barracks had human women milling about in front of it, while further down, six and across had the color-changing aliens moving around them.

Trying to see what was taking so long, I found the holdup was each person was stopped right before the exit of the fence. It looked like our band’s controls were being handed over to the new owners at the same time as a package was handed to the person before they were directed further on by even more new aliens.

At this distance, I couldn’t make out anything other than they were also big and bulky with lumps, or humps, everywhere. I was sure I would see more than I wanted the closer we got—so many freaking aliens all at once. A lot of the time, I just wanted to pinch my arm and say, wake the hell up.

CHAPTER 19

PIPPA

“Mommy, I’m thirsty and hungry,” Harlow queried, still holding tight to my neck, distracting me.

The other girls quickly joined the bandwagon, and to be honest, I was thirsty as well; unfortunately, I didn’t see our captors giving us any anytime soon.

“I know, babies,” Gabby quickly piped up. “As soon as we can, we’ll find water and food. Okay?” She looked at each child, trying to be encouraging and upbeat.

There were a few “Okays” from two of them, but more nodding in resignation than anything.

Gabby reached out to each of our daughters and touched them on the arm for a moment before sighing.

I raised my right brow in question.

Gabby gestured for us to lean in closer. “They are fine, but we’ll all need water soon.”

A low menacing growl had all of us spinning to face a threat. I thrust Harlow at Gabby, who grabbed my daughter protectively. Demi forced Diamond at Midge while Sam let Talia down and gently pushed her towards Gabby. The three of us moved in front of them, determining where the danger lay.

A deep, growly male voice startled all of us.

“We will not harm you, females.” The middle and most prominent of the three males who hadn’t stopped staring at me since we first came through the doors into the big room.

I’d been trying to ignore them, but my eyes wouldn’t stop seeking them out periodically.

“We will protect the littles from harm, have no fear,” the same alien told us.

My sisters and I looked at each other in disbelief. I couldn’t help what I said next; instead of just accepting their offer of help.

“And why would you do that? You don’t know anything about us, and we are not the same,” I pointed to them, “like you.”

I wasn’t aggressive, just curious why these aliens would bother to help us out.

The big guy moved a little closer, but again, I didn’t get the impression he was trying to intimidate us; his body language, if I was reading it right, said… careful, don’t spook the tiny creatures in front of him.

It didn’t take away from their fierceness or wildness, but it did tone it down some. The other two kept their focus on me yet gave the impression they protected the speaker’s back. The other aliens, both behind the three and in front, seemed to flow around them, or maybe it was a part of their attention that was always aware of them. Like perhaps these three aliens were their leaders or something.

“You are female.” The grayish-blue alien says simply as if that was the answer to everything.

Why did we being female matter?

I turned my head back and forth, catching Demi and Sam’s eyes, and I realized the three of us were standing precisely like the ones confronting us. My sisters were protecting my back. They were rolling their eyes at the alien’s words. Figures, whether human or alien, the male species thought females were weak.

“Uh-huh.” I drawled.

Not the time to go down that rabbit hole. A tug on the jumper let me know the line was moving again. We were much closer to the opening leading to the buildings about a hundred feet ahead. I shuffled backward-looking them over a little more closely.

The one talking was slightly taller and a little more massive than those around him. He radiated lethality tempered by control. His brow was heavier than the two standing somewhat behind him. Two braids fell on either side of his head, with the remainder flowing down his back.

The ears were eye-catching, still reminding me of dragon or merman ears. The top half of it flicked slightly, reminding me of a dog, and the lower two portions didn’t move at all. The tail was another fascinating thing about them; it made me wonder what they could do with it.

His deep, dark purple eyes were intense and made me shiver. At least they weren’t dead looking like snakes, even though that’s what they reminded me of looking into their darker, wide, uneven oval slits.

His body seemed to be stalking me but moved with a fluidity that belied its size rather than seemed lumbering. Wicked-looking nails on big hands were spread down at his side, which may be the universal sign; I wasn’t sure, though, saying no harm to you would come from me.

The one talking seemed to be grayer in coloring both skin and hair, but it changed with the bluish-gray sky, making him seem more of a mirage until the ugly jumper ruined the alien’s glowing skin.

The one to the right was a reddish-purple, who gathered up the grays and blues around him, adding to the mix, even as the red faded to more of the bluish-purple color scheme; he kept watching over our heads, half his focus on me, and the other searching for danger ahead.

The blue one on the left was also gathering grayer and mixing up with what might be his natural coloring; his body was slightly turned so he could split his focus to what was happening behind them, yet I never lost his attention.

They were scary, with a menace radiating off them, yet I knew it wasn’t directed at us or me.

Samantha asked the following question since I had absolutely nothing coming out of my mouth that showed some semblance of intelligence. I couldn’t seem to stop studying them.

“Why do you keep staring at Pippa? Why do you even care about us, let alone our kids? Who are you? Where do you come from? Were you taken from your world like we were? Do you know where we are or what will happen to us?”

Okay, Sam grilled them but wouldn’t stop long enough to get any answers.

A deep, rumbling snarl came from behind us again, and Sam whirled into a crouch while Gabby and Midge moved the kids further away in the narrow space we had available. Demi faced sideways to keep both sets of aliens within view. I met the ones watching me, but I still angled my body a little to see what was happening.

Two more big aliens centered their attention entirely on Sam. They didn’t seem like they were going to attack, but they didn’t stand down or move away either.

“Akon? Hokpt?” The big guy seemed to be asking them something with just their names.

CHAPTER 20

PIPPA

No idea which one responded,  Akon or Hokpt, but the one with the green tint to his skin grunted, “Ours, Lord Radik.”

Ours? Lord? What did that mean in this instance?

The big guy inclined his head in acknowledgment.

“Move it or suffer the consequences,” a harsh voice ordered, which came in the direction of the front of the cattle run.

Glancing toward the new voice, I saw we were the last of the humans and aliens to be processed. Except for a few color-changing aliens, the rest moved further towards the buildings just ahead.

I had to admit, the new type of alien was just plain ugly. The creature holding a tablet was a large and bulky humanoid around six foot five or six foot six feet tall and took up about two human males in width.

The creature’s thick and rough skin appeared with bumps and humps everywhere. There were spots over its body, like a turtle’s head and flippers. I couldn’t see if the color patterns went further due to the alien’s clothes.

This new type of alien had four pits of blackness for eyes, two facing front and two near its temple. Those eyes had no pupil or iris that I could see. His face was squashed, almost flat looking. Centered just below those night-black orbs were two nostrils that looked like beady black eyes, and to either side of those were what reminded me of blowholes like a whale just to either side of the nose and slightly above them. No idea what those could be for.

The new alien’s mouth was weirdly shaped, and it was like a wide ‘W’ in shape with no lips. Baring, its teeth showed blunt, small, grayish ones. I thought maybe they were herbivores with how small they appeared. Tiny ears laid flat to their big oblong heads. No hair to speak of anywhere that I could see. Its coloring was cream, brown, and aqua colors—two arms and legs with hands ending in three thick fingers.

Yep, it was a strange and ugly big brute of an alien.

In Midge’s typical way, she blurted out, “Who and what the hell are you?”

No change of expression could be seen, by me at least, but the creature’s annoyance came through loud and clear.

“Your owner, now move your poktess before you regret it. Time is money, and you are wasting mine.”

Seeing that my sisters were about to get loud, I swiftly interjected since I had no desire for Harlow to be in pain again.

“Hush, ladies, we will circle back to this later,” I promised Midge with a look when her mouth was about to open.

Midge, Sam, Gabby, and Demi gave me a curt nod of understanding, even if they didn’t like it. Grabbing up our daughters, we got moving towards the big ugly.

“Name and age.” The new alien stared directly at me before continuing, “Since, by now, I know you are a human female, which is all your type seems to be.” Big ugly drily stated, now focusing on the horny toad-looking alien, who was doing something on his tablet. “Isn’t that correct, Aberysnay?”

The alien then ran what I thought was a scanner down Harlow’s, and my body then looked at it and made a notation while waiting for the horny toad alien’s response.

I wondered if that was his name, Abernsnay, or his species?

Again, I couldn’t read the facial expressions of either alien, but the response expressed by the horny toad alien was one of annoyance.

“We’ve told you that has been fixed, as you can see. Let it go. Do you want them or not? This is the last time I will address that question, and if it happens again, there are other worlds and others who’d want species like these.”

What the hell did that mean?

One of the three-fingered hands-on big ugly raised in capitulation. “Fine, but you better be right. These slaves are costing us a pretty bytno, and we expect long-term use out of them.”

“You will,” the horny toad alien bit out.

My jaw clenched at the word slave again and that we were being sold like cattle. I wanted to rail and protest but now was not the time.

“Name and age, female!” Big ugly barked at me again.

Gritting my teeth, I replied, “Pippa, twenty.” Pointing at my daughter. “Harlow, four and my daughter.”

“Get your packet and get to your quarters.” Big ugly sneered, waving me away.

Another of the same species and just as ugly handed me two packages.

“Stand there till this group is done.” The new alien pointed about twenty feet away from where another group of the aliens waited for us, including the two whose gaze was centered on Sam.

It didn’t take long to process the last of my sisters and their daughters. Then the remainder of color-changing aliens. I saw the horny toad alien nod and take off back to his ship while the in-processing alien came to stand next to the big ugly package issuer who now stood to the left and behind him.

“Now, you may think you can escape, stage a rebellion, or cause trouble. That isn’t going to happen. Those bands can cause pain and death if we so desire it. The first hint of trouble, we will not hesitate to kill you. While you are an investment for us, in the long run, you are bytno on the hytno and worthless, other than as labor.” Big ugly gave us what I thought might be a smile, but those wide ‘W’ shaped lips barely moved.

Big ugly pointed to me, “Shelter five-o-one. They are to your left, the second to the last roll, and the second shelter. It is a family domicile, and you will tend to it and your mates while they work the mine. Punishment will be severe, and the child will be taken if our instructions are not followed completely. Clear?”

I could only stare in stunned disbelief. Say what now? I was sure my sister’s jaws were hanging just as low as mine.

“Mate?” I stuttered out.

Then gathering my resolve, I flatly stated, “We don’t have mates, and as you confirmed not mere minutes ago, there are no human males here.”

CHAPTER 21

PIPPA

The ugly alien waved his right hand in dismissal. “You do now. Now get moving; I’m ready for dinner.”

Dumbfounded, I couldn’t get my legs to move as our new owner turned to Gabby telling her shelter five-0-three, then telling Sam five-0-four. You get the picture.

Faintly, I heard. “What of our dinner? And we need water!” Sam questioned.

“An assembly will be called in one-half tolis. The band around your throat has a communicator, which will instruct you shortly. Now, leave me alone.”

Magically, the word ‘tolis‘ told me it was the equivalent of eighty-eight minutes to our sixty minutes in Earth time.

My brain heard, but at the same time, what he said didn’t completely register. More questions came from different quarters but were cut off forcibly. But to be honest, thinking beyond the word ‘mate’ blanked my mind entirely; thankfully, my sisters gathered me up and moved us along, no one saying anything.

How was this our new life? What do we do from here? I felt frozen and overwhelmed by it all and the very word, ‘mate,’ just drove it home that we were helpless here.

We couldn’t fly a spaceship, and we were on an unknown planet and in unknown danger. We were so far from home we had zero hope of returning. These alien creatures bought and paid for us as slave labor or breeding–again; I didn’t understand the breedable part? What the hell do we do? How do we get out of this situation, and when we do, where can we go?

We had freed ourselves from our last masters, the ‘Gen-Home’ turds. We’ve been recaptured not once but twice by two separate alien groups and sold. That was the other word, ‘sold,’ I had difficulty getting past it.

My legs moved but only because my sisters guided me. I knew this, but I couldn’t force myself to engage, other than the spinning wheel of doom in my mind, which found no answers, only problems and questions.

“What do we do,” I muttered to no one.

“Today? We do nothing except find food and water, get some rest, and while I don’t know past that… I guess we regroup,” Midge replied, encouraging us, but it wasn’t coming across that way; her voice was hesitant and unsure.

“Mommy?” Harlow tapped my cheek.

Looking into my beautiful daughter’s light green eyes rimmed in blue showed me the one thing that I would always fight for and protect.

Drawing in a deep fortifying breath, I smiled quickly before saying, “Yes, sweet pea.”

In return, her smile lit up my world. “We are together…” then she waited for me to finish it.

“And together, we can accomplish anything,” I finished, nodding decisively.

Alright, then. There was nothing to be done at this moment, so I refocused on the world around me. To find, we were walking down a line of small cookie-cutter buildings, which was maybe one thousand feet from the manor-like town seen from the ship ramp.

It was probably no more significant than a small village, but it did have some fencing—a very strange-looking fence, somewhat see-through. I had no idea the type of material used to make it or how strong it could be at keeping out things. What those things could be, I couldn’t imagine.

It drew my attention to those thicket-like trees that surrounded the small buildings and village again. Then you had the wicked-looking thorns growing out of the thicket, which made me wonder if it was keeping something out or just us in?

“Well, this is my, whatever…” Midge speaks up, pulling me back into the present and paying attention.

The small buildings were oval-shaped, and I had no idea the material used on them either. It was a muddy gray color and slick to the touch when I skimmed my fingers across the wall.

Gabby, Sam, Midge, and Demi searched each other’s and my face with trepidation. Each of us was unsure of what we should do at this point, so I shrugged helplessly. The others gave indications they felt the same.

Taking a fortifying breath, my brave sister, Midge, stepped up to the opening, pausing in the doorway before moving into the dim interior. Stepping up behind her, I peeked around Midge’s shoulder.

There was a living area with an extra-large bowl-shaped hole in the floor filled with giant pillows. I didn’t see any bedrooms or beds. In the back was what possibly could be a shower and a place to potty based on the shape. It resembled a chair more than a toilet, and it was bigger than a regular toilet. I was a little afraid the girls would fall in, and we adults possibly could as well.

There wasn’t any place to cook or privacy. It was just one big open room, the area no more extensive than five or six hundred square feet. It was smaller than I had thought.

Sighing in defeat, Midge turned to face us. “Okay, why don’t you go to your…” Midge paused, searching for a word but finding nothing to fit, finally said, “Your quarters, potty or whatever, and then we can… hell, I don’t know, plan or something?”

Pulling Abby in closer, Midge blew out an unsteady breath; I knew she was trying to find strength and control because I felt the same. Seeing those familiar hazel-green eyes filled with defeat and despair made my stomach clench. At times in our past, each of us wanted to give up, but Midge was always the strong one in our group. Picking us up when needed, kicking our ass when necessary, but always moving forward. I hated to see the tears gathering that she tried so hard to hold back.

“Go,” Midge ordered with a nod of her head, then continued in a shaky voice. “I don’t know about you, but that smoky bath thing those aliens gave us while making us look better didn’t make me feel any cleaner, so I think I will give Abby and me a quick shower. I know that creature said we’d meet up in one-half tolis, but I have no idea what that means, other than maybe thirty or forty minutes in our time. I don’t want to wait to get the girls something to eat and drink. Those three big buildings may be our best bet. We’ll meet there. That work?”

Swallowing, I worked to make my voice positive. “Yeah, that sounds like a place to start. Let’s regroup then.” Giving each of my sisters a smile, I finished with, “We’ve got this…” then, tickling Harlow’s ankle making her squirm and smile, “Harlow said so remember.”

I got more decisive nods and, “Yeah, we do.” and “Right!” We each turned to find our dwelling.

The others left me to go into their shacks one by one until Harlow, and I came to the one assigned to us. Walking through the overly large door, I found it to be the exact match of Midges. At this point, my daughter pulled on a lock of my long dark brown hair.

“Mommy, I’m really, really thirsty,” she repeated more plaintively

“Okay, let’s see what we can do about it.” Right, I figured the shower would be our best bet.

Dropping our two packages by the door, I walked over to the open area with what looked like an overly large showerhead hanging from the ceiling; I was talking at least a four-by-four-foot area with several buttons, which hopefully one of them turned on the water.

There was a drain, dead center. Standing to the side, I pushed the switch closest to me on the right. Letting out a relieved breath, when water streamed out much like a rain shower, I cautiously held my hand out and found the water temperature cool on my fingers. Bringing my hand to my mouth, I tentatively touched the tips of my fingers to my tongue.

Goddess be praised; it was water. Knowing we would get wet trying to get water down our parched throats, I quickly got Harlow undressed, followed by myself, and gingerly stepped in. Harlow squealed at the cold water on her skin, but for me, it was a much-needed wake-up call, lifting the haziness that seemed to cover my mind. Then, we both opened our mouths and drank as if we’d been in the desert for days. My thirsty body soaked it up like a sponge telling me we were probably a little dehydrated.

Suddenly, it became darker in the room. My head snapped to the left to see three large shadows blocking the door. Quickly putting Harlow back on the ground and pushing her behind me, I crouched in the ready position. Against three, the only valid defense I had was my electrokinesis ability.

“Leave!” I yelled, heart pounding a million miles an hour.

CHAPTER 22

RADIK

Finding the female safe, she, who’d been calling to me since we’d walked through the alien captor’s door into the bay, relaxed something in me. It was a strange and unexpected sensation, and I had no idea why I felt this way. The little female and the tiny girl-child had their faces up, drinking as much water as possible. Then, it registered that we were in her space.

The female’s body stiffened, and her head whirled in our direction. She placed the girl child behind her and crouched as if she would attack us.

Curious.

“Leave!” the female yelled, the fear aroma spreading rapidly in the small space.

Typically, this prey scent would cause me to salivate, but I didn’t feel the hunger it would usually cause. My blade brothers shifted restlessly. I could tell they didn’t like that she feared us.

The little female was fierce in her protectiveness of her nymling. These humans were strange; most were frightened abkaese, scurrying and petrified at every noise or change in circumstance. Their voices were high-pitched to the point we needed noise-dampening earbuds with all their squealing.

This one and the four with her, plus those other fourteen with the human young, were the exceptions so far. All of them were afraid, but these few kept their heads and stayed sane.

We Trixnokin had found very few humanoid species in our part of the galaxy upon first meeting us, who weren’t terrified after first contact was initiated. Something about us inspired their loss of control while in our presence.

Inhaling deeply, the fragrance of an apprehensive female forced me to curb my typical reaction. This was not just any breedable female, but one that had every instinct in me to protect and rut simultaneously. Our species were not even close to being the same as these humans, yet somehow the mating call had risen.

Another abnormal aberrant, Celtin and Valmon, were not fighting me or each other for breeding rights. What did those zinoids do to us? My fist clenched in rage from the remembered invasion of their needles and forced secretions.

The female growled at us again to leave, showing no fear other than her scent, telling us the true story.

“Peace. We mean you or the tiny female, no harm.”

“Why are you here?” Even though it had risen in pitch, her voice was pleasant to the ear.

Baring my teeth in mirth at our situation, I gave her the answer. “We are your mates, supposedly.”

The one thing all the humans seemed to have was expressive faces; if I was reading it correctly, it showed shock.

Her head shook back and forth; her fear and unease rose in lockstep.

Trying to forestall the panic, I sensed our female wasn’t far from vocalizing her displeasure.

I barked, “Name?”

Mainly to prevent any screeching noises similar to the other females of this species. Outrage stopped her head from shaking, but I didn’t know why. It was a simple question.

“Female, what is your name?” I growled again.

Lips tight and brow pinched, she snarled, “Pippa, not that it’s any of your…”

“Mommy?” The tiny girl child interrupted.

“Harlow, please, baby, follow our safety rules.” Then, this Pippa points at the three of us. “And you need to leave! I don’t care what they told you; I’m not your mate.”

All three of us snarled in protest at her denial. Again, this surprised my blade brothers and me since our species didn’t have mates like most other species. Then, the nymling’s actions made us pause; we watched the tiny female move back to the wall, crouch, and make herself a tiny target. My rage grew; my nails dug into my palms, and I had to work to restrain myself. Finally, I suppressed the instinct to rend and tear since there wasn’t a suitable quarry to flush out.

Who had taught these females always to be prepared for violence? I could already tell human females were nothing like our aggressive women, who were made for physical savagery, much like their male counterparts. These humans with their fragile skin, easily torn, and with a musculature that was not meant to fight competing predators. We’d run across other humanoids like these, who were not made for the same type of brutality our species lived and breathed each day on our homeworld.

Still, she didn’t act like a prey animal. This Pippa never once took her focus off the three of us, yet she had adjusted her stance to make sure her offspring was covered from attack. Not that she would be able to stop us if that was our intent, and she knew it.

Pointing to myself, I tried again to put her at ease. “Radik.” I pointed to my blade brother on my left. “Valmon,” I pointed to my other blade brother on my right. “Celtin.”

Pippa’s heavy breathing jiggled the two lush globes on her chest and drew the eye the further we moved into the domicile. The nymling seemed too old for breastfeeding. Did that mean there was a missing infant?

“Where is the other nymling?” I asked; just as she opened her mouth, I was sure to tell us to leave again.

A startled look passed over her features before it settled on confusion.

“What are you talking about? What is a nymling?”

“Female or male child,” snaps Valmon.

“Um… I only have one child: my daughter, Harlow.” Pippa points back to the tiny female behind her.

This was taking too long to get answers.

Pointing to Pippa’s chest, I demanded an explanation, “Does the little one still breastfeed? Shouldn’t you have fed her since we know she is hungry? When does your species commence weaning?”

Pippa’s mouth opened, but nothing emerged; then, she blinked slowly before shaking her head; a weird sound burst from her lips before answering.

The little female’s voice was strange, “Um, we always have these,” Pippa scanned her chest, returning my attention to them, which inexplicably made me want to touch and play with them.

Our females only had breasts for the first two years of a nymling’s life, so they weren’t an attractant usually.

Her following words refocused me, “And typically anywhere from twelve months to two years of age, sometimes longer, but only if we choose to breastfeed. So no, I can’t feed Harlow with them, but I do need to find food for her.”

Pippa observes us as we absorb this revelation before saying, “We will get dressed and leave you to…” she waved her hand for some reason. “to, well, do whatever you will do.”

Valmon firmly states, “No, we will accompany you to find sustenance for you and the tiny one. It is not safe right now.”

The little female smelled of outrage, yet she still feared us. It beat at me to protect this human, which I did not think was possible due to the many unknown dangers around us. Our only goal should be reconnecting with our ships, scouting the enemy, and planning. Yet here we were, ensuring this female was safe and providing for her and her nymling.

The cadre waited on us to set part of our plan in motion. Several of my males were drawn to some of these strange humans, the same as us three. How though?

Celtlin growled in exasperation; he was never one for patience, but neither were Valmon or me. “Get dressed; we can hear your stomachs from here. You and the tiny bite are safe with us. That is the last time we will explain this to you.”

“Bite? What do you mean by that?” Pippa asks suspiciously.

While I could see the humor, the little human had no idea Celtin was teasing when he bared his teeth and replied, “Your offspring is no bigger than a tiny morsel to us.”

Pippa’s skin becomes less pink, and the fear returns. Do these humans have the ability to change their pigmentation on demand?

“Oh, for Tykin’s sake, get dressed so we can find food. We are hungry, too.” Valmon’s tolerance for the delay in getting these females fed was gone.

The little female swallowed nervously before hitting the button to stop the water and reaching back for her child. She and the tiny female, Harlow, began to get dressed, never taking her eyes off us.

Astonishingly, disappointment rose at no longer seeing Pippa’s naked form. These human females weren’t as attractive as our females or a desirable match to produce strong offspring. What was it about her and that alluring scent? It was maddening.

This was not us.

CHAPTER 23

PIPPA

All I wanted to do was find my sisters, get food, and somehow get rid of these giant aliens. Certainly not have them surround Harlow and me and direct us away from where I knew Sam, Gabby, Midge, and Demi were staying. It was at this point that I remembered Meghan and her sister. She’d been with us, but I couldn’t remember when we’d separated from her.

Crap, I’d been out of it; I needed to find her and make certain she was okay.

“Pippa!” Midge called out from the direction we were going, thank the Goddess.

We were turning into an open area with some type of platform in the center. There was housing to our right and three large buildings on the left. Further down were the long buildings that reminded me of barrack housing.

Edging closer to the bluish one called Valmon, I eyed him, confirming I wasn’t within touching distance. The one called Radik was walking in front of me, taking up an undue amount of space. There… I located Midge, flanked by two more of the new slave aliens similar to the three annoying fleas circling me. She was coming from the opposite direction and headed towards the same platform as us.

Seeing her, though, made something in me relax a tiny bit. My sisters were here, and I wasn’t alone; while it didn’t mean we would come out unscathed, I knew we could accomplish much more together than apart.

Still, I needed another identifier other than the new slave alien or color-changing alien.

“Yeah, so… what do you call your people?” I asked the reddish one, Celtin.

I knew one of them had mentioned it earlier, or at least thought he had, but it wasn’t coming to me.

Celtin considered me before responding, “We are the Trixnokin.”

That name tickled a memory, but it didn’t rise to the surface. What was I not remembering? Tilting my head up and to the right, eyeing him, I expected Celtin to elaborate. I sighed when nothing else was forthcoming; these ‘Trixnokin’ were annoying. Such chatty squirrels.

Waving to my sister, I tried to rush around Radik, but his tail swung out, blocking me from going around him.

“Move, you big ape,” I snapped.

Radik continued blocking me, never once turning to acknowledge my demand. Did he have eyes under all that hair on the back of his head? Holding Harlow tighter to me, I jigged to the right, and when I saw his tail move in that direction, I jagged the opposite direction and hustled around him.

Score! I couldn’t help the grin when he growled in irritation but increased my pace before he could retake the lead. Midge was trying to get around her two guard dogs simultaneously.

Then, I heard Demi yell my name while Sam called out to Midge. Catching a glimpse of Gabby, I released a breath. All three were coming into the same open area between the larger living quarters. My shoulders unbunched at finding them safe. My eyes touched each one, and I noticed they all had at least two of the Trixnokin dogging their steps. I wanted to laugh; they all seemed annoyed as I was.

We all met in front of the big platform; surprisingly, the other Trixnokin around my sisters faded behind them, allowing the five of us to come together in a big hug. The girls giggled at being squished, but the same trepidation shone in my sister’s eyes that I felt.

A buzzing noise from the band around our necks caused the girls to scream in fear, and the five of us jumped.

“Mandatory assembly for assignments and orders in front of the platform in a tolan. If you are not there in that time frame, your bands will emit a charge as punishment for a tulan. You won’t like what happens if you are not running to get here after that.”

Again, my mind automatically translated that to be eight Earth minutes and eight seconds, respectively. The big ugly’s must have a numbering system of eight based on the three new time names.

I saw Taya and Tanya leading the children with Hester, Catherine, Sarah, and Felicia corralling them, followed by Heather, Meghan, and the other seven in the rear. Seeing Meghan assuaged my guilt.

The human females rushed into the open area, filling the space around the stage, followed by the giant Trixnokin at a more controlled pace. Radik raised his hand, circled with it, then closed his fist. It was the same silent command; I had seen on the slave ship. A segment of the Trixnokin broke off, surrounding the children and the search group, separating them from the other females as they did on the spaceship.

Wow, they were protecting the kids both earlier and now. While the Trixnokin still made me nervous, this told me a little of their character, easing a bit of the fear I had of them.

Don’t get me wrong, they were still big and scary looking, and with my daughter forced to live with them, I was anxious as hell.

Female voices’ gasps and screams tracked our so-called owners’ progress to the platform. There were eight of them; go figure. The first one reviewed a tablet he held, and as the last alien arrived, he pushed something on it.

Screams of agony came from the other side of the big building, making me cringe, while Harlow tried to burrow further into my arms. Heat at my back made me realize one of the Trixnokin was looming over me. Quickly checking over my shoulder, I saw Radik, and not more than a step away, almost shoulder to shoulder with him, were Celtin and Valmon. The Trixnokin, paired with my sisters, completed the circle around the ten of us, with four of them standing in front facing the stage. Three in a line on each side and my three behind us.

Finally, the screams stopped, and I heard the alien who activated the collar murmur into the tablet. Not a minute later, we heard running footsteps. At least ten human women came around the corner of the larger building and pressed into their fellows, I thought, seeking comfort and amenity. Pretty sure there was no hiding from the band’s controllers.

CHAPTER 24

PIPPA

Other than sizes, it was hard to differentiate between this new species. The one with the tablet stepped forward; the others watched us intently—each taking a quadrant to observe the crowd.

“We will go over the rules and expectations; since we are new to you and come from another galaxy. First, we are called the Gogamin from the Horsha galaxy. We are on a mining planet and will be for some years to come. The organization we work for seeks out planets to harvest resources for our ever-growing business endeavors.”

This Gogamin didn’t fit my picture of enslavers; its voice was deep, cultured, and controlled. The Gogamin speaking sounded more like a businessman. I also thought all of them were male.

“We bought and paid for you to provide labor and as a renewable labor source since it is likely that you will not leave this planet in your lifetime. Perhaps your children will, but as this new world just discovered, it will be many generations before we’ve mined it out. Get comfortable with this mindset, and you will live much longer.”

The crowd moved restlessly but astoundingly remained silent for the moment. We, Earthlings, had an aversion to being slaves, so it amazed me that some of my fellow humans had yet to protest. It was coming; I could sense it.

“Those known as the Trixnokin will be given orders each morning starting at daylight, and you will go into the mines seeking out those minerals and resources in demand. There are other enslaved people here that will show you the ropes. You will work from sunup to sundown. A section of you, Trixnokin, will be sent out to hunt for the meat you and this other species require. The ones known as humans will tend to the fields, the creches, and whatever else we assign you to do.”

The crowd was getting even more restless. The Trixnokins were utterly motionless; not one movement could be seen. Their gazes fixed like laser beams on the eight Gogamin. It made me want to run and hide. The children, not just our five, were whimpering quietly in distress as my search friends tried to comfort them. The other human females were beginning to shake their heads and mutter.

Shit, this was going to be bad, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be terrible for the Gogamin but all of us.

“Now, over the next weeks, those not already paired up will be assigned a partner or partners to bear your future children.”

Now the mutters became shouts of denial and fury. Some backed away, others raised their fists in anger, and even a few braver ones tried to force their way through to get at the Gogamin.

Out of the corner of Midge’s mouth came the order expected. “Do nothing for now. Stay calm. We will wait for the right time and circumstances. For now, protect the girls.”

Each of us acknowledged the directions. We’d worked so long together that we knew the drill already, but it didn’t hurt to remind us. I knew the Trixnokin surrounding us heard Midge, and the attention we were getting from them was a little unnerving. I wondered what they thought.

Sam reassured me with her words, “Yes, we wait. The shift is already happening.”

Sam’s words startled me, and I could tell for the others as well. How could it already be in the works? Usually, Sam had to work to create the right conditions and warp our luck to our favor.

“Silence!” The Gogamin yelled.

Yep, that wasn’t going to work. The Trixnokin’s ears were twitching the higher in volume the humans got, and they finally lost their stillness. Even their strange faces showed the discomfort they were experiencing.

Catching the movement of the Gogamin with the tablet, I knew he was about to bring the pain. Swiftly, I reached for Harlow’s collar, and my gut churned at not being able to help my sisters and their daughters.

“Brace…,” I got out before the agony came for everyone but Harlow and me.

I dropped to my knees and folded over Harlow so they couldn’t tell she was not hurting or screaming like the others. Her fear still hurt me, but at least she wasn’t feeling what the others were experiencing. I forced my body to spasm.

Turning my head slightly, my eyes met dark purple ones furrowed in torment; he wouldn’t bow down; Radik forced his body from crumpling. All of them did. Radik’s eyes held puzzlement, so I hurriedly rotated as if my body was uncontrollable.

The current cut off, and only the sobbing remained. I took a few deep breaths and followed my sisters as they regained their feet—fury vibrating from their pores. Once more, guilt assailed me at not being able to help.

Gabby caught my eyes; she quickly shook her head at me. I knew she was trying to tell me to stop, but I couldn’t at seeing each of our sweet baby girls’ tear-stained faces.

“Now, this is your first warning. The next will not be as pleasant,” the Gogamin continued. “As I said, you will be paired up, and you will copulate. We will know if you don’t; while we can punish all of you at once, we can also select only one of you.” The Gogamin’s voice became harder. “You will bear the next generation,” he stressed.

He paused to look over the crowd, the Gogamin’s face hardly moved, but the impression was that of the tundra. We were nothing to them.

The Gogamin bared his small grayish teeth in what I’m assuming was an attempt at a smile, but it made me shiver, and goosebumps formed. These Gogamin weren’t that pleasant looking. Their faces were a cross between a turtle and a boulder with too many eyes and holes in their faces, and their bodies were weird lumps and bumps on two legs.

“Now, you may be thinking you could escape into our little paradise here?” The Gogamin’s arm sweeps outward towards the jungle. “Just know that the predators and the number of poisonous plants will not see you living long past the thicket surrounding us.”

He let us contemplate this before continuing. “More buildings will be going up shortly for those paired together. The three large buildings behind me are dining, bathing, and sanitary facilities. Again, a few more of these will be going up shortly when our next shipment of supplies arrives.”

My heart leaped at this news. Maybe that was the change in circumstance that Sam was alluding to. I wished her ability was more like foresight, but it wasn’t that informative. For example, it was more like a feeling here or there, a nudge to do this or that. The part I liked was when she focused her gift on changing our luck; it meant those hurting us or a danger to us got the bad part of it. There was balance in the universe to be maintained, we’d found. Praying that her gift had gotten more enhanced as she told us back on the slave ship, I had a feeling we were going to need it significantly.

Again, a memory tried to surface, but the Gogamin’s voice disrupted the thoughts—something about back on the Drockish ships.

“Now for the fun part of my day.” There was a sadistic note in this Gogmin’s voice.

Dread teemed into stomach-churning fear at these words for some reason. Then, Sam’s eyes widened, and I watched her concentrate but knew whatever was coming was something she couldn’t entirely change, only deflect slightly based on her slumped shoulders.

The Gogamin swiped a finger several times across his screen for a moment before stopping. A tap, then a sound to haunt my nightmares came from among the human females clumped together.

Bodies pushed and shoved to get away from a tall brunette whose face was turning an alarming shade of red. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged. She was clawing at her throat, and that’s when I noticed the band was contracting, and it wasn’t stopping. Horror and nausea gurgled in my throat. I forced Harlow’s head into my chest.

The poor girl chosen for this demonstration couldn’t even draw a breath to scream; by now, she’d fallen to her knees, blood poured from her neck as she tried desperately to free herself. Her eyes bulged, and her face ballooned with trapped blood. Suddenly, a loud crack echoed in the clearing; the girl’s head became boneless, her arms dropped, and her body tumbled to the ground.

Goddess, it didn’t stop there! My stomach heaved. The band kept squeezing, making squishing, tearing sounds until her head rolled away from her body. That golden piece of metal lay bloody on the ground between her head and body, no bigger than a small bracelet, now the size of my wrist.

No one and nothing moved for a suspended moment; then chaos erupted as the human females turned and ran except for us, the kids, and those helping with the other children. Goddess, but did they try? Fortunately, the Trixnokin closed their ranks to keep them pinned. My sisters and I just stood there, holding our daughters protectively to us. I could sense three pairs of eyes boring into my back, but I was afraid to look.

Catching the movement of the Gogamin again, I watched a long, thick tongue flash out, tasting the air. Several of his fellow Gogamin did the same, making me shudder. Then the speaker touched several buttons; this time, only the ones running were zapped. It must have been a harsher electrical charge because not even a scream escaped; they just fell, bodies shaking roughly. Not enough to harm them physically, but I could only imagine what they were experiencing.

With another touch of a button by the Gogamin speaker, the current stopped, and the women lay twitching, shaking, and crying despairingly.

CHAPTER 25

PIPPA

That deep, cultured voice drew everyone’s attention back to the platform.

“So, you see, those slave bands can be used for more than punishment, and we won’t hesitate to kill you. While we paid a nice chunk of bytnoon you, you are a means to an end. If you don’t meet those needs, then you die.”

The Gogamin paused to survey the crowd. Satisfied, the cowering, at least by the humans, had commenced, and he wrapped it up. He would wait to see about these Trixnokin as they didn’t seem intimidated. There were more ways to skin a ulickt.

“You Trixnokin will meet here at dawn. In the meantime, the dining room is open.” The Gogamin behind him snickered. “Enjoy your first meal with us. Then those already paired get busy or else. Those who have yet to be mated get cleaned up and get to bed.”

My heart dropped. At this, the eight Gogamin filed down the stairs, the Trixnokin and humans moved away from them, and we watched as they all walked to the enclosed village.

Demi swallowed, “Come, let’s get the girls fed and talk.”

All of us couldn’t help but eye the Trixnokin around us, and they warily watched us back.

“Right,” said Gabby before she spun left and marched up to the three Trixnokin who’d been part of the circle, who I was sure were protecting us somehow.

“Move,” she ordered the aliens preventing us from leaving, then she switched Jazmin to her other hip.

Those three glanced at Radik over my head, I didn’t see the response, but they moved, which was all that mattered.

The rest of us follow Gabby to the big building closest to the manor-type town.

All the other humans and Trixnokin were flowing into the same building, and it wasn’t long before we halted as the line didn’t move any further. We were all hungry, and based on the size of this place, it wouldn’t hold us all. The girls were restless and hard to control before we finally entered the building.

There weren’t any tables or chairs, just a cattle run-type setup. Everyone goes back and forth across the room between barricades, much like amusement parks. When we finally arrived at the bar-like surface, there was nothing there, but as we’d observed, you had to step up individually, and a block-like substance would appear with a container of water to go with it.

Setting Harlow down, I pushed her towards the counter. She looked fearfully at me but moved to stand in front of it at my urging. A smaller block appeared, and Harlow stood on tiptoe, grabbing it. When she couldn’t reach the container that came with it, I rushed to snag it and hand it to her. Harlow stepped back, and I presented myself.

Relief made my tense body relax for a small moment when a block, along with the container, appeared for me. Grabbing mine quickly, I put both in one arm and guided Harlow out of the exit.

Growling had me glancing over my shoulder to see Radik, Valmon, and Celtin behind Demi and Diamond. I almost thought they would push past my sisters and their daughters, but I left before I could see them anymore.

The clearing was filled with people sitting on the ground, trying to bite through their dinner or cracking the container open and sniffing the contents. I didn’t see any wrinkled noses, so that was encouraging.

Looking left and right, the only open space I saw was the area between us and the Gogamins’ village. So, taking the container out of Harlow’s hand, I added it to my own.

“Sweet pea, give me your hand, and we’ll find a place to sit. Okay?” Harlow tipped her head back and nodded while placing her hand in mine.

It didn’t take us long to pick our way through the area. Glancing back, I saw Midge and Abby following. The others would join us soon enough.

“Here, Mommy?” I knew Harlow was very hungry.

Deciding to put a little more space between the other human females and Trixnokin, we walked maybe twenty more feet.

“Here looks good,” I say, and Harlow pulls her hand from mine to plop down, bringing the food brick to her mouth.

A bite-size piece was gone before I even managed to sit. Taking a bite, I found it soft and chewy. The flavor wasn’t bad. It was more nutty and fruity tasting. The long and short of it was, it was food. I’d placed the two containers in front of Harlow, between us. By the time Midge arrived, I was only two bites in, mainly because it was so chewy.

Jazmin, just as fast as Harlow brought food to her mouth, I think we were all beyond starving. The others joined us not long after. Surprisingly, the Trixnokin assigned to us sat a little further away and began talking with each other so quietly that I couldn’t hear them. I almost laughed when Valmon took a bite of the brick, and disgust rippled across his features. It didn’t take long to determine whatever these bricks were made of didn’t sit well with the Trixnokin.

“What are we going to do?” Demi’s question had me whipping back.

Embarrassment filled me; I sought the three Trixnokin out way too much.

We all scanned each other’s faces with trepidation. Sam spoke up, but her words didn’t enamor me.

“We do as they ordered.”

“What?” Midge gasps. “But…but…,”

Before Midge could articulate something more, Sam shook her head with a vague look.

“No, this is what we must do to move forward. It will not be as terrible as you believe, and something—yes, something unexpectedly good will come of it.

We had to have sex with aliens; how can something good come from that?

Gabby’s voice trembled, “They’re aliens! Are we even compatible? Do they have a slot B for our slot A? What if they have barbs or something?”

Now she was beginning to get a little hysterical. Yep. Right there with her.

Once more, Sam’s voice soothingly calmed our nerves somehow.

“Oh yes.” She finally returned to herself, looking at each of us. “That is the clearest direction I’ve ever gotten. There is nothing to fear, and soon…” Sam’s smile turned positively evil, “our luck will turn the advantage to us.”

This time it was me to question her. “Sam? Are you sure? You said your gift is getting stronger. Is it that much better?”

A bright smile light’s her face. “Oh, yes. Even more than when we were on Earth. The currents are easier to discern and manipulate. I don’t know what changed, but it can only benefit us. Right?”

My head cocks in thought; she’s right. I hadn’t noticed, really, but my talent feels just more. I would need to practice to discern the difference, though.

Catching the slow nods of the others, I joined them. They, too, had been searching out their talent and reading the flows.

“Mommy? I’m thirsty,” Talia tells Sam.

A lot of ‘me, too,’ goes around the other four.

I reached down for the container I had forgotten about and looked it over. It was about the size of a coffee cup, with no handles. There was a button on the side. Pushing it, the lid splits down the middle and rolls into the sides of the cup somehow. Lifting it to my nose, I find a citrus scent.

Tentatively taking a swallow, I find it refreshing. Almost like I had a cup of coffee. The taste was a blend of orange and lemon flavors. Handing the now open container to Harlow, she gulps it down.

It’s Midge this time, “So what do we do then to get out of this predicament and find a way back home?”

Sam turns sad eyes to us, “Guys, I knew the day we got on the Claimed Among the Star’s Cruise that we would never live there again. At first, I thought it meant I sent us all to our deaths,” tears swim in her eyes, “but when we woke up on the Drockish ship, I realized what it really meant.”

Shock and instant denial were my first reaction, but when the Gogamin said we were in a whole other galaxy, I knew our fate would never lead us back to Earth, home.

A warning buzzed at our throats before a voice said, “Get to your domiciles and do as ordered.”

Despite Sam’s assurance, the five of us couldn’t help but fear what would come next.

“Girls, trust me,” Sam urged us; then, she shivered, but it wasn’t in fear. “Oh, my,” Sam grinned at us mischievously. “Yes, we’ll be alright tonight.”

Demi clapped her hands; I hated when she did that during a tense moment. “Move it, ladies. Pretend it’s a band-aid and rip that sucker off.”

Yep, I couldn’t help the grimace at that visual. Sam laughed, and I wasn’t the only one viewing her with displeasure.

Shaking my head, I get to my feet, holding my hand out to Harlow. “See you in the morning, guys,” I say before leading Harlow back to our little bungalow.

For now, we were safe, fed, and certainly in an unwanted predicament, but we were not down and out. Sam had not been wrong in a long time. The fear settled, and a tiny bit of ‘it will be okay’ replaced it.

CHAPTER 26

PIPPA

Arriving back at our lodgings with Harlow, I took a minute to gather my nerves. The giant Trixnokin aliens would soon follow; I saw them get up after we had dispersed. They couldn’t be far behind me.

Tomorrow, I would need to play with the bands and see what I could do to make them ineffective. I would not have those bands be the death of my sisters or my nieces at the whim of the Gogamin. I wasn’t a technopath like Midge, but between the two of us, surely, we could neutralize the enslavement bands. Maybe even Midge more than me. I could pull the electrical charges from them, at least for Harlow, but would I be able to for more than one person, and if so, what would I do with all that energy?

“Are you waiting on an invitation?” Radik’s growly voice startled me into jumping.

I then realized I had been standing in the doorway rather than entering. What shocked me, even more, was that Harlow hadn’t said anything but stayed close to my side. Turning my attention to my daughter, I noticed her hand trembling in mine.

Leaning down, I picked her up, and she buried her face into my neck, but I did move us out of the way so the three Trixnokin could enter.

“Sorry,” I murmured.

All three studied me for a moment before heading directly for the shower and potty area. If their tails indicated anything, I was sure they were as agitated as I was at this moment.

“Harlow, sweetie. What’s the matter?” I asked her softly.

She pulled back in my arms to search my face before her own crumpled. “I want to go home. I don’t like it here.”

My stomach fell. What do I say to make this better? Taking a seat on the floor with my back to the wall near the doorway, I cupped her face bringing it close to mine as she settled facing me on my lap.

Then placing a kiss on her forehead, then her nose, before sighing. “Sweet pea, I know you would like to be back where it’s familiar and safe, and I wish I could make that happen.” Seeing those pretty light green eyes fill with tears was a stab to my heart. “But remember, wherever we are, as long as we are together, we can make a home, whether it be temporary or permanent.” Her puzzlement made me realize that the words and concepts were too advanced for her.

How do I explain this in a way for her to understand? Goddess, please help, I begged.

There was not much I could do to explain we were so far from home we’d never get back or that we were now enslaved people living at the whims of heartless creatures—our lives in constant danger.

Giving her an Eskimo kiss, I tried once more. “I know this is not a great place, but for now, we will make it our home. Okay?” I got a disgruntled pouty face.

“Oh, sweetie. Let’s see what we can do to make you a bed, and you can get to sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired.”

Unsurprisingly, Harlow yawned before nodding her agreement.

“How about we take a few pillows and put you close to the wall? I’m afraid you may get squished or fall into that hole and never be found again.”

Harlow looked to where I pointed and giggled. Jumping up, she captured my hand to help me to my feet and we both went to investigate our options.

There was a large pile of pillows, some big, some small, and some in between—all a dark gray hue. Amusement surfaced briefly; I couldn’t help but think of Radik; he would be invisible in that pile. Crouching down, I leaned over to grab a small and a big pillow that would work for Harlow to sleep on tonight.

Thinking of seizing one more pillow as a cover, I realized the temperature here was very comfortable. I would say in the low to mid-80s range. Hopefully, it would stay that way through the night.

Turning to scan the room, I decided to put Harlow in the far corner and up against the wall. The structure was dome-shaped and had enough of a curve to feel cozy. It was away from the door and the shower so she wouldn’t get stepped on by accident.

“What do you think, sweet pea? Does this look like a good spot?”

“Sure, Mommy,” she chirped tiredly.

I could tell she was extremely sleepy; her eyes were already drooping. It wouldn’t be long; she would be out like a light. Getting Harlow situated, she raised her arms for a hug; leaning down, I wrapped my arms tightly around my daughter and breathed her in.

Harlow whispered, “I love you, Mommy,” before pulling away, lying down, then placing her two hands under her cheek and closing her eyes.

“I love you, too, sweet pea. Sweet dreams.” Bending over, I kissed her forehead.

Within moments she was sound asleep. The sound of water had me turning in that direction, and my jaw dropped.

Radik stood under the shower with his head back, the spray beating down on his head. It flowed down the dips and planes of his mouth-watering body. He may not be human, but there were enough similarities to make me seem like a peeping Tom as I ogled him. So many sleek, hard muscles with their chiseled curves made my fingers itch to touch and make sure my eyes were not deceiving me in the low light.

Thick arms lifted long, heavy hair from his broad back, showing wide shoulders and a tapered waist. The tail at the base of his spine sat above two firm, perfectly shaped ass cheeks that I so wanted to squeeze and caress.

Wait… what? No! Where had that come from? Then, I noticed my nipples had pebbled, and my core clenched tightly at the thought of touching Radik and doing so much more than stroking him.

These were aliens; how could I be getting turned on? Drawing in a deep breath, shocked at where my thoughts had gone so quickly, I scrambled to my feet and headed for the door in a panic, only stopping in the doorway when Harlow’s face flashed into my mind.

Staring out unseeing as dusk turned to night, I took deep, calming breaths. While it disturbed me greatly that we were being forced to do something against our will, I was still nervous as hell. Yet based on my body’s reaction to seeing Radik in the buff, it was a good indication that I wouldn’t find it taxing.

There was desire or a little chemistry, at least, between myself and Radik, and if I was being honest, between Valmon and Celtin, too. It was just hard to wrap my mind around the idea of sex with aliens.

Then there was the thought of Harlow waking up and seeing way more than a four-year-old should ever see, which I couldn’t allow.

Lifting my eyes to the heavens, I prayed, Please help us find our way through all obstacles and come out safe on the other side.

“Pippa?” Radik called my name in his deep, rumbly bass.

It made my skin prickle and goosebumps form. Swallowing hard and gathering my courage, I pivoted to face him.

Peripherally, I noted Valmon and Celtin were already settling down in the hollowed-out nest in the ground. I couldn’t help wrapping my arms around myself as fear of the unknown took residence in my tummy.

“Pippa?” Radik’s stern questioning tone caused my gaze to jump to eyes now black seeming as the last light of evening faded.

Moonlight brought out so many shadows in the small room, but I was grateful we at least had this minuscule amount to see by. I don’t think I could handle being in a pitch-black room with unknown strangers and Harlow so vulnerable. I knew the Trixnokin told me they wouldn’t hurt us, and so did Sam in her roundabout way, but it didn’t make it any easier. Though, I would have to trust them this night, regardless.

After the third time, he called my name. I could finally answer with only a simple, “Yes?”

“This is not our way, nor how I would have us begin.” I couldn’t read Radik’s expression, but I took his meaning; it made me feel even better about this species of aliens.

Softly, I replied, “Same for us. Can we go outside? I don’t want my daughter to wake up while we… you know?” I couldn’t bring myself to say have sex.

With his tail flicking back and forth, Radik waved me out the door. Valmon and Celtin didn’t follow; I hoped that meant we could get away with doing this only once tonight.

How do we start? Do they kiss? Should we kiss? Just get it on. In my opinion, Gabby’s slot A and B comment was a valid question. I knew my breathing was picking up, but this was too fudging weird, and way beyond my comfort zone.

“Calmly, little one. How about we sit out among the stars and talk for a bit?”

“Yes, yes. Let’s do that,” I rushed to agree; a reprieve sounded good.

CHAPTER 27

RADIK

The little female was close to hyperventilating. This was the definition of insanity, and these zinoids would pay dearly. How did this species even breed? Were they like our females and didn’t come into season except every five years? What do they expect of us being so different? I wasn’t catching even a hint Pippa was ovulating, but maybe this species didn’t emit a pheromone? There was a scent to her I didn’t fully understand.

“Tell me, little female, are you in season?” I asked when we arrived in the open field and settled on the grass.

Pippa squinted up at me with a look of concentration on her face. “Now that you mention it, I have no idea. Typically, our eggs are only viable for twelve to twenty-four hours once a month and around twelve to fourteen days after menstruation. I have not one clue where I am within that cycle. This is dumb,” she grumbles in disgust.

Holy one! Was I hearing this correctly? Was the human’s home world time in hours, days, and months similar to ours? How had this species not overrun their planet? Perhaps they had, and that is why the slavers took them?

Pippa jumped to her feet, yelling towards where the Gogamin were staying.

“Hey, asswipes! You need to come out here right now! We aren’t even the same species, you dumb mothersmuckers! Plus, I can’t even get pregnant right now; it’s not my time of the month.”

Some of the words didn’t translate, but she was getting her point across.

There wasn’t any fear in this one. Unlike the others from earlier, some had pissed themselves when the Gogamin killed the human female. This one and the other four had only smelled of anger and determination. Reaching up, I snagged her arm and pulled her to me. I didn’t want her to die. She intrigued my blade brothers and me. Plus, she smelled so janew.

“Hey!” Pippa yelped as she landed on my lap.

Her body was intriguing, plusher than I expected, not all hard muscles like our own females. Tightening my arms when she tried to scramble away, she settled quickly. Her lips turned down slightly and puffed out a bit; I wonder what it meant. Lightly skimming her bare arms with my palms, ensuring my claws kept from damaging her thin flesh, I marveled at its softness against my toughened skin.

Bumps rose along her arms when she shivered at my touch.

“What are these bumps?”

Again, she squinted her eyes, and I realized she could not see in the dark as well as Trixnokin. The two moons rising were beginning to shed light.

“They are called goosebumps.” Her hands rubbed up and down her forearm.

“What do they do?” I ran my hand along her leg only to see the bumps return.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure. I know it mostly happens when I’m cold or excitedly unsure about something, and fear sometimes.”

Picking her up, I turned her to face me with her legs straddling my thighs; Pippa squeaked in protest.

“Hey, quit manhandling me,” the little female growled.

Running my fingertips lightly up her thigh, across her hip, and to the swell of her breasts that uncommonly interested me earlier, I circled along the curve only to feel it contract, and something poked out the front of her jumpsuit. Her breath drew in sharply.

Rubbing at it gently, “What is this?” I then pinched and pulled on it lightly to see if it would do anything else.

Pippa shivered again, and a low sound emerged from her throat; she shifted almost like she was rubbing against me.

“Um, um, that’s my nipple, and while it is used for breastfeeding, it is also an erogenous zone in my people,” she murmurs in a low tone, and the color of her skin darkens.

I pulled and twisted the nipple again, and she shifted her lower body again. Interesting was my first thought; my chest rumbled involuntarily as a heady scent rose directly from her core.

Touching the spot on the front of her jumpsuit, I followed the line that opened it, pulling it open and down to her hips. This time palming both breasts and gently squeezing before tweaking the tips of these nipples. Pippa shifted enough that she straddled one of my thighs to rock back and forth, releasing even more of her essence; my cock emerged from my cloaca, hard and demanding.

Standing swiftly, I stripped us both in a matter of seconds before Pippa put up even a token resistance. Lying her flat on the ground, I moved down her body to the scent calling me to taste her. Her breathing hitched before increasing. Prying her legs apart, my tongue darted out and swiped up her center before I brought it back in to savor the flavor. Ambrosial.

There was an intriguing bump I wanted to explore further, especially after she let out a surprised, “Oh,” when my tongue skimmed across it. Then there was the place where the flavor and moisture were the strongest, with some dips and valleys to explore before I dived into her core.

It shocked me that Pippa wasn’t fighting me off like our females would while in heat as part of our mating ritual. They wanted only the most potent male to be able to mate with them. The little female moved her hips for more attention, so I delved further.

I circled the bump, and more sounds and movements encouraged me to explore further. Pippa was delicious, and I savored each moan and incomprehensible word she muttered.  Soon, I would mount this little female and stake my claim.

Her pheromones were a drug I couldn’t get enough of as I plunged in and out of her center. My tongue extracted as much of her essence as possible.

CHAPTER 28

PIPPA

That tongue should be categorized as a lethal weapon. Radik stroked inside me, lapping up every bit of juice I produced and touching deeper than I would have believed a tongue could go.

“Please, please,” I cried out every time he stopped sucking on my clit to stab into me with that supernal tongue.

Reaching out for his head to guide him where I wanted, my arms were quickly wrapped up and pinned to my chest. At first, I thought it was his hand, but when I focused, my breath caught to realize it was his tail.

All sense left me as Radik sucked again at my little pearl, and I raised my hips, wanting more. Something sharp grazed my clit, and a fire blazed over that most tender spot; my arms tightened up, my body went rigid, a shiver traveled throughout my body, and I spasmed violently as the orgasm hit me out of nowhere.

As I worked air in and out of my lungs, I was suddenly flipped, and my ass was pulled into his body. He slammed into me, and I struggled to pull away. Too much, too big!

He snarled before leaning over me and biting deep into my shoulder. Suddenly, I creamed convulsively as my body spasmed and bombarded with a pleasurable, after pleasurable sensation; my vision faded around the edges, my breathing so ragged it was all I could do to pull air into my lungs. It did, however, fully open my body for his possession.

Each push and pull of his thrusting cock sent shards of euphoria, wracking my body to the point of bliss. When he finally bottomed out, I grunted harshly. Radik held there and seemed to become thicker; I cried out in pain-filled pleasure as something pierced my cervix, clamped deep inside me; then he pulled out and slammed back in, forcing the breath from my lungs with each pump of his hips. Goddess, so good.

My body took a pounding, and each time that same piercing sensation made my scalp prickle, my body constricted before; I repeatedly spasmed, my vision whiting out this time.

Radik gripped my hips and held me still as my arms buckled. His big body covered mine, and with one final hard thrust, I felt a popping sensation, and then I was flooded with pulsing hot liquid that sent me into a tailspin of pure nirvana. My pussy convulsed all over again, and my body quivered in climax.

Limbs and body heavy with satisfaction, I tried to move to a more comfortable position, but his cock was still swollen and big within me; I couldn’t move an inch.

“Don’t move; it will be this way for a little while,” Radik growled softly before he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me till I was sitting with us still connected.

Oh, my sweet seventh heaven, my pussy throbbed and contracted over and over, making the both of us groan in euphoric delight. So damn full.

He moaned and ordered, “Stay still.”

Then I felt it again. His shaft pumped as he tried to crawl inside my body with his cock. It was too much, and darkness found me.

CHAPTER 29

RADIK

Shuddering as my cock finally deflated, I gently pulled out of Pippa; a soft moan left her lips even as her head lulled to the side in sleep. My phallus retreated into its pouch, and I turned the little female until she was cradled in my arms. Standing with her, I brought her closer until I could nuzzle into her neck, inhaling her luscious scent and licking my bite. She shivered in her sleep.

Grabbing up our coverings, I gave the area a once over, then turned and moved back into the domicile where Valmon and Celtin waited. I hold the little female tonight, something I’d never done before but want to, and tomorrow we plan.

Thank you for reading Pippa’s Quandary You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Lilly’s newsletter!

ANNABELLE REX

THE BODYGUARD’S DECEPTION

CHAPTER 1

CASS

“Come here, human,” the wolf-like alien growls at me as he tugs lightly on my chain.

I rise from my seat, walking over towards the table, the barely there material of my dress whispering over my thighs, parting with each step and flashing skin from my ankle, right up to my hip. Wolfie watches that slit in the fabric, long tongue snaking out of his mouth to wet his muzzle. He keeps the hold on my chain firm enough that I feel some pressure about my neck, but not so much that I’m choking and rushing to approach.

“Time for me to roll the dice,” Wolfie says, pulling the chain downwards so I have to stoop over, my cleavage conveniently just beneath his eye-line, my neck level with his nose. He takes a snuffling breath in, hot air tickling over my exposed skin as he breathes out again, the rancid stink of him catching in my nostrils.

Please not this one, I think. Any of the others, just not this one.

“Blow on them,” he says. “For good luck.”

I lower my head a little more to the hand he has raised towards me. His knobbly, hairy fingers curl round a set of dice. I don’t understand the rules of the game they’re playing. There are dice and cards, bets and bluffing, like some sort of alien space poker. All I know is that these aliens round the table are the high rollers.

And they’re playing for me.

“Blow,” Wolfie says again, a hint of threat in the way his voice is edged with growl.

I sense movement from the corner of the room, my bodyguard, Sharr, standing upright, his four big arms folding across his chest. He’s there to protect me, to keep me safe from these men. Not so safe that I won’t be given to one of them at the end of all this - just safe enough that I don’t get damaged in the meantime.

I take in a breath. Wolfie parts his fingers just a little. I purse my lips and blow, bending closer still as he tugs on my chain a little more, until my lips are almost touching his fingers. Always only almost. I didn’t believe Sharr when he said none of the aliens would touch me while we’re in front of other people. I thought for sure my time being paraded around would be full of unwelcome pinches, hands places I don’t like hands without permission. I’m the grand prize, and I figured the competitors would want the chance to examine what they stood to win. That groping would be just another thing I’d have to learn to tolerate.

But so far, things have proved to be as Sharr says. Wolfie is the one who pushes the boundaries the hardest, brings me closest to him, forcing me to make the gap between his body and mine as small as possible. But there’s always a gap.

It makes this whole situation marginally more tolerable. I just wish the no touching rule would continue to apply indefinitely. In private.

But I’m not under any illusions about my ultimate purpose here. It’s obvious in the hungry way these men stare at me when they think no one else is looking.

Humans, the most desirable species in the universe. Exceptionally rare and exceptionally beautiful, apparently, which also makes me exceptionally valuable, hence why all the high rollers are spending fortunes for the chance to acquire me. Sharr says there’s something about the way humans look that’s just really appealing to most other species. We’re in the top percentile on the attractiveness bell curve, so even slightly above average looking me gets jumped right up to Hollywood goddess status.

I don’t feel much like a goddess. The roots of my dyed red hair are growing out, mousy brown peeking through. My hair that’s lank and brittle because for weeks they didn’t provide me with stuff to take proper care of myself. I’m pale and gaunt, too, the near constant state of fear and high tension burning through what body fat I have left, despite Sharr making sure I get three decent meals a day.

I’m a shell of myself, and I hate it.

Wolfie holds me close to his hand long after I’ve run out of breath to blow, every nerve ending in my exposed skin buzzing with desire to be away from him. I think he must sense my discomfort - a superior sense of smell, perhaps, able to pick up my displeasure, my fear - for he looks across at me, something like a smirk on his muzzle.

Finally, he releases his hold, turning his attention back to the game and the other players.

There are five of them left now. On the first night, there were several tables set up, over forty players. Every night, one player has been eliminated, the number of tables required gradually reducing. As the weeks have passed, we’ve gone from a full room to just the one table - full at first, but now only half the seats are taken. From what I can tell, Wolfie has played consistently well, but not amazingly. I only hope he’s about to peak in his skill level, that the remaining other players are good enough to knock him out of the running.

Because at least the other four all look vaguely human.

This is where my life has sunk to - hoping to end up with an owner who doesn’t have fangs and claws.

I slink back to my seat as Wolfie finally rolls his dice. Whatever the result is, it pleases him, and he looks horribly smug as he scoops a large pile of chips towards him. Holographic chips. They flicker and flash for a moment as his hand corrals them towards the rest of his pile, before settling into place and automatically arranging themselves into neat towers. The better to see how many each player has compared to the others. Wolfie’s little victory with the dice roll has put him just ahead.

Well, shit.

While none of them are paying me any attention, I turn my gaze back to the view outside the window. This room is above a sprawling casino. Below, fancy looking aliens mingle as they sip on fancy looking drinks, gathering around tables to roll dice or play cards. The cards might have different pictures, the dice different shapes, but gambling is gambling. I can smell the vast amounts of money being bet, lost, occasionally won.

Do they all know? Are they all aware of the game being played above their heads? What it’s being played for. Or is this some sort of invitation only gig, the other people laughing and having fun below innocent, unaware. I hope so. I always figured if there were advanced, space faring civilisations somewhere in the wide expanse of the universe that they’d have eradicated things like slavery. Mom always liked to preach that scientific advancements would eventually lead to a utopian society where no one hungered. No one suffered.

But Mom always was much better at science than she was at people - including her own children. Of course she’d see the shiny, glittering version of the future promised by renewable energy, self-driving cars and - her own speciality - genetically engineered super crops designed to end food poverty. Things behave predictably in science. There are rules about how things interact with each other. When you’re caught up in that world, it’s easy to forget that the science is only as good as the people working on it.

People are messy. Unpredictable. As long as there are people, there are power structures, and where there are power structures, there are people at the top and people at the bottom.

And people at the top who like to use the people at the bottom.

People like those in this room, who have technology advanced enough that a tiny chip implanted behind our ears allows us to understand each other’s languages perfectly, but still think it’s acceptable to play a twisted gambling game to win the right to own me, my body.

My life.

I sigh, the sound slipping past my lips before I can think better of it. My heart hammers in my chest as I flick my gaze over to the gaming table, then up to my lord and master, Kevten V’Sagic, who’s lurking at the back of the room, watching the games play out. He doesn’t look in my direction, so he hasn’t noticed my little sound of discontent. I hold in my sigh of relief, willing my heart rate to slow.

Thank God his attention was on the players and not on me. I toy with the shock collar around my neck, trying to position it so it sits a little more comfortably, my mind going back to the riot of pain I felt when V’Sagic last activated it. A searing, terrible sensation like acid being poured along every nerve in my body. I don’t want to give him any reason to use it on me again.

The only person who appears to have noticed my little slip up is Sharr. He surveys me with those icy blue eyes of his, all four of his muscled arms folded across his chest, a warning in his look. He doesn’t have to say anything - he’s told me enough times in the last few weeks that it echoes in my ears every time he gives me that look.

Be careful. Don’t get sloppy. Don’t veck things up for yourself.

Sound advice for, say, a new starter working in the career of their dreams. But as a twenty-four-year-old human girl, abducted by aliens, sold into slavery, made a prize in a high-stakes card game, things are already pretty fucked up for me. Or ‘vecked’, as Sharr would say.

But he’s right. I should be more careful. There is always room for things to get worse.

I feel another light tug on my chain, and one of the other men clicks his fingers.

“Drink,” he barks at me.

If a human guy spoke to me like that, I would have told him to go fuck himself. The words are on the tip of my tongue now, the temptation to let them out almost overwhelming. It’s exactly the kind of thing Sharr is warning me against when he tells me to be careful, and I know it will get me nothing but pain. It’s not a wise thing to do if I want to survive longer than five minutes out here.

But rolling over and taking it is like handing them a knife and letting them cut out a little part of me. Surviving is all very well and good, but I’m afraid if I ever find myself free, there won’t be any of me left.

As if he can sense how close to the edge of control I am, Sharr actually leans forward a little, giving me another hard look, the cybernetic components beneath his skin lighting up. My heart beats a little faster for a different reason as I watch the light show play under his skin, my eyes tracking over all his bulging muscles, drinking up his raw, masculine gorgeousness.

My mind goes back to when I first met him, the day this cursed cruise set off. V’Sagic had kept me locked in my cage in a dark room for hours and I was feeling pretty feral. The moment he opened the cage door, I’d launched at him, a whirlwind of nails and kicking feet. I knew surprise would likely be my only advantage, that it probably wouldn’t get me very far, but I wasn’t expecting quite how quickly Sharr would catch and pin each of my flailing limbs, trapping me against a wall so I couldn’t hurt him or myself.

Having four arms is definitely an advantage when you’re restraining someone.

But he wasn’t rough about it. He could have been - he’s over six foot and built entirely of muscle before you factor in the cybernetic enhancements. And yet, he handled me with only the absolutely necessary level of force, doing his best not to hurt me, even as his cybernetics flashed underneath his skin, feeding his muscles extra strength and speed. Making him deadlier.

“Don’t,” he said, his hands still pinning my wrists, my hips, not even winded, while I was panting from the exertion of trying to fight against him.

Still half wild, I snarled at him. V’Sagic would have zapped me for that, for sure, but Sharr just held me in place, the tiniest hint of a smile turning up the corners of his lips.

And with my arms pinned above me, his hands on my hips, that expression on his face, my body definitely sat up and started taking notice, a flush of heat stealing over my skin.

“What’s your name?” he asked me.

He was the first person to ask me since I’d been taken, and in my surprise, I answered him.

“Cass.”

“Cass,” he said, filling my name with so much more than the single syllable ought to have fit. Sympathy and sadness and compassion and command. “Don’t try to fight. Don’t try to run. Okay?”

He released me, and I rubbed at my wrists. Not because they hurt, but because the absence of his touch seemed to echo on my skin.

“You have to play the game,” he told me, once he’d got me clean clothes, let me use the bathroom, fed me. “You have to act meek and cowed, even when your blood boils inside your veins. You have to be so bland, so unremarkable that you’re beneath their notice. Show them some spirit and it just gives them something to break. You want to survive, you play the game. Don’t try to resist them, don’t answer back. It might make you feel great in the moment, but it won’t get you anywhere good. Trust me.”

I don’t know what it was about how he said it. Perhaps just the calm, assertive tone he used. Or maybe the way he referred to ‘them’ as if he wasn’t like V’Sagic and the others. Or the plaintive way he added those two little words at the end, holding my gaze, a quiet sort of regret in his eyes.

Trust me.

I had no good reason to, but I did trust him.

I still do.

So I give him the barest of nods, swallowing down the urge to fight. To resist.

Play the game.

The chain should allow me to reach the bar, but I’m still three steps away when I feel it go taut, the collar pinch against my throat. I stumble back a step, rubbing my hand at my neck, before stepping carefully forward once more. I get a little closer, but stop as I sense I’ve reached the end of the chain. The carafe on the bar containing the pungent liquid they’re all drinking is just out of my reach.

I turn round, only to see that there isn’t a problem with the length of the chain at all. One of the other men has hold of it, a wide smile on his thin lips. The four besides Wolfie are all the same species, I think - all sharp featured and with colourful skin. Some a single block of colour, others a dappled mix. Along with their appearance, they have matching attitudes of smug superiority. Wolfie tries to match them in this, but he has the air of someone playing at it. Trying smugness on for a laugh. The other four look like it was bred into them.

The one holding me leans back in his chair, taking the chain with him. I stumble forwards a couple more steps to keep the slack in it. Already, my neck feels sore. Bruised.

“My drink,” the other one repeats, like I’m supposed to fight against the grip on my chain. Strangle myself in order to serve him.

I turn back to the one holding my chain.

“Please, sir.”

His smile goes wider. With their sharp, thin features, every expression they make has a kind of inbuilt cruelty, but there’s nothing in this guy’s eyes to soften that. He radiates malice.

And I’m starting to wonder if I really would be better off with him over Wolfie.

“On your knees, female. I want to see how prettily you can beg.”

Even the guy who hasn’t had his drink yet chuckles. It’s all just a big game to them. My existence, my life. I can feel the prickle of Sharr’s gaze on the back of my neck, willing me to play along, to not choose this moment to make a scene.

And I hate it. I hate so much that this is my lot now. I want to fight and rage against it. I want to so fucking much.

But Sharr’s words keep echoing round my mind.

You want to survive, you play the game.

I want to survive.

I have to survive.

So I sink to my knees.

Let them cut away another little piece of me.

Beg.

CHAPTER 2

SHARR

One of the worst parts about working undercover is not breaking character. Most of the time, it’s easy enough. I’m a bodyguard, a strongman hired for his muscle, not his conversation. I can keep back, keep quiet, glower at anyone who gets too close. But right now, watching Cass sink down to her knees… My entire body vibrates with how hard I’m working to resist the urge to punch the vecker making her beg.

It’s not my job, I remind myself. I’m Cass’s bodyguard, employed by V’Sagic to protect his investment, not her as a person. My job is to step in only if there’s any risk of real damage to her. Damage that could reduce her value or desirability. Anything I respond to outside of that remit risks blowing my cover. Pulling on her collar, making her get on her knees - it doesn’t do her that kind of damage, so I have to stand by. Do nothing.

Even though the redness of her skin around the collar makes my stomach churn, the way she links her fingers together and raises her hands in supplication makes my jaw clench. V’Sagic may only care about physical harm, but it’s not the only kind of damage you can do to a person. I can see the way the fire burning in her eyes - so bright when I first met her - is dimming a little more every day.

I see it, and I hate it. I hate it even more because she’s doing what I told her to do. Keeping her head down, playing their game.

And it’s killing her.

I scan my eyes over the five players, remind myself that their end is coming soon. Barreling towards us in a Protectorate Interceptor. Any day now, a rumble will vibrate through the ship as the interceptor connects to it, crystal-coated blades cutting through the hull in seconds, an elite boarding team pouring through the wound in their best armoured suits, sweeping through the halls and corridors to round up every last vecker who paid for a ticket on this pleasure cruise. And the four vetruens at the table? They all occupy spots on the Protectorate’s most wanted list. Once they’re in custody, they’re never going to breathe free air again.

Xarcava, the luchetzen, is the odd one out. He’s no innocent. Just from overheard conversations, I know he got where he is with a little help from blackmail, extortion and exploitation. But he’s of the variety of crook who’s risen up in the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Vetruen Empire, not a war criminal like the rest of them. Still, I hope the Protectorate finds enough on him to send him down for a good long time, if only because of how much the thought of being won by him frightens Cass. How much he delights in stoking that fear, forcing her close enough to scent her skin at every opportunity. He’s grinning now as he watches G’Danic make Cass beg, his fangs glistening, tongue practically lolling out - a clear sign that he’s taking a little too much pleasure in the sight.

I glance over to where V’Sagic is standing, Gartzell, his dravosic bodyguard, at his side. The two of them watch the goings on with a look of barely contained boredom. V’Sagic wants them to get on with it, and so do I. I want this torment to be over for Cass for another night, to be one day closer to this being over. But V’Sagic won’t hurry them up, or tell them to stop toying with Cass. Being able to toy with her gives them a taste of what it would be like to own her. It encourages them to bet more money, increase the pot. The more money that’s in play, the more V’Sagic stands to make.

And money is about the only thing V’Sagic really cares about.

“Please let me serve the gentleman his drink,” Cass says in a soft, feminine tone, smiling as if there’s nothing in the universe she’d rather be doing than begging to serve these veckers. It doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Always with Cass you only have to look into her eyes to see what she’s really thinking.

Good job these veckers aren’t so much interested in her eyes as they are other parts of her body.

I want to see how prettily you can beg.

My cybernetics surge, the nanites in my blood feeding off the adrenaline and cortisol rushing through me, using the energy to power up my augmentations. My muscles twitch in response, making it difficult to keep still. I’m so flooded with extra strength and speed, I could probably break the necks of everyone in this room before Gartzell could pull out his gun and aim it at me. But I force myself to hold my breath for a count of five, releasing it for a count of eight.

I’m not an assassin, I remind myself. I’m a covert intelligence asset. Which is corporate speak for ‘spy’. I’m here to document, to learn about the security team and their capabilities, confirm the presence of high-profile targets, map efficient entry routes and feed all of it back to the Protectorate boarding team. Being well informed about the situation will allow the Protectorate to be more efficient, more targeted. It increases the chances of them being able to round everyone up without things descending into chaos.

“When we board, it needs to be tight,” my handler said, when outlining all this to me. “I want us to have complete control of the ship within minutes, nobody on or off without our say so. Chaos will create chances for high-profile targets to escape, to sneak onto their personal transport ships and disappear. We can’t have that.”

They can’t have them all killed, either. Death by my hand would be a swift sort of justice, and the kind that many of the victims of these men would want. But dead men don’t provide any opportunities for further investigation, they don’t help the Protectorate root out other evil veckers who committed atrocities during the war. That’s what the Protectorate wants. Not a room full of corpses.

“Whatever happens on that ship, whatever you see, you have to stick to the plan. Don’t take matters into your own hands and don’t ever break cover. You’re a bodyguard working on a pleasure cruise in one of the deadest ends of the universe. You don’t have morals, you don’t have any concerns besides your role. You protect who they employed you to protect. You don’t ask questions. You do as you’re told, no matter how difficult it gets.”

He’d looked at me then, as if assessing whether I had it in me to be that callous, that cold. If I’d lived among my people, maybe not. Despite our build, our strength, the dowani are a peaceful species. We never knew war until the Vetruen Empire brought it to our doorstep. But I’d been the property of Markan F’Nasren, notorious owner of the Arena, for over half my life. I’d learned to switch off my emotional responses before my age hit double digits.

“When your heart is screaming at you to intervene, just remember the greater good,” my handler said. “An individual’s suffering in the moment is nothing compared to the decades of suffering we could eliminate by taking these targets out, and taking the other targets they’ll lead us to out.”

His words made so much sense in the calm, sterile environment of his office. And, honestly, I didn’t think I would have any difficulty. I thought my heart was so hardened that any suffering would just bounce off it.

But nothing could have prepared me for Cass.

Cass and her delicate beauty that so belies the iron core of her spirit. Cass and her sharp tongue and the spitting anger that bubbles just beneath the surface. Cass and the wild way she tried to attack me when I let her out of her cage, taking the only chance she had, even though she knew it probably wouldn’t get her anywhere, that she would be punished for the attempt. She still had the courage to try.

I remember the way she looked at me afterwards, when I got her what had to be her first decent meal in a long time from the staff canteen. Her eyes flashed with suspicion, waiting for me to turn round and expect something in return for my kindness, no doubt. That heart I thought so hardened - she sunk a spear straight into it.

Even then, on that very first night, the words nearly came out.

I work for the Protectorate. I’m not going to let any of the veckers on this ship hurt you.

I made the vow to myself instead. Kept her in the dark to protect her. Deception works better the fewer people know about it, and if I’m going to fulfil my vow, I need my deception to last until the Protectorate arrives. Cass’s reactions to V’Sagic and the others are genuine, so she can’t give them any reason to be suspicious. Can’t give them any reason to suspect me. For now, that’s the best protection I can offer her.

Still, I hate it. I hate watching the fire in her eyes dimming day by day, knowing I could give her hope back with just a few words. Resisting the urge to tell her everything… I’m just glad this will all be over soon, because it’s becoming more than I can take.

G’Danic releases the chain at last, allowing Cass to collect the carafe and pour out a drink for F’Parra. F’Parra gives her a cruel smile as she heads back to the bar, setting the carafe down, raising his full glass to her in a parody of thanks. Smug vecker. I can’t wait for that look to be wiped off his face when the business end of a Protectorate laser rifle gets pointed at him.

Cass returns to her seat, my eyes going to her automatically as she cuts across the room, her head bowed low. Submissive doesn’t suit her. She’s a flash fire, a blaze of vitality. But even diminished like this, even too thin and wearied from the constant fear, she’s still soul-achingly beautiful. From the gentle wave of her bright red hair, to her wide brown eyes and the flowing lines of her body, everything about her is soft, designed with universal ideals about physical perfection in mind.

But she has no claws, no fangs, no species trait that gives her any kind of advantage against the rest of the universe. Humans are as vulnerable as they are beautiful. It’s why they fetch such exorbitant prices on the slave market. It’s why the high rollers are prepared to bid substantial amounts of their fortunes for the chance to win Cass.

Any day now, I remind myself as my cybernetics surge and buzz beneath my skin again, all my tricks from my Arena days doing nothing to quell my roiling emotions. Any day now, and she’ll be liberated. Saved by the Protectorate. We both just have to hold on a little bit longer.

The game resumes. I vaguely know the rules of chatsa - well enough to follow the players whose cards I can see, anyway. Today, I’m behind Xarcava, and he’s been playing well this evening. He has a pile of credits larger than two of the others, and that’s all he needs. If he plays conservatively, holds onto the pile for another few hands, he’ll be through, with a good pot to start play tomorrow. But chatsa is a game against the other players as much as it is against the luck of the draw and the roll of the dice. Here, Xarcava is at a disadvantage. The vetruens so obviously look down their noses at him, and it’s making him thirsty to prove a point. To prove them wrong.

“These bets seem a little small to me,” he says, gesturing at the piles of holographic chips at the centre of the table. “One might be inclined to believe your hands aren’t all that good, gentlemen.”

I look over his shoulder at his own cards - two asteroids and a space station. It’s a good hand, but my knowledge of the game isn’t good enough to say exactly how good. Whether it warrants the theatrical way he’s counting his chips, mulling over how much to raise the bet by.

I glance round at the vetruens. Their faces are impassive, no hint of concern, no gleam of anticipation. This is the problem with playing this sort of game against vetruens - they’re much better at being guarded than most other species. Their entire culture revolved around presenting one face to the universe while keeping their true nature hidden.

And vetruens like those around the table - the worst products of the Empire and the societal structures it enforced - are the best there is at it.

Xarcava raises the bet by a significant portion of his stash, and I can tell how smug his expression is just by the set of his shoulders. F’Parra looks at his cards for a moment, before setting them down on the table, folding with an unconcerned wave of his hand. Two more fold after him, leaving only G’Danic. Xarcava is grinning so wide, his back teeth are on display, especially as G’Danic frowns, looking at the array of cards and dice on the table, then back to his own hand, as if trying to figure out a viable play. Cass watches them, her expression blank, even though I know she’s trying to follow the game, hoping that Xarcava will be knocked out.

G’Danic looks Xarcava straight in the eye as he pushes out enough chips to meet Xarcava’s bet. I spot the slight tremble in Xarcava’s hand as he clutches his cards, the twitch in his cheek. I doubt G’Danic misses it.

Xarcava fixes the confident, easy smile back in place as he lays down his hand. It is a good hand, but the way a smile slowly spreads across G’Danic’s thin lips tells me it’s not good enough.

He flips his cards over one by one, revealing them. A spaceport, a mining colony, and a transport ship. A matching set. Xarcava scores five long lines on the tabletop with his claws.

For a tense moment, the whole room holds its breath, waiting to see what the luchetzen will do. I take a step closer to Cass.

Then Xarcava laughs. It’s a strained sort of sound - if he means to sound unconcerned about this enormous loss, he doesn’t quite manage it, but he makes a good show of pushing the pile of chips towards G’Danic, nodding in deference to his superior play.

The game doesn’t last much longer after that. His reserves decimated, Xarcava can’t keep up with the pace of the betting. The others are less concerned about improving their stash than they are about outbidding Xarcava, forcing him to spend all his remaining chips in an effort to stay in the game. They have him out of the running within four more rounds.

“Well played,” F’Parra says, nodding to Xarcava as they all rise from the table.

“A pity you can’t continue with us tomorrow,” G’Danic says, not even bothering to sound like he means it.

“The better man won,” Xarcava says, attempting grace.

G’Danic takes the praise the way only a vetruen can - like it’s the least he’s owed. I see the briefest curl of Xarcava’s lips before he fixes his smile back in place, thanking V’Sagic for the opportunity. A few more pleasantries are exchanged before the players all take their leave.

“Get her back in her cage,” V’Sagic says as soon as they’re gone. “And watch out for the luchetzen. He has the look of a sore loser.”

Gartzell snarls agreement, looking at Cass like he can’t understand why she’s worth all the fuss. Like if he had his way, he’d do away with her. Save the trouble.

I usher Cass out, wanting her away from them. All of them. Not just the high rollers, but V’Sagic and Gartzell, too. I want her sequestered in my suite where she can be herself, be safe.

“Do you think Wolfie would try anything?” Cass asks once we’re far enough away from V’Sagic.

She looks me up and down, as if assessing how well I’d be able to protect her. I can’t help smiling a little. Xarcava looks deadly, but just because he has fangs and claws, doesn’t mean he knows how to use them. Having genetic advantages only gets you so far. Training is a far more valuable asset.

I may not have got my training in the most conventional way, but I am well trained. F’Nasren never did like a one sided bout. His bookies made more money if the outcomes of the Arena matches were difficult to call.

“I could take out Xarcava with my eyes closed.”

She shoots me an amused look, and I’m heartened to see a hint of spark in her eyes. “I hope for my sake that confidence isn’t misplaced.”

“I wouldn’t be much good at my job if I couldn’t fend off one luchetzen. I’ll keep you safe, Cass.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can think better of them, before I realise just how close to the truth I’m getting. Though I know it’s not wise, a part of me can’t help but not regret them. I wait for the light of hope to grow, for her smile to brighten her weary eyes. My heart pounds in anticipation of it.

She smiles, but it doesn’t even get close to her eyes.

“Until V’Sagic tells you to stop,” she says.

An ache gnaws at my chest, the full truth sitting right on the tip of my tongue. I swallow it back down, looking away from her. I hope when this is done, she’ll understand. Forgive me for my deception. For letting her believe I would ever allow any harm to come to her.

Because I wouldn’t. I won’t. I’ll play the game, but the moment a line is crossed, the moment there’s any risk of serious harm coming to Cass…

I’ll fight every person on this vecking ship to defend her if I have to.

CHAPTER 3

CASS

I go straight for the bathroom when we get back to Sharr’s suite, wanting to change out of the ridiculous sheer dress. I’m not shy, but there’s alluring, and then there’s virtually naked, and the dress is definitely in the latter camp. I peel it over my head, swapping it for one of the long nightdresses Sharr got me from the lost and found. Vetruen fashions are very modest, apparently, which is why their bedclothes make me look like the youngest grandmother in the universe.

Sharr’s sorting out his weapons when I head back into the room - cleaning them, checking them over and powering them down. It seems to be a ritual for him. He’s never had to do more than rest his hand on his belt since we’ve been together on this ship, so I can’t imagine they need much in the way of maintenance. But every night, like clockwork, he takes them all apart, puts them all back together again. I take the seat opposite him, picking up a cloth and one of the smaller, fiddlier pieces, starting to clean it.

“I swear these evenings are getting longer and longer,” I say.

“Go to bed if you’re tired. I can get this finished by myself.”

“I’m not tired.”

I am, but I won’t go to bed, not yet. This moment, the hour or so between the end of the tournament for the evening and retiring to bed, is my favourite part of the day. The awfulness of the tournament is behind me, and tomorrow feels like a long way off. It’s just me and Sharr, and I can almost pretend for a moment that we’re a normal pair of people. Friends just hanging out together. Even though he can be obnoxiously taciturn, avoiding my questions like giving me any little bit of information about himself is giving me the keys to his soul.

I steal glances at him now, while I work my cloth into all the little crevices of the weapon part in my hand. His brows are furrowed as he concentrates on his work, the thick, tentacle-like ropes of his hair slipping over his shoulders and onto the table. Every so often, he reaches up and brushes them out of his way, only for them to slither back down again, each strand - as thick as two or three of my fingers - landing on the table with a soft thump.

It’s odd, because his hair in other places looks as I would expect it to - the bushy arches of his brows, his full beard, his arms. I don’t have my mother’s keen scientific mind, but a little more of her must have rubbed off on me than I thought, because I find myself wondering what evolutionary purpose it serves. Like penguin feathers being densely packed and shorter than other birds’ to better insulate them against the freezing cold temperatures, it could be that conditions in his species’ home environment made his head hair grow that way for a reason.

Or, it could just be a body modification. The guy has cybernetics laced through all his muscles. It’s not a stretch to think he could have had some kind of hair transplant to look more badass.

And he does look badass. Heat builds between my thighs at the thought.

I kind of hate that my body responds to him so strongly, like some kind of Stockholm Syndrome bullshit. But I did always have a thing for a bad boy, and Sharr gives off those vibes in spades while also always being kind to me. It’s a killer combination.

I try to shove the feeling down, bury it. I can’t allow myself to indulge in hopes and fantasies. I belong to one of those four sharp-faced men. The high rollers. The fact that Wolfie - Xarcava - is out of the running makes that future a little less horrific to me, but as silver linings go, it’s a small one. I’m still going to be someone’s property. Dreaming that will change is just asking to make it sting even more when it doesn’t.

And yet, I can’t seem to stop myself watching Sharr, admiring the deft way he can clean two different parts at the same time - one with each set of hands. For someone so brawny, he has a delicate touch, handling his equipment with care. Here, in the relative safety and privacy of his room, his cybernetics don’t glow so brightly, instead a gentle light emanating from beneath his skin, softening some of his harder edges.

“Were you a soldier?” I ask, the words out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Sharr glances over at me, his features blank, unreadable. He’ll tell me impersonal things, like how his cybernetics work, but any time I ask a question that might reveal anything about who he is, I get this expression. He’s been my bodyguard, my personal protection for the entire duration of this journey so far. We’ve spent every waking minute together. We’ve slept in this room together every night. And yet, the things I know about him I can count on one hand.

“What makes you think I might have been a soldier?”

I shrug. “You know your way round guns. Your confidence you could deal with Xarcava. The guests talk about a war sometimes, and it sounds like it happened pretty recently. So I just wondered…”

“You have to be a soldier in a war to know your way around a gun where you’re from?”

“No. I guess it was a stupid question. Sorry.”

Normally, that’s where he leaves it - me feeling like an idiot for trying to crack through that blank mask he presents to the world, apologising because he’s reminded me that we aren’t friends. That I’m his job.

But tonight he sets his gun down and looks at me.

“I wasn’t a soldier, no.”

His response surprises me so much, I actually sit more upright, my spine snapping straight. It’s not the substance of his response, so much as the fact that he deigned to give me one. And maybe it’s greedy to ask for more, but he’s given me an inch - I fully intend to take a mile.

“You didn’t fight in the war, then?”

He shakes his head slightly. “I would have. But… circumstances prevented it.”

“Circumstances?”

“Circumstances,” he repeats in that way that tells me he’s not going to give me anything else.

“What circumstances?”

“Cass.”

My name rings with a warning not to push it, frustration and tiredness, but maybe, just maybe, a little amusement, too.

I scowl at him. “Off limits. Got it. But tell me something? I’m trying to have a conversation here, and it’s difficult when you respond like a brick wall. Or just say my name.”

“Cass…”

A sharper note of warning this time, frustration heightening as his amusement vanishes.

“Exactly,” I say, throwing my hands up in the air.

I shake my head, focusing on the gun part in my hand instead.

“It’s fine. I’ll shut up.”

A tense silence stretches out between us, but I’ll be damned if I’m the one who’s going to break it.

“What do you want to have a conversation about?”

His voice is so low it’s almost possible to convince myself he didn’t say anything at all. I look up at him, catch him watching me intently. I fold my arms as I sit back in my chair, taking the heat of his gaze without flinching, even as my skin seems to thrum everywhere it lands on me.

“I know what I don’t want to talk or think about.” I gesture at the room around me. “Anything that goes on outside of these four walls. But the only thing inside is you, and as you’re never going to answer my questions, I guess it’s a non-starter, really.”

“Cass…”

I give him a hard look, and I think he almost smiles.

“Cass,” he says again, drawing the syllable out. “I’ll answer your questions if you ask me the right ones.”

I don’t know what the fuck that’s supposed to mean, but I bite anyway.

“Where are you from?”

Apparently, I’ve landed on a ‘right’ question, for he answers.

“I was born on Carvani, the dowani homeworld.”

I’m surprised he’s giving up this little piece of himself. But then, he’s only admitting that he comes from the homeworld of his people. I suppose most people would just assume that was the case. It still doesn’t really tell me anything.

I wait for him to say more, to elaborate, but he doesn’t.

“Oh, come on, give me a bit more than that,” I tell him, folding my arms.

Sharr shakes his head. “You asked me where I was from, not for a description.”

“I’ve never been anywhere except my home planet before I was abducted. Since then, I’ve seen the insides of stations and spaceships and not a lot else. So tell me about it. Give me a little flavour of what the universe can be like.”

I don’t say ‘please’. Even thinking of the word makes my mind flash back to getting on my knees, raising my linked hands to beg.

“I was only young when I… left. I don’t remember it too well. There were lots of rivers, large forests. My family lived in one of the outlying villages around one of the major cities. I can’t remember names anymore. I just remember how it was to look out across the wetlands and see the city - all white and stretching up towards the sky. On a particularly sunny day, the stones they used to make the buildings would almost glitter. I used to think of the city as this amazing, magical place. No doubt it would have been busy and dirty up close.”

“You never got to go?”

“Left before I had the chance.”

He says ‘left’ like it’s not the right word. There’s a story there, but I can sense just from brushing up against the edges of it that it would be another of his off-limits topics. One more of the forbidden puzzle pieces in the mystery that is Sharr.

The temptation to just ask anyway is strong, but he’s actually talking to me, and I don’t want him to stop. So for my next question I go back to vague. Impersonal.

“You’ve travelled a lot?”

“A fair amount.”

“What’s the best place you’ve been, then?”

He shakes his head. “Most of my travel has been for work. It’s not the best way to experience places.”

“I get that. My mom, she’s a scientist. A botanist. Plants,” I add at his blank look. “She gets invited to speak at conferences all over the world, and she used to sometimes take me and my sister with her, back when we were too young to leave at home alone. But she was always so busy. We’d arrive, get a taxi from the airport straight to the hotel, and then she’d have her conference and we’d be stuck in some hotel room, watching whatever TV channel we could tune into. I’ve been all over the world and only ever seen the insides of hotels.”

My voice feels thick in my throat. I never should have brought up my family. Thinking about my sister sends a slice of pain through my chest, cutting at some deep place inside me. It’s worse than thinking about the fate awaiting me. I’ll never know what happened to her after she was dragged off in the opposite direction to me, cursing up a storm as she fought to get away from her new owners. Fought to get back to me.

“You miss them? Your family?” Sharr asks, his gaze catching mine.

I consider shutting him down the way he so often shuts me down. Looking at him and just saying his name so he knows he’s touched on a sore subject. But in the end, the words come spilling out of me.

“Mom, not so much. She’s one of those high-powered people, you know? She had kids like it was an item to tick off on a checklist. Treated us both like adults from the time we were old enough to speak. She’s brilliant. But not a brilliant parent. My sister, though. We were taken together. When they sold me to the guy who brought me to V’Sagic, they sold her to someone else.”

“I’m sorry, Cass.”

“Yeah, well. Me, too.”

I try to swallow down the lump in my throat, blinking against the tears threatening to fall. Sharr reaches out a hand towards me, and for a moment, I wonder if he wants me to take it. To break the rule that the others follow only in public, but Sharr follows everywhere, even here in his suite where no one else is watching. He’s only ever touched me the one time to restrain me, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered what it would be like to have those hands of his on my skin again. Touching him now would be crossing a line I don’t think we could come back from, and I can’t decide if that’s something I want to do or not.

In my moment of hesitation, he nods at the piece in my hand.

“I think you’ve cleaned that enough.”

I hand it over to him, trying to will away the blush that rises in my cheeks, and he reattaches it to his gun. I pick up another piece, wiping it down. Once the embarrassment passes, the weight of sorrow keeps growing in my chest as I work, threatening to overwhelm me. Cleaning the weapon pieces isn’t enough distraction to take my mind off it, and I can feel the tears building behind my eyes. I don’t want to cry, don’t want to break down.

I’m afraid if I start, I’ll not be able to stop.

I need a better distraction. In the absence of any other alternative, I decide to try conversation one last time.

“Tell me something else,” I say.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Anything. Where did you train to be a bodyguard? Do you even have training for it? Have you always worked on cruise ships like this or are you counting down the days to get back to civilisation and a new job? What’s the best space sport? Do you even play sports out here? Just pick a topic and talk. Give me something to listen to so I can stop thinking about the sister I’m never going to see again and which of those four remaining perverts is going to win me.”

The more I speak, the higher the anger rises, flooding into my chest. It feels good as it grows inside me, firing up my body. Burning away the grief and fear. I try to hold on to the anger, try to stoke it a little, but I just don’t have the stamina. Before long, it fizzles. Splutters out.

“I should just go to bed,” I say, pushing away from the table.

“Cass.”

My name, so full of pity, sorrow, anger, impatience.

Guilt.

I turn back to him, folding my arms across my chest. Ask him the question that’s been bugging me ever since he so gently pinned me against the wall and told me to play their games.

“Why are you here, Sharr?”

He sets his weapon down.

“I’m here to be your bodyguard,” he says, voice carefully neutral.

“Yes, but why? You obviously hate V’Sagic and everything he does here. Why work for him? Why put yourself in this position? Debt? On the run from space mobsters and have no other choice but to lie low, taking any dirty job? Or you’re just pretending to be nice, and really, you’re every bit as much an asshole as the rest of them?”

“Cass,” he says again.

I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, a rumble cuts through the room - the floor vibrating. At first, it’s not that strong. Little more than the kind of light turbulence that’s perfectly normal on a plane ride. But even as I’m thinking ‘space is a vacuum, there’s no air to get turbulence from’, the rumbling intensifies. I wobble on my feet as the room lurches around me, and several of the pieces of Sharr’s weapon shake right off the table, falling onto the carpeted floor.

“What the fuck was that?” I say.

Sharr says nothing, simply stooping down to collect the fallen pieces of his weapon, then rapidly putting it back together - half the pieces cleaned, half not. Another lighter rumble passes through the floor, not enough to make me feel unsteady. It’s followed by a loud mechanical thunk and the suite door sliding open.

System override, the ship AI says in her sultry, feminine tones.

“That’s not good.” I turn to Sharr. “That’s not good, right?”

He’s staring at the light above the door. The light that normally shines red to indicate the door is locked. It isn’t red anymore. It isn’t even the blue that means open. It’s flashing a bright orange colour.

Sharr takes out his comm, frowning down at the screen. He taps on it a few times, shaking his head after a moment.

“Let’s go,” he says.

Before he heads for the now open door, he clips all his weapons back to his belt.

CHAPTER 4

SHARR

I wish the Protectorate team had sent me their boarding procedures before they latched onto V’Sagic’s cruise ship and busted their way inside. They were supposed to keep me in the loop, but I have had no communications from them since the last time I risked sending a request for an update, when they’d only said they were arriving as soon as they could.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain. The moment I told them about Cass and V’Sagic’s tournament, they accelerated all their plans. They were going to intercept the ship two weeks from now, when it reached the furthest point on its trip, right before it turned back towards civilisation. Less chance there would be anyone else around to complicate things that way. But my handler - for all his talk of the greater good - was keen that Cass should suffer no harm if it was at all manageable, and he vowed he would do his best to make sure they intercepted the cruise ship before the tournament finished.

Two weeks less planning, two weeks less preparation. It’s not surprising that things have been overlooked. Like unlocking all the doors - that has to be another oversight, another mistake. It would have been easier to keep everyone trapped in their rooms. Fewer bodies to contend with that way. Fewer variables. They could have gone through the rooms one by one, without risking getting overwhelmed, or that anyone would reach the belly of the ship, where the private vessels are stored for those wealthy enough to bring them along. All four of the high rollers have their own ships with them. Small little personal transport shuttles that aren’t much use for travelling great distances in anything you could describe as ‘comfort’, but perfect for evading Protectorate patrol ships if they needed a quick getaway for whatever reason. Giving those four the opportunity to sneak away… It’s sloppy, and I don’t like it.

But the thought of Cass sleeping soundly tonight for the first time since they took her from her home, safe in a Protectorate bed - it’s enough to make me feel forgiving.

“Where are we going?” Cass asks, and there’s a tremor in her voice that isn’t all the exertion of keeping up with my rapid pace. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re going to the nearest information terminal,” I tell her.

Because I can get the information the Protectorate failed to provide me from the ship AI as soon as I can interface with it. Where the breach was made, what route they’re taking through the ship. Where they intend to encounter the security personnel. Right now, V’Sagic will be rallying together his security team, making sure they’re armed to the teeth and ready to face off against whoever has breached his hull. They won’t have the same quality of equipment as the Protectorate team, but they also won’t be concerned about using deadly fire. The Protectorate might have moral qualms about such things, but mercenaries and mobsters rarely do. Things could get messy, and my surprise back up could be the difference between a quick victory and a drawn out fire fight.

I want to get to them as soon as possible. I want to get Cass to them as soon as possible.

There are a lot of people milling about in the corridors, looking for members of staff to tell them what’s going on. The staff I spot all look harried and nervous, rushing through the corridors with their heads down, trying to avoid eye contact. As we pass a bank of elevators, I see that they’re flashing up ‘out of order’ messages, the lifts frozen by whatever protocol opened all the ship’s doors. At least this is a sensible approach. Freezing out the elevators means it will be infinitely more difficult for the vetruen targets to get to their getaway ships.

As we turn the corner into one of the many intersections on the ship - places where several corridors meet, usually furnished with some sort of artwork, some benches and an information terminal - a crowd is clustered around the terminal screen, fingers jabbing at it as they try to figure out what’s going on. The AI’s feminine tone sounds out every so often.

System override. I am afraid I cannot service your request at this time.

I nearly roll my eyes. An AI on a ship this size ought to have more resilience in the face of an enemy attack. At the very least, it ought to advise the passengers to return to their rooms and barricade the doors if they can until a further announcement is made. But V’Sagic is nothing if not cheap, and he’s obviously not gone for one of the more robust models.

As we approach the crowd, Cass steps closer, her body so near mine, I can feel the heat radiating from her skin. She’s never been shy of getting close to me, never observing the invisible boundary that most citizens that once belonged to the Vetruen Empire wouldn’t cross. My body reads a lot into her proximity, my blood rushing in my veins, some primal part of me delighting in the fact that she seeks comfort, protection from me. I have to rein it in, remind myself that Cass didn’t grow up under the oppressive rule of the Empire. That she doesn’t see touch as taboo the way the rest of us have been conditioned to.

Not that she’s ever gone quite as far as touching me. Not since that first frantic rush of nails and fists.

I glance down at her, catch her just as she touches a hand to the collar around her neck.

And I feel like an asshole, because of course she wants to stick close to me. Of course she takes comfort in my proximity. That vecking collar around her neck announces her for what she is - an object. Owned. Any of these people gathered around the terminal could look at her and decide to take some kind of advantage. The thought makes my chest ache, a cold hard ball forming in the pit of my stomach, and I’m so glad that this is almost over for her.

“Clear a path,” I call out, raising one of the guns on my belt. I don’t intend to shoot anybody with it, but there’s nothing like the sight of a weapon to infer a sense of authority. Almost everyone in the crowd backs up at the sound of my voice, and the weapon makes the rest change their mind about challenging me. I keep it in my hand as I arrive at the terminal, pressing another one of my palms to the screen and taking a deep breath.

Using my cybernetics to interface with other computers is not something I do a lot, and despite the top level hacking upgrades the Protectorate provided me with before this mission, it’s not easy. Forcing my will along the threads of wire that run from my brain stem down my arms and into my fingers, nudging it into the computer - it’s a strange sensation. Completely unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. It’s like my head getting dislocated from my body, most of my brain shutting off as its processing power is all directed to the single act of connecting with the machine.

Worse still is the flood of data that rushes back in, all the ones and zeros that underpin the code. My cybernetic pathways can decipher it, but my neurons can’t, and as the messages try to pass along them, it’s like a load of static filling my brain, edging on painful. It’s a long moment as I wait for the signals to be funnelled to the processor in the back of my neck - the little chip that translates my thoughts to binary, and the binary back into something my mind can understand.

The whole process uses a lot of energy. I’ll be exhausted tonight, but at least I’ll also be able to sleep soundly in a Protectorate bed.

Vaguely, my eyes register the screen of the terminal flickering. My vision clears, my focus loosening until I can split it, using my thoughts to communicate with the terminal and looking at its responses, both.

I filter past the free access parts of the programming - the timetables and maps and other passenger information - pushing onwards into the staff only areas. I force my way past the guest complaints, the maintenance reports, the staff timetables, looking for the thing I need. The security systems. The ship AI puts up a fleeting protest as I skim over the access protocols, overriding them, letting myself into the parts of the data that only the security team and V’Sagic should be able to view.

And get instantly flooded with warning messages. Ship de-cloaking warning, ship proximity warning, hull tamper warning, hull breach warning. Unidentified persons aboard. Eight in total. A small boarding team, but I provided the passenger manifest to my handler on my very first day, giving them plenty of time to figure out the threat level the guests present. They must have figured the risk wasn’t very high overall, even if all the high-value targets present considerable risk individually.

Still, eight. It’s a little on the low side. I identify the location of the hull breach, track their progress through the ship, and plan a path to intercept them. I hope they have a good plan, that everything is within their control. But the doors are all open and they forgot to send me the boarding procedures, so I’m going to assume everything is not going exactly as they envisaged it would, and be there, ready to provide them backup, at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Well?” Cass says.

I start. My focus on the terminal had been so absolute, I’d tuned her out. Almost forgotten she was there. It’s the problem with interfacing with machines this way. It takes up too much of my awareness.

I disconnect from the terminal, my mind settling back into place with a strange popping sensation. I shake my head, trying to shift the last tendrils of brain fog, fully focus myself on the room. The crowd is still gathered round us, all waiting for an update. I put my hand back to the weapon on my belt, then usher Cass away from them all.

“Head back to your rooms,” I tell them. “An update from ship management will be given soon.”

There’s some grumbling behind me, but none of them chase after us, demanding to know more. I listen, even as I move us further through the corridors away from them, and pick up the sound of retreating footsteps as they break off, heading back to their rooms. Good. The fewer people around, the fewer complications will occur.

I twist through the corridors, heading for a flight of stairs hidden behind a panel that normally only opens for a staff ID chip. Right now, like the rest of the doors, it’s just slightly open. It takes an injection of strength from my cybernetics to slide it open enough for me and Cass to slip inside.

Once we’re in the stairwell, no one else nearby, I turn to Cass, speaking in a low voice.

“A Protectorate law enforcement team has boarded the ship after breaching the hull at the aft cargo compartment.”

“Oh.” She chews on her bottom lip, brow furrowing as she processes this announcement. “Law enforcement? That… Will they care about this?” She touches the collar around her neck. “Is it even illegal out here?”

“Very illegal.”

I expect her to smile at this, but she doesn’t. If anything, she looks more afraid.

“So…” Cass says, her eyes darting to the door, down the stairs, then back up to me. “What now?”

Her muscles are tensed, her throat bobbing as she swallows. The loose, billowy bed clothes keep a lot of her covered up, but I didn’t survive this long by not being able to read a person’s intentions in the most subtle of their body’s cues. Cass is poised to bolt, to run from me. She thinks I’m going to try to stop her from getting to safety. She thinks I’m going to do the job V’Sagic wants me to do.

And though it cuts at my heart, the fact that she still has enough fire in her to run, to fight, fills me with a fierce kind of joy.

She’s so vecking brave.

“Now, we get you out of here,” I tell her.

CHAPTER 5

CASS

My eyes widen at Sharr’s declaration, widening further when he follows it up with a grin. It makes him look years younger, and my mouth goes dry, a pulse of heat starting in my stomach, travelling downwards.

“You asked me why I’m here,” he says, staring at me with an intensity that makes me quiver, reaching a hand out towards my face, but stopping short of actually touching me. “I’m not on the run from space mobsters, and I’m not pretending to be nice…”

The realisation strikes me before he says it.

“You’re their inside man.”

Sharr nods. “I’ve been feeding them information. I told them about V’Sagic’s tournament. I told them you were the prize. They’ve moved fast to get here as soon as possible, to rescue you from that situation. But even if they didn’t arrive before the tournament ended, I was never going to let any of those veckers touch you, Cass. I swear it.”

There’s so much heat in his voice and his eyes as he says this. It sets the already bubbling emotions inside me boiling over. A choked sob escapes my throat, and then I throw my arms around him, holding him close as tears stream down my face, relief and gratitude and all the fear and tension releasing out of me.

Sharr freezes in my arms, his whole body going stiff. All four of his arms he keeps away from me, and I remember too late the whole touch thing. I wrench myself away from him, swiping at my tears with the sleeve of my nightgown.

“Sorry,” I say. “I forgot. You’re going to have to tell me what the rules are, so I don’t keep breaking them.”

“No, it’s fine,” he says, his voice slightly rasping. “You just… caught me by surprise.”

He steps forward, reaching a hand to my face again. This time, he brushes his thumb over my cheek. The barest of touches, only just managing to wipe away the tear tracks. My whole body shivers at it.

“I’m getting you off this ship, Cass,” he says. “After today, you don’t have to be afraid of anyone here ever again.”

I close my eyes, let his words fill me for a moment. Relief has made my legs weak, my body ready to let go, to sink into the knowledge that I’m safe, let someone else take care of me. But we’re not off the ship yet. I have to hold myself together until then.

Just a little while longer.

I open my eyes. Meet his.

“Okay. What happens now?”

“Just stick close to me,” he says, taking out one of his guns, his cybernetics flashing beneath his skin.

We head up the stairs, my long nightdress snagging around my ankles, the slipper-like shoes on my feet not the best for moving quickly. Sharr sets quite a pace, and I have to hold on to my skirts like some regency-era lady to keep up with him.

A sensible outfit. That would be nice. Something like the jeans and t-shirt combo I was wearing when I was taken. Once I’m safe with Sharr’s people, they’ll be able to sort that out for me. It’s amazing how buoyant the thought of proper clothes makes me feel.

I know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, shouldn’t allow myself to hope and dream too much. We’re not off the ship yet. Anything could go horribly wrong. Hope is a wonderful thing until it’s taken away from you. Better not to have it in the first place.

But my thoughts spiral round in my head, unstoppable.

They’ll give me a room of my own. Security and privacy. Not that sharing with Sharr has been terrible, but there’s nothing like having your own space. The freedom it gives you.

And when I tell them the story of how I ended up here, they can start looking for my sister.

I shut that thought down hard. It might not even be possible to look for her. Space is big. Really fucking big. How would you even go about looking for someone in all of it?

Sharr glances at his comm as we reach the next level, nodding to himself before reaching for the sliding door and wrenching it open. I take in the wide space beyond it, the high ceiling. We’re out of the residential areas of the ship and into the entertainment area. The curving walls of the clearing in front of us are lined with boutiques and restaurants. Above them, on the next level up, the casinos and theatres, walkways in front of them overlooking the lower level.

Normally, the traffic in these spaces is always moving, but right now, those upper walkways are full of people who’ve just left the casinos. They stand at the barriers at the edge of the walkway, leaning over them as they hunt for any sign of someone who knows what’s going on. In the clearing, clusters of people gather close to each other, discussing things in low, urgent voices. None of them are showing enough concern.

“Do they not know the ship has been boarded?” I ask, keeping my voice to a low murmur.

Sharr shakes his head. “None of these veckers fought in the war. They wouldn’t know what it feels like to be boarded. And I doubt V’Sagic’s AI has let them know what’s going on.”

He steers us in a direction away from them all, keeping his head low, as if trying to avoid eye contact. As soon as we’re alone again in the corridor, he starts talking.

“We’re heading to where V’Sagic and the security team are waiting for the boarding team. They’ve set up in the main foyer. It’s the first big open space that the boarding team will pass through. Plenty of cover for V’Sagic and his people. Two levels, so they get the advantage of higher ground, as well.”

My heart jolts.

“That doesn’t sound like it’s going to go in favour of the boarding team.”

Sharr actually chuckles, a low, rumbling sound that vibrates deep in my chest, warming me more than the exertion of following him.

“The security team are on V’Sagic’s payroll, and he’s too vecking cheap to attract experienced fighters. That’s why he hired me. No one on his team was good enough to protect his most valuable asset.”

He cuts a glance back at me, letting me see the flash of fire in his eyes as he refers to me that way. Showing me how much it infuriates him.

“I’ve seen it hundreds of times,” he continues. “You can have all the advantages, but experience trumps them almost every time. Experience and good leadership. The Protectorate team has both. V’Sagic’s not a fighter, and none of his men feel any great loyalty to him. Gartzell, maybe. He’s the most dangerous out of the security team.”

“Could you take him with your eyes closed?”

Sharr chuckles again. “No, I’d keep my eyes open for him.”

He stops, turning back to me.

“I intend to leave them all to the boarding team to take care of, but I am going to be there to provide backup. They probably won’t need it, but if V’Sagic thinks I’ve come to fight for his side…”

“You suddenly turning round and shooting his people is going to give your team an advantage.”

“Exactly.” He gives me a look of regret. “I’m sorry to drag you into a firefight, Cass. If I could lock you in my suite, safe, I would, but I don’t know what they’ve done to override the doors. The only place I know I can keep you safe is if you’re with me. I won’t get involved unless I have to. We’re going to stay low, out of sight. And if I need to, I’ll step in, but I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. Whatever happens, you keep out of the line of fire. Keep your head down, okay? Wait for the dust to settle.”

“You’ve seen the extent of my fighting capabilities,” I tell him. “I’m not stupid enough to think I could take anyone out, eyes closed or open.”

A quick flash of a grin, then he turns, moving through the corridors once more with purpose in his stride. We don’t encounter many people, most of them wandering around with no real purpose. Some of them look at him and seem like they’re going to approach, but the sight of the gun in his hand dissuades them.

I didn’t get brought on the ship via the main foyer the way everyone else would have been. I came on as cargo, through the lower levels. So I don’t recognise any of the corridors Sharr takes me through. He leads me with the confidence of someone who knows exactly where they’re going, pausing only to check his corners as we move from one corridor to another. My heart throbs in my chest, hope and fear and anticipation zipping through my veins.

Then Sharr’s gesturing for me to be quiet, slowing his pace as the corridors open up. He edges round a corner, gun raised ahead of him. I can hear the muffled sound of voices, not clear enough to pick out the words, but as we sneak closer, dropping down to hide behind a raised dais that curves around the edges of the room ahead of us, the sounds resolve.

“…illegally boarding my ship. I have the right to use deadly force.”

V’Sagic sounds petulant and scared. It makes me feel a visceral, vindictive sort of pleasure.

The team of eight boarders are arrayed in a small circle, four kneeling on the floor, three stood behind them, all aiming their guns upwards. The final boarder stands at the very centre without a weapon drawn. They’re all wearing some kind of armoured suit that follows the contours of their bodies, making them look well protected, but not like they’d be slow. Their helmets cover their entire heads, giving no indication of their species, their age, anything. They’re uniform and anonymous and fucking terrifying. I wouldn’t want to be V’Sagic and his security team right now.

I glance at Sharr, hoping for a smile or some indication that things are looking good.

Only to find him frowning.

“Kevten V’Sagic,” the leader says. “You have something that belongs to me.”

Their voice is monotonous and computerised through the helmet. I can’t even tell if it’s a man or woman speaking.

“Everything on this ship was bought and paid for with my own credits. I’m not a thief…”

V’Sagic’s protest is cut off by a robotic chuckle.

“You are a thief, little vetruen. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

I can imagine V’Sagic bristling at the insult. His next words come out almost strangled.

“You have boarded my ship!”

“I have boarded your ship. And now you’re going to help me find what you’ve taken from me.”

I look at Sharr again. He’s watching things unfold, but his lips are pressed tight, his body braced for action. When I tap his shoulder, he jolts violently, pointing his gun straight in my face. He drops it immediately, before inclining his head in the direction of the boarding party and shaking his head.

Not his group. How many people could possibly want to board V’Sagic’s horrible cruise ship? What could that little weasel possibly have that’s worth…

Oh.

Oh shit.

I grab Sharr’s arm, intending to gesture to him that we need to get the hell out of there, but a hiss of air attracts my attention, and I can’t help but turn and look.

In time to see the leader pull their helmet off, revealing a woman underneath it. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The close, military crop of her dark hair only serves to accentuate the perfect slant of her cheekbones, the impossible wideness of her amber eyes. Her full lips twist into an amused smile, and though the look in her eyes is hard, full of anger and hate, it doesn’t spread to her other features - everything about her soft and appealing. Beneath her right eye, an ugly tattoo stretches across the width of her cheek, the dark silvery ink stark against the pale green of her skin. But even that doesn’t detract from her beauty.

A hot flush of desire ripples through me. I’ve never been attracted to women before, but then, none of them were this woman. None of them glowed the way this woman does, like she has some kind of inner light source, giving her an aura of gold. I run my tongue over my lips, willing her to look in my direction. To notice me amongst the crowd.

I only realise I’ve moved towards her when Sharr’s arm clamps around my waist, pulling me flush against him, another of his hands covering my eyes, plunging me into darkness. I nearly cry out in protest, but as I take in a breath to scream, I catch a hint of Sharr’s scent. Warm skin and sweat and an undefinable masculine note. My back is pressed up against his chest, and I can feel the race of his heartbeat - beating so fast it pulses right through me, even as his arms remain perfectly still, trapping me with the same firm gentleness as the first night we met.

Suddenly, my head clears and I realise I was about to reveal myself to a woman who isn’t part of the law enforcement team Sharr was expecting. I was about to give myself away to her, knowing that help, that rescue, is on the way. All because she’s attractive?

What the fuck?

I reach up for the hand covering my eyes, peeling it away from my face. I turn my head so I’m looking at Sharr rather than to the woman, not wanting to be caught in her spell again.

“What just happened?” I whisper.

He shakes his head, and with his arms wrapped around me still, I’m so close to him. It would be nothing to lean forward, press my lips to his.

Hot need races through me, chasing out the last of the lingering allure of the woman. Removed from the effect she had on me, I struggle to remember what she even looked like, never mind what had me lusting after her. My head aches, a sudden throb going through my temple, strong enough to make me wince.

“It will pass in a moment,” Sharr murmurs, brushing his thumb over my brow. “And then we’re getting out of here, okay?”

I nod, and then, answering to some higher instinct I don’t understand, I lean toward him, pressing my forehead to his. I don’t know why I know it will make me feel better, make the pain pass quicker, but somehow I do, and a few seconds of his skin pressed against mine, a few more seconds of his scent filling my nose, and I feel almost back to normal.

Like my head has been violated, somehow, but otherwise back to normal.

“Okay,” I say, as I draw back from him, voice low as I can make it.

Sharr nods, then gets slowly to his feet, pulling me up with him. With the lightest steps we can manage, we sneak away from the standoff in the foyer, moving quicker the further away we get.

CHAPTER 6

SHARR

“Who the hell was that?” Cass says, as we pass back into the relative privacy of the stairwell.

“No idea,” I say. “Not my rescue team.”

Veck, I’m an idiot. Assuming the lack of communication meant the Protectorate had forgotten about me instead of ever considering that it might not be them boarding the ship.

“I gathered,” Cass says, her voice sharp and sarcastic. Despite everything, my lips twitch upwards, wanting to smile.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, and although a loud part of me tells me it’s wrong, a louder part of me wants to touch her again. So I raise my hand to her temple, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face. She’s hot, her skin flushed and slightly sweaty, but her eyes are alert and entirely Cass as she looks up at me.

“I’m fine now. What was that?”

“Beguile,” I tell her. “She’s prenetashi. I don’t know exactly how it works, but they can influence a person’s mind. Make you feel an intense attraction towards them. It works best when their targets are looking at them. That’s why I covered your eyes. Sorry about that.”

She shakes her head at my apology. “It didn’t affect you?”

It didn’t, which is odd. I’ve seen the prenetashi before, have felt the visceral pull of attraction towards them when they’re using their Beguile. But that female in the foyer - she had her Beguile on full blast. I could tell by the dazed look on the faces before her. And yet, I felt nothing.

Nothing except an urgent desire to protect Cass.

“I’ve seen her kind before,” I say. “I knew what to expect.”

Which isn’t a lie - Beguile works best when you don’t realise it’s what’s happening to you - but it isn’t the truth either. I don’t know why it didn’t affect me. A puzzle to ponder on later.

Cass is quiet a moment, then she draws away from me. “She was talking about me, wasn’t she? The thing V’Sagic has that belongs to her?”

Almost certainly, I think. She’s the only thing V’Sagic has that’s worth enough to bother boarding a ship mid-cruise for. I don’t want to scare her, but then, I’ve wanted to be truthful with her so vecking long, I’m not going to start lying again now.

“Probably,” I say, hating the taste of the word as it leaves my lips. Hating the way what colour she has left drains out of her cheeks.

“I… I don’t want to go with her,” Cass says.

For the first time in our acquaintance, there’s a ring of true fear in her voice. She’s always been afraid, of course she has, but always before her anger burned bright enough that it disguised that fear a little. There’s no disguising it now.

“Cass…” I start, but she cuts me off.

“I wanted her, Sharr. She made me want to make her notice me. If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d have gone straight to her. Walked right into my doom. That’s what I wanted at that moment. If she can make me want that, what else could she make me want to do?”

Her eyes are wild, and I don’t like the look of what I can see spinning in them.

“I can’t lose myself like that, Sharr. I won’t survive it.”

I think of the early days of the war, when reports were coming out every day about entire platoons of soldiers coming up against one prenetashi - only to turn their guns on themselves, pull the triggers with a smile. The Arena was far enough away from everything that we were never directly impacted by the fighting, but we all felt the horror of it. Lost sleep to the terror of not being in control of our own minds.

Cass is right to be terrified.

“You’re not going with her,” I say, my voice firm, unwavering.

“We’re on a cruise ship, Sharr. It’s not like there’s anywhere I can hide!”

“Cass.” I catch her face in my hands, turn her head so she’s forced to look at me. See the seriousness of what I’m saying. “It’s a big ship. There are lots of places we can hide. We won’t even have to hide for very long. My people are still coming and until they get here, you’ll have me by your side, always. I said I wasn’t going to let anyone on this ship touch you, and I meant it. I still mean it. I’ll fight them all if I have to.”

She’s trembling so much, I’m surprised she’s still upright. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but instinct tells me to draw her to me, wrap her in my arms, so I do. I hold her body against mine until the shaking subsides.

“Can your people beat her?”

Her question is so timid, her voice so un-Cass-like. It splinters my heart in my chest.

“Definitely.” On that, I have no doubt. “Almost all the Law Enforcement teams in the Protectorate are made up of ex-soldiers. That war everyone keeps mentioning? It was a war against the prenetashi people. The team coming for us - they will all have dealt with her kind before.”

And there’s not a soldier alive that didn’t find some way to overpower the Beguile. All the ones that couldn’t are dead.

I look for signs that she’s reassured, but her fear is still the loudest of her emotions, colouring every expression, every movement.

“You said earlier…” She chews on her bottom lip as she glances anxiously at the crack in the door. “No one on this ship fought in the war. So… none of them are ex-soldiers. She could mind control everyone on the ship.”

My heart drops somewhere on the floor, because she’s right. Cass and her sharp mind - even terrified, she’s seen what I’ve failed to. I open my mouth to speak, but my brain doesn’t supply any words. There are no platitudes I can offer. Our enemy is a prenetashi, and she can turn the whole vecking ship against us.

We both jump as the ship intercom crackles, and then a low, sultry voice speaks over it.

“This is your new captain speaking,” the prenetashi woman says. “I have a little job for you. Somewhere on this ship is a human female. Somebody find her. Bring her to me.”

Cass whimpers, and I tighten my arms around her again.

“I’m not going to let her take you,” I say. “I’m your bodyguard, and I’m going to do my job. I’m going to keep you safe.”

She’s still shaking a little when I let her go, but she nods, and I can see how she tries to shore herself up, get her fear under control.

“What’s the plan?” she says, only the tiniest tremble in her voice.

My brain is whirling. I’m not some great military tactician. I’m good in a fistfight, can stay two steps ahead of an opponent when he’s right in front of me, but this sort of strategic thinking is for my handlers, not me.

One step. That’s all I need to be ahead. One step.

First, get off the passenger levels. The passengers outnumber the staff twenty to one, and a lot of the staff will be on the upper levels, anyway. The further down we go, the less likely it is we’ll run into anyone else, the better our chances will be.

I go to the panel that opens onto the corridor, pressing my palms to the surface and doing my best to slide it shut. The staff will know it’s there, but probably not the guests. Shutting them as we head down could buy us some time.

“We go down,” I tell Cass.

I’ll think of the rest while we’re moving.

The first three floors we heave the doors closed in seconds, before heading down to the next level. On the fourth floor, we come to the door just as someone on the other side tries to yank it open. A scrawny member of staff in a waiter’s uniform. Unlike V’Sagic’s passengers, I have nothing against most of his staff. People who live this far out in the edges of the universe have little by way of employment choices. If you aren’t a junker or a miner, you don’t have many options. The vast majority of the wait staff, the cleaners, the technicians, the mechanics are people just trying to make ends meet in a universe that’s stacked against them.

So I don’t want to hurt him, but he gets a manic glint in his eye when he sees Cass. He wrenches the door open, his arms loaned some extra strength by the power of the Beguile.

“You need to come with me,” he says, grabbing for Cass’s wrist.

Cass darts out of his reach as I grab him by his shirt, shoving him backwards through the door. He lands hard on his backside, momentarily stunned. It buys enough time for me to get the door fully closed.

“Run,” I say to Cass as the guy starts hollering, banging on the wall.

We don’t bother closing any more doors, just keep heading downwards, putting as much distance as we can between us and the passenger levels. Every few minutes, the prenetashi woman’s voice comes over the intercom again, repeating her request for the people on board to find Cass, keeping the Beguile on the passengers and crew topped up. By the time we hit the bottom floor, we’re both breathing hard, but I grab Cass by the hand, drag her forward, a new idea coming to me.

“This way,” I tell her, dragging her towards the storage rooms. No one will be in there who isn’t specifically searching them for her. There’s almost no chance there will be anyone in them now.

I slip inside the first one, ducking between the crates of supplies. I keep moving until we’re pretty deep into the room, before giving in to my urge to double over, catch my breath. Cass sinks to the floor next to me, leaning back against one of the crates, breathing hard.

“We should be safe here for a little while,” I tell her. “We need to think. Prepare.”

She nods, pushing her red hair back out of her face. “Okay. Prepare. What’s in these crates?”

I glance at the label on the one closest to me. “Spare parts for the restaurant appliances.”

Cass grimaces, but I grin at her.

“It’s a good idea. One of the rooms down here will have food. Spare linens. We can get ourselves some supplies without having to risk the staff areas.

Cass nods. “How much will we need? How long until your guys arrive?”

I grimace. “I’m not sure. They were too far out to give a decent estimate last time I spoke to them, and the first thing those others would have done is to jam communications, so I won’t be able to get through to them now. But it won’t be long. A few days at most.”

“A few days? Sharr, the whole fucking ship is looking for us. We aren’t going to last days.”

I want to tell her we can, we will, but the more I think about it, the more sure I am that she’s right. Perhaps we could hole up for several days, moving from one hiding spot to the other, but it sounds like a plan with far too many chances for something to go wrong.

I need a better one. My mind races and races as I try to think my way out of this situation, cycling through all the ways we’re totally vecked.

The prenetashi woman has control of everyone on the ship. Tenuous control, probably, her voice only coming over a speaker. But vetruens always were far more susceptible to Beguile than most species, and they make up the bulk of the passengers. Before long, she’ll have all of them completely under her Beguile, her willing servants. Some of the staff might be able to resist, but likely not enough of them to make a difference. And there’s no guarantee the ones that resist won’t be killed for their efforts.

I need to get Cass away from everyone, but how? I think of the personal transport ships in the cargo hold, the ones my handler was so concerned about. If I knew how to pilot a ship, I could jump in one of those, fly us straight into the arms of the Protectorate. But F’Nasren never had any of his fighters taught to fly. It wasn’t necessary. People didn’t come to his Arena to watch pilots attempt to blow each other out of the sky. They wanted the stink of sweat and the smack of flesh against flesh. They wanted to feel the blows echoing in their own bodies, to feel as close to the fighting as it was possible to get without jumping into the fray themselves.

None of the upgrades the Protectorate made on my cybernetics will help me out with it, either. I’d need an autopilot powerful enough to cover take off, leaving the ship’s gravitational field, pointing me toward the Protectorate… Basically, every stage of the flying it would have to do for me. Those small, stripped down ships the high rollers use as getaway vehicles won’t do all that.

And then it strikes me, a bolt of inspiration so powerful, my cybernetics light up beneath my skin, casting a glow into the space around us.

The ships won’t do all that.

But an escape pod… That’s exactly what they’re designed to do.

My handler’s words drift through my mind, clear as if he’s in the room speaking to me.

Chaos will create chances for high-profile targets to escape.

Exactly the scenario we were looking to avoid when the vetruens were the high-profile targets. But the prenetashi woman boarding has changed all that. Cass is the high-profile target now…

Cass watches me, her brows furrowing deeper with every moment that passes.

“What?” she asks, voice wary.

“Chaos,” I tell her, warming to the idea more and more as it solidifies in my mind.

“Chaos?”

I grin. “We’re going to cause some.”

CHAPTER 7

CASS

“The Protectorate wanted me on this ship to feed them information,” Sharr says, an almost manic gleam in his cold blue eyes.

I shift my legs beneath me, trying to get comfortable on the cold, hard floor, and failing. I’m aching all over, from our flight down the stairs, from the fear and tension, from the evening of waiting around as the high rollers played their game - which feels like a whole other lifetime ago now. I try to settle, push the discomfort out of my mind. Give Sharr my full attention.

“Having someone undercover on a mission always comes with some risks. Not blowing my cover was one of the most important parts of my job. That’s why I never told you who I really was. If you didn’t know, you couldn’t accidentally give any clues, tip anyone off that I wasn’t who I said I was.”

I wonder what the hell this has to do with getting out of our current situation.

“If you’re telling me this because you think you need to apologise for keeping me in the dark, save it.”

He shakes his head. “I am sorry, but that’s not why I’m telling you. The reason my handler was so worried about my cover being blown is because he was afraid that the priority targets would have the chance to escape. Get into their personal transports and disappear. If the Protectorate ships were right on top of this one, they’d catch a few. But not all of them. Too many variables. It’s almost impossible to cover every direction a ship can travel in space. In the chaos and confusion, some of them would get away.”

“Okay…” I’m still not sure where he’s going with this.

“It will be the same for the prenetashi woman and her crew. If lots of transports left the ship at once, scattering in every direction, they wouldn’t be able to intercept even half of them. Which means if we’re in one of those transports, our chances of getting away from them are greater than fifty-fifty.”

“Don’t think G’Danic would take those odds in a game of chatsa.”

His grin grows so wide it’s dazzling.

“A lot greater than fifty-fifty,” he clarifies.

“Okay, but we’re just two people. How are we going to get these ‘lots’ of transports to cover us?”

“By blowing up the ship.”

I frown. “I’m sorry, I could have sworn you just said, ‘By blowing up the ship.’”

He only grins wider.

“Are you mad?”

“Escape pods,” he says, which is not the greatest answer to my question if his intention is to prove he isn’t mad.

“Has that woman finally got to you?”

Her repeating command is still sounding, even all the way down here. The first few times it came over the intercom, I felt a pull in my abdomen, a desire to do as she asked. It only took remembering the feeling of Sharr’s arms around me, his hand pressed over my eyes, to snap myself out of it, and with every repetition the effect grew a little weaker. Now, I can just tune the broadcasts out, but I wonder if the reverse effect is happening for Sharr.

“This ship has thousands of escape pods,” Sharr says. “If we cause a catastrophic malfunction in the ship, it will trigger an evacuation. All the passengers and crew will be directed to the escape pods. Five thousand passengers. A few hundred members of staff. That’s a lot of escape pods to evacuate all of them.”

I’m still scowling at him, but as his words filter into my mind, I begin to see where he’s going with this.

“Hundreds and hundreds of pods jetting out into space.”

“And we’d be hidden among them,” I say.

“It wouldn’t be quite like escaping in transports. Escape pods all have tracking beacons in them, so in an emergency, someone could find you. But with over a thousand of them to hunt down, it could take days. Weeks. More than enough time for the Protectorate team to arrive and chase off the prenetashi and her crew. If they even hang around after the ship’s evacuated.”

“You think they might be scared off?”

“It’s a possibility. They’ve intercepted V’Sagic out here for the same reason the Protectorate chose to wait several weeks into the cruise. Because there’s nothing out here. Your chances of bumping into anyone else in this sector are so small. She thought she’d have the privacy to board, get what she wanted, and leave with no one being any the wiser, and most of the time, that’s exactly what would have happened. But if the ship sends out a big distress signal, one that’s echoed by all the escape pods as they travel away from the ship in all directions - it’s going to catch someone’s attention. Every moment they spend sifting through the escape pods is risking getting caught. And trust me - she does not want to get caught.”

There’s a darkness to his gaze as he says this. I wonder if it’s something to do with this war everyone keeps mentioning. I think of what an ability like Beguile could be used for in a war and shudder.

“But all the people in the pods - they will all get picked up? I couldn’t care less about V’Sagic, but the staff…”

“The pods are stocked with enough supplies for the people in them to survive for upwards of a month. Well, they should be. Knowing V’Sagic, it might be considerably less than that, but the Protectorate are days away. As soon as they catch the signals, they’ll start gathering everyone up. It’s not just one ship coming, Cass. It’s one boarding ship. There’s a whole armada behind them as backup.”

“The Protectorate get to arrest their targets…”

“And we get to hide in the chaos we’ve created so the prenetashi can’t find us before they get here.”

It sounds amazing in theory, but I can see one major issue.

“Are the passengers and staff going to stop looking for me to get in the escape pods? If this Beguile is controlling what they do, do they have that kind of autonomy?”

“Won’t be an issue,” Sharr says. “The first thing that happens when there’s a catastrophic ship failure is a loud alarm starts sounding.”

“How loud?”

“Obnoxiously loud.”

“As in, drown out Lady Mind Control loud?”

He grins at me again. “Exactly. For most of the people who’ve only heard her over the speakers, they’ll snap out of it straight away. Anyone really close to her she might still be able to control, but as that’s V’Sagic and his third rate mercenaries, I’m not going to lose any sleep over that.”

I certainly won’t either, but…

“Can we guarantee everyone who doesn’t deserve to blow up will get off the ship?”

Sharr hesitates, and I appreciate that. An immediate yes would have made me think him a liar.

“No, we can’t guarantee it. In a situation like we’re about to create, people panic, and they don’t always do what they’re supposed to. If someone takes too long, or doesn’t follow the instructions. If they go back to their rooms to get their possessions…”

“They could end up missing their pod.”

Although that would be their fault, it still weighs on me. If we don’t blow up the ship, they would never be put in the position of making those choices.

“Cass,” Sharr says, and again, he fills my name with so many things. Comfort, reassurance, solidarity. Urging. “There are no guarantees that prenetashi woman and her crew won’t just start shooting people when they don’t get what they want. Anything we do besides handing you over puts them at risk. Hell, she might have already decided to blow this boat out of the black when she leaves. We could be saving thousands of lives by doing this.”

It’s a good point.

“Okay,” I say, trying not to let the hope fill my chest. There are still so many things that could go wrong, but as plans thought up while on the run go, it seems pretty solid to me. I can’t help but think we’ve got a fighting chance.

I just have to hope all this optimism isn’t sorely misplaced.

“How do we go about causing a catastrophic ship malfunction, then?”

Sharr leads me out of the storage rooms, through the lower level corridors. We’re lucky and don’t see anyone else, and I wonder if that’s the universe smiling on me for a change or if there just aren’t many people down here most of the time.

There’s a stark difference between this part of the ship and the opulence of the other levels. It’s colder, my breath misting on the air as we walk, only our constant motion keeping me from getting uncomfortable in my ridiculous nightgown. The corridors all look like someone’s peeled back all the decoration, leaving the skeleton of the ship on show. The floor alternates between metal tiles and metal grill, the walls the same, cables and electronics on show between the gaps in the grill, making me think it could be easier to cause terrible damage to this ship than it ought to be.

But Sharr walks past all the flimsy-looking wall grills, ignores the flash of electronics beneath his feet. He travels with the determined stride of someone who knows exactly where they’re going, and a moment later we arrive at a large, heavy looking door. It reminds me of a bank vault - thick metal and rivets and one of those spinning locks at the centre of it. A very manual locking mechanism on a ship full of sliding doors that lock when you touch your thumb to the controls. But it’s also the only door we’ve come across that’s actually still shut.

Sharr grips the wheel with all four hands, straining a moment to get it moving, but once it starts spinning, it goes easily, and soon he’s pulling the door open.

Releasing a strange thrumming noise that’s not exactly loud, but seems to fill my entire body all the same, rattling me right down to my atoms.

“It’s the older crystal core in the engine,” Sharr says as I give him an alarmed look. “Newer, more expensive models are smoother. Nothing dangerous about it, just uncomfortable when you aren’t used to it.”

He gestures for me to follow behind him with one hand, taking out one of his guns with the other. My heart pounds, unnerved by both the sensation of the noise, and by the weapon in his hand.

“You think there’s anyone in here?” I ask, peeking round the room. It’s wide open. Lots of monitors and computers around the edges, one huge structure in the middle - a pillar that stretches from floor to the high ceiling. At the bottom, more computers and monitors jut out. About two-thirds of the way up, the structure balloons outwards, making it look like some kind of giant gumball machine. The rounded part is glass, and inside it, a huge crystal throbs, pulsating eerie purple light. Above that, pipes funnel up towards the ceiling, dividing when they get there and spreading to all four corners of the room.

“That’s… we’re not going to become irradiated or anything in here, are we?”

Sharr’s low chuckle at my expense should annoy me, but honestly, I’m just too relieved that the notion is ridiculous enough for him to laugh about it.

“It’s completely contained. Even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t adversely affect you. Crystals are the most safe and stable power source known in the universe. We use them for everything. And no, there’s no one in here.”

He holsters his gun, heading straight for the central consoles beneath the crystal. Despite his assurances that it’s perfectly safe, my throat grows tight with apprehension as I approach.

He presses his palm to one of the monitors, just as he did to the information terminal, his cybernetics flaring.

“These hacking upgrades the Protectorate gave me are extremely illegal,” he says.

“Okay?”

His head cants in my direction slightly, but he doesn’t look at me, lost in whatever he’s doing to the computer. It beeps and writing flashes up on the screen, too quick to read, if I even could. The translator behind my ear might sort out the spoken word for me, but writing is completely incomprehensible.

“I’m just saying.” He grits his teeth, bracing another hand on the screen. “When you travel on ships in the future, you don’t need to worry that someone might do this.”

His eyes close and the thrumming of the crystal stutters, the quality of the sound changing. Around the room, lights start flashing as if in warning, alarm sounds following a moment later. There’s so much commotion, I’m afraid someone’s going to come running, and Sharr’s completely absorbed in whatever he’s doing to the computer. I grab one of the guns from his belt, holding it out towards the door. I have no idea if it would fire if I pulled the trigger, or if it’s in some kind of safety mode, but at least the sight of a muzzle pointing at them might make someone pause.

Meanwhile, Sharr doesn’t move, doesn’t flinch, even as something overhead pops, a hot jet of steam blasting out of it - fortunately far enough away that it doesn’t hit us. The cybernetics beneath his skin glow so bright, I’m concerned he might burn out.

But, fuck, he’s beautiful. For a moment, I forget the direness of our situation. Forget the fact that things are blowing up around us. Forget that he’s a totally different species to me. The pulsing light of his cybernetics gives his skin an ethereal luminescence, which, combined with the purple glow of the crystal, makes him look utterly otherworldly. Which is a stupid thing to think, because he is literally from another world to me. But before he’s always looked… real. Flesh and blood and bone. Right now, he looks almost supernatural.

Breathtaking.

Something cracks overhead, showering sparks down on us. I yelp, jumping to the side, staggering as a rumbling far more intense than when we were boarded surges through the ship. Sharr’s knuckles are white where he grips the console for balance. Then, with a lurch, he pulls himself away. His arms pinwheel as he tries to regain his balance, and I dart to his side, avoiding his arms as I press myself to him, pulling him to me. His arms close tight around me, his weight sinking onto me enough to nearly make my knees buckle, his head nodding, eyes closed. Then he gets his feet under him, leaning on me less.

“Sorry,” he says, his voice slurring a little.

“For what? Nearly passing out?”

“For touching you.”

I shake my head at him. “I don’t mind. I’m the one who’s always touching you when I’m not supposed to, remember? My species is pretty touchy. We’d touch like this to comfort each other. Or to express affection and happiness. It’s normal for me. What is it with you guys and not wanting to touch?”

“Sss just something we don’t do,” he says, still slurring, even as he tries to straighten himself out. “It’s improper.”

I scoff. “Funny how a society that’s cool about fucking slavery has so many hang-ups about touch.”

“Most of us don’t do slavery either.”

He scrubs at his eyes, one hand still gripping my shoulder for balance.

“You must do it sometimes. Touch, that is. You must get downright improper every once in a while. How else would baby aliens get made?”

I can’t believe I’m having this conversation as alarms blare and sparks fly around us, the engine room going into meltdown. But Sharr doesn’t seem capable of moving at the moment, and I feel like I need to keep him talking, help draw him out of this sluggish state quicker.

“Sometimes. We’re just supposed to feel bad about it afterward.”

I snort. “And what? Apologise for finding someone irresistibly attractive? Apologise for sharing in intense pleasure? Or does sex not work like that out here? Where I’m from, we do it for fun. Well, a lot of us do. Some people think more like you do, but I never understood them either. It’s just bodies. It’s just skin. If it’s two people who want to share in that experience with each other, where does shame come in to it?”

I’m rambling, painfully aware of how close his body is to mine, all the places where our skin touches. It doesn’t feel like just bodies, just skin right now, a powerful need gripping me. My pulse throbs as I try to swallow that feeling down. Because now is really not the time.

Another explosion sounds, louder, bigger than the last, a perfect reminder of exactly how fucked our situation is about to get.

“Can you walk?”

Sharr nods, opening his eyes at last. They look bloodshot, and he winces, rubbing his hand over his temple, as if trying to massage away a headache.

“I can walk.”

“Good, because I think we need to get moving.”

I hand the gun back to him and he frowns.

“Why do you have my gun?”

“In case anyone tried to attack you while your head was in the computer?”

He gets a strange look in his eye for a moment, then he turns the back end of the gun to me.

“Knock this switch next time,” he says, pointing out a tiny slider on the side. “Safety.”

“I knew it would have a bloody safety. Good job no one came.”

The alarms shut off abruptly. There’s still the intermittent thrumming of the crystal and the hiss and crash of everything around us failing, but without the constant sirens, it’s almost like the room goes silent.

Then a robotic voice comes over the speakers.

“Evacuation protocol initiated. Please follow the illuminated paths and make your way calmly to your nearest escape pod. Do not stop to collect belongings. Do not delay. Evacuation protocol initiated.”

“You heard the lady,” I say.

CHAPTER 8

SHARR

My head is splitting as we leave the engine room, Cass walking a little ahead of me, her eyes tracking the green path on the floor that will point us to an escape pod. My eyes can barely focus, everything in my brain overloaded, overworked by the intense effort it took to crack through into the ship’s most protected systems.

Those hacker upgrades are incredible, but I can see why the Protectorate warned me they were dangerous. The energy to power my cybernetics has to come from somewhere, and I can feel how much of a toll it’s taken to brute force my way into the engine and cause it to self-destruct. My movements feel sluggish, my thoughts foggy, and soon I’m going to need to feed my body or rest it. Probably both.

There are no escape pods on the lowest levels. The trail of lights on the floor guides us back to the stairwell. We squeeze through the gap in the door, and by the time we’ve climbed up out of the maintenance levels, the movement combined with a bit of adrenaline has mostly cleared my head. I draw Cass back behind me, taking out my gun before we emerge into the staff areas of the ship.

There isn’t anyone in the first corridor, the space empty and echoing. My relief at this is short lived, though. The lights that are supposed to lead to an escape pod point us straight back at the door we just came out of.

“Looks like we need to go up a few more levels,” Cass says.

Because of course V’Sagic hasn’t distributed his escape pods across the ship according to Protectorate regulations. Retrofitting an older ship to meet current regs isn’t the kind of thing shady men interested only in profit do.

“Guess we’ll have to brave upstairs then.” I double check my safety is off, my weapon set to the lowest stun. It’s not enough to do more than slow a person down, but stunning someone unconscious on a ship that’s self-destructing… I may as well use deadly fire. I don’t want to be the reason anyone doesn’t get off this ship any more than I already am. “Stick close to me, okay?”

This time when we emerge out of the stairwell, it’s into a big crowd gathered in a clearing. A member of staff has climbed onto one of the statues and is yelling at people to follow the paths on the floor. Most people are listening to him, or were already making their own way, but there are quite a few just milling around, looking at best confused, at worst affronted that some lesser being is giving them an order.

I barge through them, moving quickly so they don’t have the opportunity to ask me questions or otherwise get in my way. Cass keeps close on my heels, jogging to keep up with me.

Then there’s another massive judder, and all the lights go out.

I scoop Cass to me, shielding her with my frame as I peer through the dark. The other people around us cry out, or mutter complaints, but I don’t hear the telltale heavy footsteps of someone in power armour approaching, and after a moment, the auxiliary power systems kick in and the lights come back on. Back-up lights, darker than the regular ones, but plenty to see by. It actually makes it easier to track the path guiding us to the escape pods through people’s feet.

The first bank of pods we arrive at is a free for all of people shoving and pushing to get a place. Which is ridiculous because I checked how many pods there were on the ship, just to be certain I wasn’t lying to Cass when I said everyone could technically get off the ship if they were sensible about it. It’s one area where V’Sagic hasn’t skimped. There are more than enough pods to evacuate this ship at full capacity, and I know for a fact he doesn’t employ enough staff to be truly considered full capacity, even if all the guests suites are filled, which I don’t think they are. All these people need to do is to move on, look at the next bank. They’d probably walk straight into an empty pod.

Cass picks up on their panic, though, looking up at me with alarm on her pale face. I shake my head, catching her hand in mine and pulling her through the surging crowds and out into the next corridor.

“There are plenty of pods, Cass, I promise. We’re not going to get stuck on this ship.”

A bolt of laser fire whistles past my head and Cass yelps, tugging me out of the line of fire. We stumble into an alcove, smashing the glass cabinet inside it, tipping the decoration it contained onto the floor.

“I’ll take the human from here,” Xarcava says.

Cass freezes next to me at the sound of Xarcava’s voice. She doesn’t make a sound, but we’re pressed close together, and there’s no missing the way her whole body trembles at the thought of being taken anywhere by Xarcava. I knock the intensity of my weapon up.

There are some people the universe is better off without.

“Leave now, Xarcava, and I won’t kill you.”

Xarcava gives a barking laugh.

“I could smell her the moment you came onto this floor,” he says, his voice full of growl. “All that delicious fear. She’s going to make a delectable plaything.”

We’re just out of sight behind the wall of the alcove. Just. Xarcava would only have to take a few steps forward to see me, but he knows I’m armed, and he’d be an idiot to charge in. He should have taken his time, lined up his shot better. Taken off my head. But either he rushed or he’s a terrible shot. Both, probably.

Tapping Cass on the arm, I point to the decoration that got knocked to the floor. Some kind of historic looking mask. Probably fake. Cass recovers herself enough to shoot me an ‘are you mad?’ look, before dropping into a squat and grabbing the mask. It’s a damn good job she’s tiny. I wouldn’t have managed that manoeuvre without exposing large portions of my body.

I grab the mask from her, then flick it out into the corridor. Predictably, Xarcava fires at it. In the second of time that action buys me, I slip out of the alcove and raise my weapon. And when I aim for someone’s head, I don’t miss.

The luchetzen collapses to the floor in an ungainly heap, his fur puffing outwards with the static of the stunning bolt. I slide the intensity of my gun back down, then grab Cass by the hand again, pulling her after me. As I grab his laser rifle, she gives him a sharp kick to the ribs. With her tiny little feet and the delicate slipper shoes she’s wearing, I doubt she even left a bruise.

“I’m nobody’s plaything,” she spits.

The rifle is a much heavier weapon than my pistol, and I have to carry it in two arms. No wonder Xarcava couldn’t aim it properly. He probably couldn’t lift it high enough. To me, it’s a reassuring weight. It will make people even less likely to get in my way if they see it.

The next bank of pods is the same as the last - overcrowded, fights breaking out amongst the passengers. And it is mostly passengers. I see a member of staff throw her hands in the air and leave, following the path to another bank. They’ve done their best for these idiots. If they won’t listen, there’s nothing more they can do.

Finally, at the third bank, there are some spaces, and enough calm that we can take a proper look. One of the kitchen staff at the front has control of things and is directing people into the pods. When she sees me approach, she gestures to the corridor.

“Only a couple of spaces left. Next bank should have plenty. Keep moving.”

Her calm, authoritative voice is working wonders on the people gathered, and even the vetruen guests start to peel off and head for the next bank.

“How much time do we have?” Cass asks, her voice low as we walk swiftly onwards.

“Plenty,” I reassure her. “It will take about an hour for the malfunction to reach a critical point. The alarms will go to a second phase before that happens, giving us plenty of warning that our time is about to be up. We’re going to be drifting through space in a pod long before it gets—”

As if me opening my vecking mouth made karma want to bite me, a violent shudder goes through the ship, knocking both of us off our feet. Cass tumbles into my arms, and I drop the laser rifle to brace us both against the wall of the corridor.

“Plenty?” Cass says, as the lights dim further, and the alarm tone shifts, the computer AI announcing a new message over the intercom.

“Complete system failure imminent. Immediately go to the nearest escape pod. Life support systems critical. All must evacuate.”

“That wasn’t my malfunction,” I say, setting us both upright and grabbing the laser rifle from the floor. “That must have been the prenetashi woman’s ship disconnecting.”

Disconnecting in a hurry. And I have a horrible feeling that shudder was the fail-safes not working. The bulkheads that should protect the ship from a hull breach not closing. An entire floor of stuff being sucked out into space.

Any people down there along with it.

Veck.

Before I have a chance to feel bad about the lives I might have just ended, another violent lurch sends us stumbling into each other once more. This one I’m intimately familiar with.

“We’re being fired on.”

“Those assholes are trying to blow us up faster?” Cass says.

I rush her through the corridors, practically dragging her behind me as I hurry towards the next bank of escape pods. The whole ship is shaking now, the lights strobing overhead, making everything seem jumpy and unreal as we barrel through the corridors. Sparks fly from the lights as power surges fry them, and the constant alarm sound in the background rings so loud in my ears, it’s difficult to think.

We skid round a corner to another bank of pods - mercifully few people clustered around them - just as another shot connects with the ship. The whole vessel cants to the side, sending us both flying. Cass lands a little way from me, groaning as she pushes back up onto her hands and knees and starts to crawl towards the pod. A vetruen ahead of us drops the vecking suitcase she’s clutching, the bag striking a nearby bench and flying open, clothes and shoes spilling into the space. I scramble to Cass through a maelstrom of female garments, vaguely aware of the vetruen woman making a sound of distress. When I look up, a member of staff is shoving her into the escape pod. I lurch towards it, pulling Cass with me, but the member of staff punches the launch button. There are enough people inside it, and we’re close enough to the total destruction of the ship that it doesn’t even ask for the override code for launching without every seat filled. One by one, the others launch, too, their passengers not prepared to wait for us to reach them.

“That one,” I say to Cass, pointing out an empty, untouched escape pod at the far end of the bank. Cass moans in relief, lurching towards it.

She makes it two steps before dropping to the floor, convulsing. I rush to her side, and it’s only when I touch my hand to her arm and feel the electric pain of the shock collar passing into me that I realise what’s happening.

I snatch my hand back, pulling out my pistol, the rifle forgotten on the floor somewhere, aiming it at Gartzell’s ugly head. I fire, but the way the ship wobbles and tilts makes the shot glance off his shoulder, rather than strike him square in the face like it was supposed to. I’d be annoyed, but the same lurch sends his shot flying off to my right instead of hitting me square in the chest. His gun sags downwards, thanks to the stunning effect of my shot. I take the chance to aim at him again, but he just throws himself out of the way, rolling until he’s behind a line of benches.

“She can’t leave the ship,” Gartzell says, his voice a snarl.

“What?”

“She can’t leave the ship. When the Protectorate comes to investigate what happened here, they can’t find any sign of a human slave. V’Sagic has ordered me to dispose of her. So get out of my way.”

“He’s sent you to die, you idiot. This ship is coming apart!”

“Better die here than rot in a Protectorate cell for the rest of my days.”

I’m breathing hard, and veck, but I can’t think through all the sirens. I need to get him to stop activating the shock collar. After the beating my cybernetics have taken, picking Cass up while it’s activated would probably short circuit me.

“You should just get in the pod, Sharr. I don’t have to beat you. Only outlast you. You think you can best me before the ship blows?”

“If you don’t hide like a coward.”

My attempts at baiting him don’t get me anywhere. He just laughs, a terrible, rasping sound with no humour in it.

“Is one little human really worth risking your life for?”

I look round to where Cass is convulsing in agony on the floor. She’s trying to get to her hands and knees. Not succeeding, but I can see the way she tries to take her weight on her hands, tries to get her legs underneath her, even as her whole body twitches and shakes from the pain. Fire burns through my blood, and though I’ve got precious few reserves left, I feel my cybernetics stir.

“Yes,” I say to Gartzell, advancing towards his position. “Yes, she is.”

He lifts his gun over the back of the bench, firing blind. I duck beneath the blasts, none of them coming too close as I rush forward, firing my pistol to prevent him from looking over his cover to get a better shot. The moment I get close enough, I launch myself over the bench, crashing onto him with all my bodyweight.

His gun skitters away, and so does the remote. I raise my pistol, but his hand flies up, claws out, and I have to bring the weapon in front of my face to stop him gouging my eyes out. His claws slice through the barrel of the gun, lodging in it. I wrench it away from me, twisting until his claws snap off. Gartzell roars, throwing his other fist at me, catching my jaw, my reactions too slow to block the strike. It rattles my teeth, knocking me off balance. And then he’s on me, pinning me down. If I had my cybernetic strength, I’d throw him off. But worn down as I am, I’m only operating at a fraction of my full capacity, and I can’t quite get enough of an advantage to get him off me.

But Gartzell can’t pin all of my hands. So while he tries to trap two of them, I lay into him with the others. I only get glancing blows off his arms, his chest, but it’s a distraction and an annoyance, and my continued resistance will tire him. It just depends whether I last longer than he does.

Then I hear a snap, and something metal appears round Gartzell’s neck. He turns, roaring with outrage as he stands. Cass doesn’t flinch, just smirks at him.

Presses the button on the remote in her hand.

Gartzell drops like there aren’t any bones still in his body, screaming in pain. I’d love to take a moment to catch my breath, gather myself, but the ship is coming apart around us, so I force myself to my shaking feet, push Cass towards the last remaining escape pod.

We’re both unsteady on our feet, and when Cass’s arm goes around my waist, I think I’m holding her up as much as she’s holding me. As explosions echo from behind us, we stagger as fast as we can manage to the pod.

Inside, I push Cass toward the seats as I initiate the launch sequence. As the door closes, fire blooms in the room we were just in, consuming everything inside it. The fog is descending over my brain again and it takes me three attempts to press the buttons in the right order to detach from the ship. But then there’s a clunk and a hiss, and suddenly the pod is moving, drifting away. I feel the moment we leave the gravity field of the ship, my body drifting upwards, Cass coming out of her seat with a squeak of surprise. I kick off the wall towards her, pushing her down and strapping her in, before manoeuvring myself into the seat next to hers.

“We made it,” she says, voice breathless, exhausted.

“Thanks to you.”

Her smile is grim, but victorious. “Fucker deserved it. When he put that collar on me, he took great delight in demonstrating its effects. Several times.”

I grimace, reaching across to touch her face. Part of me still rebels against it, sure she’s going to tell me to get off her. But her words come back to me.

We touch like this to comfort each other.

I want to comfort her, want her to be comforted.

“No one’s ever going to collar you again,” I tell her. “You’re safe now.”

A bright flash of light. No sound, because this is space. Sound doesn’t travel in a vacuum. We both turn our heads, watching as V’Sagic’s ship disintegrates, everything sucking inwards, collapsing in on itself, before the inevitable happens and the implosion becomes an explosion.

The first shock wave only rattles us a little. Enough to set off a couple of warning alarms. The second sends us into a spin. I slam back into my chair, centrifugal force pressing me downwards. Everything around us vibrates, alarms blaring once again, and I feel the rumble increasing as the explosion reaches us, shaking us and spinning us so hard I’m afraid something might snap.

Cass screams next to me. I don’t know how she even has enough air in her lungs.

I’ve failed her, I think. I couldn’t best Gartzell fast enough, didn’t give our pod enough time to get a safe distance from the ship. We’re going to die in here.

Escape pods are only designed to sustain the life inside them. You can’t fly them, can’t control them. There’s nothing I can do to help our situation, even if I had the strength to fight against the forces pinning me in place.

So I do the only thing I can.

I reach across. Find her hand.

Close mine around it.

CHAPTER 9

CASS

The first thing I become aware of besides feeling like death is that it’s really fucking cold.

I don’t want to open my eyes, my last memories being of our escape pod spinning and spinning still a little too fresh. If I open them and the world’s still spinning like that, I’m afraid I’ll add puke to the mix of things that are pretty shitty for us right now.

So I keep them closed for now, running through my body mentally. I’m still strapped into the chair, the harness sitting against tender skin, like I’ve slammed into it a few times. Nothing terrible, just a soreness that might become bruising if I live long enough for it to develop. I wiggle my toes and find I can move all of them. Wiggle my fingers and…

Sharr.

The last thing I remember was his hand closing over mine.

Now it’s gone.

I force my eyes open, needing to see him, needing to make sure he’s okay. He’s not in the seat next to me, and everything looks wrong. Too bright. Space is dark, space is…

We’re not moving. With my eyes open, my sense of gravity orients itself, and I realise I’m rooted in my seat by my bodyweight, not the spin of the pod. We’ve stopped.

I look round for Sharr, spot him rooting through a cupboard in between two chairs. He’s cradling one of his arms to his chest, and his cybernetics look the dullest I’ve ever seen them, but otherwise, he doesn’t appear to be hurt.

“Sharr?” My voice comes out as a croak.

He turns to me immediately, rushing to my side,

“How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?”

“I feel… really fucking cold.”

He grimaces. “I was just looking for some better clothes for you. There are a few blankets, not much.”

He goes back to the cupboard, fetching some coarse grey blankets from inside it. After helping me undo my straps, he wraps them round me. My breath mists on the air as I breathe out.

“What’s happening?”

“Our pod was too close to the ship. We escaped the blast, but the systems were too damaged. It initiated emergency protocols. Landed us on the nearest viable planet.”

“In the arctic circle?” At his blank look, I amend. “On the polar ice caps?”

He shakes his head. “It’s an ice planet. Air’s breathable, gravity’s in line with galactic averages. But it’s winter, and it’s, as you said, really vecking cold.”

I stagger to my feet, looking out of the window on the side of the pod at the white landscape that stretches for miles ahead of me.

“The pod can keep us warm, though, right? It’s designed to keep us alive in space. Space is also very cold. Right?”

Sharr sighs. “Pod’s compromised. Ordinarily, the life support systems would be enough to keep us very comfortable, but the explosion and the crash landing… We’re losing power. It’s already shutting down non-essential systems. Reducing the essential ones.”

“So… we survive an exploding ship and that twister through space, only to freeze to death here.”

My voice is sharper than I mean it to be, all my fear and pain and exhaustion catching up with me.

Sharr shakes his head. “We’re not done yet, Cass. The pod’s designed to scan a place before it lands you there. It’s supposed to take you close to civilisation, somewhere you can get help. I’ve just been having a look at why it chose to land us here.”

“And?” I say, allowing a spark of hope to ignite in my chest.

A nearby civilisation of friendly aliens who would be happy to give us some of their extremely insulating clothing and let us warm up by their fire?

Sharr’s expression shifts to grim again. “This planet isn’t populated, but before the war, it was a research outpost. The pod didn’t last long enough to put us right next to it, but it was aiming for one of the research buildings. A prefab laboratory and living space, by the looks. The kind colonisers and terraformers use while they’re waiting for a planet to become liveable for them.”

“Okay, so we head for that place?”

“Cass, it was probably abandoned before the war ended. We don’t know what condition it’s going to be in. Plus, it’s a fifteen minute walk in good conditions. Wading through the snow… and you’re hardly dressed for the weather.”

I wrap my blankets tighter around me.

“Can we stay here and expect to survive longer than a few hours?”

He shakes his head, regret shining in his eyes.

“Then it sounds like we don’t have any other choice.”

Sharr finds a bag underneath one of the chairs and packs it full of food. He also finds an emergency kit containing some first aid stuff, a torch, a knife. I don’t think a few band aids and a bit of gauze are going to do much for the frostbite I’m likely to have by the time we reach this building, but I try to push that out of my mind.

Fifteen minutes. Call it twenty if the going is really difficult. You can survive a lot of things for twenty minutes. I’ll be fine.

I jump on the spot, trying to coax some warmth into my blood, my bones.

Sharr finds more blankets and wraps them around me. I don’t feel any warmer for them. They mostly just weigh me down. I consider leaving them, but they might be better at keeping windchill out than they are at keeping body heat in. I might appreciate them once we get going. Sharr also finds several plastic bags and wrappers around other items. He takes them all off and wraps them around my feet, using a bit of medical tape to stick them to my legs.

“Those shoes of yours will be gone in moments in the snow,” he says.

I’m not sure my new plastic bag booties are going to be much better, but at least the cold will have to seep through a few layers before it gets to my toes.

“Ready?” Sharr says, hefting the bag over his shoulder.

He has a cut on his brow - from the spiralling ship or his dust up with Gartzell, I don’t know. It’s at that stage of scabbed over where it still looks fresh and oozing, and I wonder how much he’s hurting right now. How much he’s hiding from me so I’m less afraid.

“Ready,” I tell him, trying to drum up some determination.

It all nearly abandons me the moment he opens the door, a bitter wind sweeping in to the pod and getting through every gap in the fabric around me to bite at my skin. My teeth chatter, and the thought of heading out into it, braving that cold for the chance of getting to a place that might not be any better than the pod… It’s a monumental effort to pick my feet up. Take the first step.

“Follow in my footsteps,” Sharr says, striding out ahead of me.

I do, and it makes it slightly easier. He uses his bulk to push through the snow so I don’t have to. And though my feet still sink in the soft powder, my muscles still ache as I fight to tug them back out with every step, at least I’m not up to my thighs in it.

“You still with me, Cass?” he asks every few minutes.

“Still with you,” I reply.

The sun, for all it’s weak in terms of heat, is ferociously bright. I squint against it, trying to narrow what I’m looking at to Sharr’s frame. Before long, he has a dusting of snow all over him, his dark, tentacle-like hair turning white. It makes me giggle, and I don’t really know why.

“Still with me, Cass?”

“Still with you.”

The blankets aren’t up to much, just like I feared. The cold gets into every crevice of them, and then it’s like they hold it against my skin. It seeps into me, making my nerves, my blood, my muscles, my thoughts grow slower.

“Still with me, Cass?”

“Still with you.”

The words slur a little, even my tongue numbed by the cold. I think of my sister, Azalea. Hope she’s somewhere warm, at least. Maybe her buyer was nice. Maybe he saw her and just fell in love with her straight away. Maybe that’s why he had to buy her. He would have bought me, too, but he didn’t have the money. She probably gives him a really hard time about that. But she shouldn’t. I’m just glad she’s safe. With someone who loves her.

“Still with me, Cass?”

I’m not sure who’s talking. But fear steals over me. I’m not safe. There were explosions. And it’s so cold.

“Cass?”

I stumble a little, my feet snagging in deeper snow. Step in Sharr’s steps, I remind myself.

Sharr. That’s who the voice belongs to. I’m safe with Sharr. I’m safe.

I’m hot. Why do I have so many blankets on me? I shrug them off, scrabbling at the heavy, itchy fabric suffocating my body with heat.

“Cass!”

Arms around me. Hot arms. Too hot. I try to shove them away, but they go under my knees, sweeping me upwards.

“I’ve got you, Cass. Not much further. Just hold on. Just hold on, please.”

Hold on to what? I think, as everything fades.

CHAPTER 10

SHARR

I run as fast as the terrain allows, the research station just ahead of me. Distances are difficult to judge in the snow, but I can see it, which means it can’t be that far. I will my cybernetics to push me on just a little further. I can crash when she’s safe. I can crash when she’s warm.

Let this place be functional, I think, over and over, repeating the words like a prayer in my mind.

Let this place be functional. Let me keep her safe.

Cass shivers in my arms, her body going limp after a moment, her head lolling back. Her lips are blue, her skin so pale she looks deathly. I have to get her warmed up and fast, or she’ll never wake up.

That thought spurs me on, a final surge of energy flooding through my battered muscles. I practically sprint to the research station door, slamming my hand over the console on the outside, brute forcing my way into the systems. Fortunately, they’re not too sophisticated. No need for top of the range security on a difficult to reach outpost like this one. The door shudders open, years of ice and snow built up against it making it difficult. But as the building whirrs to life, it moves faster. The moment the gap is wide enough, I push inside.

The building is cold and smells dead. Empty. A sheen of frost coats everything, crunching under my boots as I march through, looking for some sort of command centre. The place where I can turn the heating on. I find it quickly, again brute forcing my way into the systems, firing them up. I hear the thrum of the air conditioning. Smell the burnt dust smell of the vents moving air around for the first time in an age.

Warm air. I turn my face up to it, breathing it deep despite the pungent smell.

Cass moans in my arms, and I move on, looking for the medical centre. A research station this large will have one, but when I get to it, none of the equipment is on. I jab at it a few times, even try hacking into it again. But my brain is well and truly scrambled now, and I can’t even sustain a connection to anything. Whenever I try to operate them the normal way, I just get low power messages. The station must be running on auxiliary power, certain systems working while others are kept powered down.

“Veck,” I curse, carrying Cass through the corridors until I find the sleeping area. The beds are small, utilitarian, but the bedding is thick. Musty as hell, and icy cold right now, but it will be cosy just as soon as things warm up.

I peel the bedding back, laying Cass down. I take off the plastic overshoes I made for her, removing the delicate little slippers beneath. Her toes are stiff with the cold, and I press my hands over them, trying to massage a little heat back into her.

Body heat, I think. When you need to warm someone up and you don’t have any other means, use body heat.

I strip off her nightgown, trying not to look at her exposed skin. Fumbling, my own fingers cold enough to make it difficult, I peel off my jacket and t-shirt, kicking off my boots, shucking my trousers, before climbing onto the bed next to her. I draw the bedding over us both, tucking her tight against me, skin against skin. The best way for my body heat to bleed into her. She’s icy, but I hold her tight, my heart pounding against her as I try to will her heart to beat a little faster, to push the warmth around her body. I press a leg between hers, trying to cover every part of her as much as I can.

Exhaustion drags my eyelids down, my mind drifting on the edge of oblivion.

Be okay, Cass, I think. Please be okay.

I awake to a body shifting against mine, and in my sleep hazy state, it takes a moment for the memories to slot into place.

Cass.

She’s warm, at least, our little nest beneath the bedding like a furnace now, burning away any lingering chill in my bones. I test my toes, my fingers, in turn, feeling for any pain.

Nothing. I feel… okay.

My head feels like someone dropped me on it from a great height, and my cybernetics are sluggish, heavy, but besides that and the hunger gnawing at my stomach, I feel alright.

I should probably get the bag. I shrugged it off with the jacket before I got into this bed. It has meal bars in it. Not the greatest delicacy ever invented, but they’re high in fat and protein and all the other nutrients the body needs. Cass will be as hungry as me when she wakes, no doubt. But the moment I move to sit up, Cass grabs my arm, her blunt little nails biting into my skin.

“Don’t go,” she says, drawing my arm back around her.

“Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere? Cass?”

She just sighs, burrowing into me, turning so her face presses against my chest, her eyes still closed.

Guess I’m not going anywhere, then.

I doze some more, drifting in and out of consciousness. I don’t know how long I was asleep the first time, or how much time passes between my initial waking and the time Cass moves and headbutts my chin.

“Oof,” she says. “Sorry!”

I’m so relieved to hear her voice, I don’t even mind the jarring rattle of my brain, the spike of headache that follows.

“How are you feeling?”

“Naked,” she says.

Even more heat curls into my face, but before I can stammer an explanation, she speaks again.

“Hypothermia?”

“Yeah. I did try to treat you in the medical centre, but the station’s running on low power. At least, it was. It might have charged up some reserves by now. We should probably get you checked out as soon as…”

“Mmf,” she protests, burrowing back into me. “It’s warm here. I don’t want to move.”

How can I protest when the place she doesn’t want to move from is my arms?

The next time Cass wakes, it’s to a rumble of her stomach.

“I’m definitely going to get us food,” I say, getting out of bed before she can protest.

The air is warmer now, less biting. It’s not warm yet, but it’s not uncomfortable. I kneel beside the bag, pulling out a selection of meal bars, along with a bottle of water that’s still mostly frozen. Cass grimaces when I hand it to her.

“Perhaps we can leave that to warm up a little longer,” she says, setting it down on the bedside cabinet next to a small desk lamp. She prods the lamp a few times until she finds the on switch. The lights are still low, the station still on some sort of power conservation program, but the bed lamp is bright, illuminating the whole room.

Making me very aware of the fact that I’m dressed only in my underwear.

“I… I should get dressed,” I mutter, looking round for wherever I abandoned my clothes in my haste to get Cass warm.

“Don’t bother on my account,” Cass says, tucking into one of the meal bars.

I freeze in place, unsure what to do, what would be appropriate. I ache to have her back in my arms, her skin pressed to mine, but a lifetime of being told such desires are wrong makes me cautious to trust that feeling. After a moment, she rolls her eyes at me, then pats the bed beside her. I go to her, slipping beneath the covers, taking the meal bar she hands me and trying to ignore the acres of pale skin she has on display.

“Are you okay?” she asks after a moment. “Still got all your fingers and toes?”

“I’ll run us both a full body scan once I’ve got the power situation sorted. Make sure we don’t have any issues or injuries that we’re not aware of.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

My throat is dry, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.

“I’m fine.”

I’m not. I’m hyperaware of her body next to mine in a way I wasn’t when she was unconscious. Concerned only with her health then, I didn’t think about how very soft her skin is. How good it felt pressed up against mine.

She looks at me, searching me with her gaze.

“You don’t sound fine.” Her eyes soften, her gaze flitting down to my lips and back up again. “Is it the touch thing? Is this too much for you?”

“No… Yes. No, I…”

Veck, why does her mouth look so inviting when she chews on her lip that way? My whole body prickles with awareness, heat growing in my groin, my cock twitching. Cass sets her meal bar down, pushing the others out of the way as she turns to me, the bedding slipping dangerously low about her chest.

“If you want to get up, get dressed, you can,” she says, trailing a finger down my arm. “But it’s just bodies, remember?”

“Just skin,” I reply.

I wonder if she would still consider it ‘just’ if she knew how much I was thinking about running my tongue all over her, tasting her everywhere. A ragged breath escapes me, my cock growing harder by the second as the scent of her tickles at my nose, her warm breath fluttering over my skin as she leans closer to me.

“Exactly,” she says, reaching for my closest hand and lifting it, placing it on her side, guiding it beneath the bedding until my thumb is resting against her breast.

I suck down a breath, hardly daring to move, except to brush my thumb over that gentle curve. Cass gives me a soft smile of encouragement, reaching up to thread her hands through my dowas. They don’t have as much sensation as my skin, but they aren’t completely without it like the rest of my hair. The feeling of her fingers brushing through them sends a shiver down my spine.

“Is this okay?” she asks, toying with the end of one.

“Yes?”

She draws the dowa in her hand closer to her face, inspecting it.

“It’s not like hair, but it’s not like skin either. Like something halfway in between. Do they do anything?”

“Do yours?” I ask, tugging on a lock of her bright hair.

“It must have served a purpose once upon a time. Now it’s mostly just an appearance thing. Something I can use to make myself look good. Not that mine looks good right now, roots growing out and ratty.”

I’m surprised by how much this bothers her, the depth of hurt she can’t keep from her eyes. Just another thing V’Sagic, and whoever stole her in the first place, took from her - feeling good about herself. But maybe that’s something I can give her back, in some small way.

“You’re beautiful,” I say.

“All humans are beautiful,” Cass says, voice sour but a hint of amusement curling her lips. “Apparently.”

“No other human would be beautiful to me the way you are.”

Confessing this feels dangerous, despite how close we are, despite my hand against her breast.

“Have you ever even seen another human?” Cass says, but she leans closer to me, her breath tickling over my skin.

“Don’t need to.” My voice is rough, my mouth dry.

“Well, you’re not so bad yourself,” she says, coming even closer as she brushes the backs of her fingers over my cheeks. “I do like a man with a beard.”

I’d only grown it to help disguise me - just in case any of V’Sagic’s passengers had also been regulars at one of F’Nasren’s pit fights. Between the grime and the paint F’Nasren used to make me wear on my face, I didn’t think anyone would recognise me, and even if they did, it didn’t matter that much. I just… I like to be distant from that past. Growing my beard removed me from it in a way. I never thought of it in terms of whether it would appeal to anyone else.

It gives me a feral sort of pleasure to know it’s appealing to Cass.

But instead of continuing to touch me, she looks up at me through heavy-lidded eyes, a hint of impatience in her expression.

“Sharr,” she says, voice bland. “Are you going to kiss me?”

“Kiss you? What’s that?”

Her eyebrows shoot up, then her smile turns devious, and veck, it sends a jolt straight to my cock.

She leans in so close her breath mingles with mine, the bedding slipping ever lower between us.

“Would you like a demonstration?”

Yes, yes, I would. But the only sound that comes out of my mouth is a sort of strangled gasp.

Cass seems to take it as an invitation, though, for she leans forward and presses her lips to mine.

Heat blasts through me at the touch, and two of my hands immediately go to her face, sinking into her hair, the others dragging her hips closer to me. I feel her smile against my mouth, and then she parts her lips and I’m lost. Drugged by the perfection of her lips moving against mine, a delicious slip and slide of our bodies against each other that I’ve never experienced before.

Why have I never thought of doing this before?

Then her tongue swipes across my bottom lip, and the fire burning inside me explodes into an inferno. I part my mouth in surprise, and her tongue licks inside, moving against mine. I groan at the sensation, tugging her even closer, my cock an iron bar. My hands grip the flesh at her hips, dragging her against it. Cass gasps, wriggling against me until she finds a position she likes, all the time licking her tongue over mine, her arms looped around my neck.

Driven by some primal instinct, I rock my hips, rolling them into hers. Cass moans into my mouth, then grabs a handful of my dowas, pulling me down. I go with her, my body over hers, our hips locked together as much as our mouths. I brace my weight on one set of arms, the others still cupping her face, brushing over her cheeks. Cass’s hands remain tangled in my dowas, until she draws them down to my face, gentling our kiss and using the slightest pressure of her palm against my cheek to create some space between us. I’m breathing hard, and so is she, her pale skin flushed a delightful pink.

“How was that?” she asks, darting up to steal more little kisses from my lips, as if she can’t get enough of them.

Each one sends a thrill through me.

“Perfect,” I tell her. “You’re perfect.”

I run my fingers over the place where her collar used to sit. The skin is mostly fine, only the tiniest traces of red hinting at what used to be there.

Her fingers run over my brow, brushing across the wound there.

“How’s the head? You were so out of it after making the ship malfunction.”

“Pushed too hard,” I admit. “Bit of a headache now, but I’ll be fine with some food and rest.”

Guilt flashes in her eyes.

“We should probably stop.” She gestures between us.

Veck that.

I press my mouth to hers in a fierce, claiming kiss, tangling my tongue with hers the moment her lips part in surprise. I devour her, kissing her with all the need and want racing in my blood, and don’t let up until she’s breathless.

I kiss a path down her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin, exploring her collarbone before heading lower, lips brushing over the soft mounds of her breasts.

I’ve bedded women before. In the adrenaline rush of a victorious fight, it wasn’t uncommon for the male fighters in my master’s roster to rut with the female fighters, both sides seeking a release for the pent up aggression and adrenaline. But that was always a hurried affair, a rush towards release and then separation. A trip to the cleanser to wash away the shame of the touch. I never took my time with those women. Never explored them. They wouldn’t have wanted it.

Cass doesn’t mind me taking my time, though. She vecking revels in it, moaning sweet encouragement as I draw the peak of her nipple into my mouth and suck.

“Oh, yes, just like that. More. Please.”

I give her what she wants, laving her nipple with my tongue while kneading her other breast with one hand. I slide another down her belly, slipping it beneath her panties, brushing through the curls I find there as I seek out her sex. My fingers slide through her folds, gathering up her juices, spreading them. She’s so vecking wet for me, it makes me groan low in my throat, and I find her entrance, pressing a finger inside her.

Her hips buck, pressing up into my hand, driving me deeper. I kiss back up to her mouth, spearing into her with my tongue as I pump my finger into her tight heat. Her hands roam all over me, exploring my back, my chest, as greedy to touch me as I am to touch her and veck, why did anyone ever follow the vetruen way? Why did we keep our distance and eschew touch when we could have had this?

Soon, she’s breathing too hard for kisses, her body twitching and spasming beneath my hands as her climax draws closer. I notice how she jolts every time I brush over the area at the peak of her sex, so I grind the heel of my palm into her there, and I’m rewarded by her cries of pleasure.

“Don’t stop,” she begs. “Don’t stop. I’m so close.”

When her climax crashes over her, her back arches up off the bed, her core clamping down on my finger, pulsing around it. My cock throbs as I imagine how good it would feel if she came on it, but I ignore my pleasure for now, coaxing her through hers with gentle touches, trying to prolong the sensations for as long as I can.

When she goes limp in my arms, I draw out of her, stroking my hands all over her sweat-slicked body, still hungry for the feel of her beneath my palms. Hungry for more than just that, but I wait for her to catch her breath. To give me an indication of what she wants.

After a moment, her eyes flutter open. She looks up at me, pupils blown so wide her eyes look almost black, and smiles in a way that has my cock twitching once again.

“Your turn,” she says.

CHAPTER 11

CASS

I reach down to the waistband of his underwear, sliding my fingers beneath it and running them over the curve of his backside. God, he’s gorgeous. All firm, defined muscle in all the right places. He seems surprised how much I delight in touching him, while I’m surprised that no one has ever delighted in touching him this way before. He’s irresistible to me. I want to touch every inch of him.

I push his underwear down his hips. One of his hands reaches to help me, sliding his underwear completely off. Two of his arms are pinned underneath me, one hand resting on my shoulder, the other on my hip, while his final hand strokes my face and runs through my hair. Anyone could figure that four arms would be fun, but it surprises me how much all the extra sensory input overwhelms me. It feels like he’s everywhere when he touches me, and it’s incredible. My whole body is still thrumming from the orgasm he just gave me and I am so, so ready to return the favour.

I reach down between us, finding his shaft and wrapping my fingers around it. I’ve already felt it pressed up against my core, so I know it’s vaguely human shaped and sized, but I run my fingers over it slowly, exploring. His skin here is like silk, gliding beneath my fingers, and so hot. If there were any cold places left in me, this would have chased them out. I feel ready to spontaneously combust from my need and his heat.

Along the length of his shaft are four raised bumps. When I brush the first one, it moves. Not much, just a slight tremor. I think maybe I’ve imagined it, but when I reach the second, it happens again. I squeeze my hand around him a little tighter as I draw it up to his tip, and the response from the third and fourth bump is more pronounced. They almost vibrate beneath my palm.

Interesting.

I stroke him a few times, varying my grip and speed until I find a rhythm he likes. Watching his eyes pinch shut, his muscles contract as the pleasure rolls through him, cybernetics pulsing light just beneath his skin, I’m struck again by just how bloody beautiful he is.

Not just on the outside. Inside, too.

I thought him the kind of man who would hand me over to the winning high roller.

Now I know he never would have.

He risked his life; he risked everyone’s lives to burn it all down. For me.

I surge up to claim his lips with mine again, kissing him with all the emotion boiling through me, remembering his words to Gartzell back on the ship.

Is one little human really worth risking your life for?

Yes. Yes, she is.

This is supposed to be about him, but I find myself desperate to have him inside me. I want to feel him stroking deep into me, and not just out of lust and desire for his body. I want to know him in a way few other people have. For him to know me that way, too. To be vulnerable with each other, not just bodies but souls, too. I want him. All of him. My heart surges in my chest at the thought.

I nudge him, encouraging him to move over me. He goes, and I release his cock as he settles between my legs, one hand blazing a trail up my thigh, another palming my breast as he continues to kiss me. The hand at my waist dips between my legs, fingers gliding through my wet folds, before grazing over my clit, applying just the right pressure to get me squirming.

Then, he aligns himself at my entrance. Thrusts himself deep.

I groan as my body stretches to accommodate him, all those little bumps gliding over my inner walls in the most delicious fashion. Sharr’s already breathing hard as he starts to move, and I think maybe this won’t last long, but I don’t care. He’s already given me one incredible orgasm. Watching him come apart as he pounds into me is going to be a pleasure in itself.

But as his hands roam over my skin, his hips shuttling into mine, he seems to find a rhythm, his breathing evening out, and he turns his focus on me. Watching me every time he moves, seeing what makes me writhe and squirm, and doing it again. His hands are everywhere, his lips too - kissing trails over my neck, my chest, before returning to claim my lips until we’re both too breathless for it. Familiar pressure builds in my abdomen as we grow sweaty, his skin sliding against mine, our movements growing more frantic, our touches more consuming.

I devour him with my mouth, and he devours me right back. There’s nowhere on my body his hands haven’t roamed, and he hooks an arm under one of my legs, drawing it up to his shoulder, shifting his angle so he can drive into me even deeper. I cry out, so close to the edge of another release I’m incoherent with need.

With a sharp snap of his hips, he drives me over the edge, my core convulsing around him, milking his cock. He shudders, and I know he’s close to his own climax, so I clench my core muscles tighter. With a final, frantic burst of movement, he comes, his body sinking onto mine as he gasps for breath, spent. I love the feel of his weight over me, his big arms caging me in, strange tentacle hair pooling either side of my head and on my shoulders. I brush some of it back, smiling up at him as I feather kisses along his jaw.

The aftershocks of my orgasm are still rippling through me, so I don’t notice straight away the pressure building inside me, a sensation of swelling, my body stretching past any point I’ve experienced before. My breath catches in my throat at the strangeness of it, but it’s not painful. I shuffle, trying to gauge what’s happening, but Sharr pins me, holding me still.

“Don’t move,” he says, his voice sounding strained, his eyes fluttering shut.

“What’s happening?”

“It’s my knot. I’m knotting you.”

“On purpose?”

“No. It’s something that happens… with the right partner.”

Oh, so I sexed him so good, his cock has gone into overdrive? Smug pride floods me.

He groans, and it’s a sound of such pleasure it makes my core clench, despite everything we’ve just done. This knotting must be intensely pleasurable for him. And honestly, the twin sensations of his knot stretching me and the other three bumps vibrating gently make it pretty damned pleasurable for me, too.

“Do I need to do anything?” I ask, running my hands over his back, exploring the strange juncture of his two pairs of arms, the bone and muscle structure so different to mine.

“No. Just… stay still. We’re locked together. If you try to move too much, I’ll hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not hurting me.”

“Cass.”

Again, my name is wrapped in so many things. I can’t even pick apart what the emotions are now.

He brushes my hair back, and it must be a tangled mess, but he’s careful not to snag it. He gazes down at me, and him looking into my eyes like that, his cock locked deep inside me, is exactly the intimacy I craved with him. Weird, yes, and a little awkward, staring at each other, not moving or speaking while all sorts of intense and wonderful things happen where our bodies connect. But it’s just… perfect.

“Are you okay?” he asks, after a moment.

“Better than okay.”

“I’m still running us both through the med centre as soon as I get the power working properly.”

“You think you’ve got enough juice?”

I mean his cybernetics, but I almost giggle. It’s just so odd a conversation to have while trapped together like this.

“To hack the systems, definitely not. But notice how the lights are getting brighter? The whole complex is powering up. I think we’ve been asleep and… otherwise occupied,” he shoots me a grin, “long enough for the power levels to have stabilised. I should be able to redirect it where we need it to go.”

“Okay. Good. I don’t want you using your hacking thing again until you’ve had a chance to properly recover.”

His expression shifts to something slightly pained.

“It’s all illegal, you know,” he says.

“What is?”

“The cybernetics. It’s not just the hacking. Cybernetic enhancements… they were something the Vetruen Empire experimented with. A way to augment their servants, make them more effective. During the war, they were going to use it to create super soldiers, but the thing is, the process is incredibly… difficult. For the person being augmented. Not many of them survive. Grafting the cybernetic controls onto the spine, threading the wires through the blood vessels, the muscles. It’s all very delicate and dangerous work. Get all that right, and the subject still has to survive the long and incredibly painful recovery process.”

His body has gone tense just talking about it. I soothe my hands over his shoulders, trying to ease the tension back out of him.

“The Protectorate outlawed it. One of the first things they did.”

“But you had it done, anyway?”

“I had it done before the war ended, before the Protectorate came to power.”

I think I already know the answer, but I have to ask. “Did you… choose to have it done?”

His eyes are dark as he shakes his head. “No.”

I wrap my arms around him, drawing him into my body, offering him the only comfort I can.

“I’m sorry someone did that to you,” I whisper.

“I was like you,” he says, drawing back enough to look me in the eye again. “Except I wasn’t taken, I was sold. My owner, my master, was a vetruen named Markan F’Nasren. He owned a small planet - built a complex there called the Arena. He used to run… entertainments there.”

I know what’s coming before he says it.

“Blood sports, mostly.”

“He made you get the cybernetics so you could fight?”

Sharr nods. “After I’d proved myself a good fighter. Against animals, machines.” He swallows hard. “Other people.”

“Sharr…”

“Let me tell you this. I need to tell you this.”

His voice sounds so strained, so worried. I catch his face in my hands and plant a lingering kiss on his lips.

“Tell me.”

He takes a breath. Lets out a heavy sigh. Starts to speak.

“A lot of vetruens are fine, perfectly decent people. But the vetruen elite - people like V’Sagic, G’Danic, all the veckers on that cruise ship - they considered themselves above everyone else.”

“Still do.”

A smile briefly fights back against the darkness in his expression, before being consumed again.

“It was sport to them to enslave people. They did it by force, sometimes, but they’re not much for fighting, vetruens. Don’t like to get their hands dirty. Mostly, they did it by other means. Taxing people to hell, trapping them in debt, giving them no other choice but to sell off their own children. But doing it in a way where, at first, their victims would be grateful to them. That’s how it happened for my people. We were a simple race, not technologically advanced. The vetruens offered us so much stuff, and their terms seemed so generous. Our leaders were hailing them as saviours. But then the squeeze began, and at first it was all ‘making a few sacrifices is an acceptable price to pay for everything we’ve gained’. No one likes to think they’ve been duped, so people hung on to that outlook for so long. And then it was too late. They’d already bled us dry. My father sold me and himself into slavery in order to save my younger sisters and our mother. I don’t blame him for it. It was the only choice he had.”

“How old were you when this happened?” My voice croaks out of me.

“Nine.”

I blink tears loose. Sharr catches them with his fingers, pushing the liquid around between his finger and thumb.

“So I know. I know how awful it was for you on that ship. Watching your life narrow down to one horrible future. Never knowing if it would be better to survive or just die before they could destroy you. I know exactly what I put you through by not telling you the truth from the very first moment, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for letting you believe I would hand you over. Sorry for letting you think you didn’t have any hope of escape.”

“Sharr.” His name sounds like mine so often does when he speaks it. Full. “I already told you, you don’t have to apologise for that, didn’t I?”

He gives me a tiny smile. “I thought you said to ‘save it’, like while the ship was blowing up around us was not the time.”

“Well, I meant ‘save it’ as in ‘you don’t need to apologise’. I get it, okay? I could barely keep my emotions in check when I thought my life depended on it. I can’t act for shit. You were right not to tell me. I’d have given you away.”

Another tiny smile crosses his lips, the weight of his worry soon smothering it again. I stroke my fingers across his cheek.

“You look like you’ve still got things on your mind. Tell me, Sharr. Let it all out.”

And so he does, talking about his time as a fighter at the Arena, how his master forced him to fight for the entertainment of the visitors from the moment puberty hit. How he worked hard to be good at it, even though he hated the violence of it, because he was driven to survive.

“I never really knew what I was surviving for,” he says, toying with a lock of my hair. “Just that I knew I had to, somehow. But everything I had to do to be here now… It’s hard to reconcile that sometimes with the person I want to be. The kind of person you could admire.”

I think of how begging felt like giving up a piece of myself. How much worse would being forced into committing violence be? My heart aches for him, but whatever he had to do to survive, I don’t think any less of him for it.

“Sharr, everything you had to do… Don’t you think that helped us escape? Don’t you think we’re alive right now because of everything you’ve been through? Maybe you feel some way from the person you want to be right now, but you are the person you needed to be. That I needed you to be. Everything else - surviving beyond all this, living - we can work on that. Together.”

He kisses me, and there’s a great deal of relief in it. It doesn’t travel all the way to my core like his previous kisses, and I realise that whatever’s going on down there, it’s not going on quite as intensely. The pressure is reducing, the vibration, too. A few moments later, and Sharr draws out of my body, moving so he’s lying next to me instead, arms still wrapped around me.

“Is this okay?” he asks as he tucks me against his side.

“Better than okay,” I tell him.

I’ve no idea what time, or even day, it is when we next wake. Sharr gets up and dresses, heading out into the rest of the station. I peel back the covers, feel the ambient temperature of the room. It’s not tropical, but it’s not cold anymore. Probably perfectly comfortable for walking around in my nightgown in.

I grab it from where it’s been discarded on the floor, then get up. There are cupboards in the room, and I root through them, looking for anything useful. I find a couple of uniforms. Something that looks a lot like a lab coat and a jumpsuit. I hold the suit up against me - a little big, but nothing rolling the sleeves and legs up won’t solve. I change into it, and have a look at the boots in the bottom of the cupboard, measuring them against my feet. Far too big, but hopefully they’re not the only pair of shoes that have been left behind in this place.

I venture out into the rest of the building. I was unconscious when Sharr brought me through here, so I don’t remember any of it. Looking around now, it looks basic, but comfortable. There’s a kitchen, a communal area, several corridors that presumably lead to different lab spaces. I find Sharr sitting at a complicated-looking computer console, his fingers dancing over the screen - but only in the way that anyone would interact with it. Not using his cybernetics.

I think about the hacker upgrades the Protectorate gave him. Wonder how dangerous that was. Whether he’s just as much being used now as he was before the war ended.

“We’re in luck,” he says. “This whole station operates on geothermal energy, piped up from underground. Everything’s been disused and powered down for so long, the computer had to go through a load of checks and maintenance programs before it could bring the system up to full power, but we’re there now. Everything should be working as designed. There are a couple of errors on the system, but nothing terminal. I’m not an engineer, but I think I’ll be able to get them sorted out.”

“So we can…”

“Get our medical scans, yes.”

“I was going to say take a hot shower.”

Sharr grins. “That, too. After I’ve made sure you’re not hurt.”

I follow him to the medical room. It looks much like any medical place - lots of equipment around the edges, lots of clean white lines. An examination bed in one corner. But in the other, there’s some sort of pod. Sharr taps at the buttons on the edge of it, and the top opens with a hiss.

“Get in,” he says.

I eye it with suspicion.

“Want me to go first?”

“No, it’s fine.” I climb inside, trying to hide my fear as the glass closes over me, distorting my view of the room outside. But like I said, I can’t act for shit.

“It doesn’t take long, Cass. And nothing’s going to happen. Just some flashing lights. No needles or anything like that, I promise.”

I close my eyes. Imagine I’m back in bed next to him. Safe. Warm.

Loved.

The pod hisses as it reopens, and a few friendly beeps sound. Sharr studies the readout for a moment, then nods.

“No lasting damage. You’re malnourished. Tired. A few bruises here and there.”

“Well, I could have told you that without a fancy scan.”

Sharr grins for a moment. “It also says you don’t have any internal injuries, and you’re not going to lose anything to frostbite. That’s what I was more interested in knowing. My turn. Come here, press these buttons.”

Sharr’s readout is a lot longer than mine and my stomach pinches with worry as he goes over it, but he just nods as if it’s not saying anything he wasn’t expecting.

“I’m burnt out,” he says. “I need to eat three square meals and get a solid eight hours of sleep, probably more, every day for a week before I try using any of my cybernetics again.”

“Do meal bars count as square meals?”

“They contain all the nutrition required to sustain most species in the universe.”

“That doesn’t sound like a solid ‘yes’.”

A flicker of a smile appears on his face. He always smiles at me like that when I’m being snippy, I’ve noticed, as if he likes it when I bite.

“They’re not great. But they’ll do. Fresh cooked food would be better, but I doubt anything left in the kitchen here will still be edible.” He smiles at me then, a wide, brilliant smile. “We’re going to be okay, Cass. I promised you that, didn’t I?”

“You did,” I say, smiling back.

CHAPTER 12

SHARR

For a forgotten, abandoned research station, the place isn’t in bad repair. After getting our medical scans done, I run some diagnostics - check the oxygen levels, the temperature, the integrity of the structure. Everything comes back good.

Meanwhile, Cass checks the kitchens and finds there are, in fact, some frozen supplies. The freezers have been powered down with the rest of the building, but because of the frozen environment, the temperature never rose high enough to defrost them. The safe to eat strips on the packaging haven’t faded from the bright blue colour that means everything inside is edible.

This is a real win. Not just because of our finite supply of meal bars, but because it means I can give Cass - and myself - some real food. The sort of thing that will speed our recovery.

And getting her fully healthy is a high priority, not just because it’s important that she’s well for her sake. Seeing that label of malnourishment on her chart did strange things to me - rage coiling in my belly along with a desire to smash and destroy anyone and anything that ever hurt her. It’s irrational - not least because most of those people are either already dead or about to be locked up for the rest of their lives by the Protectorate - but that’s the problem with a fresh mate bond. It makes you really vecking irrational.

I glance over at her now as she hunts through the cupboards in another room, looking for shoes or anything that would be useful to us. My mate. My vecking glorious mate.

I don’t even know how it’s possible. It shouldn’t be possible. Mate bonds don’t form outside of your own species. But thinking about it, I’ve been displaying mate bond behaviour since I met her. The desire to touch her that went against all my conditioning. The pressing need to keep her safe. The way the thought of any of those vetruen veckers winning her made my blood boil with rage. Even the fact that the prenetashi woman’s Beguile didn’t work on me was probably a clue, the burgeoning bond rendering me incapable of finding anyone else remotely appealing, even with the Beguile trying to press all those buttons in my brain.

All very abstract, emotional things. Easily explained away by the intensity of our situation. Not enough for anyone to consider proof of the bond.

But there’s no denying that I knotted her - something that only happens between a mated pair.

I should have told her as soon as she asked what was going on, but I was so surprised by it all myself, I didn’t. And then all that stuff about my past came pouring out of me, like poison she was lancing from my wounds. She didn’t look at me with pity or distaste, crying tears of sorrow for me instead. The bond flared up even then, a newly formed thing, the primal side of me delighting in the depth of emotion she felt for me.

Now, I can’t stop looking at her. Don’t want to be away from her for more than a few moments. It will settle, I know it will, but for now it’s there - a very present and insistent reminder that this is real. That she is my mate and knotting her wasn’t just some fever dream.

“What happens now?” she says, as we eat our reheated meals at the kitchen table.

“Now? We wait. The Protectorate is out there, picking through the wreckage of the ship. They’ll collect up all the escape pods first. They’re moving targets. Collecting up that many… They might even call in help from a nearby station. It could be a month before all the pods are gathered up. Depends how many there are, how well equipped the Protectorate fleet is to find them all. Whether they run into any other problems.”

“Isn’t the nearest station the one we departed from? As in, the one where the people loading V’Sagic’s ship didn’t bat an eye at loading a person in a cage?”

“Agost Station, and maybe. There are two stations out here - Agost and Xentra. We’re probably not far off being right in the middle of them.”

“Is Xentra any better?”

“None of the stations out here are great. But Xentra would at least probably pretend they were on board with the Protectorate.”

“Better hope we’re closer to them, then.”

She looks up at me, eyes brimming with something. Concern? I think she’s trying to hide how worried she is, but she’s right - she’s no actress. Looking at her is like looking right into her thoughts.

“Are they going to find us down here?”

“The tracker on the escape pod was still working when we left it. I’m going to head back there, see if I can bring the tracker beacon here, lead whoever’s looking right to us.”

“And if whoever turns up isn’t friendly?”

“We kill them all, take their ship.” I try to make it sound like there’s no possibility of it going any other way. “We’ve got some time to prepare, Cass. We can make sure we’ve got adequate defences. And the only people coming for us are going to be the Protectorate, anyway.”

I’m moderately certain of that. They’re going to be a big enough presence in the sector to dissuade anyone else from trying to get away with something under their noses. If V’Sagic’s even alive, he won’t be drawing any attention to us - or himself - by trying to find Cass and steal her back.

And that prenetashi woman? She won’t want the Protectorate to find her, either. I figured there had to be some prenetashi people left out there in the universe. No way the war killed all of them. But irreparable damage has been done to them by their tactics in the war. Any sympathy they might have had to start with as victims of the Vetruen Empire got burned away by their brutality. If G’Danic and the others have to answer to their war crimes, that woman will have to as well. So she won’t hang around and wait to get caught.

No human is worth that risk, no matter how valuable they are on the slave market.

I explain this to Cass, and she asks me some questions about the war. I try my best to explain a complicated thing I wasn’t directly involved in, and when we’re both sagging with tiredness, Cass suggests retiring to our bed. My body revs up a little at the suggestion, but I don’t get much further than pressing a soft kiss to her lips before we’re both sinking down into sleep.

The next day, I search for snow gear and find some in one of the supply rooms. It’s not made with four arms in mind, but if I cross two of my arms in front of me, feed the other pair through the sleeves, it’s not unmanageable. Cass comes to the door with me, teeth chattering as she watches me out into the snow.

It’s a straight shot to the escape pod, and my comm guides me, just as it did when we headed for the research station the first time. It’s a much more tolerable journey in the top of the range snow gear. I barely feel the chill anywhere except my face, the thick goggles stopping the snow-blindness that plagued me last time.

The pod is a mess. I didn’t realise how badly damaged it was, but looking at it now, it’s a small miracle we survived the landing. Drifts of snow have already built up around it, and I have to wade through them to get inside. All the consoles are frozen over, but the emergency beacon is made of tougher stuff than regular computers, designed to outlast the worst of situations. It’s still flashing away on the main console, beaming its signal in every direction. I search through for any other useful supplies first. I wish I had a weapon, despite my insistence that it will be the Protectorate looking for me, but all that the pod has is a flare gun.

There’s nothing else worth taking. More scratchy blankets. First aid supplies that aren’t close to what we have access to in the medical centre in the base. I got all the meal bars on my first sweep. Cold, and increasingly anxious to return to Cass, I grab the emergency beacon. It’s got a tiny crystal power source inside it that will keep it transmitting near enough indefinitely in space. But down here, it needs the power boost from the console to transmit through all the atmosphere and weather, so I need to get it plugged into the research station’s main console as soon as I can. It’s easier going on the way back, the path I recently carved through the snow not refilled just yet.

Cass comes running the moment I crack open the door. She helps me out of my coat, my fingers too stiff with cold to be much use, despite the gloves I found. As soon as the snow gear is off, she wraps herself around me, rubbing her hands across my back to warm me. In moments, I’m flush with heat, her warmth and my growing desire chasing away the chill.

“We should get the emergency beacon plugged back in,” I say, trying to corral my thoughts back under my control. Away from beds and bodies and sinking into her wet heat.

Later. Time for that later.

“I need to show you something first,” Cass says, grabbing my hand and tugging me after her.

“Cass, it will take two seconds to—”

“Come on!”

She gives my arm a sharp tug, and I follow her. A short delay won’t matter. The Protectorate will be in the space over our skies for days, maybe even weeks, picking through the mess. A few minutes won’t be the difference between them finding us and not.

“Look,” Cass says, throwing open a door.

Hot, wet air rushes out at me, sticky and laden with green scents. I blink, taking in the… well, jungle would be the appropriate word, ahead of me. Tall plants stretching up to the high ceiling, curving overhead, their leaves forming a canopy. Bushes expanding out of planters and spreading across the pathways that cut through the room. Vines and trees and flowers and how has all this kept growing, kept thriving without power, without heat?

“It looks like it’s set up on some sort of automated system,” Cass says, guiding me inside. “The irrigation is here. I’ve traced it back to the source, and it seems to fill from snowfall on the roof, the warmth of the room melting it, and when the sprinklers overhead open, fresh rainfall. There are pipes under the floor.”

She drops into a squat, pointing through the grilling of the pathway to some pipes. Holding out my hand, I feel the heat radiating off them.

“I guess it’s geothermal energy,” she says. “Water piped up from underground that the planet’s magma has heated. It’s kept the room warm all the time the station’s been abandoned.”

Probably with a back up geothermal power supply to supplement the auxiliary power. The large lights overhead - to drive the growth of the plants - wouldn’t have burned bright enough to create this jungle on auxiliary power alone.

Which would make sense if this room was more important than any of the others.

“And look,” Cass says, cupping her hands round an enormous, ripe fruit.

They were using this place to grow their own food. I don’t recognise a lot of the plants, but many of them have their boughs laden with fruits, and I’d just bet pulling up the ones on the ground would reveal tubers and root vegetables. A feast for the scientists stationed here. Well managed, a setup like this could probably sustain a small community indefinitely. Important when you’re researching on an isolated planet during a disruptive war. Before they were evacuated, they might not have been certain when help would come.

“This is great,” I say to Cass. “Definitely not going to go hungry while we wait for rescue. We can harvest some once I’ve got the emergency beacon…”

“Sharr.”

I look at her, and I can tell by the glint in her eyes that I’m missing the point here. I look round, still not seeing it. She sighs, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

“My mother was a plant scientist, remember? I might not be as brilliant as her - not even close, honestly. But I’ve been helping out in her various labs since I was old enough to understand basic instructions. I know plants. I know how to look after plants. I might not know these plants specifically, but there will be information on a computer somewhere. You could find it for me and read it to me, and we could get this place working efficiently.”

She looks up at me, eyes wide and full of hope.

“We could make a life here, Sharr.”

“A life until we’re rescued, or a whole life?”

She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t have to.

“Cass…”

“Sharr.” She mimics my tone, but adds a sharpness to it. “You said the chances of the person coming for us being that woman were next to zero, but that’s not zero. And even if it’s the Protectorate that comes to get us, are they any better? Everywhere I’ve been in the universe, people have been terrible and cruel. All of them, except you. We could be safe here. It wouldn’t be a very broad life, I get that, but it would be a good one, because we’d make it a good one. We’ve got food enough to last us months while we figure out how to get this place growing for us. The beds are warm and comfortable, and there’s no one else here. Just the two of us. No slavers, no perverts, no one trying to sell or use us. Just the two of us. Safe.”

I have to admit, it sounds appealing. Just me and her, alone together for the rest of the time we have.

But I know that’s just the newly formed mate bond talking, wanting to cement my claim on her. To make her so thoroughly mine, no one would dream of coming between us. It’s not rational. It’s not right.

“Cass.” I kiss her brow, draw her into my arms. “If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do. But I want you to listen to me before you make that choice. Listen to why I think it’s the wrong one.”

I guide her back to our bedroom so we can sit comfortably, kicking off my boots and peeling the slippers off her feet, before drawing her onto the bed. I wrap my arms around her, resting us both against the headboard before pulling her legs over my lap.

“I know you’ve only seen the horrible side of the universe. I know it’s been a parade of the worst veckers out there, one after the other, for you. I know you’ve got no reason to believe that life could be better anywhere else. And I get the temptation to hide away here, I really do. But Cass, there are good people out there. People trying to make the universe a better place. I work for some of them.”

“Good people who loaded you with illegal tech that turns your brain to soup if you use it too much.”

I can’t help the thrill that goes through my chest at her outrage at this, even though it’s not entirely fair.

“They never gave it to me so I could bring a ship down. At no point was that part of the mission. That was all for you, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat to keep you safe.”

She kisses me, and for a moment, I give in to the touch, to the passion that explodes between us. My cock hardens, and I’m desperate to strip her out of her jumpsuit, to plunge myself inside her and make her come. But I squash that desire, gentling the kiss down, catching her face and looking her in the eye.

“A big, selfish part of me loves the idea of it just being the two of us. Having you all to myself here. It might be great for a few months, maybe even a few years. But what if one of us got sick beyond what the medical centre here could cope with? What if I broke my leg really badly or something like that? What if you decided you missed female company and wanted someone other than me to talk to?”

“We could plug the beacon back in?”

I shake my head. “Right now, there’s an armada of ships up there searching for distress signals and emergency beacons. Remember why V’Sagic chose to cruise out here?”

“Because there’s fuck all else about.”

“Exactly. Great for if you’re hosting illegal tournaments to win a human slave. Not so great if you’re trying to get rescued. If we don’t turn that beacon on now, there are no guarantees anyone would be around to hear it again in the future.”

Cass sighs, her head settling against my chest, her ear over where my heart is pounding almost out of my ribs. I wish it would slow, settle down a little. Present her a strong, steady, calming rhythm. But the mate bond has me feeling rattled and a little wild, and her distress is distressing me.

“I guess that’s what I’m looking for,” she says. “Some guarantees. I feel like I don’t have any. Back home, I could always guarantee that Mum would be there to bail me out if I needed her. She wasn’t the best at being warm and loving, but she was great in a crisis. If anyone did me wrong back home, Mum would be there to analyse the wreckage, create a plan to build something good from it, provide funds and support to execute that plan. My sister would be there with a baseball bat, ready to go get some revenge. They had their different ways of approaching it, but they always had my back, you know?”

I stroke a hand over her hair, keeping her wrapped up in the rest.

“Before, on V’Sagic’s ship, things were guaranteed to be horrible. And I know it sounds stupid, but I’m realising there’s a kind of comfort in that. Like, what I chose to do didn’t matter. It was always going to end up the same. Now, I feel like I have control over what happens, and it’s terrifying me, because I could fuck it up. It’s like there’s three doors to walk through, and behind one is a happy, healthy future. Better odds than I had before, but I have to pick a door, and I could pick the wrong one.”

“Cass.”

She draws back from me enough to give me a look and an arched brow.

“Sharr…”

I kiss her until she melts against me.

“You want some guarantees?” I speak the words against her skin. “Let me give you some.”

CHAPTER 13

CASS

He kisses a path down my neck, his hands roaming all over my body, peeling down my jumpsuit and pushing it off my shoulders. Despite the anxiety racing through my body, he has me feeling hot and needy in moments, the amount of fabric between us suffocating.

“I guarantee that there are far more good people out there in the universe than there are awful ones,” he says, his mouth still pressed to my skin, his words full of heat as they brush over me.

He peels my jumpsuit down to my waist, a hand sliding underneath my vest top, pushing it up to reveal my breasts. His lips close around my left nipple, sucking it into his mouth, as he continues to undress me, peeling the vest top over my head and casting it aside.

My breath quickens as he pushes the jumpsuit down, taking my panties with it, all my clothes quickly ending up on the floor, while he’s still fully dressed. I reach to tug at his top, but he keeps kissing down my body, in the valley between my breasts, then down, down my stomach until he’s out of my reach.

“I guarantee that whatever choice you make, things will sometimes be difficult enough to make you question whether you made the right one.”

His mouth comes dangerously close to my sex, but before he can make contact, he draws back, pressing his mouth to my inner thigh instead. I groan a protest, my core clenching with need. I feel him smiling against my skin before he kisses his way up from my knee, back where I want, where I need him to be.

Two of his hands grip my hips, his fingers digging into my skin with a delicious pressure. He braces on the elbows of these arms, leaving the other two free to roam wherever they can reach. Across my stomach, up to cup my breasts and pinch my nipples, before going back down, sliding over the skin of my legs, leaving a trail of shivers in their wake.

“Beautiful,” he says as he reaches my sex, his hot breath tickling over my sensitised flesh.

Then he presses a kiss to my clit, drawing it into his mouth and working his tongue over it. I gasp at the pleasure of it, his hands on my hips preventing me from bucking into his face.

Then I’m all sensation and need, Sharr’s tongue sliding through my folds. The room around us fades. The research station. The howl of the icy wind outside. The planet and everything that’s happened to us in the last few days. Our entire histories. All of it lost behind the feeling of his mouth moving over my most intimate places.

I moan his name over and over, writhing with the pleasure he draws out of me. My thighs grip his head as my climax approaches, and when he slides two fingers inside me, pumping them in and out as he sucks hard on my clit, I come apart, my whole body convulsing as the most intense orgasm of my life grips me.

I’m still gasping for breath, aftershocks rippling through me, when his weight settles over mine and he fills me with his cock. I run my hands over his skin, his clothes gone - removed while I was still riding the high of my climax. Beneath his skin, his cybernetics flash and glow, much brighter today than they were last time. I’m heartened to see it, tracing my fingers over the glowing path on one of his arms.

Then he draws almost all the way out of me, thrusting back in with a snap of his hips. Those bumps along his cock are already vibrating, hitting all the right spots as they glide along my inner walls. I cry out, back arching off the bed at the pleasure of it.

His mouth claims mine, hot and hungry as he sets up a punishing rhythm, pounding into me. I’m sure my nails must break skin as I grip onto his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he rides me hard and unrelenting, pushing me from one climax to the next until I’m delirious with them. An incoherent mess, not a person anymore, but a collection of nerves and nerve endings that he’s set on fire with his touch.

“Sharr,” I breathe, his name a prayer, an exultation.

As if his name on my lips is the last thing he needs, his whole body clenches, and with a final few stuttering thrusts of his hips, he comes on a roar. I feel the pressure of his knot swelling inside me again, locking us together as he collapses forwards, his weight pressing me down into the bed.

For a long moment we just breathe, our heart rates slowing as the cool air dries our sweat slicked skin. When I shiver, Sharr shifts, reaching for the bedding and drawing it over us, cocooning us inside it as he brushes his hands over my hair, pushing it back from my face as he gazes down at me. The strange intimacy of him looking at me like that while our bodies are locked together doesn’t feel as awkward this time. In fact, I welcome it, loving that his attention remains so fully focused on me.

“When I said this only happens with the right partner,” he says, voice delightfully rough, “what I should have said was, ‘it only happens with our mates.’”

“Mates?”

“Is it something your species doesn’t have?”

“I know the word, but… we’d usually use it to refer to animals. Not people.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Well, it just means like romantic partners. But also deeper than that. We talk about mating for life. And soulmates. That’s like… when two people are so perfect for each other, it’s like their souls were two halves of a whole.”

Sharr nods. “So you know the concept, but it’s not something humans have with each other?”

“Yeah, I guess?”

“Well, mate bonds are pretty common. Lots of species have them. They… they’re not supposed to work across different species. That’s why I didn’t say anything straight away. It surprised me. I didn’t quite trust it. But I don’t have any doubts now. You’re my mate, Cass.”

My heart flutters, a confusion of emotions ripping through me.

“Okay, but…. I know we just talked about what that means, but…”

“But what does it mean?” He grins briefly, before his expression shifts to serious again as he looks into my eyes with such intensity, I’m sure he’s seeing right into my soul.

“It means I will never want any other. It means the way I feel for you will never change, only grow. It means I want to spend the rest of my life making us happy together. And that’s absolutely guaranteed.”

My breath catches in my throat at the totally earnest way he says this, no doubt, no fear. Just truth.

“We can’t know our futures. I can’t promise that everything will be great if we leave this place. But if I had the choice of where I’d like to live for the rest of my days with my precious mate, it wouldn’t be here. I’d be taking my chances on rescue, because I want her to have other friends besides me. I want her to have access to proper medical care, just in case we ever need it. I want her to have the chance, no matter how tiny it is, of seeing her sister again.”

He draws a little further back from me, still holding my gaze.

“Activating the beacon again is the right choice, Cass. Trust me.”

Trust me.

Two of the first words he spoke to me. I had no reason to trust him then.

I have every reason to trust him now.

“Okay,” I say.

CHAPTER 14

THREE WEEKS LATER…

SHARR

I spot them on the cameras as soon as they come into range - four people in full power suits. They look like the kind the Protectorate uses, but I’m not exactly a suit specialist. I’m not sure I’d be able to tell the difference between a Protectorate suit and any other over a grainy camera in a snowstorm.

What I can tell is how well armed they are - which is well, but not excessively. They’ve each got a laser pistol at their waist. One of them has a rifle slung over their back as well, but the rest have different equipment. The one at the front of the group holds some kind of scanner in their hand. Another appears to have a toolkit on his back.

It’s not the most traditional set up for a rescue party, but it’s not necessarily bad news. To clean up the mess I made of V’Sagic’s ship, the Protectorate probably called in all sorts of help. These guys could be a junker crew, lending their ship and equipment to the cause. It doesn’t automatically make them enemies.

I look down at the rest of the cameras, not surprised to find Cass in the gym. We discovered the research station had a whole second floor on our fourth day of living here. Uncovered a few more lab spaces, some offices, and the gym. Cass has been using it religiously every day since.

She says it’s to burn off her restless energy, but her dedication says it’s much more than just boredom driving her. I think she wants to reclaim some sense of strength and power, to feel like she’s doing something to prevent us from ever ending up in a situation like she was in before. My heart aches for her as she pushes herself to her limits, but it’s something she needs to do right now. No amount of me telling her that everything’s going to be okay is going to make her really, truly believe it.

But soon, hopefully, she can feel safe again.

I hit the intercom button for the gym.

“Cass, we’ve got company.”

I watch on the screen as she looks up to where the camera is, at first pure fear in her expression, melting away into determination as she gathers herself. She sets down the weight she was lifting, heading out of view. I pick her up again in the corridor, heading up to meet me.

Our visitors have made it to the front entrance. Wading through the snow is slow going however you do it, but in the power suits, it’s even more difficult. Any extra strength the suit grants is more than counteracted by the extra weight. The four of them have staggered an uneven path to our door, one of them bent double now with the exertion. Good. Tired people are less likely to put up a good fight.

Not that they’re going to fight us. Cass’s paranoia is starting to rub off on me.

Still, I pull on the body armour I’ve cobbled together from the supplies we found in the research station’s armoury. I think the equipment was intended to go up against predatory animals rather than hostile invaders - it’s hardly top of the range stuff - but I’ve got the chest plate to strap into place without impeding my movement, and the two basic laser pistols give us some offensive capability. I holster one of the laser pistols, holding the other out for Cass as she comes to stand beside me.

“How many?” she asks, voice full of tension.

“Four in power suits.” I draw her to the camera, which shows them outside. One is typing something into the door controls, but I’ve put security measures up everywhere so they won’t be able to get inside until I let them in.

“Okay, two to one, that’s…”

“Cass,” I say.

And despite the fear rolling off her in waves, she still has the mental space to catch my eye, give me a slight smirk.

“Just stay calm,” I tell her. “We’re probably not even going to need all this.”

I gesture to the barricades and obstacles we’ve built between this control station and the front entrance. Upturned lab tables bolted to the floor to force our visitors to funnel in single file. Cabinets and drawers scattered everywhere to provide us cover.

“I’ll be calm when I know who we’re dealing with.”

She raises her pistol out in front of her. I check her stance, her grip, both exactly as I taught her, using one of the larger lab spaces as a shooting range. I hoped it would make her feel better, and maybe it did, but I’m wary of how trigger-happy she might get if anyone says anything she doesn’t like.

“Maybe put the gun down at first?” I say, pushing her hands down. “We don’t want to give them a reason to shoot.”

She doesn’t look happy about it, but she nods, keeping the gun in her hand, but below the computer terminal we’re standing behind.

“I love you,” she says.

“I love you, too, Cass. We’ve got this. Trust me.”

Her smile manages a flicker of real brightness before she turns back to face the door.

“I’m going to let them in now, okay?”

I reach for the button that will unlock the door, but before I get to it, I hear the clunk and hiss of the door opening. I turn to the cameras in time to see the one with the scanner stepping back from the door control, having apparently overcome my security settings.

Not something that’s generally within a Protectorate team’s skill set.

“…managed that a little quicker, Loran?” A female voice echoes towards us. “Think my toes have completely frozen.”

“In a suit designed to keep you alive in space?” This voice male and layered with sarcasm.

“Exactly. This is an entirely different kind of cold to space.” She says something else, but her voice trails off, too low to pick out any words.

“Hard to enter commands quickly in these.” The one with the scanner - Loran? - lifts his hands, wiggling his gloved fingers. “I told the boss I’m not built for field work.”

The fourth figure, silent til now, turns to them.

“I think maybe someone is expecting us.”

“Well, they did rig up a tracking beacon to this place,” Loran says.

The fourth figure gestures for him to quiet down, then makes a series of hand gestures I can’t follow but do recognise.

“Military,” I say to Cass, keeping my voice low.

“Is that good or bad?”

Hard to say. The Vetruen Empire and the Protectorate fought against the same enemy, but that doesn’t put them on the same side. It depends entirely on who these people fought for. If I could see their faces, identify what species they are, it would give me more of a clue.

I watch them fan out on the camera, only to be funnelled back together by our obstacles. They get gradually more wary as they go, weapons raised ahead of them. In their suits, they have an advantage over us, and I wait to see what they’re going to do with it.

“Hello?” One of them calls out. “Anyone here? This is UP-LE Officer Barrand of Xentra Station, investigating the escape pod crash. The tracker beacon brought us here, so I’m hoping we’ve got some survivors somewhere.”

“Come on through,” I call back. “I won’t shoot if you don’t.”

“Good, because being shot at wasn’t on my list of things I wanted to do today.”

The first of the four figures squeezes through the funnel made of lab tables. I keep my weapon trained on him, but he doesn’t do the same. Doesn’t need to mark me, really, wearing a suit like that. I can’t kill him in a single shot while he’s wearing it. The rest of his crew follow, none of them showing any signs of aggression in their stances, the one with the scanner barely looking up from it.

“No criminal record or arrest warrants on him,” the one with the scanner says.

He shouldn’t be able to tell that without scanning my ID chip. Unless he’s rigged the scanner to scan it from a distance, which shouldn’t be possible with the security built into the chips, but then he did manage to blast through my security measures on the front door in seconds.

I raise my weapon again. “Who the veck are you?”

“Woah, woah, woah,” one of the two other males says, stepping in front of my weapon, even as the female and the other male point theirs at me. “We’re Protectorate Law Enforcement. He’s just making sure you don’t have any reason to not want to see us. What with you being set up for a showdown here.”

I start to lower my gun. Through the glass shield of his helmet, I see him giving me an encouraging smile.

Then he turns his head, his eyes going wide as he sees Cass beside me.

Wide with recognition.

“You—” He starts.

I fire my weapon straight into his chest plate, shoving Cass behind me. He drops to the floor, knocked over by the force of the blast, but the suit will absorb the worst of it. It won’t slow him down for long.

I turn to the other two, both of them pointing their weapons at me, yelling for me to stand down. But they’re not firing. Not even stunners.

My adrenaline flooded brain is on the verge of figuring out why when a voice cuts through the noise.

“Elephant and Castle.”

It’s the one I’ve just shot, and the stunning bolt must have scrambled his brain, because he’s speaking absolute nonsense. It’s enough to get the rest of us to stop shouting at each other for a moment.

“Covent Garden,” he says into the silence, pushing himself into a sitting position. The suit is slow to respond, the hydraulics that make it easy to move not reactivated. He’s panting with the effort of getting himself upright.

“Piccadilly Circus.”

“What the hell is he saying?” the female says.

“Stations on the London Underground.”

Everyone in the room turns to Cass. I take in her surprise and confusion. And the way she’s lowered her gun.

“You… you know another human. You’ve actually spoken to another human.”

“I do and I have.” He’s on his feet now, swaying a little as he gestures to his helmet. “Mind if I take this off?”

Cass nods, and he reaches for his helmet, unclipping it before lifting it off his head. In doing so, he has to holster his weapon, and he doesn’t take it out again when he’s done. Just smiles at Cass in a way that radiates friendliness. There’s nothing distinctive about him that gives me a clue as to his species, but he’s not vetruen and he’s not dravosic, so that’s a good start.

“I’m Barrand,” he says, then points to each of the rest of his crew in turn. “That’s Ellastra, Loran and Taph.”

Ellastra sets down her laser rifle and takes off her helmet, revealing pale purple skin and bright silver eyes. I don’t recognise her species, either, but again - not vetruen, not dravosic. She doesn’t smile, but she doesn’t look impatient or frustrated, everything in her body language saying she trusts Barrand to take the lead. And that she doesn’t consider me or Cass much of a threat.

Loran at the back still has his eyes glued to his scanner device, not bothering to remove his helmet, but the other male, Taph, unclips his. I’m surprised to meet bright orange eyes, the bioluminescent markings on his dark skin flashing. Menarzi. I didn’t think there were any of his kind left.

“We’re helping with the rescue effort,” Barrand continues. “Gathering up all the escape pods. When my Rosie heard one of the people we were looking for was human, she taught me some words. Made me memorise them. So if we found you, you’d know I’ve spoken to one of your kind before.”

“A bit more than spoken to,” Ellastra mutters, rolling her eyes.

“And she just happened to teach you tube stations in the city where I lived?” Cass says.

Barrand shrugs. “Place names are good. They don’t automatically translate. Makes it easier for me to learn them the way she says it. Elephant and Castle. I like that one. Your language is like music.”

Cass frowns. “That accent, she’s French, right?”

“Irish,” Barrand says, no stumble, no pause as he corrects her. “She’s from Dublin.”

Cass nods, and though I don’t really understand half of what they’re saying, I get the sense that Barrand has just passed some sort of test.

Barrand presses a hand to his chest, right where I shot him.

“Veck, that hurts,” he says, perfectly cheerful. “But that’s why you’ve done all this.” He gestures at the room around us, the defences we spent days building. “You’re protecting her.”

“A lot of people wouldn’t see her as a person so much as a commodity,” I say, watching their reactions carefully.

“We know,” Taph says. “We’ve been trying to track down the veckers that trafficked them out here.”

There’s a blaze of anger behind his words.

“Them? You have other humans on your station?” I ask. “More than just one?”

“We have a few,” Loran says.

“They’re a pain in my tail,” Taph says.

Ellastra arches a brow at him. “You’re mated to one of them.”

“Especially that one,” Taph says without missing a beat, a bright grin breaking through the scowl on his face for a moment.

My heart thumps at that word. Mated. It should be impossible, but I know it’s not. No one who hadn’t met a human, hadn’t formed a mate bond with one, would say that. But it’s that brief expression, more than anything else, that convinces me.

I lower my weapon, reaching for Cass’s as well. I think she must be convinced, too, because she doesn’t even try to stop me taking it.

“Sorry for the welcome, but we had to be sure,” I say.

“Of course,” Barrand says, even as he grimaces in pain again.

I feel a flash of guilt, but I would shoot him again in a moment if I thought him any danger to Cass. He catches my eye, and an understanding passes between us. He knows what I’d do for her. He knows because he’d do the same. My Rosie, he said. That’s two of them in relationships with humans. My heart feels easier by the second.

Barrand turns to Cass. “You’re safe. The veckers on that cruise ship who bought you, they’ll all be in custody by now.”

“A shame,” Cass says. “I was hoping they’d all been blown up.”

“Are all humans this bloodthirsty, or is it just the ones we find?” Ellastra says.

“Where did you find the others?” Cass’s voice rings with hope.

“Intercepted a slaver ship,” Barrand says. “Had twenty-four human women in cryostasis in the cargo hold.”

Cass’s shoulders droop. She and her sister were awake for the entirety of their journey from their home planet to wherever they were sold onwards. So whoever they have on Xentra, it’s not her sister.

“Most of them chose to go home again, but a few decided to stay,” Barrand continues. “You’ll have a safe place to stay on Xentra, somewhere you can figure out what you want to do next. And other humans you can talk to about it.”

Cass nods, but she looks up at me, seeking approval.

“I told you there were good people out there,” I say to her. “Go grab our bags, Cass. I don’t know how far Xentra is, but it’s far enough that we’ll want a change of clothes.”

She nods, slipping out of the little booth holding the control centre and heading into the back of the research station.

“You’re Sharr, right?” Barrand says. “The Protectorate’s inside man?”

“Yes.”

“We can meet up with their fleet, drop you off with them. Wouldn’t take us far out of our way.”

“I go wherever she’s going,” I say. And Cass won’t want to go to the Protectorate fleet. She’ll want to go to Xentra and the other humans.

Barrand grins. “Thought you might say that.”

Cass returns a moment later, already pulling on one of the snow suits we found. She hands me mine, and I manoeuvre myself into it.

“Ready?” Barrand says.

“Ready,” Cass agrees.

“Good,” Taph says, slipping his helmet back into place. “Let’s get off this hell-hole of a planet.”

CHAPTER 15

CASS

Watching the planet slip away beneath us, I feel a lightness in my chest. Like there was a weight pressing down on it all this time and I hadn’t even noticed.

Sharr puts his arms round me, tucking me into his side. I burrow closer, hooking my legs over his, needing to feel as much of him against me as possible without crossing into indecency. Then I remember that aliens don’t like touching in public, and glance across at the crew, wondering how they’ll take this little public display of affection.

They barely react, further confirming in my mind that they’ve met a human or two before.

I turn back to Sharr, resting my head against his chest. “I feel exhausted all of a sudden.”

“It’s because you’re not afraid anymore.” He strokes a hand over my hair. “Go to sleep if you want. We’re out of the planet’s atmosphere now. We can go find our quarters.”

“I’ll show you,” Barrand says, coming over to us.

We follow him down into the ship. After living on V’Sagic’s cruiser for all those weeks, I’d forgotten how claustrophobic small ships can be. But unlike the slaver ship that took me, there’s a warmth in the air of this one that takes the edge off. The crew are kind. Strange and bickering, but kind. And when Barrand opens a door for us, it’s into a small, but cosy room.

“Beds aren’t too big,” Barrand says. “But I’m reliably informed you humans don’t mind that so much.”

He gives me a quick grin.

“Eight days to Xentra. Then we’ll find you some decent accommodations while you decide what you want to do.”

“Only eight?”

Barrand nods. “This ship’s quite a bit faster than that old cruiser you were on, and thank the stars, too, because no one needs to be stuck on a ship this size with Taph for longer than eight days.”

He winks, and I decide I like this guy quite a lot. I look forward to meeting his human mate, his Rosie.

“Anything you need help with on the ship?” Sharr says.

My disapproval of the idea of him leaving my side must show on my face, because Barrand laughs.

“We’ve got everything covered,” he says. “Just relax. Rest. When you’re ready, we can hook you up a comm link to your team. But things are still real busy out here with gathering up all the pods. I’m sure they won’t mind you not getting in touch for a few hours.”

With that, he leaves us to it.

Sharr closes the door behind us, ushering me straight over to the bed. I tug off my shoes, stripping out of my gym clothes, slipping underneath the covers. Sharr follows a moment later, wrapping me up in his arms. And it’s funny how my exhaustion evaporates at the feeling of his skin against mine.

“How soundproofed are these rooms?”

“Probably not very,” Sharr says.

I roll in his arms so I’m facing him.

“Best be quiet then,” I say, before kissing him.

“Do you have somewhere you call home?” I ask him, when he’s knotted inside me, our skin slick with sweat, the pleasure of my last orgasm still washing through me.

“Not really. Protectorate liberated the Arena. I went straight into working for them. Lived in their training barracks for a while, then wherever the work took me.”

“Do you like living like that?”

“Veck, no, it’s awful. I just… I never had a good reason to make a proper home anywhere.”

“Do you think you’d like living on a station?”

Sharr grins at me, and I thump his chest lightly.

“I know we haven’t even seen it yet. It might be horrendous. But there are other humans there, Sharr. And it sounds like they’re happy. I think I’d like that. To live where there are other humans.”

Sharr presses a kiss to my lips. “My home is wherever you are, Cass. If you like Xentra, we’ll stay in Xentra.”

“And your job…”

“I’m getting a new one. I don’t want to be doing the kind of work that takes me away from you.” He grins again. “I’m sure my handler could put in a good word with the Law Enforcement unit of Xentra, or wherever we decide to stay.”

“You’d do that?” I’m getting teary.

“Cass.” This time, my name is heavy with love, and the truth that he would do anything for me.

My mate.

“You and me, always and forever,” I say.

“Guaranteed,” Sharr says with a smile.

Thank you for reading The Bodyguard’s Deception! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Annabelle’s newsletter!

HONEY PHILLIPS

ALIEN CASTAWAY

CHAPTER 1

Darla slipped cautiously through her bedroom window and out onto the porch roof. Down below she could hear her father and brother complaining about the lack of anything decent to watch. Never mind that they now had access to thousands of channels. They weren’t satisfied with any of them, just as they weren’t satisfied with anything else in their lives.

The smell of smoke drifted up from the open windows below, her father’s tobacco and her brother’s weed - both of them illegal now but as familiar a part of her life as the stained couch with the broken spring.

She made her way carefully across the metal porch roof, avoiding the most rusted spots, until she reached the trellis leaning drunkenly against one side. It creaked ominously as she started to climb down – as decrepit as the rest of the house – but it held, and there was no reaction from within the house. She landed on the dirt with a soft thud, barely audible over the pounding of her heart, and darted over to the trees lining the driveway.

Calling it a driveway was somewhat of an exaggeration – the rutted dirt track was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding woods, but Daddy and Darrell liked it that way. The last thing they wanted was anyone turning up unexpectedly on their land. She cast a quick look back over her shoulder. With the darkness disguising the worst of the deterioration, the old house looked like the sturdy farmhouse it had once been, but any trace of sentiment had been knocked out of her a long time ago. She prayed desperately she would never see it again.

Keeping close to the trees, she picked her way as quickly as possible down the driveway until she reached the road. The road was also unpaved but at least the county came by and scraped it once a year. Moving faster now, she continued to hug the edge of the road, her ears straining for the sound of pursuit, even though she knew it was unlikely that either of them would realize she’d gone.

Before she’d escaped to her bedroom, she’d made their dinner, washed the dishes, and filled the cooler they liked to keep in the living room because they’re too damn lazy to walk into the kitchen. She didn’t expect them to move again until they were drunk enough to stumble off to bed, but that didn’t stop the nerves making her pulse race and her hands tremble.

She hurried down the road until it finally intersected with an honest to God paved road. A clump of bushes marked the intersection and she peered under the branches. At first she didn’t see anything, but then she caught the faint gleam of metal in the moonlight and found the old bicycle waiting for her. Thank you, Faye.

The older woman was a fellow waitress at the diner in town who had befriended Darla. It hadn’t taken Faye long to realize how tight a rein her father and brother kept on her – one of them always drove her to work and picked her up afterwards. Daddy hadn’t liked the idea of her working after she graduated, but he liked the cash she brought home. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to cover their modest grocery bill.

“Why don’t they ever let you out on your own?” Faye asked her one day when they were wrapping the silverware in paper napkins.

Darla kept her voice low so Bob, the owner of the diner, wouldn’t hear her. Bob was one of her father’s buddies - another reason they had allowed her to work there.

“Who else is going to cook for them? Or wash the clothes? Or keep the house clean?”

Not that she thought they really cared that much about cleanliness, although Lord help her if Daddy walked into the kitchen and saw a heap of unwashed dishes in the sink.

Faye dropped her voice even lower. “Can’t you get away from them?”

“How? I don’t have a car and you know Bob hands my check over directly to them.”

They also insisted that she handed over any tips she made as soon as she climbed in the truck when they picked her up. She’d thought about escaping so many times, but it seemed impossible - she’d never been any further than her hometown.

“You could come stay with me,” Faye volunteered. “Since Steve left, I’m all alone. It’s not much of a house, but at least you’d be away from them.”

Unexpected tears rose to her eyes.

“I really appreciate the offer, but you know they’d just come and drag me home again. It’s not like anyone around here is going to stand up to them.”

Even though her father and brother were starting to run a little to fat, they were both big men. What’s more, they had an entirely deserved reputation for meanness. Everyone in their small town was a little afraid of them - including any boy who’d even thought about asking her out. One threat from Darrell and they’d back off.

They hadn’t been quite so bad when she was in middle school, but then the aliens had come and they’d been convinced they were going to snatch her up, along with all the other human females. That was when they had started insisting on driving her to and from high school - when they could be bothered to take her. It was a miracle she’d managed to graduate with so many absences on her record. Although she’d read everything she could and done her best to study on her own, she suspected it was more due to the kindness of Mr. Thompson, the principal, than her actual achievements.

“I have a shotgun I’m not afraid to use,” Faye said. “I bet a little lead in their balls would make them back off.”

Darla couldn’t help laughing and Bob gave her a suspicious glare. “Quit cackling and get that silverware done.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Faye said, waving her hand at him, while Darla immediately focused on the silver. She wished she could be as casual as the older woman but she didn’t want Bob complaining about her to her father.

They rolled in silence for a few more minutes, then Faye gave her a thoughtful look. “How’d you feel about having a kid?”

“I’d never bring a baby into that house,” she said fiercely.

“What if you didn’t have to?”

She thought about it for a moment. Someone to love who loved her back. Someone she could take care of because she wanted to - not because someone was making her. She envisioned holding her baby in her arms and her heart ached.

“Yeah, I think I’d like that but you know Daddy doesn’t even let me date.”

In some ways, that was a good thing. Darrell had tried to set her up with some of his equally disgusting friends but thank goodness Daddy had put his foot down and refused to allow it.

Faye looked over her shoulder, checking to make sure that Bob was still occupied in the kitchen.

“Have you thought about going for one of those breeding contracts?” she asked, and Darla’s mouth dropped open.

“A breeding contract? With one of the aliens?”

Even after five years, it was still hard to believe that aliens had conquered Earth. She still remembered seeing the strange but kind face of the first Yehrin ambassador on television. But she also remembered seeing the terrifying face of the war leader who’d taken over after an explosion had destroyed the first delegation. She’d seen pictures of their armies marching through the cities, humanity’s defeat so sudden and decisive that there had been surprisingly little damage or loss of life. Any signs of rebellion were firmly and completely squashed.

Since then the aliens had continued to appear on television. Although they frequently announced new rules and regulations, they also announced the improvements they were making – everything from a cross-country bullet train to astonishing medical advances.

Of course, Daddy and Darrell didn’t believe any of the positive news. They blamed the Yehrin for everything that had ever gone wrong in their lives, even long before the aliens arrived. They held secret meetings with some of the other men who lived in the hills to plan a glorious rebellion, but as far as she could tell, their plans were little more than a bunch of wild talk and a whole lot of drinking moonshine.

They grew even more outraged when the Yehrin announced that they were opening breeding centers to allow human females the opportunity to mate with their warriors. Darla had heard them muttering about aliens stealing their women ever since, and they’d become convinced an alien was going to take her. It didn’t matter that no alien had ever bothered to appear in Patchem county.

“My cousin Susie did it,” Faye said. “She said it wasn’t bad at all. She only had to stay with him for thirty days, or until she got pregnant. They can tell right away, you know.”

“But aren’t they looking for wives?”

Faye shrugged. “Yeah, but it doesn’t always happen. And if you get pregnant they take care of you and the baby. The best part is that even if you don’t get pregnant, you still get paid - enough to start a whole new life. Susie moved to New York.”

“But you have to have sex. With an alien.”

Faye smirked. “Susie didn’t have a problem with that part of it. She said she never had it so good. Some of the things she told me…” She fanned her face with her hand. “She said those men are hung.”

“They’re not men,” she said automatically, her mind whirling. Could she ever do anything like that?

“Maybe not, but they still have male parts - just bigger ones.” Faye studied her face, then patted her hand. “It was just a suggestion, but I thought maybe it was an option.”

Now that Faye had mentioned a breeding contract, Darla couldn’t stop thinking about it, the idea haunting her. She didn’t hate the Yehrin like her father and brother did – in fact, she thought they’d done a lot of good things – but they were huge and scary and intimidating. She couldn’t imagine having sex with one of them.

When she told Faye, the other woman just nodded and promised to help her come up with another way to escape. Darla had started giving Faye a small portion of her tips every day before she left. Not enough to make her father suspicious, but even the few dollars she could manage were slowly adding up. She hadn’t had any specific plans for the money, but then a week ago the need for escape suddenly became urgent.

CHAPTER 2

Darla had been in the kitchen fixing breakfast, when her father scowled at her over his cup of coffee. Her heart beat faster as she tried to figure out what she might have done to upset him.

“You know, you really ain’t that bad looking. Kinda like your momma before she let herself go.”

It was almost a compliment – and it made her heart race even faster. What was he up to now?

“Bob said Mama was pretty,” she said casually, hoping to distract him.

Daddy’s scowl deepened. “Yeah, he went chasing after her but I got her.”

She put the plate of biscuits and gravy in front of him and took a quick step back, just in case this was one of those mornings when nothing pleased him and he decided to throw it at her. Instead, he took a bite and nodded.

“Not a bad cook either. Maybe Darrell’s right.”

“Right about what?” she asked, her heart sinking. If her brother was involved, it was not going to be good.

“About marrying you off.”

The words were half obscured by a mouthful of food, but she heard them well enough. Her stomach churned.

“But what would you do without me, Daddy?” she asked desperately.

He nodded, and took another bite.

“That’s what I always said. Need to keep you here and make sure you do your part. But Darrell’s been talking to Bubba. If you two got married, he’d be willing to move in. Help out.”

“Bubba?” Her voice escaped as a whisper, barely audible over the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears

Bubba was one of Darrell’s friends - a big, brutish male with a loud voice. She’d seen him staring at her a couple of times and it always made her skin crawl. Whenever he came around, she did her best to avoid him.

“I don’t want to get married, Daddy.”

“I ain’t made up my mind yet. Not sure I want anyone else in the family business.” The “family business” was the old still back up in the hills that he and Darrell ran. “But if I decide it’s worth it, you’ll do as I say, you hear me?”

She forced herself to nod, biting her lip to stop herself protesting again. She knew from long experience that if he thought she was arguing with him, it would only make him more determined to get his way.

He didn’t say anything else about it, and she was beginning to hope that maybe he’d changed his mind. But a couple of nights later, Bubba showed up for dinner.

She did her best to keep busy, to avoid looking at him, but she could feel his eyes following her.

“Pretty good cook, ain’t she?” Darrell asked him.

“Not bad. But not as good as my momma’s cooking.” Bubba said, leaning back in his chair as he belched.

Considering that he’d had three helpings, she suspected he was lying, but then again, maybe he was just greedy. He wasn’t quite as tall as Darrell, but he was much heavier, his belly straining at the front of his stained overalls.

She brought them coffee and packed the cooler as she did every night, but when she started to head upstairs to her room, Bubba reached out and grabbed her arm. His short pudgy fingers dug painfully into her wrist.

“Where you going?

“I have to get up early.”

She knew better than to try and get away, but in her desire to escape, she pulled against his grip. His hand immediately tightened, and she couldn’t quite suppress a flinch. He licked thick red lips and started to pull her closer.

“Not so fast,” her father said. “We ain’t reached an agreement yet.”

“Maybe I need to decide if she’s worth it. She’s kinda skinny for my tastes.” Despite the disparaging words, he licked his lips again as his eyes crawled over her. “You sure she’s fresh?”

“Hell yeah.” Darrell scowled at his friend. “Ain’t no sluts in this family.”

“Now let her go,” Daddy said again. “We got business to discuss.”

To her relief, Bubba released her arm. It throbbed painfully, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of rubbing it in front of him. Instead she turned and fled upstairs. Her door didn’t have a lock, but she did her best to wedge her old desk chair beneath the handle. Too frightened to sleep, she huddled in the corner of her bed, her eyes on the door until at last she heard Bubba leaving. He staggered down off the porch, then turned to look up at her window. Even though her room was dark and he couldn’t possibly see her she felt as if he was staring right at her. He grabbed his crotch and squeezed it a few times, then finally stumbled to his truck and took off, his truck veering from one side to the other as he made his way down the driveway.

The Yehrin had ordered a curfew during that first year after they arrived, and now she wished it was still in place - that they would stop him and take him wherever it was they took lawbreakers. But there was no curfew, no aliens swooped down and took him away, and the next morning, her father told her that it was a done deal. She was going to marry Bubba and he would move in with them.

“But I don’t want to marry him, Daddy.”

She knew it was hopeless, but she couldn’t stop herself from protesting. He scowled at her.

“You’ll do as I say, girl.” He shrugged. “Reckon you’ll like it well enough once you get used to it. By the time you have a kid or two, you’ll be just fine.”

When he drove her to work, Faye took one look at her exhausted face and bruised wrist and frowned, but there was no time to talk until after the morning rush was over. As soon as they started on the lunch prep, filling the salt and pepper and topping up the ketchup bottles, she whispered, “What happened?”

“Daddy says I have to marry Bubba.”

“What? He can’t make you do that.”

“He can’t?” she asked despairingly. “You know the County Clerk is one of his drinking buddies. I’m not sure he’d even listen to me if I said I didn’t want to get married. And even if he did, what’s going to happen then? Daddy’s decided to give me to Bubba and I don’t think he’ll change his mind just because he doesn’t have the paperwork.”

“He can’t just give you away to someone.”

“You keep saying he can’t, but who’s going to stop him?”

Faye bit her lip but before she could respond, Bob stormed out of the kitchen.

“Quit gossiping and get to work.” He looked over at Darla. “Your daddy told me the good news. Good news for you anyway. Now I gotta find another waitress.”

She would have swayed if she hadn’t already been sitting down. “What do you mean?”

“Your daddy said it wasn’t right for a married woman to work.”

He stomped back off into the kitchen before she could respond. They were going to make her quit? She wouldn’t even have this break from the house and the three of them? She couldn’t do it - she had to get away from here. As she did her best not to cry, Faye’s original suggestion came back to her.

No matter how scary the aliens were, they didn’t scare her as much as Bubba did. She would only have to be with one of them for thirty days, but she knew she’d be trapped with him for the rest of her life.

“I’m going to do it,” she whispered to Faye as soon as she had the chance. “I’m going to try for one of those contracts. Can you help me?”

Faye had agreed, and together they came up with the plan of hiding the bicycle in the bush at the end of the road. Faye wanted to just wait and pick her up, but Darla thought it was too risky. They didn’t get much traffic along their road. Anyone who drove by would be suspicious about seeing a strange car parked on the road at night, and might tell her father. But as long as she had a bicycle, she could ride to the next town and catch the bus.

“Come to my house instead,” Faye said. “I’ll drive you all the way.”

“I don’t want to take the chance of someone seeing me, especially not of someone seeing me with you. You know it will get back to them, and I don’t want them coming after you.”

“I’m not scared of those two,” Faye said, but Darla saw the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

She gave Faye’s hand a quick squeeze. “I promise I’ll be just fine on the bicycle.”

Now cycling along the dark road, the night breeze rushing past her face and carrying the scent of honeysuckle, a feeling of exhilaration started to replace the terror of her escape. But the growing sense of freedom wasn’t enough to keep her from looking over her shoulder. When a set of headlights appeared in the distance, she dismounted and dragged herself and the bike down into the grassy ditch next to the road and waited, shaking, until the car passed. No one she recognized, thank the Lord, but her knees were still trembling when she tried to climb back up on the bike. Somehow she managed, and set off again, determined never to return.

CHAPTER 3

Darla stared at the breeding center across the street. It seemed innocuous enough, a former medical office that had been repurposed. Only the neat sign over the door and the strange metallic gleam of the windows gave any indication that it was anything other than what it had once been.

I have to go in, she told herself, but her feet firmly planted to the pavement

She’d made it safely to Clarksville, and then spent an anxious hour jumping at shadows as she waited for the late-night bus to the capitol. She kept expecting Darrell or her father to appear and drag her back home. Even after she was seated on the bus, she kept imagining their faces outside her window. That same fear had kept her awake and restless for the entire trip.

The bus seemed to stop at every small town they passed through, and each time she expected to see them waiting for her. But they never appeared and by the time she descended from the bus at the main station, she was actually starting to believe that she’d escaped. Maybe she didn’t even have to apply for a breeding contract. Maybe she could just stay here in the city, even though it was so big and busy even at this early hour of the morning.

“You need some help, darlin’?” a man asked from where he was leaning against the side of the depot.

She gave him a suspicious look, but he seemed decent enough. An older man with a neatly pressed shirt, he gave her a friendly smile as he came towards her.

“You looking for something?”

“I’m looking for a hotel,” she said in a rush, suddenly deciding to give the city a chance.

“Then you’re in luck. There’s one right down the street.”

“How much is it?”

As soon as he named the price, her heart sank. The meager amount she’d accumulated would barely cover one night, and then what would she do?

“Of course, if you don’t have the money,” he added, still smiling. “I could make you a little loan…”

“You could?”

“I sure could –”

“Get away from her, Fulton. How many times have I got to tell you to stay away from here?” One of the bus company employees stormed out of the depot. “If I catch you around here again, I’m going to report you to one of the Yehrin peacekeepers.”

The stranger raised his hands and started to back away. “I didn’t mean any harm. Just trying to help.”

“She don’t need your kind of help. Now go.”

The man shrugged and walked off as Darla gave the depot manager a confused look.

“I don’t understand. He was just trying to help me.”

“No, sweetheart, he wasn’t. He has a stable of women and he’s always on the lookout for more.”

“A stable?”

The man sighed. “You know, prostitutes?”

“But I’m not… not one of those.” Her stomach churned and she felt sick.

“That’s exactly why he was trying to pick you up. Have you ever been to the city before?” When she shook her head, he sighed again. “Do you have somewhere to go? There’s a shelter not far from here - a woman’s shelter.”

For a moment, she was tempted, but then she decided that if Darrell or her father came after her, that would be the first place they’d check. She shook her head again.

“I have somewhere to go, but it’s not open until the morning.”

“Then you’d better come inside. The depot is open all night and I’ll keep an eye on you.”

And he had. He’d insisted on giving her a sandwich and a really terrible cup of coffee. They talked a little and he told her about his wife passing, and how much he was looking forward to visiting his grandson later that summer. He didn’t ask her any more questions, but when the sun finally rose, he gave her a long look.

“Are you sure about this? About whatever it is you came here to do?”

“I’m sure,” she said firmly.

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but then a bus pulled in, followed by another as the morning rush started. She slipped away while he was busy, but his kindness had helped ease her nerves. They had reappeared now that she’d reached her destination, but she finally took a deep breath, walked across the street, and opened the door.

The Yehrin behind the counter looked over at her and nodded politely. “I am Officer T’voth. May I help you?”

She couldn’t speak. She knew the aliens were tall and broad with grey skin and huge dark horns spiraling back from their foreheads. She even knew that they had slit-pupiled eyes and three fingers instead of four. But that knowledge hadn’t given her any indication of what it would be like to be in the same room with one of them, to truly understand how big and powerful they were.

“May I help you?” he asked again, frowning. Even his voice sounded harsh. “This is a breeding center. Did you come in by mistake?”

“No,” she managed to gasp, trying to pull herself together. “No, I came in on purpose.”

“I see.”

He studied her, and she was suddenly afraid she was going to be rejected before she got any further. She had no illusions about her looks – she was tall and skinny with dishwater blonde hair and her mother’s grey eyes. Her jeans were worn and faded and her T-shirt had seen better days. Even though she’d tried to clean up in the bus station’s bathroom, she still felt dirty after the long ride.

“Are you aware of the process?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said quickly, not wanting to create any more doubts in his mind.

Despite his intimidating presence, he hadn’t done anything overtly threatening. Thirty days, she reminded herself. I can do anything for thirty days.

“Then have a seat. Here is the application.”

He pointed to a comfortable chair and handed her a datapad. She took it gingerly, trying not to stare at those long gray fingers topped with black claws.

Thirty days.

She sat down and looked at the application. Some of it was quite straightforward – name, address, educational background – but some of it seemed very strange. Her favorite fruit? Did she prefer winter or summer? Maybe it was to make sure she was compatible with whoever chose her? While she certainly didn’t want a permanent arrangement, the fact that they were asking about her preferences reassured her a little. She filled in the details, only hesitating over her address. In the end, she reluctantly filled out her home address, and then handed the datapad back to the Yehrin officer.

“Thank you.” He scanned the application. “You are a long way from home, D’rla.”

Her pulse started to flutter again, but she managed to respond calmly.

“There isn’t a… breeding center in my town.”

“I see.” Those strange alien eyes were uncomfortably discerning. “So you will return?”

“What do you mean?”

“That you will return here after your application has been reviewed and submitted to the list of available candidates.”

“How… how long will that take?”

“It usually does not take much time. There is a great deal of… demand for human females. Perhaps two or three days.”

She stared at him in appalled horror. Two or three days? Even if she could find a place to stay that she could afford, she would spend the whole time terrified that her father or Darrell would find her.

The warrior frowned, those towering horns looming closer.

“Is there an issue?”

“I… I don’t have anywhere to go while I wait.”

“You provided an address on your application.”

“But I can’t go back there. Please. Isn’t there a faster option?”

His frown deepened. “Are you in danger? We have provided alternative options for abused females.”

“Not in my town, you didn’t. And even here, it’s the first place they’d look. Please, I just need to get away - far away from here.”

“Far away?” He hesitated. “There is another option.”

“What is it? I’ll take anything.”

He tapped his claws on the counter and she gave them a horrified look before she forced her gaze away.

“Human females are… valued amongst the Yehrin,” he said slowly. “But not every warrior can make the trip to Earth. There is a demand for females willing to travel to Yehr for a breeding contract.”

“Travel to Yehr?” The words were barely above a whisper. “But I’ve never even left my town before.”

“I understand. I can try and expedite your application here instead.”

He didn’t sound hopeful about the prospect, and she bit her lip. It was ridiculous to even consider such a thing, and yet, what did she have keeping her on Earth? She’d wanted an escape, and leaving the planet would be the ultimate escape. Her father and Darrell could never follow her into space.

“But if I agree to… to leave Earth, it would be faster?”

“Because so few females are willing, the process is much simpler. As long as you meet the basic criteria - which you do - and you pass the medical exam, you would qualify. You would be assigned to the highest ranking warrior on the list and placed on the next available transport. As it happens, there is a ship leaving this afternoon.”

This afternoon? She stared at him, her thoughts tumbling over each other in an endless circle.

“It would still be for a thirty day trial?” she whispered.

“Yes, although the time on board the ship does not count. You would, of course, be provided with the finest accommodations.”

She bit back a laugh, afraid it would turn to a sob.

“Believe me, that’s the least of my worries.”

“Perhaps it would be better to wait for the planetary process. I may be able to arrange a guard-”

A faded blue truck drove down the street and she lost track of what he was saying as terror washed over her. They found me!

But the truck kept going and she realized that unlike her daddy’s truck, both tail lights were in working order. The resulting wave of relief left her weak and trembling.

“I’ll do it,” she said.

“You are sure?”

She took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes. Send me to Yehr.”

CHAPTER 4

“Hold out your arms.”

T’pak obeyed, refusing to let his anger show as the guard fastened the restraints in place. Even in this small matter they treated him as a male with no honor. An honorable male would never have been restrained. But then, an honorable male would never have been imprisoned in the beginning.

“Follow me,” the guard barked, and once again T’pak obeyed.

Another guard fell in step behind them and they proceeded down the long white hallway until they emerged on the landing field. He expected to see a military transport waiting for him. Instead, the only ship being prepared for departure was a passenger ship - one of the expensive vessels designed to transport high-ranking officials not on military business.

As they started marching towards it, he finally broke his silence.

“Why are you taking me to this ship?”

The first guard ignored him, but the second one flashed him a not entirely unsympathetic glance.

“Supreme Commander T’chyro’s orders. You are to be returned to Yehr for a hearing immediately.”

T’chyro? The events of the past few hours suddenly made sense - the unexpected arrest and the rapid transport to the isolated holding cell. He had thought he would be far enough away on Earth to escape T’chyro’s claws, but he had apparently underestimated the other male’s desire for vengeance.

“I see.”

They came to a halt at the bottom of a wide ramp leading to the cargo area of the ship. It was currently being used by the loading bots to carry trade goods on board, and the lead guard went to talk to the male in charge of the process while T’pak waited with the younger guard.

“Did you really commit those crimes?” the guard asked quietly. “Did you allow females and children to be killed?”

“That is what Supreme Commander T’chyro says.”

He could not entirely keep the bitterness from his voice and the guard stepped closer.

“I do not like this break in protocol. Do you want -”

“Officer T’katyn, step away from the prisoner,” the first guard barked, returning to them. “He is to be treated as a dangerous - and dishonorable - male.”

T’pak almost growled at the contempt in the male’s voice, but it would do little other than to reinforce the guard’s negative opinion of him.

“Yes, Sub Commander T’nal,” T’katyn said, moving back. “But the standard procedure would be to return the prisoner on a military transport.”

“This was a direct order from Supreme Commander T’chyro. Do you wish to challenge him?”

T’katyn hesitated, then shook his head.

“I thought not.” T’nal gestured at the loading ramp. “The loading process will be completed shortly, then we can show Officer T’pak to his special accommodation.”

From the unpleasant smile on T’nal’s face, T’pak had no illusions as to what was in store for him but he kept his face blank and looked out across the landing field.

Passengers were moving through a glass-enclosed walkway to the ship. He saw several Yehrin officials, all richly dressed, along with a cluster of Yehrin scholars in their black robes. A scattering of other races mingled with the Yehrin, including two Icluthians. The sight would have been unthinkable even a few years ago, but it was becoming more common now that the two races had joined forces to fight the Saviji. The final two passengers were a Yehrin warrior accompanying a slender Earth female.

An unexpected pang of jealousy pierced him as he watched the two. He had held out little hope that he would find his L’chka - his beloved - on Earth, but the possibility had always been there. Now he would never have that chance. As he watched them travel down the walkway, he could tell the female was nervous but her male did not appear to be reassuring her. He frowned. Her clothes too were unsuitable - of poor quality and worn and faded. Why did her warrior not take better care of her?

They paused at the entrance to the ship and the female suddenly turned and paced to the glass wall, her hands clutching the rail, and he saw her face clearly. Even for a human female, she had delicate, fragile features. She appeared young, but something about her expression made him believe that she had seen more than her share of sorrow. Her eyes had the silvery gleam of the ocean on his home planet and her hair gleamed like sunlight striking the fields of grain.

The warrior accompanying her came to the glass to join her and once again T’pak had to bite back a growl.

Fool. She is not for you. He forced himself to look away, but found himself glancing back a moment later. She was gone.

Perhaps it was just as well. He needed no reminders of what he could not have - would never have thanks to Supreme Commander T’chyro. Not for the first time, he wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut. If he should never have reported - or tried to report - that the commander’s action had cost the lives not only of Yehrin warriors, but of innocent females and children. If he should have realized that T’chyro was too well connected for anyone to take the word of an ordinary warrior over his.

And yet, he occasionally wondered why his punishment had not been far more severe. Were there those who doubted the Supreme Commander’s version of events? Although T’pak had been demoted and sent as far from Yehr as possible, he had not been imprisoned or sentenced to death. T’chyro apparently agreed that the sentence was not severe enough since he had contrived to have him charged once again.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear T’nal order him to move until the commander jabbed him with a shock stick. This time, he did allow himself to growl.

“Do not touch me.”

The older male actually drew back a step before he sneered and pointed to the now clear landing ramp.

“Then march your worthless ass on board.”

He obeyed silently, T’katyn following behind him.

It wasn’t until they reached the back of the cargo hold that he understood the full indignity that awaited him. His wrist restraints were unfastened, then immediately refastened to a chain attached to the wall. It was long enough to allow him to sit on the floor or to stand, but no longer.

“You will be escorted to the sanitary facility three times a day. If you do not have the discipline to wait for those times -” another sneer “- then you will sit in your own waste.”

“But T’nal-”

T’katyn started to protest but the older officer cut him off.

“Do not worry about this borag. Now come. We must find our seats for takeoff.”

T’katyn gave T’pak a worried look but made no further protest as he followed T’nal out of the hold.

T’pak stared after them, filled with helpless rage. He had spent his entire life trying to act as a warrior should - and this was the result.

His father had been the epitome of a Yehrin warrior and he had expected the same from his son. He had drilled honor and duty into T’pak from the time he was a young child. T’pak’s training at the Warrior House had been equally focused on those tenets.

He had been naive enough to believe that those concepts were integral to Yehrin society. Instead, they had failed him. He had done his duty - and betrayed his honor. Or rather T’chyro had betrayed it and left T’pak to deal with the consequences. Thank the Ancestors that his father had not been alive to witness his disgrace. Would the stern older male even have believed his version of events?

The alarm announcing the imminent departure of the ship interrupted his bitter thoughts, and he braced himself against the wall. There would be no huge surge of acceleration but there might be some minor turbulence until they left the atmosphere. He couldn’t help wishing he had access to a view screen to watch their departure.

He’d been equally angry when he was sent to Earth, angry and frustrated that his attempt to act with honor had been so unsuccessful, but now he regretted leaving the planet, especially without having found a mate.

Mate…

His mind flew back to the slender female on the passenger ramp. She has already been claimed, he reminded himself, but it was no use. The knowledge that she was on the ship taunted him - so close, and yet impossibly far from him..

As the ship quivered and then began to ascend, he found himself recalling every detail, from the delicate beauty of her features to the slender elegance of her body. Even under these circumstances, his cock jerked at the memory and he sighed. The fate that awaited him on Yehr should be occupying his thoughts, but he suspected that he would spend most of the journey thinking about the forbidden female instead.

CHAPTER 5

Darla followed the recruitment officer across a glass enclosed walkway to the spaceship - the spaceship that was taking her away from Earth. It reminded her of a giant insect perched elegantly on the landing field with an enormous glass dome creating the face at the front, the four huge thrusters extending from the mid-section forming the legs, and the smaller rear section as the tail. She had never seen anything quite like it and it made her even more conscious of the enormous step she was about to take.

It had been less than three hours since she stepped into the breeding center. Once she’d agreed to the offworld contract, T’voth had arranged for a medical exam. The female doctor had been thorough, efficient, and kind. She’d confirmed that Darla was making the decision of her own free will and that she understood the consequences.

Once the examination had been completed, Darla had been injected with a translation device and handed back over to T’voth. And now she was about to board a spaceship - she still couldn’t quite believe that she was actually going to do it.

Thirty days, she reminded herself. Well, thirty days plus the time to reach Yehr and to return, but it was easier to concentrate on the specific time required by the contract.

She had absolutely no illusions that a high ranking Yehrin official would bond with her or want to keep her, especially when she was already overwhelmingly aware of how out of place she was amongst the other passengers. The aliens - the people - moving ahead of them all seemed calm and confident, chatting easily amongst themselves as they approached the ship. She could see more of the black Yehrin uniforms, as well as the dark robes worn by the Yehrin scholars, but there were also more colorfully dressed passengers in bright, expensive-looking garments. She ran a nervous hand down her faded jeans, her steps slowing.

T’voth frowned at her. “Are you sure you wish to proceed?”

“Y-yes,” she managed to whisper, then straightened her shoulders. “Yes. It’s my way out.”

“The breeding contract is not intended as an escape,” he reminded her. “The goal of the contract is to find a suitable warrior to… care for you.”

“And how often does that happen?”

“Quite frequently,” he said, and her heart sank.

She didn’t want to end up on a foreign planet with a Yehrin warrior trying to exert the same kind of control over her as her father and brother had always done. It’s not going to happen, she reminded herself. He’s never going to pick me. As soon as the trial period was over and she was back on Earth, she would be free to go anywhere she liked and start a new life. Perhaps somewhere by the ocean…

Trying to divert herself with thoughts of the future, she didn’t notice that they were almost at the end of the walkway until an enormous doorway loomed in front of her. The doors were open to reveal a richly decorated hall beyond, but the doors themselves were made of thick metal. Like prison doors, she thought, and suddenly panicked.

She turned blindly away from the entrance, only to run into the glass wall of the walkway. The clear barrier was a potent reminder of her decision. Even though the landing field and the city beyond were clearly visible through the glass, she felt as if she’d already left Earth behind. Fighting the bubble of panic rising inside her, she forced herself to take several deep breaths.

“D’rla?” T’voth appeared at her side. “It is not too late to change your mind.”

She jumped, then gave him a tremulous smile. “You keep saying that. I’m beginning to think that you’re trying to get me to back out.”

“As I said, the breeding contracts have been very successful for both our warriors and their chosen females,” he said slowly.

“Then why do I feel as if that’s not the whole truth?”

He actually looked offended. “I would never lie to you.”

“I didn’t mean you were lying - just maybe not telling me everything.”

“Perhaps.” T’voth sighed. “The process here on Earth is well-established, but very few females have consented to travel to Yehr. It is a less… predictable encounter.”

“But the contract still applies, right? No one will force me to stay?”

“Of course not.”

His concern actually made her feel better and she managed a more sincere smile. “Then let’s do this.”

As she started to turn towards the doors, she cast one more quick look at the outside world. Three Yehrin warriors were standing on the field below, next to a pile of baggage. One of them was just turning away - a tall male with the usual arrogant Yehrin posture - but something about him caught her attention. He seemed isolated somehow, despite the presence of two other males beside him.

All she could see was the side of his face, but it was a remarkably attractive face and she hesitated, hoping he would turn back towards her so she could see more.

“D’rla?”

T’voth pulled her attention away from the intriguing male, and for some reason she found herself blushing as she looked back at him. She was quite sure he noticed, but he didn’t comment as he led her though those imposing doors and down the wide hallway.

At the end of the hall, a large open atrium ran up through the center of the ship. A magnificent sculptured stairway curved up one side of the space, leading towards a clear dome three stories overhead. She could see the familiar blue sky of Earth through the glass. What would it be like when all she could see was stars?

Her fellow passengers were moving across the dark grey stone of the atrium floor and climbing the stairs, talking to each other. No one stopped to gawk and look around, and it only made her feel smaller and more out of place.

She was so busy studying her surroundings that she didn’t realize that T’voth had stopped to talk to a warrior waiting at an unobtrusive reception desk. They were speaking too quietly for her to hear, but there was no mistaking the appraising look that the reception officer gave her. Once again, she was sure she was blushing, but she resisted the impulse to scurry behind T’voth and hide.

“This way.”

T’voth led her not to the grand stairway but to one of the glass-enclosed tubes that ran up the opposite side of the central atrium. A lift she realized, as they stepped inside and the ground floor disappeared beneath them with astonishing speed.

“The level where we entered contains the crew’s quarters and work areas. The second level has passenger quarters as well as the general dining and entertainment areas. The bridge, the quarters for the captain and his senior officers, and the escape vessels are all located on the top level.”

“Escape vessels?” she whispered as a new fear reared its head.

“Simply a precaution,” he assured her. “Your ocean going boats also contain such vessels, do they not?”

“I suppose so.”

Just a precaution, she told herself as the elevator came to a halt on the third level.

“This level contains the cabins for high-ranking passengers, as well as the private lounges and dining rooms,” T’voth said. “You are, of course, welcome to use the main dining room as well.”

They stepped out onto a walkway, the dark grey stone of the lower floor replaced with thick white carpet. The walls were white as well, with a faint opalescent shimmer, and the pristine surroundings made her feel dirty and unkempt. T’voth escorted her along the balcony overlooking the central atrium to the rear of the ship, then used his wrist device to open a set of double doors leading into a lounge area. Couches and chairs covered in white fabric were arranged in discrete seating areas around small tables. A succession of soothing images was displayed on the surrounding walls, the colors muted.

While the room was undoubtedly beautiful and luxurious, it was also remarkably sterile. The only occupants of the lounge were two Yehrin warriors who gave her that same brief, appraising look before turning away and resuming their conversation. It felt like a dismissal and she had to force herself to follow T’voth with her head held high.

Two hallways let off the central lounge and he led her to the end of the one on the right before opening double doors to reveal a cabin larger than the living room of her house. In addition to a seating area, the most enormous bed she’d ever seen stood in front of a glass wall at the far end of the cabin. Two of the other walls were composed of vertical panels of white fabric, while the remaining wall was covered in pale wood.

“As you can see, your contract male has provided for the finest accommodations. You will be treated with great honor.”

T’voth sounded as if he was trying to convince himself, and she gave him an uncertain look.

“Is this how it’s usually done?”

“I do not know. As I said, only a few females have consented to an off world contract and I was not involved in either.” He hesitated. “Are you satisfied with your room?”

“It’s very…” Cold. Like everything else she’d seen on the ship, it was beautiful but sterile. She had a sudden longing for her own bedroom with the faded yellow paint and the worn quilt her mother had made, but she forced herself to nod. “It’s very nice.”

She looked at the glass end wall again and added, “Is that really safe? In space I mean?”

He frowned, then his face lightened. “It is not a window. It is a view screen. You may change the setting.”

When he pressed a hidden catch on the paneled wall, a section swung open to reveal a desk area and an intimidating panel of controls. “You may keep it on an Earth setting, view the surroundings of the ship, or choose from a variety of other images. You may also access information about the ship in English here.”

She gave the controls a doubtful look, but nodded. “Okay. Is there, umm, a restroom behind that wall as well?”

“Yes, of course.”

He showed her how to open the panel leading to a large and elegant bathroom, and then a walk-in closet, already stocked with clothing.

“These garments have been provided for you as well.”

The idea of wearing clothing provided by an unknown male made her uncomfortable, but perhaps it would help her to fit in.

“Thank you.”

A low chime reverberated through the room and T’voth gave her a hesitant look.

“I must leave. The ship is about to depart.”

Don’t go, she wanted to say, terrified at losing the one familiar face on the ship, but she managed to nod.

“You will need this.” He handed her a wide silver bracelet. “It will allow you the same access to the ship as the other high ranking passengers.”

It looked far too big for her but when she obediently slipped it over her wrist, it vibrated softly, then shrank down to fit her wrist perfectly.

“I wish you well, D’rla,” T’voth said solemnly, and left.

She stared after him, resisting the urge to burst into tears, then sank down in one of the oversized chairs. Her hands clutched the arms nervously as the ship began to rise into the air. She could see the ground - see Earth - disappearing below her all too clearly and she closed her eyes.

Is he on board too? she wondered, thinking of the warrior she had seen outside. He had been standing by the loading ramp, so perhaps he was a one of the crew. For some reason, that thought helped reassure her and she finally started to relax as the scene outside her window turned to a darkness filled with stars.

Perhaps this would work out after all.

CHAPTER 6

Darla stumbled onto the lift, somehow managing to wait until the doors closed before giving in to tears. She stabbed blindly at the controls as despair washed over her.

Why did I ever think this would work?

After the ship had taken off, she had spent several hours pacing the cabin, alternating between anxiety and cautious excitement. Leaving Earth was a huge step but it meant that she’d finally have a chance at a new life - a life where she could make her own decisions. The idea would have been more encouraging if she’d had any idea what she wanted that life to look like.

Rather than think about the fact that Earth was steadily receding behind her, she’d tried to envision that new life. By the ocean, she decided again - someplace warm and sunny. Waitressing was her only practical skill but she’d never really minded it and interacting with other people was much easier when it was part of her job. She wasn’t exactly sure what the stipend provided by the Yehrin would cover, but perhaps it would be enough for her to go back to school as well, even if it was only part-time.

She was daydreaming about a little cottage by the sea and a garden filled with flowers when another one of the chimes sounded. Based on the information she’d accessed about the ship, the sound indicated that it was time to gather for dinner. Her stomach approved of the idea so she reluctantly went to pick an outfit from the wardrobe. The clothing all seemed designed for a much more voluptuous woman - which made her even more doubtful about the warrior who had arranged the contract - but she finally managed to find a pale blue gown that wasn’t too bad.

When she surveyed herself in the mirror, she was quite pleased. The color brought out a hint of blue in her grey eyes and even though the garment was far too large, she thought the fabric fell gracefully down to her feet. She left the cabin feeling almost confident - a confidence that disappeared when she entered one of the smaller dining lounges and all of the other diners turned to look at her.

She was the only human present and she almost turned tail and fled, but before she could escape, a waiter came and escorted her to a table for one. The waiter was Yehrin as well, but the kind with the small dark horns rather than the towering horns that marked the warriors - warriors like the one she had seen when she was boarding. As his face flashed across her mind she took a cautious look around, but there was no sign of him.

However, her survey also revealed that several people were still looking at her, their glances either amused or disdainful. Her mouth threatened to tremble, but she refused to let it. Then the only other female present - a rare Yehrin female surrounded by a coterie of admiring males - looked over at her. Her disparaging gaze swept down over Darla before she turned and said something to her admirers. There was a burst of laughter and Darla suddenly felt as if she was back in school, a target for the more popular girls.

She rose from the table, somehow managing not to cry, and left the room as quickly as she could, stumbling over the too long gown on the way. There was another burst of laughter behind her, thankfully cut off when the door closed.

Now the lift glided to a halt, pulling her back from the humiliating memory. She quickly wiped her eyes and stepped out, then frowned. Where was she?

Instead of the walkway leading to her cabin, she was in a cavernous space. Metal racks stacked with various size containers reached to the ceiling far overhead. The warrior she had seen earlier had been standing next to a loading ramp - this must be the cargo hold. She sighed and lifted her bracelet to the call button for the lift. Nothing happened. Great.

Still, there had to be another way out and she was in no big hurry to return to the beautiful empty cabin. She began wandering down the aisles, idly wondering what the various containers held and letting her imagination supply ever more outrageous answers.

“Back so soon, T’nal? One would almost think you cared.”

The deep voice made her jump, but it wasn’t an unpleasant voice. To the contrary, the low rumble sent an unexpected thrill of excitement down her spine.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

There was a moment of silence.

“You are not T’nal.”

“Obviously not. But who are you? Where are you?”

A briefer pause.

“No one you need to know, little mouse. Go back to your nest.”

“I’m not a mouse,” she said indignantly, but the hint of mockery intrigued rather than dissuaded her and she kept going, heading for the far wall and the source of the voice.

She turned a corner and came to a halt. A Yehrin warrior stood against the wall, his grey skin and dark uniform stark and powerful against the white. His dark horns towered over his head as raised it to look at her, his eyes a startling shade of light purple. It was her warrior.

“You,” she whispered.

He seemed to recognize her as well and took a half step forwards, only to come to an abrupt halt, brought up short by the chain fastening him to the wall. Chained? What had he done that required him to be chained? She should have been afraid but her first reaction was outrage.

“They chained you to a wall?”

“As you see, little mouse.”

The mockery was back but she ignored it as she took in the rest of his surroundings. Other than a neatly folded grey blanket and a metal tray, there was nothing next to him, not even a chair.

“Why would someone do this? Should I let the captain know?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“So he can set you free, of course.”

“He would not take such an action. I am a prisoner.”

“But you still have the right to be treated better than this,” she said indignantly. “Everyone has rights.”

His expression didn’t change but she thought she saw a flicker of surprise in those amazing eyes.

“You are concerned on my behalf?”

“Of course I am. Not even the worst criminal should be chained to the wall like an animal. Not that I think an animal should be chained either,” she added quickly.

“You do not know what I have done.” There was the slightest hesitation before he added, “What I have been accused of doing.”

She understood the distinction he was making and gave him a hopeful look.

“You mean you didn’t do it?”

His expression turned even more forbidding.

“It would be beneath the dignity of a Yehrin warrior to defend himself from false accusations. His actions should speak for themselves.”

“Not even when they try you? They are going to give you a trial, aren’t they?”

“There will be an… inquisition.”

Remembering the history books she’d read, she frowned at him. “That usually implies they’re just trying to prove your guilt.”

He lifted his shoulder in a not quite human shrug, but he didn’t deny it.

“Isn’t there anyone I can talk to and get you out of those chains?” The more she looked at him, the more wrong it seemed.

“There is no one who would authorize my release,” he assured her.

“But you don’t even have a bed. Or a… bathroom,” she added, sure that she was blushing.

His stern look faded, replaced by amusement.

“My guards allow me to take care of my bodily needs.” He shook his head. “But aside from your concern about my situation, why are you here? Your warrior should not allow such an attractive female to wander around unescorted.”

“Attractive?” She snorted. “No one else seems to think so. But don’t worry - I don’t have any illusions about my looks. I know I’m too thin and too plain.”

He frowned, his massive horns drawing together.

“You should not speak about yourself in such a way. Your warrior should not allow it.”

“I don’t have a warrior.” Twenty minutes ago she would have added that she didn’t want one, but if her contract male was anything like this male…

“I saw you with him as you were about to enter the ship.”

“You mean T’voth? He wasn’t with me. I mean he was, but he was just escorting me on board. I have…” It was harder than she expected to tell him. “I have a breeding contract with a male on Yehr.”

His frown grew even darker. “A breeding contract? What kind of worthless male would arrange for a contract and then not come for you himself?”

She shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I haven’t met him. T’voth said he was some kind of high-ranking officer. Maybe it wasn’t a good time for a trip to Earth.”

“I see. Unfortunately there are some officials who do not act in an honorable manner.”

She could hear the bitterness in his voice and suspected he was talking about more than just her arrangement, but before she could ask him about it, there was another chime – this one much harsher than the one she’d heard in her quarters – and she jumped.

“What was that?”

“It is the signal for the beginning of the evening shift. You should go, little mouse.”

“I’m not a mouse,” she said again, even though she didn’t really mind him calling her that in his deep, rumbling voice.

“No? Are they not small creatures with big eyes and soft… fur?” His eyes seemed to glow as they traveled over her and she felt a corresponding rush of heat before he composed his expression. “You should leave before one of my guards arrives.”

“Maybe I should stay and tell them what I think about the way they’re treating you.”

He looked amused again, but he shook his head.

“They would not listen to you and they might not treat you as respectfully as they should. It is best if you go.”

She didn’t really have any desire to run into his guards, but then again, she hated to think of him down here by himself.

“Can I come back and talk to you?”

Another flicker of surprise. “Why would you want to do that? I am sure there are many more suitable males on the ship.”

“Not that I can tell. So far you’re the only one who is willing to talk to me.”

“It is not a good idea,” he said slowly.

Not a good idea wasn’t the same thing as no, and she decided to leave it at that. She smiled at him and turned to leave, then stopped.

“I’m not sure how to get back to my quarters. The lift didn’t work when I tried to use my bracelet to get back on it.”

“There is a door at the far end of the hold that opens into the central area. You should have access from there.”

“Thank you.”

She gave him another smile, then headed for the door, already anticipating seeing him again.

T’pak watched as his female – the female – hurried away, her gown flowing gracefully around her slender figure. How could she ever think she was not attractive? But he was more concerned with why she was on the ship. A breeding contract? Every part of him rebelled at the idea of the small female in the hands of some arrogant Yehrin official.

Once word emerged that human females made desirable – and even more importantly, fertile – mates, a number of Yehrin males had indicated their interest. Not all, of course. Some considered Earth too backward and its females too primitive. But due to breeding mistakes in their past, Yehrin males far outnumbered Yehrin females and they’d had little luck in finding other species with whom to breed.

He had heard that some officials had sent to Earth for females, but the Supreme Council still insisted that any such female willingly comply and that the rules of the breeding contract be strictly followed. But how much oversight would there be on Yehr? As he knew from his own experience, high ranking officials were allowed a great deal of latitude.

Of course, even if the terms of contract were followed, it did not mean that a successful mating would result. If the contract male should prove unworthy, and if he was found innocent, perhaps he could offer…

He cut off the thought immediately. He had no illusions that he would be found innocent, despite the actual facts of the situation. It would be foolish to even consider such a thing.

Yet despite his stern warning to himself, after T’nal had escorted him to the sanitary facility and returned him to his chains, he couldn’t stop thinking about his female – the female. He hadn’t even asked her name, he realized, but every other detail about her was etched in his memory. When he finally lowered himself to the cold metal floor and closed his eyes to sleep, her face was the last thing he saw.

CHAPTER 7

T’pak paced back-and-forth the short length that the chain allowed. The morning shift alarm had come and gone and he was alone once more. He did not expect his female to return, but he listened for her nonetheless. The knowledge that she was somewhere on the ship didn’t help. Unless she chose to come to him, she might as well have been on another planet. He even found himself tugging at his chains, despite the fact that they were welded into the fabric of the hull. They were designed to withstand the full strength of a Yehrin warrior, even one in the grip of mating fever –

Mating fever? No. Such a thing could not be possible. He was a prisoner and she was promised to another. No matter how much his instincts screamed that she belonged with him, he had to suppress those urges.

But despite his acknowledgment of the situation, he continued to pace until his sensitive hearing caught the faint chime of the lift door opening, followed by soft, hurried footsteps. He froze, eyes searching the opening between the storage racks until she appeared.

Relief washed over him, followed by a sudden and unmistakable rush of lust. She was no longer wearing Yehrin clothing and was dressed in Earth garments instead – faded blue pants that clung to every inch of her long, slender legs and a thin white top that hinted at the slight swell of her breasts. She looked both delectable and completely out of place.

“You do not find Yehrin clothing pleasing?”

The words came out of his mouth before he considered them, and he immediately regretted saying them. Her face turned an enchanting shade of pink as she put her hands on her hips.

“At least they fit. The warrior who took my contract apparently wanted a much curvier woman.”

“I apologize. I meant no disrespect, but you mentioned that you felt out of place. Yehrin clothing would help you to fit in.”

She sighed and gave him a reluctant smile.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help, but it makes me feel even more self-conscious about my appearance.”

“There is no need to be concerned about your appearance, no matter what you are wearing. I have never seen a more desirable female.”

Once again the words came out without conscious thought on his behalf. What is wrong with me? A warrior was trained to be thoughtful and deliberate, yet apparently he failed even that requirement.

But I spoke the truth, he thought as his eyes drifted back down over her body. The pink flooded her face again, but he also saw her nipples thrust against the thin material of her shirt, unexpectedly large on such a small frame. His shaft stiffened, but he did his best to ignore it, hoping his uniform would conceal the evidence of his arousal.

“No one has ever called me desirable before,” she said.

“Then the males who you have encountered in the past were fools.”

A small smile crossed her face. “Maybe so. Or maybe they were just scared of my brother and my father.”

“Your male relatives were protective? That is as it should be.”

“Not really. They weren’t protective because they worried about me. They wanted to control me and make sure I was at their beck and call.” She sighed. “That’s how I ended up here.”

“I admit that I am interested in why you would choose to leave your planet. Would you care to tell me about it?”

“There’s not a lot to tell.” She shrugged. “I had to find a way to get away from them and a breeding contract seemed to be my only choice.”

He pushed the folded blanket towards her.

“Sit down. Please,” he added hastily.

“I don’t want to take your blanket.”

“The floor of the hold is not kept at a suitable temperature for you. It does not bother me.”

She hesitated, and then shook her head. He almost panicked – was she planning to leave him already? Instead, she picked up the blanket and unfolded it.

“We’ll just share.”

He was too stunned to move as she sat down on the open blanket, then patted the space next to her.

“Well, sit down. I don’t want to get a crick in my neck.”

He obeyed, almost stumbling in his haste to join her. Her soft fragrance washed over him and even though they were not touching, he could feel the warmth emanating from her body. His shaft was trapped painfully beneath the fastening of his trousers, but he welcomed the pain as long as it meant she was beside him.

“So what do you want to know?” she asked.

“Everything,” he said truthfully.

She laughed and settled back against the wall, shivering as her shoulders touched the cold metal. “Then this may take a while.”

He wanted to pull her into his arms, to protect her fragile body from the cold, but he would not permit himself to forget his honor to such an extent. He clenched his fists to avoid touching her, the pain of his claws sinking into his palms a welcome distraction.

“I apologize for my lack of courtesy, but I did not request your name yesterday.”

“You’re right. I’m Darla Buckley.”

“And I am… T’pak.” His name felt bare without his usual title, but he did not want to offer it in his current position.

Her lips curved. “It’s nice to meet you, T’pak.”

“I am pleased to meet you as well, D’rla,” he said. “You have a beautiful name.”

“It’s kind of an old-fashioned one, but I like the way you say it.”

“Better than little mouse?” he asked, unable to resist teasing her.

Long lashes fluttered down to conceal her eyes.

“I don’t mind that after the way you explained it,” she said quietly.

Her hand briefly touched his, her skin even softer than he had imagined and he could almost have come from that one fleeting touch. He took a deep breath - which caused her delicious scent to flood his senses - and forced himself back under control.

“Now tell me about your male relatives.”

“There’s really not much to tell. They wanted to control everything I did - even who I married.”

“You are already mated?” She belonged to another? Horror swept over him that he should be reacting in such a way to a mated female. “Then you are ineligible for a breeding contract.”

“Oh, no. I’m not married. Daddy just told me that I was going to marry someone. Someone I didn’t like.”

Anger replaced his horror.

“A male cannot force a female into a mating.”

“Daddy didn’t see it that way. He thinks - thought - he owned me.”

“And the breeding contract was your solution?”

“Yes, although I didn’t expect to end up on a spaceship.” She smiled at him. “It just all happened so quickly.”

“Tell me about it,” he said again and she complied.

His anger didn’t lessen as she told her tale but he did his best to conceal it, unwilling to distress her. Instead, he asked her more about her life, fascinated with every small detail.

“Now it’s your turn to talk,” she said finally. “What’s Yehr like?”

“I have only been there once.” For his original trial, but he wasn’t about to discuss that with her.

“Really? You weren’t born there?”

“No, I was born on Tenger. It is one of the worlds the Yehrin conquered many generations ago.”

“What’s it like?”

“Small.” He smiled at the look on her face. “At least it seemed so to me. Tenger is sunny and peaceful and… tame. Looking back, I had a very pleasant childhood, but at the time I was only anxious to leave. To become a warrior and conquer new worlds.”

“Did you ever think about what it would be like for the people on those worlds you conquered?”

She sounded more curious than angry, but he felt a rush of guilt nonetheless.

“Such thoughts are not encouraged at the Warrior House. We are taught that we are saving those worlds from their own destructiveness.”

“Maybe. It’s not like we were in great shape before you came along.”

They sat in silence for several minutes. Once again he had the urge to pull her into his arms, to smooth away the line between her brows and see if her skin was as soft as he anticipated. Perhaps even to let his hand drift lower, to the delicate curve of her neck and the fragile line of her collarbone. His cock jerked at the thought, still half-erect from her nearness. Would she object?

Before he could decide, the shift alarm sounded and she gave him a rueful look.

“I didn’t realize I’d been here this long. I’m guessing you’re going to tell me to go?”

“You are correct.”

He rose to his feet, then reached down his hand to assist her. She gave it a long look and he was about to withdraw it when she placed her hand in his. Fuck. The feeling of her small hand in his aroused all of his instincts. He wanted to press it to where his hearts were thudding in his chest, but instead he simply pulled her to her feet. She was far lighter than he realized and she ended up pressed against his chest.

He felt as if every inch of her body had been branded into his skin, from the soft caress of her breasts to the warmth of her stomach cradling his rigid erection. She froze against him and he told himself to let go, but it took an eternity before he could force himself to release her hand and step back.

She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes, her face pink and her nipples thrusting against her shirt again. He tried to think of something – anything – to say, but speech had deserted him. Small, blunt teeth bit down on her lower lip, then she mumbled something and fled.

He watched her go, his muscles straining at the restraints although he knew that even if he had been free he could not go after her. He took a deep breath, but that didn’t help to calm him since her sweet scent lingered. In desperation, he began the opening moves of a training routine. His movements were limited due to the chain, but he managed to work through enough of the routine to calm his thoughts and bring his body under control.

Fool, he berated himself as regret filled him. What if she did not return? He spent the remainder of the day and the even longer night shift praying to the Ancestors that he had not frightened her away.

He had all but convinced himself that she would not return, but not long after the first shift began, he heard the soft sound of her footsteps and caught the sweetness of her scent. She appeared between the racks, her eyes downcast as she approached him.

“I did not expect you to return, D’rla,” he said stiffly. “I am glad I have a chance to apologize.”

Her eyes flew to his, clear and silver.

“You don’t need to apologize. It was a… natural reaction. I’m the one who’s sorry for just running away like that. It’s just that I’ve never…”

She stumbled to a halt, an adorably confused look on her face, and it took him a moment to understand what she was saying. She was untouched? He knew it should make no difference, and yet he was glad that no other male had touched that soft body.

That honor will belong to the male who has her breeding contract, he reminded himself, and he had to sink his claws into his palms so as not to protest the thought.

Her face turned from embarrassed to confused.

“Are you all right? You look as if you’re in pain.”

“It is nothing,” he said, although the words felt like a lie in his mouth. “But I wish to hear more about the older female who befriended you.”

“You mean Faye?” She laughed. “I don’t think she’d like being called an older female, but I’m happy to tell you about her.”

She hesitated, and then to his delight, she unfolded the blanket just as she had the day before and sat down, gesturing for him to join her. He obeyed immediately and this time sat close enough to her so that their arms touched. She did not object and she did not move away, and somehow, that was enough.

Once again they spent the day talking, and he found himself telling her about his mother teaching him to sail a small boat on the waters of Tenger.

“What about your father? Did he sail?”

“It is not a skill usually taught to Yehrin warriors.” He hesitated. “I do not believe that he was ever entirely comfortable on Tenger, but that is where my mother wished to stay so he remained.”

“You mean she wasn’t Yehrin?”

He shook his head. “No, she was Tengerian.”

“But you don’t look any different than the other Yehrin warriors. Not that you all look alike,” she added hastily. “It’s just that…”

“I understand your confusion. Yehrin warrior traits are very dominant.” So dominant that they were a curse upon his race. The birth of Yehrin females had become increasingly rare.

“I see. Are your parents still on Tenger?”

“My mother died of a wasting sickness, and my father did not long survive her death. A Yehrin male does not thrive without his L’chka.”

“His L’chka?”

“His… mate.”

The term meant much more but the thought of discussing it with her, knowing that she could never be his, was too painful to contemplate. He firmly changed the subject.

When the chime announced the end of the second shift, once again he rose to his feet and extended his hand to her. To his relief, she took it just as willingly as she had the day before. This time he judged his strength more carefully and didn’t pull her against him - but neither did he release her hand immediately.

“I have been considering,” he told her. “You mentioned that the clothing provided for you did not fit.” He bit back the urge to growl at the thought of another male providing for her. Her comfort was more important. “Your cabin should come with an attendant, and the attendant would be able to alter your clothing to fit properly.”

“Really?”

“It is one of the benefits of that level of service. There should be an option to call for the attendant on the control panel.”

“Maybe I’ll do that. It would be nice to feel as if I fit in a little more.”

She looked up at him, her small hand still resting in his, then rose on her tiptoes as she pulled him closer. When he bent his head towards her, she brushed her lips against his cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Then she released his hand and disappeared, leaving him staring after her. He touched the place where her lips had been pressed against him. The Yehrin did not use their mouths to mate, but even during the short period of time that he had been on Earth, he was aware that humans did. What if those soft little lips had touched his mouth instead of his cheek? The bolt of lust that shot through him was so intense that he almost staggered.

He immediately tried to put the thought out of his mind, but it was too late. Instead he spent the next shift torturing himself with images of her lips against his cheek, against his mouth, and perhaps even other places. His sleep was haunted by erotic dreams and he got little rest. But despite his exhaustion, and the painful certainty that he would never be so blessed, he couldn’t wait until he saw her again.

CHAPTER 8

Darla looked at herself in the mirror, hardly able to believe the degree to which Uma, her attendant, had been able to transform her clothing. The difference made by the correct fit was astonishing. This dress was a darker shade of blue, striking against her pale skin, and the softly draped neckline accentuated the slight swell of her breasts. The silky material clung to her narrow waist before swirling out around her hips and giving her the illusion of feminine curves.

“Do you like it, Mistress?” Uma asked anxiously.

“Very much so.” She turned and smiled at the other female. “You’re a miracle worker.”

Uma ducked her head, obviously pleased with the compliment. She was a tall, thin female with pale jade skin and short hair in a darker shade of emerald. She had told Darla that she was from Alsalt, a planet that had been conquered by the Yehrin several generations ago.

“If you will forgive the impertinence, we have a similar body shape and I know what I have found most flattering.”

The other female was currently neatly attired in the white uniform worn by the ship’s personnel, and Darla grinned at her.

“You mean when you get a chance to get out of your uniform?”

Uma smiled back. “I don’t mind wearing it. I enjoy my job.”

When Darla had decided to take T’pak’s advice and call the cabin attendant, she hadn’t been certain what to expect. Uma had been a pleasant surprise – friendly, competent, and obviously delighted at the prospect of helping Darla adjust to the environment on the ship. She’d confided that she had faced similar issues when she first decided to take a job away from her home planet. She told Darla that she’d wanted to explore more of the galaxy - but she also told her that she hoped to eventually find a Yehrin mate as well.

“I was courted by Alsaltan males, of course,” she told Darla as they went through the clothing that had been provided for her. “But our males do not bond as intensely with their chosen females. I want a male who can’t live without me.”

Darla remembered what T’pak had said about his father and mother and nodded.

“And of course, the sex is amazing,” Uma added cheerfully as she pulled out and then discarded a pink gown.

Darla almost choked.

“How do you know?”

“I’ve been with a few warriors. Although I haven’t found the right one yet, I’ve enjoyed the search.”

Darla was dying to ask for more details, but she couldn’t quite figure out how to ask. The memory of being pressed against T’pak’s body had haunted her waking hours and followed her into sleep. He had felt so good, so big and hard and strong, but she had also been overwhelmingly conscious of the size of his erection as it pressed against her stomach - the sensation both exciting and intimidating.

“Aren’t they, umm, kind of large?”

Uma wasn’t much bigger than Darla.

“Oh yes.” The other female gave her a dreamy smile. “That just makes it so much better.”

“And you… fit together?”

“Of course.” Uma smiled again. “And making it work is half the fun, don’t you think?”

When Darla stumbled over an attempt to answer, Uma immediately apologized.

“Forgive me, Mistress. I did not mean to pry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said quickly. “I was the one who was asking you. I just don’t have a lot of… experience”

She couldn’t quite bring herself to say no experience, but she suspected that Uma understood because she nodded sympathetically.

“A thoughtful warrior will always care for your pleasure,” Uma assured her.

But would he be thoughtful – this unknown male who had arranged the breeding contract?

T’pak would be. The thought popped into her mind before she could prevent it, but she was sure she was right. Even in the limited scope of their present interactions, he always showed concern for her.

She had continued to visit him every day and the last time she had visited him the hold had seemed unusually chilly, despite the heat of his body pressed against her side. When she couldn’t stop herself shivering, he lifted her onto his lap as if she weighed no more than one of the dolls she used to play with as a child. A distant part of her mind thought that perhaps she should be afraid of his strength, but instead she huddled gratefully into the warmth of his arms.

She wasn’t naïve enough not to recognize the massive ridge of his erection beneath her bottom, but she was more curious than afraid. She would have liked to touch the spiraling ridges of his horns, to run her hands beneath his uniform and feel his broad chest - perhaps even explore that fascinating erection. Instead, she kept her hands firmly tucked in her lap and tried not to think about the way his arm curled around her shoulders and his huge hand rested against her thigh.

I wish he could see me in this, she thought now, surveying herself in the mirror. Uma had even arranged her hair in a flattering, complicated style, and she knew she looked good.

“Are you going to dine in the small lounge?” Uma asked.

After the embarrassment of the first night, Darla had taken all of her meals in one of the small private dining rooms. Only a few other passengers used the small rooms and they tended to ignore her, which suited her much better than the attention she had first received in the larger dining room.

“I don’t know. I told you it didn’t go well the first time.”

“It will be easier this time,” Uma said firmly. “You know you are attractively dressed and that will give you confidence. If you are going to mate a Yehrin warrior, then you should have the courage of a warrior,” she added.

Once again, Darla’s thoughts flew to T’pak. Would he be proud of her for facing her fears? The answer could only be yes, and she gave Uma a reluctant smile.

“I suppose you’re right. Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck. You are on this ship because you have a contract with a high-ranking Yehrin official. That means you outrank most of the others on board. Just remember that.”

“They don’t look down on me for taking a breeding contract?”

Uma gave her an astonished look. “Of course not. The potential to mate with a Yehrin warrior is highly valued.”

She’d never thought of it that way but it made sense. Why else would they be so willing to provide for any female who even attempted a contract? The knowledge gave her courage. She took a deep breath and headed for the larger dining room.

Just like before, she entered the room with her head held high, and once again everyone turned to look at her. But this time the looks were more admiring than disparaging. Even the Yehrin female only scowled at her and somehow, her obvious displeasure made Darla feel better. As she let herself be escorted to a table, she only wished that T’pak had been with her.

“May we join you?”

The question startled Darla out of her thoughts a short time later. She had been sipping the odd but pleasant tasting purple soup presented as an appetizer and wondering what T’pak was eating. When she looked up, two Yehrin warriors were standing next to her table.

She hesitated, not quite sure of the correct etiquette, but they seemed to take her silence as consent and sat down. A server immediately hurried over and prepared place settings for them so she decided it must be acceptable.

“I am Commander T’lamat and this is Officer T’faja,” the larger one said expectantly.

The air of arrogance so common to Yehrin warriors seemed even more pronounced in T’lamat, but she gave him a polite smile.

“I am Darla Buckley.”

He frowned at her name.

“That is an unusual name. I will call you D’lal.”

Definitely arrogant. T’pak certainly hadn’t had a problem with her name, but since she didn’t care what this warrior called her, she let it go.

“I understand that you are going to Yehr on a breeding contract?” he continued.

She saw the other male frown at T’lamat, and she plastered an insincere smile on her face.

“Yes, but I don’t care to discuss it. Why are you returning to Yehr?”

The change in subject was successful. Apparently T’lamat had no hesitation in discussing himself. Fortunately, T’faja gave Darla a sympathetic look, and managed to include her in the conversation, seemingly genuinely interested in her.

As the meal progressed, T’lamat called for a bottle of the Yehrin equivalent of wine, urging her to drink. She took a cautious sip and found it surprisingly pleasant. As the meal wore on and T’lamat grew ever more boastful about his prowess, she found herself sipping more often. By the time the meal was finished she was feeling flushed and slightly dizzy and decided it was time to return to her cabin. She swayed a little when she stood, but she told the two warriors good night and headed for the door.

She was halfway down the hallway, trailing her fingers along the wall to help her balance, when a big hand clamped down painfully on her arm and whirled her around. T’lamat had followed her.

“What is your hurry, female?”

His face was flushed a darker grey and his words just faintly slurred. Even in her own befuddled state, she recognized the signs of his drunkenness and her heart sank.

“I’m going back to my cabin,” she said as firmly as possible.

“Perhaps I should accompany you.”

He leaned towards her and she stepped back, only to feel the smooth metal of the wall behind her. She was trapped between it and his looming body.

“I did not get a chance to try an Earth female while I was on your planet. I hear you are very… rewarding.”

His eyes dropped her breasts and he licked his lips, and she suddenly realized he was looking at her exactly the same way that Bubba had looked at her.

“I have a breeding contract, remember?”

She tried to edge sideways but he put his hand on the wall, further trapping her. Her head spun and she thought she was going to be sick as he stepped even closer, his body brushing against hers.

“The contract has not started yet.”

His words momentarily distracted her. She had assumed she was already obligated to the other male, but if hadn’t officially started, did that mean she was free to do what she wanted? Not with him, of course, but maybe with T’pak?

“I will show you what it means to be bred.”

His hand closed suddenly and painfully over her breast, his claws pricking her skin. For a moment, she was too shocked to respond, but then she started to struggle against him. He laughed at her futile efforts and ground his erection against her stomach. For a horrified moment, she thought he might actually rape her, right there in the corridor, but then T’faja appeared. He grabbed T’lamat’s arm and pulled him away.

“What are you doing? You know to whom she is promised.”

“The contract has not started,” T’lamat said sulkily, but he didn’t fight off the other male’s grip.

“It does not matter. He would not forgive the insult.” T’faja nodded at her. “Go now, D’rla.”

She managed to nod and stumble away, her head spinning and her stomach churning. As soon as she entered the lift, she pressed the now familiar button for the cargo hold. She’d never gone there this late before, but she was desperate for the reassurance of T’pak’s presence.

As always, he was standing and waiting for her when she made her way around the last rack.

“D’rla? What is wrong?”

She threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

CHAPTER 9

T’pak’s arms closed automatically around D’rla, his hearts racing. What was wrong with his female? Was she injured?

He began running his hands down her body, checking for wounds, then realized that only a thin layer of silk covered her delicate skin. He didn’t detect the scent of blood and his hands slowed, wanting to linger on the soft warmth beneath his fingers.

“T’pak? What are you doing?”

She looked up at him, tears turning her eyes to crystalline silver, but she didn’t pull away from him.

“I was checking for injuries.”

“I’m not hurt. At least…”

Biting her lip, her gaze dropped to her chest. He saw the reddened imprints on the upper swell of her breast, the marks disappearing beneath the fabric, and the small holes in her gown.

“Someone touched you?” he roared, battle rage dimming his vision. “I will kill the borag.”

He yanked uselessly at the chain restraining his wrist.

“I’m all right,” she said soothingly as she put her hand on his arm and gave him a watery smile. “He didn’t really do anything.”

“He touched you,” he snarled.

“Only for a moment.” She shuddered. “I hated it, but then T’faja came and pulled him off.”

“A moment is too long. He should never have laid a finger on you. He has damaged your delicate skin.”

He ran his finger gently over the red marks, and she gasped but did not pull away. Her nipple beaded beneath silk, a tempting bud. I should not touch her, he thought, but he continued stroking the reddened skin as if his touch could erase the damage.

“Did his claws penetrate your skin?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe you should check?”

Her voice was little more than a whisper, but he heard every word. I should not, he thought again, but even the Ancestors themselves could not have stopped him from pushing aside the thin silk to reveal a small, perfect breast. Her nipple was flushed and distended, begging for his touch, and his cock throbbed insistently, but he forced himself to focus on her injuries.

The imprint of the borag’s fingers was clearly visible and it took all his strength to refrain from roaring his outrage again. Although the sight of them offended his every instinct, he could tell they were already fading and only the faintest red dots marked the place where the bastard’s claws must have touched her.

“You will tell me his name,” he demanded, even as he gently caressed her breast. “He will pay for this outrage.”

“It doesn’t matter. I just hate that he was the first one to touch me here.” Pink flushed her cheeks as she placed her hand on his and closed it over the soft mound. “I would much rather it had been you.”

The taut peak of her nipple stabbed his palm. A male could stand only so much. He groaned and put his arm beneath her ass, lifting her to the perfect height for his mouth to close over the tight bud. Sweet and hot and delicious. He heard her gasp, and then her hands went to his horns, teasing the sensitive base, and he was lost.

He sucked harder, pulling more of her breast into his mouth as she writhed in his arms. Her legs wrapped around him and he could feel the sweet heat of her cunt against his chest. He gripped her ass, urging her on as his teeth gently scraped the taut peak. Her body went rigid, and then she cried out, quivering in his arms as he felt a rush of liquid warmth against his chest.

He reached for his pants, desperate to free his aching cock and pull her down onto it, and heard the rattle of his chains. The reminder of his position came flooding back. He could never regret what had happened, never regret giving his female pleasure, but he could take it no further.

Pressing a last kiss to her breast, he lifted his head. The sight of her taut nipple, now red and swollen and glistening from his mouth, made his cock jerk so hard he was afraid that he would embarrass himself.

D’rla’s eyes fluttered open as he lowered her, keeping her cradled against his chest.

“Wow. I never knew it would be like that.”

“I hope you do not regret it.”

“How could I?” She smiled up at him, her body limp and relaxed in his arms, then yawned.

“You are tired. You should return to your quarters,” he said reluctantly.

“I don’t want to. I’d rather stay here with you.”

“It is not suitable.”

“I don’t care.” She peeped at him from beneath her lashes. “Maybe we could sit down and you could just hold me for a while?”

He couldn’t refuse that beguiling look - especially when her request so perfectly matched his own desires. He lowered them both to the ground and she nestled against him with a contented sound.

“You will have to leave before my guards arrive.”

“Okay.” Her small fingers stroked his chest thoughtfully. “Do the Yehrin kiss?”

“No - but it seems to be a pleasant human custom.”

“You mean I’d be your first?” She reached up and touched his cheek. “Then kiss me. Please.”

How could he refuse?

He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers, reminding himself to be careful of his teeth. The feel of her soft lips against his was undeniably pleasant and he decided he approved of this human custom. But then her small tongue caressed his lower lip. Startled, he opened his mouth to question her and her tongue slipped inside.

By the Ancestors! Her taste exploded in his mouth, making his head swim as that small tongue explored his mouth in a shockingly intimate way. He growled and took over, devouring her eagerly, wondering if her cunt would be as hot and sweet and wet. He slid his hand up her leg, determined to find out. Her thighs tightened momentarily, then parted, and he had just felt her dampened curls when he suddenly recognized a hint of familiar spice beneath her own sweetness.

“D’rla?”

He raised his head, reluctantly avoiding her attempt to keep him in place.

“What? You don’t like kissing?”

“I believe it is quite obvious how much I enjoy kissing you,” he said dryly, his erection flexing against her ass.

“Mmm.” She tried to wiggle against his hand and his finger brushed against her delicate folds. “That feels good.”

Fuck, yes. His finger flexed, finding the tiny entrance of her body and he wanted to press deeper into that untried channel, but he forced himself to concentrate.

“At dinner tonight - did you have zgat?”

“What’s that?” she asked absently, pressing down on his hand enough that the very tip of his finger entered her.

“A type of Yehrin wine.” He clasped her ass in an attempt to stop her movements but the soft flesh filling his hand only made his erection harder.

“Maybe? T’lamat said he ordered Yehrin wine.”

He had no doubt that T’lamat was the worthless bastard who had attacked her. At least now he had his name.

“Yehrin alcohol has an aphrodisiac effect on human females,” he said, his hearts sinking. Was that why she was so responsive to his touch?

“Well, it didn’t work for him. I hated having him touch me.” Her eyes narrowed and she stopped trying to move against him. “Is that what you think this is about?”

“I hope it is not. But perhaps it would be best to wait.”

“I told you - it didn’t make me want him and…”

“And?”

“And I already wanted you,” she whispered, then sighed. “But maybe it gave me the courage to let you know.”

“We should wait until your head has cleared.” He reluctantly removed his hand from between her legs and smoothed down her gown.

“Are you going to try and get me to leave again?”

“No, L’chka.” The term slipped out before he could prevent it. “Not until you must.”

“Good.” She settled down into his arms and gave him a sleepy smile. “I would kiss you good night, but you’ll be accusing me of being drunk again.”

“Perhaps a morning kiss instead?” His hearts already sang with anticipation.

“That sounds nice. I like the idea of waking up in your arms.”

Her voice drifted off as her eyes closed and her breathing settled into the regular rhythm of sleep. Careful not to disturb her, he reached for his blanket and tucked it around her.

Perhaps he should be grateful to T’chyro after all. His desire for vengeance had led T’pak to this place and to the female asleep in his arms. My L’chka.

He could no longer deny the truth - D’rla was his mate. But that knowledge did not change his future. How could he claim her when his own fate was so uncertain? And even if he couldn’t claim her, how could he free her from this breeding contract? If the male who had arranged it was an honorable male, he would not insist on fulfilling it with a female who was promised to another.

But she is not promised to me, he reminded himself.

Despair washed over him, but he refused to give into it. Whatever happened to him, he had to make sure that his female was safe and cared for. As the night wore on, even though a part of him reveled in the knowledge that she was here in his arms, the rest of his mind was busy trying to come up with alternatives.

He was still trying when an explosion rocked the ship.

CHAPTER 10

The boom of the explosion echoed through the hold and T’pak felt the floor shudder beneath them.

“What was that?” D’rla’s eyes flew open, wide and scared.

“I am not sure, but perhaps it would be best for you to return to your quarters.”

“Return and leave you here? I’m not going to do that.”

His hearts warmed at her reluctance to abandon him, but her safety would always come first.

“You will be safest in your quarters. In an emergency situation, you will be guided as to the best response.”

“What do you mean - an emergency?”

Even as she started to question him, there was another distant boom and the floor shuddered again. That was a bomb, he thought grimly.

“There is no time to argue. You must go at once.”

As he finished speaking, the lights went out, immediately replaced by the red glow of the emergency lighting. For a brief second, the ship’s gravity disappeared and he tightened his arms around her to keep her with him. The gravity returned almost immediately, but it was a bad sign. Had the hull been breached? He rose to his feet, carrying her up with him.

“Do not return to your quarters. Proceed directly to the top level and the escape vessels.”

“Escape vessels? You mean the lifeboats?” Her mouth trembled. “Do you think there’s something wrong with the ship?”

“I do not know, but it is best to be prepared.”

“But what about you?” She grabbed hold of his tunic as the gravity flickered again.

“My guards should provide for me.”

Whether or not they actually would was another matter. He suspected that T’nal would have no hesitation in abandoning him, but T’katyn might come for him.

She hesitated for a second, then nodded.

“Fine. I’ll just wait here with you until they come.”

“By then it may be too late for you to make it to the escape vessels.”

Her lips pressed together in a determined line. “If it’s too late for me, then it would be too late for you as well.”

“There are life pods on every level. They are only designed for a single person, but they will keep someone alive.”

“Then one of those would work for me also.”

Despite her assertion, her face paled.

“D’rla, you must go. Your safety is more important to me than my own.”

“And your safety is more important to me.”

She seemed almost surprised at the words, but she did not attempt to retract them. Instead she gripped his tunic even more firmly.

“We stay together.”

Despite the tenderness filling his hearts, he wanted to roar with frustration. His foolish little female did not seem to realize the danger she could be in. The gravity disappeared again, and this time it did not return immediately. He caught her in his arms as their bodies left the floor. His chain restrained them both and they hovered against the wall.

“This feels so strange.” Her face was even paler now.

“Your body will adapt,” he said reassuringly as he took stock of the situation.

At least they still had oxygen for the moment, but how long would that last? Another series of small explosions rocked the ship, the momentum jerking him back and forth on his chain. He was able to protect Darla from the worst of the motion, but her arms came up to circle his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“I’m scared.”

“Do not be afraid. I will protect you.”

But how? He thought again about directing her to the escape vessels, but if the ship was operating under emergency power, the lifts would not be working and she did not have the experience to maneuver in zero gravity. If only he were not restricted by these accursed chains he could guide her to safety. Bracing himself against the wall, he tugged harder and harder against the restraint until the skin on his wrist began to tear.

“Oh my God, are you bleeding?” she exclaimed as a small droplet of blood drifted into her vision.

“It is of no consequence,” he assured her, looking around for a weapon.

If he still had his nano sword, he could have cut up his hand in order to escape. He would not have done it to save himself, but he had to find a way to save her. He could hear more alarms now, including the signal to abandon ship.

“It does matter. I can’t stand to see you hurting yourself.”

Still clinging to his neck with one hand, she reached for his injured wrist with the other. As she did, her bracelet came into contact with the restraint – and it clicked open.

She gave him a shocked look. “What happened?”

Apparently she had access to far greater permissions than he would have expected, but there was no time to consider that now. Keeping her tucked in one arm, he pushed off in the direction of the doors leading from the cargo hold to the center atrium. It had been some time since his training in zero gravity but he remembered enough to make his way across the cavernous space, using the racks to help him maneuver. But when he reached the exit doors and tried to open them, they did not respond.

“Do you need to use my bracelet?” she asked, offering him her wrist.

He shook his head, looking at the lights flashing next to the door.

“We are too late. It will not open because there is no oxygen on the other side.”

“Oh no! What about all the other people on the ship? What about Uma?”

“Everyone should have been able to make it to an escape vessel.”

It was not a lie – there should have been time. He just hoped that no one had panicked and the departure had been managed with the usual Yehrin discipline.

“What about us? Do we just wait here until someone comes for us?”

He could feel her trembling in his arms, but she was doing her best to remain calm. Brave little female.

“That may be an alternative –” he began, but then he felt the doors vibrate. The explosions continued, even though they could no longer be heard now that they were in the vacuum of space. “But there is ongoing damage. I do not believe it would be safe to remain. We must find a life pod for you.”

“For both of us,” she insisted, and he didn’t bother to argue - or to tell her that it would be unlikely to find more than one in the cargo hold.

If there even was one. Some ships did not bother to include them in the hold since the space was not designed to be inhabited during flight. If there was one, it would be on the outer hull and he headed for the exterior wall. The trip back across the hold was even more difficult as more tremors shook the space, but he reached the loading doors and began searching desperately along the wall.

There! A blinking green light indicated the location, and he quickly unlatched the interior door to reveal the pod.

“Hold on to the edge and pull yourself inside,” he urged D’rla, but she refused to release her hold on his shirt.

“In there?” She appeared more terrified than she had been before. “But it’s so small.”

“It is designed to hold the largest of all warriors. You will have no difficulty.”

“But what about you?”

“I will search for another pod.”

He didn’t tell her that the chance of finding another was almost impossible, but perhaps she read the expression on his face because she shook her head.

“What… what if we share this one instead?”

“It is only designed for one person.”

“But can it take both of us?” She gave him a pleading look. “Please. I don’t want to be in there by myself.”

He hesitated. Given her small size and minimal requirements, it should be well within the capacity of the life pod to support both of them, but could he justify taking such a chance with her life? He could force her to release him, but he was afraid of hurting her in the process. Before he could decide, there was a distant hiss and he could feel his body being tugged back in the direction of the doors.

The hold had been breached. There was no more time to argue.

Fighting against the increased pull of the escaping air, he managed to maneuver them both into the pod. He settled himself against one side and pulled her on top of him before pressing the control to close the door. He had enough room to put his arms around her, but very little more. There was another hiss, this one reassuring as the life pod sealed shut, and then he pressed the eject button.

The initial smooth acceleration was interrupted by a shockwave that sent them tumbling wildly out into space. Through the viewscreen, he caught glimpses of the ship exploding behind them, leaving nothing but debris floating in space as they hurled into the unknown.

CHAPTER 11

Darla clung to T’pak, trying her best not to panic. She’d always hated small spaces. When they were children, one of Darrell’s favorite ways to torture her was to shove her into the nearest confined space and lock the door. He’d trapped her in the woodshed, the crawlspace, and even her bedroom closet. When Mama was alive she tried to stop him, but Daddy always told her to let him be. “He’s just playing. Be good to toughen her up a little.”

This is like that, she told herself, trying to still her racing heart as they tumbled through space. It will be over soon. But despite her best efforts, her breath came faster and faster until she felt as if there was no air left in the small capsule.

“Be calm, D’rla.”

T’pak stroked a big, soothing hand down her back.

“I… I can’t,” she gasped.

“Control your breathing,” he ordered but she couldn’t obey him.

Oh God, there wasn’t enough air. He’d been wrong about the pod supporting both of them, and now they were both going to die because of her refusal to leave him. In her panic, she started flailing her arms, looking for a way to escape. He clamped her arms against her sides and slid her up his body until their heads were aligned, and then he kissed her.

At first she was too frightened to react, but then the pressure of his mouth against hers and the tantalizing movement of his tongue finally penetrated and she found herself responding. He kissed her firmly, thoroughly, until her body went limp with pleasure and her pulse was racing for an entirely different reason. She could feel the press of his erection against her stomach, hard and reassuring. His hand kneaded her ass, warm and strong, and the faint prick of his claws sent a thrill of excitement through her body.

When their lips finally parted, her panic had almost disappeared.

“That is better.”

The faint glow from the instrument panel was sufficient for her to be able to see his face and to see him watching her. He looked even more alien in the bluish light - and even more reassuring.

“I’m glad you’re with me, T’pak.”

She shuddered to think what would have happened if she’d had a similar panic attack while on her own.

“As am I.” He smiled, those wickedly sharp teeth flashing. “And I am glad that you still respond to my touch now that the zgat is no longer in your system, little mouse.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I told you that wasn’t why I wanted you to touch me.”

Despite her certainty, she could feel the heat in her cheeks as she remembered their previous encounter. Maybe she should be grateful to the zgat. She didn’t think she would have had the courage to press his hand to her breast or encourage him the way she had without the alcohol – not because she didn’t want him, but because of her innate shyness and a fear that he might not respond. But he had responded, and she had absolutely no doubt that he wanted her.

Even now, the evidence of his desire was still pressed firmly between her legs and she couldn’t help rocking against it, her body still humming from the aftereffects of the kiss. He groaned and clamped his hand on her ass again, but all it did was press her more firmly against his erection and bring it into full contact with her swollen clit.

“This is not the place for such explorations,” he said, but it was more as if he were reminding himself than speaking to her. He rocked her back and forth, just a little, but enough to send a streak of fire racing through her veins.

“What else are we going to do?” she asked breathlessly, then bit her lip. “I mean, how long are we going to be in here?”

“I do not know. The life pod is programmed to search for the nearest inhabitable planet.”

“What if it’s a long way away? What if we run out of air?”

Her breath started to speed up again, and he deliberately rocked her against his cock, the resulting wave of desire distracting her.

“The pod will place us in stasis if necessary,” he added.

“Stasis?”

“It is like a deep sleep. Our bodies’ need for oxygen – and nutrients – will be minimized.”

She shivered. She didn’t like the way that sounded at all. He patted her ass reassuringly.

“Do not worry, my L’chka. You’ll simply feel as if you are going to sleep.”

“I’d rather stay awake,” she said firmly, and he laughed.

“Time will pass more quickly if we are sleeping.”

“I like my idea better.”

She tried to move against his cock again, seeking to increase the pressure on her clit, wanting to know if the sensation he had wrung from her earlier had been enhanced by the zgat.

She had touched herself before, of course, what woman hadn’t? But even alone in the darkness of her bedroom, she’d always felt self-conscious, afraid that Daddy or Darrell would somehow know what she was doing. The few hasty climaxes she’d managed hadn’t been particularly satisfactory.

But T’pak had made her come just by using his mouth on her breast, the explosive sensation far better than anything she’d managed to achieve on her own. And when he’d touched her between her legs, she’d wanted more. She tried to grind against him again, and this time he let her. He pulled her dress up until it was above her waist and her bare folds were pressed against him, only the material of his uniform separating them. Even that wasn’t enough and she tried to reach between the bodies to release him as well but he caught her hand.

“No, L’chka. The first time I enter you will not be under these circumstances.”

“You said ‘you will.’ Do you mean it?”

“I do not believe that anything could prevent me,” he growled.

Both of his hands were on her ass now, curling around to her inner thighs and pulling her legs further apart, exposing her more fully to his erection as he moved her back and forth along it. Every time her clit reached the broad head of his cock, she gasped, and he concentrated there, grinding the thick ridge against the swollen nub. Her arousal built even higher, almost frightening in its intensity.

“T’pak,” she cried desperately.

“You are safe, little mouse. Open yourself and take what you need from me.”

He pressed even harder against her clit, his claws prickling her thighs, and the slight sting sent her over. Her body convulsed in his arms as he prolonged the climax by maintaining the pressure against her clit until her shudders finally died away. She collapsed against his chest, his hard warmth cradling her limp body as a sudden wave of sleepiness swept over her.

“Rest now,” he murmured.

Was she sleepy from the orgasm or was the life pod putting her to sleep? The thought floated across her mind, but her eyes were too heavy to open and her lingering satisfaction prevented her from panicking as she drifted off to sleep.

“Wake up, my L’chka.” T’pak’s deep voice rumbled against her chest and she smiled and stretched. Or rather, she tried to stretch. Then her hand hit the wall and it all came flooding back. The ship, the explosion, the life pod, stasis…

“Did the life pod put us to sleep?”

“Yes. We are awake now because we are approaching a planet.”

“Is it Earth?” she asked anxiously.

“No. I do not recognize the identifier. But we are still within Yehrin space and it is a registered planet.”

Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. If they had arrived back on Earth, her existing problems would still be waiting for her. And now that she’d met T’pak there was no way she could apply for another breeding contract. For that matter, what would have happened to him if they’d returned to Earth?

“How long did we sleep?”

“For several days.”

Maybe that explained why her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. She wanted to sit up and stretch and the knowledge that she couldn’t began to reawaken her previous fears.

“Stop that,” he said firmly. “We will not be confined much longer.”

As he spoke, a faint red glow began to illuminate the life pod, not from inside but from outside, and she clutched him.

“What’s that? Are we on fire?”

“It is from the heat of reentry, but we are quite safe. The pod is designed for this. However, the descent may be somewhat… rough.”

The capsule jerked as he spoke. He swore and fastened one arm more tightly around her as he tried to brace them with the other. The descent turned into a tumbling freefall as gravity claimed them. Her stomach churned and she was sure she would have lost the contents of her stomach if there had been anything in there to lose. Instead all she could do was cling to him and focus on her breathing until their speed suddenly slowed.

The life pod hit the ground with less impact than she would have expected, bounced a few times, then slid across the ground until it finally halted. Soft daylight illuminated the interior of the capsule as she looked around frantically.

“Where’s the catch? How do we get out of here?”

“Patience, little mouse.”

He reached over and manipulated a control panel. The lid of the life pod opened and fresh air and daylight came rushing in. She bit back a sob of relief. They were on an unknown planet, but they were alive and together.

CHAPTER 12

“You are well?” T’pak demanded as he helped her out of the life pod.

Well? That wasn’t the term she would have used. She was shaken, scared, and confused. The lingering hum of arousal from his previous attempt to distract her still ran through her veins, despite the rough descent.

“D’rla? Are you injured?”

“No, I’m fine. Fine,” she repeated, trying to convince herself. “Where are we?”

He looked around and she followed his gaze. The life pod had left a long, scorched trail down a hillside covered in tall pink and gold grasses. Gently rolling hills surrounded them, covered with more of the tall grasses, interspersed with an occasional shrubby tree with velvety rose-colored leaves. There was absolutely no sign of civilization - just empty countryside. A warm breeze with a strangely hay-like smell swirled past her cheek but otherwise they were surrounded by silence.

“I do not know. The life pods are programmed to head for the nearest planet with a breathable atmosphere and as I said, I did not recognize the identifier. Nor does this place seem familiar.”

“You mean we could be stranded out here alone?”

Her heart started to pound, but she wasn’t entirely sure if it was from fear or relief. It was far better than being in the capsule, and she trusted T’pak to keep her safe, but what if it was just the two of them on the entire planet?

“We are within Yehrin territory,” he said slowly. “If the planet is populated, there is most likely an outpost of some sort.”

“And if there’s not?”

He lifted one shoulder in that oddly human gesture. “Then we learn how to survive.”

That didn’t exactly reassure her, but it was undoubtedly better than having her lungs explode in space. Resolutely avoiding any thought of the future, she concentrated on the more immediate situation.

“In that case, we’ll need water, food, and shelter.”

His eyes warmed as he looked at her, the purple fire appearing.

“Very good, my little mouse. And where would you start searching for those things?”

She knew he was teasing her, but she answered him seriously as she looked around.

“The trees grow in a thicker line down there. That might indicate a stream of some kind. And water should also attract animals. Although, I’m not sure how we could hunt them without weapons.

He flashed his sharp teeth and flexed his claws as he pointed to his massive horns.

“I have my own weapons.”

The reminder should have frightened her - instead she found it reassuring and she smiled at him.

“However, the life pod also contains a survival kit,” he continued, bending back over the capsule.

A surprising variety of equipment was concealed along the sides of the pod. He seemed most pleased by the weapons - two long knives and a small blaster - but she was glad to see some cooking supplies along with what looked like basic camping gear. He gathered it all into the provided pack, then looked at her.

“As attractive as that outfit is, it is not the most practical attire for traveling.”

She gave the blue silk a rueful smile.

“I wasn’t planning on being stranded in it, although I did want you to see how well it turned out.”

“It is most attractive,” he repeated, his eyes dropping to the low neckline.

She suspected he was remembering when he’d pushed it even lower to reveal her breast. Her nipples tightened at the memory, and his eyes began to glow again before he shook his head.

“You are a distraction, my L’chka, in any outfit.”

He knelt in front of her and lifted his knife. She thought he was going to trim the long skirt, but instead he cut strips from the front and back of the skirt, then used the material to tie the remaining skirt to her legs to form makeshift pants. His fingers brushed against her thighs as he tied the last strips in place. It reminded her of the way he had held her legs open while he pleasured her in the capsule and arousal streaked through her so rapidly that she felt dizzy.

His hand suddenly tightened and she felt the faint prick of his claws again as he looked up at her. Even kneeling, he was so tall that his head was level with her breasts. If she just leaned towards him a little…

“Water, food, and shelter first,” he said, but his hand lingered on her inner thigh, his thumb gently stroking the soft skin. “Then we have matters to discuss.”

“You want to talk?” Her voice sounded breathless.

“Among other things.” His eyes glowed with promise, but with a last caress he released her and rose. “But your safety comes first.”

He took her hand and they set off towards the patch of trees she had spotted. From the angle of the sun, she suspected it was late afternoon but they should reach the trees long before the sun fell. The sun was warm but not unbearably hot, relieved by the constant breeze and in spite of their unknown situation, she felt unexpectedly content.

The open landscape was far more pleasant than the confined atmosphere of the ship. Even though her surroundings were unfamiliar, she felt more at home here than she had since she left Earth. But the biggest source of her contentment was undoubtedly the big male holding her hand. There was no more breeding contract with an unknown male waiting for her and no inquisition waiting for him. They were free.

She knew that they would be facing challenges, but many of the people she had grown up around spent most of their lives up in the hills, only rarely coming into town. She knew it was quite possible to survive and even thrive without access to all of the so-called necessities of civilization. As long as nothing goes wrong, she reminded herself, determined to keep her outlook realistic. But that caution didn’t stop her from enjoying the present.

Her only immediate concern was what T’pak wanted to discuss. She slanted a look up at him as they walked, wondering what he had in mind.

“What are you thinking, my L’chka?” he asked when he saw her looking at him.

“It’s more like I’m wondering what you’re thinking.”

“I am thinking of how best to provide for you,” he said solemnly and her heart melted.

She squeezed his hand. “How about if we provide for each other? I’m not helpless - you’d be surprised at what I can do.”

“Not at all,” he assured her. “I believe you to be a very competent female.”

His words pleased her almost as much as when he had called her desirable. Even though Daddy and Darrell had expected a lot from her, they always treated her as if she were stupid and incapable of thinking for herself.

“However,” he continued. “It is a warrior’s honor to care for his female.”

“Is that what I am? Your female?”

“Can you doubt it?”

Part of her did not, and yet…

“It’s not as if you had a lot of women to choose from while you were imprisoned in the hold.”

“I met other females while I was on Earth. They had no interest for me.”

She came to a halt as a sudden horrible suspicion filled her mind. “Did you… did you have a breeding contract with another woman?”

“No, my L’chka. I did submit an application and twice I met with a female. But both times I knew immediately that she was not the one.”

“You mean you didn’t even…” Her cheeks were burning, but she took a deep breath and hurried on. “You didn’t even have sex with them?”

“There was no need. I knew that neither was the right female for me. Just as I knew –” Instead of continuing, he tugged gently on her hand and started walking again. “We will discuss this later. I wish to establish a shelter before the sun sets.”

Had he been going to say that he knew she was the one? It hadn’t been quite that fast for her, or at least, not that she had admitted herself – but her time with him had quickly become the most important part of her day.

But he was right, they needed to set up camp first. The breeze that had been blowing was beginning to turn cooler. She hoped there was some kind of firestarter in his survival kit. Although it wouldn’t the worst thing if we have to rely on body heat, she thought with a smile, and pressed closer to T’pak as they walked.

CHAPTER 13

By the time the sun set, T’pak was satisfied with the camp he – they – had made. The portable dome for sleeping was intended for a single person but would be adequate for the two of them, especially since he had no intention of letting D’rla get far away from him. A small fire burned in a carefully cleared area surrounded by a ring of stones. He knew that most Yehrin regarded open flames with suspicion, but he had spent enough time in the wilderness on Tenger that it did not disturb him – although, of course, he was careful to make sure that his female did not get too close to the flames.

There had in fact been a stream flowing beneath the trees, and the tester in the survival kit had indicated that it was safe for drinking. In addition, it contained small aquatic creatures which had also registered as safe. His female had created a net from another section of her gown, laughing at his praise when she succeeded in catching a number of the small creatures.

“I’ve been fishing since I was little. Darrell and Daddy always treated it more like an excuse to drink beer than to fish, but I enjoyed actually catching them. And eating them,” she added with a smile.

He bit back a snarl at her reference to her male relatives. Perhaps it was just as well that there was no opportunity for them to return to Earth. He would have been strongly tempted to seek them out and teach them a lesson in how they should have treated his female.

But the thought of Earth and their inability to return – their current inability to even leave this planet – made him remember his earlier determination to talk to her. Once their simple meal was completed and he had cleaned the equipment, he sat down at a safe distance from the fire and reached out his hand to her. Her cheeks flushed, but she came to him willingly and curled up on his lap.

“Time to talk?” she asked.

“I am afraid so.”

Despite his determination, he couldn’t help a feeling of trepidation.

“That sounds rather ominous,” she said lightly, her hand going to his chest. “Can’t we just kiss instead? Or… other things?”

His cock jerked at the memory of her tantalizing mouth against his, of the sweetness between her legs that he had barely touched, but he forced himself to shake his head.

“I must tell you about my past.” He did not want to do it. What he told her on the ship was true – a warrior should be judged by his actions, not his words - but she deserved to know the details and there was no one else to speak for him. “I told you I was being returned to Yehr for an inquisition.”

“You did.” A fierce scowl crossed her enchanting little face. “But you made it sound like they already thought you were guilty and that you weren’t even going to defend yourself.”

“I do not know how it would have gone,” he admitted. “There was a previous investigation and although I was found to be at fault, I was not punished as severely as I would have expected.”

“At fault for what?”

“For the deaths of innocent women and children,” he said, bracing himself for her reaction.

“I don’t believe that,” she said immediately. “You would never let that happen if you could prevent it.”

Her immediate defense warmed his hearts and he couldn’t resist bending his head and brushing his lips against hers. She responded immediately, but he gently moved her away before he could lose himself in her kiss.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked. “You don’t have to if you’d rather not talk about it.”

He didn’t want to talk about it, but she deserved to know before he made his claim.

“We were engaged in military action on Darthu. The planet had been conquered some time previously, but there was a well-organized and effective resistance. A new commander was sent from Yehr and he was determined to finally eradicate the rebellion.” And to cover himself with glory. “We tracked the leaders of the resistance to a mountain stronghold and he ordered us to destroy it. He assured us that it only contained military targets and was not well defended. He was wrong on both counts.”

He closed his eyes, still remembering the horror he’d felt when they had entered the damaged fortress and seen the bodies. “The rebels that survived fought fiercely and many of our squad were killed. In the end, only the commander, myself, and two other males survived. But the rebellion was ended.”

“I’m so sorry, but it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known they were there.”

He gave a humorless laugh. “That’s what we told ourselves - that it had been a terrible, tragic mistake. But then I discovered that our commander had known all along that it was a fortress not only for the resistance fighters but for their families. He knew but he didn’t care because he was determined to crush them at any cost.”

“What did you do?”

“When we returned to Yehr, I tried to report what had happened. Instead I found out that my commander had already made a report. He placed the blame for the deaths on his communication officers. I was one of them.”

“I don’t understand – how could he get away with that? What about the other two survivors?”

He sighed. In some ways that had been the most painful blow of all. He had not been close to T’ballan, but he’d considered T’rekko a friend. “Neither one of them chose to speak. T’ballan retired and returned to his home planet. T’rekko received a promotion. After my hearing, I was demoted and sent to Earth because I was deemed unfit for military action.”

“And no one blamed him?” She scowled indignantly.

“He is very powerful and well-connected.” He hesitated. “Although I have sometimes wondered if his story was entirely accepted. I expected a much more severe punishment.”

“But I don’t understand. If you were already punished, why are you being sent back to Yehr?”

“I was told there was new evidence. I suspect that the commander will not be satisfied until I have been eliminated. Or would not have been satisfied. I believe I am free of him now.”

While he still did not like the fact that T’chyro would escape without punishment, perhaps here he could finally put the past behind him.

“Do you mean because we’re alone on this planet?”

Her question made him hesitate again.

“I was thinking more of the fact that the ship has been destroyed. I cannot be sure that we are alone here. Just because the planet is under Yehrin control does not mean that there is not an indigenous population, even if we have seen no signs of it yet. Even on your world, are there not places that are unpopulated?”

“I suppose so - although you usually don’t have to go very far to find traces of people.” Her fingers played across his chest. “But right now, we’re alone. Maybe we should take advantage of that.”

“I wish to claim you.”

The words burst out before he could call them back, but to his relief, she did not immediately reject him. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, gleaming silver in the firelight.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I want to make you my mate, my L’chka.” He clenched his fists. “I know I should not. I was able to fight it on the ship because of my situation. But here, even though I know this freedom may not last, my instincts demand that I claim you.”

“Why wouldn’t it last? You said you thought you were free of your commander.”

“I hope I am, but I am still wanted for the inquisition on Yehr.”

“Not if no one knows you’re here.” She smiled up at him, her face soft. “So if there are people on this planet, we’ll just have to stay away from them.”

“Does that mean…”

“Yes. My answer is yes. I want to be your mate, T’pak. I want you to be my L’chka too.”

A dizzying wave of relief rushed over him even as he laughed. “That is not possible, but I will be your warrior. For now and forever.”

“Good. Now please kiss me.”

He could no longer resist, pressing his lips to hers and losing himself in the sweetness of her mouth. Her arms came up to circle his neck and the small mounds of her breasts rubbed against his chest. Bending her back over his arm, he palmed the tempting flesh, his fingers finding the hard peak of her nipple and rolling it gently. She gasped into his mouth and arched against his hand.

Ripping aside the ties he had used to bind her gown, he delved into the tempting heat between her legs, groaning when he found her hot and slick to his touch. He sought the swollen pearl of flesh at the top of her slit, circling it carefully as she urged him on with soft, wordless cries. When he felt her body quiver as her release took her, he dipped down to the small entrance of her body. She was even wetter now and he sank his finger into the hot, tight channel, still pulsing from her climax.

His cock throbbed, already anticipating that velvety clasp surrounding it, but he forced it under control. She was very small and would need to be stretched. He tried to add a second finger, but her body resisted. He resumed his attention to her clit, stroking her until she reached a second climax and softened enough to accept a second digit.

“I feel so full.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide and dazed with pleasure as she squirmed restlessly against his hand.

“There is more to come. I must ensure that your small cunt can take my cock without pain.”

“More?” He felt her channel try and tighten around him. “I’m not sure if I can.”

“You can.” He had no doubt that his L’chka’s body would accept him. “Each time I pleasure you, you open for me.”

He stroked his thumb across her clit again and her whole body quivered.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Pleasure away.”

He had to bring her to climax twice more before he succeeded in burying all three fingers into her sweet little cunt. She was ready.

CHAPTER 14

Darla’s body quivered, every inch of her skin alive with sensation, as T’pak pulled the remains of her gown over her head and laid her back against the blanket. He stripped off his own clothing just as impatiently and her eyes immediately focused on his cock. The thick, dark column of flesh undulated from wide tip to even broader base and she gulped nervously.

She could have sworn his fingers had stretched her to her limit and his cock looked even larger, but then again, she hadn’t thought she could take all three fingers and she’d enjoyed every moment. Making it work is half the fun. Uma’s words floated through her mind, and she smiled. The other female had been correct.

“You are very beautiful, my L’chka.”

T’pak was still standing over her, his eyes glowing with purple fire as he studied her naked body. Glad that the firelight would hide the color in her cheeks, she parted her legs, opening herself for him.

“I need you, T’pak.”

He joined her immediately, his big body covering her with warmth as he kissed her. He teased her nipples before his hand slid lower and she gasped, still sensitive from her previous climaxes.

“Easy, my L’chka,” he murmured, gentling his touch until he was barely caressing her.

The teasing touch soon had her arching against his hand seeking more, and he growled approvingly as he moved over her, the head of his cock pushing lightly against her entrance.

“Are you ready?”

“Oh, yes. Make me yours, T’pak.”

He shuddered, and then started to press into her. Despite her wetness and despite his efforts to prepare her, her body resisted. The increasing stretch made her entrance start to burn in a confusing mixture of pleasure and pain, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and urged him deeper. He jerked and the broad head finally entered her. They both cried out.

Every muscle in his body turned rigid as she quivered, trying to adjust to his size.

“I cannot… I cannot wait,” he gasped, and then he shuddered as his hips jerked against her and a rush of hot liquid flooded her insides.

She expected him to soften, but he did not. Instead, the silky heat eased his way and he sank in another inch, then two.

“I apologize,” he said solemnly. “I lost control.”

“But you’re not done, are you?” The undulating column of his cock pressed against a sensitive place inside her and she shivered, on the verge of her own climax.

“No, my L’chka.” He smiled at her, sharp teeth flashing and the firelight gleaming on his horns. He had never looked more alien, or more beloved. “You will take all of me.”

And she did. Even when she thought she couldn’t possibly handle any more of him, he stroked the oversensitive bud of her clit until she opened enough to take another inch. Until she was completely impaled on his cock, stretched wide and quivering around him.

“I knew you could take me.” His voice was harsh, his face strained. “And now we can begin.”

He stroked his thumb across her clit again as he started to withdraw and her climax roared over her, so intense that her vision sheeted white. Her body convulsed, trying to tighten around him but already overwhelmingly full. She heard him roar, felt him begin thrusting into her in long, hard strokes as she tried to respond to his movements. His mouth dropped to her neck.

“I claim you as my L’chka,” he growled, as he grew impossibly harder, impossibly larger, and then his teeth sank into the sensitive flesh.

The sharp sting was immediately followed by fire streaking straight to her clit and another climax roared over her as he filled her in long, endless waves of liquid heat. All she could do was cling to him as her body shuddered helplessly around the thick column of his cock.

He tightened his arms around her, his body warm and heavy over hers as he murmured her name. When he finally raised his head, his face glowed with satisfaction.

“My mate.”

He sounded so proud that her eyes filled with tears and his expression immediately turned to alarm.

“D’rla? Are you well?” His eyes dropped to her neck, a mixture of pride and concern on his face. “Did the mating bite hurt you?”

He gently licked the mark. Another spark of fire ran through her exhausted body and she felt her pussy flutter around him.

“It was amazing,” she managed to say. “Just… overwhelming.”

“Of course. I will care for you.”

He carefully withdrew from her body, making her quiver again. Sparks of purple fire appeared in his eyes but all he did was drop a quick kiss on her mouth. He disappeared for a moment, then returned and gently pressed a damp cloth between her legs. The coolness soothed her swollen flesh as he carefully cleansed her.

“Are you sure you are well?” he asked. “You are so small.”

“I’m wonderful,” she murmured as her eyes drifted closed. The last thing she remembered was him smiling at her.

A rush of heat woke Darla. Her skin felt hot and tight, her nipples swollen and her clit throbbing. T’pak was wrapped around her and she could see the faintest indication of dawn on the horizon. She had a vague recollection that he’d tried to carry her to the tent and she’d insisted that they remain outdoors.

A breeze drifted past, pleasantly cool against her heated skin. She felt… needy, already aroused and ready to resume the activities of the night before. Or maybe not, she amended as she moved and felt the lingering ache between her legs. Maybe her body needed a little time to adjust.

Of course that didn’t mean there weren’t other possibilities…

Moving slowly so as not to awaken T’pak, she slid down his body until she reached his cock. Even in his current half-erect state, he looked far too large to have fit inside her. But fit he had, she thought with a wiggle of remembered pleasure. She started to stroke the thick, undulating column, delighting in the softness of his skin beneath her fingers.

A big hand covered hers and she jumped. She looked up to find him watching her, his face warm with amusement.

“What are you doing, little mouse?”

“Just exploring.” She deliberately tightened her hand around as much of him as she could. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not as long as I get my turn.”

His voice was dark with promise and she wiggled again, already anticipating his touch.

“Okay.” Her voice sounded breathless even to her, and he laughed.

Hmm. She gave him a long, firm stroke and the laughter died as his eyes began to glow. That was better. She repeated the gesture, watching his face to see what pleased him the most. His cock grew thicker and harder with each stroke until she had no chance of closing her hand around him. But as her mama used to say, there was more than one way to skin a cat.

Bending closer, she licked the head of his cock. He roared, his claws sinking into the ground next to him. Pleased with his reaction, she licked again, eagerly lapping up the sweet pearls of liquid that began to appear in response. Wanting more, she opened as wide as she could and managed to take him in her mouth. She swirled her tongue across him, and then sucked.

He roared again, and then hot, sweet liquid flooded her mouth. She gulped down as much as she could but more ran down her chin and dripped onto her breasts.

As soon as his body stopped jerking, he flipped her onto her back and rose over her. He wiped his seed from her mouth, then followed the path down over her breasts, rubbing it into the sensitive skin. When he reached her nipples, her whole body shook.

“T’pak,” she gasped.

“You did say I could explore,” he reminded her, tightening his fingers around a sensitive bud.

“Okay,” she repeated and he laughed again,

“You are very agreeable this morning, my L’chka.”

His hand traveled lower and despite the throbbing ache in her clit, she couldn’t help wincing when he brushed against it. He stopped immediately.

“Agreeable, and I think, also sore.”

“Just a little. Don’t stop.”

“I have a better idea.”

He moved his hand away, but before she could object, he bent down and licked her mating bite. It felt like a direct line to her clit, and she shuddered. He licked it again, then moved down her body. He lingered over her breasts, building her arousal until she was on the verge of climax, then traveled lower.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, tracing her folds with a gentle finger. “All pink and glistening and ready for me.”

Despite the gentleness of his touch, it was almost too much.

“Ready for my mouth,” he added as his head descended.

Oh, yes. His tongue was hot and slick, soothing as well as arousing as he licked a slow path from her tender entrance to her aching clit. She gasped and clutched his horns and he growled, the sound vibrating against the sensitive flesh. He lingered there, teasing her with gentle circles until her entire body felt flushed, tense with anticipation.

“Come for me, little mouse,” he ordered, and delicately scraped his teeth across the swollen nub.

Fire streaked through her veins and she shuddered helplessly as her climax swept over her. He prolonged it, each sweep of his tongue sending another shock rolling through her until at last her body went limp and she pushed weakly at his horns.

He obediently raised his head and smiled at her.

“I approve of this mutual exploration.”

“Me too.”

The warmth of her climax lingered, but exhaustion took over and she fell asleep as he gathered her into his arms again.

CHAPTER 15

T’pak smiled as D’rla fell asleep in his arms once more. His cock ached, aroused again at her response to his touch, but it didn’t matter as long as she was satisfied. He’d never expected to find such happiness. Perhaps the Ancestors were finally smiling on him.

I will make her happy, he vowed as the sky continued to lighten.

Despite the contentment radiating through his body, he needed to investigate their surroundings. The site by the stream had been perfect for a temporary resting place, but he had seen no signs of any animals other than the small aquatic creatures and an occasional avian. They would require a more varied food supply.

Covering D’rla with the thermal blanket, he left her to sleep while he climbed to the top of the hill behind their camp. An ocean glinted in the distance, and he gave a satisfied nod. The waters would provide additional food supplies. The ocean also reminded him of Tenger, and it felt oddly like coming home. Perhaps he could even build a boat…

His thoughts came to a halt as he spotted the sail. The planet was inhabited after all.

Although it was difficult to tell from this distance, the sail appeared to belong to a simple fishing boat. He followed its path until it disappeared behind a rocky outcropping, but now he could see additional smaller boats close to the headland. It seemed likely that a port was concealed behind the cliff.

They would head in that direction today, he decided, and he would survey the town. Perhaps it was for the best. While they could continue to survive off the land, D’rla would definitely be more comfortable if he could obtain additional supplies. Since the planet was under Yehrin control, the occupants of the town should not be dismayed by his appearance.

Under Yehrin control…

Once again his thoughts ground to a halt. In his desire to provide for his female, he had forgotten his circumstances. If the town was large enough to have a Yehrin outpost, the commanding officer would undoubtedly have questions about their presence. But if there was no outpost, it might be worth the risk.

Anxious to return to his mate with the news, he hurried back down the hill. He frowned when he found her still asleep, her face flushed.

“D’rla? Time to wake up, my L’chka.”

Her eyes fluttered open, but she barely seemed to see him.

“T’pak,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and strained. “My love…”

Her voice drifted off and her eyes closed again. Alarmed, he reached for her, then swore at the heat of her skin. She had felt warm earlier but he had assumed it was due to sleep and excitement. Now her skin burned against his fingers. This was not natural - something was wrong.

He tried to wake her again, but she only moaned softly, her breath coming in shallow pants. Fuck! The survival kit contained basic medical supplies, but they were designed for injuries, not this type of sickness.

The question of whether or not to approach the town was no longer a subject for discussion - he had to get help for her. He wrapped the blanket around her and lifted her into his arms, then set off at a run, praying to the Ancestors that whoever inhabited this planet had the medical skills needed to heal her.

As he’d suspected, the town lay on the other side of the headland, climbing down the hill towards the harbor. At this hour it was still quiet with the only signs of activity down near the boats. As he headed in that direction, he almost ran into a heavyset male pushing a cart of produce. His warrior training automatically noted the silver-scaled skin and webbed fingers that indicated an aquatic race, but all he cared about was finding assistance for his mate.

“My female needs help,” he demanded. “Where is the closest medic?”

The male’s large, dark eyes widened, but he answered readily enough.

“Follow this street down the hill to the first square, then take the street to the right. The medical building has a white flag - you can’t miss it.”

He muttered his thanks as he resumed his run. It hadn’t escaped his notice that the male had been surprised rather than shocked by his appearance, confirming his suspicions as to the Yehrin presence on the planet. It didn’t matter - the only thing that mattered was getting help for his mate.

As he raced into the medical building, he found two of the native females talking in the entry. The older one immediately focused on D’rla.

“What’s wrong with her?” she asked, her voice calm and authoritative.

“I do not know. Her skin is hot and she is not responding to my voice. You must help her.”

“Of course. Come with me.”

She led the way quickly into a smaller room and directed him to place D’rla on the bed. He hesitated, suddenly afraid to let go of her.

“If you want me to help her, I need to examine her,” the female said firmly. “Put her on the bed.”

“You are a medic?”

“Yes. Now put her down.”

He obeyed, but retained hold of his mate’s hand as the female bent over her with a portable scanner. The sight of the familiar Yehrin device reassured him. At this moment he welcomed anything that would help D’rla.

“Has she ingested anything unusual?” the medic asked.

“We both drank water from a stream and ate some small aquatic creatures - but they registered as safe.”

“For Yehrin anatomy, perhaps, but what is she?”

“She is human,” he said, tightening his grip on D’rla’s hand as he gave the female an appalled look. “This planet is not safe for her?”

“There is a parasite present in the water that affects some visitors, but do not worry. It is a simple matter to remedy, although it may take her system a few days to adjust.”

The medic administered an injection, then shot him a glance.

“Were you not informed of this possibility when you arrived?”

“No,” he said shortly, focused on his mate. Her breathing seemed to have eased and the frantic beating of his hearts also eased.

“Why not?” a deep voice asked from the doorway, and T’pak forced his eyes away from D’rla long enough to see an older Yehrin warrior standing there.

The warrior was accompanied by a female and T’pak thought she was the one who had been with the medic when he arrived. He should have known that their presence here would be reported.

“It is… complicated.”

“Then perhaps we should have this discussion elsewhere,” the warrior suggested, glancing at D’rla.

“I am not leaving her.”

“She is in no danger,” the medic assured him. “And she will be sleeping so she won’t know that you’re not here.”

“I will not leave her alone,” he repeated.

“I am afraid I must insist on an explanation.” The warrior’s hand dropped to the hilt of his nano sword, and the female at his side quickly stepped forward.

“How about we compromise? I will stay with your mate until you return. T’zalam can talk to you in one of the other rooms. That way you won’t disturb her, but you’ll be close by, and he can bring you back as soon as you’ve finished talking.”

The warrior’s face softened slightly. “That would be acceptable.”

He hesitated, still grasping D’rla’s small hand. He knew that the older male was only following standard Yehrin protocol, but what if he tried to prevent T’pak from returning to his mate? Perhaps some of his conflict appeared on his face, because the male sighed.

“I swear by the Ancestors that I will bring you back to her.”

The oath reassured him, and even though part of him was afraid that this male would also betray his trust, he reluctantly released D’rla’s hand and rose.

“I promise I’ll stay with her until you return,” the female said as they left, giving him an understanding smile.

“Thank you.”

The older male led him to a small office and gestured him aside. He took a seat but T’pak remained standing, automatically assuming a military stance.

“I am Commander T’zalam,” the male said, studying him thoughtfully. “I am responsible for the middle continent.”

The middle continent? It seemed a large area to be controlled from such a small town. His surprise must have been apparent, because T’zalam continued.

“None of the continents are heavily populated, but there are corresponding officers on each of the them. There is also small force on the largest continent, but overall, we maintain only a minor presence on Keyanos. There are few natural resources worth exporting and the females are not breeding compatible.” A fleeting look of sadness crossed the other male’s face. “I oversee such trade as does exist and provide law enforcement when necessary. Now who are you and where did you come from?”

He hesitated, but in the end, he could not lie.

“I am Officer T’pak.” He thought he saw T’zalam react to his name but the expression was gone so quickly he could not be sure. “My mate and I were on a ship that suffered an unfortunate accident.”

“The female who is ill is your mate?”

“Yes.”

“She is obviously not Keyani, but what is she?”

“She is human, from the planet Earth.”

“Ah, yes. I have heard of this planet.” T’zalam shot him a penetrating glance. “Even on Keyanos news reaches us.”

Perhaps he hadn’t imagined that flash of reaction after all.

“I see. What else have you heard?”

“That a passenger ship was recently destroyed.” The other male hesitated. “I understood that no lives were lost, but there have been rumors that it was sabotaged.”

“Although I have no evidence, I believe that to be true. There was a series of explosions and they were too regular to be caused by random damage.”

“Is there someone you wish to notify as to your safety?”

Was T’zalam testing him? He couldn’t help feeling that the warrior knew more than he was revealing.

“I do not wish to notify anyone,” he said truthfully.

“I see,” T’zalam said again, studying his face. “Do you know who I am?”

“No. Should I?”

“Perhaps not, but I believe you knew my cousin T’stever.”

Despair threatened to swamp him. T’stever had been one of the other warriors on that ill-fated mission on Darthu. He had been so young, on his first assignment, and he had not survived. No doubt T’zalam blamed him for his death. His body tensed, already anticipating his arrest.

“You swore to return me to my mate.” But not to let him stay there.

“I have every intention of doing so.” T’zalam’s voice remained surprisingly calm. “Will you tell me what really happened on Darthu?”

“Did you not read the official report?” The bitterness slipped out before he could prevent it.

“I did. I did not believe it.”

He gave the other male a suspicious look. “Why not?”

“According to the report, the only person to behave with any honor was your commander.”

He barely managed to avoid reacting, even though he felt a sudden spark of hope.

“I have been a commander for a long time. No mission - and no officer - is ever entirely perfect,” T’zalam continued. “My cousin was young. I can believe he was impulsive, reckless even. But he was not stupid and he would not have acted in the way described in the report. Which makes me doubt that you would have done so either.”

An unexpected wave of gratitude washed over him. T’zalam was the first warrior to openly express his doubt as to T’pak’s guilt. But perhaps he was not the only one to find T’chyro’s report suspicious - and perhaps that was why he hadn’t received the punishment he’d expected.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“Under the circumstances, I do not feel compelled to report your presence to my superiors.” T’zalam tapped his claws thoughtfully on his desk. “I made some contacts during my initial investigation into the incident. I believe it would be appropriate to follow up with them.”

“He is a powerful male,” he warned him.

T’zalam flashed his teeth. “I chose to stay here on Keyanos because my mate is happy here, but I am not without resources.”

“Your mate?”

“She is the female who remained with your mate.” T’zalam’s face softened again. “After T’stever’s death I had no desire to remain on Yehr and embarked on a tour of some of our more remote outposts. I met Marella when I visited here and when we bonded, I decided to stay. I found… peace in this place. Perhaps you could as well.”

“You would not object if we remain?”

“Not at all.” T’zalam gave him a solemn look. “There is work here for an honorable warrior.”

The words came as balm to his damaged pride, but he hesitated. Was the offer only made out of charity?

“I am truly needed?”

“Yes. There are two races here on Keyanos - the Keyani, who you have met, and the Keyano. They inhabit the smaller islands and spend more time in the waters. I am attempting to reach a trade agreement with them but they can be aggressive.” T’zalam studied his face. “I intended to send for another officer, but I wanted to be sure that the chosen male would not automatically view them as the enemy. I believe your experience would be valuable. Of course, it is not a prestigious position.”

Relief filled him and he smiled. “That no longer concerns me. As long as my mate agrees, I would be happy to remain.”

“Good. Then let us return to our females.”

CHAPTER 16

Darla woke to find herself lying in a real bed. Sunlight slanted in through a tall, open window, illuminating plain white-washed walls. She caught the scent of the sea mingled with the smell of flowers. Where was she? And where was T’pak?

She looked around anxiously, but the only other occupant of the room was a strange female sitting in the chair next to the bed and working with some type of yarn. Her skin was covered with pale iridescent blue scales and she had tall, frilled ears.

“T’pak… Where’s T’pak?” Her voice came out hoarse and strained.

The female immediately looked at her with large, rather bulbous dark eyes.

“Calm yourself, female. Your warrior is with the commander.”

Commander? Did she mean a Yehrin commander? Had they come for him?

“No!” she cried. “You can’t let them take him away from me.”

“No one is going to take him anywhere,” the female said firmly, pouring a pale green liquid into a small glass. “Now drink some of this - it will help your throat.”

“What is it?” she asked suspiciously. “And where am I? Why am I here? And why is T’pak with the commander?”

“This is a type of juice.” The female gently but firmly helped Darla to sit and handed her the glass. “Now drink, and I will answer your questions. My name is Marella.”

“I’m Darla,” she said automatically, taking a cautious sip of the juice. It had a pleasant, slightly citrus taste, and it did feel wonderful sliding down her throat.

“Now, to answer your questions. You are in Port Aramat - it is a fishing village on the planet Keyanos. You are here because you were very ill.” Marella gave her a sympathetic look. “There is a parasite that lives in the waters of this planet.”

“But we tested the water.”

“I’m assuming that was with Yehrin equipment?” When Darla nodded, Marella sighed. “It doesn’t affect them so I assume the check didn’t reveal any danger.”

“Does that mean I can’t drink the water here?”

Marella shook her head. “You will be fine now that your system has adapted.”

She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that, but she had more pressing concerns.

“What about T’pak? You said he was with the commander?”

“Yes, Commander T’zalam. He is the Yehrin administrator for this planet. I notified him when your warrior came racing in here carrying you.”

“You don’t understand!” She tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but they were weak and unresponsive. “He’s been falsely accused of a crime. Another Yehrin might not listen to him.”

“Commander T’zalam is not like other Yehrin officers.” A slow smile curved Marella’s lips. “And I should know - he’s my mate. He promised your warrior that he would return him to your side and he would never break his oath.”

Just because T’zalam had promised to bring T’pak back didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be under arrest. Her eyes filled with tears and Marella patted her hand.

“T’zalam is a good male - he will listen to your mate.”

If T’pak wasn’t too proud to tell him what had happened. She bit her lip, but forced herself to nod. There was no point in panicking until she saw T’pak again. And if it turned out he needed her assistance, she had to be strong enough to help him. She took another sip of her juice and Marella nodded approvingly.

“That’s a good girl. I think Elora will be pleased with your progress.”

“Elora?”

“She is our primary medic. I was talking to her when you were brought in, and I offered to stay with you while T’zalam talked to your warrior.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. It would have been much worse to wake up alone and with no one to explain what was happening. “So you’re not a nurse?”

Marella laughed. “No, I’m a baker. Do you enjoy cooking?”

“I did back on Earth.”

The other female’s face lit up and she started asking Darla about Earth foods. She was especially intrigued by the concept of cookies since they didn’t have anything similar. Exhaustion washed over Darla as Marella talked, but she refused to give in to it, determined to stay awake until T’pak returned.

Despite her resolution, her eyes were half-closed with the door finally opened and T’pak entered, followed by an older Yehrin officer. He hurried to her side, searching her face anxiously.

“Are you well, my L’chka?”

“I am now.”

“Praise the Ancestors.”

He drew her into his arms and she could feel the tension in his body.

“Is everything all right?” she whispered. “You’re not under arrest?”

“No, he is not.”

The response came from the Yehrin by the door who now had his arm around Marella. He must be T’zalam.

“Did your warrior not tell you that we have exceptional hearing?” he added, smiling at the look on her face.

“He didn’t mention it.”

No wonder he had always known when she entered the hold.

“Leave us,” T’pak ordered. “Please.”

T’zalam and Marella both smiled, but they obeyed, leaving the two of them alone.

“You are truly well?” he asked again, his eyes searching her face.

“I am. I still feel a little weak, but Marella said it wouldn’t take long for my strength to come back.”

He shuddered. “I thought I lost you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly. “I love you. I’m not going to leave you.”

“You love me?”

“Of course I do.” She touched the mating bite on her neck. “Do you think I would have let you do this if I didn’t?”

His face finally relaxed, his eyes beginning to glow with the familiar purple fire as he covered her fingers with his own. His touch on the bite sent a sudden streak of heat through her body and she tugged him closer. He kissed her, gently at first, then more hungrily as she responded to him. But despite the arousal beginning to hum through her veins, she didn’t have the energy for more.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I’m just so tired.”

“I should have waited until you were stronger.”

She could see the guilt on his face and she managed to smile at him as her eyes drifted shut.

“I’m glad you didn’t. I like it when you kiss me. Will you hold me until I fall asleep?”

“I will never let you go. I love you, my L’chka.”

He gathered her closer and she snuggled into his arms, completely content.

Three days later, Darla stared out of her window restlessly, no longer quite as content. The view into the small enclosed garden was pretty enough, but she was tired of looking at it. Elora, a pleasant older female with a briskly competent manner, had refused to let her leave until she regained her strength. Even though T’pak had been with her the entire time and Marella visited frequently, she was beginning to get a little stir crazy. It didn’t help that T’zalam had asked T’pak to assist him in an inspection down at the harbor this morning. Although she’d convinced him it was fine to leave her and go with the other officer, now she envied his freedom.

When Marella peeked her head around the door, Darla greeted her eagerly.

“Are you getting bored?” the older woman asked.

“Just a little.”

“Would you like to go for a walk? I already checked with Elora and she said it would be fine as long as you don’t overdo it.”

“That would be wonderful, except…” She gestured at the thin white shift that served as her hospital gown. “This doesn’t seem very suitable for going out in public.”

“I thought of that too.” Marella opened the bag she was carrying and pulled out a tunic and a pair of loose pants similar to the ones she was wearing but in a soft shade of blue. “Try these on. I think I judged the fit pretty well.”

Marella was right - the clothes were only a little too large - and Darla gave her a grateful smile, delighted to be wearing something other than the white shift.

“Excellent. Now come,” Marella said. “I wish to show you something.”

Darla didn’t hesitate. Her knees still felt a little shaky, but she was too happy to get out of her room to let them stop her. They stepped out onto the wide porch that ran along the front of the hospital building, and Marella paused for a moment so that Darla could finally take a look at the town.

Two and three-story buildings built from blocks of pale pinkish stone climbed down the hillside to the harbor below. A river ran down through the center of town, with arched stone bridges crossing it in several places. A variety of shops and cafes lined the streets flanking the river banks, with people bustling in and out or lingering over a drink at one of the outside tables.

It looked peaceful and prosperous, with the sun shining down and the fresh ocean breeze gently swaying the branches of the trees.

“This way.” Marella led her along the cobbled street, moving slowly to accommodate Darla’s weakened condition, and then up a narrow lane. She stopped in front of a small, two-story cottage at the edge of town. “What do you think?”

Built from the same pink stone as the rest of the town, it had a simple, symmetrical facade, almost hidden beneath overgrown flowering vines. The shutters flanking the windows were a faded blue and while the whole place looked in need of maintenance, it had an undeniable charm.

“I think it’s adorable,” she said sincerely.

Marella looked pleased, and pushed open the gate in the stone wall separating the property from the street, then led her through the lush, overgrown garden to the small front porch. An arched door opened into a modest entry hall with a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. To one side of the entry, an airy living room contained a few pieces of sheet-covered furniture centered around the fireplace on the far wall. Despite the overgrown vines, light flooded into the room from both the wide windows at the front of the cottage and the tall French windows that led out onto a rear patio.

A spacious kitchen opened off the other side of the entry, with a sturdy wooden table in front of the front windows. Through another windowed door at the back of the house, she could see a rear garden ascending up the hillside in a series of terraces. As in the other room, everything was dusty but surprisingly well-maintained.

Marella ran a finger through the dust on the table, and shook her head. “I have not been here in too long.”

“This is your house?”

“In a manner of speaking. My first mate was a stonemason. He built this cottage for our daughter.”

“What happened to her?” she asked softly.

“Nothing tragic – except perhaps to a mother’s feelings.” Marella gave her a rueful smile. “She fell in love with the visiting trader and now they live on Rawlston – it’s an island off the northern continent.”

“I’m sorry. You must miss her.”

“I do. I only get to see her a couple of times a year. But that’s the reason I brought you here. It would make me very happy if you and your warrior chose to live here. In addition to these two rooms, there are two bedrooms upstairs, as well as a bathing room.”

“Are you sure? This was built for your family.”

“It was built with love.” Marella hesitated. “I could not ask T’zalam to live in a house built by my previous mate, but I want to see it lived in.”

Darla looked around at the big rooms and the abundance of light, at the gardens and the sea beyond, and smiled. She could see herself here, sharing a meal with T’pak in the sunny kitchen or snuggling with him in front of the fire on a stormy night.

“I will have to see what T’pak thinks, but I love the idea.”

Marella nodded briskly.

“Good. I suggested that T’zalam talk to your warrior about it, but he was afraid that it would offend him.”

She hadn’t considered that. “Why would it offend him?”

“My mate did not want T’pak to think he was suggesting that he was not capable of caring for you.” Marella reached out and took Darla’s hand. “But it would make me very happy to see you both here. I tend to avoid the cottage because it makes me sad to see it empty and neglected.”

“I would love to live here,” she admitted. “But not if it makes T’pak unhappy…”

Marella grinned at her and squeezed her hand. “If you tell him that it will make you happy, I suspect he will be able to overlook any imagined blow to his pride. Yehrin males are very focused on their mate’s happiness.”

“I have noticed that.”

“Then that’s settled. Now, let’s get you back to the hospital before our warriors return.”

CHAPTER 17

A week later, Darla looked happily around the cottage kitchen - now, her kitchen. As Marella had suggested, T’pak’s initial reluctance to accept what he saw as charity had been overcome by his concern for her happiness. The fact that they would finally be alone together had certainly helped. Although he had stayed in the hospital with her every night, her weakness and the lack of privacy had limited their encounters.

They had moved in that night and he had made up for the three days of enforced abstinence so thoroughly that she was still glowing when Marella showed up the next morning to help her clean. Together the two of them, with help from T’pak and T’zalam, had scrubbed away the dust and added a fresh coat of paint to the walls. The furnishings were still sparse, but T’pak put his foot down on accepting any more furniture.

“I will earn the credits for those,” he said firmly, and she didn’t attempt to argue. They had the basic necessities and everything else could wait.

Her strength had returned quickly once she left the hospital. She still felt the urge to nap each afternoon, but in between she was full of energy and happy to work on restoring the cottage. She and T’pak had also begun to work on taming the overgrown gardens. The terraces at the rear of the house had been the worst but as they cleared away the vegetation, they discovered that the top terrace had a swinging bench under an arbor. They had a wonderful view down over the town and the ocean beyond, and she loved to sit there with T’pak in the evenings as the sun went down. T’pak had also put the swing to creative use, she thought, smiling reminiscently before trying to focus on the task at hand.

She’d finally managed to convince T’pak that it was safe to leave her. He had promised to assist T’zalam with a hearing, and she planned to take advantage of his absence to try some baking. Marella had suggested that there might be a market for sweets and offered to sell what she made at the bakery.

“So you did survive the wreck.”

She jumped and looked up to see a strange Yehrin male standing in the entrance to the kitchen. The front door was usually open during the day but no one had ever just walked in before. Her pulse started to race but she did her best to keep her voice calm.

“Who are you?”

He ignored her question. “I had the escape vessels inspected, of course, and you were not onboard.”

“I was in a life pod,” she said automatically, then frowned at him. “But who are you and why were you looking for me?”

“I am Supreme Commander T’chyro. We have a breeding contract.”

The room literally swayed around her. This was the male who had sent for her? From the amount of insignia on his uniform and his air of arrogance, he was undoubtedly an important male, but he reminded her of T’lamat and her skin crawled. She glanced around surreptitiously, looking for a weapon, but the knife T’pak had given her was on the other side of the room.

“You came to find me?” she whispered.

His eyes flicked away from hers momentarily.

“The records the ship transmitted prior to its destruction indicated that a life pod had been ejected. Once I landed on the planet, I picked up your tracker.”

“Tracker?” She gave him a horrified glance. “You put a tracker in me?”

“It is in your bracelet, along with a beacon to summon help. You should have activated it.” He sighed. “But what can one expect from a human?”

The possibility had never even occurred to her - she was so used to wearing the bracelet that she hadn’t thought about removing it. The fact that T’pak hadn’t suggested removing it either made her suspect that using it as a tracker was not a common occurrence. Irritated both by the male’s attitude and the fact that he had tracked her without her knowledge, she glared at him.

“If you have such a low opinion of humans, why did you want a breeding contract?”

“A human female was not my first choice to receive my seed,” he said. “You are such a primitive species. But I was assured that you are capable of breeding true Yehrin males. And that the experience would be quite… enjoyable,” he added.

His eyes swept over her, an odd mixture of disdain and lust on his face. “I had hoped for a female with a more desirable body, but I suppose you will do. Remove your clothing.”

“What? No!”

“You will do as I say, human.”

“No, I won’t.” She desperately tried to remember what T’voth had told her about the terms of the arrangement. “I renounce the contract.”

“Nonsense. Now, remove your clothing.”

“I said I renounced the contract. You are required by Yehrin law to leave me alone.”

He shrugged dismissively. “And who is going to enforce that law?”

“Commander T’zalam,” she said quickly. “He is in charge of this continent.”

“And I am a Supreme Commander. He holds no authority over me.”

Based on what T’pak had told her about the Yehrin legal system, she was quite sure that wasn’t true, but she was also afraid it made no difference to T’chyro. He clearly thought himself above the law.

“I’m already mated,” she cried when he took a step towards her.

His eyes narrowed.

“Who is your mate? The claim of a Keyani would not have precedence over the claim of a Yehrin warrior.”

She was sure that was also a violation of Yehrin law but she didn’t bother to argue the point.

“My mate is a Yehrin warrior so it does take precedence.”

“What is his name? I was told that only one Yehrin male resides on this continent and he is already mated.”

Should she tell him? Just because T’zalam had accepted T’pak didn’t mean that another warrior would react the same way. When she hesitated, he shook his head and took another step towards her.

“As I thought. You are lying. Now remove your clothing and present yourself for my use.”

“I’m not lying and I will do no such thing.”

His eyes gleamed. “Perhaps this will be an enjoyable encounter after all. I do appreciate a little resistance.”

He was between her and the front door, but if she could get to the back…

“I’m not lying,” she repeated, hoping to distract him. “I do have a Yehrin mate.”

“Then who is it?”

“I am her mate.” T’pak appeared in the doorway, his face etched with fury. “Are you well, my L’chka?”

“I am now.”

But despite her assurance, she was scared of what T’chyro would do. He was glaring at T’pak, a look of loathing on his face.

“So you are here. That worthless T’nal assured me that you were dead, but as soon as I heard that a life pod was ejected, I knew.”

“That’s why you really came here, isn’t it?” she asked. “You weren’t looking for me at all.”

“I told you that I had no particular interest in breeding a human female. Your presence on the ship simply provided a plausible reason why no suspicion would be attached to me in the event of an unfortunate incident such as the explosion.”

“You were responsible,” T’pak said slowly. “You were the one who caused the explosion on the ship.”

“So what?” T’chyro smirked at him, his former confidence returning. “Who would believe that I was responsible for something which risked the life of my rare and valuable human breeder?”

“You will not get away with this - not with risking innocent lives a second time.”

T’chyro’s face hardened. “You have caused me enough trouble by trying to reveal what actually occurred on Darthu. It is time you were silenced.”

T’chyro pulled a sword hilt from his belt. When he pressed the handle, a glowing sword emerged and her heart started to pound.

“I’ll tell them,” she said fiercely. “I’ll make sure everyone knows.”

He took his eyes off of T’pak long enough to flick a glance in her direction. “And who would listen to a primitive human female?”

“I would. Especially since I heard your confession.” T’zalam appeared at the back door and she realized he must have been there all along. And I am placing you under arrest,” he added calmly.

“No,” T’pak said. “This is a debt of honor. He has threatened my L’chka.”

T’zalam hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded. He pulled out his own sword hilt and did something to it before tossing it to T’pak.

“It will respond to your touch now.”

A second glowing sword appeared in T’pak’s hand, and T’chyro’s face went dark with fury.

“I will eliminate both of you,” he snarled. “Then wreak my vengeance on your female before she follows you into death.”

She could see the anger on T’pak’s face, but his voice remained calm. “D’rla, go with T’zalam. You do not need to see this.”

“I’m not going to leave you,” she said, but she moved over to join T’zalam at the back door. She did not want to distract T’pak during the fight. As much as she hated the idea, she couldn’t blame him for wanting to avenge himself on the male who had caused him so much pain.

As soon as she was out of the way, T’pak attacked. The fight was fast, brutal, and horrifying. At first T’chyro seemed to have a slight advantage – using a series of what even to her inexperienced eyes looked like fast, flamboyant moves. But T’pak countered each one, and the older male began to slow. That was when T’pak went on the offensive. He wasn’t flashy, but he was just as fast and far more determined, pursuing T’chyro with a strength that made her breath catch. T’zalam murmured his approval.

“Your warrior is very skilled.” He looked down at her for a brief second. “And of course, he has the stronger motivation.”

She wanted to ask what he meant, but she was more intent on the fight. T’chyro was obviously flagging now, and it almost appeared as if T’pak was toying with him. A thin line of blood appeared on T’chyro’s arm, then another across his thigh.

“Finish it,” T’zalam commanded.

At first she thought that T’pak wasn’t going to listen to him as another gash appeared on T’chyro’s arm, but then there was a sudden swirl of motion. A line appeared across T’chyro’s throat and a look of disbelief crossed his face before his body crumpled to the ground.

She hastily averted her eyes as blood pooled beneath the fallen male. T’pak didn’t even look at him. He thrust the sword hilt at T’zalam and took her in his arms.

“Are you well? Did he harm you?”

“No, I’m fine.” She managed to give him a shaky smile. “You made it in time.”

“Thank the Ancestors,” he said fervently, his arms tightening around her.

“How did you know?”

“We received a report that a Yehrin flyer had landed and came to check on you.”

“Thank goodness you did.” She shivered and hugged him. “I can’t believe he blew up the entire ship just to try and kill you.”

“I believe he was desperate,” T’zalam interjected, and she jumped. She’d almost forgotten that the commander was present. “As I promised, I have been making some inquiries. Despite the fact that you were convicted, rumors have persisted about his actions in the disaster on Darthu. I think he hoped that eliminating you would finally bring the matter to a close. And to use the presence of his own female as an excuse for his innocence.” T’zalam shook his head. “He was a truly dishonorable male.”

“D’rla was not his female,” T’pak growled.

“Of course not. I was simply referring to the breeding contract with her.”

“Do you think that was his plan all along?” she asked. “And he was just waiting for someone who was desperate enough to leave Earth?”

“It would not surprise me,” T’zalam replied.

“What happens now? T’pak isn’t going to be in trouble because of this, is he?”

“Of course not. Supreme Commander T’chyro admitted to his crimes. I will make the appropriate reports.” T’zalam looked at T’pak. “This means that your position will be restored. As partial compensation for his actions I suspect you would have your choice of assignments. Although I still hope you will choose to remain on Keyanos, you will have more options now.”

“I see.” T’pak looked down. “What would you like to do, my L’chka?”

“I suggest you take D’rla to the back garden and discuss the matter.” T’zalam frowned at the body. “I will have the body removed and the area cleansed.”

“It is my responsibility,” T’pak insisted, but a smile finally lightened T’zalam’s face.

“Marella will not be happy that such a thing occurred here. She will insist that no trace remain. Go now.”

T’pak made no further attempt to argue. He lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen and up to the upper terrace. He sat down on the padded swing, keeping her in his arms, but he didn’t speak right away. Instead, he let the peace of the garden surround them. Small colorful insects fluttered amongst the overgrown vines and sunlight glittered on the ocean. It all seemed so peaceful that the incident in the kitchen already felt like something she had imagined.

“You are sure that you are all right, my L’chka? I am sorry that you were exposed to such violence.”

“He deserved it,” she said fiercely. “I’m just sorry that he didn’t have to go through the same punishment you did.”

“It is better this way. Despite his corruption, he still had many powerful allies.”

“Does that mean that they’ll be after you now?”

He shook his head, the sunlight catching on his horns. “His connections were those of wealth and mutual advantage. Now that he is dead, they no longer apply. I do not believe that anyone actually cared for him. And once T’zalam reveals the truth, they will try to distance themselves from him.” His arms tightened around her. “Which brings us back to the question of our future.”

That shouldn’t sound ominous, but her heart still skipped a beat.

“You could go anywhere now,” she agreed. “Maybe even find a Yehrin female.”

The astonishment of his face reassured her. “Why would I do such a thing? You are my L’chka and that will never change. I simply wish to ensure your happiness.”

Her momentary flash of doubt disappeared and she smiled at him.

“Your happiness matters too. What would you like to do? Return to Yehr?”

“It offers many advantages,” he said slowly. “It is the center of Yehrin life. All of the finest products in the galaxy can be found there and it offers many cultural opportunities.”

“And opportunities to advance your career?”

“Perhaps. But I find I have no such ambitions. Would you like to return to Earth?”

She considered the suggestion. Earth had the advantage of familiarity, but what had she really left behind? She certainly had no desire to see her family again. She looked around at the cottage and the unkempt garden, with the town and the sea beyond.

“What would you think about staying here? Like T’zalam suggested?”

“Would you like that?”

“Yes, I think I would – but only if you’re going to be happy here as well.”

He smiled at her, sharp teeth flashing, and she felt his body relax beneath hers.

“I would like that very much,” he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his words. “I will make a fine home for you. You will lack for nothing.”

“I already have everything I ever wanted. Because I have you.”

His eyes started to glow, and as he bent his head and kissed her, she knew she had finally found her home.

EPILOGUE

One month later…

Darla finished packing the basket, then looked up and smiled as T’pak entered the kitchen of their cottage. Her heart never failed to skip a beat at the sight of her warrior, and she loved the fact that he seemed so much happier and more relaxed now. Keyanos had been good for him - and she suspected that working with T’zalam had also helped heal some of the wounds of his previous betrayal.

“Mmm. You smell delicious,” he murmured as he bent his head and kissed her.

She laughed. “I think that’s the sugar cookies.”

“No, L’chka. It is you.”

Since Marella had offered the cookies in her bakery, they had proven to be quite popular. Darla also spent several mornings each week in the bakery with her, and she’d enjoyed both the work and her time with the older female. They’d even had some discussions about Darla taking a greater role in the business.

But those plans might have to wait, she thought with a smile as T’pak lowered his mouth to her neck, scraping gently at her mating mark with his teeth. As always, a corresponding shiver of desire swept over her body, but she laughingly pushed him away.

“You’re going to have to wait. I have plans.”

“I have plans as well, all of them involving your delightful little body.”

“Just wait. I want to have a picnic on the point so we can watch the sun go down.” It was the most romantic spot she could think of to share her news.

“Picnic?” he asked.

Every now and then his translation protocol encountered a word that did not translate.

“It means we take food and a blanket and sit outside to eat and relax.”

“I believe I know the perfect way to relax,” he said, his eyes glowing.

“I’m sure you do, but I think you’ll enjoy this too.”

She picked up the blanket and the basket, and he immediately relieved her of them. She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t try to argue. His instincts were always to care for her, even when she didn’t need it, and she had learned to save her arguments for the things that really mattered.

As they left the cottage, she paused in the front garden long enough to pick some ripe berries and add them to the basket, giving the lush growth a satisfied look.

“Our garden is flourishing,” T’pak said, looking equally satisfied.

The two of them had spent a good bit of time restoring it to its former beauty, and she’d been surprised by how much he seemed to enjoy the work. He’d told her he had worked with his mother on her garden, although his father did not approve.

“Why not?”

“My father had very strong opinions as to the appropriate role of a warrior. He acceded to my mother’s wishes, of course, but he was clearly uncomfortable with many of the things that I did with her.”

Would T’pak be as rigid, she wondered as they walked along the cobbled street in front of the harbor. No, she decided, as she watched him stop to help a small Keyani boy retrieve a ball that had lodged just out of reach. Whether it was due to his mother’s influence or his own unfortunate interactions with the Yehrin military, his beliefs were far more flexible than those of the average warrior.

Other people called greetings to them as they walked, and she smiled, pleased at how comfortable they seemed with both of them. The Keyani had accepted them with surprising ease, although perhaps it didn’t hurt that T’zalam and Marella were already well-regarded members of the small community.

A type of boat she didn’t recognize was moored at the end of the quay, its sleek shape out of place amongst the more sturdy fishing boats.

“What kind of boat is that?”

“It belongs to the Keyano. They have come to discuss a possible trade arrangement.”

“That’s wonderful.” She knew that he and T’zalam had been working on it.

“It is most gratifying,” he acknowledged. “There will be a feast tomorrow to celebrate and I will introduce you.”

She hesitated - perhaps her plans for tonight could wait another day if he was needed.

“What about tonight? Shouldn’t you be welcoming them?”

“T’zalam is hosting them tonight. They understand that I am newly mated and do not wish to be away from you.” He squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. “Although I do not believe that will change no matter how long we are mated.”

“I don’t think it will either.” She couldn’t imagine growing tired of him.

They reached the end of the harbor and he helped us climb the steps onto the narrow spit of land that formed one side of the sheltered bay. Following the path along the rocky shore, they made their way to a large flat boulder at the very tip. They were a good distance above the water, but she could hear the waves crashing against the rocks below, the sound now as familiar and reassuring as her own heartbeat.

He spread out the blanket on the sun-warmed rock and helped her to sit. The sun was beginning to lower over the brilliant turquoise sea, turning the horizon breathtaking colors of rose gold. Perfect.

“What did you bring for our meal, my L’chka?” he asked. “Did you have a chance to make the cookies I like?”

Most Yehrin did not have much appreciation for anything sweet but as with so many other things, T’pak was the exception.

“I did,” she said, her heart starting to pound. “I even decorated them. Take a look.”

He eagerly opened the basket and pulled out a cookie, then frowned at the image she had piped on the surface.

“I do not understand. Why make pictures of small footwear?”

She should have realized that the symbols would be lost on him.

“I was trying to tell you something.”

Her voice suddenly shook and her eyes filled with tears. A panicked look immediately crossed his face.

“What is wrong? Are you ill? Do I need to summon Elora?”

“I’m not ill, just surprised and happy. I hope you will be too.”

He only looked more concerned.

“I do not understand. Why are you crying over these designs?”

She reached for his hand, clinging to his fingers. “Think about it. Who would wear something like that?”

“I do not know.” He frowned. “A child, perhaps –”

She could almost see the light bulb go off above his head as he realized what he’d said. His eyes glowing fiercely as he looked down at her.

“Are you trying to tell me that you are with child?” he asked slowly, cautiously, and she could see the hope on his face.

Her throat caught, and all she could manage to do was nod.

“Thank you, my L’chka,” he whispered, then pressed his mouth against hers, devouring her with his kiss as he laid her back against the blanket.

Too impatient to bother with the fastenings, he ripped her dress open, his claws easily slicing through the thin material and exposing her body to the late afternoon sunlight. He placed his hand over the small mound of her stomach, already apparent.

“Our child,” he said reverently. “When did this happen?”

“Elora thinks it must have happened the first time we were together. She was surprised by how far along I am since human pregnancies last nine months.”

“Yehrin pregnancies only last six,” he said absently, still caressing her stomach.

Her eyes widened. “You mean the baby will be here in less than five months? Oh my goodness, I have so much to do to get ready.”

“You do not need to do anything except to care for yourself and our child,” he said firmly. “I will take care of anything that needs to be done.”

This was obviously one of those times when she would have to assert her independence.

“You’re not going to do everything. That wouldn’t be good for me or the baby,” she added when he started to object. “I need to exercise to stay healthy.”

Reaching for his hand, she slid it from her stomach to her breast, shivering pleasantly as he automatically stroked his thumb across her nipple. It felt even more exciting than usual, and her voice turned husky with desire.

“Perhaps you can help me with the exercise…”

“I suspect that you are trying to distract me,” he said sternly, but he increased the pressure on the hard peak, sending a jolt of fire straight to her clit.

“Is it working?” She reached up and squeezed the sensitive base of his horns as she gave him a provocative smile.

“Of course, my L’chka. I love you and I love pleasing you.”

“I love you too.”

And as he made love to her there on the warm rock, the brilliant colors of the sunset filling the sky, and only the sound of the ocean surrounding them, she had never been happier.

D’rla’s body was limp beneath him when T’pak finally withdrew from the tight haven of her body. He couldn’t resist a last gentle caress of her breasts and despite her repeated climaxes, her nipples instantly responded to his touch. He had noticed that they had become larger and more sensitive, just as he had noticed the slight swell of her stomach, but the cause had not occurred to him.

Because of the Yehrin difficulties with breeding, he had assumed it would be some time before his L’chka would be with child – if it ever occurred. He had accepted the possibility that it might not, but as long as he had her, he was more than content. But this - this was an unexpected and most welcome blessing.

“We never did get around to eating our picnic,” she murmured sleepily, and he was immediately filled with guilt. He must do better.

“I apologize for forgetting my duty. I will remedy that immediately.”

Over her sleepy protests, he picked her up and placed her in his lap, then went through the basket, picking out choice tidbits to feed her. Despite her initial protest, she ate hungrily and he found the process of feeding her both satisfying and surprisingly erotic.

Noticing his reaction, she began teasing him, letting her small, pink tongue lick his fingers when he fed her a bite of food. When she deliberately closed her mouth around his finger and sucked, he growled.

“Little mouse, you are distracting me again.”

“I am?” she asked innocently, deliberately moving her ass against his aching cock.

He was about to swing her around and place her over his cock when a cool breeze swept past them and she shivered.

“We will return to our home first.”

“You ripped my dress,” she reminded him. “Do you want me to walk through town naked?”

He growled again. “No one else will ever see your unclothed body. I will wrap you in the blanket.”

After he pulled on his own clothes, he did just that before lifting her into his arms.

“I need to exercise, remember? Which means more than just lovemaking,” she added hastily.

“I understand.” Although he still did not like the idea of her exerting herself. “But for tonight, I will carry you.”

She looked at him with those clear, silver eyes, then nodded her understanding.

“All right. Just for tonight.”

Satisfaction filled him as he carried her carefully back to their home. Tomorrow there would be plans to make and tasks to be done. But for tonight, it was just the two of them and the promise of their future. He would suffer every trial he had endured ten times over, he thought, if it would result in this happiness. The Ancestors had indeed blessed him.

Thank you for reading Alien Castaway! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Honey’s newsletter!

ALEXIS B. OSBORNE

MATE FOR THE ALIEN PORN STAR

CONTENT WARNING

If you do not have triggers and you don’t want to read potential spoilers then skip this page. The content warnings listed below are accurate to this book but this list may not be complete. If you have questions regarding a specific trigger please contact the author.

Mate for the Alien P*rn Star is an LGBTQIA+ alien romance that contains mature themes and content such as: adult language, alcohol, BDSM, birth control, blood, cheating (ex-boyfriend), child birth (epilogue), death, evacuation, exhibitionism, kidnapping, needles, piracy, pregnancy (epilogue), sex (consensual), sexual assault (threatened), sex work, slavery (discussed/threatened), spanking, violence, and voyeurism.

CHAPTER 1

Lacey gave into the pounding bass that beat the busy nightclub’s tempo up through her feet as she surveyed the room’s offerings over the rim of her cocktail. The music pulsed inside of her. It had been a shitty month, and she needed this.

“How about him?” Meg had to yell over the song, pointing with a jerk of her head. Her black curls bounced across her shoulders.

Looking, Lacey glanced through the crowd at the Tou’de’nan male and studied him. He was beautiful. All the Tou’de’nan were with their angular humanoid features, gold-dusted skin, and lean, muscular builds. And those kaleidoscopic eyes that seemed to trap you in their gaze? They were appealing to the human eye, and they took full advantage of that fact.

She’d never liked them. Something about them seemed wrong. “Too stuck up.” Lacey shook her head and turned, her hips swaying and her drink sloshing over the rim as she danced in place.

Meg downed half her drink in one gulp then smacked her glossy lips together. “You’re trying to get laid, not married.”

“I know, but I don’t want a repeat of Dan.”

That hollow feeling in her stomach was back. Maybe this was a mistake. It had been a month, but clearly she wasn’t ready to move on yet if she was having this much trouble picking out a one-night stand. That’s what the Lotus Lounge was for. It was why everyone was here tonight.

“Fucking Dan. Good riddance to his stupid ass. I never liked him. Oooh, how about her? She’s totally your type.”

Lacey followed her friend’s head bob, her attention stopping at the sight of the woman with the rainbow-colored hair. Her hair was piled up in a messy up-do of curls that threatened to fall at any moment. The woman was dancing, her hips shimmying with more effort than skill. But that didn’t stop her from enjoying herself.

“She’s gorgeous, but….” The thought of approaching her made Lacey break out into a fine sweat. Why was hitting on women so much more intimidating than?

Meg shook her head. “Anyone here would be lucky to have you. You know what your problem is? You don’t think you’re good enough, but you fucking are.” She gestured around the room with her empty glass. “And Dan can go get fucked. You were too good for him, anyway.”

Dan had called her a cold fish between the sheets after she’d broken up with him, and he’d understood that no amount of groveling would make her take his cheating ass back. Even though she knew his words were petty vengeance, they still stung.

She had fantasies. She knew how to have fun. And tonight she meant to prove it. She was going to find someone to sleep with tonight. She would cum so hard she almost blacked out, and then she’d move on from all the Dans of the universe for good.

“Hmm… okay,” Meg said. “That one?”

She followed to where her friend was pointing, eyes widening at the sight of the Ma’arat male who towered over the surrounding crowd. Long, curving horns swept back from the gray male’s head on either side of a braided mohawk.

“And get stabbed in the eye when I roll over in my sleep?”

Not that the male wasn’t tempting. He looked like he could pin a woman against the wall with just his cock.

Meg wiggled her empty glass in the air above her head. “We need to loosen you up. Let’s do shots!”

Sipping on her drink so she didn’t lose more of it to the floor as they made their way to the bar, Lacey followed Meg through the crowd.

At the counter, they snuck into a spot and leaned on it as they waited for the bar-bot to get to them. Meg nudged her empty glass toward the back of the bar top then turned around so she could scan the people behind them. She propped one elbow on the sticky countertop. “We can just dance and have fun. You don’t have to do anything.”

Lacey swallowed hard, her fingers tightening on the glass she held. Thoughts of Dan, the memory of his back and buttocks flexing as he fucked the new dancer, caught in the act when she came home early from a lousy shift, firmed her resolve. She was done with cheating, lying boyfriends. Everyone else had casual fun. Why shouldn’t she? Just because she didn’t want another relationship right now didn’t mean she shouldn’t enjoy herself. She was still young. She should enjoy herself, not sit up in her tiny crew cabin all alone or work extra shifts so she didn’t have to spend another evening alone with her thoughts.

The remaining bits of ice in her glass clinked as she raised it to her lips, threw her head back, and downed it. She slammed the empty glass down on the bar top. “I want to.”

Meg blinked wide, brown eyes and smiled, tapped her wrist implant against the payment circle, snagged their shots, and handed one to Lacey. Clear booze threatened to spill over the rim. Careful not to drop the small glass, Lacey took hers and the two girls clinked them together.

“To getting laid tonight!” Meg shouted.

A furious blush crept up Lacey’s face and neck, but she smiled. In unison, they put the tiny shot glasses to their lips and tipped them back, swallowing the contents in one go.

“Woo!” Meg grabbed the empty glass from her and put both of them on the bar top, took Lacey by the hand, and pulled her back into the middle of the club. “Let’s dance!”

In the center, colored lights moved over them from an overhead projector. Dots and streaks of color washed over everything. Suspended planters let flowering vines drip down the rim of their pots.

Dancing was something she could do in her sleep. Finding the beat and syncing with the rhythm, Lacey raised her arms up into the air and swayed with it. The bass thrummed through her until the sound of it drowned out her own heartbeat. People around them pressed, ebbing and flowing like the tide.

Closing her eyes, Lacey gave into the music and danced. Someone brushed against her butt a little too long to just be passing by. Eyes cracked open, she danced in a quarter-circle until she could see who was touching her.

The man was attractive, and he smiled as he looked her up and down, his eyes settling on her cleavage for an acceptable amount of time before he glanced at her face again. But his golden tan skin, cropped hair, and hazel eyes reminded her too much of her cheating ex.

Glancing to the side, she found Meg wrapped around the Ma’arat male like an octopus. If the petite woman could have climbed him like a tree in those heels, she probably would have. I’m on my own.

She looked at the man who was dancing in place behind her.

“I have to pee!” she shouted over the music, lying to spare him the sting of rejection. Peeling away from him, she wove through the swaying crowd and headed toward the bathroom. If she was on her own for the rest of the night, then she needed liquid courage. She was far too sober to be brave.

When there was enough distance and dancers between them, she veered left to make a circuitous path to the bar. The jerky movement sent her right into the path of someone backing up.

The shock of slamming into a person with her entire body startled her. “I’m so sorry!”

They turned, and she saw that the front of their gauzy silver button-up was stained dark across their chest. Glancing between their ruined shirt and the empty glass in their hand, she grew mortified. A bead of their drink rolled down one of their knuckles before dripping onto the dancefloor.

Lacey watched it drop. “Let me buy you another drink… oh my stars, your shirt…”

The fabric looked expensive. She’d probably ruined it. How much was it going to cost her to replace it? That shirt might cost more than her entire paycheck.

“Most people don’t flirt with me by dousing me with my drink,” they said, the corner of one mouth lifting in a smirk. They brushed the droplets of amber liquid off their front, looking her up and down.

Their pale skin wasn’t picking up the projector’s lights like she’d first thought. It was iridescent. Hues of blue, purple, and pink moved with the shifting light. Fine scales interlocked, and a long head fin draped down over one shoulder like hair. The silver shirt was only halfway buttoned, showing off a flat chest with a trim waist. They wore a pair of tight black pants that were so form-fitted they could have been a second skin.

What is a Rounaii doing this deep into human territory? The nonbinary race didn’t care to interact with humans very much. Too many prejudices and expectations for a race that didn’t conform to the tidy boxes that humans preferred.

Snapping out of her open-mouthed staring, she remembered that she’d been in the middle of apologizing. “I’m so sorry. The bar-bot has seltzer. If you give me your shirt, I’m sure I can fix it.”

Maybe. If it wasn’t silk or some alien equivalent. Fuck my life.

They raised a brow ridge, their smirk adding a sinful edge to their overall look. An earring dangled from one lobe, and they’d lined their eyes with black liner. Their lips wore a subtle shade of blush and shone with a hint of clear gloss.

“Trying to get me undressed already?” They leaned in, closing the distance between them. Lips brushed against the shell of her ear, sending a shiver of arousal through her. “All you had to do was ask,” they purred over the music.

Her pussy spasmed, and she squirmed in place, feeling the creep of arousal in her panties. “I didn’t… That’s…” It wasn’t what she’d meant, but now that they’d said it, it was all she could think about.

A hand came up to settle on the small of her back, urging her to turn. Propelled forward, they walked at her side and herded her toward the bar. The bar was still packed, the bar-bot spitting out orders as fast as its processor could manage. Its eight metal arms worked tirelessly, making drink after drink. The Rounaii stood at her back, nearly caging her against the glossy wood countertop.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Auren. What’s yours?”

She rolled their name around in her mind before answering. “I’m Lacey.”

“Lacey,” they drawled, stretching the word out so much that the translator glitched. For a moment, she heard it in their alien language underneath the common their translator spat out.

Auren moved a hand up to her arm and fingered her off-the-shoulder strap. Black lace overlaid nude satin. The dress—borrowed from Meg—clung to her curves and barely covered her ass. The front dipped in a sweetheart neckline, showing off her ample cleavage. It was the perfect ‘I’m here to get some dick’ outfit, as her best friend had said when the girls were getting ready for their evening of debauchery.

“Very appropriate.” Auren rubbed the lace between their thumb and index finger.

The ordering pad embedded in the countertop lit up. It saved her from having to think up a reply as she glanced at the menu. Reading through it, she found the seltzer and ordered the largest size they offered.

“A double of Tinctra, neat,” Auren said.

“Right. That’s a type of…”

“Whiskey.”

Flipping through to the whiskey section, she scanned for the one they’d mentioned. As she scrolled, she watched the prices climb until it hit the end of the double digits.

85 credits. Shit.

“What about you?” Auren asked, leaning close to be heard over the noise. Their fingers curled around her hand, turning it over to expose her wrist.

Lacey swallowed and pasted a smile on her face, looking over her shoulder. “I’m fine.” It was probably time to switch to water anyway. After thirty, the hangovers just weren’t worth it.

Auren ran a thumb over her knuckles, not letting go of her, as they watched her add a glass of water to their order. When she got to the checkout screen, she fished her datapad out of her bra to pay. Auren slapped their other hand down on the bar, caging her against it.

Pressed flush against her backside, she was completely aware of them. They were taller than her, with a lean build that promised a hidden strength instead of showy muscles. This proximity was more than forced closeness because of the noisiness of the club. The feel of them, their pelvis pressed against her butt, sent her heart racing. That pulsing beat traveled lower, settling between her thighs.

They shifted forward, pressing tighter against her, and waved their hand over the reader. It beeped as it took the payment from Auren’s dermal implant. Their order went into the queue.

“Oh! You didn’t have to pay.”

The fingers that stroked her knuckles shifted, and then a thumb traced her palm. Leaning into the press of their bodies, she let her sentence go unfinished. That hand moved higher, tracing an invisible line up her arm. It rubbed the divot of her elbow, then inched up and gripped her by the bicep. Her eyes slid closed.

Cool fingers brushed against her neck. They pulled her hair to the side and bent their mouth down to her ear. She shivered, her nipples pebbling.

“Do you know how Rounaii mate?”

“Y-yes.” She’d heard the rumors.

“Your room or mine?” Auren asked.

“Yours.”

Auren nodded once, then slid their hand down to her hip, the fingers curling tight. They pulled her away from the bar and tucked her into their side. The possessive gesture should have offended her. Instead, she trembled with excitement. Arousal slicked her panties.

“What about your drink?” she asked.

The whiskey. The seltzer. Their shirt. Glancing back at the bar, she saw the bar-bot set their order down. After a moment, the crowd swallowed up the space they’d just occupied. The bouncer barely paid them any notice as they left the club, the double doors shutting out the worst of the club’s noise behind them.

“Don’t need it. Not when your ‘fuck me’ pheromones smell so damn sweet.” The fingers on her hip tightened, pressing divots into her skin.

An embarrassed blush heated her skin again, but her traitorous pussy squeezed in response. Lacey ducked her head from the amused attention of the few guests and staff who moved up and down the hallway and had overheard them.

At the bank of elevators, Auren hit the up button that would take them to the floors with guest rooms. They waited for the elevator in silence. Lacey’s heart was beating such a wild rhythm in her chest that she was certain everyone could hear it.

It dinged its arrival and they ushered her inside toward the back. The guest elevators were made of clear plasticine shaped like a bubble. She always loved riding in them whenever she got the chance. The ship was always beautiful, but at night it was spectacular. An artist had painted murals on the walls of the atrium depicting scenes of the various planets, moons, and orbiting space stations the ship visited. The dome at the top of the atrium let viewers glimpse outer space.

The elevator stopped, doors opening. Passengers entered, made their selections, and waited. It traveled to another floor, pausing only to pick up more riders before continuing its ascent.

Auren dipped their head toward her and whispered into her ear, “I bet you taste as sweet as you smell.”

The hand on her hip trailed across her ass, then sank lower. Five fingers on a hand that looked so human but wasn’t skimmed across her thigh. Those fingers found the hem of her too-short, too-tight skirt and hitched it up and searched, pressing against her slick, damp panties before prodding at her core.

She flicked her eyes around the elevator to see if anyone was looking. The elevator dinged its arrival to another floor. More passengers entered. The door slid shut, and people rearranged themselves to fit into the more crowded space.

The teasing stopped, and she let out a shaky breath, only to suck it back in when Auren hooked her panties to the side. Anyone looking up at the elevator was going to see her getting fingered.

Auren stroked the seam of her lips, and her knees nearly buckled from the spasm it wrought from her. It slid through her wet folds and pushed inside her center.

Balance lost from the intrusion, she tottered on her high heels before catching herself. Leaning against Auren, letting them absorb some of her weight, she bit her lip harder to stifle a moan. She grabbed the hem of her dress and held it down in the front.

One finger worked in and out of her, and then they added another. It squelched through her arousal. Surely they all had to hear it—these filthy noises that were being dragged out of her body.

The elevator stopped, letting passengers off. People shifted, putting more room between one another. Did they know what was happening at the back of the elevator?

As abruptly as they entered her pussy, the fingers withdrew. Auren made a show of sticking them into their mouth. They sucked them clean, licking the evidence of her arousal off and making a happy humming sound.

A passenger glanced back at them for a moment before looking away. The elevator stopped and dinged its arrival.

“This is us,” Auren said.

Lacey tugged her dress back down to cover her ass.

“Pardon us. Come, sweetness.” They reached for her hand.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It was ridiculous. How could something as innocuous as hand-holding be so intimate after being finger-banged in public? The cluster of people parted, letting them through. On wobbly legs, Lacey followed Auren out of the elevator and down the hall.

They both paused in front of a door that Auren unlocked, revealing the creamy white interior of a mid-tier suite. The door slid shut behind her, and then Auren pinned her against it. They stepped into her space and laid their hands on either side of her head as they stared down at her. Away from the strobing lights of the club, Auren was no less spectacular to look at. The iridescent sheen of their skin was more subtle, but now she could see the complexity of their scales.

“Have you ever been with a Rounaii before?”

Lacey shook her head. “No.”

Something about their eyes sharpened as their lips quirked up in a smirk. A shiver of anticipation rolled through her.

“I won’t hurt you,” Auren promised. “If you want me to stop, just say so.”

She believed them. In a way that she couldn’t explain, she knew it was true. You’ve been wrong before, an inner voice said. For a moment she thought of her ex, and then she shoved all thoughts of him away. Her tongue flicked out and licked her lips.

Eyes that weren’t brown but were a shade of gray so dark they were nearly black, snapped down to her mouth and tracked the movement.

“Most races like to kiss. Do you?” they asked.

“Yes.”

Auren leaned down, their lips hovering just above her own. They were so close they almost brushed against hers with every breath. “Then kiss me, sweetness.”

Closing the sliver of distance between them, she tilted up and pressed their mouths together. Lips parting, Auren groaned and deepened it until Lacey swallowed each breathy little sound.

A knee slid between her legs, notching at her juncture underneath the hem of her short dress. The movement of Auren’s thigh and the roughness of their tight pants rubbed against her swollen clit caused her pulse to spike.

Lips sliding over one another, she threaded her arms around their neck and tugged them in deeper. Auren bit her lower lip and pulled back. Lacey gasped in a breath, her head spinning. She’d focused on their kiss so much she’d nearly forgotten to breathe. She reached between them and fumbled for her datapad that was tucked into her bra.

“Do you mind if we…” She tapped at the screen until it turned on. Her fingers were clumsy as she pulled up the app she wanted to use.

Auren stiffened against her and peeled off of her. Their thigh slipped from between her legs and their expression shuttered.

Glancing between them and her datapad, she waited for the app to load. The cruise ship’s pad service was slow unless you paid extra for the speed boost.

Do they have a sexually transmitted infection? Not all infections could be spread from race to race. And if it might, there were film sprays that would protect her from catching it. There was also the risk for biological compatibility. The Ma’arats were compatible with humans despite how different the horned aliens looked. Lacey said a quick prayer to the stars, hoping that Meg would remember to use protection tonight if she slept with that male.

“I know that I’m a mammal and you’re ichthyos, but I’d feel better if I saw that we’re not reproductively compatible,” she explained, showing them her screen. “Before… yeah.”

The Interstellar Safe Sex app had finally loaded. The login screen greeted her by name, unlocking as she glanced at it so it could scan her retina.

Auren glanced down at the screen, their unreadable expression clearing. “Oh! Yes, of course. I thought… Never mind. Let me see it?”

Frowning, she tilted her head and looked at Auren with confusion as they took her pad from her and tapped the compatibility finder, holding the scanner over the chip implanted in the webbing between index finger and thumb.

A moment later it beeped, and they handed it back. “Thanks.” Lacey chastised herself for killing the mood. She should have done this at the club before they’d come back to their room.

Skimming the report, she breathed a sigh of relief. Auren was free of any diseases or infections that might harm a human, and humans and Rounaii weren’t able to procreate without medical assistance, although the huge block of tiny text about pheromones was too dense and scientific for her to understand without seriously reading it.

“Good?” Auren asked.

She nodded, and they smiled. The tension in the room popped. “Good.” Auren captured her lips in a kiss that was devastating.

Hands grabbed her by the buttocks, urging her up and holding her tight. Her feet left the ground. She locked her arms around their neck and let them pick her up, carrying her away from the door. Strong arms corded with lean muscle settled under her thighs, keeping her in place.

The bed was under her, and then Auren was on top, covering her.

Auren released her lips and pressed a kiss to her chin. They worked their way down, trailing a line of kisses down her neck and chest. Fingers hooked the top of her dress and tugged, taking her bra with it until one breast spilled free.

Exposed to the room’s cool air, her nipple tightened. Auren stared at it for a moment. Then they raised one hand and brushed it against the sensitive tip.

Hissing through her teeth, Lacey amended the sharp inhale with a moan as Auren glanced at her, their expression searching. They brushed the taut nub again, firmer, then pinched it lightly between two fingers and watched for her reaction.

Her eyelids fluttered. They repeated the gesture, rubbing harder, then squeezing the whole breast in one hand.

Auren leaned down and pressed a kiss to the mound, licking the tip and taking the nipple between their lips. They nibbled, and her back arched, pushing more of her breast into their mouth. Teeth nipped, making her clit throb as if the two were tied together.

“I like the sounds you make.” They tugged her other breast free, too, laving it with equal attention. “It makes me want to wring more of them from your throat.”

Lacey nodded her agreement, but her empty pussy squeezed in protest. She stroked their shoulders, sliding her hands into the collar of their open shirt and caressing their neck.

They closed their eyes and inhaled, slitted nostrils flaring. “Stars, you smell so fucking delicious. I’m going to devour you first.”

Shimmying down her body, Auren slipped from her grasp and sank onto the floor, gripping her by the knees and spreading her wide. The tiny dress rucked up her thighs. They hooked her panties and dragged them down, working them off before tossing them aside.

Careful of the sharp points of her heels, she draped her legs over their shoulders. There was no gentle teasing or easing into things. Auren buried their face between her thighs and feasted until she was writhing.

When Auren came up for air, they wiped the smear of arousal off their lips and chin and licked their fingers clean. “So good, sweetness. So wet and open for me. Are you ready?”

Her clit throbbed. “Yes.”

She wanted this.

Needed it.

They peeled her out of her clothes, then tossed their stained shirt to the ground, revealing a wiry torso that rippled with lean muscle. Their body was humanoid in appearance, but the differences between their races were still striking. A flat chest devoid of nipples and a stomach lacking a belly button were the starkest deviations from what she was used to. Gaps in the scales between Auren’s ribs made her pause in her observation.

Not gaps. Gills.

They kicked out of their shoes and socks, undid their pants, and slid them down, revealing that they’d worn nothing underneath. She drank her fill of them. Her eyes flicked down to look, but their parts were tucked away. They were smooth between the legs.

Auren advanced on her. They kneeled on the bed, crawling toward her until they urged her to lie back. “So beautiful.”

They cupped her chin and tugged her face up, pressing a claiming kiss to her lips. Hips twitching against them, Lacey writhed and let out a moan. She ran her hands down their back, their arms, anywhere that she could reach. Their scales were deceptively soft.

Auren let her earlobe go. “Belly or back, sweetness?” they whispered into her ear, voice breathy and filled with desire.

“Hmm?” Her mind felt molasses thick, and their question confused her.

“Belly.” They grasped her by the hip and turned her so she was lying mostly on her front, then settled in behind her. “It’s better like this the first time.”

She let them tug her into position, one hand dipped between her thighs to play with her as their other splayed their fingers across her throat. Finding her clit and circling it, they rubbed until she was breathing hard and her hips were twitching.

Something nudged at her entrance. Warm and wet and thicker than two fingers, it prodded at her. The tip pressed against her center, forcing its way inside.

She gasped, her hips twitching in surprise.

The hand at the base of her throat tightened, the fingertips pressing down into her skin. The arm that curled around her hip tensed as strong as iron as it held her in place against them. It forced her to be still.

“Don’t move,” Auren rasped. “Not unless you’re telling me to stop. You’ll trigger my fight response.” A deep breath in, followed by a shaky exhale that tickled the baby hairs along her nape. “I won’t hurt you.” The fingers that rested between her legs stroked her throbbing clit. “Are you telling me to stop, sweetness?”

She considered it and then dismissed it with the same thought. Did she truly want to extract herself, get dressed, and walk away right now? “No.”

She’d been surprised, even though she’d vaguely known what was coming. Pixelated vids and second-hand stories hadn’t actually prepared her for the realities of being fucked by an alien. Not being able to see what exactly was penetrating her had made her nervous.

It surged, gaining ground bit by bit as it slicked itself in her arousal and wormed its way inside. Auren thrust into her while they lay against her, barely moving. It was surreal. Trapped against them and locked into place, all she could do was feel. It was agony and bliss.

Auren rubbed light circles around her clit as their shaft plunged in and out of her, twisting and turning. Made for the deep, winding maze of a channel of another Rounaii, it was too much for her human cunt. Too alien.

She clenched, her core throbbing as waves of building pleasure washed over her with every pass and sweep of their nimble fingers, every spearing plunge of their prehensile member.

Auren’s head dipped down to hang against her own. “You’re so warm,” they groaned. “You feel so good, sweetness.”

Moans filled her ear. Theirs first, and then her own. The filthy, noisy sounds of fucking filled the room. Her pussy squelched with every wriggling thrust. Warm breath fanned her cheek. Her hips twitched before she could stop them, and the fingers on her chest pressed against her harder.

Would it bruise? She didn’t care if it did. She should care, she knew. Her boss wouldn’t like it if she showed up to dance in her cage at Assets and someone’s handprints were etched onto her body in blue and purple smudges. It shattered the fantasy that she was unattainable to the guests. Suspended above them as she danced over the clear floor of her plasticine cage, she was supposed to be untouchable.

For their eyes only.

But how could she care about that when her heart was pounding between her legs, her body strummed taut with tension as she balanced on the cusp of release? She needed more. A bigger swell of pleasure to scoop her up and wash her out to sea when the wave crashed.

“A-Auren,” she panted. “Please.”

“Shatter for me, sweetness,” Auren said, voice shaky. “I need you to cum first so I can follow. Your cunt has to milk me.”

“Harder,” she moaned. “Fuck me harder.” Ignoring the hands that clasped her tight, she moved. She thrust her hips to meet each surge.

Auren let out a guttural groan, their thigh sliding forward to splay her legs wider. The hand at the base of her neck slid up, cupping her throat. They opened her wide for them, for that twisting thing to slip from her wet folds only to plunge back in harder and deeper than before. They rubbed firm, punishing circles against her clit, pressing deeper with each sweeping pass.

She clenched down so hard they cursed into her ear, and then the swell crested. Eyes squeezed shut, she rode the waves of pleasure, cumming with a choking gasp.

Auren moaned through their own release, their member doubling its speed as it surged inside of her, then slowed.

The tension faded from their body, and the hold grew relaxed. They slipped from her body, a deluge of fluids leaking from her battered pussy.

“How are you?” Auren whispered against her hair. Their hand wandered up and down her body as if searching her for injury.

Lacey sighed and cataloged how she felt. She was a little sore between her legs, just enough that sitting tomorrow would remind her of tonight. It would take time for any bruised fingerprints to develop. Her eyes fluttered, wanting to close as she struggled to stay awake.

“Good,” she slurred with a smile as fatigue washed over her. “But cold… and sticky.” As she shifted, another trickle of fluid made itself known. She sighed. “I should go wash up.”

Auren made a grunt of agreement, their hold on her relaxing as their hands slipped away. “The bathroom is through there. Use anything you need.”

Extracting herself from the comfort of the plush bed and a delicious lover, Lacey headed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Her reflection was a fright. The sex had smeared her makeup beyond repair and snarled her hair with bed head. She peed, then wet a towel to wipe herself down. A copious amount of cum, mostly clear but with a slight blue tinge to it, had leaked down her thighs as she’d moved. She washed her hands and surveyed the tidy row of cut crystal bottles and jars that lined the counter.

She wished that she’d grabbed her dress off the floor. Getting undressed in the act when passions ran high wasn’t the same as sauntering back into the room while naked after. She was used to males ogling her scantily clad body, but up in the cage it was different. There was distance. She had walls that kept her safe, even if those walls were clear.

Mustering up her confidence, she opened the door. She needn’t have worried. Auren was lying under the covers on their stomach, their eyes closed.

She took a moment to study them. So fucking hot. The smeared eyeliner only added to their rockstar look. Lacey padded over to their mingled pile of clothes and knocked a stiletto upright with her toe.

Auren sighed and shifted on the bed. She sensed the moment their eyes opened and looked at her. “Stay.” They patted the space next to them and rolled onto their back, tucking one bent arm under their head. “We can have more fun in the morning, then order breakfast.”

She knew she should go. This was a one-night stand, and Auren was a guest. But the thought of putting those heels back on and hobbling to her tiny crew room was a lot less enticing than slipping under those high thread-count sheets, having more mind blowing sex in the morning, and then eating something that actually tasted like real food and not nutrient-soaked cardboard mush.

Besides, she didn’t have to go to work until the afternoon, anyway.

Abandoning her clothes, she slid into the bed and let them tug her flush against their body. She fixed the blankets around her until she was fully cocooned and warm again.

Glancing up, she saw Auren was watching her and smiling. “What?” she asked, her own lips curving up into a hesitant smile.

“I rarely sleep under the covers—too hot—but I heard humans prefer to nest when they do.”

“What?” She laughed, then stopped abruptly as the movement made the growing soreness between her legs flicker to life. “That’s… Oh. I guess.”

They chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. “It’s cute. Humans are very cute. The females are, anyway, which… I assume you are? I don’t like your males nearly as often.”

A pinprick of jealousy flared, but she squashed it down. One-night stand, she reminded herself. Auren could find whoever they wanted cute. It wasn’t her business. She blew out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m female.”

An arm draped around her hip, as if to reassure her she was the one in their bed tonight. Snuggling into their chest, she tucked her head under their chin and soaked in the touch. It had been a long month of being single, and she didn’t realize how much she’d missed this. The casual intimacy. It was nice.

“You’re sure that you’re fine?” Auren asked, their voice rough and slow with the edge of sleep.

She hummed a yes, her own eyes drifting shut as she absorbed the comfort of being held like something precious. “Fine, I promise. A little sore,” she admitted. “But… that’s nice sometimes. Is it always that intense?”

While she’d known, in theory, what to expect, experiencing it firsthand was different.

Fingers carded through her hair, tugging through the tangles more gently than she’d been. “Yes. Mating among two Rounaii is tense. The urge to dominate varies among us. Some, like myself, are very dominant. Others switch depending on their mood or who they’re with. A few have little desire to dominate or struggle for long. But most of us can’t ignore it completely. Submission must be forced, so that only the strongest, most capable can breed. The loser is impregnated, and the winner spreads their genes. The instinct is hard to overcome even though, culturally, we’ve surpassed it.”

She stroked the rows of fine scales on their chest and throat, enjoying how she felt the vibrations from their talking as they spoke.

“You smell so good, sweetness. And you enjoyed it. I thought you would. In the club, and after, you were perfectly submissive and so responsive.” Auren threaded fingers through the hair at her nape. They made a fist and squeezed.

Letting out a tiny gasp, her walls fluttered and clenched. A bloom of tired soreness made her moan. The memory of the things she’d let them do to her in the elevator in front of so many potential witnesses made her blush.

“I did,” she admitted. Had this need been hidden somewhere within her all this time?

Their grip on her hair relaxed, that hand sliding down to press between her shoulder blades. They held her tenderly.

“Lights at five percent,” Auren said. The ceiling lights dimmed, leaving them in near total darkness. They both settled. “In the morning, I’m going to fuck you until you’re hoarse,” Auren promised in a low voice thick with sleep.

“I think you already did.”

Their hand slid down her back to grip one buttock, squeezing the round globe and holding her there. “Imagine what I could do to your ass.”

Her sleep-heavy eyes popped open as she stared at the base of their throat where her face nestled against them. “Wait, what?”

There was no answer. The silence stretched on, and, eventually, she succumbed to sleep.

CHAPTER 2

Heart pounding in her throat, Lacey woke to the sound of the cruise ship’s emergency alarm blasting. The lights flicked on at full intensity, blinding her.

“What the fuck is that?” Auren groaned, throwing one arm over their eyes to shield them.

She pulled herself from their limp grip and stumbled out of bed. “It’s the evacuation signal.”

Auren rolled over and buried their face in the pillow. “It’s probably a false alert. Come back to bed, sweetness.”

Lacey grabbed a robe that was lying over the back of a chair and threw it on, belting it tight. She hurried to the door and stuck her head out into the hall. Others were doing the same. She glanced at them, and they exchanged equal looks of worried confusion.

In her gut, she knew something was wrong. This wasn’t a drill. The crew would have been told if it were. And if it was a false alarm, then it was better to be standing in line at a muster station like an idiot than get blown out into the freezing vacuum of space.

She slammed the door closed and hurried to the bedroom. Grabbing Auren’s shoulder, she shook it. “Get up. Get dressed. We have to go.”

Auren rolled onto their back and blinked up at her, smoothing their fin out of their eyes and scrubbing the sleep from their face. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

The vibrations of the ship changed. It was a subtle difference. Pressing her lips into a flat line, she crossed the room and scooped up Auren’s discarded clothes from the floor.

Lacey tossed the garments to them. “The engine’s stopped. They’d only do that if it was serious. It takes hours to turn the engine back on and wait for it to reach full power.”

Auren’s sleepy expression sobered. They grabbed their clothes and quickly dressed. “How do you know this?”

“I have a gut feeling. I’ve been in space for almost my whole life, and on this ship for—”

A vibration shook the hull, tremors rippling through the ship. Everything slanted sideways, and her hair began to float as the artificial gravity flickered out. Her stomach climbed into her throat. The gravity came back on and Lacey stumbled.

She righted herself. “We have to go now.” Grabbing Auren’s hand, she pulled them from the bed.

“Just let me grab my—”

“No time.” She shook her head and dragged them with her. Some instinct told her that hesitation would get them killed. Together, they dashed into the living room, flung the front door open, and bolted into the hallway.

The hall was in chaos. People were looking around and shouting. Some were running, but others seemed paralyzed with indecision.

The warning siren whooped. A red-faced child cried as her mother struggled to calm her while their father threw their opened luggage down and started tossing things into it.

The tile floor was cold under her bare feet as they ran. At the end of the hall, Auren tried to take control and pull her toward the elevators.

“Stairs!” She was panting, half from exertion and half from terror. If the power went out while they were in an elevator, they’d be trapped.

“Right. The stairs, they’re, uh…”

Someone shoved past her, throwing her off balance. Auren caught her and kept her upright, spitting out a stream of curses.

She pointed. “That way.”

Auren tugged her, and they were running side by side. They reached the main staircase only to find their path to safety blocked. A flood of people ran and fought, jostling one another for room. The crowd was bottlenecked.

The smell of smoke wafting through the air vents gripped her with squeezing panic. A fire was one of the worst things that could happen. The ship’s fire suppression system would barricade it off. They’d be trapped if they ended up on the wrong side of that fire barrier.

Someone yelled that they were all going to die. The crowd moved like a single, writhing entity, pushing, clawing, shouting.

Lacey backed away, tugging a shocked Auren with her. “I know another way.” Turning, they hurried back the way they’d come. On every floor, staff doors were hidden so crew could move about without being seen by guests.

She found one and pushed it open. Cold tile gave way to even colder metal floors. They flew through the narrow, ugly hallway. Had the staff already gotten into the lifeboats? Grateful for the monthly drills they had to do, her training kicked in now that she was back in familiar surroundings. Twisting and turning, she led Auren through the maze of halls.

The door to this floor’s lifeboats was open.

“Here!” Relief flowed through her. They’d made it. They both barrelled into the room and skidded to a stop. Where the bright yellow lifeboats should be were empty stations. The crew had already evacuated. “Fuck!”

“That’s not good.” Auren’s voice sounded weary.

Lacey stared at the empty stations as anxiety clawed up her chest. The alarm still blared, the sound louder down here where it bounced off the low ceilings and metal, echoing back until it was a confusing jumble. If it would just shut up, then she could think.

By the time they made it to another floor, those would likely be gone too. She racked her brain for a solution. A memory sparked, and suddenly it came to her.

“There are escape pods.”

Most of the other crew didn’t even know they still worked, but Lacey sometimes ate a late dinner in the crew cafeteria with the overnight maintenance guy who constantly complained about having to test them every month even though they hadn’t been used in over a decade.

Auren squeezed her hand. “Which way?”

“The room’s not that far. It’s this way.”

They doubled back the way they’d come, then turned down a new hallway, gaining speed as they got closer. The corridor slowly became grungier. More rusted and less used. The cleaner bots clearly didn’t even bother with this section of the ship.

“Here!”

Nerves made her hands tremble as she turned the door’s heavy latch to unlock it. The lights came on automatically as they stepped inside and tripped a sensor. They flickered once but stayed lit. An entire bank of escape pods took up the back wall. The models were older and with fewer amenities, but at least they were there.

Since the alarm started, a sense of relief eased the ball of anxiety that had rooted in her stomach. She walked up to the leftmost escape pod and held her breath as she tapped the screen, exhaling when the pod’s menu lit up, its door opened.

The pod itself was a tiny sphere with a vaguely humanoid space carved into the center with a small seat that could unfold from the wall. Dense foam padded the mechanics that would make it function.

After entering the commands, she turned to Auren. “All right. It’s set. You just get in and secure the harness. The big red button launches it. It should activate a beacon as soon as it detaches from the ship. There’s an emergency kit in the panel above your head if you run into trouble.”

“You’re not coming with me?” Auren stared at her with wide eyes.

She glanced between them and the tiny escape pod. “It’s not designed to fit two people. That’s why they upgraded to lifeboats.”

Auren’s brow ridges pinched together as they grimaced. They pressed a hand to their stomach. “We shouldn’t separate. I can feel it right here. It’s awful. Is this what you meant earlier when you said your gut has feelings? I don’t know how you stand it.”

They were wasting time they might not have by arguing about it. “Fine. I’ll have to sit in your lap.”

The tension around their eyes eased. “Oh, the horror. I’ll try to contain my supreme disappointment.”

She leveled Auren with a flat look and nudged them into the escape pod. “Just get in already.”

Their lips twitched, but they did as she said and stepped inside, ducking under the low ceiling. Glancing at her, as if to make sure she wasn’t leaving, they flipped the seat down and sat, then patted their thighs. “My sweetness has a bite to her. I like it.”

Rolling her eyes, she ignored them. Once they settled, she climbed in. It took two tries before she figured out how to jam herself into the space and get seated.

They ended up with her completely in their lap, one arm thrown around their neck and her feet tucked onto the wall of foam at their side. There wasn’t room for both of them to extend their legs.

“Ready?” they asked.

She nodded, helping them pull the safety straps into place. It was a tight fit, but the connection snapped together, locking them into place. “Ready.”

Auren reached up and pressed the big red button. The pod shuddered, and, for a moment, she worried it was going to fail. That it was too old. But the door closed. It hissed as it latched and the life support system came on.

“Launching sequence beginning in ten… nine… eight…” a staticky AI voice said.

A tense silence passed between them as they waited, listening to the countdown and hoping that this hadn’t all been for nothing. At five, the pod’s engine rumbled.

“Three… two… one… launching sequence initiated.” Her chest pinched with anticipation.

The escape pod ejected, the force of its sudden acceleration sending her stomach into her throat. They spun in dizzying circles until the pod’s thrusters came on, stabilizing them.

Auren groaned. “That was fun. Now what?”

“Let’s try to see what’s going on.” There was a viewing pane in the door. Lacey fumbled for it, grabbing hold of the protrusion that would let her slide it open.

Beyond them, the vast blackness of space extended. Stars spun, making her dizzy. They waited, saying nothing. The thrusters fired again, slowing them, and then the pod made another slow rotation, and they got their first view of the cruise ship.

A blue dome of fire covered the ship’s bow as oxygen leaked from a rip in the hull. Chunks of the ship had been torn off and floated nearby, scattered all around it. They lost sight of the ship as the escape pod turned.

“What happened?” Auren asked.

She stared out at the light-dotted blackness as they slowly turned, waiting for their next glimpse of the wreckage. “Who knows? Satellite debris, a rogue asteroid, mechanical issues… If there was an explosion that pierced the hull, it could have torn a whole compartment open. I’m just glad it’s not pirates.”

“Pirates? Are they really a thing? I thought those were mostly stories people told to sell romance vids.” Auren’s hands tightened on her legs.

She let out a shuddering breath. “No, they’re real, and there’s nothing romantic about them.”

“Have you ever met one?”

“No, and I hope I never do. You shouldn’t either. They’re more likely to sell you to a spoiled Tou’de’nan Senator than help you.”

“Slavery’s illegal now.”

Lacey scoffed. “Not if you have enough money to convince the Galactic Union to look the other way.” And the Tou’de’nan had a lot of money.

The pod finished its spin, and then they could see the ship again. The fire was dying down as the ship’s fire suppression system worked. As it consumed all the oxygen from the exposed part of the ship, it had nothing left to fuel it. She could just make out the glowing yellow dots of scattered lifeboats on the other side of the ship. Their pod made its circle, and then the ship was out of view again.

She tilted back until she could meet Auren’s gaze. “The Tou’de’nan like humans. We kind of resemble them, I guess.” They shared similar coloring and body composition, although the Tou’de’nans’ long, pointed ears, swirling eyes, and sharp elfin features meant they’d always stand apart.

Auren adjusted their grip on her. “Like the males, perhaps. I gather you’ve never seen one of their females.”

Lacey frowned and wracked her brain. Hadn’t she? “They aren’t similar?”

“No. They’re much larger, and there’s a lot of teeth involved. They’re pretty frightening, to be honest.” In a lower voice, they added, “The Tou’de’nan like Rounaii too.”

“You haven’t spent a lot of time in space,” she guessed.

“Is it that obvious? This was my first trip off-planet. It was a prize I won, for an award I received. A work thing. It’s probably going to be my first and last time in space now. If we…”

If they ever made it out of this.

She sank into melancholy thoughts. At least they weren’t out in the far reaches of mapped space. The cruise ship plotted its course on a fairly well-traveled path. There were bound to be trader vessels or mining ships passing by at some point.

So why did the thought of being rescued make her a little sad?

I’m gonna have to find a new job. This one hadn’t been great, but it paid the bills. Even if the rest of the ship was unscathed, it would still be out of commission for months while they made repairs. She couldn’t afford to not work for that long. Maybe they can transfer me to another ship in the company.

Something jostled the pod, and its momentum slowed. They both stared out through the viewing pane. It turned. A hand hit the window.

She jumped in Auren’s lap, inhaling sharply. Their grip on her tightened, fingers digging into the soft skin of her thigh.

It was ashen in color, with a crust of ice growing on it. A white knob of bone stuck out through a mess of red. Its owner was nowhere in sight.

Auren reached around her and slid the viewing pane closed, then stroked a hand down her back and pulled her tighter against their chest.

I should take a job at a station this time. She’d had her fill of traveling through space for a while.

There was no way to mark the passage of time, but just as she was contemplating what was worse—embarrassing herself or dying from a ruptured bladder—the pod shook and it stopped spinning. They waited in tense silence, ears straining to listen for clues.

“What’s happening?” Auren whispered.

The sound of metal scraping against the outside filled its tiny interior. There was a loud crunch, followed by a dent appearing in the ceiling above their heads.

“Thank you for using the Pathfinder class IV escape pod,” the AI said. “Your rescue has been confirmed. If you enjoyed our service, please remember to rate and review.”

A hologram projection of five white stars appeared in the air before them. Lacey blinked at it.

“Your feedback is important to us. Please rate your rescue experience,” the AI said.

Lacey ran her hand through the middle star. Three of the five turned yellow, blinked, and the hologram cut out.

“Thank you for choosing Pathfinder.”

Sparks flew as an orange line of melting metal formed along the doorway. A plasma cutter punched through and melted the pod’s airlock seal. Once the line curved all the way around, the thin door finally hissed as it was opened. She squinted as the bright blue and white flame of the plasma cutter blinded her before it flickered out.

A burly, middle-aged white man stood in the doorway and grinned at them as he notched it into the toolbelt slung around his hips. His pale skin was stained black at the fingers with grease and dirt. He likely hadn’t seen the inside of a shower in a month. The acrid stench of him invaded the escape pod and made her eyes sting until they watered.

“We got two for the price of one, boys,” the man said.

Whooping sounded behind the man. “Told ya!” someone yelled from behind him. “Told ya I had a good vibe about this one.”

“Shaddup, Knik.”

“I wanna see! Get your fat head outta the way.”

Lacey’s heart clenched in her chest, nearly as tight as Auren’s stranglehold on her thigh. She was suddenly, intimately, aware of just how vulnerable they both were. Barely clothed. No shoes. No datapad, identification, or credits.

And these rescuers? They weren’t a nice merchant family or a corporate shipping company.

These were pirates.

CHAPTER 3

“You gonna come on out of there, or do I have to drag you out?” the pirate asked, one bushy eyebrow raised. He fisted meaty hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side.

Auren’s hold on her tightened, as if to stop her from sliding off their lap, but there was no helping it. They’d been caught and cowering would only paint a larger target on them.

“Unless you’d prefer that we unlatch our dock?” The pirate’s face contorted into a sneer. “Let you go?”

“You’ve cut a hole in our pod,” she said, her eyes flicking to the discarded metal that had been their door. “We’d be blown out into space to die.”

He shrugged. “That sounds like a whole lot of not my problem. You gonna walk, or do I have to carry you, sweetheart?”

“I’ll carry her!” someone said from behind him. Laughter ensued.

“I would not recommend touching her,” Auren said, their voice dipping low with a promise of carefully restrained violence.

She gritted her teeth and shoved her fear down, lifting her chin and ignoring the hammering of her heart. Reaching for Auren’s hand, she threaded their fingers together and gave them a squeeze.

“If you could take a step or two back,” she said to the pirate, wrinkling her nose as she stood. “The smell of your crew is rather potent.”

Auren stood behind her, ducking to avoid the low ceiling, their body all but plastered to her back. Their hand wrapped around her bicep with a tense grip.

The pirate stared at her, a creeping smile splitting his face. And then he flicked his attention over her shoulder. “Real men work for a living. That’s the smell of a hard day’s labor.” He swept his hand in the air in an ushering movement and turned, pressing his back to the docking tube’s wall. “Ladies first.”

She bit back her sigh and squeezed past him. Auren followed closely behind her. Ignoring the leering pirates, they made their way down the docking tube and entered the ship. The ship was an older model that had seen better days, and it was cramped. Altogether, they barely fit inside the airlock.

Auren wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her into their side. Glad for the comfort of the small gesture, she leaned into the touch. Her mustered bravado was failing as the cold air nipped at her skin through the flimsy borrowed robe.

The pirates ogled them as their captain sealed the door and reeled the docking tube back in. There was a crunch as it disconnected, and their escape pod drifted away.

“Well now,” the captain said, turning around to face them. “How will you be repaying us for rescuing you?”

A short, thin pirate laughed, then rubbed his nose and wiped his hand on his stained, yellowed shirt. “Yeah, cunt or credits?”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. He smiled, showing a gap where a tooth had been.

“We burned a lot of fuel to answer your cruise ship’s distress beacon,” the captain said, folding his arms over his chest and tucking his hands into his armpits. “And fuel ain’t cheap. Nobody rides for free on my ship, and neither of you look like you could last a day in the alcubierium mines. So the only uses I have for you are cunt or credits. Which one will it be?”

“I can pay,” Auren said. “For your… refueling fees. How much?”

The thin pirate’s smile sagged, and the row of men beside him grumbled.

The captain smiled. “Twenty thousand.”

Lacey’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” she muttered. She’d expected the number to be high, not astronomical. That was the price of a gently-used older-model ship, not fuel.

The captain ignored her, his attention focused on Auren as the two of them haggled.

“I expect private accommodations for me and my companion and a jump to Nereus’s capital port for that price,” Auren said.

Eyebrows raised, the captain laughed. “You do, do you? Any other special requests, Sovereign?”

If Auren picked up on the captain’s sarcasm, they didn’t let on. “Refreshments and privacy. And you will control your crew. I don’t share. Anything.”

The captain stepped away from the wall and tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants. “You’ll pay us half upfront, and the rest when we get there.”

Auren scoffed. “Absolutely not. You’ll receive the full payment when we land unmolested.”

Making a show of considering it, the captain stared at them, glanced at her, eyes dipping to the flash of cleavage that showed where the robe crossed over her chest. “Five now, a night with the girl, and ten when we arrive.”

She bristled but stayed silent as Auren squeezed her tighter against them.

“That will not happen,” Auren said in a voice frosted over with ice. “You’ll get your money when you deliver us to Nereus unscathed. You know who I am? Good. Then you realize I can pay you.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the captain dragged his gaze away from her and then she could breathe again.

“Deal,” the captain said, and then turned to speak to the man standing next to him. “Put them in the hole. Bring them food. Anyone who touches them gets to take a space walk without a suit. Knik, get ready to jump.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying. “We’re going to the ass-end of civilized space.”

A pirate showed them to the hole, a derelict room that looked like overflow storage. At some point, it had been a cleaning closet. Racks of brooms and mops that likely hadn’t been used in years were secured to the wall. A bucket with an inch of mystery liquid in it took up one corner of the room.

The pirate who’d all but shoved them inside left and then returned, giving them a handful of rations, two pouches of water, and a stack of musty bedding.

“Can I use your bathroom?” she asked him, the urgent press of her bladder rearing its head again now that they had a minute to breathe.

He nodded to the bucket in the corner. “That’s included with your room. No extra charge.” He laughed and shut the door, bolting it.

“Ugh.” She scrubbed a hand over her face.

“I’ll take care of this,” Auren said, holding the blankets up before making a show of turning their back to the corner with the bucket.

Heading to it, she hiked the robe up and squatted, careful not to touch it with any part of her body. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend that she wasn’t peeing into a bucket in front of someone. She finished and waited a moment, letting herself drip dry.

Auren was spreading the last blanket out as she joined them, sitting in the middle.

“Thank you.” She was thanking them for more than just that moment of privacy. They were little more than strangers. A lesser person might have taken the captain up on their bargain.

Twenty thousand credits.

The thought made her sick. It was an expense she would never be able to repay. Most of her pay went toward room and board on the ship, with just enough left over to afford the clothes and cosmetics she needed for work and a few small luxuries a month.

“Excuse me,” Auren said, heading toward the bucket.

Lacey turned away, giving them a moment. As she sat there, she wondered how differently things might have gone if Auren hadn’t been with her. If she hadn’t met them last night. It was equally likely she might have ended up on a lifeboat, or she could have been trapped on the ship on the wrong side of the firewall.

Auren came to her side, sitting on the blankets next to her. The ship rumbled underneath them, everything lurching as the engine powered up for a jump.

“Do you think they’re going to keep their bargain?” she asked.

Auren sighed. “They’d be hard pressed to find someone who would pay more.”

That was her only solace. Greed was a powerful motivator, and these pirates wouldn’t pass up that sort of payday lightly. Guilt gnawed at her. The urge to be honest and admit that she could never repay them choked her, but fear made her hesitate.

Lying down on their side, Auren patted the space in front of them. “Come here.”

Lacey chewed her lower lip and settled beside them. An arm wrapped around her middle, tucking her against them, and then their chin fixed on top of her head. The knot of anxiety in her stomach loosened. She let out a shuddering breath.

“I can’t… ever repay you,” she whispered.

“It’s just money. I can make more. You saved my life, Lacey. That’s more than enough for me.”

They pressed a kiss against her hair, and silence stretched between them as her eyes drifted shut. Now that the adrenaline was leaching from her system, she was exhausted. Her body ached all over and her head was pounding.

Maybe once she figured out what she was going to do and got settled wherever she ended up, she could send them payments. Their quadrant of the universe was vast, but it was mostly the same everywhere you went. Males liked to watch pretty females dance, and they didn’t mind paying for the privilege.

“He called you Sovereign. Why?” The Rounaii didn’t have a monarchy.

“It’s a nickname. Something the media calls me.”

“Oh.” She mulled that over, trying to piece it all together. “Are you famous?”

Auren laughed into her hair. “Ouch. Not famous enough, it seems.”

Curiosity ate at her, and she was hungry for a distraction from their current situation. “How are you famous? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m in vids.”

“Anything I’ve seen?” Not that she was a big vid fan. She read more than she watched vids. They always seemed to put her to sleep forty minutes into them.

The arm around her waist tightened. “They’re pretty niche.”

Racking her brain, she tried to remember the famous Rounaii vid stars she was vaguely aware of, but none of them matched. Auren’s coloring was unique.

“That’s why you got tense when I pulled out my datapad to check the app,” she said. “You thought I wanted to take a photo of you.”

Auren hummed, their hand sliding to settle on her hip where their thumb made little circles. “No, I thought you wanted to film us.”

“Film us…” Lacey inhaled. “Film us having sex? Oh, stars. No.” She imagined it, of filming herself having sex with a celebrity and then selling the vid after as some people did for both money and attention. “That would be horrible.”

The thumb that was tracing circles onto her hip stopped. “Horrible?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t do that to someone. Leak a private video like that.”

“Oh.”

The hand on her side slid to cup her belly, Auren’s arm growing heavy as they tugged her against them. A vibration rumbled the floor so much that her teeth rattled in her head. The ship powered up, an electrical whine and the creaking of metal sounding them, and then a moment later it jumped. Everything smoothed, and the ship settled into an eerie silence. She released a held breath, grateful that the dangerous maneuver hadn’t ripped the ship apart.

“How long do you think it’s going to take?” she whispered.

“A few hours, probably. Nereus is pretty far, and the jump point isn’t right outside of the planet.”

A few hours. If the pirates were even taking them to Nereus, as they’d promised. That sliver of doubt nagged at her as a million what-ifs ran through her mind.

“We should try to rest,” Auren said. “Whatever happens… this might be the only chance we get, and we should take advantage of it.”

Nodding, she lay there, quiet and contemplative. She stared at the metal wall and studied the rivets that kept the panels joined. They were worn and rusted. For all she knew, rust was the only thing keeping this poor excuse of a ship together.

It was going to be a long few hours.

They came out of jump space with a jarring thump that nearly sent them both rolling along the floor. Her eyes flew open as she was startled awake.

Sitting up, she worked her way out from under Auren’s arm and tucked the edge of the blanket around her legs. Auren rolled onto their back, an arm slung across their eyes as if to ward off the overhead light. They grumbled something in their sleep.

Her lips twitched in a smile as she studied them. Even here, lying on the grimy floor of a pirate ship, they were stunning to look at. Splashes of color shimmered in the highlights and shadows of their iridescent scales.

They let out a huff, dropping their arm and cracking their eyes open.

Eventually, the ship’s thrusters closed. Were they getting ready to dock? She wished they had a porthole window to look through, to see what their fate would be. Not that they could do anything about it, either way. Neither of them were fighters.

Gravity grew heavier as the old ship fought to maintain their environment while it descended to the surface of wherever they’d arrived. The thrusters rumbled again as the ship landed. She gasped a breath of relief. They’d made it.

Footsteps thumped in the hallway, getting closer. They paused outside of the room, and the door creaked open. A pirate stood there. “Get moving.”

They followed him down the hall, ignoring the stares of the other crew members as pirates looked up from their task to watch them pass. They were led to a new room filled with huge crates. Nets hung from the ceiling and covered the walls with various things stuffed in them. Different languages were stamped on them, marking the contents inside. She studied each one as they passed.

Bolts of Tou’de’nan silk, woven from the enormous arachnids that populated their many lush forests. Bera tapestries, a riot of bright colors that were a stark contrast to the icy, frozen planet. Human medicine marked by a familiar red cross with text underneath that identified it as a class-III controlled substance. Packages of preserved tropical fruit from Theros. She hadn’t even known that the human prison planet had a trade network set up on it.

Her breath came out in a deep exhale of relief. These pirates were shady merchants, not flesh peddlers. They’d gotten lucky.

The back of the cargo bay was open, a ramp already dropped. Through the opening, she could see the planet beyond it. The dock they were parked at was made of white concrete instead of wood or stone. Water surrounded the left, while the right led up to a clustered city. Buildings stacked one on top of another, rising in a steep slope.

The scent that hit her nose was startling. Briny with the smell of rotting algae, the dock’s odor invaded her sinuses and cleared them. Auren took a deep breath, then sighed.

“I’ll take that payment now,” the captain said from behind them. He held a datapad out toward Auren.

“Of course.” Auren held their chipped palm over it. It dinged, flashing green as it transferred the funds.

Smiling, the captain tucked it away. “Pleasure doing business with you. Now get the fuck off my ship before I change my mind.”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Auren pulled her down the ramp. They then stood there, huddled together, as they watched the ship close.

The heat from its thrusters drove them back, and the surrounding water rippled as the ship took off, disappearing into the sky until it was no bigger than a tiny speck that was soon lost among the clouds. The too-orange sun forced her to look away or risk being blinded by the strength of its light. She hadn’t been on a planet since she was a young girl.

“Thank the fucking stars,” Auren muttered.

Lacey looked around, ignoring the passersby who gave them double-takes or stopped what they were doing to stare. She slid her hand out of Auren’s sweaty grip and tightened the belt on her borrowed robe. The last thing she needed right now was to flash them.

“Where are we?” she asked.

She knew almost nothing about the Rounaii homeworld, other than that it was mostly oceanic and few humans went there. At the other end of the quadrant and with few natural resources to exploit, humanity had little interest in it. That’s why the Rounaii turned to entertainment for their principal export.

Auren glanced around, squinting against the bright sun as the rays bounced off the reflective surface of the water. “This is one of the larger main islands, Daeseoul. There should be an information booth nearby. We can ask them where the charter boats are.”

“This is a main island?” It was so small. She peered around again. A single floor of the cruise ship was larger than this landmass.

Clusters of square buildings butted up at one another on a steep slope. A temple decorated its peak. Its facade was carved with figures, but at this distance she couldn’t make out their details. But the overall theme was oceanic. Enormous clams topped each column.

There was no vegetation in sight other than a few potted trees and hanging baskets of vines. They passed buildings with signs written in a language she couldn’t read. Her cheap translator didn’t translate writing, and the Rounaii didn’t include common on their signs.

“Yes,” Auren answered. “They’re floating cities, so they’re small. If they were larger, they’d sink. We have chains of them connected by walkways and underwater tunnels. Or you can rent a boat. I’m assuming you’d prefer to take a boat rather than cut across underneath? The tunnels are faster.”

She thought about going down below the water’s surface and being at the mercy of the strength of the tunnel above her head.

Lacey had swum in pools before, of course, but that was different from an ocean. Pool water was clear. She could see the bottom and touch it. Here, this vast sea that swallowed up the horizon was murky and full of the unknown. Things lived in it. Fish and other creatures. Predators?

Her smile cracked. “Yeah, a boat sounds good.”

Auren chuckled and steered her down the dock toward the city. “For a species that likes to bathe in water and swim in pools of it, you humans sure are afraid of it when it’s in its natural state.”

Lacey cut her eyes at him. “Not all of us have gills, and besides… that’s where sharks live. No thanks. I’ll take a boat.”

“What’s a shark?” Auren asked.

She paused mid-step and had to take two to recover and keep up. “I saw a vid on them once in school. Sharks were big water predators on Earth. Some were huge, and they had rows and rows of sharp teeth. They ate fish and other sea animals… and sometimes people.”

Auren hummed. “We don’t have those. The closest thing to that would be a baemjang, but they don’t attack people unless they’re provoked or guarding a nest full of their young.”

“How big are bae… baemj…” she hesitated on the word, sure that she wasn’t pronouncing it right.

“Baemjang. And they’re enormous but fairly docile. Although we do have to put a lot of lights underneath our cities and wrap even more of them around our tunnels to keep them from swimming into the structures and toppling one.”

The thought of giant ocean creatures large enough to swim into tunnels and break them with just the force of impact made her shiver. “Yup,” she said, her voice coming out strangled. “Boats are good.”

Auren glanced over their shoulder at her and gave her a wolfish smile full of teeth. For the first time, she noticed there was a sharpness to them that wasn’t human. “Don’t worry, sweetness, the only thing eating you here is me. Once we’re home, clean, rested, and fed, I’m going to lap at you until you flood my mouth.”

A blush heated her face. A passing Rounaii, their skin a pale shade of gray spotted with blue with a navy fin on their head, turned and stared at them, gawking openly.

“Auren!” she hissed, her eyes darting from side to side. “You can’t say things like that in public.”

They stopped walking and turned to look at her fully, bringing her hand up between them. They held their other hand, palm up. “Give me both hands.”

Frowning, she hesitated as she searched their eyes, then did as they asked. Auren gripped both of her hands, raised her arms up above her head, then forced her backward until her back smacked against the square column of a shop.

Crowding her, they leaned in until their hips aligned. One knee came up between hers, pressing until her sex was flush against their thigh. Her robe split open, revealing one leg, her back arched and her breasts straining against the fabric.

Auren curved low over her until their mouth pressed against the shell of her ear. “You have no idea the things I plan to do to you.”

Her breath hitched as her pulse soared.

“I can’t stop thinking about how good you felt,” Auren said. “So hot and wet, you were practically dripping for me. The sounds you made. Do you know what you do to me, sweetness? You make me mad with lust. All I can think about is fucking you until you scream yourself hoarse.”

Her eyes fluttered closed. How did Auren have this power over her? A bit of dirty talk and she was aching for them despite everything they’d just been through. They’d survived what should have killed them. Twice. It had forced her to realize just how sad her short, insignificant life had been so far.

She wanted to do more than just survive.

Their lips brushed against her stretched neck, settling on her pulse. They nipped her, those slightly too-sharp teeth making her moan.

“If it weren’t for your human sense of modesty, I’d take you right here, right now. I’d strip that robe right off you and let them watch. You’re so damn pretty when you cum. All pink and moaning. You would let me do it, too, wouldn’t you? I bet if I slipped my fingers down there, I’d find you dripping. Are you wet and ready for me, sweetness?”

She squirmed against them, back arching, until their hold on her hands tightened, reminding her to stay still. “Auren,” she moaned, not sure if she wanted to beg them to stop or keep going.

What was wrong with her? They were in public. Was that Rounaii still watching them? She turned her head to check.

Auren leaned in the way, capturing her attention again as they transferred both of her wrists into just one of theirs, then set a finger to her mouth. It caught her lower lip before dragging down, tracing a path down her chin and throat. Auren’s eyes flashed with something primal and hungry. Predatory.

“I asked you a question, sweetness.”

“Y-yes.”

They leaned in and hovered just above her face, their lips almost touching hers. “Yes, you are. Do you know how I know? How I can tell how much you want me to fuck you right now?”

She was dying to kiss them, to cross that millimeter of distance that kept them separate. “How?”

The hand on her breast slid lower, settling on her hip and holding her still as that knee continued its slow grind against her aching center. “Because your sweet little cunt is pulsing against my leg. Each throb is begging me to touch it.”

Auren closed the gap, pressing their lips against hers in a claiming kiss. She moaned against their mouth, leaning into it.

“I don’t see any cameras,” someone whispered nearby.

“We should probably go,” another said. “Leave them to it.”

A third one sighed. “I really wanted a photo.”

Auren broke their kiss and dipped their head until their foreheads pressed together. Lacey took a shuddering breath and let out a shaky exhale. They let her hands go.

She dropped them around Auren’s shoulders, sliding them down their chest and ignoring the buzzing in her fingertips. Auren straightened up and glanced behind them.

“You want a photo?” Auren asked, a hint of teasing in their voice.

Lacey wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She screwed her eyes shut. Could a person die from embarrassment?

She took a deep, cleansing breath, ignoring the heat that was rising to her cheeks. Her hands slowly unhooked as she forced herself to let go of their shirt. She would have taken a step back to put some space between them if she weren’t still pinned against the column behind her.

Two of the Rounaii watching them squealed.

“Yes!”

“Oh, thank you!”

“Ugh, my datapad is practically dead,” the third said.

Auren turned and slung an arm around her shoulder, tugging her into their side. Lacey slapped a hand onto their chest to catch herself as she nearly lost her balance.

“Right here, or…” Auren asked.

“Yes, that’s perfect,” a Rounaii with turquoise scales and a purple fin said. “Okay, smile!” They put their datapad up in the air.

Auren held up their free hand and made a gesture she’d never seen before. It involved touching their middle finger and thumb together, the other fingers straight and pressed together. She was still staring at them when the datapad made a chirping sound. All three Rounaii studied the screen, their expressions intent.

“Excuse us,” Auren muttered, taking a step back and tugging her with them.

They put distance between them, the sounds of the group’s laughter floating to them on the ocean breeze. The concrete was rough underneath her feet, and Lacey had to watch her step to make sure she didn’t catch a foot on any of the jagged pieces of seashell that stuck up from the pavement’s coarse mixture.

“What was that gesture you made?” she asked.

“Hmm? Oh. It signifies my preference as a top. The middle finger is for tops; the heart’s thread finger is for switches; and the short finger is for bottoms. I see the information desk.”

She glanced up, seeing the small concrete booth that Auren pointed to. A Rounaii was sitting on a stool inside and scrolling through their datapad. Deep red with pink and orange markings and dressed all in black, they were a stark contrast to the brighter and more colorful ones.

“Fair winds,” Auren said to the clerk. “We’d like to charter a boat.”

They pointed to a tacked-up sign without even bothering to look up from their device. “Use the order screen.”

Auren tapped at the screen, moving through the menu that was unreadable to her. It didn’t even have pictures. “You don’t have anything smaller? We’re not going that far.”

“Do you see anything smaller for rent?”

Auren flicked through the options again in rapid sequence. “No.”

“Then no.” The clerk’s long nails clicked against the screen as they tapped something onto their datapad.

Auren sighed and made a selection, and an alien keyboard popped up. They started typing.

Lacey looked around, taking the small moment of reprieve to look at the foreign posters that were stuck all over the information booth. A stack of glossy cards, black with bright yellow lettering, caught her eye. This one, at least, had photos. Pictures of a sleek room furnished with leather and chrome seating arrangements and a table of laughing, smiling Rounaii dressed in extravagant outfits kept her attention. Glasses filled with liquids in a variety of bright colors covered the table in front of them. Was this a bar? Or maybe a dance club? They looked like they were having fun.

“What’s this?” She held it up.

“What?” Auren glanced away from the payment screen and read her card. “That’s an ad for a sex club. Did you want to go?”

Her mouth dropped open, and she blinked in stunned silence. She set the card back on its stack and neatened them, lining the cut edges up. “Nope. I’m good.” She cleared her throat. “I just can’t read your language.”

Auren held their chipped hand up to the ordering screen. A moment later, it beeped. “Where’s the dock?”

The clerk jerked their head to the left, then set their attention back on their screen.

Auren’s hand settled on her hip, steering her in the direction they’d indicated. The rental boats were up ahead, bobbing with the waves that battered at the dock. They headed into the island’s tiny downtown area.

“You have sex clubs?” she asked quietly, her curiosity eating at her.

“On the bigger islands, yes. How else are you going to find your mate? They have matching centers now that use DNA analysis and a computer to narrow down your pool of potential partners, but most prefer the old method. It’s more fun.”

This dock was made of interconnected hexagonal panels of a springy material that gave a bit underneath each step. It felt like heaven compared to the rough concrete they’d just traversed. Now and then, when a wave hit harder than the others, a wash of sea sprayed over the edge.

“It’s this one. Watch your step,” Auren said, straddling the gap as they held out a hand to guide her.

She stepped onto the ramp, her hand clamping down on Auren’s when the boat dipped and shifted under her weight. Was it supposed to move? Her heart sank into her stomach. “Oh, shit.” She was going to end up in that cold, murky water. She just knew it. A rogue baemjang would eat her.

“Come here. I’ve got you.” Auren wrapped her arm around their neck and gripped her around the small of her back as they straddled the gap.

She let Auren swing her down, depositing her inside the topsy-turvy boat. They let her go, and slowly she unwrapped her arms from their tentacle grip around them. The boat rose and fell, riding the waves. It wasn’t horrible once she was inside of it if she was perfectly still, but she was dreading the short walk over to the seats.

Maybe she could just stand here until it was time to get off. But then how was she going to get out of the boat?

Auren threw a thick coil of coarse rope onto the dock and turned, glancing between her and the seats. They cocked their head, their fin slipping over their shoulder to drape down their back. “You’ll want to sit for the trip, or a gust of wind might blow you clear over the side.” The corners of their mouth twitched as if they were suppressing a smile.

“Hilarious,” she deadpanned, her lips pressing into a thin line. That couldn’t actually happen… right? Her palms were sweaty, and she wiped them off on her thighs.

The boat rocked as Auren took a step toward her. “You led us off an exploding ship, then faced off against pirates with sassy remarks and your head held high. Is my brave Lacey truly cowed by a mere boat?” They brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

“They trained us for that. Made us do drills and practice. This,” she said, gesturing to the boat and then around them, “I don’t know what to do with this. I don’t know how to…”

Tears pricked at her eyes as the reality of her situation settled in. She was stranded on an alien planet, surrounded by writing she couldn’t read, wearing borrowed clothes, and she didn’t even have any shoes on. No datapad. No money. No identification. She’d never regretted her stubborn refusal to pay for a chip implant more in her life. If she got out of this, made it home—wherever that was now—it was going to be the first thing she did.

“Oh, hey,” Auren said, the teasing edge disappearing. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” They enveloped her, their arms going around her to hug her to them. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

Those arms drifted down, catching her under her butt and lifting her up. Auren walked toward the row of seats, taking her with them. “Besides, I’ll take any excuse to touch your perfectly-rounded ass.”

Their joke had its intended effect, making her laugh. She sniffed, willing the brimming tears to recede. Auren set her down at the edge of the seating and let her go, their hands skimming over her butt and squeezing it once before dropping away.

She sat and rubbed the dampness from her eyelashes before the tears could fall. If she started crying now, she wouldn’t be able to stop. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I haven’t had mood swings like this since I was a teenager.” One minute she was terrified, then horny, then crying. Keeping up with her mercurial moods was becoming exhausting.

Auren played with her hair, smoothing it down and carding their fingers through it, untangling the snarls, as she sat there and calmed herself. “It’s been a lot, and we’re both tired and hungry. Once we’re home, we’ll shower, eat, and sleep and then you’ll feel better. We can tackle everything else tomorrow.”

Home. She didn’t have one anymore. Even if the ship was salvageable, it would be months before it was spaceworthy again. All of her things were likely gone. Not that she owned anything that couldn’t be replaced, but still.

The meager amount of credits in her savings probably wouldn’t even buy her passage off this planet to the nearest human-controlled space station. She was going to have to indenture herself.

“Right. Tomorrow.” She clenched her teeth, the muscle in her jaw twitching.

Auren gave her a worried look but was silent. They turned and set their microchipped hand to the boat’s control panel. It dinged, lighting up.

Lacey chewed on her bottom lip as she folded her arms across her chest to keep the robe from flapping open as Auren guided the boat out onto the open ocean. The chain of islands shrank in the distance as Auren navigated them home.

CHAPTER 4

Auren’s home was breathtaking. A white rounded structure rose from the top of the ocean. Glass windows made a honeycomb-shaped covering that arced up and over, sheltering everything that wasn’t covered in greenery.

“How many people live in it?” she asked.

“It’s only me. I like my privacy.”

All this space for one person? It was so different from everything she’d ever known before. So vast compared to the cramped slums she’d lived in as a kid.

The boat slowed, coasting toward a dark opening in the curving side. It puttered inside, slowing to a stop. Auren docked them, securing the boat.

“Ready?” Auren asked.

She was less frightened of the prospect of climbing out now that she couldn’t see the open ocean anymore. She stood, accepting Auren’s help. The boat gave one last perilous rock, and then she was free of it.

“Come,” Auren said. “Let’s get clean and eat, and then I want to sleep for an entire year.”

The inside of Auren’s house was as stunning as the outside. The white floor and walls were tiled, which made sense as nearly every room had some sort of water element in it. There was a pool with a lazy, meandering river that ran throughout the house. Narrow, curved walkways connected the floor, arcing over the water and making a low bridge that a swimmer would need to duck under.

A glass ceiling let light in, and pieces of embedded, stained glass turned the white on white tile into a kaleidoscope of colors as the bright sun shone through them. Potted plants were everywhere, even in neat little rows of shallow planters that ran along the walls. They moved through the house, past a lounging area filled with low seating and floor pillows, until they got to the bedroom and its connected bath.

“Since it’s just me here, I only have the one room set up for sleeping. I hope you don’t mind sharing. I converted the guest room into a home office of sorts.”

She followed Auren into the bathing room, her eyebrows raising when they started the shower and undressed. They slid their tight pants down their narrow hips, revealing that iridescent scaled skin.

“I don’t mind.”

Steam filled the bathroom, fogging the enormous mirror and making her hair stick to her face and neck. Auren tossed their clothes into a pile on the floor and stepped around the glass divider until they were underneath the spray. Lacey undid the tight knot of her robe and joined them.

The hot cascade of water felt amazing. She ducked under it and ran her fingers through the worst knots in her hair. Hands on her back startled her until she realized it was Auren spreading cleanser on her back. They rubbed circles, thumbs digging into the knots in her muscles. She sighed, going loose under them as they massaged. They worked the soap over every single inch of her.

Auren pressed their face against the side of hers until their foreheads touched. “If you keep moaning and sighing like that, I won’t let you sleep first before I take you again.”

Was she expected to hate that idea? “Sorry. It just feels so good.”

Biting her lip, she stood there and let them tend to her. When they were done, Auren shut off the shower and worked lotion into her damp skin. They skimmed every inch of her, pausing long enough on her breasts and the insides of her thighs to make her think they were teasing her on purpose. That they wanted to make her squirm.

Lacey stood there and took it, silent and throbbing.

Auren gathered her wet hair up in their hands and twisted, wringing the water from it before smoothing it down her back again. They smiled and grabbed a fluffy towel from the wall rack, wrapping one around her before fixing their own around their waist.

She secured it over her breasts before following them out of the shower to a vanity that stretched across an entire wall. If she thought they’d had a lot of cosmetics on the ship, it was nothing compared to the array of bottles that covered the counter. There were skinny bottles, fat jars, things filled with liquids in a variety of colors, and a multitude of contraptions she had no name for.

“Up,” Auren ordered.

Lacey frowned and glanced at them. “What?”

They grabbed her and lifted, ignoring her gasp as they set her on the counter. Auren stepped between her knees, one hand placed possessively on her thigh as they picked through their stash of cosmetics and toiletries and brought several things forward to try. She clamped her slipping towel to her breasts.

“You act like no one’s ever taken care of you before,” Auren said. They unscrewed the lid off the first bottle and squeezed clear drops of its contents into their palm, dipping two fingers into it, and tapping it into her skin.

Had any of her handful of lovers ever taken care of her before? Light fingers spread the skincare item reverently across her face until her thirsty skin soaked it in. The strangeness of it passed, and then she was left with the calming sensation of someone lightly stroking her face. Her eyelids drooped as fatigue washed over her.

“All done,” Auren said, closing the last jar.

“Thank you.”

They grabbed another and repeated the process, applying everything to themself this time. She watched them do it, their fine scales shining under the lighting. With their iridescent coloring they were already stunning, but when Auren spread a cream with a pearlescent sheen on their face, she forgot how to breathe.

“Ready for bed?” they asked.

“Yes,” she answered at the same time that her stomach rumbled.

Lips curving into a soft smile, Auren patted her on the thigh. “Perhaps food first.”

They helped her off the counter, leading her into their bedroom where they rooted through a painted cabinet and pulled out clothing. She took the item they offered her, a silky dress made of slippery fabric. Icy blue pleats and trimmed with gold straps, it looked like evening attire.

“I have little that fully covers the chest,” Auren said while they opened a drawer and pulled out a loose-fitting pair of pants.

“Right.” She said as she watched them discard their towel and slip into what looked like pajamas. Envy nipped at her. “This is beautiful, but maybe too impractical to wear to bed.”

She stroked a hand down the fabric, enjoying the slipperiness of it. But as lovely as it was, she couldn’t imagine trying to sleep in it. She’d probably wake up with one boob out.

“Anything that’s mine, you’re welcome to. Dress. I’ll go get started on that breakfast.” Auren pressed a kiss to her temple, then padded out of the room.

Lacey draped the garment over her arm and rifled through Auren’s things. The awkwardness of it soon passed as she explored the contents of their wardrobe. They were right. There wasn’t much that would cover her breasts. Their clothing was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Sheer. Ripped. Netting. Nothing but straps.

“I’m gonna wear the robe.”

She hung the dress back up on its hanger, then grabbed the crumpled robe off the bathroom floor. Disgust washed over her the moment she smelled it. It was smoky, and there was an edge of foulness to its scent. The robe needed a thorough washing before it could be worn again.

“Fuck… okay, fine.” The evening gown won.

Lacey tugged it on, putting her arms through various places in the straps until she found the right way to wear it. Fabric skimmed over her belly, dropping to the floor in a straight line. The top crossed over her chest, triangles of fabric covering her breasts and then her shoulders. Tight straps dug into her skin, pressing her cleavage together. The way she already threatened to spill out of it was halfway indecent. Hidden slits in the pleated draping showed hints of leg as she moved. The pleated fabric vaguely reminded her of fish fins, and she wondered what it looked like when Auren wore it. With their iridescent scales, they probably looked phenomenal.

Noises from the kitchen and then the smell of food drew her through the house. She wandered, peeking into every room she passed, until she found them.

Auren looked up as she entered the kitchen, their gaze roaming up and down her body as she stepped closer. Dark eyes showed a hunger that had nothing to do with the food they were cooking.

“That smells great,” she said.

Their lips twitched in a slight smile as they looked down at the frying pan on the stove and grabbed a spatula, flipping the grilled sandwiches over. “Pang bread filled with roasted vegetables and fried egg. I didn’t have a lot of groceries on hand because I wasn’t expecting to be back so soon. Hmm… I should call my manager. Let them know I didn’t get blown up and killed.”

Her thoughts flashed to her friend. How could she have forgotten about her? “Shit. I hope Meg’s okay.” The last time Lacey had seen her, Meg had been dancing with that Ma’arat male. “Do you have a datapad I can use to send her a message?”

“Of course. Want me to grab it now?” they asked.

“Yes, if you don’t mind.”

Auren left for a moment, then returned and handed her their datapad. They’d already set the language display to common for her. She flashed them a smile of gratitude at the considerate gesture.

A message would be cheaper than a call. Lacey opened up the messenger app, logged into her account, and clicked on Meg’s profile. She typed out a quick note that she was fine and safe, but she’d ended up on Nereus with her one-night stand and not to worry about her. I hope she’s okay. It chimed as it finished sending the message. Now all she had to do was wait for an answer. Hopefully, it didn’t take more than a few days.

“Is there a human embassy here?” she asked.

Auren plated their food and turned the burner off. “There probably is one at the capital. That’s where the Tou’de’nan and Ma’arat maintain their headquarters. I can help you look later. These are done. Let’s eat before they get cold.” They opened the cooling unit and pulled out two bottles of something orange.

She grabbed both and carried them over to the table, then sat, smoothing the dress underneath her. Its splits opened, the front of the pleated skirts settling between her legs and baring her thighs. Her breasts strained the fabric of the top, and the straps pulled on her neck. She reached up, adjusting them, then glanced at Auren as she caught them staring.

“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked as she ignored the heat in their stare and grabbed her food, blowing on it to cool it before she took a bite and chewed. She moaned around the bite in her mouth as the melding of flavors hit her tongue.

“Starving. I haven’t been hungry like this in years.” They sat, their eyes never leaving her.

She remembered the things they’d whispered in her ear in town, the promises they’d made. Stuffing another bite in her mouth, she focused on the food in front of her and ignored the distracting pulse that beat between her legs. “Then you should eat.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

Lacey shook her head, a smile teasing at her lips even though butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Finally, Auren ripped their attention away from her cleavage long enough to eat. When they finished, the wash of fatigue she’d felt after the shower hit her twice as hard. Auren stacked their empty plates and gathered their bottles. They loaded everything into the cleanser, then came back over to her side.

Fingers carded through her still damp hair, brushing it out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “Come, sweetness. Let’s put you to bed before you fall asleep at the table.”

Going to bed sounded nearly as good as Auren’s fingernails on her scalp felt. Her eyelids fluttered, but she made them open again despite their heaviness. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Okay.”

She followed Auren back to their bedroom and watched as they tapped at a wall mounted control unit. A shutter cranked closed, covering the window and blocking out the daylight. The lights dimmed low.

The bed was round and set in the middle of the room. It consisted of a mattress covered with a fitted sheet and a couple of pillows. Her brows knitted together as she contemplated the lack of blankets or other bedding before remembering Auren’s comment back on the cruise ship about humans and nesting.

She chewed on her lip as she hesitated, unsure if she should even say anything. They’d saved her from the pirates, paying a small fortune to keep them safe. She could deal with sleeping without a blanket.

“Lacey, we don’t have to do anything. We can just sleep,” Auren said, misinterpreting her silent contemplation.

“No, I… I didn’t want to say anything and sound ungrateful, but you don’t have any bedding.”

Their concerned expression cleared. “Right.” They put a finger to their chin and thought for a moment. “I’ll be right back. Go ahead and get cozy.”

Without them watching her, she felt bold enough to climb into their bed, arranging the revealing dress around herself.

Auren returned, their arms full of fabric. They unfolded it and shook it out, draping it over her. “How is this?”

She tugged it up to cover her chest and rubbed the fabric between two fingers. It was soft but thin. The room was warm enough that it would likely be fine, but the more she stared at it, the stranger it seemed. She lifted one corner, noticing that the edge of it was raw and uneven. “It’ll work, but what is it?”

The mattress dipped as Auren climbed on, settling into the space next to her. “It’s leftover fabric from a costume I never got around to finishing.”

“You sew?” That fact surprised her.

They curled up against her side and threw an arm around her middle, tugging her flush against them. “I make a lot of the things I wear.”

She fingered the gold-edged straps that crossed her chest. “Did you make this one?”

“No.” They yawned, then so did she. “That was a gift from a designer.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It looks better on you than it ever did on me. Keep it.”

Lying there, she wondered what this lifestyle was like. Designer clothes. Spacious houses that you lived alone in. Traveling, seeing unknown places, going on vacation. These were concepts she could hardly fathom. Most days, she hustled simply to tread water, barely staying afloat.

“I couldn’t,” she protested.

They squeezed her tighter against them. “You have no idea how much I enjoy taking care of you. Keep it, Lacey. I know you’ll think of me every time you put it on and feel beautiful.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she tried her best to ignore it as they settled for sleep. She turned in their arms, tucking herself into Auren’s front and burrowing into them. They rested their chin on her head, and Lacey decided this was her new favorite way to fall asleep.

The obnoxious ringing of a datapad woke her. Lacey grunted, and rolled over onto her stomach, pressing closer into Auren’s side. They shifted against her, lean muscles contracting as they groped for the noisy device.

“Good morning, Ridrick,” Auren sighed.

“Morning? Are you drunk? It’s almost fourth bell,” Ridrick nagged. A long, gusty sigh came from the datapad’s speaker. “Thank the nine you’re fine and not dead like I’ve been imagining you were for the last day and a half since I first heard the news. Would you care to explain to me why I found out you weren’t dead via selfie?”

“I meant to call you when we got back. I’m sorry, but I didn’t have my datapad on me when we were fleeing for our lives, you know,” Auren said.

“We… Wait, you mean they’re there? That human from the photo? At your house?”

Giving up on the notion that she was going to get back to sleep, Lacey turned her face to the side and cracked one eye open. “Yes, she is. Hi.”

Silence crackled over the line, and then they spoke in a more sober voice. “I have so much damage control to run. You know you’re not supposed to look like you’re dating anyone. It ruins the image that you’re unattainable. You certainly don’t bring strange aliens home with you without telling me first.”

Lacey quietly pondered the idea that here, on this planet, she was the alien. It was bizarre.

“Wonderful talk. I’m hanging up now,” Auren said.

“Wait!” Ridrick shouted.

“Yeah?”

“Omin’s assistant called me. They’re doubling their offer, but only if you agree to start production tomorrow. They want to capitalize on this media attention.”

Auren scoffed. “I thought you said that vid was beneath me at this point in my career. Banal, if I remember the exact word you used to describe it.”

She couldn’t ignore the urgent press of her bladder any longer, and listening in on their private conversation was growing uncomfortable. Lacey extracted herself and got up and used the bathroom, lingering after she finished to give them a few minutes of privacy. After enough time had passed, she rejoined them in bed.

“I’ll let them know you’re accepting,” Ridrick said. “Shooting starts at second bell. Prompt.”

“Fine, I’ll be there.” They watched her approach the bed, one arm bent under their head and their eyes hungry as they looked her up and down. “Gotta go. It’s time for breakfast.”

“Don’t bring the human. It’s a closed set.”

“Bye.” Auren grabbed the datapad and tapped it so the line went silent.

If her hips swayed a tad bit more than was necessary on the way back to bed, then she was hardly to blame. Not when Auren looked at her like that, like a drowning sailor clinging to a life raft who’d just spotted land.

“Don’t tease me, sweetness.”

She touched the tips of her fingers to her breastbone and arched one brow as if to say, Who? Me? Her knees hit the bed, and she crawled on top, enjoying how Auren’s eyes darkened in response.

“I’ve been craving you this whole time. Come here.”

They rolled her under them, kisses trailing down her body as they made good on their promise to eat her for breakfast.

CHAPTER 5

After another mind-blowing bout of sex, Lacey finger-combed her hair into submission, cleaned off the proof of their pleasure, then wrapped herself in a towel. She came back into the bedroom to find Auren sitting on the bed and lacing up a pair of boots. They’d gotten dressed in dark pants and a white top that was more hole than shirt while she was occupied.

“I have a few errands to run, then work. I’ll leave my datapad here for you. It’s set to your language, so you should be able to use it while I’m gone. You mentioned the human embassy, so I pulled up their information. They’re about four hours away by boat.”

The thought of being in a boat and at the mercy of the ocean for that long made her smile crack. “Right. Thank you for looking them up.”

Auren stood and handed her the datapad. “You’ll probably have to make an appointment.”

“Oh, sure.” She tapped at the screen and found the listing, clicked the phone feature, and waited as it dialed.

It connected to an automated recording. “Thank you for calling the Embassy for Earth’s Citizens, your home away from home here on Nereus. Our office is currently closed for Christmas and will reopen after the new year. You may leave a message in our general mailbox, and it will be returned.”

She pulled the datapad away from her face and frowned. “It says they’re closed for Christmas, but it’s Summer. What the hell?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure. I don’t know much about human culture. I know the days are shorter here than the day-night cycles were on your ship. Maybe they forgot how to convert their clocks and calendar.”

The recording finished its long spiel and Lacey flinched at its loud, prompting beep. “Umm, hi. My name is Lacey Curnan. I’m a dancer on the Miss Conduct cruise ship. Or… I was. It kind of, umm, blew up. Now I’m stranded here, and I need help getting back home.” Her stomach bottomed out at the word home. Where was home now? “Just… call me back. Thanks.”

Lacey ended the message and turned the datapad off. “I guess now I have to wait for them to return my call. I wish I knew what day they think it is. It could be an entire week until they reopen.” It seemed irresponsible for an embassy to close. What happened if there was a dire emergency?

Imposing on Auren’s hospitality for that long made her feel awkward. “I’m sorry. It looks like I could be here for a while.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” They tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear and trailed their fingers along her jaw. “I’ve enjoyed having you here. I like my privacy, but it gets lonely. Think of this as a vacation. When the embassy opens, we’ll handle that. I have to go now, but help yourself to anything you need.”

“Okay.” Everything sounded so simple when they said it like that. It was just a week’s vacation, and then she’d go back to reality. People paid small fortunes to travel to other planets. When was she ever going to get this chance again?

“I’ll bring dinner home with me, but it might be a bit late, so don’t wait up. The shoots go on into the night sometimes.”

She walked with them to the dock and watched them hop into the boat, waving as they steered it onto open waters and left. Then she was alone. With Auren’s absence, the house lost something she couldn’t quite name.

After she dressed, Lacey decided to explore. Familiarity made things less intimidating. Sunlight shone through the stained glass ceiling, throwing various colored shapes onto the otherwise white floor and walls. She dipped a toe in one of the house’s many swimming areas and jerked it back out from the cold.

“I should go wash that robe.” There had to be some sort of laundry appliance somewhere. She found Auren’s home office next. It was devoid of the computer and desk and stack of paperwork she’d expected to see. Instead, it contained bins of fabric, trim, assorted sewing supplies, and trays of rhinestones and sequins. A tripod with lights attached via flexible arms took up a corner of the room. Behind it, there was a rack of backdrop rolls attached to the wall so that someone could pull one down at will. A small pile of shoes lay discarded against a wall.

Lacey shut the door and carried on, scouring every inch of the house until finally she found it. Inside, a washing unit and its accompanying dryer took up an entire wall. A shelf loaded with brightly colored tubs of liquids and powders hung above it.

After figuring out which was soap and which was softener, she picked up their dirty clothes from the bathroom floor and started a small load. Auren’s pants were some sort of synthetic leather, and their sheer shirt looked too delicate to wash in the machine. She wiped the pants down by hand, then left the stained shirt in the sink to soak.

Out of tasks to do, she wandered into the lounge and sat, typing various things into the datapad to see if she could find any news about the cruise ship but there wasn’t much she didn’t already know.

She started looking up outgoing flights that were offering a labor trade for passage. The closest space station was Janus. She wasn’t looking forward to the ten-day journey it was going to take to get there, but none of the ships that had jump engines offered labor trade. After checking her bank balance, she looked at what the cheapest ticket would cost her and nearly had a heart attack.

The datapad beeped, startling her. The washer had finished its cycle and sent an alert to the home management app on the pad. She threw the cleaned robe into the dryer and checked on the shirt. Satisfied that she’d lifted out as much of the stain as she could, she rinsed it and hung it over the faucet to drip dry.

How much time have I killed? A glance at the datapad’s clock showed that only two more tiny dots were filled in. It hadn’t even hit the second big dot yet. “Fuck.” She had to find something else to do before she went nuts.

Lacey walked back to the lounge area and played with the entertainment system until she got it to turn on. Shelves built into the walls bordered on either side of the viewer. Stacks of vid sticks lined each one.

“Who still prints their vids?” She ran a finger down them and pulled one out at Random. “What are you? Let’s find out.”

She uncapped it and stuck it in the receiver, then sat and used the pad to navigate the screen that popped up. Eventually she hit the right one, and the vid played.

When Auren appeared on the screen, she sat up a little straighter in her spot on the couch. It seemed to be some sort of period drama.

A blue Rounaii wore a loose-fitting garment made of multiple layers of sheer, overlapped fabric that belted at the waist. Long sleeves draped elegantly with every movement they made.

Auren’s costume was the complete opposite. Dark and deadly, the shape of their garment was the same, more or less, but a layer of spiked armor over top gave it an imposing look. They sat on a gilded throne in an obvious position of power and command.

Whatever the vid was, it seemed to involve a lot of dramatics. The beautiful set made for an attractive backdrop. The characters moved to a garden. Hanging baskets filled with plants decorated each column, their green vines dripped down the tan stone. Strings of paper lanterns cast an amber glow, lighting up the darkness.

The two main characters quarreled, but as the other one turned to leave, Auren stopped them. “I have not given you my leave to retreat. Your progenitor fell in battle—now everything in their nest is mine. Including you. How will you prove your loyalty to the crown? To your new Sovereign?”

The tense mood became palpable. “I will never acknowledge your authority. You are nothing to me, and I will never bow at your feet.”

“Foolish quim. You act as if you have a choice in the matter. As if a sheath tells the sword when it can be used.” Auren gripped them by their collar and ripped, pulling their costume apart until they’d bared a shoulder. They clashed together as the blue Rounaii struggled against them. “The illusion of choice was a kindness. But if you prefer cruelty, then you may have it. You will learn.”

“Unhand me, brute!”

Auren spun them, pressing them against a column and pinning an arm to the small of their back. They kicked a foot out, knocking the blue Rounaii’s legs apart, then rucked the bottom of their outfit up.

Wait, what? This is… A tingle of awareness pulsed through her. She watched the two actors tussle. The blue one cried out yet arched back as Auren pried a fold in their robe apart and spilled their member out into their hand. The head was already glistening with a drop of pre-cum. They stroked it once, playing with the length, then notched it between the blue Rounaii’s legs. The courtesan bucked and tried to fight.

They’re going to… oh. She blinked, her mouth dropped open as she watched.

Auren surged inside of them, their hold never slackening as they pinned the other actor to the column and worked that long, prehensile length in and out of them. The blue one squirmed, panting and crying out, their attempts to knock Auren off them unsuccessful.

Auren pressed their face to the column and pinned them there, their fingers digging into blue-scaled skin. “Be still and surrender. You’ve already lost.”

A pulse shot down to her clit until it throbbed as she watched the actors fuck. Are they really… The camera changed angles, showing a close-up of the same pink organ that had just been inside her. “Yup, that’s definitely going in.”

She watched, unable to look away, as Auren fucked the other actor with relentless, brutal movements. If she thought Auren had been on the rougher side with her, that was nothing compared to what she was watching now.

What she’d thought was one slit was actually two stacked on top of one another with a hole underneath them both. The top slit was flat, unstimulated, its edges pressed tight together, while Auren’s surging length pried the second, lower one open.

The Blue Rounaii let out a filthy moan. Despite their grunts and sighs of pleasure, their hips shifted, bucked, and rolled as they tried to get away. Auren’s hardness slipped out, and it coiled, writhing as it searched for that warm, wet slit again. It found it, pushing past the entrance and thrusting inside, burying itself deep until it was swallowed up completely.

“This is a…” She gulped, her body reacting in a visceral way to the film on the screen.

The blue Rounaii yelled their release, going still. Auren followed them, cumming with a grunt. Spent, they stayed like that for a moment, until Auren withdrew, their member shrinking as it wound itself back into their body.

Auren gripped them by the chin. “We shall see if your thoughts on fealty have improved by tomorrow.” With their other hand, Auren dragged their fingers up their inner thigh, scooping up a trickle of cum and pushing it up inside. Auren repeated that until all of that translucent blue seed was tucked up in them. Their slit closed as the blue Rounaii stood there, panting and submissive.

Auren pressed a kiss to their neck, then fixed their clothing and left the garden. “Until tomorrow,” they called back over their shoulder.

The blue Rounaii pulled their top together so they were covered. They leaned against the column and stared off into the distance, one hand pressed low over their belly as a tear rolled down their cheek. The vid ended, and then the credits rolled.

Blinking, she wondered what the fuck she’d just watched. When Auren had said they were an actor, she’d assumed they meant vids or a serialized show, not porn.

She patted around herself for the datapad, then opened up a browser. In an instant, she had everything she’d ever wanted to know on Auren ‘Sovereign of Sin’ Vancins at her fingertips. Auren was an adult vid star who’d been in tons of productions ranging from small indie projects to larger studio pieces. In the last few years, their popularity had skyrocketed. Links to clips of their many vids came up along with a barrage of pop-up ads for sexy, single, submissive Rounaii in her area. A banner for a local sex club took up the top half of the page.

Lacey closed out of everything and stared at the black screen as she took it all in. Suddenly, things that had confused her made sense. The exotic wardrobe, the thing the pirate said on his ship, the way Auren had assumed she wanted to film them hooking up back on the cruise ship.

Her pussy clenched as she remembered the forceful way they’d taken that Rounaii in the vid, how easily they’d commanded and bent them to their will.

Did she… want that? She enjoyed being held down, as she’d discovered. But did she want to take it further than that? Her breath hitched as she imagined taking that Rounaii’s place, of having her clothes stripped off her out in public, of being fucked up against a wall.

“Oh, fuck.”

A door slamming somewhere deeper in the house made her jump.

“Oh, shit.”

Face aflame with embarrassment, she rushed to the entertainment system and pulled the vid stick out, capping it and sticking it back in its slot in the rack. There were so many of them. It was ridiculous to be embarrassed over being caught watching the porn vid that Auren had acted in, yet here she was.

Auren ripped into the room, their eyes landing on her with such a dark intensity that her heart skipped a beat. She had a moment of panic, wondering if Rounaii were psychic or there were hidden security cameras she didn’t know about. It didn’t matter that she had done nothing wrong.

“Lacey,” they said, their voice rough and full of gravel. Auren stalked forward until they reached her, then cupped her face in their hands and tugged her forward into a claiming kiss. Pleasure coiled through her until it settled in her pelvis. Already wet and aroused, her body was quick to respond.

Lacey melted into the kiss, moaning into their mouth when they folded her into their arms and set a hand at the small of her back, bending her off balance. They kissed her until she was breathless, then stroked a hand down her throat and settled their hand over her chest, their thumb fitting into the dip of her clavicle.

Sharp teeth nipped her lower lip, startling a moan from her. They urged her back until she hit the wall, her feet widening without conscious thought as she waited for Auren to slip a thigh between them and rub against her aching clit.

They broke the kiss and let her go, fumbling with their clothing until they’d gotten their pants open. Their top slit opened, and that pink organ spilled out into their waiting hand, its tip wet and glistening with a drop of arousal.

“FUCK!” Auren pulled away and turned, tucking their hardening length back into their body. They hissed through gritted teeth.

Lacey flinched, confusion dampening the mood and leaving her speechless as Auren fastened their pants and backed up. They put their hands on their head and panted as they stared at her as if she’d just told them she’d murdered their grandparents.

“Auren?”

“Fuck. I have to sit down.” They crossed to the sofa and slumped into it, hanging their head in their hands.

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and stood there, not sure of what she should do. You don’t really know them, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. Auren was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger. Until an hour ago, you didn’t even know they were a porn star. She flinched.

Lacey didn’t want to judge anyone for their job. Enough people had done it to her once she’d transitioned from waitress to dancer at Assets. She didn’t criticize others for making a living however they could, so long as they weren’t hurting anyone.

If Auren had wanted to hurt her, they’d had plenty of opportunities to do so. She joined them on the couch, waiting to speak until they took their head out of their hands and looked at her. “Are you okay?”

They sighed, looking miserable. “We’re pheromone-bonded.”

“Pheromone-bonded?” The phrase was familiar, although she couldn’t place where she’d heard it before. “What’s that?”

“We’ve accidentally mated.” They stared at her, as if waiting for her to understand the gravity of their words.

“Mated.” She’d heard some of the alien races talking about matings. Among humans, it might mean sex or dating, sometimes marriage, but to some races, it was more akin to being soulmates.

“This shouldn’t have happened.”

Her heart sank into her stomach, leaving her feeling sick. Old hurts rose to the surface before she shoved them back down into the muck they’d come from. “Right.” This was a one-night stand that had gone wrong. Becoming soulmates or whatever had never been on the table.

“There has to be a way to reverse it.”

Lacey’s face went wooden as she sat there with her hands folded together and pinned between her knees. Of course Auren’s gut reaction was to undo it. Why would anyone ever be happy to be mated to her? Her own ex-boyfriend—a man she’d dated for over two years, the person who said he was going to marry her once he got enough credits to buy a license—hadn’t really loved her.

They turned in their seat and reached out as if to take her hand.

“Don’t touch me,” she said.

They stopped and their hand dropped. “You’re right. Thank you. Touching might reinforce the bond. It’s new, and you’re not even Rounaii. We should stay separate until we can go see a doctor, see if they know a way to reverse it.”

Lacey stared at them. Her chest was tight with pain, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own. It was working on autopilot. She nodded. “That’s a good idea.” How was her voice so calm and level? “Excuse me, I was in the middle of doing laundry.”

She stood fled. In the laundry room, she ran through the motions of checking the dryer. The robe was dry. The minute she knew she had an alternative for the beautiful but crushingly tight dress she was wearing, she wanted nothing more than to shuck it off her skin.

She wiggled out of it and slid into the robe, tying the knot twice. Her eyes stopped on the sheer silver shirt that was hanging up to dry. It was still damp.

In a fit of anger, she threw it into the empty dryer and slammed the door closed, twisting the knob to the maximum setting and pressing the button to start it. It rumbled to life, hot air leaking around the seams.

I hope it shrinks.

She swept out of the small room then headed toward the bedroom. Her eyes were hot and scratchy, and all she wanted to do was sit in the dark and cry. “I have a headache!” she yelled, so they’d hear her. “I’m going to go lie down.”

Lacey barely made it into the room and shut the door behind her before the first tears fell. She threw herself down onto the bed and buried her face in a pillow to muffle the sound.

Weeping, she cried out all the pain, fear, and terror she’d felt recently. She’d just been trying to move on with her life. Get over her scumbag ex. Mating an alien porn star had been an accident.

When her tears were exhausted, she was left feeling puffy and dehydrated. The headache she’d faked to buy herself some alone time became a reality, the tension growing between her brows until she was miserable.

A knock sounded through the door, but it opened before she could say anything. “Lacey? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

They’d get this mates thing annulled; she’d work her way to Janus; and then she’d figure something out. There was always something out there, especially for a female who was okay with dancing mostly naked.

“Lacey, I… It’s not personal. I like you, but I can’t work if I’m mated, not with the line of work I do in adult vids.”

Their quiet admission washed her gut-reaction of hurt and resentment away. Of course they wanted to undo this cosmic accident. They hadn’t asked for this either.

“I’m climbing into bed with you. Don’t bite me.”Auren climbed into the bed and lay down beside her.

She snorted, then sniffed again as she worked to clear up her stuffy post-cry nose. “Why would I bite you?”

“Oh, I don’t know. You seemed upset. I don’t interact with humans a lot, but the entire galaxy’s heard how aggressive you are as a species.”

A wry laugh erupted from her. She wiped her eyes, brushing the trapped tears from her clumped-up lashes. “I threw your shirt in the dryer on high heat in the hopes it would shrink,” she admitted. Now that she’d purged her emotions, she cringed at how wrong that had been of her.

Auren groaned. “I take it back. I’d rather you bite me than destroy my wardrobe.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” she said, biting her wobbling lower lip.

They rubbed her back in slow, soothing strokes. “It really isn’t personal. I just… I can’t work if I’m mated. I work in adult vids. Once I’m pheromone-bonded, my biology won’t let me get hard for anyone but my mate, and with my vids… It’s kind of the entire job, and I really need to put money back into my account.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You couldn’t have known. I’ve never heard of a Rounaii pheromone-bonding with another species before. In my line of work, we get compatibility tested. If you’re too compatible, they don’t cast you together. We have precautions to prevent this sort of thing for those who want to avoid it.”

She wiggled away from them, but a hand stopped her. “You shouldn’t be touching me. I thought you said that would make it worse.”

Auren sighed and let her go. “You’re right. I just… constantly want to touch you. I thought it was our chemistry and the trauma we went through together. Now I realize that the signs have been there. The high libido, the urge to stay close and touch. You said your emotions are volatile. It’s our hormones trying to find a balance after pheromone-bonding.”

“What do we do now? You said a doctor could help. Do they have some sort of reversal agent or treatment?” It killed her to ask, but this was clearly what they wanted and she had to respect that.

Yeah, but what do you want? She didn’t have an answer that didn’t hurt.

Dan had called her clingy and overly needy. He’d resented her job change, even though it meant she brought in more money and could afford nicer things for the both of them. She’d tried so hard to back off and give him space, to not suffocate him. Look how that worked out.

They sighed. “I don’t know what a doctor could do, but it’s the only thing I can think of trying.”

“All right. And if that doesn’t work…” Pheromone-bonding sounded pretty permanent. They needed to be prepared in case there wasn’t any reversal process. “What if you—”

“No. I don’t bottom. Ever. It’s not in my nature. And with the bonding… it would be unbearable. Don’t ask me to do that.” There was an edge of warning in their voice that she’d never heard before.

Lacey reeled back as if they’d slapped her. “Jeez, okay. I wasn’t going to.”

“I’m sorry. My emotions are volatile too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you when you’re just trying to help.”

She twisted her fingers in the bedding, twirling it absentmindedly. “I was going to suggest costume work, actually. You made most of the stuff you wear, right? Or you could do regular acting? Rounaii mostly do entertainment, right?”

“Yes.”

“So… that could work?”

“Maybe,” they agreed, although their voice sounded unsure. “But I’m a bit too old to break into acting. It’s extremely competitive, and most of them start before puberty.”

If they had sex clubs, then they had to have other clubs too. “If there’s an exotic dance club around here that takes foreigners and I can get a work visa, then I can dance.” It was good money if she wasn’t trying to support someone who liked to fuck around and play on the wave simulator instead of working their scheduled shifts. “I’m a good dancer.”

“I know.”

“Hmm?”

Auren reached out, tracing the length of her leg and squeezing her thigh. “I saw you dancing at the club. You move like you can feel the rhythm in your soul. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

A soft puff of breath escaped her lips. “Don’t say things like that.” Not if they wanted to end this before it had even begun. Not if they expected her to get on a transport ship in a few days and leave.

“It’s true. You have no idea how beautiful you are. I was looking for you in the crowd when you disappeared. And then you bumped into me. Maybe the old stories are true. Maybe it’s fate.”

“Don’t.”

“I should sleep on the couch tonight,” they said.

“Okay.” If they were in the same bed together, they were going to end up fucking.

“I promised you food first. I didn’t bring anything with me, but I can order something.” Auren got up, and Lacey let her eyes slide shut as they left. “I’ll make the appointment too.”

The door clicked behind them.

CHAPTER 6

Rounaii stared at her with looks varying from mild curiosity to wary distrust as they made their way from the dock to the doctor’s office.

The front office clerk greeted them in a friendly manner and handed them an intake form on a datapad. Auren wrote out their information, then switched it to common and handed it to her. She added in her information, sex, gender, and medical history and then they were shown to a private room.

Lacey sat while Auren stood behind her. She studied the room while they waited in tense silence until the door opened, and the doctor joined them.

“Good morning.” The doctor slid their eyes over her for a moment in a look of casual interest before glancing behind her. “Would you like me to fetch another chair?”

“No, I don’t mind standing.” Auren said.

The doctor nodded and sat opposite the table. They pulled a blank folder from a stack of papers and picked up a pen. “How can I help you today?”

Auren shifted on their feet behind her. “We’ve pheromone-bonded rather unexpectedly, and we’d like to know if it can be undone.”

“I see.” The doctor’s pen scratched against the paper as they wrote something before glancing up and locking eyes with her. “And you wish for this as well?”

She twitched, her pulse leaping. “Yes, it’s what they… It’s the best… Yeah.” Auren shifted at her back, the movement distracting her as she answered the question.

The doctor nodded, scratched something more onto their paper, and looked over her shoulder again.

“Can you do it?” Auren asked.

“No.”

Complicated feelings of relief and disappointment warred within her.

“A bonding is permanent once you’ve seeded your partner. There’s a protein in the carrier fluid that alters the recipient’s DNA once it’s found an acceptable match. Like a lock fitting into a key, that’s how I like to describe it. Judging from this aggressive posturing, I would assume that you’ve done so at least once?”

Her cheeks grew hot. “Right… uh, it’s been, umm, twice.”

They scribbled something in the margin of their notes. Was the knowledge that Auren had cum inside her twice really going to become a part of this medical record? She wished the floor would swallow her up.

“But she’s human,” Auren said. “How did this happen?”

The doctor tapped the tip of their pen against their paper. “I could run some tests to be certain, but my suspicion would be that she’s not completely human.”

“Come again?” Lacey asked, leaning forward in her seat.

The doctor set their pen down and leaned back in their chair. “Humans have been in this part of the galaxy for some time now. There’s been mingling, and the Tou’de’nan did some unsanctioned experiments on the first wave of humans decades ago. Just like they did with the Rounaii centuries ago. My guess is that someone in your family tree was a hybrid. Can you open your mouth for me?”

She opened her mouth and tipped her head back until they told her to stop.

“As I thought. They’re blunt, but you have extra teeth for a human. It was a grandparent, or a great-grandparent, perhaps.”

“Those are just wisdom teeth,” she argued. “Not everyone gets them, but I have a full set.”

The doctor shrugged. “Perhaps. I could run some tests to be certain. Would you like me to do that?”

“Yes, thank you,” Auren answered for her.

She would have bristled over someone being so high-handed by deciding for her without asking, but she was too stunned at the idea she might not be fully human to raise an objection.

The doctor opened a drawer and pulled out a plasticine-wrapped cotton swab and vial. They came around the desk and held it out toward her. “I just need to swab the inside of your mouth. Thank you. There, all done. I should have the results in a day or two. Did you need anything else?” They asked as they sat back down and pulled out a form, filling it out.

“Yes,” Auren said. “If this is permanent, then I’d like to know how long it’s going to be before things are normal again.”

The doctor hummed, looking up from their paperwork. “Two or three months. Or until you’ve bred her. Whichever comes first, really. I can check the records for any deviations in interspecies bondings with the Tou’de’nan.”

“Excuse me?” she asked, interrupting them. “Bred like… pregnant. But we can’t… we aren’t compatible without help, I checked.”

The doctor’s face softened with sympathy. “When you thought you were fully human, correct?”

Blood rushed to her head until it pounded in her ears and was all she could hear. The doctor said something. Their lips were moving, but she couldn’t hear their words or catch their meaning past the roaring. Her eyes shuttered, fluttering, as blackness crept around her edges.

The next thing she knew she was laid out on the floor and Auren and the doctor were kneeling over her with twin worried expressions.

“She’s conscious now,” the doctor announced. They glanced over her and looked at Auren. “That was a good catch. Let’s give her a moment before we help her up. I don’t want her to faint again and hit her head.”

Lacey cupped her hands on her belly. “Am I pregnant?”

“It’s not likely,” the doctor said. “Right now, most of your body’s changes are localized to the areas that the seed has physically touched. It takes some time for its effect to spread and for your hormones to adjust to the right levels and combination you’d need to sustain a hybrid pregnancy. Can you sit up now?”

The doctor gave them room while Auren helped her stand, then sat her in the chair. She thanked them and raked her hair out of her face.

“Are you all right?” Auren asked.

She nodded. “It’s just been a lot.” The last three days had been a whirlwind. Between the evacuation, their capture by pirates and the extortion, and now this… she was surprised that she was holding it together as much as she was.

“What can we do?” Auren turned and asked the doctor.

“Go home and rest. Ease each other. The bonding transition can be trying, even for those who are prepared. The more seed you spill with her, the faster it will finish. If the goal is to avoid pregnancy, then be mindful where you ejaculate. The nice thing about human females is they have two other orifices that are acceptable for penetration.”

A blush ripped through her, so complete that her ears grew hot, even though her core was tightening at the thought. Eww. Did the doctor really just say that? She shifted in her seat, ignoring the wetness that was gathering there. What is wrong with me?

“Thank you, doctor,” Auren said.

The doctor closed the chart. “Of course. I’ll write you a note for work. You’re allotted three months of paid leave for pheromone-bonding. Is there anything else you need before I go?”

“Birth control,” Lacey demanded.

The doctor stared at her for a beat, then looked behind her. “I can do some research. There aren’t many humans or human-hybrids on Nereus. I don’t know what medicine is readily available here that you could safely take. Once I have an option for you, I’ll be in contact.”

They glanced over her shoulder again at Auren. “Until then, I recommend you avoid spilling your seed inside her vagina.” Their chair rolled away from them as they stood, tucking the folder under their arm. “And this includes pre-cum, mind you. Don’t play that game of ‘just a little’ unless you’re ready to accept the risk of becoming parents. My clerk will see you out. We’ll call once we have the results. You can make a follow-up appointment with them after if needed.”

The doctor showed them out, and Lacey stood on wobbly legs, following along. She was only half-aware of watching Auren pay.

Outside, the rest of the world had continued on with its existence.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Auren asked, pulling her away from the flow of traffic.

“I just found out that I’m not entirely human, we’re permanently bonded, I might be pregnant, your cum is literally changing my body, and I’m so damn horny all the time now that I’m tempted to say fuck it and accept the risk because this damn near permanent state of arousal is insufferable, and apparently the only thing that’s going to stop it is either getting knocked up with an alien baby or letting it run its course. I need a fucking minute.”

A passing Rounaii looked over their shoulder at them, staring wide-eyed.

Auren took her by the elbow. “Let’s go sit somewhere.”

“You’re touching me.” She looked down at where they cupped her with their hand.

“Lacey,” they said in a gentle voice. “That hardly matters now.”

Right. This was permanent. They were bonded for life.

Auren led her between buildings into an alley where they sat on a concrete bench where it was higher on the manufactured island’s slope, giving them a view of the ocean beyond the edge of the city. Lacey stared out that way until her heart no longer felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest.

“Do you want children?” Auren asked.

She gave it a lot of thought. “I do, but this is sudden.” This was supposed to be a one-night stand, not forever. She liked Auren. She could see herself falling in love with them one day. They were fun, spontaneous, sexy as sin, and even more important, they were genuinely kind. She felt safe with them and taken care of in a way she never had before.

But this… this wasn’t how she’d expected anything to go.

“I never thought I would,” Auren said, answering their own question. “At least not until I’d retired. All the bottoms I work with have taken injections to prevent it. Outside of work, I’m careful with my choice of partners. Most other species aren’t compatible with Rounaii without medical help.”

“Because you’re not mammals,” she finished their thought.

Auren’s sexual partners weren’t biologically compatible… until her. Because she wasn’t completely human, and there was just enough alien DNA in her to bring them here to this point. “So the Tou’de’nan…” It was difficult to imagine that the sharp-eared aliens weren’t mammals when they looked so much like humans.

“The relationship between our people is… complicated. They gave us the technology to raise our cities out of the water and move between two worlds. But the price…”

She nodded. Humanity knew the price. They’d paid for it, even though it cost them dearly. Technology for people. Slaves.

She thought of the lottery winners, all those girls they’d lost to those self-righteous assholes. Souls traded for tech, weapons, and medical advancements. All because some Tou’de’nan senators had taken a liking to humans and decided their harems needed filling. One of those enslaved women had to be her ancestor. So then, how was she here? She wondered which of the women in her family tree had been impregnated by a Tou’de’nan. Wasn’t she taken? Did she escape? Or was she freed?

“So… no kids for you?” she asked.

“This is not a good time to add more chaos into the mix. We have some time to sort this out right now, but in three months I’ll be forced out of my job and I still don’t have a plan.”

Lacey wanted to say that there was never a perfect time to have children, but she bit her tongue. That was her wild hormones talking. The more she thought of it, the more she wanted it, which made no sense. These feelings—these urges—they couldn’t be trusted. The pheromone-bonding was messing with her, and that was all.

“Right. But… someday?” Because she didn’t know if she could be with someone and be truly happy if they disagreed on this on a fundamental level.

Auren locked eyes with her and nodded, her pulse leaping at the quick gesture. “Someday.”

Oh, shit. Are we really doing this? They barely knew each other. This wasn’t how you made important, life-changing decisions.

Auren took her hand and stroked their thumb across the back of it. A shiver rolled through her. It turned into molten metal inside of her, spreading its warmth through her until she felt warm and languid. This was crazy. They were little more than strangers. It was some cruel trick of Rounaii evolution that had intertwined them together.

“Your pupils have dilated again,” they said, their face dipping down to get a closer look.

Her breath hitched as her body registered the movement as the precursor to a kiss before her sluggish mind caught up to it. “A-are they?”

“Can you wait until we get home, or do you need me now?”

“Now?” She looked about the alley. “But it’s broad daylight.”

Auren shook their head. “Humans are odd regarding sex. You’re obsessed with it but pretend not to be, and then you act like you’re not doing it but most of you want to do it all the time. Your species isn’t limited to specific locations or times of the year or certain conditions. I don’t get it. It seems like you make it more complicated than it needs to be.”

She looked around the alley as if searching for the answer. “It’s just… decency? What if a kid walks by?” She cringed just thinking about it.

Their eyes widened again. “No. School’s in session. They’re all in their pods until the end of the quarter.”

“What?”

“They’re in school. They’ll come home in a few weeks and stay for a bit until it’s time to go back. After a certain age, they leave general studies and get grouped into specialty cohorts based on their natural talents and interest. I was in the acting pod, of course, and I was at the top of my class at first, but I was terrible at reading lines. The letters swim around on the page like fish. I barely graduated.”

“You have dyslexia?”

They stared at her. “What?”

“Your brain makes letters move around on the page, or they’re upside-down or backward? That’s dyslexia. There’s a font that helps with reading.”

“There’s been a font that could help me read this whole time?” Their face lit up. “Where do I get it?”

“Can I see the datapad?” she asked. They pulled it out from their back pocket and handed it to her. Lacey fiddled with it for a moment. She switched the language option to common first, then searched for the special font. It only took a few minutes to download and install. “Here.”

Taking it back, they studied the screen. “It’s better, but the words still float around.” They clicked the datapad off and tucked it away, then reached out and grabbed her by the waist, dragging her over. She ended up on their lap with one arm banded around her shoulders.

Lacey shrieked in surprise and gripped them by their collar to hold on. Auren claimed a kiss, stifling her question asking what they were doing.

“Thank you,” they said, warmth shining in their eyes. “I couldn’t have asked for a kinder, sweeter mate.”

She softened in their hold and let her death grip on their shirt go, trusting them to not let her fall.

“Now, let’s go get you a new dress.” Auren tipped her off their lap and stood, dragging her upright with them.

Her thighs squished together. They hadn’t been joking when they said her arousal was getting worse, not better.

Together, they started walking back toward the shopping center near the docks. She thought about all the things she would need to be comfortable here. Shoes that fit her, a hairbrush, and a datapad of her own since hers had been lost in the evacuation. Did she have enough to pay for it all? Now that she knew she was staying, she—wait… had she actually decided to stay? Or was it just decided for her?

She went still. A lust fog. That was a good way to describe what was happening to her. Sometimes she was so consumed by need that nothing else mattered. It had to be the pheromone-bonding. If the doctor was right, it was changing her on a cellular level. Had it already affected her more than she even knew? How could she tell what part was her and what was the bond?

Yesterday, she’d been looking up flights to Station Janus and browsing the job board. Now she was planning what to buy at the market before they went home and fucked again. Her walls clenched as her pussy perked up at the thought of a proper fucking. Not now.

She needed to be rational, to think with her brain, not with her pussy. If she gave that greedy part of her any slack at all, they wouldn’t make it out of this alley before round succumbing.

Auren looked back and stopped when they noticed she wasn’t following. “Lacey?” They stood at the mouth of the alley, the ocean’s backdrop behind them. Sunlight bounced off the waves, creating a halo of light around them. “Are you all right, sweetness?”

“I, uh, need underwear too,” she hedged, as if she’d just gotten distracted by making a shopping list. Whether she left or stayed, if she had to wash her panties daily, it was going to get really inconvenient fast.

“No panties! I want free access to play with that gorgeous pussy at all times,” they shouted back, grinning.

Stunned, she stared at them in shock as her face heated in a blush. “Auren!” she hissed. She hurried to close the distance between them so they’d stop yelling about her underthings or her lady bits for everyone to hear.

“Okay, I won’t forbid them completely, but I make no promises that I won’t tear or cut them off if they get in my way.”

She shook her head, but her nipples were taut and she couldn’t stop her lips from twitching as she tried not to laugh with nervousness. They held an arm out and tugged her into their side, pressing her flush against them.

“Keep your voice down,” she ordered.

“You!” Auren said to a passing Rounaii. They stopped mid-step, clearly startled. “This is my mate. Isn’t she gorgeous? I’m so lucky. We’re newly bonded and I love to fuck her.”

The Rounaii looked around, then glanced between them while Lacey prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

“Congratulations,” the Rounaii said, giving her a soft smile. “I remember those early days. Cherish them. The rut doesn’t last forever.” They walked on.

“The rut?” she echoed, dragging her gaze away from the stranger’s back.

Auren hummed and set a hand to the small of her back, leading her forward. “You don’t sense it? Maybe it’s different for you because you’re human. Mostly human, anyway. It’s the constant, unceasing urge to fuck. You have no idea the self-control it’s taking for me to not bend you over that bench right there and rut you until I soak your womb with enough seed that you catch.”

Her breathing grew ragged, and she misstepped on an uneven portion of the walkway, tipping into Auren’s side. “That’s…” She had no words.

“It’s not stopping. I still crave you like air. Need you.”

Her aching clit and clenching walls agreed. “You need me?” Her legs grew weak, and it had nothing at all to do with the tightness in her belly. Wait, no! This wasn’t real. It was hormones. A biological imperative, not love. These feelings were manufactured by chemistry, and she wanted to be loved for real. For someone to choose her.

Lacey stopped walking again, forcing Auren to match her pace. “Auren, this isn’t… It’s not love.” Couldn’t they see that? Or was the lust fog—this rut—too obscuring? They hadn’t asked for this either, and she needed to remember that.

“You think this is wrong? Why?”

“Because you didn’t make a choice. It was chosen for you. For both of us.”

They stared at each other, both of them breathing heavily but silent. Minutes passed as the silence stretched on, growing awkward. She opened her mouth a half a dozen times to say something, anything, but nothing came. What could she say to make them understand?

“I think I did,” Auren said, breaking that silence. “On the ship. I didn’t fully grasp it at the time, but… I think a part of me knew. The minute I saw you, I knew you were mine. You were put there on that ship for me. I had to find you, talk to you… and then you bumped into me. You were looking for me too—you just didn’t realize it. It’s fine if you don’t believe it. I’ll believe it enough for the both of us. And I will choose you, again and again, every single day if I have to, until you feel the same.”

How could you make someone who believed in fate see reason? She searched their face, looking for any hint of hesitation or doubt. “You wanted to dissolve this,” she reminded them. “Just a few hours ago. Remember? I know it’s hard to think right now… but try. Please. Because I can’t do this if it’s not real.”

“Do you want to leave?” Their voice was deceptively soft for such a gutting question.

Her heart clenched like it was being squeezed, and she didn’t have an answer. Did she want to leave? She pressed her lips into a flat line.

“Do you want to leave, Lacey, or do you want reassurance that you’re wanted here?”

Did she? She couldn’t remember what was out there, waiting for her. What was so important. A job? She was jobless. A home? She didn’t have one. A lover? Her last one had betrayed her. A family? Hers were scattered among the stars. They barely talked.

How long until Auren got sick of her neediness and started to resent her? “I… It’s not that simple.”

They brushed her hair behind her ear and curled their hand around the back of her neck. “It is that simple. I will never take something from you that you don’t want to give. But there is a difference between not wanting to admit you desire something and not wanting it at all.”

She had no response for them, her thoughts were too jumbled.

Auren’s expression shuttered. “Your eyes are still darkening, but I won’t fuck you until we both know which path your heart chooses. Come. Let’s find you that dress. You’ll need it either way.”

Either way. Meaning that if she decided to leave, to spare them both the agony of watching this slowly devolve over the span of years, they still planned to take care of her. In three months, when Auren woke up from this storm of hormones, would they resent her presence? She was such a burden.

They urged her forward, the hand on her neck sliding down until it caught at the small of her back as they led her down the street, cutting a path for them through the crowd. Each step she took drove that insecurity a little deeper into her heart.

CHAPTER 7

Lacey woke up with a fuzzy head and tumultuous thoughts.

Do you want to leave, Lacey, or do you want reassurance that you’re wanted here?

She’d taken the night to think about it, but all she’d accomplished was running around in circles. Lacey didn’t want to leave. But were they her thoughts? Or a symptom of the bonding? Did it matter? Whether these feelings were induced or natural, they seemed real either way. The thought of separating from Auren, of walking away and making a clean break for both their sakes, brought her to tears.

They needed to talk.

Lacey rolled out of bed and headed out into the main part of the house. She followed the banging sounds and found Auren in the kitchen tending to something they cooked on the stove.

“Good morning. Are you hungry? Sit. It’s almost ready.”

Lacey sat at the table and watched them work. Auren moved around the stove and shut its flame off. They plated breakfast, then set a loaded plate down in front of her and handed her a tiny metal trident.

Lacey stared at it, not blinking so she could look at it longer. “What the fuck is this?” She giggled. It was the cutest thing she’d ever seen. It was gold, and it had triangular prongs on each of its three tips.

“It’s for eating?” Auren said, looking at her askance.

She cut a manageable piece of her omelet. Chewing, she moaned around the bite, then swallowed and took another. She ate until her plate was clean, then leaned back with a sigh. “You’re a great cook.” Much better than her. She could probably burn water.

Auren chuckled and stood, clearing their empty plates and towering over her in the process. She looked up through her lashes, drinking in the sight of them. They were as stunning as always. Something tight in her chest unclenched. When they were near, her worries and doubts faded into background noise. She wanted to count every single shimmering scale of theirs. With her eyes first, and then her fingers, followed by her tongue. But which thoughts were hers? Which urges were forced by their unexpected bonding?

“Lacey? I asked you a question.”

“I’m sorry, I was distracted.”

“I noticed. Your eyes are dark with lust again. Maybe I should have fed you something else. Fed a different hunger. Tell me, sweetness, how hungry are you still?” They stroked their inner thigh, tracing a path toward their covered juncture. “After all, the doctor said I should feed you plenty of cream.”

She fidgeted, ignoring the growing slickness between her thighs. Their pheromone-bonding clouded her thoughts like a smokescreen, but Auren set her body on fire. The humiliation of it all dampened her pulsing, unending desire.

Lacey narrowed her eyes at them. “I came out here to talk, but if you’re going to make it a joke—”

The humor dropped from their face, freezing her on the spot. “This isn’t a joke, Lacey. We’re bonded. Forever. But you might leave, and I have to live with that. I’m doing the best I can here, but… I didn’t plan for this either. I’m figuring it out and taking care of you and doing whatever I can to fix this mess, but I don’t know if any of it’s going to be enough because you still might leave me.”

Her face crumpled as tears stung at her eyes, the cooling slick between her legs making her feel gross and vulnerable. “I don’t want to leave,” she choked out.

Auren’s expression softened. They pressed their thumb to the corner of her eye and wiped the beaded tear away. “Don’t cry. It guts me. Why did you get so mad just now?”

“Because I’m embarrassed!”

Something in their expression cleared. “Is this human shame about sex stuff? Because I don’t understand it.”

She sniffed, willing the tears back. “No. It’s because I need you, constantly, and you’re going to get sick of it, and then you won’t want me, and I’ll be stuck here and you’ll resent me.”

Relief washed over her. She’d said it. They might get disgusted with her now, but at least that terror wasn’t bottled up inside of her anymore.

Auren stared at her, blinking slowly as they absorbed the mess she’d just unloaded on them. “I could kill whoever made you think you’re unlovable.”

Her breath hitched as a wry laugh escaped her before she could stop it. “He probably is dead, actually.”

“He’s… Oh.” Understanding dawned on their face. “The cruise ship?”

She nodded.

Auren winced. “Poor choice of words, although I can’t say I’m sorry.”

She agreed. It was a horrible thing to think. Dan, for all his many faults, was a person, and people deserved a second chance to redeem themselves. But she didn’t have any sympathy to give him beyond that vague thought. “Me either. He was a cheating, lying asshole.”

Lacey thought of all the sacrifices she’d made for him. How easily he seemed to spend more than he made. Using her to make up the difference. The way he’d treated her at the end, as if she was the burden for wanting to spend time with him. The backhanded remarks when she’d taken her dancing job and the way he’d assumed he should get a cut of her tips without even asking. The lying. The manipulation. And then, the final straw, his cheating. Even after he’d done it, he’d blamed her for it. As if she’d driven him to it, so it was just as much her fault as his.

“Well, that won’t be a problem for us.”

That statement brought confusion with it for a moment until she remembered the day Auren came home early from work. Their inability to get hard and perform had sent them home early from filming. “Oh… right. Is it wrong of me to… find that comforting?” Not that they physically couldn’t do that with anyone else ever, but that it was a trigger she no longer had to worry about.

“Hmm… Rounaii are territorial. We might practice casual intimacy as young adults, but once we’re settled or bonded, interlopers are dealt with swiftly and brutally. You can’t lawfully kill a nest invader anymore, but I can’t say it doesn’t sometimes happen.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow.”

They shrugged. “I can’t say I wouldn’t like to fuck you over a table for an entire room to watch, but if anyone touches you…” The look they gave her was absolutely feral, and it turned her insides molten.

Her traitorous pussy clenched in agreement.

“I don’t want to leave,” she reiterated. But she needed to know this was more than just pheromones and instinct. Needed it to be real.

“I don’t want you to leave, either.”

Lacey held their gaze and nodded. They were working to figure this out, to find a way to make this work and give it a real chance. Her heart fluttered against her ribs. It was frightening but potentially wonderful.

CHAPTER 8

Auren manhandled her into the pool despite her protests that she was naked and didn’t have a swimsuit to wear. “Of course you’re nude. So am I.”

“Yeah, but it’s different for you.” She eyed their unclothed body in all of its shimmery, shining glory. They were bare, but all of their bits were internal. It wasn’t the same at all in her opinion.

“How is it different?” they asked, exasperated.

The cold water hit her ribs, making her suck in a hissing breath. The frigid indoor saltwater pool was shocking. “Because your slits don’t… they don’t gape.”

Auren blinked at her, then threw their head back and laughed.

Her cheeks colored as she ducked down into the water to hide herself from view. Her long hair floated on the surface, fanning out all around her. “Don’t laugh. That’s rude.”

They stopped, but they were still beaming with a contagious smile. “Do you think about my slits a lot?”

Lacey gave them a flat look and spun around, ignoring them. That question was a trap if she ever heard one, and her pussy needed a break. They’d been going at it like rabbits for the past three days, using fingers and toys as a poor substitute for the real thing, and she was tired. The water was nice once she got used to it, but she wouldn’t tell them they were right. They were smug enough without her help.

Auren came up behind her. She could sense their presence at her back even though they were nearly silent in the water when they moved. They pressed against her backside and trailed a hand down her shoulder, arm, and then her hand. “Do you want to touch me?”

That piqued her interest. They’d never offered, and she hadn’t asked. After their reaction when they’d first learned about the bond, she’d vowed to never bring that up. It sounded like a sore subject. “Sure.”

They threaded her hand with theirs and guided it down their body. Those smooth scales turned slippery in the water. Together, they traced the contours of Auren’s body, bumping over the lean muscles of their abdomen. Dipping lower, her finger found the first slit. She traced the seam. As she touched it, the scales that made the oval border around it seemed to swell.

“How does it all fit in there?” she breathed. For an organ the length of her forearm, she had no idea how it was stored in such a confined space with no outward sign of its presence.

Auren leaned down so their mouth was next to her ear. “It’s very flexible.”

Her nipples tightened with the memory of exactly how flexible it really was. Her walls clenched in agreement. They moved her hand lower until it was tracing the seam of their second slit, their channel.

“When two Rounaii fuck, it’s a battle,” they whispered. “Some fight harder than others. The goal is to pin them down and breach them. The entrance isn’t sensitive. It feels like skin, like any other part of us.” They pressed her finger inside until the tip sank in to the first knuckle. Warm and vaguely wet, it was the same as hers when she wasn’t aroused.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to tell you’ve been entered. The struggle is challenging. Distracting. Wrestling and pinning them without getting hurt is half the fun.” They urged her on until she pressed in deeper still, her finger slipping in past the second knuckle.

“By the time your head has snaked all the way up their channel and reached their clit, it’s already over. But you don’t get to cum until they do. It’s the cruelest twist. All that dangerous work, and it’s their orgasm that triggers yours. It’s their channel milking you of seed, taking what it desires but didn’t want to ask for.”

A lick against the side of her neck made her shiver as Auren withdrew her finger from their body.

“What do you want, sweetness?”

Everything. They wrapped an arm around her and ghosted fingers across her breastbone. She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the frigid water. When she was silent for too long they moved on.

“I’m going to swim some laps, but first, I need to check my mate for gaping holes.” They slipped away from her, letting her go abruptly.

She turned, confused, only to find them gone. “Where…”

A hand brushed the back of her knee, startling her. “What?” Another joined it, wrapping around the other and nudging her legs apart. Auren was under the water. She looked, but she could hardly see them. The paleness of their skin blended almost perfectly against the shimmery blue tile floor. Flashes of pink and yellow and green were all she could see as they worked one of her legs up on their shoulder, spreading her for easy access.

The surprise at seeing them practically disappear underwater made her almost forget what they said right before they’d dipped underneath the water’s surface. A tongue licked at her seam, parting her folds and slipping between them. Her knee threatened to buckle, but the hand on her leg tightened around her thigh.

Soft licks, followed by long ones, then deep ones, brought her to the point of rocking against their face. The icy water nipped against her flushed skin. She knew dimly that Auren had been down underwater for far too long when they sucked her clit into their mouth and she forgot all of her protests. She rode them as the water lapped against her tits and splashed her neck. With a cry, she came, her walls clamping down on their fingers as they sucked her clit and fucked her through her orgasm.

They released her, popping back up to her surface. A flick of their head tossed their fin out of their eyes as they grinned at her. The pink slashes of gills that she’d forgotten about closed up, droplets rolling off them as the frills retreated. Her pussy squeezed as she watched the beads of water drip down their chest and abs.

Leaning down, they captured her mouth in a deep kiss that stole her breath.

“Do you want to swim with me?” they asked between nips of her lower lip.

“I want to watch you.” The pretty colors they made under the water fascinated her.

Auren grinned. “Of course, sweetness.”

She glanced at the rough tiles. There were large floor cushions in a lounge area. She got out of the pool and grabbed one, dragging it over. The fabric soaked up the water from her body as she arranged them and lay down.

They’d disappeared under the surface of the water and it took her a moment of searching to find them. Bright flashes of color zipped from one side to the other as Auren swam, the movements faster than she’d ever seen. Sometimes, she could only find them by the trail of bubbles they left behind.

Her eyes scanned left to right, up and down, tracking their chaotic twists and turns until it became a game. When she was tired of it, she dozed. A lock of hair being lifted from her cheek woke her from her nap.

“It’s wavy now,” they said, crunching it between their fingers.

She nodded. “It’s the saltwater.” After they were done, she’d need to shower. What had felt nice in the moment would turn to itching soon. She’d also learned that lesson with the cum. The hot splashes of it on her skin were nice, something about their semen soothing her, but once it dried and flaked, she hated it.

“How are you?” they asked, smoothing her hair out of her face.”

Lacey knew they’d trusted her with something they didn’t share with others. Who else could say they’d penetrated Auren? Likely no one. Now, they were equal in that regard. They’d both penetrated one another in a way that was new and special. Something only for them.

“I’m wonderful.”

Auren leaned over her and reached a hand down to stroke her between her legs. “You’re soaked, sweetness. Let’s go take care of that. I know what you need, and then we’ll sleep for a while.”

That probing hand withdrew and then they stood, pulling her with them as they tugged her toward the bedroom.

They were always taking care of her. She smiled. Only now, she was determined to learn how to take care of them too.

CHAPTER 9

Ringing woke them from their stupor. They groaned in tandem, and Lacey rolled over to bury her head under a pillow to block out the obnoxious sound. However long they’d been asleep, it wasn’t nearly enough. Everything about her was sore from the nape of her neck, where they’d gripped her by the hair, to her toes. She thought she’d been in good shape from dancing, but a week-long marathon of nonstop sex showed her that was a lie. Auren didn’t seem fazed at all.

“Hello?” Auren said into their datapad.

“Auren, are you home?” Ridrick asked, their loud voice carrying over the speaker in the quiet room.

“Shit. It must be important if you’re using my name and that tone.”

Ridrick let out a lengthy sigh. “We need to have that serious conversation you’ve been avoiding all week.”

“I haven’t been evading it. As I recall, what I said was to find another option.”

“Well, I have. There are three. You likely won’t get a fourth.”

Lacey tensed, pulling her head from under the pillow so she could turn and look at Auren while they stroked her back.

“One,” Ridrick counted off. “New vid idea. I already have the go for this if you say yes, and you’d also get a bottom bonus.”

“No.”

“There’s no shame in being versatile. That option was my favorite, Auren. You’re really not going to like the others.”

“I doubt I’ll like any of them, but continue.”

“Two, Omin is willing to recast the bottom for that project. It would… uh… feature the both of you.”

“No,” Auren answered, their voice dripping with malice and leaving zero room for discussion. “Option number three?”

“Sell some assets. The housing market is in a good place right now. The profit could tide you over and buy you more time until you work out something permanent.”

Auren was silent, and the hand that stroked her back stopped, settling like a heavy weight. Her chest felt tight. She’d come into their life and left a line of ruin behind her. How could they not resent her for this? One day, they were going to wake up and realize that she’d wrecked everything.

She heard the smack of skin against skin before her mind even registered the slap against her ass. “Oww!” The sting faded, leaving a pleasant sensation of warmth behind.

“Stop panicking,” Auren said to her. “I can practically see the hoops you’re jumping through right now to make this your fault. Every mean thought you have about yourself earns you a spanking. I’m taking care of this. This is my responsibility.”

Ridrick cleared their throat. “You’ll still receive your royalties from the vid sales, and you’ve earned back your advance from the toy company thanks to this recent publicity. Those royalties will come in soon.”

“But it’s not enough.”

“No. I’ve had the accountant run it three times. You need to decide something soon. I’ll put more feelers out, call in a few favors… but it’s not looking good.”

“Right. Keep working on it.” Auren clicked the datapad off, ending the call.

Lacey chewed her lip. “That second option…”

She’d been thinking about it since their manager said it. Being filmed having sex wasn’t something she’d ever considered before, but she’d done a lot of things she would have never dreamed of doing before. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad. She didn’t have to know how many people watched it, right?

“Absolutely not. Omin is best known for their heavy fetish work. I would never put you through that.”

Her eyes widened. “Like what?”

Auren looked away. “Extreme pain, humiliation, degradation, and violent depictions of assault. Everyone in those vids knows what they’re signing up for and gives consent. All of the actors go over a list of dos and don’ts, but the point is to make it look real. To sell the fantasy.”

She thought of the one vid she’d seen, with the warlord and the courtesan, and she wondered if that had been one of Omin’s works. “Oh.”

“Come here.” They held their arm up, making a space for her at their side.

Lacey snuggled up to them, letting out a sigh when they wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started playing with her hair. They wound strands of it around their finger, coiling and uncoiling.

“I can dance. I really wouldn’t mind.”

It was fantastic exercise, and she liked the way it made her feel. Confident. When she was dancing and people were watching her, she felt powerful. The money was better than when she’d been waitressing, too, and the bouncers were usually pretty good at kicking out the creeps.

“If you want to, I can help you find a club, but only if that’s what you truly want. I will handle this. Just… trust me.”

She traced the outlines of the scales on their chest as she thought about it. “I do. But having something to do would be nice. I’m not used to not working. I mean… what would I even do here?” In three months, their reprieve would be over. Auren would find some sort of work, and then she’d be alone in this house for hours until they came back.

They rolled to pin her under them, pressing kisses to her throat and chest as they worked their way downward, sliding down the bed. “Have babies.” Kiss. “Lots of them.” Lick. “Practice making them. A lot of practice making them, I think.”

Her tired pussy gave a half-hearted throb as it flickered back to life with their attention. “Focus. This is important.”

Auren hummed, alternating between licking and sucking love marks into her skin. “Hmm… after breakfast.” They took one of her legs, bending it up and sticking it over their shoulder as they settled between her thighs and got to work.

The stove sizzled as Auren cooked, teaching her the names of all the ingredients one by one. The fragrant smell of sauteed vegetables mixing with the well-spiced slab of plant-based protein made her mouth water from her vantage point on the counter.

“This is a papeureeka,” they told her as they put a sliver of a yellow vegetable to her lips.

She took it, crunching it between her teeth. Slightly sweet and crisp, it was tastier than the daejou she’d just tried. She hummed her approval.

They held up a leaf. “This one isn’t to be eaten. It’s for flavoring only.” It fluttered into the pot, sinking into the thickening broth.

“Do you like cooking?” she asked.

They shrugged and grabbed a shaker loaded with a fine brown powder and added several measures to the skillet. “Not if it’s just me, but if I have someone to feed, then I do. I enjoy making people happy.”

Her lips twitched with a suppressed smile. She remembered from this morning exactly how much they enjoyed pleasing others, namely her. “Well, that’s great because I’m more likely to burn everything to a crisp than make something that’s actually edible.” Growing up on cramped space stations and then living on the cruise ship hadn’t exactly given her a lot of opportunities to learn to cook.

Auren glanced up at her with an unreadable expression on their face. “That’s good to know.”

Such a simple phrase, but it set her on high-alert. The past few days taught her that Auren’s poker face was tight, and everything she said might get used against her in one of their many playtime games. Sometimes, she had no idea what they were thinking. Her eyes narrowed with mistrust. “What does that mean?”

They stared at her and grinned, grabbing a long-handled spoon without looking and stirring. “All I said was that’s good to know.”

Her lips pursed, and then she let it drop. They wouldn’t tell her even if she asked, so she didn’t bother. She was sure that at some point she’d find out later exactly what they weren’t saying. It would probably involve her getting spanked with that spoon every time she made a mistake while they taught her how to cook.

“So…” she said, changing the subject, “Did one of your parents teach you how to cook?”

Auren sucked in a breath between their teeth and dropped the spoon. It sank into the broth and hit the bottom. “I haven’t called to tell them we’re bonded.”

She grimaced. “Yikes.” How would they take it? They probably never thought their child was going to end up accidentally married to an alien.

“Have you told yours?”

Lacey looked away, picking a piece of lint off her new dress. “We’re not really close. They work a lot, and I left home after I turned eighteen. I send them messages on holidays and birthdays, and that’s about it.”

“Well, I’m sure mine will adopt you. In fact, they’ll probably like you even better than me.” They fished the slotted spoon from the pot. “Especially once they find out we’re going to give them their first grandbaby since my siblings are stupidly happy about being single.”

Her stomach fluttered at the thought. What would their baby look like? She made a mental note to search for photos of Rounaii hybrids online. “You have siblings?”

The datapad rang, making both of them look over to where it sat on the table. “Answer that, sweetness.”

She hopped off the counter and grabbed the datapad off the table, reading the screen. “It’s a vid call request. The number isn’t saved in your pad.”

“Answer it. It could be someone Ridrick sent our way.”

She swiped her thumb across the screen and held it in front of herself. “Hello?”

The poor connection faded in and out, static distorting the audio feed and causing the screen to lag, blocks of pixels obscuring the caller. “—anyou hearme? Shi—oldon let me try mo—g away.”

“I can hardly hear you. This is a terrible connection.” The glitching feed paused, buffered, then finally cleared. “Meg!” Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of the friend she hadn’t seen since the cruise ship.

“Lacey! Thank stars you’re okay. I got your message yesterday when I finally got out of that awful emergency shelter. They jammed us all together in one giant warehouse, and it took forever for me to get processed and released. It was rows of people coughing and snoring and farting on creaky cots for an entire week straight.”

“That’s awful. I’m glad you’re okay, though. Where are you?”

“Silvanna Station for right now. After here… I’m not sure. I think I’m going to stay off a ship for a while. At least until we get our settlement payment from the cruise ship company. From the rumors I heard, they were skimping on their maintenance. Faulty wiring or something. I took a job at a dive bar to earn some credits. The owner is nice enough, and he’s letting me sleep in the storage room behind the kegs so I don’t have to pay for a room. You’re on Nereus? What are you doing all the way out there?”

“Do you remember splitting up at the club? This is Auren.” Lacey turned the screen so that Meg could see. Auren waved the slotted spoon in the air at them in greeting.

“What… umm, hi,” Meg said. “Okay, I want to know everything. Spill it.”

She flipped the datapad back around and stepped out for privacy. “It’s a long story. Sometimes, I can’t believe it’s happening either, and I’m the one living it.” She headed toward the lounge.

“Girl, where the fuck even are you? This place is ridiculous. Is that an indoor pool?”

“Yeah, it’s saltwater. They, uh, like to swim.” She thought of the swimming they’d done recently and blushed.

“Uh-huh. So, tell me everything. Leave nothing out. I’ll vicariously live through you while I imagine the last week of sleeping wedged between a woman whose snoring could wake the dead and a family whose kids liked to bounce on their cot never happened.”

Lacey told her everything, recounting their night together, their harrowing escape, the pirates, the subsequent extortion, and their arrival on Nereus. She explained the accidental pheromone-bonding, her questionable genetics, and their current hunt for a long-term solution to Auren’s forced career change.

When she was finished, Meg shook her head. “Damn. Leave it to you to get alien-married to your rebound lay. That story is wild. It’s like something out of a vid.”

Lacey sank down on the couch. “I know.” It sounded crazy even to her—and she was the one who’d lived through it.

Meg arched one brow. “Are you all right? Do you need me to find a smuggler? Because this bar I work at is pretty shitty. I’m sure over half the guys coming in here are wanted on at least one planet.”

She laughed. “No, I’m fine. I know it’s crazy and I hardly know them and if we’d talked a few days ago my answer might be different… but have you ever just felt like it was right? Like this was where you were supposed to end up? And that everything shitty that happened was bringing you here?” She couldn’t imagine leaving now. It seemed crazy that she’d ever thought she could.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad. Okay. But if you change your mind…” Meg said, leaving her offer open-ended.

“You’ll be the first to know. Now, tell me about this bar.”

Lacey listened to Meg’s stories of negotiating her way onto a transport shuttle, her brief stay at a cheap one-star hotel that tried to bill her each time she flushed the toilet, and then her good luck when she stumbled across the bar with the faded Help Wanted sign in the window.

“It’s seen better days and the food is mediocre, but my boss lets me talk to the customers however I want and if someone gets too rowdy or thinks he can step out of line with me, then the regulars threaten to kick his ass.”

“Wow, that sounds rough. Are you sure you’re fine there?” Lacey asked.

Meg waved the question off. “I can handle myself. I’m not sure how long I’ll stay here, but… I just don’t want to get back on a ship right now, you know?”

Lacey nodded. After what they’d both endured, that was something she could understand. Before she could think of a response, the screen flashed. Ridrick’s name appeared along with an audio call request on a banner at the top. “Oh, Meg, I’ve gotta go. This call coming in could be important. I’ll talk to you later?”

They said their quick goodbyes, and then she answered the call. “Hello?”

Silence met her, so she repeated herself, and then Ridrick cleared their throat. “I wasn’t expecting you to answer.”

She got up from the lounge chair and started to head back to the kitchen. “Sorry, I was using the datapad. I’ll go get Auren for you.”

“No, this is good. How much?”

Her footsteps slowed. “Excuse me?”

“How much for you to leave?”

“I don’t…”

“They’ve always been a challenge to manage, but with you around, they’re impossible. I can’t protect Auren if they’re fighting me the entire time because they’re too busy protecting you to care about anything that affects them. So how much will it cost to get you to leave?”

“I’m not…” She wasn’t in it for money or riches. That wasn’t why she’d chosen to stay, why they’d both decided to give this a real chance and hope for something more. “We’re bonded.”

“Bonded, maybe, but you’ve only known each other for a week. It’s not like you’re in love. I can work around it, but not if you’re there influencing Auren’s decisions.”

A few days ago she might have agreed with them, may have taken that offer, but now… hope bloomed, tender and fragile. But it needed encouragement to grow. It needed time. “I’m not here for money.”

“Then what do you want? Fame? Connections?”

“No, I…” The words caught in her throat as she fought back the tears. She wanted love, the sort you saw in romance vids or read about. She wanted someone to choose her, forever.

But they didn’t choose you. Genetics chose for them. Would Auren have even taken you to bed that first time if they’d known what would happen after?

Auren’s words came back to her. I choose my partners carefully.

“Name your price. I won’t offer again,” Ridrick said.

Would they be better off if she’d never met them? They’d have a job. Their savings. They wouldn’t be scrambling, trying to figure out how to put the jagged pieces of their life back together. Was she hurting them more by staying?

A tear rolled down her cheek. She dashed it away, scrubbing at her face. “I want them to be happy.” Ridrick sighed. Hurrying to the kitchen, she bit her lip to control the tears and handed the datapad to Auren. “Ridrick called.”

“Lacey, what’s wrong?” Auren asked.

“I miss Meg. I’m going to lie down.” Before they could protest, she left the kitchen and made her way to the bedroom. She slid between the cool sheets and lay on her side, hugging a pillow to her chest.

She lay there until the tears stopped falling, then scrubbed the evidence from her face. A little while later, the door creaked open. Auren slipped into the bed behind her and ran a hand over her hair.

“Lacey? Is your friend okay? What happened?” they asked.

Her puffy lids closed over scratchy eyes as she leaned back into their gentle touch. Resolved to suppress her needy urge for reassurance, to be stronger, she shoved the doubts down.

“Meg’s fine. I just miss her,” she lied. “She’s on Silvanna Station, working at a bar.”

Auren brushed her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I don’t know the place. Is she safe?”

“Meg’s tough. She’ll be fine. I’m sure she’ll have them eating out of her palm in no time.” Meg was just one of those people, someone others gravitated to and liked almost instantly.

“Perhaps she could come for a visit once everything’s settled.”

Lacey rolled over until she was facing them. Sliding under the arm that moved to tug her closer, she tucked her head under their chin. The tight feeling of restrained tears lifted from her throat. “Really?”

“Of course. She’s important to you, right?”

She nodded. “Meg’s my best friend, but she’s really more like a sister to me. We met on Asterius station as kids when our families both left the Uropa colony. Because of the famine, a lot of farmers called it quits and moved on.”

The memory of that packed, one-bedroom apartment on Asterius filled her with bittersweet memories. The third level was dirty and crowded, but she hadn’t minded. Not when it meant there were other kids to play with. On the farm, her only companions had been their flock of ovis and the cat that lived in the barn to catch rodents. On Asterius, the older girl had adopted Lacey into her circle of friends.

“When Meg signed up to crew the first outbound ship, I did the same. We’ve only ever taken assignments that would hire the both of us.” Lacey wondered what Meg would think of Nereus and, more importantly, what she’d think of Auren.

“I’ve always lived here,” Auren said. “That cruise was my first trip off the planet. I won the tickets as a prize for one of my vids.” Their arms tightened around her, hugging her close. “I hope you don’t mind that I don’t plan on leaving Nereus anytime soon. That was more of an adventure than I’d bargained for. If only my fans knew how boring I actually am.”

“What did Ridrick want?” she said, changing the subject.

“There’s a vid director who wants to meet me. They’re considering me for a project that’s all very hush-hush, but they want a face-to-face first before they extend an offer. My manager wanted to know if I could make it to a meeting tonight.”

Her held breath escaped her in a puff of air against their throat. “Oh.” She could find something to occupy herself with while they were gone, she supposed. She could try to get a hold of Meg again. She wanted to learn more about this bar and its unsavory, probably criminal, patrons.

“The Selenium is a members-only club on Bussain. It’s one of the smaller main islands about an hour away by boat. We have to be there by the first strike of fourth bell.”

“We?” She pulled back until she could look up at them.

“Of course.” Their brow ridges knitted together in a frown. “I think your heat is finished. You haven’t needed a good, hard fuck to get relief since the day before yesterday. Do you not want to go?”

“No, I… I’d like that.” Her heart fluttered against her ribs, tentative and full of fragile hope. They wanted her to be a part of their life like that?

Auren’s smile made her breath catch. “Good. We should start getting ready soon. You can wear one of your new dresses, and I want to do your makeup.” They pulled away from her, sliding from the bed and heading to the closet.

Lacey watched them dig through the contents of the wardrobe. They settled on the iridescent gold dress and brought it over to her, holding it up for inspection. “This one.”

Her lips twitched in a barely suppressed smile. “That’s the smallest dress you bought me.”

Low cut, the top of it draped over her breasts until the fabric gathered, dipping with the weight of the folds to show off her cleavage. The hem was split on the sides up to her waist, and there was hardly any back to it. It covered her ass, leaving her back completely bare. The dress was so revealing she couldn’t wear any undergarments underneath without them showing.

Auren smiled. “I know.” They set the dress down beside her and kneeled on the bed, leaning over her as they caught her by the chin and tugged her face up. “I want them to look at what’s mine and know they’ll never be able to touch, no matter how much they might want to.”

A flush warmed her cheeks. “If there’s a stiff breeze they’re going to get quite a show.”

Auren gave her a crooked grin, showing off their pointed canines, and shrugged.

“I’m wearing panties, just in case.” Nereus was a water world with chains of islands. Breezes were a given.

They let go of her chin and straightened up, fisting a hand on their slim hips as they pouted. “It’ll ruin the line of the dress.”

Lacey grabbed the dress in question and got off the bed. She crossed to the drawer that Auren had cleared out for her and rooted through it until she found a nude-colored thong she’d found at an import vendor’s booth.

“I’ll hike it up as high on my hip as it goes. They’ll just have to get over it.”

Auren came up behind her and moved to grab it from her hand. She tightened her grip, holding onto it until they were nearly playing tug of war. In a stealthy maneuver, they reached down and smacked her ass, tugging the thong out of her grip when she squeaked.

“You need to eat,” Auren said, hanging the thong off one finger and tightening their grip so she couldn’t steal it back. “Your plate is sitting under the warmer.”

Lacey rubbed her smarting cheek and glared at them. “What are you going to do with my panties?” she asked, hesitant to leave them alone with them. She remembered their promise to rip and cut them off her if they ever wanted access to her, and they got in their way. They’d bought up the vendor’s small inventory of underwear in her size, but it still wasn’t a lot. She was hesitant to lose a single one.

They balled it up in their fist. “If you insist on wearing it, then I’m going to make it pretty.” Auren pressed a quick kiss to her lips and shooed her away.

Frowning, she padded to the kitchen. Pretty. What exactly is that supposed to mean?

CHAPTER 10

Auren gripped her hand in theirs and helped her down. She was finally getting used to the boat thing.

She reached down and adjusted her dress, making sure a boob hadn’t fallen out. Hooking a finger under the sagging side of her panties, she tugged it back up into place. The metal chain that Auren had replaced the sides with didn’t secure it onto her as well as the stretchy fabric had. It had a tendency to slip if she moved too much, and the chunky rings left depressions in her soft skin that Auren liked to run their fingers over. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up in a dress made of nothing but chains.

“Ready, sweetness?” They tucked her into their side and looped her arm through theirs.

Lacey nodded and draped her hand over their linked arms.

“Head up,” Auren reminded her as they made their way toward the club. “Don’t look at your feet. Project confidence with each step. Everyone will be watching.”

She grimaced. “I just don’t want to trip.” The rough concrete wasn’t always even.

“I’ll catch you.” Their arm squeezed, pulling her tighter into their side. “I’ll always catch you.”

Her hips swayed, brushing against them as they settled into a rhythm. Up ahead, a colorful line of Rounaii waited outside of a nondescript door. The thumping beat of bass leaked around its seams. Together, they walked right past the line, earning them second glances and a few stares. At the door, a pale blue Rounaii with purple spots stood there with their arms crossed. Dressed head to toe in somber black, they were a dark figure against a crowd of color.

Auren brought them to the bouncer and greeted them with a nod, placing their chipped hand over a scanner that sat on top of a freestanding pole. The bright flash of light of someone taking their photo blinded her for a moment.

The scanner lit up, and the bouncer opened the door. “Enjoy your visit to the Selenium.”

Thumping music blasted into the air as Auren led her inside. The door shut behind them. Glancing around, Lacey took in the club as they made their way in deeper. Dim overhead lighting and splashes of colored lights on the walls cast the room in a riot of color. It was laid out like almost all clubs were. There was an open center for people to mingle or dance, a bar on one wall, and a section of tables, chairs, and black sofas around the perimeter.

“There they are. I see them.”

The vid director shifted on the couch then stood to meet them as they approached. Dressed in a sharply creased pant and short-sleeve shirt, they were all business compared to the glittering, rainbow-hued Rounaii around them. Auren dipped their head in greeting, then sat, setting her on the sofa beside them. They curled an arm around her shoulders to keep her close. Lacey crossed her feet at the ankles and leaned into them, smoothing the short dress over her thighs.

“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice,” the director said. They looked away to catch the eye of a passing server and flagged one down. “Add their drinks to my account.”

“What can I get you?” the server asked.

“A double of Tinctra, neat,” Auren ordered. “And a glass of pom wine for my mate.”

The server tapped the order into a datapad then disappeared.

“So,” the director said, looking between Auren and her. “The rumors are true. I almost didn’t credit the story. It seemed so far-fetched. A Rounaii bonded to an offworlder. How interesting. Tell me, how did you meet?”

While Auren told the director a brief recounting of their meeting, Lacey watched the crowd. The server returned and handed them their drinks. She took a tentative sip and then a larger one as the sweet, juicy bloom of a fruity wine burst across her tongue.

“Ridrick and I go way back,” the director said. “We were in the same management cohort until we separated into our respective tiers after finals. So when they called asking to cash in an old favor, it piqued my interest. I wanted to meet the person who could inspire such devotion from someone like Ridrick.”

Lacey dragged her attention away from the crowd as she sipped her wine and watched them talk. Someone like Ridrick. The phrasing made her pause as she mulled it over, wondering if her translator was mixing it up or she was missing some nuance.

“I take my craft seriously,” Auren said. “Each project is unique. Between the needs of my co-star and the desires of the audience, my fans, it takes professionalism to balance the two and stay within the script. There is a certain level of intuition that I have honed over the years involved. Not all responses can be choreographed in advance.”

The director nodded. “I watched a reel of your vids before requesting this meeting. You have a real talent for improvisation.”

“Thank you,” Auren said.

Are they nervous? Lacey leaned into their side a little more as if to offer them reassurance and comfort. They pulled their arm from around her shoulders and dropped a heavy hand onto her thigh, squeezing it. It pressed between her thighs and slid all the way up until it hit her juncture.

Her face and ears grew hot as she blushed. She squeezed her legs together tighter to trap their hand there before they could get any wicked ideas and start fingering her right there on the couch in front of the entire club and this vid director. “Work meeting, remember?” she hissed between clenched teeth.

Auren leaned down and pressed their mouth to her ear. “I can multitask.”

“Interesting. Do they all react like this?” the director asked. “I can see the appeal. Tell me, have you considered selling the rights to your story? I know someone who might be interested.”

Auren’s attention was pulled from her as they went back to their negotiations. Lacey did her best to ignore them and the hand that was still wedged between her thighs. Her mate seemed content to leave it there snug up against her cleft. She tugged the hem of her dress down to cover it as best she could, then downed the last of her wine. With any luck, the server would be back soon.

I’m gonna need more than one glass to get through tonight.

Stars help her, but if Auren was intent on pushing the boundaries of her budding exhibitionism kink, then she was going to need the whole fucking bottle. It was going to be a long night.

CHAPTER 11

Auren’s ringing datapad woke her with a start, setting off a throbbing headache. Lacey let out a frustrated sound and grabbed her pillow, pressing it over her head to muffle the noise. Her mouth was a desert, and she dangerously needed to pee, but the hangover and the slightly spinning room kept her in place on the bed.

This is why I can’t drink like I’m twenty anymore.

“Hello?” Auren answered it as they settled a hand on the small of her back. “Yes. What time is it now? Yes, I can be there by half past second bell. All right, I’ll be there. Thank you, Ridrick.”

The pillow lifted, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the light. Lips brushed against her cheek in a tender kiss.

“I have to go. That casting director from last night wants me to meet with the producer to discuss a few things. Will you be fine here alone?”

Lacey mumbled out a barely coherent yes, then dozed off and on while Auren got out of bed and dressed. She was only half awake when they left. Sleep dragged her back down, and the next time she woke, the room was no longer spinning and her need for the bathroom outweighed her desire to sleep.

Pulling herself out of bed, she stumbled into the bathroom and ran through her new morning routine on autopilot. Lacey threw her robe on and wandered into the kitchen to get a drink so she’d feel less like death warmed over. She opened the fridge to grab the pitcher of water and stopped when she saw the plate of breakfast. Her mouth curved in a smile. A glance at the cup of green blended juices next to it wiped the smile off her face.

Oh, no. Not today.

Her stomach flip-flopped just thinking about drinking that. Auren’s latest obsession was making sure she got the right micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals to optimize her biology, as the doctor had put it in their last communication. Saliva flooded her mouth.

I can’t. I’m too hungover for that right now.

Grabbing the plate and water pitcher, she ignored the glass of green juice and pureed plants and sat down at the table. She practiced her Nerrem, saying the names of each thing she ate until she finished and stuck the plate in the washer. The health-conscious food wasn’t as good at settling her sour stomach as something greasy and salty would have been, but it helped. She felt more like a human and less like roadkill.

She glanced at the fridge as she struggled with the urge to dump the smoothie down the drain and pretend she’d drunk it. “I’m so bad at lying, though.” Resigned, she crossed to the fridge and pulled it out. The folded note next to the glass had a message scrawled in common that promised this was a new blend she’d like a lot better, along with a drawing of a little fish burping bubbles underneath it. “This better not have fish in it.” She gave it a sniff, relieved that it only smelled like fruit and seaweed.

Lacey took an experimental swallow, fighting down the urge to gag as she licked the green foam off her upper lip. “Oh my stars. Why is it so gritty?” A shiver rolled through her as she psyched herself up to take a second swallow. When she was a quarter of the way through it, she decided that was enough for now and her stomach needed a break.

What to do now, though? She wandered through the house, but there wasn’t much left for her to tidy or clean.

After rearranging her small treasure of possessions in her drawer and her side of the closet, she looked at the time and sighed. Her aimless meandering ended with her in the lounge, where she checked the datapad for any messages from Meg or her family, then set it on its charging station. She plopped onto the sofa, and her gaze fell on the rows and rows of vid sticks that surrounded the viewer. More things to organize?

Popping up off the sofa, she crossed the room and ran her finger over them, tugging a few out to study them. They displayed the same nondescript packaging as the porn she’d watched over a week ago. “Are these all yours?” She glanced at the shelves with a new sort of stunned appreciation. “There are hundreds. How many vids have you been in?”

Her brows knitted together as she ran a finger over them, pulling a few out at random to check their covers. A vague sense of unease changed her mood. She tried to recall if she’d read how many vids Auren had starred in back when she’d originally searched their name.

The dock chimed an alert through the house’s intercom, telling her that Auren was back. Relief flowed through her. Now she didn’t have to be bored anymore.

“Oh, shit.” The juice.

It was still sitting three-quarters full in the fridge. Lacey rushed to the kitchen and pulled it from the fridge and brought it with her as she made her way down to the dock to greet them.

An unfamiliar boat bobbed against the dock as a Rounaii she’d never seen before looped a rope around the hitch and tied it off. She stopped short and stood there, frozen, in the doorway.

They turned and saw her and gave a little wave. “They need you down at the studio to sign papers.”

“What…” It took a moment for the voice to register. “Ridrick?”

Ridrick gave her a look that she couldn’t decipher. “Of course. Who else would Auren send to fetch you?”

A polite greeting rose to the tip of her tongue out of habit until she remembered their last conversation. Her teeth clicked with the impact of her jaw closing. “Fetch me?”

They looked her up and down. “Not the brightest, I see.” They sighed. “I’ve been reduced to a chauffeur. The studio needs you to come and sign the contract, and it has to be today by third bell. Lunnel doesn’t have another opening in their schedule for weeks.”

Lacey padded closer. “Auren didn’t mention this. Why do they need me to sign anything? I’m not going to be in the vid.”

Ridrick finished tying off the boat and hopped onto the dock, closing the distance between them. “Auren is very busy. It’s their job to be a star, and it’s my job to make everything else seem easy.”

She crossed her arms, hugging the glass to her chest as she stared them down. The way they talked to her wouldn’t fly. She needed to nip this in the bud before Ridrick thought they could walk all over her.

They sighed and rubbed their brow ridge as if they had a headache. “This isn’t the vid contract, it’s the story rights. Someone at Lunnel’s studio thinks that the way you two met would make a great vid. I don’t really see the appeal, but… to each their own.” They shrugged. “It’s a lot of money on the line, but they need your signature. I don’t have the time it would take to explain the intricacies of my job to you. Can you just get in the boat, please?”

Guilt gnawed at her, but she kept it to herself. Auren needed the money. Whatever they needed her to do, she’d do. She’d set things right. If all it took to fix things was her signature signing over the rights to their story, then that was simple enough.

Pursing her lips, she shoved the nasty green juice at them until they scrambled to take it from her before it could spill all over their shirt. “Fine. But I need to change.”

Spinning, she marched back into the house. She grabbed the most conservative and professional-looking dress that Auren had bought her and dressed, slid her feet into a pair of sandals, and headed back to the dock.

Ridrick didn’t offer to help her into the boat, and she didn’t ask. Instead, she suffered through it and breathed a sigh of relief when she ended up inside the boat and not in the water.

Lacey sat on the seat and grabbed her drink, taking a sip and pretending she loved it while secretly wishing that Ridrick had chucked it over the side in a fit of pettiness. Her mouth quivered in a barely suppressed grimace as she swallowed the gritty, vile mixture down.

Yuck. It’s even worse when it’s a little warm.

Ridrick unmoored the boat from the dock and started the engine, backing it out until they were on the open ocean. She grabbed onto the railing to stop herself from falling onto her ass on the floor. They punched it, kicking the boat up to speeds that Auren had never driven it at before. Waves crashed against the sides, sending up a spray that misted her face.

Her stomach lurched. Lacey pinched her nose, downing the rest of Auren’s health juice mixture until she’d emptied the cup. The after-taste made her gag.

Next time I see that doctor, we’re going to have words.

The rows of private houses gave way to larger islands laid out in a chain and connected by arching walkways. Squinting, she watched them fade into the distance as Ridrick piloted them up the chain.

She blinked against the bright sun overhead, each shuttering movement growing slower and slower. What was it about the sun and salt that always made her want to take a nap? Ridrick glanced back at her, and she avoided their gaze, pretending to look out at the ocean instead.

The boat ride lasted for what seemed like an hour until they finally slowed. They fiddled with the control panel, then brought the boat to a coast as they headed toward a dock. She took a deep breath and blinked, the movement getting slower and slower as she struggled to keep her eyes open at all.

How was she this tired still when she’d slept in?

The boat bumped against a dock, and she startled awake. Ridrick climbed up on the seat and threw a leg over, straddling the gap as they secured the boat. They turned to her. “Come on. That took longer than I thought it would. We’re at risk of running late.”

Lacey stood and nearly fell as the boat moved and her ankle rolled out from under her. Ridrick reached out and caught her by the arm, hauling her to them with a strength that surprised her. Her glass hit the floor, splattering green juice across her toes and across the floor.

“S-sorry, I…” I don’t know what’s wrong with me. She was slurring as if she were still blind drunk. Leaning into them to stay upright, her head sagged as she struggled to stay awake.

Ridrick pulled her from the boat and wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her to them as they walked her down the dock, nearly carrying her. “I didn’t know how much to give you. I’m just glad you drank it. I wasn’t looking forward to injecting you.” They shivered. “I hate needles.”

Her foggy mind tried to keep up. “You d-drugged me?” Panic clawed at her throat and set her heart to pounding, but her body was too far beyond her control to respond. “Why?”

She glanced around, hoping to see someone, anyone, but the area was deserted. It had an industrial look about it. The buildings were plainer and less maintained, devoid of the decorative carvings that usually adorned the pillars and facades.

“Where are you taking me?”

Their fingers tightened against her bicep as they brought her to the open doorway of an old, rundown building. Gray and dirty, it reeked of nesting animals and urine.

“Everything was perfect before you came and ruined it all. I’m fixing it.”

“No. Nonono.”

“For good.”

“No!” A burst of adrenaline broke through the haze of the sedative. Lacey stomped on their foot with all of her might and dug her elbow into their ribs. She used their moment of distraction to rip herself away from their side. They exhaled, cursing loudly.

She ran.

Her sandals smacked against the rough concrete as she headed to the dock. The boat. If she could make it to the boat… The sounds of her pursuer just steps behind her spurred her on. She pumped her legs faster, fighting off the effects of the sedatives as she ran.

Halfway there, she was pulled to a stop. Pain, hot and searing, exploded along her scalp. She screamed. Ridrick grabbed her by her hair and yanked her back.

“Get off me! Stop it!” she yelled.

The hand fisted in her hair squeezed and tugged her head back as they dragged her back down the dock. Tears welled in her eyes.

“I don’t get off on hurting you, but if that’s what it takes,” they seethed. “I’ve had to do a lot of things I never thought I would. What’s one more at this point?”

Tears and snot ran down her face as she sobbed. They dragged her down to that abandoned building and pulled her inside. “Why are you doing this?” Darkness swallowed them. Her steps turned hesitant as Ridrick urged her onward. The floor was level, but there was debris that crunched under her feet. A rock threatened her balance, but their hold on her kept her upright and moving forward.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, where a hole in the ceiling let in a shaft of daylight. When they were in the center of the room, Ridrick let her go and shoved her forward.

Lacey fell, barely catching herself with her hands. The breath exploded from her lungs as she hit the ground and laid there, panting. Her palms and knees scraped against the rough texture of the floor. Now that she was still and her burst of adrenaline faded, the sedative tugged at her awareness. Huddled on the floor, she sank onto her hip and flipped her hair out of her face so she could look up at them.

“Just take me back,” she begged. “I won’t say anything. I promise. Please. I won’t say a word.”

They stood over her and stared down with cold eyes. “It’s not personal.”

Her heart sank. The throbbing in her head, the burning of her scraped palms, and the dryness of her mouth were nothing compared to the heartbreak she felt. Auren was going to think she’d changed her mind. They’d assume she abandoned them. She would never get the chance to tell them she loved them. Their happiness, that tentative hope for the future for a lifetime of love, it was over before it had even really begun.

Ridrick fidgeted and glanced around the room. They shoved a hand in their pocket and focused on the doorway behind her. “You should have taken me up on my offer. You could have been sipping cocktails on Janus Station right now, looking for your next target to con.” They shook their head.

“Target? What are you talking about?”

Their eyes slid back toward her. “I don’t know how you faked the bond, but I’ll find out, and when I do, we’ll reverse it.”

“Fake the…” Lacey shook her head. “I haven’t faked anything. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ridrick leveled her with a wry look. “Right. The most popular adult vid top goes on vacation and ends up mated. To an alien, no less. Did you really expect me to buy that story? You might have everyone else fooled, but I’m not so gullible.”

She stared at them in stunned disbelief as her drugged, hazy mind struggled to piece things together. That nagging feeling was back. Popular. The pirates had known them on sight. What was it Auren had said back on the cruise ship? The trip was a prize. They’d just won an award. The rows of vids in their home. Hundreds of them. Their money troubles and the sudden scramble to find work. Things weren’t adding up.

Then it clicked. “You’re stealing from Auren.” Ridrick’s eyes narrowed, and she knew she was right. “You’re embezzling.”

“I make money,” they said with a sneer. “I turn raw talent into hard profits. Why shouldn’t I get paid for that? I provide a valuable service. Without me, Auren would still be working in low budget vids where I found them. I’m the one who used my connections to get them the career-making opportunities of a lifetime. Launched their career. Got them cast in vids that paid more than they’d ever dreamed of. Who do you think got them that award? Me. And I deserve recognition for my work. I had it until you came along and made Auren question things. You know they actually asked to look at the books? I’ve been managing them for ten years, and they’ve never once cared about the business side of our arrangement. They act. I manage. That’s how it’s always been… until you.”

She tucked her legs under her, her sandals scraping against the floor as she settled and set her throbbing, scratched-up palms in her lap. “You’re crazy if you think killing me is going to fix this. Eventually, they’ll figure it out. The truth always gets out.”

“Kill you? This isn’t some vid drama, girl, and I’m not a murderer.”

Lacey looked around at the decrepit, abandoned building they were in on an a deserted island. “Then what…”

Ridrick crouched so they were at eye level. “What would be the point of that? I don’t care about you, Lacey. You’re a problem I want fixed, that’s all. Kill you…” They chuckled. “Where’s the profit in murder?”

A noise outside pulled Ridrick’s attention from her. Everything went still, and then the crunching sound of footsteps on debris echoed through the empty building. They looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Right on cue.”

Lacey glanced, but the doorway was vacant. When she turned back around, she didn’t have enough time to do anything as Ridrick pulled a pair of syringes from their pocket. They tossed the empty one aside, then flicked the cap off the second and stabbed it into her thigh straight through her dress.

As they pushed the plunger, fire burned under her skin. She screamed and tried to shove them off her. Ridrick grabbed her by the wrist to stop her flailing assault. It felt like swimming through sand. Everything was getting slower, and then the room blurred. She sagged to the ground. The pitted concrete was cool underneath her cheek. Her vision doubled, and her stomach churned as everything spun.

Ridrick leaned in close enough for their breath to ghost across the side of her face. “You’re not going to die… but you might wish you had. Traders who peddle in flesh aren’t exactly known for their kindness and generosity. Goodbye, Lacey. I’m sure we both wish we’d never met.”

Eyelids fluttering, she had just enough energy left in her to turn her face to the doorway as a figure approached. Silhouetted with the light behind them, she couldn’t see any details. Ridrick stood up as the sedative dragged her under its wave. Her eyes slid closed and wouldn’t open, no matter how much she desperately wanted them to.

CHAPTER 12

Pain exploded in her hand as she awoke with a gasping cry to it being trodden upon. Lacey cradled it to her chest and cracked heavy eyelids open. Grunts and the dull thumping smacks of a fist fight roused her the rest of the way from her drugged stupor.

“Stop, stop!” Ridrick shouted. “I did this for you! For us!”

“You kidnapped my mate for me?” Auren roared. They shoved at Ridrick, knocking them down.

Ridrick hit the floor and let out a gusty exhale, throwing their hand up to shield their face. “Yes, for you. Can’t you see that she’s done something to you? I can fix it! We can fix it. And then things can go back to the way they were.”

Auren staggered as if the words were a physical blow. Their hands clenched and unclenched, trembling with unspent energy. “The way they were… What was your plan? Hmm? How were you going to fix my mating bond?” They reached down and grabbed Ridrick by the front of their shirt and twisted, pulling them up onto their knees.

Lacey rolled onto her side, cradling her bruised hand to her chest. The need to warn Auren of the impending danger kept her conscious. “P-pirates. They’re coming.”

There was a roaring in her ears. Was that the wind, the thrusters of a landing ship, or just a side effect of the sedative?

Auren’s attention snapped to her. They stared, their eyes gradually narrowing with emotion as their face contorted into an expression filled with murderous intent. “Pirates.” Their focus shifted back to Ridrick. “You mean to sell my mate to flesh traders? And you have the gall to pretend that you’re doing this for me? For my benefit?” Their voice deepened, slowly devolving into a growl.

“Please listen to me,” Ridrick begged. “You’re not in your right mind. She’s done something to you, I know it. But we can fix it. I can help you.”

Auren’s mouth twisted in a sneer. “Help me? Why would I want help from a nest invader? I should kill you for what you’ve done to my mate. She’s mine. You had no right to touch her.” They leaned down, coming closer. “I just might kill you, actually. You should start begging.”

Ridrick’s hand patted along the floor as they babbled. They found a broken piece of stone and closed their fingers around it. Ridrick struck out, swinging that jagged rock toward Auren’s face. The two connected, and drops of blood splattered across the ground as Auren’s cheek tore open from the impact.

Auren tugged, pulling Ridrick sideways and flinging them onto their back. A moment later, they were on them. Fists connected as the two fought, each one struggling anew for the upper hand. Auren grabbed them by the wrist and bent over, sinking sharp teeth into flesh.

Ridrick screamed and dropped the rock. Bucking, they spun until they rolled across the floor, each one wrestling for dominance.

Lacey struggled to stay aware, to divide her attention between the fighting Rounaii and the doorway. If the pirates came now while they were all distracted… She didn’t want to think about it. Would all three of them get taken?

A grunt made her glance at them again. Auren had Ridrick in a choke hold and was dodging the scratching hands that reached for them. Face darkening, Ridrick struggled against the hold but couldn’t break it. Minutes stretched on for an eternity, and then their struggling stopped. They drooped in Auren’s arms, and she wondered if Auren had held to their threat.

Was Ridrick dead?

With tentative movements as if they thought it was a ruse, Auren relaxed their grip and waited. When Ridrick didn’t stir, slumping against the ground instead, they untangled themself and rushed to her side.

She hissed out a breath as they jostled her to a sitting position; her battered hand throbbing anew. “I’m fine. I’m okay.” They’d come in time. Unshed tears pricked at her eyes. The thought of what might have happened if they hadn’t arrived when they did was unbearable. “How did you find us?”

“I have a security camera that watches my dock. When I got an alert on my datapad that someone had triggered it, I pulled up the feed. The things that Ridrick said to you made no sense. We weren’t discussing story rights. When I called and they didn’t answer I got that feeling again. The gut one. I knew that something bad had happened, and I needed to find you.” They brushed her hair out of her face and hugged her tighter. “I almost lost you forever. If I hadn’t left the audition, if Ridrick had turned their location off on their datapad, or if I’d gotten here later…”

Glancing at them, she stared at their still body. “Are they…” She choked on the question, unable to voice it.

Auren shifted to block her view. “That’s not important. What matters is you’re safe and I’m here.” They stroked a hand down her cheek and cupped her face. “And I am never letting you out of my sight again.”

A drop of blood dripped off their chin and landed between them. “You’re bleeding,” she gasped. Reaching up with her better hand, she touched her fingertips to the side of their face, careful not to touch the open gash. From chin to brow ridge, it cut across their face in a jagged line.

“Oh, Auren.” Her heart squeezed. They’d gotten hurt because of her. So many bad things had happened to them, all because she had come into their life. Would they ever forgive her for it?

They grabbed her hand and flipped it over, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “It doesn’t matter. Seeing you lying there, drugged and unconscious on that floor, hurt worse than this ever could. We should go. The slavers could come at any moment. We can’t stay here.”

She glanced at Ridrick’s prostrate form. “We can’t just leave them there.”

Auren frowned, looking as if they were on the verge of protesting that they could do just that.

“If they’re alive and the pirates come… I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” She glared at Ridrick’s still form. “Not even Ridrick.” Even after what they’d done, or tried to do, she didn’t want that. That wasn’t justice. Ridrick deserved to be tried and sent to prison, not kidnapped and sold to a Tou’de’nan senator or a mining planet.

“Fine. But I can’t carry both of you.” Auren stood and lifted her into a bridal carry. “I’ll come back for them.”

Despite her protests that she could walk if they let her lean against them, Auren insisted on carrying her down to their boat. They set her on the seat and turned it on. The engine roared to life. “If I’m not back yet and their ship lands, you will take this boat and leave.” They looked over their shoulder at her as they flicked switches. “That’s non-negotiable. You’ll promise me that, or I’m not getting out of this boat and Ridrick is going to have to take their chances.”

She nodded. “I promise. But if they do come, I want you to run and take Ridrick’s boat. If anything happened to you…” She would never forgive herself. Auren hopped out of the boat, hurrying down the dock. Lacey settled herself on the seat, her bleary eyes blinking against the brightness outside.

She scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of a ship coming in for a landing. Her hand throbbed, threatening to distract her from her task of watching for danger. She was still fighting off the effects of the sedative. Now that she was sitting still, the fatigue she’d powered through from sheer adrenaline alone doubled. Her blinking slowed.

The boat rocked, and she was startled out of her stupor. Auren slipped the rope free of the hitch and kicked them away from the edge. They flipped the throttle and backed them out to sea until they had enough room to turn.

She glanced around, looking for Ridrick, but didn’t find them. “What happened? Are they…” She couldn’t say the word. What would happen to them if Auren had accidentally killed them in their struggle?

“They weren’t there. The coward must have hidden from me. I looked, but I didn’t want to stay too long. The police are on their way. I called them on my way back to the boat.”

Conflicting thoughts ran through her jumbled mind, but Lacey didn’t voice any of her concerns. “Shouldn’t we stay, then?” The Rounaii police would have questions. And the vindictive part of her wanted to watch Ridrick get arrested.

Auren looked at her, aghast. “And risk getting caught in the crossfire if the slavers show?” Without waiting for an answer, Auren started them on their course home. The boat picked up speed, and then they were rushing across the ocean.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” they shouted to be heard over the wind.

“I’m fine. I just want to go home.” Nothing had ever sounded better, and she wondered how at one point she’d ever wanted to leave.

“It wasn’t a question, Lacey. I’m taking you. I’ll call the doctor. They can meet us there.”

During the hour-long trip to an inhabited island, she dozed on and off as her body worked to burn off the sedative. The hospital patched them up as best they could, taking internal images of her hand. Her anatomy gave them pause and resulted in a lot of flurrying around the electronic medical text on their datapad. Their doctor came some hours later and pronounced her fine for discharge.

Officers met with them after the doctors and staff were finished. They were separated, questioned, photographed, and scraped for forensic samples. Finally, after hours had passed, they were released with follow-up instructions from the officers and doctors alike.

By the time they pulled into Auren’s dock, she felt more like herself.

Now that she wasn’t fighting to stay awake and the adrenaline had ebbed, the full extent of her injuries revealed themselves. Her scalp ached, and a tender spot on the back of her head made her wonder if they’d actually torn out some of her hair or ripped her scalp. Moving hurt now, her body stiff.

The first thing they did was get into the shower.

Heat soothed the aches in her muscles even as the force of the spray hitting her tender scalp made her wince. Gentle fingers combed through her hair, working out the tangles and inspecting the sore spot that caused her to hiss between clenched teeth.

“That’s not the kind of hair pulling I enjoy,” she muttered as they foamed some cleanser into a lather and worked it into her hair.

“Oh? I’ll have to remember that for later.”

She huffed out a laugh and shut her eyes as Auren tipped her head back to wash her hair clean. The rest of her was cleansed and thoroughly explored for more injuries. Each bump and bruise and scrape inspected.

“I’m fine. It’s not that bad, really.” Auren had come in time. But what if they hadn’t?

Despite the warmth of the shower, a chill ran through her. She’d come so close to being kidnapped and sold. What would have happened to her if Auren hadn’t realized something was off? Or if the pirates had arrived on time?

She studied their cut face. “Oh, Auren.” Water turned pink as it washed dried flakes of blood down their throat and chest. She grimaced and set one finger on their chin, careful not to hurt them as she turned their head to the side to get a better look.

“That bad?” The look on their face was unreadable as they stared over her head. “I can get it lasered. It might take more than one session to get rid of the scar.” Their gaze slid to hers, as if gauging her reaction.

“I don’t give a shit about it scarring.” She was more worried about infection.

“You don’t?” Their voice sounded odd.

“No. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

They slid a wet arm around the small of her back, fingers spread wide against her skin. “I’m fine now that I have you in my arms. This is all I need to be happy, even if it scars and I’m not attractive anymore.”

The crease between her brows deepened. “Not attractive anymore… I don’t love you because you’re attractive.” Was that what they thought? “I love you because you’re kind. Because you bring me blankets you sewed and call them nesting materials, and you cook until we find something I like. Because you think of my needs and try to meet them, even if it means I have to drink disgusting smoothies that taste like licking the bottom of your boat.”

“Seaweed is highly nutritious.”

She sighed. “Seaweed is gross and I hate it. I only drink it because you make it for me—because I know you care about me.”

“I love you too,” Auren said. “You make me want more. It’s like you woke me from a dream and made me realize that I have more to give than anyone ever wanted to take before. Because you look at me, and you see me. All of me. Not just the glittering outside that dazzles people. You make me want things I never realized I needed. If you left, you would take my heart with you. I could never survive its absence.”

A tear leaked from her eye, washing away in the shower. Lower lip wobbling, she choked on a sob. “I don’t want to leave. Never.”

“Good, because you’re mine and I’m never letting you go. The moment you barrelled into my life and ruined my shirt, you were mine.”

She smiled. “I’m still sorry about your shirt.”

Auren let out a faint chuckle. “I’m not.”

She pressed a chaste kiss to their mouth, careful not to hurt them.

Dried, moisturized, and tucked into bed to rest, she enjoyed the way they curled against her back. Their arms tightened around her, as if they were afraid she’d disappear if they let her go. After the events of the day, she wouldn’t protest being held.

“I can’t believe I almost lost you forever,” they whispered against her damp hair.

Lacey patted their arm, then stroked it gently. “I can’t believe Ridrick was going to sell me to pirates.” That was a special sort of evil, far beyond skimming from your employer.

“I can hardly understand it myself.”

Oh! They still didn’t know. “They were stealing. It was a lot of credits, I guess, if they got this desperate. My presence was making you ask questions they didn’t want to answer. Getting rid of me would solve a few problems for them.”

“That bilge barnacle,” they growled, following up the curse with rapid fire muttered phrases that made her translator glitch.

Auren’s murderous possessiveness would have made her smile, but it did. Seeing them punch Ridrick repeatedly had been an awful sort of satisfying.

“What do you think happened to them?” she asked. They’d left Ridrick’s boat there, which meant there was a chance they’d escaped.

They grabbed their datapad and turned it on. There were four missed calls and two messages. One was from the casting director, letting Auren know they were going in another direction. The second was a brief recording from a detective who asked them to call back at their earliest convenience and rattled off a number.

“You lost the job,” she said, guilt nipping at her happiness. With everything that had happened, she’d forgotten they’d been at an audition.

“You’re more precious to me than any job, sweetness.”

“Still, I know you were hopeful about acting in that vid.” Maybe they should seek out a club where she could dance. It might help tide them over while they figured out the extent of Ridrick’s embezzlement and their best course of action.

“There will be more jobs, although… I’ll need to find a new agent.” They sighed.

“And a new accountant.” And a bloodthirsty shark of a lawyer.

Auren called the detective and arranged a time to meet them tomorrow. The officer was close-lipped over the call and wouldn’t give them any details. They hung up, then switched over to look at the major news outlets. After a bit of flipping, they found a channel that talked about a massive show of police force around an abandoned water treatment facility. Smoke plumed in the air above it.

“That’s it,” she said, recognizing the island and its abandoned buildings. The news anchor speculated about the potential causes from a safe distance away on the water. The camera panned. Ridrick’s boat was still docked at the end of the pier, and an older model deep space cruiser was parked next to it on a pair of folded out water skimmers.

The pirates had come, and the police had arrived in time to catch both. Before they could catch more details, a police boat closed in on the reporter. The vid feed cut back to the news station as the anchor who was seated at a desk choked on their drink and hastily set their cup down as they took over the feed. The news segment rolled onto other things.

“I wish we knew more.”

Auren rolled onto their back, taking her with them. She turned in their arms and settled against their side, throwing one leg over them until they were tangled together. “We’ll find out more soon enough. For now, we should rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. We may be at the station for quite some time.”

Lacey thought about her dubious status on this planet and made a mental note to call the human embassy again before they left to meet with the detective. Enough time had passed. They had to be back from vacation by now.

“Are you hungry?” Auren asked, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

“No.” Saying yes would mean untangling herself from being draped across her mate like an octopus.

“Are you sure?” they asked, a teasing tone in their voice. “I have a lot of fresh seaweed to use up before it goes bad.”

Lacey turned her face and got a mouthful of chest, and bit them lightly.

“Oww! See?” They rubbed the spot she’d nipped. “I told you humans bite.”

She smoothed their flexible scales back into place and realized her scratched up palms didn’t hurt anymore. “Only when provoked.” Lacey smiled against their chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetness. Until the stars stop shining.”

“That would be a lot more romantic if you weren’t fondling my ass right now.”

Auren sighed as if put out, but they didn’t stop. “I can’t help it. Not when it’s right here. It’s so damn soft.”

“I’m soft all over compared to you.” A giggle escaped her when their touch turned teasing.

“Besides,” they drawled, their fingertips ghosting lazy circles along the dimples above her ass, “I recall making a certain promise about showing you what I could do to it.”

She groaned and barely resisted the urge to pinch their side. Here, wrapped up in her mate’s arms at the ass-end of the galaxy, was exactly where she was meant to be. She just hadn’t known it until now.

Good thing fate brought us together.

“I see,” the detective said as they tapped their notes into their datapad. “And then what happened?”

“How many times do I have to explain it?” she asked, her frustration getting the best of her. The uncomfortable plasticine chair creaked as she shifted, crossing her arms and leaning back. They’d been at the station for hours, separated into different rooms, and she’d gone over the story at least a half a dozen times.

She told it once more. “That’s it. That’s the entire story. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

The detective nodded and tapped on their datapad, sliding it over to her. “Can you identify the perpetrator?”

Leaning forward over the table, she stared down at the device. Photos of six Rounaii covered the screen. Her heart leaped as she spotted Ridrick’s picture. They were alive! She saw the extent of their injuries. Mottled splashes of purple marred their vibrant red scales. Their nose was crooked, and a split in their lower lip had been glued together.

“This one.”

“Are you certain? Take a longer look, just to be sure. Aliens all look alike at first glance.”

She slid the device back across the table to them, her finger leaving a smudge behind. “It’s them. I know what the person who tried to kidnap and sell me into slavery looks like.”

They flicked the cover back over the datapad and scooped it off the table. Rising, their chair scraped against the floor. “Thank you. I’ll be in contact if we have any further follow-up questions. Don’t leave the planet in the meantime.”

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “Can I see Auren now?” They’d been separated as soon as they’d gotten to the station for their interview. She was eager to make sure they were okay.

The detective tucked their datapad away into a pocket and grabbed their mug off the table. They shrugged in between sips and paused at the door, their hand on the handle. “They may not be done talking yet. The immigration specialist is coming to process your paperwork. You can use this room.”

Scrunching down into her seat, she stared at the wall and let out a sigh. Minutes later, a human woman with medium brown skin and long braids peeked her head into the room.

“Miss Curnan? Hi, I’m Imani. I’m here to get your emergency immigration paperwork started.” The woman smiled, showing off even, white teeth in a wide smile as she sat. “Is this a good time?”

“Yes! Sorry, I just… kind of forgot you’d be human.” This was the first non-Rounaii she’d seen in person since coming to Nereus almost two weeks ago.

If Imani was offended, she didn’t show it. “We’re not common out here, but there’s a few of us. I got some of your information from the paperwork, but there’s more that I need to get from you before we can process this.” She tapped at the screen and pulled up the paperwork.

“Of course. What do you need to know?”

“First,” Imani said, glancing up, “I have to confirm that you are here on Nereus of your own free will. Do you swear you are seeking permanent residency voluntarily and that your decision to immigrate has not been influenced through any means of coercion, including threats of violence or financial gain?”

She nodded. “I do.”

Imani indicated a spot on the screen for Lacey to hold her thumb on to sign. “Good. Now, my information says that a… Auren Vancins will act as your sponsor during your probation period?”

“Sponsor?” Probation period?

“Yes, all foreign requests for residency must go through a probation period of two years before permanent citizenship can be granted. During that time, you need a sponsor and either proof of funds to sustain you or a special license if you intend to work. What’s the nature of your relationship?”

Lacey blushed.

Imani chuckled and swiped, bringing up a different form. “Civil bonding is one avenue toward citizenship, although you’ll need to be prepared to prove that the relationship is real. Things like living together, meeting each other’s families, providing time-stamped photos of your relationship, and having children. They prove the relationship is bona fide.”

“Oh. Even though we’re already pheromone-bonded?”

“Excuse me?” Imani glanced up at her with wide eyes.

Lacey cleared her throat. “I’m… uh, apparently part-Tou’de’nan?” She shrugged. “We saw a doctor. I’m sure they could write a statement.”

“Huh.” Imani glanced at her paperwork. The furrow between her brow deepened. “Well, let’s proceed with the civil bonding paperwork for now and I’ll speak with my manager. Sign here. This paragraph is an affidavit that says your relationship is real and you’re prepared to provide proof upon court demand.”

It beeped as Lacey pressed her thumb to it. Together, they pored over the rest of the paperwork as Imani made notes and amended the form where necessary, then typed up a message for her boss. When she was done, the woman shook Lacey’s hand, congratulated her, and said they’d be in touch.

Not waiting for permission to leave from the detective, Lacey followed Imani out. “How long have you lived here?”

“Almost five years. Well… Nereus years. It’s more like three and a half in Standard.”

Lacey remembered the embassy’s celebration of Christmas in July. Living on-planet was something she was going to have to get used to. “Do you like it?”

“I do.” Imani smiled. “I came here for work, and originally I wasn’t going to stay but then I fell in love with the planet. Everything’s so clean. The air, the water, the food. And you can rise up in the embassy ranks a lot quicker on a remote planet like Nereus, which gets you better pay. They have trouble attracting and keeping staff because it’s so far removed from everything. It’s way better than being stuck in an entry-level job on an overcrowded space station.”

She nodded, remembering exactly how foul the lower levels of a packed space station could get. “I know what you mean.”

“I’d like to hear the story of how this all happened one day,” Imani said, stopping short in the lobby and turning to face her. “In an unofficial capacity. Maybe over tea? They don’t really do coffee here.”

Grinning, Lacey agreed. “That would be great.” Had she just found her first friend? “You have my number. Call me anytime. You can give me all the insider tips on surviving Nereus as a human.”

“Replacing me already, sweetness?”

Lacey spun, notching herself into Auren’s side as they came up to join her. “Making friends. This is Imani. Imani, this is Auren. She’s handling my immigration paperwork, and we’re going to go get tea and chat.”

Their arm slid around her shoulder as they tugged her flush against them. “Thank you for assisting my mate.”

Their nails pricked against her arm as their grip on her tightened. Were they jealous? She noticed how Auren subtly angled themself between her and Imani. All of their little tells were getting easier to spot.

Lacey slapped a hand against their chest, stealing their attention. She smiled. “Let’s go home, baby.” As they turned to leave, Lacey glanced back over her shoulder and gave Imani the universal call me gesture.

Once they were outside, Auren’s steps slowed to match her shorter stride. “Why did you call me an infant?” Their voice was curious, as if they were trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.

“Hmm?” She thought back to it, then laughed. “Oh. It’s a term of endearment. Like how you call me sweetness.” They headed back to the docks and Auren helped her into the boat. It swayed under her feet, but she barely noticed it. “You don’t like it? I can call you something else. What should I call you?” Her lips quirked with a barely repressed smile. “Sovereign of Sin is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Not that. Never that. Not to you, my sweetness.”

She thought of the concubine from the one vid she’d watched and she flushed. “I’m not calling you Master.” Some people used words like that to enhance their fun, but it didn’t feel right on her tongue. It didn’t fit what they had together.

“No,” they agreed. Their thumb stroked the line of her jaw, and then they shifted their hand so it was cupping the back of her neck. Fingers slid into her hair. “Not that either.”

Lacey ran through a list of pet names, each one garnering a noise of displeasure from Auren. Babe was too close to baby. Honey was too much like sweetness. Sweetheart was similarly vetoed. The sound of disgust they made when she offered up shnookums as an option sent her giggling, revealing her game.

They groaned. “Are you tormenting me on purpose, sweetness?”

“Never, my love.”

The fingers in her hair closed, holding tight without pulling. “That one.”

“My love?” Her head was forced to tilt, and then their lips brushed hers in a kiss so deep and claiming she forgot what she was saying.

They broke the kiss and nipped her bottom lip, the graze of a fang promising that her teasing would get answered like for like later. “I like how you say the words in one breath. One exhale. I enjoy being Love, personified.”

Exhaustion tugged at her. “Let’s go home, my love.” She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and lie in their arms for hours, neither of them moving.

Auren pressed one more kiss to her lips and released her. “Home,” they agreed.

EPILOGUE

Lacey watched the vid’s premiere with a sort of grim amusement mixed with baffled confusion. It was the same blend of curiosity and fascination that kept a person staring at a gruesome ship crash. Leaning over the armrest into Auren’s side, she pitched her voice low so it wouldn’t carry.

“They know you didn’t actually fight the pirates, right?”

Auren pulled their attention away from the screen. They shrugged. “I didn’t have a final say over the script. Besides, they always take artistic liberty.”

She glanced between her mate and the screen, visually comparing them to the actor who’d been chosen to play them. Their scales had been dusted pale and iridescent with makeup, but it still didn’t compare to the real thing. The vid changed, and Lacey’s human actress counterpart came back on screen.

The woman was dressed in a top with a plunging neckline that showed off a substantial amount of cleavage. Lacey snorted. “Well, they didn’t have to do that.”

“Hmm?”

“The massive tits. She’s been dressed in something low cut and revealing for the entire vid. And she looks nothing like me.”

She remembered the detective’s insistence that all aliens looked the same. It made her wonder if this was what Rounaii saw when they looked at her. Compared to flat Rounaii chests, she guessed they didn’t see much difference between a C-cup and a DD-cup.

Auren stared at her chest, then reached for her a moment later as if to compare her to her fictional counterpart through touch. They hefted one swollen, tender globe and palmed its weight. “They seem accurate to me.”

“Ouch.” Lacey winced, moving her sore breast away from their hand.

“Sorry, sweetness.” They dropped their hand to cradle the curve of her rounded stomach instead. “This is the universe’s cruelest joke. Your breasts are larger than they’ve ever been. They beg for me to worship them. Yet I can’t touch them.”

She put her hand on top of theirs and pressed it tighter to her bump. Her breasts were too sore to touch at the end of her pregnancy, but she loved it when they massaged her belly. Heavy and aching, she wasn’t sure she could get much larger before the baby would run out of room. As it was, she could hardly breathe, and she had to get up to pee constantly.

She side-eyed her mate. “Yeah. This pregnancy’s been so hard on you.”

Auren ignored her grumpiness and set to work massaging her belly. She groaned and relaxed in her seat, shifting so they could reach more of her. They leaned over the armrest and pressed their face close to hers. “If you keep moaning like that, they’re all going to think we’re doing something else. Something naughty.”

Inhaling a deep breath, Lacey sighed and shut her eyes, ignoring the vid that played on the enormous screen in front of them and the hundreds of people around them. “Don’t care. Just don’t stop.”

They chuckled and kept rubbing, and then the baby kicked and startled them both. Her breath rushed out on an exhale. “Someone agrees.”

“I can’t wait to meet you, little one.” Auren pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I love you, sweetness.”

Smiling, she turned into it and kissed them back. “I love you too. Even if you didn’t kill a whole gang of pirates for me.”

They grinned and went back to stroking her belly. “But I would have. I’d wipe out an entire fleet of them to make you mine and keep you safe. Both of you.”

“Yes, you would.” She gave into the thrill that shot through her at the thought.

On the screen, fictional Auren and Lacey were embracing. The music swelled as a bloody but still stunning Auren delivered their monologue. They ended the scene with a passionate kiss.

Not to be outdone, the real Lacey and Auren did the same. With her heart filled with love and their baby kicking up a storm, Lacey tucked herself into their side and felt like the happiest woman in the world.

Thank you for reading Mate for the Alien P*rn Star! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Alexis’s newsletter!

ELIN WYN

REAVER’S KISS

CHAPTER 1

ALLISON

“The Loliax aren’t going to leave us.”

I looked around the dingy room in the middle of our dorms we’d dubbed the rec room.

Seriously, did anyone really believe that we’d be abandoned?

It was ridiculous.

Not even worth thinking about.

A tiny glimmer of doubt prickled my belly.

Maybe because the idea of being abandoned in space by a bunch of aliens is too terrifying to think about, Allie.

No. It was ridiculous.

“We have a contract with them. How do we even know Kyla is reading the screens right?”

The computer whiz of our little group shot me a look, and I shrugged.

Sure, Kyla was the only one of us who’d managed to take extra shifts with the Loli’s maintenance crew, the only one of us who’d poured over their stupid manual with all the mind-numbing detail about the ship, the Smarniks Dream.

Of all of us girls who’d signed on as entertainers for the third-rate intergalactic cruise, she’d be the most likely to understand what she was seeing.

But how much did she know?

It’d only been forty years since the Galactic Alliance had contacted Earth, only forty years since humans had known for certain that we weren’t alone in the Void.

Four decades wasn’t much time to try to absorb an entire universe of new technologies, advances in physics, new branches of science we’d barely dreamed of.

Kyla couldn’t be right.

And still, the warning announcement rang over and over in my mind.

“Attention honored guests. Unexpected solar activity has been detected. Shielding has been raised. There’s no cause for alarm, but for your safety and comfort, we ask all guests to retire to their quarters.”

We weren’t ‘guests,’ but we’d gone to our quarters, gathered around in a panicked mob, and now Kyla was making things worse.

“Make you a deal,” Sarah said.

I was a little surprised.

Sarah wasn’t usually the type to push herself into the center of a situation.

But here she seemed to step up to the plate and take charge. Someone needed to do it before we had a mass of crying women.

I looked over the rest of the girls.

Sophia and Amelia held hands, looking shocked.

Hannah seemed calm enough, maybe because she spent her off-time reading up on all the different aliens. For a xenobiologist-to-be, it must’ve been heaven.

Hannah knew they wouldn’t really abandon us.

Maisie stood a bit behind the others, eyes fixed on the screen over Kyla’s shoulder.

Who knew what she was thinking?

She never said much, and honestly, I wasn’t sure she had much to share.

But she danced well, and the aliens running the cruise appreciated that.

“Thirty minutes in the pods, just in case,” Sarah continued.

She met my eyes and grinned.

“If Kyla is wrong, and we’re all overreacting, I’ll take your shifts for the rest of the cruise.”

Tempting. Very, very tempting.

When I signed up for this, I’d thought about it like any other gap year job, just one that paid much better.

I needed the money if I was ever going to finish school.

A dual degree in law and linguistics would get me a job almost anywhere on Earth.

Even off Earth if I wanted.

But after several weeks of being stared at by every species imaginable, feeling like nothing more than a bug in a cage, I wasn’t sure how friendly I felt about dealing with aliens ever again.

“I’m not that much of a bitch,” I told her.

I mean, maybe I was. Probably was.

It might’ve come up before.

“Fine, I’ll get in my pod. But I reserve the right to tease you all until we’re back on Earth.”

“Four minutes,” Kyla said.

That cold voice of fear popped up again.

She sounded awfully certain.

After that, it was a mad scramble as we all slipped back to our cabins.

Olivia, my roommate, had beat me to it. I only saw a flash of her hair as she slid into one of the tight cylinders set into the outer wall of our room.

No matter. It wasn’t like we were best friends.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at my tablet, thought about grabbing it, getting a little studying time in.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” I reminded myself. “You may as well take a nap.”

Nothing had better happen, because to be honest, I wasn’t entirely certain about the sturdiness of the pods.

It was clear these cabins had been created for us humans as an afterthought, ostensibly because they didn’t have space for more staff in the main part of the ship.

I thought it was clear that the rest of the staff didn’t want to be housed with savages like us.

Probably the inclusion of escape pods was part of some galactic bureaucratic codebook, like having a fire escape or something.

“And maybe that’s a good thing,” I admitted as I slid inside the cramped tube.

“Here’s the view from the external cams,” Kyla said, her voice faint through the pod’s comms system.

Fine. It wouldn’t keep me from my nap. I’d seen it before. The long column housing our deck stretched out before us, ending underneath the giant disc where the rest of the cabins were housed, the pleasure gardens and lounges and casinos and all the rest of the things that made an intergalactic cruise fun.

At least for the passengers.

Whatever.

The all-clear would sound, we’d get back to our regular schedule.

My shifts would start in a few hours, and I’d skip up and down the stage, mentally reviewing torts and damages cases.

I grimaced.

Dancing had never been something I’d tried to learn. It was frivolous, a waste of time.

Luckily, none of the aliens seem to care. Or maybe they did, and the comm bangle on my wrist did a terrible job of translating for me.

Either way.

“See, they’re not going anywhere,” I said. “I’m taking a nap.”

No sooner had I closed my eyes than the pod shook, and my heart leapt in my chest.

Shit.

Something really was happening.

Couldn’t be. Maybe it was just something with the shields.

A thin crescent slowly emerged, dividing the disc from the cargo column. From us.

“Can’t be happening, can’t be…” I couldn’t even speak, eyes riveted to the screen as a white light circled the edge of the disc.

“Guys, that’s the jump drive powering up,” Kyla’s voice said.

I didn’t want to know that.

It circled, gaining speed, the glow getting brighter and brighter.

They were doing it. The Loliax were really leaving us.

I’d sue their pants off for this. Okay, not pants. They had too many tentacles for that. But still…

The flash filling the screen was almost too bright to look at, and suddenly the cargo column rocked back and forth, the shouts of the other girls echoing in my ears.

When the screen cleared, the disc was gone.

But they hadn’t jumped.

The wreckage floating all around was proof of that.

Everyone was silent, all the words shocked away.

And then, the hiss of sleeping gas filled the pod as I was ejected into the Void.

CHAPTER 2

TIRAC

“How’d you miss that shot?” Hador hissed.

I snarled.

I didn’t think I’d missed it.

But the golden flank of the neika was quickly bounding out of sight, its nimble hooves darting through the dense brush of the jungle that pressed all around.

“I didn’t, I’m sure of it.”

“Well, it’s not here,” Laicer smirked from a nearby tree, adjusting the net slung over his shoulders that held our kills for the day.

I swung down from the branch above the game trail where I’d waited patiently all day long.

Maybe not that patiently.

And maybe it’d only been an hour, maybe less.

Still, long enough.

I bent down over the tracks then straightened, showing Harry and Dick the thick blue fluid smeared across my fingertips.

“I didn’t miss.”

“Well, the neika is long gone,” Laicer said. “And you don’t have your kill. Doesn’t seem to make a difference, does it?”

Hador jumped down beside him.

“Come on, we have enough, let’s get back to camp.”

Swishing my tail in irritation, I hung back.

“I’ll meet you there.” I finally decided. “I’m not leaving it to wander around, injured.”

My companions left without arguing.

They didn’t need me to help take the day’s hunt, poor as it was, back to the village.

We’d been out on the trails since sunrise, but the animals were scarce, their normal patterns disturbed.

They weren’t the only ones.

I’d been agitated all day, like an itch deep in my blood I couldn’t scratch.

A long run would soothe it.

Regaining my vantage point, I saw what direction the neika had gone.

Hooking the bow to the quiver slung over my back, I leapt from tree to tree, following the broken trail of branches below.

It was faster than I’d expected, running and dodging through the underbrush, despite its wound.

But it couldn’t run forever.

The further I followed, the more certain that truth became. My prey was running toward the tip of the Horn.

And while neika might be the fastest creature in the jungle, one thing was certain.

They couldn’t swim.

Right here, the land jutted out to sea from the coast, a rough triangle surrounded on all sides but one by water. Someone long ago had compared it to a lopped-off horn of one of the red warriors, the Vak’ki, and the name had stuck.

The neika would have to turn soon, or it’d trap itself.

Either way, I’d have it.

A rumbling moved through the jungle, a sound so low I felt it in my bones before I registered it.

The birds exploded from the trees in a cacophony of sound, every creature below me broke cover to run wildly in all directions, and still, the noise grew louder.

Quake.

Instantly, I lowered my body to cling to the branch, arms, legs and tail all wound tightly for support.

The ground bucked and shuddered below, the trees shook violently, a shower of leaves and branches raining down all around.

“No, no no no…”

There was no escaping it. My branch broke, and I plummeted through the air.

Twisting free, I jumped from tree to tree, desperately trying to gain height to get away from the center of the destruction.

Almost!

Then something crashed into me, and all was dark.

When I woke, it felt like half the forest had fallen on me.

My head ached, and when I went to rub it, I realized my hand was trapped.

“This day doesn’t seem to be getting any better,” I grumbled, heaving at the tree trunk that lay across my chest, pinning my right arm and left leg

Other than my grunts, the jungle around me was silent, as if the chaos and commotion of the quake had sucked away every sound.

Finally, I worked my way free, staggering to my feet and turning around, almost unable to comprehend the destruction around me.

Half the jungle had been flattened, entire trees picked up and tossed about like a giant had kicked them away as he stomped through, heedless of his path.

With a sinking feeling in my gut, I slid the strap holding my quiver and bow off from my shoulder.

Broken, every arrow, and a crack running through the stave of the bow that promised it’d snap in my hands the next time I pulled it.

My belt knife was unscathed, to be sure, but the signs were clear.

“This hunt is over.”

Slowly, I made my back towards the village, keeping a wary eye on the trees that still stood, not trusting them to bear my weight.

Once the ground trembled under my feet and I crouched, waiting it out.

But no more trees fell, no more calamities stalked my path.

Until I tried to return from the Horn and saw the true destruction of the quake. The Horn had been snapped off like a branch from a tree, leaving a vast chasm separating me from the village.

I stared at it, blinking.

The distance was more than twice as far as I could jump, even on days when I hadn’t been clobbered by a tree.

Peering over the edge, I considered climbing down, but the rocks still crumbling and crashing below put an end to that thought.

“It won’t be the first night I’ve slept in the jungle,” I decided. “And I’m in no shape to figure it out now.”

Eat, sleep, and then in the morning light, I’d look for a tree long enough to span the gap, make some sort of rough bridge.

Reluctantly, I turned away from the mainland and went to survey the damage to my new domain.

The moons rose as I walked, and for a moment, I wondered how the village had fared before pushing the thought away.

I’d find out soon enough, and worrying without being able to do anything about it would do me no good.

Strong warriors and well-trained cubs, all of them.

They’d be capable enough to deal with whatever the quake had caused without my assistance.

My thoughts were still with them when I stumbled upon another trail, but this time of no creature I’d ever tracked. A long wide furrow in the earth, ridges at either side, plowing in an unnaturally straight line.

I knelt to examine it more closely, mentally separating the wreckage from the quake from whatever had crashed through the jungle here.

A row of saplings marching down the upturned earth, all close to the same height, gave me the clue I needed. Whatever had passed through had been months ago.

I couldn’t get home. Couldn’t help my brothers.

But this was a mystery I could solve.

Carefully, I followed the trail, keeping to the shadows, keeping the furrow to my right as it led deeper into the Horn.

The trail stopped in a clearing.

And nothing was there.

Then I saw it, moonlight glinting on the slivers of metal not covered by a thick coat of fallen leaves.

Warily I approached it, a long tube with one end buried in the roots of an odil tree at the far side of the clearing.

The artifacts of the Makers were not to be handled lightly, their secrets passed down only to the elders of the clan.

But the closer I studied the cylinder, the more I became uncertain.

It was very much like the devices the Makers had used, and left behind when they’d disappeared.

But I’d never seen anything quite like this. Its lines were foreign to me, unfamiliar.

What was it doing out here?

Circling it, I noticed small colored lights flashing on one side. Green, yellow, blue, green, yellow, blue.

Then the pattern stopped, the panel turning solid green.

And with a hiss, the lid opened.

CHAPTER 3

ALLISON

When I first went to college, my first roommate was a bit of a wild child.

Okay, more than a bit.

Nice enough, but I only went out with her once.

And right now, I remembered exactly why.

My head pounded, my tongue was swollen, scratchy.

Every bit of me felt like crap and the idea that people would do this to themselves on purpose was still bewildering to me.

But this wasn’t the dorms.

Or my cabin back on the Dream.

The unthinkable had happened, and I was somewhere else.

Somewhere unexpected, unplanned.

I hated not having a plan.

Wherever I was, it was quiet, the ever present hum of the ship gone.

No voices. The rest of the girls weren’t here.

Maybe they were still asleep.

I felt fresh air on my face, a rich loamy scent of plants all around.

Maybe this was a garden. That’d be nice.

Still I kept my eyes closed, just for a moment, trying to clear my mind.

“What are you?” a deep voice rumbled, and I sat up in shock then froze.

I was at the side of a clearing, tall, twisted trees lacing the sky with slender branches far overhead all around, deep shadows at their bases.

A circle of dark sky above was filled with a giant full moon.

I swallowed hard.

To its side, I saw a second smaller orb.

Two moons. That… that was different.

I looked around again. “Who’s there? Who spoke to me?”

A dark form separated from one of the trees and I stayed very still.

From a distance, in the shadows, it looked like a man. Very tall, with broad shoulders.

But one head, two arms, two legs, and—

I blinked.

A tail. Yes, a thick tail swishing in the air behind him.

When he stepped closer into the moonlight, I swallowed hard.

My rescuer was unclothed, other than a short loincloth and a broad strap running diagonally across his chest.

The light was enough to give me a clear view of the rich stripped green of his skin, the strong planes of his face, not softened in the least by the frame of dark brown hair.

This was no gentle gardener.

“Are you here to help me?” I whispered.

Sure, it was more than a little terrifying to be by myself in the dark with a naked alien.

Naked, giant alien.

But at least we could communicate.

He tilted his head to the side.

“I don’t know your words. What are you? Where’d you come from?”

Or not.

I ran my hand over the comm bangle, my stomach knotting as with glowing certainty I understood.

I had a translator, I understood him easily enough.

Therefore the bangle had found a match, found his language in its colossal database of tongues, working its magic and feeding me the translation to the disc implanted behind my ear.

But my new friend had no such device.

Which was odd.

My understanding was all members of the galactic alliance had the option for a translator implant when their languages were added to the databases.

Maybe this guy had just opted out?

Maybe not enough people came to this world for it to be worth the trouble?

Welp, I’d have to do it the old-fashioned way.

“Hi, I’m Allison,” I said slowly, touching my chest. “Allison.” First holding up my hands to show they were empty, I pushed myself up.

And that was a lousy idea.

My knees buckled as the worst headrush of my life washed over me, nearly landing me flat on my ass, back in the pod.

Instead, I clutched at the sides, hanging my head down and breathing deeply.

“Are you injured?”

I risked a glance up.

Mister tall, green and naked had come closer to the escape pod, dark eyes studying me carefully.

“Not exactly. It’s just been a day.”

His eyes narrowed and I shook my head. “Sorry, explanations about space travel will have to wait until after I get the basic nouns down.”

With more care than I’d ever used on the dance floor, I slid one leg out, then the other, keeping a grip on the lip of the cover to keep myself upright.

The ground all around the escape pod was covered in branches.

I looked more closely.

Not just branches, it looked like entire trees that’d been knocked down.

“What happened here?” I wondered.

I rubbed at my temple.

The pounding in my head was better now, but still there, right behind my right eyeball, beating a constant tattoo.

I needed answers. Even if he couldn’t understand me, he could at least give me information.

I tapped my chest again. “Allison.”

I tapped the pod I leaned against. “Escape pod.”

Stooping down, I ran my fingers over the rough bark of the branch beside me.

“Tree.”

His eyes flicked between me and every item I touched, and I repeated the process, this time finishing with pointing towards him and waiting.

“Tirac,” came the immediate reply.

And since the translator didn’t try to do anything with the strange word, it seemed a safe bet that was his name.

“Tirac, Allison.” I spread my arms wide, gesturing around the clearing, then made a show of looking all around me.

A sudden snap of comprehension widened his eyes

“Tirac, Allison,” he repeated, then shook his head, pushed his palms down toward the ground.

The hand gesture was unfamiliar to me, but the meaning was clear enough.

We were the only ones here.

All right, I could work with that. If the pods had brought me to this planet, wherever it was, surely they’d brought the other women here. I could proceed on that assumption.

And if they weren’t here, I simply had to find out where they were. That was a reasonable plan.

Straightening my shoulders, I took a deep breath, looking around for any sort of a break in the trees, a path, anything.

Nothing.

No lights of some distant city, no pleasantly marked trail, nothing.

“But he came from somewhere,” I reminded myself. “So there’s something out there.”

I picked a direction and started walking.

And my green giant charged.

“What the hell?!”

I crouched, arms above my head as he dashed forward, leaping high in the air, moonlight glinting on the knife I hadn’t even realized was in his hand.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t take my eyes off of where he seemed to hang in the air above me.

With a snarl, he landed, coming to a crouch at my side, the blade of the knife buried deep into the ground by my foot.

No. Not into the ground.

In the head of a yellow and orange spotted snake, invisible among the leaves.

My hands clutched my throat and I staggered back.

“All right, traipsing through the jungle by myself at night isn’t a good idea. Time for a new plan.”

Except I’d no idea where to start.

CHAPTER 4

TIRAC

The thrashing of the arsek’s tail slowed, stopped and finally lay still.

My heartbeat didn’t slow down so quickly.

This strange, soft creature had nearly perished in an instant, all unawares.

“You must be more careful,” I growled, severing the arsek’s head, flinging it far from us before rising to my feet with its thick body still in my grip.

At least the question of dinner was answered.

Slowly, she lowered her arms down from where she’d held them up and I realized she wasn’t trying to protect herself from the snake.

The scent of terror rolling off of her had nothing to do with the arsek.

She hadn’t known it was there.

Her fear was because of me. I’d caused it.

The thought sickened me.

“I won’t harm you, little one,” I said, softly.

Whatever the strange female was, she was alone and afraid. No weapon of the Makers, no matter the metal case that’d held her. And with no knowledge of the dangers that were all around her.

“Nor will I let you come to harm.”

Her face softened, a flicker of a smile crossing her lips.

“ThatsgoodtoknowImgoingtoneedafriend.”

Her words were nonsense but her expression…

“Do you understand me?” I asked.

Her eyes lit up and she nodded.

“Yes.” The hissing sound meant nothing.

“You can’t speak my words?”

Her shoulders slumped, the perfect picture of dejection.

My thoughts circled.

Back in the village, cubs were put into the teaching chamber where our language, history, and the foundation of our clan were given to them in one long span of dreams and visions.

The hut that held it and the generator were the oldest, most sacred part of the village.

But there was no way for us to go there, not now.

“Then I’ll have to teach you,” I said slowly. “There’s no other way.”

She nodded, another flash of a smile curving her lips. “Goodimgoodwithlanguages.”

“First, we must eat.”

She pointed to the arsek. “That?”

“Their poison is deadly. But the flesh is sweet.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.

No words were needed to convey her doubt about our upcoming meal.

I took stock of the clearing.

With only myself to worry about, I hadn’t given too much consideration for where to make camp.

The situation was different now.

I looked at her from the corner of my eyes, trying to guess at what sort of clan she came from.

No horns or red skin like the Vak’ki, not the wings of the Sen’ki.

Her skin was almost as pale as the silver of the Ken’ki, but she didn’t have the arrogant stance of their warriors, the sly look of their faces.

I looked again.

She didn’t look like a warrior at all.

Then it’d be my responsibility to protect her until she rejoined her people.

I cleared a small patch of leaves and branches, making it easy to see anything crossing the ground.

“Stay here,” I told her, using one of the fallen branches as a broom to expand the area.

“Jobra leaves would be useful,” I muttered.

She looked around, but didn’t move.

“I’ll show you what they are in the morning,” I decided. “Fire will be our friend tonight.”

Soon enough, the arsek was skinned and speared, roasting over the flames.

She huddled next to the fire, arms wrapped tightly around her.

I eyed her thin clothing, again confused as to where she’d come from that such apparel would be remotely practical. A long, loose shirt without sleeves that reached mid-thigh over pants so tight I saw every curve of her leg. Not warm enough for the mountains, too confining for the jungle.

Her thin shoes gave no protection from the ground or the elements in any territory. A broad silver cuff on her left wrist was her only ornament.

“Are you cold?” I asked her.

She shook her head.

“You’ll feel better when you have eaten,” I assured her.

She showed no sign of hearing, understanding.

I went to fetch one of the broken logs I discarded, checked it over for arseks or other threats and brought it over to the fireside.

“Sit before you fall.”

For a moment, it looked as if she’d argue, then she sank down, her gaze still lost in the flames.

“In the morning, we’ll make a better camp, until you can tell me where you were going.”

She nodded quickly, and I handed her a hunk of the roasted snake, wrapped in a thick leaf.

“Thisishuge,” she said, staring at the lump in her hand. “Youcandothis, Allison,” she said. But she still didn’t move, just studied it in her hands.

Finally, she took the smallest possible bite of the charred flesh, then the first real smile spread over her face.

“Itsgood,” she chirped. “Itsactuallyreallygood!”

“Itsgood?” I tried to repeat her own words back to her, the strange sounds like bubbling water in my mouth.

Her smile only grew broader, sending a small twitch of pleasure deep in my chest.

I liked making her smile.

“Good,” she repeated with a nod.

She finished her first piece, and a second, but refused any more, shaking her head and miming with her hands a huge bloated body, puffing out her cheeks until I laughed.

“You’re smaller, perhaps you don’t need as much food.”

Allison pushed the rest of the pieces towards me as if to confirm, licking her fingers happily as I finished the remains of the meal. I passed her my waterskin, watched her delicate neck tilt as she drank.

She leaned back, stretching, then winced, her hands flying up to rub at her shoulder.

“Are you injured?” I asked her again.

She shook her head, the slightest of movements before pointing to her neck, then twisting her hands fiercely.

It seemed unlikely she was trying to tell me she had a broken neck.

True, I knew nothing about her clan. But nothing I’d ever met survived such an injury.

I remembered my own headache after my fall during the quake.

Thought about the saplings that’d grown in the path left by her metal cylinder.

How long had she lain there?

My muscles would be stiff as well.

Rising up from my crouch, I moved behind her.

She twisted, staring up at me in confusion.

“The muscle is knotted?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she said, the hissing sound of her agreement.

I reached towards her, then stopped, blocked from the skin of her neck by the fall of dark hair that swung freely past her shoulders.

For a moment, I wondered what it’d be like to touch it.

“I’m no healer, but if you move that, I’ll see if I can unknot the muscle.”

Her gaze met mine for long moments, then she nodded slowly, pulling her hair around to the front, her head leaning forward slightly, leaving the pale column of her neck fully exposed.

Softly, I let my fingers run over her spine, following the curve down to her shoulders, her skin soft and smooth like nothing I’d ever seen, ever touched.

A low groan escaped her lips as I rubbed tiny circles across her shoulders.

My hands went still. “Should I stop?”

In a silent answer, she reached up, placing her hand across my fingers, pushing down, keeping me in place.

“Good.”

I began again, and with every light stroke across her skin sparks flew through my fingertips.

Slowly, the corded muscles relaxed, her breathing even as she sank back against me.

“Good?” I asked her again, enjoying her closeness, the strange feelings it stirred up inside of me.

She nodded her head more freely this time. “Good.”

The crackling of the fire and our voices muffled against the night sounds of the jungle.

And then a trill sounded, like no bird I’d ever heard.

She jumped up, staring at the silver band on her wrist now flashing with a blue light, cutting through the darkness.

“Theyrehere!” Her fingers flew over the metal, all of her attention drawn to it.

I stepped back in shock as her words came from the band on her wrist.

But it wasn’t her voice.

A flow of sound I couldn’t understand, but Allison surely could, her excitement shining in her eyes.

“Canyouhearme?Hello?Kyla?”

From her worried look, it seemed clear that though the voice went on without stopping, it hadn’t answered her.

“Pleasecananyonehearme?”

The cuff kept talking, the strange sounds only for her ears.

Then the voice changed and I bit back a snarl.

“If you hear this, Reavers of the cities, hear me. Let this be as true as the visions of the teaching chamber. I am Ryven of the Vak’ki, and I swear this on my life. The human women are a new clan from far away.”

I snorted.

Leave it to one of the Vak’ki to state the obvious.

“They’re not part of the Makers, know nothing of the games. They aren’t warriors. Not enemies.”

Allison stared at her wrist, then nodded up at me in frantic agreement.

“I didn’t think you were, little one,” I assured her.

“Help them rejoin their clan. Bring them to the mountains of the Sen’ki. Safe passage is assured.”

Madness.

There was no other word for it.

I could believe in the sudden existence of a new clan.

I could believe in this soft, delicate creature before me, who so clearly didn’t know where she was, what land she’d been brought to.

But I couldn’t believe the words of a Vak’ki.

And safe passage through the lands of the winged ones?

Madness.

As if the speaker heard my unvoiced thoughts, it continued.

“I didn’t believe it was possible either,” the Vak’ki warrior droned on.

“Spend some time with your human woman. You’ll understand soon enough that they’ll change your world.”

The message repeated, the words of Allison’s tongue spilling out, but heedless of her calls, then again the voice of the Vak’ki with his insane claim of safety.

And then the cuff at her wrist was silent.

Allison stared blankly, then turned around, hand pointing in all directions as she spun.

“We can’t go there,” I told her.

Her lips pressed into a tight line as her eyes narrowed.

Perhaps my little one was a warrior after all.

She picked a direction, heading away from the fire before I dashed forward to pull her back.

Bitterness flooded my mouth as she struggled in my arms, but I refused to let her go.

“It’s not safe at night for you,” I told her.

And despite the assurances coming from her bracelet, I wasn’t certain how safe the mountains of the winged ones would be for either of us.

“Besides, we can’t get there right now. Maybe not for a long time.”

She went rigid, staring up at me, her mouth falling into a soft ‘O’ of surprise.

“I’ll show you in the morning.”

CHAPTER 5

ALLISON

I stayed curled by the fire as a third moon joined the first two high overhead, passing out of sight behind the branches twisting above the clearing.

The words of Kyla’s message ran around and around in my mind.

The equipment I’m on wasn’t built for this and I’ve done terrible things to get enough power to send this out. No idea how long I have.

So here’s the important stuff:

Get to the mountains.

Assume everything here will try to kill you.

Most of the natives are friendly, but not all of them.

They don’t have translator implants so won’t be able to understand you.

She’d laughed, and I almost saw her shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.

You’ve probably already figured that out, sorry.

If you meet one of the natives, tell them you need to get to the Sen’ki. That’s the name of one of the clans here. They won’t like it, but hopefully they’ll help.

Just get to the mountains. We’ve got a safe place there, and friends who’ll look for you.

Her voice got tight.

Be careful. Stay safe. And come home.

No matter how often I tried to send a message back, nothing had happened.

Kyla had spoken, followed by a stranger. From his words, it was obvious he was another native of this planet.

A Vak’ki, whatever that was.

Not one of Tirac’s favorite people, from his expression.

But that’d been nothing compared to his reaction to the idea of us going to the mountains.

I wrapped my arms tighter around my knees.

There was something there that’d made him angry, his face twisted into a snarl.

In the morning, he’d promised to show me something, hopefully something to explain it all.

Better than that, maybe he’d show me the way to the mountains, where Kyla was.

How many of the rest of the girls were there?

Worry and exhaustion weighed on me but I couldn’t bear to sleep, instead waiting until daylight for answers.

Tirac wasn’t sleeping either, instead keeping watch over the camp.

Watching over me.

It was hard to tell if it was for my own safety, or to make sure I didn’t try to run off again.

Kyla had said most of the natives were friendly.

What about Tirac?

He had fed me, cared for me.

I still felt the pressure of his hands on my skin, tiny sparks that tingled for hours.

My thoughts spiraled as the flames grew low.

I poked at the fire with a stick, the crackling glow more soothing than I had expected.

Camping had never exactly been something I was interested in.

Had never had the option really.

The gardens back on the Dream were enough wilderness for me.

Wide manicured paths, beautiful banks with borders of blooming flowers.

And most importantly, nothing that’d tried to kill me.

But as I sat there listening to the rustling of the leaves, the uncanny hooting of the birds in the trees, feeding twigs into the crackling fire while waiting for the dawn, I had to admit…

This didn’t completely suck.

I glanced at Tirac, crouched at the other side of the fire pit, the tail that I still couldn’t quite believe in, coiled next to him.

Kyla had mentioned clans. Then where were the rest of his people?

Did he always live alone like this?

All night, as he watched the shadows around us, he’d sorted through a stack of branches, dragging them one at a time close to the fire, and then breaking them into pieces.

The smallest he’d used to keep the fire going, the rest he’d sorted into piles, by some criteria known only to him.

I could ask, I knew.

But the thought of another round of charades just felt overwhelming.

In the morning, he’d take me to the mountains. And it wouldn’t matter what he was doing.

I’d meet up with Kyla and whoever else was with her, and then we’d find a way to get home.

Whatever he was doing with his growing pile of sticks wouldn’t be important at all.

I’d probably never see him again.

That’d be fine. Perfectly fine.

Camping in a deadly jungle with a giant green striped alien with a tail had never been part of my plan.

My hand touched the back of my neck.

It’d all be fine.

As the sky lightened into lavender, I sat up straighter.

But before I asked if it was time for us to go, a rumble rolled through the air.

“What is it?” I gasped, springing to my feet then stumbling to the side, my balance suddenly lost.

With a roar, Tirac sprang over the fire, wrapping me in his arms and carrying me to the ground.

“Get off of me!” I pummeled against his broad chest, but he didn’t move, his elbows braced on either side of me, pinning me to the ground.

“It’ll be over soon,” he muttered.

Oh hell no.

I fought harder, desperate to escape him, but it was no use.

And then I froze.

In my frantic thrashing, I failed to notice one important thing.

Tirac wasn’t moving.

Tirac wasn’t trying to do anything to me at all.

But the ground under us had come alive.

I went still, meeting his eyes.

“Earthquake,” he said

At that point, I didn’t need any further explanation, the world was filling me in quite nicely, thank you.

Something made a deafening crashing noise and he tucked me tighter against his chest, one hand curled protectively over the back of my head.

“Not much longer.”

This close, I couldn’t help but watch his lips, observing the mismatch of what he said to what the translator played in my ear.

That was the only reason I watched his lips so carefully.

They were full, strangely sensual in a face seemingly made of harsh plains.

Then he jolted, a deep grunt escaping him.

“Are you okay?”

Another jolt shook us, and I cursed at my inability to actually talk with him, to use real words and sentences.

“Good?” I asked, feeling like a complete idiot.

Of course, it wasn’t good.

Because I was pretty sure that branches, if not entire trees, were falling on him.

Him, and not me.

But instead of being annoyed, he just laughed.

“Good enough,” he answered. “I’m stronger than you think, little one,”

In seconds, it was over.

The ground stilled, the birds began their songs all over again.

Tirac arched his back, pushing himself up to his knees, the fallen branches sliding away.

For a moment, I gazed up at him kneeling over me, a dark curtain of his hair backlit by the early morning sun, and a thrill ran through me.

Alien. Utterly strange.

Maybe it was sleep deprivation. Maybe it was the last effects of the gas from the pods. Or shock at crashing landing here, and an earthquake.

But for just a moment, I missed his arms around me, the feel of his chest pressing into mine.

My thoughts drifted, and I shook myself.

And that was enough of that, Allison.

I turned and looked at the devastation in the clearing.

It hasn’t been as bad as it sounded, only a few trees had fallen.

Except…

“Oh no!”

I ran back to the crushed shell of the pod, staring at horror at the massive tree that lay across it.

There were things in there, emergency supplies, medicine.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what. It hadn’t seemed even remotely possible that I’d need to be familiar with the exact contents of the escape pod.

I thought I’d have more time, be able to sort through it in the morning, and get whatever I needed.

I shouldn’t have waited.

Shoving at the tree trunk did nothing other than spike my anxiety higher.

“Let me in!” I shouted at it, but not surprisingly, the tree didn’t answer.

“Wait, let me look.” Tirac had come up behind me, his hand on my shoulder pulling me back, keeping me from flinging myself at the wreck.

“Please, I need to get inside,” I begged. He couldn’t understand me, I knew that.

But somehow it didn’t matter. He’d fix it. I knew he would.

Gently, he moved me to the side, setting his shoulder against the column of wood.

A flash of guilt ran through me.

His back had just been hammered by trees not five minutes before.

And now I asked him to do it again.

I was better than that, wasn’t I?

“It’s all right. It’s my fault I didn’t take things out sooner.”

Raising an eyebrow at my stream of sounds, he just shoved against the tree trunk harder.

“Tirac, you can stop now, it’s okay.” I tugged at his waist, but he was as immovable as the tree itself.

Until unbelievably, he managed to shift the tree out of the deep crease it’d made in the side of the pod, and then with one last mighty shove, rolled it to the side.

For a brief moment, hope bubbled in my chest. Sure, I was still stuck here, and sure, it was pretty scary, but I’d take any sort of victory.

I needed one.

But it wasn’t to be.

No matter how I mashed at the control panel, tried to pry the metal open, nothing worked.

The lid was stuck, jammed fast.

I stepped back, fighting back the tears welling in my eyes.

It’s just stuff. It’s not important, I tried to tell myself. You don’t even know what it was.

Tirac tried to jam his fingers into the seam of metal, but he failed as well.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “It’d take more tools than I have with me to open it.”

I sniffed, nodded sharply.

Just stuff.

“New plan,” I told myself, more than him. “I’ll get to Kyla and the others. I don’t need what’s in there. It’ll be fine.”

But first, the basic needs of my body finally caught up with me. The series of gestures and expressions I needed to use to tell Tirac I needed a bush and a little privacy was almost as humiliating as wondering which leaves were safe, and which were some sort of alien poison ivy.

Done, I rejoined him by the pod and tried to focus on the new goal.

“Sen’ki?” I asked hopefully.

Tirac might not like them, whoever they were. But that’s where Kyla said to go, off into their mountains.

So that’s where I was going.

His face hardened. “I’ll show you,” was his only answer.

Oh. That wasn’t good.

The sun rose high above us as we made our way through the jungle, but I still couldn’t see any mountains.

It’s just because the trees are so tall, I told myself.

It was true.

Despite the downed trees all around us, the jungle was thick, silver barked trees twisting up and over us, their branches curving off in a tangle, each capped off with a cloud of blue and green leaves.

“It’s beautiful.”

Tirac glanced back at me, but didn’t say anything.

My chest tightened, just a bit.

He’d been quiet ever since I insisted on going to see the Sen’ki.

Maybe Kyla was wrong. Tirac had done nothing but try to keep me safe, to help me. And if he thought it was a bad idea, maybe I should listen to him.

No. Get to the others.

Figure things out from there.

The further we walked, the more fallen trees I saw.

“This can’t be all from this morning, can it?”

I tried to remember everything I’d ever heard about earthquakes.

New Chicago wasn’t really known for them.

Before I figured it out, a pale peak arose far in the distance, rising over a vast jungle that lay before us.

“There?” I pointed, bouncing on my toes. “Is that it?”

“Yes,” he answered, clearly not needing to understand anything other than my enthusiasm. “Wait.”

And in a few moments I saw why.

My gaze drawn up to the peak, I hadn’t noticed the dark slash across the ground in front of us.

As we approached it stretched out to a wide chasm, blocking our path.

“What is this?” I whispered, as a heartrending lurch clenched at my chest.

Like a giant hand had broken a cookie into two pieces. Here and there.

And the gap between the two was far too broad.

Legs shaky, I took a few faltering steps closer to the edge before Tirac’s arm around my shoulder drew me back.

“This morning wasn’t the first quake to strike this land,” he explained. “Yesterday the ground shook harder, longer. I was out hunting, and when the quake was over, this had appeared.” He gestured to the chasm before us. “I’m trapped here as much as you are.”

The chasm before me seemed to echo with his words.

Trapped.

I didn’t have a plan for this.

Now I didn’t have anything at all.

CHAPTER 6

TIRAC

Allison looked as if I’d struck her.

“I’ll find a way,” I told her, turning away, unable to stomach her disappointment.

Along the walk back from camp to where the Horn had been snapped away from the mainland, I’d fought with myself.

I tried to think of a way to convince her not to listen to the words of the Vak’ki that’d come from her metal cuff, not to risk the mountains of the Sen’ki.

But every thought was swept away by the anguish in her face.

“Give me time,” I promised. If she wanted to go, I’d make it happen.

But she wouldn’t go alone. Safe passage or not, I’d be by her side.

I studied the chasm, dreaming up plans and discarding them just as quickly, until I realized she’d moved away.

“Whatisthat?” she asked, head tilted to the side as if she was listening to something.

I looked around, uncertain as to what she’d asked.

Slowly, she walked away, her steps hesitant, unlike the wild dash she’d made when first confronted with the chasm.

Now she walked parallel to it, and then broke into a run.

I watched for a moment, confused.

The work of the earthquake had been thorough, completely separating us from the mainland. She couldn’t walk around it. The only thing she’d find that way was the sea.

And with that thought, I ran after her.

I’d let her get too far ahead, she already scrambled over the rocky beach, eyes fixed on the dark waves ahead instead of the storm gray stones.

“Allison, stop!” I shouted, but she kept on.

I reached behind me for my bow, swearing as I remembered my failure to find an appropriate replacement last night.

“Wecanjustswim!” she shouted. “Imagoodswimmer!”

All I caught was a single word.

“No, it’s not good!” I shouted back, almost at her side.

But it was too late.

From underneath the rocks sprang a gakul, pebbles flying everywhere by the force of its eruption, long soot-colored snout snapping at her, razor-sharp teeth slashing through the air.

Allison shrieked, falling backwards, scrambling away from it on her hands and feet as the scent of her terror filled the air.

With a bellow of fury, I launched myself at it, knocking it away from her, and greedily it wrapped its short legs around me, as we rolled over the stones.

It was no arsek, deadly but small, flitting through the undergrowth.

The gakuls were monsters, dragging any prey foolish enough to venture too close to their lairs under the waves, ripping and savaging whatever flesh came close to their gaping maws.

Its talons raked at my side as I struggled to lose my arm, but it held fast.

“Get away from him!” Allison screamed, and something thudded against the gakul’s thick hide.

It swung its massive head around, snapping at her in rage.

I craned my head to see her lob another rock at the beast.

“Get back,” I shouted at her, but she kept pelting it with stones, ignoring the danger.

Spurred anew, I wrenched my arm upwards, driving my knife deep into the creature’s belly.

It howled, and I stabbed it again and again until its grip weakened and I could roll away.

But not far.

The click and clatter of stones behind me was all the warning I had.

I lunged to the side as it darted forward, undeterred in its hunt.

Allison threw another rock and it changed course, charging at her again.

Icy resolve flooded my veins and I leapt atop its back, driving my dagger down through its neck, leaning with all my might until the spine cracked, severed.

With the final blow, it went limp under me, the tip of its snout a hand’s breadth away from Allison.

But it hadn’t touched her.

I staggered away to my feet and with a soft cry, Allison flung herself into my arms, her sobs paining me more than my wounds.

“Imsorryimsorryimsorry,” she repeated frantically, then stepping back, she tilted her head up.

Her eyes searched over my face, looking for a meaning I didn’t understand, but something in me responded as I bent over her, drawn in by her gaze.

She slid her arms around my neck. “Ihopeyoudonthatethis,” she whispered.

I had no time to wonder what the words meant before she pressed her lips against mine.

It was as if another earthquake had struck me, shaking my very core, the sweet taste of her lips spurring an insatiable hunger for more.

Allison was a food I’d never dreamt of, but now I cared for nothing but to consume her endlessly.

Her mouth opened against mine and I didn’t hesitate, my tongue sweeping against hers, eager for more, my arms and tail twining about her, holding her close.

Finally, my senses returned.

“It’s not safe here,” I told her as I swept her up into my arms, carrying her away from the bloody remains of the gakul.

“I’ll bring you to your clan. And I’ll keep you safe. I have a plan.”

As I made my way back to last night’s camp, she fell asleep against my chest.

My mind filled with questions while I searched for a new, better place for us to set up a base.

Where’d she come from?

How’d she become separated from her people?

Like all of my clan, like every other Reaver, the history of Thaxos had been imprinted on us as cubs as we passed through the teaching chamber.

The warring cities of the Makers with their towering spires.

Us, their created soldiers, designed and bred solely for war.

The Makers had disappeared long ago, leaving only the remnants of their armies, the ghosts of old battles weighing heavily on us all.

Never in that history had there been any creature as sweet as my Allison, nothing with her soft curves and silken skin.

Her reckless courage and quick emotions.

There was no pattern, no tradition to fall back on here.

We’d have to make our own path together.

When I reached the remnants of last night’s fire, I paused.

The wise thing to do would be to wake her, leave Allison here while I scouted for a sturdy tree, tall and broad enough to serve our purpose.

I gazed at her for long moments, her dark lashes cluttering against her pale cheeks, plump lips even now enticing me.

She should sleep more, I decided.

It was the wisest choice.

It had nothing to do with my reluctance to release her, to keep her close as long as possible.

Slowly, I searched through the jungle, wishing I’d spent more time here on the Horn earlier.

But the lands closer to my clan’s village were rich in game and between the training of cubs and ever vigilant watches against the encroachment of our enemies, there’d been little time to explore so far away.

Picking my way through the brush, I curved my shoulders to shield her sleeping form.

Her limbs lay limp with exhaustion, the toll of whatever had brought her here marked in her still, pale face.

Before long, I’d found what I was searching for.

A grove of jobra trees, their graceful silver trunks clustered in a circle. Shoving my shoulder against each one, they stayed solidly rooted, secure.

I walked around each tree, considering, then sat, my back against familiar bark as I waited for Allison to wake.

Finally she stirred, her eyes still closed, wriggling slightly in my lap.

My cock sprang to attention, but thankfully she didn’t seem to notice, only shifting her shoulders as if an orkin kit stretching.

Then with yawn, her eyelids twitched, and her eyes flew open as she struggled to sit up.

“Itwasntadreamitwasallreal.”

With a soft sigh, she sank back down in my arms, lips curved into a smile.

“Butyoureheregoodmorning.”

“I’ll have to teach you more of our words,” I answered. “But yes, things are good. Look, let me show you.”

Rising up, I placed her on her feet.

She looked around the circle of jobra trees in wonder, the smile spreading to light her whole face.

“My clan builds their homes in these trees, high above the threats from below.”

She nodded slowly, then her brows knit together. “Whataboutthesnakes?”

At my confusion, she wiggled her hands back and forth in the air.

“I don’t understand,” I said blankly.

She crouched closer to the ground, repeated the motion, bringing her clenched fist down in the same area over and over.

“Ah. The arsek.”

She nodded forcefully.

“They won’t find us here,”

I took her hand, running it against the smooth bark.

“The arseks hate these trees, every part of them. Leaves, bark and bloom.”

She didn’t look convinced.

“Do you trust me?”

Allison stepped closer, placing her hand in mine.

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid we’re in for a long boring day.”

“Boringwouldbeanicechange.”

“And perhaps you can teach me more of your words.” I ran my finger over her lips. “Yes and good won’t get us very far.”

Her cheeks colored, and I wondered what she was thinking.

Every warrior of my clan had spent time repairing and maintaining the village.

The task before us wasn’t impossible, but it’d take many hours.

“Stay here, and I’ll be back shortly.”

She shook her head, squeezing my fingers as she stepped closer.

“No.”

That seemed clear enough.

We might’ve moved more slowly, but my chest swelled, pleased with having her near me.

The early afternoon was spent gathering the long thin vines that crept across the jungle floor.

Once my arms were filled with them, we returned to the safety of the jobra trees.

Crouching down, I pulled three from the pile, fashioning them into a long rope.

“Icandothat,” Allison said quickly, teasing out her own sections, her tiny fingers flying over the work.

In no time, she had finished, reaching for another set.

“I’ll bring you more,” I said, slightly stunned.

“Good?”

“Good,” she answered.

Before long, the vines we may need for the first stage of our platform had been gathered and it was time to move to the next task.

While she continued making long coils of rope, I went in search of the branches that’d form our foundation.

Luckily the earthquake had given me plenty of options to choose from.

There was no time for hunting, but while bringing the second load of long, thick branches back to our new home, I discovered a cluster of broula, dark red ovals hanging heavily from the bush.

Peeling one to reveal the creamy flesh within, I handed it to her.

“Good.”

She lay the rope down, stretching her fingers before taking the small fruit. After a quick sniff, she popped it into her mouth.

“Delicious,” she said, licking her lips, small pink tongue darting out to catch the juice from her lips.

My mind blanked even as I half-wondered about the new words.

How could the simple act of her eating affect me so?

As if in a dream, I sat next to her, peeling a second fruit.

But instead of handing it to her, I held it before her mouth.

Her eyes locked onto mine for a long moment, then slowly she leaned forward until her lips wrapped around my fingers, her tongue flicking at the fruit sending fire through my blood.

Had I thought to protect her from the dangers of the jungle?

Right now Allison, with her soft, lush body, was the most dangerous thing I’d ever seen.

CHAPTER 7

ALLISON

Apparently, I’d completely lost my mind.

At no time in my life had my plans involved falling head over heels in love. Or at least lust.

A few casual relationships, sure.

That was normal. Healthy.

But none of them had ever sparked the growing, almost desperate need that spiraled through me when Tirac was near.

We might not have long conversations anytime soon, but from his reaction to my taking the food from his fingers, I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

A muscle jumping in his jawline was his only movement.

I risked a glance at that loincloth and wondered what it hid.

After a minute, he shook himself from his daze.

“This tree will be our home tonight.”

I stared up into its leafy heights.

Why this tree? I wanted to ask, but knew there wasn’t any point.

They all looked pretty similar to me, thick trunks rising straight and tall far overhead then twisting and branching out, the silver of their bark making the perfect background for the large gold heart-shaped leaves.

I looked around the circle again.

It was strange how they clustered together like this.

Almost as if they’d been planted here.

Misreading my expression, Tirac thumped the tree twice with his fist, making the leaves high above us whisper.

“They’re safe,” he said. “Or rather, it is. The jobra trees we see are all part of a single plant deep below.” He struck it again. “While other trees of the jungle may weaken and fall with a quake, these will stay strong.”

That was good to know, but didn’t address my primary concern.

“Imnotreallygoodwithheights,” I whispered.

Tirac stooped over one of the long straight branches he’d spent the afternoon collecting.

In the light, I could tell he sorted them based on how straight they were, trimming off stray shoots with his belt knife as needed.

“Good,” he echoed. “Yes, the jobra trees are very good.”

Even as I sighed again, I had to smile a little bit.

I’d have to teach him more of my words.

“Or…” I twisted the comm bangle on my wrist, considering my options.

They all kinda sucked.

“Stay clear,” he said, breaking through my thoughts.

I glanced up to find he’d already lashed one of the ropes I’d made around the middle of the branch.

Then my jaw dropped open as he jumped straight up.

That answered one question.

As fast as I could think, he scaled the tree, hands and feet moving in a blur, that long thick tail swaying back as if to give him better balance.

My hands flew to my mouth as he passed the first set of branches radiating out from the trunk, looping the rope to one above him.

“Be careful, little one,” he called down and I stepped back quickly, his faith in my brand-new rope making skills a little disturbing.

But I shouldn’t have worried.

The vines stretched as he pulled on them, oozing a sticky sap that bound each braid into a flexible cable.

We worked in a steady rhythm all afternoon. I tied a vine rope to one of the branches, fastening the other end to a length he’d let dangle from above.

Tirac pulled the entire thing up to the fork in the tree that he’d claimed as a base, then placed the branch according to his own design.

Then he’d lower the rope and we did it all over again.

Before the shadows began to lengthen all around us, he’d secured a small platform, resting across two of the branches, lashed securely to the trunk.

He leapt down beside me, a proud smile making him even more handsome.

“Are you ready to see our new home?” he asked, encircling my waist with one arm, holding me tightly to his chest.

With a yelp, my arms shot around his neck, clinging to him.

He looked down, amused. “I won’t let you fall.”

And that was all the warning I had before he made another one of those amazing jumps onto the tree.

I closed my eyes, burying my face into his chest and held my breath. Before I could make another sound, we stopped.

“See what we’ve made together today.”

I took a deep breath, turning my head slightly to peek.

All right, it could work. From below the platform hadn’t looked much larger than my old tablet.

From up here, I could tell it was a little larger than that.

Maybe twice the size of my tablet. That counted as larger, right?

“You don’t look happy,” he said softly, peering down at me.

Get it together, Allison.

This was the man who’d killed a monster for you. Two of them, counting that stupid arsek.

He lived here, he knew what was best.

If he said this was safe, show a little gratitude.

I plastered a smile on my face and beamed at him.

“Good.”

But I kept my arms around his neck.

He didn’t seem to mind, instead moving to the other edge of the platform.

“We’ll add more here tomorrow,” he said. “And then we can add a roof.”

A roof sounded good. Like a house, not just a wooden bench tied to a tree with vines.

Besides, it wasn’t forever. It was just until we figured out how to get across the stupid, massive crack in the ground that the earthquake had made.

And then I’d be off, on my way to meet up with the rest of the girls.

“But now, we hunt,” he continued. “Do you want to stay up here?”

“No!” I yelped.

Not that I’d be any use to him while hunting. But surely there was some gathering that could be done.

Or making more rope, right? We’d need that for tomorrow.

I mimed braiding and he nodded.

“That’d be wise. I’ll bring you more vines, then find something for our bellies.”

A brief remembered taste of the red berries he’d brought for lunch flashed across my tongue and I licked my lips.

Tirac bent over me, his eyes darkening, and suddenly the memory of his lips on mine wiped everything else away.

His face came closer, a fierceness in his expression that had me trembling from its intensity, his tail coming up to brush against my leg leaving goosebumps in its wake.

What was I doing?

And did I want him to stop?

But before I figured out what to do about the liquid pool of want in my belly, he straightened back up.

“Dusk is coming. I must begin the hunt.”

Right.

That was for the best.

My mind still in a whirl, I barely made a squeak as he brought me back down to the ground.

My fingers braided on autopilot throughout the evening.

Some other sort of reptile was on the menu tonight. Tirac carved and wrapped it in leaves, leaving it to roast over the fire while he helped me with the vines.

“Tomorrow, I’ll make a new bow, find something different for our bellies,” he said. “Tonight, we’ll sleep better if we finish these.”

“Why?” I asked, but of course, he didn’t answer.

As the coals burned down, he took the finished ropes and laid them out, crisscrossing them like a net.

Something to hang under the platform, in case I rolled off?

I didn’t know if I should find that reassuring or more terrifying.

Finally, he was finished with the whatever-it-was, and the small tasks that’d quickly become my new evening routine were done.

Instead of skin cream and 100 strokes with the hairbrush, now it was watching him check the fire, making sure there was water in the skin, and finding a reasonable looking bush.

And then, I couldn’t delay any longer.

“We should sleep now,” Tirac said, slinging the net over one shoulder and holding out his hand. “In the morning, we’ll have much to do.”

“I can just stay down here,” I offered, pointing between me and the fire, pillowing my head on my hands. “It’ll be cozy.”

He frowned. “The fire is safe, I promise you.” But he checked it again, showing me the softly glowing coals before wrapping his arm around my waist.

Trust him, I told myself, but I still closed my eyes as he scaled the trunk.

But this time when we reached the platform, he let me go.

Heart pounding in my ears, I scrambled away from the edge, pressing my back against the trunk, unable to look away from the end of the platform.

“A railing would be good,” I whispered. “Or a wall. There could be a nice, tall wall, right there.”

Tirac didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong, instead climbing to a branch overhead, fastening one end of the net to it before leaping to another branch, tying the other end there.

With growing horror, I realized what he was doing.

“I’m not sleeping in a hammock,” I told him, fingers trying to claw into the tree trunk behind me.

Something in my tone caught his attention.

“I’ll sleep on the platform,” he waved me over. “You’ll be more comfortable here.”

“No. Not happening. Not now, not ever.”

He frowned at my torrent of words, head tilted to the side, then patted the netting. “Good.”

“No.”

Seriously, I needed to learn more of his language.

But that was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, I needed to figure out how to get the hell out of this tree.

I glanced down. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

That was a mistake.

The shadows of the forest floor seemed to dance before me, the smooth bark I’d clung to sliding under my skin.

“Allison!” Tirac snapped, pulling me back from where I swayed over the edge.

Turning my face to his chest, I breathed deeply, his strange spicy scent grounding me, sliding as securely around me as his arms.

“Are you afraid?” he murmured softly. “Of me?”

I looked up at him, scrunched my face up to try to convey just how ridiculous that was, and shook my head.

“No.”

“Of the tree?”

“No,” I whispered.

Comprehension donned across his face.

“Of being high in the tree?”

“Yes.”

His arms tightened around me. “It’s safe. And far more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.”

I trusted him. I really did.

But the thought of crossing the platform to climb into the hammock kept my feet frozen into place.

“Here, I’ll show you.”

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he stepped to the hammock, trying to look at it objectively.

Three ropes dangled from the branches above to each end, and a layer of soft leaves lined the net, holding it slightly open.

Tirac’s tail twined around my waist, and feeling a tiny bit bolder with an extra tether, I peeked over the edge.

All right, the hammock wasn’t just hanging over nothing at all.

It was actually just a few feet above the platform.

That was slightly less terrifying.

I relaxed my death grip around his neck, leaning over to pull on the ropes with both hands.

He chuckled. “Nothing to fear at all.”

Maybe not, but I wasn’t getting into that thing by myself.

“Allison.” I raised one hand up, then the other. “Tirac.” Then I pressed them tight to each other before pointing at the hammock. “Together.”

No matter how he protested, I refused to get in without him.

“For someone so small, you have very large opinions.”

I laughed, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation finally overwhelming me.

“That’s the kindest way anyone has put it,” I told him.

With me still wrapped around him, he straddled the netting, then leaned back, the hammock swinging slightly as he lifted one foot then the other, until we were totally suspended.

I lay rigid against his chest, knees on either side of his hips, keeping my gaze firmly on the pattern of stripes on his chest.

Despite my expectations, we didn’t plummet to our deaths.

We didn’t even swing wildly around, instead swaying gently, the golden leaves of the trees all around us whispering to each other.

This was… not terrible?

Tirac’s hands stroked my back, kneading at my neck. Slowly I relaxed into him, stiff muscles slowly melting with his touch.

“Are you all right now?” he asked softly.

I nodded. “Good.”

Suddenly I was very aware of the hard length pushing against my belly, and the question about what was underneath his loincloth became more than theoretical.

The tension that’d strained between us all day since that kiss on the beach grew, tightening until I had to do something.

Carefully, I pushed up on my elbows until I saw his face in the moonlight.

His gaze held mine, unblinking.

I swallowed hard.

This should be scarier than sleeping in a tree.

Maybe too many things had scared me lately. Maybe there wasn’t room for another one.

I inched forward on his chest, lowering my lips to his for the lightest of kisses.

“Good?”

His arms hardened around me like a snare, one hand sliding down my back, fingers caressing the curve of my hip as his other hand cupped the back of my head.

“Better than good. I have no words for you.” His hand tightened slightly at my neck and I gasped, a wave of sensation running straight from his touch to my core. Immediately, he plundered my mouth, plunging his tongue against mine, stealing my breath with his demands.

I moaned, writhing against his chest, the rod of his cock grinding into my mound.

“I don’t know what you have done to me,” he growled, breaking away. “And I don’t care.”

Without warning, he rolled us in the hammock, his body covering mine, trapping me in the heat of his desire.

And then I was lost, his hands roving over me, his mouth claiming me as his own.

Every nerve felt like it was on fire as I melted into him, blinding need wiping away every other thought.

“Move your hands, little one,” he purred.

I blinked, dizzy from his kisses, not understanding.

“Put them here.” He moved my hands over my head. “Hold tightly, you’re a gift, and I’d like to take my time to explore you.”

My fingers curled around the netting, just the rumble of his words sending thrill through my belly.

He rose over me, a dark shadow against the stars, the curve of his tail over his head like a black question mark across the sky.

But as he slowly dragged my shirt up to expose my breasts, I realized every question I had could be answered by him.

My breath came in short pants as he stroked the sides of my torso, strong hands working their way slowly, inevitably towards my breasts.

At the first light touch of his fingertips, I groaned and he leaned closer.

“You must tell me if I should stop,” he whispered, lips caressing the shell of my ear before his teeth nipped at my neck, the contrast with the gentle kneading of my breasts enough to make me quiver beneath him.

He pulled away, and I almost cried out at the absence of his touch.

“Good,” I promised him, releasing the net to pull him back to me. “So good.”

His hands wrapped around my wrists as he brought them above my head again.

“I can find more rope, but I’d rather not move.”

My hands clutched the hammock while my mind stuttered, unable to decide if more rope was a good thing or a bad thing.

Then I couldn’t think at all as his mouth fell on my breasts, licking and sucking, nibbling and kissing.

Tirac was talking, that slow rumbling growl only sent the burning in my veins higher, but I couldn’t understand him, couldn’t hold onto anything right now, the words slipping away from me.

Either the translator was on the blink or my mind simply could no longer process my whole world devolving to Tirac, his body over mine.

His touch.

My need.

The hammock swung slightly as I felt him shift, his hands drifting away from me.

I shook my head, trying to focus, trying to figure out what was going on.

He’d moved to one side, standing on the platform, leaving me sprawled and panting before him.

“These must go,” he growled, thick fingers hooking around the waistband of my tights.

“Wait! No!”

He froze.

Oh shit.

I struggled to stand and gave up, wriggling in the hammock until I managed to push the leggings down over my hips.

“Should I help now?”

“Yes.” I should’ve been able to do it, but right now, figuring out how to get undressed in a hammock seemed impossible.

His hands skimmed down my legs, gently peeling the fabric away from my legs until I was exposed.

“I’ll be more careful in the future, little one.”

His hands caressed my thighs, long strokes moving up and down until I shook.

There was no way of knowing what he’d do next.

No way of guiding him.

Except maybe…

I reached above my head, my hands where he’d obviously wanted them.

“Yes.”

He loomed over me again, and I moved my hands back down to cross them over my chest.

“No.”

Tirac stopped, fingers tapping against my leg as I repeated the performance.

“Yes. No.”

Then I laced my hands firmly into the netting, licking my lips. “Yes.”

All throughout the day, I’d seen how smart he was.

And right now, he had a strong incentive to figure it out.

He dropped the leggings to the platform, then with one swift motion, slid his hands underneath my hips. He stepped back over the hammock, straddling it as he had before.

But this time, my legs were over his shoulders.

And I was half-naked before him.

And when his tongue stroked up the inside of my leg, my shouts were only answered by the wild cries of the birds above.

CHAPTER 8

TIRAC

There was nothing in the world beyond her.

Nothing but Allison.

Her sweet cries, the trembling of her body, the intoxicating scent that only grew stronger with every touch, with every taste.

No hunt had ever been so thrilling. No hunger ever so sharp.

There was no thought, no question, only wild craving as I licked and teased, slowly working up her legs until the scent of Allison filled me completely.

My cock strained against my loincloth, the need for her almost painful, but I ignored it.

She was a never ending gift, mystery piled upon mystery, and I’d explore everything, slowly.

The folds between her thighs glistened in the moonlight, the aroma impossible to resist.

I licked at it slowly, and she shrieked, her heels drumming against my back, her hips bucking in my grip.

I lifted my gaze to watch her as I tasted her again.

Lush lips formed a slack “O”, eyes half lowered, but her hands were still tightly wrapped in the vines of the hammock.

As I tasted her again, her whole back arched up, but she didn’t let go.

Which was good, because now that I’d had the taste of her honey on my tongue, I wasn’t entirely certain I could stop.

With the next taste, I found a small knob at the top of her folds and nibbled at it, curiously.

Allison’s shouts echoed through the trees as her body spasmed, trembling waves passing through her until she lay slack, spent.

I gathered her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her as I lay back down on the hammock.

Smoothing her hair back from her face, my tail wrapped around her legs, binding her to me.

I gazed at her sleeping face until eventually I joined her in slumber.

The morning calls of the kaqen birds woke me as the sunlight filtered through the leaves high above.

I should’ve moved. There was too much to do today.

But instead, I lay quietly, holding Allison, studying her face.

It seemed impossible she’d only come into my life such a short time ago.

What had the Vak’ki said in the words that came from her metal cuff? The human woman would change my world.

It was true, but hadn’t gone far enough.

Somehow she’d become my world.

For once in my life, I felt at peace, not driven to go faster, frustrated with the slow speed of everything around me.

My world might’ve been turned upside down, but I didn’t care.

One thing I knew for certain.

Allison was mine.

Whatever she wanted, I’d get it for her.

Whatever she needed, she’d have.

And I’d destroy anyone or anything that tried to take her away.

Slowly her lashes fluttered, and she met my gaze with a smile.

“Good morning,” she said softly.

I hadn’t meant to kiss her, but she was irresistible, her taste driving all reason from me.

Finally, I broke away. “Come, I have a plan.”

Her face lit up. “Ilikeplans.”

Handing her the pants we had discarded the previous night, I was glad to see they appeared to be undamaged.

But instead of putting them on, she gripped them tightly and pointed towards the forest floor.

“Illwaittillweredown.”

I held her steady as she sat up, the thin fabric of her shirt skimming down over her torso, hiding her from my view again.

I bit back my disappointment.

Of course she should be covered.

We had things to do, and her skin was soft, too tender to risk the sharp brambles of the jungle.

But still, my fingers itched to touch her again.

Holding her hand out for mine, she stood cautiously, stepping away from the hammock towards the tree trunk.

Her lips pressed tightly together, but her eyes didn’t hold the terror that’d marked her expression yesterday.

“Has your fear left you?” I asked.

She laughed, one short sharp burst.

“No.”

She may still have fear, but this time as we descended the tree, she didn’t hide her face, instead looking around curiously.

“It’s a long walk back to where the earth broke,” I told her as she detangled the thin slippers from inside of the pants, pulling them on carefully.

As her smooth skin disappeared from view, my thoughts faltered, the memory of her taste erasing my next words.

Her eyebrows raised at my silence. “Good?” she finally asked.

I shook myself. “But I want to try something. Will you come with me or stay here?”

She stepped closer, her answer clear.

As we traveled back, I named the bushes and trees we passed, gathering more of the vines as we went.

She pulled at one end of the vine over my shoulders, twisting her hands as if she were fashioning rope.

“Not today,” I answered. “Today we need nets.”

Once at the chasm, I scanned the area for threats, then laid four vines, crossing them and knotting them to show her how. “But with the gaps as small as you can manage.”

She nodded once. “Good.” She started to work, her clever fingers already busy. I watched her for a moment, then went to my own tasks.

Walking along the edge of the chasm, I measured, judging, until finally I was certain I’d found the narrowest spot.

The gap was still far too wide for me to leap, even without holding Allison.

It was impossible to risk it.

But in the early morning hours, I’d thought of another way.

Searching through the downed trees, I pushed them until they lay flat, measuring them against the gaping void.

“These will do,” I decided, dragging the three longest back to the edge.

For the next part of my plan, I scoured the area for all the rocks I could find.

The ground there was soft, but a few large stones were at hand.

I eyed the rocky beach of the gakuls.

Later. If I couldn’t find enough to make up the weights that I needed, those stones would still be there.

Instead I went back to the edge of the jungle, pulling up every stone larger than my fist.

One by one, I gathered them, piled them by my selected trees.

Allison came to join me, the nets slung over her shoulder.

“I don’t know if it’s a good plan,” I confessed. “Even if it works, it’ll be many days of travel before we can join your clan.”

Her radiant smile warmed me, hardened my determination to see the plan through.

She trusted me.

I’d ensure she wouldn’t regret it.

I took the net from her hands, the fine mesh perfect for its task.

“This part at least, I know will work.”

I pulled at the mesh of the net until the vines stretched, their sap hardening the knots. Then I pulled more until all of Allison’s work was a sticky mess.

“Now we must work quickly.”

Quickly, I moved the pile of rocks into the net, letting the sap bind them together, making one solid mass.

Allison handed me the second net and we repeated the process until we’d had a massive wall, so heavy I couldn’t shift it.

Allison looked at the wall, and back to the trees, her brows knitting together.

“That was the hard part,” I told her. “The rest should be easy.”

I hoped.

Dragging the first of my chosen logs over to the wall, I pushed its broken trunk against the stone, moving back to where the branches dragged in the dirt.

“Stay back,” I warned her, stooping down, resting the top of the trunk over my shoulder.

The base stayed steady, firmly planted against the barrier we’d made.

“Now I should just have to walk forwards, see?”

Step-by-step, I pushed the trunk higher, as if attempting to undo the work of the earthquake.

The closer I came to the wall, the higher the tree rose, but as it moved, the trunk rocked, rolling and untethered.

I stopped to shift my shoulders, easing it back into position.

Over halfway there.

One step, then the next.

Something jolted, sending shudders through the bark.

“Therocksaremoving!”

I looked up to see what Allison had shouted about, and swore.

The stone wall had shifted, unable to retain the weight of the tree.

I hurried my steps, now in a race.

But it was one I couldn’t win.

One side of our stone wall swung away towards the gap, and the tree slid forward, tumbling into the chasm.

And for a moment, my hopes tumbled with it.

Allison ran to my side, her face a mirror of my disappointment as we looked down.

The log had stuck halfway to the bottom, far too deep for me to retrieve it.

Too deep to be of any use at all.

Allison tugged at my wrist, pointing to the wall and spreading her arms wide above her head.

“Yes,” I agreed. “It would’ve worked if the wall had been heavier. Let’s try.”

I scoured again for rocks, this time making two piles, each as large as the first had been.

When Allison had finished the nets, we made two new barriers.

One angled against our first attempt so they formed the point of an arrow, aiming towards the chasm.

The final wall we set against that point, piling more stones on it until it seemed rooted to the earth, then more nets around the entire structure to hold them fast.

Allison’s face was tight as I moved the second tree into position.

“It’ll work,” I assured her.

The bottom of the tree sat securely in the wedge made by the stone walls, making the first half of my task simpler.

Without rolling, without shifting in the slightest, all I had to do was keep walking.

Past the halfway mark now, and the wall still stood firm.

The weight slowed my steps but hadn’t stopped them until finally the tree stood up right, as tall as it’d ever had.

And with the final push, I shoved it over.

It fell straight and true, bridging the gap with room to spare, its branches flattened against the far side.

Allison bounced up and down, clapping her hands together and I ran to her, swinging her up into my arms and whooping in victory.

Still laughing, she pressed her mouth to mine again and gladly I claimed my prize.

Finally letting her down, I moved to the base of the tree, pushing it slightly with my hand.

“It seems firm enough.” I pushed again. The wisest thing would be to get more rocks and pile them up again. But we had won.

The gap was bridged.

We could start our journey now.

Except… a niggle of doubt nagged at me.

“We’ll leave soon, but before you cross, let me be sure.”

From her arms crossed over her chest, I was fairly certain Allison would argue with me if she could.

Leaping up to the top of our new bridge, I grinned at her, pleased with my success.

“I’ll be right back.”

CHAPTER 9

ALLISON

When he’d raised the tree, it seemed impossibly large.

Now that Tirac walked across it with all the grace of a cat on a narrow fence, it seemed impossibly narrow.

His steps were light, his tail moving easily from side to side.

I clutched my hands together until my fingers hurt.

It’d work. He’d make it.

And then he’d come back, and he’d get me, and we’d go off to those mountains and meet those other people he didn’t like, and I’d find my friends.

It’d be okay.

And then I felt it, a low sound pushing against my bones.

“Come back!” I shouted, falling to my knees, dreading what came next.

Tirac turned to look at me, his smile fading to concern.

“It’s another quake!”

But he didn’t need me to tell him, not anymore.

The log rolled and shifted beneath his feet and his eyes widened.

He sprang forward, powerful legs pumping madly to get back to safety.

“He’s going to make it, he’s going to make it, he’s going to make it.”

And then came a sound that hit me like a blow. The branches holding up the far side of the log slipped, scraping across the edge.

Falling with nothing to hold it up.

He was so close, I saw his lips twist into a snarl as he sprang forward, hands and feet scrabbling, pushing himself away from the void.

As the tree plummeted, taking him with it, he reached the jagged broken end of the trunk.

Then he jumped, soaring through the air, hands outstretched to grasp the lip of the chasm.

But it was too far.

“No!” I screamed, flinging myself down to look over the side, bracing myself to see his broken body, unable to look away.

But he was there.

Clinging to the wall of the crevasse, rocks and dirt raining down all around him.

With disbelief, I saw him move.

My heart leapt to my throat.

He was climbing. Driving his hands into the rocks, pulling himself up inch by inch.

Then his hand slipped, the rock he’d held turning to be nothing more than a clump of earth.

Another shower of dirt fell on him, and he looked up at my gasp.

“Allison, get back! It’s not safe for you.”

I scrambled back, but not for safety.

Dashing to what was left of my pile of vines, I scooped them up, racing over to our backwards K of stone.

It’d been strong enough to hold the log as he pushed it.

Surely it’d be enough to anchor a rope.

But none of the stones jutted out enough for me to wrap the end of the vine around.

Nearly sobbing with frustration, I managed to thread one into the vine through the mesh, pulling it to form a loop, then nodding and looping the rest of the vines I had left.

There was no time to braid a proper rope. I didn’t even have enough vines.

It’d have to do.

“Watch out!” I shouted as I threw the line over the edge.

It wasn’t long enough.

His eyes met mine before he turned back to watch it sway above him.

With sudden terrifying clarity, I knew what he’d do.

I wrapped my hands over my mouth, sure that any sound would distract him.

He made one more jump.

And this time he made it, the vine stretching under his weight, but the knots holding fast as he climbed.

Hand over hand, he pulled himself up until finally he flung his body over the top, rolling onto his back, chest heaving.

I collapsed next to him, burying my face in his shoulder while all of my terror erupted in a wash of tears.

I’d never been much of a crier.

It was a weakness. Didn’t like something? Work to fix it.

But for those horrible long minutes, I’d been faced with something I’d never be able to fix.

Just the thought of his absence was enough to rip me in two.

After a moment, his arm closed around me.

“I’m sorry little one. I’ll try again tomorrow.”

I sat up in shock. “No.”

He raised himself to one elbow, head tilting to the side.

“But your clan is that way. I’ve said I’d return you to them.”

“No.” I stood up, grabbed his wrist and pulled at him.

Humoring me, he stood, letting me drag him back, away from the gap.

“No,” I repeated again, and this time I led the way back into the jungle.

Until we had a better plan, it was where we’d stay.

As we walked through the brush, the whirl of my thoughts focused on one laser bright point.

This was my world now.

It wasn’t what I’d planned. It wasn’t necessarily what I wanted.

I glanced up at Tirac, heat burning my cheeks.

Although, it had some upsides.

But this was reality.

And I’d better act like it.

Once we were in the circle of jobra trees, I stopped.

There were so many things to do, so many things to learn.

But first, I’d need to get something out of my way.

Pressing my thumb against the seam of the comm bangle, I held it down through the series of confirmation beeps.

“Are there more messages from your clan?” Tirac asked.

I shook my head, even as a small, scared part of me shrieked that this was a terrible, horrible idea.

If I continued on this path, even if there were more messages, I wouldn’t know about them.

But now, there were more important things.

Like survival.

With the click, the latch of the comm bangle finally released, and Tirac caught it before it hit the ground.

My arm felt strangely light without its familiar weight.

I could always put it back on, I told myself.

But as long as the comm bangle and the implant did the work of translating Tirac’s words for me, I’d never learn them for myself.

Back at the chasm, when he’d clung to the cliff side, he probably had thought I’d abandoned him.

I hadn’t been able to tell him what I was doing.

And if it hadn’t worked, if he’d fallen, been injured, even —

I stopped my thoughts.

I wouldn’t have been able to tell him anything.

And that was going to change.

Time to begin again.

“Allison,” I pointed at myself, placing my hand across his chest. “Tirac.”

Then I pointed to the tree that held our platform.

His brows drew together in confusion and I winced.

Of course he’d told me what that tree was called before. He’d explained what he was doing.

And at the time, I’d understood him perfectly.

There wasn’t a way to tell him why things were different now.

But that was kind of the point, wasn’t it?

Patiently, he went over the names of the trees and plants that made up our surroundings again with a good bit of questions in between, ones I couldn’t answer.

I shrugged, wishing I could explain.

This time, the translator didn’t overlay his words, and in time, I’d be able to figure it out what the sounds had in common, and how the words were tied together. Syntax and vocabulary.

Of course, it’d take time. But it looked like we’d have plenty of it.

As each day passed I gathered my words like little treasures.

The sounds felt harsh on my tongue, but with every smile of Tirac’s, every half broken conversation we managed, I glowed a little more inside.

Maybe that wasn’t the only reason.

Language lessons were interspersed with fashioning the necessities of life.

I made rope. So much rope. But Tirac had used it to expand our tree house, wrapping the floor all the way around the trunk of that first tree, even building a short railing at my insistence.

We now had a section I thought of as the kitchen, separate from the bedroom where the hammock swung.

And although I rather enjoyed him carrying me up to our new nest, I’d knotted together a rope ladder.

Sometimes a girl wants to get in and out of her treehouse by herself.

No long hot showers here, but the deep pool formed by a rocky spring was happily free of things trying to kill me, and the warm water made it my own personal hot tub.

My sleeveless tunic and leggings had been replaced with a short dress of soft leather, my sturdy boots, made from the tough hide of a gakul, hung on a peg, stuffed with the leaves of the jobra tree when I wasn’t wearing them.

But there was one creature here, like a small golden deer, that Tirac refused to hunt.

“It brought me to you,” he explained simply. “Let it live as happily as we do.”

Because despite it all, much to my surprise, I was happy.

Once the basic shape of our tree house had been formed and Tirac had replaced his weapons, our days fell into an easy routine.

And every night, he insisted on exploring me more, my hands still laced in the familiar net of our hammock.

Good and yes were still an essential part of my vocabulary, until I screamed them at the stars, shattered by his ever more confident touch, and that wicked, wicked tongue.

But tonight, I wanted more.

I looked over my preparations, chewing at my lower lip.

It wasn’t exactly a fine dining experience.

On a mat I’d woven from leaves, I’d arranged everything I could think of.

Thin slices of roasted arsek meat lay on top of a small salad of fern-like greens that were surprisingly spicy.

There was no delicate china, no silver.

All of my attempts at making pottery had ended badly, two lumpen cups the only survivors.

Our dinner rested on thin discs cut from one of the fallen trees I’d rubbed over and over again with rocks until they were smooth.

A skin of varla wine hung from a peg in the wall, but my gaze went to the small leather bag next to it.

My comm bangle lay wrapped inside, silent.

For a while, I had checked every night for a new message.

But nothing had come.

And then I just stopped.

Of course, I wanted to find the others.

But right now, they’d have to get on without me.

I grimaced a little.

I hadn’t been the easiest person in the world to get along with.

Sarah and the rest of the girls were probably perfectly happy to do without me for a while, to be honest.

But I’d find them again.

One of these days.

Right now I was only interested in the whereabouts of one person.

Glancing out, I checked the shadows against the trees.

Finally, I saw him cross the clearing, his footsteps slow and although he embraced me the moment he climbed into our nest, something felt off, different.

“Did anything bad happen today?” I asked nervously. “Are you hurt?”

“What? No,” he said, absently picking at my carefully prepared dinner.

But I didn’t believe him.

We ate the rest of our meal in silence, and with every bite, my chest grew tighter.

I might not be completely fluent with Tirac’s words yet, but I could certainly read his body language.

Grabbing the wine skin from the hook, I refilled both of our cups, tapping his leg to bring his distant gaze back to me.

“Tell me. What’s wrong?”

He picked up his cup, staring into the purple liquid.

“I went back to the chasm today. I thought that with my new bow I could send a line over, make the beginning of a bridge that way.”

My worry turned to icy fear in a second, and after a long drink, he continued. “But no matter where I shot, it didn’t matter. There was nothing strong enough to hold the line fast.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I declared. “It’s not worth the risk. We don’t need to cross, right?”

He reached out, enfolding my hand with his own.

“I want you to be happy. You still check the bracelet for words from your people. I should return you to them.”

“I’m happy,” I insisted. “I’m happy here. I’m happy with you.”

It was true.

Sure, it wasn’t the life I’d planned for myself. But something deep in my soul had become at peace here, as if a tightly wound knot had slowly, gradually relaxed, all the tension and drive I’d used to push forward my entire life melting away into calm.

We were a little country of two, and with every passing day, I found myself reluctant to leave it.

But Tirac didn’t look convinced, his face still clouded with doubts.

“Let me show you how happy I am,” I decided, rising to my feet, then pulling him upright. “Do you trust me?”

That got his attention, his eyes fixing on mine, brows knit together. “Of course.”

“Then tonight it’s my turn to explore you.”

I circled around him, my fingertips tracing over the stripes decorating his body.

Each one familiar to me, its jagged lines forming the map of his body.

Standing behind him, I ran my palm up his back to his shoulders, then lightly scratched with my nails back down, delighting in the way he shivered at my touch.

My hands rested on his loincloth. This was the final bridge.

Was I sure I wanted to cross it?

Through all of our nights, all through his very thorough explorations of my skin, he’d stoutly refused to undress.

And now, both my curiosity and my hunger were at the breaking point.

Stepping closer to his back, I slid my hands down, grazing over the cord at his hips holding the loincloth in place, caressing the front of his thighs.

“Allison, what’re you doing?” he whispered, his voice already shaking.

“Nothing much yet,” I promised, pausing my movements. “If you want me to stop, I will.”

“No, it’s strange, but no.”

That was a relief. Because now I’d started, I really, really didn’t want to stop.

“You just let me know,” I said, but before he could say anything else, I grazed the palm of my hand over the front of his loincloth, a quick hiss his only reply.

Still standing behind him, I rubbed harder, as if I’d discover what lay beneath the covering through touch alone.

“Allison,” he groaned.

“Good?” I whispered, lips brushing against his back.

“Good,’’ he agreed.

Whatever he was hiding was huge. Hard. And that was all my hands could tell me.

Time to explore a little further.

Moving back around, I sank to my knees on the mat before him.

“What are you—”

The rest of his question was cut off as I began to un-pick the knotted cord.

Maybe the leather was strained. Maybe my hands were shaking, just a little bit.

But finally it loosened, and the loincloth fell away.

Oh my.

It wasn’t a surprise the striping continued all over.

But the ridges, concentric rings running down the thick length of his cock, were.

My mouth fell open in surprise, and a jolt ran through my core as I imagined what it’d feel like.

But first things first.

I darted my tongue out, giving the tip of his cock a quick swipe, then looked up.

Tirac looked shocked, wide eyes focusing on where my fingers danced around his wide base.

Wrapping my fingers around the back of his thighs, I brought my head down again, still holding his gaze, peering up through my lashes.

There was no way this monster would fit in my mouth.

I licked around it, letting my tongue trail over the rings as I listened to his breathing grow ragged.

His tail whipped furiously behind him, his legs trembling with an invisible strain until with a roar, his control broke and he swooped down, yanking me to my feet.

“You don’t know what you do to me,” he growled, his fingers digging into my arms. “You don’t know what I want to do to you.”

I stepped closer, wrapping both hands around his cock, slowly stroking him as I licked my lips, not once looking away from his heated gaze.

“Show me.”

Maybe I should’ve thought about that a little more closely, but it was too late now.

Before the words had left my lips, he pulled me into his arms, long strides carrying us around the tree to where our hammock swung.

With a growl, he ripped my dress from my shoulders, leaving me bare before him, the cool evening air sending goose bumps over my skin.

I didn’t have time to even yelp in surprise before he spun me back to him, pushing me to lay face down across the width of the hammock, my legs dangling, toes not quite touching the floor of the platform.

As if by instinct, my fingers twined into the net and I shuddered, as his hands ran down my back, his fingertips kneading into the curve of my hips.

His hands stilled for a moment. “Good?” he asked, his voice strained and tight.

“Good,” I answered, every nerve in my body quivering with tension in anticipation.

He didn’t keep me waiting long.

Slowly, steadily, he pushed his cock between my dripping folds, every ridge stretching me more until finally he was seated deep within and I was nothing more than a shuddering mass, clutching at the hammock.

And then he thrust into me.

Pulling out and plunging in with one smooth motion, those damn, wonderful ridges hitting my clit over and over again, building up speed even as the pressure mounted behind my eyes until, with a scream, the wave of pleasure broke over me, sucking me under.

But he wasn’t done yet.

CHAPTER 10

TIRAC

Her walls spasming around my cock nearly drove me out of my mind.

With a swift thrust, I buried myself in her again, this time pulling her hips hard against me so there was no escape, holding her tightly while she shook harder, her head pulling back as she cried out, the words falling from her lips a senseless babble.

And still I wanted more.

“Hold on, little one,” I murmured, reluctantly withdrawing completely as she moaned in protest.

Scooping her up from the hammock, I knelt on the floor with her held on my lap, kissing and sucking down the flushed curve of her neck, until her eyes fluttered open.

“Good?” she asked softly.

I didn’t bother to reply, instead sweeping my tongue over her lips until they parted for me, plundering her mouth, drinking in her taste.

As her arms wrapped around my neck I lifted her, spreading her knees open to straddle my waist, the head of my cock bumping against her silken folds.

“You’re always beautiful, my Allison,” I told her as I pulled her down further, her mouth trembling as I pushed deeper within her. “I can’t help wanting to watch you at every moment.”

A low, wordless groan escaped her lips. “Every sound, every look, every touch of your skin, I want to keep, to claim.”

“Claim me,” she whispered. “Keep me.” Hands pressed hard against my chest, she pushed herself down further, panting. “Take me.”

At her words, the inferno of need swept over me, burning away every thought, every shred of control as I drove into her, again and again until, with her head thrown back she screamed, body rigid, trembling widely, and I roared my own release into the sky above.

Her body slack and sated, I stroked her hair back, studying her face as she drifted into sleep.

“Believe me yet?” she murmured, eyes half closed. “I’m very, very happy.” Snuggling against my chest, she gave a happy sigh. “B’sides, I think I love you.”

My ears pricked up.

Love?

Her skill at speaking my language had grown every day, yet there were still times she spoke strange words in her own tongue, things that made no sense to me.

Spaceship.

University.

Solar flare.

But this was new.

Love?

Lazing around our hut, lost in each other’s arms, the sun was high before we managed to break away.

“I’m going with you today,” Allison announced as she stitched back together the shoulder straps of her dress, her hands pulling the fine bone needle, threaded with gut as if she had been doing it all of her life.

I sat behind her, my hands kneading at the muscles of her neck. “I’m always pleased to have your company,” I said, as my hands worked lower, towards the tempting swell of her hips.

She leaned back, tilting her head up, eyes full of mischief. “Stop that, or we’ll never leave the house.”

“That’s a bad thing, why?” I leaned forward to claim her mouth, but she quickly leaned away, tying off her sewing and slipping the dress over her naked form.

“Because I have an idea for another dish,” she said. “Not that you tasted much of anything we ate last night.”

I pulled her to me. “I can think of something I’d like to taste right now.”

Her breath caught, her eyes darkening, then she shook herself.

“Later,” she promised. “Also, I think I’m going to need another dress.” She pulled on her boots, and wrapped the thick belt of hide around her waist, sheathing my dagger at her hip.

I slung our weapons over my back and reached for her. “If I can have the pleasure of tearing them off you, I’ll get you as many skins as you need.”

She pressed her lips together, then broke out laughing. “Only if you help stitch them up as well.”

“Whatever you’d like,” I said as I took her in my arms and we descended to greet the world.

“Why do we never go this way?” Allison asked, stepping slightly to the north.

“Infested with gakuls? Some new kind of snake?” Her face scrunched up terribly. “Those giant spiders you told me about?”

I laughed as I handed her the quiver of short spears I’d hardened in the fire. My bow would serve me well enough, and although she protested, I couldn’t bear to see her unarmed.

She donned her weapons with the ease of growing practice, adjusting the strap across her back.

“Nothing so drastic,” I explained. “There’s simply less game to be found that way.”

I dropped down to a crouch, grabbing a stick to draw a rough map in the dirt.

“Here’s where the lands of my clan meet the sea.”

“And over there,” she squatted next to me, pointing to the east. “Those are the mountains.”

I couldn’t tell what lay behind her words.

Her voice was calm, but I knew she must still long for her people. Still, I couldn’t take her there, not yet.

“Yes, the mountains of the Sen’ki lay there, the forests of the Vak’ki to the other side.”

She said nothing further about them, and I continued. “But we’re here.” I returned back to the coastline, and drew a triangle that jutted out from the side. “The further we went from the chasm, the narrower the land around us became. So we hunt towards the chasm.”

“But that means we don’t know what’s over here at all.” She tapped the point of the Horn. “Do you?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Then let’s go see what’s there.” She stood, dusting the dirt from her hands. “As long as you promise me no giant spiders.”

I led the way north, and she fell into step behind me.

The mardix weren’t here.

I scowled, searching my memories.

At least, I was fairly certain they weren’t.

The sun lowered in the sky, and still no mardix or any of the rest of the Makers creations confronted us.

Twice my arrows had flown true, bringing down the bawet that’d make tonight’s dinner.

And once Allison had pinned an arsek to the jungle floor with her spear, lopping off its head and wrapping the rest of the body in leaves, tying it into a tight bundle to add to the game bag.

“I wonder what sort of wood we need to smoke these over to make barbecue,” she mused as we continued on.

Before I asked what barbecue was, or why we’d want it, a bright reflection caught my eye.

“There, do you see it?” I whispered, pointing ahead.

Her head moved slightly as she searched, then she stifled a gasp.

“That’s metal.” Her hand rose towards it, then fell back to her side. “The only thing here we’ve seen that’s metal was my pod.”

She whirled towards me, eyes wide. “What if someone else is here?” Breaking into a run, I followed her, cursing.

But as we grew closer, her steps slowed.

It wasn’t anything like the metal shell she’d slept in.

But I had no idea what it could be.

A smooth expanse of metal that ran in a straight line, parts hidden from our view by seasons of leaf fall, laced over by the roots of other trees.

It rose up from the ground before disappearing again less than an arrow’s shot away.

Allison walked beside it, pointing into the brush ahead.

“There it is again!”

We followed the strange trail, and though it rose and sank, the track ran straight and true.

“But what is it?”

I shook my head, unable to give her an answer. “No one of my clan did this,” I told her. “It would seem to be something from the time of the Makers, but there’s no city here.”

She chewed her lip, eyes distant. “But they didn’t all live in cities, did they? It’d seem strange for them to leave the whole rest of the world alone. Shouldn’t we see where this goes?”

“All I’ve ever heard of was the cities, and the arenas they made for their Reavers to battle in,” I said slowly. “But if this is here, there was obviously more.”

Allison moved to continue following that path, but I stayed still.

“We should be careful. The Makers weren’t kind. Their works aren’t to be trusted.”

Allison returned to my side, slipping her hand into mine and squeezing. “But they’re all gone, right? You said they died a long time ago.”

I nodded. “None have seen them outside of the lessons of the teaching chamber,” I agreed.

“But the elders of my clan passed down stories from before we came into the jungle, when we were kept in the barracks of the city to fight and die for their amusement.”

To my surprise, Allison snarled, pink lips curling to reveal her small white teeth

“They may all be dead, but it doesn’t stop me from hating them,” she announced. “How could they do something like that to you? Who thinks about creating entire kinds of people, just to fight their wars for them?”

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to me so I could press a kiss to the top of her head.

“As you said, it was all a long time ago. Besides, if they hadn’t, I wouldn’t’ve been here when you arrived.”

She raised one eyebrow. “I still hate them.”

Her gaze scoured the metal trail before us, then she turned away from it. “Let’s go back. As far as I can tell, you’re the only good thing that came from those assholes.”

It’d be the wise decision, I knew.

My clan had disdained the remnants of the Makers, only using the generator and teaching chamber as needed to keep our numbers strong.

But we knew of the artifacts. The tools and devices the Makers had created.

What if this trail led to something like that? Something that’d help us cross the chasm, help restore Allison to her clan?

I couldn’t turn away from the chance.

“No,” I decided. “You were right. We should see where this leads.”

Worry crossed her face. “Are you sure?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure I don’t want a mystery at our backs.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” she said as we cautiously resumed our strange hunt.

I carefully kept myself between Allison and the metal path.

If it released some unknown creature of the Makers, if some artifact designed to maim and kill appeared, I’d be the one to take the blow.

In silence, we continued, but not for long.

“Tirac!” Allison yelped.

I spun in time to see the tips of her fingers as she vanished into the earth.

And then, she was gone.

CHAPTER 11

ALLISON

I barely had time to scream before I landed with a thud on a hard cold surface.

“I guess that’s one reason for a little extra padding back there,” I mumbled, rolling over to try to push myself up on my hands and knees, the strap of the spear quiver sliding between my breasts.

“Allison!” Tirac shouted from above. “Are you all right? Where are you?”

“Yes, I think so.” I looked around, but it was too dark to see anything.

Groaning, I dragged myself to my feet, but despite craning my neck upwards, I only saw a faint speck of light above me.

How far had I fallen?

“I’m okay but I don’t know if I can climb out.”

“I’ll be right there.”

A small shower of earth announced Tirac had begun his descent in a much more controlled fashion than mine.

Hands in front of me, I shuffled forward, trying to get a sense of how large the pit was, but as I moved, the floor under me seemed to shift and bow with each step.

That was odd.

It wasn’t like an earthquake, it was like walking across something hollow.

I knelt down, patted the earth, then hissed in surprise.

It wasn’t ground.

Underneath the thin layer of soil, it was cold and solid.

More metal?

Another pelting of small stones fell from where Tirac was climbing, and the floor vibrated like a drum beneath me.

“I’m almost there,” Tirac called down. “Stay where you are so I don’t land on you.”

He was going to jump. Of course he was.

He leapt everywhere, big, powerful body carrying him along.

Big, powerful, heavy body…

“Wait!” I shouted.

But it was too late.

With a resounding thump echoing through the pit, he was at my side.

And the floor collapsed beneath us.

“Thrak!”

Tirac’s arm shot out to wrap around me, as he twisted and tucked me tight into his chest.

I braced myself but he took the brunt of the impact, landing on his back and rolling with me caged in his arms, until we finally came to rest.

Once we stopped, I could barely hear his words over the thudding of my heart.

“Are you all right?”

I couldn’t do anything more than simply gaze at him, my breath knocked out of me.

He frowned, pushing himself up on his elbows. “Allison, say something, answer me.”

“Why can I see you?”

He blinked. Obviously that wasn’t the answer he’d expected.

“Because I’m right here?”

I shook my head, sitting up with his hand resting at my back for support.

“No,” I said slowly. “In the pit I couldn’t see you at all, couldn’t see anything.”

I looked around, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

A long tunnel stretched out before us in either direction.

When I looked up, only blackness marked where the roof had collapsed, but to either side, set into the ceiling shone a thin strip of pale pink light.

“There’s power down here?” I wondered, realizing that wasn’t the only source of illumination.

Scattered all around us were hunks of rock, from the size of my head to as small as my fist, and they all gave off the same eerie glow.

Tirac handed me one of the smaller ones. “Deiyon stones. They come from the hills far to the south.”

For a moment, I wondered what’d make rocks glow like that, then shook the worry away.

Right now, I needed the light. Plenty of time to think about radiation poisoning and other fun things once we were out of here.

“Is this place something the Makers built?” I asked.

Tirac moved to a crouch and winced as he rolled his shoulders, his tail, always a reliable interpreter of his moods, swaying behind him as if it was also considering options.

He pulled off his quiver, checking over the bow and arrows for damage. Hurriedly, I followed suit.

Four of my spears had cracked, leaving me with only two, and his knife was still secured at my hip.

Tirac added three arrows to the pile, carefully removing the metal heads and adding the sharp points to the gamebag.

When the bow passed inspection, I couldn’t help the sigh of relief washing over me.

“I don’t know what else it could be,” he finally answered. “And I don’t know if we should stay here to find out.”

I was okay with that.

At first, following the half-buried metal pipe had been interesting, my mind racing with possibilities.

Maybe it’d lead us to a secret city, filled with the tools and technology Tirac had told me once filled the old world.

The dead cities, he’d called them.

Empty and echoing, decaying and plundered over the years.

But if this was an unknown one, maybe we’d find something useful, something that’d build a bridge.

I’d laughed, almost giddy.

If the Makers had been able to genetically engineer intelligent species, why wouldn’t they also have planes or flying cars?

But now we were here, who knew how far under the earth, the echoing silence around us was just spooky.

But it seemed like our stay in Spookyville would be longer than we intended.

“Are you sure you can make that, holding me?” I asked Tirac as I tried to estimate the height of the ceiling of the tunnel.

“I’ve been able to jump that height since I was a cub,” he declared. “Come.”

He pulled me to him and I clung on to his neck, ready to go flying through the air.

He sprang up, free hand snatching at the jagged metal where it had torn, given way under our combined weight.

We missed it by a finger’s breadth.

The next time was closer. The third time his hand snagged the metal, but then it, too, broke away.

“I don’t think you can do it while holding me,” I told him. “Why don’t you go back to the tree house, get a rope and come back?”

“I’m not leaving you here.” His flat tones made it clear it wasn’t up for debate.

And honestly, I was more than a little relieved.

“There’ll be another way.”

If there was, we couldn’t find it.

The shattered glowing rocks weren’t large enough to stack up and make some sort of platform, the scraps of metal that’d fallen with us were useless as well.

After another unsuccessful jump, I caught him rubbing his shoulder.

“You’re hurt,” I accused him. “You’re hurt and you didn’t tell me.”

He frowned, flicking his hand to the side then wincing. “It’s nothing. I simply twisted my shoulder slightly when we fell.”

Not when we fell, I realized. When he’d twisted, landing hard on his back.

Keeping me safe.

“Well, trying to climb out of here isn’t going to do it any good,” I decided. “This tunnel has to go somewhere. Maybe we’ll find something like stairs. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

I picked up one of the glowing stones, peering down the long tunnel trying to see if there was anything that looked more promising, one way or another.

In the end, we tossed one of my broken spears into the air and followed its direction.

“Let’s follow this as far as we can,” I said. “If it doesn’t take us to a way out, we’ll come back and try the other way.”

It wasn’t the world’s most complicated plan.

But it was a plan. And I’d take it.

Tirac strung his bow, and I slid one of my remaining spears from its quiver, and we set out.

For long minutes, the path seemed to go nowhere, curving slightly, but the smooth walls never changed, never branching off.

No writings, no carvings.

Just blankness.

The path curved before us, and ever so gradually, grew brighter.

I gripped my spear, my throat suddenly dry, wondering what or even worse, who lay in wait for us.

But as the path curved again a wave of relief loosened my chest.

Nothing was there to confront us.

Nothing was there at all.

Just a large rectangular door, edged with a broad border of the pink glowing stones.

“That’s promising, isn’t it?” I asked.

Tirac didn’t look entirely convinced.

Approaching the door, I frowned.

There was no doorknob. No panel placed conveniently to the side.

No way to open it.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I muttered.

Doors are made to be opened.

Maybe there was a secret panel somewhere.

I pressed the glowing stones, but none of them moved, no satisfying little click.

I chewed my lip, worried.

Even if they did move, if there were some sort of pattern, I’d never guess it.

“Allison, what about this?”

Tirac stood a few feet to the side of the doorway, studying something set into the wall I hadn’t seen, so caught up in the glow.

A lever, jutting out from a small alcove.

“That’s it!” I bounced excitedly, stretching up on my toes to kiss him soundly.

“Let’s see what it does.”

As he pulled it down, a terrible grinding noise began and slowly the door slid into the wall.

“Now what?”

“Stay behind me.” He put an arrow to the string and disappeared.

A month ago, the idea of letting a big strong man investigate the room while I waited safely behind him would’ve rankled.

Right now, I’d put my curiosity on hold, and gripped my spear even harder, waiting for him to come back.

It didn’t take long.

“Are there stairs?” I asked as Tirac reappeared. “An exit?”

He shook his head.

“Come see.”

There was just more tunnel, stretching off before us before continuing its curve, just as blank as the section I still saw through the open doors behind us.

We moved faster now, and still there was nothing. No sounds of the jungle we’d left, no whirr or hum of machinery.

Just the echoing of our own footsteps.

Before long, we reached another door.

Immediately, we checked the sides, but there was no lever.

“There has to be something,” I muttered. “What’d we miss?”

Carefully, we retraced our steps, searching for another lever.

But all we found was a small square of shining rock set into the tunnel wall, so far back from the door that its glowing border almost disappeared.

I pressed it, but nothing happened.

“There’s one here as well,” Tirac said, and sure enough, on the opposite wall was another little square.

“What happens if you press yours?” I asked.

Nothing.

I kept jabbing my finger into the rock, but the outcome was the same.

Stop, Allison. Think.

There was a door.

There had to be a way to open it.

What if this was a puzzle? Or some sort of security feature?

“What if we hit them at the same time?”

“It can’t hurt to try.” Tirac didn’t sound convinced, but we couldn’t be stopped here. There had to be a way out, somewhere.

“One, two, three!”

With a click, a camouflaged lever sprang out from the wall above my button.

“Got it!” I shouted.

“So do I.”

I turned. It wasn’t just a separate button. A second lever had emerged.

“Maybe one opens it, and one closes it,” I speculated.

I pulled my lever. Nothing.

Nothing on Tirac’s side.

Only when we pulled them down together did the grinding noise begin that heralded the opening of the door.

“I’ll wait here,” I offered before Tirac said anything.

This time he was gone longer, and when he returned, his eyebrows were drawn together, tail curved like a question mark.

“I’m guessing we’re not getting out that way,” I said.

“I don’t think so,” he answered. “But I’m not entirely certain what we’ve found.”

That wasn’t reassuring.

But when I followed him through the door and stood in the middle of the new chamber, I understood.

“Not an exit,” I said, turning slowly, trying to get a handle on what I was seeing. “But what is it?”

It looked like the control room from an old science fiction movie, curved banks of smooth screens and flat buttons.

But instead of flashing and beeping in a riot of color, everything here was cold and gray.

“What do you think all of this was for?” I said, running my hand over the edge of one of the tables, squinting at the scraggly words I couldn’t read.

“Connect, begin…” Tirac murmured as he read labels from the other table. “I can read the words, but they make no sense to me.”

And then we found it.

One small circle, its pale golden light slowly flashing, as if patiently waiting for someone to notice it.

We stood before it, and I held my spear with both hands now. Not out of fear, but to fight the almost irresistible urge to press the button.

“What does that one say?” I asked.

Tirac shook his head. “Nothing. There’s no label.”

“That almost makes it worse.”

If we pressed it, if it turned on everything else in this room, would that help us get out?

Or would it start some other terrible chain of events that I couldn’t even imagine?

There was no way of knowing.

“Let’s keep going. Maybe we’ll find something that’ll explain what all of this is,” I decided.

But the door before us had no levers. No small glowing tiles.

Reluctantly, we returned to the blinking button, standing side by side, watching it flash.

Tirac wrapped my hand with his, his tail coiling around my leg.

“I don’t like this, but I see no other way.”

And he pressed the button.

CHAPTER 12

TIRAC

A high-pitched whine filled the air and I spun around snarling.

Nothing had changed in the room.

The door we’d entered through was still open.

“Look,” Allison said, pointing.

The closed door had opened slightly, but was stuck, grinding against the wall.

“Maybe it needs just a little shake?” Allison asked. “It seemed like half of the ones back on the Dream did.”

If we wished to continue, we’d have to do something.

The open gap was far too narrow for me to pass.

But from the tunnel beyond, a new scent filled the room.

“Fresh air,” I told her. “And the sea. We must be close to the tip of the Horn.”

“And a way out,” she said, grinning up towards me.

Handing her my bow, I gripped the edge of the door with both hands, gently shaking it back and forth until, with a hiss, it pulled away, leaving the path before us clear.

My heart lifted in my chest as we passed down the tunnel.

I didn’t like this place.

Not just because of the ghosts of the Makers that’d walked through these paths, but the cold sterile world that surrounded us was unsettling.

No animals roamed here, no plants thrived.

Cut off from the world around us, my sense of time had stretched, grown hazy.

But it’d been hours since Allison had fallen into the pit, since we crashed into the first tunnel.

Without game to hunt, without any source of water, we’d be as dead as the Makers.

My steps quickened as the unmistakable breath of fresh air grew stronger, overlaid with the fragrance of the sea.

“How much farther do you think?” Allison asked, just as we came around a curve to face yet another door.

“I can’t say for certain, but I know we’re getting closer to the outside,” I assured her.

Quickly, we found the chips of deiyon stone, pressing them to release the levers.

“It’s almost like, past a certain point, they wanted to make sure at least two people really wanted to get someplace,” Allison said as we pulled down the handles to open the door.

“There’s no understanding the whims of the Makers,” I told her. “Although none of the images from the teaching chamber showed any mechanism such as this. The doors of their buildings seemed to open and close just by their presence.”

“Maybe some sort of a failsafe?” she asked, standing beside me. “You’d have to have something if the power went out.”

It was possible. However, since we’d never know, it seemed a waste of time to wonder.

Especially now that the door had finally slid open, and we could proceed.

As we stepped inside, my footsteps echoed strangely.

No tunnel, rather a large chamber, many times the size of what Allison had called the control room.

But here there’s no helpful shining line of deiyon stones above to light our way.

Instead, small chips scattered across the floor made a path through the blackness.

“I hear something,” she whispered. “It’s like there’s something moving in here.”

She was right.

Almost imperceptibly, a rustling sound, soft and stealthy, came from all around us.

“Perhaps we should go back,” I admitted. “But I’m sure we’re almost out of this place.”

“Let’s see where this leads. If there’s another door, we might be able to get out,” Allison whispered.

“If we don’t find anything in a hundred paces, we turn back,” I told her. “We still have the other end of the tunnel to explore.”

“No arguments from me,” she said. “This just gets creepier and creepier.”

At twenty paces, I thought I saw a glimmer of light ahead.

At forty, it was clear.

A metal box rose out of the path before us, and set into its top was another round button, its smooth surface blinking rapidly, a faint light far beyond showing where another set of doors must be.

My hand hung over it, as I hesitated.

“Ready?” I asked Allison.

“Open it up. I want to go home.”

This time nothing stuck.

Nothing seemed to happen at all to the light before us.

Instead, the high vaulted ceiling above cracked and rumbled as the chamber cracked open to reveal a cloudy night sky.

Dirt and small rocks cascaded down, a tangle of vines split apart by the ground’s opening.

A low vibration prickled my spine, and something shifted, moving at my left, waking me from my shock.

“What’s that?” Allison gasped.

A sleek metal column rose up from the floor of the room swiftly passing my height to emerge out of the split earth.

It kept going, only stopping when it stood tall against the stars.

“We could climb that,” Allison whispered. “Couldn’t we?”

“With ease,” I promised her. “We’ll be home before dawn.”

And then the largest and the smallest moons emerged from the clouds, flooding the chamber with their light.

We froze.

The faint glow ahead hadn’t been another doorway, only a gaping hole, no doubt the work of the earthquake, leaving the room open to the sea and the wind.

And to the gakul.

Hundreds of them, sliding towards us, the soot gray of their hides flickering like shadows in the moonlight, teeth flashing in those powerful jaws.

I shoved Allison back the way we’d come.

“Run!”

CHAPTER 13

ALLISON

How could anything so big be so fast?

My feet were rooted to the floor as I stared at the teeming pile of crocodiles, as they flowed towards us.

Gakul, my panicked brain insisted. The right word was gakul. Even if they looked like midnight mutated crocodiles from hell.

Some cold, rational part of me explained what’d happened.

This tunnel must have originally led close to the ocean.

Whatever kept the water out must’ve been damaged over all the years since the Makers disappeared. Or maybe it was more recent, something that’d collapsed with the earthquake.

And those terrifying creatures had come in, looking for a snack.

It was all very logical.

Unfortunately logic wasn’t helping me break free of the fog of shock.

We’d been so close. Almost out of this stupid underground prison.

And now…

Tirac shook my shoulders.

“Run!”

I blinked, coming back to myself, but not quickly enough.

Slinging his bow over his arm, he scooped me up, sprinting towards the door.

I peered over his shoulder, heart beating in my chest even faster than his steps.

“They’re following us,” I shouted.

“I’m not surprised,” he said grimly. “The gakul have never been known to abandon a meal once it has strayed into their territory.”

We flew through the door.

“Stop!” I shouted. “We’ve got to slow them down.”

Tirac caught my thought immediately as I wriggled down, each racing for one of the levers.

“Pulling them down opened it,” I muttered. “So shouldn’t pushing it up close them?”

Easier said than done.

Whatever mechanism was hidden behind the wall seemed rusty, gears gummed up with years of disuse.

Tirac dashed over to try to help me as the rushing sound of the gakul’s feet clicking across the metal floor grew louder, closer.

But the instant he left his lever, it sprang back into the open position.

I had to do it on my own.

Finally, I squatted down under it, using my shoulder to lift it back into place

The door slowly closed.

“Keep going!” Tirac said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into his arms as he ran.

We burst into the control room, and stared in amazement.

Everywhere we looked buttons were flashing, as if the entire room had reawakened.

“Which one opened the door?” I cried out, searching for one flashing button among hundreds.

“This one. I think,” Tirac pointed.

Good enough for me.

“Push it!”

The grinding noise in the wall started but we didn’t stop to check if the door would get stuck again.

There was no time.

The shutting of the first door might have thinned out our enemies, but there were still more than enough of them hot on our trail.

I thought about Tirac’s battle with the one who had attacked me on the beach, all those weeks ago.

He almost hadn’t made it.

He’d acted later like it was no big deal, but I’d been there, watching and terrified.

These things were huge. Strong and fast and didn’t want to let go.

And that was only one of the monsters.

I risked another glance back as we dashed towards the next set of doors.

There were still a dozen or more after us.

We shoved the next pair of levers up, kept moving, Tirac’s pace never slowing.

Then suddenly, he stopped.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as he set me on my feet, one hand lightly cupping the side of my cheek as he gazed at me, a strange expression on his face I didn’t know how to read.

“Besides the things trying to eat us, I mean.”

“You must run ahead now,” he said softly. “The last door only needs one of us to close it. I’ll stay here, make sure they don’t get through.”

Icy shock burned away leaving nothing but rage.

“You’re out of your ever-loving mind!” I spat, realizing in my anger, I’d slipped back to English, forcing myself to focus.

“No.”

That was easy enough in any language.

“You must,” he said. “It’s the only way I can be certain of your safety.”

I drove my finger into his chest, each poke emphasizing my words.

“Never. I love you, and in my book that doesn’t mean leaving you here alone to be devoured by crocodiles.”

“You’re my whole world,” he growled, wrapping my hand in his. “You can’t be harmed.”

“Then let’s find a way for us both to get out of here.”

I kissed the tip of his fingers. “You and me, together. No matter what.”

A smile broke over his face like the sun from behind the clouds.

“My fierce mate. Together then.”

And before he kissed me, six of the gakul came around the curve, heading straight for us.

“Fall back!” Tirac commanded and we tore into the next session of the passage.

He slammed the lever down as we passed, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“Throw the game bag!” I shouted. “Maybe that’ll slow them down.”

It wasn’t much.

A couple of the little bunny rabbit-like things I’d forced myself to stop crying about.

One snake.

Surely no more than a quick snack for the massive creatures behind us.

Without bothering to unhook it, Tirac ripped it from his sling, flinging it behind him.

A riot of snarls and growls broke out.

And then we were back where we’d fallen through, the scattered glowing rocks around us marking the spot.

“Do we keep going?” I panted.

“We don’t know what lies in that direction,” he said. “And we can’t run forever.”

It was true.

The crocs had made it clear.

Anything could be behind the next door.

“Then we fight.”

Not that I was necessarily going to be much use in hand-to-hand battle, I had to admit.

In fact, I could only think of one thing I’d be useful for.

“If you’re not trying to carry me, too, can you jump up there?” I asked, pointing to the gaping hole in the ceiling above us.

His face hardened. “I won’t leave you.”

“I’m not asking you to. But if you’re up there, you can pick them off. Hurry, we don’t have much time!”

His hands fell on my shoulders, holding me fast. “If I’m there, where’ll you go?”

“I’ll bring them to you.”

I flung my arms around his neck, kissing him as hard as I could. “Just don’t miss.”

“I don’t like this,” he growled, but he jumped, crouching down over the edge of the hole, his bow drawn, ready.

“I don’t either,” I muttered, as I filled my arms with glowing stones the size of my fist.

Slowly, I crept around the curve of the tunnel, holding my breath.

The chance of an easy meal had done the job better than I expected.

One of the crocs stood over the game bag, pinning it between its scaly feet while the rest of the pack circled, biting and snapping.

I took a breath, counted.

Five had made it through the last door.

It wouldn’t be long before they finished their squabble, and then they’d all rush us.

And we were out of places to go.

With a guttural scream, one of the pack launched itself at the croc that held the food, lodging its jaws in the other’s neck.

The two rolled away, thick legs locked against each other, while another pair hurried to take possession of the poor, trampled game bag.

“You can do this, Allison,” I whispered to myself. “It’s either that or be croc chow.”

I flung the largest stone at the nearest gakul, hitting it solidly in the side.

“Come and get me, ugly,” I whispered as I threw another rock.

Its head whipped back and forth between me and the bag.

The easy snack he’d have to fight for, or probably the equally easy snack he just needed to run to death.

That’d be me.

This was a stupid plan.

But no one had offered me the chance to opt out, to lay on a beach somewhere drinking fruity drinks out of tall glasses with those little umbrellas.

So here we were.

I threw one more stone and ran.

A blood-curdling howl rose up behind me followed by a tearing, wet rending sound.

“Don’t look,” I ordered myself as my feet drove me along. “Just go.”

And then I heard it, far more terrifying than the sound of one gakul feasting on its brethren.

A second of the monsters had rejoined the hunt.

I dashed underneath the hole in the ceiling.

“At least two coming,” I shouted, but didn’t bother looking up at Tirac.

As I curved away down the unexplored tunnel, I heard the whistle of his arrows in flight one after another, the angered roar of our pursuers now turned prey.

But I kept running.

With a sinking heart I saw the glow up ahead.

Another door.

And even if I’d wanted to open it, to risk what lay beyond, the two square tiles of stone on either side of the passage made it clear I wouldn’t have the opportunity.

Behind me, I heard Tirac’s shouts, the snarls of the crocs as he battled them.

Not all of them had been stopped by his arrows then.

It’d been too much to hope for.

Whirling around, I pulled my spear out, wedging it where the door met the floor of the tunnel.

I didn’t have long to wait.

One of the monsters charged towards me, the arrow sticking out from the side of its head a fraction away from what would’ve been a killing shot, straight in its eye.

Seeing me cornered, it didn’t slow, instead it only came faster, until the pounding of his feet mixed with the pounding of my heartbeat.

I clutched the spear until my fingers ached, bracing my shoulders.

Then it leapt, its wide maw open, ready to devour me, and I pulled the point of the spear up sharply, aiming right down its throat.

As if swimming through the air, it pulled itself forward, despite the spear jutting from its gaping mouth.

I ducked, but there was no escape from the flailing claws on either side of me.

“Just die already!” I screamed as it inched closer. Pulling the knife from my belt, I slashed at its snout, but it didn’t faze it in the least.

Closer and closer, it dragged itself towards me, until suddenly it jerked away with a scream of pain.

“You won’t touch her,” Tirac roared as he crashed the massive stone in his hands into the gakul’s head, again and again, until it slumped on the floor and moved no more.

I staggered towards him. “You’re hurt,” I sobbed. “It was a stupid plan. You never should’ve listened to me.”

He pulled me into his embrace, and I lay my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“It was a clever plan, from my clever, fierce mate,” he murmured. “Now, let’s go home.”

The rocks might’ve been too small to make a stable platform.

But a pile of gakul, dragged and stacked one on top of another, did the job just fine.

CHAPTER 14

TIRAC

Driving my hands into the side of the pit, I dragged us up the final stretch, over the ledge and into the cool night air.

Allison slid off my back where she had clung for the entire ascent and I pulled her to me, rolling onto my back, staring at the moons above.

It could’ve gone terribly wrong.

But instead, despite everything, it was a victory.

The prize beyond anything I’d ever imagined.

Fighting side by side, every doubt, every fear had been wiped away.

Allison was safe.

We were alive.

And we were together.

Nothing else mattered.

“What’s that?”

Flipping to a crouch, I pushed her behind me, summoning my strength for one more fight.

Then I sat down hard, my exhausted mind finally giving up.

“We did that, didn’t we?” she whispered, pointing at the tower I’d nearly forgotten in our desperate flight from the crocs.

No way to forget about it now.

It rose high above the trees, smooth sides glinting in the dawn.

And as we watched, a light began to pulse slowly at its very top.

“That can’t be good.” Allison leaned against me. “Can it?”

“Whatever it is, we’re in no danger from it now,” I decided. “It’ll wait for another day.” Or never.

“I’ll explore any mystery you want,” I told her as I stood, rotating my shoulders to stretch out the sore muscles. “After I’ve

slept.”

Allison glared at her hands, nose wrinkled at the dried blood and slime that were all that remained of her stand against the gakul.

“I need a bath,” she announced, looking at me with raised eyebrows. “So do you.”

She flicked a finger at my chest and the image of her bathing, steaming water running over her sweet curves, sprang to my mind with her touch.

Suddenly, I wasn’t nearly as tired as I’d imagined.

The journey home was quiet.

Twice I reached for my bow at the soft rustling of bawets in the brush, only to remember it lay in the tunnels still. I’d broken it in my battle with the last of the gakuls, desperate and maddened to reach Allison’s side.

No matter.

It was replaceable.

She wasn’t.

As we reached the hot spring, she bent down to unlace her boots then stripped her dress off in one smooth motion, shoving it all into the large bag filled with jobra leaves she kept here.

“If I have to think about snakes every time I take a bath, I’m going to end up very stinky,” she had explained when we first found the rocky pool.

With a sigh, she sank into the steaming water, submerging entirely for a moment, wiping the water from her face before tilting her head.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

With a start, I came back from myself, quickly shedding my own clothes before joining her.

A hiss escaped me as the water hit the scrapes and slashes left by the gakuls’ claws.

She slid behind me, her tiny hands working on my shoulders.

“You wouldn’t tell me before,” she said softly. The stress in my body eased away only to be replaced by a different kind of tension. “But we’re home now and safe. How badly were you hurt?”

“Nothing that won’t heal,” I assured her. “A day or two, and I’ll be fine.”

“I wish we could get to the medkit in my pod,” she said. “There’s got to be something in there that’ll make you feel better.”

I turned to face her, hands wrapping around her waist.

“I can think of other things that’d make me feel better,” I growled, holding her against me as I stepped deeper into the pool.

Her legs wrapped around my waist as she squeaked in surprise.

I bent forward to kiss her, drinking in her sweet taste.

“You and me.” I lifted her slightly, bringing her luscious breasts to my mouth.

My tongue teased and twirled around each tight rosy nipple, her soft cries only fanning the blaze that consumed me every time she was near.

I broke away to watch her face, soft and slack with pleasure.

“Together,” I promised. “No matter what.” As I lowered her down, my tail coiled around her waist, sealing her tightly against me.

“Tirac,” she groaned as the head of my cock parted her silken folds, stretching her, filling her.

My body demanded I claim her, driving into her until she shrieked my name into the sky.

But there was something more important first.

“I love you,” I repeated her words as she shuddered against me, the bone deep knowledge of their truth as certain as the sun. “My Allison. My mate. Mine.”

And then with one smooth thrust, I seated myself in her completely.

An explosion set off deep in her core as she bucked and writhed against me, every jolt of her pleasure spurring me onward, driving into her, until my own release swept over me.

After an eternity, we came back to ourselves, limbs tangled, bodies still humming.

“I wonder what else is down there,” Allison murmured. “What do you think is past the other doors?”

“Nothing I care about,” I said, flatly.

She snuggled into my chest. “I was just thinking about it.”

I quickly gave her other things to think about.

CHAPTER 15

ALLISON

Carefully, I hooked the tight bundle of leaves out from the embers of the cook fire, unwrapping just a corner to let the steam escape before taking a test nibble.

The barbecued snake experiment was getting closer to what I had in mind.

Still not quite there, but it’d make for a good lunch.

Heck, it’d make for a great sandwich if I could figure out how to make bread.

One thing at a time, Allison, I told myself.

Filling a water skin, I packed up our lunch and went off to join Tirac.

Even if I hadn’t known exactly where to find him, the crash that echoed through the jungle would’ve given me a pretty good clue.

Coming out from the tree line, I saw him dragging another tree to the edge of the chasm.

I hurried across to look down.

“What happens if we run out of trees?”

“We have many more days before that’s an issue,” he answered, rolling it down to join the others.

Bit by bit, the jumbled mound piled up, branches locking against each other, each tree slowly filling up the crevasse.

Well, at least in this one spot.

But one place was all we needed.

“Another week, perhaps two, and I should be able to reach the other side,’’ he said as we sat down for lunch.

The block of stones we’d lumped together in what felt like a lifetime ago, had become our slightly bumpy picnic table.

Tirac’s gaze raked over me, leaving me bare and hot as it always did.

“I’m sorry it doesn’t go faster.”

I reached over, took his hand. “I’m not.” The laugh that burst from me was half at his confused expression, half at my own confused thoughts.

“Once we cross that gap, we have to go back to the real world, don’t we? My clan and your clan, everybody else. All those other people.”

I traced around the stripes of his hand with my finger, trying to put my thoughts into words.

“I’m worried about my friends, sure. I want to know what’s going on, to know they’re safe. But here, it’s just us. You and me.” I grinned. “It’s like a honeymoon, even with the crocodiles.”

He frowned. “I don’t know what that is.”

I scooted over to lean against him. “It’s a vacation people in my clan take, just to spend time alone with the person they love. They take it after they’ve decided they’re going to be together, forever.”

His arm encircled my shoulders, his tail winding around my waist, until I felt completely wrapped up in him, in our love.

As his lips brushed over mine, I tingled at his touch.

“Then we won’t end it. No matter if it’s you and me alone, or with all the clans of Thaxos around us, we’ll stay on our honeymoon.”

Falling into his kiss, every plan I’d ever had meant nothing.

I knew only three things for certain.

Tirac was mine, and I was his.

A happy ending against all odds.

A love to last forever.

Thank you for reading Reaver’s Kiss! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Elin’s newsletter!

TAMSIN LEY

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN

CHAPTER 1

Why is it so hot in here? Or is it cold? I can’t tell the difference. All I know is pain.

I gasp for breath. The air stinks of engine oil, garbage and sweat. Opening my eyes is an impossible task, so I remain still, struggling to regain my senses. Male voices fade in and out around me. Loud. Indecipherable. My head pounds.

Slowly, I curl my fingers, muscles barely responding. Where am I?

I’m on my back, the surface beneath me hard as granite. Every inch of my skin hurts like I have a sunburn, right down to the soles of my feet. Even breathing burns my lungs like acid. What the hell happened to me?

I let out a groan and try to open swollen, gritty eyes. They feel glued shut. I put a hand up to my face and discover a cloth blindfold. I try to speak, but the words emerge as garbled slop that feels like molten lava clearing my throat.

“Whoa there, little human. Better leave that in place.” A rough hand wraps around my knuckles, making me gasp in pain as it jerks my fingers from the blindfold.

Little human? Why would someone call me that? I have the gut-wrenching feeling I’m no longer on Earth. Panic wells up at the back of my throat, and I lick my lips, trying hard to form words. What comes out is barely more than a scratchy whisper. “Where?”

“You’re in what passes for a med bay on this space junker. We ain’t got a fancy med-lab to drop you in, so you’re going to have to recover the old-fashioned way. Lucky Naro spotted you out there when he did, or you’d be a space popsicle by now.”

Space popsicle? Am I on a spaceship? Somehow, that feels right. But I don’t know why or how.

“What’s your name, sweet thing?” His calloused thumb grazes along the backs of my knuckles. I don’t like the false endearment or his tone, and even though I’m blindfolded, I swear I can feel his gaze on my breasts as I pull my hand free of his.

I open my mouth to answer him and panic spikes through me. What is my name? I realize I can’t answer him. I claw at the fabric over my eyes again.

“I said no,” calloused-hand guy says.

This time, both my hands are captured and restrained, my subduer’s grip no longer pretending to be gentle. He shoves my arms down and plants what must be his elbow in my gut to keep me still. I scream and kick, trying to buck him off, but it’s like trying to get out from under an anvil.

“Tie her up,” a surprisingly mellow voice says. “She’s worth less if she damages herself.”

Worth less? To who? Terror growing, I thrash and manage to force a single word from my parched throat. “What?” But the very act of breathing is an effort, and my attempts to speak are little more than gasps.

Bindings snake around my wrists, and I kick my feet as more are secured to my ankles. I’m forced to lie back, helpless, voiceless, and full of questions. Who are these men? How did I get here?

“Please,” I croak out.

“Mmm, I like it when they beg.” This third voice has an oily undercurrent that makes my blood turn icy. His voice draws closer. “You sure she belongs to him?”

“Don’t know why else he’d protect her like that,” says the first voice. “It was dangerous, even for a Kirenai.”

I’m so confused, I simply lie there listening as my tears soak the blindfold.

“Pretty one like this has to be worth a lot. Maybe he was protecting his investment.”

What feels like claws brush up the inside of my bare calf, catching on the hem of my skirt and sliding it up my thigh. “It’s possible he won’t recover. Especially if we help things along.”

I cringe and try to squeeze my thighs together as best I can despite the bindings chafing my skin. This has to be a nightmare, right? I want desperately to wake up.

“Keep your hands off her girly bits, Pjo. At least until we know what she’s worth.”

The claws stop their advance but remain poised between my thighs. A sour waft of someone’s breath hits the side of my face.

I twist my face away, drawing my shoulders up as if they can protect me.

“The black market’s hot for humans right now,” the oily voice speaks right next to my ear. “I wouldn’t mind knowing what all the fuss is about.”

The way these men—aliens?—talk about humans has me wracking my insidiously empty brain for any scrap of information about how I got here. Why can’t I remember? All I’ve pieced together is that I’m on what I think must be a spaceship, I’m surrounded by aliens who think they should sell me on the black market. And I have no idea how I got here. Why can’t I remember?

“I say we just airlock the Kirenai and take her for ourselves,” Pjo says.

“I dare you to try.” A sinfully deep baritone joins the conversation, and I swear I can hear a collective intake of breath from my captors.

The claws and oily breath retreat, but I’m still trembling with fear and outrage. Saviors or not, these aliens are nothing more than thugs, and the moment I can speak properly, I plan on giving them a piece of my mind.

“Pjo was only joking,” the voice of the calloused hands says. “We’d never let him do that of course.”

“Yeah, if we were going to jettison you, we’d have already done it.” The mellow voice sounds a little less certain than when he ordered me to be tied up.

Pjo speaks again, only his oily voice is higher pitched than before. “Do you have proof she belongs to you, Kirenai? Because the laws of salvage make her ours unless you have paperwork.”

A beat that feels thicker than tar passes. Then the baritone says, “I highly suggest you stop speaking of my mate as if she is property.”

My heart skips a beat. His mate? I have no memory of a man in my life, let alone getting married. But how can I be certain when I don’t even recall my own name?

CHAPTER 2

My arms and legs are cut loose, and someone tips what feels like a bottle against my lips. I swallow at first cautiously, then greedily—the tepid water stinging my throat. Then strong arms slide under my shoulders and knees. The next thing I know, I’m cradled against a very muscular, very naked chest. He feels human, and that small familiarity sends a shudder of relief through me. I don’t know who this guy is, but at least it seems he wants to keep me safe.

I loop my arms around his neck and rasp, “Where are we?”

This time, my words must be more coherent, because he whispers into my ear, “Let me handle this, Beth.”

A flame of recognition ignites inside my chest. “Beth,” I hiss the name, half question, half affirmation. It feels right, yet also not right, like I’m missing the second half. But a surname can come later. For now, I’m just grateful to have an identity. My name’s Beth.

I rest my cheek against the corded muscle where his neck meets his shoulder, breathing in his unfamiliar but pleasant masculine scent. His grip on my shoulders and legs is gentle, but still sends prickles of pain across my over-sensitized skin. What could’ve happened to me to make me like this?

“Which one of you is captain?” the man holding me demands, the deep rumble of his voice resonating against my cheek. I can see why I might’ve been attracted to him, even if I don’t remember how or when.

“That would be me.” A new voice speaks from beyond the man’s shoulder.

My rescuer swivels, and I continue clinging to his neck like a helpless child.

I hate feeling unbalanced and weak. I don’t know much about myself, but I know I rarely put up with shit. Despite the warnings not to remove my blindfold, I tug it up off one eye and strain to open my swollen lid. The light feels like a spear straight into my brain, and I hold my breath against the pain.

The man holding me asks the captain, “Have you notified the authorities of our rescue?”

It hurts to keep my eye open for more than a few seconds, and tears make everything blurry, but I’m pretty sure the captain is gray and covered in spines. He looks like a cross between a bug and a human. Pointy protrusions that look like mandibles open and close over his words. “No authorities.”

I squeeze my eye shut again, unable to bear the pain. Or the weirdness I just saw.

My rescuer is unfazed, however. His arms tighten around me, and his already rock-hard chest seems to expand. “And why might that be?”

“This is a restricted area of space, and we don’t exactly have permits.”

“You’re pirates.” The man’s voice is more challenge than question.

The captain makes a clicking noise. “Not exactly. This is a garbage scow.”

“Scavengers, then,” says the man who claims to be my husband—I wish to God I could remember his name. Or mine, for that matter.

“We prefer to be called repurposing agents,” one of the crew says, and the others chuckle. “Them cruise ships jettison a lot of valuable stuff.”

“Like human females,” Pjo croons in his greasy voice. “We could definitely repurpose her.”

Letting out a long breath, the man holding me says, “I told you, she’s my mate, so she’s useless on the black market. But if you call the Romantasy to pick us up, I’ll ask the captain to look the other way about your presence.”

The Romantasy. The name feels familiar, a memory lingering at the edge of awareness. A cruise ship? Yes! That’s right. We’re passengers—or were passengers. Maybe we were on our honeymoon? If we’re newly married, it might explain why I can’t remember my husband; short-term memory is the easiest to lose, right? And a cruise ship named Romantasy certainly sounds honeymoon worthy.

“Sorry, can’t do that,” replies the captain. “Couple of my men have records, and I can’t risk getting my ship impounded. Best we can do is drop you at the next space station.”

“For a fee, of course,” a gruff voice adds. “You came off that fancy cruise ship, so you must be loaded.”

“Listen,” my husband says, and I can tell by his tone he’s working hard to remain calm. “We don’t have any money for ransom, if that’s what you think. I’m not a guest. I’m one of the cruise chefs. My name is Izhima Amai.”

Disappointment invades my chest. Not on our honeymoon then. But at least I know my supposed-husband’s name now, and I seem to recall spending a lot of time in a kitchen.

“What about her?” Pjo’s insipid voice comes from close behind us. “And don’t try to tell me she’s one of the cleaning ladies or something. Not in a dress like that.”

Izhima spins to face him again, and I can’t help feeling like we’re caught in the jaws of a trap.

I once more force my eye open and quickly glance down my body. I’m dressed in a slinky black dress that exposes more skin than it covers. Skin that’s an angry, mottled red. What the hell caused that? I obviously need medical attention, yet these assholes can think of nothing but fucking me.

“What the hell is wrong with you people?” I rasp, anger firing my voice past my burning vocal cords. Through my teary vision, I see one of the aliens we face has onyx black skin and huge, liquid eyes that take up at least half his features. Another looks like a frog with extended eyestalks, and a third like a pink iguana. Froggy is leering at me, so I focus on him. “People will notice we’re missing and come looking for us. If you call the authorities now, you’ll be honored as heroes. If you don’t, they’ll still find us, but you’ll be arrested as kidnappers.”

“Whoa, she’s a feisty one, isn’t she?” says the onyx-skinned alien in a mellow voice, blinking in a way that reminds me of a sleepy lemur. It might have seemed adorable in other circumstances.

“You have no idea,” my husband mutters.

“We missed a lucrative opportunity because we stopped to rescue you.” The iguana’s gruff voice has a frosty edge to it that makes me want to hide. “If you can’t come up with adequate compensation, I’m sure you’ll fetch a pretty penny on the black market, mated or not. Lot of species just want a taste.”

“I’d call it square if she gave us a taste,” says Pjo, licking his froggy lips.

I glare at him, but my eye is so watery and painful, I’m not sure he can interpret the look. “Touch me again and I’ll serve your balls to you on a platter.”

The crew laughs, but in a demeaning way.

Izhima leans close to my ear. “You’re not helping. Do your sisters have any money?”

I have sisters? My head throbs trying to remember, but I can dredge up nothing. Feeling sick to my stomach, I crane my head to look at him and my breath hitches—this guy is handsome as fuck, with a defined jaw, generous lips, and dark eyes with no whites—but his skin is blue. Blue!

Did I marry an alien?

My head is spinning, and I’m forced to close my eyes again. I vaguely recall being at some sort of alien dating event, but I can’t imagine actually marrying a non-human. Yet he says I’m his mate, and apparently risked his life to save me. Why would he do that if I didn’t mean something to him? All I can do is shake my head no. No, no, no! This is all too much.

A soft exhale of his breath brushes my cheek, then he turns us back toward the captain. “We can earn our keep. I’ll bet none of you have had a decent meal in a long time. I’m a Nebula Chef, one of the finest in the galaxy. We’d be happy to cook for you until we reach the next spaceport.”

Behind us, the aliens start to murmur. I catch, “We could use a decent cook,” and, “I’ve missed real food since Fherl jumped ship.”

“Shut up, Naro,” says Pjo. “We don’t need a stupid cook, and what about the female? Everyone on board has to earn their bunk. That’s the rule.”

I grit my teeth, wanting to strangle him. But I’m also terrified. I need to offer legitimate value, or they’ll demand payment between my legs. “I work with him in the kitchen, obviously,” I say, not even sure if a Nebula Chef needs someone to help. For all I know, aliens have a technology to do that. “We’re a team.”

I feel Izhima nod. “Yes. She’s my dishwasher.”

I splutter. I may not know who I am, but I’m certain I’m not in charge of washing dishes.

He squeezes me tighter. “She prefers to be called a prep chef,” he says in a conspiratorial tone.

The captain lets out several clicks, as if considering. At last he says, “We could do with some better slop than what Naro coaxes out of the defunct replicator. We’ll vote on it after we’ve tasted our first meal. Until then, Choq, give them a bunk in the cargo bay.”

The crew grumbles, but Izhima’s already carrying me from the room. Eyes closed, I press my cheek against his warm chest. My adrenaline seems to have run out, and I’m clenching my teeth to keep from trembling violently. I focus on the facts I’ve gathered. My name is Beth. I was on a spaceship called the Romantasy and was in some sort of accident. I’m now trapped on a ship with a bunch of low-lifes who want to rape me. And, evidently, I’m married to an alien.

CHAPTER 3

“You two sleep here,” growls our escort as we come to a stop. “And don’t even think about pocketing anything. It’s all cataloged.”

The air smells like a musty trash bin and I breathe shallowly against Izhima’s chest, grateful his toasted almond scent is good enough to somewhat mask the foul conditions.

I hear footsteps retreating, then Izhima sets me on my feet. “Can you stand on your own?”

“I think so.” But I totter, unable to balance on my stilettos.

He catches my arm before I fall. “Sit.”

Guiding me back onto what feels like a metal crate, he lowers me onto it. The surface is sticky under my fingertips, and I surge unsteadily upright once more. “Ugh! What’s been spilled here?”

I yank the blindfold off my head. Tears spill over my cheeks in burning rivulets, and my nose is running, but at least the lights here aren’t blinding. I use the blindfold to wipe my nose and look down. The crate is one of many in a maze of unrecognizable junk surrounding us. Nearby, I spot a single narrow cot nestled between the foul-smelling stacks. “Do they actually expect us to sleep here?”

“Yes, and be grateful for it.” Izhima grits out. For the first time since waking, I get a good look at the man I’m supposedly married to. He’s absolutely stunning—tall and broad-shouldered, with smooth cobalt skin and nearly black hair and eyebrows. To my shock, he’s completely naked. Before I can stop myself, my gaze travels down to the generous cock hanging between his legs. I muffle a surprised cough and press my legs together against the sudden rush of wet heat. How can I not remember that?

“Where are your clothes?” I gasp.

As if sensing my attention, his shaft swells and lifts. “I had to shed them when I saved you.”

I gulp, forcing my gaze back up to his face. His eyes are a solid dark blue that’s nearly black with no white, and he seems completely unabashed by his own state of undress. And why not? He’s gorgeous and apparently a superhero who saves damsels in distress, too. “You saved me? From what?”

“You don’t remember?”

I grimace and shake my head. “I think I have amnesia.”

He rubs a wide blue hand over his mouth. “Kuzara. How bad?”

“How the hell should I know?” I scowl. “I didn’t remember my own name until you said it.” Why would you ask a person with amnesia how bad they have it?

His lips thin as he stares at me. A fleeting memory wisps across the edge of my consciousness. I think I’ve seen that angry stare before. I lift my chin and face him squarely. Even without remembering my past, I know I’m not one to back down from a fight.

But instead of laying into me, he lets out a loud breath. “Stay here.”

He stalks off between the rows of junk and disappears through a hatch.

My anger deflates, and my legs tremble so badly I’m forced to sit on the crate, sticky or not. I shouldn’t have snapped at him. “Sorry. I guess I’m a bitch when I’m agitated,” I mutter. But it’s too late to apologize now.

I glance down at my black dress and mottled red skin. Whatever happened, it must’ve been terrible. I run my fingers over the silky fabric covering my thigh, wondering why I’m wearing something so fancy. It looks like something for an elegant party, not a crew uniform. Maybe we really are wealthy guests. Could Izhima have been lying about being a chef?

But he’d sounded so certain, and these aliens expect us to cook five-star cuisine. Nebula star cuisine. I’m not even certain what that is, but it sounds exotic. Although I’m pretty sure I know my way around a kitchen, who knows what these aliens consider food? Then again, judging by the smell of this cargo bay, I doubt this crew will be very discerning.

I hear something move amidst the stack of junk and stiffen, afraid it might be one of the crew coming for me. Then I spot a wiry tail disappearing beneath a crate and realize it’s only a rat. Or whatever passes for rats on an alien ship.

I shudder and draw my arms around myself. My skin looks awful, but at least my dress isn’t damaged, for what that’s worth. I doubt I can get a change of clothing around here.

Izhima reappears with a bucket in one hand and a flask in the other. He sets the bucket on the floor, then hands me a pill and the flask. “This will help with the pain.”

I gratefully swallow the pill with several gulps of tepid water. My eyes are on fire, and my skin doesn’t feel much better. I want nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep, but my mind is too full of questions.

Izhima looks tired, and I vaguely remember one of the crew saying something about what he did to save me being dangerous. I hand the flask back. “So what exactly happened to land us in this shitty predicament?”

He takes a drink. “We had an argument. You pushed the button controlling the airlock.”

“I did what?” I gape at him, my mind a complete blank.

“You vented us.”

“I can’t believe I’d do something like that.” I shake my head. I have amnesia, but I know I don’t have a death wish. “What were we fighting about?”

“Your birthday cake.”

I frown, even more doubtful. “I almost killed us over a birthday cake?”

His face softens. “In all fairness, you didn’t mean to vent us. You thought you were opening a cooler.”

While still difficult to believe, an accident was much more plausible, especially on an alien ship. “So we were floating in space without a ship when they picked us up?” No wonder I have amnesia. I was without oxygen for who knows how long. It’s sheer luck we’re not dead. “How did you save me?”

“I engulfed you.” He extends the hand holding the flask. Like liquid, his hand and forearm seem to dissolve, encasing the flask until his arm looks like a weird mallet with a flask shaped head.

I suddenly feel dizzy and have to brace myself upright on a trembling arm. “Holy shit. What kind of alien are you?”

“I’m Kirenai.” Izhima’s face twitches, then without warning he picks me up and heaves me onto the cot. “Lie down before you fall over.”

Though the cot looks primitive, it seems to be made of some sort of advanced tech that’s softer than I expect. Still, it will be close quarters for both of us to sleep on. I stare up at him, trying to focus only on his face and not the enormous penis dominating my field of vision. Despite my wooziness, I’m struck by the urge to touch it.

I shift my gaze away and stammer, “Do you think… one of the crew might loan you a set of clothes?”

A frustrated look fleets across his features. Pivoting, he yanks something from beneath my feet and wraps it around his waist. Now covered in a thin blanket, he asks, “Better, princess?”

I get the feeling he doesn’t call me princess out of affection. We were fighting before all this happened, and I did almost kill us. I lick my lips, wondering if make-up sex would be out of the question right now. My skin hurts, but the painkiller he gave me seems to be kicking in already. I reach up and take his nearest hand. “I’m sorry I vented us. Cake is the most important meal of the day, but it’s not worth dying over.”

His brows rise. “Ah. I did not know it was supposed to be a full meal.”

I laugh. “That was a joke.”

Izhima is unamused, however, and pulls his hand from my grasp. Turning away, he draws a rag from the water bucket and rings it out. “I see.”

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling awkward. How can I feel so strained around the man I’m supposed to love? Hoping to jog my memory about how to interact with him, I ask, “How did we meet?”

“In the kitchen, of course.” He wipes down the top of the sticky crate. His bare back flexes as he scrubs. I wonder if we ever cooked together naked. A small fantasy rolls through my mind of licking frosting off his skin, but I have a feeling that didn’t happen, not if we were fighting about cake in the first place.

I really wish I could scratch up at least one of my memories. Perhaps sleep would help. And I wouldn’t mind snuggling in Izhima’s arms. “You must be as exhausted as I am. Come lay down.”

He stops scrubbing but doesn’t turn around.

“Come on.” I try to scoot over to the edge of the small cot.

“I’m too tired to bite right now, even if you want me to.”

Turning to look over his shoulder, he regards me with those dark eyes. “That is another joke?”

I laugh again. “Correct. Now get over here. We’re going to have to cook soon, and we both need some rest.”

He regards me another moment, then turns back to his scrubbing. “We can’t both rest at the same time. One of us needs to keep watch.”

Shit. He’s probably right. I sit up and plant my feet on the floor. “Then you come sleep first. You’re the Nebula Chef earning our keep here, so you have to be well rested.”

He dips the rag into the bucket again and starts washing the floor around the crate. I have to admit I’m impressed. A man who knows how to clean is sexy. But he’s also stubborn. He speaks without turning around. “You can’t even stand up, and I’m going to need you in the kitchen. Sleep. I’ll rest later.”

Much as I want to argue, he’s right. My eyes hurt too much to stay open any longer. I sink back onto the cot and let my lids drift closed, listening to him scrub until sleep takes me.

CHAPTER 4

I blink awake, hoping everything was just a dream. But the dingy ceiling panels overhead are just as I remember, and I’m covered in a rough blanket that feels prickly against my sensitive skin. I raise one arm to examine it. Though the skin feels tight, I think it looks a little less red, and I’m in nowhere near as much pain as I was before I fell asleep. I roll onto my side and see that an area around the cot is now clean. The air also smells slightly less pungent.

Izhima is sitting on the floor with his back against a crate, head bowed. His torso and legs now look like they are clothed in coveralls the same color as his azure skin. His broad shoulders and muscular thighs fill out the uniform perfectly, and now that I have a chance to really examine him, I have to admit he’s very good looking. He sits so still, I think he must be asleep, but then he looks up and meets my gaze.

Heat floods my cheeks as I realize he caught me staring at him. “How long did I sleep?” I stammer.

He stands, moving slowly as if his muscles don’t want to obey. “A while.”

From deeper in the bay, someone shouts. “She awake yet? I can’t keep working on an empty stomach.”

Izhima tilts his head toward the voice. “The crew has been asking for their meal.”

I sit up so quickly, my head spins. “Why didn’t you wake me? You haven’t had a chance to rest.”

“I’ll be fine.”

I squint toward his chest. Something looks off about the fabric, as if holes are forming and disappearing before my very eyes. I point uncertainly toward the area. “Is that… normal?”

He looks down and quickly smooths his hands across the area. The coveralls seem to shimmer, melt, and reform solidly over his skin. “I rarely have to do this.”

I blink, realizing he didn’t find clothes—he just made his skin look like coveralls the same way he wrapped his hand around the water bottle. I’m torn between being repulsed and thinking that has to be the coolest ability ever.

Pushing aside the blanket, I stand, the deck chilly against my bare feet. He must’ve covered me with the blanket he’d been wearing. Every time I turn around, he’s taking care of me. We really must be married.

I spot my stilettos neatly placed beneath the cot and bend down to retrieve them. Working in a kitchen in heels will not be fun. Then I remember Izhima said I’m a freaking dishwasher.

Frowning, I look back up at him. “I’m not really a dishwasher, right?”

Though his features barely change, I swear he smirks at me. “Recently promoted to prep chef, remember?”

I narrow my eyes. “Hey, girl with amnesia here. I can’t tell when you’re joking.”

His eyes tighten a fraction. “I never joke.” Turning away, he strides down a cleared path between the rows of junk. “Come.”

I stand there a moment. Never joke? Is he serious? I would never marry a guy without a sense of humor. Would I? Then I realize he’s probably acting like this because he’s holding a grudge about the fight I don’t remember. Perhaps he’s justified—I did nearly kill us, after all. Still, I can’t help feeling a little salty about how stingy he’s being with information.

With a sigh, I scurry after him. The way his blue coveralls hug his ass as he walks is distractingly sexy. Not coveralls, that’s actually his ass. I lick my lips. So weird, but still sexy. I bet makeup sex is going to be off the charts—whenever that might be. After the cold shoulder he gave me last night, I’m going to have to charm those pants right off him.

Catching up, I loop my arm through his. “Any chance a prep chef can sleep her way to the top around here?”

He stiffens and gives me a surprised look. I think he’s going to shrug me off, but just then the onyx-skinned crewman rounds the corner, and Izhima clamps my arm against his side.

The crewman is wearing a grease-smudged jumpsuit the same color as the walls. Unfamiliar tools dangle from his belt. He eyes Izhima’s new clothes before letting his gaze fall to my cleavage. Damn this stupid sexy dress. “I’m Naro,” he says. “Ship’s engineer. Captain told me to show you to the galley.”

“All right,” says Izhima, still holding tight to my arm. I love how solid and warm his ribs feel beneath my touch, and step closer.

Izhima’s stance remains rigid, and he keeps his gaze on Naro, even though the alien has now turned to walk down a corridor with pipes running along the walls and ceiling. I tilt my head to look up at Izhima’s profile, but he doesn’t even spare me a glance, just pulls me alongside him as he follows the engineer.

“I’m sure glad you’re going to take over,” Naro says as we pass a couple of closed hatches. His hair hangs in a thick black braid down his back, ending in what looks like a spiked metal bead as big as my fist. I also note that his fingers seem to have an extra joint, making them long and thin and very alien. “I’m tired of taking flak about the food. It’s lucky I got the replicator working at all after the tantrum Fherl threw before he jumped ship, but it only spits out a few basics.” He stops at an archway where the pipes make a sharp turn into another room.

We pause behind him, and I see we’ve reached a medium-sized kitchen with a crusty rectangular dining table bolted to the floor in the center that looks like it could seat ten or twelve good-sized men. Two benches flank the table, and what looks like a year’s worth of spills and crumbs splotch the floor. Something that resembles a cockroach scuttles from underneath the table and disappears beneath a bank of cupboards.

I pull myself tightly against Izhima’s side. Even with amnesia, I’m fairly certain I’ve never seen a kitchen this disgusting.

“We have a few staples in the cupboards. You’ll have to use the replicator for anything else.” Naro points a crooked finger toward what looks like two grimy windows set into the back wall with knobs and dials below them. One of the panes is damaged, jagged shards of glass clinging to the frame.

“You actually prepare food in here?” I ask.

Naro grins. “Not anymore. That’s your job now, sweet thing.”

My hackles rise at the condescending endearment, but before I can respond, Izhima says, “Don’t call her that.”

“What am I supposed to call her, then? You never told us your mate’s name.”

“I’m standing right here, asshole,” I say, standing taller and glad for the added height of my stilettos. I hate it when men try to dismiss me. “And my name is Beth.”

Naro doesn’t break his gaze from Izhima’s. But after a heartbeat, he nods. “Okay, Beth.”

With a grimace, Izhima releases my arm and steps into the kitchen. He opens a panel that drops into a countertop with storage space behind it. “How many are we cooking for, Naro?”

“Only four of us here with Fherl gone.”

Izhima nods and continues digging through the cupboard.

I remain in the archway, skin crawling at the thought of how many food-borne illnesses are probably lurking in this room.

“Why do you have so much kazhitu paste?” Izhima asks, holding out two green rectangular packets with yellow writing on them.

“We salvaged it off one of the cruise ships,” Naro answers. “Don’t use the ones that smell bad.”

My stomach flip-flops. Can this get any worse? I assume they salvaged whatever kazhitu is from the trash—and they expect us to cook with it. I hug my arms over my stomach. “How long before we reach a spaceport?”

Naro’s enormous eyes tighten to slits, making him look like an angry black lemur. “You haven’t earned your passage yet, female.”

Though it wasn’t a direct threat, I take a step back. “I was just asking.”

“We’ll get there when we get there.” Naro taps one of the many pipes lining the walls. “If the replicator acts up, try banging on this duct. I have to get back to the engine room.” He brushes past me into the hall, pausing only long enough to say, “Captain wants to eat at eighteen hundred. I suggest you be ready.”

CHAPTER 5

I watch the onyx-skinned alien disappear around a corner, then step into the kitchen, trying not to touch anything as I move up behind Izhima and look past him at the stuff in the cupboard. None of the packages I see are remotely familiar. I’m suddenly glad he’s the Nebula Chef instead of me, because I wouldn’t even know where to begin in this hovel of a kitchen. “What should I do?” I ask.

“Clean this place up.”

I glance with dismay around the galley. You’d think aliens with advanced technology would’ve invented cleaning robots or something. I guess soap and water will have to do. “I’ll go get the bucket from our bunk area.”

“No,” Izhima says sharply. “I don’t want you going anywhere on this ship alone. There should be supplies here. Look around.”

He has a point—I don’t want to be caught alone with any of the crew. But I also don’t want to touch anything in this kitchen with my bare hands, not even the cupboard doors. Grimacing, I use the tip of a finger to open a tall cupboard I hope holds a broom and mop. A cascade of bottles and packages comes tumbling out. I dance backward as items pile around my feet, barely keeping my balance on my high heels, though at least I’m not in bare feet in this sludge.

I reach down and pick up something that looks like an empty plastic envelope that has come to rest on top of my toes. All this packaging appears to be empty. “Why are they keeping this trash?”

Izhima glances over and shrugs. “No idea. Put it back.”

I glower in his direction. He could at least help me find cleaning supplies before we get started on cooking. But then I remember I don’t have a clue what to do with any of the food in here, and if he doesn’t impress the crew, I’ll have to pay for our passage. I gulp, thinking about what that would mean, then shuffle-kick some of the garbage back toward the cupboard. In the bottom corner, I spot a pile of dingy, threadbare rags.

I reach for them and a white creature about the size of a football darts over my hand and up my bare arm. I scream, shaking it off.

Izhima is suddenly beside me, hands on my shoulders. He spins me to face him. “Are you all right?”

“There was something living in there!” I tilt my chin toward the rags.

“Likely a nezumi.” He runs his palms along my arms, examining my skin. “Did it bite you?”

“I don’t think so.” My heartbeat continues to jolt and kick as I let Izhima examine me, though I’m not sure if it’s because of the scare or because his touch feels surprisingly good despite the circumstances.

Finally, he releases my arms. “You’re fine.”

My shoulders slump. I can’t help the hot tears that brim in my eyes as I cross my arms over my chest. “Thank you.”

In a sudden, tender gesture, he wipes a knuckle beneath my eye, catching a tear before it falls. “You’re welcome.” Then he turns abruptly and grabs a handful of rags, shaking them out to be certain they’re clear of vermin. “All clear,” he says, thrusting them toward me.

I gingerly accept the filthy things. “Don’t suppose they have a washing machine around here?”

He moves to one wall and pushes a button. A panel opens to reveal a sink basin. “Best I can do.”

Mincing my way through the garbage now littering the floor, I investigate the sink. It’s as disgusting as everything else in this kitchen, but the dispenser seems to have what appears to be soap in it, so I set about washing the basin and narrow counter surrounding it before filling it and leaving the rags to soak. When I turn back around, I’m relieved to discover Izhima has picked up the garbage and stuffed it back into the cupboard.

He uses a shoulder to force the door closed, then winks at me. “I don’t recommend opening that again.”

So he does understand humor. I smile and start scrubbing the galley table. Things don’t exactly feel normal, but it does feel more comfortable when he’s not such a grump.

Izhima moves to the replicator and starts fiddling with the dials. Sparks fizzle behind the broken glass, and he grumbles, “Piece of kuzara.”

I can’t remember using a replicator, but if this piece of junk ship has one, it must be a common appliance. “Do we use this kind of replicator in our kitchen?”

He glances at me. “No. The modern ones are voice activated. I think this one’s older than my grandfather.”

“Oh.” I rinse my rag and scrub for a few more minutes, feeling hopeful about what appears to be a stainless-steel surface peeking through the grime. “I wish my memory would come back. What’s my full name?”

For a heartbeat, I think he’s going to ignore me, but then he says, “Beth Amai.”

Beth Amai. There’s not a single flicker of familiarity in this exasperatingly empty head of mine. “Is that my maiden name or your last name?”

“Earth custom dictates the female takes the male’s last name, does it not?”

“Not always,” I say frowning. “Have we been married very long? What was my maiden name?”

He rubs a hand through his dark hair and glances around. “I’m sure it will all come back to you. Just give it time.”

I frown at his back, my doubt resurfacing. “Why are you being so dodgy? It’s a simple question.”

“I’m not being dodgy.” He sets several packages on the counter. “But you obviously want to think I’m lying to you. It would be better if you remember on your own.”

“I want to believe you, Izhima. So just tell me.”

He sighs. “Fine. Crocker… Beth Crocker.”

The name seems almost familiar. I close my eyes, trying to recall hearing anyone use that name before. I’m sure I have. But still… “It doesn’t feel right.”

“See what I mean?”

Maybe I am trying not to believe him. Would it be so bad to trust him? He’s been nothing but good to me. “Sorry,” I say and open my eyes again to see him holding a knife and a strange green globe that might be a vegetable. The top of his coveralls has disappeared, leaving him bare chested. “What happened to your clothes?”

His lips thin, and he leans forward, bracing his hands on the table with his shoulders slumped. “Maintaining the details of clothing is taxing. Are you finished cleaning yet? We need to start prep work if we’re going to have a meal ready in time.”

Guilt washes through me, and I return to scrubbing. He’s obviously tired. I ought to cut him some slack, at least until we get through this first meal. I scrub harder, putting my frustration into the effort. These aliens are going to see that I’m earning my keep if it’s the last thing I do. My fingertips are starting to prune, while the rest of my mottled skin feels dry as parchment. Even my red nail polish is getting chipped.

I stop scrubbing and stare at my fingertips. That’s not right. “Why are my nails polished?”

“I suppose it’s a human style. When I first saw them, I thought you were bleeding,” he says without even looking my way as he fills a pot with water in the sink.

“But chefs don’t wear nail polish. It’s against code.” I look at his broad back. “Why are mine painted?”

He turns off the water and moves an armful of items to the end of the table I’ve cleaned. “The same reason you’re dressed in that expensive gown.”

“And why is that?” Something about this story stinks, and it’s not just the air from the garbage in the cupboards.

“You were, um, I believe you called it networking? On the Romantasy.”

“Networking?” I roll the thought around, but no memories emerge. “Why?”

“You were attempting to impress sponsors for a cooking show.”

A lightbulb goes off in my mind, and I can almost envision the wide lens of a camera aimed my direction. Something finally feels right. I grin widely. “I’m the star of a cooking show.”

“Well, technically, the chef is the star.” He shrugs one shoulder and begins deftly slicing the green vegetable. The inside is a creamy orange color.

I bite my lip, afraid to admit I’m disappointed. “So, you’re the star?”

“That’s what you said you were trying to do.” I watch him wield the knife, making precise, thin slices with an almost sensual ease. This hunky alien could totally be the star of a cooking show. Women would pay hard-earned cash to ogle him for hours. Even some men.

A voice from the hallway startles me from my thoughts. “My crew is going to mutiny if we don’t eat soon.”

I look up to spot the captain standing in the entry. At least I assume it’s the captain. The bug-like gray alien’s crest of spines stands upright like the back of a caterpillar and his mandibles are twitching.

“The prep work is underway.” Izhima indicates the chopped orange vegetable. “I’ll have a first course ready soon.”

The captain opens and closes three-pincered hands that remind me of lobster claws. “What are you preparing?”

“Ekitai consommé and smoked menchisu. Followed by a chomma and tomen crusted butani with a side of poached xeru.”

I raise my eyebrows. I have no idea what most of the food he just mentioned even is, but the fact he can make it from what he found in these cupboards and pulled out of the replicator is impressive.

The captain makes a satisfied noise. “All right, then. You have an irn.” He looks pointedly in my direction. “Otherwise, the crew will want to find something else to satisfy their appetites.”

A wave of goose pimples prickle across my skin and I turn to start scrubbing at the counter and what I assume is the cooktop.

“You will not be disappointed,” replies Izhima. His voice is full of confidence, but I also notice he’s moved to stand between me and the captain. My husband, the chef. Who I’m trying to build a cooking show around. So many puzzle pieces, yet I still can’t make out the full picture. At least I like what I’ve discovered so far.

CHAPTER 6

After the captain departs, Izhima peels, chops, stirs, and sautés while I clean the rest of the kitchen. I scrub hard and fast, too focused to ask any more questions. Plus, I don’t want to distract him. My virtue relies on what I hope are his very skilled hands.

What feels like several hours later, I’m on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor when the crew arrives. They tromp in, snuffling like a herd of pigs in search of truffles.

“Smells decent,” says the captain, dropping to a seat on the nearest bench.

“Never saw the place so shiny,” says the pink lizard alien, also taking a seat. I notice he has a stumpy tail that hangs down over the bench.

Pjo sidles toward me, eyestalks undulating as he stares down my cleavage. “It does look pretty good.”

I scramble back onto my feet, hands clenching the rag. Good thing I wasn’t holding a prep knife, because I think I might’ve stabbed his bulging, froggy throat.

Izhima steps between us and sets a tureen in the middle of the table. What looks like orange flower petals are scattered over a grayish broth. “Our first course is ekitai consommé.” He passes out empty bowls and sinks a ladle into the tureen, setting the petals swirling. “After that, you’ll enjoy a course of crusted butani and poached xeru.”

The captain pats the bench beside him. “You sit here, female.”

“That’s all right. I’m not hungry.” I shake my head and offer my most winning smile.

The captain makes a clicking noise with his mandibles. “Sit.”

Pjo slides over on the bench, mouth in a too-wide smile. “There’s room on this side, if you prefer.”

“I’ve been cleaning all day,” I say, putting my hands on my hips. “I’m filthy.”

“Sit down so we can eat,” says Naro. The extra joints on his fingers make it look like there are spider legs wrapped around his empty bowl.

I give Izhima a beseeching glance, but he nods. Gritting my teeth, I wash my hands while Izhima fills bowls, then I sit on the edge of the bench next to the captain. There’s a bowl waiting for me, too, but I’ll be damned if I eat anything made in this cesspool.

Naro pulls his bowl closer, taking a deep breath from the rising steam. “Mmmmm.”

“Wait.” The pink lizard points to the bowl in front of me. “You taste first.”

“Me?” I gawk in horror at the gray broth. “Why me?”

“How else are we going to know you ain’t trying to poison us?” asks Pjo.

I cross my arms. “Why would we poison you? Then we’d have no one to fly this ship. Besides, if you get sick it’s not our fault. Everything in your cupboards looks like it came out of the garbage.”

“People throw away perfectly good food all the time,” says Naro. “Now hurry up. I’m hungry.”

Now that I’m not immersed in cleaning products, I have to admit the steam coming from the bowl smells savory and good. The gray soup looks strange, but I don’t think Izhima would allow me to eat something that would kill me. And I watched him taste-test things the entire time he cooked. I sigh and reach for the bowl. There are no spoons, so I lift it and take a small sip. The broth warms my tongue and spills down my throat. It has a buttery, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of citrus. Before I know what I’m doing, I take a second gulp.

The crew bursts into motion, lifting their bowls and slurping loudly.

I meet Izhima’s eyes across the table. He’s standing near the fold down counter watching me with rapt attention. I swallow again, and his gaze drops to my throat, then lower to the tops of my breasts above the neckline of my dress. My body warms from more than the delicious soup.

As if suddenly recognizing this is not the time or place to exchange sultry gazes, he turns his attention to removing the empty tureen from the table.

“Delicious, but not very filling,” complains the lizard man, staring at my half-full bowl.

I curl my lips. Like I’m going to share with that asshole. I pointedly finish the rest. The orange flower petal things have a smoky, cheese-like flavor and texture. Overall, an exquisite first course, I must admit, even if the presentation was a little mediocre. It needed a garnish, and a true consommé should’ve arrived already dished out, not served family-style. Now, where did that thought come from? Perhaps I really am the host of a cooking show.

Izhima sets a platter of what looks like slabs of tofu covered in black sesame seeds in the center of the table. The slabs rest on a bed of what looks like white marbles. “Crusted butani and poached xeru,” he announces.

The crew reach for the food excitedly, using their hands rather than the flat serving spoon Izhima provided. The pink lizard picks up his entire square of what I assume is butani in one hand and lifts it to his mouth.

“Hold up, Choq,” says Naro, putting a long-fingered hand on the lizard’s wrist. “Just because the soup isn’t poisoned doesn’t mean everything is safe.” He looks meaningfully my way.

The rest of the crew now turns expectantly toward me.

I roll my eyes. This is ridiculous. Yet after tasting the soup, I have to admit I’m curious about the other courses.

Izhima is once more looking at me intently. “Go on, love,” he says.

My breath catches as a flash of memory washes through me—Izhima’s blue tongue and lips calling me love. Is that his pet name for me? I smile at him, hoping he’s on his way to forgiving me, and reach for the serving spoon.

A mere scattering of white spheres and a broken chunk of the butani remains, which I hope broke during cooking and not because one of these louts manhandled it with their filthy claws before putting it back. I scrape together a few of the spheres plus half of the broken butani and put it on my plate. The dish smells a bit like bacon. My mouth waters. I adore bacon.

The single eating utensil next to my plate reminds me of a spork with a serrated edge. I cut into the crusty outside of the butani with ease and place a small morsel on my tongue. The crust is light and crunchy, but the interior almost melts in my mouth. It not only smells like bacon, it tastes like it, too.

I beam at Izhima. “Amazing as always, chef.”

He looks momentarily flustered, a dark flush creeping over his azure cheeks. Then he turns away, busying himself with the next dish. I take a beat to appreciate his bare broad shoulders, then remind myself that he’s tired and wants this over with so he can rest.

I sample the white spheres, shocked to discover they have a kick of spice, a heat that comes and goes quickly, leaving behind a salty sweetness I find delightful. The pairing of these flavors is amazing, and before I know it, my plate is clean. I reach for the platter and the other half of my serving, but Choq has already shoveled it onto his plate and is happily munching away, his lizard lips smacking loudly. Asshole.

The captain wipes his mandibles on a napkin with surprising daintiness and stands. “That was a fine meal. I’ll expect an equally fine breakfast tomorrow.”

“Isn’t there more?” asks Pjo. “What about dessert?”

Everyone else had been getting to their feet, perfectly content, but now they look at Izhima expectantly.

A spike of fear rises in my chest. There’s no doubt in my mind about where Pjo wants to take this thread. I stiffen, ready to bolt if things go south.

Izhima puts one hand on my shoulder, keeping me planted on the bench, and speaks to the captain. “Regretfully, we didn’t have time to plan a dessert, not with the limited supplies at hand. We’ll surpass your expectations tomorrow.”

That seems to satisfy the captain, who nods. “See that you do.”

“It was a tasty meal,” mutters Choq on his way out. “Thank you.”

Naro follows him. “I can’t wait to see what we get to eat next time.”

Pjo’s eyestalks undulate, sliding from Izhima, to me, to the captain. Then he stands and heads toward the exit as well. “There’d better be dessert tomorrow.”

My heart is still racing like a mixer on high speed, however, because the captain is now looking directly at me. “Still not sure this was enough for both your passages,” he says and looks around the galley. “Though I do like how you’ve tidied the place. I suppose if you continue with the rest of the ship, we’ll call it even.”

I recoil. “The rest of the ship? You have to be kidding.”

“Everyone has to earn their bunk.”

“But Izhima needs me. I’m his prep chef.” Not that I did any actual food prep, but the captain doesn’t know that.

He shrugs. “We’re a small operation. We all have multiple duties. Consider cleaning one of yours.”

I glance at Izhima, hoping for some backup, but he’s already putting items back into the cupboards. Resisting the urge to groan, I grab a rag and start washing the table for the second time today. These garbage men better get me to a spaceport soon, or they just may find themselves poisoned after all.

CHAPTER 7

By the time Izhima and I finish tidying the kitchen, the lights on the ship have dimmed, which I assume means it’s the night cycle. I’m grateful because right now I’d give just about anything to get off my feet.

As we walk down the corridor back toward our bunk, I notice that Izhima’s skin looks ashier than it did earlier, and he’s no longer merely shirtless, but has resorted to a covering that reminds me of a Speedo. Not that I mind—I enjoy looking at his chiseled abs and his muscular thighs. But I’m pretty sure it means he’s exhausted.

I hope our success today has eased his wariness about the crew and his anger at me for getting us into this mess, because I’m tired and cranky and really don’t want to volunteer to stay awake and keep watch, even though it’s technically my turn. I slump onto the cot. “Come lie down,” I say.

“You rest.” He sits on a nearby crate, his back stiff. “I still don’t trust the crew.”

Dammit, why does he have to be so difficult? I scowl and stretch a hand toward him. “Stop arguing and get over here. If we’re together, they can’t snatch me out of your arms without you knowing. Besides, I’m cold.”

He seems to consider, then rises and moves to the cot. But instead of climbing in beside me, he leans down and draws the blanket up over me.

I grab his wrist. “Stop being so frustrating. You need rest, or you’re going to collapse.”

“If I’m next to you…” He shudders, eyes locked with mine. “I can’t rest.”

At first I think he means he wants the cot to himself, but then his gaze drifts down my body with what I can only assume is longing. I gulp, heat flooding through me and concentrating in my core. Once my body is pressed against his, I’ll probably want to do anything but sleep, too. I work to keep my voice from trembling as I offer, “We could have a quickie to relax.”

His eyes flash, and ever so slowly, he cups my cheek and runs the pad of his thumb across my lips. My breathing shallows, and every inch of my skin tingles with desire for his touch. I open my mouth to draw his thumb in, but he pulls away.

“A quickie would not be enough with you, especially… with your amnesia.” His voice is deep and sexy and makes me want to melt like chocolate. But what’s with the strange pause?

His concern for me only makes me want him more. To lose myself and escape from this horrible situation, even just for a moment. I grip his wrist harder. “Please. I’ll do all the work. I just… I need to feel something else.”

He releases a slow breath, his dark eyes somehow darker. Then he seems to reach a decision. He slides beneath the blanket and pulls me against him, and although my skin is still sensitive, it’s no longer painful. His breath drifts across my cheek, then he feathers his lips over mine. My eyes close automatically, and I inhale his masculine scent, tilting my chin up slightly. When his lips close over mine in a full-blown kiss, his mouth is firm yet incredibly soft, his tongue sliding easily between my lips.

Remembering that I promised to do all the work, I loop my arms around his neck, preparing to roll myself on top of him. But he pushes me back against the mattress, one hand beneath my jaw as he deepens the kiss and wedges a knee between mine to lie half-atop me. Every inch of my skin fires to awareness against his body as he plunders my mouth, tongue driving in and out as if he wants to consume me.

I’d been daydreaming about kissing him all day, trying to dredge up a memory of our previous intimacies. This kiss is everything I dreamed of and more. Supple, heated, and singing with passion. Our tongues spar for long moments before his lips leave mine, gliding to the space beneath my ear. “You realize the crew could be watching.”

I’m panting, hands roving his shoulders and biceps, yearning for more as my eyes pop open to the dim surroundings. It makes sense. I search the dark corners of the room for the telltale red light of a security camera. Nothing. But alien surveillance may be nothing like human tech.

Regardless of whether or not there are cameras, I don’t want Izhima to stop what he’s doing. I need this. I need him, to feel him move inside me. Pulling the blanket up over his shoulders to cover us, I slide my hand lower, fingertips skimming his muscular ass. I murmur, “They can’t see anything under the blanket.”

Izhima’s breath is hot against the side of my throat. He makes a low, sexy noise. “You’re used to getting your own way, aren’t you?”

I think he’s right, and I don’t plan to make an exception to that now. “Yes, I am,” I reply as I thread my fingers into his hair and bring his mouth back to mine.

He kisses me deeply, supporting his weight on one elbow. His rigid cock is a throbbing rod against my thigh. I throw my free leg up over his hip, trying to pull him all the way between my legs, but he doesn’t budge. His hand leaves my neck to slide over my collarbone to my breast, fingers kneading through the fabric. I flinch, my skin still over-sensitive, but I don’t want to complain.

Not that I need to. He’s in-tune with my reactions and moves on, his touch feather-light as he grazes along my hip. With agonizing slowness, he rucks up the hem of my dress, reaching behind the leg I have thrown over his hip. Delightful shivers flutter through my core as he traces light fingertips up the back of my thigh toward my ass. He dips between my legs, grazing the lace panties covering my sex.

A moan escapes my lips as he strokes back and forth over the growing dampness. I arch my back, rocking in time to his gentle yet firm probing. He slides beneath the lace and finds my slick folds. Up and down, teasing my lips and clit, circling the opening to my channel with sweeping strokes that almost bring me to climax.

His hips are flexing in time to his strokes, rigid cock rubbing against my thigh. I want to touch it, to wrap my fingers around the heated shaft and draw him to me, into me. But his wide shoulders are in the way. All I can do is lie there and let him pin me with his kisses and explore my pussy with his fingers. He slides one thick digit inside me, and I moan into his mouth. His finger pumps in and out shallowly.

I arch, wanting more, wanting deeper. The angle isn’t quite right. After a few more strokes, I can’t stand it anymore and drop my leg from his hip, opening myself to him from the front.

In one, sure move, he thrusts his fingers into the front of my panties, entering my folds.

A gargled sound escapes me, and I buck up into his palm, fingers digging into his shoulders as he resumes his previous rhythm. His tongue is now drawing dizzying circles over my throat. He seems to know my body well, adjusting pressure and rhythm. I’m going to come if he keeps this up, and I haven’t even touched his cock yet.

I let go of his shoulder and move a trembling hand down his chest and abs toward where his cock is pinned between us. He’s been subtly flexing his hips, pumping against me. My hand reaches his lower abs, thrilled at the rippling flex of his muscles, but he doesn’t let me slide between us to touch him.

“I want to feel you,” I murmur, nearly out of my mind at the rockets of pleasure tingling along my thighs. My panties are soaked through, and wetness slicks my thighs as he strokes faster, still not giving an inch to my questing fingers.

He plunges inside me again, making my breath hitch and my legs shudder. I gasp and pant, dizzy under his touch, bucking up against him, mindless in my need for release. My orgasm bursts like fireworks behind my eyes and rolls through my body like a storm. I cry out, but he swallows the sound with a kiss, continuing to drive into me with his fingers as I shudder.

CHAPTER 8

When I come down from the high of my climax, I have to take a few gasping moments to breathe. If that was his version of foreplay, I can’t wait to re-discover what actual intercourse with him is like. Yet I’m also fighting back a fresh wave of exhaustion. It would be so easy to fall asleep right now, nuzzled against his broad chest. But Izhima already hinted he thinks I’m selfish, and the last thing I want to do is prove him right.

I keep my eyes open and attempt to wedge my hand into the non-existent space between his crotch and my hip. “Your turn.”

He catches my hand, kissing the palm before he cradles it against his chest. Sliding his other arm beneath my head like a pillow, he pulls me close. “Next time, love. We’re both tired.”

Is he really too tired to get off? “But—”

He kisses my temple. “Please, for once don’t argue.”

Torn between guilt and relief, I swallow. I asked him for release, even though I know he’s ready to collapse from exhaustion. Now he’s too tired to go on. Maybe I really am as selfish as he says. But those thoughts are for tomorrow. My eyes are closing already.

Some time later, I wake on my side with one arm and one leg draped over Izhima’s warmth. My head is still pillowed on his biceps, his hand loosely curled around my back and ribs. The bay is dim, and I’m warm and comfortable, so I try to find sleep again, but my mind is spinning, and my eyes just won’t remain shut.

I open them a crack and examine Izhima’s profile: smooth brow without that Cro-Magnon look some women are into, the perfect nose to chin ratio, sensuous lips, and dark lashes. Even his ear is sexy, and I want to lean forward and nibble the lobe. I resist the urge, respecting his need for sleep.

His eyes pop open, and he looks sideways at me. “Why are you awake?”

My heart races. “Why are you?”

“Because someone won’t stop staring at me.”

I smile softly. “I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”

His brow furrows, and the arm beneath my head stiffens. “Are you trying to insult me?”

I blink, confused. “Why would you think that?”

“Humans don’t use that term for males.”

I chuckle. “We do if it’s true.” I hadn’t thought about him being an alien in a while now. He’d become just Izhima, the man who took care of me. The man I’d fought with and dragged into this mess. The man who’d rescued me. How many arguments had we gotten into because of cultural misunderstandings like this one?

I wiggle closer and rub my nose around the shell of his ear before settling my cheek on the pocket of his shoulder. “You smell good, too.”

The arm around my back relaxes, settling against my ribcage once more. “Sleep, love. It will be morning soon.”

But I can’t sleep now. I have too many questions. “You said we had a fight about my birthday cake. What was I upset about?”

“You insisted the recipe I used was wrong.”

I recall my joke about cake being the most important meal of the day and him thinking I was serious. “What recipe did you use?”

“According to my research, cake is a bread-like food made from a dough or batter that’s usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened. I noticed many humans seemed to enjoy fried items from our menu on the Romantasy and thought that would please you as well. You were not happy.”

Picturing a stack of fry bread with a candle on top, I realize I’d been right—this was a cultural misunderstanding. “Oh, Izhima, I’m sorry. That’s actually a funny mistake. I don’t know why I’d get upset when all you were trying to do was celebrate my birthday. I guess we haven’t been married long, huh?”

After a brief hesitation, he says, “I never said we were married.”

My breath catches as I try to process his words. I frown and lift my head to look at him again. “Yes, you did.”

“I said you are my mate.”

“Oh.” Another cultural misunderstanding. “What’s the difference?”

He turns to look at the ceiling once more, his body rigid. “Marriage is a choice. Finding one’s mate is destiny.”

I’m not sure if he’s upset or what, but I don’t want to start another fight, not now when things seem to be improving. I lower my cheek to his chest again. “Well, marriage is just a piece of paper, anyway. What’s important is that we love each other.”

He clears his throat, as if about to say something, but the lights come on with sudden brightness. The captain’s voice comes over a speaker. “Time to make us breakfast, lovebirds.”

My fingers curl into a fist over Izhima’s heart. “They were spying on us.”

“As I said,” he replies.

I sigh and push the blanket down. As my hand slides down Izhima’s stomach, I bump into an erection the size of a summer sausage. Oh, my. Still pillowed on his chest, I drop my chin to look. The Speedos of the previous evening are gone, and I’m staring at the most enormous cock I’ve ever seen. I gulp. He’s still hard? I really should’ve insisted on taking the lead last night, though it’s hard to believe that would ever fit inside me.

I didn’t realize I’d circled my fingers around its girth until Izhima’s hand catches mine, drawing it away from his cock. His chest rises and falls rapidly beneath my cheek. “Don’t.”

The tingling between my legs is almost unbearable. I drag my gaze away from his crotch. “Sorry,” I say. I’m going to have find a way to snag a few minutes without the crew watching so I can fuck my husband—no, my mate—silly. “Habit, I guess.”

Izhima eases his arm out from under me and sits up, swinging his legs to the floor. His shoulders seem slumped, and his skin still has that ashen look. “We’d better get started.”

I frown. “Did you get any sleep at all?”

“The rest I need will have to wait until we’re off this ship.” He stands, and I see he’s once more covered by the Speedos, though they do little to mask the massive bulge underneath.

I sigh. He didn’t rest well because he wants to protect me, and I didn’t help the matter by giving him blue balls—though to be fair, I did offer to remedy that. I hand him the blanket. “Do you want to wear this so you don’t have to spend energy emulating clothing?”

“Thank you.” He wraps the rough fabric around his waist, drawing the hem up between his legs and tucking it into the waistband so he looks like he’s wearing harem pants.

I shove my aching feet into my heels and we head down the gray corridor to the bathroom—I guess they call it a head on the ship. During our brief visit last night, I’d been surprised by how clean it was compared to the rest of the ship. Turns out aliens do have automatic cleaning technology. The crew just hasn’t invested in it except for the bathroom, which I’m not knocking, because one less thing to clean, right? I want to gag at the thought of mopping up alien excrement.

The head contains two basins that serve as toilets, dual sinks recessed into the wall, and a single stall that Izhima called a sanitizer. I’d been too tired to explore using it last night, which might’ve been a good thing if the crew has us under surveillance. But I feel grimy from my work yesterday, and very much in need of a shower. I glance around the plain gray walls. “Do you think they have cameras in here?”

“I don’t think so. But you don’t need to undress to use the sanitizer.” Izhima steps into the stall and pushes a button. He widens his stance and lifts his arms as what looks like steam shoots out of tiny nozzles in the wall, followed by a bar of violet light that circles him. He pushes another button and runs his fingers through his hair as light targets his head. When he steps out, his skin looks a fraction less ashy, and the iridescent blue luster of his dark hair is more vibrant. “Your turn.”

CHAPTER 9

I step inside cautiously. It smells weird in here, like ozone and coffee, but better than my own sweat. Having serious doubts about this thing actually working, especially if I don’t remove my clothes, I push the same button Izhima used and spread my arms and legs. Mist fills the stall, permeating my dress and warming my skin. I expected it to be moist, but it doesn’t give me any sensation at all, nor does the light that follows. I’m not sure if it’s safe to inhale the mist, so I hold my breath until I’m forced to gasp for air. When the light goes off, my skin feels refreshed, and I can no longer smell myself over the coffee-like scent. Even my dress is clean, the smudges from my work yesterday erased from the fabric. Nice. Dry cleaners could make a killing with one of these contraptions back home.

Step one complete, I push the next button and run my fingers through my shoulder-length curls while light plays through the strands. The knots come loose with ease, and the strands lose the oily tacky feeling they have when they’re dirty. When the light goes out, I don’t feel nearly as good as I do after a shower, but I do feel cleaner, even under my dress where I was the most worried.

I step out of the stall, wondering if it might be worth carting the dishes down here after a meal and letting the sanitizer do the work for us. As we head down the corridor to the galley, I loop my arm through Izhima’s. The meal Izhima made last night lingers in my mind, and I hate to admit my stomach rumbles for more. “What do alien garbage collectors like best for breakfast?” I ask.

We round the corner to find Choq sitting on a bench, pink claws drumming the tabletop. “Where have you been? I’m hungry and have work to do.”

I scowl at the lizard man. “Nebula quality meals take time to prepare, you know.”

“I don’t have time to wait.” Choq stands, lizard features hardened by a scowl.

“Hold on.” Izhima moves around me to the drop-down cupboard and comes back holding a tall, thin glass. He sets it on the table in front of Choq. A smell that reminds me of mango and cloves drifts in my direction as he pours something into it from a black jug. “There will be food soon. Enjoy this zhikegi while you wait.”

Grinning, Choq slowly lowers himself back onto the bench, and takes a thick glug. Izhima must’ve prepared whatever that stuff is last night.

I hurriedly set more dishes on the table while Izhima programs the replicator. I wouldn’t have minded having the kitchen to ourselves a bit longer, but it’s too late now.

Naro and Pjo arrive side by side, followed soon after by the captain. They all sit and begin drinking the zhikegi without a second thought. Apparently, they no longer think we might poison them.

Izhima hands me a knife and directs me to cube a hunk of something that looks and feels like raw beef, but smells like strawberries. I’m not sure if I should feel disgusted or hungry as I slice through it.

Drizzling a vinaigrette over a bowl of something that looks like robin eggs, Izhima sets the first course on the table. The crew chats while they eat, mostly about shipping lane logistics and the value of various items they’ve discovered in the refuse. Someone at the table belches, and Pjo laughs.

I focus on chopping and stirring and whatever else Izhima directs me to do. The crew devours the various dishes Izhima provides. When they’re done, the captain says, “Female, you’ll start cleaning my quarters first today.”

“As soon as we’ve eaten and cleaned up in here,” Izhima says.

“Very well.” The captain rises, followed by the rest of the crew.

As soon as everyone has cleared out, I sigh and plop exhausted onto a bench. Izhima sits across from me and hands me a plate. I’ve snitched a few nibbles of food while we prepared, but my stomach feels like a hollow pit. I don’t even worry about whether or not the crew has touched the food before I help myself to the leftovers.

I start with a sip of the zhikegi drink, which tastes a bit like mango but is more bitter and delivers a kick like caffeine. Then I select something that looks like a sticky bun and take a bite. Nutty and sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. “God, that’s good.”

Izhima’s dark eyes are focused on my mouth as I lick stickiness from my thumb and finger.

A lump fills my throat and I freeze. “What? Should I not eat with my fingers?”

He quickly turns his attention to his plate and picks up his own sticky bun. “You’re fine.”

Suddenly self-conscious, I pick up my eating utensil and stab a blue egg like the captain had. It has a creamy, fishy flavor I don’t care for, but it isn’t terrible, so I finish it, not wanting to be rude. “So I guess I’m supposed to clean the captain’s quarters first today.”

“I’ll go with you.”

I frown. “Don’t you need to prep for lunch?”

“I told you I’m not letting you wander this ship alone. I’ll help you clean and you’ll help me cook.”

I smile at him gratefully and gather the dishes into a portable tub. “I’m going to take these to the head and see if that sanitizer thing can work its magic. That could make our job go faster.”

He raises his eyebrows, then nods slowly. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Once I’ve gathered everything and wiped down the table, he helps me carry the basket to the head. We set everything on the floor of the sanitizer and turn it on. I assume it’s going to take a little time to eradicate the food grime, so I put my arms around Izhima’s neck and draw his face down to mine, smiling into his eyes. I’ve been thinking a lot about our time together last night. “I think we have a little time if you want to, uh…” I slide a hand down his chest toward his groin, “get anything out of your system.”

His hands creep to my waist, yet he stands rigid. “We’d better not.”

“You said there weren’t cameras here.” I rise onto my tiptoes and brush my lips over his.

He groans and closes his eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you—”

Someone clears their throat behind me, and I twist to see Choq in the doorway. He holds something green and sparkly in his claws. “I think this belongs to you.”

It’s a cell phone. I recognize the image on the screen immediately—a selfie of me and my sisters, Suzanne, Jennifer, and Tamara.

In a rush, I’m drowned by returning memories. My sister, Tamara, winning the singles cruise on the Romantasy. Suzanne insisting we make it a sisters trip. My plan to solicit alien chefs on board to help revive my failing cooking show—all of it. The return of so many thoughts at once nearly drives me to my knees.

But there is one burning thing I now know.

Izhima has been lying to me this entire time.

CHAPTER 10

Three Days Earlier…

I’m standing on the observation deck of the Romantasy next to one of the many tables loaded with hors d’oeuvres, a mildly alcoholic beverage in one hand to calm my nerves. My entire career could hinge on this slightly underhanded scheme, but it’s not like I have a lot of other options.

Overhead, the domed ceiling reveals a glowing yellow planet surrounded by multi-colored rings, while an alien orchestra plays a lively tune from a circular stage in the middle of the room. Nearby on the dance floor, I catch the familiar laugh of my oldest sister, Suzanne, as she waltzes by in the arms of a blue-skinned alien. At least she’s having fun. I’ve lost track of my other two sisters, but I’m sure they’re here, too; we’re required to attend these nightly meat-market gatherings as part of our free cruise package.

My pulse quickens when the portal in the floor near me cycles open for what feels like the hundredth time tonight. A blue-skinned server rises from the depths of the ship, and I exhale through pursed lips. Not him. The alien I’m waiting for looks like he comes straight out of the Roswell picture books: a thin gray guy with an oversized head and huge dark eyes.

The blue-skinned server sets a tray of bright yellow triangles topped with tiny red and green spheres among the myriad other dishes on the table. Some of the food there could pass for Earth cuisine, like the mini quiches or the crudités arranged next to a creamy dip. Other items are distinctly alien, like the dish of purple worms I swear are still wriggling.

I bite my lip and look around the vast, crowded room. Where is he? I’ve been standing here since the party began. My contact couldn’t have missed me.

A winged alien with five short horns sprouting from his forehead catches my eye and angles toward me, but I level my best resting bitch face in his direction until he changes course. I probably should’ve opted for something less sexy than my elegant black evening dress and stilettos, but there’s a chance I’ll be on camera this evening, and I need to look my best.

I’m not on this cruise to have fun. My primary focus is the food—more specifically, the chefs. Two weeks ago, my producer threatened to cancel my baking show if I didn’t come up with a plan to improve ratings.

I was at a loss about what to do until my sister won tickets to this luxury space cruise. Aliens are all the rage since the galactic prince married a human last year, and hosting a real-life alien chef on my show could send ratings sky-high.

Yet here I am, three days in, and I’ve only been able to convince one to audition—if you can call getting him to bake my birthday cake an audition.

I study the food spread across the table again. At least my producer will be impressed by the guy’s Nebula Chef credentials. It also doesn’t hurt that Chef Izhima is easy on the eyes, I think, remembering the tall blue alien in his crisp white chef’s coat and hat.

My birthday is tomorrow, and I’d used a sizable portion of the show’s marketing budget to book one of the ship’s small restaurants for my party. I’d even pulled a few strings to invite the galactic crown prince, Arazhi and his new bride, Georgie. Go big or go home, right?

Then, just a few hours ago, Chef Izhima informed me I can’t film while he works because the kitchens are off limits to guests. How the hell am I supposed to sell his baking skills if I can’t film them? But no matter how much I protested, pleaded, or pouted, the infuriating blue chef refused. Something about liability insurance even my cooking show policy won’t cover. The best he can offer is the cake itself.

Frustrated and desperate, I’d bribed a server to get me into the kitchen for a few minutes. All I need is a few shots around the kitchen and a couple of angles with Chef Izhima at work, then I’ll focus the rest of the footage on the show stopping presentation and taste test. I can’t afford to let this plan go sideways or I’ll lose the show for sure. And I am not a loser.

I check the clock on my phone for the tenth time in as many minutes. I paid in advance, so that little alien better not stand me up. Though if he does, I’m uncertain I can tell one short gray alien from another to ream him out…

The nearby lift cycles open, raising a thin gray alien wearing a white crew uniform into view. He hurries straight toward me. Finally. I bring up the camera on my phone to be sure I’m ready to film at a moment’s notice. I intend to get in and out of the kitchen before anyone can complain.

“Are you ready, miss?” The alien looks from side to side nervously. “The corridor will be vacant for a short span of time while the servers ready the next courses. We must be quick.”

“Not a problem,” I say and follow him to the circle on the floor. The lift descends with dizzying speed, making my already nervous stomach lurch. I’m still reeling as we come to a stop in the middle of a corridor intersection.

“This way.” My escort hurries down one passage. Unlike the ornately decorated guest areas of the ship, the walls and ceiling of this wide corridor are a featureless gray, though the deck is painted with symbols I can’t decipher. If I didn’t have the alien leading me, I’d have a hard time discerning one direction from another. I pause only long enough to snap a photo of the symbol on the floor so I can get back on my own if I need to.

When I look back up, the alien is already several yards away. I run to catch up, my stilettos clicking against the hard deck. Ahead, the familiar bustle and clank of working kitchen staff echoes from an open hatch on the left. We slow as we approach, and my guide says, “We need to pass by here quickly.” He peers around the corner, then beckons to me and whispers, “They’re not looking. Hurry.”

I tap record on my camera and aim it inside as I scurry past, barely daring to breathe. Three or four alien cooks move around stainless-steel counters, too focused on their work to notice us. I’ll take a better look at what I filmed them doing when this is all over. Maybe I can work some of it into the demo.

We turn down another hall, moving past hovering carts of neatly folded linen before coming to a stop at a closed hatch. The small alien gestures toward it. “Chef Izhima is in here.”

I hand him several of the credit chips we used on board as tips, thinking it might be good to reinforce the bribe. “Please don’t tell anyone. Thank you.”

The gray alien grins, small mouth displaying what looks like glistening gray gums instead of teeth, and presses the door control. “Have fun.”

As the door shushes quietly open, music emerges from inside, a woman singing words in a language I can’t understand. I start recording and turn to ask the little alien to wait here, but he’s already scurrying back in the direction we’d come. I grimace. Good thing I took photos of the floor symbols.

Taking a steadying breath, I slip into a half-lit kitchen. The door swishes closed behind me, and I suction against the wall to one side as I look around. Chef Izhima’s back is to me, body swaying to the beat of the song while he works at something on a stainless-steel island counter. I grin. This candid moment couldn’t be more perfect.

I pan the surroundings with my camera. An assortment of pots and utensils dangle from a rack suspended above the island. Cupboards fill one wall, while another has a counter with a broad utility sink and several tiny doors inset with windows. On the other side of the island counter there’s a big iris-type door I assume is a walk-in cooler and an unusual counter I think might be a cooktop.

Walking as quietly as I can in my heels, I move forward, focusing my phone on Chef Izhima’s broad shoulders. They fill out his white chef’s coat nicely, tapering to a trim waist and hips. His thick, dark hair gleams almost iridescent blue in the dim light.

I stop several feet away and clear my throat. He turns, gaze widening. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

I give him my most winning smile. “I’ll leave in a minute. I only need a few seconds of footage.”

But then my attention falls on the thing he’s been working on; a stack of what looks like fry bread the size of dinner plates rises from the counter, bright green frosting dripping from between the layers. I gape at the monstrosity.

“Is that… my cake?” I ask.

Chef Izhima lifts a piping bag full of more green frosting. “It is.”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. This is a fiasco. He can’t seriously intend to serve that to guests.

The look on my face must say it all, because he frowns. “Is this not what you expected?”

I step forward, my heart thudding loudly in my ears. “Absolutely not. Where did you find the recipe for this… this… whatever this is?”

He lifts his chin. “I searched our database on human cake extensively to formulate this recipe. This will please the human desire for both fat and sugar.”

His words only make my heart race faster. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? I’d just spent a significant amount of the show’s money on an event that is going to flop even harder than the “cake” he’s produced. I’ll only embarrass myself if I let this creation be unveiled and ruin any chance of salvaging my show. “Oh, my God. You have no idea what you’re doing. We have to start over.”

Turning off my phone, I stuff it into the front of my dress, then stride across the kitchen toward the cooler. “We need to fix this. Fast. I need butter, eggs, sugar, flour—”

He grabs my arm. “You can’t be in here. Just tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it.”

I jerk my arm from his grip. “You can’t salvage this thing. All of it’s wrong. I’m not leaving this up to chance again. I can show you how to whip this up in a few minutes, and once it’s baking, I’ll leave.”

Without waiting for his approval, I turn and press the button next to the door to the walk-in cooler. It irises open, and a hurricane of wind and flying utensils slam into me from behind. For a half a second, I think Izhima must be throwing things at me as I stumble forward under the impact.

Then I realize I’m surrounded by stars. A cold so sharp it feels like I’m being flayed alive sears my skin, my eyes, my lungs. For a flash, I see the ship spinning away from me. Izhima’s blue face fills my vision. I want to scream, but I can’t breathe. I need to breathe!

Then everything goes dark.

CHAPTER 11

As I shake off the memory of that kitchen, I realize Izhima’s arms are still around my waist. This man—this alien—isn’t my husband. I barely know him. After what we’ve been through, I’m not even sure I like him. He’d led me on for the past two days. Touched me in intimate places! All the while, knowing our relationship was a farce.

My arms drop like stones from his shoulders. “You lied to me!”

“Beth—” He reaches for my hands.

I jerk away. “It’s Bethany,” I correct. “Not Beth. Bethany.”

“What’s going on?” Choq asks, still watching us from the doorway with my phone in one hand.

I don’t even try to answer, still reeling from the sudden return of my memory as I stalk over and snatch the phone from his clawed grip. My name’s Bethany Bloom. I was a guest on the starship Romantasy with my three sisters. And I’m definitely not married to Izhima Amai.

Izhima stalks past me and shoves the pink lizard-man out of the bathroom. “Give us some privacy, please.”

The door swishes closed, but I have no desire to be alone with the man who took advantage of me and my amnesia. I reach for the door control. “I’m not—”

Grabbing my wrist, Izhima jerks me around to face him. Through gritted teeth, he mutters, “Keep your voice down. Remember what we just talked about in the galley, Beth?”

My temper flares hotter. He’s still using my name wrong! I raise my free hand and deliver a resounding slap against his cheek. He doesn’t even wince.

Face an unreadable mask, he leans closer, voice low. “Your recklessness is going to get us both killed.” His gaze flickers toward the door. “At least listen to what I have to say before you boil over.”

I’m vibrating with rage, but a small voice in the back of my mind repeats his earlier warning. These pirates will grab any opportunity that comes their way. They’d planned to rape me, and without Izhima’s protection, they might try again.

It’s all I can do not to shout at him, but I manage to keep my voice low. “We barely know each other.” I wave my phone in the air, as if to show him evidence of his lies. “I’m not your prep chef, let alone your mate, and you… you took advantage of me.”

His eyes spark with indignation that rivals my own. He releases my wrist and steps back, hands balled into fists at his sides. “I suggest you rethink that. You asked me—begged me—to touch you.”

Heat infuses my face. I can’t deny that I’d insisted on his touch. He’d even remarked on me always getting my own way. Don’t let him get off that easily. Stirring up the shreds of my outrage, I cross my arms. “You never should’ve let things go that far.”

A look of frustration crosses his features, and he speaks through clenched teeth. “We’re both lucky I stopped when I did. A Kirenai’s mating instinct is not to be taken lightly.”

Mating instinct? I gulp and remember his rigid cock pressed against my thigh. How badly I’d wanted to touch it, to stroke him until he came all over me. To open my legs wide and let him fill me with pleasure. My gaze slips downward to the blanket still fastened around his hips. I can see the unmistakable swelling of his erection through the thick fabric. Hot wetness floods my panties. Lord help me, I still want him.

Letting out a long breath, I force my attention back to his face. He’d called me reckless, and I now remember the many times my sisters accused me of the same thing. Slowing down and being rational had always been a challenge for me. If you slow down, you get dismissed and ignored. You’re in this mess because of your hot head, I remind myself. But now that those last moments on board the Romantasy have returned to memory, I can’t help being a little salty. “Why the hell was there a button in that kitchen that would eject us into space? That seems like a major design flaw.”

Izhima arches an eyebrow. “You weren’t allowed in the kitchen, remember?”

“Yes, but that button was an accident waiting to happen.” I toss my hair, feeling more justified with every passing second.

“That area was closed because the safety function for the garbage evacuation system was malfunctioning—the secondary airlock was stuck open. I circumvented the main lockout so I could use the kitchen for your project. Neither of us were supposed to be in there.”

Well, shit. Now I remember the busy kitchen the gray alien I bribed led me past. I also have a vague recollection of Izhima’s blue face looking into mine, his arms circling me, and an encompassing warmth before everything went black. He risked his life to save me. And he’d only lied to protect me from being gang raped by this lecherous crew. Even now, he was just trying to save me from my own stupid temper.

I bite my bottom lip, remorse forming a lump in my throat. “I suppose… I suppose I should thank you.”

Izhima nods slowly, taking a moment to assess my sincerity. “You can thank me once we’re out of this mess. Right now, you need to remember that there are eyes and ears all over this ship.” He glances meaningfully toward the door. “Someone could be listening, even now.”

Sudden fear freezes my breath. I glance toward the exit. Is Choq standing outside with his ear pressed to the door? I step closer to Izhima and whisper, “What will they do if they discover you lied about us being mated?”

He runs a hand over his dark hair. “Probably eject me back into space and sell you to the highest bidder. Human females are worth a fortune as breeders on the black market because they get pregnant almost instantly compared to most other species in the galactic consortium.”

Breeders? I grimace. “I don’t understand why us being mated changes their plans.”

“Kirenai mate for life. A mated female can’t physically produce offspring with anyone else.” He leans in, so his breath brushes my cheek. “And now that you’ve created this little scene, we’re going to have to prove we’re together beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

Tingles race over my skin as I consider what that might mean. I bite my lip and nod, knowing he’s right. “I understand.”

He hovers close for a few heartbeats, looking into my eyes. I think he’s about to say something else, but someone knocks on the door. “What’s going on in there?”

My heart lurches into my throat. The voice is Pjo’s, which means Choq probably already reported to the others.

Without warning, Izhima sweeps me into his arms and crushes his lips against mine.

What the hell? He said we needed to prove we’re together, but there’s nobody here to watch us at the moment. My hands flutter against his shoulders, caught between pushing him away and falling into the pleasure of the moment.

He deepens the kiss, one arm tight around my waist, the other supporting my head while his tongue delves between my surprised lips. My nipples harden to pinpoints against his chest and my breath comes in panting gasps. He smells so good, like toasted almonds with a hint of musk, and I can feel his erection lengthening against my belly.

A moan escapes me just as I hear the door shush open.

“What the fuck?” The captain punctuates the words with a dissatisfied clicking. “This ain’t a pleasure cruise.”

Izhima releases me, twisting to face the captain while keeping one arm firmly about my waist. “Our apologies, captain. Just making up after a lover’s spat. We’ll get back to work.”

Like vultures, the rest of the crew hovers in the corridor behind the captain, gawking over his spiny shoulders at us. Naro asks, “What are our dishes doing in there?”

“It’s a sanitizer, idiot.” Choq slugs him in the shoulder.

The onyx-skinned crewman scowls. “Why didn’t I ever think of that?”

The captain turns and points down the corridor. “Everyone get back to work. There’s a refuse cloud on the sensors a few clicks ahead, and I expect there’ll be competition, so everyone get ready.” Turning buggy eyes back toward us, he says, “I catch you loitering again, and the deal’s off.”

I nod, still dazed from both the kiss and everything that’s happened since Choq returned my phone. Izhima, however, is completely composed. He steps away to retrieve the tub of dishes from the sanitizer. “We’ll start on your cabin as soon as we get the dishes put away.”

Clicking his mandibles, the captain pivots and stalks down the corridor.

My legs feel wobbly without Izhima’s arms holding me up, and I feel stupid for letting his acting get to me. He must’ve planned for us to get caught kissing, but damn, he does a good job making our attraction feel real. I need to stop letting my hormones run wild and focus on the task at hand.

That thought sobers me slightly, and I glance at the dishes, curious if the sanitizer worked. They look sparkling clean, and I breathe a sigh of relief. One less disgusting chore to handle. But it also means we have to clean the captain’s cabin now. I can only pray it’s not as grimy as the cargo bay or the galley.

As we leave the lavatory and make our way down the dirty gray corridor, I realize I’ve been missing for at least two days now. My sisters are probably going absolutely bananas with worry.

“Losing two people out of an airlock must be generating a ton of bad press for the cruise line,” I say as we round the corner into the galley. “Do you think there’s any chance a rescue team will track us down before we reach a port?”

Lips pressed into a grim line, Izhima opens a cupboard and starts stacking dishes. “Nobody is looking for us. Once they discover what happened with the airlock, they’re likely to believe it’s too late to save us.”

I grip an empty pot, feeling like a boulder just lodged itself in the middle of my stomach. “So nobody’s searching? Not even for our bodies?”

He shakes his head. “Space is vast, and we’re not high enough profile to warrant the manpower.”

Chewing my lip, I shove the pot into an empty spot on a shelf next to something that resembles a glass bong. “I wish I could let my sisters know I’m okay.” I pull my phone from where I’d stashed it inside my bra, hoping some miracle has given me reception. Too much to hope. “Do you have any idea how long it might take us to reach a spaceport?”

Izhima drops a bucket into the sink and turns on the water. “The Romantasy was at least four of your Earth days’ travel from any civilized ports, but I doubt this crew will want to dock until the cargo holds are completely full.”

My eyes widen. “There’s more than one cargo hold?”

“On most garbage ships, yes.”

“Well, crap,” I mutter and grab the rags I used to clean the galley. The cargo hold we’d been sleeping in was cluttered but not full to the gills. How empty are the other holds, and how many are there?

CHAPTER 12

I feel like I’m stepping inside an old charcoal grill as we enter the captain’s cabin. It’s not hot, but everything is covered in dark soot—from the bed at the back of the quarters, to the knick-knacks on the inset shelves, to the tall, round table where the captain is sitting. He’s studying a holographic screen with symbols I can’t read. Just beyond him, a small round viewport looks out onto the stars, the first one I’ve seen since coming on board. It reminds me of that terrifying moment when we were blasted out of the airlock, and I turn my gaze away with a shudder. Cleaning the cabin is going to be horrible in more ways than one, I can tell already.

Izhima steps past me, his bare feet kicking up small puffs of black dust and I take a step back, covering my mouth and nose. “Is it safe to breathe in here?”

The captain frowns. At least, I think he’s frowning. His mandibles are turned down, looking like a malformed mustache, and his eyes narrow.

Izhima reaches for my hand and pulls me inside next to him. “Forgive us, captain. We didn’t realize you were female.”

Female? I blink at the captain, trying to determine why Izhima thinks that. Is it because of the soot? God, what the hell is this stuff? I gulp and ask, “Will one of you please tell me why everything’s black?”

Izhima points toward a ceiling corner. “G’naxian symbiote dew.”

I squint toward the corner and make out what appears to be a forest-green, winged beetle about the size of a dinner plate clinging to the wall. Another shudder runs through me; I’m pretty sure dew is just a polite term for feces.

The captain clicks three times, each sound deeper than the last. Sadness? “I have no younglings to lap it up.”

“My condolences,” Izhima says with genuine feeling.

I don’t understand, but my sister’s chihuahua means the world to her, and she loves to talk about it, so I ask, “Does your symbiote have a name, captain?”

The captain blinks at me like an owl, one eye at a time. “G’lurr.”

I can’t tell, but I think she may be pleased I asked. “Great name! My sister has a pet too. A dog we call Beanie. He’s not much bigger than G’lurr.”

The captain’s spines flare, jutting from her head and shoulders like the crest on a bird.

Izhima nudges me and speaks in a soft voice. “A symbiote isn’t a pet. It produces a substance used to feed G’naxian infants.”

My heart constricts, and I look at the captain with fresh eyes. This dew stuff is their version of baby formula. Did she lose a baby? Why else would the symbiote be producing so much? And why was it spread all over the damn room? Much as I want to ask all these questions, I decide to save them for later, when Izhima and I are alone. The last thing I want to do is offend anyone more than I already have.

I bow my head. “You have my condolences as well.”

The captain’s spines sink back into their usual positions, and she turns her attention to Izhima. “It will displease my crew if the midday meal’s late. Go back to the galley. Your mate can clean here without you.”

My heart threatens to beat its way out of my ribcage. Female or not, I’m not comfortable being alone with her. I glance desperately toward Izhima.

He presses his lips into a tight line and nods. “Yes, captain.”

I gape at him. He’s been so insistent about not leaving me alone, and although the captain has been the most neutral of the crew when it comes to my role on board, she still threatened to sell me on the black market. I open my mouth to argue, “But—”

Izhima squeezes my hand to silence me and leans over to kiss my cheek. “You’ll be fine.” Then he marches from the room.

I watch the door swish closed behind him. It feels like he took all the air with him. How could he abandon me like this? Unprepared, unprotected, and completely out of my element. I spin back toward the captain, broom handle gripped tightly in both hands.

She’s watching me like a kid glued to a cartoon on TV.

Not knowing what else to do, I start sweeping, attention more on her than on the floor.

The green bug skitters over the ceiling and drops onto the captain’s shoulder, finding a spot between her spines to settle down.

I smile tightly to cover up how uneasy I feel. My dustpan is full already, and I wonder if I’m supposed to throw it away or keep it. “What should I do with this?”

The captain stands and opens a tip-out panel in the wall near the door. “In here.”

I empty the dustpan and go back for more, realizing it’s going to take forever to clean this way. “Is there a vacuum cleaner on board?” I ask, then clarify, “A floor cleaner?”

The captain crosses her arms. “If we had an automatic cleaning unit, I wouldn’t have offered you the job.”

I let out a shaky breath and scoop another mound into the dustpan, breathing shallowly. I don’t know if humans have ever been exposed to whatever this substance is, and I’d hate to be the test case for an allergic reaction. “It just seems like there’s a more efficient way to do this, even without a robot. On Earth, we have canisters people push around to suck up dirt.”

Continuing to watch me with unnerving focus, the captain asks, “Has your mate spent time on Earth?”

Oh, shit. We’re delving into personal territory, and I don’t want to get our stories crossed if someone asks Izhima the same question. I decide the best answer is as close to the truth as possible. “No, we’ve only spent time on ships. We haven’t been together long.”

“My mate and I weren’t together long, either.” Sitting back on her stool, the captain clicks three times, the same sound she made when she said she had no younglings. I’m pretty sure it indicates sadness.

I bite my lip. “What happened?”

“A captain who doesn’t keep the crew happy doesn’t stay captain for long.”

I ponder her strange answer. “Was your mate the captain of this ship?”

She nods. “He killed the crewman who challenged him, but died of his wounds soon after. The position of captain fell to me by default. But the crew are hard men, difficult to control.”

I gulp. I think she’s warning me that Izhima and I are balanced on a very thin blade. I remember Izhima’s warning that they’ll jettison him back into space if they find out we’re not actually mated. And sell me as a breeder. My gaze flicks toward the bug sitting on her shoulder. I’m dying to know what happened to their baby.

Before I can muster the courage to ask, the captain points toward my middle. “So, when are you expecting?”

Oh, God. She thinks I’m pregnant. Now what do I do?

CHAPTER 13

What Izhima said about the black market wanting human females for breeding is still fresh in my mind, but I don’t know if I’m more or less valuable if I’m carrying a child. For all I know, aliens are buying human infants, too. But the captain might be more empathetic if I’m pregnant. I press one hand over my belly. “It’s only the first trimester, so not for a while yet.”

Hoping to avoid further discussion, I return to my sweeping.

The captain taps the table with a pincered claw. “I’ll ask Naro if he can put together anything like this vacuum cleaner you speak of.”

I repress the triumphant smile that wants to take over my face. I think I just scored empathy points with the captain. “Thank you. That will make this job go much faster.”

While the captain speaks into the intercom, I move to the shelves and start dusting. I don’t want to appear lazy. The knick-knacks are all weird little statues. One looks like a T-Rex with an extra set of stubby arms. Another looks like a poop emoji with a pair of rabbit ears. The platform I thought was a bed doesn’t have any blankets or padding, it’s just a wide shelf. Does the captain sleep on this? For all I know, her species doesn’t even sleep.

I glance in her direction. She’s finished speaking with Naro and has brought up another holographic screen. I’m not unhappy to have her attention elsewhere, so I keep working.

I’ve just finished dusting the shelves and have most of the platform cleaned off when the captain rises. “Time to eat.”

I’m tired and more than happy to get out of her cabin. I’d love to wash up before eating, but we pass the lavatory without a second glance, and I’m not about to argue against getting back to Izhima as quickly as I can.

I smell lunch before we reach the galley, an unfamiliar, savory scent that makes my stomach rumble. We round the corner to discover the rest of the crew already seated.

Izhima meets my gaze with a question in his eyes.

I shrug slightly in response. Everything went okay with the captain, and now that I think of it, I’m less afraid than I was before. I wouldn’t call her an ally, exactly, but I don’t get the impression she wants to harm us.

Moving to the sink, I wash my face and hands, cleaning my arms all the way up to my elbows. Izhima is already delivering dishes to the table by the time I finish. Though I’m tired, I ask, “How can I help?”

“Sit down and eat, love.” He puts a hand against my lower back and guides me to the spot next to the captain. “I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

I smile at him, my heart swelling. If I didn’t know it was an act, I’d swear he actually cares about me. I settle in and look at a big bowl of what looks like grass in the middle of the table.

Naro is already munching away, sauce dripping from the blades on his spork. He speaks around a mouthful. “I rigged up a suction canister and hose, captain. What do you want me to do with it?”

“Bring it to my cabin after lunch.” The captain helps herself to some grass, then nudges the dish my way.

I can’t help but grin. A vacuum will make working here so much easier. I don’t know why these aliens haven’t thought of it themselves, other than I doubt they’d bother to push around a vacuum any more than they do a broom. I place a small mound of grass on my plate and sniff. It smells sort of garlicky with a hint of thyme.

“What’s the suction canister for?” asks Naro.

“It’ll make cleaning the ship easier,” I say, taking a bite of what I’ve decided is an alien salad. The texture is more like seaweed than grass, which at first seems gross but grows on me as I chew.

“Why are we spending time making things easy for them?” Pjo asks the captain. “So they can keep us up all night rutting in the cargo bay?”

The salad sticks in my throat, and I’m terrified to look at the faces around the table. Had I really been that loud? I didn’t think so, which meant Pjo had probably been watching us on camera. I raise my eyes to glare at him, gripping my spork like a weapon. “Don’t you have anything better to do than spy on us?”

Pjo’s wide mouth twists in a smirk as he focuses one eyestalk in my direction. “Gotta keep an eye on our goods.”

I get the feeling he’s talking about more than the stacks of junk in the cargo bay, but I refuse to be daunted. “If you’re so worried about your precious garbage, then why don’t you sleep in the cargo bay and let us have your quarters.”

The captain pushes her empty salad plate aside. “Not a bad idea, all things considered.”

Pjo’s eyestalks abruptly swivel away from me, and though he doesn’t have eyebrows, I’m fairly certain he’s scowling. “What?”

“We hired you as a guard. It makes sense for you to keep watch.” The captain leans back as Izhima sets a fresh plate of what looks like fat purple pasta on the table. I’m reminded of the squirming dish of worms back on the Romantasy, and my already churning stomach threatens to rebel.

“I was keeping watch!” Pjo bangs a fist on the table.

The captain emits a sharp click. “Move your things.”

Pjo shoves up from his seat. For a moment, he looks like he’s going to argue with the captain. Then he turns his glare toward me and stalks from the galley without another word.

I’m not sure if I should be worried or elated. Pjo’s angry, but we’re also getting our own room. I guess I really did make a connection with the captain while I was cleaning. Should I thank her?

Izhima speaks before I can decide. “Captain, we’re fine in the cargo bay.”

I gape at him. What the hell? I just won us our own room, and he’s going to turn it down? “Izhima—”

He shoots me a warning look, and with great effort, I swallow my words. I have to trust that he knows best.

The captain waves her empty spork toward the corridor. “Pjo will manage his job just as you are doing yours. He will oversee the cargo. The female will clean the ship.”

My elation deflates a little at being called female instead of by my name, but then I realize I don’t know her name, either.

Face grim, Izhima grates some black sprinkles onto the purple pasta. “Aye, captain.”

Everyone digs in with gusto, but between the tension with Pjo, the strange pasta, and now black sprinkles that look a little too much like the soot I’ve been cleaning, I’ve lost my appetite.

I stand and gesture to my seat. “Izhima, you haven’t sat with the crew once yet. Why don’t you take a turn eating and let me serve?”

“Don’t worry about me. Sit. Try the lukulio. Not as good as fresh, but the replicator did a decent job.” He places some of the fat noodles on my plate. Upon closer inspection, however, I realize these aren’t noodles or even worms; the purple strands have hundreds of tiny legs along their bodies.

Oh, hell, no. I’ve tried everything else, but I draw the line at eating centipedes. Besides, I need to prove to the crew that I care as much for Izhima as he does for me.

“Really, Izhima, you need a break, and you’re as much a part of the crew as I am. Let me help.”

“No.” He puts both hands on my shoulders and guides me back onto the bench. “It’s your birthday, and I made a special dessert. Not cake, just so you know.”

I twist my head and gawk at him. My birthday was technically yesterday—or was it the day before? But the fact he remembered makes me misty-eyed, cake or no cake. “Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

He smiles at me, and the softness in his eyes makes me bite my bottom lip.

“What did you make?” asks Choq, his beady lizard eyes alight with anticipation.

Everyone pushes away their plates, and Izhima sets a tub of lime green sludge in the center of the table. He brandishes a handful of long sticks. “Ukimi ice,” he announces.

The crew sighs with audible appreciation, and Naro exclaims, “I didn’t even know we had ukimi sticks on board!”

I’m intrigued as Izhima hands me a stick. It’s hollow, like a straw, and seems to be made of some sort of fibrous material with small beads at regular intervals along its length, like a widely-set string of pearls. The crew is looking expectantly at me. Izhima didn’t give us separate bowls or glasses, so I look at the straw again. Are we all supposed to drink out of the same bowl? At least I get to go first.

I lean forward, about to put my mouth on the end of the straw, when Izhima sits behind me on the bench, lifting me so I’m sitting on his lap. “My bride and I had ukimi ice on our first date. Please indulge us in our little ritual.”

His cheek is next to mine as he gently grips my wrist and extends the stick toward the tub. I fight back the lovely, fluttery feeling his nearness is giving me and try to relax in his arms, letting him guide me. Breathing in his roasted almond scent, I press my cheek closer to his as he touches the stick to the surface of the bright green ukimi with almost sensual slowness. One bead at a time, he lowers the straw below the surface, dipping it in and out. Once, twice, he drives the stick deeper each time. I find the entire process mesmerizing—sensual, even—as the ukimi coats the stick in ever thickening layers.

Despite the crew watching us, my mind is imagining other rods plunging in and out. I swallow and clamp my thighs together under the table to ease the growing desire in my core. My breathing has grown shallow, and I try to keep it normal, but I feel like my hormones just entered a spin cycle. How long is he going to keep this up?

With a sudden flourish, Izhima pulls the stick out. A sparkling green mass that reminds me of cotton candy now encircles the rod. He turns to face me, so close his breath caresses my cheek as he brings the dessert toward us.

“Taste,” he says, his voice slightly huskier than usual.

I’m not quite sure how to proceed, so I tentatively stick out my tongue and lick the surface. What feels like foam coats my tongue, and an explosion of tart sweetness fills my mouth, like lemon buttercream frosting but lighter and with a hint of ginger. It almost sparkles on my tongue.

“This is delicious,” I say in a low voice, gaze finding Izhima’s.

The crew jabs the tub of ukimi with their sticks, and within a few minutes, they’re all slurping at their misshapen desserts with gusto, oblivious to the green ribbons of ukimi dribbled all over the table.

But my attention is still on Izhima. “You didn’t have to do this.”

He shrugs. “I hope you’ll return the favor and show me how to make a cake. I’d like to be on your show.”

Warmth fills my chest, and I smile and nod. “I think we can manage some one-on-one baking time.” I glance around and give him a sly smile. “Once we’re off this ship.”

Just then, Pjo bursts back into the galley. He thrusts a froggy finger toward me. “They lied to us. The female isn’t part of the Romantasy’s crew.” He holds up a tablet with a holographic image hovering above it. A picture of my face. “She’s a guest. And I’m pretty sure they’re not mated.”

CHAPTER 14

I stare at the image of myself floating above Pjo’s tablet. “Where did you get that photo?”

I recognize it as the one from my interstellar passport that the cruise line made for me. Worry ignites a path up my spine. If Pjo has it, he probably has all sorts of other information as well.

Pjo shoves aside dishes and drops the tablet onto the table. “The Romantasy’s guest manifest.” He points to my picture and the data hovering next to it. “Bethany Bloom, human female.”

Terrified, I shrink back against Izhima’s chest, and I’m grateful when he sets the ukimi down and wraps both arms protectively around me. His voice rumbles against my back. “Just because she’s on the guest list doesn’t mean she’s not mated. There were several mated guests on the cruise, including the crown prince and princess.”

“Then why’d you lie and say this female was part of the crew?” Pjo spits out. He turns to the captain. “We salvaged her. That means she’s ours. This Kirenai is just trying to steal her so he can sell her himself. Or get a ransom.” He rounds furiously on Izhima. “Is she worth a ransom?”

Naro licks green ukimi dribbling from his many-jointed fingers. “Choq did say she accused the cook of lying earlier today.”

Although I’m shaking like a leaf, I do my best to keep my tone flippant. “We’d had an argument, that’s all. Just because we’re mates doesn’t mean we always agree.”

“This is true.” The captain turns off the tablet. “And she’s pregnant already, so worthless to trade. Now, can I please get back to my ukimi before it melts?”

Choq shakes his head. “Pregnant? No, she ain’t.”

I gulp. Shit. Why the hell did I choose to lie when the captain asked me? The only thing I can do now is keep bluffing. “Humans take months before pregnancy shows, and I think it’s safe to assume you’ve never even met a human before, so how would you know?”

“I’m a qalqan,” Choq says with a toss of his muzzle.

“What does that have to do with it?” I ask.

Izhima murmurs in my ear, “Qalqans are innately skilled in medicine. He can sense these things.”

Well… fuck. Why didn’t anyone tell me that before? I let my gaze slide toward the captain, who’s now staring at me with her mandibles twitching.

“Another lie!” crows Pjo, dancing from foot to foot and pointing at me.

Izhima lifts his chin to address the captain. “We’re only recently mated and have been hopeful for a child. My mate was overly zealous when she spoke to you. Rest assured that, pregnant or not, this female is my mate.”

Choq rises from his seat and goes to stand beside Pjo. “I’m with Pjo. I say we toss the Kirenai out the airlock and take her for ourselves.”

Pjo runs a glistening tongue over his wide lips. “I bet she’s as fun as she sounds.”

Naro remains on the bench, drumming his fingers on the table. “I like having a cook and cleaner.”

“Whose side are you on?” Pjo shoves his shoulder roughly.

Naro stands. “My own. If they go, I’m back to galley duty. Besides, you want to fuck her before we sell her, and I don’t relish the idea of your ugly spawnlings swarming all over the ship.”

“Oh, so my spawnlings are ugly, huh?”

The two face off and keep arguing, but my gaze flits toward the captain. Her crest of spines is standing upright. “I do not appreciate being lied to.” I tense, certain she’s about to hand me over to Pjo. Instead, she rises and gestures a pincered hand toward the door. “I will question you both in my quarters.”

Before I even know what’s happening, Izhima stands and lifts me from the bench in a single motion, cradling me protectively against his chest. We’re striding out the galley door when Pjo spins away from his argument. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’ll let you know what I decide, Pjo,” the captain says.

We reach her cabin without my feet ever touching the floor. Izhima sets me down but keeps one arm around my shoulders as he turns to face the captain.

Instead of opening her cabin door, she points down the corridor. “Keep walking.”

Izhima grabs my hand and pulls me along beside him without argument.

“Where are we going?” I glance over my shoulder at the captain, who stalks a few paces behind, her crest of spines bobbing with her gait. “I’m sorry I misled you,” I add. “We just really want a baby.”

She only clicks at me in return. A few twists of the corridor later, we reach a hatch with a view port looking into a small bare room. A brig? “Stop here,” she orders.

We turn to face her, and for long moments she examines us. The silence threatens to suffocate me, but I force myself to remain quiet. I’ve said too many things wrong already. Down the corridor, I can still hear the crew arguing. The sound of metal clanging against metal rings through the ship, like massive swords in battle, followed by an angry roar. I wince.

The captain says, “I can’t have my crew at each other’s throats like this.”

Remembering her story about her mate, I say, “Your crew is always at each other’s throats, whether it’s over me or not.”

I immediately regret my hasty response. Spines on end, the captain reaches out and opens the hatch. “Be that as it may, I’d rather not add dealing in live cargo to my list of unlawful acts. I’m sending you both out the airlock.”

“What?” I gasp, looking into the small room. I can now see that the opposite wall has a second hatch. “But that’s murder! Much worse than selling slaves.”

Instead of responding, the captain says, “There’s another garbage scow in the vicinity.” She blinks her eyes one at a time, lowers her spines, and turns her gaze on Izhima. “Are you strong enough to keep her alive for a few hours?”

Dread punches me in the stomach as I realize what she’s suggesting. She wants to put us back out in space exactly like they found us, with Izhima wrapped around me to keep me from dying. But I recall the crew saying that protecting me was dangerous for him.

Izhima stands stiff as a block of ice beside me. He even looks pale, and I remember how tired he’s been. How much will protecting me demand of him?

He says slowly, “I’m not sure.”

The captain shrugs one shoulder and returns her attention to me. “I suppose I’ll ask what you prefer, then. Should I keep you, female, or send you both out?”

I can’t ask Izhima to put himself in any more danger for my sake. But thinking about what that means for me makes it hard to breathe. I ask, “You could stay alive for a few hours without me, though, right?”

He twists to look at me, a deep crease between his eyebrows. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving you.”

With every ounce of courage I have, I duck out from under his arm. “You have to. Protect yourself.”

His skin goes ashen. “Never. You’re my mate.”

I know he’s only saying it for the sake of the captain, but the feeling behind his words still sends a shiver up my spine and brings tears to my eyes. I take another step backward. “If we manage to survive, all we’re doing is transferring to another garbage ship, and who’s to say that crew won’t want to sell me, too? Save yourself. If you’re alive, you can at least try to come find me on the black market.”

His eyes flash, and he steps forward to lock his arms around me. Turning to face the captain, he asks, “How close is the other ship?”

“Other side of the refuse cloud.”

The sound of booted feet echoing through the corridors makes my heart lurch. Pjo’s voice calls, “Where’d they go?”

We’re out of time. If we’re caught standing here, the crew is likely to kill the captain and Izhima both. I shove uselessly against Izhima’s chest. “Go now, before it’s too late.” My breath hitches. “Just… tell my sisters I love them. Please.”

“No.” Arms around me, he lifts my feet off the deck and steps into the airlock.

I don’t even have time to struggle before the captain hits the door control and the hatch cycles closed.

“No!” I look into Izhima’s dark eyes. “What have you done?”

A deafening klaxon rises, and blinking, amber light fills the chamber. He presses his forehead to mine. “I love you, Bethany Bloom.”

That is not what I expected to hear, but I don’t have time to respond. Izhima’s body flows around mine as the outer door hisses open. For a few brief seconds, a gale force wind rips across my skin and we’re blown off our feet. Then I’m encased in what feels like blue shrink wrap. I can’t move, can’t take a full breath, though there seems to be a tiny bit of air for me to breathe. I don’t know how this encasing thing actually works, but I think of every movie I’ve ever seen where the hero has to survive under water. Remain calm, I tell myself. Don’t use up your oxygen by panicking. But I can’t stop my heart from racing. What are the chances of the other ship finding us?

Time stretches, and cold slowly penetrates my body. How is Izhima bearing this? I’m growing sleepy. I wish I could talk to Izhima. To respond to his last words to me. I love you, Bethany Bloom. Those words hadn’t been for show. There had been no one to hear us or care. Had he been sincere?

I think back over the past few days, from the failed attempt to bake a birthday cake to risking his life for me not once, but twice. His actions speak louder than any words he could ever say. Despite my flaws, my overbearing nature, my rash, impulsive outbursts that nearly got us killed more than once, he loves me.

And I can’t say it back. Do I want to say it back? I’m still pondering this as my awareness slowly sinks into oblivion.

CHAPTER 15

When I wake again, I’m lying flat on my back with pale lights overhead. My throat is parched and my skin is on fire—space-burned, I realize. Extreme cold, radiation, and God knows what else. At least this time I’m not blindfolded. I turn my head to look for Izhima. Instead, a pink lizard face looms into view. Choq? Had the crew overthrown the captain and recaptured us?

I flinch back and try to scream, but all that comes out is a squeak.

“Good, you are awake, human.” The alien’s voice is gruff, like Choq’s, but also more sibilant. I blink, realizing this alien’s clothes are also different. He’s bare-chested except for what looks like black suspenders holding up a long black skirt. He presses what looks like a hypodermic gun against the side of my neck, and the burning pain infusing my body subsides.

We did it, I realize. We made it to the other ship alive. I look around the room. I’m on a cot in what I assume is a medical bay about the size of a single-car garage. Above my cot, a holo screen glows with symbols I assume must be my vitals. A hatch stands open to a well-lit corridor, and sterile-looking metal cabinets surround us. “Where am I?”

“This is service vessel one eight six eight. We found you floating among some debris. It’s lucky you’re alive.”

“What about my—” I choke over what to call Izhima. My friend? My mate?

The lizard alien answers, “The Kirenai is in our rejuvenation pod. He was severely depleted, and I was uncertain he’d survive when he first arrived. Luckily we had some Kirenai regeneration fluid on board, and I believe he is recovering nicely now.”

Relief floods me. Izhima survived. “Can I see him?”

He nods once and raises another hypo. “You may want a stim before you try to walk.”

“Thank you,” I say, and let him press it into my shoulder. I feel a surge of strength fill my arms and legs. This spaceship is definitely a step above the last one we were on.

The doctor—by now I’m pretty sure that’s what he is—leads me to a drawer the size of a coffin with more glowing symbols on its front panel. It slides open to reveal what looks like a fish tank full of algae-green liquid with a smell that reminds me of ripe strawberries. The surface ripples as something shapeless and blue moves below the surface.

It looks more like an amoeba than a man. Izhima? I hadn’t really put two and two together that if he can change form to envelop me completely, his natural state might not look human. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that he’s alive. We both are because of him.

“Izhima, I’m here,” I whisper.

The surface roils again, and the blue shape at the bottom of the liquid tightens. Then, right before my eyes, it coalesces into the body of a man. Chest, head, broad shoulders, muscular legs. He sits up, shiny green liquid rolling from his shoulders.

Izhima’s dark eyes meet mine. “Are you okay?”

I throw my arms around his neck, heedless of the viscous, strawberry smelling stuff coating his skin. “Yes! I’m okay.” Tears prick the backs of my eyes. Then I draw back, looking him over again. “Are you?”

He nods. “Yes. It’s a miracle they found us.”

I lean against his shoulder again, still not ready to let go. Part of me wonders if the captain somehow let this ship know we were out there. I may never know, but I send a silent thank you in her direction, anyway.

The doctor leans down and taps some controls on the edge of the drawer. “I recommend both of you rest a bit longer. The crew is in the middle of a pickup, so it will be a day or two before we can return you to the Romantasy.”

Just the name of the cruise ship makes me sigh in relief. I’m going home. “Can I make a call to my sisters to let them know I’m okay?”

The alien bows his head. “Sorry, no. We can’t extend the relay antenna until the refuse collection is complete. But we sent a broadband message to let the authorities know we found you.”

Izhima stands and steps over the lip of the drawer. He’s naked, and damn it all, despite the circumstances I can’t help yet again noticing how well-endowed he is.

“I prefer to continue my recovery in this form,” he says.

The doctor shrugs. “Suit yourself. We have an extra bunk you can use. Come this way.”

He escorts us down a corridor that looks like a cleaner version of the previous garbage ship: gray metal with pipes running along the walls, and hatches to either side. One of my high heels has developed a wobble. I’m honestly surprised they’ve lasted as long as they have, and I mince carefully behind him, wondering if it would be too much to ask for a new set of clothes. But the doctor didn’t offer any to Izhima, so I’m not going to push my luck and ask.

Stopping next to an open hatch, the doctor gestures into a narrow room with a bunk on one side of the aisle and brushed metal cabinets on the other. “Rest as long as you like. I’ll send someone to get you when it’s time for the next meal.”

Izhima steps inside and I follow. The door swishes closed behind us, and Izhima glances at the rather small single bed, then at me. “One bed.”

I suddenly recall how he’d given me the cot on the other ship. I could reciprocate that now and tell him to rest. Except I don’t think we need to keep watch. And I’d rather sleep beside him. He’s still naked, and it’s taking all my willpower not to stare at his gorgeous chest and abs, let alone his cock.

Keeping my eyes locked on his, I ask, “Did you mean what you said?”

He licks his lips, and I’m suddenly thinking about sucking on his tongue. “Yes. I just wanted to say it in case we didn’t survive.”

My heart thumps harder against my breastbone, as if trying to leap out and run to him. I press one hand to my chest. Though I’d had several boyfriends, and even told a few I loved them, none had ever reciprocated, let alone told me they loved me first. I was “too much to handle,” most of them said during the inevitable breakup.

Now my words stick in my throat. All I can manage is, “Why me?”

Izhima sits on the edge of the bed and looks at me with a half-smile. “Would it offend you if I say you sort of grew on me?”

I let out a short laugh, my chest still tight. “Give it a little more time. You’ll change your mind.”

Frowning, he shakes his head. “No, I won’t. You might be rash, but you’re also funny and smart and sexy.” His gaze drifts down my body, still wearing the soiled, worn gown. “And when you let me touch you…”

Just his gaze turns me breathless. I want him to touch me again so badly my body aches. I can’t deny that my feelings for him run deep, deeper than for any man I’ve ever been in a relationship with, despite the fact we’ve only known each other for a matter of days.

I sit on the bed next to him. I’ve been accused of being reckless so many times, but for some reason, what I’m about to say feels more dangerous than jumping out of an airlock. I thread my fingers with his. “I love you too, Izhima.”

His fingers tighten, and for several heartbeats he looks deep into my eyes. “I need you to understand what you’re getting into. Kirenai mate for life, and if we start this, I won’t be able to stop.”

I tilt my chin until my lips nearly touch his. “I’m asking you not to stop.”

He lets out a shuddering breath and presses his mouth to mine. His kiss is reverent, almost chaste. And definitely too slow.

Twisting, I hike up my gown so I can straddle him. I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for this moment, for a chance to be with him. To have a mate who will love me no matter my flaws or my temper. My hands roam over the peaks and valleys of his bare chest and stomach, pushing him onto the mattress with every bit of passion I’d been forced to restrain on the other ship. “It’s my turn to please you.”

I dip my head to kiss his collar bone, his chest, the hollow between his muscular pecs, reveling in his intoxicating toasted almond scent now mixed with a hint of strawberry and the ever-present lure of his musk. I reach his nipple, a darker blue than the vibrant hue of his skin, and nip it lightly.

He makes a low, throaty sound, fingertips stroking my shoulders and arms. I glance up to see him watching me with dark eyes full of desire, then I move down to the washboard of his abs. He’s like a perfect sculpture of corded muscle and smooth skin.

When I reach the tip of his erection, I notice that while at first glance he’d seemed human, he has some extra parts. Right above his shaft, over his pubic bone, is something that looks like a clit tickler, and below his shaft, right above his balls, is a smaller protrusion I can only guess at. I suppose I’m about to find out. Wetness floods my panties at the thought.

A glistening bead of pre-cum caps his magnificent length, and I run my tongue over the head, lapping up the bead while my hand moves lower to cup his balls. He shudders and groans, fingers threading into my hair. As I roll his balls gently between my fingers, I run the broad side of my tongue along his throbbing shaft from base to head, taking the thick cap into my mouth and circling my tongue around its head.

Relaxing my throat, I take him inside as he flexes upward. I can’t fit his entire length without gagging, but I slide up and down, sucking and running my tongue along the underside until his grip in my hair urges me away.

“I want to be inside you.”

My pussy is throbbing with need. “Yes.”

Standing, I hike my gown up over my head, pulling it free so I face him in only my bra and panties. He sits up and reaches for my hips, pulling me between his knees. His hands slide upward to unclasp my bra. The garment falls from my shoulders and he tosses it aside. With both palms, he caresses my breasts. His cock stands like a flagpole between his legs, and while I enjoy his attention on my breasts, I’m impatient for more.

I thrust my panties down my hips and step out of them. He pulls me closer, sucking a nipple into his mouth as his hand moves down my belly, fingers gliding over my trimmed mound of hair. One thick finger slides between my legs.

I rock into his touch, letting his finger slip between my folds and along my clit. More wetness drips down my thighs. I’m nearly vibrating with the need for release, but his finger won’t be enough this time. Pushing him back onto the mattress again, I crawl up his body and look down into his passion-dazed eyes.

His hands find my hips and he pumps upward, grinding his thick length against my outer folds. One hand planted on his rock-hard chest, I tilt to angle him inside, but before I can, he flips me over so I’m on my back. He plants both hands beside my head and looks down into my face. “I need to be sure you want this because there’s no going back.”

“Shut up and take me,” I pant, my hands gripping his firm ass. We’ve been through enough together for me to know what I want. I want Izhima, now and for always. I try to pull him into me, but he’s as unmovable as a hunk of granite.

The head of his cock poised over my entrance, he lowers his mouth to mine, devouring me in a kiss to end all kisses. Heat, passion, twirling tongues and breathlessness while he pulses against my opening. I buck upward, trying to impale myself on his throbbing cock, but he keeps himself just out of range, only allowing the shallowest of penetrations.

When I think I’m going to die of anticipation, he relents and buries himself inside me with a slow, solid push.

I gasp. He’s thick, but not enough to be painful, and he fills me completely. Once he’s fully seated, he pauses, breathing hard. His tickler kneads my clit, and my insides flutter on the edge of an orgasm. I buck up against him, needing him to move, needing him to fill me again and again until I’m driven to oblivion.

“I’ve imagined this moment since the first day we met,” he says, and pulls back. Then he enters me again in sure, quick strokes, no longer pausing but pistoning into me. My juices are slick between us, coating my thighs. I let out a gargled moan as a wave of pleasure rises inside me, crests, and breaks. My orgasm barely ends before another begins to build. He slams forward, filling me, stretching me over and over, the ridges of his cock hitting me in all the right places.

The pressure inside me swells to excruciating heights, a crest I fear might be too high to break. I toss my head from side to side, moaning, “I need,” over and over without knowing the answer.

Then he rolls his hips to enter me at a new angle, hands at my neck and shoulder to pin me in place. Something probes my ass—his second shaft, I’d guess. I’m so wet, so aroused, it enters me with little resistance.

I come undone, screaming his name as an orgasm sends me to oblivion.

He pumps into me several more times, pushing into both my entrances until his body stiffens and he groans. Heat fills me everywhere, prolonging my orgasm in fluttering waves that take my breath away.

When I can finally breathe again, he’s pressing his forehead to mine, panting. “My mate,” he says.

I smile up at him. “My mate.”

CHAPTER 16

I lay on Izhima’s warm chest, his arms draped loosely around me. We’ve spent the better part of a day and night enjoying each other’s bodies, and I’m exhausted, but in a good way. Whatever was in those injections the doctor gave me were amazing, and Izhima seems recovered, as well, judging by how well he’s kept up with me.

I sigh with contentment, loving the strength of his heartbeat under my ear, and drum my fingers against his ribs in time with the beat.

“Izhima, how do you have a heart and other organs if your natural shape is… well, not this one?” I’m not sure what to call his other shape, but referring to him as a giant amoeba doesn’t feel right.

He inhales deeply and feathers a kiss on the top of my head. “Kirenai have major organs just like any living being—heart, lungs, stomach, liver. We adjust them to fit whatever shape we take.” He squeezes me tighter. “But now that you and I are mated, this is the shape I’ll have forever.”

I frown. Personally, I think it would kind of suck to lose my shapeshifting superpower just because I took a mate. I lift my head to look at him. “Are you okay with that?”

“Absolutely.” He smiles, and I love that he has no hesitation. I’m still in shock to have a man as into me as I am into him.

My stomach growls and I nip at the tiny bud of his nipple. “I’m starving. Do you think they’d mind if we raid their kitchen?”

“I have a better idea.” He rolls over, carrying me with him so he’s lying on top of me. I think he’s about to suggest another round, but he says, “Let’s cook them a thank you banquet.”

A small part of me is disappointed, but a bigger part is relieved. I’ve enjoyed the sex—oh, God, have I enjoyed the sex—but I really am hungry, and my stomach rumbles again at the very mention of his cooking. Plus, I’m sore in places I never could’ve imagined being sore. I quirk my lips in a wry grin. “Maybe I can show you how to make a cake.”

He grins, kisses the tip of my nose, and rises. Opening one of the many cabinet doors in this small room, he finds a pair of cream-colored pants and puts them on. I don’t know who they might belong to, but he seems confident he’s allowed to wear them. They stretch tight over his muscular ass and thighs like spandex biker shorts with the hem just above his knees. I bite my bottom lip. Good Lord, that perfectly sculpted ass of his makes me remember how it felt under my hands while he was thrusting between my legs. Maybe another round between the sheets isn’t such a bad idea.

As if he knows what I’m thinking, he shoots me a sideways smirk. “Shirt or no shirt?”

I imagine painting his chest in frosting and licking it off, and my stomach rumbles again. I slide off the bed and onto my feet. “No shirt. Any chance there’s something in there for me? I dread putting on my gown yet again.”

He pulls out what looks like a saffron silk robe. It’s buttery soft as I slide my arms into the sleeves and belt it around my middle. He looks me over and makes a low, sexy sound in his throat before he pulls me against his chest. “Mmm. You look good in this.”

His hands glide up from my waist to cup my breasts, then around to my ass to pull me against him more tightly. He kisses me, long and hard, until I’m breathless and dizzy.

But my stomach has a mind of its own and grumbles again. Letting me go, he takes a step back and grins. “We’ll come back to this later. Let’s go eat.”

I nod, still dazed and fuzzy with passion as I follow him to the galley.

The layout of this spaceship is very similar to the salvage vessel we’d escaped from, but the halls aren’t choked by the scent of garbage, and the galley is tidy and bright. Izhima sets straight to work, handing me some items to peel and chop, and soon delicious smells are coming from a pan on the stove.

He stirs whatever it is and sets it aside, wiping his hands on a towel. Then he pours us each a glass of hot, sweet tea and offers me a plate of round wafers. I crunch one down as he dips his into the tea. The flavor reminds me of gingersnaps, but with less bite, and when I take another and dip it into the tea, the profile becomes more citrusy. “These are yummy.”

“I’ll have to make some fresh for you next time,” he says. “Though these are fairly decent for prepackaged. Tell me what ingredients we need for your cake. The replicator isn’t programmed with any Earth foods, but I’m sure we can work out some equivalents.”

I figure a simple pound cake will be easiest, so I list out flour, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and vanilla.

He comes up with eggs, sugar, and salt easily, then programs several types of flour for me to examine. After I’ve settled on a blend I think might work, we move onto the other ingredients.

I show him how to whip up a simple pound cake. “Just so you know, this isn’t what I’d call a birthday cake,” I tell him. “But it’s closer than your attempt on the Romantasy.”

He crosses his arms. “Why do humans have so many versions of this thing called cake? Your Wikipedia lists hundreds, and none of them are the same. Even the specifics on birthday cake only say ‘a cake that has various ingredients’.”

“I see your point.” I place the cake in the oven to bake. “You know, that would be an excellent theme for a show. Not even humans understand how many types of cake there are across the world. And technically, the cake we’re making now is completely new because it’s using alien ingredients.” Another idea nearly sweeps me off my feet, and I grab his hand. “Holy shit, we could do an entire series on that theme alone! Making Earth recipes using alien ingredients! Viewers will eat that up!”

“What’s that smell?” A voice at the doorway startles me and I spin to discover an onyx-skinned alien similar to Naro looking at us. She must be female because she has almost cartoon-like curves, enough to make the slate-gray flight suit she’s wearing look like it belongs on a runway model. A small pang of jealousy rolls through me. Her black hair is pulled up on top of her head in a cascade of shiny curls, and her large, dark eyes catch the light like glowing coals.

Izhima says, “We thought the crew would enjoy a special meal. It’s the least we can do for your efforts to rescue us.”

“Oh, how exciting. Just in time for us to wrap up this job.” Smiling, she steps into the galley, her gait sultry, hips rolling and shoulders swaying. I wonder if she’s trying to be sexy for Izhima, and my hackles rise, but her focus is on me. “My name’s Elepa. You’re one of the humans all over the news.”

“Yes, my name’s Beth.” I nod. “Izhima and I are mated,” I add, just to make that abundantly clear.

“Oh, believe me, we know.” She winks at me and glances briefly toward Izhima before taking a seat at the table.

Heat rises to my cheeks, and I realize I never even considered being quiet while we were in our cabin. “Oh. Sorry.”

“No worries.” She chuckles. “My mate and I were just as ardent at the beginning of our relationship. Still are, sometimes.”

A blue-skinned alien appears in the doorway dressed in a gray flight suit like Elepa’s. Though he has blue skin similar to Izhima’s, his eyes are much larger, and he has an extra joint on each finger. Just like his mate, I realize. He bends to kiss her cheek. “Are you talking about me, kikajiru?”

She scoots over on the bench. “Only in the best way.”

He sits, looking at me, then at Izhima. “I apologize for not making time to greet you sooner. I’m glad to see you two are recovering. I’m Captain Arlan.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Captain,” says Izhima, nodding respectfully. “I’m Chef Izhima Amai, and this is my mate, Bethany Bloom.”

I add, “Thank you for saving us.”

“You’re lucky to be alive,” says the captain. “The accident has been all over the news the past few days.”

Accident? A chill races through me, and I look desperately at Izhima. “Oh my God, did I cause an accident when I opened the airlock?”

He shakes his head. “No. Safety protocols isolate the kitchen from the rest of the ship.”

My voice is thick as I point out, “But you said the safety features were malfunc—”

The captain interrupts. “Were you not on the shuttle?”

“No.” Izhima says. “We were on the Romantasy.”

“I accidentally triggered an airlock in the kitchen,” I admit, relieved to know I hadn’t caused the ship to go into a tailspin or something. “We don’t know anything about a shuttle crash.”

“Oh, we assumed that was how you ended up in space.” Glancing at Elepa, the captain asks, “Do you still have the news footage on your tablet?”

She nods and sets a tablet on the table. A holographic image of the Romantasy with its domed observation deck and outer ring of passenger cabins shimmers to life. Someone that I assume must be a newscaster is speaking. “The first ever commercial intergalactic voyage carrying humans has encountered tragedy this week. A shuttle from the starship Romantasy disappeared while touring the atmosphere of the Singing Planet.”

The image of the Romantasy gives way to a glowing yellow orb surrounded by multi-colored rings.

I suck in a sharp breath. I recognize that planet. It was the same one glowing above the observation deck the night I accidentally opened the airlock. My brainy sister, Jennifer, had tickets for all of us sisters to take that tour, but I’d begged off because I had a ton to do for the party. God, I hope someone reported I was missing before they left. Then they wouldn’t have gotten on board that shuttle.

The newscaster continues. “The shuttle carried nineteen passengers and crew, including seven human females. Although authorities have reported the incident as a crash and are searching the planet, there has been speculation that the same rebel faction who recently attempted to assassinate the royal family is involved, and may have captured the human females on board. Ships in the area are asked to report any sightings of survivors to the authorities.”

A list of passport images starts scrolling past, each with alien squiggles I assume must be names written beside them. When I see Suzanne appear on the screen, I choke out, “No.” The next photos are of Tamara and Jennifer.

A ringing fills my ears, blocking out the rest of what the newscaster is saying. This can’t be happening. I feel like I’m about to pass out. First, I was in danger, now my sisters. But I had Izhima to protect me. They don’t. Who knows what sort of terrible things they’re enduring right now?

“We can’t let them be sold on the black market.” I grip the tablet in both hands and look at Izhima. “We have to find them.”

He nods. “We’ll do everything we can.”

Tears blur the holo image and course down my cheeks. I swipe them away. I have to focus. I have to think.

Somehow, I will get my sisters back…

Thank you for reading Out of the Frying Pan! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Tamsin’s newsletter!

V.C. LANCASTER

CLAIMING HER FREEDOM

PROLOGUE

Elle trembled in her cage.

She had no idea how long it had been. Maybe days. She hadn’t slept, too terrified. She’d had no food, licking up water that had come from… somewhere. Her eyes felt like stone, rough, her lids heavy. Still, adrenaline pumped through her. It was impossible not to be terrified, because she knew she’d been taken by aliens. She’d seen them, him, it. Dirty dark clothes and body armour, weapons she’d never seen before, a froth of tentacles coming out from under the hood. Alien language shouted at her as he slammed the bars when she’d begged him to let her out, take her home, let her live.

Everything outside the cage was dark, but it looked like some kind of warehouse, only much smaller. The construction looked temporary, made out of fabric and only enough of a frame to hold it up. There were other cages in here, across from her and to her left and right, but she was the only human. She would guess the other creatures were animals, from the way they snuffled and circled, but what did she know? No one answered her few attempts to communicate either way.

Outside, the weather was bad, wind fluttering the fabric walls, and blowing either rain or maybe small pebbles against them, rattling and drumming. It was relentless, as if the whole place was inside a sandstorm. Inside the shanty, it was hot and muggy, though there didn’t ever seem to be any sun.

The front flap was thrown back, and two people entered. The first, Elle recognised as her captor. The second was tall, in dark robes that hid him from head to toe. She huddled against the back of her cage, peeking out over her knees, letting her hair obscure her. While she’d been here, she’d seen other things get bought from their cages, walked out on leashes, carried out in tanks or sacks. She guessed this was some kind of black market for exotic animals, but under the circumstances, she didn’t think they were meant for pets. These were not the conditions anything to be loved was kept in, and the creatures that left did not go cuddled in arms.

Elle didn’t want to be eaten… but she didn’t think she wanted to be left behind either.

She wanted someone to save her. Please, dear God, someone save her. She’d only ever prayed along with everyone else during school assemblies, but she thought the real thing must feel like this. She hadn’t known such desperation was possible, such helplessness. She couldn’t do anything. She wasn’t Black Widow. No one had ever taught her how to pick a lock. She couldn’t get the guard to open the cage with a bat of her eyelashes. And once she got out, what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t hotwire a car, let alone fly a spaceship. She wasn’t one of those girls. Hadn’t Hollywood promised her someone would save her?

But she knew terrible things happened to people, women, all over the world every day. Unimaginably evil things, and nobody helped them. But she didn’t think this would happen to her. And she really didn’t want to be eaten.

Her captor led the stranger down the row of cages, stopping at hers, and Elle pulled her limbs in tight enough to make her whole body hurt. The customer bent down, peering at her. It was anthropoid, at least. Two arms, one head. Gloved hands. Torso with shoulders, and flat down the front like a man.

If he bought her, would he eat her? Would she rather live and suffer whatever other torments he might have planned for her, than be eaten? She could imagine what a species of a basically compatible size and shape might want with a woman he bought from a cage, what he could only do to a woman he owned.

He leant back and said something to her captor. He unlocked the cage and for the first time, reached inside, invading her space.

“No!” Elle screamed, throwing herself back against the bars then darting for the far corner. She screamed shrilly, thrashing as strong hands clamped around her neck and arm, dragging her out from what felt now like the only safe place for her. She didn’t want to be out where these aliens could touch her. Her captor kept her bent forwards, unable to fight, and paused in front of the customer, so he could look at her.

Elle made herself lift her eyes to the man who was possibly buying her. Under the hood, the bottom half of his face was covered by a tight black mask, but his skin was yellow, and his eyes silver on silver. As soon as she met his eyes, he looked away from her and spoke to the dealer instead. Some agreement was reached, and she was sold. The customer handed over a small bag, and the other pocketed it, then pushed her onto the stranger.

He caught her, and for a moment, she clung tight to him. He was clean and firm under the robes, and his body was so familiar, just like a tall human man. She cowered under his arm, not wanting to let him go.

“Are you saving me?” she whispered, not daring to believe it, and yet her mind latched on in relief. Clearly, this was a good man. She needed to believe that, since she was leaving with him and she couldn’t bear the alterative. He wasn’t dirty or smelly, and he didn’t have tentacles on his face, he could be just like her, just a differently coloured human. He would understand. He would be kind. He wasn’t big enough to eat her.

This was it. Of course she wasn’t going to die, that was ridiculous. She wasn’t going to get eaten by aliens in space, she was going to be rescued, just like she was supposed to be. This was just the beginning of some grand adventure.

She tilted her face up again, daring to give him a small, shaky smile.

He rummaged in his pocket and his hands went around her neck, leaving something tight and heavy behind. It was a collar. She touched it in a daze, and he gave the attached leash a hard yank, snapping her head forwards and jerking out of her last shred of hope.

She crumbled, and started to sob.

He dragged her outside to where his spaceship was waiting.

CHAPTER 1

Three years later…

She’d only been asleep a couple of hours when she woke to the sound of her bedroom door opening. Xerjan was silhouetted in the hall light.

“The master needs you.”

Elle pushed herself up into a sitting position, groaning. She wouldn’t get any more sleep that night and she was tired. “Alright, I’m going.”

She stood and collected her rubber underwear from her wall cabinet, taking it into her little bathroom to change. It could take her up to twenty minutes to squeeze into the set, some extremely high-waisted briefs and something like a binder. They were made out of thick black rubber, and once they were on, there was barely even room for her to get her fingers under them to take them off again, which of course was the point. They preserved her chastity when she went to Borial’s bed. Try as he might, he just couldn’t fit his big alien man hands under the rubber, not when it practically vacuum-sealed itself to her skin.

She was grateful for them, but they hadn’t been her idea. It was Borial who flew into a panicked fit at the barest suggestion that they might one day eventually have sex. She’d been wearing them ever since her second visit to his room. The first, she’d spent screaming and crying and fighting with every inch of strength she possessed, and he’d still overpowered her easily. It had been a close thing. When Borial was in one of his moods, he wasn’t himself. Even now, three years later, she couldn’t be sure if it had been his self-control that had kept his penis from actually penetrating her, or if her fear and streaming tears had distracted him too much.

Elle understood her role. She was Borial’s cuddle slave. He went into these heats, and she was there as a substitute for a mate, like a doll. He held her and rubbed against her and murmured in her ear. He ran his hands over her body, begged her, tried to touch her and whimpered and growled, but there were a few solid facts that remained true after three years, and she recited them to herself now, to calm the anxiety she felt every time.

One, she had still never seen his penis. He had never taken his pants off.

Two, he had only touched her bare cunt once, after fighting his fingertips in under the side of her rubber gusset, and when she’d squealed, he had kicked her out of bed so hard she’d rolled across the floor, and he had banished her from his room and spent the rest of his episode alone.

Two and a half, he’d never touched her bare breast, or kissed her mouth, or suggested she go down on him.

Three, he could have done all those things and worse a hundred times over by now, and he never had. That first time before the rubber underwear, there had been nothing stopping him from raping her, and he hadn’t done it. Nor had he ever demanded she show him her naked body.

Four, Borial had never hurt her. Never hit her. Never withheld food from her. Never put her in danger or let anyone other than his servants touch her.

Borial had a need he couldn’t help, and she could treat the symptoms, even if she couldn’t cure him. She wasn’t happy about it, he’d still bought her, and she was still a slave, and he still walked her about on a collar and a leash. He hadn’t saved her, but he hadn’t eaten her either. Hers was a comfortable prison, and for that reason alone, she walked to his room without crying or begging.

Anymore.

Rubber underwear snapped into place, crushing her boobs and sweaty, but otherwise tolerable, she left the bathroom and joined Xerjan at her bedroom door. He was a different species than Borial, and was shorter than Elle, with dark green toady skin and yellow eyes. Somehow, everything about him just smacked of servant. Maybe it was the long tunics, the pointy slippers, or the way he held himself with such solemn, quiet pride, but she couldn’t picture him as anything other than some nobleman’s manservant.

He led her to Borial’s door, and held out his hand for her translator. She unclipped it from her ear and laid it on his palm. Borial didn’t allow it, not since the first time when he’d called her ‘Mistress’ and she’d replied “What did you call me?”. He’d realised what he’d done and snatched her translator off and thrown it across the room. He didn’t want her to understand what he said during these frenzies, and he certainly didn’t want her able to give him any orders.

Xerjan touched the door panel and it slid back. Borial’s room was dark, but she could see enough in the light from the hall. On his wide, flat bed, Borial pushed himself up on shaky arms, his long silver hair falling over his shoulders. In the grey gloom, his yellow skin was muted. The covers slid down his back, pooling around his hips. He looked like he should have a woman under him already, but he didn’t. He needed her.

Borial could have been attractive, if he didn’t own her. His normally vibrant banana yellow skin was a bit ridiculous, but his long, straight, fine, silver hair, pointy ears, and regal features made him look like a Tolkienian elf. He was tall too, and just a little too broad-shouldered to be willowy. His eyes were silver on silver on silver. Elle had no idea how she could distinguish his irises, but she could. It was something in the shape or texture, the striations within the colour. He didn’t seem to grow any facial or body hair beyond long sideburns that she’d only ever felt as stubble. Being an ambassador, he wasn’t bulging with muscles, but they were there nevertheless, under his skin. She knew because she’d felt them, keeping her in place.

He turned his face to her, and lifted one hand to gesture her to him, curling his fingers.

Elle firmed her resolve, and stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. She hated him. She hated him for doing this to her, for making her do this. She could recognise that he had a problem, and that he did what he could to make sure nothing permanent happened between them, but she could still hate him for keeping her where she didn’t want to be, for touching her whether she wanted him to or not, for not giving her any choice. She had no power, and she hated him for that.

She hated him, and she pushed it down. She knew now that fighting, screaming, running, begging, trying to escape… None of it worked. No matter what she did, she’d still end up in his bed, in his arms. That was her purpose, why he’d bought her. He was bigger, stronger, and faster than her. He had servants that would help him catch her. The ship’s computer responded to his commands, so he could lock doors remotely. He could understand the writing on the computer terminals. He had every advantage and she had every disadvantage.

So she forced herself to walk to his bed. He lifted the covers for her, and she lay down, her back to him, feeling the immense heat that had built up in the mattress and blankets. She didn’t have to do more than lie there. He fit himself in behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist to pull her in against his chest, muttering in his own language that she could no longer understand. His skin had a dusty texture, clammy over his sternum and the insides of his elbows. His hard cock poked the backs of her thighs until he had it slotted in under her pussy, the rubber underwear between them. He whispered something and lifted his head, pulling her hair back from her face. Elle stayed looking blankly forward. He didn’t need or even want more from her, and she wouldn’t give it to him. Proving her right, he bent his head to kiss her shoulder.

His ‘episodes’ had stages. He didn’t seem too bad yet, he wasn’t too far along. It felt like he would have been capable of conversation, if she’d still had her translator – which was why she had to give it up. It felt like cuddling with an enamoured partner, except that she was cold and stony on the inside. He wasn’t dry-humping her yet, or making the tortured noises he’d get to eventually. He wasn’t palming her tits or trying to pull her clothes off. Elle pulled the pillow more comfortably under her head. Maybe she could get a few more hours’ sleep.

She laid her hand on top of his where it lay on her stomach, and laced their fingers together to keep it from wandering. “Sleep, Borial.”

He made a small, pleased noise, recognising his name.

That wasn’t the part she wanted him to focus on. “Sleep,” she repeated, closing her eyes to demonstrate. After a determined moment, she felt him settle in behind her, his body still rigid, but she drifted off, used to sleeping with him plastered against her out of sheer necessity.

Some time later, she was jiggled awake by his hips frantically humping against her, his arm too tight around her. His forehead pressed against the back of her neck, soaking her skin with his hot breath, all of it in rigid silence as if he was doing his best not to wake her.

She scowled. Her shoulder ached from being kept on her side and her pussy was sore from being sawed against with such force for so long, so she put her hand between her legs to protect it. Borial gasped, realising she was awake, and pulled away for a second, ashamed – but then he came back because he was desperate, and saw an opportunity to get her to touch him. Still shrouded by his pyjamas, the blunt head of his cock ran back and forth along the groove of her fingers.

But he didn’t want her to touch him. She’d learned that after the first handful of times they’d been through this, when she’d lost some fear because she knew what to expect, and instead thought maybe that was what she was supposed to do. She’d thought maybe she’d get more sleep, or hell, get the whole thing over with, if she just gave him a handjob. She’d thought maybe doing that would mean she wouldn’t have to have sex with him. So she’d rolled over and tentatively slipped her hand under his waistband, her fingertips brushing a hot sweaty erection before nervously gripping it for a squeeze. He’d liked it, he’d really liked it, based on the sounds he’d made and the expression on his face. She’d still found herself flipped roughly onto her back and pinned with her wrists up by her shoulders while he growled words she didn’t understand and bit into her neck and shoulder. Yeah, he was a biter sometimes.

So Borial didn’t want to be alone for whatever was happening to him, but he also didn’t want to have sex, or even risk having sex, or to come at all. He made her join him in bed, but only without her translator, and only in impenetrable underwear. He didn’t let her touch him. Oh, there had been a couple of times when he’d made himself come by rubbing against her, but they had felt like accidents, and she was expected to just lie there like it wasn’t happening.

He didn’t care about how it might make her feel, having a sweaty man grinding against her, sighing and whispering and growling in her ear, his hands everywhere. She hated him, but it was hard to feel nothing when he used his hand on her throat to bring her ear to his lips, when his hard thighs trapped her hips to the bed, when she could imagine him saying anything, really. Her body reacted, and she hated him for that too. She hated that she hadn’t had sex in three years, because he was keeping her prisoner on his ship. She hated that she hadn’t even seen another human in three years, that she couldn’t have a conversation with anyone on her own terms, that she couldn’t even look at anyone without him watching from the end of her leash. She wanted to be liked. She wanted to choose who she spoke to. She wanted to choose who was in her bed. She wanted to be able to give herself to someone, instead of living under Borial’s dibs.

She threw her elbow back into his ribs and he stilled for a moment, chastised, but he was like a big, undisciplined puppy, wholly focused on what he wanted and deaf and blind to everything else. She tried to wriggle into a more comfortable position at least, but she didn’t want to face him, or risk him pinning her. She knew from experience if she sat up or left the bed, he’d grab her and pull her back. He pressed close to her again and kissed and licked along her shoulder, whispering. His hand stroked up her stomach to her breast, but she was crushed flat by the bra. There was nothing for him to play with, and nothing for her to feel.

Sometimes she wished they could just fuck. Maybe she could get high, and enjoy it while it was happening at least, instead of getting increasingly frustrated as she fended off a handsy man for up to three days sometimes. Sometimes she wanted the worst to happen, just so that things would change. Sometimes she wanted to trick him, fight her way out of the rubber underwear and saddle up before he could stop her, as revenge for keeping her a slave. She could have the power, for a little while, that way. He would have to live with the knowledge he’d fucked an alien, instead of pretending he was above it, when this was his dirty little secret.

It would be so easy to stop protecting him from himself, to just lie still and let him get under the thick briefs. Then it would be his fault. She wouldn’t even be forcing him.

But as tempting as that thought was, as much as she wanted to deal him a blow, just one, she knew she never would, for one simple reason. If she fucked this up, he’d probably get rid of her, and she doubted her next owner would be better. The fact was that while Borial made her do this, she didn’t actually have to fuck anyone for her survival. She had enough food, she had clothes, she had her own bathroom. She couldn’t imagine better living conditions for a slave. Any other alien who bought a human slave would almost certainly want to rape or eat her. Unless she could get back to Earth somehow, this was as good as it was going to get for her.

She pulled Borial’s hands off her again, and he just wrapped them back around her, murmuring into her neck.

He could tell her what to do during these moments. He didn’t want to come, okay, but maybe there were other things she could do to keep him calm, make them both more comfortable. As it was, she didn’t know if stroking his hair or talking to him, for example, would soothe him or encourage him to get grabbier, because Borial wouldn’t talk about it when he was himself. If she mentioned it, he got frosty and snapped at her or left the room, or sent her to hers. If only she could feel more like a nurse than body pillow or sex toy, but then Borial would have to let her have the power, and that would never happen.

He licked her neck, following the curve of her trapezius, and then mouthed back to her shoulder. She didn’t know if he was trying to arouse her or if he wanted to taste her, or was just fidgeting. She didn’t know anything about alien mating habits. Obviously, Borial had a dick, in the same place a human did. She assumed he’d chosen her, or at least kept her this long, because she was similar enough to his own species, the Ure from planet Sopa, though she’d never seen a female of his kind, or any other member of his species. Not as far as she knew, anyway. If they weren’t yellow elves, she wouldn’t necessarily recognise them. Physically, she guessed they were compatible enough for him, but she didn’t know if there was anything different about their sexual habits. Maybe only one partner survived, and that was why Borial went through all this with such a violent aversion to actually having sex with her. Maybe pregnancy was guaranteed. Maybe he laid eggs. Maybe there was acid, or serious blood loss.

She’d often wondered why he needed a slave for this. He was an ambassador, so he wasn’t the last of his kind. If he didn’t want or couldn’t have a wife, and if he couldn’t have girlfriends or one-night stands, Elle thought he could find women who would agree to these aggressive cuddling sessions. He was rich, and seemed to be in the prime of adulthood. Even without attraction, he could pay someone, instead of buying someone. He must just prefer the convenience of a woman he could control, keep on hand wherever he went, with no life of her own and no one to tell.

It was thoughts like that Elle always came back to. Any time she tried thinking her way around her situation, the stark fact that she was a slave, a prisoner, was an unavoidable obstacle in her mind. No matter what else he did, no matter how he treated her or what he gave her, it always came down to this; that he demanded she come to his bed whenever he wanted, and she couldn’t say no. That was why she hated him. That was why she spent these days and nights in his arms angry and frustrated. That was why she batted his hands away even though it made no difference whether she fought or lay still.

She didn’t want to give in.

Sometimes she did, but the fact that it didn’t change anything just made her angry again. Her decisions didn’t matter. He didn’t even seem to notice.

So for hours they lay tangled in the bed, half-heartedly wrestling space or closeness from each other, sweating against each other. Borial murmured and spoke to her and kissed her shoulder and ran his hands over her body. She pushed him away and snapped at him. When he exhausted himself, she could sleep for an hour or two. When she needed the bathroom, she either had to take him with her, or surprise him and leap from the bed, racing to lock the door before he could catch her again, then have half an hour to herself as she fought out of and back into the rubber pants, with him going nuts on the other side of the door.

Once, Borial’s mood had lasted for almost four days, and Elle hadn’t thought she’d make it. Xerjan left food and drink for her just inside the door – Borial didn’t seem to need it – but it wasn’t enough, the sleep wasn’t enough. In the end, Xerjan had opened the door and darted Borial like an animal and flown them to the nearest space station with a medical unit. No one acknowledged it afterwards.

This time, it lasted a more manageable two days, well within normal range.

Elle was asleep when Borial came back to himself, but she surfaced briefly when he picked her up from his bed and carried her back to her adjoining room to tuck her into her own bed. She wasn’t allowed in his space when he wasn’t in one of his fits. As soon as it ended, he kicked her out, so he could sleep without her. She wasn’t allowed to rest where she was, it was back to her small slave quarters. She was aware of murmuring softly and laying her hand on his chest. It felt odd, him standing again, moving smoothly, the ends of his hair against her forehead. Usually they only touched lying down.

When she woke in the morning, her translator was on her nightstand, and she rolled over and went back to sleep, knowing no one would come looking for her.

CHAPTER 2

A couple of days later, they docked with a luxury pleasure cruiser with an unpronounceable alien name. Apparently, there was someone on board Borial wanted to talk to but hadn’t had any luck getting an actual official meeting with, so he’d bought tickets for the cruise and was going to ambush the guy over cocktails or something. Nobody ever thought Elle needed to know what their plans were, she only ever learned anything from overhearing Borial talk to Xerjan.

Elle stared into her wardrobe, while Borial sat on the bed. He was already dressed in his white robes, and tugged at his cuffs idly as he waited for her. Not for the first time, she wanted to pick something he wouldn’t like, in protest… But she also didn’t want to suffer the reminder that the final choice was not hers. She was his slave; he could make her wear anything he wanted.

Alien clothes were weird. Borial was yellow, so his colour options were somewhat restricted, and by extension, so were hers. She had a lot of yellow clothes, as if dressing her in his skin tone could broadcast his ownership of her better than the leash leading into his hand.

He sighed and checked the time, tired of waiting. She wasn’t allowed in his room unless he needed her, but he could come into hers and sit around judging her as long as he liked. The gall of it made her jaw clench.

“Hurry up, Elle. I won’t be late.”

Late. She didn’t know what time the event started, because nobody had told her, and nobody had ever thought to teach her how to read the time, either. She just got taken out and put back when necessary, like a toy.

This wasn’t her first rodeo. She knew what was fitting for someone like her at a party like this. She gave in and pulled out a yellow bodice with beaded fringe all over, part of it forming enough of a skirt that she didn’t feel indecent. He would approve, and she was disappointed in herself for taking the coward’s way out.

Her hair and make-up was already done. Borial employed a beautician-slash-lady’s-maid named Sazi to make sure Elle didn’t embarrass him. Sazi was a six-armed blue insect lady, and lived on their ship with them, but she and Elle were not friends. Sazi made no attempt to talk to her, and clearly considered her work tantamount to putting a pomeranian’s fluff in a little top knot for a show. She was rough with Elle’s hair, and gripped her face hard when she applied the make-up, which changed depending on who they were visiting.

Elle’s hair was usually styled up and out of the way. It was more practical, and the aim was not to look pretty or elegant, it was to look presentable. Pretty was reserved for the real people, with rights. Elle’s hair was black, and after three years of living with Borial, she couldn’t say for sure if he liked it or hated it. Most of the time, he behaved as if it was somehow disobedient to have hair so starkly opposite to his – but during their ‘special time’, he’d bury his face in it and groan in dirty satisfaction.

She’d come to assume he liked it, but didn’t want to, just like her; like it was perverse and made him feel bad, just like keeping her as his little cuddle buddy.

She took the bodice to her bathroom to put it on. She wouldn’t undress in front of Borial. When she had it on, after leaning over to dangle her leash out of the way of the clasps while she did it up, she hung up her silk robe and stepped out. She almost never wore shoes. She didn’t have to on space ships. Borial wore embroidered silk slippers, but enough aliens went barefoot that nobody seemed to notice that she did too. Her nails were painted yellow by Sazi, fingers and toes. She wondered if Borial kept shoes away from her so she couldn’t escape, but it seemed unnecessary when they were in deep space. Where could she possibly go?

Borial saw she was dressed and stood, reaching for her leash and fixing it to the manacle he wore so he could keep hold of her with his hands free. It was all beautiful of course, the manacle a polished chrome that reflected the lights, her chain no thicker than it needed to be to be unbreakable, the delicate metalwork twinkling, and of course, her collar, a thick band of white diamonds that pricked her chin when she looked down. From the neck up, she looked like a princess. From the neck down, she looked like a burlesque dancer.

Borial gave her an appraising up-and-down, checking for anything she might have done to show him up. There was a time she used to make herself bleed before he took her out in public, to make people think he beat her, to make it clear she wasn’t with him by choice, but she didn’t bother anymore. It hadn’t made a difference. It had annoyed him something fierce, but no one had ever tried to save her.

Borial knew she was a person, with intelligence and language and everything else required to be classed as a sapient being, but no one else had ever seen a human before. They thought she was a dog, or they politely turned a blind eye to the enslavement of a race they had no diplomatic ties to. Some people thought it was a fun game she and Borial enjoyed together; some of them thought it was some kind of marriage custom. It didn’t matter. Cultural relativity was Rule Number One in ambassador circles. Even the people who were obviously uncomfortable with it didn’t say anything to Borial’s face. No one ever questioned Borial keeping a woman on a leash.

Despite trying to frame him, the truth was Borial didn’t beat her, or hurt her, or yell at her, or do anything abusive or frightening. They’d settled into a Cold War, of sorts. She behaved ninety percent of the time, and in exchange, he didn’t push his luck. He saved the outrages for when they were in bed.

“Good,” he said simply, finishing his assessment. He didn’t stroke her hair or cheek. He’d learned that lesson quickly. Once bitten, he was twice shy – an example of him not pushing his luck.

Elle didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. Every now and then, she considered sucking up to him for an easier life, but she thought this chilly open animosity gave her the best living situation. If he liked her any more, who knew what he’d want from her? Wrapping him around her finger, while maybe possible, would only end up with her sharing his quarters permanently.

He tugged on her leash to get her moving, casually, like a dog, and Elle grit her teeth. Arsehole.

Together – she had no choice about that – they left her bedroom. Her rooms on Borial’s ship were simple and small, utilitarian, though better than might be expected for a slave. Better even than servant’s quarters, more like the poor relation. All the bedrooms were in a row on one narrow grey corridor. Hers was beside Borial’s, for obvious reasons, with Xerjan’s on his other side. On Elle’s other side, was Sazi. Borial’s room was the largest, with a walk-in closet and attached bathroom. Elle had a bathroom of her own which was the size of a closet, and she didn’t know what the servants had. It wasn’t like she’d ever be invited into their private spaces.

Borial’s ship was a display item more than anything, a front. They all lived in basic accommodation tucked out of the way, while the reception rooms were massive, decorated in bright, airy colours, full of soft furniture and art, like a royal boudoir.

The pleasure cruiser was thousands of times the size of Borial’s. Elle hadn’t set foot on an actual planet since she’d been taken from Earth, it had just been one spaceship or station after another. The recycled air and white noise and claustrophobia was so familiar at this point that Elle didn’t even think of it anymore.

They left Borial’s ship and, after an airlock and a brief rubber docking umbilical, reached an extravagantly decorated yet bland hallway. It reminded Elle of a hotel, too many miles of corridor for any interior designer to make interesting. It was beautiful… and repeated every five feet. Good thing Borial was familiar with things like this, and could navigate by the internal compass of the rich, gravitating faultlessly to the expensive party like a bird using the Earth’s magnetic field.

Elle hoped she wouldn’t have to stay on Borial’s ship for their whole visit, only being dragged out for parties. She wanted to explore. She wanted to see how the other half lived. What else did this ship have to offer? Surely the guests needed more than a ballroom. Were there hydroponic gardens? Could she look out into space? Was there a water slide? She’d lived in space for three years now, and knew nothing about anything.

She didn’t worry about looking like a rube as she craned her neck to stare up at the distant, high ceilings. People thought she was a dog, so what did it matter? There was the biggest chandelier she’d ever seen! It was the size of a car! It was funny that it was so similar to what humans had, but she supposed it wouldn’t that different. Sight was an evolutionary advantage, and that required light, and fire would have come before electricity, which meant candles, and crystals and glass reflected and refracted it and just looked pretty.

They reached the ballroom, and its swell of conversation and gentle limp music and tinkling glasses and cutlery. Borial wound her leash around his hand to tie her closer to him until they got situated. Otherwise, some unsuspecting stranger might get goosed by the chain, and start a war or something.

Everything was white, and shades of off-white, and dusky pink. The outer wall was floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the blackness of space, but Elle was too far away to enjoy it. Banquet tables held platters of food and drink, which was usually the best part of these things for Elle, if Borial gave her enough slack to go get anything. A wide wooden staircase connected to a mezzanine only five steps high, where a huge fountain cycled through display patterns. More crystal and ice sculptures glittered and shone.

On a space ship, things like wood, crystal, ice, and water might as well have been gold and diamonds for the sheer decadent opulence it took to maintain them on board. Safety and emergency procedures had clearly been shoved pretty far down the list of priorities. One little bump to rock the ship and the floor would become a flooded luge of ice and broken glass. All it would take was an engine failure, and they’d all be praying that window into space could hold as much weight as the floor. Elle tried not to think about the Titanic, or The Poseidon Adventure.

Around her, aliens of all kinds mingled in their finery. Elle had become familiar with a number of other species, just by sight. Her translator helped. It, too, was beautiful; gold and shiny, arcing like a wing over the rim of her ear into a point, similar to Borial’s pointy elf ears, but it fit too well to have been built for him. He must have had it made specially, but in his image.

He tugged her leash again and led her over to the bar, scanning the gathering for his target while trying to look like that wasn’t what he was doing. Elle, as a pet, didn’t have to restrain herself. She was free to stare at the jewels, the clothes, the multiple limbs and skin-flaps and body paint around her. She was the only person on a chain, as usual, but some people had creatures perched on their shoulders or cuddled in their arms, or sat at their feet. That was where she fit in.

The universe was unfathomably huge, and the sapient species in it innumerable. Yet still, Elle found it boring. They all wanted the same things humans on Earth wanted: money and power. All anyone ever talked to Borial about was gemstones, precious metals, fuel, food, and politics. Nobody ever tried to have a conversation with her, except to coo and hand her a treat. That was the sum of it.

“Elle.” Borial murmured her name, getting her attention so he could pass her a drink. Damn it, she’d missed her opportunity to decide on her own. He had something thick and clear, fizzing gently in a tall thin glass like a champagne flute. She had an odd thing with a fat bottom and a narrow neck that would be hell to drink from, and whatever was inside was blue on top and yellow underneath, with a spiral of something pink sticking out. A cocktail, she guessed. Sweet, low or no alcohol, and difficult to carry around so her hands would be occupied. Borial had done this before.

As always, she briefly considered throwing it on the floor, or pouring it all over herself, making a scene, but she’d tried that before and it hadn’t achieved anything. It had only made her look like the animal everyone assumed she was, and annoyed Borial. He’d had to go to his meetings without her for the rest of that trip, and that had made him need her more in the evenings. Sabotaging his missions didn’t gain her anything, it was playing her cards before the bets were laid. If she knew when Borial was going to have one of his episodes before it happened, she could negotiate, but they seemed to come irregularly and with no warning. If he wasn’t worried about needing her soon, he could just walk away and ignore her.

These days, she just didn’t have the fight left in her anymore. She’d fought every way she could think of, and while she’d never been punished, it had never accomplished anything either. As much rage as she carried inside her over her situation, co-operating with Borial gave her the most freedom, so that was what she did.

But she didn’t thank him for the drink.

Her hand didn’t fit the neck of the bottle very well and she made a noise of frustration, trying to figure out how she was supposed to carry it. She knew from experience that she actually liked what Borial was drinking. It was like fizzy lychee wine or something, but it was a real drink for real people, too sophisticated for the likes of her.

Borial led them away from the bar. To avoid getting her neck tugged on all the time, she had developed a hyper-awareness of his movements, like a sixth sense of when he was about to move, her peripheral vision always tracking his wrist with the cuff. That annoyed her too, that she had adapted.

He walked them up to a small knot of people and the hobknobbing was on.

“Chancellor,” he intoned solemnly, performing the appropriate bow with his hands raised in front of him. Elle stood behind him and looked away, bored. “What a pleasure to catch you here this evening.”

“Ambassador Kainlani, yes, a pleasure. Tell me, is it true what they say about the tennerite prices on Sopa right now?”

And bla bla bla.

Elle tried her drink. It was so tart, she made a face, staring at it accusingly. She examined the pink spiral suspiciously. Was it an inedible garnish, like an orange peel? Or more like a candy cane, or jelly worm? Only one way to find out. Well, she could ask Borial, but he wouldn’t like being interrupted, and they were trying to be considerate of each other these days. She ate it.

And lived.

It was even nice, sweet.

When it was gone, she sighed. She should have made it last.

She looked around for somewhere to put her drink, but they were in the middle of a crowd. Nothing. Her shoulders slumped.

And so it went. Thirty to forty minutes talking to one group of people, and then on to the next. Introductions were made, promises to meet again soon to discuss things in more detail were passed around. Elle eventually got to eat, but only because Borial was talking to someone in leash-reach of the buffet tables and distracted. She picked and nibbled at things, quickly and surreptitiously stuffing her face before someone inevitably walked into her leash and Borial noticed she’d wandered off.

When another alien further down the table stared openly at her for long enough to make her uncomfortable, she went back to Borial on her own. Some aliens had a way of looking at her that made her briefly glad she belonged to Ambassador Borial Malalhi Kainlani Ostrix, who had enough clout that nobody had ever tried to buy or steal her from him.

She didn’t like to look at the aliens Borial spoke to. She didn’t like to count how many looked uncomfortable, how many avoided making eye contact with her, recognising that what he was doing was wrong. That didn’t prevent two enormous willowy creatures from bending over her, wanting to stroke her hair and tug on her ears. Borial knew enough by now to stop them with a polite laugh. Their silent bargain didn’t extend that far, and she would absolutely slap hands and start yelling. He’d threatened her with a muzzle once. She’d threatened him with an airlock, and that was that.

“Did you know Elevated High Actor Limba Manaken is expected on board?” someone asked Borial.

The woman beside Elle had a blue rabbit the size of a dog sat at her feet. It looked so fluffy. Elle wanted to stroke it.

“Ah… No? Is that correct?” he replied.

Elle wondered if the rabbit-dog was friendly. Presumably, since it was at a party, surrounded by people.

“We passed by Kch’o yesterday, or was it the day before? She’s been assigned governor there but I heard she would join us for some respite.”

“I see… Well, you know, of course it would be an honour to meet with her, but I don’t expect an Elevated High Actor to have time for me, especially if she’s here to escape work.”

But would petting the rabbit draw attention to her? Would people react like humans would to a monkey petting a dog, for example? She didn’t want that.

“No, I’m sure she’d be glad to meet another Ure after spending all those months wrangling Tofor miners.”

“She won’t have been alone there, she’ll have had her… partners.”

Elle edged closer to the thing, thinking maybe she could just brush its fur surreptitiously, get a feel without anyone noticing.

“Ah, look, there she is! She just entered!”

“Excuse me, I’ll go introduce myself.”

Elle was just about to touch the rabbit when she was yanked back, hard, by her leash, almost pulling her over backwards. As the room tilted, she glimpsed a tall yellow woman with silver hair smiling as she entered the ballroom. She only caught Elle’s eye because she was obviously the same species as Borial, and she had never seen another one before, but then she forgot about it as she turned to right herself.

Borial didn’t usually pull that suddenly. He might pull on her leash to get her attention, or signal to her that she should follow him, or even in extreme cases, to punish her or remind her who was boss, but he almost never tipped her over. It only happened when he forgot her leash was still attached to him.

She stumbled around to face him, but he was already walking away, and as his arm was pulled back by their connection, she watched him jerk it forward, snapping her head forward this time. Pissed, she ran after him, even as he wound the leash around his wrist to bring her closer.

Gritting her teeth, she caught up to him as he ducked through an arched doorway.

“Borial, what the hell?” she growled, her hands gripping her collar just in case he wanted to pull some more.

“We’re leaving.”

“Don’t yank me around like that!”

He whirled on her, grabbing the clip of her leash where it attached to her collar, and she tried to flinch back, startled. He looked furious, or something. “Behave,” he grit out, looming over her at his full height, while pulling her right up against him, hunched painfully. He glanced over her head, back the way they had come.

Elle opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, when suddenly her stomach floated up into her lungs and her hair stood on end. Borial staggered, a look of alarm and confusion crossing his face. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Elle, too, was forced stumbling to the side by something she couldn’t see. She fell against the wall, and couldn’t get up again.

What was going on? Her feet were still on the carpet, but they felt weightless. Instead, her shoulder ached with the pressure on it where it leaned against the wall.

From inside the ballroom, raised voices were interrupted by the enormous crash of all the food and drink sliding off the table, followed by screams.

She looked at Borial again, panic creeping up her spine. Something was wrong.

CHAPTER 3

“Valued guests, please proceed to the escape pods,” chimed a calm female voice over the PA as Elle’s hair crawled up the wall without her permission. “They are located on decks five, ten, fifteen, twenty,-”

“We’re tilting,” Borial said. “Or there’s a problem with the gravity.”

Elle lifted her arms as her senses told her she was about to go sliding into the ceiling, even as everything else looked normal. Borial felt around for something to hold onto, but there was nothing.

“-Forty-five, fifty, fifty-five,-”

“We have to get out of here.” He tipped his head at the ballroom. “Before they panic.”

Elle nodded, and when she tumbled up the wall and all the chandeliers crashed up with her, she fought her feet under her to walk and follow him. Borial took her hand, and she didn’t mind under the circumstances. She’d be pissed at him for his attitude just now later. Why was the ship rolling?

The PA continued. “Do not attempt to reach your docked ship. Please proceed to the escape pods. They are located on decks five, ten, fifteen,-”

Together, they struggled down the corridor. It felt like walking sideways up-hill, tripping over molded cornices and accompanied by a growing mass of detritus that was rolling with them. Were they headed to the escape pods, or was Borial trying to make it back to his ship, some twenty decks away? He was the type to ignore safety instructions in favour of preserving his comfortable luxury. And what about Xerjan and Sazi?

They reached the elevator lobby and Borial pressed the button. Elle could hear raised voices from down the hall, the thump of bodies failing to cope with the rolling gravity, more broken glass, angry shouting, barking.

“We should take the stairs!” Elle said, pointing. She had to raise her voice to be heard. She didn’t want to still be here when the other party guests arrived. As she eyed the hall warily, a member of staff went running past, tripped, then ran on.

“Stairs?”

“You’re not supposed to take the elevator when there’s something wrong with the building, we could get trapped and no one would know where we were!”

Borial turned to her, his hand on his hip. “And how do imagine we take the stairs? Slide down the walls? The elevator has cables to move it no matter what the gravity is.”

A distant screeching of metal from within the elevator shaft grew louder as it came closer. It did not sound good.

“Very well, stairs,” he conceded.

It was three decks up – or down – to the nearest escape pods. They opened the door to the stairs, stepping over what had been the top of the door frame, and paused for a moment as they considered how they were going to do this. They were upside down just then, with the stairs overhead like a MC Escher piece, but the gravity was still turning, a few moments more and they could make a dash for it while the wall was the floor. The PA was still cycling through its announcement, and behind them the elevator stopped screaming and the door pinged open as if mocking them. Elle could hear the panicked voices of the other guests, and just as the way opened up in front of them, some other guests entered the stairwell behind them.

“This way,” Borial said, and they hurried forward along the wall, crouching under the stairs as they moved to the next floor, with other guests in ballgowns and finery popping out from the doors as if at random. Elle was so disoriented, she just focused on not tripping over the banister, or hitting her head on it. If the gravity turned and spilled her onto the stairs, that would hurt.

Luckily, the rotation continued steadily, and while it wasn’t elegant by any means, they managed to transition from standing on the wall to standing on the stairs, right way up, and hurried to the deck they needed before it could get worse.

They joined the crowd that was now siphoning off onto every fifth floor, and followed the signs for the escape pods. Around them, people were dishevelled, their hair in disarray from the slow spin cycle, with food spilled on their clothes and their hems soaking up all sorts of colourful things. The corridor with the escape pods looked like every other corridor, only it had airlocks instead of doors.

Borial took her hand again, like a parent not wanting to be separated from their child in a busy place, and pulled her quickly forward, searching for an airlock that still had a pod on the other side as people swarmed around them. His legs were a lot longer than hers, but at that moment, she was grateful. She was scared to be launched out into space. She’d never been in an escape pod before. She knew the theory. It was a vehicle about the size of a car, perfectly safe, and they would either stay grouped together floating in space until help came – and it would, for a luxury cruiser like this with so many important people on board – or land if there was a planet nearby and the ship was about to explode or something. Not an ideal situation, but in an emergency, it was better than the alternative.

Borial found a pod and held his hand to a sensor, opening the door, pulling Elle after him inside. The inside was utilitarian, but some effort had been made to make it calming. The walls were sky blue, the four seats where white. The door closed behind them and Borial pushed Elle into a chair, buckling her in, then sat beside her and did the same for himself.

“W-What about the others? Do we need to-?”

“No.” He had already called up controls and was pressing buttons.

Elle took the moment to twist in her seat and look at the door. She didn’t want to leave anyone to die… but surely Borial knew what he was doing? She didn’t want to waste time causing trouble if something was seriously wrong.

It was probably nothing, she told herself. Just a gravity malfunction triggering the emergency protocols. The crew would fix it, and the escape pods would re-dock with the cruiser, and they’d all laugh about it and get big fat refunds. Somebody probably just put their coffee down on the gyroscope.

There was a loud clunk, and she was suddenly straining against the crossed belts of the seat, as if she was dangling over a drop. Borial’s arm snapped out in front of her as if to hold her in place. She made a small involuntary noise – she wouldn’t call it a whimper – and grabbed it. “Borial…”

“You are safe,” he said, but he was too deadpan to be convincing. She knew he put up a mask when he was unhappy.

Before she could think any more about it, there was a hiss as the cabin sealed and pressurised, a pop as it was released from the dock, and a weightless feeling for the few seconds it drifted before the thrusters came on and steered them gently away. Their weight settled back into their seats like normal. Borial let out a breath, resting his head against the seat and taking his arm back.

In the moment of powerless quiet, Elle remembered how he’d held her hand, and before that, how he’d snapped at her. The timing was a bit off, wasn’t it? Had he known something was about to happen?

She eyed him suspiciously. “What happens now?”

“I don’t know, the pod will take care of it.” He sounded tired.

“What happened to the cruiser?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to go back soon?”

“I don’t know.”

Elle hesitated for a second. “What about your ship? And Xerjan and Sazi? Will they be okay? Do you think they got off?”

“I’m sure they’re fine. They’re as familiar with emergency procedure as we are.”

Elle didn’t feel very familiar with any of this.

“And the ship will be there when we get back.”

That was a big If though. He didn’t know they would get back, not for certain. Maybe ninety percent of emergency evacuations weren’t because the ship was about to explode or lose life support or vent poison gas everywhere, but some of them were. There were always horror stories about people who floated in space for days, weeks; who starved; who ended up dropped on some alien planet and mummified in their pods! Or got eaten by the monstrous local wildlife! Elle had seen Alien, and Predator, and- and- She didn’t want anything hugging her face!

It was times like this she really wished there was another human around, someone who understood her and her primitive fears of dying in space, someone who got it and could reassure her. Space had been tamed for Borial, he didn’t appreciate all the unknowns.

She needed to distract herself. “What happened back in the ballroom? Why did you leave like that?” And talk to me like that? she added in her head. She ran her finger under her collar, where the diamonds had dug into her skin with how hard he had pulled.

She considered taking it off. She could take it off, it wasn’t locked, but it was a whole thing. Borial required her to wear a collar anytime she left their ship, or when anyone other than him or his servants was going to see her. She got it, she was a slave, it was a sign of ownership. Like a pet back on Earth, if she was out in public without a collar, she might be taken in by animal control, or kidnapped to be sold, or eaten, or any other things aliens wanted to do with humans. She understood not wearing the collar could be dangerous, but she also understood that it might lead others to see her as – gasp – a free-thinking sapient person with the same rights as they had. Wearing the collar gave her a level of protection, but it also kept her a slave.

And Borial needed something to attach the leash to.

She had taken the collar off, refused to wear it, tried to escape, all of that, before. She’d flushed them down the toilet, tore them in half, everything, but Borial had just ordered more, and here she was now, worn down. She didn’t really believe anymore that the collar had anything to do with it. It was just a fancy necklace. If she ever got free from being a slave, it wouldn’t be because she had a bare neck. She needed help.

At her question, Borial lifted his head from the seat’s rest, dipping his chin, as he too touched his neck. He looked troubled for a second, then he shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“None of your concern.”

Ah. That was different than nothing. It was something, he just didn’t want to tell her. She faced forward as if there was a windscreen to look out of, but there wasn’t. She wished there was, to give her some idea of if the cruiser was still in one piece. It might have been fun to watch it barrel roll through space, if that was what was actually happening to it. She wanted to know if there was a planet nearby. There should be, since the cruise was a sightseeing tour, but Elle didn’t know whether it was between planets when they joined. Would seeing space make her feel less like she was going to die forgotten in a lost, sedan-like coffin in the infinite void, or more so?

The pod had supplies, she knew that, so she decided to check them out for something to do. She couldn’t relax now she’d thought of them. What if the pod didn’t have supplies?

She unclipped her belt and climbed between the seats, her leash clinking softly against itself. She was still clipped to Borial’s wrist, but she had enough slack to move about comfortably in the small space.

She knelt in front of the floor-level compartments. She couldn’t read any alien language, but emergency equipment used pictograms, same as Exit signs on Earth, so anyone could figure them out. It was still strange to see what aliens thought cartoon food looked like, but then, she supposed it would have been stranger if they used a turkey drumstick and a knife and fork.

The food came out in vacuum-sealed bundles. There were also blankets, water packets, lighters, flashlights, what she guessed was a flare gun, a first aid kit, a thin filmy thing that might have worked like a mosquito net, and some floatation devices. There were big pills with instructions she couldn’t read, and a collection of tools she didn’t recognise.

She relaxed a little. She could work with this. They had food and water for a few days at least. She put everything back and closed the cabinet back up.

“Have you ever had to use an escape pod before?” she asked Borial, taking her seat again.

“No.”

She watched him, waiting for more, but none came. It would have been nice if she could have asked him if he was scared too, but that wasn’t the relationship they had. She’d have liked to hear him tell her it would be alright, but that wasn’t really him either. Aliens didn’t lie to each other like humans did, they didn’t have concepts like optimism or a can-do attitude, manifestation, barely even hope. If Borial didn’t know it would be alright, he wouldn’t pretend that he did.

It was one of the little comforts she missed from home, the little social conventions like that, the etiquette that was like its own language. When someone didn’t follow those rules and give the answer she was expecting, it was surprisingly lonely.

The control panel had a read-out with flashing letters changing quickly. “What does it say?”

“We’re moving.”

“…Does that mean anything?”

“I’m not sure, but… I think we’ll be landing.”

“Oh.” Landing. On an alien planet. “Is that… okay?”

“Not ideal but we’ll be perfectly safe until we’re picked up. We have supplies, we’ll stay with the pod, it has a beacon.”

“Will that take long?”

“No, I shouldn’t think so.”

“Right, because you’re important.” Elle wasn’t sure if she was trying to tease him or get him to confirm it to reassure her.

It didn’t work. He made a non-committal alien noise, and she didn’t feel better. He’s just being modest, she told herself.

She felt it then, the acceleration pulling at her. She shouldn’t feel that unless there was external gravity and atmosphere. They were definitely landing. Elle had been a good Sunday Christian on Earth because everyone around her in her small Irish village was too. She’d done some hard praying since she was taken, and some hard thinking when she wasn’t saved. She found it hard to believe, most of the time, that God was out here with her, but she sent out a little prayer now. It wasn’t words as such, just a wish, like a reminder to God to look after her, as if she was saying ‘If it matters, I don’t want to die’.

She buckled herself back into her seat, held her own hands, and concentrated on taking deep, slow breaths. The pod rattled with the atmosphere, and then briefly with minor collisions, tree branches probably. There was a lurch and a crunch, and they were stopped, they were down.

Elle looked at Borial, who was reading the information the computer gave him. “What does it say? Are we safe?”

“It looks that way,” he said, frowning as he scrolled.

“Should we open the door? Look outside?”

“The atmosphere is safe, for a while. There’s plant-life… No sign of civilised construction or population centres or energy manufacture… Any animals out there could very well be dangerous in ways we can’t predict, and there could be pathogens, and weather changes could be dangerous.”

“But what about the others? Shouldn’t we at least make sure we’re not alone?”

He looked at her, indecisive, and since he wasn’t stopping her, Elle got up and went to the door. She didn’t know why, really. One scary thing should be enough. She should stay in the pod, with its filtered air and life support.

But she hadn’t been outside in three years. She couldn’t help herself.

She laid her hand on the sensor until it beeped, then cranked the big red release lever. The seal hissed, and the door swung out.

Humid air.

Blue.

Bird song.

Elle stepped out, dropping the couple of feet to the ground, her bare feet landing on leaves and soil. Her calves tightened, the sensation overwhelming. Her mouth open, she stared, keeping one hand on the airlock door as a tether.

It was night, and everything was blue, radiant electric blue. The ground was carpeted with blue leaves, the trees that grew only a few feet away had blue foliage too. Their brown wood was deep and rich and chocolatey, as if the light filtered differently. It didn’t look wholly real.

And then there was the noise. It didn’t sound melodious like bird song on Earth, not twittering or tweeting. Elle imagined this must be what the Amazon sounded like. There was something that sounded like an obnoxious laugh, a loud and repetitive Haa Haa Haa, and something else gibbering manically, and something calling out with long Ooh sounds. Everything else blended together into an impenetrable mess of sound, and yet it was quiet. The inescapable white noise of engines and air filters that had droned in the background of every minute of every day was gone. She’d stopped hearing it, but she was aware of its absence now, goosebumps breaking out on her chest and arms.

The ground felt so sturdy – unshaken by the vibration of propulsion systems and machinery – that she almost lost her footing. In three years, she’d never stood on an uneven surface, never had to pick her way over rocks, never felt soft dirt giving way beneath her step. She was used to metal floors, sometimes thin carpets. The faint incline now scared her, as if she’d go sliding off.

There was life here, touching her skin, in her lungs. The smells were overpowering, like a perfumery, everything demanding her attention. Somehow, the air communicated the vastness of the sky, as if there was more oxygen than she could possibly put a dent in. It hadn’t been calibrated to give her her required amount and save the rest.

Looking down, Elle placed her feet carefully as she took a few more steps, her leash pulling tight. She reached up and ripped off her collar, letting it drop. Borial could reel it back in, she wouldn’t wear it here. She rubbed the humidity of the air into the skin of her neck instead, then stretched her arms up to the sky, laughing to herself. She could see the sky and all the stars, and the streaking tails of the other pods landing nearby, dozens and dozens of falling stars. It was beautiful.

She dug her feet down into the moist topsoil, running her hands over herself like she had new skin. It was a shame she was wearing a beaded yellow fringed corset, but she took her hair down and shook it out, wanting to be wild. She needed this. She wanted to run and lick the trees, she wanted to find fresh water to drink, and fruit to eat. She felt like if she had to smell the stale chemical air of a spaceship again, she’d die. She wanted to rub the leaves all over herself.

Her skin prickled up the back of her neck.

“Elle.”

She turned, reluctantly, and saw Borial hunched in the open airlock, her good mood quickly fading. The pod looked hideous and foreign by comparison. It was grey with red lettering on the side, clunky and blocky and offensively out of place. The low light and all the blue did something to Borial’s yellow skin, fading it, bringing out shadows. “What?”

“Come inside. Don’t expose yourself to things unnecessarily. It’s night, and we don’t know what’s out there.”

In that moment, she thought about running. How many times had she thought about escape? On one hand, this might be the best chance she ever got. On the other hand, spending the rest of her life alone like Tarzan, trying to survive in an alien forest probably wasn’t better than what she had. Still, she hated Borial for bringing her back down, for making her see the flaws in this place, for not letting her be happy for just a minute.

If she took off into the trees, what would he do?

She turned away from the pod again. She wouldn’t run. But she couldn’t go back in yet. “I need to stay out here a bit longer,” she told him. “I can… keep watch, in case anyone comes looking for us.”

Maybe because she’d said ‘need’, he left her alone, going back into the pod.

Elle stood outside alone for a long time, her arms around herself, feeling the breeze stir her hair against her neck and shoulders, and just listening. Listening and watching. Then she started to explore, walking around the pod, mapping the ground and the trees, taking closer looks at everything. She learned their scents and their feel, every different leaf and stem and pebble, the bark. Nothing came to attack her, and her brain drank in the stimulation, fascinated and alive. Back home, her nan would tell her stories of fae folk and Tir Na Nóg. That was how it felt: otherworldly. Maybe she’d died in the crash… though probably not, since Borial was still there, nagging her.

Eventually, when she grew tired and cold, she climbed into the pod to get a blanket, making sure to leave the airlock door wide open. Borial was already asleep on the floor under a blanket of his own, his robes cushioning the hard floor, what she could see of his shoulders and torso bare.

Elle took her blanket and, with the wrapper between her teeth, climbed up the outside of the pod to make her bed on the roof, lying awake and staring at the stars for as long as she could.

CHAPTER 4

Daylight woke her. As she sat up and looked around, disoriented, she realised she’d missed the sunrise, but it couldn’t be late in the morning. It was confusing to find herself sleeping on the hard metal of the escape pod, nine feet off the ground, only a thin blanket covering her, the dangling beads of her bodice rattling when she moved. It had been so long since she’d woken anywhere other than her bed on Borial’s ship – or his.

The sounds of the jungle were quieter, and she had a moment of thinking she must be crazy, because all the leaves that had been blue the night before, were now green. The trees, the spade-shaped plants that covered the ground, everything… which made it look disconcertingly familiar, like Earth. Elle wouldn’t mistake it for anything but an alien planet though. Maybe it was the shape of things or the light or the air, but it was just different somehow.

She was going to have to find a way down, but first she stood up and looked around. Their pod had cut a trench through the canopy, and now she could look out into a misty valley. She couldn’t see the bottom, but she saw the slopes of other mountains, fluffy with green trees, all pouring downhill while white vapor clumped around their heads like caught scarves.

The flashing orange beacons of the other escape pods blinked at her from the neighbouring mountainsides, and there were black marks on the landscape where they had punched holes in the forest. Elle didn’t see any smoke or fire, which she took as a good sign. When she walked to the edge of the pod, she noticed orange light pulsing from it onto the ground, telling her Borial had already activated their beacon. How long would it take before they were rescued? Elle found she was in no hurry to go back to the ship, any ship.

There was no sign of Borial yet. He must still be sleeping. She went to the side with the airlock and looked down, finding it still cracked open.

She could use the open doorway to climb down at least.

It was awkward, the threads of fringe on her outfit snagging on every possible thing and jangling like a rattle, but when she finally dropped to the soft ground, Borial hadn’t even woken up. She was standing in the doorway looking in at where he was sleeping on the floor of the escape pod in his nest of robes, and her stomach sank for a moment. How long would they be here? Would she eventually be forced, by circumstance or by Borial, to share the pod with him at night and sleep beside him? She didn’t want to. She didn’t think he’d feel her up unless he had one of his episodes – and God forbid he have one here – but she still didn’t want that intimacy with him.

She watched the rise and fall of his yellow chest, took in the fan of his silver hair around his shoulders, his softened face.

They would need breakfast, and water. The escape pod had a toilet of sorts, but it wasn’t any fun. The pod wasn’t big enough to store a lot of water, or much of anything, so… well, she wasn’t exactly sure how it worked. Something to do with drying and freezing and maybe launching into space. Bathing would be restricted to the packs of wet wipes she’d found.

In her head, she pictured bathing in a river, more water than she’d seen in years. A lake, a waterfall, the kind of scale that only existed planetside where everything was natural, instead of the manufactured cramped efficiency of space living. She wanted that. She wanted to find some experiences here before they got rescued, something to make her feel free and human for a while.

Yes, she considered the dangers. Bugs, germs, poisons, predators. Considered and ignored. This might be the last chance she had for the rest of her life, and it couldn’t take more than a day or two for rescue to find them.

Should she just run off now, while Borial was sleeping?

She sighed, and blamed her mother for raising her right, because it felt wrong to do that and she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Escape was one thing, but this wasn’t that. This would be scaring him in an already scary situation, for no real reason since she intended to come back.

Or maybe she was just whipped and afraid of getting in trouble.

“Borial,” she called.

“Hm?” he grunted sleepily.

“I’m going to look for water.”

“Nn.”

“When you get up, don’t drink or eat too much, okay? We have to ration it.”

He made no reply, so she turned to go, not quite trusting him to listen to her but having no other option.

“Wait.”

She stopped. He was slowly dragging himself up, rolling over like he was stiff. He probably was; he’d be even more unused to sleeping on a hard surface than she was, pampered little lordling that he was. He ran his hand through his hair to push it back off his face. It was so impossibly fine, it only ever hung straight, never disturbed by anything.

“We have water here,” he said, squinting sleepily through his usual imperious frown.

“We might need more, we don’t know how long we’ll be here, and we could bathe.”

“We’ll be rescued soon, we have enough.”

“It can’t hurt to have a back-up.”

“You need to stay with the pod for when the rescue comes.”

She put her hands on her hips, even as her eyes darted around for the collar and leash she’d taken off the night before. “I want to look for water.”

“Foreign water will make you sick.”

“That’s foreign water to me, Borial.” She pointed at the bottle beside him. “My kind don’t travel the galaxy, why would it be calibrated for me?” She’d never had a problem before, but the point still stood.

“It’s been treated to be safe.”

“Borial, I’m going. I want to explore! We need to know where we are and if there’s anything we can use or anything dangerous around here.”

“We have everything we need in the pod, and there’s nothing dangerous in here.”

Or exciting.

“You’ll only get lost in the jungle and then when rescue comes, what if they leave you behind?”

“Then I guess I won’t have to be your slave anymore!” She wasn’t serious, she didn’t want to be left behind, but she knew he needed her too much to let that happen.

“If there are dangerous things here, you could die.”

“Then I guess I won’t have to be your slave anymore,” she repeated.

“Elle, I forbid it,” he ordered, scowling.

“Ha!” She tossed her hair, noticing when his hand, the one that normally wore the manacle with her leash attached, made a very telling catch-and-pull motion. His face twisted in frustration when he realised the reflexive action achieved nothing because they weren’t tied together, and she gave him a smug look over her shoulder as she turned to flounce away.

“Wait, I will accompany you.” He started digging around to find the way back into his robes.

And she stopped. Why did she stop? Why, indeed. Why the fuck, in fact, but she did, cursing herself. She was raised right, and/or she was whipped. Very annoying. She didn’t want to go into the jungle with him! He was not a jungle type of person. But then, neither was she. She wasn’t even wearing shoes. Just, if there were monsters out there… Well, she supposed it was just more efficient if he saw her die and didn’t have to wonder, so he didn’t slow down the rescue by making them look for her.

Or vice versa, if he was the one that got got instead of her.

But she would not put the collar back on.

He eventually presented himself beside her, looking rumpled but dressed again in his robes, and shoes. He lifted the collar to put it on her but she dodged away.

“Not on your fucking life,” she said, her hometown Irish accent slipping out stronger than usual.

He frowned, confused and displeased, but she was already walking off too far ahead for him to force the issue, and she stayed a good distance away as they tromped through the jungle.

The beaded fringe from her ridiculous outfit made good breadcrumbs, catching the light and twinkling visibly even from far away when Elle ripped them off and hung them from eye-level branches to mark their trail. First she walked away from the pod, but not too far, and circled it, checking it for she didn’t know what. Obvious Shelob dens, eroding cliff edges, ancient alien burial grounds, poorly maintained beaver dams that might give at any moment and flood their landing site. Not having shoes was annoying, but the leaves were soft and clean-ish. It was just the twigs underneath that were sharp and pointy, and the dirt below them that got between her toes.

Borial was not happy. She could hear him muttering crossly to himself behind her, probably cursing her out every time his robes snagged on something. He ripped them free and tore them. He was getting increasingly roughed up, but did he think she was any better off, with bare legs? Her skin was criss-crossed with faint pink lines. If this planet was going to kill her, it needn’t try any harder than an infection or allergic reaction.

She didn’t find anything noticeably edible, and no water, so once she had circled the escape pod to her satisfaction and was confident nothing was immediately coming to kill them, she led them back to it for breakfast. She liked to think that her ring of beaded strings would help them find the landing site no matter what direction they were coming from, the rescuers too, or other guests from other escape pods.

“What was the point of that?” Borial snapped as he caught up to her once she was sat in the open airlock, a bottle of water beside her and a nutrition bar in her hands. He swept his hands down his robes, doing nothing to help the colourful smudges. He had leaves in his hair. Elle wouldn’t tell him. An elf should have a laurel crown.

He stole her bottle of water, downing half of it, then looked at the bar in her hands expectantly, even as she was breaking pieces off and putting them in her mouth.

“We know more now than we did before, that was the point.”

“We could have missed the rescue.”

“But we didn’t.”

“How do you know? They could have been and gone.”

“We didn’t go far enough to miss either a space ship or a Search And Rescue team landing.”

“Hmph!” He stuck his nose up, looking away from her snootily. She ignored him. After a moment he turned back, nodding at her meal. “Where’s mine?”

“In the cabinet. Get me another bottle of water while you’re at it.”

His jaw dropped, and he gawped at her. When she didn’t react, he picked up his skirts to struggle his way into the main body of the pod behind her. She heard him opening the floor level storage. “Your aggression solves nothing.”

She wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer.

Something touched her neck.

She struck like a cobra. Before she knew it, she’d spun to face him, and her hand had caught his, holding the collar. He’d tried to sneak up on her with it. She blinked as she took it in, including his half-guilty, half-defiant expression.

Rage surged up in her. She grabbed the collar and threw it behind her as hard as she could, though it only went the length of the leash then rebounded, bouncing in the dirt. She got in his face, snarling through gritted teeth. “Come at me with that thing again, and they will never fucking find you.”

He swallowed and dropped his gaze. “It would be safer if you wore it, we wouldn’t get separated-”

She jumped down from the airlock, putting space between them. He had a nutrition bar in his hand, but no bottle of water for her. “You want to talk about my aggression? You couldn’t even pass me a bottle of fucking water from the cabinet you were already going into. I know I’m your slave, Borial, okay? I know. Do you think I like it? Can’t I have one fucking day off? Don’t you have even enough of a tiny shrivelled up heart to give me that? The rescue team is coming, and when they find us, I’m going back into your tin can spaceship so you can dry hump my ass until I’m old and grey and dead. Will I ever see another planet? Will I ever get to stand on soil again? Or see another tree? Or feel the sunshine? Maybe I am more of an animal than you, because I need those things. I don’t get them, because I’m a fucking slave, but a twist of fate has given me this and I am not wearing that collar, and if you try to put it on me again, that will be it, do you understand?!”

She didn’t even know what she was threatening. Running off into the jungle to never return? Or slitting his throat in his sleep?

He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t want to hear it. “Now, I’m going. If I die, I die. If I miss the rescue, then I miss the rescue. You can sit here and wonder if I’m coming back, or if you’re going to have to stick your dick in a pillow next time you get the horn.”

Elle marched off uphill, partly because she was angry and it would burn off the most steam, and partly because it seemed like a good idea. She’d get tired before she’d go too far, and heading back would be easier. She also wanted to get up high, though. Stand on top of the mountain, look around her at the vista, the sky and the mountains and all the life, breathe it in and scream it out.

It was tiring enough that she remembered to mark her way with her fringe before it was too late. Tearing up the ridiculous yellow outfit felt good too. She’d feed it into the incinerator as soon as she was back on board.

She was thirsty now. She hadn’t had anything to drink since the party, and that nutrition bar had been dry as hell. Stupid fucking Borial. Most of the time, she overlooked his assholishness by telling herself he wasn’t evil, just ignorant and cack-handed, so self-obsessed he couldn’t really consider what he was doing to her. Then other times it was all too much to bear. Excusing him was sometimes the only way to cope with what her life was.

These were all old thoughts, and they tired her out, retreading all the same ground. Yes, her life sucked, and yes, she was stuck in it. She couldn’t change it and that injustice felt like it was crushing her. Nothing ever changed though, she woke up every day just the same, and went through it all again, and she knew that sooner or later, no matter what she did here, she’d be back on his ship, collared and leashed and ignored.

She stayed out on the mountain for the rest of the day, even if she was tired and dirty and a little cold. She wandered around and around until she found a tiny trickle of water between some rocks and spent twenty minutes drinking her fill, and washing her hands and face. There was no one giving her orders or disapproving of her or watching her. She could lie down among the leaves forever, she thought.

She found a small cliff edge, and she got to stand and look out at the view, like she’d wanted. That made her cry, and cry hard, over everything she was missing locked in Borial’s ship, always kept in his arm’s reach. Even dogs got taken on walks.

It was so beautiful, and she cried because she’d never seen anything like it before, and she never would again, but she’d got to see it now.

All over the mountains, orange beacons blipped out of time like drunken fireflies. They didn’t belong there, on this landscape, but they would be gone soon.

When Elle was dried up and empty, settled back into a resigned, numb sadness, she picked herself up and went looking for food. She tried some things she hesitated to call fruit. She figured if they tasted sweet, they had sugar in, and if her tongue recognised the sugar, her body could probably use it. Even so, she tried each thing with a small internal flinch, praying it wouldn’t kill her.

As the light started to fade, the plants around her turned gradually from green to blue, like a spreading rash. It must be something to do with photosynthesis, she thought, remembering words like ‘chlorophyll’ from her high school Biology lessons. These plants must have evolved to change colours to take advantage of the different light conditions between night and day. She cupped a leaf in her palm. It really was a beautiful shade of blue.

She had to head back down the mountain to the landing site. She’d be screwed if she was out in the jungle at night, no matter how mad she was at Borial. It took her longer than she expected because she was being careful and making sure she didn’t overshoot, so it was full dark when the eerie orange pulse of the pod’s beacon guided her back. If there were animals in the jungle, no wonder they weren’t making themselves known.

No sign of Borial, though the airlock was open. She wasn’t going to check on him. If she’d survived eating all that alien ‘fruit’, she didn’t think anything could have happened to him while she’d been gone. He wouldn’t have left the pod.

She climbed back onto the roof, where her blanket still was. Good thing it hadn’t rained. She lay down and covered herself with a sigh, looking up at the stars and the darker black of the canopy.

She heard the hinges of the airlock door, and tensed.

Borial’s yellow head popped up by her feet, his silver hair free of leaves now, and looking strange under the alien moonlight. “You came back.”

She sighed again, so he could hear it, but didn’t reply. Let that speak for her.

He waited a moment for her to say something, then when she didn’t, pulled his arm up to touch her ankle tentatively. She jerked her feet away as soon as he touched her. She wouldn’t put it past him to try to tie her up again. Maybe he’d spent his day turning the collar and manacle into hobbles for her. She glared at him, and he sighed, looking away. “You are my… companion, Elle. My… nurse. I have needs you don’t, I understand that-”

“Do not try to make excuses. Nurses get paid. They get time off. They apply for the job. You bought me from a cage and made my whole life about you.”

“I treat you well,” he complained.

Elle just shook her head and focused on the stars. She didn’t want to have this conversation. She didn’t want to have to argue why she should be free, and have rights, and listen to him reply that she should be grateful he didn’t beat or starve her.

Borial waited, but when he didn’t get a reply, he took the hint, and slunk off back inside the pod. At least he wasn’t making her sleep with him.

CHAPTER 5

Day two, Elle thought, waking up with her first thread of worry. Rescue was coming right?

She pushed herself up into a sitting position. She still wasn’t too cold, but she could be warmer. Her dress was missing a lot of fringe now.

She’d have to check the rations. Borial had been alone with them all day yesterday. He’d better not have eaten them all. At least she could refill the water bottles, and what she had eaten yesterday hadn’t made her sick. A wet-wipe bath was probably in order. Unlike yesterday, she hadn’t woken up with the first light, which she took as a sign she was getting used to the place, for better or worse. She threw back her blanket and scooched towards the airlock to climb down.

Noise behind her made her whirl. There were people coming, moving awkwardly through the trees, pushing branches out of the way and stepping on twigs, rustling leaves. Elle caught flashes of yellow among the green, and then a shirtless yellow man with silvery white hair fought his way into their small clearing.

Holy hell. It was another Borial.

There was no mistaking it. Obviously, he was a different person. He wasn’t as tall and his lean musculature was more prominent, but he had the silver eyes, the pointy ears, the long hair, though Borial’s was longer. He was wearing white pants that stopped at the knee and a collar. It wasn’t diamond encrusted like hers, but it still looked a bit dressed up, white and thick. The leash led back into the trees.

Their eyes met and he froze.

Then two more emerged from beside him. And two more.

Five yellow men with long white hair, short white pants and collars.

What the hell?

They all ducked their chins, looking down and away. More noise came from behind them, and they shuffled dutifully out of the way to make room for… Elle hoped her face wasn’t broadcasting her shock too much because it was a yellow woman, a female of Borial’s species. Long white hair, everything the same except she was taller than the males, taller than Borial, and had a willowy, long-legged frame with narrow shoulders and only very gentle curves. She instantly made Elle feel like a hobbit in comparison. She wore a long white dress, which was as scuffed with dirt and blue and green marks as the men’s trousers, and an intricate sleeve of some kind. It looked like metal, but it could have been some fancy neo-plastic hybrid, metallic white, winding up her arm like a vine, only it had attachments for the men’s leashes.

Elle put two and two together, but didn’t get an answer. Obviously the collar and leash thing was not unheard of on Borial’s planet, he wasn’t an aberration in that, but did it mean anything that for this group, the men wore the collars and the woman held the leashes? Was Borial doing it wrong? Or could anyone be a slave? If it was common practice, why had he bought Elle? Why couldn’t he get one of his own kind?

The woman inclined her head politely and spread her hands out by her hips. “Good greetings,” she said. Her voice was soft and musical and as beautiful as she was, just as an elf’s should be.

Elle realised she was being rude, and returned the small bow. “Good greetings.”

“I am Elevated High Actor Limba Tandanen Ilis Manaken of Sopa. We have come to find other guests so we might co-operate and make this situation more comfortable.”

“Ah, I am… Elle O’Neill.” She hadn’t had to give her last name in so long, she’d actually had to think about it for a second there. Saying it out loud sent thoughts of her family, her parents flickering through her mind. She didn’t like that, it hurt – but she liked this woman talking to her as an equal. She liked introducing herself, without Borial holding onto the end of her leash, making her do it like a trick, ready to pull if she got out of line.

Then she glanced at the five men staring at the ground only a couple of feet away from the woman. Did they get an introduction? Didn’t seem like it. Oh boy, Elle knew how that felt. It was starting to make her queasy to be on the other side now, the alien who knew it was wrong, but wasn’t going to say anything to help.

What would happen when Borial woke up? She guessed he’d put her collar back on, now they were in company. Maybe then the men would forgive her. Maybe they could make friends like dogs at a park.

“What should I call you, Elevated High Actor…?” Borial was the diplomat, not her, and Elle didn’t want to put her foot in it and ruin something when this was a survival situation.

“You may call me Limba, of course. And how shall I address you?” She was so polite it was like being physically soothed by a soft touch.

“Elle is fine.” She was struck by the woman, but she didn’t want to make friends. She still had people on a leash. She was worse than Borial by a factor of five, if it worked like that, and Elle couldn’t forget that, even if Limba was the first to treat her like a person since she’d left Earth. “Oh, let me get down.”

Limba said nothing as Elle scrabbled gracelessly down the side of the pod, the skirt of fringe on her outfit getting snagged. When she had herself tidied up, she turned to face Limba again, who looked pleasantly as if nothing had happened.

“I see you were in the ballroom as well.”

“Ah, yes.”

“But where are your shoes?” She tilted her head and frowned delicately in concern.

Elle quickly shot a look at the men. They were barefoot too. In case it was a slave thing, Elle said “In the pod.” She regretted the lie almost instantly. She wanted to be treated with the respect Limba was showing her, but how much more embarrassing would it be when the truth was revealed, and Limba knew she’d been pretending?

Speaking of the pod though, where the hell was Borial? She was in no hurry to be banged back in her collar, but he and Limba were the same species and competent adults. Maybe they could speed up the rescue, and more to the point, he’d come out eventually, and Elle didn’t want to get in trouble when he did. She hated it, even as she recognised what was happening, but Borial had stood between her and everyone for so long she yearned for it now. She was institutionalised. She liked the conversation, but it scared her too. Normally she could just listen and nobody even looked at her. This attention was fraying her nerves.

Elle opened her mouth, lifting her thumb to point over her shoulder at the airlock, about to tell Limba she would go and get her shoes, or her owner, when the door opened, and Borial hopped down, stealing any words from her throat.

He was shirtless and barefoot, his hair loose just like the other men. He kept his eyes down, and he was wearing her fucking collar. Not just carrying it, but actually around his neck. In one hand, he held the manacle that attached to the leash, and in the other, a pair of ugly grey slippers that she assumed he’d found in the emergency supplies because they looked more like the cosies people put on tissue boxes than actual footwear.

Elle was still too gobsmacked to speak when he knelt at her feet and attached the manacle to her wrist. She flinched back, resisting whatever this was. She wouldn’t have fought the collar, but she fought this new way of being tied to him because she didn’t understand it. How fucked up was that? It was pretty clear he was giving her the power for some reason, even as his hands were big enough and strong enough to force the manacle on so smoothly Limba might not have even noticed Elle didn’t want it.

“I have finished cleaning your manacle, Elevated Mistress,” he said solemnly without looking at her. He lifted the slippers displaying them on his palm like a jeweller showing off a necklace. “I found these. I apologise I haven’t the materials to fix your other shoes.”

In the time that Elle had been with Borial, her comfort had largely depended on interpreting him, his moods, his wants, the way he spoke, everything, so she heard the note at the end of what he said that begged her not to give away that this wasn’t normal.

She wasn’t an idiot either. A few things clicked quickly into place. Primarily, he wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t of extreme importance. Under normal circumstances, Borial would rather swallow his own tongue than reverse their roles and act as her slave.

So it followed that actually, the slavery on his planet was for men. And all this time, he’d been doing something he shouldn’t.

Elle didn’t know yet which would get him punished more: keeping a female slave or refusing to be a slave himself, but Borial wouldn’t be doing this unless their real relationship being discovered would lead to terrible things happening to him. Would he lose his job? Would he be publically lashed? Would he be executed? Limba didn’t seem capable of making that happen, she was still only one woman and Borial could definitely take her in a fight, even if he was shorter.

Comparing them now, Elle guessed he was older than Limba’s men, and he wasn’t as ropey. He was nothing to complain about, but he didn’t have the six-pack abs or the defined hip ruts of the others. He didn’t work out, and Elle suspected the others did… but if they hadn’t fought Limba for their freedom, there must be a reason. There were five of them and one of her, and all their leashes were attached to the same arm. They could run off and drag her behind them until she stopped wriggling and that would be that.

Elle experienced a spike of vengefulness. She could reveal Borial now, and let him be punished. Wouldn’t she then be freed? Even if she wasn’t, didn’t he deserve it, for feeling her up all those times? She held all the power suddenly, and it wasn’t because of the manacle.

But she hesitated. She just didn’t know enough about the situation. Maybe she would be killed too, as an aberration of the system, or a witness. Maybe she would be put in a zoo, or sold on to someone else.

And did she want Borial to die? Die-die?

At the end of the day, and as much as she hated not being bolder, he was the devil she knew, and she was still more afraid of the unknown.

She could always expose him later. For now, she kind of wanted to see where this would go.

As a test, she wound the leash around her hand, slow, in his face. When the slack was all taken up, she yanked, making his head jerk and his expression tighten angrily. Oh, that was satisfying.

The odds were that at the end of this, they’d be rescued and back on a ship and she’d be the one in the collar again. With that in mind, she thought she’d enjoy this while she could.

“Well, that’s not good enough,” she said, even as she recognised he was bringing her the slippers as a cover for her own status, but that was what power was. Power let you shit on the nice things people did for you. “I’ll need to clean my feet before I put them on.”

She turned and marched back to the pod, not giving him a chance to stand first, pulling him over. He struggled to his feet and followed, hunched as she held his neck inches from her shoulder. She hopped up into the open airlock, sitting with her feet swinging, making sure she was visible to Limba.

From the way Borial struggled to stop in time, it was clear he’d expected this to be ruse to get them inside and alone for a chat, but Elle knew where her interests lay. If Limba couldn’t see them, she’d lose her leverage.

She kicked her feet and looked expectant. Borial struggled for a moment, then said “I’ll get a cloth.” He pushed past her to pull himself up into the pod, getting the wet wipes from one of the cabinets. Before he went back outside, he bent to hiss in Elle’s ear, but at that moment Limba appeared at Elle’s knee, peering in curiously, and he had to shut up and hop back out to kneel and wash Elle’s feet. She rested her foot on his thigh, making sure to get his pants dirty.

“You have an Ure male,” Limba commented, surprised, but she sounded in no way affronted or horrified. It was only that Elle was human that made the situation odd to her.

“That’s right,” Elle said smugly.

“How did that happen? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh…” Her eyes drifted over to the pack of men on leashes for inspiration, but they just made her feel bad for what she was doing so she stuck to the truth. “He was being sold by traders. I found him in a cage. Isn’t that right, B-” She swallowed his name. The odds were high this woman would recognise it, since Borial was hardly a nobody. They were the same species and had been on the same ship. They might be in the same line of work.

She’d flipped their roles to make a point. Maybe there was the slimmest chance this experience would stoke some remorse in Borial, make him understand what he’d done was wrong.

“Yes, Elevated Mistress,” he intoned through gritted teeth. He wiped her feet, even cleaning between her toes and her nail beds. He could have half-assed it to get it over with, but he didn’t, maybe because Limba was watching. He could have pinched her, but he didn’t.

“How sad… His mistress must have died… I assume you checked that he wasn’t sold for misbehaviour?”

This conversation was making the back of Elle’s mouth sting like she’d had something sour, but she was in too deep now. “Of course.”

Limba smiled. “Well, he was fortunate then that you took him on.”

It was clearly meant to be a compliment, but Elle was limp as Borial slid the slippers onto her feet. They had no soles to speak off, but maybe they would be better than nothing.

“I don’t think I’d want one that I didn’t break myself,” Limba continued.

Elle contained her reaction, but she didn’t miss how Borial wrapped a hand around her ankle, or how that hand trembled. If this was a cultural practice, it was not just playing dress-up in the collars. She had the urge to touch Borial somehow, reassure him, claim him, but she didn’t know how and he didn’t deserve it.

“And your… yours?” Elle asked, looking at the men again. She couldn’t call them slaves, she just couldn’t say it, but she didn’t know if they were meant to be pets, or lovers, or servants, or what. She just wanted to move the conversation away from Borial. What could she say about him? That he made himself useful? That he was no trouble? That she was glad, in this fantasy, to have bought him, met him? None of that was true.

Limba looked at the men too and smiled at them, but it was like a horse trainer talking about horses, not a woman talking about men. She was proud of them as good flesh, not out of affection. “My first two were an arrangement between our families, I accepted one as a gift, and two I chose myself. Those are the ones I kept whole.”

Elle’s translator was pretty good but it wasn’t perfect. For the sake of her sanity, Elle decided not to interpret that as she would have on Earth. The men weren’t horses.

“I see. Well, are you hungry? If your escape pod has the same rations as ours, then they won’t last long amongst the six of you.” She changed the subject desperately, climbing up back into the pod and digging out all the food and water, as if she could pay the woman to go away. How had she ever liked LImba, even for a moment? How had she ever thought Limba respected her? She didn’t. She respected the mistake she had made about Elle when she assumed Elle was like her. She didn’t respect what Elle actually was, which was someone in the same position as the men she kept on leads.

“Thank you,” Limba said as softly and graciously as a princess. She was the kind of demur fairy woman that didn’t exist on Earth – or at least not anywhere Elle had ever been –the kind that Red Pill douchebags fantasised about, and Elle didn’t think she’d ever met anyone as evil as her. How about that?

Elle carried out their unopened water and six ration bars. For herself and Borial, they could refill the bottles they’d already emptied, and she left a few bars tucked out of sight. Still, they’d better be rescued soon. Limba took a water bottle and drained half in seconds, but she made no move to invite the men over. She took a bar and unwrapped it as quickly as her grace would allow. “You are too generous.”

Elle kept looking over at the men, waiting for them to come to take theirs, but Limba acted as if they weren’t there and they didn’t move. “Aren’t-?” She stopped herself. If she said something, and Limba denied them the food, giving it to them would become something fraught, something that might upset this delicate situation of being alone in the woods on an alien planet and outnumbered. Better to just do it. She nudged Borial. “Take them theirs.”

He snapped his head up to look at her from where he knelt as she emptied her arms into his. When her hands were free, she unclipped his collar, trying to make it look like something she’d done a thousand times. He stared at her.

“Do it,” she ordered, giving him eyes. Was she offended that he seemed surprised she would be thoughtful towards them? She didn’t quite feel guilty yet for bossing him around, but that was different. He had it coming.

He stood and carried the nutrition bars over to the knot of men huddled at the treeline. They took the bars, shooting wary looks at her and Limba the whole time, as if one of the women was going to walk over and smack it out of their hands.

Elle kept half an eye on Borial. What was it doing to him, she wondered, to interact with them? He was an ambassador. He had dodged their fate, somehow, but now he was having to wear it like a mask. Was he terrified of being discovered? Did he feel guilty for being different from them? She could see he was speaking to them quietly, though she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

It jarred. It really jarred, to see him being kind and humane to them, when he’d kept her as a slave for three years. She didn’t want to be angry at him for showing basic sympathy, but she was. This situation was fucked up already and now it was just piling more and more layers of fucked up on top.

Limba turned to watch him. “He must be very loyal.”

“Why?”

“You untied him.”

“I didn’t feel like getting up.” God, how was Elle going to handle this? How long was this awful woman going to be here? Should Elle try to rescue the men? Everything she’d ever been taught and her own experience said yes, but how could she possibly, without just pushing Limba off a cliff or something? And Elle already knew what Borial would say. He would want to do nothing. Save himself. Because clearly, he wasn’t opposed to slavery as a practice, he just didn’t want the short end of that stick.

She needed to get Borial alone and have a serious discussion about this, not that they’d ever managed to have a serious discussion about anything before. She’d tried, over the years, to corner him and make him see that he shouldn’t be doing what he was doing, but he never listened. If she was alone with him now, what would happen? Would he flip their roles back to what he wanted? Put the collar on her and drag her off into the woods, leaving the men to their fates?

Limba opened her mouth to speak, but Elle cut her off, not wanting to talk about what a good slave Borial made. “Your pod, is it far?”

Limba smiled. “No, it’s not.”

“Did you bring anything from it? Blankets, rations?”

“No.”

Why not? “Was it damaged? Did you crash?”

“Oh, no.” Limba continued to smile politely, vapidly. “The autopilot landed it very well.”

“I’m glad none of you were hurt.” There were only four seats in the pod, so two of the men would have had a bumpy ride at the very least, but Elle guessed Limba didn’t count them.

She inclined her head, acknowledging Elle’s consideration.

“What made you leave your pod? The rescue team will go to the beacon, it’s safest if you wait there.”

“There wasn’t enough supplies for the six of us, as you said, and I got bored.”

You got bored?!

“I wanted to find other people, in case they had any improvements to make to the situation.”

This woman was a parasite. She’d descended with her swarm to hoover up Elle and Borial’s rations, and then what? Would they move on to the next person?

Borial edged up beside Elle, reaching out for the last two bottles of water that sat beside her, as if he expected her to hit him or something. Elle pretended she didn’t see him as he silently lifted them up and carried them off like a thief to bring to the other men. At least he was taking care of them, even if he was acting like Elle would stop him.

Two bottles of water for five men. It wasn’t enough. She didn’t know how long they’d been without water, but they’d need more soon. She knew where to find it, but she was suddenly faced with a problem. She didn’t want to leave Borial here with Limba. But if Elle took Borial into the woods with her, what would happen? If she left Limba and her men with the pod to themselves, what would happen?

It was like that damn puzzle with the wolf and the chicken and the river.

She didn’t like it, but there was really only one thing she could do. She’d have to take a chance on leaving Limba and her pack with the pod, and she’d have to trust Borial. The potential material loss wasn’t worth risking any physical harm coming to him or anyone else, and if he strapped the collar back onto her, well… Had she really thought she was going to escape? It would have happened anyway sooner or later.

Elle fixed on her best neutral smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve already explored the area. I can find water for us, and I know what’s edible, for me at least, and I’m sure we’re similar.”

Limba practically simpered, tipping her head and smiling, taking a gentle feminine grasp of Elle’s bare arm, making her fight not to recoil. It felt as though Limba should be able to feel her skin crawling away. “How capable you are. I knew it was the right decision to come here.”

“We’ll be rescued soon,” Elle insisted, reassuring herself as well.

“Yes,” Limba agreed. Elle waited for more but nothing came.

Time to go.

CHAPTER 6

As soon as she and Borial were deep enough in the trees to be out of sight, he ripped the collar off like he was allergic to it and thrust it into her hand so he wouldn’t have to touch it any longer. He scrubbed his hands against his neck.

“Borial, what the fuck is going on?” Elle hissed at him, throwing a cautious glance back at the clearing as he stomped off with a dark murmur. She jogged after him. She wasn’t going to let him avoid answering her. She grabbed his arm, and he shook her off. “You owe me some answers!”

“Where are we going? Where is this water?” he demanded.

Elle pointed, because he was taking them off track. “Borial,” she called when he stormed off that way instead. “Borial! You’re going to explain this to me or I’m not going to play along anymore! I don’t want to be a slave-owner! I don’t want to make nice with that woman!”

He stopped to shake off a leaf that had stuck to his bare sole, then snapped and kicked through the undergrowth in a fury, ripping leaves up then stamping on saplings, holding onto the tops to make sure he thoroughly broke them.

Elle hung back, letting him get it out. She’d never seen him like this before. Clearly the situation wasn’t ideal, but did he really dare to get this pissed off about having to act the slave for a morning in front of her? But then, fairness was never really a consideration for him.

Eventually, he’d destroyed enough that he regained control of himself, standing with his hands on his hips and his head tipped back. He pressed his lips together as if he wanted to scream, then took a deep breath and got it under control.

He turned back to Elle. “Come, let’s get the water.”

She approached. “I don’t think you’re in a position to tell me what to do anymore.”

“Humour me.”

He held out his hand for her, taking her arm to pull her along, which she’d always found annoying but it was better than the leash. It was strange to be walking next to him while he was only wearing pants, and their steps actually made a sound. She could see his yellow skin shift over his muscles and bones just inches away, turning his body into one cohesive machine. Normally his bare skin was reserved for the dark, under bed covers, for the times he wouldn’t talk about. There were tangles in his hair, disrupting the smoothness, and making him look real and masculine somehow, less like an elegant painting, and she had the urge to reach out and fix them for him.

It was not a short walk, but she’d give him a moment of peace. It hadn’t escaped her that she was the one carrying the water bottles. What was she doing, giving him sympathy, when all that had happened was he’d got a taste of his own medicine?

When they got to the small spring, and Elle crouched to fill the bottles, he found a rock to sit on behind her.

“I will tell you,” he announced, trying for his customary grandeur, but it wobbled. He was afraid of something, or ashamed.

Elle focused on her task, giving him space, because she did want to hear it.

“You may have noticed…” he began, choosing his words carefully. “That I have… needs… that I can’t control.” He left a beat for her to reply, but she didn’t. “On my planet, males outnumber females many times over. It got to the point- Well, there have been many movements throughout history trying to deal with this, but currently we are in a situation where-” He struggled, then rushed on. “Males need to mate. We need to. We need to have a female. It has been bred into us by the scarcity of females. Only the males who would do anything to father children did so, and through the generations, we have evolved to be… desperate creatures.”

Elle finished her first bottle, capped it, and set it aside, taking the opportunity to peek at him. He sounded sad, defeated, but his expression was pure self-disgust.

“Obviously, we didn’t want to hurt the females, and they were being hurt, in the fights over them, and we were losing them and making things worse. The laws changed, generation by generation, and now, they choose. They choose their harem and once a male is mated to her there’s nothing he can do. It is for life. It is instinct, biology. It is simply how we are made. So if she asks him to wear a collar, he does. If she asks him to- He does. We do. We do it. Whatever the female asks. And things are stable, on Sopa.”

Elle chanced a reply this time. “That hasn’t been my experience.”

He looked up at her from where he had been staring at his hands, lost in thought. “You mean between us. No, well, we’re not mated.”

The rubber underwear. Okay, so, he was saying if he ever actually stuck his dick in her, their power relationship would have flipped? No wonder he made her wear it.

“But I still need you. A woman of my own. It was too difficult without. I couldn’t endure it, I would have sold myself to a female of my own kind and-” He shook his head. “I didn’t want that.”

“So you made me a slave instead? So you wouldn’t have to be one?”

“I treat you well.”

“You keep saying that! You understand that having no freedom of my own is not treating me well, right? You understand keeping me as a prisoner with every single thing about my life being decided for me is not treating me well? I’m not going to thank you for not being worse.”

“It was a… necessary evil.”

“No, it wasn’t! You could have hired somebody! You could have romanced somebody! You didn’t have to buy a poor little alien with no one to defend her. But you did, so you could keep the power.” Elle took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to be overheard yelling about this, not if they were going to try to maintain the ruse when they got back to camp. “I understand,” she began, not believing she was really doing this, extending any measure of compassion for him, but she really wanted him to get this. “That sex is scary for you. But you’re an ambassador. You know it’s not like that everywhere. You could have found someone willing, but you didn’t want to. You didn’t want to trust somebody, when owning them is safer, so you can snap your fingers and they have to be in your bed. You are not a victim, Borial. You made me the victim, and it wasn’t self-defence, it was just fear and power working together.”

Maybe her words had some kind of effect on him, because he tucked into himself, pressing his knees together and leaning over them, folding his arms into the gap. “I never found anyone I was compatible with. Do you think it’s so easy? That anyone would do?”

“I remember being in a cage, and so scared, Borial. And you came and bought me, and you want to talk about compatibility? I thought you looked so human compared to the other aliens I’d seen, that I really thought for a moment that you were there to rescue me. Then you put a leash on me. You didn’t have to do that. You really didn’t. You could have just asked, and I probably would have said yes, for fuck’s sake. I was in a cage. Do you think I wouldn’t have agreed to live with you to get out of it?”

“Would that have been better? I would still have-”

“It would have been my choice!” She wrestled herself back under control. “You never once gave me the choice.” He opened his mouth as if to speak but she cut him off. “And it’s too late now.” If he asked her now, she’d say no out of spite.

Urgh, she was so angry! She turned back to filling water bottles. They’d brought four. It wasn’t enough for the eight of them. How many trips a day would they have to make? She felt like Limba’s servant, though maybe that was a step up from Borial’s slave.

“I couldn’t afford to give you a choice. What if you said no?”

“Fuck you, Borial. Fuck yooooooou.” He made her so mad. Did he really expect her to point out what they both knew, that if she’d said no, then he could have brought out the collar? It could have been his last resort, not his go-to.

Though… would that have been better?

“What do I have to do now?” She wanted to change the subject. “Do I really have to pretend you’re my slave? Why can’t you just be free?”

“It doesn’t work like that. Ure males are never free, we need females.”

“You don’t need to wear a collar though. We could just be in a relationship, like we do on Earth.” Which reminded her. She turned back to him. “What am I protecting you from, anyway, by doing this? And how did you manage to become an ambassador if the men on your planet are all enslaved?”

“My mother is… important. She sent me to a boarding school off-world and I never returned. To save face, she made me an ambassador. If I ever return to Ure-controlled space, I’ll be shackled to a woman before the day ends.”

“But why do we need to pretend you’re a slave?”

Borial gave a long sigh, and Elle wasn’t sure if it was because he found her stupid, or because it depressed him to admit the state of his species’ affairs. “Limba is also important. If we pretended to be in a relationship, as you put it, it would upset her males. By pretending to be a slave, she won’t find out who I really am, and she will consider me your property. If I don’t belong to you, she has the legal rights to kidnap me and take me back to Sopa to be… assigned. I am a deviant, an aberration, and an embarrassment to other Ure. It is only because no one knows what I do that I can live free.”

“Wow, being kidnapped and enslaved, that must suck,” Elle said, labouring it to make sure he understood her sarcasm. “So your mother doesn’t know you’re keeping me as a slave?”

He looked away. “I have told her I have a helper, that is all. My mother doesn’t travel among other cultures. She doesn’t know what aliens are like, so she believes anything I tell her.”

“And does she think you’re a freak, and all that?”

“She doesn’t approve. She wants me to return home and settle down and contribute to a family, but she hasn’t seen me in so long, she doesn’t really care. She has other children.”

“Why don’t you want that, if that’s your culture? You clearly don’t think slavery is that bad if you can do it to me.”

“I have never hurt you. Ure females hurt their mates. Badly. There is a… custom. A medical procedure. They all do it. They find their needs of their males too taxing when they have so many, so they keep one or two for procreation or pleasure, and the rest they… make the needs go away. I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

Anyone else, and Elle would have stopped pushing, but Borial didn’t deserve that from her, not when she was in this insane situation with him. “Why not, if you don’t want a mate? You don’t have sex with me, you don’t like your ‘needs’, I know you find them inconvenient and awkward and embarrassing. Wouldn’t you be happier if you got rid of them?”

“No.”

“But-”

“No.”

Elle wasn’t such a bitch that she’d keep pushing even now. She had a pretty good idea what he was talking about. She tried to sanitise it in her mind like he had, with words like ‘medical procedure’. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, like a vasectomy. She had to think of it that way, because the alternative was too horrible to turn her mind towards. But at the same time, was it her problem? How much did she really owe him?

She let it sit for a quiet moment.

“So you need to pretend to belong to me so Limba doesn’t take you home and make you a slave, is that right?”

“Preferably, yes.”

“You know what I’m going to ask you, right?”

“What?”

Elle crossed her arms. “What’s in it for me?”

“What?”

“You think I’m going to do this for free? Out of the goodness of my heart? You’re a professional negotiator. You must see that I have the leverage here, for the first time since we met.”

His jaw clenched, she saw the little tick of muscle at the corner, and his lips tightened. “What do you want?”

“My freedom, obviously.”

“No.”

“You can get someone else, it doesn’t have to be me.”

“Why would I do that? We’ll be rescued together, and after that, where do you think you’re going to go?”

“I’ll go back to your planet with Limba, and get myself a team of men to look after me.”

His eyes widened with genuine shock, as if that was the evilest thing he’d ever heard. She waited for him to come up with a counter argument, but the seconds ticked by and he thought and thought, and she watched him realise he really didn’t have the power here, she did.

“Define freedom,” he said slowly, unspooling the words as if every syllable cost him teeth.

“I choose where I go and what I do. You can’t give me orders anymore. I decide what I wear and when, what I eat and when, when I sleep and when I get up. I bathe when I want to. No more Sazi. I decide what make-up I wear, if I want to wear it. I talk to whoever I want, for as long as I want. No more collar, no more leash. You’ll give me money, so I can do all that. I have all the freedom you do, make all the decisions about myself that you decide about yourself. And I’m not your legal property. If I decide to leave, you can’t get the police or soldiers to bring me back. I have rights.”

Borial looked pained, rubbing his forehead with the tips of his long elegant fingers, his eyes closed. “So you are saying I have already lost you?”

“I’ll still live on your ship with you, if you behave yourself.”

“And if I don’t? You will abandon me?”

“Well, if I don’t behave for you, what happens to me? Huh? I can only imagine it’s worse than what will happen to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I fought you, and screamed, and embarrassed you every time you took me out, you’d get rid of me. Sell me or kill me or give me away.”

“No, I would never do that, I need you,” he said simply, as if it was obvious, of no consequence.

Elle snorted, “Come on.”

He looked up at her as if surprised by her reaction. “It’s true. I need you, I’ve told you that. I wouldn’t have bought a slave if I didn’t. If you behaved like a feral animal, I would restrain you more, that’s all. Separating us is not an option for me.”

Elle hesitated to believe him, to believe that she had any kind of security in the life he kept her in, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“But you’re telling me my options are to either let Limba abduct me and see me bound to a female on Sopa, or to host you on my ship and suffer.”

“Suffer?”

“If I give you all these choices,” he said disdainfully, “You hardly expect me to believe you will choose to come to my bed when I need you to.”

Shit. Would she? Was that what she was saying? According to him, that was the only investment he had in her. Without that, he had no motivation to keep them together at all. Sure, today, he didn’t want Elle to expose him to Limba, but in the long-term… If she did sell him out, she wouldn’t really have anywhere to go. Maybe she could make something of a life on Sopa, but that had largely been a bluff. There was no guarantee Limba would let her go there, or that she would be able to do what she’d said and take a pack of males of her own, and if she did, wasn’t that just trading one Borial for five? Even if she told herself she’d give them their freedom, if Borial was telling the truth and they couldn’t leave her, she’d just find herself in bed with an alien much more often than she did at the moment.

She could see his point. Unless she agreed to comfort him in his times of need, he had no reason not to simply turn himself into Limba himself right now, which meant she should at least agree for now… no matter what she actually intended to do.

“…I will, if you honour my demands and treat me as an equal.”

Borial stared at her, maybe doubting her.

“It’s what you need, right? In exchange for room and board, and a wage, I’ll do what I’ve been doing. I’ll be like Xerjan.” She met Borial’s gaze and held it, willing him to believe her, trying to give nothing away.

“Alright…” he said eventually, maybe only believing her because he had no choice. “But then there will be limits on your freedom. You will have to go where the ship goes, and that is where I need it to go, to carry out my duties. And you cannot and must not dress, speak, or act offensively to any of the people I meet with in an official capacity. You will not embarrass me or reveal any sensitive information about me or my work. Nor will you eat anything or attempt anything that could risk your life.”

Elle held up a hand. “I’m not trying to die or start any wars. I promise not to do any of that on purpose. Accidents happen, though, I don’t know much about aliens. You’ll have to teach me.”

He seemed to consider this. “Fair.”

“So it’s a deal. I’ll help you now, and in exchange, I get to make my own decisions once we’re back on the ship. Forever. I’ll help you when you need it, and you’ll let me stay on the ship and pay me?”

Borial took a deep, reluctant breath. “You won’t leave or refuse me, and in exchange I will be less heavy-handed.”

She gave him a warning look.

“I will give you freedom,” he amended. “Provided my needs are met.”

“We are in agreement?” she clarified, aware that what he’d said was not the same as what she’d said.

He nodded, once, firmly. “We are.”

She walked over to him and held out her hand for a shake. He looked puzzled, and she realised they’d never done this before. They’d never had any reason to. “Palm to palm. It’s how we seal a bargain on Earth.”

Always quick with foreign customs, Borial gave her his hand and she shook it twice and let go. A shiver of fear still passed through her, like an electrical current upsetting her insides. If he decided to renege, he could. He was still bigger and stronger. Once they were back on the ship, she’d have no leverage any more. She just had to believe he would hold to it.

“And you’ll teach me to use the computers,” she added as he stood.

He huffed. “Very well.”

“What do I have to do then, to convince Limba?”

He looked at her sideways, as if she should know. “Only what I have always done to you.” He reached out and took the collar from her hand, though he didn’t put it on yet. “Finish with the water.”

“Why don’t you finish with the water?” He narrowed his eyes, but she drew his attention to the bottles she’d already filled. “As equals, remember?”

It clearly galled him, but he gave in after a moment and moved around her to kneel by the stream.

It seemed he intended to honour their agreement.

CHAPTER 7

When they got back to the clearing, before they were in sight, Borial put the collar back on with a grimace. Elle took a moment to really look at him in it, with his chest and feet bare. Did he look different from Limba’s men? Not really, not in any huge way that she could see. Was it really that easy, to turn an ambassador into a slave? Take his shirt and shoes, and put a collar on him? Would all the politicians and rulers he’d dealt with at all those fancy parties turn away from him now, the way they’d turned away from her?

The collar was thick, every inch studded with white diamonds, in stark contrast to the rest of him that was growing increasingly scruffy and dirty. It made his hair look greyer, more silvery in comparison where it fell about his shoulders. She wondered how it felt against his Adam’s apple, if it was too small for him, since it was made for her. He didn’t seem uncomfortable in it, not physically anyway. She tried not to think whether it suited him or not.

They handed out the water, Borial once again demurely silent, staying with the other males while Elle was stuck with Limba. So she was supposed to treat him like he had treated her? What did that mean, in a situation like this? She called across the clearing to order him to check on the pod’s computer, make sure the beacon was functioning as it should and would continue to do so, and that no messages had come in. She tried to ignore the way the other men avoided her eye when she looked at them, and gave her wary looks when she didn’t.

What could she do about them? Surely there was something. She would have to ask Borial, but how long did they have? Suddenly, she was hoping the rescue team would find them as soon as possible, now she knew a better life was waiting for her.

Not long after they’d come back with the water, they had to go out for food. Then water again. This couldn’t continue, Elle thought. She wouldn’t exhaust herself trekking all over the mountain trying to feed and water eight people, not when there were others who could very well help.

When she asked Borial what she could do to help the men, he insisted there was nothing, that it was too late for them.

“If you remove them from Limba now, they will only grieve her loss. Maybe they might find a new mistress, but it’s unlikely. Only the most charitable of females will take a male that’s belonged to another first. Without a female, they will suffer. There is no place for them in Ure society, other than perhaps a hospital.”

“But you said their needs have been… removed.” She tried not to think what that meant.

“Maybe.”

She watched him, waiting for him to say whether that made a difference, but he didn’t. He didn’t seem to think it was worth helping them. “So if they don’t need her, what’s to stop them doing like you did, living in space? You could give them a job on the ship.”

He sighed heavily. “It’s…” He struggled to explain.

“You could at least ask.”

“If they admitted, even to me, that they wanted to leave her… That sort of thing is brutally punished on Sopa. They would never risk it.”

“You could ask.”

“And then what? We buy them? Do you know what that would cost? Do you think Limba would agree? Do you think she wouldn’t replace them with others as soon as she returns to civilisation? And if she says no, do we steal them? How would we do that? Can you imagine the consequences?”

“Borial, I know you don’t get this, but some things are worth more than preserving a polite political atmosphere. Who is Limba, anyway? What can she really do to us, realistically? Especially if she can just replace them, who’s to say she’d care?”

“She would care. It is the highest form of robbery, an insult a female will not bear. And she is the ruler of an important mining colony for Sopa. It is distant from our home planet, but that just means the oversight is non-existent. She could kill us all and Sopa might not find out for months, maybe years.”

“Kill us with what?” Elle asked, exasperated.

Borial threw up his hands, just as frustrated as she was that Elle was not grasping this. “Whatever she pleases!”

Elle was caught between thinking he wasn’t trying because slavery was normal for him, and believing him, that it really was somehow a lost cause. He knew his society better than her, and how things worked in space.

It made her sick to think about. Would she let those men go back to their lives on leashes if she knew fighting for them would risk her life? Shouldn’t she risk her life for them, just on the principle? Wasn’t that how she’d been raised? But was she strong enough, and could she pull it off? She didn’t want to die or suffer or get hurt if it wouldn’t actually change anything. And how many lives made it worth it? Would she risk war for just one? Shouldn’t she? How many times had she wished someone would try for her? Just try?

“What if it was you, Borial? You’re so afraid of it, why do you think they aren’t?”

“It’s too late for them.”

“No, it’s not. Even if they’ve been… hurt, if they can change their lives, they can still be happy.”

He just shook his head. “You don’t understand, Elle.”

“I’m the one who’s been a slave!”

“No, Elle, you don’t understand. What you have done for me is nothing compared to the reality of what Ure males live through.”

“All the more reason to help!”

Borial stopped walking through the forest and turned to her, taking her face in his hands and looking down into her eyes. “Please listen to me. What you are suggesting will not work. It is not that simple. Separating them from Limba will not solve anything.” He moved one hand to lift hers to his chest, pressing it against his sternum. “The chains are in here. That is how it is for Ure males. Do you understand? They are lost. When we are bound to a female, we do not think of freedom anymore. We are not like your kind.”

Elle found that hard to swallow, and she knew it showed on her face, but Borial maybe realised how he was touching her and stepped away, and she let it drop for the moment.

Later, when she suggested to Limba that the males go looking for food and water for a change, she quickly found out why that wouldn’t be happening.

The males couldn’t go off by themselves! They might not come back!

Borial couldn’t go with them, while Elle and Limba stayed behind, because he was a male too after all.

Elle couldn’t go with them, in case she tried to poach them from Limba.

Limba refused to stay alone at the pod, she was too scared.

She and Borial couldn’t be the ones to stay behind, because Limba and the others didn’t know where to go.

And finally they couldn’t all go, because what if rescue came or someone answered the beacon?

After an hour of this extremely depressing conversation, Elle gave up. Apparently, despite what Borial had told Elle, Limba genuinely seemed to think her males would try to escape if given the chance, and that Elle might steal them if left alone with them. Elle only had so many hours a day she could tolerate discussing the ins and outs of slavery, so in the end, she resolved she and Borial could do all the fetching after all. If they took containers from the pod, maybe it was feasible. It would have to be, because as predicted, Limba and her males had wiped out the rations by the end of the day.

The men never complained about being hungry or thirsty, or cold, or dirty. They just stayed clustered together, like an external embodiment of Elle’s dilemma, a guilt tumour, she thought ungraciously as night fell around them. She was exhausted. Of course, Limba would take the pod. The males would shift for themselves.

Borial had taken it upon himself to set up a tent as far away as he could get from the pod. Elle watched him from her place on top of the pod, where her blanket was. When he was done, he came over and cleared his throat.

“I have finished preparing our tent, Elevated Mistress,” he said, giving her a significant look. He had explained that all females were ‘Elevated’. She hadn’t missed that he’d said ‘our’.

God, this was another thing, wasn’t it? Another thing she would have to do for this bullshit situation. She would have to share his tent to sell the idea that he was her slave.

Elle was too tired to argue, and she felt like she hadn’t won any of the fights she’d taken on. He might have agreed to give her her freedom after this, but that felt very far away after the hoops she’d been jumping through all day.

She crawled into the tent. It was odd, the fabric puffy and unfamiliar, some space-age stuff that she just had to shrug off and accept, as usual. Borial had done his best, she did allow him that.

“Can you make sure the other men have blankets?” she asked, her voice low, trying not to be overheard by Limba.

He gave her a pained look. “There aren’t enough,” he whispered.

That wasn’t good enough. Elle knew the pod was outfitted for four people, and there were currently eight of them, but still. “Is Limba letting any of them share the pod with her?”

“One or two, her favourites.”

Elle pulled the blankets out from under her. “Give the others these.”

Borial hesitated. “Elle…”

“What?!”

“Limba won’t like you providing anything for her males. Not at all.”

“I don’t care!” she hissed, and Borial took the two blankets and left, coming back a moment later.

Elle scowled and lay on her side, facing the wall of the tent. The floor of it was cushioned too much, as if inflated, making her struggle to keep her balance. Borial lay down behind her. She hadn’t been too cold sleeping on top of the pod, so she didn’t think they’d get cold now. She and Borial would heat the space just by being in it.

Tomorrow, she would insist Limba go and get the blankets and pillows from the pod she’d abandoned.

“Elle,” Borial whispered.

“What?” she snapped back.

“Thank you.”

That gave her pause. She sat up to look down at him, his hair spreading around his face. “You’ve never thanked me before.” She was thinking of all the heats, all the parties, everything he’d put her through.

“Yes, I have. You just didn’t understand me,” he said, and he gestured at the translator fitted to his ear with a weak smile.

Damn him, where did he get off acting so wistful when their whole relationship was his fault, on his terms? She understood now that he’d always taken her translator so she couldn’t give him orders, since it seemed he’d be biologically compelled to follow them, but still. He’d kept her in the dark on purpose.

“That’s another thing that’s going to change,” she decided, barely aware of what her mouth was doing. “You don’t take my translator anymore. Things are going to be different.”

He opened his mouth to object, a glint of fear and affront in his eyes, but she cut him off. He wasn’t giving the orders anymore. She shifted onto her knees to look at him properly.

“We’re not going to do it like we always have.”

“But you agreed to help me!” he whispered, lifting himself onto his elbows and glancing nervously in the direction of Limba, through the tent wall.

“I will, but I’m making it more pleasant for me. I get my translator.” She thought for a second. “And you wear the rubber underwear if you want it!”

His jaw dropped, and she could tell he was uncomfortable to be discussing it. If he still had the power, he’d be leaving the room, but he didn’t. In fact, he was still wearing the collar. Had he forgotten it?

Her lips curled in a smile. “That’s right. You’re the one who doesn’t want to have sex, so you wear it. And I’m done being sexually frustrated. When we’re in bed together, I’m not going to lie there like a log anymore. I get to touch you back.”

His eyes leapt wide in maidenly shock. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not? Your hands are all over me.”

“That’s… different!”

“Why? Because you’re in control? If you’re wearing your rubber underwear, you’ll have nothing to fear.”

“It will be more uncomfortable for me than it is for you.”

“How do you know how uncomfortable it is for me? Because let me tell you, it’s uncomfortable.”

“But you don’t have…”

“A dick?” She shrugged. “Then don’t wear it if you don’t want to.”

He took a steadying breath, determined to make her understand. “We can’t- You can’t touch me. It will be different then. I will react… differently.”

“You mean you’ll like it? So will I, so we’re even.”

He tipped his head back with a noise of frustration. “I don’t want to be mated, I don’t want to enjoy it, I don’t want to get any closer to you than I have to be!”

“Then you shouldn’t have bought a fucking slave,” she told him through gritted teeth. “You’re only thinking of yourself, thinking your sexual needs matter more than mine, well they don’t. I want to have sex too! I wish I could have it with someone other than you, someone I like, but this is the situation we find ourselves in. It’s hard for me, to have a man touch me like that all the time and have nothing happen. Is it so bad if we just lie face to face? Kiss? If I put my hands on your shoulders? I can make myself come, you don’t even have to do anything.”

She started her speech angry and finished it shy. She didn’t want to sound like she was asking permission – had he ever asked for permission? – but still, it was hard to ask anyone to kiss and cuddle her, and treat her more gently, especially when that man was her slavemaster.

Borial shuddered, and gave an aggrieved moan, covering his face with his hands as he flopped onto his back again, drawing her attention to the swollen lump in his pants. Her eyebrows shot up. Had she turned him on? She never had before, outside of his-

“Oh. But you just finished…”

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled by his hands. “It’s Limba. I haven’t been around a female of my own kind since I became an adult. I can only think my system must be… reacting, to her. Like I said, we are desperate creatures.”

He scrubbed his face with one hand, the other lying on his chest as he stared up at the ceiling, looking resigned.

Elle waited to see what he would say. Seeing him through a heat in this tent, without privacy or a comfy bed, or anyone to bring them food and water, was a grisly prospect, but she didn’t see the alternative. Maybe if she asked, she could kick Limba out of the escape pod, and she and her males could move on to another group.

She hadn’t wanted to test their new agreement so soon.

Borial shifted his eyes to her. “Will you help me?”

She supposed it was a good sign that he was asking. “Will you… make the changes that I asked for?”

He sighed, and his eyes flicked to the entrance of their tent. “You may touch me. But you must ensure I do not mate you.”

“Is that just… putting that in here?” Elle asked, pointing.

“As far as I know.”

“I can do that.” They stared at each other a moment longer, apprehensive without their routine to fall back on, then Elle decided to take the lead. It looked like he was waiting for it, and she’d wanted to kiss him for a long time, if only out of curiosity, if only because she hadn’t kissed anyone in so long. She leaned slowly over him, resting her hand on his chest for balance, holding his eyes in case he looked disgusted. His skin was warm, and soft, different but familiar. Just before their lips met, he spoke.

“A kiss?” he asked.

She nodded.

“What is that for your people?”

Thrown, she asked him, “What is it for yours?”

“Sometimes, after mating, if the female is pleased, she will allow this.” He brought his hand to her cheek, hesitated, then gently used his thumb to draw her lips apart. His mouth was barely an inch away, and he told her in a whisper, “Like this. The sharing of breath, measuring heartbeats.”

Elle stared at him, tantalised by the moving of his lips just out of reach, stirring the air between them, his words spoken into her mouth. Her skin tingled with a flush of arousal, and her breasts grew heavy inside the silly beaded yellow bodice she was still stuck in. “Ours is a bit more… aggressive.”

“Aggressive?” he asked, concerned, his fine silver brows drawing together. His eyes flicked between hers, striated in a way she’d never managed to put into words, like fractures radiating out from a single point; like shattered, frozen aluminium.

“We touch lips, and use our tongues.”

The crease between his brows didn’t relax as he said, “Show me.”

Elle was nervous, but she wasn’t going to wait for more of an invitation than that, not when she felt like she’d been waiting for years already. She barely had to move at all to touch their lips together. His were firmer than hers, dry, no hint of teeth, the edge of them almost palpable, as if carved. She kept it simple, gentle, only lingering for a second or two before she made herself pull back.

She checked his reaction, holding her breath as she waited to hear him say he’d never do it again. He rolled his lips into his mouth for a moment, considering.

“I didn’t feel your tongue.”

“That… comes later.”

His arms circled her waist. “Show me. Everything.”

Okay, then. She leant down again, thinking he didn’t know what he was asking for as she felt the reins on her libido slip. She kissed him and kept kissing him this time. The texture of his lips was nice. Not alien at all, she thought, or at least, not so alien that it distracted her. Now it was her turn to use her hand on his cheek to gently coax his mouth open, so she could flick her tongue between his lips. His arms gathered her closer, so she slowly and purposefully dipped her tongue into his mouth, seeking his. When they touched, he pressed back against her, and Elle felt a surge of victory and relief. His tongue was hot and slick, and he didn’t taste of any of the things she’d subconsciously expected him to, like banana flavouring or lemon meringue pie. Instead, he tasted… normal, like any other man she’d kissed, real and alive and strikingly there.

She kissed deeper, and his hand moved to cup her head, holding her there. She could tell how focused he was, even as she melted against him and crawled over his body. When his tongue followed hers into her mouth, she moaned, and he surged against her, rolling them so that she was on her back with him leaning over her, their legs tangling.

The beads on her outfit were digging in. Suddenly, she couldn’t bear to wear it for one moment more. She tore away from him. “Get this thing off me.”

They both fumbled for its fastenings, but Borial could see better and got there first, freeing her in degrees until she could wriggle away, leaving it behind like a shed snake skin. Borial swept it to the edge of the tent, his eyes never leaving her. She was only wearing panties now. Had he ever seen her breasts before?

Despite everything, she wanted him to. She wanted him to touch them, didn’t think she could handle it if he didn’t.

This wasn’t about giving him anything, comforting him, or obeying him. It wasn’t forgiveness. This was about Elle getting what she wanted. This was about pleasure for her, and being an active participant who made decisions about what happened between them, instead of a biologically compatible body pillow.

Borial cupped his hand around her ankle, slowly sliding up her calf, keeping his eyes on her face, as if he was testing her reaction. “Is this what you want?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

She moved towards him, her hand going straight to his cock, but she’d only just gripped him through the fabric when he batted her hand away with a gasped “Don’t!” They both froze, uncertain of each other. “I mean…” he tempered. “It’s too much.”

“Okay…” she hedged. “I won’t touch you there. Is there anything else I shouldn’t do?”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t know. And you? Is there anything I shouldn’t do?”

Judging from the flash of guilt on his face, they’d realised at the same time that until now, she hadn’t really consented to anything she’d done with him. That was being a slave. Even now, she was being pushed. She could dictate how they were together, but refusing altogether would have too many negative consequences. She was excited now only because he’d been arousing her and leaving her unsatisfied for three years. If she had a choice of partners, would she choose him? She wanted the intimacy, but that was all she could say for sure.

It was still a big step up from how it normally was though. She wasn’t just grimly getting through it because it was her lot in life.

“Just stop if I tell you to.”

His expression twisted, as delicately as a yellow elf’s could. “I’m not sure I can be counted on to control myself.”

Elle’s blood ran a little colder, but then she reasoned that he wouldn’t do anything to her that he hadn’t done before, and this time, she was allowed to join in. This time was supposed to be fun. This time she would welcome his hands on her because he wouldn’t kick her out of bed if she kissed him.

Still, she frowned. “How do your females…?” She wasn’t sure how to finish that question, mainly because she knew the answer. Female Ure had their males ‘fixed’.

Borial looked away from her. “We are tied up,” he said matter-of-factly, and touched his fingertips to the collar around his neck.

“Oh.”

A silence hung around them for a moment, and Elle didn’t want it to. She wanted to be kissing and touching and feeling good. She didn’t want the knowledge that he had never tied her up in bed, never tried to, despite owning her and nobody being there to stop him, to bring an odd lump to her throat. She wasn’t grateful. It wasn’t sympathy exactly. It was just a tilting of perspective, where for a moment, she caught a glimpse of the ways he had tried with her, to be kind, and do better. It was hard to swallow.

“Then just don’t do anything you haven’t done before.”

Relief smoothed his expression. “That I can promise.”

“Let’s kiss. Kissing was good.”

His lips twitched up in the tiniest hint of a smile. “Yes, kissing was good.”

She didn’t want to think about anything else. She leant forward, pausing just for an instant so he could see her kiss coming and pull back if he wanted to, then closed the gap. Kissing him was odd. She knew she should hate him, she knew she shouldn’t want this, but she’d take it anyway. She just wanted something for herself.

This kiss was slower, gentler, lighter. She put her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him in closer, trying to deepen it, wanting that passion back. She buried her hands in his hair greedily, finally getting to touch without being pushed away, like a naughty child left alone with the cookie jar. It was silky and fine, just as she’d expected, and she let her enthusiasm tell him that she would not be stopped this time. He’d better be ready because she was starved for it.

His hair cushioned the diamonds of the collar, but she could still feel it there, and she didn’t want to. She wanted to feel skin. With her other hand, she sifted through his hair to the buckle, working it open. She’d undone it on herself enough times she could easily do it without looking. When it loosened and she let it go, dropping it into his lap, Borial moaned and pulled back just enough to look at her.

“You took it off.”

She picked it up and tossed it over with her outfit.

Borial looked floored. “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

She took his hand and fitted it to her breast, making him take its weight. “Yes, I do.” Elle pushed on his shoulder until he was lying on his back, then she straddled his hips and pressed herself against him. His hand flexed against her breast, and he moaned softly. His skin was like warm silicone against her bare breasts, and his cock was hot between her legs. “Don’t wear that thing tomorrow,” she said on impulse.

Without giving him a chance to reply, she kissed him again, and slid her hand into her panties.

CHAPTER 8

Morning eventually came, though neither of them slept. Elle had kept her promise not to let him inside her, though he had eventually started begging. They’d both ended up naked, and she’d lost count of her orgasms. Borial had become enamoured with them, though Elle didn’t fool herself that it was anything other than his heat talking. Still, after she had made herself come three times, he had insisted he teach her how to do it too. His work with his hands was so-so, he got distracted too easily. His oral, though, was world-class. He was the perfect balance of fierce and demanding – needy – and giving. It was a hell of a job getting him to leave her pussy alone when she couldn’t take it anymore, but while he was there, head moving between her thighs, he was greedy, but interested in her orgasms enough to still pursue her clit.

Yes, he called her Mistress. Yes, he begged her to fuck him, to give him relief. She did, three times. She used her hands, her mouth, and she’d ridden him, slicking his hard cock through her slippery folds while he thrashed and begged some more. She’d learned she could order him to come, and he would, with a whimper, as if miserably settling for second best. The biological forces that rode him wanted him to come inside her, and she was not opposed, but she wouldn’t do that to him.

She understood why he’d always taken her translator. She didn’t forgive it or condone it, but she saw now that he was a completely different person when in the throes of these attacks. She liked this one better, truth to be told, even if he was tireless. He would come and be on her again in seconds, face buried in her hair, as if he couldn’t get close enough.

Sex in a tent, or almost-sex, left a lot to be desired. She was glad he hadn’t been too interested in being on top, or she’d be bruised for sure. She also had to accept that Limba and her males must have heard them. Elle had forgotten to be quiet, and Borial had only had one thing on his mind. But… she didn’t really mind. It felt rebellious in a way. Even if Limba thought Elle was keeping Borial as a slave, there could be no doubt that she took good care of him. She hoped she’d shown Limba a thing or two, maybe opened the eyes of her males a bit.

She just hoped she hadn’t made them feel worse.

Borial was sleeping finally, so even though Elle could use some of that herself, she had forced herself up and out to get some food and water. When she opened the flap of the tent, she found one of the water bottles on the ground at the very edge of the tent, obviously put there for them. There was only a couple of inches of water left in the bottom, but considering how hard it had been to gather enough for everyone, it was very generous. She knew who had done it too, and it wasn’t Limba. Elle looked across the small clearing to the tree Limba’s mates had claimed as their parking spot. All five of them were sleeping in a haphazard pile, her two blankets failing to cover them all.

Her heart broke a little bit. The gesture of giving away their small water ration was already almost tragically touching, but seeing that Limba hadn’t allowed any of them to share the pod with her, and knowing that Borial had either underestimated Limba’s callousness or straight-up lied to Elle to spare her feelings…

It was too much for so early in the evening after the night she’d had. She didn’t even know if the males had meant for the water to go to Borial, since they would know what he was going through, or for her, or for both of them. Maybe they had wanted to help her stay with him, so he wouldn’t have to suffer without her. Regardless, she tipped the water back and took the bottle, collecting two more empty ones to bring back with her from the spring. It wasn’t enough, even if she drank her fill at the source and only gave Borial the one bottle, it would still only be two bottles between five people.

Limba, as far as Elle was concerned, could dehydrate until the rescue team came. She knew that wouldn’t happen, that she would take anything Elle gave to the men, but Elle could do her best to make sure they got some first.

She yawned as she headed into the forest, following her path of yellow beaded strings of fringe. Rescue needed to come soon, or things were going to get hairy. With Borial not only incapacitated, but needing Elle’s constant attention, they’d be screwed for food and water unless Limba relaxed her fears about her mates escaping and chipped in. Elle couldn’t quite bring herself to think she was tired of the alien planet and living outside – she was in no hurry to go back to living on the ship – but a shower and a change of clothes would be greatly appreciated. Putting the bodice back on her sensitive skin, sticky from the night’s activities and used to the nylon of the tent, had been like zipping herself into a bag of nails.

She reached the small hidden spring, filled the water bottles, downed one herself and filled it again, and hurried back, afraid of Borial waking up without her. It made her a little uneasy, how quickly her feelings for him had changed. Just two days ago, she would have been happy to leave him to squirm. Was it his promise of her freedom that had softened her towards him, or his sob story? Did giving her hope make her forgive him? Did understanding where he was coming from make up for three years of slavery? No, it didn’t, and if he went back on their deal, she’d hate him more than ever. Maybe having hope now, based on a promise made under duress, made her an idiot. Maybe it just made her human.

Maybe she wanted a friend badly enough, she’d even settle for her slavemaster. Maybe she was just sick and tired of hating. Maybe she’d take whatever happiness she could find.

She got back to the clearing, and realised immediately something was wrong. She’d approached from near the males, ready to give them their water, but they were all up and huddled together, and shifting about uncomfortably as if they didn’t know where to look. They looked sad and dejected, some of them watching something across the clearing, some of them staring determinedly at the ground.

Elle looked too, to see what had upset them.

Limba was standing by the tent. Borial was on his knees in front of her, naked. She had one of her leashes looped around his neck, caught under his chin, forcing him to look up at her. Elle could tell from his unfocused expression that he was still in heat.

Without realising, she threw the bottles down, a feeling she couldn’t name boiling up inside her. It wasn’t fear, it was more like indignation times a thousand. How dare she? How dare she? She was not allowed to see Borial like that, in heat or naked, and she was not allowed to put a leash on him.

“Limba!” she yelled, much louder than she needed to, running the short distance and skidding to a stop beside them. She snatched at the chain, even though her hands were shaking and half the size of the other woman’s. Limba didn’t let go, but she didn’t resist hard enough to stop Elle from pulling the chain off and over Borial’s head, messing up his hair.

He cringed against her leg, and when he rested his face against her thigh, breathless as he always was at these times, his skin felt burning hot. He clung to her with one hand all the way up the inside of her thigh. “Help,” he gasped, weak from battling his own body.

Elle slid her fingers into his hair, holding him to her. “Limba, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“He came out,” she said, as if that explained everything. “I could see he was in need.”

“I was looking for you,” Borial objected quickly, turning to rub his face against her.

“He is not yours, you shouldn’t have touched him, you had no right to put that thing around his neck!”

Limba blinked innocently. “He’d taken his collar off, I was preventing him from escaping.”

“I took the collar off!”

“What? Why would you do that? Are you rejecting him?”

“No, I took it off because people shouldn’t be made to wear fucking collars!”

Limba’s expression deepened into confusion. “What?”

Elle realised she was on the edge of a diplomatic misstep, but she hadn’t decided yet if she cared. “Bor-” She bit off his name again, but she had his attention. He looked up at her and she cupped his cheek. “Go back in the tent,” she said as gently as she could.

He crawled away, still naked. The difference between him now and his usual overbearing, stuffy, arrogant self was greater than night and day. She suspected he’d take a long time to recover from his embarrassment over this when he was back to normal.

“You know, you wouldn’t have to deal with his needs if you just took him to a medic and-”

“Get one thing straight, Limba. He is mine. You don’t touch him, you don’t restrain him, you don’t put anything on him. I am not taking him to any fucking medic, I am not doing anything to him, and he doesn’t wear a collar. He’s not my fucking slave. We’re-” Her fiery speech skipped as she struggled to find a word that suited. “Partners. We’re equals. And I don’t mind his needs. I like them. They suit me just fine. I’m glad for them.”

Limba looked like, if she had a fan, she would snap it open and flutter it in affront as she flustered about for a response. “I was only trying to help.”

“Worry about your own males. In fact, while we’re on the subject, you need to treat them better. I don’t care what you think or how you were raised, they’re worth just as much as you are, maybe more, since you seem like a massive bitch. If I could take them from you and give them better lives and make them happy, I would, but I’ve been told I can’t do that, so let me just say, one day you will have a reckoning. One day you will have to answer for what you do.”

And with that cryptic warning she didn’t even understand herself, Elle spun and angrily sealed herself back into the tent with Borial. She didn’t even know if she meant it in the religious Answer-To-God sense, or a Mass-Uprising-And-Guillotine kind of way, but the hope that one day wrongs would be righted was all she had in this shit sandwich of a situation. She couldn’t rescue the males, she couldn’t change a society on a planet she’d never been to, and it ate at her that she knew that kind of thinking was how everyone justified doing nothing about the injustices around them, but-

Borial interrupted her seething by pulling her away from the entrance of the tent and seating her over his cock. By the time she caught her balance, his hands were already working on the fastening of her dress. “You called me yours.”

“Oh, well, uh-”

“You said you like my needs.”

“I did, didn’t I?” She frowned for a moment, trying to figure out if she’d meant that, but Borial didn’t give her time, pulling her outfit off and forcing her to coordinate herself again.

“Take me, please,” he whimpered, trying to get her to follow his train of thought with small sipping kisses pleading at her lips. His hands on her hips were less tentative, and she had to quickly notch his cock down flat and sit on it so he couldn’t get it inside her, and he whimpered again in frustration.

He was right though, he was still in heat, and he did still need her, so Elle let him distract her, redirecting her anger with Limba into something more constructive.

“I will,” she said, and pulled out of his hands to move quickly down his body, lowering herself to take his cock into her mouth.

Borial let out a deep, rattling sigh, like a petulant child being promised a dog when they wanted a horse. He’d take it, but he was settling. Elle excused him because she knew he wasn’t himself. In fact, she found it kind of cute.

“I made a promise,” she reminded him, licking at the head of him.

He shifted his legs to give her more room. “I want to be yours,” he complained in a breathy whine.

“You can tell me that when this is over. Just let me make you feel better.”

He dropped his head back and huffed, taking the pleasure she was giving him. He’d become familiar with her mouth the night before. Elle had worried at first that it would be too much, too close to real sex. She’d expected him to get his orgasms mostly by accident, from rubbing up against her, but once he was in the swing of things, he definitely didn’t object to being touched the way he used to. The verdict was still out on whether he’d feel the same way when his heat was over, but for now at least, it didn’t look like the rubber underwear was ever coming back.

It was a peculiar feeling, to think that this was what she’d been missing out on for so long. When they were allowed to touch each other, it was so easy between them. Everything flowed, even if they weren’t having full penetrative sex. She couldn’t say she wasn’t satisfied. She just had to keep reminding herself that this Borial was not the real Borial. She’d have to deal with him later.

Borial got bored of her blow job – that was another thing she’d noticed, his biological imperative was far more about her pleasure, and he didn’t put up with not touching her for long – and pulled her up to kiss her, rolling them gently so she was on her back and he could return the oral favour.

Before he’d really got going though, they heard engines outside. Elle didn’t think she’d ever heard the engines of a dropship before, but still she somehow recognised them. The walls of the tent fluttered.

She sat up quickly and pushed Borial away, while he made a small noise of complaint. “I think the rescue is here,”

He just tried to get back between her legs.

“No, Borial, get dressed!” She fumbled with her stupid outfit and tossed his pants at him. After a last mournful look at her naked body, he began pulling them on. When they were both decent, Elle stuck her head out of the tent.

There was indeed a big black carrier hovering above the tree line, and a couple of black suited and helmeted people scanning the hands of Limba’s males while she waited off to one side, as if she’d been done already. She glanced at Elle, but looked away again, done with her now.

Elle watched them all get scanned, the little machine giving a beep and the operator reading the result. They were led over to a little elevator type thing that took them up to the carrier, and Elle emerged from the tent, deciding it looked safe enough.

Borial followed her out as the SWAT-looking person approached and reached for her hand, efficiently scanning it. “Greetings, passenger, we have come to escort you off-planet. I am checking your biometrics against the provided passenger log. Do you have any injuries?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Do you know of anyone else in need of escort?”

“No, just me and…” She gestured to Borial who stood shivering against her back, unsure if it was safe to give his name yet. He looked distinctly worse for wear. She supposed they both must.

The person scanned Borial’s hand, though he flinched away from the touch, and looked at the screen a little longer than they had for Elle. “His biometrics suggest he is experiencing an extreme hormonal event.”

“You could say that,” Elle replied, and when the visor turned towards her, she decided to keep it simple. “Yes, he is.”

The person reached for something from a pocket on their belt. “Medical care will not be available until you are processed on the ship. For his comfort, I recommend sedation. Do you have the right to authorise that?”

“Um…” No. “Yes.”

“Do I have your authorisation?”

Sedate Borial? Well, it had happened before, and it was probably true that he wouldn’t want to be ‘uncomfortable’ in public. “But I won’t be able to carry him or anything.”

The person gestured over their partner. “We will transport him.”

“Okay then…” she said hesitantly, looking back at Borial’s face. His expression gave no sign of having followed the conversation. The first agent or officer or whatever they were stepped forward and zapped him with something that made a faint puffing sound, and he dropped like a stone, caught by the second person who swung him up over his shoulder and carried him over to the elevator thing. Elle jogged after them, but she had to wait as it wasn’t big enough for the three of them. When the little metal disk came back down its frame, she stood on it and got carried up. The person was strapping Borial into a seat, so Elle quickly took the one next to him. His head rested back against the wall and his mouth was open, as undignified as Elle had ever seen him. The agent buckled her in too, without asking, and disappeared.

The carrier was just that. There were seats lined against the walls and not much else. Across the aisle and a little way down, Limba pointedly ignored her. The males were watching, and all of them had water and food, which Elle realised had come from storage under the seats. She bent down to get hers out, the safety belts cutting into her, but when she sat up again, a wave of tiredness swept over her and she lost her appetite. Maybe it was because they were finally safe, or because she was sat down in the quiet with no one needing her, but she was crashing hard, so she decided to just lace her fingers with Borial’s, lean her head on his shoulder, and shut her eyes.

CHAPTER 9

They had to wait on the carrier for what felt like hours while the ground team rounded up passengers. When it was full, it carried them back into space, where they were offloaded onto a different ship. Elle wondered who would have to get all the escape pods back, and how they’d do it. In all the activity, it didn’t occur to her to mourn her brief stay planet-side and her return to living on spaceships. She and Borial were briefly checked over by a medic, but when they had no complaints and came back healthy enough, though Borial was still unconscious, they were assigned quarters and left to their own devices.

Borial was carried on a gurney and deposited on the bed of the little cabin. There was a print-out of what Elle guessed was directions to the mess hall, given the pictures, but she couldn’t read it. She was tempted to just fall into bed, and sleep while Borial did, but she kept herself up long enough to shower. Then she crawled in next to him, watching his sleeping face, trying to analyse what she was feeling. Compassion? Pity? Did she feel bad for him and what his body kept putting him through? Did she feel bad for how his society had forced him to live alone in space rather than be collared and ‘fixed’? None of it excused what he had done to her… Only his actions from here on out would heal that.

He looked a mess. He had truly fallen from grace, and she knew when he was back to his senses, he would probably be disgusted by his messy hair and how dirty he was. He would be mortified by how many people had seen him naked, on his knees, delirious. Would he remember anything else? Would he remember Elle defending him, claiming him? How would he feel about that? Would he remember the things they’d said to each other?

Only time would tell. She rested one hand on his arm, and fell asleep.

Borial slept for a really long time. Elle was considering going for the doctor when he eventually stirred. He lay there and rubbed his hand over his face, and she waited with bated breath. He looked around at the room, and she suspected he was still groggy from the sedatives because normally he would either be pulling her in close for some nooky, or he’d be frostily snapping out commands.

His eyes found her and ran down her body. Unfortunately, she was still in the yellow nightmare, since it was that or a towel or a bedsheet, but she was clean. He looked around again.

“Rescue came?” he asked, telling her he was out of his heat.

“Yeah.” Why was she so nervous?

“What happened?”

“How much do you remember?”

He dropped his head back to the pillow. “Not much.”

Elle got up and fetched a bottle of water for him, pressing it into his hand. He murmured gratefully and drank it slowly as she spoke.

“You went into heat,” There, the predictable tensing at the mention of the thing she wasn’t supposed to acknowledge out loud. “We renegotiated. I helped you. Then yesterday morning, when you were asleep, I went out to get food and water.” Did he really need to hear about the scene with Limba? “And when I came back, the rescue team had found us. They sedated you because they said you would be uncomfortable otherwise, and you’ve been asleep ever since.”

He finished the water and lay the empty bottle aside delicately, back to his space-elf manners. He made a face as he looked down at himself. “And my clothes?”

“Still on the escape pod, but we might be able to get supplies here, I don’t know what this says.” She jumped up and showed him the sheet with instructions.

He scanned it and grunted a confirmation. “Yes, we can request clothes and basic needs.” He closed his eyes again, head against the pillow, his hand flopping back to the bed.

“How do you feel?” she asked, perhaps a bit redundantly, but she didn’t want him to go back to sleep, he was her only company.

“Tired.”

“You should eat something. Get cleaned up and get some new clothes.”

He didn’t answer, looking for all the world as if he was asleep.

“I can’t do it by myself,” she admitted weakly. So much for her new independence.

She wondered for a moment if that would make any difference to him, but he did drag himself up after a pause, rolling heavily to his feet then staggering, unbalanced, with his hand on his forehead. “Excuse me. Give me a moment.” He slouched off to the bathroom, and she heard the water turn on.

She let out the breath she was holding. They’d get what they needed to make themselves comfortable, she could eat a proper meal, and he hadn’t immediately started yelling at her or making excuses to take back what he’d said. Things were better than she’d expected.

When he came out of the bathroom, he looked more himself. Squeaky clean, except for the unfortunate trousers, his yellow skin bright, and his fine silver hair wet and combed back from his face, regal as ever with his pointy ears and elaborate gold translator. Still no shoes though, for either of them.

“Clothes first,” he said.

He hadn’t eaten properly in almost four days, but of course appearances were more important. Elle would take it though. She never wanted to see the prickly yellow bodice again.

As they left their cabin, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Where’s your collar?”

Elle stiffened. “Left behind on the planet,” she said, her jaw tight.

He faced ahead again. “Shame. We could have used the stones to pay for things.”

“As if you would ever do that.”

He looked at her curiously. “Why not? That’s what it’s for.”

“What? No, it wasn’t.”

“No, not it’s whole purpose,” he admitted shamelessly. “But if we were ever separated, I didn’t want you to be without means.”

Elle stopped, rooted to the spot as her jaw dropped and she tried to take that in. “Bullshit,” she said at last.

He stopped too, turning back to face her, appearing startled. “No.”

“That collar served one purpose, and that was to keep me tied to you. If it did anything else, it just showed that I was owned, and the diamonds were to make you look flash, to tell everyone my owner was rich.”

“Yes, but it was also…” He seemed to struggle for the word. “Your inheritance. I couldn’t recognise you legally for… obvious reasons. But if I died, you would have that. It would support you for years, long enough to make some sort of life somewhere. If we got separated, you could use a stone to pay for food and accommodation, help. It was… recompense, I suppose, as well. A bride-price.”

And she’d left it behind.

No, fuck that, it was a collar.

It wasn’t sinking it that he’d meant it as some kind of safety net for her. He must be bullshitting. Making stuff up to make himself look better now that they’d agreed he couldn’t control her anymore.

Right?

“If we got separated… it probably would have been because I got kidnapped for the diamond collar I was wearing,” she said, starting walking again and catching up to him.

“Yes, that did occur to me,” he allowed. His plan had so many holes in it. “But I always thought one day you would escape, and then you would take the collar off, and I would hope you’re at least smart enough to hide it and not wear it out in the open in places you shouldn’t.”

She couldn’t believe his chastising tone over something that had never even happened.

“It was the best I could think of,” he finished.

Elle turned that over in her mind. “I used to flush them down the toilet.”

“Yes, you did.”

She didn’t have any more to say to that.

They reached a commissary of sorts, and Borial began the surprisingly long process of acquiring clothes, toiletries, and everything else he thought they needed. Of course, for a hoity-toity ambassador like him, it was a lot. The clothes were basically scrubs, but they fit well enough and covered them, and they were softer against her skin than what she had been wearing. Borial paid for it all with a scan of his hands, which she supposed was more like an I.O.U.

Next he took them to the mess hall. This ship clearly wasn’t a passenger cruiser, and definitely not a luxury one like the one they’d been on, but Elle struggled to place it. The staff all wore uniforms that screamed military, but they were a mix of species, and the décor was bright, more like a hospital perhaps? It might be a professional rescue or disaster relief ship, but that seemed like a bit of a heavy response for what had happened. She’d expected the cruise company to send another ship to pick them up and deal with it in-house, with a lot of bowing and scraping and apologising and refunding.

They had to collect packaged meals from a counter, and take them to big tables with benches, definitely not Borial’s usual scene, but at least there was a good selection, and Borial didn’t pick for her. She had to get him to explain what things were because she still couldn’t read any of the alien languages, but he did so quietly and patiently. That was promising, and did a lot to reassure her that he had properly internalised that their relationship would be different now.

Elle got the closest thing to a chicken sandwich and a cup of coffee. It was neither, of course, but she could settle for the strange thick drink that kicked like a double-strength Red Bull.

“Are we going to get our ship back? I mean, your ship?” she asked, after Borial had put away most of his meal.

“We should do, if it was salvageable.”

Elle supposed there was still the chance that whatever had caused the evacuation had actually gone on to destroy the cruiser and their home with it. She wouldn’t ask what they would do if that was the case. Thinking about it made her too anxious, now that she knew if he ever fell into the hands of his own people, bad things would happen. Limba was still on board somewhere. The odds of running into her felt slim, but if she called someone to come pick her up, maybe she’d tell them about him…

“What about Xerjan and Sazi?”

“I’ll register an inquiry with the crew.”

Elle couldn’t quite bring herself to say she was looking forward to seeing them again. Truth be told, she didn’t like either of them, but she could hardly forgive Borial and not them.

They went up for seconds.

She couldn’t bring herself to ask what she really wanted to. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t want her hope ripped away yet.

When they got back to the cabin though, she couldn’t keep it in anymore. “Are you really going to treat me as an equal?”

Borial was sorting through their supplies, dividing them into his and hers piles of clothes, food, and toiletries. He didn’t even turn around. “Not all the time. I’ll make mistakes. As you said, I need you. Fear of losing you will make me controlling.” Then he did straighten up and face her. “Will you keep to your half of the bargain? You will come when I need you?”

She didn’t know how he kept such a straight face after everything they had done, but she supposed he was a professional negotiator. She felt her face heat. “Yes. You’re happy with how it was last time?”

Oh, that did get a blink, and he dropped his eyes. “Yes. I thank you for not… for keeping your promise and not mating me, when I asked you to.”

“No problem.” Wow, another Thank You.

He seemed to shake himself, drawing himself up for something. “You’ve seen now what I become, how it is for me, but you didn’t take advantage and you could have. You could have ordered much more from me than your freedom. I didn’t think…”

She waited him to finish, but the silence was too long. “I’m not Limba. I’m not Ure.”

“It doesn’t disgust you?”

“What your women do to your men does disgusts me. Keeping people on leashes disgusts me. But how you behave in bed doesn’t.” She took a deep breath. “In fact, I kind of like it. I prefer it. Normally you’re so… frosty, but when you’re like that, you’re a lot more endearing.”

He collapsed to the bed, sitting suddenly. “Endearing.”

“Cute.”

“Cute.”

She went to sit beside him. She didn’t know why she was pushing this, or what she was hoping to achieve. Maybe they’d formed some kind of trauma bond. Maybe he was just the first sexual partner she’d had in years. Maybe she’d do almost anything to keep from returning to life as it had been before the planet.

She touched his forearm, slowly sliding her fingers down his wrist to take his hand when he didn’t object. He stared at their laced fingers.

“How do your people do it then?” he asked.

“Lots of different ways, there aren’t really any rules. For people like you and me, well, let’s say a man and a woman who like each other, there’s dating, and sex, living together, marriage, kids. That’s usually how it goes.”

“Explain it to me.”

“We’re not forced like you are. We just pair up with people we like. It’s called falling in love. You meet someone and you like them so much they become your favourite person, so much so that you want to spend the rest of your life with them. You reject everyone else, you live together, you legally combine your possessions, you have kids. People can do it however they want, but that’s the gist.”

“Pair up?” He lifted his eyes to meet hers.

“Yeah. Some people like more, but for the most part, we form couples. It’s called monogamy, and if you sleep with someone else other than your partner, it breaks their heart.”

“Oh!”

“Not literally.”

“Oh.” He ran his thumb across her knuckles. “So, hypothetically, if someone like you and someone like me… You would be mine and I would be yours, and there would be no others, and we would be equals?”

“Yeah.”

“And you wouldn’t… make me do anything I didn’t want to do?” His voice was so quiet, she had to lean in to hear him.

“No, I wouldn’t. And you wouldn’t make me, either.”

“You wouldn’t take me to the doctor?”

“No! Well, unless you were sick. But I wouldn’t do what you’re thinking. I like your needs right where they are. I’m a sexual person too, I need your needs – as long as you put out, not like before.”

“But you wouldn’t want to do that with me.”

He wasn’t asking, so Elle didn’t have an answer.

“Would you?” He turned his face to hers, and she had leaned in so close to hear him that he had to tilt his head as if he was about to kiss her to avoid their noses bumping. She stared into those eyes of his, frozen silver, and thought she detected a little of his heat-self, the sweet one, who was honest and who needed her. Could that be the real Borial, and the one she knew best was just a mask? An angry, defensive act?

He’d asked her a question, so she had to answer. Would she do that with him? She’d already agreed to have sex with him, or as close as they could get. She was looking forward to it. She already saw him in her future.

“You don’t want to mate though, I thought.”

“Mm.” He made a small noise of considered acknowledgement and looked away, as if it was true, or had been true. She couldn’t tell if he was reassessing or not. Then, “You are my favourite person, Elle.”

“You’re mine too.” By default, but still. Only days ago, she’d hated him, so she knew what it was to have no favourite person. Her feelings for Borial were complicated. She knew him. She knew him, somehow, and he was hers somehow too. Her master. Her captor, the man who bought her, collared and leashed her, thrust against her in a frenzy and palmed her tits, who thought he’d done right by her, who’d tried to do better for her than he’d ever been shown how. Who begged her and worshipped her and was completely undone by her. All of that added up to something that wasn’t there before.

“I think… you would be safe, to belong to,” he whispered.

Safe the way he meant it, yes, but she could hardly promise to never hurt him. No relationship was like that. Did she want to own him like that? He’d owned her… but he’d never had the control over her that he was referring to now.

“I would try to be.” It was the best she could do.

“If I was mated, I would be cute and endearing all the time.” His lips caught up in a faint smile, humour at his own expense maybe.

“Really?”

“Not to the same degree, but… I would not be frosty.”

“Would you still- I mean, would you be able to have sex more often?”

“Oh yes, I am able at any time, it is only when I don’t that it… builds up.” He sighed. “Honestly it’s very tiring.”

She smiled. “I know, I’m there.” She couldn’t help teasing him, lightening the mood, and bumping his shoulder with hers.

To her surprise, he actually smiled properly, just for an instant. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but he had deep smile lines bracketing his lips when he did, and they made him look mischievous, impish, more like a playful faery than an elf. “Quite.”

“Listen.” Time to do away with hypotheticals. “We don’t have to decide anything now. Let’s rest and recover, hide from Limba, get our ship back, find Xerjan and Sazi…. See if this new arrangement holds when life is back to normal. Humans don’t jump into these things. I mentioned dating? Let’s do that. It’s when you spend time together acting like you’re mated so you can see what it would be like with that person before things become permanent.”

“A very good idea.”

“No need to sound so surprised, humans are known to be very clever, you know.”

“I see. So we are to act mated, without mating?”

“Basically.”

He kissed her. It took her by surprise, and when he pulled back, he stayed close. “I think I will enjoy pretending to be mated to you.”

“You just have to make me enjoy it too.”

“My kind have evolved specifically to please females.”

She laughed. “Not humans.”

He shrugged, unruffled. “We shall see.”

EPILOGUE

Eight months later, and Elle was used to the feeling of Borial’s skin. When they first got the ship back, they slept in their own rooms. That didn’t last long. It was actually Borial who suggested she come to his. She supposed that was one thing he was used to asking for, even if he did do it stiffly, with his hands together, hidden by the long cuffs of his robes.

They didn’t see Limba again, and while they’d initially fled to the furthest reasonable edge of civilised space just to make sure, it didn’t seem there would be any consequences. Elle still wondered about the men, and what she could have done differently to help them, but Borial was determined to never see any of his own kind again, and per the terms of their agreement, she went where he did.

Life as a free woman in space was, in many ways, the same as the life she’d lived before. Obviously, she was glad for her freedom. She still hadn’t got tired of telling Xerjan no when he told her to go back to her room, or come to dinner, or change her clothes, or bathe. He hated it, getting a pinched little look on his face. But for the most part, it was days of sitting around doing nothing, just like before. It was invigorating beyond reason to shower in the middle of the day, throw the outfits she hated out of her room, spend shedloads of Borial’s money on bland, comfortable, practical clothes, and eat alone at random times of the day. She never wore a collar or a leash, or a sequin, or blue face paint ever again.

But eventually she found herself complying with what Borial wanted because she wanted to. For months, he didn’t ask her for anything. He went off to his meetings by himself. He would fill her in later if she asked, but it was clear he was keeping his distance. It was as if, unless he could physically pull her behind him, he didn’t know how to invite her anywhere. It wore her out. She wanted to leave the ship! She wanted to see the sights!

She reminded Borial what dating was, and convinced him to take her out and show her around. He didn’t understand it, why she would want to look at a building without going inside, or walk with no destination, or order food she wouldn’t like, but he indulged her, and she caught him smiling a few times when she got excited.

He fretted. He didn’t like her walking around without the collar on. They had a few arguments about that, and a few more when they tried to compromise by dressing her a certain way. In the end, she consented to some elaborate robes, and decided it was best if she didn’t know what they represented. She still caught him twitching his hand a certain way when they were out walking together and he thought she was getting too far away. That stopped when she taught him to hold hands, which led to him wanting to hold her hand constantly. She suspected it wasn’t romantic for him, just that he wanted to keep them tied together, though given what she now knew, maybe that was romantic in itself.

He still knew more than she did about space, and about aliens. There was very little she could do without him, which gave him power over her in a way she didn’t think they’d ever be able to balance out, but she couldn’t say he wasn’t trying to learn how to use it for good. He took everything she said on board, and sometimes she’d even compromise and stop pushing when they couldn’t agree. Giving in as an act of kindness was a type of power too, and one she hadn’t had before.

In the innumerable hours of travel on the ship, he asked her about humans, and about Earth, and about her life, and she told him, usually over a few rounds of the card game he’d taught her to play. His questions came from such a different place, sometimes they surprised her, like when he’d asked her, “Elle, what does it mean?”

“What does what mean?” she’d answered, distracted, thinking about her hand and her next move.

“Elle.”

“What?”

“Elle.”

“What?”

“Your name, ‘Elle’. What does it mean?”

“Oh. It means ‘she’ or ‘her’ in another Earth language.”

“Why are you called that?”

“I don’t know. People thinks it’s pretty and feminine. The other language is seen as romantic.”

He made a small noise, considering. “It suits you. She. The woman.”

Elle stared at him for a moment. She wondered if he knew what that sounded like to her, that he was saying she was the only one for him, the only woman he noticed. She decided not to comment. Maybe it was just a line. Either way, that was their relationship now, wasn’t it? He was supposed to say that stuff to her. It didn’t quite make her blush, but it did make her feel appreciated. She was still getting used to it, especially when he was so formal and remote in his robes, in what she was coming to think of as his day-time personality. There was no ‘real’ Borial anymore, nor ‘heat’ Borial. There was only dressed, ambassador Borial, and undressed, bed-time Borial, and they weren’t so different from each other anymore. Bed Borial could be just as eloquent as Boardroom Borial, and Boardroom Borial could be just as clingy as Bed Borial.

“What does Borial mean?” she asked.

He paused, picking out cards from his hand and completing his turn, making her wait for an answer and not meeting her eyes. “It means ‘obedient’.”

She didn’t feel she needed to comment on how that obviously hadn’t worked out for him. From the tone of his voice, he was well-aware. What was a name anyway? Hers was just a French pronoun. They didn’t mean anything. She placed her cards and they moved on.

For Elle, life settled into a stop-start pattern of exploring alien worlds beyond what Hollywood could imagine, and killing time on the ship and, oddly, it started to feel like home. Her relationship with Borial, during the day at least, was just as hitching, like a scratched record. They could go smoothly for a while, then hit a snag and stumble, but they always got past it. Sometimes he’d be so much like his old self that Elle would start to lose faith that they could work, that he had any feelings for her. It was the same old song, and then the crack would come, and he’d say or do something that revealed the deep well of need and insecurity and sheer attachment that lay under the surface, and her heart would go back to melting.

After eight months of sleeping in his bed, of dating and hitching along together, of kissing and cuddling and fooling around until he hadn’t had a heat in months and he could keep his head pretty much steady while they were naked, Borial got up the guts to make it permanent. It wasn’t much of a question for Elle. Her perception of him had changed from the frosty, domineering jailor to an awkward sort-of-virgin who was more scared of her than she was of him. And it was true. His biology meant he was caught in her orbit, and he knew it, and it worried him. She had to tread very carefully around certain topics. Asking him for things was a whole basket of issues. Under the right circumstances, he got an almost orgasmic pleasure from doing what she told him, and the night she’d made him feed her a grape at a time for almost an hour had left him grinning and dopey. On the other hand, if it was something he didn’t want to do, he could just as easily lock himself in the bathroom and spend hours doing battle with himself, his pride and fear at war with his instincts.

Elle knew she had to let it be his decision. It was hard not to back off from that much fear. She didn’t take it personally. His upbringing had done a number on his head. No matter how well he came to know her, or all the different ways she tried to reassure him, he could never discount entirely the possibility that she was tricking him, and once they were mated for good she’d bang him in a collar and treat him like dirt. Mating for him would be a leap of faith, the magnitude of which she could only guess at. She just had to stay patient while he tried to untangle his biology from what he really wanted.

In the meantime, the way they touched at night had to be enough for her, and it was. She had her own hang-ups. There was always the voice in her head telling her she shouldn’t be letting the man who enslaved her touch her, but she pushed it down. If she wanted to be happy, if she wanted anything for herself, she couldn’t spend the rest of her life trying to punish him, not when she wanted to reach with both hands and pull him closer.

He was a good kisser. Really good. It was really something, just how good he’d got. He was like a trained professional, if there was such a thing.

His hair was somehow always cool and silky when it fell on her shoulder.

When he rolled her underneath him, joining their lips and inhaling through his nose like he was surprised every time, there was such a heavy delight in it that Elle didn’t know what to do with it all. She couldn’t smile, not when he was kissing her like that.

His hands fit every part of her body like magic, like he was made for her. He cupped her ribs exactly right, he ran his thumb over her nipple exactly right, and he was always so warm under the sheets. She wanted to give herself to him. She wanted him to take her. And he never did. He only ever pleasured her, steadily and methodically, tirelessly, until she wanted to scream. If he felt even a fraction of the need she did, she didn’t know how he withstood it, but the answer was there in front of her. He took his pleasure from hers. He made that enough for him.

They’d had a few false starts. He’d beg for her pussy, to be let inside her, and he would seem so compos mentis, and they’d been dating long enough, that she would believe he meant it and agree. Maybe he’d nudge the head of his cock through her folds, maybe he’d actually pierce her, get a few thrusts in before pulling out and shaking all over, taking it back. The fear was too much. During the day, he could say that he trusted her. He could do everything with such assurance, except this one last thing. Every time he stopped, she just had to press her lips together and not say anything. She’d made her decision already, he just had to make his. She knew it wasn’t a question of desire, he so obviously wanted her that there could be no doubt. His desire just had to be greater than his fear.

Rationally, he wanted to be her mate, but when it came down to making it real, he balked. She understood. It was permanent. But damn if it wasn’t making her crazy. They’d made the decision, they’d talked about it, he’d declared his intention to fuck her, to become hers, but he just couldn’t cross the finish line.

Until one night when he rolled onto his back and dragged her across his hips. “You do it.”

“Are you sure?” Elle was already sweaty and breathless. He’d been in her pussy twice tonight already, but never for long, so she was swollen and aching and teased beyond what she thought was fair. He’d made her come twice with his hands and mouth though, so she couldn’t complain.

Borial was equally dishevelled, his silvery-white hair a pale grey with sweat in the dark. His eyes were rolling and his chest heaving, his energy running out. He didn’t have much longer left in him. “Yes. Please.”

Elle pushed herself up with her hands on his chest, her thighs split around his hips, his cock there between her legs but not inside her. “I don’t want you saying later that I-”

“I need it. I need you to. I can’t do it myself. Please. Please.”

Elle didn’t have much resistance in her. He’d said over and over that he wanted to take it all the way, but if his fear was stopping him, did he really? Was it right to just take over and carry him through the thing that terrified him so much, even if he asked her to? They could keep waiting.

God, she didn’t want to keep waiting.

“Sit up.” She shifted back a little to give him room as he struggled up on shaking arms, pulling them both back towards the headboard so he could rest against it. He was that much closer now. She put her hands to his chest and watched them map his body, smoothing over his shoulders and up his neck. “You’re sure? You’re really sure?”

“Yes. More than sure. I’m desperate.”

But what if that was just the hormones talking? He’d begged her before, it was why he used to take her translator away. “Kiss me. Prove it.”

He didn’t hesitate, pulling her to him with a hand at the back of her neck and kissing her like he was drinking her down, like he needed her. She moaned. She couldn’t make this decision, could she? She couldn’t take his choices away… though they’d only met because he’d taken hers.

His other hand snuck up to her breast, tugging her nipple, squeezing her how she liked to be squeezed. “You want it too,” he murmured, and she recognised what he was doing, trying to make her mindless with lust. He had to mean it then, right? Or was his sex-addled self as devious as his normal self?

She reached down between them for his cock, feeding it into her with a weak moan, feeling herself flood in welcome. This much she could do. This much they’d done before. This wouldn’t violate any trusts. She rocked gently, luxuriating in the feel of being filled fully, something she didn’t get to enjoy very often.

“Yes,” Borial hissed. “My queen.”

Elle’s conscience flinched. He wouldn’t normally call her that. “Borial…”

“Don’t stop.” He had her face cradled between his hands now, kissing her cheeks and nose, her neck. “Take me. All the way. Make me come inside you. Make me yours.”

He might say that, but she could feel the tremble in his hands. It was hard to stay still though, when she knew how easy it would be to feel a pleasure as yet unfelt. All she had to do was take it. All she had to do was obey him.

She lifted and sat back down, her fingers curling against his skin as the blunt, undeniable thrust of his hard cock stretched her swollen channel.

“More. Faster. I want it.”

“You don’t,” she whimpered, hazy, uncertain if her eyes were open or closed, aware only of his cock inside her, his hands on her face, the hard press of his hips against the inside of her thighs.

His arm went around her back, tugging her forwards, closer to him and lifting her on his cock. “I do, I’m just scared. But you won’t hurt me, will you? I know you won’t. Fuck me, Elle. Beautiful princess,” he murmured into her neck.

He was talking to himself. He was delirious. So was Elle. Hadn’t she wanted this, once upon a time? To just fuck him, and teach him a lesson? She lifted her hips again, shifting, making the head of his cock rub back and forth inside her just where she wanted it. Then he brought his thumb around to her clit and started rubbing, and she tightened around him with a little cry. No, she didn’t want to come yet, not like that. She wanted to fuck him, she wanted to feel fucked. She quickly started riding his cock, her hands on his stomach, her head tipped back.

His breath came quicker, his hold squeezed her nervously, his touch on her clit lost rhythm and precision, but she didn’t notice anymore, chasing something else entirely. The edge was there, she just had to get there and jump. This was what she’d been waiting for.

“Elle…”

That pierced her fog, forced her to come back to her surroundings. Borial sounded nervous. He was getting scared again, but this time, she knew what to do. She wouldn’t stop. She’d keep going, and she’d bring him with her, hand in hand. She opened her eyes, tipping her head forwards again. Now it was her turn to cup his face, lifting it from her neck. She looked into his eyes, seeing the nervous crease in his brow. “It’s okay. I’m here. I love you. I’m making you mine. You’re mine and I love you.”

His eyes read hers and he nodded. “Don’t hurt me,” he whispered one final time.

“I won’t. Never. I love you.”

He whimpered softly. “Make me. Make me do it. Make me-”

His fingers dug into her hips, but he didn’t try to stop her, and she kept hold of his silver eyes as she tugged and pushed him into an orgasm that had him squeezing her in his arms, shuddering and gasping and moaning brokenly as his cock twitched inside her, his face buried in her neck again because it was all too much, the jump was so far.

His whole body went limp. His head fell back against the wall, his mouth open, his eyes staring blankly. It forced Elle to a stop. He looked like a corpse. Had he passed out?

“Borial?” she whispered, brushing her fingers against his cheek. Her cunt still throbbed around him. God, was she ever going to be satisfied? There was a long second or two of silence where he didn’t respond, but then he blinked, looking for all the world like he was rebooting. He lifted his head and met her eyes, and there was something there that hadn’t been there before. A strength? A determination? A wickedness? Clarity? She didn’t have time to wonder because his eyes skated down her body and then his thumb was back at her clit.

“Don’t stop, keep going.”

With a small noise or surprise or complaint, she couldn’t tell which, she picked herself up. She sloshed up and down his cock, stirring his come inside her, her cunt tight on the edge of orgasm, even as her mind desperately asked if that was it, if he was hers now. She pushed that aside. His cock was still hard but it wouldn’t be for long and she wanted to come.

“Feel how wet?” he murmured. “That’s me. Inside you.”

His self-satisfied tone made her come with a grunt, twitching, her cunt swallowing everything he’d given her, wringing his spent cock. She wanted it. She wanted it all. More.

He kissed her. “Beautiful.”

She groaned when his thumb went from feeling good to too much, and he took it away, resting his hand on her hip. They breathed together, sweaty and messy in his dim bedroom.

“How do you feel?”

He licked her neck.

“Borial?”

He chuckled. “Kidding.” He resettled his arms around her waist. “I feel the same. Better. Good. Calm.” He pulled away enough to look her in the face. “I love you.”

“Did you mean it?”

He kissed her, just a press of lips, as much as she could handle just then. Her whole body felt swollen and saturated. “You did the right thing. Thank you.”

“Are you still scared?”

“No. It’s not so scary now that I’m here.”

“Would you really do anything I ask?”

He dropped his head against the wall, watching her from half-lidded eyes. “If I was smart, I’d say no, wouldn’t I?”

“I’m not going to ask you for anything.”

“I know.”

“But would you?”

She watched him consider it, and it hurt. Not that he had to think about the answer, but that he debated lying to her to protect himself. But in the end, he still answered, “Yes.” He placed her hand over his heart. “But that’s nothing new. I might have argued about giving in before. Now I feel I’ll agree, and take my reward from your body.”

Elle looked at him. She was exhausted, but she didn’t think that was why that statement didn’t worry her when once it would have. She used to be scared of him too, didn’t she? But not anymore. Now when he said he’d take her, it sent tingles of anticipation through her. Maybe whatever happened to males of his kind was not unlike falling in love. Maybe it had happened to her too, it just took longer than it did for him. She’d got a head-start, that was all.

He was her man now. Her husband. Her mate. Her family. He was her person, her someone, in all this big wide out-there of space. She wasn’t alone anymore. She was tethered to an ambassador of all people, a yellow high elf with pointy ears and silver eyes. He loved her more than anyone, he would never abandon her or replace her. He’d gotten her out of a cage and she would never go back now. Because she had him by the balls, he couldn’t help it. And he had her by her soft human heart.

She was safe. She let the feeling spread out from her chest and down her limbs, turning them limp and heavy. She collapsed onto his chest, his cock still inside her, getting smaller but still a presence in her tingling, wrung-out pussy.

“I’m sticky,” she said.

He chuckled, and it felt good under her cheek, the deep masculine sound of it, the strength in his body as it shook. “Shall I lick you clean?”

Elle wondered if he would have said that before. Maybe not. But maybe he would have in time. She’d never know, and there was no point beating her head about it. It was done now. “No, just stay where you are.”

He rested his cheek against her hair. “Thank you,” he said after a moment’s silence.

“For?”

“I can’t even name it all.”

He sounded so solemn, it echoed in Elle, bringing out an answering gratitude of her own. It was an ill feeling she didn’t wear well, but it was there, and if she didn’t get it out now, she didn’t know if she ever would. But she couldn’t look at him when she did. It felt like she was betraying so much, so many people she’d never met but knew existed in theory, out there, somewhere. She had to remind herself they weren’t here. They weren’t watching. This was a private moment between her and the man she was spending the rest of her life with, no matter what he had been to her. “Borial?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

“For?”

“S-saving me.” Her eyes burned as she forced out the words she didn’t want to feel, let alone say.

He stilled under her, then he started stroking her back, his fingertips tracing down her spine. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t save you like you thought I would. I’m sorry I was selfish, and scared.”

In this moment, she could take it. She could take the love in his voice and in his touch and his face, and paint the past with it. No, he hadn’t saved her, he’d bought her. Yes, he had saved her, he’d got her out of that cage and given her a home and kept her safe. She was grateful and he was sorry. It was all a mess. It was all there was. It was all theirs and no one else’s.

She wrapped her arms around him, and squeezed. He was just as sweaty and sticky as she was, his skin with that dusty texture adding a fine grit to the feeling. “I forgive you.”

Thank you for reading Claiming Her Freedom! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up V.C.’s newsletter!

LIZ PAFFLE

SCARLETT AND THE ALIEN SAVAGE

CHAPTER 1

“You should put it on.”

Scarlett Exa eyed her friend, Kelly, skeptically. “Have you lost your mind?”

“If the rumors are true and the lost princes of Zah-Tuvo are still alive, this could be your last chance to feel like a queen. Come on, just try it on.”

Scarlett glanced at the cloak draped beautifully over a featureless mannequin. She’d worked for nearly a year to clean and restore the feathers made from hide and tipped in precious metal that covered the back, and the silken fabric that made up the rest of the garment. It had been filthy, covered in debris, and scorched in places that couldn’t be fully repaired. It wasn’t just a project; it was a passion. She’d spent countless hours and a lot of perseverance to get it into the condition it’s in today.

Besides, she wasn’t just the cloak’s conservator. She was also it’s bodyguard.

“The princes died in a crash what, twenty-five years ago now? They’re dead.”

Kelly made a face suggesting she wasn’t convinced. “I’m not so sure about that.” She pointed to the cloak as if to make a point.

Yes, the cloak was suspected to be the one the late king had been wearing when his spacecraft went down. The dagger that had been recovered with it wore the royal symbol of Zah-Tuvo. Scarlett hadn’t admitted it to anyone, but she developed strange feelings while working on the cloak. It was like something came over her, driving her into its restoration as if she were tending to an old lover. She’d never experienced anything like that, ever. And it was too weird and embarrassing to bring up to her friend.

She suspected the cloak bore some kind of energy she’d connected with in a very odd way. It wasn’t so far-fetched. She exclusively worked with artifacts brought in from all over the galaxy. There was a lot of strange stuff out there.

“Dead or not, I’m not wearing the cloak. And either are you!” Eyeing Kelly pointedly, she snickered when her friend pouted.

“You read my mind.”

“I know, because you’re terrible and you really would put it on.”

Kelly was a junior conservator in working with metals. She’d been put in charge of the royal dagger that had magically appeared with the cloak. Like Scarlett, Kelly was fully immersed in her work but from the standpoint of needing the hours and experience to hone her craft rather than some ridiculous energetic pull.

Scarlett moved closer to the cloak and lightly touched the metal tipped feathers with her fingers. She’d changed in the year she’d been working on this thing. Where she’d once ended her workday promptly to go home and do things she enjoyed, she’d become obsessed with her work. Something inside her filled her with urgency, as if something, or someone, was waiting for her… Somewhere out there.

She couldn’t imagine what she might feel if she slipped the cloak over her shoulders.

“Are you feeling any better about being here?”

“Not really. I have a bad feeling and I can’t shake it.”

They’d been invited aboard the royal luxury star cruiser to provide the rulers of Zah-Tuvo with a personal showing of the cloak, dagger, and artifacts from other parts of the galaxy. It was a collection of things the queen found fascinating. Gems and jewelry made from precious stones, mostly. She’d been vocally adamant that the cloak and dagger be displayed on her ship in its own display. A tribute, she’d said, to the lost king and his sons.

Scarlett found the queen’s overbearing insistence off-putting and suspicious. She’d never told Kelly, but when the cloak had appeared on her worktable, Scarlett’s initial work had been observed by two palace guards. They said they’d been appointed to ensure she was handling the royal artifact appropriately. Yet, they took every piece of dirt, leaf, and pebble that she removed from the garment.

They’d been looking for something.

Soon after, the queen announced a new search for the fallen king and princes would be resumed. The cloak was a sign that, perhaps, one, if not more, had survived.

“I don’t trust the queen,” Scarlett whispered.

Kelly nodded. “She’s definitely up to something.”

She’d been very young when the King of Zah-Tuvo’s ship went down, but she grew up with stories and conspiracy theories about what had happened. There was speculation the ship had been sabotaged. While all the escape pods had been used, none of their tracking beacons were enabled. The princes fled, but no one knows where they may have landed, if they landed at all. The pods may have been caught in the explosion, or damaged from shockwaves afterward.

No signs of life had ever been recovered until the cloak and dagger. And now the queen was on a mission.

“Do you think she’s going to auction off the cloak and dagger?”

Scarlett bristled. Her pulse picked up as apprehension rolled through her. “Don’t say that. She wouldn’t.”

Kelly shrugged. “She might. They’ve run Zah-Tuvo into the ground. The money is gone, so I hear, and she’s not about to give up her lavish life. Something like this,” she waved a hand around the cloak. “Could bring in a lot of coin.”

Clamping her jaw, Scarlett willed herself to relax. She’d never considered what Kelly was suggesting, but her friend was correct. After the king and his heirs crashed, the throne of Zah-Tuvo went up for grabs. The royal family from Zah-Tuvo’s moon moved in, claiming the throne, and put a very young queen in charge.

Unrest and discontent had plagued the region ever since. The new royal family was more concerned about squandering the region’s wealth than maintaining a highly functional community with happy residents, healthy resources, and soil that produced the most nutritious and plentiful produce in the galaxy.

The once flourishing and rich region was heading into wasteland territory. Such a shame, and while the Federal Galactic Organization was determining if they should intervene before the region was completely destroyed, the rumor of the lost prince’s survival resurfaced, but with proof this time.

Environmental workers exploring the inhospitable Dulcett-10 region for minerals claimed to have found the cloak—and caught a glimpse—of one of the princes. But they were forced out by an impending star storm, so they’d grabbed the cloak and fled.

It had ended up on her worktable shortly after as the miners donated it to the Interstellar Conservation Array in case it was something important. They, along with all their files and coordinates, magically disappeared shortly after.

Her boss said the garment and dagger would be donated to the rulers of Zah-Tuvo once their restoration was complete.

That was today.

But now she couldn’t get Kelly’s theory out of her mind. She couldn’t allow the piece to be auctioned. Tension curled in her belly as if the cloak itself was telling her to do something about it.

“Oh shoot, it’s time to get ready for the banquet. Are you going to freshen up before you get dressed?”

Scarlett sighed in annoyance. She’d been so focused on curating the perfect display that she’d forgotten they were instructed to attend the banquet before the showing this evening.

An elite group of dignitaries had been invited for the meal and the showing, so Scarlett had been meticulous about the display. Having dinner with the questionable royal family and all their wealthy acquaintances was the last thing she wanted to do. However, her employer had demanded utmost cooperation while also demanding she do so with a smile.

Zah-Tuvo wasn’t her planet, and she wasn’t subjected to the queen’s rule, but she did have to bend to her boss’s will.

“I suppose I should. I been wearing the same clothes for the past two days. I feel gross.”

Kelly hitched a brow. “You look kinda gross, not going to lie.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes playfully. “Thanks.”

Eyeing the cloak, she had the sudden and overwhelming urge not to leave it. A laser grid security case enveloped the cloak, ready for her to turn on. Pressing the code, she watched in satisfaction as the grid came to life. Even though she had visual confirmation that the security was in place, she couldn’t contain nervousness at leaving the display room. But obligations to her job called.

Kelly lightly rubbed Scarlett on the upper arm. “You worry too much. Come on, we get one night to dress nice and eat amazing food. Okay? Let’s even have a drink before the display starts. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet up with a hot dude and round out your night in style.”

Scarlett shot Kelly a look. “Please. That is definitely not on our list of preapproved activities aboard the royal vessel.”

Kelly shrugged. “How would anyone ever know?”

“Haven’t you seen the gazillion security cameras literally in every corner of every hallway and every room on this ship?”

As if to make a point, she nonchalantly pointed to a small camera in the far corner.

Scarlett was the first to admit she had little to no interest in males of her own species, or any other for that matter. One too many dates had been a letdown. No man she had dated lately had been worth sacrificing time from her beloved work for. While Kelly might be rolling around fantasies of a sneaky, illicit affair while aboard the royal cruiser, Scarlett would pass, thanks.

Besides, since working on the cloak began, she had the most annoying and pressing feeling that someone was waiting for her. The man she wanted was out there… waiting… waiting…

“Ready?”

Kelly walked to the doors and tossed Scarlett a look over her shoulder. She gave the room one last glance before joining her friend at the door and entered the security code on the keypad outside after they exited.

“There. No one’s getting in without your access code.”

Kelly hooked her arm through Scarlett’s.

“Let’s go change.”

They passed a few people in the hallway who cast them snarky glances. At this point, Scarlett was used to it. She and Kelly and the rest of their team were the underlings aboard this ship and probably the only ones not related to the royal family in one way or another. She’d heard that even the starship’s captain was related to the Queen. And even though they had been explicitly asked to accompany the royal family on this vacation to display the artifacts, they were made to feel like nothing more than servants.

She didn’t give it much thought. She was here to do a job and she was committed to that. Soon, everyone would see the cloak in all its glory. Her mind began to stray, as it often did lately.

What if the princes were alive? Wouldn’t it be something if the tale she’d grown up with might possibly have a happy and unexpected ending?

She imagined each of them lost on alien planets with no way to communicate to their home world. It was the plot of one of Earth’s many, silly science fiction movies. She’d seen Blue Lagoon. And something called Gilligan’s Island. In each of those movies, humans had been trapped on islands with no way to communicate with others about their whereabouts. They’d remained lost for years before being found. What if something similar was happening with the princes? They’d all be grown now, much older.

What a story that would be.

They continued to their quarters, and Scarlett was relieved when the door shut behind her. She’d already had enough of this ship, and she was antsy to get home. Kelly bee-lined for the shower. She stripped her clothes off as she went, leaving a trail on the floor behind her. She stepped into the mister wearing her bra and panties and tossed back her face back as the cleansing mist sprayed around her body. A blast of warm air washed over her next, drying her off.

Within seconds, she was clean and shiny. Her hair was fluffy and gleamed luxuriously in the lights. When they visited Earth, they had to take an actual shower where water flowed from a sprayer overhead, and they needed to use actual soap, and special conditioner for their hair. Scarlett didn’t know why humans on Earth didn’t upgrade.

She prepared for her own mister cleansing while Kelly went into the bedroom closet.

“You know, they never said how we should dress for this thing.” She held up a sparkly cocktail dress as Scarlett entered the room, fresh and clean. “But I’m definitely wearing this.”

Scarlett frowned. She figured they would wear their professional uniforms, but it appeared Kelly had something else in mind. Holding up a second dress, she gave Scarlett a questioning look. The dress was slinky, silver, and had a tasteful slit on the side of the skirt. It was pretty, but probably too fancy for their role in this banquet. They were obligatory guests, that’s all.

“I don’t know, Kelly. We don’t want to make the queen mad.”

“If she wants to send us back to our room like naughty little children to change our clothes, she can say so. Come on, Scarlett. It’s our one night off. We’re having a fancy dinner and some delicious cocktails. Why can’t we play dress up? Who knows when we’ll get the chance again.”

Scarlett snatched the dress from her friend.

“Fine. But I’m going to say I told you so when this turns out to be a very bad idea.”

CHAPTER 2

“Everyone is staring at us.”

Scarlett ran her palms down the front of her dress and nervously glanced around the room. Everyone turned to look as they stepped into the luxury cruiser’s grand dining room. Not a single face had been welcoming or even curious. No, it was clear she and her friend were not welcome here. Which was odd considering they’d been invited by the queen.

“That’s because we look fabulous.” Kelly winked. “Well, well. Would you look at that? The gentleman right there has his eyes all over you.”

She gestured with her head to a male seated at a table beside us. Scarlett’s skin crawled when she spied his eyes on her body. It was one of the men who had interrogated and watched her when she first began restoration on the cloak.

“No thanks. I’ll pass.”

“You’ve always been too picky, my friend. Which explains why you haven’t seen any action in, oh, how many days is it now?”

“Would you keep your voice down, please?”

Kelly nods knowingly. “Oh, that’s right. We’re way past counting the days. I think going to the months. Possibly, years?”

“Shut up,” she whispered amicably. “I don’t need everyone to know how pathetic my life is.”

They navigated gloriously decorated tables stacked with layers of candles arranged with tropical greenery for centerpieces. The cloths were edged in gold and stamped with the royal seal. Scarlett wanted to investigate the gold trim; positive she’d find it real. The queen spared no expense.

There had been murmurings of an uprising on Zah-Tuvo as the people became increasingly angry over the foreign queen squandering the wealth of their region.

Spying an empty table, they headed toward it when a guard stepped in front of them.

“Servants at the back of the room.”

“We’re not servants,” Scarlett ground out.

The guard was unfazed. “Back of the room.”

Kelly’s eyes flashed. Taking her by the wrist, Scarlett moved around the guard and headed the way he’d indicated. This whole servants thing was overdone. They were keepers of important royal artifacts. Without their skills, precious remnants of the past would have broken into complete disrepair and become unsavable.

They found four plain, unset tables in the shadows at the back of the room. Their dresses glittered brilliantly right before stepping into the shadows, as if making a final statement before being consumed by the dark.

“Well, this is bullshit.” Kelly yanked her chair out and sat. “There’s no wine, no snacks. Not even a freaking water glass. I bet we don’t even get to eat.”

“I have a feeling that you are correct.”

Scarlett’s stomach grumbled as if to remind them that they hadn’t eaten since breakfast. And even that was a scant meal consisting of fruit and a small piece of meat.

All the servant’s tables are empty. Were the other staff not invited to participate in the banquet? If so, why were they invited?

“Do you think it’s odd that we’re the only ones over here?” She asked her friend quietly. With her chin in the palm of her left hand, Kelly glanced subtly around.

“You’re right. Where the hell is everyone else?”

A sliver of unease worked beneath Scarlett’s skin. Her insides churned with shallow anxiety, as if her body were giving her a warning, and a chance to do something about it. Her thoughts shifted to the cloak and the little hairs on the backs of her arms stood up. Nearly bursting from her chair to race back to the display room, she tempered the urge and forced herself to relax.

The cloak would be turned over to the royal family during this cruise. It didn’t belong to her anymore—not that it ever had. Her job was done.

It was time to let go.

But for some reason, she had the innate sensation that something was very wrong.

She was about to mention it to Kelly when her friend made a ‘be quiet’ face. She was listening to something. Quieting her breathing, Scarlett strained to hear, too. The voices around them were across the room and a jumbled mess. Every now and then, the undertones of a male speaking to another jutted out from the sounds of laughter and clinking of beverage glasses.

“…the bounty is significant. The queen will increase the reward, guaranteeing that every single one has been found and destroyed.”

“You want me to bid the job?”

“You have the job. The queen specifically requested you.”

Straining to see who the voices were coming from, Scarlett shifted slightly in her chair. Music began to play, drowning out the conversation. Guests moved from their seats to dance, blocking her view. Damn it.

“Did you hear that?” Kelly spoke loudly over the noise. “What do you think they were talking about?”

She didn’t know for certain, of course, but Scarlett suspected they’d been talking about a bounty on the lost prince’s heads. The queen wanted to remove any threat to her reign, once and for all. Even if the princes are long dead, she’d probably search under every stone to be sure.

“I didn’t tell you,” she said against Kelly’s ear. “But the queen had me interrogated and observed when I first began restoration on the cloak.”

Kelly’s eyes grew huge. “And you’re just telling me now?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. I just wanted to do my work. But I fully believe they were looking for something that might lead them to one of the princes.”

“You think?”

She wound her fingers. “They asked me very specific questions about the cloak. They took all the debris I removed from it at the beginning of the restoration. Probably analyzed it to see where it might have come from. But what I want to know is, why didn’t they do anything about it? The miners who found the cloak had coordinates to the location, but they suddenly disappeared, their information destroyed. Why?”

Kelly’s brows arched. “I have long suspected that the cloak’s sudden appearance completely rattled the queen.”

“Maybe this manhunt will start with the coordinates they probably ripped from the miners.”

Scarlett had never felt so certain of anything in her life. Why she was getting too invested in this, she had no idea. It went deeper than her work with the cloak. Something was driving her, making her angry that the queen might try and hunt the lost heirs. The chances of finding either of them alive was minuscule. Still, the very idea flooded Scarlett with sticky rage.

A server stopped at the table with two glasses. She looked in surprise as he handed them each a glass and left. The pink drinks had a foamy layer on top that erupted in fizz and left tendrils of smoke in the air.

“Well, this looks promising.”

Kelly reached for the glass, but Scarlett casually slipped her hand over the top. “Don’t drink it.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Ah, that’s ominous. Why don’t you want me to drink it?”

“I don’t know Kelly. I just have a bad feeling. The way they’re looking at us is making me uneasy.”

“You’re suggesting it’s poisoned?”

That wouldn’t make any sense considering they were the keepers of the artifacts that the queen coveted so much. Unless she wanted them out of the way for some reason…

The glasses on the table began to rattle. Startled, Scarlett glanced as the drinks sloshed and splashed over the rims.

“What’s going on?”

The room began to rattle violently, shaking the table and toppling empty chairs. People gasped and jumped to their feet.

“Scarlett?” Kelly’s voice shook with fear.

Suddenly, alarms screamed through the air.

The cloak! She had to get to it. Scrambling from her chair, Scarlett grabbed Kelly’s wrist and pulled her through the room. The star cruiser trembled and lurched, the alarms growing louder. People swarmed the exit, blocking their paths. Determined and frantic to reach the artifacts, she elbowed and pushed her way through. She and Kelly burst into the hallway, looked at each other, and bolted for the display room.

Screams and shouts reverberated off the walls as the craft made a dip to the right. Losing her balance, Scarlett did a shuffle dance sideways, trying desperately to right herself, before slamming into the wall. The craft recentered but she was too dazed to get her feet beneath her.

“Are you okay?”

Kelly’s voice sounded far away.

All guests please move calmly to the escape pod bays.

Holy shit.

Grabbing her friend’s hand, she stood, and they continued to the display room. Scarlett punched the code into the panel and gasped in relief as the door swooshed open. Kelly lurched for the dagger display and closed off the laser security.

Scarlett did the same and reached gingerly for the cloak when the sound of boots behind her made her spin.

Two guards blocked the door—the same who had watched over Scarlett during the restoration. She continued slipping the cloak from the mannequin, working it carefully free of the soft shoulders. The men advanced.

“Stop!” One shouted and jutted out a hand.

Terrified, but acting on pure instinct, Scarlett gently looped the cloak over her shoulders. It settled perfectly over her body, hugging her with soft weight. Moving around the mannequin, she shoved it at the guards. It toppled between them, causing them to jump apart. Scarlett raced for the exit.

Kelly!

The guards grabbed for her.

“Scarlett!”

She watched in shock as her friend launched the dagger at her. Working her hands from the cloak, she caught it, somehow, and locked eyes with her friend.

The door slid shut just as the power went out and everything went dark.

CHAPTER 3

She’d never been so terrified in her life.

People cried out in the dark, feeling their way along the halls toward the escape pod bays as the star cruiser rattled and the scent of smoke filled the air. She had to go back for Kelly! But the flow of bodies pushed her along the dark hall, and it was impossible to turn around. Careful of the cloak, she drew it around her body and held it gingerly. The dagger was weighty and warm in her hand.

She had to go back, but she couldn’t.

Kelly… oh, God!

Generator lights popped on and produced a low, golden light along the halls. People shouted in relief and began to run, making the clog worse. Scarlett was squeezed between moving, desperate bodies. Her breath caught in her throat; her heart ached from the force of her pulse. Finally, the sliding doors to the bay opened and the swarm burst through, racing for every available pod. Knowing she’d never reach one in time; Scarlett took a second to weigh her options. These people saw her as a servant. They’d never let her in a two-person pod. The rows of single seats were being grabbed up left and right. Before she had a chance to take a solid breath, the pods were breaking free from the ship and shooting out into space.

Her skin began to tingle where the silky liner of the cloak covered it. For some reason, she glanced to her right. Stepping into the room a bit more, she noticed a hallway arching back behind the entrance. Three single seat pods were tucked there, quietly waiting in their hangers. She raced toward one.

Something struck her in the shoulder, knocking her to the side. Scarlett stumbled but managed to stay upright. A body ran past her and dove into the closest pod.

Asshole.

She made a mad dash for the next one and slid inside with a triumphant shout. Pulling the harness over herself, she locked it while hitting the power button. These common pods were easy to operate with a single control and simple navigation system. It would automatically take her to the closest port, while the tracking beacon recorded a map of her path.

The power button began to flash instead of turning solid red like it was supposed to. Confused, she pressed it again, but nothing happened. The hanger arms moved back, the engine revving up on the pod.

Warning. Warning.

A robotic voice chimed inside the cockpit. Sweat burned beneath her armpits as she searched the console to find the problem. Jesus, something was wrong with her pod! It lurched forward into the arms, preparing to be jettisoned into space.

“No, no, no, wait!”

She hit the power button again and again, then found the kill switch and pulled it. Nothing. The arms steadily moved the pod forward, trapped it in and reeled back.

“No!”

The pod flung forward. Scarlett tossed in her seat, her hands sliding along the smooth console before she could get a grip. Her knees banged against the hard plastic as alarms squealed in her ears. Catching her breath, she desperately searched the console but found nothing wrong except the flashing power button.

Warning, warning.

“Shut up!”

The pod increased velocity. Pressure built inside the cockpit, surrounding her head and chest, squeezing. The pressure lock wasn’t adjusting and suddenly, she couldn’t pull in a full breath. The pod should be going at this speed… it was too damn fast!

What little training she’d had on these pods hadn’t prepared her for a malfunction and certainly not something like this. These things were foolproof, infallible.

Dizziness assaulted her and she had trouble keeping her eyes open. The air around her was heavy and suffocating.

Time faded as she focused on her breathing, her first measure of survival. Just breathe. Each inhale was an enormous effort. She seemed to be floating and sinking at the same time. Her head spun, her lungs protesting and the desperate need to breathe began fighting back with desperation. It clawed at her, her brain screaming for air.

Grabbing her throat, she struggled, gasping. It was too much yet not enough, and as her energy began to wane and her lungs threatened to deflate, she suddenly went still. Slumping in the seat, she managed to peel her eyelids open enough to see the pod hurling toward the swirling gray and white mist of an incoming atmosphere. A planet… but where? She was too oxygen deprived to check the console. It didn’t matter. She’d never survive entry.

Heat accumulated inside and inflated the air pressure. Clouds and flashes of colors raced by the small windshield. It was all surreal, coming at her so fast her brain couldn’t fully process she was going to crash. Her body flopped side to side, hands bracing against the console. It came apart beneath her palms, heat washed over her face. Pain.

Silence.

The sky rushed at her, small things in the distance becoming bigger. Trees. So many trees.

Scarlett closed her eyes, nearly fainting as the pod lanced through branches and leaves. It rattled and shook, something banging into the side. The entire craft rattled. When she dared look again, she spied flames licking the sides of the windshield.

The ground rose to meet her as the pod slammed into it. Reverberations rocked the craft and then it went suddenly still.

Something cold washed over her face. Her fingers ached as if she’d punched a wall. A rustling sound filtered in her ears, mixed with what sounded like chirping.

Birds?

A low growl, like an angry dog. Menacing. Threatening.

Pain lanced through her head. Wincing, Scarlett pressed her fingers over the ache and winced.

“Ouch!”

Blood coated her fingers. She stared at them in disbelief. No, no, no. This wasn’t real. None of this was real.

“Kelly?”

She had to be here somewhere. They’d gotten ready for the dinner and then… something had happened. Touching the painful spot on her head again, Scarlett stared at the blood on her fingers. She’d gotten into a pod and it had crashed.

She’d crashed. Holy shit!

Reality sunk in and Scarlett bolted upright in her seat. Or what was left of it. The cockpit was gone. She was sitting in a piece of the seat, completely exposed. The cloak was gone. Patting her body to be sure, she glanced around in panic but didn’t see it.

Tall, imposing trees towered over her, broad leaves partially blocking out the sun. The ground was a tangle of plants, grass, and flowers. Nothing looked familiar, yet she had the smallest feeling that she knew this place. It looked tropical, like something she’d seen in a photo. Her brain couldn’t fully absorb her surroundings as she got up and steadied herself by hanging onto parts of the wreckage.

The cloak. She needed to find the cloak!

Hot sun beat down on her battered body. The air was sticky and humid, causing her clothing to cling uncomfortably to her body. She realized she was still wearing the glittery dress. Stumbling over the last of the wreckage, she focused on finding the cloak. Her eyes refused to focus as she scoured the ground for any sign of it or the dagger.

A low growl sounded from behind her. Scarlett turned slowly to avoid aggravating the pain in her head. The forest was so thick, she couldn’t see anything. Yet the softest sounds of footfalls on the ground made her hairline tingle. Something was out there, watching her. Heart fluttering, she moved away from what was left of the pod to find cover.

She’d have to come back for the cloak. It would never be recovered and possibly saved if she was eaten by some jungle beast.

The growl sounded again, louder now. It was laced with pure threat. She was prey, and whatever it was could probably run faster than she could. Light dizziness played with her brain. Wincing, she tried to clear her vision and moved toward the first crop of trees to her right. Listening intently for the creature, she moved as quietly as possible through the jungle, weaving around trees and moving brush and undergrowth out of the way. Thorns scraped against her skin as she moved deeper into the tangle.

The footfalls become more determined behind her. Certain she was being followed now; Scarlett considered her options. Run, or get eaten. Her head was swimming, the pain getting worse with each footstep. Determined to do everything she could to get away, Scarlett started running.

It was a futile attempt as the density of the jungle slowed her down. Sweat ran into her eyes and stung her wound. Her breathing sounded loud in her ears. Too afraid to look back, she yelped as something raced alongside her. A sleek black body bounded through the jungle like it was nothing. Though some distance away, Scarlett could make out the animal’s compact head and large, pointed ears.

It got ahead of her and suddenly turned in her direction. Losing sight of it in the undergrowth, Scarlett dashed to the right. Her foot caught on something on the jungle floor. Her body propelled forward, hands going out to catch herself against a tree trunk.

The jungle went still.

Her skin tingled, her senses suddenly hyperaware as if something else were nearby.

Pulling in metered, hard breaths, she listened. The creature chasing her seemed to have vanished, but something… something was in the tree over her head.

Fuck.

Pulling in every ounce of bravery she could muster, Scarlett glanced up. Prickles assaulted her face and scalp, and a startled scream lodged in her throat.

It wasn’t a creature in the branches above… it was a man. Or something resembling one. He was partially cast in shadows from the tree branches, but her brain mapped out what her eyes could see. Long locks of silver hair falling around one shoulder. The outline of a shoulder and muscular arm and a human-like hand.

He moved slightly, giving her a slightly better view. Crouched on a wide branch, one hand gripping a thick green vine, he watched her with curiously. His eyes glowed as if backlit with the brightest fluorescents, the light captivating her with such a hold that she was literally riveted to her spot.

Oh, there you are. The words came so easily through her mind as if she knew this creature and had been waiting for him.

Warning knocked in her brain.

He looked wild and unpredictable. Of course, she didn’t know him. How could she? But why was she feeling this strange pull of familiarity?

Scarlett pulled in a breath through her nose, knowing she needed to flee but unable to rip her gaze away. The creature had an allure she couldn’t turn away from. Even if she did run, he’d catch her.

He appeared very comfortable with the vine in his hand. They created a network through the tops of the trees which he probably used as a type of transportation. What was he? She didn’t know any human-like creatures that were adept at swinging through the trees.

This male certainly looked like he belonged in the forest.

Who knew what he was capable of?

He’d swing down and grab her, his massive, corded arm wrapping around her and crushing her to him as he carried her away through the trees. And then she’d become a meal.

Moving from the shadows of the magnificent palm-like leaves, the male came into clearer view. His body revealed itself in increments and she watched every inch of him unfold. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t move as he came into full view.

The male was huge. His broad chest was a fortress of muscle covered in blue, softly scaled flesh. His ribcage was leaner than a human male’s, his abdomen longer and ridged with pronounced abdominal squares that led to the bands of muscle creating a deep V that dipped beneath the waist of some type of battered leather pants slung low on his hips. He was silver fleshed from his pecs to his hips, the skin tone only slightly darker than his hair.

Struck by his wild beauty, she was almost overcome with the sensation of familiarity again.

Wrapping the vine around his thick wrist with a twist of his hand, he jumped effortlessly from the branch and rode the vine to the ground.

Scarlett broke from the spell and stumbled back. He unfolded from the landing to stand imposingly tall. His human-like face sported a dark scowl edged with clear danger. He assessed her as a predator might its prey while sizing it up and deciding whether or not to strike.

Fear rolled through her in trembling waves. Her skin itched as adrenaline dumped into her blood. Her brain screamed with a terrified internal voice. “Run!”

But he was too close. Too tall. Too strong. She had no weapons, and even if she did, she wasn’t deft in using them anyway. Her only choice was to stay calm. Slowly, she rose her hands in the surrender pose and lowered her head to appear submissive.

“I don’t have a weapon. I’m lost.”

Did he have an internal translator? She’d had one implanted behind her ear when she was born, as most newborns in the Delta sector did. Then again, she had no fucking idea where she was or what was normal around here. He made no indication that he understood her, but his gaze fell to her forehead, and something flashed in his eyes. Remembering the wound, she touched it lightly, momentarily forgetting about it. The pain came knocking back, the wetness of new blood warm and sticky as it ran down her temple. Fear had traded one problem for another, and now she was acutely aware of both. The dizziness returned, as if waiting its turn.

“What sector is this? What planet?”

He took a step forward. Scarlett gasped and scrambled back. Her feet scuffled against roots and forest debris, nearly tripping her up but she palmed a tree trunk and kept her balance. He advanced quickly and with purpose, moving like every murderer she’d ever seen in the scary movies streamed from Earth. In the instant between his first forward motion, and reaching her, her mind processed the fluidity of his body, how his muscles worked in effortless union to silently glide him across the uneven ground. Before she could blink, he was upon her. Hands reaching, eyes flashing.

Scarlett cried out and crouched into a protective position. Before she could place her arms over her head, he had her in his grip.

A soft, silently urging grip, pulling her upright.

“Please, no… please.”

He lightly gripped her chin and turned her head, then gingerly touched her wound, and pulled his fingers back to look at her blood on his fingertips. A wave of dizziness washed over her, threatening her ability to remain conscious. He was probably going to eat her now.

“I don’t… I don’t taste very good. Just so you know.”

He cocked his head. A dark expression dropped over his features. Still holding onto her, he moved around her with the fluidity of a panther. Barely able to pull in a breath, she remained perfectly still as he seemed to study her. She sucked in a hard breath as he moved directly in front of her, so her face was directly in line with his massive pectorals. A deep, rich scent rolled off him. Flowers, and skin warmed by the sun, and something else. Something rich like the sweet, earthiness of tobacco. Her body warmed again in response, this time with a delicious tingle fluttering from the very core of her.

He pressed his blood-stained fingers against her shoulder, ran them along her neck and down her spine with questioning little touches. He pulled lightly at her battered dress, turned her head from side-to-side, then ran his fingers lightly through her hair. Scarlett’s chest ached with a sob wedged painfully in the base of her throat. He moved around her, inspecting her from behind. His sweet, musky scent and body heat followed, his warmth blanketing her. Despite her fear, the scent soothed her shocked, chilled body. The dizziness grew. Aware that she was suddenly off balance, Scarlett wobbled on weak legs and jutted her arms out to her sides to steady herself. He wrapped an arm around her breasts.

She yelped, then realized he was only steadying her. Breathing hard, she closed her eyes, but it only made the dizziness worse. Her body swayed against him, and she was growing colder by the second.

Keeping her steady, he moved once again in front of her. Curiously, he pressed his free hand against her breastbone as if checking its sturdiness and then poked one finger in the hollow at the base of her throat and ran it down.

Down… down, over her dress and between her breasts.

“Hey!” Scarlett tried to bat his hand away, but it was a weak attempt.

He looked at her breasts, then to her face. His features blurred. Oh, no. She was going to pass out. She could feel it threatening. But if she did, she’d be defenseless. The beast could do anything to her, and she’d be absolutely vulnerable.

“I need… I’m going to…” her voice trailed off and she struggled to regain it. “I need to lie down.”

Her knees gave way and she sank. Hard arms around her kept her from hitting the ground. The rustle of leaves was loud in her ears, and then her body was weightless, pressed against something hard, yet soft. She opened her eyes just enough to see the man pulling himself up the tree with one hand on a vine while he held her securely in the other.

Oh, fuck! He was taking her up the tree, just like she’d feared!

“No. Please, let me go.”

Wiggling, she gulped back the urge to vomit and tightly gripped his bicep.

They were climbing higher by the second and suddenly the ground was really far below. How the hell had he hoisted them up with one arm?

He paused on a wide branch and set her on her feet. Her stomach lurched. Knowing what was about to happen, she struggled weakly until he moved his arm from around her. She doubled over and retched. Blood oozed from her wound. She had a concussion. She was sure of it. Nausea, vomiting, headache. Classic. And she was oh, so tired.

The man leaned over her gently as if shielding her with his body while she threw up. When she was finished, he picked her up and cradled her in one arm. Her head lolled against his shoulder; her body too weak to fight.

Everything went black.

CHAPTER 4

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly…

Birds chirped a chaotic album in stereo. Wincing, Scarlett pressed a hand to her temple and startled to feel something wrapped snugly around her head. Blood had seeped through the fabric and dried, creating a hard spot over her wound. Her throat moved slowly as she tried to drum up saliva in her parched mouth while she cautiously glanced around.

The air was heavy with the alien male’s scent. It was comforting and should be unfamiliar. Yet, her pulse picked up in response to the notes running over her palate, as if she knew it well.

Intimately.

Her body had a visceral response to the scent that it shouldn’t be having. Concerned and afraid, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Pain sliced through her head, reminding her to take it slow. Flashes of the crash rushed at her. Falling through the sky, the pod losing control and catching fire as it broke through the planet’s atmosphere. Hurling in a freefall through the sky, the interior becoming so hot and oppressive, Scarlett felt as if she were being slowly cooked alive. Breaking the treetops, spiraling through thick branches, cracking through wood and vine and leaves… Her body tossing around like a ping pong ball. Her head hitting the console.

A low snarl snapped her from her thoughts. Footsteps fell from somewhere close— no, foot pads hitting the floor, like a dog—getting closer as the snarl grew louder. Wondering if the sounds were real or some sleep-awake dream, Scarlett took fistfuls of the fabric around her.

No, not fabric. Furs. She was covered in two layers of soft, cream-colored fur. Dark stripes ran across them with small dots weaving a pattern between the lines. Beneath her, a mattress woven from some kind of thin, feathery fiber sported a soft, lofty fill. Frowning, she took in her surroundings. It was a cabin, maybe—some kind of dwelling with woven walls and bark for a ceiling. The floor was stone and there was an impressive stonework fireplace across the room.

Sparse of furnishings, the singular room held the bed, two seats that resembled backless chairs, and a large, thick fur on the ground with another balled up to make a pillow for a makeshift bed.

The window openings were empty, and a fur hung in the doorway. It swayed in and out, suggesting it led directly outside.

The snarl rolled softly through the air. Her chest hitched. Whatever it was, was on the other side of the fur door flap. Two dark shadows appeared beneath the small space between the end of the fur and the ground. Feet?

Something bumped the flap. It swung inward and flopped back out. Scarlett gripped the furs and scooted back along the bed. Looking around for a weapon, she groaned in frustration to find nothing in the nearly empty space.

Whatever was on the other side of the door emitted a low, meaningful growl.

Not again. Not another creature. This time, she was trapped in a bed with nowhere to run.

The flap moved as something popped its head around the side. Biting her lip to keep from shouting, she slowly dragged the fur covers higher and moved her hands to the sides. If the thing charged her, she might be able to wrap its head in the furs, distracting it long enough she could bolt for the door.

She waited, tension growing. Her senses became more alert, listening for noise, her skin prickled as she felt for changes in the air.

The bottom edge of the flap pushed aside as a sleek black head pushed beneath the edge of the fur and slid in by increments. A long, svelte body slowly appeared… long, muscular legs with wide paws capped with gleaming, curling claws. A whip-like tail snaked around its body and manipulated the flap to move it farther out of the way. A burst of light entered the room, highlighting the creature as it fully appeared to Scarlett’s view. A cross between a panther, and a wild dog, the beast was both menacing yet ridiculously domesticated looking. Falsely, so, Scarlett knew considering the same creature had chased her through the jungle after the crash.

Two pointed canine teeth fell well below its lower jaw. Flashing yellow eyes glared at her. A row of spikes ran from the center of the animal’s head and followed its spine to the base of its tail. As it stopped in the middle of the room, it emitted a new kind of high-pitched sound that reverberated in Scarlett’s chest. A row of spikes suddenly appeared along the animal’s sides, sharp tips almost glittering in the light.

How had she gotten away from this thing earlier? Somehow, she’d outrun it. Or maybe it had allowed her to run so it could toy with her the way a predator would with its prey. Like a cat, hoping she tired herself out so it could bat her around a while before going in for the kill. But she’d stumbled into the alien man first and this animal had vanished.

The lancing pain in her head increased as the need for self-preservation kicked in. She eyed the room again, seeing nothing she could use as a weapon but the pair of oddly shaped chairs. This animal was much too large for her to wrap into the blanket. It would cut through the fur with its razor-sharp teeth or claw it to shreds before Scarlett could get off of the bed. She might have something of a chance if she could hit it over the head with a chair. Moving ever so slowly, she inched her way to the side of the bed.

Fear was quick to overwhelm her, but she somehow held it in check as she slipped one leg over the side of the bed, keeping her eyes focused on the creature, and then the other. The stone floor was cold beneath the pads of her feet.

There, lying at the hearth of the fireplace was a good-sized pole with a blunt, pointed end, probably used to stoke the flames. It blended in so well with the stone she hadn’t noticed it before. It was farther away than the chair. She’d have to act fast.

Willing her wild pulse to behave and the dizziness to stay at bay, Scarlett stood in a crouched position, palms out toward the animal as she inched softly toward the chair. The panther/dog made a clicking sound deep in its throat as it tracked her movements and began mimicking her steps, meeting each as they moved sideways in tandem.

Tapping into all her willpower, Scarlett resisted the urge to bolt for the chair and systematically made her way to it. It was unnerving how the panther met her step for step, staying perfectly in line with her without advancing or closing the gap between them.

Crouching low, she grabbed the base of the chair with both hands and lifted it slightly off the ground. It was heavy, much heavier than she was expecting, but she managed to lift in securely. Turning the legs outward toward the panther, she set her jaw and took a hard breath.

“Go away!” She said the words evenly and with intention. “Go away, right now!”

The panther’s large, pointed ears stood upright and moved slightly back and forth as if assessing the tone of her voice.

Scarlett took a very small step forward. “I said, go. Get out of here!”

The panther shook his head and laid its ears flat on its head. It crouched, its upper lip curling away from deadly teeth. Oh, shit. Maybe, this wasn’t going to work. This was a wild, alien creature that wasn’t going to be easily frightened by a human with a head injury and a chair. She needed bigger ammunition. Keeping the chair in front of her, she inched her way toward the poking stick. The distance between her and the panther would get narrower as she reached for the stick due to the angle it was at on the ground. She’d have to lunge for it and get it into a defensive position quick enough to ward off the panther if it pounced.

No, when it pounced. There was no question that the animal would attack the moment she made a fast movement.

“Good, Kitty. I’m just going to get this big stick. Good, Kitty.”

Now she was just being ridiculous. Her poor, swollen brain wasn’t thinking clearly. Except, the undeniable urge for self-preservation pumped strongly through her veins. Her brain could be silly as long as it cooperated with her attempts to keep it alive.

Time moved excruciatingly slow before she made any measurable progress toward the stick. Each step narrowed the distance between her and the panther. A scent like wet earth and fresh cut grass wafted off it as she got inches closer to it. Scarlett blinked. She couldn’t do this.

She was literally looking certain death in the eyes.

She’d already tried her luck twice. Once when she met this creature before and again when she’d come face-to-face with a wild alien man in a tree.

Where the hell was he? Her stomach bottomed out. Had he brought her here as a meal for this panther? The way it had moved inside the dwelling suggested it was familiar with this place. Oh, God. Is that what this was? She is nothing more than a human chicken nugget.

Fuck it, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. The animal’s razor like teeth taunted her as she moved within reach of the pole. Those things would sink through her body like a hot knife through ice cream. She wouldn’t stand a chance against those powerful jaws.

Hopefully, the animal would be quick about it.

Oh God.

The panther’s breath washed over her hands as it huffed a warning. The heat of it pushed past the outstretched chair and touched the backs of her fingers. The animal shook its head as if warning her and huffed again, spraying spittle over her knuckles. It was now or never.

Scarlett launched the chair with all her strength at the animal’s head and made a clumsy leap for the stick. She tripped on the stone hearth but caught herself with one hand while grappling for the stick with the other. The chair clattered to the ground, followed by a roar.

She spun clumsily, managing to hold the stick with both hands. It was much heavier than she imagined. The wood felt like it was made of iron. Somehow, she managed to spin it so the pointed edge was toward the animal… just as it lunged at her. Knocking it in the side of the head, Scarlett scrambled to press her back against the fireplace with the stick held in front of her. Her arms shook from the weight of it, and her head began to scream with pain. She wouldn’t be able to hold it for very long.

The stick fell from her hands. Her arms shook as she watched the animal, with the sickly, sinking knowledge that she was taking her last breaths.

The creature took two graceful steps toward her then stopped with its head low and simply stared at her. It cocked its head slightly, as if trying to figure her out. Scarlett was confused. Wasn’t it going to lurch at her and finish her off?

Head dipping lower, it took two more slow steps. Its hot breath washed over Scarlett’s leg, its wet, cold nose bumping into her shin as it sniffed her lower leg and ankle. Scarlett stood perfectly still, watching. Waiting. The panther’s flesh was covered in a mixture of fine hair with lines of what appeared to be scales creating a beautiful pattern over the animal’s body. She realized they weren’t actually scales, but spikes. Kind of like a strange, alien, porcupine that looked soft and cuddly until you touched it and ended up with palms full of painful quills.

She wanted to close her eyes so she didn’t have to witness her own death, but she couldn’t look away. Just when she thought she couldn’t take the anticipation another second, the animal backed away. Scarlett let out a hard breath.

What was happening? Why was it leaving?

The sound of rushing footfalls sounded from outside. The door flap whipped to the side. The alien male rushed in. The animal spun to look at him. The male made a gesture with his hands and the animal responded by shaking its head with a purposeful motion. It looked as if they were communicating.

The alien pointed at her.

The panther looked at her and bared its teeth, as if following a command from its master.

CHAPTER 5

Scarlett swayed on her feet.

The alien glanced at her, his expression falling before he rushed to her, picked her up in his arms and deposited her back onto the bed. The animal moved to his side and watched, pressing against the alien like a dog.

“That thing tried to eat me. Where my pod crashed. It was chasing me.”

Both the male and the beast cocked their heads in unison.

“It tried to eat me.”

The alien pushed the panther back with a wave of his hand. It obeyed by slinking slowly out of the dwelling and disappeared out the door.

Scarlett’s heart fluttered as she made eye contact with the male. She’d forgotten how incredibly attractive he was and the absolute weirdness of her attraction to him. It had to be the head injury. There was no other explanation as to why her body responded to a literal man swinging from vines in the treetops on a tangled jungle planet.

He gingerly touched the wrapping around her head. She winced. Slipping the handle of a leather bag off of his shoulder, he set it on the bed and opened it and withdrew several round, red objects that looked similar to apples. He placed one in her hands and then looked at her.

“Am I supposed to eat it?”

He just stared at her. After a moment he put his fingers beneath her cupped hands and lifted them toward her face. Her stomach growled with hunger. Hesitantly, she sniffed the fruit and found it to be sweet. Almost citrusy. She brought it to her lips, hesitated again, and then took a minuscule bite. The flesh was soft like that of a pear and a burst of sweet, fruity juice rolled across her tongue. She took another bite, and then another. Her stomach growled for more.

The male replaced the core of the completed fruit with a new one and before she realized it, she’d eaten three. A peaceful, warm feeling washed over her. Like liquid contentment floating through her veins. Odd, to get such a sensation from eating fruit. She settled back against the balled-up furs that made her makeshift pillow and put a hand over her middle. The male went outside with the fruit cores and came back with a mug, which he handed to her. She was surprised to find it warm. The liquid inside smelled like tea. He once again used his hand to lift hers, and she took a small sip. It was too hot to drink, so she closed her eyes and lowered it into her lap.

Just then, she realized that she had a complete absence of fear. His presence was reassuring and familiar, as if she knew him well and was used to having him around. Frowning, she studied his face. He stared at her, doing the same. Who was this alien, human-looking male? Were there others and if so, where?

“Can you speak?” She asked softly.

His eyelids fluttered over those strange, violet eyes. He made no indication of a response.

“Can you understand anything that I’m saying? Do you have a translator?” She pointed behind her left ear and tapped over the small bulge where her translator lay beneath her skin. “Translator? For understanding languages.”

He blinked again. Nothing. Shit.

She ran a hand over her forehead and down the back of her hair. “If you can’t understand me, and we can’t communicate, then how do I ask you if there is any way off this planet? Do you have communications devices? Space pods, any form of space travel at all?”

He urged her to drink the tea again.

Going still as he reached for the bandage on her head, Scarlett let out a low breath in anticipation of pain. He made gentle work of removing the bandage. A wad of something that looks like leaves was stuck inside the wrapper where her wound had been. Reaching again into his pouch, he withdrew a fresh strip of finely woven cloth and what looked like a poultice of the same leaves. Scarlett closed her eyes as he worked, wincing as the poultice touched the laceration. Almost instantly, her jagged flesh felt better.

The door flapped opened and the panther returned with an animal clenched in its jaws. The male turned to look and nodded satisfactorily. The panther plopped the animal onto the floor, growled as if it was annoyed, and went back outside. Scarlett pressed a thumb and forefinger to her eyes, sure she was hallucinating.

“Did that panther just go hunting for you?”

The male retrieved the offering without acknowledging her question. He went outside and she wondered if perhaps he was deaf or had trouble hearing. Maybe it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand her, but, rather, that he couldn’t hear her. Thinking about that for a minute, she came to no clear conclusion as fatigue settled over her brain once again. She closed her eyes and must have dozed off, but the scent of roasting meat revived her. When she opened her eyes again, a low fire was crackling in the fireplace and darkness shaded outside the windows. Had she slept the entire day?

The male sat on one of the chairs he’d pulled near the fireplace and had meat on a spit roasting over the flame.

She studied how his long, silky hair hung down his back like an ethereal curtain. He moved fluidly as he worked with the meat, stood, and went outside, and returned with something that he tossed into the flame. The panther came back inside and sat down next to him like an obedient pet. It suddenly occurred to her why the panther’s movements seemed so familiar. The alien male moved almost the exact same way. Both were graceful and efficient and with a certain way of moving.

The male cut a chunk of meat from the spit and tossed it to the beast. With a satisfied growl, the panther retreated outside with its meal. Scarlett observed as the male stood and removed the spit from the flame. He took it outside and came back a few minutes later with the meat neatly sliced on a type of earthenware plate. There was an arrangement of other food items, resembling root vegetables and more of the apple like fruit.

Watching her for her reaction, she supposed, he sat. He set the tray on the edge of the bed and pulled a chair over. Picking up a slice of the meat, he held it out to her. Scarlett’s head throbbed. She didn’t feel like she could sit forward without causing more pain, so she reached for the offering instead of sitting up to receive it. Instead of handing it over, he held the meat to her lips. Mortified, she clamped her lips together. But something flickered in his eyes. It was a primal, possessive gleam that suggested he was doing what came naturally.

He was taking care of her and… she wanted him to.

Opening her mouth, she accepted the offering. The meat was greasy, rich, and delicious. Her body rejoiced at the nutrients, and she hadn’t realized how starved she felt until just now. It’s like he knew exactly what she needed. They ate together in silence until most of the meat was gone. The panther came back inside, Scarlett warily eyed the beast as it sat close to the bed and watched them eat. It was begging like a dog. The male looked at her and indicated if she wanted more, Scarlett shook her head. Picking up the remaining pieces, he offered them to the cat who gently took them from the man’s fingers and ran happily back outside.

“That’s impressive. That thing could eat you in two bites, but it takes meat gently from your hand like it’s a lapdog.”

The male’s lips turned up in what looked like a smile. Surprised, Scarlett looked a bit closer. Sure enough, the curve of his mouth was formed into a subtle, soft smile. Was that a response to her statement? Did he understand her after all?

“What’s your name?”

He picked up one of the root vegetables and handed it to her and then took one for himself.

“Do you have a name? I am wondering what I should call you.”

He watched her while he ate, once again, not indicating that he understood.

Scarlett ate half of the vegetable and set the rest down. Her stomach clenched; it was so full.

“My name is Scarlett. I’m from the Delta quadrant.”

No sign of understanding.

She sighed. He could be as attractive as he wanted, but this was going to be exceptionally difficult if they couldn’t communicate. He removed the plate from the edge of the bed and turned away from her. She caught a glimpse of a dagger peeking from a scabbard at his hip. She’d seen him using a knife earlier but hadn’t thought much of it.

She recognized the design of the hilt. Without thinking, she reached for it, but the angle was wrong, and she ended up running her fingers over the side of his ass. He jerked and came to a halt. Glancing over his shoulder at her, she brushed off her embarrassment and pointed out the dagger.

“Let me see that. Please, let me see it.” She made a ‘give it to me’ motion with her fingers. After a moment, he withdrew the dagger and held it up for her view.

“Holy shit! Where did you get that?”

It was an exact replica, a perfect match, to the dagger she’d brought with her from the collection of the lost princes of Zah-Tuvo.

CHAPTER 6

“Where did you get that?”

This was impossible. This creature, so secretive and silent, was in possession of a rare royal object. An object that belonged to a prince of Zah-Tuvo!

A small measure of understanding flickered across his face. Narrowing her eyes, Scarlett determined that he did, indeed understand some of what she was saying. He bristled and protectively slipped the dagger back into the scabbard.

“Have traders been here? People that come to trade goods with you? Is that where you got that?”

He turned away, his hair swaying behind him.

“Wait! I don’t think you understand how important this is.”

He swung back to face her, his eyes flushing danger. One hand went over the dagger as if she could possibly wrench it away from him. He sliced with a downward motion with his other hand, suggesting the end of this conversation.

There it was. Understanding. Scarlett sat up, ignoring the pain in her head.

“Listen, I work for…”

He stormed out. Enlivened by the knowledge that another dagger survived, she got out of bed, took a moment to regain her balance, and followed him. It was dark outside.

Her eyes took a while to adjust to the light, and she wasn’t sure which direction he had gone. Glancing around, she realized she wasn’t on the ground. A wide network of tree branches sprawled out beneath her feet. With a gasp, she looked over her shoulder at the dwelling. It was hard to discern in the dark, but appeared to be expertly built in between the rise of several branches. As if it were part of the tree itself. Before her were several other dwellings of similar nature cradled in the arms of the tree. All were dark, as if uninhabited, with no smoke coming from their slender chimneys.

Realizing that she was not steady enough on her feet quite yet to be traipsing through the treetops, Scarlett entered the dwelling with a curse and made her way back to the bed. Stupid head injury. Stupid, stupid concussion. She wasn’t used to being slowed down and it was grating on her every nerve to be bedridden. Even so, her body thanked her the moment she sank back into the bed.

Where the hell had he gotten that dagger?

Was it possible that this is the planet where the minors found the artifacts? It was possible traders came here and he’d purchased it. His lack of communication, either due to willingness or ability, would likely prevent him from interacting with traders, though. All the traders she’d ever meet were gruff and rude. They’d be too impatient to try to communicate with a mute. So how did he get it?

She suddenly felt wide awake. Her body must have utilized the nutrients from the meal to perk her up because she wanted nothing more than to get out of the bed. The fire was beginning to die, and the light quietly receded from the room. She’d never been one for the dark, and the idea of traipsing through the tree branches in the pitch black was unnerving. It would also be stupid. No, she couldn’t do anything until daylight.

Settling beneath the furs, she watched as the fire incrementally died until nothing remained but a few glowing embers. Even with the naked windows, the dwelling was pleasantly warm, and she regained her sleepiness. She slipped into dreams about the lost princes, dreaming that she was working on more artifacts recovered from the old Zah-Tuvo kingdom… right before the new queen came and ripped them all away…

Scarlett awoke sometime before the morning sun illuminated the sky. Aware of soft noise in the room, she sat slowly and peered around in the budding light. There, on the pallet of furs on the floor beside the bed, the alien male was stretched out with one arm beneath his head. The panther was curled up at his side, its long tail wound around his body and holding him protectively close. Was it her imagination, or was the big cat purring? She was acutely aware of her need to use the restroom and was a little shocked she couldn’t recall the last time she used one. Unless… Nature had called while she was unconscious, which meant the alien beast would’ve had to take care of it.

Her cheeks flamed hot. She didn’t want to think about it.

Slipping quietly from the bed, she ran her hands over her face, and stood. The big cat perked up immediately and jumped to its feet. Still nervous around the animal, Scarlett held out her hands and made no sudden movements.

“I just need to go to the bathroom. Do you happen to know where the bathroom is?”

The cat shook its giant head and laid it back down on its paws. Scarlett looked over the sleeping male. His face looked relaxed and youthful in his slumber. His big body cradled by the furs, looked even stronger and more impressive somehow. He was wearing different pants. These were made from a lightly woven black fabric. Small patches of his skin peeked through here and there. She trailed the garment over his massive thighs up to his waist. Her cheeks flamed hotter when she realized the material was almost mesh like over his groin, revealing, probably more than he intended to show. Then again, he was wild. Who the hell knew what he was thinking. She should look away, but her eyes lingered on the long outline of his cock where it rested against the fabric. The weave disrupted a total view, but she got the idea.

Mortified at her subtle inspection of this alluring male, she padded slowly to the entrance and pushed back the flap. Sure enough, an epic tree spread out before her. The branches created a valley which cradled four dwellings nestled within its branches. Now that she could see clearly, Scarlett noticed that each dwelling was a little different than the others. Glancing over her shoulder, she felt emboldened to find the male still asleep.

She stepped outside and carefully navigated a short segment of branch, sure that she was going to slip and fall to her death. A few steps in, she became more confident when she realized that the base and length of each tree branch were wide enough to create a plank system. She could easily navigate without any breaks in the branches from which to fall. This was an amazing tree, almost as if it grew for the sole purpose of becoming a home. Birds alighted from the tops of the branches. Peering up, up, up, she spied small nests interspersed between the leaves.

Confident now, she peeked her head into the closest dwelling. It was empty.

The next is what she was looking for, possibly. In the center of the room sat something close to a makeshift bathtub, and a washing station in the corner containing a basin with a small bamboo-like spicket. It sat next to what looked like a compost type of toilet. It looked familiar enough that she was pretty sure that was the purpose. Above the washbasin, a broad leaf was curled into a funnel with a stopper attached to the end. Curious, she went closer and saw water sporadically dripping out of the stopper. It must be a water source, she thought. If the stopper was pulled, water likely flowed down into the washbasin. Unbelievable.

A sound rustled behind her. Spinning, she saw the male in the doorway with his arms crossed. He didn’t look like someone who had just woken from sleep. Had he been awake this whole time? Allowing her to snoop around while silently trailing her?

“I need a restroom. Is this…?”

He gave a small nod, backed out of the entrance, and pulled a flap over it. Scarlett took a second to familiarize herself with the facilities, then quickly used them, and turned to find out if her suspicion about the stopper on the leaf was true. She removed it and a slow, steady trickle of water filled the basin. He must have a waiting reservoir up top somewhere. Ingenious.

She splashed water over her face, moaning at how good it felt against her skin. And then she scrubbed her hands and washed her forearms. Finding another stopper in the bottom basin, she pulled it to let the water drain and then replaced it.

She exited the dwelling with her hands and arms still dripping water. She needed a bath, a shower, or even just a cleansing spray. Every now and then, she caught a whiff of something unpleasant and assumed it was her. Her dress was tattered and disgusting.

He was waiting for her outside. Cocking his head from one side to the other, he looked her over as if to ascertain how she was feeling. She lightly touched the bandage on her forehead and was relieved to find that it had not bled through the night before. While a dull pain still clamored inside her skull, she was feeling better today.

She wanted to ask him again about the dagger. But his response had been so potent she wasn’t sure how to get across what she was trying to say without a miscommunication. She would have to think about it a little more, find a way to communicate better. In the meantime, her skin was itchy, and she felt gross.

“I need to bathe. Is there somewhere I can get cleaned?” Glancing down at herself, she curled her lip at her dirty, battered dress. She’d been sleeping in this male’s bed with her disgusting filth. She’d figure out how to clean everything once she herself had gotten washed up.

He motioned for her to stay where she was and disappeared into another of the small dwellings. He came back out with another bag stashed over his shoulder. Motioning her to follow him, they walked the network of tree branches to a small clearing. A makeshift platform was built there, and it gave Scarlett her first full view of just how high up they were. Glancing gingerly over the side, she quickly wished she hadn’t.

She immediately felt woozy and took four quick steps back. He caught her gently with one arm and searched her face. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t say anything. His gaze was so intent, sweeping over her, consuming her. He pulled her tightly against his body with one massive arm. Trapping her against him. His comforting scent surrounded her, and she immediately relaxed.

A little voice whispered from the deep recess of her mind. This is who you’ve been waiting for.

She tried to dismiss the thought but couldn’t.

I can’t talk to him. He doesn’t speak to me. He has a monstrous alien panther as a pet. And he’s quickly working his way into my brain. Great.

Grabbing a vine hanging close the platform with his free hand, he looped it several times around his arm from bicep to wrist, tightened his grip around her even more, stared into her eyes as he pushed off the platform and jumped. Scarlett screamed as they made a brief freefall before the vine caught. She looped her arms and legs around his body, clinging to him like a baby koala. Too afraid to look, Scarlett was aware she’d dug her nails into the sides of his neck, but she was too afraid to let go. Their bodies bounced as they began to descend, and suddenly, he landed onto the ground. She felt the force waves flutter up her body. He lightly patted her back and did it again when she still didn’t let go. Opening one eye, she glanced down to find his feet firmly on the ground. Scrambling to get off him, Scarlett lowered herself and waited a second for the dizziness to pass.

“That’s insane. You’re insane. I don’t like that. Nope.”

Her voice sounded weird in her ears. That’s when she heard the crashing rush of water and smelled the spray of silty mist in the air. Taking her by the wrist, he led her through the jungle, weaving in and out of overgrown underbrush. Roots stuck up here and there. She picked her way carefully, trying to keep up with him.

He walked so easily while she was a stumbling mess. He took a hard turn to the right and led her onto a well traversed path. It was easy to navigate, with smooth, gravelly ground void of any roots.

Her pulse picked up as the sound of water increased and a sweet mist tickled her face.

There, rising out of the jungle, a waterfall towered before them and spilled into a babbling pool. Her mouth dropped open and for a moment she was speechless. The water was a soft pink and speckled with little diamonds from the sunlight hitting the surface. The spray at the bottom fractured like a prism into a myriad of pastel colors.

The male motioned her to follow him. They went down the slight incline and then turned to the left where the trail led to the calmer waters. A small, pebbly beach spread out before them. The male made quick work of slipping off his soft leather shoes and pulling the drawstring on his pants. Scarlett’s eyes widened as he slipped unabashedly from his clothing and glanced over his shoulder at her. Seeming to realize she needed a minute, he strode into the water and then dove beneath the surface. Coming up a distance from the shore. He threw his head back. An arc of that glorious hair cast sparkling diamonds in the air. He smoothed the hair away from his face, homed in on her, and motioned for her to join him.

She wasn’t getting naked in front of him.

For all she knew, she was the first female he’d ever seen. No way in hell was she getting naked in front of an alien male who would probably get overcome with some wild, primitive urges. Even if that thought excited her a little… Well, a lot.

Her clothing needed a desperate washing. She’d rinse them off and let it drip dry while wearing it. It would be uncomfortable, but it was the only option.

Picking her way into the tepid water, she went deeper and deeper until it rose over her thighs then to her hips and her waist. Her body began to adjust, and she dove in, kicking her feet toward the alien. She ran her hands over her face to clear water from her eyes and realized she was alone in the pool.

“Where are you?”

The water felt incredible against her skin. It stung the laceration on her forehead, but she powered through as cleansing water dripped into it from the top of her head. Still searching for the male, she cupped water in her hands and gently splashed it over her wound. Then she scrubbed her face, her arms, ran her hands over her disgusting dress. She was so caught up in the moment and the feeling of getting clean, that she momentarily forgot about the missing alien. But there he was, quietly, calmly watching her from a short distance away.

He disappeared beneath the water again, barely creating a ripple on the surface. Lightly kicking her feet to tread water, Scarlett searched for him when he didn’t surface after a while. He had an impressive ability to hold his breath, something humans certainly couldn’t do. With her arms outstretched beside her, she leaned her head back in the water and swished her long hair around, enjoying as cool laps of water massaged her scalp. She felt so weightless and relaxed that for a moment, it was easy to forget the events of the past couple of days. Rays of warm sun touched her face. Scarlett sighed in contentment, savoring it.

Something tickled the bottom of her feet. With a start, she drew her feet up closer to her body. It was probably just water weeds. She resumed her position with her face tipped to the sun when another soft tickle swept across both of the soles of her feet. Something rippled the water beside her. Little bells of alarm flashed in her mind. Repositioning herself so she was more upright in the water, Scarlett glanced around as if she might catch a glimpse of something beneath. A small cascade of ripples stretched out beside her, but there was nothing there. She’d never been a great swimmer and there was quite some distance between her and the shore. Perhaps, it was time to get out of the water.

With no sign of the alien anywhere, she moved forward in the water and began a slow glide toward the shore. She lightly kicked her feet, not wanting to make too much movement in case there was something in the water.

Oh God. Her mind ticked with all the possibilities of creepy crawlies that might be swimming beneath her feet. Trying her hardest not to think about it, she picked up her pace and swam faster toward the shore.

Feeling more confident as the shore got closer, Scarlett kicked harder and made a mad dash to the finish line. Something cold wrapped around her left ankle and snaked up her calf, over her knee and pinched around her mid-thigh. She tried to gasp, but her face submerged partially beneath the surface, and she took in a mouthful of water. It slid down her throat, clogging and choking. Sputtering, she tried to pull her leg away, but whatever had her wrapped itself tighter. Something slithered up her other leg.

A scream worked past her lips right before she was pulled under. Scarlett grappled with her arms, trying to find anything to hold onto. Her palm contacted something slippery, scaly, and sharp. It swirled around her body, creating a whirlwind of water, tossing her this way and that. Disoriented, airway clogged with water, she flailed fruitlessly. The creature moved away, and with one hard kick, Scarlett was able to get her head above water. Gasping for air, she cried out, but there was too much water blurring her vision to tell if the alien male had returned.

Something grabbed her beneath the arms and jerked her violently backward. Scarlett’s head snapped forward and back, her body suddenly caught in a vicious tug-of-war—something pulling her toward the shore while whatever had her legs attempted to drag her back into the water. The pressure on her legs became unbearable, Scarlett cried out in agony as the creature pulled so forcefully, she was positive her legs would pop from her hip sockets. She realized the alien was pulling her toward shore.

Realizing it wasn’t working, he let go and rushed into the water with wide, forceful strides. He dove beneath the surface, a spray of water arching up from the slice of his body beneath the surface. Suddenly, whatever had her let go and an eerie, high-pitched squeal came from somewhere below the water. A line of wake indicated that whatever it was had moved away. Suddenly, the alien broke the surface with a massive, snakelike creature. The sleek, shiny creature twisted and thrashed in his grasp.

Terrified, Scarlett pedaled backward until she was firmly on the shore and wiped water from her eyes so she could see better. The creature balled around itself, spiraling and thrashing. Tentacles shot out from its body, several of them wrapping around the alien’s arms and legs.

But his face was contorted in rage. Muscles bulging, he bear-hugged the creature and trapped it against his chest. Suddenly, the creature’s head snapped up. Long jaws opened menacingly, a pointed tongue snaked out toward the alien’s eyes. With a vicious roar, he grabbed a hold of the animal’s jaws with both hands and wrenched violently. A loud snap rent through the air. Cringing, Scarlett looked away, wincing at the loud thud of the animal’s body slapping against the water.

He’d snapped the creature’s head off. She’d seen that much before she closed her eyes. And now he was striding toward her like the beast he was.

This wasn’t some fairytale mixed up in the middle of a relaxing vacation. This man was wild, unpredictable, uncivilized. Who knows how long he’d lived out here, alone? He’d just saved her life, yes. But he’d also displayed the ease with which he could turn savage.

He knelt before her on the rocky beach, his hands cupping her face and patting along her neck, over her shoulders, and up and down her arms. His brow fell in question, as if asking her if she was okay. Rushing the hair back from her face, Scarlett nodded and tried to drum up saliva in her dry mouth.

“I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”

He looked at her for head and lightly ran a thumb over the laceration there. Fortunately, it had not begun to bleed again. She took that as a good sign. The male, however, was covered in slash marks up and down his arms. A large one bled from his side, while several abrasions marred his cheek. The wounds didn’t seem to bother him in the least. Curiously, the gash on his side bled red fluid. Blood, like her blood. Is this why he’d seem so fascinated by her wound? Because their blood was the same?

He carefully helped her to her feet. Heart pounding, she blinked and looked up at him.

“Thank you for saving me. Again.”

He gave a minuscule nod as if to say you’re welcome. It was her turn to carefully touch his wounds, but he gently brushed her hand away. Sweeping her up into his arms, he began walking the way they had come. Water dripped from her drenched clothing and fell from her hair.

Clinging lightly to him, Scarlett, couldn’t stop thinking that this was an unpredictable, wild place. She would not survive here. Her concussion was healing, her brain clearer now than it had been after the crash. She knew without a doubt that she had to return to the crash site and recover the cloak. The cloak and dagger were her first priority, because if there was any way in hell she might get rescued from here, she needed to preserve the artifacts for the future. She was pretty sure the tracking beacon had been blinking on the console after the crash, but she’d been so dazed and confused she couldn’t be sure.

She wasn’t even sure how much time it passed since the crash. The royal family knew she had the artifacts. They would search for her. If the tracking beacon was indeed operational, and the royal family had survived, they would come for her.

Closing her eyes, she recalled watching space pummel the windshield as her escape pod shot from the belly of the star cruiser out into darkness.

It was just a matter of time before she was found. She had to keep telling herself that.

But first, she had to be sure the beacon was operational. It was her only hope of rescue.

Wiggling slightly, she pushed against him until he put her down. She had no idea where she was or what direction the crash was in.

“I need you to take me to where my spacecraft crashed.” She made a downward motion with her arm indicating falling from the sky. Watching his face to see if he understood her, she made the motion again. “My spacecraft, it crashed. I need you to take me there.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Hope flared in her breast. “Do you know where it is? Do you know where my pod crashed?”

He turned away and kept on walking. What the hell? Hurrying after him, Scarlett grabbed the waist of his pants and pulled. He spun to her, a flash of anger crossing his face.

Too bad. She was the one stranded here. She was the one completely unprepared for survival in a place like this. She’d never make it. That beacon was her only hope.

“That creature in the lake just reminded me why I am completely unsuited to survive here. There’s something very important in the wreckage of my craft. I need to get it and I also need to see if my tracking beacon is working. If it is, my people will find me and get me out of here. Do you understand?”

Her voice rose slightly with increasing panic. She was best suited for life behind her worktable at the conservancy. She was not an outdoors person; she didn’t enjoy hunting or fishing on the recreation planets. She went home after work. Read a book. Watched the galactic news. And went to bed.

Not like Kelly, who loved nothing more than to party late into the night and somehow managed to come to work the next day perfectly fine.

Oh God. Kelly. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about her friend. Was Kelly somewhere like this? Was she here? She would probably enjoy the challenge of trying to survive. Something like this was right up her alley. Kelly was so much more adventurous than Scarlett, and she encouraged Scarlett to participate in outdoor things, to challenge yourself. But she’d always said no.

A sob lodged in her throat. Her voice turning desperate.

“Please! I’m going to die if I stay here. I need to at least retrieve what’s in my ship. Maybe you can protect it until someone else comes along who will be able to get it where it belongs.”

He had to understand her. He kept playing this game of understanding her one minute, and then acting as if he didn’t, the next. She was done with this bullish it.

“I know you understand me, damn it!”

His brow fell. And then he nodded, his eyes flashing, and indicated she follow him.

Of course, he took her straight into the thickest part of the jungle.

CHAPTER 7

What’s left of the wreckage was scattered all over the forest floor.

Scarlett’s heart sank when she spied bits and pieces of the crashed space pod littered everywhere. Seeing it only nailed down the desperation of her situation.

She had to find the artifacts.

The male stepped aside as she hurried around him to reach the crash site. She didn’t know where to start looking for the artifacts. She’d had them on the seat next to her when the pod went down, but she couldn’t recall seeing them when she came to after the crash. She’d been chased out of the pod quickly by the savage panther, leaving her no time to look.

She didn’t get far before the alien grabbed her and pulled her back from the wreckage. He put a finger to his lips to indicate silence. He looked around, studying, assessing. The back of her neck tingled. What was he listening for? Drawing his dagger, he pushed her behind him and took two steps forward. Grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, Scarlett met him step for step. Was something out there?

He surveyed their surroundings for several minutes before, seemingly satisfied, he motioned her to go ahead. He stayed close on her heels as she moved to the largest pile of debris. Carefully moving pieces out of the way, she silently prayed that she’d find what she was looking for. Shadowy memories of the crash weaseled into her mind’s eye, but she held them back. She had something important to do. Find the tracker beacon, and the artifacts.

Rifling through every piece she could physically manipulate, Scarlett moved to the next pile, and then the next. Finally, she found what was left of the cockpit. All the heat drained from her face when she spied the mangled seat and a portion of the console. She’d been strapped into that seat, her hands braced against that console as the pod free-fell, on fire, through the sky. Shaking her head, she blocked the memory and began looking through the wreckage. Moving some leaves and sticks out of the way, she searched what was left of the console for the tracking beacon. Feeling beneath the curved edge, she shouted in relief when her fingers met the small round button.

She dropped to her knees and looked. It flashed blue, blinking systematically, sending out a location signal. Someone would find her. It was just a matter of time.

She stood and bumped into something behind her. Spinning, she found the male standing there stoically. How could he move so silently? His jaw was clenched, his eyes almost cold. She moved out of the way and went to the next small pile. Dropping again to her knees, she used her hands to clear away leaves and sticks and then flipped over a large sheet of metal. It was lightweight and flung out of her hands easily.

Scarlett did a double take. The glint of metal peaked between a scatter of fallen leaves. Eagerly brushing them away, she shouted with joy to find the cloak lying in a heap on the forest floor.

“I found it! Oh, thank goodness.”

Gingerly moving debris out of the way, Scarlett worked carefully to free the garment from the ground. She lifted it slowly, inspecting it, inch by inch. As she stood and brought the cloak up with her. Residual dirt and debris clung to her carefully restored artifact, but it otherwise looked okay. She wasn’t going to worry about a little dirt right now. Holding it against her body, she closed her eyes against the weight of it, thankful that she had it in her hands once again.

“You have no idea how important this is.”

Suddenly, there was a possessive grip on the back of her neck. Eyes wide, she gasped as the alien pulled her backward with gentle force. His eyes flashed with suspicion and anger as he searched her face. He took the cloak and pulled it from her hands.

“No, no! What are you doing?”

He released her after putting the cloak in his arms. Scarlett spun to face him, making a snatch for the garment, but he drew it closer to his body. Protectively, almost cradling it.

Her voice fell, her insides quivering. “What are you doing?”

Ripping his gaze away from her, he looked to the spot where the cloak had been. The dagger. There, gleaming in the muted forest light. Scarlett made a lunge for it. The alien held out his hand, stopping her as a low, threatening rumble worked free from his throat. It was an animalistic warning, a savage reminder of what he was capable of. Watching her intently, he slowly moved to the dagger, never taking his gaze off her as he crouched to retrieve it, and stood once again to his full, menacing height.

What was this change in his demeanor about? He’d been nothing but hospitable and kind since they’d found each other.

“Those are mine,” she said steadily. “Listen to me. I am a conservator. I take care of artifacts like these, keep them safe and protected. I’m going to need those back.”

His nostrils flared. Fine, he could be angry and scary, but she wasn’t giving up.

“I spent a year restoring that cloak. I spent countless hours cleaning it, attending to it, and putting it back together. I’m pretty sure I have permanent neck and back damage from the amount of hours I spent bent over my worktable restoring it. It’s really important to me.”

He moved the dagger into his other hand. With his free hand, he reached for the dagger at his hip.

“That cloak and that dagger are rumored to be artifacts from Zah-Tuvo.”

The alien’s brow furrowed, his head jerking when she said the name of the planet.

“Zah-Tuvo. Have you heard of it? It’s a planet in the Delta sector. There was a king and his ons who ruled there but they went missing many, many years ago in a spacecraft accident. This cloak is rumored to have belonged to the king.”

The alien swallowed hard. His arms wrapped protectively around the cloak as he hugged it to his chest. Running one strong hand over it, he tucked it behind one arm, cradling it almost as if it were a precious child. The little hairs on the backs of Scarlett’s arms stood up. Something was wrong with his reaction.

Why was he being so tender with the artifacts? Did he understand their importance? Was she getting through to him?

“There’s a rumor in the galaxy that the princes are still alive. If that’s true, if there is a small chance that even one of the princes lives…well, that changes so many things. And this cloak becomes even more important because this cloak will belong to them. I need you to give it to me, so I can take it back with me once I’m rescued and make sure it remains safe until it’s claimed by its rightful owner.”

The alien closed his eyes and bowed his head. His threatening demeanor was completely gone now, replaced by something so much softer. Without looking at her, he beckoned her to follow him.

“Wait, please! Where are you going?”

He strode purposely through the forest, using his free arm to knock branches and foliage out of the way. She hurried to keep up with him, afraid he might do something to the artifacts. His emotions had changed so thoroughly and quickly, but she didn’t know what he might do next.

They walked down a hill and entered a small valley. Sweat ran from her hairline down her face and neck and pulled between her breasts. She was going to need another dip in the dangerous water after this. Finally, they stopped before a copse of young, vibrant trees. He looked at her before ducking beneath the branches and going inside. Still holding the cloak tenderly, he crouched and moved several large pieces of bark away from the ground.

Scarlett’s pulse picked up, her body tense with anticipation. Something remarkable was about to happen. She could feel it. She licked her lips and watched as he removed the last piece of bark.

“Oh my God!”

The remnants of another crash, neatly piled on the forest floor. There were bits and pieces of metal, plastic, an instrument panel, and part of the seat. The alien placed a hand on the top of the pile, closed his eyes briefly before moving a large section of metal.

She couldn’t see what he was doing as he bent forward and reached for something inside. Slowly, he turned to her. A piece of fabric trailed behind him as he pulled it from the wreckage. It looked as if it had been neatly folded, perhaps wrapped in something, but its age became visible as he brought it closer to her.

Scarlett’s face tingled when she realized what she was looking at. Carefully, the alien spread out the cloak she had recovered from her wreckage on the ground. Next to it, he laid out the fabric he’d retrieved. It was another cloak. A perfect match, though much smaller. He removed the dagger from its scabbard and laid it on top of the smaller cloak. Leaning back on his haunches, he looked sadly at the items before dragging his eyes to hers.

Scarlett held her breath.

He moved his jaw uncertainly as if testing his mouth, and then a sound came from his throat. And then another. It was rough and broken and gravelly. Swallowing, he tried again.

“Arixx. I am Arixx. Prince… of Zah-Tuvo.”

CHAPTER 8

That unfamiliar sound… it was his voice.

He touched the base of his throat, momentarily confused. He hadn’t heard that sound in so long—hadn’t felt words rise up and come out of him in more time than he could count. Words hurt as they passed his throat. Everything felt real and new. Unused.

Even more confounding were the cloaks and daggers spread out before him. This strange, alluring female had brought him his father’s cloak.

He didn’t know if he wanted to shout to the skies or fall to his knees. His heart was breaking with grief yet overrunning with joy.

He’d been out hunting many rotations ago when others landed in the valley. They’d spent several days with instruments and machines, poking around the land. And then, they’d uncovered the wreckage site. He thought he had hidden it well to keep it safe from predators. In his entire time on this planet, he’d never seen another life form like him. And then they came, disturbed the land, found the wreckage site and took his father’s cloak and dagger from where he’d stored it.

If not for the star storm that had driven them off, they may have pillaged everything. He’d been too late in trying to stop the thieves, but after they left, he found a new hiding spot. This slow-growing copse of trees provided the perfect cover. So, he dragged what he could inside of its shelter and covered it with bark. Grass and other foliage had grown up around it, effectively hiding it from the outside world.

And now she was here. Changing everything.

It had been so long since he’d seen a female. He hadn’t been completely sure what she was when he first laid eyes on her from his perch in the tree. Other lifeforms like him had become a faint memory. Like something he would have been told about from others, but never experienced for himself. He’d been very young at the time of the crash. Old enough to remember his homeland and his family, but young enough to start forgetting things not ingrained in his memory. And for a long time, he struggled to hang onto every memory. Every detail of his home world, every word of his language.

The colors in his mother’s eyes, the sound of his brothers’ voices. He forced himself to play mental pictures and retell stories that would keep his life and his world alive. But as each day came and went on this planet, and as he grew from boy into man, many of those pictures burned and scattered like ashes.

It had only taken a moment’s thinking to realize that the life form at the base of the tree was a female. He didn’t know her species, but she was similar to him. Same facial features, long hair, similar body composition. Two arms and two legs, fingers and toes. But there were many differences, as well. Differences that marked her as a female.

For the first time in his memory, he hadn’t felt alone.

He’d had the immediate and forceful urge to protect her. When he’d realize she was injured, that urgency became all-consuming. So, he had taken her to the trees and tended to her wounds and each moment he spent with her did something stronger to his heart. Like thin, silken threads his mother used to use to weave beautiful fabrics. After he’d crashed, he’d imagine his mother had woven beautiful fabric to wrap around his heart to cradle it and keep it safe.

His heart was safe with her.

Scarlett.

He longed to say her name from the moment she’d said it. But he hadn’t worked his vocal cords in so long. His internal translator hadn’t picked up on her words right away, but it was getting better. Each time she spoke, words took on more and more familiar meaning. He found himself longing to communicate, to use his breath to form the words that would give her the answers she was after.

But he hadn’t been able to fix the mechanics of his vocal cords. Until now.

Because he wanted more than anything to tell her who he was.

The youngest Prince of Zah-Tuvo.

She looked completely blindsided. Her lips parted but no sound came out. Running a hand over her face, she shook her head and tried again.

“What did you say?” She pressed her knuckles to her lips. “Wait, you can speak?”

“Y-yes.” Gah, what a strange sensation in his throat. “Yes.”

They stared at each other as if neither knew what to say.

“So, you understood me this entire time?”

She was unpacking things piece by piece.

He’d surprised her.

He’d surprised himself.

“With… difficulty. Yes.”

Each word came out stronger than the one before. He needed practice, but it felt good, too. It felt good to use his voice and communicate with another.

“Arixx.”

Mmmm, shivers assaulted his body. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d heard someone say his name.

“You’re a prince.”

“Yes.”

Gesturing again to the cloaks on the ground, he shivered as emotions pumped through him.

“My father. Me.” He pointed to each cloak. “All matching.”

“Did your brothers have the same?”

He nodded. His brothers. He thought of them often. Running his fingers over the inside of his left forearm, he flipped his arm over and showed Scarlett. Gripping his wrist, she looked closer, dumbfounded.

“What is that?”

“My brothers. Live.”

“I don’t understand.” Her eyes rose to his and he wanted to make her understand, more than anything. She was opening things he had long kept buried.

He pointed to the network of veins that began in his wrist and ran up his forearm before they disappeared into the crook of his arm. There were five lines. Two had turned a dark silver. The other three were alive with a light blue glow running through them. The colors were soft, yet vibrant and pulsed with the beat of his heart.

“Each family has one line. One for each brother. Father. Mother.” He pointed to the two silver lines as he spoke of his parents.

“Dead. My brothers… Live.”

Scarlett made a disbelieving sound and sat on the forest floor. Licking her fingers through her hair. She shook her head as if it was all too much to take in.

“You’re saying you have glowing veins, one for each brother. And two veins that were glowing, but your parents died, so now they’re not?”

He understood how this might be confusing for an outsider.

“Yes. Veins for my family. Flows to my heart. Heartlines.”

He put a hand over his chest and gave a little pat.

Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, she sniffed and made a sad, anguished sound. When she looked at him again, her eyes glistened with tears. He dropped to his knees before her and took her wrists into his hands.

“That’s incredible. I feel so sad for you. But, as long as those veins glow, you know your brothers are alive.”

Arixx nodded. “Yes. That is correct.”

He flipped his left arm over and pointed again. At the very base of his wrist, a small bulge was forming. It indicated a new heart line, which, with luck would glow for someone else soon. It was how he knew that Scarlett was meant to be in his life, that she was special. She was worth protecting because she was becoming a piece of his heart.

“This one. For you.”

Their eyes locked. So many emotions crossed her face.

“That’s impossible.” Her tone belied that she didn’t believe it was impossible at all. Arixx reached for her. Scarlett crawled into his arms. Warmth and peace ran through them at the feel of her body in his embrace. The last person to touch him had been his father when he’d placed a hand on Arixx’s shoulder as their space craft went down and told him to get into the escape pod. That had been the last touch he’d felt and the last words he’d heard spoken.

Time had turned most memories to dust, but he remembered how his father had loved his mother. How he’d treasured her and treated her as his equal in all things. Arixx had been small when she’d died, but those memories were too strong to fade away. As time in the jungle carried on, his hopes of being rescued and returned to Zah-Tuvo slowly died. With it, any chance of having a life as his father had with a strong mate by his side.

He was meant to rule his homeland alongside his brothers, with a woman to share his life. It had been robbed from him. Until now.

She said her people would be looking for her. They would take him, too, so he could return to his planet and take his rightful place on the throne.

With Scarlett.

What little he remembered about his past life is that love for his kind happened fast and the mating bonds formed impermeable bonds. It was true, or he wouldn’t be growing a fresh heartline for her.

“Isn’t it? Isn’t it impossible?”

Taking his face between her hands, she tipped her forehead to his.

“No. My heart knows. My body knows.”

“How, when you’ve been here alone all these years?”

Taking her hand, he placed it over his chest at the apex of his heart so she could feel it beating. “This knows.”

His skin prickled in warning.

Glancing up, Arixx noticed darkness creeping over the sky lined with bright red veins of lightning. He’d noticed the thickness of an impending storm earlier, but thought it was farther away.

“We must go.”

Running a finger over her lips, he forced himself to pull away. She grabbed him. Her eyes were huge and worried.

“You’re in danger. The tracking beacon is working. It will lead them here and if they find you.”

“Who?”

“After you, and your father disappeared, the throne was taken over by the Seelekies. They’ve done terrible things to Zah-Tuvo and will do anything to hang onto their rule. Once the cloak was found, the queen issued that a new search for any survivors from your crash to be conducted. She’s not taking any chances that an heir survived.”

Scarlett took his hands, her small fingers twining with his. “If you’re found, she will have you killed.”

CHAPTER 9

“We have to destroy the beacon!”

Even as the words came out of her mouth, Scarlett second-guessed them. Destroying the beacon would erase her only chance of rescue from this place. Without it, she’d be trapped just as Arixx has been. For years, or maybe the rest of her life.

Arixx had been here twenty-five years, trapped behind the huge trees and thick undergrowth.

Twenty-five years.

She stood and wiped her palms on her thighs. Her mind whirled with what to do.

She was putting him at great risk. He was the rightful heir to the throne of Zah-Tuvo. Once the truth got out that he’d survived all these years on a jungle planet… it would be the sensation of the century. The royal family would have no choice but to step down and turn the rule over to him.

They’d never let that happen. That would mean giving up the planet’s wealth and exploitation of its people. It will be the queen’s search party that followed the beacon hoping to recover the cloak and dagger. They’d find Arixx. There was no way Scarlett could go without the alien savage being found, too.

Glancing at him, she startled to find fresh tears in her eyes. She couldn’t be responsible for his capture and death.

She had no choice but to destroy the beacon.

“Take me back to my crash site so I can stop the distress signal.”

He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “It is your only hope of rescue. I will… not take that… away.”

The scratchy, broken tones of his voice were becoming stronger the more he used his voice.

“I won’t be responsible for your death. You’ve survived this place too long for it to end like that.”

He advanced on her and took her face between his hands. His eyes bored into hers.

“I do not want this life for you. This I would not wish on anyone. Go home, Scarlett. If you have the chance, go home.”

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to. Not after meeting him. He was forming a heart line for her on his forearm, a phenomenon that was simply astounding. They’d known each other merely hours, yet, she’d never been drawn to anyone the way she was to him. She needed to be with him the way she needed to breathe. Call it fate, or Instalove, or whatever, but it was true, and it was real. Is this why she’d had such a compulsion while working on restoring the cape? Because of fate?

She didn’t want to leave him alone on this planet. That’s all there was to it.

“I won’t leave you.”

“You must.”

Thunder cracked across the sky, followed by a jagged burst of red lightning. He looked up with concern.

“We must go. We need shelter.”

She didn’t like the looks of that sky. Gathering the cloaks and the daggers, she handed his weapon back to him.

“Is there anything else inside your wreckage that we should take?”

“Yes. But they will be secure here.” He quickly moved the sheets of bark back over the wreckage to protect it, then grabbed her hand and led her from the trees. He guided her hurriedly through the underbrush as the sky shook. Rain began to fall, slowly and softly at first, but increasing in crescendo as it beat down upon their heads. The rain felt sharp, and Scarlett winced as it lanced her arms and the back of her neck.

He scooped her against him. “Hold on to me.”

Pressing the cloaks between their chests, she clung to him as he reached for a vine. In an instant, they were flying through the treetops as he alternated one arm over the other, catching new vines and hurling them farther and faster through the jungle. He could do this a million times with her, and she’d never get used to it. Exhilaration was stronger than fear this time and she peeked with one eye as the terrain rushed by. He reached for another vine, missed, and grabbed a hold of the next one halfway down. Scarlett screamed, their bodies jerking. He grinned with amusement, as if this happened all the time. Heart in her throat, she decided to close her eyes the rest of the way and clung to him tightly.

They reached the base of his dwellings just as the floodgates opened in the sky. She raced for the hut. He was right behind her. Lowering the hide flap, he pulled a sturdy door made from woven panels over it and latched it, then did the same with window covers.

She was soaked clear through, once again. Carefully setting the cloaks in the corner, she spread them out to dry across the floor. The panther creature was curled up in a ball on the furs on the floor. It raised its head slightly and looked at them with one eye before going back to sleep.

“I think I need to get out of these clothes.”

The dress hung off her body, pulling at the seams. The water had all but destroyed its construction and it was only a matter of time before it pulled apart. Arixx reached beneath the bed frame and produced a rectangular basket. Retrieving clothing, he pushed it back under and handed her what looked like a tunic. It was well crafted from fine, smooth fabric creased with little wrinkles. The edge of the neck and sleeves were embroidered in brightly colored red, white, and yellow threads. Some of the color had faded, but was still beautiful. She ran a finger over the handiwork.

This wasn’t something he’d made in his time here. The materials were too fine.

“From my ship,” Arixx said. “Please, wear it.”

He turned his back and stripped from his wet pants. Desire flamed her blood as he lowered the pants over the rise of his muscular ass. Was this her destiny? Kelly had encouraged her to wear the cloak as a novelty, but here she was, with the real prince. Getting ready to wear his real, royal clothing.

It seemed like a dream.

She didn’t want to go. The knowledge of that became stronger with each passing second.

Dropping the ruined dress, she slipped into the tunic. It was more of a dress and fell to her knees, the fabric so soft and smooth against her skin.

“My place is here, with you.”

The words left her mouth strong and resolved. Arixx looked over his shoulder.

“Something happened to me while I was restoring your father’s cloak. It was like I could feel someone waiting for me on the other side. I had no idea why I kept feeling that way… until I met you.”

Arixx shook his head as if he didn’t understand. “This is not a place for you.”

He looked incredible in his low slung, woven pants, his huge chest, and arms on display. So wild. So perfect. He’d been here almost his entire life.

Striding to him, Scarlett put her hands on his chest and looked up at him. “Let me show you what happens when I stay.”

Pushing him back until he sat on the bed, she urged him back more. Arixx sat back against the wall and stretched his legs out. Scarlett straddled him, enjoying the dark lust and surprise in his eyes. Cupping his face, she settled carefully onto his lap. His hands gripped her hips and he pulled in a hard breath. Beneath her thighs, his cock stirred. Moving slightly, she rubbed against it, causing another potent flash of lust to color his gaze. His nostrils flared, eyelids fluttering slightly as he absorbed the sensations of her moving ever so lightly over his growing erection.

She’d never been in this situation before, being someone’s first. Having the experience and control. His abdomen curved sexily, his abdominals hard and pronounced. Running her nails over them, she dipped a finger between each line, caressing the taught muscles until she’d traced each one while periodically moving her hips and causing friction over his most sensitive spot.

He groaned painfully, his head going back against the wall as he closed his eyes. But only for a moment as if he were afraid of missing something. Watching her again, he dug his fingers into her hips as she learned his body with her touch. Splaying her fingers, she ran her palms over his huge pecs. The texture of his flesh was different here, a little rough and a little soft. The outline of each scale was palpable beneath her fingertips. She trailed her nails lightly over them and then down his biceps and the network of veins over each mound.

His muscles flexed reflectively as she caressed him. Each part of his body offered something new and enticing. His form was a work of art, so perfectly sculpted and arranged that she could touch him for hours and never tire of it. Fully erect now, Arixx jutted his hips up to grind against the apex of her thighs. His brow furrowed at the contact and her own desire flamed to watch him experiencing this for the first time.

Her lips tingled at the thought of kissing him, of running over his smooth, hard body and tasting every inch. But there was only one place she wanted to taste first. Moving down his legs, she got off him and nudged his legs apart. He complied with a curious look. Settling between them, she fiddled with the string at the waist of his pants and untied it. Arixx held his breath for a beat, one big hand closing over hers to stop her.

“It’s okay,” she purred. “Let me make you feel good.”

Her gaze dropped to the outline of his cock. Oh, how she wanted to. Slowly, she finished untying the knot and pulled the waist farther apart before lowering it around his hips and working it down, down…

The fat tip of his erection poked free, proud and thick as she worked the fabric down. He pulled in a breath, his hand once again closing over hers. Scarlett’s chest rose and fell hard. She couldn’t look away. Licking her lips, she bit her lower lip and waited for him to release her. When he didn’t, she caught his eyes.

They were so dark, so alive with desire.

“Do you want me to stop?” She asked quietly.

He didn’t say no. He didn’t say anything. His throat moved as he swallowed hard and moved his hand away, watching her intently. So damn intently.

Lowering over him, she gripped the tip with one hand and softly squeezed. His hips bucked, a grunt turning into a moan. Empowered by his reaction, she lowered his pants even more, revealing all of him inch by inch. He was thick around as his own wrist and nearly as long as her forearm. His balls were round and heavy, the tip of his dick glistening with his readiness for her. He didn’t look so different from human men except that a network of veins created a pattern over his length before meeting at the circumference of the head. That was a lot of blood supply.

Jesus, he could probably stay hard for hours.

Oh, hell yes.

Looking up at him, Scarlett opened her mouth and closed it slowly around the tip and ran her tongue over the big slit in the middle to lap up the droplets of fluid there. The precum was sweet and citrusy on her tongue. Arixx was holding his breath again, his body completely still as if he were in shock. Closing her mouth completely around the head, she took him into her mouth a little at a time. Her jaw ached as she accommodated to his size, taking more and more until she almost had him all.

His body went completely stiff, his breaths short and fast. He mumbled something that might have been her name. His pleasure made her feel so good. She wanted to give it to him, to show him everything.

Sliding her mouth up, she dragged her tongue along his length until her lips popped off him with a small, wet sound. He exhaled and opened his eyes just in time to see her take him to her throat once again. Bolder now, she fucked him with her mouth, slowly, teasingly, giving him all the sensations she could. Arixx gripped huge handfuls of the furs, his hips thrusting up and meeting her every move. One big hand grabbed the back of her head.

She smiled.

Fingers twining in her hair, he held her possessively, desperately, forcing her down as he thrust up. Instinct was taking over and she loved it. His cock suddenly swelled, his balls pulling tight to his body. Eyes flashing, he tried to pull her off him, but she refused. Their eyes locked and his grip on her hair tightened. She sucked, hard. Again. And again.

His eyes rolled in the back of his head, his neck tensing, veins bulging. With a hard, agonized cry, he spilled into her throat. He put his other hand on her head, holding her so tight as he released deep into her mouth. Scarlett held perfectly still, drinking him down, letting him take what he so desperately needed.

It wasn’t enough. She wanted more. Arixx looked completely blindsided, dazed. Satisfied. And still so, so hard.

She moved up to kiss his cheek. His hand snaked into her hair.

“This is what humans do?”

“Well, humans and others like us. Like you.”

“You have done this with other males?”

Her cheeks heated. “Yes, but—”

Arixx pulled her up to him and cradled her in one arm, his eyes flashing down at her. “Never again. Stay. Be mine. Be my heartline.”

She touched his face, swallowing hard. “Yes. Something is happening between us. Something important. We’re going to get out of here one way or another, Arixx. We’re going to find your brothers and get all of you back to your throne.”

She’d never felt so certain of anything.

And she’d never uncovered such a treasure in need of love and restoration as the man in her arms.

Thank you for reading Scarlett and The Alien Savage! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Liz’s newsletter!

VICTORIA AVELINE

RELEASING MALADEK

CHAPTER 1

KATIE

Katie trailed behind Prince Skendro Mistra Endrolfen XV and scrutinized the thousands of colorful threads and chains that hung from his elaborate outfit. Neon lime, pink, and orange fringe swayed gently in time with his regal gait. When he swiveled to survey the ornate decor of the room, a few threads caught and tangled. Katie held back a frown. Out of all the outfits the prince had brought on the Myradium Galaxy cruise, this one was, by far, the most difficult to keep immaculate.

At first, when the staffing head of the Endrolfen palace had asked her whether she wanted to be a part of the small group of servants accompanying the prince on his cruise, she’d jumped at the opportunity. But her assignment turned out to be as dull as mud. Every day after Prince Skendro’s personal maid helped him dress, Katie would follow the prince around, straightening any rumpled fabric, brushing out the long eyebrow feathers that swooped along the sides of his face, and generally making sure he looked as if he never moved, spoke, or ate.

Murmurs broke out, tearing her attention away from yet another tangle forming on the prince’s slender shoulder. Dressed in finery that Katie was afraid to even brush against, aliens of all kinds meandered through the large room. As usual, she scanned each person until she came to the inevitable conclusion once again. No other humans.

She shouldn’t be surprised. Katie was used to being the only human in the room. Heck, she was used to being the only human on the planet. She hadn’t seen another of her species for over a decade now, and she doubted she ever would.

A group of dissatisfied guests holding fluorescent drinks caught her eye. They were glaring at the prince. Katie didn’t blame them for their irritation. King Endrolfen had invited a small number of guests from Alliance planets across the universe to join the journey. Yet, not three days after boarding the new luxury cruise ship the king had commissioned, the prince decided the trip through the outer edges of the galaxy was uninteresting and demanded he be returned home.

Did it matter to him that every other guest aboard the cruise’s maiden voyage didn’t want to cut their trips short? She was unsure it even registered.

It’s not that the prince was an uncaring person; he just didn’t notice certain things. He’d been raised to ensure his planet ran smoothly. People he hadn’t met personally were more like ideas to him, and he grouped them in his mind as such. Rarely, if ever, did he think about strangers as individuals with wants and needs that might oppose his own.

The prince paused in the center of the domed viewing chamber and stared up at a misty sea-foam green planet in the distance.

“What is that one called?” His melodic voice echoed around the room in the distinct way his species spoke. Not quite singing, but not speaking the way Katie did either. His voice reminded her of her cousin’s cockatoo. But maybe that was just because Betuhinians, like the prince, all had bright feathers rather than hair.

Char Tomi, a Charkathan servant who was acting as a personal tour guide on the trip, stepped forward. He stared at the prince, a hazy pink mist swirling in his large black eyes as he telepathically answered the prince’s question.

The curling pink vanished from Char Tomi’s eyes and the prince huffed, his wide-set, fuzzy yellow brows turning down.

Katie shot a curious glance at Char Tomi as she rushed to smooth the knots in the long fringe of the prince’s outfit.

The pink mist returned to his eyes, and his voice echoed in her head. I reminded the prince that since he demanded a shortcut be taken, I have no record of what the sights along our new route will be. The crew is still scrambling to figure it out themselves.

Katie raised her eyebrow at Char Tomi, exasperated.

“Perhaps next time, I’ll try the Chedraken Galaxy cruise. Once my father succeeds in stationing one of his ships on each Class Three port, that is,” Prince Skendro said as he peered around, bored.

Content all the fringe was perfect, Katie scanned the room. Establishing a new cruise line when there were already so many planets entrenched in the business was a vast undertaking, but she had no doubt King Endrolfen would succeed. The shining gold plating on every wall and the expensive sculptures that were changed out each night hinted at the amount of money he was willing to spend on this endeavor.

The luxurious furnishings of the ship, paired with the rare edge-of-Alliance border travel, would be a draw to many rich beings who were bored of their normal trips to the dying stars of Niath or the sun-drenched tropical planets in the Vamour Galaxy.

Katie had only ever been told about these popular tourist destinations. She was disappointed that her first trip off Betuhines would be over so soon.

In her mind, she tallied the credits she’d saved up over the years and reminded herself that if she really wanted to, she could take a vacation of her own. Go anywhere. See anything. A frown tugged at her lips. All alone. What good was seeing the universe if you had no one to share the experience with?

Char Tomi gave Katie a gentle nudge to get her attention, and she quickly caught up with the prince, already uninterested in the magnificent sight of space sprawling all around him.

Daydreaming might be okay at home, but it won’t do today. Not with the frock our prince has chosen to wear. The dry humor in Char Tomi’s voice echoed through her mind, and she bit her lip to hold back her grin.

Unaware of their teasing, the prince settled onto a long chaise and waved his hand at Char Tomi. “A drink,” Prince Skendro drawled.

With a quick nod, Char Tomi flashed out of sight. Katie remembered the first time she’d seen a member of Char Tomi’s species do that. She’d been on a slaver ship, fifteen, alone, and terrified after having been abducted from Earth. Then this beautiful, tall, golden creature had appeared out of thin air.

Later, she’d learned their species simply moved more quickly than she was capable of seeing, but at the time, she’d thought it was magic. Then, when the woman had rescued her and brought her to the fairytale palace of the Endrolfen family, Katie decided the woman was more of a superhero.

Fifteen years later, she’d grown so used to the Charkathan’s speed that she barely even flinched when they zoomed by her in the palace hallways.

In only a few moments, Char Tomi returned, holding a delicate, bulbous glass with fizzy black liquid. Char Tomi and Katie both waited in silence as the prince took a sip. There was a chance he’d be satisfied with the drink, but a larger chance that he’d ask for something else, though he would never pick anything specific, just force the servant to guess what he’d like in that moment.

After he’d taken a small taste and resumed looking lazily at the planet hovering in the distance, Katie and Char Tomi stepped back and relaxed against the wall behind his chaise.

“Would you ever go on a trip with me, Char Tomi?” Katie ventured, the pull to explore a new place tugging at her. He eyed the blond curl on her forehead that always popped free from her headdress and scrunched his wide mouth. She rolled her eyes and stuffed her hair under her cap once more. “As a friend, I mean.”

The Charkathan found hair repellent, and Char Tomi had made sure to remind her on many occasions that her mass of wild blonde curls was unappealing. She, in return, would comment that the roughness of his thick golden skin was a bit too much like a rhino’s for her liking. The insult always fell flat since Char Tomi had, of course, never seen a rhino.

I suppose. But only if you bring a hat. The gold hue of his skin warmed with a faint orange, hinting at his amusement.

Katie snorted, then quickly schooled her features when one of the prince’s stoic guards side-eyed her.

Char Tomi had started working for the royal family not long after she had, and since he was the only other young person in the palace at the time, they’d been pushed to socialize more often than either of them would’ve liked.

At first, Char Tomi had found her curly hair and loud, clipped way of speaking grating. She’d found his constant, sudden voice in her head unnerving. It had also taken her a long while to get used to the brutal honesty the Charkathan were known for.

Then, neither of them could recall when or how, but they’d become friends. Their sour swipes about each other morphed into playful teasing, and they’d found themselves wanting to spend their free time together.

Char Tomi gave her a nudge while eyeing the prince, who’d just downed his drink. A small tangle had formed on his arm with the movement. Rushing forward, she smoothed it, then for good measure, used the comb stashed in the pocket of her gray, floor-length robe to brush out his eyebrows. As though he didn’t even notice her, the prince’s gaze remained fixed on the fog-covered planet in the distance.

“Are we getting closer to that bleak world?” the prince warbled. His gaze shifted to Katie suddenly, and she realized he was waiting for her response.

She studied the planet through the thick glass of the room. “It does—”

The answer died on her lips as the prince winced and held his hand up.

Gathering her thoughts, Katie reminded herself who she was talking to. The prince, along with all members of his species, were highly sensitive to sound. It was why they preferred the silent telepathy of the Charkathan so much.

Katie cleared her throat and softly sang her response in the way the prince liked. “It does look like it’s closer, highness. Perhaps the crew have decided to show us a new sight on our way home.”

The shadow of a wince still lingered on the prince’s face, but he accepted her response as reasonable. He narrowed his eyes at the planet, his long eyebrow hair lifting at the corners as he scrunched his brow. “It’s not much to look at, though. All gray clouds and—”

A sudden blaring sound echoed around the room, and Katie jumped, slapping her hands over her ears. Her frantic gaze landed on Prince Skendro. Surely if her head was pounding from the piercing sound echoing around the room, the prince’s delicate hearing would be causing him crippling pain. But he appeared not to notice. His expression was serene and vacant, and he remained utterly still. Confusion took hold. Something was very, very wrong.

Katie spun toward Char Tomi. Her friend’s wide black eyes were jumping around the room. She followed his gaze and found that many of the people who’d been wandering around the room and chatting now stood frozen in place with the same odd expression on their faces. Wait, no, not frozen. They were still moving a little. It was more like they were hypnotized, each of their relaxed postures identical. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they were all listening to beautiful music rather than piercing screeches.

Those who weren’t under a spell, like her and Char Tomi, were frightened and confused. One Fretelithian female was jarring her partner’s shoulders with her bright pink tentacles, desperate to snap them out of their stupor.

Katie focused first on the people in the room who were moving, then the ones who remained still. Only certain species seemed affected by the noise. All the Betuhinians, the prince and his guards included, remained motionless with the same vacant expressions. The entranced guests numbered far more than those who were still cognizant.

“What’s going on?” Katie yelled over the screeching.

Char Tomi’s eyes swirled. I have no idea. His gaze shifted to the planet visible in the distance. But we are much closer to that planet than we were a moment ago.

The lights in the room flickered, and Katie’s heart thrashed inside her chest.

I’ll go check on the crew in the helm, Char Tomi said, before disappearing in a flash.

Katie felt the blood drain from her face as she stared at the spot where Char Tomi had stood a moment ago. This ship was run with a full Betuhinian crew. Her gaze drifted toward Prince Skendro and his vacant-eyed guards. If the crew are all hypnotized too…

Wiping her shaky palms on her robe and breathing deeply, she tucked a stray curl back into her headdress. The familiar action helped her to focus her thoughts.

She knelt in front of the prince and desperately crushed her hands over his ear holes. The fact that he didn’t have external ears like hers, only smooth skin, and a small hole where his internal ear began ensured she was able to cover them easily, but it didn’t seem to have any effect.

Katie’s mind whirred. The urge to glance over her shoulder and see how much closer the planet had gotten caused her anxiety to spike and her mind to fog.

Char Tomi reappeared next to her. His skin had gone a pale shade of buttercream. He shook his head, and they stared at each other silently for a moment. There was no way to stop this ship.

With normal security measures in place and no way to communicate with the captain, it’d be impossible to get into the locked helm. Even if they could, they’d have a very slim chance of figuring out how to fly the massive vessel. Not with how fast they were nearing the planet, in any case.

The lifeboats, Char Tomi’s voice choked out in her head.

Allowing herself to look at the planet, she gulped. They were close enough now to see breaks in the cloud layer.

Steeling her resolve, she rose from the ground and yelled at the top of her lungs. “We need to get to the lifeboats on the lower level. Everyone grab a…” She wasn’t sure how to refer to the unconscious individuals. Calling them the hypnotized just seemed bizarre. “…person,” she finished in a weak croak.

Some of the passengers sprang into action, but most remained frozen in place with horror-stricken expressions. Katie gripped Prince Skendro under the shoulders.

We won’t be able to save them all, Char Tomi whispered inside her head, the pink mist in his eyes swirling in frantic circles.

“I know, but we have to try.” A few passengers carried their own friends and loved ones behind her. Katie gritted her teeth as she dragged the prince through the doorway. His thin frame and nearly hollow bones made him lightweight, but he was quite tall and hard to maneuver, and the ridiculous tangled fringe of his outfit kept getting caught underfoot.

With a final glance toward the gray-blue planet, Char Tomi flashed away. Katie could only hope his increased speed would be enough to get everyone aboard the lifeboats. She ignored the curdling in her gut.

Shuffling backward, Katie dragged the prince through the ship and toward his family’s lifeboat. Char Tomi flashed by, transporting more than thirty unconscious passengers in the time it took her to load the prince into his seat.

She activated the cryosleep gel bubble and watched as translucent blue sludge oozed out. It encased the prince’s limp frame in a perfect, protective orb that would buffer any rough landing and keep its occupant unconscious until a habitable planet was found, regardless of how many years it took.

After she was sure he was secured, she moved to the other lifeboats, strapping in the unconscious passengers that Char Tomi continued to deposit and sending the boats out when they became full.

I’ve cleared the restaurants and the kitchens, Char Tomi shouted in her head as he finished loading a particularly large man into a seat next to his brother. But it won’t be enough if we can’t get into the suites.

Katie ran through the hours of pre-launch safety training she’d been subjected to as a companion of the prince. “We need to find a deck officer.”

Understanding dawned on Char Tomi’s face as he swiveled toward the manual emergency override that required a high-ranking crewmember’s handprint. With a nod, he was gone.

Out of breath, her skull throbbing from the continual shrieking blasting from the speakers and her headdress hanging on by only a few pins, Katie raced to help the passengers streaming into the large bay.

She’d just finished activating the cryosleep orbs for a family of three when Char Tomi reappeared, lugging an unresponsive crew member with him. He stretched her hand toward the emergency override, stepped outside, and slammed her fist against the release. The lifeboat shot away from the ship and sped in the direction of the mysterious planet.

They still had time. Since this was the cruise’s trial voyage, King Endrolfen had chosen to only allow half capacity to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible and was up to his incredibly lofty standards.

If the king were here right now, she might kiss him for being such a cautious perfectionist.

Flashing red arrows suddenly pulsed on the ground of the emergency bay. The arrows branched off down every hallway, forming a path that ended directly below Katie’s feet. A loud voice blared over the speakers, clashing with the continual piercing screech that had the passengers entranced. “Emergency override engaged. Please stay calm and follow the arrows to the lifeboats. Entry into atmosphere: twenty minutes. Evacuate. Evacuate. Evacuate. Emergency override engaged. Please stay…”

The urgent voice continued to repeat its message. Katie attempted to tune it out.

Scanning the area for someone to assist, she found others glancing around to do the same. It was inspiring to witness that, for the most part, the passengers who were awake were racing back and forth to the emergency bay, risking their lives to gather unconscious strangers from around the ship rather than strapping in themselves and jetting away. Despite the terrible circumstances, emotion welled in Katie’s throat, warming her soul.

Satisfied that the folks nearby had things under control, she sprinted toward the port side of the ship. She dashed into suite after suite, the doors having been unlocked when the override was activated.

In the fifth room, Katie found a young woman tugging at the arm of her hypnotized partner, tears streaming down her face. Katie grabbed his other arm, and together they dragged the heavily muscled man through the ship and into a lifeboat.

With rasping, heaving breaths, Katie ran back toward the suites, a few others following behind her.

“Entry into atmosphere: twelve minutes.”

This would be her last trip. They were out of time.

In the distance, she spotted the recognizable flash of Char Tomi dashing in and out of rooms. Occasionally, a rush of air would buffet her, telling her he was carrying someone to safety.

They cleared the last few people from the remaining suites and rushed back to the mostly empty emergency bay. Char Tomi stood hunched over with his head between his legs, wheezing. His skin had flushed to a fiery shade she’d never seen before. Sudden, cold worry consumed her. Though faster than lightning and quite strong, her friend could only run so much before he hyperventilated or his body quit on him.

“Entry into atmosphere: three minutes.”

“We’re out of time,” Katie panted, dragging Char Tomi to the lifeboat where the prince sat, still unconscious.

Her friend nodded, not even having enough energy to project a response into her mind. He stumbled into the royal lifeboat and collapsed into a seat. Katie lingered at the entrance. She didn’t spot anyone left in the emergency bay and hoped to both the Earth god as well as the Betuhines’ gods that everyone on board had gotten away safely.

She stepped inside, her hand lingering over the release that would send their boat shooting away from the ship, when a strangled cry reached her ears. Her eyes flashed to the bay, and she saw an elderly man struggling to drag two individuals behind him. His steps faltered, and he scrambled to stand. He strained with all his might, but only managed to slide his friends a few feet.

Katie, no! Absolutely— Char Tomi didn’t have time to finish his sentence or unbuckle his belt before she reached over and activated his cryosleep orb. Fury and hurt crossed over his expression a moment before the gel slipped onto his body and his eyes fluttered closed.

“I’ll be right behind you,” she whispered.

“Entry into atmosphere: Two minutes.”

Adrenaline dulling her terror and narrowing her focus, she dashed out of the lifeboat, slapped the release, and flew toward the struggling man. With their combined strength, they were able to get both entranced people situated in a three-person lifeboat just as the ship’s voice began to count down the seconds until the massive cruise ship would hit the atmosphere and likely break apart at the accelerated speed.

“Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

Katie just made out a croaky “thank you!” from the elderly male as she sped to activate the release, then barreled to a waiting lifeboat. Her sweaty hands fumbled with the smooth metal seat buckles, but she finally got them to lock.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

She slammed her fist against the release and felt her stomach lurch as the boat careened away. Her hand was millimeters from the cryosleep button, when something large and heavy crashed into her and sent the lifeboat whirling through the air. Her body was rammed back and forth against her seat belt as she tumbled wildly through the atmosphere. She needed to get the gel activated soon, or she’d never survive the landing.

Tensing her limbs against the G forces threatening to pull her apart, she finally knocked the cryosleep button with her elbow. Before she could discern the feel of the blue gel on her skin, everything faded to black.

CHAPTER 2

MALADEK

Maladek’s body seized as the crude electrical current speared out from his collar and shot fire through his veins. When the sizzling pain ceased and he could breathe again, he let out a deadly growl and glared at the grinning Sieliji guard who took pleasure in correcting his behavior.

“Speed it up, grunt,” the guard said in his piercing, discordant voice.

Violence sparked inside Maladek; he curled his fists and tensed his muscles. “Have a wish to be buried alive, dreg?” he shot back with a snap of his teeth.

The dimly lit mine the Sieliji had forced him to excavate for the past month was stable for now, but if this pishot guard with a penchant for pain and control didn’t start listening to him, the glassy black rock overhead would fracture and crush them both.

Pale wet eyes flashing with cold fury, the Sieliji slammed one webbed finger onto a button at his hip and grinned as Maladek convulsed in time with the electricity pulsing off his collar.

It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep himself from lunging when the charge rattling his bones stopped. He’d made the mistake of attacking his captors too many times over the last month. All this Sieliji scum had to do was open his mouth and his hypnotic song would stop Maladek in his tracks anywhere within earshot.

Though it always felt good when he managed to land a blow, being hypnotized and waking up in a different place with no memory of what had happened or what they’d made him do was worse than quietly gritting his teeth and biding his time. Not when he was so close to escaping.

A chirp sounded from the guard’s knotted belt. He glanced at the scrolling script running over the ancient communicator that was at least four decades out of date. Maladek gave his collar a covert nudge. He hissed softly as his blistered skin tore with the movement.

Though the collars were produced and maintained more often than most technology on this forsaken planet, the devices were still primitive. All the tech here was, since every piece of machinery had been scavenged from one crashed spacecraft or another for generations.

Not in the mood to be shocked again, Maladek pounded his fist into a fracture in the rock with a precise jab. A large piece of sharp black stone broke off cleanly, and he hauled it away.

“Drop that,” the guard commanded, holstering his communicator. “We’re leaving.”

“I thought you wanted me to work faster,” he grunted. The guard impatiently cleared his throat and Maladek swore, knowing what was coming next. Before he had a chance to throw the boulder to the side, the Sieliji’s song began and a cloudy dream state wiped out all recognition of reality.

Warm and comforting, Maladek floated through memories of his home city, unaware the Sieliji had walked him all the way back to his damp cell until the cheerful visions were ripped away and frigid metal walls replaced the fire-warmed stone and crystal caverns of his mountain. When his mind cleared, he was alone, staring through the thick bars of his prison.

More than the insults or the torture or the work, Maladek hated being entranced. To be convinced he was home and happy for a moment, only for it to be ripped away over and over again was something a being could only stand for so long before their mind fractured. The Sieliji knew this.

Though their natural instinct was to entrance, they’d grudgingly resorted to using shock collars and threats more often than not. For a race of dregs unwilling and unable to leave their home planet, slaves were difficult to come by. Keeping them alive and working for as long as possible was paramount. It was a sore loss when a prisoner’s mind broke, though their body would’ve been capable of work for years to come.

So why had the Sieliji entranced him then? And why bring him back to his cell this early in the day when he normally forced Maladek to work well into the afternoon?

Not just me. It seemed all the prisoners were being brought back to their cells. He watched from below as Sieliji captors walked their charges through the different tiers of the craggy, dried-up sea trench they’d developed into a rough prison.

Some of the enclosures on the highest tier before ground level were simple holes carved in the sandstone, flimsy metal grates slapped over their entrances. The weakest prisoners were kept in those cells. Down into the trench the cells became sturdier, as did the beings they contained, until the lowest level. The damp, dark, frigid base would fill up with water first if the Sieliji guards chose to open the dam at the edge of the trench in the case of a riot.

It was on this treacherous level where they’d placed Maladek. No crumbly sandstone or malleable metal were present in his cell. The walls were lined with askait metal a foot thick. The bars were made of the same material and as broad as his forearm, which was saying something considering his kind were built by the goddess to move mountains.

He couldn’t blame the Sieliji for deciding to throw him down here. They’d witnessed firsthand what he was capable of. Perhaps if he hadn’t showcased his strength in the battle that had stranded him on this planet in the first place, they would’ve stowed him higher up. Escape would’ve been all too easy then.

If his bars were even a half inch thinner, Maladek could have bent them. As it was, they only creaked and groaned no matter how hard he tried to pull them apart.

A murky puddle on the ground in front of him caught his eye. The surface of the water shook, the vibration growing stronger and stronger. He craned his neck to peer at the sky through the cracked opening of the trench. Suddenly, a wailing roar bounced off the walls as a fiery behemoth of a ship came into view. It hurtled across the narrow view of sky he currently had, dropping bits of mangled white-hot metal into the prison. He jumped back as a twisted, glowing piece landed in front of his cell with a thunderous crack.

Maladek’s blood ran cold. They’d lured a ship to the surface.

Hypnotizing unsuspecting spacecrafts passing by and forcing them to crash onto their planet was the particular kind of savagery the Sieliji were known for, and the reason they’d been banished from the Alliance in the first place. Maladek had been trapped here a month, but he’d been fortunate enough to not yet witness the terrible practice in action.

The whole trench quaked, and shouts echoed from the cells above him. The ship had hit the surface and now the Sieliji would descend like a scourge, capturing any lucky enough to survive and tearing apart the usable pieces of the ship that remained. Heartless scavengers.

Worse still, he’d be forced to help. For the first time, Maladek hoped they’d entrance him. He’d rather not recall the horrific sights waiting for him in the wreckage.

CHAPTER 3

KATIE

Why was it so hot in her room? Had she forgotten to leave the window open again? Katie tugged at her shirt collar and squirmed. Slowly, awareness crept in, and she realized she wasn’t in her bed at all.

A voice drifted in the air, starting out faint but growing louder as something sticky slid off her body. “Please remain seated until help arrives. Standing too soon after cryosleep may cause dizziness, fainting, and nausea. Your lifeboat has landed safely. Please remain…”

The warning repeated over and over. By the third time, everything that had happened rushed back to Katie. Dread kept her immobilized and seated, unable to get up even if the thick, hardened gel hadn’t made movement impossible while it slid away.

Katie blew out a shaky breath. To her left, only three feet from her head, a sizeable dent bowed the metal wall of the ship inward. Something large had collided with that side of her boat. With a gulp, she studied the crushed headrest of the seat under the indent. If she’d picked that seat instead, she’d be dead right now.

Her fingers trembled, both from her nerves and the cryogel, but she managed to unbuckle her belt. A wave of dizziness hit as she staggered to the exit. She missed the release for the door, her palm landing a few inches away, her vision not quite back to normal yet. On the second try, she hit it.

Heavy briny air invaded her nose and her lip curled. There was something sweet yet rotten in the humid breeze, the scent turning her stomach. She hung her head, breathing through her mouth and leaning against the wall for support until the nausea passed.

Her first glance of the planet brought on confusion. The surface itself was rather barren. Flat sand and pools of water stretched out for miles in every direction as if the tide had just gone out, leaving shallow puddles behind. But what didn’t immediately register in her brain were the numerous broken pieces of metal littering the landscape as far as she could see.

Upon closer inspection, she realized they were fragments of spacecrafts. Was it the cruise ship? There was no great epicenter where the bulk of the ship had crashed, only small bits scattered around. Could it have broken up that much upon entry into the atmosphere?

She stepped through the exit onto the damp sand and shuffled slowly around the perimeter of the lifeboat. The nearest hunk of metal glinted, catching her eye.

Foreboding lifted the hairs on her neck. The air froze in her lungs, acid crawling up her throat. That ship lay rusted, and half buried in sand. The ones next to it, too. These weren’t sections of the Endrolfen vessel.

Black plumes of smoke came into view on the horizon as she reached the far side of the lifeboat. She’d bet her Sunday evening yuba tart that’s where their cruise ship had landed.

Katie gulped, eyeing the husks of spacecrafts in varying states of decay which spotted the path toward the billowing sooty clouds.

The sound…

The hypnotic effect it’d had on the passengers…

They’d crashed smack dab in the middle of a spaceship graveyard. And no part of her believed it was a coincidence.

Despite the layers of cloth she’d torn off her robe and wrapped around her mouth, the acrid fumes of the smoldering cruise ship still invaded her throat. If she were to speak, she imagined her voice would come out raspy and cracked, but she couldn’t be certain, as she hadn’t uttered a word in days.

Since crawling out of her lifeboat into a nightmare, she’d carefully picked her way toward the remainder of the wreck. Along the way, she hadn’t come across anyone else, though she’d found a few empty lifeboats all fully stocked with their emergency supplies.

Katie didn’t understand where the passengers had gone or why they would’ve left without any food or water until she came across a group of creatures prying open the door of a lifeboat that had malfunctioned.

She dove for cover and hid amid some wreckage as soon as she spotted the unfamiliar aliens, then watched as they worked together to tear the door away. Once open, the same screeching noise from the cruise ship rang through the air, but this time, to her horror, the sound emanated from the beings.

During her time at the Endrolfen palace, Katie had met many alien species. Some looked like her in one way or another. Some resembled animals or insects she’d seen on Earth. And others still she couldn’t even begin to describe, for no part of them was familiar.

These beings stood on two legs and were humanoid, but the similarities stopped there. The razor-sharp fins protruding from the sides of their faces and arms, along with their bulbous black eyes and slick mint-green skin, reminded Katie of an angler fish crossed with an eel.

Two passengers she didn’t remember helping appeared to succumb to the terrible song. They staggered out of the lifeboat with vacant expressions and, as though unable to stop themselves, followed one of the singing fish people away.

A third survivor leapt out of the lifeboat and charged at the three beings who remained, their song having no effect on him. Her heart pounded as the man kicked and punched, struggling to break away from the three fish people. But when one of them jammed a long metallic pole into his back, the man seized and shook as though he’d been shocked.

While he struggled to rise from the sand, they slammed a metal collar around his neck, then stood back. The man hadn’t taken one lumbering step before they activated the collar, zapped him, and forced him to his knees once more. Over and over, they waited for him to recover and attempt a weak escape before sending a jolt through his body until, finally, he glared up at them in defeat. He walked between them after that, his round chest rising and falling with frustration at the understanding there’d be no escape.

Silently, Katie followed.

She studied them that first day, getting closer by darting from one piece of wreckage to another like a pinball when she was sure they were far enough away. After a while, the wreckage ended, the sand smooth and clear of obstruction for miles ahead.

She watched helplessly from behind the last mangled piece of ship large enough to hide her from sight as they led the prisoners toward a small building on the edge of a trench. Only the top of the pit was visible, like a jagged gash sliced into the sand.

Rather than going into the building like she’d expected, they led the prisoners down into the trench. A few minutes later, the fish people emerged alone and slunk into the building. After the bright glow of the sun behind the dense cloud layer almost disappeared from the sky and the beings had not emerged, Katie scouted the surrounding wreckage for a safe place to sleep.

One ship that’d been ripped in two lay a bit further away from the building but had a small closet in a hard-to-reach corner just big enough for her to squeeze into.

With a sharp rock, she carved a hole into a crumbling, rusted part of the metal exterior wall so she could keep an eye on the small building and trench, then spent a sleepless night on edge and terrified.

Using the emergency supplies her lifeboat had stocked, she managed to keep herself fed and warm while cramped in the small space. She remained there for days, waiting and watching as the fish people emerged in the early morning and set out on their hunt. For the first two days, they brought back more survivors. On the third day, it seemed they’d gathered everyone they cared to. Instead of venturing out, a larger group of fish people appeared from the trench, leading a slew of prisoners toward the smoking cruise wreck.

Stiff and bleary-eyed, Katie emerged from her closet and trailed behind, hoping to catch sight of Char Tomi or the prince among the group. When they reached the crash site, the prisoners were put to work. Any part of the ship that had cooled and was in half decent shape was dismantled.

The fish people sang to some of the workers, forcing them to haul loads of partially charred electronics and equipment toward awaiting rolling barges. Others were allowed to work on their own without being hypnotized. As she took in their ratty clothing and grimy appearances, it dawned on her that they must’ve been survivors of another crash. An older crash. How long had it taken for those prisoners to concede to work without being hypnotized? She suspected the shock collars around their necks were incentive enough.

Katie followed the group of prisoners and guards back and forth for five days, hoping to catch sight of something that might help her come up with a plan, any plan. So far, she’d been unsuccessful. All she’d managed was to eat through some of her rations and get a solid idea of their schedule.

She huddled on the far-left side of the cruise ship today, as far away as she could manage while still being able to see the workers. It helped that her drab, grayish-blue robe and headdress were exactly the shade of the sand. She blended in well enough, and it didn’t seem that the inhabitants of this planet were too concerned with stragglers anyway. There had to be more passengers out there who’d been knocked off course like she had, after all, but the fish people had stopped looking after only three days.

Maybe they assumed the enormous creatures that came out at night had eaten them. In the evening, after the fish people locked themselves in their small building and she returned to her cubby, she could hear the monsters’ massive bodies grinding along as they slid over the sand, making terrible squealing growls. Katie had only caught a glimpse of one through the crack in her wall on the second night, and it’d been enough to keep her bolting awake at every little sound each night after.

In the morning, she’d awoken to find divots in the ground as wide as buses. It sent a shudder down her spine even now to imagine what the animals who left those tracks must look like. A giant snake, maybe. Or a worm.

Either way, she decided that those creatures must be the reason the guards always disappeared into that building and remained tucked inside until morning rather than watching over their prisoners through the night.

She ran her fingers through the damp, smooth sand as she watched the workers tear apart the once gleaming ship. Her breath froze as a tall, thin person was led over to an intact refrigeration unit in the distance. She squinted, leaning forward on the balls of her feet. He had the right build and the bright hue of his gold skin could be dulled under a layer of dirt, but she couldn’t quite see well enough to know whether it was Char Tomi. Had he survived?

She hadn’t seen him or the prince in the crew that had come to scavenge the wreck, but she refused to believe they were dead. For one thing, Char Tomi should’ve been fast enough to escape even if they’d had the upper hand and gotten the jump on him. The person in the distance turned to haul some scrap away, and she got a good look at them. Her shoulders slumped. Too broad. It was clear, even from this distance. Not Char Tomi.

Wiping her watery eyes for the millionth time, she sat back. What now?

The sun was well over halfway to the horizon. Once it got a little lower, the fish people would herd the prisoners back to the pit they kept them in and lock themselves in.

The trench was the only place she hadn’t explored yet. The prisoners stayed there all night long. Maybe she could sneak down after the fish people left and before the large monsters came out for the night.

Katie wiped her palms on her knees. She’d had this thought before and ignored it. There was so much she didn’t know. What if there were guards down there? What if there was an alarm system? What if she got to the edge of the trench, figured out she couldn’t sneak around, but before she could dash back to her hideout, was eaten by an enormous worm?

And say she did find her friends. What then? Would she lead them back to her closet? It wasn’t as if she had a ship ready to go as soon as she found them.

All these reasons and more were why she’d only waited and watched. But she couldn’t do that forever. At some point, she had to take a risk.

The fish people shouted to each other, and she tensed. It was time to go back. Despite herself, her gaze swung to the heavy barges loaded with scrap.

A group of five or six workers lined up in front of one of the barges, hefted a rope and pulled, dragging it through the sand. But they were not what made her throat go even dryer than before. They weren’t who she was waiting for.

It took a few more minutes, but finally a man came into view, just as he’d done each day before. She could only make out the barest details from where she hid, but even seeing the blurry outline of him sent an odd shiver through her body. He was huge, built like a truck with thick limbs and broad shoulders. She thought he might be a shade of gray or perhaps purple, though it was hard to tell. Horns, one long and one short, shot out from his forehead and angled slightly over his crown.

Alone, he positioned himself in front of the second barge and with a strength that made her lips part in awe, dragged it behind him, leaving deep wheel ruts in the sand. She watched him until he faded from sight on the horizon. What would it be like to have that kind of strength? And how could a person that strong still be a prisoner on this planet? Even with the fish people’s shocking spears, she imagined it would’ve been quite the feat to take him down and slap a collar around his neck.

Katie was hit with a bout of queasiness. If a person like that couldn’t escape the trench, then what hope could she possibly have of breaking her friend and her prince out?

CHAPTER 4

MALADEK

Commotion from above echoed down to Maladek, and he creaked one lid open. Lying on the cold, damp ground, his legs and arms crossed, his hands pillowing his head, he wondered whether whatever had the prisoners agitated was worth rising for.

The murmuring increased. With a groan, he stretched his stiff body and got to his feet. Peering through the crisscross bars of his cell into the dark trench, he couldn’t make out much of anything. A small, tiered path lined each level of the trench, which meant he could only see the cells on the tiers nearest his.

Nothing out of the ordinary stood out to him. There was no ship crashing to the ground. No deadly quallie looming overhead. The large native beasts that roamed the planet at night did not have a taste for non-aquatic meat and therefore paid little mind to the prisoners in the trench. Sieliji flesh was the delicacy they sought, but occasionally, if they felt threatened or were very hungry, they’d lower their standards and eat a prisoner.

Maladek was about to give up and return to his uncomfortable corner when a barely discernible scent hit his nose. A bright, sweet note so unlike the smells that lurked in the prison. He found himself pressing against the door to his cell, face tilted to the left. Muttering was coming from that direction, about two tiers up.

Something in Maladek’s chest snapped, his mind and senses homing in on the scent. Suddenly, the smell was no longer faint. It became all-encompassing, wrapping around him like hot water. Bumps lifted on his arms, and every cell in his body stirred.

A growl started up out of nowhere in his throat and he gripped the bars to ground himself in reality. Was this another one of the Sieliji’s tricks?

His chest swelled, heat coursing through every muscle, vein, and fiber. The world burst into focus. He could see farther than he could before. The taste of the sour air on his tongue grew sharper. The cold breeze hitting his heated skin overwhelmed him. He shuddered.

Had he been poisoned? Was the hypnosis finally breaking his mind? All Maladek knew was that his gaze traveled against his will, following an invisible beacon through the trench. His body ached to get closer. Whatever magnetic force lurked up there terrified him as much as it muddled his mind with intense longing.

The tingling of his body extended down his forearms, and movement on his hands caught his eye. Slowly, as if something crawled beneath his skin, drawing from the underside, designs started appearing on his hands and wrists. They stretched and wound themselves around his fingers in bright purple curves.

It took his brain a moment to catch on, his mind still screaming at him to return his gaze to the mysterious presence, which he somehow knew had ventured further to the left. His fingers tightened around the bars and his eyes slowly lifted to the tier right above him.

His mate was here.

Somehow, in this awful place, his mate had appeared. And she was in the trench, walking around freely. He’d learned in school that ancient mates had sometimes been able to recognize one another upon first scenting them. Some only had to see their fated match for recognition to occur. But Maladek had never imagined such a thing might happen to him. And certainly not here.

Abrupt, overwhelming instinct took hold as the shock wore off. How had she ended up here? Who was she? And what was she doing out in the middle of the night when the quallie were roaming?

He had to get to her. Keep her safe. His heartbeat thrummed through his body, making him pulse with anxiety. He pulled at his bars again and was surprised when they creaked more loudly than they ever had before.

He’d heard when a Clecanian recognized their mate, they became…more. Stronger. Faster. Better able to protect their partner and offspring. But matehood had been nearly extinct on their planet for centuries until very recently, and he’d never actually talked to another person about how the change felt.

His eyes traced the spot where some newly ignited intuition told him she was. The return of matehood had all begun with the arrival of humans on Clecania. Did that mean she was human?

His frustration doubled with the knowledge that his mate was on the other side of these bars. Her sweet scent built in the heavy air, and other urges took hold. A low growl rumbled in his chest as his shaft stiffened.

CHAPTER 5

KATIE

Katie crept through the strange prison quickly, peering into each cell as she passed by and checking for any traces of Char Tomi or the prince. Occasionally, she saw someone she recognized from the ship. A few prisoners noticed her too, but most remained asleep. Instead of waking up the passengers she recognized, she continued to rush forward, peeking in each of the cells for only a moment before moving on.

What would she say to them if she woke them up anyway? I’ll break you out. She couldn’t promise that. As it was, she could barely help herself. And the more people who saw her walk by, the louder the commotion of the trench would grow. What if the guards came out to see what was going on? She’d be thrown in a cell and end up in the same spot as everyone else.

A few of the prisoners who noticed her tried to talk to her, but she couldn’t understand them. Her translator was updated with all Alliance species languages every few months. The fact that their words weren’t being translated must mean they didn’t belong to the Alliance.

She peered over the edge of the pathway, which ran in a rugged spiral toward the bottom of the trench. There weren’t many cells left, and the inhabitants of each cell grew more and more ominous as she traveled downward. She couldn’t imagine the likes of Char Tomi or the prince being placed with creatures like the spiked stone being who’d glared at her with a dull gray eye from the last cell she’d passed.

But whether her friends were down here or not didn’t matter. She needed to stay in the trench all night, anyway. It was too risky to sneak back to her closet now, while those creatures might be roaming.

A slithery voice hissed at her from up ahead and some deep part of her recoiled, skin slicking with sweat. Knowing that voice did not belong to anyone she knew, she kept her gaze averted and darted past the gloomy cell.

She came to the floor of the trench and paused. To her right, a couple of cells lined a muddy walkway which disappeared around a corner. Their doors were open, the area empty. To her left stood a metal door and past it, a hallway leading into the side of the trench. Katie pulled at the barred door to the passageway, but it didn’t budge.

Tears blurred her vision without warning, and she rested her forehead on the cold metal. Her throat tightened and ached with welling tears. She was one stubbed toe away from completely breaking down.

Wrenching the unmoving bars back and forth with gritted teeth did nothing but force a few tears to spill down her cheeks. Heaving in a deep breath, her chin wobbled. Hope was getting harder and harder to hang onto. What was the point of any of this? She was just one person. One human at that. She had no skills other than ensuring a fussy prince looked tidy and keeping a palace clean. What was she supposed to do here?

Memories of her abduction from Earth came back to her and made her knees weak. One morning in the middle of winter, she’d been out in the neighborhood quite against her will. Her parents had forced her to wake up an hour before she should have to shovel their elderly neighbor’s driveway. She’d complained and pouted and did all the immature things a fifteen-year-old might do to get out of chores. But like always, she’d lost her bratty battle.

She could still feel the cold bitter air of the morning, her nose running instantly, her skin sweaty from shoveling, yet freezing to the touch. A scream had echoed from across the street, as she’d finished clearing Mrs. Burnes’ driveway.

All it’d taken was one curious glance through her neighbor’s window, and her life had changed forever. She’d seen the woman from across the street, Jenny, unconscious and dangling over the shoulder of a reptilian monster. Katie had frozen, her shovel clattering to the ground.

She’d wanted to scream. She’d begged herself to scream, but like something out of a nightmare, her voice had lodged in her chest. The creature’s yellow eyes had met hers through the window, and without pause, it’d bounded toward her.

Tears had frozen in tracks down her cheeks as she’d remained stuck in place. The scream building in her throat had finally made its way to her lips when the creature sprayed her with something, and everything faded to black.

The helplessness she’d felt that morning and, for weeks after, was something that still haunted her. It was why she’d stayed at the Endrolfen palace so long after she was free to leave. There was safety in the palace. She had friends and a warm bed and some semblance of control.

Now look at me. Huddled at the bottom of a prison trench on a horrific planet, with no hope of finding her friends or getting home. Her breaths came in quick gasps, and she slammed both hands over her mouth to contain the sounds of her sobs, head pounding with the effort.

When she’d been wrung out, she allowed herself to sit for a few minutes more, somehow feeling worse and better at the same time.

No, she scolded herself. You’re stronger than this. Yes, she’d been helpless. She’d been kidnapped and traded like an animal, but she’d also survived. She’d made a life for herself when she could’ve given up. Katie was stronger than she gave herself credit for in these moments of doubt, and she’d be damned if she gave up now.

There was still hope. And even if it was a feeble hope, what was the alternative? Shutting herself in her closet and using up her rations until they were gone, then wasting away?

Using the train of her headdress to wipe her tears, she patted her cheeks, tucked the curls that had broken free back under her cap, and straightened her robe. She threw her shoulders back. There had to be some way to get through this door. A few bits of metal were strewn across the ground. If she found one strong enough, maybe she could pry the door open.

She crept through the trench floor, avoiding the large puddles that had settled down here. It didn’t seem like the fish people cared much for upkeep on the lowest level. As she passed each open, empty cell, she wondered if it was because there was nobody down here.

The cold of the shadowy trench leeched into her skin and made her shiver. Katie wrapped her arms around her waist and pushed herself to venture further into a section of the trench where the moonlight barely shone.

So far, there wasn’t anything usable. Only thin pieces of scrap. Where was the crowbar-shaped trash when you needed it?

Rounding a shallow curve, she spotted a pile that looked promising. She’d taken two steps toward it when a rustling to her right made her freeze. Her gaze lifted and met intense, black eyes.

Still crouched in place with one hand reaching toward the wreckage, she scanned the features she could make out in the dim light and sucked in a quick breath. It was the man. The strong one who dragged the barges back every day.

He stared at her, his massive palms gripping the thick bars. Her skin flushed, and a flutter started in her belly under his unblinking scrutiny. Red. His eyes were a rich ruby red.

She averted her gaze and forced herself to rummage through the scrap pile in front of her.

“What are you doing?”

Katie froze again, his deep, rasping voice making goosebumps erupt across her skin. Despite her mind urging her to ignore him, her head turned. She’d understood him, which meant he was speaking in an Alliance language.

“Come closer,” he insisted when she just stared at him.

Despite everything in her brain screaming to run in the opposite direction, she found herself wanting to comply. His skin was covered in grime, his dark hair a tangled mess. But something about the structure of his face, the curve of his lips, and the heavy masculine set of his brows had her stomach dipping.

“Leave me alone,” she breathed, her voice coming out shaky. She needed to snap herself out of this and leave. Not because she had anywhere important to be, but because this man was doing odd things to her.

“What’s the harm in talking to me?” He flicked his bars with a thick forefinger and a ping echoed off the stone walls. “I can’t bite.”

Can’t. Not won’t.

Katie swallowed and licked her lips. Heat rose in her cheeks when he tracked the movement of her tongue. “I’m looking for my friends,” she croaked. Her voice was just as raw as she’d imagined it would be. Clearing her throat and lifting her chin, she donned a confidence she didn’t feel. “Have you seen them? One is a Charkathan. He’s tall and thin and gold. The other is Betuhinian. He’s also tall and thin. Orange hair.”

The man’s full lips firmed. “I have not.”

She studied his cell. The top half had crisscrossing bars, the bottom half solid black metal. There was a large rectangular box with a hole, maybe some kind of keyhole, positioned in the center of his door. Five-foot sliding bolts ran across the front of his cell, secured to thick metal on either side and, though strong, it seemed they could simply be slid out of place by a person outside the cell.

Emboldened by the strength of his prison, Katie stepped forward. “Do you know where that tunnel leads?” She pointed in the direction of the locked passage door, though it was out of sight around a corner.

“I know a great deal about this planet. Let me out and I’ll help you find your friends.” His dark gaze was unblinking and eager.

Katie let out an incredulous chuckle. The absurdity of the request was clear to both of them. His nostrils flared in time with his deep, measured breaths and his jaw clenched.

She spun away and dug through the pile of scrap with more fervor.

“I can open that door,” he urged. “And I know of other prisons where they might be holding your friends. The Charkathan would be a boon to them, but only if they could control him. I’d say they’re making him work over in the sea mine.”

Her heart leapt when a long pole came into view. She tugged at it, and it pulled free with a loud metal on metal scrape that set her teeth on edge. “Where is the sea mine?” she asked while examining her new tool.

The corner of his mouth lifted, his white, even teeth flashing into view. “Let me out and I’ll show you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t let you out even if I wanted to. Your cell needs a key.” She gestured to the large black box on his door, but his expression remained unmoved.

“All you need to do is slide the bolts out of place.”

She eyed the lock. “I’m gonna have to pass.”

His knuckles paled as his grip around the bars tightened. Reigning in his frustration, he argued, “I vow to help you if you let me out. I’m strong and a good fighter. You’ll need me in case you run into trouble.”

Katie chewed on her lip. “Why should I believe you?” And why was any part of her considering his offer? Shaking her head before he could answer, she held up a palm. “Wait. No. Never mind.”

“You’ll never get it open with that,” he called as she strode away.

Three broken nails, one broken pipe, and innumerable uttered curses later, she returned to the scrap pile and dug for something else to use. Embarrassment at her failure ensured her blush was hot on her cheeks.

“Told you.” His voice wasn’t smug exactly, more straightforward, as though her impending failure had been a simple fact.

Her teeth ground together. She reached the bottom of the pile and found nothing else that could be of use. Katie wanted to hang her head, but she didn’t want her onlooker to see.

“Will you release me now, little human?”

Like a shot, her head snapped around. Eyes wide, she stared at him. “How do you know I’m human?” She’d never met a human outside of Earth before. How could this man possibly know what she was just by looking at her?

He shrugged. “You look like a human.”

She pursed her lips. “Okay, but how do you know what humans look like?”

With a thoughtful lift of his chin, he studied her. “Release one of my bolts and I’ll tell you.”

Katie frowned. Curiosity burned in her, forcing her to rise to her feet and scan the five long bolts keeping him trapped. They were an inch thick at least and four inches wide. What was the harm in releasing one? Surely even he couldn’t get out with four holding him in place.

Her skin prickled as she passed his door and wrapped her palm around one of the bolt handles. She tugged at it, expecting the metal to slide easily, but it turned out to be heavier than she’d realized. Using her body weight, she threw herself back, slowly tugging the heavy bolt until it finally scraped free from the door.

When she took her place in front of his cell again, his blood-red gaze flashed toward a curl that had popped free from her headdress. His brows furrowed and his hands twitched.

She quickly tucked her hair back into place. “I did what you asked. How did you know I was human?”

His eyes remained fixed on the place where her frizzy curl had been before he slowly answered, “There are some humans living on my planet. I’ve met one and know of others.”

Katie had to remind herself to breathe. Humans, plural? Her happiness was smothered by a dark thought. “Are they there freely?”

His mouth pulled into a scowl. “They didn’t arrive that way, but once their captors were apprehended, they were given their freedom. Most live happily, I believe. I’m sure they’d prefer to be returned home, but—”

“It’d be against the law,” Katie finished. His heavy brows drew together at that, his gaze curious, but he said nothing.

She’d struggled over whether to sneak back to Earth many times. One of the reasons she hadn’t was because even getting near a Class Four planet such as Earth was illegal. It sounded like his home planet had punished the ones who’d kidnapped people from Earth, though. That had to count for something.

“So, you’ve really met another human? What were they like? What planet are you from?” A tendon in his neck firmed and his throat bobbed as she spoke. With a gasp, she realized in her excitement she’d stepped far too close to his cell. Before she could dash away, however, his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.

A strangled cry lodged in her throat, and she froze, knees shaking.

“Calm. I won’t hurt you, female.” His voice was a low caress, and, despite the situation, she relaxed a fraction. His massive palm swamped her wrist, but his grip was not painful.

As their gazes met, black slowly crept out from the corners of his eyes and blanketed them until she could no longer see any white or his red irises. Just inky black. “I swear,” he began, watching her with such a determined intensity that she couldn’t help but hang on each word. “If you release me from here, I’ll do everything in my power to help you find your people and get us all off this planet safely.”

Holding her stare, he peeled his fingers off her wrist.

Katie took a step back and held her arm to her chest, touching the skin he’d warmed with his palm. She couldn’t force herself to look away. He appeared serious. Deadly serious.

“You’ll help me open that door?” Was she really considering this?

He gave a short nod. “If you wish.”

“And you won’t hurt me?”

A flash of anger lit his features. “No,” he gritted out. When she still said nothing and made no move toward him, he uttered the very thought she’d been struggling with. “What other options do you have?”

That was the crux of her problem. Katie had no options. And now that she’d explored as much of the trench as she could, she was out of ideas. There was nowhere left to search other than the hallway she couldn’t get into and the building that the fish people disappeared to every night. But trying to sneak in there alone, not knowing how many remained inside, was beyond idiotic.

She filled her lungs with a deep breath and stepped toward the bolts. One by one, she strained to pull them open. The man remained silent as she worked. When the last one was almost out of place, she paused, heart ramming against her ribs. Sweat slid down her spine. This is a mistake, her mind whispered. Before she could lose her nerve, she yanked the last bolt out of place, then warily backed away from the cell.

“Thank you,” he rumbled.

She swallowed. “I still don’t know how you plan on dealing with that lock.”

He gave an ominous chuckle and stepped back into the darkness of his cell. A thunderous crash boomed all around her as he rammed into the door at full speed. The metal bowed.

Katie sped away until her back hit the wall of the trench while he threw himself against the cell door again.

This time, the gap between the door and the metal frame grew by an inch and a massive bolt came into view in the widening space. With one final ram at the door, the lock slipped free. Though the bolt was still secured in place, the center of the door was so badly mangled that it could no longer reach its home. The door groaned open.

Like a terrified rabbit, Katie’s pulse vibrated through her. Palms slick, she balled her fists.

With slow, heavy steps, the man emerged from the cell, tipping his head so his one long horn cleared the doorway. When he was out, he straightened to his full height and Katie took in a shaky breath.

Why the hell did I let him out?

He must have been crouching to speak to her because he was even taller than she’d thought. Wider too. The darkness of his cell had concealed most of his body, but now, in the dim moonlight, she could make out every towering inch. His loose, torn clothing did nothing to disguise the layers upon layers of heavy muscle underneath.

She raised her gaze to his and held his stare. There was no going back. What would he do now that he was free?

Her inhale remained locked in her lungs as she waited for him to make a move. His onyx eyes practically glowed as his gaze trailed up and down her body. At her involuntary shiver, his attention snapped back to her face.

“All right,” she managed to squeak out. “Why don’t we go get that door open?” He remained as still as a statue. Katie swallowed again and forced herself to blink. “You promised,” she reminded weakly.

His jaw tensed at that. When his dark expression grew stony and determined, Katie took a clumsy step to the side.

“You’re not going to open that door, are you?” she breathed, already seeing the answer in his hollow frown.

A strangled whimper burst from her lips as, without uttering a word, he rushed her. In one smooth movement, he crouched, pushing his shoulder into her stomach and forcing her upper body to sprawl over his back.

CHAPTER 6

MALADEK

Maladek’s mate shrieked and pounded on his back, dragging her nails over every bit of his skin she could reach. Groaning inwardly, he raced around the trench path. He should have waited, explained, but his body and mind had revolted against it.

His mate was here within his grasp, and for the time being, unsafe. All he knew was he had to get her somewhere secure. Somewhere where he felt comfortable. A place he could control.

His strides were quicker than they’d ever been, the mating bond allowing him to run faster than normal. The angry shouts of prisoners echoing in their wake became a mere buzzing in his ears. The scent of his mate and the feel of her soft curves under the rough fabric of her robe occupied far too much space in his consciousness. Maladek shook his head, trying to clear his mind before venturing into the open stretch of sand above the trench.

All he’d wanted to do upon first seeing her was rage against his cell door until it no longer separated them. Thankfully. his rational mind had still had enough reason to understand that with the bolts in place, he’d never make it out.

He’d struggled to hold back the impulses thundering through him, and instead attempted to convince her to let him out of the cage. Demanding that she release him so he could bend her over the nearest boulder and ease the screaming pull of the new bond would not have gone over well.

But calming his tone enough to earn her trust had taken every ounce of willpower he’d had. As soon as he’d emerged, he’d been unable to hold back any longer. Once she was safe and he could take a moment to calm himself without worrying she’d run away, his reasonable side would return. He was sure of it.

But what would he do then? Tell her she was his mate, and he’d been unable to control himself? If her furious wailing was any indication, he’d bungled their first meeting. She was spitting mad, and he couldn’t imagine she’d take kindly to the revelation that they were bonded for the rest of their lives. Resolve and greed hardened his doubts, and he let out a low breath. It didn’t matter. She was his. In time, she’d forgive this misstep.

He paused at the top of the trench, peering out into the dark moonlit desert.

“Quiet, female, or you’ll attract the quallie.” It wouldn’t take long for him to get to the hiding place he’d found a few days ago, but it would be infinitely harder if a quallie suddenly took a liking to them.

She didn’t stop, though. The small human continued to screech at him like a moorshut lizard. Now that he had paused, no longer jostling her about on his shoulder while running, she was able to raise her upper body, reach her arm around, and scratch at his face.

Her nail scraped against his eye, and he snarled. Hiking her high until she fell over his shoulder once more, he tore two long pieces of fabric off the bottom of her robe.

Maladek made sure he tossed her off his shoulder with enough momentum that she remained unbalanced after landing on her feet. Then, he spun her around and wrapped a piece of fabric around her wrists, binding them at her back.

When her balance was restored and she realized what he was doing, she fought, slipping on the damp ground as she tried to run away. All her thrashing and squirming about was going to make this next part difficult. He pushed her forward until her front was plastered against the wall, then lifted a knee to her back, pinning her and freeing his hands. He slipped the other strip of fabric around her mouth and tied it in place.

She whirled on him as soon as he lowered his knee. An angry pink flush colored her skin, and she threw one foot out to kick him in the groin. He dodged her easily, nearly sighing at the show of her ferocious spirit. He tore his gaze away from her dazzling yet furious blue eyes and the yellow curl that had come loose from her bonnet once more.

When you get her somewhere safe, you can stare at her all you want. She could scream herself hoarse while he learned every curve of her face, but for now, he had to get her out of the open. Tossing her over his shoulder once more, he listened, and was relieved to hear that although she was still screaming at him, the sound was muffled.

He sprinted through the sand, his thighs burning at the sharp turns he had to take to avoid the deceptively deep puddles littering the ground. A flash of pale pink appeared ahead between some large pieces of wreckage, and his grip on her thighs tightened. He hadn’t realized how much until she let out a sharp cry.

Darting behind a rusted spacecraft, he loosened his grip and lowered her from his shoulder. She struggled in his hold as he turned her about, her back pressed against his chest, and slammed a hand over her mouth. He angled her head in the direction of the slithering quallie and could tell the moment she caught sight of it because her yammering stopped, and her body stiffened.

It hadn’t seemed to notice them yet, so he remained crouched with her snugly pressed against his chest as he waited for the quallie to continue on its way. He shouldn’t be enjoying the feel of her wrapped in his arms quite as much as he was, not in this situation anyway, but an unbidden purr rose in his chest.

He held her in place long after he was sure the quallie had gone. When he lifted her back to his shoulder and set off, she remained silent.

A smooth, round opening in the sand appeared up ahead, and he sprinted for it. After months of excavating the mine under the watchful eye of his Sieliji guards, Maladek had finally sensed another tunnel nearby.

The black interior of the mine loomed ahead, calm and reassuring in its solid structure. Knowing that most beings didn’t find the dark confines of the earth as relaxing as his people did, he grabbed a few portable lights left at the mine entrance.

The air was damp and heavy as he jogged deep into the mine toward the hidden spot where he’d sensed the other tunnel system, but at least it was warm. He ran his hand along the wall, tapping the hard plates of his knuckles on the stone until the vibrations grew thin.

His female glared at him in the soft lantern light as he set her on her feet.

“Don’t run,” he warned, meeting her furious stare. “You won’t get far, and you saw what’s out there.” He held her glower for a few moments. Satisfied she was smart enough not to chance a meeting with a quallie, Maladek set to work.

CHAPTER 7

KATIE

Katie was livid. And confused. And to her utter exasperation…impressed.

She watched as the no-good, lying scumbag used his bare hands to pound through the sharp stone wall. What was he thinking? Had he carried her away just to show her how good he was at punching rock?

At least it’s warmer down here, Katie mused while turning in place. Her shoulders curled forward as she studied the looming darkness pressing in on all sides. A sudden strange fear that an animal would come barreling out of the pitch-black tunnel forced her to step closer to her captor.

An echo louder than the rest suddenly boomed through the space, and she spun. All she could make out at first was the smug curl of the man’s lips while he stared at the side of a wall. When she took a few more steps to the right, though, a new passage came into view.

“How did you do that?” Katie said, or rather, tried to say through the fabric in her mouth. All that came out was a muffled jumble of sounds. Anger that he’d tied her up in the first place rebounded, and she glared at him. Her arms were stiff from being bound behind her, and the corners of her mouth were sore from the rough fabric pulling at her cheeks.

So what if he could carve optical illusion passageways out of volcanic rock? He was still a dishonest savage who’d carried her off for who knew what reason.

Eyes no longer black, he narrowed his red gaze at her and wrapped a meaty palm around her bicep. He guided her through the cramped opening in the rock, then pushed his shoulder through. The fit was so snug that for a moment, she wondered if he’d get stuck. Unfortunately, he didn’t, but a sharp bit of stone did gouge his shirt. The fabric split diagonally across his chest as he squeezed through, exposing smooth, defined muscle under the torn halves.

It was harder than she would’ve liked to tear her gaze away.

Lifting the light, he scanned the perfectly round tunnel in both directions. Dripping water echoed from somewhere unseen, but the tunnel was otherwise silent. Disturbingly so.

Finally, the man lowered the light and let out a relieved breath. “We’ll be safe now,” he said, nodding at her as though agreeing with his own statement.

A muscle twitched in his jaw when she only glared at him. He took a step toward her, and she leapt away. His shoulders shot back in time with his soft growl. “Would you like to remain tied up, then?”

Katie had the odd urge to nod. His exasperated tone was just so irritating, as if she were the unreasonable one here. But remaining bound just to spite him was stupid. Tilting her chin up while giving him an imperious glare, she spun, presenting her hands to him. Though she knew it was coming, she jumped when his warm fingers brushed over her skin. His hands lingered on her wrists, squeezing gently after the fabric had fallen away.

His rough, strong palms felt so good rubbing her sore wrists. Too good. With an angry tug, she pulled her arms out of his reach. She’d be damned if her touch-starved body allowed this man any leeway after what he’d just done.

Pulling at the fabric around her mouth, she took a few more steps away from him. She stretched her chin, opening and closing her mouth when the gag was finally gone.

Before she could lose her nerve, she sucked in an angry breath and readied to shout all the foul curses she knew at him.

“You vile, lying heathen!” The words were dull as they spurted out of her mouth. What was she, a Victorian era grandmother?

The man remained unmoving before her, but raised a brow at her insults. Katie wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. She’d been young when she’d been taken from Earth, and though she’d heard other kids in school use curse words, she’d always been too nervous to use them herself. Then, after she’d been abducted, improper language at the palace had always been looked down upon. Even the Charkathan, who could say whatever they wanted inside each other’s heads, rarely, if ever, cursed.

Still, if anyone deserved a tongue lashing, it was this man. “You’re a…a…fucker!” Her cheeks heated, undercutting the tone she was going for. “You screeching manifti!” she added, trying an insult she’d heard the Charkathan use.

Both of his brows lifted at that. Great. She couldn’t even offend someone correctly. Tears sprung to her eyes.

“You promised you’d help me,” she breathed out shakily. “You lied.” It was a stupid, useless thing to say, yet she couldn’t help but feel betrayed by this stranger.

“I didn’t lie,” he finally rumbled, stepping toward her. She hurried away, stumbling on a ragged strip of her robe that he’d left dangling when he’d torn it. He stopped in place, but his big body was strung tight, his muscles clenching and unclenching as if he wanted to pursue her.

“Then what is this?” she cried, throwing her hands around the space. “You said you’d help me open that door. You said you’d help me find my friends. You said you’d keep me safe, and yet the first thing you did was run into the desert where those things are.”

His eyes tracked a tear as it spilled down her cheek, and he looked as if he were being stabbed in the gut. Katie couldn’t make sense of him.

“I’ll help you do all of those things.” His voice was low and sure. “I’ll open that door if you wish. I’ll find your friends. I’ll do anything you ask me to do. When you…when I recognized…” He sucked in a massive breath and scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “It’s hard to explain, but I just had to get you somewhere safe first.”

She stared at him, mouth open and brows scrunched. Confusion muddled her frustration and anger. “We were safe there,” she argued, her tone pitched higher than normal. “Those people don’t come out until the morning and those worm things don’t go into the trench.”

He peered around the dark tunnel as if looking for a good explanation. Finally, he shrugged. “I’m more comfortable here.”

“You’re more comfortable here?” she repeated, a sharp edge to her voice. “You threw me over your shoulder, ran straight toward danger without any supplies, any food, any water, to this random cave, because you wanted to keep me safe, and you prefer it here?”

When he did nothing but hike his enormous shoulders, Katie let out an incredulous squeak of laughter. She paced in a circle, fiddling with the pins of her headdress. What was she supposed to say to that? He appeared calmer and hadn’t made any move to toss her around now that they were alone and stationary.

When she turned back to him, his eyes caught on some of her hair that’d poked free. He gazed at it with such burning intensity that she felt naked. Quickly, she tucked the hair back into place. She was about to re-secure the pins, but before she could manage it, he’d crossed to her and, as if unable to help himself, gently tugged the fabric away.

“Hey!” she barked, as the few remaining pins holding her hair in place were pulled free with a pinch. He dropped the headdress to the ground and took her face in both of his big palms.

Katie couldn’t seem to breathe as he buried his fingers in the curls at her neck, tilting her head this way and that. He gazed at the rumpled mess of her hair with wide eyes and a soft smile, as if it were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

His fingers dug into her curls, arched and scratched across her skin. Despite her situation and despite how confused she was by this man, her lids fluttered at the feel of his deft fingers kneading her scalp.

Katie hooked her hands over his wrists, fully intending to pull away, but instead had to focus all her energy on keeping the moan building in her throat from escaping. A delightful shiver ran down her spine as he leaned far too close, burying his nose in the hair at her temple and inhaling deeply.

She was so used to hiding her hair in public and rarely, if ever, was she touched. Not like this. Not by a man who, by his own account, had been so overcome with fear for her safety that he’d acted like a caveman without thinking.

When his long exhale brushed hot air over her ear, Katie failed to stifle a clipped sigh. The man pulled away. His gaze shot down to her. As if realizing where he was and what he was doing, he let his hands fall.

Though the tunnel they currently occupied was by no means cold, Katie felt a chill when he took a few steps away from her. His throat bobbed and his fingers twitched as he eyed her.

“Don’t do that again.” Pushing that sentence out of her mouth was like pulling teeth. For some reason, she very much wanted him to do that again. “You need to take me back to that door. I have to see if my friends are there.”

The man’s mouth hardened. “I’ll help you look, but I will not return you to the trench. They aren’t behind that door.”

And just like that, the gentle buzz that his mini scalp massage had caused faded away. “How do you know?”

“Because that door leads to a secondary control panel for the dam. No one is kept there.”

Katie’s fingers curled, and she ground her teeth. “If you knew that, then why didn’t you say something?”

He hiked his shoulders. “I needed to convince you to release me from the cell. If I’d told you there was nothing behind that door, you wouldn’t have needed me for anything.”

While that wasn’t entirely true, she begrudgingly saw his point. “So, do you have any idea where they are? The sea mine? Or were you lying about that, too?”

A muscle flexed in his neck. “What I said is true. They could be in the sea mine. But I will not be taking you there. It’s too dangerous.”

She placed her hands on her hips. Katie was getting annoyed with this whole danger shtick. “What happened to I’ll do anything you ask me to do? So far, you’ve refused to help me do anything at all. You’ve brought me to an empty tunnel underground without any of my supplies. What are—”

“Your supplies?” The man lifted his immense hands to his own hips, mirroring her stance.

“Blankets. Food. Water. Medicine. The emergency bags from the lifeboats on our ship have everything. I left two of them in the place I was sleeping. Now, we don’t have anything.”

His gaze lit at her words, his shoulders lifting. “They’re in all the life pods that fell?”

“Yes, but—” Katie raised her hands as he backed away from her. He began squeezing back through their tunnel entrance. “You can’t go out now! You just got through telling me how dangerous it was.”

“I’ll bring you back everything you need to make up for my behavior.”

Katie sputtered. “No, you can’t… I didn’t mean you should go charging out in the middle of the night.”

His head dipped to peer at her through the craggy opening. “Before I leave, will you tell me your name?”

The image of the gigantic worm creature she’d seen on the way here flashed through her mind, and her pulse pounded in her ears. What if he got killed trying to get her bags? “Stay. We can get them tomorrow.”

He didn’t respond, just kept his brows lifted, waiting for her name. With an exasperated sigh, she dropped her hands. “Katie,” she answered. “What’s yours?”

“Maladek.” His eyes ran over her face, appreciation clear in his drawn brows. “I will win back your trust, Katie.” With that, he disappeared.

CHAPTER 8

KATIE

Katie huddled against the far wall, staring at the dim opening of the tunnel. She’d paced back and forth for a few minutes after he’d left, using the lantern to study the glossy black walls. It looked like some kind of volcanic rock. She ran her thumb over it and pulled back with a hiss of pain. It was sharp like volcanic rock, too. She once again marveled that he’d been able to carve through it with his bare hands.

For a moment, she pondered whether she should try to hack off a slice to use as a weapon, but decided against it. She didn’t have anything to break it with and she’d probably only end up hurting herself if she tried. Also, for some reason, she didn’t feel she needed it.

Katie knew she should be terrified of Maladek returning. She should be searching for another tunnel or risking a sprint through the desert to find a new hiding spot. But the only thing that worried her was that he wouldn’t return. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t more afraid.

Annoyed? Yes. Angry? Yes. Intrigued? Unfortunately, yes. But not scared.

He’d seemed so sheepish when she’d criticized him for bringing them both here. It was like he knew it’d been an impulsive thing to do and was embarrassed. Katie couldn’t pinpoint why exactly, but she got the sense that he didn’t feel he’d had a choice in the matter. She’d gotten the same feeling when he’d touched her hair. Like he just couldn’t help himself. But what sense did that make?

She had no idea how much time had passed when noise echoed from outside the tunnel and she spotted one long horn and one short one peek through the opening. Now that she had a moment to study his horns as he attempted to squeeze his bulk into the tunnel, she realized that his shorter horn ended in a precise, flat surface—as though it’d been cut off.

Katie remained seated as his sweaty face came into view. His breathing was ragged, his enormous chest rising and falling and his purple-gray skin flushing with a slight fuchsia undertone.

Behind him, he pulled not one, not two, but four bags of supplies through the opening. She scanned the bags, not recognizing the worn appearance of the ones she’d had with her. Had he somehow found four untouched lifeboats in the hour or so he’d been gone?

She raised her questioning gaze to him and her grudging respect must have shone through, because his mouth lifted in a smirk. He placed the packs directly in front of her like an offering, then settled nearby, his thickly corded forearms resting on his knees.

Normally, Katie would shy away from meeting the focused, unblinking stare of a handsome stranger with red eyes, but she found herself unable to look away from Maladek. She couldn’t make heads or tails of this guy—grunty and domineering one minute, then dropping bones at her feet like an eager hound the next.

Too tired to solve this enigma at the moment, she dug through the packs. She divvied up the hydration tablets and nutrition bars and tossed him a portion of both. He caught them in one hand and scarfed them down without complaint. “Make them equal,” he demanded, pointing to the carefully organized piles of food and water she’d sorted.

Katie peered down at each day’s rations, hers much smaller than his, and frowned at him. “You need more than I do. Look at you.” She waved a hand at his impressive bulk. Her eyes caught on his exposed chest, his torn shirt hanging on by a few inches near the collar.

Throat gone dry, she popped one of the hydration tablets into her mouth. They were nowhere near as satisfying as liquid water, but they’d do the job.

Rather than arguing with her, he frowned. His gaze strayed to her headdress, which she’d put back on, and his grimace deepened.

“What’s next, Maladek?” she asked, tossing him some more food and water. “How do we find my friends without leaving this cave?”

He set his rations aside. “I have a plan, little human. Not to fret.” When she continued to stare at him, making her frustration clear, he explained. “The Charkathan should be the easiest to find. The more I think about it, the less I believe he’s at the sea mine. We should check the Sieliji outbuildings first. Sometimes they put the prisoners they can’t control with their voice to work inside. Cleaning and cooking and such. They have borders around their buildings that prevent the prisoners from leaving lest they be electrocuted.”

“And if he’s not there?” she urged.

Maladek flashed a dark grin that made her stomach flip. “Then I hide and hold one of the guards until they tell me where he is. But I’ll need your help for that.”

“My help?” Katie choked, more surprised than anything.

He tapped his finger on the shock collar around his neck and then pointed into his ear. “They’ve inserted stoppers into my ears to ensure I can’t block my hearing or damage it. And they have this collar locked around my neck. I’ve tried to take out the stoppers, but they’re set to shock me unconscious whenever I try. If you pulled them out after I was rendered unconscious, though…”

Katie shook her head, raising her hands in front of her. “Oh no. That sounds like an awful idea. How do you know it wouldn’t just keep shocking you until you died?”

He popped a piece of the nutrition bar she’d given him into his mouth and lifted a brow at her. “It would be a waste of a good worker. Also, the technology is primitive. It shouldn’t have that level of programming. There is no way for me to help you if they remain in my ears. One note from a Sieliji and I’m their instrument.”

Maladek inched closer until he was sitting directly across from her with only an emergency pack separating them. Reaching forward, he pulled her wrist to him and placed the remaining half of his nutrition bar into her hand. Katie stared at it. He nudged the underside of her upturned palm, wordlessly urging her to eat.

“But once I have the stoppers out,” he continued, “I can block up my ears so their song won’t affect me. Then all we’ll need to do is find the key for this.” He tapped on his collar again, then stared at the uneaten bar in her hand. Ruby red eyes narrowing and jaw going rigid, he raised his stern gaze to her bewildered one.

Pretense and subtlety forgotten, Katie blurted, “What’s the catch, Maladek? What do you want in exchange for your help?”

He raised a heavy eggplant colored brow. “I want you to eat.”

“Yes, but besides that. Are you just a nice, if not incredibly odd, man? Do you really just want to help me?”

“I gave you my word. You freed me, and this is how I repay you. And…” His hands twitched where they rested on his thighs. His focus wandered over to the packs as though he were choosing his words carefully, before his gaze steadily returned to hers. “I want you to like me, Katie.”

He began digging in the pack before she could respond to his utterly ridiculous answer. He wants me to like him? Why? She frowned at the heat curling in her belly.

He pointed to her headdress, before nudging the hand she was clutching the nutrition bar with again. “Why do you wear that?”

Katie took a small bite and forced the bland food down her throat. In truth, she didn’t like wearing the headdress and when she was alone, she usually didn’t. But years of wearing it day in and day out had made her feel naked when it was gone. “I always wear it in front of people. Feels weird not to,” she said, with a shrug. “The Charkathan I work with don’t like hair and it’s part of my uniform anyway, so I’m used to it.”

“I like your hair very much,” Maladek rumbled, his eyes radiating heat as he held her gaze.

“I’ve noticed,” Katie said slowly. A zing raced over her skin at the memory of his thick fingers in her hair. “It does get uncomfortable though…the headdress. It’d be easier if I just shaved my hair off. That’s what Char Tomi keeps telling me to do.”

“You will not.” Though his voice was no louder than normal, his words seemed to boom in the space.

She raised a brow at him while taking another bite of food. “And do you suppose you have a say in that?”

His jaw clenched and unclenched as if he were thinking through his response carefully. “I have no say, of course.” He grated out the words like each one was a physical blow.

Katie nodded. “No, you don’t,” she agreed. He squirmed in place, and she managed to keep her grin smothered. “You can relax. I don’t plan to shave it.”

The tension bunching his shoulders released a fraction, and he let out a pleased hum. In truth, Katie loved her hair. It reminded her of her mother’s hair. One of the only connections she had to her family on earth. When it was long and curled down her back, she’d examine it in the mirror and remember that she’d truly belonged somewhere once.

Most of the time, she kept it cut to her chin as it was too much to manage under her headdress when it was long. Working out all the knots when washing her hair was a job in and of itself. Even short, she’d given up trying to style it on her wash days. The headdress ruined any work she put in, anyway. Raising a hand to her scalp, she groaned.

It must have looked awful when he’d seen it. After all the excitement today, it was going to take a miracle to get it clean. Reaching into one of the bags, she drew out a small bottle of the cleansing foam she’d used to wash herself with each night. She handed another to Maladek.

“Want to wash up before we electrocute you?”

CHAPTER 9

MALADEK

Katie was no longer yelling at him or crying, which was a start. But she’d still not fully warmed to him yet. Not looking at him with fear in her eyes was a far cry from accepting their bond when he eventually revealed it to her.

For his part, he needed no enticing. Everything about her called to him. Every time she spoke, her voice slipped against his skin like hot water. He was fascinated with the way she examined each little thing and with the way she hummed when the silence stretched out, as if she couldn’t help it or perhaps didn’t realize she was doing it.

He took the bottle she offered, running his fingers over her skin more than necessary during the exchange. His already aching cock pulsed at the feel of her soft palm, and he wanted to bellow in frustration.

The pure torrent of emotion, instinct, and need that had continued to pelt him since his marks appeared was overwhelming, to say the least. He had no idea recognizing a mate would be like this, and why would he? It wasn’t as if they still taught young Clecanians how to deal with the demands of the bond once it emerged.

If he’d lived three hundred years ago, he’d know exactly what to expect. He’d have strategies to combat the urges now plaguing him. But as it was, Maladek felt wholly unprepared for the delectable female sitting before him.

Her pretty blue eyes flashed to his chest again. She cleared her throat. “Um, where will you go to wash up? Where should I go?”

Maladek almost crushed the bottle in his fist. She’d done it again. He was almost certain her gaze had been appreciative when she’d peered at his body. He’d told himself it was all in his head, that the bond was playing tricks on him, but he couldn’t be mistaken again, could he?

“We could bathe here if you’d like.” The husky growl in his voice couldn’t be helped. He only hoped she didn’t get scared away. But then the strangest thing happened. Her eyes roved over his body, and she let out a slow, wistful sigh.

“I think it’s best we don’t.” She pointed down the tunnel toward a sharp bend. “I’ll be over there.”

Without another word, she rose and walked away, leaving Maladek with his jaw slack. What had that expression been about?

He backed away a few paces, keeping his gaze zeroed-in on the spot where she was presumably naked. He’d already learned that humans were puzzling, but Katie was downright bewildering. Tearing out of his clothing, he quickly sprayed the concentrated foam all over his hair and body, waiting while the foam bubbled and snapped, cleaning him before slicking to the floor.

For good measure, he also used the spray to clean his clothing, but paused when he got to his shirt. He left it dirty and tossed it away. Returning to their spot in the tunnel, he spread out a few heated blankets on the ground. At first, he’d argued with himself over whether to leave the blankets behind, reasoning that she could find warmth with him if there were no blankets available. But regretfully, he thought she’d notice if all the blankets were somehow missing from each pack he brought back.

It didn’t take long before Katie had finished as well and joined him. He held his breath, and a surge of pride had his spine straightening when her gaze riveted to his naked chest. Her stare left a scalding trail on his skin.

“What happened to your shirt?” she finally said, settling down across from him.

Maladek had to stifle his grin when the slightest hint of her arousal hit his nose. She did find him appealing. Thank the gods. “It was in shambles. Not worth cleaning.” He decided to try his luck. “Besides, I’ve noticed you enjoy looking at my body.”

A light pink blush stole over her cheeks, and she gave him a small grin. “I’m sorry. You have a very nice physique. I don’t often see people as muscular as you on Betuhines. I’ll stop looking.” She forced her gaze to the floor.

Surprise kept his lips locked together, and the silence stretched. He hadn’t expected such unfiltered honesty. Especially not since only a few hours ago she’d been ready to gouge his eyes out. Any other Clecanian female would have refused conversation unless necessary, and they certainly wouldn’t be admitting attraction. “You may look your fill, Katie. I like your eyes on me.”

Her blush deepened, her wide-eyed gaze lifting to meet his. She cleared her throat and rubbed the palms of her hands on her drab, freshly cleaned robe.

Why did she wear such an ugly garment? She’d said it was a uniform. “How did you come to live on Betuhines?” Maladek had assumed the humans currently on Clecania were the only ones outside of Earth, but it now struck him that there could be others floating around the galaxy.

The warm blush on her cheeks faded. “I was taken from Earth fourteen years ago. They took me by accident, I think. They ended up selling me to a slaver, and then a Charkathan found me. She took me back to Betuhines and put me to work in the palace. They told me when I made back my purchase price, I was free to go.”

“How long do you have until you pay off your purchase price?” Maladek would pile every jewel he’d harvested from his mountain into a ship and dump it at the palace, if that’s what it took to ensure her freedom.

She clicked her tongue and looked around the room. With a small irreverent smile, she said, “Oh, about ten years ago or so.”

He scraped his plated knuckles across the ground. “They broke their word?” He failed to keep the growl out of his voice as he slid toward her. The fact that she watched his movements, but didn’t object to him getting closer, was a small victory.

“No. I chose to stay.”

The knowledge cooled his temper. At least he wouldn’t have to murder any Endrolfen royals. “You didn’t want to try and return to Earth?”

She sucked in a deep breath and toyed with the frayed edge of her robe. “Return to what?” Her whispered tone was full of turmoil. “With any luck, my family will have moved on. Or at least made some peace with my disappearance. My little brother will have graduated from high school by now. If I went back, I’d just be reopening old wounds. And what would I be there, anyway? Almost half my life has been spent on Betuhines.”

Her watery eyes finally lifted to meet his. The pain in their light blue depths constricted his throat. “What could I say when they asked me where I’d gone? If I told them the truth, they’d probably institutionalize me. How could I live on Earth and pretend like I hadn’t spent fourteen years among aliens? I’d never be able to share any of the incredible things I’ve seen or done. And even if they did believe me…what would I do? I didn’t finish high school. I don’t even know who the president is.”

She shook her head and tugged at a stray thread. “I don’t know if it’s selfish or kind, but I’m not the same person I was when I was taken. I can’t imagine going back now.”

The tortured indecision and sadness in her voice made him wish he could curl her up tight against his chest, but it wasn’t the right time. Not yet.

“Are you happy on Betuhines?” he questioned. Part of him wanted her to say no. It was selfish, but if she were unhappy, he might be able to convince her to return with him to Clecania. If she was happy though… Well, he’d just have to uproot his life and follow her.

“I’m not unhappy,” she said, shrugging. “I feel alone sometimes.” Her eyes flashed up to his, then away again. “It’s weird to never be around anyone who’s the same as you. The Betuhinians hate my voice. The Charkathan hate my hair. There are a couple Juboms in the kitchen who can’t stand my smell. My friends in the palace are wonderful, but they’re different. They don’t always understand why I feel lonely. They’ll talk inside their heads to each other at dinner and even after all this time forget that I can’t hear them. It would just be nice to be around people who I could be myself with.” She let out a light chuckle, and his insides fizzled with warmth. “People who don’t have to hold back their gags every time they see my eyebrows.”

She peered back up at him and her face fell, her brows drawing together. “Sorry,” she said with a small shake of her head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”

I adore every part of you. You couldn’t be more perfect if you’d been carved from my dreams. If you let me keep you, I’ll show you how treasured you are every day of your life. Maladek wanted to say all this and more, but fear held him back. Did he really have enough to offer her? Was he enough? Would she want him after learning how he’d arrived on this planet?

So instead, he offered something else. “I could take you back to my planet and introduce you to the humans there.”

Her eyes widened. “You’d do that? You wouldn’t mind letting me come with you? I promise not to be a nuisance. And I could totally go off on my own if you start to get sick of me.” Her words came out quickly, and she shifted around in her seat, her eyes round and hopeful.

Was she worried about bothering him? The idea was laughable. Merely being close to her, kicking and screaming or not, was the most gratifying experience of his life. “I would be very happy to have you with me.”

The smile she bestowed on him was so brilliant, it stole his breath.

“I think we should talk about the plan, then,” she began eagerly. “When do you think we should try to get into the outbuilding?”

“Depends on how long I’m unconscious for. With any luck, we’ll be able to sneak in around dusk tomorrow. The building is mostly empty at that time since all the guards are either locking the prisoners away or organizing the haul from the day.”

“And how will we find my other friend? Do the Sieliji ever hold their prisoners for ransom?” she asked. While she waited for him to answer, she puttered around their small space, arranging the packs neatly against the wall, and folding the heated blankets into long rectangles and layering them on top of one another until they became soft pads on which to sleep.

Irritation with himself had him balling his fists. There were three blankets in each pack. Twelve in total. Why hadn’t he thought to layer them to make the hard ground more bearable? “I don’t believe they do, no. They don’t typically like to shine a light on themselves.”

Her brows knit as she folded yet another blanket to make a soft pillow for each of them. “Why hasn’t the Alliance done something about them? By the looks of it, the Sieliji have brought down thousands of poor travelers. Shouldn’t they be…I don’t know…reprimanded?”

“This planet isn’t part of the Alliance. Other than warning travelers that this is a dangerous area to pass through, there’s not much they can do besides wipe out the Sieliji. But they won’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“This is who the Sieliji are. They’re a predatory species, and luring ships is how they hunt. You wouldn’t fault any other predator for killing you if you wandered into their territory. It would be contentious for the Alliance to approve the annihilation of a whole species because of their nature, however vile it may be.”

“But I’d argue that most predators don’t enslave their prey,” she said thoughtfully. “It’s surprising that our pilots didn’t know not to travel through this region.”

Fury at the danger she had been put in thanks to a thoughtless crew heated his insides, but he couldn’t be too angry. Their mistake had brought his mate to him, after all. “It was a stupid thing to do. Perhaps they ignored the warnings without doing their research for some reason.”

“Prince Skendro did demand that we go home immediately, and I think the crew was rather new.”

“Prince Skendro?” Maladek froze. The Endrolfen royal family was well-known throughout the galaxy. Rich, generous, and very, very powerful. Katie had explained that she worked at the palace, but he’d assumed she’d been traveling with some lower dignitary. “Is that who your other companion is?”

“Yes, I was one of the prince’s attendants on the cruise. My friend, Char Tomi, was another.” Katie’s lips scrunched as she took in his rigid form. “Why? Does that change things? Do you think they’ll ransom him?”

Maladek wanted to shout in relief at the luck he’d encountered. “This may all be much easier than we thought. If the prince is here, then all we need to do is find a way to get a message to an Alliance port. His family would do anything to get him back, and they’re beyond powerful. If they found out he was being held here, they’d send reinforcements. Most wouldn’t venture so close to the Sieliji planet without good cause, but for the Endrolfen Prince? All we’d have to do is wait for an army to arrive.”

Katie scooted toward him, excitement shining in her crystalline eyes. She’d done the same thing in the trench, ventured too close without realizing it. Both then and now, Maladek had to rein in every instinct clamoring inside not to reach out and pull her to him. He eyed the horrible headdress she wore that covered the mounds of curling hair, and memories of her scent slammed into him. Sunshine and sweetness.

“Do you know where to find something like that?” she breathed, her lyrical voice tenderizing every stiff muscle in his body.

“I do.” He dug his nails into his thighs to keep from reaching out and grabbing her. “This requires a change of plan. Once both my stoppers are out, we’ll head toward the beacon and attempt to send out a message. We can look for your friends after that, while we wait for rescue.”

Katie grinned, and it was as if the ever-burning fire in his mountain’s communal hearth were warming his skin.

“So, how do I take those things out of your ears?”

His grin faded. This would not be pleasant.

“You’ve searched for hours now,” she complained as Maladek dragged an enormous stone in front of the opening to the outside tunnel. “You said it’ll take days to get there. The sooner we start, the sooner we can be on our way.”

Though he’d ventured as far as he could in both directions and found no signs of danger, Maladek was still ill at ease. He stared at the stone blocking the entrance to the other tunnel. Was that a crack in the side? Maybe he should find a different barricade. She let out a huff behind him when he didn’t respond. It was true he’d stalled far longer than he’d needed to.

“Have you made the hook?” he asked, looking back and forth in the tunnel once again, trying to calm his nerves. He didn’t mind the inevitable pain of the electricity, but he abhorred the idea of being rendered immobile. What if she needed him? What if he was out for too long and a Sieliji found the tunnel?

What if she has a stray thought she wants to share, and I’m not awake for her to talk to? Being parted from his mate, even in sleep, sent a pang through his chest.

Katie held up the metal pins she’d fashioned into a sturdy hook. A long strip of fabric was tied to the other end. His attention drifted to the cushioned bed to her right.

It was plusher than the one she currently sat on. Had she given him extra blankets to make him more comfortable? The thought settled in his chest, squeezing on his heart.

She motioned toward the luxurious mattress and held up her hook. “I’m ready if you are.” Katie grinned, exposing her small white teeth. Maladek took it as a personal victory that her smile had appeared with more frequency as the night went on. His mate was quick to happiness, and somehow her mere presence tugged his own joy out of a dark, recessed corner he’d forgotten existed.

He trailed over to her and knelt between the blankets. She let out a squeal of surprise when he wrapped his hands around her waist and transferred her to the softer of the two beds. Before she could argue, he held up a hand. “I’ll not hear of you sleeping on a less comfortable surface than me.” He lay down on his side and brushed his hair away from his ear.

Her lips quirked upward and though he could tell she wanted to squabble, she also seemed pleased. But soon the smile vanished, and she raised her chin, steeling her nerves. “Are you ready?”

He nodded, then stopped abruptly. “No, wait. I got you something,” he said, pulling his gift from his pocket. He held it out to her, breath catching in his chest. Would she like it?

It was nowhere near as fine a specimen as he could find in his mountain. He’d sensed the treasure while on his exploration of the tunnel, and the opportunity to give her a token of his affection was too good to pass up.

She tilted her head to the side as she stared at the gleaming blue stone. He’d carved at it with a sharp rock from the tunnel wall so she could see the potential of the gem. When it was cut properly, it would sparkle.

Would she find it subpar? It pained him to think so. In his home, when a Tetran wanted to court someone, they’d leave gems they’d mined at their doors. If they were still there the next night, the gift had been rejected. Would she accept his?

“Where did you find this?” she asked, lifting it and twirling it between her fingers near the lantern light.

“I could sense a small deposit on my walk, so I dug a little.” Apprehension and embarrassment rumbled through him when she continued to examine it. “There were other stones that were a finer quality perhaps,” he rambled. Why hadn’t he picked one of those? “But I thought the color of this one matched your eyes. I could get a different one for you if you’d like.”

She eyed him with a dreamy smile. “This is the sweetest thing anyone’s ever given me. Not to mention the prettiest.” Her hand rested against his forearm. The muscles in his body jumped under her touch, and sparks ignited all over his skin. Though she didn’t realize what it meant to him, her acceptance of his gift brought him immeasurable joy.

The light of the lantern was a mere flicker compared to the happy glow radiating from his Katie. If he ever got her back to his mountain, he’d shower her with gifts as often as he could. “All right, you may proceed,” he said, suddenly impatient to get this over with so he could, in fact, get her off this planet.

She gently set the stone down on her pillow and gazed at it for a moment longer before inhaling a large breath, her expression growing serious. “All I have to do is hook this onto the tab and pull? And you’re sure it won’t kill you or hurt you too badly?”

“Yes, this is how the guards remove the stoppers, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. But remember to only touch the string. Anything else, and you may be shocked, too.”

Katie leaned forward until she was perched over his ear and gently dropped her hook. He should be paying attention to what she was doing, but the swell of her breasts hovering above his face made his mind go fuzzy. His fingers clamped around the bedding underneath him, his teeth grinding.

“I think I got it,” she said, scooting away from him. With the fabric wrapped around her fist, she took a deep breath. “On the count of three.” Worry pulled her mouth into a thin line.

He nodded.

“One, two—” Before she got to three, she wrenched her fist back. Shooting pain flared through his veins a moment before everything went black.

CHAPTER 10

KATIE

The rippling muscles of his back glinted in the lamplight as Maladek tore through the stone at the end of a dark tunnel. Katie held in a sigh as she watched him work, hand in her pocket, fingers twirling around the beautiful gem he’d given her. She bit her lip as he repositioned his stance and ran the backs of his fingers over a crack in the dark stone.

Heavy brows dipped in concentration, he took his time feeling the rock. He pressed his palm to its surface and let his eyes slide shut, going still and calm as if waiting for the stone to speak to him. They’d been carving their way through the cave system of this planet since he’d awoken yesterday, and she’d seen him do this often. Each time, she became more fascinated.

He turned and caught her practically salivating. She glanced away, frustration souring her mood. Even though he’d said he didn’t mind her looking, she didn’t want to lead him on. He was a different species, just like all the other alien crushes she’d ever had. One failed courtship after another had taught her that she just wasn’t compatible with non-humans. Sexually or emotionally.

After her last fiery car wreck of a tryst wherein her male lover’s semen had given her chemical burns, she’d been left disheartened and had promised herself to take it slow the next time she met someone she liked. Slow enough to research whether any part of them could injure her, at the very least.

Still, she couldn’t help but daydream about Maladek. What would it be like to be with a man who was so handsome and generous and strong?

After he’d passed out, Katie had tried to get some sleep like they’d planned, but it’d been difficult for her not to admire him. She was ashamed to say she’d even run her fingers along the strong lines of his face, turning into mush when his tense jaw relaxed under her touch.

Katie still couldn’t believe how quickly he’d recovered, either. It felt like she’d only been asleep for an hour when she was being gently woken. He’d demanded they remove the other stopper, which had caused a heated argument. Katie wanted to give him more time to recover, but he wanted it to be done with. In the end, she’d given in, though she agonized over him the whole time he was out, checking and re-checking his pulse.

When his eyes had creaked open and he’d caught her brushing hair off his forehead, a rumbling purr had emanated from his chest. The sound had raised goosebumps on her skin and heat pooled in her core.

Unless she was completely misreading his signals, which she doubted since they were by no means subtle, Katie believed Maladek was attracted to her, too. Maybe when they finally left this planet and were on their way to Clecania, he’d be open to exploring this attraction more. She hoped she wasn’t a temporary fascination. Her stomach roiled. Or was she just the first woman he’d come across in a while? She hadn’t asked him how long he’d been here, after all. What if he had someone waiting for him back on Clecania? Or what if he lost interest once he saw some gorgeous, horned woman walk by?

“Things need to settle,” Maladek called, patting the gleaming black rock like he was praising it. A smile spread over her face at the odd gesture, but she smothered it before he faced her again.

Stepping down from his elevated platform of crumbling rock, he shook out his hair and clothing. Pebbles plinked on the ground as he swept the debris away.

“I still don’t understand how you can tell. Or how you know which direction to go in,” she said as he stooped to retrieve a hydration tablet.

“I can sense it. I know generally where we were, and I know which direction the beacon is. My kind, Tetrans, are used to navigating underground. I can’t explain it, but we all have an irrefutable sense of direction.”

“And what about these tunnels?” she asked. “How did you know they were here?” He stepped closer, much closer than he needed to be for the casual conversation. Why didn’t she have the urge to move away?

“Like I said, they were forcing me to mine them. It’s what my kind are known for. These tunnels were made by the quallie when this area was underwater, and there are lots of valuable resources that could be harvested from them, but the Sieliji don’t like risking cave-ins to do it.”

Katie froze, her shoulders hiking. “The worms? These are their tunnels?”

Maladek let out a rumbling chuckle at her horror-stricken expression. He extended his hand as if wanting to touch her, but then dropped it. “Don’t worry. They live in tunnels under the water and only come out at night to hunt. Their skin is too sensitive for the sun during the day. These tunnels are ancient. The quallie won’t want to use them. Too dry.”

“And you can just sense that?” Katie asked. She had to tilt her head to look up into his rich, ruby eyes. “How?”

He considered her question for a moment while smoothing the hair between his horns and shaking out dust. “I can feel it.” He waved at the stone wall behind her. “I can feel where the depth of the stone is thinner, and I can perceive the empty pockets.”

She must have still looked confused, because the corner of his mouth tipped up. He grabbed her wrist and turned her toward the wall of the tunnel. Katie tried to keep the fluttering in her belly quiet, as he pressed her palm against the gleaming stone.

“What can you feel here?” he asked, letting his hand loosely circle her wrist. Katie couldn’t feel anything except the cold rock under her palm and her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. He slid his hand to cover the top of hers and stepped close behind. His heat seeped into her back, and she swallowed hard.

Though she knew he was waiting for her to make some kind of statement about what she could feel from the wall, she couldn’t focus. His palm felt warm and smooth on top of hers, the width and length of his large hand completely engulfing her own. His fingers and knuckles had hard plates laid over the top as well, like armor or dragon scales. Curling, purple designs ran over every inch of his hand up to his wrist and undermined the deadly plating that allowed him to punch through rock as if it were paper.

The combination of his massive, towering form looming so close to her back, the softness of his skin on hers, and his warmth cocooning every inch of her made her sway.

He crouched down to her ear, whispering, “Can you feel it? Everything has a pulse. Vibrations traveling through the stone make it easy to sense what’s on the other side. It’s how I know the tunnel hasn’t settled yet. I can feel the result of my digging echoing through the earth even now. But when I touch over here”—he wrapped his other arm around her shoulder, pointing at an area to the right—“the vibrating echo stops short. It tells me there’s an empty space there.”

Maladek’s large chest brushed against her back, making liquid heat drip down her sex. She swallowed. Katie needed to get a hold of herself. This was no time to be mooning over a stranger.

“That’s incredible.” Hoping her voice wasn’t as shaky as it felt, she tugged her hand out from under his and turned in his arms. Not moving an inch, his palms remained in place, his brawny arms caging her in at her shoulders. “And the plating on your hands is how you can break through without being hurt?”

He tilted his head as he stared down at her heated cheeks. His nostrils flared and a light purr rumbled in his chest. With a silent nod, he brought his hand in front of her, lifting his knuckles so she could examine the hard plates.

An internal argument waged within her for only a moment before curiosity won out. She tentatively lifted her hand and ran her fingertips over the ridged plates. They were as hard as steel.

The purr in his chest intensified as she trailed a fingertip over the bright purple marks on his thumb. A deep inhale was all she could manage when his other arm dropped to wrap around her back, tugging her closer. The heavy air crackled between them.

Her stomach dipped and sent a bolt of electricity pulsing through her sex when he squeezed her lower body to his, and she felt his hardening length press into her belly. The shock of it helped bring her back to reality, though. She pressed a hand to his chest, ignoring the firmness of the broad, naked muscle under her palm.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He didn’t move away at first, only frowned down at her.

Then his hand lifted from her waist. His fingers curled under her chin, and he tipped her head up, craning his neck forward until he met her gaze. “I can scent you want me, female.”

Heat raced from her forehead to her toes. Katie knew there were many species able to smell far more than she could ever dream. Humans were practically blind, their senses were so underdeveloped. “I know, but I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now.” She couldn’t go through another awkward or potentially dangerous sexual encounter.

She tried to move away, but he backed her into the wall, brows furrowed. “So you admit you want me? Then I don’t see the problem. Explain.”

“It’s not the right time to try and see what our compatibility is,” she breathed out, shoulders slumping as frustration took hold. “I’ve…tried with others, and it’s never worked out. Either I can’t please them, or they can’t please me, or I don’t know enough about their customs, or we’re just completely incompatible. You don’t even know what I…have…you know? Why don’t we just wait until we get off this planet? Then we can do some research and maybe…I mean, if you still want…” Katie slammed her mouth shut and tried to look away. She was babbling now, embarrassment making her vibrate with emotion.

She’d had some good experiences in the past, but they’d always fallen short. The tryst with the Anedde had been exceptional. The female had had suckers that she’d put to good use, but Katie hadn’t had the anatomy to reciprocate.

And the Masquanith trader she met selling exotic fruit in the kitchens had been a wonderful kisser, but his kind didn’t engage in penetrative sex.

Though it may seem trivial to some, her inability to be physical with another person had weighed on her heavily. It remained a stark reminder that she was alone and didn’t belong. That she might never find anybody she could connect with or fall in love with. Not in the ways she craved.

Obviously, there were many ways to love and not all of them were physical, but the raging hormones of her fifteen-year-old self had never quite moved past the curiosity about sex. Of being with someone of her own species. Someone who was meant to fit with her. Maladek beamed at her, a grin spreading across his face.

He must think she was so silly. So inexperienced.

Katie tried to bob around him, embarrassment heating her face until she was sure she was beet red. He gripped her elbow to stop her from walking away, and she let out a sigh.

“We are compatible, Katie.”

She blinked at him. He couldn’t possibly know that, could he? He had said there were humans on his planet. “I know you look like me…kind of,” she started, eyes catching on the horns sprouting from his head.

His hand snaked around her back. This time, he pulled her against his body with a rough confidence that stole her breath. His grin remained wide. “I know we are. A fact. Humans and Clecanians have mated on my planet.”

Katie faintly recognized that her jaw had dropped. “You mean it will be pleasant? For both of us?”

Maladek stooped and brushed his mouth over the column of her neck, and she shivered. “It will be beyond pleasant. The cries I’ll ring from you will echo for miles through this tunnel.” Katie whimpered as both his words and his hot tongue slid over her skin.

She couldn’t breathe. Her head was spinning. She already knew she liked Maladek, but now…she could truly explore him and open herself up to him. And crazier still, he seemed like he wanted her, too.

The sudden realization that a new world of possibilities lay open to her had her stomach somersaulting. This was all moving too fast. How could she even have these romantic thoughts when the prince and Char Tomi were still imprisoned, or worse…

She wrenched away from the glorious man lavishing her neck with scorching kisses, confident that if she let him continue, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

Maladek let out a growl when she put space between them. Eyes gone black, it only took a second before he stalked toward her.

Katie held up her palms. “Give me a bit to get used to this, okay? Yesterday, I was pretty sure I’d be alone forever.” Her words turned sour on her tongue. Just because we’re compatible doesn’t mean he wants me forever. “And if we can dig again, we should.” She gestured to the area he’d been working. “Sending out a message is our first priority, right?”

Maladek’s dark eyes remained trained on her, his enormous frame rigid as he listened. For a moment she thought he might be angry with her for turning him down, but then he let out a half growl, half sigh. She didn’t know if a more perfect sound of frustration existed.

He crossed to her slowly, and Katie braced herself. “All right, my beautiful Katie. As soon as you sort your thoughts, you need only call, and I’ll show you what could be between us.” His voice was gentle, though his expression was hard. Before he turned back to work, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

CHAPTER 11

MALADEK

She was one step closer to being his. Whatever power Maladek was channeling to hold himself back from his mate must surely be mighty. Her reddened cheeks had faded to a lovely, flushed pink and, beneath her ugly robe, her chest rose and fell with deep breaths.

He could tear the garment away. Run his tongue over her skin in the way that had rendered her boneless. But she’d asked him to wait, and he would. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

“Are you sure I can’t help?” Katie asked again.

Maladek smiled and shook his head. She’d already asked to assist him many times. At first, he’d taken her offer as a slight. As if he weren’t strong enough to carve a path for her. But after taking in her eager expression and restless posture, he realized that she truly just wanted to ease his burden. His little mate was thoughtful and caring.

In the short time he’d known her, she’d done nothing but put others first. As they’d traveled, she’d regaled him with the story of her crash. Even in the face of such terror, she’d made sure to save as many as she could. And she was his mate. Pride swelled in his chest, then uncertainty deflated it.

For the rest of his days, he would never want anyone else, but she might never feel the same. Maladek felt like he’d burst if he had to keep the significance of his marks to himself for much longer. She’d agreed to come with him to Clecania. He had time. Once he gentled her toward the idea of mating and everything that went along with it, he’d explain that he recognized her. He peered over his shoulder and nearly groaned. She was eyeing his back again, her small lower lip pulled between her teeth.

Turning back toward the hard stone, he curled his fist. Fragments of rock the size of boulders fell with booming thuds as he took out his frustration on the tunnel wall instead.

CHAPTER 12

KATIE

“Do you think the Sieliji will come out to patrol these tunnels once they realize you’ve escaped?” Katie asked as she climbed over a mini rockslide blocking their path. They’d been walking for a few hours now and the cave system had gradually changed, the smooth glassy walls becoming matte black and porous. The perfectly round shape of the tunnel had morphed too. She could still see the path of whatever ancient quallie had burrowed through here, but the walls were no longer smooth and unbroken. Instead, long crevices and alcoves pocked every inch of the stone.

“No,” he answered from behind her.

The warmth and strength of his hands made her movements slow as he gripped her waist to steady her. Katie had the uncharacteristic urge to feign clumsiness and slip on a stone. Would he sweep her up into his arms if she did? Regretfully, he released his hold once she’d cleared the loose rock and walked beside her instead.

“They hibernate during the night,” he explained. “That’s why they lock themselves up. They go into a sort of stasis and are unable to defend against an attack. They wouldn’t risk exploring the caves this far since they’d be forced to spend the night unprotected.”

The warm, spicy scent of his heated skin made her want to bury her face in his chest. She inhaled through her mouth. “How do you know so much about them, anyway?”

“I made sure to learn all I could.” His eyes shifted to her for a moment before he glanced away. “I came here willingly.”

Katie’s steps faltered for a moment, and she couldn’t help but stare. “What? Why?” A pinched look crossed his face in the dim, swinging light of the lantern. Whatever his answer might be, it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. “It’s all right. You don’t have to tell me.”

Maladek let out a breath. “No. I want you to know all of me. The good and bad.”

A shiver skittered down her spine at his words. The idea was so innocuous yet sounded so intimate when uttered in his deep, gravelly voice. As if he didn’t merely want her to know all his secrets, but craved it.

“I was in a bad way with an illegal trader.” He dug in the pack as he talked and handed her a nutrition bar. Katie took it, torn between staying silent for his story and thanking him for his thoughtfulness.

No one ever took care of her like this anymore. Since she’d been abducted, taking care of others had become her whole life. She found she liked him tending to her needs far more than she should. Getting used to this kind of treatment was a dangerous thing.

“My father worked as a master carver in our mountain, and he took on a young apprentice who showed a fair bit of skill. The boy practically grew up in my house and became something of a little brother to me. But he was always so headstrong. Never satisfied with his life there. He wanted to venture out and explore the universe, so when he came of age, he did.

“Unfortunately, the universe proved to be more than he’d bargained for. He’d gotten in with this female and her illegal operations. She’d promised him travel and excitement in exchange for his loyalty. On one of the runs he made for her, he saw an innocent killed and realized how out of his depth he was. He tried to beg his way out of his contract, but she refused, so he ran back home. The female wouldn’t let it lie. I went to her, and in exchange for my help with a particularly important run, she agreed to forgive his debt to her.”

Maladek’s gaze was shuttered, a deep line between his brows. Katie wanted to take hold of his hand, give him support. She eyed his hand and arm swinging so close to hers. If she just stepped over a little, their skin would brush. “What did she have you do?”

“I was to infiltrate a crew and ensure the captain of the ship followed her instructions. It seemed simple enough, so I agreed. At one time, this captain had been her right-hand man and from what I gathered, her lover, but she’d grown distrustful of him and wanted to make sure his loyalty remained intact.” He let out a groan. “Unfortunately, her instincts were right and his priorities had shifted. She learned of it and made a deal with the Sieliji. She commanded I take over the ship and land it on this planet so she could retrieve her package and leave the crew behind as payment to the Sieliji for allowing her to use their world as a secure exchange location for her goods.”

Katie raised a hand to her mouth. “She left a whole crew behind just so she could get her order? What was the shipment? What could have been so important?”

He hurled a small stone down the hallway with a growl. It sailed out of sight into the blackness and made the faintest ping when it landed. “To this day, I don’t know.” His head dipped, and he shook it, shame tightening the lines bracketing his mouth. “We were to find out when we picked it up. She’d given us leave to ensure the contents were undamaged, but I came to my senses before that. Even the threats against my friend Biroun weren’t enough to justify leaving all those people to die. So, I helped cause a distraction, then I stayed behind and fought off the Sieliji so the crew could flee.”

Katie reached out, no longer able to hold back, and twined her fingers with his. “You did the right thing.”

Maladek stopped in his tracks and stared down at their joined hands, brows lifted. Oh no. I shouldn’t have grabbed him. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold and glanced up at her, a silent request for her to remain in place. Fluttering started up in her belly.

He began walking again, absently caressing her thumb with his own. After a few moments of silence, he muttered, “It wasn’t the right thing. I did the wrong thing, then tried to make up for it. There’s a difference.”

When Katie let out a light chuckle, he furrowed his brows at her. “That’s all anyone can do. No one makes the right decision every time. Everyone makes mistakes. You shouldn’t feel bad for being human…or…I mean…being imperfect.”

His ruby eyes glinted in the lantern light as he looked ahead, silently considering her words. Eventually, his chin lifted, his spine straightening. She couldn’t be sure, but Katie believed her words had resonated, and he’d finally left behind some of the guilt that had been weighing him down.

As they continued walking, Katie told Maladek all about her childhood on Earth and her new life on Betuhines. It was odd to try and recall details about Earth. Like a dream you couldn’t quite remember. Some information like her address and her old phone number were locked in a vault, but other things were hazy. She remembered she’d had band posters on her bedroom wall, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember which bands. Her favorite restaurant served the best pierogi in North Dakota, but she couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant or what street it was on.

Maladek had listened intently as she reminisced about her outgoing mother’s love of pro wrestling and her soft-spoken father’s devotion to their family and his love of insects, which he’d passed onto her little brother Bradley. Then Katie had faltered. She’d tried to picture their faces in her mind and…couldn’t.

Somehow realizing the pit in her belly and clog in her throat were preventing her from speaking, Maladek squeezed her hand, still clasped in his, and stepped infinitesimally closer. His deep, gravelly voice soothed her as he told her about the mountain range he and his people lived in back on Clecania. Visions of intricately carved stone caverns and glittering gem-inlaid tapestries filled her mind, wiping out the cold sadness from a moment ago. She watched him closely as he described the sprawling home he’d spent years excavating and just about melted at the warm smile lighting his face.

Somehow, she felt so connected to Maladek and though she couldn’t understand why, she found herself more interested in seeing the place he spoke about with such nostalgia than she did about meeting the other humans. Would he agree to take her if she asked? Katie wasn’t sure what Maladek wanted from her other than the obvious, but the fact that he hadn’t released her hand since she’d reached out for him gave her hope that his feelings went beyond the physical.

The path degraded more and more as they continued walking, making conversation difficult. No longer were only the walls marked with large holes and brittle rock, but the floor as well. Katie just managed to sidle past a deep hole in the ground that took up over three-fourths of their walkway when an ominous rumble shook the walls. Maladek’s grip on her tightened as they both froze, listening to the small pings of stones hitting the ground.

He reached out and placed his hand on the wall. Eyes moving across the ceiling as if he could see through it, he said, “Quallie. It must be night because they’re roaming. This tunnel shouldn’t collapse, but I think we should find a place to rest for the night until morning.”

Katie agreed easily. Her feet and leg muscles already ached from walking for so many hours. They continued on a little longer. Every rumble of the fragile rock made the thick muscles of Maladek’s back tense more and more until he was fully flexing, his body the picture of perfect musculature. She hated that he was so on edge, but she didn’t hate the view.

When his drawn expression didn’t fade after they’d found a small, sturdy-looking alcove to crowd into for the night, Katie spoke. “If you’re sure it won’t cave in, why do you look so nervous?”

He spread their blankets out on the ground, and she was disappointed to see he’d made two pads rather than one large one. She hadn’t asked him to share a bed with her, but the space was cramped enough that a small piece of her hoped he’d take the initiative. “I’ve checked the walls. They’re sturdy. But the quallie are heavy. If enough settle in the wrong spot…” His strong jaw tightened, and he tilted his head upward. “I’ll stay up tonight.”

His drawn expression as he glared up at the comparatively intact stone surface of their alcove made her heart squeeze. “Will you have a fit if I leave to wash up?” she asked, holding up a bottle of concentrated cleanser.

His hand remained planted on the wall. He frowned at the small bottle. “Make it quick. And don’t go far,” he called after her as she rushed away.

“I’ll stay right outside.” She planted herself just out of sight of the entrance to their makeshift bedroom and had removed one pin from her headdress when heavy footsteps made her turn.

Maladek stood on the other side of the opening, back turned to her. From over his shoulder, he said, “I need to bathe too, and I don’t like you being out alone. I’ll know if the tunnel becomes unstable more quickly than you will.”

Katie’s fingers remained frozen to her headdress. She should demand he move further away or at least make him promise he wouldn’t peek at her, but she didn’t. Would he look if she didn’t tell him not to? She kept her gaze trained on him for a moment longer, wondering what it’d be like to boldly strip down and bathe in front of this man. But when he started toying with the front of his pants, she flushed, and turned away.

There was a constant prickling along the skin at her back as she undressed and sprayed the foam over her body. It was like the knowledge that they were both naked and only a few feet apart tinged the air with electricity. She worked her fingers into her hair more vigorously than she previously had. Her curls would still look like a mess without any way to style or deep condition them, frizzy and puffy and kinked in the wrong places, but she didn’t want to sleep in her headdress again. Nonstop use had given her a headache, and the weight of the fabric caused an ache to pulse down her neck. That’s how she justified scrubbing her scalp and tearing her fingers through her curls, anyway. It definitely wasn’t an excuse to keep her headdress off because some particularly incredible alien man liked her hair.

She waited as the foam cleaned the dirt from the rest of her body, ears straining past the crackle and fizz, listening for movement from behind her. When the slippery sound of skin sliding against skin sent a rush of heat through her belly, she distracted herself by spraying her clothing with foam, concentrating on the bottom hem, which was the dirtiest. Her thin underdress was clean before anything else, so she put that on and waited for the foam to finish working its magic on her robe and headdress.

Rumbling shook the walls all around her and, on instinct, she glanced over to Maladek. He was far closer than he’d been before. And he was watching her. Ruby red irises now suffused with black as dark as the stone walls, he stared.

The tunnel vibrated harder, and small chunks of rock plunked onto the ground all around her.

“We’ll come back for your clothes when the quallie have moved on,” he said in a voice gone hoarse. His eyes flared and his hands shot out to haul her against his chest a moment before a baseball-sized piece of rock fell where she’d been standing.

Katie’s skin hummed with awareness. Her breaths came in quick pants. Not because a rock had almost split her skull open, but because she was flush against his bare chest. The only thing separating them, her thin underdress. Before, through the thick, rough fabric of her robe, he’d felt good. But now? Pure heaven. His body was warm and firm. Thick layers of muscle pressed pleasantly into the soft flesh of her breasts.

She wanted to bask in his hold. Run her hands up his strong shoulders and feel them bunch under her palms. But he swept her away and deposited her in the alcove before taking a few hasty steps back. His one long horn scraped against the sloped ceiling as his back hit the wall, but he didn’t even wince. His dark stare remained glued to her, his fists clenching and unclenching, until he abruptly turned his back and faced the wall.

Katie grinned. It was as if he’d put himself in a timeout. Unsure what else to do, she knelt on her pad and waited. He shook his head, trying to dislodge some errant thought apparently, then ran his hands in between his horns, smoothing his dark purple hair.

Deciding that some privacy might be respectful, she dug in one of the packs and set out some food and water on his pad. Eyes darting to make sure he was still preoccupied with the wall, Katie covertly tugged his pad a few inches closer to hers.

She was about to change her mind and slide the pad away again when Maladek faced her. The red of his eyes was once again visible.

Not quite avoiding her gaze, but not catching her eye either, he relaxed onto his pad and reclined against the stone wall. His palm flattened on the ground next to him, and her heart warmed. Always on alert. Always keeping them safe.

“What happened to your horn?” she asked, examining the smooth surface of his right horn again. His attention had been far off, his gaze continuing toward her before shooting away again. But at her question, his features hardened, brows lowering ominously and shadowing his eyes. His fingers brushed over the smooth surface of his horn. “The Sieliji like to…take pieces when I’m entranced.”

Katie’s jaw froze in the middle of chewing a dry nutrition bar. “They what? Why? Were they just trying to hurt you? Oh my God, does it hurt?” Katie cried, dropping the bar on the pad and scooting toward him. She’d been so oblivious. Had he been in pain this whole time? Her fingers flinched. She wanted to reach out and stroke his horn, soothe an old injury, but she kept her fists at her sides. What if it still hurt him?

A small smile curled his full lips as he studied her expression. “Are you concerned for me, beautiful Katie? No, it doesn’t hurt. My horn will grow back in time. It’s more insulting than anything else. Some like to powder it and put it in their drinks as an aphrodisiac.”

Katie curled her lip in disgust. “What wretched little things. It’s one thing to have you do labor, but it’s another thing to take part of you and…consume it. Why would they even think to do that?”

With a low chuckle, Maladek settled his weight on his right arm and leaned forward, brushing his fingers over her hair by her temple. “They probably thought to do it because my horn is an aphrodisiac.”

Katie didn’t know what to say to that. Surprise and the pleasurable tingling sensation of someone playing with her hair kept her still and wide-eyed.

“It’s insulting because we cut our horns with our mate. It’s a Tetran ritual. Couples use the powder in a special drink called vishou. We share it before we have sex. To see a male Tetran walking around with cut horns will earn him respect and envy. But if his horns were damaged in a fight or broken or, in my case, stolen, it’s a vicious blow to our pride. The longer and stronger the horns, the more virile a male is thought to be.”

A question, a completely inappropriate one, bubbled up in Katie’s throat. How big are your horns compared to other men? She just managed to hold her tongue, and instead asked, “Have yours ever been broken before?”

A second after she’d asked, she wondered if the question was rude, but Maladek nodded thoughtfully, his gaze still leisurely roaming over her uncovered hair. “Yes, quite often when I was younger. Our people enjoy a good brawl. You can always tell which young males need more time to mature because their horns will be broken and uneven. Once a male can keep them protected and win in fights, he’s thought of as strong enough to take a wife.” Maladek’s gaze met hers. “Mine have not been broken for decades now, Katie.”

She shivered at the implication, though she needed no proof that Maladek was all strong, capable man.

He let out a sigh. “Not until recently, that is. Injuring your horns in a fight is one thing. It’s embarrassing but fair, and only strengthens you in the long run. But to take something sacred that should be reserved for my mate is beyond dishonorable.” His eyes roved down her body as he spoke, lingering on the straps of her dress tied in a loose knot at her nape.

The tunnel shuddered, and Maladek snatched her mat, yanking it toward him until she sat cross-legged in between his wide, bent knees. Echoes of falling rock boomed through the space, but Katie barely flinched, her attention completely consumed with Maladek. It was so strange that in a place like this, after surviving what she’d survived, she was completely unfazed by the stone crumbling around her. He would keep her safe. She had no doubts.

Maladek looked up, and he smoothed his palm to the wall behind him with closed eyes.

Katie licked her lips. “What does it feel like?” she breathed.

“I believe it’s settling. The—”

“No,” she interrupted. Her cheeks heated with her blush, but she couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Drinking vishou.”

His eyes flashed open and leveled on her, one brow raised.

“How does it make you feel?” She leaned forward as she spoke, and fire flickered in Maladek’s red eyes. Inky blackness crept in from the corners, consuming the white.

“Would you like to try some, little female? Would you like to drink me in?” The deep purr of his voice dripped over her like warm honey and pooled in her low belly.

There was no sense in denying it. “Yes,” she breathed. “What would happen?”

Holding her wide gaze, he slid his hands over her hips, then gripped her ass. Using his grip, he dragged her forward until her knees hit his inner thighs. “I’d lead you to our vishlouti room and offer you a honed crystal cup to drink from.” He wrapped his palms around her crossed legs and gently, but firmly, pried them apart, then draped one leg over each of his massive thighs. Spice and something dark and earthy hit her nose as he leaned forward. His imposing frame still loomed above her, even though they were both seated.

Katie’s breath hitched when he exhaled against her ear. “First, you’ll start to feel sensitive, every touch stronger than before.” Goosebumps broke out over her skin as he skimmed his sharp, plated knuckles over her bare upper thighs.

At this angle, her legs were spread apart, her underdress hiked up. She could already feel hot liquid arousal coating her entrance, readying her body for him. And Maladek knew exactly how he was affecting her. He’d be able to scent it. Her nipples hardened and her knees twitched when the plates of his fingers brushed against her inner thighs.

“Then you start to feel warm. Hot. Like there’s a fire inside you. The heat makes you melt and thirst takes hold. You become starved for something to quench you.” Katie’s heartbeat fluttered inside her chest. Already, fire burned through her. His words alone causing the sensation.

He ran his fingers up her rib cage, tracing the swell of her breasts and following the straps of her dress. The sensation of the knot at her neck pulling free was buried under the sharp nip he gave to her earlobe. Katie let out a whimper, then a moan when he soothed the area with his tongue.

Her pussy throbbed, wetness seeping out from her soaked underwear to coat her thighs. She wriggled her hips, trying to inch closer to him. He let out a growl at her movements and flung his massive forearm around her back. In one smooth movement, he pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him fully. Her hands looped around his neck, and her eyes all but rolled back at the feel of his thick, rock-hard shaft pressing along the seam of her sex.

“Would you like to know what happens next, my Katie?” he growled, kissing the underside of her jaw with slow swipes of his hot tongue. She gasped and nodded in answer, head falling back to give him better access. “I’d fuck your burning cunt until you were reduced to a mere smoldering ember. Then I’d pour vishou down your throat and fuck you again. I’d scrape my horns smooth to keep you satisfied, love.” He rolled his hips against her, and a bolt of pleasure so violent it verged on pain made her jerk and moan in his hold.

Katie knew his words were only meant to turn her on, but she couldn’t help but get lost in the fantasy. What if he did pick her to be his mate? What if he cut his horns for her and strutted around proudly, showing the blunted ends off as if showing her off? With low, strangled groans, he rocked his cock against the wet fabric of her panties over and over until she was bleary-eyed and panting.

Pulling her head back, she met his ravenous gaze. The dark ferocity in his wild expression tightened the knot in her low belly. Did his kind kiss? Many species didn’t.

Needing to feel as connected to him as possible, she dipped her head and pressed her lips to his. When he didn’t move, her heart squeezed with disappointment.

She’d pulled her lips a millimeter away when he buried his thick fingers in the hair at her scalp and held her firm. “Show me, love,” he groaned.

Normally, she’d be shy about something like that. It wasn’t as if she’d had much experience, but with Maladek…she was eager. Not because she didn’t fear embarrassing herself, but because for some reason she knew he’d want her regardless. The slight jerkiness of his palm clutching her ass and the stony, determined set of his jaw told her he craved this just as much as she did—and nothing she could do would change it. The knowledge made her feel heady and powerful.

She pressed her lips to his again, and for the first time in her life, stopped being self-conscious. Curiosity about how he might taste pulled at her, so she swiped her tongue across his full lower lip and was rewarded with a deep, rumbling groan. Soon he was taking control, sliding his tongue against hers and deepening the kiss until she was scalded from the inside. His intoxicating scent engulfed her and filled the dark room. The pinch of pain from his grip on her ass forced her hips to buck and grind against him.

Goosebumps followed the trail of his fingers as they slithered down from her hair to pull her dress down to her waist, exposing her breasts. He toyed with her nipples, running his thumb over the sensitive peaks until each swipe sent a pulse straight to her core. Katie tried to scoot her ass away from his cock, but he tightened his hold on her and growled, giving a quick pinch to her nipple in warning.

She tore her mouth away and kissed the strong line of his jaw, wishing she could remove his collar and kiss his neck as well. “Let me,” she breathed into his ear.

A deep moan rolled out of him when she reached between them to fumble with the clasps of his pants. He let her shuffle back, realizing what she wanted. He reclined against the rock wall, both large palms now kneading her breasts.

Her fingers slowed as she caught sight of the strong, flexing muscles of his stomach and chest. Vicious scars crisscrossed all over his smooth purple skin, flushed with a deep fuchsia. Finally, she undid his pants, and he sprung free. His cock was as devastating as the rest of him—long and swollen and already pulsing under her rapt stare. The idea of him filling her with that made a strangled whimper rise in her throat.

“You’ll be my undoing if you keep staring like that,” Maladek rumbled through heavy breaths. Katie tried to balance herself with a squeak as he suddenly sat up. Sliding both hands under her dress and along the curve of her back, he lifted the fabric and tugged it off her raised arms.

Her underwear was still in place, but after one loud rip, they were gone too.

Maladek wrapped his immense palms over her hips, his thumbs pressing into the soft curve of her belly. He leaned back and ran his dark gaze over every exposed inch of her, ending at her dripping sex. His thighs parted, stretching her legs wide and giving him an utterly vulgar view. A loud rumbling purr erupted from his chest and echoed through their small alcove.

“Ask me to fuck you now, Katie,” he grated, his black eyes lifting to hers.

Her heart stuttered, breath catching in her throat. “Fuck me, Maladek,” she panted, struggling to break his hold and plaster herself to his wide, inviting chest.

He guided her forward with his grip on her hips until she was on her knees above him, her entrance brushing the head of his cock. As he lowered her, his broad tip slid between her lips and stretched her wide. The strong purr reverberating from his chest buzzed through his whole body, including his cock. And if he hadn’t been holding her firmly in place, Katie would have jumped away from the intensity of it. He let her get used to the vibration and his size for a moment longer before forcing her down a few more inches.

Her body trembled as the vibration from his shaft exploded through her. Liquid heat gushed through her core, slicking her entrance and easing his way until she felt no more pain, just a hollow ache. By the time he was halfway seated inside her, she was a sloppy, whimpering mess on the verge of coming harder than she ever had before. He let out a string of curses as she rocked her hips against his hold, desperate to feel all of him.

With a snarled “Mine,” he slammed her down his length until he was buried, impaling her to the hilt. It was her undoing. The orgasm that had been building to a fever pitch crested and broke over her with a bone-jarring intensity. Her scream turned into a moan, body tensing and lungs closing up as her toes curled and her eyes rolled back.

Heavenly waves of sizzling pleasure wracked her body and, somewhere in the midst of it all, she’d reached up to grip his horns. As she went boneless in his arms and he began to rock inside her once more, her fingers tightened around his horns.

Mine.

CHAPTER 13

MALADEK

Maladek struggled to keep his touch from hurting her, but staying in control was taking all the willpower he could muster. His mate was in his arms, moaning and writhing as he slipped in and out of her hot, tight cunt. He’d hoped placing her on top would keep her in control and keep him from rutting her like a beast, but he couldn’t seem to let go of the commanding grip he had on her hips.

The sweet, bright scent of her orgasm poured into his lungs and made him drunk with need. Her legs had almost stopped quivering against his hips, but his ears ached to hear her scream while her core convulsed around him once more before he was done. Despite himself, he found his thrusts growing rougher. Each time his skin slapped against hers, a clipped, growling groan escaped his chest.

Head dipping, he licked and sucked at her rosy nipples, hissing as the pleasurable pain from her grip on his horns intensified and sent sparks racing over his scalp. Her mewls and moans had his mind blurring and his shaft throbbing for release.

He wrapped his arms around her, one at her waist and one at her shoulder, and pressed her flush to his chest, her neck in line with his mouth. Then he clambered to his knees. Purr quaking out of his chest when she hugged his head, he began to ram into her. His hold on her remained tight as he fucked her, guiding her body where he needed.

High-pitched gasps of pleasure echoed off the walls, spurring him on. Whatever doubts lingered that he’d be too much for his small female to handle dissolved. He smelled no fear or pain. Only the hot liquid coating her insides and easing his thrusts. She was a match for him in every way. His balls slapped against her ass as his rough thrusts quickened.

Her body was strung tight, her breaths coming in short, quick pants. Her dull nails dug into the hair at his nape and her cheek rested on his forehead between his horns. The image of her clutching him like that with such trust and abandon had his purr thundering through him.

“Yes,” she cried, nails digging in deeper.

His answering growl leaked out of him. His low belly pulled tight, and his cock swelled to a painful degree. Her body shuddered then, her sex convulsing as she cried out against his hair. Somehow, he managed to slow his thrusts, letting her take her pleasure once more before he did.

He tangled one hand in her hair and pulled her head back so he could look up at her. “I’m going to come inside you, Katie.”

Her languid gaze flickered with hunger, and she nodded. Taking his face between her palms, she kissed him again. Heat flared through him at the feel of her small tongue licking his lower lip. He pounded into her with renewed ferocity. He’d never imagined kissing her mouth like this would drug him as it did. But now that he’d discovered the human practice, the idea of taking her mouth while spilling into her greedy cunt was something he craved more than anything else in memory.

He moaned against her mouth as his orgasm surged, then tore away and roared at the ceiling as his cock pulsed inside her, bathing her sex.

An ominous crack echoed over their panting, and Maladek swore. Still buried in his mate, he wrapped a hand around the base of her skull and flattened her to the ground, just as a portion of the cave outside crumbled.

He felt the ground while using his width to shield her and waited until the worst of the vibrations stopped.

He’d been so stupid, shouting like that in such a delicate place, but luckily he’d picked their resting spot well. It remained strong and intact around them. He gritted his teeth with a wince. She’d be angry, though. He hadn’t been keeping a good enough watch, too distracted by her lush body. He lifted his head, fully expecting to find her glaring, only to be surprised when a very different emotion peered back at him. He also felt the small squirming of her hips, which he hadn’t noticed a moment before.

She wasn’t through with him.

A wide grin split his face and his chest expanded. Goddess, was his mate sexy. Her little yellow brows knit as she continued to rock her hips underneath him. He’d learned that human females had pleasure centers on the outside of their bodies rather than deep inside like Clecanian females, but what that meant had been lost on him until today. She was sensitive… And accessing the spot that made her moan was far too easy for him not to take advantage.

He rocked his hips into her with a slow thrust and felt her shiver. “Again, my Katie? Aren’t you worried about the cave-in that just happened?”

She let out a breathless chuckle that morphed into a moan when he languorously slid in and out of her, his come and hers making her core slippery and hot. Maladek relaxed onto his elbows, bracketing them on either side of her head. He hadn’t been able to see her face when her orgasm hit her before, but now he could savor the sight.

“I trust you. You won’t let anything hurt me.”

Maladek’s grin faltered. His heart pinched at her unerring confidence in him. He slid his hands to her face and ran his thumbs over her cheeks, then her temples, warmth blooming in his chest.

“No. I won’t. Never.” Her gaze focused on his and her brows drew together.

Katie reached up and pulled his mouth down to hers, but this time, their kiss was slow and quiet. Maladek basked in the intimate moment, hope settling itself firmly in his soul. As the soft cries of her orgasm filled his ears, he felt sure she would accept the bond.

As soon as the wailing of the quallie had calmed and Maladek was sure the sun had risen, he gently roused Katie. He hadn’t wanted to. Her serene sleeping form, draped over him, had left him floating in a daze all night. Her soft, fluffy hair tickled his arm as she twitched in her sleep, and when he ran his hand over her curls to calm her, she relaxed. He’d been afraid he would wake her when his purr started in his chest, happiness bringing it to the surface more often than ever before. But the gentle vibration had seemed to only lull her further.

Still, they needed to move. If last night had taught him anything, it was that he wanted their lives to start without any secrets between them, and for that to happen, he needed to get to the beacon and contact help.

She raised her arm over her head, stretching as he dug her robe and headdress out from under the fallen rock. Eyes widening and head swiveling around, Katie examined the large cave-in that had blocked part of the tunnel a few feet away. With a coy, surprised smile, she glanced at him. “Did you do that?”

Chuckling, he brought her robe to her, brushing off the dust that had settled in the fabric. With a crooked finger, he lifted her chin and bent his face to hers. “Darling, you did that.” A light blush colored her cheeks, and he gave her a soft kiss.

“You’ll have to be more careful next time,” she murmured, donning her robe.

Pride and satisfaction surged through him at that. “Don’t tempt me. The beacon should only be a short walk away now, but I’ll keep you here for another day if you let me.”

She gave him a flirtatious smile and reached for his hand. “Come on.” With a sigh, she tugged him forward.

They didn’t have to walk far before Maladek sensed thunderous activity in the distance. They were near the city, which meant they were near the beacon. Depositing her in a strong alcove, he surveyed the area and strategized the best way to dig upward and break through the surface. Katie once again offered to help, but he just frowned at her. Her delicate skin would be torn to shreds in a moment. Even hauling the sharp, porous rock would rub her palms raw after only a few loads. He liked that his mate was unafraid of hard work, but he wasn’t about to let her exert herself. He had other ideas about how she might use her energy, and they involved making a very different part of her sore.

After a few hours of work, he tapped his knuckles against the ceiling and sensed only a thin layer of hard stone before dense sand. Deep breaths evening out as he worked through his next steps, he turned to peer at her. Maladek found her happily munching on a nutrition bar while watching him with covetous eyes. She grinned when he caught her staring, a playful, sexy grin that had his insides heating. “Enjoying yourself?” he asked.

Never one for subtlety, she nodded. “Very much. I like it when you get all heated. Your skin gets a little magenta. I’ve never met anyone as strong as you.”

Maladek preened. All males on Clecania wanted to impress their partners. Not only was it part of their DNA, the male’s natural instinct to show off, but it was also necessary to impress now that males outnumbered females twenty to one. If you couldn’t set yourself apart, couldn’t be the best, the strongest, the most handsome, the most talented, you were lost in a sea of suitors. Even with a broken horn and nothing to offer, Katie saw him. Appreciated his gifts and graced him with her lovely body.

A dark thought dimmed his joy. He turned back to his work before she could see, but a slithering voice continued to whisper to him. What if he got lost among the hordes of males once more? What if when he took her back to Clecania, she found she preferred someone else? She was his mate and every inch of him ached to satisfy her and keep her with him until death took them both, but humans didn’t feel the bond the way Clecanians did. What would he do if she tired of him?

Letting his frustration power his movements, he punched through the thin rock of the ceiling and ducked as a shower of packed sand came raining down over him. He shook his hair out and wiped off his face, then piled some stones beneath him so he could peek through the small hole he’d made. Tentatively, he lifted his head into the bright world above.

He’d been close in his estimation of the distance. To the left, he could see the towering haphazardly built city the Sieliji lived in, and to his right, somewhat closer, two outbuildings, one which housed their only means of communication with the outside universe. His old boss, Klinara, had made sure to give coordinates to the beacon. It’s how the Sieliji broadcast their deadly lure into space around their planet. Ships would access the message, thinking it to be a distress call.

Maladek squinted into the sky. The sun wouldn’t set for a few hours, and until then, it was too dangerous to venture out. The Sieliji would be fully awake and manning the beacon. Their only chance was to wait until the fish-people were entering hibernation before striking.

Maladek ducked back inside and found Katie standing close behind. “Are we where we should be?” she asked.

“Close enough. Just a few more hours, and we can make a run for the beacon.”

The grim argument raging in his chest must have shown on his face, because Katie asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’d rather you not come with me, but I really can’t see a way around it. I’ve wondered whether the message will carry the same weight if I deliver it, but I don’t believe it will. It has to be you. The palace will recognize your voice…I hope. Especially if you describe who you are. They’ll be more likely to believe you and come quickly than they would me.”

“That’s true.” She stepped up to him and swept sand off his forearm. “I wouldn’t feel too conflicted, though. I would have pushed for you to take me with you either way. You don’t really have a choice in the matter.”

Maladek gave a low chuckle, and stepped down from the pile of rocks, closing the distance between them. “Is that so?”

She nodded. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

Maladek’s chest constricted. All he wanted in the universe was to be stuck with her.

CHAPTER 14

KATIE

Though she was still tender from the night before, Katie took full advantage of the downtime they had, crawling atop Maladek and melting into his fevered kisses. She would have been happy for a repeat of the night before, but Maladek seemed determined to learn. As if he had something to prove. He stripped her bare and laid her on the pad before him, then spread her legs and examined her with such intensity that her cheeks flamed.

He made her explain where her clit was, and after some convincing, he forced her to touch herself. To show him what she liked. His rumbling purr of pleasure and his focused, unblinking gaze soothed her mortification. Before long, her knees had fallen wide, and she was stroking herself with abandon.

When she drew close to coming, he growled and flung her hand away. Any argument died in her throat when his warm mouth descended on her and the vibration from his purr buzzed through his tongue.

He was insatiable, lapping and delving into her until she saw stars dancing across the onyx ceiling. She never knew it could be like this. He’d been right. They were more than compatible. They fit. Were attuned to each other in a way she’d never thought possible.

Maladek was observant and learned what she liked almost more quickly than she could discern it. There was no awkward fumbling. No embarrassing explanations. Even when he asked her to clarify the differences in her anatomy, it was done with such lust-filled urgency that it turned her on rather than making her feel strange. He asked because he wanted to give her as much pleasure as possible, not because he was deciding whether her human body was worth the trouble.

When his thick tongue wrung the orgasm from her body, Katie tried to return the favor. She pushed on his shoulders, but he remained heavy and unmovable, his head collapsed on her belly. “It’s too soon,” he said, giving her sex another loving swipe with his tongue. She understood what he meant. She was tender. But what she had in mind wouldn’t worsen that condition.

Gripping his horns and tilting his head so he gazed up at her with a confident smirk of masculine satisfaction, she explained that she wanted to use her mouth on him. She had to hold in a giggle as his self-assured expression morphed, brows rising and eyes flashing black in an instant.

After a few silent moments wherein a war waged over his face, he turned her down. “No, I’m dirty. Covered in sand. And if you ever grace me with that luxury, I want to enjoy it fully. In my home.”

The shaft of bright light illuminating the tunnel from the hole he’d punched in the ceiling dimmed and became the pale orange of a setting sun. With a groan, Maladek rose, giving each one of her breasts a caress before kissing her mouth and getting back to work, widening the hole in the ceiling so they could climb through.

She wondered whether he’d really take her back with him to his home, or if he’d only said it as a hypothetical—albeit lovely—scenario. The urge to push for clarification was like a living thing in her. But she didn’t want to ruin whatever had bloomed between them. What if she came on too strong? What if he didn’t want her to stay with him? He’d alluded to the fact that he wanted her around, but she couldn’t rely too heavily on those words spoken during moments of physical intimacy. They could just be words.

Katie realized something about herself then. She was proud of her life. She’d worked for everything she had, meager as it might be, and the thought of imposing on someone made her bristle. If he wanted her to stay with him, he’d need to ask directly. She refused to take advantage of his kind nature and force herself into his life.

The hole in the ceiling expanded until it was large enough to accommodate his bulky shoulders. He gestured for her with his hand and whispered, “We’ll leave the packs here and come back after we send out the message. Depending on how long this takes, we might need to run back to avoid early rising quallie, and I don’t want our provisions weighing us down.”

She clambered up the rickety stone pile toward him and tried to settle her raging emotions. Focus on the task ahead.

Maladek leapt through the hole, and after a few moments, his arm appeared, fingers outstretched. He gripped her forearm when she offered it. With surprisingly little effort, he lifted her through the roof and placed her next to him on the sand. Not a second passed before she was shielding her eyes. Even though the setting sun was dim as it filtered through the thick cloud layer, the world around her was far brighter than it had been in the tunnels. She hadn’t realized until now how used to the dark her eyes had grown.

Would it be like this in his mountain? Maladek tugged her forward, but she stumbled. She swiped at the tears blurring her vision every time she squinted her eyes open. Katie whispered an apology. “I can’t see anything yet.”

Without another word, he scooped her into his arms and began running. Memories of their first encounter played through her mind and made her chuckle into his chest. “At least I’m not tied up this time.”

His warm pec rumbled with his smothered laugh. The air was humid and heavy here with a sweet stale smell that turned her stomach. Were they farther from the briny sea? After another few minutes, her eyes finally adjusted, and she peered around.

Sand, dull gray and depressing, stretched in every direction. Over his shoulder, she spotted a large, pointed castle rising in the distance. Other, shorter towers and buildings spotted the landscape all around it. Katie squinted and realized that the castle was formed with pieces of mismatched metal and black rock. The Sieliji had to use what they had on hand, she supposed. No one could accuse them of not recycling.

In the direction they were traveling stood a domed building, not much larger than a one-story house. Set a few yards apart was the cylindrical, pointed shaft of a rocket. It looked like a spacecraft that might have come from Earth, except the chipped writing on the side was in no lettering system she’d ever seen.

Maladek came to a halt behind a small dune that had formed in the sand and guided her to lie flat on her stomach behind it. “If I’m right, the Sieliji will be settling in for the night. We need to see how many barricade themselves in the communications station.” He nodded toward the cylindrical rocket.

“What will you do?” she asked, a tremor in her voice fighting to undercut the confidence she feigned. “Do you think the fabric pieces will work in your ears? What if they have the control for your shock collar?”

Katie couldn’t stop a tight, nervous feeling from skittering through her body. She’d only just found Maladek. The vision of a bright, happy future wavered in the forefront of her mind like a mirage. Though nothing had been settled between them, she couldn’t let her newfound dream be torn away before she’d even had the chance to fight for it.

“They don’t let prisoners come here. I only know about the beacon because when I landed the ship that brought me here, they directed us toward this spot. The guards have no reason to keep a control for my shock collar all the way over here.”

Though Maladek’s eyes remained focused on the buildings in front of them, Katie’s kept flashing to him. “How many do you think will be in there?” The sharp blade Maladek had carved from the tunnel for her was heavy in her sweaty hand. She wiped her palm off on her robe.

“I doubt very many. It’s unlikely any prisoner would be able to make it to the beacon above ground. The only way we were able to get here without running into patrolling Sieliji or quallie was because I knew how to navigate underground. They won’t waste resources manning what they believe to be an unreachable station. I—”

His words were cut off, his body stiffening. He flipped to his back, hiding his protruding horns in the sand at the same time his hand flashed out to flatten her against the ground. While looking at the sky with a clenched jaw, he whispered, “Tell me what they’re doing. But be careful you aren’t spotted.”

Katie peeked over the top of the hill and spotted two Sieliji. One was exiting the small domed building while the other was exiting the rocket. “It looks like they’re switching. There are two of them. But they look…” Katie’s brows scrunched as she watched both Sieliji drag their feet and wobble. “Drunk,” she finished. “Like they’re about to fall over.”

Maladek nodded, the movement causing sand to tumble down on his head as his horns jostled the little hill. “It’s getting close to their hibernation time. They’re able to wake up during the night if necessary, but it’s as if they’re half asleep. They’re clumsy.”

“Hopefully they won’t be too hard to knock out, then.”

Maladek made an uncertain rumble. “Even slow and half asleep, they are still faster than us on the sand.”

Katie swallowed as the Sieliji both disappeared into their respective buildings. Perhaps they’d learned enough for one day. If she took too long to tell Maladek, maybe he’d decide to wait until tomorrow and they could crawl back into the safety of their tunnel. Clenching her jaw, Katie shook off the cowardly thoughts. “They’ve gone,” she all but grated.

Before she’d built up enough courage to rise from the sands, Maladek had shot up, sweeping her into his arms before bolting toward the rocket. Katie’s vision had returned, and she was more than capable of running, but she enjoyed being in his arms far too much to speak up.

He set her down in the sand a few feet away from the rocket and pulled his makeshift earplugs out of his pocket. They were made of the thin fabric of her underdress that he’d wrapped around some sticky mud so they’d be malleable. Katie kept her knife at the ready. If for whatever reason the earplugs didn’t work, she’d need to attack the Sieliji on her own.

She flattened herself against the side of the rocket, out of sight, hoping that if the Sieliji did spot Maladek and if his earplugs failed, she might be able to catch the alien by surprise.

Maladek quietly positioned himself in front of the sturdy door and gripped the edges. His muscles tensing, he planted his feet apart. Stare determined, he took in a deep breath, then nodded at her. As soon as she nodded back, his body lurched backward, all his muscles straining to tear the metal from its hinges. The grip on her knife loosened for just a moment as she marveled once again at his strength. The metal groaned and cracked, then flew away from the building with a dull thud, sand spraying. Like a shot, he bolted into the room.

Ice slid down her spine, and her heartbeat thundered in her chest. At first there was only silence, but then she heard the screeching wail of the Sieliji. Her breaths were shaky and shallow, but Katie forced her eyes and ears to remain open and prayed the earplugs would work.

Finally, the Sieliji’s piercing song faltered and then stopped entirely. Adrenaline had pins and needles slicing through her skin.

“Katie,” Maladek’s voice echoed from inside the room, and relief had her sucking in a breath. She rushed inside. The room was round, hollowed out from the inside, and crammed with towering piles of electronic parts. A technology hoarder’s dream. She crept around the precarious piles until she spotted Maladek. He was fiddling with some controls on a long, rounded workspace. Mismatched screens and flickering lights on haphazardly welded-together panels stood away from the rest of the junk in the unbearably humid room.

A Sieliji lay crumpled face-down on the ground near a small cot, as if Maladek had thwacked him over the head as the creature was rousing from sleep. Maladek tore a piece of cloth from the bundle he’d stuffed into his pocket and tied it around the creature’s mouth. He nodded toward the control panel and Katie rushed over, tiptoeing around the unconscious Sieliji. Disgust roiled in her already nervous belly at the image of his wide unblinking eyes.

Fear froze her in place. Her eyes remained glued to the Sieliji’s until finally, its stillness told her it wasn’t awake. She shuddered. No eyelids.

“Press this button. Hold it down and record a message to the royal family. Make sure to tell them your name, where we are, and that the prince is here.” Maladek spoke a little too loudly, his muffled hearing making him unable to gauge his volume.

“Should I—” Katie stopped. If he couldn’t hear that Sieliji’s screech, it was unlikely he could hear her. She’d have to figure this out herself.

Maladek hefted the Sieliji under one arm, his attention darting to the entrance. “Hurry. He was fumbling with something on the control panel before I knocked him out. He may have alerted others. They’ll be slow to rise, but we need to be ready to run. I’ll keep watch outside.”

Katie nodded and tried to tame all the thoughts racing through her mind. Oddly enough, this would be the most important voicemail she’d ever left. When Maladek was outside, she took a deep breath and held down the button.

“This message is for King Mistra and Queen Natihabe of the Endrolfen royal family. My name is Katherine Krauss. I work in the palace as a servant, and I was on the Myradium Galaxy cruise with Prince Skendro when our ship was brought down by Sieliji hunters. The survivors of the crash, the prince, and I are trapped on the Sieliji planet. I managed to escape capture, but the prince did not. The last I knew, the prince was alive.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it was misleading. The last she’d seen of the prince, he’d been in a lifeboat jettisoning away from their plummeting vessel. But she figured that information would only make the Endrolfen soldiers move slower. If they believed him to be alive, they’d come quickly. Katie held the button down for a moment longer, but didn’t know what more there was to say. She finally finished with, “Please come soon and make sure to block your hearing. The prince was affected by the Sieliji song, and I assume all members of his species will also be affected.”

Katie let go of the button. Her heart thrashed, crawling up her throat. The blinking and beeping of the screens in front of her remained unchanged. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and scanned the screens, looking for any sign her message had been sent.

“Maladek,” she called, then remembered he couldn’t hear her. She rushed out and found him prowling back and forth in front of the door. As she approached, his back stiffened, and he turned to face her. She nodded at him but motioned to the screens and lifted her hands in confusion. He stepped inside, angling his body sideways to avoid the precarious piles. Katie remained just inside the doorway, staring hard into the distance for any sign of reinforcements. Rustling from below her made her jerk and lose hold of her knife. She grappled to swipe it off the ground with her sweating palms and came face to face with the now conscious, wriggling Sieliji.

His pale eyes flashed up at her and the sharp, scalloped fins on the edge of his neck flared wide. Even though he didn’t have eyebrows, or eyelids for that matter, Katie could tell he was livid. His piercing wail barely squeaked through the gag in his mouth. He dipped his head to his shoulder, trying to dislodge it, and she was finally jostled from her stupor. Katie brandished her knife, crouching down and holding it against his throat until he stilled.

She jumped when Maladek’s vibrating footsteps sounded behind her, nerves on a razor’s edge. His heavy palm landed on her shoulder and she rose, but didn’t lower her knife. “It went through. Now we—”

Suddenly, a screech echoed in the distance, and Maladek thrust her behind him. She peeked out from behind his wide chest. The breath whooshed out of her body, throat going dry. Not one, but four Sieliji streamed out of the domed building.

Maladek uttered a curse and whirled her into his arms. He sprinted across the sand, but it was dryer than normal, and his progress was slowed as his feet sank into the sand with each pounding footfall.

Though Katie couldn’t see them from her position in his arms, she knew the Sieliji were close. Their screeching calls pounded against her skull. She used Maladek’s shoulders to lift herself and peer behind them and spotted all four Sieliji giving chase. Even though they wobbled and weaved as they ran, their hibernation slowing them, their wide webbed feet still ate up the sand much faster than any humanoid feet could.

Maladek stumbled then, and she fell back into his arms. Horror turned her bones to ice. His eyes were going in and out of focus. She stuffed her knife between her teeth and shoved her fingers into his ears, trying to stuff the plugs more firmly into place. But as the Sieliji neared, his steps slowed. Their screeching thundered across the sand, louder than anything she’d yet heard. All four together must be too much.

Katie wriggled, trying to get him to put her down. There had to be something she could do. At this pace, she could at least run as fast as him. His finger tightened around her, and he shook his head as though trying to dislodge something. He dropped her then and slammed his hands over his ears, snarling in frustration.

Katie tried to swallow past the hard knot in her throat. “Just listen to my voice, Maladek,” she cried. She urged him forward with one hand on his arm. The other shook as she aimed the knife at their pursuers. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. The Sieliji were closing in, deadly swords and spears clutched in their hands.

A sob wrenched out of her throat when Maladek fell to his knees. “Run,” he croaked.

A breath passed before Katie took in what his true meaning was. Leave him to die. The thought sobered her and spurred her to act. She ran. But not in the direction he’d intended. His anguished cry drifted on the air behind her as she ran not toward their underground hideout, but in the opposite direction—back toward the Sieliji outpost, making sure to sprint in a wide arc away from the guards.

She strained, pushing her legs to their limit. The muscles of her calves burned as her heels dug into the sand, swallowing her momentum. Her lungs heated and her breaths wheezed out of her. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw the Sieliji had paused, glancing first at Maladek and then at her.

Come on, you bastards. Follow me!

Finally, two broke off and raced after her. Her shout of victory remained buried beneath her deep, ragged inhales. She spotted Maladek and saw him shouldering off one screeching Sieliji. But the other dipped its head close and sang directly into his ear.

A strangled cry lodged in Katie’s throat, vision blurring with renewed tears. Her inability to tear her gaze away from the man she loved made her stumble. She tripped, scraping her cheek against the rough sand as she slid to a stop. Her knife went flying, landing a few feet in front of her. Struggling toward it, she managed to grip the hilt just as a cold, moist hand clamped around her neck.

The Sieliji shrieked at her in that awful language and was midway through hauling her up when a loud, gurgling roar boomed all around them, shaking the ground and making the already unsteady Sieliji keel over. Their screeching stopped, the firm hold on her robe now lax. Scrambling to her feet, she whirled around, keeping her knees bent and brandishing her knife.

Katie shrieked, the sound an awful wail to rival any Sieliji song. Pale, fleshy pink and at least twelve feet tall, a quallie slithered toward them. The Sieliji behind her shoved her to the ground before running, leaving her as an offering in the path of the monstrous creature. The front of the quallie aimed at her was not round like a worm, but pointed like the edge of a pencil. Sharp, concentric circles of rocky scales spiraled around the length of its pointed nose, but she saw no mouth. No eyes. How would it kill her? Impale her?

She ran as fast as she could. The bone-chilling gurgling of the quallie pulsed under her skin. It was only a few feet away now; its roar echoed through the ground like an earthquake and made her stumble. The violent shuddering made her toe catch in the sand and she crashed to the ground. She turned on her back, crab-crawling away on one hand as she brandished the knife in the other.

The quallie was a foot away, the sharp tip of its nose rising. Her stomach roiled, and if she hadn’t been so frozen with fear, she was sure she’d have vomited right there. The quallie’s body lifted into the sky, and a disgusting slash on its underside opened into a writhing chasm of a mouth. It was going to swallow her whole.

As the quallie’s mouth and body descended, ready to land directly over her, it jolted. Its movements suddenly grew jerky and unnatural. Like something was controlling it against its will. Then its massive body thundered to the ground before her, sand spraying upward in time with the impact.

CHAPTER 15

MALADEK

Maladek’s fingers stabbed into the quallie’s fleshy tail until his sharp knuckle plates pierced the skin; then he clenched the fatty layer underneath. Roaring to the sky, he yanked the beast as hard as he could, and it lurched toward him. The thick layers of fat and flesh were nothing compared to the strength that pulsed through him when he saw his mate about to be devoured.

He leaned back, digging all his weight into the sand with his heels, and dragged the writhing creature back one small footstep at a time. Its wretched howl shook the ground underfoot, but he only roared back. Nothing would hurt his female. Not as long as he had strength in his body. His muscles stretched beyond their limits. Something snapped in his arm, but he kept hauling the struggling creature back. His tendons might be tearing, his muscles pulling from his bones, but he felt no pain.

“Run, Katie,” he bellowed. A flash of gray appeared as the quallie flapped its body back and forth. She sprinted in the direction of their tunnel, and the vise that had been crippling his chest finally loosened. Strength surged within him again. She was there. Alive!

One of the Sieliji he’d knocked out when the quallie first made its appearance had regained his senses. Now, he stood directly in her path. She spotted the Sieliji and angled herself to avoid running into him.

But then she glanced toward Maladek, and her pumping legs slowed. He kept his grip, but the quallie’s flesh was tearing, and his fingers slid through slippery polyps of fat. He let out a roar as he struggled to hold on. His eyes never left Katie. The sight of her running to her freedom was the only thing keeping his body functioning. The Sieliji was wholly uninterested in Katie, its wide wet eyes focused on the flailing quallie.

Maladek’s mate stared at him as he lost his hold of the slippery tail. He hurried to bury his fingers into a new spot, but his grip was weak. He could only command his hands to clench for so long before they stopped responding. Katie was about to pass the Sieliji, far closer than she should be. She glanced at the Sieliji and then at him and then at the quallie. To his shock, Katie charged for the dazed Sieliji.

The Sieliji was still staring at the quallie as he began to run, not paying Katie any mind. So when she smashed her blade into his shoulder, he let out a shriek of surprise and pain and toppled to the ground. She wrenched the blade out as the male fell, then continued sprinting toward their tunnel.

Maladek didn’t immediately recognize the reason for her vicious display, but suddenly the quallie stilled, its body pivoting in the direction of the wounded Sieliji.

Understanding dawned. His beautiful, intelligent mate had given the quallie a new target. One it couldn’t resist. A low rumbling reverberated through the ground as the quallie’s long, pointed nose directed it toward the Sieliji and his delectable oozing blood. Maladek bolted, running to catch up with Katie while the quallie was distracted. The Sieliji had risen to his feet, running in the opposite direction and, by the goddess, the quallie was following his trail of pale blood.

Maladek didn’t wait to see whether the Sieliji had gotten away, his focus totally consumed with his own target. Feeling her in his arms was the only thing he cared about. Katie let out a shriek when he caught up and lifted her over his shoulder without stopping. He couldn’t make out exactly what she said, but he heard muffled sobs and felt her arms awkwardly circle around to his front, her cheek pressing against his back as though she were hugging him from her upside-down position.

He found the hole to their tunnel and whipped her off his shoulder, gently lowering her through. Then he dropped down. She’d scooped up the lantern they’d left near the entrance, but rather than stopping to gather his bearings, he tossed her over his shoulder and began running once more.

The most sickening terror he’d ever known quaked inside his bones, making his teeth grind and his mind blur with instinct. He needed to get her somewhere safe. Somewhere the Sieliji and quallie couldn’t get to.

Noise, not as muffled as it had been a moment ago, buzzed through his head, and he distantly realized she’d taken out his earplugs. Though she spoke to him, he couldn’t process her words. Get her safe. Check her over. He’d almost lost her.

The knowledge ripped him apart from the inside. Though he could feel her alive and warm under his palms, he couldn’t seem to stop his heart from thrashing in his chest.

His knuckles scraped against the wall, making sparks fly as he searched for a hidden pocket to barricade them in. Finally, he found a small tunnel that led off in a direction they hadn’t needed to go before. Not content with setting her down, he punched through the wall with his right hand, holding her tight in his shaky left arm.

The path opened, and he dashed through it. Then with no other option, he tilted her off his shoulder and tried to get his trembling hands to pile stone in front of the opening. He hacked at a large outcrop of rock and was satisfied when a pillar of stone broke away.

His palms sliced open as he roughly dragged the stone toward the sealed opening. He slammed the pillar against the piled stone cementing his work. No Sieliji could break through this. Not without him noticing.

He spun to Katie and could only stare. She stood stock still. Wide-eyed and skin leached pale, she stared back. Her breaths came in and out as fast as his.

“Are you okay?” she asked in a shaky whisper. Her gaze traveled down to his hands.

A faint drip hit his ears then, and he peered down at his cut palms. His own blood mixed with the grease of the quallie blubber. Disgust and the memory of the beast looming over his Katie had him dragging his sore palms over his pants.

All at once, emotion overcame him. His breaths quaked out of him, and his eyes watered as he kept them wide and unblinking, unable to look away from her even to blink. Maladek wilted, falling to his knees.

Katie rushed to him with a whimper, but before she could join him on the ground, he wrapped his arms around her legs and pressed her lower body into his chest, burying his face just above her belly. His arms shook as he tried not to grip her too tightly.

The acrid scent of fear and Sieliji scum clung to the rough fabric of her robe, and he fumbled with the stays holding it together and tore it open. He pressed his face into her soft underdress, inhaling deeply, taking her scent into his lungs. Fear still clung to her skin, and Maladek held her more tightly.

He didn’t know how long he stayed there, but after a while he became aware of the sensations of her fingers raking through his hair and her arm looped around his head, holding him close.

“We’re okay. I’m okay,” she cooed.

She wiggled in his embrace, and he finally had enough awareness to loosen his hold. When he did, she knelt and took his head between her palms. He gazed into her worried eyes. The light blue looked even paler against the irritated red of her whites.

Katie brushed her thumb over his brow. “Are you okay?” she asked again.

Maladek didn’t know what came over him, but in that moment, all he knew was that she was his. She needed to know. “You’re my mate, Katie,” he croaked.

Her brows furrowed and her fingers stopped. His hands automatically rose and wrapped around her forearms. His palms stung, but her reaction was the only thing he could focus on. A new type of dread settled in his gut when she remained silent.

“Your mate? You want to ask me to be your mate?” Her brows were still furrowed, and she tipped her head to the side as if she were concerned that he’d had a head injury and didn’t know what he was saying.

Maladek lifted his hands to her face, spreading his fingers so she could see the curling purple designs. “You are my mate. The one chosen by the goddess. We were fated to find each other here. My marks appeared as soon as I scented you in the trench. When you almost…” He faltered, throat going tight “You must understand. If you had not survived, I would not survive. I will follow you anywhere, Katie. Whether it be to Betuhines, to Earth, to the afterlife. Our souls are bound.”

Sadness briefly dimmed her eyes. “You mean you have no choice in the matter? You’re tied to me whether you want to be or not.”

His incredulous bark of laughter made her jump. “I have wanted you from the moment I saw you digging through that scrap pile. I’ve admired your loyalty and your beauty and your kindness since my instincts forced me to carry you away. I’m tied to you because you are the missing part of me, and I you. Divine intervention has merely put you in my path, but I was always waiting for you. I fear the only one who may not have a choice is you. I can’t let you go, Katie. You told me that you didn’t belong anywhere, that you felt alone. Do you still feel that way with me?”

Katie’s expression remained blank as she stared at him. Maladek barely managed to keep his grip on her arms from tightening.

Then, the corner of her mouth lifted, and his heart skipped. He tried to keep his emotions in check. To not celebrate quite yet. But when her wide, sparkling smile ignited across her face, he couldn’t keep the purr from rumbling through him.

“No, I don’t. I feel…right when I’m with you.” Her smile warmed his insides, loosening bunched tension.

“I know I could make you happy in time,” he pressed, not wanting to give her any reason to second-guess her words.

Her hands moved from his cheeks to drape over his shoulders. She leaned toward him. “You’ve made me happy in the bowels of a horrific planet with nothing but a survival pack and your company. I’ve never felt more connected to anyone in my life. Even if you left me after we were saved, I would’ve treasured these few days with you. I think…” She inhaled, her chest expanding and brushing across his. Her brows furrowed, as if she couldn’t quite believe her own words. “I think I’m in love with you.”

His purr thundered out of him, bouncing off the stone walls. His nose delved into the curve of her neck, inhaling her bright, sweet scent. “I love you too.”

CHAPTER 16

MALADEK

Maladek had spent the last three days exploring Katie and was floored to find that she welcomed all his advances. She’d accepted him. Accepted their bond. He could scarcely force himself to sleep each night for fear he’d wake to find she’d simply been a vision forced into his brain by the Sieliji.

But when he woke with her wrapped in his arms each morning, purple mating marks glowing bright against her pale skin, his beaming smile couldn’t be kept from his face.

That first morning, he’d kept her in his eyeline as he’d dug out their barricade. Embarrassment had heated his cheeks all the way to his horns when he’d realized he barreled through the walls, locking them in before grabbing their packs. He never wanted to feel that fear again. That numbing, all-encompassing terror.

A quiet dread still lingered underneath his bliss, however. What would happen when the Betuhinians came? What if they took her away from him? What if they decided she was theirs, after all? Who in their right mind wouldn’t love her? He found his grip on her tightening whenever these thoughts entered his mind. So when the distant, almost imperceptible rumbling from above told him a large ship had arrived, he’d argued with himself whether to tell her.

His internal debate had been absurd and short-lived. Their dwindling rations and her worn clothing made the choice for him. He was also sure he’d torn something in his shoulder during their fight, and though the pain didn’t bother him, not being at peak strength in case he needed to protect his mate again did.

Katie’s eyes widened when he gently roused her and told her the cavalry had arrived. Her bright, beaming grin infected him down to his marrow. Being the one to make her light up like that, even if he wasn’t precisely the cause, was the most satisfying thing he’d ever experienced. No wonder the old carved tales lining his mountain’s halls described mates surmounting impossible feats for one another. If Katie told him she was thirsty, he was quite sure he could carve a river with his horns if necessary.

Maladek couldn’t keep the knot in his gut from tightening as he emerged from their tunnel and took stock of the situation above ground. Hordes of Sieliji barreled out of their city in the distance, heading for the sleek, golden Betuhinian ship which had landed in the exact coordinates Maladek had attached to Katie’s message. Though they had large numbers, the Sieliji attack on the vast Endrolfen vessel was laughable.

Katie and Maladek watched from a safe distance as the Betuhinian army, complete with the king himself, emerged in shining golden armor wielding laser weapons that the Sieliji’s paltry blades would have no chance against. By the time the sun was halfway overhead, the Sieliji forces had been subdued.

Maladek and Katie shuffled toward the ship, hands aloft in surrender, and were met by a small contingent. Maladek remained stiff as stone, crowding against Katie as much as possible while they were shuttled back to the ship. These people were not the enemy, yet his instincts wouldn’t allow him to relax, even when Katie swept her soft hand up and down his forearm to soothe him.

When they arrived at the ship, a few Betuhinians recognized Katie, the queen included. A small bit of Maladek’s tension lifted when he saw them give his mate the sincere, grateful thanks she deserved. She was the only reason their son was alive—or at least had made it to the planet alive.

As Katie and Maladek were taken to the medical bay and fixed up, smaller transport vessels skimmed over the planet, looking for prisoners. To Maladek’s relief, they freed every single one they came across rather than leaving them to their fate in favor of finding the prince. Katie wanted to remain outside, but he managed to convince her to change clothes and eat first. He scowled when, after taking only a couple bites of food and gulping down a cup of water, she dashed back outside, Maladek hot on her heels.

Katie refused to leave the entry bay as groups of wide-eyed prisoners were loaded onto the Endrolfen ship. Maladek didn’t mind.

Though he’d prefer to whisk her to a safe room and wait out the search away from curious eyes and the scowling, bound Sieliji, he adored the way she clung to him, unconsciously squeezing his hand in anxious excitement every time a new transport delivered a load of rescued prisoners.

She didn’t seem to notice the critical gaze of her Betuhinian friends, either. They stared at his scraped, scarred skin and uneven horns while ruffling their pristine, shining feathers. Even though the Betuhinians were tall, many as tall as him even, they were delicate things. Brittle and elegant. He was as far from their version of idealized beauty as you could get.

Maladek thrust his shoulders back and ignored them. He wasn’t used to feeling so self-conscious, and Katie’s ignorance of their disapproval helped to soothe his nerves. But what would happen when she finally calmed and noticed how her adopted family viewed him? Would she change her mind? Would her opinion of him shift? He knew in his heart she wasn’t so fickle, but this sudden insecurity was a hard thing to ignore.

He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her front as her stiff back pressed into his chest. She nestled against him instantly, and a ragged, relieved purr rumbled through his chest.

CHAPTER 17

KATIE

Where was Char Tomi? Why hadn’t they found him yet? And where was the prince? He was the most important person of all. The blessedly thorough Betuhinians had brought back hundreds of prisoners so far and every transport-load had Katie’s stomach roiling with dread. The only thing holding her together was Maladek’s strong, unfaltering presence.

My mate. A thrill ran through her, briefly snuffing out the anxiety.

The sun dipped close to the horizon. It was time to retreat into the ship for the night. The search would be called off until the next morning, yet she couldn’t make herself go inside. The last boat of the day glided to a stop in front of the Endrolfen vessel and her fingers tightened around Maladek’s solid arms, circling her.

She peered over at the king and queen, who had not moved from their watchful spot outside, either. Her heart ached for them. Though they were adept at hiding it, Katie could see the pain and worry in their expressions. The set of their fluffy brows was a little too low. Their regal, board-stiff postures a little too limp.

A gaggle of twittering physicians and attendants erupted from the transport, and Katie froze. The king and queen sped toward their son with high-pitched warbles as the prince hobbled out of the boat. His fringed frock was all but rags, bright pieces of pink and orange fringe falling here and there and exposing sunburned flesh. The feathers on his eyebrows and head were spotty and plucked as though he’d molted. Without thinking, Katie rushed forward, but had the wind knocked out of her with a huff when the band of Maladek’s arm remained in place.

She squirmed and looked up at his face to find his jaw stiff and brows furrowed. “Come on,” she said. “Let me go. I need to see if he knows what happened to Char Tomi.” Maladek surveyed the crowd twice before finally loosening his grip. She dashed toward the prince, but was stopped short by a guard’s outstretched arm.

A vicious growl broke behind her. Maladek had been kept even farther away than her. He glared not at his three guards, but at hers, his fists clenching. She held up a hand to him and though his expression didn’t soften, he didn’t push through the guards surrounding him, their wary eyes taking him in as their fingers fiddled with their weapons.

When Katie turned back, the prince’s eyes found hers. He swept his hands to either side, and like magic, a path opened in the crowd. He crossed to her and placed both palms on her shoulders. The prince rarely, if ever, noticed her, and this focused physical display had her shoulders hitching.

“You were the one who saved me?” the prince said. “You dragged me to that pod, and I’m told you are the one who evaded the Sieliji and sent a distress signal to my family?”

The words were more a statement than a question, but Katie nodded anyway. “Maladek, my mate, also helped. I couldn’t have done any of it without him.” Katie pointed him out. The faintest flinch lit the prince’s face at her unsung words, but he hid his reaction quickly, and his gaze traveled to where she’d pointed. When he caught sight of Maladek, his sparse brows rose. He nodded to the guards, and they stepped away from Maladek. At any other time, the relief on their faces at not having to contend with her edgy mountain of a man would have been hilarious.

As soon as they’d stepped away, Maladek was at her side in a flash.

“I owe you my life, Katherine Krauss, and you, Maladek. Please tell me if there’s anything I can ever do for you.” Katie had the oddest realization then. The grumpy man currently staring daggers at the prince’s hands on her shoulders was all she’d ever want in the world. The knowledge warmed her heart.

“I’d like to leave your service, if you’d allow it.” As respectfully as she could, she shuffled out of the prince’s hold and into Maladek’s waiting arms. “I’d like to travel back to my mate’s home planet.”

“That is no favor. You’re free to leave, of course. And if you ever need anything else, you need only call.” The prince tilted his head back and warbled a beautiful melody into the sky. Katie’s cheeks and forehead heated as the crowd of Betuhinian onlookers all craned their necks and joined in. The royal song was reserved for heroes. The highest honor a citizen could receive. She didn’t feel quite deserving enough of such recognition.

She was about to say just that when a tall, golden figure emerged from the transport. He stumbled out, looking much more slight than she remembered, and their gazes met. Katie tried as hard as she could to keep her attention on the prince. This was the highest honor, after all.

Either bravery or arrogance had the prince reaching out to grip both Maladek and Katie’s shoulders. He gave them both a small squeeze and a warm smile, then released them and dashed back over to his parents, who twittered their own loving song as they embraced him.

Katie pulled out of Maladek’s hold with a reassuring squeeze and rushed toward Char Tomi. In a flash, he was next to her. Physical intimacy was only common in the rarest of instances, and even now Katie was surprised when Char Tomi threw his arms around her. A distant snarl sounded from a few feet behind her, but she ignored it. Her mate was prickly, but she somehow knew he wouldn’t interfere unless he had to.

“I’m so happy you’re okay,” she cried, pressing her cheek into Char Tomi’s narrow chest.

His body tensed, and his familiar voice echoed in her head. I’m also very grateful that you’re alive, Katie. But do you know there is a very large, very angry male staring at us?

Katie chuckled and pulled back, swiping her happy tears away. “Yes.” She tugged Char Tomi over to Maladek, who’d pulled himself up to his full height, the muscles of his arms bulging. His narrowed gazed focused on her hand, still gripping Char Tomi’s arm.

“Maladek, this is my best friend, Char Tomi. Maladek helped me find you,” Katie added when the two men only glared at each other. Char Tomi’s eyes swirled with pink, but Katie heard nothing. Though Char Tomi could allow her to hear whatever he said as well, it seemed he was speaking only to Maladek. She frowned and glanced between the men. She studied her mate’s expression and saw it darken, the corners of his eyes veining with black.

She smacked Char Tomi on the shoulder. “What did you say to him? Be nice.”

Char Tomi ignored her, and his eyes swirled again. A low warning rumbled through Maladek’s throat. She flattened her palm on his chest as if that could hold him back if he really wanted to get to Char Tomi.

“I know,” Maladek growled in response to whatever Char Tomi had said.

She looked closely at her friend and saw his eyes had widened in surprise. Whatever he’d said, Char Tomi hadn’t expected Maladek’s response. His gaze bounced between her and Maladek, then without warning, he grabbed her arm and flashed them away. The world spun, then jolted on its axis when Char Tomi finally stopped. She always hated running with him. It was so disorienting.

Do you know what he did, Katie? Char Tomi asked in a rush as she tried to bring the world back into focus.

“What are you talking—” A distant roar built in volume, and she twirled. Maladek was currently barreling toward them, eyes black and features enraged. “Crap! Why did you do that? He’s going to kill you, you idiot.” Katie watched her mate as he flew over the sand, holding one hand to her head and the other on her hip. How was she going to keep the man she loved from ripping apart her best friend?

Before she could figure it out, Char Tomi grabbed her and flashed to the opposite side of the ship.

“Stop it!” Katie yelled while tripping over her own feet. Char Tomi caught her before she tumbled to the ground.

He’s not worthy of you. Did he tell you how he ended up here? Those of us who weren’t affected by the Sieliji talked while we worked. They told me about him. He—

“Yes! I know how he ended up here. He told me. He explained it all.” Katie glared at Char Tomi. “Did they also tell you about how he kept me safe and alive for the last few days?” Katie pushed on Char Tomi’s chest. Her irritation with her friend grew when she spotted Maladek stampeding toward them in the distance. “Did they tell you that he tunneled through miles of sharp rock to help me find your ungrateful ass? Did they tell you that he as good as sacrificed his life to save me from not one, but four Sieliji and a quallie?”

Char Tomi’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing stubbornly. His irises began to swirl, but before he could answer, Katie held up a hand.

“No, they didn’t because they haven’t actually ever met him, have they? I appreciate your concerned big brother act, but you could have talked to me about this in a million different ways and you know you only chose to do it like this to rile him up.” Char Tomi’s voice started up in her head again, but Katie pushed on. “Now, go get to the med bay before he gets a hold of you, and I’ll try to figure out a way to smooth this over.”

Char Tomi didn’t move. He stared, and after a moment, spoke in her head. You seem certain. A slight smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

Katie chuckled. “I am, you great golden idiot. I love him.”

Char Tomi glanced at her livid hulking hero, still much too far away to reach them in time if Char Tomi decided to whisk her away again. I’m struggling to see why.

“You will.” She gave him a hard pinch and laughed again. “Now get out of here.”

Char Tomi turned to face Maladek with a raised chin, then flashed away. Maladek’s gaze followed, but he continued to barrel toward her instead, though his murderous expression told her he wanted to pursue her friend.

When he finally got to her, his chest heaved in massive breaths and he lifted her against his chest, squeezing almost too tight. “Calm down,” Katie crooned. “Char Tomi was just being an overprotective idiot.”

“I’ll kill him if he does that again.” Her feet dangled as he stomped toward the ship, still clutching her as though Char Tomi would pop up any second and steal her away.

Katie struggled to pull back, and after an argumentative tightening of his arms, he let her. “You will not. He’s my family, and you two will have to learn to get along.” Maladek’s brows were still drawn, something other than anger creeping beneath his tight expression. “Put me down.”

Slowly, he let her slide down his body.

“What did he say to you?” she asked, reaching up to force his gaze to hers instead of the ship.

When he finally looked at her, the hard line between his brows relaxed. “He…he told me he knew what I’d done. He said I didn’t deserve you.”

Katie’s brain replayed the brief silent exchange the two men had had, and she frowned. “You said ‘I know.’ I remember that’s how you answered him. ‘I know.’”

Maladek’s jaw tensed. “I don’t. But I refuse to give you up. I’ll spend every day of my life working to be good enough for you, if that’s what it takes.”

With her grip on his face, she pulled him toward her. “You are more than good enough for me. You’re perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you, just as you wouldn’t change a thing about me, right?”

She could see her words soothe the buried worry he’d been keeping inside. A lazy grin spread as his limbs became more pliant before her eyes. “I might make you a little less likeable if I had my way. It’d be easier to keep you to myself if you were unlikeable.”

“Is that right?” Katie grinned.

Maladek let out a sigh and pulled her close. “No. I’d change nothing.”

“See? We belong together, like you said. Nothing will ever change that. I’ve never felt more myself than when I’m with you. So let whatever doubts you’ve been keeping inside go. You’re mine now. Forever.”

“Your prisoner, am I?” Maladek teased, pressing a soft, toe-curling kiss to her lips that smothered her chuckle. “To have you as my jailor is the most exquisite punishment.”

Maladek pulled away, gazing down into her eyes and pinching one bedraggled curl. Katie’s heartbeat fluttered at the deep tenderness shining back, which undercut his playful words.

“My heart already belongs to you, Katie. Love is not a strong enough word, but I love you with everything I have.”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, emotion clogging her throat. Unable to form words through the blazing happiness flaring in her soul, she kissed him again and thanked all the gods she knew of that she’d been led to Maladek.

Thank you for reading Releasing Maladek! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Victoria’s newsletter!

KASSIE KEEGAN

SAVAGE GALAXY RESCUE

CHAPTER 1

KAT

Kat Bennet’s heartbeat pumped loudly in her ears, almost drowning out the subtle sound of shuffling footsteps as they made their way to the escape capsules quietly and unobtrusively. Their group had been located, their lives in mortal danger, they would not make it to their planned rendezvous with the Lio envoy. They had to get off this Space Pleasure Cruiser now.

The Lio were their only hope.

A race of lion-like humanoid beings, Lio Nessas, the females, and Lio Nels, the males, had all the physical characteristics of lions with fangs, fur, tails, and claws, and a beast-like nature but also walked on two legs, were highly intelligent, had extensive Lio Colonies, and traveled the Known Universe with their Lio Fleets.

Lio were closely tied to Earth, one of their earliest Colonies, seeded with their source of life millennia before. When the Lio Cataclysm happened and Lio stopped having female young, the Galactic Coalition rallied to find the reason and cure it, though their attempts were thwarted at every turn.

A pair of human scientists, a man and woman boosted with Lio DNA so they could survive on Lio HomeWorld, found a solution through miraculous happenstance, that some called Fate, when they soul-bonded to a Coalition of native male Lio Nels and produced the first Lio Nessa female young born in years.

Since then, through the efforts of the L.I.O., the Lio Information Office, and their Lio Vids Program, human men and women have applied to the L.I.O. hoping for genetic boosting with Lio genetics. Being boosted did not gain humans fur, tails, or fangs; however, it did give humans longer lifespans, added strength and abilities, and untold opportunities to create lives for themselves that would have otherwise been impossible.

Those lucky enough to be chosen became “Honored,” so named because the Lio honored their commitment to the Lio race. Men became Honored Nels, and women became Honored Nessas.

Kat knew Lio genetics boosting was part of the deal when she had accepted Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette de Roquemarel’s request to help protect and hide their ten children with the Lio people. She loved the de Roquemarel family as if it were her own. Her fellow companions did as well.

They were to meet the Lio at their first SpacePort dock excursion, but they had only made it past Saturn in Earth’s own solar system before Daphnée had alerted them that the Space Pleasure Cruiser was in peril.

Leif Lansing managed to get word to their Lio contact as the group of six adults, two teenage nanny companions, and ten de Roquemarel siblings, ages ranging from sixteen to four, grabbed their small emergency packs, strapped them on their backs, and started moving to the lower-level emergency pods, ones less likely to be watched by their enemies.

A small, nervous hand pulled Kat’s long blonde hair. She peered down at little Florence, the second youngest, wrapped tightly in her arms. Kat looked up to watch where she was going but spoke to the worried little one. “Yes, sweetheart?”

Florence spoke softly, urgency in her little-girl voice. “Daphnée said hurry.”

Yes, she had. And Daphnée had a knack for knowing things. They had learned to listen when she spoke, even at her tender young age of four. Kat’s anxiety spiked.

Michael King spoke from behind them in his shiver-inducing, low, masculine tenor. “We are hurrying, Florence, but we must also be careful.”

Kat didn’t dare look back at him, her dark-haired, dark-eyed broody hero. It seemed like they had been circling each other forever, watching, wanting, and waiting, but for what? To die unfulfilled?

Kat was angry at the thought.

Dying like this is bullshit!

Michael was running herd on two of the oldest de Roquemarel kids, Madeline and Gabriel, who held hands with their young nanny companion, Sallie, who was around their same age.

In front were medics Kristin Rao and David Shahid, each holding a middle child’s hand. They were being urged to go this way and that by the eldest de Roquemarel, Evangeline, who carried her sister. Evangeline had an amazing gift that some simply called luck.

Behind Kat and Michael were Sharon Boros, who held a frantically whispering Daphnée, as well as Michael’s partner Leif, and the second teenaged nanny companion Sylvia Lavigne, both of whom held a quiet, scared child in their arms.

Evangeline’s youthful voice was firm with each stark command. “Left here. No, the next hallway. This one isn’t good. Stop. Okay, let’s go.”

Sharon tried to soothe Daphnée as best she could, but Daphnée’s words rang out frantically, completely ignoring the need for stealth in her urgency. “Please Vangie! Fast! Fast!”

Daphnée’s words fueled everyone’s steps into high gear just as they heard the alarms begin blaring.

Evangeline screamed, “Here!” pointing at four concealed emergency capsules down the corridor. David snatched up the child beside him in one arm, reached down and grabbed Evangeline, who gripped her sister tightly, up under his other arm and ran.

Michael grabbed the two kids closest to him and did the same, everyone running as fast as they could, sirens blaring, and an indistinct voice announcing evacuation. Kat barely had enough sense to look over at her friends and companions one last time as they barreled into two other pods before rushing into a pod with Michael, Sallie, and the children in their arms.

The emergency capsule was compact but could easily hold the six of them secured in individual seats. Michael, already strapped in at the small cockpit, began an automation sequence, having quickly and carefully placed his charges into seats to strap themselves in.

Michael focused on getting them out. “Okay. We’re good. It’s on auto-sequence. Manual controls locked out until we jettison.”

Sallie helped fasten the other two kids in, whispering encouragement to them, while Kat got Florence secured.

Michael turned his chair around to see them, his hands fumbling with the locks on his straps. Kat knew the locks would not open until after the launch.

“Kat. Sallie. Strap in.” Michael used a ‘I’m-trying-not-to-panic’ tone. “Strap in Kat. It’s going to pop. Kat. Now, Kat!”

But it was too late. The capsule launched as the sounds of a massive explosion rumbled around them.

Sallie had sat and grabbed for the straps. Kat swiftly turning to get into a chair near Michael when everything seemed to go in slow motion.

She felt an incredible thrust as the engines engaged, throwing her back off her feet, her hair whipping across her face with the force of it, her body floating for a moment before flying backwards. She kept her eyes on Michael as he screamed in fear and rage for her, his hands extended as if to grab her from mid-air. “Kat, honey, no!”

Kat saw Sallie had lost her grip on the straps and was flying through the air too. They both smacked the back wall with meaty thumps, flattened and stuck high on the back wall by the force of the capsule’s acceleration.

Stars burst through Kat’s vision as her head cracked against the wall, the impact taking her breath. She heard Michael’s voice trying to soothe the crying children. Suddenly, an incredible heat seared her. She smelled scorching fabric and wondered if it was coming from her.

Then blackness.

Kat came to awareness with a wash of painfully cool air against her skin. She heard unfamiliar voices and tensed to defend herself and her charges.

Kat had a compact breather in her nose, which converted the atmosphere, making it breathable for the wearer. She was obviously no longer in an Earther escape capsule.

A riveting, tremendously deep male voice spoke to her. “No, beauty, do not tense. Your children are being seen to, as is your mate.”

Mate. They must mean Michael!

But who uses the word “mate?” Lio did. Could she be so fortunate?

“The explosion crippled your escape capsule, and you all have smoke damage to your lungs. You have breaks and burns. Do you consent to treatment for you and your family? It will forever change you, but you will live.”

Kat couldn’t open her eyes, but she listened and felt. She hurt. A lot.

“Prime Mezere, her male fights sedation.”

She heard shuffling and the male’s deep voice. “You must calm, warrior. Your beauty fights too. You are well matched. Do you consent to treatment for you, your mate, and your children? Do you accept the changes healing will bring?”

Michael’s faint voice scared her deeply. It was so unlike him. “Yes. Save them. Save Kat. Nothing… nothing without…”

“He’s out. He consented, Prime Mezere.”

There was shuffling and she felt a gentle touch to her forehead, then the back of a hand brushing softly across her cheek. A velvety, furred hand.

This could only be a Lio.

Kat gave all her energy to opening her eyes and saw the most fierce, masculine face she had ever seen. His lion-like face held concern and admiration as he watched over her. His eyes were such a bright green that they practically glowed from within with the strength of his personality.

The Lio Nel’s mane was wildly untamed and in all shades of gold, pulled back from his face, exposing large, round, expressive ears. His mustache was dark, whereas his long chin fur was a snowy white, as was the center of his body. The rest of his gorgeously muscular upper body was covered with velvety gold fur.

She perceived a tail waving sinuously high behind him, the base of its long, thick tuft of golden fur encircled by a wide ring of metal, etched with glowing markings.

Definitely Lio.

Kat managed a word. “Who?”

Strangely, Kat’s acute pain was fading to a dull, manageable ache as she gazed at the enticing stranger.

The male smiled, showing a hint of fang, his gaze kind but serious. “I am Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel from Pon’Fiel Pride on Lio Fleet Kahlina. You and your family are on board my Stinger vessel.”

He’s a Prime. A leader in a Lio Pride. An important person. He can help us!

He reached up and gently toyed with a strand of her long hair. “Who are you, beauty?”

The male mesmerized Kat. She felt compelled to give him whatever he wanted. “Kat. I’m Kat.”

His expression turned slightly amused as his gaze swept her form. “You are a lovely cat, indeed.”

Kat felt her far hand held in a gentle grip, causing tingles to shoot up her arm, and heard a soft male voice on the other side of her, but could not look away from the Prime male. “The loveliest cat in all the Known Galaxies.”

Oh! That is sweet!

A third captivating masculine voice caught her notice. “Does she purr like a kitten too?”

Kat had absolutely no business being affected by any of these intriguing males while broken, bruised, aching, and in love with Michael. But she was. Oh, how she was.

Kat felt tiredness overwhelm her. She had to communicate before she went out again. “Kids are Roque… Roquemarel.”

The Prime male’s expression sharpened, and he leaned closer.

Ah, good! I see recognition in his eyes.

“The deal. Save them. Three capsules. Save them all. Us. Me. Consent… given.”

The gorgeous Prime nodded to her, looked up at someone beside her with a mysterious, meaning-filled expression, and peered back down at her.

“You are safe, Kat. The children are safe. Your warrior is safe. Under Lio protection. Under my protection. I will see you after. Rest now, beauty.”

Kat trusted this male, this stranger, as she had only ever trusted her mother, Lord Guillaume, Lady Juliette, and Michael. She hoped her instincts were right about the Prime. If not, they were dead.

With that thought, Kat relaxed into oblivion.

CHAPTER 2

MICHAEL

Michael knew he was changed when he couldn’t ice out his emotions as he floated in a half-asleep, half-aware state of being. As an orphan trapped in the system, having made his first kill at ten to survive and his first paid kill at twelve to escape, Michael had learned emotions were a burden he could do without.

Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette de Roquemarel, Galactic Royal Ambassadors living in France and sometimes on the Galactic Council Orbiter above Earth, had found him as a street hustler four years later. He would never know what it was about him that made them choose him to mentor.

Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette gave him education, from books to guns to combat training. He even had etiquette lessons, so when he was their bodyguard at formal events, he could mostly blend in. His dark looks caught attention, usually from the wrong people.

They partnered Michael with older, more experienced, former conman, and truly talented hacker Leif Lansing shortly after Michael turned twenty-two. They’d been working together ever since. Neither one of them had stopped learning, hungry for fresh skills. It honored them to be trusted bodyguards and assistants to the straight and narrow de Roquemarel family.

Lord Guillaume said he needed protectors who understood the darkness but still had their souls. The shred of a soul Michael had kept was absolutely loyal to the de Roquemarel family and completely in love with Kat Bennett.

Kat had entered his life like sunshine at dawn, bringing light into his cold, regimented existence. She came to live at Château de Roquemarel to teach the kids as one of many tutors and caregivers Juliette brought in for her brood.

The first time he saw Kat, she had been singing to a little one in her lap, rocking them gently, a streamer of light blazing across her hair from the afternoon sun, making it shine bright gold. Standing in the shadows, Michael had felt his spirit soothed by her as much as the child had.

Her voice was true, and Michael felt his infrasonic, sub-bass frequency sound awareness eased, its constant, low-level grip on him soothed better than his advanced private holo-comm achieved.

Michael’s ability to hear sounds below the register of most people was a blessing and a curse. There was no tech he could not sense. Concealed devices did not get past his notice, which made him an excellent protector.

However, Michael also heard animals, storms, collisions, and earthquakes from miles and miles away. Sometimes all he wanted was peace. His private holo-comm was modified to an altered frequency, which allowed him to control his sensitivity enough to function.

He hadn’t met another person who could ease him with their voice. But Michael wanted his golden angel for much more than that.

Before he even knew her name, her lush figure called to him. Michael wanted to revel in her curves, bury his face in her hair, kiss those pink lips, dive deep into her body, and feel peace while joined with her.

Those longings scared him. Too many feelings, too much connection. She seemed like an angel, whereas blood that wouldn’t wash off tainted him.

Despite his silence in the shadows, she had sensed his presence. Michael remembered her gorgeous, golden-brown eyes searching for and finding him. Her gaze swept the whole of him, head to toe, then slowly back up to his face. Then the golden angel had smiled at him, guilelessly, sweetly, her sweetness like nourishment to a starving man. He wanted to take her for his own.

Michael had felt a possessive rage of want rise in a vicious, powerful wave that scared him even more than the longings had. Feelings this strong only led to trouble. So, he nodded politely and walked away without a word, trying to keep his face blank, something he hadn’t ever had difficulty doing, even as a kid. He couldn’t control his breathing though, so he’d gone to his rooms to meditate, reinstating iron control over himself.

Michael’s first comm after his emotional upheaval was to one of his usual booty calls, all of whom were people who knew the score and only wanted an enjoyable meal and some excellent dick with no strings attached. He’d made the appointment but couldn’t do it. The angel had ruined him. Settling for less than her warmth was untenable.

Michael canceled and had gotten more pleasure with his hand while fantasizing about licking his golden angel, someone whose name he didn’t even know yet, than he would have had with the perfectly acceptable warm body he’d scheduled to meet.

So began his obsession. Michael sicced his hacker partner, Leif, on her and knew everything there was to know within hours. Her name was Katherine Bennett, called Kat by those she cared about. Educated, had a boyfriend in college, Todd, who she broke it off with. The guy was currently a carpet salesman married to the store owner’s daughter with two kids, a large mortgage, and a girlfriend on the side.

Michael had Leif look into the guy’s history too. Both of them had recognized a man going through women one stair-step at a time. Michael was sure the fucker had hurt Kat.

Kat was a talented singer, liked kids, and had started private tutoring while caring for her single mom. No father in the picture. Mom had passed away after an extended illness, which had left little time for Kat to even have friends. There was no sign of a lover.

Michael was inordinately pleased by the last fact, although he knew it was ridiculous to feel that way. They hadn’t even had their first actual conversation yet. But he was. Michael didn’t want anyone but him to have a claim on the golden angel.

He’d introduced himself to her shortly after, hoping she wasn’t as good as she seemed. She wasn’t. Kat was better. When Michael woke up each morning, his first thought was how he could schedule his tasks so he could see her.

His friends noticed Michael’s obsession but didn’t comment. It amused Michael to realize Kat was around him more, his duties often taking him to where she taught or took her leisure. His friends were matchmaking.

Early in life, Michael had learned to play the guitar to self-soothe his hyperaware subsonic hearing before he even knew what the fuck it was. That’s how he had begun “talking” with Kat.

Michael would hear Kat sing a song during the day, then in the evening he would sit deep in the shadows of the garden and play the song on his guitar. He knew she heard him playing.

Then one night, she walked into the garden and joined him. She sat on a bench down the path, faced away, and sang as he played. Then he played another song she had sung, and she sang that one with him too. The next night, she sat closer. Each night closer to each other until they were close enough to see but not touch.

They spent soft, undemanding time together sharing their love of music while he fell irrevocably in love with her. Michael met Kat for meals where they indulged in casual conversations that lit him up inside, showing him a different way to be. They laughed together. He’d felt uncomfortable with his new lightness of spirit but didn’t want to stop it either.

Michael wanted Kat with his last breath but didn’t know how to reach for her. Kat was so much more than what he knew. She was no causal fuck. Nothing about his feelings for her was casual.

She wanted him too, maybe even loved him back, but he did not know how to break the chains of his past to embrace the future she offered.

Then the threats toward the de Roquemarel family began. It would have been easier if Lord Guillaume had hidden the truth, but it was not the type of man he was. He made hard choices to save countless others.

Although Michael was not privy to the secret that had exiled them, he knew the threats came from the Bodiegon Dragoon SpacePirates, and it was tremendous enough danger for Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette to part from their beloved children.

Michael and Leif, along with medic David Shahid and nurse Kristin Rao, had been called to Lord Guillaume’s office. It had surprised Michael to see Kat, Lady Juliette’s best friend Sharon Boros, and two teenaged nanny companions already there.

Lord Guillaume had laid out their plan. From Lord Guillaume’s first mention of the Lio, Michael knew it would change all their lives. They were going to the Lio.

The way Michael understood it, a human got boosted with Lio DNA. They met another boosted human and when they connected with their Coalition of native Lio Nels, some sort of magic happened and boom, Lio Nessa female young were born. Male Lio Nel young were born of native Lio Nessa and Lio Nel parents.

Michael had known about the Lio, but hadn’t intended to apply to the L.I.O., the Lio Information Office, for consideration for genetic boosting. If chosen, humans then go off into the stars to go live on Lio HomeWorld, a Lio Colony, or in a Lio Fleet, living the ‘off-worlder life’ and possibly making little girl Lio Nessa babies.

All Michael knew and all he wanted was there on Earth. Then the threats came, and everything changed.

The Lio would take Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette’s children and hide them. But to do so, they would boost the children with Lio genetics, making them Honored Nels and Nessas; stronger, long-lived, and always protected. Lord Guillaume was asking those present to make the same choice and go with their children into a new life with the Lio.

The sorrow was overwhelming. Lord Guillaume explained that for any of the family to survive, they must separate. The tremendous weight of leaving their beloved children broke Lord Guillaume and Lady Juliette. Michael sensed they were trying to draw the threat away from their loved ones, but he asked no questions. Everyone with the children was safer with sparse knowledge beyond their tasks.

Michael realized those in the room were the de Roquemarel’s most trusted people who took care of their greatest treasures: the children. Their level of confidence in him gutted Michael. The de Roquemarels made it clear they cared about him as much as he cared for them. Michael was family too.

Michael mourned what they all lost. There would be no more Château de Roquemarel. No more idyllic evenings there with Kat. No more chasing and wondering or waiting. It was the time to choose a fresh path.

The other adults and the two teenagers consented to becoming Honored by the Lio. Michael and Kat had looked at each other and agreed together. He could see hope in her eyes for them. He allowed the same hope to take root in his own heart.

Maybe as a new man down to his DNA, Michael would be worthy of his golden angel.

They had made the plans, executed the mission to get to the Space Pleasure Cruiser, and expected meeting the Lio at their first SpacePort Excursion. All was on schedule until Daphnée had woken in the middle of the night screaming her warning.

Michael had not known fear as strong as when they were following Evangeline to the escape capsules. Not fear for himself, but fear for Kat and the children, who he loved more than life. They had made it to the escape capsules only for him to watch Kat and Sallie tumble to the back wall, crushed by the capsule’s launch force.

Michael’s heart had died when he couldn’t reach Kat. Then the explosion happened, searing their capsule and starting fires in the cabin.

He didn’t think they would make it. He’d passed out from the smoke, helplessly strapped to his chair, the screams and cries of the children ringing in his ears. Michael had only a hazy, vague memory of relief and rescue.

Michael sat up shouting, “Kat! Children!” And came face to face with a lion. A LionMan. A Lio.

CHAPTER 3

MICHAEL

“Calm, warrior. The children are safe. They are being healed but have not awakened as yet.”

“And Kat?”

“Your beauty?”

Michael was confused and blurted out his private name for her. “She’s a golden-haired angel.”

The Lio smiled gently with only his lips turning up at the corners.

“Yes. Yes, your beauty. She has healed. We have spoken. Now she rests.”

Michael felt such relief that he melted back into the bed he lay on.

He looked around. Michael was in some sort of Med Bay, in a semi-private space. There were concealment barriers on either side and an open entryway in front of him so he could see who entered and exited the room, something he liked.

Michael took in the Lio Nel’s appearance in a sweep. Thick layered mane to his shoulders. The male’s soft-looking fur was reddish gold except for the center of his tight muscular body, which was a light cream.

The Lio male’s mustache fur was dark and long, blending into long, bright white chin fur. He had large, expressive ears and a sensuously waving tail. A simple, wide ring of some sort of metal encircled his tail next to the thick tuft of reddish gold fur at the end.

He wore only skirt-like fabric draped over his hips to mid-thigh and a belt with an elaborately sheathed knife attached to it. Gear straps crisscrossed across his chest, abs, and over one shoulder.

The metal cuffs he wore on his wrists were wider on the inside than on the outside and he had a band above the bend of his elbow on his left arm.

The Lio’s voice was masculine, but soft. If velvet was a voice, this male spoke velvet. “You will need to be patient with yourself as you adjust to this new form. You have beautiful color.”

Michael glanced down at his arm. Sure enough, his skin was a dark golden color, like a deep tan with a very golden undertone and a gleam to it.

I need a mirror. And a toilet.

Michael peered up at the Lio. “Where’s the bathroom?”

The Lio Nel seemed perplexed for a moment. “Ah, the grooming room. There’s a small one this way.”

Michael rose and wrapped the thin, but warm, silky dark red blanket that had been covering him around his hips and went where the Lio pointed. The room was indeed tiny, but it had a saddle-like toilet and a mirror. He used the toilet and stood before a full-length reflective wall. Michael saw the Lio appear in the entryway behind him in the reflection.

Michael had a silver metal disc embedded below his collarbone where his chest and shoulder muscles met. He touched it and it didn’t hurt. The disc was weirdly sensitive.

His skin was deep gold everywhere. His hair and closely trimmed mustache and beard were the same dark brown color, his hair still a thick, wavy mass. He didn’t have any extra hair anywhere.

Michael opened his mouth and inspected his teeth.

Huh. No Fangs, no fur, no tail. Ah, well.

Michael checked out his fingernails.

Don’t even get claws.

The Lio Nel watched him with kind, sky-blue eyes. “The disc is mimetic metal. You control it with your thoughts. It connects to your autonomic system so it can protect you from harm before you consciously engage it. You will learn how to use it soon.”

Michael inspected the holo-comm unit embedded behind his ear. It was sleek and new and of the highest intergalactic quality. They had obviously paid attention to his modifications because it was working smoothly the way he needed, not bombarding him with low frequency sounds he wasn’t up to identifying yet.

“You have an upgraded holo-comm too.”

Michael looked around.

How do I shower in this place?

The male noticed Michael looking around. “Press the blue button.”

Michael narrowed his eyes at the Lio Nel for a moment.

What if a laser shoots out and kills me?

The crazy thought amused Michael as he pushed the button. When a blue laser shot out, Michael froze.

Fuck! I’m dead!

The laser swept over him in an instant and then was gone.

The Nel watched Michael curiously as he stood frozen, breathing deeply for a few moments, looking himself over in the mirror.

No, not dead, just scared shitless.

“Do you feel refreshed? The Solaray cleans both body and fabric but leaves scent. Scent markers are important to us Lio. The Lio Fleet Solaray also removes waste and takes it to our composters for growing things in our gardens. Very efficient, yes?”

Michael nodded, not truly understanding.

Yeah, sure. Okay.

“And it keeps us clean and ready for fucking, which is an added benefit.”

This time Michael simply blinked at the Lio.

I’m shitless for many reasons. Fuck. Aaaand I’m not going there.

He felt a wave of tiredness and the male looked concerned when he saw it.

“Let’s get you back to bed.”

Michael nodded and crawled back on the bed as the Lio Nel activated his holo-comm with a subtle squint of his eye and an opaque shimmer appeared near his face.

Soon a cadre of native female Lio Nessas and male Lio Nels descended on him, doing tests and reassuring him all was as it should be. He needed more rest as his body got used to the changes. Michael had a meal of tasty, unfamiliar food and several drinks. Afterwards, he felt much better.

When they left, the Lio Nel who had watched everything with rapt attention stayed. Michael wanted to sit up, reclined a bit lower, and fidgeted a bit, looking around. The Lio Nel leaned forward to help adjust the bed he was on, so Michael was comfortable.

As the Lio leaned forward, Michael noticed a large, round pendant draping over the Lio’s strapped shoulder near his neck. The golden pendant, embossed with subtle swirling designs, had a blue jewel shaped like a hexagon, with a beveled point in the middle. Small purple round stones centered on each side of the hexagon.

The Lio looked down, following Michael’s gaze to the pendant. “It’s my talisman. My mother’s Honored Nessa mother had one made for each of her grandsons. It is to bring good fortune to the wearer. I find that it brings good luck to those who touch it as well.”

The Lio’s compelling sky-blue eyes peered deeply into Michael’s. It was like gazing into a peaceful lake; calm, gentle, refreshing. He’d only known one other such peaceful person. Kat.

The Lio’s velvety voice was soothing. “Would you like good fortune in this new life of yours?”

Michael nodded. He would take every advantage he could get.

Michael reached up and gently caressed the blue center hexagon stone on the Lio’s pendant, only then realizing it lay over the Lio’s heart. The Lio Nel watched Michael’s fingers and visibly shivered.

Michael then noticed the metallic disc, like the one he had, embedded in the groove of muscle below the Lio’s left collarbone close to the pendant. Without thinking, he slid his fingers to it and caressed the warm metal there, too.

This time, the Lio shuddered and groaned, making Michael’s gaze fly to the Lio Nel’s face. His gaze was no longer peaceful. It blazed at him with searing heat.

Michael felt his cock harden, glad he had a knotted blanket draped over his lap, only now thinking about how naked he was. His fingers continued to caress the warm metal disc while he watched the lovely Lio Nel’s expressions, relishing his open enjoyment of Michael’s touch. Michael felt possessiveness and desire rise within him.

I want to see more pleasure on his face. I like it.

The Lio licked his lips and lifted his furred hand, hesitating millimeters from Michael’s skin.

Oh, how I want to feel this male’s touch.

“May I touch you, warrior?”

“Yes, Lio. You may.”

Soft, sensitive skin petted across Michael’s shoulder.

Ah! So the underside of their fingers and palms are like human skin.

Then the Lio grazed the same area with the furred back of his hand. This time it was Michael who shivered at the silken caress.

Michael’s senses were shockingly alive, each sensation deeper than he remembered. And the scent of this male was making his mouth water.

When the Lio dipped his fingers to touch gently below Michael’s collarbone, Michael lit up like a fireworks display. His head tossed back, and a low moan ripped from his throat.

A tremendously deep masculine voice, registering far into infrasonic bass frequencies, cut through Michael’s pleasure, causing him to tense, drop his hand, and sit up higher, immediately on defense. “I see you have met my Zumiel, Dominik.”

The tall Lio Nel standing at the foot of Michael’s bed was a fucking wet dream. Golden furred masculine perfection. The male’s bright green gaze focused on Michael as if he were prey, and he liked it. A bestial part of him rose to meet this Lio Nel’s sensuous challenge.

“Who are you?” came out more aggressively than Michael intended.

The Lio Nel smiled, showing enormous lion fangs. Michael swallowed. Then the male Lio’s expression turned searching and direct. He drew a deep breath and opened his plush lips slightly, exhaling through his mouth. Acute enjoyment tightened his features, his eyelids dropping, nostrils flaring, as his tail began a looping, sinuous movement.

Dominik’s velvet voice explained, “My name is Dominik Pon’Vahral. I am from the Pon’Vahral Pride. This is Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel. He tastes your arousal scent. And mine.”

Michael watched, mesmerized, as an enormous bulge grew beneath the Nel’s red skirt-like fabric.

This time, Dominik sounded amused. “I see from the bulge in his shendyt that Prime Mezere approves of you as much as I do. You are simply delicious.”

Delicious, huh? You haven’t tasted me yet, pretty Lio. Does this mean you have a hard-on, too?

He didn’t dare look away from the primal male in front of him. Michael finally had names: Prime Mezere and Dominik.

Shendyt must be the skirt thing all the males wore. And the handsome, compelling male showed approval. Big approval.

Without looking away from the intriguingly aroused Lio Nel at the end of his bed, Michael spoke to Dominik. “Very nice to meet you, Dominik.”

“And you as well.”

Michael noticed Dominik didn’t ask his name, and he didn’t offer it. Michael had a lot to learn, and he needed to do it fast. Dominik was answering questions, so Michael would continue to ask them.

Michael asked, “Prime?”

Dominik answered Michael’s questions as the male in question visually inspected each inch of Michael in careful detail while tasting Michael’s scent. “Yes. Prize Lio Nels, which is what Primes are called before they win a Challenge to become Prime, are a small portion of the males born, but they hold a special place in Lio society.”

This male is an experienced fighter.

Dominik’s next words confirmed it. “Prime Mezere fought for his place among Pon’Fiel Pride on Lio Fleet Kahlina. We are on the Pon’Fiel Pride Fang ship detached from Fleet Kahlina but under its protection. We will rendezvous with the Fleet when it is time.”

Michael saw hints of scars showing as lighter streaks in Prime Mezere’s fur all over his body. The Prime male wore a dark red, full-length cape secured back behind his shoulders, a lethal looking sheathed knife on an elaborate metal belt, and a vicious armor piece strapped to the back of his arm.

Prime Mezere’s mane was thick and long. He had a section of longer, golden mane-like fur covering his bright white furred chest from shoulder to shoulder, arrowing straight down between his pecs over his white furred belly to his enormous bulge.

The male’s desire called to his own. Michael’s cock throbbed.

Dominik continued. “In our Pride, Prime Mezere prepares Honored Nels for their Call to Mate and defends Lio Coalitions seeking Honored mates within our Pride. He works with our Pride leader, High Nessa Theerah Pon’Fiel, to keep balance and peace. He also serves as Ambassador to our Pride.”

Michael had extensive experience with the duties of an Ambassador.

“We have both grown up in Lio Fleet Kahlina, although we have traveled some seeking our Coalition mate and Honored mates. Turns out there was no need for it.”

Hmm. Curious.

Dominik’s voice turned loving. “When we matured, Prime Mezere charmed me into being Found and Bound by him as his lifelong Zumiel companion. Without a Zumiel to anchor his beast-nature, a Prize male goes feral and may become lost to us. They are rare treasures, so such would be a tragedy.”

Prime Mezere turned his gaze to Dominik, his expression softening to abiding affection, open in his love and regard for the sweet Lio Nel beside Michael.

“Oh, Abah-sah knows, a Prize Lio Nel Claiming his Zumiel can be viciously brutal, overcome by his bestial need to possess. But force without purpose is not Mezere’s way. He enticed my devotion before binding me. I love him for it.”

Prime Mezere slow-blinked affectionately at Dominik before bringing his bright green gaze back to Michael, staring at him with predatory intent, making Michael’s breathing increase.

This male, this Prime, makes me want him simply from the naked desire in his expression.

If Prime Mezere made a proper move, Michael wasn’t sure he could resist him any better than Dominik had. But Michael did not want to be taken, used, and discarded. Been there, done that. And none of this attraction changed his deep need for Kat.

Michael looked over behind Prime Mezere at a new male entering the room. This Lio Nel was unlike any he had seen in person or in pictures. He was a light creamy gold everywhere, from his short-cropped, light gold mane to his long, furry ruff around his neck, all the way down to his sandaled feet.

Prime Mezere had approached like a primal beast owning his path, strong and sure, but Michael recognized this new Lio Nel moved like a trained killer; stalking in with a silent, silky stride, controlled and deadly.

Michael tensed in readiness. He did not allow Dominik’s voice to soothe him this time as he and the new male assessed each other.

“Calm, fierce warrior, calm. This is Commander Courau Pon’Fiel. He is charged with protecting our Pride.” From the armor on his shoulder, his dark red half cape, his blue and gold shendyt, to his belt, knife and gear, Michael recognized someone who would do whatever it takes. Michael kept his body ready and his hands where Commander Courau could see them.

Michael nodded, not looking away from Commander Courau’s stunning emerald-green eyes. Michael’s awareness bled to the edges where he was hyperaware of any movement around him, sensing their sinuous tail movements, their shifting weight, even their breathing.

It was a fighter’s trick Michael had grown accustomed to, but never before with this much information to process through sight, sound, and scent. Michael tried tasting the air as Prime Mezere did, breathing deep then letting the air flow out of his mouth over the back of his tongue.

Flavors burst across his senses. Michael instinctively identified arousal, concern, strength, and aggression.

Commander Courau noticed Michael’s actions. When he spoke, his smooth, deep voice gave Michael a shiver. This Nel would be a beautiful singer. And a deadly opponent. “I see you are a fast learner, warrior Michael King.”

I am so very, very fucked.

There were three Lio Nels in this room with Michael, and every single one of them made his senses tingle and his cock hard. It hadn’t happened with any of the other Lio Nels and Nessas he had met, just these three captivating males.

Michael was tense and conflicted. Stressed. Aroused and unsure. He needed Kat. He wanted these strangers. Michael didn’t know how to handle all these feelings bombarding him. He felt unfamiliar urges rise within him. He wasn’t sure how long he could control himself.

What would happen when it was finally all too much?

CHAPTER 4

PRIME MEZERE

Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel watched Michael as he watched them. Michael seemed unsure about what to do or say, so he stayed still and didn’t move.

Michael is an observant, careful male. He has leashed violence in him, but tenderness too.

Mezere had enjoyed Michael’s tenderness with Dominik. It confirmed their choice.

Mezere was enjoying getting to know his fascinating Honored Nel. Michael was vibrantly layered, completely unaware of the hidden sweetness empathetic people could sense from him. Michael would consider it a weakness. It was not.

Michael drew Mezere like a moth to flame because his soft heart was housed in strength matching his own, not be overtaken by the power of Mezere’s personality, or Commander Courau’s. It was rare to meet an Honored warrior who matched them so perfectly.

Courau was trying to incite Michael into talking. They needed him to speak with them and lower his guard. “What did you sense, warrior king?”

“I’m not a warrior or a king.”

Mezere smiled, showing fang, as Courau raised his eyebrow at Michael. Courau came closer to Mezere and casually laid his arm across Mezere’s shoulders as he spoke with Michael. “You applied to the L.I.O. to become an Honored Nel, did you not?”

“I did.”

“Your name is King. Michael King.”

“Yes.”

“You are a warrior, are you not?”

“I’ve not been to war.”

“Hmm. Perhaps such defines warrior for Earthers, but for us Lio, it is what we call fighters. Do you fight, Michael?”

Michael didn’t answer, only narrowing his eyes at Courau.

Courau made a lightning fast move with his tail toward Michael, who didn’t even flinch.

Oh, Courau is definitely hard and extruded from his sheath now, as I am. Beautiful, delicious warrior. I am going to oil you up and lick you off!

Mezere scented Courau’s arousal bloom. He’d been correct.

Suddenly, Courau reached out toward Dominik, ready to grab Dominik’s mane.

In a flash, Michael grabbed Courau’s wrist, holding it away from Dominik. His voice was deep and viciously defensive. “Don’t.”

Michael had a moment when his expression showed confusion at his own speed and protectiveness toward Dominik, then it was gone, and he was all business.

Courau grinned broadly, making it clear that he was proud of Michael. “Well done, fierce warrior!”

Michael blinked but did not release Courau’s forearm, nor did Courau pull away. Instead, he came closer to Michael, approaching calmly and carefully.

“May I sit beside you?”

Michael was suspicious, but his hard cock and arousal scent did not wane. “Why?”

“I want to greet you properly, warrior.”

“You were grabbing Dominik. Why would you do that?”

Michael made to let go of Courau, but Dominik stayed his movement, laying his hand over Michael’s on Courau’s arm.

Michael’s confused gaze flew to Dominik, who explained, “No. We were going to share air, warrior. It’s what we Lio do with those we care about.”

“Care… about?”

“Yes, Michael.”

Mezere saw Michael shiver as Dominik spoke his given name for the first time.

Ah yes, sweet Michael. We all fall under Dominik’s spell.

Dominik continued, “Let us show you.”

Keeping Michael’s hand sandwiched between Courau’s arm and Dominik’s hand, Courau stepped close to Dominik on the side of Michael’s bed. Both Dominik and Courau reached their free hands up and buried them in each other’s mane. Courau bent slightly to put his forehead against Dominik’s. They closed their eyes and stood there sharing their breath, which became noticeably synced.

They pulled back and gazed at each other, Courau giving Dominik a big grin, then leaning in to give him a slow, sexy grooming lick across his shoulder up his neck.

They both turned to Michael to see his reaction.

Michael was equal parts aroused and confused. “You’re… together.”

His gaze turned to Mezere, taking in the Prime’s relaxed demeanor. Mezere’s voice was kind when he answered Michael. “Yes, fierce warrior. We are all together. We are Coalition. Do you see these cuffs?”

Michael inspected the elaborate cuff Mezere lifted up to eye level. All three Lio Nels wore them. He’d seen them on some of the Lio Nels earlier too. They were longer on the inside of the wrist than on the outside. Made of flexible metal-looking material, the cuffs flexed with the movement of his wrists.

“These wrist cuffs are called bandels. They proclaim our Coalition seeks Honored Mates. An Honored Nel and Honored Nessa whose hearts and souls match ours.”

Michael blinked at him, processing the information.

“We wear bandels because an Honored Nessa is very possessive of her mates and does not like her mates’ scents strongly on those she does not Claim for her own. We honor this by covering our strongest exposed scent marker, our wrists.”

Michael watched as Mezere slowly removed his cuffs while he continued to speak. “Native Lio Nessas do not mind sharing their mate’s scents with each other as Lio Harems are usually three Lio Nessas with five or more Lio Nels. Because the Nessas usually go into heat at the same time, five is the absolute minimum to attend to their needs.”

Mezere attached his bandels to his belt. “However, Honored Nessas crave the combined scents of their mates on themselves and on each other.”

Mezere slowly approached Michael’s opposite side as Dominik distracted Michael by slowly guiding his hand to skim across Courau’s wrist in a sensuous slide, as they removed Courau’s bandel together in a smooth move. Courau took a quick, deep breath, obviously enjoying Michael’s touch.

Courau’s bandel dropped to the bed as Dominik offered his upturned wrist to Michael. Michael peered up with a blazing gaze as he slowly pulled the bandel off Dominik’s wrist.

Mezere craved the scent of Michael’s breath, the taste of his skin, the flavor of his cream, the tightness of his body clasping his cock. He would have those things with both Michael and their beauty, or he would be Bereft.

After experiencing a hint of these two amazing beings, no other Honored would do for Mezere. He knew it was the same for Dominik and Courau. They had made their choice. They would have Michael join their Coalition, all Claimed by Kat, or they would never mate. It was simple.

Mezere eased his hip next to Michael’s on the bed, leaning forward so their heights were similar. “Share air with me, fierce warrior.”

Michael turned and gazed at him, his nostrils flaring with his first heavy draws of Mezere’s hormone laden scent. Mezere was drowning in Michael’s mouthwatering scent, opening his mouth slightly to breathe across his tongue to taste him in the only way he could right then.

Michael’s dark brown eyes stared deeply into Mezere’s. Mezere opened his soul up to Michael through his expression, hiding nothing of who he was.

Want me, warrior, as I want you. Be with me. Be with us. Be Coalition.

Michael tentatively reached his hand up to touch Mezere’s wild mane. Mezere leaned forward for him encouragingly.

Ah yes, please touch.

Mezere growled deep, his tail swishing in excitement as he sunk his hand into Michael’s thick, wavy, dark brown hair, using his hold to bring their foreheads together, closing his eyes to share air in the traditional Lio greeting.

Pleasure swamped Mezere at the scent and feel of his precious Honored Nel mate. He had felt the same when he had first greeted delicious beauty Kat and shared air with her. Kat’s luscious curves and strong but gentle nature suited him and his Coalition perfectly. As perfectly as she matched Michael.

Mezere felt Michael tense and try to pull back. Mezere breathed deeply of his scent. It wasn’t fear rising in Michael; it was aggression and desire rising to meet Mezere’s Prime beast-nature with the strength of his own.

Mezere kept his grip tight and crooned to his mate. “Shh. Shh. You’re good, fierce warrior. Let this happen, you’re good.”

Michael moaned in response to Mezere’s voice, a fresh wave of aroused scent washing over Mezere. Mezere’s voice was rough with want when he spoke. “Your beast-nature rises to meet mine, Michael. You are a newly changed Honored Nel confronted with his Coalition, beginning the MateDance. Aggression is expected.”

Mezere breathed deeply, and Michael followed his lead. “That’s it. Breathe my scent. Be marked by your Prime, be excited by your mate, be prepared for your Call.”

Michael spoke as if the words were torn out of him. “Prime… You smell so good, Mezere! Why do you smell so good?”

Mezere pulled back to look into Michael’s eyes. He saw Michael swallow.

He must find my scent as mouthwatering as I find his.

Mezere’s voice was deep and soft. “Because, my fierce warrior, we are mates.”

Michael’s eyes widened, eyebrows lifted, and his hand dropped from Mezere’s mane, his expression one of stunned realization. Mezere released Michael by degrees, then trailed his hand across Michael’s smooth muscled chest as Dominik gained Michael’s shattered attention by sitting next to him on the other side.

“Relax Michael, all is well. Share air with me.”

Dominik grabbed Michael’s still surprise-limp hand and brought it up to his mane. Michael responded to the soft strands and slid in deep, gaze vulnerably turned to Dominik. Michael’s deep brown eyes were intense pools of longing and hope, spiced with dark desires and suspicion.

Mezere knew this was a lot to process for a newly boosted Honored Nel. He thought Michael was doing spectacularly well. Too well. Mezere’s tail slashed with splendid excitement as he waited for Michael to break.

He would break soon, and it would be unforgettable.

Mezere leaned forward and nuzzled Michael’s shoulder as he shared air with Dominik. Mezere reached over and stroked down Dominik’s back in affection as Dominik took his time sharing air with Michael. Dominik was already devoted to Michael and Kat. They had barely tasted the depths of Dominik’s tender love, and oh, how sweet it tasted.

Dominik pulled back slowly. When Michael opened his eyes, they were moist and glistening.

Dominik slid smoothly back on the bed, making room for Courau. Michael was still wide open when Courau buried his hand in Michael’s thick hair. Courau’s ears tilted back, unhappy with Michael’s disquiet.

“Michael, why are you so upset?” Courau reached up to stroke Michael’s neck gently.

Michael swallowed deeply. When he spoke, his voice was thick. “I don’t know you. I don’t know why I want to trust you. I hardly trust anyone. It’s not just me, it’s my angel, the children.” Michael made a small noise of distress that stilled Mezere’s tail and lowered his ears.

Mezere did not want his mate hurting, physically or spiritually. Mezere brought his tail up to touch Michael’s shoulder and arm softly. He noticed Dominik did the same with his tail.

Courau brought their foreheads together to share air. Slowly, Michael reached up and buried his hand in Courau’s tightly trimmed mane.

Mezere felt his own eyes moisten at the gesture of acceptance. Michael was allowing them in. It was beautiful.

Courau pulled back slowly, Michael’s hand stroking down from Courau’s mane, over Courau’s chest to land on his own thigh, all while still looking deeply into Courau’s eyes. Courau resumed his soft caresses on Michael’s neck.

Courau thought for a moment, continuing his gentle, calming caresses. “Do you trust your instincts, Michael?”

Michael shivered at Courau saying his name. “Yes.”

“That’s good, my warrior king.”

Michael shivered again at Courau’s pet name for him.

Courau asked, “What do your instincts say?”

Michael sat quietly in Courau’s undemanding embrace, gripped gently by his hair, being petted by the deadly Commander who wanted him. They waited patiently for long moments while Michael gathered his thoughts.

Michael’s expression held wonder as he finally spoke. “My instincts have never been wrong. They tell me you are true, Commander Courau. That you and Prime Mezere and Dominik are hot for me and want a relationship with… me and Kat.”

Michael sat up straighter, pulling away from Courau’s touch. “I feel upset.”

Mezere stood up, out of Michael’s way, his ears high, tail flashing with excitement. He felt it coming. Michael’s break. Mezere’s voice bled anticipation. “Michael, you crave your Honored Nessa’s approval for your Coalition.”

Michael stared at him for a moment in surprise, then his eyebrows lowered. “All I know is I need Kat. Where is she?”

Michael swung his legs over the side of the small bed, tightening the covering wrapped around his hips as he stood. “Where is Kat? You mentioned meeting her.”

Dominik answered in his soft velvet voice. “Yes, Kat woke much earlier than you. She is a charming delight. She had been worried and was waiting to see you.”

Michael’s expression sharpened, his expression turning wild at Kat being worried. “Take me to her!”

Courau stood up beside the opposite side of the bed, his posture one of anticipation like Mezere’s. “Find her yourself, warrior king.”

Michael’s eyebrows lowered more, then his expression cleared.

Yes, fierce warrior, yes. Use those newly Lio-enhanced senses to seek your mate. Awaken to us and to her.

Michael closed his eyes and sniffed deeply, opening his mouth and breathing over his tongue as he had learned from Mezere.

Mezere’s chest burst with pride and respect for his skilled, instinctive Honored Nel.

Michael stepped to the entrance and sniffed again, following this pattern and moving forward a few steps at a time as he processed all the scents he was tasting. Mezere, Dominik, and Courau followed Michael as he hunted their mate.

Michael moved toward Kat unerringly, walking faster and faster until… There she was, sitting up in her small bed, speaking with High Nessa Theerah, Second-in-Command Dynah, and Abassan Zeitune.

Kat’s expression was joyful when she saw Michael and she shyly welcomed him, Dominik, and Courau, before becoming confused by Michael’s aggressiveness. She blinked at Michael, then rubbed her eyes and blinked some more.

Delight burst within him at Kat’s reaction. All the signs in place.

Michael growled deeply and viciously when he saw the male priest Abassan near Kat. Dominik’s voice was soft and soothing and had absolutely no effect on Michael. “This is a priest of Abah-sah, our Creator. His name is Abassan Zeitune.”

Michael moved a step in the Abassan’s direction, prompting Mezere to grip Michael’s arms firmly from behind, stopping him at the foot of Kat’s bed, right where he wanted Michael to be.

Abassan Zeitune wore the typical Abassan preist’s attire of a hooded cloak and shendyt, his in a dark red with gold trim, which were Pon’Fiel Pride colors. An elaborately decorated metal belt held his sheathed Rav knife.

He had triangular shaped golden earrings on the edge of one ear with a dangling golden chain ending in a faceted red oval jewel draped through them. Golden necklaces with red jewels draped his torso. His long white beard fur was wrapped with three spaced out thin metal bands, as were some long strands of his long golden mane. He did not wear bandels on his wrists.

Michael’s gaze riveted to the relaxed male near his mate. “Do priests mate?”

“Yes.”

Michael growled, his teeth bared at the male, and said, “Out!”

Abassan Zeitune calmly bowed to Michael without a word and quietly exited, leaving two tense Lio Nessas standing on each side of Kat’s bed.

Courau’s Second-in-Command Dynah was dressed in a shendyt, the rest of her lean Lio Nessa body wrapped with dark red strips of thick fabric covered with tiny lethal blades. She wore a thick metal belt holding multiple weapons, including a long Rav knife, and typical Lio barely-there sandals.

Courau made a small slashing motion with his hand at his Sec. Comm. and she swiftly left to guard the door.

Mezere felt anticipation rise in him. The MateDance had begun.

High Nessa Theerah stood calmly, her tail moving sinuous and slow, her ears high and alert. Lio Nessas did not have a mane like Lio Nels, so the glittering tracery of tiny golden chains draped over High Nessa Theerah’s head displayed beautifully in her golden fur. She had golden rings in her ears and golden chains across her neck and shoulders.

Loose flowing swaths of sheer red fabric draped her body, artfully crafted to cover but leave most of her long, lean body revealed. She had an elaborately decorated belt at her hips holding her Rav knife and wore small golden sandals.

“Greetings new Honored Nel Michael King. I have been waiting to make your acquaintance.”

Mezere sensed Michael’s attempt to get himself under control and also sensed when he gave up on it. “I… I think you are important, and I respect that, but I can’t meet you now and be respectful. Can we try again later?”

High Nessa Theerah knew quite well Michael’s MateDance had begun. That he had managed this level of coherent response seemed to impress her. She smiled gently, bowed to Michael, but instead of leaving, she turned to Kat.

“Kat, my dear, Michael has his Lio beast-nature awakened. He is learning how to cope. You and your Coalition can help him.”

Kat’s worried gaze met High Nessa Theerah’s and she wordlessly nodded before turning back to feast on Michael with her gaze.

High Nessa Theerah turned to Michael again, her voice firm, her message crystal clear. “Honored Nel Michael King, you may not touch Honored Nessa Kat Bennett without permission, permission from her and permission from me.”

That got Kat’s attention back. High Nessa Theerah continued. “I am Kat’s Shumal, her protector during the MateDance, a sacred honor I take quite seriously. An Honored Nessa has no fangs or claws to protect herself against her bigger, stronger, aggressive mates.”

Michael protested. “I would never…”

“No, you will not. And neither will Prime Mezere or Commander Courau, two of the most dominant males in our Pride, or Dominik, one of our gentlest. Abassan Zeitune and Second-in-Command Dynah are outside the door. They can and will re-enter at a moment’s notice. I will stand on the far wall behind you and serve as witness to this first meeting.”

Michael gazed at her with a stormy expression. “If Kat accepts you and your Coalition, she will meet you in the Bonding Room and perhaps you will MateDance for her. Perhaps not. Your behavior and self-control dictate this.”

Michael stared at High Nessa Theerah blankly. “You will not be alone with Kat until mating is complete and you are MateBonded. As I understand it, this is the Lio equivalent to Earther’s marriage. As you are in a Coalition with a Prime and a Commander, highly skilled protectors for Kat, and frankly yourself, are required. This rule is non-negotiable.”

Mezere felt Michael relax some with the explanation.

“Abassan Zeitune, Sec. Comm. Dynah, and I will bear witness to the MateDance, your Call to Mate and the MateBond. All will be done as tradition demands for Kat’s safety and everyone’s satisfaction, and that is that Michael King.”

High Nessa Theerah’s voice became hard as steel. “You get to choose as much as Kat does, Honored Nel Michael King. Do you accept these terms and stay, or do you fuck off and go?”

Michael’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, then lowered as he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. Mezere looked at Kat, caressing her with his gaze. Mezere saw fear and confusion in Kat’s expression.

Oh, my lovely one, do not fear. Michael is devoted to you, as we all are. You shall see and worry no more.

“Thank you for explaining the deal. I’ll stay.”

High Nessa Theerah bowed slightly. “Honor and abundance upon you.” She began walking.

Outside of Michael and Kat’s view, High Nessa Theerah gave Mezere a happy wink of encouragement, her expression the exact opposite of her stern voice as she said to Michael while walking away, “You’ve made an excellent choice, Michael.” She took her place on the far wall and remained stoically quiet, her expression back to neutral.

Kat’s golden beauty struck Mezere again. Her ripe, generous curves would fill his hands and cushion his hard, pounding thrusts. Her golden-brown eyes peered with heated awareness at Michael and Mezere, then Courau and Dominik, who flanked each side of Mezere.

Kat’s nipples peaked under the sheer shimmery red gown High Nessa Theerah had given Kat to wear, the shadows of her body’s dips and valleys an enticement to Mezere’s senses. The arousal scents swirling in the room were an ambrosia of desire unlike anything he had ever scented before.

Time to push Michael over the edge.

Mezere stepped forward, still gripping Michael’s upper arms, connecting the front of his body fully with Michael’s back, nestling his hard cock into the high curve of Michael’s ass and digging in.

Moaning at the contact, Michael’s head dropped back, resting on Mezere’s shoulder, emphasizing their size difference; Mezere was a full head taller and much bulkier than lean, muscular Michael.

Mezere leaned in and gave Michael’s shoulder and neck a sensuous lick while Mezere trained his gaze on a mesmerized Kat.

Kat’s hips pulsed without thought. Her fists clenched in her gown, seemingly pierced by the sight of Michael so aroused by Mezere.

Oh, delicious mates, this is only the beginning.

CHAPTER 5

KAT

The spectacle before her absolutely fascinated Kat. Michael’s uninhibited groan as Prime Mezere pressed against him caused an embarrassing gush. She was glad they couldn’t tell how much they affected her. Although… she sure could scent the heavy aroused musk coming from them.

Their combined scents intoxicated her, made her hungry, made her restless, made her want to claw and bite. Made her uncomfortable with the power of her reaction too.

This must be what they mean when they say “beast-nature.”

Honored Nessas and Nels didn’t get fur, fangs, or a tail, but there were definitely major changes because of their Lio DNA boost. Her skin was a pale, shimmery gold, whereas Michael’s skin was a gleaming, deep, dark gold. Kat loved seeing his tight muscular body, especially while framed by the huge, gorgeous beast behind him.

Kat had blinked her eyes when she first saw Michael because there was a subtle shimmer around him, like a light, aural glow. It didn’t go away, no matter how much she blinked, and it was only him.

So much strangeness, so fast.

The Lio and many of those in the Known Galaxies called their deity “Abah-sah.” Kat was going to call on it.

Abah-sah, I do not know what is happening here. Help me do the right thing.

Kat’s mind boggled at all the changes in her life in such a short time. Only yesterday she had awakened transformed, and met her first Lio.

High Nessa Theerah had been the first to greet Kat when she woke up, reassuring her the children and Michael were doing well and resting. Lio Nessa and Lio Nel medical staff had checked her over, saying she needed to rest, then she could integrate into Lio society as a new Honored Nessa.

Shortly after, three amazing Lio Nels had come in to be introduced by High Nessa Theerah. They had been on the Stinger ship that rescued them from their broken escape capsule.

High Nessa Theerah formally introduced Kat to the Lio Nels. Prime Mezere had approached first. “I present Katherine Bennett, called Kat, newly made Honored Nessa of as-yet unclaimed Pride, born in the United Territories on planet Earth.”

“Kat Bennett, I introduce Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel born on Lio Fleet Kahlina. Prime Mezere won his place to become a protector of Honored families in our Pride against many Challengers and serves Pon’Fiel Pride with distinction as Prime and Ambassador. It was his personal Stinger ship that rescued you from your disabled escape capsule.”

Tall, stunningly gorgeous, wearing only a dark red shendyt topped by a large, heavily designed metal belt with a wicked-looking sheathed blade attached, and a long, dark red, full-length cape, Prime Mezere displayed dazzling bulges in all the right places and a resplendent mane. So much thick mane everywhere gained her attention while he was greeting her in a deep, thrilling voice she hazily remembered from the rescue.

“Greetings, Kat Bennett, it is my profound pleasure to meet you officially.”

Prime Mezere’s voice had sent shivers up her spine. He perched next to her on the bed, then bent forward, while reaching up and sliding his hand under the long fall of her hair, cupping her head like his hand belonged there. Kat was more tentative, burrowing her fingers slowly into the thick, wavy mass of his mane.

When Prime Mezere touched their foreheads together, Kat was hyperaware of his thick, plush golden fur, and her hand involuntarily flexed in his thick mane with the need to touch his body too.

They had shared air for long, long moments, his scent bold and intriguing, their breathing becoming synced.

Prime Mezere pulled back, his light green gaze blazing heat as it swept her body with a fiery caress before he stood up and away.

Gentle Dominik was next to greet her.

High Nessa Theerah introduced him warmly. “I introduce Dominik Pargen’Vahral born on Lio Fleet Kahlina. Found and Bound Zumiel of Prime Mezere and beloved of our Pride, he is a treasured caretaker of young in the Skol-Ar, which is like Earther school.”

Dominik had not approached Kat. The muscular reddish gold Lio Nel was a head shorter than Prime Mezere, about the same size as her beloved Michael. Dominik stood watching her, ears tilted slightly down, his tail low and still, his hand on a pendant hanging down over his shoulder, resting above his heart. His intense, beautiful sky-blue eyes scrutinized her as if he were trying to see into her soul.

Kat had taken in Dominik’s appearance and peered into his eyes, her heart reaching out to the hesitant Lio Nel. Kat sensed hope and fear in him. He seemed sweet, and he liked kids, like she did. He wasn’t a huge brute like Prime Mezere. Perhaps this was it. He was afraid he would seem lacking in comparison. Well, Kat wasn’t like that. She liked them both.

Kat’s voice was kind, and she patted the bed next to her invitingly. “We have something in common, Dominik.”

His ears pricked up and his tail made a swish of interest before stilling again. “We do?”

Kat smiled and patted the bed again. Dominik’s entire demeanor changed, and it was like the sun had come out on a cloudy day. Dominik’s gaze sparkled with humor, a gentle smile gracing his lips. When he spoke, she saw a hint of his elegant fangs. “Oh? What’s that, pretty Kat?”

Kat smiled broadly at Dominik’s name for her as he sat down next to her. “You know, you calling me ‘pretty Kat’ makes you ‘handsome Nik,’ right?”

Dominik shook his head in his mirth. “Oh, how the Pride will enjoy using it for us both! What is this thing we have in common, pretty Kat?”

Her eyes flicked to the Lio in the room with her, and each one of them watched Dominik’s infectious happiness with affection, the two Lio Nel’s expressions tinged with dominant possession.

“Well, handsome Nik, I am a caretaker of young too. I privately tutored the children in my charge, including the teenaged caregiver, Sallie. Teaching is a passion. I suspect you feel it too.”

Kat soaked in Dominik’s warmth as he smiled at her, this time his fangs on unconscious display. Dominik’s soft masculine voice rubbed softly on her senses as he spoke. “I love teaching young. Perhaps we can teach together when you are ready to choose a role in the Pride.”

She had smiled at him and nodded, then Dominik had leaned forward, saying, “Perhaps we can discover other passions we share.”

Kat gasped at his intimate words as he pressed their foreheads together as naturally as if they had been doing it all their lives, their hands reaching up and grasping each other’s necks easily and smoothly.

After sharing air, they had pulled back and Kat had said, “Perhaps,” with a shy smile. Kat had let her hand stroke over Dominik’s soft fur to the pretty pendant dangling on his chest.

Without speaking, Dominik lifted it up for Kat to take in her hand. She thought it was a beautiful piece and said so. Dominik had gazed only at her as he replied, “Yes, beautiful.”

Kat had blushed as Dominik stood, the pendant slowly pulled from her fingers, as he said, “Lovely to meet you, pretty Kat.”

Kat was breathy with her, “Likewise, handsome Nik.”

And then there was this tall, lean, golden god of a Lio Nel sitting on the bed at her side.

High Nessa Theerah introduced them. “I introduce Commander Courau Pon’Fiel, born on Lio Fleet Kahlina. He is Commander of Lio Fleet Kahlina’s Pon’Fiel Pride and serves as Pride Protector. He did not have to win Challenges for his role. Commander Courau secured it with skill and experience gained in the Galactic Armada and service with Lio Fleet Milio.”

Ah, this explains that thing, that essence reminding me of my beloved Michael.

This male was a trained defender. Kat knew Michael thought of himself as a killer. He had certainly killed in his past, but he was a protector in his heart and soul, like this golden Lio Nel before her.

Kat sensed and saw the strength in this male, and it reverberated with her on the same wavelength as Michael did. It astonished Kat.

Commander Courau had sat looking at her with an enigmatic smile. Kat smiled back at him but felt puzzled. “What?”

Commander Courau’s emerald gaze roved over her face and then down over her figure. When his attention returned to Kat’s face, his expression was soft, wondering. “What a charming surprise you are, Kat Bennett. And worth searching the Known Galaxies for.”

Courau smoothly leaned in and slid his hand into her hair, bringing their foreheads together so she could drown in his spice. Kat’s lifted hand wandered slowly over Courau’s velvety, muscled shoulder, up his neck, and into his short-cropped golden mane.

When he pulled back, she kept her hand in his mane, fingering some of the golden strands. She watched them sift silkily through her fingers, which distracted her thoughts. “Your hair is shorter than theirs, Commander Courau.”

Commander Courau leaned even closer and gave her shoulder a tiny kiss, making her shiver. Kat’s breath caught. Then he brought his lips close to her ear. She felt his hot breath as he whispered, “Please call me Courau, kitten.”

Kat closed her eyes at the sensation of his whisper. The intimacy of the gesture, the powerful permission Courau gave her to use his name, the “kitten” nickname he gave her, and its sexual implications all coalesced from thoughtful delight into true physical pleasure as a sparkling tingle swept through her from head to toe.

She opened her eyes, feeling drunk on sensation. Kat’s voice was husky as she said, “Thank you, Courau.”

Courau kept his head bent forward, so it was easier to reach as he pulled back and answered her as if he hadn’t just blown her mind and made her cream. “Yes, and it’s most definitely shorter than most golden Lio. Most golden Lio are from the ‘Salel Prides, where they rarely cut a golden’s mane. I am a natural born Pon’Fiel. I like there being an obvious difference. Do you care?”

There was a note in Courau’s voice that caught Kat’s attention. Was it worry? Uncertainty? Well, whatever it was, it was unnecessary.

Kat lowered her hand to her lap and smiled at him, her gaze wandering his face and mane. “I like it, Courau, just the way it is.”

She could see Courau relax and also get her hint she liked him just the way he was too.

Courau had moved away, and High Nessa Theerah had taken a seat next to Kat while they began chatting about inconsequential things. When she asked specific questions about life as an Honored Nessa, they answered directly. It had been a nice interlude. Then High Nessa Theerah had stood and the Lio Nels had all bowed, gazes lingering on Kat and quietly left.

High Nessa Theerah had turned to Kat, eyes bright with questions. “Well, do you like them?”

Kat’s eyes widened, and she said in a slow, wondering voice, “So, so much! Wow! You sure make them tall, strong, and pretty here!”

High Nessa Theerah had laughed and nodded her approval. “Do you have questions, Kat?”

Kat asked High Nessa Theerah lots of questions. There were many advantages to being an Honored Nessa. One of them was Kat had complete control over when she wanted to go into “breeding heat” and create young. And until she made the decision, she would no longer menstruate. She enjoyed having complete control over it.

However, High Nessa Theerah made sure Kat understood the balance was Kat now had a more bestial nature and would have unfamiliar instincts to get used to, but Kat should trust her senses.

And here Kat was, faced with the three Lio Nels and one Honored Nel who thrilled her, all with luscious, prominent hard-ons, smelling of sex and sin.

There was only one word in her mind as she regarded them: Mine.

CHAPTER 6

KAT

Kat’s senses told her these Lio males were hers and she wanted them, and not only for now, but for the rest of her life. Possessiveness rose within her as she gazed over the brand new “Honored” Michael. Kat licked her lips.

Mezere matched her lick by licking his own lips with his long, long tongue, his gaze roving her body with palpable desire. Kat felt another gush and watched as Mezere’s expression tightened into a ferocious arousal that might have seemed like anger if she hadn’t scented the mouthwatering musk saturating the room.

Mezere pushed forward against Michael’s ass, his hold on Michael’s arms a demonstration of sexual control that shot through Kat’s system like mainlining aphrodisiac.

Mezere’s expression when he leaned down to speak in Michael’s ear was purely sexual and focused on Kat, who watched the spectacle at the end of her bed with feral focus.

Each word Prime Mezere spoke in his deep bass voice was breathed into Michael’s ear as a sensuous caress. His gaze did not leave Kat for even a moment. Michael visibly shuddered, his erection flexing against the dark red fabric wrapped around his hips. Kat understood the power of the whispered caress, remembering how Courau had made her drenched.

Mezere’s eyes gleamed, fully aware of how he seduced both her and Michael. “Now is the time for straight truths. Don’t you agree, Michael?”

Michael’s voice was breathy. “Yes.”

“Do you want Kat, Michael?”

“Yes.”

“For now or forever?”

“For my life and beyond.”

Kat felt burning behind her eyes at Michael’s confession. She was getting more out of Michael in these ten minutes while he was under Mezere’s sexual spell than she had from months with the tamped down, self-contained Michael from before.

More. I want more.

“Your cock is hard, Michael.”

Michael’s strength and defiance came out in his answer, reassuring Kat the Michael she knew was not gone.

“Yeah, and so is yours. It’s digging deep into my ass!”

Mezere growled his pleasure, his gaze glowing a light green as he stared at Kat and ground his hips into Michael. Kat saw Michael’s cock throb visibly with each thrust, both of them gasping breaths.

“Not nearly as deep as I want to be, I promise you.”

Both Kat and Michael groaned at Mezere’s words, which made him smile, showing huge Lio fangs.

Mezere glanced over at Dominik, who approached from the side, his bandels removed, and began petting Michael’s hip and thigh, rubbing his wrists on Michael, slathering Michael with his scent claim.

Kat’s nostrils flared as she caught the scent.

Mezere continued to speak in his deep, luscious voice. “I love your body, Michael. I crave it as much as I crave Kat’s delectable curves.”

Hmmm, yes, I want Michael, too. And, yes! Mezere likes my “delectable curves!”

Kat blinked. Earlier, with her, Mezere had been under strict control. Now he appeared unleashed before her, his rampant sexuality on full display.

They want us both! Clearly Michael wants them. His gorgeous, hard cock tells me so. And I want them.

Courau, who had also removed his bandel wrist cuffs, approached Michael’s other side. He began gently touching Michael’s shoulders and abs, rubbing his wrists thoroughly over everything he could reach as Michael watched Kat, panting with enjoyment from their touches.

The writhing masculine spectacle before her ignited Kat until she felt incandescent.

It was glorious watching their muscles ripple, fur rubbing skin, their lasciviously rolling hips grinding on Michael, their tails stroking against each other, twining and releasing. Kat felt captivated by their male groans of delight as they enjoyed each other. She devoured their expressions of ferocious carnal decadence. She reveled in their potent combined musk.

Kat felt flaming need rise within her, along with overwhelming rabid possessiveness. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could kill. All to protect her Claim on these males.

These males are mine. I want all of them. I will have them!

Kat felt a primal, feral growl rip through her throat in a rippling rumble that didn’t stop.

All four males shuddered at her deep, resonant feminine growl. They watched her with focused attention; pure, naked want in their gaze, writhing in delight together while she feasted on them with her eyes, her nostrils flaring, her hands fisted, her body frozen in place.

Mezere spoke, his voice rough with arousal. “Michael, I love how gentle you are with Dominik. Tender and sweet.” Mezere kissed Michael’s cheek as their movements eased into a slow, sensuous grind.

Michael rasped out, “I’m not sweet.”

Mezere swept the tip of his tongue up Michael’s neck to behind his ear as Michael shivered under a lash of pleasure he couldn’t hide.

“You taste very sweet, Michael. Trust me.”

Kat’s growl ended when she saw Michael’s eyes scrunch as Mezere said, “Trust me.” But this had always been Michael’s problem. Trust. She didn’t know what he’d been through, but she hoped he could love her enough to get past it and share himself.

Michael peered at her, held in Mezere’s grip, being deliciously seduced by three primal Lio males, and his expression held pain.

Oh, how I want to soothe his pain.

“I want to trust. I want to be… worthy.”

As much as Kat tried to be quiet so as not to stop or interrupt this fantasy come to life, she couldn’t prevent herself from saying, “Oh, Michael. I want your trust. You are worthy to me.”

Mezere’s seductive voice continued. “We want you for our own, Michael. You intrigue us like no other male. We are all on a path of discovery together. One we hope will lead to you joining our Coalition.”

A veil dropped on Michael’s expression, his words dripping bitterness. “I bet you say that to everyone.”

Everything stopped. Courau and Dominik stepped back from Michael. Prime Mezere stopped moving his body, staying still and close to Michael’s ear while his gaze bored into Kat’s.

“Oh, no Michael. We have chosen you, fierce warrior, and this magnificent beauty before us for forever. Be it known, I accept you, Michael, as Coalition, and I Declare for you Kat.”

Courau moved forward and turned Michael’s face to him, looking into his eyes. “I accept you as Coalition, mate.” Then he turned to Kat, gaze blazing dark green fire. “I Declare for you, Kat. I will have you as my Nessa. You and no other.”

Dominik’s soft voice got Kat’s attention. “You are beautiful inside and out Kat. I, too, Declare for you. We will be yours or be Bereft. We will not Declare again.”

Kat swallowed at the implication; her eyes wide. These amazing, delicious males had made the strongest commitment Lio ever gave.

Dominik turned to Michael, who was still watching Dominik intently. “Michael, we Declare once in our lives. Please join our Coalition and join our MateDance to entice Kat’s Claim upon us.”

Mezere spoke again in Michael’s ear. “Will you join us, Michael? Will you join our Coalition and seek Kat’s Claim?”

Michael peered steadily at Kat. “Kat, I have wanted you since the first moment I saw you, my golden angel. I Declare for you with all my soul!”

Michael laid his head back against Mezere’s shoulder, letting Mezere rub his cheek along Michael’s cheek affectionately while Michael gazed at Courau, then Dominik. “Yes, I join your Coalition, seeking Kat’s Claim.”

Satisfaction dripped in Mezere’s words. “You have a devoted Coalition now, Michael, males all dedicated to being Claimed by our beauty. Show her how much this pleases you.”

Kat licked her lips again, so hungry to touch their beautiful bodies, to experience the softness of their fur and the firmness of their muscles. Would they be hot? Heavy? Rough? Gentle? She wanted to feel Mezere rubbing on her ass too, after he drenched Michael in his scent. She wanted it so much Kat sat forward towards them with another feminine growl.

This seemed to incite Courau, who moved close and began to rub himself sensuously against Michael’s hip and flank. Courau’s smooth voice was husky deep. “We will all show Kat.”

Dominik also crowded close to Michael’s other side, rubbing his hard, fabric-covered cock on Michael’s thigh. “Feel your beast-nature. Let it rise and match ours.”

Kat’s sexy Coalition writhed against Michael, petting his lovely body, rubbing their hard cocks, hands, cheeks, and tails all over him, but they didn’t touch Michael’s enchanting, throbbing cock.

Kat’s gaze once more feasted on a spectacle of male wantonness. Mezere peered up and speared her with his light green gaze as he growled in pained rapture, his body twitching with a powerful climax, coming in his shendyt as he rubbed off on Michael’s ass.

Courau and Dominik followed soon after and they all held Michael, stroking his body as he moaned in his hunger. Michael looked at Kat, groaning, “All for you,” as he came, his face rapt with pleasure, his untouched cock creaming the blanket covering his hips.

Kat’s hands dug in tight to the cushion beneath her, keeping her anchored to the bed as her mates petted Michael while their breathing slowed. Her breathing did not slow. The extraordinary scents in the room made her feel crazed with desire for these males.

Kat was on fire, molten want flowed through her veins, keeping her frozen to the spot, unable to move.

High Nessa Theerah brought the Coalition a couple of insta-dry cloths. Mezere caressingly released his hold on Michael’s upper arms, reached under his belt and shendyt, and wiped himself, then handed the cloth to Dominik, who did the same. Dominik handed the same cloth to Courau, who used it on himself too.

Kat noticed they did the same thing with a second cloth, ending up with both Courau and Dominik holding an insta-dry as Mezere carefully opened Michael’s blanket, keeping Kat’s avid gaze off the treasures hidden below the fabric. She was very disappointed when both Courau and Dominik reached under the fabric and gently cleaned a dazed Michael without showing her a hint of the goods.

Then Mezere reached down to his own hips and removed his shendyt, wrapping it around Michael’s hips behind the lifted fabric. Mezere’s belt remained around his naked hips, which, sadly, Michael’s body obscured.

Even though it thwarted her attempts to see, the way the Coalition protected Michael’s modesty and showed care for him was kind and loving. It warmed her heart and made her want them even more.

Courau took the insta-dry cloth in his hand and swiped it across each of their abs, including Michael’s, making sure their combined cum scents drenched them. When Courau was done, he tucked the fabric into the shendyt Michael now wore.

Dominik gave the pleasure-scent drenched insta-dry cloth in his hand a soft kiss and laid it like an offering of passion at the foot of her bed.

Mezere took the shimmery dark red fabric Michael had been wearing and draped it over his shoulder, which was long enough to cover him all the way across his lower body. Mezere’s back was covered by his long dark red cape. Again, they thwarted her a spectacular view.

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was firm. “Time to go, newly forged Coalition of Kat Bennett. She will see you in the Bonding Room when she is ready. I will inform you.”

Kat still couldn’t move, locked tense with arousal. She wanted to call them to her, but no sound came out of her throat except a feral feminine growl.

Mezere regarded her with a smile full of hungry anticipation. Michael stared at her like she was a dream come true. Courau looked at her like she was a tasty meal, and Dominik gazed at her like she was his universe.

Mezere said one last thing. “See you soon, Kat,” and turned to leave, Courau and Dominik taking Michael’s hands to guide him out.

They left Kat there with a cloth bearing the combined scents of their pleasure and a desire that had her so tightly in its grip she could not move. Kat’s growl stopped with a whimper.

Kat gazed at High Nessa Theerah helplessly as High Nessa Theerah moved to secure the entryway, engaging a privacy field.

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was low and soft, her cadence slow, as if she were soothing a rabid animal. Maybe she was. Kat felt practically rabid. “Shhh, Kat. I will see you through this. This is as it should be.”

Kat stared at High Nessa Theerah as if she were crazy.

This is absolutely NOT how it should be!

High Nessa Theerah smiled indulgently. “They enticed you to answer the Call to Mate. Your Call is strong as you are deeply attached to your Coalition already. It’s understandable.”

They get off, make me hotter than I have ever been in my life, and leave me like this. I fucking do not understand.

High Nessa Theerah moved closer, lifted her hand to eye level for Kat, and extruded a long, wicked claw. High Nessa Theerah snagged a small piece of the insta-dry cloth Kat’s Coalition had left for her with the very tip of her claw, careful not to add her scent to theirs, and dropped it in Kat’s lap.

Oh, Abah-sah, this smells luscious!

The scent of her mates made desire grip her harder, making Kat’s muscles shake with the tension, her hands still clenched hard to the bed cushion.

High Nessa Theerah sat down at the foot of the bed, so it was easy for Kat to see her, her expression serious, but kind. “You are locked into your Call, Kat. You need to be released from it. To be released, you must have release. Do you understand?”

Kat managed one hoarse word. “No.”

“You must come, my dear. It will not take much. You are very close already.” High Nessa Theerah took a deep breath and exhaled it out of her mouth over her tongue. “Hmm, incredibly close.”

Kat still didn’t understand, and she was hurting with how tense her muscles were. The throbbing wet heat between her legs was becoming unbearable too.

I’m going to combust without moving a muscle!

Kat began to pant.

“Kat, as your Shumal, I will make sure you are protected and safe. I will also see that you have what you need during your Call to Mate and MateDance. You need to come, and I will help you. This is intimate and private. I treasure this with you, but understand, I am not a mate. I am a helper and protector. Abah-Sah chooses the correct Shumal for an Honored Nessa, be they Nessa or Nel.”

Kat felt a tear drip down her cheek, physically and mentally overcome as she tried to process what was happening.

“I must have your permission to touch. Do you grant me the honor of being your Shumal, Kat Bennett?”

Yes, please. Help me. I don’t know how much more I can take.

Another tear dripped. Kat nodded jerkily.

High Nessa Theerah’s tail tuft gently stroked up Kat’s arm, making her shiver at the tingling caress.

“You poor dear, this is all happening so fast for you. However, after you’ve made all your choices, I believe you will find yourself singularly blessed.”

High Nessa Theerah took a bolstering breath and stood up. She came around Kat and sat down behind her, scooching up close, her long, furred legs sliding alongside Kat’s legs. Kat felt her soft fur and lean feline body against her back, butt, and hips.

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was gentle, but commanding. “Ease back, sweet Kat.”

High Nessa Theerah helped Kat lean back against her. The High Nessa was solid and strong despite her leanness. “That’s it. Relax back, I’ve got you.”

Kat lay back on the Nessa, feeling some of her muscles unclench at the more comfortable position.

“Good.”

High Nessa Theerah then reached forward and helped Kat bend her knees up, spreading her legs a bit. High Nessa Theerah snagged the pleasure-scented insta-dry cloth in her claw again and draped it high on Kat’s chest. Kat almost drowned in the scents of her mates, feeling lightheaded as a few more tears dripped slowly down her cheeks.

I feel drunk on their scents.

“This is why Lio boost most Honored Nessas at SpacePort Lina, away from the Coalitions until Honored Nessas get their bearings. Circumstance dictated such is not to be for you.”

High Nessa Theerah rubbed her soft furred cheeks against Kat’s with a low rumble, drying her tears with her fur.

“Oh, sweet Kat. You are doing so well! Very few newly made Honored Nessas will face the powerful hormones of a Prime and a Commander in Coalition inciting your Call to Mate. Combined with your strong Honored warrior and gentle Dominik, they have hit you with a sex bomb to your system.”

Bomb. Too many bombs in my life. Wasn’t that what got me in this predicament in the first place? A bomb on the Space Pleasure Cruiser?

High Nessa Theerah peered down at Kat’s confused, aroused face from the side. “You know what happens with bombs? They explode.”

Yes. Yes, they do. I need to explode!

High Nessa Theerah reached down where Kat’s hands gripped the cushion and helped her release her grip, massaging out Kat’s cramped fingers gently with her own.

Kat sighed. High Nessa Theerah was encouraging. “That’s it, Kat! Relax and breathe. You are doing well.”

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was low and reverent. “From this moment, I am Theerah, and you are Kat. We are Brethren. I am your friend and protector, helping you in your need. Simple. Uncomplicated.”

Sure. Okay. Theerah. Help, please!

Theerah took Kat’s hands in her own and put one of Kat’s hands over her fabric-covered, hot, throbbing core and the other on Kat’s clothed breast, where Theerah had Kat clutch the generous flesh in a loose grip over the gown she wore.

Kat keened at the perfect pressure of her own hand on her hungry, swollen clit.

“Yes, Kat. Time to come, sweet one.”

Theerah, her hand overlaying Kat’s, began a side-to-side stroke that had Kat panting faster. She then adjusted Kat’s hold on her own breast, so Kat’s nipple was between her thumb and fingers. Theerah’s grip pulsed around Kat’s fingers, pinching her nipple rhythmically.

Kat was so close, she moaned in pained arousal, plateaued on the precipice of an explosive climax, unable to push over. Theerah raised her tail up and brushed the tuft of it back and forth over Kat’s other nipple through her clothes in the same rhythm as the pinching, and it was all Kat needed.

Kat screamed as ecstasy cascaded through her, buffeting her body, making her writhe with waves of pleasure as her body finally released its pent-up arousal. She groaned low as the last waves ebbed away and she drifted in relief, the calm after the storm.

Kat came back to awareness cuddled close in Theerah’s arms, a low-level, soothing purr rumbling against her back.

Kat felt boneless still but felt surprised enough to make a small sound. Theerah moved to see Kat’s face when she heard her. She spoke in a low, soothing tone as her purr drifted away. “Welcome back from your rest. How do you feel?”

Kat took an assessment. Her body lay totally relaxed, her mind still processing.

“Thank you, Theerah. You gave me the help I needed. So glad you are my friend. I’m amazingly relaxed. I feel like what happened with you should embarrass me, but I can’t muster the outrage for it.”

Theerah laughed, and gave Kat a gentle squeeze, then eased away, laying Kat down. Kat turned on her side and curled her legs up comfortably. She realized her mate-scented insta-dry cloth lay buried in the curl of her body, and she liked it there, close to her. Now that she had come, their combined scents were comforting as well as arousing.

Theerah covered Kat in a shimmery dark red fabric just like the kind wrapped around Michael’s hips earlier. It was thin and silky, but soft and warm. Kat relaxed even more. Theerah gently petted Kat’s long, gold hair off her face.

“Let go of any embarrassment, sweet Kat, and know every mated Honored Nessa you meet has a Lio Shumal who saw her through her initial Call. It is the way of a Call to Mate.”

“Really? All of them?”

“Every single one. Now rest, friend. Dream. When you are ready, we will take the next steps in your MateDance.”

“Okay. Where will you be?”

“Close. I will not leave you until you have accepted or rejected the Call.”

Kat whispered her assurance as she drifted to sleep, complete confidence clear in her sleepy voice. “Oh, I’m accepting. Those sexy fuckers are mine.”

Kat succumbed to sleep as Theerah chuckled.

CHAPTER 7

KAT

Anticipation burbled inside Kat as she waited for her “sexy fuckers” to arrive at the Pon’Fiel Pride Bonding Room.

Kat had slept almost the entire day before. When she woke up, Theerah had taken her through several layers of security to see the kids and Sallie. Seeing them healed and resting in stasis reassured her. Kat suspected the Lio kept them in stasis until they decided important things.

The other two escape pods were rescued by Lio Stingers and taken to Fang ships belonging to other Prides. They would rendezvous with Lio Fleet Kahlina when “the time was right.”

Kat thought there was a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff happening because there was still a threat, or they would have returned to the fleet already, but she didn’t need to know everything. Kat trusted High Nessa Theerah and the Lio to have their best interests at heart and protect them.

The Lio set up a holo-vid monitor that Kat and Michael could connect to that allowed them to see the children on their holo-comms whenever they felt the need. She checked in often.

The danger still stalking them put Kat’s choices into perspective. She wasn’t willing to wait for what she wanted anymore. Kat had already tasted the flavor of loss with her mom and her one shitty, not-to-be-named boyfriend from college.

Kat wanted Michael, a truly worthy man, and the intense, intriguing Lio Nels who had Declared for her. She was choosing to move forward and get to know these males in depth. Theerah said the Bonding Room was a safe place where she could get to know them better and be reassured by her choice. And Kat could kiss and pet them as much as she wanted, as long as their clothes stayed on. A small part of her felt disappointed, but a larger part felt comforted.

High Nessa Theerah, quiet Lio Nel Abassan Zeitune, and friendly Sec. Comm. Dynah, Commander Courau’s Second-in-Command, would be present while she met her Declared Nels, and they began the MateDance. Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah sat near the entrance to the Bonding Room. Theerah sat comfortably on a thick cushion on the floor beside the humongous, cushioned platform Kat sat on.

Theerah had given her a truly beautiful off-the-shoulder dress in shimmery gold fabric, barely-there gold sandals, and a pair of cute, matching, magically absorbent panties, which was good, because she would have drenched herself to her knees with anticipation after the last show they had put on for her. It would have embarrassed Kat to have her arousal so apparent.

Kat had tucked the scent-drenched insta-dry cloth in the bodice of her gown over her heart to keep it close. She found she couldn’t be without it.

So there Kat was, barely able to hold still, sitting on huge, plush cushions in the Pon’Fiel Pride Bonding Room, ready to meet her males and “bond.” The room was spacious yet felt cozy with the ceiling draped in shimmery golden fabric and lit with soft golden light in elaborately carved lanterns. Red and gold fabrics with organic patterns covered the walls.

There were pillows of all shapes and sizes tossed here and there. A suspiciously handy stack of white insta-dry cloths lay on a nearby table along with some drinks and snacks.

I’m tingling with anticipation.

It felt like champagne bubbles in her blood.

Kat sensed them before she heard them, and then there they were. All her males wore only skirt-like shendyts in dark red with gold patterns topped with an elaborate metal belt. Her gaze feasted on them as they entered, walking proud and sure, heads up, attention steady on her.

Kat blinked as she realized Michael still had the aural glow around him. They didn’t say a word as they positioned themselves in a line in front of her, with Michael and Dominik in the center, Courau on the other side of Michael, and Mezere beside Dominik.

They took a matched low stance, arms out together to her left, at an angle. It surprised Kat when a drum beat started, her gaze flying to Abassan Zeitune, who was playing a long, deep drum with his fingers. Kat also noticed Sec. Comm. Dynah activating a field across the entrance, ensuring their privacy.

The music stopped. When Kat glanced at Abassan Zeitune, he motioned with his chin to her males. Kat’s attention returned to them. They stood still, in the same position. With her gaze upon them, the music started, and they moved in slow, coordinated movements. The beat and their motions emphasized the strength of their bodies, the ripples of muscle under smooth skin and velvety fur, the bulges of golden biceps, and thick beefy thighs.

Her sexy males turned and displayed their truly exceptional backs, flexing and moving their hips, tensing their taut asses, swaying to the beat. Lio tails waved a sinuous counterpoint to the rhythm of the dance. They slowly turned again and a feral, clawing craving began inside Kat. A craving to kiss, mark, and Claim these males, making them her own.

Kat sat up on her knees, barely able to hold herself back. It was then she noticed her males did not wear their bandel wrist cuffs. Theerah had explained what it meant. Her Lio Nels were ready to scent mark her as much as she was ready to mark them.

Kat felt a rumbling growl begin in her chest.

Theerah spoke in her authoritative official tone. “Honored Nessa Kat Bennett. Mezere, Dominik, Michael, and Courau have Declared for you. They MateDance for you, displaying and offering themselves for your Claim.”

Theerah paused as Kat absorbed her words.

Displaying for me. Offering themselves to me.

Kat felt another gush of arousal, sitting forward on her knees, supported by her arms, clenched fists digging into the cushion, as she thought of having these amazing males for her own.

I want them. Mine!

Kat’s growl intensified.

“Rise, and inspect their offer, Honored Nessa Kat.”

Kat was up like a shot, walking straight up to Mezere and petting the thick pelt of his chest as she had been itching to do since she first met him. He groaned deep and low, the motions of his dance stuttering from his reaction to her touch.

Mezere’s eyes looked like light green flames as she traced her hands up his shoulders, down to pet his enormous biceps. He flexed them for her, and she dug her fingernails in the muscle, testing its steel hardness. He growled low again. She met his gaze as she caressingly let go and stepped back while she licked her lips in anticipation of tasting him.

Mezere is mine.

Mezere continued to dance for her, enjoying her attention. Kat smiled at him, then turned her gaze to Dominik, who moved fluidly to show her his back as the dance repeated its movements.

Kat stepped forward to press her body against Dominik’s luscious flexing back muscles, and they both moaned in tandem as she clutched tighter to him, pressing her nose into the side of his neck. Dominik paused his movements as they absorbed the powerful feeling of connection rushing through them. Dominik’s tail curled gently around Kat’s leg, rubbing up under her skirt a little. Theerah growled a low warning, and Dominik’s tail stroked down and away.

Dominik is mine.

Kat pulled away from Dominik, dragging her fingernails through the fur on his chest and sides, making him moan again. He turned, his sky-blue eyes gazing at her with devotion, his tail swishing with excitement. Kat smiled at him and turned to Michael, who she touched lightly across the shoulders as she passed him to go to Courau with teasing humor in her gaze.

Courau’s expression matched her mirth, his dark green eyes twinkling. He stopped dancing with his hands spread wide, ready for anything. Her grin bloomed into a full smile as she walked to him and raked her fingernails down his muscular ribs, making him laugh in delight. She turned around and pushed back against him, which caused his laugh to cut off abruptly.

Courau’s hot, huge erection pressed gloriously against her ass, but his arms stayed splayed out. Kat was in control, and she knew it. Courau resumed the dance movements, which caused his hips to grind sensuously into her curves, both of them growling as they enjoyed the friction.

Courau is mine.

Kat needed. She wanted.

Kat turned swiftly to Michael, who had been watching her like he was dying for her as he kept his body moving in synchronized motion with her Lio Nels.

Such a good man, dancing and displaying for me. Only me.

Kat moved to stand in front of Michael, watching, breathing, feasting with her gaze.

Michael is mine.

She raked the dancing males left to right with a sweeping, Claiming look. Kat felt a violent possessiveness well up within her. She felt like she could kill, or at least maim, any Nessa who tried to take these males. One thought reigned supreme:

Mine.

Kat closed the distance between her and Michael with predatory strides, not stopping until he was in her arms, his lips on hers, his arms wrapped snug around her. They both dove into their first kiss as if they were starving, gorging themselves in a sensuous tasting, rubbing tongues and lips. Pulling back and pushing in, they rode the unrelenting pulse of their passion, ebbing and flowing with unstoppable force, like the waves of an ocean tide.

Kat lifted her leg over Michael’s hip, and he reached down and lifted her, pressing her most hungry place against his hot, hard bulge. He made a needy noise as she wrapped her legs around his waist and brought their cloth-covered loins more tightly together.

Kat felt Mezere come up behind her and press the hard, fabric-covered column of his cock firmly against her ass, rubbing sensuously with a low growl. Dominik and Courau came in from the sides, pushing their hard shafts into the sides of her thighs, their hands reaching up, holding Kat’s thighs on each side with one hand while supporting Michael’s back with the other. This freed Michael’s hands to reach up into her hair and control the angle of the kiss as he ground against her core.

Kat drowned in the scents and sensations of her mates. Finally, she was tasting Michael as she had longed to do for so very long. His trim facial hair was soft, his long wavy hair in her hands. He and her Lio mates matched her desire beat for beat.

Their dicks pressing and grinding, the sound and feel of their hot breath on her shoulders, back and arms, the velvet brush of Lio fur as they rolled against her, their combined arousal scents marked her soul as their touches marked her body.

Kat and Michael continued their heated kiss as arousal pushed all of them higher and higher. Kat knew she was going to come and when she did, Michael would join her. As she reached her peak, Kat arched back and away, out of the kiss, keening in agonized relief as Michael groaned his own climax, and her Coalition rubbed sensuously against her welcoming body.

Michael dropped his head forward onto Kat’s chest, giving the exposed flesh above her dress kisses while panting through the aftershocks. Kat leaned back against Mezere, held by Michael, Dominik, and Courau, fully trusting herself to their care. Her Lio mates kept giving her and Michael small, tender, closed-mouth kisses to their shoulders and necks.

Kat felt eased but not relieved, her body still buzzed with extreme arousal. Kat turned her face to Dominik, watching him lovingly stroke his hand along Michael’s shoulder, a look of great care on his face mixed with sexual tension. Her Lio mates were not eased. Kat didn’t like that.

Kat’s voice was breathless and raspy, her question directed at Dominik but meant for all her Lio Nels. “You didn’t come.”

Michael raised his head to see her face, his expression serious, holding the same banked, simmering heat she still felt.

Dominik turned to her, his gaze smoky with passion, his voice soft and deep. “You have gifted Michael with your pleasure, accepting his MateDance. Do you accept us Lio Nels for your Coalition, pretty Kat?”

Courau’s low voice whispered in her ear. “Do you take us for your Coalition, kitten? Accepting our MateDance which Declares our hearts, minds, and bodies as yours?”

Mezere’s deep bass whispered in her other ear. “In this MateDance, we offer all of ourselves. My beauty, do you want us? Do you accept us?”

Kat sensed, heard, and saw their vulnerability. These stunningly beautiful, powerful males had opened themselves to her, exposing tender, sensitive souls she could either crush or uplift.

Kat thought for a moment, trying to understand what her Nels needed. Mutual orgasm accepted Honored Nel Michael’s MateDance. Her Lio Nels needed similar reassurance from Kat as she accepted them, and it must be with more than words. It must be with pleasure.

Mezere, Dominik, and Courau had recognized her and Michael as their soul matches. And like matches, their Lio Nels set her and Michael aflame.

Protectiveness and consuming desire rose in Kat. She lifted her hand out to Dominik, who leaned toward her as she leaned up to him. Their lips a hairsbreadth away, Kat whispered, “You delight me, Dominik.”

Dominik rumbled deep in his chest as their lips pressed together softly, then opened for their tongues to touch and taste. Dominik’s kiss was slow and ardent, each glide and press a heartfelt stroke of affection.

Dominik tasted flavorful and unique, and Kat wanted more, absorbed in the kiss, feeling his soft fur caress her face. They pulled back by degrees, gazing at each other. Kat felt her eyes burn with tears at the feelings she had for Dominik.

Kat realized Michael and Courau were kissing, and she turned to watch. They were gorgeous as they kissed, their jaws working with the fluid movements of their mouths. Kat reached up and touched their necks, one velvety with fur and the other soft flesh, needing to feel their lush textures.

She pulsed her hips up, rubbing her hungry core against Michael’s still hard cock, then pushed her ass back against Mezere’s heated column of flesh, making him hiss.

Kat turned her head up and back to Mezere, raising a hand up toward him. Mezere bent forward so he could lean down to her, keeping his hard bulge pressed wonderfully against her, his huge hands still easily supporting her.

She buried her hand in Mezere’s mane and peered up into his bright golden green gaze. “You are so strong and beautiful. You make me want, Mezere.”

Mezere groaned and took her mouth, his lips declaring a claim of his own. He tasted her deep, heady passion, captivating her as Kat gave herself over to the rhythms of Mezere’s kiss. He was bold and decisive but loving.

They pulled back, panting, Mezere’s throbbing shaft grinding into her, which pushed her core harder into Michael.

Kat faced forward and saw Michael enjoying Dominik’s sweet attention. Watching her mates enjoy each other fanned the flames of her passion higher.

Kat turned to Courau, who had been waiting for her. His lips were flushed, and he licked them while she watched, making her cream as she realized Courau was enjoying the remnants of Michael’s flavor on his lips. She wanted to taste Michael on Courau’s lips.

Kat leaned forward toward Courau, helped by Mezere, who leaned far forward, too, to get a taste of Michael’s lips himself with a kiss, momentarily catching her gaze. Kat watched their lips meet, then turned a fierce, blazing gaze to Courau, her voice taking on a growly edge. “I need your kiss!”

Courau’s hand, which had been supporting Michael’s back, flashed forward and buried deep into Kat’s hair, holding her head still while they gazed into each other’s eyes. Kat froze, watching Courau, core pressed to Michael, as she heard and felt the rhythm of Michael’s kiss with Mezere.

Kat heard the subtle sounds of Dominik’s kisses on Michael’s shoulder, felt the soft brush of fur and flesh as Mezere and Michael kissed, scented the overwhelming arousal of her mates as they enjoyed each other.

Kat sensed Courau wanted her to have this moment of complete awareness. It burned into her memory as something she would always treasure. Kat’s voice was soft. “Thank you, Courau. You make me so happy.”

Courau’s expression became soulfully tender as he said her nickname, “Kitten,” then brought his lips to hers, sinking in with gentle control. Kat whimpered at his flavor, recognizing the hint of Michael that lingered. Kat craved her mates’ combined flavors, their combined scents upon her and each other.

Kat lost control, overcome in her passion. She nipped Courau. He pulled back, grinned passionately at Kat, and dove back in for another untamed kiss. It was then Kat felt her peaked nipples brushed over her clothes with a soft, constant motion.

Kat pulled back from Courau, who let go of her hair to return his hand to Michael’s back and began kissing her neck and shoulder. Michael had his hands on Kat’s generous breasts and was rubbing his thumbs over her nipples in a constant, inviting caress.

Michael looked at her with his heart in his expression, entranced and impassioned.

Oh, how I love this man.

Kat glanced over at Courau and Dominik, held by Mezere and her mates, as Michael petted and pleasured her. Emotion welled up inside Kat, her heart overflowing.

How I love them all.

It was all so much! Kat needed to come, and she needed her mates to join her.

Kat gasped, wanting more. Michael watched her face, his voice rough with arousal. “You like this, Kat?”

CHAPTER 8

MICHAEL

His beautiful golden angel utterly enchanted Michael. Her passion-rough voice made him want to make her cry out with ecstasy. “Yes. Please, I need more.”

“More?”

“Yes, please.”

“Oh, angel. You beg so prettily, but you don’t need to do it. We will give you what you need.”

Michael gently pinched her nipples through the bodice of her dress. Kat cried out and pushed hard into Michael, setting off a firestorm of sound and movement.

Mezere growled and rolled his hips into her ass, rolling her hips into Michael and Courau, and Dominik pressed lushly into her thighs. This time, when Kat and Michael rode to the heights of fulfillment, their Lio Nel mates joined them, perfuming the air with their pleasure-scents.

Kat couldn’t seem to stop the words flowing out of her as they all rode to their peaks. “Oh, I love this! Us, together. And the scent!” Kat shuddered, sending shivers into Michael too as he reveled in the fragrance of their combined passion.

Mezere whispered in Kat’s ear. “You enjoy the scent of our nectar combined with your cream and Michael’s?”

Her voice was breathless. “Nectar?”

“Yes, my beauty. Your Lio have nectar, and you and Michael have cream. Cream I cannot wait to taste, sweet Kat.” Mezere licked up her neck sensuously, careful to use the soft tip and not the rough center of his tongue as he stared into Michael’s eyes with flagrant intent.

Kat shivered and sighed. Michael could tell she, like him, looked forward to tasting and being tasted too.

Mezere reached down and took Kat’s thighs in his grip and stepped back, taking Kat to the cushion, where he laid her gently down, smoothing her dress over her legs. Mezere reached over for insta-dry cloths, throwing one to Courau and one to Dominik.

High Nessa Theerah was now standing near the entrance with Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah. Their expressions were relaxed, watching them with quiet happiness.

Michael supposed such exhibitionism was common to the Lio culture. This was their “Bonding Room.” The Lio were so casual about their sexual needs, he guessed watching his group dry hump was nothing new. Michael felt a flash of humor before Mezere grabbed his attention.

Mezere reached inside his shendyt and cleaned himself with his insta-dry, then walked over to Michael. Mezere swiped the cloth across his own abs, then across Michael’s abs in a clear scent-claim, kissing Michael gently on the shoulder as he did it.

Michael was undone by the loving care his Lio Coalition showed him. When Mezere, Dominik, and Courau taught him the MateDance through hours of practice in Courau’s workout room, they had treated him as their Brethren, their friend and companion, not a sexual plaything.

Their touches, while affectionate and constant as they showed him moves, were not salacious. No matter how much the Lio Nels made him tingle, they had not pressed for anything from him except his time and attention. Michael discovered he truly enjoyed their company.

Michael felt his eyes burn with a realization, and he blinked hard to keep from tearing up.

I’ve fallen in love with my Lio Nels as quickly and completely as I have with my Kat.

From her avid expression as she watched them, it was clear Kat wanted their scents combined, that it excited her. Michael loved it too. The only thing better would have been her scent combined with theirs.

Kat watched as Dominik and Courau cleaned themselves the same way. Then Dominik and Courau dipped their cloths in Michael’s shendyt and wiped his cream, cleaning Michael quite thoroughly as he gasped and flinched with sensitivity, making them grin and kiss his shoulders with affection.

When they were done, a glazed-eyed Michael and three predatory Lio Nels turned to look at Kat. Mezere, Dominik, and Courau then reached into each other’s shendyts and gathered the scent of the other Lio Nels onto their cloths.

Dominik stepped forward, rubbed the fabric across his chest with a moan, and gracefully dropped to his knees in front of the cushion Kat lay on. Kat sat up, her generous curves making Michael groan on his subsonic frequency level. His Lio Nel Coalition’s ears flicked in his direction, obviously hearing him.

How curious. They can hear sub-sonically too.

Dominik’s gaze stayed trained on Kat as he tucked the fabric into his belt, a white blaze against the dark red of his shendyt and the silver sheen of his belt.

Michael thought about the scent-soaked cloth tucked into his belt against his hip right at that moment. He knew Kat had hers lying next to her heart under the fabric of her pretty dress. Michael had scented it as he leaned against her gorgeous breasts after their first orgasm together.

Dominik has his own keepsake.

Courau grinned as he sniffed his cloth deeply, opening his mouth slightly to breathe out over his tongue as he stepped forward, swiping his cloth across his chest, tucking it in his belt while walking to stand next to a kneeling Dominik.

Courau’s expression changed, his face becoming serious, showing vulnerability as he bent his knees and slowly, carefully sank down before Kat. To Michael, it looked like this was something Courau had not done for any other being. He could tell Kat felt honored. Michael felt possessive of this charming, deadly male, and protective of his heart.

Mezere prowled close, and he, too, swiped his insta-dry cloth across his chest and sank down before Kat with decisive grace, his gaze steady upon her communicating focused devotion, but his tail showed agitation.

Was Mezere nervous?

Kat met Mezere’s gaze head-on, fearless, and strong.

Michael walked forward, standing close to Dominik’s back, directly in front of Kat, who turned her gaze up to him. She scanned him from head to toe and back in a possessive sweep.

Yes, Kat. Yours.

Michael gazed at her with his heart naked in his expression, his dark soul as open for her to scan as she had his body.

I’m not hiding anymore, Kat. You ask, I answer. I’m giving you all of me, inside and out.

Kat observed him for long, long moments, her face serious, eyes bouncing between his as she considered him. Michael wished he knew what she saw, but when she smiled a slow-blooming, beatific smile, he didn’t care. Michael felt his heart swell with joy, and he beamed a smile back at her like he had given no other person.

In this moment, Michael knew Kat loved him. He knew it to his bones, just from her smile. And she knew he loved her too.

Kat’s happiness spilled out, inundating the room with the almost palpable hum of her delight. Michael heard Sec. Comm. Dynah sigh, Abassan Zeitune growled a low happy rumble, and High Nessa Theerah took a deep breath and cleared her throat, moving a couple of steps closer to Michael and his mates.

High Nessa Theerah, Kat’s Shumal and the leader of the entire Pon’Fiel Pride spoke formally. “Honored Nessa Kat Bennett, do you approve of this Coalition of Nels and their MateDance, accepting them as your Declared Coalition?”

Still smiling, Kat graced each one of her mates with her regard, generous with her affection.

I’m so lucky! I don’t deserve this.

Kat glanced over at High Nessa Theerah, her expression firming from joy into determination. Michael felt a moment of fear at the change in her, not understanding it.

What if she rejects us? What if she rejects me?

In the unending moment before Kat spoke, Michael died a little.

My Lio call it Bereft. I would simply become soulless. Please Kat, choose us.

Kat regarded Courau, her voice strong and sure. “Your heart is safe with me, Courau.”

Overcome, Courau bent forward for Kat to pet his mane with gentle fingers until he controlled his emotions. Courau sat up, eyes shimmering, but no tears fell as he nodded with quiet dignity, accepting her words.

Michael stroked his hand over Courau’s strong furred shoulder in support. It delighted Michael when Courau reached up, still facing forward, and pressed his hand over Michael’s in acknowledgment of the gesture, squeezing gently, then letting go lingeringly.

Michael struggled to stay stoic as Kat continued to speak, showing how well she had sensed their needs. Protecting Courau’s heart, understanding it was where he was most vulnerable, showed an empathetic understanding that astounded Michael.

Fucking perfect mate.

Michael wasn’t love-stupid. He knew Kat had as many so called “flaws” as any other person, but fuck, was she a perfect fit for him and their mates.

Kat turned to Dominik. “I love how you care for others, Dominik. I treasure this about you. You are fierce in your care, and I want it. I feel that too.”

Dominik reached out for Kat’s hand and bent forward, putting his forehead on it, his expression bleeding love and relief that she saw him, who he was, and wanted him and his gentleness. Kat gazed lovingly at Dominik, who seemed crushed by emotion, as she petted his mane with her other hand for long moments.

Kat was such a loving soul, but with a spine of steel. She would not let others take advantage of Dominik. She was very much like the rest of Dominik’s mates in her protectiveness towards him. Michael had enjoyed watching Kat wield her almost magical power of keeping young ones in line while not crushing their spirits. She would weave her magic upon and around her mates as well.

Dominik lifted up, kissing the back of her hand before releasing her. Everyone’s attention moved to Mezere.

Mezere stiffened while they watched, making Michael concerned. Something was wrong.

Mezere’s voice was slow and deep, holding pain with a hint of fear that resonated with Michael, echoing his own fears.

“My beauty, before you commit to me, you must know about the duties of a Prime. Has this been explained to you?”

“Yes. Theerah explained you prepare Pon’Fiel Honored Nels for their Call to Mate. That it is a profoundly private, intimate moment with you and the Honored male.”

This was news to Michael. Kat peered up at Michael as she continued. “Theerah said you share pleasure scents, so an Honored Nel is bound to his Pride through you, its Prime male, so he might survive should he lose his mates.”

Fuck. The thought of losing his mates floored him. This wasn’t just Prime getting his rocks off with fresh meat.

Michael looked down at tense, serious Mezere as Kat continued speaking, “She said Michael and I would have to share you with your Pride, if I was to Claim you.”

Mezere’s gaze was steady, his voice deep. “There’s more Kat. Sharing my Prime hormones with an Honored Nel allows him to Call his Mate. It is a final catalyst unlocking his mating instinct. Without it…” Mezere’s voice trailed off, and he glanced down, shaking his head.

Michael had to ask. “You mean, without you, no Honored Nel mates in your Pride? Like, at all?”

Mezere turned to Michael, his normally bright green eyes darkened with emotion. “Honored Nessas and Nels can meet and marry without a Coalition, without a Pride. They can have natural born Honored children. It is common for those who do not find their Coalition to have many children.”

Michael thought for a moment. “Is it because they are unfulfilled?”

“They live happy lives together, but I’m told there’s always a wistfulness. They do not get to experience what we have, Michael. This fullness of love and desire we feel for each other.”

Love. Mezere said “love.”

Desire was a language Michael understood well, but love was a new frontier for him. Mezere’s gaze searched Michael’s. “Meeting your mates, your perfect matches, is a kind of recognition, is it not? A knowing.”

Mezere turned back to Kat. “Knowing these beings are the ones who fit you like parts of your soul. I felt it when I Found and Bound Dominik. We knew it when we asked Courau to join our Coalition. We all felt it when we rescued you and since then, our love, longing, and respect for both of you has only grown.”

Mezere paused and looked down. The room was utterly silent and still. Michael was so hyperaware he could hear their breathing, even the quiet shush of the fabric above them shifting with a current of air.

Kat’s voice was soft in the silence, her expression compassionate, as Mezere seemed to struggle with something. “Please, Mezere. What is it?”

Mezere finally looked up, his face a stony mask that concerned Michael and made Kat worry too. He could tell by the way she shifted forward and clenched her hands in the skirt of her dress.

“It is rare for a Prime to be Claimed. Honored Nessas do not easily accept the scents of others upon their mates or the strong connections a Prime must have with their PrideMates. It is so rare that should you Claim me, the entire Pon’Fiel Pride changes its name to Pargen’Fiel in honor of it.”

Kat shook her head in wonder while she absorbed his words. Michael watched expressions flit across her face as she thought about Mezere’s words.

Michael had questions getting to the heart of the matter. “Mezere.”

Mezere turned to Michael, still visibly closed down. Michael understood Mezere prepared himself for rejection. Michael glanced at Dominik, who clasped his hands together to keep from touching and comforting Mezere. Dominik’s pain-filled gaze riveted so tightly on Mezere it seemed like Dominik feared looking at him or Kat.

Michael turned to Courau, whose expression held the same resignation as Mezere’s as he stared straight ahead, waiting for the fate of his Coalition to be decided. He must have known the difficulty he would have from being in a Coalition with a Prime, but Courau did it anyway, because he loved Mezere. Michael respected Courau even more for it.

It seemed like they all expected him and Kat to let them go even as they had Declared themselves and worked to entice her to their Coalition with their MateDance.

Fuck that.

Michael knew what would bother him the most, so he asked about it. “Do you fuck the Honored Nels?”

“No.”

“What happens with a Call to Mate?”

“When an Honored Nessa has seen and accepted the MateDance of her Declared Coalition and they have shared pleasure-scents, the Pride sets up a room for their Honored Call to Mate. The Honored Nel must be physically prepared for his Call. The process begins with scent-sharing with his mates, as we have done with each other, and finalizes by his gorging on my Prime hormones through blood, sweat or nectar, sometimes all three.”

“Nectar is your cum.”

“Yes. An Honored Nel will share his cream when he has gotten what he needs from his Prime. He becomes hormonally intoxicated and releases in satisfaction. His scent bonds me to him as his Prime. My scent bonds the Honored Nel to his Pride. This experience anchors the male to his Pride should tragedy strike. Losing even one Honored is a blow to all Lio.”

Michael was trying to understand. “But you don’t fuck?”

“No. In our Pride, fucking is only for mates. Honored who need different mating structures choose other Prides. Abah-Sah assures this through PrideChoice and Fate. There is happiness to be had with Lio for all kinds of Honored.”

“There’s a wide range of things that can happen outside of fucking.”

“Yes.” Mezere’s gaze was steady. Michael saw his determination to answer any question truthfully. How deep did Michael need to go with this? Further.

“Do you love these Nels?”

“Of course! I love all my PrideMates!” Mezere seemed offended.

“Like a mate-mate?”

“A mate-mate?” Mezere seemed puzzled, then understanding dawned. “You mean, do I love them like I love you, Michael? You and Kat, Dominik and Courau?”

Michael’s heart squeezed at Mezere’s words, his gaze flicking to Kat, who had her hand raised to her mouth as she absorbed Mezere’s matter-of-fact declaration of love. Michael had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Yes.”

“You are my heart mates. I will MateDance with only one Honored Nel; You, Michael.”

Mezere gazed at Dominik, his voice loving. “I have one Zumiel: Dominik.”

He gazed at Courau with affection and respect. “We are joined with one Lio Nel: Courau.”

Mezere turned back to Kat, his demeanor softening even more. “I will Declare myself for an Honored Nessa only once; for you, Kat.”

Kat lowered her hand as tears welled and dripped in silent silvery trails.

“No other Honored or Lio will have my mind, body, and spirit. Such is all I offer and everything I truly am.”

Kat closed her eyes and took a deep breath. High Nessa Theerah dropped a clean insta-dry cloth in Kat’s lap as she walked back over to stand with Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah, who both had smooth, blank faces as Kat and Michael made their decisions.

Kat took the cloth and dried her tears, looking down at the cloth in her hands for a moment before looking up at Michael, spearing him with her gaze before staggering him with her words.

“Michael, you are worthy of love. Worthy of me. Worthy of them. Worthy of us. You are mine, and I’m never letting go. Do you accept this?”

Michael nodded, wide-eyed, reeling from the pinpoint accuracy of her reassurance. This time, when Michael put his hand on Courau’s strong shoulder, it was to brace himself. And it was Michael who felt comforted by Courau’s gentle caress on his hand.

Kat then turned to Mezere. Dominik reached a hand out to Mezere, who took it like a lifeline, then Dominik gave his other hand to Courau. Michael put his other hand on Dominik’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

She observed them; Mezere holding Dominik’s hand, gaze riveted on her. Dominik holding Mezere’s and Courau’s hands. Courau holding Dominik’s hand and petting Michael’s hand on his shoulder. Michael, his hands on Dominik’s and Courau’s shoulders. Joined in solidarity for whatever came next.

Kat rose from the cushions slowly, like a goddess, walking over to stand before Mezere. She reached out and took a lock of his silken mane and rubbed it between her fingers, then stroked her hand deep, burying it in the thick mass, getting a good handhold. She held his head steady as she bent close to him, barely needing to bend at all because he was still very tall compared to her, even on his knees.

She brought their foreheads together and shared air with Mezere for long moments. Michael watched the stress slowly bleed out of Mezere as he was soothed by Kat through her simple gesture. He felt his own stress easing along with Dominik’s and Courau’s.

Kat pulled back from Mezere enough to peer into his eyes while she spoke, firm and clear. “I am not afraid of you, Mezere. I’m not scared of who you are or what you do.”

She leaned in closer until they were nose to nose. “I accept your role in our Pride, Prime Mezere.”

Mezere gasped and shivered in her hold, her words hitting him hard with relief, but Michael did not relax. He sensed a “but” coming up.

“But there will be no one else sucking this cock.”

She bent low, putting her hand on his bulge through his shendyt. This time, Mezere gasped in surprise as she squeezed him. Kat appeared gentle, but there was an implied threat.

“I Claim this for us, your mates. Do you accept this condition, Prime Mezere of Pride Pon’Fiel?”

Mezere’s joy was a beauty to behold as he reveled in the power of his mate, her personal strength matching his own. He pushed his bulge sensuously against her hand and whispered, “Yes, sweet warrior mate,” making Kat gasp this time.

Kat’s arousal scent bloomed. Mezere grinned broadly, clearly aware of his effect on her.

Kat caressed up Mezere’s body with a possessive hand as she stood to her full height and let him go.

High Nessa Theerah’s formal voice came from behind them, repeating her question from earlier. “Honored Nessa Kat Bennett, do you approve of this Declared Coalition of Nels and their MateDance?”

“I do.”

“What is your will now?”

Kat turned to High Nessa Theerah, surprised. “My will?”

“Yes. What do you want to do with your Declared Coalition?”

Kat laughed as inspiration struck her. “I want to go on a date with my guys!”

She gazed at Dominik and reached her hands out for his. He took them as Mezere and Courau joined him in standing up.

Michael saw the Lio’s confusion and explained. “She wants to leave the Bonding Room and explore while we talk and get to know each other, hold hands, have a meal out somewhere, and maybe make out some more. It’s a thing we do on Earth as part of our mating rituals.”

The Lio nodded in understanding.

High Nessa Theerah said, “This can be arranged for my Honored,” then turned to consult quietly with Sec. Comm. Dynah, but Michael could hear everything. They were concerned about one set of Lio Nels on the Fang Ship, but they stayed contained in a guest pod. High Nessa Theerah didn’t want to take any chances and sent Sec. Comm. Dynah on a task.

Michael noticed Sec. Comm Dynah disengaged the privacy field and quietly slipped out.

High Nessa Theerah regarded Kat with an indulgent gaze. “You may explore with your mates after refreshment.”

Kat nodded her agreement, smiling. Her mates all followed Kat as she wandered to the snacks and drinks and they all enjoyed morsels of food, chatting easily about what they liked and didn’t like.

Sec. Comm Dynah returned and gave Mezere, Dominik, and Courau their wrist cuffs and knives, which they put on immediately. Apparently, his Lio were rarely unarmed. It was another subtle sign of how much these powerful males had let down their guard for him and Kat.

Michael glanced away for a moment, overwhelmed by emotion as he understood the depth of the honor his mates gave him. His gaze strayed to Abassan Zeitune, who gazed back at him with kindness.

I am so fucking glad to be here with these people.

Abassan Zeitune stepped forward and spoke in his deep, calm voice. “Time to finish your refreshment. I will trigger the Sola-ray.”

Abassan Zeitune walked over to the entry and pushed the little blue button. The laser flashed out, swept over all of them, then was gone in an instant. Kat shook out her long locks and adjusted her dress a little.

Michael felt his mouth water as her luscious curves drew his admiring gaze with her wiggling adjustments.

What will those wiggles feel like while my dick digs deep?

Michael’s breathing quickened and he turned away to gain control, but Courau noticed his struggle, and winked at him again. Michael grinned back.

Kat considered Dominik curiously. “Do you have an office? A favorite place to hang out? I want to get to know you.”

She looked at Mezere and Courau in turn. “I want to get to know all of you. Where are your favorite places?”

Courau grinned. “The Commander’s workout room.” Courau winked again at Michael.

Ah yes. We spent many an hour practicing our MateDance in that room.

But Michael knew Courau enjoyed honing other skills there as well. Michael had seen the weapons and training tools and had itched to get his hands on them, too.

“What about you Dominik?”

Dominik smiled as he said, “I will show you the Skol-Ar, where I instruct young.”

They all turned to look at Mezere. Mezere had a happy, rueful look as Dominik chimed in, “Be truthful, Mezere.”

“It’s the gardens and the beehives. I love the honeybees. They are my favorite.” Mezere seemed shy about admitting it, but his smile widened as Kat said, “How charming! I can’t wait to see it. Let’s go!”

Kat hooked her arm through Dominik’s and said, “You first, lead the way.”

Dominik gazed down at her and whispered, “Your wish is my command, pretty Kat.”

Kat shivered and smiled.

CHAPTER 9

DOMINIK

Dominik loved how Kat smiled at him. Her shiver at his comment gave him a tingle down his spine.

Michael moved forward and took Dominik’s other hand, and he felt his heart fill to bursting with love for his Honored mates, one on each side, showing such interest and care.

Dominik whispered to Michael as their hands clasped together, “I will see to your wishes too, my warrior king.” Dominik adored seeing Michael’s dark brown gaze deepen and his eyebrow lift in the aroused, but confused way he had, resisting his need to protest the nickname, but liking it at the same time.

Michael wasn’t used to such open affection, yet he enjoyed it. Michael would have to accept these things quickly because his Coalition, and the Lio people, were very affectionate. Why hide feelings that uplifted others and made you feel good too?

Dominik took his mates on a path toward the center of the Lio Fleet Kahlina Pon’Fiel Pride Fang ship, the Skol-Ar, where the Pride’s young lived, played, and learned together. High Nessa Theerah, Abassan Zeitune, and Sec. Comm. Dynah followed a few paces back, sometimes speaking among themselves, sometimes using their holo-comms to speak with others.

Dominik knew they were on high alert, protecting his Coalition as they bonded. This was a tenuous time between her accepting the MateDance and Michael’s Call to Mate. Until Kat Claimed them as hers, their beast-natures would be very close to the surface. Even Michael’s newly developed Lio instincts would be more aggressive.

Along the way, Dominik got to see his home with fresh eyes as Kat and Michael commented on the look of Pon’Fiel’s Fang ship interior. The halls of the ship were red, gray, and white, lit by warm lighting in the ceiling, walls, and floor, but it was the things growing along the walls catching their attention most.

Kat paused at a clinging vine to caress one of its leaves, her voice holding amazement. “There are plants everywhere!”

Michael leaned in to sniff a small flower then was surprised when a fluttering butterfly flitted away. “Wow! You even have bugs!”

Mezere was amused. “I did say bees were my favorite.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think they’d be all over!”

Mezere tilted his head curiously. “What did you expect?”

Michael glanced around and thought for a moment. “I expected spaceships to be cold and white. Colorless. Lifeless.”

Courau’s eyebrows lifted. “You are in for a big surprise, then!”

Kat was excited. “Really? Oh, this is great! I kind of expected the same thing as Michael. Why do you have so many plants?” She peered closer at the roots of the vine she still touched. “I don’t see any dirt.”

Their enthusiasm energized Dominik. He loved sharing about his home and its wonders. “Many of our plants are nourished hydroponically. See the tubes through the wall?”

They nodded.

“There’s soil in the gardens and in the open livestock area.”

Kat and Michael both turned slowly to stare at Dominik.

“What? You don’t have animals on Earth?”

Michael spoke. “Yes, of course, but this is a spaceship.”

“This is our home. We are fully sustainable should something permanently separate us from our Fleet. Each Lio Pride has six independent Fang Ships.”

High Nessa Theerah stepped forward to explain more. “Prides in Lio Fleets live distributed among Fang Ships. Have you seen a dandelion flower gone to seed? When it’s a white fluffy ball?”

Kat and Michael nodded.

“When you blow on the dandelion, the seeds blow apart and fly with the wind. Such is the same with a Lio Fleet. We call our home a Fang Ship because it is indeed in the shape of a Lio Fang.”

High Nessa Theerah lifted her lip, showing her thick but elegant fangs, to emphasize the point.

“Each Pride docks to their own PrideStem. There are six Fang ships per stem. When we are all docked, the Lio Fleet looks very much like a dandelion flower. It is efficient because we can uncouple quickly to escape or defend. Or, as in your case, to rescue.”

Mezere added more layers of information. “Normally, our Pride is distributed, with leadership balanced out among the Fang ships with Coalition Families and Lio Harem families sharing common areas together, but when we got the emergency communique, High Nessa Theerah was with Commander Courau and me for a meeting.”

Kat, with her caring heart, was concerned for High Nessa Theerah. “You’re separated from your family?” Dominik could hear her worry.

Kind, loving mate. You have a heart as big as the Universe.

Dominik felt so very privileged to be in a family with this treasure. He glanced over at Michael, whose gaze held the same concern, unvoiced.

He tries to hide his tender heart. Trust us, Michael. We will love and protect you all our days.

High Nessa Theerah looked at Kat affectionately. “Not to worry, my dear, my Harem mates are quite used to my travels, and I’m never alone.” She reached back and gave Abassan Zeitune a gentle stroke along his cheek with the back of her hand.

Both Kat and Michael gasped, saying, “He’s with you?” in unison.

They gazed at each other with a flick of amusement and turned back to the loving couple. Abassan Zeitune cuddled up to High Nessa Theerah and gave her shoulder a head rub with a small, low purr.

“Yes. Why are you so surprised?”

Kat seemed flabbergasted. “Well, when I was… you left, and… um.”

Abassan Zeitune regarded Kat from over High Nessa Theerah’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. “Kat, being Shumal for you, a beautiful, fierce Honored Nessa is a profound honor. Theerah treasures this role and your friendship. How does my limitless love for Theerah change any of this?”

Michael said, “I might not have been so aggressive about your presence the other day.”

Abassan Zeitune laughed heartily. “Michael, I strongly doubt that. Your beast-nature had awakened and would tolerate no threats to your enticement of Kat. Relax, all is as it should be.”

Kat’s face showed a strange, thinking expression. She turned to Michael, who gazed at her in wonder, and said, “We are not in Kansas anymore.”

Michael lifted his eyebrows and said, “No, we are not.”

He tilted his head, humor renewing the sparkle in his eyes as he looked at Kat. “I say we roll with it. What do you say?”

Kat nodded, beginning a slow smile back at Michael. “I say, okay.”

As they began walking again, Mezere went close to Michael, whispering in his ear, “Kat’s ‘date’ first, then private quarters.” Michael stopped in his tracks, shivered, and turned to Mezere, getting himself a softly tasting kiss. When Mezere stepped back behind them again, Michael was panting.

Dominik turned to Kat and saw she had enjoyed the sexy affection of her mates, prompting Dominik to give her a slow tasting of her own. He buried one hand in her silky, soft hair and caressed her lush body with gentle strokes of his other hand as he brought their mouths together.

Kat reached up eagerly for his kiss, her hands caressing his torso, shoulders, and back with undisguised delight, her cute little nails scraping splendidly through his fur, making him shiver with enjoyment from her touch.

Dominik reveled in Kat’s unique flavor and lingered over her silky textures, rubbing her tongue softly with the tip of his, careful not to scrape her with the rough center. Kat especially enjoyed licking his fangs, which made him tingle and shiver with her caresses.

Deep kisses were exclusive to Honored mates because Lio fangs prevented them from delving deeply with other Lio. Honored’s blunt teeth were no barrier. And it made their delightful mouths perfect for enjoying oral pleasures. Dominik would kiss Kat and Michael as often as he could, relishing in his ability to experience it with his mates.

Kat’s golden skin blushed delightfully when Dominik pulled back. They gazed at each other and took hands as they resumed walking, this time with Dominik’s tail wrapped around Kat’s ankle, the tip brushing her softly in a contented caress.

Dominik noticed while he was enjoying Kat, Courau had taken his time tasting Michael with Mezere lavishing kisses along Michael’s neck and shoulders, petting his chest and hips with gentle touches, leaving Michael flushed and rumpled, a tumescent bulge under his shendyt.

Such tasty mates.

Courau and Mezere took Michael’s hands affectionately as they walked together, and Michael calmed from their sensual play.

Soon they were in the huge circular room at the heart of the Pon’Fiel Fang ship: the Skol-Ar. There was thick vegetation and immense trees dotting the space. Surrounding the room, high up, was an observation area, which is where Dominik took his mates. He didn’t want them overwhelmed by being swarmed with joyous young.

Young of all ages were in groups throughout the space, writing on paper or working on tablets or screens. Some were watching holo-vids on their holo-comms, as shown by the slight shimmer near their eyes. Native Lio and Honored caretakers and instructors were piled in amongst them, often speaking while draped by many boneless, contented young.

Some young enjoyed climbing and hiding, just like the one watching them now. He could tell from the ear flicks of his companions they were aware of the young one too. He thought perhaps Kat and Michael also sensed the young by the brief glances they tossed in the young’s direction. None of them said anything about the little spy.

There were private living spaces surrounding the Skol-Ar on many levels. Lio and Honored adults carried their newborn young to and from those living spaces, chatting with each other in lively discussion.

Dominik explained all this to Kat and Michael, loving the expressions of delight on their faces as they watched the Lio young.

Kat had some questions. “It sounds like they live here and not with their families.”

Dominik was confused. Earthers must be very isolated growing up. It sounded awful. “We are Pride. We are all family. I do not understand.”

“Well, there are schools where we gather during the day, or we can learn at home.”

“Home with family, yes? We are like this. Mothers and fathers are sharing knowledge and affection with young in between duties. We all share knowledge with each other.”

It was Michael who spoke, his tone turning dark. “On Earth, family is just a mom and dad and their specific kids. If privileged, kids go out to a school to learn stuff from adults trained to regurgitate the same shit day in and day out. And the kids separate by age too, just another cog in their wheel. If you don’t have a family to get ahead, you’re fucked.”

Dominik absorbed Michael’s words with all their layers of meaning.

Courau’s voice was kind when he asked Michael, “Did you have a family, Michael?”

Michael stared at Courau with a tense face, unpleasant memories seeming to flash through him, showing echoes of their effects in his changing expressions.

“No. I’m an orphan. The streets were all I knew before the de Roquemarels found me. I’m educated now. About a lot of things. You can take a kid off the streets, but you can’t take the streets out of the kid.”

Kat went to Michael and gave him a long hug. Michael wrapped his arms around her, laying his head against the top of hers as she snuggled into his shoulder. Dominik went in and hugged Michael from the side, rubbing his face on Michael’s other shoulder. It did not surprise Dominik when Mezere came up behind Michael, wrapping his long arms around all three of them.

Courau approached from behind Kat, petting down her back with one hand as he reached under Michael’s chin to raise his face for a sweet, undemanding kiss. Courau rubbed his cheeks on Michael’s and pulled back to rub his hands through Michael’s hair. Dominik could sense Michael easing with their loving attention.

A youthful voice, buried deep in the foliage of the highest tree, carried over to them.

“I like hugs too.”

Dominik and his Coalition pulled out of their embrace, but he felt Mezere and Courau wrap their tails around Michael’s leg. Dominik turned to the little one. “I see you have decided to make your presence known, young Cyril.”

“It’s not like you didn’t know I was here. I could tell. I need to be sneakier.”

Dominik laughed while his mates chuckled. “I’ll bring in a friend of mine named Jesper. He will teach you some things.”

“You will?”

“Absolutely.”

“May I meet your mates, Dominik?”

Technically, Kat and Michael weren’t his mates yet because Kat hadn’t answered her Call to Mate and Claimed them, but when Dominik glanced over at them, they nodded encouragingly, happy to meet their first young Lio.

“Yes, come forth.”

Cyril crawled forward until his face and clawed hands were visible, along with the tip of his swishing tail, but the rest of him remained concealed by the foliage.

Cyril’s big, golden gaze peered at them with shy curiosity. His golden fur shone with health and his short thick mane showed the promise of a Prize male.

Kat spoke, her soft, warm, feminine voice making Dominik melt as much as Cyril did. “Hi Cyril, I’m Kat. It’s lovely to meet you. I used to teach young like you on Earth.”

Cyril’s nose twitched with all the scents he was processing. “Lovely. That word means pretty. You’re very pretty. You don’t have young, though.”

“No. Not yet.”

“You going to instruct here?”

Kat’s stunning golden-brown eyes peered deeply into Dominik’s as she reached out and stroked over his mane. She answered Cyril while gazing at Dominik. “I’d like to, very much.” Dominik shivered.

They smiled at each other and took each other’s hands, and turned to look over at Cyril again, still smiling.

Cyril’s gaze turned to Michael, prompting him to raise his hands and answer Cyril’s question before he could even ask it. “Hey. I don’t have kids either,” Michael said with a chuckle.

Cyril’s expression stayed serious. “And you don’t have a mama or a papa. I heard this.”

Michael turned serious too, his eyes squinting as he looked at Cyril. “That’s right. You know anything about what that’s like?”

“Yes. My mamas and papas went away and my Pride cares for me now.”

Mezere spoke in his deep bass. “Your Pride cares for you always, Cyril.”

Cyril gazed at Mezere and slow-blinked at him with affection. “Yes, Prime Mezere. I know this. I don’t think he does, though.”

Courau spoke up. “Perhaps you can show him. Instruct him in how Lio take care of their PrideMates.”

Cyril gaped at Courau with astonishment. “Me instruct him, Commander Courau?”

Michael cleared his throat, saying, “Sure. Why not? What would your first lesson be?”

Cyril was obviously thinking hard, ears tilting this way and that, his tail utterly still as he concentrated. “Lio Vids. We start there.”

Michael grinned. Cyril wanted to introduce Michael to the Lio Vids broadcast throughout the Known Galaxies. “I’ve heard of those. I’ve even seen a few episodes.”

Cyril seemed disappointed. Michael obviously hadn’t meant to hurt the young’s feelings and rushed to continue speaking, “But I haven’t seen one in a very long time.”

This perked Cyril back up. Michael asked, “Which one is your favorite?”

“Lio Declared.”

“Ah! See! I’ve not even heard of that one.”

Cyril smiled. “Good. When can we watch?”

Commander Courau had his holo-comm open as shown by the subtle shimmer near his eye and was obviously looking at his schedule. “We can join you in the main common room after final meal on Day Ten. Today is Day Two. Will this work for your busy schedule, Cyril?”

Cyril just stared at Courau and snickered as he crawled quietly back into the foliage of the tree. Courau called out, “My people will be in touch with your people about scheduling.”

All Courau got back was a “Yeah, right,” followed by a youthful giggle.

Everything about their interlude at the Skol-Ar made Dominik happy.

Oh, Abah-Sah, I love my mates so very much!

As they continued the tour, Sec. Comm. Dynah asked Kat, “Was Kansas the city you lived in on Earth?” which made Kat and Michael laugh. Dominik loved watching their animated discussion about why it was funny to them, because what Kat had said was based on dialogue from an ancient vid from Earth with flying houses, flying monkeys, and flying bags of air. Kansas sounded very strange.

Kat seemed excited to see the gardens, so they waved at the people they passed and continued their tour, the Lio handing off some prepared snacks and drinks to take with them. Dominik smiled at the way the whole Pride was trying to facilitate their bonding time without seeming to. There is no way the hallways would have been clear of people if it wasn’t for a coordinated effort to keep others away.

Sec. Comm. Dynah was doing a commendable job orchestrating their “date,” allowing Courau to drop his Commander duties and simply enjoy the time with his mates.

Michael and Kat walked into the garden space with expressions of wonder, looking around at the tall trees and vast space filled with flowers of all sorts and busy insects doing their job pollinating. On the edges were the vegetable gardens hanging in layers along the walls.

Dominik took them right to the hives. Michael’s reaction fascinated him. Dominik knew about Michael’s special ability to hear low-level frequencies as proficiently as a native Lio.

The bees were loud with their buzzing, but completely unconcerned with the people around them.

Kat flinched at first when the bees flew near her. Dominik imagined that Honored with their tender, vulnerable skin instead of durable, protective fur needed to be cautious.

Mezere spoke to ease his mates. “They are not aggressive, Kat. Unless you harm the queen, they will simply investigate you for pollen or use you as a resting spot.”

Kat took a deep breath and let her tension ease as she released it slowly. Michael had an entirely unique reaction to the hive. He walked toward them like a sleepwalker, utterly fascinated and focused.

Mezere went with him, watching Michael closely while Courau and Dominik stayed near Kat, holding her hand and touching her soothingly as she got used to the vibrant bees swarming in and out of the hive. High Nessa Theerah, Abassan Zeitune, and Sec. Comm. Dynah followed a few paces behind, their expressions indulgently happy.

Bees did not land on Kat, sensing her wary pheromones, but they had no issue with landing on Michael, Mezere, or any of the other Lio, none of whom showed any reaction to the tiny beings crawling on them.

Michael’s expression was one of thoughtful confusion. Mezere intently focused on Michael. “What is it, Michael? What are you sensing?”

“I hear them. They are speaking,”

Mezere’s eyes sparkled, and his ears twitched as he listened intently, too. “What are they saying?”

Michael concentrated. “It’s not words. It’s like feelings. They are content. It makes me feel content too. I don’t know why.”

Mezere smiled and lead Michael to another hive deeper in the garden, Dominik, Kat, and Courau followed them at a leisurely pace, with their companions following unhurriedly.

When they arrived at the new hive, Mezere asked, “What about this one?”

Michael’s brow furrowed. He appeared worried. “Their queen fades. She had laid new queens, but they are not there. They worry.”

Michael turned to Mezere, confusion and wonder a heady mix in his expression. “What the fuck, Mezere? Why do I know these things? What is happening?”

“You have ears that truly hear, Michael. You sense and understand them unlike most can. It is a gift.”

Michael stared at Mezere, then turned to look at Dominik, Kat, and Courau with amazement, his face a study in revelation.

Courau asked, “Have you ever been near a hive before?”

Michael shook his head. “I’m a city kid. At the Château, bees didn’t bother me, but I wasn’t near an actual hive.”

“Can you communicate back with them?”

“I don’t know.” Michael hummed low and a flurry of bees came to him to investigate, crawling all over, making him laugh as he raised his arms for them to land on.

“It tickles!”

Mezere grinned hugely, his fangs on prominent display, his love for Michael shining brightly to Dominik, who knew Mezere best.

“Tell them to fly off.”

Michael hummed, but they didn’t move off. They only continued to crawl on him and investigate.

Mezere continued grinning and said, “Jump.”

Michael peered at him questioningly, then made a little jump, which set all the bees on him alight in flight. Everyone laughed with delight.

Finally, Mezere has Honored mates who match and understand him. Who love what he loves, like I do. Like Courau does.

Contentment flooded Dominik.

Mezere petted down Michael’s back. “The larval queens have been taken and kept safely to become queens of honeybee swarms as cornerstone species on new worlds, should we need them. The next queen to emerge will be given to this hive.”

Michael looked at Mezere. “How do you know all this?”

“I am friends with the Pon’Fiel Pride Master Beekeeper. She knows I love the bees and lets me work with them when I need a break from my duties. I’ll introduce you to her later.”

Michael and Mezere stared into each other’s gaze, communicating with much more than words.

Finally, Michael spoke in a husky voice, “Thank you, Mezere,” which got him another one of those long, slow, delicious kisses. Dominik, Kat, and Courau cuddled close to each other as they observed. Dominik kept his attention on Kat, seeing and sensing her happiness while she watched her mates enjoy each other. Dominik’s contentment grew.

Kat grinned at Michael. “I think you found your calling, my honey, warrior king.”

Michael gazed over at her, surprised.

Kat switched it up. “My warrior, honey king?”

Humor bloomed across his face. He came in and hugged Kat close as she giggled. “My warrior king, honey?”

He pulled back and peered at Kat, then swept the room with his gaze, lingering on Dominik, Mezere and Courau, then coming back to her. “Ah Kat, I’ll be whatever you want as long as we are together.”

They shared a slow, soulful kiss.

It was perfect.

CHAPTER 10

COMMANDER COURAU

What a clusterfuck!

Courau didn’t know how the Bon’Rocinal Pride imbeciles from Lio HomeWorld had found them, but there they were in their idiot glory.

Earlier, Courau and his bonding mates had enjoyed a meal together in the gardens, feeding tidbits of food to each other, interspersed with gentle touches, sweet kisses, and lively conversation. The more he learned about his fascinating mates, the deeper he fell in love.

Courau thanked Abah-Sah for Kat and Michael.

When the meal was done, they picked up after themselves and handed off the containers to a smiling Pride member, who quietly appeared and took the leftovers away without a word. Kat declared it was time to see Courau’s workout room, so off they went.

Sec. Comm. Dynah masterfully orchestrated the security of his mates, so to see his Pride’s ‘guests’ in front of them now meant something had happened to the team who corralled them. All the Pon’Fiel Lio would understand this in an instant.

Courau felt hot aggression rise within him when he saw Prime Dufalt Bon’Rocinal with his Zumiel Ulf stalking through the empty hall followed by his full security contingent of two Lio Nessas and a Lio Nel, his Lio Nessa Scribe, plus four sons of his daughters, one of whom was a Prize male with his Zumiel. They had eleven Lio.

Courau had six Lio to protect his mates. Although outnumbered, Courau was confident in his Pride’s ability to protect.

Besides concern for their PrideMates and the stress of the foreign Prime, what set him and his companions on a razor thin edge was they were being interrupted during Bonding. It was a critical time, and mates could possibly be enticed away from a Coalition before an Honored Nessa Claimed her Honored Nel and Lio Nels as mates.

The Bon’Rocinal Pride, who had come all the way to Lio Fleet Kahlina from Lio HomeWorld, had insisted on meeting with High Nessa Theerah and Prime Mezere, the Pon’Fiel Ambassador, just as the Lio Fleet had gotten an emergency distress signal from their de Roquemarel allies.

In short order, they escorted the Bon’Rocinal Pride members to private guest quarters and asked them to stay there until the emergency was over. Prime Mezere’s MateDance had delayed seeing to the Bon’Rocinal’s needs again, yet they had refused to leave Prime Mezere’s Fang ship to go to the Fleet Central ship. The Bon’Rocinals insisted hospitality demanded a Pride’s Prime Ambassador access to the Prime Ambassador of a sister Pride.

Their business was unclear. The fact that the Bon’Rocinal Pride Prime had arrived with contingents from their allied Lio HomeWorld Prides, who were all conveniently on other Prime Fang ships during the emergency call, made Courau suspicious. He couldn’t explain how or why. He had learned to pay attention to his instincts, however.

Courau did not like the way all the Bon’Rocinals stared at his mates, male and female alike, gazes devouring them with salacious intent, licking their chops as they got close, craning their necks to see better, sniffing deeply, making it clear they enjoyed Kat’s and Michael’s mouthwatering scents. Many also stared at him, Dominik, and Prime Mezere invitingly.

Mezere was having none of it, growling low as the group approached, then falling aggressively silent, expression intently focused, tail agitated, ears alert. He did not palm his knife, which impressed Courau. He knew Mezere was struggling hard against his beast-nature to defend his bonding mates. Courau bore the same aggression.

Courau chuffed at Mezere, reminding him he wasn’t alone. His gaze stayed focused, but Mezere’s ear turned fully to Courau in recognition of the sound and gave him an affectionate stroke with his agitated tail.

Prime Mezere and High Nessa Theerah stepped forward, putting themselves physically between their PrideMates and the Bon’Rocinals. Courau positioned himself centered and a few steps back, opening all his senses in battle readiness.

Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah flanked Courau a step back, putting Kat behind them with Michael and Dominik behind her, all of them forming a loose defensive circle around Kat, with her in the middle.

Michael whispered, “They are using tech. The small one has it.”

Courau gave a single nod of his head to let Michael know he’d been heard. They’d known there was a device, now they knew where it was: the Lio Nessa Scribe, Prime Dufalt’s personal assistant. Michael’s unique skills in identifying almost undetectable devices was very useful.

Blocking comms was an act of Challenge. Sec. Comm. Dynah had done a good job of clearing out their route so no Pon’Fiel PrideMate would disturb the MateBonding. They would have privacy for at least long enough for Challenge to be made and met. There would be no one coming to aid them. They were on their own and everyone, except perhaps Kat, knew this.

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was melodic, almost hypnotizing in its low, soothing feminine tone. “Prime Dufalt, do you not find our hospitality pleasing? We have provided you with Prime Mezere’s most luxurious guest accommodations.”

Her voice enticed prime Dufalt to give High Nessa Theerah his complete attention, which he gave with the same pretend-friendly, lingering sexual sweep he had given her PrideMates. Prime Dufalt’s companions made no such efforts to pretend niceties, looking at Courau’s family and friends as if they were food to be devoured.

High Nessa Theerah ignored Prime Dufalt’s actions, continuing to speak melodically. “Why are you not escorted? Where are our PrideMates, Prime Dufalt? I cannot contact my leadership to inquire about their well-being. Why is that?”

Prime Dufalt glanced over at his Lio Nessa Scribe who nodded at him, then turned to High Nessa Theerah with a smirk. “You mean our keepers? We do not need an escort. They are sleeping.”

Courau knew the top-quality people put on the Bon’Rocinals. They would never leave their post. It meant they had been choked out or drugged.

High Nessa Theerah stopped pretending mildness and demanded, “You harmed my people?”

Zumiel Ulf spoke dismissively. “Sleeping mists do not harm, Theerah.” It was insulting for him to use her familiar name.

She regarded him coldly. “I see. You use enemy tactics to get what you want from fellow Prides. Noted.” High Nessa Theerah was declaring ‘Fiel Prides might never trust ‘Rocinal Prides again. Prime Dufalt seemed unfazed.

Courau heard Abassan Zeitune growl a long, low warning. Prime Dufault acknowledged it with a flick of his ear but dismissed the warning with a grin as he spoke in deliberate provocation. “Looking tasty as ever, High Nessa Theerah. You ready to take a Prime and Zumiel on and see what you are missing?”

Zumiel Ulf licked his lips lasciviously.

Theerah gave Abassan Zeitune and her companions behind her the signals to stay quiet and ready, cutting off Abassan Zeitune’s growl in an instant. She had his complete support and cooperation.

When she spoke, High Nessa Theerah kept her tone so mild her insults may have seemed compliments if one didn’t pay attention to the words. “Whatever will your Honored mates think of such disrespect from their big, burly, shallow-minded, thin-skinned, and black-hearted mate? Hmm?”

It took a moment for her true meaning to get past Prime Dufalt’s undoubtedly smarmy sexual fantasies as he eye-fucked High Nessa Theerah in front of her mate and PrideMates.

Rage flashed on Prime Dufalt’s face, prompting Courau and Mezere to palm the knives at their hips, a move echoed by the Bon’Rocinals. “My mates are at home bearing my daughters as is their purpose, you officious, snooty little c…”

“Careful, Prime Dufalt,” High Nessa Theerah interrupted. “This is an act of Challenge. Do not think for one moment I am fooled by your accidental presence here. If you do this, there will be far-reaching consequences. Not only here. Not only now. Think before you act.”

Prime Dufalt’s demeanor changed, dropping all pretenses. His expression became hard and calculating.

Courau glanced at Michael and Kat. He wasn’t sure what his Honored mate’s reactions to this Challenge would be. Courau scented alertness in Michael and scented fear overwhelmed by determination in Kat.

They make my mate feel fear.

Courau felt rage well up within him. Courau focused his anger on the Prize male and his Zumiel. They were the most likely to snatch and blood-bond Kat, forcing Michael to accept her Claim into their Coalition. Courau would not let this happen.

High Nessa Theerah tried one more time. “It’s not too late to leave without reprisals.”

Prime Dufalt glared at Mezere and stepped closer to him, causing Mezere to resume his low, threatening growl. He answered High Nessa Theerah without looking away from Mezere.

“You are the ones who delayed, insulting us with inattention. I bet you didn’t even give these delectable Honored a chance to seek other, worthier Primes, did you?”

Mezere stopped all movement, prepared to strike.

Dominik’s soft masculine voice, alive with anger, answered. “You dare interrupt a Prime, his Zumiel, and a Commander during MateBonding after an accepted MateDance? This is despicable and paints your entire Bon’Rocinal Pride with disgrace, Prime Dufalt.”

Prime Dufalt dared not look away from Mezere as he answered, hoping to taunt Mezere into the first strike. “Until she chooses, cub, she and her Honored Nel are up for grabs. You may have enticed her pleasure, but you haven’t sealed the deal. Where is your Mate’s Tribute?”

His gaze roved Mezere’s body dismissively. “I see nothing to show she has accepted your devotion. How do you get to pluck the juiciest, thickest piece of ass without one Challenge?”

Dominik continued. “My mates are newly Honored; they are untrained in their shields. Do not do this. You choose this place, in an isolated hallway, eleven to our eight.”

Prime Dufalt laughed, stepping back from Mezere and disengaging. “Why do you even count the Honored in this Challenge? They are good for two things: mounting and breeding. Fighting? You jest, Dominik.”

“Again, your distinct lack of character shows.”

Kat’s beautiful voice came from behind Courau. “Why would you ever think we would want you awful people? I would never Claim you.”

Prime Dufalt peered at Kat, his knowing sneer ugly. “There are ways of making Honored behave, feisty female. It would amuse to teach you this.”

“You are disgusting!”

“You say this now, but you won’t be saying it while you scream with my dick buried deep in your ass as my grandsons breed you and your man there.”

Courau heard Kat gasp in horror. Michael growled in a low, angry tone. “Can he do this? What is happening here?”

High Nessa Theerah answered. “He is invoking a MateChallenge. And yes, they can. However, the Bon’Rocinal Pride will regret this act.”

Prime Dufalt smiled broadly, humorlessly, showing his huge fangs. “Oh, I don’t think so. We blood-bonded my last Prize grandson. And now his Honored Nessa and her Honored Nel take Bon’Rocinal cock day in and day out, moaning like good little Honored pets.”

Prime Dufalt lecherously adjusted his hard cock under his shendyt while looking at Kat, who gasped again, her fear scent blooming stronger.

Protectiveness slammed through Courau. He could only imagine how it affected his PrideMates.

High Nessa Theerah took a fighting posture. “I am Shumal to Honored Nessa Kat. I will not have you use nasty words to scare her and wound her tender heart against Lio with your filth.”

Prime Dufalt stopped smiling as High Nessa Theerah continued speaking. “Know this. If you continue this MateChallenge, Prime Dufalt of Bon’Rocinal Pride, I will insist on a Liani Combat training embargo for your entire Pride on Lio HomeWorld. Fifty years, minimum.”

Prime Dufalt’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you accept these terms?”

“It will be worth it to put your uppity ass in its place Theerah, with my stiff dick pumping nectar within you. Are you putting your ass on the line? Because that’s what I want. Your ass for me and theirs for my grandsons.”

“I will not. Pon’Fiel do not trade the bodies and hearts of our Honored, ever.”

“Then we MateChallenge for the rights of Coalition. Do you acknowledge our right to do so and duly witness as required, Abassan Zeitune?”

Stone-faced, Abassan Zeitune walked forward to the front, closest to Prime Dufalt. He nodded acceptance of the MateChallenge as an official witness.

Abassan Zeitune’s tone was softly rage-filled. “I know this is your attempt to take me out of the fight as the official. But respectfully, with all the power of my faith behind it, I say, Fuck. Off.”

Prime Dufalt seemed satisfied, but Abassan Zeitune wasn’t finished.

“I cannot help but wonder how you managed to be on the Pon’Fiel Fang ship instead of the central Fleet vessel right as disaster for these Honored occurred. Perhaps coincidence, but perhaps not. You know I believe in Fate as well as Happenstance, but I perceive this as neither. It is of a design I have yet to determine, yet I sense it.”

Prime Dufault’s gaze focused intently on Abassan Zeitune. The distinct drag of a sharp blade slowly being unsheathed emphasized Abassan Zeitune’s next words.

“No, Bon’Rocinal Prime, your clever machinations will not force me from defending my Pride or my mate.”

Abassan Zeitune crouched low, his knife held sideways at the ready as Courau and his PrideMates unsheathed their knives and crouched in their defensive postures against the Bon’Rocinals, who also prepared themselves.

Courau could hear both his Honored mates’ accelerated breathing, his nose filled with Kat’s disgust and fear. His Honored mates had no weapons, barely understood the defensive advantage their embedded mimetic metal shields gave them, and were being threatened at one of their most vulnerable times.

Courau felt absolutely calm. All the training from his entire life had prepared him for this moment. He would defeat his enemies, or he would die defending his beloved Honored mates. Courau’s eyes marked the Prize male and his Zumiel, who both savored Kat’s fear. They targeted her. He targeted them.

Abassan Zeitune continued as if they were not ready to brawl, his voice cool and slow and logical. “You insist on MateChallenging here, now, with an Honored Nessa and Nel in our care, who are so newly changed they have no conscious control of their shields.”

Abassan Zeitune stood up and sheathed his blade deliberately while looking over at the confused Bon’Rocinals. “Since this is a MateChallenge for Coalition rights and not a PrideChallenge, as Prime Dufalt’s demanded judge witness, I command sheathed blades by all Lio. We will fight this with fang and claw.”

Abassan Zeitune glanced back meaningfully at Kat and Michael while the Pon’Fiel sheathed their knives. “I set no such restriction upon the Honored, who have no fangs or claws to defend themselves.”

The Bon’Rocinal Prize male spoke for the first time, showing a distinct lack of strategy, his voice deep and mocking. “They haven’t been gifted Rav knives, fool! Why would you even say this? You’re going to give up your knife to them, Abassan Zeitune? You know you can never take it back. Once given, never returned.”

“Of course not, Prize Dondin. They may use the knives they remove from you and your lazy, unskilled, dishonorable PrideMates.”

The Bon’Rocinals sheathed their knives with low, menacing growls and resumed their crouches, claws extended, fangs bared.

Abassan Zeitune growled low back at them with disgust. “One hint of a shield, Bon’Rocinal, from any of you, and you disgrace your entire Pride before the Abassani. You are threatening newly boosted, untrained Honored with a forced blood-bond. If you shield up, you will be given to the Abassani for consequences. You will be Purged and Purified.”

Abassan Zeitune gave them a nasty anticipatory grin. “Are you sure you want that?”

Some Bon’Rocinals blinked and hesitated at Abassan Zeitune’s very serious threat. Beings were not left whole after consequences with the Abassani.

Michael taunted the Bon‘Rocinals, his voice amused. “Guess who would be fucked then, hmm?”

Excellent, Michael. An enraged opponent is thoughtless and vulnerable.

Kat’s response of “Not me,” echoed Michael’s amusement.

High Nessa Theerah sneered, “Not me, either,” at Prime Dufalt.

Courau glanced back at Michael and Kat, both of them balanced on their feet, hands held wide and ready, expressions determined. Thanks to Abassan Zeitune’s clever sideways explanation to them through his threat to the Bon’Rocinals, Michael and Kat would go for knives and their PrideMates would help them.

Good, sweet Kat. You have shed your fear.

His Honored mates’ bravery in the face of this nasty MateChallenge only confirmed their perfection as mates.

Abassan Zeitune continued, his sharp tone cutting. “I do not need your consent to decree my judgement upon you, any more than you allow our precious Honored to consent to your Claim. Fight for your just reward, wayward ‘Rocinals.”

So, the fight began.

Mezere engaged Prime Dufalt and Zumiel Ulf, his fast as lightning blows reminding the other males Pon’Fiel were instructors of Liani Combat for a reason.

Abassan Zeitune and High Nessa Theerah took on the three bodyguards.

Meanwhile, the other six Bon’Rocinals crept forward closer to Michael and Kat as Courau and the Pon’Fiels stepped back a few measured paces, giving themselves more room to maneuver away from the others.

Courau ignored the cries and roars of the battle raging beyond the foes stalking his mates, his gaze steady on the Prize male and his Zumiel companion. Courau knew Sec. Comm. Dynah could handle two of the grandsons.

What the Bon’Rocinals didn’t know, and would underestimate, was that Dominik was as fierce a fighter as Commander Courau and his Prime. Because he was so mild-mannered, only those who trained with him would know this fact. Dominik was a cold, calculating fighter and they would send their weakest against him: the Scribe and a grandson.

Courau smiled. It wouldn’t be long now.

The Prize male leapt with a roar, trying to distract Courau while the Zumiel made a play for Kat. They did not fool him. Using the Prize male’s momentum, Courau matched the Prize male’s leap, making him fly directly into Courau’s knee to his gut while Courau used the metal serc ring at the end of his tail to hit the Zumiel between his eyes, stunning him as he got close to Kat.

Without hesitation, Kat reached out and snagged the Zumiel’s knife and ran behind Michael. Dominik called out, “Kat is armed!” Making the Bon’Rocinal’s hiss in anger because one of them had been shamed so quickly by a “weak” Honored Nessa.

Courau had only a moment to gloat before the two Lio Nels were on him. Sec. Comm. Dynah and Dominik were engaged and fighting with strategic grace.

A well-placed kick downed the unskilled Zumiel, while Courau wrestled the Prize male close to Michael, who dodged under the Prize male’s flailing claws to grab his knife.

Courau shouted, “Michael is armed!” Prize Dondin howled in anger, distracting Prime Dufalt, who abandoned his Zumiel to Mezere in order to come to his Prize grandson’s aid.

Ah, yes, evil male. Come to me.

Courau finished choking out the Prize male and kicking the Prize’s Zumiel back to unconsciousness as he met Prime Dufalt’s charge. The Prime was skilled, but not like Courau. He pinned the Prime while Michael reached in and took the Prime’s knife in a stealth move Courau didn’t think the Prime was even aware of.

Courau roared in triumph, a sound echoed by his fighting PrideMates. It was then he heard other Pon’Fiel coming toward them, alerted by Courau’s distinctive triumphant battle cry.

Courau called out, “Prime Dufalt is Disarmed and Dishonored by Honored Nel Michael King! He is the MateChallenge winner!” In one move, Michael had won the MateChallenge for Pon’Fiel Pride and his Coalition.

He let the enraged Prime go, enjoying his astonished expression when he reached down for the hilt of his knife and his gaze flew to Michael, who held his own knife against him in one hand and his Prize grandson’s knife in the other.

Everything stopped for a moment as they realized who had won the battle. And it wasn’t the Lio. The Honored were victors.

Running feet from both ends of the hallway drew their attention as an angry, low yowl came from one of the Bon’Rocinal Lio Nel grandsons close to Kat.

The Lio Nel whispered, “Useless Earther female. You will pay for this disgrace,” before leaping on Kat. Kat’s shield automatically engaged to protect her from being crushed as her autonomic response kicked in, but Kat’s breath was knocked out of her as they hit the floor.

Kat gasped for breath and defended against the tail coming at her head, trying to stun her. She grabbed the tail and held it, while her hand held the knife somewhere out of Courau’s sight.

Abassan Zeitune’s voice rang out. “Stop at once!” Courau was inches from the Lio Nel, claws extended. Michael stilled, holding Prime Dufalt’s blade against his throat to keep him out of it. The Prime saw what had happened and cried out, “Stupid, youth! Lagnez, no! You disgrace us!”

Abassan Zeitune approached, clearly seeing how Kat’s knife pushed against the Lio Nel’s shielded side and how his claws dug into Kat’s shielded belly. He regarded the shamed Lio Nel mercilessly. His tone was icy with command. “Sheath your claws, Lagnez Bon’Rocinal of Lio HomeWorld.”

The male began panting in stress, the realization of what he had done finally sinking in. It was when Abassan Zeitune said, “Disengage your shield,” gasps came from Bon’Rocinal and Pon’Fiel alike. Kat pulled back her knife as the male complied.

Abassan Zeitune took hold of the male’s mane and kept him in place over Kat, who still had a firm hold on the Lio Nel’s tail. Abassan Zeitune glanced at Kat and commanded, “Take his serc and knife. He surrendered his honor when he tried to kill you while cowardly shielding himself.”

Abassan Zeitune bent down and pulled the disgraced male’s sheathed knife off his belt, placing it next to Kat as she slid her hand down the tail she still grasped, and took the ring near his tail tuft off in a smooth move.

Courau stood up and went to the Bon’Rocinal Lio Nessa Scribe, searching, finding, then crushing her comm-disrupting device, restoring comms to his PrideMates.

The Bon’Rocinals stayed frozen, all fight gone as their loss and disgrace settled in. They stood hollow-eyed. Prime Dufalt took his empty Rav knife sheath from his belt and laid it on the floor, a move copied by the Prize male and his Zumiel.

Mezere walked up behind Prime Dufalt, extended a claw, and ripped a long, thin strip off of Prime Dufalt’s full length cape, the sound loud in the silence.

Abassan Zeitune moved the disgraced male away from Kat by his mane, landing him on his knees. Michael helped Kat to her feet as Mezere approached, walking behind Kat, leaning in close to her ear to ask her in his deep, low voice. “Please show me the serc.”

Kat lifted it on her palm so Mezere could take the fabric strip and pull it through the circle. He lifted it off her palm and tied the ends behind her neck, the serc landing at her belly directly over where the male had threatened to kill her with his claws.

High Nessa Theerah came to Kat and shared air with her, then kissed her forehead and took off her own belt, wrapping its length around Kat’s waist. Then she bent down, picked up the Zumiel’s knife sheath and the disgraced Bon’Rocinal male’s sheathed knife, attaching both to Kat’s new belt.

Kat peered into High Nessa Theerah’s gaze fearlessly as she sheathed the knife in her hand and stood, one hand on the hilt of a knife on each side, a MateChallenge prize serc dangling over her center. Courau felt his cock harden at the sight of his warrior Honored Nessa.

Abassan Zeitune released the disgraced male’s mane with a dismissive push, walking over to give Michael his belt and attach Prime Dufalt’s and Prize Dondin’s knife sheaths to it as High Nessa Theerah had done for Kat.

He shared air with Michael, then stepped back as Michael sheathed his knives and stood like Kat, a hand on the hilt of each knife. Courau, Mezere, and Dominik watched both of their Honored warrior mates with pride, desire, and possession.

The strength of these two Honored were going to be legendary. They could have any Lio Coalition in all the Known Galaxies, even the Crown Prime Coalition on Lio HomeWorld, and none would refuse.

High Nessa Theerah needed to make their choice clear in front of these mixed witnesses so there would be no MateChallenges later.

Her voice rang out in her official tone. “Honored Nessa Kat Bennett, do you still seek to Claim Honored Nel Michael King as your own?”

Without missing a beat, Kat answered strong and clear. “Absolutely, yes. I do.”

“Honored Nessa Kat Bennett, do you still seek to Claim Lio Nels Prime Mezere, Zumiel Dominik, and Commander Courau in Declared Coalition with Michael King as your own?”

Courau had a moment of worry. He could see a flicker of it cross Mezere. Dominik, however, had not one doubt their Honored mates would choose them, which made Dominik the strongest Lio Nel in their Coalition in Courau’s opinion.

Again, Kat didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I do.”

High Nessa Theerah wanted it abundantly clear and pushed harder. “Are you sure Kat Bennett? Have you been afforded the opportunity to see worthy males to choose from? Should you wait to choose?”

Kat rumbled a low, sexy feminine growl, bringing Courau to full mast under his shendyt. “These males are mine!”

Kat swept all those in the surrounding hallway with a fiercely challenging gaze. “Must I Challenge more of you to Claim what is mine?”

Kat stood, breath heaving, hands on her knives, seemingly becoming more feral with each passing moment. Kat’s scent was sharp with aggression and arousal, and it threatened to bring Courau to his knees as no enemy or threat had ever done.

High Nessa Theerah sought to reassure Kat, her voice soothing and placating. “No need for Challenge, Kat. These Nels have Declared for you. You may Claim them as you will.”

Kat took a deep breath and nodded once, stepping back until her back hit the wall. Courau didn’t like that. She was hiding unsteadiness or felt unsafe surrounded by her Pride. Both reasons were unacceptable.

Courau signaled for disbursement.

The Bon’Rocinals were to be taken to a holding cell until they rendezvoused with the Lio Fleet Kahlina’s Central ship, with accommodations far less luxurious than they were first generously provided. The disgraced male would be given to the Fleet Abassani not to be seen by his family again.

They gave high Nessa Theerah a tracker that was constantly monitored, something they did when she was on other ships, not usually on their own. Until their visitors were gone, it was a practical precaution.

Soon it was only their small group with two Lio Nessa medics, who were reluctant to approach until beckoned. The scents in the hallway were still heavy with aggression, fear, pain, and arousal.

Courau focused back on Kat, who still looked at them as she leaned against the wall, her demeanor angry and aggressive. She was unhappy and discomfited, but her body said don’t touch, so no one approached while they all watched her.

The telltale shimmer near Kat’s eye told Courau she was using her holo-comm to check on the de Roquemarel children’s safety, as both she and Michael had been doing in quiet moments all day. He saw some tension leave her, so what she saw must have reassured her.

Kat gazed at Courau, her beautiful golden-brown eyes dark with swirling emotions. “We will finish what we started. I will not let cretins like those ruin me, or us. Where is your workout room, Courau?”

Wise Kat, seeking a way to cope with all that had happened by moving forward with a familiar plan. Reaction was setting in and she shook, which concerned her companions. When the medics took a step toward her, Kat glared them away, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, centering herself, as was her habit.

Courau respected this female so very much.

I am yours, sweet warrior. We are yours. Claim us, please.

CHAPTER 11

MICHAEL

Michael was worried. Kat wasn’t used to battle like he, Mezere, Courau, and the other Lio were. Even Dominik had been in his element, fighting like a demon. Michael felt energized and clear-headed, filled with purpose, and deeply concerned for his struggling woman.

When Kat opened her eyes, she squared her shoulders and gazed at Michael.

What do you need, Kat? How can we help you?

She reached out her hand to him and he took it in both of his, so grateful she turned to him when she was in need. He could sense their Lio Nels’ need to comfort her too, but they held back, putting her needs above their own, which Michael appreciated.

His voice was deep and soft. “Are you okay, warrior Kat?”

Kat stared at him, emotions raging through her expression. “No. I’m not.”

She breathed deeply again and gave him a small sideways grin. “This is not Kansas. But those were some seriously evil flying lion-monkey men!”

Yes, Kat. Humor is the key. Let’s find it together.

Michael chuckled as he came close and wrapped her in his arms, hugging her. Lio culture was strange and new, and they had just seen some of the worst of it.

Michael continued to chuckle as he said, “Yes, fucking evil, flying fuck, monkey-fuckers.”

Kat pulled back, looking at him, eyebrows high. “That’s a lot of fucks, there, Michael.”

“Yup. It’s my favorite word.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I love to say it, and I love to do it.”

Kat burst out laughing, hugging him close as she released tremendous tension through her laughing fit with him.

Michael had known Kat needed it. She would either laugh or cry, and he didn’t want her tears. When the laughter calmed, they stood wrapped up in each other for long moments.

Kat stepped back out of Michael’s arms slowly, her expression showing she knew what he had done for her, as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes rather than tears of fear and sorrow.

Kat sniffed and observed her Lio Nel mates who stood tense with self-control, holding themselves still until she signaled what she wanted from them. Not even their tails moved.

She turned to High Nessa Theerah, saying, “Please take us to Courau’s workout room. I want to get away from here.”

High Nessa Theerah bowed her head to Kat and began leading the way without another word. Kat followed with Michael close behind her, touching Dominik as she passed him, dragging her hand down his arm, making him visibly shudder. She whispered, “Michael needs you,” as she passed.

Dominik looked at Michael, held out his hand, and smiled when Michael took it. They walked companionably as they watched Kat grab Mezere’s and Courau’s hands, walking with them. Michael watched tension leech out of the males’ shoulders with her touch. They wrapped their tails around her legs in a show of possessive support.

It made Michael look over at Dominik and lift an eyebrow, glancing over at Kat’s legs, then back at Dominik. Happiness shone from Dominik as he wrapped his tail possessively around Michael’s leg as they walked, warmed by the invitation to lay claim to Michael.

If I had a tail, I’d wrap it around you too, Dominik.

Dominik seemed to understand and let go of Michael’s hand so he could snuggle Michael deeper into his side, cuddled close, his cheek rubbing against Michael’s head as they walked. It was sweet and Michael liked it.

Sec. Comm. Dynah and Abassan Zeitune walked behind Michael and Dominik, watching their flank, with the two medics following measured paces behind.

Soon, they were in Courau’s workout space. When everyone walked in, Kat turned to Sec. Comm. Dynah and said, “Seal the entry.”

Sec. Comm. Dynah bowed and did Kat’s bidding without speaking. She sealed the entryway, then put a tiny disc on the wall and a distortion field appeared with a rainbow shimmer, understanding Kat’s instinctive need for extra safety.

Kat let go of Mezere and Courau’s hands, to their disappointment, and stepped away, so they dropped their tails too, their gazes riveted to her with focused attention as she moved across the room.

Kat peered around the large space. It had high, dark ceilings with warm lighting focused on specific areas. The room appeared well used, but scrupulously clean. The floor was a firm, but cushy, dark gray surface, the walls a warm wood with charcoal accents. There was an old, beat-up, obviously well-loved, sturdy wooden desk in the corner with a few comfortable seats scattered about. Equipment hung on the walls neatly.

The empty far wall could become a mirrored surface when activated, something Michael had learned while practicing their MateDance, but it seemed like a regular wall now. Michael had some detailed sexual fantasies about how they could use the mirror after they were all mated.

As everywhere else, there were plants here and there, bringing life to the space. There was only the hint of musk from countless workouts and training sessions.

After Kat scanned the room, Kat turned to Courau, who had been watching her closely. “I love this room, Courau. It’s warm and practical, but lovely. Organized. It feels welcoming and safe. Like its owner.”

Without speaking, Courau put his hand over his heart and bowed his head to her. Rising up, he gazed at her with moist eyes as her words sank into his heart. Yet, Courau didn’t approach Kat.

Mezere, Dominik, and Courau were acting formally, keeping their actions strictly contained. Michael didn’t understand why.

Abassan Zeitune swept through the room, taking Mezere’s, Dominik’s, and Courau’s wrist cuffs, then went to stand beside Sec. Comm. Dynah by the sealed entry.

Everyone was quiet, waiting for Kat to direct them. Kat was aggressive, unsettled, and volatile. No one wanted to trigger her into a rage, which she seemed on the edge of.

Michael was so fucking turned on by her strength and unpredictability. His blood was hot from the battle. Hers was too, but she didn’t know what to do with all the sexual adrenaline.

Michael knew Kat needed to fuck.

Michael gazed at Mezere and Courau, both of whom were savoring her scent over their tongues, their faces wrecked with arousal. Kat had four very eager males ready to serve her every need.

Take us Kat. Claim us, please.

Kat looked at the medics and signaled them closer. They approached cautiously. When she growled, they stopped, eyes wide. Kat’s growl cut off abruptly, a surprised expression crossing her face, like she’d growled without conscious thought. She stood blinking, then turned to High Nessa Theerah with a hint of fear in her expression.

“Theerah. Help. What is this? These feelings? I could rip out these nice Nessa’s throats right now.”

The Lio Nessa medics made a big step backwards, watching Kat as if she were a cobra about to strike.

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was calm and soothing. “Kat, it’s understandable. You are in your MateDance, your Declared Nels ready to be Claimed when you answer Michael’s Call to Mate.”

“The thing Mezere will get Michael ready for?”

“Yes.”

Kat hugged her arms around her middle, nodding at the medics. “See to my mates, please. They’re bleeding.”

High Nessa Theerah’s voice was firm. “You first, Kat. Your males would not consent to anything else.” Kat frowned, thought for a moment, then grudgingly nodded.

Kat took a deep breath and breathed over the back of her tongue, shivering as she tasted the scents in the air. Michael did the same, wanting to match her sexy actions. Arousal, aggression, fear, and happiness were a heady mixture and tasted absolutely delicious. Michael’s mouth watered.

The medics approached cautiously, Kat closing her eyes and tightening her grip on her own arms to keep from moving, obviously struggling. They used hand-held scanners to check her over. One medic reached in her bag and handed Kat a hydro pack, cracking the seal for her, showing with a nod of her chin for Kat to drink, which she did.

When Kat was done with it, the Lio Nessa medic took it and handed her another. The other medic spoke matter-of-factly. “Nothing broken, no lacerations, dehydrated, high stress, elevated hormones.”

The Lio Nessa watched Kat with a small smile. “With this level of aggressive hormones, I am impressed with your control.” Kat’s brows furrowed as she finished her second hydro pack and handed the empty pack back to the medic.

“Thanks?”

The Lio Nessa’s grin widened as she turned to Michael.

Michael spread his arms wide to facilitate their scan. When they handed him a hydro pack, he took it and drank dutifully, his gaze still focused on Kat, who watched the medics like a hawk as they scanned him. Michael liked her possessiveness.

One of them reached over to take his empty hydro pack and brushed his arm accidentally. A vicious growl burst from Kat, making the medics go completely still, looking at her with wide eyes.

Kat’s voice sounded rough when she said, “Don’t touch!” Then she breathed in deep and slowly let it out, hands coming to rest on the knives at her hips. Her tone expressed strained control. “Finish, please.”

They nodded wordlessly. The medic who had summed up Kat’s condition spoke, as her companion moved to Dominik to scan. “Small claw lacerations, some bruising, elevated hormones. He is ready to prepare for his Call.”

Hmm. Ready to prepare, huh? Interesting.

The medic glanced at Kat. “Do we heal the lacerations?”

Kat seemed confused. “Why would you ask me this?”

“Many Honored Nessa’s enjoy the flavor of their mates during mating.”

Michael shivered at the thought of being tasted by her and their mates.

Kat gaped at her, astonished. “Their blood?”

The medic shrugged. “Yes, of course. These males will gladly give you anything you want.”

Kat swept her gaze over her Lio mates, who gave her hot grins and nodded in agreement, all of them sporting large hard-ons beneath their shendyts. When her gaze landed on Michael, he was ready for her. He flexed his arm where the tiny, fine cuts barely stung and licked his lips at her. Kat shivered.

Michael wanted her to want his taste. He craved for her to crave him.

Oh, yes, Kat. I give you everything. We all do. How raw will you be? Will you hide enjoying the scent of my blood and perhaps wanting a taste? Or will you come to us untamed, like a feral goddess?

Michael watched conflicted expressions chase across her face. She looked over at her Lio mates again, then walked over to Mezere, giving him a close inspection. Kat then walked to Courau and Dominik, doing the same. As she walked around Michael, he could hear her sniffing deeply as she had when she inspected the rest of her Coalition.

Kat went back to her original position, her expression no longer conflicted. Kat glanced at High Nessa Theerah. “It is my understanding Lio like scars from battle. Is this true?”

“Yes. Cuts naturally heal lighter in our fur or on your Honored skin, unless medically sealed as offered to you now.”

She turned to Mezere. “You want to keep it, don’t you?” He nodded slowly; his predatory attention focused on her. Kat swept him again with a heated look, then turned back to the medic.

“Let them keep their cuts. Clean them.”

Michael’s cock hardened with approval. Kat was accepting her new beast-nature as Michael had done. When they finally were together, it would be raw, as he had dreamed of, and thought he wouldn’t ever have.

The medic nodded. “Already done, warrior Kat. If you are concerned later, trigger a Solaray. It’s all they will need.”

Kat’s eyes narrowed at what the Lio Nessa called her, then her expression cleared, her hands coming to rest on the knives at her hips.

Good. She accepts. We are both warriors to the Lio now.

The medic triggered a portable Solaray, and it refreshed everyone; sweat and grime were whisked away along with any need to empty bladder or bowel. The Lio were very efficient.

One medic took care of Dominik and Mezere, while the other checked out High Nessa Theerah, Abassan Zeitune, and Sec. Comm. Dynah. Everyone got a hydro pack or two and Michael could tell they felt revitalized after.

When they were done, the medics bowed low to Kat and High Nessa Theerah and were let out of the entry by Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah, who both quietly sat down near the door in meditative poses and closed their eyes as if they were resting.

High Nessa Theerah turned and sat on the empty far wall, not saying anything, but also not closing her eyes or even pretending to look away. She was Kat’s Shumal, her protector during the mating, and took her role seriously.

Kat watched her, then observed Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah, studying their relaxed postures.

Kat gazed at Michael, her hands clenching on the hilts of the knives she carried. She licked her lips and turned to Mezere, her expression blazing heat.

“Mezere, do it. I want to see you do it. Get Michael ready. Right here, right now.”

Mezere smiled slowly, his huge fangs showing as his smile broadened. His tail made lazy arcs of excitement. “You are ready for Michael to Call you to Mate, sweet warrior Kat?”

Kat nodded, anticipation making her lick her lips again as she slowly dropped to her knees to watch, her voice soft when she spoke. “I want to watch you prepare our mate, Mezere.”

Mezere stopped smiling, becoming instantly serious, and growled low with arousal, his lip lifting to show fang briefly as he turned his bright green gaze to Michael.

Abassan Zeitune walked over and tucked several insta-dry cloths into Mezere’s shendyt, then returned to his earlier place. Michael watched Abassan Zeitune closely.

Interesting. Insta-dry usually means orgasms.

Mezere’s voice was deeper than Michael had ever heard it. “Michael, this is uncommon.”

Michael snorted. “What’s new?” He could sum everything in his life up with the word “uncommon.” Michael glanced away from Mezere as movement caught his attention.

Dominik and Courau started to approach Kat, but High Nessa Theerah growled at them and flicked her tail for them to go to the opposite side from Kat. Their ears and tails fell, but they obeyed, sitting down on the floor like Kat, watching intently.

Michael’s gaze swung back to Mezere, who had kept his focus on Michael. “We usually do this in private. An Honored Nel with his Prime, alone. Asking questions, soothing nerves, easing into things. As much as I respect my Honored Nessa, I must know if this is what you want.”

Michael knew if he wasn’t already completely in love with this male, that would do it for him. He went to Mezere, his Prime, his mate. He buried his hands deep in Mezere’s thick mane and brought their foreheads together to share air.

Michael knew Mezere needed reassurance. He could give him this.

“Mezere, if I wanted easy, I wouldn’t be here. I want this. I want you. I want them. What do we do for it?”

Mezere growled low, his huge hands coming to rest on Michael’s hips where he unbuckled Michael’s belt and let it drop softly to the floor beside them, then returned his hands to Michael’s shendyt covered hips.

Mezere spoke to Kat without looking away from Michael. “Sweet warrior Kat, unlike any other Honored Nel in the Known and Unknown Galaxies, Michael is my precious mate. I will kiss and caress him in a way I would not do with any other. Do you understand this?”

The pause of her answer was so long they both turned to look at Kat. She was on her knees, her hands clasped hard together in her lap, her face sharp and hungry as she watched them. The scene profoundly aroused Kat. She husked, “Yes. I understand.”

Mezere and Michael turned back to each other and sank into a deep, sensuous kiss, lowering to their knees together, Mezere bending forward because he was still taller than Michael, even on their knees, but never breaking the smooth glide of their kiss.

Mezere stroked down Michael’s back, grabbing his ass, as Michael petted across Mezere’s strong, firm, velvety furred shoulders. When Mezere pulled back from the kiss, he asked Michael, “What do you want?”

Michael was surprised. “What?”

“What do you want? What is your need?”

Michael leaned forward to nip at Mezere’s lips softly with his own. “More. More kisses. I need more… you.”

Mezere was gruff. “Yes, my fierce warrior.”

Mezere sat back on his heels and grabbed Michael, spreading Michael’s legs, and sitting Michael on his thighs, grabbing Michael’s ass with both hands. Achingly, slowly, Mezere dragged Michael closer to his body, up his muscular thighs until their cocks were pressed tightly to each other beneath their shendyts.

Michael moaned at the exquisite sensation and pumped his hips into Mezere, making Mezere arch his back with an answering groan, while clutching Michael tightly to him.

Mezere lifted one hand and grabbed Michael’s head, making Michael look at him. “We will kiss, then you will bite when you are ready. It does not hurt me, understand?”

Michael, held firmly by Mezere, could not nod, so he whispered, “Yes.”

“When you have had enough, you will come, releasing your cream, and I will come with you. The scent of your release binds me to you as your Prime. The scent of my nectar binds you to me, your Prime, and through me, you are bound to your Pride. Is this clear?”

No, but whatever, I want to do this!

Michael again whispered, “Yes.”

Mezere narrowed his eyes at Michael, somehow sensing Michael’s untruth.

“Mezere, please. I don’t care how I’m bound to anyone except you and my mates. I consent. I’m good. It’s good.”

Mezere’s expression cleared, and he allowed desire to bleed back into it, taking Michael’s breath again. He brought their mouths back together, and Michael drowned in the sensuality of his primal mate.

Mezere tasted sharp, masculine, and delicious. Michael and Mezere ground together in counterpoint, rubbing their shafts together through the fabric with firm, slow rocks of their hips. A burgeoning need welled up within him. Michael pulled back on a gasp, unsure what it was he needed.

Mezere looked at him with knowledge in his gaze. He swept Michael’s hair from his face, bringing his wrist close to Michael’s face as he did it. The scent of Mezere’s wrist was divine. Michael grabbed it and bit without a second thought, growling fiercely as the spicy flavor of his Prime overwhelmed his senses.

Mezere’s voice drifted over Michael like a dream. “Yes, warrior king. Take what you need from me. My Prime-level hormones complete your Lio genetics boost, triggering your Call to Mate.”

Michael loved the sound of Mezere’s voice.

“Beautiful, Michael. Your Prime provides. Watching you prepare to Call Kat to Mate is unforgettable. Take from me, hmmm. Yes.”

Mezere nuzzled Michael’s cheek and neck as he continued to lick and suck. Michael did not know how long he kept his teeth clenched on Mezere’s wrist, but they didn’t stop rubbing their cocks together.

Michael growled as a rush of tingling sensation swept him from head to toe in a wave. Michael closed his eyes and thought of Kat.

Oh, Kat. We have come so far, you and me. Across the stars to be together. Claim me. Claim us. Pleaaaase.

The last word of his thoughts dragged out as he surrendered himself to the moment, to Mezere, to her. His mind reached out for Kat’s mind, his love, longing, and lust poured out to her from his soul.

Michael sensed one ferocious word back, the word blazing across his mind in a flaming rush full of her love, desire, and need, the strength of it sparking all his nerve endings. “Mine.”

Michael sensed her answer and could no longer hold back his peak.

Michael ripped his mouth off Mezere’s wrist, arched his back, grinding their cocks together as he groaned out his orgasm. Mezere moaned with Michael, joining him in pleasure.

Michael collapsed into Mezere’s arms, cuddled close with his face buried in Mezere’s neck, as Mezere rumbled a contented purr against Michael’s chest.

There was a scrambling of movement, some low whispered words, a hint of anxiety in the room threatened to interrupt Michael’s blissful relaxation. Mezere placed a calming hand on the back of Michael’s head, keeping him contently buried in Mezere’s neck, surrounded by the comforting scent of his Prime, who was also his mate. Held against the soothing rumble of Mezere’s purr, Michael’s body thrummed in a new and wonderful way.

Michael felt mellow and relaxed, lightheaded, but not drunk. He heard a constant, light scruffing sound behind him.

Michael realized Mezere had his face buried against the side of his head. Part of the hand holding Michael’s head into Mezere’s neck covered Mezere’s eyes.

Why would Mezere do this?

Michael’s curiosity prompted him to pull back and investigate. Mezere’s purr rumbled away and he looked at Michael with a small smile as his hand cupped Michael’s cheek. As if he were holding back tears, Mezere’s eyes were shiny. Mezere’s voice was rough, but full of caring. “How are you feeling, Michael?”

Michael’s brows furrowed. Something was wrong. Michael answered distractedly, “I’m good,” while he tried to sense what was going on.

Mezere efficiently reached into Michael’s shendyt and cleaned him with an insta-dry cloth, then quickly cleaned himself. Michael wasn’t surprised anymore when his Lio mates cleaned him. But he continued to puzzle through his disquiet.

The answer came to Michael like a church bell chiming, his name the sound the bell made, like a melodic clang in his mind.

“Michael.”

Kat needed him.

Michael pushed off Mezere and turned to where Kat was sitting and watching earlier. Kat laid flat out, her back arched, and she writhed as if in a fever, hands clenched in the sides of her dress, her legs spread with sexual need. Kat’s head moved back and forth, her hair grinding softly against the floor, making the scruffing sound he’d heard. Her expression showed pained arousal, her lips moving soundlessly.

High Nessa Theerah was near her, but not touching. Watching Kat with great concern. She had removed Kat’s belt and laid it to the side.

Michael glanced over at Courau and Dominik and blinked, trying to process what had made Courau and Dominik need to be restrained.

Courau was facedown and Abassan Zeitune had a knee on Courau’s back and his hand on Courau’s head, holding him down. Courau completely focused on Kat, a clawed hand reaching out to her, his tail swishing with agitation. Michael knew Courau had submitted to Abassan Zeitune by his own will.

Sec. Comm. Dynah had Dominik on his knees, holding both his arms behind his back, her expression compassionately pained. Dominik’s back arched, straining, his tail flicking angrily, his face wracked with fear and need, his cheek fur dark with trails of tears.

Yet all the Lio were completely silent.

Michael’s gaze swung back to Mezere, who practically shivered with the need to go to Kat, but he didn’t. Mezere held himself utterly still, as if any movement would be too much.

Michael turned to High Nessa Theerah. “What is happening?”

She was clear and direct, exactly how he needed her to be. “You have given your Call to Mate and Kat answers.”

“Like this?”

“Michael, we told you it is uncommon for an Honored Nessa to be present when her Honored Nel is prepared for his Call to Mate. Your proximity to each other at that moment and your already strong connection have brought her into a fever of need.”

“What are you doing to my Coalition? Why can’t they go to her?”

“Protocols must be followed so there will not be a Challenge to your mating, Michael. Kat answers your Call to Mate. You mate, and she Claims you, then she Claims her Lio Nel’s. This is the way it must be.”

Michael swept the room with his gaze, determination swirling within him. “Okay. But not here.”

Michael turned back to Mezere. “Take us home, please.”

Mezere nodded and stood up, instantly ready to go.

Michael approached Kat on hands and knees, touching her flushed cheek when he sat on his haunches beside her writhing form. Her glazed eyes opened, wheeling around until she saw him. Kat’s voice was rough. “M-Michael…”

“Oh, yes, Kat. I’m here. We’re here. Time to take care of you, honey.”

She moaned and nodded as he swiftly grabbed her arm and swung her up into his arms, her heated core solid against his raging hard on. He could feel her heat even through the layers of their clothes.

Kat cried out as she wrapped herself around him with all her strength, arms tight around his shoulders, legs a vise around his waist, her center pressed tightly to his cock.

Courau and Dominik were at his sides, lifting him by his arms, making it easy for him to stand steady and strong with their mate in his arms, despite his own raging need.

Mezere lead the way out of the entryway Sec. Comm. Dynah had already opened.

High Nessa Theerah grabbed Michael and Kat’s belts and they were on their way, almost running in their haste to get to their private quarters.

Hold on, my honey, my love. Hold on. Relief is coming.

CHAPTER 12

KAT

Hold on, my honey, my love. Hold on. Relief is coming.

Kat could hear Michael’s voice in her head as if he whispered it in her ear.

“Michael, I need you.”

Kat heard the plaintive whine in her voice and could do nothing about it. She was hurting.

At first, the force of sensuality hit her like a drug while watching Mezere and Michael enjoy each other. It was something Kat wanted to experience over and over, and not ever be without, like an addict. With four, gorgeous, eager mates, Kat didn’t think she would ever have to do without what she needed.

Kat’s heart had swelled with love at the tender way Mezere had gazed at Michael as Michael sank into a kind of blissful haze while biting into Mezere’s wrist. Michael had shivered and the aural glow Kat had become used to seeing around him, flared.

Michael’s beautiful voice had sounded in her mind.

“Oh, Kat. We have come so far, you and me. Across the stars to be together. Claim me. Claim us. Pleaaaase.”

Kat had felt overwhelmed by a vicious wave of unrelenting affection colored with excruciating hunger. The surge of it had knocked Kat flat, panting. Theerah had been beside Kat in a flash, removing Kat’s belt to make her more comfortable, and setting it aside.

Kat closed her eyes and answered Michael’s Call instinctively, making herself clear.

Mine.

Kat then turned on her side, tucking herself into a ball and watched Michael and Mezere come together, feeling the intensity of it as it were her own, panting through the pleasure with them, her hands pushing against her own sex, pulsing with them in unsatisfying release.

Kat saw Michael collapse bonelessly into Mezere’s loving embrace, soothed by Mezere’s purr. That’s when her personal hell began.

Heat swept through her body from head to toe, rolling her onto her back, her hands clenched in the fabric of her dress. Kat felt her legs spread lewdly in wanton demand for Michael’s solid weight holding her down, driving into her with his thick, beautiful, delicious, fulfilling shaft.

Kat felt herself spasm with consuming need, and that’s what broke Courau and Dominik, causing Abassan Zeitune and Sec. Comm. Dynah to leap upon Courau and Dominik in a scrambling rush to keep them from going to her.

She could smell their arousal, their need matching hers.

Cock, beautiful cock. So much cock. Need.

Kat shook her head as the words rolled through her mind over and over.

Theerah’s voice was low, barely audible. “Shh, sweet Kat. Shh. Your Call is strong. Michael must finish what was started to be ready for your Claim. Be quiet, if you can.”

Theerah’s urgent whisper got through to her enough to make Kat look back at Mezere and Michael. Mezere watched her with piercing awareness of her hunger in his bright green gaze.

Kat could see how ripped apart Mezere was as he stayed with Michael, comforting him while whatever needed to happen, happened.

Mezere was tortured by her painful need. Kat saw him slow blink to her in the uniquely Lio way of saying, ‘I care for you,’ then watched as he buried his face against Michael, who rested his face against Mezere’s neck, covering his eyes so he could focus on giving Michael what he needed.

Kat understood. She could feel a measure of calm from the bliss bleeding out to her from Michael and from Mezere’s purr, which she felt was as much to ease her as it was to soothe Michael.

Kat’s need did not relent, however, and she writhed in its blistering clutches, thinking about cock, beautiful, thick, scrumptious cock that would make her scream, her lips moving soundlessly as she drifted.

Kat sensed Michael rousing. She would give him as long as she could. When she felt a kind of fading reach for her, Kat panicked, calling out to Michael with her heart and mind.

And then he was there. And he was in her arms, clutched tight. And they were moving, his hardness beautifully pressed right where she needed him most. She cursed their clothes. He might have already been in her if not for their clothes.

Kat heard Mezere speak low. “Welcome home, precious mates.”

Michael paused. Kat pulled up and blinked, looking around at a warm, inviting circular room. Taupes, creams, and dark browns dominated the colors. A comfortable circular seating area resided on one side with a large tree lit by soft growing lights beside it. The other side displayed an efficiently small food prep area and a few tables and chairs for dining.

They could see the starscape through “windows” that could have easily been screens in the walls and up above. They gave a sense of openness.

Kat liked it all very much, and knew she would enjoy exploring her new home, later. Much later.

There were six openings to private spaces around the room.

Courau spoke in soft tones. “We have kept this space private for only us, except for a room for High Nessa Theerah and her Harem when they visit. As our Honored Mates, you choose who shares your common space.”

Dominik stood near the entryway between the seating area and the dining area. “This way, Michael. These are our truly private quarters.”

Dominik went down to one knee and helped Michael remove his sandals while Theerah removed Kat’s sandals. Everyone else scuffed them off, leaving them near the entry as they entered the private quarters.

Their private space held the same soothing, warm color scheme, with a huge circular bed being the focal point of the room. Soft fabric covered the floor in warm, muted colors. There were open shelves full of personal belongings along with some empty ones. There were pegs on the walls too. A long, sinuous, low-backed sofa sat along the far wall, and this was where Michael took her.

Michael turned around and sat down carefully, making sure Kat’s legs tucked on either side of his hips comfortably.

He leaned in as if to begin a kiss but then pulled back, his expression concerned for Kat. “Are you ready for me, honey? Are you ready for this?”

Kat appreciated his concern. Her body and emotions were raw. His care was a balm to her senses. She reached up and brushed a lock of hair off his forehead, love for him now as strong as her sexual need.

“Yes. I Claim you, Michael, for my own. My mate.”

Michael reached up, cupping her cheeks gently, looking into her eyes. “I love you, Kat. I think I have since I first saw you.”

Kat’s heart burst with love as she gushed with need.

Kat smiled sweetly at him, her words at odds with her expression. “I love you too, Michael, very much, and if you don’t give me your cock as soon as possible, I might have to do some very bad things.”

“How bad?”

“Very Bad.”

Michael reached up under her skirt and ripped the sides of her panties to shreds. Kat lifted up so he could pull the soaked remnants out from under her. Kat laughed when he threw them behind her. Kat was sure one of her Lio mates proudly held them.

Kat reached down, untying Michael’s shendyt, pulling it apart as if it were a present she was giving herself, exposing the long, lovely column of Michael’s smooth, gorgeous erection. Kat made a needy sound as she saw it, her core clenching.

Michael’s voice was low and enticing. “You want this cock, sweet warrior Kat?”

“Yesss.”

“Then take it. Take me. I’m yours.”

Kat reached down, lined him up, and sank down, gasping at his girth. She was tight but heavily aroused, so he slid in nice and smooth, filling her exactly like she needed. She absolutely adored Michael’s slayed expression as she took him into herself.

Kat peered at Michael, aching hunger crushing her with the need to come. “I won’t last long.”

“Don’t hold back. I want many from you.”

Kat blinked, multiple orgasms not being her usual experience, but it was clear she had a lot to learn about sexual matters. It was time to start the orgasms.

Michael reached up and ripped her bodice, exposing her generous breasts. He cupped them with reverent hands, fingering her nipples gently and pleasurably.

“You are a goddess, Kat. A sweet warrior goddess.”

Michael surged his hips up into her with rapid pumps. Kat growled in ferocious release as she finally got the friction she needed, her body shaking as she tasted fulfillment.

Michael slowed down for her, so she could come down a little from the high and catch her breath, shivering with occasional aftershocks.

Michael gave her sweet kisses along her neck and shoulders while he murmured to her. “My beautiful, gorgeous woman. Taking what she needs. Taking what she deserves.”

Kat watched as Michael lifted her full, heavy breast to his mouth and laved her pink nipple with his soft, velvety tongue while he watched her reactions, clearly trying to learn what she enjoyed the most.

Kat panted as she watched him lick her. Michael grinned right before he closed his eyes and sucked her, laving her pleasure point. She moaned at the exquisite sensations he gave her.

“Oh, Michael. So good.”

Michael nipped her gently, making Kat cry out in surprise and shiver as he pulled back, grinning up at her.

“You want more? More of this cock?”

Kat nodded, her head falling back, her hair a long golden fall sweeping across her back and ass as Michael started a sinuous slow rhythm with his hips enticing her over into bliss as fast as he had pounded her into her last orgasm. She moaned low as she reached her peak, her head shaking back and forth with the power of it.

“You are so gorgeous taking cock, Kat. I look forward to seeing you completely filled. Everywhere.”

Kat clenched on Michael’s deeply buried shaft at the thought, making him grunt and groan.

“Oh, you like that thought too.” Michael sat up, bringing her breasts in light contact with his chest as his hands stroked over her hips to her ass, squeezing gently, with obvious enjoyment.

“Oh, how I have wanted to sink into this beautiful ass of yours Kat.” Kat panted as Michael used one hand to pull her cheeks apart while he softly petted over her back hole with gentle fingers from his other hand. “Has your tiny, little asshole been fucked, Kat?”

Kat keened and shook her head. Michael’s nasty, sexy words ignited her. She felt incandescent at the thought of her ass being played with and prepared for deeper pleasures. She was scared and excited for it all at once.

“No? Won’t be long now, though, will it?”

She moaned louder and shook her head again, wanting to be filled in every way.

Michael laid back indulgently, his hands pulling back slowly from gripping her ass. He reached up to continue petting her breasts softly, then pinching her nipples firmly, giving her amazing zings of sensation as she rode him.

“So fucking sexy. Your turn, Kat. Take me. When you come, I’ll go with you this time.”

Kat rose up on her knees and tried a few tentative strokes before she got her rhythm. Michael writhed with her smooth, grinding thrusts, but it was his growled words that brought her over.

“Yeah, that’s right, get that dick, own that dick. Make me yours. Fucking goddess!”

Kat pulsed with delight as Michael groaned as if he were dying, shaking, pumping his come into her, finally taking his own pleasure.

She leaned over him with the final pulses of their peak still lingering in them both. “Mine,” she whispered as she took his lips in a slow, thorough tasting. When she pulled back, Michael gazed at her like she was his sun and moon.

Michael took a strand of her long hair and tucked it behind her ear, softly saying, “I love you, Kat.”

“I love you, Michael.”

So much of Kat’s world fell into place with those words, but she wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. She still had three other mates to Claim, and her body tingled with a need to feel their strong, furred bodies driving into her like Michael’s beautiful body had.

Michael reached behind her and was given insta-dry cloths. Kat lifted up and off Michael as they both moaned. They chuckled together to see he was still hard and rarin’ to go.

Michael gently cleaned her, then swiftly swiped himself. He helped her remove the tatters of her pretty dress and the serc necklace she still wore, setting them aside, then gave her a sweet, small kiss on her lips.

Michael regarded her, asking the silent question: Was she ready to face the room full of people who had just watched them make love?

Kat nodded, so he held her hand and assisted her in turning around.

Kat’s breath caught at the stunning sight of her Lio Nels on their knees naked before her, their soft fur in shades of gold, russet, and cream gleaming over their beautiful bodies in the warm, low light.

Mezere, Dominik, and Courau rested back on their haunches, their hands on their thighs, tails moving sinuously with excitement, ears high and alert, their cocks all long and throbbing, on full display for their Honored mates. They were as naked and exposed as Kat and Michael were.

Kat had seen notoriously exhibitionist naked Lio in the Medical Center, but it had been no big deal. Lio Nel erections were different from human ones. When soft, a Lio’s cock was completely covered by their furred sheath, so Kat had not seen a Lio Nel’s exposed shaft.

Kat had just discovered, when aroused, their long, thick, hard Lio cocks emerged, and the sheath pulled back out of their way.

The head of a Lio’s shaft was more pointed and longer than a human male’s. But the most distinctive feature of a native Lio’s shimmery golden erection was the darker gold patterned nubs covering its surface. Kat wondered how they would feel and taste. Her mouth watered at the thought.

Kat and Michael both looked their fill at their Lio mates’ cocks and bodies, eyes avidly roaming with anticipation, while their Lio mates’ gazes devoured Kat and Michael’s Honored bodies.

Kat glanced over at the entryway. Sec. Comm. Dynah took up her usual spot near the entrance, a rainbow shimmer ensuring their privacy.

Abassan Zeitune stood to the side of Kat’s kneeling Lio Nels in a formal-looking posture, with a solemn Theerah next to him.

Looks like the gang’s all here.

Unlike before, no one closed their eyes. They watched naked Kat and Michael meet their completely exposed mates with kind, curious expressions, small, radiant smiles on their faces.

Kat had a perspective shift.

The Lio felt no shame in nakedness or in mating. They were very open about their sexuality. Their MateDance, Call to Mate, and ultimate Claiming were pinnacle moments for most Lio.

This was like a human wedding to them; a moment to be witnessed, appreciated, and treasured.

Abassan Zeitune intoned in a low voice, “Michael King is Claimed by Kat Bennett. His Call is Answered.”

All the Lio in the room growled low with approval.

“Kat Bennett, you have answered Michael King’s Call to Mate and Claimed him as rightfully yours, but you have not formally laid Claim before me, or High Nessa Theerah, your Shumal, to this Coalition of Lio Nels who have Declared themselves for you.”

Theerah walked behind Prime Mezere as Abassan Zeitune continued to speak.

“High Nessa Theerah has Mate Tributes to mark them as Claimed Mates. Kat Bennett, do you seek to Claim Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel, Zumiel Dominik Pargen’Vahral, and Commander Courau Pon’Fiel for your own?”

Kat answered Abassan Zeitune while looking at her Lio Nel mates one by one, her voice strong and sure.

“I Claim Prime Mezere Pon’Fiel for my own.”

Theerah reached forward and grasped the edge of Mezere’s left ear, pressing a decorative cuff around the edge of it. The piece was long and mimicked the top curve of a Lio’s ear.

Made of silvery metal formed by two joined sections with high edges on each end and in the middle, there was a round purple jewel centered in one section and a round turquoise-blue jewel in the other.

After Theerah placed the Mate Tribute, Mezere closed his eyes and bowed his head to Kat, then lifted up, his expression blazing with passion.

Theerah walked behind Dominik.

“I Claim Dominik Pargen’Vahral for my own.”

As Theerah placed the cuff on his ear, Dominik smiled at Kat lovingly. She smiled back.

Theerah stood behind Courau.

“I Claim Commander Courau Pon’Fiel for my own.”

As Theerah placed his Mate Tribute cuff, Courau bowed his head, hand over his heart, but he didn’t take his gaze off her.

Abassan Zeitune intoned, “You have laid Claim to these Lio Nels, Kat Bennett. Prime Mezere, Zumiel Dominik, and Commander Courau, you may approach your Honored Nessa and Honored Nel as Claimed Mates.”

Kat gazed at Michael, her handsome, dark, broody hero, then back to her gorgeous Lio mates and felt like the proverbial cat who had all the cream, satisfaction settling in her that these males were hers.

Kat put Michael’s hand on her thigh and spread her arms to her Lio mates, saying softly, “Mine.”

The constraints they had held themselves to were broken and their Lio pounced, pulling Kat and Michael into warm embraces, their bodies kissed, petted, and fondled in an orgy of touch, taste, and urgent growls. Kat kissed whoever was near with equal passion, enjoying the unique flavors and textures of her mates while drowning in hunger for them.

Kat felt her mates’ hunger for her in the fine tension of their bodies, the groans and purrs they gave when touched just so. She heard Michael moaning. Kat felt insatiable.

She found herself spread wide, a leg over Dominik’s legs on one side and Courau’s legs on the other, Dominik and Courau each suckling on a breast, her eyes closed, back arched, head back against the cushions.

Kat cried out when Courau’s thick, masculine fingers stroked a light caress across her clit then pushed deep into her while brushing steadily over her button with his thumb. She came with a low feminine growl and was joined by Courau, who came on her thigh, panting against her neck in pleasured release.

The intoxicating scent of Courau’s nectar combined with her cream and Michael’s cream, made Kat feel frenzied to taste and be filled.

“More. I need more.”

Kat opened her eyes as Courau rubbed slick, fragrant nectar across her belly, his face showing deep satisfaction.

Courau gazed up at Kat and asked, “Did you know Lio Nel Nectar is the perfect sexual lubricant?”

She shook her head. Courau nodded and then slowly, slowly, reached down under her to lightly touch her back hole. Kat gasped and clenched, prompting Dominik to kiss her shoulder comfortingly. Courau went back for more slick nectar then returned to her hole, this time rubbing ever smaller circles around it.

Dominik’s voice soothed. “Relax, sweet warrior Kat.” She tried as Courau circled tighter, until he was barely circling, simply pulsing against her rosette.

Mezere knelt between her legs, held open by Dominik and Courau and focused on her like she was a feast.

Michael’s voice came from behind her. “Fucking gorgeous!”

Kat glanced back and saw Michael standing behind the sofa stroking his shaft as he watched her mates work her body. His expression was absorbed and aroused. “I love watching them get your tiny, little virgin hole ready for cock.”

Kat closed her eyes, shuddering at his naughty words, feeling herself gush.

“I think you need some help relaxing.” Mezere lowered his head and ate her pussy. Fucking devoured it like it was the best tasting thing he had ever had. And perhaps it was. Cats did enjoy their cream, and oh, did Kat like being enjoyed.

Lio tongues were very different from human ones; they were long and flexible with rough centers, but had a soft, agile tip that Mezere used to great advantage. Mezere brought her close to orgasm, but it was when Courau pushed his finger in further up to his knuckle that Kat went over the precipice, reveling in the sensations they were giving her.

Mezere sat back on his heels, licking his lips with a growl of lust. Mezere brought his tail forward. He took the serc encircling his tail right below the long furry tuft and removed it, then he pulled back the tuft of hair and slid the serc back on, only now it held the fur back away from the tip of his tail.

Kat had an out of body moment as she watched Mezere. There Kat was, her legs lewdly spread over two males with a fingertip relentlessly in her asshole, while another mate stroked off behind her, watching her pussy-eating grand-champion, orgasm-award winning fourth mate revealing the tip of his tail. And no one seemed to think any of it was unusual.

My life is crazy. Crazy good!

“I want show you my sabah.”

Michael sounded intrigued. “Sabah?”

“Yes. The cock in my tail.”

Michael’s outburst of “Fucking fuck, I was short-changed with this Honored thing!” made Kat and her mates laugh heartily.

Kat’s laughter cut off abruptly with a moan as Courau used the pulses of her amusement to push deeper into her. Dominik gave her a decadent kiss as a reward for taking all of Courau’s finger.

Kat felt dazed as her attention came back to Mezere, who was stroking his cock softly while watching her get stretched and kissed.

As Kat focused on it, the blunt furred end of Mezere’s tail, which had a dip in the center, slowly revealed a protrusion. By increments, his sabah was revealed.

First, the flexible tip became a pointed crown flowing into a long, narrow column of golden flesh with tiny darker gold nubs in a distinctive pattern. It was as thick as his tail and longer than his hand. Instead of an opening in the crown, there was a flexible tip he could control like a finger.

Michael said, “Fuuuuck.”

Mezere looked up at Michael with a gleam in his eye as he moved the tip to show them the possibilities for bringing them pleasure with his sabah were unlimited.

When Dominik’s hand reached to cover Kat’s aching core and rub her with his palm and fingers, gently pleasuring her, Kat felt herself relax around Courau’s unrelenting intrusion.

Then Kat gasped as Courau slowly pulled his finger out, swiped it across what was left of his nectar on her thigh and gently, slowly inserted two fingers into her tight ass while Dominik sensuously rubbed her button.

Dominik spoke softly while she gasped. “Sweet warrior Kat, you probably feel invaded by Courau.”

Kat nodded.

“Is this your most private place?”

Again, Kat nodded.

“You give yourself to us so generously, sweet warrior Kat.”

Kat groaned as Courau gently spread his fingers, stretching her, preparing her.

She heard Michael murmur, “Beautiful.”

Dominik’s voice was almost hypnotic to Kat. “We honor what you give us Kat. You see, a Lio’s sabah is our most private place.”

Michael hummed at the realization. Kat’s gaze flew to Mezere’s face. He smiled at her and came closer, holding his tail where she could inspect his sabah.

“Some Lio never reveal their sabah, not even to their mates.”

While she watched, Dominik gave his tail to Mezere, who slipped the serc off and secured his tuft back, then slowly revealed his sabah while whispering, “But we will share all of ourselves with you, our beloved mates.”

When Courau gave Mezere his tail for the same treatment, Kat felt a burning prick of tears behind her eyes. These males were giving her and Michael everything, holding nothing back.

Kat’s voice was tight when she said, “Thank you.”

Mezere’s deep voice was insistent. “We, too, feel gratefulness for you, our precious mates. But I want this clear, this is not an unselfish act.”

“It’s not?”

“No. Your soft mouths are a delight to us Lio. We can kiss you so deeply because you have no fangs to prevent it.”

Mezere reached over and rubbed her lower lip softly with his thumb while he spoke. “And your velvet tongues…”

Kat swiped his thumb with the tip of her tongue giving him a full-body shiver, his voice deeper when he continued. “Your tongues give cock and sabah alike sensations no Lio ever can.”

Kat grabbed Mezere’s tail and brought his sabah close to her lips, watching rampant desire chase across his expression. Mezere wanted her mouth on his sabah in the worst way.

Kat saw Michael’s hands reach forward in her peripheral vision to grab both Dominik and Courau’s tails and pull them back to him.

Kat glanced back at Michael who had a russet tail in one fist and a cream-colored one in the other. He peered down at Kat with a wicked look. She answered with a grin of her own. They were about to rock their mates’ worlds.

Kat gazed back at Mezere, who watched her mouth with predatory focus. She made sure her breath bathed his sabah when she asked, “You want me to suck your sabah, Mezere?”

Mezere’s expression became violently feral. “Yes. I want to feel those soft lips closing over my sensitive sabah. I want to feel your velvety tongue swirling all around it, bathing it in heat.”

Mezere was seducing her with his words, making her pump her hips to get more friction from Dominik’s hand as Courau easily stretched her now with three fingers.

“I want you to suck me so sweetly I lose my mind while I tongue your delicious, virgin ass. Would you like this too, sweet warrior Kat?”

“Yes! Please!”

Mezere dove down, licking around Courau’s fingers as they withdrew to allow his tongue to enter her. She saw him fold the sides of his tongue in on itself, which protected her from its rough center, then work his tongue deeply inside her back passage. Mezere watched her reactions the whole time, making sure she enjoyed what he was doing to her.

Kat cried out, eyes wide, looking down as a fierce Lio tongue fucked her ass. She wanted to give Mezere bliss too.

Kat kept their gazes locked as she licked her lips and sucked Mezere’s sabah in. The flavor was delightful, like Mezere but concentrated. The golden nubs were soft protrusions, not spiky but noticeable. She thought they would feel amazing inside her.

Kat swirled her tongue around him and heard him growl as he thrust his tongue deeper. She sucked, and Kat knew he was gone to the heavens when he growled with profound pleasure.

Kat became aware of the writhing and moaning Dominik and Courau were laying out when suddenly Mezere began to withdraw, pulling away carefully, as if scared he might break her, taking away his tail and sabah, ears flat, eyes down.

“Mezere. What’s wrong?”

Her mates all stopped and watched Mezere in concern as he began to pant on his hands and knees, backing slowly away from Kat and his mates. Kat brought her legs together and sat up, worry swamping her.

Something was very, very wrong.

CHAPTER 13

PRIME MEZERE

Mezere felt his beast-nature rise up within him on a wave of aggression stronger than he had ever felt in his life.

It scared him.

He used every last shred of self-control he had to pull back from his loves and call out, “Theerah!”

Instantly, Theerah took his mane in hand, pulling his head back, while Zeitune secured his arms back behind his back.

In a clever move, Dynah took his legs and crossed one over the other, unbalancing him, so he would be tangled in his own limbs if he struggled.

Mezere panted, unable to find the calm he sought.

Theerah’s commanding voice got through Mezere’s panic.

“Your beast rises, and you fear for your mates.” It wasn’t a question. She understood her people well.

Kat was upset, Mezere could scent it. Where there was once only the scent of pleasure, acrid fear crept its way in.

Abah-sah, please help me protect my mates, even from myself.

Mezere kept his gaze down, feeling shame.

“Mezere, you have shown enormous strength. Your control during Michael’s enticement, the MateDance, the Challenge, preparing Honored Michael’s Call to Mate, and finally Kat’s distress during the Call would have been too much for a lesser Lio.”

Mezere still burned, his body so sensitized even the air currents in the room irritated him.

“What made you fear, Mezere?”

Mezere’s voice cracked when he answered his High Nessa. “I wanted to take. Savagely take. All of them. Unceasingly. Mark them inside and out. I have fear of it.”

Michael sounded excited but confused. “That sounds fucking amazing! Let’s do it! What the fuck, guys? You are acting like Mezere is dangerous. He’s been Claimed, I thought it was what Lio needed.”

Theerah’s voice was strong with authority, her grip firm and tight in Mezere’s mane, exactly how he needed it to keep control.

“Kat has indeed staked her Claim, but the MateBond is incomplete as yet.”

Michael was clearly frustrated. “What does ‘the MateBond’ mean? No one tells us shit around here!”

Zeitune explained in his calm, unruffled way. “The MateBond is not something that needs explanation, Michael, it simply occurs in a mating. It is natural.”

“No one told me about the Prime prep thing either.”

Again, Zeitune expressed the Lio perspective. “Why would you be told about the immense pleasures of something you could not experience? This is not kindness, Michael.”

Zeitune paused, seeming to give Michael time to understand what he said. “If you and Kat had not met your Coalition, you would have had happiness together. But having met them, and tasted the depth of love and heights of passion you have with them, would you go back to the way it was before?”

Michael’s answer was firm and quick. “Not on your life.”

Kat said, “No, I wouldn’t either.”

Mezere sensed her get up to approach him, making Mezere tense, closing his eyes in concentration. If he couldn’t find his way through this, he would lose everything: his beloved mates, his position in his Pride, and probably his life. He would become Bereft and broken.

Mezere felt Kat run her fingers through his mane and touch his face softly.

Her “Look at me,” commanded him, and he obeyed his beautiful mate, his sweet warrior Kat. She continued to give him soft, undemanding pets as if he wasn’t held in check by three powerful Lio.

Kat studied him, trying to understand. Mezere’s nostrils flared as he drowned in the extraordinary scent of her arousal. He lost himself in the memory of delving into her soft body with his tongue, of his sabah being laved by her soft, hot mouth, going into a reverie.

Mezere relaxed in their hold and stayed relaxed as their grip on him changed. He blinked as he realized his forehead was buried firmly against Kat’s abdomen, his nose right above her mouth-watering sex, as he drowned in her lusciousness. Theerah, Zeitune, and Dynah no longer held him.

Courau was behind him and had set his legs down comfortably beside each other, then sat over them, resting his weight softly on top of Mezere’s calves while he stroked Mezere’s back tenderly.

It was his beloved Dominik’s hand who held him firmly pressed to Kat while she combed her fingers lovingly though his mane, petting his ears, neck, and shoulders. Mezere needed a taste of his sweet warrior Kat.

Mezere snaked his long tongue down and swiped up her slit, grabbing a lush lap of her creamy cunt, making Kat cry out in surprise, her knees buckling a little bit. That’s when Michael made his presence known, holding her up from behind, shifting her weight so her legs spread more for Mezere.

Mezere lifted his hands up and used his thumbs to open her folds for his tongue, while Michael enflamed her with sexy talk.

“Oh, yes, Kat, give your delectable pussy to Mezere. Let him get a good taste of your sweetness.”

Mezere concentrated his attention on her tiny swollen bud, stroking softly with the soft tip, flicking it, and tapping it until he felt her convulse in pleasure, her cries incoherent.

Mezere grabbed her thighs and wrapped them around his head so he could bury his tongue deep inside her, where he belonged, drinking her down, savoring her flavor.

After some time, he let her thighs be pulled off his shoulders but then she slid down his torso directly over and onto his throbbing, needy cock. Mezere and Kat both cried out at the exquisite pleasure as he penetrated her tight sheath. Kat’s heat enveloped him completely and they pressed their hips gently together in a slow grind as she moaned through her first peak while riding his shaft.

Mezere felt Dominik drop down to his knees beside Kat to fondle her body and kiss her deeply while Michael took a firm grip of Mezere’s mane. Mezere gazed at Michael’s cock with greedy need and growled, grabbing Michael’s hips in an unbreakable grip then swallowed his mate’s thick erection all the way down his throat.

Mezere’s mouth was wide open, his dangerous fangs well away from his beloved’s length, his rough tongue folded in on itself so as not to harm tender, Honored flesh. But Mezere loved sucking Dominik’s cock and was very good at coaxing nectar. It was time to taste Michael’s cream.

Michael screamed in surprised pleasure as Mezere rhythmically swallowed around Michael’s shaft, enticing him to give up his load and let Mezere drink. Michael held on until Mezere spread Michael’s cheeks and pushed his sabah deep inside Michael’s hole.

Michael’s delicious flavor overwhelmed Mezere’s senses as he swallowed pulse after pulse of Michael’s release.

Finally, Mezere had the taste of his mates on his tongue and Kat on his cock, knowing he could please them both without losing control. He felt his beast-nature settling as they all moved toward giving each other the ultimate MateBond.

CHAPTER 14

MICHAEL

Michael was fucking slayed by the way Mezere sucked dick. If all his Lio mates could do that, he’d be a walking hard-on day and night.

And his ass was still full of Mezere’s sabah. Fuck was he jealous of that thing.

Michael hummed with enjoyment as the sabah inside him kept pumping with gentle pulses, then began stroking directly over his prostate, causing shivers of sensation to cascade though him, making him lose his balance.

Michael’s head was also swimming because he’d popped his load in record time. Both Mezere and Courau guided him to a gentle landing on his knees beside Mezere where Courau took possession of Michael’s mouth in a blistering kiss.

Courau whispered beautiful filth to Michael between kisses, already knowing Michael liked dirty talk from paying attention while Michael was with Kat.

“Your gorgeous mouth was made for sucking shafts.”

Kiss.

“Are you going to suck for me, my warrior king?”

Long kiss.

“Will you take me deep inside you while you fuck and suck?”

This made Michael visibly shudder while his needy cock throbbed, and his mouth watered for a taste.

Courau dragged Michael’s mouth down his chest to the tiny nipple buried in his creamy white chest fur.

“Lick it.”

Michael licked with delight.

“Suck.”

Michael sucked with pleasure, making Courau moan.

Then Courau guided Michael further down until Michael braced himself on both his hands and knees, face to face with Courau’s big Lio shaft. It was a thick, beefy boy who deserved a thorough licking, which Michael began giving without being told.

Courau was utterly delicious, the little nubs texturing his cock were extra tasty. Michael knew they would feel amazing in a fuck. Courau’s sighs and hums of enjoyment were music to Michael’s ears.

Michael’s senses were brightly alive. He loved the combined scents of his mates’ pleasure hanging heavy in the room. He felt Mezere’s velvety furred haunches move against his shoulder, Kat’s leg wrapped low around Mezere’s thigh against Michael’s ribs, as they continued to fuck as he licked Courau.

Every now and then, Michael would be stroked and petted lovingly across his back and ass by a tender feminine hand or large masculine ones. He reveled in the subtle, liquid sounds of kisses and licks, and the soft shush of flesh and fur sliding against each other. Michael drifted pleasurably as he immersed himself in the scent, taste, and feel of being with his mates.

Courau slowly and gently grabbed Michael’s hair, pulling his head back to get Michael’s full attention. Courau’s face was so fiercely beautiful, Michael clenched on the sabah, which seemed permanently placed inside him now, making Mezere growl.

Courau’s voice was deep, compelling, and would be obeyed. “I’m going to fuck your delightful mouth, my warrior king. You drink what I give you, but you do not come, do you understand? You save your tasty cream for our sweet warrior kitten.”

Michael moaned at Courau’s words, panting through the surge of sexual adrenaline rushing through him. Michael knew Courau meant he would be fucking Kat’s virgin ass. There was no way Mezere was giving up Kat’s perfect pussy until he was completely satisfied, and the guy had a lot of steam to work through.

Michael’s new Honored beast-nature felt satisfaction that he would be the first to come in her and mark her as mate there, but it was something Michael had dreamed of doing long before being boosted with Lio genetics.

Kat cried out on another long, intense orgasm, and Michael’s cock throbbed with need to join her in pleasure.

Courau guided Michael back down to his long, thick, beautiful textured shaft. Michael tensed a little looking at it, opening his mouth and extending his tongue, widening his throat to take what Courau gave him, hoping Courau wasn’t mean when he face-fucked.

Just as the thought surfaced, Courau’s hold became a gentle pet, his voice saying simply, “Enjoy.” Courau’s claws softly scratched along Michael’s scalp causing tingles to erupt all over.

Michael peered up at Courau questioningly. Courau gazed back at him and shrugged. “You tensed. I scented remembered pain.”

Courau stroked his thumb across Michael’s furrowed brow, his expression loving. “Sexual fear can be exciting but hurt is not. We will not hurt you, Michael.”

That’s when the last hidden walls within him broke apart for his mates. Michael blinked back his tears as he said, “I love you, Courau.”

Michael licked and sucked Courau with delicacy and skill, contentment flowing through him at Courau’s growly groans, shaky breaths, and full-body shivers.

Courau whispered breathlessly, “Enough,” while leaning his forehead against Mezere’s rippling back, his gaze locked on Michael’s every move. Michael pulled off and licked his lips while looking up at Courau, wondering why he stopped.

Courau palmed his cock and said, ”Open.” Michael opened his mouth wide, extending his tongue, knowing what was about to happen. Michael was about to take his first load of Lio nectar.

Courau aimed his cock down and shot directly into Michael’s mouth. Michael swallowed as fast as he could to stay ahead of the amount of nectar Courau was giving him.

Courau tasted utterly delicious, making his belly pool with warmth. The heady tingles that sprang all over his body in a rush of euphoria astonished Michael, causing him to go motionless as the overwhelming sensation swept through him. Michael shuddered as the lovely high faded.

Courau pulled up, still pumping his cock, this time aiming it at his own hand. Swiftly and efficiently, Courau reached over and used his come to lubricate Michael’s shaft liberally.

Then Courau scooted close to Mezere, aimed his cock, and pulsed nectar right on Mezere’s asshole before pushing in on one long stroke as Mezere shouted out at the unexpected invasion.

Mezere’s surprised sound rolled into a deep, decadent, hungry growl, making it clear this was not the first time Courau had ridden him. Courau’s eyes were glazed as he began pumping into Mezere, the rhythm of his pumps rippling down Mezere’s tail into Michael, making Michael pant.

Courau jerked his chin over at Kat and said, “Open her. Give her this new raw delight. Take your pleasure. Bind us all together as one, my warrior king.”

Michael rose up, but surprised Courau by first reaching over to grab Courau’s tail, then Dominik’s tail, their sabah still hard and vulnerably exposed. He secured them in one of his fists, which he rested against Kat’s shoulder, as he slid in close behind Kat. She moaned in welcome as he pressed his body against her generous, luscious curves, nipping her neck as he brought his mouth close to her ear.

“Are you ready to get your tiny, little asshole fucked, sweet warrior Kat?”

Kat gasped, “Michael!”

Mezere reached down, grabbing her cheeks and spreading them wide for Michael, holding completely still but not withdrawing from Kat. He rubbed his furred cheek against hers in a gesture of comfort Michael found endearing.

“That’s not a yes, Kat. Say yes if you want this cock buried deep in your ass as you scream in ecstasy.”

“Oh, Michael. Yes!”

She shuddered as he said, “Good girl,” and began to slowly press within her hot, tight channel. They had done a gorgeous job opening her up and preparing her to take him smoothly and easily.

“Push out on my cock as I push in,” Michael whispered in Kat’s ear. She obeyed, and Michael pressed in slow and steady, breaching her with care and control as she panted through his taking her.

When he was buried down to his root, he stopped and pulsed within her hot depths, gasping with her as his mind, heart, and body called out to Kat.

“Kat, my love, you’ve made all my dreams come true.”

CHAPTER 15

KAT

Kat felt breathless at Michael’s precious words and breathless at having both Michael and Mezere within her. Michael had taken her so fluidly, she didn’t feel even a pinch of pain, only unrelenting fullness.

She had lost count of how many times she had come on Mezere’s cock because she enjoyed watching how Michael tore Courau apart piece by piece while reveling in sucking Courau’s thick, alien dick.

She had come like a freight train when Mezere had spread her cheeks for Dominik, who had eaten her ass like it was his last meal, bringing her to peak again and again, until she was bonelessly relaxed, and entirely ready for Michael to easily slide right into her ass, taking her last virginity with one effortless stroke.

Her mates remained still for her, letting her adjust to them. Fuck, it was spectacular being filled. She felt the beginnings of a massive orgasm building within her.

Dominik stood up and cupped his hand around the back of her head, supporting her neck as he brought his beautiful, golden-nubbed cock to her lips to be tasted. His face was a study in passion, longing etched across his tight cheekbones and tightened lips, eyes narrow with his focus on her mouth as she opened for him.

Kat swirled her tongue over the head of Dominik’s cock, watching him show fang with the intensity of his hunger for her mouth, growling low.

Mezere’s tongue reached out and swiped a lick along the underside of Dominik’s shaft, catching her attention and making Dominik growl harder. She gazed at Mezere, and he looked back as they both licked Dominik’s flavorful length, sharing their mate.

She leaned forward and Mezere met her as they kissed around the tip of Dominik’s cock head, tongues lusciously gliding over Dominik and dipping in the dark wells of each other’s mouths, enjoying their combined flavors.

Dominik’s vicious snarl made Mezere grin slyly and brought her attention back to him. It was then she noticed Michael had both Dominik’s and Courau’s tails gripped in one hand, propped up against her shoulder. Michael was licking and sucking both of their throbbing sabahs, alternating one then the other, sometimes swiping between them.

She didn’t think this was going to last very long with how worked up everyone was. She glanced over at Courau and saw he watched her intently over Mezere’s shoulder.

“Are you ready, sweet warrior Kat?”

She nodded.

“Are you ready, my warrior king?”

“Oh yes, my Commander. It’s time to fuuuck!” Michael said the last word like he was an announcer at a prize fight.

Any thought Kat had of laughing went straight out of her mind as Courau gave a sharp thrust into Mezere, making him cry out, which pushed him deeply into her, which made her moan, then Michael thrust into Kat, pushing her into Mezere, who pressed into Courau.

Michael and Courau began a perfect counterpoint rhythm, rocketing Kat up a consuming peak of rapture. Kat lay her head back on Michael’s shoulder, her neck still supported by Dominik’s strong hand.

She peered up at Dominik helplessly in the throes of extraordinary hunger, opening her mouth like a supplicant asking for tribute. Dominik filled her mouth with the delectable offering of his cock, giving Kat a small gushing taste of the delicious nectar he was preparing to pour into her.

A tingling swell of delight sparkled throughout Kat’s nerve endings from that small sample of Dominik’s nectar, leaving her gasping as she was pushed higher.

If this is what Lio nectar does, they will kill me with ecstasy when they come in me.

The building pleasure-lash effect of Dominik’s nectar was exquisite, making Kat quiver.

What a way to go!

Kat’s peak ignited, triggering a blazing wave of decadent bliss to roll through them all, bringing them into each other’s minds and souls as they all roared their release.

Dominik pulled her head up, so her mouth took his thick, prominent cockhead then came for her with a low growl, pumping his nectar as fast as she could swallow it. Kat’s wide eyes saw the aural glow that had surrounded Michael since he had become Honored now envelope all her mates.

Within the glow, Kat felt her mates perceive her unvoiced pain at being used and abandoned by her one and only former lover and she knew they would never cause her such pain.

Kat realized that they treasured her need to nurture young and adore her mates and was overwhelmed by their answering love for her and their admiration of her perceptive intuition and thoughtful nature.

She discerned Michael’s worry about how his ugly past could poison the future while understanding his echoing pain from being taken advantage of and betrayed. But then Kat sensed how Michael had broken out of the prison of those worries by choosing to trust them. Michael now basked in his discovery of what true love was with her and their mates.

Kat touched Dominik’s quiet fear that he wouldn’t be valued equally among his extraordinary mates, and she felt his fear completely dissipate as he accepted the abiding love and deep respect his mates held for him and his fierce, gentle nature.

She tasted the rage Courau had that his family, and those they cared about, had been threatened, and knew he was determined to keep them all safe. Kat also enjoyed his determination to love his mates until they were spoiled with happiness and pleasure.

Kat discovered the depths of Mezere’s descent into his beast-nature and his abject terror of harming those he loved more than life, then she experienced the profound spiritual settling that came from his MateBond in this very moment. Mezere would not fear the loss of who he was again.

Their tremors of shuddering fulfillment and consuming connection gripped them hard. Then gradually, their beautiful release faded. Dominik dropped to his knees beside Kat and Mezere, whispering, “I love you so much!” as he buried his head in her neck, luxuriating in her scent.

The aural glow Kat had seen on all of them slowly dissipated into a concentration above each of their hearts and was absorbed there until it was gone. They were left panting and shaking, collapsed and leaning on each other.

Michael, of course, had something to say. “What, the fuck, was that?” he said between pants.

Mezere answered breathlessly. “The MateBond.”

Standing beside the entryway with High Nessa Theerah and Sec. Comm. Dynah, Abassan Zeitune spoke officially in a low, pleased tone. “This Coalition is Claimed and Sealed.”

Theerah exuded joy as she spoke. “To proclaim the blessing of our MateBound Prime, Pon’Fiel Pride is now Pargen’Fiel Pride.”

They all bowed low, then rose with wide smiles.

Theerah happily reassured them, “Rest and enjoy each other. You are safe. Your friends and the little ones are all safe. Take some moments for yourselves. We will see you soon, beloved PrideMates.”

Kat felt reassured by Theerah’s words, casting lingering worries for the children aside for now. She and her mates had some time to revel in each other.

Theerah paused, then added, “Well, you have until after final meal on Day Ten when young Cyril and, I suspect, a huge group of young, will introduce you to the joys of Lio Vids.”

Kat looked forward to enjoying time with their Pride’s young.

Sec. Comm. Dynah said, “Congratulations!” as they left, sealing the entry behind them.

Kat was finally alone with her mates. Her family.

Kat quipped, “Signed, sealed, delivered, huh?”

“I’m yours!” Michael chuckled, finishing the lyrics she had alluded to as he slowly pulled out of Kat, and they groaned together.

Michael turned to sit on the floor as Mezere lifted Kat off his cock, settling her comfortably in Michael’s lap. Courau and Mezere disengaged and Courau sat beside Michael and Kat on one side, with Dominik settling in on the other side, Mezere sitting on the floor in front of them.

Michael gave Kat a soft kiss as he amended the lyrics. “We’re yours.”

Kat turned and got a sweet kiss from each of her mates, enjoying how they all kissed each other too.

Kat smiled as she said, “We are each other’s,” getting grins, soft pets, and nods in agreement.

Michael looked around at their mates in amazement and shook his head, his voice showing his wonder. “When you come, the nectar you give us, whoa. That’s a fucking rush. That’s new.”

Mezere’s eyes gleamed as he grinned, his tail wrapped around Kat’s ankle possessively, his sabah tucked away, completely hidden in its sheath. “We, too, get intoxicated by your cream.”

Mezere licked his lips in anticipation of tasting their cream again, causing Kat to feel a low, deep throb in her belly.

I am insatiable. Which is good, considering who my delicious mates are.

Happiness settled deep within Kat as the banter and loving touches continued among her family.

As Dominik gave Kat and Michael tiny licking kisses across their shoulders, he added, “It’s among the many reasons mates become addicted to each other and want no others.”

Kat was curious. “Does it happen like that every time?”

Courau stroked her cheek while he answered. “We don’t know, but it will be a delight to find out.”

Michael sounded rueful. “If that’s what coming with you guys is like, I may never walk straight again.”

Kat agreed wholeheartedly. “Me either!” Everyone chuckled.

Michael snuggled Kat close to his body, nuzzling into her neck.

“Hey guys,” Michael said in a tone that told Kat he was starting to bust his Lio Nel mates’ asses. “Don’t think I don’t know. I saw how each one of you took something from Kat first. Courau got to finger this kitten’s virgin ass, Mezere got to taste it. Dominik gave her the first taste of Lio dick.”

Michael paused, his voice lowering with emotion. “But you let me give her my cock first. In her most private place.”

Michael turned Kat to look at him. “Kat, this gift is so special to me, so precious. Thank you. I love you, so much.”

“I love you, Michael.” She brought their foreheads together so they could share air.

Michael appeared calm and happy when they pulled back, looking into each other’s eyes. “Yeah, you do.” Kat smiled.

Good. He trusts and believes.

Kat turned and relaxed back into him as Michael sighed with pleasure and looked at their mates. “I love you guys too.”

Dominik, Mezere, and Courau grinned wide, fang-filled smiles, their expressions glowing with humor and affection.

There was a momentary pause, then Michael asked, “Look, I just have one question: Are we ever going to fuck on an actual bed?”

When they finally stopped laughing, they gathered themselves up, discovered the joys of a Lio shower, piled into bed together, and snuggled up tight and happy. Content together. As it should be.

Thank you for reading Savage Galaxy Rescue! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Kassie’s newsletter!

A.G. WILDE

HER WARRIOR FROM THE STARS

CHAPTER 1

MARION

My hand tightens around my ticket, almost crushing it as I enter the ship. There’s no one to greet us at the entrance, and no staff waiting with smiles at the reception counter except for an old droid.

It scans my face and beeps, flashing green.

“Welcome, Marion Taylor. Your room is 5B. Please make your way to your quarters until takeoff.”

I grip the ticket tighter, my heart thumping with what could either be excitement or just rising anxiety.

Glancing behind me at the people waiting in line, I lower my voice, my cheeks warming.

“Um, wh-where are my quarters?”

I’ve never been on a cruise before, much less one touted as a luxury affair sponsored by the World Government.

Heck, I’ve never even been in a ship that went off-world before. I have no idea where “my quarters” are.

The droid creaks as it turns its head to the left to look down the corridor. It raises a hand and points.

“Follow the neon lights,” it says, before turning to face me again.

“Thanks.” I frown a little as it turns its attention to the woman behind me.

“Next,” the droid says, and just like that, I’m dismissed.

My frown deepens.

For a luxury cruise, you’d think the government would at least put a droid that’s newer, or better serviced, at the reception counter. Shaking my head, I push the thought from my mind as I turn and begin walking down the corridor.

The hem of the long maxi dress I’m wearing brushes against my ankles in the cool breeze coming up from the floor vents and I wrap my arm around my waist. It’s chilly. I probably shouldn’t have chosen a sleeveless dress.

As I go further into the ship, though, the breeze lessens, and soon I catch sight of the room numbers on the doors I’m passing.

5B. I’m 5B.

I scan the doors, but I’m currently passing level one, it seems. Other people are before me too, heading to their quarters as instructed. All women.

I glance back and the blind woman is about twelve feet behind me, heading down the corridor too.

Far behind her, a woman with crutches is at the droid’s counter. I am yet to see any men.

Not that I mind. The more women here, the more fun, maybe. Girls are always so much easier to talk to without expecting something more.

Ahead, there is soft chatter and I realize some of the women must know each other on the ground.

I glance around. I don’t know anyone here.

I wouldn’t.

None of the people I know got an invitation to go on this cruise—few people get invites to go on free space cruises, period.

That’s something only the upper, upper class has access to.

And that’s why this is so hard to believe. That out of the many, many people on the ground, I was one of the government’s top picks for this trip.

It’s an amazing opportunity.

But as I head further into the ship, following the bright neon arrows showing me which direction to go in, I realize something else.

There’s a woman in a wheelchair about nine feet ahead of me and when I glance behind me, the woman with crutches has caught up with the one using the cane.

She’s using crutches to make up for the fact that she’s missing a leg, but it doesn’t seem to be a hindrance as she has no trouble keeping pace.

Self-consciously, I rub my stump and glance down at the space where the rest of my arm should have been.

It’s always been that way—the way I’ve always been. Growing up with only one arm was my reality. One that I’d had no choice but to accept.

In front of me, the lady in the wheelchair stops at her room door, 4Z, and the corridor continues, curving upward.

“Damn. Just how many of us are on this cruise?” The woman with the crutches chuckles behind me. Her voice is rich and strong, melodious, and I turn and smile at her as I huff a laugh through my nose.

“Not very exclusive is it.”

She shakes her head and we both chuckle.

“What room are you in?” she asks.

“5B,” I reply. “You?”

She glances at her ticket. “5T.”

“I’m 5P, I think,” the woman with the cane says.

The corridor levels off again and we’re finally on level five. At the end of the corridor, there doesn’t appear to be a continuation, just a flat wall.

“Well, at least it doesn’t continue going,” says the woman with the crutches. “I’m Mona, by the way.”

I nod. “I’m Marion.”

“Rissa.” The woman with the cane smiles.

My own smile brightens as I stop walking. My door is the second in line. “Guess I’ll see you guys after takeoff?”

“Sure thing.”

“Yeah, sure. We can explore this place together!”

I nod at them, still smiling.

The little conversation has me relaxing somewhat as I slide my ticket over the lock and it clicks open.

A quick calculation in my head, though, tells me this cruise will have approximately one hundred and thirty participants.

That’s a big cruise. Not something I thought the government would fund for free. According to the pamphlet, it’s the first of its kind but not the last. With a new world president being sworn in only months before, this must be one of his initiatives.

Long have the social classes been so starkly separated, the state of the world economy and the strain on resources has been sorely evident. The lower class hardly got by, surviving with old technology and the meager resources trickled down from the upper levels.

The new president swore to fix that problem. That’s why he won the election.

It had been an almost unanimous decision—the first of its kind in history.

The day he entered into office was the day new hope was breathed into the lower levels of New Earth.

It was the day I finally began looking forward to more than surviving. Things were going to get better. Life wouldn’t be so hard anymore, working and living hand-to-mouth. My disability wouldn’t be so much of a hindrance.

The barriers to moving up in society were about to be removed, and this cruise is the first evidence of that.

Taking a deep breath, smile still on my face, I push the door and enter my room. The light struggles to come on but when it finally does, I’m greeted with beige walls, a single cot attached to the wall, a stool, and a counter attached to the wall across from the cot. The room, or cabin rather, is suitable for only a single occupant.

Well, I won’t be spending much time inside it anyway. I plan to enjoy myself as much as I can before returning to the ground.

This is my first taste of what will be a new life and I can’t wait.

CHAPTER 2

MARION

It takes forever for the ship to take off. Hours. And during that time, my door auto-locks, and a message sounds over the intercom that we are to remain in our rooms.

With nothing to do, I flop on the cot and somehow doze off, only to be jolted awake when everything around me shakes.

For a moment, I’m blinking at the ceiling, wondering what the hell is happening, when the ship lurches again.

The lights in the room are dimmed. We must be finally taking off…but shouldn’t it be smoother than this?

New Earth’s been traveling across the stars for many, many years, but my knowledge of space flight is limited to what I’ve read on the World Web.

People like me don’t get to go up into orbit. This is all new and I have no idea what to expect. So when the ship jerks again I’m gripping the foam of the bed, wondering if something is wrong, if I’m overreacting, or if this is all…normal.

I get my answer soon after when the light flickers and becomes a little brighter and the shaking stops.

A droid speaks over the intercom. “Welcome to orbit. Your doors will now be unlocked. Please follow your maps to locate the toilets, washrooms, and meal hall.”

There’s a whirring-creaking sound and above the counter, slides a tablet from the wall. It stops when halfway out and jerks as if it is stuck.

Cursing under my breath, I slide off the cot and pull on the thing, dislodging it.

This ship really needs upgrading but I won’t complain. I have to count my blessings.

I have a few unsuccessful attempts of trying to turn the darn tablet on before the screen finally obliges.

The map comes up with a basic schematic of the ship.

The first thing I look for is the pool, but all I see are three areas: the toilets, the shower rooms, and, as the droid had said, the meal hall. Nothing else.

Strange…but I shrug it off and step toward the door.

I don’t have a bag or anything. No belongings.

We were told to not bring anything with us, that everything—even clothing—would be provided free of charge. This cruise is supposed to be all-inclusive.

I assume those specific amenities will come later because the room I’m in is bare apart from the meager furnishings.

With nothing else to do, I open my door and stick my head out, looking down the corridor.

Several women in conversation walk past and I search their faces for anyone I recognize. I catch the eyes of Mona and she waves at me. She’s standing way down the corridor, having just exited her room, and at the same time, I see the tip of Rissa’s white cane as she exits her room, too.

I step out of mine and head toward them, trying not to bump in the many other women heading in the opposite direction.

Their excited chatter fills the hall and I can’t help but be affected.

I’m beaming by the time I reach Rissa’s side.

“Rissa,” I say. “It’s me, Marion.”

The frown on Rissa’s face disappears as she lifts her head and smiles my way. She’s gripping her tablet and this time, she’s donned dark shades to cover her eyes.

“Oh, hey,” she says. “I was just about to head back into my room.”

“Huh. Why?”

Her cheeks warm a little and she shrugs as if nothing is wrong. Her dark waves shake around her head. “Oh, nothing. Just thought I’d rest some more.”

I’m happy she probably can’t see my reaction because I’m frowning at her, wondering what the hell is wrong with her. We’ve been stuck in our rooms for hours. Anyone would want to leave.

But when my eyes fall on her tablet, I figure the reason why. How would she know where to go if the tablet isn’t voice-activated?

Just to check, I lift mine and speak to it. “Zoom in.”

Nothing.

I’d have to probably go to the settings to activate that feature and put on the voice navigation too. That means if I wasn’t here, Rissa would be stuck, basically. There’s no braille on the tablet screen. Nothing to make it accessible.

That’s a huge oversight by whoever organized this cruise.

“You guys ready?” Mona reaches our side and grins at us.

“Yea.” I nod and turn my attention back to Rissa. “You sure you wanna rest? You could always walk with us. I don’t know anyone on this cruise, I sure would love the company.”

“Rest?” Mona laughs. “Girl, come on, let’s go. You can rest later.”

Rissa smiles and I can see her relief in the way her shoulders relax.

“As long as you two don’t mind,” she says.

“Of course not!” Mona and I exclaim in unison.

We all giggle and a sense of comfort settles over me. I can already tell they’ll be fun gals to hang around for the duration of this trip.

We can sit together by the pool, whenever we do find it, and sip drinks and tell stories.

It will be the first time in a long while that I won’t be worrying about losing my income because of wanting to quit my shitty job as a bartender on the ground.

The walk to the meal hall is uneventful.

There’s a gentle hum coming from the ship’s engine that soon becomes background noise to our conversation.

I find out that Mona works—or worked, rather—with city cleanup. That’s how she ended up losing her leg in a horrible accident with one of the machines.

Rissa’s job is as actually the coolest of us three. She’s an artist and earns most of her income by selling her prints on the World Web.

They’re all normal people, like me, and as we near the meal hall, I can’t help but wonder why on Earth we were all picked for this cruise.

Mona echoes my thoughts as we enter the meal hall.

It’s packed with women of all ages. Some standing, some already seated.

We manage to find a table with only one woman sitting there.

“Mind if we join you?” Mona asks.

I recognize the woman. She’s the occupant of 4Z.

She smiles at us and readjusts her wheelchair, gesturing to the three empty seats at the table.

“Of course, please sit.”

As we sit, I allow my eyes to wander. “So many people,” I murmur.

“So many women, you mean,” Mona murmurs back. “I was hoping to meet a good man on this trip.”

Rissa bursts out laughing, then stops promptly. “Sorry.” Her cheeks grow red. “I can’t tell if you’re serious. It’s just…I assumed you were joking.”

“Why’d you assume I was joking?” Mona is serious and an uncomfortable air fills the table.

“I—I…sorry. I didn’t think—” Rissa stutters just as Mona cackles loudly.

“Girl, I’m just messing with you. Ain’t no thing as a good man.”

Her words make me and the other woman burst out laughing.

“You’re damn right about that.” The woman grins and Rissa lets out a relieved chuckle.

“I’m Trudy, by the way. What are your names?”

We all introduce ourselves and Trudy lets us know it’s her first time on a ship like this, so it’s a new experience for her.

“Mine too,” I admit, and the others do as well.

“It totally surprised me when I got the e-vite. I almost marked it as spam,” Rissa says.

“Same.” Mona nods.

Trudy smiles before her smile dies and her gaze moves around the group of women in the room.

“I wondered why I was chosen,” she almost whispers, “but I’m beginning to see why.” She looks back at us. “At least, I understand why. Is this some sort of charity thing the government’s going to be doing?”

We all go kind of silent, our eyes surveying the room.

Almost every woman in the room has some sort of visible disability.

I clear my throat and wait for one of the others to say something.

It’s Mona who speaks first.

“Well, we all have something in common, that’s for sure.”

I huff a soft laugh through my nose just as Rissa’s stomach audibly growls.

“Sorry…” She cringes.

“No need to apologize,” Mona says. “When are they going to feed us? I’m beginning to think the only luxury in this is their use of my time.”

We all chuckle and as our little group continues small talk, I let my eyes wander around the room.

Maybe the president is turning things around for the disadvantaged of New Earth.

But why start with a cruise?

My thoughts are jarred the moment a loud alarm blasts through the meal hall, cutting off my every thought.

CHAPTER 3

MARION

The alarm is so loud, I have to cover my ears.

“What the hell is that?!”

The others are just as confused as I am and all the other women in the hall are either standing or sitting frozen, their eyes wide as we all scan the ceiling for the source of the alarm.

There is a deafening slam that jerks my flesh off my skeleton and I almost jump out of my seat.

It’s the doors to the meal hall.

There are two, one on each end of the hall, and they both slammed shut at the same time.

There is a click in the door closest to us, signaling it’s been locked. I only hear because we’re so close to the door itself.

My heart’s slamming into my chest as I stand and walk over to the door, pushing against it.

It won’t budge.

“It’s locked,” I shout, turning to the girls at my table.

“What?” Trudy is wide-eyed as she shouts over the alarm. “That’s strange. Maybe it’s just a problem with this ship? It is kind of…”

“Trashy?” Mona shouts. “You’re going to say trashy, right?”

Trudy shrugs.

“So we can’t get out?” Rissa asks.

I shake my head before realizing she can’t see me. “No!” I shout back. “We’ll have to wait until the droids—”

“ALERT! ALERT! EMERGENCY EVACUATION NECESSARY. UNAUTHORIZED LIFEFORMS HAVE BOARDED THIS VESSEL. STATUS: HOSTILE.”

I freeze completely as the alert is repeated over the intercom.

“ALERT! ALERT! EMERGENCY EVACUATION NECESSARY. UNAUTHORIZED LIFEFORMS HAVE BOARDED THIS VESSEL. STATUS: HOSTILE.”

“ALERT! ALER—” The droid’s voice becomes garbled and twists into unrecognizable sounds like the battery on a tape recorder dying.

It sounds ominous. Like the droid was just destroyed. Killed.

The tension in the meal hall suddenly rises and bursts into chaos.

Women stampede toward the doors, almost knocking me over as I head back to my table.

There’s screaming. Shouting. A literal fight for life as every one of them tries to push against the doors.

Mona’s on her feet, Rissa’s extending her white cane, and Trudy is trying to maneuver her chair into a better position, but with the cacophony and movement of bodies around us, actually moving from the table is proving difficult.

“Did you hear that?” I ask stupidly. Of course, they heard it.

“Yes, but what the fuck does that even mean?” Rissa’s sweet demeanor is filled with panic, and in another situation, her sudden curse would have made me doubletake, but I hardly even notice it now.

“It means exactly what the droid just said.” Mona’s eyes are hard. “We’re being hijacked.”

“By who, though?” Trudy’s hazel eyes are so filled with panic they shine back at me.

There are loud screams from the other end of the hall, causing us all to look that way and the horror of the sight in front of us has my organs shriveling into nothingness.

The doors to the hall are suddenly blasted inward, sending several of the women banging against it flying back.

One falls and hits the ground so hard, there’s blood everywhere.

My hand instantly slaps over my mouth as the horror unfolds before me.

There’s a scream close by and I don’t know if it’s Rissa, Trudy, or Mona, but I don’t have time to look if they’re okay. My eyes are focused on only one thing: the group of three aliens standing in the space where the door should have been.

There’s that pause, where time stands still and we stare at them as they stare back at us.

In the years since New Earth has taken to the stars, we’ve been contacted by several alien races. Aliens aren’t new to us.

They leave us mostly alone but there are a few I know Earth has alliances with.

These ones, though…I’ve never seen anything like them before.

Cold green eyes look back at us from hard armored faces. Layers and layers of spikes and horns grow from their heads.

They are bipedal, with long thick tails laying on the ground behind them.

I don’t know what they are. All I know is that they’re not friendly, because, in the next moment, they enter.

They move so fast, swinging long blades that slice through the women closest to the door.

As blood spills, coating the walls and the floor, the screams of the women are drowned out and I’m only jolted away from the terror when someone grips my arm.

Mona.

She’s dropped one of her crutches to grab me.

“We have to get out of here!”

No need to tell me twice.

Grabbing Trudy’s chair, I push her toward the door close to us while Mona grabs hold of Rissa and does the same.

But there’s no way to even get close to it.

The amount of women there is like a human wall. And the door’s still locked.

“There has to be another way out of this room!” I shout, glancing behind me.

More blood.

More screaming.

The women at the other end of the hall are making their way toward us, but they’re being cut down one by one.

Behind the aliens, not one person moves.

Not one body looks whole.

I choke down the lurch of my stomach and ignore the sudden weakness in my legs as I spin Trudy’s wheelchair away from the door.

There’s only one way out and it’s through the door that’s been blasted open. Trouble is getting past the murderous beasts that have hijacked our ship.

Mona must realize the same thing because our gazes lock.

“What’s happening?” Rissa asks.

“Trust me,” I reply, “you don’t want to know.”

Rissa gulps and I know she can already tell from the screams that people are dying.

I nod at Mona and she returns the gesture. We have to try and get behind the aliens.

It will be a feat, but it is our only chance.

I turn, not second-guessing it as I push hard on Trudy’s wheelchair, making a wide arch around the center of the room.

I hope the aliens don’t see us. They seem intent on taking the life of every person alive and I have no doubt what will happen if they catch us.

The evidence, the blood…it’s laid out in front of me.

I’m pushing Trudy’s chair hard, trying to navigate through the throng of women running for their lives when I hear Mona’s shout behind me.

I turn, and my heart falls. Rissa’s tripped over a body, taking Mona with her.

I don’t think about it twice. I let go of Trudy’s chair.

“Try to get to the doors!” I shout to her.

Trudy nods and I don’t wait as I turn and rush back toward Rissa and Mona.

They’re struggling to stand while being trampled by the other panicked women and I get there just as someone falls over Rissa.

I manage to get Rissa into a sitting position and there’s blood all over her face. Whether it’s hers or someone else’s, I don’t know.

“Mona!” I shout Mona’s name and it takes me a moment to find her in the flood of people around us. She’s struggling to stand using her crutch and I scramble toward her just as there’s a scream right above us. Hot liquid splashes right across my face.

I know it’s blood. I can taste it in my mouth. But I don’t want to acknowledge it.

I don’t want to think about it.

I don’t want to think that right above me, someone was just sliced—

But I don’t get the chance to delude myself as the decapitated body falls right in front of me.

A scream lodges in my throat, my heart almost arresting as I hear the undeniable sound of sharp blades swishing through the air and cutting through more flesh.

It happens so fast.

Warm liquid rains down on me as bodies fall all around me.

I can only kneel and stare ahead in the horror that has me arrested.

And then…it is over.

The room is silent apart from the sound of my pulse thumping in my ears.

I want to think they’re dead. That the aliens have somehow been killed by the security droids this ship should have.

But I know we’re not so lucky when icy claws grip my arm and lift me upward.

I’m dangling in the air as I look straight into the cold green eyes of the hijackers.

I can’t even move as his blade swings toward me, then halts midair.

“Pakaa no cargo.” A voice says from the other end of the hall where the door’s been blasted open.

It’s another of the armored aliens, and a shiver goes through me. There are more of them out there. How many? I have no idea.

“No cargo?” The one holding me makes a sound I can’t decipher the meaning of. “Then this trip kekui useless.”

Galactic Standard. They’re speaking the common language of the stars.

It’s taught in schools on New Earth, but my handle on the language is less than stellar.

I can only understand some of what the aliens are saying.

“Venkeshu we should have kanaa that Kamia ship two rotations ago. Palana kamui much better vendeshu,” says another.

It seems that in this moment of conversation, they’ve totally forgotten about us and my eyes wander to the floor.

There is red everywhere. Bodies, everywhere.

But I catch sight of Rissa and Mona. I can tell they’re alive, but neither is moving. Probably frozen in fear or playing dead.

I see Trudy’s chair too, but she’s no longer in it.

My heart lurches.

The alien holding me grunts. “What sort of cargo ship has no cargo?” he asks.

The other aliens remain silent as the one holding me pins me with his gaze.

I look straight back at him, fighting the shiver in my bones, fighting every response that threatens to show the fact I am scared out of my mind.

“Unless…” he says. There is a pause and my heart does another lurch as he lowers his weapon. “Maybe these kezantha things are the cargo. We should not have killed them all.”

“We could not leave any observes.”

Observes? No, that’s not right. Observers maybe.

A chill goes down my spine.

Witnesses. They can’t leave any witnesses.

The one holding me grunts.

“Danaa. But if this is the cargo, bununo we can still get some credits out of this trip.”

One of the others makes a sound in his throat. “Dakara! That one isn’t even whole. Pavrenshi its arm.”

Shit.

The alien holding me turns me so it can look at me better and another shiver goes through me as its gaze drops to my nub.

The alien growls, a look of scorn growing in his eyes, before he suddenly releases me.

I don’t hit the floor. Instead, there’s a sickening squelch as I land on the bodies littering the floor beneath me. My hand lands in something soft and I don’t dare to look. That doesn’t stop my empty stomach from trying to expel itself from my body, though.

As the alien walks away from me, I look up, confused.

They’re sparing my life?

Because of my nub?

I don’t understand, but my heart hammers as I watch him walk towards the doors that were blasted open.

I may yet survive this.

Wrong.

One of the other aliens approaches, blocking the light as he looms over me.

This time, instead of grabbing and lifting me by the arm, he takes a hold of one of my legs.

I scream and try to scramble away, kicking back at him, but my efforts are useless.

The last thing I see as I am pulled across the floor like a piece of trash, my body being dragged through the blood and gore the aliens have left behind, are the terrified eyes of Mona as she stares back at me.

CHAPTER 4

AQNAR

Our deal with the World Government of the planet Earth was already finalized. Then why is the ship with the females they gave us not where it’s supposed to be?

A growl rumbles in my throat as I look through the viewscreen of our ship.

“Where is it?” Dared, our prince and the Atari in charge of this expedition, squints at the viewscreen. “Do you think they changed their mind?”

“It would do us good. We never wanted the females anyway,” Bhihan, third in command, leans closer.

On the other side of the control panel, Qhenno, fourth in command, searches through the schematics of this section of space.

“There’s a weak signal coming off something close by. It might be them.” He glances over at us.

“Or not,” Bhihan growls. “I say we turn back. It’s only out of desperation that we took this deal with the Earthkind, anyway. We needed the resources from their planet and they stuck us with this…trap to get rid of their own citizens. It is not our problem if they do not deliver.” He looks over at Dared, seeking approval to turn our cruiser around, but Dared is silent.

I know what he is thinking.

Although prince of our world, he is like a brother to me.

“We head toward that signal,” I say, leaning back in my seat. “If it is the female’s ship, they may be in trouble.”

Bhihan growls again. “We were supposed to meet them here, hook them up to our cruiser, and tow them back to Atari. We don’t have time for a stupid rescue mission.”

Dared raises his hand, silencing Bhihan. His gaze is still out the viewscreen.

“Aqnar is right. If it is the females, they might need our help. I doubt their government will aid them. The deal was for us to take them. If they are out there somewhere, they will be lost if we do not find them.”

Bhihan curses under his breath before walking away and with a nod at Dared, I fire up the engines once more.

“Qhenno,” I say, “set navigation to the source of the signal.”

Qhenno nods and soon, we are on our way.

Our ship is one of the best off Atar. Sleek. Fast. It doesn’t take long before we arrive at the source of the signal and an old cargo cruiser comes into view.

I lean closer to the screen.

“Do you think that’s them?” Dared asks.

“It’s an old cargo ship,” I reply. I haven’t seen one of that model in years. I didn’t know those things would even be operable in this day and age. “Only one way to find out.”

Rising from my seat, I head toward the back when a hand grasps my shoulder, stopping me.

“You can’t go alone. We don’t know if it’s them or not,” Dared says.

He is right. But there are only four of us Atari on board. This was to be a simple pickup mission. If anything happens to me, Bhihan can take charge of flying the ship. We can’t afford to lose Qhenno’s navigation skills or the crown prince himself.

I am the best person to go out there.

I slap a hand on Dared’s shoulder. “I will be fine. It is but a simple check.” I glance back at the viewscreen, my eyes narrowing a little. “The ship looks abandoned. It probably is.”

This should only take a few minutes.

The small two-man space cruiser is almost too small to hold my frame. My knees are bunched up with the control wheel between them but I manage to settle comfortably enough as I near the drifting cargo ship.

The lights are out. It looks dead, and I wonder if it is even worth it to board the vessel at all.

Whoever left it like this obviously is no longer on board.

Still, something pushes me to dock on the vessel and as my cruiser lands, no lights switch on to welcome my arrival.

Dead. Completely dead.

Grabbing a light from the cruiser I exit and the silence around me is deafening.

I can’t see much, but the corridors are bare.

Years of being a guard in the Atari military come in handy though. I’m able to walk silently down the halls. All the doors so far are locked.

It’s not till I reach farther into the ship that the smell hits me.

I stop in my tracks.

It’s a sickeningly sweet smell. One that prompts me to swing my lights from the roof straight down to the floor.

At first, the thick red streaks across the floor look like some sort of paint, but as I crouch and dip my finger into it, it comes off on my skin, coating my fingers.

I bring it to my nose and the sickening scent grows stronger.

Lifeblood.

I freeze, my ears perking.

This ship wasn’t abandoned.

Something catastrophic happened here.

Switching off my light, I choose to walk in the darkness, relying on my senses alone.

It doesn’t take me long to follow the sweet scent till I reach a wide entrance and pause.

It is the only door that’s open and my fingers brush over where the hinges should be only to be greeted with a jagged edge.

Blasted off with great force.

The sickening scent is strong in this room. So much so that I’m tempted to turn away from it, but there is still no sound.

It is too dark for me to see what is inside.

I have no choice but to switch my light on once more and as soon as I do, the horror before me is revealed.

Bodies.

More than I can count.

Lifeblood…everywhere.

I step into the room, stepping over one of the bodies, and crouch to look more closely at it.

A soft face greets my gaze. Skin so pale, I can see the network of veins beneath.

Female.

Her eyes are open. The horror of her last moments captured in her still gaze.

I recognize the species immediately.

Human.

I have visited their planet enough to know them at first glance and the realization hits hard.

The human females we were supposed to pick up. This is their ship. And they have all been…

I rise, shining my light around the room.

All of them. Dead.

Not one remains alive. Not one moves.

Decapitated in a most vicious of attacks.

Only one race kills so viciously. The Khuru.

The fact that none of the females were left alive supports that too. The Khuru never leave any witnesses behind.

Fek.

Activating the communication on my arm, I ping our ship.

Qhenno answers immediately.

“Find anything?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“I have found the females.”

He breathes out a breath of relief. Unlike Bhihan, Qhenno had been looking forward to meeting the females…to potentially finding a mate in one.

“Okay, I’ll dock the cruiser and attach the tow line. Looks like they ran out of power?” he asks.

“No,” I reply.

“What do you mean?” Dared takes the communicator. “Why are they drifting without lights?”

I only have to say one word. “Khuru.”

There is silence on the other end of the line before someone curses. “Fek.”

“Return to the cruiser,” Dared finally says. “We must divert to Earth. Tell their government what happened. It’s the least those females deserve.”

“Aye,” I reply.

My boots make squelching sounds as I walk from the room and it takes me a moment to realize there is a scowl on my face.

Innocent females. Abandoned by their government. And now killed by bloodthirsty criminals.

I grip the light in my hand. I want to punch something.

A Khuru, if I could.

The rage inside me is building so much that I almost don’t hear the soft knock against one of the locked doors.

I stop in my tracks, my head turning slowly toward where I heard the sound, and then I hear it again.

Something or someone is still alive on this ship.

Bracing against the door, I push hard. It doesn’t budge.

It’s going to take more force, but I am Atari. Nothing will stand in my way.

Taking a few steps back, I rush forward, slamming my body into the door.

The sound ricochets down the corridor, but I am no longer cautious of making the occupants of the ship aware of my presence.

If the Khuru were still on board, I would have known already. They never stay long when they hijack a ship.

Whatever is behind this door could be a female.

“Stand back!” I shout as I take a few steps backward and launch myself at the door once more.

It creaks, bending inward, and I use my foot to kick it open. It goes flying inward to reveal a dark room.

Shining my light in, I search the darkness for the female, but all my light lands on is the upper body of an old droid.

Its arm rises and falls to the floor before it does the action again.

A fekking droid. Cursing underneath my breath, I walk toward it.

It’s an old model. One that’s been decommissioned on most worlds.

I pull my gaze from it and glance around.

This is a security room.

If there were security droids, how come there were no Khuru casualties?

Unless…

“Fek,” I curse again.

When the Earth government forced this deal on us, I thought them scum. But this makes it even worse. They didn’t even outfit the ship with security droids.

The one on the floor is just a basic model that was used for simple tasks.

If this is all that was on the ship to protect the females, no wonder I witnessed the massacre in that room.

The females had no chance.

Walking over to the panel with the security controls, I initiate the security feed. It comes up with words I cannot read. Earthspeak.

“Fek,” I curse again before glancing down at the droid.

Crouching, I lift the metal body and point the droid at the security panel.

“Access the security feed and change the language to Galactic Standard,” I command it.

“Authorization needed,” the droid replies.

I’m tempted to chuck it to the floor.

“Under authority of Prince Dared of the Atari in treaty with Earthkin World Government.”

I raise an eyebrow at the thing, not sure what I said will work but its eyes flash green before its working arm reaches forward and types a code into the control panel.

It’s not long before I can read the words on the screen and I put the droid down.

Navigating the security system is easy. There are no inbuilt restrictions and soon I’m pulling up the feed of the last few hours.

My eyes burn red as I watch the Khuru board the ship. Their armored bodies are easy to distinguish. A ruthless race that has no home in our galaxy, they raid the undefended and take their spoils to build their empire.

I watch as they take easy control of the ship before finding the room where the women were hidden in.

I am frozen as I watch the massacre unfold. Only a creature with no life organ can do such a thing to another.

One after the other, the women are cut down. I am a warrior. I have seen many deaths. But the deaths of innocents…I almost turn away from the footage.

And then I see her. She’s covered in blood. The light-colored garment she wears clings to her body as she pushes another female who is bound to a chair with wheels.

I wonder what she is doing and I find my gaze fastening on her instead of the Khuru on the screen.

Short dark hair that stops just above her shoulder swings as she whips her head, her incredibly light-colored eyes shining with fear.

All the other females are running toward the back, while she is heading toward the violence. I don’t understand until I see where her eyes are focused.

The blasted doors.

My life organ thumps. I want her to make it. I want her to survive even though I already know how it ends.

But something stops her in her tracks.

The footage has no sound, but I see when her wide eyes turn and she looks behind her. She shouts something to the female in the chair before doubling back through the chaos.

A Khuru swings his blade at her, it only misses her because she suddenly ducks. That same blade slices the head off another woman.

Lifeblood rains down and I search the sea of women, dead and alive to catch sight of the one with the light eyes.

I see her in the next second when she grabs another woman on the ground. Meanwhile, everyone around her is dying, she is taking the time to help another. Her instincts to save herself…they are nonexistent.

I am entranced by her as she gets the other woman into a sitting position before she turns and screams something, her eyes searching the sea of death.

The lifeblood spattered across her face is like a strange painting and I find I cannot look away.

Frozen in terror, she searches the sea of bodies for something—or someone.

That’s when the massacre ends. A Khuru grabs her by the arm and a growl rumbles in my throat at the fact.

I don’t know this female, but I do not want to watch her die.

Still, I cannot look away.

I watch the exchange, right till she is thrown to the ground and another Khuru takes hold of her by the leg, pulling her through the death around them.

I switch the camera perspective, following them through the corridor, my life organ thumping in my chest, right until I see the Khuru throw her into a cruiser.

She…she is alive.

I blink at the screen, not believing what I just witnessed.

The Khuru never leave survivors.

There’s only one reason they would have taken the female. To sell her…or to keep her for themselves.

Both options are as terrifying as the other.

Slaves are outlawed in our galaxy. Anyone who buys this female will be doing so for nefarious reasons.

I don’t think twice about it

I have to go after them.

Save her.

I almost miss the other Khuru also boarding their separate cruisers with one…two…three other females.

Four females survived this ordeal.

I have to—no—we have to save them.

Racing from the room, I head to my cruiser, instincts I long thought I buried coming to the fore.

I am an Atari warrior and I have felt a new taste for blood. These Khuru will not go unpunished.

CHAPTER 5

MARION

My whole body aches as I struggle against the restraints.

I’m in some kind of small ship and we’re moving fast.

There is a single murderer in front of me, sitting in the pilot’s seat.

After tying my legs together, he tied my arm to a part of the ship itself and has paid me no mind since he’s done so.

I don’t want any attention, but it’s clear he has some plan for me.

I can’t imagine what it is. Not after what I just witnessed. Not after what just happened.

I choke on air as my heart swells in a most uncomfortable way. A cramp goes through my chest.

I’m covered in blood and guts. Caked in it, and the smell makes my stomach turn.

What had we done to deserve this? What had all those innocent women done to die like they did?

And…why was I spared?

Guilt consumes me as I think of the three women I made friends with.

After the alien pulled me from the room, I didn’t see what happened to them. If they survived, if they’re still alive, I hope they get back to New Earth somehow.

But even as I think this, I know that hope is far from the true reality.

I stare at the alien in front of me, tears in my eyes that I refuse to let fall.

My wrist burns with the effort I’ve made to release myself. Yet, still, I try, only startled when a voice sounds on the ship.

It’s in a language I don’t recognize and the alien before me speaks back to it. He makes a low growling sound as his shoulders rise and fall and it doesn’t take me long to realize he is laughing.

Laughing…after killing so many innocents without a second thought.

Anger rises within me.

“What do you want?” I ask in Standard.

The alien freezes and I’m suddenly once again aware of his size and power.

He turns to glance behind him, cold green eyes settling on me.

“This one can speak Standard,” he says so I can understand and the communicator in the ship crackles.

“Sell it for twice the credits then,” the male’s accomplice says.

Again, there’s that low extended growl as the alien’s shoulders quake.

My anger spikes once more.

“Who are you…going to…sell me to?” I have to pause between words as my brain figures out how to put the sentences together. I only know Standard because there was a free course that New Earth’s government had offered in the early days of us encountering aliens.

It’s been a long time since then. I’ve had no need to speak it regularly and it’s clear I’m rusty.

“The highest granietsu,” the alien replies.

I do not know what granietsu means.

“When?” I ask, but the alien turns back around and begins ignoring me again. I press my lips together, but I know I’m lucky he even entertained any of my questions in the first place.

Gritting my teeth, I continue trying to get my arm out of the restraint.

It’s all I continue doing until the ship starts to descend.

I see a planet below, one I have no idea the name of, and as we near it, huge metal structures rise from the ground into the sky.

The ship swerves around them easily, despite the thick fog…or smoke…that fills the air.

I push back the fear rising within me, my eyes searching the view for anything remotely familiar. But all I see are the towering brown buildings.

As we get closer, I spot the large funnels atop the buildings. Huge plumes of smoke rise from within them.

Factories.

This is a factory city.

On New Earth, knowledge of what lies beyond is scarce for those of us who live on the lower levels. Information is scarce. Education isn’t something that is stressed.

Only the upper class know what civilizations lie out here, so I can’t imagine what’s on the ground.

I want to think the people on this planet are honorable workers. Good people.

But from the scumbag in front of me, those hopes die quickly.

Birds of a feather flock together and all that.

He’s not carrying me to anyone who has got any sort of high moral compass. That’s for sure.

It’s not long before the ship lands and the murderer switches the engine off. His tail slaps against the cold floor, causing me to jerk as he rises and turns toward me.

I don’t meet his gaze. Instead, I keep staring forward, my eyes pointed at his armored chest.

Even if I get a weapon and try to stab him, I doubt the blade would go through.

Without a word, he reaches over me, grabbing my arm so hard I wince as he releases the restraint from whatever he tied it to.

Grabbing the other end of the cord, he pulls me into a standing position, and an upward glance catches him giving me a once-over.

The fact he is looking at me while so close makes a chill go down my spine. But he grunts and says nothing before the door of the ship opens and he steps out.

Not waiting for me to even begin walking, he yanks on the cord that’s around my wrist, pulling me behind him.

I have to hop since my legs are still restrained.

“You can at least cut the cord around my legs.” It’s not like I could run away anyway with him holding my wrist hostage.

But the murderer doesn’t care.

He ignores me and continues walking forward.

I hop in quick succession, but there is no way I am going to keep up with his pace. Not like this.

I fall to the hard ground, my head hitting the side of a rock, and my vision blurs for a moment.

There’s a growl as my wrist is tugged again and I struggle to rise, but my head swims.

I can’t.

There’s another growl before a searing white line of heat erupts across my back.

I choke on the pain, unable to scream.

The whip cracks in the air before it lands on my back once more. I can only squirm as I try to roll away from the onslaught, a deep inhale arresting my lungs as pain erupts across my spine.

The whip cracks again and I feel when it eats through my skin, cutting the fabric of my dress to burn into my flesh.

Tears flood my eyes as my body spasms and I let out a choked cry.

I barely hear the murderer growl something before he stomps closer, gripping me by the neck as he pulls me to my feet.

Even with the pain blurring my vision, I see his cold green eyes on me, and at this moment I know: I’ve never hated anything in my life the way I hate this beast before me now.

The alien removes a blade from his waist and I grip the claw he has around my neck.

There’s fresh blood in my mouth, my own this time, and somehow my lip twists into a smile.

Even if he kills me now, this bitch is going to pay. If I have to come back from the grave to make sure he does, then so be it.

But the knife doesn’t get buried into my belly. Instead, the alien swipes down and my legs suddenly dangle free.

He’s cut the restraints holding my ankles together.

He drops me then, and pulls on the lead holding my wrist once more.

I struggle to stand but somehow make it to my feet.

My entire body feels like it’s on fire but I have no time to adjust. He’s pulling me again and this time, I stagger behind him.

I can barely see the details of our surroundings as he continues pulling me relentlessly. All I know is the dirt here is dry, the air thick, the atmosphere humid.

There are loud sounds all around us—machines banging metal against metal and the sound of many, many voices.

It’s not long before we are surrounded by people—aliens.

I try to look around, to get my bearings, but it is difficult in this throng.

The crowd moves quickly, as if everyone is on some sort of business here.

I’m pushed and bumped into, my body swaying as I try to keep up with the alien leading me. The only thing keeping me on my feet is the strong hold he’s got on the cord around my wrist.

There are many different types of aliens around us. Not one race like I thought it would be. This is not just one civilization.

My gaze flicks from one alien to the other and what I see only increases the fear crawling over my spine.

None of them look kind. Their eyes are shifty. Cold. And they’re all mostly dirty, their clothing turned dark brown and black from what must be hard work in the factories.

Those who do make eye contact with me turn to stare, their gazes curious. But they all continue on.

No one stops to ask the murderer leading me what he’s doing or why he’s got a woman restrained and being pulled behind him.

No one looks surprised either.

It must be common here.

A little part of me dies inside.

I am on my own.

I’ve been on my own for a long time. But even in the dark streets of New Earth’s lower levels, I’ve never been more afraid of that fact.

I find myself staring at each and every alien that meets my gaze, this fact cementing in my brain when the murderer tugs me mercilessly.

I almost stumble but manage to pick up the pace.

He hasn’t killed me yet. He obviously has plans for me.

He takes a sharp right, pulling me through the crowd and into an alleyway between two large dirty metal buildings.

The stench down this road is so strong, I wish I had use of my hand so I could cover my nose.

Pungent ammonia wafts up from the ground and the only thing protecting my feet from the urine is the flimsy slip-ons I’d worn to go on the stupid cruise.

Fuck.

Does the government even know something happened to us? Surely, they were monitoring the ship. Surely they know something terrible has happened. Surely they sent help.

Hope flares within me for a moment. Hope that maybe I will be found. Hope that maybe this nightmare will end soon.

But I’m nowhere near the ship and after what happened there…it’s safe to assume the World Government will think every woman on that cruise is now dead.

I gulp back a sob at this fact as I struggle to keep up with the murderer. There’s no telling what my future holds.

Bright light almost blinds me as we exit the alley. But the sun is soon hidden again as the murderer turns sharply and begins going downward.

The stairs are narrow, just wide enough to walk single file, and the lower we go, the stronger the scent of dampness and mold.

Soon, the stairs stop in front of an unmarked, metal door.

The alien knocks and I try to see around him, but he’s so large he blocks my view.

“Where are you taking me?”

Turning so quickly his tail almost whips me across the midsection, the alien advances on me and grabs my lower jaw, causing my lips to twist as he squeezes my face.

His grip is painful but I’m more terrified by the cold look in his eyes.

“You remain quiet unless spoken to,” he growls.

I don’t reply, and after a few seconds, he releases me just as the door behind him opens.

The alien on the other end is yet another race that has not yet visited New Earth, to my knowledge.

He is a mass of lumps and folds. I am not sure where his head ends and his body begins.

He eyes the murderer before his gaze slips to me.

They say nothing as if they already had a conversation beforehand, and before I know it, I’m being pulled into a dark room.

It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the scene before me.

Several cages, some already occupied, are hanging from the ceiling in a large, otherwise empty room.

My gaze flicks from one cage to another and the terrified eyes of those caged look back at me.

As I’m pulled further into the room, there is a creak and a cage slowly lowers. Without a word, the murderer yanks on my lead, pulling me toward the lowering cage.

A moment ago, I wasn’t sure what my future holds.

Right now, it’s as clear as day.

CHAPTER 6

AQNAR

I barely manage to send a coherent message back to our main cruiser.

There is no time to waste.

Knowing the Khuru, there are a number of places where they would go to dispose of illegal slave victims, and waiting too long could be to the detriment of the females.

Dared gave the order as soon as I told him what I saw on the security feed.

There’s no time to contact New Earth, so we have to do this ourselves.

We’ll go after the females, try to find them. Try to rescue them.

I’m already on my way.

The closest planet to our current location is one called Ockorius III. It’s a dirty factory pit filled with thieves, murderers, and petty criminals.

It’s the perfect place to get rid of a slave—either by getting them to work in one of the factories or by other means.

It’s my best bet, so I head there first.

Even before I land, my nostrils flare with disgust at the sight of the surface.

I’ve only been to this planet twice before, both times against my will, but through duty to the Atari military.

I have no friends here. On this world, I doubt anyone has friends.

I hope that works in my favor.

Docking at the ship bay, I hop out, concealing my blade and blaster underneath the oversized robe I don that hides my features.

The attendant hurries over to me, a devilish gleam in his eyes as he skims my cruiser.

He’ll have it scrapped for parts as soon as my back is turned no doubt.

“Take care of it,” I say to him, flipping a Galactic credit into the air toward him.

His beady eyes widen and his mouth opens, an unhidden drool falling from his lips as he grabs the coin greedily.

“Make sure it’s like this when I return and I’ll double the payment.”

The attendant is nodding eagerly, both hands gripping the credit as if he is afraid I will snatch it away from him.

“It will be in perfect condition…master.” He pauses, eyeing me. His head dips a little as he tries to see underneath the hood of my cloak. “I will even wash it for you. I have a special wax that will keep the exterior well preserved during takeoff.”

He beams at me.

“No need,” I grunt, brushing past him.

He says something else that I don’t care to hear as my focus turns to my surroundings.

There are several places in this city where a female could be sold.

One so soft and small would most likely not draw the attention of the factory overseers. But for other, more twisted beings, I know exactly what they would see her being best used for.

I have to move. And fast.

The throng of factory workers moving to and from their jobs is one that reeks of blood, sweat, and toil.

Most of these beings are repaying debts they had no choice but to be laden with. Some had their homes taken away, their families imprisoned, all because they made the wrong choices.

It’s why the general mood is bitter in this place.

No one on Ockorius III is happy. None content.

I hope this will work for my benefit.

Walking along the side of the road, I keep my head bent, my eyes on the lookout for any lonely soul who might give me some information.

I see my target not long after.

He’s old. Crouching. His robes ripped and dirty. He sits on a small boulder by the side of the road, watching everyone go by.

He has the eyes of a being that has seen many things, but to others, he might look like just a poor vagrant.

I approach him and stop when I am standing right beside him.

He does not acknowledge my presence and I say nothing.

Without a word, I slip a galactic credit between my fingers and lower my hand enough for him to see the glint of the golden metal.

I sense when he sees it because he shifts a little. His mouth opens and his double tongues flick over his lips.

“I want to buy something,” I speak low.

“I have nothing to sell,” he replies.

“Information,” I reply.

He licks his lips again. “What do you want to know?”

“A slave. I need one.”

His shoulders shake a little as he grunts. “Many places to get those here. Don’t need to spend a galactic credit to find out where.”

He is right. If I want a worker, I simply have to walk up to anyone on the street and offer them more payment than their current employer.

“A special type of slave,” I reply. “One that can fulfill my…needs.”

He grunts again. “Ah,” he says. “That information deserves a galactic credit.”

“Do you know where or not?”

He nods and opens his palm to me.

I drop the credit into his hand and it promptly disappears under his clothing.

“Follow the road. Keep to the right. Take the alley. Then the stairs.” He goes back to ignoring me and I walk away, repeating the instructions in my head.

It’s not long till I reach the alley.

It reeks of excrement and I quicken my steps. I’ve never liked the sleazy underground of Ockorius III.

The alley was easy to find. The stairs, though, I almost miss.

They’re concealed between two buildings and, at first, they look like a dark hole.

Barely wide enough for me to fit through without brushing against the walls, I head down them till I reach a door.

Glancing behind me, I note the silence.

This has to be the place.

One rap on the door and more silence. I’m about to rap again when it creaks open and a Zedice stands before me.

Just the sight of him and I know I am at the right place. It is widely known that the Zedice’s preferred form of business is the illegal dealings of trafficked beings.

It is unusual to see one walking above ground. Their kind prefers to dwell in the underground.

The Zedice looks me up and down, his body rippling as his head moves.

“What business do you have here, stranger?” His voice is deep, rumbly, and almost too low to hear.

“I am here for the sale.”

He dips his head, trying to see under my cloak, but I don’t move to reveal myself.

“You must be mistaken. I do not sell anything here.”

I know he lies.

“I’ve been told this is the place to acquire the rarest of…items,” I say to him, tilting my head a little so he can see my eyes.

His widen somewhat. “An Atari,” he whispers, and he takes a step backward. “I’m afraid you are mistaken.”

He moves to close the door but I’m faster than he can move. My boot prevents the door from closing.

“I’m sure you don’t want to turn down what I’m offering.” I lower my voice and hold up my bag of credits, shaking them so he can hear the coin tinkling. “It would be a pity to lose out on a good sale.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “Your kind does not buy what I sell,” he says.

He is right. No Atari would find themselves buying a trafficked being.

They would rather cut their hands off and those of the seller before stooping to such levels.

I make a show of returning my coin bag to the hidden folds of my cloak.

“You do not know my kind as well as you think.” I turn slightly. “Pity,” I say. “I had word that you have a new specimen I was quite interested in.” I pause, letting the words settle. “You are right. I must have been mistaken.”

I turn my back to him and take a few steps away, heading back to the stairs.

My life organ thumps. I need him to stop me. I need him to let me in willfully. That would make things much easier.

If he doesn’t, I’ll kill him.

As I hoped, though, his voice stops me in my tracks.

“How much are you willing to spend today, friend?”

Friend now, am I?

I turn, a soft smile on my lips. “As much as it takes.”

MARION

The room slowly fills up. More slaves are put into cages and more people—aliens—fill the room below.

I watch them keenly. None of them look like the dirty workers I walked past above ground.

These aliens are cleaner. They don’t walk hunched. Their hands and claws aren’t caked with dirt, and their whole demeanor tells me they are far better off than the aliens working in the factories.

I watch them, my cage shaking slightly with every movement I make.

I will belong to any one of these aliens in a short time and none of them, not one, looks remotely kind.

Like the other unfortunates in cages around me, I continue watching the aliens below as the room continues to fill.

They walk slowly below the cages, eyes upward as they scan the wares on display.

My eyes catch those of an almost humanoid one. His skin is green and there is a slight sheen to it as if he has soft scales.

He doesn’t have soft tissue above his nose like humans too. Instead, there are simply two dark holes in the middle of his face and his ears are also shorter than a human’s.

He notices me looking at him and his eyes brighten.

I don’t know whether that is a good or bad thing but he doesn’t look as bad as some of the other buyers in here.

If anyone gets me, I hope it is him. Though the thought makes a horrible feeling go through my belly.

Trading one demon for another…just because he looks nice doesn’t mean he isn’t cruel.

My heart sinks further when more buyers enter the room.

They seem to be arriving randomly but as the room fills, it’s clear that the event will start soon.

There is hardly enough space on the floor now for them to stand without bumping into each other.

That fact only makes my heart beat harder.

Finally, the moment of truth arrives.

The huge alien that mans the door moves to the center of the room and speaks in a language I do not know.

He gestures to the cages and there is a low, excited wave of whispers that rolls across the group.

“Our first hu-bli today,” he says, switching to Standard as he gestures up toward the cages.

My heart lurches but my cage doesn’t move.

Instead, one to my far right is slowly lowered and the being inside of it scrambles to the front, gripping the metal bars, fright in his eyes.

He is small, about three feet, and thin. Wearing only something to cover his privates, I can see his ribs poking through his upper body.

His head shakes, sharp little inhales racking his body as his gaze flicks from one buyer to another as his cage is lowered to right above the alien running the sale.

“Two granietsu,” the seller says.

Again, that word. I can only assume it is referring to money.

Credits.

No one in the crowd says a word.

“One and half credit.” The seller lowers the price.

Still, no one makes any indication they are willing to buy what he offers.

“One credit.”

No one replies.

“Half credit.”

Nothing.

The seller shifts and the cage with the little alien rises slowly once more.

“Closed,” the seller says.

I blink down at the crowd and the seller, confused.

“Oh no!” The little alien suddenly speaks. “No! Please! I will work hard. Very hard. I will do anything you want!”

Some of the buyers shift their eyes away and the little alien begins shaking the bars of his cage.

“Please!” He begins pleading some more, his words coming out so quickly I can’t follow with my limited grasp of the language.

“He belongs to the Zedice now,” the alien closest to me says.

From the hair, I assume it is a female. Long dark strands cover most of her face and she turns four startling blue eyes my way.

She is beautiful.

I have no doubt she will get bought.

“What do you…mean?” I whisper. “What is the…Zedice?”

She glances down and gestures to the seller. “They are not kind jusirs,” she says. “Many die within the first rotation with a Zedice. You will do better sold.”

My mouth goes dry.

As if I didn’t have enough problems, I have to worry about actually being bought?

My gaze flicks with renewed panic over the group of buyers below.

Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck.

Self-consciously, I try to wipe away some of the blood from my face, but it’s already dried.

My efforts do nothing.

And as I’m doing this, I catch sight of my missing arm.

New fear spikes through me.

As the murderer and his friends had said, I am not whole. They almost killed me because of that. To them, I almost wasn’t worth the trouble.

As I scan the group below, I find myself turning so my nub isn’t in plain view.

It makes me feel like shit, hiding the fact about myself.

As a kid, I’d been forced to accept myself for who I am…but what happens now when that fact might get me killed?

I can’t take the chance.

I have to survive this.

I have to come out of this alive.

CHAPTER 7

AQNAR

There are several cages suspended above. More than I expected.

Unfortunate beings stare down at us, fear in their eyes.

Most defeated.

Most pleading with their gazes.

Standing below them, looking at their plight, I cannot stop the rage building within me.

The Zedice’s operation is unlawful. Illegal.

No being should be subjected to this.

As the first unfortunate being is lowered and the Zedice begins the bids, the silence is almost overwhelming.

It’s a newot. A race of small beings that are often used as house help.

This one must have been abandoned by his previous employers for some less than stellar reason.

That is unfortunate…because newots usually bond with one family, and one family only, working with them for life.

They take care of the family’s dwelling while the family provides food, board, and protection. It’s an almost symbiotic relationship, with most families treating them as if they are tied to them by blood.

Because of this, it is unlikely for a newot to bond to another employer. He will be loyal to no other, even when the bond is broken. For a newot to be sold on the underground…

I am not surprised when not one buyer around me puts in a bid for the unfortunate creature and its cries as it is pulled away only increase the anger brewing within me.

My gaze flicks across the group of beings in the cages and at first, I do not recognize the human.

My gaze slides past her, a frown creasing my brow as I wonder whether I have made a mistake.

If she is not here…finding her will take much longer and be more difficult.

It is not till they pull the newot’s cage past hers that I finally spot her.

She is almost unrecognizable.

Grime and filth coat her skin, covering its light color like a dark haze.

Her dark hair is clumped together, her garments torn and hanging…

The only thing I recognize is the same eyes that looked back at me on the security feed.

At the realization, relief surges through me and I take a step forward from my position at the back of the group.

She is sitting awkwardly, one side turned toward the group of buyers, and one arm gripping the cage as she looks down at us.

Like the others in her situation, there is fear in her eyes, but there is also something else.

Unlike the pleading gazes of the beings around her, the human’s gaze flicks across the group of buyers with calculation.

She eyes each and every one below her for a few seconds before her gaze moves to the next, as if she is trying to work out who they are, or what they are.

I notice when her gaze slides to a velushan standing with his back against the wall.

His focus is on her too. As a matter of fact, she is the only prisoner he’s focused on.

The thick row of scales at the back of his head pulse in anticipation.

He wants her.

And I know exactly for what.

Velushans may share similar physical traits to the Atari, but one thing separates us—we don’t forcefully impregnate females to bear our young, killing them in the process.

It is a vicious cycle, one I am sure will happen if I let him get his claws on the human.

He must sense my scorching gaze, for his gaze shifts from the human for the first time and finds mine immediately.

We stare at each other for several slow seconds.

He’s not getting her.

She is mine.

“And now, this…lovely item,” the Zedice announces. “A creature that will be good for many uses…” The Zedice pauses. “…once it is given a good clean.”

There is a chuckle from one of the buyers and the soft gasp of the female as her gaze is lowered is the only thing that pulls my gaze away from the velushan.

As she is lowered, I get a better look at her.

She is small.

Smaller than I thought.

She will reach no higher than my chest if I put her to stand before me.

Before her cage is lowered enough for all buyers to see, the velushan speaks.

“Ten creditssss.”

The Zedice’s eyes bug out. It’s clear he was going to start with a much lower amount.

The human’s eyes are wide as her gaze darts to the velushan. She blinks at him, her throat moving, as her chest heaves with huge breaths.

She’s hoping that he wins the bet.

To her, he is the most familiar-looking thing in this group of buyers…but what she doesn’t know is that he would be one of her worst fates.

“T-ten credits.” The zedice grins. “Any other offers?” He glances around the group. “Maybe ten and a half?”

I can hear the slight hope in his voice, which makes my disgust for him grow.

No one replies.

To them, the human looks like a dirty, weak, and strange thing. I do not think I have to worry about winning this bid.

“Twenty credits.” My voice rings throughout the room, eliciting several gasps and everyone in the room turns to face me.

My cloak is still low and I can see they are wondering just who I am. Nobody pays that much for a slave, especially one that will most likely be disposed of in a few days.

Keeping my head low, my body covered, I do not satisfy their curious gazes.

“T-twenty?!” The zedice almost forgets he is the one running the auction. That the money will be his and he will not be the one paying.

The moment this realization comes back to him, his grin increases.

“Twenty credits!” He announces. “And the creature belongs to the—”

“Twenty-five.”

There is another collective gasp, as the buyers turn to look over at the velushan.

He’s lifted himself off the wall, his gaze on me. His normally cool eyes are slowly turning red, the scales at the back of his no longer pulsing but turning red as well.

He is pissed.

I cannot help the slight smile that twists my lips, but I keep my gaze on the female I’m here for.

Her throat is moving, her eyes flicking between me and the velushan, and every time she glances my way, the fear in her eyes increases.

She is afraid of me…more than she is of the velushan.

For a moment, this makes a strange feeling go through me, before I realize that she cannot see me clearly. For all she knows, I am a shadowed version of death, unlike the velushan who has not concealed himself in any way.

There is suddenly silence around us and I can feel the eyes of every being on me.

“T-twenty five,” the zedice announces. “And the creature belongs to the—”

The human grips the cage, her eyes on me now too.

I don’t know what she sees, but when I open my mouth and utter my next words, the surrounding collective gasp is all she needs to know that I am not leaving this room without her.

“Fifty credits.”

CHAPTER 8

MARION

It’s clear that whoever this cloaked alien is, he just paid a shit ton of money for me.

I can see the interest in this mysterious alien rise in every other alien in this room. Even the one running the auction beside me is literally shivering with glee.

But I’m not so sure whether I should be happy or not.

Unlike the humanoid green alien standing against the wall, I have no idea what this cloaked alien is or what he looks like.

His voice is a deep baritone, one that vibrates the air in the room as he speaks.

It’s the voice of someone that demands respect, if nothing else. But I can’t go on that alone.

For all I know, he is the worst being that could buy me in this room.

Fifty credits, though. He doesn’t even know if I can fulfill whatever work he’ll want me to do.

I’m not completely versed on the exchange rate between New Earth dollars and Galactic Credits, but I can tell that he’s just paid an extortionate amount.

A glance at the green alien I’d been hoping to buy me makes something sink in my chest.

His eyes have turned red and he is snarling a little, but apart from that, he eases back against the wall, his hateful gaze on the cloaked alien, and he says nothing.

I gulp, my eyes going back to the cloaked being as he takes a step forward.

I still cannot see underneath his cloak, and that sort of terrifies me.

“S-sold,” the auctioneer announces.

There is no gavel for him to hit to finalize the sale but I assume his words are enough.

My heart hits hard against my chest as I wait for the cage to open and my entire body aches as I try to rise so I can walk out.

But instead of opening, the cage instead begins to rise.

My eyes widen as I cling on to one of the bars.

“What is the meaning of this?” The cloaked alien speaks.

“Your cazia must be fuloy at the back,” the auctioneer says, “so we may continue the market here.”

The cloaked alien says nothing but I can almost feel the glare he shoots at the auctioneer.

The auctioneer stutters. “S-she will be ready for you when we are done here, I promise you.”

“You make fun of my time,” the cloaked wearer says. “You will release her to me now or forget your payment.”

The auctioneer’s eyes widen a little and he stutters some excuses, throwing his hands up as if the request is something he cannot do.

“Either way,” the cloaked alien says, “she is leaving with me…now.”

There is a hush across the group of buyers, everyone looking at the auctioneer to see his next move.

He goes a little pale and flicks his stubby wrist toward my cage.

Without a pause, the cage begins to lower again.

My heart rate increases at this fact and I cannot pull my gaze away from the cloaked alien below me.

He has the room transfixed. I do not think anyone even dares to breathe.

Just what is he…?

Who is he?

My cage lowers until it touches the floor, and the auctioneer turns to face me as he opens the door.

His gaze isn’t on me, though. Instead, he is giving a sideways look at the cloaked alien who looms behind him.

I can barely see a bit of gold skin when the cloaked alien tips his head a little.

It’s enough for me to stare at him.

As soon as the doors are open, the auctioneer steps away, his wide eyes on the cloaked alien.

I expect the cloaked one to turn and leave, expecting me to follow, and I take a step out of the cage, my knees almost buckling and the pain in my back scorching.

When muscular arms grasp me and I’m suddenly lifted off my feet, a yelp leaves my throat.

He’s lifting me, bridal carry, as the group of buyers parts to let us through.

Directly underneath the alien’s cloak, I can finally see his face now and as the door opens and he steps out of the room, I am transfixed by rich golden eyes set in the most striking face I have ever seen in my life.

The shadows his cloak creates only highlight his sharp jawline and sculpted features.

His eyes seem to glow in the shadows and once we are climbing the narrow stairs, they finally land on me.

Fuck.

He looks like a god.

I open my mouth to say something, to ask where he is taking me, but that’s all my mouth does. It opens.

“Don’t worry, you poor repi goonu. You are safe now,” is all he says.

Safe?

Light hits us as he finishes the last stair and we are once more above ground.

His gaze travels over me again, and even with his strange catlike eyes, I can see the rage building within him as his eyes travel over me.

I am dirty. Frail. Stinky.

“I-I can walk,” I try to say, but he makes a sound in his throat that makes me hush before he heads through the smelly alleyway.

The sky is darker now and I do not know if it is because of the sun going down or the rising smoke filling the air. The amount of beings on the road, though, has not lessened.

As a matter of fact, it seems there are even more aliens on the road now than there were before.

The cloaked alien holds me close and heads in one direction. He doesn’t stop until he reaches a building I don’t have any idea the purpose of.

Lifting one foot, he kicks the door open and steps inside.

My neck aches as I try to turn my head so I can see around me. My whole body aches, but the fear and uncertainty surrounding my future put a damper on my physical awareness.

The room is dark but by the silence, it’s clear the place is mostly deserted. There are only a few metal pieces of furniture standing on the floor, and at the front, behind the counter, an alien turns to look at us.

“Visitors!” he says. His eyes are on stalks that rise above his oval head.

He rushes from behind the counter and I notice he has four legs, but two arms.

“A room. The best you have,” the cloaked alien says.

“Immediately!” the innkeeper says, slapping his arms together with glee.

I get the impression that the residents of this planet don’t visit inns regularly.

He rushes behind the corner and I hear metal things clinking and falling as he searches for something.

“Make sure there is warm water,” the cloaked alien begins talking again and I soon lose track of his words as he speaks quickly, dictating what I assume is a long list of requests. Trying to translate everything, it goes by too fast for me to catch.

This is the perfect moment for me to observe him though, and I tilt my head a little so I can look at him.

My heart skips a beat when golden eyes meet mine.

He’s been observing me the whole time, even while speaking to the innkeeper.

There’s a look in his strange eyes that I cannot read. I do not know whether he is angry or what he is thinking.

He is clearly observing me—has been clearly observing me—and that much sends a little shiver down my spine.

I gulp as I watch his lips move. Every now and then, the tips of what can only be fangs show. There is a light spattering of white hair on his face too—a silver beard.

This male is not human, but he could pass as one if he wore contacts maybe.

It is only when silence once more envelopes the room that I realize he’s stopped talking and has begun to follow the innkeeper up a narrow staircase.

We can hardly fit.

Again, I try speaking to him.

“I don’t know who you are, or what you intend to do with me, but I can walk,” I say.

His gaze flicks over my face. “I am surprised you are even pavrai.”

My brows furrow a little.

I do wish I had practiced Standard more often.

“Awake,” the alien says, as if he notices my confusion.

“I am fine,” I say.

He makes a sound in his throat just as we reach the landing and the innkeeper heads down the short corridor to the last room.

“Our most private quarters,” he says, opening the door to reveal a small room.

A small bed is set in the middle of the room, barely big enough to hold two people. There is a raised metal object on one side attached to the wall. The center is carved out in the shape of an egg and not far from it, there is another metal thing attached to the wall.

The toilet and bath I assume.

The only other thing in the room is a metal table and chair set on the other side of the wall.

“If there is anything else, please—” the innkeeper begins.

“Thank you. Your greifin is no longer needed,” cloaked alien says, shifting me a little as he reaches underneath his cloak for something.

A golden coin is dropped into the innkeeper’s hand. His eye stalks stiffen as his eyes widen.

“We are not to be disturbed,” cloaked alien says.

The innkeeper’s mouth falls open before he nods and hurries from the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

And the silence envelopes the room immediately.

I am left alone with this strange male who has bought me.

I have no idea what his intentions are. No idea what he wants from me.

And this hits home when his gaze bores into mine and he speaks.

“Take your garments off.”

CHAPTER 9

AQNAR

I can feel every beat of the female’s life organ as it thumps in her chest. It is slamming into her ribs erratically as she stares up at me.

She is calmer than I thought she would be. Possibly, she is still in shock.

I wish I could change that. Wish I could change what happened to her people, and if I encounter the Khuru who massacred her kind, I will make sure they pay.

Her mouth falls open as she stares up at me and I wonder if she understood my request.

Galactic Standard is the common language across the galaxy, but as her planet has only recently joined the Galactic Union, all its citizens may not all know how to speak or understand it yet.

“Remove your garments,” I repeat.

Her life organ speeds up.

She is so small. Much frailer than I thought her kind would be.

Though we have traded with the humans, such close contact with their females had been restricted.

That is why it had been so surprising they struck this deal, forcing their females on us in exchange for our technology. All we had wanted to trade was a precious metal found on their planet. Gold, they call it. The color of the Atari skin and eyes. A treasured metal for my kind. One the royal line wants to hoard.

We did not intend to trade for their females as well.

As I set her down gently on the resting area, she winces and tries to hide it, her eyes going even wider as she looks at me.

I wonder how much of me she can see. Her eyes seem to get bigger and bigger, as if to draw in more light and it prompts me to remove the hood of my cloak.

I no longer have to hide.

A soft gasp leaves her lips as I release her and crouch before her.

Unlike what I thought, her eyes only grow bigger as they move over my face and my hair.

I wonder what she sees when she looks at me.

When I look at her, I see an unfortunate, small being who’s been thrown a burden she does not deserve.

No female deserves what she just went through.

For the first time since I took her into my arms, I take a good, proper look at her.

That’s when I notice her arm.

It’s missing.

My gaze focuses on it and she must notice because she shifts somewhat, turning slightly, a wince going through her, so I pull my gaze away.

Where is her prosthetic?

Maybe in the fight for her life, she somehow lost it.

No worries. Once she gets to Atari, I can fit her with a new, robotic one.

Her gaze is questioning as she watches me, her eyes never leaving my face.

“Who are you? What…do you want?” she whispers. Her voice is soft, melodious, despite the underlying uncertainty in her tone.

“I am Aqnar of the Atari.”

“Atari?”

Hmm. She does not know of my kind.

It is possible her government did not disclose the deal they struck with us.

But they sent these females to us. Surely, she would have known she is being sent as a possible bride for my kind.

“New Earth government must have mentioned us when you agreed to board that ship. You are to be a bride for the Atari.”

She blinks at me, her brows going up. “I’m sorry, I don’t…understand Galactic Standard very well. I’m translating your words to bride, but that can’t be correct.”

Activating the comms on my wrist, a small compartment opens revealing a spare universal translator. I take up the small device and reach toward the female.

She jerks backward, her arm rising to block me.

“A translator,” I say, showing her the chip on the tip of my finger before turning my head and pointing behind my ear where mine currently sits.

She stares at it before, slowly, she lowers her arm and I stick the disk to her temple, turning it on as soon as it is attached.

She winces as the frequency adjusts.

“Can you understand me?” I speak in Atari and a look of surprise lights up the female’s eyes.

“Y-yes. I can.” She brushes a finger over the translator.

“I am Aqnar,” I repeat, my gaze moving over her face. “I am Atari. Me and my crew were sent to retrieve you and the other females who chose to be part of the bridal gift. When your ship was not where it was supposed to be, we searched for you and found…the massacre.”

A myriad of emotions flick across her face.

“What?”

Can she still understand? Perhaps the translator isn’t—

“What bridal program?”

It is my turn to look confused.

“You are human, are you not?”

She jerks her chin slowly. “Yes, but…we were setting out on a luxury cruise. We’re not part of a bridal program. I didn’t sign up to be a bride. I think you are mistaken.”

I am not.

I ease back on my haunches and release a breath as I watch the confusion grow in the female’s eyes.

Fek.

This is more complicated than I thought it would be.

Rising, I turn away from the female as I move over to the washing tub and start the hot water.

She needs to wash the grime from her skin. And she needs rest.

Accessing my communicator, I ping our main cruiser.

It takes a few moments before Qhenno answers my call.

“Qhenno,” I say. “We have a problem.”

“Aqnar! Have you found any of the females?”

“Yes.” I glance behind me.

The female is watching me. A worried sort of confused look on her face.

“I have secured one. What about the others?”

“Others?” The female jumps to her feet and her knees buckle immediately.

I am at her side before she hits the ground.

I do not think she realizes just how injured she is.

She will need to be nursed back to health. There is no way I can take her back in my cruiser in this state.

Which means we will have to stay on Ockorius III for longer than I would prefer.

“Three others may have survived,” I say, and hope flashes in her eyes.

I don’t want to pull this hope away from her. We don’t know if we will find them…or if we will find them alive.

I was lucky I found her.

“Dared and Bhihan have both taken cruisers to the nearest stations in search of them. I am en route as well,” Qhenno says.

“They’re alive,” she whispers, and her eyes grow moist.

A sudden urge rises within me to lift a finger and wipe her sad waters away.

“Aqnar,” Qhenno draws my attention. “My instruments tell me you are on Ockorius III.” He pauses. “Be careful.”

“As always,” I reply.

CHAPTER 10

MARION

Relief floods through me when I hear that Mona, Rissa, and Trudy may have survived. It makes my body sag on the big alien who is suddenly cradling me again.

Aqnar he said his name was, and if he’s telling me the truth, then everything I thought I knew about this whole trip has been one big lie.

I fumble against him, trying to rise, but he does not let me.

Instead, he lifts me again and strides over to the swirling bathwater.

Without a word, he sets me gently into it.

It’s warm and my body instantly melts.

Warm water is scarce on the lower levels of New Earth. Heating is so expensive, most do without.

The blood and dirt on my body instantly turn the water red and I swallow hard as I look down at it.

“Remove your garments,” Aqnar says once more and I stiffen a little.

I saw how he was looking at my nub. I’m surprised he didn’t notice it before.

The last thing I want is him seeing more of my body.

“I…I don’t want to get naked in front of you.”

I shouldn’t have looked up at him then because the look in his eyes has a strange shiver going down my body.

I don’t know this male.

He is three times my size and could probably snap me in two if he wanted to.

The only thing I have to go on is the fact that he appeared out of nowhere, paid an exorbitant amount of money for me, and hasn’t tried to harm me yet.

All I have to go on is what he has told me.

A slight smile twists his lips. “Do Earth humans still practice such archaic beliefs of modesty? I will turn around if it makes you feel better.”

When I nod, his smile widens somewhat, transforming his features.

God, he is beautiful. Like a painting. The white long hair that frames his head only highlights his golden skin and eyes.

He turns as he’s promised and I’m left staring at his back.

As quickly as I can, I slip what’s left of my maxi dress over my head.

I have to wash it and fix it somehow. I have no other clothes. Kicking off my slip-ons, I take them out of the water.

The bath is a swirling, filthy mess now and I stretch to find the stop that releases the liquid.

It takes me a few moments before I find it and the water begins to go down the drain. As soon as it’s gone, I begin filling the bath once more.

All this time, Aqnar remains with his back turned.

“Will you be standing like that until I am finished?” I whisper.

“No. Just until you are comfortable enough for me to turn around.”

His words make my brow furrow.

“Why do you want me to turn around?”

“You are injured. You cannot tend to yourself.”

My whole body aches and every movement sends shocks of pain through me, but that doesn’t mean—

“Ready now?”

I don’t get a chance to answer. Only enough time to spin so my back is toward him when he faces me once more.

The sudden growl that vibrates the air sends a shiver down my spine and I spin my head to face the alien.

The look of sudden rage on his face has my eyes widening.

He grabs me by the shoulder and it is only vaguely that I note his hold on me doesn’t hurt even as he turns me away from him.

“What is this?!” he roars.

At first, I do not know what he means.

“They whipped you…” His words are said with a low growl. One that sends a shiver down my spine even more than his roaring did.

Oh…the welts on my back. They burn every time the water brushes against them.

“Who did this?” the Atari growls.

I do not understand why my injury has elicited such a response from him. You would think I am more to him than a stranger he has found and decided to, hopefully, help.

“The, uh, the ones that killed…”

“Fekking Khuru,” he growls. I can almost feel the rage emanating from him.

Silence envelopes us both.

I do not know how to respond.

It’s been a long, long time since anyone has cared about my well-being. I’ve been on my own for as long as I can remember.

I feel I have to say something but a knock saves me.

The Atari releases his gentle hold on my shoulder and stalks to the door, opening it enough that I see the innkeeper carrying a tray laden with several things.

His eyes widen as soon as he sees the Atari without his cloak, but as he opens his mouth to say something, the Atari grasps whatever he brought and closes the door without a word.

He sets the things down on the table before taking up two round objects and turns back toward me.

I’m staring.

It’s only now that I look away.

When his fingers brush against my back, lightly skirting over the areas where my skin isn’t broken, my skin trembles and I jerk away from his hand.

He makes a sort of humming sound, similar to how a mother shushes a baby, and his voice surprises me.

“It will be okay, female. I will not let you hurt like this again.” His voice is soft, filled with care. For such a big male, it’s strange hearing him speak like that…and to me. I stiffen at his words and then he growls. “And I will break the neck of any being that tries.”

His words catch me off guard so much that when he reaches for me again, pressing a soft sponge filled with warm water from the bath, I am so stunned I don’t jerk away this time.

He makes that soft humming sound in his throat once more, and I stay still, unable to believe what is happening, as he washes the dirt from my wounds.

For a few minutes, that’s all he does, moving so slowly and with such care, an outsider would think I am his lover and not someone he just met.

“W-why are you doing this?” I whisper.

I can’t understand.

From the moment he made his presence known in that room filled with the buyers till now, all of his actions have confused me.

“You don’t even know me…” I continue. “Why do you care? Why are you helping me?”

My back is still turned to him. He’s still washing it, and frozen as I am, unable to move, I cannot see his face.

The movement of the sponge stops and for a few moments, the Atari says nothing.

“I am helping you…because you need my help,” he finally says.

I lick my lips.

Where I come from, help is never free.

“What do you want in return?”

He grunts and begins washing my back once more, careful not to disturb the deep welts.

“After you are safe on Atar, you owe me nothing, human.”

I don’t believe that. I may not know the details of everything. Hell, I might not even trust him completely and his reasons for assisting me, but he has saved my life and he is caring for me now when he doesn’t need to.

It’s more than I can say the very woman who birthed me would have done.

I have to repay him somehow.

But something he said finally dings in my head. “Safe on Atar? You’re taking me to your planet?”

“I cannot return you to yours.”

“But…”

“A trade was struck. An agreement signed,” he says. “You are ours now. Your ties with your planet were severed the moment you boarded that ship.”

But…

“That can’t be. I…We…” I couldn’t have been the only naïve, ignorant one. I don’t think any of those women knew what we had been invited to. That it had all been a ploy. That this “luxury cruise” was the government’s way of getting rid of us. Their way of lessening the burden of the lower levels.

“Do not worry, female. You will not be mated if you do not wish. We are Atari. Our word is our bond.”

I don’t think he understands where my confusion is coming from, and as he dips the sponge in the water and continues to massage the grime from my back, I’m left looking into the water as it turns red around me.

This isn’t real…is it?

Has my life been turned upside down in a single day, without me even realizing what I was walking into?

CHAPTER 11

MARION

For the next few minutes, the Atari continues washing my back before he slowly begins to wash over my shoulders. When the sponge moves around to my neck, brushing lightly, I grab his wrist.

He stills, and a sound like a chuckle rumbles in his throat.

“Good grip,” he says.

I clear my throat. “I can wash the rest of myself. You have helped me enough.”

His hand stiffens under mine. “You will do no such thing.”

But he releases me and steps away from the bath.

I think he is letting me do what I requested until I hear shuffling behind me.

Taking a chance, I glance back at him, only to do a double-take.

My mouth falls open as I watch the Atari’s cloak fall to the floor.

It’s impossible, but without the cloak, he looks even bigger.

Bulging muscles highlight his arms as he reaches behind him and unlocks his garments.

It’s a dark leather sleeveless top with matching dark leather pants on the bottom to complement it.

He slips off his upper clothing easily, revealing a perfectly sculpted back.

I have never seen a more perfectly built male in my life. Not that I’ve had the luxury of seeing many males strip before me, but the few boyfriends I’ve had never came close to this.

The Atari…Aqnar…is the type of male that only dwelled on the upper levels, never venturing to Lower Earth unless for sketchy reasons or not at all.

I’m staring at him again, not realizing I am until his fingers trouble the latch that holds his pants at his waist, releasing the garment, until it falls to his feet.

A taut ass meets my gaze and a breath hitches in my throat when he suddenly turns around.

OhmyfuckingGod!

I spin around, water splashing around me and pain erupting across my back that I ignore.

“Whatareyoudoing? Whyareyounaked?”

“I cannot wash you properly unless I get into the water with you. I refuse to let you tend to yourself.”

I hear him approaching and I skirt across the bath, putting distance between us.

He must be joking.

But the water moves, rising a little higher as he enters it, and I feel his presence behind me.

“I c-can wash myself.”

“So you’ve said, yet you can hardly move without hissing in pain.”

“I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to do this.”

“You’re right, human. I don’t have to do this. But I will.”

I gulp. “Marion. My name is Marion.”

He makes a “hmm”-like sound in his throat. “Marion,” he repeats my name. “As soft a name as you are. Now, let me wash you. The sooner you hand me the sponge, the quicker we can get out of this bath. I do not enjoy soaking in the blood of slain women.”

I gulp again, refusing to turn and face him. But he is so close, the skin all over my back prickles with his nearness.

“I can do it myself.”

“So you have said.”

Fuck, he’s stubborn.

“This…this isn’t appropriate. You’re naked and…”

He makes a sound in his throat. “And…?”

“And…I’m naked. You could have left your clothes on.”

He chuckles. It is a deep, low timbre that makes my skin shiver in a most delicious way.

“Ah, this is to do with your world’s modesty laws.”

“They aren’t laws. It’s common decency,” I bite back.

He chuckles again.

“How about you wash me some time when you are better, Marion. Would that make it even?”

The low timbre of his voice sends another shiver through me and I have to shake my head a little to focus.

“No, it would not!” My cheeks warm.

“Then let me wash you now. You are hurt. Let me take care of you.”

I grip the sponge for dear life.

The thought of this gorgeous alien’s hands roaming all over me, it elicits a response I did not expect. My heartbeat stutters, my clit throbs a little, and my entire body feels super aware of his lightest breath, his every movement.

It’s a puzzling response, one I’ve never had so suddenly before.

“I…” I begin.

“Is it that you don’t want me to take care of you?” he asks.

I gulp again.

Good question.

“I…I’ve never had anyone try before,” I whisper, the words coming out of my mouth before my mind can stop me.

Why the fuck did I say that?

Aqnar doesn’t move and in that beat of silence, I wish I could go back and erase the last few words I said.

“Well,” he finally says, “I am here to take care of you now. Let me.”

The battle is lost when his hand covers mine and the sponge slips from my fingers. Before I know it, a strong arm grasps around my waist and I am being pulled backward onto firm thighs.

My upper body rises above the water, enough that the top of my breasts hover at the surface.

“Tell me when you become uncomfortable. Tell me when it hurts,” he says. “I will not harm you, Marion.”

CHAPTER 12

AQNAR

I try my best not to irritate Marion’s wounds as I wash her.

Using the sponge infused with a mild antiseptic, I work my way over her shoulders as she sits rigidly in my lap.

Silence engulfs us, only the sound of the water breaking the tension as I dip the sponge and bring it to her body.

She doesn’t move. It is as if she is afraid to and I almost feel sorry for making her break her modesty laws. But she has not seen herself. She has not seen the discoloration all over her body. Large dark patches mark her skin. Bruises. And even worse are the bloody wounds on her back.

I tilt my head to the side so I can look at her face and I spot another large wound on the side of her head.

I’m surprised she isn’t dead.

When I’ve washed the parts of her body that are above the water, I rest the sponge on the bath’s edge and grab the bar of soap. It too is antiseptic, and I create a lather before bringing my hand to her hair.

Marion inhales deeply but her gaze remains facing forward.

She opens her mouth though, words of protest on the tip of her tongue.

“It is easier if I do it,” I murmur, and she visibly shudders at the sound of my voice.

I take my time, letting my fingers run through her hair, and with the silence growing between us once more, it is not lost on me that the position we are in is a very…intimate one.

I didn’t have to wash her. She was right about that. I do not know what gods, or what devils, pushed me to do so.

But I do not regret it.

Her body is so soft against mine…her soft inhales taking my mind to other places…

It has been a long time since I have cared enough about any female to spend intimate time around them…

But I will not force myself on Marion. I would never do such a thing.

And in her state…

But that doesn’t stop my body from responding when she shifts on my lap.

My cock throbs without my input.

“Are you uncomfortable?” I ask as I rinse her hair.

Marion’s little pink tongue wets her lips and she takes that moment to dip her hand in the water and wash her face.

As the grime disappears in the water, she looks even softer and more delicate than I first thought.

Small, pert pink lips fit neatly underneath her button nose. And those eyes of hers look big on her face. Highlighted by her dark hair, she is a beauty to behold.

I find myself pausing as I stare at her.

“Are you done?”

Her question catches me off guard. “Done with what?”

“Washing me.” She glances sideways but does not focus on me directly. “I can finish up now.”

Right.

I must wash the rest of her.

My gaze falls to the mounds on her chest. They are lifted high, buoyant because of the water. They look even softer than the rest of her body.

My cock takes this most inopportune moment to throb again, and Marion grips the side of the bath.

She felt it.

“Maybe it is best—” I begin.

“That I do the rest myself?”

A chuckle rises in my throat. “Aye.”

She slides off my lap before I can help her, a wince going through her as she moves to the other side of the tub.

This time, she turns to face me, one arm covering the mounds on her chest.

“Thank you,” she says.

I blink at her. Her gratitude catches me off guard.

“My pleasure,” I reply.

Bad choice of words.

Her cheeks grow warm and when I rise before her, her eyes become large pools as they settle on my midsection.

But she does not look away. She keeps her gaze locked, her mouth falling open, as she watches me leave the bath.

I don’t need to look at where her gaze is pointed. I already know my cock is hard and standing upright.

But unlike this little female and her modesty laws, Atar has no such rules.

I do not mind showing her my nakedness.

When I turn my back, reaching for my garments, her soft voice breaks the silence.

“Are you…Are you being truthful when you say you want nothing from me?”

The insinuation is clear and the growl that leaves my throat is immediate as I spin to face her.

There’s still that redness in her cheeks as she stares back at me, gripping her mounds and looking everything like the helpless being that she is.

My nostrils flare, my eyes burning with growing rage.

The worst thing one can do is insult an Atari in such a way.

Ignoring all aspects of modesty, I grip my cock in my palm.

“Don’t let this natural response fool you, human. I would never force a mating on you.” Her cheeks grow even brighter and I pause. “Unless that is what you want…”

I’m not surprised when she stutters, the water splashing as she forgets she’s protecting her modesty and hits the water with her arm. “A-Absolutely not.”

I grunt, a smile coming to my lips. “Thought so.”

CHAPTER 13

MARION

I’m beginning to believe that though this alien has rescued me, he is a stubborn, insufferable, brute.

I frown at him as he dons his leather clothing, looking everything like some medieval conqueror. All he needs is a battle axe and a trusty steed.

“I will leave you to wash your…intimate parts since I am sure you will crawl out of your skin if I try to.”

I stutter to find a quick response. The thought of his hands touching me, gripping my breasts, running the sponge across my pussy…it’s so vivid, it has me momentarily speechless.

“When I come back, I will apply this healing ointment to your wounds.” He takes up a metal tin from the tray the innkeeper had brought. “And bind them.” He brushes the binding that’s there too, ignoring the fact I’m blushing redder than the latest rouge the higher-ups use for blush nowadays.

“W-where are you going?” I don’t know why I ask.

What does this man—Atari, owe me? Nothing. Yet, in the space of this short time, I owe him everything.

He doesn’t answer me and when I meet his gaze, those gorgeous golden eyes narrow on me.

“Planning on escaping?” He asks.

I shake my head. “Of course, not.”

“Good.” He tightens his trousers and pulls his cloak over his frame. “Because what’s out there is worse than what you think I am.”

My mouth falls open then closes. I cannot argue. I’d just insinuated that he wanted to use me in his bed. But after seeing his cock (and God knows, it’s not just any sort of cock…it’s a godly cock…and it was hard…and throbbing!), it’s the first thing that came to my mind.

Back on New Earth, the lower levels are infested with males who want to use females like me for a fun time. Women with “defective genetic material” are seen as nothing more. Not to mention that the majority of humans no longer form life bonds. Marriage died eons ago.

Apart from fun and in casual relationships, people no longer have sex for any other reason.

One needs a license to bear young, and my eggs will never be harvested to do so. I am forbidden from becoming a mother.

It’s something that one accepts. It’s normal in New Earth society.

I close my eyes for a few moments, taking a deep breath as I shake my head.

I was so stupid.

I should have never believed the government would sponsor someone of my status on a luxury cruise.

When I glance up, Aqnar is watching me closely and the intensity of his eyes holds me arrested.

“I will not leave you here, Marion, if that is what you’re thinking.”

I allow a ghost of a smile to cross my face. He must have misunderstood the shadow that crossed my eyes as sadness or anxiety about him leaving me.

“I know you won’t,” I say.

Aqnar stares at me before his gaze falls to my lips and then to my breasts, buoyant in the water.

I don’t know why I don’t try to cover myself.

“How do you know?” he asks, his gaze slowly moving back up to my eyes.

I shrug.

I don’t know. I just do. “I trust you.”

It’s a realization for us both.

Aqnar nods then settles the hood of the cloak over his head, disguising his features.

“Remain in the water till I return. I will not be gone for long.”

I nod and with that, he heads toward the door.

CHAPTER 14

MARION

I finish washing myself as best as I can. It’s hard, and I realize that Aqnar was right about my wounds.

There are a lot more than I first thought I had.

Most of my body aches, but I manage to clean myself completely, release the water, and rinse myself off one more time, before climbing awkwardly from the tub.

There’s a folded up cloth that’s on the tray the innkeeper brought in, just large enough to act as a towel, and with nothing else to use, I pull it across my body to dry myself.

It’s coarse and scratchy but I work diligently, getting all the water off.

The place is so quiet, that every little breath I take sounds like a huge sigh, but I welcome the quiet.

Knowing what outside on the streets is like, it’s surprising no sound filters in. I cannot even hear the innkeeper downstairs.

Grabbing the ointment and the gauze, I settle on the bed and begin to tend to my wounds.

I know Aqnar said he would bind them for me, but I’m not an invalid. I’m capable of tending to myself, despite my disability, and besides, he’s done enough for me.

As soon as I get better, I have to focus on repaying him for his kindness and figuring out a way to return to my miserable life on New Earth.

Reaching across my back to get the ointment into my wounds would be a feat for even a person with two arms, but I somehow make do. I know I miss a lot of spots, so I unroll the long strip of bandage and cake some of the ointment along it as well. Holding one end between my teeth, I pull to create some tension and grip the other end with my hand.

Bringing the gauze around myself for several revolutions, I wrap it tight until I’m sure I’ve covered every inch of broken skin on my back. Then I tuck the ends in.

The whole process takes a while and I collapse on the bed in a huff, my energy spent.

Crawling up on the bed, I settle in the middle, my chest heaving as I stare at the grey metal wall before me.

The silence envelopes me and I reach for the damp towel, covering myself before I pull my legs up to my chest.

I don’t expect it, but that’s when the tears finally come.

They run down my cheeks, soaking the bedding beneath me.

The horror of what happened on that ship begins to replay in my mind, and I grip my legs tighter to myself.

If what Aqnar says is right, then I know returning to New Earth isn’t really an option.

The government would never accept us back. They would never risk the news of their plans getting out.

I grip myself tighter.

I’m alone.

The moment I accepted that e-vite for the cruise, I sealed my fate.

What am I going to do now?

AQNAR

It’s eerily quiet as I open the door to the quarters. The room is dark but I have no problem seeing that the bath is empty.

A low curse hisses from my lips.

I’ve been gone for much longer than I intended.

Finding clothes that can fit a small human in a place like this turned out to be much harder than I anticipated. In this section of Ockorius III, clothing shops aren’t really a thing. Those that come here usually keep the clothes on their back and wear nothing else until they leave.

I found something, though, and even went back to my shuttle to grab a second cloak.

So yes, I’ve been gone for some time, but I had trusted the female when she’d said she wouldn’t leave.

But the bath is empty, the water drained, and there is no light in the room.

It is not until I step in and close the door that I see the small frame curled up in the middle of the sleeping area.

I stop in my tracks, staring at her.

The scent of ointment fills the room, and it’s clear she tended to herself while I was gone—considering her injuries.

As I set the garments down on the table, the sound of my arrival does not rouse her.

She is fast asleep, and I drift closer to her sleeping form.

This human, Marion…she is so small.

I can’t help the ache that goes through me as I look down at her. To know the pain she’s just experienced.

For her own people to abandon her…it is unthinkable.

My gaze moves over her face. Now clean, her straight dark hair lies softly against her pale skin, creating a contrast that’s striking.

It is not just her eyes that are beautiful to look at.

She is as well.

A shiver goes through her and she lets out a soft whimper.

She’s only draped a damp piece of cloth over herself to ward off the cold, and with the night drawing in, these metal walls will do nothing to retain warmth.

Slipping off my cloak, I take the damp piece of cloth away.

She’s curled up into a ball, her knees against her chest, making her appear even smaller and more vulnerable than before, and as soon as the damp cloth is removed, another shiver goes through her.

My gaze slips down her nakedness before I can stop myself.

Bruises dot her entire body and once again, I am angered by the actions of the Khuru.

Growling underneath my breath, I move my coat to cover her naked form. It will at least provide some warmth. Easing back, I gaze down at her once more.

I itch to stretch forward and run a finger down her cheek. My hand is already outstretched when I stop myself.

She already thinks I’m prone to take advantage of her. There’s no need to make that feeling worse.

I’m about to move away when a whimper leaves her lips, her chest heaving as she cries out.

“N-no! What are you doing?!”

Jerking back, at first I think she is talking to me, but when her eyes remain closed, her body still jerking, I realize she isn’t awake.

This is a sleep terror.

She is reliving the horror of what happened in her dreams.

“No!” She screams again, thrashing so hard, she throws my cloak off her.

I do the only thing I can think of doing.

Kicking off my boots, I climb onto the bedding with her.

It’s only large enough to hold one person and I end up pulling her right into my arms and flush against me.

“Hush now, little one,” I murmur into her hair. “You are safe.”

Her jerking calms down but she whimpers again, spinning so she is facing me as she buries her face into my chest.

The movement causes an unexpected reaction.

A need to protect this female with everything I have surges within me and I stare down at her before I wrap my arms around her and pull her even closer.

She whimpers again as I hush her, and soon she is still once more, the only thing making her body heave being her soft breaths as she breathes against me.

Burying my face into her hair, I grip the nape of her neck and close my eyes, allowing myself this one moment to let my walls down.

“I’m here, Marion,” I whisper.

When we left Atar to tow back a ship full of females we became responsible for through a shady deal, I never thought I’d become attached to one.

But right at this moment I know if anyone tries to harm the female in my arms, I will kill them with my bare hands.

CHAPTER 15

MARION

I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, only that when I wake, it feels like a lot of time has passed.

It’s surprisingly warm and comfortable and a unique scent wafts into my nose.

Musk and spice.

Male.

I inhale deeply, forgetting for a moment the events of the past day, and then it all comes flooding back like a tidal wave.

My eyes fly open to see a bare golden chest—the source of the musk and spice—and the shock causes me to jerk backward.

But I go nowhere. Strong arms tighten around me, pulling me back against the hard chest.

I lie there, stunned.

“Aqnar?”

“Yes, little female?”

“What—How did I end up here?” I remember falling asleep, but not in his arms. I don’t even remember him returning last night.

“I rescued you from the Zedice’s market, remember?” His voice is drowsy, gravelly with sleep, and utterly sexy in the way he drawls.

I find my heartbeat quickening for a whole other reason than our proximity.

Making an effort to move away once more doesn’t produce any results.

“Stay,” he growls.

I clear my throat. “Surely you’ll be more comfortable without me taking up space in the bed?”

“Nonsense,” he says, and when I look up to meet his half-open eyes, a devilish lopsided smile graces his face. “This is the best I’ve slept in ages.”

There is a rumble in his chest as he adjusts himself, pulling me even closer.

“I didn’t take all my garments off. Don’t worry. I know you would probably try to run away if you awakened with my cock pressing into your naked belly.”

His words make me go still.

Oh fuck. That’s right. I’m naked!

I glance over at the tub.

In my tiredness yesterday, I never got to wash what’s left of my maxi dress.

Shit.

In my obvious mortification, Aqnar chuckles, causing me to frown up at him.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was right. You wish to escape.”

I slap my hand against his chest and that makes him chuckle even more.

“What? You think you’re so hot I can’t resist you or something? Or that I’ve never seen a cock before? Or that I’m afraid of cocks?!”

He shrugs, causing me to move against him, but doesn’t answer. If it wasn’t for the bandage I wrapped all around my midsection, my bare nipples would be rubbing all over his chest.

“Let me make one thing clear. You rescued me yesterday, but I’m not some damsel in distress. I’m also not some virginal idiot who has never seen a man before. I wouldn’t flinch even if your cock was in my face.”

The moment his eyes pop open fully to regard me is the moment I realize what I just said.

My cheeks grow warm.

“You wouldn’t, would you? We can always test that theory…” Aqnar murmurs.

I let out an exasperated grunt and he chuckles again, one hand absently moving to rub my back in languid strokes.

“Just relax,” he murmurs. “I will not take advantage of you. I simply enjoy the feel of your body next to mine and I think you enjoy mine as well.”

I roll my eyes but don’t answer.

He chuckles again.

“Glad you find this so amusing,” I murmur.

“It does distract from the situation,” he replies before going silent.

He’s right. The situation that brought us to this moment has to be one of the worst things that could ever happen.

I remain silent too, allowing the minutes to tick by between us as this large male strokes my back like I’m his lover.

I dare to let myself relax. To let his touch soothe me.

“You feel no pain when I touch you here?” His voice is so low now, it makes his chest vibrate.

“On my back?” I pause, my brows furrowing. “Surprisingly…no.”

“Good,” he murmurs. “The ointment has a numbing effect. I am pleased it is working.”

I never told him thanks, and I murmur it now. “You’ve done a lot for me. I…I appreciate it. I appreciate everything.”

Aqnar doesn’t reply.

Instead, his hand moves to the nub of my short arm, and I jerk away from his touch.

“Your arm…” he whispers, and I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment.

I was wondering when he would ask about it.

But his question is not about how I lost it, or whether I was born with it like that. He asks something completely different.

“Did you lose your prosthetic during the massacre?”

“Prosthetic?” I repeat before shaking my head. “I never had one.”

He stiffens a little and when I glance up, he is frowning.

“Your world leaders provided you with none?”

“Ha!” He blinks down at me as I laugh and I sober up after a while when his serious gaze doesn’t budge.

He’s not joking.

“If I wanted a prosthetic, I’d have to get the money for it on my own, and the ones on Lower Earth aren’t worth the money you pay for them. Finding one that isn’t riddled with problems is like finding a thousand credits. I learned to manage without one.”

His hand lands on my nub again and I have to consciously not pull myself away. I’ve always been self-conscious of people touching me there, and now, especially him.

Aqnar is…perfect. Him touching the most vulnerable part of me makes me feel…exposed.

But his touch isn’t exploratory or curious. He simply rubs my shoulder like he was rubbing my back.

“Your skin,” he whispers, “is so soft.”

His gaze moves over me and I find I cannot look away.

No man on Earth has ever looked at me like that before.

I can’t decide if that’s a good or a bad thing.

So far, Aqnar has been nothing but gentlemanly. I don’t want to get used to it.

There’s a lot of shit out there.

Shit I will have to inevitably return to.

“As soon as we return to Atar, I will have a prosthetic especially made for you,” he concludes.

I blink at him. “You were serious,” I whisper.

“Serious about what?” As he continues rubbing my shoulder, his eyes go back to that drowsy state they were in when I woke up.

“About taking me back to your planet.”

“That is where you belong.” His eyes open. “Unless there is somewhere else you want to be.” His gaze falls to my lips. “Or someone you want to be with?”

I watch as Aqnar’s gaze moves over my lips before dragging back to my eyes almost unwillingly.

I shiver a little and I am not cold.

I’m not imagining this, am I?

This is incredibly sensual.

Aqnar is making my heart beat unnatural beats. Every neuron in my body is aware of his slightest touch and his every breath. Try as I want to ignore it, I can’t.

Are all Atari like this?

It will take some getting used to.

“Do you?” The alien asks, his voice taking on a note of something I’m almost afraid to decipher.

“Do I what?” I whisper.

I’m in this alien’s arms, snuggled against his chest, and he’s wrapped around me like I’m some precious thing in this universe that he’s just found. Surely, I’m dreaming.

“Do you have someone you must return to?” He pauses, his golden eyes growing intense. “Did your leaders rip you away from your mate?” His voice deepens. “From young?”

I blink a thousand times. He’s asking if I have a male friend and children. A family.

I scoff a little, possibly to hide my surprise and the awkwardness that his question causes to rise within me.

“People like me don’t have those things,” I whisper finally.

Aqnar stops rubbing my nub to press a finger underneath my chin, forcing me to face him.

“People like you? Explain this.”

I sigh but meet his gaze. “As you’ve noticed, I’m not whole.” I choke out those horrible words the murderers used to describe me. “Females and males like me don’t get a chance to breed. I have no children to go back to. No partner. If I was deserving—”

His finger forces my chin up once more and I realize my head had tilted while I spoke. The absolute fire in his eyes almost scorches me.

“Deserving?” He growls. “I have fought many battles on Atar. I have seen death and massacre. Blood and gore. I have seen my brothers cut down before me and I have seen worlds torn apart.”

I don’t know why, but his words make me tremble and everything that happened on that ship comes flooding back.

“What I saw you do on that ship, Marion, in the midst of the chaos all around you…what you did is worthy of the highest medals for bravery and strength.”

Aqnar looks straight into my eyes and I know he believes what he’s saying to me wholeheartedly.

“Deserving?” He growls again. “Any male would be lucky to be deserving of you.”

I am struck still by his words, my eyes searching his for the moment he will break his intense gaze with mirth.

Instead, his face dips, coming closer, and when his lips pause before mine, the world stands still.

There is a moment that passes between us, one where I’m caught in a world that shouldn’t exist, and as my breath brushes against his lips, Aqnar’s head dips completely and his lips brush against mine in a kiss that shatters my perception of the world around me.

CHAPTER 16

AQNAR

Marion’s lips are like the sweetest, softest mead and as soon as our lips touch, I find myself groaning and pulling her into me.

She whimpers, a soft sound that sends a shockwave through me, hardening my cock in my trou and causing the swelling head to rise and press against her.

It was not my intention for any of this to happen. I did not intend to get close to this female.

But ever since I held her in my arms and carried her from the cage in that dreadful room, I realize I have been drawn to being close to her since then.

The bath…

Comforting her in her sleep…

I want to touch her always. My fingers itch to be pressed against her skin.

“Marion,” I groan her name as her lips open to mine, tracing her soft flesh with my tongue.

I want this female.

I should have known from the moment I caught her eyes in that security feed. The sudden protective urge that surged through me was enough proof.

Her arm rises to my neck, clasping me softly there as she tilts her head and her eyes flutter closed.

Her tongue flicks against mine, causing my cock to harden even more and when her fingers brush against the nape of my neck a deep growl rumbles through me.

My cock throbs immediately, straining painfully against my trou, and I can feel the preseed bursting at my tip.

How did she know the back of the neck is an Atari’s weakest spot, not only in battle but in mating as well.

That touch just sent my primal urges into overdrive and it takes everything within me to grab her hand and push her away from me.

Marion’s eyes fly open, searching mine, hurt spreading through her pupils.

“I—” I begin, but controlling the urge to pin her down and push my cock through her folds is almost taking all of my will.

Marion pulls her hand away, her throat moving as she shuffles away from me.

I am reluctant to let her go, but I do not want to take her like this.

When I do take her, and I will, I want it to be slow. I want to enjoy every inch of her and I want her to enjoy every inch of me.

She clears her throat and rises some more, pulling the cloak around herself, hiding her luscious soft body from me as she sits.

“That’s clothes, right? For me?” She doesn’t wait for my answer. “I should get dressed.”

She does not meet my gaze and I know I must have hurt her feelings.

“Marion,” I begin. “I—”

How do I let her know that in the space of this short time, I have been drawn to her like I have been drawn to no other? That the thought of her being mine is beginning to consume me?

Humans do not fall so easily. Our research into their species proves this. They do not even have pair bonds anymore.

Marion would not understand, even if I tried to explain.

I need time…

Time to show her that my life changed the moment I saw her on that security feed.

But this is not the place to do this…or the situation.

She’s already pulling the garments I procured over herself by the time I rise, her back still facing me.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” she says. “Then we can leave. You don’t have to take me to your planet.” She pauses. “And if I can’t return to Earth, I’m sure there’s somewhere you can drop me. A refugee station or something. I can find my way.” She pauses again. “I thank you for all that you’ve done so far. I won’t request anything else from you.”

A growl rumbles through me. She doesn’t understand, but I cannot explain.

A part of me is…hesitant to. I cannot simply tell her I pushed her away because I was on the brink of spreading her legs and sliding my cock deep into her folds.

I would scare her.

“You’re not going anywhere.” The words came out a bit gruffer than I intended and she spins to look at me.

“You must eat,” I say, the deepness in my voice causing me to clear my throat so she can understand me. “You must eat and rest. Staying on this gods-forsaken planet for more than a few days is a bad idea.”

There is a hardness in her eyes that wasn’t there before. One I ache to see. “Then we should leave now.”

Again, she underestimates her injuries.

“You are ill. If something should happen to you while on my shuttle…”

“I’ll take the risk.” That hardness doesn’t leave her gaze. “I don’t like being in this place.”

Neither do I.

“And I don’t like keeping you away from what you should be doing.” She sighs. “I feel fine. I slept well last night. I’m not as weak or tired as I was yesterday, and my wounds aren’t hurting either.” She grabs the cloak I brought her and begins pulling it over her frame. It will dwarf her. It’s meant to fit a full-grown Atari male.

“I’ll accept the food, but we should go.”

I want to object, but something tells me that if I don’t give her this, whatever negative feelings I have caused by pushing her away will only grow stronger.

“Remain here,” I say. “I will get the sustenance and when I return, we will head to my shuttle and leave this place.” And I will explain this as simply as I can.

She nods. “For New Earth?”

A beat of silence passes between us. She was right. I cannot take her back there.

“For somewhere else,” I reply. But I also cannot take her back to Atar if she doesn’t want to either.

Little does she know though. If her intent is to pull away from me, leaving her somewhere alone won’t work.

I already know that if she doesn’t want to go to Atar, then I will go where she wishes, and I will remain there with her.

CHAPTER 17

MARION

Silence engulfs the room the moment Aqnar leaves and I remain on my feet, lightly pacing back and forth.

He pushed me away.

The moment I let my guard fall, to hope that I wasn’t the only one feeling the pull I thought was between us, he shot me down.

I don’t know why I thought he was different.

Males on New Earth often can’t overlook the fact I have a disability, why would an alien that looks like he’s been carved on Mount Olympus want anything to do with me.

Rolling my eyes, I wrap my arm across my chest and my pacing picks up.

I was stupid.

It’s not like I haven’t been through this before.

Taking a deep breath, I try to calm the illogical hurt that I feel deep in my heart, but the memory of the feel of Aqnar’s lips has my fingers rising to brush my own.

That simple touch, the feel of his tongue, sent shockwaves through me.

I’m sure he felt it too.

I felt his cock harden against my belly, felt my pussy clench as he growled my name.

I would have let him fuck me.

I squeeze my eyes tight.

So stupid.

I’ve never considered myself as an easy lay but the gods in the heavens know, I would have let Aqnar fuck me.

My chest rises and falls in a huge sigh.

I’ve never felt so fast for a guy, and the feeling is so intense. Even now, if he came back and tried to kiss me again, I would let him.

Isn’t that the definition of insanity?

But…my body wants what my mind says is illogical.

He’s been nothing but nice, nothing but gentlemanly, if a little forward. He came to rescue me, insignificant me, when he didn’t have to. My own people abandoned me and sold me without me knowing, yet he, a stranger, has shown me nothing but care and tenderness since the first moment he touched me.

Maybe it’s his kindness.

Maybe that’s what’s drawing me to him.

I’m biting my finger and still pacing when there the door handle to the room turns.

My heart skips a beat.

He’s back.

But something, I don’t know what, makes the hairs at the back of my neck rise.

Maybe it’s the way the door opens…slowly…as if the person opening it isn’t sure just what he will find inside.

Maybe that’s what makes me take a step back, my eyes wide as the door finally opens fully, and the person standing there isn’t Aqnar at all.

My eyes meet the yellow ones of the murderer. Eyes I never thought I would see again. And the terror they incited the first time I saw them comes flooding right back.

AQNAR

I grip the metal box with the sustenance I procured. I filled it to the brim with different items, yet I wish I could have gotten Marion more. Better.

The options on Ockorius III leave much to be desired.

Dry, tasteless rolls and various forms of broth I am sure Marion will not ingest. If not for several galactic credits, I wouldn’t have squeezed the stale fruit out of the vendor.

I do not know what they taste like, but I hope she likes them.

It gives me some hope that I can lift her mood and explain why I pulled away from her, now that my cock isn’t trying to force itself out of my garments and my mind is clear.

But as soon as I enter the inn, I know something is wrong.

The sparse furnishings are strewn across the floor, and the innkeeper’s counter is smashed.

The metal box with the food falls from my hands as I lift my head to look up the stairs.

Marion.

I almost trip over the innkeeper’s body as I head to the stairs, a fear I never knew before crawling up my spine.

Marion’s in danger.

“I tried to stop them,” the innkeeper says as I crouch to look at him.

His face is covered in his own lifeblood and his four legs lie limp as if they have been broken.

“Stop who?” Anger is spreading through my blood so fast, I can feel my pulse rising.

He chokes on his lifeblood as he grips his midsection. “The Khuru…” He breathes. “…and the velushan.”

Rage fills me so suddenly that my eyes burn red.

“Where are they?” I growl.

The innkeeper raises a weak hand and points upward.

Hope shoots through me.

They are still here. That means there is still time.

I’m bounding up the stairs in the next moment, my steps fast but light enough that I know the brutes won’t hear my arrival.

The door to the room is wide open and I freeze at the entrance at the scene in front of me.

“Come to me, soft one. I should have won you at the auction if that stranger had not stolen you from me,” the velushan hisses, his arms outstretched to my Marion.

There is fear in her eyes as she backs away till her back hits the wall, but there is something else in her eyes as well. Defiance.

But she is cornered. Outnumbered.

No one in the room noticed my arrival.

“Fuck you!” Marion spits. “You think I would just come to you because you ask me to? And you’re working with that murderer?!” Her eyes fly to the Khuru and I see the moment she sees me.

But unlike what most females would do in this situation, Marion doesn’t scream and run to me, giving my advantage away. Instead, her gaze flicks back to the Khuru.

“You ugly piece of shit! You murderer!” she screams at the Khuru.

“Take it before I snap its neck,” the Khuru replies, and the velushan moves to grab Marion.

Marion ducks, catching his arm in the folds of the cloak and the velushan lets out a sound of surprise.

“You’re not taking me anywhere,” Marion growls.

For a moment, she looks completely different from the female I rescued. This is a part of her that wasn’t revealed before.

This rage.

This will to fight…

It makes my life organ swell for her even more.

The velushan, being only a little bigger than she is, is caught off guard and stumbles into the wall. Marion takes the opportunity to kick him in the back before spinning away from him, sliding over the sleeping area and putting some distance between them.

“You are mine!” the velushan shouts.

“Fuck you!” Marion screams back.

As the Khuru growls, his first step toward her is halted as my hand closes over his shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I ask.

He stiffens and turns, yellow eyes going almost pupil-less as they land on me.

He doesn’t get the chance to swing his tail to hit me and make me lose my balance. I already know Khuru fighting tactics and my fist lands in his nose before his tail can move.

He staggers backward, hitting the bath and almost losing his balance. I help him with that, another fist connecting with his jaw that sends him crashing into the tub.

There is a hiss to my right as the velushan comes to his senses. He rushes for Marion and in her shock watching me, she doesn’t move quickly enough.

He grabs her and her surprised scream pierces the air.

One arm around her neck, he pulls her backward across the sleeping area, his eyes on me.

Marion thrashes, her arm flailing as she tries to hit her assailant and when I take a step in her direction, her eyes widen as she screams my name.

“Aqnar! Behind you!”

I spin in time to miss the Khuru’s attack, the air slicing above my head as I duck. The Khuru’s sharp blade glistens in the light.

Annoying.

I am done playing games with this brute.

Spinning with a kick, my boots land on the Khuru’s wrist and he lets out a yelp of pain as his blade falls.

I’m on my feet before he can recover, my fist locked around his throat as I drive him back into the wall.

Behind me, the velushan yelps, and I glance to see Marion has sunk her small teeth into the arm he has around her neck.

He releases her, but not before he strikes her hard with his other arm.

“Pest!” he shouts.

As Marion falls to the floor, I know I must finish this quickly.

I turn back to the Khuru in my grasp, my anger burning a red fire that will consume us both if I don’t release it.

“You,” I growl.

“Who are you?” he asks, and when I tilt my head enough for him to see my face, his expression changes to one of fear.

“A-An Atari? What are you doing here?”

My nostrils flare. “Pity, you will never know.”

The snap of his neck is loud as both my fists squeeze his throat.

His body goes limp almost immediately and I let it drop to the floor just as a rush of footsteps sound behind me.

The velushan is making a quick escape and I would have raced after him, giving him the same sentence as the Khuru, if Marion was on her feet.

But she is not.

She is still on the floor and that fear that crawled up my spine when I first entered the inn crawls right back.

I rush toward her, my life organ beating an irregular, unfamiliar beat.

“Marion!”

A prayer to the gods for her to be alright.

I just found her. I cannot lose her.

CHAPTER 18

MARION

My head feels foggy and heavy as my vision clears.

There is an ache in my jaw, a new fresh one, and I lift my hand to brush against it, hissing as my fingers make contact with my skin.

“Ouch,” I whisper.

My skin’s undoubtedly bruised. But, at least, my cheek’s the only place that’s paining me.

Otherwise, I feel oh so warm and oh so comfortable.

There is a distant hum, and it makes my eyes flutter open some more.

I’m in some sort of vessel, and it’s moving.

“Marion…” A deep voice rumbles above my head and then I remember.

This warmth.

“Aqnar…” I breathe.

My eyes flutter open completely, my vision swimming before coming into focus.

Before me, is a seat, and in front of that is a small control panel.

This is a shuttle.

“Marion…” Aqnar’s arms tighten around me and he pulls me closer against his chest. We’re sitting on the floor, me in his arms, my back against his chest, and his arms wrapped around me. “Thank the gods you have awakened. I am going as fast as I can to Atar, to get you a good medic, but I am happy you are conscious now.”

I blink, my surroundings becoming clearer. “We’re in a ship…”

“My shuttle,” he supplies. “You are safe now.”

He grips me tighter as he buries his face into my hair. “I shouldn’t have left you alone in that room,” he murmurs. “I promise you, I will never make such a mistake again.”

It all seems so far away. Did it really happen?

The green guy, did he really try to kidnap me? Was he really working with the murderer?

“The murderer!” I jerk against Aqnar, but he holds me fast.

“He can no longer harm you,” he says, his voice taking on a tone of finality. “I made sure of that.”

I collapse against him and grip the arm he has around me, tears rising in my eyes.

Memory of the way the murderer’s blade was seconds to decapitating Aqnar…it’s fresh in my mind.

“You could have died,” I choke.

“I would have willingly fought them to the death if it meant you survived.”

I shake my head. “You don’t mean that. I have brought you nothing but trouble.” I sniff. “Why would you give your life for someone you don’t owe anything to? Meanwhile, I…I owe you everything.”

I turn to face him, unable to stop the tears welling in my eyes.

This has been just a…rollercoaster experience.

“You almost died…because of me,” I whisper again, my gaze moving over Aqnar’s face.

He looks pained as he watches me and I know this hasn’t been easy for him either.

“How will I ever repay you?”

Aqnar’s golden eyes search mine and he takes my hand to place it over his heart.

I…don’t understand.

“I hurt you when I pushed you away…” he says, and at the mention of that, I stiffen and try to pull my hand away from him. He keeps it there though, refusing to allow me to pull into myself. “Give me another chance…to explain.”

It’s my turn to search his gaze. “Explain what?” What’s there to explain?

Aqnar doesn’t answer. Instead, his free arm rises to caress the side of my cheek that isn’t bruised.

I watch, frozen, as his head dips slowly, his eyes burning into mine until they close just before his lips touch mine.

It’s like electricity shoots right through me at the contact of our lips, and I am left staring at him, his face so close to mine I can see the threads of gold that spun his skin.

“What—” I begin.

“Hush now,” he whispers against my lips. “Let me show you.”

His free hand rises to caress the back of my head as his lips press into mine.

His embrace feels like heaven, and as my mouth opens to his, Aqnar releases a low moan.

His tongue dips into my mouth, dripping sweet honey that ignites my soul as I open up to him.

“Aqnar,” I murmur, and then I can speak no more as his mouth locks with mine.

It’s a sweet, tentative kiss. One of exploration as we feel each other out before it slowly turns into something more than that.

It turns into hunger. Need.

As Aqnar’s tongue flicks against mine, I reach up and grasp his neck the way that’s most comfortable, the palm of my hand moving to his nape.

A deep rumble shakes us both as Aqnar lets out one of the sexiest groans I have ever heard from a male.

My eyes fly open to find he is staring at me.

The gold honey of his gaze is so heated, it’s like his iris is melting into his pupil.

“When you touch me there,” he rumbles, “I want to have your sweet, soft body beneath me, my cock buried deep in your sheath.”

A lightning strike of something goes straight down to my pussy, making my little bud throb and grow, seeking attention.

“What?” I whisper.

“Before,” Aqnar growls low, “I pushed you away because you touched me there. I would have taken you there and then. Gods know it is hard not to take you now. But I will wait till you are ready. Till you trust me. Till you understand I am drawn to you for pure reasons I have no control over.”

“What?” I ask stupidly again. What is he saying?

Is he saying he has a crush on me? As badly as I have a crush on him?

“I want you, Marion.” Aqnar runs his tongue over my bottom lip, his eyes still on mine, and another low rumble comes from his chest. “I have never been drawn to another female the way I am drawn to you.”

I blink at him, unable to believe what I am hearing.

This male, sculpted by the gods themselves, is telling me that he wants me. Me.

“Aqnar, I—”

His mouth presses against mine as if he doesn’t want me to finish my sentence. The kiss is sweet, sending little shocks of need right through me, and it takes a moment before he pulls away.

“Don’t answer yet. I will give you time to think it over.” His hand that’s caressing my jaw rubs my skin gently. “You have been through much. I understand if you do not have a response for me now.”

I stare at him for a few moments, still unable to believe what I am hearing, and then a soft laugh smooths my features.

Aqnar’s eyes brighten and I realize he was worried about what I might say or how I would respond.

I can’t help but throw myself at him, pressing my lips against his in a kiss that quickly turns into our tongues crashing together.

Without thinking, my hand rubs at the nape of his neck again, and he growls into my mouth.

“Marion, it is best you cease. I am already at the brink of my control,” Aqnar growls.

Beneath me, in his lap, there is a hardness that throbs. One I realize is not his leg as I’d thought.

He’s big. I can feel it. And it’s only making my core clench, sweet nectar flowing through me. Anticipation builds with just the thought of him piercing me, sinking deep inside me.

I want this.

“Marion…” Aqnar groans, his teeth grit, his face pained. “We should cease. My control…”

“No,” I whisper, swallowing the lump of anticipation that’s rising in my throat at what I’m about to say. “I want…I want you to lose control.”

Aqnar freezes before pulling away from me, his eyes searching mine.

“You do not mean it.”

Hell, I’m going to do this, aren’t I?

I don’t take time to think it over, lest I change my mind…lest the moment passes and this sudden bravery of mine dissipates.

Pulling my arm into the cloak I’m still wearing, I lift it and pull my head through the opening before letting it fall behind me.

I am only left in the garments Aqnar had procured for me. A dark-colored, short-sleeved tunic and box shorts that serve as panties underneath.

Aqnar’s gaze slides down my arm and then the rest of my body, taking in all the skin that’s visible.

I don’t know if it is possible, but his gaze becomes even more heated, and when he locks eyes with me, my breath hitches in my throat.

I have never seen a man look at me the way Aqnar is looking at me right now.

It’s like he wants to devour me.

Like he wants to consume every part of me and make me his.

“Aqnar…” I breathe.

“Tell me no,” he says, his voice coarse with what can only be need. “Tell me no, right now, Marion.”

His voice, his words…they make me shiver. I’m already soaked because of the tension between us, my skin itching for his touch.

Aqnar watches my every slow movement as I slip my arm into the sleeve of the tunic before lifting it up over my head.

I’m sitting on his lap, bare down to my waist, and Aqnar’s eyes fall directly down my body, drinking me in.

The tension between us feels like there’s electricity in the room, surging in the air, and when his gaze lands on my breasts, my nipples immediately harden.

“Marion…” he groans before his gaze flicks back to mine and only a moment passes before strong arms surround me and Aqnar pulls me onto his chest.

“Marion,” he says before his lips crash against mine.

This is nothing like the kisses we shared before.

This one is brutal, primal, and filled with raw need.

My whole body lights up like all my nerves come online at once and all I can feel is him. Aqnar.

I’m hardly aware as he switches our positions, setting me back against my discarded clothing as he crawls over me.

One hand grasps the mound of one breast, squeezing lightly before Aqnar’s lips slip from mine.

He sucks and nibbles on my face, going down my chin, my neck, to my collarbone, and my back arches to meet him.

A soft whimper goes through me when his lips close over my breast, sucking lightly.

“Oh my God,” I whisper.

Aqnar rumbles something.

“No, not a god,” he kisses from my nipple, moving slowly down to my belly button, “but I intend to treat you like a goddess as long as you will have me.”

When his fingers grip the waist of the box shorts, my breath hitches as I look down at him slipping them down my thighs.

But he’s purely focused on the center of my thighs, his nose dipping to press against my clit as he inhales deeply.

“By the Gods, female,” he growls.

The box shorts are pulled down my legs in one smooth move and Aqnar growls as he looks down at my sex.

I haven’t shaved and I’m suddenly aware of this as he stares at me. I don’t know if he won’t like—

My thoughts and fears are cut off the moment Aqnar grasps the insides of my thighs with both arms, using his thumbs to spread my inner lips apart.

A rumble of satisfaction goes through him as he looks at me, making my clit throb and a fresh wave of wetness coat my folds.

“I—” I begin.

“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on,” Aqnar rumbles.

His thumb brushes over my clit and I jerk against him.

His golden gaze flicks to mine and he does it again, his eyes glued on me.

“Ah,” I moan, and Aqnar’s eyes drip pure gold.

“Oh, Marion,” he murmurs, his voice the deepest rumble, before he slowly dips his head toward me.

When his lips close over my center, my entire body quakes, but Aqnar’s grip on me doesn’t shift.

Instead, he holds me down, forcing me to bear the full effect of all the pleasure suddenly rising from my center as his tongue swipes through my folds.

A satisfied grumble leaves him as he adjusts himself so he can eat me, his mouth closing over my pussy as he sucks and pushes his tongue deep inside me.

I cannot help it; I’m panting and squirming, the world going dim as my eyes close and my body shudders.

Distantly, I know I’m holding on to the base of the pilot’s seat behind me, gripping it for dear life as Aqnar grasps my hips and forces my cunt down on his tongue.

A scream of pleasure leaves my lips as I reach my first peak and unlike what usually happens when I orgasm, this one doesn’t stop.

My body shakes, my skin taking on a fresh sheen of perspiration at the intensity of my release, but Aqnar keeps his mouth nestled in my folds.

A groan escapes him as he sucks on my cunt, prolonging the longest orgasm I’ve ever had in my life.

“Aqnar!” I scream his name, breathless as I gulp in huge breaths of air. “I need you.”

My pussy clenches hard on his tongue, but I want more.

I want to feel real hardness.

I want to feel filled.

A growl rumbles from Aqnar as he slows the movements of his tongue and when it slips from my entrance, he swipes it through my folds in one slow lick, savoring the taste of my juices.

“I need you,” I whimper, my body still producing uncontrollable jerking motions.

That feeling of needing to be filled consumes me. I’ve never wanted something as badly as I want this alien before me and my pussy clenches on nothing as if in agreement.

Aqnar rises on his knees, his eyes on me as he licks his lips, the sheen on his golden skin a telltale sign of the pleasure he just incited within me.

He jerks off his vest and when it falls to the floor, my eyes finally get the chance to move down his naked form. A shudder goes through me as I look at him.

The muscles in his chest flex as he works the clasp at his waist, releasing his trou, and when that too falls to land at his knees, I can’t help but stare at his cock as it bounces forward.

Throbbing and erect, a thin line of precum seeps from its center and I bite my lip as my own center aches with need.

“Marion,” Aqnar groans as he grips his base, his gaze falling down my body.

“Yes?” I whisper.

His long lashes fan over his cheek for a moment as his gaze dips before he meets my eyes again.

He looks like an intoxicated man with his lids so low.

“Beautiful,” he whispers. “So beautiful.”

I bloom at his words, my skin flushing and my body aching for his touch.

I shift closer, shuffling my bum against the floor to better position myself, and when Aqnar reaches between us, his fingers brushing over my entrance, I arch toward his touch.

“So soft…” he whispers, his fingers brushing over my clit before he dips one inside me.

My pussy clenches on it. I can’t stand the torture.

As he pulls his finger from me and lifts it to his lips to suck on it, I know I am gone.

He will undo me.

“Aqnar…” I breathe, and he rumbles in response as he leans toward me once more until we are face to face.

Our breaths mingle as we stare down at each other and then I feel it between us. The smooth head of his cock presses against my entrance as Aqnar holds my gaze.

As he presses into me, I gasp a little, but Aqnar clasps the back of my head in his hand, cradling it as he looks down on me, never breaking our gaze.

It’s intense, this feeling. More than anything I have ever felt before.

He eases into me some more, enough for the head of his cock to finally break that ring of resistance and settle inside me.

That unique tension has us both gasping at the moment of our joining.

Sweet nectar fills my channel at the feel of him inside me, stretching me to my limit, yet I want more. I need more.

“Beautiful,” he says. “Marion, you are perfect.”

As Aqnar slides into me, his head dips and he takes my lips, his kiss sweet and languid like his movements as he gets me used to his length and girth.

My hips are spread wide, the walls of my cunt stretched to accommodate this golden god.

His sweet, slow fucking sends me into another world and I surrender to him.

As his pace picks up, one of his hands finds my clit and a shudder goes through me as I reach an unexpected peak.

“Yesss,” he growls, breaking our kiss, before gripping my hips with both hands and seating himself fully within me.

My back arches as I inhale deep, my eyes rolling over.

But Aqnar doesn’t let up, I don’t want him to.

I’m in a sort of dream state, my body succumbing to endless jolts of pleasure as I surrender to him.

He pounds into me, going into a frenzy himself as he too surrenders to the heat between us. And when he finally presses down hard on the floor, his body still as a loud rumble leaves his throat, I know that after today, I can never let him go.

CHAPTER 19

MARION

It’s a long way to Atar, but Aqnar’s ship does most of the work.

Not once has he sat in the pilot’s seat. The AI navigation is taking us to our destination on its own.

Instead, he’s made us a nest on the floor, never leaving my side as if he doesn’t want to let me go.

And I don’t want him to go.

I run my hand across his chest now as my head rests against it. Above, Aqnar idly runs his hands through my hair.

We lie here in silence, just the hum of the engine in the background, and for the first time in a while, I feel perfect peace.

It is a pleasant feeling, but a part of me is also terrified.

What happens after we reach our destination?

What will happen then, when we’re back in reality and not just two souls alone on a ship?

Will he change his mind about this?

Was I wrong to follow the calling of my heart so easily?

I don’t know.

I’m afraid to know.

Beautiful. His words repeat in my head. You are perfect, Marion.

No man has ever said that to me.

I am, by definition, obviously imperfect, but not once has Aqnar brought up my disability in a way that makes it feel…less.

I turn to glance up at him and his gaze locks with mine immediately.

The warmth in his golden gaze fills me with some confidence.

Just then, there is a crackle on the ship, and the comms activate.

“Aqnar, do you read?”

Aqnar growls, his gaze switching to one of annoyance.

“I am here, Qhenno,” he speaks and there is another crackle before whoever is contacting us continues.

“You near Atar.”

A chuckle rumbles through Aqnar’s chest. “I should have known you would be tracking me.” He pauses, his gaze falling back to me as he lifts a finger to run down my cheek. “Yes, I near Atar. I have the female here, safe.” He pauses again. “Is there a problem?”

“Not on your end, no. But I fear it will take me some time to find the other females that the Khuru took. At least you have one safe. It is more than was initially expected from the Khuru.”

“Do not lose faith, Qhenno.”

There is a grunt as I wait for more information. Some guilt tinges inside me.

While I’ve been here comfortable in Aqnar’s arms, who knows what’s been happening to the other women.

“Do you think he will find them?” I whisper to Aqnar.

“I promise you, female, that we will do our best to find the remaining survivors,” Qhenno answers me directly.

There is another beep in the ship and Aqnar groans again.

“We near Atar, Qhenno. I am being hailed by the planetary defense system. We must continue this conversation later. May the gods be with you.”

“And you, brother.”

There is a click before another voice comes over the intercom.

“Vessel IR-88736, please identify yourself.”

Aqnar rises into a sitting position, bringing me with him. “I must tend to this.”

He presses a button on the side of the ship and another seat folds out from it.

“I know it is cramped, but we will land in a but a short time.”

I nod, watching him as he rises, speaking directly to the intercom as he dons his clothing.

He speaks to whoever is on the other end, relaying codes I don’t know the meaning of, and I have nothing to do but get dressed too. By the time he is finished speaking, I am fully clothed once more and have strapped myself into the small seat.

Aqnar glances back at me. “Ready, my light?”

The name makes warmth flood through me and I nod.

This all feels like a dream and that feeling doesn’t dissipate even as Aqnar takes his seat and we begin to descend.

Outside of the ship, there are vast bodies of water and a tall city rising from the ground. But it looks nothing like New Earth. At least, not the New Earth I’m used to.

Golden arches curve around the towering buildings and as we near, I realize the arches are roads. Floating vehicles zoom along on them at incredible speeds and interwoven with these, transparent tubes filled with more pedestrians than I can count wind around the city.

I must have gasped or done something to relay my awe because Aqnar glances back at me, his gaze filling with warmth as soon as his eyes land on me.

“This is Atar?” I ask.

“Yes.” He grins. “Your new home.”

His gaze flicks down me. “You must be tired. For that reason, I will take you directly to my dwelling. We will deal with the government later.”

I nod. What else can I do? This is almost too unreal to believe.

The small shuttle moves with ease around the large buildings and I find myself leaning out of my seat to look out the viewscreen.

“Not long now,” Aqnar says, but I find his words only send a spike of nervousness through me.

This is already beyond my wildest dreams. Beyond anything I could have imagined.

I’m left in awe, everywhere I look has something else that is new, different…exciting.

Even the animals that I spot, the birds in the skies, and pets on leashes I spy with the pedestrians traveling in the tubes, all look like unique, better versions of the strays that wander on Lower Earth.

“A-are we on the upper levels?” I ask.

“Upper levels?” Aqnar glances at me. “There are no upper levels. What you see is what Atar is. Every major city is like this. Even some towns rival what you see outside.”

I’m left dumbstruck once more.

No lower levels…

This is…this is something that will take a long time getting used to.

“So the upper class—”

The shuttle makes one final smooth turn before lowering onto the rooftop of a flat, broad building.

Around us, the breeze plays with the branches of long palms and trees that support the property.

It looks secluded, even though beyond the tree line lies the city we just flew through.

Aqnar rises from his seat and his warm gaze finds me.

“There is no upper class. Apart from the royal family, every citizen is valued the same.”

My eyes widen somewhat.

That thought is as foreign to me as the city I just flew through.

On New Earth, the division of classes was so distinct. One could not escape it.

There is an expectant sort of look in Aqnar’s eyes as he reaches for my seat restraints and releases them.

Without asking, he takes me into his arms, lifting me against his chest.

“I can walk—”

“I wish to carry you,” he counters, that same look in his eyes.

I nod, wrapping my arm around his neck as he exits the shuttle and heads down a set of stairs built into the roof.

It leads directly into the dwelling and a gasp lodges in my throat.

Aqnar pauses as soon as we are inside.

Pristine white walls border the space as modern furnishings fill the interior.

Gold trim runs along the base of the walls and on most of the furniture, too.

This one room is already ten times bigger than my small apartment back on New Earth and probably worth ten thousand times its value too.

I don’t realize Aqnar is looking at me, that same expectant yet worried look in his eyes, until my eyes catch his.

“I know it is not much. I have lived here for most of my adult life but have not changed it from the base furnishings. You are welcome to decorate it as you wish.”

I blink at him, my eyes widening even more. “Are you kidding me?”

When his expression doesn’t change, I realize he is indeed not kidding.

“Your home is…beautiful. I couldn’t change a thing.”

Aqnar’s lips break into a smile. “Maybe not now, but later. When you are more comfortable. After all, it is your home now, too.”

I blink several times, his words ricocheting in what suddenly feels like my empty head as he walks over to the couch and sets me down.

“Rest now. I will contact the medic.”

Distantly, I know I nod, and as I watch him move to the wall, activating a sort of communication device and speaking through it, I stare at him.

This is real…

I don’t know how, but it is, and what Aqnar is telling me is that…this is my life now.

He finishes the call and heads back over to me and I can’t help but notice the sway of his hips in his trou, my gaze slipping to that bulge hidden beneath the fibers.

Aqnar crouches so he is on my level and grasps my hand.

His gaze searches mine. “I want you to be happy here,” he says. “After everything you’ve been through, you deserve everything.”

I shake my head. It doesn’t feel like I do.

I want him…I want this more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life…so why does it feel like I don’t deserve it.

You are not whole.

My eyes tear up slowly and Aqnar immediately notices.

His expression falls. “Marion…”

I meet his gaze. “Aqnar…this…this is a lot.”

He nods. “I know. It will take time. But I am willing to wait.”

I shake my head. “No. You don’t understand…”

He squeezes my hand gently, using his other hand to brush my hair from my forehead. “What don’t I understand?”

“I…” I gulp. This is hard to say. “I’m not the best female you could have chosen.”

His fingers pause their movement and I meet his gaze.

“Marion,” he says, “you are perfect. I’ve never been drawn to any female the way I am drawn to you. Atari fall quickly and Atari fall hard. My life organ has chosen you.” He pauses. “I can only hope that one day you choose me too.”

I choke on a sob as I throw myself into his arms.

“Aqnar,” I whisper, “I choose you too. A thousand times I do.”

“Then why do you resist?” He whispers.

I shake my head.

The thing is…I don’t know.

I don’t know why I’m resisting.

“Maybe I’m just scared that I’ll wake up and this will all be a dream,” I finally reply.

The large alien grips me to his chest before his head dips and his lips find mine.

Something warm blooms inside me, and I finally know that all this has not been by chance.

The “cruise”. The massacre. Aqnar coming to save me.

It has all been fated.

“A dream come true, maybe,” Aqnar says. “I need you in my life, Marion. I do not want to spend any more days without you.”

And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life like this…in his arms.

The crazy thing about it?

He wants me just as much too.

“Marion,” he whispers. “Say you will be mine…”

A sweet shiver goes through me as I look up at him.

“Aqnar,” I reply. “I think I already am.”

Thank you for reading Her Warrior from the Stars! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up A.G.’s newsletter!

ELLA BLAKE

CAPTURED BY THE RILOXIAN

CHAPTER 1

KINA

“Kina, it is time.”

I stayed perfectly still as a team of six Yekan attendants put the finishing touches on my appearance. Holographic makeup enhanced the green of my eyes, the glow of my brown cheeks, and the red of my lips. Another attendant worked my hair into an architectural structure atop my head. Gravity-defying curls and waves gave the appearance of structured weightlessness.

And then there was my dress. Designed by Gorlok, the most celebrated and in-demand fashion creator in this quadrant, it was a sculpted masterpiece made specifically for my body. In shifting tones of iridescent silver and blue, it looked like a shimmering ribbon floating around my body. The twist of programmable vitnoid fabric curved over my shoulder next to my ear and then back down around my legs to encase one while leaving the other bare.

The Tikapi heels on my feet cost a fortune. There were only four pairs in existence. They were designed for true transparency and made the wearer—me—appear to levitate.

The blue, four-armed attendants stepped back. Their jobs were done for now.

It was time for me to take the stage.

I stepped onto the disk-shaped platform that slowly moved me to the center of the stage. Thank goodness for that, since moving or walking was challenging because of the shoes and dress.

The arena lights floated over me like liquid. Cheers and applause rippled from the massive crowd which had packed the onboard arena of the Starstream II luxury space cruise liner I performed on. Out there, tens of thousands of patrons sat in small, compartmented sections while a combination of staff saw to their needs. They ordered drinks that rose up from the center of their small tables while serving bots delivered expertly prepared delicacies sourced from every corner of the quadrant. Opulent attire adorned a wide variety of beings who represented many species. Some had travelled very far to see me sing.

The grand arena was host to many performers, but I was one of the few who filled every seat.

The lights dimmed, changed, and centered only on me. I opened my mouth and began to sing.

It was said that the finest voices in the galaxy were female Cintrans, which was what I was. But even among my species, my voice was unique. I had a range unheard of among my people, but what made me special was an ability that left even me baffled. My voice, if combined with the right song, could alter moods and shift the atmosphere of a space. By controlling the lilt, tenor, and fluctuations of my voice, I had control over an audience, be it fifty thousand or one. It was a gift I did not take lightly. And it was what made me the most famous performer in this galactic quadrant.

I worked through my set, modulating the audience’s experience. Excitement. Longing. Contentment. And finally, I liked to end my performances by leaving my audiences feeling nothing less than pure, exuberant bliss.

Of course, I couldn’t force anyone to feel these things. They had to be open to them and there were some species that were incapable of many emotions. They simply came to watch me sing because it was fashionable to do so.

But many in attendance were left glowing from a cascade of emotions and a feeling of profound happiness. This was what made them come back to see me again and again. I closed my eyes, spread my arms, and dipped into a bow.

Their sounds of adulation should have filled me with … something. Pride? Purpose? They didn’t. If anything, I felt the same vague sense of suffocation and pressure I always did when I sang to an audience. It was as if by giving these people such an experience, I also gave them something of myself.

I lifted my gaze and cast it over the crowd. I let it linger on Pazva, the Slarian trade lord. He was my most generous patron. He paid me credits, allowing me to amass a fortune, and give the appearance of a normal, top-notch performer. In return, I bestowed my attention on him.

He was also my target.

I bestowed a blinding smile on him, and he puffed up in approval. This was what he was paying me for—to be the one the star looked to at the end of her show. To be the one she sat with afterwards. Not having a patron at this stage of my career would have been considered very strange. Wealthy patrons were expected from singers of my level.

But it wasn’t credits I wanted from Pazva, though they were nice. It was information.

My contact, Jikro, sat somewhere in the crowd of faces blending in with the sea of affluence. I had to admit, there was a time when I longed for that male’s attention. He was tall with the same brown skin as me, but with pale blue hair and eyes. I found him unbearably handsome. When he approached me after my parents died, I was eager to join the resistance. I wanted justice. I wanted him, in a young crush sort of way.

But now, eight light cycles later, my interest in Jikro had faded. I was weary and bored with singing, but the fire of justice still burned hot and bright inside me.

My set ended with my final song of the night. It was a soaring ballad that I infused with triumph and hope that left most of the audience in breathless silence. Then they erupted in cheers.

I bowed one last time, eager to get off the stage. None of this meant anything to me. Not the cheers or the claps or the other unique sounds of approval made by the various species represented in the audience.

I exited the stage and went straight to my waiting attendants. I held out my arms, and they immediately set about removing the dress and shoes. They slid elegant, but far more sensible, shoes onto my feet and slid a less theatrical gown over my head. It was also designed by Gorlok, of course, and was the same colors. I could not look any less spectacular for my patron. The arena had to see me with him, enjoying his presence. As distasteful as that was.

The attendants tweaked my hair and makeup, then I headed through the dark, narrow corridors used by the staff to get around without being seen. I emerged beside the premiere box — a circular dais floating prominently near the front of the stage—which was occupied by fourteen huge Slarians, including my patron. Chin raised, smile wide, I made a sweeping entrance no one could miss.

My heart beat faster and my senses sharpened. I was to play the role of a daft Cintran female made passive and malleable by wealth and fame. But there was nothing passive or malleable about me. I was here to gather information to use in the fight to free my people from the Slarian oppressors occupying my planet. That included the male rising from his seat and reaching out for me.

Pazva’s fingers were a cluster of tentacles capable of delivering a deadly nerve agent. They were always cool and sticky, and they left a tacky residue behind on my skin that I couldn’t wipe off without appearing rude. I let those tentacles encircle my hands and wrists. He liked the display. Yellow, slitted eyes showed approval. Gray-green scales rippled with pleasure.

This was my true performance. Singing was nothing.

“Fabulous, my jewel,” he purred. “You are luminous on stage.” He handed me a slender glass filled with a clear blue liquid and led me to the plush chair beside him. Pazva wasn’t large. Slarians in general were slender and slightly shorter than the average Cintran. In the other seats were his associates, but that was a generous word for them. Some were the very beasts beating my people into submission. The rest were other wealthy lords reaping riches from the backs of Cintrans.

When they forcefully took over my planet, the Slarians sent the Cintran people into the raklian rich mines deep under the planet’s surface. We had already been mining, but the Slarians forced someone from every family down there. The penalty for refusal was imprisonment, maiming, or death.

I didn’t recognize one of the Slarian dignitaries. Based on is attire, I concluded that he had to be a Slarian prince. My pulse quickened as I smiled at the newcomer. I should get some useful information tonight. Pazva might direct his forces on the planet, but the royal family gave the orders.

“Is she not a marvel?” Pazva asked the prince, as if showing off a prized pet.

“Truly divine, Pazva,” the prince murmured as if I wasn’t there. His gaze moved over me appreciatively. “A truly ethereal find in this one.”

Pazva beamed with pride. “She is my jewel. My exquisite treasure.”

Beside him, his head advisor and personal guard, a huge, muscular being with gray skin, frowned. He wasn’t a Slarian, but of a different species, one I didn’t recognize, and likely hired from a mercenary group. I was pretty sure his name was Liguu, and I was also pretty sure he didn’t like me. He appeared unmoved by my singing, which meant he was unaffected by the mood of carefree happiness I’d tried to instill to get the information flowing.

Not that I cared. I had Pazva eating out of my hand, and he was in charge. All he wanted from me was my voice. It was better than some of my previous patrons, who desired much more.

I gazed at Pazva adoringly, keeping my expression soft. “You are too good to me, Pazva.” I placed a hand on his arm and those sticky tentacles wrapped around my hand, again. I had perfected the art of keeping the revulsion off of my face. Instead, I simply smiled some more and took a sip of the rare purian wine that flowed freely around the table.

“Cintrans do resemble humans, do they not?” asked the prince, who still had not been introduced.

I didn’t roll my eyes, although the urge was strong. Human females were new and had become the source of much curiosity by some species. Cintrans did bear a striking resemblance to them. Aside from our hair colors and some slight variations that set us apart, we could pass for one of them. Fortunately, for the human female population, the Stryxian species had their planet and its people under its protection, making humans off-limits. They were, therefore, highly desirable.

“Do you think she would sing for me?” asked the Slarian prince.

“Of course, she would.” Pazva looked at me. “Did you hear that, my jewel? You are to sing for Prince Vesp. A great honor.”

I blinked slowly, as if completely enraptured by him, but inside, my heart raced. “If it is your desire, it would be my pleasure.”

That line worked like magic on Pazva. His tentacles brought my hand to his mouth where the lipless circle covering hundreds of needle-sharp teeth pressed to my fingers. “If I can spare her for a time, I will lend her to you, Prince Vesp. You should enjoy yourself with my lovely jewel.”

This apparently met Prince Vesp’s approval. He sat back, pacified that he would get a private concert from me while on board. I wondered if he would have me sing the same way I did for Pazva. I pushed back nausea at the thought. Hopefully, he just wanted a repeat of my current set.

Pazva’s big gray guard scowled deeper. No, he did not like me. Little did he know how true his feelings were.

I smiled serenely and managed to hide my relief when Pazva released my hand. The conversation turned away from me.

That was my moment. I touched the back of my neck, pretending to adjust my hair, but instead I pressed a small disk embedded under my skin at the hairline. It began to record everything uttered at the table. My gaze slid over the crowd again. Some were leaving the arena, heading to the lounges, restaurants, and games of chance throughout the ship.

Up toward the back, a figure with light blue hair sat drinking from a short crystal glass. Jikro stared straight ahead, but I knew he watched me. I patted my hair three times then lowered my hand. That was the signal that I was recording.

I knew if I looked back, he would be gone.

I sat back and sipped my wine, a true smile curving over my lips for the first time that evening.

CHAPTER 2

KINA

“Delivery for Kina.”

I hurried to my door and opened it. A member of the Starstream II staff stood there holding a flower arrangement. A clear bulbous vase contained some rare and beautiful flowers. I had received arrangements like this before, many times. There would be a note with it, full of effusive words for my performance. The sender would claim to be a secret admirer.

The admirer was Jikro. The flowers were from him. He was also the runner delivering them. We performed this little farce because we had to assume that I was always being monitored. I accepted the flowers with pleased smile. “Oh, thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“Yes, miss,” said Jikro. He wore the uniform of one of the many runners on board. His blue hair was tucked under a wig of black fur that appeared to extend down his back. I didn’t know what species he was pretending to be, but he didn’t look exactly Cintran.

“Please bring them inside,” I said.

“Yes, miss.” Jikro, as the dutiful runner, brought the flowers inside and placed them on one of the tables in my sitting area. As I bent down to sniff them, he brought his hand near the back of my neck. The other one held a screen. He made it look as if he were checking off that his delivery was accepted. It lasted a few moments before he stepped away with a curt nod. “Will that be all miss?”

“Yes, thank you,” I replied.

“Lovely performance tonight, miss.” He was all deference and politeness. A stark contrast to Jikro in normal circumstances.

“Thank you so much,” I said graciously. “Oh, here you are.” I handed him a credit as a tip.

“Have a pleasant evening, Miss Kina.” He smirked, touched his fingertips to his forehead and left.

I sighed and sat down on the side of my bed. All my jobs were done for today. Now, I had a few hours to rest, recharge, and be myself … whoever that was. I was always so busy being other people, it seemed as though I would never have time to figure it out.

Boom!

I sat straight up in bed. The sound had woken me from a sound sleep. A vibration hung in the room, but had I imagined such a sound and that shaking? The Starstream II was such a massive cruise ship, nothing disturbed its journeys.

Then, an ominous tearing sound cut through the air and sent dread up my spine. Those sounds were not normal on this cruise liner.

I scrambled out of bed. Gravity felt distorted, as if I were walking on a slant. I was alone in my massive luxury apartment. Keeping my own quarters was non-negotiable for me, to keep my true mission secret and because I liked it that way. I pulled a robe on over my nightgown and hurried over to the room display. It served as the interface for anything one could possibly want or wish to know about the ship.

Usually, it turned on automatically at my approach, but this time, it remained black. I got right up to it and touched the screen. Only then did it flicker to life, and I do mean flicker. That was not how these devices worked. They were slick and flawless, but the screen struggled to hold an image. Lines stretched across the huge display.

For a moment, it showed a normal welcome screen before turning black again. White words coincided with a polite voice that read the text message: Greetings esteemed guest. Due to structural integrity issues, we ask that you please make your way to the nearest available escape pod and jettison the ship. Thank you for choosing Galacticorp’s Starstream II for your travel pleasure!

“What?” I blurted out loud. This was absurd. I read it twice to make sure I got it right.

This had to be a drill. They got elaborate sometimes.

Pazva would know what was going on. He had people everywhere. I stepped out into the hallway. A few passengers had opened their doors and looked out blearily.

It didn’t seem like anything was happening. There were some strange noises like creaking and the tilt to the floor, but those were all the same things they did in drills. I couldn’t tell what was wrong.

I had to pass Pazva’s room to get to the bank of escape pods, anyway. I was surprised to see his door ajar. I pushed it open and went inside. He was not there, and his bed pod—Slarians required a certain gas pumped into their systems in order to sleep—was empty. It was untouched.

Another ominous crunching noise wracked through the ship. This was followed by the lights flickering and a tremble that made the floor buckle.

My blood turned to ice.

This was not a drill.

Whatever was happening was getting worse. I turned to run for the exit when something hard smashed into the back of my head. White light flashed in my eyes. I staggered, trying to keep my balance. Who did that? Between the darkness and double vision from that blow, I couldn’t make out a thing.

Another hit landed, but it came from a strange direction. Whoever hit me did it at my side and had swung upward, because this one landed squarely on my throat. I cupped my hands to my damaged neck as pain exploded. It was agony to draw in breath. I tried to let out a scream, but nothing came.

Another hit came to my right arm. I caught a glimpse of a metal rod the width of my arm. That was what they were hitting me with. I saw legs encased in dark fabric. No help there. That was nearly everyone I knew.

A hit to my knees sent me tumbling to the floor. I couldn’t get up. I couldn’t get my bearings. My double vision was blurry, and the tilted floor wasn’t helping. I tried to tell whoever it was to stop, please, but I still couldn’t speak. The words seemed stuck in my damaged throat.

An alarm began blaring and emergency lights began to flash, sending fresh, aching throbs through my skull.

The metal rod dropped to the floor beside my head. Feet pounded as my attacker ran past me and out of Pazva’s suite. Was it my patron? It couldn’t be Pazva, could it?

I pulled myself up to hands and knees and crawled to the door.

The alarm was louder out here. The emergency lights pulsed on the floor, pointed towards the escape pods. Using the wall, I dragged myself down the corridor. The ship was shaking violently. There was a smell of fire burning. Sparks spit from the inoperative light fixtures as smoke clogged the air. I couldn’t go very fast. My knee was broken or badly bruised and everything in my body hurt.

There were people in the corridor. They frantically darted toward the big bank of pods, but there was something wrong. I saw several of the Slarians from after my performance there, banging their tentacled fists on the control pad. They weren’t opening.

I tried to call out again, but not even a croak escaped my lips. My throat throbbed. It felt as though it had been slit. It was all I could do to draw in breath as I hobbled down the corridor.

All the doors were open. I stumbled through the panicked passengers. Some pods were opening, but some remained shut. Each bank of pods I approached was the same — those that had opened were taken.

I had lived on this ship for a long time. There was a bank of staff pods on the next floor down. I pried open the staff ramp that spiraled downward, and all but tumbled down it to the next floor down. There, the staff had already evacuated. The corridor was deserted. The pods here had worked. I could see that because most of them had been taken.

Panic ripped through me as I staggered, clinging to the wall for support. My vision was starting to gray out. My extremities were getting increasingly numb, and dizziness threatened to topple me over. But then, finally, at the end of the corridor, I found a pod that had not been ejected.

I stumbled inside and brushed my trembling fingers over the screen. The door sealed behind me. “Greetings, Kina, guest,” said a smooth female voice. “Escape pod ejection is approved by the bridge. Please confirm you wish to eject at this time.”

But I couldn’t say the words. Only searing pain accompanied my attempt to say something.

“Please confirm you wish to eject at this time,” the voice repeated.

Tears flowed down my cheeks. Through the narrow windows, I caught a glimpse of fiery horror and twisted metal. The guest wing I had been living in had been blasted away from the rest of the cruise ship. I could see the bulk of the Starstream II as we drifted away from it. Debris floated in the space outside.

A blinding light flashed, and the pod shuddered. I hadn’t strapped myself in. The pod lost its gravity, causing me to float weightless. Another explosion rocked the pod, and I hit the roof, slamming my shoulder hard. Cool air washed over me as I floated.

Everything hurt. I meant everything. My leg, all the way up to my head. But then that started to fade. The numbness crept up my limbs.

Droplets and sizable clumps of blood floated in crimson spheres all around me, doubled, thanks to the head injury. I couldn’t bring myself to care. My stomach didn’t feel right. The taste of metal was strong in my mouth.

Fatigue settled over me like a heavy blanket, dragging at me. I knew I should stay awake, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from closing or my mind from going still and dark.

CHAPTER 3

LAXON

The battle cruiser, Astra, was getting a much-needed upgrade and renovation. As the second massive ship built by the Riloxians some seven hundred renars ago, it was showing its age. The command center had been largely demolished and cleared out, except for the necessary control systems. It was being held in place by the stasis beams of four other cruisers and run by a small crew while the entire ship was being gutted and redesigned to match the advancements on the other ships.

I stood on the main bridge where some final decisions were being made with my two top fleet commanders—Fleet Operations Commander Naskra and Ground Commander Gulin. The command center overhaul was overdue. New neural integration systems were being installed to make navigators’ actions faster and more precise. The whole interface was being reworked.

But we were not discussing the color and placement of the command center chairs. We were standing in front of the newly installed interface screen, staring at the mess of an exploded luxury cruise liner. Debris from it was everywhere.

Naskra shook her head. She was tall and appropriately severe for her position of FOC. Her black hair was long and contained in a thick band at the nape of her neck. Her slender horns gleamed dark blue. “Sloppy,” she said disgustedly, crossing her arms over her gray one-piece uniform. A multitude of metallic gems sparkled on her high-neck collar, denoting her high rank and many accomplishments. “Galacticorp cut corners by not keeping a robust security fleet to protect its ships, especially this ship. What did they think would happen?”

I frowned at the screen where our scout drones surrounded the disabled ship and monitored it from all sides. A whole wing of the star-shaped craft had been blown off—likely from an internal explosion. The ship had been shaped like a wheel with five spokes. It now had four jutting wings gleaming in pristine brilliance. The area where the fifth wing had been ripped away was impossible to miss. A mess of twisted, charred metal took the place of a sleek appendage.

Waves of smaller crafts swarmed the undamaged landing bays as passengers departed hastily. The crew would be last, of course. Owners of cruise liners like this were not known for showing the greatest concern for those working on their ships.

“What is this one called?” I asked.

“The Starstream II,” Naskra replied. “Galacticorp’s premier cruise vessel. This one is their largest and most expensive.”

“Of course, it is,” I growled. “They have difficulty respecting our territorial boundaries.”

“Yes,” she said. “Their ships have come inside the boundary twice. I’m given to understand the Riloxian fleet is a popular attraction for their guests.” She raised one dark brow. “We are enigmatic, apparently.”

Being an attraction was causing us problems now. Debris from the wreckage was hurling through the ice-cold vacuum of space and hitting the hulls of our ships. “Were they within our boundaries this time?”

“Just outside, Your Highness,” Naskra replied. “Barely.”

I bared my teeth. “We need to extend our boundary.”

“Agreed. How far shall we extend?”

I sighed. As far as I was concerned, there was no distance far enough to keep the fools of the galaxy away. “Fifty thousand metlak units.”

Naskra nodded, appearing pleased with the number. “I will begin the process.”

“What damage have we sustained so far?” I wanted to know.

“Minor. But larger pieces are incoming. We can target those with impact lasers to break them into small pieces. If the shield barrier was operating, it would repel all the debris and incinerate it on impact, but we can’t hold both the Astra in stasis and engage the barrier. The power drain would be too great.”

I knew this. It was risky to disengage the barrier, but it had to be done for the rest of the ships to hold the Astra in place while its power core was replaced with a new, more efficient one. “Use the impact laser,” I said. “Incinerate everything you can to keep the damage minimal.”

“Yes, Prince Laxon.” Naskra nodded and turned to the screen to give the order.

“Wait.” Ground commander Gulin had caught the last part of that, but he held up a hand, pausing General Naskra’s action. He was shorter and older. Gray streaked in his short hair and his uniform was not quite as tailored as Naskra’s. “I’ve been getting updates from the Starstream II’s command and our own analysts. Before we start obliterating all the debris, our scanners have located an escape pod that struck the crown ship battle cruiser. It was embedded in deck fourteen. Our teams retrieved a Cintran female inside.”

“Fine.” I waved a hand. “Scan the debris for lifeforms first, before destroying the debris. Bring the Cintran straight to the medical bay.”

“Already done,” he said.

“Do not report that we have recovered a survivor. Lock down all communications regarding this.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Commander Gillan bowed, but there was hesitancy and worry in his dark red eyes. “Galacticorp is asking specifically if we have recovered any passengers. Shall I tell them no?”

“Tell them nothing,” I said. “Their wreckage is within our territorial boundaries, making it technically ours. We have no obligation to speak with them at all. We can show them enigmatic,” I muttered.

“Ah, if I may, My Prince,” Gulin looked at me with alarm in his eyes and his fingers over her ear transmitter. “I have just learned that there is an issue with the Cintran female.”

“What?” I asked. “Did she die?”

“No, but our medic’s initial scan determined that she was badly beaten immediately prior to entering the escape pod. In fact, the reason why her pod struck the crown ship was because she was unable to eject. The pod was jettisoned by one of the explosions, making its path erratic.”

I frowned. “Beaten. Someone was hoping she would not survive the blast.”

“That is a strong possibility, Your Highness,” said Gulin. “But there is more.”

“Of course, there is.” I waved a hand for him to proceed.

“Deeper scans showed a language enhancing chip in the base of her spine and a second chip. This one appeared to have been hidden near the other and is capable of recording.”

“A spy chip?”

Gulin nodded.

“Does it contain data?” I asked.

“Yes, but we haven’t listened to it. How shall we proceed?”

I was developing a bad feeling in the pit of my gut. “Send the recording to my personal interface. I will review it myself.”

“Yes, sir.” But Gulin didn’t look like he was finished.

“Is there more?”

“Ah, one other thing.” My ground commander looked decidedly uncomfortable with whatever he had left for last. “The female is Kina.”

I stared at him. “What is that?”

“Not ‘what,’ My Prince, but who? Kina,” he repeated. “The performer. The singer. Surely you have heard of her?”

I had not. “Should I have?”

Gulin’s face darkened. “She is … popular, Prince Laxon. Even among our people, there are many admirers of her music.”

My gut did not like this. “So you are saying that we have rescued a celebrity? One that had been attacked prior to explosions on the ship she traveled?”

“I fear so.”

“Lock it down,” I said firmly. “Tell anyone who has had contact with this Kina person that under order of the crown itself, no word of this female is to be uttered.”

Gulin nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do we know what exactly happened to the Starstream II?” Naskra asked Gulin, who had the most updated information.

Gulin shrugged. “It has all the indications of an explosion originating from within the ship, but Galacticorp is saying they struck something from the outside. Space junk or some nonsense.”

I rubbed my chin and gazed at the live view of the damaged cruise liner with the stream of evacuations. “Why would someone orchestrate an attack on a cruise liner? They hold no significant military advantage. It is simply wealthy beings on holiday.”

“Extremely wealthy,” Gulin added. “Fees to stay on the Starstream II begin at five quantra credits.”

“Wealthy and perhaps powerful,” I murmured. “Perhaps whoever caused the explosion was trying to eliminate someone. The singer is the likely target.”

“Exploding a wing of a cruise liner would be an extreme method of assassination,” said Naskra.

“But with Galacticorp desperate enough to save their reputation, they classified it as an accident. It is possible.” I crossed my arms, more intrigued than I should be. Perhaps I was just bored, and this mystery was too intriguing to pass up. “Have there been any fatalities?”

“None announced, but our scanning drones have data that suggests otherwise,” Gulin replied. “I would not hold my breath on Galacticorp willingly reporting passenger or crew deaths. Easier to pay off families than have that smear on their record.”

“I would like to know what caused that explosion,” I stated. “I want to talk with the survivor.”

“She is unconscious,” said Naskra. “Undergoing extensive medical reconstruction.”

I looked at her with the smallest of smiles. “When she awakens, of course.”

“Remember, keep this quiet.” I turned a hard look to my fleet and ground commanders. “I do not like this. Something about it seems off.”

“Agreed, Prince Laxon,” Gulin said.

“Alert me the instant the passenger can talk.” I turned to leave, eager to return to the crown ship. “Bring her to me.”

CHAPTER 4

KINA

To my surprise, I woke up. My first thought was that something had to be wrong. There was no way I should survive after what I recalled going through.

I remembered so much pain. Someone had beaten me with something metal. Bones had been broken. The back of my head had been hit so hard that I’d seen double. My throat had hurt so badly, I hadn’t been able to speak. Not even to say, “yes,” to eject the escape pod.

Yet here I lay, in a warm bed, covered in superfine sheets—rare, pelian fiber, if I wasn’t mistaken—feeling, well, good.

With a stretch, I sat up. I wasn’t in the same clothes I’d gone to bed with on the Starstream II and this was not my suite. My nightgown and robe were replaced with a soft gray shift that felt like heaven against my skin. The room itself was small, but well appointed. The furnishings were clearly luxe in shades of warm gray and white. Aside from the bed, there were two chairs and a table. A closet was built into one wall and a bathroom likely lay beyond a translucent glass sliding door in the corner.

I ran my fingers over my shoulder, the back of my head, and my leg. They felt perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened to them. My throat felt normal too. I made a soft humming noise like I did at the beginning of my vocal workouts. My voice came through sounding slightly rough, but nothing that some therapy with my vocal coaches couldn’t iron out.

I was either unbelievably lucky or someone had gone to great lengths and employed advanced medicine to heal me. It was likely the latter, which meant I owed someone. A bitter taste filled my mouth. It never boded well to owe a debt, especially one as big as one’s life.

Another thought occurred to me—had my deception been found out? Had someone told the Slarians I was secretly collecting information for the rebels on Cintra? If that were the case, I could be paying my debt with my life.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I got up and crossed to the bathroom. I saw myself in the mirror, looking as I always did, but without the elaborate makeup I so frequently wore.

I used the bathroom and washed up, even though my skin felt thoroughly clean, as if I had been scrubbed and polished with a fine oil. The truth was, I wasn’t ready to deal with whatever lay on the other side of my room door. I thought I could get some clues in here, and also process everything that had happened so far.

Nerves jingled in my belly as I went to the closet and opened it. I didn’t know what I expected, but a selection of clothing that looked like they would fit me wasn’t it. More to pile on the debt I owed, I thought, as I pulled on a pair of tight blue pants shot with reflective threads and a white top that came to my thighs and hugged my body snuggly. The neckline was a deeper plunging vee than I would have chosen.

Foreboding filled me afresh, making me worry about how I was expected to pay off this debt. As a plaything to some magnate or spoiled royal? They would not get a soft, pliant lover if that’s what they expected.

I swept my long hair back and tied the entire length of it in a loose knot, pulled on some soft flat shoes, and went to the door. It was time to face what was outside—if the door opened. It was surprising when I placed a fingertip on a small pad and the door slid open.

Two enormous guards stood outside my door. The sight of them brought mixed feelings. I recognized the dark gray and blue hues of their skin; the horns curving from their hairlines, and the deep red of their eyes. They were Riloxians—not enemies of Cintra.

But not friends, either.

Riloxians were famously, and annoyingly, neutral most of the time—including the takeover of my home planet. I gritted my teeth as anger battled with relief. I had not been betrayed, but I would not get help from these people, either.

“Prince Laxon is waiting for you in his conservatory,” said one of the guards, dressed in dark gray pants and carrying a tall staff topped with a metal sphere.

I raised my chin, partly to meet his gaze and partly to show I didn’t care what Prince Laxon wanted. I curled a lip, but said nothing and flicked a hand forward, indicating that I would go with them.

The two Riloxian warriors led me through the corridors. I would’ve been hopelessly lost without their escort. As we went, we passed more Riloxians. I saw some of the individuals who lived here—children, females, and the elderly. Also among them was the army of bots delivering, cleaning, and zipping about on one task or another. In one case, I saw a bot arguing with a Riloxian male about something.

The guards brought me through a set of doors to a wide-open space that took my breath away.

This was not a conservatory. This was a forest inside a spaceship. The ceiling had to be over a whole metlak unit high. Trees stretched tall and wide with colorful branches. Birds—the likes of which I had never seen before—flew freely among the tops and insects whizzed through the air.

The ground was packed dirt trails winding through the plantings and massive crystals jutting up like boulders. They were as tall as me and glowed different colors. There were too many smells to process, ranging from humid soil to exotic flowers.

The guards stopped just inside and nodded for me to proceed. “Follow the path to the center.”

I didn’t want to. This space was foreign to me. Cintra was not a lush planet, making the wildness of this place imposing, frightening. The surface of my home planet was rocky and barren, except in the cold regions, where it was icy and barren. We lived underground in vast communities carved from the rock.

Artificial light streamed in from the ceiling, making this look like a real planet’s surface and not a room in a battle cruiser, which I knew it had to be. Riloxians lived on their massive ships.

I walked quietly down the path. It took a while, but I found myself nearing the center of the space. There, standing before a simple, primitive-looking wooden workbench was a tall Riloxian male.

Prince Laxon, it turned out, was a masterpiece. I took a moment to take in his profile. He had a strong, masculine bone structure with firm chiseled lips, high cheekbones, and fine, arched brows over those red Riloxian eyes. Sleek black horns arched over his head. He wore loose black pants and sandals on his otherwise bare feet. His long hair was pulled back.

He was bare above his waist, where the cut and carved planes of his torso made it difficult to look away from him. His hands were occupied with the task of working with some delicate-looking plants. Fine, pale blue tendrils waved as Prince Laxon carefully positioned the plant in a larger pot.

He did not move, or blink, or show any indication that he knew I stood there aside from saying, “Hello, Kina.” I almost jumped at the soft greeting spoken in a deep, rich voice.

“Prince Laxon,” I said.

“Have you ever greeted royalty before?” he asked mildly. “The protocol is to bow.”

He was baiting me, testing me. I let out a low chuckle. “I do not bow.”

He settled some dirt around the newly re-potted plant. Its pale waving tendrils turned a darker shade and puffed out before settling into a gentle spiral design. “Neither do I.” The slightest smile curved his gorgeous lips. “We begin with something in common, Kina.”

I opened my mouth to say that we had nothing in common, before remembering that this male was responsible for my, well, life, and hastily shut my mouth. “Perhaps.”

He brushed soil from his hands and turned to me, finally. “I hear you are more famous than even the most powerful king or queen in this quadrant of the galaxy.”

He heard? Interesting. I wasn’t being arrogant in saying that it was uncommon to encounter someone unfamiliar with my singing. “Am I here for a private concert, then?”

He smiled faintly, with a tinge of condescension. “I have no interest in your occupation.”

Well, that was a first. I crossed my arms. “What do you have an interest in?”

“You were a passenger aboard the Starstream II, were you not?”

“I worked as a performer on the Starstream II.” My hand automatically went to my throat. My voice did sound different. As soon as I got out of here, I would book some time in the garlishi spice baths and have my physician check my vocal cords. “Do I have you to thank for healing me?”

“No,” he said. “My medical team is responsible for mending what they could. They did their very best, so you must not blame them. You were badly injured.”

Blame them? I shook my head and spread my arms. “I owe them my thanks. I was badly injured before …” I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t even know what’s real anymore.”

Laxon clasped his hands behind his back and observed me as if I were a new plant added to his garden. “You were beaten before getting in that escape pod. Why?”

“How would I know?” My voice was hard. “I went to my patron’s room to see if he knew what was going on with the ship. I thought it might be a drill. Then someone hit me from behind and kept at it until I … I couldn’t get up.” I closed my eyes as the memory of it flashed through my body in a wave of remembered pain. “I didn’t see who it was. Then there were alarms and lights. I managed to get up, somehow, and to the corridor. Most of the escape pods were taken or not opening.”

His dark brows drew together. “You found your way to one that was operational.”

“I did, yes.” I frowned up at him. “I’m tougher than I look. Anyway, that’s all I know.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “What do you care, anyway?”

“I am interested to know what happened on the Starstream II. It is unusual for such a thing to happen to a vacation cruise line, is it not?”

“Again,” I said. “What do you care? Your kind don’t involve yourselves in the problems of others.”

He scowled deeply. “That is not true.”

“Oh.” I held up a finger and nodded. “I understand. Some of the dead bodies and fragments of hull put scratches on your windows. I can see why you’d be very concerned about that.” My sarcasm was so thick, it could wilt a flower. And yes, I was well aware that this was not how one was supposed to speak to a prince.

But he was not my prince.

“I am not concerned about scratches on my windows.” His voice was soft with an edge that should have made me reconsider my tone. “I am concerned about the destabilization of the quadrant.”

I could tell him about destabilization. I could tell him about the Slarians swarming my peaceful planet of Cintra, upending our economy, and forcing my people to mine for their benefit only. Cintrans were second-class citizens on their own planet. Only those as fortunate as me, who had some value other than hauling rocks, were allowed freedom to do as they wished.

Anger rose up my throat like bile. “Are we done here?” I knew my eyes blazed with the fury that burned in my chest. “Because I have nothing else to say.”

“I do not believe that for one moment.” He stepped close, hardly making a sound as he moved. “I think whatever happened on the Starstream II is directly related to you, Kina.”

“How could it possibly?” I asked breezily. “I’m just a singer.”

“Who is tougher than she looks and far more clever too.” One corner of his lips curved upwards. “Oh, Kina, I believe you are far more than anyone thinks. Would you care to tell me about the chip embedded in your neck?”

My belly flipped over at those words. Of course, when the medical team worked on me, they would have found the chips. The most basic of scanners detected them, which was why I had two chips put in—an innocuous one for languages, to hide the presence of the other. “The chip is a language enhancer,” I said, knowing full well he wasn’t talking about that one. “It allows me to understand with and interact with species of other languages. Useful in my line of work.”

“Indeed, as it is allowing us to speak right now.” He leaned even closer. I could feel the warmth radiating from his chest. I could see the fine lines fanning around his eyes. “I want to know about the chip that recorded a conversation with a party of Slarians the night the Starstream II experienced its unfortunate accident. It included Prince Vesp and the powerful business tycoon, Pazva Lezrin. I hear you are his ‘jewel.’” He slid a finger under my chin, sending shivers radiating from his touch. “Also his deceiver, it seems.”

My stomach dropped like a rock. He had heard everything I’d recorded. He had proof that I was no vapid singer. But that did not mean I would tell him anything. I straightened my spine and met those penetrating, blood-red eyes fearlessly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

CHAPTER 5

LAXON

Kina knew exactly what I was talking about, but her strong will was impressive. I had to admire the courage to look the crown prince of the Riloxian Empire in the eye and tell him to shove it.

She was in my garden, my sanctuary. Before I had even seen her, I could feel her walking through the trees and plants and the crystals, which helped everything grow. I always knew when there was another in this special place of mine, but the Cintran female pricked my senses like no other. It was as if I had nerve endings in the ground itself and could feel each step she took like touches on my skin.

I stood at my workbench. A sensitive asling fern resettled in a new, slightly larger pot. The long tendril fronds were no longer waving frantically. It had settled in and resumed normal color and form. It had been foolish to handle the rare plant when I was feeling such a distraction. I could have killed it had I fumbled and dropped it.

Now, I drank in the presence of this female, Kina. She was obviously a dissident, displeased with the takeover of her planet by the Slarians. No one could blame her. There was not a species alive that liked being taken over and ruled by another, but that was how it worked sometimes. Stronger species, more powerful and better organized civilizations conquered weaker ones. It was the natural way of things … as was resistance by the conquered people.

My people knew this very well. Riloxians ended up living on massive battleships rather than on our own planet because we had lost against a stronger challenger. Rather than dying, we had left. Cintrans would either assimilate, leave their planet, or die. It was a process that played out all over the universe on any given standard cycle. It would do no good to explain this to her right now.

This Cintran female was obviously spying for the rebel forces trying to disrupt the Slarians’ operations. The fact that she was a famous singer was a brilliant cover for her deceptions. I listened to recordings of her and had to admit that she had a rare gift.

This female may have been Pazva’s “jewel”—yes, I had listened to the recording on the now removed implant—but she was full of fire. How the trade lord did not recognize this, I could not guess, but it was folly on his part to miss the simmering rage so clearly boiling beneath the lovely surface. I should turn her over to the Slarians and be done with this business.

But beyond her voice, she was a vision to look upon. I took in her warm brown skin, long fall of pale green hair, wide eyes of the same color, and the graceful curves of her body. When she spoke, elongated eyeteeth glinted in the simulated sunlight. I wondered what those small points would feel like scraping over my skin. Oh, dangerous thoughts, these. I clapped them down and shoved them away.

She looked different from the recorded images of her. On screen, she was an ethereal goddess in outrageous gowns, with facial enhancements and holographic lighting. But here, standing before me, was the real person. She was so much more beautiful—natural, real. Touchable.

Cintrans bore some resemblance to the fairly newly discovered human species. I had had one on my ship not too long ago. Cora had been spirited and lovely and had intrigued me very much. She had a mate, however, rendering any interest I may have pondered irrelevant. The bond between her and the cyborg Stryxian, Mazak, was strong and beautiful.

How fascinating that a small, fragile female could mean so much to a being as immensely powerful as Mazak. He would have torn my ship apart for her. He would have torn me apart for her. Although, he would have found that last bit challenging. Together, we had neutralized a trade lord who had grown vastly overpowered and dangerous to the quadrant. I remained in contact with Mazak and his human female from the far-flung planet of Earth. They were making a life for themselves on the newly re-terraformed planet of Stryxia. It was a much less violent life than they had known together. It suited them and the child they had recently brought into the world.

The air had thickened and charged the moment Kina emerged from the path to the small circular clearing in the center of my conservatory. From here, pathways branched off through the vegetation. I stood in the center of it with a female who outshone the most brilliant flowers in my gardens.

I sighed, accepting that it would take time to get this female to divulge her secrets. No one knew that she was here yet. No one – not even her — knew the true extent of her injuries. The medical team still had procedures to perform on her and monitoring to do. Perhaps she would fully heal. According to her health reports that was unlikely.

Her chin tilted up with the confidence of a queen. “I request that you contact Galacticorp and inform them that I am here. They will send a transport to collect me.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked. “Someone did try to kill you. Do you not want to find out who?”

“I am a singer,” she said to me in a slow voice, as if I were a youngling. “Performing is what I do. I make a lot of money for Galacticorp—who I’m under contract with. I have no doubt that they will deploy a team of investigators to find out who harmed me.”

I doubted they would once they learned the truth. “Tell me why you recorded your patron and his associates.”

She crossed her arms. The smooth brown of her skin rippled with tiny dots of iridescence—another hallmark of the Cintran people. In the dark underground, their skin was almost luminous. It was a helpful adaptive trait for a species who spent much time in darkness. “Is it so unusual for someone in my position to feel the need to keep records of her powerful patrons?” She raised one eyebrow. “You never know when you will need leverage against someone.”

I grinned, seeing straight through her counter as a move to deflect. Obviously, she had come up with this on the fly. Not only full of fire, but clever, and a quick thinker.

“Not unusual at all,” I drawled. “But that is not why you did it.”

She actually rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. She was growing tired of this conversation, and that made me more determined to extend it. “Why I do anything is none of your business.”

This female was becoming more intriguing by the moment. The sounds of my conservatory faded away. All I heard was her soft voice. The brilliance of the trees, flowers, and crystals faded to that of her beautiful face. The pale green of her eyes was in sharp contrast to the warm brown of her skin. “We will see what is my business and what is not.” I tilted my head and tried to look at her with objective eyes. Impossible. “Besides, my medical team is not yet finished with your recovery. You will be a guest of the Riloxian empire for a bit longer, it seems.”

CHAPTER 6

KINA

Prince Laxon summoned me daily. Sometimes to his conservatory. Sometimes somewhere else, but he never let me out among his people. I knew he was keeping me secret so my location didn’t get out. The male was bent on knowing who my rebel contact was and how the Cintran resistance was involved in the attack on the Starstream II.

It was an easy conversation. I would never tell him about Jikro, and I stood by my view that the resistance was not involved in the attack. I didn’t complain about being held on the crown ship—Laxon’s home—because I was seeing the medics here daily. There were scans, tests, and revisionary procedures that I wasn’t going to refuse. I wasn’t going to get any better than Riloxian medical technology, which did a great job at putting me back together.

There was something the medics weren’t telling me. There was much whispering among themselves that abruptly cut off when they thought I was listening. I felt fine. I didn’t know what they were all so worried about. The only thing that wasn’t quite right was the persistent rasp in my voice. I’d had this before, though, and after being struck right in the throat, it only made sense that it would take that area longer to heal completely. I didn’t dare try singing until I was in a session with my vocal coaches. They would know how to warm me up correctly after an injury.

I’d been on this ship for six days, not counting the four I was unconscious for when I arrived. So, ten days total. I wondered what everyone thought became of me. It was nice not to have Pazva’s disgusting presence nearby all the time. Not having to put on a show of being empty-headed and devoted to him was an enormous relief. Now the only one I had to keep my guard up around was Prince Laxon. And sometimes that wasn’t easy. When he was done with his questions, he would finally just relax and talk normally.

That was when I liked him a little.

Also, unlike every single other being I encountered, he never asked me to sing for him, or asked for entry to my next concert, or wanted to take a vid with me. I kept waiting, but it was as if he had zero interest in the one thing everyone wanted from me. It was profoundly refreshing, although I’d never admit that to him.

We stayed on safe topics, mostly. But today, as we wandered the paths I now knew very well, he walked close. His bare arm brushed mine, making me feel a little drunk. A little reckless. I turned my face up to his.

He looked down with an arched brow. “What?”

“Why are you called ‘prince’ when you’re the ruler?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be the king?”

“Riloxian kings must have an offspring,” he explained. “Since I do not, I remain a prince.”

“That’s silly.”

“You mock our sacred ways?” He pretended to look offended.

“Why should your parental status have any effect on your title?”

He walked in perfect step with me, looking up as a rolpu bird flew low over us. “Prince or king, my duties would not change, so it matters not. The title of king is important, as it means an heir exists to carry on the royal line.”

“Do you need a mate for that?” I asked, curious, but aware that I was wading into weird territory. “Or can you father a child with anyone?”

“We can father a child with anyone,” he said. “But having a mate is what every Riloxian desires above all. It is a circle becoming whole. Only with a mate can true ecstasy be attained.”

“Really?” Curiosity now outweighed decorum entirely. “You can’t have an orgasm with anyone you’re not mated with?”

He looked at me from the sides of his red eyes. “We can,” he said. “But it is a shadow of what we experience with a mate. From what I hear.”

“That’s …” a shame. “Interesting.”

“And what of you?” His voice held an edge. “Do you orgasm with your many patrons? Pazva is a fine specimen of the Slarian people. Do you find him appealing to lie with?”

If I’d had food in my mouth, I would have choked on it. “I do not find Pazva appealing. Thankfully, I’ve never had to refuse his advances or consider … lying with him.”

“He does not …?”

I worked hard to keep the revulsion off my face at the thought of those tentacles on my body. “Slarians mate differently than Cintrans and, possibly, Riloxians. He doesn’t desire my company for that.”

“What, then?”

“My voice.” I looked straight ahead. “I can sing him into an orgasm.”

“No.” He looked astonished.

I nodded. “It’s true. I have the unique ability to affect mindset, and when Pazva is in the mood, well, I sing for him, and he achieves the Slarian version of an orgasm.”

Laxon looked straight ahead, a pained look on his face. “I shall stop asking questions.”

I pressed my lips together. His discomfort was really funny. “I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it’s not pleasant to witness. They don’t have penises, you see. They get a big green bulge in the center of their bellies, and they start rubbing it—”

He held up a hand. “Thank you. The picture in my head is vivid enough.”

I chuckled, but then an awkward silence fell between us. We reached the end of the path. I turned toward the door where the guards waited to return me to my room.

“Goodbye, Lax—”

His strong hand curled around my arm and pulled me back to him. He gazed down at me; red eyes intense. “Have you ever?”

Breathless, I stared up at him. “Have I ever what?”

“Found pleasure in the arms of one of your patrons?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I know,” he said through gritted teeth. “But I am interested in you. I want to know everything about you and none of it is any of my business.”

We were locked there, with his hand around my arm. Face to face, with barely a breath between us. If I were to sway forward just the smallest amount, my breasts would touch his chest. My nipples strained forward, begging to rub over his skin. My breath came fast and shallow. My pulse raced. Surely, he could feel it thrumming under his fingers.

I didn’t even try to hide my arousal. It was as obvious as the desire etched into each hungry line of his face.

“If you cared for me, you wouldn’t keep me here,” I whispered. “You would let me go.”

“I keep you here because I care for you,” he growled back.

I eased myself away from him, pulling my arm from his grasp. “Keep telling yourself that, Laxon.” I walked away with tears burning my eyes and need pulsing between my legs.

I wanted the ruler of the Riloxian empire. And he wanted me.

I couldn’t play him like I did Pazva. My bag of tricks was empty.

CHAPTER 7

LAXON

I thought about Kina far more than I should have. Finalizing plans for the Astra, receiving briefings from my commanders, even sifting through some of the complex legal dealings of managing a society — there was no escape from thoughts of her.

We had nearly kissed. The image of her so close to me was burned into my mind. She desired me—the knowledge of that burned somewhere else. My cock ached at the thought of being buried inside her.

I lived for our walks around the conservatory. I loved hearing her laugh and catching one of those rare smiles.

The plan had been to let her be. Performers like her thrived on attention. Leaving her alone seemed an efficient way to make her want to talk, and also, she needed rest. The medical team had said her body had done a great deal of healing in a short period of time, thanks our technology, but it was still heavy trauma.

But I could not do it. Every day, I asked her my questions. Every day, she refused to tell me who she worked with in the Cintran resistance. If she would just tell me, I would know where to start asking questions and finding out who was responsible for the attack to her wing of the cruise liner. Who wanted her dead.

But Kina was convinced that the resistance had nothing to do with it. Why would they want me dead? She reasoned with logic.

Why indeed? She was providing them with private conversations of their enemies.

Kina still visited the medical unit daily. After fourteen days, Nuika, the lead medic, declared that she had repaired as much as she could. Kina would not like the news. She would recover, but not everything would be the same.

“She will never sing again,” said Nuika.

I stroked my chin and mulled over her words. “You are certain?”

“She’s lucky to speak at all.” She folded her hands and nodded grimly to the images of the inside of Kina’s throat. “We rebuilt her throat using some synthetic tissues and cultured some of her own, but there is no fixing the total destruction of her complex vocal cords. It was a precise blow, Your Highness. As if whoever did this was deliberately trying to sabotage her career.”

“I see.” Someone would have to break the news to Kina that her singing career was over. And that someone would probably have to be me. I did not look forward to it.

And that was only the beginning of the problems. Kina would lose her contract with Galacticorp, who would no longer care about her well-being. Any protection they might have given her would not happen now, leaving whoever tried to hurt her with far fewer barriers in the way.

Even her devoted patron, Pazva, would likely withdraw his patronage. If his “jewel” could not sing, was she still a jewel at all? That answer would be no, especially considering what he asked of her. That was still unpleasant to think upon.

Kina would have to adapt to a new way of life. Losing her connection to powerful Slarians would be end of her spying business as well. I suspected this would cause more anguish than the end of her singing career.

After doing some research, I had looked into the Slarian problem on Cintra. It was little wonder why she did what she did to aid the rebels. The Slarians had made no effort to work with the Cintrans. They had forcibly put the people there to work. I needed to look into it further, but the Cintran rebels had good reason to resist the intruders.

I sent a message via one of my assistants to her, inviting her to dinner. The option was there to decline, but as I had expected, she had accepted. Being alone was not easy for a social species like Cintrans and a public person like Kina. I hated how eager I was to see her. The day crawled by. Each moment dragged, stretching out until counting down to the time I would finally see the maddening female who haunted my dreams, both waking and sleeping.

I rarely ate in my dining room. The table was massive and shaped in a semi-circle. It was designed for large dinners with dozens of guests. I preferred eating at my workbench in the conservatory or in my own quarters.

I thought Kina might like dinner among the trees. The conservatory was wonderful during the daylight cycle, but when the lights were off and nighttime was simulated, the little forest on my crown ship transformed into a mysterious and enchanted place. The massive sky dome above became transparent, making the stars visible.

I had a table and chairs brought into the center clearing. The crystals glowed, illuminating the paths, and bathing the trees with a touch of their light.

Once again, I could feel Kina moving through my space. My pulse raced. I stood beside the table, suddenly unsure what to do with my hands. She came to the clearing and my breath halted in my throat.

She was a vision. Kina moved like something out of mythological stories in a long, body-skimming dress of midnight blue. The luminescent flecks in her brown skin glimmered in the low light. Her light green hair was a coiled mass at the top of her head that floated down her back in curling tendrils. She looked beautiful. She looked ready for war.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this dinner?” she asked smoothly. “You wish to interrogate me some more?”

“I wish to enjoy your company.”

She snorted. “Now who is being deceptive?”

I gazed down at her, unable to explain that she was right. I did not wish to just enjoy her company. I craved her company. I ached for it.

She looked around the dark forest with guarded eyes. A piki bird trilled softly in the high branches. “This is amazing,” she said. “You have a way with the things that live here.”

“Thank you.” I pulled out a chair for her and she sat. Her back was straight as a board and she held herself with the upright stiffness of a queen. “It is a beloved hobby.”

“Running your empire is your passion?”

“It must be.” I took the seat across from her. “The people who live under the empire’s rule deserve a leader whose first concern is for their well-being and safety.”

She nodded, fresh out of sharp replies. Or perhaps, for once, she agreed with me.

Attendants emerged from the trails. They handed us thin flutes of wine and filled the table with platters of food. Kina’s eyes went wide at the selection. She was probably not familiar with Riloxian cuisine.

From somewhere deep within the trails, soft music began playing.

“Seriously. This is much different from our walks around the paths.” She raised an eyebrow while not touching a thing on the table. “What’s going on?”

“I wished to dine with you,” I said. “I enjoy spending time with you, believe it or not.”

“And I you.” She tilted her head. “Laxon, can we discuss when you’re letting me go?”

“You are not a prisoner, Kina.” I sipped broisk wine and let the dry liquid slide down my throat.

“But I cannot leave.”

I placed my glass on the table. “Someone tried to kill you. They may do so again.”

Her gaze moved over the spread of food. “And there’s no other reason why you’re keeping me here with no ability to contact anyone on the outside?”

“If your would-be killer thinks you are dead, they cannot attempt to kill you again.” I put food from several different platters on my plate.

“But I’m not dead,” she said. “I’m alive.”

“I intend to find out who would prefer it otherwise.” I had to find the right time to tell her that her voice was broken; that she would be without any protection once that becomes known. But how did one look a star performer in the eye and tell them they would never sing again? I lifted my fork and put some food in my mouth. If I was chewing, I could not speak.

She chose some selections from the platters to fill her own plate. She ate with slow deliberation, savoring each bite, chewing thoughtfully.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“The food is delicious.” She pointed the tines of her fork to deolak, a savory root found in the Bantish system that is prepared by roasting it under very high heat. “That thing tastes really good.”

I smiled. “One of my favorites too.”

We ate in companionable quiet for a time.

When she looked up, there was a curiosity and a vulnerability in her eyes that caught me off guard. I had not seen this expression before.

“What is it?” I asked.

She took a hasty sip of wine. “Nothing.”

“No, there is something.” I put down my fork and folded my hands beneath my chin. “You want to ask me something.”

She pursed her lips. “Very well. Why did you refuse to help us when we sent a delegation here, begging for assistance against the Slarian invasion? You are a powerful empire and one of Cintra’s nearest neighbors. You could have stopped it.”

“Ah.” I leaned back slowly. Several pieces slipped into place, foremost among them was the reason why she had an underlying animosity toward me. I held her gaze, which simmered with accusation and, interestingly, hurt. The latter was new. I suspected it was there because we had spent enough time together to, well, like each other.

“Well?” Her fork clinked to her plate. “What is your reason?”

“First, I have no reason. My mother ruled at that time, and I cannot speak about her choice to deny your request. And second …” I lowered my brows, disliking what I had to say next. “Second, Riloxians do not engage in policing the galaxy. Planetary takeovers happen regularly. We cannot intervene in them all.”

Her gaze fell to her plate. “I see.”

“I do not think you do,” I said. “We intervene when the action of a species threatens to unsettle the stability of the quadrant or when one power seems to exert undue and harmful pressure on another. Or when atrocities are committed.”

“My father was forced to work in the raklian mines.” The rasp in her voice was pronounced. “They made him work even though he became sick. When he died, they forced my mother down there the very next day.” Tears filled her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. “They denied burials and all forms of mourning. Instead, she had to report to the very same tunnel her mate had just died in and take up his tools while his body was … disposed of by the Slarian overlords. She died not long after from heartbreak and physical exhaustion.” Her gaze snapped hot and sharp to mine. “Tell me how that is not exerting undue and harmful pressure. Tell me how that is not an atrocity.”

“I can’t.” I met her gaze with fire of my own. “It is.”

Her expression froze. Those pale green eyes shimmered like gems. “What are you saying?”

“That the Slarians have treated your people abominably.” I took a chance and reached across the table. My fingers found hers and closed around them. She did not pull away. “And it is past time that someone intervened.”

CHAPTER 8

KINA

He was looking at me in the eye with a deep sincerity. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. I just stared at him with my eyes as wide as saucers, hoping—beyond hoping—that he was going to say what I hoped he would say. He was holding my hand. The Riloxian prince wouldn’t be holding my hand if he wasn’t going to say—

“Your people will have the full support and power of the Riloxian empire to free them from the cruel imprisonment of the Slarian overlords.”

A choked sob escaped my mouth. I heard the words. I saw his expression. This was real. It was happening. The leader of the Riloxian empire had pledged to help my people. I stood up, braced my hands on the table, leaned over, and kissed him.

Instantly, my head went blank. The feel of him on my mouth was like a drug that took effect without warning. No wine had ever made me feel so light and overwhelmed. No male, either. I slanted my lips over his and dove in, wanting more. It was only when I was about to dip the front of my dress in some pudding that I leaned back.

I pressed my shaky fingers to my lips. “Oh. I probably shouldn’t have …” I sat back down with a thump. “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“Now you call me that, when I least want you to.” He looked dazed. His breath came hard, making his chest heave. “Truly, Kina. No apologies are necessary. I have wanted your kiss for some time.”

“I … okay.” I didn’t quite know how to respond to that. “Th-thank you,” I got out. “How did you … why …?”

His fingers had not relinquished mine. He squeezed, reassuring and firm. “I did my own research,” he said gently. “There had to be a very good reason for a female with gifts such as yours to risk everything for a resistance. So, I sent out my spy drones to your planet and surveilled.” He closed his eyes briefly. “The Slarians need to be removed from your planet and the Cintran government reinstated. I care for you, Kina. I will not let your people suffer.”

“My people …” Oh. Oh my. He was doing this for me. Because he cared for me.

I have wanted your kiss for some time. The words echoed in my head. The elation I felt flagged as Laxon’s reasoning dawned on me.

No. It didn’t matter how or why Laxon was doing this. All that mattered was that Cintra was freed from Slarian rule. Whatever the prince wanted from me …

“You have been brave long enough,” he went on. “You do not need to live a double life any longer.”

I felt numb in my appendages. “What, um … what is it you would like from me in return?” Mistress? There were worse things I could think of than being this male’s lover. Would he finally ask me to sing for him? I wondered if a Riloxian could be brought to climax from the songs of my voice.

He paused. “I am not asking for anything.”

“Nothing? But you said, after I kissed you …” I bit my bottom lip, but knew I had to go ahead and be blunt. I needed to know if I would be earning my people’s freedom, and how. I leaned forward, letting the neckline of my dress gap open and allowing him a good look at my cleavage. “You don’t want … anything from me?”

He frowned. “If you are asking if I want you, the answer is yes. If you are asking if I am offering to help your people in exchange for fucking you, that answer is no.”

“Okay.” That was direct. My brows knit. “So where does that leave us?”

His dark lips curved. “Wherever you want us to be.”

I got up, walked around the table, and stood beside him. “I’m not used to getting something for nothing,” I said. “And you’ve given me an awful lot.”

He looked up at me with one brow raised. “I will not taint how I feel about you with talk of debt.”

I sat down on his lap and placed my hands on either side of his face. Thick, rock-solid thighs flexed beneath mine. “And what do you feel for me?”

“I do not know how it happened, but you have become special to me, Kina. I want you—beneath me, with me, in every way. I say this to you to make my interest in you perfectly clear.” Those red eyes closed again, and his hands settled on my waist. They felt huge on me. His touch made all my senses go achingly aware. “I expect nothing from you … in any way. The question is, would you be sitting on my lap right now if I had not offered to rout the Slarians from your planet?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, honestly. “But I have wanted your kiss for some time too.”

His hands were gripping my waist. Between my thighs, his cock hardened. “Then that is where we start from,” he said.

“Mutual attraction?” I gave him a half smile.

“Yes.” His hands moved over my back. “And … friendship.”

“Friendship?” I sounded skeptical of that. The heat in his eyes was making the red look like glowing coals.

“Is that not what it is called when people enjoy each other’s company?”

“I suppose it is.” I smiled. “There is still the matter of who tried to kill me. I cannot stay here in secret forever, as tempting as that is. I have concert bookings, recordings scheduled, managers and patrons who I must reach out to.”

An uncomfortable shadow moved over his face. “Then we must find your would-be assassin soon. If you give me the names of your patrons and your Cintran rebel allies, I will invite them here. From there, we can determine who wants to see you dead.”

I thought about that. If the Riloxians were going to remove the Slarians from my planet, the rebellion would be finished. Keeping everyone a secret is no longer necessary. “Very well,” I said to him. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know, including who I was working with on that ship the night of the attack.”

He nodded. One of his hands slid down over my hip to my thigh. It moved tantalizingly close to the center of my heat that was now throbbing in response to his touch, nearness, and solid slab of cock beneath me. His other hand moved up to my neck. Long fingers threaded through my hair at the scalp. He pulled my face to his and slanted his lips against mine. There was a possessive, hungry taste to him, as if he had laid claim to my mouth and planned to do so with the rest of me.

My bones felt like they were melting. I squirmed on his lap. His tongue slid over mine as he delved deep, sending my thoughts scattering. He tasted like spiced wine and hungry male.

Sounds from down the pathway cooled my blood enough to make me lean back and look into his flaming eyes.

“They are bringing dessert,” he said.

“I don’t think it’ll taste as good as you,” I said with a flirty smirk.

His nostrils flared. “Be careful of your words,” he ground out. “A thread of restraint is all that is keeping me from spreading you out on this table and fucking you right here.”

Those words liquefied my insides. “So why don’t you?”

“Because I need to be sure there will be no regrets.”

“Why would there be regrets?”

“You are on an emotional high and, frankly, so am I,” he said. “I am giving you something you were willing to sacrifice your life for. I want you clearheaded when I take you. You must be certain that you want me. I may not be able to let you go once I claim you as my own.”

There was a dark, dominant edge to his words and voice that sent delicious shivers up my spine. I wanted to say I was sure that I would have no regrets, but he was right. My head was still swimming with his promise. My heart felt full to bursting that the one thing I had been fighting for my whole life would come true.

I didn’t know if this euphoria was real. I wanted to sink into it and complete it with some overwhelmingly amazing sex. I wanted physical ecstasy to match my emotional elation. But my relationship with Laxon was complex. He was important to me, and I was only beginning to grasp how much. I kissed him once more softly on the lips, then withdrew from his lap and made my way back to my own chair. I sat down with a shaky breath. “I dislike your logic, but agree with it,” I said softly. “I want to be sure too.”

The attendants came and cleared away our dinner. They brought a beautiful selection of desserts. Along with them came a sweet desert spirit that fizzed on my tongue and tasted delicious. It paled in comparison to the taste of Laxon.

He sipped slowly, never taking his eyes off me. That predatory gaze did not shift, even as he lifted a tiny pastry to his dark blue lips.

I could almost read the dirty thoughts swirling through his mind. Mine were not that far off. When we were done with our meal, he rose and held his hand out to me. “Allow me to escort you back to your room.”

“Wait.” I rose and stood before him; a decision made. “Thank you for this beautiful meal and for everything you have given me. I would like to sing for you, Laxon. My voice might be a little scratchy, but—”

A flicker of panic moved over his face. “No,” he said. “That is not necessary.”

“I know that. Since I was sixteen, singing has been the thing everyone has wanted from me. Yet you never even mentioned it. Not once. So now, I want to sing for you. I know just the song for this beautiful place.” I looked up at the forest and knew the notes would resonate perfectly in this lovely place.

“Please, there is something you don’t know. Something I have to tell you —”

I wasn’t listening to him. His determination to not ask for a private concert was sweet, but unnecessary. This was a gift I wanted to give him. I pulled in a deep lungful of air, closed my eyes, and organized the notes in my mind. I hoped the first few bars of the song would shake the rust off my vocal cords. I began opening the song, letting the air flow through my throat, and …

Nothing.

I blinked and frowned, puzzled by the fact that no sound came out of my mouth at all. “Just a moment,” I said to him.

He shook his head. A sad look had replaced the heat in his eyes and the need in his expression. “I have been trying to find a way to tell you, Kina.”

“Tell me what?” Dark foreboding thrummed through my veins. Once again, the sounds and visions of our surroundings faded away and narrowed on him, but this was not of desire, but of fear.

He shook his head sadly. “There is no easy way to tell you this, Kina. The medical team did everything they could. But I am afraid you will never sing again.”

The words hit me like a rock to the face. Never sing again.

It couldn’t be true.

It couldn’t …

In my gut, I knew it was. I’d known it the moment that metal had been smashed into my throat. I knew but didn’t want to believe it. But hearing it stated like that was too much.

I turned and ran blindly from the conservatory, away from the words and the male who delivered them. Away from the truth that I would now have to face and the question that slammed in behind it—what was I if I wasn’t Kina the singer?

CHAPTER 9

LAXON

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I believe we may have misunderstood a communication.” Commander Naskra frowned slightly as she stood before me in the crown’s command center. “Your briefing includes a mission to liberate the planet Cintra from the occupying Slarian force.”

“That is correct, Naskra,” I ground out.

“But …” She shook her head. “That is an unusual course of action. Riloxians do not interfere with the business of others unless it is deemed necessary.”

“This is necessary.” I rose from my chair, which, admittedly, I rarely sat in. The command center was not my usual place.

“Because of the female,” she said. “Kina.”

“Does she know yet?” Naskra asked. “That she cannot sing.”

I winced. “She learned the truth last night. She did not take it well.”

Commander Gulin stood off to the side, watching us. I met his gaze with a nod of my head. He knew what I wanted. “Everyone in here, clear out.”

The navigators, ensigns, and analysts who had been at their stations throughout got up and filed out as ordered.

“Now,” Gulin said, striding forward. “Tell us what is going on with you and the Cintran.”

My eyes flared. “It is my business—”

“It is the fleet’s business,” the older commander interrupted. “The empire’s business, and therefore our business.” Before I could order him to silence, his dark red eyes narrowed on mine. “I have known you since you were a youngling drooling on your mother’s cloak, Laxon. Naskra and I are devoted to you. Keeping secrets is ill-advised.”

Naskra crossed her arms. “We are also your friends,” she said. “And we are not here to undermine you. Just to understand the dynamics at play.”

This was the softest I had ever seen Naskra, whose stern brow was usually set in a scowl. Her gaze was curious.

“It is because of Kina,” I admitted. “I sent spy drones to the planet and saw the abominable conditions the Slarians are subjecting those people to. It is a little wonder why she regularly risked her life for a rebellion against them. She lost both her parents to the cruelty of the invaders.”

Gulin’s gaze was level on me. “What are your plans for this female? Do you believe she is your mate?”

I ran my fingers through my hair at the temples. “Possibly. I do not know. I have never felt this way. On that, I am clear.”

“What way?” Gulin pressed.

“Overwhelmed,” I said with a frustrated exhale. “I feel as if all my senses are tuned only to her. When I am not with her, I am thinking about when I will be with her. And when I am with her, she is all I see.”

Gulin sighed. “You had best prepare for the mating ritual. It would seem that you have found the one you are to be bonded with. The one who will give you younglings and make you a king.”

“She is not Riloxian.” I could not believe I was even having this conversation. I had found my mate? The thought hit me like a smack to the face. “Our youngling would be half Cintran.”

“So?” Naskra asked. “There is nothing in the ancient texts that decrees the ruler’s offspring must be of full Riloxian blood. It simply states that he or she must form a true bond with their mate and produce offspring.”

“There is a bigger issue here,” Gulin cut in. “Tensions have reached a high point between the Slarians and the Cintrans. Kina’s most generous patron, Pazva, has been requesting information on her well-being. We will not be able to keep her presence silent forever. The attack has caused so much unrest on Cintra that mining operations have come to a halt. The Cintrans believe the Slarians killed her.”

Naskra nodded. “And my sources have indicated that there was concern among some Slarians about the influence she had on some of the powerful among their ranks. Pazva’s impassioned pleas for information on her have reinforced this.” She sighed. “On the other hand, the Cintrans are not united in the belief that Kina is a martyr. Some had begun to believe that she had given in to the fine life her fame afforded her and was passing secrets to the Slarians.”

I shook my head. “Kina is an excellent performer. She played her part well. It appears she had everyone fooled, but I know for a fact that she is loyal to Cintra and bent on her rebellion ousting those Slarians.”

“So, which side tried to kill her?”

“We will find out. I will be sending you a list of everyone in power that Kina was associated with on that cruise liner. I want them invited here together with the promise that we have secret information regarding her whereabouts.”

“Then what?” Naskra asked.

“Then, we determine which of them had something to gain from her death.”

CHAPTER 10

KINA

Every possible emotion rolled through me like one of the cold winds on the surface of Cintra. Just like those winds, the feelings brought me to my knees.

I was a singer.

That was all I had ever known. It was the only thing I was good at.

It was the only thing that made me useful.

I had to remind myself that I would no longer need to deliver messages for the resistance. I had Laxon’s promise that my people would be freed. He was doing it because he … did he love me?

I scrubbed my hands over my face and changed into a comfortable outfit of soft white fabric that was perfect for lounging. I tried my voice again, attempting to make a note, but anything louder than a normal talking voice resulted in silence. As soon as I tried to project my voice, the sound would cut out and only air would escape my mouth.

It was hard to believe that I could no longer sing, but if the Riloxians, with all their incredible technology could not repair it, I needed to accept that.

With that acceptance came the first pinch of something I had not expected — relief.

My life would no longer be a succession of performances, interviews, and dress fittings. I would not have to stand motionless until my knees ached while the holographic make up mapped onto my face and painstakingly rendered in order to become more beautiful. My face — my body — was mine again for the first time since I was a child. My future was wide-open with no expectations.

Pazva and all his Slarian associates were finished for me. I’d no longer have to smile up at him, sit beside him, or sing while he pleasured himself. No more patrons at all demanding my time in exchange for money—or truthfully—the continued appearance that the money was all important to me. My entire career had been built on anger and revenge. I had cultivated this image to achieve an end to the enslavement of my people and avenge my parents’ deaths. All I had done was play the part of a fame-hungry performer to get information and pass it to the resistance.

And Laxon knew it the whole time.

I suppose I should’ve been angry with him for not telling me about my voice. He had nothing to gain from waiting to tell me, aside from wishing to delay my pain. He had not used my singing as a tool to get me to share my secrets. His expression, when he told me, had been of genuine sadness on my behalf. That meant that his affection for me had nothing to do with my voice. It was me he liked.

And if I had been in his position, I would’ve been reluctant to tell the person I cared about that a huge part of them was gone forever.

Now, all that had been “Kina” fell away from me like weighted armor pieces that no longer fit. I was free.

Free.

And soon enough, my people would be too. My parents’ deaths would be avenged. No one else would suffer the loss of loved ones because of another species’ cruelty.

I went to the washroom and splashed cold water on my face, washing away the dried tears and soothing the heat that had warmed my cheeks from crying. The face that looked back in the mirror was apparently the one that Laxon cared for. My brown skin shimmered and gleamed in the low light of the bathroom. I had the same green eyes as my mother. I would never forget the anguish in them when my father died.

I needed to find Laxon to give him the names of everyone who might be a suspect. One thing stood in the way of being completely free— finding out who tried to kill me on the Starstream II.

I went to the door and opened it. Both my guards were there. I looked up at one. “Can you please take me to Prince Laxon?”

He looked down at me with a nod. “Yes, Lady Kina.”

I raised my brows as I followed them down the hall. Lady Kina? That was new.

They brought me to the conservatory again. Laxon was on his knees, clipping withering blooms from a plant with long spiraling stems and pale purple flowers. His hands stilled at the sight of me. “Kina,’ he said.

I clasped my hands in front of me. “Laxon.”

He rose, leaving the clippers and dead blooms on the ground. “I was giving you some time to process. Are you well?”

I nodded. A smile trembled over my lips. “I am.”

“You must be furious with me for not telling you sooner.” He closed his eyes. “I did not know what words to use. Every way I worked it over in my mind sounded wrong. I am sorry I hurt you. That is the last thing I ever wished to do.”

“I am not angry with you. I would’ve had a hard time sharing that news too.” I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to go into his arms and feel the warm pressure of his chest against mine. To feel his lips and the wide sweep of his hands. “This is why you’ve been keeping me here and not letting me talk to anyone.”

He sighed. “When it gets out that you cannot sing, you will lose your contract with Galacticorp and your patron. With them, you will lose the protection they afforded you. You would be vulnerable to another attack.”

I nodded, processing that information, and finding the logic sound. “I—I wanted to give you the names you asked for.”

“Ah yes,” he said. We returned to the clearing where he dug a thin interface screen from a messy drawer in his workbench. He took down the names I gave him then looked up at me. “Is that everyone you can think of?”

I nodded.

“Good. I will extend invitations to each of these, telling them that I have information on your whereabouts,” he said. “We will set a trap and see who gets caught in it.”

“Then I’ll really be free.”

“Yes.” His jaw hardened. “You will be able to follow whatever path you choose.”

I placed my palm against his cheek and felt the muscles flex. “And what if I choose this path?”

His eyes widened as I stretched up to the balls of my feet and pressed my mouth to his.

He groaned against my lips. “Why me?” he rasped.

“You saw me as a person, not as a singer,” I said softly. “Everyone wants something from me, but not you.”

“I am the ruler of the Riloxian Empire,” he said with a raised brow. “I have wealth and power. I want for nothing.” His hands slid over my shoulders. “Except for the one thing that cannot be bought.”

“What is that?” I asked breathlessly.

“Connection. Companionship,” he said. “A true mate bond. I feel things for you that I have never known before. Things that I do not fully understand. I can truly breathe when I am with you.”

Breathing for me was becoming a problem. “What are you saying, Laxon?”

“That I believe you are my mate,” he said. “I need to know if you feel the same.”

Forming words after that declaration was hard. “I do. I have for a while now.”

“Ah, Kina,” he said on a groan.

He pulled me against his body, flush to the chiseled planes of his long muscular body. His mouth came down on mine with all the desperation and pent-up desire of a male who has waited long enough for his mate to say yes.

My hands fisted in his hair, then moved to his sleek black horns, pulling him closer, dragging him into my depths. I moved against him, wanting more contact, wanting to feel everything.

His hand slid to the hem of my shirt and then beneath it. Those wide palms played over my back. He chased a line up my spine and then higher, pulling the fabric with him. I stretched my arms high, and he slid the shirt up over my head.

And then it was gone. I was as bare chested as he was. The feel of skin-on-skin was dizzying. He gazed at my breasts. They weren’t terribly large, but the appreciative light in his eyes was so bright, he looked as though they were the most perfect things the universe had ever created. He cupped by breasts, running his thumbs over my dark brown nipples, then lowered his head and pulled one into his mouth. My sensitive skin erupted at the rasp of his tongue. I arched my back, thrusting my aching nub into his mouth.

He relinquished my breasts to send a trail of searing kisses up along my shoulder to my collarbone. I gasped, feeling more alive than I ever had. I plucked at the waistband of his pants. I wanted to see the full expanse of that dark blue skin with striations of different tones. One thing for sure, we weren’t going to make it back to the bedroom.

CHAPTER 11

KINA

It seemed only fitting that we would consummate our bond here in the conservatory amongst all the wild things that he had cultivated over the years.

I found the fastenings of his pants and plucked them open. His waistband loosened. I slid my hands downward, moving the fabric over his hips. His firm ass was perfect and tight. I couldn’t wait to run my little fangs over those nice cheeks.

His pants were stuck on his erect cock. I carefully raised them up and over and his pants slid to the ground. His cock was a huge, jutting masterpiece. It was covered in ridges and the head itself was shaped like a thick flower bud, swollen and ready to open to its full glory. I didn’t know anything about Riloxian anatomy. His cock looked compatible with my sex, and obviously, we were wildly attracted to each other. We would make something work.

He pulled in a ragged breath as I filled my hands with him, cradling his shaft and sliding my hands along the length of it. The thick weight of it turned my core to cream. I could feel the moisture between my legs and the folds there swelling with anticipation and desire.

Soon, I would have this cock inside me. He was mine. This beautiful, wonderful male wanted me for me—not for my voice.

He pulled my hands off his shaft. “Too much,” he groaned. “I cannot —”

His mouth crashed to mine again, hungry and demanding. Meanwhile, his hands moved to my ass, feeling my curves and then to the simple fastenings. A moment later, my pants slithered to the floor with his. We were both naked. Desire pumped through my veins, igniting and electrifying my skin. Need was a palpable thing, as urgent as air and as delicious as the finest anrlia wine.

I shifted closer. His cock burned against my belly. My nipples were inflamed by rubbing over his skin. He shifted our clothing, then lifted me up and placed me on the floor. He laid me on our clothes rather than directly on the packed dirt floor. It was cool and slightly spongy, but he was burning hot above me.

His red eyes glowed as he kissed a line between my breasts, down my belly, and to my aching mound. He blew hot breath over the sensitive folds, then slid his tongue between them and into my slick core.

I gasped as his lips and tongue found my sensitive clits. I had five of them, forming a firm, nubby ridge from the front of my sex to the opening of my soaking channel. I didn’t know if he knew anything about Cintran female anatomy—knowing him, he did research—but he found that rigid line of clits and slid his tongue over the sensitive nubs. I bucked against him, shaken with arousal.

He shifted enough to slide a finger into my sex. I groaned and writhed as he inserted another one. I felt like I was going to lose my mind. Talented mouth and fingers quickly sent me over a sensation-packed cliff where pleasure bloomed over my skin and a strangled moan wrenched from my throat. It was the loudest sound I had made since my attack and was certainly not melodic or pleasant sounding, but he closed his eyes and shuddered as if the sound were the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.

His mouth moved back up over my belly to take a nipple in his mouth, but his fingers stayed between my legs and deep within me, pulsing rhythmically as they turned me to liquid fire.

“What do you want?” he growled.

What kind of a question was that? “You,” I gasped.

“Tell me,” he gritted out. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want…” I gasped out. “I want you inside me, with me. I want everything.”

His teeth were bared in a feral grin as he shifted above me. He nudged my knees farther part and settled his thighs between mine. His fingers withdrew, prompting a whimper of need from me, but then something larger and thicker prodded at my entrance. The tip of that large, dark blue cock nudged the opening of my sex.

I wrapped my fingers around his horns and met his glittering gaze. “Take me,” I urged him. “Fill me. Make me yours.”

His hips surged forward and the full length of him slid inside. I gasped out as my body took him in. I was filled, stretched in the most delicious way. It was as if he was made for me. He began to move, rocking his hips and plunging in and out in a rhythm that made my eyes roll back.

The head of his cock did something inside of me. It had looked like a closed flower before, but no way it still did. It felt as if it had opened, or bloomed, inside of me. Thick, finger-like things stroked my inner walls along with his cock. They moved independently, like there were a few tongues working me at once. The row of clits along the front of my sex were wildly inflamed, sending pulses and building pleasure through my body.

I’d never known pleasure like this. I was no shocked virgin, but sex with Laxon took my body to places I hadn’t known it was capable of.

Sensations built, tightening, and expanding until I had reached my limit. I was a coiled ball of need, aching everywhere, panting and ready. He looked down at me, then ran a fingertip over my exposed eyeteeth. They weren’t sensitive, but the move was accompanied by a look so hot and erotic, it pushed me over the edge. I exploded, biting down on his finger.

My body went tight as a wire. He got his finger out of my mouth, planted both palms on the floor beside me, and drove hard, thrusting so deeply that he filled every inch of me with that incredible cock.

My mind was blank. Starbursts flashed in my vision. I let out a guttural, broken scream. In the past, my orgasm would’ve sounded like a thousand chimes ringing simultaneously in perfect pitch. Now, I sounded like a dying animal. Laxon didn’t care. He pounded into me, hands fisted on the ground and tendons straining his neck. My pleasure kept pounding along with his thrusts as I rasped out his name.

The urgency smoothed away, making me feel like liquid warmth. I looked up to see his face twisted in ecstasy. I felt weightless, held up by countless hands and rocked by a passion that licked my every nerve ending and turned my thoughts to mush.

Laxon drove himself deep and released his seed on a bellow. He stopped moving, but his cock was still doing some magic inside me. I clung to him, oblivious to the packed dirt beneath my back and the fact that we were doing this right out in the open. Granted, this was Laxon’s space, but it wasn’t as private as a bedroom. Anyone might’ve heard us. But, ah, what did it matter? We were bonded. I was his mate.

He rolled off to the side and then scooped me up as he settled me on his lap. In the process, he withdrew his cock. I shifted over so I could see it.

“Wow,” I said impressed and more than a little fascinated. “I didn’t know it did that.”

He looked down at his cock as if he saw it for the first time. Before it was inside me, it was closed up like a flower blossom, but it had indeed bloomed. Five tentacles, each the length of a finger, waved from the end of his cock. Each dripped with a milky liquid. Before my gaze, they twisted in unison, then flattened and rounded down to the shape I remembered seeing before.

He shrugged. “That is what it does.”

“It feels incredible inside me.”

One corner of his lips curved upward. “I am glad you enjoyed it,” he said. “Because I plan on doing that to you multiple times a day until we are both too exhausted to move.”

I ran a fingertip over a smooth horn and down to the tip of his straight nose. “Don’t you have an empire to run?”

“It runs itself quite well. A male is entitled to indulging the mating frenzy.”

“Mating frenzy?”

“Yes. It used to be known as the rut. Newly bonded mates are insatiable in the beginning. And then there is the ritual to attend to.”

I raised one brow. “Ritual?”

He waved his hand. “It is a formality. It basically presents you to the Riloxian people as their queen.”

My jaw dropped. “Queen? Oh, I don’t think —”

“The prince’s mate is the queen, as she will bear the next generation of Riloxian rulers.”

I shifted away, grabbing my clothes, and pulling my shirt over my head. I needed to think. It was easier to do that with clothing on when I was around him. “I wouldn’t be doing any actual ruling, would I?”

He thought about that. “The queen is not a ruler by birth. You will decide your role. In my parents’ case, my mother was the blood heir. She was firmly in charge, and he supported her. He was her sounding board and advisor. He also built this.” He spread his arms to encompass the conservatory. “He supported her decisions but chose not to play an overt leadership role. It worked well for them. But each ruling couple does things their own way. So shall we.”

I pulled on my pants. There was no amount of clothes I could cover myself with that would make this make sense in my mind. “You know I was a singer, not a political leader, right? Oh, and a spy. Let’s not forget that part.”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “You are the female my body, heart, and mind chose, Kina. You are my perfect match, no matter your background.” He leaned back on his elbows and considered the gently swaying leaves above. “My father was an engine degreaser who spent most of his days deep inside the thruster compartments maintaining the ship thrusters. An accidental chance encounter caused them to meet, and that was it.”

“Nobody found it strange that the queen — I mean, princess at the time —had chosen an engine degreaser as her king?”

He grinned. “The princess chose her king. It is a sacred choice. He was the one who would mate with her and produce the next leader of the empire. He was adored by the people to his final day.”

“And what if I couldn’t have children?” I asked. “Would they still accept me then?”

“First of all, we have the medical technology to solve almost any cause of infertility. And second, I have four brothers and sisters. If children were not in our future, one of theirs would be chosen to rule.”

I raised my brows. “How many nieces and nephews do you have?”

“Seven.” He smiled with genuine affection. “They are all wonderful. My siblings perform rolls in other capacities. Three of them are currently ambassadors to other systems.”

I rested my back against his workbench and studied him. He looked magnificent lying on his back, nude, in the clearing. As if he did this all the time.

“How long have you known that we were mates?”

He shrugged. “I suspected a while ago, when thoughts of you distracted me from everything, including my duties. When all I could think of was you. I would count the breaths to when I could get back to you. My days revolved around spending time with you. But I needed to learn how you felt about me. The bond goes both ways, you know.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” I gathered my mussed hair and smoothed it over one shoulder. “You have given me an awful lot to think over.”

His brows knitted. “Does knowing you will be—are—a queen make you question our bond?”

“Nothing could do that,” I said softly.

“Good.” He rose to his feet and held out a hand. “You will be moving into the royal quarters. You will have a suite of your own to do with as you please, but you will share my bed.” A predatory gleam lit his red eyes. “I suspect we will be spending a lot of time in it for a while.”

I raised one brow. “You haven’t forgotten about catching my would-be killer, have you?”

“Oh, no. I look forward to dealing with them.” His gaze hardened, giving me a glimpse of another side of my mate. I could see, now, how some feared the mysterious Riloxians. They had not gained a reputation for being deadly, if crossed, for nothing.

CHAPTER 12

LAXON

The crown ship had guests. Too many for my comfort, considering at least one of them tried to kill my mate. All six of them were sequestered in different parts of the ship, far enough so that they would not encounter one another. None of them knew the others were there.

Yesterday, after Kina and I made love, she moved into the royal residential wing of the crown ship where we fucked on every possible surface, and some impossible ones. Truly, neither of us had any interest in repeating our coupling on the edge of the sink.

Being accustomed to the finest things in life, Kina didn’t bat an eye at the spacious, opulent quarters we now shared. They were unaltered from my mother’s time. I told Kina to decorate as she pleased. I gave no thought to such things, but she might.

News spread quickly that Kina was my mate. There was no questioning her role. She had startled the first time her guards had called her “your highness,” but otherwise, was taking the transition well. A new wardrobe and attendants of her own were ordered. The mating ritual was being planned by the elders who knew the ancient traditions. The mating garments were … unique. Hopefully, she wouldn’t find them terrifying.

Today, I sat on my rarely used throne. I truly hated the thing. It was uncomfortable and over-the-top in every way. My grandfather was the last one who actually used it. My mother thought it far too intimidating to get anything done. But I sat on it now.

One by one, those who had a large role in Kina’s life and singing career were brought before me. She stayed behind a panel where cameras transmitted to a screen so she could observe. I spoke with her two managers and two of her assistants, who were in tears the whole time. I didn’t suspect them of having anything to do with the attacks, but I was curious if they were aware of anyone who held a grudge—anyone off the radar. They could not think of anyone. Everyone loved Kina.

Including me.

I saved the two I most worried about for the last—Jikro, her rebel contact on the cruise liner, and, of course, Pazva. My gut suspected them both, although I didn’t know their motives for wanting her dead. Or ending her career.

It was a testament to Kina’s dedication to her people that Pazva was oblivious to her true work. When I had invited him to the crown ship to offer information on her, he had been embarrassingly eager to accept. I believed he had genuine affection for her, but something about his obsession with her was off.

It had taken me some time to track down Jikro. He had been among the first to flee the Starstream II after the explosion and had been disguised as a wealthy spice merchant with no Cintran ties. In fact, he carried messages directly to the resistance on Cintra and was one of their top operatives. Were he caught; his execution would not be quick. The Slarians would make an example of him to dissuade others from attempting to overthrow the Slarian overlords. That would change. But first, I needed to find out exactly what had happened on the Starstream II cruise liner.

Jikro sauntered into the throne room dressed in the eclectic attire of a merchant who had chosen garments from all over the galactic quadrant. It was a solid look. Might have fooled me if I did not know what he was.

He was lean and handsome, I supposed. I wondered if he and Kina had ever been more involved than simply renegade spies. He looked at me with an insolence that said he wanted me to think they had. It did not matter to me. Kina was my mate. “I don’t know what you have to tell me about Kina, Prince Laxon,” he drawled, “but it had better be good to pull me from my business.”

“Your business of aiding the resistance on Cintra, you mean?” I said mildly.

“I’ve no idea what you mean.” He looked around as if he were pricing out the toklan silver sconces. The room was a study of precious metals and jewels, but all he would see was how many favors could be bought with it to aid the rebellion. His interest was on liberating his people. But what lengths would he go to achieve it?

“For a spy, you should be better at lying.”

Jikro sighed. “Did you find the remains of Cintra’s most famous resident?” A frown crossed his face. “I am not the one to contact about a proper burial if that is the case.”

I considered what he had just told me. He assumed she was dead. “I am here to tell you that your fellow Cintran lives, and I am quite sure that you are exactly the one to contact.”

I let that sit there, watching his reaction. Confusion moved over his face. His pale blue eyebrows drew together. “She survived?” I heard a mix of relief and a frisson of anxiety in his voice. I wondered what Kina was making of this while watching from behind the panel.

I inclined my head. “She managed to get to an escape pod.”

“Where is she?” He snapped. “I must see her.”

I held up a hand. “She will choose when and if she wants to meet with you.” I cocked my head and kept my gaze on Jikro. I knew that our red Riloxian eyes were unsettling to some people. It was a tool I used to my advantage when I chose. “She is concerned for her safety, you see.”

“She has nothing to fear from her own kind,” he snapped. “Or does she have a reason to think otherwise?”

I lazily waved a hand. “Perhaps she fears that her close … association to the trade lord, Pazva, has caused some concern on Cintra.”

“Does she?” His jaw tightened. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“Enough.” My voice rang in flat annoyance through the echoing chamber. “I am aware of your role in the rebellion. Kina herself told me. Now, let us cut through this useless dance and get to the truth, shall we?”

This male was irritating, but I now suspected that Kina’s attack and the explosion on the cruise liner were two separate things, and that this male had nothing to do with her beating.

His upper lip curled over white fangs. “Fine, Prince,” he gritted out. “Let us discuss the truth.”

I would have no regrets putting this male in a cell for a long time. Or perhaps banishing him to a penal system. Where Kina’s dedication to the liberation of her Cintran people came from a true and determined place, Jikro’s had a shifty feel to it that set off some of my alarm bells. Kina may have been a spy, just like Jikro, but he was the true operative. But what did he want?

“What do you know of the explosion that took place on the Starstream II?” I asked directly.

He blinked. “Why, nothing, of course.”

“Liar.”

“Perhaps Kina should confront me herself, if she suspects me of something.”

I smiled, slow and cold. “Perhaps Kina does not wish to be in the company of one who attempted to kill her.”

His eyes flashed. “You think I attempted to kill the Cintran resistance’s most valuable informant?”

I narrowed my eyes, putting a few pieces of the puzzle together. “For someone like you, the ends justify the means, do they not?”

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“It was unique for so many Slarian dignitaries and royalty to be together on that ship at the same time. All on the same guest wing too. It would have been quite a blow to the Slarian overlords to wipe out so many at once, would it not? You got a few. Too bad most managed to get to escape pods.”

Jikro said nothing. He simply gazed at me with an inscrutable expression on his face. “Kina is somewhere on this ship. I would like to speak with her at once.”

Kina could have come out at any time if she wanted to. She could ask him the questions herself. I was beginning to think she would not emerge when the panel slid aside, and my mate stepped through the opening.

“Hello, Jikro.” She gazed at him impassively.

His eyes went wide. His brown skin flushed. “Kina!” He rushed forward and took her upper arms in his hands. “You are alive.”

I gripped the armrests of my throne to keep from lunging at him and dragging him away from my mate. The sight of a male roughly handling her brought forth a wave of rage.

“You are alive,” he repeated with true relief in his voice. “The others will be so pleased. Our work can continue.”

“I’m not so sure it can,” she said.

“Why not?”

She stepped back out of his grasp. “Jikro, I was badly injured. If not for the Riloxian’s medical team, I would not be standing here before you.”

His gaze ran over her from head to toe in a frankly assessing look. “You look well and healthy now. We can tell your Slarian patrons that you survived, and we can pick up our work. Perhaps we can aim a little higher than Pazva. The Slarian prince was interested in you.”

Kina’s lips thinned. “I am not going to be able to continue in the role I was in.”

“Why not?” The question was sharp and cold-edged. “Did this Riloxian turn you against us?” He shot me a look of loathing.

“Jikro, do you have any idea what happened right before the explosion?”

“How would I?” he snapped defensively. “My quarters were on the other side of the ship.”

She regarded him for a long, cool moment. “I was attacked. Beaten.”

He blinked in genuine surprise. “By whom?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “But they targeted my voice.” She tapped the front of her throat. “Someone didn’t want me to sing again.”

Jikro looked thoroughly bewildered by this. The shock on his face could not be contrived. I never suspected that he was the one who attacked her, but now I was certain. I leaned back as Kina continued.

“Well, fortunately, your voice is fine. A little scratchy, but that will go away.” He motioned brusquely towards her. “You can still sing. No one will know any different. Unless you’ve been corrupted by this one,” he jerked his chin towards me. “We will continue on as before. Nothing will stop us from liberating our people. We got one prince and two trade lords down. We will whittle away at them until there are none left, and they will leave us in peace.”

I was about to rise from my seat, having heard enough, but Kina had too. Her eyes narrowed. “Jikro, you set the explosion on the Starstream II. Don’t bother denying it.” She advanced on him, green eyes glinting. A furious flush spread over her cheekbones. “Was it worth it to you? Was I so expendable that I could die as collateral damage?”

“What are you talking about?” But it was obvious that he was well aware.

“You set explosives on my wing of the ship. You didn’t care if I died as long as you could pick off a few rich Slarians. Don’t bother denying it. I have proof.”

She had nothing of the sort, but true to her spy training, she was convincing. It was all it took to make Jikro crumble.

He flung his arms wide, eyes wild with zeal. “The Slarians on that ship controlled forty percent of the mining exports on our planet. There has never been a time when that many were together at once. It was worth the risk. You would’ve done the same.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” she yelled. “I would never allow one of ours to be killed if there was a way to stop it. I—I’m disgusted by you.”

“We all knew the risks when we signed up to resist the Slarians.” He spoke deliberately with a cruel edge to his voice. “So did you. Becoming a celebrity singer does not make you the exception. You are a soldier, like the rest of us.” He reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back against his chest just as a slender blade slid smoothly from his sleeve. He held it against her throat. “And as a soldier, I’m taking you out of here. Riloxians are no allies of ours.”

I rose from my throne, blinded by pure fury. “How dare you touch her,” I snarled.

“You got your private concert, and probably more, you Riloxian scum. Now she’s coming back with me where she belongs, or I really will end her singing career.”

“Let her go, Jikro,” I said. “Or you will spend the rest of your days in a Dragnog penal colony … mining.”

Jikro hissed through his teeth, eyes shooting sparks. “Perhaps it’s time to find a new star. Kina was thinking too highly of herself, anyway.” He pressed the blade to her throat, and she winced.

Kina’s pale green gaze met mine. “Jikro, my attacker succeeded. I cannot sing. I’m useless to you.”

He bared his teeth. His fangs gleamed as he held my gaze and dragged her backwards. “You’re lying.”

“You’re no better than the Slarians,” she choked out. “You’re worse than them.”

“I would not take another step if I were you,” I said in a low, cold voice. It was taking every bit of my patience to restrain myself. I would not allow Kina to be harmed. I wanted this male alive, if possible. Still, I would not lose sleep if he happened to die.

“Or what? You’ll give me a lecture on diplomacy and a civilized way of accepting your planet’s imprisonment? I am aware of your predecessor’s response to our pleas for help when the Slarians invaded. You like to remain neutral, do you?” he taunted. “Well, be neutral now and let me leave with this female. She does not belong to you.”

“In fact, she does.” With the slightest nod, the guards I had posted behind other panels silently slipped from their hiding places. They formed a semi-circle behind Jikro. Their stun staffs were poised and ready. I just needed Kina separated from him.

“You will receive no lecture from me,” I said, calmly walking toward him. “As we speak, I am sending a delegation to meet the Slarian royal leadership on their planet to discuss the terms of leaving Cintra permanently. They will agree, or we will take the planet back by force.”

“What?” His face went slack. “Why would you do that?”

“You hold the Queen of the Riloxian empire at knifepoint,” I explained, enjoying the wave of fresh panic that flowed over his features. “I will not allow my mate’s people to be oppressed.”

“You are …?” He glanced down to Kina, who glared up at him.

“Let me go,” she snarled at him. “You’ve done enough damage.”

His grip loosened enough for Kina to bring her foot back and slam it squarely against his kneecap.

The knife clattered to the floor and his grip slipped enough for her to twist away. She ran to my side as my guards encircled him, staffs ready to strike him down.

He looked around, panicked, then peered between the guards to Kina. “I have only ever wished to save our people.”

“I understand that Jikro.” Kina hugged herself, looking at him with both accusation and pity. “But are we saving our people if we don’t care if they die? I was on your team,” she said. “I trusted you. You could’ve at least told me so I could have stayed out of that wing that night.”

He bared his teeth again, cruelly. “Couldn’t risk you telling your Slarian boyfriend the plan.”

“Oh, please.” Kina rolled her eyes and flipped her hand dismissively. “Take him away. I never want to see him again.”

They did as she ordered. She was a queen, after all, directing her subjects. When we were alone in the room again, she turned to me.

Perspiration glistened on her forehead. “I don’t want to do that again.”

I grinned and ran a finger down her cheek. “I think Pazva will behave better. Next time, stay behind the panel.”

“I had to confront him.” Her fists tightened. “When you told him I was still alive, I knew it was him.”

“But there is still one mystery left.”

Her green gaze met my red one. “Who did this to me?” Her fingers brushed her throat.

I nodded. “Let us bring in Pazva.”

CHAPTER 13

KINA

I wasn’t prepared for the surge of animosity I felt upon seeing Pazva for the first time since the explosion. This time, I stood by Laxon’s side rather than hiding behind the panel.

I wanted Pazva to see me. I wanted to see him and look him in the eye when he learned that his people were soon to be ousted from my planet.

Of course, he showed up in Laxon’s throne room with an entourage. His awful guard, Liguu, who glared at me even now, walked to his right and three simpering assistants scurried behind. They bunched around him as Pazva gave Laxon a bow and me a gaping stare.

“Kina! My jewel.” Pazva wore his fancy robes for this. Apparently, meeting a prince warranted dressing up. His circular mouth couldn’t get any wider, showing off all those disturbing little teeth. I’d seen what they could do too. Despite being full of fine manners and pretty clothes, Slarians, including this one, were vicious predators. At least they could be. They certainly have been on Cintra.

“It is an honor to be invited here, Your Highness.” Pazva addressed Laxon, but his eyes were riveted on me. The way he looked at me made me sick to my stomach, as if I was something that belonged to him, and he was simply waiting for a polite moment to ask for it back.

I had dedicated much of my life to the resistance effort and seeing Pazva was a stark reminder of how exhausting that life was. I had to work hard to remember to play the role of the grateful, adoring recipient of his credits and attention.

The truth was, I wasn’t much different from him. He wanted something from me and paid for it. I wanted something from him too. I just paid for it differently—with my time and a performance that did not end when I stepped off the stage. It was only now that I was able to breathe knowing that I would never have to play that role again, that I felt like I had my life back.

Pazva held out his arms to me. “My Kina. It pleases me to have you back. So many have been clamoring for word about you. Legions of fans are begging to know what happened.” He glanced quickly at Laxon. There was a wariness in his eyes. “What do I owe you, Prince? Of course, no number of credits can equal the value of my lovely jewel.”

Liguu bared his teeth as he glared at me. Laxon had been right—Pazva hadn’t been the one to attack me. It had been someone close to him. I had a feeling I was standing in the presence of who had.

“You are correct,” said Laxon. “Kina’s worth cannot be measured in credits.”

Pazva’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You invited me here, Your Highness. Was it to gloat that you had won her over?” Pazva looked at me, head tilted. “Is this Riloxian now your favorite patron?”

I smiled widely at him. I had a little bit more acting to do. “Of course not, Pazva. You were always my special patron.” I walked to him with my hands outstretched. His round mouth flexed, closing and opening. It was the only way the Slarian species could express pleasure since they could not smile. His tentacle fingers found mine and wrapped tightly around my hands and wrists. I had forgotten how much I detested the feel of his sticky skin on mine.

“I am so pleased to have found my way back to you,” I said to him. I made my eyes go wide and vapid, like I knew he liked them. “The Riloxians helped me get well after my escape pod crashed into this ship. I was badly hurt, you know.”

His face registered displeasure. “Is that why it took you so long to emerge? I was worried. I had sent scouts out to all ships that have been in the area, even to the Riloxians here. Galacticorp would tell me nothing.”

“Even they didn’t know,” I said. “I asked the Riloxian prince to keep my presence here a secret until I had recovered.” I lowered my lashes and smiled shyly. “I didn’t want you to see me in such a state.”

“I am relieved to see you are well, my jewel.” He put so much sincerity in there that I believed him. It was Liguu who now held my attention. The hatred pounded off him like a stinky cloud.

Laxon had remained impassive, letting me play this out as I pleased. I was not done with this farce, yet. I wanted a confession from the one who ruined my voice—Liguu. “She has been very eager to see you, Lord Pazva,” said Laxon. “But I am disinclined to release her from my care until we have learned who attacked her.”

“Attacked her?” Pazva’s face registered shock. “No. Who would do such a thing? When did this happen?”

I was already sure Pazva had not been the one to attack me, but now I was beyond certain. I rung my hands, extracting them from his tentacles and paced away, looking distressed. “I don’t know, Pazva. When the ship was struck, I went straight to your quarters to find out what happened.” I blinked at him insipidly. “You always know what’s happening and how to make things right. But you weren’t there. And it was in your room that someone struck me from behind with a metal tool. I barely managed to escape with my life.”

“This cannot be,” Pazva exclaimed. “Why would anyone harm you, my jewel? And in my quarters? This is outrageous. I will have Liguu go through everyone who had access to those rooms and question them. I will find out who harmed you and delayed your return to me.”

“Thank you, Pazva,” I said. “I never wish to be apart from you again.” Bile hit the back of my throat upon uttering those words.

“My jewel.” Pazva moved to close the distance between us again and draw me into his tentacle arms.

Before he could get close enough for me to figure out how to get away—politely—Liguu stepped forward. He put his body between mine and Pazva’s. “Enough of this,” he snarled at me.

“Liguu!” Pazva shouted. “What is the meaning of this? Step aside at once.”

“I will not, master,” said the guard. I still didn’t know what species he was, just that he was not Slarian or anything I’d seen before. He was probably a mercenary hired from a far-off system, maybe on the edge of the quadrant. But he was huge and loyal and served as Pazva’s guard. “I have told you before, Lord Pazva, this female is tricking you. She works for the resistance on Cintra.”

“And I have told you before, Liguu, that I care not. Kina is celebrated as the finest singer anywhere in the galaxy. I see to it that she wants for nothing in this world. She can play at being a rebel for Cintra, but her true gift and passion are on the stage and by my side.” His gaze moved over me with nauseating adoration. “She is above all others.”

I could feel the frustration pouring off of Liguu in waves. “She isn’t playing at being a rebel—she is a rebel. I have shown you the evidence. She transfers information she gathers to her rebel contacts.”

“Why do you think I say nothing of importance in front of her?” Pazva said airily, but I could see a waver in his demeanor.

So, Liguu had been aware of my true intentions and activities, but Pazva thought he had it under control. In order to find out for sure if Liguu had been the one who attacked me, I had to continue the act for a little longer. In fact, I had to put on the performance of a lifetime.

I forced my eyes to fill with tears and clasped my hands at my chest. “You do not believe that, do you Lord Pazva? You have given me everything I could ever want in this world.”

“Oh, my jewel. My Kina.” Ah. The light was back in his eyes. I would not lose Pazva that easily.

Meanwhile, Liguu’s expression twisted into a mask of pure fury. “Enough, I say.” He drew a slender weapon from his leather vest and pointed it at me. It was a blaster of some type that had slipped through the security check. Had likely been designed to be overlooked. “You should’ve stayed away,” he snarled at me. “I wish I’d had time to finish you off.”

“You did not do this,” Pazva said, aghast. “Tell me you did not hurt my Kina.”

“I attempted to destroy the thing you desire of her—her voice,” he said. “And I thought I had. But apparently, the Riloxians were able to repair the damage.” He cocked this head and glared at me through narrowed yellow eyes. “You have bewitched my master with your singing, but you have not fooled me. This time I will make certain that you will never sing again.”

“No!” Pazva lunged at Liguu, grabbing for the weapon but missing. Still, one of Pazva’s tentacled fingers wrapped around his guard’s wrist. Liguu froze and slowly dropped to the floor.

I stared in confusion and horror for a moment before remembering that Slarians could release poison from their tentacles. Then, all I felt was horror. Pazva had just killed his own guard … for me.

Liguu lay on the floor, motionless as a stone. His eyes were locked in frozen fury but there was no life in them. Pazva looked down at his former guard with disgust and smoothed the front of his robes. He turned to one of his cowering attendants and said, “Find me a new guard. One that will actually follow orders this time.”

I met Laxon’s gaze with wide eyes. What do we do? I asked silently.

Pazva had just dispensed justice on his own with no process in another species’ territory. I backed out of Pazva’s reach to Laxon’s side. “You shouldn’t have done that,” I said to Pazva. “He’s not wrong. I was working with the resistance.”

“I did not care that you were playing at spying,” said Pazva. “As I said, I never spoke of anything of worth in front of you. Sometimes I gave you false information because it was amusing. Your voice is all I cared about. I know you turned down patrons who would have paid more for your company.”

Did he think I did this because I liked him better? “What your people are doing to mine is wrong. We deserve to be free.”

He sighed indulgently, like a parent to a child. “No one deserves anything, my jewel. You are a star because of your gift and beauty. One day, another will take your place. Just the same, the Slarians took over your planet because you were weak.”

“We’re peaceful,” I said. “There’s a difference.”

He snorted, making it clear that he saw no difference between the two. “So now you will sing for this Riloxian prince? If a prince is what you want, there are several who have begged me for a chance to sponsor you.”

“That’s all you care about, isn’t it? My singing. Nothing else.”

“What else should I care about?” he said in a scoffing tone. “Your feelings? Your opinions? No, little one. I want one thing from you, and I don’t intend to give it up.”

“Liguu succeeded, you know,” I said quietly.

“What?”

“I can no longer sing.” I met his gaze. “The Riloxians could restore my speaking voice, but that is all. I will never perform again. Not for you. Not for anyone.”

Pazva let out a snarling bellow that sent up the hair on the back of my neck. “Then he deserved to die for destroying the most perfect voice in the galaxy. What a waste.” He looked to Laxon with derision. “Why did you call me here? This female is useless. I don’t want her. No one will.”

“That is not true,” said Laxon quietly. “There is much to Kina beyond her song.”

Pazva snorted. “Have you heard her sing, Prince Laxon? If you did, you would know that nothing she could offer would rival the perfection of her voice.”

“Kina is perfect in all ways,” said Laxon.

Pazva laughed. It was an awful sound coming from his species. It sounded like a high-pitched hooting noise. “You have found delights between her legs.” He cruelly looked at me. “He will tire of you and cast you aside. In the meantime, your precious Cintran people will pay for the role you played in the resistance to Slarian rule.”

“No, they will not.” Laxon stood up, having clearly had enough of letting me handle this. His red eyes blazed at Pazva. “In fact, the Slarian presence is about to end on Cintra. Your kind will leave. It is under Riloxian protection now.”

“Nonsense. We claimed it.”

“And now the Riloxian Empire does,” said Laxon. “Or rather, the Empire claims it for Cintra. Either way, the resistance is finished since you will be leaving. My people are meeting with Slarian royalty now.”

Pazva looked flabbergasted. “Why? For this—this female? She is worthless without her voice. She belongs down in the mines with the rest of her kind.”

“Dangerous words to speak to the new Queen of Riloxia,” Laxon said silkily. “Good way to get yourself lost in a cell. I think I shall seize your assets while I am at it.”

“No, you cannot!” Pazva waved his hands and tentacles wildly as the reality of his situation sank in. “I demand that you turn this female over for discipline to the Slarian overlords. I demand to speak to Slarian leadership.”

Laxon actually laughed. “You may demand nothing in regard to my mate, but I can send a message to your people. I suspect they will find you … worthless without your mines. Now, because no one trusts you or your tentacles, hold still while my guards apprehend you.”

He didn’t, of course. He tried to run for the exit, but three of those metal ball-tipped staffs touched him and he went down as hard and fast as his dead guard. The only difference was that he lived, while his guard did not.

I felt shaky. My legs wobbled. “What do we do with all this?” I gestured to the unmoving bodies on the floor.

“The guard will be sent back to his planet of Tuvckar, where they may lay him to rest as they wish. As for Pazva, he did me the favor of killing your attacker. I will repay the favor by sending him back to Slaria with a warning for him to never come near Riloxian or Cintran territory again.”

“He was actually innocent in all of it,” I said with a jerky laugh. “Who would’ve thought?”

“Pazva had no reason to hurt or kill you or set an explosion on that ship. But I suspected someone near him did. I also suspected that whoever had hurt you would want to see you with their own eyes. The instant that guard walked in here, I knew it was him. The loathing was hard to miss.”

“I noticed the same thing.” I shook my head. “I never noticed him much before. It was obvious that he didn’t like me, but I had no idea how much.”

Laxon sat on his throne and pulled me on his lap. I was happy to be off my feet. I felt shaky and sweaty all over. I sighed into his warm embrace and sank into the strength of his body.

“You will never have to worry about this again, my love,” he said gruffly.

“Did you call me your love?”

“I did.” He went still. Red eyes didn’t go soft easily, but his did. “You are.”

I cupped his cheek. “And you are mine. I love you, Laxon.”

I thought I saw tears in his eyes. “It is over, my Kina,” he said into my hair. “You can put all that behind you and focus on the future.”

“The future.” I snuggled close, sighing. “I can’t wait.”

CHAPTER 14

LAXON

“Are you nervous?” I asked my mate.

I barely recognized Kina beneath the elaborate Riloxian mating shroud she wore. My mother wore it last. It had been altered to fit my Cintran mate.

“Yes, I’m nervous.” She looked down at herself. “Look at this thing. How could I not be?”

It was a masterpiece of a garment. It was ancient, made almost entirely of toklan silver pulled into threads and woven into an intricate fabric. Gems glittered throughout, making it a sparkling, shining item of impossible beauty. Of course, it had to weigh almost as much as her and that did not include the headpiece, a soaring torrent of bejeweled metal that balanced atop her head. A rain of red gems dangling on the ends of thin chains fell over her face to past her chin. She peered at me through the silver curtain. “I’ve worn impossibly wild outfits as a performer. This out does them.” She grunted and shifted her feet. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I could move.” There was little mobility in her, er, dress. She jingled at the slightest movement.

“You look splendidly ridiculous,” I said with a grin. “And I cannot wait to take all this off you … my jewel.”

She shot me a look so searing that I could have turned to ash on the spot. “Do not ever call me that again.”

I laughed. “Sorry, my love. I could not resist. You are literally dripping in jewels.”

She let out a giggle. “I am, aren’t I?” She looked down at the heavy gown. “I can’t wait to shed this, either—perhaps for different reasons than you. I feel like I’m carrying around a pile of rocks balanced on my head.” Her gaze moved over me. “You look … interesting too.”

I knew she was having trouble not laughing at the sight of my mating shroud too. It was a floor-length cloak of the same “material” she wore, including gemstones, and weighed just as much. I was at least able to wear normal pants, so the jewels wouldn’t snag on each other. But still, the pants with this outfit were bright red. We were both glittering and gem-encrusted, and about to walk into the massive reception chamber filled with tens of thousands of people waiting to see us. Wearing this. At least I did not have a massive headpiece to contend with. I was to wear my simple toklan silver crown that twisted around my horns. Oh, but my horns were polished and coated in thin sheets of silver and each was tipped with faceted ruby caps.

My father had worn all this. My father, the engine degreaser. I could only imagine how hard it was for him to wear this without laughing the whole time.

“Why, thank you. Your word choice is generous.” I held up my hand. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” She placed her hand atop mine. We carefully, and slowly, walked down the procession hall to meet our subjects where she would be officially declared Queen of the Riloxian Empire. I was still a prince and would remain so until or unless she bore me an offspring. She took tiny little steps, it was all she could manage in the tight dress.

We entered the main hall of the crown ship. It had never looked like this in my lifetime. It had been decorated top to bottom in great swaths of colored curtains, lights, crystals, and brilliant foliage from every corner of the galaxy.

I heard Kina’s sharp inhale. “I had no idea your people were so, um. It is … opulent.”

“I would call it garish. Overdone.” I smiled. “But these rituals go back eons, from when we lived on our own planet of Riloxia. They are a reminder of the old ways and bring awareness to how far we have come as a people.”

She had a pleasant smile on her face as we passed rows of Riloxians present to see the ceremony. “Why don’t the Riloxians return to their planet? Surely you could gain it back.”

“We could,” I agreed. “In my grandfather’s time, the question was broached with the citizenry. No one wanted to return. We like where we live. And how we live.”

“I like it too.” Her voice was slightly strained. Walking in the mating shroud with any grace was hard work. “And I like being able to return to Cintra whenever I wish.”

“I am glad you like both your homes, Your Highness.”

The Cintran people had been glad to see the Slarians go but had been worried that one set of overlords would just be replaced by another. Kina had played a big role in allaying their fears. She helped convince them that the Riloxian Empire had no interest in taking over where the Slarians left off. They had no defenses to speak of. No military or weapons. But their government reformed and now, allied with us, they were finding their way to a new way of life.

The scars would remain for a long time. They would for Kina, too, who had lost her parents to Slarian cruelty. She had taken over her family’s underground home and gave it an upgrade. It was a second home, useful when she traveled to Cintra in her role as High Emissary.

Kina smiled as she passed rows and rows of Cintrans also filling the seats. Her people had come to see her. Jikro, her treacherous resistance contact, was not in attendance. The Cintrans had given me permission to send him to a penal planet to serve a fair sentence. It should have been longer, in my opinion, but he was no longer my problem.

We reached the very front where the Riloxian elders had assembled and waited. They laid flowered wreaths over our wrists and chanted the songs of ancient times. My gaze stayed on Kina’s, who gazed back with eyes bright with tears and a tremulous smile on her lips.

Then, she was declared my queen, and we stood there as cheers erupted. Flower petals rained from the ceiling. Music played.

We were both escorted to a side room to change out of the ceremonial garb. I heard Kina’s actual cry of relief when it was lifted off her and chuckled. I felt my own relief when the heavy cloak was removed from my shoulders.

I wore my pants, but Kina wore nothing. An attendant stood ready with a flowing white dress embroidered with crystal birds that flew across the fabric as if they were alive. Her skin looked chafed where the mating shroud’s heavy straps dug into her shoulders.

“Leave us,” I ordered, and all the attendants scurried away.

Kina looked at me questioningly. “We need to get back out there,” she said, probably seeing the gleam in my eyes.

“I am aware.” I approached, pulling her into my arms. I ran my tongue over the deep grooves on her shoulders. “You will never have to wear that garment again,” I told her. “I am sorry it hurt you.”

She sighed into my arms. “This is nothing compared to some of the getups I had to wear during my performances.” She tipped her head back when my mouth found her nipple and suckled. “But I won’t miss it. Oh …” she moaned. “Laxon, we can’t do this. We need to … ah.”

“You are the queen and I am the prince. We will make an appearance when we are done here.”

“Oh. Well.” She opened my pants, and my cock sprang free. “When you put it that way…”

“Hmm,” I purred in approval as she hooked a leg around my hips and lifted up to position her wet sex on the head of my cock.

“I don’t think this will take too long,” she murmured playfully in my ear, and sheathed herself on me.

I dragged in a sharp breath as her heat and tightness enveloped me. My body flooded with sensation, pleasure, need—everything I felt in Kina’s presence, but tenfold. I grinned, happy to take her up on the challenge. “We will see about that.”

Thank you for reading Captured by the Riloxian! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Ella’s newsletter!

LYNNEA LEE

SPACE FIGHTER’S MATE

CHAPTER 1

Kylus leaned back on the ornate chair of the lavishly decorated cruise ship lounge as his childhood friend, Zeylum, recounted his latest mission. Next to the gruff mercenary sat his diminutive human mate, grinning from ear to ear.

Zeylum poured the rest of his Rhean spirits down the hatch. “I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t see your name on the fighters’ roster.”

Kylus grunted. “I’m surprised as well. I was conned by my own crew. They said I needed a vacation.”

They were all visiting family on shore leave, but Kylus had no one left to visit. He’d asked them to leave him on Vosthea, a half-civilized planet ruled by an infamous drug lord. The plan had been to find a few small fights and make some extra credits.

Technically a mercenary, Kylus often participated in nonlethal fights. He’d been excited when his captain, who was also the manager for his part-time fighting gig, suggested he spend some time on the newest cruise liner to tour the outer planets. He’d been sure his captain had booked him a fight as part of the entertainment on the ship.

He’d only gotten suspicious when the rest of his crew didn’t join him on the cruise. They were some of his biggest fans, and they would’ve wanted to watch his fights. Instead, they told him to have fun and left.

This was a vacation. They had tricked him into taking a fucking vacation!

He didn’t really need the money from his fights, but it was something he enjoyed doing. He never fought deadly battles—only those for entertainment.

“They are visiting their home planets then. A forced vacation on the crew’s joint account doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I suppose not.” It would be an effort for him not to start any fights on this ship, out of sheer boredom.

He’d spent the first day here drinking himself into a rowdy state in the audience in front of the fighting cages. That was where Zeylum had found him.

Kylus had been excited to find Zeylum here on the cruise. They’d grown up together at the mercenary compound. His excitement had died when the other mercenary had no wish to talk shop. He was there with his mate for a well-needed vacation.

There was that word again. Vacation. Why did he ever need one? He enjoyed working perfectly fine. Kylus enjoyed his work and was good at what he did, and he knew he might not be able to work forever, so he wanted to make the most of his active years. Some mercenaries stopped working when they found a mate.

Others joined a mercenary alliance so there would be a safe place for their mates and offspring while they were on a mission.

Zeylum was a childhood friend from when he lived at the mercenary compound. That was where he’d grown up, raised by his mother while his sire left for dangerous missions with his crew. Not many Tallean females enjoyed life on a ship.

After his sire was lost, Kylus had watched his mother waste away. Mated Talleans rarely survived long without their mates. After that, he was raised by the people of the compound until he was strong enough and old enough to join a mercenary crew of his own. He hadn’t been back since.

Kylus would never force his future mate, if he ever found one, through what his mother had suffered. He planned on leaving the profession, even if he would miss the thrill of the mission for the rest of his life. That meant he had to make all his credits now.

Zeylum’s mate, Ashe, waved at one of the servers—another human female—from across the room. This cruise ship was famous for employing Talleans and humans equally, a rarity since humans were still considered property in much of Dominion-ruled space.

Zeylum had gotten incredibly lucky. His mate was happy to stay on his ship with him while he ran missions—a rare occurrence. Most of the time, females were only interested in mercenaries like himself for temporary liaisons. They were viewed as fun and exciting, but not someone to spend too much time with, lest an unwanted mate bond form.

Rumor was that most of his friend’s crew had been similarly lucky in love. It was rare.

Zeylum had found a mate in the newer human species. The Dominion had recently found Earth, the name the humans gave their planet, and had done what they did best: swooped in first to collect the intelligent beings for slave labor. Unfortunately for the Dominion, humans were hard to keep under lock and key, and many had escaped and made their way here, to the outer planets.

The outer planets were on the opposite side of Dominion space from Earth, but that didn’t stop these intelligent and adaptable beings from making a good life here. Ashe looked radiant with her mate.

Was Kylus jealous of his childhood friend? Maybe a little.

Ashe turned to him. “I saw an opening for the knife-throwing competition tomorrow. Why don’t you join that? Zey says you’re an exceptional knife thrower, almost as good as him.”

Kylus glared at Zeylum. They both knew he was the better knife thrower.

“I entered,” Zeylum said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “You should too, unless you think you won’t win.”

The fucker was baiting him.

Before he could reply, the most tantalizing fragrance filled Kylus’s nostrils, and he forgot all his words.

The female human server Ashe had called over approached their table, her hips swaying enticingly from side to side. Kylus inhaled deeply again; the scent was coming from the little human.

“How can I help you?”

Ashe leaned in to read the server’s name tag, which was in one of the many human languages. “Hey, Chloe. I’m looking for something alcoholic that isn’t watered-down amberberry wine. I wanted to try something new. But—” Ashe made a face “—I’m afraid to order just any drink. Is there anything you suggest?”

The female laughed, the genuine sound tinkling in the air. “I know exactly what you mean. The first time I tried one of their drinks, it knocked me out after a few sips. We can make human-strength versions of all of the cocktails. All I have to do is let the bartender know.”

Chloe leaned over to scroll through the holographic display on the low table. This place was too fancy for simple upright chairs and normal-height tables. All the patrons were reclined on low divans, and the tables were large, knee-height aquariums filled with exotic aquatic life.

The low table had her brushing lightly against his shoulder. Her intoxicating scent surrounded him, and the spot where they touched tingled with awareness.

If the little human felt the same, she didn’t let on. She continued scrolling until she found the drink she was looking for, a pink feminine-looking concoction. “This one is great if you’re looking for something light and fruity.” She moved to the next drink, which looked drab in comparison. “And this one is perfect if you want something complex and full of spicy notes.”

“I’ll take the second one,” Ashe said.

“A refill on your Rhean spirit?” Chloe asked Zeylum before turning to Kylus. “And what about you?”

You. I want you.

He forced himself to concentrate. “I’ll have a Rhean Bomb.”

He needed something to distract him from wanting to pick her up, toss her over his shoulder, and carry her back to his cabin. He doubted she’d appreciate him messing up her shift.

“Ooh, tough guy, eh?” She grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

Then she was gone.

CHAPTER 2

Chloe couldn’t stop herself from sneaking another peek at the new patron who’d walked in with his friend and his human mate.

It wasn’t just because of his perfectly-formed shoulders and massive pecs and mesmerizing green eyes; those features came defacto on most Tallean males. These aliens put on muscle easily and were tall to boot.

It wasn’t because he was particularly good-looking either. His nose looked as if it had been broken many times, but he did have a rugged charm. His darkly tanned skin had the look of buttery leather, tough but still supple. He wore his dark, wiry hair in a low ponytail, and a few shorter strands fell to frame his face.

Unlike some of the softer guests here, he and his friend had an untamed quality. They felt wild.

The Tallean species was clearly evolved from predators. They had four giant claws on each foot, and their legs were large and muscular as if they’d had to run down their prey in the past. Their lower bodies didn’t look anything like that of a human.

The most distinguishing facial feature was the crease that ran down each side of their face parallel to the jawline. These cheek creases allowed their mouths to open extremely wide when they needed to get their teeth around larger targets. They also had giant fangs where their canines should be.

Most Talleans now were civilized, and they fought with blasters, not fangs. Those two looked as though they used both types of weapons on the regular.

Chloe took another order from a table with two gaudy-looking merchants. Tallean merchants often dressed in the richest of their wares, layering necklaces and charms over sumptuous garments. It would have been considered tasteless back on Earth, but here, it was de rigueur.

“Two amberberry wines. Wonderful choices,” she cooed. Amberberry wine was a specialty of Reka 5, a mixed Tallean-human colony out here in the outer planets. It was their most popular drink.

The nearest merchant smiled at her, showing fangs capped with gold. They took gaudy to a whole new level. Compared to these two, the sexy one who had ordered the Rhean Bomb was positively a savage, but of the best variety.

Chloe glanced back at the wild-looking one without a human woman already hanging off his arm. Their eyes met, and for a moment she was completely lost in a beautiful sea of green.

It almost felt as if she should know him, which was impossible unless she’d met him during her short stay at Reka 5. They couldn’t have met while she was still with her previous owner.

This cruise company was one of the first to exclusively serve the outer planets, and they screened to make sure the patrons had no ties to the Dominion. It was to protect not only the guests but also the staff, many of whom started life on the outer planets as escaped Dominion slaves.

Her old owner had been a minor Dominion captain who’d helped raid Earth for slaves in the early years. No one in his circle would be allowed on this ship.

Back on Earth, Chloe had been on her way to work when the Dominion ship swooped down, rounded up every able body on the block, and left with her on it. It hadn’t been their first raid of Earth, and it wouldn’t be their last.

After a few miserable months as a gift to the very alien who’d captained the ship stealing her from Earth, Chloe had made her escape. Her old owner had a thing for gambling and drinking. Sangar often brought her along as arm candy, decked out in a fancy outfit he’d rented because he couldn’t afford the bejeweled status symbol.

On those outings, Chloe had learned about Reka 5, a colony in the outer planets that took in escaped slaves of all kinds. The Dominion made slaves of other Talleans as well, mostly those who did not believe in the Goddess as they did. Though how many of those working for the Dominion were true believers was questionable. Sangar had only gone through the motions and said the right words in public.

When Sangar’s ship had been sent for a short mission in New Rhea, a planet close to Reka 5, Chloe had acted. While he was passed out drunk, she’d run. She’d made it to the notorious colony by trading the ridiculously expensive rented outfit she was still wearing for a ride to Reka 5.

She must have had a lucky horseshoe stuck up her ass because the ship captain she’d traded with kept his word and didn’t just sell her back to the Dominion. On arrival, she’d been amazed at the number of humans in Reka 5, the community, and the uniquely mixed Tallean-human culture there.

Chloe had applied immediately when the Wildview Starliner Company came recruiting, offering jobs to both Tallean and humans alike on their luxury cruise ships. She’d always wanted to travel. This particular ship, The Star Beauty, stopped off at several untamed planets with gorgeous vistas, including an uninhabited part of Reka 5, the planet.

For their safety, the patrons were not allowed out into the wilds and were required to stay within safely fenced-in areas. These areas were wild enough for Chloe. While the patrons went on planned nature hikes, she had the opportunity to explore as well.

Each planet was as beautiful as the last, and they satisfied her travel bug.

The only time they’d ever had an emergency was when some rich merchant’s kid decided to sneak out of the protected area. They found him up a tree bawling his eyes out while a pack of dragus—large, wolf-like creatures—lunged unsuccessfully at him from the ground. The security officers had a lot of fun that day.

A light lit up at the bar, signaling that drinks were ready for her to pick up. She grinned, glad to have another chance to get close to the sexy Tallean male who reminded her of the untamed wilderness.

“That one over there looks good enough to eat,” said the bartender. Zacani eyed the wild-looking male. “He keeps looking this way. I wonder if he’d want to spend some time in his quarters after my shift.”

There were no rules in Tallean culture about fraternizing with patrons, co-workers, or even bosses. Sex wasn’t a big issue for them. Neither were one-night stands. In fact, young Talleans were encouraged to explore their options. How else would they find their mates otherwise?

It was every parent’s nightmare to have an offspring be alone forever, deprived of a mate.

“Still looking for that elusive mate?” Chloe asked as she picked up the tray.

“This one’s just for fun. He looks like the type that spends a lot of time on ships. You don’t want to spend too much time with those. If they bond with you, you’re stuck.” Zacani looked thoughtful. “Maybe he’s not a good idea, after all. I should try with one of the merchants instead. They are on ships often too, but in luxury.”

Chloe laughed and shook her head. Zacani had been on the hunt for a mate since they’d met on Reka 5. She’d thought working on a luxury liner would let her meet many mate-worthy males. She’d spent as much of her time off-shift with them as possible, but none had formed a bond with her.

As Chloe crossed the room toward The Wild One and his friends, the door to the lounge opened and in walked trouble.

Fuck. The asshat was back. A few days ago, he’d come in here already piss drunk and gotten super handsy with her. While sexual relations with the patrons were accepted, the establishment did not tolerate harassment of their employees. He’d been promptly kicked out and barred from entering this particular lounge for two days.

His two days were up.

Chloe walked over to The Wild One’s table, hoping the asshat wouldn’t notice her right away. She looked around for the security guard who’d helped her out last time, but he was nowhere to be seen.

The Wild One must’ve sensed her distress; he glanced over at the asshat, frowning.

“Enjoy,” Chloe said as she put their drinks down.

She hated being so brisk, but the troublemaker had spotted her and was heading her way. She needed to get behind the bar as soon as she could and ring up security.

A hand caught her thigh, and she looked down to see The Wild One looking up at her from his lounger. She inhaled sharply at the butterflies his hand started in her belly.

“Is there a problem?” His words sounded like a cross between a growl and a purr.

“No,” she lied, swallowing hard. “Please enjoy your drinks.”

She hurried across the room, her eyes on the bar and the button to call security hidden behind it, but it was too late. A rough hand grabbed her arm just feet from safety.

CHAPTER 3

Kylus dug his fingers into the cushion of his chair as a low growl escaped his lips. The belligerent male who’d just entered the lounge was heading straight for Chloe, and the look on his face promised trouble.

Kylus gritted his teeth and glanced around for the security person, who was nowhere to be seen. As long as the male only spoke to the little human, he would stay out of it. But if he dared touch her with those grubby hands, all bets would be off.

This must be what had Chloe acting so awkward and leaving his table so soon. Didn’t she know the safest place for her now was by his side? He’d never let anyone hurt her, and he could turn that fool inside out in a heartbeat.

The way the newcomer looked at the scrumptious human, Kylus wasn’t sure it wouldn’t happen anyway. Kylus knew the type. This male acted tough and might start the occasional drunken bar fight, but he had no real-world fighting experience.

Kylus did. Fights were a common form of entertainment in Tallean culture, along with sensual performances. The latter were often choreographed and planned, but the audience enjoyed their fights real and raw. Both forms of entertainment appeased the evolutionary drives for sex and violence. Both had been crucial in early Tallean culture.

Fighting in the non-lethal circuit meant that Kylus had to hone his skills to perfection. It took more skill to subdue a trained fighter than to deliver a killing blow. Accidentally murdering your opponent meant a very short career; the killer would only be accepted into deadly matches if he decided to keep fighting.

By now, Zeylum had noticed what held Kylus’s attention; he too watched as the male approached the human with a salacious smirk on his face. The idiot reached for Chloe, gripping her so hard by the arm that she flinched.

Chloe glanced around as if looking for something.

“Security’s not here, female. I made sure he wouldn’t get in my way this time.” The male yanked her toward the door. “You and I are going to have a little talk in my cabin.”

“I have nothing to say to you. Let me go!” Chloe struggled, trying to pull away from her attacker.

Behind the bar, the bartender slapped her hand on the counter. “I’ve already called security. They’re on their way. Let her go!”

Chloe used the distraction to kick hard at her attacker’s crotch. The male released her with a yell.

“You bitch!” The male grabbed his crotch with one hand but reached out and snagged a handful of Chloe’s hair with the other. He yanked her to the ground in front of him.

Chloe hissed, and both her hands came up to her head, trying to relieve the pressure.

Rage filled Kylus’s vision with red.

They hadn’t been allowed to bring any weapons on the cruise ship, an intelligent idea for an establishment that needed to remain neutral for business. The outer planets were still mostly uncivilized, and there were many unsavory types here. Many of their patrons could have had negative dealings with each other.

Kylus didn’t need a weapon, though. Anything was a weapon when in his hands. He picked up the strange human-style eating utensil they had laid out for Ashe and hefted it. It had four prongs at the end and was too small to do much damage, but it would do.

The male finally released his crotch and raised his hand, but before he could hit Chloe with an open palm, Kylus sent the pronged eating utensil flying toward the male. The prongs hit him in the palm, stabbing through and pinning his hand against the wall next to him with a thud.

“Fuck!”

Kylus stood up slowly, the sound of his chair legs scraping along the floor loud in the now-silent room. He took his steps deliberately until he stood in front of the shocked male. Instead of speaking to him, he offered Chloe a hand first, helping her up from the floor.

Up close, the acrid scent of her panic and fear was strong, marring her perfect bouquet. With Chloe safely behind him, he turned to the male.

“Do not touch her again.” He spoke slowly so the male would understand despite his low intelligence. “If you do, I will kill you slowly, with this—” Not knowing the name of the utensil, he turned to Chloe, who watched with round eyes.

She pulled herself together and cleared her throat. “Fork.”

“Fork,” Kylus repeated the strange word in the alien tongue. “I will kill you slowly with this fork. Do you understand?”

Before the terrified male could reply, the guard arrived, looking frazzled. “You! It was you wasn’t it, who had me running all over the ship. You’re lucky they won’t let me space you.”

Then the guard noticed the male’s hand forked to the wall. He took in the scene.

“Chloe. Are you alright?” The male stepped toward Chloe.

Kylus growled low and blocked him.

“I’m fine.” Chloe put a hand on Kylus’s arm, calming him. “This gentleman came to my rescue.”

Gentleman? Kylus was no gentle male. Even the security guard looked amused at her words.

“I’ll get someone to cover the rest of your shift, Chloe,” the bartender said. “Why don’t you head back to your room and clean up?”

“I’ll be fine for the rest of my shift,” Chloe protested.

The bartender gestured to a mirror on the wall. Chloe’s hair and uniform were a mess.

“Oh.” She finger-combed her hair ineffectively. “I guess you’re right. I’m sorry I’m clocking out early again.”

“That’s on him,” the bartender said, nodding to the male who was now being escorted out by security. “I hope they put him on lockdown for the rest of the trip.” She turned to Kylus. “What is your name? You deserve a drink on the house.”

“Kylus.”

Chloe turned back to him. “Thank you, Kylus.”

She apologized to the rest of the patrons for the interruption as the bartender insisted he had a drink on the house. He chugged it down fast, but when he turned to offer to walk Chloe back to her room, she was already gone.

CHAPTER 4

Chloe needed a cold shower. And it wasn’t to clean herself off from the asshole’s grubby paws; it was to calm herself from watching Kylus teach him a lesson.

Damn! That was hot.

It was for the best that Zacani had suggested she end her shift early. If she had to be around Kylus any longer, she might just have to break her personal rule of not sleeping with the guests. Not that she could form a bond with any of them, but Talleans could, and often did, form bonds to humans.

She stepped into the communal bathing area and placed her change of clothing on the shelf. It was an odd time of day for a bath, and she had the place all to herself. Chloe had gotten used to stripping down in front of other bathers by now, but the hustle and bustle of a full bath still felt strange.

Public bathing was a beloved pastime in Tallean culture, and there were bathhouses of all price points in every port and city. They were common places for the young to meet and test compatibility, a term they used for hooking up. Many permanent mate bonds had their roots in bathhouses.

Chloe had been dragged to a few rather shady ones by her old owner. The first time had been an experience. While no sexual activity was allowed in the waters for sanitary reasons, it was allowed everywhere else. Who needed pornos when you could just head to the nearest bathhouse for your fix?

The bathhouse at Reka 5 was tamer, mainly because almost half the population was human now. But still, some couples didn’t make it home.

She wasn’t here for the baths, however. Chloe was happy with a simple shower in a cleansing unit. Besides, the smallest basin was sized for four people, and she didn’t want to use all that water by herself. Sure, it was a luxury cruise liner, but it still felt wasteful.

The cleansing units would do just fine. They were lucky here; even the workers had real water units, though they were older models and didn’t have many choices in cleansing liquid.

Stripped of her clothes, Chloe headed past the large tubs and toward the single cleansing stalls.

“Chloe! Wait for me,” Zacani cried from the door. “The boss found out what happened and gave me the rest of the shift off.”

Their boss, Jankar, was the co-owner of Wild View Starliner Company and had personally interviewed and hired every single staff member on board. Unlike other business owners who tended to run things from the safety of a planetside office, Jankar lived on the Star Beauty.

He didn’t even have a special suite. Instead, he insisted on living in the staff quarters, which was one of the reasons why the staff area was so well maintained.

Zacani tossed her towel over to the shelves. “Most people left the lounge anyway to watch the scheduled fight; no point in bartending an empty lounge.”

The Tallean female noticed Chloe heading to the cleansing stall. She stomped over, grabbed Chloe by the arm, and pulled her to the nearest tub. “Come share a bath. You deserve it after what you went through today. That’s the problem with a cruise; if there are troublemakers, you’re stuck with them until the next stop. I heard they put a tracking bracelet on that asshole and relegated him to just one part of the ship. It shocks him if he tries to leave.”

“Serves him right.”

As the tub filled, Zacani undressed, tossing her clothes Hap hazardously toward her towel on the shelf. Half the pieces didn’t make it, but she didn’t seem to notice.

The lightly floral fragrance of the bathwater filled the air, calming Chloe’s nerves. Maybe a bath was what she needed after all. She dipped her toe in and found the temperature perfect. Settling into one of the corner seats, she sighed and closed her eyes.

“That male coming to the rescue today was really something. Even without that shock bracelet, I doubt the asshole would ever bother you again,” Zacani said as she slipped in next to Chloe. “Ahh, this is perfect.”

“He was pretty scary, wasn’t he? But in a good way.” Chloe recalled the low menacing growl that simultaneously terrified her and turned her on.

“He seemed disappointed that you left so soon without him. I think he wanted to escort you back to your room. You know, to keep you safe and all.”

Chloe had left as soon as she could, precisely because she’d thought he would ask to escort her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested. Quite the opposite. She was much too interested.

“Are you still following that silly human rule of yours? Maybe it’s time to put that aside.”

“Not getting involved with the patrons is not silly.” However, she was beginning to wonder if the rule was worth it after all.

“But it is!” Zacani scoffed. “How are you going to find a mate if you never test compatibility with anyone? And don’t tell me you’ll look after work. We live on this ship. We’re at work all the time, even off shift.”

“Maybe I’m not looking for a mate.”

Zacani put a hand on Chloe’s arm, looked her in the eye, and said in a very serious tone, “I can smell lies.”

Chloe laughed. “So maybe I don’t want to be a spinster forever. Kylus does have a certain appeal,” she admitted.

She leaned back into her seat, enjoying the swirling water around her. Zacani had a point. She wasn’t getting any younger, and unless she wanted to be a spinster serving guests on a cruise ship for the rest of her life, she probably should start looking again.

She’d gone a date or two with human men back on Reka 5, but nothing had worked out. Not in any particular rush to settle down, Chloe had focused on trying to make sense of her new life away from Earth.

Not only was Earth at the other end of Dominion-controlled space, it was still under Dominion rule. The outer planets were the best bet for any humans wanting to keep their freedom. She’d decided to focus on that freedom and look for adventure. The Star Beauty offered her exactly what she’d been looking for.

When Chloe had first found freedom, she’d been sure that she would never find Tallean men attractive simply because of her experience with her owner. But she’d been wrong. She found plenty of Tallean males attractive.

Especially one sexy-looking Rhean Bomb drinker.

“Maybe you’re right, Zacani,” Chloe said as she closed her eyes.

“Of course I am,” was her answer.

CHAPTER 5

Kylus knocked on Chloe’s door again, but there was still no response.

He wasn’t even supposed to be in this part of the ship, and it had taken a lot of sleuthing and some bribery to find which room belonged to Chloe. He was pretty sure this was the place. Chloe’s scent was strong here. He was also sure that she was off shift right now.

“Who do we have here?” asked a feminine voice.

Kylus turned to see a female coming out of the room next door. She eyed him as if he were a piece of meat and she was hungry.

“I am looking for Chloe.”

“Chloe just left, but maybe I can help you with your needs instead.” The female approached him, licking her lips.

Kylus was used to this. Most Tallean females were very forward and had no qualms inviting him into their beds, though many wanted him to leave shortly after for fear of him forming an unwanted mating bond. He ignored the invitation.

“Do you know where I can find Chloe?”

“If she’s not here, then she’s at work or at the staff cafeteria.” The female looked only slightly disappointed. “The human female doesn’t test compatibility with customers or coworkers. If it’s a human you’re looking for, there’s Jessica. She’ll be open to spending time in your bed, and she shares too. I can introduce you.”

Kylus declined the offer. Then he headed over to the staff cafeteria, but Chloe wasn’t there either. Had he gotten her schedule wrong? He walked over to the lounge.

The bartender was there, but a quick survey of the room ascertained that his Chloe was not.

“Hello, hero!” Zacani waved cheerfully. “What can I get you today?”

“Chloe.”

The bartender laughed. “A male that knows what he wants. She’s not working this shift. I can’t tell you her room number, but I can tell you mine.”

They shared a room. That was one of the first things Kylus had found when he’d started searching for her.

“I have checked the room you share with her. She is not there, and she is not in the baths or the staff cafeteria.”

One of the servers working this shift, a human male, approached and rattled off a list of the drinks for the bartender. “Hey! You’re the one who came to Chloe’s rescue the other day. I’ve been hearing about it all shift.” He looked him up and down. “Yeah, definitely one of the fighters. When is your match?”

“I am a fighter, but I am not fighting.” Kylus wished he hadn’t been reminded of it. “I’m on— ” he made a face “—vacation. ”

The male guffawed before hurrying off to take another order.

“Have you tried looking for Chloe in the greenroom?” the bartender asked as she mixed up a drink, her arms moving by muscle memory. “Not the gardens made for the guests, but the ship’s greenroom.”

“I will go check now.”

It took some exploring to find the greenroom. Unlike the extensive, sprawling gardens that connected many parts of the ship, giving the guests a green highway from their rooms to the various activities around the vessel, the greenroom was not labeled on the map.

It wasn’t meant for the guests, though no one stopped him as he made his way through the inner workings of the ship. The corridors here were narrow compared to the extravagant hallways on the deck, and soon he found Chloe’s trail, the scent calling to him like a siren’s song.

The first place her scent concentrated was not the greenroom but the food production lab, where neatly stacked rows of plants greeted him. While most of the food required to feed the numerous workers and guests on the ship was supplied when they docked, some of the more delicate greens and herbs were best served fresh. There were workers tending to the plants, but Chloe wasn’t there.

The next location was the greenroom. The thick humidity hit him like a wall as he stepped inside. Chloe was here somewhere inside the dense foliage. Her scent lingered in the air, filling his lungs.

Stepping lightly, a natural reflex triggered by the surrounding nature-scape, Kylus rounded the corner. There she was, holding a strange pose over a thin sleeping mat meant for a youngster.

Her hands and feet were firmly planted into the mat, but her hips were up in the air, her rounded ass covered in thin, stretchy fabric that left nothing to the imagination. Kylus held back a growl, not wanting to interrupt her concentration.

Talleans tended to be lean and muscular, and as a result, their females were long, lean, and lithe with small, pert breasts and slightly rounded hips. Humans came in all shapes, from ones similar to a Tallean female to ones with large breasts and considerable hips.

Chloe was perfectly in the middle, and the position highlighted her curves and assets.

She lifted one of her legs high into the air behind her in a show of flexibility, and then fluidly brought it through to the front until she was seated on the mat, one leg behind her, the other bent in front.

Her breathing was slow and methodical, reminding him of a sensory practice he’d come across through his training. Though her body radiated health, she was not a warrior or fighter.

Mesmerized by the way she slowed between positions, Kylus snuck closer to his female.

CHAPTER 6

When Chloe first saw the ship’s greenroom, she’d fallen in love. Unlike the gardens made for the guests, which were only designed for aesthetic appeal with exotic flowers and plants arranged in geometric patterns, this was a wild, lush mess of a jungle. It was bursting at the seams with every shade of green imaginable.

While the gardens were meant to delight the guests, the greenroom was part of the ship’s air recycling system, scrubbing the air clean. The Dominion ship she’d been on before had no such thing, and the air, while breathable and perfectly fine for maintaining life, was constantly stale and stifling.

Chloe hid in here every chance she got, inhaling the air that almost reminded her of a forest back on Earth. If she squinted, she could pretend the plants were ones she recognized. The large vine with the yard-long fenestrated, heart-shaped leaves could have been the long-lost cousin of the monstera she’d left back home. And the spikey plants stuck in the crevices in the walls? They were alien air plants.

She’d borrowed a child’s mattress topper from one of the unused rooms—there weren’t any children on the cruise that she knew of—and stashed it in one of the storage chests here. She made a habit of coming here often to do yoga. Or, whatever she remembered from the classes she’d taken back on Earth, anyway.

Chloe had bastardized it by adding stretches she liked and playing around with the sequences to find something her body enjoyed. Here in the greenroom was the first time she’d felt “connected with her breath,” having never understood what the instructor had meant by that before.

She felt connected to everything here. Even with her eyes closed, Chloe could see the greenery around her. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be doing everything with her eyes closed, but she enjoyed it and it was her practice. And besides, out here on the Star Beauty, there were no gurus to tell her she was doing it wrong.

Something masculine and spicy broke through the heavy scent of foliage, and Chloe paused. Someone was here with her.

When she opened her eyes, she found Kylus sitting on the dirt floor in front of her, just a few feet away. She gasped and fell over.

Kylus moved quickly to catch her. “I apologize. I did not mean to interrupt.”

Chloe stared up into mesmerizingly green eyes. “I-I di-didn’t even hear you come in,” she stuttered.

How the fuck did he get so close without her hearing? So much for thinking she was in tune with her surroundings.

“I have much practice moving silently on a dirt floor. I hunt often.”

Chloe glanced down at his feet and realized Kylus was barefooted, just as she was. He held the open-toed, platformed boots the males of his species often wore in his hands instead. The opening was to let their claws through and the platform was to keep the tips of their large talons from touching the ground.

Without their boots, Tallean feet were even more beast-like. They reminded her of a big cat, except instead of fur, they were thickly leathered, almost lizard-like. She’d found them ugly and terrifying on her old owner but fascinating on Kylus.

She tore her eyes away, not wanting to be rude by staring, but Kylus didn’t seem to mind. He was similarly fascinated by her. He settled them onto the mat, her across his lap, his movements graceful like those of a predator.

Under her ass was the unmistakable bulge of his erection pressing against her.

Her body reacted. A flush of heat rushed to her face as she squeezed her legs together.

Kylus leaned in, and Chloe thought he was going to kiss her. She leaned in too, her eyes half-closed as lust took over her senses, but he missed her lips completely and nuzzled the side of her face with his instead.

Talleans didn’t kiss mouth-to-mouth. How could she have forgotten? Instead, they nuzzled. Often nuzzling included nibbling and kissing of the skin of the neck and body.

Chloe had watched this affectionate and intimate display often but had never experienced it. Kylus nibbled down her jawline to her throat, and she moaned at the tingling it started in her pussy.

Dipping her head, she searched for his mouth with hers, wanting to share the human equivalent with him. She kissed him, and for the shortest moment, he stilled. Then he moved his mouth, kissing her back.

Kylus devoured her, exploring her mouth and lips as if he owned them. Lust blossomed, making her dizzy with need. She clung to him desperately, moaning into his mouth and tightening her fingers on the silky fabric covering his biceps.

His hardness pressed against her pussy through the thin, stretchy pants, and she realized she was now lying on the mat with Kylus covering her. How had they ended up like this?

They had to stop. If they didn’t, they’d end up doing it right here in the ship’s jungle.

Would that be so bad? A part of her wanted it. A part of her demanded she gave in to the wanton need. When was the last time she’d felt like this? When was the last time she’d felt so wanted?

The first drop of the automatic sprinkler landed on her face. Then came the deluge.

“Fuck!” Kylus swore as the timed daily downpour keeping the room lush and green fell on them from the sprinkers, putting out their flames.

“Shit! The mat!”

By the time they got off the mat, it was already thoroughly soaked, and so were they. They grabbed their shoes and dragged the mat out of the greenroom, both of them a dripping mess.

Two Earth women who stood just outside the food production lab turned to watch them, amused. With their shoes in hand and the dripping mat between them, it must look as if the sprinklers had caught the two of them in the middle of a quicky. The two women ducked into the lab, giggling to each other.

Chloe turned to face Kylus, and as their eyes met, they both broke out laughing.

CHAPTER 7

Kylus didn’t like the grim look on Zeylum’s face one bit. There wasn’t much that would worry the infamous mercenary. The male had been wanted by the Dominion for years and had spent that time getting into and out of trouble.

If the news he’d received worried him enough to show on his face, it must be bad news indeed. Zeylum had insisted on telling him the news in person. He’d also raised his brow when Kylus arrived, still dripping wet from the sprinklers.

“You pulled me away from Chloe for this. What’s the important news you can’t tell me through the comm?” Kylus had been walking Chloe back to her room to change into something dry when Zeylum had commed him.

The other mercenary kept his face straight but said, “This is not how to get a female wet.”

“Fuck off and get to the point.”

Zeylum turned his comm unit around to show Kylus the report. “There are reports of a whole fleet of pirate vessels stalking the ship.”

“A fleet? That must be a large crew of pirates.” Kylus hadn’t known that pirates worked in groups large enough to merit a fleet. Usually, pirate ships were solitary, though some did roam in pairs, which were often generational.

“Not one crew but several banding together. That usually doesn’t happen unless they are working with the Dominion and temporarily allied.” That was news worthy of wrinkling the other mercenary’s brow.

“You think they are here for you?”

“No. I’m not worth working with and sending this many pirates after. I have my comms officer working on deciphering the transmissions, but so far, all he could tell me is that it has to do with the humans on board.” Zeylum’s eyes narrowed; he was probably thinking about his mate, who was enjoying a massage as they spoke.

If there was a group the Dominion hated more than the mercenary who had helped free many of the human slaves during transit, costing the Dominion many credits, it was the escapees themselves. The Dominion had an unhealthy obsession with recovering their lost assets.

They had even attacked Reka 5 recently. Not realizing the once tiny backwoods colony had grown exponentially since the last time they’d checked, the Dominion had underestimated their opponent. Kylus and Zeylum’s merc crews had both been part of the planetary defense the colony had hired.

At around the same time, Vosthea, a planet owned in name by the Dominion and used by many thieves and criminals as a hideout, had fought for and won their independence. They were back-to-back failures that had stripped the Dominion of all power in the sector.

“They are targeting privately-owned companies.” That was a dirty move, though not surprising for the Dominion. “You think they will attack?”

Zeylum did not reply. Instead, he said, “It is best to contact your crew and have them at the ready.”

The Star Beauty was not undefended. It had a heavily armed frigate-class warship as a permanent escort. Surely, the ones flying the Star Beauty and her escort already knew of the trouble ahead. A ship full of luxuries like the Star Beauty would make a great target otherwise. This usually deterred attack from lone pirate vessels, but a whole fleet?

“We have a personal shuttle docked with the Star Beauty, but leaving now would only make my shuttle easy to pick off. Also, we are not close to any port. But we can get you out in an emergency,” his friend offered.

That was running up a substantial additional fee, especially since there was only a limited number of docking stations on the cruise ship. For someone like Zeylum, the captain of the Defiant, a renowned vessel, it made sense. Even on vacation with his mate, the merc needed to think about survival.

“Thank you. I will warn my crew.”

Stomach rumbling, Kylus left to find Chloe again, but this time he was barred from entering the staff area, mostly because he was still wearing his wet clothes, and his hair was no better. He pulled out his comm and notified his crew of everything he’d learned as he headed over to his room to change into something dry.

Dry again, he snuck into the staff area but wasn’t able to find Chloe. This female knew the vessel well and had many hiding spots. Kylus could tell she valued time alone.

He had wanted to invite her to a share a meal. He’d heard it was the equivalent of inviting a female to the bathhouse in his culture. But if the information he’d just received were true, they’d have to continue testing their compatibility another time. For now, he had to figure oout how to get her safely off the ship before the pirates attacked.

CHAPTER 8

Chloe sat up on her cot as the announcement blared across the shipboard system. She recognized the alert that was only broadcasted through the staff area: a pirate attack. This wasn’t the first she’d experienced on the Star Beauty but the escorting security vessel often got rid of the problem before they had to notify the guests.

“Another one?” Zacani asked, rubbing her eyes. “You’d think they’d give up by now.” She got up and pulled on her clothes, ready to calm the guests if any stray shots hit the ship.

Chloe shoved her blankets off and did the same.

Most of the guests traveling on Wildview cruises knew to expect more than just the onboard, planned excitement. They did pick a cruise to see the untamed beauty of the wildest planets in the farthest reaches of uncivilized space, and pirates were known to hunt this airspace.

Yet, when the Star Beauty and her course were advertised, the cruises always sold out. There weren’t many truly wild places left in the galaxy.

It reminded Chloe of Earth and its shrinking wilderness as human civilization grew and grew. It must be so much worse now with the Dominion exploiting all that was left of Earth’s resources for themselves.

She missed her family back home but knew that she could never go back to Earth. She didn’t even want to anymore, not with the Dominion there. She didn’t know what was happening on her home planet, but it couldn’t be good. If anything, she wanted to bring them to Reka 5. Reka 5 represented a new start, first for the Talleans living there and now for the humans joining them.

As Chloe pulled on her too-short uniform that showed too much leg—Talleans considered short shorts proper work gear, especially for the service industry—an impact shook the ship. She exchanged a glance with Zacani.

“They got a good hit in this time. Rare.” The Tallean female pulled her sleep-tangled hair into a messy knot and reached for her hair stick.

Another jarring impact knocked the decorative stick from her hands. It clattered to the floor as the ship tilted, tossing Chloe to the ground.

“Shit!”

Zacani helped her up, a hint of panic finally reaching her eyes. “They mean business this time.”

Static sounded over the ship’s speakers before a strange voice spoke. “We are here for the human females. Let us have them, and we will leave the rest of your guests alone.”

Chloe shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

“Fuck off. These females are under our protection,” was the captain’s response.

He must have broadcast the conversation on purpose. This had to be his way of warning the human females on board.

“You are unwilling to cooperate. In this case, we will take everything.” The pirate ended with a typical-sounding evil laugh. Seriously, halfway across the galaxy and the stereotype still stood.

The broadcast cut out mid-laugh as the ship rumbled again. Chloe and Zacani dropped to the ground to stop from being tossed about. The speaker crackled again, and the captain’s voice came through, telling them all to proceed with emergency protocol.

The theater was actually a safe room with blast-proof walls and doors meant for emergency situations such as this. That meant reinforcements were coming to help fight, and all staff and guests were to stay inside the theater until help arrived.

Usually, pirates attacked cruise liners for riches, not people, but the safe zone was still the best choice. She opened the door and grabbed the nearest person she could.

Screaming started outside their room. Something told Chloe their rooms weren’t safe anymore.

“What’s going on?”

“They’re on the ship,” the Tallean woman cried. “They cut through the hull.” Then she was gone, running out of the staff quarters.

The staff corridor bordered the exterior of the ship. If the pirates were after the female human staff, it made sense for them to attach to the hull and cut right through. It had happened so fast they must’ve had someone cutting the hull while the other pirate spoke with the captain.

The shots fired at the ship must have been a distraction to get a shuttle over. This wasn’t just one ill-prepared pirate ship; they had numbers enough to keep the escorting warship busy, fire on the cruise ship, and sneak in at the same time.

And they were here.

“We gotta go.” She grabbed Zacani’s hand, and they ran out into the hall. A hulking Tallean male with a mean sneer stalked out of a nearby room, lunging for the human female before him.

Shit! Not that way! They were right there!

Chloe ran the other way. They made it out to the common area, only to find a dozen or so people pounding on the door, unable to escape. The pirates must have hijacked the doors. They were trapped.

The common room had a large window, and one of the human guys picked up a chair and smashed it as hard as he could against the transparent barrier: it bounced off harmlessly.

“Fuck! It’s shatterproof.”

“You can’t break it with anything blunt. You need something sharp.”

“Like what? We don’t have any weapons; even the knives here are dull.”

“I have a fork,” a woman suggested; she’d been eating in the common room.

That reminded Chloe of Kylus. A fork could be plenty sharp in the right hands.

The guy took the fork and stabbed it at the window. Nothing happened. Then, as if stuck in a desperate loop, he stabbed at it again and again. It was no use.

A grotesque-looking male stomped into the room; he couldn’t possibly look meaner if he tried. His eyes glowed an unnatural neon green Chloe had never seen before, and she’d seen many Tallean eyes in the past few years. The cheek creases of this Tallean male were slightly extended, and his mouth gaped open as if he couldn’t return to normal after bloodlust.

Chloe had seen Tallean males in bloodlust during arranged fights. Her old owner had enjoyed watching fights to the death. Chloe shuddered. This crazed alien looked as if he was forcefully stuck between states. It looked painful.

One of his arms looked as if it had another person’s skin grafted on it. He stank too, not of body odor but of something chemical.

The thug looked around, strode to the nearest human female, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her back into the corridor. The woman was new to the team, and this was her first trip with the Star Beauty. Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the woman being dragged away.

Behind him, two more brutes, these ones looking slightly less terrifying, stalked into the room. They still had the strange eyes and looked half stuck in bloodlust, though their cheeks were normal and they only had elongated fangs. One of them focused on Chloe.

Then, as if it had never been stuck, the freaking door opened.

CHAPTER 9

Kylus arrived at the staff area of the ship just in time to see one of the pirates grab Chloe by the arm. They’d been locked out of the area when the pirates had taken control of all the doors within their shuttle’s radius.

They’d cut the power to all the doors in this wing before they could finally pry the portals open manually. It had taken much too long. The way this attack was planned, it was clear there was someone else helping these pirates. It had to be the Dominion.

He had limited time to grab Chloe and get to Zeylum’s shuttle before the other mercenary took off without him. Zeylum wanted to help, but not if it risked his mate’s safety; she was, after all, a human female too.

Kylus recoiled at the sight of the pirates. These males were not healthy. Despite making their living by stealing from Dominion and outer planets alike, pirates’ crews were usually not crazed and desperate as these. Where had Kylus seen others like these males?

All it took was Chloe’s scream to trigger Kylus’s bloodlust. Unlike the pirates he faced, he had full control of it. Fighting in a ring in bloodlust without accidentally killing your opponent was a skill and explained why the circuit for the type of fighting he did was small.

Rage burned through him at the sound of his female’s frightened scream. He roared in anger and lunged for the pirate. As he did, his cheek creases unfolded, and his jaw opened incredibly wide. His fangs, substantial to begin with, extended from their half-retracted, resting position.

Violence coursed through his veins, and Kylus basked in the primal feeling; he always did.

The pirate’s reaction confused him. The other male did not go into bloodlust. Instead, he released Chloe and slashed at him with a knife. Why use a knife against another fighter in bloodlust when the claws on their feet were so much more effective?

Kylus looked down at the male’s feet; his claws were cracked and broken. He frowned as he skillfully dodged another swipe of the knife.

The floor under his boots shuddered as the pirates’ ships fired on the cruise liner. The crash had Chloe sliding across the floor toward the door.

Realizing he was wasting time fighting the pirates, Kylus ran to Chloe and picked her up.

“Kylus?”

Despite him being still stuck in bloodlust, his eyes alight with feral energy and his jaws unhinged, Chloe did not shy away from him. Instead, she clung to him as if she trusted him with her life.

With his female in his arms, Kylus ran toward the shuttle docks, which were on the same level.

“Where are we going?” Chloe asked as they headed away from the direction most of the guests were heading. “We have to get to the theater; it’s the safe room. It’s the other way.”

“I’m getting you off the ship.” The shuttle docks were in sight now.

“But help is on its way,” she protested.

It was, but it would take time for that help to arrive. Most ships’ safe rooms were reinforced with their own life support systems in case of emergency, so those who sheltered inside would be safe. Normally, Kylus would agree that the safe room was their best option, but not with the alarming ability of these pirates to control the ship’s doors.

Also, getting inside was the problem. Chloe was small and would be easily trampled by the panicking mass. It was still safer for her off the ship.

Zeylum was at the hatch of his shuttle waiting for him.

“I thought you’d never get here. I was about to leave without you,” he remarked.

Kylus ducked into the shuttle with his precious cargo in tow. Depositing her next to the other human female, he strapped her in, and soon they were speeding toward the closest habitable venue, a moon rather than a planet.

The smallest moon of Uphitis was unnamed. Most in the area just simply called it the moon, and everyone knew which moon they meant. Covered on one side with mostly forest and barren on the other, the moon had two settlements. Since this was a mostly unsettled territory, many of the inhabitants were pirates and others who lived at the edge of civilization.

As long as they weren’t attacking Chloe with the intent of dragging her back to the Dominion, Kylus was fine with that. The only reason the pirates would do so was if they were offered a good bounty. The thing with pirates was that most of them were no worse than mercenaries like himself; they just didn’t usually advertise their services and kept the spoils for themselves.

The only reason the Dominion had to hire pirates, who could very well turn against them, was because many mercenary alliances here in the outer planets refused to work with them, and the teams they had within their controlled space up-charged for work in the outer planets.

There were fewer humans here on the moon than in places like New Rhea, Vosthea, and Reka 5, but they weren’t unknown. There were even rumors of newly-formed bands of human pirates, just as there were human mercenaries. Humans had adapted well to living in the wilds of space.

If they pretended Chloe was a recent acquisition, they’d be able to fit in quite well, at least until his crew arrived to pick them up. For the first night, however, Kylus planned to find one of the many abandoned tunnels that dotted the edge of town. He’d research the safest place to take his human in the safety of the tunnels.

“We are meeting the Defiant near Vosthea; I should have just enough fuel to make it. You can join us, or we can drop you on the moon.”

“Drop us on the moon.”

Vosthea was even more out of the way for his crew to get to him. Ratheros was already miffed that his visit home had been cut short when he’d purposefully arranged this vacation to get Kylus out of his hair. It served him right for forcing Kylus to take a vacation. Ratheros knew Kylus would rather be fighting instead.

This trip had an upside, though. He had never felt the want to test compatibility with a female so much in his entire life as he did with Chloe. Could she be his mate?

Kylus wrapped an arm around Chloe as they sped toward the tiny moon.

CHAPTER 10

Chloe pulled the borrowed jacket around her shoulders. Kylus had insisted she take one of his when they’d arrived on the moon. It hung to her knees and was positively huge on her, but it smelled like him and was very comfortable. The leather outer shell was lined with something soft and silky.

Despite the lush green forest that reminded Chloe of the greenroom, she’d stepped out into chilly air.

“The temperature drops every night on the moon,” Kylus had said as he pulled the extra jacket from his bag, which was already on the other mercenary’s shuttle. “It will get much cooler.”

Chloe gawked at the strange-looking trees. The leaves were either thin and willowy or dotted with holes. They had thick trunks but somehow looked like windswept saplings at the same time. What kind of winds could twist such thick trees?

Zeylum had mentioned something about finding shelter before the wind picked up. There was a slight wind now that hadn’t been there just moments ago, but nothing strong enough to shape the plants around them.

Chloe was still shocked Kylus had gone through the trouble of getting her off that ship. They’d only shared a single kiss, yet it was clear that he’d fought his way into the staff lounge to find her.

She’d heard that many Talleans instinctively knew who they were likely to form a mate bond with, even before it happened. Sometimes, the feeling was wrong, and the couple would wait years for a bond that never came. Often these couples stayed together in partnerships of convenience, hoping they wouldn’t form a bond with anyone else.

Other times, only one side of the bond formed. This was considered horrible luck, the worst fate the universe could bestow, especially if the bondless side chose to leave. However, most of the time, the instinct was right, and the mating bond bound them together for life.

It had been a big fiasco when the Dominion had first realized they could mate bond with the very beings they’d brought on as slaves. Not one but two high-ranking captains had abandoned their posts to run off with their human slave-turned-mates, and everyone had heard of the merchants who lavished their human slaves with fineries like they would a mate.

But for every happy ending, Chloe was sure there was an unhappy woman out there stuck with a mate she didn’t want or need. Back on Reka 5, she’d known a woman who’d fled such a relationship. In the end, her owner had killed himself, unable to live with a mate who hated him. This was why a one-way bond was a curse.

“Are you tiring?” Kylus looked concerned. “I can carry you.”

Chloe was tiring, but the settlement was close; she could see the glow of the artificial lights in the dimming evening. Zeylum had landed just outside of town to avoid detection. Kylus had insisted that they needed to get into town for shelter, t the nights were rough on the moon, and as the wind picked up and the temperature dropped, Chloe knew it was true.

She was struggling to keep up in the dark, especially on the rocky trail. Kylus had warned her not to step off the path; there were things in the ground here that went bump in the night, and the dark was closing in.

“We’re almost there. I’ll be fine.” She quickened her pace, regretting that she’d never spent any time in the ship’s gym to work on her cardio. Her bastardized version of yoga just wasn’t enough to prepare her for this trek through the wilderness.

Kylus took her by the hand, and Chloe welcomed the warmth he radiated.

As a human, she couldn’t offer him a mate bond, but there were plenty of happily mated human-Tallean couples. Ashe and Zeylum were one. Humans could love, and that was almost as good as a mate bond, though not nearly as permanent. Talleans who formed bonds with human mates worked hard to secure this love and make sure it didn’t wane over time.

Chloe hadn’t been looking for a relationship. She hadn’t thought herself ready for one. After her months as property on a Dominion ship, all she’d wanted was freedom; she’d never wanted to be tied down again.

Would it be so bad with Kylus?

Stop! She was getting way ahead of herself! They hadn’t even had a second kiss yet.

They were at the edge of town now, but instead of heading farther in, Kylus found a round tunnel closed off by a metal grate. He took a rock and bashed open the rusted lock. The lock looked as if it had seen better days, and so did the grate, more signs of the intense weather patterns this area must suffer.

A gust of wind almost swept Chloe off her feet. She squeaked as the air current carried her several feet forward. Kylus reached out and swung her back into the protective shelter of his wide shoulders.

He radiated heat, and Chloe pressed herself into his chest. The air had gotten much colder in the short time they’d been traveling.

“We stay here tonight, safe from the winds.” He led her inside the dark tunnel.

Chloe clung to him, unable to see once past the first bend. Kylus walked in assuredly as if he saw perfectly well in the dark. Talleans had exceptional night vision.

“Sit.” He guided her to sit on a raised platform before leaving her there.

Chloe rubbed at the goosebumps forming on her arms. She missed Kylus’s closeness already. The only reason she wasn’t freaking out about being in a pitch-black tunnel on an alien planet was that she could hear Kylus moving in the cave and dragging things around.

A spark lit the room; then it was dark again. A few moments later, Kylus had a fire going with a few branches that he’d found at the entrance of the tunnel

They had no food, and just the water in Kylus’s flask, which smelled as though it had held something alcoholic until recently. The wind was also howling outside, but the tunnel kept out the worst of it. And they did have each other.

“Come,” Kylus said, pulling her to lie on top of him as he lay on the dirt floor. “I will cushion you and keep you warm. Sleep. The sooner you sleep, the faster it will be morning.”

Chloe hadn’t realized how exhausted she was. It had been an eventful day, and she’d traveled more than she had in previous years combined. She rested her head on Kylus’s chest, and before she knew it, she slept.

CHAPTER 11

Chloe poked the small piece of meat Kylus had cut off his larger portion for her. The last piece of food she’d tried had been so spicy she’d thought her taste buds would never recover. Giant gulps of the strange bitter drink later, she was hungry enough to try again.

Kylus hadn’t acted as if the food was spicy at all. Chloe knew some Talleans enjoyed their food high on the Scoville scale, but she hadn’t realized how high. The spicy food on the cruise ship had been clearly labeled; she now understood why.

She didn’t have her own plate. When they’d walked into the rustic-looking eatery, the lone attendant had automatically assumed her to be Kylus’s human slave. She didn’t mind, as long as it meant they fit in and didn’t catch anyone’s attention. She recalled her old training and played the part.

Kylus had taken one look at the menu and declared that she’d eat his leftovers instead.

“You don’t want what they are serving the slaves,” he’d whispered as the server walked away. “We’ll share.”

Chloe tasted the new piece of food. It was much more palatable, though still spicy for her. She ate it anyway. It was that or stay hungry.

The door opened, and in walked a group of males who looked as if they’d been working in the sun all morning. Despite the cold, howling winds last night, this morning had seen the sun beating down on them with no remorse.

The group sat themselves, and the server nodded to them like they were regulars. He turned on some sort of news report, and all four turned to watch.

These males looked scary, but nothing like the pirates from the ship. Something had been very wrong with those who’d attacked the Star Beauty.

A few minutes later, the server brought out four identical meals and set them on their table. They hadn’t needed to order.

Random eyes kept straying from the screen and landing on her. They heated her skin with nervous energy. Worried that one of them would come over and ask if she was available for rent, Chloe focused on the wood grain of the table, not wanting to attract more attention.

Kylus put a large hand on her knee and squeezed. She looked up into his face and calmed. She had her very own predator to protect her. She’d witnessed him in bloodlust, and he was terrifying in the best possible way. They’d been in such a rush getting off the ship that he hadn’t had the chance to put the bloodlust to good use, but she’d bet the pirates would’ve had no chance against him.

She’d heard that Talleans who went into bloodlust were often horny afterward. Too bad Kylus and she had immediately gotten into the escape shuttle with the other couple, and nothing had come of it.

Nothing had happened last night either, though she had passed out almost immediately and hadn’t woken until morning when the windstorm was over. She’d woken herself up with how loud her stomach was growling; the sound had echoed in the tunnel.

Suddenly, the words from the news report became very clear in her ears, even though she hadn’t been paying attention. They were talking about the cruise liner attack. She glanced up at the screen.

On one side of the screen was a list—she still couldn’t read many of the Tallean glyphs—but it looked like a list, and on the other side was a numerical amount. The numbers she could read; they were prices or credit values. After the credit value, some items on the list had an image of a person. They all listed where they could find more info.

Chloe frowned. This wasn’t like any news report she’d ever watched on Reka 5 or on the ship. This wasn’t just news. This was a list of jobs.

The voice speaking over the scrolling list continued, telling how the pirates were still locked in combat with the cruise ship and its escort.

Still? It was the next morning. Shouldn’t help have arrived already? Maybe it was for the best they weren’t showing any footage. Chloe worried about her co-workers and the guests on the ship. Was Zacani safe?

Chloe felt guilty that she had gotten out while her friends and co-workers were still stuck. Seeing the ship being bombarded would have made things worse.

Bored by the endless rolling text, she ignored the screen and focused on the food in front of her.

As the news report moved onto the next subject, Chloe realized Kylus had gotten very tense. He tried to keep his face neutral, but a hint of a scowl darkened his features. He gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles were white.

Chloe’s skin prickled as she realized all four males had their attention on her, even though they weren’t looking directly. She felt like prey in a room full of predators.

CHAPTER 12

It wasn’t the news about the cruise liner that had Kylus’s hackles raised; it was the conversation between the males at the other table. They were talking about human females.

Confused about why the Dominion would offer credits to retrieve slaves that were clearly disobedient, the one male had speculated that human females must be exceptional bed partners. His comrade had agreed.

“I heard many on board the Defiant had taken human slaves. All of them female.”

The Defiant was Zeylum’s ship. None of the females there were slaves, though they often pretended to be to make travel easier in public.

“And the Jorkil crew down south have a human they share,” another male added. “I asked to rent her once, and they nearly took off my head. They are very possessive of her.”

“The Jorkil crew? They could not afford an old hag for a slave; they must have stolen her. She must have a magic pussy if they won’t sell or rent her.”

Then the talk had moved to where they too could get their hands on an Earth female. That was when their attention had landed on Kylus and Chloe.

No words were exchanged after that, but Kylus knew they were sizing him up to see if the four of them could take him and if it was worth it.

If the idea of owning a human female wasn’t reason enough to encourage the four males to take action, then a bounty definitely was. A new job showed up at the bottom of the list; it flashed a few times, drawing everyone’s attention.

There, next to a decent-sized bounty, was an image of Chloe’s face with a slave collar around her neck. She looked thinner in the image, less healthy, but it was undeniably her. Some captain or another wanted her alive and unharmed. The details listed her as last seen onboard the Star Beauty.

Fuck! Kylus had expected to run into trouble because of his own past, not because of hers. He knew better than to hope the other males didn’t see the new job scrolling past. Even now they were watching Chloe more carefully and whispering among themselves.

“Are you looking for room and board?” asked the server, who hadn’t been paying attention to the broadcast. “You look as if you’ve traveled far. We have a spare room we can offer.”

If it weren’t for the four males scenting his Chloe like their next meal, he would have agreed. But now he needed to move. One on one, he’d have no trouble taking these males, but he had a feeling they were going to jump him all at once. He might still come out victorious, but such a fight would be dangerous to any bystander, including Chloe.

As much as he wanted to give in to the bloodlust and feel the strength and power coursing through his veins, he also knew that avoiding a fight until his crew arrived was the safest option. Usually, he didn’t choose the safest option; he would’ve welcomed the fight, even four-on-one.

But he had a female to worry about now. What would happen to Chloe if he got hurt? Surely, these would not be the only males looking for extra credits who would recognize her. With him gone, more would come.

Kylus swore to himself that this captain would never see Chloe in the flesh again.

Chloe was his. He hadn’t claimed her yet, and they hadn’t tested compatibility, but a part of him knew the testing was not needed. They were compatible. They had to be.

He motioned for the server to get closer, then said quietly, “I don’t need a room, but I need a favor. I will pay you the price for the room if you do this for me.”

He instructed the server to delay the four males at the other table. Kylus wasn’t sure the server would actually do it, considering these were his regulars, so he offered a second transfer of credit that would only go through if the job was done and no one else followed him out of the eatery. The longer the server kept the males occupied, the larger the sum he would receive.

The server greedily agreed.

Then Kylus guided Chloe out of the restaurant.

“Hurry.” Kylus broke into a slow jog, pulling Chloe behind him. “I don’t know how long the server will keep them. We need to make the most of our head start.”

“I wasn’t paying attention to the men until I felt all their eyes on me. What’s going on?”

“Who is Captain Veklum?”

She stiffened at the name, moving more robotically, but didn’t reply.

“He is your former owner,” he guessed. “You were a job on the list. He knew you were on the Star Beauty and put a price on your return.”

“Shit!” She shook herself off and ran a little faster, enough that she panted a step behind him, not able to speak anymore.

Kylus soon realized that even at this slow pace, Chloe could not keep up. He scooped her up, and with one arm under her shoulders and another one under her knees, he ran the best he could. They needed to get as far away as possible.

Once the males got out, they’d start gaining on them. Kylus could set some traps in the woods to slow them down more. The ultimate goal was to maintain a gap until nightfall, and then the wind would keep them pinned down until morning.

Hopefully his crew would arrive by then. If not, and these males were still on their tail, Kylus would be forced to fight. A part of him worried what Chloe would think of him when he fought. He knew some humans were disgusted by such a display of violence.

He hoped Chloe was not one of them. Humans did not form mate bonds, which meant if he wanted this female as his mate, he must make her love him.

Kylus growled in frustration at the direction his thoughts had gone. They hadn’t even tested compatibility yet, and here he was, wondering how to make her stay with him forever. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He needed to get a hold of himself. With four pirates on his tail, he needed all his wits about him.

CHAPTER 13

Chloe watched as Kylus set up a trap for the thugs following them. The server must have done a great job, because it was late in the afternoon now, and there were still no signs of the four men, though Kylus was sure they still followed.

Every time they got to a location with a narrow passage, Kylus stopped to set a trap. This one would send a log swinging into whoever walked the path. The only way to avoid it was to step into the bushes on either side, which were thickly covered in barbed thorns.

Despite carrying Chloe all afternoon, digging pit traps, and hefting heavy logs, Kylus still insisted he carry her the rest of the way. The rest of the way to where, she didn’t know. She had no idea where they were heading, just that they were moving as fast as they could.

He must be exhausted. And boy, did she feel guilty about it. He wouldn’t have to do all this if it weren’t for her.

“I’m sorry I’m so much trouble for you. Maybe if we split up and I hide in one of the tunnels or a cave, the guys will give up the chase.” And if they didn’t, it would at least get her out of Kylus’s hair. He didn’t deserve this trouble just because he’d tried to save her from some pirates on a ship.

Kylus snarled. “You want me to give up and hand you over? Do you prefer the captain over me?”

“No!” Chloe couldn’t believe he would think that. “I just don’t want you to get hurt trying to protect me. I know they won’t fight fair, and you seem to believe they won’t give up the chase. Which means they’re going to find us unless we keep running. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“You have too little faith in my fighting skills.” Kylus narrowed his eyes. “And even if you do want me to hand you over, I will not. You are mine.”

His? Chloe didn’t know what he meant by that. Did he feel responsible for her because he took her off the ship? Or was it something more?

His communicator buzzed, and Kylus answered it. It was his crew, and they estimated they would arrive tomorrow morning. That meant Kylus and her needed to survive the rest of the day and through the night until his men got here.

She wondered if his crew knew he was bringing on a fugitive. Would they give her up?

“We are not far from town. We will need to find a tunnel soon.”

Chloe frowned. “But we’ve been traveling for hours. How can we still be close to town?”

“I do not know of any naturally formed caves in the area, but there are numerous tunnels surrounding the town. We have been following the perimeter of the settlement, keeping just to the wilderness so they can not follow with a vehicle.” Kylus looked to the sky as the first gust of wind pierced the still air. “We’ll move closer to the edge of town now. The wind comes fast tonight.”

Chloe had no idea how he knew that, but she believed him. A second gust of wind chilled her through despite his thick jacket around her shoulders.

Kylus was about to pick her up again when she stopped him. “Why don’t we try it piggyback-style? It would keep your hands free.” It would hopefully also be easier on him since she’d be the one holding on.

“What is piggyback?”

“Kneel here,” she said. “I’ll show you.”

He did, and Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck. He was slightly sweaty from his exertions, and she inhaled the masculine scent. Why did he smell so yummy?

“Now stand.” She wrapped her legs around Kylus’s waist as he stood. “This is a piggyback.”

“This is how we carry older offspring. It will work.” He started moving, this time much faster without having to hold on to her.

The wind was picking up by the minute, and Chloe was once again surprised at how different night and day were on this moon. The daytimes were warm and humid—almost tropical feeling. It was the perfect climate to grow the dense cover of forest around them.

The nights, on the other hand, were uninhabitable. The wind had howled all last night outside their tunnel. No wonder even thick tree trunks looked windswept.

All the plants and animals of this windy place must have evolved to survive these extremes. Unless all the animals had thick shells, there must be plenty of hiding places for them to shelter for the night. But then again, they’d been traveling since after their midday meal, and Chloe hadn’t seen a single animal.

Maybe they all lived underground. Kylus had warned her about dangerous creatures that burrowed in the ground. It made sense.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the mounded hills bordering the town that contained the tunnel entrances. They were obvious since the town was surrounded by a swathe of flat, treeless land. The artificially created hills stood out like sore thumbs. They seemed to pass a mound with a grated opening every fifteen minutes or so as they traveled.

“Where did all these tunnels come from? And why aren’t they in use anymore?”

“Early colonists used them for shelter. It is rumored that the winds were much worse centuries ago, and digging into the ground was much easier than building freestanding structures.”

As if the wind heard his claim and insisted that it was just as strong now, a blast of wind threatened to blow Chloe right off her alien warrior’s back. She clung on tighter until her biceps and forearms burned with the effort, worried the next gust would simply blow her away.

Her arms were used to serving drinks and platters of finger foods, not to hanging on to Kylus’s tree trunk neck for dear life. She tired soon and started slipping.

Sensing this, Kylus put her on the ground, turned around, and lifted her from the front. “Wrap around me just as before,” he said. Then he gripped her ass tightly to support her weight.

Chloe rested her cheek against his chest, unable to stop herself from sniffing his masculine, natural cologne. As he moved, their bodies rubbed together electrically, and soon something rock-hard sprung up between them, pressing against the front of his black tactical pants.

She knew they were running from trouble, but she couldn’t resist. She rolled her hips, pressing her mound against the enticing erection.

“You’re doing it on purpose,” he growled.

She moaned in response as the movement of his body bumped them together again.

“When I have you safe in a tunnel, I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t know where you end and I begin.”

His words, said through gritted teeth, were the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.

“I can’t wait,” she whispered huskily. Then she bit the nearest patch of soft leathery skin she could reach.

Kylus growled again, gripped her ass hard, and increased his pace. Chloe couldn’t wait to get to their tunnel so she could thank him for protecting her.

CHAPTER 14

Kylus was ready to fuck his tease of a female by the time they reached the safety of the next tunnel. The scent of her arousal had filled his nostrils the whole run here, and the bulge in his pants had made the last part of the trek a torture to endure.

To his delight, this tunnel looked much cleaner than the other. He lay some of the clothes from his pack down on the dirt floor to cushion her bones. This was not the comfortable room on the ship he had wanted to claim her in.

She deserved so much more, but by the looks of it, she didn’t want to wait. Neither did he. Kylus would make sure he found the most extravagant and beautiful places in the future for them to share sex so that he could make it up to her. They had the rest of their lives, if it was up to him.

Kylus pressed his gorgeous female into the makeshift bed, his jacket folded up under her head like a pillow. He was too needy to unwrap her delicately. Instead, he gripped the neckline of her Wildview Starliner Company uniform and tore it right down the center.

Chloe gasped and the scent of her arousal thickened the air.

“Hey,” she protested playfully. “That’s the only top I have here.”

“You can wear my clothes tomorrow.” Kylus wanted her to wear his clothes always. He liked the idea of her surrounded by his scent and wearing his garments. No other male would dare poach on his territory unless they didn’t value their lives.

She wore one of those chest harnesses human females often wore. These “bras” had become all the rage in Tallean trends, except their females wore them alone rather than under clothing. The garment pushed Chloe’s breasts up like an invitation.

With a snarl, Kylus buried his face into her bosom, laving her soft flesh with his tongue and dragging his fangs over her creamy skin.

Chloe shifted her weight and reached behind her, then, as the bra snapped open, her full breasts spilled out into his hands. He covered a pinkish-brown nipple with his mouth and suckled as he smoothed his hands over her body, trying to memorize every curve.

The low ponytail Kylus had pulled his hair back into was now a mess, and Chloe found the leather thong holding it together and pulled it loose. She threaded her fingers through the strands, gripping a small handful. The erotic pressure had his cock throbbing with the need to be inside her.

Kylus continued down her body, licking and and nibbling across her soft belly and past her navel until he reached the waistband of her shorts. The uniform bottoms barely covered her and were not the best option for traveling on the wild moon, but they were common in Tallean culture.

He sat back on his knees, and Chloe’s hands dropped to the silky material under her body. Kylus was pleased he’d invested in quality fabrics, even though his wardrobe was plain. He hadn’t known they would one day cushion this perfect female as he worshipped her.

Kylus grabbed both her ankles and lifted them high into the air, then held both together with one large hand. The bottoms covered so little that most of her rounded buttocks were already on display, even with the shorts on. He brushed his fingers over the pale skin before giving her cheek a soft spank.

His hand bounced off satisfyingly and the sound echoed through the tunnel. He gave the other cheek the same attention before slipping his fingers under the thin fabric of the crotch. Chloe was already wet for him. He explored her slippery folds and pressed a single finger into her, watching her face.

She closed her eyes and parted her lips as she clutched at the clothes cushioning her from the tunnel floor. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and Kylus had a sudden urge to taste it.

He pulled his finger out of her pussy, and as he did, she opened her eyes and watched him. He licked his finger clean, savoring the taste of her, knowing that very soon he’d enjoy it from the source. Then he covered her and devoured his female’s mouth with a human-style kiss.

CHAPTER 15

Chloe’s underwear dampened with her lust as she watched Kylus lick his finger as if it were the tastiest treat in the galaxy. He crawled over her body and kissed her, and the taste of him blended with her own honey exploded in her mouth as he explored every nook and cranny with his tongue.

God! He had a magical tongue. The way he moved it, she almost felt as if he were exploring her pussy instead.

Wanton with need, Chloe bucked her hips, pressing up against the hard erection that threatened to break through the tight confines of his pants. She reached for his waistband, fumbling to undo the fastening so she could access what lay beneath.

As if sensing her need, Kylus ended the kiss and pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his wide, muscular chest. Chloe played her fingers over the hard muscles, licking her lips with a hunger that couldn’t be satiated with food.

He shoved his pants down to his knees, and Chloe swallowed hard at the sight of his cock. It was huge and beautiful. Darker than his tan skin, it bobbed eagerly until she wrapped her fingers around the base. It felt like the hardest steel wrapped in the butteriest leather. The large mushroom-shaped head flared out impossibly wide before a thick, long shaft.

Chloe wasn’t sure she could handle him, but she was willing to try. She pumped it in her hands and a shiny drop of moisture formed on the tip. She leaned in to lick it, and the musky, masculine flavor filled her senses.

Kylus pressed her back down onto the pile of garments and kicked his pants off the rest of the way. Then her shorts came off with a fluid motion. Crawling between her legs, Kylus lifted her knees over his shoulders, exposing her to him.

She squeezed her knees, suddenly feeling insecure. They’d been on the run the entire day, and she wasn’t exactly fresh.

Kylus frowned as her knees squeezed his shoulders. He growled and lightly slapped the inside of her thighs with a hand. She yelped.

“Keep your legs open so I may feast on you.” He spread her pussy with his fingers and licked his lips. “Beautiful. Beautiful and all mine.”

He leaned in and licked her, covering her with his raspy tongue from slit to nub. Chloe moaned as his tongue flicked over her, then thrust his tongue into her pussy as a thumb found her clit and rubbed in slow circles.

The pressure built so quickly it caught her by surprise. She gripped his hand, her fingers of her other hand tightening around the thick wiry strands of his dark hair. She panted into the tunnel, and soon, the pants turned into cries.

Her body was still shaking from her release when Kylus covered her, his lips and tongue continuing to lavish the skin of her throat and neck with attention.

Lining up their bodies, he pushed in, and the thick head of his cock parted her lips. They were such a tight fit it took several thrusts, rocking their hips together before the flared head squeezed in. Chloe moaned low, clutching at Kylus’s rock-hard arms and shoulders and digging her nails into his skin.

Kylus fucked her in slow, easy strokes; each one pushing him deeper and deeper until he was fully seated inside. Chloe had never felt so full before in her life.

He held still as he reached with his large hands to cup her face. “You are perfect, little mate.”

It was dark in the tunnel, but his eyes glowed lightly, and then with their eyes locked together, he started moving again.

Chloe couldn’t stop the cries that filled the tunnel as her alien warrior fucked her. She clung to Kylus, lost in his eyes like he was the thing she’d been searching for since she left Earth. Nothing else mattered on this alien moon—no, in the entire galaxy—but the two of them together. She inhaled him into her lungs. Kylus was all around her, in her, a part of her, and she never wanted it any other way.

He changed his angle and the thick flare of his head hit something inside her that had her screaming louder. Her body climbed higher and higher, and she worried she’d never get back down. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

The shaking started in her belly, and she closed her eyes. As the tingling traveled to every finger and toe, it left her nerve endings sparking like fireflies in the evening sky. Unable to contain so much pleasure, she exploded, her channel pulsing rhythmically around Kylus’s cock.

It took only a few more thrusts before Kylus followed her into ecstasy. He snarled loudly as he came, the feral sound an audible display of his rapture. His body shuddered as he emptied his hot seed into her.

He stayed above her, supporting his weight on his elbows as their breathing slowed. His sweat dripped onto her, but Chloe didn’t mind; she was limp with satisfaction. Reality filtered back in, both of them panting as the howling of the winds outside the tunnel accompanied them.

Finally, he rolled over, separating their bodies. He immediately gathered her into his arms as if he couldn’t bear being apart.

“You are worth more than any bounty,” he whispered into her neck. “The next time I fuck you, it will be in a warm bed with silky sheets.”

Chloe grinned and nestled into Kylus’s warm body. “I can’t wait.”

Sharing sex for the first time with Kylus in an abandoned tunnel while running from pursuers wasn’t what she’d imagined when she first considered breaking her no-fraternizing rule. But she had to admit she’d remember this night and their exciting adventure for the rest of her life. Something like this was hard to forget.

Then, with the wind serenading them outside, they cuddled in each other’s arms and slept.

CHAPTER 16

Kylus frowned at the locked metal door he’d found in the second chamber of their tunnel.

“Where does that go?”

“Some of the original tunnels were connected for easy access between friends and allies.”

The doors connecting them were all locked now, but he did not know if the males following them had access to the keys. They were local.

“You worry they could find us through the connected tunnels.”

He grunted.

That would be the only way the males could access them tonight. The wind was already too strong for safe travel outside. Their pursuers must have taken cover in a nearby tunnel. Did the two tunnels connect?

“Even if they were in a connected tunnel, how would they know we were here? There are dozens of tunnels it could lead to. And they may not have the key. Didn’t you say these tunnels were really old?” She paused at the sound of the howling wind outside. “And I don’t think we have much of a choice but to stay.”

She was probably correct, but Kylus still eyed the door suspiciously.

Before sitting down to eat back in the town today, he had picked up some travel rations, anticipating that they might need to spend another night in a tunnel. He was glad for them now.

Chloe immediately started rehydrating the travel rations as if she’d done it many times before.

“You have eaten this?”

“The Dominion ship I was on didn’t always have fresh food. It was my job to prepare it.” She grinned at him through the glow of the small fire. “I much prefer preparing it for you.”

“For us.”

She smiled even wider, and Kylus leaned over to kiss the top of her head. She tilted it, demanding a human-style kiss on her lips, and Kylus was more than happy to oblige. He enjoyed this alien custom. He enjoyed the taste of his female and the feel of her in his arms.

Reluctantly, he released her. The fire was already dying down, and Kylus needed to gather more flammable material to keep the fire going. This corridor was cleaner than the one they’d been in last night and had less debris to add to the fire. He headed to the mouth of the tunnel.

When the wind died down temporarily, he ran out to pick up any dead brush or branches that had blown up against the passage’s opening or along the side of the mound. He didn’t dare venture too far out. One strong gust was all it would take to pick him up and deposit him far away.

He returned with enough fuel for an hour more of heat and light. He’d have to warm Chloe again, and he looked forward to it.

When he got back to his ship, Kylus would need to thank his captain. If it weren’t for Ratheros’s meddling, forcing him to take a vacation, he would have never met Chloe. Maybe vacations were not such wastes of time after all.

Before Chloe, he’d had no reason to take time off. While all his crewmates went home to visit family, he’d tagged along to one of the largest settlements and found jobs to make some extra credits. It was a lonely endeavor.

He booked a few fights at times too, though Kylus preferred fighting when all his crewmates were there to cheer him on. Going alone was not the same, but he’d had nothing else to do with his time.

Now he had Chloe. She had worked on a cruise liner, which meant she was used to spending much of her life out in space. The Star Beauty was known to visit some of the wildest places in the outer reaches of the civilized galaxy, and according to her coworkers, Chloe often left the ship to explore in the safe zones on these planets. She must enjoy traveling.

Kylus looked forward to every shore leave he’d have from now on. While his crewmates visited their homes, he would explore the galaxy with his mate.

His mate. Chloe was his mate. She had to be. That was the only thing that would explain this pulling in his chest that demanded he hold her and never let go.

CHAPTER 17

Chloe woke with a start. Outside, the wind had died down so the constant howling no longer sounded in the tunnel. It was pitch black; the measly fire having died down over the night. The tunnel was still warm though, speaking volumes of the way they were built.

Kylus was already up, and by the sounds of it, he was stuffing the clothes she wasn’t still lying on back into his bag. She got up off the pile of clothes to let Kylus finish packing up. She threw the jacket she’d been using as a blanket over her shoulders.

There was a tension in the air that made her uneasy. She looked at the metal door, but it was the same as it was yesterday. Nothing had attacked them through it during the night, but something still felt wrong.

It calmed her a bit when Kylus found her in the dark and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

“We must hurry. The wind stopped early today.”

That meant the people after them might already be on their way.

Chloe had expected to exit the tunnel out to the early morning sun, but the sky was still dark. Even the stars were muted tonight. Unable to see where she was going, she held onto Kylus’s arm.

Kylus saw perfectly fine in the dark. He scooped her into his arms and continued walking with her in a bridal hold as he had done for a few hours yesterday. Soon, the sky lightened just enough for Chloe to see a greenish reflection from her alien warrior’s eyes. Reminding her of predators in the dark, it must contribute to his superb night vision.

Tension radiated off Kylus’s body as they moved through the forest. Something was following them; even she felt it. It seemed as if enemies would pop out of every unwatched nook and cranny. Even the sky itself seemed capable of double-crossing them.

Kylus stopped suddenly, setting her on her feet.

“Whatever you do, do not run into the bare patches of dirt,” he warned.

Chloe saw the patches he meant; the rich, dark soil lay flat and loose on the ground, devoid of vegetation. Kylus had avoided those areas religiously as they traveled.

He pushed her behind him, shielding her body with his large frame. It was light enough now Chloe could see the two shadowy forms he was reacting to.

She could also see a thin layer of fog had settled on the land. It hovered a foot off the ground. The same fog had greeted them yesterday morning when they’d come out of the first tunnel. The bright sun combined with the layer of fog had been a strange sight. The ground and vegetation, parched from an entire night of being blown around, had sucked it up readily, just as it was doing now.

Chloe glanced around looking for the other two Talleans, but they were nowhere to be seen. There were only two of them now. The traps from yesterday must have injured the others. That was good, wasn’t it? Two versus one wasn’t that bad of odds, especially if Kylus was as good a fighter as he claimed to be.

He did seem to stand taller and straighter than the rest. He moved with an unrivaled grace as he started toward the two males.

“Hand her over!” one of the aliens shouted, still keeping his distance. “Our business is not with you.”

“You want her? You have to get through me first.”

“Suit yourself.” The closer of the two males said the words as he pulled a blaster out from his belt.

Behind him, his friend changed. His eyes glowed unnaturally bright as his canines elongated from their normal position, his cheeks uncreased, and his jaws unhinged. He let out a terrifying roar.

Chloe shrank back, hiding behind a thick yet twisted trunk, trying to make herself disappear into the woodwork. These aliens meant business.

She’d been terrified the first time she’d seen a Tallean in bloodlust. It had been at a deathmatch her former owner had taken her to. Before then, she hadn’t realized what the cheek creases were for. The captain had never gone into bloodlust; he spent most of his time hiding on a ship and ordering his men around.

When she’d gotten to Reka 5, she was shocked to see many of the guards going into the altered state easily and often. It helped them protect the colony from the beasts that frequently spilled in from the wilderness. For those living in the outer planets, bloodlust was needed for survival.

The male raised his blaster, but before he could shoot, Kylus leaped at him with a roar, his face and jaws morphing mid-air. By the time he landed in front of his opponent, Kylus had turned into a total beast.

He kicked with his clawed feet, knocking the blaster from the other Tallean’s hand. The weapon flew over the nearby vegetation and landed on a patch of bare dirt.

The sun was at the horizon now, slowly filling the sky with light. It was just enough illumination for Chloe to see as a tentacle-like appendage snuck out of the dirt. It writhed around, looking for what had disturbed its patch.

Once the creepy snake-like appendage found the blaster, a massive head shot out of the dirt, its rows of pointy teeth gleaming with saliva. It snatched the blaster up and disappeared back into the dirt so quickly Chloe wondered if she’d actually seen it. By the time the involuntary gasp left her mouth, it was already gone. The only sign it had ever been there was a small divot in the dirt.

With his weapon lost, the other male balled his hands into fists and launched them at Kylus. Kylus moved swiftly, dancing between the clumsy fists and expertly avoiding every punch. His attacker threw his body weight into the last strike, and when his hands made no impact, the force threw him off balance.

Kylus used this to his advantage, grabbing his opponent by his shirt and redirecting his momentum. He threw the guy into the same patch of dark soil his blaster had fallen into.

Chloe watched, petrified, as the first tentacle wriggled up from the dark. The Tallean male gripped it with both hands and twisted, pulling the tentacle in two. A split second later, a dozen tentacles shot up, quick as lightning. They all oriented on the poor sap in the dirt.

Chloe couldn’t look away from the horror still playing out in front of her, even when Kylus grunted as the thug in bloodlust landed a solid blow on him in her peripheral vision. It was as if her eyes were held hostage as the numerous tentacles immobilized their prey.

Then, just as before, the massive head that reminded her of a moray eel sprung out from the ground. It snapped at the perfectly wrapped morsel in its tentacles, biting it in half and spilling a pile of guts onto the dirt.

Chloe was finally able to tear her eyes away. She felt sick and was glad she hadn’t eaten anything yet today; else it would have been all over the ground.

A yell had her snapping her attention back at the two battling Talleans. Kylus was injured; four parallel gouges ripped his shirt across the chest. Red seeped from the wounds beneath. He favored that side of the body, lurching out of the way as his opponent attacked again.

The other Tallean male attacked wildly, snarling like a beast until he had Kylus pinned against the trunk of a large tree. He punched, and Kylus dodged just in time so the fist landed on the rough bark, bloodying the knuckles.

Kylus ducked and rolled, putting much-needed space between his attacker and him, and Chloe finally breathed again.

But that was when she realized they weren’t alone. A shuttle had landed while they were preoccupied, and the males streaming out did not look like they were Kylus’s crew.

One of them saw Chloe and grinned.

CHAPTER 18

Kylus hadn’t noticed the shuttle until it was already landing, and then it had distracted him enough for his opponent to land a hit on him. He didn’t recognize the shuttle, which meant it was not his crew.

The unknown males filing out of the shuttle confirmed his suspicion that the local gangs had gotten the news of Chloe’s whereabouts. They were here for her. One of them saw her and rounded on her immediately, his face full of greed at the credits he would make.

Kylus ignored the opponent he was facing and sprinted toward his female. The newcomer was already on her, and Chloe fought back like a cornered wild animal, scratching and biting at whatever she could reach.

With an angry snarl, Kylus ripped her attacker off her and shoved him to the ground. The other male kicked up with his legs, the claws of his feet extended, but Kylus danced out of the way. He landed a well-aimed kick of his own at the outlaw’s hip. The male roared in pain as Kylus’s talons ripped through the protective layer of his pants.

But now, the first attacker had caught up with them. He threw a punch, and Kylus dodged in time for the male’s knuckles to just graze the side of his head. He grabbed the extended arm with both hands and jerked down, flipping his attacker over, then he landed on top of the downed male with a thud and a groan.

Chloe’s scream had Kylus searching wildly for her. She kicked and fought as she was dragged roughly by her hair toward the shuttle.

Red filled his vision as he stalked toward her attacker, but a pair of thugs blocked him, preventing him from tearing off the male’s hand for daring to touch his Chloe. Frustrated, he charged at one of them, ramming him with his shoulder. His opponent stumbled back, and Kylus shoved him hard toward the dark patch of dirt.

The sand monster had eaten and wouldn’t be too hungry, but it would still send its tentacles up to hold its prey as it waited to digest the food already in its stomach. Food was scarce, and it wouldn’t waste a good meal. It probably hadn’t eaten so well its entire life.

Kylus whipped back around to face the second male, but he was already back at the shuttle. Chloe was gone.

Fuck!

Kylus ran toward the shuttle, but it was already too late. The craft lifted into the air with his mate inside. His angry roar shook the very ground.

With his bounty target gone, the original male who had attacked them tried to slink off into the woods. The thug he had landed on was dead, probably of his doing. Did the male believe he could get away this easily? He was part of the reason why Chloe was not in his arms this very moment.

Kylus rushed his escaping target, his lips curled back in rage. The male turned to protect himself, but it was too late. Kylus grabbed him and flung him against the trunk of a tree. He landed with a thud and a few small branches rained down on them from above.

Not giving his opponent any time to recover, Kylus kicked out, aiming high for the neck. The body was tossed to the ground by the impact. Partially severed by sharp talons, the male’s head flopped to the side as red sprayed from the wounds to decorate the tree trunks and gushed out to fertilize the soil.

Kylus snarled, looking for more victims to feed his rage, but the only one left alive was the one he’d thrown into the dirt. Killing him quickly now was a mercy he did not deserve. Kylus breathed in and out, slowly, deliberately, as he forced back the bloodlust.

He hated that Chloe wasn’t here right now to ease the transition. This was his failure. He had not protected her adequately.

In the sky, another shuttle appeared in the morning rays—this one he recognized. Perfect timing as always, arriving after the fight was over and the female was gone. The shuttle landed on the only patch of land left that wasn’t a tree or naked dirt, over the half-beheaded body.

Ratheros stepped out and looked around, eyeing the mess.

“Stars! You couldn’t stay out of trouble for a little longer?”

Behind him was the ship’s mechanic. “Why do we always arrive after a fight? My fists were getting itchy.”

Then they noticed Kylus’s less than excited reaction to their arrival.

“Your fists will get some action soon. We must retrieve my female.”

“Your female?”

Kylus grunted, not wanting to explain right now.

He reached for the body on the ground and ripped off a patch from the dead male’s jacket. All the attackers who had come out of the shuttle had worn these on their garments, including the one now stuck in the dirt. They were a different group from the first four who had followed them yesterday. Kylus approached the male, who the sand monster had so neatly trussed up for him.

Kylus needed to rescue his mate, and this male would give him all the information he needed.

CHAPTER 19

Chloe curled up into a ball and made herself as small as she could in the back seat of the transport. She was trapped here with three thugs, and one of them was very unhappy with her. Maybe unhappy was the wrong word. He was furious.

It wasn’t her fault he’d decided to lean in just as she kicked hard. She’d broken his nose. He deserved it though; all of them here deserved more if you asked her.

They were ecstatic at having found their next meal ticket.

“Quit your moaning,” said the pilot. “You can get your nose fixed with the credits you get from this job. I think you look better with a broken nose anyway. Maybe the females will pity fuck you now.”

“Fuck off!” Broken Nose punched the pilot, and the shuttle swerved.

Chloe hissed as she slammed into the wall of the shuttle and hit her head.

Broken Nose glared back at her. “I say I break her nose to make it even.” He made to come back to the passenger area, his beady eyes focused on Chloe.

The last male, who was in the backseat with Chloe, blocked his friend. “The bounty notice clearly stated the female must be returned undamaged. We worked too hard to lose this bounty. We lost Yalix and the new recruit.”

The other alien glowered. “Yalix was useless anyway. More for us.”

“There will be none for anybody if you hurt her. Her owner made it plenty clear.”

“It was supposed to have been an easy job,” the pilot said. “She’s just a human female. No one mentioned anything about a crazed fighter.”

“Maybe he wanted her for the bounty as well.” The outlaw in the backseat pressed a button on the side of the shuttle and a video feed of the air space around them showed up on the shuttle wall. “I don’t see anyone following us. Maybe the other male killed him.”

“I don’t think he had a shuttle, but a shuttle arrived in the area just as we were leaving. It might be his team here to retrieve her,” the pilot said. “We must make the exchange as soon as possible before they make it difficult for us. I want those credits.”

They landed in a small settlement. Unlike the town they were in before, which had low single-story buildings, this small village consisted of many crude, dome-shaped huts. Domes most likely held up best against the high winds.

In contrast to the larger town where the hills containing the tunnels were made of dirt and covered in vegetation, this area looked sandier, more like a desert. The windstorms must be horrific here. Instead of large trees and forests, the immediate surroundings were covered in low brush, which would do nothing to slow the scouring winds.

They shoved Chloe toward the largest of the domes situated at the center of the settlement. The door opened, and they pushed her inside. The visible dome was just the entranceway to a much larger building dug into the ground. The building seemed to be a recreational room, maybe a bar.

A group in the corner played a game of knives—like darts but played on a moving target set on track. More outlaws sat around the central low table. They all looked up as she entered, nodded to the males behind her, and then went back to whatever they were doing.

One of the guys playing knives frowned and walked over. “Where is Yalix?”

“He did not make it,” said the one who had piloted the shuttle. “There was a lone mercenary and another team after her. They were already fighting when we arrived.”

“Fuck. Yalix still owed me credits.” Then he wandered back to his game of knives.

The pilot sat Chloe down on one of the large couches. Looking her straight in the eyes, he said, “We are in the middle of the wilderness. You will not find cover before nightfall. It is useless to run.” Then he left her there.

Broken Nose rounded on her immediately. “I say we tie her up.”

“You’re just upset she got the drop on you,” said the same guy who’d stopped him in the shuttle. “Lay a hand on her, and I will personally remove a finger for every credit we lose.”

Broken Nose huffed and stomped away.

The last outlaw from the shuttle addressed Chloe. “Don’t try to run, female. You will not even survive until the windstorms. The sands here hide beasts even worse than the ones in the black dirt.”

Then Chloe was alone in the busy room.

Was it silly to hope that Kylus had come out victorious and was now searching for her? She had been nothing but trouble for him, but no matter which way she looked at it, she couldn’t say she regretted spending time with him.

They were compatible. Even as a human who couldn’t form a mate bond, she knew it. She had never felt so comfortable around anyone else before. It was as if they were meant to be together. When she was around him, she was at home.

Chloe buried her face in her palms. The idea of going back to the Dominion captain after meeting Kylus made her want to puke. One was everything she’d ever wanted, and the other was everything she abhorred.

She had to believe that Kylus would come. She had to believe that he had survived. And most importantly, she had to believe that her wild fighter felt the connection as much as she did.

She just had to hold out for as long as she could. Her hero would come.

CHAPTER 20

It didn’t take long for Kylus to get all the information he needed from the male stuck in the dirt pit. A good thing too, because the monster holding him had finally moved its first meal to another part of its stomach and was hungry again. In three quick bites, the outlaw was gone, and the tentacles wriggled back into the soil.

“Ugh.” Kore, his ship’s mechanic, made a face. “I’m glad I don’t live here. I don’t know why anyone would want to live on this moon.”

Piling into their shuttle, they headed east toward the closest patch of dry sandy land. It wasn’t quite a desert. There weren’t any true deserts on this moon unless you counted the side that was always in darkness. There was no life there at all.

Night and day only existed on one half of this moon. The nights were created as the planet this moon orbited blocked the light from the nearby star. The moon was always oriented with the same face toward the star as it moved through space. Every morning as the wind left, a thick humid fog settled on the land. It was quickly absorbed by everything after the parched windswept hours.

It took some searching to find the low-profile, rounded domes. Made to disappear into their surroundings, the domes were well-camouflaged.

Kylus needed to know Chloe was safe. He gritted his teeth as they watched the domes, trying to count the number of outlaws moving between the buildings. Sometime around the midday meal, more pirates came out from the smaller domes and entered the large one. This was a bad time to retrieve Chloe. They would need to wait until the group separated after their meal.

Kylus felt naked without his regular weapons. Not realizing this wasn’t a routine pickup, Ratheros and Kore had not brought them. He had to be happy with an inferior blaster found on one of the bodies. The better firearm had been swallowed by the monster in the ground.

“The rest of the crew will be upset they stayed behind. You know how much they hate missing out on the action.” Kore strapped on his armor. “I can’t believe you have a female.”

“The others chose not to come.” Ratheros looked almost smug as he said it. “I cannot believe you have a female either.”

“You haven’t told us why these pirates want her.”

“I will explain why when she is safely on our ship.”

Kylus wasn’t sure how his captain would react to him bringing an Earth female with such a large bounty on her head onto his ship. He wasn’t worried they would exchange her for the bounty, however. His crew would never work with the Dominion.

They watched the domes closely for a while and concluded that the central dome must be a communal space. They probably kept Chloe inside.

“What is your female’s name?” his captain asked.

“Chloe.”

The two males paused. Ratheros was the first to speak. “That is not a Tallean name.”

“She is human.”

They caught on quickly. “The Star Beauty was attacked by pirates with the aim of retrieving human females for the Dominion. That is why the pirates have her.”

He hadn’t guessed about the bounty yet, and Kylus wasn’t going to offer the information, not until Chloe was sequestered away in his quarters.

The first of the pirates left the larger main building and returned to their private domes. Then slowly, more and more of them left.

Now was the time. Kylus held back an over-eager snarl. He would rescue his female and claim her as his own, for now and always. And if these pirates had harmed her in any way, they would all die painful deaths.

CHAPTER 21

Chloe eyed Broken Nose warily as more of the pirates left the main area one-by-one after their midday meal. She really didn’t want to be alone with him. She doubted he cared much about the credits right now, just his crooked nose.

Stars! She sure hoped some of the others would stay behind.

Having lived for years with so many Talleans in the outer planets, Chloe had picked up many of their sayings and had adopted them into her vocabulary both vocally and mentally. Calling to the Stars sure beat praying to the Goddess as they did in the Dominion.

It had been hours, Kylus still hadn’t arrived, and Chloe was beginning to doubt. What if she wasn’t important enough to come after? What if only she had felt the connection, and he had considered their testing a failure?

Impossible. Kylus had called her “little mate” back in the tunnel last night, but that could have been a slip of the tongue. Still, Chloe was sure he felt the connection too.

What if he was gravely injured during the fight? What if he was…dead?

No! Her brain refused to believe it. She couldn’t have finally found someone she wanted a mating bond with, only to lose him immediately. It wasn’t fair. She refused to believe the universe was that cruel.

She’d already been taken away from her home on Earth and displaced lightyears away to the opposite side of the galaxy. She had already lost all her family and friends and been forced to rebuild her life from scratch.

It was time she caught some good luck for once. She had to believe Kylus was still out there and that he was coming.

The group that had been playing knives when she first came in walked out together. There were only a few of them now, and it looked as if the others were going to leave as well.

Chloe looked around for a weapon, glad that they hadn’t tied her hands. She needed to get out of here now, even if it meant facing the monsters in the wild and the night winds that would surely come.

One of the pirates sitting near her and watching her with interest had left his flask on the couch. They hadn’t offered her anything to eat at all, nor anything to drink. Her mouth was parched and cottony. She had to figure out water as well if she wanted to escape.

She picked up the flask, opened it, and sniffed. It was water. She took a sip and it was stale and warm, but she still appreciated it. It was better than nothing.

Her search for a weapon wasn’t as fruitful, however. There was nothing here she could use to fend Broken Nose off. So she went for her second plan and looked for a way to cause a distraction.

The two males sitting in the corner got up and started to head toward the door. Broken Nose moved as well, but he moved toward her instead.

Shit! Her time was up.

Chloe looked down at the flask in her hand. It was heavy and strung onto a leather cord. If she swung it hard enough and aimed for his already-broken nose, it would hurt. It could give her just enough time to run for the door.

As far as plans went, this was a shitty one, but she had no other choice.

The stench of alcohol grew strong as Broken Nose neared. He’d been steadily drinking all day to stop the pain in his face. It just made his nose and face swell worse. Chloe hoped it meant his responses were slower than usual too.

The other two were gone now, and they were the only ones left.

Chloe stood and backed away from the couch, putting the low table between them.

“You little bitch.” The words came out slurred as he stumbled around the obstacle. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for hours.”

He reached for her, and Chloe reacted. She swung the metal flask at his face, praying her aim was true despite her shaking hands and pounding heart. The flask hit his face with a crunch.

The drunk Tallean covered his nose, swearing and cursing. For good measure, Chloe swung the flask on the leather strap several times, building momentum, then she let it fly at his crotch. It was a cheap move, but considering he was almost seven feet tall and probably weighed more than twice she did, Chloe didn’t care.

Then, she ran.

CHAPTER 22

Kylus wanted to charge in weapons blazing but knew a stealthy approach would be more effective. Sneaking up on the two guards the pirates had posted was easy. They hadn’t expected anyone to come all the way out here.

His team were almost at the external domes when Chloe came running out the front door of the central building.

Next to him, Ratheros straightened. His captain sent him a questioning look, and Kylus tilted his chin once in affirmation.

A pirate lumbered after her, his movements awkward. The male’s face was red, and there was blood streaming from his nose. The pirate leaped at Chloe, sending her sprawling on the sandy loam with a yell.

The angry male straddled his Chloe, and Kylus couldn’t stop the roar that tore from his lungs. So much for stealth. He charged at the pirate, who had his arms raised about to strike at his mate.

The idiot had inadvertently signed his death warrant.

Seconds later, Kylus pulled the dead male off his mate and punched him again and again in the face. His nose was already broken. It must have been Chloe’s work. His female was no weakling.

The pirates poked their heads out of their domes, curious about the commotion. They saw what was happening and immediately ducked back in to prepare for a fight.

“He’s dead,” Chloe said, her small hands on his arm, pulling him away from his victim.

With his teeth and cheeks half stuck in bloodlust, Kylus couldn’t speak, so he reached for Chloe instead and held her close to his chest. He inhaled her now-familiar scent, and it helped calm him. Chloe clung to him, both of them not wanting to let go of the other.

“Come,” Ratheros urged. “We must go.”

Ratheros and Kore shot at the pirates who were just now coming out of the domes, giving them time to retreat. Kylus reached for his own weapon but realized his fists were bleeding and his fingers were swollen. Skulls were sharp when fractured.

He held the blaster in his other hand instead and helped his crew lay down cover as they ran toward their shuttle.

The operation had gone more smoothly than he’d expected. They’d thought they would need to fight their way into the camp, rescue Chloe, then fight their way back out again. Instead, Chloe had run out to them, partially rescuing herself.

Kylus was almost disappointed he didn’t have more skulls to crush. But the most important thing was that Chloe was safe, or she would be once they got her back to his ship.

He knew these pirates had the ability to hunt down their ship and cause trouble for them in space, but he doubted they valued her bounty that much. It was a decent bounty for one person, but their crew was at least a dozen strong and split among so many, the bounty was not substantial enough to take such risks.

Instead of strapping Chloe down into her own seat, Kylus pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her like a safety harness. She watched the other two males curiously.

“This is my captain, Ratheros, and our mechanic, Kore.”

Chloe reached out to Ratheros, who was not piloting the shuttle, but before his captain could take her hand in the human gesture called a handshake, Kylus growled. He couldn’t help but feel extremely possessive and protective of her after losing her for a few hours.

Chloe gasped and sent him a shocked look.

Ratheros snatched his hand away. “I have no intention of poaching.”

“I feel irrationally possessive of you, my mate. I know my captain has no ill intention, but I cannot help it.” Kylus bent and buried his nose into her hair. “I will calm once you are safe in my quarters and I have thoroughly claimed you.”

She frowned. “Did you just call me your mate?”

He arranged her in his lap and tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. “You are my mate, Chloe, and I am yours. Nothing will ever change that, for as long as I live.”

CHAPTER 23

Chloe leaned back against the soft sheets. She had expected Kylus’s quarters to be sparsely furnished. Instead, his bed was lined with soft, silky sheets and blankets, and the floors were padded with thick, plush carpeting not found in the common areas of the ship. It wasn’t something she’d expected of a mercenary who moonlit as a fighter.

She wasn’t going to complain right now, though, because the sumptuous fabric was cushioning her bones and making her feel like a million bucks.

When they’d come onto the ship, Kylus had carried her through it quickly in his arms, not bothering to stop to introduce her to his crew. They’d passed several of his crew members, who’d had curious looks on their faces. She would have to make an effort to meet everyone once Kylus got past this possessive state he was in.

When Kylus had first called her his mate back in the shuttle, Chloe had been so happy she’d plastered his face in kisses, right in front of his captain. It was strange to feel so attached to someone after only a few days together, but that was the way things worked. Some bonds formed quickly, and others took months to build.

She’d thought it would take time for her to get used to having a mate, but the idea sank in and felt right almost immediately. They hadn’t known each other long, but she’d never been more comfortable with anyone else.

When she’d left the port on Reka 5, she’d been looking for adventure, a way to feel alive and free after losing her home on Earth. She hadn’t expected to end up mated, but she had to admit the last few days had been chock full of adventure. More adventure, in fact, than she needed for a very long time.

In just a few short days, her ship had been shot at and boarded by pirates. She had escaped and landed on a moon full of outlaws. Her previous owner had put a bounty on her head, and she’d been chased across the moon full of dangerous monsters and deadly windstorms.

Right now, the last thing she needed was more adventure. Unless, of course, it was the kind that happened in bed with her mate. And judging by the hungry look in Kylus’s eyes as he stalked toward her, he felt the same.

He’d gone to clean the blood and dirt from his fist, and now the appendage was neatly wrapped in bandages. He had hurt his hand and gone terrifyingly feral, just for her. Chloe knew that as long as Kylus was around, she would be safe.

“Chloe.” The way he growled her name started the tingling in her belly.

He had promised that the next time he fucked her, it would be on soft sheets, and she had a feeling it was about to happen right now.

“My top looks wonderful on you as a dress, but unless you want me to rip it from your body, you better take it off now.” Kylus’s words were a sexy growl, the sound sending tendrils of need to Chloe’s belly.

Not wanting to walk around his ship naked after this, she quickly stripped off his top, which she’d combined with one of his belts into a short dress. In front of her, Kylus was already tossing his clothes onto the chair.

He gave her a push, and Chloe fell back down onto the soft sheets.

She gasped as he covered her immediately, not even giving her a moment to think. He devoured her with his eyes, hands, and mouth until she was so filled with lust she thought she would crack. Chloe squirmed impatiently under his rock-hard body as his erection pressed against the inside of her thigh.

“Kiss me,” she demanded as she grabbed handfuls of his hair and guided him up her body.

Hungry lips devoured her, and tongue tangling with his, she moaned into his mouth. As he claimed her mouth, his hands explored her body. He found her breasts, palmed them, and pinched one nipple lightly until she hissed.

“My mate,” he rumbled as he lifted his head to gaze on her body.

Chloe was disappointed when he backed away, but it was only for a second to lift her up and flip her over to her stomach. He pulled her hips up into the air and pushed her chest down onto the mattress, her ass on display like an offering to the Stars.

Kneeling behind her, Kylus grabbed her hips in both hands before covering her pussy with his mouth. She moaned as he licked her thoroughly, his tongue invading her and turning her bones to jelly.

“I could fuck you forever,” he murmured as he came up for air.

“Yes! Please fuck me,” Chloe begged.

Kylus snarled, and Chloe could feel the animalistic sound all the way to her toes. He positioned himself behind her and reached around with one hand to strum at her sensitive clit. Chloe closed her eyes as he played with her. He tested her channel with a pair of fingers and, determining she was thoroughly wet for him, he palmed her ass and guided her back onto his cock.

The position made him feel thicker than before. Chloe whimpered as he pressed into her, and when the flared head popped in, she moaned low, feeling ridiculously full.

He moved slowly at first as her body gripped his shaft tightly, but soon, her cunt was swallowing him up eagerly. Chloe pushed back, matching his increasing rhythm, each thrust pitching her higher than she thought possible.

A female voice panted and screamed in the room and Chloe realized it was hers. Face pressed against the sheets, she clawed at the mattress as the cord inside wound so tight it threatened to snap.

CHAPTER 24

“So good, my mate, so—” Kylus’s movement became more erratic, uncontrolled.

Turning his face to the ceiling, he pounded wildly into his mate from behind, unable to finish his thought. Chloe was perfection, and there were no thoughts left in his head but of her.

Chloe screamed as she reached her pleasure, her channel milking him as she came. It was too much, and Kylus was coming too, his shout echoing in the chamber.

Hot, sweaty, and breathing hard from his exertion, Kylus withdrew and collapsed onto the bed next to his mate. He draped an arm around her, and she curled up onto her side. They lay there, happy and spent, spooning.

“I don’t think I can move,” she said with a satisfied smile.

“Good, little mate. Then I have done my job well.” He pulled her tighter into his arms.

They would have to leave his quarters eventually to meet the rest of his crew. They’d never let him live down the fact that he’d found his mate on the very vacation he hadn’t wanted to go on. Then, he’d have to admit the Dominion had a bounty on Chloe’s head.

They wouldn’t put her in danger. Kylus trusted his crew like family. They would help keep her safe. These males were the closest thing to a family he’d had until he’d found Chloe.

He bent to kiss the top of her head.

She was his family now, and one day, when she was ready, they could head to Vosthea and enter the fertility program there to have children of their own. A lab there specialized in helping Tallean and human couples conceive.

The idea was that humans must be breeding compatible for the Tallean mating bonds to be triggered so strongly. The ddoctors had been correct. Chloe was only one fertility treatment away from being the mother of his offspring.

He held his future in his arms and closed his eyes. She was safe now, and Kylus would make sure she stayed safe for the rest of his life.

CHAPTER 25

Chloe watched the comm screen of the Death Trap nervously as the call went through. Ratheros had explained with mirth on his face that when they’d first bought the ship almost a decade ago, it was nowhere near space worthy. Over time, they’d made enough improvements that only the shell of the original was left. They’d kept the name.

The screen flashed and Jankar, the eccentric merchant-turned-explorer-turned-co-owner of the Wildview Starliner Company, appeared on the screen. Unlike the bosses Chloe had worked for back on Earth, Jankar really cared about his employees.

His eyes brightened when he saw Chloe on the screen. “You are alive! Thank the Stars! We worried you were taken by the pirates. Zacani saw one of them grab you and she was quite distraught.”

Zacani had watched as the pirate grabbed Chloe, pulling her back toward the sleeping quarters. Then the bartender had been carried away by the rush of people leaving the staff lounge when the door finally opened.

“One of our guests fought the pirate off. I’m on his ship now.”

And this was what she was dreading. She didn’t know how to tell her boss she was staying on Kylus’s ship and not returning to work on the Star Beauty.

“It was the fighter who helped you in the lounge.” Jankar grinned, a genuinely happy expression. “Where is he now?”

“Kylus is waiting outside. I asked for some privacy to make this call.”

“Of course, of course. You are asking to be released from your position on the Star Beauty now that you’ve found your mate.”

So much for worrying about how to break the news.

“This is the best thing that could have happened. When we found you missing, we put your name on the list of those taken by the pirates. Then we found out that the pirates who attacked have not turned over the females they took to the Dominion.” Jankar’s look was that of concern.

“They haven’t?” Chloe frowned, not understanding why they would go through the effort if they didn’t plan on finishing the job.

“The pirates who attacked are sick from a poison, and the Dominion is withholding the antidote. We caught parts of the conversations between the pirates and the Dominion, but negotiations deteriorated quickly.” Jankar leaned into his highbacked chair. “When we found out you had an extra bounty put on your return, we worried you were gone and your previous owner had you. Finding and being protected by your mate is the best possible outcome.”

Chloe wondered what would happen to the women taken by the pirates. Those Talleans had looked sick. One had been stuck in some sort of half-bloodlust, and the rest had that same crazed look though they weren’t as far gone.

She was glad the pirates had decided against giving the women to the Dominion, but they hadn’t returned them either. She thought of the woman who had been grabbed by that scary-looking one and shuddered. Chloe sure hoped they had a plan to retrieve her.

“What are you going to do about the missing women?”

“Don’t you worry. We are sending a team to look for them.” Then more lightly he said, “Congratulations, Chloe. May the Stars look kindly on your mating.” Jankar looked wistful as if he longed for a mate of his own. “I will transfer the credits you have earned so far to your account.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “If you decide you’d rather come back to the Star Beauty, there will always be a job here for you.”

“I really enjoyed my time there, and I’m glad you gave me opportunities to see so many new and wonderful planets. Thank you.”

“We will all miss you, but we’re happy for you. Is there anything you need back here on the ship?”

“Just my clothes and my comm unit.” That comm unit had been the first piece of equipment Chloe had bought for herself once she made enough credits of her own.

“I will get them packed up and sent to your ship.” Then with a wave, Jankar ended the comm.

CHAPTER 26

Kylus paced nervously as he waited for Chloe to finish her communication. He had asked her to stay with him and his crew on the ship, and she had agreed. However, Kylus wasn’t sure if she chose to stay because of duty as his mate or because she really wanted to.

There weren’t many luxuries to be had on a mercenary ship compared to a decked-out cruise liner, even in the staff area. Kylus had invested in comfortable sheets and plush flooring from the extra earnings he’d made fighting, but it was nothing like the Star Beauty.

Chloe had mentioned being worried about not contributing to the crew. When Kylus told her she didn’t need to work, she’d reacted negatively. Earth females valued making their own credits.

“I don’t want to be dead weight on your ship,” Chloe had said.

“You would never be that.”

“I need to help out,” she’d insisted.

“We are undermanned. We will find jobs for you to do.” Somehow he knew telling her that her only job was to be his mate would not go over well. As far as he was concerned, it was all that mattered.

It was customary for Tallean males to provide well for their mates, but many human females wanted to be independent and make their own credits, which was fine by him as well.

Some Tallean males found that offensive. They thought it must mean they were not bringing in enough. But Kylus understood her mentality; she wanted to be self-sufficient, and she wanted to contribute. He respected that.

He did, however, make sure she knew she had plenty of time to figure out what she wanted to do with her time. There was no rush.

Now that Chloe had requested to make the call to the Star Beauty in private, he worried. Did she regret choosing to stay already? What if she was offered extra hazard pay to go back to work?

The door to the comms room slid open down the hall and Kylus paused mid-step. Chloe’s delicate footsteps tapped down the hallway. She poked her head into the common room, grinning.

Her grin died. “You look worried. Did something happen?”

“You are still staying.”

“Of course, I am.”

He relaxed.

Chloe embraced him. “You were worried I’d leave,” she stated. “I took the job on the Star Beauty because I wanted freedom and adventure. I wasn’t looking for a mate, but now that I have one, I’m going to view this as a new adventure we will both go on together.”

Kylus pulled her close and breathed through his overwhelming joy. That sounded perfect. “The Death Trap takes jobs all over the galaxy. We will explore the galaxy together.”

“It’s a deal!” Chloe reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

With a growl, Kylus picked her up and walked over to the couch. “For now, we will find many adventures inside my quarters and all over the ship. I love you, little mate.”

Chloe clung to him as they moved and buried her face into his skin, inhaling him as he had done with her. “I love you too, Kylus.”

Did she? Love from a human female meant the bond went both ways. He’d still need to maintain her love for the rest of their lives, but it was a task he looked forward to doing every day.

Kylus deposited his mate onto the soft cushion and climbed to cover her body, eager to start this very moment.

With Chloe along, life would always be full of adventure, and Kylus would look forward to every single vacation from now until the end of time.

EPILOGUE

Chloe snuggled into Kylus on the reclined chair in the lounge of the Star Beauty. It was strange to be back here as a guest rather than as staff. This time, Kylus was here on the job. He had headlined the fights the first night on the cruise. With his job done, they were now free to enjoy their stay.

It had taken some time for Chloe to get used to Kylus fighting. Even though the matches he fought in were non-lethal, they still looked brutal. She was only able to watch the fights after his crew had explained to her how strict the criteria for non-lethal fighters were and that, while violent-looking, the fights were more like displays of skill rather than true fighting.

They claimed their missions were much more dangerous, which hadn’t made Chloe feel any better.

The server came by with their drinks, and Chloe took a big gulp of her amberberry wine before putting it down on the low table.

A large hand slid up her back to her shoulders, rubbing the muscles there. Instead of leaning back, she stayed leaned forward, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the shoulder rub Kylus gave her. Life was good.

The door of the lounge opened, and a familiar woman walked in, her Tallean mercenary behind her.

“Ashe!” Chloe exclaimed. “You two made it after all.”

“We just finished a mission and docked up. It’s too bad we missed the fights.” Ashe took the next seat over. “The whole ship is talking about them.”

It had been exactly one galactic year since Chloe and Kylus had met in this very lounge, and they’d thought it would be fitting to come back here to celebrate their first year anniversary. It had taken some time to explain the concept of an anniversary to Kylus; Talleans didn’t celebrate them. Instead, they believed every day with your mate was worthy of celebration.

Suddenly, an alarm Chloe had never heard before on the ship sounded.

“They’re starting the pirate attack reenactment already!” Ashe clapped her hands.

The attack from last year had been plastered all over the news, and instead of letting it impact their bottom line, Jankar had used it as a selling point. Now, on every Star Beauty cruise, there was a planned pirate attack, with the pirates played by hired actors.

The lights of the lounge flickered on and off, something that wouldn’t happen in a real attack unless the ship was heavily damaged. The captain came on the speaker with a rehearsed script for all guests to make their way toward the theatre and to please keep inside the marked walkways to stay out of the way of incoming rescue personnel.

Zacani grinned at Chloe and Kylus as she ushered the guests out of the lounge to the action outside. Chloe had been keeping in touch with her friend through her travels and was glad to finally see her face-to-face. Zacani was still looking for her mate among the guests, and Chloe hoped she found hers soon.

She held onto Kylus’s arm as they headed toward the theater. Tallean actors in flamboyant costumes charged into the hallways. They wore contacts that made their eyes glow green and were very much the caricature of the pirates who had attacked last year. They grabbed the females, swung them around, and then deposited them back into the walkway unharmed.

Then, males filed in wearing Wildview Starliner Company security uniforms. They engaged the mock pirates in a choreographed fight. They dance around each other, fangs and claws flashing. It made for a great show, and many guests stopped to watch until the captain came on again to remind everyone to proceed quickly to the theater.

One of the mock pirates lunged in and picked her up. Chloe belatedly realized that it was Jankar himself with fake scars on his face and what looked to be cyborg parts. He spun her around once, then deposited her behind him instead of back into the walkway.

With a grin, Jankar motioned to Kylus the way Chloe had seen the crew do when training on the ship. The two males circled each other before locking in combat. The two wrestled, and Chloe realized why Kylus had put rubber-like caps on his claws earlier; this had been planned. Sparring without the claw coverings was a recipe for disaster.

When Kylus ended up on top, he roared a victory, stalked over to Chloe, and picked her up.

Chloe wrapped her arms around him, delighted at his valiant show. “My hero!”

She kissed him hard, and Kylus kissed her back, and all thoughts of heading to the theater with the rest of the crowd were forgotten. They didn’t need to be there for the rest of the show.

They had each other, and that was all they’d ever need.

Thank you for reading Space Fighter’s Mate! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Lynnea’s newsletter !

HANNAH HAZE

HONEYMOON ON THE RED PLANET

CHAPTER 1

THE PRINCESS

I‘m still wearing my freaking wedding dress when the asteroid hits.

The rock smashes into the ship and it lurches to one side. I fly across our luxury cabin and land in a pile of taffeta and silk.

The wedding was more than 24 hours ago, but so far I’ve refused to remove the dress. Removing the dress might give the new alien husband my father forced me to marry ideas. And I am most definitely not interested in any such ideas.

Consummating the marriage with that thing? No, thank you.

Besides, I’m not even sure he can consummate this marriage. Not in the usual way, anyway. The arranged marriage happened in such a blur, I haven’t had an opportunity to investigate more about this species and their … hmmm … mating habits.

OK. That’s a lie. I’ve had opportunities. But I didn’t want to know. Especially when my three older sisters took such great delight in teasing me about the whole thing.

It still feels grossly unfair – partly why I’m sulking and refusing to remove the dress. Out of us sisters, I am the least interested in marriage and babies and being a dutiful daughter. In fact, I’m anything but. Screw elocution lessons and learning to sew, sing and make polite conversation. I’ve always been far more interested in racing horses across the planes of our kingdom, pretending to chase highwaymen and pirates.

Yet, my new husband just had to go and choose me, didn’t he? Much to my sisters’ delight. Sure, they would’ve done the dutiful daughter thing and wed the hulking great alien, but they’ve always had their sights on more human companions – princes from the other kingdoms.

Just my luck to end up with the all-conquering alien king, Maybe I wouldn’t mind so much if the dude had a sense of humour, or, you know, a personality. At least, then I could fool myself into believing we could be friends – I’ve never exactly been interested in passionate love affairs anyway. But my alien mostly just scowls at me or occasionally grunts.

Fortunately, he’s shown no interest in removing my dress. Perhaps consummating a marriage isn’t a thing in his culture. Perhaps I won’t even be required to provide an heir. He probably has a harem of alien concubines back at his palace. This marriage was made for political reasons. I’m still not certain what my husband gained from this arrangement. My father, on the other hand, got a peace treaty, a promise not to invade his lands and protection from his enemies. I suspect my father thinks this was a very good deal. He was always going to have a hard time finding me a match – nobody wants a disobedient, mouthy princess who usually turns up late with her hair messed up and mud on her dress.

I wonder how my husband will react when he realises he’s been sold a dud.

Maybe he won’t notice. He’s certainly taken very little notice of me so far, apart from the occasional glance in my direction. In fact, he’s shown very little interest in anything at all – despite us being aboard a top-of-the-range space cruise liner. We’re sailing honeymoon style back to his planet.

Or at least we were until this asteroid hit. Now, I’m not sure what the hell we’re doing. Although my new husband is finally showing a semblance of emotion.

A siren screams overhead and the lights extinguish, replaced by flashing red beams. The ship groans and lurches further to the right, and I skid along the polished floor in my slippery dress.

This could be my chance to escape. I had no time to plot an escape before the marriage. My father probably suspected I’d attempt such a spectacle, so he only told me the day before the wedding. No time to find horses or funds and, anyway, where the hell would I go? This galaxy is hardly friendly to women. There’s only two things you can be out here on the far rims of the universe – a princess or a prostitute. I can tell you, both options suck.

But maybe now, I have more opportunities. I’m wearing my wedding jewellery, priceless things wrapped around my neck and dangling from my ears. Items my new husband gave me as a wedding gift. Pawning these could pay for a ticket to the inner rims of the universe, where I hear women have more life opportunities. Heck, maybe I could even become a bounty hunter for real. All I need to do is lose the hulking great alien and find my way onto an escape pod.

However, the hulking great alien has other ideas. He grabs me by the arm and hauls me to my feet.

“Come,” he tells me, and I have little choice as he drags me along with an iron grip.

We boarded with an extensive entourage – guards, diplomats and servants – but it’s just been us in our cabin for the past hour. I think he’s going to go look for his men, but he doesn’t. Instead, he drags me through to the private sleeping compartment of our cabin.

Is he really going to do this now? When this giant cruise ship is breaking up around us? Through the floor to ceiling windows that look out into space, I can see great hunks of metal snapping free and hurtling into the abyss. The ship groans again and sparks flicker above us.

“We need to get out,” I shout at him, attempting to yank my arm from his grip. I’m not about to get jiggie with mister biggie. Maybe his species find comfort in sex when the world is ending around them (I’ve read about such practices), but I’m much more interested in surviving.

“I know!” he growls, frowning at me and tightening his grip.

He pulls me to the very back of our cabin, thumping his fisted hand against an electronic panel, and a screen lifts, revealing a private escape pod beyond. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. We are occupying one of the principal suites on this ship, and he does rule most of the Jantax Galaxies.

For a moment, he runs his eyes down my form, clearly considering something, but then the ship starts to spiral, and he bundles me through the door and into the pod.

It’s tiny, the equivalent of a life raft on a water ship, but there isn’t time to make it onto one of the bigger space shuttles. He dives in after me just as the ceiling of our cabin crashes down. I scream as a piece of metal comes hurtling towards us. With a grunt, he catches it in his large paw. The metal is jammed through the door of our pod, preventing the closure of the doors.

And our escape.

The ship spins faster. I’m thrown around, my head slamming against the glass and then my elbow and my hip.

My new husband groans, using his full strength to bend the metal and force it from the door. Then he hits a button and the hatch closes.

“OK?” he asks me.

I manage to grab the back of the seat, pulling myself into it, my huge puffy skirt billowing around me. “Yes,” I say, my voice muffled through the layers of fabric.

I think the dude has the gall to roll his eyes at me. Then he reaches across and fastens my seat belt with an irritated grunt.

“Hold on,” he commands. Then he jabs buttons, and our pod disconnects from the ship with a violent jolt.

For a moment we hang in space, and then he hammers on more buttons, and we whizz away. The force of it slams me into my seat, my dress and my hair whipped backwards, and those expensive earrings fleeing from my ears.

CHAPTER 2

THE PRINCESS

“Where are we going?” I yell over the fierce vibration of the vehicle.

My new husband doesn’t answer me. All his focus is trained on the computer screen in front of his face. It’s in a script I can’t read, so I have no idea what’s going on. Outside the window, I can see other escape pods and smaller ships streaming through space. When I turn to look behind us, I see the giant cruise liner now engulfed in flame and disintegrating before my eyes.

“I think it’s going to explode,” I cry. “We need to get away!”

“I know,” the alien says with obvious annoyance. “What the hell do you think I’m trying to do, princess?”

I frown at him. I think that, apart from our wedding vows, those are the most words strung together this alien has ever said to me. So far, our conversation has consisted mostly of reluctant words pried from one another only when necessary. “Pass the salt” and other sparkling examples of wit.

“Can’t you make this thing go faster?”

“No, this thing is a pile of shit,” he replies. I raise my eyebrows. The king has a potty mouth. “I think it’s been sabotaged.”

“Sabotaged!”

“You think it’s an accident an asteroid just crashed into the ship carrying the King of the Trydents and his new bride?”

“Oh,” I say. Yes, that hadn’t occurred to me. I guess being ruler of several galaxies comes with its downsides. Rebels and interlopers being just two.

“I can’t steer the thing,” he says through gritted teeth, his arms straining as he battles with the joystick.

“Shit!” I mumble. If he can swear, then so can I.

We’re sinking down into space and below us I can see the orange sphere of an unknown planet.

“Where is that?” I ask.

“The arse end of nowhere by the looks of things,” he says, straining to try and lift the stick. He curses, struggling to steer for several minutes. Then he starts tapping away on the screen.

“What?” I say, attempting to squash down the layers of netting in my skirt so I can lean forward and actually see what he’s doing. Honestly, this is why I’ve always favoured slacks to dresses, despite my father’s disapproval. Yeah, I’d like to see him try and breathe in one of these corseted creations.

“I can’t steer us off course. We’re going to have to land.”

Minutes ago we seemed to be cruising slowly through space, but now we are definitely hurtling, pulled by this red planet’s gravitational force. The small globe expands in our window, swelling from the size of a golf ball to fill the whole of our window in a matter of seconds. I squint, trying to see if I can make out anything that looks like land or civilisation on the planet.

“Can we even land on it?”

My alien husband continues to jab buttons. “Yes, it’s habitable. We can land.”

Thank fuck for that. I relax for a millisecond, and then suddenly we’re yanked forward and our pod shakes furiously. I grapple with the arms of my seat, trying to stop myself from being tossed about like a salad. The planet now dwarfs us, a huge angry giant, bearing down on us.

The alien has his hands back on the joystick, attempting to wrestle control again. But it’s clear it’s useless as we’re sucked into the swirling atmosphere of the planet.

“Hold on,” he yells at me above the fierce rattling of the pod, “this isn’t going to be a smooth landing.”

No shit, Sherlock.

We hit through into swirling clouds of red dust, and the pod vibrates so dramatically I feel my brain knock against my skull and every vertebrae in my backbone clink.

I open my mouth and scream – I’m not usually a screamer, but it’s an automatic thing. I can’t hear the noise from my throat. The rattling and groaning of the pod pierces my ears and makes my head ache.

Then we break through the clouds and tear towards the earth.

My new husband yanks back on the joystick with all his might, the muscles and tendons in his thick arms straining and bulging so that I can see each clearly defined. The nose of our pod skates upward, and we shoot across the surface of the planet, sinking lower and lower, the red rock coming closer and closer. The bottom of our pod scrapes the land, and we bump and skate along the surface, thrown about in our seats.

I’m still screaming and gripping the arms, my knuckles white.

A huge rock looms in the distance. The alien jerks the joystick to the side, trying to turn us. The pod keeps hurtling us forward.

We’re going to crash.

CHAPTER 3

THE PRINCESS

We hit the rock, slam forward in our seats, and in that moment I’m thankful for the stupid dress and its layers of padding. Otherwise I’m sure my seatbelt would’ve sliced me in two.

“Oooof,” I grunt as the pod stops at last, and I’m thrown back.

Beside me my alien is panting, sweat skidding between his horns and down his face.

Our crash has blown up more red dust, and I can’t see our surroundings.

My husband swipes his hand over his brow and turns to look at me, taking me in with those fiercely ruby eyes of his.

“Are you hurt, princess?”

Am I hurt? Fuck me, every part of me hurts. I’m sure tomorrow I’ll be black and blue from head to toe, but I’m not going to admit that to him.

“I’m fine,” I say with a pat smile, attempting to smooth down my now sooty and torn dress.

He watches me do this and, I swear, that son of a bitch rolls his eyes at me again.

“Let’s get moving then,” he tells me, pinging off his seat belt and reaching over the back of his chair.

“Get moving?” I attempt to keep my voice neutral and void of the slight desperation I feel at that bit of news. I’d hoped for a few minutes to catch my breath and recover from that ordeal. I have been thrown off my horse four times in my life, fallen out of a tree twice, got myself tangled up in smarting vines and needed to be fished out of a river. I’ve never had to bail from a shipwreck and then crash land on a planet.

“Yes, the pod is only packed with limited supplies.” He opens a hatch and pulls out a rucksack. “If we don’t get moving and find this planet’s outpost, we’ll run out of food and water pretty quick.”

“Outpost?” I repeat. I don’t like the sound of that. “Isn’t there a city?”

“No.” He detaches the datapad from the pod console and spins it around to show me the screen. Just a couple of trading outposts and refuelling stations litter the map.

“Can’t we stay out here and wait for a rescue? You can send a rescue message, right, with that thing?” Computer and technology have never been my speciality, not that learning about them was exactly encouraged for us princesses back at the palace.

“And have every one of my enemies hunting us down on this desolate piece of rock?”

“Can’t you send a private message?”

He looks at me like I may not own any brain cells. I’d really like to slap him.

“They’ll be searching for us,” he explains slowly, like I’m a child. “But it is better if we keep a low profile, and don’t let anyone we meet know who we are.”

“Your subjects wouldn’t want to help their king?” I ask, with a large dollop of snark.

He simply grunts at that and flips the lock that releases the pod’s roof. Immediately, the vehicle floods with red dust, and I splutter and cough, until he snaps off my belt and drags me from the pod.

As soon as my feet sink into the soft red sand of the planet, I shake off his grip and dust myself down. Watching me, he reaches into the satchel and pulls out a bottle.

“Here,” he says, snatching off the lid and passing it to me.

“Thanks,” I mutter, tipping the bottle back and gulping down the cool water inside.

“Enough!” he yells, grabbing the bottle from my hands. “We have to conserve it.”

“I wasn’t going to drink it all,” I mutter.

He takes a sip himself and I turn my back on him, examining instead the landscape we find ourselves in.

The land races away in an endless mixture of red rock and sand. The sky that hovers above us is tinged with green and the few wispy clouds that float are painted purple. Higher still hangs the sun, larger and fiercer than back home, and the heat already prickles my skin.

“You sure this place is habitable?” I ask. The dust stings my throat and I don’t like the look of that green sky.

“Yes,” he says, coming to stand beside me, his head bowed as he examines his data pad, the satchel flung over one of his broad shoulders. “This way.” He points off towards the distance. There is nothing to distinguish that way from any other way. It all looks the same. But I guess I have no choice but to trust his datapad. For now, anyway. I still have my necklace. If the opportunity arises, I’m ditching this alien and heading for the inner rim.

Maybe the consequences won’t be great for my father and his kingdom, but I’m not sure he had my best interests in mind when he gave me to this hulking great alien.

The hulking great alien starts to stride away.

“Wait,” I call and he spins around with an annoyed harrumph.

I kick off my shoes and pick one up at a time, snapping off the ridiculous heels, before sliding them back on my feet.

The alien watches me, and his face returns to its usual impassive state.

Next, I grab a handful of silky skirt and tug with all my might. The damn stitching is like steel though and it won’t budge. I grit my teeth and yank some more.

“What are you doing?” my husband asks.

“Trying to rip the skirt off this wedding dress,” I snap. “I can’t trek through the fucking desert in this!” I yank and tug some more. The seam gives a little, but nothing more. I stamp my foot in annoyance and glare at him. “A little help, please?”

He strides forward, grabs my skirt and, in one swift swipe, tears the whole thing from my bodice, spinning me around in a dizzy circle as he does.

When I stop spinning and land back to face him, he’s gaping at my bare legs with his mouth hanging open.

“Come on,” I tell him and walk in the direction he’d pointed.

CHAPTER 4

THE ALIEN

The human has shed the layers of impractical and ridiculous material and now paces away from me, half naked. Her legs are two long shapely things that I had not fully appreciated before, buried beneath her skirts. I walk a pace behind her, admiring these shapely limbs and the pert little bottom at their summit, which jiggles slightly as she moves.

I must confess to knowing little about this minor species that occupies only one of the planets in my galaxy. They keep to themselves, occupied in their own petty squabbles, rarely involving themselves in the bigger, more crucial battles that rage through the outer rim.

My visit to the human’s planet had been part of my biannual tour of the galaxy – reminding my subjects of my ever presence and collecting any unpaid taxes. Securing a bride had been the last thing on my mind. I have no time for a mate and frankly no interest in one either. But then I’d come face-to-face with the female members of this species and I was quite determined to secure one.

With four daughters to choose from, King Amyntas had been the perfect human with which to do business, and the little female human marching in front of me now had been the one I’d picked for my bride. It had been something in her countenance, a twinkle in her eye.

Perhaps the speed at which the wedding took place – as much down to my schedule as the King’s eagerness – should have alerted me to the fact that something about this arrangement was not quite right. Indeed, ever since we exchanged our vows in a strange human ceremony in which the princess came dressed in that ridiculous, impractical puff ball, I have the strong impression that she is not pleased with the arrangement.

I suppose it did not occur to me to check this in advance, but what is done is done. A marriage to a King is a lifelong commitment that can not be broken.

We have been walking for ten minutes when the princess spins around and catches me staring at her backside. I quickly avert my eyes. She scowls at me and places her hands on her hips.

“Are you coming?” she says.

I scowl back at her, unamused at the tone this little human has taken to using with me, and stride to her side.

“How long exactly do we need to walk for?”

I hook the datapad from my pocket and examine the screen.

“We will keep walking until nightfall.”

“So we’ll reach the outpost by the evening?”

“No. Come dusk, we will stop and rest.”

“Fucking hell,” she kicks at the dirt. “How far is it?”

I do the maths in my head. “Two day’s walk.”

“And …” she eyes me suspiciously, “how long are the days on this planet?”

“A similar length to your own planet.”

“Urgh,” she groans.

I observe her. A human mate is perhaps well suited to my court back home. But part of what made her desirable as a mate – her soft flesh, her delicate bone structure, her petite frame – will be a hindrance out here in the harsh conditions of this planet. She doesn’t possess the strength or quick wit of my own kind. I doubt she’ll fare well against any native wild beast or last long under the fierce sun. In fact, she’s going to be a nuisance if I’m to get off this arsehole of a planet.

She peers up at me and frowns. I could leave her here, abandon her, and make my own way. It would be quicker and more efficient. I wouldn’t have to share the pitiful supplies in the satchel. Plus, I suspect her father is not overly concerned about her welfare. And even if he was, what exactly would he do about it? Declare war on me? Ha!

The small thing is muttering to herself and struggling to walk in her mutilated shoes.

But no, I cannot leave her. Idiot that I am.

My mother always said I become too easily attached to pathetic little creatures, and it seems she’s right. Although attached is rather a strong word for how I feel about this human. Curious is perhaps a more fitting description.

We walk for more than an hour, saying not a word to one another, although the princess often grumbles to herself. Soon the sun is soaring directly up above and the heat intensifies. For me, this is not a problem. My hide-like skin will not burn and my horns protect me from sunstroke. The princess, however, is struggling. Her pace slows, and she swipes at her brow, removing the water streaming down her face.

I knew she would slow my pace, but I hadn’t expected her to wilt quite so quickly as this. I have a feeling I will come to regret my decision not to abandon her. But once I have made up my mind, I do not change it. Resolute and strong. This is why I am the most successful of all the Trydent rulers.

Scanning the red landscape, I search for shelter. The haze shimmering above the ground prevents me from seeing far, and I stop to search through the satchel for an eye-glass. With a dramatic noise that reminds me of a farting calf, the princess slumps to the ground.

“You are worn out already?” I ask her with a hint of amusement I cannot disguise in my voice. Puny little thing.

“It must be 40 celsius out here! I’m going to burn up like fried shrimp.” She lifts one weakling arm and rotates it before testing the temperature of her skin.

“Human skin is not durable.” But it is soft looking. Had a strong urge to stroke that soft looking flesh not been what caught my damn eye in the first place?

“We’re not all built like a rhinoceros,” she counters. I have no idea what a rhinoceros is, but, judging by her tone, I deduce this isn’t a compliment. I peer down at my own flesh. It is not soft. But it will protect me from attack as well as sunburn. “Do you have any kind of plan?”

I’d like to counter back: do you? But the weakling is depending on me as her mate to protect and care for her. Again, it seems rather an annoying burden.

“I’m going to find us some shelter.”

She swings her gaze about, stretching those long legs of hers on the ground. “We’re going to die.”

I yank an eyeglass from the satchell. “We’re not going to die, princess.” I’ve been in far worse predicaments – losing battle fields, enemy prisons, never-ending political negotiations. If it weren’t for my current companion, this would be a breeze.

Lifting the glass to my good eye, I adjust the dial, scanning the near and far distance. To the East, the land appears to climb with some form of plant life and what should hopefully be some shade.

It’s out of our way, a detour that will cost us an hour or two.

I glance down at my wife, and she peers up at me with those strangely twinkling eyes.

Shit, my goddamn mother was right.

CHAPTER 5

THE ALIEN

The human clambers to her feet with a reluctant huff, and we set off in our new direction. Progress is slow, and my human does not walk with the bounce she usually does and her shoulders slump. At this rate, we’ll be walking right through the hottest part of the day and heading towards this shelter will be pointless. I don’t have the patience. So, with an irritated growl, I swoop down and fling the small creature over my shoulder.

Rather than seeming pleased with this free ride, she shrieks, flailing her legs about and drumming her tiny fist on my back.

“What are you doing?” I ask. I am questioning my decision again. It is tempting to fling her to the ground and set off on my own.

“Put me down!” she demands. Female humans are meant to be diminutive, obedient, little things. Quiet and demure. This was part of the attraction of owning one as a mate. This one’s tone is anything but diminutive and obedient. There is clearly something defunct with her.

“Carrying you.” I thought that was obvious. Perhaps her wit is defunct as well. She certainly says very little.

“I don’t want to be carried,” she screams. “I’m not a sack of potatoes!”

Carrying her in this position has placed her intriguing backside close to my eyeline and I cannot help glancing at it as I pick up the pace. “It’s quicker this way,” I tell her. Then partly to stop her wiggling and partly because I cannot resist, I slap one of those wobbling cheeks. She jolts with alarm on my shoulder. “Stop moving. You want me to drop you?”

I am tall, and the tumble to the ground would not be a pleasant one. However, my human remains unimpressed. And feral. She sinks her teeth into my back. Unfortunately for her, I am wearing a shirt made of protective fibre, and, besides, my skin underneath is thick and impregnable to feeble little fangs like hers. Biting me like that probably caused her more damage than me. I smile to myself.

“Are you hungry, princess?”

“Actually, yes.”

I’m not surprised. She ate very little at the post-wedding feast her father threw. A strange affair where we were made to sit at the head of a long table, on a platform raised above the other guests, on display like rare jewels. My new bride had spent the festivities glaring at the guests and ignoring her food. I assumed she was sad about leaving her family. But maybe, in hindsight, it was her defective brain.

The princess struggles on my shoulder for a few more minutes, but realising I will not be deterred in this, and that every wriggle only tightens my grip, she flops, limp against me, muttering to herself once again.

My pace is much quicker now, and we cross the barren landscape and reach the edges of a canyon, spindly brown vegetation crawling along its top. The canyon’s height casts much of the surrounding land in shade, and as I stride into the shadows the air temperature drops considerably.

Finding some loose boulders, I drop the princess to the ground and sit on one of the rocks.

Scowling at me, the princess straightens her skirtless bodice and lowers herself to a rock of her own several away from me.

This is fine by me.

Opening up the satchel, I empty the contents on the hard ground, examining each article as I do. As I suspected, there is limited food and water, but as well as the spyglass and a digital compass, there is a first aid kit, sunscreen, material for warmth and good old-fashioned flairs.

The heat has dried my mouth and, tipping back my head and closing my eyes, I take several long gulps of water. When I lower the bottle, I notice the princess watching me from the corner of her eye. I could offer her the bottle, but for some unexplainable reason, I decide I’d prefer to tease the spoiled little creature. I’m still smarting from that bite. Many subjects have lost their heads for lesser offences – although removing my wife’s head from her shoulders would probably be even worse than abandoning her here.

Realising I’m not going to offer her the water, she tosses her head, her long dark tresses swishing against her shoulders as she does, and turns her back on me.

Ripping open the foodstuff, I snap a corner off of the energy bar and throw it into my mouth, then chew as loudly as I can, making it abundantly clear what I’m doing.

She bristles slightly on her rock, and then the small creature has the audacity to growl at me!

I spring to my feet immediately, and her eyes snap up to mine in shock.

“First you bite me and now you growl. You may be my wife, little human, but I won’t stand–”

“I didn’t growl at you. For fuck sake, I’m not an animal.” Her eyes flick to the horns on the top of my head and creases run down her forehead.

“You think I don’t know what a growl–”

“It was my stomach!” she snaps.

My eyes fall to the expanse of body which lies between her breasts and her sex.

Since picking myself up a human bride, I may have searched the interweb for images of nude humans – purely out of curiosity. I’ve seen what these strange rounded lumps on female humans look like beneath their clothes. I’ve studied their rather complex array of sex organs, and I’ve seen the soft flesh that covers the body between.

She waves her hand towards me, clicking her fingers. “Hey, do you think you can stop staring?”

“Why is your stomach growling at me?” I’m not sure whether to be insulted or confused.

“Because I’m hungry!” She crosses her arms over her chest, obscuring my view of her breasts. “I already told you that.”

“Ahh.” I nod my head and return to my rock, snapping off another piece of the bar and chewing, trying not to smile with satisfaction as I glance towards her.

Her eyes narrow and for a minute, I wonder if they will shoot laser beams at me. (My search of the interweb for nudes produced some peculiar videos).

Her stomach growls again.

“Are you going to share the food?” she asks me.

“If you ask nicely.”

“Urgh,” she responds, spinning away from me again.

The female human has obviously spent far too much of her life spoiled silly in that claustrophobic castle, everything she wanted served to her on a silver platter. I doubt she’s ever had to make her own food, let alone hunt for it.

I make a point of licking the crumbs off my fingers in loud popping noises, and the human leaps to her feet and strides away.

“Where are you going?’

“To look for some food.”

CHAPTER 6

THE PRINCESS

I have three older sisters. If this alien thinks he’s going to get the better of me, he is sorely mistaken. I know every damn play in the book of taunting and teasing. He thinks he’s going to have me grovelling at his feet for a scrap of food? No way. I once went without food for two days when I refused to apologise to my governess for the frog I’d placed in her bed. The miserable older woman had it in for me, delighting in finding every reason possible to have me standing in the corner or writing extra lines. She deserved it.

Some scraggly plant life sprawls in and among the boulders, and, in my experience, where there is plant life there is usually something to eat. I’m hungry enough that right now I’d consider eating any insect I can discover. Although, not hungry enough to beg for food from my husband.

Lifting dagger-like leaves and floppy branches, I search the foliage for any signs of fruit or nectar.

“You have no idea if any of that is poisonous,” my husband tells me, lounging on his rock with a smirk. God damn arrogant jerk. Arrogant, probably correct jerk. I hadn’t considered that.

“I’m willing to take my chances,” I say, snapping a shrivelled purple berry from a spiky bush. Holding it to my nose, I give it a sniff. It smells like rotting flesh, and I try my best not to curl my lips. Instead, I close my eyes and moan like it’s the most fragrant smelling fruit I’ve ever come across. Rolling it between my thumb and finger, I lift it to my waiting mouth.

“Stop!” my husband cries, jumping to his feet and marching towards me. He snatches my wrist and flings the berry to the floor.

“Hey,” I say.

He drags me back to his rock and pushes me down to sit, then hands me the half eaten energy bar. “Eat it.”

“Thank you,” I say, with smug satisfaction.

“You’re slowing me up enough as it is. I don’t need you vomiting everywhere next.”

“I’m not slow,” I mumble. I’m pretty damn fast when I’m not wearing ridiculous footwear and a corset which prevents me from breathing.

The alien has the gall to laugh, as if I’ve just said the funniest thing he’s ever heard.

“And what’s so funny?” I ask as I chew through the sticky bar.

“Look at you,” he holds out his palm towards me, “You’re all soft flesh and squidgy bits. You have no muscles, no horns, no claws. Everyone knows humans are the weakest, most feeblest creatures in the universe.”

Do Trydents have balls? Because I’d really like to kick my husband in them right now. Hard.

“I am not feeble,” I mutter, although I haven’t exactly proved otherwise out here in this desert. “And if I am that repulsive, why did you agree to marry me?”

That stops the alien from laughing and leaves him stumped. His mouth opens, closes, and opens again, and I could almost believe the apple of his cheeks flush. “For the peace treaty,” he finally mumbles.

“Bloody, sodding peace treaty.” I kick at the gravel on the ground.

“It is a great honour to be chosen as my wife.” He sniffs, lifting his chin. Is he offended? I haven’t had much interaction with other alien species and I am finding this one hard to read. Why in the twelve galaxies did he want a human wife? Why in the twelve galaxies did he choose me?

“Well, maybe it’s a great honour to have me as a wife,” I reply.

He snorts.

I jump to my feet, fists resting on my hips, and I snort back. “You think I want to be married to a horny monster that looks like a deformed goat?!”

He blinks, and then his heavy brows drop down low over his furious eyes. “And do you think I’d’ve picked you if I’d known you were such a spoiled, self entitled brat!?” He growls, baring his teeth. His nostrils flare as he sucks in air.

“Oh, but I bet you just go around collecting women willy-nilly. I’ve heard all about you. I know you think you’re entitled to just take what you want from the lands that you conquer.”

He blinks in that strange way a second time, as if he’s computing what I’ve said. I know English isn’t his first language. In fact, I have no idea what his first language is.

“I don’t collect women,” he scoffs. “In my experience, women are a bloody unnecessary nuisance.”

“Why?” I cock my head to the side. “Because you think we can’t walk as fast as you?”

“Because one,” he lifts a finger, “you don’t say what you bloody well mean – it’s all coded bullshit. Two, ” he lifts another digit, “you moan and sulk, and generally contribute nothing helpful in an emergency situation. And three …” he stalls.

“Yes?” I say, raising an eyebrow.

“And three,” he snaps.

“And three?”

“You’re fucking distracting!”

Well, what the fuck does that mean? “Huh. And in my experience, men are self-centered, arrogant and completely stupid!”

“Stupid?” He chuffs this time, a much louder noise that reverberates around the rocks. “Was it stupid to evacuate that star liner? Was it stupid to locate the nearest outpost? Was it stupid to drag you to shade before you fried to a crisp out there?”

“Being on that cruise ship when it got struck by a frigging asteroid was pretty stupid!”

He stares at me as if I might actually be insane.

“You know what was stupid?” he shouts, waving his index finger at me like it’s a dagger.

“No!” I yell back.

“Deciding to marry you!”

“Well, at last something we can actually agree on.”

His jaw flexes and he grinds his teeth. Then the anger in him seems to fade. He inhales and exhales, his broad shoulders rising and falling. A warm breeze frisks the sand around our feet. The alien peers out towards the bright sunshine.

“Change of plans,” he says, “it’s too flipping hot out there for a human. Get some rest. We’ll head out at nightfall.”

Happily, I stomp off towards one of the larger looking shadows and flop down on the ground, curling myself up into a ball and resting my cheek on my hand.

I haven’t slept in hours. Not since the day of our wedding. Going to bed would have involved undressing, and then who knows what afterwards. Instead, I’d insisted my husband show me all the delights and amenities on the cruise liner – the casino, the cabaret show, the all-you-can-eat buffets, the shops.

I’m so tired, and at this stage I think I could sleep anywhere, and I’m pretty certain after the words we’ve just had that trying to seduce me is the last thing on my husband’s mind.

Peering up, I find he hasn’t moved from his spot by the rock.

“Aren’t you going to sleep too?” I ask him.

“Someone needs to keep guard.”

I want to argue, but I’m so tired I drift asleep before a response forms in my mind.

CHAPTER 7

THE ALIEN

The human sleeps in the shade. I was beginning to wonder if this species actually did sleep at all, my new wife having avoided the activity since we’ve been together.

Curled up like that, purring softly, she looks utterly vulnerable and not the spitting, hissing angry creature she was only minutes ago. I could easily leave her now to her own fortunes. In fact, given our argument, I suspect she might be pleased with this outcome. But she won’t fare long on her own out here in the wilderness, and then there is that marriage bond. One I can’t break.

She murmurs something in her sleep, shuffling her body slightly, and I watch the way her chest rises and falls with her breaths. Her long ebony hair has fallen over her face and catches in the dim light of the shadows.

I turn away and tug out the datapad, busying myself with studying the terrain and the scant bits of information that exist about this planet.

As the sun sets at the horizon, beams of light painting the sky golden, I peer back at the human, still sound asleep. Again, I consider if I would be better off leaving her. Maybe she would be OK? She really did not seem happy about being married to me.

But my choice on the matter is taken out of my hands, as the human stirs. Her eyelids flutter, and then open slowly. For a moment, she stares vacantly at her surroundings until consciousness claims her.

“It’s sunset,” she says, curling up and stretching her arms above her head, her breasts rising with the movement. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I was about to,” I lie. “Come on, let’s get going. We need to cover as much ground as we can before sunrise.”

We set off and I’m amazed by how rapidly the temperature drops as the sky darkens above us and the stars prick the heavens one at a time. Soon we’re walking under a dazzling array of infinite stars.

“They’re so bright,” she gasps. She has her arms wrapped around her, and I notice how fine bumps run across her skin.

“They are,” I agree. In fact, it’s so bright under the littering of shimmering stars that it is almost like daylight.

It’s always strange to see the map of stars on another planet. Somehow familiar to the map that existed above my head as a child and yet different, always slightly different on each planet I visit. “I think these are the brightest I’ve ever seen.”

“Hmmm,” she says, walking with her head tipped right back. “I wonder where home is?”

I examine the stars laid out above my head. “There”, I say, pointing to a pale dot above my head.

“Isn’t that a star?”

“No, it’s a planet, and mine is that one there, the one glowing orange.” My stomach drops. To see it always makes me homesick. The glow of my planet is like the welcoming warmth of a fire in the hearth.

“And what’s that?” she asks, gesturing towards a large star that blazes red.

“I think that must be the cruise ship.”

“Shit,” she mutters.

As we walk further, the horizon turns craggy and when I pull out my spyglass to inspect it, I find a cluster of boulders lining our way, stretching right across the land.

“Bollocks,” I mumble.

“What is it?” she asks, rubbing her palms up and down her arms.

“Rocks. Blocking our way.”

“Can we find a way around them?”

I lift the glass again, and with painstaking care I hunt for a gap between the rocks.

“No,” I say, “there’s no way through.”

“Are you sure?”

I look down at her. “Yes, I’m sure,” I mutter.

“Hmmm,” she says, sounding unconvinced.

“Here!” I thrust the eyeglass in her direction. “You look.”

She takes the eyeglass and places it over her own eye, tracing the boulders much more speedily than I had. I take a long breath, in through my mouth, out through my nose, and try not to lose my temper.

“We’re going to have to climb over it, then.” She passes back the eyeglass and I drag my gaze up and down her form.

“Climb?” I say skeptically. Or is she hoping I’ll carry her again? Not that I’m incapable, or necessarily unwilling. It’s the principle.

“Are you telling me you’re able to fly?”

“Climb it is,” I snap, striding in the direction of the boulders. She hurries alongside me and we march together towards the towering rocks.

“They’re sort of beautiful,” she says when we stop in front of them.

I suppose they are, a multitude of reds bleeding through the surface in intricate patterns. However, they also look bloody difficult to climb. Not for me. Trydents are very proficient climbers. But humans? She has no claws or horns, no real sense of balance either, as far as I can tell, and those two long spindly legs.

“I will climb first,” I instruct her. “When I make it to the top of that first bolder, I will reach down and pull you up. Be careful with your footing and–”

She doesn’t wait for me to finish. She’s already scrabbling up the face of one of the crimson rocks.

I admire her skill for a minute until she twists her head around and catches me staring.

“Are you coming or what?”

I jolt in to action and leap up the first rock. As predicted, I am a far better climber than her, but for such a piddly weakling, she is not bad, and though I offer my hand, my wife refuses all my help.

Half way up, I pause and wait for her to catch me.

“So they teach princesses how to climb rocks, do they?”

“I taught myself,” she says, her shoulders heaving as she flops down on an outcrop next to me.

What other hidden skills does this female human possess? I’m rather curious to find out.

CHAPTER 8

THE PRINCESS

The climb up the rock is strangely exhilarating, especially under the bright stars and in the cool air. I’ve been cooped up in that space liner and now I realise how desperate I’ve been just to move and stretch and push myself.

The neatly polished nails my sisters insisted on for the wedding chip and break as I climb, and what remains of my dress turns more ragged by the second. I don’t care. Not about how I look or about what the alien thinks of me.

Does he grow more and more horrified? Watching the true woman he married emerge from beneath the princessly facade. Good, and too bad!

If he decides I’m not right for him, perhaps he’ll let me go, and I won’t even have to sneak off. Perhaps he’d even pay me to go.

Above me, I see his large figure scurrying up the rock face with ease. He is strong, I suppose, and skilled, his arms and legs flexing and straining as he moves. His technique, I have to admit, is better than mine, and I find myself – although I’d never in a hundred years confess it to him – copying his actions.

At the summit of the boulders, he stops, once again offering me his hand as I come near, and once again I shoo it away.

I sit a foot away from him and survey the land. From up here the land stretches even further and despite the desolate, never-ending desert surrounding us, it whips my breath away.

“I always feel so small and insignificant up here like this.”

“Me too,” he confesses.

“What, you?” I laugh. “The leader of the Trydents.”

He shuffles on his rock with what I could almost believe is discomfort. “I’m just a person beneath the title.”

“I suppose you are.” I meet his crimson eyes, almost the colour of the rocks. “My father used to say something similar. That people would be wowed by the title and fail to see the man that lay beneath. I think he thought it was a blessing. A good defence.”

“It is a blessing and a curse,” he says rather cryptically, and I can’t help laugh again. He frowns at me, and I swallow the giggle and glance away.

Now we’ve stopped moving, the cold nips at my skin again and if we remain here much longer I won’t be able to help but shiver.

“Come on,” I say, “we’d better get down.”

“The climb down is usually harder.”

“But quicker.”

He looks at me sternly. “Watch your footing, princess, and take care.”

“Fine,” I mumble, walking towards the edge of the boulder-face.

“No,” he barks, grabbing at my upper arm. “I will go first. Then, if you fall, I will catch you.”

“I’m not going to fall,” I huff, but he’s looking at me with such sternness, I decide this time I won’t argue more.

As I predicted, the climb down is swift. Carefully, I follow his path, finding foothold after foothold and clinging to the rocks with my nails and my fingers. We kick up dust as we go and it hangs about our heads, making my eyes sting and my throat tickle. Twice I stop to wipe at my eyes, and the third time he pulls out a handkerchief from somewhere inside his shirt and offers it to me.

I stare at the thing. Masculine and practical looking, but with his initials embroidered in stiff letters in one corner.

“For your eyes,” he says.

I take it reluctantly and dab at my face. “Isn’t the dust making your eyes water?”

“Nope,” he says. I offer the handkerchief back to him. “Keep it.”

I stare down at my corset. “This thing doesn’t exactly come with pockets.” His eyes flick momentarily towards my cleavage, and I frown at him. I’m not keeping his goddamn handkerchief tucked inside my bosom. “Take it!” I insist and, with another of those eye rolls, he snatches it from me.

We climb some more, making good progress and are already two-thirds of the way down, when the ledge beneath my foot gives way. I yelp, desperately scrabbling to cling on to the rock face.

It’s too late. I slip, sliding down on my bottom and taking gravel, sand and dust with me in my wake.

I try to flip onto my stomach. I scramble to grab at passing roots and jutting pieces of rock. I jam my heels into the ground to slow my speed. I fail and keep sliding right into the waiting arms of my husband.

“Oooof!” we say together as I slam into him.

For a fleeting second, he wobbles, and I think he’s going to succeed at regaining his footing.

He doesn’t.

Instead, he topples right over and now we’re sliding down the remains of the slope together.

“Shit!” he yells. “Will you just–”

“I’m trying!” I yell back.

“Try harder,” he groans.

My foot is in his ear, my knees pretty close to his groin, his arm trapped beneath me, but there’s nothing I can do about it as gravity pulls us down.

Finally, we come to a skidding halt at the bottom on the boulders and lie in a tangled heap, trying to catch our breaths.

“OK?” he asks quietly, as if not to disturb the ground.

I nod, although my backside is scraped and bruised.

Then we both fly apart and scramble to our feet, brushing the grime from our clothes.

“I told you to watch your footing,” he grumbles as he turns and starts walking again. I stick my tongue out at his departing back, but then he twists his head to check I’m following, and I start and pick up my feet.

CHAPTER 9

THE ALIEN

We walk some more for an hour or two. The temperature continues to plummet, and the human trembles beside me with the cold. Once again, her pathetically soft skin is a useless defence against the elements. How such creatures have survived in the universe for as long as they have is anyone’s guess.

I increase the speed of my pace, encouraging her to walk faster, hoping this might warm her, but soon her teeth are chattering together in such a peculiar manner that I stop in alarm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” she says, those little lines creasing her brow.

“Your teeth?!”

“I’m cold,” she says.

“So then why–”

“Urgh,” she groans, flicking her hair from her face in a gesture of irritation. “That’s just what happens when I get cold.” She stamps her feet and rubs her arms. White puffs of air form in front of her face whenever she exhales. “It happens to all humans.”

I groan too. We’re going to have to stop again. I wonder if we will ever reach this goddamn outpost. If we survive this – and it is looking pretty slim right now – I will have to remember to keep this human in a warm, padded nest the whole time. These beings can not survive with any kind of hardship.

I drop the satchel to the ground and rummage through the contents for the heating cell.

“What are you doing?” she asks me.

“Lighting a fire so that you can warm up.” I find the lighter. It is a rudimentary flint device, and I curse whoever packed this satchel. Why in all the twelve galaxies did they not pack this survival kit with more advanced technology? Like a lighter that actually lights. I can’t get the damn thing to work.

“I thought we were walking to the outpost.”

“You won’t get there if you freeze to death in the process.”

“You’re not cold?” she asks me suspiciously.

“Meh.” I shrug a little, “Trydents don’t suffer from the heat or the cold. We are built of durable stuff.”

“And humans aren’t?” her hands are back on her hips.

“Evidently not.”

I knock the flint sticks together.

Nothing.

I try again and again and again, becoming more irritated, once nearly snapping the stupid things in half.

I fling them to the floor, muttering several choice words in my own language.

“Here,” she says, a smile twitching on her lips.

“Be my guest,” I say with sickly politeness, collecting up the sticks and passing them to her.

She crouches down beside me and in one deft action flicks the sticks together, and a flame jumps up. She holds it to the heating cells and it catches light, a yellow flame leaping into the air.

She rocks onto her backside and holds up her hands to the fire.

“Where did you learn that?” I ask.

“I had an older cousin, Marcus. We spent a lot of time together as kids. We used to sneak off on adventures, go out exploring. He taught me how to build a fire, how to hunt, how to skin my kill. All on the sly, of course, if my father had found out …” She shrugs. “Not very princessly.”

“But useful.”

A faint smile dances over her face. “Yeah, useful.”

“I don’t remember a cousin at the banquet or the wedding?” I examined her face.

“Our fathers fell out. We are forbidden to see each other.” She pokes at the fire with one of the flint sticks. “I haven’t seen him in years. I miss him. He was the only one I really liked growing up.”

“You love him?”

She peers at me. “Yes.”

My eyes widen in horror.

“Ew, no, not like that! Gross!” she cries.

“I thought humans often married their cousins.”

“And I thought Trydents often married their sisters.”

“We don’t often marry at all.”

“You don’t? Why not?”

“Marriage creates a sacred bond that can not be broken. Trydents do not enter into an arrangement lightly.”

She cocks her head. Smoke curls in the air between us. “Then why did you marry me?”

“The peace treaty,” I say quickly, poking at the fire myself.

She examines my face, considering my words as if she doesn’t believe them.

“Why did you choose me?” she whispers.

My eyes flick up to hers. “What do you mean?”

She shifts on her seat, sliding her hands under her thighs. “My sisters always said my father would never find me a husband. That securing me a match would be impossible.” She swallows.

I stare at her and the fire crackles. Above us, the stars are blindingly white. Taunting us.

“There was no reason,” I say. ” It was a random choice.”

She nods.

CHAPTER 10

THE PRINCESS

My sisters enjoyed taunting me. Their favourite taunt: securing me a match would be an impossibility. My father would never find me a willing husband.

I believed them, and, to be honest, I was happy with that prospect, with my future as a spinster sister. The limited freedom I possessed would only be squeezed further by a husband.

But now it seems a husband may be my ticket to freedom. I finger the priceless necklace around my neck. If we can just get to this outpost, I’m sure I can lose the alien, who despite all this gumpf about irreversible bonds, seems like he’d be quite pleased to lose me.

Why did he choose me? Why choose a human wife at all? My father had much to gain from the peace treaty, my husband didn’t. Our piddly little kingdom was no threat to his. And my father isn’t the kind of rich man who could offer a substantial dowry for his daughters. My husband has the biggest army in the outer rim and the largest pot of wealth. It makes no sense.

The heat from the fire licks my skin, and slowly I thaw, my toes and fingers no longer frozen numb. I’ve kicked off my shoes and I wiggle my toes, peering at my husband from the corner of my eye. In the firelight, his eyes are a multitude of reds and oranges, flickering and shimmering with the dancing of the flames. His features seem less harsh too, softening in the warm light. He stares ahead, gaze lost in the fire, thinking. I wonder what about.

We’re sitting like this silently watching the fire, sharing another of the energy bars between us, when we hear the distant noise of drumming, and the ground beneath us begins to tremble. Softly at first, but growing in magnitude.

We both leap to our feet and peer out into the silver landscape.

“There!” I say, pointing to small shadows in the distance. The alien tugs out the spyglass and focuses on the shadows, moving our way. “What are they?”

“I don’t know, but there’s a whole gang of them and they don’t look friendly.”

“They’re probably attracted by the fire.” I snatch it off, a bellow of grey smoke rushing into the air. “Shit,” I mutter, attempting to waft it away.

My husband throws the spyglas back into the satchel and starts rummaging through.

“What are you looking for?”

“A weapon. Who the fuck packed this useless piece of shit?”

“You looked through it already, didn’t you? There wasn’t one.”

He hands me the spyglass. “You can use this as a club.”

I grip the smooth metal in my hands. I’ve hunted with a bow and arrow before, but I’ve never clubbed anything.

“What will you use?”

“My fists. But they’ll have to catch us first.” He stuffs the heating cell and flint sticks into the bag and grabs my wrist. I shake it free. I don’t need him pulling me along like a child.

We walk quickly, but as the thundering sound of paws increases behind us, we pick up our feet and run.

It’s pretty hopeless though, I can tell by the noise these creatures are faster than us, and, under the bright stars, in this flat wasteland, there is nowhere to hide.

I glance over my shoulder as I sprint, my chest heaving in this stupidly tight corset. The creatures following us run on four legs, their front longer than their haunches. Their ears are pointed and their squat faces dominated by a snout and a mouthful of fierce looking teeth. One blessing though, they aren’t big, a third of my size, I estimate.

“This is hopeless,” I shout to my husband. “They’re gaining on us.” He looks over his own shoulder and skids to a halt.

“You’re right,” he says, spinning around to face our incoming pursuers. He draws himself up to his full height, his muscles straining against his shirt. “Get behind me.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Just fucking get behind me,” he snaps, and I jump immediately to his back.

The pack of animals slow as they reach us, coming to a stop a metre from us. They hang back in a group, snarling and snapping their jaws.

“Shit,” I mutter again. There are ten of them at least and though they are small, those teeth look sharp.

“Shhh,” my alien whispers. His eyes are locked on the pack of animals, glaring at the largest at the front who appears to be the leader. He growls – a much louder, fiercer noise than he’s made when he’s growled at me. Despite myself, I shiver and grip the spyglass more tightly.

The pack leader growls right back and takes a step forward. Its fur is matted and dirty and scars run down its legs and over its shoulders. Drooll slides from its mouth and drips to the ground.

It takes another step forward and my husband’s growl deepens.

Then, before I know what’s happening, the beast flies through the air towards us. My husband lunges forward to meet him, ducking down and hitting him hard with the full force of his horns.

The leader of the pack is thrown forward and for a second I think that will be it, but then the rest of the pack launches forward too, snapping and snarling at us. I swing the spyglass at the ones trying to nip my legs, whacking against skulls, snouts and shoulders. The alien is engaged with three of the largest. Butting and punching at them as they drive towards him again and again. One makes a dive for his arm, locking its powerful jaw around his wrist. The alien growls and shakes the creature, knocking the others with his horns as he does. Finally, he slams the animal on the ground and it whines, rolling onto its side, and slinking away.

My spy glass connects with bone and I feel it snap. Another howl of pain and then the creatures are retreating as quickly as they came. Trotting away with less energy than they arrived, several limping at the back of the pack.

I drop to my knees, panting. A long scrape runs down my right shin, but other than that I managed to keep the little bleeders at bay. My husband has fared less well.

“Are you hurt?” he asks me.

“No, not really. But you …” I stand and come toward him, meaning to examine the wound on his arm.

He snatches his arm away, but I can see several bleeding puncture marks where the teeth of the animal pierced his upper arm and some of the flesh is torn.

“Let me look,” I insist, holding out my hand to him.

“I said it’s fine,” he repeats in a tone that reminds me of a petulant child.

“It’s bleeding, and it probably needs cleaning.” I wave my offered palm at him. “Just let me look.”

With another one of those eye rolls, he places his elbow in my palm and I lean in to look at the bite in the starlight.

“Is there a first aid kit in the satchel?”

“Yes.” He winces as I prod at the quickly swelling flesh. I see how thick his skin is now, what a protection it must provide. Yet, it’s not rough to touch. Not exactly soft. But smooth and warm. And for the first time, I notice his scent as well. A hint of vanilla and cedar “You know how to dress a wound?”

“Yes, I know how to dress a wound.”

“Something else your cousin taught you?” he asks darkly. His tone suggests something, but I have no idea what.

I search the satchel for the first aid kit and find antiseptic wipes and bandages. He should probably have a tetanus shot, but I can’t help him with that. Then again, I doubt a hulking great alien like him suffers from such things as illnesses. I bet he’s never had a runny nose or an upset stomach in his life.

First, I clean the wound, dabbing as carefully as I can with the antiseptic. He doesn’t wince this time, but I can feel him watching me, his warm breath tickling over the crown of my head. “It’s a nasty bite,” I tell him.

“They were nasty, stinky, scabby looking things.”

I laugh. “They were. Do you think they were trying to eat us?”

“Probably. There doesn’t seem to be a lot to eat out here.”

“That’s probably why they were so keen to attack you. More meat.” I unravel the bandage and wind it around his large bicep, feeling the full circumference of his muscle as I do.

“You’d be much sweeter, though.” He coughs. “To eat, I mean.” He coughs again. “Erm sweeter meat for those beasts.”

And for some inexplicable reason, that makes me blush.

CHAPTER 11

THE ALIEN

Huddling around the fire seems less wise after our encounter with those snarly beasts so we set off again. By my calculations we have another three or four hours before the sun rises. This is the dead of night on this planet and I can feel it in the air temperature. The human shivers beside me. If I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her to my side, I’m sure I could warm her. The thought is tempting. And not just because it’ll keep us moving. But I suspect a suggestion to touch her will not be well received.

I think of her tender fingers trailing around my arm. Of the softness of her touch. How I’d had to grind my teeth together to stop from closing my eyes and moaning in pleasure.

Nobody has stroked my skin like that for as long as I can remember – certainly not since I was a boy. Even when some medic has sewn or mopped up a wound, their touches have been rough or perfunctory.

Not tender.

Not soft.

Not accompanied by her scent of jasmine.

Or the flicker of those eyes.

Shit!

“Do you want to stop again and light the fire?” I ask when her teeth start to chatter and drive me to distraction.

“Yes,” she says, “but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Who knows what other creatures might be lurking out there who’ll be attracted by the flames.”

“But you’re cold.”

“Fucking freezing!” she says. And I can’t stand it. Without thinking, I shrug off my shirt. It’s bloodied from my wound and probably smells like a garbage collector, but it’ll keep her warm. “Here, take this.”

She halts in her tracks and her gaze falls to the ground. Then she lifts her hand and shades her eyes. The sight of me standing half-naked before her is obviously repulsive.

“I can’t take your shirt!” she shrieks. “For fuck’s sake, put it back on.”

“I am not cold. I don’t need it. You do.” And before she can argue again, I tug the thing straight over her head. Her face pops through the head-hole with a disgruntled look, but nonetheless she slides her arms through the armholes.

“Better?” I ask. The cold nips a little more without my shirt, but I hardly notice. My skin feels abnormally hot.

“Uh huh.” Her eyes flick to my chest and then dart away.

We start walking again.

“I still don’t understand why all those people working for you haven’t found us. I mean, they are looking for us, right?” She narrows her eyes. “Or are they celebrating that you’re gone?”

“I can guarantee there are some celebrating what they hope is my demise.”

“Oh really? Ex-girlfriend?”

“No.” I’m a king, leader of the Trydents. I’ve had my dalliances, but nothing serious. Nothing to leave an ex-partner feeling murderous. At least, I don’t think so.

“Then who?”

“My enemies.”

She laughs. “Well, that sounds dark.”

“Your father is a king. Are you telling me he doesn’t have enemies?”

“I suppose he does.”

“And you, do you have enemies?”

“People I’d like to lock in a dungeon for a few days, but I’m not sure they’re really enemies.”

“There are people who would like my throne, to rule my lands. A king always has enemies.”

“That sounds…” she sighs, “lonely.”

“Sometimes, I guess it is,” I say, truthfully. I’ve never admitted that to anyone before and it feels oddly liberating.

“Being a princess can be lonely sometimes too.”

“Even with all those sisters?”

“Especially with all those sisters. We were never exactly the …” she searches for the words, “the best of friends.”

“I always wanted a brother or a sister.”

“Trust me, they’re a pain in the arse.”

“I think all princesses are.” It’s a tease, but I peer at her to see how she’ll react.

“So are all kings.”

Touche!

“Maybe that means this marriage will work out after all.”

“Or we’re going to end up killing each other.” I glance at my wife.

I’d like to see her try.

CHAPTER 12

THE PRINCESS

After another hour of walking, the alien insists on resting. We’re too nervous to light the fire again, but his shirt is made of some kind of special fabric, and I’m much warmer buried in it, the hem reaching all the way down to my knees. When we stop and drop to the ground, I curl my arms and legs up inside the fabric and feel blissfully warm. Blissfully bathed in his scent as well. It coats the fabric and I can’t help the odd sneaky sniff.

My husband snaps more pieces off the energy bar and passes them to me. Chewing the sugary food stuff seems to warm me further. However, after a while, I start to shiver again, and the alien decides we’ve rested enough.

We start walking again. The landscape on our journey is the same flat dusty ground with the occasional outcrop of rocks or small circle of raggedy plant life. We are silent, both lost in our thoughts, but it isn’t uncomfortable. I am not compelled to fill the silence with pointless words, and neither is he. And so we walk and walk, and eventually a gold line appears at the horizon, creeping across the sky, staining the darkness with its light.

We find shelter and sit on the cold ground, watching the burning ball rise into the sky, streams of light racing to greet us.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur.

“It is.”

“I’ve always loved watching the sunrise.”

He snorts. “How many sunrises have you been up early enough to see, princess?”

“Plenty!” I retort. “I used to set my alarm, sneak out the window, and climb up onto the roof. From up there, I could see right across the kingdom and out to the very edge of the land.”

“Why?”

“Did I watch the sunrise?”

He nods, and I lean back against the hard boulder behind me. “Sometimes it all seemed a bit pointless, you know. Watching the sunrise made me feel better – it sounds stupid – but a kind of reminder that there’ll always be a new day.”

“It isn’t stupid. The Trydent’s have a saying – the sun always rises. I’ve often said it to myself in my darkest moments, when all hope seems lost.”

“Like now you mean?” I tease.

“Hope is not lost, princess. We will reach the outpost by nightfall tomorrow.”

The full disk of the sun hovers over the horizon now, its lower rim lingering for one final kiss before breaking free.

“I never knew it would look so different on another planet. I guess that’s a bit dumb.”

“You never left your own planet?”

“No. Although, I’ve always wanted to see more of the galaxy, the universe. This wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

“Hmmm,” he hums. “There are so many wonderful places – even in a galaxy like yours. I will show you them.”

I turn to look at him, The sunlight paints his face golden and his eyes shine. Something in my stomach flutters.

“You should rest first this time,” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “I need to keep guard and–”

“I can keep watch,” he goes to interrupt me, but I stop him, “and I will wake you if I spot anything.”

He considers me and then nods with a reluctant huff, lying out on the ground. I continue to watch the brightening horizon until I hear his breathing deepen beside me, taking my opportunity to examine him unobserved. His face is less fierce, relaxed in sleep, boy-like almost, and I notice the long thick lashes that frame his eyes and his sharp cheekbones. My gaze snakes down his body. He is almost two times as big and twice as broad as me, and I have experienced the strength in his arm and his fingers. Yet, I am beginning to suspect that my husband is no brainless brute. He is intelligent, perhaps sensitive.

The breeze frisks sand around my feet, and I look back out into the sun-baked land. This is my chance. We’re only a day’s walk from the outpost. If I set off now while the alien sleeps I’d have a heads start. I could reach civilisation first and escape off this planet long before he even wakes. I’d have to walk quickly and endure the heat of the day. But I’m sure I could do it. I’m hardier than I look, stronger than he thinks.

I continue to sit, watching the red sand shift over the earth.

I should go now.

But I don’t. After all, I suspect I have a better chance of surviving the harshness of this planet with my alien companion.

Escape will have to come later.

CHAPTER 13

THE ALIEN

I jolt awake.

Despite finding myself bathed in shadow, the heat from the sun hisses through the air, and I can feel it against my face. My leg is dead from sleeping on the hard ground and my neck crooked. I roll up, swinging my head from side to side and rolling my shoulders, and search for my new wife.

I expect to find her where I left her, watching the horizon with the dedication she promised. Instead, she is slouched, her chin resting against her chest with her eyes closed. For one heart-stopping minute, I think something has happened to her, but then I see her shoulders lift and sink faintly.

Nope, she’s fallen asleep on watch.

I should’ve bloody known it.

I am tempted to shake her awake and give her a piece of my mind. Anything or anyone could’ve attacked us out here while we’ve both been dozing. But as I stomp towards her, my fury quickly abates. The human looks so peaceful and I am reminded of her beauty – a beauty which first struck me at her father’s palace –even with her hair a now sticky mess around her flushed face. A vision which conjures another image altogether into my mind.

I slump to the ground beside her. Shit! I’m screwed. This little human is going to occupy far too much of my mind and my attention. And what am I going to be able to do about it? Fuck all! She is not the kind of woman to oblige her husband out of wifely duty and she has made it abundantly clear that she finds me repulsive. Pathetic. I’m doomed to the fate of a lustful dog trailing after her with my tongue hanging out.

This is not good. What has made me so undefeatable? The undisputed, long reigning, leader of the Trydents? Conquering most of the outer rim? My detachment. I have nobody I truly care for. My father and my mother both died many years ago. The friends I grew up with, that I went to battle with side by side, were killed long ago. I have no one. And I’ve needed no one. It makes me invincible.

No weakness.

No chink in my armor.

But now …

What would I do for this spoiled little princess? I’ve already carried her across the scorching desert, haven’t I? Fought off wild creatures. Kept watch through the day and foregone sleep.

Do I now have that weakness that I’ve taken advantage of many times when it comes to my enemies?

More than ever, I should get the fuck up and let sleeping princesses lie. I do not need a companion. I do not need a wife. I do not need a burden.

No, I don’t need any of these things. But I want them. I want a soft, little companion whom I can curl up with at night. Someone who looks at me with eagerness, that touches me gently like she did. Maybe I knew this when I made that crazy, rash decision to take her as a wife. Maybe my stupid heart recognised it before my mind. For I can not regret that decision, even though I fear there will come a time I will regret it dearly.

Peering over to her, I can not help but cradle her small body in my large hands and gently lower her to the ground. Sleeping in that crouched position will injure her dainty neck. She hums in her sleep, snuggling up to my arm that is now lodged under her body.

I should move my arm. I should really, really move my arm, but I like the feel of her weight on me. It could fool me into believing she needs me.

I remain in this position for far longer than I should, finally sliding my arm from under her as the sun dives back towards the horizon. As it sets, I shake her awake and, after some water and the last crumbs of the energy bars, we set off once again.

I want to get us off this cess-pot of a planet and back to my home.

Our home.

CHAPTER 14

THE PRINCESS

Wispy clouds mill across the sky this evening, hiding the blanket of stars, but at least the temperature is not as cold as it was the night before, and our progress, despite our hunger and thirst, is quicker.

Perhaps it is the lack of food and water that has me feeling light-headed and dizzy. My thoughts muddled, wandering off in directions I can’t understand. My eyes too, flicking unbidden to the well-built alien towering at my side. To his elegant horns, his chiselled face, and his toned chest. Perhaps it isn’t really any warmer than it was. Maybe it is his presence so very close. That scent of his creeping into my nostrils. My cheeks are warm and so is my belly, even though it is empty.

But then this warm, fuzzy feeling quickly flees when the stupid, hulking idiot opens his stupid mouth.

“I think you will come to like it on my planet,” he tells me.

“It depends. Do you intend to lock me in your castle like my father?” I ask him sceptically.

“You will not miss your home, I think?”

“Not much of it, no,” I say, thinking of the horse I left behind, of galloping across the planes, the wind blasting through my hair, of that rare sense of freedom.

“Huh,” he snorts. “You’ll miss your cousin?”

“Marcus? I guess, yes, I will.”

“No one else … there is no one else you will miss?” I turn my head and eye him with suspicion. Is he inferring something? “No one special?” he adds.

Ahh, now I see where this is leading. He’s trying to determine if the goods he purchased are spoiled. What is this male obsession with fucking virginity? I’m sure my father has reassured him on that point – not that my father would have a fucking clue about my love life. If I’d wanted to take a sneaky lover, I could have. I’d have found a way.

“Hmmm,” I say. “Oh, quite a few special people, actually. Special men.”

My husband stops in his tracks, and an expression of thunder descends on his face. “Special men?”

“Oh yes, lots and lots,” I glare at him, “and lots of men.” I curl my tongue around the words for emphasis. He looks as if he’s about to explode with anger. “You got a problem with that?” I snarl.

“Problem?” he growls.

“Oh, I know what you lot are like. Did my father have to sign some piece of paper declaring my fucking purity? Did he talk you out of a fucking inspection?”

His brow leaps up in surprise and confusion. “Paper? Inspection?”

“Oh, don’t get all cute with me now!” I make quote marks with my fingers in the air. “‘Anyone special’. Why are you asking me about that?”

His gaze drops to the floor and he scratches the back of his neck. He looks like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I … was … just …”

“Curious about my sexual experience?” I yell.

He takes a step back. “That’s not what I asked.”

“Oh, but that’s what you were getting at, you sexist pig?”

He bristles under the insult and I have to hold myself back from flinging a load more in his face. Yep, this is exactly why my sisters said I’d never find a husband. When I’m mad, I can’t hold back. It all comes flying out – unedited and uncensored. But hell, if men weren’t such dicks, led by their fucking dicks, maybe I wouldn’t lose my temper quite as often.

Fury has returned to my husband’s face. His jaw tight, and his eyes burning. “It’s no crime to be curious about my wife’s previous love life.”

“But why do you care? Because you want a nice, tight little virgin like every other dickhead in this galaxy.” Exactly why I want to get the hell out of this galaxy to the inner rim where people are more forward-thinking, more progressive. Where women aren’t judged by who they have and haven’t slept with.

“I don’t give a shit if you’ve screwed half the men on your planet, although I doubt it somehow. Not with a mouth like yours!”

“Because a woman with an opinion–”

“Shit, I was making conversation!”

“And what are you going to do if you discover I’m soiled goods? Send me back to my father? Return your purchase to the seller?”

“Didn’t I just say I don’t give a shit?”

“Maybe I do, you know,” I plonk my fists on my hips. “Maybe I care that you’ve been sleeping around. Maybe I wanted a virgin husband. Not that anyone fucking well asked me!”

I scowl at him, my head buzzing with rage. He scowls at me, his red eyes blazing.

And so I don’t hear the footsteps.

I don’t see the gang of bandits.

Not until a club swings through the air and knocks my new husband squarely on the head.

CHAPTER 15

THE PRINCESS

Before I have a chance to scream at the sight of my new alien husband crumpling to the ground, a lizardy hand clamps around my mouth. For the second time, I’m tossed about like a sack of potatoes, hands tied behind my back, gag around my mouth. I’m slung over the back of some huge creature with rough grey flesh, and then we’re trudging away.

All I can see is the back end of this beast and the dust on the ground littered with footprints. The prints consist of several pairs of boots as well as the giant paws of the beast I’m riding.

Around me, I hear the grunting pants of the beast and the high pitched screechy sound of a language I do not know. There are several different voices, five, maybe six.

I swing my head about as best I can, trying to see more. Several lizard men wrapped up in hooded robes walk alongside this beast. And I can make out another beast in front of us, the unconscious figure of my husband slung over its back.

Are they taking us to the outpost? To trade us? Perhaps they recognised my husband and intend to hand him over to his enemies? And then what will they do to me? I doubt my father would pay any ransom for me.

I kick my legs, trying to worm myself free with absolutely no luck. By the time we finally stop, my back and my shoulders scream from the awkward position, and it’s a relief when they slide me off the great beast. My feet land in scorching sand, the sun high in the sky, and I’m led into one of several tents and plonked in a corner without a word. A few minutes later, they drag my husband in. He seems dazed, a nasty wound at the back of his head. They kick him to the ground beside me, screeching at him in that nasty language.

My husband glares up at them and one throws down some bread before leaving us alone in the tent.

“Are you OK?” I whisper to my husband.

He groans. “I’ve felt better.”

“Maybe if you ate something?” I hold up the bread, and he looks at it in disgust, shaking his head.

I shrug and tear a piece of the salty dough off with my teeth.

“Do you think they know who you are?”

“No,” he says defiantly. “If they knew who I was they would not have me tied up like this. I am king of the Trydents, ruler of three galaxies, leader of the fiercest army in all the outer rim, richer by far than–”

“I get the picture.” I chew. “Maybe they’re going to give you to your enemies.”

“I will tear their fucking throats out for this insult.”

“I don’t think you’re in a state to tear anyone’s throat out.”

He groans, and his chin sinks to his chest as he closes his eyes.

“Do you have a plan?” I ask.

He creaks open one eyelid. “A plan?”

“Of how to get out of here.”

He closes his eye and groans again.

“Maybe if you just told them who you are and offered them some money.” Automatically, I reach up and touch my necklace. Still there.

“Trydents do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not pay ransoms.”

“Well, that seems pretty stupid.” I chew some more. Then my eyes widen and my head flips towards my husband. “Maybe they’re planning to eat us!” I fling the bread away. “Maybe they’re going to fatten us up and then cook us.” My husband rubs his head. “You said yourself there’s little to eat on this planet.”

I tug my knees up to my chest. No ransoms! Fucking great!

The temperature inside the tent rises as the day progresses, and sweat wets my brow and slides down my face. My mouth is parched and I swipe my tongue at the salty moisture, capturing a few dribbles. It does nothing to quench my thirst and eventually I give in and gulp down the water our captors have left us. It’s probably laced with tranquillisers, but right now I’d happily drink anything.

Slowly, the alien rouses from his daze, although he complains about the pain in his head. I force him to drink water too, pouring it against his lips with my bound hands, most of it running down his chin and chest. The water helps him though. He seems more like himself after several gulpfuls. Unfortunately, even with a clearer head, he still has no plan of escape. Whenever I mention the subject, it just starts him off on another round of outrage about our predicament.

We’re both tied to the ground, our wrists and ankles well bound and my husbands arms roped up for special measure too. The tent they’ve left us in is bare, just a couple of travelling crates stacked in one corner and a rough, weaved rug covering the ground. The tent itself forms a pyramid shape, its roof ending in a point, the canvas thick material that keeps most of the heat at bay.

Outside, the rest of the camp is quiet and I think they must be sleeping, choosing to travel through the night as we have been doing. Occasionally, I hear the snuffle or snort of one of the beasts we were brought here on, but nothing more until the later remnants of the day. Then the camp stirs. Those screechy voices moving around outside.

I need to pee. It’s been building all day and not helped by the amount of water I downed a couple of hours ago. I try to ignore it, squeezing my thighs together and concentrating on my breathing. But it’s fucking unbearable.

“What’s wrong?” my husband asks in alarm.

“I need to pee,” I wince through gritted teeth.

He looks at me for one long second, then starts to shout, mimicking the screechy sounds of the lizardmen.

“You know their language?” I hiss.

“Of course I know their language.”

Why he didn’t think to tell me this useful bit of information during our discussions about possible escape plans, I have no bloody idea.

He continues to shout and eventually one of the lizard men, his beady yellow eyes swivelling in annoyance, his pronged tongue hissing against his lip, comes marching into the tent. He’s armed with a fighting stick and he prods my husband in the chest with it and issues some angry words.

My husband says something in reply and motions towards me with his head. I look up at the lizardman, who is examining me with suspicion. I groan for special effect, and he snatches the rope with which I’m tied and unbinds it from the metal ring dug into the hard ground. He tugs on the rope, but I lift my feet, showing him I can’t stand with my feet tied together. With more hisses, he unbinds me, his fingers rough on my skin, and I clamber up.

Walking is almost impossible with such a full bladder, but I hobble behind our captor, glancing at my husband before ducking out of the tent and into the late afternoon. The camp is rudimentary, just a circle of tents and several of the large beasts. Nothing more. Certainly no frigging bathroom.

The lizardman leads me through the camp, the other lizardmen milling about, not paying me one ounce of attention. We reach an outcrop of tall spindly trees, scrubby bushes at the base, and he gestures for me to go in. I do as he says, but when he starts to follow, I stop and round on him.

Uh uh, no way. I’m not peeing while this pervert stands and watches.

“No,” I say defiantly, waving my bound hands at him. “Stay back. I’m going in alone.”

The lizardman responds with some screechy words.

“No,” I repeat. “I’m not budging until you piss off and let me pee in peace.”

The lizardman mutters something, but obviously decides this isn’t worth the argument. He steps out of the trees and turns around.

I climb deeper into the vegetation, noticing as I do, that the bind around my wrists has loosened, allowing me to rub my wrists against each other. I continue to do this as I walk further, and the lizardman shouting something and tugging on the rope. I stop. Then I squat down and, as I relieve myself, I work the binds looser and looser until I’ve freed my hands completely.

I’m free.

Well, sort of, there’s still the lizardman at the end of the rope. I glance around on the ground, searching through the scrubby beaches and foliage for inspiration. I spy a large heavy branch.

A weapon.

Quietly, I pick it up and creep through the bushes, choosing a different route to that which I came. The lizardman calls again. But I don’t respond. I can see him through the leaves, his back to me. With my hands gripping the harsh bark of the branch, I step closer. My breath sounds thunderous in my ears, but the lizardman doesn’t hear me. He’s peering through the leaves, looking for me in another direction. I step closer still, and then I swing back my club and knock him roundly on the head. Just like the bastard had done to my husband. Without a sound, he sinks to the ground, out cold.

CHAPTER 16

THE ALIEN

I‘m beginning to worry. The lizardman took my wife away to relieve herself sometime ago, and though I can hear no commotion outside the tent, no screams for help, I fear the worst. What are those creeps doing to her?

I struggle against the rope binding me. The injury at the back of my head sears, but I simply grit my teeth and yank on the chain that locks me to the ground.

I can’t let them harm the princess.

I won’t.

I yank harder, straining with all my might. The pain in my head almost blinds me with the effort. The metal ring gives a fraction, and I tug again, groaning with the effort, pulling with all my might.

Then suddenly it gives. I’m flung backwards, landing hard on my back. I lie there panting, the pain in my head so violent I think I might vomit.

“What are you doing?” a voice whispers. I force open my eyes and stare up into the bright eyes of my wife.

Thank fuck!

“Are you hurt?” I croak.

“No,” she says, hooking her hands under my armpits and helping me to sit. “I cut myself free from that rope and knocked the slippery fucker out. Come on,” she unwinds the binds at my wrists, “let’s get the hell out of here!”

I stare at her in disbelief. I truly thought this little human despised me. That she’d take any opportunity to ditch me if she could.

What is it she said?

No one asked her if she wanted to marry me.

I’d assumed she’d had some say in the matter. Perhaps she’d regretted her decision, but it had been hers.

It wasn’t. She had no choice.

The princess had every right to go her own way. But she’s come back. Has come back to help me.

“You … you came back for me.”

She frowns, tugging at the rope twisted around my legs. “Of course. I’m not going to leave you here to end up as lizardman stew, am I?”

Shaking off the last of the ropes and chains, I stumble to my feet, the action making my head throb. I feel steadier on my feet than I did earlier, though. I touch the wound at the back of my head.

“Come on, we need to–”

But she doesn’t finish her words. Another lizardman ducks inside the tent, his eyes widening when he spots us free of our chains.

I lumber towards him, but not quickly enough. The man screeches, raising the alarm. He has a fighting stick that he swings at me, but he’s too slow. I seize it and we wrestle it between one another until finally I grab my chance, and, ducking my head, butt the lizardman hard on the chin with my horns. The lizardman loses his grip on the stick, stumbling backwards, and I whack him on the chest and then around the back of his skull. He crumples to the floor.

Rolling him to one side with my foot, I motion to the princess. Together, we pull back the tent flap and, in the fading light, find ourselves face to face with the other four lizardmen, each armed with an electrified fighting stick.

“Shit,” I mumble, glad the princess beside me has had the foresight to grab the stick from the man she bettered. I’m stronger, taller than these traders, but we are outnumbered. Perhaps, a day ago, I would have been more concerned. Burdened with the knowledge that I alone would have to protect the weakling beside me. But I know her better now. I’ve seen her fight that snarly pack of wild animals. I’ve seen her cleverly escape the clutches of our captors. I have confidence that the feisty woman at my side can take care of herself.

“Aim for their heads,” I tell her. “Their skulls are soft.” Then I address the lizardmen. “Let us go, and I will not harm you.”

They simply laugh. They think they have the upper-hand. They are wrong. I stand my ground waiting for them to come and when they rush at us. I start to fight. I swing my stick backward and forward, connecting with the sticks that come crashing towards me, fending off blows, blocking attacks. I am more powerful, but three of the lizardmen are engaged with trying to take me down and I have to use all my concentration to predict every swipe towards me. Several times I misjudge and receive a thwack to the ribs, a strike to my thigh, a knock to my shoulder. But I too am lucky, punching one of the men square in his face, feeling the soft bone crack and watching him sink to his knees, clutching his face. I manage to knock the legs from beneath another, sending him flying backwards, and then I engaged with just the last.

From the corner of my eye, I spy the princess fighting another of the men with all her might. They are roughly the same size and evenly matched, and I suspect that cousin of hers must have taught her the fundamentals of sword fighting. She knows how to block an attack, and she understands how to use the force of her opponent against them, and she’s quick on her feet, swerving and swiping, leaping away from the electric sparks at the end of the lizardman’s stick, and connecting her own weapon several times.

But then she’s on the defence, pushed back by the lizardman, stumbling as she blocks a flurry of blows. He swings at her viciously, striking her on the arm with a loud crack. She howls out in pain.

And I see red.

I launch myself at my attacker with such unbridled force that he flies through the air and lands with a bang, knocked out cold.

Then with a roar, I turn and grab my wife’s attacker by the back of his throat, squeezing with all my might and all my anger, until he too is lifeless in my hand. I drop him to the ground, throw away my stick, climb over his body, and reach my wife.

“Are you alright?” I ask, running my palm over the bruise blossoming on her arm. “Did the bastard break it?”

“No,” she says, peering up and meeting my eyes. She doesn’t pull her arm away from my touch, and I can’t help stroking her soft skin for a fraction longer. As I do, I notice a pink tinge stain her cheeks and the black pinpricks at the centre of her eyes widen. I wonder what this can mean.

“I-I think we’d better get out of here,” she stutters, “Before these bastards come round.”

I swallow, not releasing her arm. “Yes.”

“We could take one of the beasts. It would be quicker.”

“Yes,” I repeat.

We stand there in the golden light, the sun disappearing behind the horizon, staring into one another’s eyes.

CHAPTER 17

THE PRINCESS

My husband unties the giant beast from its stake and leads it from the camp out into the desert. The darkness rapidly encroaches across the sky and, with the stars not yet alight, I struggle to see his face.

We’ve lost the satchel and the datapad, but the sunset is in the North and we need to head South. There is also a well-trodden track in the landscape now. A track we hope will lead to the outpost.

Once we’re satisfied we are on the right path, my husband stops and turns towards me. He lifts his hands and they hover in front of me. He hesitates. Then he reaches forward, wrapping his fingers around my waist, his large hands encasing me completely. I shiver at his touch and bite my lip. His gaze falls to my mouth and we stand there frozen, the stars emerging one by one above us.

The beast snorts.

We both jump.

Then my husband lifts me onto the saddle on the beast’s back. I settle against the leather and watch as my husband steps into the stirrup and swings his leg over the back of the beast.

“Have you ever ridden one of these?” I ask, my voice a little high as I feel the weight of him behind me.

“Never,” he says.

“I suspect it’s not very different from riding a horse.” I gather up the reins and give them a shake, clicking my tongue to encourage the beast to walk forward.

“You are a very competent rider. I saw you.”

“When?”

“The morning of our wedding.”

Ahhh yes. The morning of our wedding. I wanted to escape. I didn’t want to marry the deformed alien man with his strange skin and his huge curled horns. I’d leapt on my horse, Star, and cantered. I didn’t have a plan. I just wanted to flee. I rode and rode, the wind tearing through my hair, right to the river. There I’d halted, knowing there was nowhere to go. No escape. No plan. I had no money. No way of raising money.

“Where were you going?” His hands come to rest on my waist once more, and I don’t shake them off. After all, I don’t want him to fall.

“Nowhere. Away.”

He’s silent and the only noise is the trudge of the beast in the sand and his heavy breaths.

“You said before you didn’t have a choice. About marrying me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Your father never asked you?”

“No,” I scoff, “my father never asks, he tells.”

“I didn’t know,” he says quietly with what I think might be sadness in his tone. “I assumed you agreed to the match.”

“I didn’t.”

The silence descends between us and hangs there. We are both lost in our thoughts. I want to tell him that it doesn’t matter now. I don’t regret what has happened. I’ve been wanting adventure, craving it, desperate for freedom. Marcus and I used to pretend at it, but it was all make believe. Someone from the castle would always come and fetch us home.

In these last few days, I’ve had a taste of the adventure I’ve always wanted, and even tied up in a tent, strangely, I have enjoyed myself.

I am messed up. But then I always have been. Isn’t that what my sisters always told me?

I want to tell him all of this. The sadness in his voice has leached into my heart and I don’t like it. I want to tell him, but the words don’t come.

The beast continues its strange lurching motion, rolling us on his back. I cling to the reins and the alien clings to me, his body inching gradually closer and closer towards mine. My heart hammers in my throat in response, and then finally, his body touches mine, his skin pressed up against me.

I shiver.

“Are you cold, princess?” he asks.

“No,” I squeak.

He’s silent for a moment, then his right hand slides down my waist and onto my thigh. He rests his lips on my shoulder.

I shiver again.

“Do you like that?” he whispers.

“Yes,” I squeak again, my eyelids fluttering at the sensation of his wet mouth pressing against the tender skin of my throat.

It feels divine. Like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and the stars seem dazzling and dreamy. Everything suddenly brighter, louder. His breath by my ear, his fingers pressing into my skin. I grip the reins tight, worried I’m losing my mind, worried I’ll slip.

A pulse flickers into life between my thighs. An ache. I bite my lip, my breath coming quicker.

I have a sudden urge. New. One I’ve never experienced before. I want him to touch me more, for his hand to travel up to my breast. For his mouth to roam along my neck. For him to nibble along my shoulder. The thought of it has the pulse strengthening and my cheeks burning.

But he does none of these things and, once again, I don’t have the courage to say the words I should.

How strange? I own a reputation for being free with my words. For saying whatever I please. Yet now, when the words matter, they will not come.

What am I frightened of? That this is not real? That out here under the stars, bruised and battered, starved and thirsty, we are caught in a dream. We will wake up. We will return to reality. And all will be different.

I don’t ask for the things I want and so he does not give them to me. His hands remain resting on my waist and my thigh. And he leans his mouth away from my shoulder.

CHAPTER 18

THE ALIEN

Despite the creature’s lumbering pace, it is far quicker than ours and it covers the distance to the outpost in no time. We spy twinkling lights on the horizon, and, as we draw closer, we make out the mismatched array of buildings, brought here by different civilisations, each with their own style and design.

As we draw closer still, the tall figures of several creatures coalesce on the outskirts, and we watch them raise spy glasses to their eyes, the glass catching in the starlight. They are my men. I would recognise their forms anywhere.. I wave, yelling to them and they sprint towards us. When they are mere metres away, I slide from the back of the beast, landing on the soft sand, and race towards them.

“Sire!” they call to me, “Sire.”

“It could be a trap!” the human cries. But it isn’t. These are my most loyal, trusted men. Men I have trusted with my life again and again.

They stop before me, and I embrace the first, Yaser, my longest serving bodyguard.

“You are alive,” he says.

“Just.” I laugh and slap him on the back. “No thanks to you.”

“We have been searching–”

I wave off his words. “You have found me now.”

“And your wife,” Yaser says, with a raised eyebrow, peering up at my human perched on top of the beast. The last time they saw her she was the epitome of elegance, her hair styled in waves down her back, crystals weaved into the tresses, her dress elegant and white like snow. Now she wears dirty rags, her hair a wild tangle around her head.

She looks magnificent.

Like a queen.

I lift my hand and help her to slide to the ground. When she lands, I do not release my grip, and I notice the gaze of my men flicking down to our conjoined hands.

“We have rooms secured in the inn. Perhaps we should go there to talk,” Yaser says. I eye him, suspecting there is unpleasant news, and jerk my chin, signalling for him to lead the way.

The outpost is suspiciously quiet. There are no beings out on the streets, although I have the strong sensation we are being watched from behind many sets of shutters.

“Where is everyone?” the princess whispers.

“They’ve made themselves scarce since we arrived.”

“Did they know who you were searching for?” I ask.

“No, we have tried to suppress news that you were missing, Sire.”

We turn into a rundown building several stories higher than the squat ones surrounding it. Yaser leads us through the dark reception area, the desk unmanned, through an almost empty salon, and into a large private room on the ground floor. The furnishings are at least two decades old and littered with my men’s equipment.

“Is there a cafeteria?” I ask Yaser. He nods and I address a couple of the other guards. “Take the princess and find her something to eat.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I’ll join you shortly.”

My wife crosses her arms over her chest. “Oh, I’m sorry, are you planning to talk about manly things that a little woman like me can’t hear?”

I sigh. “I just thought you might be hungry.”

She turns to one of the guards. “Can you ask the kitchen to bring something to eat to our room, please?” She then flops into one of the chairs, making it abundantly clear that she won’t move.

“Plenty of water too,” I add.

I stroll to one of the cases on the floor and press the button to open the lid, picking out a clean shirt and tugging it over my head. Yaser gestures to a warm bowl of water on the top of a dresser, and I dip a cloth into the water, running it over my face and around the back of my neck.

“So tell me,” I say, as I clean my face.

“We were unable to reach your cabin on the cruise liner so we evacuated on one of the larger life ships. It took us some time to establish that your escape pod had left the cruise ship and for us to track in which direction it had gone. We’ve been putting covert messages out over the waves in the hope you would respond, but when you didn’t, we deduced you’d landed somewhere without communication.”

“Why covert?” my wife asks him.

“As I said, we have been suppressing news that you were missing. The palace has been propagating the story that you were injured in the evacuation and have been coalescing in a medbay.”

“Have people been believing that?” she says.

“Some,” Yaser shuffles from one foot to another, “there have been rumours circulating that you are dead or missing. We are aware of enemy forces out looking for you. Lord Lanicus of Budan has a reward for your capture.”

“Bastard,” I mutter, although I’m hardly surprised. He has his eye on my lands and my wealth.

“You did well to find me first,” I tell Yaser, and he bows his head in response. “And my ship?”

“On its way. We came ahead at speed.”

I nod. as there is a knock on the door.

“Enter,” I call, drying my face on a rough towel left by the basin.

A thin Styner alien with silver skin walks in shyly, a tray of food balanced on her shoulder. My wife’s stomach growls in that unusual way – probably in response to the aromas of spices dancing through the air. Yaser looks at her in horror and then to me. To growl in a king’s presence is a great offence.

I wave my hand in dismissal. “It’s a human thing. They are strange creatures.” We both look at the little thing as she shuffles eagerly to the edge of her chair, watching as the Styner places the dishes on the table before her.

“We can talk more later,” I tell Yaser, resting my hand on his shoulders. “Let me eat with my wife first.” He bows his head and then signals to the other men to leave us in peace.

“We will keep guard,” he assures me.

I sit down beside my wife and we eat our meal slowly, savouring the flavours, licking our lips and our fingers, both groaning and moaning as our bellies fill.

“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so good,” she sighs, biting through a pastry.

I laugh. “It is pretty poor cooking. Wait until you try the food back home.”

“Oh, I know it’s pretty crappy cooking, yet it tastes so good.” She closes her eyes and sighs a second time.

I have to avert my eyes. Visions keep flashing into my mind, triggered by that sight. Fuck, I’d like to make her sigh and moan like that. I want to make her shiver again. I am certain my touch out there riding the desert beast was not one of revulsion. I think she liked it when I touched her.

I want to touch her again. But such thoughts are interrupted by another knock at the door.

Shaking my head free of these thoughts, I go and open the door.

“The ship is here, Sire,” Yaser tells me, and I nod, my body flooding with sadness. I know what I have to do.

CHAPTER 19

THE PRINCESS

“The ship is ready,” my husband tells me. I replace the piece of meat I was about to eat on the plate and stand up, brushing crumbs from my lap. His shoulders are sunken. Is his head giving him pain? He swallows. “Do you wish to come?” I frown, confused by his words. “If you don’t want to, then we can go our separate ways,” he adds.

“But the marriage? The irreversible bond?”

“If it isn’t what you want, I can say you did not survive the crash. You are free to go.”

“Free?” That’s what I want, right? What I have been longing for as long as I can remember. Freedom.

He nods, a seriousness in those ruby eyes.

“What …” A pain hits me square in the chest and my hands tremble against my sides. “What do you want?”

“I want you to come with me.” He hesitates, then edges closer to me. “I lied to you.”

“Lied to me?”

“It wasn’t random. Choosing you wasn’t random.” He takes another step towards me. “I didn’t arrive on your planet with the intention of finding a wife.”

“You didn’t?” I crease my brow. I’m struggling to understand what he’s telling me.

He reaches for my hand, taking it in both of his, stroking my fingers. “But then I saw you dancing at the banquet–”

“No, that wasn’t me.” I shake my head. “It was my sisters who danced and performed at the banquet.”

“Afterwards. After the performance. When the real dancing began. You danced then.”

“I did.” I lift my eyes to his. The colour reminds me of vivid sunrises.

“You captivated me and I wanted to make you mine.” A smile tweaks the edge of his lips. “I am a very rational person, princess. I’ve never been struck by such an irrational need before.”

“Oh,” I say, breathless. “What captivated you about me?”

“Your eyes, the way your eyes sparkle.” I swallow. “And your breasts.” I giggle. “They appear so soft and bouncy. I’ve wanted to bury my face between your breasts since the moment I met you.”

“Oh,” I moan this time, the pulse between my legs so strong I hardly know what to do with myself.

“Can I?” he asks, his eyes trailing down to my cleavage.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I nod. He steps in, sliding his hands around my waist so they encase my ribs. Then he leans down. But his lips don’t meet my chest. They meet my lips. My knees buckle and I melt against his strong chest.

I’ve never been kissed before. Never really even thought about it. My sisters would spend hours discussing kissing. I never understood the fascination with it.

Now I do.

Now, as he moves his lips against mine, I wonder how anyone would ever want to do anything else. The caress of his lips, smooth and soft, sends electricity racing up and down my body.

He tastes of the sweet spices of the food and his warm scent envelopes me. His wet tongue creeps carefully into my mouth, stroking against my lips, and my tongue.

I sigh and he pulls back to peer down at me.

“I’ve been wanting to make you sigh like that,” he chuckles.

“I want to come with you,” I gasp. Why would I want anything else when his kisses melt my mind and turn me into mush. “I want to be with you.”

“Despite the horns?”

“Because of the horns.”

He growls, and the next thing I know, he has me pushed up against the wall, kissing me passionately. It’s completely different from the tender kiss of a few moments ago, and yet just as delicious. He kisses me hard, his mouth working against mine, stealing my breath away, his tongue invading my mouth, his hands everywhere too, squeezing, kneading my breasts, my backside, my thighs. It’s as if he’s been holding himself back from doing this and, now he has permission, he’s lost control.

His mouth leaves mine and I whine. But then he’s kissing down my jaw to my ear. He nibbles on my lobe and swipes his tongue around my shell, making me shiver.

“I’ve never done this before,” I gasp as his mouth travels down, and he sucks on my throat.

“Not even with the cousin?”

I thump him on his arm, giggling. “No!”

“Are you afraid?” he asks me.

“Not with you,” I admit. I trust him. It is a funny sensation. There are so few people I have trusted in my life. But it is a nice sensation – warm and fuzzy. When he has me wrapped in his arms like this, I know I am in the safest place I could be in the whole universe.

He scoops me up and carries me over to the bed. My heart bangs around in my chest like a crazed horse, and that pulse between my legs thumps violently. He lies me down on the mattress. It’s not soft. I can feel the springs at my back. But I don’t care.

I guess most humans dream of losing their virginity somewhere special, somewhere beautiful – the suite on a cruise liner, for example. I know that’s what my sisters would want. Rose petals and candlelight. But I am happy with him here in this crummy hotel room on this squeaky bed.

He stands at the end of the bed, and I clamber up, resting back on my elbows. Why has he paused?

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just appreciating the view.”

I smile up at him mischievously and reach round to my back, unhooking the battered corset of my wedding dress and slowly lifting it away.

“Fuck,” he mutters, those red eyes darkening. “Better than I could ever have imagined. Your nipples are …” He rests his knees on the bed, leaning towards me, but I raise my hand to stop him.

“Wait, you too.”

“Me?”

“Yes, off with that shirt. I like what’s underneath.” His torso is something exquisite, a piece of art. I am looking forward to running my hands over it.

He tugs his shirt over his head, and I wriggle off my makeshift skirt and underwear. He mutters another stream of swear words under his breath, and then before I know what’s happening, he’s dropped to his knees at the end of the bed and has both my thighs in his grip. His face hovers right by my sex, but I feel no embarrassment or shame, just a strong shot of desire.

“Beautiful,” he says, opening my legs so he can see everything. “Do you touch yourself down here, princess?” Do you make yourself come?”

“Yes,” I murmur.

“Then show me where. Show me how. I want to make you come.”

I draw my hand down my body, between my legs, to the sensitive nub at the apex of my lips. “Here,” I whisper. I trail my finger through my wet fold. “And here,” I add, dipping the tip of my finger inside my hole.

“Hmmmm,” he groans. “I got it. But show me some more.” I drag my finger back to my nub and circle it slowly. “That’s it, princess. Show me what you like, so I know.”

“Like this,” I whisper. “But also like this.” I flicker my finger over my nub.

He snatches my hand away. “Ok, I got this,” he says and then he presses his mouth between my legs.

CHAPTER 20

THE ALIEN

The images I’ve seen of human anatomy on the interweb are nothing compared to the real thing. To the smell, the taste, the texture. Between my wife’s legs lies heaven itself. Now I have found this utopia, I’m not sure I will ever want to leave. Especially as the action of my tongue against her special little button seems to drive her wild. Sighs and moans and grunts come flying from her mouth and her legs shake around my head.

“Oh,” she moans, “It feels so … oh no, like that, just like that.” Her hands reach down and she buries her fingers in my loosening braids. I start to work her harder, flicking my tongue over her and then plunging my long tongue right into her hole. She squeals and grips my horns, hanging on for dear life as I fuck her with my tongue, discovering another sensitive spot inside her that has a stream of expletives rushing from her lips.

I hold her down with my arms, not letting her wriggle away, forcing her to take the coming pleasure, sensing she’s close by the tension in her core.

She stills, her whole body taut, and I suck her whole pussy into my mouth, my teeth grazing against her button, my tongue deep inside her.

Her back arches, lifting her off the bed. And she screams, yanking on my horns. Then she collapses and her body is like a live wire, jolting and bucking, and she screams some more. I draw it out for her, keeping her right on the crest of the wave for as long as I can before she crashes back down, a wet and boneless mess on the bed.

“Fuck me,” she says, and for a moment I think it’s another exclamation of wonder. But then I glance up at her and see, no, it’s an order.

I give her one long appreciative lick, sweeping right along the lips of her sex, and then I rock back on my heels and lick my lips. She is better than anything I’ve ever tasted, and I’m rock hard.

Standing, I gaze down at her, laid out like a prize.

“Fuck you?” I say, with a quirk of my eyebrow. “Is that an order, little human?”

“Yes,” she says defiantly. “I want to be fucked badly.”

“Well, the spoiled little princess must have her way.”

She lifts up on her elbow. “I’m not spoiled–”

“Oh, from now on you will be, princess. I’m going to eat you out like that every morning when you wake up and every evening before you go to sleep.”

She sinks back against the mattress. “That sounds amazing,” she sighs.

“Stay there,” I tell her, lifting her leg, stroking the sole of her tiny foot and kissing her toe.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Just stay there.” I pinch her toe and drop her foot.

Strolling over to the far side of the room, I crank the door open and slip out into the hallway, closing the door behind me, but keeping both my hands on the handle.

“Yaser,” I call, and my guard comes strolling over and salutes. “I need a condom.”

To Yaser’s credit, his face remains impassive. “Things are going well with the princess,” he comments, as he pulls out his wallet from his pocket and fishes out a condom from behind a wad of different currencies.

“Very well,” I smirk.

“I can’t promise you it’s in date.”

I squint at the packet. “How long have you had it?”

“Too long,” the soldier sighs.

I pat him on the shoulder. “Perhaps we’ll have to find you a human wife.”

He snorts, and I duck back inside the room, locking the door behind me.

“What was that about?” the princess asks from the bed.

I lift up the square foil. “Protection.”

“Protection against what?”

“Pregnancy.” She pales a little.

“Can we even make babies together?”

I flop down on the bed beside her, circling the pink nipple of her breast, and watching the skin pucker and the tip protrude, begging to be kissed. Bending over her, I nip the thing between my lips. “I don’t know. But we can have fun finding out.”

“That also sounds amazing,” she says, her hot little hands stroking down my torso, making my cock jerk in anticipation. “But I’m not sure I’m ready to actually make the babies yet.” Her hand reaches the waistband of my pants, and she pops the button and lowers the zip on the fly. My cock strains for her touch. “We could do lots of practising, though.”

I growl and roll her onto her back, pinning her wrists above her head.

“Lots of practising.” I promise. “I’m going to fuck you non-stop for a fortnight when we return to my planet.”

“Won’t you be busy with lots of diplomatic matters?” she flutters her eyelashes.

“I’m on honeymoon,” I remind her. “An extended honeymoon.”

Her fingers walk back down my chest and over my abdomen, back to my open fly. She dips her hand inside my pants, finding my hot hardness. She gasps.

“Shit, that’s–”

I roll down my pants and kick them away, giving her a view of my cock. I know I am different from a human male – bigger for a start and ribbed, with a bend I think she will find satisfying. Running my fist down my shaft, precome dribbles onto the mattress and has the human’s eyes widening.

She reaches out and touches my cock with her delicate fingers.

“It’s soft,” she says, “but hard. And I think Trydent females must have really big cunts because it’s not going to fit inside me.” Her tone is full of disappointment.

“It will.” I’ve heard human pussies are magic – stretching to accommodate even the biggest of dicks. A dick like mine. “It just might take a little encouragement.”

“Encouragement?” she repeats sceptically.

“Hmmm.” I trail a finger through her wet folds, circle her entrance, and then penetrate her. I discover that spot she likes again and massage it, loving the way she instantly starts pleading for more. I give it to her, sliding another finger inside her and then another, stretching her wide. She opens up for me, her pussy weeping, and my cock aches so hard my eyes smart.

I need to enact some goddamn patience though. I want to see her coming again before I fuck her, want to ensure she’s as wet and malleable for me as possible. I want to make this good. I want to show her that choosing to come with me, to be my wife, was the best fucking decision she’s ever made.

CHAPTER 21

THE PRINCESS

I come again, with his fingers inside me, doing things to me I’ve never been able to do to myself. Reaching places I’ve never reached.

I thought men were all about the bam, wham, thank you, ma’am. Certainly, I’d overheard whispered conversations among the maids at the palace, full of complaints about selfish, unskilled lovers. I never considered it might be like this. That a man could be so dedicated to a woman’s pleasure. And so flipping good at it too.

It’s like being worshipped. Lifted to another plane. The orgasms that blast through my body and whiten my vision are like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Better than galloping over the planes, better than knocking your enemies out cold, better, even, than the kissing – and that was pretty frigging wonderful.

When the last of bolts of pleasure fade away, he slips his fingers from me and I pout at him.

“Don’t stop,” I tell him.

“My balls are just about ready to burst here, princess. I need to fuck you now.”

“Oh,” I whisper, glancing down at the huge cock, standing to attention at his groin. And then a perversion grabs me. “Can I taste you first?”

My husband moans at that request, and I take it as permission. I wriggle down his body, and as my mouth comes towards his cock, it jerks, knocking against my lips, staining them with the moisture leaking from his tip. I lick my lips, and his ruby eyes lock on me. His taste is salty, but pleasant, and I reach out my tongue and swirl it around his bulbous head. His cock jerks a second time.

“Too much of a tease,” he grunts through gritted teeth.

“You want more?” I ask, my eyes flicking up to his. Before he answers, I take the whole of his head into my mouth and suck at him. His fingers tangle in my hair and he lets out one long, strangled sigh.

“Fuuuucccckkkk.”

He obviously likes that, so I keep sucking him, and he takes my hand in his and wraps it around his thick shaft, rubbing my fist up and down in a rhythmic motion.

“I don’t know what’s better,” he stutters, “how good that feels, or how good you look with my dick in your mouth.”

I can’t help smiling with my mouth full of him. I sweep my tongue around him again as I suck and take him further into my mouth. His cock twitches against my tongue, and I taste more of his seed.

Then he pulls away and his cock slides from my mouth with a loud pop.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my cheeks burning. Did I do something wrong? I’m not experienced in these matters and they didn’t teach us anything practical like how to suck cock at princess school.

“Nothing, nothing at all, But I was close to coming.” I thought that would be a good thing. He pinches my nipple. “And I want to come inside you.”

“With the protection,” I remind him. I’m only nineteen. I’m not ready for babies just yet.

He rummages around on the bed until he locates the foil, then rips it open with his sharp teeth and yanks the circle of rubber out. I watch transfixed as he glides it down his girth, right to his groin, where his heavy ball sack hangs. I realise there is still so much of this alien to explore.

When he’s satisfied the protection is secure, he gazes up to me.

“Are you sure about this, princess?’

“Of course,” I say, growling at him.

“And ready?”

“What do you think?” I guide his hand down to where I’m the wettest I’ve ever been.

He grunts with satisfaction and, reaching his arm around me, flips me onto my stomach and angles up my hips.

“Wait,” I cry, feeling a nudge at my entrance.

“What’s wrong?” he asks with concern.

“I can’t see you this way.”

“You want to see me?” He hesitates, and then his voice quiets. “I thought I repulsed you.”

“No,” I say, rolling over onto my back and reaching up to stroke his cheek. “No, I don’t find you repulsive. Stanos, you are beautiful.” I gaze into those ruby eyes, and trace the sharp ridge of his cheekbone and the soft bow of his lips.

“I’ve never been called beautiful before.” He chuckles.

“Well, you are,” and I shift upwards to kiss him. As I do, his arms cage around me and I feel that nudge again at my entrance. This time I don’t halt him, this time I open my legs and welcome him inside, my kisses faltering as pleasure sweeps from my cunt throughout my body.

He is big, and the fit is tight, but he keeps kissing me, keeps inching his way inside, and my body relaxes around him, inviting him further.

The feel of him inside me is something else entirely. The weight of him, the pressure, the friction. Plus, the feel of his warm body pressed against me, his taste and his scent flooding my senses.

It’s other-worldly.

I’ve never been this close with another being before and I realise how much I’ve been lacking. Touch, caress, companionship. I want all these things. All these things from him.

“Are you OK?” he whispers, as slowly he continues to push inside me.

“Yes, keep going. Please don’t stop.”

He presses further, and finally, when I feel like there is nowhere else for him to go, he bottoms out with a low growl.

Is this it? My sisters teased me about consummation, pinching me and claiming I’d be split in two by my giant husband, but nobody ever bothered explaining the technicalities. Don’t get me wrong, I knew his cock had to fit inside my cunt. But then what?

I’m not left wondering for long, as my husband starts to slide from me.

“What-what are you doing?”

And then he slams back in, the whole bed rocking beneath us, and that spot he’s discovered inside me buzzes to life.

“I’m fucking you, princess,” he says, reaching around himself, to wrap my legs around his backside. I cling to his horns as he finds his rhythm. Fucking me hard, and then slowing down, teasing me with long slow grinds, until I’m begging him, and then he fucks me hard some more.

His fingers slide between us as he thrusts, locating my sensitive nub and flicking at it, so that soon I’m coming again, coming with him inside me.

My cunt clenches and convulses around him, and it obviously feels good for him too, because he groans and his thrusts falter for just a moment. Then he regains his composure, fucking me right through my orgasm, showing me not an ounce of mercy.

“I like how you come and come and come, princess. I like when you come around my cock. I love how it feels inside you. Shit, shit.”

He starts to falter once more, and I squeeze him tight, wanting to send him over the edge like he’s done me. He presses deep inside me and then throws his head back and grunts, his cock twitching and jerking inside me.

Then he collapses down on top of me, crushing the breath right out of me, before he realises what he’s done and pushes up onto his arms.

“Good?” I ask him, stroking damp pieces of hair that have fallen from his braid away from his face. He’s still buried inside me and I keep my legs wrapped tight around him, not ready for him to leave yet.

“Good is not the word I would use to describe that.”

“What word would you use?’ I ask him.

“There is no word in English.”

“There’s a word in Trydent.”

“Yes, Grfyum. It has no equivalent meaning in English.”

“You’ll teach me how to speak Trydent.”

“Princess, I’ll teach you anything you want.”

There are quite a few more things I’d like to learn in the bedroom. I wonder how long before we can go again.

CHAPTER 22

THE ALIEN

I have opened a giant can of worms. A pandora’s box. My wife does not want to leave the bed. It seems she’d like us to spend the next fortnight here, pleasuring one another.

She keeps whispering that she never knew it was like this, such wonder in her voice that I can’t help my chest swelling with pride.

My previous lovers didn’t exactly bestow me with heaps of praise, but it seems there is something about this soft little human that brings out the best in me. And by the best, I mean my skilled tongue and talented fingers.

But we can’t stay here. We’re exposed, and besides, the room is not fit for a wife of mine. So I drag her protesting into the shower, where we inevitably are unable to keep our hands off each other.

Yaser, by some miracle, has found the princess some suitable clothes. They are not the magnificent gowns a new queen ought to wear, but we will find attire worthy of her station once we’ve returned to my planet. For now, she’ll have to make do with the travelling slacks and shirt. I am not complaining, because the slacks hug her round arse and the shirt buttons are too low, revealing plenty of cleavage.

“What about the beast?” she asks, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed and watching me buff my horns. The desert winds have dulled them and I like them shining.

“The desert beast? What about him?”

“We can’t just abandon him. Those lizardmen weren’t taking proper care of him. Did you see the state of his hooves?! If we leave him here, who knows who will pick him up next. Besides, he’s only a youngster.”

She strolls towards me and gestures for me to sit in a chair. Then she takes the cloth from my hands and carefully rubs at my horns. I sink back against the chair and close my eyes in bliss.

“How do you know all this?”

“He’s not that different from a horse. And I know a lot about horses.”

“I will buy you a horse when we return to my planet.”

“Yes, but I want to take the beast too.”

“He is nothing like a horse,” I mutter. “He’s about three times bigger and if you are right, and he’s an adolescent, he’s only going to get bigger.”

“Are you telling me your palace is so small it can’t accommodate him?”

I frown. “My palace is very big.”

“Good, then that’s decided.”

I’m not sure it was, but I’m not going to argue when her hands on my horns feel so divine.

I grab her about the waist and pull her into my lap, nuzzling against her neck. “Spoiled princess.”

“You said you intended to spoil me.”

“Oh, I do. I won’t be able to help myself.” I kiss those soft lips of hers and then pull her to her feet, taking a hold of her hand in mine. “Come on, Queen Isabella. Time to go home.”

CHAPTER 23

Six moon cycles later

THE PRINCESS

I canter across the planes of my new home, the red sun shining fiercely above us and the land rolling away in all directions. The wind blows through my hair, my heart hammers in my chest, and my hands are tight on the reins. Behind me, I hear the hooves of my husband’s horse, and I encourage my own onwards, shaking the reins and clicking my tongue.

The crop of trees stand in the distance, growing closer and closer. I turn my head, seeing my husband trailing behind me, and smile. Then I race on, reaching the strange trees that grow here, their leaves spindly and silver, and halt.

I lean forward on my horse, my shoulders now heaving as I pant, and stroke his soft fur.

“Well done, Asteroid, well done.”

My husband does not approve of the name I chose for the new horse he gifted me. But I like it, like the way it makes him frown every time I say it.

On returning to his planet, my husband ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the destruction of our honeymoon ship, convinced some rebel was behind the disaster. But after moon cycles and moon cycles of reports and secret missions, it became as clear as day that, as I’d always known, an asteroid was the culprit. I like to tease him about it. Remind him that I was right and he was wrong.

My husband draws up beside me, his face flushed with the race across the land.

“I beat you,” I say with a wide grin, sliding from my horse and bouncing on my toes.

With a grumble, he swings his leg over his own horse and jumps to the ground. I wrap my arms around his neck, reaching up on my tiptoes.

“I let you win,” he says, his large hands landing on the cheeks of my arse.

“Ha! You didn’t. I beat you fair and square and you know it.”

“Because you are a million times lighter than I am and poor Prince here struggles to carry my weight.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “I beat you, because I am a better rider than you.”

“And because I bought you the best horse in the universe.”

“You did,” I say, kissing the tip of his nose. “Thank you.”

He smiles and squeezes my backside. “Besides, I am not complaining about the unfairness of this race, princess. There are some very useful advantages to your lightness.” His smile turns mischievous and I cock my head, pretending I don’t follow. I have an inkling, though. Our rides across the planes of his planet allow us time away from the palace, away from the courtiers, away from the grand families, away from the never ending demands on our time.

If I’d hoped to be a bride that slunk around in the shadows never to be seen, well, I was wrong. The Trydents appear to like me. I am always being asked to open a new school or lend my support to a new charity or cause. And despite my lack of taste in fashion, I am more often than not on the cover of the magazines the people here consume in quantities.

Stanos says it is because I am the most beautiful creature in the whole of the universe. But I think it is because the people see how much their king loves me and how much I love him in return. Besides, I suspect his new found happiness has made him a more generous ruler.

“And what useful advantages are those?” I ask him.

With a growl, he picks me up and walks me backwards until my back hits the bark of one of the shimmering trees. I wrap my legs around his waist and he kisses me hard.

“You look very beautiful when you ride, all determined and tenacious.” He nuzzles my neck. “You realise it gives me a hard-on. That’s another bloody disadvantage. How’s a king supposed to ride his horse with an erection?”

“Hmmm,” I murmur, feeling said erection pressing right where I would like it. He grinds against me, and for once I wish I was wearing a skirt and not my riding slacks. “Are you really complaining about that?”

“Not if my wife is going to let me use it.”

“It would certainly be a shame not to use it. You do have the most magnificent cock.”

I scramble free of his grip and, with a cheeky smile of my own, drop down to my knees in the dirt.

The sun has not yet reached the high point in the vast sky. We have time to savour this. No need to rush. We don’t need to be back at the palace to begin the preparations for at least another two hours. Although my new head stylist and his team of minions wanted their hands on me from first light this morning. I suppose I can’t blame them. All eyes across the six galaxies will be on me later today for my coronation.

I try not to think about that. I am more nervous than I’d like. The reason my husband insisted on this ride.

Peering up at my husband towering above me, I flick open the buttons of his fly and take his cock in my hands. A little sigh of delight escapes my lips as desire races up my spine.

I wasn’t lying or exaggerating. He has a cock fit for a king, fit for a leader of six galaxies. And I am the lucky woman who benefits from such a cock. A woman who receives its undivided attention. While I’m sure there are other women in the court who would love to ensnare my husband in an illicit affair, he only has eyes (and hands and a cock) for me.

“You are hard,” I murmur.

He braces his hands on the tree behind me and stares down at me.

“And you are a spoiled little princess who gets away with murder. Pop that cock in your mouth, wife, and suck.”

I bow my head in an exaggerated fashion. “Yes, your majesty.” Then I wrap my lips around his girth and do as he says. I’m more practised at this now and I know what he likes; a little swirl of my tongue around his tip, massaging my lips along his shaft, and sucking him hard into the back of my mouth.

He grunts, his knees buckling slightly when I take him all the way back.

“Shit, princess! That mouth of yours!” I reach up, and finding the waist of his trousers, yank them down before sinking my nails into his firm backside. He swears again, thrusting into my mouth, and I taste the dribble of his pre-come on my tongue. Perhaps his come tastes different to a human man’s, but I love the flavour, regardless. A combination of salty and sweet. The alien makes so much of the damn stuff sometimes when he comes in my mouth, I’m surprised I don’t drown.

He continues to growl above me, holding himself back from fucking my throat, his hands tight on the bark above my head.

His cock begins to dance on my tongue, and I know he is close. I pull away, sucking along his shaft and letting him leave my mouth with a pop. He groans, and perhaps I am a little spoiled after all, because, despite knowing how much he enjoys feeding me his seed, today I’m going to deny him. I want him inside me.

“Sorry, your majesty, but I have other uses for this cock.” I scramble at the buttons on my fly and wriggle down my slacks until I’m standing half bare between his two braced arms. He leans forward, and for once, our eyes are level.

“You can use my cock anyway you want it. Just say the word.”

I bite my lip, thinking about that offer, but he obviously has a change of heart, because he scoops me up again and presses me back against the tree.

This time there are no clothes preventing his entry, and he plunges his cock deep inside me. I moan as he hits all the right places, my head knocking backwards against the tree.

“Good?” he asks me.

“Al-l-l-l-lways,” I murmur.

And hey, that’s no exaggeration either. Our sex life only seems to get better. I guess that’s one of the advantages of an interspecies marriage. We are always learning and discovering new things about each other’s bodies, new ways to pleasure each other, new methods to make each other come.

On that journey back from the planet on which we crashed, I’d worried about whether this would last. Would we bore each other? Would we prove too different? But these concerns were unfounded. I could never get bored of this alien, not when he fucks me like he does now, like a wild beast, all restraint and civility abandoned. He ruts me hard against the tree with no mercy. And oh fuck, do I love it.

Sometimes, I think of my sisters back home. Of their boring future husbands. So polite, so cultured, so damn tame. I don’t think any of them will ever experience passion like this.

“Little princess, I need you to come,” he grunts as he thrusts deep inside me.

“Then do something about it.”

He growls and the next thing I know, we’re tumbling to the ground. He rolls me on top of him.

“Ride me,” he says, and I take a hold of his great horns in each of my hands, and grind my hips into him. The angle this way is even better, hitting all the right places, and his fingers come to play with my clit.

“Oh, oh, oh, fuck!” I scream as my first orgasm crashes through my body, and I buck and jolt on top of him as he circles my clit, driving a second orgasm from me before the first has even died.

When the last wave of pleasure washes through me, I stare down into the heated eyes of my husband and decide I’ve been spoiled enough. Time for his turn.

Gripping onto his horns firmly, I bounce up and down on his cock, and his face melts into bliss. My tits jiggle as I move. Soon, they are too much of a temptation for him, and he’s tearing open the material and taking one in each hand.

“That’s another riding outfit you’ve ruined,” I pant. “My designer already thinks I must be the most careless, accident-prone rider there is.”

“You can wear my top home,” he grunts. I roll my eyes. We come back from our rides looking rumpled every time, me often in his shirt. I’m pretty sure everyone in the palace knows what we’re up to. “You know I love it when you wear my stuff.”

And I love it too. It reminds me of our time together on the red planet, of falling in love out there in the middle of nowhere.

I roll my hips, bouncing harder, and his cock starts to jerk inside me, his hands coming to squeeze my arse and dictate my rhythm.

Then his arms still, his face softens, and with a loud grunt, he comes.

“I love you,” I tell him, rolling down to lie flat on his chest, my legs still draped around his waist, his cock still pumping his seed inside me.

“And I love you too, Isabella.” He smoothes damp hair away from my brow. “Are you nervous about today?”

“Yes,” I confess. “But less so now.”

“I helped release some of the tension.” He smirks and I pinch his bicep.

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

I kiss his jaw and he holds me close.

“There is no need to be nervous. The people love you. I love you. You will be a fine queen.”

“To match a fine king.”

The sun climbs higher, but under the shade of the silver tree, we are cool and happy.

Wrapped in his embrace, I always am.

Thank you for reading Honeymoon on the Red Planet! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Hannah’s newsletter!

LESLIE CHASE

STRANDED HEARTS

CHAPTER 1

LAURA

There he stood, bane of my life and wrecker of my sanity, grinning from ear to ear. The smile was the worst thing about him. Easy and charismatic, it had enough confidence behind it to power a battleship. Across the table from him, a croupier tried to keep her face impassive as she pushed a pile of chips at him. Yes, of course he was winning—if I’d counted right, he’d just won more money on one roll of the dice than I’d make this whole cruise.

Other patrons of the Lucky Stars Casino crowded around, congratulating him. Smiling through gritted teeth, I held out my tray, offering glasses of cheap sparkling wine to the gamblers while I did my best to keep my eyes on them rather than him.

It wasn’t easy. Draxus—sorry, Prince Draxus of Tagra, heir to the Starsteel Throne, Lord of the Seventh March, Master of the Dark Between the Stars, and Annoyance Most Royal to yours truly—stood eight feet tall and approximately as broad in the shoulders. Like most of the male members of the crowd, he wore a tuxedo, muscles straining the stitching every time he moved. It was a wonder it held together at all, though the tailor had made accommodations for his Tagran anatomy. Apparently, a Prince could afford the best—they’d even let his tail out without it looking too ridiculous.

Come on, St. Jude, do your damn job. Another patron jostled me, and I barely saved my tray of wine glasses from going all over the alien as he hissed angrily at me. I pulled my focus away from Draxus, muttered my apologies to the lizard, and went back to watching the crowd around the dice table. Aliens, drunk or high on a dozen different intoxicants, congratulated the Prince on his victory.

Too many, and too close. I could see Draxus’s head and shoulders, but below that, the crowd enveloped him. And, of course, his own security was absent. When I started this assignment, I’d have assumed they were well-hidden in the crowd.

A month into the cruise, I knew better. The prince’s bodyguards were a couple of old and very obvious soldiers, and Draxus ditched them as often as he could get away with. It was as though he lived to irk me. Why couldn’t the damned fool take some basic precautions?

Because, St. Jude, if he took good care of himself, you wouldn’t have a job. I sighed, conceding the point. I wasn’t traveling on a waitress’s pay here, not that security paid much better. My real payment was getting to travel away from Earth and look for a planet I’d want to move to. The extra money in my moving fund was just a bonus.

And Prince Draxus’s presence meant Security Chief Xichel needed someone like me aboard the Allure of the Stars. I had all the qualities he needed—my training and experience were up to the task and humans were fashionable for some damned reason. Most important of all, I was female and could wear a cocktail dress. Xichel’s guards were hardly subtle. Burly professionals with just the right amount of menace to deal with unruly patrons, they would arrive in seconds if there was trouble. My job was to keep Draxus alive long enough for them to reach us.

So far, Draxus’s worst enemy was Draxus. Never mind that his father had freed two star systems from the grasp of the Empire, or that he’d forced the Thousand Lines out of Tagran space. The Liberator-King had pissed off some extremely dangerous people. Worse still were the rumors of a potential coup on Tagra. Despite those threats, the prince refused all offers of protection.

I looked around the crowd as Draxus threw the dice again. Two blinks activated my EagleEye contact lenses, their technology rendering the room in wireframe and highlighting potential threats. As usual, a few of the crowd carried weapons, artfully concealed as jewelry or hidden under clothing. No one I didn’t know already, no threat I needed to take care of.

The contact lenses made things easier, but there were limits. EagleEyes let me see power packs and solid metal, but nothing could detect a plastic blade. Still, Draxus was in no more danger than he’d been on my last sweep. I looked around the rest of the Lucky Stars and saw no dangers lurking at the other tables. Just more spoiled rich aliens frittering away their fortunes.

A groan went up from Draxus’s table and I blinked again to shut off the EagleEyes. Only Draxus looked unfazed, laughing uproariously as he lost everything he’d won so far. My jaw tensed as he shrugged off the loss of more money than I’d made in a year. He didn’t seem to care, and why should he? Son of the beloved Liberator-King, he had access to more money than most of the other rich kids could dream of.

Which would do him no good if an assassin slipped a vibro-blade into one of his hearts. The Allure didn’t need the bad publicity that would bring. Hence, my babysitting job.

Smile fixed in place, I moved closer, offering my tray of glasses around while I looked at the patrons closest to him. There were plenty of eager takers, and the jostling meant I had to focus on the tray or risk spilling booze all over the partiers.

My attention split between the patrons and my tray, I lost track of the prince for a moment. That was all he needed. Draxus swiped the last glass from my tray, replacing it with a gleaming credit chip, and loomed over me like a very irritating mountain.

“There you are, Laura,” he said, booming voice calculated to draw attention to me when that was the last thing I wanted. “My lucky charm, just when I need you! I knew you wouldn’t stay away.”

I would if I had a choice, I grumbled internally. Out loud, I kept my voice cheerful, hiding my irritation behind a smile. “I’m sure you don’t need my help, Your Highness. If I had the luck you’re looking for, I’d be playing at the tables rather than working.”

Some of the other patrons laughed at my wit, which only annoyed me more. These people were throwing around more wealth than I’d ever see, and they thought I was joking?

“Perhaps you can bring us both good fortune.” Draxus’s voice was deep, closer to a growl than any human’s. I resisted the urge to snarl back—it would only encourage him.

“Here,” he said, holding out his hand. The dice looked absurdly small in his palm, red plastic cubes resting on blue skin. “Give them your blessing, Laura. Share some of your people’s famous luck.”

My shoulders tensed at that. Fuck my cover story, I wouldn’t let him tell me that the Uplink War had been good luck for humans, even if we’d technically won. Sure, luck saved our asses, but so did hard work and desperate bravery.

He frowned down at me, and I glared back. Around us, the crowd fell silent, watching our miniature confrontation. Fuck, I am so not supposed to draw attention. That part of my job had gone wrong on my third day, when Draxus spotted the waitress always hanging around him and decided I was a good luck charm. The more people noticed me, the harder my job got.

“Fine,” I said after a too-long pause. “You can have my luck and be welcome to it.”

I blew on his dice, and the crowd cheered. Draxus’s frown vanished, a smile lighting up his eyes and making my heart flip-flop. God, I hated that sexy smile—it was distracting and disorienting. The same went for his violet eyes, slit like a cat’s, which seemed to look into my soul. It felt like we shared a secret, something no one else in the room knew.

Had he worked out why I was here? That was impossible, but what else could it be?

I backed off, glad to see my tray was empty. That gave me an excuse to withdraw to the bar for refills and get away from the charismatic brute.

“Watch yourself, Laura,” Danielle said as a roar from the crowd told me my ‘luck blessing’ had worked. I gritted my teeth, swept the tips I’d gathered into a hopper, and tried to draw comfort from the boost to my shipboard account.

“What am I meant to do, boss?” I asked, exasperation escaping in a pointless question. “He won’t let it go, especially not now that he thinks I’m bringing him luck. At least he wants me around. That’s a good thing, right?”

Unlike Draxus, Danielle knew why I was here. Someone in Hospitality Management had to make sure I got the right shifts and cover the mistakes I made. If you think that being a waitress is easy, well, maybe it was where you did it. Not in my experience, though, and certainly not aboard a luxury cruise in space. I’d gained a new appreciation for all they had to put up with in the weeks since we’d left Earth.

Doing that job on top of the security I was actually being paid to provide would have been impossible without someone to cover for me. So I did my damnedest not to take my frustration out on Danielle. She didn’t deserve my irritation.

She grinned back cheerfully. “You know, plenty of girls would love to swap places with you. Want to take a job behind the bar and keep an eye on the prince from back here?”

I snorted. “Sure, and whoever takes my shift will be eager to throw herself between him and a killer. The Prince is a target, boss, that’s the point. I’ve got to be nearby in case someone tries something.”

“Then, like I said, watch yourself.” Danielle’s eyes sparkled with wicked humor. “I saw how you looked at him—you wouldn’t have noticed if I’d smacked you over the head with a chair.”

“I was perfectly in control,” I insisted, ignoring the flush spreading across my cheeks. “Anyway, I’m not looking for attacks on me.”

She laughed, filling my tray with glasses. “Sure, whatever you say, Laura. Now go circulate and try not to lose yourself in his dreamy eyes. We do have other patrons, remember?”

A wink took some of the sting out of it, but I still gritted my teeth. My tray refilled, I turned back to the crowd of aliens and the infuriating client in their midst.

CHAPTER 2

DRAXUS

“Beloved guests, please make your way to the viewing windows. We are about to leave hyperspace, and the view promises to be spectacular.”

The voice echoed through the casino in Galactic Standard before repeating in other languages. Not Tagran, of course. My people, proud as we were, hadn’t made a mark on galactic history yet. My father had won our freedom from the collapsing Empire, but our story remained unwritten.

Now that the Empire was gone, the task of defining us and our place in the galaxy would fall to my generation. It was a heady responsibility, one that weighed on my shoulders, but I wouldn’t shirk it. Tagra would be free and strong, its people happy and comfortable.

I moved with the crowd, out of the casino and forward to the nearest viewing deck. Shutters rolled back as we entered, letting us look out into the red, twisting clouds of hyperspace which roiled outside the windows. It was madness to look at them for too long—some saw visions in the clouds, others saw nightmares. Despite my curiosity, I wasn’t about to risk my mind by looking too closely.

Instead, I examined the crowd and sighed. Father’s reason for sending me on this trip was to make connections among the rich and powerful who circulated around me. I’d have said ‘make friends,’ but that was too personal for this. Useful contacts came first. If we happened to like each other, it would be a pleasant bonus.

“Your first visit to Yoral, Your Highness?” An arm slipped into mine as a rich voice whispered into my ear. “Oh, you are in for a treat.”

It took all the willpower I had to keep from tensing up and pulling away. Cydana Petne Proxamine was exactly the kind of contact my parents wanted me to cultivate. Heiress to one of the Thousand Lines, she was close to my age, indisputably beautiful, and well educated in the arts of power. Mother would be overjoyed if I brought someone like her home as my mate.

The fatal flaw was that the Thousand Lines had made several fortunes from the Imperial oppression of Tagra. While Cydana’s line hadn’t been part of that, she was still part of the same cartel and showed no guilt at living off the proceeds of their crimes.

“I have heard it is spectacular,” I said, reaching for a fresh glass of wine and ‘accidentally’ dislodging her grip. She pouted, her long tail coiling under her. Her entourage stood discretely behind her, where they could pretend not to overhear our conversation.

She’d even brought her pet to watch the show. The serpent hissed at its two handlers, coiling around first one, then the other as though choosing which to eat first. I stifled a groan. Who in the Starless Void brought a six-foot-long carnivorous pet to watch the descent from hyperspace?

Cydana, that’s who. Ever since we met, her attendants had surrounded her, lavishing her with attention and service. Despite my distaste for her family, I felt a touch of sympathy for the privileged princess. Like me, she was alone aside from the servants her father had sent with her. No friends, no allies, just predators and prey in the games of the galactic nobility. She needed a marriage as much as I did, and at least a few of her servants were certainly spies for her family.

In theory, we’d make a good match—if my family would ally with our old enemies. Given how the Empire had treated Tagra before father drove them off, we had every reason to detest those who profited from the suffering of others.

“Oh, yes, it’s quite a sight from orbit,” she said, smiling at me. I did admire the sheer, relentless force of her personality—though I’d be happier once she directed it at some other potential conquest. “And just wait till you see the Crystal Cove resort. A week of sun and fun, golden beaches that go on for miles, hidden caves and grottos.”

I passed her a glass of wine, trying to sound positive. Her enthusiasm bought her that much. “It sounds…lovely.”

“Just think of all the lonely brooding you’ll be able to get up to in the caves!” Cydana giggled. “Though you can get lost easily, if you don’t know the way. Perhaps we should stick together for safety?”

Starless Void, she wasn’t giving up. I had no intention of getting ‘lost’ with Cydana but finding a polite way to convince her was a challenge. “I’m sure there are guides who can keep you safe, Princess. No need to wait for me, and there are many other guests who would leap at the chance to accompany you.”

She tsked, coiling and uncoiling her tail as she whispered. “But you are the only one I trust, Draxus. Everyone else here would either be an impossible match or a constant headache. Not you, though.”

I turned, scanning the crowd. There was enough chatter to hide what we were saying from anything but the best eavesdropper. An interesting time to pick honesty, if that’s what she was doing. It was only fair to respond in kind.

“Princess Cydana, I am an impossible match, too. Or do you think my people would accept a match from an Imperial ally? Even if I wanted to, I could not choose you. And I do not want to.”

She pouted, a comically exaggerated expression. “You wound me, oh Prince, wound me deep with your words. How shall I recover from this rejection? Oh, cruel universe, may the stars go dark that none shall see my tears.”

One hand gripping my arm, the other pressed to her chest, she threw her head back in perfect imitation of a holovid melodrama starlet. I struggled to keep my face straight as she watched me out of the corner of her eye.

“Right, now I’m over you,” she said, voice returning to normal and a grin spreading across her face. “Time to move on. What do you think of my chances with Lord Tzell?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “That’s it?”

“Why? Do you want a stalker? Should I try to change your mind?” She shook her head. “It would have been quite a coup to bring an alliance between the Lines and Tagra, but you’re not interested, so on I go. We’re both here looking for alliances and don’t have time to get hung up on rejections. Better to have them out of the way than to waste time on a relationship that’s going nowhere.”

I looked at her with a newfound respect and nodded. “Why can’t all the conversations here be as direct? It would make this nonsense easier.”

“Ah, but then we’d come away from the cruise all knowing what we think of each other.” She laughed. “Can’t have that! So, we dance this foolish dance and end up with ‘friends’ who we find useful rather than likable, and marriages that are politically potent but haven’t a hint of romance.”

I thought about my father’s desires, my kingdom’s needs. An appropriate marriage alliance mattered more to the dynasty than my happiness, and it was the same for Cydana. Getting to know our matches would only hurt our chances of building a respectable alliance. Though in Cydana’s case, it led to me liking her more.

“We’re not suited for an alliance,” I said carefully. “That doesn’t mean we can’t help each other find better matches. Share information, make introductions, that sort of thing.”

Her eyes sparkled, and she nodded. “It’s good to have a friend who isn’t hiding his motives from me.”

I would call no one ‘friend’ who keeps such things secret, I thought, but didn’t say. Cydana could be invaluable help, and there was no point in making things awkward. And wasn’t that exactly the attitude she’d talked about? “Good. Perhaps we can get this farce over and done with.”

Cydana said something in response, but I didn’t hear it. My attention switched to a face in the crowd. One of the waitstaff, circulating with drinks, consumed all of my attention as soon as I saw her.

Laura. The only female aboard who I’d actually be interested in, my ‘good luck’ charm, was always nearby when I left my cabin. A human, one of the newest races to space, and the current darlings of galactic fashion thanks to their unexpected victory in the Uplink War.

I could have resented that. The strange clothes I wore were modeled after a human clothing style called the tuxedo, and they were ferociously uncomfortable. Too tight, too restrictive. I couldn’t wait to get out of them, but this was what one wore to a human casino, apparently, and so I was stuck. The cruise had a human theme, and that was that.

Laura, though, looked incredible in her short black dress that clung to her curves. Had I the chance, I’d cling to her as tight. Hair red as flame fell in beautiful curls down her back, and her green eyes moved constantly, assessing and evaluating. She was unlike any female I’d ever met, and my hearts raced whenever I saw her. Were it not for her, I’d not have spent so much time in the casino.

The few times she’d smiled a genuine smile at me, I’d wanted to leap for joy. Not one of the rich and powerful women I was here to court had that effect on me, and it took a concerted effort to remember she wasn’t who I was here for.

Cydana followed my gaze and chuckled, gripping my arm gently. “Spotted your little human again? She’s certainly busy—how many shifts does she pull to be around whenever you are? You should take her up on what she’s offering.”

I glowered at her, but she grinned unrepentantly until I answered. “Cydana, you know I can’t chase after the staff. It’s unfair to them, and besides, it would get in the way of my actual purpose.”

She laughed and squeezed my arm. “Now you are being silly, my friend. Not one of these noble assholes expects you to keep your hands off the servants. They certainly don’t intend to! It would probably show that you are playing the game as they understand it.”

“I don’t play games like that,” I growled. “What is the point of seeking a mate you intend to betray?”

“Oh, Stars.” Cydana shook her head. “You really are a hopeless case, aren’t you?”

The Allure’s AI saved me from having to answer, her soft and charming voice calling our attention to the viewport where the crimson clouds parted in a spectacular display.

If you have never watched the drop from hyperspace to realspace, you should. It’s not something my words can do justice to. Perhaps a poet has, somewhere.

Lightning flashed between the storm clouds as they rolled aside, forming a long, spiraling tunnel into which the ship fell. We lurched back into reality, stars leaping into existence ahead of us. The Allure of the Stars made a smooth transition compared to the military craft I was used to, which let me watch the display rather than concentrate on restraining my nausea.

But my gaze drifted from the tunnel through the clouds as lightning flashed across it, fixing instead on Laura. Lost in the sights of hyperspace, her expression was less guarded than usual.

A brilliant flash of hyperspace lightning illuminated her, reflecting bright green from her eyes, and I smiled at the wonder on her face. The transition into realspace always awed me, but seeing her reaction let me experience it fresh.

With a soft shiver that ran through the Allure from stem to stern, we left hyperspace behind us. The ship lights dimmed and the artificial gravity wobbled, power fluctuating as the hyperspace channel collapsed. For a few seconds, the Allure’s systems were down.

Which made it the perfect time for the pirates to strike.

CHAPTER 3

LAURA

Moments like this were what I’d signed onto the cruise for. The crimson clouds of hyperspace parted ahead of the Allure of the Stars, powerful energies arcing across the gap as the ship dropped from hyperspace. All around me I heard the gasps of the passengers, then silence as we took in the magnificent view.

Two stars shone before us, one bright white and the other an angry red. A stream of light snaked between the two of them, starstuff torn from the red and feeding the white. I’d seen pictures, of course, but seeing it with my own eyes was different. The energies at play here were incomprehensible, and the system wasn’t stable at all. Soon, the white star would have torn enough mass from its red companion to collapse under its own weight, and the resulting explosion would be bad news for everyone in a dozen light-years.

But ‘soon’ meant something different when talking about stars—according to the helpful graphics discretely projected to one side of the viewport, here it meant a minimum of fifty thousand years. In the meantime, it made for a hell of a tourist attraction.

The power faded, gravity weakening as the ship’s systems protected themselves from overload. That much I’d expected and trained for.

The explosion that shook the Allure? Not so much.

Horrified gasps ran through the crowd of passengers as the deck lurched under our feet. Some stumbled and fell, others clung to whatever they could grab hold of. A few, Draxus among them, kept their balance smoothly. Chaos and confusion reigned, not helped by Princess Cydana’s pet snake-thing hissing in distress and lashing out like a self-propelled whip.

Buffeted by the crowd, I pushed my way toward Draxus. The deck shook again, the ship lurching as though an angry god had grabbed hold and given it a hard shake. All around me, passengers screamed and tried to flee. All they achieved was adding to the chaos, making it impossible for me to make headway.

What the fuck is going on? I cursed under my breath, bringing up my EagleEye display as a silver-skinned alien slammed into me and crushed me against the wood-paneled wall. He (she? They? I couldn’t tell) shouted something incomprehensible at me, tentacles flailing.

The display made me forget the alien, tentacles and all. Warnings cycled past, Xichel feeding the security teams information from all over the ship as the power came back.

None of it was good news. Multiple hull breaches made me wonder if we’d flown into a meteor storm, but the intruder alerts that followed told me our situation was much worse. Exterior camera shots showed smaller vessels latched onto the Allure, and interior cameras showed aliens in garishly painted space suits advancing through the corridors.

Pirates.

It made no sense. The Allure of the Stars was an excellent target for pirates, full of juicy ransoms, but for exactly that reason it stuck to safe, well-patrolled routes. Somehow, the pirates knew exactly when and where to strike to hit us at our most vulnerable, and that it would be safe to do so. The only way they could have done that was if they knew our itinerary.

Which meant they knew our manifest, and that meant that Draxus would be a target. Prince and heir to a kingdom, he was possibly the most valuable passenger aboard. The only way to keep him safe was to get him off the ship.

Forgetting politeness, I elbowed my way through the crowd. One alien, struck between two of his tentacles, squealed something about a lawsuit. Like I cared—if I got through this with anything for a court to take off me, I’d be doing well.

The speakers came to life with a squeal, and Glamor, the ship’s AI, struggled to speak. “B-Beloved guests, we regret to inform you of a p-p-pirate attack. In the interests of your safety, Starlines Proxima advises you to cooperate with the attackers if ch-challenged.”

Fuck that. I had no intention of letting my client get kidnapped and held for ransom.

The prince, to my surprise, was amongst the calmer passengers. He stood like a rock in the chaos, shielding Cydana’s fallen servants as they struggled to their feet. Without him, the fleeing crowds would have trampled them.

“Come on,” I shouted, grabbing him by the arm. It was like trying to pull a mountain. “You’ve got to get out of here.”

He looked down at me, eyes hard and brow furrowed. For a moment, the chaos surrounding us faded into the background. “No. Fleeing without a destination can only make things worse. Do not worry, as long as you are with me, I will keep you safe.”

Great. Why did he have to be brave? The spoiled son of a king would have—should have—been ready to run. Instead, he showed me a stubborn heroism that would keep him here until the pirates found him.

“You can’t stay here,” I said, pulling with all my strength. His only reaction was a raised eyebrow. “Get to the life-pods, idiot.”

The crowd thinned to nothing, and the danger to the servants passed. Their mistress had vanished in the confusion, and they wasted no time following. Oh, how I wished Draxus was as smart as they were.

“This ship is under attack, Laura. Running blindly through the corridors is more likely to get me shot than get us to safety.” He took my wrist and pulled me back without visible effort, putting himself between me and the door. “This room is defensible, and once I have killed one attacker, I’ll arm myself. The rest will become my prey.”

I shivered. His absolute confidence in his ability to fight the pirates did something to me, but it didn’t change the odds. Another glance at the security feeds told me our enemies were pros. They advanced carefully, overwhelming what little resistance they met with quick brutality.

Fortunately, few of the guests resisted. Unfortunately, that gave the pirates the freedom to advance quickly, and a team of six of them were on their way here. I frowned—they’d skipped past some easy targets to head this way.

They have inside information, I thought. They must. If they had access to our itinerary, our passenger list, why couldn’t they have access to the security systems?

“We have to go, now,” I insisted. “There are pirates on the way and, however tough you are, you can’t take on six enemies in combat armor.”

“All the more reason to stay put,” he said in what I assumed was supposed to be a soothing tone. It missed the mark, hitting infuriating instead. “If we leave and run into trouble, there’s no guarantee you’ll be out of the line of fire. Here I can keep you safe.”

Draxus didn’t waste time asking how I knew the pirates were coming, but the predatory grin that spread across his face told me he wasn’t taking my warning too seriously, either. I hated the way my body reacted to that. Sure, confidence is sexy, but for fuck’s sake, there’s a time and a place. This was neither, and a little fear would go a long way.

Only one trick came to mind, and it relied on him being serious about keeping me safe. Draxus was strong, stronger than any human, but so far he didn’t think of me as anything other than a waitress…

I twisted in his grip, pulling away from him. Taken by surprise, his arm extended just enough to let me punch the pressure point in his wrist as I yanked back.

His hand opened, and he yelped in surprise as I scrambled out of his reach. “I’m going. If you want to keep me safe, you come too.”

My employers would have fired me on the spot for abandoning my client, but it was all I could think of. Sprinting for the bar, I vaulted it and slammed through the service door, hoping I’d guessed right.

The door crashed open again behind me, nearly taken off its hinges by Draxus’s shoulder charge. Thank fuck. Using myself as bait to lure my client to safety? Not an approved maneuver. My only excuse was that it worked.

I only got another couple of steps before powerful hands grabbed me and pulled me back. “What in the Void are you doing, human? You could have run right into them.”

I glared back, kicking at the prince. Futile—now that he was on guard, I had no chance of escaping his grip.

“Might have,” I gasped. “Staying there, definitely would have.”

“I’m a valuable prize for them, too valuable for them to shoot. So just hunker down and let me take them on. I swear by the Starsteel Throne, I will keep you safe.”

Those words hit me hard. A promise from an alien prince was nothing to take lightly, but he couldn’t mean it. Could he? Promising on his future throne to protect me was big talk, and yet I didn’t doubt his sincerity. Not looking into his eyes, feeling the thump-THUMP of his twin hearts.

Doesn’t matter. He can try to keep me safe all he wants. I’m going to save him. It’s my job. Tough as it was to remember, sometimes. It would be so easy to just let him take charge…

Behind us, a metal barrier snapped down, a new alarm adding to the chaos. The hull-breach alarm—and not the general, ‘there’s a breach somewhere aboard’ one. This was the ‘There’s no air past this point, so don’t fucking touch’ alarm.

It sobered me like a bucket of ice water in the face. If we’d stopped ten feet back, we’d have been on the other side of the barrier. And we’d be dead.

“Did the pirates depressurize the lounge?” Draxus asked, looking as appalled as I felt. Confused, too. “But why? I’m not worth anything to them dead.”

I checked the feeds. Yep, that pirate squad had blown out the hull as soon as they’d entered the lounge. Ragged holes the size of my head punched through the outer wall, and the attackers advanced through the resulting chaos. Their armored spacesuits kept them safe, but anyone else in there would be dead.

Not a kidnapping, then. An assassination.

“There is no cause for alarm.” The least reassuring words in the universe, if you ask me. At least the AI had recovered from her stutter. “Starlines Proxima apologizes for the inconvenience. A minor incident has caused a small air leak, and as a precaution, we ask that all guests congregate at their designated escape pods.”

Her voice was as steady and soothing as ever, but did nothing to disguise the explosions rocking the Allure. Lights flickered overhead, sending me stumbling against Draxus. The great wall of muscle caught me with ease, and for a moment, I felt safe. Protected.

Then Glamor spoke again, a touch of urgency in her carefully modulated voice. “Please make your way immediately to your designated escape pods. Passenger safety is Starlines Proxima’s first concern, and the Allure of the Stars is currently unsafe.”

Yeah, no shit. I tuned out the message as she repeated it. Pulling away from the alien prince, reminding myself again that I was supposed to be protecting him, I checked the security feeds.

Several of the cameras were gone, video replaced by static. External feeds showed escape pods launching and the Allure’s long, spindly framework coming apart. The pirate ship hung over us like a dreadful bird of prey, waiting to swoop.

CHAPTER 4

DRAXUS

This was not, unfortunately, the first attempt on my life. It might have been the most callous. Depressurizing chunks of a pleasure liner to get me wasn’t exactly subtle, and I shuddered to think of the potential for innocent lives lost.

It changed my calculations entirely. Before, staying still and letting them come to me had seemed the best plan. Hampered by a need to take me alive, they’d be relatively easy targets, and no one else would be in the line of fire. Running loose around the ship, I’d have no control over where a firefight broke out, or who might catch a laser beam.

Now, staying put was suicide. I had to get off the ship before the pirates tracked me down again. Only one problem—I didn’t know the way off the Allure. The escape pods were easy to find from the passenger areas, but here in the crew section, I did not know where to turn.

Which meant I couldn’t leave Laura somewhere safe, not just yet. She was my only guide.

“Which way to the escape pods?”

“Fucking finally,” she said, relief written across her face. “Follow me.”

I did, though it felt wrong. Laura should be behind me, as safe as I could make her—but she could hardly guide me from back there, and these service corridors were a maze. One we took at a run, Laura leading the way with confidence and speed. Somehow, either through luck or skill, we avoided the pirates until we crossed back into passenger quarters.

There, our luck ran out.

We emerged into a theater, heavy drapes hanging on the walls and a stage covered in abandoned props. A faint smell of smoke made me twitch—fire aboard a spaceship is nothing to take lightly. Aside from the stage, the room was in darkness, and Laura slowed, motioning for quiet. I followed her, looking for threats in the shadows.

I’m not sure what I saw, but my reflexes sent me to the deck as a laser beam sliced through the space I’d just vacated. Laura yelped as I shoved her out of the line of fire, and the shooter swore. Correcting his aim, he brought the beam down and sliced through the seats I hid behind. I rolled away, and the beam cut out as he lost track of me.

“Hey, ‘Your Royal Highness,’” the pirate said, practically spitting the title. “This doesn’t have to be difficult. Come out where I can see you, and I promise I’ll make it quick.”

I laughed at that, and he replied with a barrage of swearwords and unaimed laser blasts. The words didn’t worry me, but the shots did. The chairs provided no protection, and his random fire was as likely to hit Laura as me.

The human had done the smart thing and vanished into the shadows. Good. As long as I kept the shooter focused in my direction, she would be safe. I chuckled again, trusting the acoustics of the theater to make it hard to pin down where I was. It worked—his answering shots came close, but not enough to be dangerous.

“Come and find me,” I called out, creeping across the aisle and trying to pin down the firer’s position. “You’re a killer, and I’m just another rich asshole, right?”

“Fuck that.” The pirate didn’t seem inclined to come hunt me at close quarters, which was a pity. That laser was deadly at range, but if he came in arm’s reach, I’d tear his head off. “Boss, I’ve got the target pinned. Stars Among the Stars theater, come quick or you’ll miss the fun.”

Not good. As soon as more pirates arrived, they’d flank me. Running for the door was out—with the stage lights framing me, I’d be an easy target. More worrying, this confirmed my fear. The pirates were after me specifically.

“You know who I am,” I called. “That means you know I’m good for a rich ransom. Who’s paying you more for me dead?”

“What’s it matter?” he growled back. “You going to come out and get yourself shot if I tell you?”

“Not likely, but I might outbid them.”

He was moving now, but the same acoustics which had protected me made it hard to track him. How long before his backup arrived? I had no way to guess. My only option was to take him out without being seen.

I grinned, hearts pumping, and crawled in the direction I thought his voice had come from. The route I chose took me among seats designed for Gerazian guests and other quadrupeds. Padded metal that would hold tons of weight without protest might provide some protection from a laser.

A sound to my left might have been a footfall. The deep, soft carpet cushioned my steps and hid the pirate’s movements from me equally. Laura hid somewhere in the shadows, so I couldn’t simply pounce and rend and tear. Instead, I angled my path in that direction and tried to see more.

That was the moment the double doors at the top of the auditorium flew open. Three pirates crashed through them with all the subtlety of a Pyrox stampede, lasers firing wildly. Their spacesuits decked with grizzly reminders of who they were, charms carved from the bones of a dozen sapient species, these barbarians didn’t seem to care whether they hit friend or foe.

Light streamed past them, blinding and disorienting. Caught in it, as shocked as I was, stood the pirate who’d ambushed me.

His laser pointed straight at me, and all he had to do was squeeze the trigger. Behind the faceplate of his helmet, a savage grin split his face as I moved. There was no time to cross the distance between us, no space to dodge, and even if I reached him, the trio in the doorway would shoot me in the back.

So be it. I leaped, howling, willing to die fighting. Time slowed, and ice filled my hearts as I saw Laura standing behind my target, close enough to touch. I’d hoped my death would buy her time to escape, but her proximity to my enemy dashed even that.

The blinding light and deafening crack of a plasma shot filled my senses, and I hit the deck in a tumbling roll. No pain followed, which I took as a blessing. The destructive power of a plasma weapon wouldn’t leave me suffering.

It took me a moment to remember that my enemy had a laser, not a plasma gun. My mind’s eye replayed the moments before the shot. The pirate’s grin, his laser coming up, trigger finger tightening… Laura’s hand rising behind him, pointing at his head.

Then the flash. I wasn’t the one who’d been shot, and he wasn’t the shooter.

CHAPTER 5

LAURA

When I opened my eyes, the pirate was falling. His head was simply gone, vanished in the fury of my plasma pistol. Even through closed eyes, the shot left bright patches floating in my vision, and the pistol’s grip was warm in my hand. Beyond the dead pirate, the seats were ablaze, ignited by plasma hot enough to set fire to the supposedly fire-retardant padding.

I’d underestimated the destructive power of my weapon. By a lot. When I’d gone shopping for a weapon I’d be able to conceal under my dress, I came back with a tiny plasma pistol and a thigh holster to carry it in. My primary aim had been for it to be impossible to spot.

It had to pack enough punch to stop any target, but this much damage was more than I’d expected.

The three new arrivals had frozen in shock, and the first to recover fired wildly in my direction. The others joined him as I dove for cover, and I’d have laughed if I hadn’t felt so scared.

My weapon traded size and power for speed. It needed at least thirty seconds to recharge between shots. Until then, I was harmless.

But Draxus wasn’t. He’d reacted faster than I had, bounding to the side and then up the aisle toward the pirates. If they’d been thinking straight, they’d have targeted him first, but a human with a plasma pistol held their attention a moment too long.

The closest of them spun toward him at the last second, and my breath caught. If I’d gone through this for nothing…

A laser flashed, its beam singeing Draxus’s tuxedo as he dodged. Before the shooter could correct his aim, the prince tore the weapon from his hand and threw it into another of the gunmen. My jaw dropped, eyes wide, as the ‘spoiled princeling’ I’d been hired to protect ripped his way through three armed and armored pirates.

Draxus whipped his tail around the leg of the first gunman, pulling him off his feet. At the same moment, he stabbed his claws up under the helmet of the second, piercing the flexible neck of the spacesuit and the throat beneath it.

The third, still recovering from the impact of the thrown rifle, leaped back to get space. Draxus followed, faster, grabbing the pirate and slamming him into the wall with a sickening, neck-breaking crunch. Dazed, the first pirate had barely started to get up when Draxus sliced his neck open.

In less than five seconds, my ‘client’ had slain three deadly assassins. I consoled myself with the fact that I’d managed one and shut my mouth. We weren’t out of danger yet.

Draxus grabbed one pirate’s laser, examined it, and threw it down in disgust. “Genelocked. Useless.”

“They’re pirates, not idiots,” I snapped, bending over the headless corpse and quickly searching. The awful smell of burned meat filled my nose as I rolled him over. “Who doesn’t genelock their guns?”

The prince growled something unintelligible but didn’t answer my question. It was possible to break a genelock, given time and resources, but they kept an enemy turning your own weapon against you. Used to be, the gun you were most likely to be shot with was your own—that was one problem technology had solved.

“We need to be moving. There will be more here soon,” I said. A rumble rocked the Allure as I spoke, a reminder of the greater danger we faced. Even if we avoided the pirates, our ship was coming apart around us.

“This way.” I straightened up and headed for the stage door, Draxus following close on my heels. I’d gotten what I wanted from the pirate’s body, and as we left the theater, I keyed the pirate’s communicator codes into my comm.

I almost killed the feed as soon as it started, a chaotic cacophony proving the pirates’ comm discipline was even worse than I’d expected. Manic laughter, curses in a dozen languages, and two competing songs fought for dominance with the few voices trying to keep track of the raid.

Good news: the enemy is disorganized and poorly led. Their leaders have no idea what’s happening or where their troops are.

Bad news: I don’t know where their troops are, either. With a sigh, I turned down the volume and paid attention to where we were going. It was up to me to find a safe route to the escape pods.

Draxus stalked along behind me, tail lashing from side to side and eyes narrowed. Blood soaked his jacket to the elbows and dripped from his clawed fingers until he wiped them on his pants. His tie had vanished, and his shirt was torn open, giving me a tantalizing glimpse of the muscular chest below. I tried not to look back at him, but god he was too distracting.

Where did a rich kid learn to fight like that? I wanted to ask him, but I didn’t dare risk the distraction. If I focused on him, I might walk into a room full of pirates singing their captain ‘Happy Birthday’ and not notice until we were being wrapped as presents.

His skill wasn’t from some fancy class, though. I’d met my share of wealthy brats who’d hired a martial arts tutor, and some of them had even learned something from them. Even the best of those had trouble adjusting to a proper fight.

The brutal efficiency, the speed and lack of hesitation, the certainty with which Draxus killed, all pointed toward a more practical education. Perhaps I’d misjudged the prince?

Or perhaps I just want to believe that, so I don’t feel so bad about wanting to fuck him? My cheeks burned at the thought, and I was glad Draxus could only see the back of my head. Turning my attention back to the confused pirate communications, I tried to keep my mind off my client and his oh-so-sexy body.

A violent tremor shook the Allure, and I would have fallen if Draxus hadn’t caught me. In my ear, the pirates screamed protests and demanded explanations.

“Stop your whining and get on with the job,” someone snarled back, his voice powerful enough to cut through the chatter. “Grab the loot you can and get back here. Yon ship’s not lasting much longer.”

A few pirates complained, asked about hostages, and generally wasted their captain’s time. I almost felt sorry for the murdering bastard, having to ride herd on this undisciplined crew.

Before any of them could finish, someone new broke in. Strong, cold, hard, this voice silenced everyone. “I am paying you more than enough to ignore ransom and loot. Take what you must, but remember, the priority is Prince Draxus. I require proof of his death. Once I have it, you may steal what you like.”

To my surprise, the pirates took that in silence. He must be paying them a lot of money, whoever he is.

“My crew are doin’ their jobs,” the captain said after a long pause. “We’ll get your prince, don’t worry. I promised, didn’t I?”

“You also promised minimal collateral damage. I have no desire to make enemies of all the powerful families represented here.”

“Yeah, well. My boys aren’t killing anyone who don’t fight back, and not taking any ransoms, neither. You got to understand, they need to get something out of risking their lives.”

While the pirates argued with their paymaster, the situation got worse around us. The Allure’s structure creaked and groaned, and air whistled past, leaking from too many holes to seal. Pressure alarms sounded, emergency lights giving the corridors a ruddy, hellish aspect. Giving up all hope of stealth, I ran. Falling into a pirate ambush wouldn’t kill us any deader than the vacuum would.

But there were no more pirates between us and safety. We skidded around the last corner, gasping in the thinning air, to see a cluster of six escape pod hatches. Others had reached them first—red lights burned above five of them, showing the pods had departed.

The sixth stood open, inviting, a green light around the hatch beckoning us to safety. I didn’t need to be told twice and sprinted for our only chance at escape.

I’d nearly reached the pod when a plaintive howl stopped me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a lone animal at the end of the corridor behind us. Long, orange-furred, with big, pleading eyes and brightly plumed wings in every color imaginable, a collar around its neck marked it as a passenger’s pet. Its owner was nowhere to be seen, and if we left it here, it was doomed.

If I went back for it, I might doom myself. But I couldn’t abandon it. Ignoring the thinning air, the sirens, the flashing red lights, I turned back to rescue the poor creature.

I didn’t get a step before a huge blue hand closed on my shoulder. Draxus gave me no time to object, lifting and throwing me back in an arc that ended with me slamming into the padded interior of the remaining escape pod.

The impact knocked all the air from my lungs, and I gasped like a beached fish, trying to get to my feet. The pod’s door started to close, cutting off my view of the corridor.

“You fucking idiot,” I yelled, throwing my weight against the thick metal and trying to keep it from closing. If it sealed, that left Draxus stranded. While it might serve him right, I still didn’t want him to die here. Not after the effort I’d gone to keeping him alive. “Glamor, open this door!”

If the AI heard me, she gave no sign. Pushing against the door was just as futile—the pod was designed to save people, even fools who wanted to go back onto a sinking ship. Inexorably, the hatch pushed me back and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I braced myself as firmly as I could, put everything I had into one last push. To my surprise, the motor yowled in protest and the hatch stopped moving. Then, agonizingly slowly, it swung open again.

On the far side stood Draxus, gripping the hatch with one hand, holding the snake-dog-bird thing in the other. His muscles strained as he forced the hatch open, tuxedo sleeves tearing on flexing biceps.

I grabbed the alien pet, ignoring the bite it gave me as it thrashed in panic. As soon as I had it, Draxus grabbed hold of the hatch with both hands and pulled with all his might.

The hatch protested but opened far enough for him to throw himself inside. His tail barely cleared the doorway before the hatch slammed shut and bolts clicked home, sealing the three of us in.

With a bang that shook us all, the pod detached from the Allure of the Stars and rocketed away from the doomed cruise ship.

CHAPTER 6

DRAXUS

The escape capsule shuddered, leaping forward like prey startled by a predator. My human companion strapped herself to the padded wall, and I followed suit. Crash seating would be better, of course, but impractical on a cruise liner where no one knew which species might flee in which pod.

Laura had already strapped down the animal I’d brought aboard, despite its hissing protests. I had no idea what the creature was, but its panic was understandable. Hopefully, it would calm down once we were on a planet.

“You are well?” I asked the human. She had no injuries that I could see, but I knew nothing of her kind. Nonetheless, I looked her over carefully, in case I’d missed something. And, admittedly, because I enjoyed looking at her even more than I had before. Her red hair in disarray, chest heaving, a soot-smudge on one cheek, and a blaster pistol concealed somewhere on her person. Before, I’d seen her beauty like a sculpture, perfect in presentation and form. Now, I saw something closer to the real Laura, and I liked it even better.

She had to spoil it by talking. “Me? Of course I’m fucking okay, or would be if some over-muscled oaf hadn’t thrown me into the wall. You’re the one who tried to get yourself killed.”

“I did not,” I objected. “All I did was what you were about to try.”

Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes flashed at my reasonable objection.

“Yeah, you thought it was too dangerous for me, so you jumped into danger. You realize the pirates were trying to kill you, Your Highness? Why did you try to help them?”

“Of course I know that,” I snapped, baring my teeth. “Should I let them determine my every action?”

“You don’t need to make it easy for them,” Laura said, eyes narrow. “Not when I went to the trouble of keeping you alive.”

The memory of Laura’s shot flashed through my mind, the pirate-assassin falling, smoke rising from what remained of his neck. “I would have slain him if you hadn’t.”

Was that true? Maybe. Maybe not. I pressed on rather than dwell on it. “Anyway, if you saved me, then I owed you a rescue. We’re even now.”

Her glower deepened, and feeling the tension in the pod, the strange pet fell silent. Wiser than either of us, then. Perhaps we should let it run the escape.

“You don’t owe me a damned thing,” Laura said, voice hard. “I saved you for reasons of my own.”

“Then I did the same and we’re still even.” We glared at each other, the tight confines of the escape pod giving us no space to retreat. Her face flushed, eyes sparking, hands balled into fists, Laura looked like she regretted saving me. I wondered where she’d hidden her blaster and whether she’d turn it on me.

The pod shook violently, throwing us both against the straps. A warm, calm voice, filled with soothing harmonics, spoke. “Atmospheric re-entry begun. Warning, turbulence expected.”

“Oh, shut up,” Laura and I shouted at it in unison, turning our frustration on the invisible speaker. It paid us no mind, repeating its message in language after language until the roar of the pod’s passage through the atmosphere drowned it out.

I stared at the human across from me, caught between my annoyance and a desperate desire for her to be safe. The webbing contracted around us both, pulling us into the padded walls and steadying us. The pod’s shaking grew so violent, I half expected it to tear itself apart.

Laura’s face paled as she went limp, and I shouted her name. No hope of her hearing it, of course, not over the rattling and banging as the pod bounced through the turbulent air. Straining against the straps and the deceleration forces, I reached out for her, but my strength failed me, and I fell back onto the padding.

I tried again, my vision going dark as I pulled my head up. Stretching, I caught her hand in mine, and had the grim satisfaction of feeling her pulse before everything faded into darkness.

The first thing I noticed on waking was that I could breathe again. My chest, free now of the crushing weight, heaved as I sucked in a sweet lungful of air. The second was Laura’s voice, muttering curse words in three languages, one of which I didn’t know. I opened my eyes warily to see her pacing awkwardly before me. For a moment I thought the impact had injured her, but to my relief it was just the floor. We’d landed at a strange angle, and that combined with the padding made the surface tricky for the human.

The landing left me hanging uncomfortably from the straps, tilted forward over Laura as she stalked through the gloom. Most of the lighting had failed, leaving only a few glowing patches on the walls. Barely enough to make her out by, and human night vision was worse than my own.

Whether or not she could see me, some sign let her know I’d woken up. Laura turned to face me, hands on her hips.

“Finally decided to join me, huh? You’ve slept through the day.” She kept her tone deliberately light, covering actual anger and fear under a smartass remark.

“At least you were awake to keep watch,” I said, pulling myself free of the straps and dropping to the padded floor. It gave under my feet, almost sending me tumbling, and Laura snorted a laugh.

“That first step’s a doozy, right?” Her amusement sounded more genuine this time, and it was my turn to bite back a snarl. I ignored her question, steadied myself, and spoke as though the stumble had never happened.

“Are you well? Why are you still in here?”

“Because, asshole, the door is stuck. Starlines Proxima really cheaped out on the escape pods. These things are death traps.”

“They got us to the ground, alive and unharmed,” I said, frowning at her. We Tagrans don’t approve of cursing devices that give good service—they might take offense, and then where would we be?

Laura slammed her hand into a faintly glowing red patch on the wall, which turned white around her hand. With a series of clunks, the door locks disengaged, a motor whined, and a burning smell filled the air. The hatch shuddered in place, struggling to move, before falling silent again. Another series of clunks signaled the locks reengaging.

“See?” Laura said as the glow around her hand changed from white to back to red. “Cheap bullshit.”

It was hard to disagree. “So, we are trapped in here?”

“Near as I can tell. Good news, we have emergency supplies. They ought to last until rescue arrives.”

“You say that as though there is bad news to follow.”

Her crooked grin, almost hidden in the shadows, stirred something in me. I wanted to sweep her up into my arms, carry her down to the padded floor, and kiss those delicious lips. We could pass the time here very well, I thought, and the blush that spread over her face was proof she’d had the same idea, though she gave no sign in her words as she continued.

“Yeah, well. Couple of things here. First, and kind of urgent—whatever air purifier this pod has, it’s not doing its job.”

I sniffed the air, tasting the smoke from the motor’s failed attempt to open the door. It hadn’t faded at all, which meant there was no ventilation. I cursed under my breath.

“How much oxygen do we have remaining?”

“If there are any readouts, I’ve not found them. All we’ve got is this,” Laura said, leaning back against the padded wall and pointing to the glowing patch beside her. Looking closer, I realized there was writing on it. “It says the pod can support six standard oxygen breathers, but I don’t know what the ‘standard’ is. Still, there are only two of us plus the pet, so that’s good news.”

I did some quick calculations, trying to guess how much a human breathed and measuring the volume of the sealed pod. It didn’t look great. “Wonderful. So we’ll last a day or two before we choke to death. What else?”

“I’m not sure whether to call this good news or bad news.” She grinned, and I had to admire that in the face of disaster. “Good news, we won’t be choking to death. Bad news, it’s because the bastards hunting you will reach us first.”

I groaned at that, shook my head. “How will they know where to find us? We could be anywhere on Yoral.”

“There’s a rescue beacon in every pod. Anyone with a receiver can track where they came down, and the pirates can check them out one by one if they have to.”

“Staying that long would be a foolish risk. Why stay when they’ve surely looted enough to pay for the raid?”

Laura shrugged. “I think the pirates’ employer, whoever he is, is paying them enough to keep them here. After all, pirates are kind of famous for their greed.”

I growled but conceded her point. She was the one who’d listened in on the pirates, making her a better judge of their intent. The pirates would save us from suffocation, but they’d do so by blowing the pod to the Black Gate.

The worst thing was that I wouldn’t die alone. Pirates wouldn’t discriminate, and they’d kill Laura too. That I refused to allow. She was an innocent in this.

“That settles it,” I told her. “We are leaving.”

“Oh yeah, big guy? How do you propose we do that?” She slammed her hand into the door release again and looked at me as the hatch once again failed to open.

As soon as the locks disengaged, I roared and charged, slamming into the hatch with all my weight and strength. The entire pod shuddered with the impact, but the door itself didn’t budge. Instead, I bounced off its padding, falling to the deck in an inelegant heap. Laura stood over me, swallowing a laugh.

“That is not funny,” I protested, which only made things worse. Giggles broke through Laura’s reserve, and she spluttered as she tried to control them.

“S-sorry,” she stammered through her laughter, doubling over. “I d-don’t mean to—to—”

She couldn’t manage more words, and I felt my own reserve failing. Trying to keep my dignity, I bit down on the laughter, but keeping it in was impossible. If it had been anyone else, I’d have laughed too.

“See how you like it,” I said, snaking my tail around her ankle and pulling. She hit the deck with a yelp and slapped my arm, but she was laughing too hard to make it hurt.

It took us too long to recover from our laughing fits. Each time one of us got ourselves under control, the other would lose it and that would be enough to trigger another round of laughter from us both. Eventually, exhaustion overtook us, and we could laugh no more. Once we’d caught our breath, we hauled ourselves cautiously to our feet and managed to stay there. Laura coughed, looking sheepish.

“Oxygen deprivation,” she suggested. “We’d have laughed at anything.”

“Chemical exposure,” I offered in return, tasting the burning plastics and oil in the air. “We’re drunk on fumes.”

“Or maybe you’re just that funny.”

“Now you’re just trying to provoke me.” I shot her a glare, though I doubted she could see it in the darkness. “I am the heir to the Starsteel Throne, not a clown for your entertainment.”

“Sure, sure. So now that Your Highness has demonstrated the door is stuck, how are we getting out of this death trap?”

It had been years since anyone had dared address me in such a tone, and to my surprise, it delighted me. My glare faded into a grin, one I was glad she couldn’t see.

Unfortunately, her question was valid despite the snark she put into it. The door hadn’t moved under my full strength, and we had to escape before we ran out of time, or air.

CHAPTER 7

LAURA

I’d never had a problem stopping myself from giggling before. Was I really short on oxygen? I didn’t think so—there was just something about Draxus that left me comfortable laughing with him, even if we were in deadly peril.

He’s a client, St. Jude. My mental hall monitor was back, and she was pissed. Be professional, for god’s sake.

I shushed her. If we were going to die, I might as well enjoy my last moments, right? And that thought had me looking at the alien prince, or what I saw of him in the dim light cast by the hatch control. My EagleEyes had a low-light setting, but it was no use for details. It rendered him in wireframe, like the rest of the pod, and left the details to my imagination.

Which made him, if anything, more distracting. His immense bulk was a shadow against the blackness, one my mind eagerly filled in. The muscles that flexed under his scaled skin, that wicked tail of his, the flashing violet eyes… Draxus was an attractive man.

More than attractive. He was hotter than our pod’s re-entry shielding, damn him. The alien warrior looked me up and down, his head tilting to one side, and I pictured the smug grin on his face. Unlike the dozens of leering rich guys on the Allure, Draxus’s gaze made me shiver and warm inside. I was glad of the dim lighting—he wouldn’t be able to see my reaction.

Draxus broke the silence.

“You have a blaster.” Okay, not where I’d expected him to go.

“Yeah, I do. What about it?”

“Show it to me.”

I narrowed my eyes. Would a ‘please’ be too much to ask for? More annoying than that, his casually commanding tone melted me, and I found myself unable to object. I slipped the plasma pistol from my thigh holster and held it up to what little light there was.

Draxus growled, a sound which vibrated through me and made my breath catch.

“I don’t understand where you hide that,” he said, taking the blaster from my hand. “There isn’t space under your cocktease dress.”

“Cocktail dress!” Blood rushed to my cheeks, embarrassment and outrage fighting it out for control of my voice. “Oh my god, Draxus, this is a cocktail dress!”

He chuckled, watching me squirm. “My apologies, Laura. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

That might be true, but even the darkness couldn’t hide the glint in his eyes. He was enjoying every moment I squirmed, and next time it would be on purpose. I glowered at him and changed the subject.

“What do you want the blaster for? We can’t use it in here, it’ll start a fire.”

“This padding is flame retardant, surely?” Draxus sounded confused and annoyed, and he had every right to be.

“Oh, sure.” I laughed, a little bitterness creeping into my voice. “Remember the seating in the theater? This is the same material. Like I said, Starlines Proxima are cheap assholes.”

“That may be true, but your blaster is our only escape tool. The alternative is to wait for death.”

“I doubt it’ll cut through the hatch,” I said, trying not to think about the choice between burning, suffocating, and being murdered by pirates. “Not in one shot, and it takes thirty seconds to recharge.”

Draxus let out a growl. “We shall have to make do. One shot will weaken the locking mechanism—you shoot it, I’ll charge the hatch. If we time it right, I can burst it open.”

“So, your plan is to shoulder slam burning padding and melting metal,” I said. “And if it doesn’t work, the fire will use up our air before we can come up with a better plan.”

“I did not say it was a good plan. Just the only one I have, and unless you have a better one, the one we will follow.”

I tried to think of something, anything, to suggest instead. Nothing came to mind. “Fine. We’ll do it the stupid way. Take the pet-thing with you. It deserves better than dying in here.”

Draxus nodded and undid the straps holding the bird-snake. It flopped down into his arms, still unconscious, and I hoped it wasn’t hurt. Better that it didn’t struggle, I supposed. The alien prince slung it over his shoulder and passed me back my pistol.

His touch sent a shiver of desire through me, making it hard to concentrate as he moved me into position, aiming at the lock. I didn’t want to spoil the moment by telling him that my EagleEyes showed me an outline of the mechanism within the hatch. Instead, I let him arrange me, luxuriating in his touch. My breath caught and I bit my lip, feeling his warmth and strength, his control.

When he let go, the absence of his hands felt like the sun had vanished behind rain clouds. I refused to let that show, adjusting my aim and nodding. I was as ready as I’d ever be.

Draxus leaned in, mouth close to my ear, and whispered. “If you shoot me in the back, I will not forgive you.”

Trying to ignore the sensations his warm breath sent through me, I kept my answer light. Well, as light as I could under the circumstances. “If I kill you, I’ll join you soon enough. You can shout at me then.”

I meant that as a joke, but he seemed to take it seriously. With a solemn nod, he stepped back and braced himself. “Should that happen, you will find me waiting at the Black Gate.”

“If you fuck this up and get killed, I’ll kick your ass through the Black Gate,” I snapped, reaching out to hit the hatch control. “Let’s do this.”

Draxus kicked off the wall behind him, charging as I squeezed the trigger. Blinding light filled the space, hot air washed over me, Draxus knocked me aside and the air left my lungs.

I sucked in a smoke-filled breath and coughed it out again, my eyes streaming. Useless alarms blared—yes, we know there’s a fire. What do they want us to do about it?—as I struggled to get to my feet.

The fire was worse than I’d expected. What little I could see through my tears and the smoke looked like an image of hell. Flames were all around, some red, some green, all raging. The decking stood at an odd angle, and Draxus’s impact had spun me around. I no longer had any idea where the exit lay, assuming it was open.

Stumbling in what I hoped was the right direction, I choked on the acrid smoke. All I could see was a blur of flames, and breathing was impossible.

Had Draxus even opened the door? Had I shot him in the back by accident? I might stumble over his charred corpse at any moment. Somehow, that seemed a worse fate than dying myself.

The uneven flooring betrayed me, sending me tumbling to my knees. Unable to breathe, I couldn’t find the strength to rise or even to crawl. The best I could do was pull myself a few more inches towards a faint, cool breeze. That gave me hope, not for myself but for Draxus—maybe he’d escaped the death-trap we’d turned the pod into.

50% success rate isn’t bad, I told myself. I’ve saved my client. If I die doing that, it’s a good death, right?

I hung onto that thought as the world faded to black around me, the roar of the flames closing in.

“What maniac pads an escape pod with flammable material?” The voice that pulled me back to consciousness was harsh, angry, and I thought I recognized it. That made no sense to my smoke-addled mind. How would I know a demon’s voice? It sure didn’t sound like an angel, so this had to be the Big Fire Downstairs.

Fire crackled nearby. I hurt all over. My lungs burned. More evidence for my conclusion that I’d landed in Hell. I tried to open my eyes without drawing attention to the fact that I was paying attention, but my eyelids refused to cooperate. The demon paced around me, steps crushing something underfoot. Crunch, crunch, crunch, away from me and back, growling and keeping up a rant on the failings of the escape pod as it moved. Had I survived after all? The question bubbled to the surface of my smoke-addled mind.

Something must have given me away, because the footsteps and the ranting stopped. An expectant silence fell, focused on me. It’s weird to think of a silence being directional, I know, but so help me, he definitely aimed this one my way.

“Laura?” The anger left the demon’s voice, replaced by hope and wonder, and this time I recognized it. Draxus, alive and hopeful. I forced my eyes to open, blinking up at the alien towering over me.

Pale moonlight lit him, his scaled skin soot-smudged and hair disheveled, and his eyes were wide with delight. He’d escaped with only minor injuries, from what I could see. And I saw a lot—his tuxedo hadn’t come through the fire as well as he had, leaving him wearing the ragged remains of the tailored suit.

Framed against the night sky, lit by starlight, his torso looked even hotter than I’d imagined. Broad shoulders, a muscular chest, abs that made me want to run my fingers over them—every part of him looked sculpted to perfection. A perfect vee led my eyes downward, and my breath caught.

His pants were in better shape than his jacket, but that wasn’t saying much. Between the large rips in the fabric and Draxus’s complete lack of modesty, nothing blocked my view of his…monster. I didn’t have a better word for the thing between his legs, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. Bright red against the deep blue of his thighs, it looked like a bone sheath the size of my forearm. Knobs and nodules made me wince just looking at them, but I couldn’t deny a certain curiosity. What would that feel like? Taste like?

I tore eye eyes away with difficulty, trying not to stare at his crimson cock. Long and thick as it was, it should be impossible for a human woman to take it, but somehow that just felt like a challenge.

The prince’s grin made it clear he’d seen the direction of my gaze and didn’t mind at all. My cheeks heated as I sat up, and he crossed to my side, crouching beside me.

“I was not sure you’d survive your wounds,” he said. His smile faded as he continued. “I nearly lost you in those flames. What idiot chose that padding?”

I tried to answer, but my lungs had other plans. Doubled over and coughing, I choked out a few words. “Lowest bidder. Cheap materials.”

My voice was rough, throat sore from the smoke. Draxus growled and put a finger to my lips, shushing me. “Quiet. Whoever made that decision, I shall hunt them down and tear them to pieces.”

I stopped trying to speak, and the coughing calmed down. There was something deeply soothing about his touch and his voice, despite my annoyance at being shushed like a child. Draxus’s offer of bloody vengeance needed to be addressed, though. I didn’t really like the idea of some corporate peon getting shredded. Okay, yes, the life pods were shockingly bad, and someone deserved to pay, but murder seemed excessive.

So I shook my head and choked out a response. “Not worth it.”

He frowned at me, disapproving, as I started another coughing fit. “Stay quiet, human, and rest your lovely voice.”

If I hadn’t been coughing, I’d have laughed and asked, or else what? Instead, I concentrated on getting my lungs under control. We’d come down in a grove of almost-trees, strange crystal towers that rose from the ground, all brightly colored and no two the same. The trunks split and re-split into branches, forming a canopy, but above us the sky shone through. Our landing had smashed a path through the crystalline plants, leaving shards lying all around, gleaming in the firelight.

The pod itself still burned, a cool wind blowing smoke away from us. Stars twinkled overhead, beautiful and distant. I’d have loved to rest there if I hadn’t been worried about the danger we were in.

Deadly danger, if we didn’t have any supplies. I picked myself up, careful not to move too fast, and made my way back to the pod, dreading what I’d find. But the designers had done one thing right—mounting a survival kit outside the pod under heat shielding. The cover had popped open when we landed.

The heat had warped its fittings, though, and it wouldn’t come free when I pulled. Cursing, I struggled with the fastenings, hauling on them with no effect.

I was about to give up when Draxus appeared at my side. With a growl, he pushed my hands aside and yanked at the kit. The metal fastenings snapped with a musical sound, leaving me wondering just how strong this alien princeling was.

“You are in no state to work,” he told me. “Sit down, rest, recover. I will take care of everything.”

I glared at him, grabbing the kit and opening it. As I’d feared, it was as cheaply put together as the rest of the pod. The contents weren’t useless, but I’d hoped for more. There were survival blankets made of thin, durable, reflective foil. Those weren’t bad. A box marked ‘rations’ which I hoped hadn’t spoiled. A selection of religious texts, which made me wonder who’d chosen these particular denominations to represent.

The single water bottle with a built-in purifier wouldn’t have been much good if there’d been six of us, but with only two it might work. I took a swig of the warm water, grimacing at the chemical taste of it. At least my throat felt better for it, and a few tentative tests showed it was safe for me to try talking again, though my voice was rough and scratchy.

There goes my singing career, I thought. Sorry, Mom. Turning back to the kit, I kept digging through it for useful supplies. The palm-sized autodoc looked promising until I looked closer. Only rated for ‘minor cuts, burns, and abrasions,’ it was an odd choice for a survival package, but a cheap one. The rations, too, were clearly the cheapest option Starlines Proxima could find. They could have provided a portable foodmaker, something to produce whatever a group of survivors needed. Instead, I found a stack of color-coded nutrient blocks.

A small card listed which color provided what nutrients, and a quick check let me discard most of the blocks. Purple bricks were for methane breathers, orange would be toxic to anything with iron-based blood. Green ought to work for Tagrans, though. Blue looked like it would be okay, too, though missing some nutrients. Between them, we had four bricks of food for Draxus.

Humans didn’t fit neatly into any of the categories. That probably meant the supplies had been procured before the Uplink War and humanity’s arrival on the galactic scene. Survival rations lasted forever, so I wasn’t worried about their age, but it meant I had to guess what was safe for me to eat. By my best guess, I’d survive the blue food for a while. None of the others were safe. Even the green stuff that would work for Draxus would poison me. I’d have to hope that we reached safety before malnutrition set in.

Which brought me to the emergency beacon. It had started broadcasting as soon as we hit the ground, designed to make it easy for rescuers to find us. Unfortunately, it would guide our enemies in just as well. I considered smashing it to deny the pirates our location, but thought better of it. The signal vanishing would only draw their attention to us. Better to leave it alone.

But the beacon also functioned as a communicator. Or rather, it being the cheapest option, it could amplify a connected communicator’s range. Perhaps I could learn something through that.

Draxus watched me, face unreadable, as I plugged my comm in. Still tuned to the pirates’ frequency, it latched onto their signals instantly. Their comm discipline hadn’t improved.

“He’s probably already dead,” a female voice said. “The entire ship came apart, right? Let’s loot what we can and get out of here before the watercursed fleet gets here and catches us.”

I liked that pirate and hoped her crew mates would listen to her sensible advice.

“My brother still lives,” the cultured, bitter voice of their employer answered. “I would know if he did not. Find him, slay him, then we will leave. And you will be rich.”

“And if the fleet shows up?”

“That would be bad, so you’d better get on with checking every beacon before that happens.”

Him, I liked a lot less. Just fall out of an airlock, will you? And leave Draxus alone.

“Rain take it.” The female pirate sounded more resigned than angry at being overruled. “Fine, let’s get it over with.”

I turned the volume down and looked at Draxus, frowning. Something didn’t add up.

“Your Highness, do you have a brother? There was no mention in your files.”

He laughed, though there was no humor to it. Taking a deep breath, he stared into the distance as he spoke. “Officially? No. Unofficially, why do you ask?”

“Because it sounds like that’s who hired the pirates.”

Draxus’s composure didn’t flicker. Nothing in his expression changed that I could see. But somehow, he radiated fury. “My father exiled Crozius for treason and struck all records of him from the family history. He tried to seize power and restore the old ways, undo everything my father has planned. Tagra is no despot’s playground, but Crozius wants absolute power and thinks it is his by right.”

His clipped, controlled tones were scarier than an angry rant would have been, and I kept quiet, letting him speak.

“He always said my father was too lenient with criminals, and I suppose he’s found a way of proving his point. Crozius went into exile with enough wealth to keep him in luxury, but it seems he’d rather spend it all murdering me.”

I reached out and squeezed his hand, powerful muscles tense under my fingers. His strength could easily have crushed my bones to powder, but when he squeezed back, it was with perfect control. How much discipline did it take, I wondered, for this alien warrior-prince to keep from breaking me? Most people, filled with rage as he was, would lash out.

Yet I felt no fear, no danger. Draxus wouldn’t harm me, not on purpose and not by accident. I had no reason for that belief, but it ran bone deep.

“I’m sorry,” I said at last, squeezing tighter. “Sorry your brother is such an asshole. Sorry that you’re going through this.”

The shadow of a smile flickered across his face, so fast I almost thought I’d imagined it. “And I am sorry that I have dragged you into it. Had I known I was in such danger, I’d not have come aboard a ship full of innocents.”

“Hey, you got me this job,” I said, trying to make light. “I only got hired because Xichel heard you were in danger and needed someone who could stay close to you in public spaces.”

“Ah. That explains why you’re such an awful waitress.” Draxus laughed as I protested, my cheeks burning. “Do not worry, I will give you a good review. ‘Occasionally forgot my drink orders but saved my life at least twice. Five stars.’”

I subsided, letting myself laugh. It was true, I’d been the worst waitress on the Allure, though I’d have preferred it if Draxus hadn’t noticed. It was nice to hear him acknowledge my work to protect him, though, even if he couched it as a joke. We both needed the laugh.

Some of the tension ebbed from his muscles, but his eyes were still distant. I couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind—bad enough that someone was trying to kill him, but his own brother?

“I don’t think the passengers on the Allure of the Stars were all that innocent,” I said, trying to keep the conversation moving, to stop Draxus spiraling into despair. Already I felt the tension returning to his hand, but he managed a smile and shook his head.

“Not them, though there are some I’d regret bringing to harm. But the crew, the staff, they did nothing to invite this attack. Their blood is on my hands.”

“That’s stupid,” I snapped, sitting up straight and glaring at him. “Your brother made this choice, and the pirates he hired. You can’t blame yourself when you didn’t know the danger existed.”

“But—”

“No. You do not get to shoulder that guilt. If anyone aside from your attackers is to blame, it’s Starlines Proxima and their unwillingness to insist on proper security for you.”

“I refused extra protection,” Draxus said, and I narrowed my eyes, counting off points on my fingers.

“Xichel could have told you about the threat, and maybe you wouldn’t have. Or they could have refused you a berth unless you agreed or boosted security whether or not you agreed to it. Instead, they kept a closer eye on you and hired one extra guard. Just me, who had to dress like this—” I gestured down at my singed and smoke-stained cocktail dress “—and work as both a waitress and a guard. Don’t tell me they couldn’t have done more to keep you safe, and don’t you dare blame yourself.”

Draxus held up his free hand in surrender. “Fine, you win. Perhaps I am not to blame. It matters not. What matters is that we cannot stay here—Crozius will come for us soon, and this clearing is impossible to defend.”

I nodded reluctantly. Marching into an unknown and alien forest would have been dangerous enough with good equipment. With the mess we had, it was a downright stupid idea. The only thing in its favor was that staying put would get us killed. Blinking my EagleEyes on, I got my bearings, glad that I’d downloaded the planet’s dataset. It lacked detail, but it included a hiking and navigation package. The comms gave me our location, the starry sky let me get my bearings, and of course the pod had put us down as close to civilization as it could.

“The Crystal Cove resort is that way, a couple of days’ hike. We’d better get going.”

CHAPTER 8

DRAXUS

The strange pet we’d rescued from the Allure perked up as soon as I shouldered the survival kit, launching herself at us and chirping hopefully. I had no idea how to interpret that. Hunger? Playfulness? It flittered around us in a circle before coming down to land on Laura’s shoulders.

It had flown off as soon as I’d carried it from the flames, and I’d paid it no mind. With Laura to rescue from the fiery tomb our escape pod had transformed into, I’d ignored the creature beyond wishing it luck.

Now, seeing Laura’s face light up as she scratched under its chin and it let out a strange, warbling purr, I was glad of its return. Anything to take the human’s mind off the trouble I’d gotten her into was fine by me.

“What’s your name, huh?” Laura said, voice gentle despite the scratchiness from the smoke she’d inhaled. I hoped that was all the damage she’d taken from the fire, knowing that we were days from medical care.

The animal whined and nuzzled into her neck, making her giggle and me stifle a growl. My claws itched, and it was a struggle not to let them slide free.

What in the Endless Void? Am I jealous of that thing? It made no sense. Laura was attractive, yes, distractingly so. But she was a human, and one I knew nothing about. Everything I had thought I knew was a false face, a lie to hide her true purpose.

A fine purpose, I had to admit. Without her, I would be dead. But what other surprises did she conceal? The heir to the Starsteel Throne could not take chances—if there was one thing the day’s events had proved, it was that enemies could strike from the most unexpected direction.

And yet, Laura drew me in as inescapably as a black hole. Maybe I didn’t know her, but that just meant there was more to learn. And some of what she’d showed me was real. Her humor, her bravery, and her dedication could not be fake.

“Does the little one eat any of the rations we’re carrying?” I asked, trying to turn my mind to practical matters.

“I think she can share your rations,” Laura said with a frown. “And her name is Szamidzz… SszaMidzza… oh, fuck it, her name’s Sammie, I can pronounce that.”

The name tag on the beast’s collar displayed her name proudly: SsamIsdzr, a perfectly sensible Empire name. But of course, humans had never lived under the Empire, and had no reason to learn their language. I envied them that.

“The name means Perfect Ruler of Worlds,” I translated. Laura wrinkled her nose.

“Sammie,” she said, her tone signaling that the discussion was closed. I smiled and nodded.

“I should have more than enough food to share with Sammie, even if there’s no prey to hunt. Let us go.”

The crystal forest closed around us, silent and eerie. I’d hunted my dinner often enough, first from necessity during the war, then for sport and practice after father’s victory. This place was unlike anywhere I’d hunted before, and much less welcoming.

The ‘trees’ towered over us, translucent and near invisible in the darkness, and there was no sign of other life. No tracks, no scent, no sign of movement. The only sounds were from us, and the rare, musical chiming when the wind blew fine crystal branches together.

Perhaps the crash and the fire have frightened off all the animals, I thought. Perhaps, once we put some distance between us and the crash, there’d be something to hunt. But the further we went, the less likely it seemed. There were no tracks, no sign that anything else lived amongst these crystal towers.

I thought back to the brochures I’d skimmed aboard the Allure. Princess Cydana had paid more attention than I had, and she’d talked of glorious beaches, gorgeous caves, and yes, mentioned a tour of a crystal forest. I remembered pictures from the brochures showing the stunning wildlife we might encounter, brightly colored birds and six-limbed herbivores.

None, it appeared, lived near where we’d crashed.

Even Sammie seemed affected by the quiet. She clung to Laura’s neck, her head twitching as though trying to see in all directions at once. Or was that normal behavior for her species? It was hard to tell, especially when I was on edge myself.

I need weapons. I looked around at the forest, wondering what unknown monsters might prowl its shadows. There were limits to what my skill could do, and while I’d face any predator unarmed, it wasn’t just my life on the line. With only my claws and teeth, I might not keep Laura safe.

The very thought made my hearts freeze. Laura had proved herself formidable for a human, but she was still vulnerable. At least she had a weapon, though with her plasma pistol genelocked I could not use it. I would have to improvise my own.

In a normal forest, I’d have made a spear or a club from a fallen branch. The crystal plants weren’t the same, but I tried anyway. The first time I spotted a branch of about the right size and shape, I grabbed it and tried to snap it free.

“Starless Void,” I swore as it shattered into a thousand pieces. Trying to retrieve one of the larger shards, I sliced my finger on its razor-sharp edge and swore again. It was sharp enough that I didn’t notice the cut for a moment, and the blood that welled up from it vanished into the crystal, leaving it darker and redder than it had started.

Laura made a noise halfway between concern and laughter. “What the hell are you doing, Draxus? Leave that poor tree alone.”

“Poor tree? It is drinking my blood.”

“You snapped a branch off. It’s only fair that it gets to bite you back.” Despite her harsh words, she pulled the autodoc out of the survival pack and ran it over my injured hand.

“It’s a clean cut at least,” she said as the machine whirred and clicked at my injury. I almost didn’t hear her—the touch of her hand overwhelmed my senses, drawing up something primal from deep inside me. Blood pounded in my ears and focusing on anything aside from her was impossible.

Her smooth, warm fingers gripped my injured hand gently, and I caught the hitch in her breath. She lowered her gaze to hide the blush spreading across her face. Her breathing was the only sound I heard, and all I wanted to.

The autodoc snapped onto my finger hard enough to hurt, but I refused to pull away. Nothing could drag me from Laura’s touch.

For the first time in my life, I wished for a worse injury than I’d sustained. It took the autodoc only heartbeats to close the cuts on my finger and announce as much with an annoying beep. Laura disengaged it carefully, and the spell broke as she pulled away.

“Good as new,” she mumbled. It was true. The tiny autodoc might not be up to bigger challenges, but these wounds had vanished without a trace. I flexed my fingers and looked back at the deadly shard of crystal that lay where I’d dropped it. Holding it bare handed was out of the question, but I refused to abandon my project. Weapons might make the difference between life and death on our trek.

“Come on, Draxus, you’ve already sliced yourself open on that once,” Laura said, shoving the autodoc back into the pack and glaring at me. “Do it again and I’m not wasting the autodoc’s supplies on you.”

“I shall take care.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure you—oh.” Laura’s voice cut off with a gasp as I slipped off the remains of my fire-ravaged tuxedo jacket and the ruined shirt under it. A tiny smile played on my lips as she stared at me, her eyes wide. Doing my best to ignore her stare, I crouched and carefully wrapped one end of the shard in a scrap of jacket, forming a makeshift handle for my ‘dagger.’ Strips of shirt tied it securely enough, and I lifted the unwieldy but sharp blade with care.

With one blade safe to use, I used it to cut the rest of my jacket into neat strips. Those were much easier to use, and my second dagger turned out better than the first. “There. Not what I hoped, but I am armed.”

Laura stared at me, her pink tongue darting out to wet her lips. With a visible effort, she dragged her gaze up to my face, and I grinned. Her cheeks flushed deeper.

“Great. Now, when the pirates catch up with us, you’ll have improvised knives against their lasers and blasters. I’m sure that’ll work out fine.” She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. I don’t think I’d ever seen a sight as beautiful. “And no, I haven’t forgotten about my blaster. I’ll do my best to get them for you, but it fires too slow for a proper fight.”

“You will do no such thing,” I told her. “If we encounter more assassins, I will deal with them myself. You will get to safety.”

“Did you not fucking hear me when I told you Starlines Proxima hired me to protect you?” Her glare’s intensity ratcheted up and her voice hardened. “I won’t abandon you. Even if I survived, I’d lose my paycheck if you get yourself killed.”

“You’ve saved my life already,” I snapped back, snarling. Beautiful as Laura was, she got under my skin easily. How did she not see that I’d never let her get hurt, let alone killed? “What more can anyone expect of you? If you need me to write you a glowing report, fine, I will do that now.”

“Great. So I turn up with a five-star review from a dead client. I’m sure that’ll look great on my resume.”

We glared at each other. Neither of us moved. Then Sammie hissed and leaped from her shoulder to mine, nipping at my ear. Apparently, annoying Laura was against the rules. The alien pet had spoken.

I stared at her, then shook my head. What point was there to fighting about this?

“We’ll seal that hull breach when we reach it,” I said, turning away from the confrontation. “In the meantime, let’s get moving.”

The sky lightened as we walked, crystal trees catching the light and scattering it. I set the pace, marching ahead and looking for any kind of prey or threat. Though how we’d cook anything I caught was another question—the burning pod was far behind us now, and its smoke was too toxic to cook over. In any other forest, I’d have no trouble lighting a fire, but these crystals wouldn’t burn like wood.

One sun had crossed the horizon, its scattered light throwing a dim multi-colored illumination over the forest floor. The undergrowth hid more razor-sharp crystal blades, so I kicked my way through it to leave a safe trail for Laura. My shoes were grox leather, which provided some protection. Even they were rapidly shredding, and I hoped they’d last until we reached Crystal Cove.

“Motherf—” Laura’s bitten-off profanity broke the forest’s silence, and I spun to see her glaring at a thin glass leaf. A trail of blood dripped down her thigh where it had scratched her.

In an instant, I was by her side. My knife flashed, smashing the offending plant to dust. “Are you well?”

A stupid question, but I felt pretty stupid already. How had I missed the ambush weed? In the dark of the night, I might not have seen it. But in the dappled morning light, it was clearly visible. I’d been careful, too careful to leave such an obvious trap for Laura to blunder into.

It hadn’t been enough, apparently. I kneeled by her side, looking at the bloody scratch, and told myself it wasn’t too bad. A clean and shallow cut, nothing to worry about.

“I don’t know how I walked into that,” Laura said, touching the bloody line and wincing. “I promise I’m being careful.”

“We both missed it,” I said, frowning. This close to her, Laura’s scent was intoxicating, and it made focusing hard. “Though I don’t see how. I will be more careful. Your cockt—cocktail dress is not the best protection for a hike, and I will not let you come to harm.”

“Your Highness, I am not your responsibility,” Laura snapped. “Look after yourself, I can—HEY!”

She pulled away as I tried to run a finger over the injury to judge its severity. Which was, of course, my only reason for wanting to touch her. Of course.

Flushed and flustered, Laura held up a hand, and I moved back.

“We have an autodoc. I don’t need you pawing at my wound,” she said. There was an edge to her voice, almost disappointment. “Just keep watch while I get it cleaned and patched.”

I wanted to argue, to tend her wound as she’d tended mine, but she was right. One of us needed to keep an eye out for danger, so I turned and looked around while she fished the autodoc out.

Something was wrong. Or, if not wrong, strange. The red sun’s light scattered around us but take ten paces in any direction and shadows swallowed the light. Behind us, the area that had been lit when we walked through it had fallen into darkness again.

It was as though the forest aimed a spotlight at us. Were the crystals focusing the sunlight in our direction? Why would they do that?

The sunlight wasn’t the only mystery. Looking back along the path we’d forged through the undergrowth, it was already closing behind us. Crystal filaments stabbed into the space I’d cleared, glimmering in the reflected sunlight.

Laura saw what I was looking at. “Oh shit. It wasn’t growing that fast earlier, was it? We’d have noticed it.”

“Probably uses the sunlight as a power source,” I guessed. “It grows faster during the day.”

“Too fast for my liking.” Laura sighed. “Fuck. I guess we just have to be really careful? And hope that they don’t grow faster when the second sun comes out.”

“I’d rather hope that we’re out of the forest before that happens. It can’t go on forever, and for all we know, we’re ten paces from the edge.”

Laura didn’t seem convinced, and neither was I. We were stuck with the dangers of this forest for a few days at least.

CHAPTER 9

LAURA

Draxus forged ahead, carefully smashing his way through the hungry crystals. And they were hungry. Now that I watched the strange plants, they were obviously growing toward us, like fingers reaching out to grab. I remembered the way Draxus’s blood vanished into the branch he’d made his knives from, and the leaf that stabbed me had done the same…

Stuck in a predatory forest, in a fucking cocktail dress, was not my idea of a good time. So why did a smile keep creeping onto my face? I knew the answer, of course. Draxus’s bare back, broad shoulders, muscles flexing as he carved a path for me. And his magnificent ass, my god, it would distract me in a war zone. Was it worth hiking through this deadly forest to look at it?

No, I wasn’t quite that far gone. But if I was stuck here, at least he took my mind off it. And the memory of his touch, the tingling that spread through me at the thought of more… I tried to tell myself I needed the distraction, and I’d be fantasizing about whoever I was stuck with. That was bullshit, of course—I’d never fantasized about a client before, but Draxus was different. Whenever I didn’t focus on something else, my mind drifted to ideas of what he could do with his forked tongue.

Keep your attention on your client, I told myself. And not on his ass, either. Yes, he was distractingly hot, and yes, the way he looked at me made me melt. No part of that changed how annoying he was, and I tried to focus on the rich fucker who laughed off the loss of more money than I saw in a year.

The asshole I’d shoot myself if my paycheck didn’t rely on him getting back to safety. I kept telling myself that, hoping that anger would override the sea of lust drowning my thoughts.

Distracting myself from my distraction was, predictably, not going well. At least in the brightening light, we had an easier time spotting threats as we walked. I didn’t walk into any more vampiric crystal spikes, though more of them sprung up to attack me.

But there was too much of a good thing, and as the second sun crested the horizon, the light from the surrounding trees became blinding. It rippled as the trees refocused, the circle around us shrank, and Draxus cursed, throwing up an arm to shield his eyes. I blinked my EagleEyes on, protecting myself from the glare.

Most of it, at least. One point on Draxus’s back was still too bright to look at, the light of the two suns focused to an intensity that made smoke rise. I drew a breath to warn him when a burning pain stabbed through my arm, making me squeal. I smelled smoke and burning meat.

Draxus spun at my yelp of pain, eyes slitted to see through the glare. All around us, the trees shifted and moved, reflecting and redirecting the light into burning beams aimed at the two of us. This wasn’t chance, this was an attack.

Oh fuck. Draxus’s skin was tougher than mine, but as more beams converged on him, it blackened and burned. Even a Tagran’s scales wouldn’t protect against this onslaught for long.

“Get down,” I shouted, tackling him. I might as well have tackled a brick wall—he didn’t move an inch. I rebounded from him and fell among the pulverized crystal remains at his feet. Fucking alien wall of muscle.

Before he could ask what was happening, the bright point intensified, burning a track across his skin. Draxus hissed, smoke rising from his chest, and as he tried to duck out of the way, it followed him.

I’d thought of this as a vampire forest, but it wasn’t afraid of sunlight. The trees used it as another weapon, focusing it like a magnifying glass but on a much more powerful scale. More points of light tracked across the forest floor, brightening as they converged on the alien prince. I didn’t care how tough he was, no one would survive those natural lasers for long.

Panic overwhelmed my mind, but my reflexes didn’t have time for it. My blaster was back in my hand as I sat up, looking past the glare for the crystals directing the light toward Draxus. As soon as I spotted my target, I squeezed the trigger. The pistol kicked in my hand, crystal shattered with a musical chime, and the light point on his chest vanished. The rest dimmed.

My triumph was short-lived. All around, the remaining trees changed targets, the lights rushing toward me. The vampire trees were smart enough to see me as the greater threat and weren’t about to let me get another shot in.

Focused sunlight struck my chest, and I thanked god I’d spent money on a suitable dress for my job. Light armorweave only offered so much protection, but it absorbed some of the laser-light. Though it heated instantly, painfully, the lasers would need time to burn through. That bought us seconds, but more lights were coming, and Draxus didn’t have even that much protection.

Unless we came up with something quickly, this was the end.

I didn’t even have time to panic before Draxus hit me like a freight train, knocking the breath out of me. His tackles would take down any human, and most walls. I landed hard and Draxus pinned me to the ground, covering my body with his. The horrible burning-meat smell intensified, and I struggled against his grip, unwilling to let him sacrifice his life to save mine.

But he had a better plan in mind. As the trees refocused the sunlight, bright and deadly points moving toward us across the forest floor, he grabbed a foil blanket from the survival pack and pulled it open. Before I got my breath back, he’d wrapped it around us, pulling a protesting Sammie in and holding her close.

It took me a moment to understand how the thin foil kept out the lethal beams—the material was tough, but not that tough. What saved us was how reflective it was. I breathed a sigh of relief as I understood.

The blankets reflected as much light as possible, and the tree’s focused light couldn’t burn through. We were safe. Well, safer. There were tears in the blanket already, and the crystals might rip it apart if they grew through it. Or Sammie might, if she tried to get free.

The alien dog-snake-bird lay between me and Draxus, shivering and whining. My eyes adjusted to the dim light that got in through the rips in the blanket, letting me see the terror in her eyes. Guilt filled me as I relaxed slightly—I hated seeing her afraid, but it didn’t look like she’d make a break for it.

“So this is us for the day, huh?” I looked from the cute alien pet to the annoying alien warrior. There was hardly any space between us, rolled up in the blanket like this, and his racing hearts beat against my chest. His eyes gleamed.

“Yes,” he said. If he felt any embarrassment about being trapped like this, he didn’t show it. I did my best not to let my reaction show, but he couldn’t miss the blush spreading on my cheeks.

It was impossible to ignore just how close we were. How big and hard his monster cock was against my stomach, his lips an inch from mine, his chest touching mine. God, keeping my mind off him was impossible. His scent, a heavenly, musky smell, filled my lungs with every breath, banishing the memory of burning flesh. The single word he’d spoken in his deep, rough voice was enough to make my heart flutter.

“We can’t stay like this,” I said, not elaborating on why. A few hours and I’d die of frustration. Or give in to the lust washing through me in waves, which would be just as fatal—I couldn’t imagine that we’d stay under the blanket if we started anything.

Violet eyes locked on mine, and oh god that was worse than anything else. My breath caught, a tremor ran through me, and I lost myself in the intensity of his gaze.

“No, we cannot,” he said, his voice rougher than before, more urgent. He felt it too, the magnetic attraction, so dangerous in our current position. The breathless word made my muscles tense, and I was acutely aware of the warm, hungry emptiness between my thighs.

Would I be able to take his monster? I didn’t know, but I wanted to find out more than I’d ever wanted anything. Graduation? My job? A chance to move off Earth? At that moment, I would have traded them all to take Draxus inside me.

Fortunately, trading our lives for it was less appealing. I bit the inside of my cheek, hard enough to distract me from my lust, and twisted my head to the side. If I didn’t look at him, I might have an easier time thinking.

“You are hot.” Draxus’s rumble made me blush again.

“Thanks, but this isn’t the time.”

“No, not… okay, yes, like that too,” he said in a growl, sounding caught between frustration and amusement. “But I meant literally. Your body is overheating.”

Crap. I hadn’t noticed it until Draxus pointed it out, but he was right. The heat in our little burrow was stifling. The two of us and Sammie, wrapped up in a blanket that reflected all of our body heat back at us? We were going to cook, even if the laser trees failed to burn through.

“… there’s a tent in the survival kit,” I said at last, proud of myself for keeping my voice under control. “If we can dig it out—”

“—we can die while we try to set it up,” Draxus said, unconvinced. “The trees won’t give us time to do anything. If you get your own blanket, we can roll up in them, each have our own shelter.”

At least he had a plan of his own to offer, rather than just criticizing mine. Not a good one, maybe, but still better than just being critical. “We’d never get ourselves rolled up safely on the first go. It has to be head-to-foot coverage, no gaps, and we won’t have a second chance to get it right.”

His rumbling growl both melted my insides and made me want to hit him. “Will it be any easier to set up the tent?”

“Well, okay, no.” He made a good point, which didn’t make me want to hit him any less. “Sammie, do you have any ideas that won’t get us killed?”

Sammie just whined, which was admittedly just as good a plan as either of ours. The best alternative I could think of was to die finding out what Draxus was like in the sack.

Just the thought sent my mind spiraling into a daydream of him tearing off my dress, pinning me to the ground and…and…god dammit, Laura, mind on your work and out of the gutter. There has to be a way out of this.

Draxus wasn’t doing any better, to judge by the tension in his shoulders and the quickness of his breath. His forked tongue darted out to lick his lips and all I could think about was better uses he could put it to.

“Fuck it,” I whispered. “We have to try something, or we’re going to…”

I trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought, and he groaned and nodded. “I will hold the blanket in place. You get the tent. Perhaps we can deploy it where the blanket opens and crawl in without exposing ourselves.”

That seemed unlikely, but it was the best option we had. The longer we stayed wrapped up together, the hotter the air got and the harder it was to think. Getting to the tent was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I couldn’t help brushing against Draxus as I squirmed my way into the survival kit. He shivered at every touch, and the blanket rustled as we strained against it. Somehow he kept it in place without tearing it until, at last, I fished the tent out of the pack.

It was a silver cube, small enough to hold in one hand. I glared at it, reading the pictogram instructions with growing anger.

Place cube on flat surface.

Uncover and press red button.

Stand back and watch tent deploy.

They’d left out stage four: Die as the tent knocks aside your only protection from the laser-plants.

There were more detailed text instructions, but they were in a script I didn’t recognize, let alone read. I squirmed around to show them to Draxus. “Can you read this?”

“No,” he said, with some frustration. “Why in the Void’s name are these not in Imperial? I hate those bastards, but everyone uses their language.”

“That’s probably why it’s cheap,” I guessed. “Well, fine. We’ll improvise. Pass me one of your knives.”

“I’m not letting go of the blanket. You’ll have to grab one yourself.”

Rude. Sensible, possibly lifesaving, but rude. I reached down between us, fumbling for the crystal blades. Which meant sliding my hand down across Draxus’s perfect abs until my hand brushed something.

Something hard, with a rough texture like nothing I’d ever touched, warm and solid. My face went red, and I gasped as Draxus shuddered.

“That is not a knife,” he said with admirable composure. It certainly wasn’t. I pulled back my fingers as though scalded, but not before the texture seared into my memory. What would it feel like between my legs? Under my tongue?

Fuck, shit, damn. Stop that, brain, or I’ll let the lasers have you.

With infinite care, I reached back down to continue my search. This time I avoided his monster cock and found the cloth-wrapped handle of a crystal shard instead. Drawing it back up without slicing either of us open on the blade wasn’t easy, but I managed.

Even tougher was working on the tent in the tight space. Carefully cutting the seals around the cube, I hoped the mechanism would still work as I opened up the tent, searching through its mirrored surface. Draxus made an inquisitive sound but kept still, for which I thanked whoever watched over bodyguards with unreasonably hot clients.

Finally finding the tent’s opening, I pulled it open enough to stick my arms inside, then squirmed it down over Draxus’s head. “This had better work, or we’re screwed. Get your ass in here.”

Draxus didn’t argue, which was a minor miracle. Perhaps because of my prayers, more likely because he thought that his self-control would snap like a sapling in a hurricane if he did.

Getting both of us inside without ripping or kicking aside our life-saving cover was a long, uncomfortable struggle. Success left us even less comfortable than before, the tent tight and airless around us. Sammie curled up into a ball, feathers and fur bristling to show her disapproval.

“This is not better,” Draxus said. I had to agree, though I didn’t take the time to say so. Instead, I hit the red button I’d kept careful track of and offered a prayer to any god who’d listen.

CHAPTER 10

DRAXUS

The tent expanded around us with a bang, explosive force pushing it into place and tearing the survival blanket away like a cocoon. A dim light flickered on, and an air pump started whirring, cycling the hot air out. I sighed with relief at the chill breeze that followed, rolling off Laura to let us both cool down.

Laura squirmed to the other side of the tent, panting for air. That put at most a hand’s breadth between the two of us, but it was enough for the airflow to give us some relief from the dreadful heat.

Startled by the sudden noise, Sammie burst into action as we pulled apart. Thank the Starless Void, she went down instead of up, burrowing through the base of the tent and into the ground beneath. It took her only moments to reach what she considered safety and curl up.

Laura watched her go and laughed. “At least one of us knows how to survive this mess.”

“I can try to dig us a burrow, too.”

Laura took my hand, squeezing gently, and shook her head. “That would be way too much work, and too risky. Save your strength.”

I nodded, knowing she was right. Digging a burrow deep enough to keep us safe would be the work of hours, assuming it was possible at all. “You are right. It is foolish to risk the safety we have already won.”

“Not that we’re safe, exactly. We might still all die here,” Laura said, sighing and looking up at the tent above us. “If some of those crystals grow through the tent and let in the sunlight—”

“Then we will go through the Black Gate together, having fought Entropy to the bitter end.” I tightened my grip on her, felt her fingers squeeze again. “No one can hope for more in life.”

Laura laughed. “Sure, but we can hope for more of it.”

“True, true.” A smile tugged at my lips. “Everyone does, but no one controls when the end comes. Just what we do on the journey.”

“That’s easier to say when you’re a prince, Your Highness,” Laura said, raising an eyebrow at me. “Most of us can’t choose to cruise through space gambling and sleeping with celebrities from across the galaxy.”

My turn to laugh, and Laura pulled her hand out of my grasp.

“You can treat that as a joke,” she said, voice cold as comet ice. “For those of us who have to work for a living, it’s not funny.”

I sobered, wishing I could reach out to her. But she clearly didn’t want that, not now—she’d shifted as far from me as possible in the small space we had.

“Apologies, Laura St. Jude,” I said formally. “I did not mean to hurt you with my words and would take them back if I could. You are right, money and power give those that have them a kind of freedom others lack, but you are wrong too. I am not so free as you imagine.”

“Oh, poor little rich boy, is it? ‘Woe is me, the poor don’t understand the pressures of being rich.’” Laura snorted contemptuously. “I’ve heard that before, but you know what? No one who says it is ever willing to trade places with me.”

“You are right again, that is just an excuse the rich tell themselves. I was born in poverty, and then my father’s rebellion brought us wealth and power. I know which I prefer, and I make no bones about that, but there are costs you don’t see. Given the choice, I wouldn’t be cruising the galaxy in a ship full of spoiled children. There are better uses for my wealth.”

CHAPTER 11

LAURA

I frowned, unsure what to make of Draxus’s claims. Words were cheap, and I’d heard too many rich assholes moan about being misunderstood. This sounded different, though. His voice held a genuine sorrow the others hadn’t.

“So why are you on a pleasure cruise if you don’t want to be there?” I asked, not quite willing to give up my accusatory tone yet. “It’s not like you got aboard accidentally.”

His laugh, rich and tempting, filled the tent. This time I caught a hint of sorrow in it, a touch of pain. “I am a man on a mission.”

“Some kind of spy shit?” I wasn’t ready to believe he was an alien James Bond, though he’d make a good one. And he’d dressed the part.

“Hardly. I am a far cry from inconspicuous.”

That was impossible to argue with. Even aboard a ship crowded by all kinds of aliens, Draxus had stood out. Remembering the sight of him in a tuxedo, one of the few aliens who looked good in their borrowed human fashions, I took a deep breath.

The musky alien scent of him filled the tent, like cinnamon and chocolate and other things I couldn’t name. Bottle that and I’d make a fortune. Except I didn’t really want anyone else to share the experience. This was mine, and mine alone. Trying to drag my thoughts back to his words, I gestured for him to continue.

“My mission comes from my royal father, King of the Tagrans and Lord of the Starsteel Throne. I would rather be at his side, helping him rebuild after the Liberation War. Our world is a mess, Laura, and we need alliances, investors, and above all, we need to be seen as strong. Having his heir out here, mixing with the rich and powerful, throwing money around without a care, all of that makes Tagra look stable.”

“But it’s a lie,” I protested. Again, that rich laugh filled the air.

“So it is, but all power is a lie, at least in politics. When a government appears strong, no one wants to make an enemy of them. Thus, their strength remains untested, which allows them to build up yet more strength. Is it different on Earth?”

I nodded slowly, acknowledging his point. “I suppose not. No one votes for a candidate who doesn’t look like they can win. So that’s your job? Appear to be like any other prince, so that no one thinks of your father as less than a king?”

“Or my nation as less than a kingdom,” Draxus agreed, sighing. “Of course, there is another reason I’m out here among the stars, showing off the wealth my kingdom has and mixing with the rich and powerful.”

“Oh?”

He fell silent for a moment, a brooding cloud settling across his features. We lay side by side, the only sound our breathing, until he eventually answered.

“A kingdom needs an heir, and my father can’t afford to be sentimental. The Allure of the Stars carried the daughters of many important families, and meeting them was as much part of the mission as showing off my wealth.”

I remembered him surrounded by beautiful women of every species, a different girl on his arm each night, and an unreasonable stab of jealousy filled my heart. Which wasn’t fair. I had no claim on him, and at the time I’d only seen the women as security threats.

Now? My hands closed into fists at the thought of them.

“I’m sure being feted by the richest and most powerful women in the galaxy must have been so hard. A new beautiful woman in your bed whenever you want one, oh the hardship.”

A rueful chuckle. “When you put it like that, of course, I sound like an ungrateful ass. But it’s not so much fun when you don’t want them.”

I propped myself up on one elbow and looked down at him. “What the fuck do you mean, you didn’t want them? I saw you with them.”

Though now that I looked back, I’d never seen them so much as kiss. But given how some women had thrown themselves at him, I couldn’t believe that he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation. No one with an interest in girls would have resisted, surely?

“Beautiful they were, and many of them were pleasant company, too. But all of them were there for their own agendas, and none of them carried the spark I sought. Any entanglement with one would have political implications—even if I wanted a casual fling, I’d need to pick carefully.” Draxus sighed heavily. “I hoped I would meet my mate among them. That was reason enough to spend time with every candidate.”

I raised myself on one elbow, looking at him and biting my lip. Something about the way he spoke made my heart pound. “And?”

“No luck amongst the princesses,” he said, looking up at me, uncannily still. As though he didn’t want to risk touching me by accident. Afraid of how I’d react, or of what he’d do? “Better fortune with an annoying bodyguard.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks and for a moment, I forgot all about the danger we were in. Crystal vampires? Trees burning us with lasers? Hunted by pirates? Whatever. Draxus’s words were far more important. They lit my soul on fire and sent a tremor through me.

Why? Part of me asked. Why do I care if he likes me more than some princess? It was a fair question, and one I ignored completely, leaning in toward the alien prince.

Draxus was as hot as a man could be, his scent intoxicating, his voice a dark rumble that did things to me I’d never imagined a voice could do. His twin heart beats echoed through me as I rested a hand on his chest, and oh god the feel of his skin under my fingers was amazing.

He raised his right hand, putting his fingers to my wrist gently and pushing me back. Even that slight touch was enough to make me gasp.

“Do not touch me unless you mean it,” he said. “I have only so much self-control to offer.”

I swallowed and bit my lip. Lifted my hand a fraction of an inch from his chest, pulled to him as if by a magnetic attraction. “What if I do mean it?”

The question slipped out before I had time to think about it, and as soon as I heard myself, I wanted the ground to swallow me. Draxus stayed still, serious, watching me. “Then I would take you, claim you, make you mine.”

He growled the last word, hungry and dangerous. It should have frightened me, but the shiver running down my spine had nothing to do with fear. God, I wanted his touch.

Looking Draxus in the eye, I deliberately put my hand back on his chest. His hearts pounded faster, and his wordless growl melted me.

Still, he didn’t move, watching me, his violet eyes filled with lust, need, hunger. I swallowed, wondering what I was getting myself into. Knowing there was only one way to find out.

“Yes,” I breathed, unable to speak more clearly.

It was all that was needed to let the tiger off his leash. Draxus moved with a speed I barely believed, pushing me onto my back and pinning me to the ground, his teeth closing on my neck. I squeaked, paralyzed for a moment by the incredible sensations he sent through me.

His bite hurt, but the pain washed away in the flood of pleasure. I arched, body pressing against his, my clothes all that separated me from his naked, irresistible skin. Draxus growled, biting harder, and I yelped. A sound that mixed pleasure, pain, and embarrassment, and I felt him delight in it.

I struggled, not trying to escape so much as testing him. There was something unexpectedly delicious about being helpless under this alien warrior-prince.

And I was helpless. When I tried to push him away, he grabbed my wrists and pinned them, one-handed, over my head. His grip was firm, too strong to fight, too gentle to hurt.

With his free hand, he tore away the ruined remains of his pants. I swallowed, nervous but eager, and stopped fighting.

Raising his head, he grinned down at me, sending another shiver through me. I couldn’t contain the moan of desire that filled me, and his dark laugh shook me to my core.

Something slid up my inner thigh, parting my legs as I arched again. His tail. I’d forgotten his tail until now, and it was a lot more dexterous than I’d imagined. The tip reached my panties, stroking across the wet fabric and making me bite my lip.

Draxus’s lips covered mine, and we kissed with a passion I’d never felt before. It burned inside me, melting me against his alien body, my heart racing to match his. An answering flame filled Draxus’s kiss, burning as bright as my own. A wildfire, consuming all our doubts and fears of each other.

The outside world could take care of itself for a few hours. We had more important things to think about. Or not think about—a fresh wave of pleasure tore apart my every thought at Draxus’s touch.

His kiss.

His bite.

Clawed fingers moved across my neck, pressing just hard enough to make me moan, trailing down across the top of my breasts. I whimpered as he plucked at my dress.

“Do not worry,” he said, lips at my ear. He punctuated his words with a nibble that made me shake and lose track of what he was doing.

Somehow, before I returned to my senses, Draxus had unzipped my dress. Wriggling out of it was easy, leaving me nearly as naked as he was.

He raised himself up, releasing my wrists, and looked me up and down. If I had any doubts about how much he liked what he saw, the growth of his monster cock dispelled it.

And that, jutting from his body like a soldier at attention, was terrifying in the best possible way. I’d thought it intimidating before, and now? I reached out for it, needing to confirm what my eyes told me.

As long as my forearm, bright red where it extended from its bone-like sheath, hard as rock. My fingers barely closed around it, but my touch wrung a growl from Draxus, and that sound was enough to make me want more.

I trailed my fingers down his length, savoring the warmth and the alien texture of his skin, loving the pounding of his pulse. The bone sheath, hard and ribbed, glided under my fingers. I groaned, imagining it inside me.

The small, sane voice at the back of my mind told me I couldn’t possibly take it. The rest of me told that voice to get fucked.

Draxus dragged his fingers across my chest, circling my nipples with his claws. My breathing quickened and my mind fell silent as sparks of joyous need ignited inside me.

I stroked him faster, winning a growling groan of pleasure from Draxus, and he lowered himself to bite my neck again. Moving down my body, he kissed and bit my breasts, his forked tongue darting out to lick my nipples.

Operating on pure instinct, I let go of him to pull down my panties and kick them off. Draxus kept up his kissing and licking, driving me wild as I guided him between my legs.

The tip of his monster dick pressed against me, and I whimpered, helpless under him. Fear, yes, but more desire. An aching need that I had to satisfy.

I pulled him closer, and he didn’t need any urging. With a powerful thrust, he buried himself in me, filled me, his crimson cock stretching my pussy. Arching, I clawed at his back, wrapping my legs around him, needing more. And he had more to give.

A second thrust pushed him even deeper, the bone sheath sliding inside me, hard and strange. Its shape had seemed random before, but seated inside me, oh my god. Perfectly placed ridges fit me in a way I’d never known I needed. Smooth, hard protrusions pressed against me as I squeezed hard, and it felt absolutely perfect.

Draxus snarled and thrust hard, fast, deep. The world dissolved into a blazing white light of passion, and I lost track of everything but him, his powerful strokes, his tongue dancing across my skin, his lips kissing along my neck. His teeth scraping my skin.

My world rocked with explosions of pleasure, and a change came over Draxus. An urgency, a rising climax. I clung to him, urging him deeper, and his hearts raced as he obliged.

As he swelled inside me, he took me by surprise again, his bone sheath vibrating inside me. I howled, clamping down on him in ecstasy, and we tumbled over the edge together, into the most powerful orgasm I’d ever experienced.

CHAPTER 12

DRAXUS

Tangled in the remains of our clothes, we lay panting and holding each other. I’d experienced nothing like that before, and I was certain Laura hadn’t either. She lay against me, head resting on my chest, letting out the occasional contented sigh.

“You are wonderful,” I murmured, kissing the top of her head. Her exhausted chuckle warmed my hearts, and the next words slipped out before I’d thought about them. “My incredible mate.”

She tensed, her body tight against me, and turned her head to look up at me. “Now that’s a bit of a leap just because we’ve slept together, Big Guy.”

Her eyes were wary, but she didn’t say no or argue. I met her gaze and pressed on. Now that I’d said it, there was no reason to hold back. “It is no leap at all, Laura St. Jude. You feel the pull as well as I do, I know it, and what I feel for you fills my soul with joy.”

“What you feel is afterglow, Big Guy,” she said, though a blush rose on her cheeks. “It’ll fade soon enough. Anyway, aren’t you meant to be finding yourself a beautiful princess to marry and shore up your dynasty?”

A laugh and a growl both rose in my throat, leading to a choked noise escaping. “That’s my father’s plan. He hoped I’d find my mate on this journey, and he was right—it’s not my fault if the gods answered his prayers in a way he didn’t expect. You, Laura, touch my soul in ways none of the princesses ever could.”

“Your soul, or your dick?” Laura asked, a mischievous grin surfacing for a split second. This time, my laugh was pure.

“Why not both? Your touch is glorious, and I cannot believe anyone else would ever be as amazing as you. But it’s not merely your body I crave, though I crave it more than I ever thought I’d want anything.”

Her face burning bright red, Laura sat up. Her hair brushed the taut fabric of the tent, her green eyes sparkled, and her blush spread down across her breasts. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight and couldn’t have looked away if I’d tried.

“You cannot be serious,” she said, voice tightly controlled, shoulders tensing. “You’d turn down a political marriage that would secure your family and make you richer than even you can imagine—for me?”

“Exactly. You are the one I want, Laura St. Jude. You, only you, always you. And if my father doesn’t like it, he can find himself a princess to marry.”

Laura choked on her laugh at that, a sight that sent my soul soaring once I realized she wasn’t dying.

“Great, you’re going to tell your dad where he can stick his alliance plans. Are you sure that’s a smart way to talk to a king?”

“It is not,” I conceded. “My father might disown me if I did. It would be worth that price, though, to keep you.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you can not spend your entire inheritance impressing me,” she said, her cheeks somehow even redder. “If you’re serious about this, anyway.”

“I have never been more serious about anything in my life. And I believe my father will understand, but if he does not—if the choice is between inheriting the Starsteel Throne and following you home penniless, I will find work alongside you.”

“We’d make a pretty formidable security team.” Laura shook her head. “But it’s a hell of a step down from ruling three star systems.”

“On the other hand, the only people shooting at me would be aiming at our clients.”

“Hey, that’s where I am now, and let me tell you, it’s no picnic.”

I laughed at that, and Laura joined me. Her joy warmed my hearts, but the reality of our situation made our mirth short-lived.

“We should eat something,” I said, snaking my tail down to grab Laura’s pack and pull it closer. She nodded and rooted through it, pulling out two of the ration packets.

“Mmm, green flavor. Sounds delicious.”

I took the one she offered me and tore it open, not bothering to check the color. Once my mind turned to food, I realized how hungry I was.

The cube of protein paste was flavorless, dull, and salty. No one would eat this by choice, but it should have all the nutrients I’d need to survive. Laura picked at hers with no more enthusiasm than I had.

We ate in silence, sharing the water purifying jug and rationing our swallows. When we’d eaten and put the wrappers put away, we looked at each other in silence again.

“You really are serious, aren’t you?” Laura said at last, breaking the silence. “Why? Why do you think I’m your mate and not, oh, Princess Cydana?”

“I can tell,” I replied, taking her hand and squeezing. She didn’t pull away, which I took as a good sign. “Tagrans who are fortunate enough to meet their mates always know. Our scientists say it’s something to do with pheromones, though I don’t understand such things. It’s enough for me to know we recognize our mates, Laura St. Jude, and you are mine.”

A shiver ran through her, but she still didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in close and took a deep breath. “Pheromones, huh? I knew you smelled good, but that’s a lot to take in. Especially trapped so close together.”

“It’s not just the scent-bond. That’s just a way to spot it.”

“You say that, but your scent is driving me nuts. I’m not going to make any big decisions while I’m high on you and afterglow. Besides, you’re still my client.”

Her crooked smile woke the beast in me, and I growled, struggling to keep control of myself. “Fair. There will be time once the sun goes down and we can leave this tent.”

I didn’t dwell on the possibility that the crystals would tear a way in, or that the lasers would burn through the reflective coating. Either we’d live or we wouldn’t and worrying would only distract me from enjoying my mate’s presence.

Laura blinked, consulting her contact lenses, then grinned again. “True, but that’s still most of a day away. We’ll have to pass the time…”

She lowered herself to kiss me on the lips, her solitary heart racing and a flush rising on her cheeks. I wrapped my tail around her waist and pulled her to me.

CHAPTER 13

LAURA

Eventually, the light leaking into the tent faded to darkness, letting us know it was safe to emerge. Exhausted, I crawled out and pulled myself to my feet, muscles protesting.

I felt incredible. Yes, my body burned and ached. Muscles I hadn’t known I had screamed for attention. My throat was raw from screaming. None of that mattered. A day trapped in the arms of the hottest man in a hundred lightyears had left me battered, unsteady on my feet, and with a giddy smile.

Draxus emerged behind me, pulling himself to his full height. His joints popped and I winced. Though he’d enjoyed himself at least as much as I had, he was too tall for the tent, and I could only imagine how uncomfortable he had been.

But god, he was amazing to watch. Long, muscular limbs flexed as he stretched, and I watched closely. I could pretend I was studying him to understand my client’s abilities, but I was tired of lying to myself. No, I was watching him because he was incredibly hot.

That tight ass, with a dexterous tail emerging above it. Deep blue skin, oddly textured, made me want to touch him again. What the fuck, Laura? I just spent seven hours touching him, and I still want more? These pheromones are powerful stuff.

I bit my lip, tore my eyes away, and retrieved my dress from the scorched tent. We didn’t have time to waste on, ah, recreational activities, no matter how keen we both were. If we weren’t out of this forest by daybreak, we’d have to hide in the tent for another day.

My cheeks burned as I thought about that. Okay, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Taking down the tent wasn’t as easy as deploying it had been, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to put it back up again at all. The tent was supposed to be deployed in place, while survivors of a disaster waited for rescue. Apparently, the designers hadn’t considered the possibility of people walking to safety.

“Because it’s a stupid idea,” I muttered. “Anyone sane would stay put rather than wander an unknown planet and get eaten by a vampire forest.”

Powerful hands gripped my hips and Draxus pulled me back to melt against his muscular chest.

“Anyone sane who isn’t being hunted by assassins,” he rumbled. “I wish we could do the smart thing, but we have to press on. The resort is not far, I am sure of it.”

“Not as the crow flies, perhaps,” I countered. “But through a forest that’s trying to kill us?”

“It’s our own fault for crashing on a death world. What can we expect?”

“Assassins considerate enough to attack near a safer planet? Luxarum sounded nice in the brochures, or Bandrigan.” I wriggled back against him, winning a groan from the mighty alien warrior. It felt good, knowing that I caused such a reaction in him. Well, that and the hardening cock I felt against my backside.

“Poor planning on my brother’s part. I shall have to take it up with his pet pirates,” Draxus said. “I’m sure they’d prefer to be hunting us on a paradise world rather than somewhere that’s trying to kill us all.”

We both chuckled at that, though it wasn’t really funny. A quick glance at my contact lens display told me nothing—no surprise. Even if the killers hunting us were still using the channel I had access to, they’d have to be right on top of us for my EagleEyes to connect to their network.

“We’d better get moving,” I said, reluctantly gathering up the tent. Draxus snarled something in response, unhappy enough that I half-hoped he’d pounce on me again instead. But no, he just got ready to go.

His remaining clothes were ruined. Not even his belt was still wearable, and while I didn’t mind the view, it left him nowhere to store his knives. Hefting one, he slipped the other into the pack. That was the only thought he gave to his nakedness, and I struggled between my urge to tell him to cover up and my selfish desire to watch his magnificent body.

In the end, I stayed silent, biting my lip and collapsing the tent and examining it. The outer surface was dark with scorch marks, no longer a perfect mirror, and I frowned, worried. No material is one hundred percent reflective, and the tent was no exception. The energy it had absorbed left it burned and blackened, so it would reflect less of the incoming light.

I didn’t know how close it was to failing, but if we used it as cover again we’d be gambling with our lives.

It was better than nothing, though, so I folded it and shoved it into my pack. Sammie, looking annoyed that I’d pulled the roof off her burrow, leaped into the air and hissed at me before landing on my shoulder and going right back to sleep.

Draxus tried to take the pack from me, but I refused. His strength and speed were better used to guard us and slowing him down with the pack only made us vulnerable. He grumbled but accepted that, and we set out at a fast march through the crystal forest. Draxus took the lead again, and I stayed close behind him. No point in giving the vampire crystals a chance to grow, or at least, that was the excuse I gave myself.

Otherwise, I’d have to admit I wanted to be close to the prince for my sake, and that wouldn’t do. Unprofessional. I had standards, and lusting after a client broke all of them. Even this one. Even after the last day.

Draxus might have convinced himself I was his mate, but until we reached safety, I promised myself I’d treat him like any other client. Really I would. I could think about being his mate when his life wasn’t in my hands.

Sure you can, St. Jude. My inner voice had mastered sarcasm a while back. Totally believable after the last few hours.

Looking at the muscles move under his skin, I bit my lip, glad he couldn’t see me. I can resist him, I told myself. I just…don’t want to.

Yes, that was a pathetic lie. My fallback was to convince myself that it was all down to the afterglow of the sex and possibly alien pheromones, but I had my doubts. I’d been drawn to him before, spending the day exploring each other’s bodies and having amazing orgasms just burned away my ability to bluff about it.

We made our way through the crystals carefully, Draxus clearing a path, me watching for danger he’d missed. Every once in a while, I picked out a crystal thread growing closer to us and hit it with my bag.

A couple of hours in, we found the first signs on non-crystal life. Something like birds, brightly feathered wings still flexing, with long necks and mouse-like faces. At first, I thought they perched on branches, but as we got closer, I saw the crystal spikes impaling them. They were dead or dying, and I shuddered at the sight.

Around them, the trees were redder. No blood escaped the alien birds, not a drop hit the ground. I shuddered and Draxus casually stepped between me and the grizzly sight. I’d almost have believed it was a coincidence if he hadn’t adjusted his stance to keep blocking my view.

“The trees are hunting,” he said after a moment. “Let’s move on.”

“No arguments here,” I agreed, nodding quickly. From that point on we saw more and more dead animals, and Sammie stirred from her sleep to curl tight around my shoulders.

“Shh, shh,” I said, stroking her head gently and trying my best to soothe. “Yes, it’s horrible, but it means we’re near the edge of the forest, and that’s a good thing.”

Sammie didn’t seem convinced, and neither was I, but it was the best I had. We’d been walking through the deadly forest for hours, and the only hint that we were getting anywhere was the rising number of bodies. The vampire crystals had exsanguinated some, others were burned by the laser trees. Charred corpses littered the ground, providing fertile soil for the crystal flora.

The forest tolerated nothing other than itself, killing and converting the bodies into fertilizer to grow more crystal. The ultimate invasive ecosystem, as beautiful as it was deadly. Did it originate here on Yoral, I wondered, or had someone imported it? It didn’t matter.

At last, the forest ended. Unlike the forests of Earth, the crystal trees stopped abruptly, as though a barrier stopped their advance. On one side, crystal trees towered like angry giants. On the other, a scorched wasteland in which nothing grew.

Beyond that, bare hills rose to the horizon. The velvet cloak of night lay over the landscape, distant stars twinkling. It was a beautiful night, and anywhere else the bright lights of civilization that spilled over the hilltops would have annoyed me. Not today, and not here. Draxus and I stood silent, staring.

Music reached our ears, harsh and rhythmic, too distant to identify but still sounding like the sweet music of freedom and life. It could be Xantri Death Harmonics for all I cared. Whatever it was, I was a fan now.

“We made it,” I whispered, taking Draxus’s hand in mine. He squeezed and I groaned, a little shiver running through me.

“Indeed,” he said. “The resort must be just over the hills. Not far now.”

He took a step forward, then froze. I’d heard it too—the sharp snap of crystal breaking in the forest behind us.

We were no longer alone.

My EagleEyes still showed nothing in passive mode, so the pirates weren’t that close. I wasn’t about to risk active scanning. The extra range might let me see their network, but it would give away my location for sure.

It had to be them. We’d not seen or heard any sign of wildlife in the crystal forest, so who else could it be? I pulled my hand from Draxus’s and shoved him forward, toward the hills and the resort beyond.

“Go,” I hissed at him. He stared at me as though I’d grown an extra head.

“I will not.”

“There’s no time to argue. Just go, will you?” I scanned the dark forest for signs of our pursuers, seeing nothing. Which didn’t mean they weren’t there. “Look, it’s you they’re after. They don’t care about me.”

“I do. You will not face them alone.”

“Don’t be an idiot. All I need to do is give you enough time to reach the resort and contact the security team. They’ll be more than enough to deal with a handful of pirates.”

“Then you go for help. I will stay to deal with my brother’s followers.”

Now it was my turn to glare. “Are you not paying attention? If they kill you, we lose. And you’re faster than I am, so it makes sense for you to be the one who goes. You’re more likely to get back with help in time.”

His jaw tightened, and I braced myself for a withering response. Instead, Draxus surprised me by nodding slowly. “That is a valid point, but I will not abandon my mate.”

“Oh, fuck your bullshit,” I said, scowling up at him. “You aren’t abandoning me, you’re letting me do my job. And I’m not the one those assholes are chasing, they just need to get past me. I can slow them down, then get out of their way if it gets too dangerous.”

Draxus parted his lips, baring sharp teeth in an expression that only an idiot would have called a smile. He wasn’t going anywhere, his expression said. If anyone shot at me, he would be there to kill them for it.

Which was sweet, sexy, and incredibly stupid. My chest tightened, and I drew myself up to my full height. Which was hardly worth the effort since Draxus still towered over me, but it made me feel better.

“Okay, fine. If we both stay here and fight, we’ll probably die.” I was speaking to his breastbone but refused to let that distract me. “If you’re my mate, prove it. Save yourself, so I don’t have to see your death.”

Manipulative? Maybe, but it was honest too. I didn’t realize how honest until the words spilled out of my mouth and tears welled up in my eyes.

“You cannot believe I’d run from a fight,” he protested, but I saw the cogs turning behind his beautiful eyes. Despite his words, he was considering the option. “You are too precious to me, Laura. No.”

“Yes,” I said, and drew my trump card. The plasma pistol whined to life as I pulled it from its concealed holster. “I have this. You can’t use it. So if only one of us stays, it has to be me.”

He looked as though he’d object still, and for a long moment we stared in silence. Draxus broke it first.

“Very well,” he said. “I will return with a security team. If you get yourself killed before I return, I will drag your soul back through the Black Gate so I can shout at you.”

I nodded. That was only fair.

CHAPTER 14

DRAXUS

I ran. The first and, hopefully, only time I’d flee an enemy’s approach. It pained me more than any physical injury could, the agony in my hearts growing with each footfall away from my mate, but Laura was right. Stubborn and foolish, but right.

If I stayed with her, my accursed brother might win. If I carried her with me, his pirates would follow and shoot us down while we crossed this featureless wasteland. And if I tried to send her to safety without me, she wouldn’t go.

The only option offering a chance for us both to survive was me going for help. The resort must have fierce security to protect its rich and powerful guests, and with their aid, I would rescue my beloved.

My feet sank into the soft, ashen ground as I raced uphill, slowing me. The hill got steeper as I climbed, and I cursed under my breath, digging deep for the strength to power through. Thighs burning from exertion, I focused on the distant hilltop and the lights beyond it.

Focused on my goal, I missed the dip in the hill until my foot came down on thin air. By then, it was too late to stop. My momentum carried me forward into a tumble down a steep slope.

Rolling to a stop at the bottom of the dip, I found myself among a sickly collection of plants. In the center stood the trunk of a tree, burned and dead, charred branches reaching skyward above the rise. It had grown too tall, come into sight of the forest.

Whatever life the crystal saw, it burned. Out of sight, this hidden glen was a safe haven for smaller plants. But that safety was temporary. Once the forest spread to the top of the rise, it would burn the surviving plants and keep going. Given time, the vampire trees would consume this entire world.

I picked myself up, caught my breath, and braced to run. At most I was halfway up, and I did not know what lay over the hill. With luck, the resort lay just beyond it. Just as likely, I still had miles to cover.

Before I could launch myself uphill, the sound of a blaster-bolt broke the night’s silence. A scream followed close behind it.

Not Laura’s voice, thank the Void. The snap of laser weaponry followed, and I rushed back to peer over the rise. I couldn’t see much in the dark, but the starlight reflected off the crystal forest. Against that background, I spotted a silhouette as someone moved in front of the trees.

Cautious, slow, careful, the figure advanced until I lost sight of them in the darkness. A second later, plasma seared a bright light across my vision, and the figure reappeared, burning brightly and tumbling to the ground.

A withering barrage of counter-fire burned from among the trees and my hearts froze with fear. But when neither screams nor shouts of triumph followed, I made myself relax and looked at how far I still had to climb.

Too far. Laura was buying time for me to reach safety, but not enough to return with reinforcements. This fight would be over long before that, and Laura’s odds of winning were slim. There had been at least four shooters in the trees, maybe more.

Laura had said she’d disengage once she’d slowed them down. Now the time had come, and I realized she was no more likely to do that than I would have been in her place. She’d meant her promise when she spoke it, but she couldn’t know how much time I’d need.

She’d keep fighting until I returned to rescue her, or she died.

I took a deep breath and made my choice. What was the point of surviving without the woman I loved?

CHAPTER 15

LAURA

At least the wait was over. Draxus was away, and safe, and whatever happened now, it would settle things. Hopefully, I’d kill my way through the assassins and be waiting, triumphant, when Draxus returned.

It was a lovely fantasy, but not a likely one. Much more likely, I’d die keeping them busy. Well, that was the job. As long as I kept their attention off him, I’d made my peace with it. My alien prince would get away, and I knew he’d avenge me if he couldn’t rescue me. I hoped Sammie would survive too—I’d had to shoo her off multiple times before she took the hint and fled.

With luck, she’d find her owner waiting for her at the resort. No matter what, though, she was likely to live longer on her own than if she stayed with me as I got into a firefight.

I’d done my best to camouflage myself, rubbing ash into my skin and deploying the tent for cover. Its blackened surface turned to my advantage now, hiding the tent in the dark, and I waited behind it for the first pirate to show himself.

It worked perfectly—my target walked right up to me before I took my shot. The rest of the pirates didn’t even see where I’d fired from, though they had enough fire discipline to keep from shooting up the area and giving away their own positions.

After a long pause, a second pirate walked carefully out of the forest. His head turned constantly, looking for trouble, and his laser rifle shook as he pointed it out into the darkness. I smiled, imagining the conversation that must have gone on in their comms network before he ‘volunteered’ to act as bait.

It would be a shame to disappoint them.

This time, I only waited until he was in range before pulling the trigger. The pirate howled, flames engulfing him, but I was too busy ducking and rolling away to pay him any attention. Laser beams stabbed out from the tree line, proving just how fragile the reflective coating was as they sliced through the fabric. One missed me by inches. I scrambled away before anyone got luckier.

That exchange had ruined everyone’s night vision, so I took the chance to move. Keeping low, I scuttled toward the forest—now that I’d lost the tent, I needed the cover of the trees if I was going to stand a chance.

As soon as I crossed the tree line, darkness enveloped me. I slowed down to a crawl, trying to be careful of the undergrowth’s sharp edges. Bleeding out in this vampire forest wouldn’t help Draxus.

The thought of him made my heart flip-flop, and I hoped he’d made it to safety. The pirates hadn’t seen him, which was good news, but if they got past me, there might still be time for them to catch him before he reached help. And I didn’t know what other deadly traps this planet had in store.

One certainty I couldn’t shake was that he wasn’t out of danger yet. I just prayed he wasn’t doing something stupid, like coming back to help.

Ahead, light snapped through the air, a bright green beam burning into the darkness. I froze, tense and listening.

“Hold your fire, idiot,” someone said, all too close to me.

“I saw movement,” another voice snapped in reply. “You want me to hold my fire until they turn me into a candle like they did Fafru?”

“Better that than give our location away.”

“You want to play it that way, you take point.”

As the pirates bickered, I snuck closer, skirting around them. If I could get behind their lines, hit them from the rear, maybe I’d frighten and confuse them enough to actually win this stupid fight. A vain hope, but better than nothing.

“Be quiet or I’ll shoot you both myself.” I recognized this voice, rough and haughty and too used to being obeyed. Draxus’s traitorous brother, Crozius, directing the troops in person. I didn’t need to see the pirates to feel them bristling at being addressed that way.

I tried to get a bead on him. Crozius was the pirates’ paycheck—without him, killing Draxus was pointless. Sure, the odds of me surviving were slim, but I could save my client with a single shot.

No. Be honest with yourself, St. Jude. My inner voice snapped at me in a more-disappointed-than-angry-but still-definitely-angry tone. You wouldn’t do that for any other client. If you’re set on getting yourself killed, then you owe it to yourself to admit why.

It was true. I’d put my life on the line for a client before, it was part of the job, but this was different. Hunting the enemy paymaster down and killing him? That was above and beyond.

Okay, fine, I’m fighting for the man I love, I thought, inching closer. Satisfied?

No answer came, just a smug silence. I’d take it.

Figures moved in the undergrowth, slow and cautious. Even with the EagleEyes enhancing my vision, I couldn’t see them clearly, but only one matched the size and stature of Draxus. That had to be the usurper.

I took a deep breath and took aim when I felt a familiar pressure against the back of my neck. Cold, round, deadly, I recognized the touch of a laser weapon’s barrel.

“Now what’ve I caught here?” a pirate asked in a menacing whisper close behind me. “Any reason I shouldn’t just blow your brains out right now, human?”

I let my arm fall and resisted the urge to curse.

“Would you believe I’m a tourist and I’ve lost my sight-seeing group?” Yeah, I know there was no chance they’d believe me, but there was no harm in trying. Every second they talked to me was one more for Draxus to reach safety.

The pirate behind me chuckled darkly. “Now that’s a fine tale, and it might hold up if you hadn’t blasted my colleagues, human. But you did, and you’ll pay for that—unless you can give me a reason not to.”

Okay, how to keep him talking? Before I could decide on a strategy, my mouth launched into a plan of its own. “You don’t want to give up on the ransom now, do you? I’m Princess Laura of house St. Jude, heir to the throne of England and Duchess of the Luna Dominions.”

What the hell am I saying? I listened to myself in horror. Where had I even gotten those titles from? Some holovid mega-drama, I expected, but if any of the pirates had the slightest idea of how Earth’s politics worked, this story wouldn’t hold up for a second.

“And you’re shooting at us…why?”

“You shot up my vacation, interrupted my courtship, and chased me into this awful forest. What did you think I’d do, send you love poetry?”

A chuckle from ahead. One of the other pirates enjoyed my ridiculous story, which I hoped was a good sign.

“Just kill her and be done, Captain,” Crozius said, killing any sense of success I’d built up. “She’s not the target.”

“Now hold on,” one of the other pirates put in. “She’s worth a lot of money to us.”

“And I paid you for your full attention to the job, not to antagonize other nations to my reign. That’s if she even is a princess, which I doubt.”

My night vision was recovering, and I took the chance to look Crozius over. It wasn’t an encouraging sight. As big as Draxus, the usurper wore a fancy spacesuit reinforced with armorweave. Even Draxus’s claws would have a hard time getting through that.

As I looked at him, he curled his lip in a smug smirk and raised his weapon toward me. Well, shit.

But then the weapon pressed to the back of my neck lifted, pointing past me and at the usurping prince.

“Now, Your Highness, be reasonable. Killing her’ll be worse for your rep than ransoming her, and we’ve lost a lot more on this mission than expected. We deserve a bonus, and the princess will do.”

All around, in the shadows, weight shifted as pirates turned their weapons on their employer. One laser would have trouble with that armorweave, but half a dozen? Maybe, just maybe, this would all end here.

Okay, fine, I’d still be their prisoner, and when they realized there was no ‘Princess Laura’, things would go badly for me. But that was a problem for the future. But Draxus would be safe, and once he had reinforcements, I knew he’d come back for me.

But Crozius was smart enough to see the way the wind blew and put up his gun with a frustrated growl. “I won’t waste time on this. My brother is the priority—leave one of your men to guard her and let’s press on. We’ll have to move fast to catch him now.”

“I knew you was a reasonable man, boss,” the pirate captain said, shoving me at one of his crew. “Rugh, you take her. The rest of you, come on. With her out of the way, no need to take it slow.”

Now what? Rugh held me tight by the arms, dragging me along behind the rest of the group. Abandoning stealth now that they didn’t need to worry about me, they clicked their flashlights on. Crystal trees glimmered, casting strange shadows around the pirates and their royal employer.

And there, on the edge of the light, something moved. Someone.

The lead pirate let out a noise somewhere between a scream and a squawk, snapping off a shot with his laser. The green light missed its target but came close enough that to let me see Draxus’s face twisted into a terrifying snarl as he bounded silently closer.

The pirate tried for a second shot, but before he pulled the trigger, he let out a gurgle and fell to the ground. Draxus’s knife was embedded in his throat, and my alien prince leaped over the body without pausing.

The rest of the pirates reacted too slowly, shocked by his sudden appearance. A couple more shots went wide, but Draxus moved faster than anyone his size had any right to and charged into the midst of the group.

Outnumbered six to one, weaponless, and injured, he had no fear.

I wanted to curse him for coming back.

I wanted to kiss him for coming to save me.

Instead of doing either, I stamped down on my captor’s foot, hard. Rugh’s grip on me loosened, letting me slam an elbow back into his gut, and as he doubled over, I smashed my head into his nose.

Not the brightest move. Lights exploded across my vision as my head met his rock-hard skull. But it worked—he stumbled back, roaring angrily and clutching his face. I pulled away, leaping for where my pistol had fallen. But I couldn’t resist looking around to see how Draxus’s fight was going.

Laser light illuminated the scene, giving me a freeze-frame view. Draxus, claws raking across a foe’s throat, tail extended for balance, teeth bared. Another fell against a tree, green blood pumping past his hands where he held his stomach.

Like a beautiful painting of a battle, only the gore was real.

My fingers found the plasma pistol, and I grabbed it as I rolled to the side. A moment later, a laser bolt struck the ground where I’d been a moment before, and Rugh cursed in the darkness. I fired back, catching him on the shoulder. From some weapons, that would have been a glancing hit. But I’d chosen my weapon for stopping power, and the plasma incinerated the pirate’s arm and face. He collapsed in a burning heap, sending eerie shadows and strange reflections flickering through the trees.

I rolled again, getting to my feet and blinking away the afterimages. My night vision ruined again, I tried to get my bearings when Draxus roared something I didn’t understand. Some instinct made me drop to the ground.

An alien flew over my head, striking another attacker behind me with a crash that brought both down in a tangle. Draxus followed in a leaping arc that took him over me, landing claws-first on the two pirates. I turned away, looking for targets and keeping low.

Two more down. Plus the other two Draxus got, and Rugh. That leaves one pirate and Crozius. We were so close I could taste victory. I tried not to think about that, focusing on the task at hand. Celebrating prematurely was a great way to invite disaster.

Crozius could still win this, and until we had dealt with him, I needed to keep my eye on the present, not on how Draxus and I would celebrate after this.

I stepped around a crystal tree, pushing the image of a naked Draxus out of my mind, and collided with a figure going the other way. We both staggered back, and I had a moment to look at the armored spacesuit before me. Black as space, painted with red symbols, bedecked with bone charms, that had to be the pirate captain.

We recovered at the same moment. He roared and lunged, swinging a vibrosword, only to vanish in a blinding flash of plasma as I fired my pistol into his torso. Instead of slicing through my neck, the flat of his sword bounced off my skull.

The world spun around me, and all I saw was the afterimage of the shot, bright enough to hurt. I staggered back, tripped over a root, and fell hard.

A crunch of crystal underfoot signaled the last attacker’s approach. Without thinking, I turned the pistol toward the sound and pulled the trigger.

Click.

It hadn’t had time to recharge.

Before I could do anything else, something struck my wrist and whipped around it. My fingers spasmed in pain, the pistol flying from my grip.

“You are not Draxus,” a rough and angry voice said in my ear. “But my brother came back for you. There is only one reason he would do that, and if I cannot catch him, his mate will have to do.”

CHAPTER 16

DRAXUS

Laura was out there somewhere, and I cursed myself for losing track of her in the fight. She was probably cursing me at least as much. All the reasons she’d given for me to leave remained true, but only if I valued my life above hers.

Which I would never do. Laura was my mate, and I would protect her, no matter her objections. I kneeled in the darkness, pinning a pirate to the ground with my claws in his throat, my attention on the forest sounds as I waited for him to stop thrashing.

Few sounds broke the silence of the crystal forest, and it was hard to locate them. How many enemies remained? Two at most, I thought, but I’d lost count in the chaos.

Releasing the corpse’s neck, I crept forward, feeling my way and hoping I was moving toward my enemies. All I had to guide me in the silent darkness was instinct, and I didn’t expect Crozius to give me any clues.

Only someone stupid or desperate gave away their location in a fight like this. My brother had studied under the same tutors as me, so he’d be as quiet as I was. We might creep past each other unknowing or blunder into one another.

A deafening crack and blinding light split the darkness. Laura’s plasma gun left no question about where she was, and she was no fool. Which meant she was desperate. I was off and running toward her before the thought had formed. Laura needed me and would not find me wanting.

I slammed into a crystal tree at full speed, bouncing off and reorienting myself. Laura’s yelp of pain gave me a direction even as it froze my hearts.

“I have your mate, brother. Surrender and she lives, defy me and you can claim her corpse.”

Crozius’s hateful voice cut through me like the crystal blades, and I paused. My cruel and cunning brother finally had a hold on me, and no guilt about threatening my mate. He’d carry out his threat without hesitation if I gave him cause.

“How can I trust you to release her?” I asked, before creeping to my left. No laser-fire burned through the space I’d vacated, and I grimaced. My brother wasn’t giving his location away that easily. The winner of our deadly game would be whichever of us got the first clear shot at the other.

Crozius had the edge there, of course. He had both a ranged weapon and a hostage, while I only had my claws and knives. And with Laura as a shield, I couldn’t even use those freely.

“I uphold the ancient values of our kingdom. Unlike you, I will not sully my mouth with lies.” He spoke with an arrogant disdain, as though his moral superiority was obvious.

“No, you’ll just sully your claws with your brother’s blood,” I countered, changing direction to throw him off. “My tutors neglected to teach me that fratricide is a treasured tradition of our people.”

A laser bolt snapped through the undergrowth, light scattering in all directions as the crystal shattered. I smiled, noting the direction the shot came from and changing course.

If I could keep his anger focused on me, he’d be less likely to harm Laura. I’d lose our game eventually, but the longer I dragged it out, the more chance I had of changing the rules.

“Killing traitors is an act of devotion,” Crozius said, anger rising to challenge the arrogance in his voice. “You are the one who shames our bloodline, weakening it with alien blood. The Sons of Tagra will not permit your sacrilege.”

“And it has nothing to do with your designs on the throne, I suppose?”

I crept closer to his voice, close enough to smell him. Harsh soap over stale sweat and dried blood, his scent nearly masked the potent and distracting smell of my mate. Neither of them were visible in the dark, but that wouldn’t last long now. Already, the treetops caught the first rays of dawn, putting a time limit on our deadly game. It wouldn’t be long now before the trees’ laser beams killed us all.

“I am the chosen of the ancestors,” my brother said, voice shaking with rage. “It is my duty to ascend to the Starsteel Throne and undo the damage our father has done. Granting rights to aliens, letting the common folk vote—this is not the way of Tagra.”

Another shot ripped into the crystal plants, nowhere near me. Crozius’s aim got worse as he got angrier, making me smile. I edged closer, keeping silent and letting my brother rant.

“A Starsteel fist is the only way. We have the power now, the strength to replace the old Empire as history swallows it. Instead, father squanders our wealth on the lives of commoners, the comfort of aliens. And you, brother, are even worse, choosing this human bit—ah!”

His shout was more surprise than pain, but I took it as a signal and leaped toward him. One step, two, and I saw him, lit by the focused light of dawn. My brother stood in a clearing, one hand gripping Laura’s neck, claws biting into her delicate skin. In the other, he held his laser rifle. Rather than training it on me, he waved it wildly, trying to dislodge Sammie.

The wonderful flying predator had her teeth sunk deep into his wrist and her sinuous body curled around Crozius’s forearm. Her wings flapped in his face as he fought to get free, and I had never seen my brother so outraged or shocked. His distraction wouldn’t last, though. Heedless of the razor-sharp crystals slicing my flesh, I flung myself toward the struggling trio.

I nearly reached them before Crozius got control of himself and leveled the rifle in my direction. So close. One more step and I’d have him. I looked down the barrel, seeing my death.

Laura yelled and drove her elbow back into my brother’s stomach. His grip loosened, and she stamped down hard on his toes, twisting to the side. Crozius clamped down on her neck, claws digging in and opening bloody gashes as she tried to pull free and failed.

She might not have escaped, but between her sudden attack and Sammie’s hard bite, Crozius’s right arm spasmed. The laser bolt that should have burned a hole between my eyes missed me by inches.

I didn’t give him another chance. Slapping the rifle barrel aside, I bowled into him, all speed and no control. The impact sent us all tumbling to the ground, apart from Sammie, who wisely launched herself into the air rather than risk the hungry crystals.

Several tore into my back as we rolled apart, all of us scraped and cut. Fed by the fallen bodies, the lethal crystals grew faster and more urgently, and I envied Sammie her wings.

Crozius and I bounced to our feet at the same time. Neither wasted time with words now, leaping at each other with all the strength we could muster. We slammed into each other, and Crozius met me with a headbutt that staggered me.

Light bloomed in my vision, the world spun around me, and my brother tore bloody chunks from my arms. In theory, we were evenly matched. In practice, he’d eaten better and rested more. It showed.

His tail lashed around my leg and yanked, pulling me off balance. My reaction came a fraction of a second too slow, and my feet went out from under me. I hit the ground with a thump that shook the forest and left me gasping for air.

Crozius gave me no time to recover, pouncing on me and slashing at my throat. I barely blocked his first attack, and my counter lacked the strength to break his skin.

His weight pinned me, and he poured punch after punch down at me, each of his blows weakening my defenses.

“I will wipe your stain from the dynasty,” he said, teeth bared and eyes narrow. “Your bloodline dies with you, and father’s contamination with it.”

That thought should have horrified me, but I greeted it without fear. Crozius would take my people back to the darkness we were just clawing our way free from, but it wouldn’t last. I trusted the Tagrans to free themselves again, with or without me. Crozius’s usurpation would be painful, but not long.

Tagra would survive. But Laura wouldn’t.

A glance at her filled my hearts with fire and rage. She could have, should have, fled. Safety was in her grasp. But there she was, on her knees, searching for her plasma pistol. How had I ever believed she would abandon me? It was a ludicrous, impossible fantasy. The surge of love that filled me when I saw her gave me strength.

Letting myself die here while she struggled to save me would be a betrayal of our love. I didn’t fight for my sake, or the Throne, or for Tagra. I fought for her, and that gave me strength my traitorous brother would never know.

CHAPTER 17

LAURA

My pistol had to be somewhere, but I’d completely lost track of where. The forest’s lighting didn’t help my search. Bright spots wavered and shifted, the trees trying to get enough energy together to burn us, and our shadows danced in the changing light. Chunks of crystal flew in all directions as I tossed them aside, ignoring the cuts covering my fingers in my hopeless search.

And I was out of time. Behind me, Crozius pinned Draxus to the ground and battered at his defenses. I swallowed my fear and gave up on the plasma pistol. If I was going to help Draxus, I had to act now.

It wasn’t futile, I told myself. Suicide, maybe, but not futile. I was unarmed, and no match for a Tagran warrior even if I had a weapon, but I didn’t have to win. I didn’t even have to survive. All I had to do was distract that bastard long enough to give Draxus a clear shot.

Sorry, Big Guy, I thought as I charged. I guess you don’t get to take me home to meet your parents after all. My odds of survival were worse than any lottery, but I’d die doing my job, and I’d save him. Better than living without him.

But as I leaped toward the two princes, Draxus moved. Summoning strength from somewhere, he braced his legs against the ground and arched, throwing his brother off. I tried to stop, but lost control of my momentum and crashed into Draxus as he leaped to his feet.

His arms wrapped around me, and he spun, absorbing my impact with perfect grace and carrying me around in a dizzying embrace before planting my feet back on the ground. He even found time to plant a kiss on my lips—delicate as a flower, powerful as a storm, intoxicating as the finest wine—before his spin carried him back around to face his brother.

Crozius had recovered his footing too, and for a moment the pair of them stood facing each other, motionless apart from their lashing tails. I watched, trying to judge their chances. Both injured, both as unarmed as a Tagran could be. Draxus bled from a dozen wounds across his body, Crozius’s face would show fresh scars if his injuries ever had the chance to heal.

But Draxus fought naked, while Crozius came to the fight wearing an armored environment suit. His superior snarl was all I needed to see. Crozius thought the fight was as good as won.

The staring match broke without warning, Crozius leaping to the attack with blinding speed. My heart skipped a beat, but Draxus reacted just as fast, stepping to the side and slashing at his brother’s throat. I didn’t follow the exchange past that. Everything happened too fast, but when they separated, I didn’t see any fresh injuries on either.

“Give up, Draxus, and I will spare your mate,” Crozius said. “I am armored. You are not. I will outlast you.”

“Maybe,” Draxus admitted. “But can you outrace the dawn? Take too long about this and we both die.”

“All three of us. Your mate will also perish.”

“No, she will leave and get to safety,” Draxus said without so much as a glance at me. I didn’t need to see his eyes to feel the warmth of his love for me, though. His voice held everything I needed. “You can’t stop her and fight me, brother. We’ll die together in this damned forest, but my mate will live. I win.”

“Hold on, I’m not going anywhere—”

“Yes, you are.” Draxus kept his eyes on his enemy, but the snap of command in his voice shut me up instantly. “Laura St. Jude, beloved mate, you must go, or you will die for no purpose. Go, and remember my victory.”

The calm acceptance of his death hurt me and confused his brother. I tried to come up with an argument for staying, but with the sky brightening fast, every second counted. The first, dimmer sun had crossed the horizon, and the second wouldn’t be far behind.

“You’d kill us both, leaving the Starsteel Throne with no heir.” Crozius sounded shocked, as though he couldn’t believe it. “That’s monstrous.”

Draxus just shrugged. “You can stop me, you know. All you need to do is walk away. I’ll do everything I can to protect you from father’s wrath.”

Bright spots narrowed and brightened as the trees caught more of the morning light. They weren’t bright enough to burn, but that wouldn’t last. There had to be some way to finish this fight before it was too late for Draxus to escape.

Crozius needed a quick end to the fight, and he knew it. He leaped back to the attack with desperate speed. Draxus fell back, defending himself and making no attempt to counter. He’d made his choice, it looked like, and was taking no chances that might give his brother an opening for a quick victory.

Well, fuck that. I refused to accept his decision to die for me. I wasn’t keen on us dying together, either, which meant I needed a better plan to offer, and quickly.

I tore open my pack, emptying what supplies we had left. Half-eaten rations? The unappetizing bricks might be a war crime, but not a weapon. Scraps of reflective fabric, salvaged from the survival blankets? Useless. The autodoc? We’d only need that if we won.

Last of all, out tumbled Draxus’s remaining crystal dagger. I didn’t hesitate, snatching it up and throwing it to Draxus.

My alien prince snatched the dagger out of the air with his tail as he blocked a vicious strike from his brother. Everything seemed to slow down, as though we were stuck in honey, and I watched as Draxus flipped the blade into his right hand and ducked under Crozius’s next attack. His counter strike slipped straight past his brother’s defenses, cutting through armor and into the blue skin beneath.

The razor-thin crystal sliced the armorweave like air, and when Draxus withdrew it, the clear crystal had turned red. Crozius stumbled back, looking shocked at the wound, and slumped against a tree.

“Surrender,” Draxus offered, and I felt his pain. Sparing this monster who’d planned to kill us both wouldn’t be easy, but neither would executing his own brother.

Crozius laughed, a thick bubbling sound. “Draxus, you never change. Too good a man to be a good king. Let me live, and I’ll be back to kill you later.”

“And I will beat you again. Please, Crozius, you do not have to die here.”

The expression that passed over the traitor’s face was hard to read, a complex mix of emotions. Anger and a touch of fear, but also pride and perhaps even love. With a mighty groan, he pulled himself up, swaying back and forth as he held his wound closed one-handed.

“You’ve won, you imbecile. Take your human and run. I shall not live by your mercy.” Staggering, he took a step into the undergrowth. “Go, live, rule. I am glad I was wrong about you, and you have some of the old steel in your heart.”

Draxus took a quick step toward his brother, then stopped, his hands tightening into fists and his shoulders bunching up. For a moment, I thought the fight was back on, and my mate would resort to violence to save his brother.

“We can’t,” I told him, taking his hand and tugging. It was like trying to move a marble statue. “He’s made his choice, and we have to go now if we want to live.”

For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t listen. That he’d get us both killed trying to save his brother. I squeezed his hand, and the paralysis broke.

Draxus swept me up in his arms and ran as the dappled sunlight intensified. The second sun was crossing the horizon, and the forest’s laser beams grew painfully hot. Not hot enough to injure us yet, but it wouldn’t be long.

There was nothing I could do but cling to my mate as he carried me out of the beautiful and deadly forest at a run. We burst through into the wasteland, and in the daylight, I saw the burned remains of trees and other plant life stabbing up from the scorched soil. Bones, too. Anything that came in sight of the forest by day died.

Draxus ran hard, scrambling up the slope toward safety. Focused light seared my vision, and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that would keep them safe. I didn’t know how far we had to go, but it had to be too far. We weren’t going to make it.

My alien mate came to the same conclusion, but he had a plan. With a flex of his powerful muscles, he sent me flying into the air.

I hit the ground with an impact that knocked the wind out of me and rolled over and over through cool, long grass. It took me a moment to realize what that meant. Draxus had thrown me over a rise, safely out of sight of the forest.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Draxus leaping over the hill, lit blindingly bright and trailing smoke. What started as a graceful roll ended in an artless tumble past me, and I scrambled after him, pulling out the water bottle as I went and upending it over his crumpled, smoldering form. Steam hissed and he yelped, trying to fend me off.

I ignored his protests, focused on examining him for injuries. The only visible damage was to the scales on his back. He had new blackened streaks, scorched into his skin by the focused sunlight. Hissing as I ran the autodoc over them, he grumbled.

“Void’s sake, human, isn’t it enough that I got burned? Do you need to poke my injuries to make sure I’m in pain?”

“Oh, hush,” I said. “You’re the big bad warrior-prince. You can take a little pain while I treat your injuries.”

“I’ll be fine,” he insisted, though he didn’t resist my probing. None of the burns were deep, thank goodness, and his cuts weren’t life-threatening. I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding, my legs weak with relief. The autodoc applied analgesic spray and synthskin to Draxus’s injuries before pronouncing him safe. He’d be okay until we got to an actual medic.

I sat back and ran the autodoc over my own cuts and scrapes. The pain faded instantly under the spray, and the synthskin stopped the bleeding. Once that was done, I looked back at Draxus. “You’re right, you will be fine. No thanks to the ridiculous risks you took.”

“I saved your life.” It wasn’t a boast, just a simple statement of fact. “The risks were necessary.”

“Like fuck they were. I’m your bodyguard, I get to take risks for you, not the other way around.”

Draxus laughed, then winced. “Complain to your employer about that, St. Jude. I didn’t hire you, and I will do whatever is needed to protect the woman I love.”

His last word hit me like a hammer to the face. I blinked, stunned, my mouth dropping open and my mind racing for a response.

It was a crazy thing to say. We’d barely met, and our only shared time was a desperate struggle for our lives. He was an alien prince, while I struggled to pay my bills. Our lives couldn’t be more different. How could he claim to know me well enough to love me?

All of those objections raced through my mind at once, but none of them made it to my lips. As reasonable, as fair, and as honest as they were, none of them mattered.

Not measured against the flood of love his words let loose in my heart.

That beautiful moment stretched on and on. I tried to answer but couldn’t do more than open and close my mouth repeatedly. Draxus watched, first with concern and then amusement. It was the amusement which finally got me to respond.

“What the hell are you laughing at?” I snapped. Yep, anger got me talking where love left me speechless. “This isn’t funny.”

“I apologize, my mate,” Draxus said, grinning unrepentantly. “But it is. You are so rarely at a loss for words.”

I hit him on the shoulder, but all that achieved was more laughter from him and a sore hand for me. “Fuck you, Draxus. This is no joke.”

With effort, I kept a straight face as I said that. The grin only cracked through once I’d finished. When Draxus grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him, I gave up on trying to look angry. What was the point?

I was in the arms of my mate, and I was done denying it. I snuggled into him, feeling his twin heartbeats racing, and kissed his collarbone.

“We can’t leave this place,” he rumbled, one hand holding me close, the other stroking through my hair. “Not until nightfall.”

I bit my lip. “True. So what are we going to do until then?”

“I am sure we can keep ourselves busy…”

He lowered me to the ground as he spoke, tugging my dress up and off. I cooperated happily, squirming out of it, and threw it aside as he flicked out his forked tongue, tasting my skin. I hadn’t realized how much I needed his touch until I had it, but my body responded instantly. Melting into the ground, I arched my back and offered myself to my prince.

Draxus didn’t need any encouragement. He showered me with kisses, starting with my lips, moving down my throat, my chest…his amazing, dexterous tongue darting out to tease my nipples. I groaned something wordless, fingers closing on the grass beside me, my heart pounding loud enough it ought to have attracted an audience.

Not that I’d have noticed if we had.

Draxus sucked my nipple into his mouth, wringing a cry from me as his teeth closed on it. Not hard, just enough to send a flashfire of arousal burning through my body. Licking, sucking, biting, he drove me wild, and I fumbled between us, fingers brushing across his chest and down to his magnificent abs. Down further, until I found his erect cock thrumming between his legs.

I bit my lip hard, stroking him and spreading my legs wide. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than for him to take me, claim me, fuck me. But rushing Draxus was impossible, and he chuckled darkly as he moved his lips from one nipple to the other. I tried to speak, but no words came out, just moans of desperate pleasure.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he moved down my body, leaving a trail of kisses as he went. His cock pulled back out of my grasp, and I clutched at him, trying to pull him back up. I’d have had more luck pulling a mountain.

Irresistible, he moved between my legs, his forked tongue darting out to lick along my folds. The lightest caress of his tongue was enough to make me arch and swear. And from his hungry growl, I knew he enjoyed my reaction as much as I enjoyed his touch.

He lowered his mouth to kiss my pussy, tongue pressing in and finding my button as he groaned. I jerked, grabbing his hair and pulling, but again he refused to be rushed. With lazy, loving licks, he pushed me further and further toward a climax without letting me over the edge.

“You’re a monster,” I gasped. “Please. I can’t take any more.”

Draxus lifted his gaze, piercing violet eyes staring into my soul. “Oh, you can take more than you believe, my mate. Much, much more.”

My breath caught, and I whimpered. Words fled my mind when he lowered his mouth back to me, reducing me to pulling urgently at him. His tongue left trails of fire across me, a sensation that might have been painful but wasn’t. I couldn’t get enough of that sweet burn.

At last, Draxus sped up, tongue flicking my clit and matching my urgency. I cried out again, shuddering as he wrung an orgasm from me. Followed by a second, and then more, many more. Enough that I lost count. Lost everything in the blasts of pleasure he sent through me like waves pounding a shore.

I have no idea how long I lay there, wracked by climax after climax thanks to my alien prince’s amazing tongue. But when he finally came up for air, I was both exhausted and desperate for more.

This time, he had no intention of keeping me waiting. I’d barely caught my breath when his lips met mine, and his hard length pressed against me. My body welcomed it, his thrust burying him deep inside me, bone sheath and all.

That first thrust sent me over the edge again, and I clung to him like a rock in a storm as waves of pleasure threatened to wash me away. Draxus drove me into the ground, thrusting harder and harder, his bone sheath vibrating against my clit. The tingling warmth of his kisses, the hard pressure of his chest against me, the way his fingers gripped my shoulders. It was perfect.

I grabbed hold of him, nails digging into his back, legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him into me as we kissed. He growled into my mouth as I bit his lip, his whole body rumbling, and he swelled inside me.

Biting harder, pulling him tighter, I urged him on, and we climbed the peak together. Our bodies became one, one flesh without distinction. Where I ended, where he began, became meaningless as we pulled each other towards the edge.

Finally, I felt him on the edge of his own pleasure, and I squeezed him inside me. Draxus howled, a wide animal announcing his conquest to the world, and let go.

I came with him, his cum flooding my pussy and pleasure flooding my mind. Neither of us had any control left, and we both screamed for joy at the top of our lungs.

When the overwhelming power of that orgasm subsided, we collapsed into a heap of sweat-slick joy. Draxus cradled me to his chest as though afraid I’d float away if he let me, and I didn’t mind one bit. This perfect moment couldn’t last long enough.

CHAPTER 18

DRAXUS

The day passed in an endless cuddle, with Laura and me drifting in and out of sleep, but never shifting from each other’s arms. I could have stayed there forever, if only I hadn’t needed food. Eventually, the suns dipped below the horizon. As darkness descended, we judged it safe to leave our glen.

Neither one of us was enthusiastic about getting up, but we managed, and Laura pulled her dress back on. I watched, growling my approval, and a beautiful blush spread across her face along with a smile.

As we climbed the rest of the hill, Sammie swooped down to join us, alighting on Laura’s shoulders once again. The little animal looked incredibly pleased with herself, and I couldn’t argue. I promised myself I would buy Sammie as a gift to Laura, assuming her owner still lived. No matter what Sammie cost, it would be a cheap price for the luck she’d brought us.

Cresting the hill, we saw the lights of Crystal Cove spread out below us. Starlight glittered off a sea that stretched to the horizon, and a shuttle-port sat empty beside a central dome. Distant music reached my ears, and I saw revelers dancing around fires on the beach.

Small huts dotted the area, and they called to me. Inside, we’d find cool drinks, a firm bed, and all the other luxuries that we could desire.

And yet, I’d never felt so conflicted about returning to civilization. It meant safety for Laura, and food better than the bland-but-filling nutrient blocks. But it meant an end to our tryst, as well. Soon I would be back among the cream of the galaxy’s nobility, and we would need to choose.

If Laura accepted me as her mate, I’d go anywhere with her. Home to Tagra, or to Earth, or wandering the galaxy together. But should she not wish to spend her life at my side, we would have to separate. My hearts ached at the thought, but if she truly did not want to be with me, I would respect her choice, and the longer we spent in each other’s company, the harder it would be to separate.

“Beloved,” I said as we made our way down the hill toward the buildings. “You are the only one my hearts desire, but I will not pressure you to choose me if you do not want to. I will give you a fine review of your services as a bodyguard, and—”

Her punch caught me by surprise, hitting hard enough to stagger me. I looked at her in confusion.

“God, you can be infuriating,” she said. “For fuck’s sake, do you really think I’d walk out on you now?”

“I think you made your feelings plain,” I said. She interrupted again.

“Yeah, well, you’re not the only idiot here. I’ve never felt the way I do now, not for anyone, and I’m not stupid enough to walk away from that.”

My hearts skipped a beat, and an enormous smile spread across my face. Laura squeezed my hand and continued.

“I love you, Prince Draxus of Tagra, and I want to find out what that means. As long as you can face spending your life with a low-born soul like me. And face your father’s reaction.”

“Beloved, I could not face a life without you by my side.” My hearts sang with joy as she spoke. “I am perfectly serious when I said I would give up the Throne to be with you.”

“Like your dad would let that happen,” Laura said with a grin that lit the night. She wasn’t wrong, of course. My father had the kingdom to care about and would rather eat a star than let his only heir go. That didn’t mean he’d welcome my choice of mate, though.

“For you, I’d face his wrath,” I said, smiling back. The shiver that ran through her had nothing to do with the temperature. I growled and a delightful blush spread over her face as she replied. “I would run away with you, follow you to Earth—”

“I’d never ask that of you, Draxus. Bad enough that I’m wrecking your chance at a marriage alliance. Eloping with you would be too far, even for me.”

“You have wrecked nothing,” I insisted. “There is no diplomatic catch in the galaxy who would make me as happy as I am with you. If my parents cannot accept that, that’s too bad.”

I lifted her into my arms, kissing her hard on the lips, and walked faster. Suddenly, reaching the resort and finding our room took on a new urgency.

Stepping onto the paved road and entering the resort seemed surreal, almost dream-like. We’d only been in the hostile wilderness a couple of days, but it had become part of our lives.

It didn’t help that the resort’s streets were empty. We’d arrived not long after first dawn, and everyone here would either be an early riser who would already be out enjoying themselves, or asleep for another hour at least.

The buildings themselves were circular, bright red, and thatched with what I assumed was supposed to be local materials. At night, it would pass as a local village. In the light of day, though, the buildings were obvious imitations, generic in style and probably pre-packaged. Still pretty, but pretty in a completely mundane way.

Paths looped through the village in strange arcs, and if I’d paid more attention to it, I would have liked the effect. However, given the attempts on my life, I focused my attention on the many hiding places the pattern created. I didn’t want to have survived being hunted by pirates in the crystal vampire forest only to be killed by a coward skulking in the shadows.

Laura tensed in my arms and squealed, pointing off to one side. I spun, looking for the threat, but there was nothing to see. Just another path curving off, and some signs floating in the air.

“What is it?” I asked when the threat didn’t materialize. Laura pointed again.

“Look—Breakfast Buffet Open Now.” I frowned at her, and she tugged at my arm. “Come on, we’ve been starving in the jungle for days, eating out-of-date ration packs that weren’t good even before they expired. Tell me a good meal isn’t just what we need.”

“What I need is to get you to a room, stay in bed for a month, and find out what’s happening,” I said, but my rumbling stomach betrayed me. After the exercise last night’s fighting had given me, I had a hell of an appetite. With a grimace, I conceded the argument. “Though perhaps we can get some food to take back to the room.”

That was enough of a compromise for Laura, who nodded happily and let me carry her down the path, past artfully placed trees and crystal sculptures until we came to a larger building, holographic signs pointing us to the buffet.

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I stepped into the room and the smell hit me. Dozens of cuisines lay before us, every tray full—we weren’t the first to arrive, but the big room held only seven others, all of whom looked shocked to see newcomers. Their stares lasted longer than I expected, and I only understood why when Laura held a tray to hide my dick from view. I’d managed to forget I was naked.

I chuckled, interpreting their reactions. Aside from the shock, half the onlookers were jealous of me, the other half of Laura. The one exception, Princess Cydana, simply grinned and held up her glass in a silent toast. While the others here looked like early risers, Cydana didn’t look like she’d made it to bed yet.

I gave her a quick nod and ignored the rest, eager to fuel my body with food that tasted of something. I piled my plate high with Earth dishes, hoping to learn about my mate’s culture while I ate. Scrambled eggs of some bird, thin strips of meat fried to a crisp, fried fungus, it all looked dubious, but the labels marked it safe for Tagran consumption. Laura took a different approach, mixing food from a dozen different species on her plate with relish. I hoped the result would be edible—it was too much to ask that it taste nice.

We took a table to ourselves and lost ourselves in the experience of food. Both of us were too hungry for real food to pay attention to anything else as we ate. I promised myself I’d import Earth foods like this ‘bacon’ to Tagra so I’d be able to savor it every day.

Sammie took food from each of us with obvious delight, letting out a rumbling purr that seemed too big for her small body. She deserved the treat after all she’d been through with us.

Laura ate as enthusiastically, and despite my misgivings about her ‘some of everything’ approach to the buffet, she seemed to savor every bite. We’d cleared half our plates when we were interrupted.

“Your Highness,” a shrill voice called from the doorway. I turned to see an Iradine scampering into the dining hall, four spindly legs click-click-clicking his way across the tiled floor. “Your Highness, you’re alive. Oh, sing praise to the Guardian, we were so worried.”

Iradine don’t sweat, but if they did, this one would have been drowning. He gesticulated wildly, one hand gripping a tablet which emitted warning beeps as it moved around far too fast. A name tag identified him as Client Relationship Officer tsnTrng, a name I had no intention of trying to pronounce.

But my tutors had schooled me well, and a smile slid onto my face as he approached. “I am fine, friend. Thank you for your concern. My security officer, Laura St. Jude, kept me perfectly safe.”

“I will offer milk to the Guardian,” he promised, supremely sincere. “Please, let me escort you to the corporate offices. There are so many reports to fill in, and we need details from you, and a dozen other passengers have been asking whether you survived. Oh, this is such splendid news.”

I glanced at Laura, then back to the Iradine’s multi-faceted eye. A few days ago, I’d have suffered through the paperwork with good grace, showing myself to be a good galactic citizen and cooperating.

“No,” I said. “No, I do not think so. In the past days we have been attacked, crash-landed, hiked through a deadly jungle, been attacked again, and only now reached the famous resort we’re here to visit. Paperwork can wait a little while.”

The Iradine stood frozen, mandibles clacking in what I assumed was shock. I didn’t give him a chance to argue. “Your facilities look wonderful, and we are both exhausted. You’ll get your answers, do not worry, but right now, we’re going to take our plates and go to our rooms.”

“But, but sir, the paperwork—”

“—can wait,” I spoke over him. “The authorities who will investigate this aren’t on-planet, so you have days at least to get it written up.”

“Besides, Prince Draxus isn’t obliged to answer your questions,” Laura said. She’d stuck her fork into a pile of cooked purple seeds and crossed her arms, glaring at the unfortunate customer relationship officer. I didn’t envy him—Laura looked terrifying. “As heir to the Starsteel Throne, he has sovereign immunity. If you’re going to demand that he does as you tell him, you will have to deal with me first.”

The last week had changed her, too. Aboard the Allure of the Stars, she’d blended in well with the waitstaff. No one would have worried about her threats. Now, while her soul was no different, she let the steel in her heart show. Battered by the jungle, exhausted by lack of sleep, starving, Laura projected an air of authority any princess would envy.

There might be some who’d stand up to her, but tsnTrng wasn’t among them. He flinched back, nodding quickly and scrawling notes on his tablet. “Of course, of course, there is no rush. Please contact me when you have relaxed after your ordeal, Your Highness. Let me give you your room keys for the meantime.”

With a flick this wrist, he sent hologram keys flying our way. Laura caught hers, her EagleEye lenses having software to store them. Lacking any way to accept mine, I simply looked at the insectoid as the key floated through my chest. His vestigial wings buzzed in agitation, but Laura took pity on him.

“His Highness will need a new portable comm,” she said, taking my arm. “You can supply it to him later. Right now, he has an appointment with a bed.”

I stifled a laugh, and she pursed her lips, almost hiding the smile trying to emerge on her face. Yes, my beloved had no intention of using that bed to sleep, and I wasn’t about to argue with her.

A bed, a meal, and my mate. Maybe this planet was paradise after all.

EPILOGUE

LAURA

A fortnight passed in blessed relaxation before reality stole its way into our lives again. For the first two days, we rarely left our bed—between recovering from our ordeal and enjoying each other, we had little energy for, or interest in, anything else.

Three days in, Princess Cydana intruded into our little world. I was ready to snarl possessively at her, but she came offering Draxus congratulations and the welcome news that the Allure of the Star’s passengers and crew had been recovered by the resort’s rescue teams. In their focus on Draxus, the pirates had stolen a lot, but they’d avoided killing anyone. That lifted the last worry from my prince’s mind—he’d feared that the attack aimed at him had killed others.

Once we stirred from our cabin, I reunited with Xichel (who gave me a big bonus for saving the client) and Danielle (who gave me a huge hug and congratulated me on my engagement). Draxus met his official bodyguards, who were not looking forward to filing their reports, and Sammie’s original owner. She was delighted to find her pet alive and, seeing how tightly Sammie clung to my arm, offered her to us as an engagement gift.

No matter how rich Draxus’s relations were, they’d be hard pressed to find us a better present.

Mostly, though, we avoided people. Crystal Cove had plenty of sights to offer us, and once we had our strength back, we explored them all. The seaside grottos (beautiful little caves, lots of nooks and crannies for Draxus to drag me into, A+), the beautiful beaches (okay, sand got everywhere, not my favorite, but Draxus made them worth it, A-), the strange groves of almost-trees (being pinned between Draxus and rough bark? Yes please, A+++).

Did I rank every location by how fun the sex was? Yes. Yes, I did. And I enjoyed every second of the experiment, thank you very much.

Two weeks into our determined effort to rate every place we could find, a ship finally arrived. Not a passenger vessel or a cruise liner, but the flagship of the Tagran Navy, the Kingswrath, flying the royal banner. Our holiday was officially over, and the Crystal Cove staff hurried to get us to the communications station.

Waiting for us was a holo-projection of a tall, spare Tagran with an air of impatience about him. He didn’t look like someone used to being kept waiting, and I was suddenly glad I hadn’t insisted on changing. As embarrassing as meeting Draxus’s royal father wearing a bikini and with Sammie curled around my neck was, I preferred it to being late.

He wore a plain black uniform, unadorned apart from a single emerald at his collar and a golden circlet on his head. That was more imposing than any amount of royal regalia could have been—this man didn’t need a show of wealth to impose his will. Every inch of him radiated authority.

“Father,” Draxus said, inclining his head respectfully.

“Son.” The older man’s voice held authority and power, though age robbed it of some of its strength. “It does me good to see you again, whole and safe.”

“My safety is entirely due to this human, Laura St. Jude.” Draxus spoke without hesitation, squeezing my hand. “She is my mate, as well as a fine guard.”

Piercing, wise eyes peered at me from the hologram, and I felt myself weighed and judged. The King’s face showed no hint of his thoughts.

“I thank you for your assistance, Laura St. Jude. My son is precious to me, and I am in your debt. How may I repay you? The power of the Starsteel Throne is at your disposal.”

I swallowed, shifting nervously and clinging to Draxus’s hand. I tried to match my mate’s confidence, but I still stumbled over my answer. “There’s only one boon I’d ask, Your Majesty. Your blessing on our relationship.”

Holding my breath, I watched the old king for a reaction. Was that a twinkle of humor in his eyes? Hard to tell. He left me hanging for what felt like a million years before nodding and allowing a smile to spread.

“Laura St. Jude, without your help, I might no longer have a son. Why would I keep you from his side? Of course you have my blessing. We will make a formal declaration as soon as you are on Tagra, and we will bring your family from Earth to attend the ceremony.”

There was more, but I didn’t hear a word of it. My heart felt full to bursting with happiness, and Draxus’s raced as he crushed me to his chest in an embrace. The sheer joy radiating from him echoed my own, and while I didn’t know much about his homeworld, I also didn’t care.

I’d gone to the stars to find a new world to settle on, and instead I’d found a home. I would be happier at Draxus’s side than anywhere else in the universe.

Thank you for reading Stranded Hearts! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Leslie’s newsletter!

TINA MOSS

ALIEN’S GETAWAY

CHAPTER 1

ELENA

“You know, I swore off helping humans the last time I had to pose as a slave.” Jadara shook her head, her fire locks dancing with the movement like living flames.

“I know, girl.” I crept closer behind her and grabbed her arm. My usual golden brown complexion appeared a shade too pale after months spent on a deep space vessel. It stood in contrast to my alien friend’s bright blue shade. I sighed at the thought, aching for planetary ground and sunshine. Lots of sunshine. “I promise once we escape this so-called space cruise, I’ll owe you one.”

“Some cruise,” she muttered. Tugging at the yellow scarves banded around her breasts, she attempted to hide more of her exposed skin for the fifth time. Matching fabric hung from her waist in strategic positions to cover her sensitive areas. Strappy sandals of the same banana hue completed the outfit. “Gah!” Her hands flopped at her sides, giving up on her fidgeting for the time being. “I can’t believe I fell for their ‘guaranteed pleasure for all’ shtick.”

“Well, it is a catchy slogan,” I offered. She huffed at that, and I didn’t remark further. It was on the tip of my tongue to continue with a funny story or a round of sarcasm, but I held back. Comedy was my go-to for tense situations, but years working as a security officer taught me to curb the humor.

We fell into a companionable silence as we waited, hidden behind a hexagonal potted plant three times our size. The burgundy leaves provided the perfect coverage to spy on our captors. That was if Jadara could stay still for more than two minutes. “Elena…” She tapped a pointed nail on her chin and glanced at me. “Where are these eepobars anyway?”

“Eep-oh, what now?” I raised a brow at her.

I’d been lucky to find Jadara and employ her help. After the attack on DS1—the first deep space vessel sent from Earth to create a colony on a new planet—my crew was scattered. With the help of our chief security officer and our ship’s doctor, we managed to get some of the science team off the ship safely. They were the most vital of us as they had the knowledge to create the colony. But their escape was a near thing as the bastards had hit us from multiple points, battering the ship. With a little luck, we managed to steer the scientists into an escape capsule and launch it with stealth shielding. It was the best we could do given the circumstances. What happened after that…well, I was still rattled from it.

“Eepobars,” Jadara repeated, snapping me back to the present. “Isn’t that what you called them?”

“You mean hippo-bears?” I snorted. Our attackers had turned out to be a gang of space thugs, a species called the Mangox. Hell bent on causing havoc, they were apparently the biggest and baddest of all the nasty players in the Meta Sector. Engaging in everything from underground weapons procurement to slave trading, their current con was the SpaceZ Pleasure Cruise. It’s where I found myself after they abducted everyone left aboard DS1 that didn’t have the luck of escaping. Although, I wouldn’t have abandoned ship, even if I’d had the chance. Never.

Jadara, as if sensing my distraction, pivoted quietly on her sandaled heel toward me. “Yeah, you said the Mangox were eepobears. It’s a curse, no?”

“Not quite.” A chuckle bubbled in my chest. “I was saying they looked like a cross between a hippo and a bear, two animals from my home planet.”

“Oh.” She spun around to continue our watch. “Well, they may look like that, but animals are too good for these monsters. They’re nothing but asshats.”

The laughter I’d been holding back broke free, and I had to clasp a hand over my mouth to contain it.

“Shhh,” she hissed at me. “We’re supposed to be stealthy, remember?”

“I told you that.” I flicked at her shoulder to emphasize my point. “You’re the one that’s throwing around Earth slang like you were born to use it. How am I not supposed to laugh?”

Casting a withering stare over her shoulder, she scoffed. “You’ll manage, Miss Security.”

“Just keep an eye out. We need to find a way to locate my friends and get off this damn ship.” I fussed with my own outfit, a replica of Jadara’s except the fabric was purple instead of yellow. What I wouldn’t give for that ugly navy jumpsuit. My security uniform had been a drab design, but it was functional and comfortable, and oh how I missed it. After the attack, the Mangox had blasted our ship with some type of chemical concoction, knocking us unconscious. We didn’t even have the opportunity to fight back. When I’d come to fully for the first time, I awoke in a room filled with tropical plants. Little did I know it was a simulation on this accursed space cruise.

Waiting as we were now had my mind wandering to that nightmare memory that was far too fresh.

“Where am I?” My head throbbed as if I’d gone on a two-day bender. Since I rarely ever drank, and certainly not enough to blackout, that didn’t seem plausible. I rose slowly, the acids in my stomach rising with me. Ugh. I put a hand to my chest as if to stem the tide. But with the world around me spinning and my head throbbing, it was a lost battle. I fell onto my hands and knees gagging. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you viewed it, nothing came up.

“Great. So I’m probably dehydrated too.” As if summoning the feeling into existence, I rasped against a dry throat. The pain caused tingles over my neck that had me dreaming of water. It was only then the dizziness and nauseous eased enough for me to take in my surroundings.

Bright blue plants filled every inch of the space, dotting the pink sand with patches of black soil. With long ashen trunks and wide leaves that gave off a turquoise glow, they reminded me of palm trees. My family had lived in Puerto Rico for generations before the diminishing of viable land on Earth, and although I’d never seen the plants in person, my family had enough holo-vids standing beside them to make me feel as if I had.

Remaining on my hands and knees, I reached for a teal frond that rested near my head. “Soft.” I mumbled. My thoughts were sluggish as if moving through pudding. I used the texture of the leaf to help ground me. The leaf crumbled beneath my ministrations, but the action worked to pull me from the chemical-induced fog. I rose fully this time. With my legs under me, wobbling slightly, I managed to stay standing. “What is this place?”

As if in answer, a beam of light hit me. I shielded my eyes, but the strange glow encapsulated me. Then, a disembodied voice spoke. “Come one, come all to the paradise sector! A new treasure for you is on display.”

I scanned the skyline where the voice seemed to be speaking from above. I wished I hadn’t. Another round of nauseous threatened. Beyond the treetops a clear glass panel encircled what should have been the sky. This was no natural environment. It had been created for observation. And as the white light continued to shine on me, I knew in my heart the truth.

“It’s a goddess damned zoo.”

I shook my head violently as if to dislodge the memory. It hadn’t been long after that I’d found Jadara. Taken from the “paradise” habitat as our captors called it, I was placed in a barred cell at night. My blue alien friend had apparently complained after seeing what the pleasure cruise actually was—a glorified slave market—and had been taken into custody for her outbursts by the ship’s security. Housed in the same cell as me, she explained everything about the Mangox and their scam, which she had learned of the hard way.

“All I wanted was a nice, relaxing vacation,” she’d said to me the first night of our captivity together. “Okay, and maybe a little fling too. Is that too much to ask for?”

I’d commiserated, having wanted a new life among the stars as opposed to being planet-bound on ever decreasing Earth’s land masses. And okay, yeah, a galactic romance might have been on my mind too. But neither of us got what we wanted. Instead of her dream vacation, she’d been horrified to learn she’d ended up on a slaver’s ship masquerading as a space cruise. And well, Jadara, being a fierce rebel as I soon discovered, wasn’t one to keep quiet or back down when faced with injustice.

Lucky for me.

So here we were. Broken free of our captivity—thanks to my cousin Antonio’s insistence that thievery was a valiant and noble tradition, and therefore, teaching me all about electro lock-picking as a child. I never thought I’d have to use the specific skill in space, but I wasn’t complaining. Now, we had to discover what happened to the rest of my crew.

I shifted closer to Jadara so we crouched side by side, observing our captors.

“Did you show the bastards to the display windows?” The obvious leader of the Mangox trio glared at his subordinates. Standing at what had to be at least eight feet tall, his thick hind legs rivaled the tree trunks in the paradise habitat. The Mangox might walk on two legs, but their arms were equally as beefy, hinting at a quadruped ancestry. Although the two underlings were not quite as large as their boss, they still towered above Jadara and me.

“Yes, Capo Gorox,” the pair answered in unison and snapped to attention. Their backs straightened, thrusting their bear-like chests forward. Woolly brown fur covered every inch of their visible bodies, which was considerable since they wore only beige button-down uniform shirts, belts that housed weapons instead of holding up pants, and glistening golden helmets with horns. The lack of pants or footwear made their appearance all the more savage.

“Good.” The one they called Gorox waved toward a door across the hall. “They’ve had ample time to look then. Bring them here and let’s have their selection.” He snorted, the motion vibrating along his snout. Too thin and short to be an elephant’s trunk, it reminded me a little of a tapir. “If none suit their liking, we will bring more from the cells.”

I stiffened at that.

“If they check the cells,” Jadara whispered in my ear.

“I know.” A cold dread raised goosebumps along my skin. We were running out of time. The Mangox hadn’t learned of our escape yet. Picking the electro lock and freeing ourselves had been a strategic move. We waited weeks before enacting our plan so we’d learn the schedule set for us, the guard rotations, everything. Now, one freak unanticipated cell check could ruin it all.

Jadara fidgeted beside me. I rested a staying hand on her arm. “Just wait.” We had no other choice. If we didn’t stick to the plan, we were toast. “It’ll be okay.”

I didn’t know if she believed that, but she didn’t get a chance to reply. The hallway door opened and out walked the most incredible creature I’d ever seen. Almost as tall as the Mangox, the male had a broad chest covered by two bronzed shoulder pieces, thick straps, and nothing else. The straps served as a harness for the wicked looking weapon peaking from above his back. Black leather-like pants and boots covered his long legs and feet. Straight black hair streaked with silver was tied by a piece of cloth at the nape of his neck. Two dark brows rested atop amber-hued eyes with black pupils that held flames. It was like staring into a roaring fire. His jaw was sharper than diamonds but his lips were lush. He had a humanoid face, but with just enough differences to be truly… “Alien.”

“Duh.” Another of Earth’s slang passed Jadara’s lips while she rolled her eyes at me as if I’d lost my mind. “But we’re in luck. That’s a Rhonar warrior.”

“An alien warrior?” I gulped. Yeah, he looked like one all right, a come-to-life barbarian ripped from the classic sci-fi romance novels. I mean not that I hoarded my collection of holo-books with back-ups on multiple sky drives or anything. Nope, not me. Righhht.

“Yes.” She leaned forward through the burgundy leaves for a better view, and I followed her actions. “I met up with them on Craxon, the planet I told you about where I was part of the rebellion.”

As if I could forget her starting a planetary wide uprising where she’d found one of the missing Earth scientists from DS1. My captain and fellow officers had fought so hard to help as many as we could escape, but I knew some were left behind. I only hoped anyone taken had been transported to the same place as me. Unfortunately, the cosmic fates didn’t like me that much. Still some had to be here. I’ll find them.

“Officer Rivera, are you listening?” She used my title, which she knew annoyed me, and tapped my shoulder.

I sucked on the side of my cheek. Clearly, I’d been in space too long if I was sizing up this hunky ass alien like a dessert buffet. “Yeah, I’m listening.”

I wasn’t.

The alien warrior sniffed the air, inclining his head in our direction. We both jumped back, not wanting even a potential friendly face to spot us with the Mangox so close. He narrowed his eyes before turning to the sleazy Gorox. “As I said before, I’m searching for a particular…” He paused and his nostrils flared as if he could smell us, which I had no idea if he could or not. “Variety.”

“You mentioned having singular tastes.” Gorox bent at the waist but not fully. It was a strange half-bow as if trying to placate his customer. “We serve all types of delicacies. Our range is eclectic and our quality top tier.”

“So I’ve been told.” The alien warrior crossed his arms over that ample chest, showing off biceps and shoulders that housed unique tattoos. I crept a teeny bit closer through the burgundy plant for a better view. The markings had the appearance of tribal designs but instead of ink, it flowed like metal branded to his skin.

“Yes, well,” the Mangox motioned for his subordinates to step closer, “I’m sure we can accommodate your needs.” One of the two underlings handed Gorox a type of holo-pad. “You’re the only Rhonar visiting the SpaceZ Pleasure Cruise this trip, is that correct?”

“And what business is that of yours?” The warrior growled and his body seemed to swell larger at the sound.

Gorox waved off the question with one beefy furred hand. “None at all. We simply like to make sure we have the ship’s manifest correct.” A smarmy smile stretched under his snout giving him a cartoonish visage. “Wouldn’t want any stowaways. Right, Sir…”

The alien pinched the bridge of his nose, a humanoid gesture that had me silently analyzing our similar looks and wondering at the possibilities. “Daegan,” the warrior said, and pointed at the holo-pad. “Just Daegan.”

I sucked in a breath at the reveal of his name. Something coiled inside me as if I’d discovered a secret that had to be kept safe. But I didn’t have long to ponder my reaction as he continued speaking to the Mangox.

“I’m the solo Rhonar warrior on this ship you have the balls to call a pleasure cruise.” His fingers scratched at his shoulder, dangerously close to the handle of his weapon. “Now, do you have what I need or am I wasting my time?”

The Mangox capo stamped his feet and scanned the holo-pad. “Let’s see here. You filled out our questionnaire and viewed our display cases. It seems you were looking for a female from…” Gorox turned to the lackey that had handed him the device. “What’s this planet again?”

Daegan knocked the holo-pad to the side, forcing Gorox to spin with the movement. At the same time, he drew the weapon—a spiked axe—from his back and held the sharpened and bladed edge against the Mangox’s throat. The axe had to have been as long as my arm and forged from glistening golden metal. It had spikes on the flat part of the blade that appeared as sharp its edge. The streaming hallway lights brightened the weapon so it shone with a lethal gleam.

I gripped Jadara’s forearm hard. A sense of foreboding tightened my gut.

“I am looking for a Terran.” Daegan growled into the face of the beady-eyed capo. “And the planet they’re from is Earth.”

CHAPTER 2

DAEGAN

Celestia save me from these crexing idiots. I was tired, so damn tired of searching the cosmos. I had no idea how many rotations I’d traipsed the galaxies on a solo voyage for the Terrans, but I’d had enough. We needed to find the missing females if we ever wanted to negotiate a treaty with Earth for the chance to bond with their kind and save our race from extinction. But I wasn’t meant to be apart from my Rhonar brathers for so long. Others of my kind craved isolation as they gave into our biological phase—the void. But I hadn’t reached the emptiness yet. The hunger, the phase before it, claimed me still. And although nothing but my mate could fill it completely, the all consuming need abated slightly around my brathers.

“Damn fools,” I muttered under my breath. The blade of my axe ached to taste Mangox blood. The disgusting creatures had claimed a chunk of the Meta Sector. Lawlessness abounded, yet their brand of it was particularly foul. Everything from weapons running to species trafficking was part of their operations. So when the chance arose to sabotage a Mangox slave ship that was rumored to have the Earth females we were looking for and put me on a mission with my fellow Rhonar, I jumped at the opportunity. Even now, my brathers breached the engine room, ready to take control and free the ship’s occupants, but we had to know one thing first.

“Do you have Terrans or not?” My patience ran on the edge of a knife—or an axe.

The Mangox capo beamed daggers at me. “If you wouldn’t mind removing your weapon.” One beefy fist rested on the underside of my blade as if he could push it aside.

He couldn’t. And if he tried, he’d get a hand full of spikes for his troubles.

“I’d be happy to,” I smiled at him without any amusement in the expression, “once you tell me what I need to know.” Maybe threatening their leader wasn’t the wisest course of action, but the draving Rhonar hunger gnawed at me. And I’d sworn I’d sensed something just beyond that strange planet in the corner that had set it off. I fought not to turn my head in that direction again, but my nostrils flared.

Something was there.

“Daegan, did you say it was?” He sneered as if my name gave him cause for amusement. “This is not how we do business.” The capo snapped his fingers, and the two Mangox lackeys who had been unmoving until now, stalked toward me.

I huffed my frustration. Taking out three Mangox in the narrow hall wouldn’t be a huge task, but it wasn’t worth the effort. I laid my axe at my back once more. “Fine. Then, would you hurry it up?”

Without the blade at his neck, the capo waved at his subordinates. They stilled. “Allow me to check.” He lifted the holo-pad between his fists. “It seems we have only one Terran aboard, but you’re in luck, it’s a female.”

A low wail permeated the space, faint and undetectable to most, but not to me. The sound traveled along my spine like an electric shock. I struggled not to pivot toward the noise as it came in the same direction of that large plant a few yaunas away.

The Mangox didn’t appear to notice, and the capo continued, “We’d love to accommodate you further, Rhonar, but it seems you’ve been lying to us.”

An inching sensation crept along my skin. All Rhonar trained in the art of war, and each had an ability unique to them. Mine gave me a coveted talent amongst my kind—battle prowess. I could always sense when a fight was about to erupt or if danger lurked, my skin tingling and my focus narrowing. When a weapon came at me, I could see the trajectory before it ever struck. Some said it made me unstoppable. I didn’t quite agree, but I did use the skills to my advantage.

Like now.

The capo dropped the holo-pad to reach for his molecular blaster. It was a coward’s weapon, designed to decimate the atomic structure of whatever it hit. Too bad for him I’d already sensed his move. I drew my axe, using the first strike to slice the arm that reached for the blaster, and the second strike to hold steady against his throat again. “You’ve made a critical mistake.” I spoke into the com unit on my wrist while the Mangox capo wailed his rage—and pain. His hand rested several yaunas from his body, and his subordinates, upon seeing my strike, took off down the hall. Too bad his kind weren’t loyal to him. Not like the Rhonar. “Raiker, the Mangox are onto us. Take control of the ship.”

A scratchy signal broke through the com, “Daegan…abor…” Shuffling from the direction of that damn plant had my ears perking toward it, but I tried to concentrate on my brather’s voice. “Too late.”

“What?” I held the com closer to my mouth. “Raiker, you’re breaking up. Repeat.”

“Get off…” More static cut into the call. “Unsealed the cells…” A squeaking noise strained my hearing. “Freed those enslaved…safety…ship set…destruct.”

I had no more time to decipher the message as alarms wailed and the hallway lights flickered an ominous red. The Mangox capo laughed despite cradling his injured arm to his chest. “You see, Rhonar scum. We knew there were more of you.” He spit at my boots. “We’ll destroy this ship before we let you ghaul worms have it.”

I believed him. Knocking him unconscious with the handle of my axe, I left him. If he wanted to go down with his ship, so be it. I took off toward that plant. Knocking the burgundy fronds aside, the pot teetered over and cracked on the hard flooring. What it revealed stole the air from my lungs.

“Terran,” I wheezed. The female I’d been searching for—at least one of them—knelt beside a blue-skinned female I recognized as a survivor of the Craxion rebellion. It was the same planet where we’d first discovered the Terrans. “What in all the void is going on here?”

“No time to talk,” the blue one jumped up and pulled the Terran to her feet. “We’ve got to go.”

I didn’t disagree with her, but something in the Terran’s gaze made me pause. Standing a finger length higher than her friend, she would almost reach my shoulder. The thought pleased me for a reason I couldn’t ascertain. But from all the Terrans I’d seen before, which granted were only in freeze-frame holo-vids, she appeared taller than most. Her lush body had ample curves covered by mere strands of diaphanous fabric. A single layer banded over her breasts while others hung from her waist, all in a rich purple hue. It looked lovely against her creamy golden skin. But it was her eyes that held me transfixed.

“By Celestia’s grace.” Deep as the valleys of Anor, her gaze would pull in any male as if the goddess herself stared through them.

An invisible tethered bound us together in that span of heartbeats as neither she nor I looked away. It was only a pair of blue fingers snapping before me that broke the spell. “Hello, big warrior, we need to move.” The blue female’s voice did not entrance me as the Terran’s eyes alone had done. But it did the job of distracting me. She tugged at the Terran’s arm. “Ogle each other later. Run now!”

The blue female took off in the direction the Mangox had arrived. The Terran hesitated a beat longer as she stared at me, then she shook her head as if clearing it, and ran after her friend. I needed no further prompting. Wherever the Terran went, I would follow. Even to the depths of the void, if the female willed it, I’d go without hesitation.

And although the stirrings echoed in me, hinting at the truth of the matter, I refused to yet acknowledge it for fear it would prove untrue. But somehow, some way, fate had granted me my greatest desire, if I had but the strength to make it so.

ELENA

¡Mira! ¿Qué fue eso? I had no clue what came over me, and my thoughts reverted to Spanish in my agitation. I hadn’t actively used my family’s native language in years since babblers were given to all humans as children. Implanted behind our ears, they interfaced with our neural pathways to translate languages. Super helpful for space travel. But this alien warrior had me… rattled. Like yeah, okay, Daegan was hot. Five-alarm fire scorching in fact. And I hadn’t been with anyone—alien or no—that matched his attractiveness in like forever…or ever. But we were in the middle of trying to find my missing crew, and now, we were escaping a ship that appeared to be ready to self-destruct. Could the hormones stay in check?

“This way!” Jadara called over her shoulder, a few paces ahead of me.

Spying on the Rhonar warrior as he spoke with the Mangox capo had been eye-opening for two reasons, one bad and one worse. The bad was that my crewmates were not on the damn ship. If the slimy Gorox was to be believed, I was the only human aboard. The worse was that I had no idea where to find my people, and apparently, these Rhonar were searching for them too. But why?

With those thoughts swimming through my head, I ran smack into Jadara. “Hey, what gives?” I steadied us by pulling her toward me so that we swayed awkwardly before straightening. “Why’d you stop?” Pointing at a rounded access panel, she waited for the hot-AF alien to catch up with us. It didn’t take more than a breath or two. His long legs ate up the distance, the powerful thigh muscles contracting beneath black fabric. My gaze moved slowly up to the bulge between his… And there goes my hormones again. Shit.

Jadara jutted her chin at me as if she knew exactly what I’d been thinking. Considering I could feel my face growing hot, she probably did. “Pause and reassess, girlie.” She turned her attention toward Daegan, piercing him with her fierce rebel stare. “You, Rhonar, what’s your aim here?”

Daegan smiled, revealing a row of white teeth and a hint of…are those fangs? With my gaze locked on his mouth, he answered, “So you are a Craxion rebel. Thought I recognized you.”

“I am the Craxion rebel.” She cracked a grin and held out her arm. “Jadara.”

As Daegan clasped her forearm in an obvious greeting, a pang soared through my chest. I clamped it down as I refused to be jealous of a simple gesture. He nodded at her. “I’m Daegan of the Rhonar warriors. You’ve met some of my people.”

“Yes.” She released the hold, much to my easement. “You’ve aided me before. I hope you’re here to help again.”

Stray dark hairs escaped the tie at his nape and fell across his brow as he angled his head, taking in both of us at once. The heat in my cheeks grew over my neck. He spoke to her, but he pinned me with that intense gaze. Flames danced in the depths of his eyes. “We were searching for the lost Terrans. But it seems my brathers have—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. The alarms had lessened in intensity during our run, but they were interspersed with warnings in different iterations. None of which had anything positive to say, but the computer voice was pure syrup as it proclaimed, “All personnel are advised to seek their exit off the ship. The self-destruct sequence has been initiated. We thank you for your time on SpaceZ Pleasure Cruise.”

“Well, that explains it.” Daegan gestured toward the unseen computer voice from above. “We were planning to take over the ship, but clearly the Mangox have decided it’s better to destroy it.”

“That’s what the Capo said before you knocked him out,” I muttered under my breath.

The alien warrior bent toward me. His eyes growing impossibly brighter. “Are you sad for that Mangox bastard, pajuara?”

“No,” I said and stood up straighter. I refused to be intimated by this cocky male. “And what’s a pag-wa-ra?”

“It’s a creature from my home world.” He edged closer, and I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. “It has golden brown fur and glorious wings. And it’s ferocity is a sight to behold.”

My eyes narrowed. “You haven’t seen my temper.”

“Not yet.” He bent lower still, his breath warming my face. “But I long to.”

“Ah-hem.” Jadara cleared her throat, and I scurried back at the noise. “I hate to interrupt, but we are on a self-destructing ship in case you’d forgotten.”

The damnable alien had the nerve to appear unperturbed. “We’ll continue this later, pajuara.” Turning toward the panel, he input a series of symbols onto the screen. The door beyond the panel slid open. “The escape pods in this sector are at the end of the hall.”

“Great.” Jadara shoved me toward the doorway. “Get going.”

“What?” I spun on my heel and met her gaze. “What do you mean? Where are you going?”

Ignoring my questions, she grasped the Rhonar’s wrist and stared at the metallic symbols on his arms. “These patterns, you call them katra, right?”

Deagan gave her a wary look but didn’t pull away from her hold. “Yes.”

“And they represent your family, your brathers, and eventually…” She cast a glance in my direction, then focused on the symbols on his arms once more. “Your mate. Do I have that correct?”

“You do, rebel fighter.” He smiled warmly at her. “If I am blessed by Celestia to be granted a mate.”

My insides tightened at his expression, but the grin he gave her was more brotherly than the hot stare he’d given me. And why do you care again, Elena? Get a grip.

“Ten minutes until the self-destruct sequence will complete. Please exit the ship. We thank you for choosing SpaceZ Pleasure Cruise.” The ship’s sanguine outlook about its impending doom jarred my senses.

“Good.” Jadara dropped his arm. “Then, I call for your oath that you’ll take care of this Terran as if she were your fated mate. You will protect her at all costs and guard her body with your own. Will you accept?”

“What the hell?” I stomped toward her and yanked her elbow. “What are you doing?”

“It’s important.” She swatted at my hand.

I curled my fingers into a fist to stop from grabbing her again and shaking some sense into her. “You can’t ask something like that of a perfect stranger.”

Before either of us could continue, Daegan stepped forward and fell to one knee. “I accept. My body shall be your shield. My kedara, the blood of my life, your weapon.” He reached for me, taking my hand gently in his larger grasp. “With all that I am, I will protect you, guard you,” his voice dropped an octave as he whispered, “pleasure you.” My jaw fell open at the last statement and I tried to tug my hand free, but he held fast and continued, “You are safe in my care until the the void takes me or darkness claims me. I am yours.”

My mind fragmented into a million tiny pieces, the thoughts running through my head at hyper speed. But the one that came out of my mouth was…

“Oh fuck.”

CHAPTER 3

DAEGAN

The lovely Terran’s mouth uttered obscenities, and my cock hardened in response. I was a twisted bastard with my mind addled by this female and my senses a mess. Why? When the rebel had asked for my oath of protection for the little pajuara, I hadn’t hesitated. Not a shred of doubt sparked within me. Granted I’d be glad to guard any female—all were sacred to my kind. As a reflection of Celestia, they were to be revered, cherished…pleasured.

And there went my cock again.

What the crex is wrong with me? I rose to my full height, staring at the beautiful Terran. I had bedded plenty of females throughout the cosmos. Albeit with the loss of emotions due to the hunger claiming me, it was a purely biological affair every time. But this, it was, well, different somehow. Her captivating gaze kept me entranced like an ancient spell. Waves of thick, brown hair tumbled to her shoulders. Her lips pursed when she snapped her mouth shut as if she were lost in thought. By the void, I knew how she felt.

And drav it all, I didn’t even know her name.

“Well met then.” The rebel Jadara broke the magic floating in the air, linking the Terran to me and I to her. She turned to leave, and the action brought me to my senses.

“You cannot go that way, rebel fighter.” I motioned to the hall where the escape pods resided. My brathers and I had done ample research before boarding to account for any contingencies. While I preferred to rejoin my fellow Rhonar on our fighter in the docking bay of this behemoth cruiser, it would not be safe to lead the two females through a vessel set to self-destruct. Hence, the escape pods were the logical choice.

“Yeah, what he said.” The Terran stuck a thumb toward me and grasped her friend by the shoulders. “You need to come with us.”

“My friend,” Jadara rested her palm over my pajuara’s arm, “believe me when I tell you you’re in good company with the Rhonar. He’ll keep you safe.”

“And what about you?” Moisture sprang to her alluring eyes, and it took everything in me not to hold her and give her comfort. When had I developed such desires? Surely, I wasn’t…feeling. Am I? I didn’t have long to think on it, and the two females argued while time flowed on toward our demise.

“I have to go. The ones I told you about, Maena and Tallis, left when I was arrested to fetch me an arbitrator.” Jadara’s red hair dulled as if in sync with her emotions. It was an odd sight. “I don’t know if they made it back yet, but I can’t risk them being here.”

“So you’ll risk your life on the off chance they might be?” My pajuara’s voice grew higher pitched. “Even if they came back, the announcement is blasting all over the ship. They wouldn’t stay.”

She sighed. “You don’t know them like I do. They would never leave me behind.”

The Terran growled, full on primal response. If the situation weren’t dire, I’d press her into the wall. The sound fired my lust like nothing else could. I focused on her words as if my life depended on it. Crex, maybe it did. “Yeah, I get that.” She ran a hand through her hair, then across her neck. “But now you’re asking me to leave you behind.”

“Sweetie,” the rebel fighter had a glint in\ her eye I didn’t like, “I’m not asking.” Without warning, she pushed the Terran into me and swiped at the control panel. The door between us shut tight. “I’m sorry!” she shouted from the opposite side of the door. “Don’t hate me. Be safe!”

“Jadara!” My pajuara dove out of my arms and straight for the door. “Don’t do this!”

With no controls on this side, it was a done deal. The door’s construction was the same design as the floor and walls. Even my Valkar axe, made of the toughest material in the universe, would take time to break through it. And time we didn’t have.

“Until the stars align…” Jadara placed her palm against the door’s solitary window. It was no bigger than her hand, and she curled her fingers at the top. “And we meet again.”

“We’d better, Jadara!” My Terran let the tears spill from her eyes, and it cracked something inside me. She placed her palm against her friend’s hand, the thick glass between them. “Or the stars will not be able to help you from me.”

The rebel fighter laughed at that, then took off. The hole she left behind in my pajuara’s heart was apparent. Although I dared not come in-between a true friendship, for I knew the immeasurable value of it, I vowed to be the balm that healed my Terran. “Come now, pajuara. We must go.”

The deepest parts of my spirit called to this female. I had to get her to safety, and I had to know her name. It was only the black hole centered in my chest that stopped me from asking. For I suspected something I dared not hope for. To be denied it would push me into the void. My kedara raged at the thought, my life’s blood coursing through me, but it would not change fate. If the Terran was not mine, I would be lost.

Forever.

“To the void with me,” I silently cursed the weakness. Rhonar were not feeble, and I refused to become so, no matter how my biology felled me.

My pajuara held her palm against the glass, clinging to the last vestiges of her friend’s countenance. But we’d lingered here too long. The computer continued it’s countdown without reprieve. Seeing little choice as the female refused to acknowledge our situation, I grabbed her about the waist and hauled her over my shoulder.

She pounded my back with surprising force. “Are you insane? Put me down now!”

“Will you go to the escape pods with me?” Her huff and stiffening limbs were answer enough. “Then, so be it.”

Her nails scraped my skin. I relished the sting. “If you don’t put me down, I swear I’ll—”

Her words were lost amongst the ship’s wails. The alarms grew louder as we approached the end point. Spotting a free escape pod barely big enough for both of us, I barreled toward it. My pajuara clasped her hands over her ears as the blares grew deafening. Placing her inside the pod, I climbed in beside her and yanked on the lid to seal it.

“You’ll have to hang on to me.” I stretched my arms over her head to reach the controls at the top of the pod. “It’s going to be a tight fit.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I imagine with you it would be no matter the circumstances.”

I chuckled, a rarity for me. It was refreshing. But I had no time to indulge her humor. I had to get us off this crexing ship. “Get close. I’m programming the emergency protocols.”

Her sharp inhale belied her nerves as the pod’s safety belts strapped around us. Her breasts pushed against my chest as her legs tangled with mine. The sheer fabric of her outfit glided against my skin. Her arms wrapped around my waist. She turned her head to the side to lay her cheek against my sternum. The warmth of her seeped into me. It was…perfection.

“Okay, I’m as close as I’m going to get without making this a fling.” She jutted her chin toward the ceiling. “So let’s get out of here.”

I’d gladly have stayed with her like that for eternity. But she was right. As it was we had but a handful of clicks to blow the descent tube and get far enough from the ship before the detonation. The escape pod launched with a whoosh. It’s boosters engaged as we cleared the hull. My Terran’s nails dug into me once more, but this time her fear permeated my nose like rotten guttal fruit.

Checking that the controls were set to search for and land on the nearest inhabitable planet, I lowered my arms slowly around her. She stirred in my embrace, raising her face to mine. “You do not need to fear. We are safe.”

“Safe?” A shudder ran through her. “I don’t even remember the meaning of that word.”

A knot tugged in my gut. The weight of her statement echoed in my mind. How often had I thought the same? We Rhonar prided ourselves on bringing peace and safety to those in need. We lived with a strict code of honor and valor, in part as it was the path of our kind for millenniums beyond memory, but the other side of it was darker. Far less noble. Our males lost their emotions with the onset of adulthood in two distinct phases—the hunger and the void. Only one’s mate could restore the warrior to his true nature and make him whole. But when our greatest enemy, the Versaken, created a biological weapon meant to block the mate bond, they ended up killing our females instead.

So, safe? Hardly. The Rhonar were not safe. Without our mates, we were a danger to ourselves. And if consumed by the void, we were a threat to everyone else. “You’re right.” I held her impossibly closer, relishing the feel of her in my arms. “Safety is an illusion.”

Her liquid brown eyes met mine, locking me in their power. “That’s exactly how I feel.” She slid her hands from around my back to grip my waist as if needing the sensation to anchor her. “When we left Earth I was so full of joy and hope. I believed in the cause to seek life on other planets, and I trained hard to become a well ranked security officer.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a beat, and I willed my cock not to rise at the motion. I wanted her story as much as her body. After a breath, she continued, “Leaving Earth for the first time, being part of history, was thrilling. I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time, even when the ship rocked and rolled as it broke the atmosphere for outer space.”

I let my fingers glide along her spine to land in her hair. “You are very brave.”

“It wasn’t courage.” She sighed, and her shoulders slumped. “I just didn’t know to be afraid.”

My grip tightened in her locks, and I forced her gaze back to me. “And now?”

“Now, I know the truth.” Her jaw ticked. “We were fools to think we could simply find a new world to create a colony without any thought to what else was out here.” Her hands balled into fists beside my hips. “The Mangox are bastards of the highest order, but part of me thinks we got what we deserved.”

I angled my head to better look at her face. “What did you deserve?”

“To be attacked, boarded, abducted! We came into space like gods of the skies, understanding nothing, caring about nothing.” Her eyes flooded with unshed tears for a second time, and it cut me worse than any battle strike. “Who were we to cross that boundary?”

I released my grip to stroke her cheek and swipe at the tears now falling there. “Every young one takes their first steps into an unknown world. Why should you Terrans be any different?” My lips skimmed her forehead, the scent of her filling my lungs, pure and sweet. “Not knowing should not stop you from growing, from learning. You are explorers, my pajuara. Take pride in this.”

“Daegan,” she whispered my name.

My blood heated of its own accord, filling me with pangs of lust. It was not the time nor place for such desires, yet I could no more stop it than I could make my hearts cease beating. I needed space from her to gain any semblance of control. Yet, with our bodies bound together, surrounded by a cocoon of safety straps, escape was not an option. “Tell me no,” I spoke against her mouth. “Say stop and I’ll end this.”

Her brows rose. “Stop what?”

“This.” Without further warning, I let my savage hunger answer for me. My tongue stroked the seam of her lips, asking for permission. She inhaled, then opened for me. Her yielding was glorious and unrestrained, but she gave as good as she got. Tangling her tongue with mine, we dueled for supremacy. A glorious twisting and lashing that turned my kedara molten. My katra, the markings on my arms that reflected my life’s blood, glowed amber in the tight space. It cast a soft glow around us.

She pulled back only long enough to run her fingers over my arms and utter a low, “Wow!”

I gave her no quarter for such explorations. There would be time enough for that later. Now, I needed her mouth. I dove in again, and she sighed at the invasion. Her sandaled foot trailed along the outside of my leg, aiming for my thigh. I took the movement as invitation and lifted her as high as the restraints would allow. Her core met my cock, the fabric of my pants and the thin strips of her skirt the only thing between us and ecstasy. Her kiss became more frantic as I ground my cock against her.

The crexing thing was harder than the axe at my back. I yearned to thrust it inside her. Patience. The pod was not the place for such ravishments as I had in mind. No, I needed several rotations and space to properly learn all that would bring my pajuara pleasure. With a grip in her hair, once more I tugged her head to the side with the intent to cease our game. But with her neck exposed I could not resist running my tongue along the sensitive skin. She whimpered at the touch.

“I can’t.” She moaned, her hips rocking against me. “I don’t understand this.”

A sharp sensation tugged at my chest, willing me to give name to my suspicions. Although the doubt gripped me, I was not foolish enough to deny the obvious signs of the fates. “I believe I do, my lovely Terran.”

Her movements stilled. “You do?”

“Yes.” I sucked my back teeth. Lending voice to my thoughts would change my life for all time—granting me rapture, or destroying my soul. Celestia give me strength. “First,” I grasped her hips and held her tight. “Would you tell me your name?”

I braced for the impact of it.

“My name?” She squeaked and let her leg drop from where it had snaked around my thigh. “Oh hell in the stars, I never even told you!” Her palms pressed against my chest pushing slightly as if to put space between us. “I can’t believe I’m making out with you, and you don’t even know my name.”

“To be fair, I was too…” I drew her back to me, searching for the right word to convey the chaos swirling inside me. “Cowardly to ask.”

“You were afraid to ask me?” Her head tilted to the side. “Why?”

Do not be craven. Tell her. My internal voice sounded too much like my friend and commanding officer, Hakon, for my liking. His pride rivaled my own, but his bravery? It surpassed mine. I would not shame him. “My Rhonar brathers have found your kind before, and we are compatible.”

“Compatible?” Her voice rose on the question.

“Yes, well, more than that…” I told her of the murder of our females, the doomed fate of our males, and the need for mates to save us from our biological curse and return our emotions. She listened kindly, taking it all in better than I would have hoped.

“So, when your,” she spun her hand in the air, “brathers, is that it?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

“When they heard the name of their mates, they had their emotions returned?”

“They did.” I held still, not daring to even breath.

“And you think I might be your mate?” She searched my gaze for signs of deception. I knew the look well. But she would find no untruths in me.

“The mate bond is strong, it asserts itself before our rational minds accept it.” I motioned to our bodies that strained toward each other, even with the seriousness of our conversation.

“Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Interlocking our fingers, she shot me a grin, and then said, “I’m—”

CHAPTER 4

ELENA

I didn’t know if I bought Daegan’s story, but he believed it, so I supposed it cost me nothing to indulge him. Besides, if I was his mate as he seemed to think, he seriously had to use my name. Pajuara was a cool nickname and all, and I kind of liked being seen as some fierce panther-alien creature. At least I imagined it was an animal like that. But I didn’t want to make out with—let alone grind on—someone that didn’t even know my real name. An alien’s fated mate or no, that was a new low for me. Albeit, if the hormones still raging through my body were any indication, my horny ass did not care. Still…

“I’m—”

“Crex!” he shouted before I’d answered. The pod flipped and spun, a series of dives that made me glad I’d passed on that second piece of kelpan pie Jadara had sneaked from the kitchens. Clutching me to his chest with one arm, Daegan used his free hand to reach toward the control panel. His fingers flew over the glaring symbols, but it had little effect on our trajectory. He wrapped both arms around me tight. “Hold fast.”

I did as he said, clinging to him with a desperation that struck a chord in my heart. My thoughts turned toward my home and family. I had tried to shift away from thinking of them once I’d been accepted to the crew of DS1. Going into space held enough unknowns, but a deep space mission to establish a new colony? We all knew it was likely a one way trip. But as the pod continued to twist and turn, I couldn’t help but think how much my family would have liked Daegan. My abuela would want stories of his home world, and my cousin Suzela would want more intimate details. Papa might have challenged him to a strategy game on the holo-pads. And mama… Stars, mama.

I blinked several times and bit my cheek. This line of thinking was not helping our situation, and if the Grim Reaper knocked at the door, well, I wasn’t going to answer. And the truth of it was, I didn’t know Daegan, not really. What business did my heart have constricting at the thought of him? And meeting my family? Had I lost my mind? I knew a handful of facts about him and that was all, if he were even telling the truth. So why did I feel this unyielding need to be with him? Maybe it’s the mate bond like he said. I internally rolled my eyes at the likelihood of that. Or perhaps it’s the whole plunging to your death thing. Stars, my inner voice was a finicky witch. Although, she did have a point.

“Why does it feel like we’re falling?” I focused on the present to distract myself, which considering the circumstances was not the wisest plan. But I’d never been accused of being a genius. And I’d rather know the truth, then pretend. So, I concentrated on the dips and rolls of the vessel. I wasn’t a pilot, but I had taken the basics of space flight. The Unicus group, the mega corporation that funded our trip to the stars, had insisted on all personnel taking the course. I wasn’t sure if I was happy to have the knowledge—or sorry for it.

His hold on me reached the point of pain, and I yelped. “Sorry.” He loosened his grip a fraction. “The pod found a planet.”

“That’s good news.” I strained my neck to try to catch his eyes. Being pressed against him so firmly made it a strain. “So, why the loop-de-loop?”

“The loo-loo? That doesn’t translate.” His jaw clenched hard as the pod’s nose banked.

It became harder to talk, but I spit out, “Never mind. Just what’s happening?”

“We’re landing, but we hit debris in the planet’s atmosphere.” He touched his cheek to mine and cradled the back of my head in one of his large hands.

“Then, you mean…” I gulped at the fear threatening to claw my chest cavity. “We’re crashing.”

“Yes, my pajuara.” His body wrapped around mine as if to protect me with the sheer force of his will. “We are.”

Time slowed after his confession of our circumstances. The pod continued to spiral toward its destination. I tried to glance through the tiny screen, but with the speed of our descent and Daegan holding me so tightly against him, it was a useless attempt.

When we broke the atmosphere, the heat inside increased exponentially. Flames licked the outer shielding. I watched in grim fascination as the color brightened from yellow to orange to a brilliant white. Moments later, a jarring sensation snapped us back and forth. Someone screamed. It might have been me.

Then, I knew no more.

Days, hours, or weeks could have passed in the space between darkness and waking. My eyelids were heavy boulders weighing down my face. I struggled to pull them open. And when I did at last, I had no reference for my brain to process the sight. Greenish daylight, the color of a kiwi, shone through a thick fog. The hue danced in the mist, twinkling like starlight. The vapor, however, was a noxious gray. It smelled like burnt fuel. The scent triggered the wheels in my brain to start spinning again.

Not fog, smoke. I turned toward the direction it flowed and ugh. A sharp ringing filled my ears, and my breath sawed in and out through my nose. It took more smoke-ingested air than I’d have liked to get my bearings. I rose to a sitting position, my body protesting the movement. Swatting at the smoke with one hand, I felt around with the other. A metal surface grazed my palm.

“The pod.” I stretched my arm, hoping to meet the control panels at the top, but my fingers met a jagged edge instead. Yanking my hand to my chest at the sting, I tried not to panic. My eyes began to adjust as the smoke lessened and a dot of blood pooled on my thumb. I sucked it into my mouth. The slight irritation aided in grounding me. “Right, okay, think.”

I wiggled my toes inside my sandals and shook my legs side-to-side. My body was a mess of soreness and aches, but nothing felt broken. The green sunlight streamed from above. I raised my chin toward it, and in that brief moment two sharp realizations hit me. First, the escape pod had no roof left. Second, and far worse, my alien warrior was nowhere to be seen. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Daegan.”

I jumped up, every muscle screaming in protest, but I ignored the discomfort. The pod had been split in half, our safety straps ripped apart in the process. Beyond the jagged edges of what was left of the tiny vessel laid a vast landscape. Sand as pink as a pig’s ear stretched across the horizon. In the distance, black mountains with snow-capped peaks touched the green sky. Scattered here and there were patches of trees, each with trunks so wide they’d harbor a myriad of creatures. If I hadn’t been terrified for Daegan’s safety, I’d have admired the planet’s beauty. As it was, I traversed the side of the pod that had the bluntest break and hopped into the sand pit below.

“Where are you?” I shielded my eyes against the light glistening off the hull. He couldn’t have gotten far. If he were thrown from the ship in the crash, then he had to be around here somewhere. I refused to the think of the alternatives. What if he left you? That insidious voice slithered inside me as vicious as any viper. “He wouldn’t do that.” I said it aloud in part to will it true, and well, maybe to make myself feel better too. “Now, let’s do this.”

Walking around the pod proved a challenge as it had created a crater on impact. When I climbed over the blunt side and hopped to the ground, I had inadvertently chosen the deeper side. Traversing alien sand? Not a fun experience. “Come on.” I huffed as I sank with every step forward and slid—literally—two steps back. “Damn it!”

I didn’t have time for this. Daegan could be hurt or worse. I needed to find him.

As if in answer to my outrage, a small object twinkled near my feet. I knelt toward it, examining the shiny glow. It appeared metallic in nature, glistening like gold. I dug around it, attempting to free it from its burial spot in the sand. “All right, universe. If you’re listening, do me a solid, okay? I could use some help.” I wasn’t spiritual in nature—I’d been screwed over too many times for that—but I’d take what I could get. “With my luck it’ll probably be a cage.” I snorted. “A gilded cage.” I huffed at my own terrible joke. “Well, at least my dumb humor is intact.”

The mysterious golden metal became more apparent in shape, a curved, wicked shape. “Oh hell below and stars above!” I dug faster, the sands abrasive against my skin. A black handle molded for a warrior’s hand appeared. I clutched it in my grasp and dragged the weapon from the sands. “It’s an axe.” My lower lip trembled. “Daegan’s axe.”

Is he buried below? He couldn’t be. No way. That wasn’t possible. I poked the axe head in the sand where I had dug, careful not to stab anything that could be hidden below. Then, I went to work combing through every grain of sand I could reach. I scooped heaps of it in my arms and used the axe like a shovel. I’d shift the damn desert if I had to. All while I searched, I had the nagging sensation in my gut that I was wasting time. The feeling rose to my chest, tightening my lungs. When I could stand it no longer and had sifted through more than a meter of sand, I gave into the instinct and stopped digging. Rising, I used the axe like a walking stick to hoist myself out of the crater.

Once on the surface, I scanned the horizon for any signs of my alien. A patch of trees, no more than thirty meters away called to me. As if a voice whispered in my ear, it compelled me toward the grove. As I drew closer I spotted a mass between two enormous tree roots. It was hard to make out as it was covered in sand and soil, but my heart sped up at the sight. It has to be him.

I ran. “Daegan!”

The form stirred at my cries. As it rose, I could see red streaks along its chest and torso. The blood, now evident, elongated my strides. “I’m coming! Don’t move.”

“Pajuara,” my Rhonar said on a cough and slumped into a prone position, half crouch, half kneel.

“Stop!” Fearing he’d injure himself further, and cursing the time I’d wasted in digging through the sands, I sprinted as fast as my body allowed. Seeing him hurt did something to me, twisting my insides as if I were caught in a vice. Desperation turned my steps reckless as I crossed the sands, not watching the ground under my feet. My gaze was for my alien warrior alone.

And that was my mistake.

I had no indication that anything was wrong, until the vision of my Rhonar began to fade upward. It was as if an invisible hand had emerged from the sky and yanked him toward the stars. But, that wasn’t the case. I was falling. The sensation was so foreign, it took my mind a second to catch up with my body. When it did, I flailed—a full shimmy from head to toes with my limbs stretching in every direction. In one breath I’d been racing toward Daegan, and in the next, I was plummeting into the sands.

The last thought I had before shock took hold was I’d die without that blasted alien ever knowing my damn name.

CHAPTER 5

DAEGAN

My pajuara was sinking. Fear, raw and all-encompassing, seized me in its grasp at the sight of her disappearing into the sands. My vision turned red, changing the hue of the green and pink world into a crimson planet. I’d been awake for a handful of beats from whatever state I’d been in before. My mind was addled, my thoughts set a jumble. Bruises battered my body with shallow cuts here and there. None of it mattered. My senses all heightened razor sharp with my Terran in danger.

I soared to my feet and charged for the spot where she’d fallen. “Hold on, pajuara.”

Dark red sand packed the space in a distinctive circle with a diameter about half my size. The color was the lone differentiation between the patch and the rest of the desert plain. Glaring at it, I struggled to think between the worry and anger warring for supremacy within me. I’d fought in an endless war, lost my family to the Versaken, and seen too many brathers succumb to the emptiness, yet I’d never felt the emotional impact. I’d been lost to the hunger, but now…

Now, I was feeling. And it meant I needed to act before I lost everything.

“Drav it. Focus.” I scanned the environment for something I could use as a rope. The cluster of trees from which I’d run had thick roots sticking out of the ground. The closest to me thinned toward the end. I grabbed it and yanked hard. It stuck at the base, creating needed tension. I prayed it would hold.

Wrapping it around my forearm, I sent up a quick plea to Celestia and then jumped. The lightning sand rushed around me, filling my ears and nose as I descended. It seeped into the multitude of cuts along my body, deepening the shallow slices. I cared not. My only thought was getting to my pajuara. In so short a time, she had become my reason for drawing breath. I would not fail her.

The sand became less densely packed, opening to a wider hole. It curved to the right and my descent slowed. But I saw no signs of my Terran, and the root wrapped around my arm ran out of length. In that half a beat I made the decision to let it go. Another turn about the sand and the fall was over.

I landed on my feet and crouched low to prepare for any attack. I reached for my axe, only to grip empty space. “Crex.” I didn’t need a weapon to fight, my unique ability more than enough in battle, but that piece held meaning. Given to me by Hakon, it signified that he was of my Brather, the vow of our kind. We forged the katra on our arms, along with six others of our Brather, the same day. It bonded us in blood as chosen family, more sacred than even born kin. I’d carried that axe through countless battles, each a hard won victory. I ached to lose it. Yet, a far more compelling sight drew my attention from the loss.

“Pajuara!” Her long brown hair was strewn about the ground, red seeping from a gash on her forehead. I raced toward her. I was no medic, but I had the basic training of all Rhonar warriors. I prodded the injury with my fingertips. Her head wound was thankfully shallow and her breathing even. I checked her for other injuries, terror gnawing at me like a hungry beast. Her thigh bore a bruise along the left side. She must have landed that way. I had no medpack but I carried emergency aid-shots in my leathers. I wasted no time in injecting her with one, watching the dark bruises fade and the cut close. When all had healed to my satisfaction, I grasped her shoulders gently. “Speak to me, my Terran.”

She groaned but blinked her eyes open. “Daegan?”

“Yes.” My chest deflated, the weight on it lifting with her voice. “I’m here.”

“Ugh. I feel like I got hit by a Mac cruiser.” She sat up and patted her forearms, torso, and legs in turn. Then, she tapped along her hairline. “But somehow I think it should be worse. What happened?”

“You stepped into a patch of lightning sand.” The image of her sinking beneath the crimson sands would forever be seared in my memory. “I jumped in after you, but the hole widened and deposited us here.” I waved around the place, which now that I wasn’t fearing for her life, I realized was a cavern. But that’s all I knew. “Wherever here might be.”

She nodded and stretched her neck. Her gaze fell on the cavern above and the spot through which we’d fallen. “Whoa! That’s high. How am I not worse off?” Taking stock of her body once more, her brow creased as if trying to make sense of it.

I drew out a second syringe. “I gave you an aid-shot.” Handing it to her, I explained its properties. “I didn’t want to take a chance with your life.”

“And I appreciate it.” She smiled and gave it back to me. “Now, how do we get out of here?”

She raised a good question, but we didn’t have an opportunity to consider it too long. As we rose to our feet, the stone ground trembled beneath us. It knocked her into me. I steadied her against my side. “Hold on to me.”

“With pleasure,” she teased, wrapping her arm around my waist. We relied on each other to remain balanced and upright as the cavern shook. Yet, wriggling her eyebrows, she added, “But we’ll have to save the best parts for later.”

My hearts beat hard with her light words. I loved her easy taunts. Even in a dire situation, she had room for merriment, and it delighted me to no end. “That is a promise, my pajuara.”

“You know, you really need to call me—”

The words died on her lips as the ground split in two. The crack glowed a neon orange, an unnatural color that harbingered ill tidings. The katra on my arms brightened to an amber hue, my ability alerting me to the danger. My senses heightened and honed in on the source. I felt my pajuara squeeze my arm, but I could not draw my attention from the looming threat. Then, in the span of a breath, a creature emerged from deep within, scaled tentacles clinging to the sides and snaking along the stone ground.

“What in the black hole is that?” My Terran braced her feet shoulder-width apart, releasing her hold on me and scanning the area. “We need a weapon.”

“Agreed,” I said through a clenched jaw. The cavern provided few options. A stray rock here or there might help in a crunch, but the beast was already massive, and it hadn’t yet fully emerged.

“Ah yes!” Dashing behind me, she dove for a space in the far corner.

I chanced a glance over my shoulder at her, eyes off the creature for a hearts’ beat. “What is it?”

“Look.” She straightened with a prize in tow. Holding up my axe, it glinted golden-orange in the light from the crack. “Think this will work?”

I laughed as she jogged back to me. Taking it from her and planting a quick kiss on her cheek, I said, “You are a wonder.”

“Save it for later.” Bending, she plucked two rocks from amongst a pile of stones. With one in each hand, she took up an attack position next to me. “We’ve got company.”

“You should get behind me.” The corded muscles in her arms were not lost on me, nor the posture of her fighting stance. Yet, having a female I’d come to care for—no, drav it, one I was already half in love with—battle beside me was enough to turn my stomach. “I don’t want you hurt.”

“Back at ya, big guy.” She wrapped the knuckles of one rock-laden hand against my shoulder. “But I don’t plan on losing.”

Any further argument was cast aside as rumblings rocked the cavern hard. With the noise came the bulk of the beast. A head as round as a moon housed three bulbous yellow eyes that each stared in a different direction. The creature had no torso; instead, eight spiked tentacle arms sprouted from a short, stubby neck.

“Well…” My pajuara blew back strands of hair that crossed her face. “That destroys any and all tentacle fantasies.” Her dark chuckle held a note of nerves, but her stance didn’t falter.

I had no idea what she meant by her statement, but when this battle ended, I would happily fulfill any fantasy she dreamed up. “Do not let the spikes hit you.” I gave her a hard look. “I will not tolerate harm to you.”

She snorted and cast me a glance from the corner of her eye. “Same.”

I spoke no more words, letting my actions tell the tale. I bolted for the nearest boulder, ascended it, and used it as a platform to launch at the creature. It’s three eyes zeroed in on me as I’d intended. If I could draw its attention and fell it quickly, then my Terran would be free of danger.

The tentacles swiped the air for me, but I sensed them easily. Each spiked arm was outlined in an amber glow in the same hue as my katra, thanks to my power. And the trajectory of the attacks were laid before me as a ghostly foreshadowing of the movement to come. So, it was that I landed on the beast’s head long before the spiked arms posed a threat. My boots sank to the ankle into its gelatinous body. I grimaced at the sensation but kept my focus on its neck. The tender underside of its head appeared the weak point. Striking with my axe, I aimed low. Yet, at this angle, I grazed the creature’s chin region—if it’d had a chin—just below it’s gaping hole of a mouth.

“Hey slimy!” My pajuara yelled, standing atop the same boulder I had used. “Over here.”

My hearts stopped. The beast turned its triple gaze toward my Terran and bounded after her. It bounced on its four back tentacles with me in tow. “Pajuara, move!”

She didn’t even flinch. Waiting until it was right upon her, she slid from the boulder and dove under the creature. “Take this!” The rocks in her grip hit its sensitive underside with a thud. The beast smacked the boulder where she’d been and flipped. “Hah.”

I jumped as it rolled, landing between the spikes on one of its arms. I wasted no beats and stabbed my axe into the tender neck, now exposed by my clever pajuara’s plan. “May you return to the stars.”

The beast roared and howled in its death throes.

My Terran clasped her hands over her ears, a yauna away from where she’d emerged from under the creature. Yet, it wasn’t far enough. As the beast flailed in its last breaths of life, a spiked tentacle headed for my pajuara. I moved without thought, clasping the creature’s arm around its dulled side and wrestling it the ground. My Terran yelped. A series of three more horrific cries from the beast, and then all went quiet. The tentacles fell to the ground lifeless.

I paid it no further thought, running to my pajuara.

With her arms held out in front of her, she stared at the back side of her hands, then her palms. I took them gently in my grip, turning them over to check her for injury. Finding none, I ran my fingers along her arm and bid her turn. “Nothing on your back.” I pushed aside the fabric of her skirt to inspect her thighs, hips, knees, and calves. “Your legs appear fine too. Do you feel pain anywhere?”

She laughed as my fingertips grazed her stomach and slapped my hands away. “Enough, Daegan. That tickles.”

“Tickles?” I had no idea what she inferred, but I hadn’t completed my assessment. “You must let me finish, pajuara.”

“I’m fine.” Readjusting the strands of her skirt, she brushed them over her knees. “Really.”

I was not convinced. But she gave me little quarter to argue.

“Besides…” She grabbed my hands in her much smaller grip, her skin warm and soft against my roughened palms. “I need you to know before anything else insane happens that my name…” Stopping for a breath, she did a quick search around the cavern. Her gaze tracked every shadowed corner. “Sorry, I half expected the ceiling to fall in or something.” She chuckled and took a half step toward me. Our linked hands were held against her breasts. “My name is Elena. Security Officer Elena Rivera from Earth’s deep space vessel, DS1. Nice to meet you.”

Her smile brightened the cavern and all the dank corners of my hearts greater than any planet’s sun ever could. It was as if I’d been lost in a cold, dark place with nothing but infinite hunger driving me onward. But with her warmth, I was full, whole and complete in a manner I never dreamed to be.

I brought her hands to my mouth, kissing each finger in turn. “Yes, my pajuara, Elena.” I reveled in speaking her name. Deep, rich emotions flooded me. The lushness of their feel and texture filled me to bursting. “It is indeed very nice to meet you, my Truxoria, my mate.”

“It’s true, then?” Elena gasped. “You think I’m your, what did you call it, fated mate?”

“My Elena.” I dropped her hands and pulled her in tight to my chest. Her breasts rubbed against the leather straps of my armor in a manner that had her cheeks turning red. “There is no doubt. Emotions began to bleed through from the beat I scented you.”

“Scented me?” Her hands slid up my chest and rested on my shoulders.

“Oh yes, my Truxoria.” I inhaled deeply, taking her into my lungs. The spice of her arousal permeated the air. “I’d know your scent anywhere now, could track you for many yaunas.” I gripped her luscious ass to pull her against me. She wrapped her legs around me in kind. “And the mate bond that calls to us cannot be denied.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that part.” She grinned, her core finding my cock beneath my leathers. “This is definitely not the norm for me.”

I growled at that, jealousy rising fast within me. “No. It would not be, Elena.” Tangling one hand in her hair, I yanked her back and let her see the possessiveness in my eyes. “You.” I ground my hips hard into her center. She moaned. “Are.” I used the arm around her waist to slide her up and down the length of my cock. She groaned. “Mine.”

Crexing pants were in the way, but I couldn’t stop the madness riding me. I drove into her faster, letting her feel my every desire. “Now, say it,” I commanded.

She blinked up at me, half dazed already. “What?”

“Say it.” I bounced her up and down, tearing at the band around her breasts with my teeth. I licked one taut peak into my mouth and sucked hard, then set it free with a popping sound. “Say you’re mine.” Her legs tightened around me, her body shaking. “Say it, Elena.”

“Yes!” Her orgasm hit hard, fast, as I intended. I yearned to feel her pulsing around my cock but this was only the beginning. “I’m yours. I’m yours, Daegan.”

I held her tight as the waves of her climax continued to heat my leathers. Soon, I’d be inside her. But for now, my hearts were content with her words. “Good girl.”

CHAPTER 6

ELENA

Well fuck me sideways. I’d never come so hard in my life, and all the crazy alien did was bounce me on his leather-covered cock. This couldn’t be real. I mean yeah, okay, it wasn’t like we didn’t have species who bonded or mated or what not, but a full biological reaction, and fated to be? After that experience, I didn’t discount it. But damn this was a lot. “I need some water.”

Yes, water. And a hangover cure for this non-alcoholic blissed-out state. He sat me on a nearby flat rock.

“We’re not done here, my mate. Not by half.” He smirked, the left corner of his lips pulling into what was seriously in danger of becoming my favorite expression of his. “But your needs come first.”

My core clenched, despite the recent orgasm, and a fresh wave of lust hit me over the head like a damn falling star. “Uh-huh.” Not my most articulate but I considered it a bonus I’d formed an answer at all.

“I can scent you, Elena.” He growled, hovering over me and caging me in.

My traitorous body responded to his dominant display. “I can’t help it!”

“Nor would I want you to.” He smirked again, and fuuuuck. “Stay here. I’ll return in a click.”

Before I could ask what a click was, he rose and stalked across the cavern. I was thankful for a minute to catch my breath. And that’s when I realized I was naked from the waist up. The fabric that had covered my breasts was ripped in the middle and lying on the ground. I stared at it, remembering how Daegan had torn it with his teeth. Fresh wetness seeped along my inner thighs at the memory.

“This is insane,” I said aloud to no one in particular. Here I was with an alien warrior I barely knew, and yet… I wanted him. And not just for a short fling. I wanted everything. Every thought in his head, every beat of his double hearts, and yeah, every inch of that delicious body. With my blood firing as if comprised of lava, I could blame it on the lust, but that only accounted for the wanting him to fuck me senseless part. It didn’t explain the googly-eyed hearts and roses woman I’d become. Does it have to?

I didn’t know. I wasn’t always the logical type, but I wouldn’t say I was a romantic either. “Maybe, just go with it.” Yeah, now impulse drive? That I could do. I chuckled at my joke. “Or maybe it’s more hyper speed.”

“What is, my mate?” Daegan came up the cavern with a smile on his lips—and something behind him.

“Nothing.” I waved it off, not wanting to explain my bad jokes and more curious about the creature at his feet. I tilted my head to the side to examine it. It stood erect on two small hind paws, similar to a rabbit’s feet, with gray fur. He balanced on three bushy tails that were gray at the base shifting to white, then black at the tips. It had matching white fur on its front paws, belly, and muzzle, and the most adorable white vertical stripe down the center of its face. The rest of him was covered in black fur. In a word, he was by far the cutest little alien I’d ever seen. My voice rose as I asked, “What is it?”

Daegan glanced down at the creature who stood shorter than the warrior’s hip. “Him? He’s a florin.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.” I crossed my arms over my chest, aware I was still bare-breasted.

“Well, he’s part of a species that’s essentially symbiotic with the Rhonar.” Daegan handed me a water-skin he must have filled either before or after finding this florin creature. “They’re an empathic inter-dimensional race that helps us channel emotions when we lose ours. In return, they siphon a small amount of energy from us. We’ve been connected for—”

The florin broke into my warrior’s explanation with a series of chit-chits.

“Yeah, I was getting to that.” Daegan nodded at the florin, and then sat on the ground next to my rock. With the difference in our heights, he was about eye level with me. The florin hopped up on a smaller stone between us, chittering away. Daegan swatted his tails. “Let me finish.”

A grumbling chit emerged, then the florin grew silent.

“As I was saying, we’ve been allied since the war with the Versaken killed our females.” The florin patted Daegan’s leg at that revelation, and my heart about burst at the sight. If I didn’t want to have a florin friend already that caring act solidified it. “I’m all right, my friend.” Daegan pet the florin’s paw, and then smiled at me. “I’ve found my Truxoria.”

I inhaled sharply. The word for fated mate in his language touched my soul on a deeper level than I was yet ready to admit. But it didn’t stop the emotion. I waved at the pair. “Go on.”

“Since they can travel through dimensional planes, they help us with communications too.”

The florin bounced onto his tails at this information, using them like a spring and chittering louder than before.

“I know, I know.” Daegan’s laughter at the florin’s antics was so warm and genuine.

The sound had my thoughts running with all the possibilities of our future: telling jokes to a gathering of friends, teasing each other by a cozy fire, and hell, maybe even making funny faces at our kid to make them smile. Whoa there, girl. Slow down the baby train. I had never given much thought to becoming a mom. I’d been busy fighting for my spot in security, a job that meant battering my body and working overtime. But now?

Solid maybe. I inwardly grinned. It was nice to dream of a life with Daegan, no matter what it hold. Since I had known him for no time at all, I should have been terrified of those imaginings. If he were human, I probably would be. But somehow this alien warrior had gotten under my skin and into my heart. And I wasn’t about to kick him out. In fact, I liked him there. A lot.

“Anyway.” Running a hand through his thick hair, Daegan redid the tie at the base of his neck. “My Rhonar brathers and I can call a florin, and if they’re in the area of our call, whether it’s our dimension or a parallel one, they tend to answer.” He pet the florin’s back, much to the little guy’s delight if his purrs were any indication. “Luckily, I called out and this florin answered.”

Additional chittering from the florin appeared to be his concurring with my warrior’s assessment.

“I explained our situation, so he’s going to make contact with my brathers from the space cruise mission.” Daegan stood, gazing around the cavern. “We’ll have to wait here until they can get to us.”

I rose from my rock and laid a hand on his arm. “Shouldn’t we search for a way out?”

He sighed. “We will, but even if we make it out of here,” he swept his arm toward the ceiling, “we still have no method to escape the planet. Not with the pod busted.”

I scratched my head. “True.”

Another round of chit-chits and the florin sprung around on his tails like a hopping frog.

“Good point,” Daegan said to the florin, then stepped closer to me as if needing the nearness. In truth, I wanted the closeness too. “I found a spring past those boulders.” He pointed to a pile of stones in the far corner of the cavern where grooves in the ground laid like a circular path. “The florin suggested if the water can get in, then it can also get out.”

“Smart little guy.” I wriggled my nose at the florin, and he answered me with a sweet purr. I lit up inside and dared to pet his furry paw. He purred louder.

“He is. And we appreciate the help.” Daegan placed his hand over mine where I pet the florin, gave it a squeeze, then pulled away. “As much as we enjoy your company,” he said to our furry companion, “we need you to find my brathers and relay our location.”

The florin straightened, pushing off his tails and standing on his hind paws. He gave a nod, and then poof. He disappeared.

“Whoa.” I swiped at the empty space where the florin had been, not quite believing my eyes.

Daegan grabbed my outstretched hand and brought it to his chest. “Should have warned you. That’s how they travel through dimensions.”

“That’s incredible. Imagine being able to cross worlds like that.” I wasn’t a scientist by any stretch of the word, but the idea of inter-dimensional travel had my brain buzzing. “He’s amazing!”

A rumble of agreement rolled through Daegan’s chest, vibrating along our joined hands. “I’ll be glad to show you something even more wondrous.”

With those suggestive words, the lust which had dimmed to a manageable simmer in the florin’s presence ignited again. The answering heat licked my inner walls. “Daegan.”

“You keep saying my name like that, my pajuara, and we’ll never leave here.” With movements too quick for me to track, he swept my legs out from under me and picked me up in a princess carry.

“Put me down,” I squealed. “I’m too heavy!”

“You doubt my prowess?” He raised a single brow at me.

I slapped his shoulder. “No, but I’m not small.” Towering over my human companions was perfect for my job, and I never had issues with being a tall woman. I liked my size, and damn anyone who thought otherwise. But I was not made for carrying.

“You are taller than most of the Terran females I’ve seen in holo-images.” He drew me impossibly closer. “But you are the perfect size for me, my Truxoria. I will show you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and bit his bottom lip. “Then, do it.”

He stopped mid-stride and crashed his lips on mine. Our tongues dueled. The kiss was hot, endless, and perfect. He pulled back on a groan. “Patience, my greedy mate.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes. “That is not one of my virtues.”

He chuckled. “You will enjoy the results.”

I perked up as did my nipples, the peaks hardening at the promises of pleasure to come.

Daegan walked with me in tow around the boulders he had mentioned earlier. The view in this part of the cavern was far better than the one before. The spring ran across the stones from one end to the other, creating a dividing line in the new space, while green sunbeams rained down like starlight from several crevices in the ceiling. The rocks sparkled with a silvery hue. The spring water, although not deep enough for bathing, appeared fresh and crisp.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered in awe.

“Not half as much as you.” Daegan laid me on a bed of a purple moss-like plant near the spring. Dry and soft, it provided the perfect texture for makeshift bedding.

Snuggling into the cushy plant, I opened my arms and bade him to come to me. “I want you, Daegan.”

Chucking his boots, he stepped out of them and pushed them to the side. Then, he carefully laid his axe within grabbing distance along with the leather straps that normally held it to his chest. Clad in only his leathers, he stood over me like some ancient god of old. “And I you, my Elena. But first, I need to know.”

Puzzled by what he could mean, I scrunched my nose at him. “Know what?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he gathered up more of the purple-moss plant. When the pile in his arms grew to overflowing, he knelt beside me. “Raise your ass.”

I had no idea what he was planning, but I wasn’t about to argue. Not with my libido beating through me like a second heartbeat in my pussy. I wanted him so damn badly. I did a decent rendition of a bridge pose, planting my sandaled feet on the floor and lifting my butt.

“Perfect.” He stuffed the moss under me, then guided me onto it. It kept my ass in the air and my legs dangling. “Now, at last I can learn the answer.”

“Okay, I’ll bite.” I laughed. The position he had me in was comical, but I loved his teasing. It showed a lighter side that I was dying to see more of. “What’s the question?”

He leaned over me, his body brushing mine. I craved the skin to skin. He brushed quick kisses over my breasts. Then, he angled himself lower, pushed the fabric of my skirt aside, and guided up my legs over his shoulders. “The question, my Elena,” he licked my knee, drawing his tongue in circles over my inner thigh, “is if you taste as good as you smell.”

“Oh fuck!” I bucked up as his mouth kissed my clit with the lightest touch.

“Not yet.” Daegan drew his arms around my thighs, keeping me at the exact position he wanted. Then, he went to work driving me out of my damn mind. Slow, torturous circles around my clit, then he’d suck my outer lips into his mouth one at a time. He licked from the bottom of my slit to the top and back again. Then, he’d start the process over. Circle, suck, lick. Circle, suck, lick.

I thought I liked his light teasing side. Now, I wasn’t sure whether I loved or hated it. Probably both.

“Daegan!” I cried his name, pulled his hair, and wriggled my hips. I would have squeezed his head if he didn’t have a firm hold on my thighs. “Please!”

“No begging, my mate.” He lifted his head to smirk at me. Might not be my favorite expression of his after all. Or maybe it was. Fuck, I didn’t know anymore. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you.” I fisted the moss in both hands. “Now.”

“And you’ll get me. But first.” He lowered his head again and sucked my clit into his mouth. And his tongue vibrated. Hand on heart, it fucking vibrated!

“Oh my god!” My pussy clenched. I whimpered.

As if sensing my need, he thrust two of his gloriously long, thick fingers inside me. I screamed. He pumped them in and out while licking and sucking my clit with that magical vibrating tongue. I thought I was going to die. The coil inside me wound so tight. I needed it to snap. Loosing his hold on my legs, I ground my hips. Then, his lips wrapped around my clit while his fingers thrust deep and curled up. My orgasm hit like a tsunami, washing me out to sea. I’d be happy to drowned, and for a moment, I did.

CHAPTER 7

DAEGAN

No words were suitable to describe the taste of my Truxoria. Feeling her buck beneath my touch, her body bowing in ecstasy, it was the height of perfection. Her spicy sweetness exploded on my tongue, and I wanted more. Much more. Yet, as she sunk into the plant-bed I had laid her on, I knew she needed time to recover. What I didn’t expect was to find her unconscious.

“Elena?” I prodded her side gently, nudging her to wake. She did not stir. “Pajuara?”

Her breathing grew shallow and my hearts stopped. “No.” I gathered her in my arms, shaking her. “Elena, wake up!” I slapped at her cheeks. “Open your eyes. Now!”

She groaned, but her inhales and exhales evened. Her eyes remained closed.

“Say something.” I held my breath. The newness of this emotion gripped me by the throat and squeezed. It clawed my chest like a ravenous wulvren. Panic. “Please speak.”

No reply beyond her pained moans.

Crex me! I cursed my stupidity to Celestia and back. She’d been hurt earlier. I had sensed it, but I allowed my lust to rule me, and now my pajuara suffered for it. I deserve the void. There would be time to berate my foolishness later. Now I had to help her. Laying her on the plants once more, I pulled the second aid-shot from my leathers. I’d give it to her if absolutely necessary, but two shots administered so soon together could do more harm than good. If her breathing grew shallow again, or worse, I’d not hesitate.

“My mate, my Elena,” I said soothingly. “Where does it hurt?”

I had checked her over earlier, but I had not done as thorough a job as I’d liked. My Truxoria was strong, a warrior in her own right, and I had to have faith she would recover. Yet, fighters often made the worst patients, as our medics would complain. I should have known she was not as well as she claimed. What kind of male doesn’t know when his mate has been harmed? I removed her skirt with infinite care, her soft whimpers like blows to my soul.

Nothing marred the skin of her legs or hips, I had checked them before. “It must be here somewhere,” I mumbled to myself. Turning her to her side, I looked over her back again. I had searched there earlier as well, but I needed to be sure. “Nothing.” I ran my fingertips over her face, her neck and throat, her shoulders and arms. Then, I turned my attention to her sides.

I almost missed it.

“There!” In a spot no bigger than the tip of her fingernail was a shallow cut by the middle of her ribcage. It was white-gray in color, far lighter than her rich golden skin. It had to have been the slightest of grazes by that creature’s spike. But without knowing more about the beast, I had to assume poison. Vacillating between using the aid-shot or not for a click, I decided against it.

The medicine is not for poisoning, and you have no idea how her body will react to two shots. But I had to do something. With the spring nearby, I used its fresh waters to flush the wound. It had already been a span or more since the creature’s attack, but cleaning the site of the infection still needed to be done. After it was thoroughly washed, I sat behind her and laid her across my chest. I tipped the opening of my water-skin to her lips and massaged her throat, coaxing her to take it.

“Drink, my mate.” Her body reacted to the gentle command. I was relieved by it, but she needed much more. Her skin grew clammy and cold, and she trembled in my arms. “Here now. Hang in there, little warrior.”

I placed her on the plants a third time and used all in the vicinity to cover her body. Water, fire, food. I worked on auto-pilot. Gathering more water, building a fire, and eventually, seeking food for my mate. I snagged a few fish that swam in a shallow pool toward one end of the spring. It wasn’t much meat, but it would sustain her. Although I would have cut up that tentacled beast’s body for sustenance, I dared not for fear the rest of the carcass would be poison. “Medicine. I need medicine.”

I had never been so angry with myself. This was my mate. I would not let her die. “Think, drav you.” My mind reeled and rebelled. But I was on an unknown planet, and my options were limited. With little else to do, I turned her toward the fire, her face highlighted by its orange glow. I laid down beside her and cocooned my body around hers. Between the fire, the plants, and my body heat, her skin warmed and her shaking ceased.

I’d watch over her, hold her, guard her for as long as it took to see her well again. By the stars, I would not fail.

Spans passed with infinite slowness, every beat a painful reminder of my inability to help my mate. The green sunlight filtering from the cavern’s ceiling above shifted to a deeper hue, until it faded from sight. Our temporary shelter was plunged into darkness. Yet tiny crystals peppered the walls, casting a subtle glow like far off stars that winked in the blackness of space.

My pajuara slept like the dead. Her groans had quieted and her trembles stopped. I did not wish her pain, but I yearned for any sound or movement to let me know she was healing. Instead, I was met with silence that reminded me too much of the grave. “You must live, my Truxoria,” I whispered into her hair. “I have only just found you. Do not leave me alone.” I reached over her still form to stoke the fire, not daring to release her from my embrace. “If you must go, then you leave me no choice but to follow.”

A murmur reached my ears. I dropped the stick I’d been using to prod the firewood. “Elena?”

“Where are…” She sucked in a huge breath, her chest expanding against my arm that clasped her to me. “…you following me to?”

My muscles loosened at her question. Relief a palpable feeling in my bones. I didn’t answer her question right away. Grasping her hips, I turned her to her back and rose to my knees to inspect the wound on her side. It had shifted from a sickly gray pallor to a warmer hue, not quite the same as Elena’s skin tone, but on the path to health. “My mate,” I took her face in my hands, “I will follow you wherever you wish to go.”

Her lips stretched into a smile. “I’m glad, but for now, I think I’ll stay right here.” She patted the space beside her. “Will you stay with me while we sleep?”

I doubted I’d be able to rest. The nearness of her brush with death lingered too close. Even if she was out of the thick of it, I’d find no comfort until she was fully healed. But, I’d deny her nothing. “Of course, my pajuara. It is my greatest pleasure to hold you.”

“Good.” She sighed and wiggled against me as I laid beside her. Her back to my chest once more, I replaced the plants around us to provide her a blanket. “This is nice.”

The weariness in her voice belied her condition. She needed rest. “It is,” I said and kissed her on the cheek. “Rest now. Safe in my care.”

Elena hummed at my words and quickly fell into slumber. Although my body had released much of the held tension with her free from death’s grip, it would take me a long time to overcome the memory of this night. Emotions, as it turned out, were a troublesome thing. Yet, as her soft snores and dream-filled sighs washed over me, I would not trade the fullness of the feelings for the emptiness of life without my Elena.

ELENA

The ship’s alarms blared. The computer’s voice intoned over the com system, “All hands to stations.” I stared at my friend, Chief Security Officer Brielle Gilbride, who was making the rounds in the hangar bay with me. The dark freckles speckling her nose stood in contrast to her fair skin. A wild jumble of curly auburn hair was tied tightly atop her head in a messy bun. Her crisp navy jumpsuit was decorated with patches on her arm and chest, denoting her rank. Her penetrating hazel eyes bore into mine and a tick formed along her clenched jaw.

“What’s happening?” I yelled over the whining of the alarms.

But Brielle was already in motion, coding in her ID to a weapons storage locker on our side of the hangar. “Take this.” She handed me a blaster and retained another for herself. “Let’s get to the science team.”

“Right.” My training kicked-in with her actions. The majority of the team would be in the labs, two decks up from our current location. We’d find them and guard them from whatever was happening on the ship. Our main objective was to protect the scientists. They held the keys to our mission’s success in creating a colony on a viable planet somewhere in the endless cosmos.

A tremor cascaded across the deck floor as we ran, rocking the ship hard to the right. Brielle grabbed my arm, and I held fast to a bulkhead. The shaking ceased after a moment, but the ship continued to vibrate as if awaiting the next attack. Giving me a hard look, the chief jutted her chin toward the exit. “We make it to the scientists.”

“No matter what.” I nodded at her, then headed for the doorway. Our boots pounded the stairs when we reached them and took the steps two at a time. Seconds ticked on, every one precious. My heart beat too fast, and I struggled with the adrenaline coursing through me. “What if—”

Another jolt sent the ship into a steep drop before it leveled out again. My stomach rolled.

“Almost there,” Brielle gritted out. Her grip turned white on the blaster as she held it in front of her. I mirrored her movements.

We ascended the second set of stairs to find the scientists standing in the hall outside their labs. Clustered together in their gray jumpsuits they appeared like a raincloud. On the outskirts of the pack stood our ship’s medical officer, Dr. Iris Greyhelm.

She jogged toward us with her med bag tucked her arm. “Are either of you injured?”

“No, we’re all right, doc.” The chief motioned toward the exit. “But we have to get everyone out of here.”

“Right.” The no-nonsense doctor used the hand not holding the med bag to smooth her long black hair away from her face, not missing a strand. Although both the chief and she ranked the same, and either could take charge in an emergency, she didn’t bother arguing over hierarchy. “You’re in command then.”

The chief nodded at her and then yelled, “This way!” It set the frantic science team into motion.

My skin turned clammy as I feared the descent with so many in tow would be too slow, but it was far quicker than I imagined. The scientists were used to the crew’s commands after spending four months in space together. Although we’d trained for all types of scenarios, they were still civilians, and it was a crap-shoot how any of them would react in an emergency. But I found myself grinning inwardly at their response.

That was until the ship rocked a third time and all hell broke loose.

A tiny blond-haired scientist I recognized as part of the ecology branch of the team screamed, her face turning ashen. “It’s okay, Julia,” a brunette at her side said. “Keep going.”

“Don’t stop,” I shouted over the multitude of noises reverberating across the ship. It groaned and creaked as if ready to tear apart.

With prodding and cajoling the science team continued to move. Time held no meaning anymore, both slowing to a crawl and speeding by like a racing pod. When we emerged into the hangar bay, I took a deep breath.

“All right now.” Brielle stomped to get everyone’s attention. “We’re heading for the capsule over there.” She pointed to the emergency vessel that would shield the team and launch them into space. “You go in pairs. And you do not stop.” Holding up her blaster, she emphasized her point. “You will get on that ship.”

I held up my blaster too. “Go. We’ll cover you.”

Dr. Iris led the charge alone as the scientists paired off. Absently, I noted the blond and brunette from before holding hands and running for the capsule. My gaze fixed on every corner and crevice of the large hangar bay, seeking any threats. I didn’t know what I expected to find, but I needed somewhere to direct my roaring emotions. All that answered were more hits to the ship. How much can it take? I didn’t want to find out.

“You know how this works?” the chief said to the brunette.

The woman nodded. “Yes, Chief. I’ll take care of it.” She disappeared inside the ship.

“Good. Be safe,” Brielle called and helped the last of the scientists aboard while I stood watch. She turned to the doctor, “And you?”

The doctor remained with head high, bag still under her arm. “You already know my answer.”

Brielle’s smile held notes of sadness as she bowed her head at Dr. Iris. “Right.”

“Wait!” the brunette pushed her teammates aside to get back to the entrance. “Come with us.”

“Sorry.” The chief pushed the capsule door closed, sealing it shut. “Our duty is here.”

The brunette pounded on the small window. Only her fist showed, but her cries could be heard from behind the metal panels. “Don’t do this!”

“Take care of your team. Their safety is on you now.” Brielle turned her back on the vessel and stalked toward the doctor and me. She took up a fighting stance beside me, the doctor behind us. The hangar buzzed with unspent energy. “Be ready.” Bumping her shoulder into mine, she grinned a little less sad this time. “We can handle whatever comes.”

I laughed. The chief was ever the optimist, the doctor was a staunch realist, and with my penchant for jokes, we made quite the trio. “What if it’s sexy aliens ready to whisk us away?”

Dr. Iris snorted. “Statistically unlikely.” A hint of humor belied her next words. “But not impossible.”

“Eh.” Brielle shouldered her blaster and took aim at the closest entrance to the hangar bay. “Not with our luck.”

“Fair enough.” I readied my weapon, kneeling to target the stairwell entry. “Then again, they could just be trying to get in touch with us about our ship insurance. Holo-marketers are persistent.”

Brielle snort-chuckled. “You’re awful.”

“Bite your tongue.” I smacked her thigh with the back of my hand before placing it on my blaster again. “I am a comedic genius.”

“Well genius might be a stretch and as entertaining as this is—” the doctor began, but a final blast rocked the ship, sending her to her knees, me into her, and Brielle into me. We struggled to stand as the tremors continued, finally settling for crawling to a better position. The capsule launched behind us, breaking through the bay’s energy barrier and taking off for space.

“At least their safe,” the chief murmured. Her gaze tracked the last remnants of their launch. “The stealth shielding will hide their escape. That’s all that matters.”

The doctor hummed in agreement, and I concurred, but the churning in my gut would not abate. For although we completed our mission to save the science team, we had no idea what would happen next. The alarms died at last, and Captain Hunt came over the coms. “All hands, this is the captain. We are being attacked by unknown forces.” A poignant silence marked her next words. “Prepare for battle or use the escape pods. I leave the choice to each of you.” A screech reverberated over the line. Then, the captain’s loud shouts. “But, I will fight!”

The chief, the doctor, and I glanced at each other, and no words were needed. Rising to our feet, we stood back to back in a triangle formation. The doctor dropped her bag. Brielle handed her a blaster and dug out two laser-knives from her boots. If it were a choice between fight or flee, we wouldn’t abandon our friends.

Unfortunately, we never got our chance to make a stand. For through our ventilation system black smoke wafted into the hangar. It spread like wildfire, encapsulating the bay with frightening speed. We coughed it up and used our jumpsuits to cover our mouths, but it was no use. Between one breath and the next, Brielle collapsed with her weapons still clutched in her fists, and then the doctor, the blaster rolling from her grip. I tried like hell to resist, but the last thing I recalled was the crunch of metal and the outer wall of the bay folding like a tin can.

Then all went dark.

CHAPTER 8

ELENA

I awoke screaming. “No, no!” I punched the air, landing into something impossibly hard. “Ow.”

“Easy, pajuara.” Daegan grabbed my wrists and drew me against his chest. His hard pectorals had been the target of my involuntary attack. “You’re all right.”

The dream had been more than a fictitious imaging, it was a vivid memory that haunted me whether awake or asleep. My body shook with the remembered horrors. I didn’t recall much after being knocked out by the smoke and wakening on the pseudo-pleasure space cruise, but flashes pervaded my mind. A cage, shouting, lights flickering, and eyes. Always eyes watching from the shadows. I shivered.

“I have you, my mate.” His body gave off heat better than any fireplace. It warmed the chill clinging to my bones and chased away the darkness. I reveled in his touch. His arms around me were like banded steel, keeping me safe and secure. I buried my face in his neck. His delicious bronze skin held the scent of fire and autumn-spices. I wanted to lick every inch. My thighs rubbed together restlessly as desire filled me. I needed his heat, but I wanted more.

So much more.

“Daegan,” I whispered his name. The answering groan that went through him echoed in me. I bit his neck, lust raging. “Take me.”

His fingers curled at my waist as if to pull me in, but he didn’t. Pushing us apart, he breathed hard and sat up. “No, Elena. We can’t.”

“Whoa, hold the com unit.” I sprang to my knees beside him. “What do you mean?” A loud gurgling stopped him from answering. I glared at my stomach.

“You’re hungry.” He rose so fast as if he couldn’t wait to flee from me. “I must attend your needs.” Then, he left. Like ran for it. Sprinting toward the spring, he waved a hand over his shoulder, and followed the waters past a boulder. “I’ll return soon.”

“What the actual hell?” I said, none to subtle. In fact, I hoped he heard me. With my libido screaming, adrenaline coursing through me, and my stomach growling, I was a mess of needs. I had no idea why Daegan had taken off like he did, but I’d be damned if I’d wait for him to come back. Tearing off pieces of my skirt at the side of each thigh, I used the strands to cross over my breasts. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave me some coverage. I shrugged. “Better than nothing.”

With my makeshift top in place, I stalked toward the spring and around the boulder. The water deepened to a small pool here before running further down and exiting through a hole in the cavern wall. Unfortunately, the opening wasn’t big enough for anything larger than a fish to escape.

Speaking of fish, I spotted two laid on a rock as if waiting for someone to come along and eat them. Their silver skins twinkled in the cavern’s dim lights. Daegan, meanwhile, was crouched ankle-deep in the pool, standing as motionless as a statue. Without a sound, he swiped his hand under the water and plucked another silver fish from its shallow depths.

I admired his technique…and his form, a perfectly chiseled, defined form. The water dripped from his hand onto his bicep, and then to his chest. A single bead clung to his flat bronzed nipple. I wanted to lick it off. That was before I remembered I was mad. Narrowing my eyes, I stomped to the edge of the pool. “Why did you—”

He turned with fish in tow, a smile on his face that stopped me in my tracks. “Look, my mate.”

I bit my tongue. His grin, so freely given, made him appear younger. It occurred to me that this moment might be the first time he experienced joy, true joy, and over something so menial like catching a fish. I buried my anger for the time being, and went with my go-to default—humor. “Rock and pool is nice and cool to catch a fish.”

His head cocked to the side like a curious dog. “It is. Yes.”

I laughed aloud, refraining from doing my best monster impression and finishing the verse. “That’s good. I’m starving.”

“I am glad I can provide for you, my pajuara.” Taking the fish in hand along with the others, he stepped from the waters, and headed back toward our fire. But not before he mumbled something I didn’t believe he intended for me to hear. “At least in this.”

I didn’t call him out on the statement, but it got my wheels spinning. Following him around the boulder and our purple moss-laden area, I tried to imagine what he was thinking. Yet, I couldn’t fathom why he’d put the brakes on our clearly mutual desire. I’m missing something. Watching as he stoked the fire, skinned the fish, and cooked them, I knelt silently on the opposite side of him.

“I had caught fish earlier,” he said, keeping his gaze glued to our meal over the fire. “But fresh is better.” He glanced up only once to hand me the fish he’d thoughtfully wrapped in a dried piece of moss. “Give it a beat to cool.”

“I will,” I said, my stare boring a hole into him. I willed him to look at me, but he refused to make eye contact, almost as if he was…ashamed. But that doesn’t make sense. I chewed the meat, which tasted a lot like the salmon-flavored packets I’d had aboard DS1, and stewed on his odd behavior. He’s calling me his mate, so why is he avoiding me?

We ate in silence. I had no answers, but I was beginning to paint a picture of my enigmatic alien. That was until the call of nature beckoned. “Um.” I stood and refrained from doing the gotta-go dance. “Where can I, you know,” I waved in the general direction, “go.”

“You need relief?” He rose and motioned at my crotch.

In more ways than one, I thought, but I kept that part quiet. “Yes. Anywhere to pee?”

He grinned again, catching my eye for a split second. “I will show you, my Elena.”

That damnable smile was going to be the death of me. I’d end up giving this warrior anything he wanted. I sighed, following him around the boulder once more. He pointed to the far end of the spring beyond the pool and in a spot just before it exited the cavern.

“Right there.” He planted his feet not more than an arm’s length from the makeshift toilet.

“Um, great.” I shooed him with a wave of my hand. “I got it.”

He didn’t move.

I crossed my arms over my chest and stood in front of him, making him meet my gaze at last. “I am not doing my business with you standing and watching.”

His pupils flared those interesting flames in their depths. “I will not leave you alone.”

“Daegan.” I glanced around the cavern, searching for the dangers he saw, then pointedly back at him. “I understand that octo-monster was creepy, but you’re not my keeper.” I poked him in the stomach with my pointer finger. “I can take care of myself, and I am not going to pee with you standing right here. Understand?”

He growled. And fuck if that didn’t get my hormones racing. “Elena.” His tone deepened an octave, and I was screwed. “I will turn around. I will head up this incline. And I will not watch.” His face came within a hand’s span of mine. “But you are mine to protect. Do not forget this.”

Giving me no chance to respond, he pivoted on his big booted foot and walked a few paces further up as he’d said. It wasn’t the privacy I’d like, but it was a fair enough compromise. I didn’t push the issue…for now. The bonus of our mini confrontation was more insight into Daegan’s psyche, and the painting of him in my mind’s eye continued to grow. Rich colors and textures were being added where there had been a bare sketch before.

I see you, my alien warrior. I smiled inwardly, not quite as peeved as I had been.

After taking care of my body’s needs, well at least one, I crept up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. I expected him to jump, he didn’t so much as twitch. Without turning, he asked, “Finished?”

“Not exactly.” I had a plan now, one that was hard to keep from showing on my face. But I needed to give my stubborn male a little more time, so I improvised. Walking up stream, I motioned for him. “Let’s search the cavern for an exit while we have sunlight.”

“I’ve found none.” He followed behind. “But let us see.”

It didn’t take much time, but I led him to the spot in which we’d fallen through the sands. The octo-creature’s body had slid back toward the crevice from where it came, much to my relief. I didn’t think it would turn into a zombie or anything, but its bulk unnerved me. The first part of the cavern was an almost perfect oval with no tunnels or passages to speak of.

The second area where our purple-moss bed laid was narrower and more rectangular. The spring seemed to sprout here from a point in the cavern wall. Not quite a waterfall, it had a horizontal slit through which it flowed about knee height from the ground. It too, unfortunately, had no human—or warrior—sized exits. Since we’d already seen the one tiny hole where the spring escaped the cavern in the last area with our fish-laden pool and makeshift bathroom, I didn’t bother returning to it.

“I am sorry, my Truxoria.” Daegan looked at me for the first time in hours, his gaze holding mine captive. “We must wait.”

The fire in his pupils dimmed. With it, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. The painting of my alien was clear. “Daegan,” I said firmly, refusing to let his inner flames cool to embers just when he had gained his life back. “The only thing you have to apologize for,” I stood before him, my face level with his chest, but I would not let him turn away from me, “is not making me your mate in every way.”

He exhaled, a breath of emotion in the simple act. “I have failed you, and I am undeserving of you.”

Ire rose in me again as fast and furious as a speeding comet. He’d saved my life with his quick thinking and watched over me as I slept. He held me and comforted me after my nightmare memory. When had he failed me? I refused to allow such darkness between us. “Listen to me, my mate.” I used the word that bound us together, loving the feel of it on my lips. His nostrils flared and his eyes bore into mine. “You’ve done nothing wrong, except…”

I let the moment stretch between us so he would have no doubts to the truth. Or to my feelings. He remained motionless as if he’d wait for all eternity for my words.

“Hmm,” I let my lips buzz against his skin, kissing one flat bronzed nipple. Then, I grabbed his shaft over his leathers and gave a loving squeeze. “Except deny me this cock.”

The fire in his eyes sparked. “I would deny you nothing, my Elena.” The swirling amber of his irises glowed with the inner flames. “But, do you want one so unworthy?”

Releasing his cock, I grasped his face in both hands. “Daegan, hear me.” I kept my tone kind yet firm. “The doubt or shame your feeling is not true. You’ve saved my life and given me more than I could ever ask for. You’re a male of honor.” I let me hands travel around his neck to pull him closer. “All these emotions are new for you, and they’re confusing as hell. But trust me when I say,” I laid a light kiss on his lips, teasing him with the promise of more, “I want you now and always. And I’ve never experienced this before. So it’s new for both of us.”

His large hands spanned my hips, tugging me closer. “You must promise me to never die then. I cannot bare it.”

“Is that what’s got you twisted?” I snuggled into him.

“You almost died several times.” He buried his face in my air, inhaling deeply. “And I have but found you.”

“We can’t control the future or what will happen.” Emphasizing my point, I traced the white scars along his bronzed skin. They added to his masculine beauty by showing that he was a survivor, a fighter, a warrior, and all mine. “That’s why we live each moment as we can.” I let my fingers wander lower over his abdomen. “And in this one, I want you.” Tugging the waistband of his leathers, I snapped them against his skin. “Bond me to you, Daegan.”

This time the flames in his pupils flared into an inferno. “Crex, Elena.” He placed his hands under my thighs and hoisted me up. “What you do to me.”

“Show me,” I prodded. My nails sunk into his shoulders. “Now.”

“Yes, my Truxoria. As you wish.”

CHAPTER 9

DAEGAN

Nothing prepared me for the tornado of emotions that warred within my hearts. But one request from my mate changed everything. I would do all within my power to make myself worthy of her. She deserved no less. And I’d begin with wringing every drop of pleasure from her body that I could. I’d show her the warrior she desired, the warrior I was. I would not be weak when Celestia had granted me a strong and fiery mate. I’d grant her every fantasy. She’d scream my name to the cavern’s ceiling many times before we left this place. I’d make sure of it.

I shucked my leathers, allowing my cock to spring free. Her gaze glued to the sight, and she licked her lips. It almost undid me, but I would not allow my lust to rule me again. I had other plans first.

Laying her on the bed of moss, I removed the fabric she used to cover her breasts. If it were up to me they would always be bare. “Hands above your head, my mate.” I took the material and bound it around her wrists. “Now keep them there.”

“Yes, Daegan.” She shot me a half smile that hinted at trouble. I doubted she’d obey, but I’d be happy to punish her for failing my command.

With her hands bound above her head, the position thrust her breasts upward. Perfect for my intentions. Setting a leisurely pace, I let my tongue glide along the sides of her breasts, then over the slopes and around the bottoms. Every pass, I moved a fraction inward, until she was panting and moaning. I circled the outer edge of her nipple, not yet touching the taut peak in the center, when her hands landed in my hair.

“What did I say about your hands, my Truxoria?” I smiled against her breast.

She snorted and placed them above her head once more.

“Good girl.” Her answering sigh at my words earned her a reward. I drew one breast into my mouth, using my tongue to flick her tit as I sucked. I let the sensations build, then vibrated my tongue against her. Her hips bucked, and I did the same to the other breast.

Her hands landed in my hair again.

“You’d defy me?” I lifted my head, her fingers tightening with the motion. Brows lowering and eyes narrowing, she deliberately yanked my hair. That was all the response I needed. I rose and flipped her onto her stomach.

“What the—” She clawed at the moss to gain purchase, but I gave her no quarter. Grasping her hips, I pulled her up onto her knees. Then, I pushed between her shoulder blades to put her chest on the ground. I kept her ass in the air and held her in place with one arm around her waist. I used my free hand to slap the golden cheeks of her pert ass.

“Fuck!” she cried out at the first slap, wriggling her hips.

I used the same hand to drive two fingers into her pussy. With her arousal coating me, I brought them free and showed them to her. “You like this.”

She shook her head vigorously side to side.

I slapped her left cheek. “You enjoy being punished.”

“No.” She shot me a petulant frown over her shoulder, but she wasn’t trying to get away either.

“Tell me to stop then.” I slapped her right cheek. It shifted to a darker golden hue.

Her silence spoke volumes.

“Say it, Elena.” Spanking her again on each cheek, I dared her to argue. She huffed and bit her lip. Her head shook again. I turned her face to me and grabbed my cock. “If you want this, then tell me the truth.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, I like it. Okay?”

I covered her body, her back to my chest, and let my cock glide over her pussy lips. Then, I brought my mouth to her ear and growled. “That’s my little female. She likes to be bad, likes to be punished.”

Elena moaned. “Yes.”

“And does she want this?” I let the tip of my cock brush her clit.

“Stars, yes!” She pushed back against me.

I pulled her ass tight to me, so she couldn’t move. “Prove it then, my mate.”

“What?” Rising on her hand and knees, she stared at me. “How?”

A smirk rose to my lips unbidden, but I couldn’t wipe it from my face. I wanted to see my Elena a puddle of quivering need. Then, and only then, would I give her everything she desired. But first, she had to show me. I released her and sat back on my haunches. I didn’t answer. I simply stared at her like a predator awaiting the right click to pounce on his prey.

And then, she would be mine.

ELENA

My infuriating alien crouched, watching me as intently as an animal ready to strike. But he didn’t! And stars above, I wanted him to. Yet, he kept vigilant, awaiting my move. I had no idea what he wanted. Granted, I didn’t mind being the aggressor in bed, and I liked switching things up with role play and out of the box scenarios. My natural tendency though was to brat. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t full on one, but as I used my humor in tense situations, I liked to prod and tease in the bedroom, or in the cavern. Wherever.

Crawling toward him, I shook my head to set my hair about my shoulders. His cock thickened more with my movements. Similar to a human man’s equipment, it had a broad mushroom-shaped head with a long shaft that widened at the base. Yet, the part above it was nothing like what I knew. I studied it, trying to figure out what it was for. It appeared a bit like a sex toy, the curve of it a smaller knob-shaped extra cock. As I came closer, he caught me looking.

“It’s my crux,” he said, stroking it in tandem with his cock. “And it’ll stimulate you when we mate.”

Hell in space. It is a sexy toy! I wanted to know what it felt like. I needed him inside me. “I want you.”

“I told you,” he gripped the nape of my neck, tugging me closer. “Prove it.”

Our gazes locked. The flames in his pupils danced in the cavern’s crystal light. Okay, big guy. I perked up at his challenge, shaking his hold on me and lowering my head. Two can play at this game. Sinking to the ground on my stomach and raising my upper body onto my forearms, I dipped my head and sucked that crux of his right into my mouth.

His sharp hiss spurred me on.

As he had given a slow torturous treatment to my breasts, I returned the same to him in kind. Switching between sucking his crux, licking the sides of his cock, and skimming my lips over his head and balls, I aimed to snap his control. The reverse in power was heady and addicting. I reveled in hearing his groans and growls. I brought this strong alien warrior to this state. And every sound was for my ears.

“My Elena.” His hands tangled in my hair, drawing me up. “Enough.”

But I wasn’t done. Yanking my head down, I took as much of his cock into my mouth as I could and sucked. He cursed. “Crex!”

“Yes,” I mumbled against his shaft, then set it free with a last loving lick. “That’s what I want.”

The predatory grin he shot me showed fang. “So you do.”

I didn’t get another word in. He flipped me to my back, then stalked down my body. I was so ready, my pussy so wet, I was prepared to beg for it. But Daegan needed no prompting. Flipping my legs over his shoulders, he angled his cock at my entrance and thrust deep.

My pussy spasmed from the thick invader. He didn’t move, waiting for me to adjust to his size. I pulsed around his girth. His cock split me, and fuck, how I wanted it. I’d never been with someone as big as him. My experiences before were limited to a college roommate which was adventurous and fun but fleeting, and a pilot who was one of the last remaining men on Earth. The first was puppy love, and the second was not worth my time. None prepared me for the all-encompassing sensations surging through me.

He filled me just right, but as my body adjusted I craved more. I caught his eyes as he rose above me and shouted, “Move!”

“As my mate wishes.” That damn smirk reappeared.

My love-hate relationship with it continued, but I didn’t have long to dwell on it as he pulled out, only the head of his shaft inside me, and then thrust in again. “Fuck!”

“Yes, my mate.” He did it again and again, his crux dragging over my clit every time. “We are indeed.”

That’s when his crux vibrated. It vibrated like his tongue. “Oh my god!” I couldn’t escape the onslaught. Then, his cock started to vibrate too. I was going to die.

The pulsing against my clit, the deep thrusts shaking me to my core, and his damn vibrating cock and crux drew my orgasm from me like an imploding star. I screamed his name until my throat was horse. My body shook from the intensity of it. Then, when I at last felt the waves begin to abate, he pulled out and flipped me onto my stomach yet again. Drawing me up to my hands and knees, he pet my back and said, “A good start, my mate. Now again.”

No way in hell. I was a puddle. “I can’t.” He kept my upright. If not for his hand around my waist, I would have fallen.

He gave me no mercy. “Oh, but you can.”

I panicked. My hands fisting the moss, I looked over my shoulder. “No, seriously, Daegan. There’s no way I can do that again.”

Letting me sink to my stomach, he made soothing passes over my back with his fingertips. “Do you trust me, my Elena?”

I sighed. That wasn’t even a fair question. “I do.”

Gripping my hips, he angled them slightly upward. Most of my weight remained on the ground so I didn’t have to hold myself up. “Then, believe me.” His cock notched at my entrance once more, but he didn’t thrust in. He let one finger glide into my entrance. My pussy took it easily, proving the truth in his words. He used my arousal around my rosebud. I flinched. “Tell me no, if you want me to stop, and I will.” He bent to brush kisses along my spine. “I will never harm you, my mate. You are safe in my care.”

“I know.” The coil in my stomach began to wind once more and my eyes widened. I had never been more than a once a night kind of girl, but now my greedy pussy clenched at the emptiness there. I’m so screwed.

“You do me great honor with your trust, my Truxoria.” His pinky finger prodded my back entrance, my arousal easing the way. Gently and slowly he pressed in.

The sensation was new and strange, but not bad. It hit nerves I didn’t even know I had, and it felt…good. With infinite patience, he worked me, until I was a heaping mess of need once more. I whined. I couldn’t help it.

“I know, my mate.” He withdrew his finger, and I nearly wept. “Don’t fear. I would not leave you wanting.”

Hands on my hips, he guided his cock to my pussy and his crux at my ass.

I gasped. “Daegan?”

“Remember, you can tell me to stop.” With that, he pushed into me easily. His shaft more than half way in and his crux breaching my rosebud.

I was full, so fucking full. And he remained there. Not moving, giving me time to feel it all. It was beyond words. I cried, “Don’t stop!” Trying to get more, to get all, I pushed back and the sensation was indescribable. “Oh fuck! Oh Daegan! Don’t stop, don’t stop!”

His chuckle was like a balm to my overheated body. “Never, my mate.”

The vibrations began anew. His thrusts were slower, but deeper with him in every part of me. My pussy and ass clenched tight. My entire being tuned into the spots. It was as if I had another heartbeat deep within. Then he bent over me, and used one finger to circle my clit.

“I can’t hold out.” The sensations were too much, everything on overdrive. “I’m going to come.”

“Come for me, my mate. And I make you mine.” He sunk his fangs into my shoulder, and I saw stars.

The heavens opened and light shone on every secret part of me. As I came, so did he, his hot cum shooting inside me. My body overflowed with him, with sensations, with emotions. And then, I heard him inside my head. We are One.

Daegan? I sort of thought it at him, testing this strange connection. You can hear me?

Yes, my Elena. His inner voice sounded light and happy in my head. It is the mind-speak of bonded mates. We are truly one now. He withdrew from me, guiding me to the moss-bed with a gentle touch. “Wait here,” he said aloud, then rose.

Although I wanted him in my arms, he filled my head and my heart. As he strode toward the spring, I heard his inner hums and I could feel the relaxed satisfaction radiating from him. In so short a time, this alien had worked inside me in every way. The mind-speak might take getting used to, but it had definite advantages. For example, I thought at him now, Hurry back.

His laughter filled my mind. Yes, my greedy mate.

Striding up the incline, I noted he had a bit of wet cloth in his hand. He knelt beside me and cleaned me with it. His touch was tender, yet he managed to stoke the fire within me. I knew in my soul that no matter how often he took me, it would never be enough. I would always want him.

“My Elena.” He kissed my forehead and wrapped his big body around mine. His hands glided along my side, helping me to relax. When my eyes began to flutter close, he whispered, I would make you scream my name again before you rest.

I moaned as his hands found my breasts, and he bonded me to him all over again.

CHAPTER 10

DAEGAN

“Daegan!” My name on her lips was an addiction of which I’d never tire. With my face buried between her legs, I brought her to climax again. The sun had long since left us with only the cavern’s crystals winking and glistening. The silvery light shone on my mate’s golden body, and I reveled in her cries of pleasure. Worshiping her in every way, I wanted to make her scream again, but her limbs had gone slack, and she pushed at my head.

“No more.” She laughed, tugging strands of my hair between her fingers. “You proved your point. I can come more than once. But seven times is more than any human should have to handle.” Her yawn was caught behind her free hand. “I need to sleep.”

I sighed through a half grin. “If you must.”

“I must.” She opened her arms to me. Now sleep with me my big alien warrior. She narrowed her eyes at me in clear warning. “Just sleep.”

That she used the mated mind-speak so naturally had my hearts singing. I laid beside her. With my back to the ground, she rested her head on my bicep and snuggled into my side. Her sigh was one of contentment, and within a span of beats, she drifted to sleep. Soft murmurs emanated from her like a baby pajuara. I had named her well. In battle she was fierce and fearless, in bed she was giving yet fiery, and in sleep she was endearing. I loved all of it, all of her.

As I stared at her face, committing every detail to memory, I pictured the symbols that comprised her spirit. The katra flowed over my wrists. It had not done so since I’d reached malehood many years ago. Now that I had found my Truxoria, the special metal used in the process liquefied once more to extend over my lower forearms and wrists. I guided it to form the shape of a pajuara centered in a circle of fire with space between the flames. The creature represented my mate, and the burning ring was me. It showed how I’d keep her safe, loved and protected, but I’d never trap or cage her in.

With the katra complete and my hearts lighter than they’d ever been, I fell into an easy slumber.

It wasn’t until the green sunlight filtered from above that I blinked my eyes open. On instinct I reached for my mate beside me to find empty space. My stomach clenched as fear hit me like a hammer to the gut. Before I could dwell on it, Elena spoke in my mind.

Good morning, sleepy-head. Teasing laughter filtered through our mind-speak. I can feel your panic from here. Don’t worry. I’m okay.

Cresting the incline, she carried two silver fish in her hands. She wore a big smile and most of the spring water. “Breakfast!”

“Indeed, but you’re ah…” My lips quirked at the corners. “Well, you’re soaked.”

She wrung out the strands of the remains of her skirt and tossed off her makeshift top. “Hey, mister. I got us food, didn’t I?”

“Fair enough.” I shrugged and rose to stoke the fire. “You need not have bothered. I would have gladly caught more for us.”

“What you mean to say, my foolish alien,” placing the fish in my lap, she tapped my nose with her pointer finger, “is thank you.”

I roared with laughter. The fish coated my leathers in a slimy residue from their skin. I plucked them unceremoniously from my pants and proceeded to prep them for our meal. “You’re right, my pajuara. I thank you.”

“Much better.” She brushed her palms together, then swiped them on a patch of plant. “I can’t wait to eat something besides fish.” Her fingers twisted in her hair. “Not that I’m ungrateful for it.”

“I agree.” Checking the cavern’s ceilings and the amount of light pouring through, I estimated our time spent under the shimmering glow. “My brathers will be here soon.”

“I’ll be glad for that.” She wriggled her brows at me. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed our time here.”

Images of me taking her on the rock filtered through my mind, but from Elena’s point of view. “You are becoming an expert at mind-speak.”

“Am I?” She wore an innocent expression as she popped a flaky piece of fish into her mouth.

I was not fooled. Yes, you are. I showed her splayed on the rock, her body laid bare in the cavern’s light, and the hunger driving me as I stared down at her.

Her arousal perfumed the air. She put the remaining fish aside and shot me a heated look. “It should not even be possible for us to want each other again after last night.”

“We are mates,” I said simply. “It’s natural.”

She snorted. “I don’t know about that.”

“Shall I prove it to you?” I stalked toward her.

Holding up the hand in a universally understood stop sign, she giggled. “Oh no, buddy. My body has gone mad. It doesn’t know what it wants, and it cannot possibly handle more.”

I lifted a brow. “I thought I already demonstrated that you can come as many times as desired.”

“Daegan!” Her squeal of my name was a new high point. I’d aim to draw that sound from her often. “Seriously, there’s no way.”

“My lovely Elena.” Lightning quick I scooped her into my arms and laid her on the rock from our shared vision. “I will delight in proving you wrong.”

ELENA

My warrior had the intense focus of a master. He played my body like a musical instrument and knew its abilities far better than me. I never would have believed after the prior evening’s escapades that I could want, let alone be capable of, more.

“I’m spent.” I sighed as he ran a cloth over my tender skin. His care of me after sex made me love him more, if that were possible.

He smirked, and I melted. His voice dropped as he eyed my swollen breasts and said, “For now.”

“Glad we finally agree.” I stretched my aching limbs. I was sore, but a good sore, the kind you got from being well-loved.

Naked under the twinkling lights, we laid together. A part of me would be sad to leave this place. It had its challenges, but it was also special. It marked the beginning of my life with Daegan. I’ll miss our cavern. I climbed on top of him and used him as a body pillow.

Shall we stay then? His deep chuckle echoed in my mind.

I didn’t have to reply. As if in answer, a hole burst open in the ceiling on the opposite side from our mossy bed. Our black and white florin friend popped into existence at the top, and a Rhonar warrior’s head and shoulders appeared through the hole.

“Well now.” The alien warrior’s smirk nearly rivaled Daegan’s, but it held more mischievous and less heat. “Hope we aren’t interrupting anything.”

The florin chittered in a reprimanding tone while a fist landed on the newcomer’s head. Then, a voice beyond him said, “Drav it, Firas. I told you to call to them, not shove your head in like a crexing zoolat.”

The apparent Firas gave an excellent eye roll that appeared far too human. “First off, Raiker, I am more graceful than a zoolat. Those little furry winged bastards haven’t heard the meaning of elegance.” His a-sound in elegance was emphasized with an extended ahhh. “Second, and most important, you said, and I quote, ‘Tell them we’re here.’ You did not specify the method.”

A loud sigh and a string of Rhonar curses, from who I could only imagine was the named Raiker, followed these bold proclamations.

I giggled at their antics as I put on the remains of my sad clothing. At least they had dried after my fishing trip in the spring.

“While you’re entertaining my mate with your antics,” Daegan shouted up to the arguing warriors, “you mind getting us out of here?”

“You’re mate?” the two yelled back in tandem, the florin chittering away too.

“Yes.” He held up my hand like I had just one a boxing match. “This is Elena, my Truxoria, and if you don’t help us from here now, I’m going to set her loose on you.” He winked at me. “Beware. She’s a pajuara.”

“This I’ve got to see!” Firas exclaimed, his excitement a palpable thing. “A Terran-pajuara!”

Laughter filled the cavern, the merriment of the brathers and the florin warming my heart. It seemed I’d have some competition when it came to humor, and I couldn’t be happier.

The rescue didn’t take long. Lifting us to their space fighter via a rope, we crammed into the warrior ship that usually held three Rhonar max and took off. The florin disappeared again after complaining about the tight space—at least, that’s what Daegan said his angry chitters meant. Luckily, we didn’t have far to travel to meet up with their battle cruiser. The sheer size and design of it made Earth’s deep space vessel look like a child’s toy.

“Whoa!” I gasped and pressed my nose to the screen for a better glimpse of it. When we landed in the docking bay, I spun around as giddy as a kid in a candy shop. “This is incredible.”

Daegan wanted to take me on a tour, but their commanding officer, met us on the platform.

“Commander Hakon,” the three warriors said in unison, fists tight against their sternums.

“At ease, my brathers.” He grabbed Daegan’s shoulder and held out his free hand. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

Daegan clasped the commander’s forearm. “Thank you. I am, and I have returned mated.”

“I can see from the marks on your wrists.” The warrior’s eyes crinkled, thin lines appearing at the corners. “I am heartened by this news.”

The warriors released their grip, and Daegan turned to me. He placed his large palm at my back and guided me gently forward. “May I present to you, Elena Rivera, my mate, and a security officer from the Terran’s deep space vessel.”

“Security officer?” The commander’s eyes roved over me, but not in a creepy way. I knew that look. I’d gotten it time and again over my years in security. He was assessing me. After a moment, he met my gaze and smiled. “Then, we are truly blessed by Celestia. A mate and a fighter in one.”

My insides warmed. This Hakon was about to become my new best friend. He just didn’t know it yet. “Thanks, Hake,” I said shortening his name on a whim. “You’re not so bad yourself.” I stuck a hand to my sternum as I’d seen the others do, albeit my tribute was likely less impressive. “Glad to be of service, Cap-e-tan.”

His response was half laugh, half cough. But I’d take it. My particular brand of comedy took some getting used to, but I’d break him in eventually. “Yes, well,” he said seemingly at a loss. Then, he motioned for us to follow him. “I may have some good news for you all.”

“Oh yeah.” Firas bounced on the balls of his feet, walking close behind us with Raiker next to him.

I took the middle with Daegan at my side, glancing every which way I could as we traversed the ship. I couldn’t wait to investigate all the nooks and crannies.

“Yes.” Hakon guided us to the bridge, then through a side door to what had to be his office. It was as Spartan as I imagined him to be but hints of his personality shone through—a knickknack here, a holo-image there. I’d have fun figuring him out.

The door closed behind us with a whoosh, and instantly, the mood shifted. A thick blanket of tension coated the space and a hush settled over us. Even Firas stopped bouncing.

The commander bade us sit and took up a chair behind a massive metal desk. He steepled his fingers and glanced at us each in turn.

“Just tell us, commander.” Raiker was the first to break the silence. “If it’s good news, then no reason to hesitate.”

“It is, but I don’t want to give false hope.” He gazed at me, the weight of his stare as heavy as a space engine.

Daegan put his arm around my shoulders, and I took comfort in his touch. “Say it, Hakon,” he said, using the commander’s true name as if to put a period on the statement.

“All right.” He sighed. “But like I said, don’t get your hopes up too high. It’s only a thin lead at the moment.” Clicking a digitized button on his desk, the screen behind him turned opaque, then an image appeared that stopped my heart. “We may have information on—”

“Brielle!” I shot up from the bench and practically dove for the screen. “That’s my friend. Where is she?”

Hakon paused, taking in each warrior and then turning to me. “We aren’t certain. It’s not definite—”

“But you have some idea. You have a lead,” I interrupted. I didn’t think, I just flung my arms around the big commander and squeezed. Then, I grabbed his hands and jumped around. “We’re going to find her!”

Daegan pulled me into his arms, saving his commander from my excitement. “Hear me, my mate,” he held me still so he could lock gazes with me, “we will bring her back to you.”

“Crex yeah!” Firas shouted and bounced around next to me.

Raiker nodded from a spot where he stood in the corner like a sentinel. “We’ll do it.”

A loud throat clearing had all eyes on the commander. “I promise you, Elena, as the newest member of my crew and mate to my brather.” He bowed to me, hand on sternum. “We will find the lost ones.” His gaze swept to the screen where Brielle’s image remained. “We will find them all.”

Thank you for reading Alien’s Getaway! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Tina’s newsletter for a bonus scene!

STEPHANIE WEST

CLAIMING KARA

PREFACE

Sunbathing – check.

Exotic cocktails – check.

Truly epic sight-seeing with all the bizarre people aboard – double check.

Kara is beginning to think this freaky alien cruise is almost like a regular cruise. Then all hell breaks loose and she’s completely screwed. The only person willing to help her is the one man she’s been avoiding. Although Lyr’s rugged appeal makes her want to howl at the moons of Jupiter, he’s an alien…an alien werewolf, and their first brief encounter still has her fuming.

Maybe it would be better to go down with the ship.

CHAPTER 1

KARA

Kara waited for the Uber driver to take off before fetching her other phone, the super-secret alien phone, and tapped the only icon on the screen.

“What the fuck, Vivi?!” she demanded the moment her sister’s face appeared onscreen.

“I told you the ship would have to pick you up in the middle of nowhere,” Vivian countered, reading her mind.

“How am I supposed to wheel these bags out there?” Kara panned from the cornfield to her stacked suitcases.

“You never did learn how to pack light,” Vivian snorted.

“You shut it, Vivi. How did you think I was going to pack for a cruise across the freaking galaxy?!”

It wasn’t like she was just heading out of town on a long weekend.

“Well…” Her sister grimaced.

“I hate you.” Kara shook her head.

“No you don’t. You love me, Care Bear,” Vivian teased.

“Yeah. Why else do you think I’m getting onto some freaky alien cruise ship all by myself?” She rolled her eyes to the sky.

Someone had to make sure Vivian’s new weird alien boyfriend was treating her right.

“You won’t be all by yourself. There’ll be someone to meet you,” Vivian assured her, a sly grin splitting her face.

Kara eyed her sister suspiciously. Vivian was up to something.

“Exactly why can’t you beam me up or whatever that transporter thing is?” she asked in frustration as she started dragging her precariously piled bags into the field, shoving aside the annoying large cornstalks.

“Remember, I told you, Serus did something to it,” Vivian started to explain again.

“Oh yeah. It’s broken. That’s all you had to say,” she swiftly interjected, struggling as the suitcase wheels got stuck in the mud. “God knows I don’t want my atoms scattered across the universe.” She blanched at the disturbing thought.

“I’m sorry, Care Bear. The cruise ship was passing by Earth. It was the quickest way to get you here.”

“I know you’d join me if you could.” Kara paused, wiped the sweat off her brow and smiled at her sister. “I’m sure this will be the trip of a lifetime. I have always wanted to go on a cruise.”

“Exactly. Have fun and I’ll see you soon.” Vivian blew her a kiss.

Again, she caught a mischievous twinkle in Vivian’s eyes.

“I love you, Vivi,” Kara said with a dubious shake of her head then hung up the alien phone and dropped it into her purse.

This was a vast improvement to what her sister had been like six months ago, when her dick of a husband was still alive.

She’s really got it bad for that alien werewolf. She wanted to be happy for her sister, but she just couldn’t.

Vivi had been this way when she first met dead dick Steve, too. As much as she hated Steve, at least the dead dick hadn’t kickstarted the relationship with murder and abducting the whole family, like Vivi’s current love interest. She shivered at the frightening memory.

One thing at a time. Try to enjoy this cruise. She attempted to shove aside the nagging worry, while roughly tugging on her bags. And pray I don’t break a damn nail, trudging through this cornfield.

With a meditative deep breath that would make the Dali Lama proud, she pushed onward. After what seemed like miles, but was really only a hundred yards, she pushed through the cornstalks into a flattened area. Kara paused, her eyes widening when the air rippled in front of her. She cocked her head as she studied the flickering outline of a ship not much larger than a school bus.

Why am I in the middle of nowhere if the ship can cloak itself? She scowled.

“Are you Kara Davies?”

“Shit!” she barked, her head swiveling toward the voice that had a weird pitch and resonance.

Abruptly, she took a step back from the robot hovering uncomfortably close. Where the hell had the freaky thing come from? She gaped at the floating Hoover vacuum.

“Excrement? I do not know how this applies. Are you Kara Davies?” the robot asked again.

“Yeah.” She nodded slowly then was blinded by an odd blue light that scanned her.

Kara blinked, trying to get rid of the bright spots in her eyes and not cuss. There were going to be a lot of unexpected situations popping up. She needed to relax or she was going to give herself a heart attack.

“This way.” The robot drifted toward the ship.

“Do you think you can help here?” She pointed to her bags.

The robot’s head creepily spun all the way around. “I am not rated for portage of that mass.”

Then what good are you? Her brow furrowed when the robot continued on its way.

“Okay,” Kara sighed and started wheeling her precariously stacked bags over the flattened cornstalks.

This is what Vivi was smirking about. Rotten brat! She hired a robot escort to keep me company, knowing full well I’m murder on electronics. She’d smashed more cellphones than she could count, blown up a microwave, fried the guts of a vacuum, and any laptop with a drink nearby was guaranteed to die. Well, I hope she took out insurance on the unhelpful Hoover.

“Place your property there.” The robot pointed to a blue circle on the platform at the base of the ship.

She was pulling her luggage into the circle when the platform lifted off the ground, startling her. She tried to catch her balance, grabbing the handle of her bag, but it was abruptly sucked into the ship.

“Caution!” the robot declared.

Her incredulous gaze darted to the bot as she regained her footing. “Thanks for the warning,” she said flatly. “I assume my bags are going to a luggage compartment somewhere?” She peered into the hatch overhead, trying to see where they’d gone.

“Yes.”

Her brow arched. Apparently, the bot wasn’t going to volunteer any more information.

“Great. This alien cruise is starting off just great,” Kara mumbled with a shake of her head.

The platform ascended into the belly of the small spaceship, revealing a few dozen seats, a door at the rear and not much else. It looked a lot like first-class on an airplane and she nodded approvingly.

“You may take any seat. You are our only passenger from this planet,” the robot instructed.

“Thanks.”

She decided on the first seat in the front row. The chairs were a little high, obviously meant for much bigger people, but once she managed to climb into it, it was big enough she could pull her feet up and comfortably sit cross-legged.

“When do we take off?” She turned to the robot that had embedded itself in the nearby wall.

“We already lifted off.”

“Really?” She hadn’t felt a thing.

Kara looked around, hoping to see her planet as they went into space.

“Are there any windows?” She frowned as it dawned on her the blue walls were solid.

“No.”

Kara closed her eyes, exacerbated by the one-word replies.

“Is there any way I can see outside?” she asked, attempting a different approach.

“Yes.”

Kara gasped when all of a sudden everything but the nearby seats became see-thru. They were moving fast. The ground was already obscured by clouds, the continents shrinking below. Her eyes widened when everything darkened as space enveloped them, her gaze riveted to the glowing curve of her blue planet.

“Amazing,” she whispered when she found her voice.

A knot formed in her stomach as Earth grew smaller. When she remembered to breathe, she had to consciously not hyperventilate. This was new, and more than a little daunting. She turned away from the sight of her home disappearing only to be surprised by another view.

“The moon.”

She let out a little laugh as she surveyed its cratered surface. This whole scenario was absurd and yet here she was.

The shuttle whipped around the moon and there it was, the biggest ship Kara had ever seen, and she’d once toured an aircraft carrier. The shape of the alien cruise ship reminded her of a shark, with its angled bow, and the unusual projection like a dorsal fin. The closer they got, the bigger it grew, and she could see that instead of smooth, the outer hull had thousands of decks, like barnacles lining the outside.

Just as the shuttle entered the massive ship, a terrible thought struck her. Panicked, Kara’s hand shot to the shell of her ear and she was relieved to feel the translator cuff that resembled a fancy earring. Without the useful piece of jewelry, she wouldn’t be able to understand a single thing anyone said.

“Please exit,” the robot announced, capturing her attention.

She hopped out of her seat and stepped onto the platform.

“Please take your credentials.” A clear plastic card emerged from the robot’s chest.

She took the card, and discovered it wasn’t clear at all.

“Oh, holy hell,” Kara grimaced, seeing the holographic headshot.

The damn robot had captured her picture just as she was blinded by the blue laser. She was squinting and her mouth was agape at a weird angle. While she was lamenting the worst photo ever, she was again startled when the platform moved.

“Wait, aren’t you joining me?” she asked, when the robot didn’t follow.

“No. Your belongings can be picked up at cargo receiving,” the hunk of bolts replied before she dropped out of view.

“Well, where in the hell is cargo receiving?” she groused.

Something occurred to her as she stepped off the platform.

If that damn vacuum isn’t my escort, who the hell is?

She was about to call her sister on her space age phone when it also dawned on her, her purse had been sucked up with the rest of her luggage.

“Son of a bitch!”

Kara looked around the positively massive hangar, holding a fleet of shuttles. Straight ahead, there was a large arch, leading into the main ship.

And a massive crowd. Oh, holy crap. Her stomach churned seeing so many aliens. Okay, you can do this.

It was disconcerting having so many eyes on her, much less alien eyes, as she headed toward the arch leading out of the hangar. The variety of people was absolutely stunning. There were so many shapes, colors and sizes of people that her gaze didn’t know where to land.

She paused when she reached the gate beneath the arch. Besides the employee in the booth who looked like a turkey buzzard, no one appeared to be waiting for her.

Maybe they’re meeting me at baggage claim.

“Where’s cargo receiving?” she asked, showing off her unflattering ID.

The buzzard didn’t look at the ID, staring at her instead, like she’d grown two heads.

Actually, I might fit in better if I had two heads. She snorted to herself.

“Where do I get my bags?” she asked again.

Without averting its probing beady gaze, the buzzard pointed to the right with its wing.

“Thanks.” She walked through the open gate.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared up at the vaulted atrium ceiling with its clear domed top. A high-rise could fit inside the grand plaza of the cruise ship, buzzing with activity on every deck. It looked like Vegas and the circus had a baby. Between the unusual sights, sounds, smells and people pressing in to gawk at her, she was beyond overwhelmed.

“Pardon me. Excuse me.” She started wading through the curious crowd.

LYR

“Speed it up,” Lyr murmured impatiently as the lift descended to the ship’s grand plaza.

He was already running late, but he couldn’t meet Kara looking shaggy. He examined his reflection in the glass, his ears flicking left then right, making sure he’d gotten the points even. Lyr grabbed his tail and grimaced. He’d practically scalped it, but Blaidd assured him human females didn’t like too much hair. There were some areas he couldn’t do much about. He certainly wasn’t about to shave his whole body bald. That would look ridiculous.

The doors to the lift parted and Lyr hustled across the grand plaza. He growled in frustration when he reached the crowd gathered outside the cruise ship hangar bay. As he worked his way through the crowd, he heard several people twittering about the human.

“Did the human already arrive?” he asked a Golbeth.

“Aye,” she burbled.

“Koyat’g fate!” Lyr cursed. “Did you see which way she went?” He stood on his toes, trying to see past the crowd.

“No, but I hope to see it later. I’ve never seen one,” the Golbeth replied, her scales vibrating.

It hadn’t occurred to him that everyone would flock to see the unknown species from the remote little blue planet. He’d met a few humans before, so the novelty had worn off. The humans were a primitive race with technology that barely took them beyond their planet, so everyone’s curiosity was understandable. Although, that didn’t help him at the moment.

He frantically searched the crowd as he pushed his way to the gate beneath the arch.

Blaidd is going to kill me. He growled, not finding the alpha’s sister-by-bond anywhere. And yet, angering Blaidd is not what bothered him most.

Kara was a spirited female, as evidenced by their first brief meeting, moons ago, when she kicked and threatened to unman him. He grinned at the memory then again scowled.

But she’s still a small, delicate, sheltered human who shouldn’t be alone on this cruise ship.

Lyr pulled in a deep breath, hoping to scent the tiny human, then huffed in frustration. There were too many smells.

Time to hail Blaidd. He pulled his utor from his belt, and tapped on the screen.

“Oh hey, Lyr,” Vivian, Blaidd’s human mate, answered unexpectedly. “Blaidd stepped away. Are you having fun?” She wagged her brows.

He grimaced, not wanting to tell the female he’d already lost her sister.

“The cruise is relaxing.”

That part was true, and he had needed a break after a particularly harrowing mission on Feccus.

“Wonderful. You deserve it. Thank you for watching out for my sister.” Vivian smiled appreciatively.

“It’s my honor. I’m pleased it worked out that I was still on Nundinae when the cruise ship docked,” he replied, his gaze darting toward the crowd, hoping to catch Kara.

“You might change your mind, especially after seeing all the bags she has. I think the little princess brought her entire closet on this trip,” Vivian laughed.

Cargo receiving! His eyes widened as it dawned on him that’s where Kara must’ve gone.

“Everything is great. I think I see her. Must go,” he fibbed and quickly ended the transmission.

Why didn’t I think of this? He jogged toward cargo receiving feeling like an utter fool.

CHAPTER 2

KARA

“My deepest apologies. Sometimes when there’s only a few parcels they get stuck in the conveyor on transfer.” The blue, striped woman grimaced, showing off her sharp teeth.

“So, my bags are lost.” She nodded and sighed.

Kara looked around baggage claim again, but still didn’t see whoever was sent to babysit her.

Lost bags, missed connections. Besides the unusual sights and sounds, this is panning out to be just like travel at home.

“Your belongings will be taken to your suite once they are retrieved. I will add credits to your account for the inconvenience.” The blue woman scanned her ID before passing the plastic card across the desk.

“Thanks. So, this has money on it?” Kara asked as she took the ID, frowning again at the horrific picture.

“Yes.”

“Great! I need a drink,” she mumbled the last part as she left the luggage claim.

Kara kept to the wall, attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible as she headed next door to the place that looked like a bar, and wandered up to the counter.

“Can I just sit anywhere?” she asked.

The guy behind the bar turned and she was stunned to see he had six eyes.

“Wherever you prefer.” He waved to the numerous large barstools with his three-fingered hand.

She picked a spot at the end of the counter and climbed onto the stool. From here, she could watch the main thoroughfare and hopefully spot whoever was meeting her when they passed from the hangar to baggage claim, but it was still secluded enough that random people wouldn’t easily spot her and come into the bar to stare.

“I’m supposed to meet someone, but so far we keep missing each other,” she commented, getting situated. “I don’t know why my sister didn’t tell me who it was. No, I do know why, she’s up to something.”

“You are free to stay as long as you wish. What can I prepare for you?” the bartender asked.

“Thanks.” Kara was about to rattle off her favorite drink then paused. It occurred to her they probably couldn’t make a margarita. “I have no idea. I’ll probably order something I’m allergic to,” she snorted.

“Hand me your credentials, and place your hand in here.” The bartender grabbed an oval contraption and held it out.

“All right.” She gave him her ID and stuck her hand inside the oblong ring.

The bartender inserted her card into a slot on the top of the ring, then a laser passed over her hand.

“Your biology is not that unusual,” he commented as he read the display on the ingenious scanner.

“That’s good to know. You’d think I was a freak the way everyone was looking at me when I arrived,” she chuckled.

“Like that.” The bartender gestured toward a creature resembling an overgrown praying mantis.

“Yep.” She nodded.

“Attend to your beverage,” the bartender barked at the insectoid.

“Thank you.” She grinned. “I’m Kara. What’s your name?” She held out her hand.

“Yektu. Welcome to the Eridani.”

He held out his hand, but not close enough for her to shake. She smiled, realizing he had no clue what the gesture was, but had mimicked her to be polite.

“Very nice to meet you, Yektu.” She pulled her hand back.

“Would you like something, sweet, salty, sour?” Yektu asked.

“Surprise me.”

“Is a mild intoxicant acceptable?”

“Oh, you better add a mild intoxicant,” Kara laughed, needing to take the edge off.

“My type of patron,” Yektu laughed, the ridges on his purple cheeks flapping as he made the gregarious sound.

“It’s been quite a day. This is my first time traveling in space.”

“Usually, your planet is off limits, so it was a bit surprising when I heard the rumor your species would be joining us. You don’t seem primitive at all,” Yektu commented as he fiddled with something behind the counter.

“Thanks. I think.” She grimaced.

“Pardon me. That was rude.” All six eyes darted to her.

“It’s okay. I get it. My people don’t have space travel yet. Hell, most humans don’t even know aliens exist. They’d freak out. It’s probably a good idea to avoid my planet. There’d be mass hysteria and they’d try to dissect you.”

“You don’t seem hysterical. How is it you are here then?” Yektu tilted his head.

“It’s a long story. Basically, my sister was abducted by Blaidd, this hairy werewolf looking dude. Oh, what are they called? Loopy something.” She wracked her brain for the name.

“Lupercalia?” Yektu asked as he set her drink down.

“That’s it!” She nodded as she studied the frothing yellow beverage.

Hesitantly she lifted the tumbler to her lips and took a sip. She was surprised by the sweet smooth flavor that reminded her a bit of a buttery fuzzy navel.

“Acceptable?”

“Mmm hmmm.” She nodded and took a bigger drink.

Yektu took her ID card and scanned it. All six of his eyes widened.

“What? Do I not have enough money?” She froze, mid-sip.

“You could buy this establishment.” Yektu waved toward the bar.

“Oh.” She sat up straighter. It was her turn to be shocked.

“You were talking about Blaidd, the Lupercalia Primitus.” Yektu gaped at her.

“I think I’ve heard Vivian call him that.” She nodded. “Supposedly, he’s a big deal.”

Apparently, Blaidd made sure she had all the money she needed plus some. Kara took another sip of her drink and frowned at the ID card.

“Well, I won’t be bought. Blaidd and his goons abducted my sister, then they took me and my mom. That’s not right. I don’t care who you are,” she practically growled.

Vivian had to be suffering some sort of Stockholm syndrome. With their dad no longer alive and a mom who would nurse a dying housefly back to health, it was up to her to take care of the family.

“Abducting people is not acceptable no matter the race or status,” Yektu sympathized.

“You can say that again.” She raised her drink to toast the comment. “Can you believe it? Now she’s living on his planet. That’s where I’m going. It’s been a lot to deal with.” Kara paused as she realized she was getting worked up again. “Sorry. You have other people to help. Thanks for the drink and letting me babble.”

“It is no burden at all. You sound like a very good and caring sibling. I hope you can relax enough to enjoy the voyage. Hail me when you want another.” Yektu nodded to her before heading to another customer.

Yeah, relax. That’s the mantra of the day.

She turned toward the window, taking in the sights. The grand plaza was a buzz of activity, from restaurants and shops to performers and holographic displays. She chuckled at a trio of long-necked, tentacle-mouthed people trying on scarves at a nearby booth. They couldn’t seem to find any big enough to suit them. Her gaze drifted upward to the dozen levels above, all packed with similar establishments. Mid-air, suspended walkways meandered through trees and plants in hovering pots. As she sipped her drink, she watched little bots zipping around the foliage tending to the greenery. It was all truly wondrous.

By the time she was done with her drink, she was feeling a lot calmer, giddy even. Maybe it was the alcohol or whatever was in the drink, but she wasn’t about to question it.

“Well, I suppose I should try to find my room,” she commented to Yektu, halfway down the bar.

Whoever was meeting her would just have to find her there.

“Return again. It was pleasant meeting you, Kara.” Yektu held out his three-fingered hand in the shaking pose.

“You, too, Yektu,” Kara snorted and held out her hand, the misinterpreted gesture becoming her new wave.

After making sure her ID was in her pocket, she headed out of the bar. She hadn’t taken more than two steps when she caught sight of a furry tail and pointy ears.

Is that Blaidd? I think it is. If Blaidd was here then so was her sister. It was just like Vivian to tell her she couldn’t be here, then turn around and surprise her.

“Vivian. Blaidd!” She excitedly dodged several guests, trying to reach her sister.

Blaidd spun toward the sound of her voice and she realized it wasn’t her sister’s boyfriend at all. His hair was too dark, his eyes, too. Her gaze narrowed in recognition as the hairy man stood taller searching for her in the crowd.

That’s Blaidd’s partner in crime. They sent that kidnapping fleabag, Lyr, to come get me! Her jaw dropped open as disappointment, anger and lingering fear swamped her.

She scowled, recalling the way he’d chuckled as she kicked and cussed him after being stolen off her planet. Only a real asshole did that.

There is no way. No fucking way! Kara shook her head and ducked down as she slowly crept back into the bar.

“Yektu,” she hissed.

“What is the problem?” Yektu swiftly came to her.

“It’s one of those bastards who abducted me.” She peered out of the bar to see if Lyr had followed. “There.” She pointed, seeing him still searching the crowd.

“Come. I know of another way to the passenger quarters.” Yektu led her around the bar and into a kitchen.

“Thank you,” she sighed once they were out of view.

“The Lupercalia Primitus shouldn’t have sent someone that frightens you to be your escort. Jabyl, watch the canteen.” Yektu motioned to another person before leading her into a back hallway.

“Right. It was freaking frightening. Just cause my crazy sister is in love with one of them, doesn’t mean I’m suddenly okay with the whole cluster fuck.”

This venture was daunting enough without dredging up memories she still couldn’t rectify.

“Indeed. This way.” Yektu led her down a warren of hallways and then onto an elevator.

“Sorry for being a burden,” she said as they went up.

“No burden. My mate can handle the canteen.”

They exited the elevator and again meandered the halls. Kara paused just as Yektu was opening the door to the public area.

“Wait. I bet Lyr knows where my room is.” She frowned.

“True.” Yektu let the door slide shut. “We can solve that. May I have your credentials?”

She passed him the ID and he went to a nearby computer embedded in the wall. As Yektu started typing, a wonderfully rotten idea occurred to her.

“What’s the best room you have here?” she asked.

“I like you, Kara,” Yektu burbled, his cheeks flapping as he laughed while typing. “The best room is taken but it appears the Nebula suite, in the Excelsior Tower is open.”

“Sounds good. I don’t know what Vivi was thinking. She really has lost her mind. You know what else, who needs luggage when there’s shops and spas? I’ll spend all of Blaidd’s money,” she angrily huffed.

This would be just the payback they deserved for pulling this stunt on her. Maybe it was immature, she could’ve just changed rooms, but somehow this made her feel even with the overgrown hairballs.

“Exceptional idea. This way.” Yektu led her back to the elevator.

They were on the elevator for a while before it finally stopped. It was a very short walk to the public hallway this time. When they entered it, she stopped, slightly confused by how small the guest corridor was. There was a glass elevator at one end and then two other doors. Although there was a plush bench, tropical plants and a spectacular fountain, that was it.

That’s because there’s only two suites on this floor! It started to dawn on her exactly what she’d done.

“This is your suite.” Yektu led her to the door with a colorful glowing swirl embedded in it.

Yektu opened the door to her suite and her jaw dropped open at the stunning sight. The room was sprawling, a massive bed piled high with pillows on the far left and a dining table long enough to feed an army on the right. Puffy seating surrounded a glowing, twisting holographic fire in the middle of the room with bobbing colorful lights hovering overhead. It was amazing, certainly the most sumptuous room she’d ever stayed in, but it was the view from the windows on three sides that captured her attention, making her forget all of her worries. She was instantly drawn to the nebula, with its swirling cluster of majestic lights. Kara found herself at the window. She raised her hand to touch the glass and was shocked when it parted.

“There’s a balcony!” she exclaimed, looking back at Yektu in surprise.

“Aye.”

Hesitantly, Kara stepped out and was stunned to feel a cool wind.

“How is this possible? We’re in space,” she whispered in awe.

“The membrane allows some things in,” Yektu said as he joined her. “It regulates the heat, the cold, and gasses.” He pushed on something and she saw the nearly invisible elastic barrier flex.

“Wow.” She reached forward and touched the odd surface, then quickly pulled her hand back. “It feels thin.” She grimaced, worried it would pop like a bubble.

“Does this meet your approval?” Yektu asked as they stepped back inside.

“I think this will do nicely.” She grinned at the purple man.

LYR

“Have you seen the human?” Lyr asked the Sarkozi manning the stand selling shawls and other apparel.

“No, but I just got here,” the blue, striped male replied.

He’d checked cargo receiving only to learn she’d already left. Then he searched the various shops and cafés in the area, turning up nothing. He definitely heard her shout for Blaidd and Vivian, and if he wasn’t mistaken, he saw a wisp of her brown wavy hair, but it was like she disappeared into thin air.

“Koyat’g bane,” he snarled, turning in a circle.

This was a very nice cruise, but people had been known to go missing on such ships, and he was no stranger to what horrible things could happen in this vast universe.

I’ll check her room.

He bristled with frustration as he stalked across the grand plaza and got on the nearest lift. This was supposed to be an enjoyable assignment, but it was swiftly turning into a tangle.

Lyr reached Kara’s room which was across from his own, pressed the buzzer on the door and waited. Nothing. He pressed his ear to the door and didn’t hear any movement inside her suite. With an aggravated sigh he retrieved his utor and hailed Blaidd again.

“Lyr,” Blaidd answered. “What’s the trouble?” he asked, seeing Lyr’s expression.

“I missed Kara. There was a massive crowd at the hangar, she wasn’t at cargo receiving, and she’s not at her suite,” he quickly related.

“I have confirmation she arrived.” Blaidd frowned.

“What’s going on?” Vivian asked as she joined Blaidd on the viewscreen.

“Lyr can’t find your sister,” Blaidd related, pulling Vivian onto his lap.

Worry instantly twisted Vivian’s face.

“I know I heard her call both of your names, and I thought I caught a glimpse of her, but then she disappeared into the crowd,” Lyr swiftly related.

“Let me look at the confirmation the cruise sent.” Blaidd swiped on the screen, bringing up his messages.

The male’s brow arched as he read.

“What is it?” Lyr asked.

“It appears that Kara upgraded her room, but it doesn’t say where,” Blaidd replied.

“Oh, my gawd!” Vivian declared then scowled. “I think I know what happened.”

“What?” he and Blaidd asked at the same time.

“Kara still isn’t happy about the whole abduction thing. I thought she was okay when she agreed to come visit, but I guess not. I bet when she saw you, she got cold feet,” Vivian explained.

“Did she think we’d send an absolute stranger?” Blaidd asked and Vivian shrugged.

“She can be angry all she wants. It’s still not safe for her to be alone on this ship,” Lyr huffed.

He instantly regretted the comment when Vivian frowned, and Blaidd scowled at him.

“I just mean that she’s new to space travel,” he added, but it didn’t change the expression on Vivian’s face. “She’s here somewhere. She’s savvy enough to get a new room. I’ll find her,” he promised.

“Thank you, Lyr. I’m sorry,” Vivian lamented.

“If any male can find her it’s you. I’ll notify you when I learn what room she’s in,” Blaidd added.

“Thank you for your faith, Primitus.” He ended the transmission.

Lyr glared at the door of the empty room. He truly thought something happened to Kara, but learning she was intentionally evading him made his hackles stand on end.

“I’m going to turn that female over my knee when I find her!”

“Pardon me.” A porter lugging several bags stopped in front of the suite. “Here are your things. Apologies for the delay.”

Lyr paused as he was about to tell the porter they didn’t belong to him.

“Thank you.” He instead took the pink bags that obviously belonged to Kara.

He waited until the male left before hauling them into his room.

“What do we have here?”

Usually he wouldn’t pry, but this wasn’t a usual circumstance. He opened the large bag with wheels and dumped it onto his bed. His nostrils flared as he was instantly inundated by Kara’s sweet feminine scent.

I definitely smelled this in the plaza.

He grabbed a dainty, silky garment, lifted it to his nose and took a big whiff, getting reacquainted with Kara’s unique perfume. The intoxicating scent had him reeling.

You won’t be able to hide from me now. If the Lupercalia were known for anything, it was their sense of smell.

With a hungry groan, he found himself collapsed on the bed, burying himself in the pile of clothes. Her smell worked its way through him, coiling around his senses, making him jittery and his canines itch. The urge to go hunting was strong, but it was late and Kara was undoubtedly holed up in her new room for the night.

CHAPTER 3

KARA

This morning had been so much fun, from breakfast in bed, to having a new wardrobe made, and visiting a spa. Kara admired her shimmery skin, loving the faint dusty gold the spa used during her massage. She felt truly gorgeous from her manicured nails to her freshly curled hair.

The curious people checking out the weird human didn’t bother her as much as yesterday.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted them all with a nod and a smile, strutting her stuff in her new glitzy bathing suit and silky robe, on the way to the upper deck.

She knew she was in the right place when she reached a solid wall of glass with colorful fish darting about on the other side.

“Oh, wow.” Her eyes widened as a gargantuan beast drifted by.

It looked like a prehistoric whale with one long fin all the way down its body and more eyes than she could count.

Kara followed the aquarium until it opened into a glass-domed stadium with three separate pools and hundreds of lounge chairs the size of queen beds. She shielded her eyes from the artificial sunlight hanging high above, wishing she had her sunglasses.

“Oh,” she snorted, seeing most of the aliens were naked sprawled on the lounge chairs.

I guess it’s clothing optional.

The variety of body types extended to private parts as well. She tried to not gawk, but who could ignore tentacles and other dangly bits?

Now is not the time to attract extra attention, she chuckled, not wanting to be swarmed by nude aliens.

She skirted the crowd, avoiding the pink pool, until she reached the one that looked like it held plain water. Although she wasn’t planning on swimming, she certainly didn’t want to get splashed by acidic water. Kara surveyed the various empty lounge chairs. The closest one had a family of rotund hippo-like people nearby. The handful of kids were cute, but boisterous. She was looking for a relaxing time, so she rounded the pool, picking another empty lounger.

“Is this chair taken?” she asked the yellow character with gills, and a blue, feathered person taking up the seats on either side.

“No.” “It’s yours,” they replied in unison.

“Thanks.” She smiled and sat.

With a blissful sigh, Kara lay back and closed her eyes, soaking up the artificial sunlight.

LYR

That little female… Lyr shook his head in aggravation as he returned to his room.

He’d searched the grand plaza and half a dozen other places. For some reason he could smell Kara everywhere, which just wasn’t possible. Well, of course he could smell her everywhere now, her clothes were strewn all over his bed, but it shouldn’t have been that way in the rest of the ship. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was laying down a scent trail to throw him off.

“Where is my koyat’g utor?” He scanned the room for his forgotten communicator, wondering if something was wrong with him.

Lupercalia rarely got sick, then again, he felt hot all over.

There was a ping and his gaze swung toward the bed. Lyr rifled through Kara’s clothes until he found the comm. His gaze narrowed as he read the message from Blaidd.

Still trying to figure out Kara’s new room. Someone marked the information as private. But she did leave a trail of purchases. Vivian says Kara is doing something called retail therapy, whatever that means. From one of the charges, she believes you might find Kara at the aquaria.

Thank you for the tip. I’m on my way. I’ll let you know when I find her. He sent the message back.

“She better be at the aquaria,” he huffed.

His patience was wearing thin, which was saying a lot. He’d been wrongly imprisoned for years on his home planet, then enslaved while hunting the same tyrant that jailed him. He’d been subjected to the worst there was and had the scars to prove it, and yet this one tiny female was testing his patience.

“If I don’t find her, I’m spending the rest of the day relaxing by the water. The princess be damned,” he grumbled, his canines itching.

Lyr glanced around his room, realizing he didn’t have any bathing attire.

These will have to do. He pulled off his formal jacket and traded his slacks for a loose pair of short pants.

His gaze was drawn to Kara’s things wondering which of the tiny garments she would’ve worn to the aquaria if she hadn’t bought new things. She had so many clothes it was hard to tell. Lyr grinned as held up one of the many strappy garments with a pair of cups. He had a good idea what the two cups held. He groaned as he pictured palming the full breasts that filled those cups.

She’s the Primitus’ sister. He shouldn’t be thinking about her that way. And she’s driving me insane. The little human was trouble.

With a shake of his head, he perused her other belongings. There were so many bottles and tubes it was mind numbing. What could she possibly do with all the nonsense? Females were confusing and this little human female was no different.

Kara did have a drying cloth which would be handy, along with a few other useful accessories. He draped the colorful towel around his neck, propped Kara’s sun shades on his forehead and pocketed another intriguing trinket then headed out of his room.

Lyr followed the signs leading to the aquaria. He admired the captive aquatic life on the way into the domed natatorium. As he reached the pool with water, his nostrils suddenly flared, her scent stopping him in his tracks. It was as if he’d been slapped in the face. His head swiveled toward a lounge chair, all his senses screaming. There Kara was, stretched out like a goddess awaiting worship. Her wavy golden-brown hair spread out, her face tipped up, eyes closed, basking in the warm light. She was resplendent.

Every hair on his body stood on end as he took in the sight of her long creamy legs, the color of milk, with lush thighs, thighs meant to cradle a male’s hips. She wore tiny pink briefs that barely hid a thing, and yet they hid the one thing he was desperate to see at the apex of her thighs. His fingers flexed with the desire to rip off the small panties and grip her fleshy hips. His shaft kicked, straining in his pants, forcing him to shove it down his pant leg.

“She’s practically naked,” he growled under his breath, salivating at the way her ample breasts were hardly contained by the pink strappy top.

Many people here were nude, and yet the primal side of him was offended she was exposed for everyone to see. There was only one person who should be gazing at the goddess’s body…

Lyr’s eyes widened as it dawned on him what was wrong with him, the fever, the itching gums.

“Koyat’g fate!”

He was in heat.

KARA

This is the life. Yummy cocktails and sunbathing.

She took another sip of the blue drink and closed her eyes.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on Vivian and Blaidd. He probably could’ve cut me off by now.

And yet, forgiveness didn’t come easy. Kara frowned as her thoughts drifted to tougher times, like it always did when she thought about her sister’s poor taste in men. Everything about Blaidd sent up red flags, but a part of her was also jealous. He’d accomplished what she couldn’t, killing Vivian’s abusive ex-husband.

That still doesn’t make him a good guy.

Her scowl deepened when a shadow blocked out the light.

“Why the frown, princess, already disappointed with your new wardrobe? Or maybe you need to rent an even bigger suite,” the man with the gravelly voice asked.

What the hell?!

She cracked her eyes open. The glare around the towering man made it hard to see his face, but she knew exactly who had just insulted her, it was as plain as the pointy ears on his head and the tail on his ass.

“You wanna repeat that?” she said flatly to Lyr then pursed her lips.

“You heard me, princess. I’ve had to chase your tail across this ship and back for the last day.”

Princess?! Her dad used to call her that, but from Lyr it sounded like a curse. He must’ve heard Vivian say it.

Kara shielded her eyes, to get a better view of the snarky asshole, and her eyes widened. He had her beach towel draped around his neck and was wearing her sunglasses, which looked beyond weird since his pointy ears were atop of his head.

“You’re gonna break my sunglasses. Your fat head is stretching them out, you mangy fleabag.” She glared at him.

If she was being honest, Lyr didn’t really look that odd, and he wasn’t as mangy as her first impression deceived her into believing. Although he had hair all over, it was only thick atop his head and along his chin, looking more roguish than shaggy. His jaw appeared more pronounced with the set of sharp canines hidden behind full lips, but she couldn’t call it a full-fledged muzzle. Still, as pissed as she was, she wasn’t about to admit he wasn’t a total beast.

“Mangy fleabag? Amusing.” He arched one brow.

Her mouth dropped open when Lyr plopped down on her lounge chair.

“Excuse me.” She scrambled to the other side as the chair tipped under his weight.

“Excuse you for what?” He pulled off her sunglasses and pinned her with his dark brown gaze. “For running off and making your sister worry? For spending a fortune?” His furry brows arched imperiously.

The fucking nerve to reprimand me like I’m some child! She grit her jaw and glared back at him.

“Well, if someone hadn’t stolen my luggage, maybe I wouldn’t have needed to buy new things. But what should I expect from someone who goes around abducting people?” she countered loud enough the nearby people could hear.

Lyr panned the people now staring suspiciously at him, the muscle in his jaw flexing.

Don’t screw with me, buddy. Kara cast him a sugary sweet smile.

Lyr smiled back at her, showing off his sharp canines and she was instantly nervous.

“You can have your things back. I suggest you get them from my room before this mangy fleabag ruins them, too.” He stood and turned toward the pool, then paused and turned back to her. “Oh, I do have something else of yours.”

Her cheeks turned pink when Lyr pulled her vibrator out of his pocket and turned it on.

“I assume it helps you relax, which clearly you need.” He lifted it to his nose, took a sniff, then dropped it in her lap with a knowing, cocky smirk.

Her jaw hung open in shock, then she quickly grabbed the jiggling vibrator, turned it off and shoved it under her robe.

She was about to tell Lyr just where he could shove it when she looked up to find him pulling down his shorts. His back was turned and she had the perfect view of the tightest ass she’d ever seen. Not even his tail detracted from the perfection of those two muscular cheeks. Kara sat up straight, further stunned that he was seriously getting naked right in front of her. The fine coat of hair covering his body didn’t hide a single sculpted muscle as he pulled one leg then another out of his shorts. Her gaze drifted from his lats and broad shoulders to his trim waist, while trying to find her words.

Stop it. He’s a freaking space werewolf, she admonished herself but couldn’t pull her gaze away.

Her eyes widened in disbelief when she caught sight of his perfectly round balls and the beast swinging between his thighs. Kara rubbed her eyes and blinked, but the sight didn’t change.

Jesus Christ, what the… I can’t believe he’s… Oh, my gawd!

So, maybe Lyr was a hot piece of ass, but he was exactly that, an ass, who thought it was perfectly acceptable to abduct people and steal their stuff.

“You…you’re a menace. Someone should put a collar on you,” she sputtered as she hopped off the lounger.

Kara gasped when Lyr abruptly spun and was toe to toe with her, forcing her to look directly up at him.

“I was collared for five seasons in the Hold. No one—no one—will collar me again, but if you run off, you can guarantee I’ll slap a collar and tether on that pretty neck. Do you understand me, princess?” he growled.

He was so imposingly close she felt the heat radiating off his huge body, and she was painfully aware of one part of his anatomy in particular, but refused to avert her gaze from his feral dark eyes. Lyr was more dangerous than she realized, dangerous enough he’d been locked up. The scars on his chest and arms were proof of that, if his own admission wasn’t enough. Despite that, something inside her snapped.

“Don’t you fucking ever threaten me.” Kara shook with rage as she jabbed his stomach, forcing Lyr to take a step back. “I watched a dick like you torture my sister.” Jab. “And just because your friend killed the fucker,” jab, “don’t think for a moment I wasn’t plotting that asshole’s demise.” Jab.

With each heated word and stab of her finger, Lyr’s eyes widened.

“So don’t threaten me, you abducting overgrown hairball, because the bigger you are the harder you fall.” With that she gave him a final shove, then watched in satisfaction as Lyr went tumbling into the pool.

LYR

Lyr emerged and mopped the water off his face in time to see Kara angrily marching off. Maybe he’d gone too far.

But she’s damn cute when she’s mad.

He rubbed the sore spot on his chest as he hungrily stared at the way her full hips swayed, her shapely rear bouncing with each determined step. His shaft was instantly hard again, harder than when he first saw the vixen. She was bolder than most Lupercalia females with the tongue lashing she’d given him. The pack females wouldn’t dare disobey a male of his rank. Kara had him so riled, between her maddening scent, sexy little body, and acerbic tongue, he desperately wanted to possess her and bend her to his will.

Abruptly, reality intruded on his perverse thoughts of mounting the little vixen on the nearest lounger.

Torment! She’s running off again.

He glanced at the lounge chair and his eyes widened, seeing Kara had taken his pants and the drying cloth, leaving him with nothing. Normally going after her naked wouldn’t bother him, but at the moment it was a problem.

“Koyat’g fate!” he growled, shoving at his erection.

CHAPTER 4

KARA

“Kara!” Lyr hollered as she hustled down the corridor.

She’d hoped taking his clothes would give her more time to get away, but Lyr had stolen someone else’s towel. She reached the elevator and frantically hit the sensor.

“Come on. Come on.” She pranced in front of the door, casting another nervous glance behind her.

Shit! Her eyes widened, seeing how close he was.

The elevator slid open and she leapt in. Swiftly, she slammed her ID card on the sensor.

“Koyat’g fate, Kara, stop!” Lyr shouted as he continued to race toward her, shoving aside other guests.

Shut dammit! She rubbed her ID on the sensor, willing the door to close faster.

The see-thru door slid shut just in time and Lyr nearly slammed into the glass.

“Byeee.” She flipped Lyr off, while he hollered at her.

Thankfully he couldn’t follow, she’d taken his ID card when she grabbed his shorts and the towel. She should feel bad, but Lyr was a prick and he could get another ID at the help desk. By then she’d be safely in the tower. She sighed in relief when he was out of view, the glass elevator creeping upward.

Kara looked out of the elevator, taking in the view of the grand plaza with its multiple levels of shops, hanging gardens and fascinating sculptures. From the corner of her eye, she captured a flurry of motion, and turned to see what the commotion was.

“What the fuck?!” Her jaw dropped.

Lyr was scaling the fourth-floor railing. Horrified, she watched as he precariously crouched on the narrow ledge and leapt, grabbing ahold of one of the hovering trees.

He’s going to kill himself.

“Stop!” she screamed as he swung back and forth.

Her heart lurched as he let go and soared through the air. When he caught the edge of another planter a story up, her breath burst out.

The man’s insane!

She swallowed hard when Lyr leapt again, landing on the suspended walkway spanning the seventh floor.

“Cut it out, you lunatic.” Kara pounded on the glass.

He could see her, he was staring right at her, and yet he kept leaping around like a monkey on meth.

I can’t watch. She turned her back to the glass, before the inevitable disaster struck. If he thinks this stunt is going to convince me to go with him then he’s even more psychotic than I thought.

The elevator ascended into the tower and she sighed in relief. Only VIP guests with rooms here could enter this area.

I guess I’m sequestered to the tower for the rest of my trip. She scowled.

It wasn’t really a hardship. There were restaurants and other amenities in the tower catering to the elite.

A drink or five does sound good.

Kara put on her robe as the elevator came to halt and opened. She discarded Lyr’s shorts and followed her map to the nearest restaurant.

“Welcome to the Solar Lounge,” a scaly, green and yellow host greeted her.

LYR

“Fate!” Lyr bellowed when Kara disappeared into the tower.

With an angry huff he swung onto the nearby suspended catwalk.

“Torment,” he grumbled, seeing the cruise ship security making their way through the hanging garden.

“Halt!” the captain of the guard barked, pointing a stunner.

Lyr glanced behind him, debating making a run for it, only to see another cadre of guards closing in.

“Aye, aye.” Lyr tightened the drying cloth around his waist and held up his hands.

“What did you think you were doing and where’s your credentials?” the captain of the guard demanded, grabbing his arm.

What did I expect to accomplish? That was a good question.

Something in him short-circuited. His primal side took over, demanding he chase after Kara no matter how pointless it was. Although he had learned one thing. Kara had retreated into the Excelsior Tower. That narrowed her hiding place from thousands of rooms to a few dozen.

“Well?” the captain shook his arm, waiting for an answer, as they exited the suspended garden.

For a moment he debated saying his identification was stolen, but the guards would review the feed, and as annoying as Kara was, he didn’t want her locked up.

“I lost my credentials,” Lyr replied instead, eyeing the captain’s grip on his arm.

“We’ll figure out who you are back at the brig.”

“And you can hail the Lupercalia Primitus, since I’m here on his command,” Lyr countered.

The captain faltered and he instantly released Lyr’s arm. “The Primitus?” The male looked at him questioningly.

“Aye.” Lyr nodded.

“Ah, well, we’ll need to confirm that.” The male recovered, but didn’t attempt to grab him again.

Lyr smiled and peacefully followed them. There were benefits to his rank. The smile quickly dropped when he realized yet again he had bad news for the Lupercalia leader.

“Have a seat there.” The captain pointed to a stool once they entered the brig office.

Lyr watched the captain leave, undoubtedly to hail Blaidd, but was distracted when a disturbing pair of guards passed through the office.

They have Suid guards on staff. His brow furrowed at the questionable choice.

Lyr eyed the duo as they collected equipment for their shift. The tusks curling up from their snouts were freshly polished, the bristles on their jowls trimmed and groomed, looking as respectable as the rest of the guards in the brig. He shouldn’t be so judgmental, not all of the Suid were reprobates, but he had a past with the boorish race.

“Here’s a pair of breeches, and some new credentials. Your Primitus would like to speak with you.” The captain held out the comm.

“Thank you. You mind if I take this in the corridor?”

“Go ahead.” The captain gestured to the door. “The Primitus confirmed your story, but please stay on the traditional walkways for the remainder of the voyage.”

“Of course. I’ll bring this back.” Lyr nodded and headed out of the brig. “Primitus,” he greeted Blaidd once he had some privacy.

“So, you had a bit of an adventure,” Blaidd replied, sounding more amused than mad.

“Kara got away from me,” he groused, balancing the communicator on his shoulder as he tugged on the pants.

“Human females may be small, but they’re wily,” Blaidd chuckled.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Lyr’s brow arched.

“It’s always amusing when another male is chasing his tail,” Blaidd laughed harder.

“Speaking of chasing tail, Vivian was right, Kara was in the aquaria.”

Lyr paused, his attention diverted, when the two Suid guards exited the brig. He nodded to them, and they nodded back as they passed. He couldn’t help but follow the pair as they headed toward the public corridor.

“So, you lost her while swimming?” Blaidd asked.

“No. She pushed me in, then took off with my clothes, utor and credentials,” Lyr related absentmindedly as he followed the Suid, his curiosity getting the best of him. “But tell Vivian not to worry, I learned Kara’s staying in the Excelsior Tower.”

Lyr held the door and watched as the Suid guards disappeared into the crowd of guests.

“I know, but good work,” Blaidd complimented him. “I booked you into the suite below Kara’s.”

Lyr turned to head back, then paused. “That had to cost a small fortune.” He shook his head in disbelief.

At this rate he could’ve rented a vessel and picked the slippery minx up from Earth himself.

“Just do your best to keep an eye on Kara and try to enjoy yourself. That’s a command,” Blaidd insisted with an amused snort.

“Yes, Primitus.” Lyr shook his head incredulously and ended the transmission.

Blaidd wouldn’t be so amused if he knew the obscene thoughts he was having about the male’s sister-by-bond.

Maybe it’s best if I don’t catch up with her.

His inner beast rebelled at the thought and Lyr sighed in exasperation as he headed back to the brig.

“Here’s your utor,” Lyr commented to the bevy of guards gathered around the main console.

“Try that application.” The captain pointed to the screen, ignoring Lyr.

“I’ll leave it here.” Lyr set the communicator down on the desk and left. They were obviously preoccupied.

He wound his way out of the back hallways and headed straight for the bank of lifts. Although he really shouldn’t be near Kara, he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he showed up in the tower and knocked on her door. Something about the way her eyes widened in shock, her cheeks getting red with frustration sent a thrill coursing up his spine.

Lyr reached the lift leading to the tower and swiped his credentials on the sensor. It buzzed, displaying an error so he swiped the card again.

What in fate? He frowned when it again denied him access.

“Because nothing can be simple,” he growled and stalked toward the nearest service desk.

“How may…” the Xilox attendant started to ask but was cut off.

“All Eridani security personnel please return to headquarters,” an automated message blared over the attendant’s comm.

“Pardon me.” The Xilox turned the volume down. “How may I assist you?”

“I was booked into the Excelsior Tower, but my credentials aren’t working on the lift.” Lyr handed her his credentials.

“My deepest apologies.” The attendant started swiping on the console.

Lyr watched the crowd, noting all the guards making their way to the personnel entrance leading to the brig office.

“I am truly sorry, your credentials are corrupted and there seems to be a glitch in my system at the moment.”

Lyr’s shoulders slumped, one brow arching in aggravation. If it wasn’t one thing it was another.

KARA

“Mmm, the spread is a little bitter, but with the sweet toast it’s pretty good.” Kara finished chewing then took a sip of her bubbly drink.

She had no clue what anything on the plate was. For all she knew, she could be eating garnish, but since no one was staring she assumed she wasn’t being totally uncouth.

Oh well. She shrugged and made another mini sandwich.

There was an odd sound outside the lounge and she frowned as she tried to place it. The scuffling sound happened again, but louder, and everyone turned toward the entrance. Kara stopped chewing and gawked at the rotund character who entered the lounge sporting a pair of tusks curling out of its mouth and another pair protruding from its elongated snout, like a wild boar.

The boar lifted his weapon and shot the host. Kara gasped, nearly choking on her food as the back of the host’s head exploded, green blood and brains spattering the nearby tables. Frightened cries moved through the lounge.

Kara dropped out of her seat and huddled on the floor as more blasts strafed past, coming from a hulking scaly beast at the rear of the restaurant. The boar used the host’s body as a shield and fired back at the scaly beast. Everyone screamed and scattered as the series of shots obliterated the scaly man and several surrounding diners.

“Muzzle it!” the boar roared and everyone quieted. “Anyone else have any wise ideas?”

She looked around, but no one else seemed inclined to risk getting shot.

“Good.” The vile boar dropped the host’s limp body. “All the personnel up front. The rest of you don’t move!” he grunted, waving his weapon at the diners and employees.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Her heart thundered in her chest as she tried to not look at the corpse bleeding on the floor. What the hell is going on? She warily eyed the murderer dressed like one of the cruise ship guards.

Hesitantly the staff inched toward the boar.

“Faster!” The psychopath jabbed his weapon toward them.

One server burbled in distress, tripping over a chair and falling. The bartender moved around the bar to help.

“Don’t!” The boar swung toward the bartender. “Toss me a flask of sarchvy, the best you have.”

The bartender quickly fumbled with the various containers then tossed the oblong flask to the boar.

“Try to get to the back,” her server whispered when he passed her table.

Kara grimaced at him, not sure how she’d manage that without the boar seeing. The table she was huddling under wasn’t right up front, but it certainly wasn’t hidden either.

The vile, fat boar finished taking a swig from the flask and again menacingly eyed the crowd as the rest of the staff made it up front. Bile rose in her throat as he opened fire on the servers. A terrified scream ripped from her mouth, joining the other traumatized cries. The boar kept firing, picking off the staff. He had no mercy as the servers crawled and scrambled to get away. Kara’s hand flew to her mouth to muffle her scream and hold back the vomit as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Muzzle it,” the boar roared.

The cries shifted to sobs and Kara rocked back and forth where she sat.

“I’ve secured the Solar Lounge,” the boar barked into his communicator when the cries died down.

There’s more than one of them.

Horrified, she glanced at nearby diners as the weight of this utter nightmare registered.

We’re all going to die. Kara pulled in panicked breaths.

LYR

“Apologies. This usually doesn’t happen. I’m not even able to produce new credentials for you or add credits to your account for the trouble.” The cilia on the Xilox’s head wavered, equally frustrated by the system glitch.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lyr sighed and turned away from the help desk.

He surveyed the various employees at the nearby establishments. They all wore a mix of flustered, confused expressions, flutily tapping on their consoles, just like the guards who had ignored him in the brig office.

Something is going on. The hackles stood up on the back of his neck as he got a bad feeling.

Lyr spotted several guards entering the back hallway and jogged their way. He hoped he was wrong but it would be better to say something to the captain.

“Torment!” he grumbled, when the door slid shut just before he got there.

Lyr paced outside, waiting for another guard to come along. The sudden blast sent him flying, debris striking him, biting into his shoulder as he struck the floor.

KARA

Kara huddled by the table. The tremors she’d been trying to hold at bay grew worse, wracking her whole body the closer the boorish bastard got to her. There was a reason they were being divided into groups. What more could they want after robbing everyone? Whatever it was couldn’t be good.

I never should’ve ditched Lyr.

She thought the frustrating hairy man was bad news, but she was quickly learning what true evil looked like. Kara closed her eyes and said a little prayer that Lyr was still doggedly chasing her, because it would take a criminal like him to save her from this murderer.

After stripping the credits off the green-skinned man’s ID, the boar shoved him toward the group at the back of the restaurant then turned to her. Kara flinched as she stared past his pointy tusks at his menacing beady, yellow eyes. Quickly she averted her gaze, realizing it could be considered a challenge. Her hands were shaking so bad, she nearly dropped her ID as she extended it.

“What are you?” the foul boar grunted, grabbing her hand instead of the ID.

“Human,” she stammered, and cringed. He was gripping her so tight, the bones in her hand rubbed together, threatening to break.

“Never heard of you.” The disgusting beast ran her ID, his eyes widening. “Thank you for the sizable donation, human,” the bastard grunted sarcastically, then tugged her hand, swinging her toward the group by the bar.

Kara cried out as her arm twisted, then quickly tried to catch herself when the asshole let go. She hit the floor, skinning her knee. Her ID landed beside her and she grabbed it before pulling herself off the floor to join the diners by the bar. Kara cradled her arm as she huddled with her group.

“Faca, we’re about to separate,” another horrible boar said as he entered the restaurant.

“Aye. I’ll take these to join the other prime patrons. Get moving!” Faca curtly jabbed his meaty fist, directing her group out of the restaurant.

The vile boar kept his gun trained on them as they crowded the elevator and went up. Her eyes widened, seeing the pair of giant ships flanking the tower when they entered the penthouse. The two ships looked like floating garbage trucks compared to the fancy cruise ship. No doubt the horde of pirates came from the decrepit ships.

“Go.” Faca shoved them toward another half dozen people cowering by a trio of couches in the middle of the penthouse.

As they hustled to the overstuffed chairs a tremor rocked the ship, knocking everyone to the floor. The bubble lights overhead crashed together and shattered, things falling off the walls and tables all around, then the artificial gravity failed.

“Oh god,” she whimpered as she floated in mid-air.

Suddenly she was falling as gravity resumed. Kara struck the nearby table and everything went dark.

LYR

The ringing in his ears subsided to be replaced by terrified screams. Lyr picked himself off the floor and blinked as the dust settled. Those near the blast were sitting stunned and bleeding while other guests were fleeing.

“Koyat’g fate,” he growled, seeing the mangled door leading into the employee halls.

The blast nearly ripped the door from its housing. Beyond the crumpled entry, he caught sight of one dead guard. No doubt there were many more in the debris.

Systems glitch, my tail. This was a targeted attack. He snarled. I need to get into that tower.

The need to find Kara gnawed at his gut, making his skin crawl, and yet as he looked at the injured and disoriented people surrounding him, he knew he couldn’t just take off.

“Come on. Get up before you’re trampled.” Lyr wrapped his arm around a nearby female sobbing in confusion.

Sadly, he had experience with this sort of situation. Many times, while imprisoned, he had to keep a level head when fighting and chaos ensued.

“I’ve got her.” An elderly Tupelor male approached from his shop. “Grab that little one.”

Lyr was about to object, but the old shopkeeper surprised him with how strong he was as he wrapped an arm around the distraught female.

“Aye.” Lyr nodded.

He watched for a moment as the old male pushed through the panicking crowd, helping the female into his shop. Lyr darted around several guests and scooped up the frantic screaming youth.

“I have you. You are fine. Easy,” he tried to console the little one as they made it to the shop.

“Datara, Datara!” the youth wailed for his sire.

As he looked back out at the chaotic mob, the sound of rending metal sent a frisson of dread surging through Lyr. His gaze darted to the dome overhead. A crack was forming in the ship hull, near the bank of lifts leading into the tower. Deafening sirens blared as debris and people began whipping around the grand plaza, and were sucked through the widening crack into the vacuum of space.

“Get in here!” the old shopkeeper bellowed as a metal blast curtain started to descend.

His gaze shot back to the Salvori male struggling to reach the shop and his offspring. He was nearly here. Lyr lunged forward, grabbed the youth’s sire, and swiftly yanked the male into the shop, narrowly avoiding the blast curtain as it slammed down over the shop.

“Fate!” Lyr cursed, double checking his tail was still intact, while his ears popped as the shop pressurized.

“Datara!” The youth ran to his sire.

“Thank you!” the Salvori declared, clutching his offspring.

Everyone in the shop stared at the protective barrier, horrified by all the poor souls who didn’t make it to safety in time. He wished he could’ve done more, but now there was only one person who truly mattered—Kara.

“What by Calex’s horn is going on?” the shopkeeper barked, startling the other guests trapped in the shop.

“Suid pirates,” Lyr growled. Every ounce of his being screamed they were behind this.

“Absurd. Don’t you know all the illicit trade on Feccus has shut down with the Suid slave uprising?” the old shopkeeper scoffed.

Lyr’s brow cocked. The shopkeeper had no clue he’d been one of those slaves and had taken part in that uprising, but there was no time for that drawn out tale.

“Listen, I saw a pair of Suid leave the brig before the explosion that killed all those guards, there’s the glitch in the ship’s systems, and now that mess.” Lyr gestured impatiently to the blast shield as he paced. “It’s all an elaborate plan to rob the ship. I’d bet my tail on that.”

“Then what, the Suid pirates accidentally wrecked into the Excelsior Tower?” The old shopkeeper frowned.

He wouldn’t put it past them. Perhaps the slave uprising on the Suid home world had disrupted business enough that pirates were now resorting to wild schemes like robbing cruise ships.

The reason doesn’t matter.

“I don’t know, but I need to get out of here. I need to get into that tower.” Lyr punched the blast shield in frustration, everything in him screaming he had to reach Kara.

“You want to go into the part of the ship that’s the most compromised?!” the shopkeeper asked incredulously.

“My female is there,” Lyr snarled.

Lyr was stunned as the words came out of his mouth and swiftly clenched his jaw, but it was the truth. Kara incited a gnawing heat and need that couldn’t be ignored. He shook his head, silently cursing himself. His inner beast obviously didn’t care that the little female abhorred him, and making her his was improbable. Except none of that mattered, she was in danger, and hate him or not, he’d rescue the mouthy vixen.

“There’s the back halls.” The shopkeeper gestured to the rear of the shop.

Lyr hustled to the doorway and tried the sensor, but it refused to budge.

“Here.” The shopkeeper swiped his credentials.

He was grateful the door was unaffected by the glitch and opened for the old male.

“Everyone relax. Someone will be here soon to assist you,” the shopkeeper said to the worried guests before leading him through the stockroom and into a corridor bustling with staff.

“Thank you.” Lyr looked both ways. “You wouldn’t know how to reach the main hangar bay or the auxiliary ones, do you?”

“This is insane. If you hadn’t helped me, I’d question what you were up to.” The old male led him to the right.

Maybe his behavior was crazy. He felt insane, his skin crawling with the desperate need to reach Kara. He’d always felt a bit of disdain for males who went out of their minds when they found their mate and went into heat.

I take it all back.

“I’m Lyr, one of the Primitus’ chief betas. He will vouch for me,” Lyr explained as he followed.

If I still have his support after all this.

“I was part of the Tupelor vanguard. The name’s Guley,” the shopkeeper introduced himself.

Lyr paused. That explained why the male was still in such good shape at a ripe old age.

“Thank you for your help, Guley.”

None of the disoriented personnel gave them a second look as they traversed the maze of back halls. Lyr stopped in his tracks, catching a snippet of conversation. He grabbed the passing Opecca.

“What did you just say?” Lyr asked the frazzled female.

“The Excelsior Tower is being ripped off the main hull.” The Opecca pulled her arm free.

“It has been ripped free or the pirates are still severing it?” Lyr impatiently demanded. The distinction was important.

“Pirates?!” The Opecca’s six eyes widened.

“Just answer me,” Lyr growled.

“They hadn’t succeeded yet when I left the control room. Pardon me. I have to get to the sub system, and hope to Dobek I can get a message sent out to the Alliance patrol.”

“Let’s go. We’re not far from the hangar,” the shopkeeper urged him.

“Don’t bother. The system glitch targeted all the cruisers.” The Opecca shook her head before shuffling off.

“Koyat me,” Lyr snarled, his fists clenching in anger.

How was he going to get into the tower now, and fast, before it was towed off by the pirates?

“Are you even certain your mate is in the tower?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Yes, though I’m not sure where and I don’t have my utor,” Lyr huffed in frustration.

“Here.” The old male handed over his comm.

Lyr prayed Kara still had his communicator as he entered his code, then was greeted by a monotone sound.

“Of course, the Suid are blocking all outgoing transmissions,” he snarled.

He wanted to punch something or throw the comm, but since it wasn’t his he handed it back to the shopkeeper.

“I have to find a way to reach Kara.”

Lyr started walking without any clue where he was going, but he wasn’t about to simply give up. He paused when his gaze landed on a nearby door that read exterior maintenance and port.

“I need in here.” Lyr tapped on the utility room, an idea forming.

“You can’t seriously be thinking about going out there,” the shopkeeper declared. “You’re no good to your mate dead!”

CHAPTER 5

KARA

“Get up!” someone barked and Kara’s eyes fluttered.

“Please, I think she needs a medic,” a gentle voice pleaded.

“She looks fine. Get her up,” the cruel man grunted.

“What’s going on?” Kara groaned as someone sat her up.

She blinked to clear her eyes and looked into a furry face with big brown doe eyes filled with concern and fear. Kara’s eyes widened. It hadn’t been a bad dream. She’d been captured by alien pirates—giant, scruffy, mouth full of tusks, alien pirates!

“We have to get up or they’ll shoot us.” The horned woman helped her stand.

“Thank you,” she whispered, wrapping an arm around the kind alien woman.

Kara’s head throbbed as she struggled to the far end of the penthouse. She felt her temple and winced. The tender goose egg was crusty with dried blood.

She caught a glimpse of the window and gasped, seeing a massive metal wall outside the tower instead of dark, star-filled space. It hardly seemed possible, but the whole tower had been severed from the cruise ship and was now inside an absurdly large hangar bay. The tower wasn’t the only thing in the hangar. There were several other ships being fixed or dismantled, she couldn’t tell, but it definitely had a chop shop vibe.

How long was I out? Long enough that they’d landed here, wherever here was.

“Move it,” Faca grunted, shoving them.

“We’re going.” She and the horned woman joined the other abductees.

She peered between her fellow captives and frowned. Several vile boars were dragging large crates across the veranda and into the penthouse. They were all scruffy looking, but the guy in the lead with a jagged scar running through one eye, his tusks cracked, worried her the most as he panned the captives. His cruel beady eyes honed in on her and she tried to hide behind the others.

“Latro,” Faca greeted the one-eyed brute.

Latro ignored him, pushed the other captives aside and grabbed her arm, yanking her to the forefront. He looked her up and down, his creepy gaze dancing with greed.

Shit. The tremor in her legs worsened.

“I thought she might be valuable, so I put her with the prime group instead of the others,” Faca explained.

“And that’s why I put you in charge,” Latro grunted, never taking his good eye off her.

Her heart beat so hard she felt lightheaded. Kara locked her shaking legs, praying she didn’t pass out again.

“We might’ve had more chattel for the slave auction if you hadn’t killed the personnel,” another boar huffed at Faca.

Latro spun and punched the man in his jaw. Kara cringed as the pirate staggered, blood pouring from his mouth.

“And you weren’t put in charge,” Latro growled, but then he turned back to Faca, his expression demanding answers.

“The personnel were too familiar with the tower. I didn’t want to risk anyone getting ideas,” Faca swiftly replied.

Latro grunted in approval.

“We already drained their ship accounts into the coffer. Even the human had a sizable balance,” Faca added.

“Good. Take this bunch to our quarters, and start putting their ransom demands together,” Latro commanded and the pirates started shoving her fellow captives into the crates.

That’s what the boxes are for. She shook harder hearing their frightened screams before they were sealed in.

“Put this one in the rare goods and exotic auction.” The one-eyed bastard shoved her at Faca. “She’ll earn more than in the general slave auction.”

“Aye.” Faca smiled, proud of himself, tugging her toward the remaining empty box.

They were going to auction her to the highest bidder. Kara would’ve collapsed if Faca didn’t have a crushing grip on her arm.

“I can be ransomed, too,” she pleaded when she found her voice. “Call the werewolf primus, please.”

That was wrong, but her mind was spinning and she couldn’t think of the right words.

“Get in,” Faca growled in her face, his fetid breath making her gag.

“Please, someone will pay you!” She stumbled into the cramped crate that felt way too much like a coffin.

Please, someone help me! she prayed, despair threatening to overwhelm her as the door slammed shut.

If the bastards won’t even try to ransom me, who will know I need help?

Only one person came to mind.

Oh, Lyr!

She pulled in a ragged sob, horrified by the thought of what happened to him and all those people on the cruise ship. Ripping the tower off had to have caused unimaginable damage, if it didn’t destroy the ship entirely. Kara trembled harder, picturing Lyr floating dead amidst ship debris in space.

Her breath came out in rapid shallow pants and her head swam as the box shifted, hauling her toward impending doom.

LYR

Lyr peered out from the mangled remnant of the tower’s lower deck. He didn’t recognize the outpost the tower had been hauled to, but it obviously wasn’t a reputable operation, otherwise the pirates wouldn’t have come here. He ducked down when a maintenance lift zipped by, and was slightly surprised to see the Calex and Torbit scrappers.

Good. Lyr nodded, his shoulders easing. With other races here besides the Suid, he didn’t have to worry about blending in as he hunted for Kara.

Lyr unclipped the tether that had been his lifeline as the tower floated through space, then stripped out of the maintenance suit. His tail cramped as he stretched. Shedding the suit was a relief, but he didn’t begrudge it. It had kept him from suffocating, freezing and being injured by floating debris when he made the treacherous leap from the main ship to the severed tower.

He’d scaled the ship hull at a breakneck pace and still barely made it in time. The pirates had already separated the tower and were starting to haul it off, the distance growing with each breath. He launched the maintenance grappler, but it was quickly apparent the tether wouldn’t reach. In a split-second decision, with a determined roar, he leapt, hoping the momentum would carry him the distance. There was no choice, he’d follow Kara no matter the cost. But fate answered his prayers, the grappler latching onto the shredded tower hull. Lyr shook his head in disbelief as he replayed the moment that was one part miracle, one part sheer determination, and a whole lot of crazy.

Now’s not the time to pat your own head.

He hadn’t accomplished anything more than survival. If he wasn’t so eager to get to the tower before it was hauled off, he might’ve acquired a weapon or figured out a way inside the tower, before making the ridiculous leap of faith.

Lyr waited until the coast was clear and jumped down to the hangar floor. He crept around the base of the tower then froze when he spotted a Suid conversing with the Calex salvager.

“We’ll have the salvage price figured up soon if you want to wait.” The salvager waved at the tower.

“Have Vatorz find me in the bar. She knows which one,” the Suid pirate grunted.

Latro! Lyr instantly recognized the voice. Koyat’g one-eyed bastard!

Not only was Latro wanted in several systems for countless unspeakable crimes, the waste of flesh was the same pirate who captured him while on a mission and sold him into slavery less than a rotation ago.

Lyr clenched his fists, his fear for Kara mounting. With this vile Suid involved, she was in grave danger, if she even survived the assault on the tower. Again, the thought of Kara injured or worse morphed his rage into a seething hatred he’d never felt before. And now he had someone to focus that rage on. His chest heaved as he pulled in angry huffing breaths, his fangs bared and claws extended, preparing to launch at the bastard. His eyes widened when he captured Kara’s scent amidst the countless other smells in the hangar.

She’s alive! Relief washed over him, although that relief was short lived. Her scent was growing stale.

There’s only one reason Latro could want Kara, and that’s to do to her what the bastard had done to him.

As much as he wanted to enact vengeance, he waited for Latro to leave, then casually crossed the hangar, like he was meant to be here, none of the salvagers giving him a second glance. Instead of tracking the pirate to the bar, he followed Kara’s fading scent through the dome and down one of the many intersecting tunnels.

“Hey, want a good mount?” a prostitute called to him as he passed by.

Over her shop there was a graphic image of sex, advertising what she was selling. Several more females and males tried to capture his attention, selling their bodies, services, and goods, but he ignored them all. As he avoided the brawls and gangs looking for easy marks, his years in the Hold came flooding back. It was shameful how comfortable he felt among this rabble, but it served him well at this corrupt outpost.

Kara’s unique perfume grew stronger. It was laced with the acrid scent of fear. His skin crawled, his hair bristling as he stalked down the broad corridors, becoming more incensed by the moment.

“How dare they take what is mine. How dare they frighten her,” he growled under his breath.

“Watch where you’re going!” a slimy Bubo burbled menacingly when Lyr bumped into him.

The Bubo spun and his expression swiftly changed upon seeing Lyr.

“Pardon me.” The male swiftly hustled out of the way.

Smart decision. He was in no mood.

Lyr paused, spotting a band of Suid loitering outside one of the many leasable quarters amidst the disreputable businesses. Kara’s scent led him here, but the pirates still wearing cruise ship uniforms confirmed these were the bastards he was tracking. His gaze shifted to the door.

They’re keeping her in there.

His fingers flexed, his claws extending, itching to rip into the bastards and set his female free. Consciously he knew barreling toward the door was suicide. There were too many pirates outside the quarters, undoubtedly more inside, and he was unarmed, yet his primal side goaded him on, screaming at him to claim his mate.

Don’t be a blasted fool. You’ll get Kara killed. Come up with a plan before they sell her off.

Lyr forced himself to cross the corridor to a bar peddling swill to the dregs of every known species raucously gambling. On his way to the counter, he snatched a drink from a nearby table while the Velyik was distracted by a crappy hand of tiles.

“What’ll you have?” the bartender asked as Lyr took a stool at the end of the bar.

“I’m still good.” Lyr held up the stolen beverage, knowing that as long as it looked like he was drinking, he wouldn’t be kicked out.

I need to get ahold of Blaidd, he mused as he watched the pirates. Blaidd was too far away to send help in time, but the male could send him credits. And exactly how am I going to reach him?

Lyr snarled. He had less than nothing, no utor, no credits, no weapons, even the pants he wore were borrowed from the cruise ship. He’d come to rescue Kara, but at the rate he was going, he was the one who needed rescuing.

There’s only one way to get what I need.

Lyr sniffed his pilfered glass. Whoa. That should do. His nose burned.

He took a big gulp of the strong spirits, swishing it around his mouth, letting some dribble down his chin before swallowing. With glass in hand, he slid off his barstool and staggered through the bar, then careened into one of the gaming tables, sending drinks and piled credits spilling across the surface.

“You blasted piece of dung!” the Fayl growled, jumping up, along with the other angry players.

“Sorry, sorry,” Lyr slurred, his alcohol-laced breath bathing the male.

As Lyr scrambled to pick up the overturned cups, he palmed several of the credits, though not enough to be noticed.

“Get out of here before I put another hole in your head.” The yellow crested Fayl shoved him back, talons poised threateningly.

“Sorry. Here. Get more drinks.” Lyr feigned a tremor as he offered up a few of the credits he’d just stolen.

The Fayl grunted, slightly appeased, as he grabbed them.

The few credits he pocketed weren’t enough to buy an utor to contact Blaidd. He could steal one, but unless it was already unlocked it would be useless, so he staggered past the table hunting for new victims.

Though, I might have enough to pay someone to use their communicator. Although a weapon would also be good.

No one lasted long in a place like this without munitions and he’d need something to go up against the Suid bastards.

He spotted a Terrarium with munitions strapped to each scaly hip. The male could spare one. Liberating the weapon would take finesse. The Terrarium’s eyes could spit acidic blood, and though his fur was thick, he’d be blinded if any got in his eyes. Cautiously, Lyr approached, edging close to the male’s spiny back, feigning interest in the game the group was playing.

Bump and grab or the gentle lift?

Just as he was debating his options, the scaly male turned.

“Lyr?” The Terrarium cocked his head.

“Itor?” Lyr’s brow furrowed.

“Yes! I don’t believe my spines!” Itor wrapped one spiny arm around Lyr and tugged him forward. “This is the male from the Hold I told you about.”

“The Lupercalia Primitus?” the scorpion-tailed Cimex asked.

“No, Lyr was his chief Beta. I never got to thank you. What are you drinking?” Itor asked, still gripping him tight like they were old friends.

“I’m good. What do you have to thank me for?” he asked in confusion.

“For one, your pack killed Gok. Until he died, I was getting blamed for that scab’s heinous shit. Gok had a taste for his fellow inmates,” Itor told his comrades. “And I know your pack and the Torvus twins were responsible for shutting that pit down. The Hold made all other prisons look like vacation destinations.”

The group nodded, obviously having heard the rumors. Their gazes turned to him, respect reflected in their eyes.

“You’re welcome?” Lyr replied, though he didn’t really feel he deserved any accolades for the group effort. His brow furrowed as he looked at Itor. “Is this what you’re doing with your second chance?” Lyr waved to the illicit outpost.

“We do what we have to. I’m working maintenance to pay off some repairs.” Itor shrugged.

Lyr grunted in appreciation, although Itor’s easy excuse was just that, an excuse. It seemed that some people could never get away from the lifestyle that led them into trouble.

“What brings you here?” Itor eyed him, one scaly brow dubiously arched as the male noticed his pathetic attire, or lack thereof.

A smile twisted Lyr’s lips. Perhaps his luck was changing.

“It’s a long story. I’d appreciate it if I could use your utor.” He pointed to Itor’s comm. “And what do you know about the Suid pirates who just arrived?” he added, just above a whisper, then glanced out of the bar toward the bastard’s quarters.

Itor leaned in as he passed his comm. “Not much, but I can discreetly find out.”

KARA

“Is it not enough you’ve stolen everything else and are ransoming us?” one of the captives asked as he stripped out of his colorful jacket and iridescent pants.

Kara stared in disbelief at the surreal surroundings. When she was let out of her box, she was greeted by this bedroom with stained walls, a lone tattered bed in the corner, and a washroom that hadn’t worked in ages.

This can’t be happening.

This was going to be a new chapter in her life. It had been a long time coming, but she’d finally finished her degree, and after a nice long out of this world vacation, she was going to finally get a job that wasn’t waiting tables. Her sister was free of her abusive husband and seemed to be happy. This was supposed to be her family’s new start and happily ever after. It was turning into anything but that.

“Muzzle it and strip,” the beady-eyed pirate barked, waving his bizarre gun at the captives.

With shaky hands, she pulled off her robe. What choice did she have? No one was coming for them or they would’ve been here by now. The cruise ship, if it still existed, had its own problems. A handful of people compared to thousands meant nothing.

“Leave that on,” another pirate barked as the rotund captive started to peel off his undergarment. “I don’t want to look at a totally naked Golbeth for the next few days,” he informed his companion, who shrugged.

Kara sighed in relief. She still felt practically naked in just her bathing suit, but it was better than nothing.

“Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing these mammaries.” The tusked bastard snatched her robe as he lasciviously eyed her breasts.

His meaty fingers swiftly grabbed and ripped one shoulder strap. She gasped as he ripped the other then tugged the cups down. Her trembling hands raised to cover her bare breasts, but he grabbed her wrists and ogled her.

“Look at this nice pair,” the bastard commented to his companion.

“She only has two,” the other pirate scoffed and continued collecting everyone’s clothes.

“It’s time to take the human.” Faca entered the room.

He looked at what was going on and his expression darkened. The pervert instantly released her and quickly she covered her breasts.

“You better not have marred her!” Faca smacked the pervert in the head. “Come on.” He grunted at her.

It’s already time. She trembled harder, her legs refusing to work. She couldn’t be sold into slavery. She had too much she still wanted to do with her life.

“Did you hear me?” Faca growled, and her knees buckled.

The boorish man snarled angrily as he caught her, forced her back onto her feet and headed into the main room, dragging her like a rag doll.

“You three, follow. Make sure no one gets the wise idea to rob me on the way to the auction,” Faca instructed before hauling her into the crowded corridor.

“Please. You could ransom me, too,” she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks.

CHAPTER 6

LYR

“Thank you. I will give my life to get her back,” Lyr assured Blaidd before ending the transmission.

The Lupercalia leader was sending a fleet but it would be a sennight at least before they got here. The additional help was greatly appreciated but did little at the moment. The credits being transferred were far more vital.

“The Suid have two ships in the hangar and some salvage,” Itor informed him as he joined Lyr in the quiet corner of the bar.

“That much I know.” Lyr handed the borrowed communicator back to the reptile.

“They entered a number of people into the slave auction slated for tomorrow.” Itor took his comm. “They also have several items and one person entered in the rare goods and exotic auction.”

“That’s it!” Lyr barked, attracting several patrons’ attention. “When is that?” He lowered his voice.

Itor’s eyes widened. “You haven’t said what is going on, why you’re here without a single credit or weapon. I’m guessing those pirates have something to do with it, but I’d like to know what I just risked my tail for.” Itor passed him a reconditioned comm, a blade, and handheld munition.

“Thank you. Blaidd is transferring credits to my account. I’ll make sure to pay you for your trouble.” Lyr tucked the weapons into his waistband then programmed his personal code into the comm.

“Tell me what’s going on and we’ll say we’re even,” Itor insisted, eager for a delicious tale.

Lyr huffed and eyed the Terrarium. Itor wasn’t an honorable male, but he was the only one helping him, and it looked like Itor wasn’t going to share the information until he explained.

He was about to answer when a faint sound captured his attention. His ears swiveled toward the corridor outside the bar, but he couldn’t see through the throng of patrons in the way. He didn’t have to see her, his nose told him everything. Kara’s scent was stronger. Swiftly he headed toward the exit.

“Wait.” Itor grabbed his arm. “You can’t go up against the Suid, especially not Latro. There’s a score of them and one of you.”

The Terrarium was probably right, but his inner beast refused to hear reason.

“They stole my female!” he snarled and shook the male off.

Lyr made his way to the entrance of the bar and sniffed as he looked both ways. His gaze landed on a wisp of a pale creature being pulled down the corridor by one of the grisly bastards. He hustled to catch up, pushing his way through the throngs of people traversing the corridor, still unsure of what he was going to do.

The primal creature within wanted blood. He pictured his claws slashing, spilling entrails, and slitting throats as he claimed his mate. The building heat was killing him, making him practically insane.

She’s too damn delicate. He grimaced, surprised the voice of reason broke through the red haze tinging his entire mood. If a fight broke out, Kara would be the one injured for sure.

As Lyr followed at a distance, traversing the warren of bustling halls toward the belly of the outpost, he took calming breaths. Except Kara’s fear and the stench of Suid overwhelmed him, making it impossible to plan.

“You were on the cruise ship!” a nearby voice declared.

From the corner of his eye, Lyr saw the Suid wearing the security uniform from the cruise ship.

Koyat’g fate! He’d been spotted. No wonder the scent of the foul bastard had been so strong.

A quick glance ahead and he spotted two more Suid pirates trailing the one herding Kara. They were look-outs. He wanted to kick himself for letting the heat distract him that he failed to look for the pirate’s back-up.

Lyr pretended not to have heard the Suid bastard and veered toward a secluded alcove. A glance in a shop window showed the pirate was following. Lyr pretended to type on the access panel by the nearby set of doors, then just as the shadow grew uncomfortably close, he spun and stabbed with his knife. The Suid’s beady, yellow eyes widened in shock as the blade sank into his gut.

“You stole my mate!” Lyr snarled, baring his fangs, as he thrust upward, ensuring he pierced the vile bastard’s heart.

The male burbled but didn’t make another sound, not that anyone in this den of sin cared, except for maybe the other pirates. Lyr gripped the piece of garbage as he yanked out his knife and wiped it on the Suid’s shirt. He was about to drop the dead bastard in the shadows when Itor appeared.

“Here.” Itor typed his maintenance access code into the nearby panel, releasing the doors. “Are your whiskers growing into your brain?” The spines on Itor’s head bristled as they dragged the body into the maintenance hallway.

“He recognized me. Thanks,” Lyr murmured.

“You better hope none of his companions saw that. Help me get him in here.” Itor gestured to a trash chute.

They hefted the body into the chute but the fat bastard refused to go down. Lyr growled in frustration as he pushed. Finally they got the hatch shut.

“Someone will eventually find him. You better hope this doesn’t get back to Latro.” Itor grimaced.

If this was a reputable outpost he would’ve been concerned, but the rough lot here tended to mind their own business. Then again, there were people who might want to put themselves in Latro’s good graces.

Lyr shook his head. He couldn’t be bothered with this mess right now. Kara was about to be sold off and he’d just lost her in the crowd, dealing with this piece of shit. He’d have to catch up with her at the auction.

“I have to get to that auction,” Lyr huffed.

His eyes widened as a solution occurred to him. It was so simple he felt foolish for not thinking of it before. Swiftly he checked his comm.

Thank you! He sighed in relief, seeing Blaidd had transferred an obscene amount of credits into his account.

Although lining the pirates’ coffers was the last thing he wanted to do, buying Kara was the safest option he could think off.

“I know a quicker way there.” Itor led him through the back halls. “I have to tell you, though, the auction is hard credits only.”

Lyr stopped midstride and growled. He’d forgotten about the distrust that ran through places like this. Hard credits were the only thing trusted when accounts could be falsified.

“I know of a credit changer who will extend you hard credits, but this piece of tail better be worth it because the mark-up is hefty.”

Lyr repressed a snarl, hearing Itor call Kara a piece of tail. Granted, when they were in the Hold females were traded like currency, Kara was more than a warm slit to sink his shaft into. It would be foolish to let Itor know as much, though. In the Hold, caring for anyone but yourself was a weakness, and here at the illicit outpost the same rules applied.

“I will get back what’s mine and even things up later,” he bit out.

“You mean bring the wrath of the Lupercalia pack. Just like the old days,” Itor chuckled and slapped his back.

As they walked through the corridors, Itor blathered on about the things he missed from when they were imprisoned, as if what they did to survive had been the glorious exploits of youth. Although Itor wasn’t the worst of the carnivorous Terrariums, he certainly wasn’t the best the race had to offer, and was undoubtedly a little imbalanced.

“The changer is over there and here is the auction.” Itor pointed to the well-guarded establishment conveniently placed near the auction hall.

Lyr marched past a large pair of amphibious guards into the exchange shop. He wasn’t surprised to see the Topus sitting behind the desk. The eight-tentacled race were known for their wits and greed. If he had to guess, the slimy male was the one who truly ran this disreputable outpost.

“I need hard credits.” Lyr pulled up his account on his comm.

“How much do you need?” The Topus credit changer waved one tentacle.

It was a valid question.

“One moment.” Lyr pulled Itor out of earshot.

Itor swiftly scrolled through the auction listing on his comm.

“The reserve on the female is…” Itor choked. “Ah, eighty thousand palladium credits,” he whispered.

If that’s the reserve, I’ll need at least double.

He stepped back to the Topus’ desk. “A hundred and sixty thousand.”

The Topus’ odd eyes widened, his slimy skin flashing yellow and blue. “I can extend you a hundred thousand with a twenty percent fee.”

Lyr’s brow furrowed. That didn’t leave him much room to bargain with if bidding grew intense, and Kara was rare enough that would undoubtedly be the case.

“My account has considerably more. I’m good for the credits.” He slid his comm toward the Topus.

“That may be, however, I don’t know you. And it appears those credits were only recently conveyed to you,” the Topus changer burbled.

“My account is as good as the Primitus’ himself,” he argued.

The nearby amphibious guard stepped closer, licking his lips in warning with his long venom-laced tongue.

“Cepha, would I bring you someone untrustworthy? Lyr’s one of the Primitus’ chief betas,” Itor chimed in.

“A hundred thousand, take it or not.” Cepha shoved the comm back toward Lyr with one of his many tentacles.

“Fine,” Lyr growled. He didn’t have time to debate.

“Very good,” Cepha burbled.

“I may have an idea,” Itor whispered as the Topus started the transaction.

Lyr’s brow rose when the Terrarium started typing into his comm. The scaly male was up to something.

“Here you go.” Cepha captured his attention.

Lyr turned back to the Topus changer as one of it’s eight tentacles started counting out the credit markers.

“I must warn you, do not attempt to leave the outpost before two full rotations. That is how long it will take for your account to clear.” The Topus pushed the credits forward.

“Aye,” Lyr agreed and reached for the stack of credits, although he wanted to rescue Kara and get the hell out of this forsaken dump as fast as possible.

“And do I need to explain the repercussions should your account not clear?” Cepha eyed him, one tentacle still resting on the pile of credits.

“No. I think I understand.” Lyr pursed his lips. No doubt it involved a painful lesson that ended in being jettisoned into the vacuum of space.

Itor followed as Lyr exited the exchange office, his fingers tightly gripping the disturbing fortune. He watched for anyone looking for a quick payday outside the office.

“You go ahead.” Itor pointed to the auction hall entrance. “A few of my friends are going to join you. You met them earlier.”

He barely knew Itor, and he didn’t know his gang at all. None of them were helping him out of the goodness in their hearts.

“What will this cost me?” Lyr’s brow arched in question.

“We’ll negotiate that later.”

Of course. Lyr sighed. He should’ve expected as much.

“Where are you going?” he asked the Terrarium.

“I have some maintenance to do on the auction comms.” Itor’s spines wiggled with excitement.

Lyr looked at the ceiling in exasperation as he headed toward the auction hall. This whole nightmarish situation was growing more tangled by the moment.

One thing at a time. Get Kara.

KARA

Kara’s legs trembled as she was shoved onto the auction platform. She’d always thought she was strong, but this was threatening to break her.

I won’t let them! She lifted her chin and squinted against the bright lights shining on her.

She refused to shed another tear as these heartless tusked bastards paraded her around in her bathing suit. As long as there was breath left in her there was hope for another day. At least that’s what she told herself as her eyes burned and the taste of bile made her repeatedly swallow to hold down the vomit.

“We have a rare and exotic human female,” the announcer barked, startling her. “Not much is known about the species, but as you can see it’s better suited for display than labor. Though by its sizable haunches and mammaries, many species may find it pleasant for mounting.”

Kara pulled in a sharp breath when Faca tugged her arm away from her breasts and her torn bikini top dropped, exposing her to the crowd.

“No,” Faca growled under his breath when she tried to cover herself with her other arm, his grip threatening to break her wrist.

The blinding lights made her feel even more violated, highlighting her nudity for the disgusting crowd. At least she couldn’t see most of their reactions beyond the glaring spotlights, although the way one hairy rat man ogled her from up front was more than enough. She felt dirty wherever his beady gaze landed and she desperately wanted to kick him in his pointy snout. When Faca released the death grip on her wrist she quickly covered her breasts again.

“The bidding starts at eighty thousand credits,” the announcer added.

“Eighty thousand,” the rat man eagerly barked, holding up a glowing plaque that was scanned by a machine overhead.

She glared at him in disgust. Somewhere in the crowd another glowing card flashed, followed by another. She almost laughed seeing the rat’s eager expression sour as he was outbid.

“Eighty-two,” the whiskered hairball shouted.

Please, she offered up a final prayer as she closed her eyes, trying to block out this horror. Her inner words of encouragement replaced with images of being raped by some horrific hairy rat beast.

“What is going on?” Faca grumbled beside her.

She opened her eyes and was stunned to find a new frightening character standing beside the rat man. The massive thing looked like a man crossed with a scorpion, his giant segmented tail arched over his head, the barbed tip disturbingly close to the rat’s shoulder.

Dear god no! She trembled harder, unable to imagine anything more terrible than the scorpion.

“Eighty-nine from the bidder in the back. Do I hear any more bids? This is a rare find,” the announcer urged the crowd.

Her brow furrowed. The malicious looking scorpion, though he eyed her with interest, didn’t bid. The rat man’s arm twitched, but he didn’t raise his card as he glanced nervously at the scorpion.

“Very well, eighty-nine thousand to the bidder in the back.” The announcer sounded an official horn.

“Something’s going on. You should’ve brought more,” Faca huffed as he led her down from the stage.

A part of her rejoiced that the disgusting pirates didn’t make what they wanted off her and then she saw the terrible creature who’d bought her.

Oh no. She shook her head in denial.

Kara backed up as the overgrown toad with a broad mouth and warty head tromped forward. He passed a handful of poker chips to Faca.

“The auction was tampered with,” Faca sniped as he grabbed the chips and placed his palm on the tablet the toad held.

“Is that an accusation?” The toad licked its thin lips with its slimy tongue.

“No!” Faca quickly said, sounding harried, then shoved her toward the toad.

“Come on.” The toad wrapped its slimy padded fingers over her shoulder and goaded her forward.

“W-why did you buy me?” She hated to ask but desperately wanted to know.

“He didn’t, I did.”

Kara swiveled, hearing the deep gruff voice she recognized. The harsh lights cast a halo around the immense man making him look heaven sent. In disbelief she blinked as her gaze raked over him, thinking she’d finally snapped and was seeing a delusion.

“Lyr!” His name came out an incoherent benediction as she burst into tears.

And just like that all her prayers were answered. Lyr caught her, his large hands wrapping around her waist as her legs gave out. He pulled her close to his strong body, sheltering her from the nightmare all around.

“Breathe,” he whispered, concern swimming in his eyes as his fingers gently trailed the cut on her forehead.

She nodded and pulled in ragged breaths, gripping his shoulders, looking only at him, at the calm, sable brown eyes flecked with gold. He’d come for her. He’d plucked her from the fire.

This can’t be real. I died. I must have. It’s just not possible. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared up at him.

“It’s all right. I’ve got you now, princess,” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.

Lyr reached down and raised the broken strings of her bikini top and tied them at the back of her neck, before threading his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head. She burrowed her face against his chest and sobbed. The tender gesture, giving her back a measure of modesty, sent her further down the spiral. In that moment she fell hard for Lyr.

“You should go before the Suid return,” the toad said.

But she heard none of it as Lyr picked her up and cradled her in his arms, heading away from the vile auction.

She breathed in his masculine scent, memorizing it as it coiled around her, the same way his strong arms cosseted her, soothing her battered soul. He said something that she didn’t catch, too caught up by the deep timbre of his voice that sounded like a lullaby.

Kara only noticed they were in a private room when Lyr set her down beside the bed.

“It’s not great but it’s clean and you’ll be safe here. Are you okay?” Lyr cupped her cheek.

“Are you sure you’re real?” She just couldn’t believe he’d fought through God knows what and miraculously found her in time.

To be certain, she reached up and ran her palm over the dark scruff on his chin then trailed her fingers over the fine soft hair dusting his cheek, just below his mesmerizing eyes. He was so different, she traced his full pink lips, feeling the canines beneath, and yet he was ruggedly handsome. He was no white knight. No genteel knight could’ve ventured into this hell to save her. No, Lyr was a savage, scarred beast of a warrior and he was exactly what she needed.

“I’m real, princess.” Lyr closed his eyes as he cupped her hand where it rested on his cheek.

“You are, aren’t you?” Her voice wavered as tears burned her eyes.

She rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Lyr’s massive arms wrapped around her, crushing her to his rock-hard chest. Hungrily his mouth consumed her, his tongue tangling with hers. Desperately she kissed him, her hands frantically roaming his bulging biceps, broad shoulders, neck and head. She needed to drown in this moment, to wash away all the ones leading up to now.

Abruptly, Lyr pulled his mouth away.

“Kara?” His brow furrowed in concern as he tugged in heaving breaths, the hard planes of his chest rubbing against her stiff nipples.

They were oil and water, fire and ice, so different, and yet nothing ever felt so right. She needed him like the air she breathed.

LYR

Kara was vulnerable. She was such a small, delicate, beautiful thing. It enraged him and ripped him apart the way she was paraded around on that stage, injured, nude and trembling in fear. But now he was the one taking advantage of her. He was just so relieved to have her. He couldn’t bring himself to let her go. His inner beast wouldn’t allow it. Still, he forced himself to break the wonderful intoxicating kiss. He’d seen this joining of mouths before, but never knew how glorious it was. It was like tearing out his heart as he pulled away from her delicious mouth. He frowned down at her, his protective side warring with his need. She didn’t know she was playing with fire.

“Please, Lyr,” Kara whispered, desperate desire churning in her large hazel-brown eyes.

The heat he’d been trying to hold at bay roared to life hearing the breathy plea and his mouth came crashing down on hers again. She was the one female he couldn’t resist, and it had been so long, too long since he’d felt a caring embrace. He clutched her tight as he fell onto the bed.

Her scent made him dizzy. Her creamy skin was so soft. Had he ever known anything so soft? Did a bastard like him even deserve such a treasure? He didn’t, and yet he wanted her, needed her. Hungrily he consumed her mouth as his rough hands explored her smooth skin, reveling in the feel of her delicate ribs and soft feminine belly, before coming to rest on her heaving breasts. Her nipple was hard beneath the thin fabric of the miniscule top as he palmed one generous mound. He needed to taste the swollen bud or he’d explode. His shaft was painfully hard, trapped in his pants, he might explode anyway.

KARA

Lyr rose up and she gazed at him, loving the way his disheveled hair hung in his face. But nothing could hide the desire churning in his deep brown eyes that burned as hot as hers. She caressed the strong, amazing arms caging her in. He was mere inches away, the length of his body blanketing hers, and yet he was much too far away. She intertwined her legs with his, locked her fingers around his neck, and pulled him down.

He relented, his mouth descending on her neck and she turned her head, giving him free rein. She panted as he licked a trail down the sensitive swath from her ear to her shoulder. She gasped when he firmly bit the crook of her neck, sending pleasure and shock arcing up her spine and through her extremities. Though he didn’t break her skin, the bite of pain contrasted with the pleasure throbbing through her lips and nipples. She never knew she liked biting but she did, she really did. Her body instantly responded to the dominant demand, her need ratcheting higher. Then she felt his immense arousal shove against her barely clothed pussy. Her clit exploded from the firm press, her pussy cramping with need. She was already wet, but the new flood of desire soaked her folds, bikini and inner thighs.

“Mine,” Lyr growled as his mouth traveled to her breast.

The raspy possessive claim was almost more than she could bear. He could have her, every part of her.

His teeth tugged down her top, freeing her aching nipple, then tauntingly his hot tongue circled the turgid bud. She pulled in another shuddering breath when he latched onto the hard bead and sucked, the spark of pleasure striking deep. At the same time the beast trapped in his pants rubbed back and forth against her slick pussy, lighting her up. Kara panted, trying to catch her breath while the sensations assailed her. She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into the fine hair coating his warm skin, as she arched against the wild man swiftly driving her insane.

“Lyr!” she cried when he nipped her swollen nipple and punctuated the sting with a sharp thrust of his hips.

Her pussy clenched so hard it pulled her hips off the bed. Frantically she clamored for his pants, her fingers hooking his waistband, desperate for more.

Lyr reared back onto his knees. Feral need raged in his eyes as he roughly shredded her bikini bottoms. He tossed the scrap aside, his intense gaze never leaving her swollen, needy pussy. Anxiously, she stared at the monstrous cock tenting his pants, nervous and eager to see it in all its glory. Just as she was about to get what she wanted, there was a banging in the other room that refused to stop.

“Koyat’g fate!” Lyr snarled then clenched his jaw in anger as he got off the bed.

No! she whined and reached for him.

CHAPTER 7

LYR

He wanted to ignore the banging on the door. Kara was so gorgeous laid out in front of him, her creamy skin flushed with desire. He’d barely had enough time to soak in the sight of her. She was practically hairless and yet the tempting tuft of curls on her mound was the most salacious thing he’d ever seen. Her blushing pink slit was unbelievably wet, nectar soaking the bed, calling to him.

And her scent, oh fate, her scent! The delicious perfume screaming of her need made his inner beast snarl, demanding to be unleashed.

But then Itor started shouting as he banged on the door. The annoying male refused to be ignored.

Reluctantly he pulled away from Kara.

“Stay here,” Lyr growled, angry at the interruption.

Begrudgingly, he got off the bed and stomped out of the bedroom, pulling the door closed. On his way through the sitting room of the rented suite, he paused to fix his pants, tucking his shaft down one leg so it wasn’t sticking straight out like another damn tail.

“What?!” He snatched open the door, then clenched his jaw seeing it wasn’t just Itor, but the rest of his gang, too.

“I was worried you didn’t make it here.” Itor sniffed the air laced with the scent of interrupted sex. “But I can see you did,” he chuckled as he glanced toward the bedroom.

Lyr pulled in a deep breath, attempting to get ahold of his turbulent emotions. After all, these males had helped him get Kara back. If it wasn’t for the way they swiftly shut down the other bidders and blocked incoming transmissions, he never would’ve been able to afford her.

“I have a gift I thought you might find useful.” Itor handed him a slave collar as he entered.

“Thanks?” Lyr scowled at the vile collar.

Itor’s four companions nodded as they entered and plopped down in the sitting room. Lyr glanced in the corridor just to make sure there were no other surprises before shutting the door.

“I remembered how much trouble the Torvus’ human female got into. I figured if this one got away from you once, then all human females must be as problematic. Press your finger to the lock. It’ll keep her from going too far, and no one will be able to run off with her,” Itor added as he sat at the table.

Lyr considered the collar again, pressing his thumb to the sensor, imprinting his bio-signature. As much as he abhorred them, having worn a detention collar for over five seasons, it would guarantee no one could abducted her.

“Break out the spirits,” Itor instructed the Cimex male. “It’ll soften the bad news.”

“Bad news?” Lyr frowned.

“Aye.” The four-armed Vamian grabbed several cups from the cabinet, his many hands quickly passing them around.

“The Suid are raising a stink about the auction,” Itor added grimly, taking the bottle from the Cimex and filling their cups.

Things had gone too smoothly. Deep down he knew as much, but was so happy to have Kara back that he shoved the nagging feeling aside. Now the problem was keeping her safe from the Suid pirates for the next two days until his account cleared and they could leave the outpost. Even his supposed allies could barely be trusted.

“Vex!” Lyr cursed.

KARA

She assumed Lyr would shoo away whoever was at the door but the voices in the other room said otherwise. It was like a bucket of cold water on her mood. She pouted as she climbed off the bed, wrapped the sheet around her and headed to the bathroom. As she climbed onto the oversized trough-like toilet, she captured a glimpse of her reflection.

“Ugh,” she groaned.

Her hair was a tangled mess, blood crusting the strands by her temple, and her eyes were still puffy and red from crying.

I look like a hot mess. Why was he ever interested in this? No wonder Lyr had been easily pulled away.

Kara closed her eyes as she replayed the moment. She’d practically thrown herself at Lyr, playing the part of the pathetic damsel in distress, a trope she passionately hated. Again, no wonder he’d been quick to answer the door. Who wanted a pathetic clingy sap?

After doing her business, she headed to the door leading to the sitting room. Hesitantly she peered out and was stunned to see five rough characters making themselves at home with Lyr. She gasped when she recognized the scorpion-man from the auction.

“I have a bargain for you,” the overgrown lizard finished saying to Lyr as they all turned to look at her.

“There’s the sweet little prize,” the scorpion grunted, while panning her with his all-black eyes.

She gripped the sheet tighter, not liking whatever was going on here at all. Her concerned gaze shifted to Lyr, but he just looked angry, his jaw clenched, the tense muscles twitching.

“Come, have a drink with us.” The vulture waved one oily black wing.

“Aye,” the man-sized praying mantis trilled.

This gang wasn’t much better than the boorish pirates, they were armed and looked just as ragged. Hesitantly she entered the room, circling wide to reach Lyr on the other side of the table.

“What is going on?” she whispered into his pointy ear.

He pulled her onto his lap and leaned in close. “You should’ve stayed in the bedroom like I asked,” he tersely whispered back.

Her brows knit together in worry and frustration. Yes, these guys looked dangerous, but how was she supposed to know what was going on, after all, Lyr let them in.

“You had a proposal, Itor?” Lyr asked the reptile.

“Seven thousand credits should be enough to make me even on my cruiser repairs. Then when you’re clear with Cepha I get you and your prize off this outpost.” The scaly man slid a cup across the table to her. “This is no place for such a delicate creature.” He cast her a creepy smile.

Prize? She frowned, not liking the moniker. How does Lyr even know these creeps? I don’t want to go anywhere with any of them.

“In the meantime, we keep pirates off your tail,” the four-armed man added.

“That sounds fair after all that you’ve done for me.” Lyr raised his cup and threw back the shot.

Her eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on her what had happened. These criminals helped Lyr cheat the pirates.

Shit!

She grabbed the glass in front of her and took a big gulp, desperately needing a stiff drink. Kara coughed as it burned all the way down her throat.

“That’s it!” Itor barked out a laugh.

“More?” The scorpion poured another round.

“Lyr, show the prize her new jewelry.”

Still sputtering and her eyes watering from the fire-water, she turned her questioning gaze to Lyr. His dark brown eyes were cold, no trace of concern or passion she thought she’d seen earlier, as he held up the ‘jewelry.’

“A collar!” she gasped, her eyes widening.

Before she could hop off his lap, Lyr gripped her tight, holding her in place.

“Don’t argue, princess.” He swiftly clasped the collar around her neck.

She glared at Lyr. He’d threatened to collar her at the pool, and now he was making good on that threat.

I was wrong. She pursed her lips, regretting the way she’d thrown herself at him. He is a criminal and a bastard.

She grabbed her refilled cup and tossed it back, ignoring the way it burned. The alcohol wasn’t any hotter than her temper as it seared its way to her stomach. She reached for Lyr’s, too, but he snatched it away.

“You’ve had enough,” he informed her imperiously, his grip tightening around her waist.

“Yes, master. Is there anything else you want to tell me to do?” she snapped.

The anger about everything that happened to her bubbled over.

“I told you. Don’t be fooled by their size. These humans are feisty,” Itor laughed and his companions chuckled.

Her seething hot gaze swung toward the reptile.

LYR

Lyr clenched his teeth, his canines digging into his gums, his molars grinding as he held his ground. The look of betrayal in Kara’s eyes when he slapped the collar around her neck was a stab to the gut. He almost relented, but his need to keep her safe overrode the painful desire to soothe the wound he’d just caused.

“Yes, I’m a feisty, feisty bitch. Go ahead and laugh!” She tugged his hand off and stood.

He should’ve grabbed her, but her anger distracted him. Kara didn’t wilt or break under pressure, despite what she’d been through, and that filled him with pride. Except the anger flashing in her eyes screamed she was just getting warmed up, and that worried him.

“’Cause being abducted—” She paused as she stared accusingly at him, before focusing on Itor.

He winced, knowing she wasn’t merely alluding to the recent abduction. He truly regretted the part he played those moons ago when she was first taken off her planet.

“Being abducted out of my normal life where the only assholes were humans was terrible enough. Now, now I have alien, murdering, piggy pirates roughing me up and selling me. That’s real fucking funny,” Kara screamed, barely taking a breath.

Itor stopped laughing, no longer amused with Kara. As much as he didn’t trust these males, he needed help watching their backs and getting off the outpost. Despite the fact Itor was extorting him, he’d have to pay someone, and there wasn’t anyone in this vile place he’d trust more. They were walking a fine line, and Kara was stretching that line thinner, pissing off their only ally.

“Kara,” he warned, but Kara merely glared at him, undeterred, as she hustled out of reach.

“Oh wait!” Kara held up her hand. “I almost forgot the best news. The cavalry come to save me is a band of criminals. Yay me!” She twirled her finger in the air.

Itor’s gang was disturbingly quiet.

“Kara,” he repeated firmly, a subtle growl lacing his voice.

She backed up, but the collar engaged, bringing her to an abrupt halt.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” She frantically tugged at the collar, repeatedly trying to back up and being stopped.

“Kara, go to the bed chamber, now!” he snapped, reaching for his comm to reset the collar’s boundary.

Kara straightened up, her hands dropping to her waist. “I would but I can’t, rocket scientist!” she bit out, before he could make the adjustment.

Rocket scientist was a step up from fleabag, but he still wasn’t amused. Lyr finished resetting the boundary and curtly motioned toward the bedroom.

“I can’t fucking believe you have a remote for this damn thing!” She stomped toward the bedroom, paused long enough in the threshold to glare at him, then slid the door shut with a bang.

“It looks like you have something to deal with,” Itor said flatly as he stood and headed for the door.

That was putting it mildly.

“Thank you for your assistance,” he managed to say, though it put a bad taste in his mouth, as the group filed past him out of the suite.

“We’re nearby if the Suid come around.” Itor gestured to the quarters across the hall.

Lyr nodded, sealed the door then spun toward the bedroom. Kara was angry but outbursts like that could be the death of them in a place like this. And yet, her anger incited the heat that had fully descended on him without mercy. His frustration, mixed with the demanding need, made for a dangerous mood.

KARA

She was so livid she was shaking.

“The audacity!” Kara tugged on the collar as she stomped around the bedroom.

There was a sound behind her and she spun to find Lyr looming in the doorway.

“In the future, you will hold your temper and do what I tell you,” he growled as he ominously locked the bedroom door.

“You don’t own me!” she snapped back.

Suddenly, he was in her face, his fangs bared.

“You are mine,” his voice came out an inhuman snarl.

Despite the way she trembled, she wasn’t afraid of him.

“So, I’m your bitch!” She glared defiantly at him.

“Yes.” Lyr yanked the sheet off her, dropping it on the floor. “You are mine.” He spun her and shoved her face down onto the bed. “And you will do what I tell you!”

Her anger was replaced by shock when he swatted her bare ass.

“How dare you!” She craned her head to look back at him.

His broad palm smacked her again, sending her ass cheek wobbling and she scrambled to get up. Lyr grabbed her hips and tugged them into the air.

“Son of a bitch, I’m not a child.”

The next curse died on her lips when suddenly Lyr’s face was planted against her upturned rear, his tongue pressing into her pussy. Her angry breath came out a stunned gasp.

Oh. Her eyes rolled back as a spike of pleasure rocked her.

His hot, wet tongue undulated as it burrowed deeper, then reemerged to flick and lap at the swollen folds surrounding her vagina. She jerked when he hit her sensitive clit. When the burst of pleasure eased and she regained her wits, the reason she was angry came flooding back and she was madder than before. This didn’t change a thing.

“Eat my pussy all you want but that doesn’t make me your slave,” she bit out, trying not to pant as Lyr homed in on her clit again.

“You are my princess.”

Stubbornly, she bit her lip as his deep voice vibrated her sensitive flesh, but then Lyr pulled away, and she nearly whined, betraying herself.

Abruptly the world spun, and she found herself on her back, Lyr standing between her splayed knees. The man was massive. The disheveled dark hair between his pointy ears made him look every bit the rogue. The scarred muscles of his arms, pecs and rugged abs screamed barely leashed power. As much as she resisted, she wanted to trace the vee of muscles disappearing into his waistband.

“And this is my pussy.” His gaze shifted from her bare sex to her face, daring her to contradict him.

The obscene claim made her nipples harden further, though she managed to tamp it down. His gaze was intense, but she had no doubt hers was equally so. If he wanted a contest of wills, it was on. Then, from the corner of her eye she saw him tug open his pants.

Her gaze shot to the impossibly long, thick cock that sprang free. The crown had to be the size of her fist and the veins were like ridges on a bat. Her pussy cramped and she shivered when the beast jerked as he gripped it. Maybe she overplayed her hand. There was no way that thing was going to fit!

“There’s not enough lube in the universe, dog boy!” she informed him.

“I disagree,” Lyr rasped deep, his knee shoving beneath her, raising her ass, as his rough palm pushed her thighs wider.

He pressed the length of his cock against the folds of her vagina and started rubbing back and forth. She tugged in a sharp breath when his broad crown grazed her clit. Her pussy spasmed, instantly bathing his cock. Lyr let out a deep groan in response, and rubbed her slick labia more insistently.

Don’t come! She couldn’t. Her pride wouldn’t let her.

As much as she resisted, the onslaught of pleasure had her quickly panting, desperate to hold back the brewing orgasm. It didn’t help that Lyr was fiercely sexy, his jaw clenched, fangs bared, as he concentrated on her exposed pussy. With each pass, his hips flexed and she just knew his taut ass looked delicious. Although the view from the front as he coated himself in her unbidden desire wasn’t bad either. The sight made her spasm harder, releasing another flood of moisture.

Lyr’s nostrils flared as he tugged in a heaving breath, his gaze riveted to the desire leaking from her. A split second later, he descended, shoving her hard against the mattress. He pushed the collar higher on her neck as his arms wrapped beneath her shoulders. His mouth latched onto the crook of her shoulder and he bit down as he crammed the head of his cock against the mouth of her pussy. The sharp sensation touched off her orgasm.

“Lyr!” his name came out part plea, part praise as she detonated.

His hold on her tightened as he worked his thick crown deeper into her spasming vagina. She was trapped beneath his immense body, forced to accept the sweet torment as he stretched her wide. The ridge on his broad crown abraded her g-spot, sending violent sparks of pure ecstasy careening through her. She arched against him, her fingers clawing at anything within reach.

“My princess, mine,” he groaned against her shoulder, his beast of a cock shoving past her spasming inner muscles.

She shook her head in denial, though not of his claim. This was unreal. He was going to split her in two, and the sadistic bitch that she was, she welcomed it.

“Yes, you are!” he snarled insistently.

His mouth clamped down on her shoulder again as he thrust hard, burying himself balls deep, forcing her to adjust to the rest of his inhuman size in a mere breath. She keened from the erotic torment. Lyr pulled back, his cock lighting up every nerve lining her convulsing slick walls, then hammered in, shoving deeper than before, his hips grinding against her ass.

“Lyr!” she screamed, another violent orgasm building, making her muscles seize.

Lyr was an animal as he fucked her hard and fast, sending her careening into oblivion. It was criminal the way he wrecked her completely, and how hopelessly in love she was with the savage rogue.

LYR

He was a twisted bastard, but hearing Kara scream his name over and over made him burn out of control. As glorious as that was, he wanted to hear her admit she was his, because he was beyond lost to the fiery beauty, from her spirited mouth to her unbelievable scent, and everything in between.

Kara’s tight, slick channel writhing around his hard shaft stripped away his sanity. With a feral snarl, he gave into the heat that had been riding him hard since he first saw her. He marked her shoulder, laying his claim for all to see as he repeatedly slammed his shaft into her wondrous body. His toes dug into the bed for leverage as he strained to bury himself as deep as he could go, his crown shoving against her womb with every lunge. He wanted to be a part of her. He wanted his seed to take root and further cement his claim.

Lyr lost track of time as he fucked Kara, her sweet husky cries and the scent of sex making him delirious. Then Kara went completely rigid beneath him, her pussy clamping down hard on his shaft. He reeled from the pleasure arcing up his spine, his balls drawing up tight. Her mouth was open on a broken cry, her head tossed back, her eyes fluttering as she strained against him. His shaft kicked at the erotic sight.

“Mine,” he roared as his seed jetted out in painful halting waves, the spasms making his whole-body jerk.

CHAPTER 8

KARA

Kara roused as a damp cloth gently trailed across her sore temple. Lyr’s comforting, woodsy masculine scent greeted her and she lazily opened her eyes. She blinked, taking in the view of his sculpted chest covered with fine hair as he leaned over her. He was so strong he could probably battle the devil himself and come out victorious. A giddy thrill coursed through her waking up to him. It was ridiculous how happy it made her, and yet she couldn’t deny it.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, but this cut was bothering me.” Lyr grimaced. “I should’ve let you clean up earlier and tended to this.”

She smiled at the sweet gesture then part of what he said registered.

“Let me?” Her brow arched.

Lyr was unbelievably sexy and he’d totally rocked her world. He’d also saved her from utter hell. Except, her sister had taught her how bad relationships could go, and there was no way on God’s green earth she was putting up with a domineering man who thought he owned her. No amount of orgasmic sex could make up for that shit.

“Kara,” Lyr groaned and she could hear the exasperation in his voice. “I think you know what I meant.”

“Do I?” She tapped the collar on her neck.

“You know this is a dangerous place. That damn collar is the only insurance I have that you won’t get snatched again.” Lyr picked her up and headed into the washroom.

For a moment she was distracted by his bulging biceps and the way he carried her around like she weighed nothing at all, but quickly shook it off.

“Even if I agree with that reasoning, are you telling me that no part of you was amused by slapping this on my neck after that threat by the pool?” She eyed him dubiously as he set her down in the shower.

He was quiet and didn’t look at her as he turned on the water.

“I knew it!” she declared and punched him in the arm.

“I was thinking!” He grabbed her hand.

“Thinking of some lie to tell me?!” she countered as she pulled free of his grasp and stepped into the spray to wet her hair.

“You don’t think very highly of me, do you?” He scowled down at her.

“I think your male pride was wounded when I didn’t shut up and do what I was told like a good little girl in front of your friends.” She smirked back at him as she washed her hair.

“They’re not my friends.” Lyr grabbed a bottle off the nearby shelf and squeezed the contents into his hands and started soaping his bare chest. “I met Itor in the Hold and I don’t trust him. If he thinks I’ve gone soft he’ll take advantage of the situation more than he already is.”

She nearly missed the comment as she watched the sudsy water run down his delicious abs to the giant cock hanging between his thighs.

Don’t get hypnotized by the dick!

“You expect me to believe that was all an act?” she asked incredulously. “Nuh uh. Even after those goons left, you came storming in all growly, swinging your dick, informing me I’d do what I was told and I belonged to you.” She cocked her head, challenging him to come up with some bullshit excuse for that behavior.

“I’m more familiar with this type of place, so you do need to do what I tell you so we can make it out of here alive.” Lyr took a step forward, crowding her against the shower wall with his giant naked body. “And you do belong to me.”

She shivered as his gaze slowly raked over her. His growly possessive declaration made a part of her stand at attention, but her rational side knew it was a bad precedent to set. Undeterred, she planted her hands on his chest and pushed him back.

“I can concede you know more about being a low-life criminal and how to best survive this cesspool. But if you think fucking me makes me yours, like you just planted your flag in unclaimed territory, then you better think again, buddy!” Her gaze narrowed on him.

She was no virgin. Granted, the way Lyr fucked her with his monster cock she certainly had felt like one, though she wasn’t about to tell him that.

Lyr growled, understanding full well what she was talking about, and she smiled sweetly up at him, pleased the barb hit its mark.

“You are mine, princess,” he rasped menacingly low.

“Yes, you did put a ring on it.” She sarcastically tapped her collar. “But you kinda missed the mark, and I never agreed to be yours. That’s how this works.”

LYR

He knew he needed to concede, but his inner beast wouldn’t let him. Kara was his. The bite mark on her shoulder and his scent on her screamed it, and yet frustratingly she was right, she never agreed.

“I have a bargain for you. I bet I can make you tell me, you belong to me,” she flippantly suggested, her large hazel eyes looking smug.

“And if I win, you agree to behave while we’re at this outpost or with Itor’s crew?” he asked.

“Sure.” Kara shrugged noncommittally.

“Fine,” he agreed, more curious about what she was up to than anything.

Kara cast him a wicked grin as she trailed her delicate fingers over his shoulder. His head turned to watch as she slowly circled behind him.

“Besides all the obvious differences between us…” Kara purred seductively, her fingers tracing his spine before tugging his tail.

He jerked slightly then glanced back at her, one brow cocked. She had no clue the forward way she played with his tail was something only mates did. He then shivered as she caressed his ass. Inadvertently he flexed the muscles.

“I don’t assume that all this is mine, just because I got a taste.” She smacked one taut cheek then cast him a rotten grin.

My mate is pure trouble. His brow arched as he watched her come back around.

He braced himself as her small fingers wandered over his bicep, across his chest and then down his abdomen.

“Although this is hella sexy.” She traced his lower stomach, making the muscles quiver. “I know sex is just that, sex, especially where horny men are concerned.”

She was talking from experience and he hated it. He would’ve objected but her fingers were painfully close to his growing arousal. He tugged in a breath and his shaft jumped when she ran a lone finger along his throbbing length.

“I prefer to hear the words, because this is a mere physical response to stimulus.” She smiled as she tapped his crown, making his erection bob.

He groaned at the way she stared wickedly up at him as she wrapped both hands around his turgid shaft and began slowly stroking. He understood the point she was making. He should at the very least attempt to resist the primal response to her touch, but his inner beast didn’t care, reveling in her attention, pumping more blood into his eager shaft.

“Kara,” he moaned and closed his eyes.

“Yes?” She gripped him tighter on the next stroke, one hand concentrating on the sensitive head of his arousal.

Lyr bit his lip and shook his head. This was a terrible game, but he refused to lose. He couldn’t. She had agreed to behave if he didn’t admit he belonged to her.

Something hot and wet enveloped his crown and he shuddered, his eyes flying open.

“Kara!” he barked, surprised to see her mouth wrapped around his crown.

Females didn’t do such things. Then again, all the females he’d ever known had canines and he wouldn’t want their mouths wrapped around his shaft. Kara’s teeth were blunt, yet this still seemed wrong. It was his job to pleasure her like this. Kara sucked him further into her mouth, her tongue swirling around his crown and his hips bucked, his reticence instantly forgotten.

“Kara,” he groaned at the spike of pleasure that arced up his spine, one hand grabbing the wall to hold on.

“Hmm,” she moaned, vibrating his shaft.

The way she coyly stared up at him, her lips stretched around his arousal, was almost his undoing.

“Koyat’g fate!” He threw his head back.

Kara sucked his crown, tonguing the painfully sensitive ridge as she stroked his shaft faster. His legs trembled as the pleasure mounted. He shook his head in denial when one small hand massaged his balls, making them tighten. This was sweet torment.

All he had to do was keep silent, but the problem was, he did belong to her. He’d belonged to her long before now.

Kara sucked him faster and deeper, her throat swallowing around his crown, as she stroked and caressed. His shaft throbbed harder with each maddening pull, his head spinning, desperate to stave off the climax bearing down on him like a coming storm.

“I’m yours! Fate, I’m yours, Kara,” he snarled as fire surged through every nerve in his body.

Abruptly Kara’s mouth disappeared just as he was about to orgasm. His stunned gaze flew to hers as she stood upright.

“Was that so hard?” She tapped his still pulsating shaft. “Oh, I guess it is.” She cast him a triumphant, rotten smile.

Dumbfounded, he watched her step out of the bathing stall.

“You’re pure evil!” he declared.

“And hungry,” she laughed, grabbing a drying sheet on her way out of the washroom.

Lyr glanced down at his engorged shaft then looked toward the bedroom and shook his head in disbelief.

This isn’t over, little vixen.

KARA

She couldn’t help the rotten pride coursing through her. It was almost better than the desire she’d tamped down as she forced herself to release Lyr’s cock. Seeing how turned on Lyr was, his whole body trembling as she sucked him into her mouth, was so damn sexy that she almost forgot the bet she’d made.

I am evil. She smirked as she grabbed the sheet off the bed and found his knife.

It was mean to torture Lyr like that, and yet she’d meant what she’d said. She wouldn’t stand for being treated like an object, and she wasn’t a blushing youth who still believed sex equated love. She’d fallen for that before and had her heart broken.

The sound of Lyr’s wet feet slapping against the floor as he stormed out of the bathroom made her grin. Her antics had served another purpose. She’d keep him on his toes and coming back for more.

“Kara, I know I lost, but you have to…”

He paused when she held up his knife. Lyr’s eyes widened and he cupped his crotch, taking a step back.

“I’m not going to cut you,” she snorted, realizing how the inadvertent gesture appeared. “I was just going to say don’t worry your pretty little head. I could’ve made you admit the sky is purple with diamond rain.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll play your little charade in public. Now, could you please help me cut a hole in this thing, ‘cause I refuse to walk around naked.”

She giggled again when Lyr’s shoulders eased, relief transforming his face as he stepped forward and took the knife from her.

“I still have enough credits to buy you something to wear.” He frowned as he looked from her to the sheet.

“You’re going to leave me in here all by myself while you go shopping?”

“No,” he huffed, seeing the dilemma. “What do you want to do with this?”

“Cut a hole for my head in the middle, here.” She pointed. “I once saw this simple dress idea for a toga party.”

“All right.” He folded the sheet in half and cut a slit in the middle.

She put a hand over her mouth, repressing a giggle, seeing his still hard cock bob as he worked.

Maybe I should’ve suggested he put pants on first. She bit her lip, questioning if she really needed food. No, bad girl! Sex later. If he’s a good boy.

“Thanks.” She took the sheet and put it over her head. “Oh, it needs to be bigger,” she snorted when her head got stuck.

“I guess so,” Lyr chuckled. “Hold very still.” Gingerly he widened the slit.

“That’s great.” She popped her head through. “Now, cut horizontal slits along the sides to make narrow strips so I can tie them together.”

“Ah, I see what you are doing. Very creative.” Lyr nodded as he knelt and started making the small cuts.

She smiled, impressed, as Lyr worked. He was skilled with the knife, adeptly cutting the cloth strips with a casual flick of his wrist. Her smile turned into a frown when she focused on all the scars on his body. He obviously wasn’t a stranger to fighting with a knife. The notion worried and made her sad at the same time. There was so much about him she didn’t know.

“So, you’ve mentioned the Hold,” she broached the subject.

Lyr’s hand paused, every muscle in his body going rigid.

“Aye, along with Blaidd, for five seasons, though it felt like a lifetime.” He started working again.

She frowned. She’d been on the fence about her sister’s alien boyfriend and this news didn’t help.

“Why?” She feared the answer but had to know.

“The former Kral of Torvus wanted to work our people to death in the mines, but Blaidd refused to allow us to be reduced to little more than slaves. I was part of his detail when the Imperial Guard ambushed us,” he bit out with a deep growl.

“You were political prisoners!” Her eyes widened in surprise and horror. For some reason she expected Lyr to name some despicable crime, but the crime had been committed against him.

Lyr nodded as he continued cutting ties into the sheet.

“That’s fucking awful. I can’t even imagine.” She shook her head trying to fathom how Lyr must have felt being wrongfully locked up for so long.

“Kral Nox wanted to make an example of us so he put us in the worst prison. The Hold was in a cave where I couldn’t even see the light of day. The inmates were forced to wear detention collars that exploded if we weren’t in our cells after lights went out. And there weren’t ever enough rations, forcing us to fight for food.”

“That…that’s barbaric!” She covered her mouth in disgust. It was no wonder he reacted so badly when she mentioned the collar by the pool.

“I was lucky to have the members of my pack.” Lyr’s voice trailed off.

He concentrated on cutting the fabric but she could tell there was something on his mind. She reached out and gently felt one of the scars on his shoulder.

“What happened?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

“It’s nothing. I was wrong.” He shook his head.

She tipped his chin up, forcing him to look at her. So much pain swirled in his eyes.

“No. It’s not nothing.” She frowned.

“Blaidd escaped. He bartered with some other prisoners who’d found a way to remove their collars and a passage out.”

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Her gut twisted.

Lyr shook his head.

Her frown deepened as anger at Blaidd spiked for abandoning Lyr.

“But I was wrong. Blaidd returned and shut down the Hold.”

“Still. That doesn’t erase the hurt. He should’ve said something.” She shook her head, wondering how long Lyr had felt like garbage tossed aside.

“Blaidd has proven himself to me. He is a good Primitus. He came hunting for me when I was taken captive by Suid pirates, sold into slavery and my memory erased.”

She pulled in a sharp breath. “The same pirates after us?! Jesus, Lyr, what horrible thing hasn’t happened to you?”

“That was my own fault,” he chuckled morosely as he finished tying the strips on her left then shifted to her right side. “I should’ve stayed home since the rumor was wrong, but there was a possibility Kral Nox was hiding on Feccus. The deposed leader was responsible for so much misery that we couldn’t let him roam free. I took off after him the moment I was healed from the attack on your sister.”

“Wait. The what?” She gaped at him. Vivian hadn’t mentioned anything about being attacked.

“Uh.” He swiftly averted his gaze and attempted to continue what he was doing.

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look back up.

“What attack?” She pinned Lyr with a stern gaze.

“Traitors attempted to use Vivian to force Blaidd to give up his position. Don’t worry. They’re all dead,” he assured her.

“I can’t believe Vivian didn’t tell me about that.” Kara clenched her fists.

“I’m sure she didn’t want you to worry. She’s safe. I promise.”

Her gaze softened as she stared at Lyr.

“Thank you for protecting my sister and for rescuing me. The Davies girls are going to be the death of you.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“It would be my honor.” He lifted her hand and pressed it to his forehead.

The reverent gesture from the giant man twisted her in knots. She cupped his cheek when he released her hand. She was starting to get a better picture of this Lupercalia man. Yes, Lyr was dominant and overbearing, but he was fiercely protective and willing to walk through fire for the ones he loved.

Love? She blinked as she stared into Lyr’s deep brown eyes. That couldn’t possibly be the emotion reflected back at her. Could it?

“Um, do you think this will work enough for us to go find food?” she asked with a nervous laugh, looking down at the makeshift dress.

“I think so.” Lyr finished tying the last few strips and stood. “I should contact Itor so his crew can watch our tails.”

He grabbed his comm off the side table and sent a message.

“You think maybe you should put something on first?” She glanced down at him in all his glory.

“Does this bother you?” He rotated his hips, making his cock do a little twirl as he cast her a cheeky grin.

“Yeah, that’s actually pretty disturbing,” Kara snorted and shook her head.

He circled behind her and leaned in close to her ear.

“You didn’t seem to mind last night, princess.” His warm breath teased the shell of her ear, making her shiver.

Oh, he’s a tease. Well, two can play this game.

“Hmm.” She slowly, thoughtfully tapped her lips. “As I recall, I wasn’t the one making amorous declarations.” She suggestively licked the tip of her finger.

Lyr’s eyes widened, then sparked with lust as he focused on her mouth.

“Oh, and I’m not a princess, I’m the queen.” She grinned at him.

CHAPTER 9

LYR

The prurient reminder of her mouth on his shaft and the interrupted orgasm had him instantly hard again. The chime on the door pinged as he grabbed for her.

“Uh oh. Saved by the bell.” Kara danced out of reach with a rotten giggle.

“Koyat’g, Itor,” he petulantly grumbled, tugged on his pants, stomped out of the bedroom and answered the door.

“Lyr,” Itor eagerly greeted him.

“Where are Cybok and Timur?” Lyr asked, looking past the trio into the hallway.

“They’re working their shift.” Ampo, the four-armed Vamian, nodded to him as he entered.

“We have something for you.” Itor held up two red garments.

“Are those Assassin’s Guild cloaks?” Lyr cocked his head.

“They are. It was Zidek’s idea.” Itor pointed to the venomous-tailed Cimex.

“It will hide you since the Suid will be looking for a Lupercalia and a tiny human.” Zidek looked proud of himself.

That was true. The long robe and hood would efficiently hide their identity, but the distinctive costume attracted attention all on its own.

“Thanks.” Lyr took the cloaks, not wanting to offend the Cimex. They were volatile enough. “Kara,” he called to her.

Kara peered out of the bedroom. “You called for me, master?”

Lyr groaned, his brows arching suspiciously at her overly sweet smile and the way she said master.

“Our friends found some disguises for us to wear.” He showed off the red cloaks.

“It looks like you did a decent job clothing yourself,” Itor chuckled as Kara entered the sitting room wearing the makeshift dress.

Zidek looked Kara up and down, and Lyr had trouble repressing the growl building in his chest. Although Kara was covered more than she had been at the auction, somehow, the scant bit of skin peeking through the tied seams was more tempting than when she was practically nude. Lyr’s fists clenched on the cloaks as he repressed the urge to lunge at the ogling male.

“I tried to find a cloak small enough for you.” Zidek gestured toward the garments.

He did this to please her! Lyr’s gaze narrowed on the Cimex.

“Thank you. That was very kind,” Kara purred.

Lyr swung toward Kara, his eyes widening at her sultry tone. She looked back at him, something ornery sparking in her eyes.

“Easy,” he mumbled, trying to get a rein on his jealousy as he helped her slip on the smaller cloak.

“What?” Kara innocently blinked at him, batting her long eyelashes as he pulled up the hood and secured the face shield. He was starting to regret telling her to behave herself.

“I’d believe she’s an assassin,” Itor declared.

“Agreed,” Ampo chimed in.

Kara looked stunning. The self-adjusting straps hugged her chest, but gave her arms and legs freedom of movement. If she were truly an assassin, she could leap and flip, the fabric obscuring her movement as she aimed at her target. The face shield revealing only her hazel eyes added to her mysterious allure. A smile twisted his lips as he admired her. Kara seemed so delicate and yet she was spirited. This costume fit her personality perfectly, bringing to the surface all the fire within.

“It’s not right,” Zidek declared, making everyone scowl.

The Cimex pulled the smallest ordnance from his holster and passed it to Kara.

“Whoa. Wait a moment.” Lyr reached for it.

“Oh, yes.” Kara eagerly grabbed the weapon before he could intercept it.

“Kara, be careful with that,” he warned.

“Okay.” Kara smiled, but he could tell she was just humoring him. “Is there a safety? Are there settings? Where’s the trigger and what about recoil?” she asked Zidek.

Lyr blinked, surprised by the unexpected barrage of valid questions, then grimaced when Zidek stepped between him and Kara.

“I’m not sure what weapons you are familiar with, but this adjusts the power draw on the cell,” Zidek started to explain.

Despite the jealousy searing through his veins, Lyr forced back the urge to snap off Zidek’s tail and stab him with it, instead pulling on the cloak meant for him.

“I’ve got it.” Kara nodded just as Lyr finished adjusting the hood and face shield of his cloak.

Before he realized what she was doing, Kara grabbed the empty flask off the table, tossed it into the air, aimed and fired. His eyes widened when she blasted a hole clean though it.

“Impressive!” Itor barked as he retrieved the flask off the floor and examined the damage.

“Maybe she is an assassin,” Ampo declared and Zidek laughed in agreement.

Shock and pride filled Lyr and he couldn’t repress his grin as he approached Kara.

“Very nice, princess. Where’d you learn that skill?” He looked at her with admiration.

“I practiced a lot while planning to kill my sister’s abusive husband. I would have, too, but he was an officer of the law and I never figured out exactly how to do it. Then Blaidd beat me to it,” she replied flippantly, but he could see the pain she was trying to disguise.

He nodded and reached out, needing to console her, but her gaze darted past his shoulder, then swiftly she raised her ordnance and fired. He spun in time to see the flask ricochet through the air, hitting the nearby wall before dropping to the floor.

“Whoa, again!” Ampo clapped all four hands.

“I think I just armed a killer,” Zidek barked.

“You might want to be careful giving her orders, Lyr,” Itor cautioned with a hearty laugh.

“You hear that?” Kara whispered, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she tucked the ordnance into the folds of her robe.

He glanced from her proud expression to the impressed laughing males. He’d wanted her to play the part of the obedient female in front of them, but she’d garnered their respect being her spirited self. He should’ve known better than attempting to make her conform. She was a force to be reckoned with and he wouldn’t underestimate her again. His pride and affection for her swelled.

“I think I better feed my killer princess before she turns on us.” Lyr bowed his head as he gestured to the door.

Kara followed Itor’s gang out of the suite. Her stride was confident, with a cadence that screamed lethal grace, her shoulders back and chin held high.

Fate, I adore that female.

KARA

This might actually work. Kara smoothed her hand over the sleek red robe.

She truly did feel like a badass assassin straight out of a movie, as the dregs of the universe, murderers, rapists and thieves, took one look at her outfit and steered clear of her. A fight spilled out of a nearby bar and she didn’t jump or startle, she merely sidestepped the tussling pair then continued on. Although, it wasn’t hard to walk confidently with Lyr at her back and the alien pistol she was packing.

Kara grinned behind her veil, recalling Lyr’s shocked and impressed expression when he learned she could shoot. Her grin faltered as she was reminded of why she had those skills. She’d learned to shoot in the hopes of protecting her big sis. Taking out her aggression at the shooting range was the only way she made it through those tough times.

Well, at least the skill isn’t going to waste.

Zidek gestured with his scorpion tail down the corridor to where Itor was milling around a café, and they headed that way.

“This vendor has good food and reasonable prices,” Itor commented casually before stepping away to keep an eye on the crowd.

The scent of cooking food coming from behind the counter made her stomach rumble. It’d been a day since her last decent meal and she was ravenous. Lyr glanced wide-eyed down at her belly. She smiled sheepishly at him, though he couldn’t see it through the veil.

“What’ll you have?” the orange woman with the temperament of a fishwife demanded, not caring that they were dressed like assassins.

“We’ll take a bit of everything. Whatever fifty credits will get us.” Lyr showed her the credits.

The orange woman nodded curtly and grabbed an armful of containers.

“Are we feeding everyone?” She gaped as the woman started piling food into all the containers.

“We’ll need to eat for a bit, and they’ll expect food, too.” He nodded toward Itor’s crew.

Guilt surged through her at how expensive this whole nightmare was becoming, between buying her at auction and keeping a goon squad on retainer.

Lyr wouldn’t have to fool with any of this if it weren’t for me. She sighed, truly feeling like a pampered princess and hating it.

“Thank you,” she whispered to him as the lady kept dishing up food.

A sudden screech made her glance up as a yellow and purple blur flew out of the kitchen, directly toward her. The creature darted into her hood before she could put her hands up to protect her face.

“Fuck,” she barked as it scurried around to the back of her neck.

“Sackvy!” the orange woman cursed, slamming her scoop onto the counter, splattering food as she glared back at a rotund orange man racing from the kitchen. “You imbecile, it’s attacked one of our buyers.”

The critter kept chattering and clung to her hair as Kara tried to retrieve it without yanking off her veil and hood.

“My deepest apologies.” The sweaty orange man gaped at them with fear in his green eyes as he hustled around the counter.

Lyr grabbed the little beast through her hood before it could scurry down her back, and she managed to latch onto its long tail and extricate it. She was stunned to see what looked like a downy, feathered flying squirrel with a snake tail that immediately coiled around her wrist. Four big, yellow eyes that overwhelmed its sweet little face blinked in fear as its nubbin horns and wings twitched.

“Don’t you know how to butcher anything without it getting away from you?” the orange woman barked at her alien partner.

“I am sorry.” The rotund, orange man reached for the critter.

“Butcher?” Kara pulled her hand back before the man could take the beastie and glared at him.

She thought this was a wayward pet, but she was wrong.

“Ah, yes, it’s a kimpek,” the orange man stammered, as if she’d asked him a ridiculous question, then started sweating more profusely.

She glanced pleadingly up at Lyr, hoping he could do something for the poor beastie. His one brow arched incredulously. A part of her knew she was being absurd, but she was a total city girl and never had to look the critters she was about to eat in the eyes before.

Lyr leaned in close. “This is going to cost you, princess.”

Her eyes widened at his deep, raspy tone and the illicit threat that sent a shiver coursing up her spine.

“I’ll give you five more credits for the kimpek,” he told the sour woman.

“It’ll take a while to dress and cook it,” she informed him.

Kara’s mouth dropped open behind her rumpled veil. Did the woman completely miss everything that just went on?

“No. We’ll save it for later.” Lyr shook his head as he paid.

“I wouldn’t let it get too big,” the orange woman huffed, shoving the containers of food across the counter.

“Thank you.” Kara released the little beastie, and like a long slinky flopping end over end, it scurried back into her hood, chattering as its long tail coiled around her neck and collar.

“Aye. Next,” the orange woman barked.

Kara blinked in disbelief. The thank you had been directed at Lyr, but whatever. She reached for some of the containers Lyr was holding.

“No. I think your hands are full,” Lyr chuckled.

“True. Please tell me we didn’t get anything with the poor beast’s friends cooked in it.” She grimaced as they left the counter, suddenly not so hungry anymore.

“I don’t think so.” Lyr shook his head.

Her brow arched, wondering if he was fibbing to make her feel better.

“You’ve got some sort of parasite in your cloak,” Itor commented with a snort as he joined them.

She glowered at the overgrown iguana as they started down the concourse.

“Slinky, you better not eat a lot or have rabies,” she whispered, reaching into her hood to stroke the downy soft feathers of the still trembling critter.

What am I going to do with you?

She glanced around the harsh outpost, wondering what she’d gotten herself into. It wasn’t like she could release the fuzzy slinky into the wild—there was no wild or an outdoors here. The poor critter would get trampled or become someone else’s dinner if she turned it loose. Slinky’s predicament wasn’t that different from her own.

I guess we both got a reprieve. She gently petted the squirrely-bird.

Kara smiled at Lyr, alertly watching for trouble. He really was surprising her with how wonderful he was turning out to be. There was so much more to the furry beast than she imagined.

She and Lyr rounded a corner and suddenly she was toe to toe with a group of the tusk-faced boorish pirates.

“Watch where you’re going!” Faca snapped, while Latro eyed her.

Lyr moved closer to her. She could feel him bristling with the need to tug her out of the way and attack. Disguised, the pirates didn’t know it was her, or did they? Calmly she kept her hands at her sides, resisting the urge to grab the weapon tucked in her cloak. Even if she got a shot off, there were too many of the pirates, and yet she refused to be afraid of the bastards.

You won’t fucking intimidate me! Boldly she stared at Latro, refusing to move out of the pirates’ way.

Latro grimaced and stepped around them, his band of bastards following.

“Imbecile, don’t you know the smaller ones are the most dangerous?!” Latro snarled at Faca as they continued on their way.

Thank you!

She pulled in a deep breath, grateful that hadn’t turned into a disaster as they headed back to their suite.

CHAPTER 10

LYR

“I tried to warn you the Suid were coming around the corner without being obvious.” Itor stuffed another bite in his mouth.

“Did you see the way Kara stood there unmoving? She had those pirates nervous,” Zidek chuckled.

“Latro got lucky this time,” Kara teased as she patted the ordnance tucked in her belt. “Come on, Slinky, you are safe now.” She tossed a morsel on the floor, attempting to coax the long-tailed kimpek out of hiding from beneath the settee.

As everyone ate, Lyr silently watched Kara, his blood burning. He’d scented the Suid coming but there had been no way to avoid them in the corridor and the obvious move would’ve betrayed their disguise. He’d bristled for a fight, but not Kara. She’d been more than amazing, she was dead sexy the way she confidently stared down the pirates, unflinching like a true assassin when faced with the enemy. Before, she turned him on with her spunky attitude and hot body, but now, this new side of her had him painfully hard and completely on fire.

Impatiently, he glared at Itor, Zidek, and Ampo stuffing their faces.

KARA

Kara tossed another bite to Slinky as she set her half-eaten container of food with the leftovers on the sideboard. She smiled as a tiny squirrel hand darted out and grabbed the morsel before hiding again under the sofa.

Abruptly, Lyr stood, a stern, almost angry expression on his face.

“It’s time for you to go,” he insisted to the guys.

“Are you vexed with us? I said I tried to warn you.” Itor’s spines stood up all around his head.

“Not vexed. I have some business to handle with the assassin princess.”

Kara’s eyes widened and her head swiveled toward Lyr.

Shit. What did I do?

“Ah, business. I think our shift is about to begin.” Ampo headed for the door.

“Uh. Are you sure?” She grabbed one of Ampo’s many arms. “I think there’s dessert.”

The band of criminals weren’t her BFFs but at the moment she didn’t want them to leave.

“If Lyr gets aggressive, use that.” Zidek gestured to the pulse gun with his stinger.

She smiled awkwardly at the scorpion man.

“We’ll check in after our shift.” Itor nodded to them on the way out.

Crap, they’re really leaving.

Anxiously, she watched as Lyr sealed the door then turned, pinning her with his dark eyes.

“Get naked, now,” he rumbled, sending the butterflies in her stomach careening wildly.

Oh. That intense look hadn’t been anger.

She bit her lip, not feeling any less in trouble, as Lyr swaggered toward her, peeling off his cloak to reveal the powerful muscles of his ripped chest. His earlier comment about owing him for saving Slinky surfaced, and her nipples hardened into painful sharp points. Lyr hooked the back of her neck and reeled her in, then bent low, placing his mouth next to her ear.

“Did you hear what I said?” he growled.

She nodded but still didn’t move to undress. The way his deep voice raked over her senses and stiff cock pressed against her stomach had her completely enthralled and instantly wet.

“You really do have trouble obeying commands.” Lyr’s brow arched imperiously.

Her eyes widened when he tugged the long belt cinched around her. She spun in a dizzying circle as it uncoiled. His strong hands pulled off her cloak then whipped her makeshift dress over her head. A shiver worked up her spine as she stood in only her shoes, the heat from the massive aroused man at her back making her tingle allover.

“Do you know how much this bit of hair teases me?” Lyr reached around and cupped her crotch. “It’s like every part of you was made to drive me utterly insane,” he growled the salacious reprimand.

She pulled in a deep breath as his fingers trailed through the strip of hair then honed in on her clit, the other hand possessively gripping her breast.

“I have no idea what this little swollen bead hidden in your flower is, but I know I can make you scream if I play with it.”

The threat made her heart thud nervously, eagerly, and she started panting, shallow little breaths. His hot tongue slid up her neck to tease her earlobe, while he rocked his finger over her clit. Kara shifted on her feet, squirming from his touch and the building pleasure.

“Wet. Good.” His fangs grazed her sensitive neck.

She was wet, ridiculously wet. It trickled down her thighs. The rogue claimed she drove him insane but it was most definitely the opposite. She didn’t know if she wanted to get away from the wicked, delicious torment or melt against him.

“You’ll need to be really wet for when I slam my shaft into that gorgeous pink little slit, and I’m not going to go easy on you, princess.”

Kara gasped. His words alone were enough to make her come. She tugged in another shocked breath when abruptly Lyr released her and swiped one arm across the table, sending the empty containers flying. Before she could blink, he bent her over the table.

“But first there are other wet places my shaft is going to explore.”

Her mouth gaped knowing exactly where Lyr planned to stick his cock. She totally had this coming after the way she teased him in the shower. Her mind was still focused on the vivid image when Lyr started tying her to the table using her belt.

“I just need to make sure you don’t go anywhere this time.” His voice was inhumanly deep as he swiftly finished securing her legs spreadeagle.

Oh fuck! She was right, she really was in trouble.

She craned her neck and watched Lyr circle the small table. He was beyond huge and the hungry savage look in his eyes bordered on scary.

“Lyr.” She nervously licked her lips.

“Not another word unless it’s to tell me who you belong to.” He captured her hands and secured her wrists to the table legs.

As turned on as she was and hopelessly smitten with the man, the contrary side of her refused to make this easy on Lyr. Besides, the sooner she gave in, the quicker this game of wills would be over. She clamped her mouth shut and innocently batted her eyes at him.

Lyr huffed and grabbed her chin, his thumb tracing her lips.

“Stubborn female, you know you are mine.”

His thumb worked between her lips forcing her mouth open, not that she really resisted the aggressive man. Lyr tugged down his waistband, freeing his erection. His beast of a cock was dark red from so much blood, the roping veins standing out against the thick shaft. Lyr gripped the proud beast and ran the broad crown over her bottom lip. His skin was silky smooth. Her tongue darted out to taste him and was rewarded with a bead of sweet desire eking from the slit in his crown.

Lyr groaned in pleasure, cupped the back of her neck and pressed his cock deeper into her mouth. As her lips stretched wide to accommodate him, she stared into his dark eyes, loving the passion burning in them.

LYR

He was a bastard for tying Kara up and forcing his shaft into her mouth, and yet the sight of her lips wrapped around him was too much to resist. The memory had been torturing him all day. The sensation was glorious, and the sexy way Kara stared at him, her gorgeous defiant eyes taunting him but also promising pleasure, was just as compelling.

She swirled the flat part of her tongue around his crown and a spike of pleasure made his hips jerk. Kara gagged around his shaft and he was tempted to pull out, but then she started sucking him. Her blunt teeth grazing his sensitive flesh added to the jolts of pleasure.

“Fate, princess,” he huffed and gripped the back of her neck tighter, his fingers coiling in her long hair.

He tried to resist thrusting, yet his hips moved of their own will. Kara moaned and swallowed and sucked. Her tongue kept hitting all the right places and he couldn’t help but move faster. Her thick scent of desire made him draw in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring, desperate to pull in the sweet musk. She was aroused even though she was pleasuring him. He pictured all the nectar spilling from her pink slit, like her saliva running down his shaft, and he swelled larger in her mouth, thrusting deeper, fighting the burning climax starting to sear through him.

KARA

She breathed through her nose, her throat working as she sucked Lyr off. It was nearly impossible to handle his cock shoved into her mouth, but she was too aroused to care. The savage grunts and the way the muscles of his abs quivered, his hips flexing as he fucked her mouth, were too sexy to deny. She’d do anything for this man. A sweet spurt hit the back of her throat and she shuddered, practically orgasming herself.

Swiftly, Lyr pulled out of her mouth and stared down at her. The look in his dark eyes was hard to read. It was a bit of awe, desire and suspicion all mixed together. He released her neck and stepped back.

God, he’s sexy. She admired him.

“You are a vixen,” he informed her.

“Oh?” she panted, both proud of the moniker and curious of exactly why he said it.

His stern brow furrowed, and she recalled she wasn’t supposed to speak unless she had a declaration. Rottenly she licked his desire off her lips before sealing them tight. Lyr shook his head in exasperation, his hand trailing down her back while he circled the table to her exposed rear.

“Did you think I’d forget about all this?” He swatted her ass, making it wobble.

She pulled in a breath at the sharp sting.

“This is where my seed belongs.” Lyr tugged her hips back.

Without warning, he thrust his cock into her. Her wet needy pussy spasmed at the sudden invasion, making her arch off the table, straining her bonds. He held her hips where he wanted them as his cock shoved past her constricting muscles, driving so deep she was certain she felt him in her throat again. To add to her torment, he reached around and found her throbbing slick clit.

“Lyr!” His name came out, part guttural groan, part cry, as he toyed with her, her pussy stretched and spasming around the steely invader.

“Lyr, what?” He pulled out and hammered back into her.

Kara clawed at the belt securing her wrists as pleasure rent through her nervous system like a derailed freight train. Lyr wanted her vow, but she couldn’t even think as he fucked her fast and deep, pounding out his savage lust, his fingers frenetically rolling her clit. Her pussy spasmed and flooded from the orgasm he wrenched from her, yet still his throbbing cock slammed into her. Tears leaked from her eyes at the delirious ecstasy.

His broad crown pressed against her G-spot with each powerful lunge then hit nerves buried deep in her quaking vagina. Another orgasm roiled, churning deeper, morphing in intensity as his hips wildly slapped her ass. Lyr drove her to places where nothing but pleasure existed, threatening to splinter her sanity.

He leaned over, his hard chest blanketing her back as he ground his cock into her. Her mouth was frozen wide from the unending cries, moans and gasps he forced from her, drowning out the creaks of the wildly rocking table. When his teeth clamped down on her shoulder, the spike of pain sent her careening over the edge. Her whole body seized as the orgasm stripped her to the bone. Lyr snarled, his mouth tightening on her shoulder as his cock swelled and spurt inside her.

LYR

A sound captured his attention and he roused beside Kara in the bed. Groggily, he smiled at her tangled hair and ruddy cheeks. Waking up with Kara draped over his chest sent contentment and joy coursing through him. His smile widened seeing the new set of claiming marks on her shoulder, then his lips pursed recalling the stubborn vixen still refused to admit she belonged to him.

Although the way her body responded, it’s just a matter of time. The corner of his mouth tipped up again. He’d have his declaration.

There was the sound again. His gaze drifted down the bed and was surprised to find Slinky’s scaly purple tail coiled around Kara’s ankle amidst the rumpled blankets.

It looks like the kimpek decided to come out of hiding while we slept. But that’s not where the pounding was coming from. Someone was at the door.

What now?

“No more, horny beast,” Kara groaned sleepily as he eased her off his chest and staggered out of bed.

Still feeling spent, he didn’t bother to pull on pants as he headed for the door. With an annoyed frown, he shoved it open.

“We have to go. Latro discovered we helped you at the auction.” Itor frantically gestured across the corridor to the destroyed room.

Lyr was instantly awake, his eyes widening, seeing feathers and blood spattered on the floor of the neighboring suite.

“The scourge killed Cybok and took Timur. We have to go, now, before the Suid figure out you’re in here.”

“What about the credit changer? He’ll have our tails.” Lyr scowled, not sure who posed the bigger threat, the Suid pirates or the Topus who ruled the outpost with his deep pockets and slimy tentacles.

“Your credits will have cleared before he even notices we’re gone. Zidek and Ampo are prepping my cruiser,” Itor insisted.

He nodded.

“Kara, get dressed, now!” Lyr barked as he swiftly headed toward the bedroom.

CHAPTER 11

KARA

Sleepily, Kara smiled at Lyr’s sexy ass as he drowsily swaggered out of the bedroom, his tail swishing. She blinked as she sat up, wondering if they’d slept the day away. She stretched and grinned, pleasantly sore in all the right places.

That man certainly knows how to wear a girl out.

She’d thought surely he’d be done after he fucked her silly on the table, but then he’d untied her and pleasured her slowly in the bed until they both passed out, blissful and exhausted.

Something tugged her ankle and she glanced down to find Slinky’s tail possessively wrapped around her leg.

“Did you finally get over being shy?” She searched through the rumpled blankets for the bizarre fluff-covered flying squirrel.

Her brow furrowed, not finding the timid beast as she pulled back the covers. She followed the scaly purple tail as it retreated over the edge of the bed.

“Still hiding, huh,” she chuckled, watching the wiggly appendage disappear beneath the bed.

Gingerly she got up and peered under the bed, careful not to make any sudden moves.

“Come on out,” she cooed.

Amidst the handful of destroyed food containers, four big, yellow eyes blinked at her—eyes much bigger than she remembered.

“Oh.” She reared back, startled.

Kara rubbed her eyes. Obviously, the shadows were playing tricks on her. Slinky couldn’t have grown that much in half a day. She chuckled and shook her head.

“Well, I’m sorry, Slinky, but it’s time to clean up this little horde you’ve created.” She pulled out the empty containers, impressed by the size of the trash nest.

“Jeez, you were hungry.” She gaped at the way the boxes were licked clean.

A snuffling purple nose poked out from beneath the bed, following the empty containers in her hand. Her mouth dropped open as the rest of Slinky wriggled free. She hadn’t been seeing things. The fuzzy long-tailed beastie was no longer the size of a squirrel, and it wasn’t just all the food she’d stolen making her belly pudgy and full.

“Oh, Slinky, you got big,” she stammered and dropped the empty boxes, utterly shocked.

Slinky chattered and blinked as she grabbed one of the containers and started licking.

“Wow, um, well shit.” Befuddled, Kara put a hand over her mouth as she stared at the beastie the size of an overgrown raccoon.

How did you grow so fast? She couldn’t fathom it.

Slinky picked up another container, gave it a lick, then chattered as she showed off that it was empty.

“I know. You ate it all,” Kara snorted, amused at Slinky’s quizzical expression.

Slinky huffed and shoved the box back under the bed.

“I really don’t think there’s a reason to save it for later.” She shook her head incredulously.

“Kara, get dressed, now!” Lyr shouted from the other room.

Slinky peeped in shock and flew directly at her.

“Oof! You’re also heavier,” she groaned as Slinky climbed around her and hugged her like an overgrown backpack.

“Kara, we need to go now!” Lyr stormed in looking harried.

“Um, okay, well, we may have an issue.” She grimaced.

“What?” Lyr’s brow furrowed.

“This.” She turned around to reveal the big purple baby latched onto her back.

“Fate!” Lyr barked, as stunned as she had been. “We’ll have to figure this out later. The Suid raided Itor’s suite while he was working. They killed Cybok and took Timur. We’re leaving now.” He tugged on his pants and started slipping into the assassin’s cloak.

“Shit, okay.” She grabbed her makeshift dress and tried to slip it over her head.

“Come on, Slinky. Let her get dressed.” Lyr pulled the kimpek off her back.

Slinky chattered indignantly, swatting Lyr with her tail.

“Koyat me, you little menace.” He closed his eyes before he got hit in the face and lost grip on the wily beastie.

Slinky took flight and latched onto her back again, just as she managed to get the dress shimmied down.

“Fine. The cloak is big enough for the both of us, I guess.” She pulled the red cape around both of them.

“Here. Let me.” Lyr helped loosely cinch the belt around her cape, careful to not squish Slinky, and they headed into the sitting room.

“Hurry.” Itor shifted anxiously on his feet beside the door as she tugged on her shoes.

On the way out of the suite, she spotted two food containers on the sideboard and grabbed them, tucking them into the folds of her cloak.

LYR

“What is it?” Kara whispered when he put a hand out, slowing her brisk walk. “Pirates?”

“No.” He shook his head. Thankfully they had managed to steer clear of the Suid bastards as they made their way here.

Subtly, Lyr gestured to the pair of amphibious guards watching the hangar for any of Cepha’s customers attempting to leave the outpost. Like the credit changer’s tentacles, the slimy henchmen were everywhere.

“The Namphib are nearly as bad, if they catch us leaving. Their saliva is venomous,” he commented under his breath.

“Shit.” Kara straightened her shoulders, matching his stiff stance.

He smiled behind his face shield at how well Kara masked her fear. His gaze shifted to Itor and he wanted to groan. The scaly male wasn’t coping nearly as well. The spines on Itor’s head were vibrating, his eyes dangerously red, tinged with the acidic blood forming in the corners. Then again, the male knew how truly dire this whole situation was.

“Calm,” he whispered sternly to the Terrarium.

As casually as possible, they walked past the vigilant guards. He kept his gaze straight ahead, feigning disinterest, though from the corner of his eye he watched for any sudden movement. Thanks to their cloaks the duo only gave them a cursory glance. Kara sighed in relief when they made it into the hangar. He agreed with the sentiment, but wouldn’t really relax until they’d taken off and were clear of this vile outpost.

“This way.” Itor nervously surveyed the hangar as he led them through the maze of vessels.

The hair all over Lyr’s body stood on end when he scented the Suid.

Latro’s here.

“Suid,” he warned, shaking his head when Itor headed toward the colossal wreckage of the tower.

“Vex!” Itor veered the opposite direction.

“Fuck,” Kara murmured.

That was putting it mildly. They’d been so careful, taking maintenance passages until they reached the hangar.

Maybe Latro didn’t track us here. Maybe the pirates are checking on their salvage. He could only hope.

Itor questioningly glanced at him when they circled the next vessel. Lyr pulled in a deep breath through his nose, then nodded the coast was clear.

“It’s over here.” Itor’s pace quickened as they maneuvered past a handful more cruisers.

When they rounded a stack of crates, Lyr’s steps faltered, seeing Zidek urging them to hurry up from the base of what had to be Itor’s ship.

Koyat’g fate! He grimaced as he took in the vessel. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. It was small and looked like it should’ve been retired seasons ago.

Zidek waved more incessantly.

Suddenly a blue striped Sarkozi stepped into their path, bringing them to an abrupt halt. Lyr’s claws instantly shot out, his hair bristling. He’d been preoccupied hunting for the scent of Suid that he missed the Sarkozi. Kara startled, reaching for the armament tucked in her belt, before freezing.

“Trying to evade me, Itor!” The Sarkozi jabbed Itor in the chest.

“Anofi, I was hoping to find you,” Itor quickly interceded.

“Truly? Because it looks like you were planning to jump without paying me.” The blue stripes on the Sarkozi’s head darkened.

Zidek was warning us. Lyr looked toward the Cimex restlessly pacing on the loading platform.

“I have very important fares!” Itor gestured back at he and Kara.

The Sarkozi’s eyes widened, suddenly noticing them, and Lyr couldn’t help the growl that made it past his lips, adding to the male’s distress. He didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for it either. They were on edge enough, the Sarkozi was lucky he didn’t claw out his entrails or Kara hadn’t put a hole in his blue head.

“The remaining credits are right here. Five thousand, correct?” Itor asked.

“It was seven…” the Sarkozi started to say, then again caught a glimpse of he and Kara.

Lyr glared at the Sarkozi, his brow arched in a challenge. The assassin’s cloak had its benefits and since he was paying for this, he might as well get a bargain.

“Yes, yes it was five,” the Sarkozi swiftly agreed.

Lyr pulled the hard credits from his cloak and passed them to Itor, who handed them to the male.

“Good travels,” the Sarkozi stammered, snatched the credits and swiftly retreated.

“Let’s go!” Zidek barked, his barbed tail anxiously vibrating. “We’re about to miss our jump window.”

Lyr grabbed Kara around the waist, making Slinky chatter in distress as he jogged toward the vessel.

“Ow, Slinky, your claws.” Kara grimaced.

“Easy, you little menace.” Lyr tapped the kimpek attached to Kara’s back like a tumor.

The instant they were aboard, the bay door swiftly closed, sealing them into the cruiser.

“Ampo, we’re all in.” Zidek relayed through the comm panel and the cruiser shot up, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.

They sprinted through the small holding bay to the control room, and he set Kara down by one of the rear seats while Itor joined the four-armed Vamian at the controls and Zidek took the gunner seat.

“It’s time to come out.” Kara undid the belt around her waist. “Slinky, I think you’ve grown again.” She groaned as he helped take her cloak off and tossed it aside.

Lyr’s eyes widened, but not so much because Slinky was bigger, it was the abrasions allover Kara’s shoulders, arms and neck that had him worried.

“Slinky,” he growled in frustration, peeling the critter off her back.

The beast chattered at him, equally disgruntled, butting him with her head and whipping him with her scaly tail, before relenting and letting go of Kara’s dress.

“You brought that pest aboard?!” Itor glanced over his shoulder.

Lyr’s brow furrowed at the ridiculous question. What did the male think was beneath Kara’s cloak?

“I wasn’t about to leave Slinky behind.” Kara glared at Itor.

“Just get us out of here.” Lyr glanced at the viewscreen. They were next in line to jump the hangar port.

His gaze shifted to Kara and again frowned.

“I’m fine.” Kara cast him an uneasy smile as he helped her into an empty seat.

But she wasn’t fine. The skin of her shoulders, back and neck looked redder, more inflamed than a moment ago. His gaze shifted to the kimpek tugging a food container from the cloak on the floor. The claws on its wrists and ankles made some of the scratches on Kara’s back, but not all of them. His gaze narrowed as he noticed Slinky’s fluffy down appeared stiffer than before. His fingers flexed as he realized they were itching and burned where he’d touched the beastie, almost like he’d been handling nettles. The cook’s warning about not letting the kimpek get too big echoed in his mind.

We do have a problem! If his hands stung like this, he couldn’t imagine what Kara was feeling.

“Kara, I think Slinky’s coat has a toxin in it.” He glanced from his hands back to Kara, only to discover her slumped in the seat. “Kara!”

Panicked, Lyr scooped her into his arms, swiftly feeling her chest to make sure she was breathing.

“What now?” Itor glanced back. “Vex!”

“Where’s a med kit?” Lyr demanded, laying Kara on the floor.

“That compartment.” Ampo pointed. “But hold on.”

Lyr staggered as the cruiser launched out of the hangar bay, ramping up to full speed the second it was free. He managed to reach the compartment, opened it and started routing through the supplies.

“Hiya. Stop that!” Zidek barked, capturing his attention.

Lyr spun to find Slinky had abandoned her food and was licking Kara, making piteous whining noises. He grabbed the only vial of anti-toxin and an injector.

“Slinky, stop, you’re poisoning her!” he growled, and shoved the kimpek away. “Come on, princess.” He knelt beside Kara and cradled her in his arms.

Slinky whined, inching closer on her belly. She managed to lick Kara’s arm before he pushed the beast back again.

Fate, I have no idea if this will work on her or make it worse. Anxiously he studied the anti-toxin, not sure of what to do.

Again, Slinky whined.

“Koyat’g fate!” he snarled at the beastie.

Slinky’s ears laid back.

“You want me to put it down?” Zidek asked, pulling his munition.

Lyr glared at Slinky. Kara was too kind hearted, she’d be upset if he had the kimpek put down. Then again, the damn thing had poisoned her. His gaze shifted to Kara’s arm as Slinky’s tongue retreated, its four big eyes looking contrite. Then he noticed the skin on Kara’s arm looked less red.

“Are you helping her?!” Lyr cocked his head at the kimpek.

Slinky’s ears perked up, her yellow eyes widening.

“I better not regret this.” He released Kara, laying her on her stomach in front of Slinky.

Slinky glanced nervously at him.

“Go on. Help our princess.” He gestured.

Slinky scooched forward and immediately started lapping at the wounds and welts covering Kara.

Please fate, he prayed.

KARA

Kara blinked to clear her vision. Her brow furrowed, seeing Lyr sitting on a nearby cot.

How the hell? They’d just been in the cockpit of Itor’s ship.

Lyr looked upset, his usual perky ears drooping, his forehead resting in one hand while Slinky licked the other. Something happened, but her mind was fuzzy and she couldn’t quite recall what.

“Slinky, my hands are fine. Take care of Kara.” Lyr pushed the beastie’s muzzle away.

Take care of me? Why would Slinky need to take care of me?

She frowned in confusion as Slinky’s big snout swung toward her and a purple tongue snaked out. Groggily, she blinked again. Was it her imagination or was Slinky now the size of a mastiff? The thought vanished when the beastie’s wet tongue lapped at her shoulder.

“That tickles,” she groaned, pushing Slinky away as she rolled onto her back and sat up.

“Kara, you’re awake!” Lyr quickly knelt by her cot. “I was so worried. I wasn’t sure you were going to be all right.”

“What happened? Why are we here?” She looked around the small sleeping quarters holding little more than a few cots, a chair and table.

Slinky whined, nudging her hand, demanding affection.

“Slinky, stop.” Lyr frowned.

“She’s fine. What happened?” Kara gave in and scratched between the kimpek’s horns.

“There’s some sort of toxin in Slinky’s fur and you passed out.” Lyr’s brow furrowed as he looked at her hand resting on Slinky’s head. “Um, doesn’t that hurt? Her fur’s turned into little needles.”

Kara’s gaze swiveled to Slinky and she noticed the not-so-little beast’s fur had grown very coarse, all except the soft, downy fluff on her floppy ears.

“Toxin?” She tilted her head, slowly pulling her hand away from the purple beastie.

“Yes. Your skin was very red. Didn’t you feel it before you passed out?” Lyr’s gaze was filled with worry.

She remembered running on adrenaline, then feeling lightheaded once they finally made it onto the ship, but she just assumed that was because of the hormone let-down after such an intense situation.

“Are you sure?” She frowned at Slinky, sadness squeezing her heart. “Did you poison me?”

Slinky was an alien creature. She had to expect something like this was possible, but it still hurt that the little flying squirrel she’d rescued turned out to be dangerous.

Slinky whined, resting her purple head on the edge of the cot, staring up at Kara with four big, sweet, blinking eyes. Worriedly, Kara looked at Lyr.

“I’m rather certain. My hands were tingling after I touched her, but Slinky also healed us with her saliva.” He cast her an awkward smile.

“Seriously?” She looked at Slinky in surprise.

“That’s my best guess. Every place she licked, the redness on your skin is gone.” Lyr shrugged, looking equally stunned.

Right on cue, Slinky’s tongue flicked out and lapped at her hand, seemingly understanding what was being said. The expression on the kimpek’s face had brightened, her mouth hanging open in a smile, like she was proud of herself.

“Thank you, Slinky, but that still tickles.” She scratched Slinky’s head, amused with the goofy toothy grin, again totally forgetting the beastie’s fur was poisonous. “Oh.” She pulled her hand back.

Lyr grabbed her hand and studied her palm.

“It’s not red.” He looked at her stunned.

She looked at her palm. Sure enough, he was right.

“Maybe I’m immune to the toxin now.” She shrugged, not really sure.

Lyr stroked Slinky then looked at his own hand. “Maybe we both are now, but I doubt the others are.”

“Oh no. Are the guys all right?” She sat up straighter. “Did we make it out of the outpost?” Her eyes widened, suddenly realizing the last thing she recalled was waiting to launch.

“They’re fine. We jumped off fine,” he assured her.

“Oh good,” she sighed in relief.

“Although, Slinky does have them a little worried.” Lyr gestured to the purple pin cushion.

“I’m a little worried, too. How big do you think she’ll get?” Kara grimaced.

Lyr shrugged, his brow creased. “And what other surprises does she have waiting?”

They both considered the kimpek who was happily swishing her long scaly tail as she followed the conversation.

An alarm blared and they all looked toward the door.

CHAPTER 12

LYR

“Just koyat’g great!” Lyr snarled and leapt to his feet.

Just as quickly as the blaring alarm started it shut off again.

“What’s wrong?” Worry filled Kara’s hazel brown eyes.

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. Stay here.”

Fate help me, if Itor’s blasted cruiser is falling apart at the welds, I’m going to skin that male! He grumbled as he tromped down the narrow hall.

He entered the control room and Itor spun in his seat.

“Everything is fine. Just had a bit of debris glance the hull,” the Terrarium explained, looking harried, his eyes tinged red.

Zidek opened his mouth then shut it again when Itor glared at him.

Fine, my tail! Lyr’s gaze narrowed on the pair, wondering exactly what they weren’t telling him. He studied the controls looking for a clue, but didn’t see anything.

“Ampo is checking to make sure there’s no major damage,” Itor added.

“That’s probably wise.” He nodded, still not convinced the vessel wasn’t about to implode.

“How is Kara?” Zidek asked.

Lyr eyed the Cimex. Zidek was way too interested in Kara as usual, but he was so relieved she was better, he didn’t mind—this time.

“She’s doing well. I told her to stay in the sleeping quarters,” he assured the male.

“That’s good. She should stay there.” Zidek nodded emphatically.

“Until Ampo gives the all clear,” Itor added then grimaced at Zidek.

They are acting weird. Lyr frowned. Granted he’d been on edge since they left the outpost, but it wasn’t just his imagination, something was definitely off with this pair.

The proximity alarm pinged and everyone’s gaze swung toward the console.

Zidek tapped on the console. “We have another incoming vessel.”

Another? Lyr’s brow cocked.

The control room door swished open behind him and Lyr spun. He barely caught sight of the bristles and tusks before a flash of weapon’s fire blinded him. Pain radiated from his shoulder as the blast went through and through, searing flesh and muscle, and lighting up his nervous system, making moving nearly impossible.

The Suid somehow made it on the ship.

Lyr fought to reach his ordnance with his good arm as his knees buckled and he hit the deck. His fingers barely grazed his weapon just as another blast ripped through his thigh, making his muscles seize and his vision blur, as it sent his ordnance careening across the deck.

“Where’s the human female?” Latro demanded, threatening to fire again.

A violent snarl ripped from Lyr’s throat. He struggled to get up and stave off the encroaching darkness, refusing to let the damn pirates get their hands on Kara.

“Take the Lupercalia and go. That was the arrangement. You leave my ship and the rest of us alone!” Itor barked, the weapon shaking in his hand.

“You…” he growled as their betrayal stabbed deep.

Lyr surged to his feet. As long as there was breath in him, he’d fight. Then something struck the back of his head.

KARA

“Dammit!” Kara smacked the door when it refused to let her out of the sleeping quarters.

Lyr should’ve come back with news by now. She resumed pacing the small room.

Fear gripped her and she prayed like hell there wasn’t something seriously wrong with the ship, but what else could be keeping Lyr?

A frightening growl made her spin toward the door. Slinky snarled again, and Kara realized the sound had come from the kimpek. Slinky’s stiff purple hair stood on end, her scaly tail lashing wildly as she bared a mouthful of sharp teeth. Slinky had poisoned her and now sounded like a vicious predator. Kara stared in shock at the once tiny, sweet beast who had frighteningly, miraculously, turned into a winged tiger with venomous fur. Who knew what else a kimpek was capable of? Her act of kindness might literally bite her in the ass.

Shit! She hesitated approaching, then Slinky turned to her and whined, her big yellow eyes looking piteous before turning her concerned gaze back toward the door.

Something is wrong. She wasn’t growling at me. Kara shook off her reticence and joined Slinky at the sealed door.

“What is it, girl?”

Slinky whined again and stared intently at the door. Kara pressed her ear to it and her eyes widened as she heard footsteps in the hall. There were too many to be just Lyr and the guys.

Who else is on the ship? Worriedly she stared at Slinky as they both listened.

“If you shoot him again, you’ll kill him. You promised to ransom him to the Primitus,” Itor’s muffled voice reached her.

A horrified gasp burst out. There was only one person Itor could be talking about.

“Lyr!” Her heart lurched and her knees buckled as she processed what was going on.

He’s been shot! Oh god, Lyr’s been shot!

“Forget the female, Latro. We have to go. The ship approaching belongs to Cepha.”

Kara covered her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit. She’d recognize that bastard Faca’s voice anywhere.

Itor sold us out to the fucking pirates! They’re taking Lyr.

“No. No!” she screamed and pounded on the metal door.

Slinky growled and butted the door, making the metal warble.

“Leave him alone!”

She pounded and kicked harder, her voice cracking as she wailed at the bastards. Mid-kick the door slid open. She paused when it wasn’t one of the tusked pirates, like she expected. Her gaze focused on Itor’s scaly face instead. Her fear and rage whipped hotter and she let her foot fly, kicking him square in the crotch.

“Oof!” Itor barked and cupped his crotch.

“You traitorous fucking assholes!” Kara swiftly snatched a gun off Itor’s bandolier before he could recover and pointed it at his face.

Slinky snarled viciously, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.

“You know nothing!” Itor’s eyes grew dangerously red as he looked from her to Slinky, but she was too livid to feel threatened.

“I heard you bargaining with the pirates!” she growled, her finger trembling on the trigger.

“Don’t forget your place or that collar.” Itor held up the communicator he’d obviously stolen from Lyr. “Now, you and the pest go back into that room or I’ll stun you.”

Before Itor could swipe a claw over the screen, she fired, blowing a hole through the comm, shattering it in his scaly hand. The collar meant to keep her safely by Lyr’s side instantly unlocked and fell off her neck.

“Vex!” Itor barked in pain, his eyes spraying acidic blood.

Slinky leapt in front of her. The acid hit the kimpek’s fur and rolled off as the beast knocked Itor to the floor. Slinky stood snarling over Itor, her sharp teeth an inch from the scaly traitor’s neck.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Zidek closing in.

“Don’t come any closer!” She pointed the pulse gun at him, keeping a keen eye on his barbed scorpion tail.

“We had to give Lyr up. The Suid outnumbered us and were threatening to turn the cruiser into space debris.” Zidek raised his hands and tail high. “But we kept them from taking you,” he added, as if that made anything better.

“I don’t care. You go after them! You get Lyr back, now!” she screeched, shaking her head in denial.

This can’t be happening. Horrified, angry tears streamed down her cheeks. The Suid pirates weren’t going to ransom Lyr. Their twisted pride wouldn’t allow it after the way he cheated them.

“Even if we had a fighting chance we can’t. They disabled us.” Zidek shook his head.

“Are you going to shoot the vermin and help me?” Itor demanded from the floor, his voice laced with pain.

“Shut up!” she snapped.

Itor glared at her then cringed and clamped his mouth shut when Slinky gnashed her teeth in his face.

“Good girl.” She nodded to Slinky then turned back to Zidek. “I don’t care what we have to do. We can’t leave him.” She shook her head adamantly as she waved the gun.

“We have a problem. Cepha wasn’t after the Suid. He’s demanding Lyr,” Ampo’s strained voice echoed from the comm panel in the wall.

“Vexing bane!” Itor barked, from his precarious position beneath Slinky. “We’re all dead.”

“Lyr’s credits should’ve cleared by now.” Zidek tapped on the nearby panel bringing up an image of a fleet of ships looming just outside.

“You imbecile. It doesn’t matter. Lyr left before Cepha gave permission and we smuggled him off the outpost. The credit changer will make an example of all of us.”

Her eyes widened, seeing the hangar opening on the largest ship, like a gaping mouth, swallowing their cruiser whole.

We’re screwed, she sobbed.

The fucking pirates were long gone. Even now, they were probably torturing Lyr. The only people who could help had sold him out, giving her cowardly bullshit excuses. Their ship was dead in the water with no time for repairs because another interstellar crime boss was about to kill them all.

“Slinky, let Itor up.” Her shoulders slumped, her hand dropping, lowering the gun.

“Aye, get off me,” Itor snapped at Slinky.

Slinky climbed off the overgrown reptile, whining in disappointment. She should’ve let the kimpek tear out the traitor’s throat but her rage had shifted to despair. The truth was, these cowardly assholes were just that—afraid. Tears burned in her eyes.

“Cepha will probably spare you,” Zidek attempted to assure her, though she could tell he was freaking out from the timbre of his voice.

“Don’t feed her lies.” Itor dusted himself off and moved as far away from Slinky as he could before wrapping his injured hand in his shirt.

“Maybe it would be better if you went back into the sleeping quarters,” Zidek suggested.

“I don’t care what happens to me,” she murmured, forcing away the horrible images of what was happening to Lyr that her mind kept conjuring, so she didn’t vomit all over the floor.

“Well, I care what happens to me, and you better be glad this will heal.” Itor held up his hastily bandaged hand.

“And you’re lucky it was just your hand after what you did!” She pointed the pulse gun at Itor’s crotch.

“All right. All right.” Itor backed up. “I’m sorry. What would you have done?”

“I would’ve figured out something else!” she snapped as she glared at him.

“We just touched down in their hangar. There’s not much time before Cepha’s people breach our hull,” Ampo quickly relayed as he joined them in the corridor. “Whoa. Has that thing grown again?” Ampo stopped in his tracks as he spotted Slinky.

She ignored his surprise over the ever-expanding Slinky. It was old news.

“Maybe Cepha will let us go when they don’t find the Lupercalia aboard,” Ampo suggested.

Everyone stared at the four-armed man in agitation. They weren’t about to waste time rehashing that discussion either.

“I bet that blasted Sarkozi blabbered to all of them. We should’ve killed him instead of paying him.” Itor smacked the wall.

She stared at the crew as the arguing ensued. After what they’d done, she couldn’t really trust or forgive the ragged band of criminals, but she did understand. They were like trapped animals just looking for a way out of a no-win situation. Itor wasn’t incredibly bright and was mainly a whole lot of bluster, but he had been brave enough to help Lyr free her. Zidek was smarter than he looked and a big softy. Ampo wasn’t much of a talker, except with his four hands he was a whiz at the ship controls. They weren’t saints, far from it, but they weren’t unredeemable either. Because if these guys were a lost cause then so was she—the woman who bought a stolen gun, then practiced and planned a murder, the woman who forced Lyr to chase her and got him caught up in this mess.

The woman who was too dumb to tell Lyr she loved him when she had the chance.

Kara shook her head as she stared down at herself in disgust, then grit her teeth. She wasn’t going to repeat the same mistake, and let fear cheat her out of something truly wonderful. Yes, it was a long shot and they’d likely die, but what exceptional things in life ever came easy?

Kara stood up tall as she focused on the arguing crew.

“Enough!” she shouted, getting their attention. “What’s done is done. But I am asking, no, I’m begging you to help me do whatever it takes to appease this Cepha asshole and then help me get Lyr back.”

“It’s impossible. The credit changer rules this sector, and Latro has contacts across the quadrant.” Itor shook his head while clutching his injured hand.

“Maybe, but we have to try. Look, I don’t know how Lyr found a way onto the tower while it was literally being ripped off the cruise ship, but he did. Then he found you, his old friend, at that outpost. That sounds like a miracle to me,” she entreated.

“That was an unusual twist of fate.” Itor considered her carefully.

“He saved my hide, so I’m going to do the same.” She blinked back her tears, recalling how Lyr felt abandoned when Blaidd left him in that horrible prison. “I won’t leave Lyr behind to die alone. Please, please, help me do this.”

“How? I don’t know how.” Itor grimaced.

How?

Her gaze landed on the red assassin’s cloak in the sleeping quarters. Before, it was a disguise and she felt like a fraud wearing it. Except she’d been wrong. Maybe it was totally absurd, but the cloak gave her permission to unleash a part of herself she’d been denying. Her gaze shifted to Slinky standing by her side and a smile tipped her lips.

Maybe I am a superhero, I have the badass sidekick and the entourage of misfits that go with the job.

“We’re going to be ourselves.” She grinned at them.

CHAPTER 13

KARA

Despite the gang’s relaxed demeanor, intense energy filled the air around them as they waited for the cruiser bay doors to open. Even Slinky could sense something was about to happen. The kimpek was standing at attention, just the tip of her tail swishing back and forth. The enemy was taking forever to breach the doors, and she wanted to shout at them to hurry up, but forced herself to remain calm. Calmness was key. She pulled in a deep breath.

One glimpse of the army of amphibians waiting outside the cruiser and that calming breath froze in her throat. She scanned the hangar bay and catwalk above, noting every weapon was trained on them.

Fuck! Her adrenaline spiked and she swallowed hard.

This was beyond absurd. Did the outpost mob boss seriously think it would take a hundred armed guards to handle four people and one kimpek?

Don’t get discouraged yet. You knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. So, pull your shit together and get this over with so you can find Lyr. She took another deep breath, forced down her fear and adopted a flat expression behind her veil.

“Take us to Cepha,” she addressed the guard dressed differently than the rest, assuming he was the captain of this horde, then bravely stepped out of the cruiser.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

She repeated the psalm, imagining a killer beat along with it, as she walked the gauntlet of pulse guns, her shoulders back, chin held high. The rotund slimy bastards intently watched her with their bulging green eyes. One’s tongue snaked out of its broad mouth to lick his thin lips, and she recalled their saliva was dangerous. Her gaze narrowed on him and his tongue quickly disappeared back into his mouth.

They’re nervous. That’s why there’s so many guards. She smiled behind her veil and stood taller. There were benefits to masquerading as a member of the Assassin’s Guild.

The captain’s gaze shifted from her to Slinky and then back to her, the muzzle of his gun following his gaze.

“The kimpek will behave if you do and so will I,” she informed him.

His eyes widened farther when she confidently stroked Slinky’s venomous fur with her bare hand.

“Where’s the Lupercalia?” the captain demanded, remembering his duty and shaking off whatever reticence he possessed.

“Just fuc…” she paused and took another deep breath.

This was a game of wills. Not only could she show no fear, she had to be the epitome of confidence, yet at the same time not rile the amphibians so much they acted out of fear or anger. That meant no sudden moves or sharp words, despite how much she wanted to cuss.

“We will speak with Cepha,” she amended.

“You expect me to take an assassin, a dangerously large kimpek, and your crew to my overseer?” the captain scoffed.

She nodded.

“Where’s the Lupercalia?” the captain demanded again, clearly annoyed.

Without waiting for their reply, he waved, and a dozen guards stormed into their disabled cruiser to look for Lyr.

“Go ahead and search, but you won’t find him.” Her tone was flat.

The captain glared at her threateningly, and she stared back at him, not breaking eye contact as they waited. It took forever to search the small ship, no doubt they were tearing up every nook and cranny, but eventually she heard the guards exiting. She didn’t need to turn around to know they emerged with disappointment on their faces. She wished like hell she’d been lying about Lyr, but she hadn’t been.

“Now, pretty please with sugar on top, take me to Cepha, and I’ll happily tell him where the Lupercalia is,” she said in a disturbingly sweet voice.

As the rotund captain scowled at her, the communicator strapped to his slimy arm dinged. He noticeably stiffened as he read the message, and she had the clear sense it was coming from just the person they needed to deal with.

“Check them!” the captain croaked when he looked back up.

She swallowed anxiously. This is where shit could and probably would go south, but she stayed stock still.

“I wouldn’t…” Itor started to say as the guards approached to frisk them.

“Muzzle it!” the amphibian in front of him croaked.

Itor clamped his mouth shut and held up his arms, though they didn’t find a weapon on him.

When one of the guards got too close to her, Slinky snarled viciously and swiftly curled around her, tail lashing wildly, barbed wingtips poised to strike.

“We tried to warn you,” Zidek mumbled when the slimy guards leapt back, brandishing their weapons.

“Get a grip on that beast!” the captain demanded as he aimed at the bristling kimpek.

She smiled behind the veil, appreciating the protective sweet gesture, but she didn’t want Slinky to get killed.

“Easy, Slinky.” She patted the kimpek.

Rather than retreat, Slinky plopped down where she was, protectively encircling her.

“She’s stubborn, much like her momma.” Kara shrugged.

She held out her empty hands and turned in a circle to show she had no weapons tucked into the belt around her waist or crisscrossing her chest.

The captain’s bulging eyes narrowed, obviously not appeased.

Shit! A bead of sweat trickled down her brow, but was thankfully soaked up by the hood of the long-sleeved cape.

The captain’s comm pinged again and he huffed. Without bothering to read the message, he spun around and the crowd of guards parted to let him pass.

I guess we’re supposed to go with him. She glanced at her companions.

This felt like a good news bad news situation. Zidek nodded grimly. She took a deep breath and they followed the captain past the cadre of guards and out of the hangar.

Her mind spun as they traversed the corridors of the giant ship. If they were going to get out of this place alive, they’d have to give this Cepha character a reason that trumped his wounded pride over Lyr leaving the outpost early.

What am I going to say to this guy? Dammit think, think.

The captain stopped in front of a pair of giant amphibians guarding an even larger set of fancy gilded doors. The ornate doors slid open to reveal an opulent office. She was no expert in alien art but the walls appeared to be covered with it.

Wow. So, bribing this guy with Blaidd’s money won’t work. She frowned as they crossed the sprawling gallery.

Her eyes widened when she spotted a giant octopus sitting behind a desk at the far end of the room. She’d always thought octopi were alien creatures. This just proved it.

“That’s Cepha,” Itor whispered.

Oh really. I hadn’t guessed. She looked sideways at the overgrown iguana.

“That’s far enough,” Cepha burbled.

She couldn’t decide which was creepier, its beak mouth hidden behind a mustache of wriggling tentacles, the billowing vents on the sides of its yellow spotted head, or the way his figure-eight pupils shifted as he focused on them. Though, from what Itor said, this character was more than creepy, and not because of his tentacles, eyes, or odd blowholes. Cepha was a bad guy, a supremely bad guy.

“Tell me where the Lupercalia is and I’ll make your deaths swift. Or it can be drawn out, which is what you deserve for smuggling that cur.” Cepha glared at Itor.

The captain threateningly stepped forward, licking his lips with his venomous tongue, adding weight to Cepha’s threat.

Shit. Kara swallowed.

“I didn’t intend to anger you,” Itor stammered. “Latro killed one of my crew and…”

“Enough!” Cepha slammed a tentacle on his desk, silencing Itor.

Slinky growled, the fur on her neck rising. Kara stroked her back to calm her. As much as she wanted to sic the kimpek on this vile bunch, she doubted that would end well.

“I know you crossed the Suid to buy this slave in assassin’s robes.” Cepha pointed at her with a wriggling tentacle.

Hearing that bit of news, the captain’s eyes widened then he glowered at her.

Well, that’s no longer an advantage. She sighed, wishing her disguise held sway a tad bit longer. They needed all the advantages they could get.

“You want to know how I know my money went to this?” Cepha continued.

“How?” Itor hesitantly asked.

“Because I get a tribute from the slaves and goods Latro runs through my sector, which was considerably less where she’s concerned. And I don’t appreciate being crossed twice by the lot of you,” Cepha bellowed, his bulbous head quivering.

“I…uh, didn’t intend…” Itor stammered.

Her gaze panned from Itor stumbling over his words and making the situation worse, to Cepha’s cold, uncaring glare.

Fuck! This was quickly going to shit. If they all ended up dead there’d be no hope for Lyr. Say something. Salvage this.

“So then, you’re aware the Suid breached our ship and took Lyr?” she asked, trying her best to not appear nervous, as she followed her train of thought, wondering where in the hell it was going.

Cepha’s critical gaze swung to her, his pupils narrowing.

She knew full well Cepha didn’t know what the Suid pirates had done, why else would he be here looking for Lyr now?

“So, Latro beat me to it,” Cepha huffed in frustration. “I should’ve known. He doesn’t like being cheated almost as much as I.”

Of course, this news alone wouldn’t rile the octopus mob boss. Cepha expected Latro to want revenge as well. Except, there was more to it. There was something else there, just at the tip of her tongue.

Think, think, think. Her mind spun, pulling at the thread, unraveling the barely formed idea.

There was a reason the pirates abandoned their search for her, evacuating the cruiser with only Lyr when they learned Cepha was coming. The bastards were afraid Cepha would discover something.

But if the betrayal wasn’t abducting Lyr then what? Her brow furrowed. Then the thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

Kara almost blurted the revelation, but then quickly clamped her mouth shut. She was walking a fine line pointing out the octopus’ ignorance. He wouldn’t react well learning he’d been double-crossed by the Suid. Compared to the pirates, their transgression was nothing, and a character like Cepha tended to kill the messenger. Except she had no choice, it was her only decent leverage.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. At least that’s what she hoped to accomplish.

Kara refused to look away, steeling herself as she chose her next words carefully.

“I’m sure Latro not mentioning it was merely an oversight, because as you said, the Suid shared the profits from the people they auctioned, the wealth stolen from the cruise ship, and a portion of the ransom they’re getting for the rich patrons they’re holding.” She held her breath after saying the last part, hoping she’d guessed right.

“Ransom? Ransom!” Cepha barked, the vents on his head flaring, his yellow spots flashing, screaming caution.

The mob boss octopus looked to the captain, but the amphibian just shrugged, also clueless of the pirates’ plot. Cepha turned his suspicious gaze back to her.

Shit. He doesn’t believe me.

“Is it so hard to believe Latro has been less than honest?” she snapped. “They divided us into groups. They immediately auctioned off most of the people in the tower, then shoved the ones they planned to ransom into boxes like we were glorified luggage, letting us out once we reached their suite. There were ten besides myself. Ask around the outpost, check the cruise ship manifest to see who was in that tower.”

Cepha assessed her, his creepy eyes boring into her as he considered everything, like he could intimidate her into recanting her tale. Kara stayed silent as she held his gaze. Finally, Cepha turned to his captain.

“Check into her story. Find out who was on that cruise.” Cepha waved a tentacle at the amphibian.

“Yes, overseer.” The captain stepped back and started tapping on his comm.

“So, I suppose you want your lives spared in exchange for this information?” Cepha asked.

Kara nervously bit her lip as she considered how far to push their luck.

In for a penny, in for a pound. She took a deep breath.

“Actually, I want that and more. I want your help getting Lyr back from the Suid,” she informed the octopus.

“Is that all?” Cepha barked, a sharp burbling sound she assumed was a laugh.

It was a bold and undoubtedly ridiculous request, but their ship was dead in the water and there was just the four of them. They had to have help.

“I’m sure someone in your position can easily locate Latro and his band of bastards. And given their level of betrayal, I figure you’ll bring down the hammer. I just want to get Lyr safely out of there before you do,” she entreated, doubling down on her request.

“I can’t make that promise. I’m not known for my patience.” Cepha slapped a tentacle on his desk.

Her stomach twisted in a knot.

There’s gotta be something that will convince him to help us?

“Lyr is close friends with the Lupercalia Primitus. That’s where he got the money to buy me. I’m sure Blaidd could make it worth your while to guarantee our safety,” she attempted to reason with him.

“This isn’t a matter of credits,” Cepha barked, sounding offended.

No, it isn’t, she reminded herself as she glanced around his decorated office. A man like Cepha had all the money he could ever want. What he craved was respect, power, prestige.

“No. Of course not. I wasn’t necessarily talking about money. I’m sure the Primitus has other things to offer, and the people being ransomed, too. If you rescue them, I bet they’ll be very grateful, if you know what I mean,” she suggested, hoping that might sweeten the pot.

Cepha tilted his head as his gaze narrowed on her. She absentmindedly stroked Slinky as she silently waited for him to make up his mind.

“I had a feeling this was going to be interesting when you stepped off that cruiser.” Cepha stared at her hand resting on Slinky. “I’ve never seen anyone handle a grown kimpek the way you do.”

She detected a hint of awe in his voice and for the first time since stepping off the cruiser felt hopeful.

“So, do we have a deal?” Her hand stilled on Slinky’s back.

The amused expression on Cepha’s face shifted, growing cold again.

“No, no deal. Do you think you’re the first lying, cheating piece of excrement to attempt to bargain for their life? There’s been no confirmation of what you say, and even if there was, now that you laid it all out, what do I need you for?”

Fucking bastard! She clenched her teeth.

Foolishly, she’d shown her cards to a vile creature more adept at traversing the sewers than she’d ever be. Cepha could kill them all, Lyr included, and still rescue the others, earning more than enough gratitude. Or maybe, the moment he learned she was telling the truth, the bastard would lose his temper, choosing revenge over the chance to earn powerful favors, like he said.

I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but Cepha only understands one thing.

“Get it.” She slapped Slinky’s back and pointed at the captain.

The kimpek leapt onto the preoccupied captain, knocking him to the floor and sending his comm flying. At the same time, Kara grabbed the pair of pulse guns hidden up her sleeves.

“I wouldn’t.” She fired a shot, searing a hole in Cepha’s desk, while training the other gun on the captain, even though Slinky had him pinned flat.

“You’ll regret this.” Cepha raised four tentacles, his rubbery skin flashing yellow.

“We’ve got the door.” Zidek liberated the captain of his weapons, slapping away its venomous tongue with his own dangerously barbed tail. The scorpion man tossed one to Itor and Ampo, then headed to secure the door.

“It’s going to take more than the pathetic lot of you to hold my sentries at bay and you certainly aren’t getting out of here alive,” Cepha barked that disturbing, gurgling laugh.

Movement and a glint of metal at the edge of the desk captured her attention. She fired, obliterating the tentacle that appeared, sending Cepha’s weapon flying along with a splatter of green blood. With the other gun, she fired, severing another of Cepha’s raised tentacles, just to drive home the point she wouldn’t be fucked with.

“The next one goes in your head,” she growled.

Kara trained both guns on his head as she circled the desk so she could keep an eye on all his wily tentacles—at least the ones that were left.

“And yeah, I regret this whole situation. I regret that I tried to reason with you. I thought just maybe you had a decent side worth appealing to, because I wasn’t blowing smoke up your ass about Latro’s betrayal. But I can see that the reason you’re still slumming it in the sewer is because you’re a shitty businessman that doesn’t recognize a good deal when it’s tossed at your…tentacles.”

“Who the torment do you think you are?” Cepha wheezed, his vents nervously flaring.

“Well, I’m not an assassin, but as you can see that doesn’t mean I can’t shoot. So, I’ll ask you again. Do we have a deal?”

The banging on the door got louder, distracting her for a moment. They didn’t have long. The guards would get in soon. Her impatient gaze shifted back to Cepha, conveying every intent to take him down with her.

“Very well,” Cepha burbled in frustration and resignation.

“Then let them know you’re fine.” She nodded toward the warbling doors and stepped away from the injured mob boss. “But resist the urge to be, well, your slimy self.” She folded her arms, concealing the pulse gun trained on Cepha in the fabric of her sleeve.

“First, shoot Jurbul,” Cepha insisted, pointing at his own captain.

Her eyes widened.

“He’s a disrespectful disappointment and will die from the kimpek venom anyway.” Cepha casually waved one good tentacle, as if nothing were wrong and they were now great friends.

He’s insane. That’s gotta be it. She stared at the octopus, not sure how to react.

The shot going off and Slinky leaping into the air pulled her gaze from the crazy alien octopus. Her gaze swung to the captain to see half his head decorating the floor and nearby wall.

“Sorry for scaring you, Slinky.” Ampo held up his four hands, including the offending pulse gun.

Slinky, the smart girl, didn’t stop glaring at Ampo until he tucked the gun into his bandolier. That shot was a little too close.

Just then the doors burst open and her head swiveled toward the guards that poured in.

“Sheath it, before you shoot the people who saved my mantle,” Cepha bellowed, bringing the slimy horde to a halt as the guards prepared to fire. “What took you so long? That traitorous ink stain nearly seared my head off.” Cepha pointed to the dead captain with one of his injured tentacles.

The guards lowered their weapons, and she took a deep breath, her finger easing off the gun still aimed at Cepha. They’d survived this round, but exactly how long would that last?

CHAPTER 14

KARA

Cepha lifted his drinking bowl to his beak. The odd halo of worm-like tentacles around his mouth slithered along the rim. He then paused.

“You understand that I can’t give you long, nor can any of the Suid vessels flee.” Cepha took a drink.

Kara sighed. Yet another wrinkle, a time crunch.

“I can’t risk Latro’s escape, especially if he learns I’ve aided you,” Cepha continued. “That would bring undue strain to my business. I’ll be forced to, what did you call it, bring down the hammer.”

She regretted making that comment, putting ideas in the crazy octopus’s fat head. Knowing Cepha, he’d probably drop the equivalent of a nuclear bomb on them all if they didn’t succeed at this fool’s errand. But it was the price you had to pay when aligning with psychopaths and criminals.

“Of course not.” She forced a smile.

She shouldn’t really complain that Cepha was only offering limited help and planned to swoop in afterward to claim all the glory. Truth be told, she never expected to walk out of here alive, much less with their ship fixed, weapons, and a location. Lyr was the only one who mattered and she was that much closer to getting him back.

“The asteroid Latro is occupying is a long-abandoned ore site. You will have to go in through one of the tunnels.” One of Cepha’s tentacles slithered along the table like it was worming through a passage.

“Is there one large enough to land our cruiser in?” Ampo asked in between bites.

“Yes, but not without being detected once you get close. I will have vac suits placed on your vessel, but it will still require adept maneuvering to get within range of the asteroid.”

Ampo nodded, but didn’t look amused, making her question if the feat was even possible.

“And the tunnels, are they monitored?” Zidek leaned in.

“I would imagine and likely mined.” Cepha nonchalantly waved a tentacle.

Kara closed her eyes. If she was understanding correctly, they’d have to do some sort of space jump just to reach the asteroid, then waste precious time hiking through booby-trapped caves. Lyr was worth the effort, but was this the wisest move?

“We should go in through the front. Convince them to let us land in their hangar,” she said before really thinking it through.

Everyone swiveled to look at her, their eyes widening in surprise.

“I knew this was going to be an interesting venture. Are you certain you aren’t an assassin?” Cepha asked, amusement lacing his burbling voice. “Survive this and I’ll gladly sponsor your training at the guild.”

“Thanks. We’ll see.” She rubbed her temples as she tried to formulate a plan.

Cepha’s comm pinged and he glanced at it. “It would seem we’ve come as far as I can go.” The octopus mob boss slithered out of his seat.

“Come on, Slinky. Time to go.” She set down her cup and stood.

Slinky lifted her head from the bowl of food on the floor and joined her side.

“What exactly are we doing?” Itor demanded as they headed for the door.

“Something stupid.” She grimaced at her companions. “I bet you can convince Cepha to let you stay behind if you want.”

“No, I owe Lyr a debt.” Itor shook his head.

Damn straight you do!

They reached the hangar bay too soon. She barely had time to calm her mind let alone come up with a real plan. Her brow furrowed as they approached their cruiser. It didn’t look like anything had been done to it.

Zidek leaned in close. “Do you think the weapons Cepha promised are hiding inside?”

Hiding inside. Hiding inside. She considered the comment then abruptly stopped in her tracks.

“Trojan Horse!” she blurted, looking excitedly at her companions and then Cepha.

The confused expression on their faces reminded her they’d have no clue what she was talking about. It was a bit of a letdown, considering it was a brilliant idea.

“I don’t believe I have anything called a Trojan Horse,” Cepha burbled.

“Never mind. Can Latro scan our ship and see how many people are aboard?”

“Verily.” Cepha looked at her as if she were a fool.

“Then why did your people bother to search our ship if you already knew how many were inside?” she asked incredulously.

“I don’t know, we should ask Jurbul.” Cepha turned around. “Ah yes, he’s dead.”

Kara stared at him in disbelief, not sure if that had been a joke or Cepha seriously forgot he killed his captain.

“The drive chamber is impenetrable,” Ampo commented.

“It’s shielded for a reason. To keep any stray particles the drive is kicking out from cooking everyone on the ship.” Itor stared at Ampo like he’d grown additional heads to go with his four arms.

“She asked.” Ampo tossed up all four hands.

“So what happens if you have to service the drive?” Her brow furrowed. The notion she’d been zipping around with a nuclear power plant mere feet away was more than a little disturbing.

“Hope you’re not far from an outpost or a service freighter.” Itor’s spines bristled at the thought.

“Vac suits,” Ampo muttered thoughtfully.

“What?” Zidek cocked his head.

“Vac suits. They’re not practical for working on the drive but they’d protect anyone in the chamber.” Ampo nodded assuredly.

“Great!” She spun to Cepha. “Can you lend us a handful of guards?”

“I’m sure I can spare a few for such an interesting endeavor.” Cepha vibrated with excitement.

“And we’ll need those vac suits after all,” she added.

LYR

The port on the cell door opened and Faca’s disgusting bristle-covered snout appeared in the narrow slit.

“Time to send a transmission to your Primitus,” the Suid barked.

What are they up to? Lyr’s brow furrowed.

“When I open this door, don’t be foolish.” Faca pointed his ordnance at him.

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Lyr growled as he staggered to his feet.

If he was going to rescue Kara, he needed to get a lay of the land, and that wouldn’t happen unless he was a good little pup and got to leave the cramped cell.

The door slid open revealing two more vile Suid besides Faca, both with ordnances pointed at him in case he misbehaved. On the way out of the cell, his injured leg buckled and he grabbed the wall to steady himself.

“He’s no threat,” one pirate laughed, lowering his weapon.

“Move.” Faca shoved Lyr, knocking him off balance again.

Patience. Lyr clenched his jaw as he hugged the wall and limped down the corridor.

His ears twitched when he reached another cell lining the short hallway. A female was weeping inside but it wasn’t Kara. Carefully he listened as they passed the other cells, but was unable to discern which one held his mate. Just before they left the detention wing, he pulled in a deep breath hoping to scent her, but the rank scent of Suid was so strong it drowned out everything else.

Where are you, beautiful? he wondered, trying to hold down the panic.

He swept the room as the trio led him through a storage hold. His gaze narrowed as he spotted the dusty crates and mining drones.

We’re in a mine.

Lyr studied everything, memorizing available resources, potential exits, and counting the Suid that they passed. It kept his mind off the throbbing agony coursing through his body and threatening to make him pass out.

His gaze swung to Latro when they eventually entered the mine operations hub. It took everything in him to keep from lunging at the one-eyed bastard.

“Are you sure the Primitus will pay for this? It’s barely a scrap of fur,” the pirate seated at the security console scoffed.

“Don’t question me, imbecile!” Latro cuffed the male then glared at Faca. “Shackle him. Did you not see the wipe bolt scar on his neck?”

“The slave uprising.” Faca’s eyes widened.

“Yes, he’s that Lupercalia.” Latro stepped into his personal space. “So don’t be foolish enough to underestimate him.”

Lyr couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth, though the recognition didn’t bode well for him. He refused to let the pain register on his face as Faca roughly gripped his arms and chained them behind his back. His moment of pride was replaced by frustration as his prospect at escape became infinitely more difficult.

“Do you know what your uprising did to my business?” Latro struck him in the gut.

Lyr grunted as he staggered backward. He would’ve fallen if Faca didn’t shove him forward.

“I’ve had to spread out across the quadrant.” Latro’s fist slammed into his jaw, splitting his lip.

When I get out of this, I’m going to blind your other eye. Lyr spat a mouthful of blood and glared at the pirate.

“I had to abandon my base for backwater cesspools like this.” Latro swung on him again.

Lyr ducked his head as he fell back against the koyat’g Suid holding him, and Latro struck Faca instead. Lyr chuckled when he heard Faca’s tusk crack, and kept laughing despite the pain as Latro’s other fist collided with his temple. A blood vessel popped in his eye and blood instantly blinded him from his split brow, but it was worth it.

“Then I discover a Lupercalia cheated me at the auction.” Latro kicked his good knee and Lyr buckled, hitting the floor. “And it was you…you!” The enraged pirate spat as he kicked him in the stomach, breaking a rib.

Lyr coughed, spitting more blood onto the floor.

“So, no, I won’t be ransoming you when I contact your meddling Primitus. I was thinking a public execution,” the pirate spat.

“Latro, we have an incoming vessel. It’s that Terrarium, Itor,” one of the Suid interrupted just as Latro reared back to strike again.

“What does that sniveling Terrarium want?”

Lyr struggled to sit upright as the viewscreen flickered to life. His agony was replaced by rage as the traitorous reptile appeared.

“What do you want, Itor?” Latro grunted.

Itor glanced at Lyr before focusing on Latro.

“I want to make a deal, if you’re still interested in the human,” Itor stammered.

Shock coursed through him hearing the news. He’d assumed the pirates already had Kara, but they’d never gotten her off the cruiser.

“You koyat’g traitorous pile of scales!” Lyr bellowed.

“Muzzle him!” Latro barked, glaring at him with cruel amusement.

“I will hunt you down, sever your tail and rip out your scales one by one!” Lyr shouted.

He tried dodging Faca as the bastard tied a dirty rag around his head, effectively silencing him. The stench of it made his eyes water and the taste was even worse.

“You were saying.” Latro turned back to the viewscreen.

“I have debts to pay. Are you still interested in her?” Itor asked.

“I am.” Latro glanced back at Lyr, his disgusting smile widening, exposing more of his yellow stained tusks.

“I will land and we can hash out the details.”

“I want to see the human first.” Latro shook his head.

“Aye.” Itor swiped his hand over the console. “Zidek, bring the human.”

Lyr glared at the Terrarium, wishing the bastard all manner of horrible death for this betrayal.

“One moment.” Latro stepped closer to the viewscreen. “What did you tell Cepha when he reached your cruiser?”

Itor swallowed as he stared into the screen.

“What did you tell the credit changer?” Latro demanded again.

“I didn’t tell him you took the Lupercalia if that’s what you’re asking. That would’ve been admitting I smuggled the cur off his outpost. I guess I can thank you for removing him from my ship in time.” Itor grinned.

“And he let you keep the human?” Latro cocked his head.

“He sent his guards to search my ship. They aren’t that smart. They were only searching for the Lupercalia.” Itor shrugged.

“You fucking assholes!” Kara struggled as Zidek hauled her in front of the viewscreen. “Lyr!” she screamed when she saw him.

“Kara!” he bellowed through the gag.

“What have they done to you?” Tears poured down her cheeks.

“Get her out of here.” Itor waved his scaly hand.

“No wait, seriously, please. Oh god, Lyr!” Kara struggled as Zidek hauled her off the bridge.

“I’ll find a way out of this, I promise, princess!” he shouted through the rag as he struggled on the floor.

“We’re opening the hangar doors.” Latro slammed his hand on the console, ending the transmission.

CHAPTER 15

KARA

“Kara, calm, you must calm.” Zidek set her down outside the cruiser bridge.

“You saw him. He’s a mess. Oh god. He’s gonna die before we can reach him.” Kara pulled in a ragged breath, tears streaming down her face.

She told herself Lyr was going to be in rough shape but nothing prepared her for this. She hardly recognized him.

“There was so much blood, too much,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Kara!” Zidek barked at her, gripping her shoulder with his one human-like hand.

Her head popped up and she stared into his stern all-black eyes. Kara pulled in a deep breath and nodded. Lyr wasn’t dead yet, so there was hope, if she got her shit together.

Slinky burst through the thin metal door sealing her into the sleeping quarters. She’d been so distraught she hadn’t even noticed the poor kimpek banging on the door. Slinky snarled and lunged for Zidek, but Kara stepped in the way and swiftly wrapped her arms around the upset beast.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” She stroked Slinky’s back as she cooed. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Slinky chattered while nuzzling her.

“I don’t think we can leave her on the cruiser.” Zidek gaped at the obliterated door.

No doubt Slinky would just find a way to break out of the ship. Kara nodded, scrubbed the tears from her eyes and checked Slinky over, grateful to find no injuries.

“We landed.” Itor exited the control room. He paused as he noticed the destroyed door then shook his head. “I’m off to bargain your price.”

“Watch your tail.” Zidek slapped Itor on the shoulder.

Itor’s spines were standing straight up and his eyes were tinged red. He was obviously nervous, but wasn’t trying to back out.

“Itor…” She stepped in front of him, suddenly questioning if sending him into the lion’s den was the right thing to do.

Itor held up his hand, silencing her. “It wasn’t a lie. I would’ve died in the Hold if it weren’t for Lyr. I should’ve done a better job paying him back for what he did for me. Maybe now I can.”

“Thank you.” She nodded solemnly as Itor left.

Zidek swiped his comm and they watched as Itor greeted the pirates waiting outside the cruiser.

“I make the deal with Latro then I’ll fetch the female,” they heard Itor say as he panned the hangar, showing them how many Suid were there.

“Two in the hangar, one leading him to Latro,” Zidek murmured, counting off the number of pirates Itor passed, while she watched which way he went through the mine.

Itor was eventually led into a large room with a handful of the vile boars that looked a lot like the bridge of the ship with its consoles and screens. Itor paused surveying the room when his gaze landed on Lyr, sitting against the wall. He looked just as bad as she remembered, but the way he glared at Itor, growling through the dirty rag in his mouth, gave her hope.

Hang on, big guy. We’re coming.

“What’s that thing we spotted on your vessel?” they heard Faca demand.

“Thing?” Itor swiveled toward Faca.

Shit! What did they see? She tensed up.

“There was a large heat signature on the port.”

“Ah, yes, I’m hauling some live cargo to Sopal,” Itor quickly recovered.

Kara relaxed, relieved they were only talking about Slinky.

“Hmm, it looked big,” Faca grunted but seemed appeased.

“I thought you were here to talk about different chattel,” the one-eyed bastard Latro interrupted.

“Aye. A drink to ease the pain, while you trounce me in this negotiation?” Itor laughed as he held up the bottle of booze he’d brought.

“I’m glad you know where you stand,” Latro snorted.

“That’s it.” Zidek nodded as Itor got the pirates to turn away from the consoles and scrolling footage of the mine.

Kara pressed the comm panel on the cruiser wall. “It’s time to get to work.”

Ampo and Cepha’s soldiers poured out of the drive chamber and quickly shed the space suits that had protected them from radiation.

“Hang back. Zidek and I will go first,” she reminded the borrowed soldiers as they checked their weapons.

“You will follow Ampo’s lead and try to locate any captives.” Zidek pointed to five of the soldiers. “The rest are with us.”

“Ready?” She took a big breath.

Zidek nodded grimly.

“Slinky, stay.” She patted the kimpek.

Slinky sat but whined as she and Zidek exited the cruiser.

“Move!” Zidek gripped her arm, playing his role, as they descended the ramp heading toward the Suid pirate at the hangar entrance.

“Please,” she whimpered and pretended to stumble, although it wasn’t that hard to fake with all the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

“I’m supposed to bring the female.” Zidek held up his free claw to show he wasn’t armed.

The yellow-tusked pirate eyed her.

“It’s just a costume to hide her rare species,” Zidek added, guessing the boar was worried about her assassin’s garb.

The Suid grunted and nodded as they got right up on him. She glanced at Zidek and he gave a subtle nod. Lightning quick the stinger on the tip of his tail struck, stabbing the pirate in the neck. Kara pulled the pulse gun from her cape and fired on the other Suid guarding the hangar, nailing him square between the eyes.

This is it. The clock was now ticking.

She stared at the man she killed and was slightly surprised that she felt no remorse. What did that say about her? Was she a monster?

No. She shook her head. She’d trained for a day like this. It just happened the loved one she was saving was Lyr and not her sister.

“We’re still good.” Zidek checked the feed coming from Itor.

The cruiser doors opened and Slinky flew out, bristling in displeasure. The kimpek landed next to her and instantly calmed the moment she patted her back.

“I’ve got the feeds.” Ampo jogged to the panel on the hangar wall and went to work cutting off the mine’s cameras.

“Come on, come on.” She anxiously shifted on her feet and Slinky paced with her.

Finally, Ampo raised one fist.

Zidek tried to go first, but she was faster than the big guy, darting through the hangar door with Slinky by her side. The pirate patrolling the broad corridor gaped in shock seeing Slinky. Before he could recover, she put a hole in his chest. It was a good thing the pulse guns didn’t echo like pistols, although they weren’t silent either. They needed to move swiftly but carefully from here.

“Good shot.” Zidek patted her shoulder then smirked in censure as he moved past her.

Male ego. She rolled her eyes and let him take the lead.

Cautiously, they approached another set of doors and flanked it. Zidek readied his gun and nodded to Ampo who opened the door. Zidek waved the all clear and they crept into the sprawling warehouse filled with large machines and stacked crates.

“This is where we part,” Ampo whispered.

She nodded to the four-armed man, silently wishing him well, then Zidek gestured for Cepha’s guards to fan out through the warehouse. Warily she eyed the row of dusty robots as she moved along the wall toward the large door on the far right. Strangely she was more worried about the robots springing to life than one of the pirates suddenly appearing.

I’m a survivor. I won’t give up, she silently hummed, refusing to be daunted. She was a force to be reckoned with. She’d get her man and no one would stand in her way. Slinky crept behind her like a jungle cat on the prowl, the perfect partner.

They were nearly to the warehouse exit when she heard the subtle fire of a pulse gun several yards away. Instantly, she and Slinky froze. Kara readied her gun when footsteps neared, coming around a towering piece of equipment. Her finger quivered on the trigger then Zidek appeared. Swiftly she eased her finger off the trigger and sighed, relieved she hadn’t put a hole through him.

“Beat you.” Kara smiled cheekily at Zidek then rushed for the door, quickly checking the corridor was clear before forging ahead.

A pirate abruptly rounded the corner and she dropped to her knees, firing one in his gut. Another shot from behind her struck the bastard in the neck. She nodded to Zidek for the assist.

The nearby door opened and her head swiveled back around. The Suid who emerged froze the instant he saw his fellow pirate bleeding on the floor. His gaze widened and so did hers for a very different reason. There were three more pirates inside the mess hall. A flurry of purple, followed by a gurgling cry erupted as Slinky sliced open the bastard’s neck with the barbed tip of her wing.

The pirates inside shouted as they clamored to their feet. Still on her knees, she fired as the trio pulled their weapons, but her shot missed. Slinky knocked her out of the way, the shot meant for her singeing the flap of the kimpek’s wing. Kara fired again, taking down the vile man that hurt her beastie, while Zidek struck the other two. Quickly, she checked Slinky’s wing and was glad it wasn’t too bad, at least the kimpek didn’t seem to act like it was.

“We should hurry,” Zidek encouraged their team.

He was right. She was certain she heard one of the bastards call the alarm.

Kara leapt to her feet. The door to the mine control room was just around the corner to the right. Slinky flew past her then stopped at the intersection and looked both ways. The way her tail swished, the corridor was obviously clear.

“Thanks, girl.” She patted Slinky when they caught up.

As they neared the control room, she put a finger to her lips, instructing everyone to zip it, though it was doubtful they’d be heard over the muffled angry shouts coming from inside.

“It’s sealed,” Zidek whispered as he tried the door. “We have to find another way in.”

“Of course it is! Fuck!” she hissed. “How? I didn’t see any other entrances when Itor scanned the room.”

We don’t have time for this bullshit! They were so close. She wanted to scream.

Neurotically, she pet Slinky’s head, trying to stave off a meltdown. Abruptly she paused, noticing how much hair was coming off in her hand. Slowly, her gaze shifted to the nearby air vent.

LYR

“Another?” Itor held up the bottle he’d brought.

“Aye.” Faca extended his cup.

“So, I think we agreed you’d forgive me and my crew for foolishly getting involved in this mess in exchange for the female.” Itor poured the spirits.

“And you’ll move our cargo along the Palenke belt for the next rotation.” Latro held out his cup.

“And then we’re even?” Itor paused before filling Latro’s cup.

“You koyat’g bastard, I’m going to spill your entrails,” Lyr growled through the foul rag as he glared at the Terrarium.

Itor glanced at him then swiftly looked back at the one-eyed Suid. Latro opened his mouth, looking pleased with the nefarious deal, then his expression turned dark as he leapt to his feet. Lyr followed his gaze to the flickering viewscreen.

“What in torment is going on?” Latro bellowed, his bristles standing on end.

Everyone leapt up from the table.

“Did someone spill on the console?” Itor asked, looking around the room.

“Which of you bashed imbeciles can’t hold your drink?” Faca snarled.

“I am tired of this wretched outdated heap of debris.” Latro pounded on the console, making the other pirates jump.

“We’re under attack,” every comm in the room crackled.

The transmission made Lyr sit up straighter.

“You!” Latro spun, aiming his ordnance at Itor.

“No!” Itor held up his clawed hands.

“I’m not getting through to the hangar watch,” another Suid reported.

“How did you find this place?” Faca demanded of Itor as he barred the door.

“I’d heard rumors.” Itor’s spines stood up as he backed away.

“Except you’re the one who showed up here making deals.” Latro advanced.

Itor’s betrayal was circling around to bite the Terrarium in the tail. Despite his throbbing jaw and nasty gag, Lyr smiled at the twist fate was taking.

“Do you think I’m that big of a fool? Helping him rig an auction and attacking your crew are two very different things.” Itor pointed at Lyr.

Latro huffed and tapped his ordnance against one tusk.

“Do you think one of the captives has a tracker?” Faca kicked Lyr’s feet out of the way as he paced nearby the door.

“We checked them,” Latro snarled.

“Cepha?” Faca paused. “Do you think he discovered our side arrangement?”

Lyr eyed the door as the Suid pirates argued and Itor tried to worm his way out of trouble. The longer they argued, the longer he had to find a way out to reach Kara. Slowly he eased to his feet, ignoring the pain in his knee, forcing it to bear his weight. He froze when someone coughed, certain they noticed and were objecting. Then another Suid doubled over coughing and his brow furrowed.

“They’re poisoning the air,” Faca choked out.

Inadvertently, Lyr pulled in a breath, which wasn’t smart, but despite the annoying itch from drying blood and the overwhelming stench, whatever was in the air didn’t seem to be affecting him.

He felt a pair of eyes on him and glanced over to see Itor staring. The Terrarium was coughing but not nearly as bad as the Suid. Lyr cocked his head when Itor gave him a subtle nod.

He does know what’s going on. Surprise then hope surged through Lyr.

Lyr kept his head down, looking contrite as he watched Itor slyly grab one of the pirate’s weapons, hiding it under his arm.

“Vex! No one is responding! Faca, take a team, handle this,” Latro barked then gagged and spat.

“Yes, Latro.” Faca unlocked the door and swung it open.

There stood Kara in her red assassins cape looking like the spirit of vengeance, and he’d never seen anything so gorgeous in his long, miserable life. The vision was tainted when he remembered Faca was armed.

With everything in him, he launched at Faca.

KARA

From the barking coughs inside, dispersing Slinky’s venom-laced fur through the air vent had worked. Kara was still gloating over her handiwork, when the door opened. Her gaze instantly landed on Lyr and her eyes welled up, relieved she’d reached him. She didn’t realize her fatal mistake until Lyr hurled toward Faca as the bastard fired on her, knocking the pirate off balance. Rock exploded on the corridor wall beside her, the shards tearing through her cloak, slicing into her arm.

Zidek pulled her to the floor just as another blast sounded. Galvanized by the pain and more determined than ever, she aimed as she crawled forward and fired at the culprit. It was hard to say if her shot made the gaping hole in the pirate’s chest or if Zidek was the lucky winner as they breached the control room.

“Lyr!” Her gaze swiveled left.

Faca was shoving Lyr off him, while trying to reach the pulse gun he’d dropped.

“You fucking bastard!” she snarled as she aimed at the pig.

One shot obliterated Faca’s hand and the son of a bitch screamed. Her next shot silenced the asshole permanently.

“Lyr?” Her breath sped up seeing him motionless on the floor.

A shot struck the floor as she scrambled to get to Lyr. Her gaze darted up to see the one-eyed fucker, Latro. She looked past the barrel of his gun and stared into his one beady eye. So, this was it. She knew this mission would undoubtedly end this way. Except, it wasn’t fear she felt, at least not for herself. No. Who would help Lyr when she was gone? That was the only thing plaguing her.

Abruptly a purple tail snared Latro’s arm, and Kara ducked as his weapon fired. Slinky moved swifter than a hellhound, attacking Latro with a whirlwind of purple wings and claws, slashing and sending blood spraying. Slinky didn’t stop, even after the Suid’s insides were on the outside.

Kara froze when she reached Lyr, horror overwhelming her as she stared at the bloody wound in the side of his abdomen. Unlike the nasty injury to his shoulder and side, it was spilling his life all over the floor.

“Lyr!” she screamed as she whipped off her cloak and pressed it to the wound. “No, no, no.”

He wasn’t conscious and she couldn’t find a pulse as she frantically felt his neck then chest.

“This can’t be happening. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner, but I’m here now.” She shook him as she pressed harder on the wound. “I’m yours. Do you hear me? It was stupid of me not to say it. I’m yours. I love you. Dammit, wake up!”

But he wasn’t waking up. Slinky whined and licked Lyr as she lay down beside him, her wings protectively shielding them. Gingerly she caressed the scruff on Lyr’s swollen jaw, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed him.

“Please, love,” she begged him, her voice breaking.

She never wanted to fall in love. Her sister had taught her how wrong that could go. Then came Lyr. Despite how much she fought it, she’d fallen hard for him, and now she was just falling. A scream of anguish tore from her throat but was lost in the chaos.

“Kara, it’s over.” Zidek put a hand on her shoulder as he knelt beside her.

It is over. She sobbed as she clutched Lyr.

“What are you doing?” she demanded when Zidek picked Lyr up.

“Getting help.” Itor pulled her onto her feet.

Kara looked from Itor to Zidek. Their expressions were grim but determined, so she nodded resolutely. As they exited the control room, she realized all the Suid were dead. She should’ve been pleased after all that they’d done to her, except the victory felt flat.

She ran beside Zidek as he swiftly carried Lyr through the corridors. She didn’t remember the captives until she saw them in the hangar with Ampo, heading toward a shiny cruiser that hadn’t been there when they landed.

“Don’t fear. You’re all safe now.” Cepha ushered the captives onto the cruiser using a disturbingly sweet voice.

“We need a medicus!” Zidek shouted to the overgrown octopus as they jogged up the ramp.

Cepha considered Lyr, and for a moment she thought he’d refuse. Her hand drifted to the pulse gun tucked in her belt as she glared at Cepha, challenging him to object.

“We need assistance,” Cepha relented, and several of his guards came forward to help.

“Thank you,” she said as she passed Cepha, truly praying it wasn’t too late.

They were rushed through the large ship to a sterile looking room.

“Put the Lupercalia in the capsule,” a four-armed doctor who looked similar to Ampo instructed. “Then everyone wait outside.”

“Like hell I’m leaving.” She pointed her gun at the doctor. “Just help him!” There wasn’t time to dick around.

“All right.” The doctor nervously backed up and started adjusting the equipment as Zidek put Lyr in the pod that looked way too much like a coffin.

Almost instantly a series of robotic arms went to work coating Lyr in this bizarre gelatinous fluid. Her gaze swung to the machine as a barely discernable repetitive ping sounded.

“Is that his heartbeat!?” She looked hopefully to the doctor.

“Nay.” The doctor must’ve seen her expression drop because he quickly added, “it’s his neural function. I can’t promise results but it is a good sign.” Except his expression didn’t scream good news.

She nodded with a sob, more tears bursting from her eyes as her knees buckled. Kara wasn’t sure who caught her, when someone brought her a chair, or who kept refilling the drink beside her and took care of Slinky. All she was conscious of were those pings coming from the machine and the prayers she repeated in between. Each sound was like the steadily shifting sands of an hourglass, but only time would tell if it was emptying from one cup or refilling another.

CHAPTER 16

LYR

Lyr opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld. He could get lost in Kara’s stunning eyes. The flecks of gold amidst the brown and green reminded him of a nebula. His whole universe existed right there. He closed his eyes again and listened as she spoke. Her laugh was bubbly, and even as she rottenly teased her sister, there was nothing sweeter. Hers was the voice that echoed in the darkness, leading him back to the land of living.

He opened his eyes again to see Kara staring at him, an amused look on her face.

“What are you doing?” she giggled as she held her hand over the comm.

“Reliving the moment I woke up to you.” He wrapped his arms around her, soaking up the softness.

Kara’s lashes fluttered seductively as her smile widened.

At first, he’d questioned if he’d actually died and she was just a beautiful delusion, then he recalled what happened. Kara had come for him. A part of him wanted to turn her over his knee for the stunt, but mostly he was overwhelmed. It was hard to imagine he could love the female more, and then he woke up with her by his side with another chance at life, another chance with her. His grip around her waist tightened as they stared at each other.

“Care Bear!” Vivian’s muffled voice sounded through Kara’s hand, reminding them they were mid-conversation.

“Sorry, Vivi, Blaidd.” Kara pulled her hand off the comm screen.

“I was just saying how amazing technology is. On Earth Lyr would’ve…”

“Don’t say it!” Kara interrupted her sister.

The tears forming in her eyes tugged at his heart.

“I’m fine now,” he whispered and squeezed her knee.

“I’m relieved to see you both tail intact. I’m sorry the limen portal is still down or we’d be there now.” The concern in Blaidd’s eyes shifted to amusement. “I’m also eager to hear how you two took down those Suid pirates over a few drinks.”

“Yes to the drinks, but that was all Kara.” Lyr smiled into the comm, glad to see his leader and friend. “Keep the chipok cold for us and we’ll rendezvous with you at the Yiljan settlement soon.”

“If you make it that far. Are you sure that cruiser is safe?” Vivian looked past them, worry making her frown.

Lyr glanced at the door with the Slinky-sized hole in it.

“I would’ve paid that credit changer to make repairs,” Blaidd added, wearing an equally dubious expression.

“It’s fine,” Kara quickly blurt. “Seriously, it is. Thank God Lyr woke up this morning. Any longer and that talking octopus would’ve had me enrolled in the Assassin’s Guild.” She adamantly shook her head.

“Assassin’s Guild?!” Vivian’s eyes widened.

“It’s a long story. Okay, love you, Vivi. See you both soon.” Kara waved into the comm.

“Primitus, Prima.” He formally bowed to the pair, then Kara ended the transmission.

Kara glanced up at him with an ornery expression on her face. “I like that little bow. So if my sister has this fancy title Prima, what does that make me?”

“You will always and forever be my princess.” Lyr buried his face in Kara’s hair and took a deep breath as he nuzzled her.

“Oh, Lyr,” she whispered his name, her voice wavering, as she leaned into him.

He’d been behaving himself all koyat’g day long, stealing quick embraces here and there, but it was hardly enough. Kara smelled wonderful, and yet there was something off.

“What is that scent? It has a slightly medicinal quality.” His brow furrowed as he tried to place it.

“Oh. So, when it was certain you were going to be all right, I got a little something for you.” Kara spun in his arms.

Lyr cocked his brow as she pulled out a thin white collar. The irony wasn’t lost on him that she’d gotten him a collar after he’d forced her into wearing one.

“Very amusing, but that doesn’t look like a very good detention collar.” He examined the flimsy piece of rubber. “Although I said I’d never wear one of these again, I suppose it’s only fair.”

Kara barely repressed her grin as he unbuckled the collar, but she grabbed his hand as he was about to put it on.

“Stop. It’s a flea and tick collar for a dog. It was a joke,” she burst into laughter and tried to take the collar back.

“Oh, no, it’s a gift.” He pried it from her hand. “And I was with the Suid long enough that I probably did pick up parasites.”

They both laughed, and he grinned at the way her cheeks scrunched up when she made the wonderful infectious sound. Kara giggled harder as he started to put the collar on, but again stopped him.

“Lyr, don’t, it stinks.” She snatched the collar and tossed it through the mangled door into the corridor.

Slinky was instantly after it, galloping into the hall.

“Slinky, you better not be tearing up my ship!” they heard Itor’s shout from the small mess hall down the way.

This ship is small, annoyingly small.

Lyr grimaced at the gaping door, then looked around the pathetic sleeping quarters they’d have to share with Itor, Zidek and Ampo for the next four days.

“This really isn’t the luxury cruise you deserve,” he sighed.

“I think I’m done with luxury cruises.” Kara shook her head, sticking out her tongue as she blanched at the idea. He couldn’t really blame her.

“A little more luxury might be nice.” He nodded toward the wrecked door.

“Oh, I know why you want privacy.” She tapped his chest and cast him a knowing smirk. “You literally just woke up after basically dying. Shouldn’t you take it easy?” Kara’s voice trailed off as her eyes grew glossy and she rubbed the healed spot on his shoulder.

He cupped the back of her head and tipped her chin up to look him in the eyes.

“I know, princess. All the things I’m feeling right now are fighting to get out at once.” He paused as he picked through the deluge of emotions. “I’m just so damn grateful to be here, with you,” he spoke past the lump in his throat.

Kara pulled in a ragged sob as she nodded. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks and pressed his forehead to hers before continuing.

“I heard your voice. I hung onto it, onto you. And that’s all I want to do is hold onto you.”

He smashed his lips against hers and gripped Kara tight then said with a kiss all the things he couldn’t express with words.

KARA

I heard your voice.

Her breath caught in her throat as what Lyr said echoed in her mind, knowing exactly what he’d heard, what she needed to say again, then again, and again, because life was too short to waste time. She’d been so jaded that she refused to see what was right in front of her until it was nearly too late. But instead of telling Lyr what she desperately needed to say, out came a rush of tears.

Then his mouth was on hers and everything but Lyr fell away. Frantically she kissed him, her tongue tangling with his as she clamored to reach beneath his shirt and run her fingers through the fine hair on his chest. Lyr’s large, capable hands feverishly roved her back, crushing her against him.

“Lyr,” she gasped wantonly in between hungry kisses.

He pulled back and tore off his shirt, revealing his broad shoulders, mouthwatering pecs and ridge upon ridge of glorious abs. Her gaze raked down the tight vee of muscles disappearing into his waistband. Frozen, she stared as Lyr tugged open his pants, releasing his long, thick cock. His arousal jutted out from his hips, aimed directly at her, the broad crown and veins along his shaft pulsing. Kara bit her lip, her heart thundering and her stomach doing somersaults, like they always did around him, completely short-circuiting her brain.

His dark eyes were turbulent as Lyr crowded her against the wall. The intensity of the love and desire reflected in his gaze instantly reminded her of what she needed to say.

“Lyr, I…”

“Shh.” Lyr placed a finger to her lips as he pressed his hard body against hers, his erection jabbing into her stomach.

“But, I need to…” she murmured against his finger until his stern gaze silenced her.

He was sexy and just a little scary like this. Kara swallowed when Lyr leaned in close.

“All day I’ve been desperate to touch and do obscene things to your sexy little body.” His hot breath tickled her ear, making her shiver. “But if you make a sound, and one of those males sees you naked, I’ll be forced to stop and kill someone.”

She pulled in a sharp breath at the lascivious threat. Her gaze shot to the open door. There was something very wrong about this situation, anyone of the guys could walk by, and yet she didn’t care. That’s how much she wanted Lyr. If anything, the potential for getting caught made her burn hotter.

Lyr’s firm lips trailed down her neck while he started tugging up her skirt, his fingers grazing her thighs. She gasped, goosebumps erupting allover her skin. Lyr paused and leaned back, one brow cocked in censure. She grimaced at him. There was no way she could be silent and not just because she had so many things to say to him. It just wasn’t possible to hold in the effect he had on her.

Before she could say as much, Lyr spun her around and clapped one hand over her mouth, the other finding her clit. He didn’t waste any time at all, vigorously rolling the eager bundle of nerves already slick with the desire spilling from her pussy.

“Koyat’g fate, you smell so good,” he rasped against her neck in between licks and kisses.

She jerked from the jolts of pleasure, her stomach muscles and pussy clenching. The sensation of his hard cock rubbing against her back as he gripped her tight and rolled his hips added to her mounting excitement. Reflexively, Kara clasped the hand buried between her thighs and clutched his tight ass, her nails digging into his flesh as he tormented her. The harder she trembled, the faster his fingers worked her swollen clit until she was shoving at his hand and hip, trying to push him away, uncertain if she could withstand the impending climax.

Kara bit down on his hand just to muffle the growing moans that kept escaping her. Lyr growled into the crook of her neck in response, then instantly dropped to his knees, taking her down with him. He pulled her onto his lap, forcing her legs to splay wide. Her eyes rolled to the ceiling and her teeth clamped down harder on his hand when the broad crown of Lyr’s cock shoved at the mouth of her pussy.

“Bite me all you want.” Lyr’s deep voice was part groan, part growl, his warm, hard chest vibrating against her back, as he pulled her farther down on his cock.

Kara writhed as the steely beast stretched the sensitive walls of her quaking pussy. She panted through her nose, reeling from the unbelievable pressure. Then Lyr hit her G-spot and she convulsed, bathing his cock with another flood of desire. He snarled hungrily and his fangs clamped onto her shoulder as he thrust hard, slamming balls deep into her. Kara keened into the palm of his hand.

The hand on her stomach shifted, and he palmed one breast, holding her tight against him as he started hammering into her straining pussy. Pleasure coiled tighter and tighter with each savage thrust, shoving her closer to the pinnacle. Desperate, she reached for it, longing for the place that was pure love, their love. That’s where she’d find the solace she needed to wash away the fear of nearly losing his touch, his scent, his laugh, everything she never knew she couldn’t live without.

LYR

Moisture hit his hand and Lyr froze. Swiftly he released Kara’s mouth, pulled out, and turned her to face him. It was as he feared, she was crying.

“No! Princess, have I hurt you?” he asked, his chest tight with pain. He’d been too rough, too eager.

“I love you. I’m yours. I should’ve told you before. I’m yours,” Kara cried as she climbed onto his lap, again sinking onto his hard shaft.

He pulled in a sharp breath. The sensation of her tight, wet heat enveloping him was glorious but it was her admission that had him soaring. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her sweet-smelling long hair.

“Tell me you’re mine and don’t ever leave me again,” she sobbed as she clutched him.

“Kara, you’ve owned me from the moment I first laid eyes on you and you kicked me in the shin. I love you, princess. No horde of pirates, not the void of space, not even death could keep me from you,” he rasped.

Lyr pressed his lips to hers as he slowly stroked into her welcoming body, claiming Kara all over again.

Thank you for reading Claiming Kara! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up Stephanie’s newsletter !

R. L. OLVITT

TUMBLING THROUGH STARDUST

CHAPTER 1

LILY

Lily tried to adjust her earpiece without getting dirt down her uniform, but she failed abysmally. Black soil trickled down her chest. What didn’t end up captured inside her bra spilled down further, and she repressed a groan of annoyance. She sent out the next flight of aeration bots into the field and listened for the distinctive chime that would indicate it was time to call in for the latest trivia question. She was so focused on hearing that sound, that she never saw the hover spreader handle left smack in the middle of the path.

In an almost comically awful confluence of disasters, she tripped, her phone button released from her chest pocket, and she hit her head, landing hard on the edge of a worm bin. The rough side of the composti-brick cut through the fabric of her uniform. She was probably bleeding, and the entire right side of her body was lying in worms, their dirt, food, and casings. The odor of rich soil engulfed her, earthier than Earth had ever been in recent memory, full of crawling, seething life. It was at that moment she heard the chime.

Lily forced herself up, her hands scrabbling wildly towards the sound of her phone button. She just had to find it. She felt dizzy with pain, and her eyes watered with furious disappointment. No! This was her chance. Hers! Triumphantly, her fingers grasped the chiming device, and she pressed down roughly on the call icon, not caring for the dirt and grime that would surely damage the tech.

“You’ve reached Red 96.4. Who’s on the line?” Her mouth opened in shock. She shouldn’t get her hopes up. She was probably caller number 12, and they were just saying hello and would bring on the real winner after they spoke to her.

“Anyone there? I can hear you breathing. Do we have a stalker on the line? Well folks, I guess—”

“Wait! Sorry, this is Lily—I’m here!” Finally, she’d managed to speak. Her voice sounded rough and her breathing was raspy as if she’d been running and were trying to catch her breath.

“Whoa, Lily—you gave me a bit of a fright with the heavy breathing. Are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”

“I’m okay, but I tripped and my phone button went flying. Then I heard the chime and didn’t think I’d be able to call in time,” she said. At least now she’d managed to rise to her knees.

The man on the other end of the call laughed in that manufactured ‘I’m everyone’s buddy’ way that sounded like it was second nature. “That sounds rough. Would it make you feel any better if I told you that you’re caller 13 this afternoon?”

She knew she was expected to scream or exclaim, but she was lucky to open her mouth at all. “A little, yes.”

“A little! You’re a hard one to please. How about we get on to the question? Lily, for the all expenses paid, 12 day vacation on the Star Rim Express, what was the first crop planted by Martian colonists in Founding Year 1?” The man’s voice rang out, echoing even over the comm line as if he stood before a live crowd. Her mouth dried out and her head pounded. She knew this—it was incredibly easy. Why then couldn’t she make her lips move to answer him?

“It looks like we may have lost her again,” the man said with good-natured charm. Lily could almost picture him shrugging his shoulders with a careless grin.

“No! Wait, please,” she said frantically.

“Do you know the answer?”

“Yes, I do.” Finally her confidence seemed to have returned. “Barley,” she said decisively. Silence answered her, and her certainty ebbed away, second by second.

“Barley is correct! Lily, you are going to be on your way to uncharted star systems in just one short week! Are you ready for luxury and relaxation on the galaxy’s premier leisure ship?”

“Yes,” she said, half whispering. She’d been trying for the past two weeks. It didn’t seem real.

“Say that a little louder for me this time, and tell me who provides the best news and music in the lower western quadrant!”

“Yes. Red 96.4,” she said. She felt as robotic as the ferti-droids that swooped over the fields as she spoke.

“That’s right folks, Red 96.4…”

“I can’t believe you actually won.” Lily looked up from the clothing she’d laid out over her bed at the sound of Paulina’s voice.

“Me either, to be honest. Maybe I shouldn’t bother going.” She bit her lip and stopped herself from wringing her hands.

“What? Are you crazy?” Paulina was shaking her head. “It’s the chance of a lifetime. How often do people like us get to see anything beyond this colony?”

Lily sat on the edge of the bed and forced a grin for her roommate. “I know. I didn’t really mean it, but I just know I won’t fit in.” She motioned towards her clothing. “This isn’t exactly the wardrobe of the average passenger on the Star Rim Express.”

“Hey—that dress you picked out the other night is amazing! Don’t be so hard on yourself. So what if a few people there think they’re better than you? You deserve to be there just as much as anyone else, and if you spend most of your time on the aqua deck, no one will know you don’t have a gown for each night anyway.”

Lily grinned back at her friend. Then she let herself fall backwards towards the head of the bed with a gusty sigh. Her eyes closed briefly as she imagined it: pristine, filtered air, expensive perfumes and exotic fabrics, people from every colony and probably a few alien guests, too. Yes, it was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

“I’m just so happy, Paulie—who would’ve thought?” she said with a laugh.

“You know how I feel about that nickname. No, thank you.” Lily laughed louder.

“Do you have time to see me off at the spaceport tomorrow morning?” she asked. She knew the answer before her roommate spoke. Paulina’s eyes had flashed guiltily. “It’s okay if you don’t. It’s just that as excited as I am, I’m also a little nervous about this.” She gave her friend a crooked smile.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’ve already been late twice this month.”

“Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have asked.” Lily looked up again. “What do you think it will be like? What would you do first?”

“That’s easy.” Paulina flashed her a smile full of mischief. “I’d find myself a handsome man and ensure he’d make it his business to take me away from Quadrant 3, that’s what I’d do.”

“You make it sound like it’d be so simple,” Lily replied with a sigh.

“It doesn’t have to be as hard as you make everything in your head. You could always try your luck with a Quith.” Lily’s eyes widened as she imagined one of the tall, pale aliens with their protuberant, gray-blue eyes—the Quithik. “Oh, don’t make that face. They like humans well enough, and it’d beat staying here.” She wasn’t so sure about that. The thought of one touching her made Lily want to shiver, and not in the good way, but what did she really know about any aliens beyond what she’d seen on the news? Not much, that’s what.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to keep an open mind,” she said. Paulina rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Try not looking like you just sucked on a lemon when you talk to one or your budding romance won’t get far. I’ve heard they’re not…unpleasant partners.” She shrugged.

“Firsthand?” Lily asked, suddenly sitting up a lot straighter.

“Well, no, not exactly. My cousin’s friend’s friend. But still, she said the male ones enjoy pleasuring a woman, if you know what I mean.” Paulina lifted her eyebrows and blushed before she broke down into childish giggling. Sometimes it felt like the relative isolation out here on the agri-colony drove them all a little crazy. Her friend didn’t always sound so immature, but then, it’d been a long time since either of them had been around any available men.

“Your clothes are fine, Lily. Stop worrying so much. Don’t think about what you should or shouldn’t do—just go and have fun. I’ll be living vicariously through your stories when you come back, so you better have something interesting to tell!”

“Okay. I’ll do my best.” Lily smiled back at her friend, and Paulina leaned down for a quick hug.

“Finish packing. I’ve got to stop by the canteen for a quick meal, and then I have another shift at the greenhouse. If I don’t see you before tomorrow, have a great time.”

“Thanks. I know I will. I’ll take so many videos and photos that the other passengers will look at me funny. Don’t worry—if I find a willing Quithik, I’ll tell you about that, too.”

Paulina held up her hand for a high-five. “That’s the spirit! Love you, girl. It’s going to be an amazing 12 days.”

CHAPTER 2

LILY

Standing before the boarding bay in the cold of the spaceport, her suitcase handle biting into her palm, Lily was back to feeling more nervous than excited. If only they would just open the boarding door so they could get on the ship already, she’d be able to relax. Until that moment arrived, it felt like anything might happen to prevent her from actually making it aboard.

She’d come too early. She was one of the first. Only a dozen or so people stood in front of her. Lily knew that there would be other guests already aboard the luxury liner from ritzier ports of call, but the crowd behind her had grown pretty sizable. No one had spoken to her yet, but she hoped that would change once they’d boarded the ship. She didn’t need to make friends, but she didn’t want to sit by herself at every meal either.

She thought back to Paulina’s teasing. If there were any non-humans aboard the Star Rim Express, they wouldn’t be getting on here. She’d just have to wait and see. Lily shifted from one foot to the other, in part due to the tediousness of waiting, and also to keep herself from growing too cold. It would be nice to feel truly warm, too. There was a whole lot that would be nice about a once in a lifetime luxury vacation. She smiled stupidly wide, feeling like the Cheshire Cat. She was so busy hopping from one foot to the other that she almost missed it when the line started to move. Jittery energy coursed through her body. This was it—only minutes now until she’d be stepping aboard the ship that offered up her wildest dreams.

She tightened her grip on her suitcase and shoved her handbag back behind her hip. Lily shuffled along just like the rest of the passengers. When it was her turn to climb that long ramp upwards, she almost forgot to breathe.

“Ticket?” The bored voice pulled her attention away from the gleaming ship.

“Here, it’s right here,” she said as she fussed with her phone button to bring up her complimentary ticket. The man at the door wrinkled his nose slightly, but that was the only sign he gave that he knew she wasn’t a typical guest as he scanned the projection with her credentials.

“Welcome aboard Miss Brevask. We hope you enjoy your time aboard the Star Rim Express. Nicholas will be assisting you and your group to your cabins.” The boarding agent motioned towards a second man who stood so silently, she’d overlooked him altogether. Lily gave him a hurried nod. A few others stood nearby waiting.

“Thank you.”

“We will be leaving for your cabins shortly. Your accommodations are on the west mezzanine deck,” the attendant said, turning his head to include the other passengers she’d joined. Two older couples chatted amongst themselves to her left, and a thirty-something man with a pronounced stomach paunch stood slightly behind them. She smiled shakily.

Even among the passengers boarding here from Quadrant 3, she felt out of place. Paulina had done a good job reassuring her, but she could tell that either of the older women’s shoes would’ve been three months’ wages for her. She gave the nearest woman another smile, tight and strained, when the lady’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Lily looked away.

A few more passengers joined their group, and then their guide began walking. They all trailed behind like a line of ducklings waddling after their mother. She hadn’t seen them herself, of course, but she’d had a favorite children’s book with the image. She wondered if any of her fellow passengers had seen such birds. She knew certain breeds had been imported for pest management at some of the more prosperous agri-domes.

They walked directly to a large set of handleless sliding doors. They parted in the middle, and the others stepped forward. She rushed to catch up, and almost immediately after the doors closed the chamber began to rise. She slid her phone button into her fist and opened her fingers, activating it to view her ticket information. It didn’t tell her anything she didn’t know, and she quickly reattached it to her shirt. No one else looked up as the lift continued to rise. Perhaps this was all commonplace to them. At a soft ding, the doors opened soundlessly.

“Although a live-map of the ship will be downloaded to your mobile device as soon as you enter your cabin, I will give you a brief tour of your floor.” The cruise attendant led them out into a spacious hallway. The floor was covered in lush carpeting in a pattern of blues, gold, and black. She felt guilty stepping on it. She’d never seen such extravagance. It was right out of a movie.

“In case of an emergency you will walk to the nearest pod chamber. This deck’s pod chamber is located here,” he said as he opened his hand towards a set of double doors to their right. “Emergency pods are self-activating. Simply step into the pod and follow the initiation instructions and the pod will close and take you to safety.”

Once more, the others nodded along as if they’d heard it all before. Lily wished the man had opened the doors. She would’ve liked to see what the pods looked like. She attempted to fix the location in her mind as they hurried onwards. Maybe she’d go inside sometime later if she had time.

Soon they came to a stop in a large space with hallways radiating out in every direction. Above each hall was a sign with a range of room numbers.

“Enjoy your stay aboard the Star Rim Express. Attendants are available to assist you at the press of a button from your cabins. Dinner will be served tonight at 6 p.m. ship’s time, and the captain will be giving his welcome address.” As soon as he’d finished speaking, the man dipped his head and turned sharply on his heel, striding towards the largest hallway, back the way they’d come. The others began walking quickly in the direction of their cabins until Lily was the only one remaining.

She lifted her head and let it fall back. Above her hung a chandelier composed of hundreds of glimmering, floating spheres. Even farther above the lights, she saw the dusty sky. Soon the viewport would reveal only the star streaked, inky expanse of space. Lily smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in that privileged air she’d only imagined before. Yes, this was going to be the voyage of a lifetime.

TAKETA

“Battle Leader V-C26! Answer!” Answer! The screamed command burrowed down into his brain and his mouth parted before he could decide for himself. Supreme Commander Vantik had used the mind leash—on him.

“Enemy combatants received advance intelligence. Unit was ambushed.” He panted, gasping for breath. Even beneath the self-healing plate suit he wore, he felt the searing heat of the Kavoal Coalition’s flame weapons. He did not have time to brief the commander. More would die the longer he was delayed.

He leapt from the top of the roof, deploying the parachute at his back. His men lay below, amid the hungry flames of their bitter enemies. They would be shown no mercy; their Coalition foes would not be granted it either. War on Vastaka did not leave either of them such options.

The parachute caught the air and yanked him backwards, but he was accustomed to the sensation after countless drills. His fur was burning. The armor could no longer protect him, its smart material taxed beyond its capabilities. He could smell that vomit-inducing stench over the smoke. It would not be his fur alone that burned tonight.

He fell faster. The parachute burned, too, along with the ropes that connected it to his armor. His feet would hit the street soon. His legs might snap under the force of the impact. Battle Leader V-C26 looked up, away from the ground that hungered to break him. Moonbringers. Despite the sickly odor of his own fur and flesh burning, he had not yet been afraid. He had felt rage at the needless deaths of the men he commanded, but he had not tasted fear. Now, everything changed.

The unbreakable line of men who were less flesh and almost all metal sprinted towards the melee. Their legs were too long, their eyes too bright. Monsters wearing the faces of their people, Moonbringers were no longer of the true race. Their armor was purest white. They brought the desolation of night, the cold of death. He lifted his weapons out in front of his chest, and Battle Leader V-C26 ran to meet them.

His laser whips cut and burned their mechanical limbs, but the creatures did not stop. There was Fighter C-14—one of the enemy cyborgs placed their foot on his neck and it crushed beneath its weight like a ripe rrill berry. Forward he ran. There would be no escape; a good death was all he could hope for.

Halt! Retreat! Return to Air Base Ocktat 9 immediately.

His body could not fight against the commands of the mind leash. He spun back towards the floating command center in mid-sprint. He felt every second of the pain when the Moonbringer’s weapon cleaved his torso in two. And still, the city burned. Unrelenting pain that broke through all the training of years opened his mouth. He howled until his voice failed. He had been denied his victorious death. All that remained was white, blinding, scorching pain. Battle Leader V-C26 existed no more. Flames, ash, a world of horrible, soul-rending white.

He blinked. The soft, welcoming black of space soothed his eyes. Just another dream. He lied to himself. They were memories—not dreams. Memories he was no longer supposed to possess. He was not designed to dream either, only to pause his main systems for short, occasional rest breaks. The procedure had been perfected. The sentinels retained the minds of the men who had achieved great glory for the Imperial Strike Force, but their memories were purged of unnecessary trauma and distractions.

He should no longer feel pain, but the dream still had him in its clutches, its claws sinking deeper with every moment. It had been many shifts since he had experienced such a powerful memory episode. He hated them. Although Sentinel U-26 did not need to breathe, he exhaled as if he were still of the true race and not an abomination.

You served honorably in life. Now you serve still, a hero among our people. Guard well, Sentinel U-26. Even if he wanted to forget the words they’d told him as his watch station was sent to space, he was no longer capable of doing so. He remembered all now. He kept visual data banks where every recorded second of his existence was preserved. With a single thought, he could send that information to the Vastaka-Noal down below.

The sentinel lifted his arm in front of his face. He wore a light-suit. Although he was mostly machine, he still had some functions that needed protection from the vacuum of space. He was floating, far from his watch station. It was dangerous to let his mind become ensnared in memories while he drifted like this. Too far and the suit might not have the power to return him. He did not fear death. He never had.

He did fear drifting in this emptiness for eternity.

The sentinel locked onto the location of his watch station and began the journey back to the structure. He had vague memories of swimming in the deep waters of his home planet. He knew that was why he chanced the risks of open space. The process may have been perfected, but it had not worked perfectly on him. He still hungered for his old life, and he clung hard to every shred of familiar sensation. He would never tell them there was a fault, even if his programming urged him to do so.

After the fall of Ocktat 9, he would never let another leash him again.

CHAPTER 3

LILY

Lily smoothed the shimmering blue material over her thighs. She had splurged on the gown. Now she could barely force herself to open the cabin door that would expose her to the bright lights of the hallway—to the assessing gazes of strangers. They would see. They would know that she didn’t belong here. She knew she didn’t look right. Her body betrayed her, from the calluses on her hands to the faded marks from constant windburn on her skin. Lily wasn’t soft and idle, nor toned and sculpted. She was simply wrong.

What did it matter what they thought of her? Her fingers hovered over the button that would open the door. All guests were expected in the dining room. If she sat alone, it would not be so different from life at home in the dome. She lifted her chest and pulled her shoulders back. Then her fingers pressed down on that square button and she faced the hall once more. Her heels sank under the plush, decadent carpeting. It felt sinful that such luxury was wasted on her shoes and she could not push her bare toes into the welcoming depth of the densely woven fibers.

She heard the door shut behind her and lifted her face.

“First time?” The man who spoke was tall—much taller than she was used to seeing. “I’m Gerard.” He stopped in front of her and held out his hand. She attempted a smile as she thrust her own hand forward. His palm felt hot as they shook.

“Lily,” she said. He didn’t let go.

“So, is it your first time cruising the stars?” he asked. Finally, his grip loosened, and she slowly brought her arm back to her side. She would not be able to wipe his sweat away without him seeing, so she forced herself to endure the tickle of the dampness on her palm.

“Yes. Is it so obvious?”

“Well, a little.” Gerard laughed. “Don’t worry about it. We all had to take our maiden voyage sometime.” She looked down at her dress before she caught herself and stopped, raising her head again. “It’s not your dress—you look ravishing.” He grinned like a shark. “Just the wide eyes and attention you’re giving to the details the rest of us no longer see. It’s not a bad thing to be innocent,” he added, his voice light as his eyes darkened on her body. Lily swallowed.

“I better head towards the dining room,” she said.

“Allow me to escort you. It’s easy to lose your way on the first day.”

She dipped her head with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She was glad that he didn’t speak much the rest of the way. Others joined them in the lift, and when they reached the corridor that led to the main dining area, the flurry of people made it easy to get separated in the crowd. Although losing him had been unintentional, Lily didn’t regret it.

She followed the teeming wave of guests as they poured into the elegantly appointed, massive room. Above them was a ceiling that provided a clear view of space. The lights were kept dimmer than she was used to, probably to enhance the effect. Lily shivered with delight. It was even more thrilling here than she’d dreamed. She had a much poorer imagination than she’d realized. So many things here were better than she could’ve ever envisioned.

“You should sit.” The voice was a soft tenor, and it was as if she could hear the ringing of bells within its tone. A cold hand pushed gently on her elbow. Lily glanced up at the helpful stranger and her breath caught. A Quith. She nodded her head in agreement, and he, or it, led her forward towards an open table.

The willowy alien pulled a chair back for her. She was acutely aware of the sinuous slide of her dress against the velvety seat. The Quith’s long fingers brushed lightly against her shoulders as the being stepped aside. She watched as her companion sat. Not an it, after all. Lily glanced at his thin, angular face. Something indefinable set his beauty apart from the fine-featured females of his species. A rough edge of brutality, hidden beneath that lean, unimposing figure, perhaps.

He shifted his head, and suddenly, he was looking straight into her eyes. She must’ve gasped, but he laid a hand over hers on the table and leaned closer.

“You don’t need to look away. I am not offended.” His long fingers lifted. They were close to human, but there were only four on each hand, and there was an extra joint on each finger. His nails were a solid, shiny white. She tried not to squirm under his regard. He tilted his head. “Am I the first of my kind that you have encountered?”

“Yes.” She felt her face heat. Her inexperience was obvious to everyone aboard the ship.

“I am Ahveyak. I enjoy meeting new people.” He smiled slightly, his large blue-gray eyes seeming to gleam a richer lapis shade as he looked at her. She smiled back as best she could.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lily. What made you decide to join this voyage?” Everyone knew that Quith ships were superior to human models, even if their government didn’t care to acknowledge the fact. She wondered if she would’ve felt comfortable on a pleasure cruise composed almost entirely of another species.

“I work for the ship line.” He glanced to their right as a server poured water into the glasses set at the table. It appeared as if none of the service here would be automated. Paulina would be jealous when she told her. Everything in the dome was designed to be practical—neither of them had ever been to a restaurant with live servers before.

“What do you do?” He looked back at her question.

“Security.”

“Should I be worried?” she asked with a faint grin. He had latched onto her immediately. His unsettling face stretched into a wide smile and his eyes definitely flashed darker this time.

“No. There is not much work for me aboard such ships,” he said with a nod at their surroundings. “I enjoy being able to learn more of your people during voyages.”

The lights dimmed abruptly, and then a spotlight centered above a handsome older man. He stood on a small raised stage towards the edge of the room opposite the main entrance. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Captain Kincaid. Welcome aboard the Star Rim Express. I’m pleased to have you all with me as we commence the inaugural route through the newly charted Gulliver-5I Star System. Outside of a few of our researchers, you will be the first to see the wonders of its planets. Check your communication devices for an interactive map of our route.”

More servers suddenly flooded the room, and Lily’s mouth watered at the delectable scents of the food they carried.

“Feel free to speak with any of our numerous voyage concierges to organize your activities during the trip. I’d like to wish you a wonderful stay with us and say thank you on behalf of the Starbound Line for choosing us. With Starbound, every day is an adventure.” The lights above the stage faded away as the captain stepped down. There was a light smattering of applause.

Lily watched as a full plate slid in front of her, each item arranged with artistic precision. She reached for her fork, eager to try the food. Her dinner companion was gazing sightlessly downwards, his lips moving without sound. She held the fork in the air, uncertain whether something had happened to him. Abruptly his eyes fixed on her again.

“Do you not pray before meals?” he asked.

“Not often.” Lily had never been religious. She wasn’t sure why it surprised her that an alien was. “What type of security is needed aboard the ship? Is it just to prevent theft and keep the passengers in line, or do you fend off pirates out here?” She’d rather not linger on the topic of spirituality, or her lack thereof. She’d meant the last question as a joke, but Ahveyak looked grave as he weighed his answer.

“Naturally we hope for a peaceful journey. Others—researchers—have sent numerous probes and unmanned data gathering crafts into the system for decades. Contractors for the shipline have already taken the majority of the route without incident, but it is still a largely unexplored system. I am here to ensure everyone aboard remains safe,” he said.

“Oh. Safe from what? I thought the planets were uninhabited.”

“As far as we know, they are.”

“Then why the concern?” She watched him take a sip of water before he responded to her. His throat bobbed and she could imagine seeing the water ease down. His skin was so pale it almost looked translucent.

“We prepare for the unexpected.” He set his glass down and flashed her that half feral smile again. Her mouth lifted in a faint, forced grin. When he looked away, she tipped her head back and stared up at that broad expanse of stars above. Unease slid through her mind like oil against water. The unexpected. She hoped the voyage would prove routine.

Lily woke lazily the next morning. She’d glanced at the time and decided to skip breakfast in exchange for another hour enjoying the plush comfort of the bed. Perhaps she’d speak with one of the concierges later, but she already knew what she wanted to do first. She stood and walked over to where her suitcase lay and unfastened the closure.

She hadn’t bothered to unpack everything the previous day, but it was easy enough to find her swimsuit. She had bought it specifically for this trip, and as she pulled it on, she felt her anticipation build, her body already thrilling to the idea of gliding through the water. Lily grabbed a light dress and slid her arms through the sleeves as the material fluttered down around her hips. She made sure to clip her phone button onto the neckline so she’d be able to access the ship’s map.

She left quickly, eager to see the pool she’d studied for hours in advance through the holo-tour. Located in a small recess at the side of the ship, it had no levels above or below, and a clear, unimpeded view of space from almost every direction. For the first time she was grateful for the hours spent in the mandatory water survival simulations. Although there wasn’t much chance for leisure swimming during life among the agri-domes, all employees of the Trappist Agri-Collective were required to demonstrate proficiency in basic water skills or face termination of their contracts.

She walked by a few other passengers, yet the hallways felt strangely lonely. Her exhales seemed to echo between the walls of the oversized corridors. The abundant space pressed in on her, the air feeling heavy enough to block her lungs. She was suddenly tired of the uniformity of it all, where the coordinated decor made each passage feel as if it would never end—tasteful, luxe repetition. She bit her lip and smothered the urge to run towards the lift.

Moments later she stepped inside the compartment with the appearance of calm. She briefly checked the holo-map on her phone button and entered her destination into the call screen. The lift began to shift, slowly at first, and then the movement became so smooth she could no longer discern it. The doors opened and she was deposited on the pool and spa deck.

Lily walked faster now, any trepidation she’d previously felt dissipating as her goal drew nearer. A sign on the top edge of the hall pointed the way. Soon she saw the doors, and she rushed forward, the entrance parting as she approached. The air smelled fresh and enticing, like the promise of paradise. She sucked in a breath and scanned the large chamber.

How odd that she had been beguiled by the scent of the water first—the view that stretched before her was magnificent. Lily looked out, and it was like falling into the abyss. Indescribable blackness, a darkness of the densest kind, pricked by innumerable points of light. In the distance, a planet loomed in shades of blue, black and white. Just a few short strides and she’d reach the edge of the pool, and then nothing would keep her from the cold beauty of space but for the transparent walls of the ship.

“Lily. It is pleasant to meet you once more.” Bells resonated, melodic and strong, within a voice that strummed each nerve ending. Ahveyak—the Quithik from the previous night. She fixed her gaze upon him and waved. She didn’t trust her voice yet. She looked at him surreptitiously as she walked to one of the round seats that were scattered artfully along this edge of the pool deck. She removed her light dress.

She’d never seen a Quithik who wasn’t fully clothed before. Ahveyak sat along the edge of the pool, most of his unfamiliar body revealed for her perusal. Lean and spare, his frame was elongated and stretched, as if some mad sculptor had taken a human man and pulled too far on the clay that formed his muscles. His skin seemed to glow against the backdrop of space, far more than it had in the dining room the night before.

“Come join me,” he said. She met his eyes, folding the dress out of habit and setting it down.

“Are you going to swim?” she asked. Four quick strides and she’d reached the edge of the pool. It certainly appeared deep enough to jump, but looking down into the stars was disorienting. Lily gazed into the water, and the depths looked limitless. It felt impossible to determine the true scale of the pool.

“Yes.” There was a soft splash, and she made herself look away from the water. He had already slid into the pool, and now Ahveyak’s head bobbed above the surface. “Are you?” He gave her one of his fierce, alien smiles, and she could see the unfamiliar sharpness of his teeth.

“Do you know if it’s deep enough to jump?” she asked, ignoring his teasing question.

“Yes. There is no danger.”

Lily stepped up to the very edge. She could imagine diving in and wondered if the simulations she’d completed had been accurate enough for her to accomplish it in reality. She bent her legs and jumped, arms forward. Her hands broke through the water first, but the angle was too shallow for the dive to be considered entirely successful. Her chest smacked hard against the water as she landed, but she tucked her legs and used her arms to adjust her position until she was headed straight down.

She swam hard. The simulations had been well designed. Although they hadn’t been able to replicate the burn she now felt in her lungs as she held her breath, she had been prepared. Ahveyak was correct; there was no danger of her reaching the pool’s floor. She spun in the water until she faced upwards again. She sped towards the surface, her body moving far more quickly than it had as she’d descended. This felt more like falling than her dive had. The same awe-inspiring, forbidding view filled her vision in either direction.

Lily’s head broke through the surface and she immediately lifted her chin so that her hair would stream behind her in the water. When she lowered her face again, she saw Ahveyak watching her. She swam slowly towards the pool’s edge where he had one arm propped over the ledge. She mimicked his posture, stopping only an arm’s length away.

“You swim well,” he said. She could see the dark veins beneath his skin. She wondered if it would be so different to be with a male of his species. She could almost see Paulina’s face as she’d described the Quithik affinity for “pleasing” human women.

“Thank you. This was what I was looking forward to most on this trip,” she admitted with a nod towards the view. “The holo-tour didn’t do it justice. It really does almost feel like we’re floating out there, doesn’t it?”

Ahveyak’s grin was faint this time, his eyes now a paler blue. “The scenery is beautiful, but happily it is nothing like actually floating in open space.”

“You say that like you’ve had personal experience,” she replied.

“Perhaps I have.” He looked away. “Do you often travel alone?” Her breath quickened at the question.

“I don’t often travel. What about you?” He slid his arm slightly closer towards hers as he lifted his head to answer. Her heart beat faster and air felt scarce. Was she truly considering what it might feel like if he were to brush her arm with those too long fingers?

“I am always alone in my work.” That musical voice sunk beneath her skin. She lifted her left hand from the water. Her fingertips were an inch from his narrow chest when she froze. Over his shoulder she could see the bulk of the ship behind them. A sudden burst of wild color blinded her, the afterimages winking like fireflies over her eyelids.

His hand cupped her shoulder—cold. His breath fanned against her cheek—hot as sin.

Sense returned.

“Look! We need to get out!” The hand that would have caressed his alien skin trembled as she pointed at what must’ve surely been an explosion. At the same time she heard a frantic cry in an unknown language, and Ahveyak’s skin flushed a bright white.

Lily pushed herself up over the edge of the pool, scrambling out of the water. She heard more splashing as Ahveyak followed.

“Life pods!” At the sound of Ahveyak’s shout, she glanced over her shoulder. He pushed her in the small of her back. “Hurry!” She rushed for the doors to the main corridor. She looked over her shoulder as they opened, but Ahveyak was standing still behind her, speaking rapidly in a low, strained voice. His eyes met hers and he snapped his long fingers at her.

Before she could move, the ship shuddered, and she slipped, falling hard on her hip. Her hands scraped against the floor and she reached for the doorframe, praying the automatic doors wouldn’t malfunction and crush her arms. The ship shook again, and the floor was level once more. Lily pulled herself up on weak legs and swung herself through the opening, running madly towards the lift. If the layout was the same as on her floor, the emergency pod chamber would be located across from the elevator.

She ignored the ache in her hip as she hurried down the hallway. Alarms began blaring, and she covered her ears, bowing her head as if that would shield her from the noise. Now she felt the rich fibers of that deep, impractical carpet between her toes, but she couldn’t enjoy it.

“Hurry, Lily!” Ahveyak shouted from behind, although his voice was faint amid the echoing alarms. She pumped her legs faster. Another jolt almost knocked her off her feet, and her palm smacked against the wall as she steadied herself. Something wrenched her opposite hand, pulling her roughly forward, and she saw Ahveyak’s slight, pale body. His fingers were curled like claws around her wrist.

“Faster!” he shouted, his eyes darkening to an impossibly vivid blue.

Lily’s lungs burned with the effort, and it felt as if she were underwater again, in an airless, inhospitable world. Ahveyak’s grip was like iron. Finally, he stopped running. Her momentum carried her even as her legs stopped, and she slammed against his chest. His arm held her tightly against him as he opened the door, and then he was pushing her forward.

A long row of gleaming pods awaited them, undisturbed and lifeless. Not a single other being was inside the chamber with them, and not a pod was out of place. When Ahveyak released her, she almost fell before she forced herself past the shock and moved forward, towards the pod directly in front of her.

Her hand grazed the smooth, dark surface of the small craft. She shuddered, even as the ship let out a shrieking creak, like the scream of some primordial creature, a great rending, wrenching sound.

“The button on top, yes, there,” Ahveyak ordered in a clipped voice as she fumbled to open her pod. Lily stared at that dark interior, transfixed. “You must get inside. Now!” She shook off the thought that she was entering her coffin and stepped into the small craft. She didn’t want to slide her feet down to the bottom. She didn’t want to be spit out into that vast emptiness in this pod that felt like death.

It was too late. As soon as she lay down, the top quickly closed over her. Already she could feel herself begin to hyperventilate. It was so loud inside—her heartbeat a deafening drum, the sound of each wet breath driving her panic higher. There was a small translucent screen in front of her face which provided the only relief from her rising claustrophobia.

She saw it before she felt the movement of the pod. The ceiling rushed away from her before the acceleration hit her body. When the blackness of space filled the view-screen, she screamed. In all her life, she’d never known such helplessness. They were in unoccupied space. No trade routes or regular ship lines marked their paths through this star system. She might float out here alone until she died with only the harsh noises of her own body filling her mind.

Lily’s pod drifted, the sense of speed and movement now gone after her initial exit from the ship. She wondered if Ahveyak were floating somewhere out to her right or left, if he were directly beside her and she would never know. A sudden flare of streaked orange and yellow light filled her screen, and her arms hit the sides of her pod as she startled. Above her a flash of silver flew by and then another. Then a body.

She pressed her palms to the screen, wanting to scream, but her voice had deserted her. The macabre parade of the Star Rim Express’s wreckage danced before her eyes. Was she crying? She couldn’t tell. Her mouth felt dry. More silver glinted above as pieces of the ship continued to pass over her. Her gaze was on the charred remains of some small portion of the hull when her face hit the screen.

She felt only a brief moment of blinding pain, and then the world was truly dark.

CHAPTER 4

TAKETA

Sentinel U-26 let his fingers drift above the buttons that controlled his watch station. He floated here in synchronous orbit with Vastaka, above the land he had given his body and mind to protect. His body had been mostly burned away, but his mind—his mind was more intact than any of them knew. He supposed he was lucky he still had fingers to feel with, even if they were more metal than flesh.

He was now what he’d most despised as a man. If he’d wanted to look at himself, he knew he would look almost as fearsome as one of the Moonbringers who still haunted the dark corners of his mind. Sensation remained in his body—perhaps more than his designers had intended. Maybe he should feel grateful that Imperial Command had not simply uploaded his consciousness into the watch station. A body wasn’t really a necessity for a sentinel’s duties, after all, but they hadn’t yet found a way to preserve their battle leaders’ minds without integrating some organic components. They’d also found that a brain housed in the body of a Noal was more palatable to the public than a sentient watch station.

He merged his consciousness with the watch station’s systems and performed the scans he’d been designed to complete. He checked first near the edge of Kavoal space. Most assuredly they possessed their own sentinels, but just as he and his brethren were shielded from the enemy’s sight, the Coalition would hide their tools. As expected, he detected no untoward movement. In his time as a sentinel, there had yet to be any incidents. His memories were of fiery battles, but upon waking in his new form, he’d been told that the nature of the conflict had changed. Now Empire and Coalition were engaged in an uneasy armistice.

U-26 wondered if this heavy dullness was what weariness felt like. The line between sensations of the imagination and the body wavered and faded in this new, disorienting life. He looked down at his hand where it lay resting on the instruments. The appearance of his four fingers was unremarkable. His dark fur lay smooth against his flesh, gleaming with hints of green under the interior lights. He had these hands that looked as if they belonged to his people, the true-Noal, yet he could order his enemies be shot down with a single thought directed through his watch station.

He focused his mind on the outer sensors that recorded open space as routine inspection required. U-26 experienced the adrenaline fueled physical response he was familiar with from his past life. His pulse pounded like a drumbeat through his veins and the short, fine hair that made up his fur stood up from his skin. The view from the outer cameras was anything but typical.

A ship. A massive, gleaming ship, headed directly towards Vastaka. His hand clamped down on the single chair within the station. He felt the material give under the pressure of his fingers. His people had little time to prepare for this unexpected threat. He’d always assumed the first enemy on whom he would train his guns would be a Coalition aggressor.

He immediately connected to headquarters below, streaming the feed of the unknown vessel. The response was instantaneous and expected: attack. The mindlink was unnecessary—U-26 knew his duty well enough. His body and mind were already sending the orders through the watch station. The first missile detonated harmlessly against an invisible barrier that kept it from its target. He had already assumed it would. What rational enemy would invade Vastaka without adequate defenses?

Before the remainder of the first round of missiles could all be deflected, the second barrage hit. There. Yes. Their barrier weakened. His finger hovered over the screen although it was not necessary for his hands to move at all—did he truly wish to use it? The arrow of vengeance? The path was already trod. With a thought, the weapon that had buried thousands of their people shot smoothly, undetectably forward. And then there was light.

He lost time. The music of destruction called to him, that alluring play of color and death, and he drank it in like the purest, sweetest water. Thirst. He still felt it, even if all the water his system required was supplied by the watch station’s recycler. The fire and carnage, the buzzing excitement beneath his flesh that it was he who had caused it, were igniting the memories of his previous existence.

Excellent work, sentinel! Assess the wreckage for hostages. We need intelligence—now. A Battle Group will investigate after your initial report.

The icy voice ripped him from the blood haze. Yes, assessment was needed. First, he must determine whether any of the enemy remained. Other ships could be hidden or shielded from their sight, and the Noal depended upon him. Vastaka’s safety was the yoke that weighed upon him, that had always driven his actions. Today was no different. He stepped backwards and pressed his feet into the indentations on the floor and closed his eyes. His light suit snapped into place around his body, encasing him in protection. As the suit ran through its self-inspection protocol, he prepared the watch station with autonomous attack sequences. He would be ready if more of them were out there. He approached the airlock and entered. He scanned his exterior surroundings a final time and activated the outer door.

Free. He was free, flying through the endless nothing of space once more, propelled by his freshly charged light suit. What was left of the enemy ship floated brokenly, dull and defenseless. The fire was gone and all that remained was the wreckage.

U-26 tapped his left hip to turn slightly and entered a larger debris field. Here, he could see the outlines of more than just hull scraps. He moved forward cautiously. He growled when the first body flew past. They had theorized that enemy civilizations existed outside of their star system, but the creatures hurtling by him looked nothing like his people had imagined.

Pale. So very pale, and horribly, terribly lifeless. Oh, he knew their bodies had frozen instantaneously once exposed to the icy vacuum as he’d torn their ship apart, but even if these beings still breathed, they would look like death. They had manes like the Noal, but were otherwise hairless. They looked soft and weak. He pressed his lips together. Had he erred? Could such beings truly pose a threat to Vastaka and the greatness of the Noal?

Something different was coming towards him. It looked like a small, single person ship. He felt his muscles stiffen in preparation. He could almost taste the oncoming battle. He was ready to fire upon the craft at the slightest provocation. It drifted past without any alteration in its course. He watched it for a long while, but it continued on as before. Perhaps it was not what it appeared at all.

U-26, we require more footage of the main wreckage.

He acknowledged the command and tapped now at his right hip, adjusting his course. He activated all of the outer cameras on the light suit and sent the data directly to headquarters.

Another one of the small crafts veered towards him. He took a chance. He stretched his gloved hand and activated his attraction field, trapping the small ship within it. He towed the craft along behind him, keeping his vid feed open to his commanders as he approached the remains of the alien ship, but he made sure the small vessel remained hidden. He could see portions of the interior now. He activated his light source. Color flooded his senses. He swallowed. Doubts rushed in, sharp-edged and caustic. It did not look like a military transport.

He locked the pod he towed to the hull of the wreckage and floated inside, lightly adjusting his trajectory. He opened his senses. Shouted words flooded in—Noal and many belonging to an unknown language. The invaders. Their voices sounded flat and hard. He set his light suit to pick up and retain all alien transmissions, closing his mind to the cacophony so he could focus.

Satisfactory, U-26. Return to your watch station and scan for further invaders. Permission granted to leave synchronous orbit. This may have only been the first ship among many. Other sentinels will also scan their sectors.

U-26 sent a swift acknowledgment back to headquarters. He ended his transmissions to his superiors. He had hidden the presence of the small craft behind him, even if he hadn’t possessed a valid reason to do so. Now he took the opportunity to inspect it more closely. He hovered over the craft, his own face floating above a small window at the tapered end. As he’d suspected, the small ship was just large enough for one occupant, and its face lay beneath that window. The creature’s eyes were closed. This one was also pale, and its hairless skin seemed to glow like the bright cup of a flower. He had seen other bodies, some darker, but none with the coloring of the Noal.

Its blood was red. He could not determine whether it still breathed or had already died from its injuries. He should deactivate the attraction field and let this craft rejoin the wreckage. Even if the creature lived, what would he do then? It was an enemy of the Noal. Still, there was…something that stayed his hand. He maneuvered his suit to face his watch station and began the journey back.

He reached the entrance, but he could barely fit the craft in along with him. Somehow he managed to seal the outer door. Once the safety mechanism allowed the inner door to open, he left the craft behind and quickly stepped into place for the removal of his light suit. Then he tugged the craft inside the main station and knelt down beside it.

Here in the comfort of his own surroundings, the being looked even smaller. U-26 searched for a way to open the craft, sliding his fingers along the surface, feeling for some difference that would indicate a seal. He growled low. Nothing. He looked into that little window again, at the delicate face of the creature. Its cheek was soft and rounded, its mane dark, a reddish brown that clung tightly to its head. He wanted to touch it.

He rose and opened a compartment on the wall. Tools were arranged, clamped in place. He removed a saw and hurried back to the craft. If he could not find the seams, he would make his own. Carefully, he began to slice through the surface, the power behind the tool producing a pleasant, low hum. He found himself singing along, the wordless melodies of his mother’s people floating above the steady pulse of the saw. As soon as he felt the resistance disappear he deactivated the tool. U-26 placed his hands in the opening and pulled, attempting to widen it. A sharp crack sounded, and the glossy, dark material of the craft splintered.

He pulled harder, and finally, he was able to open it fully. The top portion of the craft hit the floor with a resounding clang, but its occupant didn’t wake. He looked down. He breathed in. He was utterly, completely lost. Before he could stop himself he pressed his face along the being’s neck, forcing his nose in tightly against its soft flesh. He could smell its blood, but the scent didn’t rouse his appetite. He brought his hands up closer to his chest and slowly removed his under-gloves, not wanting to lift his face away.

He threw the gloves aside. His hands slid along the sides of the being’s body. He felt the softness of mammary glands and inhaled deeply. Female. The being was a woman. A throaty laugh. Blue-black fur so glossy it seemed to shimmer. A small, slender hand tugging his tail. He shuddered on the exhale as his hands ached to caress, as his hips remembered movements that his mind had not. He pulled away, his head spinning at the swiftness. He must not…what? What mustn’t he do? Something, he was sure of it. Something he’d been thinking was wrong, disturbed.

He looked at her again. Now he could see the faint movement of her chest. He had already felt the slow rise and fall beneath his hand. Her fragile flesh was almost entirely exposed. Only her stomach, chest, and the area between her legs was covered, and that fabric lay close against her skin, keeping no secrets from his roaming eyes.

She was a hostage. He should be cautious. He should have left her for the battle group. Still, he reached out again and rested two fingers over that strangely smooth skin. He growled deeply at the sight of his fur against her body. It was that maddening scent. That was why it looked so right.

He should interface with her mind and discover what she knew, but he hesitated. Would a warrior wear such an impractical garment? Noal women fought, although far fewer among the Empire forces, but he’d never seen one so ill prepared for battle. Perhaps she was not his enemy. He lifted his hand and let his fingers glide along the side of her face. How he wished to see her eyes as he touched her. He did not want to steal and sift through her memories. She would always remember he had done it, and the thought bothered him.

Her skin was cold. Everything about her appeared pale and muted except for that bright, vivid blood. He traced his finger over her lips. Unlike his own, they were a faint pinkish blue that contrasted with her skin. Her body had begun to tremble. He could feel it beneath his fingertips. Small bumps were rising from her skin. He stood abruptly and looked at the hand he’d used to touch her. With a thought, he activated a pathogen scan, closing his eyes to protect them from the cleansing light. He trusted she would not wake during the procedure.

He sensed the moment the watch station completed the task. He lifted her body from the remains of the pod. She fit easily in the cradle of his arms. Now that he held her, he could feel the dampness of her mane. Assess being for injuries, he ordered as he walked her over to the repair table. He hoped the female’s medical needs would not be too different from those of a Noal. The watch station was minimally equipped for true Noal. Each sentinel’s station was always ready for inspection or visits from command.

U-26 didn’t want to let go of her, even though he knew it was necessary for a proper scan. The repair arm lowered over her body, searching for weaknesses. He accessed the device’s findings as it went to work on her injuries. Bruising, a contusion on the forehead, and mild dehydration. Relief loosened his muscles. The woman would be readily healed. Soon she would open those pale-lidded eyes. Would she find him as fascinating as he’d found her?

He hastily constructed a holo-disguise using footage of one of the bodies that had passed him during his assessment of the wreckage. If she were his enemy, it wouldn’t be prudent to let her know immediately that he’d captured her. He would show her a smooth skinned face first and see how she reacted. He held up his hand. Their technology was excellent, even better than he remembered from his life as a battle leader. He no longer saw his familiar hand, but a bulky thing, with too many short, awkward digits.

The repair arm fell silent as it folded back up into the station’s ceiling. U-26 took a step closer to the table. Her arm shifted and her mouth contorted as if it hurt her. He frowned. The repair arm should’ve removed any unnecessary pain during the healing. He almost didn’t stop himself before his hand reached out to her face again. He must wait. If he touched her, it would dispel the illusion that protected him. Although she appeared harmless, it was never wise to underestimate an enemy. Her people’s ship had almost breached the defenses of Vastaka—these world-travelers were intelligent and clever, even if their bodies seemed vulnerable and frail.

Her head thrashed side to side on the table. Finally, she stilled, and he watched her chest rise as she took in a large breath of air and released it. She was aware once more. It was only a matter of time before she opened her eyes. His foot lifted and he moved even closer—a foolish choice. She could reach him now if she wished. She could hurt him. Her scent expanded as he breathed it in. He watched her face, willing her to show him her gaze. It felt vital that she do so. He needed to see her eyes.

He saw the flutter of her eye-hairs first. Then the lids slowly lifted, and she brought up a hand to rub her face. Her mouth opened wide, and he was able to capture and save the image of her teeth for further assessment. She possessed a mixture of prey and hunter teeth, somewhat like the Noal. She was looking back now. She blinked. Once, twice, a third time. Her eyes were an odd mix of dark and light. Brown and black, encased in bone white.

“Hello? Where are we?” Her voice was high and clear, overwhelmingly feminine. His tail thrashed in front of his body, the tip snapping against the floor at the sweetness of the sound. Her forehead gathered together in a series of wrinkled folds. “Why is it so dark? Are we safe?” U-26 wanted to growl, but it wasn’t fair to be upset by her obvious agitation. She might think she was still aboard her now defunct ship. He wanted to hold her—to comfort her.

“Please—just answer me. I’m scared.” The last was uttered in a faint, breathy voice.

His judgment was compromised. He suspected it’d occurred the first time he’d touched her soft skin.

“Hello?”

“Hello?” he said back, doing his best to copy her strange word. He needed more time for the translation program to do its job. If he could just keep her talking, he could keep his disguise intact until he could communicate in her language. She pushed herself up until she sat, her arms braced behind her, propping up her body until her face was level with his chest.

“Who are you?” These words came out weakly.

He opened his mouth, feeling the urge to reassure her, but there was no way to speak without revealing himself. He could still do nothing but repeat her words.

“What happened to the ship? I saw the explosion.” He could not yet comprehend her meaning. The word he had repeated, hello, had been a greeting, but he understood far too little of her language.

The moment came that he’d been dreading. She reached for him. Her small hand clasped around his wrist. She stared, her mouth opening, her strange eyes turning to thin slits. She was intelligent—that he’d known. Her eyes saw a man of her own people, but her short fingers felt his fur, his differences. She lifted her face and looked directly into his eyes, and he felt as if she saw straight through the disguise. She spoke once more.

“Show yourself.”

LILY

She lay on something flat and hard, and it was cold—so cold. Her wet hair pressed against the back of her neck and she shuddered, feeling her bare skin resting against smooth, chilled metal. She blinked. And blinked again. She was no longer inside the emergency pod, but it was almost as dark as night. Lily began to make out faint shadows, but she could see little of her surroundings. Her body was sore, as if she’d slept too long, and her limbs had grown stiff and tight. She opened her eyes again and forced herself to keep looking this time, staring out ahead of her as she searched for any sign of familiarity. She must be back on the ship, on a portion that wasn’t destroyed. Maybe the dimness was simply due to emergency lighting.

She brought her hand to her forehead. The last thing she’d remembered was the pod screen hurtling towards her face and then the overwhelming, immediate pain. She couldn’t feel even a bump. How long had she been out of it?

She was growing more accustomed to the low light. Shapes materialized, and she could tell she was in a small room. Then she saw him; a man was watching her, his gaze intent and hungry. There was something wrong about him, but she couldn’t focus on his appearance. She needed information—now.

“Hello?” No response. “Where are we? Why is it so dark here?” His lips parted, but he didn’t speak. A lump formed in her throat. She would not cry. She would not panic. She couldn’t.

“Please—just answer me. I’m scared. Hello?”

“Hello.” She almost hit her head again in shock as she heard that deep, otherworldly voice. He didn’t sound right either. It wasn’t exactly an accent, although that would explain his unresponsiveness. If he didn’t speak the common language, it was no surprise that he couldn’t answer her, but it was more than just that.

“Who are you?” she asked. What are you? “What happened to the ship? I saw the explosion.”

Suddenly, she realized what was wrong with him. The low light had obscured it, but now she saw clearly. That oddness, that not-quite-rightness, was because she was looking at a corpse. Everyone knew what a frozen body looked like. Everyone who worked an exoplanet or space station, at least. That was part of every basic safety seminar. This man should’ve been dead. If what she was seeing was accurate, he could not be standing there speaking and breathing. He was an impossibility.

She needed to know. Was she dead, too? Did dead people hallucinate?

Lily reached forward and grabbed the man by the wrist. Her fingers closed around a warm, sturdy arm. He must be real, but he couldn’t be human. Lily swallowed heavily. The man whose forearm she held was covered in short, soft fur—as plush as velvet.

“Show yourself! I know you’re hiding!” She knew he probably couldn’t understand her, but she couldn’t be silent. Oh, God. This system was supposed to be uninhabited. She scrambled off of what turned out to be a low metal table, inadvertently pulling the man closer as her feet hit the floor. She felt his body press against hers. Lily’s fingers brushed over thick fabric. The man wore clothes. That indicated a certain level of civilization, as did the fact that she was still living and breathing in the alien’s ship.

He was most definitely a man. She didn’t want to think about it too much, but that bulk between his legs couldn’t be anything else. Her hands were on his arms again, and she could hardly keep herself from stroking those velvet covered muscles, from trying to steal his warmth, but she made herself remain still. They had no common tongue—miscommunications would be all too easy. She wished she could see him better. It was so terribly dark here, so horribly cold.

His hands pressed into her back, and he pulled her closer against him. She rubbed her face along a broad chest, soaking up his heat, even though she knew it was unwise. She still wore the damp swimsuit. Hopefully he had some other clothing she could borrow. She would end up with hypothermia if she couldn’t get dry. She needed to find some way to communicate with this being.

“I’m Lily,” she said, pushing back against his chest and looking up into his face. He still wore the mask of a dead man. She brushed her fingertips against his cheek. It was strange seeing her fingers disappear beneath the illusion. The line of his face didn’t match the projection. “Please, let me see you.” She pressed her fingers harder, stroking that short, supple hair that covered his skin. She let him know that she wasn’t fooled, that the disguise was useless.

Lily caressed his face as if she were a blind woman and the only way she could know him was through touch. The fur gave way to braids that felt almost like human hair. Braids and then horns. She searched her memory for any record of such a species among the known non-humans, but Lily could not think of any.

Light seemed to flicker over the man, and then she could finally see him. Her hand was caught in braids of blue-black hair. He was watching her with large, pale blue eyes without a hint of white, all iris and pupil. The rest of the details were more difficult to make out. His face was black, with the same blue sheen as his hair. The short fur, or hairs, that covered his skin made it hard to see the edges of his body. He melted into the shadows, except for those startling eyes.

She shivered. She couldn’t forget how cold she was, especially with the heat of his hands against her back as a steady contrast. Suddenly he moved his face, and she felt him nuzzle her neck. Then his lips touched her. They were the only part of him that felt like a human man, soft and hot. Delicious warmth transferred from his breath to her skin. She shouldn’t feel safe in his embrace. They couldn’t speak; they couldn’t even truly see one another.

Lily tried to step back, pushing against his chest again. This time he let her go, and her lower back slammed against that metal table. She groaned in pain, but went silent as death when she heard the noise he made in his throat. It was a low rumble, like the growl of a wild thing in the forest, one that she instinctively knew was made to hunt.

“I’m Lily,” she said, pressing her hand to her chest. That’s what people did in the entertainment videos. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn’t, but she had to try. She needed water and warmth. She wouldn’t survive if they couldn’t find some way to communicate. “Lily,” she repeated, hoping he’d respond.

“Lily.” She exhaled slowly in relief at the sound of his voice, her eyes briefly closing. When she looked back up, he was staring right back again.

“And you?” She lifted her hand back to his chest, setting it lightly over his heart. She felt no rhythm beneath her palm, no comforting thump, thump, thump. “What’s your name?”

He finally spoke, but it was in no language she recognized. The syllables flowed like water, shivery and low. Ahveyak the Quithik had possessed a voice that rang like a bell; this man’s voice carried a multitude of strings, and each word was a wonder. Now his fingers were stroking her face, much as she’d felt his features earlier. She’d never known anything as soft as the touch of his fingertips.

Lily brushed the fabric that covered his chest and pinched it between her fingers. “This is clothing. Do you have more clothing?” She grabbed the top edge of her swimsuit. “Wet clothing. I’m cold,” she said, pantomiming a shiver and rubbing her arms. “I need dry clothing, like yours.” Would he understand her at all?

He looked intently at her swimsuit. He reached for the edge where she’d touched it. Then he pulled. Lily shrieked, and his lips pulled back in a snarl. In one easy motion, he ripped her suit down the middle and tugged it to her hips. She felt ridiculous and exposed. It still hung around her thighs, but now he could see her entire bare upper body. Perhaps she was being silly. Would he even care?

He wore pants over his legs, but it was soon unmistakable that he did indeed notice. He spoke again and reached for her.

“Stop!” His velvety fingers brushed across her chest. She let out a shaky breath when they tickled her nipples. He circled one again, touching her there purposely this time. Hot shame flooded her body when she released a thready, faint moan at the contact. Between the cold and the wet, and the contrast of his heat against her skin, she was unbelievably sensitized. Every time he touched her, her body hummed for him like she’d been designed to respond to the slide of his fingertips.

He growled again and then spoke rapidly in his beautiful language. He must know she couldn’t understand him. The torrent of words rushed past her, senseless music that made her fall deeper into his embrace. Something silken and sinuous feathered against her lower back. Lily froze. It moved again, tracing spirals on her skin. Both of his hands held her. She dropped her own hand to her side and reached back. A smooth rope, it resisted her grip. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she needed to see. She pulled it up between their bodies. A soft, billowy tuft of hair marked the end.

“You have a tail.” She pointed at the tip and repeated the word. “Tail.” Suddenly it snapped out of her hand and tickled her nose. She glanced at him in surprise. His mouth curved up slightly at the corner, as if he were silently laughing. Then his hand lowered, his long fingers sliding down to the curve of her waist; it drifted down further. She should stop him. It wasn’t even his fault that he was getting the wrong idea. Her body molded to his and she clung to him as if he were her lover.

He wasn’t caressing her, after all. His fingers were patting and searching. He rapped on her shoulder with the tip of his tail. She snapped her head up, and his hands fell away.

“Vek tail? Lily vek tail?” He watched her mouth, waiting for her answer. He wanted to communicate with her, too. It would be slow, but maybe they could make this work. God knew they had all the time in the world. Or did they? She didn’t know where she was or how far she’d drifted before her mysterious savior had found her.

“No tail. Lily—no tail. I have no tail,” she replied. “I’m Lily,” she said, pointing at her chest again. “You? Your name?” She touched his chest as she had before, praying for an answer this time. She just needed a name. Then everything would be easier. His eyelids lowered until the cloudy blue of his eyes was only a slender ribbon.

When he spoke, it was like a single, pure note that stretched and vibrated in the air. “Taketa.” His eyes widened again, and the sight was startlingly beautiful. “I’m Taketa. Vy voaltik,” he said, motioning towards his ear. He looked down with a scowl, and she heard a dull thump. When she saw the shadow of his tail thrashing from side to side behind him, she assumed he had snapped it against the floor in frustration.

“You want to understand me?” she asked.

“Vy voaltik,” he repeated, pointing to his ear and then his mouth. “Sish.” Now he touched her lips with his two forefingers held together. “Sish, Lily.” He stared into her eyes and she inhaled sharply. His fingertips traced her lips from corner to corner. She wondered what he’d do if she took those fingers inside her mouth. If she were to kiss him and taste him. She stepped closer, wanting to feel her hips against his. If he felt it, too, perhaps it wasn’t so shameful, this roiling desire that clouded her mind.

He stepped back, tail still swishing. Her lips continued to tingle where he’d touched her.

“What does sish mean?” She knew she was just talking to herself, but it felt good to speak, like she had some real grasp of her situation. Control in this place, wherever she was, was only an illusion, but it was a pleasant one. “I’m afraid it’s going to take us a long time to understand each other. Too bad we don’t have a fancy translator like the Quithik,” she added with a broken laugh. She thought of Ahveyak’s thin face, wild with worry as he’d all but pushed her inside the rescue pod. Had he made it to safety?

“Did you see other people? Like me, or different, very pale, with translucent skin? That might have been my friend.” He wasn’t your friend, Lily. He was an acquaintance.

She wasn’t expecting it when he turned around without any response. Without the distraction of his gaze, it was easier to observe him. He was tall and muscular. The braids he wore had a hint of silver in the strands, and it caught what faint light there was in this place. His tail hung down to his calves and then curved upwards, but she couldn’t see any details of his legs, or most of his body for that matter. He wore a dark gray garment that reminded her of the coveralls machinists wore on the Trappist Colony, except the sleeves cut off at his upper arms. He was walking away from her towards the corner of the room.

Lily wrapped her arms across her chest, huddling her shoulders and tucking her chin for warmth. She felt the heavy, wet swimsuit rolled and bunched at her hips and shimmied it down as she tugged the material over her thighs. It hit the floor with a damp plop. Taketa stilled, his tail lifting, and she saw triangular pointed ears tilt up in response to the sound. He didn’t turn around.

She lifted her head and looked backwards. Everything in front of her was the same, unrelenting black. She gasped when she saw the wide screen that gave her a panoramic view of space. She shuffled over quickly to peer outside. She recognized the planet. It was the one she’d seen that morning in the pool, a mix of blues, charcoal, and white, swirled like marbleized ink on paper.

“Vastaka.” Her shoulders jumped at the nearness of his voice. His fingers curled over her collarbone. It felt strange. They didn’t stop where they should, but extended down to cover her forearm where she still held it crossed over her chest. She slowly looked back. His head was lowered so close to her that their faces brushed against one another. She inhaled through her nose and immediately regretted it. He smelled indefinably good, like the expensive colognes the men aboard the ship had worn, layered and rich, yet none of them had affected her like this. She shivered under his long fingered hand, swallowing down his enticing scent, and it felt as if it unfurled low in her belly, its tendrils sending out little shocks of desire. She felt the pulse of her beating heart between her legs, and she knew it was wrong.

“Stal Vastaka,” he said, pointing towards the looming planet. She turned her head back towards the screen, clearing her throat.

“Your planet? Vastaka? Taketa—you are from Vastaka?” He smiled at her in response. Well, she thought it was a smile. When he showed his teeth, it didn’t look like he wanted to bite her.

“Clothing,” he said, unfolding a bulky bundle from beneath his arm. She stretched her hands out to take it, grateful for anything that would help drive away this relentless cold. She wondered if it belonged to another crew member on this ship.

“Thank you.” She would speak, even if he couldn’t understand her yet. They had to try. She had to find out what had happened to the Star Rim Express. All of those people. Her stomach felt weak when she thought of it, the scale of such destruction more than she wanted to comprehend.

Lily shook out the fabric. It was a single garment, the same as the one Taketa currently wore. She pulled on a tab that reminded her of a zipper, but it slid down the exterior of the garment and somehow released an inner closure. She shifted on her feet. She could already tell it would be far too big. She glanced up; Taketa watched her, never looking away. She was horribly aware of the way her body must look as she bent and twisted in the nude, of all the faults that were revealed to his assessing gaze.

She forgot it all as she pulled the fabric up over her body. The ship was still freezing, but for the first time since this nightmare had started, she no longer felt damp. Before she could attempt it herself, Taketa’s fingers were working the tab up over her chest. He reached for her hair next, frowning when his hand became caught in it.

“It’s a mess,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll need a brush to fix it.” He must have had someone braid his hair. No one could complete such an intricate style on themselves. She wanted to see the others now, and to learn just how large her rescuers’ ship might be. She thought of the way she’d huddled naked in his arms—what if another alien had walked in on them? What would they have thought of her? What might have happened?

He was speaking in his language again, petting her head as if he were praising a house cat. She pointed towards space. “Taketa—where was I? Where did you find me and my ship?” she asked. She motioned to their small chamber. “Your ship.” She pointed again. “My ship. Where is my ship?” She could hear the thready panic straining her voice.

He looked down at the floor, his mouth firm as stone, before he finally met her eyes again. He curled his hands into fists and then flicked out his long fingers. It didn’t require a translator to know he’d pantomimed an explosion, but she’d already known that, hadn’t she? Lily swallowed, feeling her mouth flood with saliva with a hint of bile.

She turned away from the view and motioned towards the rescue pod, walking closer to inspect it. It looked like someone had sawed the thing open. She felt a rush of gratitude that he’d gone to such trouble to get her free. He could’ve given up and left her inside to die. How long would she have had if she’d remained unconscious? Maybe twenty-four hours, and then less and less air until she was suffocating in that tiny, dark space.

“Were there more? Did you find more of these like mine?” She touched the dark surface of the pod and shuddered. If Ahveyak hadn’t forced her inside, would she have been able to make herself enter it on her own? She’d never know, but if she hadn’t taken the pod, she’d be dead now.

“No.” She glanced up at Taketa when he spoke. It was strange hearing him answer so matter of factly in the common tongue. It may have only been one word, but it made her feel like he understood far more. It made him feel safe and familiar, despite his foreign appearance. “Sish,” he said again, watching her lips. What did he want? She wished she could figure it out. She’d never been good at puzzles—that had been Paulina’s hobby, not hers.

“What do you want me to do? What does that mean?” she asked.

“Lily sisht!” He smiled and his hands came out to grasp her arms, but he quickly dropped them. She saw his tail waving behind his shoulders.

“You want me to talk?”

“Sish. Nivak sish.” She remained silent. If she was right, he’d say the word again, and then she’d know she really understood him. His tail swatted the floor and his smile vanished. “Sish,” he repeated, and this time he set his fingers against her lips like he had before. That small gesture shouldn’t affect her so strongly, but it did. She was doubly glad for the uniform when she felt her nipples tighten beneath the fabric.

“I can talk if that’s what you want,” she told him. “That’s no trouble at all.”

CHAPTER 5

TAKETA

Sentinel U-26 watched the pale female as she turned back towards the watch station’s main viewing window. Of course he himself could easily see everything from his connection to the exterior camera system, but he’d felt an unfamiliar pride when she had looked upon Vastaka with awe in her gaze. She’d seemed to understand him when he’d asked her to speak, but now he was once more uncertain. He needed more words for the translator to function properly. He could make out scattered bits and pieces of her speech, but not enough to decipher any true meaning from the foreign language.

He’d had to clothe her. He hadn’t wanted to—not when he’d seen her staring at his planet, glowing like the face of the moon, the tailless cleft of her buttocks just begging for the weight of his hands. The need he felt was overwhelming him, and with it came the scattered memories. Shadowy images of tangled legs and flesh on flesh. A woman pulling his braids and winding his tail around her wrist. A scratchy tongue traveling the lines of his body.

The sentinel project had flaws. He’d thought it was only the rebellious thoughts he kept hidden from command. Now he knew that these half Noal bodies could be woken from their stupor. Whatever fiber and metal ran through his frame, U-26 was still man enough to hunger. The scent of woman—of this woman, Lily—tickled his nose, and his half existence fell away until all he knew was the burning, aching need to claim her.

“I guess it shouldn’t be too difficult to talk as long as you need me to.” Her voice was light and smooth, as smooth as that hairless body she’d bared to him. “It’s not like I get much time to gossip back on the colony. What I’d really like to do is learn more about you and your crew here.”

He didn’t try to understand her words. He let the translation programs do their work as she continued to speak. He was almost certain that he affected her, too. Her pupils had dilated at his touch, and he’d recorded an increase in her pulse every time they drew near one another. She had placed a hand over his chest, perhaps where she thought his own heart should be. There would’ve been no steady beat for her to count. Blood still pumped through his body, but the system that powered him was more efficient, less obtrusive, than that of a true body.

Lily was still talking. He smiled faintly.

Sentinel! Watch station 26 should be scouting for additional enemy forces. Battle groups are in orbit to ensure Coalition forces cannot take advantage of our distraction. Attend to your mission!

He received the transmission and thumped his tail. He’d forgotten the order as soon as he’d opened the small craft and seen Lily. He could not afford to have any underlings from command investigating his watch station. It was far too small to hide her anywhere, and they would surely remove her for questioning. They would not be gentle. Something feral and deadly slipped through his veins at the thought of them taking her—hurting her. No, Lily was his, and no other Noal would have her.

He swiftly initiated watch station adjustment protocols, the soft music of Lily’s speech a pleasant hum as he felt the thrusters engage. U-26 spread out his consciousness into the station’s surveillance systems. Long range scanners picked up no enemy craft, but many battle group cruisers circled the area of the explosion. He also sensed an increase in forces at the border between Empire and Kavoal space. Transmissions flooded his mind, the cold orders given by command to the many fighters clashing with the frantic reports among civilian authorities.

“We’re moving. Where are we going?”

He could almost understand her, but not enough to answer, not yet.

U-26 knew she would be weary. He knew enough of the life before to understand that the many shocks she had experienced would soon overwhelm her and she’d require a warm nest for comfort. He glanced over his station, imagining he saw it for the first time. Sterile, comfortless, tiny. Not a shred of personalization or impracticality marred its design. The automatic daylight protocol had begun. Every watch station and Empire ship was designed to optimize the Noals’ natural circadian rhythms. He barely noticed the difference, the enhancements to his vision making the light-level immaterial, but he could see the way Lily stilled, her lips parting as she observed the station’s walls.

Her gaze fell on him and her strange eyes widened. He was moving towards her without making a conscious decision. She drew him in like a flower designed expressly to lure him—pale, luminous, deadly. He wanted to sink inside of her, feel her and know her so deeply that he never recovered himself. She shouldn’t be beautiful—not really. But she was.

LILY

The shadows began to lift. The oppressive darkness was lightening. Taketa had seemed to fall into a trance, his body going entirely still, but she’d forced herself to continue talking through it all. There must’ve been some reason he’d been so insistent she keep speaking, but most of her chatter was inconsequential.

“Paulina is pretty much it for my friends at the colony unless we leave our dome. They segregate based on gender—it’s supposed to cut down on distractions and improve productivity, although in practice it doesn’t always work out that way. Married couples and families are sent to different domes designed to optimize their output.” She trailed off, watching the way his pupils expanded and retracted, how they shifted as if he were reading unseen text. What was going on in that brain of his? Was there really any point to this at all?

When the ship had begun to move, she’d asked about it, but he’d remained unresponsive. Now, with the increasing light-level, she could see so much more. She walked towards the big view screen and gazed out into space. They were moving further from the planet. She saw nothing else out there but the wreckage of the cruise ship. She strained her eyes, searching for other emergency pods like hers, but if they were there, floating like caskets, then their sleek black exteriors melted into the dark.

The view screen felt like glass beneath her hands. She had the mad notion that if she tapped at it hard enough, it would splinter and crack, and then she would fall into that blackness herself, tumbling and spinning forever through the icy unknown.

Lily turned away from the window. This portion of the ship was cramped, even smaller than her room aboard the Star Rim Express had been. Again she wondered about the other occupants of the ship. Was Taketa planning to keep her here in this chamber? Maybe he was suspicious of her. If her people had found an unknown alien species before first contact, she was positive the unfortunate being would’ve been subjected to testing and isolation. At their core, humans were not as civilized as they liked to believe. She swallowed heavily, imagining being hooked up to strange tubing and wires. The vision of a laser scalpel coming down towards her face had her heart galloping in overdrive.

She’d been avoiding looking at Taketa. Everything was so unbearably still on this ship. Where was the hum of the engines? She could only hear her own harsh breathing. She took three steps closer to him, not needing to glance up to know exactly where he stood. She felt his presence like a physical thing, and the knowledge she was approaching him skated across her skin like the jolt of static electricity. In this overwhelming silence, his ship felt like the loneliest place in the world.

“Which world?” she muttered with a ragged laugh.

Lily finally looked up. His eyes were no longer distant. They burned. As hot as searing blue flame, far fiercer than the pale heat of red or orange, his gaze marked and scoured her.

She hadn’t really seen him before. She’d felt him with her hands, and she’d received general impressions, but she looked at him now and it was as if a blurry image had come into startling, arresting focus. His eyes dominated his face, but now she could make out the chiseled contour of his jaw, the flare of his nostrils as he breathed in the stale ship’s air, and the shape of his tapered ears. His tail wavered behind him, like a snake charmer’s cobra. His fur had felt like velvet; it looked like it, too. Almost black, but not quite, a sheen that was at some angles blue, at others green, giving him the appearance of movement even while he stood as still as some ancient statue.

“Taketa? Do I still need to keep talking? To sish?” She swallowed, clearing her ears. He took another step closer. “Can you tell me anything? Where we’re going? If any other of my people might have been saved? Please, whatever you can tell me, do.” Two more steps and two of his long fingers pressed against her lips. Her skin went hot and then cold again at his touch, her throat tightening. Where had the air gone? She breathed in through her nose, greedy and desperate, but it brought no clarity, only the rich, enticing scent of this alien male. Wet velvet on her lips, his fingertips were moistened by her hot exhales. She held back a shudder.

“Quiet, Lily.” He’d spoken. The common tongue. “You only need to talk now if you wish to do so. There are words and phrases I still won’t understand, but my translation program has been running while you spoke.”

“Oh.” Where earlier, words had flowed like water from her lips, now they shriveled up, dried little husks floating in her mind, and she couldn’t put them together any longer in any way that made sense. His fingers slid to her chin, but they didn’t leave her face. If she leaned forward just the slightest bit, her chest would press against his large, solid body.

“We are checking to make sure no further invaders are threatening our people.” His eyes dropped down to her mouth. “We have much to discuss, but I fear you must be tired, perhaps hungry or thirsty.”

“Tired? Yes,” she replied, realizing instantly as she said the words that it was true. “Is there someplace safe for me to rest on your ship?”

He bared his teeth and made a deep, rumbling sound in his throat. Lily stepped back and his fingers fell from her face. His eyes sharpened on her, and he truly growled.

“You fear me?”

“No.” Her voice shook. “You showed me your teeth. You looked angry, or threatening.” Once more he looked down.

“I was displeased. My watch station is not designed for comfort. I would like to provide you with more, but this is all I have to offer,” he said, tipping his head towards one of the chamber’s walls.

“Are you restricted to this portion of your ship?” she asked. Was he also a prisoner? No, that couldn’t be. How could he have saved her if that were true? “Were you the one that brought my pod inside?”

He frowned, his lips curling back, but only showing part of his teeth this time. “My watch station is not a ship. There is no other section to access. I do not require much; my needs are few. I provided you basic medical attention, but—” He stopped speaking, his lips closing, meeting in a firm line. “Yes, I was the one who rescued you.”

“It’s just you and I here?” She’d been right. This was the loneliest place in the world. She’d escaped the pod, but now she floated in another prison, even more uncertain of her fate than she’d been before.

“Yes. You and I. Taketa and Lily.”

Maybe she didn’t need certainty.

“Why are you out here? Why aren’t you there, on Vastaka?” she asked, glancing back at the now much smaller looking planet. Something she thought must be pain flashed across his face.

“My place is here. My duty.” He glanced at the cabinet from where he’d removed the clothing he’d brought her previously. “I have no place for sleeping.”

“No bed?” She looked around the room again. It seemed impossible that this should be all there was here, the entirety of a space station. “How does this even have the power to travel? It’s so small.”

“The engine chamber is below us. Weapons are built into the exterior. Not much is needed.”

“Taketa, why are you here? What’s the purpose of this—” She lifted her hands and motioned weakly to their surroundings, unsure what else to say.

“I watch. I guard, and I watch.”

“For how long?” She imagined him marooned up here without even a mattress where he could rest. Surely they wouldn’t expect him to do so for long, whoever “they” were.

“As long as is required.” Another cryptic response. She didn’t believe it was intentional, but pulling meaningful answers from Taketa was proving challenging.

“What are your people called?”

“We are the Noal,” he said, the pride bleeding through in his tone.

“And you guard your planet—from whom? From whoever attacked my ship?” Lily asked, hoping to finally get some useful information. The tip of his tail stilled above his shoulder.

“From anyone who would choose to harm the Empire.” He met her eyes again. “Lily, I must ask you questions, too—for the security of my people. Do you understand?” Her eyebrows raised. He thought she was a threat?

“Of course, I’ll answer your questions, but I don’t know how much I can tell you. I was only a passenger on a pleasure cruise. I saw the first explosion, but that’s all. I didn’t see the ship who did it, but I’ll help if I can.” She heard the rustling of fabric as Taketa’s muscles tensed. His arms were almost like a human man’s. It would be easy to run her fingers over that velvety softness, to feel the firmness of his hard muscles beneath.

“A pleasure cruise? What is that? I don’t understand.”

“A ship people board to enjoy themselves. A vacation trip.” He observed her face, his expression blank. “There are fine meals and entertainment, spas and shopping and pools. Almost anything you can imagine, like a floating city.” She had imagined it all, all right. For months, she’d visualized what it would be like. “I was in the pool swimming when I saw the ship get hit. If I hadn’t, maybe I wouldn’t have made it to the emergency pods.” She smiled, but she didn’t show her teeth, and it was a faint, despairing thing.

“Your people build spacefaring ships solely for pleasure?” Taketa’s tail snapped swiftly enough that she heard a sharp crack in the air.

“Yes. We have other types of ships, of course—military, merchant, civilian travel, colony ships, and research vessels. Cruise ships are probably the least common among our people, but they exist. Don’t your people ever take vacations or enjoy relaxing?”

“Perhaps. I did not.” It was Lily’s turn to watch his face.

“Why?

“Vastaka is a beautiful planet.” Taketa looked out past her shoulders, and she knew he was watching as they moved further away from his home world. “My people—the Noal—we have been fighting for as long as I can remember. Conflict is a way of life. That’s why I am here: to guard the line of Empire space from any threats. Are you certain the ship you boarded was purely a pleasure vessel? Is it not possible that it could’ve had another mission?”

Lily couldn’t help but think of Ahveyak. He’d told her himself he wasn’t just a security guard, that the Star Rim Express was completing an inaugural voyage. Had they expected what had happened? No, Ahveyak hadn’t. The terror she’d seen in his face was genuine.

“No, I don’t think it had any mission at all. I was told that several probes had been sent to this star system and our researchers believed it to be uninhabited. Do you know how your people would’ve evaded being detected?”

“It is hard to believe that a more advanced society wouldn’t be able to determine there was varied and intelligent life on Vastaka, despite our security measures, although if our watch stations had detected your probes, they would surely have been diverted. You said your people have been investigating our star system for a long time now?”

“Yes.” She felt like a guilty child caught red-handed with her hand in the cookie jar, even if she had nothing to do with any exploration in this system. “Not directly, though—just the autonomous probes until recently. I don’t think our government had much interest—it would’ve mainly been scientific missions.”

Taketa looked at her heavily, like he was weighing the truth of her words. She supposed he had no real reason to trust her.

“I have no motivation to lie. My people, we’re not saints, but we have no reason to attack random planets. There are enough unclaimed exoplanets with resources for us to exploit. Anyway, we’d be sanctioned by the Galactic Federation. Humans—my people—we’re not the only ones out there,” she said.

Taketa moved closer again, eating up the space between them as if it had never existed at all, as if their bodies were meant to linger near one another. She felt that buzzing energy again, the push-pull that made her want to touch, yet pulsed between them like two magnets with the same charge, making it impossible to do so. If she breached that boundary between them, she couldn’t predict what would happen next.

“There are other aliens.” It was a statement, not a question. His eyes took on that distant expression again, as if his mind were worlds away from her. “Did they approach your people? Did they subdue your planet?”

“No.” She let out a short huff of a sigh. “It was a few hundred years ago now. I can only tell you what we’re taught in school, but it wasn’t like that at all. When my people developed the technology to send out efficient probes looking for alien life, we ended up receiving a reply back. That was from the Quithik people. They communicated with us and arranged a meeting, and after a few years of back and forth, Earth was brought into the Federation.” She shook her head. “No one wants to attack your planet. I know that, Taketa.”

His tail thumped against the floor. “Thank you.” He glanced up at her again, away from the view of space. “You hold your arms across your chest. Why?”

That forced a smile out of her. “I’m cold, Taketa. It’s freezing on this ship—this station. I don’t have fur like you,” she added with a nod towards his arms.

He reached towards her then, slowly enough that she could’ve stopped him at any point if she didn’t wish for him to touch her. “Your hairless skin.” One hand wrapped around her upper arm as he stepped closer. Then the other. She felt his mouth against her hair as he bent his head down over her own. “I will protect you.” The last words were a whisper, the faintest strum across strings, a ghost of a song.

Then his hands loosened and his arms shifted until he held her, his warm palms molding to the contours of her back, his heat enveloping her just as surely as his heady scent. She inhaled and she felt that low rumble in his chest against her cheek.

“Lily.”

Her hands slid from his chest to wrap around his waist. She could feel where the base of his tail began, and she couldn’t help herself from letting her fingers drift over it, stroking down the length until she could reach no further. Something firm wrapped around her upper thighs, banding her against Taketa. His hands remained on her back. The tip of his tail brushed against her fingers where she was still caressing the base. Then he laughed, slow and deep, a low chuffing.

“It is sad for your people that you have no tails like the Noal.”

“We may have had them at some point in our evolution.” The bushy tip stroked the back of her hand again before it flicked against her skin, almost hard enough to sting.

“A pity.”

“How can you speak Common so well already? Even with an amazing translation program, your vocabulary should be more limited. It may have felt like it, but I didn’t talk for that long.” She felt his hot breath against her scalp again. She couldn’t help herself from tucking her face in tighter, soaking up the warmth of his body. She sighed lightly and allowed herself to simply enjoy the feeling of safety Taketa’s embrace gave her.

He hesitated. Only a few seconds, but she felt it in the slight stiffening of his chest before he spoke.

“While you were speaking, my people collected data from the wreckage of your ship. I accessed that information and ran it through my programming as well.”

My programming. That was an odd way to describe it. Perhaps it was simply the language barrier, but he’d spoken so easily before. She realized she no longer felt that damp, bitter cold beneath her skin. It wasn’t just Taketa’s body heat—the air around them seemed warmer.

“Did you do something? It isn’t as cold anymore.”

“I adjusted the air temperature.” Suddenly his tail dropped and he pulled back, removing his arms. “I will prepare a sleeping area for you.” He walked off without making eye contact. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hug his warmth to her, wondering at his abrupt departure. Lily could’ve stood like that for an eternity. Obviously he didn’t feel the same way. She felt heat stain her cheeks.

He pulled another uniform from the cabinet on the wall and then looked around the room before he huffed out a breath and walked back to where she stood.

“My watch station is insufficient for your needs. I apologize.” She could see his fingers curling around the uniform, clutching the fabric so tightly it looked as if it would tear under the pressure.

“It’s okay, Taketa.” She lifted a hand and pressed it against his chest.

She knew what she was doing. The seemingly casual touch, the way she was repeating his name when she didn’t have to, savoring the shape of the syllables as they rolled off of her tongue—she was seducing him, and herself, even if she couldn’t explain why. Oh, he was intriguing enough to look at, and humanoid enough that the sparks of desire didn’t feel wrong, but she should be half out of her mind with worry and panic. She shouldn’t be feeling the fabric that covered his chest and wishing she were bold enough to slide her palm directly against his delicately furred skin. She shouldn’t be wondering what that body would feel like pressed hard against her own.

She could hear him inhale, and she could see the faint flutter of his nostrils. His ears flicked back, and he shuddered. Then he was wrapping the bulky uniform around her shoulders, using it as a makeshift blanket.

“I will keep you warm. I am sorry, but the floor is hard, and I have nothing to give you to soften it. If I had a proper sleeping place, it would be yours.” He dipped his head as he spoke, avoiding her eyes. She traced tiny circles on his chest with one fingertip, her palm still splayed over his muscles. She slid her thumb to the side, wondering if he had a nipple like a human and whether it was sensitive.

It was.

Taketa hissed in a stuttering breath, and Lily smiled, watching her fingers move. That tugging, yearning ache between her legs grew and blossomed. She moved her thumb. She didn’t give herself time to think—she lowered her face and replaced her finger with her mouth, drawing his nipple inside and swirling her tongue over the fabric. His tail snapped back around her upper thighs again, and she let out a breathy moan as she felt his arousal thicken between them, nudging at her stomach. It wouldn’t take much for her mouth to slide down his body, for her to take him in her hands and touch him with the tip of her tongue, if only she could remove his uniform.

His hand cupped her right breast, and he skated his fingers over her, squeezing slightly as he felt its weight. His cock twitched, and despite the thick fabric of the uniforms they wore, she could feel its heat burning hotter than the rest of his big body. If she felt him inside of her, perhaps she would be truly warm again. She could imagine it now. He may have been a stranger only hours ago, but he didn’t feel like it. He’d push inside her, deep, warm, strong, and she’d feel safer than she ever had before. She’d never have to worry again. It would be like finding home.

“Lily.” Her name was a strangled groan. She looked up and his eyes were closed tightly, his face tense as if he braced for a hit. She slid her hand between their bodies and stroked him, wishing she could wrap her hand all the way around his length and feel it bared and hot in her grip.

“I could make you feel good,” she whispered. He didn’t speak, but growled low in her ear. He didn’t try to move her hands, and she took that as a yes. Lily tugged at that zipper-like tab at the top of his uniform and pulled, but his hand snapped out and clamped around her wrist.

“No. Not here.”

Not here? Where else was there? They were stranded in space, alone. Why not here? Why not now?

“You must rest. Shock.” She glanced up. His eyes were downcast, and that grimace of almost-pain still marked his face. “Not right. Not yourself.” She barely made out the last guttural words, and then he circled her other wrist with his opposite hand and stepped back. When he saw the space between them, he dipped his head with a shuddering exhale and released her.

“Better this way,” he said, turning away and walking over to a wall that appeared to be covered in instrument panels. “I will interface with my superiors,” he announced, his voice rising to its previous volume. “You should lay down.”

Lily watched his back, willing him to turn, first with confusion and then with anger. No matter how hard she wished him to face her, he didn’t. It was as if she weren’t even there at all.

“Taketa,” she said softly. The name seemed to float and echo in the confined air of this place he called a watch station. He still didn’t turn back. She let herself sink to her knees, resigned. The air may have been warm now, but nothing could leach the cold from the hard metal of the floor.

CHAPTER 6

TAKETA

He found it difficult not to turn back towards her, but at length she finally succumbed to her weariness and slept. He had lied. U-26 was not contacting his superiors. He’d faced the wall, but he had accessed the watch station’s systems and observed her until her body relented, relaxing boneless against the ugly metal floor.

Retreating from Lily had been the hardest thing he could ever remember doing. His missions did not require much resolve to complete. He received orders, or he encountered problems, and he eliminated them. The work was done; he performed as designed.

He had not been rebuilt and formed to feel that.

U-26 had forgotten temptation. Now its seductive power burned through his blood and he longed for nothing more but to give in to its dictates. He scanned through the data collected by the battle groups assigned to the wreckage to distract himself. More and more files had been added, and he made sure his systems assimilated them into the translation program.

He wished to strip out of his heavy uniform. He’d increased the heat so much that it’d become uncomfortable, yet he couldn’t bear to let it grow colder again—not when Lily slept so peacefully. She’d wanted him. He was certain of it, yet another thought stilled his fingers before he could reach for the closure on his uniform. She had accepted his appearance with surprising equanimity—perhaps not so shocking if, as she had told him, she was familiar with other alien species. Still, there was a difference between desiring him, whole as he seemed, and wanting him despite the scars and metal that had rebirthed him.

He had not spent much time inspecting his body. Maybe at first, in the initial days after his awakening, but not since that time, and it was long, long ago. That didn’t mean he couldn’t remember. Horror had pulsed through him, revulsion had crawled through his veins, and he’d known then he was a monster. A monster made to protect his people was still an abomination. He kept the uniform fastened and sweated through the heat. Better the discomfort than to see that same disgust reflected back in her eyes of earth and moon.

She would need water and food. He brought the watch station to a lazy halt. He’d gone far enough. U-26 made himself run through the scans, searching for any further threats, but all appeared as empty and uninhabited as it’d always been.

Sentinel U-26 reporting. No sign of additional targets. Permission requested to return to my assigned territory. The wait to receive a response stretched. He delved into transmissions between command and the battle groups assessing the wreckage. He counted one hundred thirteen pods recovered by the Noal. When he heard the coordinates where they would be delivered, he no longer felt the heat.

He turned his head slowly and looked at the pod from which he’d freed Lily. He needed to dispose of it. He could not allow any of his superiors to learn he had rescued her. If they knew of her existence, she would be taken for experimentation or collateral. Whatever his people decided to do with her, it would leave her marked, and he couldn’t bear the thought of it. He had promised his protection—he would make sure she received it.

U-26 altered the exterior visual feeds, prompting them to record a randomized collection of previously collected footage of this sector. As soon as he was certain the program was running smoothly, he hauled the pod out into the airlock. He stepped back inside, walking to the foot pads where his light suit would snap in place around his body. The entire process took only seconds, and then he was back, preparing to exit the watch station with the pod.

None of it felt the same. He ached to return inside, but it was vital he destroy any evidence that he’d taken Lily aboard. As soon as he opened the hull door, the pod shot forward. His boots kept him locked in place as he watched it hurtle off into space. He started to lean forward as if he would follow it. What would happen to her without him, if he were to drift after that dark vessel and float forever? Eventually, at some point in the far future, he would die a painful, honorless death as the Noal portions of his body thirsted and decayed. She would die, too—much more swiftly. More painfully. Alone in the endless black, the joyless nothing.

He closed the hull door and waited motionlessly for the airlock to cycle. U-26 closed his eyes. All he saw was Lily and her vulnerable skin that felt like glass, like polished stone given life. Her mane had begun to dry once he’d adjusted the air temperature. The hairs were finer than his, and curled slightly like a Noal’s mane after his war braids had been unraveled. Would they be softer, too?

A subtle beep. He shouldn’t have needed the reminder. The watch station was just another extension of himself—his mind ran its protocols. For the first time since those painful days when his body had awakened from death, it felt like the prison it was. Your duty. Your honor. Forever. He had already given his life. They had taken death from him, too.

Permission granted to return to battle station, Sentinel U-26.

He set the watch station back in motion, glad they would be approaching Vastaka once more. He stepped back in place, and his light suit snapped apart and retreated into its storage unit. A tube slid down, and he felt a light prick on his arm as a needle entered his vein. He waited as the fluids entered his body. The station maintained him well enough, but it would not be sufficient for Lily. It could only be a temporary solution to prevent her from suffering dehydration, and it would invite questions he did not wish to answer.

He would let her rest for now, but soon he would need more information from her in order to chart his next course. He could not allow her to become the subject of his people’s experimentation or interrogation. He shivered, memories of his own mind being violated by the thought-readers flooding back. He had found her out there in the debris; he had claimed her, and now Lily was his. Simple, true, impossible.

U-26 hadn’t attempted to lay down for sleep in the watch station before. When his organic systems required rest, it was easy to fall into a light trance and allow his enhancements to supersede them. His movements felt awkward and strange as he lowered himself to the floor behind Lily. Then his arms slipped around her body, and he pulled her in against him. She was so unbearably soft. His tail wrapped over her waist, the tip resting on her shoulder. She smelled perfect. She felt perfect. He sighed, and for the first time in a long while, he didn’t know what he would do next—duty had deserted him. Only this remained: his woman and her trust.

LILY

Lily snuggled her face deeper into the warm bedding. She never wanted to return to the agri-dome. She smiled, keeping her eyes closed a little longer so she could pretend she still slept. She just felt so good. Whatever they used to wash the sheets here smelled divine. She imagined the scent would have some pretentious name like “midnight forest” or “Moroccan wood.” It was complex, comforting, and unabashedly masculine.

She hummed quietly as she arched her back, thrusting her bottom out and twisting her torso, luxuriating in the stretch. Her left hip bone ground against a hard surface and she winced. What had happened to her soft mattress?

“Lily.”

That voice. It all came rushing back to her now, and her body froze. She didn’t have to worry about returning to the agri-dome on the colony. She might never find her way home at all. She opened her eyes and placed a slightly trembling hand over Taketa’s forearm. He was holding her. At least there was him, the one bright light in this nightmare.

“Taketa. You’re here with me.”

“Where else would I be?” She shrugged her shoulders in response and felt them rub against his uniform.

“What happens next? Can we try to contact my people? I need to go back—explain what happened.” His fingers appeared obscenely long where they draped over her stomach. “We can’t just stay here.” She felt something soft brush against her cheek and her eyes darted to the side. Taketa’s tail twitched as if it were waving at her.

“I can’t.”

“Oh. Your people don’t have long-range transmission capabilities? Even if it’s just archaic radio signals, someone will be looking into the disappearance of the ship eventually. It can’t hurt to at least try.”

“No.”

Lily stilled in his arms. That had sounded like, “no, I won’t,” not, “no, I can’t.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“It’s too dangerous. I can’t risk Vastaka’s security. It could lead your people straight to our planet. Other enemies could discover us. They could annihilate us before we ever speak. The Noal have no colonies, no place else to go or ships large enough to take us there. Vastaka is our home,” he said, his arm tightening over her ribs.

“But—”

“No, Lily.”

“Remove your arm.” This was not going to be her life. She couldn’t just give up. “Let me go—don’t touch me.” His fingers pulled back as if she’d burned him and she scooted forward until she could pull herself up to her knees. She turned her face to look at him. He still lay there on the floor, his big body sprawled with effortless grace, his dark horns making him look like a satyr carved from granite.

“I cannot betray my people.”

“What will you do with me then? You can’t just keep me here.” She laughed, and it sounded jagged, like broken glass scratching its way up her throat.

“No, I can’t.” He didn’t say anything else. He just watched her, and where before she had found those wide blue eyes enthralling, now they unnerved her.

She turned and hurried towards the viewing window, pressing her hands to the glass-like surface. They were returning towards the planet; it already hung larger before them. It was a beautiful world. She just needed to make him understand that he was wrong. Humans wouldn’t attack them. Why would they? Their people needed to work together to eliminate the mutual threat that had caused the destruction of the Star Rim Express.

“I will take you down to Vastaka to gather provisions. I will make the watch station adequate for your needs. You will see.” He spoke from behind her shoulder. “Place your hands here on this bar. I will keep you safe, but do not let go.”

“Fine,” she replied. She’d save her breath for later, but one thing was certain: Lily Brevask was not going to resign herself to life aboard this tiny floating island. She would find a way back to Federation Space.

CHAPTER 7

TAKETA

U-26 settled into a deep trance. Alerts would rouse him if Lily were to touch anything aboard that might compromise their safety, but it was necessary for him to make the preparations for them to land on Vastaka without arousing suspicion. The challenge was almost enjoyable. He felt grim satisfaction as he composed the realistic illusion he hoped would deceive command and his fellow sentinels if they had reason to contact him.

One of the benefits of his altered existence was the ease with which he could stretch his consciousness out through so much data. The processor he utilized to parse that information still felt foreign in his mind, even after all the time that had passed, but he was happy to take advantage of his abilities if it would help him ensure Lily’s safety.

They were entering the atmosphere now. He no longer felt his body. His mind was a flowing, liquid thing, borderless and immense. Threats appeared at all sides: Empire and Kavoal scouts, air traffic monitoring webs, automatic targeting missiles. Disaster approached at any given second. Don’t think of her—don’t allow distractions. He would land them safely.

Thirty seconds and they would be on the surface of Vastaka or they would be dead.

A soft beep. Coming back to his body was like swimming up from the bottom of a lake. It felt impossible that he would reach the air. He might drift like this forever, amorphous thought with no anchor. U-26 slammed back into his form with a jolt. He had not often gone so deeply into the trance state, and he had not anticipated the shock.

“Taketa? Are you okay?” She was speaking to him again. He wiggled his fingers and shifted his weight from foot to foot, snapping his tail out for balance.

“Now I am,” he replied. He walked closer to her and reached for her hands. Reluctantly she lifted her face and held out one hand, her lips pressed firmly together. “Don’t be angry. Welcome to Vastaka, to the Noal Empire. You will be the first of your kind to walk our world.” Her lips turned up just the slightest bit at the corners, and he counted it as a victory.

He drew her over to the main viewing window. Midday sunlight spilled in, casting large pools of shadow inside his watch station. A forest filled the background in the distance. He had chosen a field for the landing, but had made sure there was someplace for them to take cover if the area proved more populous or heavily monitored than he’d anticipated.

“We are lucky. Midday is the time when the features of Vastaka’s plains appear most beautiful.”

“Is it safe out there for me?” Lily asked. She peered out, leaning forward. “It’s pretty dark.”

U-26 turned back to the window and frowned. “I will gather provisions first. I must leave you alone for a short time.” If only she would say something, anything, to indicate she was willing to cooperate with him, he would feel far better about exiting the watch station. “I promise it will not be long. Then I will take you out, but you must remain here while I am gone.”

Her shoulders lifted, but she didn’t speak. He left without another word, locking the hull seal behind him. When he stepped away, the watch station was just a slight distortion in the landscape. Dressed as he was, he didn’t have much to hide. He could be any Noal completing a ground mission for command. He took off at a light lope. Only minutes later and he felt as if he were choking on the air. His chest burned and his side ached. U-26 sensed his enhancements overriding his organic systems. He had grown complacent aboard his watch station. Although he had completed the compulsory physical maintenance sequences, his body had lost the capabilities he remembered.

The very flavor of the air brought that feeling back to him, of the days when he had run without ceasing, his body feeling light enough to float, as if he would never need to stop. He ignored the physical discomfort and continued to scan the area for threats. Subterranean explosive traps could lie anywhere beneath the tranquil field. The Kavoal had no conscience. The Coalition monsters only wanted to take down as many Empire subjects as they could.

A small habitation waited ahead, another ten minute run—less if he could increase his speed. He would need to steal. He couldn’t risk his personal data being tracked when he went to pay. He was not even certain whether or not an ID chip was implanted on the wrist of this body. U-26 would have to assume that Lily would be able to tolerate the same foods as his people. When they returned to space, he would need to distract her. Already she resisted his commands. As he ran towards his people, he recalled the way she had felt in his arms as she’d slept. He had not expected to take such comfort in the rhythm of her breathing, the beat of her heart. He had been alone for so very long.

He could think of ways to distract her, if she’d allow it. He’d inhaled her mating scent before. He would simply touch and taste her until it rose from her soft skin like fog off the water. He felt the unfamiliar stirring again down below. Formerly a practicality for conveniently eliminating his liquid waste, Lily had reawakened his cock for its other purpose. Although he doubted very much he would ever be able to sire children after what had been done to him, it appeared it would function well enough to give both her and himself pleasure.

He had stopped running while he thought of Lily. Now he stood still and looked off at the horizon. He could see the outer ring of the settlement in the distance, but he wouldn’t garner any attention among the residents yet. U-26 let his hand drop over the crotch of his pants. His fingertips slid over his uniform, and he could feel his sex. It twitched beneath his hand as he imagined Lily’s soft fingers gliding over his body. He drew in a ragged breath and removed his hand.

Luckily it did not take long for his body to resume its normal state when he contemplated the difficulties ahead of him. Perhaps it would’ve been better if he had allowed Lily’s earlier explorations to meet their natural end. Then she would not press him so urgently with questions he could not safely answer. No. That was a contemptible thought. Although he wished to see her overwhelmed with passion, he did not want it at the expense of his honor.

He did not know if it was possible for her to be happy with him, but he would try to keep her content. He had also lost his home and his people. She would not trod her path in solitude as he had. She would not suffer as he had—he’d make sure of it.

U-26 was almost to the habitation now. Soon he would reach the outer ring path. He hoped he would not have to enter too deeply into the community. Although his uniform disguised the worst of his abnormalities, he knew his voice and eyes were not the same as those of his people. They would know him as other as soon as he lifted his head or opened his mouth, and they would know the same soul piercing fear as he had at the sight of the Moonbringers leading a charge. As he approached the first path, he heard the sounds of people walking and speaking amongst themselves.

He was not unaccustomed to feeling the weight of others staring at his figure. As one of the most feared and exalted battle leaders of the Empire’s Strike Teams, U-26 had commanded attention everywhere he’d gone. He looked up, prepared to meet inquisitive gazes with a blank face. One man alone watched him, his eyes focused on U-26’s uniform. The man tugged at his short mane and frowned before raising his head to meet his gaze.

U-26 watched the other man’s expression, waiting for signs of either aggression or panic. There should be no reason his appearance would cause much concern from this distance, but it had been a long time since he’d last stood among others outside of his watch station. Customs may have changed in the interim, and he did still wear the war braids of the Noal.

The man’s tail swished wildly behind him as he lowered his eyes, but he took a few steps forward nonetheless. U-26 could see his reluctance in every movement, and he swiftly approached the man, unwilling to prolong an encounter which could prove to be an obstacle to his task.

“Blessings of the midday shine upon you.” The common greeting felt unwieldy on his tongue. He could not recall when he had last spoken it. The man’s eyes clouded with confusion.

“Midday blessings, officer.” The other man’s tail continued its frenzied dance, although he attempted to appear calm. “Is there trouble? We have not seen a man of the Empire here since the last Vis-Noaltik Festival.”

U-26 could not ask when the last festival had taken place without revealing his ignorance of current life for residents of Vastaka, but he still wondered. He would access the data once he was alone again and his distraction wouldn’t be noted. He could almost grasp the faint impressions the mention of the holiday had woken, but he couldn’t remember it with any great clarity.

“No. No danger threatens your community. I am here for provisions.” He’d decided it would be best to see if they would give him what he needed before he resorted to theft. This man had clearly recognized him as an officer, and it would be easier to have their assistance than for him to sneak around their habitation. The man bowed his head, but U-26 noticed the way his eyes darted sideways towards another male watching from behind a neighboring building.

Suddenly he felt the watch station’s alert like a pinch at the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, knowing they would go dark and blank as he saw the incident in his mind. The station’s interior cameras showed Lily wedging one of the tools from the wall against the exterior door. Luckily it appeared she hadn’t managed to activate it, so her efforts should prove futile and harmless. He forced the feed from the forefront of his mind and focused on the man before him once more.

“Of course we are willing to serve, but it does seem somewhat out of the ordinary, officer. Bostovik is a small settlement. We are far removed from the contested borders. No one was even aware a strike force had entered the vicinity.”

The world had surely altered since he had last walked the plains of Vastaka. That such a man would question an officer of the Empire would have been unthinkable.

“It is not your business to be aware of such things unless the Empire chooses that it should be so.” He kept his voice cold and blank, although his anger began to rise. He was not used to impertinence from unblooded men.

“Of course.” The man’s ears flattened back towards his skull and he looked down at the ground between them. “No offense was intended, officer. What do you require? As I said before, we are not populous. We are not capable of supply3ing an entire strike force.”

“I do not expect you to. Take me to the others and I will make my needs clear.” The other man backed away and waited for U-26 to follow. Although he kept his senses open, he detected no additional Noal approaching, and he believed himself safe enough for the time being. He resisted the temptation to view the interior of his watch station. Soon he would return to her—soon.

LILY

By the time she finally set down the tool she’d pried from the wall, sweat was dripping down her back beneath the heavy fabric of Taketa’s spare uniform. Lily let the metal instrument that looked like a cross between a mallet and a saw fall to the floor. She didn’t even wince at the clang. It was no use. She could not force the door to open.

Yes, Taketa had insisted she remain here, but although she’d tried to be patient, she couldn’t bear it. What if he never returned at all? If the dim landscape outside was as bright as the surroundings would get here, it would be better to explore now before it grew even darker. Lily let herself slide down with her back against the wall. Her butt hit the floor, and then she leaned forward over her knees and held her head.

She needed to come up with some way to convince Taketa that she was right, and that contacting her people was the smartest course of action. She could understand his wariness, but if there was an enemy out there willing to destroy a ship like the Star Rim Express, what would stop them from attacking this planet, or any other ships that came to rescue the survivors? She hoped there were other survivors. So many people had been aboard. So very, very many.

Besides the limited number of tools on the wall, there was hardly anything at all inside Taketa’s space station—watch station, he’d called it. She’d certainly attempted to explore, but nothing was accessible. Lily did the only thing that was left to her. She gazed out the translucent walls and tried her best to make out the features of this new world. Taketa had said she would be the first of her kind to walk upon the soil of his planet. Who was she to receive such an honor? She was no one in the grand scheme of things. A lowly colony worker. Was this her punishment for hoping for more in life than was her due?

She found it difficult to determine whether the swaying grasses outside were purplish black, or whether it was simply an illusion cast by the shadowy sky. The trees in the distance certainly appeared like a charcoal smudge on the horizon. The entire landscape felt lifeless and monotone. What did Taketa see with his wide blue eyes when he looked at this field? Was there color there for him, or the same unrelenting sense of gray?

He had mentioned other watch stations like his own, that they would’ve diverted any researchers’ probes, and she wondered what would cause a planet without colonies or contact with other species to devote such resources to monitoring their space. If Taketa returned, she would need to demand more detailed answers.

She turned back to face the interior of the watch station. It seemed inconceivable that he spent his life alone in this small space without losing his sanity, but perhaps Taketa often visited the planet as they were doing now. So much remained unclear, but she tried to remind herself that it had been only a few short hours. It wasn’t so odd that there was still much she didn’t understand. She sifted through the facts she knew as she waited: human and Federation entities would surely become aware of the Star Rim Express’ destruction; someone would be sent to investigate; despite Taketa’s doubts, there would eventually be an opportunity to contact a ship that could help her return home.

She ended up lying back down on the floor, pillowing her head with the bunched up uniform Taketa had given her to use as a blanket. Although the watch station was no longer icy cold, it was not comfortable. Still, she found herself drifting in and out of sleep as her mind wandered. When the sound of pressure releasing reached her ears, she wasn’t sure whether it was a dream or reality.

Lily pushed herself up to sitting and looked back at the exit. Taketa filled the doorway, his arms laden with packages.

“Taketa, you’re back.” Thank the fates she wouldn’t need to find a way out of the watch station on her own. Her first attempt had already failed miserably.

“Only death would’ve kept me from returning.” His tail flicked against the wall beside him. He walked further inside and the entrance sealed itself behind him. “I will take us to a different location. Although the people of this settlement appear harmless, I would prefer not to tempt their curiosity by remaining. Do your people swim, Lily?”

“What? Do I swim?” Water sliding cool and silky against her skin, the brilliance of a thousand stars. She closed her eyes against the memory of the ship’s pool. “Yes.”

“Good. I would like to take you someplace I remember from before. The Noal also enjoy water.” Taketa walked past her and knelt down to empty his arms. At first glance, she was uncertain of what the objects were he’d set down. He slid a large bag from his shoulder that had rested against his back, and he began unpacking it.

“What’s that?” She stood and walked over to where he was working just as he unfurled what looked like a blanket.

“Materials for a sleeping area. Hydration pouches are in the smaller container to your right. We will eat when we arrive at the next location.” He looked up from his bag. “I will take us there now.”

“Okay,” she said, but the watch station began to lift from the ground before she even finished speaking the word. “How often do you return to the planet for supplies?” He stared at her silently as his tapered ears flicked backwards. “You said you were worried about the people here growing too curious—that’s because of me, isn’t it?”

“I will protect you,” he said as he pulled another blanket-sized cloth from the largest bag. “I will make the watch station more suited to your comfort, but I will need to limit our journeys to Vastaka, otherwise it will eventually arouse suspicion.”

“What is your plan?”

“Plan?”

“For me. You told me you wouldn’t consider attempting to contact my people, yet what else could you do with me?”

Taketa did not respond. He pulled out what looked like a satiny bag about the length of her forearm from one of the smaller containers on the floor and pressed it into her hand.

“Drink. You are dehydrated. The medical assessment indicated this.”

She stifled a sigh and looked down at the unusual canteen, searching for a possible opening.

“How?”

His ears moved again before he reached forward and snatched the water bag from her fingers. Her attention was once more called to those overly long fingers with their additional joint. He had an opposable thumb, like most intelligent species they’d encountered, although of course there were exceptions out there. Still, those hands appeared far more other than Ahveyak’s had, even if they’d felt pleasant enough against her body as he’d held her. She would’ve expected the pads of his fingers to be hairless, like those of a primate, but they were not. They were covered in the same dense, short fur as the rest of him.

“Like this.” He pinched an area near the top that she could now see was a slightly darker color, and a small valve protruded. Taketa lifted the canteen to her mouth and placed the valve at her lips. She sucked and the cool liquid hit her mouth, but he did not remove his eyes from her face, and she found she could not look away either. The water was different from what she was accustomed to on the Trappist Colony. There the drinking water had a certain metallic quality to it despite the extensive filtering. This tasted like images of long ago places, like the deep memory of Earth that ran through her blood—a planet of brilliant blue skies and towering mountain ranges and springs so pure the water scoured one’s skin with its icy clarity.

He was growling again. It was a low, resonant rumble. If she set her palm over his chest, she wondered if she would feel it. Her hand reached out of its own volition. The first thing she noticed was his heat. The second was that she’d been correct. She could sense the vibrations of his vocalizations tingling against her skin. There was something about him. Something that clouded her mind and made her questions seem senseless and inconsequential. When they touched, she wished for nothing more but to erase all distance between them, and to immerse herself in his embrace. She felt the slide of his silky tail against her neck, and then the tip settled against her cheek, caressing her as she continued to drink.

That cold, lovely water eased down her throat as his bright, strange eyes watched her, intent and fathomless. Perhaps the anchorless disorientation she felt was simply due to the flight of the watch station. Perhaps not.

Taketa pulled the canteen from her mouth, and her tongue darted out to lick up a stray drop of water from across her lower lip. Only an instant later, his face pressed against hers and a slightly rough, broad tongue mimicked the motion. Then it pushed past her parted lips and brushed her own tongue. It tickled against the roof of her mouth, against her teeth and the soft flesh of her cheeks. She made a sound that was half strangled laughter, half protest. He was truly exploring her with his tongue, and she couldn’t say whether or not she liked it, her body as confused as her mind as it attempted to decide whether discomfort or desire were its predominant response to his actions.

Her mouth felt full with him, and that not entirely welcome awareness flooded her body once more. Her inner muscles clenched down on emptiness, and her body told her that Taketa could soothe that ache—relieve that hunger. She could not speak, even if she wanted to. His tongue still poked and prodded, but she reclaimed some control, sliding her tongue against his and urging him into something approximating a human kiss. She was not terribly experienced. Hurried fumbling during the infrequent inter-dome socials had not left time for much experimentation or finesse. Still, she must’ve been doing something right, because with each flick of her tongue that he met, with each press of her lips against his, that spark of need flared and grew.

Her hands slipped over his back, and she wound one of his long braids around her wrist. It felt good, rather like the way his tail was now snaked around her upper arm. They were bound to each other. They still sat, and she could not feel nearly as much of him as she wished. Suddenly he pulled them both backwards, and she fell forward onto his large, solid body, her hand pressed between the layered blankets and his back. She eased it free and gasped against his mouth as his long fingers pulled and worked at the seam that kept the spare uniform closed against her body.

Soon the fabric separated and he began to push it down, freeing her arms and chest. His thumbs circled her nipples and need pierced her, shocking and insistent. She cried out, the sound muffled against his hot mouth, his now nimble tongue. He swallowed her moan and his long fingers danced across her skin, making her shiver with delight at his velvety touch. When his hand shot down to the space between her legs, and he rubbed his plush fingers over every part of her as he explored, she moaned again, a sustained, throaty sound that would’ve caused her embarrassment if she hadn’t already been too mindless to recognize the emotion.

He slid a finger past the soft folds of her sex, the movement slow and deliberate. He pressed forward, that finger pushing impossibly deep until she felt his knuckle against her opening. His long fingers were everywhere—inside, in front, supporting her from behind. It was a strange feeling to be touched in that way, held where a human hand could not reach. A second finger glided inside of her to join the first, and he twisted them as if he wished to touch every space within, as if he were greedy to know every small, insignificant portion of her.

She clenched down on his fingers and could not help herself from raising and shifting her hips. She needed movement. She needed more from him than the inquisitive strokes that only stoked the fire, but did nothing to relieve her need.

He gave it to her.

The rhythm of his hand matched that of her hips, and she could feel her breathing become rapid as she kissed him harder, searching for purchase amid the torrent of sensation that now flooded her body. She was just so full—inundated with his taste, his scent. His tail eased its way between their bodies, the tip trailing its way across her stomach and between her breasts. When the pressure became too much and all of the building pleasure released, she shuddered atop his strong hand as she rode out the aftermath.

He lifted himself up off of the floor until she sat in his lap, her arms wrapped over his shoulders. She collapsed against Taketa, too boneless to move at all. Only then did he stop kissing her. She shivered again as he removed his hand. She could feel his arousal against her thighs and hear his strained breaths. Lily knew he would want more, and she was willing to let it happen. She still felt that strange distance, as if she were detached from this reality, the dreamlike haze of pleasure veiling the horror of her situation from her mind. The death, the overwhelming destruction, the loneliness—with Taketa she could forget. She could drown herself in him. She sucked in a deep breath and let his intoxicating scent roll over her.

Lily felt his hands come to either side of her hips, and he easily lifted her from his lap. He pressed gently against her lower back, right where her tail would be if she’d had one. His own tail slid and stroked along the side of her waist, even though she faced away from him now.

“Bend,” he said, still pushing her down. “Place your hands on the floor.”

She rested her forearms over the layered blankets and felt the sudden cold as he pulled the uniform down below her hips, until it pooled around her knees. Before he ever touched her, she could feel his presence like a dark shadow as his body hovered over her own. Then he grasped her hips, and pulled her back as he thrust forward. He entered her, and she felt him twitch inside of her, but he didn’t move. The only sound she heard were his harsh exhales. Her inner muscles pulsed around him, learning him as he must surely be savoring her. They were together now—connected, bound. Perhaps that would be enough to keep her tethered here in this reality.

He ground his hips against her, burrowing himself deeper, but otherwise he remained still. He did not withdraw or pump inside her as his fingers had done only moments prior. He seemed to grow thicker as she waited for him to begin. Something brushed across her shoulder. Lily turned her head, but it was simply one of his braids falling across her body, not the touch of his tail.

“Taketa—” She waited a moment before she continued. “Are you all right?” She couldn’t deny that he felt wonderful inside of her, but she was unsure what held him back. She wished she could see his face this first time. She wanted to know what was running through his mind, what stories she would find in those bright eyes of his.

He curled his body over hers until his hands pressed down above hers on the blanket, and his chest covered her back. His tail whipped around her waist like a whip.

“I had forgotten, or I never knew at all. Forgive me, Lily.” The fluffy tip of his tail marked a trail down her stomach until it hovered exactly over the area where she wanted it to touch. She barely held back a moan as she pushed up against him.

Finally he moved, awkwardly at first, as if he were uncertain what to do, but then his hesitancy vanished. She pressed her forearms harder into the blankets as she struggled to keep herself grounded. Her knees slid forward as he thrust faster. It felt so good to know she was no longer alone, that this was real and he was here—there was no denying it while she accepted him into her body. There was no escaping how the addicting feel of him moving inside of her affected her. She had not believed pleasure could rise again so quickly, but with each stroke, she felt it draw closer.

Abruptly, he stilled. His tail tightened around her waist, and his teeth closed over her left shoulder. She could see the silvery blue tint of his braids where they fell over their arms. Her own body quivered and thrust as she chased her completion. She whimpered in frustration, locked in his embrace. Then she felt him spasm inside of her, and she knew he’d reached his own fulfillment. He growled against her skin as he kept her there, and she felt the heat of his release. She gasped and shivered as that climax she’d been denied roared through her, and she felt an answering thickening of Taketa’s cock as she cried out. He still didn’t let her move as she continued to clench around him. More warmth flooded her, and she wondered how long it would last.

Lily let her cheek rest against the blankets, and despite the lingering pleasure, she let her body soften and relax, even as she felt him thicken again. She couldn’t stop the echoing release that flowed through her at the feel of him, and she closed her eyes and let it pull her back down.

He didn’t withdraw, but he dropped his forearms so that they came down on either side of her own, and she felt him press heavily against her back. His weight pushed her against the floor, but she made no effort to move.

His jaw unclenched as he released his teeth from her shoulder, and then he rubbed his lips against her neck.

“Lily.” It was a pained whisper, full of both wonder and unbearable sadness. She wondered what it was that had haunted him during their lovemaking—what ghosts had he attempted to banish while he took his pleasure from her body? Her own sorrows had not receded long. Already, her mind veered back to space and that terrible explosion.

She would discuss it with him again soon. Soon. She would not wait long.

CHAPTER 8

TAKETA

His watch station lurched as the landing gear unfurled several seconds too late. He willed his forearms to lock against the floor to keep them safely in place as they came to a shaky halt amid the mountain valley he had chosen for their next stop on Vastaka.

U-26 could not recall ever feeling so disordered during the entirety of his existence—outside of the dream-memories, of course. It was abundantly clear to him why such sensations and feelings were intended to be forever absent from his life as a sentinel. Already he felt less connected to his watch station, the structure that was at once his home, prison, and an extension of his own body.

He had not dared to let her see him without his uniform. He had wanted to keep his mouth over hers as he had before, while his fingers had made her writhe and moan with her desire for him. He had wanted to take her while she could look up and know without any doubt that it was he who claimed her, but he had not expected any of it to happen so quickly at all. Her soft, fragile body had beguiled him along with her unnaturally beautiful eyes. Once he had entered her, he’d realized that it was only an illusion, and that her body was as strong and supple as that of a Noal.

She had accepted his seed—useless though it must be—and she would be marked with his scent. Even now, he did not wish to pull free from her body. He wanted to remain linked to her, so that he could keep his mind anchored in his flesh. Sometimes he forgot that he had ever really been a true Noal. Sometimes he wondered if the memories were false, and he had always belonged to the watch station. It was not impossible that the Empire scientists could’ve implanted the memories in his programming. Nothing would truly surprise him. He knew better than most that the Empire would require every and any sacrifice from its subjects if it would allow the greater good to flourish.

Disordered, weak, joyful. He felt all of those things and more.

“Taketa? What happened? Where are we now? Did we crash?”

“No. We are near a lake I wish to show you—from before.” Home. Maybe.

“From before?” A pause.

“Yes. Before my present position.”

He unlocked his body from the floor and lifted his arms as he pushed himself back onto his feet. He shuddered as his cock left her warmth. Without fur to hide it, he could clearly see how she glistened at her opening with the mark of his seed. Deep, primal satisfaction suffused his mind. Yes. He wished it could always be so.

She stood slowly, first coming to her knees as she pressed her hands into the floor, and then her spine rolled upwards as she rose. Lily turned to face him, and her eyes immediately fell to his still exposed cock. It pleased him that she looked upon him. That part of him at least had not been altered. Her lips parted, but she did not speak. She lifted her head and her eyes met his.

“You will take me outside of this?” She spread her arms and waved towards the walls of his watch station.

“Yes. As I told you before, you will be the first of your kind to walk the land of Vastaka.” The others who had survived would not be walking. They would not taste the fresh air or feel the brush of the plain grasses against their legs. They would be hidden away somewhere far from the beauty of his world. He could not allow the same to happen to Lily. He checked the false surveillance footage he had manufactured to appease command. All appeared to be operating smoothly, but he couldn’t dare remain unnecessarily long on the planet.

U-26 moved towards Lily and reached for her hands. She was clutching the sides of the uniform together, and he wondered why. She didn’t shake with cold as she had previously, and there was no need for her to hide herself after what had passed between them. Unlike his, Lily’s body was unmarked and perfect. They would enter the waters of the lake together, and then return to the watch station, he decided.

“Come,” he said, as he tugged her hands free from the edges of the fabric. The uniform gaped open, and he viewed her pleasing form with approval. His woman would be well-suited to bearing young. A vision passed before his eyes of a small one at her ample breast, growing strong from its mother’s milk, its slender tail curling over her shoulder. He repressed a growl. It was better that such a future remained impossible. A child could not live aboard the watch station indefinitely, and he would never be allowed to keep it—or her—if its existence were discovered.

He pulled her after him towards the outer hatch. The exit opened for them, and then he stepped onto the plains of his youth for the first time as U-26. He had possessed another name before, but the memory of it remained out of reach, like a scent on the wind that was too faint to catch. It teased at his consciousness, but he couldn’t hear it.

No one lived here any longer. He had checked. The breeze was stronger than in the region near the settlement where they had first landed. He felt it tease the tufts of hair at the tips of his ears, and it blew the loose strands in his war braids against his horns. He glanced back at Lily to ensure she was not too cold. Her unbraided hair streamed behind her as the wind caught it. It pained him to realize she could not see his home in all its glory. She squinted as she turned in a slow half circle.

“Your eyes—why do you see so poorly? Do your people live underground?” It would perhaps explain their pale skins.

Her back straightened and her head snapped up. “I don’t see poorly. Your planet is dark. You said it was midday, but it’s the same as dusk on the planets we colonize. Humans come from an origin planet with much brighter sunlight. Can you make out details in this light? For me, it’s difficult, but I believe I can see the lake ahead.” She lifted her arm in the proper direction.

“That is the lake. Yes, I can see very well.” He could not resist stepping nearer so that their legs brushed against one another. He still held one of her hands in his. “I can see the fullness of the lips I just tasted. I can see the sway of the grasses that surround us and the evakinot that circle above in the skies.”

Words he had not spoken or thought in countless cycles flooded his mind as he stood there—all the names given to the creatures and plants that filled the ground and air of Vastaka. In his watch station far above, he had not even thought to be sad for the lack of them, but now the loss slammed into his mind. So immense was what they had taken from him, that it almost brought him to the ground. His tail thrashed behind him, whipping through the grass.

“Let us approach the lake together,” he said, his voice feeling unaccountably rough as he spoke.

As the shore grew nearer, the grasses thinned, and the ground beneath their feet became pebbled and rocky. When he could see the small waves lapping at the edge, he drew them to a halt.

“Allow me to remove your garment.” He released her hand and gently pushed the fabric over her shoulders. Standing, the uniform fell swiftly to her ankles once her arms were free of the sleeves. She stepped out of the fabric, her strangely formed feet glowing as the afternoon light bathed her skin. Just like her fingers, her toes were also truncated. He was surprised she could move so gracefully.

He stripped off his own uniform, content with the knowledge that she could not easily see his flaws and they would soon be obscured by the water. He moved to her side and retook her hand, pulling them towards the shore again until they faced the lake head on.

“Now we walk until we enter the water. Do not release my hand.”

“Okay.” Her voice sounded timid and breathy. When he glanced to the side, he could see her lips trembled slightly as she looked out over the dark waters. Surely she must be able to see the brightness of the many varied helskae that lined the floor of the lake and the faint radiance from the eyes of the felsi that dotted the surface. This was a sacred space, and even with her limited senses, he had to believe that Lily would be able to appreciate its beauty.

There was a particular cadence their movements required. The precise number of steps eluded him, his memory of the ritual hazy with the shroud of time, but some sense of it remained. He felt the soft press of the small rocks with their contours shaped over immeasurable cycles, and they were warm beneath his feet as they pushed between his toes. The next step brought them to the water’s edge. He began to count their steps now. One, and the darkness lapped at their ankles; two, he breathed in the weight of the mountain air; three, he turned his face to his woman and read the wonder in her eyes. By the time he reached nine, Lily gasped as the cool water slipped past her shoulders.

“Now we take the last step together. Open your eyes beneath the waves. Once you have seen what the lake chooses to show us, we step back, and view the world above with reborn eyes,” he told her. The words were not his own. He had heard them many times before in the distant past, and he knew they carried a certain rightness. For once he was sure of exactly what to say.

Lily’s hand tightened around his.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes. One step forward, then another step back, right?”

“That is correct.” He glanced at her one more time. Whether or not she felt it, when they next stood in this same spot they would be joined, bound as a man and woman of the Noal should be through the blessing of the sacred waters. He watched her inhale deeply. Then he led them forward, and they took that last step.

LILY

Taketa’s hand was wrapped firmly over her own, the nails of his long fingers scratching lightly above her wrist. Wet, his short fur still felt plush and welcoming. She felt as if she should be cold. The lake’s waters were certainly not warm, but despite the gloomy darkness, there was too much to see for her to worry about comfort.

She hadn’t lied before—above, when the lake still lay in the distance, it’d simply seemed like a dark mirror glimmering below them. Now that she was chest deep in its waters, she saw that the lake hid a whole host of wonders. Unusual drifting creatures, or perhaps vegetation, billowed below, looking like sheets caught in the wind as they tumbled and danced. The half translucent shapes glowed in shades of green, blue and violet. It was more color than she had seen since she’d walked the halls of the Star Rim Express. It made her feel as if this world was more than shadow and death.

Other creatures floated at the surface. She assumed they must be harmless or Taketa would’ve warned her. These gave off faint orangish-red light that flickered and pulsed. She was eager to hold her breath and push her head beneath the water to see what else might lie below. When Taketa tightened his grip on her hand and she felt the slight tug on her arm as he moved forward again, she did not mind.

One step of Taketa’s long legs required approximately three of her own for her to stay abreast of him. Her eyes had closed involuntarily at the shock of the cool water. She felt her hair drift weightless behind her, and she sensed that tightness in her chest at the knowledge that she had only the air she held in her lungs until she could reach the surface again. It was only her second time to be so fully submerged outside of a simulation. The first had ended in disaster, but as she forced her eyes open, she knew only awe.

The dancing forms were even brighter now, creating kaleidoscope patterns as they crossed one another. She could see the pale pink color of the pebbles beneath her feet. She kicked some up with her toes to watch them drift down again, and there was a shower of sparkling white beneath. Larger forms glowed in the distance, far deeper than they stood currently. Lily was not worried—they did not come nearer, just glided through that darker water along their own paths.

And then there was Taketa himself. She couldn’t resist turning to face him. Beneath the surface, in this strange place, she saw him more clearly than she ever had before. Even the simulated midday light of Taketa’s watch station hadn’t been so bright.

A dark, bluish black silhouette, his fur short enough that she could still make out every enticing contour of his body, he would’ve been perfectly beautiful in his alien way, but something had been done to him. His eyes burned as he stared back at her. The line of his firm jaw was regal, his lips masculine and inviting. His tail waved behind him, the tufted end flicking like an irritated cat’s. His arms were corded with thick muscle—his thighs the same.

Lily reached out with her free hand and stroked her palm down his chest. She felt the shiny metal that appeared forced inside his perfectly formed body, and how the fur puckered around the intrusions. His entire upper body was criss-crossed with scars that his dark fur couldn’t hide. She could even see the faint white line behind his left ear that ran all the way down to the base of his skull. A dull, sickly yellow-green light winked at her from within one of the metallic…prosthetics? Organs? She didn’t know what to call what had been done to him—she couldn’t imagine the reason.

Her chest burned and she knew if she were standing at the surface, her eyes would be watering. She needed air, but she couldn’t look away from him. Something in his blue eyes darkened, and then he bowed his head, the tips of those curving, twisting horns drawing nearer to her face. Before she could run for the shallower water herself, he pulled them backwards.

When her face breached the surface and she felt the cold air hit her nose and lips, she took a deep, gulping breath.

“You have seen me.” Taketa’s voice had always been musical, since the first word he’d spoken to her. It was no different now, but there was no mistaking his despair.

“What happened to you?” They didn’t move, just remained still in the water. She felt his tail slink around her waist and then tighten.

“I don’t wish to speak of it here.” From her peripheral vision she could see he was looking straight ahead. Lily watched the sway and rhythm of the tall dark grasses that covered the land. Not a tree was in sight, only a wall of dense black behind them. It seemed to ring the entire area. If she tipped her head back, she would see pale stars pricking through the gray darkness.

“What is this place?”

“I don’t wish to speak of that either.” She turned her head to look at him then, but he faced resolutely forward. His lips were pressed firmly together and she nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her and would most likely be unaware of what the gesture signified. When they entered the watch station again and were back in space, she would ask her questions, and she would finally demand answers this time. They couldn’t stay long in this empty, barren place. She could wait.

She felt her skin prickle with goosebumps as they continued to walk towards the shore.

“I’ll make a fire. No one will bother to scan this area. It should be safe.” The breeze picked up, and she drew her free arm across her chest as she bowed her head and her shoulders turned forward against the chill wind. “It will allow me to prepare some of the food for you, as well. As you have already seen, the options aboard my watch station are limited.”

“A fire sounds nice.” Color and blessed light—warmth and comfort. It sounded more than just nice. As if the mention of food had roused her appetite, she felt her stomach rumble, and Taketa finally turned his head to give her a sharp look. She patted her stomach, wishing the slight roundness wasn’t there. “I’m just hungry—nothing to worry about.” His ears flicked back, and she wondered how much better he might be able to hear than her.

“Good. Then I am doubly glad we have stopped here.”

As they walked back to the watch station, Taketa kicked their discarded uniforms up off the ground and laid them over his shoulder, but he made no move to give hers back. It was probably just as well. If she wore it while she was still wet, even with the adjustments Taketa had made to the temperature, she would likely freeze when they returned to the watch station.

When they were only about ten feet away, he stopped and released her hand.

“Stay here. I will be back with supplies.” Now, he did hand her the uniform. She was still dripping wet, so she folded it and made a seat amid the tall grass as she waited. It wasn’t long before he knelt down with a large bag and then leaned forward. He held a round disk around the length of her forearm between his hands. He placed it on the ground and pressed something, and a circle of flame burst into life. Instinctively she leaned towards it, rubbing her hands as she soaked up the heat with a shiver.

“How do you wash aboard the watch station? I didn’t see anything there that looked like a cleansing unit,” she asked. Surely with fur like his it would be important.

“Water is a luxury in space. I can run disinfecting protocols while I am aboard. I must admit, feeling water on my pelt again was—” he broke off and lowered his head.

She wondered what his horns would feel like beneath her fingers. They reflected the flames, gleaming silver bright. She reached out and stroked the one closest to her, and he startled before he became completely still.

“Please, continue,” he urged. She let her hand travel slowly from the base to the pointy tip, feeling the pattern of the deep, spiraling ridges that ran upwards. It was warm and smooth against her skin.

“Taketa—” He looked at her and her voice died away.

“Not yet. Not here.” He knew what she wanted to know. How could he not? No one could look at him without his uniform and not wonder what had happened. She smiled faintly.

“Okay. Not yet,” she agreed. Her hand slid from his horn, over his thick braids, and down to cup the side of his face. She swallowed, and then she leaned closer and pressed a swift kiss to his lips before she pulled back. She looked down at her knees, shyness suddenly overcoming her, despite their recent intimacy on the watch station floor. Somehow what they’d shared beneath the lake’s surface felt more revealing than anything that’d come before.

When she looked up again, it was at the sound of sizzling drippings hitting the fire. The smell of fresh cooking meat—real meat, not replicate—had her mouth instantly watering.

“I hope your people eat similar foods. I can only offer you what the Noal commonly consume.”

“I’m sure it will be fine. It smells wonderful.” He stared at the fire, at the small metal rack he’d set above the flames and the strips of meat that he’d balanced there.

“It should be. It has been a long time since I’ve eaten such a meal.” He handed her one of the water pouches, and this time, she didn’t require his help to find the smaller, darker mark that opened the spout. He drank, too, she noticed as she sipped from her pouch.

The longer she spent in his company, the stranger it all seemed to her. He wanted her to wait to ask her questions, but it was difficult.

“My people will come looking,” she said, daring to glance up at him again. “There is no question—they will investigate.”

“How can you be certain?”

“Like I told you before, the ship wasn’t on some secret mission. It was a cruise ship. Thousands of beings knew its route and the time of its expected return. Beyond that, it’s almost assured that someone sent a mayday sig—a message informing others of the attack, that is. I was with one of the security officers when it happened.” She could still see Ahveyak’s face in her mind and the easy way he’d relaxed his long body against the pool’s edge as the ship’s destruction played out over his shoulder. “I can’t imagine that many of my people aren’t already on their way to search for survivors.”

Taketa didn’t meet her eyes. He turned the meat with a long stick, each motion measured and precise.

“It will look better if your people contact them first. We don’t want any misunderstandings. If you reach out to share the information you have on the attack, our peoples can work together to discover who did this and why. How can you be safe here if you don’t know what happened?”

“Is there no way to stop them?” Taketa’s voice was so quiet that she almost thought she’d misheard him.

“Why would we want to? I need to return to my people, Taketa. There must be others that need help.”

“If they come, they will suffer the same fate as your ship, my chosen one.”

Lily shook her head, as if that could clear her confusion. What Taketa was implying was… terrible. It simply couldn’t be.

“Why?” she finally asked, half hoping he would decline to answer. “How do you know that?”

“My people will always protect themselves.” No. “The order was instantaneous as soon as your ship was detected, Lily. Hesitation means surrender. The Empire always strikes first.”

Her eyes closed against the truth. “No. No, you can’t mean that. They attacked us? Without even an attempt at communication? That’s barbaric! It goes against every convention of Federation Space. How—why, Taketa?”

“The order was given as soon as I sighted your ship. There was no other choice. Does the ekoth wait at the pleasure of the uthi, to allow the hunter to devour him? I watch and I guard, Lily. I am Taketa—a sentinel. My life belongs to my people.”

Another drop fell into the flames from one of the long skewers. The smell of the meat had grown sour as he’d spoken, and Lily clutched her stomach. She felt like she might tip and fall, or that her head was no longer tethered to her body. It was unimaginable. The greatest space travel tragedy in decades, and—

She couldn’t speculate. She needed to hear it from his mouth.

“Are you saying that you were the one who attacked the ship? Was it you all along?”

She dropped her knees to the side and very slowly slid her legs behind her until she could sit back on her calves. One hand clutched around the thick fabric of the uniform beneath her legs. She didn’t know where she would go, or what she would do, but she couldn’t possibly stay with him if it were true. She looked at his face, hoping she had misunderstood. He stared right back.

“Yes. It was me. I executed my duty.” Not a trace of remorse laced the words. She wanted to cry, but feared she’d run out of the energy for it earlier that day. There was only so long a person could weep before all that was left was an unsettled hollowness within.

“You,” she whispered. He watched her with those overly bright eyes, but he offered no other explanations. “If that’s true, why did you bother to save me at all?”

He reached for her hand, but she didn’t allow it. The end of his tail twisted into a tight coil and then slowly unfurled. He did it again and again, but he didn’t move otherwise. She waited. She should run now, but she needed to hear his answer.

“At first I was simply curious. Perhaps the impulse was driven by a sense of…guilt. As I explored the wreckage, I wondered.” He lifted his face, looking away from the fire. “The ship did not appear as it should—if it were an intelligent enemy. It did not feel like a warship.” He bowed his head and his ears pressed back towards his scalp. “I had no choice, Lily. Saving you, that was something I could control. I cannot save anyone else.”

“Why not? A simple message—that’s all it would take.”

“Even if I could cloak the transmission from my superiors, I cannot stop the others. I am not the only one. If it hadn’t been me who eliminated your ship, it would’ve been one of my brethren.”

“But a warning—you could give them a warning, and that might make all the difference. My people aren’t pacifists, but they would not attack an undiscovered world without provocation. If your people attack again after the destruction of the Star Rim Express, that would be just cause. You want to protect your world, but if you do nothing, you will doom it.”

“As you admitted, our weapons destroyed your ship. Why should they not do the same to other invaders?”

“The ships coming this time won’t be cruise vessels. A Federation warship is another thing entirely.” She didn’t have to live on one of the class one worlds to understand that reality. Again, Ahveyak’s face flashed in her mind. “It may not only be humans who come, either. There are many species out there, several of them far more advanced than my people.”

Taketa used one of the skewers to pull the grilling rack to the side of the fire device. He pressed along the side of the disc with one of his deft fingers, and the size of the flames halved. He turned behind him and removed another small bag, similar in appearance to the canteens. He methodically pulled the meat strips from the skewer, avoiding her gaze the entire time.

“Eat—please.” He looked up as he removed the last piece of meat from the skewer, holding it out between two fingers. Declining it would be pointless. She needed her strength, whatever else happened. Lily reached out and brought the meat to her lips. It was tougher than she was used to, with a more pungent flavor, but it wasn’t unpleasant. She could get used to the taste, just as Taketa’s appearance had become familiar over the course of one day—or was it two now?

“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked. He was adding more cooked meat to the container on his lap.

“No,” he said with a quick glance. “We need to return to the watch station.”

“If I go with you, do you promise to contact my people?” His ears strained forward, the tips appearing almost as if they vibrated as he stared at her.

“If you go with me? There is no other option, Lily.”

Perhaps it was foolish, but she had to try. She sprang to her feet, clutching the uniform against her chest, and then she ran as fast as she could towards the denser blackness ahead. She wouldn’t be able to outswim him—not on the basis of forty simulation hours—and most likely she wouldn’t be able to outrun him either, but she couldn’t simply accept it without a fight.

Lily suspected it felt longer than it took before his solid arms banded around her hips. He threw her up over his shoulder like she was a child. She pounded her fists against his back, then stopped when she felt more of the scars she had seen crawling through the fur of his chest.

“I can’t let you go. I know you don’t understand, but I can’t.”

Five long strides was all it took for him to reach the watch station. She counted them as she watched the grasses sway, the wind rippling through their dark blades until they bent like waves on an ocean. The door closed as his feet hit the hard floor. A moment later, her body weakened as her sight dimmed.

CHAPTER 9

LILY

The first thing she felt was the coolness of the hard surface beneath her, and then an odd tingling along the bottoms of her feet, almost like the pins and needles sensation of circulation returning. The air tasted sterile and crisp. She already knew she was no longer on Taketa’s planet.

She opened her eyes slowly as she extended her fingers and then curled her hands into fists, testing her body to see if it’d function as it should. She wasn’t quite sure what he’d done to her yet, but everything felt as if it were in working order.

It was just like before, except this time, he didn’t bother with the poor disguise. He looked just as he had when he’d revealed himself at first, his body covered by the uniform, all of those markings and mysteries that marred his chest hidden away. It was difficult to believe he had been inside of her, or that they had shared that moment of profound closeness beneath the waters of the lake. Now he felt like a stranger. Alien.

“The repair arm is healing the damage to your feet. When you ran, the grass cut your skin.” He frowned, or at least she assumed he did. “You are not suited for my world.”

“No. I’m not. That’s why you need to help me, Taketa. Please.” She thought he cared for her—as much as someone could care for another being over the course of a day. Part of him should want what would be best for her. He had promised over and over to protect her, after all. “You said I didn’t understand, and I don’t. Explain it to me. Give me a good reason why you can’t help me.”

“You must remain here with me. Anything else would be dangerous for you.” The metal device that hovered by her feet folded up and then quickly shot towards the ceiling, seemingly melting into the smooth surface. “Take my hands—I will help you stand.”

Maybe she should refuse him, but there was nowhere else to go. She could clearly see that they were back in space. There was nothing left to do but talk, and even if he were the cause of her frustration, she wasn’t above taking the comfort he offered.

He pulled their arms up against his chest and then released her hands to draw her further into his embrace. He held her, his face pressing down against her shoulder, his tail wrapping firmly around her thighs as it’d done before.

“I saw what they did to the others—the survivors,” he said quietly. “They gathered the pods. One hundred twenty-six of them in the end. They took them to a facility. Those of your people who were not already dead—” She felt his braids fall down across her arm as he inhaled sharply. “They are testing their senses and capabilities. They have performed the mindlink on many. I cannot have that happen to you. Do you understand that, Lily? I refuse.”

His words painted a bleak picture.

“How do you know this? You never spoke to anyone. Why would they share that information with you if you’re only a guard?”

“I’m not only a guard. I’m taketa—sentinel. It is not the same.” More silence. She supposed that when a person was used to floating up here, hour after hour, day after day, time didn’t hold the same weight. “You saw me—my body. You know I am no longer of the true Noal. I am an abomination.”

“What?” Lily lifted her head from his chest, but he kept his face firmly against her shoulder. “No—you’re not. A few scars don’t make you any less. Whoever told you that is wrong.” She slid her hands past his sides until she could wrap them around his back.

“No—they are right. I do not have to be told a thing to know it is true. I promised to explain my appearance. I will do so now—if you wish it.” He straightened his shoulders and looked up.

“Yes. I want you to tell me.”

“Let’s go sit.” He motioned to the area from before, where the blankets lay in soft layers upon the floor. While she’d been unconscious, he’d rearranged the bedding so it bordered the wall that functioned as a window out to the stars and his planet.

When they reached the blankets, she sat first, and then he shook out another folded cloth and draped it over her shoulders as he knelt down. Then he sat in front of her and watched her face.

“My name is not taketa. As I told you before, that is my function—sentinel. I am called U-26. That is my watch station identifier. Before, I was Battle Leader V-C26. I remember that much, but I have long since forgotten my Noal name—my true name.” Lily felt her skin draw tight and prickle with apprehension. Already she dreaded the end of this story. “I died. Or I was close enough to death that they could not heal me. My brain was harvested. I did not know this when I first woke here, but in the time between I have gathered much information on the sentinel program. I am one of the first.”

Harvested. She swallowed over the lump in her throat.

“I’m not free, Lily. I’m bound to this station. I don’t know if I can survive without it, whether this body they supplied is sufficient alone. My mind is linked to both. I control them, but if I display too much autonomy, my superiors may choose to investigate. I have found ways to gain more power, to ensure they cannot force me to do things against my will, but you see, I must be cautious. If I attract attention, they will come, and they will take you. Take you and do those things to you they have done to the others of your people. They will pierce your soft skin, perhaps break your bones and mend them again just to assuage their curiosity. Someone will invade your mind. They will steal your most private moments, your every memory. I am not willing to bear that. You are mine, Lily. Fate guided my hand to you—savonoal. We have mated. We have walked beneath the blessed waters together. You are more to me than your people ever will be.”

“Taketa, I—what do I even call you if Taketa isn’t your name?” She let out a broken sigh of a laugh. She felt even more helpless than she had before. Maybe everything that’d happened was simply an illusion created by her mind. Perhaps she was still floating in her pod, and this elaborate fantasy was the only way she had managed to keep herself from banging her head against the view window until she killed herself. Drift sickness was real. She had read the stories herself.

“Taketa is fine. I am nameless now, but as long as you see me, it doesn’t matter to me what you call me. You saw me beneath the waves. They say all is revealed by the blessed waters. Didn’t you feel it?” She’d felt something. If she’d met Taketa aboard the Star Rim Express, she would’ve gladly spent all twelve days in his company. “Perhaps I can send a warning, but I can’t take any risks that would compromise your safety. The others—the sentinels—they will attack any human ships that come. They are leashed, their minds held hostage to the Empire’s commands. Besides, there is nothing to stop your people from destroying my watch station as well. Is it not better to enjoy what time we have together? I have been alone for so very long, Lily. I had not anticipated ever again experiencing such joy as I have with you.”

“How long?” It wasn’t the question she’d meant to ask, but the words slipped swiftly from her lips. He raised his eyes to hers.

“We count sun cycles. I do not know how well our units correspond to your own measurements of time. From my research, I believe it has been two hundred and seventy-three cycles.”

She hissed in a breath. “Alone?”

“There have been seventy-eight inspections of my watch station since its inception.” He frowned, looking at her face. “It is not as bad as you think—I was not supposed to retain any more personal memories. The…procedure was designed to transfer my battle experience and strategy expertise. That the dreams and memories came, that I feel as a Noal—that was not intended by those who completed the procedure. I believe that in the time since then it has been perfected.” He lifted his hand and swiped his soft thumb across her cheek, catching a tear before it fell. “Don’t feel sorrow for me. If I were otherwise, I never would have given into the temptation to take your pod. I never would’ve known you, or had the opportunity to protect you.”

She slid her hand around Taketa’s wrist and pressed her cheek into his palm. His tail curled over her forearm and she breathed deeply of his scent.

“I’m not worth two hundred seventy-three years, Taketa. No one is. How can you be calm? Weren’t you furious once you learned what they’d done to you?”

His tail tightened its grip. “I didn’t understand at first, but yes, I have felt anger. I gave the Empire my life, and they have stolen my respite from me. I will not die—not like a Noal. I am more machine than real.”

“You are real.” She pressed her free hand over his chest, searching for those places that had glimmered with dark metals when she’d seen him in the lake below. “This—this doesn’t make you less a man—a Noal. You aren’t a machine to me.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled. “You were wrong. You are worth every cycle of loneliness that has passed. Maybe I am wrong, too, and I have received my afterlife, because this—you—us together is all I desire.”

He pressed his forehead against her chest, and his horns pushed against her shoulder. Taketa rubbed his face back and forth, and she shivered as that heavenly scent from before filled the space. She idly stroked one of his horns, and she heard his low growl. She felt his hands come between them as he unfastened his uniform. She was still nude from their swim on-planet, but she no longer felt strange or self-conscious being so in his presence.

Lily had finally seen him in the water, but now she would be able to touch him. He shrugged the uniform off his shoulders until the top bunched up around his hips. Then he stood, and the fabric fell to the floor. He bent his legs to step out of it, and his cock began to stiffen as she watched. It was the only part of him besides his scars that wasn’t covered in short fur. She reached out and stroked a finger down his length, and he shuddered as his low rumble reverberated through the watch station. He was already slick and wet. Her jaw tightened as she felt her own response. Her inner muscles fluttered and clenched. Her body would welcome him, too. He’d be able to slide inside of her in one smooth stroke. He’d be able to fill her until she felt as if she couldn’t take any more, and then he’d wring still more pleasure out of her. It was a fact; she had experienced it once before.

“I want to touch you, Taketa. I want to see you this time.”

“You will.”

He sat back down beside her, his legs stretched out in front of him as he reached forward to cup her head in his large hand. The blanket slid loose from her shoulders as his mouth met hers. He had learned quickly—he remembered what she liked: soft, teasing strokes of his tongue, the feel of his lips pressing warm and welcoming against her own, the honeyed taste of him and its dizzying delight.

When he urged her to lie back, the sensation of his velvety fur gliding against her skin was as decadent as she’d imagined it would be. Lily looked up at his face. She raised her hands to his shoulders and felt her way down his chest, her palms pressing against every part of him. She traced the thin, pale lines that criss-crossed their way over his body from shoulder to navel. She circled the tip of her finger around the border of the implant that spread from his sternum to the left side of his chest. She wondered if this rough piece of metal was why she had never heard the steady thump of his heart.

She glanced back up. He’d been watching her. His lips were pressed together hard, as if he were struggling to keep his words locked away. She hated the fear she read in his eyes. If there was any abomination here, it was what had been done to him, not what he was. Lily lifted her head up to kiss the edge of one of his scars. The skin there was slightly raised, a bit rough against her lips while her cheek slid along his soft, dense fur. The contrast of sensations had heat flooding her skin. She needed him. She needed to show him how beautiful he was to her as much as she wanted to reach her own fulfillment.

Lily couldn’t say she loved him. She barely knew him. He’d told her he would protect her, but she tasted his pain with every kiss she pressed against his wounded body. He was the one who needed protection. Something within her cried that she was the one who could give it to him. It was a wonder he hadn’t gone insane. Vastaka was a broodingly lovely planet, but its people scared her. Taketa had given his life for them, and still they demanded more. If it was the last thing she did, she’d find a way to free him from this burden.

He lowered his hips, and she opened her legs. At that moment he was everything she wanted. The thick tip of his cock teased her, slipping inside her just enough to have her desperate for more. She pushed up against him as she pressed her hands down hard on his back, pulling him as close as she could manage. He slammed down hard into her, and she gasped.

“Chosen one. Blessed one,” he half panted as his hips lifted. “Gift of savonoal.” He pushed back into her. “Destiny.” The last word came out as ragged and rough as one of his scars. She thrust her hips up to meet him. One of her hands wound its way through his braids. Their foreheads were pressed together and the tip of his tail pressed against her cheek. Who would he be if he were free to decide? She lifted her chin and kissed him as if she might be able to truly know him through his taste alone. He started to move faster as her tongue mimicked his thrusts.

She shifted her hands upwards from his back until they were each wrapped around the base of one of his horns. She stroked his horns with long, twisting pulls. He liked that. She felt it in the way his hips jerked and with each deep moan of his that she swallowed. Every touch seemed to release more of that heady scent that perfumed the air between them. Up was down, and down was up. The watch station may as well have lost all gravity, because with him, it ceased to signify.

When he stilled deep inside of her, she cried out against his mouth. It couldn’t be over so soon. She wanted it to last forever—or until she no longer knew that raging, insatiable hunger for him. She was hanging on the edge, almost prepared to fall, but she hadn’t been quite ready. She circled her hips and pumped them up against him. She shuddered around him as she felt him pulse and then release. Blessed warmth—when the pleasure finally hit her, it was like the aftershocks following an earthquake—quieter at first, but sustained and unrelenting. She rocked up against him chasing that high, and he filled her all over again, growing thicker before she took more of his seed. He remained still as she bucked and writhed, but she couldn’t help herself. She was half out of her mind from the feel of him.

At long last, the tension bled from her body as the final pulses of her climax faded away. He stayed inside of her, but he relaxed his hips, his body settling pleasantly heavy over her own. She caressed the tips of his horns, just little tender touches, and he shivered and pressed his cheek against hers.

“Destiny, Lily. Savonoal.”

TAKETA

They were still joined when he made his decision. More than anything, he wanted to protect her, but an existence aboard his watch station would only be marginally better for her than what his people would subject her to. He would never torture her—he wouldn’t invade her mind—but he had seen her horror when he had told her of his life alone here. She had looked at him as if she were staring into the abyss.

Savonoal was a tricky thing. He had thought she was meant to be his mated one, his chosen. The word meant more than destiny; she was his catalyst. He had known it then, as she touched his disfigured body with equal tenderness and desire. Even now his cock pulsed again, eager to fill her with more of his seed. Everything in him yearned for her, but she would hate him in the end if he kept her. If her people came, and their ships exploded before her eyes, she would grow to loathe his touch. His tail molded gently against the side of her body, as if it wished to ward away such thoughts, but they were true. She had been correct before; there was no other option.

He’d kept the manufactured interior feeds running, but now he would need to alter the exterior data once more. He could leave them no time to question his motives or to stop him. Noal ships moved faster than watch stations, but with enough of an advantage, they might get far enough away to evade detection until Lily’s people could rescue her. It seemed she had simply traded one lifepod for another when he’d brought her out of the wreckage.

U-26 allowed his mind to expand into the station. He would need at least one to two rotations worth of unremarkable footage. He set to work manufacturing convincing images while he activated stealth mode and engaged the station’s thrusters. With each moment that passed, they would move further and further away from Vastaka. He had never expected to walk its plains again, much less share the blessed waters with a mate. Whatever happened after, his existence was truly full.

Lily made a soft little sound beneath him, and he reluctantly shifted his hips until they were parted once more. He lay at her side and pulled her into his arms, winding his tail around her hips and down her thighs. He slid the loose blanket over her body and rubbed his forehead against her hair, marking her heavily with his scent. If he should only have a mate for a short time, he would claim her fully while he still could.

She wasn’t quite asleep, but she drifted on the haze of pleasure their joining had brought. He was content. She would be pleased with him when she learned what he had done. He only hoped that the result was what she imagined it would be.

CHAPTER 10

LILY

She lay in Taketa’s arms for a long time afterwards. There was no hurry—no place else for them to go, nothing else for them to do. Lily hadn’t bothered to look out the viewing wall. Not with her face pressed to his shoulder and their legs tangled together. The future was so uncertain that she wished to savor this peace while it lasted.

She wished it could be different. She could love him—easily—if given the time. Lily could understand why he’d done it, but would anyone else be able to? Or even be willing to try? He’d killed countless humans and other Federation species members. He may have believed he’d had just cause, but the fact remained that he had been the one to do it. Explanations might not be welcome or believed, no matter what she would say. They could rationalize them away. Stockholm Syndrome. She’d heard of that before—sympathizing with one’s captor. There were all sorts of reasons they could find to discount her words.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled loudly. Taketa made a startled sound that she believed might have been his version of a laugh. He pressed his long fingers over her belly and rubbed his face against hers.

“Hungry, chosen?”

She wished he wouldn’t use such endearments. It would only make it hurt worse when it ended.

“Apparently so,” she replied.

“I’ll gather your meal. Rest here. I’ll be back soon.” He slid his way free of her legs and arms, rolling easily to his feet. He straightened his large, well-muscled body and walked away with his tail swinging jauntily behind him. He made no move to assume his uniform again, and she was glad. She liked him just as he was. He had no cause to hide.

Lily sat up slowly, gathering the blanket they’d used around her waist so that it covered her lap like a skirt. She was staring out the viewing window when she felt Taketa press one of the bag-style containers into her hands.

“Taketa, what’s going on?” Vastaka’s blue gray surface was still visible, but the planet was much further away than it should’ve been. She felt her heart rate jump as she waited for his answer. She shouldn’t assume, but she could only think of one explanation.

He sat down at her side, facing the window. “You were right. I do not know if it will work, but we must at least try to warn your people. I’m taking us as far from Vastaka as I am able so that our ships won’t be able to catch us before we send our messages. I will not let them take you—never.”

“Thank you.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it hard. She knew this was not what he’d wanted, but he’d done it anyway. She would do her best to protect him like she’d promised herself. “Maybe I should say the message. They’ll be able to tell that I’m human. Maybe they will be more likely to take us seriously if they can see that you’re helping me.”

“Maybe. Let’s sit a little while longer. Even if your people are fast, reaching Vastaka will still take time.”

“Yes—let’s.” She leaned her shoulder against his and opened the little package. The meat from before was fragrant and still warm. She lifted a piece to his mouth. He hesitated a little before he took a bite. She heard him sigh a minute later.

“Good?”

“Yes, good.”

AHVEYAK

The extraction had taken long enough. At times he had been uncertain it would come at all. The thought of remaining on that cursed planet had been enough to throw him into despair. He had sent the messages out through his embedded link, but he’d worried the distance might finally be too great, and this would be one dilemma he couldn’t escape. As for the others who had survived the lifepods only to be thrown into the underground facility where the enemy ship had landed, he felt an uncomfortable pity. Saving even one would’ve meant exposing himself, and then he would’ve lost his chance at getting back to where he could make a difference.

Although he’d slipped away from the cargo hold as soon as he’d been able to open his pod without detection, he’d taken the time to quickly search the other pods. She hadn’t been there, at least that he could see—Lily. The woman with eager eyes and the ripe, supple body. She had been fearless enough to join him where others would’ve left without a word if he’d sat at their tables. She must’ve died. Perhaps there was a small chance that her lifepod still floated among the wreckage.

He sat on the bridge of his uncle’s ship, the crew’s voices floating around him. He should speak with them, but after the lengthy debriefing he’d already experienced, all he wanted to do was remain silent.

“Federation ships will be joining us in six standard units,” Felax said from the navigation portal. He wore his pilot’s vizor as he scanned the energy nets. “There’s an unusual signature coming from the lower east quadrant here,” he said as he pointed to a dot on the viz-wall. “It seems to be moving too slowly for a ship. Ahveyak—do you have any ideas about its identity?”

He rapped his knuckles against the screen in front of him to indicate that he had nothing to say.

“Wait.” Kelyan at the comm station. “I think I have something.” He fiddled with the screen and the dials on his control panel, his skin pulsing with excited light.

When the message began to play, it was so loud that all of the Quithik on the bridge screeched in unison and attempted to cover their ears. When his own ears stopped ringing, Ahveyak knew his dermis would be flaring like a small sun. He recognized that voice. Lily. So she had survived, after all.

CHAPTER 11

LILY

“Lily Brevask, human of the Trappist Colony, this is Ship Security Officer Ahveyak of the Quithik vessel Waevoke. We have received your message and forwarded it onto Federation authorities. We would like to speak to the captain of your vessel.”

When the message blared loudly inside the watch station, she immediately knew that Taketa had made sure to share it with her. She caught his eye with a small smile.

“Go on—reply before they get suspicious and decide to shoot us instead.” Taketa’s ears twitched and his face grew immobile and hard. Her words had been in poor taste. She had not meant to allude to what he had done to the cruise ship. “I’m sorry—I just want to keep us safe. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” She reached out hesitantly to pat his arm and he frowned at her before he spoke.

“This is a communication for Ship Security Officer Ahveyak of the Waevoke. I am willing and available to speak. I wish to bring Lily Brevask back to her people—to safety.”

“I’m here, Ahveyak,” she said, hoping Taketa would be able to add her words to the communication without much effort. “I’m unhurt. Did you receive my entire message?” she asked hurriedly.

“Lily. The sound of your voice is a welcome music. Yes. I have listened to the message—more than once. Captain U-26, are you willing to surrender your spacecraft?” Ahveyak’s friendly tone vanished as he directed his words at Taketa. She watched his tail thrash in response.

“Yes. I will.”

“Taketa, no—you said it’s part of you, that you’re uncertain how you’d function without it,” she whispered quickly. “What if it damages you?”

“Excuse me?” cut in Ahveyak. “Do you have objections?”

“No,” Taketa said sharply. “Send the coordinates and I will take us there as quickly as I’m able.”

“Done.” Ahveyak’s echoing voice sent goosebumps down her spine. “As soon as you’re in range, we will bring your craft inside our landing bay. You will be greeted by a full complement of Quithik warriors—do not think to take any aggressive action. You will not succeed.”

“Understood.”

Lily frowned, shaking her head. When it became obvious Ahveyak had ended the communication, she glanced at Taketa.

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain it all to him when we arrive. I will make sure you aren’t blamed. I promise,” she said, reaching for his arms. She pressed her face against his chest and kissed his fur. “You did the right thing, Taketa. They will know that.”

She found it hard to measure time aboard the watch station, but Lily guessed several hours had passed before they approached the meeting place Ahveyak had specified. They spent their time watching the stars on their nest of blankets. Taketa had fed her slices of a fruit that tasted like heaven on her tongue. When she had urged him to eat as well, pushing a piece to his lips, she had known without him telling her that he had not tasted its sweetness for hundreds of years. She had made him show her the device he used for nourishment aboard the watch station. She’d watched as the needles pierced his veins, as he’d barely winced at the long familiar pain. She’d watched and hated his people all the more for what they’d done to him.

They’d loved again. She didn’t like the soft smile on his lips afterwards, or the way he looked at her like he was trying to capture those moments as memories—as if he thought they would never come again. He didn’t believe her. He’d contacted her people for her, but he did so believing he’d be punished. She could see it in his eyes, and she hated that he was resigned to it. She would prove him wrong. She would—she could accept no other outcome.

Taketa grabbed her arm. “They’ve intercepted the station.” His tail wrapped around her waist. “Quick—we must dress.” He helped her to her feet. She felt like her legs were leaden and clumsy. She wasn’t ready. It hadn’t been nearly enough time.

She took the uniform when he shoved it into her arms. She didn’t like the wildness in his eyes. Lily stepped into the pants and pulled her arms through the sleeves. Taketa’s nimble fingers gently fastened the front closure, skating up along her bare skin as he pulled the fabric together. He had not yet bothered with his own clothing, and he pulled her against his chest, holding her close. She felt him rubbing his head against her, dragging the base of his horns over her shoulder and down her arm. She knew he was marking her. He couldn’t seem to help it. The more they’d touched, the more he’d seem to crave it. His scent bloomed in the air and she hugged him harder.

A sudden motion jerked the watch station, but before they could fall, Taketa braced his legs and locked his feet to the floor.

“I will keep you safe. Don’t worry, my Lily,” he said as he held her tighter. She didn’t doubt it. Aboard this small world he could protect her. It was what came after that made panic flood her veins. She buried her face against his chest and stroked the tip of his tail as it snaked around her wrist.

All too soon there was a second jolt as the floor snapped down as if a powerful magnet locked them in place. She opened her eyes and looked over Taketa’s shoulder. She no longer saw stars, or blackness, or the expanse of space—that vastness that felt like waiting at a cliff with her toes poised on the precipice. After the bruised twilight beauty of Vastaka, the blinding light hurt her eyes.

“Open your vessel. Exit slowly.” Ahveyak. No tinkling bells now, his voice was hard, discordant.

Taketa released her, even as she clutched at his tail.

“No,” he said softly. “You should go first. Alone. I will follow after.” The soft plume of his tail’s tip slid swiftly across her body, a brief, bittersweet caress.

The outer hatch opened and then the airlock door. Lily took a deep breath and released it as she took that first step towards the light. Ahveyak’s features softened as he watched her. His lips parted in a warm smile that revealed the sharpness of his teeth. He wanted to come to her. She could see it in the way his body slanted forward like a young tree pulled by the wind. Behind him were others of the Quithik—another ten men. She glanced back at Taketa and his ears flicked forward towards her. His eyes held that same acceptance she’d hated before. If she was his destiny, he should want to fight for it. She lifted her chest and turned back to Ahveyak, crossing the remaining distance with brisk, determined steps.

“Lily.” He smiled again and set his hands on her shoulders. They were so like Taketa’s, but as if they were their negative image, all translucent brightness and impossible smoothness where Taketa’s fingers held the dense solidity of darkest night. “You can’t know the relief I felt when I heard your voice on that communication,” he said quickly. “I searched for you among the pods they captured. I looked for you, but I feared the worst.” He brought his forehead against her own, and she heard Taketa’s low growl fill the air.

She pulled away from Ahveyak. “Taketa is the one who saved me.” She motioned behind her as she looked back over her shoulder. “He was unable to help the others without being detected by his superiors.” Ahveyak’s vivid eyes went blank, and he made a piercing sound that had her covering her ears against the pain.

“Excuse my vocalization. You speak for this male? Are you certain you can be an impartial witness? It’s his scent that coats your skin, isn’t it? He has already admitted to his crimes.”

“Crimes? What happened was horrible, but he was only doing what he was told. Even if he hadn’t, another sentinel would’ve attacked. There was no saving the Star Rim Express once it approached Vastaka. You think I haven’t struggled with this?” She willed Ahveyak to truly hear her. She grasped his hands in hers. “You don’t know the half of it. You have no idea what has been done to him.”

The men behind Ahveyak moved forward as if they’d all heard the same unspoken order. She looked back as they surrounded Taketa. He bowed his head, his horns glinting silver under the Quithik ship’s harsh light. Elongated pale fingers closed around his arms and shoulders. Men followed behind him and flanked those holding him to the left and right.

“Why? He’s not fighting you. He’s not dangerous.” She turned her head back to Ahveyak. “Can’t you stop them?”

“Yes.” She exhaled hard and smiled up at her friend.

“Thank you—thank you.” Her eyes closed and she pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling before she met his eyes again. “I’m so glad you’re here. I knew you would help me.” A peculiar expression crossed his face, but then it was gone again so quickly that she was unsure she’d seen it at all. “So they will let him go? The watch station—his spacecraft—somehow his brain is connected to it. Are there scientists or doctors aboard who can help him? You don’t know how he’s suffered.” She pressed her fingers harder over Ahveyak’s hands. “I’m so glad it was you,” she said softly as she looked down.

“I said I could stop them. Not that I will.” Her head snapped up, her mouth opening, but no words came. It was like a punch to the gut.

“No,” she whispered. “Taketa!” She lunged forward to reach for him as the Quithik escort passed them, but Ahveyak wrapped his long arms around her waist and held her still.

“He will be neutralized so he cannot hurt anyone else.”

She tried to shake herself free, scraping and clawing at his arms as she attempted to pry his fingers off of her.

“I will take you to our medical officer so he can conduct a thorough exam. It seems likely that you suffered other trauma in addition to whatever injuries you might have incurred during the explosion. We have no soulminder aboard the Waevoke, but other Federation ships will soon join us to rescue the hostages still on the planet and to neutralize the threat posed by this backwards species. Vastaka,” he said, biting off the word, “will not be allowed to harm another Federation citizen. You can be sure of it, Lily. You have my promise.”

“Let me go. Don’t touch me.” She jerked herself out of his embrace, and this time he let her go, but Taketa and the men who restrained him were already gone. She turned to face Ahveyak again. “I don’t need a soulminder. I need you to listen to me. I’m not damaged—I know far more than you think. Is there anyone aboard this ship who’s willing to hear my story? If not, you may as well shut me up in that cell with him.”

“Fine.” Ahveyak’s eyes flashed navy blue. “I will take you to the captain.”

He strode forward without waiting for her to follow. Lily balled her hands into fists and scurried after him, but she wouldn’t let him make her feel small. She would find a way to convince them. It wasn’t just Taketa that needed them to listen—how many others had suffered the same fate? All of those men, perhaps some women, too, floating above the atmosphere, trapped in eternal tombs, slaves to their people. She would make them listen if it was the last thing she did.

CHAPTER 12

LILY

“Ahveyak has communicated that you would like to be debriefed immediately. I have invited several officers from other Federation allied ships to listen in on our conversation.” The Quithik captain motioned to a wall behind him that displayed the faces of nine Federation representatives, over half of them human.

“Hello,” she said, nodding her head towards the captain and the screen. “Yes, I would like to tell my story.” Ahveyak motioned to a large chair to her left, and she sat carefully, knowing that all eyes were on her, and that convincing them would likely be as much of a battle as getting this audience had been in the first place.

She closed her eyes and imagined Taketa’s scarred chest. She recalled the deep sorrow in his eyes. Lily cleared her throat, looked up at the officers, and then she began to speak. She described the small space where he’d been confined for hundreds of years. She told them of the others, and how their brains had also been salvaged from their dying bodies. Lily spoke and spoke until her voice was hoarse, giving them every detail she had gleaned from Taketa throughout their conversations. She described the fields of Vastaka, and the wariness of the people there, and how Taketa had told her of the ruthlessness of their Empire. She gave them everything she could, the words pouring out of her until she felt as if she were nothing more than an empty shell.

“Can you save him?” Her voice hurt as she asked that last question. The faces looking back at her were impassive, cold. She shook her head. How could they hear all that and feel nothing?

“We will consider it.” Lily looked up. A human had spoken. Even as a simple Trappist colonist she recognized the badge on his shoulder. General. She swallowed. She’d wanted more from them, but it was a small victory, at least. Maybe the best she could hope for.

“Thank you.”

TAKETA

His eyelids fluttered open. He turned his head away from the painful lights. To his side he saw only a blindingly white wall. Something was different—an emptiness, a lack, where before he’d felt the constant pulse of data streaming through his mind. He reached for his watch station, but it was like slamming into an impenetrable barrier. He growled as his body tensed at the recoil.

“I’ve been informed that you understand the common tongue.”

U-26 turned back towards the light, closing his eyes against it even though he wanted to see his captor.

“Of course. I should’ve thought to adjust the room settings, but I did not expect you to wake so quickly after the procedure. It should be more comfortable for you now—open your eyes.” He braced himself in case the speaker lied, but although it was still unpleasantly bright, it no longer hurt him to look around the chamber.

He was alone besides the man. His wrists, tail, and ankles were restrained to the cushioned, clear-sided container where he lay. The man who’d spoken to him was of the same people as the one who’d embraced Lily. The memory of that moment brought ugly thoughts of violence to the forefront of his mind. The man had pressed his forehead to Lily’s as if he knew it would erase Taketa’s scent from his mate.

“Lily?” He could barely speak. “What have you done to me?” he croaked out. He turned his head to face the man.

“Much. It has taken several rotations for us to make the progress we have. Your programming was so enmeshed with the spacecraft that it was necessary to sever your link to many of the neural networks you’ve relied upon since your present existence—whether you recognized they supported you or not. I imagine it must be quite disorienting, but the Federation is doing our best to heal what has been done to you. We cannot take you back to what you were before the initial procedure, only do our best to make you as whole as possible as you are now.”

“Am I a prisoner?” He prodded at the limits of his mind, searching for hidden controls they may have embedded, anything that would leash him as the Empire had once done. The hideous man glanced down at Taketa’s wrists.

“Shall we say a guest? The restraints are for your own safety, as much as for mine and the others who have assisted with your healing.” He tried to focus on the other man’s words, but it was difficult. He had thought Lily’s people alarmingly pale and unpleasant to look upon at first, but this species was truly frightening. He had not missed the sharpness of the man’s teeth.

“Will you remove them now?”

The doctor’s eyes flashed a blue brighter than his own unnatural eyes had ever been. He felt the weight of the restraints disappear as they snapped back into the cushioned material as if they’d never been there at all.

“Thank you. And Lily? Do you know what has happened to her?” He’d wanted to keep the concern out of his voice, to conceal how much it meant to him to have the answer, but he failed.

“Ahveyak’s human woman?”

Once again the memory of the alien’s freakish skin against hers and the sight of him touching her burned through Taketa’s mind. He sat up and promptly howled at the pain.

The doctor flicked his fingers at him. “Look at you—ruining all of our work. I will restrain you again if you do not follow my orders. The human woman is well. Physically.”

“What’s that mean?” His hands clutched the cushioning below him.

“One moment.” The doctor’s eyes pulsed with bright light again. “You will see for yourself, although I believe your presence will soon alleviate any additional concerns. The woman has repeatedly threatened all of us working in the medical wing. You are well loved, U-26. I fear more for the others like you once they recover from their extractions. It will be a lengthy process to integrate them into civilized society.”

The others like him? He prepared himself to ask the man further questions, but a gap appeared in the bright wall, and she was there—then he forgot all else. Lily. The man who’d touched her stood behind her, but it no longer mattered, because then she was at his side, her hands reaching out to caress him. Her fingers cradled the edges of his horns, and they weaved through his braids and stroked the fur that covered his face. Her eyes grew shiny and he knew tears would soon fall.

“No—no, Lily. The man claims they have healed me. Don’t cry. I’m not worth it. I never have been.”

She leaned close and kissed him before he could say another word. This time was different than any that had come before. His mind was truly his own. No voices or images, no directives crowded his thoughts. He felt desire swirl deep and strong through his body, but beyond that hunger pulsed a joy so vast he couldn’t define it. Lily. Destiny. Savonoal.

EPILOGUE

LILY

“I’m going to take you home. The colony isn’t much—we can go somewhere else later if you want. It’s just a starting point. I—”

“Stop. It is enough. It is far more than enough,” Taketa said as he held his hands out towards her.

The ship would be landing soon. He might say that now, but it was difficult to believe he would be satisfied. His world had been far more beautiful than the colony. She took his hands and watched with a faint smile as his tail wrapped and coiled around their joined fingers.

“You don’t believe me yet, do you?” he asked.

“I don’t want you to regret anything.” She looked at his eyes, dimmer now after the procedure the Quithik doctors had performed to allow him greater ability to filter out the bright lights that were common among most Federation peoples. He would be able to join her on the Trappist Colony without wincing in constant pain. It had taken him weeks to fully recover from the surgeries and alterations they had made to his body and mind. Many times she’d wished it could’ve been herself lying there on that med-pod.

“You still don’t understand. I wonder if you ever will, my chosen. This is more than I’d ever dreamed, ever dared to want.”

At that moment, Ahveyak opened the door to their chamber. They’d learned during their time aboard the Waevoke that he had the bad habit of never announcing himself.

“It is time. Follow me to prepare for landing,” he said with a nod towards her. He largely ignored Taketa, but that seemed to suit both of the men just fine. She smiled tightly and tugged on Taketa’s hand.

“Let’s go,” she whispered.

They walked behind Ahveyak, only stopping when they reached a small room with several seats.

“Welcome to our passenger flight deck. Sit—the restraints are automated. You need to do nothing but wait for us to land.” Ahveyak sat heavily at her left side, giving their joined hands a pointed look. “You may have to detangle yourselves for the restraint nets to function properly.”

Lily glanced at her Quithik friend as she removed her hand from Taketa’s, her fingers lingering along his forearm as she stroked his velvety fur. “Thank you—for all you’ve done—even when you questioned my motives. Thank you. We’re truly grateful.”

Ahveyak’s smile faded and he made a low sound in his throat. “You were right. At a time when I sought only revenge, you reminded me—and the others—that we weren’t the only victims. Does it feel good to be a hero now, Lily?”

The restraint net covered her and she took a shallow breath.

“All I did was tell my story.”

A few short minutes later the nets lifted, and all three of them rose. She took Taketa’s hand again and they made the walk to the exit hatch with Ahveyak following behind. She stared at the faint outline of the door. Only seconds now and their new life would begin. The hatch opened, and the bare interior of the Trappist Spaceport greeted them. The cavernous space was cold and gray, and her heart sank. Despite his pretty words, how could he not feel regrets when this was his first view of his new planet?

Taketa was the one to walk forward first, pulling her along after him, his steps light and quick. When their feet hit the floor, he pulled her against him and spun them, almost knocking them to the ground. Without his enhancements, Taketa’s balance was not what it had been, and his body was still weak. He smiled at her, looking down at her face. Then he kissed her. He had grown quite adept after weeks of practice. She shivered as his tongue stroked hers. He pulled away with that light rumbly sound that functioned as his laughter.

“As I said before—enough. More than enough—always enough. You saw me, Lily, under the glow of the blessed waters. You saw me and I saw you.” He swiped a long finger across her forehead, pushing back her hair. “There is no room within me for regret.” Then he kissed her again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, melting against him. Theirs wouldn’t be an easy existence, but they were free, and they loved. Taketa was right. More than enough.

Thank you for reading Tumbling Through Stardust! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up R. L.’s newsletter !

ANA B. STARR

THE EXILED OF SHA’REAUX

CHAPTER 1

NOEMI

I wake up on a strange planet.

The escape pod’s voice, soft and soothing, pulls me out of deep sleep.

“Good morning, Noemi. We have landed and you are safe. Please remain calm as the stasis bed drains and the cabin warms. Once you are ready, please select ‘Continue’.”

Everything is foggy to start, as my stasis bed is filled with a cloudy, light blue fluid. I wasn’t awake when it filled. My body was sedated so it could adapt to breathing liquid, and even though I know I’m doing that right now, I feel fine. It’s basically amniotic fluid for a grown-up body, to stop the aging process and keep me in a suspended state while the pod travels through space.

God, I hope I wasn’t asleep long. It’s hard to remember what put me here in the first place. The ship… Vinga’Nog… something happened. She wasn’t safe for space travel anymore.

The fluid begins to drain from the pod. I know I have to be awake for this part so my body doesn’t reverse drown; my conscious brain has to be fully in control or something. Either way, it’s not fun when I inhale and feel a sharp sting up my nostrils. I go from breathing water to breathing the recycled air of the pod.

Rolling onto my side, I cough and spit up the remaining fluid. I take another big inhale, sneeze, cough, and choke some more, reminding myself over and over that I’m fine. Soon, breathing doesn’t hurt anymore, and I lie on my back again. Beyond the thick glass of my stasis bed, the pod’s interior lights up slowly so my eyes can adjust while the bed begins to air-dry my body.

The word “continue?” flashes in blue on the glass, and I press my finger up against it. The pod speaks directly into an earpiece I’ve worn throughout stasis.

“Noemi Alvarez, Siren 487, you have been in stasis for 98 cycles. We have traversed three wormholes to reach a Federation sanctioned planet whose atmosphere best matches your base needs—”

“Computer,” I interrupt, my voice hoarse, “Did any other escape pods come here?”

“I do not know. The signal malfunction affected the ship’s escape pods, and therefore they could not communicate with each other to plot a course. There is a high likelihood that pods launched from the same side of the ship came to a similar conclusion in locating a safe planet. Currently I cannot communicate with any of them.”

I drop my hand at my side, staring at the cabin beyond the glass. The ships of Nephus are supposed to be top of the line, able to accommodate any danger one might encounter in space. But this one must have had some sort of defect that nearly imploded us when we went through a wormhole. We ended up in a remote sector between holes. The ship was barely hanging on, so the captain instructed us to get into escape pods.

It was terrifying. I can still remember how I felt like time went still as we walked towards the pod wing of the ship. Eerily calm. Everyone was afraid of sudden movements, so we went as one group. Most of us were crying. I wasn’t. I wanted to be strong for the other girls, but even if I didn’t look it, I was just as scared.

Every time someone stepped through a door to a pod, the remaining women surrounded her with teary hugs and promises we’d be alright.

There’s always danger when you’re one tiny traveler in a one-person ship. I’m so glad I’ve come out of this alive.

But 98 days!? This was really the closest planet? I begin to worry, wondering exactly how damaged my pod is now, and how the other girls have fared.

“Computer, how do you know we’re safe?”

“We are on Sha’Reaux, and this is a class P designated planet.”

Primitive. No advanced race registered with the Galactic Federation, then. She continues.

“The gravity effect is only .005 stronger than your homeworld. You will not notice this change, as I adjusted the stasis bed to accommodate. Sha’Reaux is safe for Earthian life.”

“Are there any predation risks, Computer?”

“Yes, however I am equipped with a frequency burster that will ward off any detected threats. There is a portable one for you to take with you should you choose to explore.”

I hit ‘Continue’.

“We have gone through three wormholes to reach a Federation sanctioned planet whose atmosphere and ecosystem best match your base needs for food, water, and shelter. I have sent out a distress signal for any nearby ships. So far no ship has responded to this signal. Therefore, I have input survival instructions into your subconscious mind, and recommend preparing for a longer stay than this pod has resources to provide.”

I curse. “Okay. Computer, is the cabin ready for me?”

“Yes, Noemi. Welcome to Sha’Reaux. This planet’s sun cycle is currently 17.2 standard Federation hours, with a night cycle of 6.12 hours, making one full cycle 23.14 hours. I have adjusted my clock for this, and the time is currently hour 08.23.”

The stasis bed opens with a slow hiss, and I sit up. I feel like I’ve had one good night’s sleep, rather than almost three months’ worth.

I pull the earpiece from my right ear, the plug from my left. I step out onto my feet, relieved that the floor of the pod is nice and warm, then kneel to open up the storage tray underneath.

There sit the clothes I wore when the alarms went off on Vinga’Nog. A costume. It consists of a thin, airy silk dress completely open in the front that barely covers my breasts. That opening comes down below my navel, connecting to a thick, leather belt. The skirt portion is also split, a continuation of the fabric at the top. Lastly, it sports leather shoulder pads and a collar with small, gold chains hanging off the pauldrons and over my hips.

It’s an Ancient Keranissian slave girl costume, and now my only clothing. I tug on the silk panties and then begin strapping myself into the rest. The leather portions, paired with the boots I threw on when I passed Monique’s room, are barely a means of protection. I probably should have asked the captain if we had time to find better clothes to wear, but I was just focused on getting to a pod.

“Computer, is there sentient life, just unregistered with—wait, never mind.”

The Federation doesn’t record unregistered sentient life, obviously. I pull on my boots and head to the front of the pod. Manual controls slowly blink to life as I take a seat in the navigation chair. First, I need to verify everything’s accurate. Not that I don’t trust the computer, I just know whatever forced all the passengers of Vinga’Nog into her escape pods affected them as well.

“Okay, let’s see… Computer, does this escape pod have any actual windows?”

“Yes, Noemi, the front viewfinder also has a windshield for terrestrial travel.”

“Excellent. Please bring it up.”

The front of the pod is the viewfinder where one can communicate, just like a regular spaceship, with other ships. One can bring up system vitals, plot a course, or drive it manually and go by the exterior cameras if you need to physically see the outside. But it’s usually empty deep space so…

Not today. As the view finder’s shield lifts, bright, natural light fills the cabin. My lips twitch, then pull into a wide smile as the picture of a verdant green jungle greets me.

“Oh my God! Computer, it’s gorgeous!”

Thick, brown tree trunks, kelly green and dark, glossy blue leaves! Vines hang from a thick canopy above and a hint of thick brush below. I stand up and lean over the control panel to take a peek down. There’s a worn path where the pod landed, likely beaten from use by the wildlife here. It doesn’t look like a path made from groups of people.

The trees frame a blue sky with fluffy, white clouds and mountains in the distance. It looks like a painting, except a gentle breeze rustles the leaves, letting me know it’s real.

“Computer, can I get an atmosphere breakdown?”

“78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9 oxim, 0.1 of the following trace gases: argon, carb—”

“Is that the most recent breakdown?”

“I took the readings in response to your question.”

I watch something fly across the sky slowly, elegantly. Too far away for me to do more than admire it until it passes behind the trees framing my view.

“Computer, run a diagnostic on yourself. You said your signal’s been corrupted. I’d like to know if anything else has been compromised or damaged.”

“Running diagnostic.”

While she works, I climb to the back of the pod, looking for any weapons or tools. Truth be told, I should have paid more attention to the safety portion of the pre-flight tour, but I was too excited. I am one of the few humans legally in space, with an actual job recognized by the Galactic Federation. Sure, it was as a Siren to lure in Alpha space pirates, but it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Most people on Earth don’t even know there is a Galactic Federation, and yet there I was, standing in front of a council of aliens asking me for my help. I agreed. Unfortunately I daydreamed while the crew of Vinga’Nog showed us what the escape pod could do because I didn’t think I’d need to use it so soon. It… turned out I needed to use it.

A ceiling to wall panel in the back of the escape pod opens to reveal a shower stall and a toilet. A compartment beside it reveals a mirror. I braid my hair as Computer finishes her diagnostics. Much to my relief, she reveals no other issues with the basic operation of the pod itself, or her AI.

But her uncorrupted distress signals can’t get out past the planet’s atmosphere.

“And you can’t detect any other escape pods?”

“Correct. I could not communicate with them before, however. This issue is not with the planet itself, but my radio systems.”

I braid my hair into a crown around my head to keep it out of the way, with a few strands hanging down around my ears. I don’t know why, not like there’s anyone to impress.

“Noemi, there is something else.”

I look over my shoulder to the speaker where the AI’s voice comes from. “Something else?”

“There is a Class 3 Uonidian Starfarer settled in a valley fifteen klicks to the west.”

That gives me pause. A Uonidian Starfarer? Perhaps I should have asked about unregistered sentient life. Thankfully the pod’s AI was proactive.

“Wow. Thanks for looking into that.”

“I was trying to find another method of sending out my distress signal,” Computer replies. I need to give it a name other than ‘computer’. “I ran a scan for nearby radio towers or satellites, just in case. I located the Starfarer.”

As she speaks, a blueprint of this ship projects onto the mirror between my reflection and me. There’s a little representation of a human man waving, and then it zooms out to the ship itself. The thing is colossal. At least triple the size of the Vinga’Nog; a small city in the shape of a triangle with a rounded belly on the bottom.

“I was able to communicate with its mainframe but it does not have an advanced AI like me. It also did not have any radio signaling capabilities.”

“Odd. Like they’re shut off?”

“No, the ship was built without them. Noemi, ships without an AI or the ability to communicate with other ships are standard for an exiled crew. Even LScRAP or prison fleets can send out requisition requests. I would recommend steering clear of this Starfarer. Whoever pilots it was not meant to be found.”

Perhaps they’re pirates? That would actually work in my favor, as I’m supposed to be looking for them. At the same time, though, they might not be Keranis pirates. I decide to play it safe.

“The frequency burster, will it deter the people from that ship, too?”

“No. It might attract attention, so I will use it sparingly. I would suggest you do the same with the portable burster. It would be best if you drive the pod to a less conspicuous location and then hide it. There was a positive side to discovering that ship – it came with a Galactic encyclopedia. I have gathered survival information to help you.”

“Holy shit! You’re the best, Computer. I’m naming you Beth. That’s the name of a best friend if I’ve ever heard one, and that’s definitely what you are.”

“Thank you, Noemi,” Beth says.

So I have an escape pod to drive, a giant city-ship to avoid, and some survival skills to learn. Hopefully the other passengers from Vinga’Nog will find help, and a search mission will begin for us. Until then, I think I’m feeling pretty good about my odds on Sha’Reaux.

CHAPTER 2

ORMUR

“You found another one?”

Three men lead a floating traveler pod towards the back hangar, directing it up to where twenty more sit among our supply crates.

I stare at it in disbelief, my ear feathers puffed up. “Voids, what would happen to a ship of that size to jettison all of its occupants?”

So far, not a single pod contains a crew member inside. Instead, each contains a passenger, according to their outer system information modules. And they’re all Earthians. Chances are even more will arrive.

“My Lord,” Captain Fallo says as he approaches, bowing respectfully. “Do you think it has anything to do with that gamma burst we attempted?”

“Hmm. I don’t think so, no. Gamma bursts wouldn’t damage any modern ship.”

We landed on Sha’Reaux five months ago. I did, at one point, try a gamma burst to grab the attention of a nearby ship, but no one responded. I had assumed it was written off as space weather, or there was simply no one nearby. But then, a few days ago, we saw these pods streak through the sky.

“Has his Highness made a decision on what to do with them?” Fallo asks next.

I spoke to Prince D’Vala yesterday as the scouts discovered more pods, their pilots in hypersleep. We gathered the provided information, learned that these were passengers of a cruise liner from the Pleiades cluster. Why it’s all Earthians, I don’t know yet, and all D’Vala knows is that Earth is under the Pleiadian’s protection as a newly registered sub-race within Federation database. Maybe the cruise was a gift, and Earthians fucked it up? I simply don’t know.

What I do know is that Earthians are registered under the Alpha Omega dynamic. Just like us.

We can’t see who’s inside these pods unless we wake them up – we can only go by what the outer module tells us – but there’s a chance at least several of them contain Omegas. Universal breeders. Fertile beauties from a remote planet.

Our ship - Silver Ghela - contains only Alpha males. A condition of D’Vala’s exile was that no women were permitted to join him. Even his second in command and mate, Princess Sinda, was ordered to stay behind on Uonides. I was smart enough not to take a mate during his campaign against his brother, mainly because I was too fucking busy. But others were not so lucky.

Now they are all unmated, their pair bonds severed by distance and time. It is safe to assume the mates of D’Vala’s loyal followers have moved on. Princess Sinda was sent into exile as well, but allowed to stay on world.

The rest of us are here, on Sha’Reaux, and some are hungry to open these pods and hope there is a female inside to claim. We can’t tell the dynamic or gender of any occupant so far. The odds of everyone being female, much less an Omega, are slim. Hope of moving on and living out a peaceful exile was all we had since we discovered this planet, but now that we’ve found Earthian escape pods that just might contain Omegas within, the men have something else to cling to.

I can’t allow it. I don’t want the men to suffer, but these pods can serve a much better purpose. They should be equipped with distress beacons. We can use that to our advantage.

“He has,” I finally say to Fallo. “Prince D’Vala will make an announcement today. I believe he’s leaning towards keeping them in hypersleep and selling them off for resources.”

The captain’s face falls. “You believe that, my lord?”

He, like the rest of the crew, look to me on what the prince thinks. I’m D’Vala’s advisor and closest confidant. And had he listened to my advice, he’d currently be King of Uonides. So, I can steer him in whichever direction I choose using that knowledge alone, and the other Alphas know this.

I am likely more feared on this ship than the prince himself. Good. I like having that card up my sleeve, as I’m not as physically strong as most Alphas.

My intelligence has gotten me to where I am today, not my dynamic.

“I do, captain. I’ll try and speak with him about perhaps opening one or two, just to sate our curiosity. But he’ll make the announcement later today, I assure you.”

The captain nods and turns towards the hangar. His feather-tufted tail sways low and sad behind him.

“Oh, one more thing,” I add. “Make sure no one gets too curious and decides to do more than look at the pods, under penalty of the lash.”

“Some might think that’s worth the risk, my lord,” he replies before continuing on.

That ruffles my feathers. He’s right. I’ll have to think of a better deterrent. I walk the opposite way and head into the Silver Ghela, receiving bowed heads from the guards. The ship is like an enormous castle with all the pomp and protocol to go with it. The corridors are spacious, and the men don’t need to bunk in small quarters. We’ve plenty of room. Despite its size, it operates on a small crew. By the time the civil war was over, D’Vala’s follower count decreased to a little under two hundred. The rest either died or defected.

But his guardsmen are plenty, and the closer I get to his royal chambers, the more they are in number. Each one bows his head in deference to me.

“Gentlemen,” I say as I arrive before the two grand doors. They open them without hesitation, and I slip inside. Looking towards the prince, I offer him my most genuine smile.

He has looked better. His long, white hair is lazily tied back, the plumage on his ears sticking straight out. Dark circles ring his eyes as though he hasn’t slept in weeks, and I notice he isn’t wearing the iron crown he often did so proudly.

D’Vala hadn’t ever left Uonides until his exile, and it obviously took a toll on him. Six months of space travel. We were refused docking permissions by so many stations we decided to give in and find a planet where we could settle. Having to take backwarp wormholes – wormholes with less traffic due to their proximity to each other – further stretched the journey.

Some people spend their entire lives in a spaceship. Not D’Vala. He was a prince. He was meant to be a king. Now he is reduced to a lowly exile. He is determined to lead us through it, and I did promise I would be here to help him.

But seeing him in such a state? If I had a heart, it would break.

“The bond is severed,” D’Vala says, staring forlornly at the paper before him. “My sweet, beautiful Sinda is mated to someone who isn’t me.”

“I’m sorry, your highness,” I say as I walk closer. His royal apartments are large, so he’s not often in the greeting room right up front. I only see him here when he’s expecting someone, and he sits at the desk and doodles lovely pictures of buildings and rooms. Had he not been born into the Uonidian Royal Family, perhaps he’d be an architect.

“I couldn’t sleep. I came out here to draw and get my mind off things. The bond was the only thing that kept me going, knowing she was safe. It hadn’t been severed yet… until today. Someone else has claimed her. I can feel that. She’s not dead, just mated to another.”

“All the mates of those who willingly followed you into battle will suffer this fate, your Highness. But it is a punishment they were willing to risk for the rightful King of Uonides.”

“I am king of nothing now.” He drops his pen and leans back against the chair. “Or you can say I am the king of several hundred lonely male Alphas. I saw the others as their bonds were cut, one by one. Some withstood the pain. Others…” He rubs the heel of his palm over his right eye. “It was wrong of my brother to separate chulene.”

Few men were pair bonded with their chulene, but I still wince. Time and distance can sever pair bonds, as they can with any relationship, but the bond between chulene, soul mates, is too strong. Strong enough that the pain of separation will cause suicide before it severs a bond.

“I feel miserable enough,” D’Vala laments, “I cannot imagine what they feel. All because I lost. All because I didn’t listen to you, Ormur.”

Seeing the prince in such a state would normally make him look weak to me, to any Alpha. However, I do feel for the men, and for him. It only strengthens my resolve about the found pods.

“Then listen to me now, your highness.” I walk to the desk and set my hands on his wrists, bringing them away from his face. “We are stranded here on Sha’Reaux for the rest of our lives. We must make the best of it. We can use the escape pods we’ve been finding to do that.”

“Captain Fallo desires to open them, Ormur. Because they are all Earthians, some of them might be Omegas. It could ease the pain of those who have lost their mates and their pair-bonds. Tell me, what do you think?”

“Absolutely not. We must keep them closed.” Letting go of the sad prince, I take a seat on a plush chair by the door. “There is a small chance that there might be Omegas in the pods, but it’s just a chance. It’s no guarantee, but there are plenty of pirates in this sector of Orithyia who would love to purchase them. We can use their distress signals to call upon black markets, outlaw sanctuaries, flesh traffickers, to come and take these off our hands in exchange for actual resources. Technology to help us settle and live out our lives here in peace. Let them take the gamble on who’s inside these little ships, your highness.”

He looks towards me with his head cocked. “I like your idea, but you don’t think we should open them all, keep any Omegas we find, and sell the rest?”

“If they want Omegas so badly, we could exchange the pods for actual slaves. No blind bags, no “maybe”. Breeders who don’t have anyone looking for them, because I’m confident someone is looking for these. The faster we get rid of them, the better.”

“You have a point.”

“The men are depressed. They’ve been ejected from their homes, their mates, their world. Even if what we did was right, it won’t make living here any easier. We have enough pods to secure Omegas we would choose, and additional resources. We could equip the ship with radio transmitters. Provide quality of life.”

The prince looks back down at his drawing, and I can’t imagine the burden he carries. Glad not to, frankly. But he’s easily swayed to my side, as shown by a slow exhale.

“Continue the search for more pods,” he says. “And keep them dormant. We’ll take one to the senior engineers and see if they can get us anything on the signal. It should be strong enough to direct it wherever we want and change the tone away from an SOS.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“I need some time to myself, if you don’t mind.” He gestures towards the door, and I get up.

I turn to him once more, watching him focus on the drawing. It’s not a building like usual, but a lovely sketch of Sinda. He’s a talented artist, catching her likeness easily from the cheap ink he was allowed to bring onto the ship. Long, white hair like his own, her features feminine and dainty, plumage soft and gray. Elegant, like all Uonidians.

I’ll never tell him she sold us out, and the true reason for the severing of their bond was because I arranged her assassination before we were sent into exile. The truth might break him, and we need our prince for the days ahead. Sha’Reaux is our home for now.

These pods will get us more than resources. They may even get us a way back to Uonides. One can dream.

Leaving the Prince’s chambers, I head back towards my own room. I’ll seek out the senior engineer later, but for now I need an idea on how to keep the men distracted from opening those pods.

As I walk past the kitchens and see a particularly bulky soldier sneaking rations into one of his pockets, a smile spreads onto my face.

CHAPTER 3

NOEMI

I would sell my soul for shampoo.

It’s been about three days and I’ve taken to foraging to pass the time. It’s more fun than I imagined, but I sweat a lot, and this ship doesn’t have a bath, only that tiny shower stall. I flew the pod into a cave on the side of a craggy hill, where I have a beautiful view of the valley below and that other ship in the distance. It really does look like a big castle, towering over the trees around it. I can hear the crew sometimes, too. They run drills, so it’s military of some sort. Lots of chanting that echoes against the cliffs.

I can’t see them beneath the forest cover, so I hope that means they can’t see me either.

Beth can’t piggyback off their signal since they don’t have one, and hers won’t reach past the atmosphere of Sha’Reaux. My only hope is that there’s a search and rescue out. If I’m lucky, another pod found safety nearby, maybe a neighboring planet.

Or maybe a few had the same thoughts as Beth and came here. Beth makes for good company, and the pod also came with an independent AI control device. It’s a hovering metal ball that she can connect to and accompany me when I’m away from our cave. But she’s not an Omega, and Omegas tend to stick together.

I hadn’t thought much on my dynamic since arriving here. When you’re a progenitor and a Siren, usually that’s on your mind constantly. I appreciate that for the first time in ages, I can just be Noemi – a stinky, tired, marooned Noemi, but whatever.

The easiest thing to hunt has been mushrooms. Right now, I’m plucking them from a tree trunk and sniffing them deeply. One positive of being alone is that there’s no one to judge me for the weird action. It has a purpose – something in the air has been catching my nose in this part of the jungle. It’s like warmth, salt and vanilla. Heady and thick even though I can’t place it.

I’m not sure what’s worse – that I can’t get this aroma out of my head, or that I can’t really name what it is. Alien, but nice. Unfortunately, while these mushrooms smell good, they’re not the source of the aroma.

I’ve also found a very large patch of the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen. They’re not the source of the magical scent either, but they’re soft and pretty. I’m going to use them to make shampoo. The survival information I’ve learned doesn’t have any beauty regimens but I’ll make do with what I do know.

“Beth,” I say as I pull the pink blooms from their stems. “I’m going to try and make these into a shampoo or maybe a perfume. Bathing in a lake does nothing to help me smell good.”

I settle the petals into a giant leaf I grabbed on the way over. I wish the ship had come with some containers as well!

Before she can reply, Beth whirrs to the right as a loud scream fills the air. It’s guttural, filled with pain, and coming from the direction of the Starfarer.

The shock nearly makes me drop my flowers, but instead I press them to my chest and look to the hovering AI.

“What’s going on!?” I cry out.

Are the people in the Starferer in danger? Does that mean I’m in danger? Fuck, how close to them have I wandered?

Beth flies up through the canopy as I duck behind a tree. If they’re being mauled by some monster, I need to get back to the pod or find safety. That scream was so close. I thought I was miles from them!

The scream comes again. And then another one, longer and more drawn out.

Beth drops back down and hovers before me. “It is a retinue of Uonidians from the Starfarer,” she explains.

“We’re near them?”

“Yes, they appear to be administering corporal punishment to one of their own.”

I stare at her. “Corporal… what are they doing exactly?”

“Four males have one male tied by the wrists to a tree stump. They are whipping his back with a laser scourge.”

“WHAT!?”

Without another thought I take off toward the screams.

“Noemi,” Beth says as she flies alongside my head, “It is very unwise to go to them. We do not know what the prisoner did to deserve this. For your safety, I recommend you don’t get involved.”

“I’m not getting involved,” I reply. I know I don’t stand a chance against a group of alien soldiers while I’m in dancer silks without any weapons. But seconds after I heard that scream, the scent assaulted my nose. And it gets stronger as the screams get closer. Maybe I’ve been smelling their blood this whole time? God, I hope not, but that’s what it seems like.

The sun’s low in the sky and I don’t see the ship through the trees, confirming we’re not near it. Which means they dragged this poor person out into the middle of the woods to beat him. I slow down as the scent overwhelms my brain, praying that humans don’t have some weird vampy craving for Uonidian blood.

A different scream pierces my ears this time, and I pick up the pace until I can see the trees giving way to a small clearing. I crouch behind another trunk and watch.

It’s a small group, about five of them. And… oh my god.

They’re beautiful!

Uonidians are a race said to be distant cousins of humans. It’s believed our ancestors thought of them as angels, but I thought that meant they would just look like humans with wings.

These men don’t have wings on their backs, but they are feathered. From where I am, I can see delicate feathers adorning their ears and the end of long tails. Their coloring is varying shades of black, gray, and white. Each one of them is tall, broad shouldered and trim of waist. Well, except for the poor bastard they’ve tied to the tree stump. He’s slightly wider than the rest – I think the proper term is “dad bod”.

His wrists are tied in front of him, and he’s slumped over on his knees, back covered in inky, black blood. He twitches and groans, and one of the gray ones has dropped to one knee with a black stripe of his own.

Another gray one, though darker than the others – he’s holding the whip – looks to the other two.

“Anyone else wish to question my judgment?”

What a prick!

I wiggle my nose, there’s a particular pheromone in the air mixed with the other scents. So these aren’t just men, they’re Alpha males.

Alphas are tougher and far more powerful than the average male or female of a species. If a few lashes can incapacitate one – fuck, if a single lash can incapacitate them – the intensity of that laser whip needs an adjustment. It’s like that with all laser weapons!

Fortunately, being this close means I can discern the different scents. Omegas have an uncanny sense of smell, and I lift my nose and even part my lips to taste the air.

The amazing scent is not the blood. It’s not quite Alpha pheromone, either, but whatever it is, it’s coming from one of the men.

The gray one lashes the tied up one and he cries out again, blood splashing away from his body. So forlorn. There is no way in Hell I can just sit here and watch. I can’t walk away, either. The whip raises up and I’m screaming before it swings down again.

“NO MORE!”

As they all freeze, I rush like an idiot between the whip and the prisoner. I throw my arms out and stand there, glaring at the one doling out the punishment.

It’s stupid to do everything I’m doing; just because I’m an Omega doesn’t guarantee they won’t harm me. I’m relying on the instincts of a group of men, men who probably have questionable morals if they’ve been exiled.

And yet they don’t move. They just stare. Legs shaking, I keep my composure best I can and stare right back.

“He’s had enough! Just stop, okay?”

After a few tense moments, the dark gray one lowers the whip and turns it off. My eyes lift from his firm grip on the weapon to his face. Oh, he’s gorgeous. His skin is the color of storm clouds, and his wing-like feathered ears have black tips. His hair is sleek and black, his braiding more intricate than the others. I wonder if he holds a high rank.

I also notice he’s not as built as heavily as the others, more sleek. Unusual for an Alpha, but it doesn’t bother me one bit. He has these bright red eyes that glower at me. Yeah, he’s pissed. Still gorgeous. I can’t peel my eyes away.

The two unharmed Alphas mutter to each other, snapping me out of my stupor.

“I don’t know what he’s done,” I say, “but you have the whip set too high. You’re going to scar him for life, he couldn’t possibly deserve that! I could hear his screams from the cliffs!”

The dark gray one clears his throat. “He was stealing rations,” he explains.

“You’re whipping the flesh off his back because of rations?”

The one with the single lashing stumbles to his feet, rejoining the two mumblers. The one with the whip is obviously the leader here, as he is the only one who speaks to me.

“We are a large ship. Everything is very carefully rationed. So yes, I’ve whipped him for disobedience and insubordination.”

“And him?” I gesture to the Alpha who only received one lash.

“Well…” His lips tip up into a smirk. “He spoke out of turn. Told me to stop, shortly before you did.”

“Bring that thing anywhere near me and I’ll kick your ass.”

My threat doesn’t hold weight and he knows it. He looks me up and down with an amused smile. The poor beaten up one groans, and I rush over to untie his wrists. They’re bound only by a simple rope, knots tight from his desperate pulling. With the small, nimble hands of an Omega, I can get them free.

“You’re not in space,” I grumble as I work. “You’re on a planet that, as far as Beth can tell, has no resources the Federation needs to harvest in large quantities. You can eat what’s here if you use that big-ass encyclopedia on your ship and do a little bit of research.”

As the Alpha slumps forward, the two others rush to help him. He roars in pain when they stand him up and sling his arms over their shoulders. The whip-bearer remains where he is, arms folded, watching me.

“Big ass encyclopedia?” he asks.

I wince, knowing I shouldn’t expose too much information to them. They could see me as a threat. But if I run off now, they could chase me. Or worse, they could go back to beating up the injured one.

At my hesitation, the leader steps forward. “How long have you been here, female? On this world?”

“Why does that matter?”

His red eyes peruse casually over my form. “You appear to be thriving.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glare. He lifts his hands up with a smile.

“Nothing bad intended. I mean you look good for someone marooned on a remote planet. We’ve seen no ships on radar approaching, only the—” He pauses. “Did you say we can ‘eat what’s here’?”

“Yes. There’s plenty of edible flora here. I made mushroom soup last night.”

“Then perhaps you could help us.”

Help them? A group of soldiers who own an enormous ship need the help of one little Omega? Or did they not use the knowledge they have on that ship to make this planet hospitable for them? I’m stranded here until help comes, but if they’re exiled, they’re here forever.

I look down at the flower wrappings on my belt, then down at my clean, white silks. I probably stink like lake water but he’s right, I’ve faired pretty well for myself. I have Beth to thank for that. But do I really want to aid a bunch of exiles? I don’t know why they were kicked off their planet, but it’s probably not for any good or righteous reason. I shouldn’t risk more than I already have by coming over here.

Suddenly the scent I’ve been searching for catches my nose. When I look up again, the leader is standing right in front of me. And he smells amazing. It’s him! This svelte, cruel, tall, handsome, bright-eyed…

“How do you know we have an encyclopedia in the ship’s database?” he asks.

“Beth hacked into it.” I answer with no delay, forgetting all the worry about revealing too much.

“Beth?”

The words just come out. “Yes, my escape pod’s AI. She tried to piggyback onto your ship’s signal but couldn’t. You don’t have a signal, so she looked for anything useful you might have. She’s Keranis tech, very advanced.”

“So you hacked our ship and discovered survival skills within its database?”

“Mmhmm. I can forage and make poultices now, and like I said before, I made a damn good mushroom soup. I’m pretty proud of myself, honestly.”

“I see. Keep going; what else do you know about us?”

He gestures for me to continue.

“Well, you are Uonidians who’ve been exiled. I don’t know why, and I was fine to keep my distance, but I heard the screams, and I… could…”

He’s combing his fingers through my hair. One of his hands is running along my cheek. When did he get so close?

I don’t mind. I smile as he leans forward and tips his nose, taking in my scent – lake water. Oh no, I hope he doesn’t think I stink! What if he does, and he stops touching me? “Do you have showers!?”

“Pardon?” He pauses.

“I’ve been here three days and found a lake to clean in, but no soaps, no conditioner for my hair.”

He smiles warmly, a stark contrast to the cruel whip-bearer he was moments earlier.

“You don’t know how to make those yet?

“Not really.”

“We do have baths, chulene.”

He pulls his gaze away from mine to look over his shoulder at the other men. I don’t care how they’re doing right now. His eyes are so pretty.

“Follow us, and we’ll take you back to the ship. You’ll be under my protection. And perhaps after you’ve bathed, you can speak with my prince about your skills.”

“Oh, a prince?”

He guides me with a hand at my lower back. I move in nice and close to keep his scent on my nose. I have nothing to compare it to. Not quite as floral like I originally thought. It has warmth to it. Masculine. I’d lean against him if we weren’t walking.

He tells me about Prince D’Vala, the rightful king of planet Uonides. He lost a war and was exiled here. That means they’re not necessarily villains. ‘The good side’ is subjective, after all.

The handsome leader explains that Prince D’Vala will want to talk to me, but I’d rather spend time with this guy. I wrap both my arms around one of his and press my nose to his bicep.

Uonidians don’t look like angels. As he speaks, I see fangs and sharp teeth peek out behind his black lips, and up close the feathered ears look like tiny wings. His tail has wrapped itself around my waist and the plumes there tickle the exposed skin of my belly. He’s a darker gray than the other three, and his fingertips are completely black with shiny claws. Really, he looks like a fallen angel.

I’m okay with that. I wonder what our children will look like? Do Uonidians have multiples like Keranis, or if we’re somewhat related, do they usually have litters of one?

“Noemi!”

Beth buzzes by my head. I try to swat her away, but she avoids my hand.

“Noemi, your judgment is clouded by your proximity to an Alpha. Do not forget what we spoke about. It is not safe to enter a ship that has no identifying credentials.”

“Ah yes, your little spy,” the Alpha Leader smiles down at me. It’s dazzling. “Hello, pod AI known as Beth. Oh, and your name is Noemi?”

Oh, shit. My judgment is clouded! I take a step back and huff, breathing through my mouth to get the smell out of my brain. Was I seriously just thinking about having babies with this stranger? And did I really tell them about Beth?!

“Yes, my name is Noemi. I’m sorry, I… I’m an Omega, if you didn’t already figure that out.”

“I could tell when you came close enough,” the leader replies, disappointment etching his perfect face as I move away from him.

“Beth’s right. It’s not safe for me to go with you. One Omega in a ship of Alphas…”

Ahead is the actual ship, its shadow cast over us as we get closer. To my left are the other soldiers helping their injured comrades.

“You will be safe, Noemi,” the hot leader says. “You’re under my protection, and you will be under the prince’s as well. If you wish, your Beth can log into the ship’s mainframe to monitor things. I’ll even give her security clearance. If at any time you feel unsafe, you will be able to leave.”

I glance towards Beth, who whirrs her approval. “I recommend you make your decision after I am given clearance, Noemi. From what I can tell, he is being sincere.”

Of course he is. He’s sincere and nice and handsome and smells good and—Damn it! Why is his scent affecting me so badly?

“My clothes are pretty beat up, too,” I confess. “Can you get me something better to wear?”

“I like your clothes,” he says, reaching to feel a silken panel at my torso between his clawed fingers. The forwardness should make me uncomfortable. It doesn’t. “But if you insist upon it, yes, we have a fabricator.”

“Awesome!”

“Now, let me escort you in. You can clean up, and then I will introduce you to the prince. He will answer any questions you have, and in return, you can answer some questions for us.”

The other Alphas turn to watch me. Their eyes focus on my body, nostrils flaring. Even the one practically flayed alive is distracted. I hope that helps the pain, at the very least. For Alphas who likely haven’t felt an Omega’s touch in some time, I’m grateful they haven’t jumped me or taken advantage of me yet.

“And you’ll get him to a medical pod?” I ask, pointing towards the injured one.

Leader tweaks a brow. “Chulene, he was being punished. He should spend some time with that punishment.”

“He was punished for something I’m about to help make obsolete. Please… I can’t stand to see him like that.”

The word chulene doesn’t have a translation in my head. I pay it no mind. My eyes are stuck to the injured Alpha. Thankfully, Leader relents. He rolls his eyes, nods, and waves the men ahead of us. Happily, I wrap my arms around one of his again and let him take me into the ship. Beth follows. With her around I might be able to keep my wits about me. One Omega surrounded by many, many Alphas is risky at best. I could go into heat, and then we’d all be in trouble. If that happens, at least Beth can lead me out before it’s too late.

CHAPTER 4

ORMUR

I’m fucked.

Absolutely fucked.

Bad enough we missed a pod before it revived its occupant, who happens to be an Omega – an extremely beautiful, capable, Earthian Omega – but worse, she’s my chulene.

How is that even possible? My completion, an Earthian?!

My heart – the one I claimed I didn’t have – is beating faster than ever.

I could smell her before seeing her; this intense, perfect sweetness in my nose, even on my tongue. It washed away the taste of blood in the air, nearly knocking me on my ass. And then she ran between me and Rosse, and I caught my first glimpse of her.

Wearing silk with curly black hair weaved into a braid on her head like a crown, and jewels running along her waist and shoulders; she appeared like a queen coming to demand tribute. And I was ready to pay.

The concept of chulene, two people fated to be together, was one I happily dismissed because I worried a mate would get in the way of my goals.

Voids, was I right.

That is exactly what this Noemi has done. When you find your completion, you simply know. And you’ll do anything for your other half. She wanted me to stop punishing Rosse, so I did. She wanted me to let him heal, so I agreed to it. He’s on his way to a medical pod right now.

As I bring her into the ship’s entry port, she brushes her nose against the bared skin of my arm. It’s taken everything in me not to grab her hair and do the same, but I maintain my composure. I didn’t get to where I am without learning a measure of control.

Today was supposed to be an easy day. Rough up Rosse for stealing rations and use that to bring home the importance of selling the pods, deter anyone from opening one up…

Noemi gives my bicep a kiss. A reminder of who’s truly in power here: this beauty. Her presence alone upends all my plans! A subtle Alpha command had her telling me everything, which meant telling the others everything as well. I don’t know if they sense she’s more than just an Omega to me, but that doesn’t matter.

Noemi claims she’s learned enough about Sha’Reaux to live off it. The rest of us are so used to AI that even I didn’t consider accessing the ship’s encyclopedia to learn things like foraging. I just wanted to get tech and live out the rest of my miserable exile in relative luxury.

I need to think about this. Noemi’s AI, affectionately named Beth, could help us. I wonder if the other escape pods have an individual AI, or a collective one. Keranis tech could do either.

That’s something else I must ask. Earth is classed under jurisdiction of the Pleiades. Nephus is the homeworld of the Keranis race. So why would her ship have tech from the latter and not the former?

“Oh my god!” Noemi yelps.

I look down at her, those dark eyes wide as she takes in the antechamber. Watching her mouth hang open in awe, I study her blunt teeth. My tail curls and my ears fold. She’s so… soft and defenseless. It makes me hyper aware of the rest of the men.

All of these sad Alphas without mates of their own stare as she passes. She is likely the first Earthian that they’ve ever seen, and she likely comes off strange to them with her brown skin and lack of feathers. I know they can sense all of the other aspects about her that are desirable.

I resist the instinct to proclaim them as threats. I’m First Councilman to the Prince. They won’t go near her under my watch.

“I thought it looked like a floating castle from the outside,” Noemi remarks, squeezing my arm. “But it’s even more so from the inside! You have a chandelier in this foyer. And royal guards. And a prince! Is he as handsome as you?”

I shoot her a glare, but she only laughs and lets me lead her onward. I should explain to my Earthian that we are here because Prince D’Vala caused a civil war which we lost spectacularly, and the only reason we aren’t all dead is because the current King couldn’t bring himself to execute his little brother. Then she wouldn’t want anything to do with D’Vala.

But that would be a partial truth, omitting my role in things. As much as she can’t lie to me, I don’t wish to lie to her either. Voids, this chulene business is testing. I’ve never wanted so badly to lift a woman onto my cock in my life. I haven’t spoken more than several words to her and I’d kill every male on this ship, including his highness, to ensure her safety.

I need to keep a level head and let her have her bath. It’s beneficial to both of us. She’s not been around anyone for days and the environment hasn’t left much of a scent on her, so she smells like pure, unmated Omega. She worried about smelling like lake water. If only.

Noemi ooh’s and aah’s at every turn, our exiled ship a grand avenue to her. Intricate patterns line the ceiling, statues of guards embedded in the walls. She mutters that Vinga’Nog had none of this. It was all simple and sleek.

So Vinga’Nog is the ship she came from. “What does Vinga’Nog mean?” I ask.

“It means Siren’s Call in ancient Keranissian.”

Interesting name.

We round the end of our impromptu tour. I couldn’t help myself; I took a longer route than necessary to avoid areas congested with other Alphas. I slide open the doors to the baths, taking a look inside.

I’d prayed on the way over that they would be empty. To which gods? I don’t know, but the bastards didn’t answer. In the steaming waters, several men relax. They’re leaned up against the marbled sides, arms resting on the edge as they talk, tails swishing. Muscles exposed.

And my Earthian notices. Noemi tightens her grip on my arm.

“Ooh… this looks like a Roman bath. You have marble pillars.”

She isn’t gawking at the pillars. I glare at the soldiers, who immediately rise to their feet. Water splashes, cocks jump up as well. Voids! Fuck!

“GET. OUT.”

My voice booms, and I don’t often have to shout, so it comes as a shock to them as well as me. The command in it bears no repeating. They find towels as quickly as they can and rush to the far exit so as not to come near me or my chulene.

Everything in me screams to claim her except that one voice. The rational one. The one that knows it’s not safe to drag her into the bath, bend her over the side and sink my teeth into her neck as I pound her from behind.

An image of that pops into my head, drowning out rationality for a moment. Her silken outfit leaves little to the imagination. I see the curvaceous outline of her figure. She’s not long and elegant like a Uonidian; she’s built to seduce, her body meant for eyes to slide over. She has no tail so the view of her perfect ass would be unobstructed. Her eyes aren’t blue or orange. They’re black. Voids, I love aliens. Of course my chulene would be one.

“Are you going to be joining me?” Noemi asks as she steps away and into the room.

My tail flicks in irritation. I want to join her very much.

Instead, I sigh and shake my head.

“No, my dear. I’ll wait outside and let you enjoy yourself. You said you haven’t bathed in days.”

She turns on a heel. “I can enjoy myself with you here, too. You worked up a sweat whipping that poor man, didn’t you?”

Hmm, she seeks to guilt me? That doesn’t work on my type. I smirk. “I’m fine waiting until you’re done.”

Before she can reply, I close the doors and run like an absolute fool to the end of the corridor. Obviously, I can’t leave her there unprotected. No one guards the doors. That will be my job, but I needed a moment free of her scent, to think clearly.

Reluctantly I make my way back to guard the door and listen in case anyone tries to sneak in from the other entrance. I’m not worried she’ll be happy to see them, because while she doesn’t consciously realize it yet, she wants no other Alpha but me. If someone else walks in on her, she’ll scream or call for me.

As I wait, two men cautiously approach.

Word travels fast on a marooned ship full of lonely Alpha males. The fact that any would dare approach me even on a good day is an insult, but these two do it knowing full well what I’ve just brought onto the ship. I have a mind to tie them to a whipping post.

Noemi would not like that.

Voids, even without her right beside me her influence is still present.

The pair, aids of General Crix who are also sentenced to die alone with us for their affiliation, crowd me. They stare with curious, orange eyes, tails curled around each other eagerly.

“She is in there, isn’t she?” one of them – Bollo I believe is his name – asks.

I reply with a growl. They take a step back. It doesn’t matter that they’re two walls of pure muscle and could snap me in half. I am the dominant Alpha here.

“None of your business,” I snap.

“But she’s from one of the pods, isn’t she?” the other, Greskar, has the courage to add.

I pinch my nose. I can’t blame them for their curiosity or eagerness.

“I have not asked her about where she came from just yet,” I lie. “She found the group chosen to punish Rosse and made us stop. She also said that she knows the way of this land already and wants to help us.”

“She’s an Omega. She’s already helping us.” Bollo’s eyes widen. “There’s hope yet.”

“The captain will want to speak with you.” Greksar says. “Maybe you can convince the prince to open the other escape pods!”

Voids. My plans are surely upended. They’ll all rally around this idea of other Omegas in the pods and demand we open them. My dominance will mean nothing, especially if D’Vala agrees. Those pods need to stay closed. They could be our only chance at a normal life here.

“Let me deal with the Omega for the time being. She’s one female among a hundred or so males, so she must feel safe before she divulges any information of what brought her here. For all we know she has nothing to do with the pods we found.”

Bollo shakes his head. “It would be too great a coincidence for a lone Omega to find a remote planet to live on, unrelated to these other pods falling from the sky.”

“As I said, let me get her settled first. Leave us for now. I will take her to an empty room so she might rest after she’s cleaned up and comfortable. Then I will have her speak with his highness. Then he will make a decision.”

It seems enough for them. They walk away, and I have more time to think.

Several more breaths, and I can decide clearly what to do next. I highly doubt whatever skill she’s mastered in her short time on Sha’Reaux is enough to outbid whatever resources and luxuries might come of selling off the escape pods. And unless she happened to dislike every single passenger on the Vinga’Nog, she will be against that, so it’s best she does not find out about them.

CHAPTER 5

NOEMI

I know the smell I’m falling for is just Alpha pheromones that permeate the walls and furniture. I can reconcile this once I’m lying in this large bath where I can only smell the water.

“What’s in this water?” I ask Beth.

“Uonidian public baths contain scented oils and salts, as well as ingredients with antibacterial qualities such as mankha bee honey. The honey in this bath is artificial.”

Shrugging, I just enjoy the clarity it gives me. “Beth, I acted like a complete idiot out there. I don’t even know his name.”

“His name is Ormur. He is the First Councilman to Prince D’Vala. They do not have much else outwardly available, but I was able to access the ship’s headcount once Ormur gave me access.”

I rest my head back against a soft bath pillow and wash under my arms. There’s a little basket of items behind me on the floor. One’s a small brush and I use that to clean my nails.

Okay, so the name of the alien that sent me head over heels is Ormur. With my mind no longer in Omega fog, it’s easier to understand why he rejected coming into the bath with me. Alphas are affected by Omega hormones just as heavily as we are by theirs, but they have better control. He probably knew I was acting out of instinct, clinging to the first Alpha I saw.

Hm. That’s not quite right, though. I wasn’t humping his leg, I just… I felt like I was in love with him. I’ve never acted that way with an Alpha, even when I was in heat. When in heat, I just needed to be fucked and knotted. But with Ormur, I never want to let him go.

Even now that the horniness has waned, I miss him. Is this love? That’s ridiculous! I should be terrified to be here. Being an Omega among an entire shipful of Alphas is either one’s greatest dream, or biggest nightmare. And how nervous Beth’s voicebox sounds when she explains things suggests this may be the latter.

“What else have you learned about them?” I ask.

Beth hovers over to me as I clean my feet. They’ve come out of this relatively unscathed because I haven’t dared take my boots off outside, but the scrubbing between my toes calms me as Beth explains,

“They are not good men. Prince D’Vala started a civil war on planet Uonides, believing he was the rightful heir to the throne. The ship is full of articles detailing his rise in power, the cruel tactics he used to gather a larger army, the destruction he caused. I will send these articles to the pod base for you to read, Noemi. There was a turning point in the war, however, and when they began to lose, it was very quick. This ship is all that remains of his army and court.”

I tap my chin. “I mean, was he a monster? People on Earth started wars over legitimacy to rule all the time. But he didn’t commit genocide or anything like that, did he?”

“He razed whole cities to the ground if their governors did not ally with him.”

“God, that’s bad. And I’m in his bathtub. What was Ormur’s involvement in all this?”

I’m afraid to ask.

“He’s considered the mastermind behind the more successful battles. In fact, many articles write that the turning point in the war was caused by Prince D’Vala and General Crix overriding a tactical maneuver thought up by Ormur and going after a different military strongpoint.”

With that in mind, I wash and condition as quickly as I can. I dry off and dress. As I tug on my boots, I have another, more thorough look around.

There are two ways inside the baths. Not a single person has snuck in. Maybe they’re not all that bad?…

But Ormur. I need to stay away from that man. There’s something about him that makes me want to jump his bones the moment I scent him, but he’s a bad guy, and I don’t need villainous Alpha men in my life. I’ll just go back to the pod and fly it to the other end of the planet or something. The whipped guy is being taken care of so I can rest comfortably knowing that.

There are mirrors scattered along the walls and I do my hair in one of them. Not once has Ormur come to check on me. Maybe he’s not as interested in me as I am in him. A blessing in disguise, I tell myself.

Beth leads me to the far exit where the other men had left. “I can navigate us out safely, but I cannot tell if there will be anyone in our path.”

“I’ll have to run fast if someone sees—”

“Noemi?”

I turn my head, Ormur stands by the far door with his arms folded and his brows furrowed.

“Hi,” I say dumbly. Damn it, why does he have to be so handsome?

“Mmhmm,” He unfolds his arms and heads towards me. “Were you trying to sneak out?”

I know that Alphas have an innate ability to influence Omegas. We are hard-wired to obey just as they are hard-wired to lead. The more dominant the Alpha, the harder it is to refuse an order by them. My heavy desire to answer him suggests he’s using this influence on me.

But the scent. That feeling. More than just influence. It feels right to be open and honest with him.

“Yeah,” I give in. “I had Beth look further into who you are, and I’ve discovered why you’re here on Sha’Reaux.”

He quickens his steps to close the distance between us. “You did?”

“You lost a civil war that you started. You killed a lot of your own people for your prince to become a king.”

“You hacked into our systems again?”

Beth chimes in, “This information was readily available, likely to deter other ships from engaging you.”

“That makes sense. But still, Noemi, you must stop doing that. You’ll draw attention from the ship engineers. I’m surprised they haven’t caught it yet. This AI is advanced for an escape pod.”

Ormur reaches down and gently takes both of my hands. “In any case, I would prefer it if you didn’t try and go anywhere without me. If you know we were exiled for war crimes, then you can surmise many of these Alphas lost their mates in this punishment. They are lonely, and some might not care that you’re my… guest.” His eyes narrow. “And I would do worse to them than I did to Rosse should anyone hurt you, but I’d rather nothing happen to begin with.”

My thighs clench. I like this darkly protective side to him. Sirens are not afforded that luxury, despite everything else we get. Now that he’s this close to me, his Alpha scent clouds my judgment again. I lean forward and tighten my grip on his large hands, batting my lashes at him. I hope he likes how I look when I’m nice and clean.

“Then I’ll have to stay right by your side,” I whisper.

“Voids,” he lets go of me to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You and I have much to discuss, my dear. However, it’s late. We’re going to bed first.”

Something tells me Ormur doesn’t realize what he’s saying half the time. I turn and hug his arm, nodding for him to lead the way.

“Noemi,” Beth warns. “I would highly recommend we travel back to the cave. It is a safe enough trek with my navigation.”

Ormur looks up at the flying silver ball, “You’re living in a cave? And you would prefer that to a large, defensible spaceship?”

“The escape pod is perfectly safe, thank you.”

“You will both stay here. What did you name the AI? Beth? Well, Beth can find a charge port anywhere on this ship. I only ask her not to hack into anything more.”

Beth whirrs, but the Alpha shakes his head. I don’t need to be an Omega to know his decision is not open for argument.

The walk from the baths to his room is long but empty – I wonder if he’s having us take a route that’s deliberately empty. I don’t mind, I like hugging him and smiling up at him as we walk in a comfortable silence. When we arrive at our destination, I’m once again floored by the grandeur.

His room is large, like a master suite on the top floor of a hotel. He has faux windows along the walls which project the outside of the ship; the beautiful jungle-forests of Sha’Reaux with the lush greenery and brilliant flowering vines. A few birds – or Sha’Reaux equivalent of birds – fly past, making me smile.

At the far corner is a private bath, empty of water at the moment. And then against the opposite wall is a large, round bed with luxurious red sheets. They look like silk, and as he leads me there, I take a seat and sigh happily. It’s so soft and cool to the touch, the fabric draping like liquid over my fingers as I inspect it.

The room is sparsely furnished otherwise, with a desk to one side and a few filigree-framed lights on the ceiling. The room provides a warm, peaceful ambiance I don’t want to leave.

He looks towards a door and wrinkles his nose. All the Uonidians have long noses, which draws comparison to swans in my opinion. I really like that about him. He looks the part of a clever, conniving royal advisor. He stands with one hand behind his back and his posture completely rigid. His head is always straight, so when he looks down, he’s staring down his nose at me. In fact, I think I’m the only one he’s tilted his head for. He barely shot a glance at anyone else except for when he kicked those other Alphas out of the bath.

I shouldn’t like these traits, but they just work so well on Ormur.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I approach the bath with its blue underwater lights that give it a relaxing, ethereal glow.

“I could have just washed here?” I ask with a pout. “Why did you take me to the public one where there were a bunch of Alphas?”

“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” he confesses. “I haven’t thought clearly since you came here.”

Cheeks heating, I look away and my gaze fastens itself to his bed.

“Yeah, me too. I’m not… used to acting this way. Even as an Omega I’ve had enough sense to keep my independence. And yet, when you walk into the room all I can think about is how good you smell and how pretty you are.”

Ormur walks over and takes me by the shoulders, guiding me to sit down at the edge of the bed. I want to climb under the silk sheets and beckon him to join me, but the look on his face suggests he doesn’t want to do that yet. He grazes his lower lip with a fang. I want to know what he’s thinking as he stares deep into my eyes.

“You know a little about me thanks to your spy ball,” he finally says. “May I explain myself?”

I nod. He takes a seat beside me and I instinctively lean against him. He wraps his arm around me and strokes my shoulder with his fingertips.

“I am viceroy to Prince D’Vala, the eldest son of King Jouhtsan II. In Uonidian royal families with multiple children, each member holds land and territories underneath the Primark, but a successor is voted on by the people. When King Jouhtsan’s age began to show, an election was held. It’s widely known that…”

At Ormur’s pause, I lift my head. “Known that what?”

He sighs. “My dear, I’ve upheld a lie for quite a while, and it is near impossible to uphold it with you. I suppose it doesn’t matter in the end.”

He turns to stare straight ahead, as if choosing his next words carefully. He could lie to me if he wanted to, I wouldn’t realize it. The politics of a planet I’ve never been to nor ever will, don’t affect me. In fact, I’d rather turn around and fix the pillows at the headboard. They’re all wrong. It’s clear he wants me to know his story, though, and I’d be a terrible Omega to ignore the wishes of my Alpha.

“I won’t say anything that’s not my place to say,” I assure him before he continues.

“Thank you, Noemi. In truth, as I made my way up the social and political chain, I cared little for those I worked for. I just wanted power. I wanted influence. And then I joined Prince D’Vala’s house staff. D’Vala’s not a typical Uonidian Alpha. He’s very sweet, and people consider that weakness. I, however, grew attached to him. I dare say I love him. And I wanted him to be happy.

“D’Vala was only happy when his mate, Princess Sinda, was happy. And when his brother Devir won the election, she grew enraged. She gave D’Vala no peace, claimed the election was a sham, that Devir cheated. I perpetuated these lies in hopes to start a coup, to find political adversaries to help me overthrow him. If I could make D’Vala King, I would become one of the most powerful people on the planet.No… that wasn’t the real reason. The more I think on it, I just wanted my prince to smile again.”

That is so goddamn sweet! Tears fill my eyes. He notices and reaches over as one falls down my cheek, wiping it away with his thumb. “Sinda and I argued often on strategy and battle plans when things erupted into a civil war. She steered D’Vala one way, I the other. And her decisions cost us greatly. She realized this before the rest of us did and took a deal with the new King when Jouhtsan died. We’d gone into hiding, and she told him our location.”

“That bitch!”

“We lost many good people, and when we surrendered, any and all Betas of rank were executed. All Alphas of high rank were sentenced to exile. And now here we are, on Sha’Reaux. It’s a lovely planet, but it’s not home. And only Alphas were banished. Even if they had mates, those mates were not permitted to come. They would have to sever their pair-bonds. It’s starting to happen now, which is why this place has an even more sullen feel about it than usual – not that you’d know, of course. That’s also why I don’t want them all to see you. Lonely Alphas, lost of their Omega mates, then a beautiful Earthian walks into the clearing…”

Shaking my head, I reach over and run my fingertips along his jaw. He looks so sad. It breaks my heart to see that expression on his handsome face. “So instead of killing all of you, the king banished you off the planet without your mates?”

“Correct. A fate worse than death for some. I didn’t have a mate, but the King believed the misery of losing all my power was just as good a punishment. He was right. I don’t like to feel as though I’m helpless within my circumstances. And watching D’Vala, my dearest friend and the only person I’ve ever truly loved, wilt into this depressed creature he is now? I like that far less.”

It explains why I saw him as the leader. He’s taken over the role because someone had to. He runs this ship in place of the defeated Prince. And knowing that there were Omegas pair-bonded to most of these men who now had to endure time and distance slowly withering that bond away cuts me to the core. I can’t imagine that pain.

Pair-bonds are serious business. a connection between anAlpha and Omega so deep you can feel it in your bones. It’s the concept of soul mates realized. The only consolation is if you lose each other, you can pair-bond to others. I assume that’s what will happen to those Omegas left behind.

These Alphas won’t have the opportunity. I’m not sure how to feel about their fates now. Did they really deserve this? Ormur was overly ambitious. D’Vala was manipulated.

But lives were lost, plenty of innocent Alphas, Betas, Omegas, who had nothing to do with the war.

“Ormur,” I say, my hands finding his long, dark hair. It’s incredibly soft, like silk strands in my fingers. “I’m glad to hear you’re not a complete monster.”

“Well, I’m glad you don’t see me as one.”

“Still, what you still did was awful and selfish. You’re stuck here because of it, but I suppose you could say you have the opportunity to start over.”

“We want off this blasted planet,” he sneers, “but I am working on that. This brings me to the original reason I brought you here. You said you learned how to work the lands? You can forage, find native plant life that’s edible?”

I nod.

“The men are lonely, bored, depressed. If you teach me what you know, I could pass that along to them. We could delegate roles, give them something to do to distract them while I work on getting us off-world.”

He smiles. “And in return for your help, Noemi, I would help you get off-world as well. You could come with—”

“That doesn’t look to be in the cards, Ormur,” I interrupt him.

“In the cards?”

“Earth expression, sorry. Beth has tried sending a signal out, but she can’t get past the atmosphere. Something has jumbled her system. And your ship isn’t even capable of transmitting a signal, so even if we tried to combine technological forces, we simply don’t have what’s required.”

“Not yet we don’t,” he says, taking my wrists and gently pulling my hands away from his hair. I curl my fingers, and he brings them together to kiss lightly at my knuckles. “I have a plan, which I need to speak to you about in the morning. For now, you need to rest. I think we both do. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long day. I want you refreshed and ready to speak with the prince. I’d like to know how you arrived on Sha’Reaux.”

“I can tell you all of that now,” I say before turning around and crawling further onto the bed. “I don’t mind repeating myself tomorrow. I have all the time in the world. Hold on one second. The pillows must be fixed.”

Scooting to the headboard, I investigate them. They’re just like human pillows! Rectangular, fluffy, stuffed with… well, not feathers. I think that would be like if I were to stuff my pillow with my own hair. They also have decorative shams. Ormur’s room is a soft white with shades of taupe. I tug the blankets down to reveal some white sheets underneath and get to work arranging them appropriately.

In the back of my head, I think he’s speaking to me, but my focus is where it should be – this travesty of a nest. It doesn’t take me long to get my idea down, and I scrunch up what I can. The bedframe is affixed to the floor, but the mattress isn’t, so I unfasten it and tug it over to the corner. Sheet after sheet is rolled, set up in a triangle formation, with the main blanket laid on top of them. The pillows are next, and it comes to my attention that I need at least six more for my idea to even work. This nest is malformed. It’s just the bare bones.

I look over my shoulder at Ormur.

“Can you get me more pillows? And this is what I was talking about with helping. I bet I could make a frame out of some of the thinner trees in the woods. Beth and I discovered a plant that has such strong fibers you could braid it up to make rope.”

“I see,” Ormur nods. “Sure. I’ll get you more pillows. You promise to stay here?”

“Yes, I promise. I need to figure out how to make this work without a frame for now,” I laugh.

“Good. Yes, you work on that.” He winks at me before walking out.

I glance over towards Beth who sits in a charging station. She’s chosen the corner right above my nest, and her blue light slowly pulsates.

“Should I tell him about the Vinga’Nog?” I ask her. “Do you think he’d be upset that I’m a siren? That I was a progenitor?”

Beth takes a moment before answering, “Uonidian society is not as varied as Earthian society. There is no concept of ‘virginity’ and no moral standard for sex. Monogamy is only associated with chulene.”

Before I can ask what that word means, Beth continues. “Chulene means completion in ancient Uonidian. It is the phenomenon in which an Alpha and an Omega feel a powerful, physical pull towards one another. It is widely considered an evolutionary trait, when two bodies of complementary genders have the best chance of producing exceptional offspring.”

“How’s that any different from a pair-bond?”

“There are a lot of theories on pair-bonds in my database. I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is that pair-bonds are initiated by an Alpha or an Omega, and you can instill one onto someone whether they like you or not. The concept of a chulene suggests it’s predetermined.”

I nod, fluffing up a pillow for the seventh time. This nest sucks. Where is Ormur? “A pair-bond is artificial, a soul-mate is natural?”

“That is a good way of looking at it, Noemi.”

“Beth, do you think you could hack into the ship and cool the room down? I’ve worked myself into a sweat.”

“I can’t do that.”

I flop onto my half-made bedding and stare up at the ceiling. Uonidians and Earthians have a lot in common. Pretty sure if we could, we’d send our enemies off the planet. We’re not quite there yet. Waiting for my heartrate to slow down, I wonder how the other sirens are doing.

Are they safe? Did everyone make it off the ship? Did some of them land here on Sha’Reaux?

“Beth, what are the chances that the other escape pods came here?”

“Very high. Would you like a percentage?”

“No. Do you think they’ve landed nearby, though?”

“I’ve only found the Silver Ghela to communicate with. That could be a result of the signal jamming. I’m sorry, Noemi. If the other pods are on this planet, I will not know.”

It would be too nice, really. An armada of Omegas whose jobs were to find Alphas, finding a spaceship on the same world as them, full of Alphas. Sad, lonely ones. I feel bad I might be the only one to have landed here. I may be a hardy Omega, but I cannot service the entire ship!

Nor do I want to. I’d rather cuddle up with Ormur… if only this fucking nest would cooperate!

I want to talk to him about what brought me here. He’s so smart, maybe he’d know what caused the first wormhole Vinga’Nog went through to damage the ship. I’ve never heard of that happening before. Wormholes aren’t considered a remote danger, even to newly inducted races like Earthians. And the ship itself wasn’t built by us! It was built by the Keranis, a very old race in the galaxy, whose technology shouldn’t malfunction. They’ve had thousands of years to improve upon it.

It’s so hot in here…

Wait. Why is it so hot in here? “Beth, have you noticed a fluctuation in room temperature?”

“No, Noemi.”

I realize now that my heart rate hasn’t slowed yet either. I wasn’t exerting enough energy for it to be so high in the first place. “Do you need the pod to run a diagnostic on me?”

“Yes, Noemi.”

Something isn’t right. I look down at the bed and see how I’ve arranged the pillows. I’ve also scrunched up the bedding and pushed around the sheets underneath. I’m personalizing Ormur’s bed like it’s my nest. Shit. I think I’m going into heat! How can that be? I’m on suppressants, it’s a precaution so no one goes into heat before a pirate ship’s found.

“Beth? Can a lot of Alphas in one place cancel out a suppressant?”

“No, Noemi, but remember – you have been in hypersleep for 96 days. The fluid within the pod has renewed your cells and body functions for you. So, while you will have no time focused effects like aging or deterioration, your body was still very much alive. Any drugs or medication not in the pod has not been in your system during hypersleep.”

I groan. “And obviously the escape pod wouldn’t have suppressant medication in the bed, would it?”

“No. Even on a ship full of Omegas, unless a pod was designated for one, which is unsafe. If an Alpha came into the pod, drugs meant for an Omega could have adverse effects.”

And that seals the nail in my coffin. I can already feel my lower belly flutter. Cramps will be next; my body calling to mate and stay that way until I’m impregnated. Sometimes it just lasts for days without explanation. You can get pregnant on the first day and your body will still want that damn alpha cock.

Where. Is. Ormur!?

CHAPTER 6

ORMUR

While Noemi builds herself a little nest in my quarters, I decide it’s a good time to get her some more things from the fabricator. This piece of equipment can pull in space debris during travel to be used for the ship. It works on a smaller scale when grounded. If Noemi states we can use the flora and fauna of Sha’Reaux, the fabricator can as well.

I wait while it makes me some extra pillows and a long blanket. Everything is a drab, ashy beige color. I bet we could find plants here that could create dyes. Noemi would look beautiful surrounded by swaths of purple and turquoise. My own bedding is boring, standard issue. Prince D’Vala was barely afforded much in the way of luxury.

Once the blanket’s complete, I type in some clothing items. A new dress that’s less revealing, for one. I don’t want the others ogling too much of her when she only has eyes for me. When we pair-bond, she’ll not want other Alphas looking at her like that anyway.

And that will happen. Why bother denying it? I’ve spent less than a day with her at my side and it feels so natural to call her my chulene. Rather than torment myself with denial, I should settle into it and then work on settling her into it, too. Noemi is an Earthian, and Earthians do not know the concept, I don’t think.

She might be confused at first, but she is aware of her dynamic. I can use pair-bonding as a platform to explain what chulene means to us.

I key in some undergarments too, absorbent ones for an Omega, and a few sexy items for my own enjoyment.

Noemi is gorgeous. Even if she wasn’t my chulene, I’d know it to be so. She’s brown. Uonidians aren’t brown. We are all shades of blues, grays, and whites. Noemi has beautiful brown skin, thick brown hair, and oh, those black eyes of hers. Like space itself, looking into them is like peering into the vastness of all we could have together. The clothes that the fabricator creates might not be in a very appealing color, but she could make anything look like an exquisite garment.

I hope it won’t take much convincing for her to stay with us. She wants to help us settle and cultivate the land, but if that’s all she wanted, the AI could have just offered several articles from the galactic encyclopedia that Silver Ghela has in its database. But Noemi didn’t offer that, she offered to show us herself. I think she wants to stay.

“What are you doing?” Prince D’Vala says behind me. I didn’t hear the door open, didn’t even scent him as he approached.

Turning, I see my prince focused on the item screen of the fabricator. There’s a little brassiere on display and a warning that it might not be able to replicate the delicate weave of the lace due to lack of proper resources.

“I am not one to judge,” he lifts his hands up with a grin on his face, “but that cannot possibly be your size.”

“You’re in a better mood,” I mutter while folding a large blanket. I was hoping Noemi could meet him tomorrow, but I suppose there’s no time like the present to at least discuss her. “I suppose you’ve heard.”

He folds his arms, long white hair falling in front of his face.

“A female Omega showed up while you were doling out excessive punishment on a guardsman and stopped you. Captain Fallo told me what he had heard. But that sounds like a mass hallucination. There are no Omegas here.”

“It’s true,” I confess. He tilts his head. “She’s from an escape pod that had opened before we found it. She’s an Earthian. You were my next stop, I promise you.”

“I should have been your first stop. You should have taken her straight to me.”

D’Vala chuffs at me, making me feel like a child having to admit wrongdoing to his parents.

“I’m sorry, your highness, but Noemi wanted to wash up, and I wanted her to rest before she met you.”

“Since when does an Omega’s desires outweigh those of your prince?” D’Vala says, though the sneer on his lips doesn’t reach his eyes. He’s still too tired to argue, and I don’t blame him for feeling as he does.

I should explain why this is different. I keep silent for now.

He sighs, his fingers running along the fabric of Noemi’s dress on the table. “Well, since we’re both here, may we speak about it? I’ll accompany you to your chambers and meet her. I want to know more about the escape pods.”

“You think there may be more Omegas inside as well,” I say.

“Certainly.”

I wanted Noemi to get some rest first. Relax with her. Cuddle. Yes, I want to cuddle my chulene, a thought that would have made me sick back on Uonides. But I had less time than I do now, didn’t I?

Hours and hours to cuddle, among other things.

Once the fabricator is finished, D’Vala and I walk back towards my room. He helps carry the extra blankets I ordered. Normally, royalty would never carry something on their own, much less assisting one beneath them. I glance over my shoulder and see the glower on his face. We are both getting used to a lot of change.

“Do you think it is a good idea to reconsider the decision?” I say after a minute or two of walking. “There are only forty pods. Yes, one had an Omega in it, but that doesn’t mean the rest will. We would have forty new mouths to feed.”

“Or we would just let them find their own life on Sha’Reaux,” he replies. “Captain Fallo was told that this Noemi offered to help cultivate the land, that she knew how to farm.”

“Her escape pod has a very advanced AI, and it has knowledge from our galactic encyclopedia. It hacked into our systems.”

“An escape pod’s AI did that? Engineering never told me.”

“They don’t know. The technology is from Keranis, and we have forty more of them.”

A new plan begins to form, and I consider how it may affect my mate. D’Vala is more enthusiastic about this one.

“We could still go with your original idea to sell the pods, after we discover who’s inside them,” he says. It’s not a bad plan, truly.

I nod, “Noemi could tell us who, and whether or not she knows if they’re Omega. Then we could open the Omega pods and sell them empty. The rest of them, we can sell occupied for extra. If any of them have the ability to communicate past the atmosphere, it will make finding buyers far easier.”

D’Vala’s smile lights up his face, and I lean over to press my forehead to his. I love seeing him so reinvigorated after months of reclusion in his royal apartments. I also love it when a plan comes together.

We hash over the details, how we’re going to speak to Noemi about the occupants in the other pods. I don’t bring up the fact that she’s my chulene. Not yet, that can come later. But as my chulene, she won’t complain terribly when I sell off the other pods, because she has me. She needs no one else.

It’s fine to speak at length on the subject as no guards are posted in this wing. I had to send them away so none would be tempted by Noemi’s scent to disobey me and open my door.

And good thing, too, because as we approach the door, her scent makes me stop dead in my tracks.

It’s thick. The air around us is heavily perfumed with the sweet smell of Omega pheromone. Too sweet, actually. It blurs the area around me, drawing my focus to the antique knob, the only obstacle keeping me from Noemi.

She’s smelled amazing this whole time, but it was never this intoxicating, never this intense. When I look towards D’Vala he senses it, too. His pupils are dilated, fingers twitching.

Suddenly, the door opens. Noemi stands there, naked, hands gripping the sides of the threshold. She stares in our general direction. Our pupils are dilated, but hers are so large they’ve turned her eyes black.

And she is covered in sweat, as though the temperature of my room has been cranked all the way up. But no wave of warm air comes past her. It’s not what’s hot. She is.

I only left her alone for no more than half an hour, and she appeared perfectly fine. Now, she moves a hand against her lower belly, and a shimmer of light draws my gaze down to her inner thighs. Soaked. Absolutely soaked.

Noemi grabs both D’Vala and me by our collars and drags us inside. She’s strong enough to do it, too. The new clothes and blankets go flying into the air as we stumble on after her. The door closes and she spins around to face us, looking like a wild beast.

“She has gone into heat,” the AI, Beth, says as it flies over to Noemi. It hovers by her head. “She was taking heat suppressants for six months before entering the stasis bed.”

“Suppressants?” I ask, trying to keep my composure. “Why would she be on suppressants?”

“To relieve her of the burden of heat until a suitable mate was chosen.”

That answer leaves me with more questions. Suitable mate? What sort of ship was this Vinga’Nog, where it could not accommodate an Omega passenger?

I will interrogate Beth later. For now, I have to focus on Noemi. If she’s missed at least two estrous cycles, it wouldn’t be far of a stretch that a ship full of Alphas would send her careening into one in less than a day.

I take a step forward, hands up, needing to calm her. I know so little about Earthians. Some Omegas are extremely submissive during heat, others will kill anyone and anything that stands in the way of a mate. Before I can get too close, D’Vala claps his hand on my shoulder. The force of it not only stops me, but makes me jerk downward.

“Voids!” I curse, turning towards him. My prince has this look on his face. One of shock. Shock, then unfettered joy. Like his pair-bond with Sinda was miraculously repaired and she now stands before him.

Noemi cries out as she crumbles to the floor, clutching her stomach. As she looks back up to me, some of the fog dissipates and her pupils shrink.

“Ormurrrrr,” she whines.

Cautiously I move forward again, and this time D’Vala doesn’t stop me. Noemi’s weight is slight as I pull her into my arms and carry her to my bed. She had stripped it of all its blankets and pillows, and over my shoulder I see the prince gathering up the cloth we had dropped and placing it into the half-made nest in the corner of the room.

Noemi immediately scrambles off the bed towards her nest. She’s once again lost to the fog of heat, and she’ll be this way until I satisfy her. Sorry, my prince, the questions for her will have to wait.

“How long will she be like this?” D’Vala asks as he snatches the silver ball from the air. “Are Earthian heats anything like Uonidian heats?”

“Little is documented on Earthians,” it responds. “But as Uonidians and Earthian are closely related, it is safe to assume her heat will last several days.”

He lets go of the orb and it flitters back towards the woman feverishly rearranging the bedding. D’Vala’s pupils have overtaken the color of his eyes as well, and he begins unclasping his cape.

“Hrm. Well, I suppose you may leave, Ormur. She is an Omega under my watch; therefore, it is only right that I take on the burden of tending her heat. You may have my room in the meantime.”

A wave of possessiveness slams into me and I stop him as he reaches for a clasp.

“I cannot let you do that, your highness.”

He snarls. D’Vala is larger and more powerful than I, yet in this moment I would tear him apart for mating rights. I force the instinct down. He might have physical strength, but my mind has always been my greatest advantage. My willpower is strong enough… barely.

“You see,” I manage, the Omega’s scent invading my senses, “She’s.. well, she’s my chulene.”

My prince scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous. She is an Earthian.”

“And yet it’s true. I swear on my loyalty to you, on my life. It’s taken me every ounce of control to not lay a claiming bite on her. I wanted to tell her about what this would mean for us first, but now she is in heat.”

Noemi doubles over from another cramp. Even Beth begins to buzz in irritation, wanting me to help her ward. I let go of D’Vala and stride over to her, pulling her up into my arms. Her lips instinctively find my neck, softness pressing there, a wet tongue licking up the column of my throat. She is tasting my pheromones for a small comfort.

The prince watches me. I remain still, but my claws dig into the flesh of my Omega’s thigh.

“My prince, if Uonidians and Earthians are related, then it stands to reason we may be able to have such a deep connection. Believe me, I never wanted a mate before. They get in the way, like Noemi is right now.”

She bites me. There’s enough clarity in her to hear that. I clear my throat. “What I meant was, I have always been focused on power and acquiring more of it. And serving you, D’Vala. But here I stand, ready to kill you for an alien. And I will kill you if you try and stop me from making her mine.”

I cannot believe I am threatening my beloved prince. If another Alpha had ever spoken such words to him in my presence, I would have shot them. We were not permitted much weaponry in exile.

D’Vala takes a shaky breath. “You would never speak to me like this if she were not your chulene,” he relents. “I know you too well. I need to get out of here before I challenge you for her.”

Noemi kicks away and lands heavily on the ground, pain likely shooting down her legs from cramps. She scurries to the dropped bedding and drags it to her nest, resuming her work. D’Vala takes a long look at her, pupils still dilated, but I no longer feel the urge to dominate coming off him. He takes a step back towards the door.

“Tend to the Omega. You better claim her or someone else will. We will discuss things later.”

He turns on his heel and leaves the room, door slamming shut behind him. I wish we could have a more modern partition system, so I could at least see who may lurk outside. Her scent will travel, and others will come sniffing around. For now, I’ll have to trust antiquated locking mechanisms.

Turning back to the nest, I begin to undress.

“You have access deeper into the Silver Ghela,” I tell the AI. “Beth, lock this door and do not allow anyone save Noemi or me access.”

Noemi fluffs up her nest with more pillows and blankets. The clothing that had fallen remains discarded. Soon she has everything the way she wants it. She turns her attention up to me, big black eyes wide and sad.

She needs her mate.

CHAPTER 7

NOEMI

Every so often I can take a breath and calm my rapid heartbeat. I’m in heat. Oh fuck, I’m in a full-fledged heat now. If I thought I was acting irrationally before, I know it will only get worse from here on in.

But the nest, the nest is made. Ormur came with so much, thank God. I had more pillows to line the wall, more sheets to keep it nice and soft. And now there’s enough room for both of us. I’ve missed nesting. When you’re an Omega, you give up so much of your ‘civilized self’ for parts of your primal self that are often violent. Nesting is a gentler part. I can ignore the cramps, the fever, the incessant horniness, while I work on making my space as comfortable as possible. And no Alpha will dare enter the nest until they’re invited to do so. So if I’m not quite ready, they will have to wait.

Ormur’s scent wafts over me, reminding me he’s there. I take one last glance at my nest and then turn to face him. He’s taken off all his clothing, thank God. He looks like some sort of dark god, with his winged ears, wavy black hair, and those red eyes that stare through me. He’s told me of the evil he committed in the name of power and loyalty. He’s a bad man.

But he will not set one foot in this nest without permission. That is the power of an Omega.

A cramp hits me like a mac truck, reminding me, as it’s done for the past hour, that I’m in need of relief. At least, I think it’s been an hour. Or perhaps a few more. Time’s fuzzy for me.

Why isn’t he in my nest yet? I whimper up at him and hold out my hand. Come on, Ormur.

He slips his large hand into mine and takes a step onto the soft bedding, kneeling before me. His cock sits on his thighs and the purple catches my attention. Such a bright, pretty contrast to the dark gray and black of his skin and feathers.

But then something else catches me off guard, something that nearly sucks all the erotic tension out of the room.

He’s not hard.

Oh my God, he’s not hard!

I can’t fathom this for a good, long minute. I just… stare at it. This purple, long – admittedly very pretty – flaccid cock. Tears fill my eyes.

Ormur reaches for me, but I scramble away, curling up in the corner. How humiliating! I know we’re different races, but I thought maybe he still found me attractive. I suppose humans might look plain to someone like him, but still…

“I thought you liked me,” I cry.

“What?” He shuffles closer. “Darling?”

Meekly, I point at his soft cock. “You’re not hard.”

“I’m not… hard?”

“Yeah!”

I wipe my eyes, utterly miserable. Even the pain of a cramp doesn’t phase me. I don’t want another Alpha to fill me. I wanted it to be Ormur!

He laughs, for a moment adding to my humiliation, but then reaches over to set a warm hand on my cheek.

“Darling, that’s not how a Uonidian cock works. I’m sorry, I didn’t know Earthians get erections like Prarthians. Come here, time for a quick lesson while you’re still lucid.”

He sits back, crossing his legs, and pulls me easily into his lap. I straddle him so that his cock is between us. Wiping my eyes, I watch as it slowly rises. Then I watch as it curls. It’s not shaped the same as a human’s; it’s wider at the base and tapers to a triangular tip. It stiffens, curls again. It moves on its own…

It’s a tentacle cock!

“See?” He strokes my hair. “I desire you very much. My cock is filled with blood just like an Earthian’s would be, but I can control mine.”

“Earthian men can’t control their cocks ever,” I laugh, pulling myself closer. “Ormur… I really like your tentacock.”

“Never heard it referred to as such before,” he replies while turning us and settling me on my back. “But I am glad it has your approval.”

He brings his lips to mine, soft and gentle, and my hands drape over his shoulders. My eyes drift closed as I sink into the feeling of his warm body surrounding me. Caged in by his arms, his chest vibrates with an Alpha’s purr against my belly. I wait for his tentacock to enter me, but instead he drags himself down my body, kissing over my neck, along my chest, pulling one of my hard nipples into his mouth.

I don’t know if I have it in me to be teased. Impatient, I squirm and push at his shoulders. But he ignores me and takes his time, swirling his tongue around the taut, brown skin. He keeps my other nipple pleasured by pinching it between his thumb and the base of his index finger, that hand encompassing my entire breast. I feel every squeeze, every tug, with increasing intensity.

Seconds later a climax rushes over me. Slick soaks my thighs and the bedding of our nest, perfuming the room further. I haven’t come in months, I’d almost forgotten what slick smelled like. For me it’s sugary, like I’ve just walked into a bakery. I’m told for Alphas it’s different, causes them to lose control.

Ormur seems too calculating of the sort. He glances up at me, my nipple popping from his mouth, and grins. His tongue is purple, and he slides it along my belly, licking up the beads of sweat that have formed on my skin. I lift my hips with a glare. I want something inside me. NOW.

His tongue finds its way to my thighs, cleaning the slick-soaked skin. I feel it drag over my hot flesh, his lips sucking and kissing, his eyes never leaving mine. It’s so damn sexy.

Another cramp and Ormur’s lips immediately latch onto my sex. I coat his face while his hands wrap around my thighs and lift me up. He drinks me, and his eyes roll up like I’m fresh water and he’s not had a drop in ages. Watching him get high, feeling his grip on my legs, oh God, I’m about to drown the man!

“Ormur!”

He sits up, dragging me with him like a ragdoll, and then lies back so I’m sitting on him. One great thing about Alphas – they love going down on a woman. But that’s not such a great thing when you’re in heat. I can’t handle that right now. It’s gone beyond pleasure and pain, into a different dimension of feeling.

I’m riding his face, I could break it if I’m not careful. Another climax follows quickly.

This won’t do. I slap at his hands until he lets go of me, and I shuffle backwards. His face is wet, and he laughs at me. If I wasn’t so goddamn horny maybe I’d slap his chest or something, but behind me is his tentacock and I want it.

“Alright,” he says with his hands up by his head, “no foreplay. I understand.”

He lies back against the nest, letting me find his cock. I know he can move it at will as it rises up and runs over my mound. It takes little to lubricate him. Another aspect of my heat that’s changed, I’ve never secreted so much slick before. The section of sheet where I’d spent most time arranging the nest is drenched. Ormur doesn’t seem to mind. He positions me over his cock and smiles.

Seeing him under me like this, with the dark waves of hair that halo his face, he looks like some sort of evil angel. Should a girl find that hot? Should I fall so head over heels for a man with red eyes and fangs? Claws?

I guess so. None of it bothers me. I couldn’t care less that he’s on this planet as punishment for being a supervillain. He’s a handsome, doting Alpha with the coolest penis ever. It slides along my slit, coating itself in my arousal, before thrusting in.

Relief washes over me at the same time. He holds nothing back; every inch of his cock, up to the hilt, fills me. His hips rise to meet mine and then I drop myself down onto him. Those ridges I saw when he showed himself to me, I can feel every single one of them. It’s as if he was made for a girl like me.

His hands find the tops of my thighs, and he runs his fingers over them soothingly.

“Feel better, love?” he asks.

I roll my hips. I’m squeezing him so tightly he winces. Yes, I feel better, and a soft moan escapes me. When I start to really ride him, all this pent-up energy I didn’t even know I had surges forward.

My hips keep rolling, his thick cock touching every part of me. My body, hot and sweating, sets the pace. His red eyes bore into me while I mate him. And that’s what this is: mating. Primal, messy mating. I feel pleasure from the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes, every little movement sending wave after wave of it. Ormur tries to move me, but I slap his hand. The harder I ride him, the more pressure I feel against my labia. His knot! I need his knot.

I whine, speeding up my pace as the bulge grows at the base. I wish I could see it, I bet it’s pretty and purple like the rest of his cock. He’s drilling into me now, trying to work that knot inside. I know my body’s built for it, all Omegas have an extra muscle meant for accommodating – and squeezing – an Alpha’s knot. It’s the source of my cramps because it wants something to squeeze.

Suddenly I’m on my back, and Ormur has my wrists pinned down above my head. Good idea, I think in a moment of clarity, because I’m about to slap the shit out of him for knocking me out of my rhythm.

Staring up at him now, his hair surrounds us and shadows his face. His eyes give off a fiendish, red glow. My dark angel has become a demon, and I struggle to reach up and kiss him.

He leans back, though, the fucking tease, and laughs when I warn him with a pathetic Omega growl.

Omega growls do nothing. But Alpha growls?

Now that he’s in control, he can deny me that knot I crave, and growl very, very low. Which he does. The deep rumble reverberates throughout my whole being, warm and chocolatey. I feel myself arch towards him and my thighs shake. The greatest thing in the world is that deep roll of his throat.

Something spreads my lower lips. A few more thrusts and the demon’s knot pops inside me. My pussy has never felt this incredibly full. I’ve been knotted before, but this is different. It’s… a perfect fit, almost. It doesn’t hurt. There isn’t the mix of pleasure and pain that I’m used to.

Is this what it’s like being a “chulene”? I remember that word, what Beth said it meant. Is this why there’s no hurt in our mating? Why his knot feels euphoric rather than just intense?

Ormur pushes his knot deeper until it’s behind my pubic bone, locking us together. He finally moves within kissing range, but before I can seek out his lips, he presses his to my neck. I tilt my head back, trying to give him better access, and tug hard enough on my arms that he lets them go.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and pull him to me. His sharp teeth sink into the flesh of my neck, and the climax that hits me shatters me into a thousand pieces. My fingers curl into his back and I cry out, every fiber of my being feels an immeasurable amount of pleasure.

This isn’t an ordinary orgasm and I know it. It’s as if all the other minor climaxes have come back to prolong it, draw it out until I think it may never end.

I might have blanked out. The next thing I know, we’re lying on our sides. I’m now tingly and relaxed rather than overheated and in pain.

Ormur remains locked inside me with a significantly smaller knot. I’m pretty sure I milked him raw. He probably won’t be stuck like this for too long. He doesn’t appear bothered. Rather, he stares at me with such adoration I want to cry.

Men don’t stare at women like this on Earth, definitely not on Nephus.

His fingers trace over my neck. I know he bit me, but I don’t feel any pain. My nerves are fried.

“I can administer first aid,” a voice says from above. Beth!

“No need,” Ormur replies. “We’ll heal on our own.”

We?

I reach out and pull his wavy locks from his shoulder. Oh, I’ve bitten him, too. I don’t remember doing that, and I offer him an apologetic smile. He gives me a kiss in return, then pulls me back into his arms. Pure bliss.

But then I feel a cramp deep in my groin, where his knot should be. It must have subsided…

This will not do. I glare up at Ormur. I’m going to get all hot and crampy again! He needs to rectify this immediately!

“Ormuuuurrrrr,” I whine.

He just laughs, “I’m ready again when you are, chulene.”

CHAPTER 8

ORMUR

Noemi sleeps peacefully in my arms as we lie in our nest. I haven’t left my bedroom in three days, and I am likely dehydrated. Any water I retrieved from my cold storage was given to my poor, suffering Omega. She did so well for one who hadn’t gone into heat for several months. I sigh, knowing that today we will have much to discuss. The fever broke last night, and she’s calmed down in the time since. Noemi only woke for about an hour last night, and she took that time to eat something before going back to sleep.

She fidgets against my chest, eyes blinking open. I smile down at her and stroke a curly lock of hair from her cheek.

“Morning, love,” I say. She rubs one of her eyes.

“Morning.”

“How do you feel?”

“My neck hurts.”

Voids, the first thing we must talk about. I look away. “I bit you.”

“I know. It’s okay, I didn’t feel it.” She smiles. “I bit you back.”

I shift, propping myself up against a wall of pillows, and she follows suit. My arms surround her as I tug her into my lap. Her long legs drape over one of mine and I can’t help but stroke one. Her brown skin is so incredibly soft.

“It was more than just a love nibble, Chulene.”

“I know. Earthians pair-bond, too.”

They do? That is a relief. “So you willingly completed our bond.”

“Mmhmm.” She goes tense in my arms, flashing me a worried look. “You don’t… regret it, do you?”

I give her a reassuring squeeze. “No, never. I just wanted more time to talk to you about it. Make sure you knew what it would mean for us.”

The smile on her face returns, making my cheeks heat. I snarl, “Do not look at me like that.”

“You’re being cute, Ormur.”

“I am not being cute. I am being considerate of my mate. It is the proper thing for an Alpha to do!”

“You called me Chulene a few times. Beth said it means ‘completion’. Is that what I am to you?”

That fucking AI. I shoot a glare up at the ball as it rests in its charge port.

“No, no, Ormur.” Noemi sits up and kisses my jaw. “That’s more of a relief than you know. It explains so much. Why I acted so strangely towards you, why I was so drawn to you. I wasn’t just being crazy. God, my whole purpose on Vinga’Nog was to find a mate, and I’ve found my soul mate. The fact that you’re incredibly gorgeous is a bonus.”

Moments pass while she laughs and cuddles me more. Oh, how good it feels having her with me like this. I no longer regret the events that led me to Sha’Reaux. I can’t even feel bad for the Alphas outside these doors who don’t have a Noemi of their own.

I hum, thinking about what she’s just said. She was on Vinga’Nog to find a mate? Wasn’t that a Keranissian ship?

“Noemi, I want you to tell me about how you came to be on this world.”

She idly runs her fingers along my chest, “My ship was damaged during wormhole travel. We had to abandon it. We all managed to get out safely onto pods, but they were damaged, too. They couldn’t communicate with each other. I went into hypersleep for about three months according to Beth.”

“Wormholes do not damage ships. They’re tunnels, my dear.”

“I don’t know what caused it. We entered the wormhole fine, but while we were in it, something happened, and we were nearly crushed. We exited just fine, but… the ship was dying, and fast.”

“How odd. I’ll have to look into this. So, you said it was the Vinga’Nog, and that it was of Keranis build?”

“Mmhmm.” She blushes and lowers her gaze to the sheets at our feet.

“What sort of ship was it?”

“It was a cruise ship,” she murmurs, wringing the blanket in her hands. The bond forming between us is strained. She’s lying to me, and she feels bad about it.

I place a claw under her chin, gently guiding her face back up. “You can tell me the truth. We’re pair bonded now, darling, you’ve nothing to fear from me.”

Her dark gaze fixates on me, and she nods with determination. “I’m a siren, Ormur.”

“A siren?”

I give her a deadpan stare. Sirens are a race of scaled beings with a single antenna on their head. From the end of it there is a bioluminescent lure that Alphas use to attract Omegas. “I thought you were from Earth.”

“Oh, right. Sirens mean something else to Earthians. On my planet, it’s a woman who lures sailors to them with their beauty, and then kills them. My goal wasn’t to kill any Alphas, I promise.”

This is fascinating. I smile, urging her on a gentle nudge to her arm.

“I lived on the planet Nephus for a few years as a breeder. You know the Keranis are experiencing a birth shortage there. Earthian Omegas produce really strong halflings. Nephus and Earth made a deal to send willing Omegas there, and they pay them well. But the government needed more Alphas. Well, the majority of space pirates are Keranis Alphas, after all. So the Vinga’Nog disguises itself as a cruise ship and sails the more dangerous space routes. Pirates always find it, and when they do, we capture them instead of the other way around… because Vinga’Nog is actually a class 3 warship from Nephus.”

“You capture the space pirates, and then what?”

“Well, we gave them a choice. They could take some credits and leave, or they could take an Omega and go back to Nephus with a full pardon from the Galactic Federation. They just had to have lots of babies and leave the only life they’ve ever known behind. As far as I know, they’d usually take the latter. Some were far too used to life in space and refused.”

“I see.”

She pauses, “You don’t care that I was a breeder?”

“No.”

The tension eases from her body. I give her another squeeze. “So Sirens would lure pirates to Nephus to make more babies?”

“Yes. I was eager to find a mate. I was tired of breeding. It paid well, but you didn’t get pregnant. They just harvested your fertilized eggs. You weren’t allowed to keep any to term or raise babies.”

I nuzzle her cheek. My sweet chulene wants a family, and she was willing to find it with a damn space pirate. I’m glad she found me instead.

But that means… “So were there only sirens on Vinga’Nog?”

“Yes.”

“And sirens are Omegas?”

“Mmhmm.”

There are forty pods in the cargo bay. I know Noemi’s telling the truth, which means all of those pods contain sleeping Omegas looking for mates. I pull her tightly into my arms and kiss her. This is better than any luxuries I could have sold them for. What would an Alpha value more? High technology, an AI for the ship, communicators, or beautiful, fertile Omegas?

I kiss Noemi’s cheeks, her brow, her lips. “You are a greater help than you know, chulene. Why were you nervous to tell me this?”

“On Earth, Omegas aren’t well understood. It’s… sort of a source of shame. The Nephus government did provide therapy to try and get us out of that conditioning, but it’s hard. I wasn’t sure if Uonides felt the same way as Earthians.”

“I told you, I led a civil war that saw thousands killed and thousands more executed once we lost, and you were afraid I would disapprove of your past? Love, you baffle me, truly.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know what’s happened to the passengers and crew, though. For all I know, some might be here, too. Beth said it was possible.”

I stroke her hair. “Well… They’re here. On Sha’Reaux. We’ve found forty pods so far.”

“What?” Noemi pauses while tracing my areola. Voids.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you since we’ve been somewhat preoccupied, but we have found forty escape pods in this area. We’ve even seen them entering the atmosphere for weeks now. I confess I was planning to find a way to sell them on the intergalactic black market…”

Risking a glance down at her, I offer a nervous smile as she glares. “We only knew they were Earthians, the pods did not explain more than race and designation of crew or passenger. We did not want to wake any quite yet, not until a determination was made.”

Noemi climbs out of my lap and slowly rises to her feet, stretching her arms high in the air. She hasn’t stood fully in days, and I hear the cracks of a few stiff joints. I watch her make her way over to the bath opposite our nest, leaning over the side. Her body is immaculate despite days of mating and little else. It’s a testament to the strength of an Omega. I know I’d bruised her a few times, but the marks are already fading. All but the curve of teeth marks at the base of her neck, where I claimed her as mine.

“Can you fill the bath?” she asks. “I’m covered in sweat, among other things.”

“It’s manual, darling. We weren’t allowed AI on the ship.”

When she sees I’ll give no direction, Noemi figures it out on her own. I could have helped, but I have a great view of her ass and I like to see her tenacity. She really is a perfect mate. As the tub fills with hot water, I finally decide to follow her in. Her eyes focus on my own body, at least she isn’t mad at me.

She scoots forward and I slip in behind her, pulling her back against my chest. “The chances of us finding anything on this planet besides sadness were slim, chulene. We were given enough resources to last us a few years, and then we would have to figure it out on our own. I assume the King does not expect us to last that long. But dozens of pods means extra mouths to feed. Selling them could get us help in staying here for the long run. And we are not exceptionally good people. The thought of selling lives in exchange for comfort isn’t something that would make me feel particularly guilty.”

“Even if it was selling us into slavery? Omegas are a high commodity on the black market. Who knows what could happen to us?”

“Good thing you found us, then.”

Noemi looks over her shoulder at me as I lather up her hair, eyes narrowed. “You’re a dick.”

“Yes, I know.” I wink. “I managed to get the ship to imitate a gamma burst and send it into space several months back, hoping someone might follow its source to us. No one ever came. And I would have eventually figured out the pods’ signals emitters are damaged. The entire plan was doomed to fail. So truly, it is good you found us. Now the other Omegas will have someone to look to when they wake up. You can explain things to them.”

I take my time washing my Omega, purring softly to relax her, and hopefully get her less angry with me. The cleansing oils and lathers lack artificial perfumes, so her natural scent can shine through. I breathe in that scent as I bury my nose in her neck, then kiss her claiming mark.

She washes me after, turning to face me and sudsing up my hair. During her heat she couldn’t stop playing with it and telling me how pretty I am, so I beam with pride as she happily cleans me. She even takes special time with my tail, stroking the feathered tip and then tickling her nose with it.

“Ormur,” the AI Beth chimes in, whirring as she slides off the charging port. “Prince D’Vala is approaching your chambers.”

Ever a punctual man, my prince. I look down at Noemi as she rinses my tail. “How are you feeling?”

“Good. I think my heat’s run its course. It was intense.”

“I made you some new clothing in the replicator a few days ago.” I show her the dresses and undergarments, letting her decide what she’d like to wear as I dry us off. The handle of the door turns, but stops mid-way. Then it jiggles as D’Vala tries to simply walk in. Noemi gasps and rushes to pull a dress over her head.

I dress with far less haste. Hearing the prince growl and curse at me from the other side of the door is entertaining. But when Noemi looks like she’s about to burst with anxiety, I give Beth the go ahead to unlock it.

He bursts through immediately after. Wearing the regal robes of royalty, donned with jewels and even his crown. I haven’t seen him dressed up like this in ages.

“First you threaten to kill me,” he huffs, “then you ignore me for nearly a week, and then you lock me out?”

“Noemi has only recently come out of her estrous,” I explain, pulling my boots on. I reach out to Noemi with my tail and guide her to stand in front of me. “Noemi, this is Prince D’Vala. Tell him what you told me about the pods.”

CHAPTER 9

NOEMI

I vaguely remember Prince D’Vala. At the start of my heat, he had been in the room for a time, but I think Ormur chased him out. He’s taller and larger than my mate, and almost all white. There are some parts of him with black accents, like his lips and the roots of his hair, but that’s all. His body is more what one expects in an Alpha. Broad shoulders, powerfully muscled, like he’s about to burst from his fancy clothing any second now.

At first I thought under his eyes were black too, but now I realize he’s just very tired. After hearing his story from Ormur, I feel a tinge of sympathy for him. A fallen prince stuck on a planet without his lady love, who he has no idea betrayed them all.

“I don’t know how to greet Uonidian royalty,” I say to him. “But my name is Noemi. Nice to meet you.”

He offers me a smile, and I hear a purr rev up from deep within his chest. “You may refer to me as Prince D’Vala. You are an Earthian Omega, is that right?”

I nod, “Yes, Prince. I haven’t lived on Earth in about six years, though. Since I was about 19, I’d been living on the planet Nephus as a Progenitor – a breeder for the Keranis race. They provided me with a monthly stipend and lodging with other Omegas, and during heats we would be bred by Alphas, then have our fertilized eggs harvested.”

D’Vala looks up from me to Ormur. I continue anyway. “In order to broaden the gene pool, they called out to the Keranis Alphas who live in space to come back to Nephus and help with the repopulation efforts. I guess not a lot of them answered, so the Omega Siren Initiative was started.

“Since most Keranis are space pirates, ships were sent into the sectors most frequented by them. They were disguised as cruise ships who’d gotten lost, perfect targets for pillaging. My ship, Vinga’Nog, was one such. Staffed completely by Omegas, when a pirate ship “caught” us, we would let them board and basically offer them potential mates.”

The prince’s eyes widen. He folds his arms, and the corner of his lips twist up into a smile. “You came from a ship comprised only of Omegas?”

“Yep. Several hundred of us, in fact.”

Another look exchanged with Ormur. He’s probably considering the pods now.

“So, the Vinga’Nog was very badly damaged during travel through a wormhole. I don’t know why or how, it’s like something collided with it, like something else entered the wormhole at the same time. I know that doesn’t make sense, but we didn’t really have time to figure it out. We all got into escape pods and went into hypersleep. The pod’s comm systems were also damaged, so while we were safe, we couldn’t communicate with each other.”

“And you ended up here, on Sha’Reaux…” D’Vala brings a white hand up to press under his chin. “You know we’ve found about forty pods so far. And you are telling me every single one of them contains an Omega?”

“Yes.”

“My ship is comprised only of Alpha males.”

“That’s what Ormur told me. He also said I’m his chulene.”

I like the sound of it the more I say the word. Ormur’s hands move down to interlock underneath my chest, giving me a kiss on the side of my head. I reach up to stroke the side of his cheek with my fingertips.

D’Vala watches us, and the smile on his face softens. “Finally, some hope. We will open the other pods, and every subsequent pod we find. We’ll find a way to make our resources last.”

“Noemi’s pod hacked into our encyclopedia and taught her how to forage,” Ormur says, still nuzzling me. “We’ll find our own resources. Maybe the other Omegas will be happy to help as well. We could live out our lives in peace. It wouldn’t be like our old lives, of course, but we would not sit around waiting to die. These Omegas are our salvation.”

“There will certainly be a search party sent for us,” I break the tender moment with some hard truth. “And the Keranis are desperate for Omegas. I don’t know if they’ll come looking here, but if they use the same methods to find a suitable resting place as all these escape pods, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.”

“They would not separate pair-bonded mates,” D’Val insists. “That’s something the Federation takes very seriously.”

Ormur shrugs. “If they do discover Sha’Reaux, then any Omegas who do not find mates or who do not wish to stay can go with them. We’ll give them that option.”

I notice one of D’Vala’s eyebrows tweak up at the end of that statement, but he says nothing. I don’t like that change in his expression, but from what I’ve seen, Ormur is a great influence on him. They are not the power-hungry villains they’ve made themselves out to be, I think. Ormur in only a few days has shown himself to be respectful, honest, and sweet. He could have forced me into a pair bond the moment he saw me. He could have whipped me!

He did none of those things. He was gentle, tended me through my very sudden heat, and I recall him even asking to mark my neck.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to open the pods?” my mate asks me.

“I do. If they want to go back into hypersleep and wait for rescue, would you allow them to?”

“Yes.”

“And if they don’t want to be pair-bonded, would you accept that?”

This time I pull away from Ormur and stand between the two Alphas so I can see the both of them. I need to know my friends and fellow Omegas will be safe and still have a choice.

Choice – it’s a right so rarely afforded to my dynamic.

They both nod in unison. “Of course,” Prince D’Vala says. “If I am prince over these Alphas, I would be prince over the Omegas, as well. And I would protect them just as my own subjects.”

A sigh of relief leaves me. “Thank you. I’d like to be there when the pods are opened, if that’s okay.”

“We will stagger the openings as there are so many. Ormur, find the ship’s captain and General Crix. Meet me in the comm room in twenty minutes. Bring your Omega.”

“Yes, your highness,” Ormur says. D’Vala leaves, and I swear he looks taller as he disappears into the hallway.

We’re alone once more, the tall Uonidian’s arms once again slip around me. I lean back against him, thinking about what to do from here.

I know what I’d like to do, and that’s jump back into the nest with this sexy alien, but there are about forty of my fellow Omegas asleep in pods, with more coming, and none of them know what they’re about to wake up to.

I hope they won’t be too upset. We’re on a beautiful planet that has so much to offer us, including handsome Alphas. If the Nephus government never finds us, or writes the damaged ship off as a loss and forgets about us, we can make something of Sha’Reaux.

At least I’ll have Ormur.

“Noemi, darling,” He straightens up and moves away from me, tail lingering around my waist. “I’m sorry the clothing I have for you is so bland. I can have the gown you were wearing before washed and repaired if you would like.”

While I think about what I want, Ormur opens a closet to reveal his own clothing. He pulls out a long, black overcoat that trails behind him in a swirled cut at the hem. The broach that closes it in the center is a sparkling crystal, maybe a ruby. His opulence should make me feel underdressed, and considering that Prince D’Vala had a billowing cape that managed to catch air even in a still room, I glance down at myself.

My dress looks more like a nightgown, plain and straight down to my ankles. I bet there’s tutorials on dye making in the galactic encyclopedia…

“Hmmm… yes please.”

“For now, let me see what I might have for you.”

Ormur finds a pale green shirt with sparkly black buttons down the front, sparing a glance my way as if taking quick measurements. He slips it over my head and it goes down to my knees. It’s like silk on my body, and it smells like him so I happily hug myself and nod.

I’m sure he’s having me wear something covered in his scent so the other Alphas that I’ll be around don’t get any funny ideas. He finds a comb and beckons me over. We spend the twenty minutes allotted by Prince D’Vala grooming each other. I don’t think anything of it. We relax in each other’s arms and I admire his alien beauty. It’s clear he does the same with me. Really, I’ve never felt so beautiful as when he stares at me like he’s been doing since we’ve met.

“Ormur,” Beth chimes in, “I’ve taken the liberty to find Captain Fallo and General Crix using the deactivated AI spheres. I told them to meet Prince D’Vala in the com room.”

“You reactivated the AI spheres?” I say, looking around at the empty charge ports.

“Yes.” She pauses. “I have established myself as the Silver Ghela’s AI. Now I can communicate with the other escape pods and open them remotely upon Prince D’Vala’s orders, or yours. You both are designated as top rank access.”

“Jesus, Beth!” I snap. “You can’t just take over a ship like that, that’s how you get Skynet.”

“I don’t know what Skynet is, Noemi. But Ormur gave me access.”

Ormur smiles at me and kisses the top of my head. Well, if he’s comfortable with it, so am I. It’s not like she has anything to really take over or destroy. We could barely call ourselves a colony at this point.

After I finish freshening up and Ormur braids my hair, we exit his chambers. We hold hands, Alpha and Omega, two pair-bonded mates.

I’m lucky. I know this. I could have had to spend the rest of my days with a pirate who may not even have liked me, just wanted a galactic pardon. Or I could have died on the Vinga’Nog. Or my escape pod could have been destroyed. A number of things could have happened, but instead I found love with a handsome Alpha who thinks the world of me. And we have this big, beautiful planet to call our own.

I don’t know what’s going to happen when we walk into this meeting, but I’m confident with Ormur. He’s smart and dominant. He won’t let anything happen to the Omegas without hearing what I have to say about it.

I just hope I do what’s right by them, and they don’t end up hating me for the decisions I make. I’ll have to trust myself with this. We went into space looking for mates, after all.

While we did make a slight detour, we certainly found them, and then some.

Thank you for reading The Exiled of Sha’reaux! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to visit Ana’s Facebook page !

C.Y. CROC

CRASH LANDED ALIEN LOVE

PROLOGUE

“Yee—haw! Watch out Vysaria. Five horny women are about to blow your minds and set your pulses racing when you gaze upon their collective eclectic beauty.”

I watch Bee in fascination as she seductively runs her hands down her body. She hikes a thumb at her chest. “Take your coffee black? No problem! I’ll taste delectable on your taste buds—robust—yet sublime.” Eve and I turn to look at each other and our mouths crack open into huge grins.

Bee points at us and continues with her sales spiel. “Like your coffee with lots of cream? We got you covered. We have two gorgeous women with the creamiest skin.” I hiccup a laugh. She cocks her ear to an imaginary voice, cupping her hand around it and gestures towards Deja and Cassie. “What is that, sir? You only like a dash of milk? Not to worry. We cater to every palate—we’ve got every type of female you could possibly desire. Yes siree! This bevy of beauties comes in every shade.” She grins vivaciously at us and opens her arms wide. “We’re gonna blow into their world like a Texan tornado!”

We all howl with laughter. Bee is without doubt the most excitable one in our group. We even nicknamed her Bee from Belinda because she never keeps still. She’s a welding engineer by trade and although tall with sculpted muscles, she also rocks womanly curves. To me, she’s the true epitome of a black Amazonian warrior. She almost certainly has bigger biceps than any man I ever saw back home on Earth.

Not that I’ve seen many male biceps—or men, come to think of it. Earth is underpopulated by men and seriously overpopulated by women. In fact, there are around one thousand women for every single male. That’s why four other women and I are on this spaceship. We have spent the last eight months in space flying across our galaxy to reach a planet named Vysaria, where there, men outnumber women five-thousand to one.

I wink at Bee. “Whatever man the Vysaria government has lined up as your match certainly has his work cut out. He won’t know whether to wrestle you…or fuck you.”

Bee throws her head back and hollers. She places her hands on her hips and cocks her head, giving me a sexy wink. “I want him to do both, Ava. I need a powerful man who can keep up with me physically. If the Vysaria government has paired me with some numpty-wimp, I’m marching to the nearest bar to find my own damn match—a sawdust and grit man.”

Eve laughs softly at Bee’s remark and her blonde hair cascades around her shoulders as she scrunches up her nose, making her glasses slide down to the tip. She pushes them back up with her slender index finger. She’s probably the only person on Earth never to have had laser vision correction surgery, but it doesn’t surprise me. In our eight months together, I’ve learned so many things about each of the women, and Eve is by far the most squeamish. She shrugs her bird-like shoulders. “I’d be too embarrassed to say anything if I didn’t find my match physically attractive. Anyway, I’d give him the benefit of the doubt—beauty is only skin deep after all.”

Cassie gets up from the floor after doing her daily five-hundred sit-ups and turns to face us with her hands on her hips. “I just hope mine is as health conscious as me. I’d hate to be paired with a slob.” Perspiration gleams on every inch of her almond skin. She works out for a minimum of two hours every day. I’m so jealous. I just wished I had her commitment and enthusiasm for exercise.

Deja’s mouth drops open and her brown eyes widen in horror. “I hadn’t given food a second thought. What if there is no chocolate on Planet Vysaria?”

I mock a grimace, but then wink at her with a smile. “Well, you’ll have to think long and hard about what means more to you. The chance of having a male partner and hopefully a baby or two further down the line… Or having orgasmic, velvety chocolate on hand every day.” I talk behind the back of my hand to the other women, loud enough for Deja to hear. “I know which one I’d prefer to get an orgasm from.” Dropping my hand, I shrug with a smile at Deja. “The catch is, you’ll have to stay in the shuttle and return to Earth to be guaranteed chocolate. I don’t think our government would be too happy if you told them the reason why you’d returned, but they did reassure us we could return with the ship if we reconsidered. ”

I think Deja is actually salivating as she considers my statement because she swallows with a noisy gulp and licks her lips as she stares off into space through the only galley window on the ship, out into the velvety blackness on the other side of its nine-inch toughened glass.

She turns back to us with a beaming smile. “Maybe my man will be made out of chocolate! I know what part of him I’ll be sucking first!”

Another eruption of laughter fills the room. I almost sigh in relief. For a moment, I thought she was actually considering returning to Earth. “I don’t think I could bear the thought of losing you if you went back, Deja. After spending eight months in each other’s pockets on this ship, I feel as though I know each of you as if you were one of my many sisters.”

Deja’s face glows and her cheeks flush. She looks from me to each of the other women. “I feel exactly the same way about each of you. Earth can stuff its chocolate where the sun doesn’t shine!”

The other women noisily voice their agreement, and we all encompass Deja in a group hug. We are extremely close. Eight months of twenty-four seven’s is the reason. We literally know everything about each other—closely united in our quest to get our hands on virile mates. We are guinea pigs in a space exchange venture on its maiden voyage to Vysaria, and if this exchange proves successful, more women will follow in our footsteps.

Since we launched all those months ago, the ship’s every heartbeat has been controlled remotely from Earth. An AI has piloted the ship and there have been no crew. I suppose we are like lambs to the slaughter. As far as we are aware, all communication between Vysaria and Earth has been made via technology, and none of our world leaders have actually been to Vysaria.

The leaders of Planet Vysaria first reached out to Earth a little over five years ago. It was quite a shock for the world to find out there were beings other than humans on planets other than our own. But the government leaders of Earth soon warmed up to the extra-terrestrials when they shared technological information in exchange for Earth entertaining the notion of a mating programme between the planets. Apparently, Vysaria had been conducting research to find a species most compatible genetically and aesthetically to them for years—and humans were it. Incredibly, like us they also needed a desperate solution to their overpopulated gender crises.

We’d seen blurred images of the faces of Vysarian men when they were first plastered all over the news, and from what we could see, they were humanoid with two eyes, one nose and mouth just like us and skin colours ranging from creamy pink to ebony black, mirroring humanity. They weren’t the grey long-limbed, big-eyed aliens we’d been led to believe all these years.

Now, we are minutes away from strapping into individual pods attached to the main ship which are already packed with our belongings, so that when we land, the Vysarian government official assigned individually to each of us can take us straight to our prospective alien mates.

The AI’s monotone voice takes us by surprise.

Ten minutes until the ship begins descent into Planet Vysaria’s atmosphere. To avoid fatal injury, all life forms aboard this vessel need to be harnessed securely into restraints inside the assigned pods.

I squeeze the women a little harder, making sure the love I have for my travelling sisters passes from my embrace into each and every one of them in our group hug.

“Come on, girls, we’d better get strapped in. Next time we see each other, we’ll no doubt be meeting up for lunch in an exotic alien restaurant, swapping stories of the first time we laid eyes on our alien mates…Good luck to you all!”

“Yes, you’re right, Ava. See you all soon. I hope it’s love at first sight for all of us,” says Cassie

Deja nods. “Me too. Bye, ladies. Let’s meet up real soon. No more than a week, eh?”

Eve nods and then grimaces. “Oh, I’m so nervous—yet excited. Good luck everyone.”

Bee looks the most excited out of all of us. Her toothy grin is dazzling. “I’m so ready for this. Bring it on!”

There’s an excited scream from us all as we’re caught up in the excitement of Bee’s parting words. We untangle and walk towards the open doors of the pods lined up behind us. Each of us glances sideways and we exchange nervous smiles before we disappear into our designated pod.

I inhale a long, deep breath as I sit down to slow my quickening pulse. No matter how much training we had before we set off, I’m no astronaut, and I’m still second guessing everything I do, even if I’m sitting in the pod seat correctly. I’m so nervous. The harness slowly whirs down into place, securing me into my bucket seat, even making sure my head is immobile. I check the clasp over and over. My heart is like a jackhammer in my chest and my palms are clammy.

I look up surprised, as the AI’s voice fills the small pod.

Two minutes until we breach Vysaria’s atmosphere.

“Well, here goes nothing!”

CHAPTER 1

AVA

Boom!

Warning! Warning! A meteorite has crashed into the ship, knocking it off the programmed landing path. There is a breach in the outer sheath, and the ship is disbanding.

My eyes go wide, but I can’t move my head to look around because the safety harness is holding it and my body rigidly secure.

“Disbanding! What the hell does that mean?”

The ship is breaking up. The emergency pod you are in will break free of the craft and enter the atmosphere as a singular unit. From my current calculations, you have a 95 percent chance of survival.

The strangled noise that comes out of my throat sums up my emotions. I’m shitting my pants—not literally.

“What about the other women? Bee, Cassie, Deja and Eve? Are they okay?”

All emergency pods have disbanded from the ship, and each one is entering Planet Vysaria’s outer atmosphere in different locations. Once the atmosphere is breached, their pod’s trajectory on exiting the planet’s inner atmosphere will be crucial to the survival rates of the life forms inside them. From the other pod’s positions and speed, my immediate calculations fall between 91 and 97 percent survival for each life form inside them. Those percentages could alter once the pods have passed through the atmosphere.

Another noise rattles from my throat. It’s a groan of despair. How could this happen? We are the lucky winners of the intergalactic mating competition. The other four women and I beat billions of other Earth women to be the first females to be paired with Vysaria alien men in the first ever extra-terrestrial mating programme.

Thirty seconds until we reach the outer atmosphere.

My life is actually flashing before my eyes. I always wondered if those near-death stories were true. Near-death…what the fuck am I saying? Is this it?

I see an image of my mother.

My father.

My many sisters.

Pets.

Grandparents.

School.

First job.

First car.

First apartment.

We have passed through the outer atmosphere. Impact is in ten minutes.

Ten minutes! Ten minutes of feeling as if my stomach is about to detach from my innards and be vomited up whole—the contents still swishing about inside it like something from a scifi movie?

All sorts of scenarios play out in my head. What else is there to do? I’m helpless. I have ten fucking minutes to contemplate my demise.

The rational side of me takes over. Right. If I make a nice orderly list of the probable outcomes, then at least I’m in some sort of control of my fate and it will keep my mind off the nine percent chance of not surviving this nightmare.

1: There will be an emergency crew on standby with a high-tech gizmo that shoots out a beam of laser light which will connect with my pod and guide me safely to the planet’s surface.

2: I will land in a beautiful lake full of kind, alien murpeople who will treat me like a goddess and pander to my every wish until I’m collected by the Vysaria government… Maybe not so probable—more like a fantasy outcome.

3: My alien knight in shiny armour will have been monitoring my space flight’s every move and will know what’s happening. He would have already bought every flower on the planet and had the flowers dumped in the exact spot where he knows for certain I’m about to land. The flowers will cushion the impact, and as I emerge from the pod, petals will rain down and my alien knight will go down on one knee, presenting me with an enormous diamond ring… Sigh. I know this scenario is the most far-fetched, but it’s the best. This outcome is past fantasy—it’s more in keeping with the mind of a demented lunatic high on drugs.

The irrational side of me kicks in.

That list is a load of bollocks!

I am such a Gemini. Why can’t I ever think straight? I’m going to fucking diiiiiieeeeee!

I argue with myself inside my head. Either be a rational person or an irrational one, Ava. You can’t keep jumping personality traits. You are such a schizo.

Ten seconds until impact.

Really? Ten minutes passed while I was making my list?

My ears pop and my stomach lurches.

9

8

7

Shit!

6

5

4

FUCKING SHIT! SHIT! SHITITY! SHIT!

3

2

Please God, will you take care of my fami-…——————————

A whirring noise wakes me up and I suddenly fall flat on my face. What the hell? I’m lying on a metal door. Where am I? I turn my head and look up. The whirring noise is coming from a retracting harness which has just released me.

Oh…now I remember. The boom. I was crashing towards the planet. I’m alive—I actually made it.

I throw my head back and scream at the top of my lungs. “I’M ALIVE! Thank you God.” A pain shoots between my shoulder blades. “Ouch.”

The others! Did the other women survive impact? Only the ship’s AI will know. It was talking to me when we detached from the main ship, so it should still work now.

“Hey, AI! What happened to Bee, Cassie, Deja and Eve?” There is no reply. I cock my head. “Hey! Are you still with me, AI?” Nothing. “Fuck!”

I try to get a hold on my orientation. I’m lying against the door of the pod, but I don’t feel like I’m flat in a horizontal position, more diagonal. I roll away to the side of the door and type my date of birth into the control panel at the side of it. The door makes a clicking noise, but it doesn’t open.

My eyebrows pull together, forming a deep line, and my heart rate elevates. Please don’t be stuck. The training I did on Earth before we departed becomes second nature, and I reach for the thick metal lever and yank it down hard. Thankfully, it moves and the door swings open. I tentatively stick my head out, but all I can see is what looks like ground covered in a mixture of white pebbles and turquoise sand. I gauge the distance. It’s about a five-foot drop onto it.

Stooping down, I sit on the bottom ledge of the door and dangle my legs out. There is no noise coming from outside the ship. No birds, no rushing water, no traffic noise—nothing. I have no way of knowing what’s out there. Looking through the doorway, all I can see is the sand below me.

I hope I don’t drop into quick sand. Nah, the ship would have sunk by now.

My heart is beating so hard I can actually hear my blood rushing past my eardrums. My palms are clammy. Here goes.

I drop onto the sand and immediately go into a crouching position, swinging my head from left to right as I take in my first scene of Planet Vysaria.

The initial thing that hits me is how clean the air is. It’s crisp, like a spring morning. I detect zero pollution. I breathe in deeply and I metaphorically hear my lungs sigh. But that is my only good impression. I have landed in the middle of nowhere. All I see outstretched in front of me is miles and miles of turquoise sand, and the area my ship has landed in is surrounded by holes. Big holes. Small holes. Holes are everywhere. Where is civilisation?

I turn around and check behind me. The ground there is also the same, but I see a treeline of mixed purple and blue tones not too far away and a mountain range of baby blue’s and whites beyond that. Purple and blue trees—wow! A spiral of lilac smoke plumes up from behind the treetops into the pastel green sky. Green sky! It’s beautiful. I snap out of my dreamy state of awe and bring my attention back to the smoke. A campfire? There might be someone in the forest.

My exhaling breath comes out jittery—a reflection of my nerves. What are my options? Do I stay put and wait for help? My rational inner Gemini says “yes” that would be the most sensible thing to do. But then my irrational inner Gemini takes over my thoughts. It tells me “no” I should explore. There can’t be anything bad out there, otherwise the officials orchestrating this exchange would have informed us in our initial briefing.

I do a 360 turn. For once, I’m hesitant, and my internal twins rage a battle. I decide to listen to my inner Gemini’s better self—the voice of reason. Yes. I’ve decided. I’m going to stay put. I’m listening to my rational Gemini half. My mind is made up. I’m climbing back into the pod until help arrives. I have a bottle of water and some food parcels packed away in my belongings, brought as one of the many Earth gifts for my intended alien mate.

Dropping my head backward, I look up. My stomach falls into my feet. The jump down was higher than the five feet I had originally guestimated. The distance to the door ledge is at least seven feet high, but at least the open door hanging down is closer. I can jump up and grab hold of it and swing my legs up onto the edge of the doorway.

Bending my knees, I propel myself up and reach for the door edge. I get a good hold of it and dangle like a limp noodle on a fork. I swing my legs trying to get some momentum, and as I swing forward, I kick one of my legs up to try to latch it onto the open doorway’s edge.

I miss by a pathetic mile.

“Fuuuck!”I try again, but I can already feel my weak fingers slipping. My legs swing out a few feet in front of me before my fingers give way and I fall unceremoniously on my butt. “Fuck, fuck and fuckety fuck!”

A glisten of green light in the sand catches my eye, and I scramble onto all fours and walk on my hands and knees over to it. Pushing the sand away from it I see what looks like a precious stone. Picking it up, I blow away the specs of sand and hold it inches from my face to examine it. I don’t know whether it’s my imagination, but I swear I see swirls of smoke inside it.

I kiss it. “You are my lucky charm. My crash landing could have been so much worse.”

Pulling my locket out from inside my t-shirt, I open it and place the gem inside. It fits perfectly, as if it was made to be in there. I turn around and look back up at the open hatch and the smile the gem gave me disappears. My stomach sinks.

Why didn’t I work out daily on the eight-month flight here like Cassie had? I could have had buns and fingers of steel by now. Luckily, the sand is super soft, which cushioned my fall and I’m guessing that, along with the billowing parachute at the back of the shuttle, slowing my descent, stopped the pod from disintegrating on impact.

Bringing my attention back to the edge of the forest, I appraise the distance and the holey ground I’ll have to manoeuvre to get to it. Okay, time to take my inner Gemini’s irrational advice and head for the smoke.

Standing up, I dust myself down and run my eyes over the array of holes dotting the landscape from here to the treeline, planning the best route. Some of the walkways between the holes are only inches wide. My stomach contracts with trepidation. I hope the ground past this mark is as solid as where I’m standing.

Looking down at the ground, I grimace before gingerly take my first step off the area my pod landed on, to make my first step onto the sandy ledge of the first hole I need to manoeuvre around. It lands on solid ground again and my mouth curls up at the edges. So far, so good. I take another step, and another, looking down into the holes as I pass them. Some are only a few feet wide and deep, but others are enormous craters, easily ten feet by ten feet if not more.

I’m already past the half-way mark.

This is fine. I don’t know why I was so worried.

The ground suddenly tremors and I immediately halt and go rigid.

Oh no. Is that an earthquake? No, I mean a Vysariaquake?

Looking down into the nearest hole, I see the white pebbles topping the turquoise sand dance and bounce inside it. Then some of the smaller holes surrounding me sink into much deeper ones. I’m frozen to the spot, shaking like a human jelly. What do I do? Do I turn back and sprint to the safe ground surrounding the pod? Or make a run for the treeline?

I opt for the pod and spin around. But to my astonishment, the pod is being sucked down into a hole.

“Noooo!”

My body and legs move before my brain catches up. Turning around, I go into flight mode and burst into a sprint toward the trees, leaping over small holes as the white pebbles lining them shimmy towards their centres, a sign they too are expanding. As quickly as I can, I scurry around the edges of the larger ones as the ground shaking below me seems to intensify.

My heart is thundering in its ribbed cage, pushing the adrenaline laced blood through my veins to every sinew in my muscles.

Solid ground is in sight, and I almost cry out in relief. But then, to my horror, my next step doesn’t connect with anything, and I drop through fresh air, my stomach rolling over with every foot I plummet.

I land in a heap, on top of a jumble of white pebbles gathered in the centre of a gigantic hole which, seconds ago, was just a few feet wide. “Ouch!”

My immediate reaction is to look up and see how deep the hole is and I’m startled when I see strange creatures similar to Pterodactyls flying overhead, but with midnight blue feathered wings and bodies instead of the scaled bodies the scientists back on Earth presumed they had. More and more of them appear and, like a flock of gulls over an ocean rich with fish, they dive into the holes surrounding me and emerge seconds later with beaks full of god-awful insects dangling from them, which have hundreds of squirming legs.

One dives towards my hole, and my heart shoots up into my mouth. The closer it gets, I can see it’s not so little after all. It’s almost twice my size. I jump to my feet and run over to the wall of the hole, pushing my back against it. But the alien flying dinosaur flies into a hole next to mine and I gasp out loud in relief.

A tickle at the back of my neck makes every tiny hair covering my body stand on end. I reach up to investigate it, only to jump forward in disgust when my hand contacts with wriggling legs. The insects I’d seen dangling from the alien dino-bird beak suddenly break through parts of the wall and drop onto the floor at my feet. They immediately make a beeline for me and I scream and run to the opposite side of the hole and try to climb out, but the wall is not sturdy and the sandy texture just breaks away below my hands and feet.

I scream again, holding the note like a choir girl, and I think I rip my vocal chords because I feel a painful twang in my throat as I run in circles, desperate to escape the chasing alien insects. My heart is pounding, pushing more adrenaline through my veins, but it’s wasted. I can’t run anywhere to escape and I can’t fight an army of alien insects.

A shadow momentarily blocks out the sun, and my heart shoots up into my mouth. Can my luck get any worse? I think an alien dino-bird has finally spotted a juicer morsel—me, because it looks as if might be about to swoop down and claim me.

But to my horror, the shadow isn’t cast by one of the bird dinosaurs. An alien man is standing on the edge of the hole I’m in. I freeze. He looks nothing like the images of the alien men who had been shown to us back on Earth. The alien standing above me is the type of alien I’d seen in scary scifi movies as a kid.

Time seems to stand still as I gaze up at him in astonished terror. He’s wearing pants, but he’s barefoot and shirtless. My eyes take in the expanse of his bare chest, which is so big I could practically eat a five course meal off it. His skin has an underlying colour of silvery-green, but it’s shimmering with a multitude of other colours too, like the scales of a fish.

My eyes go to his arms. They are outstretched and gnarled with bulging muscles and thick veins, criss-crossing all over them, and at the end of his wrists, his hands are open menacingly wide with black claw tipped fingers. There’s no time to count, but I swear I see more than five digits on each. My mouth drops open when I see he has webbed bat-wings spreading wide from the elbows of his outstretched arms, tapering down, attaching to either sides of his torso. He’s a formidable figure and his bulk is impressively immense.

I find the courage to look higher. He has no hair, but he has a fin which crowns his head in Mohican style. How far it goes down behind his head is impossible to see from down here, but I’m already distracted from the fin. My attention has fully diverted to his face. He has four eyes—four eyes—and what I can only describe as long skin whiskers protruding and falling down from the space either side of his flat nose, whiskers resembling ones I’d seen on catfish in a documentary about sea creatures long ago when I was a child. I’d been fascinated by them, but now face to face with an alien who has them, the whiskers don’t seem as cute anymore. I’m petrified.

My scream is not as powerful as before—I’ve definitely damaged my throat, but it comes out all the same. I run for the wall opposite to where he’s standing and frantically try to climb out again. The sandy walls once again crumble beneath my fingers and panic rises in my chest and wraps its iciness around my heart, squeezing tight. I need to escape but it’s impossible, and to add to my terror and fervour to escape, the alien creepy crawlies are soon scurrying up my back again.

The ground beneath my feet momentarily trembles again, and for a fleeting moment, I think the quaking has resumed, and the hole is about to get even bigger. But I realise the tremble didn’t come from the shifting ground when powerful arms sweep me off my feet, twisting me mid-air as if I weigh nothing, before flinging me over a large shoulder.

In the next second, the alien has jumped out of the hole and we are gliding and jumping across the hole-riddled ground, clearing the space between the hole I fell in and the treeline in less than a minute. I scrunch my eyes tight and slowly count—one of my coping mechanisms. This is all a dream. It has to be. When I get to ten, I’ll still be on the ship with the other women again, heading to Planet Vysaria to meet a handsome alien who’ll look nothing like this monster—he’ll look like a human.

CHAPTER 2

APH’IS

A high-pitched scream has me on my feet in seconds. I spin a full circle, my eyes cast upwards before dropping them to investigate the growing shadows amongst the gaps in the treetops for signs of Badligons.

“That noise is not from them.”

“Shut up Devoq! Of course that’s them!”

“Balic, I’m telling you, that is NOT them! It was the scream of a fypox, catching scrinklers from the holes.”

I roll my eyes. “Both of you—be quiet!”

“Let me fuse with you, Aph’is. I’ll take over if there is any tracking to be done.”

I shake my head. “No, Capsi. Devoq’s right. That noise sounds like fypox feeding. I felt the ground shake beneath my feet not too long ago. The tremors are much stronger today. The holes I dug earlier will be colossal by now. I’ll go back and check them as soon as I’ve eaten. I think we might be in luck this time. There was an almighty tremor which I’m hoping will have uncovered the scalebb.”

“You need to go now, Aph’is! Time is running out. It will soon be dusk and the Badligons will be out hunting for you again.”

My nostrils are flaring and I can feel my frustration turning into rage. “I know time is not on our side Epiq, but if I don’t get sustenance into this body, none of us is going to survive! If I die, you all die. Don’t forget that!”

“Calm down, Aph’is. We are all in this together. Remember?”

I close my eyes and tilt my head back, sucking in a breath to slow my elevating heart rate. “Thanks, Devoq. It’s good to know at least one of you understands how difficult this is.”

“I agree with Epiq. Aph’is needs to go now. The scalebb might be uncovered, and if there’s another ground tremor, it might get buried again! If you let me take over the fucking digging more often, we’d have found the scalebb by now!”

“That comment is not helping, Balic. Devoq is right.”

“Butt out of it, Capsi. You always side with Devoq.”

“Then you shouldn’t be such a hothead all the time, Balic.”

“I said, shut your scaley mouth, Capsi.”

I slam my hands to my ears, trying to block out the relentless chatter. “Arrhhh!”

“All of you shut up! That was a scream, Aph’is. Get your fucking ass over to the holes pronto and check it out!”

I throw down my hands with a huff.

“Okay-okay. You may be right, Epiq!”

Sprinting in the direction from where I heard the sound, I jump clumps of foliage and dodge tree trunks until I break free of the forest’s cover. Just past the treeline, I stop in my tracks. I was right. The small holes I dug earlier have already collapsed into sizable ones. The many fypox are at fever pitch, swooping down and snatching beak fulls of scrinklers that always appear in the holes immediately following a tremor.

I squint my eyes and search for the black cylinder holder containing the scalebb, and for the source of the scream. Badligons would never make high-pitched sounds like that. The only being on this planet capable of making such a high sound would be a young child. It’s an almost impossible chance it would be a young female child. They are rare and would never be allowed to be out on their own. Besides, the nearest citydom is hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

“Arrhhh!”

“That wasn’t the scream of a fypox, Epiq. Can anyone see anything?”

“No. I think you need to get closer, Aph’is.”

“I can’t see anything. I agree with Epiq. Get closer, but keep your wits about you.”

“Okay, Devoq. Capsi? What do you say?”

“I agree with Epiq and Devoq.”

“What about you, Balic?”

“Nice of you to include me.” Balic’s sarcasm isn’t lost on me. “Turn your head left so I can see over there…Grrr. No. your other left dummy.

“Sorry, Balic.”

“There! Sixth hole back, and three holes right of where two fypox’s are fighting above it. See it?”

“I see it.”

The bones in my feet widen, and my feet spread out, stretching the webbed skin between my toes ready for my sprint across the slipping sands. I take off at speed, jumping the holes and outstretching my arms, using my winged webbing to help me elevate across them, reducing the time by half to get to the hole I’m aiming for.

My head twists from right to left as I race towards the hole, I know the others will be on the lookout for the holder containing the scalebb too, so I need to make sure I look everywhere, twenty eyes are better than four at increasing our chances of finding it.

The hole is coming up fast. There is a cloud of sand dust rising into the air, showing there is definitely a lot of activity going on inside it. Whatever or whoever is down there is certainly kicking up a fuss. I’m suddenly hesitant. What if it’s a Badligon? It is thought by many they are a nocturnal species, but the stories we’d heard about them might be wrong.

I make one more leap over the last hole before I reach the one I’m aiming for, landing on a six-inch edge.

It takes a moment for my brain to register what I’m looking at, and the others are quiet too. I know they must be as shocked as I am by what we see.

There is a female inside the hole. A strange looking female with almost colourless skin is running in circles being chased by a mini army of scrinklers. She has no wings, tail or claws. She looks as though her body has been stripped of any type of natural body defence, and dipped into an acidic concoction which has also stripped her of colour and bodily assets, leaving her with just wild black unruly head fur.

It’s Balic who pulls me from my shock.

“Don’t just stand there, fucking do something!”

The female’s eyes bulge wide when she sees me and she screams, stops running circles, and tries unsuccessfully to climb out of the hole, using the wall opposite to me. But the wall crumbles away under her tiny clawless fingers, raining down onto her long, messy head fur. The scrinklers follow her, and scrawl up the back of her legs and her screaming hitches up a decibel, hurting my brain. I put my hands over my ears.

Epiq’s voice is gripped with panic. “Aph’is, please stop her from making that noise. It’s drawing more scrinklers to her.”

But I can’t move. My fangs are on edge with the incessant noise.

“Aph’is!”

“Okay, Epiq!”

Jumping into the hole and over the army of scurrying scrinklers, I swipe them from the female’s back, grab hold of her, and twist her body mid-air to throw her over my shoulder, before launching out of the hole, using my webbed wings for extra elevation. Fypox swoop down past us, their dives more curious than malicious. This sets the screaming off again, but I can’t cover my ears this time. My frustration gets the better of me and I growl. I feel the female stiffen, but at least it shuts her up.

I jump and glide over the holes, glancing up to the skies on my way back to the safety of the trees, searching for other flying mammals amongst the flock of Fypox—Badligons. The sun is setting and I’ve yet to extinguish the camp fire. The Badligons will leave their cave soon, and I need to get rid of anything that will draw them to my location.

Thankfully, the female stays quiet for the rest of the way back, and when I reach the treeline, I don’t stop to put her down. I continue into the shadows, glad to be hidden now that night is drawing in.

As soon as I get to the campfire, I gently put the female down. I want to stand and admire her—females are rarer than gems, but there is no time, and no time to start communication with her either. First, I need to stop the billowing smoke from giving my location away to the Badligons.

However, my busyness doesn’t stop the others from talking amongst themselves.

“I can’t believe my eyes. It’s an actual female…a female! Aren’t you going to talk to her, Aph’is”

“I can’t talk to her yet, Devoq. I need to put this fire out. Dusk is almost upon us!”

“Screw the fire. Better still. Screw her! Look at the size of those tits!”

I hear Capsi sigh. “Really Balic. I don’t know why we’re friends with you. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next thing to come out of your mouth is you asking to fuse with Aph’is body so that you can throw her onto the ground and claim her as yours.”

“Well, I was the one who made Aph’is jump into action. If it hadn’t been for me, the female would have been scrinkler food for sure.”

As always, Epiq is the voice of reason. “For fuck’s sake, all of you—get a grip. We’ll discuss what we’re going to do with her when Aph’is has seen to the campfire.”

“Thank you Epiq. I swear if I didn’t have you with here with me, I’d murder the others.”

“Thanks a lot, Aph’is.”

Devoq sounds hurt and I instantly regret what I just said. We’ve been through a lot this past week and now is not the time to fall out with any of them—even Balic. “Maybe not you Devoq.”

“Yeah—thanks for the brotherly love being dished my way too, Aph’is.”

I can’t win. Now Capsi sounds hurt. “Sorry, Capsi…my comment was only directed at Balic.”

Balic growls. “Why just m—”

A loud thud behind me makes me jump into a fighting stance and spin around, ready for anything. But all I see is a tiny crumpled body on the ground.

I kneel beside the female, my heart rate elevating with panic. My hand reaches out and hovers inches from her, unsure what to do.

“Now look what you’ve done, Balic. You’ve killed her.”

“Shut up, Devoq. I didn’t even touch her.”

“It was what you said you idiot! Aph’is, let me fuse with your body. I’m the only one with medical knowledge.”

“Okay, Epiq, do whatever you need to do to save her.

I feel the usual flood of warmth as Epiq’s essence of aura leaves my subconscious and spreads throughout my whole body. It feels like hot steam creeping into every cell and as Epiq fuses with me, I immediately become a spectator alongside Balic, Devoq and Capsi, as my conscience joins theirs.

CHAPTER 3

APH’IS

I know Epiq is fused with my body to help the female, but I feel possessive about her. I feel as though she is mine. After all, it was me who rescued her. The others might have been with me in spirit, but it was my flesh and blood that had carried her out of the hole and brought her here. I want to stake my claim on her before any of the others get any ideas. I know for a fact Balic will give me the most competition.

Before we got stuck in this situation, we’d recently come back from the fun planet—Planet Tyrus in the Perinqual Galaxy. It’s the planet where most males head when they want a little female action—the only place we know of where we can get female company—albeit paid. On our planet, Planet Blazor there is only one female to every ten thousand males, we have a gender crisis far worse than this planet, Planet Vysaria, so for us, it’s the only way we can relieve our social and sexual pent up frustrations.

Last week when we visited Planet Tyrus, as always with his bold and forward personality, Balic had taken the lead and claimed a female first. Whoever he likes, he usually gets. That’s why I know I’ll get the most resistance from him when I state the female is mine.

Devoq is the complete opposite to Balic when we visit Planet Tyrus. He is reserved and courteous. He always waits until last, until each of us has chosen a female. He’s too damn polite for his own good.

Capsi’ taste in females is the same every time we visit the planet. I could win fortunes betting on the type of female he always chooses, which is one type only—athletic.

Epiq is much deeper than any of us and definitely a lot less shallow. To him, beauty is only skin deep. He doesn’t care much about a female’s physicality, he much prefers to know what is going on in his female’s mind, so he goes for intelligence over beauty every time.

Whereas, I like an all-rounder. I like a female to be physically appealing, but she has to have intelligence and a powerful personality, too. I like females with bite.

I watch silently and intrigued as Epiq goes about his checks. First, he pushes aside the long unruly fur curls gathered around the female’s neck, exposing how slender it is. I’m taking a back seat while he controls my body with his consciousness, so like the others, I only get a vague awareness of my own senses. It’s frustrating as I can barely feel how soft the curly fur on her head is and I’m jealous Epiq is getting to enjoy the full experience and sensation. He retracts my claws and feels every section of her neck for a pulse.

Her skin is even softer than her fur and I want to drag Epiq’s conscience back inside me so I can reclaim my body and be the first to touch her intimately. But I don’t. I have zero medical knowledge. I’ll just have to sit back in the corner of my mind and patiently watch.

Epiq sucks in a quick breath. “Wow, her pulse is slow compared to ours…and it appears she only has one heart.”

“One heart! Is she going to be okay?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I don’t know whether this is a regular pace for her heart or her species.” He pushes his hand down the front of her top and it brushes past one of her breasts.

“Oh nice,” says Balic.

I’d almost forgotten the others are experiencing the same dulled sensations through Epiq’s touch as I am.

“Her skin texture reminds me of an opis fruit,” says Capsi.

“I think it’s more like the pelt of a burdock,” says Balic

“It feels nice,” says Devoq.

I’m getting irate. This should be my experience to enjoy—mine alone.

My consciousness is drawn back to Epiq’s investigation when I sense warmth. Epiq has his—my hand—under her armpit.

“My presumptions are correct. Her anatomy works similar to ours. I think her core temperature is in homeostasis.” Epiq pulls his hand away and lifts it to his—my nostrils—and inhales. I get my first hint of her scent. “Mmm, her species has a delectable essence,” he says.

“Fuck yeah. I smell it too. It’s giving me the horn.”

My protective instinct for her kicks in. “Hey, it’s my olfactory receptors scenting her, Balic…and while we’re on the subject, this is my body, too. Don’t forget, I was the one who saved her—so the female is mine.”

Balic’s consciousness pulsates around mine. I can feel its restlessness. He’s not happy with my statement. The female groans and her eyes flicker.

“Epiq, she’s waking up. Let me have my body back.”

“But, shouldn’t I continue to check she’s alright?”

I’m unsettled by someone else having the reins of my flesh and blood. I always want my body back as quickly as possible when one of the others fuses with it. “No. It’s clear she’s alright. I want my body back.”

“Okay, Aph’is. It doesn’t look like she needs any further assistance from me, anyway,” says Epiq.

“Let me have it for an hour. I’ll be sure to check whether her body is healthy—every inch of it.”

Balic is deliberately provoking me. “Fuck off Balic! You’re going nowhere near her.”

“Yes Balic, we all know what’s on your mind,” says Devoq.

As always, Balic is quick to bite Devoq’s head off. Thankfully, his bark is worse than his bite regarding Devoq. They are very close. He loves him like a brother. “Just because you didn’t get any female action back on Planet Tyrus, Devoq.”

“Hey, that’s a bit low—even from you Balic,” says Capsi.

The female’s eyes are bulging. “Who-who are you?”

“I’m Epiq.”

“Epiq! My body—now!”

“Okay-okay.” I push out of the subconscious, into the conscious as Epiq draws back, amalgamating with the other’s auras in my mind.

The sizzle of transition is felt throughout my body, and a moment later, I feel the familiarity of being in my own skin again and I sigh with relief.

I fix the female with a wild grin. “Hello, my name is Aph’is.”

The female cocks her head and regards me with a strange look. “I-I thought you said you were called Epiq?”

I shake my head and my twitchers shake too. The female’s eyes roam wildly over my face and my body before coming to rest on my face again. “No, I’m Aph’is. He was Epiq.”

“O-okay…” She looks around at the trees surrounding us. “Am I on Planet Vysaria?”

“If she can’t remember where she is, she must be in shock,” says Epiq.

I nod, ignoring Epiq. “Yes. Have you come from the citydom? How did you get here? What species are you?”

“You’re asking her too many questions at once,” says Devoq.

The female is frowning at me. “Citydom? Erm, no I-I’m human and I came here on a ship. S-something happened to it as we were entering the atmosphere and the pod I was in broke away from the main ship. I-I landed safely.” She raises her hands to her cheeks. “My god, it’s only just sinking in how lucky I was to land safely…I could have died. It could have been so much wor—.”

The blemish of red staining her cheeks, which was the only colour on her bland skin, drains away before my eyes. “Where is the pod?”

“It-it was sucked into a hole. Like the one you pulled me from.”

The news doesn’t surprise me, because that’s how I lost the scalebb in its holder when I was being chased by Badligons. “What planet are you from? Why were you coming to Vysaria?”

“I’ve spent eight months travelling from Earth to reach here. Four other women and I are part of an exchange programme between my planet, Earth, and Planet Vysaria.”

“Did I hear right? She came with other females?” asks Epiq.

The female head pulls back slightly, and she narrows her eyes. She answers Epiq’s question. “Yyyes. Their pods broke away from the ship at the same time as mine. The AI aboard the ship said they all had different survival rates.” She buries her face in her hands again and when she lifts it, her eyes are shining with liquid. “I-I need to find them.” She grabs my hand and the soft texture of it makes my breath catch in the back of her throat.

“Please help me find them, Aph’is.”

“You can’t go yet, Aph’is. We are running out of time. The Badligon leader will wake from stasis at any moment. When he does, we are dead.”

My gut churns because the female is putting me in an awkward situation. “I know Capsi.”

“But the other females might be hurt.” Devoq’s voice is more imploring than a statement.

I’m torn in two. Females are precious and rare, but my friends are my world, and if I don’t help them soon, it would kill me.

“Capsi is right, Devoq. As much as I’d like to offer our immediate help, we have to think logically here. We can’t help until we find the holder containing the scalebb”, says Epiq.

“Let me fuse your body for just one hour, Aph’is. I’ll fight the lot of them.”

I sigh heavily. “We’ve already discussed this Balic. One male can’t defeat a group of Badligons. No matter how fierce you are…and even though I’m tough, I reluctantly admit you’re tougher.”

Balic laughs.

The female looks at me strangely, releases my hand, and takes a step backward.

“I have an idea,” says Epiq. “If the female helps us find the scalebb, we’ll all be able to help her seek the other pods, and find her friends.”

My gut tightens in anticipation of the response of the others. “Do we all agree with Epiq’s suggestion?” I’m miffed I didn’t think of it.

There is a unity of agreement.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

“Fuck yes!”

I take a step towards the female. “Female, we have unanimously agreed to help you if you will first help us.”

She looks either side of me, as if looking for the others, before looking hesitantly into my eyes. “Us? Help you do what?”

I look past her to the gap in the trees, leading out to the sandy plain of holes beyond it. “The place where I rescued you…I buried something special there. I need to retrieve it quickly. I buried it there a week ago when I was being chased by Badligons. But when I went back to retrieve it, it was gone. At the time I buried it, I didn’t know the ground there was ever-changing.”

“Huh! Biggest dick move you’ve ever made, Aph’is.”

“Shut the fuck up, Balic. If it wasn’t for me, you would have all been dead on impact.”

Balic growls.

The female looks unsure of me. “Y-you crashed here too?”

Does she think I’m lying? “Yes, coming back into the atmosphere. Like you, something crashed into our ship.”

“There must be space debris circling the planet,” says Epiq.

She bites at her bottom lip for a moment, deep in thought. Watching the small feminine gesture makes my cocks twitch. “What does this thing you seek look like?”

“It’s a black canister half the length of my leg and as wide as my thigh.” The female looks down at my thighs and her eyes widen as they glide past my crotch. She looks back up and meets my eyes again, licking her lips, before swallowing. “It won’t be hard to find now, as there are only a few more places left I need to dig.”

“And you say you’ll help me if I help you?”

I nod, “Yes.”

Her hand lifts to her mouth, and she chews on her small, blunt nails. I find the characteristic very endearing and it makes me want to put the small digits into my mouth to suck on them too, to experience what she is experiencing. “Okay. I’ll help.”

“Yes!” shouts Capsi.

“Thank you,” says Devoq.

“She’s a little puny, but I guess she’s better than nothing.”

“You can be so blunt, Balic,” says Epiq.

I smile. “Thank you… What is your name?”

“Ava…Ava Harris.”

“Well, Ava Harris. We’ll begin digging at first light.” I look up at the sky. “But now we need to take refuge. The Badligons will come out soon.”

“The Badligons? Who are they?”

“Males, you don’t want to encounter. They don’t eat females, but if they find you, they’ll fuck you against your will!”

Her eyelids flutter. “Oh, my goodness… I think I made a huge mistake coming here.” Liquid falls from her eyes and rolls down her cheeks, and she makes whimpering noises. I don’t know what to do. It sounds like she is in pain.

“Comfort her Aph’is, I think she is hurting,” says Devoq.

I stumble forward and sweep her off her feet, up into my arms. She buries her face into my chest and continues to make the strange whimpering noises. I carry her towards my den. “Shshshshsh. Don’t worry. We’ll help you find your friends soon enough.”

CHAPTER 4

AVA

I’m shaking like a leaf and my eyes are scrunched so tightly shut, I’m probably giving myself wrinkles. If the alien hadn’t swept me up when he did, I think I might have fainted again. I can hear him now, chattering away. He’s having conversations with himself. I’ve counted four different names already. He must have some sort of multiple personality disorder. What was meant to be a dream come true coming here is turning into a living nightmare.

Not only have I crash landed on a planet which seems to be full of dangers I knew nothing about, my friend’s pods have crashed too and I do not know where they are—or if they are even alive or dead. I feel so useless right now and I haven’t the first clue what to do to find them. This alien says he’ll help me find them if I help him find this scalebb thing, but with a split personality, can I even trust him?

Was the Vysaria government lying about the men of this planet? The alien in front of me looks nothing like the pictures of the men the government showed us. This one is big and scary. But worse, he’s an alien schizophrenic. He might have saved me from those alien creepy crawly things and got me out of the hole, but he’s nuts. He’s a loon. He’s constantly talking to himself. I can hear as plain as day his voice changing in tone and speed as he switches from personality to personality.

One even hinted at wanting to do sexual things to me. I think that’s when I fainted. But when I came to, he’d switched again. A personality named Epiq greeted me. I didn’t know what to expect, but at least that one appeared to be trying to help me medically.

So far, he’s mentioned four names. Balic, Capsi, Devoq and Epiq. Balic appears to be the most aggressive. Epiq, the voice of reason, Devoq sounds kind and gets a lot of ribbing from Balic. And finally Capsi, who like Epiq and Devoq seems decent enough. But as for Aph’is, he’s the most dominant personality, and although he appears the most consistent, I’m not sure what to make of him. I’ve seen very little of that personality, as he appears to be the referee of the others.

I secretly inhale him. His chest smells of wood smoke and what I think must be his own odour. I’m trying to stop myself, but I can’t stop smelling him. His manliness, or should I say alienness, is very comforting.

When I was on Earth, I barely got to see my father. As like every other man on Earth, he had countless breeding obligations and duties to attend to that would take him on a continuous journey to different countries across the world. Centuries ago, people used to frown on marriages where the man had more than one wife, but since men became such a minority gender, polygamy seemed the only rational choice.

I have half-sisters in most counties across the world and even a few of half-brothers. So do my friends. I suppose I entered the lottery to be in with a chance of joining the mating programme with Planet Vysaria because I had no other choice. I didn’t want to share a husband with a thousand other women and only get to see him once every couple of years. I’m too sensual of a person to be drip fed intimacy. So when alien contact was made, I thanked my lucky stars there were other males out there in the universe and that the governments of Earth agreed to their suggested mating programme, deciding to further explore the Vysaria’s offer in a bid to find an alternative solution to the increasing female population.

I hear squawking noises in the distance and Aph’is stiffens and stops abruptly before starting another imaginary conversation with his alter egos, slash, other personalities. I know nothing about multiple personality disorder, but I always thought one personality emerged at a time, and not that they actually spoke to each other.

“Was that them?”

“No, they never make noise, Devoq.”

“We need to get to the shelter fast. It might not be them making the noise, but it could be the noise of their prey dying at their hands.”

“Yes, you’re right, Epiq… Capsi, I seem to have lost the track back to our den. Can you pick up the trail?”

“Over there to your right, Aph’is. See the boulder covered in moss?”

“Yes.”

“Just past that, you’ll see a few scattered white pebbles. I put those down yesterday when you let me fuse with you to go hunting.”

“I wondered why you were laying them down. I thought it was something you did to catch prey. Now I realise it was to find the start of the track. Clever!”

“Thanks, Aph’is.”

Does he even remember I’m here? He’s seems too pre-occupied with his other personalities to want to talk to me again.

I can feel his nose nuzzling into my hair and then he blatantly inhales me like I’m a puppy in his arms. Should I tell him to stop? Or would that bring out Balic’s personality? Fuck Balic! I need to set some ground rules if he wants me to help him.

I lift my head and peer up at his face opening my mouth to speak, but I’m hypnotised by the skin whiskers. They’re moving like they have a life of their own. Some of them appear to sense I’ve lifted my head and they reach out for me. I shrink back. Aph’is feels my movement and looks down at me.

“Are you okay, little female?”

“I guess I’m a bit overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting the inhabitants of this planet to look and act so differently to me. The Vysaria government sent images to us before we decided to come here and the images were more—humanoid.”

Thankfully, my comment doesn’t upset him. “The majority of the inhabitants on Planet Vysaria are similar to you in physique. Like you, they only have two eyes. But their skin texture is an extreme contrast to yours, theirs is rough like the bark of a tree, whereas yours looks as if it would be smooth like the shell of an egg… As you can see by our four eyes, we are not from this planet. We were passing Vysaria on our way home and decided to come here to make purchases. Ours is the neighbouring planet. Planet Blazor.”

I’m surprised yet relieved by his comment. That means my intended mate will be more human. “So you’re not an inhabitant of Vysaria?” He shakes his head. But then I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I remember his earlier comment. “Are the planet’s species the cannibals you mentioned earlier?”

“Cannibals? I have no concept of this word.”

“It means to feed on the flesh of its own species.”

He shakes his head again. “No, the species we were talking of—the ones who eat others, are called Badligons. This is not the Badligon’s planet either. Theirs was destroyed. We thought their kind had been wiped out along with their planet and we were shocked to stumble across some of them when we crash-landed. The Badligons don’t eat their own kind. They don’t eat females either, but they do eat males of different species. That’s why we must stay hidden from them and why I must find the scalebb before it’s too late.”

My stomach lurches at the comment. “Too late? What do you mean by that?”

“Shush, Aph’is! Don’t tell her anymore. She might be working as a spy for them.”

I flinch at the harsh words. The tone of the voice that muttered them sounds like Balic.

Aph’is voice softens, and it’s no longer Balic or Aph’is. “No. That is preposterous Balic.” I think the statement comes from Devoq.

Balic is back. “Is it Devoq? What do you know about Badligons? None of us know anything about their species other than the basics—they fucking eat anyone!”

Another voice speaks and I instantly recognise it as Epiq. “Balic, it seems obvious to everyone but you that the female’s story is kosha.”

“What about the mysterious pod she came in? Since we’ve been here, we’ve seen the holes enlarge to no more than twelve feet. An emergency pod would be at least twenty feet tall.”

Epiq is clearly on my side and I root for him in the squabble. “That is true, Balic. But they are only eight feet wide. What if it sank on its side?”

A deep growl vibrates up from Aph’is’ chest and startles me.

Aph’is voice is back, and it scolds Balic. I’m happy he also defends me. “Quit with your bitching Balic, you’re frightening the female!”

I feel awkward being the catalyst for the unrest in Aph’is’ personalities, but if my being here is affecting him—them, then maybe I shouldn’t be around him, especially Balic. He might be the unstable one.

“I-I don’t want to be any bother. I’m extremely grateful to you…and your friends for rescuing me from those creatures and the hole. But if I’m causing…conflict, I’d rather we go our separate ways and I’ll look for my friends myself.”

“NO”

It’s as if his voice suddenly has the power of many voices behind it. It comes out with such force, I almost pee myself with fright. I’m hoping it’s nothing more than a scary trait of his species. “No, Ava Harris. We will not let you become prey for the Badligons. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe. You will help us and we will help you.”

I’m too stunned to speak. I just nod my head.

Aph’is doesn’t put me down. He carries me through the forest, following a path invisible to my eyes. It’s almost dark and neither of us tries to initiate conversation again. Aph’is is almost tiptoeing, and even the vocal Balic hasn’t uttered a word, so I’m wary to say anything.

We stop in front of an enormous tree, and without warning, he flops me over his shoulder again. I let out a small noise and the “shhh” that comes out of his mouth is irrefutably Balic’s tone of voice. In the next instant, Aph’is has bent his knees and has propelled himself and me into the air, landing halfway up the trunk. I squish my eyes shut. I’m not good with heights. His body wiggles beneath me as he climbs higher and my stomach roils with the knowledge I’m getting further away from the ground.

I only open my eyes and lift my head when I feel him jump onto a solid footing. Aph’is carefully places me down and I take in my surroundings. Above us are hundreds of glowing lights in motion, casting a warm glow. I squint to see what they are and I’m not surprised to see more alien insects. Aph’is doesn’t seem bothered by them, so I’m guessing they are harmless and the equivalent of Earth’s fireflies. Dropping my eyes, I see we are in the natural hollowed out space at the top of the tree trunk underneath its branches. It’s quite large, possibly eleven feet in diameter. A makeshift bed has been thrown together out of discarded velvety midnight blue coloured leaves, but other than that, there is nothing else here.

He gestures for me to sit on the leaves. I wring my hands unsure about what he’s suggesting.

“It’s okay. They are all asleep. They can’t stay awake too long in the stasis they are currently in. You and I can now talk freely without interruption.”

“Talk?” I need to be certain that’s all he’s suggesting before I sit on a leaf bed, although the images of us doing things other than talking brazenly flash in my mind, taking me by surprise. He nods and I hesitantly make my way over to the leaf pile and sit in the centre with my knees drawn into my chest and my arms wrapped protectively around them. Aph’is drops onto the floor space opposite and sits cross-legged. His eyes dart all over me and I wiggle uncomfortably under his intense gaze, even though I’m doing the exact same thing to him—blatantly studying him—well, more so his bulging muscles and rippling abs.

He licks his lips and my eyes widen when I spot the many miniscule nodules covering his split tongue and its twin tips. “So, it appears we are both a long way from home?” I nod. “Let me try to understand your circumstances for being here a little better. Why did you and the other females come to this planet?”

Sucking in a huge breath, I close my eyes for a second as I sigh, before opening them to look at his unusual features, wondering which set of eyes I need to look at. In the end, I find I’m naturally focussing on all four eyes. His skin whiskers, which are slightly thinner than the tip of my pinkie, are continuously moving, reminding me of the legs of a dying spider. I shiver. Why do I find them so appealing? They should revolt me.

“Are you cold?”

Before I can answer, he’s slid across the floor and is beside me with his arm around my shoulders and his webbed wing spread across my back. This species obviously has no clue about boundaries, the etiquette of personal space, or waiting for an answer before taking action. But I secretly like it. It’s nice to be so close to a man—alien or not. I didn’t even have time to hug my dad before I left Earth. I had to make do with a Skype call because he was visiting his many wives in China.

My body’s reaction to this proximity astonishes me. It’s clear Aph’is is unhinged, but my quickening breaths and elevated heart rate aren’t the result of knowing he might be schizophrenic—it’s from genuine attraction.

I’m surprised at myself for finding an alien man who looks so very much like the quintessential alien so appealing and I secretly assess why. My conclusion is, he may be green, have four eyes, webbed wings and skin whiskers that move independently, but he also has Alpha male written all over him. His frame shadows mine, a damp gusset maker in itself, and his torso and limbs are granite hard and sculptured into muscled perfection. To my astonishment, my pussy quivers with this proximity and intimate contact.

Down girl! Don’t get too excited. He is a stranger. A schizo—and an alien—a real fucking alien, not the humanoid kind, the Area 51 kind! Your human looking knight in shining armour alien is somewhere on this planet waiting for your arrival, hopefully worried enough to come looking for you. Just keep your raging hormones under control a little longer until you are united with your real alien match.

CHAPTER 5

APH’IS

She is so tiny next to me. In physique, she is like the male children I teach combat to back on my home planet. But she is all female. Her scent invades my nostrils and it’s exquisite and unlike any scent I’d smelled on the few females I’d ever seen on my planet, or the females who’d entertained us on Planet Tyrus. Blood surges to my cocks, sending one of my hearts into an erratic beat. They both instantly battle to become synced with each other again.

I rub my hand up and down her arm to help warm her, and my fingers get my first full feeling of skin-on-skin contact. Desire overpowers me and I have to fight my will to stop myself from upturning her face and claiming her lips. I’m puzzled though. Her skin is warm. Why did she shiver?

“Are all Earth females like you?”

She looks up at my face and I see her round pupils grow, shrinking the green iris’s surrounding them. I suck in a gasp. They are hypnotising to watch. “Yes, well no. We have the same physical structure. Two arms, two legs, two ears, two eyes, two breas—,” she clears her throat, “erm, one mouth and nose. But our height, build, skin, hair and eye colour, as well as our features, are different.” Her eyes move in her sockets as they wander over my face. “How about your kind? Do you differ in appearance?”

“Our features and head fur differ, but our height, skin and eye colour are the same.”

The corners of her mouth curl up and I think her eyes sparkle. “Head fur! By that do you mean hair?”

I reach my other arm around and stroke my hand over her head. Her lips part and she whimpers at my touch. More blood engorges my cocks. Her head fur is almost as soft as her skin. “This is head fur. I shave mine off, but the others keep theirs long. Some of them even braid it.”

Her brow draws together and a small line appears between them as she lifts her eyes to the top of my head. “Are-are the others friendly?”

My own mouth lifts at one side. “Yes. They are my friends. We’ve known each other all our lives.”

“Even the one you call…Balic?”

Laughter rumbles up my throat and I have to purse my lips together to hush myself for fear my deep tones will carry up beyond the leaves and alert the Badligons to our location.

“Balic can be a bit of a handful, but he wouldn’t do you any harm.” Her shoulders visibly drop underneath my arm as if the statement has put her at ease. I decide to further enlighten her about the others. “They are all magnificent males. We trust each other with our lives. Growing up with many males and very few females on our planet, gangs are formed from a young age. It is the culture of our species. Ours was formed when another gang decided to beat up on Devoq—he was much smaller in those days. In fact, we all were apart from Balic. None of us had joined gangs at the time, but we were all in the same vicinity when we heard Devoq’s cries. I rushed to the noise and saw Balic come from the opposite direction. Without any thought for his own safety, he jumped in to help Devoq. Epiq and Capsi also appeared from nowhere, and between the four of us, we protected Devoq from the older and much bigger gang members. That’s how we formed. We’ve been inseparable since that day.”

Ava nods, “Yes…inseparable.”

“And how did your gang form?”

Ava huffs a laugh. “We don’t have the same culture on Earth, although we do have friend groups. However, I didn’t really know any of the other women until we boarded the ship to come here. Our bonding was done in the eight months aboard the ship.”

I study her plump red lips and blunt white teeth as she speaks. Now and then I spot her moist pink rounded tongue and it makes my cocks twitch in my pants.

My hand moves before I can stop it and it grabs her chin and upturns her face, my thumb pulling down her bottom lip so I can examine her better.

She gasps and flicks my hand away. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that…you fascinate me. I feel as if I want to explore every inch of you.”

Her eyes widen. “That is not going to happen!”

“We…I would never do that…unless you wanted me to?” I purposely say the statement as a question at the end.

Ava licks her lips and her pupils get even bigger, sending the green irides circling them into small rings. Her scent changes. I sniff the air. It’s clearly muskier. The red pigmentation that tinged her cheeks earlier comes back with a vengeance and she shuffles by my side.

“What is that smell?”

“What! What smell?”

“That smell! It-it makes me desire you even more.”

Ava’s mouth drops open and she slips out from underneath my arm and shoots to her feet.

I look up at her with a frown. “What is wrong? “

“Y-you can’t say things like that!”

“Say what?”

“That-that you desire me.”

“But why? It is the truth?” The scent intensifies and I become heady—drunk on it.

I jump to my feet and pull her into my chest, wrapping my other arm around her and holding her firmly in my grasp. Her eyes look as if they might pop out and her mouth is gaping open. Is she inviting me to taste it?

Lowering my face, I place my lips on hers. She trembles beneath my grip. My tongue slips easily past the blunt teeth and wraps around her chubby, wet tongue. She groans into my mouth and I rumble into hers. My twitchers explore her face, neck and head fur, some slip into her ears. This increases her moaning and she pushes against me. She was right about two of everything. I can feel two breasts pushing against my chest. Does that mean she has two pleasure holes? My cocks dance and squirm with excitement.

One of my hands lowers, gliding over her body, feeling the dips and rises of her human form. She is a contrast to the female who was in my arms last week on Planet Tyrus. This Earth female is much more pleasing to the touch and my cocks push against her, wanting to do some exploring of their own.

My hand slides into her pants, grabbing hold of her fleshy ass, and I release her mouth, wanting to taste more of her. I kiss down her chin and neck, but my twitchers remain on her face, peppering their own kisses on her eyelids, forehead, lips—all over her face. She’s breathing heavily in gaspy groans. I think it’s a good sign.

My twitchers leave Ava’s face and some caress her lower neck as I clamp my mouth onto a protruding bud, topping one of her breasts as it pushes up through the clothing she wears. I nibble at it, desperately wanting skin-on-skin contact. Ava’s groan is long and husky.

The erotic noise turns my blood hot with desire and I lift her clothing, only to be confronted by more clothing. Sheer cloth cupping her breasts tantalises me because I can see the buds beneath it, yet I can’t get to them. Some of my twitchers pull it down and my lips snatch the bud into my mouth, my tongue flicking over the tip before I suck at it greedily, wondering if anything will come out of the miniscule hole on the tip of it which my tongue has found.

I suck hard. Nothing comes out but Ava is making more wonderful sounds with her mouth and her musky scent is flowing readily the more I suck.

My twitchers go lower, exploring her torso, so I pull my lips from the bud which has doubled in size and follow them, kissing down her abdomen, following their trail. The lower I go, the stronger the odorous scent becomes. It quickens my hearts and I’m finding I’m becoming dizzy from its heady musky fragrance.

I’m crouching before her so I grab onto the backs of her thighs and nuzzle my head between her legs inhaling deeply, elated to finally find the source of the scent.

Ava’s voice is barely a whisper. “Oh…Jesus, I think I’m going to faint.” Faint? Is that another word for orgasm? My twitchers are going wild. I need to see the origin of this hypnotising scent. Grabbing the band of the top of the pants she’s wearing, I yank them down. “Oh my Lord!”

There’s more fur. It’s the exact same colour as her head fur. But my eyes quickly drop to the prize. A glistening conundrum of skin flaps, oozing the origin of the scent—female nectar.

My tongue snakes out and laps at her essence. Ava groans and all four of my eyes roll into the back of my head. I never want to drink anything else. Her essence is an addictive drug and I’m hooked.

The tips of my tongue push through the folds, exploring a completely new world to me. My twitchers join in the investigation too. I can feel everything they feel and the pleasure increases one hundred fold. They find a hood at the top of her genitals, which makes her gasp and shudder when they probe it. My tongue goes in search of her sex hole, or holes—she did say she has two of everything.

It slides into one, the source of her female essence and swims around, swirling up and down the ridges of her channel. Some of my twitchers continue to investigate, searching for her second hole. They find it just behind the first one, but when they try to enter, Ava contracts her voluptuous ass cheeks together, stopping their invasion.

My tongue also wants to explore the hood, so it leaves the velvety hole and swims through the skin folds to get to it. I retract my claws, as I have a desire to insert my fingers into the first hole and probe it further.

Ava’s legs shake when I flick my tongue backward and forwards across the hooded nodule and more essence trickles onto my inserted fingers. Her moaning begins to increase, and although I feel like I’m in ecstasy right now with my face buried between her legs, I’m also aware of the potential dangers surrounding us too—the Badligons

“Fuck, this is hot!”

Ava stiffens.

“Balic! I thought you were asleep.”

Ava suddenly pushes my head away. “Stop! This-this is a mistake.”

She is too vocal, and I shoot to my feet and clasp my hand to her mouth.

“Shhh!”

Badligons fly silently. We wouldn’t know if they were above us.

Her eyes move erratically from side to side.

I’m buzzing with desire, but if Ava does not want to continue, I will reluctantly respect her wishes. I place my mouth close to her ear and whisper. “It was not a mistake for me, but if I am not pleasing you, we will stop. We should get to sleep. There is much to be done tomorrow.”

I drop my hand, and she averts my gaze as she sets about straightening her clothing. Without another word to me, she lies on top of the leaves and turns away from me, giving me the cold shoulder.

My cocks throb. My eyes trace the outline of her body as I lick her essence from around my mouth. I want her more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.

“Why have you stopped tasting the female?”

“Fuck off Balic!” I hiss and drop onto the ground behind Ava. She’s trembling. She must be cold. I tuck myself up behind her and slide my arm over her small waist, protecting her. Then I nestle my nose into her head fur and inhale her sweet scent as I close my eyes. This is going to be the best sleep I’ve had since I got here.

CHAPTER 6

AVA

I can’t sleep a wink. My heart is pounding. Did Aph’is cast some sort of alien spell over me to make me do such intimate things with him? He’s a stranger—a fucking alien stranger! A fucking alien stranger with multiple personalities who is also possibly a schizophrenic.

Other than my dad, Aph’is is the first male I’ve ever kissed. But I had to go one better than that, didn’t I? I let him fondle and suck my tits, and then let him lick me out and finger fuck me, too. He might have some type of alien oral thrush on his tongue for all I know. The rational Gemini voice in my head shouts out. What the hell were you thinking? The irrational Gemini voice purrs back. You know what you were thinking Ava—you fucking loved it!

They are both right. My internal Gemini thoughts do for once, both reflect my feelings. I was loving every fucking minute. Granted, the intimacy was a little premature, maybe an act of madness on my behalf from having just survived a crash landing. After all, I’d only known Aph’is for a few hours. But what we did felt so damn good. It was only the sudden appearance of the Balic’s personality that put a stop to it, otherwise I think I might have thrown him down and humped the hell out of his green alien face.

He’s snuggled up behind me as though we’ve been in a relationship for years. It’s weird, but it feels nice, and kind of natural. I feel protected. But what is post oral sex etiquette? I’ve never experienced it with a human man, let alone an alien. Do we go back to the same relationship dynamics we had pre-cunilingus? Or will he treat me differently? Do I have to treat him differently? I wished they hadn’t got rid of sex education from school, but I suppose with the dramatic decline in male births, there was no need to get the female population prepared for something very few of them would ever experience. My father and the other men of Earth try their best to see to the needs of as many women as they can, but they are only human.

I must have dozed off because I’m woken by the many voices of Aph’is.

“I’m telling you Capsi, it was like nothing I’ve ever tasted before—and I only got the smallest hint. Aph’is must have been in raptures.”

“I was Balic. It was the most special moment of my life, but it’s none of Capsi, Epiq, Devoq or your business. You are all supposed to be asleep when I head back to the camp—that was the deal. How am I ever going to get any peace and quiet from your continuous chatter otherwise?”

“I can’t help it if an enigmatic, aromatic smell rouses me from my slumber, can I?”

“Well, you should have realised what was happening and gone back to sleep, Balic.”

“I would have, but the female’s sultry tones of sexual gratification were like music to my ears.”

“That’s sick, Balic—even by your standards.”

“Shut your mouth, Devoq. You would have been a spectator too if you’d have woken up to that wonderful taste.”

“Now, now. Calm down, Balic. I happen to agree with Devoq. I think we need to lay some ground rules for the remainder of our time in this stasis… If Aph’is wants some alone time with his female, we need to be respectful and draw back.”

“Yes, I agree with Epiq. It was an all-time low for you Balic.”

“Fuck you, Epiq and fuck you too, Capsi. Fuck you all!”

“That’s a fucking guilty response if ever I heard one.”

A huge growl emits from Aph’is. I can’t tell if it came from him or Balic, but I cringe. I’m the catalyst of a disagreement again and now I have to face Aph’is after almost orgasming on his face last night. Oh ground, please swallow me up.

“She’s awake!”

What gave me away? Was it when I shrank to the noise of the growl?

I roll over and sit up. I look anywhere but Aph’is face. He’s silent. Oh shit. How do I break the uncomfortable silence?

“Erm…good morning, Aph’is.”

His voice is light and happy. “It is a good morning. Are you prepared for a day of digging?”

Lifting my head I find the courage to look at his face. His grin reaches from ear to ear. “Well, I need to pee, and maybe drink something first, but yes, I am.”

“Oh no. Did you forget to get the female some sustenance, Aph’is?”

Aph’is smile drops. “I-I never thought, Epiq.”

“There are still some berries next to the water hole. I spotted them while I was hunting. Would they be okay for the female to consume, Epiq?”

“I think they would, Capsi. They are safe for us to eat, and they are also eaten by many creatures here. If they were toxic, the creatures wouldn’t touch them, so I expect they will be safe for a human, too.”

Aph’is jumps to his feet. “I’ll go at once.”

I don’t want to be left up here alone. “Wait! I’ll come with you. Maybe there is somewhere private I can go to the bathroom.”

“Go to the bathroom? What does she mean, Aph’is?”

“I have no idea, Devoq.”

I hold my hands up, palms facing Aph’is. “Please. For my for own sanity, just ask me anything you want to know about me, guys!”

Aph’is mouth drops open, then his face contorts. “You heard my female! Stop asking me the questions and ask her what you want to know.”

My female. My chest flutters. At least he doesn’t intend to give me the cold shoulder.

“You got yourself a feisty one there, Aph’is. Good luck with that.”

“I thought you were sulking, Balic?”

“No…just simmering, because I knew I owed you an apology… I’m sorry, Aph’is. I was out of order last night…Are we still buddies?”

I watch in amazement as Aph’is face lights up. “Still buddies. I wished I could hug you, Balic.”

“Me too, bro. Hopefully soon, Aph’is.”

Soon? What does he mean by that? How can he hug someone who he believes is real, but has no body?

“I love it when Balic shows the real side of himself—all soft and mushy.”

“Aww, shut up Devoq. I’m gonna squeeze the life out of you when I get a chance.”

“I love you too, bro.”

“I’d love for us all to continue with this bonding session, but the female’s bladder needs emptying, her stomach needs filling, and holes need to be dug…the scalebb won’t find itself.”

“Always the voice of reason, Epiq.”

“Well, someone has to be, Capsi.”

Aph’is walks towards me with his hands extended. It’s only then I realise he has an extra finger on each hand. I knew my eyes weren’t deceiving me when I was standing in the hole.

I grab hold of them, and he pulls me up onto my feet. He looks down at me with new fascination and my stomach somersaults with the knowledge he was so intimate with my genitals last night and that’s what he’s almost certainly thinking about right now.

He lifts a hand to the side of my face, and his thumb strokes my cheek. My gusset instantly dampens and for a moment I think I’ve peed a little. But my quivering clit sets my mind straight—I’m getting aroused again.

Aph’is nostrils flare as if he’s caught a whiff of my arousal and I squeeze my pussy tight, hoping to stop the thing betraying my arousal from any further leakage. “I’m going to have to put you over my shoulder to climb down from the tree…that is, unless you want to climb down by yourself.”

My brow shoots up and I shake my head. “No-no. I can’t climb down.”

His hands slide down to my waist, grabbing it firmly but gently.

“I’ve got you.”

He lifts me onto his shoulder with ease, patting my butt when I’m in place. It sends electric shocks to my clitoris and I groan and start imagining all sorts of new and exciting sexual scenarios between us. Aph’is has ignited a dormant libido I never knew I had. I’m like putty in his hands. My pussy presses against his chest, brewing up an internal storm.

Before I realise what he’s doing, he has already climbed over the edge of the tree and is swiftly making his way down. I almost protest out loud when he places me down, not having any time to run my hands over his back to explore the expanse of knotted muscles.

“Is the sky clear?”

It’s Epiq’s voice. I’d almost forgotten about the other personalities. I sigh internally.

“Yes, all clear.”

Aph’is takes my hand and threads his fingers through mine, then leads me through bushes and trees. I turn my head from side to side in awe as I look at the unusual leaf shapes and colours of the foliage we pass. Yesterday I thought there were only blue trees, but now I see green ones too and I’m instantly reminded of Earth. I look up at the sky and it too has a tinge of blue to the green, another thing I hadn’t noticed yesterday. A smile eclipses my face. Maybe I wouldn’t get as homesick as I thought I would with these small similarities to Earth. But images of my mother and sister’s faces flash through my mind thinking of the day-long goodbye picnic they’d held for me in the local park with half of our neighbourhood, and I get a small sinking feeling. I breathe in deeply and push it aside. I’ll be able to make contact as soon as I get to civilisation.

We push through some bushes and I hear a trickle of water. There is a small brook lined with bushes laden with white berries on either side of it. Aph’is points over to them. “You can eat your fill of those fruits and drink from the rivulet. I will find something you can use to dig with. I use just my hands,” he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it, “but yours are far too delicate.”

There goes a conga procession in my intestines—well, it feels like there is. I watch his enormous back and tight butt disappear into the forest and sigh. What the hell is happening to me? I’m matched to another alien. I can’t fall head over heels for the first alien I make contact with.

The wetness between my legs reminds me of my much needed call of nature. Better take my opportunity to pee in private before Aph’is and his merry band of personalities come back and start arguing over me again.

CHAPTER 7

APH’IS

Standing on the last area not to be dug, Ava has her hands on her hips with her mouth open as she walks around examining the ground.

“I can’t believe there is no sign of the pod. Not even the parachute attached to the back of it. All my earthly belongings are still inside it. I need my hair straighteners, goddamn it!”

She looks so hot when she’s angry, and my dicks start to wiggle with life again. I hand her the flattened tree branch we’d found for her to dig with. “When we’ve found the scalebb, I promise we’ll all come back and dig the pod back out after we’ve also found your friends.”

She crinkles up her forehead and looks sceptical.

“Yes, as soon as we help you locate the other human females, we’ll all help dig it up and get back your possessions.”

“Erm, thanks Devoq.”

I can feel Devoq’s aura glow at her comment. I look at her with determination. “Right. Ready to dig?” She smiles and nods.

“I’ll take over when you tire, Aph’is.”

“I think I’ll be alright today Balic, but thanks for the offer.”

Dropping to my knees I open up my hands, extending the webbing between my fingers to full length, then begin to scoop away at the ground, throwing the sand into the hole to my left. I look up at Ava, she looks around, unsure what to do.

“Just dig. There’s no science to it. Look for the black canister I told you about yesterday.”

She nods. “Okay.”

“Why don’t you tell us some more about your friends while you dig,” says Capsi.

“Yes, I’d like that. It will make me feel closer to them. Okay, where do I start? Oh, I know, Bee.” She laughs to herself and the sound of her laughter makes my hearts flutter. “She kinda reminds me of—Balic.” She looks at my face and bites her bottom lip as she makes the statement, as if assessing my reaction to the suggestion. I want to lean forward and take the lip into my own mouth and suck it. It takes all of my willpower not to. “Bee is loud and opinionated. She’ll stand up to anyone, especially if they question her beliefs.”

Devoq belly laughs. “ Yep, she sounds like the female version of you alright, buddy.”

Balic growls, but it’s not a menacing growl. “Let’s just hope when we find her, she rips into you too, Devoq. You’ll appreciate how easy I am with you. I’ve heard some females can chew balls off with their words.”

Ava smiles. “Cassie is super focused. Whatever she sets her mind on, she’ll achieve it. And she is the fittest person I know. She must have done two million sit-ups in our eight-month journey here.”

“She sounds cool,” says Capsi.

“And she sounds like she’ll beat you hands down with sit-ups,” says Balic.

“I’d respect her if she did,” counters Capsi.

Ava throws a shovel of sandy ground into a hole before she continues. “Deja was worried she’d miss out on certain foods coming here, but she realised there was something far better. She knew there would be the promise of a match and possibly children. That’s all she’s ever wanted. She’s a sweet, wonderful woman.”

“Surely, there can’t be a female as soft as Devoq?” Balic’s statement drips jovial sarcasm.

“Ha ha! You didn’t think I was soft when I caught you with a left hook last week, did you Balic?”

Balic chuckles. “I must admit, that was a cracking shot, landed precisely on my nose.”

Ava scoops up a large pile of sand. “And then there’s Eve, short for Evelyn.”

“Eve?”

Ava looks at me quizzingly. “Yes Eve. Why?”

“Don’t you see the pattern?”

She shakes her head. “No. What pattern?”

Aph’is and Ava. Balic and Bee. Devoq and Deja. Capsi and Cassie, and Epiq and Eve!”

Ava sucks in an astonished breath. “Oh, my goodness. You’re right…Wow, what a coincidence!”

Epiq has been quiet this whole time and he coughs politely. “Erm, please go on, Ava. I’m intrigued to know about Eve.”

She smiles. “Eve is an Angel in a human body.”

“Angel? What’s that?”

She sighs softly. “It’s difficult to explain. For now, let’s just say it’s an entity of serenity… Eve hasn’t got a nasty bone in her body. She’s sees past exteriors and looks for the inner beauty of a soul.”

“She really does sound like a celestial being,” says Epiq. His aura is dazzling inside my mind.

“What do they look like?” asks Balic.

They have the same genetic make-up as me, but different skin colours and tones. They have different eye and hair colours, and their features are completely different, too.”

Ava hits something hard and her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “Is that the pod?”

I scoot over to her and dig away at the place where she hit. My heart rate accelerates when I see the end of the canister.

“You’ve found it!” yells Epiq.

I haul it out of the ground and crank it open. My stomach sinks into my boots. “Oh no…it’s empty!” Devoq’s devastated voice is the epitome of how we all feel.

“There’s a crack along the side, look!”

Ava suddenly screams out, and I raise my head to see her feet lifting swiftly off the ground. I reach out to grab her, but talons dig into my shoulders and the ground rapidly gets further away.

All I can do is look up into the face of the Badligon who’s captured me. He grins down at me menacingly.

Twisting frantically in the Badligon’s grip, I search for Ava. My blood is turning to molten lava. If they hurt her…so help me I’ll—

I finally catch sight of her up ahead when the Badligon changes direction in the air. It looks like we are heading back to their lair in the mountain. The others are keeping quiet. They don’t want the Badligon to know they are there. Why the hell are the Badligons out in the day? We thought they only came out at night.

My mind races with ways of overpowering the Badligon when we land. I might be able to break free, but I now have Ava to think about. What if I break free but I can’t rescue her from their clutches? Would they punish her if I escaped?

I’m running out of time to come up with a plan. The mountain looms in front of me. The Badligon carrying Ava disappears into a slither of a crack I wouldn’t have known was there if I hadn’t have seen them enter it with my own eyes. We quickly follow. Inside, I’d expected it to be as black as night, but to my surprise, there are fire torches placed just inside the entrance, possibly disputing another myth that the Badligons can see in the dark.

We don’t set down, instead we fly down, deeper into the mountain until we enter a vast cavern. More Badligons are gathered in a group below us, and they look up and watch our descent. Ava lands first and I growl and grit my fangs as two Badligons take hold of an arm each and lead her away. She remains silent and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s brave, or because she’s in shock.

The Badligon holding me hovers above them waiting for them to return and grab me. This is it. Do I fight and risk them hurting Ava for my retaliation? Or do I remain calm and try and figure out a plan that will best help all of us?

I ball my fists. I know I’ve already chosen the latter. My friend’s auras pulsate in my mind. They are unsettled. They sense what I’m planning to do, but I’m not sure they agree—my plan could bring the worst possible scenario for them.

Two Badligons appear and grab hold of my wrists, digging their claws into my flesh, a warning of things to come if I don’t comply. The one who’d brought me here is now behind me and he holds something sharp to my back. I’m guessing it’s a dagger.

One of the Badligons who’d taken Ava returns empty-handed. My heart rate elevates. “Where is she?”

“She is unharmed. I knew it wouldn’t be long before we tracked you down. And the timing is impeccable. Our leader will be waking from hypersleep any time, and now we’ll have five males for him to feast on instead of four—and a female to fuck too… He will be pleased.”

I try to wrestle free, but claws pierce my skin. “Don’t you lay a finger on her! I’ll-I’ll kill you all!”

The Badligon throws his head back and laughs before stopping abruptly. He strides over to me and halts when his face is almost touching mine. I stare into soulless eyes. “I’ll ask our leader if he’ll spare me your head. I’ll fuck each of your four eye sockets before eating every morsel of flesh from your skull, sucking your brains out through your nose!” The auras of my friends are pulsating red in my mind—they want to kill him as much as I do. He glances at the Badligons on either side of me. “Tie him up!”

CHAPTER 8

AVA

Every muscle in my body has seized. I’m paralysed with fear as I rise into the air. Have one of the dinosaur birds swooped down and got me? I look down to see if Aph’is is okay and my stomach recoils when I see a pewter-skinned humanoid alien with bat-like wings grab hold of him and begin a swift ascent, with him dangling from his clawed feet. Is that what has hold of me? I’m almost too scared to look up and see. Are these the cannibal aliens?

I’m able to twist my head just enough to have my worst fear confirmed. The same type of alien has me suspended below him. God knows how far up we are. My stomach roils with the knowledge and I slam my eyelids shut because if I catch a glimpse of the ground below me, I know I’ll faint if I do and right now; I need to keep my wits about me.

I’m not sure how long we are flying for, the numbness is my shoulders is the only indication it’s been longer than ten minutes, but I’m not sure exactly how long because the daylight on the outside of my eyelids suddenly disappears and so does the fresh air. I don’t think I am outside anymore. I think I’m inside because the lighting and smell is different. I dare to peek and I see flickering torch flames. Opening my eyes wide, I see I’ve been brought inside a cave, but it’s a cave so vast the winged alien carrying me can still fly inside it.

My stomach drops to my feet as we descend at a rapid pace. I see more of the same aliens below me. God, I hope Aph’is is okay. If these are the man-eating cannibals he told me about, I fear for his life.

As soon as my feet touch solid ground, hands grab either side of me, taking hold of an arm each. I glance at their faces but I wished I hadn’t. They have squashed features and are as scary as hell.

“A female—good. The leader will be pleased when he awakes.” They lead me away just as I hear flapping wings descending above me.

Aph’is!

More torches light the way as they lead me through damp corridors. I’m trembling. It’s cold in here but it’s not the temperature making me shiver. I’m petrified. I fear for myself, but mostly for Aph’is.

We turn a corner and my breath catches in my throat. There are four unconscious alien males lined up side by side, bound and gagged. They are the identical species to Aph’is. Could they be—?

The winged aliens restraining me, place me against a wall opposite the bound aliens and bind me too. I could struggle, but it’s pointless. When they are finished, they leave without a word. It’s a deathly silent, oppressive air inside the chamber and my pulse is thrumming in my ears. I can’t even hear the men opposite me breathing. Are they dead?

It’s not long before the same aliens march Aph’is into the chamber. He doesn’t respond when he sees the bound aliens, but he stiffens when he sees me. A mixture of emotions washes across his face, and I can see an internal battle raging inside him whether to fight or accept his fate. He chooses not to fight which surprises me, and they place him next to the other aliens and bind him so securely, he can only move his eyes when they are done. They linger a moment, looking at us all with deadpan eyes and a shiver runs the length of my spine, uncertain what they intend to do next, but they leave the chamber and I sigh a breath of relief. All we can do it stare across the chamber at each other.

I splutter a near-hysterical laugh. “So I’m guessing those are the Badligons?”

Aph’is’ reply is stilted. “Yes…I’m sorry I got you caught, too.”

“Have they gone?”

“Yes.”

“Can you turn your head so I can see myself? Have they taken a chunk out of me yet?”

“I can’t move my head, Balic…and no, your ugly mush still looks the same.”

“What about the rest of us, Aph’is?”

“Everyone’s bodies still look intact and untouched, Epiq.”

My whole body suddenly feels as light as air as the realisation of what I’ve been witnessing with Aph’is hits me. Aph’is must have been in shock this whole time. The mind does strange things to protect itself. When his friends were captured, he must have conjured up their personalities as a form of survivor’s guilt. His friends look dead to me, but in his mind, by talking to them, he thinks they are still alive. Poor Aph’is. I think he must have actually suffered a mental breakdown in the last week. I look across at his darting eyes. My heart aches for him.

“Ava, I know this seems bad right now. But-but I’ll get us out of this situation as soon as…as soon as I think of a plan which won’t involve you being hurt.”

I nod, even though I can’t see this ending well for either of us. I want to cry. Why couldn’t I just be happy staying put on Earth and accepting my loveless, partner free fate? Or even better, why couldn’t I have just partnered up with another woman, like so many millions of other women had? A spark of hope ignites in my chest. At least there was over a ninety percent chance the other women made it. Maybe this journey isn’t for nothing. If the others got to find their mates and their happy-ever-afters, then at least that is something.

“Aph’is look around. Is there anything in here that could help with your escape?”

Epiq’s calm voice has an edge of panic. That can’t be good.

“I can’t believe this is the end for us…I honestly thought we’d escape.”

“Devoq, don’t be such a defeatist. There’s still hope.”

“Is there Capsi? If Aph’is can’t get out of those bindings, we’re all screwed.”

“Ahhh! Let me fuse with you Aph’is. I’ll use my brute strength to escape.”

“How the fuck are you going to do that if it’s my body and not your own, Balic? I’m strong, but I don’t have the raw strength you have.”

A single tear escapes and trickles down my cheek. Aph’is is losing the plot. It’s such a tragic sight to witness.

“What is happening to you? Why are you leaking fluid again?” Aph’is voice is filled with panic.

“I-I’m okay. I’m just sad. I’m crying…It’s something humans do when they are sad—or happy…I-I just thought I was actually going to have a shot at happiness. I thought I’d come here and fall in love…and have babies. I thought Planet Vysaria was where I was going to find my happy-ever-after…I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

Aph’is eyes become wild. “You will have your happy-ever-after, Ava Harris. We will get you free and we will help you find your friends.”

My brow crinkles with scepticism, but I don’t want to piss on his parade. Not when his mind is so fragile. “I know you will, Aph’is.” I force a smile as my salty tears drip onto my lips. I look down at my locket dangling free, and I’m reminded of the green gemstone. “Some lucky charm you turned out to be.”

“What?”

Lifting my head, I gaze into Aph’is bewildered eyes. “Oh, nothing. I’m just talking to my locket. It has a gemstone inside it I found when I crash landed. I kept it as a good luck charm.”

“What!? What did this gemstone look like?”

I frown, perturbed by his interest in it at a time like this. “It’s green, with smoky swirls.”

Aph’is four eyes bulge. “The scalebb!”

“What? You know what it is?”

“It’s what we’ve been searching for…and you…you had it this whole time.” Echoed footsteps approaching to my left make me stiffen. Aph’is eyes shoot sideways. “Oh no, they’re coming.”

My heart rate instantly elevates. Are they coming for me or Aph’is? This might be my last chance to thank him. “Aph’is…I want you to know, I’m eternally grateful to you for rescuing me…and for our time together. It was only hours, but I felt a lifetime of passion and sentiment pass between us in that short time…you helped me know what it was to be desired.”

Badligons emerge from a tunnel and head my way. Nausea overwhelms me. God, I hope Aph’is is right about them not eating females. But the alternative reason for why they’ve come for me leaves me with no comfort either and I break into a cold sweat. Are they going to force themselves on me?

“Leave her alone! Don’t you fucking dare harm her!”

Aph’is voice is a blend of tones, as if all of his personalities are calling out at once.

My bindings drop away and once again, claw tipped fingers dig into my flesh. I grimace as they drag me past Aph’is.

His frantic eyes seek mine. “Ava, you have the key to our escape. You need to break it! Smash the scalebb!”

My heart is galloping in my chest. “What? I don’t understand!”

“Trust me, Ava Harris!”

A Badligon releases my arm and strides over to Aph’is. He punches him hard in the face, knocking him clean out.

I give the Badligon daggers as he walks back over to me. “You son of a bitch!”

He takes hold of my arm again and they drag me from the chamber.

“You are the bitch, female. A bitch who will be moaning in agony when we drag you back here later!”

An icy shiver runs from the hairs of my head through to the tips of my toes.

CHAPTER 9

AVA

I can barely breathe I’m so scared. I’m dragged through dimly lit corridors, deeper into the cave. I should be contemplating what lies ahead of me—what my fate is, but Aph’is words go round and round in my mind like a mantra.

Ava, you have the key to our escape. You need to break it! Smash the scalebb…Trust me, Ava Harris!

How could smashing a green stone help us? He truly has lost his mind. My locket swings freely on my chest. It is the only gift I ever received from my father, but with hundreds if not a thousand daughters and just a handful of sons, I’m grateful for such a wonderful token of his affection.

The corridor abruptly ends and opens into a small chamber. My breath catches in my throat when I see what’s awaiting me. The Badligon who’d spoken to me earlier is sprawled on his side on a pile of furs in the centre of the room, his wings furled together behind him. I break into a sweat. I know what awaits me, and I guarantee the experience won’t be anywhere as pleasant as it was with Aph’is.

“Bring her to me!”

“What do you want to do with me? Eat me?!”

He throws his head back and laughs, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp fangs. Vomit comes up into my throat, but I swallow it back down.

“We don’t feast on female’s flesh—only males… We do however, take our pleasure from it.”

I tremble, and I’m glad the two Badligons are still holding me because my legs feel boneless. They drag me over to the lounging Badligon and fling me onto the furs beside him. I land unceremoniously on my stomach. But before I can make a move to scramble away, the Badligon has me pinned.

“Get off me…please.”

Big fat tears plop onto the furs as claws grab at my ass and slip down its crack to plunder the apex of my legs. Clawed feet force between mine and prise them open. A squeal escapes my throat and the Badligon laughs.

His claws dig into the cloth of my trousers, scrapping across the lips of my pussy. “Is this where you keep your treasure?”

My body bucks violently, but he pushes down harder and I’m soon panting with exertion, weakening under his bulk. I hear a tear, and panic tingles through every cell. A claw has breached the cloth barrier, the only thing that was preventing him from molesting me.

“No!”

“Oh yes little female. I need to see if you are suitable for our leader. I don’t want him disappointed if he can’t fuck you, so I’ll have to fuck you first—check you are sexually compatible for our kind.”

A clawed finger pushes through the hole and miraculously finds the entrance to my vagina, forcing its way through my dry labia.

“Aaahh, get the fuck off me, you ugly motherfucker!”

My heart is in my mouth. My eyes are rolling wildly. What can I do? What can I do? If I don’t act fast he’s going to rape me.

I hear Aph’is words again. Ava, you have the key to our escape. You need to break it! Smash the scalebb…Trust me, Ava Harris!

The locket lies on the furs in front of me. I strain my neck and take it into my mouth. Oh God, I’m putting all my trust into a schizophrenic alien with multiple personalities. Please let him be right!

I bite down hard. The soft gold of the locket immediately dents, and a crunching sound reverberates through my skull. My mouth is suddenly filled with green mist. I spit out the locket and the mist streams from it, expanding in volume, quickly filling the chamber.

“What trickery is this?”

The Badligon’s weight lifts off me and he jumps to his feet. I roll onto my back, pulling the locket onto my chest. The mist continues to filter through the edges of it. My eyes are bulging as I watch it rise.

The Badligon tries to push it away from him, but his arms cut right through the emerald mist, having no effect on it. The mist hovers between us like an enormous green spectre. Then it makes its way towards the corridor.

The Badigon is visibly shaken. “Guards, get here at once!”

Heavy footfall reverberates off the stone walls heading in our direction. Claws suddenly dig into my wrist and I look down and see the Badligons hand gripping it tightly. He yanks me to my feet and drags me behind him out of the chamber. We follow the mist as it heads down the corridor.

The other Badligons come into sight and halt abruptly when they see it hovering towards them.

“Do something!”

They look bewildered from one to the other, but the only thing they do is walk backwards as it approaches them.

“What are you doing? Get it!” The Badligons open their arms. Their wings unfurling too and they grab at the mist with both arms, but all their efforts do is push it over their heads in swirls and plumes. The mist continues on its journey. “Follow it!”

The Badligon no longer has to drag me, I’m intrigued myself to see where it’s heading and what it’s going to do. It doesn’t frighten me—it gives me a sense of hope and faith.

The mist follows the exact same path the Badligons took, bringing me to my molester. We follow in silence, the air thick with tension. The Badligon’s fear is tangible.

Somehow, I’m not at all surprised when it leads us back into the chamber where Aph’is and the other alien bodies are. Maybe Aph’is does have a trick to escape up his sleeve. My gut tightens when I see he’s still unconscious, with green blood trickling from his nose, but at least he’s still alive.

The emerald mist seems to stop motionless in the centre of the chamber, hanging heavy in the air with no further intent. My heart drops to my feet. No. That can’t be it.

“Ha! Is that it?” My molester turns to face me, lifting my wrist higher, squeezing it until I feel my bones grumbling in pain, on the verge of snapping. “Just tricks to try and divert my attention from your inevitable fate! Now I’m going to take you here on this cold, hard ground. Fuck you senseless, and then I’ll watch and laugh at your terror as my comrades’ fuck you too!”

“NO!” All heads spin in the direction of the voice. Aph’is is awake, and if looks could kill, the Badligons would be writhing in agony right about now. Aph’is’ eyes flick towards the mist, and so does everyone else’s.

Suddenly, the mist splits into four and shoots into the chests of the four bound aliens. All of their eyes shoot open simultaneously and their mouths gape open, drawing in deep lung fulls of breath.

My mouth falls ajar and I gasp. “Now I understand.”

The biggest of the four bound aliens pushes his chest out and the bindings tear, falling from his body. The Badligons must be in shock because they stand statue still, watching the unfolding turnaround of events.

The large green alien extends his arms, fingers splayed and in one swift motion, shreds through the bindings of two of the others with his claws. They jump free and as one of them cuts through the bindings of the fourth, the big alien and another one rush the Badligon guards.

The Badligon holding my wrist tips his head back and opens his mouth wide, but no noise emits from it.

What the hell is he doing?

I look across to Aph’is. His eyes are wide. It’s as though he understands what the Badligon has just done. One of the released aliens rushes towards Aph’is to release him just as I hear numerous flapping wings coming from all directions. My heart rate goes into overdrive.

Bat wings! The Badligons have bat wings. Does that mean they can also emit a silent frequency noise undetected by human ears?

I’m pulled from my thoughts by a yank on my wrist. The Baligon is dragging me out of the chamber, back the way we came.

I can hear the desperation in Aph’is voice behind me. “Hurry, Devoq! Release me! He’s getting away with my female!”

My stomach contracts. Oh god, why did I ever doubt him? Devoq and the others are real.

The sounds of knuckles connecting with bone and cries of pain ring out in the chamber behind me. It sounds as though all hell is breaking loose. I just hope Aph’is is going to be okay.

The Badligon is growling and muttering under his breath as he pulls me along behind him. I don’t make it easy for him. I dig my heels into whenever I can and lean back against his grip. At the end of the corridor, we walk into an opening of circular space, with walls that rise into a funnel shape. I look up and see a hole of daylight high above us. My heart all but stops. The Badligon intends to escape—with me.

He drags me into the centre and unfurls his inky black wings, then he jumps into the air, flapping them ferociously. My hair rises from the gust and my natural instinct is to cover my head. Thank god, he’s leaving without me. I look back at the way we came and make a run for it. But just three feet into my stride, clawed feet hook onto my shoulders. I cry out, but it’s more from frustration than pain. My feet lift off the ground and I reach up to try and grab hold of his ankles to prise myself free, but the way he has me pinned only gives me minimal movement.

“AVA!”

Looking down, I see Aph’is running into the circular chamber. He immediately runs for me, bending his knees to propel himself high into the air, but he misses my foot by a whisker. His face creases with panic as he falls back down to the ground.

The Badligon’s flapping wings become frenzied in his bid to escape with me, but I’m not going to make it easy for him. I kick out and swing my legs, jolting his progression.

“Cease your motion, bitch, or I’ll drop you!” He rises a few more feet.

I look down at Aph’is and he is now climbing the wall face with frenzied urgency, as if he’s possessed. The Baligon doubles his efforts and we ascend quicker this time. His pewter lips pull back in a sneer and his growling effort reverberates off the walls of the chamber. We’re almost at the top. My heart is in my throat. I glance down at Aph’is but he’s only halfway up. My stomach churns. This is going to be the last time I ever see him.

I swing my arms and legs like crazy. My joints crick and crack, probably doing irreparable damage, but I’ll do anything to stop him from dragging me out into the sky. The Badligon snarls down at me again. “I said cease your struggle!”

Tilting my head back, I look up at the Badligon and show him how humans sneer. “I’d rather have every bone in my body broken than leave here with you!”

He roars and I swear my ears pop. “You’re more trouble than you’re fucking worth anyway.”

My breath catches in my throat. Does that statement mean what I think it does?

His talons uncurl from my shoulders, and I’m suddenly plunging towards the rocky ground below. My life flashes once more before my eyes, but this time, the images are all of Aph’is. My stomach joins my heart in my throat.

“Nooo!”

Our eyes lock. Aph’is’ cry is filled with emotion and I’m overwhelmed with regret and guilt. Guilt for labelling him as a schizo, and regret for not paying so much attention to the other voices and getting to know the real him.

I’m seconds from death.

Suddenly, a strong arm grabs round my waist, and instead of dropping the rest of the way like a stone, I spiral down in an arc. Aph’is is using the webbed wing on one side of his body to slow our progress, but we’re like a damaged aeroplane which has lost a wing.

His body crashes against the wall as we spiral out of control, and I hear him grunt with every impact. My alien man is taking a bashing to protect me. My heart melts in my chest.

We land with a thud, but it’s not my feet that absorb the impact. Aph’is gently places me down and then falls to his knees.

“Aph’is! Aph’is ! Are you okay?”

“I-I’ll be okay.”

I watch in horror as his four eyes roll into the back of his head before he collapses into a pile. Heavy footsteps echo in the corridor behind me. The Badligons are coming. I stoop down in front of him with my back to him and my arms splayed out across his body, defending him.

I’m panting as adrenaline surges through my veins, preparing to fight to keep my alien man from sustaining any further injury.

But its four green faces, not grey ones that emerge. I whimper in relief and fall to my knees.

“Aph’is! They all race over to us and one of them kneels by Aph’is’ side and examines his wounds. I instantly know he’s Epiq.

Another one stoops in front of me and pulls me into his arms. “It’s okay. We got you. Don’t worry, Epiq will sort him out.” The calming tones of Devoq’s voice are like a balm.

My brimming tears fall, and through blurry eyes over Devoq’s shoulder I take in the others. The muscly alien is unmistakably Balic. He looks down at Aph’is with a pinched look. “I’ll fucking hang that Badligon by his talons from a tree and gut that winged cunt when I get my hands on him.” His hands are balled into fists at his sides and already smeared with Badligon blood.

The other alien holds himself tall. He’s just as muscly as Balic, but more refined. He has to be Capsi. “I’ll help you track down the fucker, Balic!” He looks over his shoulder at the way they came in. “We need to kill the leader before he comes out of stasis.”

Epiq looks up from Aph’is. “Okay Capsi, give Devoq and I enough time to carry Aph’is out first.” He looks over at me. “Are you okay to walk, Ava?” I nod. “Right, stay close to us!”

“Capsi, let’s go ahead and make sure the route ahead is clear for them,” says Balic.

Capsi nods, and they sprint off. Epiq slides his hands underneath Aph’is armpits and Devoq grabs hold of his ankles and they lift him off the ground.

“Fuck Aph’is! What have you been eating this last week?”

The corners of my mouth curl up at Devoq’s amusing comment. He quickly looks up at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to diss your mate.”

“My mate?”

Epiq walks backwards and guides Devoq holding Aph’is’ feet towards the corridor. “It’s nice to finally meet you Ava, but we need to get moving. We can make chit chat as soon as we are out of here.”

Devoq grins at me sheepishly. I smile back and follow them out.

CHAPTER 10

APH’IS

Smoke plumes from the opening in the mountain as we stand on the four foot wide ledge outside it.

Epiq looks over at Balic and Capsi. “What did you do?”

Balic grins with malice. “Torched the bastard!”

“Epiq nods with a smile, “Nice!

Balic and Capsi must have set a fire to burn the leader alive in his sleep. The thought of it both churns my stomach but also gives me a sick, satisfied feeling.

Devoq points down at Aph’is unconscious on the ground at their feet and then at me. “How are we going to get them down?”

Epiq grimaces, bearing his fanged teeth. “We need to get down fast in case any more Badligons come back. I suggest two of you take Ava, and two of us take Aph’is.”

Capsi holds his hands out, palms turned upwards. “Whoever takes Aph’is is gonna drop like a bolder from this height.”

Epiq nods his agreement. “Maybe so, but is there an alternative? Aph’is risked his life for us in the crash and this past week searching for the scalebb and then coming back here.”

Balic crosses his arms and nods with a low growl. “He did. We owe him big time…Me especially. I volunteer to go down with Aph’is.”

Epiq nods. “I’ll come with you.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Devoq quickly answers.

Capsi shakes his head. “No offence Devoq. You might be the same height as us, but you just ain’t got the muscle.” Devoq nods reluctantly. “And Epiq, we need you safe in case any of us get injured. I’ll go with Balic.”

Epiq steps forward and places a hand on Capsi’s shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.”

I watch transfixed as Capsi and Balic lift the unconscious dead weight of Aph’is to his feet, linking arms with him. His head drops forward onto his chest as they haul him up. Both of them open their free arm and extend their webbed wings fully. My stomach coils as I realise what they are about to do. Then, with a quick nod at each other, they step off the ledge. My hand flies to my mouth. They drop quickly and I say a silent prayer, fearing the worst, but then a gust of wind picks them up and I almost cry out in relief.

I feel hands slip underneath my armpits and I spin my head from left to right to see Epiq and Devoq doing the same thing to me, getting ready for our jump.

My mouth opens and closes and my brain races for excuses for me not to jump and to climb down instead, but before I can get my first word out, they too step off the edge. It’s déjà vu from thirty minutes ago. Again, my stomach leaps up to join my heart in my throat. We fall quickly, but thankfully, not as fast as the others did.

I look out at the lay of the land as we glide down and I’m astonished to see a dark line in the distance past the expanse of turquoise sand. I swear it looks like skyscrapers, a possible sign of the other inhabitants in this part of Planet Vysaria.

“Are you okay, Ava?” asks Epiq.

“Yes. Surprisingly I am. I don’t normally like heights.”

I’m astonished I haven’t passed out. The fear I felt a moment ago is gone and I begin to relax and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. Looking down, my fear of heights is forgotten and overpowered by my concern for Aph’is. The three bodies are nearing the ground and I hold my breath as I wait for their touch down.

As soon as their feet hit the ground, they go into a run, dragging Aph’is lifeless body between them. His dragging feet create a small cloud of dust which swiftly rises, blocking my view, but I’m certain the landing has gone well. But all too soon, the ground gets ever closer for us, too. I scrunch my eyes closed. A jolt followed by a movement from either side of me reassures me we have also landed safely and I fling open my eyes and see solid ground.

Capsi now has Aph’is over his shoulder and he and Balic are walking towards us with enormous grins. “We made it,” he says, relief as clear as day in his voice.

Balic runs his fingers through his short hair and blows out through puffed up cheeks. “I didn’t think we would. We were falling fast—too fast, but thankfully, we were picked up on the back of a wind gust.”

Devoq whistles. “Boy, were you ever. I was expecting to see a mash of guts and bones when we got down here.”

Balic playfully punches Devoq’s shoulder. “Nice to know you were keeping a watchful eye on us, bro.”

Devoq laughs and pulls Balic into his arms, patting him brutely on the back.

Epiq looks at me and then at each of the others. “We’ll head back to the tree camp Aph’is has been hiding out in for the past week to tend to his injuries. It’s well hidden from the skies. Any stray Badligons heading back to the cave, unaware that it’s a now a burnt out tomb, won’t spot us.”

The alien men agree and I walk alongside them, Capsi in front with Aph’is over his shoulder, his head down, studying the ground to lead us there.

Epiq turns to look at me as we walk. “We can formally introduce ourselves now. He makes a fist and places it to his heart. “I’m Epiq.”

I look at his gesture and copy it. “Hello Epiq. I guessed as much when you knelt next to Aph’is to check his wounds.” My forehead crinkles and I glace towards him, hanging limply from Capsi’s shoulder. “Is he going to be alright? I’m really worried about him.”

Epiq smiles. “It’s wonderful to see how much you already care for him, after only…” he clears his throat, “…spending one night together.”

My eyebrows shoot up, “We-we only kissed and-…” I stop, too embarrassed to continue. Unbeknown to me at the time, Epiq and the others were there. They know what we did—well, Balic knew what we did, but he obviously filled in the others about our sexual exploits. I just hope it was only Balic who woke up when I was in the throes of passion.

“That may be true, but you do realise females are in the minority, even more so on our planet than they are here? A kiss is confirmation of accepting the male kissing them as their mate.”

My mouth drops open and my eyes bug out. I shake my head. “No…no I didn’t know that… How could I? I know nothing about your planet, your species or your cultures. I crash landed here just days ago.”

“I thought Aph’is might have told you before you…kissed.”

I purse my lips. I’m mad as hell at Aph’is for keeping that important snippet of information to himself, but I feel guilty for feeling mad when he’s so battered up after risking his life to save me.

Epiq places a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. He’s going to be fine, and I’m sure he won’t hold you to the mating promise if he didn’t forewarn you about it before he kissed you.”

I smile through thin lips and nod. Devoq sidles up to the opposite side of me. He places his bunched up fist against his heart. “Hello, I’m Devoq.”

I turn my head in his direction and smile. “I know. I recognise your voice.”

He chuckles. “Really? Was Aph’is able to change his voice to sound like me?”

I find his upbeat persona contagious and find I’m giggling too. “He could never match your dulcet tones but he gave it a damn good try.”

Balic turns around and proceeds to walk backwards while fixing me with a stare. “I want to apologise for the things I said… especially when I woke up, when it was supposed to be Aph’is time without us.”

My cheeks instantly explode with heat. I can’t quite meet his eyes when I reply. “It’s okay, Balic.” It’s hard enough being around so much testosterone and muscle after a lifetime of hormonal women. I don’t feel ready for a conversation about him spectating my first kiss and first sexual encounter.

Capsi thankfully interrupts the awkward moment, shouting back over his shoulder. “Hello Ava. I’m the best looking one of the group.”

I laugh. “And the most cocky by the sounds of it!”

“Well, when you put this much effort into looking as good as me, you have to ring your own bell sometimes.”

“You would get on well with both Bee and Cassie, Capsi.”

“Do they both like to keep in shape?”

“I think Bee is naturally built like a goddess, but Cassie loves to work out and she looks fantastic for it too.”

“I can’t wait to meet them both!” he says.

“Hey! The goddess is mine, Capsi.”

“They are not items to peruse and be purchased, Balic,” says Capsi, “they’re precious females.”

My heart swells as the sentiment.

Balic turns back to face forward and I feel myself relax now that I’m not being scrutinised by his glare.

“Balic is as soft as a palty pup really, Ava. He’s all mouth. He’d pander to every whim of a female if he was lucky enough to get one, and rip out the throat of any male who looked at her the wrong way in his next breath.”

Devoq’s comment is welcomed. Not knowing any men other than my father and only having a distant memory of a grandfather, I can’t gauge male’s personalities. The evidence of that is the way I misjudged Aph’is, thinking he had multiple personalities.

Thinking about all their different personalities being squished inside Aph’is’ mind piques my interest as to how they got in there in the first place. I look sideways at Epiq. “How did you manage to get your personalities inside Aph’is and even more curiously, why did you do it?”

“It’s something innate to our species. An ability we’ve always had but rarely use. It dates back thousands of years when our planet used to have seasons of extreme weather. Food was scarce, so we used to go into a kind of hibernation and designate just a few to watch over the others in a family during the worst times. The hibernated bodies used almost no energy, so they would stay in a sort of stasis until the weather turned for the better and new crops grew.” I nod my head, intrigued. “A ritual was performed where a part of their auras transferred into a vessel, and part entered the host. In that state, they were still able to communicate until it was time to return their auras back to their bodies.”

My eyes and mouth are wide like a child listening to a bedtime story. “Amazing, but why did you do it?”

“When our auras leave our bodies, our bodies tune down. Any injuries sustained in stasis are significantly minimalised. So when we knew we were heading for a crash landing, it was the best way to reduce the risk of injury to the majority of us. Aph’is insisted he’d guide the ship down. It was just an unfortunate coincidence that we crash landed close to Badligons out hunting, so before Aph’is could transfer our auras back, they gave chase.”

It’s like a penny drops. “And that’s when Aph’is buried the canister.”

“Yes, and when he returned to dig it up, they’d taken our bodies and captured him, too. But thankfully, he was able to escape. We’d heard the Badligons were going to keep our bodies to feed their leader once he came out of stasis, so we knew we had about a week.”

I nod animatedly. “So for the past week, Aph’is has been digging holes to find the canister?”

“You got it!”

“Wow…it’s like something out of a movie.”

“A movie?”

I shake my head and smile. “Oh, it doesn’t matter.”

Epiq smiles back.

We walk in silence for the rest of the way. I delve deep into my thoughts, thinking about my time spent with Aph’is and worrying about Bee, Cassie, Eve and Deja.

“We’re here,” Capsi suddenly announces.

I look up and sure enough, the same tree where I had my first kiss is looming over us.

“I’m going to scout for something to eat before it gets dark. I’m famished,” says Balic.

“I’ll come with you,” says Devoq.

Capsi bends his knees and jumps effortlessly up onto the trunk with Aph’is over his shoulder, his caws digging into the bark for grip.

Epiq turns to face me. “Are you climbing up yourself, or do you need assistance?”

I shrug, feeling a little pathetic in my human skin compared to his capable alienness. “Assistance please.”

He grins and places his hands on my waist, lifting me over his shoulder. I squeeze my eyes shut. I’ve had enough excitement with heights for one day.

When we climb into the treetop, Capsi has already laid Aph’is onto his side off his wounds on the bed of leaves. He looks at Epiq as he places me down. “Shall we go and collect the herbs you need to treat him?”

Epiq nods and turns to face me. “Will you watch over him for us while we are gone?”

“I’d be honoured.”

He smiles and dips his head, and then they leave.

Looking down at Aph’is and seeing his injuries, I’m overcome with emotion. I still can’t believe he’d risked his life to save me. I step over him and lay down, facing him. Carefully, I lay my arm over his waist and stare at his odd, yet striking alien face. The next thing I know, my eyelids have dropped and I’m sleeping soundly.

CHAPTER 11

AVA

Deep male voices stir me from my slumber. This is the best sleep I’ve ever had. I’ve never had so many dreams at one time. I don’t want to wake up.

A hand gently rocks me. “Ava…Ava Harris. Wake up. You need to eat something before we set out to look for your friends.”

My eyes spring open and four green eyes blink in front of mine. I shoot up into a sitting position, still half asleep. Green men are sitting cross-legged in a circle, staring at me. “What the—?”

Then my eyes focus on one man sitting with his back leaning against a branch with one of his legs bent. His smile sends invisible butterflies into a frenzy inside my stomach as the memories from the last few days come racing into my brain.

“Aph’is! You’re better.”

Epiq twists his head and leans towards his friend to check a wound on his shoulder and then looks over at me. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say better, but he’s eighty percent there.”

“Ava. You need to eat something,” says Aph’is.

I smile at his concern for me when he is clearly the infirm one out of the two of us. “Don’t worry about me. You still have another twenty percent to go.” His grin widens and I’m sure my pussy grins along with him. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good… No, I’m better than good. I have my female back.”

Mini bombs explode underneath my cheeks.

Devoq’s eyes were the ones I’d seen when I’d woken and they lean in close to my face again. “Wow! Do all the females on your planet do that?”

My hands fling up to my face. My cheeks are scalding to the touch. “Some do.”

“I wonder if Deja’s do?”

I can already see what’s happening. The alien men are beginning to fantasize about my friends—and in particular, the ones whose names start with matching letters to their own. I don’t want to piss on their bonfire, but my friends are already betrothed to other alien men—as am I. I look across at Aph’is. What will he do when I find my friends and we head for the city and the other alien men we are matched to who are waiting for us? We couldn’t let our governments down and botch up intergalactic relations between our planet and theirs.

I push the thought out of my mind. “What did you say about finding my friends?”

Capsi places a leaf down with markings etched onto it, which looks like they’ve been done with charcoal. “We have decided to split up to search for your friends. Each one of us is going in a different direction to look for them.”

“Yes, we made a promise to you to find your friends, and now we are going to keep it,” says Balic.”

Epiq nods. “We are going to meet up back here in two weeks.”

My mouth drops open. “But-but how? They’ve probably crashed hundreds if not thousands of miles from here. How will you travel that distance on foot? I thought when you said you’d help me, you were going to help me get in touch with the government to raise a search party.”

Epiq shakes his head. “We don’t want those wimpy males out looking for them. They couldn’t find their tails if they were rammed up their noses…No, while you were sleeping, we went back to our crashed ship and retrieved our gliders. They have on-board equipment that will help us locate any debris that has landed in the last few days.”

“You will of course, come with me, Ava.” Aph’is’ smoky voice draws my head back in his direction like a compass needle drawn to the north. “But I need just one more day to heal before we travel.”

All heads spin in his direction. “You’re not setting out with us?” asks Devoq, clearly surprised.

“Ah, I know why,” chuckles Balic.

I look from one to the other. Feeling like the only one not let in on an inside joke.

Epiq clears his throat. “You say you wanna heal a bit more first?”

Aph’is nods animatedly. “Yes-yes, that’s right. I want to make sure I’m one-hundred percent before Ava and I set off.”

Capsi jumps to his feet. “Right. No point in waiting around. I’m off. I want to be the first to find a female.” I look up at him with a quizzical frown. He looks down at me. “Not that this is a competition, Ava.” My brow shoots up, not believing a word he says.

He leans down and pats Aph’is’ shoulder. “Good luck, Aph’is.”

Good luck?

Balic stands and does the same. “Yeah, good luck, bro.”

Devoq leans in to him for a quick hug before jumping to his feet. “You’ll get her, bro. Good luck!”

Why aren’t they wishing each other luck?

Epiq is the last to stand. He glances my way and smiles and then turns to Aph’is. “Nothing too strenuous. We don’t want those wounds pulling open. The healing herbs I found are good and work fast, but only if you take things easy. See you in two weeks.”

Eph’is places his fist to his heart. “Thanks, bros. Take care.”

They all look back at me with smiles and winks before disappearing through branches and jumping down. Seconds later, I hear the low vibrating hum of engines, and then those noises diminishing as they get further away.

I can feel the weight of Aph’is’ stare on my profile. “How are you feeling? You were asleep for a whole two days.”

I suck in a gasp and my mouth drops open. “How is that possible? I only closed my eyes for a few moments.”

“A lot has happened to you in the last few days. You crash landed. Fell into a hole. Were attacked by scrinklers. Saved by a handsome stranger.” His mouth curls up at his own statement and I smile. “You were kissed by the handsome stranger.” He winks the two eyes on his right side and my cheeks roar with heat. “That handsome stranger then made you dig.” I chuckle. “Badligons snatched you from the ground and took you hundreds of feet into the air, flying you to their lair, where you were tied up and then…” He shakes his head, “I can’t bear to think what you went through next…before you fell tens of metres, and the handsome stranger saved you again.”

I puff out my cheeks. “Well, when you reel everything off like that, I suppose sleeping two full days does make sense.” I run my eyes over his hot body, trying not to linger on his crotch. The fact that we are alone—really alone this time, is generating lots of images and ideas that a woman matched to another alien shouldn’t be having. “What about you? Did you get two days of sleep too?”

He shakes his head. “As soon as the herbs were applied to my wounds, their advanced healing properties began to work immediately. In just a few hours, I was feeling almost back to normal… I watched you sleep.”

My hands fly up to my cheeks. “Oh no. I hope I didn’t snore…my sisters used to say I sounded like a pig when we were younger.”

His dazzling smile does things to my clitoris. “Pig? What’s that? It sounds like it could be a small, cute and furry creature.”

A laugh snort erupts from mouth and nose, taking me by surprise. I clasp a hand to my mouth, mortified, and the heat in my cheeks intensifies. Aph’is’ brow rises and he pushes his back off the tree branch and pulls his legs beneath him, going up on his knees to shuffle over to me. My heart revs up the closer he gets, going into overdrive when he reaches across and pulls my hands away to run his fingers over my scorching cheeks.

“Why does only this part of your body change colour? Wow! They change temperature too.”

My eyes look into four jade coloured eyes as they stare with intensity at my blushing cheeks. “My skin is reacting.”

He draws his brow together into a line. “To what?”

“To…you.”

The line disappears. “To me?” I nod. “Is it a good or bad reaction?”

My mouth suddenly feels dry. I run my tongue around it, and then lick my lips too, swallowing with nerves. “Good.”

His hands move from my cheeks and cup the sides of my face. “Good.”

He leans forward and my heart rate goes into overdrive as his mouth gets closer to mine. Should I put a stop to this? Am I leading him on? After all, when we’ve found my friends I’ll be heading to the nearest town to locate my intended alien mate.

My pussy is practically purring, I can’t upset her now.

My second kiss is even better than my first had been. Is that even possible? I feel as though I’ve turned into molten liquid because I’m suddenly very hot and feel as though I’m melting. His tongue swirls slowly with mine, not as frantic as our first kiss, more in control, more assertive, knowing what it wants with no threat of interruption—as if time is on our side.

His hands slide down my neck, down my shoulders, pulling my vest top and bra straps down with them until my shoulders are bare. Aph’is leaves my lips and gently kisses every part of my face—my chin, my cheeks, my nose, eyelids. He is so tender, a butterfly couldn’t touch me as delicately. I sway under his hypnotic power.

He continues to pepper kisses down my neck to my shoulders, his skin whiskers doing the same. My skin puckers and the tiny hairs covering my body stand on end as his hot breath bathes my skin. I inadvertently moan as his kisses continue down. He’s bent in front of me and I look down at the back of his head and study the dark green Mohican skin-fin through hooded eyes in awe, following it’s wavy edge as it blends with the skin covering his muscular back. If I’d have known I was so attracted to aliens who actually look like aliens, I would have been binge watching old Earth scifi shows in my eight-month journey here.

I feel my boobs pop free when he pulls my top down further. This time Aph’is groans. It’s a deep rumbling groan that comes from deep in his chest up into his throat. The manliness of the sound instantly moistens my panties.

Fangs gently nip at a nipple and I gasp as Aph’is’ mouth latches onto my whole areola and half of my boob as well, sucking and flicking the pointy tips of his split tongue over it. A hand finds my other boob and gently kneads it before his fingers pull and twist the nipple, shooting glorious tingles from it, right down to the apex of my legs.

The hand leaves my breast and goes flat on my chest and nuzzles me back. My body reacts to the command and slowly I recline until I’m lying flat. My breath quickens with both excitement and desire. This is going further than I intended it to—I intended to stop him at the kiss, but…

Aph’is looks down at me though eyes darkened with passion and I almost lose my shit. My pussy literally gushes like Niagara Falls.

This is where you should say no, says my inner Gemini voice of reason.

Oh no it isn’t, says my inner Gemini voice of unreason.

His hands grip hold of the waistband of my pants and pull—slowly, millimetre by agonisingly slow millimetre. God, I hope my panties don’t pull down my legs, leaving a snail trail of pussy essence. I think I’d die of embarrassment.

Half way down, Aph’is stops. closes his eyes and breathes in a long deep breath which flares his nostril, smelling my arousal, which is fragrant in the air. He exhales with a satisfied growl, and my chest flutters. In the next second, my pants are off and his eyes are open, feasting on my glistening pussy. My lips part as I suck in a breath.

He places his hands just inside my knees and pushes my legs open—wide. My other lips part too.

It’s broad daylight and I’m buck naked, spread-eagled with my minge hanging out in front of a male green alien. How surreal? But the weirdest thing of all is, it feels completely natural. So why do I have a nagging feeling of guilt coiled in the pit of my stomach?

You know why Ava, says my good Gemini half. It’s because you came here to be with someone else who is most likely out with a search party worried sick.

Fuck him! Says my bad Gemini half. You only live once. This is meant to happen.

My mind is in a spin. If I’m going to put a stop to this, I must do it now.

A finger inserts inside me as a tongue flicks across my clit. “Ohhhh!”

Too late.

My hips up-tilt, giving both the finger and the tongue better access. I’m such a melt. The finger swirls inside me, stopping on the front wall of my channel and I almost have an instant orgasm when Aph’is presses against my G-spot.

“I need to be inside!” his voice is gravely smoke, which is stoking up the fire raging between my legs.

No! Shouts my good Gemini side.

Yes! Screams my bad Gemini.

Aph’is is up and on his feet in seconds. His hands go to the waistband of his pants and my eyes greedily follow. I’ve only ever seen a penis once online in the library archives. A couple of my older sisters and I went to the library one day to explicitly search for a picture of a cock, normally inaccessible in case they stir up a frenzy. When it flashed on the screen, for the full ten seconds it was there, I’d been amazed by the shape. Like an enormous thumb with a hood of its own and a small hole in the top. Now I’d actually get to see one in the flesh—it might be green, but I was going to see one. I thought this day would never come.

Aph’is yanks his pants down and my eyes nearly pop out of my head. His penis—or should I say penises, looks nothing like the one I’d seen on Earth. These are thicker versions of the skin whiskers on either side of his face—at least twenty of them. They wiggle around like the last of the underwater coral on the barrier reef.

I lift up onto my elbows, my mouth open, blatantly staring at his genitalia. As much as I’m attracted to him, I honestly don’t think we are sexually compatible. My eyes go from his cocks to his face and back down to his cocks again.

“I-I don’t think we are sexually…erm, how can I put this Aph’is…well suited? He holds up the two fingers that have just been inside me and looks down at his penises. I follow his eyes and watch in amazement as some of the penises twist around to make the exact shape.

I draw in an astounded breath.

He lifts his head and looks into my eyes with a mischievous glint. “I can make them any size you want.”

“I-I don’t know what the normal size is.”

His smile is dazzling. “What is normal?”

I return the smile. “You’re right. What is normal?” I lie back with open arms and wait for my green alien man to come to me.

CHAPTER 12

AVA

Aph’is goes down on his haunches, his knees, and then walks on his hands along my body until he is looking down at me from his mesmerising four eyes. My body shivers with awe and anticipation. I’m about to lose my virginity, and it’s to a green alien with four eyes, six webbed digits, a Mohican skin fin, skin whiskers with a life of their own and a penis comprising of lots of penises that can be moulded to any shape and size to please me. God I hope I didn’t bang my head really hard on the impact crashing to this planet and this is all just a dream.

Aph’is bends his arms until he’s resting on his elbows either side of my head. We stare silently at each other, drinking in each other’s uniqueness. His skin whiskers reach for me, and as they touch my face, I feel the merged ones below his waist push against the opening to my vagina while the ones surrounding it caress my clitoris.

My lips part and Aph’is stares intensely into my eyes as he pushes into me, millimetre by millimetre. The stray penis tendrils not only stroke my clit, they reach out and touch every centimetre of the skin surrounding my pussy hole, stroking my labia and my perineum as the main ones breach it. Every part of my genitalia is being aroused.

My breathing hitches and whimpers of pleasure I have no control over escape my mouth. Aph’is’ eyes are smoldering dark pools and I’m drowning in them. His penises push deeper into me, penetrating my tightness. We both gasp simultaneously. Still Aph’is continues to stare at me, watching every tiny quirk in my features as he enters me. It’s the most intense and intimate thing that has ever happened to me. I feel as if I’m conjoining with him, our genitals and souls melting into one.

Deeper he pushes in, invading the most private place of my body. I feel the thickness of his combined penises push against the walls of my channel, filling me completely, moulding to the precise shape of it. His other cocks surrounding the main bunch, continue to work their magic on my clit and perineum, and exquisite tingles from my clit shoot out down my thighs and up to my tummy. I’m becoming blinded by lust. The rumours of sex being painful, spread by thousands of women who hadn’t even partaken in the act were obviously just scaremongering. I feel as if I’m drowning in ecstasy.

Aph’is’ penises push in deeper. But then a stabbing sting suddenly shoots from my pussy up into my abdomen. I cry out with the pain. Aph’is freezes and the skin whiskers on his face go into a frenzy around my face, peppering me with kisses. Aph’is’ brow creases into a jumble of lines and his voice is filled with panic.

“What is wrong? Have I hurt you?”

“I-I think my hymen just ruptured.”

“I’ve ruptured you!” His voice is almost a shriek. He makes a move to get up and pull out of me, but I grab hold of his granite arms and hold him tight. “It’s not as bad as it sounds…I promise.”

His face contorts as he tries to believe me. “But-but you are in pain.”

“I think it’s supposed to pass just as quickly as it came on. This is my first time with a man, so no one has been…inside me before.”

His mouth drops open and his eyes bug out. “I am the first to claim you.”

My answer is breathy. “Yes.”

His features soften and his hips begin to move again, withdrawing slightly before pushing in again. I gasp as a mix of pleasure and pain fills me. Wrapping my hands around his neck, Aphis appears to relax more. He withdraws and thrusts again, quicker this time, his four eyes studying me intently for signs of distress. But by the third thrust, the pain has completely disappeared and only a wonderful warm feeling remains.

I moan as indescribable pleasure builds with every thrust after that and Aph’is groans too, the first sign he’s enjoying it as much as I am. His eyes are hooded as I pull his head down to mine and push my tongue into his mouth to wrap around his, enhancing my experience. His tongue welcomes mine and they wrap around each other in a wet sexual frenzy.

Aph’is’ thrusts pick up speed and each one becomes a little more forceful, building a ball of desire inside me. I can feel it growing, spreading throughout my body, quickening my heart rate. Aph’is is grunting and his breathing is getting louder and deeper, as if the same ball of energy is building in him too.

Suddenly, without warning, it’s as if a firework has exploded inside me from my pussy out to every cell in my body. An explosion of ecstasy shakes my core and tingles shoot out from my clitoris, blinding me with an intense burst of pleasure. I feel Aph’is shudder too and his final thrusts slam into me, sending more exquisite tingles out from my clit to the hairs on my head to the tips of my toes. We both groan into each other’s mouths, and as the last tingle extinguishes, Aph’is collapses on top of me. His skin whiskers acting like they are intoxicated as they hover over my face, raining down kisses onto every part of it.

Finally, Aph’is lifts his head and his mouth finds mine again. He kisses me passionately and I kiss him back with equal fervour. When he pulls away, I’m overcome with the most satisfied feeling I’ve ever felt.

He stares deeply into my eyes. “You are mine now, Ava Harris…I will love and protect you forever. When we find your friends and take them to the citydom, we will seek out the mate intended for you and tell him we have united in body and soul and that you are now my mate.” My heart and irrational inner Gemini screams yessss, but my head and rational inner Gemini screams noooo, what have you done, Ava? Aph’is leans down and snatches a small kiss. Pulling away from my lips, I can see his eyes have become wild and excited. “Tomorrow we will set out to find your friends. With Balic and the others now out of my head, we can finally get to know each other more intimately. Tomorrow is the beginning of our forever, Ava.”

A tornado churns inside my gut, but it’s not the Texan tornado Bee predicted back on the ship. It’s my mixed emotions. I really like Aph’is, he’s saved me twice and I want to start a relationship with him, but even though I’m extremely attracted to him, I’m not sure I can let things between us develop into an intimate relationship. I made a promise to my government and the Visarian government, and I’m matched to one of their species. If I turn down the match I don’t know whether I will mess up the newly formed intergalactic relations between their planet and ours. All I can do is see how things pan out. I guess I’ll face that problem soon. But for now, I’m going to make the most of my time with Aph’is, and we’ll just have to face whatever consequences await us together.

I cup his face and look intensely into his eyes. “We both know tomorrow is a day always unobtainable, so let’s concentrate on today—because today, I’m truly yours… Kiss me again, Aph’is, let’s not waste another second of it.”

There’s more to come in 5 Alien Minds. Ava and Aph’is have their happy ever after for now, but what happens to their blossoming relationship when they go in search of Bee, Cassie, Deja and Eve? And what will happen to Balic, Capsi, Devoq and Epiq? Will they find the other Earth women before their other alien matches or any fleeing Baligons do?

Thank you for reading Crash Landed Alien Love! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for C. Y.’s newsletter !

AMARRA SKYE

RESCUED BY THE LANTIAN PRINCE

PROLOGUE

258 years ago, after the Water Wars of 2098, when the fabric of society was ripped apart and re-knitted, the twelve Great Houses were created. This was to train people in their sexual dynamics.

People of Earth had embraced their need for clear dynamics in their sex lives. The twelve Great Houses were run by some of the leading experts in kink and BDSM. The houses trained people in both safety and the joys of submission and domination.

At first, the houses were only attended by the wealthiest of humans, but after the first decade, they started admitting students who had an aptitude for either dominance or submission.

Gaining admittance to the right training house was more important than where you went to college. The houses only took the most beautiful students. They wanted to produce the best Doms and subs possible.

If you were wealthy, you could buy a spot in a suitable house, but even having money could only get you so far in the house system. The houses valued beauty and the strength of your dynamic. No matter how poor you were, if you were beautiful and had a strong dynamic, the houses would train you. You could truly change your stars.

183 years ago, when humans discovered they weren’t alone in the universe. Earth was ravaged by poverty and war as well as almost never-ending natural disasters. The rest of the galaxy had long ago accepted that almost every being had a sexual dynamic.

Humans flocked to leave their dying planet, desperate for a chance at a better life on a distant planet. Over the next few years, the people of Earth discovered the only commodity they had to trade were the students of the Great Houses.

175 years ago, the Great Houses started holding massive auditions for children as young as four. They trained the children in everything from table manners to the proper way to ask for a caning. They were taught art and science as well as languages from around the galaxy. The Great Houses no longer cared what humans wanted from partners. It focused on making the most saleable product they could sell to the wealthiest aliens in the galaxy.

Present day, 2356 on Earth. Humans who haven’t fled the planet are poor and starving. There are no jobs other than breeding and support staff for the now thirty-six Great Houses. Everyone brings their children to city centers around the Great Houses on May the 4th to have them inspected.

The lucky few will be chosen to train. Each house has their own definition of what they consider the perfect submissive. If your child is lucky enough to get that level of training, when the child is sold to a rich alien, your small percentage is enough to buy your ticket off Earth.

CHAPTER 1

KIRAN

I was raised in the House of Aquamarine, chosen as a child because of my graceful movements. Each Great House has a specialization in the people they train. Some concentrate on art, music, management, or bodyguarding.

I am the youngest son of three. My older two brothers both went to Great Houses. One went to Diamond and one to Topaz. I never met either of them. They were both sent away before I was born.

If you are looking for a submissive who can sing, you go to Diamond. If you want a bodyguard who enjoys being flogged, you go to Topaz. The House of Aquamarine is all about dance and movement. There were a few students who were outliers, but mostly Aquamarine graduates dance and tumble. We can do aerial stunts, but we all move beautifully in everything we do.

Last year, my training housemother called me to her office and informed me I was slated to marry a rich alien named Durack. I was over the moon. At least until I met him. I knew I’d end up a submissive for some rich off-worlder. If I got very lucky, I might be a treasured pet, or a cosseted paramour.

Durack’s mother had previously set up an arranged marriage for him. According to my trainer, Gaston, the potential wife’s family found fault with the pairing and got her released from the arrangement, so Durack and his family came to Earth to look for a submissive who didn’t need to be courted. This was simply to be an exchange of goods and services. They paid my price tag, and I would provide every service demanded of me. It’s the way things are done on Earth.

Unlike the human submissives of the Great Houses, submissives elsewhere in the galaxy are cherished and loved. Not only by their families, but by the dominants who claim them. Luckily, most submissives of the Great Houses are treated well. When you spend millions of credits on a partner, you have a reason to protect and treasure them.

The rules of interaction between a Dom and the submissive they’re interested obtaining are very clear. Durack could play with me twice at the House before deciding to purchase me. During his “interview,” he was very careful to follow the rules.

The expectations were very simple: the submissive must consent to what you are doing. You can’t have full sexual contact with the sub. No harm or blood could be let during the scene. Durack went right to the line with every expectation. It wasn’t anything that would have kept him from buying me, but by his dismissive comments and his blatant disregard of my nonverbal cues, he let me know he’d never stay within those boundaries after he purchased me.

From the time I was ten, I understood I’d be sold to whoever bid the most money for me. There are no illusions in the Great Houses. We were there to learn perfection and when we were fully trained, we were sold to the highest bidder.

I knew if I was very lucky, the being who bought me would grow to love me. But from the first time I played with Durack, I knew it wouldn’t be a good match. Although my behavior was shameful and weak, I cried and begged Gaston to do anything to keep Durack from buying me.

I’d worked my way up to Courtesan, the highest level of training my House offers. Gaston told me Durack had paid a sizable fee for me and I’d be placed with him no matter what I wanted. He told me he’d tried to talk Durack into choosing someone else who’d be better suited to him. Durack wanted to have the most highly trained submissive the house offered. It wasn’t about my wants or needs. For him, it was simply about appearances.

He wanted the best his family money could buy, and sadly, that was me.

A week after I was placed with Durack, I learned why the marriage arrangement his family had originally set up failed. He and his family were cruel.

None of them knew how to dominate a submissive without abusing them physically and emotionally. They had no concept of subtlety, or how to dominate with caring or kindness. Instead, they jeered, made snide comments, or hit to get their point across. Nothing I ever did was good enough.

My dynamic needs made me long for praise and reassurance. It’s the way I’m built. They never let up and they never told me I was doing well at anything. No matter how hard I tried or what I did, it was never enough, and I was always told I was failing in the most demeaning way possible.

It seems small when I look back on it, but I clearly recall the moment I knew I could never be happy with Durack. I love to dance. Out of all my training, it’s dance that makes my heart sing with happiness.

Shortly after our mating, we were at a fancy reception where Durack and his family were parading me like a prize pony. The music was playing a particularly melodic waltz and I swayed in my seat.

“Durack, dance with me,” I’d asked, my eyes gleaming with the affection I was trying so hard to dredge up for him.

“I don’t dance,” he’d said.

It took me months to understand why it was this particular interaction that crushed all hope out of me. On the surface, it was a small thing. My mate didn’t like to dance. It should have done nothing but cause a moment’s disappointment. Why would he have come to Aquamarine for a sub if he didn’t dance or want to let me dance? I couldn’t help but think he picked a sub who loved to dance when he had no intention of ever letting them dance in order to be cruel.

It wasn’t his refusal that broke me. It was the lack of empathy, the lack of connection, the sheer rock-solid absence of any desire to please his new mate. He didn’t consider, not for a second, that I might have wants and needs too.

Things got worse, much worse. The abuses became physical, and the emotional pain began to murder my soul bit by bit. But it was the moment at that reception when I knew with certainty that my husband was not only incapable of tenderness, but that he would never love me.

My family sent me to the House of Aquamarine to train when I was four years old. Before the age of 18, I was educated in all the non-sexual ways I might be required to serve. I learned about art, music, conversation, politics, and even riding almost every type of animal. My singing and dancing lessons were the things I enjoyed most. I even learned how to cook and serve food in almost every culture in the universe, as well as how to eat politely.

I excelled at all my training. I’ve come to realize I’m something of a perfectionist. Being called a failure was something I’ve never tolerated. Having my husband and his family tell me I was a disaster was breaking me down, demoralizing me day by day.

I wasn’t well suited to Durack, not that he cared. He was all about pain and control and outward appearances. I was trained to be a submissive, and while I need a master to make me feel secure, I’m not the kind of sub who wants to be hurt, abused, or ignored.

Nothing about the dynamic with Durack was a good fit for me, but the contract was ironclad. I would be Durack’s chattel and punching bag for the rest of my life, unless he decided to sell me. Even a previously placed courtesan has great value.

CHAPTER 2

KIRAN

This stupid space cruise was supposed to be a reward for my good behavior at a truly horrible kink event I attended with Durack last month. I submitted gracefully to his abhorrent touch in front of the highest echelons of his society. I wasn’t given a choice about what my reward would be. Sadly, my year with Durack has taught me to never expect a choice about such things, or anything for that matter.

I’m Durack’s property. It’s been made clear to me that even though we’re married, I’m not his equal and the only way out of this is death. Most of the time I ignore that this is a life sentence, but there are some days my depression looms over me like an oppressive cloud.

Watching the dancers while I wait for Durack and his family to come down to dinner makes me long for a partner who’ll dance with me. Or a partner who’ll simply let me dance.

For a moment, I close my eyes and imagine myself out on the floor, dancing to the luscious beats of the Damartan four-piece orchestra. At first, I picture myself alone, simply moving, leaping, dipping in time with the music. Then, for just an instant, I allow myself to dream of having a partner. Someone who will hold me close on the dance floor and wordlessly move in sync with me.

Opening my eyes, I shrug. Sadly, there is nothing in my life that brings me joy. Nothing. And I have no hope this will ever change.

Suddenly, sirens wail. For a moment, I think it’s a test. Gazing around, no one is looking panicked or leaving the area. The band is still playing. No one is reacting at all. There was no impact or issue with the ship, at least not that I felt.

After a minute, though, the band stops playing and a crew member grips the microphone from the singer and directs us to head toward our rescue pods. Since the people in the ballroom are all first-class passengers, we have private pods they showed us when we boarded the cruise.

Durack and his family still haven’t come into the dining room yet, so I hurry to our pod hoping Durack and his parents are on their way. Fear sparks through me as I wonder what’s wrong with the ship and how dire our circumstances are.

The pod they assigned us to isn’t far from the ballroom. When I turn the last corner, I see Durack’s mother stepping into the pod.

“Wait, I’m coming!” I yell, sprinting down the hallway to where she’s standing in the door to the pod.

The fucking bitch makes eye contact and smirks before she presses the button, shutting the door.

My outstretched hand can almost reach in to stop the door from closing. I take a moment to realize Durack was sitting on the bench in the pod and was waving at me as his fucking mother shut the door. It wasn’t like the ship was breaking apart. It wasn’t even a choice between saving themselves and all of us dying.

I don’t know if I should scream or cry as the realization dawns on me that I have no money of my own, no resources, and no way off this ship. I knew there was no love between us, but I was standing right there, and they left me. They fucking left me.

Seriously, I’m still worth millions of credits because of my training. If Durack was tired of me, he could have sold me to someone else. Sure, I’ve lost some of my value, but not much.

I bet asshole has me insured for way more than he could get for me on the open market. He’s going to make a fortune on my death. Somehow, the idea of him making money on my death makes me even more determined to survive this shit show. I don’t want to die, but I really don’t want him to profit from my death.

I take a minute to get my bearings before I can even think about what to do now that my assigned pod has left without me. There were some sort of pods for non-first-class passengers, but I can’t remember where they are. Why would I pay attention to where the other passengers were supposed to queue? I never anticipated Durack’s family would leave me.

Fuck my life. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Still, what assholes.

When I turn around, I see the sexiest alien I’ve ever seen in my life. The man has broad shoulders and a face so perfect even his cold green eyes don’t detract from his masculine beauty.

He’s at least seven feet tall, with blue skin and green fish scales rising up his arms from his slightly webbed hands. I’ve seen him around the ship. It’s hard to miss a male who’s a foot taller than everyone else. Especially one whose features are so refined, whose eyes are so intelligent it’s like he can read your thoughts.

I never talked to him, so I don’t know his name. It’s not proper for a submissive to talk to a dominant without their Dom present. But now I need to ask him if I can hitch a ride in his pod. Not only do I need to rely on the kindness of this stranger, but he watched me get left by the people who essentially own me.

“Sir, my name is Kiran.” I dip my head in the universal sign of subservience before I even give it a thought. The behavior has been ingrained in me since childhood, although I never thought I would need to use it when fleeing a cruise disaster.

“I was left by the people I was cruising with.” I don’t want to sound too pathetic. but how do you say, “the twatwaffle watched me running towards the door and still closed it on me,” without sounding like the biggest loser in the world?

“I saw.” For a moment, I could swear I see compassion in his gaze. Maybe I’m wrong, though. It seems a decade since I’ve received a modicum of tenderness from a living soul.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a display of ruthlessness in my life,” he says, his gaze seeming to peer inside me. “My name is Zareth. You are welcome in my pod. I’ll warn you though, I have to spend a certain amount of time in the water every day. My pod is mostly water. You’ll be able to breathe, but you’ll be up to your chest in water until we’re picked up. I don’t know how long it will take for us to be rescued. You should see if you can find a dryer option.”

“No, thank you. I’ve been left for dead once today. If you’re offering me a ride off this disaster, I’m taking it. I don’t want to chance anything.”

“That’s fair. Who was that woman?” The stranger asks, his bearing regal as he leads me to the door of his pod.

“My mother-in-law.”

“So, the man waving? Your husband?” I don’t think I’m imagining how appalled he is at Durack’s behavior.

“Yes, my husband,” I say, trying not to whine in frustration, but I know I’m failing.

“That’s an unfortunate situation.”

His perfectly arched eyebrow wings up in question. He’s either shocked by their treatment of me, or worrying about how big of an ass I am that my family would abandon me to go down with the ship.

Zareth’s pod looks much different from the one I was shown when the crewman told us where to go in case of emergency. This pod is also slightly bigger than the other one. It’s probably eight feet across.

There is a chair and what looks like flight controls on one end of the pod. There are no windows, so I don’t know how one would fly the ship, but there are more controls than were in the pod I was supposed to be in. The flight chair is so huge I’m not sure I could reach the controls if I were sitting down. It was clearly made to fit a Lantian and not a human.

I don’t know why I’m worrying about the controls. Right now, all I care about is stepping inside the pod and detaching from this ship.

CHAPTER 3

ZARETH

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so fucked up, and I come from a race of warriors. I’ve led wars, but watching your husband wave as his mother shuts the escape pod door in your face is a whole new level of heinous.

He won’t be happy here in the pod with me when I flood the compartment. I won’t be able to hold off on that for more than a few more minutes. I don’t know how he’s going to handle sitting in salt water for Gods know how long.

I’m a prince, so my people will scramble to save me quickly, but if the nearest rescue ship is too far away, it could be a while before my guest is warm and dry.

My mind circles back as I wonder again how anyone could leave their mate like that. How could anyone leave a stranger like that? Great Maker, his hand was almost close enough to keep the doors from closing. I want to ask a million questions, but I need to get us to safety before I let my curiosity get away from me.

We’ve been standing at the doorway, but after I step into the pod, I put my arms across my chest, hands open, showing that he’s welcome in my halls and that I carry no weapons. It’s an ingrained gesture when I walk into a room and want to invite someone into my space.

I’m shocked when he makes the corresponding gesture of opening his hands and crossing them palms up with the right palm over the left. It’s the greeting to show he’ll make no trouble in my halls. When he makes the sign for thanks, I’m so shocked and impressed I almost can’t contain myself.

This little hooman becomes more and more intriguing the longer I’m around him. How did he know not only what I was saying, but how to respond? The number of hoomans who’ve ever been to Lantia could be counted in the turning of the seasons, so how did this one learn our ways? It’s not like the Belvards or the Prandians, who are well known outside their own kingdom.

“I’m an aquatic creature. I can’t be dry for too long. I hate to release the water into the pod so soon, but I was just about to enter my tub for a much-needed refresh when the klaxons sounded. I promise to leave you room to breathe. As long as I can dunk myself underwater and stay wet, I don’t need to be fully submerged the entire time.”

“I should be okay. How long before we get rescued?”

“I don’t know, but it could be as long as a week. Hopefully, it will only be a day or so,” I say, sitting down on the bench and stretching out my tired legs in what will become the pool. It’s hard to remain in bipedal form for too long.

I don’t know how he’ll take me to my other state. It’s been a long time since I’ve cared what anyone would think. I wonder why it even crosses my mind.

I let my shift overtake me and revel in the relief as my muscles immediately relax. It’s so much easier to think now that I’m in my proper shape. Luckily, I’m wearing a typical Lantian tux with a skirt that we call a blanchard, so I don’t have to strip to change shape.

Most think we’re both man and merman, but we aren’t. We’re always a merperson. Just sometimes we have legs, sometimes we have our muscular tail. It’s much harder to keep our feet than we want the world to know.

When there were more wars between the races, the idea of someone poisoning our waters or drying up our planet was a constant worry for my family. But now things are more stable, and I don’t have to worry as much.

We still don’t like to broadcast that we can’t hold our legs for too long. As my father often says, “You never know who your enemies are. Beware, and never let them know your weaknesses.”

It’s the reason the only Lantians who travel are of the royal court or family. We keep to ourselves and try not to let outsiders know how desperately we need to dive into a pool. Traveling is no fun when you end up sitting in a small bathtub in your room for hours at a time.

“I’m going to fill the pod now. Please sit on the bench and don’t let yourself float until I tell you to. I want to make sure I don’t get the water too deep for you to sit,” I explain. I’m a prince and explaining isn’t something I normally do. But I want to make this hooman feel like he has some control over his life.

“Yes, Sir,” he says, blue eyes looking demurely at me from under his lashes. This hooman is stunning to look at. He’s short compared to a Lantian and lithe, with blonde hair that reaches almost to his shoulders. He has a blue gemstone tattoo under his left ear. That must be his house mark.

I bet the little hooman could fight if I trained him. Look at him. Every movement is graceful. I always feel awkward on land, but where I have two left feet, this little hooman moves like water.

This little sub could be fun to play with. We Lantians are very driven by our sexual dynamics. Knowing the sexual dynamic of everyone we come into contact with is ingrained in all Lantians.

I can’t help but notice he’s a sub with an acute need for connection and reassurance. If I can, I always try to meet people’s needs, but there’s something about Kiran that is more compelling than most. I almost feel driven to make sure he feels safe and comfortable. I guess it’s not too hard to figure out. The interaction where he was locked out of his escape pod is all I need to know to realize he probably hasn’t had his needs met in a long time.

The way we Lantians communicate is telepathic, mostly. You can’t talk when you’re underwater. Sure, we use songs that travel long distances. For an actual conversation, we’d still either talk with our voices or use our telepathy. I’ve never tried to read a hooman before.

I’ve been getting emotions from Kiran, but not enough to know what he’s thinking, just what he’s feeling. And between being left and the ship in distress, I didn’t even need telepathy to know he’s feeling unloved and unwanted. That’s written all over his handsome, boyish face.

We’ve been in the pod several standard hours before I realize my manners. I’m certain he needs to eat, as do I. When I agreed to let him join me, I didn’t think about the food situation. I only have freeze-dried, unflavored fish. I can eat almost anything, I don’t understand why the cruise staff stocked such unpalatable food. But that’s what they have as emergency meals in this godforsaken pod.

“You need to eat to keep your body heat up,” I say, pulling the meal pouches out of the cabinet.

“You’re right. What’s for dinner?”

“Fish,” I say, trying to sound excited about the prospect. I love fish when it’s fresh. It’s the customary greeting for visiting dignitaries to gift the king with a fresh-caught rook with its gills still heaving when they visit my court. But freeze-dried unflavored fish is as unappealing to me as I imagine it is to this little hooman.

The look on his face gives nothing away, but I can feel the trepidation in his mind as he thinks about freeze-dried fish. The more I listen to the hooman’s mind, the more I’m able to pick up, but it’s still mostly lost on me.

Opening the pack and handing it to Kiran, it’s hard to keep down my revulsion at the fishy smell. Great Maker, what must this little hooman think of me? I watch him like a mountain-dwelling dristan bird as he takes his first bite.

His face doesn’t give much away, but for the first time, I can make out words from his mind. “Oh god this is so bad I’m going to puke. I can’t let this Lantian think I find him or his race disgusting, but the food tastes like a disgusting combination of rancid and tainted. I can’t handle it. Don’t puke. Don’t puke. Don’t puke. Don’t puke.”

“It’s awful. I know, but you really have to eat or you’ll have a hard time staying warm,” I say, looking for something in case he hurls. The last thing I want is to be stuck floating in the water. He just puked in for who knows how long.

“Oh, thank God. I thought you’d be so offended that I didn’t like your food.”

“Great Maker, no, that’s not what I’d call food. We Lantians don’t travel often, so most people don’t know what to do with us outside of treating us like fish who can talk. I’ll show you what I consider food. Have you had cream burnt? I believe it has its origins in Earth. Now that’s food.”

I can’t help but cock my head at the emotion coming off the Little One. He’s so amused, but the thought isn’t strong enough for me to know what is so amusing.

“What?”

“I think you mean creme brulé?” Kiran asks rather than correcting me. He gifts me with the sweetest smile and the kindest eyes, then quickly glances away from me.

“I honestly don’t know. I thought I was right, but you’re the Earther. I guess I’m wrong. So, tell me, Little One, what do you like to eat?” I ask, doing my best to read the taste profiles out of his mind as he tells me about them.

Mothers will often push thoughts towards their little ones to make food they don’t like more palatable. I’ve never tried it with an adult, let alone someone not of Lantia, but he has to eat, and there is no option but the Gods-awful fish.

I let him tell me about his favorite desserts. The thoughts that cross his mind are something I pay attention to. When I have a good idea of what type of foods he enjoys. I push my will into him, coaxing him to take another bite. As he moves the bite of food to his mouth, I gust memories of food into his mind. Using my memories of amazing fish meals to make the disgusting freeze-dried fish worth eating. I’d love to offer him a mega pint of wine, but sadly there’s none in here for me to offer to him.

CHAPTER 4

KIRAN

Maybe I was overreacting about how bad the fish was when I tried it, because it’s not half bad now. I don’t know how I could’ve thought it was going to make me puke when it’s almost tasty now, but who knows? Today wasn’t exactly my best day.

How am I going to not drown in my sleep? Maybe Durack was right about me and I’m not very bright. I should’ve wondered how I was going to sleep in the water before I took Zareth up on his offer to join him. Now that my belly is full, I’m ready to pass out.

“You look tired. Let me see if I can make you some place to sleep.” Zareth says, opening the compartments around the pod. They’re all empty. It seems the people who run the cruise line either don’t care about their passengers or they thought the ship would never go down. Either way, there are no blankets, no pillows, and nothing to eat but the fish.

From what I was taught about Lantians, they almost never leave their planet. They are very secretive, so maybe people don’t know what to do with them. Or maybe people are assholes and figured they’d never have a Lantian on their ship.

Zareth unbuttons his tux jacket, revealing the shirt underneath. The jacket is part of the blanchard he’s wearing. I never thought this form of clothing could be masculine, but there is nothing feminine about this.

It makes sense a Lantian would wear a legless blanchard. He could shift into his merman form without removing anything. Now that he’s wet, his jacket is open and his white shirt is plastered to his luscious blue skin.

I have to focus on not showing how much I’m enjoying seeing his chest, because wow, what a chest. I knew he was broad shouldered, but the muscle definition is amazing. When he unbuttons the third button on his shirt, I can see that not only his skin is blue but the shimmery, iridescent scales winking at me.

My fingers itch to run my hands over his chest, especially where the skin turns to scales. When he has the shirt unbuttoned, he wiggles his body through the water and swims out of his tux before grabbing it and twirling it around itself, creating a rope to string across the pod. Most of his body is still underwater, but when he pulls himself up to tie the makeshift rope to each side, I get a perfect view of his body.

His impressive chest blends seamlessly into richly carved scales that meander gracefully across pecs, abs, jutting hip bones, and then into his tail. The scales on his upper body are sporadic. The scales on his tail are solid. They are iridescent blue-green, making him almost glow when he moves through the water.

He doesn’t have any genitals I can see. I know they’re capable of penetrative sex in their bipedal form, but I see nothing resembling a cock. Every part of me wants to ask a million questions about his form, but I don’t want to come across as rude.

As he ties the second end of the makeshift rope, his back is to me. I’d swear he’s bending over so I can see the back of his tail. Although it’s clearly the back of his tail, there is a definition that makes it look like an amazing ass.

The tux was loose and billowy, so I never got a good look at his ass before he was naked. It’s an ass I won’t soon forget. My training taught us not to put much value on the way people look because chances were we’d end up with someone we didn’t find attractive. For the first time since I was in my early teens, I’m having a hard time keeping my mind off the perfection of someone’s physical form.

“You can put your arm over the rope to keep your head above water,” Zareth says, tugging on the makeshift rope to show me it’s strong enough to hold me. He’s acting like he’s not swimming around the pod naked.

Perhaps my facial expressions show my skepticism because he backtracks.

“How about you sit by me? I’ll make sure you don’t drown,” Zareth says, plopping himself next to me, putting his arm around me, and pulling me against his side. He’s much taller than I am. I fit under his arm almost like a child. I haven’t been held this way since before I was sent to the Aquamarine House. While I’m enjoying the feeling of safety, I can’t help but let my hand rest on his chest. This stirs up all kinds of feelings having nothing to do with safety.

When I was first placed with Durack, I couldn’t sleep when he was in the room with me. Durack tried to have me sleep with him for the first few weeks, then he got irritated, called me a spoiled brat, punished me, and banished me to sleep in a separate room. He thought making me sleep in another room was a punishment. He was wrong. Even so early in our mating, it was a godsend.

I thought I’d have a hard time sleeping because I didn’t know Zareth well and he was making me think dirty thoughts. Maybe it’s exhaustion from the horrible day or maybe it’s feeling safe and cared for, but I’m asleep in no time.

I’m awakened by sirens and someone talking. I’m going to have PTSD after this godforsaken trip. Zareth jumps up and makes his way to the com panel, and begins talking. I don’t understand the language. It reminds me of an old Earth whale song.

After a couple of minutes, they stop communicating and Zareth swims over to me.

“What’s going on?” I ask, feeling wide awake.

“The ship we were on exploded. The closest rescue ship doesn’t have room for everyone. My family is sending a ship to rescue us, but that means we’ll have to wait another 12 hours to get picked up.”

Getting rescued by a different ship means I won’t have to see Durack or his family. They don’t have to know I survived. Those fuckers will collect on my insurance policy. I’ll be free of them even if they get a big check out of the deal.

My spirit hasn’t felt this light since before Durack chose me and gave a down payment to my house. I offer a silent prayer and allow myself a fraction of a moment to imagine a life of freedom. A life where I can make my own choices about everything from what I do all day to whom I serve. A small smile lights my face.

I don’t want to ask Zareth for more than I already have, but he offered for his family to retrieve me. Since Zareth’s family is sending a ship, I wonder if he’s highly placed. He must be because most Lantians don’t leave their planet except on government business.

Zareth might have enough pull to get me paperwork that would consider me a free male. I don’t want to impose on him, though. I’m sure he has enough people asking him for favors.

“I’d love to stay here and wait for the ship from your home planet. I honestly don’t know if I can wait that long, though. The water is so cold.”

“Oh sorry, Little One. Let me inspect the controls again. There might be a setting on the environmentals to warm the water for you.”

“Thank you.”

I know nothing about Lantians and I want to ask a million questions, but I’m not sure how to start. The last thing I want to do is make him feel like a specimen, but I’m so curious. It was really the only habit they couldn’t break in my training. I finally give in and ask.

“Tell me about Lantia? I learned about most of the other planets in the Intergalactic Trade Alliance, but I know little about your home.” It seems better to start by asking about his planet and not him. What I really want to know is how their dynamics work. I want to ask all the naughty questions, but I don’t want him to think I’m a bad sub.

“Do you really want to know or are you just filling time while we wait?”

“I genuinely want to know.” My gaze flicks to examine the water’s surface as I think about all the things about my host I’m dying to know… especially where he’s hiding his cock.

CHAPTER 5

ZARETH

That this little hooman wants to know more about my race seems genuine. A mix of his emotions are bombarding me. It seems like curiosity and sexual interest are the strongest.

I still can’t read him well. His mind seems to jump from idea to idea and most of them have to do with where my genitals are and if I can do this or that sexual position. This poor sub is going to make me lose control if he doesn’t stop broadcasting those arousal thought-pictures to me. My tail is featuring heavily in his thoughts. He wants to know about my people, but he also wants to get very personal in his questions.

When I was younger, my friends and I played a game where we each asked questions back and forth. Maybe if I’m asking him questions, he’ll feel less stressed about asking them of me. I can always ask some naughty questions and prime the pump, so to speak.

“I’ll answer questions for you, but you have to answer questions for me first.”

The inequality in our situation suddenly strikes me. I’m unclothed, albeit my genitals are in my spirack, tucked away from the water… and prying eyes. Kiran’s beautiful body is hidden from me under his tux. I stifle my urge to tell him to remove his clothes and continue with the game.

“What House did you train at? There are 40, right?”

“I trained at Aquamarine. It’s one of the original 12 houses.” He turns his head to proudly show me what I now realize is his aquamarine tattoo behind his left ear. “Now there are 36, and why do you get to go first? This seems unfair. And how did you know I trained at a house?” Kiran asks, his expression an alluring combination of challenging and reserved.

“I get to ask first because I rescued you. I know you trained at a house because…”

Should I tell him the truth? We’re going to be locked in this small pod for at least another half a day. I’m uncertain it’s a good idea to speak so openly. Before I can give it too much more thought, I blurt, “Because you’re a beautiful male. Perfectly trained, graceful, and intelligent. What else could a hooman such as you be if not a highly skilled dynamic of the first order?”

I feel his heart swell with pride, then just a hint of shyness. It’s a sexy combination.

“Uh, thank you, Sir.”

My cock jerks at his soft-spoken “Sir.” To cover it, I ask, “Is it true each house has a specialty?”

“Are you really playing the rescue card so you can ask questions first? I expected something more subtle,” he accuses with a challenging smile. “And of course, Aquamarine has a specialty. Aquamarine focuses on dance, well, movement. Some of us dance, tumble, do trapeze or aerial silks. I do them all, but I specialized in dance.”

“That sounds amazing. Lantians are ungainly on land, but in the water, there is no species more graceful. I love watching dancers because they remind me of home. We dance, but in water. On my homeworld, there are troupes who travel and put on shows. It’s amazing to see. When we get to Lantia, I’ll make sure you get to see a show.”

I want to promise to take him myself, but I don’t want to pressure him. Why am I feeling such an undeniable draw to this male I barely met? My cock twitches, giving me a hint about at least part of his attraction.

“I’d love to see them. I enjoy watching all forms of dance. Seeing dancing in the water sounds amazing. Old Earth used to have synchronized swimmers. I’ve seen vids of it, but having clean water devoted to swimming was far too costly on Earth, so I didn’t learn to swim until I was with Durack. I still don’t know how to swim well enough to do anything like dancing underwater.”

“Hmm. Tell me something you enjoyed learning.” I’m leaving it open-ended, but hope he’ll at least wade into the shallow end to ask about some of those sexual interests bursting through his guarded thoughts.

“Dance was my favorite thing, but I think you’re asking about dynamic things I learned in training, aren’t you?” He pauses and glances at me shyly. For a moment, I consider giving an enigmatic shrug, but when I nod, he quickly answers. “I loved learning the joys of being submissive. I know that sounds cliche but it’s not.”

I can tell he’s warmed to his subject because his pace has quickened, and his gaze isn’t shying from mine.

“We learned all kinds of acts, but we spent a great deal of time learning how wonderful it can be to simply serve your Dom. To let their will become your own. I have an almost insatiable need to submit. Most people think Courtesans have more training than others. That’s not true.

“What we have is an incredible need to submit. I need to spend hours every day in subspace, or I have issues,” Kiran says in a rush. His legs pull up so he’s almost in a ball and he ducks his chin, so his face is mostly hidden behind his knees. He might hide, but it only makes me want to see more of him.

“Why does this make you act shy?” I ask, using my hand to guide his chin up so I can see his eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes flash as if a current sparked between us with the simple brush of my hand. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel it, too.

“I am so needy. I need my Dom to put me into subspace all the time,” Kiran says, as if he’s admitting a fault. I can feel waves of sadness rolling off him as he speaks. What must his mate have done to him if this is how he feels about needing to be submissive? It’s as if a person were shamed about needing sustenance, or air to breathe.

I’m having a hard time controlling my anger at the way he’s feeling. I want to pull him into my arms and reassure him I would never treat him that way. It would be completely unfair of me to do that to him because I don’t want him to become dependent or bond with me. We’ll only be together for a short time, but I can’t help wanting to tell him he’s not a burden for having needs.

“Having needs doesn’t make you needy. If your MATE,” I spit the word out like it personally offends me, “isn’t able to meet your needs for submission, he shouldn’t have gotten a submissive with such acute needs. On Lantia, we learn that even loving someone doesn’t mean they are a good fit dynamically. Trying to be with someone who needs vastly different things in their dynamic is a recipe for disaster.” I want to say so many other things, but I know that would be unfair.

Kiran uses this opportunity to ask his next question. “You mentioned schools on Lantia. How does that work?”

“That’s a really long story. I’ll tell you if you eat some more. You need your strength.”

I pull the fish out and hold it to his mouth, pushing the thought that it’s delicious into his mind as I do. Kiran leans toward me and takes the piece of fish from my hand. When his lips brush my fingers, my cock jerks. By the flare of sexual desire I feel coming from him, I know he’s as turned on by this as I am. Providing food is a huge part of Lantian society. Doms should provide food for their subs.

Hunting was thought to be a job for Doms for centuries. Now, cooking or providing food for your sub is the greatest way to show you care. Hand feeding is something I love to do. I didn’t mean to hand-feed Kiran. It’s far too forward, but now that I’ve done it once, I don’t want to stop.

I want to hunt for him. I’ve never felt such a strong need to provide before. It’s there in the back of my mind every time I play with a Lantian, but I’ve always been able to ignore it.

The need to handfeed him this entire pouch of fish is so strong I can’t ignore it. The last thing I want to do is talk about the schools on Lantia. No, what I want to do is talk about anything more fun than that. I want to tell him how much I’m enjoying talking to him and how I want to feed him better food when we arrive on Lanita. And I want to tell him what an interesting shade of blue his eyes are, like the deepest waters of the Great Lantia Sea. What is wrong with me? I’m putting the kyrex before the grell.

When I reach forward with the next mouthful of fish, Kiran runs his tongue over my fingers as I offer him the bite. He doesn’t suck on my fingers, but his tongue runs over them several times like he’s trying to get all the flavor off my skin. Great Maker, now he’s suckling! All I can do is imagine what those lips and tongue can do to my cock.

He knows exactly how he’s affecting me as he sits there, the picture of innocence on the hammock I made of my tux. I should say something to fill the silence while he eats, but the last thing I want to do is chase away this moment with Kiran.

When the fish is almost gone and there are only the tiny flakes of fish in the packet, I want to run my finger along the inside and get more fish on my finger so I can get him to suck it off. It would be so inappropriate, but Gods how I want to know what he’d do if I tried.

As soon as Kiran is done eating, he leans back, letting himself float on top of the water. He looks distracted, but when I listen to his thoughts, it’s clear there’s a lot going on in his facile mind.

He’s wondering what it would be like to kneel at my feet while I fed him. Then he wonders if I enjoy my subs kneeling at all. Then he’s wondering what it would be like to play with someone in the water. And with those thoughts, I know I have to get his mind on something else.

Yes, I can play in the water. I love to do that—all Lantians do—but I don’t want to play in this cramped pod. If I don’t get both our minds on something else, I’m going to lose all self-control.

“Tell me Little One, when was the last time you were put into subspace in a way that met your needs?” It’s not a question that will get our minds off of playing, but maybe when we get out of here, we’ll feel comfortable playing with one another. It’s not the best idea to get so aroused when we can’t do much about it, but between his thoughts and mine, I think knowing what we both need and want is the best option.

CHAPTER 6

KIRAN

How can this alien know exactly what’s going on in my mind? I knew better than to lick his fingers like that if I didn’t want him getting other ideas. He’s just so beautiful and it’s been so long since I’ve been around someone who made me not only want to submit, but want to be sexual.

It’s not just how fantastic he looks. No, it’s more than that. He has this presence. He’s kind, and so interested in me. I don’t know when the last time was that someone asked me a question and actually listened to my answer.

I don’t know how long it will take to get things sorted out with my House. I’ll refuse to go back to Durack, and after what happened, even a binding contract can’t force me to do that. But the House will take their time to try to place me with someone else. Maybe this time they’ll find a better match.

I’ll have to play with someone while I’m on Lantia. If I’m going to play with someone, I want it to be Zareth. If the way he’s looking at me is any indication, I doubt he’ll protest, but I have to be sure.

“It’s been a few months since I had a really satisfying session. I need the safety of release so badly!” Shit! I blurted that out.

“Oh, Sweet boy, we should be out of here soon. Why don’t you tell me what you need? Then we’ll get you taken care of as soon as we board the rescue ship.”

He knows exactly the right thing to say to me, and his tone is so calm and reassuring.

“I’d like that very much.”

“Good. Would you feel better if you were sitting here by me, or do you want to stay where you are on the other side of the pod?”

Every part of me wants to go cuddle with him, but that’s not a good idea. If I were to be next to him, touching his enticing alien skin, breathing his air, I’d be pawing all over him.

“I’ll stay here. I think if I were to sit by you, I’d be in subspace in no time, and we both agree this pod isn’t the place for our first encounter.”

The com panel dings. Zareth swims over and presses a series of buttons until a voice comes through the speakers in the pod.

CHAPTER 7

KIRAN

“This is the Lantian ship Night Sky here to rescue you. We’re going to open our loading bay doors and tractor beam you into the hold. Please do not move the ship while we get you safely inside. This will take 13 standard minutes.”

It will be nice to be dry again, but the idea that I might not get to spend any more time with Zareth has me feeling lost. How can that be when I’ve only known him a day and a half?

I can’t help but laugh as Zareth fights and pulls, trying to tug his tux back on. The blanchard makes more sense now. If he’d left it on, he’d have been able to change forms and have clothes on in both shapes without having to fight with his clothes. Watching him cover his perfect body is a little sad, but watching him fight with his clothes has me on the verge of laughter.

We haven’t known each other long, but I feel a connection I’ve never felt before. I can only hope we can explore this attraction on Lantia.

Before I know it, we’re in the ship’s landing bay and the door is opening. As the water rushes out of the pod, Zareth gives himself legs. The way he’s able to slip from one shape to the next is impressive and honestly a little exciting.

We exit the pod into a hold that looks like the hold of every other ship I’ve been in. We’re surrounded by other vessels and cargo crates.

The shocking thing is there must be over 100 people standing at attention as we walk down the ramp to the floor of the hold. They’re certainly not here to welcome me. They’re all bowing low and avoiding eye contact with Zareth as he makes his way out the door behind me.

It seems like everyone on the ship is here to greet Zareth. I’d figured he was highborn, but I didn’t know what that would mean. A male makes his way over to Zareth, holding out what looks like a bathrobe. I wasn’t sure how a society of merfolk would handle being wet. Apparently, they don’t just wander around dripping on everything in sight. That’s good to know.

When I’m down the ramp and standing on the floor of the hold, one male comes and puts a robe on me as well. Thank goodness, because I was freezing. Zareth reaches his hand back to me, so I grab his hand and let him lead me out of the hold and into the rest of the ship.

My heart rate triples at the gesture. I can’t help but think this means something. Zareth pulls me, so I’m walking beside him.

“Prince Zareth, are you well? I have the ship’s doctor here. I’d like him to evaluate your health.”

Prince. Although I’d wondered if he was highborn, that he’s actual royalty is quite another thing. Wow!

“Captain Mailton, thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” He stops and looks at me, concern in his sparkling green eyes. “Unless you think it’s necessary, Kiran. You’ve just spent an inordinate amount of time in the water.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine,” I say, still a little star-struck.

As we make our way into the rest of the ship, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Most every ship I’ve been on was shaped the same way, but the Lantian ship has a small walkway around what seems to be a massive saltwater pool complete with what looks like rocks, coral, and fish. It’s like a private ocean right in the middle of the ship.

A clear half-wall surrounds the pool. I guess to contain the water during turbulence. Dotted around the pool are small springboards. Just as I’m imagining how they work, one crewman steps onto one, bounces on it on the balls of his feet, and jumps into the water as he changes from his bipedal to his mer-form. Ingenious!

Zareth told me he needed to be in water at least six hours a day, but I never thought about what that would mean for the military or merchant vessels. I wonder how he was handling his water needs on the cruise ship. If this is what he’s used to, how boring it must have been for him to be stuck on the cruise ship for the past couple of weeks. I picture the poor male—a Prince, no less—spending hours a day in his tub.

The bipedal area seems to be the bridge, dining area, and engineering. There are a couple of rooms for non-Lantian crew to live in, but almost everything surrounds the pool area. I’ve seen almost no off-duty crewmen as Zareth shows me around the ship. They must all be in the water or on duty. Every area we pass is deserted.

Zareth takes me into what seems to be an enormous bathroom with hundreds of lockers. He pokes around in a stack of towels, then smiles at me and says, “Most of the crew will sleep and spend most of their time in the water, so they store their items in here. Most are only out of the water for work.”

Zareth pulls out a new robe from the stack of towels and hands me the towel and the robe before saying, “The private showers are in here.”

I stand under the spray for long minutes, examining why I’m so crestfallen. Being away from Zareth, even for this short amount of time, makes me realize how attached I’ve already become. I try to assess this feeling because I’ve never felt this way. It’s baffling.

I hurry through my shower, and when I’m clean inside and out, I make my way out of the shower room to find Zareth sitting on a bench chatting with Captain Mailton.

Zareth is wearing a sweatshirt that comes to the middle of his thighs. It looks brand new and so soft my fingers itch to stroke it. I have to wonder if Lantians have more sensitive skin than other aliens.

Aquamarine never put much effort into making sure the things we had were soft, but when Gaston became my training Dom, he bought me a silk blanket from Kartun. I spent the whole first day I had it running my fingers back and forth over it. The idea of running my fingers over the soft fabric on Zareth’s body is all I can think about as I make my way to where he’s sitting.

Zareth is still talking to the captain, but his gaze is locked on mine as I approach. It reminds me of the old vids I watched when I was younger. I think they were called romances.

“Are you ready for me to show you to your quarters?” Zareth asks as he stands and holds his arm out for me to grab. It feels so good to have my hands on his arm as we make our way out of the locker room. I feel safe and clean and warm. As I examine the emotions swirling inside me, I realize I haven’t felt this good since I was a child in my family’s home.

CHAPTER 8

ZARETH

Originally, the plan was to put Kiran in one officer’s quarters on the other side of the ship, but the way Kiran is leaning into my side, I don’t think walking all that way is the best idea for him. He wasn’t used to spending all that time in water. Putting him in the captain’s quarters is a split-second decision. They’re right around the corner from here.

Calain Mailton has been the captain of the Night Sky for more than a decade, but before they posted here with him, he was a royal guard and someone I knew well. We’re almost the same age, so when we were kids, we attended many of the same classes. We learned to fight together as well as being in the same training class for our dynamics. Both being Dominants, we never played together, but we were good friends.

I might have resisted kicking Calain out of his quarters if he didn’t have a massive playroom. Playing in public can be fun, but the last thing I want to do is play with this adorable sub for the first time in front of half the damn ship.

“Come and I’ll show you to your room, Little One,” I say, opening a door and stepping in ahead of him.

“Yes, Sir,” he says, slurring his words ever so slightly. This poor sub is dead on his feet. I probably shouldn’t leave him alone, but the last thing he needs is a big conversation about sleeping arrangements when he’s so out of it.

When I comm Calain to inform him we’ll be commandeering his quarters, I also ask for clothes to be delivered. They’ll be too long for Kiran, but at least he’ll have something warm and dry to put on. I hope wearing a blanchard doesn’t make him feel awkward. Hoomans seem very set in their ways about gender norms. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about wearing a traditional Lantian shirt to bed.

“Here, put this on and get in bed,” I say only a few minutes later, after they have delivered the clothes.

“Yes, Sir,” Kiran says. He’s no longer slurring, but he’s far from functional. I’m not sure if he’s falling into subspace or if he’s simply too tired to think straight. It’s been a long few days for both of us. I need to go talk to my father, but I want to stay here with Kiran.

“Wait Sir, is there a bathroom?”

“Great Maker, yes, there is a bathroom. I’ll show you,” I say, walking toward the door I assume is the bathroom. Boy, am I wrong, it’s the playroom. It differs greatly from what I was thinking. It’s huge. I’m ready to be done with feet, but I want to pull this sweet sub over to the spanking bench and show him what a good Dom can do with a willing sub. I promised to take care of him and I intend to, but taking care of him by putting him into his subspace sounds way better than putting him to bed and leaving him alone.

“Wow, whoever’s room this is has everything you could want in a playroom. There are things I’ve never seen before,” Kiran says, dropping my arm and walking into the room. His hand is outstretched like he wants to touch everything, but he’s being so good and not touching anything.

I’ve never cared if my subs wanted to touch things, but some Doms don’t give permission for that. It stands to reason Durack would have been one of those Doms who made him ask for everything. I bet the little sub was forced to ask to use the bathroom. Sure, that can be fun for a day or even a week, but from what little I know of Durack, I bet it was constant.

“As much as I’d love to know what toys are new to you, it’s late and we’re both exhausted,” I say, hoping I can urge him to bed. He’s my responsibility, but I’m ready to get off my feet.

“Okay,” Kiran says.

I show him the bathroom, and when he returns, I can see that seeing the playroom woke him. I can feel the excitement rolling off him in waves. Although I’m too tired to do anything about it, it seems he’s not too tired to play.

Handing him the sleep shirt, I turn to leave. I’ll take the room he was supposed to be in tonight.

“You’re leaving? I was hoping you would… stay.” His blue eyes don’t plead. He’s too well-trained for that, but it’s clear he doesn’t want me to leave. And who am I fooling? I’d love to stay here with him.

I should play with him or at least put him into subspace before I go, but I hit a wall and playing is too much for me right now.

“I can stay here with you,” I say, turning to go to the sleeping pool. “I’ll only be a few steps away.”

Kiran reaches out and grabs my hand, stopping me in my tracks.

“Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?” Then he seems to realize he just overstepped his bounds as his eyes flare wide and panic spreads across his handsome features.

“Good idea,” I say, using the voice I used to put subs at ease. “I’ll pet you to sleep, then slide into the water right over there.” I point to the pool just a few feet away.

“Your schools should have taught you not to be so indulgent,” Kiran teases sweetly as he scoots over to make room on the bed.

Seeing this little sub being so sweet warms my heart. I strip out of my clothes and climb into bed before letting my shift overtake me. When we change form, our genitalia is internal so I don’t feel bad for being naked around him.

I’m asleep in no time.

CHAPTER 9

KIRAN

I don’t know why I was so needy last night, but I broke every rule in the book by asking him to stay with me. It’s just that after we spent so much time together in the escape pod, it doesn’t feel right to be more than a few feet from him.

With the playroom being only a few steps away, it’s calling to me. The need to submit to this male is all-consuming.

He’s just too dominant and powerful. Sleeping when you’re afraid you’re going to end up drowning isn’t something I enjoyed, but being curled in his arms last night was amazing. I felt so safe.

Zareth is far cuddlier than I thought he’d be. Maybe it’s his long, muscular arms, but when he wrapped them around me and held me to his perfectly sculpted chest, I felt like no harm could come to me.

This male is stunning in so many ways. When I saw the playroom, it was exciting. I love being dominated, but mostly, I’ve done everything before. I spent years learning not only how to be a good submissive, but learning how to enjoy all sorts of play.

Waking up, I see Zareth must have woken up early and joined me back in bed. To have him wrapped around me in sleep is intoxicating.

“What time is it?” Zareth mumbles sleepily, rolling away from me.

“I have no idea,” I say, doing my best not to show my sadness at the loss of his warm body next to mine. I was with Durack for a year, and I didn’t feel the need to be with him the way I do with Zareth after less than a week. What am I going to do when he sends me away?

“Are you still feeling the need to submit?” Zareth asks, turning to lie on his side facing me. Sadly, he’s keeping his hands to himself, but at least he’s looking at me again with eyes so deep and green I feel like I could dive into them. I want to touch him, but that would break an unwritten rule, since he’s being so careful not to touch me.

“It isn’t just a need, Sir.” I easily fall into power roles with him. “It’s a want. I… desire you.” I curb my impulse to keep my eyes hooded as I should. Instead, I keep our gazes locked.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, little hooman. I’m going to have some food delivered, I’m going to feed you, and then we’re going to play.” His voice dipped to that gravelly tone that is laden with so much meaning it fills my cock with blood.

He flips his tail out from under the blankets, then rolls over and sits so his tail is on the floor. It’s interesting to watch him move on land when in his legless form. While I can’t say it’s effortless, it doesn’t seem to slow him down. He moves with ease and grace.

Zareth puts on the robe before shifting into his bipedal form. I can’t help but feel a sadness about not getting to see him naked. He has no problem being nude around me in his merform, but he’s careful not to let me see what he looks like when he’s naked in his bipedal form.

I can’t lie. I want to see him with no clothes on, although I doubt anything could exceed the amazing things my active imagination has handed me over the last few days.

A crewman gently knocks, rolls in a serving cart, and sets it where Zareth directs.

“I had them bring an array of dishes. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I ordered a bit of everything,” he says with a smile. Am I crazy? Is he really excited about providing me a buffet of foods? No one has ever cared so much about making me happy with the little details of daily living.

Zareth is standing, looking almost shy, as if something is on his mind he’s not sure he should share. This certainly must be unusual for the Prince of Lantia.

His lambent gaze catches mine as he says, “I was wondering if you wanted to sit by my feet and let me feed you.” If his eloquent look wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the rough tone of his voice is all I need to hear to know this is about much more than nutrition.

“Hand-feeding a partner is something I would love to do with you.”

Oh, the little smile. It’s not even a smile, just the gentlest upturn of his lips as his gaze never leaves mine. It’s so full of heat it makes my cock jerk in my soft sleep pants.

“I’d love for you to feed me, Sir.”

I walk to him, already feeling those first tuggings of falling into subspace. It’s second nature to follow him until he indicates I should stand near the cart as he walks into the playroom, grabs a cushion, and sets it next to the one chair sitting next to the cart.

When I looked around the playroom yesterday, I thought it was some sort of pet bed. Seeing it now, sitting next to the table, it’s clear I’m the type of pet the cushion was meant for.

Zareth sweeps his hand, indicating the cushion and not the floor. Desire bolts through me at the thought of sitting at his feet like this. It doesn’t feel demeaning at all. I feel honored.

When I’m comfortably sitting tailor fashion, my hard cock not even shy about making his appearance, Zareth holds out a bite of a vegetable in cream sauce for me to take.

My lips grab the nibble, and I can’t control my tongue from swiping out to catch the drops of sauce still clinging to the bite. Our glances meet as I ensure he sees my thorough enjoyment of not only the taste of the food, but the little taste I stole from his flesh.

The food is perfectly cooked and delicious. I can’t help but look up at him, trying to signal I’d like another bite, but Zareth ignores me, grabs a tablet, and starts reading aloud.

It’s a story about a teenage boy who runs off to join the herders. It’s an epic tale and I’m quite enjoying the rich descriptions. On every page, Zareth gives me a bite from his hand, watching as I chew, smiling when our gazes meet, then he returns to the story.

I’ve been handed before. In the past, it was always perfunctory, like “here are a few bites of food so I can assert my dominance over you,” and that was the end.

Zareth takes his responsibility seriously. He feeds me slowly. Only offering me small, easy-to-eat mouthfuls, with plenty of time to chew in between. I sit as tall as I can to watch him when he’s gathering bites of food for me. He finds the perfect morsels for every bite, trying to please me in every way.

It’s clear he’s in no hurry for this to be over. No, Zareth clearly enjoys taking care of me this way.

It’s not just the food, it’s the spell he’s weaving. Even as the story builds, so does my arousal. Every touch of his fingertips, every swipe of my tongue against his flesh. It all expands into something I can’t define. It’s almost magical.

Zareth stops reading and I think he might be done feeding me. When I look up, he’s wiping his hands on a wet cloth. Then he’s using the cloth to wipe my face. His movements are slow, erotic. On the surface, he’s cleaning me, but the subtext is overflowing with desire.

I’m dying to take this to the next level, but I’m so invested in the story he’s reading I want to know what happens to the boy. When I’m all clean, Zareth simply returns to the book. The only change is now, instead of feeding me, he’s playing with my hair.

Mostly, Zareth has his hand resting on the back of my neck or shoulder, but now and then, he’ll run his hand over my hair as he reads. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone sit and pet me like this. His supple, strong fingers slide through my hair, carding it, combing it.

At a chapter break, he pauses, tilts his handsome head, looks at me and says, “So silky, Kiran. Perfect.” Then he returns to the story as if neither of our cocks are hard as stone.

Being touched like this was the best reward you could get at the House. We only got this kind of attention when we’d done something exceptionally well.

Having Zareth treat me this way has me floating in subspace. I’m having trouble tracking what’s going on in the story. At first, I tried to fight falling into subspace until Zareth gently tugged my hair and said, “Relax. Let yourself enjoy.” I want to be a good boy, so I let my mind float and don’t bother thinking too hard.

“What a good boy you are. I knew you could turn off that clever brain and relax into your subspace. You’re doing so well,” Zareth says, petting my hair again as he returns to the book.

At some point, the story is done, and Zareth stops reading. We’re still sitting in the same places. It’s so relaxing to sit here in silence and just have a Dom’s fingers sift through my hair.

“How are you doing, Little One? You ready to go to the playroom?” Zareth asks, his voice so deep it rumbles through me, all the way to my marrow. He scoots his chair so not only is he able to play with my hair, but I’m leaning against his leg as he gazes down at me.

“I’m good, Sir,” I slur out, rubbing my face into his leg as I do. I feel compelled to say more, but all I can eke out is, “So good.”

“Good boy, come let me help you into the playroom,” Zareth says, standing and holding out his hand so I can use his strength to rise off the floor. Normally I’d do my best to gracefully stand, but I’m so far down in my headspace, I can’t even tell my limbs what to do. My legs are wobbly, like a newborn calf, as I stand and wait for Sir to lead me into the playroom.

The space is dark. There are almost no lights on when we make our way into the room. Zareth makes his way to a bench that reminds me of a construction saw horse. The top is maybe six inches wide and padded. Halfway to the floor is a padded bench of the same width on either side of the contraption.

“Remove your clothes for me, Little One,” he commands in the gentlest voice. How could I refuse? “Show me how graceful you are.”

I’m wearing the blanchard he loaned me, but I remove it as if I’m on stage at a ballet. I rise enough out of subspace to think clearly enough to tease him as I expose one of my shoulders, then lift the hem higher and higher until I pull it over my head and let it drift to the floor.

We spent days together in the pod. He’s seen me naked for most of that time, but there’s something about what we both know we’re about to engage in that makes this different, more sensual.

When the blanchard pools on the floor, Zareth makes a trilling, Lantian sound from deep in his chest. It’s low and sonorous and it’s as if the sound waves themselves burrow under my skin and into my bones.

I lift the fabric again, wanting to tease him some more. I cover myself to my waist, then lower the blanchard until it exposes the dark hair at the root of my cock, but doesn’t allow him to glimpse the object of his desire. His deep trilling is almost constant now. If I don’t hurry, I’m going to come without laying a hand on myself.

“Enough, my little hooman,” he croons. “Let me take care of you.”

As soon as I drop the fabric, his strong, gentle hands lift me so I’m straddling the bench. It’s like being on a horse. He eases my chest flat against the red padded top while at the same time my knees naturally lift to support my weight on the two padded side benches. My genitals ease into a built-in divot, made just for them, so I’m not smashed or uncomfortable.

There are cuffs already attached to the bench’s legs, so all Zareth has to do is put the padded leather cuffs around my wrists and ankles.

The whole time Zareth is putting the cuffs on me, he never takes his hand off my body, nor does he stop the soft trills which are no longer meant to signal his arouse, but are designed to soothe me. When he moves from one side of the contraption to the other, his fingers trail across my back or the top of my ass, always gentle, always reassuring.

I never told him how much I hate being left alone when I’m in subspace, but somehow Zareth knows exactly what to do to keep me feeling safe, so I can dreamily sink deeper into the place where I can let all of my worries drift away.

When I’m secured to the bench, Zareth runs his hand up and down my back, alternating between soft, gentle touches and using his nails. After a few minutes, I’m flying high again and loving what he’s doing. I can’t believe how good he is at keeping me in my headspace.

Just as my lids shutter closed, Zareth grabs my ass with both hands and squeezes hard, letting his nails bite in. When I jerk and try to get away, the cuffs on my ankles keep me in place, reminding me he’s in control. A swift frisson of fear jolts up my spine with the certainty of how tightly I’m bound, my inability to get away. Not that I want to.

Zareth releases my ass and resumes rubbing my back with one hand before he swats my ass for the first time. It’s a light spank, but it ratchets up my excitement as he spanks me again. The hits are still light, but each one is a little harder than the one before.

The tenth hit is a little sting-y, but then Zareth is running his other hand over my ass and the coolness of his skin feels so good on my warm bottom. I can’t help but let out a soft moan.

“Oh, did my sweet boy like that? You like when Sir hits you harder, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir. I enjoy being hit harder. The best part is when you run your cool skin over my hot skin. Please do it again, Sir,” I say, rocking my hips into the bench as I talk.

“Oh, you’re a naughty little slut. I notice you trying to rub your cock on something. If you can be a good boy and take this spanking, I’ll play with that cock for you. Otherwise, I’m just going to fuck your ass and not care if you come at all. What does my little slut think of Sir taking his pleasure from your body and not making sure you get off?”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be a good boy for you,” I say as Sir spanks me again. This time, it’s only a couple of swats before he’s stopping to rub my ass again. “It feels so good, Sir.”

The words are barely out of my mouth before he’s hitting me again. This time, he has a wooden paddle in his hand, and the hits are getting much harder than they were before. When he gets to the 15th hit with the paddle, I’m moving constantly to cope with the pain.

Zareth is riding that line between hurting me too much and getting me off with just pain. If he doesn’t change it up, I’m going to come before he even has his cock in me. That’s the last thing I want to do.

Suddenly, I don’t remember if I’m allowed to come or not. I’m not sure if he told me to wait to come. I try so hard to be a good boy. The last thing I want to do is come when I’m not supposed to, but I’m so close.

“What’s wrong?” Zareth asks, rubbing my back. I must’ve looked stressed. I’m not sure how he could see. It’s so dark in here. Maybe Lantian eyes see better in the dark than I do. Having a nuanced conversation is beyond me, so I just blurt it out. “What you’re doing feels fantastic and I’m afraid I might come, and I don’t remember if I’m allowed to come without permission.”

“I see. You’re allowed to come as many times as you want from pain, but when I’m pleasuring you, you must wait for permission. I’ll tell you when I want you to wait. I didn’t realize you were about to get off from the pain. I’ll have to try harder. Can my little fishy come more than once in a session?”

“Yes Sir. I can come as many times as you want. I’ll be a good boy and only come when you’re hurting me or when you tell me to,” I say, whimpering as Sir squeezes my ass again. It feels so good to have him use his nails on the sore flesh, especially when his hands are so cool to begin with. As he squeezes my ass again, digging his nails into my tender flesh, I come all over the bench. Part of me hopes he’s done spanking me and part of me hopes he keeps it up until I come a second time.

CHAPTER 10

ZARETH

Great Maker, this little sub is gorgeous when he comes. The way he moans and his whole-body tenses has me ready to fuck into him. Bending over Kiran so my cock is at his ass, I lay my chest along his back and whisper in his ear, “What a good boy you are coming from me spanking you. I’m going to spank you ten more times, then I’m going to fuck your tight little ass. You can come as many times as you like while I’m spanking. Otherwise, wait for me to come. Do you understand, Little One?” I ask, squeezing his nipple while I rock my hips into his ass.

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be a good boy.”

“I know you will. Now count for me,” I say, standing. As I do, I rub my hard cock over his ass before I step back to spank him again. The first smack is hard, but I hit the round part of his ass where he’s good and warmed up.

“One,” Kiran says, turning his head so he’s looking at me. Pulling back the paddle for the second strike, I aim for that tender spot where the top of his thigh meets the bottom of his ass. The hit is perfect, and the way Kiran yelps out “two,” I know it hurts. The sit-down spot is always one of the most painful places to be hit. When I was in training, my trainer would always hit there if he was trying to make a point to me about something.

Bending over Kiran’s body and letting my weight press him into the spanking bench, I lick the shell of his ear before I whisper, “You are such a good boy. I want you to know how proud of you I am. I want you to come again while I’m hitting you, but either way, you are a good boy.”

Then I suck his ear lobe into my mouth, nibbling ever so slightly on it as I do. The way he keens lets me know he likes the way my sharp teeth feel on his skin. I’ll have to remember that when I get his lovely cock in my mouth.

The third strike lands in the sit spot on his other leg. “Oh, please Sir, may I have another,” Kiran yells as the paddle lands. He’s supposed to be counting, but begging for another is one of the few things that will make me forgive him for not doing what he’s told. I can’t let him off too easily, though.

“What? Number? Was? That?” I ask, popping his ass with each word. The blows aren’t gentle, but they aren’t brutal either. I want it to be playful, not mean. The goal is for this sweet sub to be a puddle of goo and contentment, nothing more.

“Three Sir, I’m sorry, Sir. I won’t do it again,” Kiran babbles, as I run my nails over his hot, reddened ass.

“You better remember,” I say, running my fingers in the cleft of his ass as I do. He’s far too dry to enter, but it will be a pleasant reminder of what’s coming. I give the fourth hit on the meaty part of his round globes. While they are smart, they aren’t anything too much, but I want him to come with the fifth blow.

Maybe it’s cheating, but I want to see this little sub come undone for me while I’m spanking him again. After the fourth hit, I grab the lube and work it onto my first two fingers. When they’re well lubed, I press them into Kiran’s hole. I don’t force them in, but I use steady pressure and don’t stop until they are all the way to where my webbing starts.

As I work my fingers in and out of Kiran’s ass, I twist and scissor them apart, getting him stretched for my cock. Kiran moans and trembles, and I can’t stop myself from leaning over and biting his shoulder. Easy enough to break skin, but there will be a bruise there in the morning. It’s not where I’d leave a mating mark, but it’s close enough to have me about ready to come.

What is wrong with me? I’ve never had a hard time resisting the urge to mark a sub when I’m playing with them. Great Maker, what am I going to do when I get my cock inside of him?

When I crook my fingers down towards his cock, I feel this bump inside him. I’m not sure what it is, but when I run my fingers over it again, Kiran whimpers and moan. He’s doing his best to rock back and get my fingers deeper in his hole.

I rub my fingers over that bump inside him again and again before pulling out and hitting his ass hard. The moment the paddle connects with his ass, Kiran screams and comes once again. I have to brace my hand on the bench to ground myself and keep from being sucked into his orgasm from the waves of pleasure coming off his mind.

This little sub has lost all thought of anything other than how good he feels. If I’m having this much trouble not getting pulled over the edge when I’m not fucking him, what’s going to happen when I’m balls deep in his ass?

I want to be in him so badly. It’s like I’m a fingerling again. I smack his ass five more times with my hand, but they are little more than taps before I strip out of my blanchard and start lubing my cock. Kiran doesn’t seem to notice I even hit him after that fifth smack. He’s so blissed out and relaxed. Good thing I tied him down or he’d have slid right off the bench in a puddle of relaxed happiness.

Lining my cock up with his hole, I press inside, taking my time before I push farther. When I can feel his body relax enough to accommodate my cock, I work myself in deeper. By the time I’m balls deep in his ass, he’s relaxed enough that I don’t need to wait long before pulling back ever so slightly. When I work my cock almost all the way out, I press back in.

I take my time entering and retreating in shallow, slow thrusts before I pick up the pace. I grab his nipple again and pinch it as I pound into him. The moment I have his nipple in my grip, he bucks as much as he can tied like he is. For just a moment, I think I’m hurting him, but then he lets out a low moan and I can see and feel how much he’s loving my touch.

Maybe it’s that we’re fucking or maybe it’s how much skin contact we have, but I can hear his thoughts crystal clear. He wants me to fill both his holes at once. This idea of filling is all-consuming.

Not being one to deny my beautiful pet anything, I reach with my clean hand and press my fingers into his mouth. Great Maker, I want to make him gag on my fingers while I fuck his tight ass. For the first time in my life, I wish I were a Sheflicot with their octopus tentacles. What would it be like to have an appendage that could go deep enough to satisfy this little cock slut of mine?

I’ll have to make do with my fingers. He’s such a dirty slut. He wants to be filled, and who am I to deny my boy anything he wants?

Fucking his ass in rhythm with pushing my fingers down his throat has him drooling, his saliva dripping to the bench, then sliding to the floor. I wish I could see his face looking so debauched and lovely while he gags on my fingers.

Great Maker, I can’t wait until I get to make him choke on my cock. Sadly, since Lantians can breathe through their gills even on land, I’ve never had someone choke on my cock before. Hearing him and feeling the panic in his mind before I let him breathe is driving me crazy. I never knew I could feel this much pleasure during a session.

Maybe it’s how much I’m enjoying the scene, or maybe it’s Kiran, but I can’t take it anymore. I bend over and bite his neck, pulling my fingers from his mouth as I do. I bite that big muscle in his neck hard enough with my sharp teeth that my mouth fills with his hot blood.

There is a moment when it’s all physical sensations—my cock in his ass and the blood pumping into my mouth. It doesn’t take more than a moment before his thoughts snap into focus.

He’s loving the way it feels to have both my teeth and my cock in him at the same time and that pushes me over the edge, and I come the hardest I’ve ever come in my life.

It’s that way for Lantians when we mate, but I didn’t think it would be a true bonding when I bit him. Hell, I didn’t mean to bite him. I just lost control and the next thing I knew, my teeth were sliding into his delicate flesh.

Hearing his thoughts and feeling his pleasure as I rock slowly in and out of him with my aftershocks pushes me over the edge again. As soon as I come, Kiran spirals into another release to join me.

Feeling the psychic pleasure of being fucked while fucking him at the same time has me on the edge again. No wonder newly mated couples stay on their honeymoon for so long. My cock is already sore, but the loop of pleasure is about to push me over again.

I want to stay here and fuck him until I’ve wrung as many orgasms out of both of us as I can, but my knees are feeling weak, and I want to get him on the bed before we do anything else. The last thing I want is to lose my legs and end up hurting him.

I pull out of him and release his bonds. Kiran is feeling so lost and sad now that I’m not touching him. Lifting him in my arms, I feel his relief at my touch as I walk us to the bed. I can’t stop thinking how much I love this little hooman.

CHAPTER 11

KIRAN

The love bite felt amazing, but it was nothing compared to the way it felt when he bit me hard enough to draw blood. The sensation of his teeth entering my body was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt—until I started to hear everything he was thinking and feeling.

Having the sensation of being fucked while you’re fucking someone is something I can’t wait to experience again. It’s like a feedback loop of pleasure. I could hear every thought Zareth had while he was pleasuring me. That was shocking.

When he carried me to the bed, he was thinking about how much he loved me and how bonding with me was the best moment of his life. I never dreamed I’d ever be loved. Maybe someone would tell me they loved me, but to hear it in his thoughts and feel the emotion rolling off him in waves is awe-inspiring.

“I love you, too,” I say as Zareth lays me on the bed. He’s so careful with me. How can this male I’ve only known a couple of days have changed my life? Wait, did he say he loved me, or did he just think that? Maybe I came so hard I’m not thinking straight. Could I somehow be telepathic? Does that mean he was telepathic before we bonded?

“Lantians are telepathic. It was heightened by our bonding, but I was born telepathic. When Lantians bond, it becomes stronger, but I didn’t know I could form a genuine bond with a hooman. I knew I could mate with you. Honestly, I didn’t mean to bite you. I couldn’t control myself. I know how stupid that sounds, but I couldn’t.

“We should have talked about what it would mean before I bit you. One moment we were fucking, which was amazing, and the next my teeth were in your neck and I was hearing and feeling you in a whole new way. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you could become telepathic if I were to bond with you. I’ve never even heard stories of a Lantian bonding with a non-Lantian.”

“You’ve been able to hear my thoughts this whole time?” I ask, doing my best to remember all the stupid things I thought about him while we were in that pod. Focusing on the things I might have thought when I saw him naked for the first time seems like the safest thing to think about right now.

The more important thing would probably be the fact that we’re bonded now, whatever that means. I’m also curious if I’d be able to hear anyone’s thoughts or just Zareth’s.

“Don’t worry, Little One. You shouldn’t be embarrassed about what you thought. I wasn’t able to read you very well until we bonded, but Lantians hear many things that are best not known. We learn early in life to just ignore them. As far as our bonding. I can talk to you about what that means, but I think you should have some time to think by yourself.”

I guess it makes sense he’s offering to leave me to myself. He can hear that I’m overwhelmed and want to be alone. It’s still going to be hard to get used to.

“I need to call my father. Bonding is a very big deal and he’ll be disappointed if he’s not the first to be informed. You stay here and try not to panic and I’ll go talk to my father. When I get back, we can see if you can hear other people or not. I’m very excited to know if you can hear others or just me,” Zareth says, getting up and grabbing his blanchard off the floor before making his way to the door. I can’t help thinking that the king is going to be unhappy his son bonded with an Earther, especially one who is still married to someone else.

Zareth was out the door when he sticks his head back in, saying, “Oh no, Little One. Make no mistake, my father won’t be unhappy. I’m bonded to you. He’ll be unhappy if he’s not the first to hear about it. I’m ancient to be unbonded and my father and mother have been worried about me. They will be over the surface about our bonding. I’ll be back soon, Little One. Try not to worry,”

‘Try not to worry,’ that’s like saying don’t think about drowning when you’re drowning. There are so many things I want to know, but I can’t get answers to anything without Zareth being here. I’ll have to wait until he returns to have them answered.

Taking a few minutes to focus on my breathing, I’m able to calm down enough to think about how I felt when he told me he loved me. It was the single greatest moment of my life. While finding out he could sort of read my mind before we were bonded was shocking. Now that I’m calmer and thinking about it, it’s reassuring. To have someone who really knows me, who understands me on a bone-deep level. How could that upset me?

I could feel the sincerity when he said he loved me. I think that moment makes any awkwardness I might be feeling worth it.

I do my best not to dwell on the questions I have for Zareth while he’s gone. It doesn’t take too much for my thoughts to stray to how good the sex was. Not only did I have, I don’t even know how many orgasms, but the idea that my Dom can read my mind only broadens the number of things we can do together.

There are some things I wouldn’t consent to if I had a choice, but Zareth’s being able to read my mind makes some of those things sound fun and not scary. I let my mind wander to a myriad of ways I want to play with Zareth. Before I know it, my cock is hard again and I can’t wait for him to return for a totally different reason.

CHAPTER 12

ZARETH

The last thing I want to do is go off to talk to my father, but staying there with Kiran would’ve only stressed him out more. I could read that much in his mind. My sweet sub is terminally curious, but that doesn’t mean giving him all the information he wanted would’ve made him feel better. Frankly, I think it might’ve made everything worse.

He needed to feel safe, and going over the ten million questions I’m sure he has for me would’ve given him more to wonder about. No, getting away was the right choice, but that doesn’t make walking out of our quarters any easier. Every part of my soul wants to be curled up in bed with my bonded mate. I want to spend hours and days touching and exploring his body in naughty and not-naughty ways.

The drive to be with him is powerful, and it’s only getting stronger the farther away I’m getting. I could’ve made my call in the captain’s room, but he needed to think when I wasn’t there with him.

I wasn’t lying when I said my father would be furious if I didn’t tell him before anyone else I was bonded. A better son would’ve talked to him before they took a bond mate. That is the right and proper thing to do, but it wasn’t like I was thinking about it before I bit Kiran. No, the least I can do is go talk to him now.

There is one thing my mate and my father have in common. They are both curious. My father will want to ask a million questions. Sadly, most of them I won’t have answers to yet. I also need my father to get Kiran free of Durack. I don’t think it will be hard. Durack left him to die, but that doesn’t mean it won’t take time and either money or political favors to make Durack relinquish his rights to Kiran.

I haven’t stopped pacing for the hour I’ve been waiting for my father to finish with court. My parents have always been indulgent with me, but no matter how much they wanted to indulge me, they have a duty to our people.

By the time my father is on the stellar call I’ve worked myself into a state. I’m normally not one to get stressed out like this. My face must show it because my father doesn’t even say hello before he asks, “What’s going on, son? You look worse than when your cruise ship almost crashed. Did something happen? Captain Mailton told me you were fine.”

“I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I bonded with the little hooman sub I rescued from the ship, and something just feels off. I want to talk to you, but the longer I’ve waited to speak to you, the more stressed out I’ve become. I don’t know what to do.” Even spewing information like that isn’t like me. Oh, Great Maker, I’m lost.

“I take it you bonded recently?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I also take it he’s a little higher strung than you are?”

“Yes, Sir,” I say, feeling like a child who doesn’t get the joke yet.

“Well, first, you are feeling stressed because you’re away from him and your inner Dom is screaming at you to be with your sub. Also, when you bond, you are getting way more information than you normally get telepathically. Remember when you were a child, and you first felt things from others? How overwhelming that was for you? Well, you’re getting bleed-over from him. Time will make all of this better. Go back to your sub, hold him, touch him, play with him, but stay with him until the idea of being apart doesn’t make you feel you had too much, JoKako. You will be fine.”

“I rescued him from the ship because his husband, whatever that means, left him to die. He’s a sub from one of the Great Houses of Earth. Captain Mailton has all his information, but someone will need to petition the House, so he’s not forced to go back to the kathyar.”

“Mind your language and I’ll get it taken care of before you’re home. Go take care of your bonded. I’ll see you in a couple of days. And son?” father says, “Hirrato bayon, congratulations.”

It’s all I can do to keep myself from running back to Kiran. Somehow, father giving me his blessings and congratulations, as well as permission to feel this way, makes it easier to give into my desire to return to my sub. When I open the door, I can see my sweet boy lying on the bed, his hard cock tenting the sheet as he sleeps.

Dropping my shielding from him, I see what he’s dreaming about. My boy is thinking about what it would be like to have my mouth around his cock. I’ve never been one to say no to a sub, certainly not my bonded, so I ease onto the bed, letting my shift happen as soon as I’m not standing.

Pulling the sheet down so I can see that cock of his, I enjoy just looking at him for a moment. He’s not nearly as big as a Lantian, but he’s not small either. I get comfortable between his legs on my stomach. I have to bend my tail so it’s the same as his dream. My tail is brushing my back as I take my sub into my mouth. The dream me and the scales and blood me are overlapping in what we’re doing to this sweet sub.

He was making little jerks with his hips when I walked into the room, but now that he has something to fuck into, his hips are thrusting much harder as he tries to get deeper into my mouth. When the me in his dreams slides his sharp teeth over Kiran’s cock, I do the same, relishing in the joy at getting to tease him this way.

The dream abruptly ends. For just a moment I think I’ve done something wrong, but then Kiran is moaning, and his hands are running over my hair and neck as I slide up and down his cock. I must have woken my darling sub. As much as I was enjoying playing with him when he was asleep, having a Kiran who’s awake and interactive is so much better.

“Sir, please, I want you to fuck me in this form. I want to know what it’s like to have you fuck me like this. Please.” This sub is too perfect. Great Maker, I want to fuck him in this form, but it won’t be good for him if I try to fuck him in my merform on the bed. No, we’ll need to be in water for that, and I’m not sure how he’ll feel about that.

“I can’t, I mean I can, but I won’t be able to do much. You could ride me in this shape out of the water or we could get in the small pool and I’ll be able to fuck you the way you want,” I say, putting his balls in my mouth and tipping my head back so they are pulled out of my mouth over my teeth.

Kiran seems to love my teeth because he jerks and starts keening. When I put my hands on his hips, holding him down before I take him back in my mouth, he goes silent. I check in with his mind and he’s thinking very hard about not coming. Great Maker, this boy is a treat.

“Water. Please. I need your cock in me so badly, Sir,” Kiran says, thrashing his head back and forth as he does.

Trading my tail for legs, I grab him and pull him off the bed with me and make my way to the small pool in the middle of the room. At least there’s enough water to let me move freely. I want to show my boy what it’s like to be with a Lantian. My cock is so much bigger in this form I pause for a moment before I slide into the water, letting my shift overtake me.

Reaching into my spirack I pull out my cock. The moment it’s out and Kiran sees it in this form, his mind races with what it will feel like inside him. At least he’s not scared before I lift him up so his chest is on the outside edge of the pool with his legs in the water. I want to taste my boy before I fuck him.

In this form, my teeth are sharper, and my tongue is longer. I’ve had enough practice talking in this form that most people don’t notice my tongue is different, but in sex I’ll be able to work my tongue in at least six inches.

I lick around the tight ring of muscle and enjoy the way he practically levitates off the surface of the water as my greedy mate tries to take even more of me. As I ease deeper, he keens in pleasure, the sound reverberating off the tile walls.

The pleasure coming off my sub is enough to make it hard to keep from coming, and I haven’t even touched my cock yet.

Kiran is scrabbling his fingers on the floor. I’m not sure if he’s trying to get away or just searching for something to hold on to. When I listen to his mind, he’s not sure either. Pulling my tongue out of his ass, I say, “You can come as many times as you want today. I want you to feel good while I fuck your ass. I want you to focus on enjoying this and not have to fight off your orgasm.” That must have been all my sweet boy needed because he’s coming before my tongue returns to his tight channel.

It only takes a moment before I find that spot inside him and use my tongue to rub it until I force another orgasm out of my boy. “Sweet boy, I’m ready to fuck you now.”

I pull him into the middle of the small pool. “I’ll hold you so you don’t sink, but I’m going to tie you to some hooks in the pool’s bottom. If I don’t tie you to the bottom of the pool, when I push into you, you’ll just move up in the pool and it won’t be any good. Do you trust me?”

I don’t know why I ask him if he trusts me. His answer could break me if he doesn’t. But of course my boy tells me, “Yes, Sir, I trust you.” I take a moment to get him hooked up, so he won’t just get pushed up out of the pool when I fuck into him.

When he’s secured, I move behind him and press my cock into him. Luckily, Lantian bodies have adapted to life in water. Our cocks are self-lubricating, so I don’t have to do anything else before I can thrust into him. My cock in this form is about 15 inches long with a thick base. It will take time before my boy can take that, but he took my 10-inch cock last night, so he should have no problem taking half of me in this form.

Kiran’s body relaxes and before I know it, I’m more than halfway inside him. When I pull back the restraints, do what they’re supposed to do and hold him still while I pull almost all the way out of him. When I push back in, I reach around and grab my boy’s cock with one hand and use the other to make sure his face isn’t going beneath the water.

It only takes a few more strokes and my boy releases. Every muscle in his body tightens as his back arches and he screams his pleasure with a deep, guttural bark that echoes all around the tiled room.

The depths of his pleasure triggers my own. His passage is clenching around my cock, milking the cum from me as it continues to spasm. I unhook the restraints from his wrists and pull him to the side of the pool where there is a bench at the perfect height for me to sit with my head out of the water.

Sitting, I pull my boy into my lap. Kiran, still impaled on my cock, is moaning and whimpering. He’s riding that perfect moment of afterglow with his muscles still spasming in little shocks of pleasure. I stay still as I pet him. My boy is so good I can’t refrain from praising him.

“You are such a good boy. You took my cock so beautifully. I am so proud of you, Little One. You are a good boy.” Kiran whimpers and wriggles around in my lap, pushing my cock ever so slightly deeper into his ass.

When I run my hand over my boy’s belly, I can feel my cock. Kiran seems to love that sensation because he pants and whimper, rocking in my lap like he’s trying to get more of me inside him. “Oh, does my boy want to take all of my cock?”

“Yes, Sir, please. I’m a good boy. I can take it all. Sir, I need to know that I can do this for you. I know how much you want me to take it all and I can be a good boy.”

I’d have been worried he was doing something that was bad for him if I couldn’t read in his mind that he’d taken things this big before. I’m big and it will be a challenge, but my boy wants this. If I’m reading him right, he’s rarely wanted anything as much as he wants this. His desire to please me just affirms he’s the perfect mate for me.

In the end, it doesn’t matter why he wants to take it all. The only thing that matters is that my boy needs the sense of accomplishment of taking me in this form.

“Okay sweet boy, but you have to know I’m proud of you, no matter what. Yes, I want you to take it all, but I don’t care one way or the other. Certainly not the first time we have sex in this form.”

“I know, Sir, but I need it. Please,” Kiran says, doing that little wiggle thing he does and getting another inch of my cock in his ass. As much as I want to give him time to relax and take my cock, I know there is a point where taking it slow turns into torture and I don’t want my boy to get to that point.

In the end, it takes my sweet boy almost an hour to get my entire cock in his ass. I alternate between rubbing his back and belly and playing with his cock. When he’s only got a few more inches, my boy has real trouble being able to take anymore. With my mind, I push my arousal into him as much as I can. For a moment, I think my boy is giving up because he’s sliding off my cock ever so slowly. Then he slides back down. It only takes three more tries and my boy is seated fully on my lap.

Kiran bursts into tears and for just a moment, I think something is terribly wrong, but he’s clinging to me. When I listen to his mind, he’s just exhausted and feeling overwhelmed by the emotions he’s getting from me. I didn’t realize I was thinking about how much this meant to me while he was working on taking my entire cock.

“Here sweet boy, let me help you off my cock and we can get back in the bed. I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe you could take my cock like that. You are my good boy. You are the best boy. Come on, pet, let’s get you out of here. Let me towel you dry and get you warm.” When I lift him off my cock, I take a moment to enjoy how stretched his hole is. When he’s a little less sore, I’ll take time exploring his gaping ass with my tongue.

I lay my sweet boy out on the bed so I can snuggle him and tell him how much he means to me. It takes almost an hour of cuddling my sweet boy before he’s calm enough to talk to me about why it was so important for him to take my cock like that. His explanation doesn’t really make sense to me, but it does to him. Even listening to his thoughts doesn’t shed much light on why he needed to take all of me, but it honestly doesn’t matter if I understand or not. What matters is that it was important to him, and he could reach his goals. My sweet boy got what he needed, and I got to have several mind-blowing orgasms.

It’s not too long after our talk that he falls asleep. There are so many things I want to tell my boy, but honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m happy as long as he’s feeling safe and contented. Maybe it’s the bond, but I want to do anything I can to make this boy feel safe and loved.

CHAPTER 13

KIRAN

After I took Zareth’s enormous cock, I felt an immense sense of relief. I’m not a size queen, but I really felt like I had to take his entire cock, no matter how big it was. The sense of accomplishment when I could take it all was amazing. Not to mention how great Zareth was with me. Not only was he so caring while I was struggling to take it all, but afterward, he laid with me and held me until I fell asleep.

Being bonded is a big thing, and with the psychic connection, everything was overwhelming. To know, really know, at a bone-deep level, that my forever-mate is the kindest person I’ve ever met? That meant a lot to me. I think every worried cell in my body has stood down since last night. I’ll be able to trust Zareth in a way I never have before.

Waking up this morning I feel a little sore but it’s not bad. Part of me wants to lie here until we have to get up, but I want a shower. I don’t want to think about the last time the pool was cleaned. It seems like such a petty thing to think about, but I can’t help it. How many times has the captain and his sub played in the pool? YUCK!

Trying to get out of bed without waking Zareth is harder than I would’ve thought. Yesterday he was wrapped around me like a koala, and I thought it was a onetime thing, but he’s plastered to me this morning perhaps even more tightly than yesterday.

We didn’t talk about what the bonding meant for us. Him waking me up with a blow job didn’t leave any time for deep conversations. I feel silly, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ve never been woken up by a blow job, but I could get used to it. Zareth is not submissive, but he definitely likes to take care of me. I wonder if it’s just who he is or if it’s the bonding? We’ll have to talk about it, I think as I make my way into the shower.

For underwater sea creatures, Lantians definitely like their showers. The water pressure is amazing on the ship, and there are shower heads all over the tiled walls. On Earth, clean fresh water is so scarce we only take high pressure showers that use very little actual water and mostly feel like hot air blowing on you. I don’t want to be that guy that messes up everyone being able to shower while on the ship by spending too long in here, so I drag myself out. But it’s difficult.

When I emerge from the bathroom, Zareth is sitting up on the bed with a tablet in his hand. He looks so handsome sitting there, tail proudly exposed, reading when I enter the room. It takes a minute before he looks up from what he’s doing, but when his eyes lock onto mine, his smile lights up his face. I’d never tell him I think he looks schmoopy, but he does.

“What the hell is schmoopy? The way you’re thinking about it makes me think it’s a bad thing, but you were so happy when you walked in the room, now I’m not sure,” Zareth asks, head cocked and looking at me like he’s dying to know the answer to this question. His face looks very stern, but when I focus on his thoughts, all I get is happy and relaxed curiosity coming from him.

“Schmoopy is a term for being attached and besotted.”

Before I can finish what I was trying to say, Zareth has traded his tail for legs and is stalking across the room towards me. It might have been scary if it weren’t for his thoughts. His body might have been telling me he was angry. His thoughts are saying he thinks it’s adorable. He thinks I’m adorable.

Zareth leaps up and tries to grab me and kiss me, but his foot slips and he ends up knocking his head into my shoulder on what I can only assume was an attempt to kiss me. I can’t help laughing as he rubs his head and stumbles back to the bed. I was right. He’s schmoopy.

“I told you I wasn’t graceful on my feet. You don’t have to rub it in,” Zareth complains, plopping down on the bed and looking so mopey I can’t tell if he’s playing or not.

“I’m sorry, Sir, I didn’t mean to be rude,” is all I get out before he grabs me and pulls me down next to him, kissing me deeply.

“Don’t pretend to be sorry when you’re not. I know you’re holding back giggles,” Zareth says in between exploratory probes of my mouth. By the time his hands are running through my hair and undoing the towel from my waist, I’m not thinking about anything but how good he is at kissing and how long his tongue is when he’s in merform.

Zareth pushes me back, so I’m lying on the bed. He slides in alongside me and I lose track of when he changed forms. His cool hands find my cock and work it up and down as he kisses into my mouth with an all-consuming need.

I graze my hands down his body to where his ass would be if he were in his bipedal form. His ass is amazing no matter what shape he’s in. As I squeeze those scaled globes with both hands, Zareth deepens the kiss even farther. Not only is his tongue incredibly long, but it seems to move in ways no one I’ve ever kissed before could move.

My cock is rock hard as Zareth strokes me faster and faster. I’m close to coming when Zareth rolls over off of me and stands, scales falling away as he transitions from seated to standing. It would be fascinating to watch if my cock didn’t have a mind of its own.

“Serves you right for finding my clumsiness amusing.” For a split second I think he’s furious at me and this isn’t some kind of game, but then he smiles that big, happy, not-a-care-in-the-world smile before he grabs his tablet and makes his way to the reclining platform. He slouches so insouciantly it has to be fake. I might have found the whole thing funny if my cock wasn’t twitching and jerking like a puppy begging to be touched.

“Don’t touch yourself or I really will be mad at you,” Zareth says, not even looking at me as he swipes away on his pad.

Maybe he heard my thoughts, but he didn’t need to. He had to have known I was on the verge of coming when he was kissing me. I didn’t know he was a sadist. Clearly, he’s a sadist. Part of me wants to prance around naked bending over in front of him and try to get him to play with me so I can have some relief, but the idea that he might play with me and still not let me come is too much of a risk.

“I’m so glad you were able to guess that trying to get me wound up wouldn’t end well for you without me having to tell you directly,” Zareth says, looking at me and smiling that innocent smile of his.

“I don’t know if I should be mad. You’re reading my mind all the time.”

“Oh, Little One, I didn’t need to read your thoughts to know you were thinking about prancing around naked and getting me all hot and bothered. No, I figured that out on my own. But in all seriousness, I can try not to read your thoughts when we fight, but it’s not realistic. The stronger the emotion, the harder it is to ignore. I think you’ll get used to how things work quickly and remember, you can hear what I’m thinking and feeling as well. It’s not a one-way street.”

No matter how much sense he’s making, I’m still mad. Well, maybe frustrated is the right word, but I want to be grumpy, so I sit down on the other side of the reclining platform and watch him. When he goes back to reading, it doesn’t seem like a dismissal as much as him simply going on about his day. After about twenty minutes, I give up my silent pouting and poke his tail with my foot.

“Hey, is there a tablet I can use? I’d love to check the newsnets and maybe read some.”

“We’re almost in Lantian space and should land in about an hour. Why don’t you use this one while I get cleaned up?”

All frustration goes out the window when he tells me we’ll be landing in an hour. I’ll be meeting the king of an entire planet, but the king is my bond mate’s father.

Thank God we haven’t eaten yet today, I might puke. I can feel the bile rising in the back of my throat just thinking about meeting the king. Oh, Gods, what am I going to do?

Zareth feels my stress, because in an instant, he’s sitting next to me with his arm around me.

“He’s going to love you. My parents have been worried I haven’t bonded yet. They’re going to be over the surface about you. They might be the king and queen, but they’ve always been my parents first. Our bonding is going to make them happy,” Zareth says, kissing the top of my head.

Zareth is a much more complex male than I gave him credit for when I met him. He’s not just a handsome male. He’s kind, funny, a little bit mean, but mostly he’s caring. There’s something about him that lets me know he genuinely wants me to be happy. Even when he was getting me all hot and bothered, it wasn’t malicious. It was fun and playful. Taking a deep breath, I pull back from Zareth’s embrace and say, “You better have found some kind of clothing for me to wear. I can’t meet your father, the King of Lantia, in a bathrobe.”

“I was going to have you wear something other than a bathrobe. I’ll get on that. You relax and check the nets. I’ll be back,” Zareth says, grabbing a blanchard out of the closet and ducking out the door.

Zareth took his sweet time getting me something to wear. By the time he returns with a neat pile of clothes in his grip, the ship has informed me we’ll be landing in five minutes.

The blanchard he’s chosen for me is stunning. It’s a little flashier than what I’m used to, but I can’t wait to pull it on. It looks like a tux from the waist up, but the lower half is a dress—well, the caftanish blanchard all Lantians wear.

Where it differs is that the bottom half of the outfit has what looks like jewels all over it, making it sparkle and shine when I move. If I look at it from a certain angle in the mirror, it almost looks like scales.

“You look sexy in a blanchard. I didn’t know how you’d feel wearing one, but I want to create a diversion so we can avoid my parents for an hour and have some extra time alone.” His glance roves up and down my body in a decidedly non-schmoopy, almost predatory way.

“I love it,” is all I can say as I admire myself from every angle in the mirror. I swirl the bottom half of the outfit, wanting to know what it would look like if I were to dance in it. Hearing a song in my mind, I sway before making my way around the room. I start with an easy waltz before I work into a salsa and then move into a catherit. I kick my legs up over my head and watch the reflection as the fabric settles back around me.

The look on Zareth’s face is shocked and for a moment, I think I’ve done something wrong. When I listen to his thoughts, I can hear that while he’s shocked to see me dancing, it’s not a bad shock but an excited and pleased shock. He loves to see me happy.

There is so much I want to say, but the intercom comes on again, telling us we’ve landed and the king and queen are waiting for us to disembark. Part of me wants to stand here and drag this out as long as possible, but I can’t do that to his family. They must have thought he was going to die when they heard about the cruise having an accident. I can’t let them wait any longer than they already have. Grabbing Zareth’s hand, I make my way to the door.

“I love you bond mate. This won’t be unpleasant, I promise,” Zareth says, kissing me on the forehead before he leads the way down the hall so we can disembark.

CHAPTER 14

ZARETH

My bond mate won over my family in no time. He was charming and fun. I knew my family would accept him when they saw how much he meant to me. I thought they might need time to get to know him as a person before they liked him. But nope, my little hooman charmed not only my family but other members of court he was introduced to that first day.

The first week or so, there were countless meetings with not only my parents but other members of court. Lantia had never had a prince bond with an outsider, so every policy change had to be made at once.

I couldn’t have asked for a better bond mate or sub. Kiran did everything asked of him with a smile and an easy-going attitude. I became grumpy and frustrated long before he did. Luckily, the only part of the situation that went easily was getting him out of his marriage to Durack. My little hooman had been so worried about that.

I thought Durack would have tried to squeeze more money out of us than he did. Father offered Durack what he paid for Kiran originally and signed a contract stating no one would try to get him blacklisted from buying another sub from one of the other Great Houses. He agreed.

I practically needed a shower after every interaction with that slimy ectan, but Kiran is free of him forever. That was all I wanted for my sweet sub. We’ve been on Lantia for the past three weeks, but tonight is the first night Kiran will attend court as my legally bonded mate.

He’s gone to court almost every night since we landed here, but all the issues with having an Earther as a bonded mate have finally been ironed out and I get to introduce him properly.

There were too many people who needed to be consulted to keep my bonding a secret, but tonight I get to walk into the room with him on my arm and tell my people, “This sub belongs to me.”

Announcing a formal bonding at court is one of the decisive moments in anyone’s lifetime. As a royal, it is a pinnacle only surpassed by a crowning ceremony.

I’ve been kept away from my apartments all day while Kiran has been getting ready. Since the moment we landed, my mother’s had the royal tailors working nonstop, making him a blanchard for tonight.

I’ve never been one for fashion, but it was one thing Kiran and my mom have in common, so they’ve been hard at work overseeing the creation of tonight’s blanchard. Neither one of them will tell me what it will look like. My mother has even been teaching Kiran to block his thoughts from me, so I can’t snoop and find out what he’ll be wearing tonight.

When I became bonded, I never dreamed my mother would betray me for the new male in my life.

Learning to shield his thoughts is something Kiran needed to learn. That doesn’t mean I want it used against me. For the past week, I’ve been trying progressively harder and harder to see what he’ll be wearing tonight. I was unsuccessful in finding out from either Kiran or my mother. I even came up with a reason to talk to the royal tailor. I don’t know what the surprise will be. I guess I’ll have to wait for the big reveal.

Normally, my bonded and I would walk into the throne room after we’re introduced, and everyone would congratulate us. I could have done that, but I wanted to show Kiran how important he is to me, so I have a surprised planned for him tonight. I just hope I don’t mess it up.

CHAPTER 15

KIRAN

Over the past three weeks, all I’ve been doing is getting ready for tonight. My blanchard is stunning. The royal tailors made my dream come true. It’s bright red and form-fitting from neck to ankles. It’s very different from what I’ve seen other Lantians wearing, but I’m not a Lantian.

I can be me or I can try to be some knock-off Lantian for the rest of my life. I just hope Zareth isn’t angry when I don’t fit the standard for a Lantian sub. Celestia, his mother, thinks this is a great way to show Lantian society that I’m not some weak sub they can walk all over.

“Introducing Kiran, of Earth from House Aquamarine bonded mate and consort of Prince Zareth of Lantia,” a stentorian voice announces as I make my way down the staircase into the throne room.

Celestia told me every noble in the kingdom would be here to see me introduced, but I had no idea what it would mean. My heart is going a million miles an hour as I make my way down the stairs.

My forward motion stops when I see Zareth looking up at me. He has that besotted look on his face and his mental shields are down so I can hear and feel everything from him. His emotions are just as excited as he looks. He couldn’t be happier to be bonded to me and he can’t wait to show me off.

The moment I reach the last step, Zareth reaches out his hand and grabs mine. The physical contact makes the love and happiness coming off of him even stronger. I also get rational ideas about how much he likes my outfit.

My Prince bends over and kisses me deeply before he turns so we are standing side by side and facing the room and all its occupants. There is a slight tug on my hand, and Zareth walks toward the middle of the room where the King and Queen are standing. When we reach the halfway point between the stairs and his parents, Zareth stops and turns to face me as music plays.

It’s a waltz. Zareth bows to me and puts his hand on my shoulder and the other on my hip, and dances. I know he’s never danced before because we talked about it in that life pod weeks ago. His movements are a little jerky, but he’s not a bad dancer.

The sheer joy coming off of him at being able to give me what I wanted most in the world is like a dream come true. Zareth moves around the floor, and for a moment, we’re the only ones in the room. I can’t wait to dance with my bonded alone.

Celestia told me exactly what to expect tonight, and this wasn’t on the agenda. My admittedly clumsy beloved is risking making a fool of himself just to give me this. It squeezes my submissive heart so tightly I can barely breath. A thousand pictures fly through my mind of ways I want to reward him tonight, tomorrow, and forever.

The song ends and another starts. This isn’t a waltz and all of a sudden, Zareth looks worried.

“Do you trust me?” I ask, switching my hands, so I’m the one who’s leading. Zareth nods, and I move him around the floor. Zareth isn’t like other Doms I’ve tried to dance with. He’s not put out by having a sub lead. He seems genuinely happy to let me move him when and where he needs to be. After the third song, we make our way off the dance floor to genuine applause.

The King and Queen both want to speak with us, but after a couple of minutes they have to attend to other members of court. The moment we’re no longer talking to them, half the room is lined up to speak with us.

For most of them, it’s well wishes and people wanting to get to know us. Zareth has many friends, and they all want to meet his new bonded submissive. When some of the younger submissives approach us to talk, it’s not Zareth they want to talk to, but me. They want to know what it was like at Aquamarine, and they all want to know how to dance.

By the end of the night, I’ve been approached by almost every sub and quite a few Doms, wanting to know if I could give dancing lessons.

I never dreamed that dance would be what would make me accepted on Lantia of all places where more than half the time the people don’t have legs, but it seems everyone is eager to learn.

“Did you have fun, my pet?” Zareth asks, on our way back to his apartments.

“I did. Thank you for dancing with me. I know you can read my mind and know how much I wanted to dance with my lover, but you put yourself at risk of ridicule, yet you walked out on that dancefloor and made yourself vulnerable for me. It was a smart move, my Prince, because I’m going to spend the rest of my life thanking you.”

As we walk into our room, I can’t wait to turn in Zareth’s arms, reach around his neck, and give him a kiss that tells him just how much I love him.

Our courtship was so swift, but I’ve never, not for a moment, felt I made a mistake. Look at him, this mate of mine. He’s not just a handsome male, not just gorgeous whether his in his humanoid or mer-form. He’s a considerate, loving mate.

“I’m the luckiest male in the galaxy,” I say.

He smiles and chides, “Don’t get schmoopy, my love. Besides, I think that honor goes to me.”

Thank you for reading Rescued by the Lantian Prince! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to sign up for Amarra’s newsletter !

JULIE L. VANCE

A’JAX

CHAPTER 1

MEAGAN

“Oh, stop it,” my mother scolded gently, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. “You’ll have fun.”

Swallowing, I gazed out the window at the ship currently docked at port. I actually loved going for cruises. My last vacation had been to Turquoise and Caicos Island aboard the largest cruise ship on Earth; this ship was much, much, larger and this cruise would not be on Earth.

For the first time, humans would be allowed to travel the stars aboard specially crafted spaceships. They were similar in shape to the cruise ships that docked on Earth but they were triple their size with enormous engines that relied on nuclear power. These ships were designed to travel through space along carefully monitored routes that the Galactic Federation patrolled. The Galactic Federation was comprised of dozens of intelligent species from planets within the Milky Way Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pinwheel Galaxy and several other galaxies that we humans did not have a name for.

Five years ago, no one had heard about the Galactic Federation but that all changed when a damaged ship with its insignia landed off the east coast of Florida. Both the American and Canadian governments were involved but for different reasons. A Canadian woman discovered the alien’s ship and she hoped that by bringing him to her country, her government would accept him as a refugee. The American government wanted to find both her and the alien and eliminate them both or lock them up where the public wouldn’t have access to them because knowledge of extra-terrestrial life would cause a global panic.

It was only after the American government arrested the Canadian woman that the world learned the truth about the alien that crash landed. As it turns out, he was a high-ranking male within the Galactic Federation and from his home planet in the Pinwheel Galaxy. The head council that ruled the Galactic Federation was not pleased when they entered Earth’s orbit to rescue him, prepared to rain down fire upon us all. Thankfully, after several weeks of heated debate and interspecies politics, the American government released the alien to the Galactic Federation and the woman to her own country.

How do I know this?

Because my idiot sister was the Canadian woman involved in this whole thing.

This interstellar cruise would dock at a planet where my sister and alien-in-law were honeymooning. Mom thought it would be a good way for our spouses to get to know one another in a more relaxed atmosphere. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. My husband couldn’t care less about meeting my sister’s husband and it wasn’t because he was an alien. My husband was a powerful defense attorney and had been following the trial of a serial killer for the past several weeks; it didn’t help that the Superbowl was next week and that far out in space, he wouldn’t have access to Earth’s Internet let alone its sports networks. My husband was competitive and he was not happy that he would have to wait several months to learn the results of both this trial and the Superbowl.

It helped, though, that a couple of our friends agreed to come along. They would continue with the cruise while Tom and I departed to spend time with my sister and my alien-in-law.

“Mom,” I groaned. “It’s not that.”

She frowned at me, her eyes narrowing. “Then what is?”

“What if something goes wrong?” I asked in a low voice. “On Earth, at least I know how to swim and drowning would be preferably to exploding into millions of tiny pieces.”

Mom tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at me, her lips quirking upward. I wrinkled my nose and frowned at her.

“You are such a worrywart,” she teased me.

“It’s not the same thing!” I defended myself.

She continued to smile at me.

“What’s not the same thing?”

Tom walked up beside me but he didn’t wrap his arm around my waist or squeeze my hand. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He and I were not ones for PDA but it was unusual for him not to touch me at all; I’d noticed that he seemed distant lately and I figured it was due to him pouting about the trial and the Superbowl.

“Meagan’s worrying about space travel,” Mom tattled.

Tom gazed down at me, his dark eyes unreadable, an amused quirk to his lips.

“What?” I snapped.

He shook his head. “Nothing, dear.”

Exhaling loudly through my nose, I pointed my finger at him. “We’re going into space. I’m allowed to be nervous.”

He took hold of my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. The unexpectedly intimate gesture brought warmth to my cheeks.

“There are protocols for that,” he pointed out.

“And the Titanic was unsinkable and look what happened there,” I sniped.

Tom frowned.

“Don’t you think you’re blowing this a bit out of proportion?” he asked. “The titanic was built by men over 112 years ago. These ships are far superior to anything on Earth.”

That’s true, I thought, reluctantly agreeing with him. The ships that traveled through space were far different from the ships we used to sail the seas or the planes we used to fly our skies. The Galactic Federation was far more advanced technologically than we were.

Tom smiled at me.

“Attention,” an automated female voice called pleasantly over the system. “Attention. Please prepare for boarding. We will be launching in 30 minutes.”

“Where’s Natalie?” I asked, twisting around in search of my best friend.

Natalie and I had known each other since high school and we’d planned this cruise over a year in advance. It was her idea for the two of us to go with our spouses and treat it as a couples vacation. Mom found out and then suggested that Tom and I stop at the planet where my sister and my alien-in-law were honeymooning.

“She’s coming,” my husband said, irritation creeping into his voice and I flinched, hunching my shoulders.

Mom intertwined her fingers with mine and pulled me in for a tight embrace. The gentle pressure of her hug surprised me and I squeezed her back tightly because it would be months before I saw her again. She kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, “I want grandbabies when you come home!”

Her lips curled in a teasing smile and I couldn’t help but laugh. Mom had been mentioning how much she wanted grandbabies for a while now and, while I wanted kids, Tom said we weren’t in a position financially to have them yet and I agreed with him. Until I could afford to spoil any child I would have, it was best if I didn’t end up pregnant right now. But, I thought, seven months is a long time from now. Things can change between now and then.

Shaking my head, my lips curving in a smile, I bent down to grab my carryon. As I straightened, my throat tightened and my eyes burned. This would be the first time ever that I would be so far away from her. Even though I lived several hours away on Earth, I could call her every day and, at worst, she was an hour’s plane ride away. But boarding this space ship … She couldn’t come to me if I needed her. (Not that I would. I had Tom.)

“You’ll have fun,” Mom promised me. She brushed a strand of hair behind my ear tenderly. “Take the time to relax and enjoy yourself!”

Smiling, I turned away from her and walked aboard the Symphony of the Stars.

CHAPTER 2

MEAGAN

Tilting my head back, I gazed up at the glass dome that resembled Earth’s blue sky with whisps of cloud and a lighting system that warmed my skin as though I were sunbathing on a beach back home – and not in the middle of space.

One good thing, I had to admit, is that the ship doesn’t rock because there are no waves.

My husband suffered serious seasickness every time we went on a cruise. The slightest swell and he turned green around the gills. While it was true we weren’t sailing on the ocean, space travel had its own drawbacks. The ship traveled much faster than any plane ever could and this affected many humans; including my husband. He was currently in our cabin, lying in bed with the curtains drawn, lights out and a damp cloth over his eyes. I have to admit that even I found the change disconcerting but, after a few days, my body adjusted just fine.

The pool area under the dome, where I was currently sitting, was designed to resemble that of an Earth cruise ship. There was one large pool and several smaller ones for children to play in; there was even a hot tub with a bar to purchase drinks.

“Would you care for a drink, miss?” one of the attending servers – a male, I think – asked me while holding out a silver tray adorned with a variety of drinks.

I smiled politely and shook my head. “No, thank you.”

He tilted his head and moved on.

Pushing my hair back, I glanced down at my phone, frowning.

Natalie wasn’t here yet.

That’s not unusual for her, I thought.

She had a tendency to be late for everything; she was late even for my wedding and I was the bride. My father had not been amused.

What was unusual was for her to be this late. Fifteen to twenty minutes late was normal for her (and, to be fair, the ship was ginormous) but to keep me waiting over an hour? That was ridiculous; even for her.

Sighing in annoyance, I pushed my arms though the sleeves of my wrap, gathered my belongings and returned my empty glass to one of the alien servers that waited nearby.

I’ll finish my book in our cabin, I thought, shoving my paperback into my tote bag. I can keep the lights dim and listen with my headphones so I won’t disturb Tom.

I smiled to myself.

Tom and I rarely spent time with one another anymore. He was so busy with work. He stayed late most nights and didn’t come home until 9pm. This cruise, I hoped, would help bring us closer together. He deserved the chance to relax and enjoy himself and I deserved to spend some time with my husband.

I walked back toward the cabin absentmindedly, checking the signs to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The signs were electric that switched between Earth’s English and the common dialect that most aliens allied with the Galactic Federation spoke/read.

The ship was enormous and it took me twenty minutes to reach our cabin because we were located at the front of the ship and the pool was somewhere in the middle.

I hummed to myself, nodding my head in polite greeting to several aliens that walked in the opposite direction of me. Most of the aliens aboard the ship were humanoid with horns, tails and a few of them even had wings. One attractive male dipped his chin and offered me a sly wink and a small smile. I flushed but my heart fluttered at the attention.

When was the last time Tom looked at me like that? I thought.

I couldn’t remember.

My lips curving downward in a frown, I shifted the strap on my shoulder to ruffle through my tote bag for my room key.

Bingo.

I pressed the card flat against the identification pad and waited for the light to turn green—

—and walked in to find Tom flashing his bare ass at me as he thrust himself in between my best friend’s spread legs.

Her moans for more would haunt my dreams for weeks.

I didn’t know what to think.

I didn’t know how to feel.

I was completely numb.

Bile clogged the back of my throat and acid burned my tongue.

And, then, everything seemed to happen at once.

Betrayal sang in my blood, hot enough to burn.

My lip curled in disgust, my nose wrinkling as though I smelled something foul.

I don’t know how long I stood there, watching the two of them fucking one another, before Natalie’s dark eyes opened and flicked in my direction.

Her eyes widened.

For a moment, she and I stared at one another, our eyes locked together.

“Tom,” she gasped my husband’s name. “Tom you need to—”

He turned his head and nipped at her ear and Natalie moaned uncontrollably.

I should have kept my mouth shut. I should have turned around and walked right out of that room without having uttered a word. Tom was my husband. Natalie was my best friend. Well, I thought sarcastically, she was my best friend. The two people I loved most in the world were screwing each other behind my back and I would be damned if I silently accepted it!

I couldn’t help myself.

“It looks like you’re feeling better, Tom,” I drawled, a sneer curling my lips.

His head jerked in my direction and his eyes widened in surprise but it was too late for him because Natalie gasped and her legs wrapped around his waist as both of them groaned in shared orgasm.

Disgust settled in my stomach.

There was nothing sexy about this.

Tom was cheating on me.

Tom was cheating on me!

Tom was cheating on me with Natalie!

Throttling the screech building in my throat, I spun around and marched for the door. I would not give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me break in front of them. I refused, goddammit!

Before I reached the door, Tom’s fingers curled around my wrist and he stopped me.

“Meagan,” he began. “I can explain.”

I twisted around to face him, my cheeks blazing at both his and Natalie’s nudity. He did not need to explain. In the cold white light of our cabin, it was easy to see why Tom would choose to cheat on me. Natalie was beautiful. Not in a supermodel kind of way but more in an exotic way with a hint of her Middle-Eastern heritage in her jet-black hair that most women would kill for, the delicate set of her mouth and her alluring dark eyes. She was curvy with large breasts that most men drooled after and an hourglass figure that I envied.

I should have known better, damn it.

Hell, I did know better!

I jerked my hand out of his grip.

“You don’t need to explain anything,” I said, my voice eerily calm. I would break down somewhere private where neither of them would see me. “It’s pretty evident what you and Natalie were doing.”

My gazed flicked angrily in her direction. She, at least, had the decency to wrap the sheet – my bedsheets – around herself.

“Meagan, please understand,” she said, looking at Tom, “it was just a one-time thing. It didn’t mean anything!”

I glared at her.

“You know what,” I told her, “I don’t believe you.”

“Meagan,” Tom began reproachfully, “be reasonable.

Fury sliced through my soul. I glared at him.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” I snarled. Both of them blinked at me, stunned, because I rarely swore with such vehemence. “There was no reason for her to meet you at our rooms, Tom, because we agreed to meet at the pool deck.”

Oh.

Oh!

My eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“How long has this been going?” I demanded.

Tom shared a look with Natalie, cementing my fears that this had been going on for much longer than this apparent one-time fling.

“How long?” I hissed.

Natalie met my gaze, her dark eyes shining with tears.

“I’ve been sleeping with Tom since before you were married,” she whispered.

Her words shattered me.

My bottom lip trembled and my eyes burned with the sting of tears. Stubbornly, I jerked my chin up proudly. I refused to let them fall.

He and Natalie had been fucking one another behind my back since before our wedding? Tom and I had been married for three years.

Inhaling through my nose in an attempt to steady the burning in my eyes, I yanked the cabin door open and stormed out.

“Meagan! “Natalie called after me. “I’m sorry!”

This was not how I was hoping my vacation would start.

CHAPTER 3

MEAGAN

“Pour me another.”

The bartender eyed me silently but I raised my eyebrows at him and gently swirled my empty glass at him.

“I think you’ve had enough,” he said kindly.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Sir,” I began, my voice tight, “I just found out that my husband’s been cheating on me with my best friend for years. I’m lightyears from home and lightyears from my sister. Now,” I growled, “pour me a fucking drink!”

The poor bartender’s eyes widened and he hastily poured me a drink. The alcohol burned as it slid down the back of my throat and warmed my belly but it couldn’t ease my broken heart or shattered soul.

My eyes burned and I grit my teeth, refusing to shed a single tear over the two of them. They didn’t deserve my tears.

“Meagan!” Tom called. “There you are.”

I didn’t turn around.

I didn’t acknowledge him even when he stood directly behind me.

Hell, I downright ignored him when he sat down beside me.

“Meagan,” he began, “I know you’re angry with me but we really should talk about this.”

Talk?

He wanted to talk?

Fine.

We could talk.

Right here.

Right now.

In front of a bar full of other humans and a dozen or so aliens that I was unfamiliar with.

“You want to have this discussion here?” I challenged him stiffly.

“I would prefer to talk in our rooms,” he said just as stiffly. He was clearly uncomfortable about airing his dirty little secrets in front of people he didn’t know.

“Oh,” I purred, nursing my drink. I dipped a nail in the golden liquid and licked the droplet that quivered there. “You mean our rooms where you fucked my best friend?”

I watched him out of the corner of my eye. His golden skin flushed red with embarrassment. I had spoken low enough that only the bartender and a few nearby humans could have heard me but it was enough to humiliate Tom.

“God damn it, Meagan,” he snarled, slamming his fist on the bar angrily. “What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do? Beg? Because, I’ll do it, damn it.”

That caught my attention.

I turned to face him.

“You’ll beg?” I asked him, raising my eyebrows at him shrewdly. “Would you really?”

He glared at me, furious that I’d called his bluff.

“Go on, then,” I drawled. “Beg.”

He glared at me.

My lips curving in a sneering smirk, I tilted my head back and swallowed the rest of my drink. I slammed my empty glass on the counter.

“Go fuck yourself, Tom,” I snapped. “Better yet, why don’t you go and fuck Natalie some more?”

Tom reached for me, curling his fingers around my upper arm and jerking me upright from my stool.

“We need to talk about this,” he insisted.

Gritting my teeth, anger and hurt burning in my chest, I stood up. “Fine.

Tom and I stood at opposite ends of our small cabin, he by the door and me by the porthole that overlooked the beautiful pink and teal planet. I glared at him, my eyes narrowed, my arms crossed over my chest.

“Well?” I demanded. “What could you possibly have to say to me?”

“I think you overreacted,” he began, holding up a hand when I flared at that. “You didn’t need to make a huge scene like that. Yes, I cheated on you with Natalie but that’s no excuse—”

“How dare you?” I cried, surging to my feet, my arms dropping to my sides and my hands curling into fists. “How dare you tell me how I should and shouldn’t react. You’re the one that cheated on me; not the other way around! Not only did you cheat on me, Tom, you cheated on me with my best friend!”

He glared at me.

He opened his mouth but I interrupted him.

“No!” I snapped. “No, you don’t get to defend yourself here. You betrayed me. You and Natalie both betrayed me. I’m the one that gets to be upset over this; not you because I found out you were fucking each other behind my back.”

His eyes narrowed but I didn’t give a damn about his feelings at the moment.

“Since you two are so compatible, why don’t you share this suite?” I suggested coldly. “I’ll talk to the cruise line director and see if I can get a different cabin.”

He strode toward me and I settled my hands on my hips. I may not like Tom in this moment but he was – thankfully – not physically abusive toward women.

“Don’t touch me, Tom,” I hissed. “You no longer have that right.”

He stopped and hurt crossed his features. The vulnerability in his eyes melted some of my anger but not all of it; he’d hurt me terribly and what right did he have to feel badly? He only felt bad because I’d caught both of them in the act. I truly believe that he would have continued screwing Natalie behind my back while I remained blissfully ignorant. And that hurt.

“Meagan,” he said, “I—”

“Alert. Please head to your nearest escape pod location.” A female voice spoke calmly over the intercom. “Alert. Please head to your nearest escape pod location.”

What?

Tom and I looked at one another.

“Is this a drill?” he asked.

I shrugged.

We’d had a drill about two days into our cruise and we were all informed where the escape pods were located.

“Maybe we should…?” I suggested.

“Yeah.” He nodded.

I grabbed my purse and we exited our cabin together.

The hall was brightly lit with streamlined cables in the floor to guide us where we needed to go. Tom and I were soon joined by other people exiting their cabins and heading for the deck just above us where the escape pods were located. It got crowded quickly and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous because of it. A crowd could quickly become a mob.

We reached the escape pod bay where several personnel were guiding people into the escape pods. They remained calm and nothing in their alien expressions gave anything away.

“What’s going on?” one elderly woman demanded.

“Please get in the escape pod, ma’am,” one of the personnel said, taking her hand and helping her into the pod.

One helped me inside and the other helped Tom. Once our pod was full, the alien pushed a button that sealed our pod and we were ejected into space.

CHAPTER 4

A’JAX

“Come on, Ari,” I gently encouraged, “you can do this.”

She was a long-necked, silky-maned predator with four legs, a two-pronged tail and a soft, sleek muzzle full of sharp teeth. Her species prowled these lands and roamed the mountains that bordered the valley where my village was. She was alone, which was not unusual for a female about to give birth, but it was abnormal for her mate not to be nearby – they were quite territorial of one another.

Her green-coloured mane, which helped her blend in amongst the dense foliage, flared around her neck with hints of purple and blue. Her eyes stared up at mine, large, intelligent and trusting. I had known her since she was a kit and she trusted me here in her mountain home.

I stroked her muzzle, my bright-coloured skin a contrast against her fur. The tattoos along my wrist and forearm rippled with light, my energy flowing into her to help ease the pain of giving birth to her young.

She hummed low in her throat, the purr familiar to me and reminding me of when she had been little and would sleep curled against my chest.

A sharp crack caught my attention but it wasn’t the kind of ominous sound that disturbed the chaos of the jungle; it was her mate, letting me know that he was nearby and ready to guard her if need be.

I dipped my head and the male did as well. Unlike my Ari, this male had been born wild and did not trust me so easily. His species competed with people for food. Sometimes, in the dry season, when their prey had migrated to the cooler, wetter south, they would sometimes attack our livestock. It upset the farmers and that’s why I was here. My duty as a ranger was to protect both my fellow people and the beasts that called these mountains home.

Ari groaned softly and a contraction tightened the muscles in her belly before a soft keening mewl filled the still air. Rumbling low in her throat, Ari began cleaning her first kit.

My lips curving in a smile, I stroked her muzzle before deciding that both she and her mate were fine and no longer required my assistance.

With a soft groan, placing my hands on my lower, I stood up from my kneeling position. I was getting old and my joints were not as flexible as they once were.

“You are not that old!” I could just imagine my sister teasing me. “You’re still in your prime!”

“Prime, my ass,” I muttered.

Gathering my things, I turned and began the long trek back down the mountain to the valley below where my home was located.

While not a young male, I was nowhere near past my prime, as my sister would say, but not many of the local females were interested in forming a permanent bond with a male of my colouring let alone my chosen profession. Not many of my people understood what my job entailed and that was alright; I was willing to devote myself entirely to this profession. I did not need a female even if I might yearn for one.

I inhaled, breathing in the scents of the forest, the cool air filling my lungs with sweet oxygen.

The night was growing older but there were still hours yet before the sun would rise on a new morning. Tilting my head back, I gazed up at the stars. The sky was bright with stars, our twin moons bright silver and pastel pink. The vastness that surrounded the skies never failed to take my breath away.

And, then, a flash of light streaked across the sky.

A shooting star? Or perhaps a comet?

No, it was moving far too quickly to be a comet and I did not think it was a shooting star.

Curiosity burned in my veins.

My tail whipping behind me, I hastened my steps until I was jogging down the mountainside. It would take me many days to reach the location of the falling object if I traversed on foot; riding would be faster. Thankfully, there were always fresh mounts nearby in case of emergencies. I gathered the reins and mounted, the enormous two-legged, flightless bird balking under my legs. Once he settled, I dug my heels into his side, urging him onward at a full out run.

It took me two days to reach the spot where the unidentified flying object crashed into the side of the mountain.

I pulled on the reins, my mount shifting restlessly beneath me, and stared, open-mouthed, at the crash site.

There was a debris field and the surrounding trees had caught fire but, thankfully, were doused quickly due to the mists that rolled in from the east.

Clucking my tongue, I urged my mount toward the pod in the centre of the debris field.

“P-please.” A soft feminine voice broke the stillness of the forest. My mount chirped and turned in the direction of the voice, pawing the ground nervously. “Help me.”

A human female emerged from the shadow of the dense trees, her arm draped around the waist of a human male. It was clear that he was badly injured from the gash on his forehead and the blood that coated half of his face. The female herself stood on shaking legs and her skin was tinged gray. (Humans were not unheard of on my planet. In fact, the Galactic Federation, whom we were allied with, offered cruises that traveled along this particular trade route and would often dock at our largest metropolis.) From the looks of things, these two had had been forced into an escape pod, which meant that their ship was in serious danger or they were its only remaining survivors. Either way, I could not ignore them.

Dismounting, I dropped my reins to keep my mount from wandering away and approached the human cautiously. I was not afraid of them but humans were new to space travel and they were easily intimidated by other species.

The female swallowed audibly as I approached but met my gaze steadily. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue that I had never seen before. Blue was a rare colour on my planet of pinks, greens and purples. Her hair was the colour of damp earth, dark brown with hints of amber and gold. She was curvy in a way that the females of my planet would envy with decent-sized breasts and wide hips for child-bearing and extra padding for me to hold her securely in my arms every night.

I blinked.

Where had that thought come from?

“It’s all right,” I said, hoping that she had a chip implanted on the underside of her ear and would understand me. “I’m here to help.”

“Oh, thank God,” she breathed out a sigh of relief.

I stopped a few feet in front of her, my tail twitching between my legs, and gazed down at her. After a moment, I hefted the unconscious human male and slung him over my shoulder.

“Can you walk?” I asked her.

“Yes.”

“Good,” I said. “My mount can only carry one of us at a time.”

Her blue eyes darted toward my mount and her mouth fell open in a cute display of shock.

I frowned at her.

“Do you not have kuu’wari birds on your planet?”

“We don’t have anything like this on Earth,” she said, keeping a careful distance from my mount. He turned his head and chirped softly as I set her mate down on his back. Grumbling low in my chest, I inhaled and my brows drew together in confusion as I turned to face her. “Why does your mate reek of another female?”

She blinked at me.

“I-I’m sorry?” she stammered.

I gestured to the unconscious human.

“Why does he smell of another female?” I wanted to know.

“Oh.” Her cheeks turned pink, adding some colour to her pale skin. “He wasn’t loyal to me. He was fooling around with another woman.”

I could not help myself. My lip curled to reveal my fangs.

“Your mate was disloyal to you,” I growled.

She shrugged and did not answer me, turning away to begin the trek down the mountain and to reach my village.

In that moment, I swore that she would be mine.

CHAPTER 5

A’JAX

Her hips swayed back and forth with every step, her smaller stature forcing me to slow my pace in order for her to keep up with me. I walked alongside my mount and we would reach the village in a few days’ time; thankfully, she was not seriously injured save for a few cuts and bruises. Just watching the gentle movement of her hips aroused me. Fire sizzled along my nerve endings and my erection strained against my leather pants. My mouth watered and my fangs itched to pierce her flesh and mark her as mine.

“Tell me what happened, Meagan,” I said, rolling her beautifully exotic name over my tongue.

She glanced over her shoulder at me, her golden brown hair spilling down her back in curls. I wanted to grasp the back of her head, expose her throat and trail biting kisses down her neck. Her blue eyes were dark glittering pools in the darkness of the surrounding forest. Her pale skin blended in with the darkness but she was not invisible; far from it. The moons bathed the ground in dappled silver and pink light. Tiny light bugs sparked here and there. The air hummed with the natural sounds of the forest.

“I don’t know,” she said, her accent unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was foreign, as she was, and she rolled her vowels differently than I did. To be fair, the translator chip implanted at the base of her ear meant that we both heard the other speaking in our native tongue. She glanced over at her former mate, who remained unconscious on the back of my mount. “Tom and I were arguing in our rooms when the alert sounded. It didn’t say anything just that we needed to head for the escape pods.”

I frowned. “I have never heard of a ship belonging to the Galactic Federation experiencing such a thing along the trade routes.”

She turned back toward the trail, her hair shimmering in the dappled moonlight, and pushed a low-hanging branch out of her way.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” she said, hunching her shoulders. “It’s the truth.”

“I do not doubt you,” I said quietly. I looked over at her unconscious former mate and my lips twitched in the beginnings of a sneer. “How was he injured?”

“He banged his head when we crash landed,” she said. “Head wounds on humans tend to bleed a lot. We won’t be able to tell if it’s serious until after a doctor has seen him.”

“Doctor?” I repeated.

“A…” She trailed off, searching for the correct word. “Healer.”

“Yes, of course,” I mumbled.

My mount chirped softly and I hushed him by stroking his neck. I would much rather that Meagan walked beside me but the path was too narrow to accommodate both us and my mount; he was on the larger scale for kuu’wari. With the human male lying awkwardly on his back, I could not ride him nor could she.

Leaves rustled as I pushed through several branches to find Meagan standing just off the path, staring at the light dancing on the surface of a small pond nearby.

“We can stop here for the night,” I said.

Dropping my reins, I searched the saddlebags on either side of my mount and unrolled the tent that would protect us from the weather – at this time of year it could rain the whole night or remain cloudless and clear as it was now.

“We’re stopping?” Meagan asked.

I nodded.

“It’s getting late and the next hours belong to the predators of these forests,” I explained. “They do not take kindly to strangers, even the natives they share their hunting grounds with. It is wiser to stop for the night than to risk continuing.”

She stared at me, frowning, then said, “Okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know you’re worried about your former mate but it is too dangerous to travel. I promise we will continue on at first light.”

“I think you’re nights are longer than ours,” she muttered.

“Perhaps,” I answered.

In a few minutes, I had set up the tent. It was large enough to accommodate several of my people and it would easily be able to provide cover for two much smaller humans. I carried her unconscious former mate into the tent and set him down on a pallet. His was slow and even, not shallow, and it looked like, as she suspected, the blood only caked his head but nowhere else. Once he was settled, I held open the flap for Meagan.

She immediately knelt by his side and ran her hands over his body. There was nothing intimate about the way she did this; she was checking him for further injury.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” I said. “I want to unsaddle my mount.”

I exited the tent and walked over to my mount, talking soothingly to him as I removed his saddle and bridle. As I brushed him with long, easy strokes, a terrifying sound filled the air and chilled my blood: it was the roaring howl of a kuu’den’aii beast.

My mount tossed his head, squawking nervously.

“Hush,” I soothed him, stroking his neck to calm him.

It was much closer than I anticipated but it shouldn’t – hopefully – come near the pathways.

Once my mount was settled, I entered the tent to find that Meagan had lit a small lantern. The inside glowed a pale, warm gold. She was still kneeling beside her former mate, her fingers running through his hair.

“He betrayed your trust and you still show him concern,” I said. “Why do you show him concern?”

She stared at me silently for a moment.

“He may have hurt and betrayed me,” she said quietly, “but it doesn’t mean I want him to die.”

My brows lowered in a frown.

“You are much kinder to him than he deserves,” I muttered.

Her lips twitched and she looked away, snorting.

“Maybe,” she agreed, “but I couldn’t live with his death on my conscience.”

Fair enough, I thought.

I said, “You should try and sleep, Meagan. It will be several hours yet before daybreak.”

“Okay.”

She crawled into the sleeping roll I’d lain for her in between myself and her former mate. My tail twitched. This close, her scent rolled over me like a warm blanket. I wanted to hold her close to me.

And then the kuu’den’aii howled.

It was going to be a very long night.

CHAPTER 6

MEAGAN

The beast howled for hours.

A’jax slept soundly, unconcerned. I tried not to toss and turn, the strange sounds from this strange environment triggering my anxiety. It didn’t help that I was worried about Tom. The bleeding had stopped, thank God, and there was a quite large bump on his head but he didn’t seem to be injured anywhere else. But he slept restlessly, moaning softly, tossing and turning, sweat dampening his brow.

I stroked his forehead and real concern flooded my body at the heat on the back of my hand. He had a fever. It could mean that the injury to his head was much more serious than I thought. I needed to cool him down.

I glanced at A’jax.

He slept soundly so he mustn’t be too worried about the beast’s howling.

Quietly, so as not to disturb either of them, I crawled over to the tent flap and searched for the opening. I slipped outside into the still night air. It tasted sweet and smelled of rain.

The pool shimmered in the gentle moonlight and A’jax’s mount chirped at me quietly, his eyes large and black in the dark of the night. I soothed him as I walked past him.

I knelt by the water’s edge, holding a torn piece of cloth in my hands and dipped it beneath the surface.

A soft, rumbling growl froze every limb in my body.

My body trembling, I lifted my head to stare at a beast that was both beautiful and nightmarish. It was as though someone had crossed a wolf with a leopard and a peacock. It’s body was long like a wolf but stocky with blocky shoulders like a leopard’s, and its muzzle was slender and elegant with point-tipped ears. Its tail fanned out behind it like a nine-tailed fox of legend but plumed like a peacock’s. It stared at me with orange-gold eyes. Water droplets gleamed on its muzzle.

I watched it crouch in a very similar fashion to a big cat, the muscles in its haunches bunching, its hindquarters rippling with muscle, as it prepared to launch itself at me.

“A’jax!” I shrieked.

With a roaring howl that hurt my ears, the beast threw itself at me and I was frozen with fear.

But before it caught me with its powerful forepaws, A’jax was there.

He slashed at the beast with a knife, shielding me with his body as the big animal circled him, searching for a weakness.

A feral snarl rattled A’jax’s throat, his fangs bared and his tail whipping toward the beast whenever it drew too close.

It was a stalemate, the two of them staring at one another for long moments, before the beast curled its lip, spun on its haunches and raced for the tent where Tom was still inside.

Oh my God, I thought numbly. Tom!

And then I screamed his name.

My muscles unfroze and I lurched forward but before I could take more than a few steps, A’jax caught me around the middle.

“We have to save him!” I cried.

He stared down at me with his solemn chartreuse eyes. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said quietly. “The beast has him. It will be too dangerous to go back now.”

We both flinched when Tom started screaming – and this was the bloodcurdling scream of someone dying, of someone knowing they were dying, and they were screaming out at the world because of it.

The beast howled triumphantly.

And the night was silent.

CHAPTER 7

A’JAX

Meagan struggled in my arms, desperate to reach her former mate, to attempt to save him, but, if I could not defeat a kuu’den’aii without the aid of my forest squad, she stood little chance. These predators ruled these mountains and while I was on friendly terms with Ari and her mate, we were many leagues from their territory.

“Stop, Meagan,” I growled, my mouth close to her ear. “There is nothing that you can do.”

She twisted in my arms, her blue eyes sparking with anger and despair, and she smacked my chest. “Let go of me!” she shrieked.

“No,” I told her sternly. “Kuu’den’aii are dangerous. This is a lone male. It most likely scented your injured former mate and has come hunting.”

“But Tom…”

“He is lost,” I said solemnly.

Her legs buckled beneath and she sank to her knees, heart-wrenching sobs erupting from her chest. I knelt beside her, pulling her close to my chest. Her sweet scent filled my nose.

“He cheated on me,” she croaked, “but he didn’t deserve to die. Not like that.”

I pressed my lips together. Now was not the time to tell her that a worse fate might await him. It was rare but sometimes a villager or child would disappear into the mountains not to be seen for many moons and would return changed. Often, they returned seeking a mate and then they, too, would disappear never to be seen again.

I ran my fingers through her hair, attempting to soothe her.

“Not many deserve such a fate,” I agreed and she misinterpreted my meaning.

“To be eaten by some wild animal?” She shook her head, her cheeks shimmering with silver tears. “No one deserves that.”

Tilting my head, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and stood up, lifting her easily into my arms.

“What are you—?” She began.

“We need to leave,” I said. “While the beast is busy with your former mate, we should take advantage of this opportunity and leave.”

“I can walk…”

“Of course you can,” I agreed, holding her close to my chest as I strode toward my mount. There was no point in waiting; the beast would remain with Meagan’s former mate for moons to come. “But speed is of the essence, Meagan, and my mount is faster than both of us.”

“Okay.”

Setting her on my mount’s broad back, I hopped up behind her, using my legs to urge the bird into a quick trot; they were far too heavy to fly. Squawking, my mount darted forward, obeying the commands of my legs to avoid the tent where the beast devoured Meagan’s former mate and returned to the main path.

“He’s-super-bumpy,” Meagan said between each footfall of my mount.

I couldn’t help myself. I laughed.

“Yes,” I said, “their stride takes time to adjust to.”

She eyed me from beneath her lashes and I wrapped an arm protectively around her waist. My mount was more experienced but he was still a beast and there was always the possibility of him spooking. I did not want Meagan to be further injured than the bruises she already had.

As we continued down the trail, Meagan turned to look around me and back toward the tent where the beast remained.

I pressed my lips tight.

She could not know the truth.

She could never learn the truth.

If, in several moons’ time, he showed up at the village to claim her, I would kill him before she ever learned of his survival.

Meagan was mine.

CHAPTER 8

MEAGAN

Several weeks later.

A’jax’s planet was beautiful.

To be fair, this was my very first experience visiting an alien planet so I was a bit biased.

The colours were vibrant pinks, luxurious teals and deep purples that were rarely seen in the natural world on Earth. They had pristine beaches with pale pink waters that deepened to lavender and then royal purple; the granules of sand were a warm, dusky rose. The air smelled sweet, similar to lavender and the spiciness of cinnamon. Everywhere I looked, plants were growing, flowers were in bloom and leaves swayed on the branches of the trees. It was a world straight out of a fairy tale.

After we arrived at the village two days after the escape pod crash landed and Tom was devoured by that monstrous hell beast, A’jax’s mother explained that he was a ranger and it was his job to patrol the forest and mountains that surrounded the village. She was friendly and sweet and reminded me of my own mother, who I missed very much. She was tall, and some men would even call her husky, but, after observing the village, I learned that she was a very attractive female with her blue skin, sapphire hair and chartreuse eyes that her son had inherited from her. There were swirling tattoos up the length of her wrists and forearms, the symbols unique to the male’s ancestry.

A’jax had a sister and both of them were very similar in appearance save for the female’s breasts and slightly softer features. Neither alien fit the human standard for beautiful but I found them interesting to look at and it helped that the differences between us weren’t overly exaggerated. The males had sharp fangs and tails while the females only had tails. And their eyes were fascinating shades. A’jax’s family were chartreuse but I had seen brown and green like my fellow humans, but also pink, red and even orange.

I spent most of my time with A’jax’s mother and sister, looking after the kuu’wari – the birds they used as mounts. They kind of reminded me of giant peacocks with their enormous tail feathers streaming behind them in a variety of colours; even the females were bright and colourful instead of muted as was the case for many birds on Earth. They squawked and chirped and clicked their beaks at me. A’jax and his family bred them and sold their birds all over the continent so I learned that these specific birds were unique in colour and pedigree. I snorted to myself. Breeding birds like we did horses on Earth shouldn’t have surprised me but it did. In fact, I was quiet surprised at how very similar our cultures were.

Me’ltaa, A’jax’s sister, leaned against the fence as she watched me brush one of their younger birds. It hadn’t been broke to saddle yet but was quiet while I cleaned its feathers until they shone.

“Have you heard anything from the Galactic Federation?” I asked.

Me’ltaa crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

I frowned.

“You’d expect the damned government to move faster,” I muttered under my breath.

“Are you in such a hurry to return to Earth?” she asked me curiously.

I shrugged.

“If there’s news of the crash circulating, then, yeah, my Mom’ll worry about me,” I said.

Me’ltaa tilted her head.

“That would be a good reason to return to Earth,” she said. “But what about A’jax?”

I lifted my brows at her questioningly.

“Don’t you like him?” she asked.

My lips curled in a smile.

“I do,” I said. “Very much.”

“Then do not worry so much about returning to Earth. Stay here with us.”

I turned to stare at her, wondering if she was serious.

“Stay,” she urged. “It’ll be nice to see A’jax with someone who cares about him.”

“I’ll think about it.”

CHAPTER 9

A’JAX

“Where are you taking me?”

I held Meagan’s hand, leading her up the steep path toward a small outcropping that overlooked a beautiful waterfall.

“You’ll see,” I said, pulling her forward.

Once at the edge, I pulled her in front of me and dropped my hands to her hips.

“Oh,” she breathed. “Wow.”

I smiled, pleased. “I thought you’d like it.”

She turned in my arms, her blue eyes shining with happiness.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“Not as beautiful as you.”

She ducked her head, blushing.

I tilted her chin up with a single finger, looking deeply into her beautiful blue eyes, the likes of which was not seen on my planet. I wanted to stare into her eyes all day long.

Leaning forward, I tenderly pressed my lips to hers in a gentle kiss that she could easily pull away from, if she so desired. She moaned low in her throat and lifted her arms, wrapping them around my neck, pushing her body into mine, and deepening the kiss. Her mouth was soft and pliant and she parted for me when I licked the seam of her lips.

“Stay with me,” I rumbled, low.

Pleasure streaked down the back of my spine to the very tip of my tail and my cock hardened. She was so different from my own people, with her pale skin, golden hair and blue eyes. She also did not have any fangs or claws to defend herself with.

I did not mind. I would protect her from any and all danger.

She laughed.

“Where else am I going to go?” she asked me, her forehead against mine.

She then pulled my bottom lip between her teeth and bit down. I groaned.

“Meagan,” I warned her.

She laughed again.

“I will take you here and now, if you push me,” I promised.

She grinned.

“Go for it.”

I stared down at her, searching her face for any hint of a lie.

“I will not let you go once we do this,” I warned her. “I am not like your former mate, to be disloyal and abandon you.”

She smiled. “I know.”

The next time her mouth met mine, it was a lot less sweet and far more passionate.

I growled low in my chest, my hands jerking her top over her head to expose her pert breasts. I stared at the soft, lacy material that cupped them. I lifted my eyes to hers.

“It’s a bra,” she explained. “It helps lift them up.”

“You will never wear one again,” I growled, tearing through the fine straps to bare her before me.

Before she could protest, I knelt in front of her and pulled one nipple in between my lips, sucking hard. Her hands gripped my head, fingers tugging at the strands of my hair. A long, low moan vibrated in her throat and that sound shot straight to my straining member. Switching to the other one, I pinched the breast I finished with, rolling her nipple in between my thumb and forefinger.

Her legs wobbled and she sank to her knees. With a low growl, I pushed her back to lie in the grass. She smiled, her eyes squinting against the sunlight. I trailed biting kisses down her midriff until I reached the skirt that covered her thighs. With slow, deliberate movements, I pulled the garment down to expose her feminine slit. She shivered at the cool air caressing her naked skin.

I nipped at her navel.

“So beautiful,” I growled. “I can’t wait to make you mine.”

She peered up at me from beneath her lashes.

“Then what are you waiting for?” she teased me.

Grinning at her, my fangs bared, I quickly rid myself of my clothing. I gripped my cock as I crouched over her. She spread her legs invitingly and, with a low grunt, I thrust inside of her.

Nirvana.

I had never before experienced such exquisite, intense pleasure. Those hidden inner muscles clamped down tightly around my length, squeezing me, her body a welcome sheathe for me. She was warm and wet and welcoming of me. Her legs wrapped around my waist, her heels pressing into my thighs. I rolled my hips forward instinctively and the muscles around my length fluttered.

I inhaled sharply, the sensation brand new and foreign to me, and angled my hips to adjust my length inside her. Her beautiful blue eyes fluttered, a soft moan escaping her parted lips.

So beautiful, I thought. This strange, exotic creature that fell from the sky was beautiful and alien and all mine.

I claimed her mouth with mine, kissing her passionately, our tongues dancing together, our bodies learning the rhythm of each other, our hips rolling in gentle thrusts. I lowered my hand between our joined bodies, searching the delicate nub that brushed against my pelvis with every thrust of my hips.

She trembled when my thumb brushed over it and broke our kiss to breathe, “Yes, do that again.”

I did.

She panted, her breath warm on my face, and then her fingers twined with mine as she showed me how to touch her there. Small circular motions that teased the small nubbin and then how to pinch it with the right amount of pressure. All the while, she rode my hard cock, her body grower ever wetter around me until, finally, she came with a keening wail.

My eyes rolled from the intense pressure of her body rippling over my cock. It triggered my own orgasm, and I came with a powerful snarl, thrusting my hips forcefully into her, and I sank my fangs into her neck.

Mine.

She was mine.

Finally.

CHAPTER 10

MEAGAN

“Do you miss it?”

A’jax trailed his fingers down my naked belly, goosebumps in their wake, and dipped his middle finger between the apex of my thighs. He and I were lying together on a soft blanket, under the trees, watching the sun sent behind the waterfall. His heavy and hard cock was still inside me, filling me, and I glanced over my shoulder at him. His fangs glinted white against his dark pink complexion when he smiled at me. He circled my clit and then flicked the tip with his nail. I inhaled sharply, shuddering from the pleasure pooling low in my belly.

“Do I miss what?” I gasped.

He lowered his lips to my shoulder and trailed biting kisses up my throat to lay a gentle kiss behind my ear.

“Earth,” he said. “Your home.”

My lashes fluttered when his tongue slipped between his lips to lick a hot strip down my neck before sucking hard on my skin.

“Of course,” I said. My hips rolled forward in an instinctive thrust, the pleasure spreading my clit outward, pulsing between my legs. I squeezed his hard cock.

He groaned softly in my ear.

“I do miss Earth,” I said solemnly, “but if I hadn’t gotten on that cruise with Tom, I never would have met you.”

His finger trailed below my swollen clit and he gently massaged where his cock entered my body. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, the pleasure rising to a burn that would quickly become irresistible. My breasts were swollen and, strangely, my hard nipples ached. My breasts weren’t overly sensitive and I’d never derived pleasure from having them sucked on or pinched but everything that A’jax did aroused me. I clenched around his cock.

“And am I worth it?”

I twisted around to look at him and he rolled his hips forward in a powerful thrust that made me gasp and my eyes roll.

“Y-yes!” I gasped.

He huffed with amusement and gentled, the teasing burn igniting me further.

“You can’t just—”

“You are mine,” he rumbled, a hint of possession in his deep voice. “I can tease you until you’re begging me for release, Meagan, and I will do just that.”

My fingers curled around his upper arm, my nails biting into the muscle, and he growled in my ear. He then jerked his hips in another thrust that left me crying out at the unexpected rush of pleasure from my orgasm.

“Yes,” he growled in my ear. “Squeeze me. Milk me. Take all of me!”

My eyes rolled, the pleasure tingling throughout my entire body, his words only adding to my orgasm. Tom had never spoken that way to me. Had never touched me the way that A’jax did. Had never cared about my own needs.

When my body calmed, A’jax kissed my neck and slowly pulled himself free of me. We both groaned. Then, a moment later, he picked me up in his arms and carried me to the base of the waterfall where there was a small pool of crystal-clear water.

He set me down waist deep in the water. It was cool but not cold and nice after the harsh heat of the afternoon. He cupped water in his palms and then gently splashed it over my head. I stepped closer to him, reaching for his warm chest, and did the same, dipping my hands in the cool water and bathing him.

It was extremely intimate and I couldn’t help the flush that coloured my cheeks. A’jax was an attractive male. His dark pink complexion blended in with his surroundings and his eyes were an interesting chartreuse colour. So far, I hadn’t seen much in the way of blue. His tail was relaxed, flicking lazily from side to side, sending ripples dancing across the surface of the small pool.

“When we return home,” A’jax said, running his fingers through my wet hair, “I have something to show you. A small welcoming gift from my family.”

I glanced over at him, my eyes narrowing.

“You didn’t need to get me anything.”

“I know,” he said, his voice low, his fingers now braiding my hair, “but it is tradition for the male’s family to welcome his mate with a gift.”

“Is it a kuu’wari bird?” I demanded.

He laughed.

“Wait and see.”

When we returned home later that the night, the sky a deep violet, the planet’s moon heavy and silver, A’jax guided me to the round pen where his sister, mother and father waited. Between them was a young female kuu’wari. She was beautiful and the absolute pride of A’jax’s family’s breeding stock. Her neck was long and elegant. Her plumage was dark yellow with bright orange and pink stripes that would lighten to burnished gold, amber and rose as she matured. Her eyes were large and brown and intelligent.

“Come here, Meagan,” Me’ltaa said.

“What?” I gasped delightedly. “She’s mine?”

“It is tradition,” A’jax said from behind me. “She is yours.”

Smiling, I walked over to my sister-in-law and accepted the reins she handed me.

Me’ltaa smiled, her teeth white against her pink skin. “It’s tradition for the male’s family to provide a gift to the female we are welcoming into our home.”

I stroked the young kuu’wari bird’s neck; she chirped softly.

“Thank you, Me’ltaa!” I said, meaning it. “She’s beautiful!”

Her smile widened into a grin.

“Welcome to the family Meagan!”

CHAPTER 11

TOM

Meagan’s shrill screams echoed in the back of his head.

He remembered the two of them entering the escape pod. He remembered the violent shaking, the shrill shriek of metal, the rush of flames and ensuing heat. He remembered Meagan in his arms, the two of them holding on to each other for dear life. He had prayed, then, and he never prayed. He had made a mistake with Natalie; he saw that now. Hell, he’d known it from the very beginning. Meagan hadn’t deserved his this from him. But he’d enjoyed it, he admitted to himself. The thrill. The adventure. The danger of being caught and never being caught.

The escape pod crashed through the trees, the dense forest shredding what remained of their escape pod. He slammed his head into something. He experienced a brief flare of pain and then nothing.

He awoke, shivering, chilled to the bone, and that made absolutely no sense because his skin was hot and feverish. Rolling onto his side, he vomited, the bitter taste of acid clinging to the back of his throat. He wiped his mouth and staggered to his feet, shuffling forward.

God damn it.

Everything hurt.

The bright sunshine blinded him.

His bones ached with the simple movement of dragging his feet forward. His muscles felt stiff, as if he had run a marathon in a short amount of time. Even his teeth hurt.

He stumbled over a loose tree root and fell onto his hands and knees. He closed his eyes, the bones in his hips and shoulders shifting in their sockets and he couldn’t deny that this was much more comfortable than being on two legs.

He crawled forward on his hands and knees, his fingers ruffling through the leaves that littered the forest floor in a carpet.

Water gurgled in a stream not too far from him.

His throat burned, his mouth dry, the fever burning hotly in his system.

With every inch he gained, his body hurt more and more until he gasped for breath, his hand clutching at his chest.

Meagan, he thought desperately, imagining his wife’s beautiful face in his mind’s eye. Meagan, where are you? Meagan, why aren’t you here to take care of me?

His strength waned and he fell to the ground with a soft groan, a puff of air escaping his parted lips.

He did not know how long he stayed there, breathing shallowly, his every movement sending agony through his system.

After a while, a soft growl rumbled in his ear and a warm, wet tongue licked his cheek.

Opening bleary eyes, he blinked in surprise at the face that crowded next to his.

He recoiled, jerking back, only to groan in agony.

The beast hummed low in its throat before licking his cheek tenderly again. The gentleness of its actions floored him, and, in his fevered state, he turned into the comforting gesture. A few moments later, the beast curled around him protectively and he sank into blissful sleep.

He did not know how long he slept.

Time faded.

He lost track of time, even as the sun warmed him and the night cooled him.

The beast remained with him for quite some time, licking him, nuzzling him, rumbling, and purring affectionately. The beast’s presence soothed him.

He thought of Meagan constantly, his memories of their time together before that and their journey on the escape pod growing hazy. He remembered the sound of her voice, remembering how soothing he found her touch, and the low rumble of another man’s voice. Jealousy burned in his veins and his lips curled back instinctively.

Meagan was his.

The beast rumbled inquisitively at him and his eyes snapped open.

The pain had finally faded, along with the fever that clouded his mind.

He rose to all fours and responded with a low growl of his own. His tail plumed behind him and his breath steamed from his nostrils.

He tilted his head back to gaze up at the moon.

He had fallen from the stars in a blast of fire and ash and had been reborn in a lush, green jungle.

He would find Meagan.

And he would make her his once more.

CHAPTER 12

MEAGAN

It was a warm summer day, the sun high in the sky, and, even with a hat to shield my eyes, sweat dribbled down the back of my neck. My muscles ached, and I was beyond tired, but I hadn’t felt this good in years. What I was doing, working with Me’ltaa and the kuu’wari birds was honest work; much more honest than what Tom or I had done before our escape pod crash landed here. And I realized that I was happy here.

The guilt of what happened to Tom still weighed on my mind. Yes, he had been cheating on me, and I was angry about that, but no one deserved to die the way he had. The beast’s howls still haunted my nightmares, and I woke up shivering, only to relax when A’jax wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close to his chest. He was warm and alive, and he was mine.

Today, he was away on patrol. I had asked to come but, after a bout of stomach flu for the past several days, he wanted me to stay home.

I sat on a haybale and yanked my hat off my head, using it to fan warm air in front of my face. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back, focusing on my even breathing. The heat was going to kill me, I swear.

Me’ltaa sat down beside me, offering me a canteen. I drank the cold water gratefully.

“Maybe you should go inside and rest,” she suggested. “You’re awfully pale and you were sick again this morning.”

I shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

She frowned at me.

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want to leave you stranded while A’jax is away on patrol,” I said.

She laughed.

“Meagan, we survived for years without you here to help us. We can handle one day. Go back to bed and rest.”

Climbing to my feet, I rolled my eyes but headed in the direction of the house. Exiting the barn, I turned around to look over the forested mountains—

—only to freeze at the sight of the beast that had killed and devoured Tom the night we crash landed here.

It gazed at me with cold orange-gold eyes, its ears pricked forward, and its tail fan extended behind it.

My skin prickled warningly.

It prowled forward on silent paws and slowly circled me. I bit my lip to stifle my whimper. The beast rubbed against the back of legs before standing in front of me again. Its eyes were narrowed, and I swore that I saw a spark of intelligence shimmering there. It watched me with the same intensity that I watched it.

A howl sounded in the distance.

With a low growl, the beast turned and darted for the safety of the trees. I watched it go silently.

Why has the beast come here? I wondered. It had been months since Tom’s death. That creature had haunted my nightmares for ages and … and I’d just faced it again.

But…something about today’s encounter had been different from the first time I’d seen it.

And I couldn’t explain it.

“Meagan?”

I blinked, startled, turning to face Ma’ltaa as she emerged from the barn.

“Did you see it?” I asked her.

“See what?” she said.

“The…” I trailed off, staring into the trees where the beast had disappeared.

“Never mind,” I murmured. “I thought I saw something. I guess I didn’t.”

Me’ltaa frowned at me.

“I think you need to go inside and rest, Meagan.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

CHAPTER 13

A’JAX

I returned home three days later.

My mate was sound asleep in our bedroom, her covers thrown off as she suffered from the heat, her body damp with sweat, her skin hot to my touch. Crooning softly, I wiped a damn cloth over her body before resting it on her forehead.

She blinked up at me blearily.

“A’jax?” she mumbled.

I bent and kissed her forehead, pushing a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.

“I’m home, love,” I murmured. “Now go back to sleep.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bed beside her, snuggling against my chest despite the heat affecting her. I wrapped my arms around her, placing a tender kiss to her cheek.

“I will take you to the healer’s later today,” I rumbled in her ear.

She hummed softly before falling back to sleep.

The healer was a kind old man that had treated Meagan when I first brought her here several months ago after her escape pod crash landed. His eyes were dull with age and there were age spots on his bald head. His beard was long and white and braided and looped around his neck. He wore the traditional robes of a man of his stature and a respected member of our community.

He hummed to himself as he examined Meagan, his hands running deftly over her body, and he asked her several questions that I never would have thought of.

“And how long have you been experiencing these bouts of sickness?” the healer asked her.

Her brows dropped thoughtfully. “A few weeks? Longer?”

“And is it always at the same time or at different periods of the day?”

“It’s different every day,” she said.

“Hmm.”

The old man turned and hobbled over to a shelf on the other side of the room, where he gathered a bottle of lotion and some herbal tea.

“Drink this in the morning and an hour before you go to bed. The tea should help to settle your upset stomach,” he explained. “I want you to rub this lotion on your belly three times a day.”

“What for?” I growled.

He smiled toothily at me.

“There’s nothing wrong with her, A’jax,” he said. “Your mate is pregnant; that’s all.”

Meagan swung her head to look at me, her beautiful blue eyes wide.

I stared at the healer.

“Come again?”

He chuckled.

“You goin’ deaf, lad?” he teased. “I said, your mate is pregnant. You’re going to be a papa.”

I blinked.

My mate was pregnant.

My mate was pregnant.

We were going to have a baby.

I was going to be a father!

I threw my head back and roared in triumph, lifting my mate into my arms to place a deep kiss to her sweet mouth. She laughed, her warm breath tickling my face.

The old healer smiled and then waved his hand dismissively at us.

“Go on, you two,” he encouraged. “Get out of my house until next month.”

We both laughed, taking our leave.

CHAPTER 14

MEAGAN

I sat outside on a lounge chair, watching A’jax work with my kuu’wari bird, clucking softly to her as one would a horse.

My mouth watered.

He was an attractive man. His skin was dark pink and his body was lean and toned, muscles bulging in his arms and calves from a hard life of farming and living in the wilds. His jet-black hair was pulled back into a loose tail at the nape of his neck and his chartreuse eyes gleamed in the early afternoon sunlight. He smiled at me, his teeth flashing white against his brilliant rose complexion. His tail was long and flicked between his legs, relaxed.

I settled my hand on my tummy, sipping from my iced water, enjoying the refreshing coolness on my tongue and pausing to chew an ice cube.

It had been months since I crash landed here and I had grown comfortable here but my thoughts now turned to my mother. She must be out of her mind with worry. I winced, guilt churning in my gut. I should have tried harder to contact her. That would mean venturing into the city and that was a long journey, especially by mount. Still, I loved my mom and didn’t want her to think that I was dead or had forgotten her. There was still no word from the Galactic Federation about what caused the ship to explode.

A’jax turned his back to me when the bird turned toward him, lowering her head to peer up at him with both eyes. Her large wings shuffled nervously before settling down and she fanned out her enormous tail before she pawed the ground. A soft chirp escaped her beak.

“Good girl,” A’jax rumbled and pleasure tingled along my nerve endings.

What he did was honest work and I loved him for it. I loved everything about this place – including the dangerous wildlife.

I hadn’t told him about the beast’s reappearance. I knew he would worry and I didn’t want that. I hadn’t seen the creature again and figured it had vanished, returning to its jungle home. The nights were quiet and there were no strange howls. It was peaceful. But, for some stupid reason I couldn’t contemplate, I kept thinking about that beast. It hadn’t attacked me, which was weird because it hadn’t hesitated in killing Tom.

The beasts here were intelligent, like chimpanzees and orangutans, and knew how to avoid us. Sometimes a farmer’s stock would vanish but it was only one or two, not enough to damage them financially but enough that it still hurt. Luckily, our farm had not been targeted. I liked to think it was because of A’jax. He had a good relationship with the beasts here and I believed that they recognized him; maybe even liked him.

Humming to myself, I lifted my eyes to find A’jax staring at me.

He offered me a predatory smile and my body ignited. I loved when he smiled at me. It was warm and full of love, unlike the coldness of Tom’s. I winced again. Tom was dead and I felt bad about it – but not bad enough to keep from moving on with my life. I couldn’t do anything for him now and…and I wanted to be happy, too. Hell, I deserved to be happy after knowing that he’d been cheating on me for years!

I didn’t know what had happened to Natalie and, frankly, I didn’t care. She’d betrayed me. She had been my best friend and she’d cheated with my husband, keeping it secret and smiling to my face while fucking him behind my back. Oh yeah, I was still angry about that.

“Don’t think I’ve seen that look on your face before,” Me’ltaa said, sitting down next to me. She wore a beautiful sun dress that complimented her complexion. Her dark hair flowed loosely around her shoulders.

“Just…thinking,” I said.

“About what?”

I raised my eyebrows at her and she stared right back at me, lifting her glass to take a long sip.

“My best friend Natalie.”

“You miss her?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said. I sucked on another ice cube. I liked the crunch and sudden coldness on my teeth. “She was fucking Tom behind my back. I never knew.”

“Ah.” Me’ltaa dragged the sound out, like she was thinking over what I had just said. “Wherever she is, she deserves it.”

“I mean…” I hesitated. “Tom was a dick but did he deserve to be eaten?”

Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows at me.

“Eaten?”

“Yeah,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “One of those ku’den’aii beasts attacked us the night we crash landed.”

Me’ltaa slammed her glass down, rose to her feet and strode over to A’jax, shouting her brother’s name.

Weird, I thought, frowning.

CHAPTER 15

A’JAX

“A’jax!” Me’ltaa shouted my name.

My mate’s mount chirped and fluffed up her feathers agitatedly. She only settled when I stroked her beak, speaking soothingly to her.

“Sister,” I snapped. “You know better than to shout when I’m working in the round pen!”

She entered the round pen, her eyes flashing and her teeth bared at me. Oh, she was beyond pissed at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She leaned close to me and hissed, “You didn’t tell Meagan about the ku’den’aii?”

I stiffened.

My sister stared at me with narrowed eyes.

“Is it true?” she demanded.

“What?”

“That Tom was attacked by a ku’den’aii?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell Meagan, why?”

I walked over to Meagan’s mount and removed first the bridle then the saddle, clicking my tongue to encourage her to wander at her leisure. The bird clicked her beak at me and then pawed the dirt in the round pen before lowering herself to roll. Me’ltaa remained silent for a moment.

“I didn’t think it would be a problem,” I said.

My sister frowned.

“You didn’t think to tell her that her husband isn’t dead and is instead a beast that will want to hunt her down?”

I spun and bared my teeth at my sister.

“You speak out of turn!” I snarled.

She glared at me.

“You know it’s the truth,” she snapped right back at me. “Tom isn’t Tom anymore but he’ll remember Meagan. He’ll want her. He may already be hunting her.”

The blood drained from my face.

“What makes you so certain?”

“I heard them howling the other day,” she said and continued hastily before I could interrupt, “they weren’t close. But they were close enough that I could hear them.”

I frowned.

These beasts were intelligent because they had once been people. Once changed, they didn’t lose their intelligence; they lost themselves to instinct. They were animals, in every sense of the word, but just as smart as we were, and that made them dangerous. They were silent beasts. If they were howling, they were doing it for a reason. I believed it was a scare tactic, like the way the howl had frightened Meagan the night that I met her.

“You need to tell her the truth, A’jax,” she said. “Tell Meagan before the beasts corner her and bring her back to their den.”

“They wouldn’t—”

“They will because they have!” Me’ltaa snarled. “You know this, A’jax. Stop being delusional. Tell Meagan the truth so Tom can’t lure her away.”

“Meagan is not Tom’s mate,” I snapped. “He’ll search for the female he was betraying Meagan with; not her.”

“Do you really believe that?” she asked me quietly.

I looked away, watching my mate’s mount continue to roll in the sand, dirtying her golden feathers.

“No,” I murmured. “I don’t.”

But I couldn’t tell Meagan. I couldn’t.

She would go after Tom and try and save him.

If he bit her, if he changed her, too, then I would have to kill both of them.

The ku’den’aii were not natural and I would be damned if I’d ever let my mate become one.

CHAPTER 16

TOM

He had found her.

He had found Meagan.

She was different than he remembered her.

Her skin was golden from the sun and her hair shone whiskey amber in the sunlight. Her cheeks were flushed. Her blue eyes were bright and happy and her pink lips curved in a smile. She worked in a round pen with one of the birds the locals use around here for mounts.

He shook his head, his nostrils flaring, careful to remain downwind of the bird.

From this position, on the other side of the property, hidden away, resting on an overhanging tree branch, he watched her.

A man he did not recognize entered the round pen. He was native to this planet. Tom could tell because of his pink complexion, his tail and the fangs in his mouth.

A growl rumbled low in Tom’s chest. He did not like the way that the other man touched Meagan, as though she were his and not Tom’s.

Meagan turned and her profile stole the breath from Tom’s lungs. Meagan had always been curvy by human standards but her belly was rounded with pregnancy now.

Tom’s claws extended, raking through the tough bark on the branch he laid upon. His lips curled back to bare his fangs. Anger and jealousy burned in his veins. His tail whipped behind him.

How dare he? He thought. She is mine!

Tom huffed a breath, his nostrils flaring, watched Meagan for the remainder of the afternoon. He only dropped to the ground when the sun sank beyond the horizon and cast the little homestead into the darkness of night.

His paws were silent as he prowled toward the barn where they housed their precious breeding stock.

Meagan would be his again.

He paused, sinking back on his haunches, and stared at the locked door.

He could break it down but that would draw too much attention. He only wanted Meagan. Subtlety would be the key here. He needed to spook her mount to bring her out to the barn but not the man she was with.

Licking his lips, Tom used a trick that the one who found him had taught him.

It was risky.

Changing like this.

It required a ridiculous amount of energy but it was worth it for Meagan.

Heat sizzled along his nerve endings and his body burned as he shifted from a beast to a man in the span of a few minutes.

Panting, Tom remained crouched on the ground, catching his breath.

After a few moments, he stood up on two legs once more, and opened the barn door.

CHAPTER 17

MEAGAN

Golden Dawn, my kuu’wari bird, squawked loudly in the night.

A’jax grunted, his eyes opening partially in the darkness.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. “I’ll go.”

His arms tightened around my waist, his hands cupping the swell of my tummy, and he kissed my neck.

“You sure?” he asked, drowsily.

“Yeah,” I said.

He hummed and released me, pulling the blankets snug around himself once I stood up. I groaned, placing my hands on my lower back, and stretched. I was as curvy girl but being pregnant was a different form of weight altogether. This baby was wreaking havoc on my insides. I needed to pee almost every five minutes. I was having a hard time sleeping or generally being comfortable.

Slipping into a pair of comfortable shoes, I stifled a yawn and walked out to the barn where we housed our birds. It didn’t sound like Golden Dawn was panicked, just annoyed.

“I’m coming, Dawn,” I said, stifling yet another yawn.

I fumbled with the door on the lock for a moment or two before pushing it inward.

Unlike my mate, who could see in the darkness, I could not.

I reached for the light switch and light blazed, filling the barn with gentle light. I blinked the sleep from my eyes.

Golden Dawn stood in the middle of the aisle, her large eyes staring at me, her feathers ruffled. She chirped at me and sniffed me, searching for grain. Turning, I grabbed a handful of seed and filled her dish. After opening her stall, and letting her back in, I grabbed a grooming kit and brushed her feathers. She preened under my attention.

I found myself relaxing, breathing in the familiar scent of the barn and my bird. She kind of smelled reminded me of a horse but not quite. The grain/seeds we fed the birds was a sweet mixture that filled the air. It was actually edible for us, too, because it was mostly nuts and berries mixed with a sweet substance similar to honey.

Golden Dawn trilled softly, happily, as she crunched happily on the seeds in her bucket. Soon, her feathers gleamed pale gold after I finished my last stroke.

“Hello Meagan.”

I turned around, the brush dropping my hand to clatter loudly on the floor, and stared, open-mouthed at the man that stood on the other side of the stall door.

“T-tom,” I stuttered. “You’re dead!”

“I am far from dead.”

He was as attractive as ever but there was something different about, something that caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. It was the way he looked at me with an intensity that I had never seen before. It was the way that he carried himself. It was almost … predatory.

Dawn chirped behind me, nipped my fingers, and then went right back to eating her seeds.

“But…” I bit my lip, unconsciously backing away from the stall door. “How?”

He opened the door with one graceful swing and took a single step forward. That step sent chills racing down the back of my spine. His eyes were dark and intense, and I noticed that his pupils were shaped like a cat’s, not round like a human’s. I started to breathe a little faster. My hand went instinctively to my rounded tummy.

“I never died,” Tom said calmly. Too calmly. He stood in the entrance of Dawn’s stall, preventing me from escaping.

“But—” I tried again.

He chuckled and the sound was deep and masculine and entirely not human.

“I have …” He frowned, tilting his head to the side in a very cat-like way. “I am reborn.”

I stared at him.

“Okay,” I said slowly, soothingly. “Okay, honey.” I held out my hands at my sides and inched forward. “It’s going to be alright.”

He watched me, his pupils contracting, the intensity of his stare unnerving me.

“Yes,” he purred. “It’s going to be alright.”

Chills raced down the back of my spine.

He closed the distance between the two of us and before I could stop, his wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed his lips to mine in a dominating kiss. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back. He growled, nipping my bottom lip.

“Tom!” I gasped. “Stop! Please!”

He drew back just enough to gaze into my eyes, his lips curled to reveal the fangs at the sides of his mouth.

“His scent covers you,” he growled. He rubbed his cheek against mine. “I can’t stand it.”

I stepped back, trying to put some space between the two of us, and he followed.

“You will come with me, Meagan,” he growled. “We can be together again. We can be happy.”

“I—”

“Get away from her, beast!” A’jax snarled.

Tom spun, giving me his back, to face A’jax.

“You!” Tom rasped.

CHAPTER 18

A’JAX

Me’ltaa was right, curse her.

She had warned me that Tom would hunt Meagan and, like a fool, I had ignored her.

My tail whipped angrily between my legs and I curled my lip to bare my fangs at the ku’den’aii beast. He stood between me and Meagan. He considered me the threat, which meant that he had no intention of attacking Meagan.

I stepped forward.

“She’s not yours any longer, Tom,” I said calmly.

The beast bared his teeth at me.

“No!” he snarled. “She’s mine.”

“No, Tom,” Meagan said, her voice soft.

He spun to face her and I growled.

“No?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not yours. Not anymore.”

Tom stood between the two of us, his gaze shifting between myself and Meagan.

She looked tired. Her pregnancy hadn’t been as difficult as others but it had not been easy; the baby growing in her womb made it difficult for her to sleep comfortably at night. She was sensitive to temperature and the heat was unbearable for her.

“You are mine!”

Meagan sighed. “No, Tom.”

She stepped forward and every muscle in my body tensed, prepared to tackle the beast if he dared attack her.

“But…” The beast trailed off, shaking his head as though he were confused. “You and I are mates.”

“No,” I growled and he turned to face me. “You do not remember and that is not your fault, Tom. You have been changed into one of the native beasts of my planet. Meagan is no longer yours. She is mine. As a man, you did not treat her well. Now, you have been absolved of all guilt and can live your life in the wild.”

Meagan slipped by Tom, turning her body to cup his cheek tenderly in her palm.

“I loved you once,” she said, her voice gentle and kind. “But not any longer. This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed. Go.”

Tom set his hands on her hips and stared intently into her eyes before he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

Then, he shifted into his true form. On four legs, he trotted out of the barn and, with a final look over his shoulder at Meagan, disappeared back into the jungles that bordered my family’s property.

Meagan walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. She buried her face in my chest.

“I love you,” she said.

Lifting her into my arms, I kissed her nose.

“I love you too.”

EPILOGUE

MEAGAN

“See?” My mom said, smiling at me. “I told you!”

Laughing, I leaned into A’jax’s side, his arm draped around my waist, his chartreuse eyes glowing brilliantly and his white teeth flashing against his pink complexion.

The Galactic Federation had contacted us a few weeks ago, explaining what happened to the ship. It was some technological error that I didn’t fully understand and didn’t really care about. Thanks to them, I was able to reach out to my mother on Earth and let her know that I was safe and happy. Instead of staying put, she booked a ticket on the next flight out and landed here only a few days ago.

She’d arrived just in time for me to give birth to our beautiful baby girl.

Mom held baby Sara in her arms, the baby resembling her father more so than me. She had bright pink skin, dark hair and my eyes.

A’jax bent and pressed a kiss to my head.

“Yes, Mom,” I said, rolling my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips. “You were right.”

Thank you for reading A’jax! You can find more stories from the author here. Don’t forget to visit Julies’s Facebook page !

LORETTA JOHNS & SARAH JOHNS

DOGGONE ALIEN LOVE

CHAPTER 1

I glanced down at my tablet once more, not liking the available job listings I was seeing.

“Anything, Penny?” my best friend, Sarah, asked me.

I shook my head. Well, that was strictly speaking not true. There were several jobs I qualified for but the pay was abysmal and they either lacked appeal or were for places I’d already worked for and had no desire to go back to, ever.

“You could always come with me to the Agency and take a gig off world,” she suggested.

Sarah had been back on Mars for exactly three days and here she was, preparing to leave it already to go back out into the black on some new working holiday on yet another fancy cruise liner.

“I don’t think I’d like cleaning rooms on a ship,” I told her.

Sarah trilled, her laughter ringing in the small space of my one room apartment. The very same apartment I owed two months rent on, not to mention my air tax was overdue. Downside to living on a planet still being terraformed- the canned air was freaking expensive. I either found a job so the city administration could garnish my wages while I tried to catch up on my rent, or I could move into the dorms and sleep on a bunk in a large room filled with at least fifty other people and do shit like get bussed around to go pick up trash, scrub graffiti, and wash vomit off the sidewalks in front of bars. No thanks. Maybe cleaning rich tourists’ rooms wouldn’t be so bad. It would only be for the length of the cruise, anyway, right?

“It’s not just cleaners they’re hiring for, I told you! They are looking for all kinds of hospitality staff and entertainers.” She looked positively excited about the prospect of me getting into her flitter and going down to the Galactic Gilligan offices to try for one of these slots. “We might even get on the same cruise!”

Now that did sound appealing. Getting to work and chill with my best friend in the whole universe was not a bad visual.

“And we would get full access to the pool and spa, same as the guests, when we are on our off hours,” she continued.

Okay, this was sounding better and better. I looked down at the job listings again. The only one whose pay rate appealed was for an air purification specialist. I had no qualifications in that area. None whatsoever.

“And the lowest rate of pay I could get is twenty thousand for a two week cruise?” I asked her.

“Yeah.” Sarah bobbed her head up and down.

“And room and board- and air- are included at no charge?”

“Yup.”

I carefully placed my pad down on the low table in front of me. With that kind of pay out, I could catch up on all of my bills in one fell swoop and maybe even replace the scarred table with the wonky leg and get myself a less lumpy mattress to sleep on.

“Okay.”

Sarah squealed, leaping at me to wrap her arms up in a hug.

“Yes! You’ll love it and will want to keep doing it, same as me! I just know it!”

Well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing. At least it would mean I had more or less steady employment. Unless she squished me to death.

“Okay, seeing stars,” I gasped.

She released me. “Oh! Sorry. I was just so excited.” She leaned back, eying me critically. “You can’t go looking like that. Let’s get you looking presentable.”

I groaned. “Do we have to?” I glanced down at what I was wearing. It wasn’t that bad! If I ran a brush through my ahir and maybe put on a little lip gloss, it should be alright.

“Yes, we do! Dress for the job you want!” she said firmly.

“I don’t have a maid’s uniform.”

“No, silly. Something nicer, where you’d mingle with the passengers.”Undeterred, she was up and rummaging through the clothes hanging up on the rail next to my shower unit. “Is this all you have?” she huffed. “Okay, this will have to do.” She held up my one dressy outfit, a blue mid calf dress with short capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. “Put this one and then let’s see about doing something with your hair. No doubt you still don’t have much in the way of make up, either. Lucky for you, I have some in my purse.”

Because of course she did. Sarah never went anywhere looking anything except glamorous.

“I can’t dress up every day,” I protested. “I don’t have enough clothes for that.”

“Silly, if we’re on the same ship, we can share outfits.”

That was a big if, second only to the one relating to them hiring me to begin with. Still, the minimum pay out was twenty grand.

“Okay, just let me freshen up first.”

CHAPTER 2

“I’m sorry,” the woman behind the desk at Galactic Gilligan said, “but all of our employment berths are now full.” She looked at me with eyes full of sympathy. “Perhaps Empress Starlines has something?”

How should I know if they did or not? Sheesh. Still, if taken as a suggestion, it wasn’t a half bad one.Even better, Empress Starlines’ office was just next door to to Galactic Gilligan’s.

“But that wold mean we wouldn’t get to travel together this time!” Sarah pouted.

“There’s always next time,” I reassured her. “Hey, if I get a job there, maybe the experience will help me land one of the better gigs on your ship when there is an opening.”

‘Yeah,” she agreed reluctantly.

“Thanks,” I told the rep and turned to hurry on over next door. Jobs with pay like these guys were offering didn’t last long and I was determined to not let one get away from me. I not only needed the money, but was beginning to realize I needed a break . A working vacation was sounding better by the nanosecond!

“May I help you?”

Empress Starlines’ receptionist was a hologram. Talking about schmancy! If it wasn’t for the faint flickering, I’d have believed the petite brunette was a live human.

“Yeah, um, hi. I’m here to enquire about a job.”

“You are seeking an employment offer?” it asked, seeking clarification.

“Yes.”

“Wow, that looks so real,” Sarah whispered.

I gave her a gentle nudge with my elbow. I didn’t want to be given short shrift by an AI because we’d managed to offend it somehow.

A portion of the desktop lit up, revealing that it was a touch screen.

“Please fill in your qualifications and employment history,” the AI said.

That took longer than I would have liked, thanks to the long string of jobs I’d help for far too short a time. I winced as I tapped the icon to indicate I was finished. Sure, I’d hated all those jobs but seeing them listed one after the other like that made me look flighty and irresponsible.

“Thank you,” the hologram said, smiling. It cocked its head to one side. “Do you like dogs?” it asked me.

That caught me off guard. Of all the questions I could have been asked, that was not one of them.

“Um, yeah, sure.” I grinned. “I always wanted a dog.”

“We are pleased to offer you a position as a dog walker,” the AI informed me.

“Dog walker?” I asked blankly.

“They pick up passengers’ dogs and take them to the exercise area and dog walk path,” Sarah explained. “On pet friendly cruises.”

That sounded easy enough.

“So I take them for a walk and what? Clean up their crap and throw them a ball and stuff?”

“A full description of the duties is now showing,” the AI said helpfully, tapping the area of desktop I’d just used like a tablet.

I glanced down at the desktop once more, finding that yes, it now showed me a job contract, complete with a list of the duties I’d be expected to carry out as a dog walker. I had been spot on, though apparently I could be assigned ‘executive duties’ where I would be responsible only for one dog, full time, like a dog sitter instead of just a walker. My eyes bugged when I saw the salary. Plain old dog walker, twenty-six thousand smackeroos if I signed up for six months worth of cruise time, four hours of duty time a day. Executive duties added on another two hundred a day as that was full time. The only downside was it said I had to report for duty in six freaking hours as they wanted me on the next cruise out!

I thought about my past due bills and my current set of alternative options. If I gave them my thumbprint and signature in acceptance, Collections would be able to start garnishing my wages immediately, By the time I returned, I’d not only be out of debt, but have a nice tidy sum in the bank as a cushion.

I quickly read through the contract again, making sure I wasn’t missing anything. Sarah read over my shoulder.

“Salary looks good and you get room and board on top of your wages, same as at Gilligan,” she murmured. “Still, it’s for six months and I won’t be there. You’ll be among strangers.”

“Hey,” I said, using my finger to sign my name, then letting it scan my right thumb. “You’re the one said I would enjoy having some adventure.”

“Yeah, well, I kind of thought we’d manage to have it together.”

“Like you said before, maybe next time.”

“Welcome to the Empress Starlines family, Penelope Halt,” the AI said, “Report to berth seventeen at the Joy Docks section of the rings.” A different section of the desktop slid open, revealing a compartment. “Your pass,” the AI said.

I took it. Talk about efficient. Not only was it on a lanyard already but it had my picture on it, obviously taken from security footage as I’d spoken to the AI.

“A shuttle will pick you up from here at fourteen hundred,” it continued.

Wait..what?

“But it said I didn’t start for another six hours!” I protested. Fourteen hundred hours was less than thirty minutes away!

“You will need to go through orientation and be assigned quarters as well as given your uniforms.” The AI powered down after that, leaving me no one to complain to.

“Shit!”

“I don’t think you have time to go home and pack,” Sarah said, looking every bit as shocked as I felt.

“What am I going to do? I can’t go without things to wear!”

“Come on,” Sarah said, grabbing my arm and tugging me out the door. “You trust me, right?”

“Well, yeah.” I didn’t see what that had to do with anything.

“Good. Then you know you can trust me to pack some stuff for you and get it to you.”

“But I’m leaving in thirty minutes!”

“Which is why we are going to grab a nice, calming cup of tea from the cafe right across the street. We’ll have tea and a sandwich, my treat, then you’ll walk back across to here, catch your shuttle, and go through orientation. While you’re doing that, I’ll go back to your place, pack some stuff, and bring it down to the Joy Docks for you. She said you didn’t start officially for another six hours, which means the ship will be docked for several more hours yet. See? Plenty of time.”

I took a deep breath. When she out it like that, it did sound very doable. My catching the provided shuttle at the stated time was the only time constraint we really had to be bothered with.

“Okay, that sounds great.” I willingly followed her to the cafe, which had been named Always Time. Cute, I thought, reading the name on the teapot shaped sign. Always Time for tea. “You’re a great friend.”

She gave me a grin, bumping her shoulder against mine playfully. “I really am, aren’t I?”

“Modest, too.”

“One has to be, when they are as fabulous as I. It wouldn’t do to let the hoi polloi be made to feel small.”

I snorted. We entered the cafe, greeted by the wondrous smell of fresh baked bread and steeping tea. I closed my eyes and inhaled, feeling better already.

CHAPTER 3

Fortified by the cucumber and tomato sandwich and what was quite possibly the most delicious tea I’d ever drank (not to mention the most expensive), I felt much more settled as I crossed the road to stand at the shuttle stop.

“Now, don’t you worry about a thing,” Sarah said. “It’s not like I don’t know what to pack, knowing exactly what you’ll need to bring. Why,” she tapped the side of her cheek with a perfectly manicured fingernail, “anyone might think I have experience packing for such an event.”

I laughed. “You’re a nut, you know that?” I asked her fondly.

The shuttle bus pulled up. She winked at me. “That theory has been posited before,” she told me. “But who is crazier? Me, or you for going along with my suggestions.”

I chuckled. She really did have a way about her that lifted the spirits of all around her. So much so, that I found myself gathering up my courage and stepping onto the bus. “I’ll see you soon,” I called out. She grinned wildly, waving good-bye enthusiastically even though I hadn’t even sat down on the bus yet. “She’s going to bring my luggage,” I told the disinterested looking driver.

“Uh huh. Going to the Joy Docks? Because that’s the only place we’re going. You want middle of town, you gotta catch the regular bus down the street.”

“Yeah, I’m going to the Joy Docks.”

“Then please sit down, seeing as I’m on a timed schedule and would like to get going.”

Chagrined, I slipped into an empty nearby seat, by the window. Sarah was still waving wildly. I waved back as the buss pulled away. I sat back in my seat and took a deep breath. I’d done it! I’d secured well paid employment and was on my way to financial solvency and possibly even stability, if I managed to acquit myself well so I could make my way on as regular crew. Preferably with the same company as Sarah. If her employer wouldn’t take me on, maybe she’d be willing to come work for mine.

I found myself imagining all the fun Sarah and I would have, cruising among the stars, enjoying the perks of shipboard life in between shifts. I was under no illusion that the work wasn’t going to be demanding, after all, it was a hospitality job and people liked to get the services they paid for, and then some.

“Joy Docks. Everyone get off,” the bus driver said.

I blinked. Wow, I’d really been deep inside my head. I hadn’t even noticed we’d not only arrived, but stopped. The few other passengers onboard were already grabbing their bags and exiting. I stood up and slipped into the aisle.

“Thank you,” I said to the bus driver.

He didn’t bother to reply. Such a nice man! I stepped off the bus. A woman stood by a shuttle, this one of the space going variety. She held a tablet and it looked as if she was checking names off against a list. A sign by the gangplank let me know this was my flight, so I wandered on over.

“You must be Penelope Halt,” she said, glancing down to note my lack of luggage.

”Um, yes.”

“Thought so. “You’re our only new hire from this rock and given that your start date is listed today, it explains your rush to get here. I hope you have enough money to pick up necessary supplies from the shipboard shop.”

“I have a friend sending up a bag,” I assured her.

She gave a nod. “I hope they hurry. Our departure time just got pushed up four hours.”

“We leave in two hours?” I squeaked.

“Yes, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to help board the remainder of the crew and supplies from here.”

I knew a ‘hurry up and get out of my face’ when I heard it. She was polite enough about it, just very busy and pressed for time. I understood completely, as the change to the timetable had ratcheted my anxiety back up by a factor of a thousand. I hurried up the gangplank, eager to find myself a seat so I could fire off a message to Sarah before lift-off. No way did I want to pay orbital call rates, they were extortionate. I could barely afford my communications bill as it was.

The shuttle was full of both people and supplies. I took a seat along one of the benches running down the length of the shuttle and strapped myself in. I quickly typed out a message before pocketing my phone, eager to not miss a moment of this experience. I’d never been off-world before, and since you only have a first time once, I wanted to savor it, even though it was in an industrial shuttle and not a luxury passenger ferry.

“Hi, I’m David,” I turned to glance at the man speaking to me. Wow. This was totally not the sort of guy who usually looked twice at me. Broad shouldered, artfully styled hair , perfect, even white teeth, beautifully symmetrical features graced with a dimple in the middle of his chin, he had to also be tall as I had to look up at him despite him being seated next to me.

“Hi,” I squeaked.

A woman sat on the other side of David laughed. “You’re new, aren’t you?” she asked me, leaning around David to speak.

“Yes. Does it show that much?”

She smiled. “Only a little. That awestruck look kind of gives it away, though I figured you must be as there’s not all that many of us home based here in this shit hole, and I’ve never seen you before.”

David dazzled me with a toothy smile that showed off his dimple. It was a good thing I was sitting down, as I felt myself go weak in the knees. “I’m a senior steward, so if you need anything,” his voice pitched lower, “anything at all, just come see me.”

Was he flirting with me? Me? I wasn’t ugly or anything, but this guy was gorgeous enough to be a holovid actor.

The woman laughed, swatting his arm. “Cut it out, David. Just because you found fresh meat doesn’t mean she wants to become a notch on your bedpost.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He shrugged, looking unapologetic. “I’m just saying she can find me for job related stuff or if she wants a bit of boredom relief. No harm, no foul.”

Yeah, no. I wasn’t a casual hook up kind of gal. Though to be fair, I couldn’t claim to be a relationship sort one, either, not having had a boyfriend for longer than three weeks, ever. Maybe a walk on the wild side wouldn’t hurt, but not with someone onboard the ship. That could get messy. The ship was going to call into some tourist ports, right? Deep space stations and exotic planets catering to the tourist elite of the galaxy, right? I was definitely going to have to save some of my wages so I could afford to visit a bar on one. Maybe.

CHAPTER 4

The flight up was very short, thankfully, so I didn’t have to put up with much more flirting from the too damned good looking for my own good David. Upon arrival I found a harried looking man ushering us all to a room where he went over a general orientation, something the red haired woman next to me whispered they did every single trip, regardless of status.When he finished with all the general ship’s rules and showing us diagrams of the ship and all that jazz, he dismissed everyone. Well, except for me.

“Ms. Halt, if you’d please remain behind.”

This was it. This was when they decided hiring me had been a mistake, my credit score labeling me as a liability risk or some such thing.

“Yes?” I asked, hoping that I was projecting an air of confidence.

He smiled at me, a tired, strained effort, but it looked pretty genuine. “I wanted to let you know that your services have already been procured as a personal pet attendant.”

“Already?” I squeaked. Wow. So not fired, but a sort of promotion. Cha-ching! I could practically see my credits rising and the minus column on my debt sheet getting smaller and smaller.

“Yes, indeed. In fact, your client is waiting for you now. I’ll take you to go meet them.” The light glanced off the lenses of his glasses and took them off to wipe them off using a handkerchief from his pocket.

“Cool,” I replied. I mean, what else was there to say?

“Mmm,” was all he replied before placing his glasses back on. He gestured for me to precede him down the aisle, so I did, all the way across the room and out the door. Once out in the corridor, he began walking, his stride hurried as if we were on a strict timetable. Which, I suppose, we kind of were. “Do you know anything about Larissa Double Glam?” he asked me suddenly.

“The social media reality star?” I asked. “I don’t follow her, but I know of her.”

“Well, then you’ll know that she fronts for several large brands of cruelty free cosmetics and home furnishings lines.”

I nodded my head. “Yes, I’ve heard that.”

“Last year she adopted a dog and he’s become quite the fan favorite. So much so, that last month, he did a photoshoot for Galactic Shiny Hero Dog Food. The ad campaign featuring him begins tomorrow.”

“So I need to be extra careful when walking him while in port,” I hazarded a guess.

“Be vigilant at all times,” he corrected me. We took an elevator up. “Larissa is in the Galaxy View suite. Your rooms will be three floors down.”

According to the maps, that placed my room firmly in guest territory. “I had no idea there were crew quarters on that level,” I replied. The elevator stopped and we got off, turning left to go along a well lit corridor that had live plants suspended every couple of feet, held securely in place by what looked like handcrafted hangers created using a series of decorative knots.

“There isn’t. You’re living with Mr. Sparklepants.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Sparklepants?”

His mouth made a small moue of distaste. “Yes. It’s the dog’s name.”

Of course it was. No doubt he was a little handbag dog of some sort, too. No way was I calling him that. He’d gy by Sparky, I decided just as we stopped outside of a door.

“This is his stateroom.” He pulled out a keycard and waved it in front of the scanner on one side of the door. A soft chime sounded just before the door slid open. He gestured for me to go inside so I stepped in and looked around.

The stateroom was smaller than expected for such a prestigious location but then again, it was much bigger than the crew quarters were likely to be and much bigger than one dog by himself needed. It was one room with a pair of armchairs, a dresser that doubled as a sideboard with a drinks decanter filled with an amber liquid that I surmised was probably some sort of whiskey, as well as a pair of glasses.

A double bed took up the majority of the remaining space. A small door on one side of the bed led to a well appointed bathroom. The real showstopper thought was the humongous window which showed me the view of moons in the distance. That and a lot of unending black.

Oh my God. It was one thing to know intellectually that I was going out into the deep beyond but to suddenly see it like this…I took a deep breath trying to Center myself. I felt like an insignificant speck against the vastness. Nope. Still felt small and now I was second guessing my decision to go out into all that nothingness in a tin can. A luxuriously appointed one, but still.

Don’t be ridiculous, I told myself, marching over to the window and pulling the cord to close the drapes. The view gone, I could feel my nerves steadying. Now it just looked like a rather fancy hotel room planet-side. That I could deal with.

Baby steps.

It hit me then, something was missing. Or rather, more specifically, someone.

“The dog’s not here?” I asked, feeling perplexed.

He looked irritated. “So it would appear. No doubt he is still with Larissa, in which case, you need to come with me so I can introduce you and you can collect him.”

My eyebrows rose. “But I don’t have my uniform yet.”

He pursed his lips. “That is of no consequence.” He sniffed. “Larissa may want you to wear her house livery, her assistant was to let us know.”

And obviously hadn’t yet. Great. Someone who’d messed up. I probably shouldn’t feel as gleeful as I did about that, but my frazzled nerves calmed because if this Larissa lady’s personal assistant could mess up and not be fired? Well, there was hope for me and any foibles I might make while learning the job. At least, I really hoped we wouldn’t go meet my client only to find her firing said assistant when she found out my uniform hadn’t been sorted out. My nerves jangled again.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked testily.

I licked my lips, realizing I didn’t even know this jerkwad’s name in case I needed to get back in touch with him.

“Sorry, er, mister…?” I fished.

“James,” he snapped.

Shit. Was that his first name or his last? I’d avoid using it until I heard someone else do so.

“Yes, well, I was just waiting for you to show me where we have to go next.” I really hoped that sounded convincing.

He sniffed, thrusting the keycard at me. “Don’t lose this, or you’ll be paying for a replacement and they are two hundred and seventy-five credits.”

My eyes widened. Ouch! That was one expensive door key.

“Come along then,” he grumbled, turning to lead me back out the door. He pulled a pocket comm out and tapped its screen to select the person he wanted to call. “Martin!” I felt really bad for the guy on the other end, being snapped at like that. “Where is Larissa? I’ve brought Ms. Halt to the stateroom and the dog isn’t there.”

“She’s in her suite, filming,” came Martin’s disembodied voice. “She wants to introduce her to the fans, so they know Sparkles is always in good hands.”

“Very well. I’ll bring her on up, though she’s out of uniform.”

“That’s fine, James. Larissa wants this to look relaxed and as if Ms. Halt is a regular part of the fam, not a temp.”

So it was his first name. Calling him by it would feel weird if he kept calling me Ms. Halt. And did Martin say filming? No, no, no! I wasn’t prepared for anything like that at all! And pretending to be a close member of her entourage? I felt uncomfortable with the lie. Maybe I could finagle the conversation so it wasn’t actually said that I was a friend.

“We’ll be there in just a few moments.” We’d been walking the entire time he held this conversation and now we were back at the elevator. “We’re on our way up now.”

“Great! Sparkles looks like he’s about had enough. Hurry up, will you? I don’t fancy having to take him off her myself.”

Martin wasn’t a dog person, eh? Or was Mr. Sparklepants a snappy little thing? I really hoped not. I like having all of my fingers and didn’t relish nipped ankles, either.

I got on the elevator, pondering the strange turn of events I’d experienced since agreeing with Sarah’s idea that I should apply to work on a cruise.

CHAPTER 5

James pulled out another keycard, but instead of waving it in front of a sensor, he popped open the access panel beneath the keypad and slid it into a slot there.

“Authorization code required,” a voice said, coming over the speaker.

“James Writby, chief steward, authorization code Alpha Tango Seven Sierra Four Bravo Niner X-Ray.”

Whew, that was a mouthful. I really hoped I didn’t have to memorize all that.

“Password of the day?” The AI inquired.

He sniffed. “Nephilim.”

“Voice print, code, and password accepted. Access granted.” The card reader spit the card back out and he repocketed it, shutting the panel as the elevator began to move. Moments later, the reason for all of the security became readily apparent as the elevator came to a stop, the doors opening right into the suite. “Oh, good, there you are.” The speaker looked to be a man around thirty, his hair impeccably styled and his clothes expensive. A cloud of cologne moved in his wake, making my nose twitch. He noticed that, of course. “Oh, my goodness! Please tell me you are not allergic to dogs!” His eyes narrowed as he regarded me, his expression beginning a transformation from one of relief to irritation.

“Um, no,” I hastened to reassure him. “Just had an itch. Must be the change to canned air,” I hastened to reassure him. No way was I going to tell him that he was wearing too much of whatever that was.

“Well, see that you take an antihistamine or something. We can’t have you sniffling about all over the place.” He looked me up and down and I realized that unlike James, I hadn’t yet stepped so much as a toe out of the elevator. Speaking of the elevator, rather embarrassingly, the doors were beginning to close so I hastily slipped through them.

Real smooth, Penny. Way to make yourself look stupid.

“I’ll take my leave now,” James said, ducking back inside the elevator.

He was leaving me alone, already? I mean, sure, I’ve only known him for less than an hour, but he was more familiar than the strangers I now found myself among. I mentally snorted, taking in the tableau. Strange is right. Behind the man before me, whose voice matched that of the martin fellow on the comm earlier, was Larissa herself.

Larissa sat on one end of a sofa, an armchair on her left turned so it sat cornerwise to her. A small, short haired dog sat on it, a pair of tiny star shaped sunglasses perched upon his snout and…oh dear Lord! He actually was wearing a pair of sequined shorts. I clamped my lips together to avoid bursting out in laughter. Tiny boots covered in sequins in the same shade of royal blue as his shorts graced all four of his paws. He also wore a thin blue rhinestone studded collar around his neck. He looked absolutely ridiculous.

“Yes, some get up, isn’t it?” Martin said in a low, conspiratorial voice. “You should see him when he’s repping the dog food. No sunglasses then, but he gets to wear a bolero jacket and a cape. All in red of course.”

He had to be kidding, right? A glance at his expression told me he wasn’t. “With matching shorts and boots?” I asked, still desperately trying to reign in a fit of the giggles.

“Mmm, red with white piping, to match the branding. With a giant S in the middle of the cape, in royal blue, same font and shade as the food logo, natch.” He threw me a wry grin. “I know it must all seem a bit odd, but you’ll get used to it. And I probably shouldn’t tell you this., but if Sparkles takes to you, you might get hired on permanently. You could quit this company and come aboard the Sparkles Express, flying in staterooms aboard a multitude of different ships of different lines, including private charters.”

Wait, what? My head spun. This was most unexpected news.

“Wow, um, I don’t know what to say,” I stammered out.

“Well, he has to like you and that will not be as easy as it sounds. Sparkles is particular.” The way Martin stressed that last word seemed portentous. “Oh, one last thing, Larissa nicknames everyone for her broadcast. She digs ancient Earth, so nicknames come from media clips she watches from the twentieth and twenty-first century. Your name brought a character from a show originating sometime during that era, so she picked you from the list of possibles.”

My name had done what now? There was someone in a vintage entertainment program named Penelope Halt? Who knew? For the first time ever, I felt as if I’d been born charmed.

“Just follow my lead and act natural, but as if we’re all old friends,” he whispered. He strode forward, to where Larissa was addressing a floating vidcam.

“It’s terribly exciting, right?” Larissa said. “The Forbidden Pleasures Cruise will feature loads of events, each of them featuring things that at one point in history, were forbidden. Tonight’s party will be held in the Gatsby Room, which has been decorated in a style known as Art Deco from the early part of the twentieth century. We will be drinking gin served out of a bathtub!” She laughed at this.

“Hi, Rissa!” Martin greeted her, stepping into filming range. “Boy, am I looking forward to trying that gin!” They both laughed.

“Oh, Jeeves, I’m sure you and the other staff will have your own tub in the Bonnie and Clyde Suite at the other end of the hall.” She winked at him. “Just don’t get too schnockered because you’ll need to escort me home!”

“Well, if I do, I’m sure good old Pitstop will come bring our very own hero dog to rescue us both.” He turned to crook two fingers on one hand at me, beckoning me to come forward.

“Penelope!” Larissa said, making a cutesy fake frowny face. “It’s so sad you’ll miss tonight’s party. But then, you and Sparkles always make your own fun, don’t you?”

I stepped forward. Was that damned thing recording, or was it also broadcasting. Either way, shit! Right, time to fake it until I made it. I plastered a smile on my face.

“Goodness, yes, we’ll be fine.”

They both beamed at me, then Larissa turned to look into the camera. “Guys and Gals, I just know you’re dying to know who this is. I’m proud to introduce one of my good friends, “I inwardly winced at the lie I was being party to, “Penelope Pitstop! She is the only person other than Jeeves or my Daddy that I’d ever trust to babysit my sweet babykin baby doggie woggie,” and now she was cooing, much to my horror, “Mister Sparkle Warkle Pantsies.”

She glanced at said dog and kissed the air in his general direction. She then gave an exaggerated sigh. “Unfortunately, now I have to go, but I’ll be sure to nip on so you guys can follow along as I put on my make up tonight and show you the absolutely faboo dress and shoes I have for the party. There is even a feathery head thingy!” She squealed. “And don’t forget to say ‘Subscribe!’ When prompted at the end of this video, if you haven’t already. “Buh-byeeeeeee!”

She held up her hand and waggled her fingers before closing her hand into a fist. The light on the camera went out immediately and Martin stepped forward, plucking it from the air, pressing a button on the back to power it all the way off.

Larissa slumped against the back of the sofa. “Ugh! I can’t believe Daddy signed me up for this cruise!” She pouted. “I could have gone to Rialla Prime with Marky and Shell!”

Rialla Prime as a pleasure planetoid, well known across the known galaxy for its spas.

“So, you didn’t want to come?” I asked.

She tossed me a look of pure misery. “No, I certainly did not. Cruising is so last year! Besides, I really could use the time off. Always being in the public eye is exhausting! That’s why I got him,” she said, tilting her head towards the dog. “He can do the ads and I show him off a bit until his popularity soars high enough that they commission him for a vid series.”

“A vid series?” Dismay sank into my bones, the reason she wanted a permanent minder for her pooch. She was looking to have him star in a kids’ show or something and go lay on beach somewhere while he pulled in the cash. And here I was, a prime candidate to be the poor schmuck who baby sat her pet the entire time while she took the credit. “You mean like, Sparklepants the Wonder Dog or something like that?”

Martin nodded. “Exactly like that.”

Larissa eyed me, tilting her head to one side and narrowing her eyes. Pursing her lips, she said, “Jeeves, I’m gonna send you a couple pictures. I want a pink outfit as close to the one I’m sending you done up for her to wear when she’s going to be on view. Now, her hair is kind of red, so make her an appointment at the hairdresser’s and have them style it with a matching pink headband in the style of the second picture.”

My hair was russety sort of brown, admittedly. Thankfully it and my hazel eyes distracted from the few freckles that sreinkled themselves across the bridge of my nose.

“Understood. It’ll be a day or two for the clothes and the hair, most likely.”

Wow, and I really loved how they were both acting like I wasn’t even here.

“Fine. No later than that, though.” Her lips pinched together. “If they say otherwise, remind them that I am contracted to promote this stupid cruiseline and that includes my staff. You guys are part of my branding, after all.”

And now I felt cheap.

She sniffed. “You can go ahead and take Sparkie back to your rooms. Housekeeping will bring both of you dinners tonight. No going out on your own until you have your outfit.

And didn’t that take the cake? Ah, well, I could handle two days in our rooms unless called for. I had the rest of the cruise to explore the delights to be found aboard ship and at the places we docked.

“Understood,” I replied, walking over to Mr. Sparklepants. He stared at me through those ridiculous sunglasses. “Hi there,” I said softly, reaching a hand out slowly for him to sniff. Please don’t let him bite me.

“Oh, I wouldn’t-“ whatever Martin was going to say dropped off as the dog’s tan snout cautiously lowered itself down, gave my hand a sniff, and then opened to reveal a tiny pink tongue which tentatively reached out to give my hand a single lick.

“I’ll be damned,” Martin breathed.

“See?” Larissa said smugly. “I told you her name was destiny.”

Martin walked over to a nearby side table and picked up a short leash, one embellished with rhinestones down its entire length. “Here,” he said. “See if he lets you put it on him without, er, getting annoyed.”

I took it from him and and just as softly as I’d greeted him, asked the dog, “Wanna get out of here? We can take off these stupid outfits and watch some vids.” The whole time I spoke, I edged my hand towards the back of his neck where I could just spot the sight of a golden ring lying flat against his fur. Once there, I quickly snapped it on and as if on cue, he stood up on all four legs and jumped down. I was beginning to think he was simply a sweet little dog and they were not dog people at all. Until we went to walk past Larissa, that is, and he paused, cocked one leg, and peed all over her leg and foot.

“Get him out of here,” Martin hissed as she began to scream profanities.

“That fucking dog! I’m about ready to find a look-alike that behaves better These boots were twenty thousand credits! Just look at them!!”

I scooped him up and he didn’t so much as growl, so maybe my assumption was correct after all. Perhaps Mr. Sparklepants was mostly a sweetheart and Larissa was simply a bitch.

CHAPTER 6

I was in Hell. I sat in a hairdresser’s chair in the fanciest looking hair salon I’d ever seen. No, really. Even ones featuring in vids weren’t this fancy, not even the one in Princess Eluria and Her Merchant Captain 3, where she’s on Luxi IV getting her hair and make up done for their long awaited wedding looked this flashy. My inner girly girl had squealed in delight upon seeing this treat, one being paid for by Larissa herself.

But was I going to get to relax and enjoy being pampered? Nope. I’d no sooner gotten to the desk, Martin on my left, when I saw it. Larissa’s gods be damned camera, floating in the air behind the receptionist, red light blinking to let all and sundry know it was recording. Now I knew why Martin had insisted I dress up Sparky and bring him along.

“Hi,” Martin said. “Louann, is it? We spoke on the comm the other day. “

“Hi,” she simpered back, her fuchsia lips curving into the fakest ass smile I’d ever seen. Seriously, it looked like she was going for shy, but her eyes were undressing him. Ugh! She glanced over at me, disinterest showing on her face plain as day. I’d bet an entire week’s salary that if the camera was able to show her face, she’d be pretending I was the most awesome person in the universe. Right now, though, I was just an obstacle taking up time she could be flirting with. “Penelope P., right?”

“That’s me,” I quipped, smiling huge for the camera.

“Indeed. I’m afraid our dear Penolope got so caught up keeping Mr. Sparklepants on schedule for all of his appearances and shoots that her signature hairstyle became quite neglected.” Martin looked downright mournful as the lies fell from his lips.

None of these people were to be trusted. Seriously, if they were contracting me direct, I’d not be here right now. Empress Starlines was my official employer and handled my pay and we had a solid contract, so I was good to go unless I pissed them off and they went to James with lies about misconduct.

Which is why I went along with the whole fantasy thing they had going for the Larissa Loves… SunStar vid series. Dumb asses hadn’t made me sign an NDA though so as soon as I managed to get into Galactic Gilligan to work with Sarah, I was going to spill the beans to her over several pitchers of WooHoo on The Moon cocktails.

I sighed dramatically for the audience, toying with a lock of said hair, which sported some pretty obvious split ends. “Not to mention my luggage got lost at the waystation. Between my hair and not having my own clothes, I positively don’t feel like me.” I inwardly cringed at how shallow I sounded.

Gag me with a spork.

One of the stylists came tottering over in high heeled boots. His smock had the name Tito embroidered in metallic gold.

“Oh, my yes,” he said, clucking his tongue in dismay. “You really have been through the wars, haven’t you, my dear.” I had to hand it to the guy, he certainly knew how to ham it up for the camera, even positioning himself just so in order for the camera to catch his handsome profile as he spoke to us. “Pauline in alterations was telling me that she had to synthesize a few lengths of fabrics and dyes to get you a temporary wardrobe fixed right up. Don’t you worry, I’ve had a good look at the brief Martin sent over for you and we’ll be able to tame your locks into a fabulous Daphne Do no problem. First though, you need some emergency TLC. Follow me, my little chick.”

And that was how I came to be sat here, in this chair, while Tito carefully explained to the audience what he was washing and conditioning my hair with, some fancy shit with twenty-four carat gold flakes in it no less, followed by the brand of comb, detangling brush, and scissors he was using. I wasn’t merely getting my hair done. Oh, no. I was starring as the wreck of a human being transformed by a God of Beauty in an infomercial. Meanwhile Sparky sat in the empty chair next to me watching the proceedings with a look of boredom on his face.

I feel ya, buddy.

At the end of it, I was surprised to find that I didn’t have some fancy mop of curls or a weird haircut I was going to regret, but a sleek fall of hair that fell to my shoulders, curled gently up at the ends using a heated wand (McGuire Steam Release, which apparently I was being sent home with) and held back from my face by a simple wide headband in a soft candy pink.

“Such a classic look, the Daphne,” Tito was blathering to the live audience as he boxed up the now cooled curling wand, placing it in a bag with a bottle each of the shampoo and conditioner he’d used, as well as the setting mist I was to use. I’d stupidly called it hair spray when he’d gone to use it on me, asking if it would make my hair stiff. You’d have thought I’d muttered an epithet from the expression on his face when i’d said it. “Suitable for any occasion, just change the headband to suit. And of course, it can be swept up into a high ponytail without the end lift becoming lost.”

I reached for the bag which to my surprise, he pulled away. “Now, Penelope dear, Golden Wonder is only to be used a max of twice a week, spaced a few days apart.” He reached over to the shelf full of hair products and snagged two more bottles off a shelf. “Every other day, use Magical Miracles Tuitui Nut and Vanilla Smoothie.” He popped those into the bag, along with a hair brush and comb exactly like the ones he’d used on me earlier. “To replace the ones you lost in that luggage mishap.”

Wow, that lie was beginning to take on a whole life of its own. Thankfully that appeared to be the last thing he had to do or say as he handed me the bag at last. “See you in two days for your mani-pedi!”

I grinned my best customer service smile at him. “I can’t wait! Thank you so much!”

Martin stood up from the chair he’d sat in while he waited for me. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out Sparky’s cape. “Here, put this on him before we go. And these.” He produced those stupid sunglasses from another pocket, as well as the boots. I lifted Sparky onto the reception counter, delighting in the scowl Louann gave me for it and the low growl Sparky gave her in return. For some reason, he’d taken a shine to me while by all appearances, he could barely tolerate anyone else, including Larissa. Not that Larissa appeared to genuinely be fond of him either. The poor pooch was a prop to her, to be used to expand her fanbase and increase her fortune.

I quickly dressed him in the rest of his costume, Sparky even lifting his feet for me one by one to place his boots on.

“Absolutely remarkable,” Marvin whispered under his breath, barely moving his lips. “Usually don’t get anything done with him without at least a nipped finger or two.” He smiled indulgently down at Sparky, pitching his voice louder so it could be heard by our audience. “Off we go to get your clothes. You can change there and then we’ll take Mr. Sparklepants to meet some of the younger members of the cruise, have some pictures taken, and hand out samples of his signature dog food line.”

That made it sound as if it was an actual brand made by Larissa and Co when in reality, he was simply the model on the front of the bag of an established brand of pet food, but whatever. I placed Sparky down on the floor and we took our leave, Louann and Tito waggling their fingers bye bye at us. Martin turned, reaching into his trouser pocket to pull out a small remote control which he pressed a button on before repocketing it. I turned to do one last finger wave at the pair ostensibly, but in reality, I was looking to see if that control was for the camera. It was; the camera began following us out. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

A short walk down the corridor was an elevator, which apparently we had to take to another level to go get my costume. Once inside, Martin pulled out his pocket comm.

“Hang on a min,” he said. “I’ll just message the seamstress that we’re on our way.” He typed something out, then nodded, obviously getting the reply he wanted. “They said to go straight to the fitting room. Your clothes will be hanging up in there and you can get changed right away.”

That sounded like I didn’t need to put on another performance, for which I was grateful. He looked up at the camera and said. “That’s it for today, everyone. Tune in again tomorrow when Larissa reveals some exciting news about the world of music! And if you haven’t already, tell the bot to subscribe when prompted in just a moment. Buh-bye!” He made the closed fist gesture he’d made that very first day and the red light on the camera went out. He then plucked it out of the air, pressing a button on its back to power it the rest of the way off.

He turned to me then, a suddenly serious expression on his face. “Right, now that I can be certain we won’t be overheard, I have a few things to tell you. Larissa may have paid for your working wardrobe and hair appointment and given you your stage name, but she doesn’t own them. Not right now, anyway.”

I frowned. “But we’ve spoken in my room…” Understanding flashed. “Are you fucking telling me she has my room bugged?” I hissed.

He nodded. “Your bosses authorized a nanny cam in case anything happened to Sparkles there.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Not that having permission means anything to her. She fired a housekeeper once for something she said to her own husband, in their bedroom, once.” He grimaced. “Rissa made a pass at him and he told his wife about it as they were getting ready for bed. Florence called Rissa a bitch and five minutes later, they were unemployed.”

I gaped at him. Rissa really was a grade A bitch. No, a Grade A++++++ into infinity one!

“Okay, got it, don’t say anything in areas she might have some control over, like my rooms and her suite.”

“Assume she has bugs everywhere except for the elevators and shuttles. Though the elevator that goes up to her suite is probably compromised.”

Seriously?

I decided it was probably best to take him at his word. He might be a liar on camera and where he thought he had even the remotest chance of being overheard, but this? He had no reason to tell me any of this unless he wanted to help me.

“Got it.” I made a zipper motion over my lips and he nodded approvingly.

“If you decide to stay on and contract to Rissa directly, ask to see the written contract first. Ask for a hard copy. I’ll take a snap of it and send it to the contract lawyer I use, to make sure she doesn’t screw you over.” He made a face. “Any worse than the personas she makes us use, anyway. Like I said, she doesn’t own your stage name or look, since she didn’t think to have you sign a subcontract. So when her fans begin copying the Penelope P look, you’re in a good spot to sign with a designer to make your outfit in pink as well as other pastels, boots with your name on them, the whole shebang.”

My eyes rounded. Holy shit! That had not even occurred to me. “People will want to copy my look?” I asked. “Mine?”

He nodded. “It’s the Larissa Convergence effect. You are in her sphere of influence now, so you’ll be getting fans of your own. In fact, you garnered your first hundred thousand right after your first appearance. Today’s beauty episode will probably grab both you and Tito an enormous swell in numbers.”

That was crazy! But hey, if some designer asked me to sign a contract for them to make and sell copies of my work uniform and boots, I was game. Might add me a bit extra in a nest egg, after all my debts were paid off, on top of my salary. I wondered if Galactic Gilligan would hire me in a visible role, as Penelope P. Heh, wouldn’t that be a turn up for the books? Snatching my persona right out from their rival, Empress starlines! I might even be able to negotiate which routes I accepted and get Sarah permanently rostered along with me.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Just as I stepped over the threshold, the ship shuddered.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Probably a strong solar wind as we skimmed past some star system,” Martin replied, dismissively. “Look, they’ve already compensated for it.”

The ship was steady as a rock again so I gamely went along with him to the drycleaning and alterations area next to an area that at first I mistook for a menswear shop. A closer look revealed it to be where the crew uniforms of black slacks, crisp silvery gray shirts, and black waistcoats and jackets were dispersed and presumably fitted. He led me into the back, where there were fitting rooms.

“She said the first one,” he said, opening the nearest door.

I went inside and stared at my signature outfit. Then I stared some more. Seriously, what the ever loving hell? Yeah, I needed to think about that possible nest egg some more as I did not know if I could wear this ensemble when out in public for the rest of my working days. I steeled myself. For now, I’d have to put up with it. I quickly undressed, then donned the pink leggings and pink ruffled turtleneck top. Over that went a scoop neck pink belted dress. A white pair of patent leather knee high boots finished the ensemble. I felt like a complete fool.

I sighed aloud, mindful of Martin’s earlier warning. This room could be bugged for sound. It damned well better not be for video! I decided to pretend as if it were, for both. “Gosh, it’s so cute!”

Blech. I looked down at Sparky. “Totally adorable, right?”

His sunglasses peered up at me. I could feel the judgment behind them. “Well, time to get you to your fans!” I gushed, hanging up my clothes on the hangars this pink monstrosity had come on, then sliding them into the flimsy dust bag. Grabbing two more sets of my uniform off hooks and tucking a box containing a second pair of boots, from the label on the outside, I opened the door.

“Ta da!” I said to Martin.

“Oh, faboo!” He said, clapping his hands. “Definitely you. Here, let me take those off of you.” He took the hangars and box from me and we left. “Time for piccies!” He called out jovially. Yep, he totally thought she had bugged this area too. Just how controlling was she? Talk about abusing your wealth and status!

“Onward, Jeeves!” I replied, falling into my assigned role. I was so going to need a shower when we got back.

CHAPTER 7

Back in our shared stateroom at last, I settled Sparky onto my bed.

“I’m going to shower and then rustle us up something to eat,” I said to him. He gave me a doggy grin in reply as if he had understood every word I’d just spoken. Hell, for all I knew he did. Maybe he was the offspring of some bio-engineered super dog who’d ended up at the shelter after a funding cut or some stupid shit. With his small size and innocuous appearance, he’d make a great spy dog. Well, except for the fact he couldn’t talk to tell anyone anything he overheard. I giggled at the ridiculous turn my thoughts had taken.

“On second thought, I’d probably be better off ordering it now so they deliver it without us having to wait even longer” I glanced at the time. Twenty minutes was more than enough time to shower, get in my pjs, and take sparky out of his get up, surely. I walked over to the wall comm and pressed the button marked “Services”. I hoped like hell that was the right one.

“Hi, this is Janeese, how may I help you?”

“Um, yeah, hi. I, um, wanted to order dinner for my charge and myself?”

I winced. Why did I make it sound like a question?

“Sure thing. I can see which stateroom you’re in, so by charge, I take it you mean our very own resident doggie celebrity, Mr. Sparklepants,” Janeese replied, sounding chipper as anything, as if my ordering up a bowl of dog kibble and a burger for myself would make her century.

“Yes. My notes here don’t say how much he’s supposed to have of his food,” I mentally crossed my fingers that they knew which flavor of Galactic Shiny Hero Dog Food Sparky was supposed to get.

She laughed. “He always gets the child’s plate. Would you like him to have the roast chicken with boiled baby potatoes and baby carrots or the plain cheese burger with air fried sweet potato rounds?”

Merciful heavens. He didn’t even eat actual dog food at all, never mind the brand he was representing.

“The chicken, please.” That definitely sounded healthier, anyway.

“And for you?”

“A cheese burger, please.”

“Meat or plant based?”

Real meat… “Is it actual beef?”

“We have that or turkey, yep. Personally, I prefer the turkey burger. It’s not as greasy.”

“Turkey then, please.’ I’d try the beef one tomorrow, maybe even ask them to add some real bacon on it.

“And what would you like to drink?”

“Um, soda, please,” I replied after a brief pause. My brain was shorting out from everything that had gone on today.

“How about a pint of our genuine draft root beer, made just like they used to do in the good old USA!” It’s delish!”

“Sure.” if I didn’t like it, I could pour it down the drain and refill my glass with water from the bathroom sink.

“Okay, it’ll be up in about forty-five minutes as we make everything from scratch.”

Yikes! It was a good thing I’d ordered before getting in the shower for sure.

“Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, and welcome to the Starlines Family!” i heard an audible click as she disconnected.

It was then that I remembered Sarah was supposed to send my luggage. Mild panic ensued, until I spied my case sitting on the floor next to the door. Someone had delivered it while I was out, thank goodness. I didn’t have much clothes in my case, not wanting to bring a bunch of stuff I would never wear thanks to being issued a uniform and buying new things at stops along the cruise. I

quickly put away what I had brought, leaving our a clean pair of panties and a set of shortie pajamas on the bed. I took off my work costume and hung it in the fresher so I’d have the right clothes to wear before the rest of workwear arrived tomorrow or whenever. Details were beginning to get fuzzy, my brain suffering from information overload. Yep, shower, food, and a good night’s sleep was just the ticket.

The shower had a set of complicated controls but I soon figured it out and a cloud of steam let me know it was ready for me to get inside. I slipped off my panties and bra and grabbed a shower cap off of the counter, not wanting to mess up today’s efforts at the stylist. It wasn’t time to wash my hair again yet, after all.

I tilted my face up, enjoying the way the heat loosened my stress tightened muscles.

“Oh, God, this feels so good,” I moaned. I stood there, luxuriating in it for a moment before opening my eyes and grabbing the provided scrubby and what claimed it was a skin and soul nourishing song from the seas of Lineptha V in body wash form. I popped open the cap and sniffed. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing. I squirted some on the puff and began lathering my body up. I had gotten down to lower left calf when I damned near fell thanks to the ship juddering. It scared the living daylights out of me, both from the sudden way I found my head about to get acquainted with the hard surfaces of the shower walls and floor, but also the horrible sound that accompanied it. It sounded as if the ship had shrieked in pain as it shook.

I could hear Sparky barking and then the ship gave another hard lurch. My shower cut off but that was the least of my worries right now as an alarm began to sound. Whatever had occurred, it was bad. Very, very bad.

“Attention, this is not a drill. Please make your way to the designated evacuation points for your area.”

“No way!” I got out of the shower, hurriedly toweled off as much soap as I could and returned to my room. Poor Sparky was running around on my bed in circles, barking his head off, the whites of his eyes showing.

“Attention, please make your way to your designated evacuation points immediately. Delay could mean tragedy.”

Yep, it was very, very, very bad. The GTFO now kind of bad. I grabbed the clothes I’d laid out for bed and put them on, jamming my feet into my slip on canvas shoes, and grabbed Sparky. I made it to the elvator only to see the sign that reminded me it was not to be used in case of emergency. An arrow pointed me to the emergency stairs, which more accurately should be called ladders. I stepped back as I realized Martin was coming up them.

“There you are,” he gasped. “Get the dog to a pod immediately.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“I have to go back up. Larissa refuses to leave without her jewelry box.”

I didn’t know what to say. No way could she possibly pay me enough to ignore an evacuate without elay order for some freaking earrings and bracelets and shit.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s just some sort of engine failure and they are having us go in case life support fails. It’s a precaution.”

“Seriously? So we’ll just sit in the pods and wait for for help for a few hours?”

He shrugged. “What else could it be?”

My heart sank as I realized he had no clue what was happening either and was saying that to make himself feel safe.

“Just hurry,” I begged him as he ascended. Then the ladder was clear and I was able to make my way down the three floors one handed. Thankfully Sparky had stopped wiggling about and barking. His little face was buried in my neck and every so often he’d let out a sad little whimper, but it was much better than having my ears ring from his barking.

A security officer was directing people into life pods. “VIP pod right here, miss,” he said, pushing me inside. The door slid shut and an automated voice told me to strap myself in.

“Automatic launch in five,” it said matter of factly. “Four…”

I glanced around wildly. How as I supposed to buckle in Sparky? Wait, my headband was fabric and I hadn’t taken it off before putting on my shower cap, which to my great embarrassment, I realized I still wore. I took it off and lopped the soft fabric of my hair band around the gold ring on Sparky’s costume. I sat Sparky down on the chair and fed the waist strap through it, and then the shoulder straps.

“Two…” the voice droned.

“Shit!”

I scrambled for my own seat, barely making it and having to hold onto to the straps for dear life as the voice calmly said, “One,” and we were ejected away from the ship with force. I thought my arms and fingers were going to fall off from the strain. Then the thrusting slowed and I was able to let go. A quick glance at Sparky showed me that he’d made it through the ordeal just fine, by some miracle. I was not going to have to explain to Larissa how I’d accidentally gotten her dog killed while we were supposed to be evacuating to safety, thank goodness.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Sparky.” I meant it too. The little guy was really growing on me. His tail thumped feebly in response.

“Plotting course to nearest Class V,” the computer announced.

Wait, what?

I stood up. I had to find the comms. I had to let someone know my pod was malfunctioning. Or was it? My breath caught as I spotted the tiny lights that had to be more pods, winking out one by one as they entered subspace. I couldn’t see the ship from this vantage point, so still had no idea what happened. I could see new lights streaking out past me, though, so the evacuation was still ongoing.

“I hope everyone gets off okay,” I whispered. I licked my lips. “It’ll be okay, Sparky.” I sat back down and began strapping myself in properly, knowing that in a moment, the route would be computed and our pod would follow the others to the closest liveable planet via subspace. There, we’d wait together for a few days until the distress signal we’d send out was intercepted and a rescue mounted.

I’d just fastened the last buckle when our pod suddenly jolted and spun wildly.

“Collision alert!”

“No shit!” I screamed as the spinning stopped and stars appeared to streak by.

“Emergency protocol Alpha Tanga Zebra Seven initiated. Going to nearest Class V planet.”

I frowned. Wasn’t that what it was going to do to begin with?

“Computer?” I asked timidly, not knowing if it could respond or if it was simply all automated.

“Yes?”

Oh good. Maybe I could get some answers.

“What happened?”

“Unknown.”

Right. Okay, so the pods weren’t given a code that told them what the emergency was. I guessed the distress signal the ship would be sending out would give that information to whoever was listening.

“How far do we have to go?” I asked next.

“Damage to pod: breach in panels 334A to Q. oxygen levels depleting. Estimated time to reach dangerous levels: two hours and seventeen minutes.”

“And how long until we reach the planet?”

“One hour and six point three seven minutes.”

That didn’t sound so bad.

“And the others will be waiting for us, right?” Th way my day had gone, I wasn’t taking anything for granted.

“Negative. Plenarious Prime is five point four three hours away. Emergency protocol Alpha Tanga Zebra Seven initiated.”

If Plenarius Prime was the closest planet, then where was this protocol sending me?

“And that means I’m going where?”

“Interdicted list open. Destination: Regallus IV.”

“Interdicted?” I squeaked. Those were completely off limits! Usually it was for damned good reasons, too, such as dinosaur-like species being dominant or deadly pathogens prevalent in the soil and/or air. “Are we going to be able to survive outside the pod there?” I didn’t even want to think about a ginormous t-rex camping the pod like candy or some shit.

“Survival time due to unknown pathogens: Three days.”

Oh, shit! I was very sorry I asked.

CHAPTER 8

Whoever designed the pod’s AI needed to be forced to ride a pod during an actual emergency. Not only did it suck at giving you enough time to strap in before launching you, was horrific at giving details about where one was going, but also really sucked at letting you know you were exiting subspace just above the chosen destination and about to fireball your way down to the surface. I screamed all the way down, thankfully blacking out once we hit something hard.

I came to, pretty certain I had a concussion. Sparky however, appeared to be the luckiest freaking dog in the universe. He was still safely in his seat, looking none the worse for wear. I blinked, wondering why my head felt like something had smacked into it with a vengeance. I unfastened my restraints, not noticing the big piece of indigo colored wood with lavender leaves still stuck to it next to my seat until I managed to stand up and survey the rest of the pod. Shit, The observation window was toast, bits of leaf debris and other such detritus scattered about it and my side of the pod.

Sparky was next to the door on the far side away from the window, so had missed the worst of it. I lifted my hand and felt my head, wincing as I felt the bump on my head and the warm stickiness that told me it was bleeding. Not a whole lot, by some miracle, but still, I bet that pathogen got into my bloodstream via the break in my skin and I died a lot sooner than the three promised days.

“We need to get the beacon set up,” I told Sparky.

“Computer, where do I find the emergency beacon?”

A drawer in the wall slid open, revealing the desired device. “Warning, poor signal quality. Advise finding clear ground.”

I carefully made my way to the shattered window and peered outside. There was nothing but trees and vines out there. I sighed. I needed to find the rations and something to pack them in.

“Looks lik we’re going on a hike, Sparky.” I wasn’t even remotely dressed for a hike of any kind, lest of all one in these conditions, but our lives depended on us getting rescued sooner rather than later. I had three days at most and Sparky, well, as small as he was, I had no clue if he had he same amount as me or less, or if the nastiness even affected his species. I guess we were about to find out.

The computer popped open a second drawer when I asked about food supplies. My stomach rumbled angrily remembering the delicious meal we’d both been waiting for before the disaster happened.

“Sure as hell not getting that burger now,” I muttered. I snorted. “Afraid you’re not getting that chicken, either, buddy.”

Sparky gave a low whine.

“Yeah, me, too, little guy. But we are going to have to just suck it up and eat these bars. I’m sure they’ll be super yummy!” Yeah, I was bullshitting us both. Emergency rations were going to taste like crap, no doubt about it. Still, they beat an empty stomach. I tore one open and offered it to Sparky. He sniffed it before refusing. Okay, maybe he wasn’t hungry yet. He had been given a lot of doggie treats everywhere we went today.I bit into the morsel. I hd to force myself to chew instead of spitting it out. Hope old were these things? They tasted dry and flavorless.

I made myself finish the entire v=bar then took a couple sips of water from a seri-ball filled with it. The rest I crammed as carefully as I could into a shoulder bag that was in the same compartment as the rations, along with a few rudimentary first aid supplies.

“Shit! I didn’t grab your leash.”

I cast my eyes about the small interior. Nothing leapt out at me, so I gave up on the idea of making one for him. I probably could, but with the way my head was pounding, I wasn’t going to try to think hard if I didn’t have to. There’d be plenty of that going on once we left the pod fr the jungle out there.

“Screw it,” I said, taking out some of the shitty tasting bars. I crammed them into my waistband before unfastening Sparky. He went into the poch without a fuss.

“Look at you,” I cooed. “So cute!” I frowned. He still had that stupid costume on. I shrugged. He was fine in it. I wasn’t stopping to take him out of the bag and undress him. Time was of the essence and minutes were quite probably critical. I picked up the emergency beacon’s bag and placed three strap over my other shoulder. Shit, this was unwieldy. Still, needs must.

I straightened my spine, squared my shoulders, and pushed the door release. Everywhere I looked there was nothing but trees with bark in shades of blue, leaves that were purple and lavender , and when I looked up, I could see the motes of light glinting through the broken tree tops. It was pink. Well, that was certainly different, but I was breathing without difficulty so the computer had been right. I wasn’t going to die right away.

Unless you keel over or your dizzy ass trips and can’t get up.

I scanned the forest floor, spying a length of wood that would do as a walking stick. It didn’t feel rotten and nothing hideous crawled out from the bark, and no sap stuck to me to burn my skin off, so I reckoned it was okay. It held my weight okay, too, so picking a direction, I headed out. Hopefully I found a clearing, preferably with some elevation, without having to go too far or some scary ass predator finding us.

CHAPTER 9

At first, I hadn’t thought it was hot outside. A bit on the cool side, actually, cool and damp. Not cold, though. Just cool. That all changed lickety split, though. At first I thought it was simply exertion combined with dealing with a concussion and alien atmosphere that made me feel all hot and sticky. The heavily panting Sparky was putting paid to that notion, though.

“Sorry, baby,” I told him, stopping under a tree. I reached in the bag and rummaged around him until my fingers felt the rounded shape of a water bulb. I pulled it out and helped him drink some of the water after I took a few pulls from it myself.

“How far do you think we’ve gone?” I asked him, wishing I’d thought to spare a second or two to grab my wrist comm so I could see how much time was passing. I had a terrible feeling that not only had we left the pod more recently than I thought, but that we’d managed to cover a helluva lot less ground than I’d hoped as well. Not that I wanted to have to walk far, but it had felt like a long way and we still hadn’t found a suitable spot for the beacon.

Mopping my brow, I place the now empty bulb back into the bag.

“Okay, let’s get going.” I took a step, freezing the moment I heard a low growl. “Please tell me that was you, Sparky.”

I knew it wasn’t, but I was hoping like mad it was, because if it wasn’t, it was something big, scary, and probably deadly.

Sparky chose to jump down out of the bag and dash forward, towards a clump of foliage that I now noticed sported some glowing pink eyes. He snarled, acting as if he really was some kind of canine super hero instead of a small, terrified dog who was simply pissing off whatever creature was about to eat us.

“Sparky!” I shrieked. “No! Get back here!” My heart was in my mouth as this huge cat thing leapt out of the bushes, only to fall mid-leap with a fucking spear through its skull.

I sank to my knees, dropping my erstwhile walking stick.”Oh thank fuck,” I sobbed as Sparky decided to return to me, licking my face in reassurance. “There’s people here.” People meant rescue was where my mind was going, right until I saw our rescuer.

He was tall, broad shouldered, and very well muscled. He was also very blue shirtless so I could see his torso and arms were striped with lavender. I swallowed, looking into his stupidly handsome, bearded face. His very alien face with his glowing pink eyes. I suddenly knew exactly why this world was interdicted and it was not sme damned pathogen. It was because they’d discovered honest to God alien intelligent life.

“Thlinkop pajib?”

His voice was deep and the tone of his question sounded concerned.

I shook my head, trying to convey to him that I had no clue what he was saying. That turned out to be a huge mistake as the motion made my head spin, redoubling the throbbing beat inside my head.

“Aliens,” I said before face planting onto the jungle floor.

I came to goodness how long later. It was now dark and the alien I’d met was now joined by two others of his kind. I was laid out on a bed of springy purple moss, Sparky curled up at my side. My two bags were on the ground next to the one I now thought of as my alien.

“Hey,” he said, noticing I was awake. “Universal speak?”

Holy shit balls. He knew my language? How long had his people been discovered? Who had taught them and why did the rest of the universe not know we’d discovered freaking aliens?

One of his friends snorted. “No universal speak,” he scoffed.

“I do so!” I protested, starting to sit up.My alien rushed over and with one hand against my shoulder, urged me to lay back down. “I do speak Universal,” I told him insistently.

His lips curved in a smile.

“Speak Universal,” he replied proudly, puffing his chest out and gesturing to include his friends.”I Terrin. You name?”

“Penny and the dog is Sparky.”

The male gave a small bow . “Honored to meet Sparky.”

“Not honored to meet me?”

His smile grew. “Nice nice to meet Penny.”

“Nice nice to meet you too.” I looked over at Terrin’s two buddies. “And you are?”

The one who’d scoffed earlier looked at me steadily. “I Penril.”

“And I Gessup,”t he third one said, looking away with a shy expression.

“Nice to meet you. Um, how did you guys learn Universal? Are some of my people here?”

The three males exchanged a look before Terrin replied. “Station,” he replied simply.

“There’s a station?” I asked excitedly. A government research outpost no doubt, studying the aliens and teaching them Universal, waiting for the right moment to tell the universe about the aliens they’d found. I was saved! All I had to do was get to this station. “Where is it? Can you take me there?”

Terrin looked uncomfortable. “No permission.”

Huh? He had to have permission? From who?

“I’m sure it would be okay,” I cajoled. “You’d be returning me to my people.”

The three males exchanged another look. Terrin gave a sharp nod. “We take after make you better.”

Shit. How to get them to understand I needed to get to the station where there was probably excellent medical help available? They could fix my broken head and probably solve that pathogen problem, if that was real and not just a cover story to keep people far away.

“You eat,” Terrin said, taking something Penril removed from a bundle of rolled leaves and held out to him. I gagged. It looked like raw flesh and I knew it was probably from that giant cat thing that had nearly killed us. “Eat,” Terrin repeated firmly. “Make better, go station.”

I opened my mouth and let him pop it inside. It was tangy and warm and small enough I could swallow it without chewing, so I did.

“There,” I said, unsure why he thought eating it would make me feel better. My gut cramped and for a split second, I thought I would throw up, but it passed. A chill washed over me and I shivered.

“Better soon,” Terrin assured me.

What the hell had he given me? Was this the deadly pathogen? I shook, watching helplessly as he offered a piece of the meat to Sparky. I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch the death throes of the brave little dog. Tears coursed down my cheeks, unchecked.

Murdering bastards.

CHAPTER 10

It started as a tingling sort of numbness. As far as ways to die went, I supposed this wasn’t the worst I could experience. I mean, I’d rather not die, but that was off the cards. The three aliens were talking in low voices in their native tongue. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought they sounded worried. Okay, maybe that was uncharitable. They probably did not know about the pathogen and thought they were helping me get my strength up after my crash. After all, that had to have been visible for miles, even with the thick forest canopy.

I felt Sparky give a half howl half groan sort of sound as he jerked against me, prompting me to open my eyelids.Poor wee soul, the pathogen had likely overcome him faster due to his tiny size and he was no doubt having a bout of indigestion from the alien meat on top of everything else.

I blinked as the pink light penetrated my awareness. Before, the jungle had seemed dim, with the thin shafts of light peering through the upper canopy here and there. Everything was so much more vibrant now.It was as if someone had adjusted it to be seen in a brighter and upped the color saturation as well.

Sparky twitched again and I glanced down at him in alarm. Not just because of his erratic body movement, but his eyes…they were now the same vibrant pink as the three aliens. I moved to sit up, and the numbness became shot through with bolts of electricity.

Maybe not dying then. Muscles fell asleep most likely.

I experimentally twitched my fingers. They moved just fine but once more, that annoying fallen asleep sensation followed.

Huh.

I turned to look at my three new companions. “Hey!” I called out to get their attention. “Something’s wrong with Sparky.”

Terrin strode over to my side then knelt down. Poor Sparky really was out of it as he didn’t growl or give him one of the usual diva dog looks he excelled at.

“He better.” Terrin pointed at his eyes. “Got Zymbit now.”

Zymbit? What the ever loving hell was a Zymbit?

“You mean the pink eyes like yours?” I asked, becuase, yep, Sparky now had the same crazy looking eyes.

He nodded, tentatively reaching a hand out to gently caress under one of my eyes with his thumb. “Soon, your Zymbit be you.”

I’d been a split second from melting into his tender touch, more fool me, until he shared that tidbit of information.

“Me?” I screeched. “I’m going to get glowing pink eyes?”

Terrin rocked back on his heels, huffing in what appeared to be amusement. I noticed then that he had sharp pointy teeth on either side of his…my poor addled brain reached for the name. Those flat teeth in the front of our mouths.Was I going to get those too?

“Why?” I demanded.

A serious look came over his face. “Make better,” he replied simply. “Make breathe. Make no bleed. No die.”

I stared at him open-mouthed. “This Zymbit thing, it stops me from dying from being here?” i hoped he understood what I was trying to ask.

“Yes. No die like before. No Zymbit so they die.”

That tingling feeling zinged straight up my spine to my eyeballs and I yelped, my body jerking from the intensity of it. This explained why Sparky had howled and twitched, oh yes it surely did. When the pain receded, Everything was brighter still, and a lot sharper. I could see every detail on some itty bitty bug on a leaf hat had to be at least thirty feet up.

Whoa!

He was right, I did feel better. My head no longer had someone playing the drums and tat pins and needles thing was gone. I had no idea what this Zymbit thing truly was, maybe a symbiotic microorganism? It had been present in the raw meat, after all. I could ask the researchers at the station when we got there.

“I’m better now,” I stated.

The three males nodded. “Better,” Terrin agreed.

“Right, so let’s go to the station now.” I stood up, holding Sparky to me as I did so, ignoring how wobbly I still felt.

They gave each other uncomfortable looks.

“Oh, no, no, no!” I stamped my foot. “You said after I ate that and got better from the Zymbit, you’d take me.”

Terrin nodded. “Take you,” he agreed.

I felt a but coming.

“Need yes first,” Terrin reminded.

Oh, yeah, they’d mentioned that before. They had to get permission to visit the station. The researchers no doubt had strict non-interference protocols that prevented them from interacting with the indigenous species too much to prevent cultural contamination. They weren’t the at the same tech level as us at all or anything.

“It’ll be okay. They won’t be mad because you’re bringing me and I am like them there at the station.”

Terrin’s shoulders slumped. “You say yes, so take now. Supplies first.Many walks.”

Right, so it was a few days hike away? With the Zymbit, I’d be fine, right? I was feeling pretty darned invincible now, to be honest., the wobbles going nearly as fast as they’d came. I’d survived a disaster in space, crash landed on an alien planet, met aliens, and gotten super charged from a miraculous healing germ. After all that, what was a little hiking? Especially with three aliens who looked like they belonged in a sci fi drama vid, cast as heroes for the ladies to all fall madly in love with?

Especially Terrin…

CHAPTER 11

Okay, so having a Zymbit did not, in fact, make hiking through a hot jungle easy as pie. Not even with the eye candy on hand that was the rippling muscles of three very graceful men. How the hell they made walking so silently through the tangle of vines and bushes, she had no idea.

I can’t even blame my crash injuries, because they magically disappeared. I just gotta face it, they are bigger, stronger, and better adapted to this planet than my pampered ass. The colony might have been a bit of a shit hole, but conditions were not a patch on this.

Tearing came to a stop, holding up a hand to his companions. It hadn’t taken long for me to figure out that among the group, Terrin seemed to be the one in charge.

“Rest now. Night comes.”

I looked about. Was there some sort of hunter’s cabin around here somewhere that I couldn’t see due to its excellent camouflage? I had a sinking feeling the answer to that would be a resounding no. I looked at the three men. They each carried a spear and had two bags, same as I did. I knew from us stopping to fill them that one held stoppered gourds they filled with drinking water.

A bunch of large shiny purple leaves filled that bag the rest of the way up. When we’d stopped to eat, Penril had opened his second bag and taken out more cubes of the raw meat, each one wrapped in one of the purple leaves. They’d been out hunting when they saw my crash. At the thought, pinpricks of guilt began to fill me. Had I caused them to not only have to delay their hunt, but were their families going hungry thanks to me? My imagination immediately supplied tiny children who looked like them, with soft baby features and huge eyes fringed with long lashes.

“I’m sorry,” I crooked.

The three men looked at me in surprise.

“Your children are starving thanks to me, aren’t they? You were hunting so they’d have something to eat,” I sobbed.

Gessup scratched his head, looking puzzled.

“No got children,” he said, pointing to himself and then the other two. “Hunt to trade.” He grinned, gesturing to his neck. “Pretty to give pretty one.” He pointed at me as he spoke his last words.

Oh. They were hunting so they could barter the meat and maybe hide for some beads or something to give to pretty girls? Why did the knowledge that this meant Terrin was single and available make me so happy? I obviously had lost my damned mind during the crash. Was it a side effect of getting that Zymbit thing?

And speaking of Terrin, what the hell was he doing staring up at that tree?

“I check,” he said, using Universal for my benefit. I had to admit, they’d all been pretty good about trying to do that during the hike.

“Checking the tree?”

“Yes,” Gessup replied for him. I wondered how he was going to do that right up to the moment I watched his hand sprout claws. He toed off his footwear and placed them in his bag with his drinking gourd. His feet sprouted wicked claws too, wickedly sharp indigo ones that curved. I understood then. He was going to climb and boy howdy, climb he did. He made it look effortless. I craned my neck back, watching him ascend into the canopy. A group of birds squawked loudly and took off. Terrin climbed back down a few minutes later.

“Safe. No nest. Shimshi just visit.”

“Shimshi? You mean those birds?”

He nodded.”We go up. Rest safe.”

Oh boy.

“Um, I don’t know if you noticed but neither Sparky or i have claws like yours,” I pointed out, gesturing.

He grinned widely, his teeth gleaming. “I carry. You small.”

I squeaked. “What if I fall? I could fall out of the tree!”

He laughed. ‘You no fall. We make sure.” He lunged for m then and before I knew what he was up to, he was scampering up the tree with me slung over his shoulder. I closed my eyes, the sight of the ground getting farther away not doing much to calm my nerves. Poor Sparky was as stunned as I was, not letting out a peep even though he had to be squashed between us.

He stopped climbing after what seemed an eternity but which rationally I knew only had to have been two or three minutes, tops. “Okay, here.”

I opened my eyes, getting a good look at the tight globes of his ass in those tight leathery trousers he wore. Holy shit, that was a work of art. I was enjoying perving on him so much that I almost regretted him settling me down back onto my feet.

“Wow,” I said, getting a good look. We were standing by te trunk on a branch that was rather flat on the top and bottom sides and which had to be at least three feet wide. I resisted looking down to see if the guys were still below and if they looked like ants from up here. And talk about the view up here! I could see the sky, a pastel lavender hue with clouds of the softest pink. No craft to be seen darting to and fro, just clean, empty air and the occasional bird. Speaking of which-

“Down!” Terrin shouted, pulling me down to lie flat against the branch while he plastered himself against the trunk.

The large flying thing that I’d seen screeched, flying over us. Several heartbeats later, Terrin said, “Okay now. No see.”

I nodded, happy to take his word for it.

Gessup’s head appeared. “Rotkin all gone.”

“All gone,” Terrin agreed.

I willed my still hammering heart to slow down. Once, when I was a little kid, I’d sen a picture of a bird back on Earth. It had the most beautiful rainbow colored wings and our teacher told us they could talk and carry on very simple conversations. Very, very simple ones, but still, my young self had been enchanted and dreamed of one day, getting to see a real live parrot and maybe talking to it. The rotkin had looked like a parrot married a pterodactyl or some shit. I had a feeling that if we’d actually met, the only conversation we’d be having was me begging it to not to eat me as I watched it gobble up my friends.

Yeah, friends. We’d met only a few hours ago, but we’d been through so much already that I felt we’d established that sort of bond, though I felt the beginnings of a very large crush forming for Terrin.So sue me! He was something else to behold.

Terrin eased around me on the branch and Gessup clambered up onto a branch on the other side of the trunk, Penril right behind him.

“Okay, so what now?”

As if in response, the three men reached into their gourd bag. In addition to the leaves, they also had some kind of dried vines, which they used small knives strapped to their waist to cut to toe up the chunks of meat. The lengths were surprisingly long and now I knew why. I watched in awe as they braided three together, then tied one end around the trunk before weaving it about their arms and legs to make a sort of harness, which they then looped around the branch.

Terrin pulled me to him first though, tethering us together. If we ended up falling, we’d do it together. ”Sleep,” he told me. I shook my head. There was no way I could relax enough tied to a hot guy while we were tied to a tree. Especially not with giant killer birds flying around somewhere out there. Nope. Not happening.

Sparky whined and Terrin fumbled a bit, reaching to fetch out a cube of meat for the hungry pooch. Sparky ate it greedily, settled right back down, sinking the rest of the away into the bag. He let out a contented sigh just before farting.

“Eww! Did you have to do that?”

Sparky snored softly in response. At least one of us was going to be well rested.

“Sleep,” Terrin said once more., also shaking with laughter at Sparky’s antics.

“I can’t.”

He said nothing more, leaving me to gaze out across the treetops as the sun set. I could feel his heartbeat against my back. It was faster than a humans, the rhythm strange yet also comforting. I felt his breathing synch with mine, and before I knew what was happening, my eyes slid shut

“Guess I can rest my eyes a bit,” I murmured.

CHAPTER 12

It turned out that I could sleep while perched in a tree, trussed up. There was just something about the three alien males that made me feel safe with them, especially Terrin. He was so damned attentive to both mine and Sparky’s needs. Plus Sparky liked them, when he’d barely tolerated most of the humans we encountered back aboard ship. Damn, that time felt like it had been a million years ago. Weird how events could get you so caught up in them that time seemed to race away from you.

We ate more cubes of that meat and my stomach lurched less at the sight, taste, and texture of it. I guess a girl could get used to pretty much anything, given the right circumstances.

After we ate, the guys stood up and pissed on the trunk of the tree, Terrin disengaging me from him first. I turned away, embarrassed but not before I saw that we looked sexually compatible. Not that I was looking to see. Okay, so sue me. They were the ones whipping it out like that.

“You go,” Terrin encouraged me.

I shook my head.

“Make water,” he insisted. “Make water here. No spoor.”

Spoor? Oh! He didn’t want one of the predators roaming the ground below to smell it and know we’d been there. I frowned.

“It’ll drip down to the ground,” I said.

He rolled his eyes then pointed a bit further along the branch we were perched on. “In the hole.”

I eyed the branch. It was wide enough for me to walk to the knothole safely, if I didn’t wobble. My bladder was screaming, which decided me. “You hold him,” I said, passing him the bag holding Sparky. “I don’t want him wiggling and knocking us both off.” I held out a hand. “And give me a leaf.”

He reached int his bag and handed me one of the broad, shiny laves.

“This won’t leave a rash will it?”

“Ra-ash?”

Great, a word they didn’t know. I rubbed the leaf against my palm. No weird burning or tingling happened, so I guessed I was good to go, even though the leaf would probably make a terrible substitute for actual toilet paper.

“Don’t look!” I admonished before siding over to the knot. Once there, I wriggled my pajama bottoms and panties down and aimed as much as was possible at the knothole. The hole must have gone sideways and not just down, as it didn’t overflow. I was grateful about that. Unfortunately, after wiping with it, I had no idea what to do with the leaf. If I dropped it, it would be a beacon for passing predators, negating our efforts up here. In the end I scrunched it up and stuffed as much as I could into the knot hole.

After not falling to my doom pulling up my sleep shorts, I edged back along to where Terrin was waiting. He looked at me, something like pride in his eyes.

“Where are the guys?” I asked him. He pointed down at the ground. “That was fast.”

He turned away from me, facing the trunk. Using his claws to steady himself against the trunk, he said, “Ride.”

I understood immediately. He wanted to give me a piggy back ride down. I liked this option much better than the way I’d gone up. I clambered onto his back and he began our descent. Yep, this was much less scarier. Didn’t stop me from closing my eyes, though. Heights and I were not pals.

Partway down I felt him pause for a moment and it felt as if he was adjusting his stance. When we got down to the ground though, and he set me down, I saw he’d actually stopped to pluck an orchid-like flower that had been growing on the trunk. He held it out to me.

“Pretty,” he said.

I blushed, taking it.”Thank you.” I tucked it behind my ear, hoping I was making a mistake. Terrin couldn’t possibly be flirting, right? He’d just seen a pretty flower and given it to her to show her.”You’re right, it is pretty. I like it.”

Terrin smiled, hanging back with me as we resumed our long walk.

This world was incredibly beautiful. The lush, well, I couldn’t call it greenery. Foliage, that’s the word I was reaching for. The colors were exotic and the animals and birds I caught glimpses of were intriguing. Thankfully nothing else dangerous appeared though I did notice that that the route we were taking had taken on the look of a road of sorts.

This was confirmed when we reached the river and a durasteel bridge spanned the distance between the two banks. There was no telling ow long the bridge had been here, durasteel remaining as shiny as the day it’s first used right up to the moment its dismantled, if it ever is. The lack of vehicle tire tracks on the dirt road indicated that it was rarely used, probably only to access samples for studies.

That night we slept in a cave filled with durasteel shipping crates. The seals were broken so they’d already been emptied of their contents, so the layers of dust on them didn’t unduly alarm me. Sparky enjoyed barking at the little pale blue fish that swam in the shallow pool inside. His barks echoed around the cave so we were all glad when he tired of that and returned by my side to sleep.

All I could think about though was how close we had to be now. These obviously had been supplies for the research base. When I saw them, my knees damned near gave out as my brain told my body we’d made it. That base could have been ten feet away and I’d never have made it another step. I was hot, thirsty, and exhausted, not to mention hungry.

Boy, was I looking forward to something other than the few ration bars I had left and those cubes of raw meat. I’d asked about some berries along the way but the guys all looked alarmed and informed me they were poisonous. I knew the base would be well supplied though, no doubt growing fruit and vegetables in a greenhouse.and mmm, cooked meat! Not to be ungrateful, but raw meat was not my jam.

“Here.”

I looked up at the softly spoken words. It was Terrin again, acting all sweet. This time he was offering me what looked like a pillow made of moss.

“Thanks,” I said, taking it from him. “For my head?”

“Yes.” He gave me that smile again, the one that looked gentle despite his sharp fangs. Then he turned away and joined his friends by the mouth of the cave. I saw they all had similar clumps of thos mossy stuff and yep, they were using it like pillows. I hadn’t even noticed them gathering it. I rubbed my eyes. My exhaustion was making unobservant.

Yawning, I thought to myself, I need to be more on the ball. Oooh, tomorrow I’ll be in a real bed!

I fell asleep refusing to acknowledge that tomorrow would also likely be a good-bye and that I’d never see them again.

CHAPTER 13

“What’s all the shouting about?” I asked, sitting up in alarmed confusion at the sounds of three male voices doing what sounded like arguing and Sparky jumping about barking.

“Tell!” Gessup said, pointing at me but looking at Terrin.

Terrin’s shoulders slumped.

“Show me what?”

Sparky gave one last bark and ran over to me, clambering up on my lap tp lick my chin.

“We show,” Terrin said. “Not secret. You always see.”

Okay. So there was something I’d have seen once we got here but Gessup and maybe Penril thought he should have told me about it first. Whatever.

“Look, I don’t care what this is about. I’m sure whatever it you want me to know about is cool and all, but all I care about is getting to the research base.”

The three males exchanged looks I couldn’t read.

“Eat first,” Gessup said, sighing.

“How far is it? It’s got to be close, right? They stored their empty drop containers in here, so it can’t be that far.”

“Not far,” Penril admitted, his tone grudging.

Geesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

“Alrighty, then! How far is not far. Very small walk?” I asked hopefully. Penril gave a short nod.

“Awesome!” I said, forcing myself to sound positively cheerful as all get out. “Let’s go! We can have breakfast there.”

I fed Sparky a piece of ration bar as a treat for stopping his barking and letting me put him back in the bag without fuss. The three guys avoided looking at me or each other. It was ridiculous. I hoped they got the bugs out of their butts before we arrived. It would be embarrassing to show up with such surly companions.

Going to the mouth of the cave, I asked, “Right. Now, which way do we go?” The path outside went two directions.

Terrin lifted his arm and pointed to the left, towards a hill that looked to be less than a mile away. “There. Base other side. Ground goes down.”

I nodded. So we had to walk to the hill, which the path went around. Presumably there was a valley or something there te path would lead us into. I started off, swinging my arms cheerfully. The three males scurried to catch up with me, Terrin proffering one of the water vessels to me. I was thirsty, so I took it and drank a few sips. I didn’t want to fill up on water before getting to sit down to a proper breakfast, after all.

“You think they’ll have eggs? I mean, they might be synthesized ones or something, but let me tell you, I could absolutely murder an omelette right now.”

We came around the other side of the hill and I stopped.

“No,” I whispered. The weeds encroaching on the station surely was down to budget cutbacks and a lack of being allocated a replacement maintenance bot, surely. That cracked, empty landing pad, ditto.

Terrin placed a hand on my arm. I shook it off.

“I need to see what’s happened!” I shouted at him before taking off running. It looked worse the closer I came. Weeds, dust, broken windows here and there, all signs of neglect or abandonment.

I finally reached the main building, relieved to se the lights still working on the outside comm unit. I pressed my palm to it to activate it.

“Hi, um, I’m Penelope Halt and I was on a cruise ship and um, there was an accident and my my pod brought me here.”

“Please state authorization code.”

Shit. It was an AI.

“I don’t have a code! I told you, I was brought here by my life pod after an accident!”

“Please state authorization code.”

Tears began to leak from my eyes and run down my face. “Please, let me in. I want to go home.”

“Please state-”

“Authorization code!” I screamed the words along with it.

I glanced around wildly. There had to be another way in, right? Even if everyone was gone, I could access the comm systems maybe and send out a call for help.

It took me several frantic minutes to find a ventilation shaft with a loose cover while the guys simply watched me with sad expressions. I could not even deal with them right now. This had to have been what the disagreement was about earlier. They’d known what was here and knew what we would find.

“Help me pull this off!” I demanded, shouting over my shoulder at them. Terrin joined me, looking unconvinced that this was a good idea, but to his credit, he used his spear to help lever the access panel open. It was large enough for me to climb into, but not them. I took off my bags and handed them to him. “Hold these and go wait by the door.”

I didn’t hang about waiting to hear a reply. I was too upset to hear him anyway, to be honest, so my crawling in there and going for broke was probably best as I was only a hair away from a complete breakdown.

It was dusty work and I sneezed to clear my nose more than once before I finally reached a vent belonging to an inside room. Thankfully, it was magnetic so I was able to give it a push and the vent cover fell inside the room. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but I figured I could make it inside.

That accomplished, a quick look around the room told the same story as the outside. Dust covers were hung over equipment and a thick layer of grime lay over everything. This place had been mothballed by the looks of things.

Probably during the time they interdicted the place for hosting a deadly pathogen, I thought bitterly.

I tried the door and to my surprise, it opened. A look into other rooms I was able to get into looked the same. Well, they did until I found the crew quarters anyway. Some of the quarters still had personal effects in them, complete with clothes in the closet. It was creepy. I quickly left that area and went looking for the main door, remembering I’d told Terrin to wait for me there. He was probably freaking out by now, wondering what the hell I’d gotten into.

Following the main corridor, I easily found it and using the emergency override hand controls, managed to wrest the doors open.

“Warning: security breach.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered. All three males were standing there by the door and I made a come-on gesture to them. “Well, don’t just stand there, come inside.I need to find the control room.” I turned to go do just that.

‘“ll gone,” Gessup said sadly as he followed me.

“Yeah, I noticed. Thanks for warning me ahead of time, guys!”

They wisely said nothing to that, but then again, maybe they didn’t entirely understand my sarcastic comment.

“Security breach at main entrance.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I wished the damned AI would shut the hell up.

Well, at least there’s no sirens or anything going off. This sure as hell also explains why no one from this base came to help at the crash site, too.

CHAPTER 14

The main control room doors weren’t even locked. I’d expected them to be, given it was one of the most important rooms in the building, if not the most important one of all.

“Security breach at-”

“Computer, stop.” I knew my command probably wouldn’t work, but I had to try. The repetition was frying my already frayed nerves.

“Please state authorization code.”

What the hell, I’d just wing it. It had worked okayish so far.

“A, B, C, 1, 2, 3.”

“Authorization code accepted.”

Seriously? No way! I waited a full moment, waiting for the computer to realize it had made an error. It didn’t, so I asked it a question.

“Computer, how long has this station been unoccupied.”

“Research Station Belmorpheus was decommissioned two hundred and fifty-three years, six months, twenty-three days, and fourteen point six hours ago.”

Holy shit. I’d expected it to say a year or two, tops. There had to be some functioning maintenance bots after all.

“Please state the reason for decommissioning.”

“Pathogen of indeterminate origin causing death within days unless infected with the symbiont found in native life forms. Symbiont found to make life off-planet lethal.”

What? I needed to sit down. This was not going to plan at all. I was supposed to get here, find the researchers, have a hot meal, get to sleep in a proper bed in an air conditioned building, and in a couple of days’ time max, be on my way back home. Not find out I would have died without the symbiont the guys infected me with using that cube of meat and that I’d still die if I left the planet because the symbiont itself wold kill me somehow.

I staggered over to one of the workstation chairs. After taking several deep breaths to try and calm myself, I turned to look at my alien companions.

“Did you know about this?”

They all looked guilty as sin, so i had a bad feeling they did. This was confirmed when Terrin nodded.

“They come, and few die. We find one, help. He live, told others. They eat the meat, drink the stream’s waters. They live. Then one leave and he die. They stayed many seasons until one day, more come, take them away. My people saw them in boxes.”

“Boxes?”

Gessup nodded. “Boxes made for one to sleep in. They looked asleep.then whoosh!” He zoomed a hand upward, imitating a craft taking off.

“So they stayed and that’s how you guys leaned Universal,” I guessed. They all nodded.

“We teach our young, for when come back.” Gessup grinned then, reaching out to pat my shoulder. “You here now.”

“Only by accident.”

Gessup shrugged. “Still here and we speak.”

I snorted. “True. I guess that’s a bit of a silver lining.” noting tier baffled looks, I hastened to explain. “That means it is something good to be found out of something misfortune. I crashed but you saved me and we can communicate.”

I came to a sudden decision. “Right. This place is abandoned and no one is going to come back here on purpose, it sounds like, but everything works and the maintenance bots seem to be functioning, more or less.”

“Bots?” Terrin asked.

I pointed to one in the corner. Things like tis that clean and fix stuff. That one is turned off, might be broken, I dunno.” I shrugged. “Anyway, I’m guessing you guys don’t live anywhere like this, do you?”

Terrin shook his head in the negative.

“Then i’m going to go check out the other buildings, see if there is a greenhouse and seeds and stuff. If so, I’m going to stay here.”

They nodded as if this was the most logical thing in the world.

“Penny stay in place of her people,” Terrin agreed.”I stay with Penny,” he told his friends.

“You’ll stay with me?” I hadn’t expected that, though with how he’d been towards me during the trip.

“Help Penny,” he replied in a very agreeable tone.

I had to clear this up. I felt awkward as hell asking, but I forced myself to anyway. “Um, is it because you think I’m pretty?”

He guffawed. “I help because need help.” he looked mischievous. “Penny very pretty makes help more fun.” His eyes roamed my body, letting me know exactly whee his desires lay. My eyes dropped from his face to his trousers and oh, my goodness, yep, he was thinking what I thought he was.

The sight of his thick member outlined against his formfitting pants turned my nipples into hard points and I felt myself wanting to find out more about what he had in mind. And why not? I was going to be here the rest of my life and he was not only sexy in his own alien way, but he’d shown himself to be kind and helpful.

I licked my lips. “Okay, then, how about we go check out the other buildings. Then we can see about getting rid of some of this dust and stuff.”

I stood up on shaky legs and when his knowing gaze met mine and he reached his arm out to take mine, I leaned a bit into him. Had he always smelled this good? A heady mixture of light musk and something spicy, it made me want to cover myself in his scent.

Down, girl, we got things to do first. Get this place ready to occupy first, then find a bed to get horizontal in together if he wants to.

Something told me he would definitely want to.

CHAPTER 15

I had to say, the tech looking and feeling so familiar probably had a lot more to do with me being from a broke ass colony than the lack of technology advancing. Stopping to ask for a map of the compound before heading out only occurred to me just before reaching the door of the room, but I found I was out of luck due to security protocols. Feeling flush still from my success with the front door of the compound, I started poking around and to my elight, found the software here was indeed very similar to what we’d had back home.

After a bit of trial and error, and I was able to bypass the security enough to gain control of all the doors, the remaining functioning bots, inventory lists, and the map. A bit more jiggery pokery later and I was certain I’d gain access to the power grid controls and internal communication. I wasn’t bothered about outside comms seeing as no one was likely to come and if they did, either end up in the same boat as me or worse, not listen and force me to go offworld with them, and bam! Both Sparky and I would be dead as two door nails.

The greenhouse was a bust, literally. Some of the clear panels were missing or cracked and indigenous plants had taken root here and there inside. I just had to hope there were replacement panels to be had and that the maintenance bots had for whatever reason, not replaced them. I mean, this building would be low priority, right? Seeing as no one else was ever expected to come back and all.

“Looks like it’ll be ration bars and whatever you can hunt. I was hoping for some fruit and veggies though,” i said forlornly.

Terrin hummed, examining the framework. “Can fix,” he announced, before turning to confer in his own language to our other two companions.From the rapid fire discussion they were having and the way they were gesticulating, I surmised they were discussing the feasibility of whatever he had in mind. From their manner, it looked as if they were not strangers to the concept of a greenhouse, which I found interesting. Either they were more agriculturally advanced than I’d thought, or these guys were super swift on the uptake.

I wanted to ask how they planned to fix it, but knowing we had as of yet no idea if there were panels in storage somewhere to fix it properly, I reckoned they probably had some other method in mind.

“The sun has t shine through whatever we cover the holes with,” I said.

Gessup simply grinned as he and Penril sprinted off in a blue blur. I shrugged. I’d find out soon enough.

“Okay, let’s go check that building,” I said, pointing to a large structure that the map said was storage and workshop space. There I hit the mother lode. Inside, the stasis unit holding seeds was running. If we did gett he greenhouse repaired, I stood a good chance at getting some fresh produce! My mouth watered at the list of seeds inside. Some of these foods I’d heard of but had never seen or tasted. Cantaloupe, watermelon, Roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, peaches, nectarines…wait, those had a different symbol next to them.

My mouth dropped open. The unit held tree seedlings! It really drove home with me then, just how long this research station was supposed to have been. I felt sad for the researchers then. They didn’t get to complete their life’s work and died in the attempt.

I decided then and there that I would make it my mission to not only survive here, but look for any records or journals that might be left behind and see the sort of things they thought important to document about the aliens and the world they lived on. I’d pick up where they left off, to the best of my ability.Who knows, maybe someday in the future, some government body would decide to try again and tada! They would have a lifetime of records to look at.

Terrin handed me the bag with Sparky in it, pointing at the door to let me know he was leaving. Sparky fussed, wanting out and I figured he would be safe enough, as long as I made sure he didn’t wander too far from me.

My attention was soon drawn by the sounds of a minor commotion outside. To my surprise, Gessup and Penril had returned, carrying some of the large opaque sheets that covered some of the equipment in the main building. I watched open mouthed as they began using their claws to cut squares of the correct size. They made a stack of the squares, then placed them inside the workshop area while they rummaged through containers and drawers.

Terrin spoke with them for a moment, then placed his hand on the small of my back. “They find fixing things. We go back. Make sleep ready.”

My face warmed at the sign of possession he was showing by gyuding me gently in this way. Feeling rather possessive myself, I reached my arm out and wrapped it around his waist. He looked surprised, but please and didn;t comment on it.

I whistled. “Come on Sparky! Come on boy! Let’s go find our rooms. Yes! Sparky going to have a nice soft bed tonight.”

He barked and came trotting over from where he’d been sniffing.

“I think a shower first would be nice, if they’re working,” I said. “I know I’ll just get dirty again cleaning, but I’ll feel so much better.I cna always shower again after.’

Terrin regarded me silently, then nodded. “Clean is good. More feel like making more clean.”

“Exactly! If I feel good from having gotten myself clean, I’ll feel more into it when we’re getting rid of all that dust and finding clean sheets.”

It was a fairly simple matter to find out if the sowers were working. They weren’t, but it turned out to be a simple matter of turning the water back on. That done, it was time to pick a room and that was when i got hot by a huge case of the feels.

The rooms still had personal effects in, some with more than others. Clothes, photos, mementos, all the things that made a room personal. I choked up.

Concerned, Terrin placed his hand under my chin. “Why sad?”

“They’re never coming back and their things are here just waiting.”

He swiped a thumb down my cheek, brushing away a tear. Then he surprised me by leaning in and brushing a soft kiss across my lips. Pulling back, he turned and silently began removing the personal items from the room we were in.

“I’ll go see if I can find some less dusty bedding,” I said.

Oh boy. I was getting in deep, way past the mere crush zone, and it looked like he was also going all in. I felt absolutely giddy about it.

CHAPTER 16

I ended up going to the river and rinsing the sheets and praying they’d dry in time, laid out on the pink grassy bank. The pillows I pounded the dust out of. It took a lot of effort to clean just two rooms, seeing as I was determined they’d be spotless. We both ended up grimier than we’d been after our trek through the jungle but there was plentiful hot water and a working shower and even soap, so I didn’t care one bit.

“I’ll try to clean two more rooms tomorrow,” I said, as the four of us sat down to a meal of ration bars and those cubes of meat. “And I’m going to see if there is anything else edible stored. But in the meantime, I hope you don’t mind sharing a room.” The rooms both only had one bed so they’d have to decide who got it for the night.

Gessup grinned. “Is okay.Tomorrow I go, tell we here.”

I felt guilty then, as I hadn’t given a single thought to the friends and family they must have waiting for them.

“Oh!” I said, remembering something else. “Will you get into trouble for coming here without permission?”

Terrin grunted. “Permission come from station people. No permission, no come.”

“Oh. Um, since my people built it, does it count that i asked you to bring me here? Even though I’m not one of the people who built this place?”

Terrin gave a short nod. “Your people build. This yours.”

I felt immeasurably relieved. I didn’t want them to be punished for having helped me.I reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad it’s okay.”

Penril hooted. “Terrin got pretty!”

“No, it’s me that has Terrin,” I shot back, blushing furiously even as I tried to play it off.

“I yours,” Terrin agreed. “I fix food place and you be mate?”

My heart skipped a beat even as my mind latched on to the way he’d phrased his question. Not as a transaction for sex, but as if he was asking if he was worthy of her if he fixed the greenhouse as promised. It kinda sounded like a marriage proposal, actually. A weird, awkward, but sincere proposal and well, I must have lost my mind along the way, but I was digging it.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll be your mate.”

Terrin’s chest puffed out as Gessup and Penril slapped him on his back. It was such a familiar sort of sight to see, made all the more surreal by seeing it here, now, with these people, in this place.

No, not surreal. Hyper real. They might be alien, and look different and have different cultural norms than I was used to, but this right here, showed that fundamentally, people really were the same all over.

Gessup bounced around excitedly. “I go tell. He will come. Everyone will come!” he told me excitedly.

“He who? And what do you mean, everyone?”

“First must mate,” Terrin said to him, his tone stern. “Make one people.”

This sounded serious.

“One people?”

“You, me. Two people. Make one people.” He huffed in annoyance. “You, no my people. He pointed at his arm. I got it then.

“Oh! We mate and join our people together, one people.”

He clapped his hands once, a look of joy on his face. “One people!”

I really needed to learn their language. Though if we really were going to be married, I supposed his Universal would get better over time too, so over time, we’d get to have much better conversations.

Married. The thought made my heart pang, missing Sarah. She’d think me lost in space, possibly dead, and never know what happened to me. It was so unfair.

A whimper caught my attention and I looked down. Sparky was looking up at me mournfully. I bent down to pick him up and gave him a quick snuggle. He licked my face and I laughed.

“Come on, Sparky, let’s get you out of this ridiculous outfit.I should have taken it off of you days ago. I’m sorry.” He licked my chin to show his forgiveness.

I’m glad I don’t have to give him back. He was meant to be mine, I think.

It felt like Fate, really. All the things that happened to us both to get us to this point, right here, on this interdicted planet in the middle of goodness knows where with the sweetest dog in the universe and a hunky alien who saved me and swept me off my feet. I felt like a vid heroine!

Okay, if Sarah was here she’d probably tell me it was the craziest thing I’ve ever done but she’d be gushing about fated mates or whatever and picking out her own hottie from the other two.

I could totally see her with Gessup. His quiet, almost shy demeanor would have her salivating at him. I laughed, despite feeling that pang again at knowing Sarah and I would never, ever, ever see each other again and that I had no way to get a message to her. It sucked big time, but I had to keep my big girl pants on.

At least until they wear out, I told myself ruefully. They’re my only pair of panties.

I shrugged. I’d just have to see what the native gals wore. I mean, Gessup said he was going to let the folks back at their village or whatever know where they were and what had happened and to expect them to come visit. Maybe some of them would even want to stay, help me keep tis place running. Members of Terrin’s family, maybe.

“Shit! I need to take a shower, I’m all covered in dust and river water and stuff.” I jumped up and fast walked towards the crew quarters, ignoring the looks Terrin was getting from his friends. They probably thought I was being weird, and second guessing his decision to take me as his.

I hurriedly stripped out of my clothes as soon as the door to the room I’d selected as mine closed.

They wouldn’t talk him into just leaving the crazy alien here, would they? Sure, he acted like he cared what happened to me, but it wasn’t, couldn’t be love, right? We’d only known each other three days, after all.

I turned the water on, waited a moment for the disused pipes to clear and the water to run out untainted, then stepped in. The water was cold and I kicked myself for not having set the temperature before getting in.

I really like him, too. He’s been sweet, and caring, and he’s sexy so I don’t think that the sex department would be a problem unless his anatomy is way too different.

The question of his anatomy was soon answered, when to my shock, I heard the bathroom door open and the the shower curtain pull back.

“I help,” Terrin said simply.

My mouth opened and closed a few times. He certainly was proportional and as to his dick, well, it looked like I was going to take a ride on a fabulous disco stick indeed. It looked pretty much the same shape as a human’s, save for the raised bumps scattered evenly between three flared ridges along the length of the shaft, the largest of the three nestled at the base. The head of his cock flared wide, sort of umbrella shaped rather than a mushroom. My nipples were already pebbled from te shock of the water, but now they became twin aching points of need.

“I help clean,” Terrin reiterated.

I lifted my eyes from where i’d been staring, blushing furiously. “Yes. Um.” I grabbed a random bottle and handed it to him, not knowing or caring if it was body wash, conditioner, or shampoo. It’d help get the grime off regardless, right? “Um, use some of this.”

His eyes and the quirk of his lips definitely told me he was amused at my reaction to him.

“Penny like?” he asked, taking the bottle from me with one hand while grasping his member firmly in the other and giving it a stroke from root to tip.

“Yes! I mean no. Ugh! That is, yes, you look good but right now I need to get clean.”

“Penny look good,” he replied, his voice gone growly. “Want mate Penny.”

“You said you’d fix the greenhouse first,” i reminded him.

He gave me a feral grin that promised all sorts of wicked things.

“I say I fix and Penny mate me. Not when fix and when mate.”

“Oh,” I licked my lips. He was right, he hadn’t. I’d made assumptions. “So, mate now, fix later?”

“Happy Penny ask.” With that he dropped the bottle and reached for me.Somehow or other we ended up wrangling into position, him with his feet and one arm braced against the shower wall, my legs and arms wrapped around him.

I whimpered as his other hand cupped my butt, rubbing my increasingly drenched pussy against his cock. We rutted like that, kissing furiously, until I couldn’t stand it another second. I shifted, moving so that glorious cock head was at my opening, and eyes locked on his, I began to slide down.

He was big and I felt every bit of him. There was a tiny, delicious bite of pain as his head popped inside, My eyes widened as I felt a slickness coating him that worked with my own juices to help get him seated all the way inside.

He has a self lubing dick, I thought inanely. Then he was all the way inside and moving, turning us both so he could step out of the tub.

I kissed him again, the taste of him addictive. He took me back inti the bedroom and sat himself down on the edge of the bed.Using both hands, he lifted me up, and lowered me back down. The fourth time he did so, he thrust up on my downward move and that was it. Hungry, frenzied need took over. It was fast and furious and far too soon, I felt myself cresting.

My own orgasm triggered his and that was when I discovered what the ridges were for. As my blown mind slowly pieced itself back together, I felt him grow bigger.

“Is, is that a knot?” I squeaked. I’d thought those only existed on supernatural people in romance novels, but there it was.

“Trimkil,” Terrin grunted. “Keep together, keep inside.” He kept moving, tough much less than before. I realized then that these trimkil were the three ridges I’d spied and they all swelled to for a sort of knot. It was hot as hell, especially the way Terrin kept filling my insides with spurts. I was being we ll and truly marked.

When his knots at last receded, we had a second go at that shower, actually bothering to wash each other’s backs this time. He was massaging the shampoo we’d found into my scalp when I asked, “So, you’ll start fixing the greenhouse tomorrow.”

He bent down and nipped my shoulder. “Yes. Start fix tomorrow. Do many things tomorrow, and tomorrow tomorrow, and many tomorrows.”

I blinked back tears. He was promising me a lifetime. “Okay,” I whispered. “We do all the tomorrows together.”

He turned me around, giving me a peck on the lips before tipping my head back to rinse the suds away. “Yes, all tomorrows together. Penny and Sparky and Terrin.”

That sounded good to me. What more could a girl ask for?

Thank you for reading Doggone Alien Love! You can find more stories from the authors here.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Elizabeth Stephens

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Zoey Draven

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Kate Rudolph

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

V.K. Ludwig

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Tana Stone

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

Octavia Kore

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Hope Hart

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Olivia Riley

Before the Fall

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Tasha Black

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

S.J. Sanders

Prologue

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Jessica Grayson & Jade Waltz

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Veronica Scott

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

V.T. Bonds

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Nancey Cummings

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Alana Khan

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 6

Epilogue

Ivy Knox

Content Warning

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Samantha Rose

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Ella Maven

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Kyra Snow

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

L. Starfyre

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Kate Stevens

Content Warnings

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Alison Aimes

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Ava Ross

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Hattie Jacks

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

Julie K. Cohen

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Iona Strom

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Lilly Griffin

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Annabelle Rex

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Honey Phillips

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Alexis B. Osborne

Content Warning

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Elin Wyn

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Tamsin Ley

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

V.C. Lancaster

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Epilogue

Liz Paffle

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Victoria Aveline

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Kassie Keegan

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

A.G. Wilde

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Ella Blake

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Lynnea Lee

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Hannah Haze

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Leslie Chase

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Tina Moss

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Stephanie West

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

R.L. Olvitt

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Ana B. Starr

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

C.Y. Croc

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Amarra Skye

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Julie L. Vance

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Loretta Johns & Sarah Johns

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16